Alec sat at the kitchen table of the institute across from his mother as they both flipped through old photos. They did this sometimes when she visited from Idris. They would look through old photos, sometimes of the family, sometimes of her parents before the family. Today they were looking at pictures of the family.

He saw a picture of him and Isabelle holding a baby Max. Alec was looking down at Max, making sure they didn't drop him. Isabelle was looking up at the camera, her black eyes bright and happy. An image of Valentine's similar eyes flashed in the back of Alec's mind, but he quickly shut it away. If Izzy heard that she would have slapped him. She probably should have, why was he comparing his sister to the monster who started two wars? He did look a bit like her, though. Alec had always wondered why everyone in their family had blue eyes, except for Isabelle. He wondered even more when Magnus had told him about his ancestors. Cecily Herondale, who married Gabriel Lightwood, had brought the Lightwood signature blue eyes. Ever since then the Lightwoods had blue eyes, except for Isabelle.

He remembered a conversation he had heard Valentine and his mother have.

"My Maryse," Valentine had said.

"I am not your Maryse anymore," his mother had snapped.

What had she meant by anymore? Had they dated before she and his dad had got together? Or worse, while they were together? Alec didn't believe his mother would do that, but he had to ask. "Mom," he said. "Did you and Valentine ever...date?" She dropped a photo onto the desk and raised her eyes to look at him. "Why would you ask me that?" she said coldly, shoving herself out of her desk chair.

"It's just something I heard him say once."

"Well forget it, whatever it was. It wasn't true. I can't believe you would even think such a thing. How dare you accuse me of being in a romantic relationship with the father of Sebastian Morgenstern?" She was yelling then and Alec took a deep breath.

"Mom," he said, "Why does Isabelle have black eyes-"

She cut him off. "What exactly are you accusing me of? Having an affair with a man who experimented on his children with demon blood? What kind of person do you think I am? And what kind of son are you to think such a thing?"

"Tell me the truth," he begged.

His mother stared at him for a moment. Her jaw was set sternly. She shut her eyes tight, taking a deep breath. When they opened again, he could see tears in them. She quietly sat down at her desk, folding her hands on the tabletop like she was in a meeting.

"Valentine and I...we didn't date. At least not...publicly. We went out a few times when you were a baby. Your father didn't know, though he does now. A few weeks after that I discovered that I was pregnant with Isabelle," she said slowly.

"So Izzy is...Valentine's kid?" Alec asked, his voice shaking.

"As far as I know, yes. But no one besides your father and I know. Not even Valentine. You can't tell anyone. You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

"Mom..."

"Promise," she snapped.

Alec nodded slowly. "I promise."


Alec turned the key in the loft door, pushing it open. When it opened he saw Magnus, lying on the couch with Chairman Meow on his stomach. His painted black nails scratched the cat's ear and Alec could hear him purring from the doorway. Alec took a step in, causing Magnus' eyes to snap open. "Alexander!" Magnus greeted, pushing Chairman Meow off of his stomach and sitting up. "Hi." Alec said, shutting the door behind him and walking towards the couch. Magnus frowned, reaching up to grip his hand.

"What's wrong?"

Alec sighed, sitting down on beside him. Magnus pulled his feet onto the couch and sat on his knees, turning to face Alec.

"I know something that I'm not supposed to. Something about Izzy." Magnus raised his eyebrows at him.

"Care to elaborate?"

Alec licked his lips, leaning his head back against the couch.

"It's alright," Magnus said, leaning up to kiss the corner of Alec's mouth. "You don't have to tell me."

"I want to. It's just...Izzy doesn't even know herself. No one knows but my mom and I. I don't know what's going to happen when Izzy finds out."

"That bad, huh?" Magnus asks, resting his head on Alec's shoulder.

"You know how Izzy has black eyes when the rest of the family has blue?" Alec asked. Magnus moved his head and straightened up, nodding slightly. "Well, it's always bothered her. When we were kids she used to cry when someone complimented our blue eyes. I guess she felt...left out. Anyways, I know why her eyes are different." Magnus rolled his eyes.

"That's it? That's the big secret? God, Alec-" Alec shook his head.

"You don't get it. My mom had an affair." Magnus snapped his mouth shut. "My mom told me. Just before I came here. We were looking at pictures of us when we were kids. And I saw one that showed off Isabelle's eyes and they-They reminded me of Valentine's. And then I remembered something he said one time. He called my mom "his Maryse." So I asked her about it. She yelled at me at first, and then I begged her to tell me the truth and I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. She cried and told me that before Izzy was born she had an affair with him- with Valentine. Valentine is Izzy's dad."

Magnus didn't say anything at first, he just gripped Alec's hand. Alec was silent for a long time. Then, he let out a laugh, startling Magnus. If it could even be called a laugh. It wasn't a humorous laugh. It was a hysterical laugh.

"Alec?" Magnus asked. "Are you alright?"

After a few more seconds of laughter, Alec quieted down. He swallowed and said,

"I promised my mom I wouldn't tell anyone. Not even twenty minutes ago. Yet, here I am telling you."

Magnus pulled Alec into his lap, running his fingers through his hair. Alec lay staring up at the ceiling, his hands clutched at his stomach as if he was sick.

"What are you going to do?" Magnus whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you going to tell Isabelle?"

Alec sat up, looking back to look at him.

"I'm not going to tell her anything. I promised."

"Darling," Magnus said quietly, "You already broke that promise."

Alec stood up from the couch, moving to face Magnus.

"Do you realize what will happen if I tell? My parents are already divorced and barely visit. We're already messed up enough after Max!"

His voice had risen significantly since he stood up. This wasn't normal. Alec was never the first one to raise his voice. Magnus tried to be careful of what he said next.

"I understand that, but you need to understand what this means for Isabelle. Her eye color always bothered her. I'm sure other things made her feel separated her from the rest of you, too. Are you really going to let her go through life not knowing why she's different? Don't you think she'd want to know who her father was?"

Magnus' voice was calm, the opposite of Alec's.

"If I tell Isabelle that she's Valentines daughter, you know what she's going to think? She's going to think she's like Sebastian."

"But she's not like Sebastian. She isn't like him at all. She wasn't raised by Valentine. She wasn't injected with demon blood. She isn't like Sebastian. She's like Clary."

"I know that!" Alec yelled. "I know that because I know her; She's my little sister, but she doesn't know that, and she isn't going to believe that."

"You don't know that," Magnus said calmly.

"Yes I do! Stop trying to make it seem like everything is going to be alright because it isn't! If I tell her nothing will be alright."

"Alec-"

Alec left before he could finish, the door slamming in his face.

The second Alec left the apartment building he felt guilty. He knew he should go back and apologize, but he didn't. He'd call him when he got to the institute; he just needed time to clear his head. He took the long way to the institute and when he got there Isabelle met him at the door.

"Alec! Were you with Magnus? I wanted his opinion on my new nail color- What's wrong?"

He didn't answer as he shoved past her and walked to his old room, but she followed behind him, her heels clicking on the floor.

"Alec, wait! What happened? Did you have a fight with Magnus?"

He shrugged. "Sort of."

"What about?"

"Don't wanna talk about it," he muttered, slamming his old bedroom door in her face and throwing himself on the bed. Of course, she opened the door and let herself in anyways.

"Okay, first of all, that was rude," she said, "Second of all, if you don't tell me what happened, Magnus will. He always does."

Alec ignored the threat. Usually that was true, but Magnus wouldn't tell her about this. He threw the pillow over his head and muttered,

"Go away."

Isabelle huffed and stalked out of the room. As soon as the door shut, Alec pulled out his phone and dialed Magnus' number before Izzy could call him.

"Hello?" Magnus' voice answered, sounding a bit distressed.

"I'm sorry," Alec said.

"For what?"

"For getting mad. You're right I should tell her. I'm just scared."

"I know. You don't have to tell her right away, take a few days if you have to."

Alec sighed. "That isn't fair to Isabelle," he said, "who, by the way, is probably trying to call you at the moment."

Before Magnus could say anything in reply, the door swings open. Isabelle is standing there with a triumphant smirk on her face.

"I knew you'd call him! So go on, what do you have to tell me?"

"I gotta go, Magnus," Alec said before hanging up and laying his phone on the bed. He sat up to look at Izzy.

"Eavesdrop much?"

She scoffed. "Is it still eavesdropping if they're talking about you?"

"Yes."

She rolled her eyes, shutting the door and coming further into the room. "So, go on. Tell me."

Alec was silent for a long time before Isabelle got annoyed.

"Oh my God, just spit it out," she snapped.

He took a deep breath. "There's no easy way to say this, but..."

"You're gay? I already knew that, Alec," she said sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes. "You know how you don't have blue eyes like the rest of us?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "No, I forgot."

"Okay, okay," he said, trying to get to the point. "Well...that's because...Dad isn't your dad."

She blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Mom had an affair. We don't have the same dad."

"That isn't funny, Alec."

"I'm not joking," he insisted, "she told me."

Isabelle glared at him. "You're making this up. This is probably just another way to be the center of attention. First, the whole crush thing with Jace, then dating a warlock. Now this? Really, Alec?"

Alec wasn't sure what on earth she was talking about. He hated attention.

"Izzy, that's not what I'm doing."

"Okay, then. If Dad isn't my father, then who is?"

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

"Valentine," he said.

"Shut up," she snapped.

"Izzy-""Shut up. Just shut up. How can you say that to me, after everything that happened last year? This isn't funny. It's cruel. I hate you!" she yelled, turning on her heel and slamming his door.