So, it's been a while since I've actually posted a story of my own on here, but if you recognize my penname it's probably from a review ;)

I want to thank sch.94, she edited this for me, and I give her some mad props for doing that, especially since school just started.

I've had this idea written up on my computer for a long time now, but I just recently got motivated and actually wrote it all out. It's from Maryse's POV so that might be a little different, but I hope you like it all the same. This story is Post COG.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments, nor do I own Hasbro or Scrabble...

I hope you like it...please review and let me know what you think! :)

For Maryse Lightwood, life would never be completely the same, but she went on, she had to, for her children. She couldn't dwell on the fact that Max was gone, he wouldn't want that, and she didn't either. However, not wanting something doesn't make it go away, so she searched for things to distract herself with.

Today's distraction: making plans to redecorate the Institute. It was in dire need of refurbishment anyway; at least that's what she told herself.

The children's rooms were to be first, seeing as they were several of the few rooms actually occupied. Her own room she had chosen to forgo redecorating – Robert and herself rarely noticed what surrounded them in their room anymore, other than the few mementos of Max's that they kept in there as desperate tokens to ease their shared grief…

Being Shadowhunters meant that they were used to death, but Max's death had affected them as no others' ever had. He was only a child; he hadn't even gotten his first rune yet. Maryse knew that her children were grieving for Max, just like she and Robert were, but it wasn't customary for Shadowhunters to dwell on death, so they hid it from their children, almost as if they felt guilty about their grief. One day they would all talk about Max, and maybe that would help them all move on, but until that day, Maryse was set on distracting herself from her sorrows by any means possible.

She set off, strolling the halls of the Institute with a determined pace, keeping an internal checklist of all the rooms that she had decided were to be redone:

Jace's, which would be easy enough, seeing as the boy liked his room simple. She found it depressing, but to each their own. At the very least, she could convince him to spice it up with a little bit of colour.

Isabelle's, with new furniture perhaps, and decor. Since she had painted her room recently, it was highly unlikely she'd want a change, but her sweet little girl, for her little girl she would always be, was as unpredictable as a Raum demon when cornered. You never knew what she'd do next.

Alec's, he'd rarely been home as of late, but still, his room could definitely use some sprucing up. A splash of colour, new bedding, and new furniture...a little bit of everything. She was almost sure that Alec would let her have free reign in his drab bedroom, but she'd ask to be sure.

Clary's, she wasn't living in the Institute- Jocelyn would never allow it, and to be honest, Maryse wouldn't either- but she still had a room for her things. Maryse could ask Jace about what she'd like and surprise her with a room...far from Jace's. Even if she doesn't stay the night. She hoped that Clary would like that...it feels as if she thinks we disapprove of her relationship with Jace, but Maryse did like her. What she knew of her at least, seeing as they'd hardly spoken more than a few words to one another. She's certainly changed Jace for the better, and anyone capable of that should have a gorgeous room of her own… who knows? Maybe one day she'll stay in it.

Max's... it was almost painful to think of altering Max's room in any way. She would ask Alec if Magnus would be able to perform some sort of preserving spell. Maybe, by keeping that one small part of Max unchanged, she could keep a part of him in the Institute forever.

The kitchen, it could use some painting - the smoke stains from Isabelle's cooking are quite the eye sore, but Maryse could hardly chastise her for it, the boys already teased her enough as it was. She really did need to teach her how to cook one of these days, or at least about not putting certain things together. Maybe she could get her one of those mundane books, Cooking for Dummies…

The Infirmary, well, the sheets needed replacing, maybe she could upgrade them to Egyptian cotton. She could make the room more comfortable as well, new curtains with some colour, paint the trim perhaps... A couch and chairs for people waiting. Yes, those grieving and comforting the ill or infirm must be comfortable. Blankets and throw pillows are also obviously necessary, then...

The Library, it could surely use some pillows and a new desk. The room was a constant reminder of Hodge, which was surely something nobody needed right now.

The Greenhouse... Maryse knew next to nothing about plants, but she guessed that she could simply go up there and water everything to provide herself with a distraction every so often. Maybe she could even learn more about plants; although the last time she cared for a plant, it died... she would ask Jocelyn if she knew anything about them. If she did, she could surely care for them, and maybe they could even become friends again… A friend would be good right now.

All the while that these thoughts were swirling around within Maryse's head she had been walking throughout the halls of the Institute, her destination unknown, letting her feet lead the way. Jolting from her thoughts at last, Maryse heard something just slightly ahead of herself...coming from it seemed Jace's room.

She approached slowly. The door was closed, but voices could clearly be heard through it. Curious as to what was occurring within the room, Maryse waited. She was not disappointed.

"Jace!" Clary's voice could be heard from within, and she sounded outraged; Maryse's eyes widened in shock. What was going on in there? And under her own roof no less! Or rather her own supervision, since technically the Institute belonged to the Clave… nonetheless, it was shocking and entirely disrespectful of them to do such things when they had promised to abide by Maryse's rules.

She was sure that the voice belonged to Clary. Even so, she had told Jace to keep his door open if Clary was over. It simply wasn't fitting for two teenagers to be unsupervised and alone behind a closed bedroom door. Who knows what would happen? Well, she knew what could happen and frankly that was enough for her.

She quickly reached for the door handle, though her thought process may have seemed long, it lasted only a second.

She hadn't allowed herself to ruminate on what could be happening in the room, but if she had, she would surely have been mistaken.

Clary and Jace, it seemed, were playing a mundane 'game-board'… or whatever you call them. They each had these small wooden letters and there was a timer...it looked like some strange type of word game, yet there were numbers on the letters.

Upon hearing the door open, Jace and Clary both looked up in surprise. Their game was sitting between them on the floor.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your door open when Clary was over, Jace?" Maryse questioned briskly, although with her tone it was hard to determine if she was asking or informing.

"Awe ma, chill. Clary's just showing me how to play mundane games," Jace said with a smirk, "We're playing SCRABBLE!" he finished with a yell, which had an unorthodox amount of enthusiasm, to which Clary rolled her eyes. "And you're very welcome to join us," Jace finished calmly.

"I don't know if you'd want to play though, since Jace..." Clary paused to glare towards Jace, "...keeps putting down dirty words. 'Boob', really? You're so immature," she sighed in exasperation while shaking her head, and finishing with a look that was so full of love towards her adoptive son that Maryse felt that it was good of her to have walked in. Who knows what would've happened? This 'Scrabble' seemed to be some game where men could say dirty words without consequence, and girls clearly liked it. Oh, the things mundane enjoy… it shocked Maryse to her very core. She had to shake her head before she was able to answer the two teenagers in front of her.

"Scrabble, huh? This game seems quite strange, but it's not what I expected to find behind the door...that's for sure," the last part was mumbled, but somehow Jace still heard her.

"Really, Maryse? What did you think? Come on, be honest? You're always saying we should be a more honest and open family," Jace said with an angelic expression on his face, although his intentions were anything but angelic, and the smirk that he failed to hide was evidence of that. Maryse had never seen anyone other than Jace be able to pull off that look -he could look so mischievous, yet still innocent at the same time.

"You're right Jace. Honesty is important," Maryse began, "And open is also right, and that's exactly how I want your door to stay from now on. Got it?" she finished, successfully pulling herself together.

"Ya, got it," Jace retorted sharply, while turning towards Clary with a look that asked, 'can you believe this?'

"I saw that Jace. And if you'd like Clary to continue to show you how to play this 'Scramble' game, I suggest you listen to what I'm telling you," Maryse told her son, with a sharp tone surpassing his own in coldness by far; she had, after all, had many more years of practice at it.

"Fine, mom. I seriously get it. Door stays open. I wouldn't want you to have to imagine the sordid details of what Clary and I could be doing behind closed doors, now would I?" Jace replied with a sickly sweet expression, knowing that his attitude would make Maryse all the angrier.

"Maryse, it's fine, really. I'll make sure he keeps the door open, and I'm sorry that we made you worry. We really have been only playing Scrabble, and it's not like I've been here long enough for Jace and I to get into real trouble anyways, we've been kissing, sure, but nothing..." At this point, Jace placed his hand over Clary's mouth, abruptly interrupting her ramblings. For once, Maryse was thankful for her son's perfect timing. She didn't need to know what the two of them had been doing, and was even more relieved that she hadn't walked in on that aforementioned scene.

"Sorry..." Clary mumbled through Jace's hand, while attempting to give an apologetic smile. Jace's hand prevented both from being clearly distinguished, but Maryse understood her well enough.

"It's alright Clary, I make you nervous, I get it. I do, after all make most people nervous. As l said before though, please keep the door open, that's all I'm asking," she said calmly, which seemed quite out of place after the harshness of her previous tone.

"Ok, we will. Now can we get back to our game of Scrabble? I'm winning, I just wrote boob on a triple word score," Jace said proudly, while Clary once again looked ashamed to know him.

"Wow, Jace, you're sure good at this game," Clary exclaimed sarcastically.

"Aw, you've only got that attitude because you're mad that you're losing. Some mundane you are, can't even win at Scrabble," Jace shook his head at her, as if appalled at her apparent lack of Scrabble skills.

"Am not! I'm fantastic at Scrabble! You just don't follow the rules!" Clary retorted, her face flushed with irritation.

"Oh, so now I'm a cheater because you're not winning? That doesn't even make sense Clary! Do you even hear the things that are coming out of your mouth, because I don't think you do," Jace snapped back at her, his death glare in full force.

"And since you think it, it must be true, right Jace! Because Jace is never wrong," Clary said, saying the last part with a deeper tone in imitation of Jace.

"You said I was immature? You're immature! You know, I don't think I like this Scrabble very much, it's a stupid game, and all it does is cause problems!" Jace replied, rather maturely for once, which Maryse found almost shocking, she expected to have to absolve their little disagreement herself.

"I know," Clary said calmly, "That's why my mom and I stopped playing," she finished with a sheepish grin.

"Why'd you want to play it then?" Jace asked with a tentative smile, unsure of the state of Clary's irritation towards him.

"I wanted to show you how to play mundane board games, and this one's one of the most popular games. I figured maybe you'd like it," Clary said simply, having calmed down from her brief surge of anger. She reached across the Scrabble board and gently grasped Jace's hand, while returning his small smile.

"Thanks Clare, even though this game totally sucks," Jace chuckled and knocked the game board over, spilling the pieces all over his floor.

"I know right? Hasbro should be ashamed!" Clary said in mock outrage.

"Hasbro?" Jace asked with one eyebrow raised, making Clary scowl for some reason.

"It's just a mundane company, don't worry about it, they made the game," Clary replied after reaching over and pushing Jace's eyebrow back down with her finger.

At this point, Maryse figured she better interrupt, the children seemed to have forgotten she was still in the room, she decided clearing her throat would work best. Both Clary and Jace snapped their heads back in her direction.

"Oh hey mom, I thought you'd left, well I guess you saw that little fight. Scrabble is bad," Jace said with mock seriousness, making Clary giggle.

"Well, I should get some training in today, so I think I'm gonna head over to the training room. Jace do you want to spar? Gently of course," Clary said while getting up, making Jace stand up as well, since their hands were still grasped.

Jace scoffed. "As if you had to ask. Of course I'll spar…and did you say gentle?" He raised an eyebrow. "Woman! I am a man. I will do no such a thing! Later mom!" Jace finished as they headed out into the hallway.

"See you later Maryse," Clary said quietly as they passed her near the doorway.

Still slightly shocked, Maryse looked from the door back towards the floor, seeing two letters together on the floor, 'J' and 'C'. They may not have been Jace's actual initials, but together with Clary's, the initials seemed the perfect match.

Maryse contemplated when she'd first noticed the change in their relationship, when she noticed the love they shared. She couldn't be sure, but it always seemed to be there. It reminded her of her relationship with Robert, when they were young, and the love was new. Their love was still strong, but the strain of losing Max made it difficult. Difficult to look at one another, as they always seemed to see their son within each other. Difficult to speak to one another, as Max always seemed to be the one thing they wished to speak of, but never would. Difficult to sleep next to each other, as the comfort they sought in each other only made them think of Max even more.

One day, she hoped the reminders of Max within each other would fade, to make life easier, but she also hoped they wouldn't because seeing Max in each other was better than not seeing him at all.

One day, she hoped that they could all move on, from his death, from the guilt. For they all felt it. Every single one of them felt that somehow, they could have prevented Max's death - that they could have protected him. It's impossible to change the past, but they would never forget him- their little Max, with his hair ruffled and his glasses askew. They'd never forget, they'd always remember, and someday, somehow, they'd survive.

Max may no longer be here, but maybe someday, children would grace the halls of the Institute again - but this time they wouldn't be her own. With that thought in mind - that little touch of optimism - Maryse returned down the hallway she had been trolling in search of her husband.

They had a lot of making up to do.

In case anyone was wondering Raum demons are actually from the Mortal Instruments and they're mentioned in City of Ashes (they're the ones with the suckers with teeth and tentacle like things).

So, thanks for reading, I hope you liked it and I would LOVE to hear from you! :D