Isaac couldn't think. He knew in his heart that nothing Luke said was true, his heart didn't raise and there was no indication of lying. Him and Jocelyn were friends, he wouldn't betray her, he cared for her. But the feeling inside him ignored him, hurt coursed through his veins as they walked.

Clary led the two somewhere, but the curly haired boy thought nothing, his thoughts still consumed by Luke. He looked up to see the two were in their apartment, it was dark and bare. Something had definitely happened there, and Isaac had quite an idea of what had happened.

"Isaac," Clary cried, "What happened? Where is she?"

He gulped, forcing down a sob. He needed to be strong for Clary, he had to be strong. "I don't know, Clare Bare, I don't know." Finally, it wasn't lying. Telling the truth felt good, after years of keeping secrets he could finally tell the truth.

Thunder roared again as lightning struck, the perfect climate for the perfect feeling. They turned to see Dot, but it didn't feel like her.

"They look Jocelyn," she simply said, letting very little emotion out.

Tears streamed down Clary's face as she stared at what seemed like her older sister. "Who took her?"

"Rogue Shadowhunters searching for the Mortal Cup." Her voice was desperate, trying to grab onto Clary and search for it.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Her voice was weak, clawing for answers when all she got were questions. Isaac put his hand on her arm in comfort, but also in protection. She didn't feel like Dot.

"Think, Clary. Did your mother ever talk to you about a cup?" Dot stalked towards them, Isaac pushing them back as she pushed forward. "A very important cup. It's gold, almost like a chalice."

"She doesn't know, Dot." He screamed towards the woman. "You know that."

Clary didn't bat a lash towards Isaac, feeling slightly betrayed that he knew as well. "No! No, I don't know anything about a cup, Dot. One of the antiquities downstairs?"

"No, no, not those." She was close, too close for Isaac's liking. "Think, Clary. This could save Jocelyn."

"I can't think! Someone kidnapped my mother!" Clary yelled in her face, Isaac flinching at the sound of her voice. Even though it had been years, he still feared yelling and violence.

Dot's face turned cold. "You know more than you think you do, Clary Fray." Her face turned to tentacles and Isaac pushed Clary out of the way. He brought out his claws and slashed her face, it wounded the demon and made it angry, but it healed and turned to Isaac.

He ran, pushing the redhead away. Even if he couldn't get away, he could die knowing he saved someone. Isaac continued to fight the shapeshifter, but it pushed him down, walking towards Clary. It slashed her, its poison making its way to her veins.

"No!" Isaac screamed out as the shapeshifter disintegrated before his eyes, the blonde Shadowhunter appearing from behind it. "You, why are you here?"

Isaac was glad he killed the demon, but knew not to trust him yet. "What, no 'thank you' for saving your life?" he asked, smiling. Clary fell slightly and he grabbed her. "Careful. That demon got a piece of you."

"Demons?" Clary's voice was wistful, gaining unconsciousness slightly as she relaxed in his arms.

"Yeah. What do you think that miserable, disgusting thing was?" Jace, the Shadowhunter as Isaac knew, replied to the girl.

"I, uh...I thought it was Dot." Slowly, she started to fall asleep, her heart that was once racing, going down to a normal speed.

Isaac knew that she didn't know. She was oblivious to demons and the Shadow world, but Isaac knew of it in great detail. He wanted to go and hold her, but she had the Shadowhunter to hold her. She didn't want Isaac, and he could understand why.

"No, Ravener demon, shapeshifter." He checked her for any bruises or cuts, he didn't know of what the demon had done. By now, Isaac had gotten up from the ground, finding it rather uncomfortable.

He turned to stand by them, making no noise to draw the attention of the girl. She had showed him that she didn't want him there right now, and he could understand. Isaac knew more than anyone what it was like to be betrayed, the feeling of everything you knew being undone making you want to throw up. So he did nothing but stand and watch them.

"You're just saying words now. Why, why is the room swirling?" She breathes were slow as she tried to stay awake. She turned her head to look around, trying to make the spinning stop, her eyes stopping at the curly haired boy.

His hands cupped her face as he looked into her eyes. "Demon venom."

"Is that bad?" After finishing those words, Clary finally fell asleep as Isaac looked to the Shadowhunter, "So are we going to stay here, or go somewhere?"

"I got you," Jace mumbled, thinking that Isaac didn't hear him. After everything, he just smirked and tried to smile. He wanted to happy, after so long of living through pain he knew how to hide it. Isaac trained himself to be happy and smile, to get through the pain and show everyone that he was alright. And that's what he did.

The two walked for a very long time, not speaking. The silence was comfortable, neither wanted to make conversation so it was good, occasionally Jace would grunt from the weight of the redhead but nothing else. He said nothing to help, he didn't want to. It didn't seem right to him, so he continued on as if he were quiet and Isaac couldn't hear him.

After maybe an hour of walking, the two showed up at an amazing sight. Isaac had to look long to get behind the glamour of an abandoned church, and the exterior of the real building was amazing, but he kept his quiet.

They walked in together, no one turning to look at them, something Isaac was grateful for. Jace turned a corner and so did Isaac, after a while two more appeared by their side as they walked through the place.

Stopping, the four went into a room. Jace laid Clary onto the bed while the other two with raven hair and beautiful skin worked, and Isaac only watched but snuck glances of the room around him. Moments later, everyone stopped to turn to Isaac. "What?"

The raven haired boy rolled his eyes and scoffed at the Lahey boy, making him want to grab him by the throat. "Oh really? Roll your eyes at me, wow, real mature." Isaac sarcastically said to them.

"Who are you?" Jace simply asked, but it didn't seem like a question. He wasn't asking to know, he demanded to.

Instead of fighting, for there was no reason to, he sighed. "Isaac." He told them nothing else, the name 'Lahey' wasn't right anymore. He wasn't a Lahey, he wasn't from Beacon Hills. He was Isaac, the boy who didn't know who he truly was. And Isaac let himself believe that was alright.

"Isaac? Just Isaac?" The girl pushed, strutting towards him. He gave her a smile as she thought her ways of persuasion would work on him.

"Well, not really. I don't know my real last name." Isaac said, not wanting to keep this secret. "I was adopted and brought to somewhere else, went here to look for my family. It hasn't really worked out, but that's alright. So yeah, just Isaac is fine."

They nodded, the girl giving him a look of pity while Jace give a glance of understanding before turning away. "I guess you didn't need to use your body as a distraction for once, Izzy." The other boy smiled.

She shrugged, "It would have worked." Isaac laughed at them, finding it funny how they thought he would be on his knees as one girl glanced at him.

"Sorry, sorry." He apologized once he saw their confused looks. "I mean, no offense, but you're not my type. See, I like a girl who knows that they want, like they don't take no for an answer. You're the type of girl who plays with everyone, doesn't know what she wants, very dangerous for a relationship I might add, and I don't find that attractive in any way."

The three were shocked by him, and Isabelle furious. Everyone found her attractive, she was a vixen that everyone loved, yet here stood someone not affected by him. "You will, one day you will."

Those words escaped her mouth and then she made her exit, the raven haired one following behind her. Jace walked towards him, setting down onto the table beside him. "Nobody finds Isabelle unattractive."

Isaac smiled to him, chuckling at his words. "She isn't unattractive, Isabelle – is that her name? – has quite a body, but she doesn't seem the type to want a relationship." He paused slightly, "I've been a part of the whole 'what are we' thing and I only got hurt in the end. I want to be with someone and know that they don't want anyone else."

The werewolf stopped himself, laughing at how much of a fool he was. That love only existed in the stories that Clary used to read to him, the love he wished for would never find him. "I guess I'll just spend my life alone."

Jace had stayed quiet, listening and taking in his words. He casted a look at the other boy, wanting to relate but he had no experience in romance. "I'm sorry." Those words were never said in his world, yet he felt the need to.

"I know." There was a pause, Isaac didn't want his sympathy, but he expected nothing else. "And it's fine, it's really, truly fine." The lie he spat out came so easily, he had told them with a smile many times, but for different occasions.

There was a connection between them that neither understood, it was as if they knew each other a long time ago, but none questioned it.

•••

With a jolt, the young Fray girl woke. She jumped up to hit the head of a stranger. "Ow," Isabelle smiled at Clary, not holding any of it against her. Isaac looked at them and smiled, hugging the redhead to which she returned.

"Clare Bare, you're awake!" He cheered, not caring what anyone else thought as he did so. She was awake and fine, and that was all that mattered at the moment to him.

"Wait, I don't know you," her attention returned to Isabelle who she had bumped heads with.

"I'm Isabelle," she introduced herself to the girl. Isaac went to sit on her bed, holding her and trying to calm her. "I've never seen Jace so curious about a mundane...or distracted. Like you saw earlier, distractions are dangerous in our line of work."

"I have no idea what you're talking about?" Clary looked at Isaac, wanting him to explain everything that was happening. "Who's Jace?"

Isabelle chuckled slightly, looking at the girl warmly. "You really don't know much, do you?"

"All I know is some psychos took my mother, and now you people have taken me." Clary only looked at Isaac, avoiding eye contact with Isabelle to find something normal to see.

He gave her a small smile. "You would have died if we didn't come here, it's okay Clary."

Isabelle nodded, agreeing with the previous statement said by the werewolf. "What he said."

Just then, Alec, as Isaac had finally learned his name, walked in with Jace hot on his trail. "A mundane shouldn't even be here."

"Where is 'here' exactly?" Clary was clueless to what was happening, she only wanted to go home. To wake up in her bed and for this to be a dream, to see her mother and Isaac, Dot and Luke – for everything to be okay.

"She's not a mundane, Alec." Jace's tone was one of being annoyed, causing Isaac to smirk. This could be normal for him, except this time no one would die. He wouldn't have to leave and feel guilty for doing so. It would be okay.

"How do you know that?" Alec asked again, not liking her presence in the Institute, but he didn't like Isaac's either.

"Because the seraph blade lit up when she touched it." He turned to Isaac and Isabelle, the two sat on the bed with Clary. "Look, Isabelle and Isaac, can you?" The two moved away, letting Jace sit beside the confused girl. "I'm Jace Wayland."

"I'm uh,"

"Clary Fray, we know who you are." Jace finished for her, making the girl look at Isaac who turned away and started to whistle, playing innocence.

Alec looked around at them. "Am I the only one who finds this unusual?"

Isaac laughed, looking at the boy with a surprised face. "This? This is unusual? Wow, Brooklyn is different from Beacon Hills."

Everyone ignored him, not finding his comment very interesting. But Isaac was used to it so he didn't think anything of it. "You find everything unusual, Alec." Isabelle said to him.

"I have to report this to the Clave." Alec announced to them, causing Isaac to growl slightly.

He walked towards the younger boy, putting his hands in a fist in case some claws decided to show up. "Do that, and your throat will get ripped out."

The fear was subtle in Alec's eyes, but it was there which made the Lahey smirk. He loved the affect he could have on people sometimes. Everyone looked at him as if he was a mad man, but the boy simply returned near Clary's side and opened up her art book.

"You know what? Dial it down a notch." Once Jace finished saying that, he turned to Isaac. "You too, hot head." The curly haired boy sent him a glare with daggers, not liking the name he had chosen.

"My brother doesn't have a dial. I love you, Alec, but you have a switch that's always on." Isabelle sent a look to Alec. Isaac smiled at them, thinking back to Scott and Stiles. Their relationship was much like this, and once the happy thought was gone a sad one returned. He was afraid of what they thought of him, he left them and didn't think twice about it until he was gone.

"I love you, too. But this,"

"Hey, you know what? Give me a minute." When the Lightwoods and Isaac didn't move he tried again towards his parabatai, "Here's a word you never hear me say. Please?"

"What is with you?" Alec then turned to the others. "Really, no, what is with him?"

Isabelle linked arms with Alec before grabbing Isaac's arm as well. "Walk with me big brother, future boy I will sleep with."

He laughed at the last thing she had said. Unlinking arms with her, he turned to her with a joking smile. "In your dreams, Shadowhunter."

"I know," Isabelle pursued her lips, "I will be dreaming of you for a long time." He rolled his eyes at her comment, saying nothing more, it wasn't like it would be important.

The two had spoken while Isaac looked around the Institute. Even if he had been there for two days, he still didn't know much about the place. Everything wandered him and he had a feeling of euphoria as he forgot the world around him and just let go.

He snapped out of his daze when he saw Clary and Jace running outside of the place, and he followed. Isaac knew it wasn't safe for the redhead to leave, so he went out to try and convince her to stay.

"So, why can't Simon see you?" Isaac caught Clary asking Jace. He went to laugh at her ignorance at the situation, but refrained from doing so – he was part of the reason on why she didn't understand anything.

"This is a glamour, a rune that makes me invisible to mundanes," Jace looked slightly at his body, "It's a shame, really, 'cause...well, denying them all of this."

Isaac laughed loudly, gaining the attention of all three outside. "Cocky much?" A playful smirk stayed on his face as he watched the Shadowhunter roll his eyes.

Simon looked at the two with worry, not spending much time on Isaac since he didn't look much different (and he didn't really care about him), but spent most time looking at Clary. "What do you have on, Clary?'

He looked in horror at her outfit, quickly taking off his coat to place it on her shoulders. Isaac let out a low chuckle at the scene, unable to contain himself, "Clothes, Simon, she's wearing clothes."

He simply rolled his eyes at Isaac's sarcastic response, used to him, "Let me take you home."

The redhead looked into Simon's eyes with sadness. Isaac couldn't see them, but the smell of sadness reeked from her, saddening him as well. "I don't think I have one anymore."

"Why? What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her, not understanding anything that was happening then.

"The apartment kind of burned, man, like – uh, you know – with fire." Isaac smiled innocently at them. At the thought of fire, his thoughts wondered to Derek. He knew that the Hale had left the McCall pack after him, but no one knew where the old alpha was – him included. But he understood why Derek would need to leave, he didn't think anyone from his old pack knew where he was either.

"Clary Fairchild!" A deep voice brought him from his thoughts. Clary, Jace, and Isaac turned to see another Shadowhunter with a circle rune on his neck and a seraph blade in his hand.

She let out a gasp as Jace went to attack him, thinking of it as a simple workout. "Clary, what's going on? What are you looking at?"

No one answered the Lewis boy, Clary was scared while Isaac was amused. He wanted to see how long Jace could last without help, not that he wanted to.

"If you give us the girl, I'll let you live," the Circle member said. He seemed to think that he would walk away from this fight, but Isaac had another plan in mind.

"You're in no position to be making the rules," Jace attacked him. Isaac stood with his arms crossed and a smile on his face as he watched the fight before him – not minding the mundane any attention.

Clary continued to gasp in fear, grabbing onto Isaac's arm for comfort. He glanced at the young girl and put his arm around her, "Everything will be okay."

He hoped he would be correct.

In a strained voice, the almost dead member promised, "We'll never stop hunting her."

"This is for my father," He ignored what had just been said as he plunged the blade into the man's chest.

"Jace!" Clary slightly yelled, walking over to the Shadowhunter only to be pulled back Isaac. He wasn't afraid of the blonde before him, he had seen death before, but he was now warry. It was clear that he could hurt Clary, and Isaac never wanted her to get hurt.

"Is he dead?" She pointed to the body on the ground. Isaac looked at her, his eyes squinted.

"No, he's just taking a nap," sarcasm dripped with every syllable, "Of course he's death, Clary!"

Simon looked at the two in confusion, "Is who dead?" Being a mundane, he couldn't see through the glamour. It was moments like these, Isaac really wanted to kill the mundane. He didn't understand how Clary could put up with him every day.

"What the," Simon trailed off at the end as he saw a dead body magically appear before him. Isaac smirked at him, loving the reaction he got.

"Could you deglamourize, or whatever, so my best friend doesn't think I'm losing my mind?" It didn't sound like Clary was asking, more like demanding that Jace showed himself.

Simon patted Isaac's arm slightly, causing him to growl. Simon cowered away. "What is happening?" Jace had finally appeared before Simon, although nothing seemed to happen for Isaac and Clary.

"Yeah, we don't have the luxury right now, kid. Everyone back inside."

"Clary, who is this? Your meth dealer?" Simon motioned the blonde before them, making Isaac elbow him.

He shook his head in irritation as he looked at the young boy with glasses, "Do you really think I would let Clary do drugs? Not in a million and one years."

"I've seen him before. At the police station, remember, Isaac?" She looked up from the body, meeting his eyes. "He's with the people who took my mother."

"Yeah, Clary, I clearly remember that night. No need to remind me," Isaac muttered the last part to himself. He still wasn't completely over the words Luke had said, but didn't mention it to Clary. She had enough on her plate.

"Right, your little best friend here led him right to you," he didn't know why, but Jace didn't like Simon. He blamed it on the body before him, but Jace and Isaac knew it was something else; though the curly haired didn't know why he knew. "He's here to capture or kill you."

"Thanks for not sugar coating it, Ken," Isaac whispered to Jace, causing him to roll his eyes, "My name is not Ken."

"There's a dead body there, we have to call Luke." Simon brought the attention to himself.

"We can't trust Luke, Simon. We can't." Clary wanted so desperately for herself and Simon to understand everything. She just wanted to be normal.

Isaac was going to make a comment arguing in Luke's favor, but stayed silent. It wouldn't help him.

"Clary, I need to keep you safe." Isaac tried, "We have to stay here."

"I promise you, I promise I am gonna help you find your mother," Jace reasoned, "but you're one of us. You're a Shadowhunter."

The two boys nodded to each other, understanding one another. They both had been thing in mind; the safety of Clary. And that was enough for them to stay close.

"What are you talking about?" Simon turned himself to the pale girl, "Clary...you don't know this guy, all right? Come with me. I can get us help."

"Hey, Lewis! She knows me!" Isaac interjected himself into the conversation quickly before letting them continue.

"Clary, please. Clary, come on." Simon pleaded, grabbing onto her arm. It took all his self-control not to rip it off her.

Suddenly, he smelt fear in the Fray girl. He stepped forward, turning her to look at him. Her hand held the necklace that Jocelyn gave her, making Isaac sigh. He knew exactly what it was and what was happening, but said nothing.

He brought the girl into a loose embrace. Isaac knew she would choose to stay, it was the best option. Clary cared for her mother before anyone else, something he admired and envied. He made a vow to protect the redhead, and a promise to himself to always help Jocelyn.

And now it was time. It was time to complete both tasks he had for himself, and he knew it would not be an easy ride, but Isaac didn't care. He was finally helping people again.

Isaac liked helping people.

•••

[word count: 3813]
[unedited]

dedicated to isabitch for blessing me with 'solve this mystery with me' and all her other books. thank you, hailey. and thank you for the username as well.