Alec was sitting on Magnus's couch with a cocktail in his hand when he got the frantic call from Izzy.
"Clary is gone. I can't find her anywhere." Her panicked tone was enough to set Alec into motion, but once he realized what she had said, his heart started pounding quickly.
"What?! You lost her?!" He practically shouted. Magnus put a calming hand on his knee and shook his head. Alec frowned at him, but Magnus only cocked an eyebrow.
"It's not like she's a pen that I misplaced! She ran away, Alec!" Izzy's voice quivered and Alec immediately felt guilty.
"I'm sorry. It isn't your fault." Alec sighed. "There's a lot going on right now. She's probably just overwhelmed. Magnus and I will look for her while you head off mom." He soothed.
"Please find her." Izzy replied before hanging up and leaving Alec with the dial tone.
"I know where she is. But I'm not the one she wants to see right now," Magnus stared meaningfully at his raven-haired boyfriend. "You are all she has now, Alexander."
Listening to mundane music in one earbud while sitting on a park bench sketching in the light of the street lamp above her almost made Clary feel normal again. Almost. But the six pack that lay at her feet, four of the cans empty, and the seraph dagger pressed into the waistband of her pants reminded her that she wasn't.
She knew Izzy would be beside herself with worry when she realized that Clary had left. But she was tired of being cooped up in the Institute all day, and besides, she didn't sleep anymore. Not since Jace had followed Valentine into that portal.
Clary took in a ragged breath, staring down at the charcoal sketch in front of her. Alec's face stared back at her, stoic and angry like she'd seen so many times. She wasn't sure why she was sketching Alec; it had been automatic.
"Clary." She stared down at the drawing, her vision swimming slightly.
"I really am going crazy. Now my drawings are talking to me. I must surely be losing it." She gave a watery chuckle.
"No, you're not." The girl finally looked up, startled to see Alec standing in front of her. Instead of his usual emotionless mask, his blue eyes were wide. Clary thought he almost looked scared. She pulled the earbud from her ear, eyes wide in confusion.
"Alec, what are you…"
"Izzy called me." Alec interrupted her. "May I?" He gestured to the empty seat next to her, sitting down before she answered. "You shouldn't just leave like that." He stated, frowning. "You scared Izzy." Clary nodded.
"I know." She said quietly. "I just can't be there anymore, but I knew that if I told her, she'd convince me to stay." Clary shook her head, a tear falling down her cheek. "Everything there,"
"Reminds you of him." Alec finished her sentence. "I know." Clary knew he did, better than anyone else. She'd lost one of her closest friends, but Alec had lost his parabatai.
"It's just a lot." Clary whispered, swallowing around the lump in her throat.
"I know, Clary." Alec replied.
"I keep trying to think it through, figure out what happened, but I can't even comprehend it." She whimpered. "Jace was what kept me grounded in this world. He was the one who kept me sane." She looked over to Alec and in that moment all he wanted to do was hug her sadness away.
"Jace is not the only one who's there for you. Luke, Simon, Izzy, your mom." He hesitated, then said with more ferocity than Clary had expected, "Me." She looked over to him. "I'm here. I'm right here." He reached out, clutching her shoulder tightly.
"Alec…" Her face crumpled and, without thinking, Alec wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.
"I'm here, Clary. I promise, I'm not going anywhere." He whispered, rocking her side to side softly. "I promise I won't leave." She sobbed into him, arms clutching at his leather jacket, and he rested his chin on her head, wishing he could just take away her pain forever. "You don't have to go back to the Institute. Come to Magnus's with me. Please."
"If I'm gone all night, Aldertree,"
"Let Izzy handle that." Alec interrupted, shaking his head. "You don't need to be there right now." She sniffled slightly before nodding, allowing Alec to pull her to her feet. "Come on. Let's get you into a bed. I gotcha."