The meeting ended and Maryse and Robert went back after discussing what needs to be done

"We will see all of you next time so keep up the work and don't waste your time," Maryse said and walked away

"You all handled the situation quite perfectly with the new member in the institute I'm proud of you guys" Robert patted Jace and Isabelle

"Alec"

Robert called Alec towards the side for a talk

"You need to see past the things for once, all the people who are outside there don't know about us or our world are innocent and simple. They aren't wrong they all just want to live their life with peace and calm like everyone around them. And so does this girl, give her some time will you son?

She is from a different world where she had a peaceful life with her family and now suddenly she is thrown into a new world which is much more different and also dangerous than the one she used to live in till now. Give Veronica some time I'm sure you're capable of helping her I trust no one else with her safety than you at this Institute".   

Robert patted Alec's shoulder

"I'll try my best dad, to make sure I can help her and also to understand her. I won't disappoint you." He said and nodded to his father's statement

Robert nodded calling Jace and Isabelle over "in case she needs help and wants to know about her parents you know where to bring her" he demanded

"We should go and check on her let's go," Clary said

"let's go" Isabelle added

"Aren't you coming Alec?" she asked him

"No, I'm not going to go and check on some crybaby who doesn't have any manners," he said and went in another direction

"I'm going to go check on him you guys should go and meet Veronica I'll meet her later," Jace went behind Alec and Isabelle and Clary went to check on Veronica

"Veronica, are you okay?" Clary knocked on the door waiting for an answer

I was lying on my bed crying thinking about the events of today, I heard Clary by the door

"I'm okay, please just leave me alone for some time I don't want to talk to anyone right now". I said moving to the other side of the bed

They walked into the room sitting beside me
"I know you are hurt but we're here to help you get out of this okay!!" Isabelle said

I got up hugging Izzy as tears went down my face while she comforted me while I was down. Clary told me that she was in the same situation a few weeks ago when she came here in similar circumstances and is also looking for answers.

Meanwhile on the terrace

Alec's POV :

I went away towards the terrace to clear my mind

"Even though I have seen a lot of people when they are hurt but her...her eyes were different from the others, the emotions, the pain. She was hurt by all that information"

Alec was busy thinking about what had happened that he couldn't hear Jace calling him

"Alec, Alec hey you okay there man" 

Jace asked Alec who was leaning towards the terrace's ring, lost in his thoughts

Alec broke out his thoughts from Jace's voice

"Oh yeah, I'm okay just a bit tired with all this so needed to cool off," he said looking at him

"You're sure, since you and Veronica... I-I mean since you two got close you're acting a bit strange," he asked

Alec looked at Jace with alarm "why would I be affected by her crybaby behaviour and the way she acted downstairs. She insulted the elders of the institute".

"I didn't say she was crying or she had teary eyes" he looked at him and called it out

"Whatever, I'm out of here, I'm done with cooling off if you want you can come along with me," Alec said and went towards the door

"You go ahead I'll catch up with you in a few minutes," he said standing his ground

"Okay"

"Hmm, whether you accept it or not Veronica's closeness to you has affected you in some way and you felt something for her when she was vulnerable"

Jace thought to himself and went down the hallway as he saw Alec talking to the members about something he decided to go and check on Veronica who needed some support right now

"Knock-knock" Jace knocked on the door before entering. He saw Veronica sitting on the window side looking out of the window

"Usually people say 'who's there after this"

He slowly came in and said "hey... "

She looked towards him "Oh uh Hi Jace I didn't see you there, what are you doing here?" Wiping away the tears on her cheeks and clearing her throat

"I just wanted to check up on you, hope you're okay after what happened in there"

"I'm trying," she said while turning around and looking out of the window

"I know this is not easy for a person to handle all of this on their that too on the first day of being somewhere unfamiliar " he sat in front of her trying to console her "But if you need any help all of us are here for you, I'm here. okay..."

He looked at her and gave her a small smile to which she smiled back with warmth

"Thank you, Jace, I appreciate it," she said and got up from the window side and drank some water, "by the way can you say sorry to the elders on your way out while you're on a mission? I wouldn't wanna say to them face to face."

"How do you have a mission assigned to us?" He questioned her
"Oh right Izzy must have told you"

"No, she didn't, she didn't want me to know you guys are going somewhere" she kept the glass down on the table and turned towards him

"Then how do you know," he asked her with a curious look

"I went out for a moment and saw Izzy and Alec getting all geared up and looking around for something so I thought you guys might be going on a mission"

"You have some good observation skills I must say you just looked at them and understood. Don't worry we'll be back soon if you need something Clary is in the institute you can go to her okay" he assured her

"Yeah, thank you", Jace and he nods in response to that

"Pleasure," he said and began to go outside of her room then said "don't worry about Alec though he seems hard on the outside but is sweet on the inside and cares a lot about people near him" he explained

"Yeah whatever" she rolled her eyes at him and let out a chuckle and walked out of the room

The three of them went on the mission to look for the demon which they couldn't catch last time when they collided with me on their way. While Veronica stayed in her room.

As it was getting boring I decided to take a stroll across the academy even though I was still recovering. I put on my jacket and walked out of the room into the hall, people working on screens tracking locations talking about stuff and all then I saw a hallway stretched out with some paintings so I decided to go and take a look at them.

As I entered the gallery there were a lot of paintings on the wall the details beautifully captured by someone, someone who knows his way around a camera, I came across a picture of the lightwood family as I was looking at it I heard someone say

"It's beautiful isn't it" I flinched at the voice that came from the other side a person with his back towards me

"Who are you" I insisted looking at the person standing next to me

"Sorry for scaring you my name is Harry I work in this institute," he said moving his hand forward

"Nice to meet you, Harry, I'm Veronica I just came here yesterday "

"I got to know because this institute is surrounded by a small group of people who know each other so a new face becomes recognizable here"

"I see" I exclaimed at him. "Well how long have you been working here," I asked him

"It's been 4 years now," he said

"Wow, that's a long time Harry I assume then you might know about the light woods"

"Yes I do, you wanna know about someone in particular, or are you just asking randomly," he side-eyed looked and asked me

"Oh no just randomly are they all so formal and rude type? "

"Well not everyone I suppose there are exceptions like Izzy, Robert and Jace, and of course Max"

"Max", I looked at him with a surprised look on my face who is Max now

"Max ?? Who is this Max exactly, is he also a shadow-hunter, and how come I have not seen him" 

"Because he's usually not allowed to come to the Institute", he said

"But why is that, why and what kind of a family would not let someone from their own family be with them at their workplace around them".

The Lightwoods he said exclaiming

"But why is that, why would they do it, that too; to one of their family members"

"Well you see Max is just 7 years old so yeah " he exclaimed as he said that I gawked my eyes at him

"What? Max is a 7-year-old kid?? I said with surprise all over my face I was assuming him to be a grown-up dude. She's the same age as my sister"

"Yeah, this is a mistake most people make assuming him to be a grown-up man, but don't worry. I'm sure your sister must be really cute and don't worry I won't tell anyone about what you said we can be friends if you want?"
He asked me and I saw he had extended his hand toward me

"Friends"

"Friends? Someone at this weird institute-like place wants to be my friend and talk to me??"  I was questioning this for a second then extended my hand toward him

"Friends," I said smiling he also smile back and shake my hand we talked for a few more minutes, and then as I was feeling tired I informed him and started to go back to my room for some rest and sleep for the night

I entered the room and closed the door and lied on the bed and slept through the night. Waking up with the same nightmare I've been having for years now