Alec frowned down at his phone as he went over the plans for a new mission. A small group of seelie's had been causing trouble for mundane's and they were being sent out to get them. With everything else going on it seemed ridiculous to worry about some arrogant fair folk.

His quick footsteps slowed, however, as he heard someone crying. His phone and the mission were forgotten in an instant because he knew who that was. He went to Izzy's bedroom and knocked, frowning at the sounds coming from behind the door. She was crying, heavy heaves of breath with hiccupping sniffles in between.

"Izzy? You okay?"

The sniffling stopped for a moment before he could hear her weak voice call out.

"I'm fine, Alec." Her voice wobbled and cracked.

"No, you're not. Can I come in?"

He heard her heels cross the floor before the handle turned and he was met with the sight of his baby sister wiping her eyes with careful hands, to avoid messing up her still perfect makeup. Her lip trembled as she looked up at him.

"What's wrong, Izzy dizzy?"

She started crying again at the use of his old nickname for her and she shoved her face into his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Why does she hate me so much?"

"Who?"

Her voice was muffled by his shirt but he managed to understand her words, as small and wobbly as they were.

"Mom."

Alec picked her up and carried her over to her bed, closing the door behind him. He placed her on her silk covers and sat beside her, taking her hand in both of his.

"She doesn't hate you, Iz. She's just… mom. What did she do?"

The shadowhunter took a shaky breath as she crossed her legs underneath her.

"She benched me from the mission because she doesn't want my fondness for Seelie's getting in the way of our orders. She said I probably slept with them all." She broke off into tears again as Alec pulled her to his chest.

"That's awful. I'm so sorry."

Isabelle was shaking against him, having heard it all from her mother before she should have been used to it but after the demon attack she was more fragile than usual, bringing out things she hadn't dared dwell on in a while.

"She's never been proud of me, not like she is of you and Jace. And I tried so hard to make her happy but she never was, so I tried to tell myself I don't need her approval but… I can't help it Alec. I just want a mother that loves me."

Alec's heart broke and he pulled his sister closer, kissing the top of her head and rocking her slightly as she cried.

"She doesn't matter. She doesn't see you for who you are but I do, and so does Jace. And we are so proud of you, Izzy. You're smart and strong and you never let anything stop you from doing what you want. If she can't see that it just means you're a better shadowhunter, a better person than she'll ever be. I'll always love you no matter what, you're my little sister. And you don't have to prove anything to earn that."

Izzy wrapped her arms around his neck, chest aching from the pain of feeling unloved for so long.

"Thank you, Alec! I love you, too, more than anything."

Alec held her till she felt better, rubbing her back and rocking her until her breaths calmed. He released her and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"I'm going to go talk to Mom."

Izzy looked up suddenly, eyes huge as she shook her head.

"No, it's fine, you don't have to."

"Yes, I do. She can't talk to you like that, I won't let her. No one is ever allowed to talk to you like that, okay? I know you can kick their asses but if there's ever someone you can't just let me know and I'll hold them down so that you can."

Izzy laughed and kissed his cheek.

"Okay, thanks Alec."

He nodded and left, marching straight to his mother's office, rage boiling hotter in his chest with each step. He burst through her door without knocking, making her look up in annoyance.

"Alec, I'm a little busy today-"

He didn't let her finish. He used to be afraid of upsetting her, scared of her quick temper, and raised voice. But this wasn't for him, it was for his little sister and he wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

"How dare you talk to Izzy like that."

Maryse frowned at him, lip curling in distaste at her son's tone.

"What?"

"She's the smartest person in this institute, the best forensic pathologist in New York and one of the best soldiers we have, you can't go treating her like a disappointment, because she's not."

His mother stood and looked at him with the same glare that usually would have made him lower his gaze in shame, but this time he only matched it with his own.

"What I say to your sister is none of your concern."

Alec leant on her desk, still taller than her as he slouched, and looked her straight in the eye as his anger burned through every word.

"Yes, it is. Because I'm her big brother and I will always protect her from anyone that wants to hurt her. Including you. She's a better shadowhunter than you'll ever be."

Maryse hadn't been met with this disobedience from her son before and she did not like it.

"Your sister involves herself with the wrong people. Intimately. The whole institute knows about what she does, it's an embarrassment to- "

Alec interrupted again, slamming his hand down on her desk.

"What she does and whom she does it with is her business. She deserves to be happy and she sure as hell can't be with you around. Unless you're going to apologize, don't talk to her."

Maryse didn't say anything back, simply stared as her eldest son looked at her in disgust before he left her there.

Alec was so mad he went straight to the training room, slamming his fists against the nearest punching bag with enough force to knock it right off its base.

Jace rushed over with hands raised, as if in surrender.

"Woah, what's going on? I haven't seen you this angry since I threw out your gross, old sweater. I could feel it through our Parabatai bond, it was like a fever."

Alec picked the punching bag up and stood it back up, using less force as he starting punching it again.

"Mom benched Izzy from the mission. She said she'd probably slept with all of those seelies anyway and would take their side in the fight."

Jace lost all humour as his lip curled in fury. His hands curled into fists at his side and his voice was hard.

"Is Izzy okay?"

Alec relished in the slap of his skin against the bag, driving his punches towards it with every ounce of anger he had.

"She was crying in her room when I found her."

Jace cursed and started walking out of the training room.

"I'm talking to Maryse."

Alec took hold of his brothers arm and shook his head, feeling the fever sensation through his Parabatai bond that Jace had mentioned.

"I already did."

Jace splayed his hands, wanting something to do with the furious energy he had in his fists.

"She could do with another dose then let's-"

Alec shook his head, thinking of only Izzy.

"She doesn't matter. We should go talk to Izzy, maybe take her out shopping or on an extra hunt to cheer her up. Mother doesn't deserve our attention, Izzy does."

Jace sighed and nodded, following Alec to their sister's room.

Jace took his adoptive sister in his arms as soon as they got to her room, squeezing her tight and telling her how much he loved her. They ended up taking her on a hunt with shopping and dinner after, cheering her up the best way they knew how.

And when they came home, with Izzy in a new crop top her big brothers hand bought her, and another demon kill under her belt, she didn't give a single shit about their undeserving mother, only her two wonderful brothers who loved her more than anything.