Almost a month had passed for Alec and Magnus, the potion was almost done. They still needed Alecs blood and the blood of a mortal being given willingly. They had a small possesion of Alecs, a little amulet Max had given his brother. There the couple had a picture of the two of them and one of Max and Alec. If someone would destroy that amulet Alec would be mortal again and could never be immortal again.

The potion had been the reason for many fights between the couple. There were a few days when Alec slept in one of the spare bedrooms and Magnus was silently crying. Then there were times when it seemed impossible that the two lovers would stay together, but they always showed their friends that they were strong and unbreakable. The potion was hard to make, especially if not many people were allowed to know about the whole thing. And the people who did know could be big blabbermouths sometimes. For example Jace. After a fight with his longtime girlfriend Clary, Jace had begun drinking and got himself wasted. Then Alec had to come to the bar and his parabatai had announced loudly that Alec would TRULY be with the love of his life forever because he had found... and at this Alec had punched Jace out. The next few days Alec didn't speak to Jace. Jace had to go to lenghts to bake cookies, or he may have bought them at Alecs' favorite bakery, and bring tons of them to Magnus and Alecs' appartment. He even let Alec beat him at training.
After 9 good days of beating Jaces ass and Magnus sweet talking to Alec, he forgave his parabatai. After that Jace was careful never to get too drunk outside of the Institute. Izzy had been furious with Jace, 'How he could have been so insensitive to his brother. Didn't he want Alec to be happy?'. It was probably the only time that everyone in the Institute was mad at Jace and not like before that Alec was always on Jace's side or Maryse would scowl at Isabelle for being mean to Jace.

Even Maryse was happy that Alec found his true love, though she was sad that she wouldn't get grandchildren from her eldest son. At first Maryse wasn't too happy alone about the fact that Alec was going to live with the male- warlock, not that he was gay but that it had to be the flamboyant warlock, about whom she had heard many stories that weren't so good and that didn't make him perfect boyfriend material for her oldest son.
In the end it was only Robert who didn't fully accept it. He went to leave for Idris to become the new Inquisitor. But the family hadn't held a grudge for long. They still had to mourn Max and the happy times ruled. Maryse even stayed at home for a long time only to discover that her kids had lifes of their own now. She realized that they were pretty busy with going to each of their respective girl/boyfriend, partying or having free time. She saw that they were happy and that was enough for her. Only 1 year after Max's death the family was able to go inside his room to clear it out. Even though he was barely at home, he had had many posters of his favorite anime shows, many anime books that were nicely stacked on his bookshelfs. Apparently Max had even tried drawing his own anime. Maryse broke down when she saw that the paintings were mostly about their family. Some of them with superpowers, some of old memories where the whole family had been in Italy and walked through the cities.
Jace hadn't even gone into the room while Alec had spent most of his time in there. He looked through all the stuff that Max had owned. He even took Magnus with him a few times. Magnus had been suprised to find some drawings of him there too. Even some of Magnus and Alec together, a few of them even with the pair holding hands. Max had know apparently that the two of them had been in love before anyone else. Magnus had also held Alec as he cried when Alec had found some of his own old clothes which max had stolen from him to feel strong and safe and as cool as his older brother, and some photographs of Max and Alec.

So the potion was missing two ingredients which weren't the one that were the hardest to get. Magnus had thought the hair of a fae would be hard to get but that had been surprisingly easy.
*FLASHBACK* The pair had sent a fire-message asking for an audience with a fae for an request made out of love. They had explained their situation and were shocked when a reply came from the Seelie Queen herself. On the day the warlock and his boyfriend had walked to the Queen and she was smiling. ' I am a sucker for true love, it is nature's most prized gift', she simply announced and cut of a whole three stands of her hair. When Magnus had added them to the potion, it had turn in every color of the rainbow *FLASHBACK END*

For ten days the couple had considered which blood of a mortal they should take.
Almost everyone volunteered, Jace had even gone to the lengths to cut his own hand and let the blood drip in a chinese cup from Magnus. The black haired Shadow Hunter refused not only Jace's blood but also the blood of his mothers, it just wouldn't feel right.
He also didn't feel comfortable with the blood of his cousin or Luke's.
They were in a dilemma. He didn't have any mortal friends, whom he could ask and asking a family member would only mean that he would owe them forever. He couldn't ask them that. It was getting closer to the full moon (sorry didn't include that in the first story, the potion has to be taken at the full moon at the half year crossing, so the 21st of June) and Magnus and Alec didn't want to wait another year, so it had to be soon and them not finding a person whom they could take the blood from depressed them both.

Life went on and it was only 8 days left until the 21st when there was a loud knock at the front door of their apartment, then another one and another one. Magnus went to open the door to one crying Isabelle Lightwood.
"It has to be me."