Stay Strong (Alec Lightwood)

Chapter 1

Charlotte was beside herself with fear, panic, and heartbreak.  She was currently studying a runed map of New York, connecting it with one of Henry's little onzie-outfits by a tracking rune.  When nothing came up, she sighed in frustration.  Nothing was working, and it was highly frustrating.

To her own surprise, she found herself also trying to track Jace.  The last time she'd seen him, he'd stolen her baby.  And the time before that, he'd kissed her, despite knowing she was married.  And apparently he had something with Clary, which made it all the more confusing.

"Anything?" Alec asked as he sat down across from his wife and looked at the map.  When she shook her head, he let out a sigh.  "I really didn't think he was capable of this.  Any of this."

Charlotte didn't respond to him, she just looked at the map.  "Maybe the rune isn't strong enough."

"Magnus is using his magic to search, too."  He studied the map a little closer, and let out a sigh.  "I-I'm sorry."

That got her attention.  She looked up at him with curious eyes, and furrowed eyebrows.  "For...?"

"I should've stayed here to watch him, instead of going.  I should've just told you to go, since you're stronger.  Now..."  His sentence trailed off as he let out a rather loud sigh and ran his hands through his black hair.  "Now he's gone.  You've lost your family again, and it's all my fault.  I-I can't even begin to explain how sorry I am, not just because I suck at apologies."

She slowly shook her head, and looked back to the map.  "This is not the time to be talking about that stuff.  We have a son to find."  She stood up from her seat and got the attention of everyone in the Institute.  "Jace Wayland might be seen carrying a baby, if found.  If he is, that baby needs to be returned to me, alive.  I don't care about Jace's condition, but if you kill that baby, I'll kill you."

"You haven't stopped looking in hours," Alec said as he began to slide the map away from her.  "Maybe you should take a break."

"I'll take a break when we find our son," she said, snatching the map back.

"I know you wanna find Henry, I do too-"

"Everything has been taken from me, Alec."  She took the map and everything she was using to track them, and picked it all up.  "I lost my parents, I lost my siblings, and one of my brothers is a vampire so he's alive and I can't see him.  You don't understand how badly that hurts, because your family has been sheltered by this Institute.  You do whatever you want, but I'm getting my son back.  People have taken everything from me.  But not him."  Before he could respond, she was already rushing out of the room.  

She managed to make her way to her room - which was becoming her and Alec's room, since they got married.  She sat down on their bed and let out a sigh as she spread out everything she had picked up, and examined it all.  She thought back to all the time she'd spent with Michael Wayland - apparently Valentine - to see if there was anything he said that might've led to his plans.  She remembered the oddest thing.

He used to always talk about boats.

Whatever floats your boat.

The ship is only as strong as you make it.

You're the rescue boat in the sea of darkness and demons.

He'd said so many more things regarding boats, but she'd never caught on.  She quickly grabbed and changed into her gear, and stocked up on weapons.  She had her own small stash, so she took her seraph blade that Alec gave her, the bow she had from her home in Idris, a couple of daggers, and her throwing runes.  It'd been so long since she'd used them, but she was sure that she'd be using them plenty that night.