＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Moo Shu To Go

SECURITY WAS A FEELING THAT ARYA LACKED IMMENSELY IN HER LIFE. She had never certainly had it as far as she could remember. She couldn't recall much from her younger years so wasn't entirely sure whether the younger version of herself did. But as far as she understood, after getting dropped off at the institute she hadn't felt it in a long time. She knew she had a secure home now and a secure job but that wasn't what gave her the feeling of security she yearned for. She didn't feel safe enough to be secure. But in Alec's bed with him holding her safely, She finally felt it--Even if it was just for a few moments.

Arya woke up first that following morning. She slipped out of the arm which was now holding her tighter and closer to his chest. The girl was cautious not to wake him up as she climbed out and rested the sheets back in place. She took a moment to look at him in his sleeping slumber but not so long that it would be creepy. His hair was tousled and a silhouette of a smile hung on his lips. His chest was slowly rising and falling and his lips were slightly parted. He looked like the perfect illustration.

She slipped out his bedroom door and closed it softly, pleading that a lurking Isabel wasn't hiding behind one of the walls or doors she would have to walk past to get to her room and surprising for Arya she wasn't.

The brown-haired girl managed to slide into her room, shower, get dressed and french plait her hair without anyone watching her leave.

After, she wandered into the main room of the institute to find no Alec, Izzy, Jace or Clary. She frowned and walked back to the hallway where all the bedrooms were and heard muffled shouting from the one furthest up the hall which was Jace's.

Inside was Alec—who was still wearing his pyjama bottoms but with a shirt slipped on top now—Clary and Jace. They were looking at the purple necklace which Clary had utilized to find where Dot was, numerous days ago. They were still in sleep clothes so she assumed that everyone had just woken up too.

"It's a portal shard. That's why your mother made sure you had it." Jace told the pair while Arya hovered in the doorway.

"All I know is what I saw," Clary told them and she sounded scared.

"What's going on?" Arya finally asked, walking into the room and everyone turned to look at her.

"Valentine spoke to me through my necklace," Clary told the girl and Arya froze slightly. That was the last thing she had expected to have happened.

"Oh, great." Arya sighed sarcastically, rubbing her head with her hand.

"Arya maybe you should go back to bed. You had an exhausting day yesterday." Jace worried for her. She had been almost killed by a demon and hadn't slept the night previously.

"I'm fine Jace. Didn't have a single nightmare last night." Arya assured and Jace smiled lightly at the girl while Alec smiled a little, considering why that was—he felt helpful.

"My mothers Alive," Clary added, changing the subject back to her encounter with Valentine. "She's unconscious but alive." The girl stressed, giving pleading looks to them all.

"Where are they?" Alec asked deeply, still not in the best mood with the redhead after she had almost gotten Arya killed the day previous.

"I don't know." Clary stammered, too shaken up by what had happened to make her brain work effectively again.

"But you said you saw them." Alec pressed and Jace looked as if he was ready to jump in, in case they got into another argument. "We're there any identifying characteristics? Equipment, weapons, photographs?" He listed, tugging on whatever thin strings he was being given.

"I don't remember. It was awful." Clary shuddered just at the thought, similarly to when Arya had her dreams.

"Alec lighten up." Jace pleaded in an attempt to control the situation.

"I'm trying to get something we can use out of this." He told the blonde sternly. "Clary, what did you see exactly." He asked slightly lighter, as to Jace's request.

"Valentine has my mother. That's what I saw." Clary shouted at him.

"Emotions are nothing but a distraction. You're ruled by them. We're taught to control them. I lead with my head, not my heart." The boy stressed.

"And how's that working out for ya?" Clary spat back, glancing at Arya who was stood to the right of the boy.

"It is my job to protect the institute. If Valentine can see in, that's a door I have to shut." Alec snapped at the girl and Arya frowned, she didn't understand why he was so angry at the girl all of a sudden. "Now...let me take a look at this thing." He sighed, holding his hand out for Jace to give him the necklace.

Jace handed it to him and the raven-haired lightwood looked at it for a split second before retreating towards the door. "Now, it's in the proper hands." He told them, walking away with everyone following.

"Hey!" Clary called, running after him. "Alec..." She followed him down into the main floor of the institute "...where are you going?" Clary called, trying desperately to get the necklace back.

"To put this somewhere safe. Where no one could be tempted to use it." Alec said sternly,

"We should use it," Jace said desperately. Arya nodded in agreement and so did Clary. "Alec, we should use it to get to valentine." He suggested but Alec was having none of it.

"If I were valentine, I'd make you think you could rescue Jocelyn. And then I'd lure Clary to me and leverage her life for the cup." He justified and the other three frowned at him.

"Alec, don't you think you're being a little hasty?" Arya asked the boy sternly while he activated the rune on the floor and the tile rose, revealing the hidden shelves beneath it.

"I agree with Arya." Clary sighed and Alec just ignored the pair.

"Seriously, Alec. Think about this for a second." She pleaded while he closed the shelves again—with the necklace locked inside.

"I am thinking, Arya." He stood up and snapped closer to her face and Arya frowned at him and Jace glared at him for taking such a bitter tone with her. "I'm thinking that Valentine is a real threat and he can't be handled by three and a half-shadow hunters." He added just as harshly.

"Four," Clary interjected and Alec glared at her before turning to Arya again.

"Don't talk to me like I don't understand the situation—out of everyone—I probably understand it the most. I am not a naive little girl, Alec." Arya snapped back, equally as harshly as she took a step towards him. He swallowed thickly from how close the pair were and hated himself for thinking that the way she was defending herself was hot but he also hated the way she spat his name with such venom and instantly felt guilty for not taking count of her first-hand experience with Valentine.

Before he had a chance to say anything, Arya turned away and walked out of the main room to her own so she could avoid the boy for a while.

"Nice going, Alec." Jace snapped at his parabatai, glancing in the direction that Arya had just disappeared.

"That's what happens when you 'control your emotions." Clary snapped at him before the pair also walked away. He internally groaned at the way he had spoken to Arya. He knew he was out of order.

✧

"There you are." Izzy sighed when she walked into her parabatai's room and saw her drawing runes into a sketch pad and then adding shading to the back. She was trying to take her mind off of it all and was so angry that she had felt one-way last night and now she was furious at the person she felt it for.

"Your brothers a dick," Arya mumbled, pressing down slightly harder on the paper while she was drawing one of the runes, only for the pencil to snap.

"Your only just figuring that out?" Izzy laughed at the girl she called her sister. "I heard what happened." She told her sympathetically.

"Yeah, then you know that I'm furious at him and if he thinks I'm climbing into his bed again, he's got another thing coming." The girl mumbled before she realised what had just escaped her lips. She prayed that Izzy hadn't heard but considering she was right next to her, sat on the bed. That was near to impossible. Arya's eyes went wide and so did Izzy's smile.

"Your kidding!" Izzy laughed and Arya internally groaned at how stupid she was.

"I wish." She mumbled, running her hands over her face. "It wasn't like what your thinking. We just slept." Arya insisted and Izzy nodded, knowing her well enough that she wasn't lying.

"Anyway, Jace wanted me to tell you to get your butt to the training room," Izzy told her, still with a wide grin.

Arya huffed and put her sketch pad down. "I knew something was happening, I felt tingly like all night." Izzy giggled.

"Are you sure that wasn't just because you were with Meliorn?" Arya sarcastically smiled and Izzy playfully rolled her eyes at her antics.

✧

Arya walked onto the training floor and saw Jace in his training gear. He was holding a stick in each hand and tossed one to Arya once she walked in. "Figured you might need some anger management." He grinned, tossing her one of the sticks and she laughed at him.

"Maybe a little." She laughed, spinning the stick round in between her fingertips.

"Ready?" Jace asked with a smirk and Arya nodded, ready to kick his ass.

"Ready," Arya assured and they began to fight. He swung at her and Arya blocked it, kicking her leg round and he ducked it. Jace swung his stick beneath her feet but she hopped over it and swung to hit him in the side but he stepped back. They continued to fight and defend for a few moments back and forth before Arya flipped to the side and swung, Jace blocked it and then they both swung to hit each other in the same place but at different angles and their sticks collided but neither could do anything.

"Draw?" Jace suggested and Arya contemplated it for a second.

"Draw." she grinned and they both dropped their weapons to see that they now had an audience.

At the front was Maryse who neither expected to see but grinned when they did. The pair walked forwards and each hugged the woman who was beaming at them. "Hey." Jace greeted panting. "It's great to see you," Arya added also panting. "How's everyone in Idris?" Jace asked and Maryse just frowned. "And where's Max?" Arya asked after she hadn't seen him in a while.

"No Max. Just mom with her hair on fire." Isabel told them, walking forwards with Clary at her side. "I love how shadow hunters share, A hidden brother, and a secret country, and a private portal," Listed and Arya nodded.

"Mother. Welcome back. We didn't expect you." Alec greeted his mother, kissing her cheek politely. "You should be prepared, whether you expect me or not." His mother scolded. "I am," Alec assured, glancing at Arya who wouldn't even look at him. "We are." He sighed.

"We'll talk about the institute later. Right now we have a bigger problem, The seelies have stopped communicating with the Clave and won't explain why." Maryse told them while she walked around them in a circle. "My guess is they're still upset we asked them to send scouts to look for Valentine, but no one in their realm will talk." She explained.

"I have Seelie friends," Izzy suggested and Arya could already tell her mom would make a snide comment towards her daughter. She loved Maryse as family, but that didn't mean she agreed with the way she treated both Alec and Izzy.

"Yes, I know about your friends," Maryse commented and Izzy looked down a little. "Isabel, we stay separate from the Downworld for good reasons." The older woman scolded and Arya was secretly relieved her and Raphael ended the things before Maryse found out about her Downworld affairs. "The wrong move, the wrong word...Do you think there's such a thing as harmless rebellion?" Maryse asked the girl harshly. "Who knows what offends these creatures? Maybe you told him...them...something they shouldn't know. Maybe you trod in one of their ridiculous customs without knowing it."

"Wait, wait. I don't understand. You're laying all this on Izzy for having a friend in the Downworld?" Arya frowned and Jace nodded his agreement.

"When someone upsets the natural order, everything falls apart." The woman scolded the girl but she didn't regret defending Izzy.

"Natural order? What are you saying?" Clary interjected but it wasn't the best time for her to input.

"I can help," Izzy assured. And the girl could. But Maryse was hard on her children. She wanted to see them succeed but sometimes they had a harsh way of teaching them her way. "I know how to talk to Seelies." Isabelle insisted and Arya could see the glassiness of her eyes. Her mother upset her. She knew just the way to say what she was thinking, the way which would hurt Izzy the most and it frustrated Arya.

"She's right." Alec agreed. "She can visit with Meliorn and see what he knows," Alec suggested. "I could go with her if you want."

"I'd rather Jace goes along this time. Alec, you stay with the Fairchild girl. I want her under control. She's caused enough trouble already." The woman insisted and Clary's frowned at her comments. Nobody wanted her to say anything because talking back to Maryse never ended well but Clary just couldn't hold her tongue. "Maybe that's because I wasn't even a shadow hunter until a few days ago!" The girl shouted at the woman.

"And what an exciting few days it has been." The woman diminished her. "The Clave counts on us lightwoods to maintain order here." The woman told them all. "You don't need to tell me that." Alec snapped a little. "If the mission is important to the Clave, I would prefer to be the one who goes with Isabel." Alec insisted but his mother brushed him off again.

"Arya, you go with Jace and Izzy." The woman told her and Arya was just happy she didn't have to babysit Clary. Alec looked furious. He wanted to be the one to go with Izzy, yet his mother chose Jace and Arya over him.

"You're all so eager to do what you would prefer. It's time to face the truth. Life is not about what you want to do, it's about what must be done. I have given you your assignments now carry them out!" The woman snapped. "You, you and you, with me, now." She ordered and just like that everyone followed.

Jace, Izzy and Arya followed after their substitute mom who lead them to a table in front of a screen. She briefed them about the mission before sending them off to get prepared.

✧

Alec and Jace walked through the elevator doors after Maryse had told everyone what they were supposed to do and the two girls had left to get ready. "You're the acting head of this institute. If there's a diplomatic mission, you should go." Jace insisted, also conflicted on the choice of mission assignments. "Let's switch assignments," Jace suggested but Alec shook his head.

"Nope." He told the blond bluntly. "This time I'm going to obey orders, and babysit your girlfriend," Alec grumbled, walking up the steps beside his parabatai.

"Clary? She's more like my responsibility." Jace disagreed. "Hey. Hey, you'll keep an eye on her, right." Jace hoped, his tone contradicting his last comment. But Alec looked distant like he was thinking about something else and Jace was confused why he had been acting so strange that whole day. "What is wrong with you?" Jace asked him with a frown.

"I, uh...Arya slept in my bed last night." Alec mumbled loud enough for Jace to hear. The blonde's eyes went wide and Alec immediately wished that he hadn't told the blonde. They were parabatai but never usually spoke about such things.

"That is not what I was expecting you to say." Jace laughed and Alec glared at him. "So, was it good?" He laughed and it was probably the most awkward conversation for him to have ever.

"Nothing happened. She just had a tough day." He told the blonde and Jace nodded. "Then what's the problem?" He asked confused why Alec was focusing on it so hard.

"Because...I...I think—I might—" He tried to explain but he couldn't make himself say the words.

"Love her?" Jace asked with a smirk but not understanding how he just worked it out.

"I think," Alec mumbled and Jace clapped him on the shoulder with a grin.

"Took your time to realise it." He laughed and Alec rolled his eyes.

"Thank you." He said sarcastically. "But now I've screamed at her and she hates me." She sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair.

"She doesn't hate you. She's mad at you because you spoke to her like crap." Jace corrected and Alec felt guilty."Why did you?" He asked curiously.

"Because she's almost died twice in the last few days and I'm sick of her putting her life on the line for your girl." He mumbled and Jace nodded. "She doesn't understand I'm trying to keep her safe." He complained and Jace understood.

"You've just got to tell her man. It'll be better if she knows." He told him with certainty and Alec reluctantly nodded.

✧

"So, have you spoken to my brother yet?" Izzy asked the brunette who was getting ready beside her. She also vouched for Alec and Arya as a couple. Her brother had always been neglected and felt unheard and unwanted. But she knew that when it came to the female shadow hunter—he felt all of those things less.

Arya looked up and frowned. "Not yet. And I'm not planning on it. Let's just get the mission out of the way and then we can talk about this later." She pleaded.

"You're allowed to feel, you know. You've got this rock hard shell around everything you feel and the only person who seems to be able to crack it is, Alec. Take advantage of it, make the crack bigger. You allowed feeling how you want to." Izzy told her sternly and the girl looked up from tying the laces on her boots.

"Alec hasn't cracked it open." Arya denied, cluelessly.

"I'm your parabatai, Arya. I know how you feel, better than you know yourself." Izzy insisted and it desperately had some truth behind it.

Arya didn't say anything. She pursed her lips and looked down, thanking the Lord when her phone started to ring—thus the conversation could end.

"Hello?" She asked, holding the phone up to her ear while she waited for Izzy to get changed also.

"Arya. Hi. It's Magnus. We met the other day. You know, with the demon." The man on the other end of the phone announced.

"Uh, yeah...yeah, hey, what's up?" She asked and Izzy looked over at her with a frown—replicating the one which also sat prominently on Arya's face.

"Who is it?" The raven-haired girl mouthed.

"Magnus." Arya mouthed back and Izzy wore a huge grin on her face.

"I was just thinking it was nice getting to know you. You seem...sympathetic." He commented but Arya wasn't quite sure what he meant. "Would you like to go out for a drink sometime?" He asked her hopefully and the girl internally panicked. She wasn't sure why. It