Hey guys!

I was shocked by how many reviews I got considering I am new to the fandom.

Thankyou all so much. You all made my week.

If someone asks how I am, I swear I will say "Great, mum. I made a person cry."

It will be very humorous.

Especially if that person happens to not be my mother…

The updates will become more irregular.

I was all like, 'Yeah, I will write half of it, see how people like it, and continue.'

I kinda wish I had waited longer to post it now, but you all make it worth it!

"Look, Clary, he'll be fine. Just… make sure everyone is there for him since I can't b-" Magnus began, but was cut off by Clary, who was fiddling with her phone.

"Shh. I have to get this," she said quickly, before hitting the talk button and raising the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Izz-"

"He's missing , Clary," came Isabelle's voice, which had become frantic. "He's gone, there's a-a note. He's gone, and I don't know whe-"

"Wait a sec, Isabelle," replied Clary, who was looking at Magnus with frantic, wide eyes. He looked back at her with a blank expression, having no clue what the piece of information she had just received entailed. She quickly put Isabelle onto loud speaker and waved the cell phone in front of Magnus's face, but gestured for him to keep his mouth shut. "Could you just repeat everything? Slowly?"

"Y-yeah," came the voice, now audible to Magnus. "Alec. Alec is gone. He isn't at your house anymore."

Magnus looked like the world had just crashed down around him, his eyes were now wide, his mouth somewhat agape. He didn't just look scared anymore. He looked terrified for Alec. He somehow seemed to forget Clary's previous warning to stay silent.

"What?"

There was a pause at the other end, followed by a gasp.

"YOU!" came Isabelle's suddenly angry voice. "This is your fault! What the hell is wrong with you? Why the hell did you let him think that it was something that he had done? There he was, crying on the phone, telling me that the guy he loved more than anything in the world finally realised what an idiot he was! Telling me that it was just a matter of time before you, perfect, loving you, came to your senses and dumped him."

Magnus stood still, gazing at the phone. His eyes were lit with sheer horror. Alec honestly thought that he hadn't been good enough. For him, the stupidest warlock in the world. No. Alec thought that he was perfect. He had believed with all his heart that Magnus was the epitome of a man. The highest peak for mankind. Why did he have to be wrong?

Why did everything have to be so wrong?

Clary interrupted his thoughts.

"You mentioned a note? What did it say?" Leave it to Clary to be the sensible one. For once, Magnus wished that he could be like Clary. Sensible. Reliable. Mortal.

"Yeah…"

Magnus eyed the phone impatiently.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Read the damn thing!"

Without hesitation, Isabelle launched into the letter.

"Dear Clary,

I'm so sorry that I showed up at your door like that. I just needed a place to think things over. I know you think that this is all Magnus's fault, but I swear, it isn't. What happened was inevitable. But don't worry, I know what I have to do now. It'll all be fine.

When you next see my mum and dad, tell them that I'm sorry, and that I'm okay. Tell Jace and Izzy that I'll miss them, and not to read my diary when I'm gone. And if you ever see Magnus Bane again, tell him that I'm sorry as well. That I never meant to make him so upset, because he looked like he was about to cry when he dumped me. Tell him, even though he doesn't want to hear it, that when you drew the rune that made us see the person we love the most, I saw him.

Yours Truly,

Alec Lightwood"

By the end of the letter reading, Magnus had well and truly broken down, cradling his sobbing face in both hands, his back pushed against the wall. This was all his fault. Everything. It was apparent that Isabelle wasn't quite seeing what kind of note this was.

"It's such a horrible note," said Isabelle, if not for anything else, to break the silence that had engulfed them. "It doesn't give off a single hint as to where he is going."

Clary shot Magnus a meaningful look. She too had realised the implications of Alec's words. Magnus nodded back to her.

"Isabelle, don't you think that the note read almost like we wouldn't be seeing him again? Al-almost like a suicide note?"

There was a loud thump on the other end, followed by silence. There was then a shrill scream, as Isabelle called her other brother, between gasps and sobs.

"JACE! JACE! Jace, get down here, NOW!"

Magnus and Clary stood in the hallway, listening to Jace and Isabelle speak, feeling like they were intruding on a personal moment as they listened to Alec's siblings discuss the recent events, the telephone still on the ground. They were both pretty sure that Isabelle didn't want them to hang up.

It was like the whole scenario was on replay. Magnus winced as he heard the crinkling of Alec's note as Jace read it.

Magnus wasn't sure how Jace was going to react. He was quite sure that he wouldn't cry, and was rather unsure as to if the boy even had tear ducts. Jace would most likely be angry, because that was what he was good at.

"Where the hell is Magnus?" came Jace's voice, sounding relatively calm, which surprised Magnus a considerable amount.

"With Clary. I-if you want to talk to them, I think they are still on the phone," said Isabelle, who was still sobbing. Clary heard the sound of the receiver being picked up and moved, as Jace stepped into the bathroom so that his sister couldn't hear him.

"Hello? Clary?"

"Y-yeah, Jace?"

"Is this on speaker?"

Clary's eye brows knitted in confusion as she looked at Magnus for confirmation. He merely shrugged.

"Yeah… Why?"

"I love you, Clary. I need you to know that," said Jace, still sounding completely under control. "But I need you to turn it off speaker, and hand the phone to that bast- Magnus, for a sec, 'kay?"

"Okay… I love you too Jace," said Clary, the words sounding quiet and passionate, as though the experience of speaking in such terms was new to her. She then clicked a button on the phone and held it out to the distressed warlock, who was beginning to pace.

"It's for you," she mouthed. Magnus accepted the phone hesitantly. He couldn't help but wonder why Jace would want to speak with him at a time like this.

"Hell-"

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Jace's voice came out harsh, contrasting with the tone he had used with Isabelle and Clary, and stunning Magnus just a little.

"E-excuse me?"

"Did you actually stop loving him? Did you cease to adore him the way you always did? Because I think you're lying." Jace sounded as though he was making more of an accusation than an inquiry, his voice flat and certain.

"Jace. It wasn't Alec's fault. I just wasn't in love with him anymo-"

"Like hell you weren't," interrupted Jace furiously. "I saw the way you looked at him, like he was the most beautiful and delicate thing in the world. Like you had to watch him, protect him. I saw the way he looked at you too. And the way he texted about you was almost sickening."

Magnus was cringing at each word Jace spoke. Why did he have to be right now? It had never happened before…

But he had to play pretend, for Alec's sake. If he was still alive.

If. The thought made Magnus flinch. The fact that there was even the smallest chance that Alec had taken his own life made Magnus's stomach churn. That all his efforts rested on the word if. That this might all be okay. If Alec was still alive.

"People fall out of love all the time." Magnus knew that he wasn't convincing anyone.

"Oh," came Jace's voice, absolutely enraged. "What is this then?"

Magnus heard a faint beep at the other end of the line, before Jace began to speak again, in a higher, more condescending voice.

"Dear Jace, I won't be home tonight. Magnus took me out, and it is too late. He told me I could sleep over at his place, and when I went to lie on the couch, he lifted me up and took me to his bed, and said that he wouldn't have been able to sleep without me. Isn't he so sweet?"

"Stop," said Magnus, recognising what this was. He remembered the night this had happened. It was probably a few months ago, on one of their earlier dates. He had carried Alec bridal style to bed, and told him he would be back after he had showered. Alec had told him that it was okay, because he needed to text Jace that he wouldn't be back that night.

"Dear Jace, Magnus told me that he loves me. It wasn't the first time, but it was magical. The way he says it is like he never has a second thought about it. Like it's just an instant reaction. I told him I love him back, because I do. So much. He's just so wonderfu-"

"Just stop!" Magnus's voice was thick with tears. He remembered Alec's face every time he told him that he loved him. He would look so shocked, as if it were a new piece of information each time he said it, before smiling and pressing himself into the warlock's chest, and return the feeling.

"But Magnus," came Jace's voice, dripping with angry sarcasm, "you're wonderful. You're so freaking wonderful."

"Fine," said Magnus, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Fine. Does it make you any happier at all to know that I still love him more than anything in the world? Does it make it any better to know that I hate myself for loving him, and know that I'm the reason he might be gone?"

"No," said Jace honestly. "But I do feel a tad more satisfied, knowing that you want to find him even more than I do.

"Look. Right now, I kind of hate you. Like, a lot. Honestly, the romance between you and my brother is pretty pathetic. But I need to find him. I can't-" Jace's voice broke, and he coughed, as though casting it away, "I can't lose another brother.

"Where would he go?"

Magnus thought for a moment. Alec would have planned this out. If luck existed, he was still planning. He would want to be...

"He would want to be somewhere where no one would find him. Not for a long time, anyway. Did he ever mention anywhere to you? Hiding spots?"

Jace audibly gasped.

"There was this one place, when we were little, Alec stumbled across it," said Jace, rapidly. "You would never see it unless you are looking for it, but it always seemed to jump out at Alec. There was a little door, in the corner of the wall, and no one could ever get through. That is saying a lot, considering Izz took to it with an axe one time.

"Anyway, Alec asked our parents why it couldn't be opened, and they told him that it was very old, and could only be opened by a warlock. After that, I thought he forgot about it.

"But just a few months ago, we were walking down the corridor, and Alec pointed it out to me, asking me if I thought that you could get through it. It would be that last place he would expect us to come looking for him. He would probably assume that we wouldn't be able to."

"But that doesn't work," murmured Magnus. "If he knows that I can get in..."

"Honestly, do you really expect him to think that you would be looking for him?"

That hurt. No, now that Magnus stopped to think about, Alec wouldn't be expecting him to be looking for him. Alec had always been insecure about the way Magnus felt towards him. He would be shocked every time they kissed, and even when Magnus said good bye and that he loved him before leaving his apartment.

It was as though he was never quite sure if he was doing the right thing, but as far as Magnus was concerned, he didn't even have to try.

"Any way," came Jace's voice, sounding surprisingly far away, crashing through Magnus's thoughts, "You guys are still bonded together, right? With Clary's rune? He would have complete access to the door now."

"Y-yeah," Magnus said, falling apart. He was so glad that he had Jace and Clary around to help him. Even Isabelle was holding up better than him. Probably because it wasn't her fault that her brother was dying.

That one was all on him.

"Look, Magnus," said Jace sounding almost sympathetic, "I would be lying if I said that I didn't hate you right now. The way you made Alec feel was totally out of line. I just need to know why you said it."

Magnus took Jace's words in a stride. He had it coming, and what's more, he wanted to hear them. The sound of Alec blaming himself had been ringing non-stop in his mind for too long. At least everyone else had no problems acknowledging his faults.

Magnus looked up for a moment, Clary staring at him, eyes wide. He had forgotten that she was there. She had heard everything on his side of the conversation, and looked horrified. He quickly turned away again.

"I will last forever," the warlock whispered, sounding oddly old, "but Alec will some day expire. Think about it. In a few years, will he really want to keep aging? I think… that one day, he will wake up wanting to be a vampire, and I will be so attached to him that I'd let it happen.

I know that Simon seems relatively happy, and he should be. He is a total exception to the rule. But like you've said in the past, Jace; Forever is a long time without sunlight. Everything would break down, and I- I thought if I stopped everything now, I could save him."

Jace was silent on the other end. Magnus was about to break the silence, but Jace found his voice before he had the chance to speak.

"Magnus, do you still love him?"

Magnus made an involuntary noise from the back of his throat before answering softly.

"More than anything else in the world."

"Then if we-" Jace stopped, catching himself, "When we find my brother, I need you to tell him what you just told me. He needs to hear it."

"Yes," Magnus replied weakly. "I know."

"Good. Now, meet me at the entrance to the Institute. I will show you to the door, okay?" Jace asked, not really needing an answer.

"We'll be there." And with that, Magnus hung up Clary's phone, and was ready to find Alec.

Hey again.

Just another thing.

If you guys liked the Mortal Instruments series (I mean, who doesn't?), you should check out Demon's Lexicon. It is of a similar taste to this, but is smaller and twisty-er. It makes my top ten, and I like it for so many reasons.

It doesn't seem as serious all the time, but at the same time, it is super intense. One minute I am laughing, and the next I'm hiding under my covers, asking for God to "make it didn't happen".

It is also one of the ten per cent of books which include a homosexual character.

Also, it is part of a trilogy. The second book is equally as awesome, and is called Demon's Covenant. Hilariousness ensues when the emotionless demon befriends the gay kid. It is highly amusing.

Also, there are extras for it, like the Christmas special. It was like a fanfiction, but by the actual author.

Check it out sometime.

It was written by Sarah Rees Brennan.