Alec and Magnus suddenly portalled into the apartment, and walked through the living room, as they carried some bags. Malia, who sat on the couch, eyed them as they walked.

"I mean, how would they feel?" Alec asked, as they had been talking about something prior to going through the portal. "Well, I'm glad you didn't ask in front of the sushi chef." Magnus said, before he gave his sister a wave, "Morning." He said. Malia smiled back, "Good morning." She said in response.

Alec stopped to give Malia a slight smile and acknowledge her before he continued on his ramble. "Well, seriously, why do they call it fatty tuna? I mean that's a little degrading." Alec insisted as Magnus shrugged, "Hmm, well, I don't think obese tuna sounds any better." He admitted. Malia snickered, as she got to her feet and left the room, to go to her own bedroom. She passed Jace's room, and frowned when she heard certain noises coming from it.

Once grabbing a coat, Malia reentered the living room, where she found Alec and Magnus sitting together, making out. The girl frowned, realising that having Jace around was only making her a fifthwheel, instead of a thirdwheel, since Madeline practically now lived here too.

"Your siblings are nymphomaniacs." Malia suddenly piped up, causing the couple to jolt apart, as they hadn't heard the younger Bane reenter the room. Alec just looked at Malia in surprise by her statement before he said, "Don't refer to them both as my siblings like that, because they're not rela—"

Malia giggled, "I know.. but it must be weird. Your sister and adoptive brother.." She trailed off. Magnus just frowned at his sister as if to say, shut up, to which she responded with a devious smile. Alec just looked at Malia with a look that said he was so done.

Alec suddenly flinched in surprise, as he got a notification about being needed at the Institute. With that he headed towards the room Jace was in. Malia took a step in front of him, "I wouldn't go in there if I were you." She said, knowing he could potentially be scarred for life.

Alec opened his mouth to say something but didn't know what to say.. he didn't want to walk in on his sister and parabatai possibly being naked.

Malia placed her hand on the doorhandle to Jace's room and slightly opened it. Alec quickly turned away, instead facing Magnus, as Malia entered the room. The Morgenstern and the Lightwood were wrapped in eachother arms, making out, not hearing the Bane enter the room.  "Jace, Madi. You guys have orders, get a move on." Malia said, as they broke apart, once hearing her.

Madi looked to Malia, "We're... a little busy." She said, her tone quite flirtatious... seductive even. Malia opened her mouth to tell them to hurry up and leave the apartment but Madi suddenly sent a smirk her way, "You're welcome to join us." She teased.

Malia hadn't expected to hear that.. and maybe Madeline only suggested such a thing so she could spend more time canoodling with Jace, but the Bane nevertheless sent a smirk Madi's way, tempted by the offer. As if Alec and Magnus could read Malia's mind, they both called out at the same time, "Malia, no!"

The warlock laughed, before throwing a shirt at the pair, "Cmon, you guys are obviously welcome to stay here... but you do have obligations." Malia insisted, as the pair were now clothed. "Obligations. Aldertree wanted me gone and I'm gone." Jace replied.

Alec, who still stood outside the doorway said. "So you got demoted. So what? You'll work your way back up." Jace just scoffed, "You don't understand."

"Then tell me. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad." Alec said, getting the message that it was safe to look at the pair now, as they sat clothed on the bed.

"So you're just gonna turn your back on us? On Isabelle? Clary?" Alec asked, before looking to his younger sister. "And why are you encouraging this? You should know more than anyone that we have duties and obligations that have to come first."

Madi bit her lip, realising that her older brother was right. Usually, like Alec, she was always so focused on work and impressing her parents... but she had slacked a lot more since Jace was living with the Bane's.

"I told you I'm not discussing Clary." Jace finally said. Malia frowned at this before she said, "She's your family. Your sister." Jace stood up, and glanced from Malia to Alec before he said, "I don't need a reminder. You know, you should go. We don't want you getting benched, too."

He then looked to Madeline, who got to her feet, "Cmon Alec." She said, before she linked her arm through his, and exited the room.

☠︎︎

Madeline, Alec and Clary entered the Institute, walking past as people were in quite unusual spots, to train.

"Any idea what this is about?" Madi asked, as she hadn't been at the Institute much in the previous few days. "Heard a big storm's moving in. Always increases demon activity." Alec answered.

"And Jace is...?" Clary asked. "Not here." Madi and Alec answered, surprisingly in unison. "He's totally shut me out. He's not answering my texts. I don't understand what's going on." Clary sighed, though as she thought of her lack of communication with Jace, her mind couldn't help but to drift to Malia. The pair hadn't talked since the previous night... since they first kissed.

"Me neither. Come on." Alex finally replied, leading his sister and friend to the Ops center, where they found Izzy. Madi noticed Isabelle's wrist was shaking, but the younger Lightwood just grabbed it, with her other hand in an attempt to stop it.

"What did we miss?" Alec asked, as Isabelle opened up a holographic screen in front of them. "Let's see. The Citadel was breached. Magdalena is dead. Cleophas is missing." She filled them in, without really giving any other details. "Oh, my God. Valentine?" Clary asked.

"Who else could it be? Aldertree's heading to Idris to meet with the Council." Izzy explained, having an unusual tone in her voice when she spoke to Clary. "I'll go check with ops." Alec said, before he walked away.

Madi hadn't noticed the awkward tension between Clary and Izzy, as she had been too busy thinking about when they'd first seen Isabelle, a few minutes ago and how her hand was trembling. What was with that?

She had zoned out, and hadn't realised that Clary and her sister had a small argument, and Clary had walked off elsewhere. Isabelle went to walk off also, but Madeline lurched forward and grabbed her sister by the wrist.

Isabelle spun around and confusedly faced her sister. "Iz... are you okay?" Madi asked, in a soft voice. Isabelle withdrew her hand from Madi's grip and nodded. "Of course... why wouldn't I be?" She asked, as the Lightwood had used a tone of voice to make sure that her older sister got the idea of certainty. Madi had indeed been fooled by it, and shook her head, "Um.. nevermind." She said, giving the taller girl a smile before she turned around to walk away.

☠︎︎

Maia poured a drink for the Bane siblings, before she slid the two glasses towards the warlocks. "Thank you, my dear." Magnus said, before he slipped a bill forward. Maia smiled, "On the house for my best tipper." She decided. "Never trust a stingy warlock, Maia. Not when we have an eternity to acquire wealth." Malia said, as she took a sip of her drink.

"I'll remember that." Maia decided, taking the tip before she looked from Malia to Magnus, seeing him hold something in his hand. "What you got there?" She asked.

Magnus was looking at the lucky charm he got from Alec, after their morning adventures going halfway around the world. Malia looked at Magnus, a smile tugging on her lips when she realised just how grateful he was about this gesture.

"A gift." Magnus finally answered. "I can't remember the last time someone bought me one. I'm used to people making demands." He said before he mockingly said some in different voices, "Reinforce the wards, Magnus. Heal my broken heart, Magnus. Portal me to Paris, Magnus." Malia broke into laughter upon hearing this, and Magnus smiled, quite proud of the dumb voices he had used. "Is it from someone special?" Maia asked, as Magnus glanced down at the gift. "I think so."

Whilst Magnus looked lovingly at his gift and thought about Alec, Malia's eyes had moved to the other side of the Hunter's moon, where she saw Isabelle talking to Rufus. "I'll be right back." She said to Magnus and Maia, though they were too invested in conversation to hear her.

The Bane approached them, and had an amused grin when she reached Rufus. "Rufus, my man. I wish I could say it was lovely to see you here." She grinned. Rufus looked at the Bane in surprise, as he hadn't seen her in literal centuries.

"Malia, what are you doing here?" Isabelle asked, as the Bane shrugged. "The question is, what is Rufus doing here? I may have been in hell for a couple of centuries.. but I do know that he's banned from North America... indefinitely." The warlock said, slapping Rufus on the back as if to say, pack it up. Rufus groaned, before he turned to leave.

Malia quickly looked around, before she asked Isabelle in Spanish, "Qué estás haciendo aquí?" Isabelle wasn't really surprised that Malia knew Spanish.. after all she is a warlock, and warlocks seem to know several languages.

"I'm here on business." Isabelle said quietly and quickly. "Drug dealer business?" Malia asked, unconvinced as she crossed her arms. Isabelle nodded, "Exactly. Trying to crack down on the Downworlder drug trade." Malia frowned, "Izzy, look at who you're talking to... I don't need magic to know when I'm being lied to." She insisted.

"There's been a spike in the demand for yin fen and I have orders to find the source. If you don't believe me, call Aldertree." Isabelle declared, as she crossed her arms. Malia frowned, not sure whether to believe this, but as Isabelle kept her composure, the Bane dropped it.

"Okay. Apologies." Malia sighed, dropping the worried and overprotective friend act. "Hey.. get a drink with me? I could really use a friend right now." The Bane laughed nervously, realising she hadn't even told Isabelle about her night with Clary. Izzy smiled, before she linked her arm through Malia's. "I could use a friend right now too." She said, though she also hoped to get some sort of info on yin fen out of the Bane's, while she hung out with them.