Stay Strong (Alec Lightwood)

Chapter 3

Charlotte follwed behind Aldertree, into the Institute's conference room.  He sat down at the head of the large table in the room, and motioned for her to take a seat as well.  "I need to record our conversation, Clave purposes."

She nodded slightly and sat down beside him, placing her hands in her lap.  "Go right ahead, I have nothing to hide."

He nodded and took out a cellphone to record the conversation.  "So tell me, when was the last time you saw Jace Wayland?"

She sat back in her chair and let out a sigh.  "A few hours ago, when Valentine gave me back my son."

"You saw Valentine?  Why didn't you alert the Clave?"

"Because he was gone as soon as I left."

"And, you saw Jace Wayland.  Two of the most wanted criminals.  And haven't made a move to alert the Clave."

"My son-"

"This is more than you, Charlotte.  You're a traitor to the Clave, by not alerting us of your seeing them."

"Well I'm telling you now."

His face hardened into an angry stare.  "You'll be de-runed immediately."

Her eyes widened.  "You can't be serious.  You-you can't do that, I-I'm the best Shadowhunter in the world.  You need me."

"We need loyalty to the Clave, and only the Clave.  It is clear you're not willing to give that."

She ran to the door and threw it open as he was getting out of his seat.  "ALE-"

His hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her away, slamming the door.  He took out his stele and began to trace over one of her runes, muttering some quiet incantation.

"I'm begging you," she sobbed, though it was muffled by his hand.  The first rune was off in seconds, and he began on the next one.  She bit his hand, and he grimaced but didn't pull it away.

She struggled against him for nearly a minute, until he'd taken away every rune but one. 

The marriage rune.

He began to trace his stele over the rune, and she fought harder to break away.  He punched her across the face and quickly drew over the rune, making it erase.

Part of her seemed to vanish.  All of her, actually.  She felt like her soul had been ripped out of her, like she was just an empty being.  She no longer felt attached to Alec.  Panicked, she pushed away from him and ran out of the conference room, into the weaponry.  She grabbed a seraph blade, and let out a sob when it didn't light up.  "No!" she cried out. 

Alec ran into the room after her, but stopped when he saw her.  "What happened in there?"

She looked up at him, and she didn't see the same person she did before.  He was more than her. 

"I feel like...  Something's gone. I feel kinda empty," he said as he walked over to her. "I feel like you're gone..."

She couldn't bring herself to keep looking at him.  She just put the seraph blade back and looked at her arms.  They hadn't been clear like that since she was a kid.  "I got in trouble, since we saw Valentine and Jace and I didn't tell the Clave right away.  Have you gone in yet?"   When he shook his head, she looked at the doorway.  "Don't mention it to him."

"He de-runed you..."

She nodded slightly with tears in her eyes.  "We're not married anymore.  Alec, I can't tell you how sorry I am."

"If you're being de-runed, so am I."

She shook her head.  "I'll figure something out.  Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Aldertree walked into the room, as if on key.  "Alec, I need to speak to you.  And Charlotte...  No Mundanes in the Institute."

She let out a sob as she stood up.  "I'll be back for my stuff in the morning, ask Izzy to pack it."

"You couldn't do this without the Clave's permission," Alec said angrily.

"I was given permission to punish traitors."

"Just ignore him," Charlotte said as she took Alec's hands in hers.  "I'll see you around, okay?"

He hugged her tightly, and she buried her head in his shoulder.  "I love you, so much.  I promise we'll manage to get around this."  He kissed the top of her head.

"Just save Henry," she said quietly.  "Don't focus on me.  Please, Alec, I'm begging you; save our son.  Bring him home."

"It's not going to be his home without you here."

She gave him a sad smile, and he wiped her tears from her face with his thumbs.  "Then perhaps we'll have to find a home of our own, where there's no restrictions on Mundanes.  I guess this is how it's going to be now."

He hugged her again.  "It won't be forever.  I promise."

"I believe you," she whispered.  "I believe in you, Alec.  Don't forget that."

"You're talking like we're saying goodbye.  We're married."

"Not anymore," she cried into his shoulder.  "Everything changed, Alec.  So quickly.  It's all gone.  And now I'm losing the person I love the most."

"You're not losing me, Charlotte.  I'll come back for you.  You're still part of the Shadow World.  We'll still see each other.  You can come visit."

She put her arms around his neck and stood on her tip-toes, so she could kiss him.  His hands moved to her waist and pulled her closer, but they had to break apart when Aldertree cleared his throat.

"I'm waiting, Mr. Lightwood," he said impatiently, earning himself a death glare from Alec.  "The Mundane has to go."

Charlotte gave Alec another sad smile before stepping out of his grip and leaving the Institute.  Once she was outside, she turned to face the building.  "I love you," she whispered, though she knew he was way too far away to hear.  "No matter what."  She wandered aimlessly around the city, until she somehow found herself at the Hotel DuMort.  She slowly walked through the front door, immediately greeted by a group of Vampires.

"Mundanes aren't welcome here," one of them said viciously.

"I vote we kill her now," said another.

"I want the first bite!"

She pushed past them, walking further into the Hotel.  "I'm looking for Fred."

"He's upstairs," one of them laughed.  She immediately began her charge to the stairs, and as soon as she was up there she began her frantic search for her brother.

"Fred!" she called out, when she finally saw him facing a picture.  He turned to face her, and his eyes widened.

"You-you look so-"

"Empty.  Yeah.  Long story."

"Where's your husband?"

"At the Institute."

"Where's your son?"

She bit her lip, and looked down at her feet.  "Most likely with Valentine Morgenstern.  I failed, Fred.  I failed so bad.  I lost my baby, I lost my husband, I lost my runes...  I lost everything that made me who I was."

"You got de-runed?!"

She nodded slowly.  "I-I went to get Henry back from Valentine, because he had Jace steal him.  I got in trouble with the Clave for not telling them immediately of my encounter with the two, and as a result I lost my runes."

"You need to get out of here, it's a lot harder for us to control ourselves around Mundanes."

"Fred-"

"Go!!"  His fangs poked out, and she found herself running from the Hotel. Once she was sure she was far enough away, she did the only thing the circumstances would allow.

She cried.