Summary: My father always said he was a good man. He lied.
Alec watched his mother talk with Magnus, even just a few days ago he would have been a little worried, but his mother had been doing better, Luke had been helping her do better.
It was weird, finding out that his mother was dating, it hadn't even really been the dating part that had thrown Alec but the part where she was dating a Downworlder. After all the things she had said to him about Magnus and him being a Warlock and maybe it was just Magnus that she had hated so, but Luke was a Downworlder, just like Magnus.
It had maybe taken Alec a little longer than he had expected to forgive Maryse for everything she had said and done, or not done as it were, just after Alec had kissed Magnus in front of everyone, maybe he hadn't really forgiven her just yet, not like Izzy and Jace had.
But he would get there eventually, one day Alec would be able to forgive her words and her hate, she was trying and so that was a start, and he could try too and give her a chance, a chance to grow out of the Clave's policies and stories, maybe one day she would be able to understand that Magnus had risked just as much as Alec had when he had appeared at the oppisite end of the aisle and waited for Alec to make his choice.
And Alec could only pity her for how Robert had treated her, for what he had done to their family name and then had turned around and expected his mother to fix it, for Alec to fix it.
He didn't understand how Robert could have done that to his mother, to his wife, or even the woman that Robert claimed to love. The woman he had tried to compare Magnus to. But Magnus wasn't an affair, Magnus was...
Magnus was everything to Alec. He was laughter in the halls, bright golden eyes in the morning light, a sweet smile hidden by a coffee mug in the kitchen at breakfast. Magnus was stolen kisses in the Institute's halls, the brush of their hands when they were patrolling together, a dance as Magnus called a portal to where ever they needed to be. He was quiet evenings after a demon hunt, he was gentle kisses before the alarm went off, a warm bath waiting for him after a meeting with Herondale, and a headache potion after having Clary babysitting Duties.
Magnus was home and Alec didn't understand how Robert could compare the woman he betrayed Maryse for to Magnus, Alec had betrayed no one by loving Magnus, had never had any one before he proposed to Lydia and Lydia had been well aware of Alec's true feelings by the time they made it to the Alter.
She'd even given him permission of sorts, to do what he wished, a tiny spark of courage passed over that had sparked a flame that still burned brightly inside of him, and yes, a part of him had to love her for that, but it was a gentle love, like the love he felt for Izzy, for Jace and Max, and maybe Simon and Clary were making their way into little spots nearby.
Alec just didn't understand it, he didn't know how Robert could have done it. There was no way in this world that Alec could betray Magnus like that, his heart would shatter first.
Alec supposed that his mother was a very strong woman to weather the Storm that Robert had cast upon her, and Alec thought that maybe she seemed happier now than he'd ever seen her before.
Alec had always understood and known that his parents were not a Love match, but when you make promises to someone you didn't break them.
"Alec?" Maryse asked, turning to him as Magnus went to get them more drinks.
"Hmm?" Alec looked at her.
"You're quiet." She said softly.
She seemed a little subdued as she watched him and Alec went to her and wrapped her in a hug, like he used to give Izzy, Jace and Max whenever they had nightmares.
He hugged her long and tight and felt her shudder in his arms as the mask she'd been holding crumbled while she was held safe in his arms.
"I'm sorry, everything is going to be fine, you know that right?" Alec asked as he held her, his cheek resting on her head.
"Alec..." She whispered, trying to pull back.
Alec squeezed her tighter and then let her.
"I can't say you were the best mom growing up, but, thank you for trying, for coming, for learning." Alec said softly as he lead her to sit on the couch, wrapping his arms around her again and holding her against him in a side hug. "When we were younger Robert always told us he was a good man, a good Nephilim, he said we should look up to him and follow in his wake. He said he was a good man, he lied, and I know that now, we know that now, and I... he tried to make me understand and I don't... I don't understand how he could do it, could do that to you."
Maryse frowned, her expression almost angry, "What did he say?"
"He tried to use Magnus to justify it, compared what were are to what he did, and I, Magnus isn't an affair, not like her, you understand that right?" Alec asked.
Maryse stared, her expression a little startled and shocked, "Oh."
Alec frowned, "You... what did you think he was?"
"I though maybe you were just finding yourself, I didn't know that..." Maryse paused, "I didn't realise that you'd made your choice."
Alec's eyes softened a little, yes, he'd made his choice, like Maryse had made hers, the difference being that Alec had decided that Magnus was worth everything. Magnus was worth losing everything he had to gain Magnus, even for just a moment.
A throat cleared and Alec's eyes darted to Magnus, who smiled.
"I could use your help with dessert, Alexander." He said, hand held out in offering.
Maryse waved him off to his Warlock and watched Alec take Magnus' hand with a shy smile, a smile so sweet and loving that it hurt to know that she almost smothered it away.
Maryse watched Alec, he'd made a choice that she had been afraid to so long ago when her own choice was presented to her, and some nights laying in her cold, lonely bed she had wondered just what all would be different if she had been brave like her son.
She'd loved Luke all her life, but when her parents had demanded she marry Robert Lightwood she hadn't protested, hadn't run away, hadn't risked her life, her family for him, not like Alec had risked his all for Magnus. And maybe a part of her had smarted at her son chosing Magnus Bane, a male Warlock, over them but the tiny sliver that still lived in her heart, that had loved Luke so deeply, was proud, maybe she'd wanted his love to be someone else but she'd been proud that Alec hadn't denied his chance to be happy.
But her heart did not speak, could not speak then, and it was working on it but after being silenced for so long it was a little slow now in speaking out.
Perhaps one day, one day she'd be able to tell Alec how proud she was of him, perhaps one day her heart would speak freely, for now she could only keep the voices that spoke in hate from speaking and learn to love that man her son had chosen to spend his life loving.
A/N: So... Well... there was place at the end where I really, really wanted Maryse to reveal that Alec was Luke's son and not Robert's but that is not this fic.
This is written with the whole Shadowhunters love only once thing in mind, which means that while Maryse married Robert she did not love him but stayed true to her marriage vows when he did not. And that there was a previous dating relationship between Maryse and Luke when he was still a Shadowhunter before he was bitten and the relationship between Jocelyn and Luke was platoninc and for her protection and not romantic in nature, I won't deny he loved her but it wasn't the kind that Valentine assumed (Romantic/Sexual love) but more brother/sister type.