The Other Wayland

Everything has Changed

Elizabeth's POV
I ran back to the institute and straight to my room.
"What did Magnus say?" Jace shouted as I ran past.
"Later!" I called running into my room holding back tears. I slammed my door shut and sank to the floor head in my hands regretting the last five minutes of my life. You know what? I didn't regret telling him that I loved him. I didn't because I did love him. I loved him to the end of the universe and back. However whether I loved him like my best friend or as something more was some what of a mystery to me and that and the way I had said those words, like it was bad thing, like it was wrong, were what I regretted. I regretted the way that I had said it out of anger. I regretted running off like I was ashamed of it. I regretted that it would hurt him to know that he was my torture. I regretted that I hadn't stayed to let us talk about it. In short I regretted everything other than saying those three words.
"Liz, are you alright?" Jace asked from outside my door.
"Yeah, just changing, I was going to do some training." I called not opening the door.
"I've got something better than training." He called in that cocky tone of his. I rolled my eyes.
"Now what would that be?" I called.
"Going on an actual hunt with your dear amazing older brother who is your idol."
I groaned and opened the door to him. "You are so full of yourself."
"When you are as perfect as me it's hard not to be." He winked and flopped down on my bed.
"Yes Jace you are the most perfect person in the entire world." I said in the most sarcastic tone I could muster. "Now we've stopped stroking your ego, tell me more about this hunt."
"There was a demon sighting up in Queens. I was going to go with Alec but he's busy." He rolled his eyes. "I thought it would give us a chance to spend some time together. I thought it would be fun."
"Yeah, I could do with the practise." I shrugged.
"Good, I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes." He stood up. "I'm glad that you turned up here, I've missed you Betts."
"Betts?" I asked laughing.
"Betts, you know like Betty. Just something I'm trying out." He shrugged. "Liz was your nickname before but you're not the same person as you were then so I think a new nickname is in order. I'm not sure about Betty though, it's a bit too old for you."
"Don't worry about it, it took Joe years to decide on his nickname for me." I grinned.
"Yeah but I'm pretty sure he made it up. How many people go round calling themselves Liza short for Elizabeth?"
"Could say that for yourself Mr. I'm Jace short for Jonathan." I laughed.
"Hey, don't mock it, Miss everyone calls me something different. At least I only have one name." He said in mock defence throwing up his hands.
"I only have like three."
"Beth, honey, Joe has three separate names for you himself." He pointed out.
"True, but it's not my fault that I have a name that has quite possibly the most nicknames ever." I shook my head laughing. "Any way I thought we were going on a hunt."
"We are. I'll see you in seven minutes." He said leaving the room. I smiled, glad that I had come here.  I quickly pulled on my gear and pulled out my bag to find some weapons perfect for this occasion. I picked my sword, two seraph blades, two seraph daggers and a few of my throwing knives. I ran to the door taking the steps two at a time.
"Wow, look at that, a whole three minutes to spare." Jace said surprised.
"What can I say, I'm a punctual person." I shrugged and followed him out of the building.
-----------
Joe's POV
I walked into the institute with a pit of fear in my stomach. What she ran away? What if she only loved me like a brother? What if she regretted it?
"Woah." I heard a voice say as I walked straight into a girl.
"Oh I'm sorry Isabelle, I'm a world of my own." I apologised.
"It's Izzy and don't worry about." She started to continue on her way before I stopped her.
"Wait, Izzy, did Liza come back here?" I asked anxiously.
"Umm, yeah she did, I think she and Jace went out on hunt down in Queens." She smiled and went to leave again but then turned and asked. "Did everything go alright with Magnus?"
"I don't know, he sent me food shopping while they talked." I said scowling.
"He did what?" Izzy asked shocked.
"He sent me to the supermarket while he talked to Liza so I have no idea what's going on and now she's out there acting like nothing happened." I racked a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry for ranting." I tried to smile apologetically.
"No, it's fine, though you shouldn't worry, if she's with Jace, she'll be absolutely fine. He won't let anything happen to her." She smiled and walked away. I took little comfort from the knowledge that she was with Jace. I would worry about her no matter what. It was also that it was an unusual feeling to know that she was on a hunt without me. That hadn't happened in years. I guessed I would have to learn to deal with it now. I went to my room and laid on my back staring at the ceiling thinking about a hundred and one different things.
---------
Elizabeth's POV
Jace and I stood side by side on the subway to Queens.
"So what did Magnus say?" He said breaking the silence.
"There's nothing he can do about it." I shrugged. "I'm at the mercy of whoever is doing this."
"Absolutely nothing?"
"Well, there's a few little things he can do but nothing major enough to make a difference."
"That's not what I was hoping to hear."
"I know. It's okay though, I'll work around it."
"I don't know if this is something you can work around." He turned to face me. "Where's Joe?"
"I told him I loved him by accident and now I don't know what to do."  I blurted out accidentally.
"What?" He stared at me.
"We were having an argument and it just kinda came out."
"Beth, you have nothing to worry about. He loves you." He assured me.
"Okay." I said half-heartedly.
"Believe me Beth, he didn't leave your side all night and when you were screaming you could see his heart break each time." I nodded and fell silent.
------------
Joe's POV
Two hours later Elizabeth turned up at the institute covered in demon blood, bruised and tired. She was holding her arm strangely and limped slightly. My heart instantly went into my mouth and ran out of the library to meet her.
"Liza." I said quietly, she turned and looked at me and I saw the dark purple bruising along her face and neck along. "What happened?"
"Hunt went belly up. We killed it though eventually." She said yawning. "I'm going to take this stuff off before the rest of the blood burns through." She walked up to her room. I turned on Jace
"You were supposed to be looking after her!" I yelled.
"She's fine. Just some bruises that's all." He shrugged.
"You still took her out on a hunt when you knew she isn't well!" I accused him.
"It did her some good! She's my sister, you think I would ever purposely put her in danger!" He yelled back.
"Stop!" Elizabeth interrupted us as she came out of her room in a tank top and shorts revealing all of the burns and scratches from the fight. "I am fine! I can't just sit on a shelf not living just because someone has decided to mess with my life! I won't because that would mean they win and I won't allow that!" She walked forwards us. "Thank you Jace for taking me with you, it was just what I needed. Joe I need you to help me with the iratzes, my stele broke during the fight."
--------
Elizabeth's POV
I took his hand and dragged him into my room, he followed me into the bathroom where I was running a wash cloth under the faucet.
"Give that here." He said motioning to the damp wash cloth in my hand. I handed to him and he lifted me gently on to the unit so I was almost level with him. He was standing between my knees, the outside of his legs touching the inside of my thighs, the fabric of his jeans feeling odd against my bare skin. He took the cloth and carefully ran in over my arms and neck, the coolness helping the odd patches of burns from demon blood. He then moved onto my face and finally he helped pop my shoulder back into place and drew a couple of iratzes on my shoulder and arms. Every little thing he did was so gentle and caring and so full of love. He looked me in the eyes and dropped the cloth into the sink before asking."Do you regret what you said earlier?" He searched my face again.
"No." I said simply. "I have no reason to regret it, because I meant every single one of those three words. Joe, I love you, I have loved you for as long as I can remember knowing you and I love you more than I thought it was possible to love one person. You are my world Joseph Linscott."
He stared at me like I was the most important thing in world. "From the moment I met you I knew you were going to turn my life upside down. I am so glad that you did. It was been a rollercoaster of six years and I am so glad you have been there with me for every loop-the-loop, every drop and every turn. I don't know what I do without. I love you to the edge of the universe and back Elizabeth Seraphina Wayland." He said and I was near to tears. We were millimetres away at that point having subconsciously leant closer to each other and seconds later our lips were crashing together and we were kissing like our lives depended on it. To me, it felt like time stood still, like all the stars had aligned and nothing could be more perfect than this moment in time. It was like I finally found that part of my life that I didn't even know I was missing and I realised that everything had changed.