A/N 3+ comments/votes for the next chapter! Theres still so much to come ;) I hope this chapter is acceptable! Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes, it's 12:33am here!

Isabelle watched the confused expression on Adelaide's face freeze and change into one of understanding as Alec appeared in the doorway behind her. Isabelle wasn't sure what to say to Alec's words, she hadn't realised he'd been near when she'd spoken.

As much as she loved her brother, Izzy knew that Alec was hot headed and his temper rivalled Adelaide's own. There had been times throughout the years when the two had fought and it was never pretty, but those arguments had been over trivial things when they were children. Isabelle knew her brother would not be kind to Adelaide when realisation that she was alive set in.

'Well? Isabelle?' Alec crossed his arms, his face barely concealing the anger he felt.

'Alec...' Clary tried.

'I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were my sister. ' He snapped at Clary who promptly shut her mouth.

'Alec...' Isabelle didn't know what to say.

Alec's jaw tensed. 'I'm waiting.'

Isabelle was speechless. How do you tell your older brother that the girl you loved like a sister was alive after spending over a year thinking she had died?

'Does anyone else want to help Isabelle out?' Alec asked, sarcasm colouring his tone.

No one spoke. Magnus shot Adelaide a look that she ignored.

'Fine. I'll tell you what I think. I think that you.' He pointed at Clary. 'Have pulled Jace and Isabelle into something that they know could get them in trouble with the clave, and because they know this, they've decided not to include me knowing that I wouldn't stand for it, not with us being watched so closely. And somewhere along the way you enlisted Magnus and Luke's help. They're downworlders and even you know that they clave will not honour an alliance with them, which is why you're here of all places.'

'Alec...' Jace tried to speak.

'Jace. You're my parabatai, my brother, yet you're lying and deceiving me for her.' Alec sneered, glancing at Clary.

Anger crossed Jace's face at Alec's assumptions about Clary.

'And who the hell is this? Replacing me already are you?' Alec gestured to Adelaide's back.

'No one is replacing you, Alec.' Isabelle tried to reassure her brother.

'Then will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on here?'

Adelaide looked at the faces of the people around her. She could see the internal battle written across Isabelle's beautiful features. She wanted to tell her brother the truth, yet there was still a part of her that wanted to be loyal to Adelaide. She caught Jace's eye and he nodded. Tell him, or I will.

Adelaide let out a loud sigh, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

'Do you have something to say?' Alec asked her, clearly still annoyed and angry.

Adelaide shook her head.

'If you aren't a part of this, you should leave.' Alec said, a harsh tone entering his voice when she refused to look at him as she spoke.

Adelaide let out a small laugh, and that small sound was enough to make Alec tense up.

'I've always been a part of this.' Her words hung in the tense atmosphere.

Adelaide swallowed thickly, and turned around.

Adelaide and Alec just stared at each other, neither glancing away from the other's eyes. Adelaide could read the shock and the anger in Alec's eyes but what hurt her the most was the betrayal and the hate swimming tauntingly in his eyes; two emotions he was so obviously feeling as he looked at her.

Ten seconds of tense silence passed as the others watched on in anticipation and dread before Alec abruptly broke the spell that had been cast over the room.

A gasp left Adelaide's lips as Alec took two strides forward, roughly grabbing her by the throat, slamming her into the nearest wall.

Adelaide's eyes widened as her air supply was cut off, enough to make it difficult to breathe, but not enough to make her asphyxiate.

'Alec!' Isabelle yelled at her brother in shock. Only Adelaide could provoke such a strong reaction in her older brother.

'What the hell is this, huh?' Alec didn't take his eyes off of the shorter girl in front of him as he spoke through his teeth, rage radiating off of him in waves.

'Alec, it's Adelaide. Alec she's back.' Isabelle took cautious steps forward until she was standing beside her brother whom pointedly ignored her close proximity.

Alec laughed, sounding slightly hysterical. 'She's dead.' He looked closer at Adelaide. 'You're dead.'

Adelaide took a shallow breath in, her voice coming out strangled. 'No I'm not. But I will be if you don't move your arm.' Alec's expression darkened and Adelaide's eyes widened as he put more pressure onto her throat. Adelaide's hands flew up to his own hands, her nails digging into his skin. Alec didn't even flinch.

Adelaide could see Magnus murmuring under his breath as his hands glowed with a purple light as he anxiously watched the exchange. Adelaide shook her head at him slightly, trying not to let anyone see how much it was affecting her. Let me handle this. Magnus looked displeased but the purple glow in his hands faded enough for Adelaide to know he wouldn't intervene.

'Alec! You're hurting her. Alec, this isn't you.' Jace finally stepped towards his parabatai, eyes flickering between the two shadowhunters.

Alec stayed silent, only glancing at Jace briefly.

Adelaide could see that he wasn't about to let her go and knew she had to do something; otherwise she would slowly begin to run out of air. Jace's words were the small distraction she needed.

As Alec's head turned, her hands quickly released his own. As Alec realised her grip had relaxed he whipped his head back around to look at her, but as he did so Adelaide's own hands gripped onto the sides of his neck, her fingers brushing again the deflect rune, startling him as her nails pinched his skin. Adelaide used her grip on his neck to help her propel her self forward enough to kick him in the ribs, forcing him to release his grip.

'Oh my god.' She heard Clary mumble in a slightly awed tone.

Alec stumbled backwards, just enough for her to move away from the wall she'd been unceremoniously shoved against before he aimed a blow at her stomach that she narrowly avoided.

'Aren't you going to stop them?' Luke muttered to Magnus as he watched the two young shadowhunters anxiously.

Magnus sighed. 'Oh I would, gladly, but it seems Adelaide wants to do this her way.' Magnus rolled his eyes at the werewolf. Teenagers.

'They won't stop, not until one of them gives in.' Jace commented with his arms crossed, watching the two fight with Izzy and Clary on either side of him.

'Which could likely be never.' Izzy smirked slightly adding to Jace's comment, her eyes not leaving Alec and Adelaide who were facing off not ten feet away.

'I thought you were dead!' Alec growled as he advanced on Adelaide again.

'I know. You believed what I wanted you to believe.' Adelaide spoke as she ducked under another hit aimed at her.

'How could you do this to us – to me.' Alec spat as Adelaide successfully jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow as he rushed at her, narrowly missing her.

Adelaide laughed, a hard edge creeping into the sound as she backed away from Alec again. 'Everything I did, I did for you, Jace and Isabelle.'

'That's bullshit and you know it!' Snapped Alec, circling Adelaide matching her steps with his own.

'Alec-'

Alec laughed, the sound was cold and it sent shivers down Adelaide's spine.

'You have no idea what it is like, to wake up one morning and find your sister hysterical because her parabatai has gone missing, to stay with her as the parabatai bond disappears leaving her in excruciating pain. You don't know what it's like to realise what that means, and spend the next few months losing sleep, wondering if something awful had happened, something that you could have prevented. You haven't had to mourn the loss of the person you considered your best friend who, apparently has been alive the entire fucking time!'

Alec's words hit Adelaide hard. 'I will explain everything. I promise. That's part of the reason everyone is here today.' Adelaide admitted, watching Alec's every step, waiting for him to strike.

Alec didn't know what he had been expecting when he had arrived at Magnus' but it wasn't this. Never in a million years had he thought that she would be standing in front of him again. Alec noted her tense shoulders and the black jeans, shirt and the leather jacket she wore. He could see a red mark on her neck from where he was standing across from her and a pang of guilt hit him. She abandoned us, he thought, She abandoned her duty to the shadow world. She made me think she was dead. I have every right to be angry.

Alec threw another punch at Adelaide that she abruptly blocked before she lowered her guard, walking cautiously closer to Alec.

'You can hate me all you want Alexander Lightwood, but at the end of the day, this – everything that's happening with Valentine and the circle - it's bigger than the both of us.'

Alec was breathing heavily as was Adelaide. They were close enough to each other that they could see every detail, every flaw in the other person. Adelaide could see Alec's scars, study the detail in his runes and describe the exact colour of his eyes. Alec could see her flaws, study the way her jaw tightened as she tensed up, and read every emotion that flickered across her face.

The face staring back at him was familiar. He'd spent nearly every waking moment with her since they could barely walk. He'd been there though everything with her and here she was, standing in front of him looking the same as she always did; and yet he wasn't so sure he recognized the person staring back at him through tired eyes. Alec could feel some of his anger dissipating. Hi let out a sigh.

'I know what betrayal and pain and loss feels like, Alec. I know how I made you feel. Please believe me when I say that I'm sorry.'

Alec's vision clouded over with a red haze, the anger igniting and consuming every part of his being. When he spoke his voice was deadly quiet, only loud enough for the two of them to hear.

'You have no idea what kind of pain you put me – put us through Adelaide, so don't for a second think that you do.'

Alec began to back away from her before he stopped, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer, whispering to her, turning his face so no one could read his lips. His words shook Adelaide, her face draining of blood and traitorous tears gathering in her eyes at his angry confession.

'I was the one who had to sign your death certificate, Adelaide. You have no idea what pain and loss feels like until you've signed and sealed away the last remaining piece of your best friend's life.'

Alec released her arm, turning away from her again. He couldn't look at her anymore; afraid that if he did he would begin to notice everything he had missed about her. Even after so much time had passed Adelaide still had a hold on him; still affected him like no other.

And he hated it.