"Please get me out here, just someone get me out of here, just help me I'll do anything, oh anything, if you'll just help get me out of here." – Genesis (Tonight, Tonight, Tonight)

~8~8~8 One 8~8~8~

It had been like any other demon hunt any other day, except for the fact that it was Greater Demons Jace, Clary, Isabelle, and Alec had been fighting. The demons had spit venomous fumes at all of them as they'd drawn their swords and fought with a vengeance. Isabelle had managed to take them to their knees with her whip whilst Clary, Jace, and Alec had stabbed at them with all they had. The demons had screamed and kicked violently sending Jace flying into the wall but he'd managed to stand his ground and put up a hell of a fight none the less. Alec had been picked up by one of the Greater Demon's tentacle-clad arms and had thrashed and fought to get away as it had gripped him tighter and tighter the more he moved.

Clary had pulled out her stele and carved a rune into her palm which had looked, from Alec's point of view, to be very painful so it must've been a very powerful one. Clary had really impressed Alec in the past few months that she'd been with them in the Institute. He'd hated her at first, despised her even, but now he respected her for she'd proven herself a true Shadowhunter and a brave warrior as well.

Clary had held up her hand to the Greater Demon and closed her eyes; Alec had watched her praying silently under her breath that this would work. The demon had started sputtering and shaking in pain as whatever rune she'd carved into herself took effect, but the more the demon had thrashed around the more painful it had been for Alec. Eventually the Greater Demon that had a hold of Alec had cried out and dropped him, sending Alec to the floor in a heap, Alec had fought to catch his breath as the wind had been knocked out of him. He'd watch the demon fall down spewing a dark black liquid that managed to get all over Alec's body and in his hair. Jace took down the other Greater Demon with Isabelle's help and it met the same fate as its companion. Alec had found himself drenched in more, what he believed to be, demon vomit.

"You ok over that Alec?" Clary had laughed and helped him up.

"It messed up my hair." Alec had grumbled, ignoring the pain in his back from the fall.

"Prima donna." Jace had commented, earning laughs from everyone. They had then watched as the two demons bodies shriveled up and disappeared, they knew it wasn't for long though, Greater Demons never died. Everyone had then made way for the Institute on whatever vehicle they'd arrived on.

Yep, another typical Friday night.

Alec stepped out of the shower feeling tired and he ached all over. He'd hit the ground hard, so hard he hurt all over, even in places he couldn't indentify. His chest was tight from the fall and he was sporting a rather large bruise on the back of his torso. He toweled his hair dry in the bathroom he and Jace shared and tossed the towel into the overflowing laundry bin by the door.

He looked himself over and reached for the medical equipment in the third drawer down from the sink. He pulled out a Band-Aid for the little cut on his cheek and stuck it on. He inspected the rest of his body for injuries, but luckily found none until he touched along the inside of his arm. He lifted up the sleeve on his long sleeve shirt and found a gruesome sight.

There was a medium sized gash along his arm, it was red and raised along the edges. He touched it gingerly and winced when pain shot up through his arm. He touched it gently again and some blood leaked out. He quickly wiped it up and wrapped his arm up in gauze where the injury was. He picked up his stele from the countertop and carved a healing rune into the bandage. He then turned the lights out in the bathroom, rolling down his sleeve, and he joined his family in the study of the Institute.

"Took yah long enough," Jace chuckled. "You save any hot water for the rest of us?"

"Yeah." Alec said flatly as he sat down on the couch next to Isabelle. "There's enough."

"So?" Isabelle smirked; she plucked a cracker off one of the many plates that were sitting on the table in front of them. "You received any calls from a certain someone Alec?"

"Yeah maybe." Isabelle's teasing of Alec never ceased ever since he'd finally come out and admitted to everyone he was dating Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. "What's it to yah Iz?"

"Just wondering." She giggled and stuffed another cracker into her mouth.

"Now Isabelle," Jace teased too. "I'm sure Alec gets tired of you asking about phone calls between him and Magnus, I mean I've overheard some of em before and let me tell you…freaky stuff man."

"Oh so these are PRIVATE phone calls." Isabelle's smirk widened. Clary and Jace fell back into the couch, laughing and Alec blushed profusely and refused to say anything. He reached forward and grabbed some grapes from the platter and ate them one by one. "It's ok to admit it Alec I mean every guy has needs."

"Izzy!" Alec exclaimed and Jace about fell off the couch in laughter. Clary held her sides and tears were about to roll out of her eyes. "What I do or don't do on the phone with him is none of you guys' business!"

"So you admit it then!" Jace was still wheezing with laughter.

Alec rolled his eyes and found himself laughing a bit too. The four of them stayed awake long into the night discussing other things besides Alec's love life and pretty soon they found it to be late, one in the morning type late. Jace and Clary dismissed themselves first and headed to the rooms they shared with Alec and Isabelle. Isabelle gathered the empty platters of food and carried them to the kitchen before walking back into the study.

Alec stood and bid her goodnight and she nodded and soon walked off to her own room. Alec walked down the quiet hallway which was lit only by witch lights and candles on the walls. He suddenly felt a twinge of pain shoot through his arm. He shut his eyes tight and gripped the bandaged injury on his arm. When he opened his eyes he saw Jace at the end of the hallway standing and staring at him. The shadows crept up his body in a creepy way, as if they were a blanket wrapped around his skin. Alec cocked his head slightly and stepped closer. Jace looked up at him and Alec saw two eyes of blood red staring right back into his blue ones.

Alec closed his eyes and shook his head and when he opened his eyes again the red eyed Jace was gone. He gasped, but he played it off as him being tired and in pain still from the fight with the Greater Demons. He pushed the door open to his and Jace's bedroom and found his brother to be asleep and in a deep sleep at that. Alec looked back down the hallway where he'd seen red eyed Jace and all he saw now were the curtains being blown by the gentle breeze from outside the window and the dark hallway where shadows danced across the brick walls.

Alec gulped and shut the door quietly, but fast. He watched Jace's chest rise and fall indicating he was still fast asleep and Alec walked over towards his bed and stripped down to his boxers. He laid down on his bed and pulled the blankets up towards his body. He reached over onto his side table for his phone and slid the lock screen open. He quickly went to messages and saw a new one from Magnus.

Goodnight sweetheart, I know you had a big nasty fight with a demon today. Sleep well. I love you. –Magnus

Alec smiled. He'd never have dreamed a day in his life that he'd end up with a boyfriend, much less a boyfriend quite like Magnus Bane. Alec quickly typed up a reply and hit send before putting his phone back on the side table and snuggling comfortably under his blankets to sleep.

Fight was hard today but I survived. Hope you sleep well too. I love you too so much. – Alec

The blood. The blood was all Alec could smell, metallic and potent. It was everywhere too, draining out of corpses, falling out of the mouths of innocent dead people, and it was all over his hands. It stained his hands. He dropped his sword and stared wide eyed and panicked at his hands. He looked around at the people all around him, men women and children. All of them were dead. There was this mocking voice, a whisper, and it repeated the same thing over and over again like a broken record in his ear. The words he'd dared never to hear.

"You. You did this." It said.

Alec awoke in a sweat. He held his heart and breathed heavily, trying to calm down. His heart pounded hard and he felt more pain shoot from the center of his injury. He looked over at the bandages, the rune had disappeared but when Alec unwrapped the bandages the wound still remained. He grabbed his stele from the drawer on his side table where he stowed it at night and some fresh bandages. He re-bandaged the cut and carved another healing rune into it before kicking the blankets off of his legs and getting dressed for the day.

He chose another long sleeve shirt so that his family wouldn't question his arm. Luckily it was winter so he had an excuse for long-sleeved clothes. He pulled on some old blue jeans full of holes and pulled on his boots, fastening them and looking over at the clock on the wall.

12:45pm

He'd slept later than he'd anticipated.

When he arrived in the kitchen he wasn't surprised to see Clary and Jace sitting side by side. Jace was sharpening one of his knives and Clary was sketching on a scrap piece of paper. Alec swiped his hair back with his hand and sat down across from them.

"Where's Izzy?" he asked.

"Picking up lunch." Jace replied, not looking up from his knife.

"Are you alright Alec?" Clary asked, she set her pencil down and stared at Alec for a few moments.

"Yeah I'm fine." Alec lied; truth was he felt as if he'd been hit by a bus. "Just had a bad dream last night."

"I figured." Jace said, setting his knife down and finally looking over at Alec. "You were talking in your sleep and you hardly ever sleep this late. I was going to wake you, but you looked so tired when we were talking last night I figured I should let you sleep."

"Thanks." Alec muttered, he then remembered last night when he'd thought he'd seen Jace in the hallway. "Say you weren't…"

He was suddenly cut off by Isabelle entering the kitchen with little cardboard boxes in her hands with those familiar golden arches.

"McDonalds Happy Meals." Isabelle huffed and sat down next to Alec to eat. "There yah go. I swore I wouldn't cook."

"Much obliged." Jace tore into his french fries and sipped at his Coke. "Aw sweet. Free toy."

Clary ate too, but she kept sketching on the piece of paper that she'd found. Jace ate rather fast and noisily.

"Ew Jace gross!" Isabelle gagged. "If you're going to be a pig at least don't be a pig when you're eating."

"Aw c'mon I thought you liked see-food." Jace joked and opened his mouth to reveal his half eaten burger to her. Isabelle gagged again and pushed him away, trying to ignore him as she ate her meal.

Alec rolled his eyes and went to pick up his burger. He was about to take a bite before a wave of slight nausea took over his stomach. He gulped and looked at the food in front of him. He took one bite and the nausea worsened. He looked around at the others eating their meals and he felt twice as sick. He could almost smell the grease and the fumes from the burgers and fries around him.

He set down his burger and leaned back waiting for the sick feeling to pass but it didn't.

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

"I don't know…" Alec replied, the nausea never subsiding. "I suddenly just feel…nauseous."

"You're probably still worn out from fighting those Greater Demons yesterday." Clary suggested.

"Or you're coming down with something." Isabelle furrowed her brow worriedly and touched the back of her hand to her brother's cheeks and forehead. "You do feel a bit warm. Go lay down in your room for awhile Alec. I'll wrap up your food for you if you want it later."

"Sure Iz." Alec mumbled and stood up from the table. Jace studied him carefully as did Clary and Isabelle. He did look a bit paler than usual and his steps were slow and sluggish. Alec walked down the hallway towards his room and pushed the door open slowly. He took off his shirt and looked at the bandage. The rune had disappeared yet again, but this time Alec was too tired and sickly to draw another one.

He walked to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror until the sick feeling became strong again. He then hunched over to the toilet and retched inside of it for a few moments. There was barely anything in his stomach and the bile burned as it crawled up his throat. He rested his head on the seat of the toilet and he tasted sweat on his lips. He flushed the toilet and gargled water inside his mouth, spitting out the remains of what had just happened.

He stumbled towards his bed and collapsed into the warmth and comfort of the blankets. He sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow before he heard the familiar buzzing of his Iphone. He slid the lock screen to reveal a new message from Magnus.

Hey Alec, hope all is well. – Magnus

Alec struggled to hold his eyes open. He typed a reply and held the phone in his hand while he closed his eyes.

Actually no, I think I'm getting sick or something, I just spent the last half hour puking my guts up so yeah, not so great day. –Alec

Magnus' reply was fast and woke him up again.

My poor baby :( do you want me to come over Alec? Do you need anything? – Magnus

Alec smiled weakly and typed his reply.

I'm fine. Just gonna try to sleep, but thank you Magnus. I'll let you know if I need anything ok? I love you. – Alec

I love you too Alec. Get some rest sweetheart I'll keep my phone on. – Magnus

Alec set his phone back down on the side table and rolled over onto his back. He blinked a few times to clear his vision, but he still couldn't fathom what he was seeing. The ceiling was moving and black streaks were weaving their way across it. He blinked again and they were gone. He shook his head and played it off as being tired and he rolled over on his side, clutching a pillow imagining it was Magnus instead. It didn't take his long to fall asleep.

Read and Review

So any ideas on what's happening to Alec?

Is it the flu or something more?

More to come soon.