The Institute had ordered 20 boxes of pizza for the night before. For breakfast, they ordered just as much Chinese takeout.

Alec had taken control of his father's office, using it as a sort of headquarters.

Jace sat high up on one of the ladders connected to the bookshelves, eating orange chicken. Isabelle sat in one of the chairs and Clary sat across from her. Neither of the girls had an appetite.

"I caught Mr. Bane and Alec making out last night," Isabelle announced.

Alec choked on his shrimp lo mein and Jace almost fell off the ladder.

"Isabelle!"

"Mr. Bane?" Jace asked.

"It was not 'making out!'" Alec protested.

"Well, it was more than friendly," Isabelle said.

"You and Mr. Bane?" Jace asked, incredously. "I mean I know I said we needed to talk but-"

"Woah," Clary mumbled.

"Yeah, 'woah' is right," Jace said. "Not that I don't respect your choices-"

"Thanks," Alec said, staring at Isabelle. "I was going to try and have this conversation a little more formally-"

"Wait, so you weren't actually failing History?" Clary asked.

"No. I was actually failing," Alec said.

"And then you 'weren't failing,'" Isabelle said, adding air quotes.

"I think it's illegal to date a teacher," Jace said.

"Maybe in the mundane world," Clary said, "but I doubt it ever crossed Shadowhunter's minds."

"Dude, he's like 300 or something," Jace laughed.

Alec looked like he might die of embaressment.

"Can we talk about something else?" Alec begged.

"Talking makes it less awkward," Jace said. "That's a scientific fact."

"Have we heard from the Clave?" Alec asked.

The door to the office open and Mr. Bane walked in.

"I feel like I'm babysitting little Shadowhunters," he said. He stopped when there was a dead silence.

"Oh dear," Jace said. "It's not less awkward."

"Alexander?" Mr. Bane asked.

Alec's forehead hit the desk and he made a dying whale noise.

Clary buried her face in a pillow and Isabelle smiled smugly.

"Oh," Mr. Bane said, pressing his lips together.

"Don't worry," Jace said, "what happens in NYC stays in NYC."

"I was just coming to tell you guys that Valentine's army retreated," Mr. Bane said.

"That's good," Jace said. He balanced his takeout box dangerously on his knee.

"Well, yes, but they managed to take down the demon wards," Mr. Bane said.

"That's impossible," Alec said, popping his head up.

"Yes, well, the Clave would agree with you," Mr. Bane said. "They're taking care of their wounded and casualties. I'm going to go and help out."

"I can help," Jace said, jumping off the ladder. Sticky orange chicken flew everywhere.

"You'll pick that up," Isabelle corrected. "My father will be---"

"You're not going," Mr. Bane said. "They specifically told me not to let you four leave this house. Someone will be here within the hour to secure the Institute. No one's coming or going."

"What about food?" Isabelle challenged. "And emergencies? And medical emergencies? And what if it's on fire?"

"Funny, I liked you better when you were asleep," Mr. Bane said. He disappeared in an instant.

"I really wish I could do that," Jace said.

"Isabelle, I swear if you tell mom and dad-" Alec started.

"We need to be in Alicante," Jace said.

"No," Clary said, firmly. Jace looked shocked.

"No," she repeated, as if he hadn't heard her.

"Clary, they need us-"

"They need to be able to focus," she said. "They don't want to worry about us. You're not invincible, Jace. None of us are. And let's face it: if Valentine has a demon army in Alicante, we're going to lose."

"Wow," Isabelle said. "That was very depressing."

"Mr. Bane said it: we're not leaving this house."

Clary stood up and left the office.

"Oh my gosh, what did you do?" Isabelle asked Jace.

"I have no idea," Jace said.

"I thought Alec and Mr. Bane had problems-"

"Isabelle!" Alec snapped.

"She's got too many iratzes," Jace said, coming to Isabelle's defense. "It's making her loopy."

"I am not!" Isabelle protested. "I have the right to speak however I please."

She didn't see Alec come up behind her and draw a sleeping rune on her shoulder until it was too late.

"Seriously though," Alec said, tossing the stele on the couch beside Isabelle. "What happened beween you two?"

"Everything was fine until we got in here," Jace said, uncertainly.

"Are you mad?" Alec asked.

"About what?" Jace asked. "There's a lot going on."

"Mr. Bane and-"

"I could care less," Jace said. "I'm concerned about the fact that you're sleeping with a teacher---"

"I'm not sleeping with him," Alec said. This time his voice was level. "We haven't---"

"Okay, look as long as you're happy, I'm cool, okay?"

"You can't tell anyone," Alec said.

"Well, duh," Jace said as he spun out of the room.

Jace walked through the halls of the Institute, searching for Clary until he found her on the roof in the greenhouse.

She was sitting on the edge of a raised planter, drawing pictures in the dirt.

"You'll be happy to know I didn't run off," Jace said.

"Sure," she said.

Jace jumped up onto the edge of the planter, balancing.

He croached down behind her.

"Clary," he said, softly.

"What?"

"None of this is your fault," Jace said. He tried to see her face but she turned away. "I know you think it is."

"I could have talked to Sebastian," she said.

"I don't think that would have helped," Jace said.

"Is the Clave going to kill him?"

Jace was silent.

"Jace-" Clary cried. He wrapped his arms around her.

"It's going to be okay, Clary," Jace said. She turned around and buried her face in his shirt.

"I just want my family," she sobbed. Jace stared out the windows of the greenhouse, out at the NYC skyline.