𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋

though she be little, she is fierce

the table in the kitchen, sipping her coffee.

"What are you going to do today?" Charlie asked, looking up from his newspaper to meet his daughters green eyes.

Clary let out an annoyed breath and briefly closed her eyes for a second. "I don't know. Anything to get away from here."

Charlie nodded, casting his brown eyes down at her phone which was blowing up with text messages from a girl named Hope. "Your friends seem to really miss you." The side of his lip twitched upwards as he saw a soft expression take over her face. He knew one of the big reasons why she hated being here was because she was away from her friends. And that was when an idea popped in his head. "Okay." He cleared his throat and sat his newspaper down on the table. "So how about we make a deal?"

Clary tilted her head and sat down her cup of coffee. "Okay?"

"If you stop running off and spend a little time with Bella and I, and make some friends here, then, I will talk to your headmaster and your mother to see if they're able to come here for a weekend," Charlie said which shocked Clary. "Now, it's only if you do the things I just listed."

Clary pursed her lips. "Father," She blurted out which made Charlie wide eyed and confused. "The headmaster is my dad," She stated, looking Charlie in his eyes. "He was the one always there for me, before and after my mother and him got together, so he is just not my headmaster."

"Alright." Charlie nodded, feeling a little hurt by her words, but he understood. He wasn't there for her, so he didn't have any room to say anything to what she had just stated. "Do we have a deal?"

Clary sat back in her seat and hesitantly nodded her head. "Okay, alright, I can deal with that."

"Good." Charlie smiled. "Bella is up in her room, ask her to go to that diner I was talking about. You two can chat and bond a little while also eating." He got up and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Clary sitting there.

She really didn't want to spend her day with Bella, but she was willing to do anything to get to see her friends -- her family. It's only been four days, but she misses them terribly and wishes that they could be here with her, not just for one weekend, but she's just gonna have to make do with what she's got. She smiled to herself as she thought about them.

"Okay, Clary, you can do this even if Bella's face annoys you," She talked to herself and finally stood up after a few seconds of grumbling. She fixed her fiery red pony tail and then trailed upstairs, making her way to Bella's bedroom door. She knocked and waited a second before Bella finally answered the door, shock taking over her features.

"Clary?" She questioned, the brown eyes she inherited from Charlie were wide with curiosity and shock. "This is the first..."

Clary forced a smile. "I was...I was, erm, wondering if you wanted to go to that diner, whatever it's called, and get some food," She literally had to force the words out of her mouth.

"What?" Bella blurted out before she could help herself. "I mean, um, sure." On the outside, she was shocked, but internally, she was very excited and happy. She hasn't seen her sister since they were like four, and she really wanted to hang out with her and get to know her. "Are we leaving now?"

"Yes." Clary nodded, but then wrinkled her nose as she saw the baggy clothes Bella was wearing. "Nope, nevermind. You're going to change before we leave. You literally look like a hobo." She smacked her lips. "Follow me, I can already tell you won't have any good outfit choices." She led Bella to her bedroom, the brunette not once complaining, because honestly, she loves her sisters fashion, though, she knows that she wouldn't look as good in them.

"Okay." Clary clapped her hands as she went through her closet, picking out a plain white shirt, black leggings, and one of her many pairs of combat boots. She turned around and pushed the clothing in Bella's arms. "Put them on and then show me."

"I don't..." Bella trailed off before shutting her mouth, seeing that Clary was getting irritated. "Okay." She nodded and walked back into her room and put the outfit on before walking back into Clary's room.

"Hmm," Clary hummed before walking over to Bella, realizing that the white shirt was a little big, so she grabbed the end of the shirt and made a knot on the side, making it raise up a bit, showing off some skin. Bella looked uncomfortable, but Clary thought she looked pretty good, especially with Bella's skinny body making the outfit look better. "Looks good, but it's missing something," Clary said before turning back to her closet, grabbing out one of her leather jackets, one that was short like a crop top.

Bella sent a hesitant smile to Clary, shrugging on the leather jacket. Clary nodded and then turned Bella around, making her eyes go wide. "What are you doing?" Bella questioned as Clary started brushing her hair.

"What does it look like?" Clary asked rhetorically. "I'm fixing your tangled hair." After she brushed Bella's hair, she started french-braiding, getting a little carried away because she was so used to doing Lizzie and Josie's hair.

"You don't need to do this," Bella stated, biting her bottom lip. "I know you're only doing this because you're being forced. It's painfully obvious because since you arrived, you've been pushing us away, everyone, even those you don't know."

"That's true, yes," Clary agreed, there was no point in denying it. "But, there is a little something you're wrong about. I don't know anyone here, especially you and Charlie. I haven't seen you guys since I was like four, okay? Everything has changed, I have changed, and you guys don't seem to except that. I don't see you as a sister and I don't see Charlie as a father, you're both just simply two people who is DNA, it doesn't mean I have to like you."

"I get that, okay?" Bella said, turning around to face Clary. "I haven't seen Charlie in years, too, and it's so hard to get used to his presence because I don't see him as much of a dad, either. I understand where you're coming from, so please, don't push me away. I just want to get to know you. Clary Saltzman, you, not some fake version. I've always looked up to you."

"I'm a terrible person to be looked up to," Clary stated, frowning. She knew that Bella and Charlie care for her, but it's so hard because after Klaus, Elijah, and Hayley, it's been hard on her to care for other people and not be afraid to lose them. She knows that Hope, Lizzie, and Josie can take care of themselves and eachother, but Bella and Charlie are just humans in an imperfect world, waiting to be eaten up.

"I am not a good person, Bella." Clary stated, her voice not wavering, which gave away that she felt exactly what she was saying. "I'm not perfect, okay? I...I'm inappropriate and I ruin things. I'm a ruiner. I've changed from that angry little four year old who was actually good, safe, and — and not broken." She took in a breath. "Honestly, I don't even know why my mom sent me here, she's knows I'm not good with my anger and when I have my outbursts, people get hurt." She sat down on her bed as Bella watched her, for the first time, admit how she's feeling. "I just feel angry all the time and I don't know how to control it. What if after everything I've been through, it's changed something inside me, made me the monster, someone who doesn't care?"

She placed her hands on her face as Bella sat down beside her, placing a hand on her back for comfort. Surprisingly, Clary didn't push her away. "I'm a terrible, terrible person, Bella. I have hurt a lot of people and I have done things, things that you wouldn't understand if I told you. I just... I don't understand why you really want to get to know someone who is becoming — no — is a monster."

"You're not a monster, Clary," Bella spoke up, looking at her sister, just now truly seeing how broken she really is. "You're just a really good person who bad things have happened to."

Clary turned to Bella, narrowing her eyes. "Did you just quote Harry Potter?"

Bella nodded, smiling a little. "I did," She confirmed.

It was silent for a second before Clary chuckled lightly. "You're not too bad, Bella," Clary admitted. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch."

"It's fine, that's just who you are," Bella retorted which made Clary smack her upside the head. The two girls chuckled, falling back on the bed, not noticing Charlie who was at the doorway, silently watching them with a soft smile.