Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

Chapter 2: Hide, Reveal

Warmth. The fresh scent of comfort and nerve-relieving softness were surrounding Alec. He was floating in the clouds, feeling the breezes caressed his skin. Something was itching his nose and cheek; he wrinkled and buried his head under the blanket to get away. A small thing nudged his head, making his hairs messier than it could be.

He didn't want to wake. It had been a long time that he slept without constant worry and the mattress was heavenly, so much better than the clammy alleys or crappy motel's accommodation. He hadn't had that for weeks.

Alec jolted and the thing hissed. This wasn't heaven. He was in a room of colors; the curtain was rainbow, closet and vanity desk were yellowish like the sun of summer. The blue floral pattern on the violent wallpaper was closing on him. Looked around in panic, he searched for his child. He was nowhere in sight.

"Max!" He shouted as he clumsily slid off the bed. His legs were like jelly, shaking with each step. Alec rushed out of the bedroom and inspected every room along the hallway. The study, the bathroom, a guestroom – and Max wasn't in any of them. "Max! Where are you?" Heart pumping faster than a bullet train, Alec closed the bathroom's door and at the other end of the hallway, a frame emerged.

"Rise and shine, little Shadowhunter." The person sang.

"Papa!" A familiar shout of Max made Alec ran to the person without thinking and snatched him back into his arms. Max immediately crawled up to his shoulder and rested his head there. Touching Max's clean jumpsuit, Alec noticed his upper half was bare. Bandage was wrapping his wound on the back which was tickling sore pain. Alec frowned and took a step back.

Upon close, Alec realized he was the man from the café yesterday. He was a few inches taller than Alec and his amber cat eyes shone brighter with simple glittery eyeliners. The pink silk robe suited the tanned skin and the exotic complexion. Silver earrings lined up on his left ear. "You are Magnus Bane?" The Warlock shrugged and turned around as if Alec would automatically follow him to the living room.

Alec did. He said as he signaled him to sit on the loveseat and himself walking to the open kitchen. "That would be the name of my magnificent self. And yours?" The Warlock bent lightly to inspect the fridge and his ass almost stuck out under the thin fabric. Alec averted the scene by looking at Max instead. The blond baby seemed to be having fun just from sucking on his own fingers.

At last the Warlock pulled out a plate of frozen lasagna. And Alec hadn't come up with a name yet – he couldn't use his real one because it would draw attention to himself. Basically every Downworlders hated Lightwood, even some Shadowhunters too. Ashamed and guilt, Alec decided to remain silence.

The Warlock put his spare hand on his hip and was staring at him thoughtfully. "Now you're muted. Last night you were screaming names and – "

"Names?" He couldn't have said Jonathan's name, right?

"A hyperbole, sorry if it startles you. But you can speak. Wonderful. Now, your name?" Snapped, sparkles flying around his polished nails and the lasagna was heated up. Max cheered when he saw the blue fires on those fingertips. The Warlock smiled and settled down on the seat opposite. "He is a lovely boy."

Because of parenting and his friends, Alec had never been this close with a Warlock before. He held Max tighter and he nervously shifted to a corner of the loveseat, ready to run if necessary. Somehow the kindness terrified him.

"You're scared of me." The Warlock observed and conjured a fork, started eating. Alec's stomach grumbled. "Then why did you seek help from me?"

"You are the only one I know." Alec said.

The Warlock hummed in response. "It's nice to hear I am famous all around the world. However, I suggest you to leave after the payment." His child detected his anxiety and was pouting. Alec patted Max maternally.

He was short on money and he had nowhere else to go. The hotel wasn't safe; no place in the world was safe for a fugitive. He couldn't conjure money like the Warlock did. Either he lived on the streets and exposed Max under danger, or he chose to stay with the Warlock. Both was as disturbing as they appeared to be, but Alec made a lightning decision.

"I can tell you things about the Circle."

Nobody was talking. The living room was filled with the breathing of Max. Alec locked glance with the Warlock whose mouth agape, and the pupils slit into thin lines. His half empty plate disappeared as he snapped his fingers. "Who exactly are you?"

"I can't tell you who I am." Because his identity would be the death of him, and Max would be left as an orphan. The warm body in his arms was his reason to live.

The Warlock sighed and closed his eyes. "Then you means nothing to me other than a desperate customer who came to my door by mistake. Here," A card popped up and it landed on Alec's lap. Max joyfully grabbed it with his hands and was chewing on it. "The required amount and my bank account are there. I expect to receive it by tomorrow. Do you want your clothes back?"

Alec stood from the loveseat in shock. "My information about the Circle will be useful to you. It doesn't matter who I am."

Even though he was in a lower position, the Warlock had everything in control. He was like a king in his throne, dictating his fate from that moment on. His cat eyes scanned his body and Max, making Alec feeling he was being skinned.

"Pray tell, how am I going to trust a Shadowhunter who randomly showed up in New York City and refused to tell me his name? If it's true that you have information about the Circle, you tell the Clave, you tell the High Warlock of your located area. Never in a list would I come in first."

Alec tightened his grips on Max. He couldn't tell the Clave; the authority didn't really care about the Circle's misconduct and other Downworlders probably would kill him before he could open his mouth. From last night the Warlock healed him without paying first, Alec knew he was as good as the ancient Shadowhunter had admired.

"I can tell you everything. My name, why I am here. But in return you need to ensure Max's safety." Heard his name, Max hugged Alec around his neck and the paper fell on the floor. The Warlock studied him in great intensity; and he pointed at the loveseat again.

"Then I hope the spell for honesty won't come in handy in this scenario."

Jackpot. Or Magnus would say, a jinx. Alexander Lightwood meant trouble, and the trouble himself just knocked on his door and was sitting in his living room. Things couldn't get any worse than this.

"You are Alexander Lightwood?" Magnus repeated, still found it unconvincing.

"I prefer Alec."

Last night he looked so helplessly weak and desperate while under the cover he framed and murdered Downworlders in cold hands. The baby – Max continued to play with Alec's jet black hairs as the Nephilim confessed. "I know I don't deserve forgiveness – "

"You don't deserve anything."

His friend was dead because of him. Fury welled up inside his chest and nearly got him exploded. Magnus couldn't look at the face of Angel's descent. Shadowhunters always claimed their purity, but in fact they were dirty and dark at hearts. He strode to the window and stared at the road of early Brooklyn. Rustles of jeans told him Alec had turned to face Magnus properly, even if he could only look at his back.

"No, I don't. But Max has nothing to do with this. You can do whatever you want to me; the only condition is Max will be protected from the Circle, the Clave or anyone who means to do him harm. That's all I ask from you."

"You have the dignity to ask."

"I beg you, then."

He didn't sound panic at all. On the contrary, the voice was flat and steady as if he was stating a well-known truth. Alec kept on persuading. "Please, Warlock Bane."

"Are those rumors true?"

"What?"

"That you and Jonathan Morgenstern are lovers." Magnus finally turned away from the busy traffic and he saw Alec was standing there in the center of his living room, sadness written all over his face. He looked so lost – being alone, with Max in embrace. The scene was heartbreaking and Magnus sighed at his surfacing compassion.

"We were."

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Magnus leaned onto the window sill. He was having a severe headache. "Fine. I can send a fire message to my friends and tell them about you. There probably will be a meeting concerning your situation and the information you can offer. However, you must understand this," He walked closer and Alec sternly met his glance. "Nothing is guaranteed. You might even get killed when fellow Downworlders see you."

"As long as Max is okay, I am fine with it." Alec answered and Max frowned for the clasps on his clothed thighs. He held out his rotund fingers to Magnus. "Ahhhhh – "

Magnus asked for permission. "Might I hold him?" He couldn't read the expression of the Shadowhunter; he was blank as an empty paper. But he made the first move and took a step towards Magnus.

He smiled to Max once he had a firm hold of him. Melodious laughs and claps lightened up the mood when little sparkles danced around his hands. Max was adorable; in his uncorrupted mind he was just a guy who could do simple tricks. He wasn't a filthy Warlock that should be living in hell. He was a person.

Alec was staring at them awkwardly as he fondled his forearms. Magnus could tell he was uncomfortable letting Max being so close to him. "You are Max's father?"

They didn't look much alike except for their eyes. Max must have inherited his hairs from the mother and his eyes from Alec; gray was an alternative color for blue. Catarina had lectured him about that. Again hearing his name, Max put his hands up.

"No," Alec shook his head. "I'm not his father."

Not his father? Raised a surprised brow at the reply, Magnus tempted to pry further. Why would he take a baby with him who wasn't even his in the first place? When he was injured, Max was the only he called in his abstracted state. Nonetheless he nodded, questions buried for later. "You should go back to sleep so that you can heal faster. You have your stele?"

"Yeah. I can draw some runes on me. And Max… You will take care of him, right?" Alec spoke weakly, his steady voice gone. His emotion was easy to read now; Magnus could tell he was distraught and worried about Max, about the sticky situation he was in. Trying to reassure him, Magnus jumped a bit to make Max giggled. "He is fine with me. Go to sleep and I will wake you up for dinner."

The Shadowhunter still didn't move. "You can wake me up if anything happens. If Max is hungry, just tell me. Okay?"

"What can you do about it? I don't think you can magic up a bottle of milk for him."

It threw Alec off. Panic engulfed his blue eyes and he inhaled a sharp breath. "You are right." His fingers were twisting together in anxiety, fumbling the edge of white bandage. "Formulas?"

"Leave them to me. Believe me or not it is regrettable that I have plenty of experience with babies." Magnus said and kept observing. Alec was still hiding something from him. But it was fine; complete honesty was not in his anticipation. They had met only like two days.

An honesty spell was always an option.

With some effort Alec tugged a corner of his lip and forced a smile. Magnus scowled but didn't say a word, watching the Shadowhunter shuffled out of the living room.

"Did you have a good time?"

Jonathan stormed in and dropped his used weapon on the table, eyes burning in annoyance. Alec's question was neglected as the blond man kicked the bedroom door shut. Max cried in his cradle for the noise; Alec rolled to the other side of the bed and pushed the cradle lightly, swaying it in a rhythm. "You scare him." He said, despite the lurking fear.

A pair of strong arms hugged his middle, whole body enveloped his entire back. Hot breaths brushed against his neck. "There were some resistance. Angels they should have given up already." Jonathan held him tight, resting his head on Alec's shoulder. Alec couldn't help but shrug and the ball of blond hairs slid off.

"What's wrong?" He asked. It was evident, wasn't it? Alec had complained about how awful it was; about what they had done to them. But they wouldn't listen – and they formed a group called the Circle, as if by doing so it would justify their action. Alec was raised in a family that taught him Downworlders were nothing good. However, he did not see Downworlders the same way his parents and his siblings did. They were not evil. There were blood of human in their veins.

Downworlders were humans too.

"Jon," Alec spoke softly, hoping this time he would take his words seriously. "You have to stop. We don't have to do this – "

"What exactly?" Jonathan backed off and stood up, walking to the opposite side of the cradle and Alec's heart jumped in horror. He watched those boney bloody fingers touched the cheeks of Max, staining his pale baby face. Some clots fell onto the blanket. Max stared at his father with wide gray eyes, quieter than usual.

"The Circle's business." Alec wouldn't dare looking into Jonathan's green irises, feeling they landed on him hard like a stone crushing him down. His vision was torn away from Max when his collar was grabbed and he was pinned on the wall. "Jon!" He cried, shouting some sense into his lover. "Stop this!" The hands were strangling him. And even in the blurry scene, those green monstrous eyes were murdering his soul. "I – I can't… breathe – "

Still in the recovery of giving birth, his struggle was hopeless. Before he thought he was about to die, Jonathan threw him on the bed. Alec curled up and coughed, his lungs hurt from the lack of air. Everything hurt, included the fingers buried deep in his hairs and the yanking followed.

Jonathan sat on his hip. He bent to whisper in Alec's ear, like the way they used to when love was all they had. "The only thing you should care about is pleasing your husband."

No, they couldn't get officially married. Under the table they had exchanged family rings; and it was enough for their silly teenage minds. Now, it was a restraint to Alec, trapping him to be with Jonathan, the man who had lost himself to hatred.

"Jon…" Alec whimpered when his pants were pulled off, baring his legs and ass. "Wear a condom, please."

"I will do whatever I want, Alec." Jonathan rolled his hip and the pain began. Alec bit on the sheet to muffle his screams. Jace's and Clary's bedroom was right next to them.

It was that night Alec had made up his mind.

A/N:

To D: In this story Alec has a different body structure... I make some changes there to fit the story. Max is the child of Alec and Jonathan; and Jonathan and Sebastian are two different people!

To cheesekun: I am not going into details about how Alec could have children but yes, he is born different. The demon attack is random. I hope this chapter meets your expectation.

To anonymous fan: Hello:) I would really like to read your story! I mean, I can have some more fanfics about Mpreg LOL Usually people don't like dark things, but they appreciate it if the end is still good. But it is fine too if the plots require it to end badly. Anyway, I will definitely look forward to your work:D!

And now Alec confesses his identity to Magnus, things are going a bit downhill because the meetings and the Circle chasing after Alec and such. Also, my school is starting like two day later and the update might be slower. But I would ever abandon my story:) So don't worry.

I am looking for a beta too! If there are any mistakes in this chapter, please forgive me; it is like 3 am when I finish this:p

A review is highly appreciated. Wish you all a good day!