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Magnus and Alec didn’t have anything against the Lion King. Well, not initially. When Magnus had first suggested the idea to bring their daughter Madzie to her first broadway musical one lazy Saturday afternoon, the Shadowhunter had been just as curious as the little warlock to see what Magnus was talking about, having never gone to one before. And so Magnus had conjured some tickets to the Lion King, which Alec hadn't heard of before, but Magnus assured was a favourite of many. Madzie had been excited, bouncing off the walls until it had been time to go and it had turned out to be lovely; a fun and creative show they had all enjoyed. That should have been the end of it.
The small problem was that Madzie had loved it a little too much.
It started off small, with her absently humming the tunes to the songs while she was playing or drawing; then it escalated to her asking if they could go to the show again every other day. Then Magnus had surprised her one night after one of their magic lessons with the DVD of the movie once he had realised her love for it. She had gone crazy and insisted they all watch it immediately, even going as far as portalling Alec back from work at the Institute.
“Daddy, look what Papa got me!” she told a startled Alec as soon as he appeared in the loft. She held up the DVD, shaking it around a little in excitement so that Alec had to take it out of her hands with a laugh. He smiled once he realised what it was.
“Oh, the Lion King! There’s a movie too?”
Madzie nodded her head excitedly. “Yep! And we’re watching it now! Come on!” With that, she took him by the hand over to where Magnus already sat on the couch. The warlock gave him an apologetic smile when Alec sat down beside him.
“Sorry about her portalling you from work. Hope you weren’t too busy,” he said, leaning over to press their lips together softly. Alec laughed quietly and waved a hand in dismissal.
“It was unexpected but welcoming. Plus it was getting late anyway.” That, and he was kind of getting tired of looking over documents and ordering people around. Being Head of the New York Institute had its drawbacks when it came to family time sometimes, so he took advantage of times like these when he could.
Magnus nodded, lacing their hands together, and Alec was about to ask about his day before Madzie spoke up from where she stood in front of the television.
“Papa, how do I make it show me the pictures on the TV?”
Magnus smiled fondly before standing up and walking over to his daughter, crouching down beside her and wrapping an arm around her small frame. Alec watched with a smile as he carefully showed her how to use the DVD player (another major mistake on their part).
Then the movie started playing, Magnus picked Madzie up in his arms and set her down on the couch between himself and Alec, and they started watching. Hearing their daughter laugh and sing along softly and, at the part, feel her draw both her dad's closer as she whispered ‘Mufasa, no’ was adorable.
Really, seeing her this comfortable around them was still kind of a shock, even after a year of her living here with them. After everything with Valentine, Madzie had gone to live at Catarina’s for a while where she just wasn't happy because she still didn't know where her nana, Iris, was. Magnus would visit a lot, most of the time with Alec, to see how she was doing. He could definitely relate to how lost she was probably feeling. Every time, although she seemed glad to see them, she never smiled much or spoke unless she was spoken to first. It was sad to see such a small child so sad, so Magnus and Alec made it their personal mission to help Madzie see her nana again. If just to see her happy.
Alec had pulled some strings as the Institute Head to get the Clave to send Iris to the Institute under the pretence that he would interrogate her and use Madzie as incentive to see if she knew anything about Valentine's future plans and if there were some sort of right-hand-man that could carry them out for him. Of course, that wasn’t the actual plan. He did ask her but she didn't know anything, as he suspected, and so he let her know that Madzie would be coming to see her.
While Alec had been doing that, Magnus had gone to Catarina's to talk to Madzie. He confessed that he was the one who sent Iris to the Clave because she had done ‘bad things’ to his friends and he told her he was sorry, but she could see her now if she promised not to cause trouble.
“I don't want you to get hurt, sweet pea,” he had told her. Surprisingly, she had just nodded and rushed forward to hug him, tears evident in her eyes at the realisation that she would be seeing her nana again, and that Magnus was making it happen. Magnus hugged back, but his heart broke at the fact that a small little five-year-old thought she should hold back her tears.
It had turned out better than expected. Madzie had been so happy when Alec opened a door to reveal Iris sitting at a small table in one of the Institute's interrogation rooms. She had rushed in and it was honestly the most they'd seen her smile in all of the time they'd known her. Alec remembers sharing an overjoyed look with Magnus at the sight of the little girl they had come to love happy, finally. And after all of the hugging and greetings, Madzie had asked her what she had done to be locked up. A look of sadness overcame Iris’ face as she looked down at her chained hands.
“Things I am not proud of, mon chéri, but what I thought was best for you and our kind.” Then she looked over to where she probably sensed Magnus and Alec looking in at the scene. “But I didn't think in helping Valentine, I'd become a threat to all Downworlders. I never wanted to help him, but I have recognised my mistakes and I am willing to help find the sword. Please.”
Magnus and Alec understood her motives, and they needed as many people as possible to help reunite the Shadow World. So, after days of trying to persuade the Clave, they allowed it (as long as she was under constant watch, especially when around Clary) and she did help them, because the Soul Sword was still out there, and that meant danger for Madzie. And Madzie was finally happy that she got to live with her nana again, even if it was at the Institute. Magnus and Alec were overjoyed because they got to see her often as well.
Not long after, they had found out about Sebastian and there had been battle upon battle in one big war against Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike. There were many casualties before he was finally taken down. Among the dead included Iris.
At the time, there was not much to be done. The Clave hardly cared about a warlock orphan girl. But when Alec, a newly important figure in the Shadowhunter world after the War, saw the look of complete and utter hopelessness in Madzie's eyes after she had found out, he talked with Magnus and they both stepped forward to look after her without hesitation. That had caught everyone's attention. No Shadowhunter had ever adopted a Downworlder before and for some reason, the Clave thought they had a right to have an opinion about it.
Among the many were people who said it was too fast for them as a couple; too much responsibility, but that didn't do much to change their minds. They both loved each other and Madzie enough to be sure of their decision. Madzie didn't protest either, too much in mourning to really realise what was happening around her.
And so the six-year-old moved in with them but stayed in her shell for a very long time around everyone, even Magnus and Alec, despite their previous history. She would keep her scarf tight around her neck at all times, would eat without a word then go back to her bedroom after every meal, and occasionally play quietly in the living room if Magnus could persuade her to.
It took time in the year since they had adopted her, but through magic lessons with Magnus and bedtime stories with Alec, she had grown unconsciously closer to them, showing signs of affection more often; like silently sitting on one of their laps as they worked from home, or creeping into bed with them at night after nightmares of her nana. She even started taking off her scarf more often and calling them 'Dad' and 'Papa', which was a really big moment for them that may or may not have caused both Alec and Magnus to cry afterwards. But she remained quiet, never really opening up to any of her new family members, which hurt Izzy and Jace in ways they hid well.
But this new loud singing and excitement over watching the same movie over and over again uncovered a new side of her. Every day Alec would get back from work and anything she would be doing would somehow relate to the movie, be it drawing a picture of Timon and Pumbaa, or actually rewatching the movie, and she would always be excited about whatever it was she was doing and would be sure to tell her dads all about it. It was a welcomed change. Especially when she insisted on watching the movie when Jace, Clary, Izzy and Simon came over one night. They were surprised, and Alec is pretty sure he saw tears in Izzy’s eyes as Madzie walked up to her, a little shyly, and spoke.
“Do you want to watch my favourite movie with me?” she asked softly. Izzy smiled brightly, agreeing immediately and bending down to pick an excited little Madzie up in her arms.
Magnus and Alec had to admit that, despite the number of times she had made them watch it, this time was special. Every time a funny part happened, she would giggle loudly and look to see if everyone else was laughing, and for every song, she would stand on the couch and belt out the lyrics over the voices of the poor characters.
It was especially adorable when Clary and Simon who, as previous mundanes, knew the movie well, would stand up and sing and dance with her. Alec couldn’t resist filming when Simon got down on all fours and let Madzie sit on his back for “I Just Can't Wait to be King”. She was singing and smiling and laughing the whole time as everyone else watched and Alec and Magnus shared purely loving and content smiles at the sight of it all. Their daughter had come a long way and it was wonderful to see her like that.
When the movie ended, Madzie was sitting between Simon and Izzy talking all about how much she loved Simba and Nala and Pumbaa and Timon and -
“You know there are two more movies, right Madzie?” Simon said. As soon as she heard him, she stopped, mouth open in shock.
“There are?” Simon nodded with a smile that dropped as soon as he saw the twin death glares being sent his way. He gave Alec and Magnus a confused look, having never been present when either of them would complain to Izzy or Jace or Clary or Maia about their daughter's newest obsession.
"What?" he asked.
“Nothing, Sigmund,” Magnus said airily, but with a hint of venom that a seven-year-old just couldn't pick up on. “I'm just so excited to watch those other two movies.”
“Can we watch them now, Papa?” Madzie pleaded, going over to sit on her papa’s lap. Magnus smiled but shook his head as he played with her little braids.
“It’s late, my darling. I’ll take you into the city tomorrow after I work a little and we’ll see if we can get them then, okay?”
Madzie frowned but nodded and settled closer to nestle against his chest with a yawn. Alec smiled softly, placing a hand on her head. “Bedtime, little one. Say goodbye to everyone.”
Madzie turned her head towards everybody and smiled brightly with a wave. Everyone got up from their seats and hugged Magnus, Alec, and Madzie goodbye; making sure to tell Madzie they loved her before they left. From as close as Magnus was to her small face, he could see the hint of a blush each time they said it, her shy demeanour returning. But she said it back as naturally as she said it every night to her parents, and Izzy looked especially delighted when she left hand-in-hand with Simon.
When their small family of three was alone once again, they all wordlessly made their way to Madzie’s room. When she had moved in with them, Magnus had already had a spare room people rarely used, save for that one time he and Jace were roommates for a while, so they had given it to her and changed it to suit her more. When they had asked what colour she wanted the walls, she just tugged at her purple skirt with a quiet ‘please’, so Magnus had made it happen with a snap of his fingers.
She didn't add much more to the room, save for a couple of teddy bears from Iris and from her new parents scattering her shelves and bed, (now this included one of Simba she had gotten from one of the many Disney stores in Manhattan while they were out getting supplies for Magnus’ potions - Alec and Magnus had a feeling that wasn't the last Lion King themed teddy she'd be getting. Especially since it was her birthday soon), so Magnus had taken the liberty of adding a few glow in the dark stars and colourful cushions on her bed, as well as a small framed picture of her nana on her bedside table. She had hugged him for the first time since she had been adopted when he did that.
Alec stayed at the doorway of her room as Magnus placed her down on her bed, and the first thing she did was grab her Simba and look at Magnus with hopeful eyes.
“Can you do the magic you sometimes do when Daddy tells stories?” she asked quietly.
Magnus looked over at Alec quickly with a smile before nodding and taking a seat in front of Madzie’s small, purple bed. He gave her a knowing smile.
“You know,” Magnus started in a hushed voice. “When Simba lived with Timon and Pumbaa after he ran away, they went on all kinds of adventures before Nala came along…” he trailed off, making an image of a small blue lion, a meerkat, and a warthog appear in the air between them. Madzie looked at him in wonder.
“Like what?”
“Well, there was this one time where Pumbaa rubbed a rhino the wrong way…”
Alec watched from where he leant against the door frame with a grin, his chest feeling like it was about to burst with love for the two people in front of him. The look on Madzie’s face as Magnus made the various animals prance around the room; her laugh loud and overjoyed from the ridiculous story and from whenever Magnus brought the characters close to her, and Magnus’ just as pleased face whenever he saw her reactions made Alec feel thankful for whatever Angel let him have all of this.
Alec was also pretty sure she'd make Magnus do the whole movie with his magic one day and he found that hilarious.
So as he watched Alec realised that he and Magnus would have to be ready for more obsessions like these in the future. But if this would be the result of such things, the bright smile and look of absolute wonder on a child who had lost and been through so much, each day growing more comfortable and confident around her new family, then they would be prepared for whatever was thrown their way.
By the Angel, did he just unconsciously reference that infernal movie?!