Here is the third chapter to this little story I have going and I must say that the only reason I haven't lost inspiration or motivation for this is the fact that you wonderful people who review this are the ones that keep me going and just make my day. So thank you very much!

Simon was only walking for a couple of minutes before he spotted Isabelle sitting on a park bench by herself. He walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"What was that?" He asked straight forward. Isabelle ignored him as she continued to stare at her hands in her lap.

"Come on Isabelle. I know when something's wrong. What is it?" He questioned. She looked up keeping her gaze forward, still not looking at him but Simon could tell that she had been crying. Her deep brown eyes were rimmed red and her face was flushed in a way that Simon would have found cute if it wasn't caused from Isabelle crying. It unnerved him a bit to see her like this. Isabelle was the strongest person he knew and has only ever seen her cry twice in the past four years he has known her - the night her brother, Max died and a couple of years ago, when they had a movie night at his apartment and she watched Titanic for the first time. She still thinks Rose is a bitch who should have just moved her ass over.

"It was nothing. I was just being stupid." She grumbled with a pout on her face but Simon knew better than that.

"You wouldn't have stormed out of there like that if it was nothing." He said. Isabelle huffed with frustration.

"I was just hurt, okay?" Isabelle admitted, finally looking at him. "When Max called me icky, it hurt my feelings."

"But Iz, He's three years old. Of course he finds every girl, other than Clary, icky." Simon tried reasoning. He didn't quite get why Isabelle was so affected by what Max said. She looked back down at her clasped hands. After a few seconds of silence, she started talking.

"I was never really close to Max… my brother I mean." She confessed, "He was always reading his little comics and I was always either training or shopping, so we never really talked or spent any time together." She paused as unshed tears finally escaped, running down her cheeks. "When he died, I felt so guilty. It was all my fault that he died."

"No, no it wasn't. You didn't do anything wrong." Simon tried reasoning.

"But that's exactly my point! I didn't do anything! He was a defenseless little boy and I couldn't even protect him!" She sobbed as all the tears finally caught up to her and poured out. She cried into her hands as Simon rubbed her back, letting her get it all out. Once she settled down enough to stop crying, they sat in silence as she tried to catch her breath. When she was able to breathe normally again, she continued.

"I thought that I would never be able to make up for the time I lost with him and for not protecting him. So when Lil' Max was born, I felt like it was a second chance for me. A way for me to start over and at least be there for this Max and now... I've failed because he hates me." She said. Simon wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her tighter into his side as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Oh Isabelle. Sweet, sensitive, naive Isabelle. Max does not hate you. How could he? Your the aunt that let's him eat cookies before bed. His favorite superhero is Wonder Woman because she reminds him of you. So don't doubt for a second that he does not love you." Simon assured her.

"But I'm not even really his aunt. We're not actually blood related like Alec so helpfully pointed out!" Isabelle said a bit bitterly. Simon gave her a look of incredibility.

"Really? After all this time and all the things we have dealt with, you still believe that what makes people a family is something as little as DNA? Isabelle, I am disappointed in you!" He said with mocking shame. Isabelle let out a soft laugh and lightly punched him in the chest.

"Okay, shut up. I know it takes more than DNA to make a family."

"Yes and what you have with Max and Jace and Clary is a family." Simon said, cupping the side of her face with his hand and resting his forehead on hers. Isabelle looked into his eyes for a second before giving him a kiss on the lips. "Thank you." She mumbled against his kiss.

"You're welcome." Simon replied back. Isabelle pulled back from the kiss and punched him harder in the chest, knocking the breath out of him. Taken by surprise, Simon's face was a look of shock as he lightly wheezed in pain, trying to catch his breath again.

"Never call me naive or sensitive again." Isabelle warned darkly. Nodding his head quickly and wheezing out a "Got it!", he winced holding a thumbs up.

"Perfect!" Isabelle smiled brightly as she pecked him on the cheek and stood up from the park bench. She held out a hand for him to grab as he also stood up from the park bench.

"Now I have to go apologize for going all psycho on everyone!" Isabelle said a bit chagrined. She was not one to apologize for her actions.

"Oh don't worry. everyone's used to it by now." Simon sighed, still rubbing his chest as he looked ahead of him, not noticing the way Isabelle paused in the middle of the sidewalk. He kept walking but was suddenly jerked back by their connecting hands. He looked at her in confusion but quickly backtracked his words when he saw the look on her face.

"I mean, uh, they, um, understand tha-" Isabelle held up her hand, making him stop his babbling. When he saw the small smile on her face, he knew he wasn't in any real trouble. A grin appeared on his own face as he bent down and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. After pulling away, they finally made their way down the sidewalk. When they walked to the end of the street together, they went their separate way since Simon couldn't go to the Institute with her, vampirism and all. He left to go to his apartment in Brooklyn as she headed towards the Institute.

Isabelle was standing in the kitchen, putting cookies on a plate when she heard the elevator open on the hallway. Hearing footsteps heading for the kitchen, she quickly threw the cookies packaging into the trashcan just as Clary walked in with Max in her arms. She seemed surprised and a bit cautious to see Isabelle in the kitchen.

"Hey Izzy, you feeling alright?" Clary asked hesitantly as she sat Max down on the counter top and took a seat on one of the bar stools. He seemed to be keeping his head down with his blonde curls falling in his face, covering his eyes.

"I'm fine and I'm sorry about this afternoon. Simon was able to talk some sense into me." Isabelle explained with a convincing smile on her face.

"Well I'm glad your feeling better. Now, what exactly are you doing in the kitchen?" There didn't seem to be a giant mess or a fire anywhere, so Clary knew Isabelle hasn't been cooking recently. Thank God.

"Actually, I wanted to make something, so I made these cookies but now," Isabelle gave a dramatic sigh of disappointment, "I don't think I could eat these all by myself. Do you know anyone who loves cookies, Clary?" Isabelle asked Clary but kept her eyes on Max's bent head. Clary soon caught on and followed along.

"I don't know, Isabelle, let's ask Max. Max, honey, do you know anyone who just loves cookies?" Clary asked, pushing his curls off his forehead with her hand so that she could look at his face. He gave a little nod of his head, glancing up at his mother.

"Oh really? Who?" She asked him. They both heard him when he gave a soft spoken answer. "Me."

"Is that so, Max? Well then do you want a cookie?" Isabelle asked him, holding up the plate of cookies for him to see.

"Uh, Isabelle... are those safe?" Clary hesitated for a moment. They looked alright to her, but with Isabelle's track record in the kitchen, she didn't really want to risk her son to it. Isabelle scowled a bit offended as she silently pointed to the trash can where the discarded cookie packaging was sticking out. Like she would actually make her nephew eat her cooking! She only did it to Jace and Alec because it was funny to watch and they sometimes deserved it.

Max didn't notice the silent conversation as he looked longingly at the cookies... well, as longingly as a three year old could be. He bit his bottom lip as he tried to figure out what to do next. He still thought Aunty Izzy was upset with him and didn't want to upset her more by taking her cookies. But then again, she said herself that she couldn't eat them all by herself and he really wanted a cookie.

Isabelle noticed his hesitation and held the plate out more as encouragement. Max slowly crawled on top of the counter to the plate and hesitantly grabbed a cookie. For the first time since Clary and him entered the kitchen, he looked up at Isabelle's face. She didn't look angry like he thought she would, she was smiling at him and he soon questioned what he was thinking. This was Aunty Izzy, his favorite aunt. She was the one that watched him when Mommy and Daddy went out and even let him have cookies before bedtime. His face stretched into a big grin as he reached his arms up to his aunt.

Isabelle smiled as she set the plate down and picked Max up off the counter and held him in her arms as he ate his cookie. Clary smiled at them as she left the room, letting the two have their moment in private.

After Max finished his cookie, he looked up at Isabelle.

"I'm sorry that I made you sad, Aunty." He apologized. Isabelle handed him another cookie since he was eyeballing the plate.

"There's no need to be sorry, sweetie. I was just being my silly self again." She said.

"I guess I should be used to your silliness by now." Max nodded in agreement. Isabelle laughed at his answer.

"Thanks a lot, you cookie monster." The little boy just giggled as he munched on his cookies.

Isabelle may never get over the guilt and pain of not being there for her little brother when he needed her the most, but she was determined to be there for this Max. She would help protect him from the monsters that were sure to come after him, what with his lineage. She would comfort him whenever he needed it. Hell, she would even read those stupid anime comics with him if he turned out to be like his mother and uncle, though she doubted Jace would ever let that happen. No matter what, she will be there for him.

Forever and always, she will be his Wonder Woman.

AWW! this one was a bit more emotional since it had Isabelle talking about Max. I really like how this turned out, I'm sorry if it's a bit to corny and cheesy for you. I will continue this more soon and I will probably center back on Clary's pregnancy. I'm not really sure what the baby gender will be yet, so if you have any idea, PM me and feel free to suggest names too! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! OH ALSO... how many of you are excited about the trailer release friday?! I can't wait!

REVIEW!