Alec POV

Alec watched as Magnus walked up the stairs and out of view. Well that was… interesting, Alec thought to himself.

Interesting was one way to put it. If there was one thing that could be said of Magnus, the man definitely was interesting. The way he held himself, dressed, walked, talked… it was all very intriguing. He just had a way about him that made anyone, in this case, Alec, want to keep their attention on him. And the man dressed in a way that was both elegant and loud; loud colors, patterns, style; much like the very penthouse he lived in. And, much like his living area, the man was beautiful, and that's putting it lightly. With his tall, lean physic, his yellow-green Asian eyes, caramel skin, and not to mention the glitter the man used in his spiked up hair, he was just that: interesting.

Magnus was also the confident sort, confident about his looks, job, lifestyle and, most of all, sexuality. Oh, the man practically flaunted it. Stereotypes aside, what with his glitter, fashion sense (thought that is to be expected, since he is a fashion designer after all) and self grooming, the flirting (as Alec was almost certain it was) was a dead give away: the man was at least gay, if not bisexual. Not that Alec payed too much mind to that fact. There was no way he cared that this highly attractive man swung for his team. No. Definitely not.

But, most of all, it was the man's story that intrigued Alec the most. He seemed like a caring father, but the system in the home seemed too… mechanical, to say the least. Everyone had a certain function and certain orders to follow. Was it always like this? And what had caused the man to adopt seven children in the first place? Was there another parent at a time? If so, what had happened to them? And, by the looks of it, the family had had several nannies to watch over the children while the father was gone, but why was he gone all the time? And what was with the buzzing system? There were just too many questions, questions Alec hoped to learn the answers to.

Alec turned his attention back to the children, who were all staring at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Um, high," Alec said tentatively, not used to having so much authority. Well, Alec thought. Better get used to it if you plan on being a teacher. "I'm Alec, and, I guess I'm your new nanny. Mind telling me your names again? Oh, and your ages?

The oldest son, the one with blond hair and two different colored eyes, one blue-grew like the sea, the other gold, much like Jace's, crossed his arms and leaned back. "Mark," he said simply. "I'm fourteen and, frankly, you don't need to worry about me. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much."

"Okay then…" Alec said in response, not quite sure what else to say to that.

"Don't mind him," one of the two younger sisters stepped in. She had dark brown hair and blue-green eyes. "He's just going through his rebellious-teenager phase. I'm Livvia, by the way, but call me Livvy, or Olivia, whichever you hate the least," she finished, more friendly than her brother. She turned to the boy next to her, one who, while sharing the same hair color, had gray eyes rather than her blue-green ones. "I'm ten and this is my twin, Ty. His full name is Tiberius, but we just call him Ty. He's autistic and don't give him a hard time or you will regret it."

Alec was taken aback by her sudden switch in tone. One second she was like an close friend, the next she was as protective as a mother would be over her child. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied, turning his head to the youngest of the group, who had the same brown hair and blue-green eyes as most of his siblings. "How about you? You're Octavian, right?" Alec mentally patted himself on the back for remembering his name.

The boy nodded, adding, "Call me Tavvy!" He had the most adorable smile, and he was jumping up and down in the excitement that Alec knew his name.

"Okay Tavvy. Now, how old are you?" Alec asked.

"Six!" he exclaimed.

"No you're not," another girl spoke up, the same girl who came in late with a book in hand. "You're five!"

"I'm almost six," Tavvy rebutted.

"Almost six doesn't make you six," the girl countered. "You're still five." She turned back to Alec, and Alec could see she had the same traits as most of her siblings. "I'm Drusilla, but call me Dru. I'm eight years old. And could you hand me my book back. Dad left it over there on the piano."

"I've got it Dru," the last son said. He too also had the same traits as most of his siblings. He grabbed the book for his sister and handed it to her. "I'm Julian, and I'm twelve."

Before Alec could say anything, there was the beeping of a phone. Alec looked up to see the oldest, the one he remembered being named Helen, reaching for her phone. Her blond hair fell around her face as she looked at the screen. Almost immediately a smile broke out on her face and her blue-green eyes lit up.

Turning the phone off she looked back at Alec. "I'm Helen and I'm sixteen," she said quickly. "And, it was great to meet you, but I really have to go. Take care of my siblings and I'll be back before dinner." By then she had already turned on her phone again and was typing something.

"Wait, I'm supposed to watch you, and I don't know if I'm allowed to let you wander the streets alone," Alec protested as he watched her start to head for the elevator.

"I'm sixteen, and it's still early in the afternoon, I'll be fine," she said over her shoulder. "Besides, I have my phone if I need nothing and my siblings know my number if you need to call. I'll be fine." She pressed the down button on the elevator and the doors opened almost immediately. stepping in, she turned around and gave her siblings a wave before the doors shut.

"Do you know where she's going?" Alec asked Mark.

"Probably to meet her friend Aline somewhere," he stated. "Anyways, I'll be in my room if you need me." He started to head up the stairs before turning back and adding, "Don't need me."

Before he could respond, he felt something climbing up his arm. Slowly, he turned his head only to find a brown lizard on his arm. He picked it up gingerly and held it in his palm. Looking up, he found that all but one of the kids had scattered. The only one left was Ty.

Alec sighed. He was supposed to be watching the kids, but now they had all gone in their own directions. This was going to be a long summer.

Directing to Ty he asked, "Here, is this guy yours?"

Ty held out his hand, and Alec let the lizard walk onto it. As soon as the lizard was in his grasp, Ty ran off, just like the rest of them.

Great, Alec thought. Now I have another kid to find and gather up.

This was going to be a very long summer indeed.


Helen POV

Helen rushed passed several blocks in the city until she reached Central Park. Upon arrival, she rushed down many paths, making turns she knew by heart until she reached a break in the trees. Slipping through the gap she stepped into the secret hideout only her and Aline knew.

Said friend was sitting on a rock with her phone in hand. Her straight black hair fell around her like a curtain, hiding those dark brown almond-shaped eyes Helen loved so much. Of course, there was a lot Helen loved about her friend, not that she had ever told her. She didn't want to ruin their friendship in any way, and she was worried her friend didn't feel the same way that Helen did, and if she did, she didn't want a potential breakup to destroy the relationship they had.

Helen met Aline in sixth grade, when she was first adopted by Magnus Bane, not too long after her parents died in a car crash. It was a rough time for her; loosing her parents, put in an orphanage with her siblings, the youngest of which was only a month old. Right after her parents died and she was put in an orphanage, she had her friends in Los Angeles to help numb the pain a little. But then, a month later, she was adopted by Magnus Bane and his wife Etta, and had to move across the country to the Big Apple. Now, under a stranger's care, whom she now had to call her parents, miles from home, she had no one but her siblings for comfort. she was all too grateful that the Banes had decided to adopt all of the Blackthorn children. She didn't think she'd be able to handle it if she lost any of them.

It was on Helen's first week of school that she met Aline. It was December, almost mid-way through the year; all-in-all, not the best time to switch schools. While all the students were curious about the new student, desperate to get to know her before anyone else did, Helen kept to herself. She didn't want to face them, didn't want to answer their questions of "Why did you move?", "Where are you from?", "What was it like there?", and "Tell me about your family." She didn't want to tell them that her parents died so she had to move across the country after being adopted. She didn't want to break down in front of all these faces she didn't know. So, she didn't talk to anyone, she sat alone at lunch, sat in the back corner of every class, never raised her hand, and was always the first in and first out of every class. It was the easiest way to avoid talking to anyone.

But, one day, as she ate her lunch at her own little table, a girl sat down next to her. She didn't ask Helen anything, unlike most of the other students, except if it was ok that she sat next to her. She didn't say anything but her name. The two ate lunch in silence, and though they didn't talk, Helen felt better with her presence. It was enough that someone else cared. They ate lunch together every day after that. After the first week, Helen started to talk to her. Sure, it would be small things, such as asking about her day, asking how much homework she had, or complaining about the difficulty of their classes. But, after a time, the two got closer. Eventually, Helen told Aline what happened, and Aline was there to comfort her. It seemed that Aline was always there, ever since the first day, when she offered a comfort no one else had thought to.

So, the years passed by. Helen grew closer to her adoptive parents, happy to call them mom and dad. She and Aline stuck together as they made the transition to high school, promising that they would always be friends.

When Helen was fourteen, her adoptive mother, Etta, died in a car crash, just like her first parents. Her world crashed around her again. How was it that she had lost another parent? did the world hate her that much? And, on top of it all, her father started to grow more distant. He took trips frequently and started to hire nannies to take care of her and her siblings. It was like they had lost him too. The only reason her younger siblings tried to hard to chase away each coming nanny was because it was the only way to get any of their father's attention anymore; it was the only way he would come home to them again.

When this all started to happen, Aline was there for her again. It was around that time that Helen started to realize her sexuality. She noticed that, not only was she attracted to boys, but she was also attracted to girls, most specifically her best friend. Aline was the only person who knew she was bisexual. Her dad didn't know because he was never there for her to tell him, and she didn't know what her siblings would think. Besides, they had enough to think about, and they were always too busy thinking of the new way to get rid of the newest nanny. So, besides Aline, Helen was alone on this.

A couple of months ago, Aline had come to the conclusion that she was a lesbian. She had dated many guys in the past, but none of those relationships had lasted. As she told Helen, she didn't feel anything for them.

When she told Helen that she was a lesbian, Helen's hopes soared, but only for a brief moment. No, she had told herself. You don't want this to ruin anything. You have to get over her. So, instead, she asked how she came to the realization. All Aline said was that there was a certain someone, but she refused to share who no matter how hard Helen tried to weasel the information out of her. Once again, Helen reminded herself to get over Aline. After all, there was clearly someone else she liked. But no matter how hard she tried, her thought's and her heart always found their way back to Aline.

As if sensing her presence, Aline looked up and smiled at Helen, instantly warming Helen's heart. She gestured for Helen to join her on the rock, to which Helen instantly obliged.

As she sat down next to Aline, her friend asked her, "What took you so long?"

"Sorry. My dad got us a new nanny so I had to go through all the introductions again," Helen answered.

"Oh, good, cause I thought you forgot that I told you last night to meet me here today."

"I could never forget! Come on, you know me. When have I ever forgotten anything?"

"True," Aline said with a small laugh. "So, how's the new nanny?"

"He's fine, I guess," Helen shrugged. "His name is Alec and he's staying the whole summer, and he has to stay, so my siblings wont be able to chase him away. But, back to the point, what did you have to tell me?" Helen asked, referring back to last night's conversation over Skype. Aline had been bursting with excitement and said she had something to tell Helen, but she said she preferred to tell her in person. So, they had arranged to meet in their special spot in Central Park.

"Oh, yes! That!" Aline exclaimed. "Well… I came out to my parents!"

"Really? That's great!" Helen congratulated, hugging Aline in excitement. "How did they take it? What did they say?" she asked after they pulled apart, knowing that Aline had been worried about coming out to her parents.

"Better than I expected," Aline admitted. "I mean, my dad wasn't too thrilled. I bet he was worried about the family line ending, but he's got Sebastian to save him, so nothing to worry about there. Anyways, they told me that they love me no matter what, and that was it!"

"I told you it wouldn't be a big deal!"

"And you were right, as always," Aline joked. "Hey, did you tell your family yet?"

Helen looked down. "No, not yet," Helen confessed.

Aline sighed, "Helen, what's holding you back? It can't be that you're worried that your dad won't accept you, because he's bi as well."

"I know," Helen answered. "It's just, he's never home, you know that. And whenever he is, there is never a right moment to tell him. I try, but he's always busy."

"Well, maybe you could start with your siblings."

"I'm worried about what they will think," Helen said. "They look up to me, and I don't wan't to disappoint them. Even if they're fine with it, which I'm sure they will be, seeing as dad is, when I start receiving different treatment from some people… I just don't want them to look at me differently."

"It's okay Helen, take your time. It's fine," Aline comforted. Sh pulled her into a hug and Helen could feel her sympathy.

After a moment, Helen pulled back to check the time. Of course, it was just about time to head back. She just wanted to spend the rest of the day with Aline.

"Hey, sorry, I have to get back home. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure," Aline said, looking a little crestfallen. As Helen stood up to walk away, Aline grabbed her arm, turned her around and stood up with her. "But, hey, Helen, it's going to be fine. Your siblings wont care, I know they won't. They just don't have it in them to view you differently over something like that. Well, maybe Mark does, but I have a suspicion that he's not straight either. So, take your time, but it'll be fine. Not to mention, it'll make it easier for us."

They were standing a lot closer now, and Helen's heart was racing. Stuttering, she asked, "W-what? For us t-to…?

She never finished, because before she could get the words out, Aline silenced her with a kiss.

It was as if time slowed down and the rest of the world slipped away as Helen finally had the kiss she had been dreaming of for years. She could hardly believe what was happening.

All to soon, it was over and Aline was stepping away from her. "I'll give you that to think about." She turned around and walked away, leaving Helen alone to her thoughts.

When Helen finally got herself out of her state of shock, she made her way back home with a smile on her face, feeling as though she was walking on cloud nine. Because, never, in a million years, did she think Aline would feel the same way for her.


Alec POV

The next mourning, Alec woke up bright and early in an unfamiliar setting. Well, unfamiliar for a brief moment. Then Alec remembered the events of the past day; how he had taken a train and then a cab from New Hampshire to New York City, how he had the strange but interesting meeting of Magnus Bane, how he had met the kids, after they all ran away. Eventually, he had gotten all of the children but Helen and Mark together, just in time for dinner, upon which Mark and Helen made their appearances, the latter of the two looking elated.

After an awkward dinner, in which Alec had another meeting with a lizard, Claude showed Alec to his room and asked for his measurements before he walked out again to attend to his business.

Alec's room was larger than the one he had had back in Herondale's school, but smaller, admittedly, than the one he had back in his parent's home. Of course, Alec knew what it was like to live in a big home, having, after all, lived in a mansion for the first fifteen years of his life, so the grandness of the penthouse came as no big surprise to him. Really, the only thing merely shocking in any way was that this big penthouse could be found in the middle of one of the world's largest cities. Whenever Alec imagined living in the city, all he could imagine was living in a hotel-room sized home. So, even though he would have no problem finding his way around the home, he still would wonder at the sheer cost of living in penthouse.

Getting out of his bed (of which the sheets were a color too bright for his fancy), Alec opened his door, intending to head down to make himself some breakfast, only to find a pile of clothes at his feet. Groaning, because no doubt he would have to wear these down for breakfast, he picked up the clothes and headed back into his room.

After he had put on his new clothing, all of which was too tight for his liking, Alec headed out of his room and in the direction of the kitchen. Upon arrival, he decided he was in the mood for some pancakes. And, hey, the kids would like that too.

It was only then that he realized he didn't know where anything was. Luckily, Marie was walking by, saving him from having to look around the kitchen for hours.

"Hey, do you know where the bowls and pans are? Oh, and where I can find flour, eggs, milk…" he continued to list off all the ingredients he needed to make his favorite pancakes.

"Oh, there's no need for you to do the work. My husband and I always make the food," she began, waving him away.

"Really, it's no big deal. I always make my own food," Alec insisted.

"if you insist," Marie answered. "Now the pans will be over here…" She continued to show Alec where he could find everything he needed, and a few extra things, just in case.

When he finally had everything he needed, he set to work, mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. He was just about to pix the two together when he heard the ding of the elevator, followed by a young girl with pale blond hair in a braid running into the room.

"Jules I'm he-" she began to shout before her brown eyes landed on Alec. "Now, you I don't know," she stated, pointing a finger at him, her voice quieter.

"Um, I'm Alec, the new…"

"Oh, you're the new nanny," she finished, cutting him off. "Hmmmm," she began, looking him up and down. "I'll give you two days, three tops."

"Excuse me?"

"Just seeing how long you'll last."

"Um, okay?" Alec replied unsurely. "And, who are you again?"

"Oh, I'm Emma, the amazing friend of Jules. Where is he, by the way?"

Before Alec could say anything, Julian came into the room. "Emma, hey. What are you doing in here?"

"I'm just sizing up the new nanny. How long do you think he'll last? My money's on two to three days."

"Emma…"

"Oh! And I have a great idea for what we could do this time."

"Emma, it's no use. Our dad said he would be staying with us the whole summer. He has to," he explained. "Besides, I think we should give him a chance."

Emma locked her eyes with Julian, her arms crossed, and it was like the two were having a silent argument with each other.

After a moment, Emma sighed in defeat. "Okay, you win. I wont try anything."

"Good," Julian said. "Besides, you could always try it on the next on."

"True," she agreed. "Anyways, I have to go. My dad and some distant relative are trying to get me into violin, even though I'm god-awful at it, so my dad signed me up for violin lessons. I just wanted to stop by and say hi." She gave Julian a quick hug before heading out. As she left the room she called over her shoulder, "You know where to find me if you reconsider!"

"I won't!" Julian called back.

And then they were alone.

As Alec went back to making pancakes he asked, "So… that was your friend?"

"Yeah," replied Julian. "Well, best friend is more like it…" he trailed off. "Anyways, what are you making?" Julian asked awkwardly.

"Pancakes," Alec replied simply. "Oh, that reminds me, do you guys like pancakes?"

"Who doesn't?"

"Good point," Alec said, smiling. "So, the first are going to be done soon, so why don't you go wake up your siblings for breakfast."

"Sure," Julian said, heading out without a second thought. On the way out he must've bumped into someone, though Alec couldn't see as he was to focused on his task, because next Alec heard, "Oh, sorry dad."

"It's fine, Jules," a voice responded.

Suddenly remembering, Alec called out to Julian, "Oh, and blueberries or chocolate chips?"

"Chocolate chips!" Julian responded. "And don't forget the Nutella!"

Alec smiled to himself as he added chocolate chips to the first batch of pancakes.

"Good morning, Alec," Magnus said.

"Morning, Mr. Bane," Alec answered politely.

"You know, that's usually the job of Claude or Marie," Magnus commented, referring to Alec's cooking.

"I know, it's fine. I don't mind doing it," Alec insisted, flipping over the pancakes. "It's actually kind of fun."

"Just don't poison my kids," the older man joked.

"Trust me, that won't be a problem." That's more of Izzy's job, Alec thought to himself, thinking back to the days when his sister would make him try her latest creation. Placing a few pancakes in a stack on top of a plate and setting it in front of Magnus, Alec suggested,"You can try it if you don't believe me."

Magnus raised an eyebrow at him before picking up his fork and taking a bite. As soon as the food was in his mouth he exclaimed, "Oh god that's good! I mean, it's just a pancake, it shouldn't taste so good. I mean.. how..?"

Alec chuckled, "Glad to know you liked it."

"More than just liked, darling," he replied, taking another bite. He looked back up from his plate after a moment, looking Alec up and down. He smiled and added, "By the way, it's nice to see you're wearing the new clothes. They're definitely more fitting for you."

Alec blushed without any idea of how to respond. Luckily, he was saved from answering by a soft meow by his feet. Looking down, he found a small tabby cat looking up at him.

"Ah, that would be Chairman Meow," Magnus said fondly.

"Chairman Meow?" Alec questioned, bending down to pet the kitten.

"Yep, named him myself," Magnus replied proudly.

"I can tell," Alec said as he stood up again with the cat in his arms. The creature was adorable and extremely soft. Alec scratched it between his ears and the cat purred in approval.

"The Chairman likes you," Magnus stated. "A good thing too. I trust my cat's judgement, and if he didn't like you, I'm afraid I'd have to send you packing right away."

"We can't have that," Alec said.

Just then, all seven kids came into the room, still in their pjs, and the youngest rushing to the front.

"Ah, there you are," Alec greeted. "Now, why don't you all take a place at the counter and I'll serve you?"

Immediately, all the kids took a stool around the long counter top.

As Alec began to serve them, Magnus put his fork down and announced, "Well, I best be off."

"Where are you going, Dad?" Helen asked him.

"Oh, I forgot to mention it last night," Magnus apologized. "I'm traveling to France for the month."

"Again?" all seven complained.

"I'm sorry guys, but I have to. Besides, you have Alec to keep you company."

"But Dad, we want you," Dru complained.

"Yeah, and, Dad, I have something to tell you," said Helen.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it can wait," Magnus replied to a now crestfallen Helen. "And I'm sorry, but I have to. But trust me, it'll be quick, and I promise this is the last time."

"Really?" asked Tavvy.

"Wait, why," Mark asked.

"I'll tell you when I get back." Walking out of the room he called out a last goodbye to his kids.

When he was gone, Mark let a out a frustrated sigh. "Why does he always have to go?"

"You know why, Mark," Jules reminded him. "It's because of her."

"I'm sorry, who?" Alec asked.

"Camille," Dru responded with a groan, rolling her eyes. "Dad's girlfriend."

Alec would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little disappointed. But no, Alec reminded himself. So what if it mattered that he had a girlfriend? You weren't going to have a chance with hims anyways. You would be leaving at the end of the summer, it was bound to end anyways.

But, looking around at the kids around him, he realized they didn't want to talk about needed to get their mind off the situation more than he did. And, it was his job to take care of them, right? And that meant keeping them happy, didn't it. And, focusing on the father who left them so frequently in the care of a new stranger, or the girl he left them for, was not the way to do it. So, instead of fussing over the newly obtained information, and any previous thoughts had for the designer, Alec decided to change the subject.

"So, who wants Nutella on their pancakes?"