The Scarlet Letter

Chapter Six

A/N: I am so sorry that this took me so long to update. I've been going through some writer's block with this one but rest assured the story is not abandoned. It may just take some time for each chapter to come out.

Sadly no Malec in this chapter but it's all plot building, I promise. This chapter is unedited because it's four in the morning and I don't trust myself to edit correctly. I wanted to get this chapter out for you guys since it was finished (:

Disclaimer: I don't own The Mortal Instruments or Shadowhunters.

Chapter Six

Alec sat on the pier railing, staring out the constantly moving sea. Despite the constant rattle of conversation that surrounded him, his focus was solely on the calming swish of the waves. It settled his nerves more than a reassuring word ever could and a part of him wished that he could spend all his time here instead of eventually returning to the obnoxious noise of the Scarlet Letter.

It was a gorgeous day. The sun beat down on his black clad back like there was magnifying glass pointed directly at him. Alec knew it was partially his fault for deciding to wear black on such a hot day but his wardrobe wasn't extremely extensive when it came to colouring. Black was all he had and he liked it that way. Black helped him blend in. He didn't care that it made people think he was some sort of emo or goth. That just meant that they left him alone even further.

Alec spent some time away from the Letter. He didn't know how to describe it but after what had happened in the dressing room between his family and Magnus, he didn't feel comfortable spending too much time there. Like there was some sort of invisible force constantly pushing him away, warning him that he was not welcome there.

Magnus had told him to relax and try not to think about what he had heard, but saying this had had the opposite effect on him. Now all Alec was able to think about was what he had heard behind the door when they thought he was gone. Alec wanted to know what he had to do with anything related to the Letter's investment decisions. They had distinctly said his name, there was no doubt about it. But why? What had he to do with the Letter's business affairs? He was just here on holiday, that was all.

Alec piled a lot of his energy into working. He spent the majority of his nights at Isabelle's apartment studying and translating and then he would go out and investigate LA during his free time. Isabelle had told him that their mother was started to get suspicious as to why he hadn't returned to the Letter. Isabelle had apparently told Maryse to stop being stupid and of course he was weary after what he had heard.

Alec didn't want to worry his mother. He did intend to return to the Letter for the weekend performances, he just didn't couldn't sit around there anymore. It felt like there were whispers going on being his back; eyes burning into the back of his head; conversations happening about him that he wasn't aware of. At least during the weekend, the buzz was so thick that he didn't have a chance to worry about what was going on behind the scenes. Yeah, he'd go back at the weekend. Just not yet.

He found that he enjoyed spending a lot of his time at the beach. Sitting by the ocean was peaceful, despite how crowded and excited the beach constantly was. Alec felt free by the seaside whereas in the Letter he felt almost stuck in place. Constantly being watched, so to speak. Maryse would never be at the beach so Alec didn't have to worry about what he said or did. He could just sit in the sand and . . . exist.

It sounded odd because . . . well . . . he existed every day, even when being watched by his mother he still existed. To not exist meant not being a part of this world, contributing nothing to the fabric of the universe. The sad thing was, in the presence of his mother, he didn't feel like he was fully existing. Ever since he realised that his mother wasn't entirely happy by the revelation of his sexuality, he immediately knew he couldn't fully be himself around her. He felt obligated to act like a shadow of himself. A puppet Alec who could hopefully please his mother.