AUTHOR'S NOTE: Guess who's back! And guess who has a beta now. Me, me, me. Yes, it has been too long. But, better late than never, right?

Oh and thank you to my wonderful beta (who I know will become quite scary when need be): foxfire flamequeen. :)

Chapter 35: Big Bad Wolf

Max Lightwood, for some reason, reminded people of an eleven year old Harry. Maybe it was his messy hair and scrawny build. They probably expected him to wield a magic wand. Little Max just snorted – in his mind – and turned his back on them. Really, some adults had the wildest imaginations.

He was obviously not very fond of the Harry Potter world. He'd rather be a kick-butt ninja, thank you very much. Not a wizard who rarely got to sucker punch anyone. He liked the idea of using brute force, but also of being smart and tactical, like he was the mastermind behind everything and he also went to battle. That sort of thing. Not somebody who waved around a piece of tree that could kill people in a second. It was crazy, and Max was not like Harry Potter. He'd rather be like Uchiha Sasuke, if anyone asked.

Not the whole betraying-his-village type, more of the smart-and-strong type. He liked that. And maybe that's was why he was so quick to accept Jace into the family. It wasn't like he had been forced on them, and it wasn't like their mother gave him no choice but to like their new adopted brother – or else.

Jace seemed like the action hero kind of guy. Of course, Max loved Alec. But there was just something in Jace that wasn't in Alec. It could be that Jace wasn't afraid to beat him around – playfully – and spend a lot of time with him. Jace spent more time with him than his actual blood-siblings. But it was okay; he still loved Isabelle and Alec no less. But he did admire Jace even more.

"Max! What did I say about strangers?" Isabelle demanded, grabbing his wrist. She was suddenly behind him, glaring up at the tall man who stood in front of him, one hand reached out as though to take his hand and offer him candy.

Max wasn't even sure he remembered candy. He remembered the comic book store. He remembered Jace telling him to wait in the parking lot – of the BIG SCHOOL – while he met up with somebody. He promised it would only take a few minutes. But then Max had gotten bored and decided to jump out of the car and look around the High School.

And here he was, in an empty hallway. Well, he wasn't lost. He was looking for Izzy. Silly, if you were looking for somebody it meant you weren't lost. It meant they were lost.

"It's okay, Isabelle. I'm no stranger to the family," the man said and Max looked up. He saw light hair and a bright smile and Isabelle's hold around his wrist tightened. He squirmed in her grasp, but the older Lightwood seemed to not want to let him go, for fear that the stranger would steal him or something of that sort. Huh. His sister apparently did not realize he was an Uchiha Sasuke in the making.

"Izzy, you're hurting me," Max said as he tried to tug his hand free. Isabelle relented, but only by a fraction. She eased up her hold on him, but then almost dug her fingers into his shoulders as the man – another student? – took a step closer towards them.

"Get away, Morgenstern." Isabelle's voice was low, and Max remembered the times she would use this voice. Whenever Jace really angered her, or whenever she wanted to punch someone but was trying very hard to hold back. Max was suddenly afraid and concerned for his sister. Nothing ever got to her, really. She just brushed it off. Isabelle who had so many adoring fanboys.

"Easy there, Izzy, baby. You're gonna hurt Baby Lightwood." There was something strange to his tone, and maybe it was only Max and his imagination, but there was a sort of mockery in the way this Morgenstern guy spoke.

"I don't know what you're playing at, but you are not touching Max," Isabelle said as she took a step back, her hands flat on Max's shoulders, pulling him along with her. But the moment she backed up, the Morgenstern person followed, an easy smile on his face. And Max would never say it out loud until they got home, but he was getting scared.

"Are you actually a bigger idiot than you look?" his sister gave a nervous laugh. Her fingers were cold. "Because I don't think you understood what I said. Get away from us, Morgenstern."

Max stole another glance and paused. The Morgenstern guy was so close, the hand that was reaching for him earlier now clenched to his side. He had a very unsteady smile on his face, as though confused about who to grab first – Izzy or Max.

"I was only trying to help out the lost kid," he said, waving a hand in the air and looking down at Max. Although his smile was nicer, it was still cold – not really reaching his eyes.

"No. If you take one step closer, I will scream." Isabelle's voice shook, and Max had no doubt that she would indeed scream. But then, since when did Isabelle scream? Out of rage, sure. But out of fear? Maybe that one time when Jace surprised her and she ended up punching the wrong guy – Alec – into the wall where their brother ended up with a bruised lip and sore cheek. And Isabelle's 'Get Well Soon' food. Ugh.

"Come on, Isabelle. I'm trying to be a better person here. I know we've had our… misunderstandings. But I'm sure if you see how well I'm willing to treat your little baby, we could try to fix things."

From his words alone Max could pick up that he was an ex-boyfriend. Or at least someone who had deluded himself into thinking he'd been in a relationship with Isabelle before. He had no idea anymore. And he really, really should've just stayed in the car and waited for Jace even if it took the Golden Boy more than five minutes. It was better than having his sister scared and ready to drag him by his hair if he didn't follow within the next snap.

"No chance in hell, asshole."

"Language, Beauty Queen. There is a minor here," He glanced down at Max, at Isabelle's hold on her brother's shoulders, and frowned.

"We're leaving. Max." But the guy didn't take a step closer and Isabelle didn't scream. She steered him back – in the direction he had come from, towards the car park – and he reached for her hand as they rounded a corner.

She gripped his smaller hand in hers and finally breathed in a sigh of relief.

"Max, you should have stayed in the car. There are… big kids here," Isabelle told him, trying to hide the panic and relief flooding through her words. She collected her bearings, fixed her expression and pushed her hair back. He could have been fooled if he hadn't heard how her voice broke, hadn't seen her scared to death not three minutes ago. He would have believed the smile she flashed as Alec walked down the hall, his blue eyes large and confused as he spotted them.

"What are you – are you two okay?" Alec immediately switched questions, shifting the heavy load of books in his arms. He looked at them and Max looked at his shoes.

"Great. Max got lost for a little while." There was a steadiness in her voice and her smile was its usual – only Max really could see past that. Maybe he would always get to see past his sister's fake wall of calm now. He'd seen her at her worst. Well, it probably wasn't her worst, but it counted for something. And it was a terrible feeling for him – it chilled him to the bone. So much for being like Uchiha Sasuke or any other cool ninja character. Or like Harry Potter, for that matter.

He shivered.

"Max?" Alec asked, taking a step forward, but Max just brought his coat closer and shook his head, glasses almost falling over.

"I want to go home… a bit hungry," he murmured while Alec shifted his gaze back to Isabelle, who shrugged and placed a reassuring hand on his arm, as if to say that there was nothing to worry about and that it was really just the cold.

"Okay, fine. Jace is gone, though," Alec said after they'd walked back to the parking lot. Isabelle wasn't as composed as she wanted them to think. She glanced over her shoulder half the time and almost punched Alec – hard – when he tried to reach for her.

"Sorry. It's the cold. Making me jumpy." Alec raised an eyebrow – Isabelle loved the cold. Gave her another reason to shop until everybody else died. "Wait, did you say –?"

"The car's not there." Alec was frowning, staring at the almost-empty parking lot.

"He told me to wait inside," Max admitted, rubbing his small hands together.

"He must have forgotten," Isabelle scoffed, as if that was the only explanation. "God, if we freeze and die in this school then just oh my God."

"Isabelle, calm down. We can walk back home."

The younger two Lightwoods fixed him with stares that were so alike it made Alec grin a bit.

"Orrr… We can catch a ride," Isabelle pointed to the parking lot and Alec again raised an eyebrow at her, not really getting what she was trying to say.

"Jace left." He repeated, like that was really the only thing she misunderstood. Isabelle shook her head and looked exasperated. Ah, there we go. The Izzy Max saw most of the time.

"I meant, you have somebody who has a car and who is all too willing to drive us home rather than have us freeze to death in school. Don't even mention walking home or that's what you'll be doing. I'll have nothing to do with it when you freeze."

"I didn't bring a car to school today."

Max shifted around. He found it very uncomfortable how he was standing right between his siblings and how these two would probably lash out within the next second.

"Magnus Bane has a car!" Isabelle finally stated, her voice rising and Alec blushed, almost losing his hold on the books. One fell and Max picked it up from the floor.

"He's busy," Alec said automatically.

"He always has time for you, Blue Eyes."

"Izzy –"

"Come on, Alec. I am not waiting here for Jace. He can fall into a ditch for all I care."

"Mag — Mister Bane is —"

"Oh, I remember him!" Max interrupted, breaking off what would have been another round from his siblings. When their eyes fell on him he gave them a shrug.

"He was all glittery… And he visited us at home that one time. He's funny… weird. But funny ha-ha, too."

Isabelle smirked at Alec and Alec looked like he wanted to run into a wall.

"Is he gonna give us a ride home?" Max inquired, directing his question at Isabelle, who was grinning at Alec in triumph.

"He will if Alec calls him."

"Alec, I'm cold. And hungry."

"Wait –"

"Alec, please. Our baby brother is going to freeze here. Just make the call."

"I am, can you hang on for –"

"I'm cold."

"Alec –"

"Hello? Yeah… I'm… aware that it's cold. And no, I didn't bring a car. Wait! Magnus, wait. Izzy and Max are – Magnus? Magnus!"

Alec didn't look as flushed as he did earlier, but he pocketed his phone with a shaky hand.

"I'm cold," Max repeated.

"And hungry," Isabelle added, fingers tugging at Max's hair.

"He's coming, okay?" Alec promptly turned away from them as Magnus Bane came sauntering down the hall, smiling a little bit too bright given the freezing conditions.

But it helped the cold, Alec had to admit. It melted his insides just seeing that smile. So yeah, maybe calling up Magnus Bane for a ride wasn't that much of a bad idea.

It was a brilliant idea.

I know. I suck. I gave all my love to The Alphabet and left ACLTCL behind. I hope you have it in your hearts (readers? Are you people still there? Yes? No?) to forgive me. :( Have a cookie.