The River Lea ↗↖ Alec Lightwood ↗↖

Ch 5. Red

Sitting on the nearby couch with a baby monitor strapped into her belt loops, TJ was reading through her grandfather's journal, along with updating her own. With the old brown journal in utter chaos it was difficult at the best of times to find something in it's many worn pages. Isabelle was sitting across from her on Red's bed.

"What are you writing about now?" The fact that TJ's mundane family had killed such a variety of Downworlders that escaped the Claves notice always interested Izzy.

"Shtriga, an Albanian witch that drains the life force of others, particularly children to sustain it's own life. Can only be killed while feeding. It's also one nasty motherfucker." Izzy nodded her head soaking in the info like a sponge. 

"So have you talked to Alec lately?" TJ sent the older girl a questioning look.  

"About what?" 

"You're undying feelings for each other duh." Izzy stated as if it should have been obvious to TJ. A sight smirk curved her red lips giving Izzy an almost devilish look full of mischief. The unconscious red started to mutter in her sleep making the pair of girls stop what they were doing and watch her. She suddenly jerked up, banging foreheads with the Lightwood.

"Ow." Isabelle said, closing her eyes while TJ snickered earning a sharp glare from Izzy.

"Wait, I don't know who you..." The Red managed to stutter out.

"I'm Isabelle and that's TJ." Izzy introduced, pointing over at the now standing brunette. "I've never seen Jace so curious about a mundane..."

"or distracted." TJ added. "And as you saw distractions are deadly in our line of work." she stressed as she came to stand on the end of the bed with her hands resting on the bed post.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Who's Jace?" asked the redhead, her gaze flickering around the room so often like a cornered animal.

"You really don't know much, do you?"

"All I know is some psychos took my mother, and now you people have taken me." Clary's gaze now focused on the two girls in front of her.

"Well ain't that a nice thank you." TJ snarked, slightly annoyed with the redhead. Izzy shot her a look before turning back to Clary with a smile. This is why Izzy is the diplomat between them, she was less likely to bite someone's head off.

"And by "taken" I assume you mean "saved your life"?" Ah Izzy always the nicer one.

"A mundane shouldn't even be here." Alec voice cut across the room as he entered with Jace behind him. TJ let out a noise of an agreement. As he passed, he placed his hand on the small of TJ's back leading her to the top of the bed facing Jace and Izzy.

"Where is "here" exactly?" Clary questioned but was ignored as the boys continued their argument.

"She's not a mundane, Alec."

"How do you know that?" countered the older boy.

"Because the seraph blade lit up when she touched it. Look, Isabelle, can you..." Izzy got up at Jace's request and sat down in TJ's vacated seat, while Jace took hers next to Clary. "I'm Jace Wayland."

"I'm, uh..."

"Clary Fray, we know who you are."

"Way to sound like a total stalker Wayland." praised TJ with an insincere smile as she leaned into Alec's side, his arm draped around her shoulders. She got a chuckle from Izzy but otherwise was ignored.

"Am I the only one who finds this unusual?" Alec questioned.

"You find everything unusual, Alec." Shot back the blonde.

"I have to report this to the Clave."

"You know what? Dial it down a notch."

"My brother doesn't have a dial. I love you, Alec, but you have a switch that's always on." stated Izzy from the couch while she flicked through TJ's monster riddled journal.

"She's got a point." pointed out TJ, before letting out a yelp as Alec pinched her arm. "Bitch."

"I love you too Izzy. But this..."

"Hey, you know what? Give me a minute." Cut off Jace. When Alec didn't leave Jace sighed before going with plan B. Or should it be P? "Here's a word you never hear me say. Please?" The blonde said before basically gesturing for everyone to get out.

"What is with you? Really, no, what is with him?" Alec questioned as TJ and Izzy led him out of the room. Noises started to come out of the monitor and she broke away from the Lightwoods.

"I'll be back in a few, someone is obviously done with nap time." She said before heading up to her own room to be greeted by a gurgling Robby. Throwing off her leather jacket she headed over to the cot and smiled down at her babbling son.

"Hey big boy. Why don't we go down to Izzy and Alec, huh? That sound good?" His only reply was to lightly slap her cheeks with one hand with the other in his mouth. "I guess that's a yes."