Arrested (Book 1 of the Arrested Trilogy) {malec au}

Chapter Seven

The news of Valentine being Clary's birth father came as a bit of a shock to the group. Jace, who was normally never surprised, had his mouth agape as he stared at his girlfriend. If Alec hadn't been badly wounded, he would've shot off the bed and began to pace the floor, considering his options and next move. Isabelle remained stoic, face unmoving.

"How did this happen? When did this happen?" Jace whispered.

"Well, Jace. When a daddy loves a mommy very much-" Magnus ducked as Jace tried to punch him. "Relax. Just trying to relieve the tension in here. Obviously it happened-how old are you, Clarissa?"

"20."

"So obviously it happened 20 years ago when Valentine and her mother decided to bump uglies. That's usually how it works. Are you working for him?"

Clary shot him a look. "Are you working for him, Magnus? I haven't even met the guy. My mom left just after when I was born. I've seen pictures of him and stuff but never met him in person. Heard he's an awful person, though."

"Awful person is an understatement," Alec said. "The list of crimes he's committed is practically endless. There's file after file of all the shit he's done. We've seen it," he nodded his head towards Jace and Magnus.

Clary buried her head in her hands. "I'm so sorry, you guys. If there's anything I can do to help out, I'll do my best. I can ask my mom if she knows anything-"

"Clary. Babe....it's fine. Don't feel obligated to give information you don't have. This case has nothing to do with you. You were a baby when he started committing crimes. You can't be blamed for any of this."

"Jace is right. The crimes of the father aren't the crimes of the child," Isabelle offered Clary a small smile.

Alec reached over for a file on his bedside table but a sudden pain from his wound flared up. He hissed, placing a hand on his hip. "Ugh. Fuck. Izzy, can you pass me that folder please? I want to look at something." She handed him the file. "I remember reading yesterday that Valentine actually mentioned you when he was questioned years ago."

Clary pointed at herself. "Me? He mentioned me?"

Alec flipped the page. "Ah. Here it is. May 23, 2006. Valentine was brought in for questioning about a series of murders-"

"Murders?!" Clary exclaimed.

"....murders in the city. All the victims were either working with him at that time or they were ex employees. Valentine apparently asked how was his daughter doing. She has something that he needs."

Everyone's eyes were suddenly on Clary. She shook her head. "I don't know what he's talking about! I told you, I've never met him before in my life!"

"Clary....relax. We're not accusing you of anything. We're just.....surprised. After all these years, why mention you then? When you were 10 years old?"

Magnus scratched his chin, clearly deep in thought. "It's not uncommon. Lots of deadbeat dads come looking for something that their baby mama has that they need. Or their kid has something they want."

"Yeah, but what is it though? Money? Heirloom?" Jace pondered out loud. He was doing enough pacing for both himself and Alec. "I swear to god if he ever comes near you, I'm shooting him, Clary. No questions asked."

"No, you're not shooting him, Jace. We need to bring him in. Not shoot him. Ending his life would only be a short and sweet sentence," Alec shifted uncomfortably on his bed. "We need to look over these files and see if there's anything we could use as a lead."

Isabelle sighed. "I'd love to help but I actually have to get back to school. There's a case study I need to work on and it's half of my grade. You'll be okay here for now?"