Sweet Little Serena (Rewrite)

Are We Sure Maryse Isn't Possessed By A Demon?

"You are dead to me, Jonathan Christopher Herondale! Dead! You don't even have the guts to call me or to tell me in person but you leave me a voicemail to tell me that you and Izzy are leaving me and Alec to have dinner with Mom alone! And you better hope that your so-called mission brings back the Owl or so help you because you, JJ are in serious trouble," Serena shrieked into her phone before she angrily ended the voicemail she'd now left her brother.

She'd been very stressed in the last 24 hours with learning that both Raphael's sister Rosa passed away and he couldn't attend the funeral because it would be in the day, and that Maryse was dropping by for an impromptu family dinner. One problem was solvable because while Raphael couldn't attend, Serena and Izzy could and they could video chat Raphael so he could still say goodbye to his little sister. However, the other problem was less so, especially now that Serena had received Jace's little memo casually telling her that he and Izzy were going on a last-minute mission with Clary and wouldn't be able to attend dinner.

See, normally, dinner with Maryse wasn't a bad thing, at least when it was planned. Surprise family dinners usually meant that she was losing control of something in her life, in this case, her divorce from Robert, and needed to fix everything she thought was wrong in her children's life. And usually, Serena wasn't this nervous or testy, but Alec had been on edge since the minute he found out his mother was coming and she was married to him; his nerves were her nerves and that was meant literally in this case as they were bonded together.

"I think you're nerves are getting to me," Serena said as she tried to breathe them out as Alec walked into the foyer.

"I think they're getting to me too," he admitted as Serena reached up to straighten his collar. "Magnus just left for Catarina's."

The former High Warlock of Brooklyn had been more than happy to lend his home to his two favourite Shadowhunters for the evening because like hell they were having dinner in the Institute, it tended to bring out Maryse's more critical side. Magnus had even helped Alec in the kitchen before Portalling over to Catarina's where the warlock had invited him over for dinner with her and Madzie.

"And dinner's ready?"

"Stew is steaming and on the table," Alec answered as he glanced at said table. "The table needs more candles. Do you think it needs more candles?" Alec fretted.

"Even if it did, we wouldn't have the time. Magnus's wards just picked up Mom entering the building," Serena replied as she smoothed out Alec's already smooth shirt and he adjusted the necklace on her chest.

"Oh god. Are you ready?"

"No. But I think we'll be ok. Though I swear if she brings up the fact that we've been married almost three years and haven't had kids yet, there's going to be problems. Don't get me wrong, I love you and I want a family with you, just not now."

"Oh no, I agree," Alec said honestly.

Though they often discussed having a baby, they'd agreed that it was too soon. They only just defeated Valentine and Jonathan, this was their time to just enjoy each other before they considered bringing a child into the mix. Maryse had pushed the subject a couple of times over the years but in the end, had agreed that the threat of Valentine and then Jonathan was too great to risk bringing a child into the mix. Though, now that Valentine was dead, they hoped that their mother would maintain her views. To be fair, most parents really pushed and hounded their children for children with the number of Shadowhunters dwindling way more than Maryse did.

"And let's hope that she doesn't bring up the fact that I turned down that job at the Clave," Alec added.

"Is that better or worse than the baby thing?"