Author's Note: Wow…I'm really surprised by the positive reaction I got to this. I was expecting full out flames or at least a couple "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU KILLED ALEC!" hate messages. Interesting…

Disclaimer: …I refuse to right my second disclaimer for the MI series in an hour…However, I am not Mayday Parade.

ALSO: All flashbacks will be in Magnus's POV and in italics.


"By the time I was your age I'd do anything,

To fall in love truly was all I could think.

That's when I met your mother, the girl of my dreams…"

"Terrible Things," Mayday Parade.


Magnus sighed. Had it really been that long ago? It seemed like such a short time since they had met. They'd waited two years for Alec to surrogate Max; another eight for Magnus to have Tabithia.

…But it had all gone by so fast...

"D—Dad? Are you okay?" Max's voice was small and muffled from his father's shirt.

Shaking himself from his grief, the boy's father blinked rapidly to clear the tears burning in his eyes. "Y-yeah…" He paused before continuing his tragic story.

"I met him at…a party I threw…"

"I stood at the bar, a drink in each hand, a completely delusional vampire at my side. She was obviously drunk. I'd explained my…preferences…numerous times, but her advances never ceased.

"It was getting quite obnoxious. Not that she was unattractive, quite the opposite, in fact, but she wasn't the one. She wasn't your...She wasn't your father."

He cleared his throat as the tears threatened to overwhelm him. "It's just—just so…vivid. I'm sorry, Max."

The boy nodded understandingly. This was just as much a healing process for his father as it was for him. "I want to know everything. Remember? Everything."

"Of course…"

"I was so relieved to get away I forgot to set down my drinks, and downed one on the way to the door.

Honestly, your father wasn't the first and only one I saw, but that was mostly because he was standing behind the others." A humorless laugh twisted in his throat. "They were Shadowhunters. Uncle Jace, Aunt Clary, Aunt Izzy, and Uncle Simon were all with him. As soon as I saw him, he was the center of my attention. I took in his blue eyes and his contrasting black hair, my favorite combination. I drunk in his appearance and mannerisms as your Uncle Jace spoke. Jace said they needed me to remove the block I'd put on Clary's past from her mind. His lip would curl in jealousy as he said Clary's name. I—"

The boy drew back from his father's embrace in shock. "Wait—Dad…Dad was jealous? Of Aunt Clary? He was in love with…?" Max trailed off and Magnus's mouth twitched upward at his son's reaction.

"Your father was in love with Uncle Jace. At least, that's what he believed."

The boy's brow furrowed as he took in the new information. "…What do you mean?"

Magnus shook his head. "It'll make sense soon enough…"

"Alec was definitely the shyest of them all. His eyes were always downcast, when he spoke he said little and it was almost always directed at Jace…until…until we suddenly got onto the topic on my parents and my past.

"I told them about my parents…how they had hated me always, how I had once hated myself." There was a pause as Magnus stopped for a moment to lay his head in his hands, trying to harness the pain he'd kept hidden for the past few days. "And—and he said, 'It's not your fault, you can't help how you're born.'"* The man paused to rake a hand through his hair, sparing a glance at his son.

Max was quite obviously crying. His lithe body shook with silent sobs as his father spoke. When the story paused, Max looked to Magnus. "Dad?" The boy's voice quivered. "Dad? Are you okay?" Magnus shook his head, but continued his story.

"The way he seemed so innocent, so unsure of himself. I—I guess that was the first time I fell for your father…"


Author's Note: GAH! I am so depressed right now. I'm listening to the pathetically sad playlist I made on YouTube right now. (My username is Kleakat, in case you wanted to know how pathetic it is…)

* That quote is actually from the book. I found it when I was at AimlessGirl's house, scrounging through her books. :D I saw it and it had to incorporate it in some way.

Peace, Love, Mark, and Iggy.

Kierstin.