Archive of Our Own ^beta

New York, September 1910.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, people strolled under the sun’s warm caress on the busy streets of the Upper East Side in Manhattan. The elites of New York were enjoying the last rays of sunshine and warmth, as Fall was just around the corner, most of them were talking about the weather or the recent progress in airspace development.

On the East 96 street, two women were walking side by side, the eldest had dark brown eyes and black hair with gray streaks put in a complicated bun. She was elegant and refined, the gray hair and the crow’s feet around her eyes the only indicators of her mature age. She was wearing a long and plain pastel blue dress which must have without a doubt been expensive, a light white shawl was covering her strong and wide shoulders. She exuded strength and power, the strength of a widow who had a family and wealth to look after, the power of a woman who would not let anyone hold her back. Maryse Lightwood might have been a woman without a husband, but she would die before kneeling to anyone.

Right by her side, a small and thin boy who could not have been older than five was holding her hand, his skin was tanner than hers but they both shared similarities in the colors of their eyes and hair, although his hair was slightly curled. The boy was silently studying everything around him, not taking part of the chatter. The younger woman walking by their side was, likely, in her early twenties, and was the shocking portrait of Maryse Lightwood. Yet, they could not have been more different. The young woman, Isabelle Lightwood, had let down her long jet-black hair, they were cascading in small waves over her back, ignoring all social conducts. She was wearing a long but revealing black dress with white dots, a white ribbon fastened around her waist showcased her perfect form. She did not have a shawl to cover her shoulders but a tiny and lively toddler with similar jet-black hair. Although, when you could catch a glimpse of the young boy’s curious eyes, you could see that, unlike the others, his were hazel.

“Rafe, look! Butterfly!” babbled the toddler as he pointed at the flying Bronze Copper butterfly and tried to touch it.

The boy named Rafe raised his eyes to look at the insect who flew away a few seconds later, most likely scared away by the toddler’s enthusiasm.

“Isabelle, you should put Max down, your dress will be ruined if he keeps wiggling like that,” said the elder woman with fondness in her voice when her lips formed the toddler’s name.

“It’s okay, Mother. Our little terror is very light,” replied Isabelle as she mimicked the noise of a landing airplane as they reached the front door of an expensive looking house.

She put Max down just as the door opened on a tall dark-haired man who was without any doubt related to them. Alexander Lightwood had the same hazel eyes as Max and the same deep black hair as the others.

“You’re spoiling him, Izzy,” said Alec, feigning anger.

“That’s my job, big brother,” replied Isabelle, rolling her eyes.

“Hello Alec, did you manage to work on the Blackthorn manor’s plans?” asked Maryse to her eldest son.

“Yes, Mother. It’s almost finished, I will be able to show them to Andrew sometime next week,” said Alec proudly as they all entered the house.

 He was an architect and despite his young age his talent was well recognized among the socialites of New York. The house the Lightwoods were currently living in had been mostly designed by him a few years prior.

“Daddy, I wan-a hug,” voiced Max as he reached for Alec.

Alec took his tiny body in his arms and gave Max a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“Did you say thank you to Aunt Izzy for carrying you?”

“Tank you Aunt Iwy!” gushed the toddler, sending flying kisses to Isabelle who pretended to catch them.

Rafe silently walked towards his father and embraced his leg, leaning heavily into it. Alec smiled at his eldest son’s quiet showcase of affection and stroked his hair fondly.

“Madame Lightwood, I have prepared your tea in your office. May I remind you that you have an appointment this afternoon with Mr. Fell,” said the butler as he appeared in the entry hall.

He was a tall black man with short but curly black hair and was wearing a classic and plain butler’s suit. His expression and tone were polite but unbeknownst to them, he seemed to possess a suppressed anger.

“Thank you, Victor. Can you bring Mr. Fell to my office as soon as he arrives and bring more tea as well?”

“Of course, Madame,” replied Victor quietly as he eyed Maryse who did not wait for his answer to start taking the stairs up to the first floor which concealed her office, the others being long gone as well.

~

It was already well into the afternoon when the doorbell rang. Alec was working on sketches in the living room where he had set up a drafting table allowing him to watch over his sons. Rafe was petting the house cat, Church, a grumpy blue Persian cat, while Max was playing on his uncle’s piano. The toddler did not know how to play yet, but he remembered a few lullabies his uncle had showed him.

In the entry hall, Victor, who had come from the kitchen, opened the door to welcome their guest. Mr. Ragnor Fell was the family’s lawyer, he was a grouchy gray-haired man in his late forties who seemed to have a constant scowl on his face. He was wearing an old and ratty green three-piece suit.

“Welcome Mr. Fell, Madame Lightwood is expecting you,” said Victor as he let the man in.

Ragnor Fell’s only answer was a grumble as he was led upstairs to Maryse’s office.

“Mr. Fell! Thank you so much for coming on such short notice!” exclaimed Maryse with gratitude.

“Hello Madame, so let’s roll,” replied the lawyer as he sat down in front of the desk and pulled out some documents from his briefcase. “You asked me to come today to open two savings accounts for your grandchildren, is that correct?”

“Yes, Mr. Fell. You know, with what happened to my husband recently and to my daughter-in-law. I have the impression that we can never be too cautious. You never know when death will come at your doorstep,” explained Maryse gravely.

Robert Lightwood, Maryse’s late husband, had died of a stroke a few weeks prior leaving the whole household in shock after his premature death. Although it was not the first time the Lightwoods had been left grieving.

“You are worried about something happening to you and Alexander?”

“Yes Mr., you know death does not discriminate. That is why I want to protect my grandchildren and put aside a portion of my fortune for them.”

As the pair set to work on the paperwork, Victor, the butler, was listening intently behind the closed door.

“Those two brats are really worth that much …,” he sneered quietly. “That is very interesting,” he mumbled to himself with a frightening smile on his face as he walked away towards his quarters, a plot already forming in his head.

~

“For you, sirs,” said Victor politely as he handed a bottle of warm milk to Max and another to Rafe.

The boys were sharing an armchair and wearing identical off-white sleepsuits. The warm milk was already having its intending effect as Max’s eyelashes started to flutter halfway through the bottle. Alec looked at them with fondness, feeling how lucky and grateful he was to have his sons and for them to be healthy. Looking at Max, he remembered his own little brother who had shared the same physical traits and the same name, but who had sadly been a sick child. A sick child who had been forced to stay at home for all his little years of life, yet death had chosen to take him away on a cold Winter night six years prior. The boy had never had the chance to meet his nephews.

As Alec’s eyes drifted to his eldest son, Rafe, his heart constricted as well. Rafe was the spitting image of his late mother, Jessica, and had inherited his name from her grandfather, Rafael, a Spanish duke. Jessica Hawkblue, Alec’s late wife, had passed away while giving birth to their son Max. It might not have been a marriage based on love, but Jessica had been his friend and the mother of his sons.  As his thoughts drifted to his own father’s recent death, grief overtook him for a moment, Alec remembered what people said about grief. It never left you, it only remained dormant and livable. Alec Lightwood was only 23 but he was already full of grief.

“Come on my babies, time to go to bed,” murmured Alec sweetly as he put the bottles away. He picked up Max first who was already nodding off. He cradled him to his side, resting his tiny head on his broad shoulder.

“Dad,” whispered Rafe from beside him, looking at his father expectantly.

Alec smiled down at him and reached to pick him up as well. Thanking his mother’s ancestors for his height and strength as he put the elder boy on his other side.

Victor watched them closely, a menacing look in his eyes, as Alec walked away towards the boys’ bedroom. His plans had begun.

~

The clock in Alec’s bedroom struck midnight as he stood up from his drafting table, this one was older than the one downstairs and the wood had been damaged by years of sketching and scribbling. It had been a gift from his father for his fifteenth birthday. If there was something in the world that Alec loved apart from his sons, it was his job. Alec had always loved drawing and imagining rooms and gardens. The satisfaction he gained from creating something real out of a charcoal drawing on a piece of paper was immense. His sister, Isabelle, kept saying that he was a workaholic and he thought she might have been right. Who would have stopped working at midnight on a Saturday night?

Alec cracked his neck and rubbed his stiff shoulders; his work was not physical, but it did not mean that it was good for his body either. He might only have been twenty-three, but he had the body of an old man at times. He went to his wardrobe as he undid the button on his pants. He had been drawing all evening in his room and was only wearing dark fitted pants, a white shirt with a high collar, and a pair of gray socks.

Suddenly, as Alec started removing his pants, he heard a thump followed by a curse coming from just outside his room. He frowned as he put his pants back on, everyone was asleep and there was only his and his sons’ rooms on this side of the house. He reached for the oil lamp on his dresser, but then remembered that they had recently acquired electricity in the whole house, perks of being an aristocrat and an architect in Manhattan. He opened his door quietly and stepped out as he heard heavy footsteps going down the stairs. Alec’s eyes widened as he automatically concluded that there was a burglar inside. His heart stopped beating when he noticed that the door of his sons’ room was wide open.

“No,” mumbled Alec as he sprinted into the room and turned the light on. The sight of the two empty beds forced him to grab at the doorframe, his vision unfocused. Needing a few seconds to breathe and clear his head, Alec then quickly ran downstairs and through the open front door. It was so dark outside, it took him a moment to notice the dark car parked just in front of the house and the dark silhouette of a man putting something – or rather someone, inside the back of the vehicle.

“Hey!” he yelled as he approached the threatening figure. He could not see the man’s face and he realized too late that the man was armed. He was holding a poker from the fireplace, it was small but could be deadly, Alec knew it.

“Please, give me my boys back, you don’t need them,” begged Alec, putting his hands up in a non-threatening manner.

“You fool,” sneered the guy back.

And although Alec could not see his face, the voice was familiar. So familiar in fact since he had heard it every day in the last fifteen years.

“Victor?” gasped Alec as he came to the realization that the man in front of him was their butler. The man he trusted to look after his sons when he had to work or leave the house for a couple of hours, the man who had raised him, Isabelle and his brother Max, the man who had taken care of his brother and father on their deathbeds.

“It can’t be …,” mumbled Alec as his eyes drifted away for a moment.

It lasted just a second, but it was enough for Victor to draw back his arm and swing the poker into the side of Alec’s head, knocking him out. As Alec fell, he felt Victor catch him just before all as left was darkness.

~

When Alec woke up, his head was throbbing, and he could not feel his body. He put a hand on the side of his head that was hurting and felt something sticky on his fingertips. Feeling utterly confused as he opened his eyes to try and get his bearings. It was dark and cold, very cold. No wonder why he could not feel his body anymore. As he tried to remember where he was, he saw something catch his eyes right above him. Stars. Bright stars illuminating the sky. And trees. Lots of trees. He looked around him and came to the realization that he was in the middle of a forest. He was on the side of a path marked with tire tracks. He looked down at himself, his white shirt had blood and mud on it, his pants were ruined too, and he only had socks on his feet.

“Dear Go- “

“Daddy!”

Alec gasped as he heard Rafe’s voice. He had never heard him sounding so scared. Suddenly, everything came back to him, everything he had seen. Victor. Victor had kidnapped his kids. And now he had left him in the middle of a forest without shoes or warm clothes, or anything else.

“Daddy, where are you?” cried out Rafe, snapping Alec out of his terror.

“Rafe? I’m here my baby!” shouted Alec back as he stood up and tried find his eldest son among the trees.

If Rafe was there, he thought, maybe Max had been left there too.

“Daddy!” shouted Rafe, fear clearly visible in his young voice.

“Baby, I need you to stop moving and describe what you see, I will find you I promise,” said Alec, trying to put as much warmth and reassurance in his voice as he could. He was terrified but he had to find his son.

“Trees, and big rocks, it’s so dark, Daddy,” babbled the young boy.

Alec tried to focus on his hearing, he thought he heard his son’s voice on the right, but he was usually praised on his good eyes, not his hearing.

“Daddy, I think I see Max.”

“Max,” gasped Alec as he turned around a tree to find his youngest son leaning against it, unconscious.

“Daddy!” cried out Rafe as he sprinted into his father’s arms.

Alec embraced his son fiercely, while his eyes remained on Max, the toddler looked very pale under the moonshine. Rafe was trembling against him as Alec used his other arm to catch Max. He is too cold, was Alec first thought.

“Wait a second Rafe. I need to check on your brother,” explained Alec as he let go of the boy.

He sat down putting Max on his lap to check his breathing. The toddler was breathing softly, seemingly asleep. What worried Alec was the color of his lips, they were slightly blue. Before letting panic engulf him, he tried to muster a plan in his head to get his son warmer. As he looked around him, all he could see were trees. Trees thought Alec as an idea emerged.

“Rafe, I need you to do something. Gather some dry branches for a fire, don’t go too far away, okay?” instructed Alec as he looked into his eldest son’s eyes. He looked cold but aware despite of the clear fear you could see in his eyes. But Alec knew that Rafe was tough and the bravest of them all. The young boy started looking around for dry wood, as Alec fumbled in his pockets. Hope filling him when his fingers came across a box of matches. He always had one in his pocket because of his late-night working, even though he did not need them anymore, but old habits die hard.

“Here Daddy,” said Rafe as he put down a pile of dry branches.

“You’re amazing Rafe, just keep looking, we will need a lot of wood to keep the fire going,” said Alec, looking at his son with pride and a reassuring smile. Rafe beamed at him.

Alec, with Max still gathered in his arms, put the wood in a neat pile and cracked a match, starting the fire. Perks of being wealthy was having good quality matches. The weather was also perfect to start a fire, dry and no trace of wind. The fire was blazing steadily when Rafe came back with more branches. He put them aside and joined his father’s side. Alec put an arm around him as he surveyed the fire.

“Is Max going to be okay?” asked Rafe in a small voice.

Alec looked down at the toddler who was still so cold. The fear of something bad happening to him was terrifying. Alec had lost too much already, too many. He was trying to come up with something to bring his temperature up more quickly when a new idea filled his mind.

“Yes, and I think I have an idea,” whispered Alec.

He removed his arm from around Rafe and started unbuttoning his shirt. If his idea did not work, then Alec had no hope. Once his shirt was left open, he gathered Max in his arms and put him against his naked skin. He remembered seeing his nanny and even his parents doing that with his little brother, who had been just a baby at the time but such a sick baby that he could not keep warm. Thanking God that he preferred his shirts to be a bit too loose, Alec tried to button up his shirt over Max’s body. He could not do it fully because Max was a toddler and not a newborn, but it still worked perfectly as a made-up blanket. 

“Come here, Rafe,” said Alec next. The little boy climbed on his lap and cuddled close to his father and brother.

“Do you remember what happened?” asked Alec in a soothing voice.

“No. I remember you saying, ‘Good night’ and after that I woke up here.”

Alec mulled over this for a second. Rafe was not a heavy sleeper, it was weird that he had not woken up during all this. He tried to retrace what had happened before putting his sons to bed. They had had dinner prepared by Victor. Maybe he had put something in the food? But the boys had been served from the same container as everyone, and Alec had not felt the urge to sleep, so it was not possible. After dinner, they had put on their sleepsuits like every night, they had sat in the living room and drunk warm milk. Milk. It must have been in the milk. Alec wondered why Max seemed to be more affected by it than Rafe. Maybe it was because he was younger and smaller. And then it hit him, Rafe had never drunk his milk totally, he always left some and Max was never too eager to drink it for him. Surely Max would be okay, he just had to sleep it off. And as long as they were together, they would be okay, whether they were in New York or in this forest. They were okay, thought Alec as he watched over the fire just as the sun started to come out from behind the trees.

~

As the sun started climbing up in the sky, the occupants of the Lightwood household had risen as well. Victor’s hand trembled slightly as he poured some tea in Maryse and Isabelle’s cups who were both sitting at the dining table. The butler was beyond exhausted, he had come home late, all sweaty and with a bit of blood on his hands and clothes. Erasing all the evidence had been a struggle, he did not have time to bring back the car to his acquaintance’s, so he had to park it nearby.

“Alec must have worked late last night, he is still not up,” pondered Maryse out loud.

“Neither are the boys …” pointed out Isabelle with a frown as she looked at the two empty child seats.

Victor hid a smile at that, his plan was going smoothly, and no one, not even Alec Lightwood, would ruin it.

“Victor, can you go and fetch the boys at last?” ordered Maryse without looking at him.

“Sure, Madame.”

Victor put away the tray he was holding and lazily climbed up the stairs. He feigned going to the boys’ room but stopped in the middle of the corridor and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. He had taken the time to hastily write a ransom letter when he came back in the middle of the night. He read it one last time just to be sure.

Dear Madame Lightwood,

I have in my possession your dear Alexander Lightwood as well as your two grandsons, Rafael, and Maxwell Lightwood Jr. I would recommend you not to contact the police if you want to keep harm from happening to them.

In exchange for their freedom, I will ask you to gather 10 million dollars in a bag and hide it in the vault of the Hoyts family at the Marble Cemetery in Manhattan. I will give you one week, nothing more.

He smiled devilishly at it. Now it was time to put on another act, he had always hated the Lightwoods without showing it, but now he had to play the role of the worried butler.

“Madame Lightwood!” shouted the butler with a well-acted scared voice as he ran down the stairs two steps at a time.

The two women who had been eating joined him hurriedly in the entry hall, both wearing worried looks on their faces.

“What is it, Victor?!” hurried Maryse.

“I found this in the boys’ room, I could not find the boys nor Sir Alexander.”

Maryse quickly grabbed the letter from his hand and read through it, Isabelle doing the same from beside her mother.

“Oh, my goodness …,” muttered Maryse, her face suddenly becoming pale. As she almost fell from the shock, both Isabelle and Victor caught her.

“We must not tell the police, oh my dear boys, if something were to happen to them …,” Maryse went on with despair.

“Mother, we must speak to Jace, he would help us get them back,” suggested Isabelle with determination.

Jace was a family friend, he was one year younger than Alec, and had always been there to play with the Lightwood siblings. His family was wealthy but not as wealthy as the Lightwoods, but Lightwoods and Herondales had been friends for a long time. Even though Jace could have had an easy work career in finance like his father, he had chosen to work as a fireman. He loved the danger, the thrill, and the good feelings he would get from rescuing people.

“Victor, please, go and fetch Jace for us, tell him it is urgent but do not give him any details yet,” instructed Maryse to the butler.

“Right away, Madame,” replied the butler as he let go of Maryse and walked out of the house, a menacing smile on his face.

~

Playing : Harry Lauder "I Love A Lassie" (1909)

Alec did not realize he had fallen asleep until he was woken up by someone singing.

“I love a lassie, a bonnie Hielan' lassie-”

Alec’s eyes squinted; the sun was already high in the sky.

“If you saw her you would fancy her as well-”

His mind remembered where he was when he saw the trees surrounding him. The fire had been out for a while, but the air was already warmer than at night.

“I met her in September, popped the question in November-”

His sons were still peacefully sleeping in his lap. And Alec was starting to wonder if he was dreaming and imagining the voice. It was the voice of a man, it sounded warm and deep.

“So, I’ll soon be havin’ her a’ to ma-sel’-”

And suddenly, the man appeared in front of him from behind a tree and stopped singing to stare at him. He was tall, not as tall as Alec, but still taller than most. He had olive skin tone and looked Southeast Asian, his hair was spiky and dark, even darker than Alec’s. He was wearing what people like the Lightwoods would call rags, his slightly open shirt had holes and stains, his pants as well, and his shoes must have seen better days. But what truly caught Alec’s attention was his eyes, they were dark brown but had a bit of gold in them, they were shining.

The stranger was still staring at him, but a second later, as though he had come to a conclusion, he started singing again.

“His father has consented, so I’m feelin’ quite contented,”

Alec could not help but snort at the change in lyrics as the man approached him.

“’Cause I’ve been and sealed the bargain wi’ a kiss,” kept singing the man as he drew to a stop in front the campfire and sent flying kisses to Alec, making him blush and snort once again.

Alec had a wild imagination, but if you had told him that someday he would be stuck in a forest with a stranger flirting with him through a Scottish love song, he would have never believed it.

“I sit and weary weary, when I think aboot ma deary, an’ you’ll always hear me singing this…”

As the man stopped singing and sent a wink, Rafe, who had been awoken by the singing, clapped his hands together as he giggled. The stranger bowed to the little boy with a flourish of thank you.

“Are you even Scottish?” asked Alec.

The man chuckled.

“I can be whatever you want, pretty eyes,” replied the man, easily. This time it was Max who giggled against Alec’s chest.

“Oh, didn’t see you there little man,” the man added as his eyes fell on Max who was still mostly hidden by Alec’s shirt.

“Are you okay, Max? Not too cold? Not scared?” asked Alec to his son, worry clear in his voice.

“I’m okay, Daddy. But whe- is here?” asked Max, puzzled.

“It’s a long story, baby.”

“A story I would love to hear! I’m Magnus, by the way, Magnus Bane,” said the stranger as an introduction.

Alec took a second look at him, the man was clearly a nomad or a street artist, maybe both. Alec, being born and bred in Manhattan, had little to no experience with people from lower classes. He was not a jerk mind you, but it was still something foreign to him. He did not know if he could trust the man, it was not as if he could trust people from his inner circle as well, clearly. But as he looked at him, really looked at him, Alec felt like Magnus was this silver lining of hope.

“To make it short, our butler tried to kidnap my sons and struck me when I tried to stop him. Then, we woke up here in the middle of a forest, I do not even know where we are-” explained Alec, his voice getting frantic at the end.

“Hey, Darling. Calm down, you’re okay,” said Magnus with a soothing voice as he came closer. “Where are you from?” he added then.

“Upper East Side.”

“New York? Well, you sure came a long way,” whistled the man.  

“What do you mean? Where are we?”

“We are in the north of Poundridge forest, the closest town is Cross River.”

“Cross River? I do not know that place. Is it far from New York?”

“Well by foot, it would take you at least a day or two, probably more with the children. And that is if you do not get lost.”

Alec’s face fell. He had not realized they were so far away from home.

“What about a train station?” asked Alec slowly losing hope.

“Do you have money? Because I surely do not.” said Magnus as he sat down, the camp fire’s ashes in between them.

“I do not have my wallet with me, surely I could ask someone there for help?”

“No offence Darling, but you look terrible, I mean, I can see that you must be ravishing under these clothes, but this type of people, they do not help people like us.”

“Like us?”

“Freewheeling,” replied Magnus with a wink to make Alec laugh. It did make him smile, but Alec’s mind was too preoccupied.

“What is your name, pretty eyes?” asked Magnus after a moment of silence.

“Alec, Alexander Lightwood, why do you keep saying that my eyes are pretty?” stammered Alec.

“Oh, but they are, a mix of jade and smoky quartz, making this morning more radiant. And, what a name!”

Alec blushed, he had never been good with compliments, and Magnus seemed to have a basket full of them.

“And what are those gentlemen’s names?” asked Magnus next.

“I’m Rafe Lightwood,” replied the young boy who had been staring quietly and with deep admiration at Magnus.

Alec smiled softly at his eldest son but frowned when he noticed that Max had been so very quiet. His eyes fell on the toddler who was still buried inside of his shirt. He looked so small, and pale.

“Max?”

“I feel not good,” muttered the little boy weakly.

“What is it, baby?” pleaded Alec, worriedly as he caressed his cheek softly.

The toddler went limp in his arms and panic engulfed Alec.

“No, no, no, Max, baby, please,” He cried out as he unbuttoned his shirt to have a better look at his son.

“Give him to me,” said Magnus in a calm voice. He had rounded the campfire and was kneeling in front of Alec. The latter had not even noticed him move.

“What?” stuttered Alec.

“Give him to me, trust me.”

Alec stared into the other man’s serious eyes, he did not know what his mind was looking for, but his arms worked on their own and handled Max carefully to him.

Magnus took the toddler in his arms and checked his pulse. It was beating, slow but constant. He then looked at the boy’s eyes and sighed in relief.

“I think he is just exhausted and dehydrated. Did he take something?”

“What do you mean?”

“Plants, drugs, anything. The cold does not help, but he should not be this dehydrated after a night here,” clarified Magnus.

“Oh, I think he drugged them to make them fall asleep …,” mumbled Alec.

“Okay, Max should be okay as long as he drinks and gets some rest. I will give him some water.”

Magnus reached into his bag, it was a tatty brown shoulder bag and pulled out a flask. He pinched Max’s cheek nicely and put the flask’s opening against the toddler’s lips.

“Max, you need to drink, sweetie,” soothed Magnus.

“Daddy, will Max be okay?” asked Rafe in a small voice, leaning heavily against his father’s shoulder.

“Yes, of course,” replied Alec to reassure him.

As if he had heard them, Max started drinking the water slowly, and Alec heaved a relieved sigh.

“Good boy,” whispered Magnus as he stroked Max’s hair away from his face.

After Max had stopped drinking and fallen asleep again, Alec saw Magnus’ eyes on him, more specifically on his chest. That was when Alec noticed that his shirt was still wide open. He hastily buttoned up the buttons as a blush crept on his face.

“Oh, you do not have to get dress up for me,” purred Magnus.

Alec cleared his throat and sent a pointing look to Rafe who was giggling softly. The boy had not looked away from Magnus just once.

“Fine, but I liked what I saw …” Magnus went on with a pout as he looked away.

“Can you help us get back to New York?” asked Alec, his tone serious.

“I will do my best,” replied Magnus with a blinding smile. Alec smiled back and they all stood up, Max still nestled in Magnus’ arms.

“By the way, I was right,” teased Magnus.

“About what?”

“You truly are ravishing under these clothes.”

Alec let out a groan.

~

Izzy felt restless, Jace had arrived an hour ago and was still planning the money withdrawal and delivery with her mother. They had decided to go along with what the ransom letter said, it was the only option they thought. But Izzy felt uneasy, she felt like the person who did this was playing with them and they would never get Alec and the boys back.

“The police cannot investigate, but I will,” mumbled Izzy to herself as she made a decision. What she did not see was the dark shadow of a man listening behind the open door of the kitchen.

~

“I should lend you a shirt,” prompted Magnus to Alec.

The architect looked down at his clothes, his shirt was bloodied and smelt awful.

“If it is not too much trouble.”

“Don’t worry, Darling. I will survive without a spare shirt for a day or two,” replied Magnus as he took out a somewhat clean shirt from his bag, still holding Max against his chest.

Alec thanked him, and turned around to change, making the other man chuckled. After he was done changing, Alec discarded his soiled shirt.

“Where do you live?” asked Rafe suddenly.

“Rafe!” scolded Alec.

“No offence taken, Darling. It is not like it is some big secret, relax. I like to travel, Rafe, so I do not really have a home. But you could say that Bronx is my home here in America. I was born in Batavia and moved to America with my mother when I was just your age, and I grew up in Morrisania (Bronx),” explained Magnus sweetly to Rafe who was so enamoured with him that he probably did not notice Magnus’ conflicted emotions clearly visible on his face, but Alec did.

“Where is Morrisania, daddy?” asked Rafe. 

“In New York. Hm, we should probably you know – hm get going?” stuttered Alec, clearly trying to divert Rafe’s attention. He did not want his son to let his curiosity hurt the man who had accepted to help them so selflessly.

“Alright, let’s go!” replied Magnus, as he adjusted his hold on Max. Meanwhile, Rafe went to his father and took his hand in his.

“Let me take Max.”

“I do not mind, do you?” chuckled Magnus.

“Not at all. My head is still throbbing a little, so it is best that you carry him anyway, you know, just in case…”

“Do you want me to look at it?”

For once, Magnus’ voice was not teasing, he sounded quite worried and Alec did not know what to make of it. In fact, he did not know what to make of Magnus at all. He was one of a kind, and Alec was out of his depth here. He had never been so blatantly flirted with by another man. It felt good, Alec was not so repressed that he did not know his own heart, it felt good, but it also felt foreign. Being among the socialites, he had seen people like him before, people who did not fit but managed to live their truths anyway. He had always envied them, for to be the Lightwoods’ first born had always meant that he had a duty to his family. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Alec had made peace with that, and his two sons were his greatest achievement. He would never trade them for a true love story. But now, everything was different, he was a dad, his wife died, and so did his father. Alec almost felt that maybe now it was his time to live, but he was too scared to hope. He had his sons to protect and the world was cruel.

“I am fine, I will tell you if it gets worse, I promise,” replied Alec softly, inducing a genuine smile from Magnus.

Alec looked away, flushed, and followed Magnus when the man started walking.

~

Izzy first decided that she should start her investigation upstairs. Alec and the boys had disappeared at night, so checking their quarters was the first thing a detective would do. As she opened the door to the boys’ bedroom, the first thing she noticed was how neat it was. It was always neat, the only thing that was untidy now was the beds. But even so, the covers were only pulled back, they were not totally rumpled or anything. In short, there was no trace of struggle whatsoever. Izzy concluded that either the boys had willingly gone with their abductor, or they were still asleep when they were kidnapped. She frowned, trying to decipher which theory was true. The boys would have woken up, Rafe would have. Then maybe they had gone willingly. Izzy made new conclusions in her head, they had gone willingly because either they knew the kidnapper, or they were threatened. She sighed at the millions of possibilities. Maybe she was totally wrong.

Trying not to let this dampened her thoughts, she walked out of the room and went to Alec’s room instead. His room was neat as well, except for his working space. Although, Izzy noticed immediately that contrary to the boys’, Alec’s bed was made. She went to his wardrobe and opened it. His nightclothes were still there, neatly folded. She came to the realisation that Alec probably never went to bed last night. She stumbled back and closed the wardrobe. Nothing made sense to her. How could just one person have done this?

~

“Daddy, my feet hurt,” whined Rafe for the third time in less than twenty minutes.

“I know. Come here,” sighed Alec as he crouched down.

Rafe climbed up on his father’s back and brought his arms lightly around his neck. Alec grabbed his legs and adjust his hold on him. His feet were hurting him as well, he was almost sure than they were bleeding by now. None of them had shoes, except Magnus. And the sole of the forest was full of rocks and gaps. As Rafe settled against him, Alec could feel how tired the little boy was. They had been walking for an hour at least.

“We are almost at Cross River, we can find shoes there,” reassured Magnus who was still holding a sleeping Max.

“I do not have money, and I am not letting you pay for anything.”

“Who said I would pay?” snickered Magnus.

Alec’s eyes widened comically.

“We are not robbing anyone!”  he hissed in a hushed voice. He was almost certain that Rafe had just fallen asleep, he was not going to wake him and hear Magnus’ antics.

“Come on, are you going to let your children starve and without any proper clothes?”

“Magnus, no. I did not raise my boys like that, like a-”

 “Like a dastardly thief?” spat Magnus, clearly hurt as he stopped walking.

Alec stopped as well and realised what he had just said a little too late. Stealing had always been a bad thing in his head, in his world. He had not been thinking about Magnus when he had said that, but at the same time his words clearly implied that he was talking about people like Magnus, poor people who had to resolve to stealing to live.

“I am sorry, Magnus. I did not realise what I was saying, please. You are right, sometimes it is inevitable…”

“You know poor people do not choose their lives just like you did not choose yours, Alexander,” replied Magnus in a somewhat neutral tone, his lips forming a thin line.

“I know. I mean I do not know what it is like to live like you, but I am trying to understand, and it just seems that we are from totally different worlds…” started Alec.

He was not sure if it was the right thing to say as he saw Magnus seemed more and more closed off, as if a barrier had been erected around him.

“But I do not care Magnus, I can tell that you are a good man. Whatever you have done or still do, I know it is just to survive. And I am sorry once again,” stammered Alec as he tried to catch Magnus’ eyes.

“Thank you, Alexander,” said Magnus after a few seconds, with a voice so sincere and a smile adorning his lips.

Alec gave him a genuine smile back and tried to process what he had just said to Magnus. The thought of having been hurtful had made him ramble.

“I heard that it takes effort to really get to know someone, so-,” Alec blurted as they started walking again. Magnus was looking at him almost fondly.

“Alexander.”

“Yes?”

“I did not know you were such a sweet talker; I must say, I am totally swooned!”

This time, Alec did not groan, but his cheeks were burning as he looked away.

~

It was a very warm afternoon; the sun was shining brightly and left Isabelle feeling bitter. How could the weather be so nice while she felt as if she were in the middle of a storm? She had turned the whole house upside down to try and find more evidence in vain. She could not figure out what had happened, and her mother had chastised her for not helping her and Jace by saying that she had read too many Conan Doyle’s novels. Isabelle had been infuriated as she had stormed outside of the house.

Standing on the sidewalk, she looked left and right, trying to find something, anything. As she decided to cross the street and asked their neighbors, she noticed a black car she had never seen before parked nearby. All the cars looked pretty much the same, but she had never seen one parked here. She decided that she would seek out the owner of this car.

She knocked on the front door of their neighbors. A few minutes later, the door was opened by a maid. Isabelle remembered her being called Bridget.

“Hello Miss Lightwood, how can I help you?” asked Bridget with a heavy Irish accent.

Bridget was very old and had been working for the Penhallows for years.

“I cannot give you any details, Bridget. But did you see anything suspicious last night?” asked Isabelle in a whisper, making sure that no one else was listening. Bridget’s eyes did not waver, the old lady had few expressions.

“Suspicious?”

“Yes. Do you see that black car? Do you know the owner?” pressed Isabelle, urgently. Bridget looked at the car outside, her face impassive.

“I saw it last night,” said a third voice. Isabelle’s eyes drifted above the maid’s shoulders and focused on a young woman with black hair and Asian traits, Aline Penhallow. The Lightwoods and the Penhallows had always been closed, Aline and Isabelle were like cousins. They had grown up together and had the same age.

“What do you mean, Aline?”

Bridget left them quietly to go back to the kitchen. Aline walked up to Isabelle to have a look at the car outside. She was wearing a lace black dress, her shoulders totally exposed. Isabelle loved her outfit.

“Last night, I went out. And when I came back just before midnight, the car was parked just outside your house. I thought you had people over,” explained Aline.

“No, we did not,” mumbled Isabelle quietly while looking over at the black car.

~

“Iss still far?” asked Max with a pout.

The toddler had woken up ten minutes ago and was starving. He had asked for Alec, so Magnus had transferred the young boy to him. Rafe was now walking once again next to his father.

“It is right around the corner, cutie pie,” replied Magnus.

Most of the walk had been silent. The boys had been sleeping, and Alec did not want to disturb them. Also, he was not the extrovert type. As for Magnus, the man had been softly singing all way. Alec had to admit that he had really enjoyed it. They were now following a country road made of dirt, and Alec could see some constructions not far from them.

“So, Alexander, what is your size?” asked Magnus suddenly.

Alec chocked on his own saliva.

“M-my what?” he swallowed.

“Your shoe size, Alexander, what are you thinking in that pretty head of yours?” smirked Magnus with a wink.

Alec blushed. He did not know why his thoughts had gone there.

“Hm thirteen,” muttered Alec.

“Thirteen? Hm quite impressive, I am not much of a foot fetish, but for yours maybe …,” trailed on Magnus with a teasing tone.

“You are incorrigible,” said Alec with a smile.

“Incorrigible is my middle name!”

Alec chuckled. They were now entering the town of Cross River which seemed to be a farmers’ town. Alec could see a lot of farm animals, and men and women working. No one batted an eyelash at them.

“We should go to the market; it is the easiest way to steal from!” said Magnus excitedly. A woman looked at him disapprovingly as she walked by.

“Magnus, just- never mind,” sighed Alec.

“Go and sit there with the boys, Alexander, I will be back!” instructed Magnus, pointing at a wooden bench.

Alec listened to him suspiciously. He knew was up to something, but he was too tired to say anything, and a wooden bench seemed like Paradise to his feet.

He sat down and put Max on the bench next to him, Rafe joined his brother.

“I really like Magnus,” confessed Rafe.

“He pretty,” added Max.

That he was, thought Alec with a sigh. Magnus was beautiful and easy to talk to, and very kind. And Alec was Alec, and they were so different. He hoped his sons would not get too attached, because he could handle his own little heartbreak, but not his sons’.

“We really need a bath,” he said suddenly as he looked at himself and at his sons. They were covered in dirt.

As Magnus came back, Alec noticed that his bag seemed heavier than before and he was also carrying shoes, and a few clothes.

“Here,” he said as he dropped a pair of shoes in front of Alec, and two small jackets to the boys. As well as a pair of shoes for Rafe.

“Sorry, I did not find shoes for Max, and I did not find any other clothes either,” added the man as he opened his bag.

“I think I do not want to know where you found these,” said Alec, feigning judgment.

“And I also got these!” gushed Magnus as he pulled out two small loafs of bread and gave them to the boys.

“Thank you!” they both said excitedly in unison as they grabbed the bread and started eating.

“And we can share this one,” said Magnus more quietly as he approached Alec, his voice seemed almost shy this time. Alec blinked at him. He had never seemed Magnus so unsure and he did not know what to make of it.

“Yes, that would be nice, sit with me,” he said at last as he patted the sit next to him, at the extremity of the bench.

The bench was a bit narrow, and the boys took most of the space. Magnus squeezed himself next to him, their thighs were pressed together, their shoulders touching.

“Here,” said Magnus as he split the loaf in half and handed one half to Alec.

“Thank you,” replied Alec, his voice soft.

They ate in silence, while the boys were happily chatting about all the animals they could now see with their own eyes.

“Hey, Alexander,” whispered Magnus as he put a warm hand on Alec’s thigh making him jump a little. He hoped the other man had not noticed.

“What is it?” replied Alec quietly after he had eaten the last of his bread, his cheeks burning. He could feel the imprints of Magnus’ fingers on his skin under his pants.

“This truck, I think it is going to New York,” he whispered as he pointed discreetly to a truck parked near the market. The trailer was mostly empty because of the market. Alec could only see a few crates in it, they were covered by a tarp.

“We will not all fit in there.”

“Do you want to walk all the way there?” insisted Magnus.

Alec knew Magnus was right, but this was risky.

“I will go ask him for help,” said Alec as he stood up abruptly.

“Alexander, don’t!”

Magnus grabbed his hand before he could walk away, making him stop in his tracks. He looked down at their hands touching.

“He will not help, I am sure of it, trust me,” said Magnus with a sad voice and a soft look in his eyes.

Alec smiled at him softly and squeezed his hand.

“I have to,” he replied.

He let go of Magnus and approached the man next to the truck, he was apparently finished with cleaning up his stand. The man was probably in his forties, he was mostly bald and wore a mustache. He was short and slightly overweight.

“Hey sir, excuse me,” said Alec in a polite voice.

The man spared him one glance before looking away and climbing inside his truck.

“Wait, can you help me? I need a ride to New York with my sons,” pleaded Alec as he pointed to his two sons on the bench with Magnus.

The man gave him a dirty look.

“Leave me alone, I do not take beggars on my truck, go steal from someone else,” he spat as he started the truck.

Alec walked away dejectedly as he saw another man come and talk to the man. Alec had never been judged so quickly by someone else, people were usually fawning over him, and now he realized how fragile this all was. How lucky he had been to have been born in the right household.

“You were right,” sighed Alec as he reached the bench.

Magnus stared at him sadly for a moment before a look of determination appeared on his face.

“You will get on that truck, Alexander. All of you.”

“But how?” asked Alec.

Magnus stood up and grabbed Rafe. Alec followed suit and grabbed Max.

“Boys, you will have to be very quiet so you will not have to walk all the way home, understand?” said Magnus to the boys who both nodded in response.

Magnus started walking stealthily to the truck, Alec right behind him. He put Rafe first under the tarp, Max following right after, and then it was Alec’s turn. It was a tight fit for him since he was so tall, but he managed. Once he was comfortable enough, he glanced at Magnus. He noticed that the man was not getting in, and it downed on him that Magnus did not have to follow them now that they had a ride to New York. His heart squeezed tightly under his ribcage as he sent a sad but grateful look to the man.

“You are not coming, right?” asked Alec over the roaring of the engine.

“I have nothing left in New York, darling,” replied Magnus softly.

“Thank you so much for everything you did,” said Alec at last as he grabbed Magnus’ hand in his and squeezed it.

Magnus returned the gesture, and before Alec could see it coming, he leaned in to give him a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“See you, pretty eyes,” said Magnus in a teasing voice.

Alec looked at him with wide eyes, just as the truck started moving and he had to let go of Magnus’ hand. He looked at the man going farther and farther away with a thoughtful look on his face.

“Daddy is Magnus not coming?!” asked Rafe suddenly.

“He cannot come home with us, baby,” replied Alec, stroking his son’ hair.

“No!” cried out Rafe as he moved to get off the truck. It was so sudden that Alec could not do anything but watch his son jump off the moving vehicle.

“Rafe!” yelled Alec in panic.

The engine was not at full speed yet so Rafe managed to fall not too hard on his knees. Alec paled as he saw his son out of the truck while the vehicle was still moving away, he could see Magnus running to them from the market. Alec felt the truck slowing down, the man must have noticed them. He grabbed Max in his arms and jumped off the trailer. He was tall so he managed to fall on his feet. He ran towards Rafe who was sitting in the middle of the dirt road.

“What the hell! Leave me alone or I will call the police!” threatened the man who had now stopped his truck and gotten out.

Alec ignored him and crouched down next to Rafe, putting Max down.

“Are you okay, baby? Why did you do that? Are you crazy?” asked Alec, losing his mind as he checked his eldest’s son for any injuries. His knees were bleeding but otherwise he seemed okay. Alec sat down completely and put Rafe to his chest.

“Never do that again,” he scolded the little boy as Magnus reached them.

“Are you all okay?” asked the other man worriedly as he went to his knees, facing Alec.

“Yes,” replied Alec, breathlessly, his eyes going to the other’s ones.

“You cannot get rid of me that easily I guess,” said Magnus sarcastically, making Alec huffed a laugh.

Maybe he was glad Rafe had jumped out of that car after all.

~

After her talk with Aline, Isabelle had ventured towards the black car. She wondered if it had anything to do with her nephews and her brother’s abduction. As she approached, she first noticed that the car was dirty with mud. The roads on the Upper East Side were mostly made of cobblestones, it could not have dirtied the car that much. Although, there still existed dirt roads nearby. But the state of the car made Isabelle feel uneasy. After checking that she was alone, she put her feet on the sidestep and looked into the car, at first glance she saw nothing, and then her eyes caught something shiny on the floor at the back of the car. It looked like a ring. She checked her surroundings once again, there were a few people walking by, but they did not pay her any attention. Nobody thought an aristocrat woman could be a thief anyway. She got into the car and reached for the ring; her fingers closed around it firmly. She took a closer look at it and gasped. The ring was heavy, made of silver and adorning a capital ‘L’ in medieval littering. It was the Lightwoods’ family ring, her brother’s ring. It did not make sense to her how her brother had been in the car and why the car was here. I need to watch that car, she thought as she climbed down the vehicle and started back towards the Lightwoods’ house.

~

They had started walking again under the warm late afternoon sun, alongside the road there was a big reservoir of water and they had managed to clean themselves a little and drink. The boys were walking in front of Alec and Magnus, the dirt road was better to walk on than the forest’s soil, but the group was forced to walk more slowly than before. At least, Alec could rest his arms and shoulders.

“Tell me Alexander, is there a Mrs. Lightwood?” asked Magnus nonchalantly, breaking the silence.

Alec snorted.

“Shouldn’t that have been your first question? But no, there is not. The only Mrs. Lightwood is my mother,” replied Alec honestly and with a teasing tone at the beginning.

Magnus chuckled.

“What about Rafe and Max’s mother?” he asked then.

Alec threw a quick glance at his sons, they were talking happily together and pointing at things they could see. He was not sure if they were listening to their conversation or not.

“We were married but she died three years ago.”

“Oh, I am sorry Alexander,” sighed Magnus, reaching for Alec’s hand and holding it.

Alec looked at their joined hands, feeling something funny stirring in his stomach. He liked the warmth and comfort Magnus exulted. He did not want to think about what would happen once they reach New York; he wanted to stay here and enjoy this. As he intertwined their fingers, he realized that he did not miss his work, he missed his family, the comfort of his house, and he missed drawing. But he did not miss spending his days thinking about rooms adjustments and deadlines.

“Our marriage, it, it was not really a love marriage, you know?” confessed Alec, his eyes downcast.

“Was it arranged? I know it occurs often in your world, not that there are only love marriages in mine either.”

“Yes, it was. We were friends so it was not so horrible, but it was never what I wanted. The only good thing was Rafe and Max.”

It felt good to speak like that. Alec wanted to say more, much more, but he was still afraid. Because saying out loud what he had wished for all those years would make everything real. He trusted Magnus, somehow, but it was hard to open up.

As they reached a narrow part of the reservoir, they had to walk across a long wooden bridge. It was raised about six feet above the body of water. Rafe was excited, he had always loved water and bridges, while Max was a bit more unsured. The elder boy ran a little to reach the middle of the bridge.

“Look daddy! It is more big than the bridges in Central Park!” exclaimed Rafe.

Alec looked at his son softly; his sons were reacting to the situation much more calmly that he would have thought. Maybe they would remember this as some big adventure.

“Bigger, Rafe,” corrected Alec.

What happened next happened so suddenly that neither Alec nor Magnus had time to react in time. One second Rafe was leaning over the guardrail to peer at the water, and then he was falling over the rail and into the water.

“Rafe!” cried out Alec as he surged forward, letting go of Magnus, and jumped into the water without even removing his shoes.

As his body fell into the water, Alec’s blood turned to ice. The water was cold, probably not above fifty degrees at this time of the year. He gasped as he reached the surface, looking around him frantically. Rafe was only a few feet away from him, dogpaddling. Alec knew neither of his sons could swim yet, but he could. He swam swiftly towards Rafe and grabbed him around the waist.

“Daddy!” gasped Rafe, breathing hard.

“I got you, I got you,” said Alec soothingly.

They had jumped from the middle of the bridge, so Alec decided to go forward to the bank on the other side.

As they reached the bank, Magnus and Max were already there waiting for them, worry clearly visible on their faces. Alec crawled out of the water, pulling Rafe first for Magnus to grab him. Magnus had already taken off Rafe’s jacket when Alec fully emerged of the water. Max tried to reach him, but Alec stopped him.

“Wait, you will get soaked,” warned Alec.

Alec removed his clothes one by one except for his underwear which consisted of knee-length white shorts, he stood there freezing. 

“Max, give me your jacket please,” instructed Magnus softly.

He had helped Rafe out of his own jacket and his night shirt, the boy was trembling in his soaked night pants. Max gave his jacket to Magnus; it was too big for the toddler, but it fit Rafe. As Magnus buttoned it up, Alec felt better, knowing that at least his son would get warmer. Once Magnus was finished with the buttons, he tried to wring the water out of the boy’s pants as much as possible. Alec did the same with his clothes, as his lips tremble.

“Here, take my jacket,” said Magnus as he handed his dry jacket to Alec.

“Are you sure?”

“As long as you do not throw it in the water like my shirt, you can have it,” said Magnus with a teasing voice.

Alec chuckled.

“Thank you,” he whispered softly as he put the jacket on and buttoned it up. His outfit was ridiculous, but he could not care less.

“We should find somewhere warm to get you two dried up, the sun is already setting,” said Magnus as he pointed at the sun who was already almost past the horizon.

“Daddy hold me?” asked Max as he came to Alec.

Alec took him in his arms and hugged him closely. He saw Magnus do the same with Rafe to keep him warm.

After they had gathered all the wet clothes, they started their journey again.

~

They had only been walking for an hour, the effort of holding Max and walking at the same time had gotten Alec a lot warmer; before noticing an open shelter full of haystacks at the edge of a field. Magnus suggested that they spend the night there so they would not get cold and could rest a little.

Alec gave some water to the boys as well as a fruit each, Magnus had grabbed a few from the market at Cross River. He tucked them in as best as he could when they had finished eating. Rafe fell asleep immediately, no doubt exhausted from his trip into the water, and Max followed right after.

“Thank you for helping me with them,” said Alec softly as he lied down next to Magnus on a haystack near the outside of the shelter. The latter was observing the sky, and Alec noticed once again how bright the stars were here without high buildings and smoke to conceal them.

“They are sweet,” replied Magnus without looking away from the sky. “Just like someone I know,” he added with a chuckle.

Alec looked at him warmly, he could not look away from the other’s face.

“You’re staring.”

“I know,” replied Alec honestly.

Magnus turned his face towards him with a smile, they were close, their shoulders touching softly. They gazed at each other for long minutes.

“Tell me your story,” asked Alec in a whisper.

Magnus’ eyes went downcast. He was playing with his hands, so Alec grabbed one reassuringly.

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything.” Everything, he thought.

 Alec let Magnus think patiently. He wanted to know who he was and what had made him the man he was today.

“So, as you know I was not born here. When my mother had me, she had been trying to get to the US, but you needed connection or a lot of money. My biological father was a Chinese smuggler …,” mumbled Magnus before going silent.

Alec thought about what he had just said, and cold water washed over him as he realized something.

“Did he …?”

“Yes. I was not born out of love. And it took my mother five more years before getting here with me. She had almost lost hope, and for her I was just a reminder. She married an American man, he was a bricklayer, and we did not have much, but for a year or two everything felt nice as far as I remember.”

“And then?”

“Then, they kept fighting because my mother did not manage to get pregnant again, and she thought it was my fault. They thought it was my fault …,” trailed on Magnus, growing suddenly quiet.

Alec noticed that his eyes were wet.

“Hey Magnus, you do not have to tell me more, it’s okay,” said Alec in a soothing voice as he let go of Magnus’ hand to embrace the man fully to his chest. Magnus let his face fall against Alec’s collarbone and let his tears drop.

“I should at least finish my story and be done with it,” mumbled Magnus after a few seconds of quiet sniffles.

“Only if you want to,” replied Alec as he rubbed a hand along the man’s back.

Magnus took a deep breath.

“It is not a pretty story, I warn you,”

“No one has a pretty story, Magnus.”

“I guess you are right. My mom, she was not in her right mind because of that and, she, she hanged herself. Then my stepfather threw me out in the streets, end of the story,” finished Magnus with a tone as distant as possible.

They let the silence engulf them as they breathed slowly, Magnus head still hiding in Alec’s neck as the latter rubbed his back. Magnus’ tears stopped coming and soon he had fallen asleep. Alec kept on watching the bright stars up in the sky as he thought about how it was possible that Magnus had experienced a childhood like that but had become so selfless.

The last thing in his thoughts before he drifted to sleep was that Magnus was someone special.

~

Isabelle had been watching the car all afternoon and all night from her bedroom’s window when it finally happened. It was around 10 p.m. when she saw a dark silhouette leaving the house and approaching the car. It was dark outside but there were only two people living here with her, her mother and Victor. And this silhouette looked nothing like her mother’s. Isabelle racked her brain, trying to come up with a logical explanation. It did not make sense for Victor to have a car, even less to have a car who was parked there at the time of the abduction and who had her brother’s ring in it. Isabelle’s only conclusion was scary, she did not want to believe it. This man had been in their house since she had been a little girl. He had always been a bit distant, but she liked him, and she thought he liked them too. The taste of treason was bitter on her tongue as she thought about what she was going to do. She needed more evidence, no one would believe her with so little. She watched the car drove away. This evidence only was not a lot, but she still had Aline’s testimony. She had to find more, and she knew where she would start.

She left her room quietly and walked downstairs to the butler’s quarters. He had a small room with his own bathroom. She closed the door quietly behind herself and flicked on the light. The room barely had anything in it, a bed, a dresser, and a desk. She started her search by rummaging through the drawers of the desk. There were not much in it, a few papers, and personal items, but nothing of interest. She froze as her eyes caught something lying on the desk, it was a notepad. A very simple and cheap-looking notepad. But what struck Isabelle was that it was the exact same paper that had been used to write the ransom letter. She knew it because she had stared at it for hours and hours, trying to find a clue of who had done it. This was a major evidence, she knew it. She grabbed the notepad and tore one page off. She could not take it with her, or she knew Victor would notice. So, she only took one single page and hid it in under her dress.

She took a deep breath and resumed her search. She investigated the dresser’s drawers, there was nothing but clean clothes in it, so she stopped her search and went to the bed. The bed was made neatly. As she went to her knees to look under it, she heard some noise coming from the corridor and froze. She could feel her heart beating loudly in her ears. But the noise came and went, and she let out a relieved breath. She dropped to her hands and knees and looked under the bed. There was a pair of shoes and a pair of dark pants, as well as a poker. She grabbed the clothes first and noticed that they were mud stains on them. The clothes were mostly dry, but they had not been washed yet. It reminded her of the mud on the car. Wherever Victor had taken her brother and nephews, it was somewhere with mud, so probably a park or even outside of Manhattan. She put the clothes back, she did not want Victor to know. She grabbed the poker next and gasped when she noticed the dry blood on it. Up until now, it had only been a fleeting thought, something she did not want to even imagine. But what if her brother and her nephews were more than just hurt and missing? What if …

Shaking, Isabelle let go of the poker and put it back under the bed, she stumbled on her feet and left the bedroom in a hurry, forgetting to close the door behind her.

~

The day after, it was a Monday, they had walked almost all day, but they were still far away from New York. The boys were still young, and it was hard for them to keep up a fast pace, and they were too heavy to hold all day. But things were not so bad, thought Alec as he squinted his eyes slightly under the warm late afternoon sun. He had been throwing shy glances at Magnus all day each time he had remembered how they had woken up that morning.

It was still early in the morning when Alec woke up warm and content. The sun was shyly shining at the horizon and birds had started to chirp. He opened his eyes slowly, squinting a little. As he lowered them, he remembered how he and Magnus had fallen asleep. Entangled. Magnus was still there, heavily lying on him, his face buried in the hollow of his neck, breath warm. Alec let out a contented sigh as he tangled a hand in Magnus’ hair. It was soft under his fingers.

“Hmm, feels good,” mumbled Magnus sleepily, making Alec blush and shiver.

He froze, not knowing if it was appropriate to do that while Magnus was barely awake.

“Why would you stop?” whined Magnus as he tried to blindly grab Alec’s hand that was in his hair. Alec chuckled as he resumed the soft caress of his fingers in Magnus’ hair.

“Better,” mumbled the latter.

Alec missed his touch and his closeness already even though they were walking side by side with barely an inch between them.

“I think we are nearing Armonk, Alexander. We really made progress today, we will probably reach New York tomorrow,” said Magnus.

Alec was both happy and sad to hear it. Happy because he could not wait to be home, he was exhausted, he could not feel his feet anymore, and he missed his family. But he was also sad, because he did not know what that thing was between him and Magnus and he was scared that he would never get the opportunity to see what they could be.

“I know the owners of an inn in Armonk, it is called The Infernal Devices, they will probably let us sleep there tonight. Imagine, Alexander, a real bed!” added Magnus with excitement.

Alec blushed, his whole face becoming red. He did not know why every time Magnus said something, his mind went elsewhere. Maybe his brain was trying to tell him something. Luckily Magnus was not looking at him, so he managed to cough a little and catch himself.

“Hm, why is it called The Infernal Devices?” he asked, curious.

“Oh, it is because they have a small concert every night, it is very noisy, like a big party! And some years ago, before it got its name, some neighbor kept complaining about the noise, saying to, and I quote, ‘stop those infernal devices!’, and well, my friends have a strange sense of humor.”

Alec could not help but laugh at the story.

“Can’t wait to meet them.”

~

“Hey Rafe.”

“What is it, Max?” replied Rafe.

The two boys were walking ahead of their father and Magnus.

“Do you like, Magus?” asked Max softly.

“It’s Magnus,” corrected Rafe. “And yes, I do, a lot,” he added.

Max smiled at his older brother.

“Me too. And I think daddy too!”

“Oh, that he does,” chuckled Rafe as he looked over his shoulder and watched his father and Magnus talking. His father’s eyes could not leave Magnus for even a second.

~

They reached Armonk when the sun was just setting, the dark orange sky barely illuminating the small and quaint inn. The inn was located at the edge of the town, in a quiet and deserted neighborhood, the inn itself was simply a three stories wooden house with ‘The Infernal Devices’ painted on it. Alec exhaled quietly. The place looked like it would crumble if the wind were to be too strong, but Alec had never felt so relieved in his life. At last, his sons would finally have a warm bed to sleep in.

Alec stopped his sons before they could go in and crouched down to be at their level.

“Okay, boys. It is a public place; you need to behave. They will not let us stay the night otherwise, understand?”

“Yes, daddy,” they both replied.

Alec gave them a proud smile and grabbed their hands as he followed Magnus inside the inn.

The interior was just like the outside, old and slightly decrepit. On the left, there was a bar. A young Asian woman and a man, who seemed to be Latino, were behind the counter, serving the few patrons present. The place was not so crowded on a Monday night.  In the rest of the room there were a few tables and chairs, the decoration was quite minimal but homey. And, at the end of the room, you could see a small platform with a piano on it and at the table closest to the stage, three people were sitting closely, chatting and drinking. There were two men and a woman, one of the men was Asian and had deep black hair with white strikes in it, he was stunning. The other man, who was just as stunning, was Caucasian but had deep black hair as well. They were both wearing suits without a jacket. The woman in the middle had light brown hair cascading down her body and was wearing a lavish yellow dress, giving her a warm and comforting glow.

“Hello Lily, Hello Raphael! Can you bring us a nice beer, two glasses of milk and your best cocktail, please, darlings?” instructed Magnus to the two bartenders as he sauntered towards the trio at the back of the room.

“No soy tu esclavo, pinche estùpido,” grumbled the man behind the counter, but Magnus ignored him.

“Hi dears,” said Magnus as he put two chairs in front of the trio and sat down. Alec sat down next to him and Max climbed up in his lap. He saw Rafe did the same with Magnus.

“Hi Magnus, I thought one day you might come back from your little adventures with a kid or a pregnant wife, but you got the whole package here,” joked the white man with deep black hair.

Alec noticed his eyes were blue, like the night sky.

“As funny as always my dear William. Here is Alexander, and his two sons Rafe and Max.”

“Hi, nice to meet you, my name is Jem, and this is Tessa, and this idiot over there is Will obviously,” replied the Asian man called Jem.

They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes and Alec explained in a few words what had happened to them and why they were here, as Lily brought them their drinks. Alec had never seen his sons drank so quickly.

“My poor boys, you can have the room in the attic, and drinks are on the house,” said Tessa softly.

“Thank you so much,” mumbled Alec, lost for words.

“So, are you playing tonight?” asked Magnus to the trio.

“Of course,” replied Will, grinning.

~

Less than half an hour later, Will, Jem and Tessa had gone on the stage. They had not started yet, but more and more people had entered the inn and ordered drinks. Alec instructed his sons to stay close, he did not want to lose them or worse. He wondered if he would ever be able to let them out of his sight from now on.

“Relax, Alexander. They are safe here,” whispered Magnus as he leaned towards him.

Magnus’ voice brought a feel of reassurance to Alec, his body started to relax a little.

“I thought they were safe at home too; it is hard for me Magnus.”

The latter sent him an understanding smile and stood up abruptly as the trio started to play and sing. Will was playing the piano, Jem the violon, and Tessa was in the middle of the platform, singing.

“Shall we dance?” asked Magnus, holding out his hand.

Alec watched the offered hand with a certain apprehension. As a man born in an aristocratic family, he knew how to dance, how to waltz, he had to. But it did not mean that he enjoyed it. Apart from the lessons he had suffered, Alec could only remember one time where he had had to dance in public, it was at his wedding. And it was not such a pleasant memory.

“I-,”

“Oh, come on, pretty eyes, please,” urged Magnus, pleadingly. And Alec could not say no to those eyes. He could not fathom how Magnus could find his eyes beautiful when he had eyes like those, so dark but with a spark of gold in it.

“Fine,” grumbled Alec as he stood up and grabbed Magnus’ offered hand.

Magnus was one hell of a dancer, and as the man started humming along Tessa, Alec wondered if there was one thing Magnus could not do. As they waltzed rapidly to the frenzied rhythm of the music, Alec felt as if he were under a spell. His eyes would not leave Magnus’ face for a second, one hand holding his and the other warm on the small of his back. The touch was electrifying and left Alec breathless. His eyes drifted to the shorter man’s plump and glossy lips, so tempting. He felt his knees tremble as their faces seemed to move closer and closer. Alec glanced up, looking Magnus in the eyes, eyes so dark but luminous. The other was staring at him intensely, their waltzing losing its swiftness. As their noses touched and their breaths mingled, Alec let his eyes closed.

“Daddy look!” cried out Max from beside them, breaking whatever spell had come between the two men.

They pulled apart abruptly, Alec felt a blush settle on his cheeks as he looked at Magnus with a dumbstruck look on his face. But the other man was already looking at the toddler.

“We dance too!” exclaimed the toddler excitedly.

Alec diverted his attention to his two sons who were waltzing together, albeit not properly. Rafe had just started waltzing lessons recently.

“Wow Max, I think you are the best dancer tonight; may we join you gentlemen?” replied Magnus, smiling.

Alec felt his heart plummet at the thought that he would now have to share Magnus with his sons and that whatever had been interrupted would not happen tonight. But as the four of them started to dance goofily and his sons giggled happily, Alec thought this little interruption might have been for the best. After all, everything happened for a reason. All in good time.

~

Playing : Henry Blossom "Kiss Me Again" (1905)

The show went on until almost midnight, Magnus had gone on stage at some point to join Tessa, and Alec had never felt so entranced by someone else’s voice. Max had fallen asleep on a chair, and the toddler was so exhausted that even the loud music did not wake him up anymore. Alec looked at his eldest son, Rafe, who was sitting in his lap, barely awake, but looking intensely at Magnus. It seemed that the elder man had caught the attention of more than one Lightwood.

The mood in the room followed the rhythm of the music, and as Will started playing a soft melody on the piano, the patrons stopped dancing to settle down on their chairs.

“Let’s play one last song Magnus,” said Will.

Tessa and Jem went to sit with Alec, whose whole attention was focused on one single man. Magnus was leaning against the piano, looking at Will playing and moving slowly to the sweet melody. And then he began to sing.

“Ah! dear one! How often I think of the past, can it be you forget?”

His voice was as sweet as a kiss on the cheek, and Alec could not help but smile. His heart started pounding loudly in his ears when the singer turned his head to face the public and locked gazes with him as he sang.

“I see you again, as you gazed in my eyes with joy all alight,”

Alec shivered a little at how intense Magnus’ gaze was, he wanted to look away, but he felt frozen in place. It was almost as if they were alone in the room and the older man was serenading him, Alec could only see Magnus, him and only him.

“Safe in your arms, far from alarms, day-light shall come but in vain,”

Oh, how Alec wished he could embrace the singer in his arms and never let him go. Had a place never felt so safe.

“Tenderly pressed close to your breast, kiss me! Kiss me again!”

Alec’s face was flushed, sudden memories of their waltz flooding his mind. The song was soft and sweet, and with Magnus’ intense gaze, Alec felt as if it was an invitation. Maybe he was not the only one who had been chagrined by the interruption of what could have been an intimate moment.

As Magnus sang the last line of the song, Alec looked away, feeling both shy and hyper. His eyes went to his son who had fallen asleep in his arms.

“Okay buddy, I think it’s time to go to bed,” whispered Alec as he stood up. The boy did not even protest and buried his face in the crook of his father’s neck. Alec picked up Max with his other arm, the boys were heavy, but he forced himself not to wince as he approached the stage to talk to Magnus. The latter saw him and jumped of the platform.

“Alexander.”

“Sorry, they need to sleep, can you show me the attic?” asked Alec shyly.

They did not have a moment for themselves since the almost kiss, and after that song who had felt more intimate than anything they had ever experienced, Alec had a hard time looking at Magnus.

“Sure, we should both probably sleep anyway, let me say good night first,” replied Magnus before bidding goodbye to his friends and some of the other patrons.

As Alec followed Magnus upstairs, he tried to keep his eyes downwards, but his body felt tingly. It was one thing to sleep next to Magnus on a haystack, but another thing to sleep in the same small room. He did not know how to control this fierce and burning attraction. Maybe he had kept himself guarded for too long and he was finally losing it at the sight of the first man he really liked. They barely knew each other, but there was something magnetic about Magnus that Alec could not put a name on. He dearly wanted to explore it, but he was scared that they were running out of time.

He had to bend down a little as they reached the entrance of the attic. The room was just as he imagined, quite small with a queen size bed that took almost all the space. He noticed there was a wardrobe and an armchair, both facing the bed. The room did not have electricity and was dimly lit by the moonlight shining through the tiny skylight. Alec put his sons on one side of the bed and tucked them in. The bed was an acceptable size, but with two children and two adults it would be a tight fit.

“I can sleep in the armchair or find somewhere else to sleep, you need a full night of rest,” said Magnus, with clear hesitance in his voice.

Alec thought maybe he was not the only one affected by the situation and the moments they had shared tonight.

“Magnus,” whispered Alec warmly as he walked closer to the other man who stood in the moonlight. “I am not letting you sleep anywhere else, we have this room thanks to you, we can share,” he said with an assurance he did not know he could muster.

Magnus sent him a grateful yet sad smile which confused Alec.

“Sorry, Alec, it is just that …,” started Magnus as he looked away and without finishing his sentence.

“What is it?” asked Alec, worried.

He grabbed Magnus hands in his and felt him tense and then relax as he squeezed his fingers softly.

“What are we doing? What is this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Us. We slept hugging, and now we almost kissed, and I know I flirt a lot, but right now I just feel …”

Once again Magnus’ voice died down, and Alec was shocked to see this confident man so distraught.

“Vulnerable?” replied Alec softly, and Magnus smiled at him, a small but genuine one.

“Very. Flirting with you it felt nice, safe, but now we are almost in New York and you are going to leave me,” confessed Magnus, his voice just above a whisper.

Alec felt his heart thumped erratically, his hands itching to embrace the man in front of him. He wanted to reassure him, soothe him, tell him that he would not leave. But Alec knew that he would have to go back to his life, and he was not sure if Magnus had a place in it. Although, his heart was pleading.

“Magnus, I, I cannot promise you anything. We are very different, totally different. I do not know what will happen once we reach New York, but even if it is for one night or one hour, I want to cherish this. Maybe it is selfish of me, but I feel good with you.”

And as Alec finished pouring his heart out, Magnus let go of his hands to encircle his neck and bring them closer. Alec’s breath stuttered as their bodies collided, his hands holding the other’s waist tenderly.

“You are right, I want to cherish you too,” whispered Magnus with regained confidence.

He looked at him one last time, as if to ask for permission, and Alec nodded before closing his eyes. Their lips touched shyly at first, exploring, feeling, like a first encounter, and as a fire started burning inside themselves, the kiss grew heated and desperate. Tongues asking for entrance, touching tentatively and tenderly in a well-known waltz. Alec did not know how long they kissed, if it were for hours or minutes, his chest burnt and yet he could not step away.

And as he laid in the middle of the queen size bed in the attic room of the inn, his lips bruised and Magnus’ chest plastered to his back, he pictured how different the night would have been if his sons were not there next to him sleeping peacefully. He was almost sure that Magnus would have made love to him that night.

~

On Tuesday morning, Izzy felt restless. She had been busy all Monday doing her Mother’s errands and fretting about what she had discovered in Victor’s room. She had tried to come up with a plan but at last she felt helpless. She did not know who to trust, but most importantly who would believe her. She was certain she could tell Jace, but the man was busy between his work and helping her mother.

Izzy had also been avoiding Victor, as much as you could avoid your own butler. She felt as if the man somehow knew that she had been in his quarters, as if he knew that she knew about him, and she was terrified. Oh, how much she missed her brother and nephews.

“The money is ready, Victor I want you to go tonight, we cannot waste any more time, but we must be careful,” instructed Maryse to the butler.

They, Isabelle and Maryse, were sitting at the dining table and having breakfast, while Victor was standing close, awaiting orders.

“Sure, Madame, should I secure it in a bag?”

“Jace already made sure that it was secured, the bag is under my desk in my office.”

“I will take care of it, Madame,” replied Victor.

Izzy tried her best not to react.

~

Sunlight poured into the room through the skylight, Alec groaned softly against his pillow. His mind was still clouded but he felt rested after a night spent in a warm bed. He shivered slightly when he felt soft fingers caressing the bare skin of his navel.

“Good morning,” mumbled Magnus, his warm breath feeling like a comforting caress on the back of his neck.

“’Morning,” mumbled back Alec as his eyes fluttered open.

The first thing he saw was Max, who was still deeply asleep, with Rafe cuddled close to him. Alec smiled at the picture in front of him. As much as his sons could fight and bicker, the love they had for one another was immense.

“Do you know what time it is?” whispered Alec.

He did not want to wake up his sons who looked so peaceful, and if he was honest with himself, he did not want to move at all. Magnus’ body was still embracing him just the way they had fallen asleep and Alec had never felt so safe before. He did not want to move and shatter whatever had developed between them the night before.

“No, but as much as I hate the idea, we should probably get going soon, love,” replied Magnus with a kiss on the nape of Alec’s neck, making the latter feel emotional suddenly.

Alec groaned, trying to hide his emotions by feigning laziness. As Magnus let go of his waist to get up, Alec felt colder than he had ever been. But he had to move and get up as well.

“Boys, my babies, we have to go,” said Alec softly to his sons.

Max and Rafe yawned and grumbled but got up in the end. Alec was making the bed, and as Magnus came back with a bowl filled with warm water, he realized that he had not looked at the man once this morning. He was glowing, despite his disheveled hair and the rumpled clothes, the man was more beautiful than Alec ever remembered.

“Okay boys let’s get you all cleaned up!” announced Magnus with more enthusiasm than anyone could muster.

Alec helped Max and Rafe get undressed while Magnus helped them wash up with a cloth and soap. The domesticity of the moment left Alec feeling both sad and exhilarated.

As the boys were both cleaned and clothed, Alec approached Magnus hesitantly. He opened his mouth to try and come up with something to say. They had said and felt so much the night before, he did not know where to go from there. He was at loss of words. At last, Magnus’ eyes found his.

“Want me to wash your back, Alexander?” teased Magnus, smiling and with a gleam in his eyes.

And with just one sentence, Alec’s heart perked up.

“I would not say no to that,” he replied, using the same teasing tone, as he leaned towards the older man.

Magnus’ smile widened as he leaned towards him as well to catch his lips in a sweet lip lock.

Maybe things did not have to look so grim.

~

Once Alec and Magnus had both washed up, the little blended family went downstairs all together. Max and Rafe skipped ahead to sit on the empty stools in front of the counter, they had eyed them the whole evening last night, but Alec had warned them not to leave his side. He noticed that a few patrons only were having breakfast and were sitting at the tables, Tessa and Jem were among them, but there was no trace of Will.

“Is Will still nursing his hangover?” asked Magnus fondly.

Tessa nodded, aggravated, before her whole face lit up.

“Oh, by the way, I got a ride for you!”

“Really?” asked Alec, a little stunned.

“Yes, come with me, I will introduce you both,” hurried Tessa as she stood up and went towards a couple sitting in one of the corners of the room.

The man had brown and slightly curled hair, a light stubble, he was wearing dark glasses, a beige shirt, and gray pants. He looked quite plain, thought Alec. The woman, in contrast, was very vibrant. She had fierce and curly red hair cascading down her back. She was wearing an emerald green and very intricate dress which made her skin look even fairer.

“Clary, Simon, this is my dear friend Magnus, and his friend Alexander, I told you about them,” said Tessa in lieu of introductions, smirking teasingly at Magnus when she introduced Alec.

Alec blushed when the couple threw a look at them, feeling suddenly self-conscious about his current appearance. He had been able to clean himself up, but his clothes were still a mess and he had an unruly stubble growing on his face.

“Hey guys, my name is Simon, and this is my wife Clary, I heard you needed a ride to New York! It is just your luck because we are from Harlem, and we are just going back there from our honeymoon in Canada. We have enough place for you in our car, and Tessa told me you have little kids, is that right? We have a big car so everyone can fit anyway,” babbled the brown-haired man in one breath.

Alec looked at him with big hazel eyes, not expecting the man to speak so many words all at once.

“Hm, yes I have two kids, and thank you so much it means a lot to us, we have been walking the past two days,”

“Oh, dear, sit down, let’s have breakfast and then we can go”, chimed in the red-haired woman who went by Clary.

Magnus sat down with them, but Alec’s face flushed, and he played with his fingers anxiously when he remembered that he could not even pay for their breakfast. Magnus turned to look at him when he noticed that he was still standing.

“What is it, love?”

The open display of endearment made Alec shiver, and softly smile a few seconds after. He leaned down, embarrassed, so only Magnus could hear him as he whispered in his ear.

“I do not have any money to pay for the meal.”

Magnus smiled softly at him as they pulled apart.

“Do not worry your pretty little head about it Alexander, my singing paid enough,” he winked.

Then something clicked in Alec’s mind. Magnus had performed last night; he had done it because he liked being on stage but also so he could earn them a room and some breakfast.

“Also, we do not let friends starve here, Alec,” reassured Tessa who had overheard their quiet conversation. “I will be back with some breakfast, sit down,” she added before walking away.

Alec called his sons over and sat down a bit shyly. Rafe brought another chair over so he could sit next to Magnus, but Max decided to sit on his dad’s lap. Once Tessa had brought their meal to the table, they ate rapidly with Magnus chatting animatedly to Simon and Clary. Alec ate and talked to his sons quietly.

Once they had all eaten to their heart’s content, they stood up to bid their goodbyes. Alec thanked Tessa multiple times, feeling embarrassed and grateful at the same time. Rafe and Max were happy by the prospect that they would not have to walk anymore. Alec was too. Even if it meant having less time with Magnus, maybe he could convince the older man to see him again.

Simon and Clary owned a simple black car, the couple sat down in the front, Simon behind the wheel, while Alec, Magnus and the boys sat in the back. Luckily for them, the boys were quite small, but with two full grown men it still left little room to move about. Max put his head against Alec’s side and fell asleep within minutes, meanwhile Rafe was leaning towards the front to get a good look of the road and speak with Clary, who apparently had a fond spot for the little boy. Alec put his arm on the back rest, the seat was not very wide, letting his hand reach the back of Magnus’ head easily. He fondled his hair lovingly, liking the softness of the straight black strands while Magnus hummed softly. Alec thought he could get used to that.

~

Izzy was frantic. Ever since her mother had given the instructions about the money exchange that morning, Izzy felt as if she was running out of time. She knew it was Victor, she was certain of it, there were too many evidences, but she could not act rashly. She did not know if the man was still hiding his brother and nephews somewhere. The man was clearly dangerous, and Izzy did not want to get hurt or someone else from her family to get hurt as well. She felt helpless and kept pacing up and down in her bedroom. I need to tell mom, she thought, surely, she would believe me …

A feeling of hope washed over her as she walked to her desk and opened the first drawer. She gasped when she noticed that what she was looking for had disappeared, the piece of paper from the notepad.

“Is that what you are looking for?” asked a deep and familiar voice from behind her.

She turned around swiftly to face Victor. The butler was standing in the doorframe, a piece of paper in one hand and a gun in the other. Izzy looked at it in horror.

“Please do not hurt me.”

“You know too much,” he replied as he closed the door and locked it.

It was only the two of them in the room now, in the whole house even. Her mother had left not so long ago to see some friends and would not be back until noon.

“Where is my brother? Where are my nephews?” she pleaded, as tears started streaming down her face.

“Dead, hopefully,” he sneered as he approached her slowly.

Hopefully?

“Why are you doing this? I thought we were your family!”

“Family?” he spat, “Your family has always ignored me and treated me like scum, especially your dear old dad, but I made him pay in the end.”

Cold water washed over Izzy as she realized what he meant. She wiped her face and glared at the butler.

“You killed my father,” she stated coldly.

“You have always been the smart one,” he said as he tackled her to the floor.

Izzy scratched him on the face and tried to kick him in the stomach, but the man was taller and stronger. She noticed a vase not so far from them and tried to reach for it, but as her fingers barely grazed it, Victor stroked her on the head with his gun and she let darkness engulf her.

~

They reached Harlem before noon. The drive had been fast and without any trouble. Simon parked and stopped the car in front of a nice-looking house. Alec could see the top of the trees of Central Park at the end of the street.

“So that is where we live. Are you sure you do not want us to drop you at your house, Alec?” asked Simon, as he turned to face him.

“No, do not worry about us, I live not so far from here,” said Alec to reassure him.

Clary and Simon had already been nice enough to give them a ride without knowing them.

“In fact, can you write down your address for me? I want to come back to thank you properly.”

“Only because I want to see those little guys again,” replied Clary as she sent a smile to Rafe and Max making them giggle.

She wrote down their address on a piece of paper and gave it to Alec. They all exited the car and bid their goodbyes with promises of seeing each other again. Once Clary and Simon had left them alone on the sidewalk, Alec looked at his sons and then at Magnus.

“Let’s go home,” he said with a soft smile.

They walked quietly towards the Upper East Side, Rafe and Max slightly ahead of them. Alec threw a few side glances at Magnus, he wanted to reach out and take his hand in his, but the streets were crowded. Dejectedly, Alec focused on his sons, making sure that they would not stray too far away from him.

As they grew nearer to the Lightwoods’ home, the neighborhood became wealthier. You could see big and well-tended houses, most of them had at least three stories, some of them even had a front yard filled with delicate flowers. The streets were busy with expensive cars and other vehicles, people wore intricate and expensive clothes. Alec felt self-conscious when he noticed that most of the passersby were looking at them with disgust or fear, walking as far away from them as possible. He felt Magnus tense when two police officers passed by them, scrutinizing every of their moves.

“Nice neighborhood…,” snorted Magnus.

Alec bit his lip, trying to come up with something to say. He felt as if the gulf that separated Magnus from him was growing more and more. How could he make it work?

They were right around the corner of his street when Magnus stopped them.

“Alec.”

The way he said his name was different and Alec did not like how it sounded. Magnus’ eyes were intently focused on the sidewalk. Max and Rafe were waiting impatiently, they had recognized the neighborhood and wanted nothing more than to run to their house.

“I think I should say goodbye here,” said Magnus in a small voice.

Alec felt his heart break inside of him.

“Oh,” he said back, feeling short for words.

“It is for the best, you saw how they looked at us, for you it’s a one-time thing, for me it has always been that way, I do not belong here, but you do,” added Magnus as he finally looked up, finality in his voice.

Alec lost himself in those dark but shining orbs. Could something that felt so real and intense be ending so soon? He who had gone through the motion most of his life, he who had a wife even when he felt nothing for women, he felt that life was playing tricks on his heart.

“I do not know what to say,” replied Alec, his voice shaking, while his brain was screaming at him.

“You do not have to say anything.”

Magnus raised his hand slowly and used the back of it to caress Alec’s cheek fondly. Alec wanted to plead, to beg him to stay, but he stayed quiet. He did not know what he had to offer to Magnus. Sure, he had money and a house, but life would still be difficult. And Magnus was a wanderer and an artist, Alec did not want to stop him. His life was comfortable but boring, he had nothing to offer.  He cursed the fact that they were surrounded by people, he wanted nothing more than to lean down and kiss the older man.

“Maybe we will meet again, Alexander. That would be my pleasure.”

“Me too. Take care,” he mumbled lamely in a soft voice.

Magnus gave him a last sweet smile before crouching down in front of Alec’s sons.

“Hey boys, I have to go, it was nice traveling with you,” he said, his voice shakier than before.

For someone who was always so confident, Alec’s heart hurt when he heard how affected Magnus seemed to be as well by his own departure.

“Why you not stay?” asked Max with a pout.

“I can give you my bed, and the house is big! You have to stay!” pleaded Rafe next.

Magnus stroked their hair lovingly.

“I have to go back, I cannot stay.”

“But why?” whined Rafe, on the verge of tears himself.

Alec knew he had to say something even if it broke his heart to see his sons so attached. But it was his role as a father.

“It is the way it is Rafe. Magnus likes to travel, and he has his friends outside of Manhattan.”

“Not fair, I will miss you,” mumbled the 5 years old boy as he hugged one of Magnus’ legs tightly.

“I will miss you all, take care of your daddy for me, okay?” said Magnus to Rafe and Max, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek after they nodded.

Alec had not known he would ever feel jealous of his sons as he watched Magnus walk away, longing for a last tender kiss. He coughed to keep the tears at bay as he diverted his eyes to the two little boys watching him with sad looks.

“Let’s go home.”

They resumed walking, this time at a slower and less cheerful pace. It took them a few minutes only before they could see their house. Alec let out a relieved breath. Home. There was a figure standing at the front door, visibly waiting, and he soon recognized that it was their family friend, Jace.

“Uncle Jace!” cried out Max happily as he rushed to his favorite uncle.

“Max?” asked Jace with a gasp as he caught the toddler in his arms. “Oh my god, are you all alright?”

Alec walked towards him with Rafe, a big smile adorning his face. It felt good to be home.

“We are okay, exhausted and smelly, but okay,” replied Alec with a tired sigh.

“Maryse and Izzy will be so relieved! We were so worried what happened?”

“I will explain later, I need to see them first. Why are you standing here anyway?”

“No one is answering the door.”

Alec frowned, there was always someone home. And then he remembered Victor and a shiver ran down his back. What if Victor had hurt his mother and sister?

“Oh no. Jace, it is Victor. The one who abducted us, he might have hurt Izzy or Mom too,” explained Alec hastily, his hands flying to his hair and gripping it tightly.

Jace’s eyes widened.

“Victor? But Maryse gave him the money for tonight.”

“Money? What money?”

“The ransom money.”

Everything clicked at that moment in Alec’s head. Victor did not want to just hurt them; he was also after their money. And if he had access to the money, maybe he had already left. But it did not explain where his sister or mother were. Maybe they were fine and just not at home.

“We need to be careful. Maybe he is still here. There is a hidden key under the flower pant,” said Alec as he crouched down and fetched the key.

“Boys, I need you to stay back a little, okay?” instructed Alec to his two sons who both nodded.

Alec used the key to unlock the door and opened it slowly. The house seemed to be vacant and quiet, nothing out of place. Alec and Jace both stepped inside, looking at every corner of the entrance hall. As they reached the middle of the room, they suddenly heard a gasp behind them, making them both turn around swiftly. Alec felt his blood froze at the sight. Victor stood at the threshold, holding Max against his body like a shield, a gun pointing at the toddler’s head. Max whimpered softly as Alec’s eyes found his.

“I saw you two coming, so I hid. Did not think I would see you again Mr. Lightwood,” sneered Victor with hate.

Alec raised his hands in surrender.

“Do not hurt him, he is just a little boy.”

“You think I care? He is a Lightwood.”

“Where are my mother and sister?” asked Alec not leaving Victor out of his sight for even one second.

“It is Tuesday morning so guess where dear Madame Lightwood is…”

Tuesday morning. Morning tea. At the Branwells. Alec let out a relieved sigh.

“And my sister?”

“Your sister is too smart for her own good, I had to take care of her. But do not worry yet, you came home too early for me to finish the work.”

Alec felt his blood boil out of anger.

“Where is she? I swear I will kill you with my own hands,” he threatened.

“She is just a little tied up. And you will do no such thing, or I will kill your little demon-spawn,” spat Victor back as he started walking backwards towards the outside of the house.

“You are not a killer, Victor, come on let him go,” tried Jace in a more calmed manner.

The butler snorted.

“He would not be my first Lightwood,” he stated proudly.

Alec felt his insides squirm, on the edge of vomiting as Victor’s words settled something in him.

“You killed my father,” he stated in a detached voice.

“Nothing he did not deserve,” Victor snarled back. “He abused my mother,” he added coldly.

“What? My father would never do that.”

Alec knew his father was far from perfect, but he was not an abuser.

“She was the family’s maid and she fell in love with him, he took advantage of it,” explained Victor, his voice more and more agitated.

Alec realized the man was on the verge of snapping. He had to stay calm.

“Anyway, we have talk enough. Bring me the bag of money, I left it in my quarters, give it to me and I will let Max go.”

Alec nodded silently to Jace, and the man ran away towards the butler’s room, while Alec kept his eyes fixed on Victor.

“Once you have the money, I warn you, disappear or I will hunt you down,” threatened Alec.

“You should be careful, I would have no scruple killing a filth like you, I do not understand why your parents let you reproduce nor why Mrs. Hawkblue married you,” spat the butler.

Alec did not let his words affect him; he was beyond getting hurt by a murderer’s insulting words. He preferred to remain silent to not antagonize him even more.

Jace came back running a few seconds later, carrying a bag of money.

“You have to let Max go,” he said breathlessly as he joined Alec.

“Give me the bag first.”

Jace threw a hesitant glance towards Alec. It was a gamble, but they had to follow Victor’s instructions, the man had the upper hand here. Alec nodded to Jace. The latter threw the bag of money in front of Victor.

“Take a few steps back and I will let him go,” commanded Victor.

They both followed his order and took a few steps back, reaching the bottom of the staircase. Alec could feel every second tick by, every intake of breath in his lungs, every heartbeat his heart composed as Victor reached down and grabbed the bag. Alec expected him to let go of Max right after, but he understood quickly that it had all been wishful thinking. The man had a plan of his own.

“Max!” Alec cried out as Victor turned around and started running out of the house, Alec following right after.

~

“Magnus!”

Magnus turned around when he heard a small and familiar voice calling him. It was Rafe Lightwood. The little boy ran towards him, breathless and his eyes full of fear. Magnus crouched down as he reached him, and the little boy embraced him tightly as he breathed deeply to regain control of his own breathing.

“Rafe? What are you doing here?” asked Magnus, worried.

“Max is in trouble, Victor has him. He has a gun,” explained the little boy.

Magnus felt a wave of protectiveness engulf him. He had left them, thinking that they would be safe, and now he only felt fear and regret.

“Let’s go back, Rafe,” he said to the little boy as he lifted him in his arms and started running towards the Lightwoods’ house.

People were giving them weird and cold glances as they ran and weaved between the pedestrians on the big avenue. They reached the familiar street quickly, Magnus would admit that he had been walking very slowly before Rafe reached him, as if his brain knew somehow that it was not time for goodbyes yet. He slowed down as Rafe pointed to an expensive-looking house with the front door left right open. The street itself was mostly empty, only people who lived there took it and it was almost noon. Everyone was at home.

“Stay behind me,” instructed Magnus to Rafe as he put the boy down.

They approached the house carefully, Magnus stepped inside, the house looked empty. He did not like it.

“Who are you?”

Magnus tensed and looked up towards the stairs, there was a blond-haired man standing at the top with a black-haired woman leaning against him. They looked both young and wary. The woman seemed to tense a little when she noticed Rafe holding into Magnus’ pants.

“Aunt Izzy!” cried out the little boy as he let go of Magnus to join his aunt.

“My name is Magnus, I am a friend of Alec, Rafe fetched me. Where are they? Where are Max and Alec?” pressed Magnus.

“They left a few minutes ago, Victor ran away with Max, and Alec followed him. I went upstairs to see if Izzy was safe,” replied the blond.

“Okay, you, blondie, show me where they went, we need to go quickly. And you, my lady if you feel better, go to the Jade Wolf on 1^st Avenue[7], tell them Magnus Bane needs help and explain who to look for,” instructed the Asian man.

“I am Izzy, and this is Jace, I will take Rafe with me,” replied Izzy with determination as they approached Magnus.

The latter crouched down and gave a light kiss on Rafe’s forehead.

“Be careful, I will bring your daddy back,” he promised before letting him go.

Izzy took Rafe’s hand and they left the house quickly.

“Okay let’s find my Alexander,” said Magnus to Jace.

~

The man was tall and athletic, he ran fast, but he was carrying a toddler and a bag of money. Alec managed to follow him, but he did not dare tackle him to the ground. The man was still holding his son and a loaded gun. They bumped into a few pedestrians, most of them gasping in horror. Alec hoped someone would somehow call the police.

They ran across a big avenue, there were some vehicles, but they managed to zigzag between them and to reach the other side safely. Victor ran up to the East River, stopping at the guardrail, Alec stopping a few feet behind him. The butler turned around to face him, they were both breathless, and pointed the gun towards Alec. His other hand was still holding Max tightly. The toddler was crying and whimpering Alec’s name.

“Everything will be okay, baby. Do not worry, I am here,” soothed Alec.

“Shut up, or I drop him into the river and then I blow your brain out!” bellowed Victor in anger.

Alec feared the man would do something terrible.

“Please, I just want my son back,” pleaded Alec.

He took a discreet step closer, but Victor noticed and moved Max right above the cold and moving water, his hand barely holding the toddler’s vest.

“Daddy!” cried Max.

Alec froze.

“Please,” he muttered, tears running down his face.

He had never been much of a crier, but the man in front of him was holding half of his heart right above a rapid and freezing current. He did not want to imagine a world without his little Max.

Alec heard more than felt the presence of someone else right behind him.

“Put the boy down on the ground,” warned a familiar voice.

Alec gasped internally. It was a voice he thought he would never hear again; it was Magnus’ voice. The latter stepped up right next to him and brushed his arm softly. Then, Alec noticed Jace entering his field of vision on his other side.

“Who are you even?” sneered Victor who was still holding Max precariously above the water.

“Someone who will not hesitate to cut you to pieces if you hurt Max,” threatened Magnus.

Victor was watching him with a puzzled expression on his face, he did not seem to know what to make of Magnus who was clearly not like the Lightwoods, not an upper-class man.

“What is he to you?” he asked coldly.

“Family. I hope. And you do not want to know what happens when someone hurts my family.”

Just as Magnus said those words that made even Alec shiver in fear, a few men, and even women, walked up to them to form a circle around Victor. The butler, at the sight, became even more agitated.

“What the hell, let me go or I will shoot you!”

“Give the boy back,” threatened a dark-skinned woman with curly black hair.

She was wearing a suit; Alec had rarely seen women not wearing dresses.

“You should listen to the lady,” said another voice, a dark-skinned man in his forties.

Alec’s eyes bulged when he noticed that the man had a gun too. Victor’s body was shaking as he did not know who to point the gun to anymore.

“Okay,” blurted Victor as he lowered his gun and moved his arm to put Max on dry land.

As soon as he let the boy go, Max ran towards Alec who kneeled to embrace him. Alec exhaled deeply as he hugged his son tightly and tears seemed to fall even more strongly from his eyes.

Alec barely even noticed the group letting Victor ran away until the man with a gun asked something to Magnus.

“Should we go after him?”

“Yes, throw him in the river for all I care, and bring the money back to the Lightwoods,” instructed Magnus.

Alec heard the group hurried away, probably to go after Victor. But all Alec had eyes for was his son huddled up in his arms.

“Hey,” whispered Magnus softly as he crouched down beside them.

Alec raised his head to look at him.

“Thank you so much,” he stuttered with gratitude.

Magnus smiled at him before joining the embrace, pulling both Alec and Max against him. Alec let out a relieved sigh as he buried his face in the other’s neck. The older man stroked his hair tenderly and gave him a kiss on his temples. Alec felt all the stress from the previous days fall off his shoulders, the feeling making him almost dizzy. At last, they were safe.

“Do not leave us,” begged Alec as he tightened his grip on Magnus, not wanting to let the man go out of his sight.

“Never,” replied Magnus as if it were the easiest thing he had ever said.

~

Later that day, after Alec had recounted everything that had happened in the past few days and after everyone had been well fed, he had been able to escape his sister and mother’s clutches to take a long overdue bath. Victor was not here anymore to prepare it, so his sister, who had just been knocked unconscious a few hours prior, had insisted on helping set up the bath. As if Alec did not know how to turn on the hot-water and cold-water taps.

Just like any other rooms in the Lightwoods’ home, Alec’s bathroom was well furnished and decorated with one of the most modern plumbing systems existing. The room was neither too small nor too big, it had a toilet with a bowl made of enameled porcelain, a pedestal porcelain sink and a large tub standing on massive golden feet right in the middle of the room.

“The bath is ready,” said Izzy as she turned off the taps and put a clean towel on an adjacent chair.

“Thank you, Izzy, you did not have to,” replied Alec.

“I wanted to. And I am happy to see you like this,” she said as she retreated towards the door leading to Alec’s bedroom.

“How? Safe you mean?”

Alec started unbuttoning his shirt, which was technically Magnus’, a soft smile on his face.

“No. Happy and in love,” she replied with a glint in her eyes before leaving the room.

Alec’s hands faltered at her words.

“I am not- we are not!” he replied hastily but it was too late already, his sister had left the room. Alec huffed in annoyance. His sister had always been able to read him like an open book. He knew he liked Magnus a lot, but love? It was too soon to tell.

He took off his clothes, wondering if they were even washable after everything he had been through with the reservoir, the hay, and the mud. He discarded them quickly and climbed in the tub, letting out a contented sigh as he sat down in the warm water. The water felt good on his skin and muscles as he closed his eyes to relax.

Suddenly, he could hear someone knock on the door.

“Yes?” he answered as he sat up a little.

The door opened slightly, but not enough to see who was behind it.

“Alexander, do you mind if I come in?” asked a voice that he recognized to be Magnus’, making him flush because of his state of undress.

“Hm y-yes I guess,” replied Alec, stuttering.

Magnus opened the door fully this time and closed it behind him. His eyes focused on Alec who was sitting naked in the water-filled tub, trying to discreetly hide himself as much as he could.

Alec felt a bit self-conscious; he knew he was not bad looking, but being naked in front of someone, and more importantly in front of another man, handsome man he might add, was a bit intimidating.

“Sorry, I just …” began Magnus uncertain.

Alec had only seen Magnus insecure a few times in the last couple of days and it never failed to tug gently at his heart.

“You wanted to escape my mother?” asked Alec softly, relaxing a little in the warm water.

Since the moment they had all gotten home safely and Maryse had returned, the woman had kept on thanking and hugging Magnus, asking him if there was anything he needed. The attention must have been a bit overwhelming for Magnus.

“Yes, she is very nice, but it felt a bit suffocating, but Isabelle saved me! They are giving a bath to the boys in the main bathroom,” replied Magnus shyly.

Alec noticed that the man still had the same clothes on.

“You should take one too.”

“Are you saying I smell bad?” teased Magnus making Alec pale.

“No! No! You smell good, very good, I just- Okay I will shut up now.”

Magnus grinned widely at him before he approached the tub. He put a hand in the water to check its temperature, Alec shivered seeing him so close yet so far away.

“I could be tempted to take a bath,” said Magnus suavely as his hand went up Alec’s naked arm, eliciting goosebumps on Alec’s pale skin.

“W-we can share,” suggested Alec, with very dilated eyes.

“You sure know how to charm a man, Alexander.”

Magnus leaned down to peck Alec lightly on his lips. Alec had to turn his head away when he started undressing himself.

He felt the water jostle a little when Magnus settled on the other side of the tub. Alec had designed the tub to be big enough for his tall frame but holding two grown up men was a tight fit. He parted his legs almost without thinking and felt immediately exposed. The clear water would not hide anything once they would stop moving. Magnus rested his legs shamelessly on Alec, his feet resting against Alec’s toned thighs. The latter brought his hands to the older man’s legs almost on autopilot, the skin, a warm caramel, was hairless but a bit calloused in some spots. Alec caressed the skin softly as Magnus relaxed in the water.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Magnus after a bit of silence.

Alec looked up from Magnus’ calf, the man was looking nonchalant, but Alec could see right through him. He was as nervous as him.

“Well,” started Alec, a bit hesitant. “You can stay here obviously, we have plenty of rooms, my mother loves you already. But if it is too much, I can find you a place of course. I am an architect I have connections,” stuttered Alec, hoping that Magnus would not choose the latter option.

The Asian was deep in thoughts for a second.

“I do not want to leave you Alexander, it was so hard to leave this morning, I do not know how I can feel so fiercely about you and the boys after a couple of days only, but I do. And if I am staying, I want to stay close to you, not somewhere else. But it will take me time to adjust to everything here and I do not have any money, I do not want you to recent me in a few weeks or months…,” replied Magnus suddenly, voicing his fears to Alec.

“They say traumatic events bring you closer,” joked Alec to ease the atmosphere.

“Come here,” whispered Magnus, motioning Alec closer.

Alec crawled slowly in between Magnus’ legs and settled his hands on the man’s shoulders. He felt Magnus’ hands caress his naked waist.

“You can stay here Magnus, I can help you find a job, or you can stay at home with me, I just want you here with us,” whispered Alec, looking deeply into Magnus’ dark and golden eyes.

Magnus did not reply but simply leaned closer to capture Alec’s lips in a warm kiss.

They exited the bathroom a few minutes later, the water turning cold. Alec had lent Magnus a clean towel to dry himself. The architect was the first to enter the bedroom, his towel fastened around his waist. He hesitated as he glanced at his wardrobe, he did not know if he should dress himself. The tension had been palpable in the bathroom and they had spent most of their bath making out and washing each other with soap. Magnus’ fingers on him had been something new but very welcomed

Feeling a surge of desire and confidence, Alec walked away from his wardrobe and sat down on his bed, still wearing only a towel. Magnus entered the room a few seconds later, wearing an off-white cotton bathrobe which belonged to Alec.

“I found this on a hook, it looked comfy,” said Magnus charmingly as he played with the belt and walked closer to the bed.

Alec studied him attentively as the man sat down on the bed right next to him, a hand already reaching to play with Alec’s towel.

“Maybe we should lock the door,” whispered Alec.

He did not know why he was whispering once again but the atmosphere was tense in a good way and he did not want to break it. It felt good to spend time with Magnus alone, he kept thinking about his sons, how he felt the urge to go and check on them, but he also did not want this moment to end. He had been afraid that without the boys it would feel different, but no they were still Alec and Magnus.

Alec shivered as Magnus put a warm hand on his naked torso and leaned down to capture his already abused lips.

“I already locked it before joining you earlier,” whispered Magnus back, teasing.

Alec chuckled.

“So sure, of yourself, uh?”

Magnus grinned before standing up, leaving Alec feeling slightly cold. He blinked up at the older man, his eyes asking him silently why he pulled away.

“I just know what I want,” teased Magnus as he started unfastening his belt.

“And what is it that you want?”

“To get to know you in every way possible,” replied Magnus, his voice rough as he let go of the belt and pulled the bathrobe open. Alec lost his breath as the man let it slide down his muscular and tanned arms.

Alec stood up to join him, too eager to wait for Magnus to sit back down. He put a hand on the other’s well-defined stomach, the skin so hairless and smooth felt warm against his fingers.

“I want it too,” mumbled Alec before capturing Magnus’ lips again and again as his towel joined the bathrobe on the floor.

~

A few days later, Alec watched with amusement as his mother supervised the tailor’s work. He was sitting on one of the couches in the living-room with Jace, Rafe curled up against his side while Max was sitting on his favorite uncle’s lap.

“He must love you a lot to endure this,” snickered Jace.

Alec watched fondly as the tailor took every measurements of Magnus’ body, the latter seemed a bit annoyed by all the prodding.

“I can hear you, blondie,” replied Magnus back making Jace groan.

The two men had been bickering for the past few days for everyone’s great amusement.

“If you two cannot behave for more than five minutes, I suggest you go somewhere else,” scolded the Lightwoods’ matriarch, sending a thunderous glare to Alec and Jace.

“I did not say anything!” exclaimed Alec, offended.

Luckily for him, Maryse’s attention was soon redirected to the tailor who seemed to be finished with Magnus’ measurements. The latter made his way towards Alec and plopped down nonchalantly on Alec’s lap.

“Blondie is just jealous because I am going to be so more fabulous than him,” teased Magnus.

Alec smiled at him before reaching for his lips in a sweet and tender kiss, not caring about anything around them.

“Get a room for God’s sake!” hissed Jace as he stood up with a giggling Max in his arms, making them giggle as well.

~

New York, December 1910

It was a rainy Saturday evening somewhere in the Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York. Alec was wearing a suit, classier than usual but not too over the top. His head moved slightly to the music as he sipped slowly from a champagne flute and looked at all the people mingling around in the café.

His mother had an idea after welcoming to their home the man who had saved her son and her grandchildren. The whole ordeal had made her see things differently and she had decided to use the ransom money for a better purpose. She had rented a café and rearranged it with Magnus’ help. They had named it The Wanderer, and she had named Magnus co-manager. The place was cozy and welcoming, its aim was to promote street artists and allow them to make more profit and stable money. They had had the surprising help of Clary and Simon to furnish the place. And the latter, who could apparently play guitar and the piano, had apparently proposed his talents in singing for the night. Him, Jace, and Magnus’ friends were performing for the opening ceremony tonight.

The event had gained a lot of attention from the socialites of New York, who always had a love for music and art in general. Alec hoped the café would change their opinions on street artists and lower-class people in general. Jace was up on the stage playing a soft ballad on the piano.

“Not big on socializing, are you?”

Alec turned around to face Magnus who wore a teasing look on his face.

The man was wearing an exquisite burgundy tuxedo, one of the few Alec’s mother had ordered for him. The whole look took Alec’s breath away. Magnus was ravishing.

“I have good company already,” whispered Alec as he reached for Magnus’ hand discreetly.

“The best,” replied Magnus with a glint in his eyes.

Alec felt as if his whole world had turned upside down in the span of three months. He had gone from a boring, routine life, to a loving and excited life. He could enjoy his work more now that he had someone to get back to at the end of the day – or the middle. Working at home was a blessing now.

“My boys,” said Maryse as she joined them and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

Alec looked away from Magnus’ captivating eyes to look at his mother.

“Are you enjoying the party, mom?” asked Alec softly.

“It is a success,” she replied grinning, “Magnus, there is something I wanted to say,” she added as she grew suddenly serious.

Magnus’ eyes widened at her words, his body tensing a little. Alec put an arm around his waist protectively.

“I wanted to thank you for helping my son and protecting my family. As a mother and grandmother, all I want is my children and grandchildren’s happiness. So, thank you for loving them,” she confessed, teary-eyed.

Alec watched heartwarmingly as his mother embraced Magnus tightly. Thinking about everything he went through in his life, Alec never thought he would have this. This undying effortless love and care. At last, he was happy and loved.