A/N: This is a semi-AU. Which means this is a future generation and TDA has happened partially (I really like Mark and seeing the teasers to Lady Midnight, I think it's great that he's "back in society" - bargain chip or not - and I want him in the story but since TDA won't come out till March, this is based on the teasers) and completely ignoring TWP, even though I think it's so cool to have a Herondale that isn't Jace.
Also, spoilers to anyone who isn't up with Shadowhunter Academy - this has fairly heavy usage of the name Lovelace when referring to Simon/Sizzy, there will be cameos and Max "Blueberry" Lightwood-Bane is a part of this future generation. And by "cameos" I also mean the ghosts of George, Jessie and Will. And maybe Matthew and James.
A rundown of the kids-
* Sizzy had Nate and Jessamine, with two years and a half between them. And I totally didn't intend on have a Nate Lovelace after what happened in TID. But it happened, because Nathaniel is a good Jewish name, and I do believe Elaine will want an active part in her grandchildren's lives. Jess found her parabatai at thirteen and Nate has no parabatai as far as I'm concerned (I might as well be wrong about this). And yes, Jess is named after her distant, not-really-related ancestor Jessamine Lovelace.
* Malec have Max, who is obviously canon after Born to Endless Night, and Rafe, who is canon after Lady Midnight, and when Max was four they contemplated having another child, so they went through surrogacy with Clary agreeing to be their surrogate (because of Alec's concerns about having a Shadowhunter child with a mundane) and then they had Ivy, who should've made his debut in Gold and Grey but I decided against it. So his life will be described here instead.
* Clace... Ugh, this is a long story. Well, they had twins. Ella Cecily and Tobias Owen, who are about Nate's age. And had Tessa choose their names, for the sake of keeping up Herondale legacy. After Ivy, they decided to take a break, and then when Jess turned two years old, Clary got pregnant by accident. The boy's name is William James. After him they decided to call it off, no more kids, since Clary suffered complications with William, and they really have no more kids. But seeing as Jace is the head of the New York Institute after Maryse, they also have to handle a lot of other people and it's straining. I would know. I deal with four kids every day (three are grown-up babies, one is an actual toddler).
After TDA will come out I'll contemplate the others' kids. This is what I have so far. I also have to think up Jon and Marisol's, since they're my Shadowhunter Academy OTP.
Update: I have discovered Rafe, who is mentioned at Lady Midnight but no more than that, but I still had to work with him (I'll explain everything in the third installment of this). His best friend, Aiko, is a son of Apollo. The reason for this is a mix-up I'm making in the Rafe-centric part of this story. This does not mean this story is a crossover. Just had to mention this fact.
"I'm starting to think your uncle Simon suggested we send you to a kindergarten as a joke."
"You don't say, Magnus."
"Oh, come on, Alec, wouldn't it be nice for Max to be around kids his age?"
"You said the same thing about Rafael. His only friend is Aiko Gonzales, and we're not sure what he is. Could be a demon for all we know."
"But isn't it nice that he has a friend his own age?"
Max was silently digging a hole in his mac and cheese while his dads were fighting. He didn't like it when they were fighting, but he understood it was about him and he knew that most kids his age, when faced with their parents fighting, wouldn't. After deciding he had finally lost all appetite, he started flicking his fingers, causing things like glitter and smoke come out. Once or twice he had a petal come out.
"Magnus, can we please not fight about the matter during dinner? We've been through this enough-"
"Daddy, look, I made a lily!" He held up the small flower to Alec's eyes. "You see? Papa taught me."
"That's lovely, Blueberry." Max looked proud as Alec ruffled his blue hair. "But I remember telling your papa to not teach you magic at this age."
"It's harmless!"
"You're over four hundred years old and yet I still feel like the adult here. Explain that to me, Magnus Bane."
"Papa, I made a lily." Max turned to Magnus, who took the flower and made a whole show with it.
For his age, Max Michael Lightwood-Bane was a strange kid. And not because he was a warlock, with blue hair and skin that made him attract attention from mundanes when he wasn't glamoured. Max was not a typical five-year old in the means that he was only falling asleep to the words of poets like John Keats and William Blake, he was thinking up and asking existential questions that not even his papa could think of (with his few centuries of being alive) and he wasn't as hyperactive as boys his age were. He was hyperactive, but in mind. Other than that, and various other things about him, he was pretty much a normal kid. Alec and Magnus had had their battles over his upbringing, as well as other matters, but all in all, they were very proud parents.
"You need to say something," he suddenly said. "Is my new little brother not coming home with us next week? Is he?"
The Shadowhunter and the warlock exchanged looks. "No, we don't have anything important to say," Magnus said, frowning. "Why do you think we do?"
"Because you bicker like an old married couple." Aunt Izzy taught him this one. He heard his parents laughing and returned to playing with magic.
Every Lightwood, Herondale, Fairchild, Lovelace and some of the Blackthorns and Carstairs were there earlier to see new baby Ivy. Max didn't like it when there were lots of people. Everyone got to hold his new baby brother before him, even Rafe - who wasn't even home and was at a sleepover with Aiko - and that was a bad thing in his book. He actually tried to hit Julian and screamed "this is my brother, not yours" when Julian was on the sofa with Emma and Aunt Clary, who held Ivy. But no one paid him any attention. He silently decided that he hates baby showers. And he didn't want to go to them again. The only one he was at before this one was to his cousin Nate's last year, but he didn't remember it. And he thinks he was at Tobias and Ella's, but that was even before Nate's, so he isn't sure.
After everyone left Ivy was still awake, so Alec brought him to Max. The little boy tried to move as little as possible when he was handed the baby, and he did that cradling thing Clary and Izzy did. "Am I holding okay?"
"You're holding great," Alec told him. "Support his head. Just move your hand a litt- no, the other hand. Move it a little… Yeah, like that." Ivy raised a hand and pulled on Max's hair.
"And he's really going to be my brother?"
"Definitely."
When Ivy fell asleep, Max went to prepare to sleep – and since he showered this morning Dad let him not shower at night. So he brushed his teeth and went to his room. And it took a long time before his dads came to tuck him in. So he read a book. After going through all of the Julia Donaldson books Uncle Simon gave him, he started them all over again. And again. Until both his dads came to say goodnight. First Magnus, who had something to attend to – and besides, it was Alec's turn tonight. And then Alec came.
Max saw his dad take the huge book that was a collection of William Blake's poetry. Who lived a very long time ago. Like, really, when his Aunt Tessa and Uncle Jem were still as young as Alec. Or, well, around then. Alec opened the book and asked "so where were we?" Max simply pointed out the page of "Auguries of Innocence". And Alec just passed through the many, many pages.
Max started dousing off at the lines "Some are born to sweet delight; some are born to endless night." So Alec closed the book and left.
"What was I born to?"
The Shadowhunter turned on his heels to face the sleepy child. "Isn't that clear? Sweet delight, of course."
"Oh. Okay. Good night."
And Max fell asleep. Until three a.m., that is, when he woke up to ask Magnus the exact lyrics to Auguries of Innocence for the fifteenth time this week.
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
Every Night and every Morn
Some to Misery are Born
Every Morn and every Night
Some are Born to sweet delight
Some are Born to sweet delight
Some are Born to Endless Night
- William Blake, Auguries of Innocence
