Catch Me If You Can

Chapter 5

It was a normal morning in the Lightwood house. Alec was up, showered and dressed before Izzy had even begun to think of waking up. Jace had returned late the past night in normal Jace fashion- this involved creping in through his window in the dead of night. He now was standing in the hallway, a towel draped around his stomach, attacking his damp hair with another smaller towel as Izzy opened her door still in her lacey nightgown. "Jesus Christ!" she cried when she saw Jace and leapt back into her own room. Jace grinned as he reached his own door, hand resting on the handle, "Almost Izzy." He called and disappeared into his room. Venturing back out into the hall Izzy threw up her hands, "Men!" and marched into the bathroom.

Ten minutes after that and Jace was scrambling eggs in the kitchen, in deep conversation with Alec who had his hands wrapped protectively around a very large mug of coffee. Another forty or so minutes after that, Izzy strode down the stairs, today in black suede boots which went way over her knees and onto her thighs. A black ripped denim skirt and white top under a simple leather jacket. She walked into the kitchen and straight for the coffee machine, ignoring the two boys until she had poured herself a large cup of the stuff. As Izzy turned the light caught the gold print on her top: Queen with a little crown, of course.

Izzy stared pointedly at Jace, "Someone was back late." Jace just smiled back sweetly, "Yes, and...?" Alec sighed- what did it matter that Jace was back late? He didn't see the point. Burying himself in his book, he barely looked up as they eventually made their way out to his car. It wasn't anything flashy, just a normal old car but Alec liked it none the less. Alec slipped into the driver's seat and Izzy sat in her usual place next to him. Jace sat in the back but right in the centre so her could lean forward, one elbow on each chair and talk.

"Belt." Alec said, earning a huff from both sides. He sighed and clipped himself in. one day they would learn, he thought, one day when their heads were through the windscreen.

As the pulled out of the driveway, Izzy began telling Jace about the party Magnus was holding, saying she had put an invite in his locker and Clary's. "Yeah, I might come, sounds fun." Jace replied.

"Of course, there's no point in even thinking about asking you if it had even crossed your mind that you might go?" Izzy said turning an inquisitive eye on Alec. Jace snorted, "Izzy, Alec would have to be brainwashed, tied up, gagged and forcibly dragged to get him within a mile of a party." he said, earning an eye roll from Izzy and a frown from Alec.

"But if I got brainwashed I wouldn't either remember hating parties or not wanting to go, thus the other steps would become obsolete." It was Jace's turn to roll his eyes, "Trust me, we would need it all."

"And then some." Izzy chimed in.

"Hey!" Alec said, "What is this? 'Pick on Alec Lightwood day'?" he swung round a corner and halted at a set of red lights.

"Of course not." Jace rested a hand on Alec's shoulder, "It's national pick on Alec Lightwood month silly." The light switched to green and they were off again.

"By the Angel, what did I do to deserve this?" he shook his head mockingly.

"Well you see," said Jace leaning forward and resting his elbows on the two chairs, "the people who organise these national vacations and days of celebration felt bad. You see they thought you would feel left out as Jace appreciation month has just finished and they wanted to award you your own celebration month, so you see.... Ahhh!" Alec started laughing as Jace was rocketed back in his seat. He glowered at them from his position wedged between the front and back seats, his normally perfect hair dishevelled. "What the hell was that for?"

"Rule one: never anger the driver, especially when his foot just might accidentally slip onto the brake." Alec said, a mischievous grin dancing on his mouth.

Jace muttered something that sounded very much like prick as he picked himself up and proceeded to fix his hair in the rear-view mirror. "Sorry what was that?"

"Nothing" Jace sang back smiling sweetly.

Izzy sighed. "Boys.", she said smirking, not looking up from her phone.