No one said anything to the werewolf on the way back to the Institute, and Isaac never spoke. He knew Clary felt even more betrayed, the emotion radiating off her, clogging up his nose, but he didn't know how to explain it to her. From experience, he knew that people (and Shadowhunters) were not kind to them. They were there for whenever the Shadowhunters needed them but looked down on, left on the sidelines. He didn't need the redhead to turn on him either.

The others...well Isaac didn't know what they thought. Their emotions were all over the place, but he didn't know what they felt about him. Couldn't they understand that he was just trying to protect himself? That's what he had always done, what he would always do, but Isaac knew when to put others first as well.

Really, no one spoke at all. Silence suffocated them, barely letting anyone in the group breathe. The only sound mixed in with this was Clary's terrible attempts of hiding her tears. To him, a Simon-less Institute sounded good.

Reaching the said Institute, they all trickled in, everyone trailing after Clary who was starting to sound like she knew everything, walking around like the queen of the world. A true Shadowhunter, Isaac thought.

"I still don't understand," Clary broke the silence, "How can Shadowhunters be better than...than what you people call mundanes? And Isaac, why didn't you tell me about you being a werewolf once we arrived here?"

Isaac looked down guiltily, not wanting to answer her, but knowing that he had to. "Werewolves and Shadowhunters don't exactly get along, Clary, it was best if you didn't know."

Jace and Alec looked stone cold at Clary while Isabelle made a face of offense, but Isaac didn't notice it, too caught up in his own thoughts. He never wanted them to know, not because he didn't trust them, but because he just wanted to be seen as a person for once – a friend.

"We protect humans," said Isabelle, ending a future conversation that could have happened, knowing Clary. Isaac sent her a gratitude, but got nothing in response, unlike before, confirming his suspicions that they would hate them with this new found knowledge.

"You're right," Clary turned around to face them, "Humans. You protect humans. You left Simon all alone in the van. Great job, guys. You rock."

Isaac knew that the statement didn't obtain to him, but he still felt the guilt the others felt – maybe even worse than them.

"There is some truth to the idea that human beings should have a modicum of common sense." Alec said, feeling very uninterested in having the current conversation.

"Alec," Isabelle said in a strong voice before glancing at Clary, "not now."

Jace looked to Clary, wanting to comfort her, "Look, they won't do anything to Simon. They just wanted to draw you out. They want the Cup, and they think you have it."

"But why do they think that? Why does anyone think that?" Clary questioned, still confused as to why anyone would think her mother would tell her, "What, my mom lies to me my entire life except, 'Oh, by the way, there's this magic cup, I hid on, like, the planet Bongo, but don't tell anyone.' What am I supposed to do now?"

Alec was the first one to move, walking forward he said, "We have to report to the Clave." Everyone began to move with him, Jace muttering a little, 'great', but saying nothing else. "They have to know we've learned about Valentine."

"What, that he's my father?" Clary angrily asked, "Great. Fine. Tell them. What good does that do Simon."

Isaac rolled his eyes, "You know, Clary, not everything revolves around you...or Simon. Just keep that in mind."

No one payed any attention to him except Clary, who looked broken for a few seconds by his comment before returning back to her angry persona.

"Clary, it's all connected." Jace answered her, "The vamps want the Cup."

"Why?" The redhead found herself asking (and making Isaac shake his head). "It makes new Shadowhunters."

Alec took up answering this question, although Isaac still wondered how stupid Clary could be to not realize the answer herself, "Nobody wants Valentine forming an army loyal to himself."

"Plus, it controls demons," Isabelle finished before Jace added on, "They'll propose a trade. Simon for the Cup."

"So, vampires will trade Simon for the Cup and Valentine will trade my mother for the Cup," Clary concluded, which everyone already knew, "Either way, I lose someone I love. What if I just toss it up in the air and let them fight among themselves?"

The brunette boy looked at her a little surprised, "So this doesn't matter to you?" Isaac looked at him, seeing in his eyes his world crumbling because of one little girl, and the werewolf understood. He knew what it was like to see everything you had leave because of one event.

"Yes, of course, it matters!" Clary defended herself, screaming slightly as she did so. "Listen...when you saved my life...I put my trust in you. Now, I need you to put your trust in me. I can't turn into what you are overnight."

"It's true. She was raised as a mundane," Isabelle went to her defense, not missing the glare that her brother gave her.

"I did," Isaac raised his hand slightly, letting everyone have a full view at him, "I mean, I was raised a mundane, as you call them, and then overnight I changed into a werewolf, so..."

Alec rolled his eyes at Isaac, not exactly liking his statement, "Yeah, that's usually how it works. And what are you, her spokesman now?"

"I don't need a spokesman," Clary forced in him, "I need a plan."

After that, it was settled. The Shadowhunters, plus Isaac, would try and help Simon. Unlike them, though, the werewolf had already placed his trust in Clary long ago. Even though trust didn't come easy for him, she was one of those that had earned it, and Isaac was glad that she did.

The five of them moved further into the Institute, going into the main room with all the screens, somewhere that Isaac an odd feeling as he went in there. There was no real reason for his apprehensiveness to the room, just a nagging that told him something bad would happen in there.

Clary was frantic with every move she made, her emotions going from anger to gratitude and back to anger in just minutes, giving Isaac the wish that he never became a werewolf so that he didn't have to smell her in that way. But everyone else was relatively calm, thankfully.

"Uh, look at all this stuff, these screens," Clary stuttered with open arms as she circled in the room, "I mean, can any of this help me find Simon?"

There was silence for a second, and Isaac wanted to give her an answer just to shut her emotions up, but he didn't have it.

"Where is he, anyway? Some kind of crypt in Transylvania?" She went on to ask before finally being answered.

"Actually, no," Jace said before asking Alec, "That was Camille's outfit, right? They're locals."

"They're at the Hotel DuMort, down in Gansevoort Street," Isabelle answered Clary's question before she even asked it, knowing that it would come.

"And we came back here?" Clary turned angry again, causing Isaac to roll his eyes. Because, honestly, why did she have to be so angry? It was giving Isaac whiplash trying to keep up with her. "Why? We have to go there. Let's go, now. Come on."

The girl tried to get them up and moving, but none did. Isaac because he was tired of moving, haven't done anything like this since Beacon Hills, and the others because they knew it was best to stay put for a little while until they gathered enough supplies.

"We need a Clave resolution for that," Alec said split seconds before Isabelle went on to say, "The four of us can't declare war on the vamps all by ourselves."

"And we can't react without considering our options. Downworlders are slaves to their impulses. We're not," the boy Lightwood said in a calm tone, soothing Isaac slightly because of all the yelling Clary had been doing lately.

"Alec, you can't just jump on all the Downworlders," Isabelle said with the same tone, calming Isaac even more, because, well, it was Isabelle who was saying it.

"Oh, that's right," Alec smiled at his sister, teasing her a little, "Seelies have their charms, apparently."

Jace smiled at her as well, making Isabelle blush from their teasing about her love life, which happened to involve Isaac. "Right."

Little things like this made Isaac not want to look at her, because Isabelle was obviously beautiful and she was someone who knew when to admit defeat. Isaac could fall for her, but then something like this reminded him that she was a player who would only break his heart, and he didn't need to repair himself again.

"'Seelies'?" Clary asked, but it was clear her focus wasn't really on knowing what the world meant, although she was curious.

"Like faeries. The Fair Folk." He looked at her before turning to the Lightwoods, "Add pixies, nixies, elves...anybody half-angel, half-demon. It's pretty much a catch-all term."

"Izzy can tell you all about them," Alec said with a little hint of delight, "She's got a thing."

"We've all got our things, don't we?" Isabelle asked, not affected by the topic at hand in the slightest bit.

Clary made a face of confusion, "What does that make Isaac?"

"Oh, Downworlder," the werewolf answered her question about him, "Or, as I like to refer to myself since I was taught this term, supernatural creature...but sticking with werewolf is fine. Preferred, actually."

"Good to know," the redhead muttered before shaking her head, "Okay, I can't listen to this, anymore. Simon's been kidnapped by vampires. I guess I'll just take care of it myself."

"Clary, you're gonna get yourself killed," Jace said to the retreating figure, who was all willing to leave her somewhat brother, "Clary. Simon, too."

That caused Clary to turn around, and Isaac would lie if you asked, but he felt a slight feeling of betrayal seeing this. When it came to Simon, she had to do everything in her power to save him. But Isaac...the redhead was willing to leave him behind for the mundane, and it hurt. It hurt knowing he was second best to someone, like he always had been, like he always would be.

"Then help me," Clary came back to the table they were standing over, "While we consider other options, my best friend is suffering. Is that something Shadowhunters understand or am I just being a mundane?"

"Wanting to save someone doesn't make you mundane, Clary," Isaac joked with a smile, knowing that was the only way he knew how to relieve the pain, "Being born not a supernatural creature, or Seelie, or Shadowhunter, or anything else, makes you mundane."

The words he used for careful and precise, easy not to go back on anything that he had learned in Beacon Hills. Pain makes you human, he could hear Scott's voice in his mind. While that was true, it didn't make him stay that way, because Isaac Lahey would always be a werewolf. He would always be a monster.

"Clary's right," the blonde motioned for the other Shadowhunters to come closer, "They made the first move. We're gonna take care of this ourselves, right now."

"This is a bad idea. I..." Alec placed his hand down on the table. It was a bad idea, but what other option did they have?

"What, have you got a better one?" Jace broke off Alec's sentence. "Look, the vamps broke the Accords. They kidnapped a mundie. That's a big no-no. The Clave will give us a lecture and then they'll be glad we did it. Come on."

"Hard to argue with that," Isabelle almost smiled, liking this break-the-rules Jace that she was seeing.

Everyone was convinced but Alec, not that Isaac was surprised since was the goody two-shoes of the group, "Even if we went ahead, I don't see how we get out of here without having to explain where we're going. We need weapons, and we can't let anyone see us get them."

"Then turn off the cameras, Dumbo," Isaac rolled his eyes, but the rest of the group didn't seem interested in his opinion. Although he was used to being ignored by now, seeing as his old pack never cared for his comical insight, it still stung a little. It still felt like he was nothing.

Jace looked around at the group for a second before saying, "I know where to get what we need."

"Where?" Isaac questioned, "Last time I checked there isn't a store saying, 'Here, kids, free weapons!' around Brooklyn."

•••

After yet another long car ride, the group ended up in a not-so-pretty sight. No one asked Isaac any questions about his past this time, something that he appreciated. He figured that they pieced everything he had told them before with everything they knew now.

They ended up at a cemetery, which gave Isaac a feeling of estranged nostalgia. Most people would look back on their childhood and think of their backyard or laughter, but Isaac thought of anger and graveyards; a place he used to work at.

"Whose grave is it?" Alec asked in his annoyed tone. Isaac had gotten used to it from his limited time around him, seeing as he always used it.

Isabelle sighed, "Mary Milligan, born January 10th, 1802. Died, January 10th, 1878."

"That must have been one sad birthday," Isaac blew in the wind, hearing the crickets' chirping in the darkness.

Jace rolled his eyes before turning to the male Lightwood Shadowhunter, "All right, Alec, let's go."

"Wait," Clary stopped them, "what are we looking for?"

"Cache of weapons," Isabelle responded sweetly, looking around for the tombstone.

"Stashed here with Mrs. Milligan," the blonde, very Ken looking, Shadowhunter finished.

Clary, being the oblivious and confused girl she was, asked, "Why are there Shadowhunter weapons in a churchyard?"

"Because all of the ancient religions recognized demons," the female Shadowhunter answered her, proving to be the most useful to Clary. Isaac noted that she was always there to answer the questions that the redhead had, thinking that it was nice of her. "Or at least they used to."

"They forgot about the threat because we've been here to protect them," Alec added, "Typical mundane failure of imagination."

"Are you saying we did too good of a job?" Isabelle asked him jokingly, causing Isaac to smile. "You just can't let up, can you?"

"You know what?" Jace interrupted their argument, annoyed by them, "Alec, why don't you go check out by the angel?"

After saying that, Jace turned to Clary, who was standing right beside him, "We couldn't gear up at the Institute, but we know our ancestors left a cache around here someplace. We'll find it."

"I always wondered where my dad was buried," Clary sighed, "I used to wish he was still alive. Be careful what you wish for."

"Well," Isaac placed himself into the conversation, "you can still decide where you want to bury him. I'm thinking somewhere like a volcano or an unmarked grave. But, I mean, you and your mother should get to decide that."

Both of them glared at Isaac, causing him to mutter an 'okay' before returning to his search. He got alongside Isabelle, who was humming a tune that Isaac couldn't place as she squinted at the words of the tombstones that she saw.

The silence between them ended when she asked, "Where is your adoptive father buried?"

"Somewhere in the Beacon Hills cemetery," he answered quietly, "I didn't really go to the funeral."

She nodded, "Were you the one who killed him?"

Isaac shook his head, "No. But I know who did."

The quietness continued as they trailed around the place, memories popping into Isaac's head every now and then as he walked. The two found nothing, but neither was discouraged.

"Why won't you date me?" Isabelle turned to Isaac, "I know I'm not your type, but what is?"

The werewolf sighed, "I've been in the whole rebound relationship before. The girl I was with was still in love with her ex but trying to move on, and I guess I was the perfect target."

He gulped, hating the way the whole story of Allison could still bring him to tears. Even though she was dead, she still had a hold over him, and he hated it.

"And you...Isabelle, you want freedom. You like how you can play with people and toy with their emotions. Sex is meaningless to you, just another to have pleasure or pry information from people, and I don't want that. I want a relationship that matters, and I don't think it would matter to you."

She couldn't speak. Even though he didn't say it, it still felt like Isaac was calling her a slut, and it didn't help that her phone rang. She picked it up to see a text from the Seelie she often slept with, saying that he was home and ready for her.

"I-I've got to go," Isabelle stuttered, "Work...and other things."

Isaac nodded, already having scanned over their texts out of curiosity. He didn't know why he thought his talk about his previous relationship would help theirs in any way, but now he knew the idea was foolish.

The werewolf trudged on, not really looking for the grave anymore. He was far enough away now that he couldn't see the others, but Isaac didn't mind. Some time alone was doing him good.

But the time was cut short when he heard, "Jace! Alec! Isaac! I think I found it! Mary Milligan!"

Isaac walked over to where he heard Clary's voice to see the grave of Mary Milligan before him. By the time he got over there, the other two Shadowhunters were already there.

"Beloved servant?" Clary looked up at the three of them, "Who wants that on a headstone?"

"Someone who is in service to a cause greater than themselves," Alec answered in his usual, monotone voice.

Jace swept away some of the dirt, "At least she is now. Abracadabra."

"Wait," Clary looked around at them, "you people actually say that?"

"Yes, Clare Bear, they do," Isaac sweetly smiled at her, "They also say expelliarmus and obliviate to erase memories!"

Jace sent him an annoyed look before elbowing his rib cage, not that it actually hurt Isaac before turning his attention to Clary, "No, Clary, we don't."

The blonde Shadowhunter retraced the rune on the coffin before blowing on it slightly, opening the casket. They all looked inside to see a plethora of weapons.

"Whoa," Clary breathed, "Where's Mrs. Milligan?"

No one answered her before she reached her hand in the grab one of the blades. "Don't touch that. You don't know how to use it," Alec scolded her, and for once Isaac agreed.

"What, like at Pandemonium when I killed that demon?" she sassily said.

"Clary, I wasn't even paying attention then and even I know that you didn't really kill it." Isaac told her sternly, "You were just there with a blade in your hands when all of a sudden, bam! a demon is dead."

"Alec, Isaac," Jace looked at the two of them, "I'm gonna show her the right way to use it. Do you see what you need in here?" He motioned at the open coffin.

"No. There's no bow here. I need one. I have to rune some arrows, that's back at the Institute. I gotta go."

Alec turned to leave before Jace started to follow him a little, "Well, how are you gonna get back in the Institute?"

"Go in the back. Won't bother me if I'm alone."

"Okay, good. Go." Jace told him, "I can finish up here."

Instead of paying attention to the conversation anymore, Isaac brought himself away from the scene and to the gravestone of another. It seemed his only true friend he had now was silence.

•••

question of the day,
isabelle or alec lightwood?

answer of the day,
isabelle all the way!