Sweet Little Serena (Rewrite)

Serena Sleeps Through A Lot

Jace had left. Or, was kicked out, rather.

Robert and Maryse had their Portal approved and were allowed to stay in the institute for a maximum of four days. And the second they arrived, they kicked Jace out to get cleaned up and some food.

"Why?" Jace had asked, not moving from his sister's side. "What changed? You were fine to run off to Idris when you found out we were Valentine's children. Why rush here now?"

"Because no matter who your father is, we are still responsible for you," Maryse answered diplomatically.

"Because," Robert corrected, "nothing changed. All we needed was time to process the information. Nothing has changed. You and Serena are still the same. Our children would not have bonded to you the way they have had you truly taken after Valentine."

"What do you think?" Jace murmured to his sister, praying that she'd answer.

"Jace," Maryse said. "You need rest. She will not be alone."

"If anything happens to her -"

"We'll let you know if there's any change," Robert promised before Jace finally relented and left.

And Serena wasn't alone for many reasons. The biggest one was the Downworlders. Aldertree may have restricted the presence of the Downworlders in the Institute but he could do nothing about the scores of them that arrived to see Serena.

No one really understood how trusted and beloved Serena was to the Downworlders. No one really understood her relationship to them, not even Alec who'd also been working with them. But it was clear she cared for them as fiercely as they cared for her.

Magnus had two full rooms of fire messages and gifts for Serena when she woke up, so far. Not to mention that the Seelie Queen had even assigned Meliorn to Serena's side until she woke up, protection until she could protect herself again - Lydia had been the one to approve that.

Many of the Shadowhunters were still growing accustomed to the number of Downworlders coming and going from the Institute just to see Serena.

The Downworlders had also doubled their efforts in finding Valentine, all of them anxious for revenge after the rogue Shadowhunter had been the one to send the demon into the Institute and after Serena.

Alec, however, still hadn't been to see his wife. From the second Jace told him that she was okay and she had a few bandages on but was otherwise fine, he knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't stand to see her and be reminded of what he'd done, that he was the reason that she was there, that she might not wake up. He may not have remembered doing it, but he remembered watching himself do it on the security cameras and he remembered the feeling of the blood coating his hand. It haunted him. In his every waking moment and in his nightmares when he did sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the picture of him slamming Serena's head into the wall before he saw her lying in a hospital bed she may never wake up from.

Alec also didn't trust himself anymore. He knew the demon was dead and that Izzy was fine but he still didn't trust his hands specifically and it was showing as he stood on the roof of the Institute, hands shaking as he fired arrow after arrow, each one exploding when he willed them to. He'd lost count of how many he'd fired when a voice called, "Alec," and his arrow was then pointed at Jace.

"Move," Alec ordered, his fingers itching to release the arrow that he knew wouldn't go in the direction he wanted it to.

"How long have you been up here?" Jace asked, concerned, and unmoving.

"I'm glamoured. No one can see me. Move."

"You can't beat yourself up," Jace said.

"It's all I can do!" Alec yelled as his hands shook even more.