3

Everybody Wants to be a Cat

"Logan?" Magnus blanched. "Really?" He nodded. "Well, that's just too cute." He shrugged.

"Just my name." he blushed. Alec smiled warmly.

"Well," Magnus sighed, clapping his hands together. "Despite my having a few drinks before ten-"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Chairman Meow mumbled. Magnus scowled.

"Yes, thank you, Logan," he frowned. "Alright, I refuse to call you that. It sounds too weird. I'll stick to Meow."

"Yeah, that's not gonna sound weird," Alec scoffed.

"What?" Magnus shrugged. "It's Brooklyn! A lot of people have weird nicknames like that."

"But calling him Chairman Meow-"

"…Will still get us shot at, yes. He's had the name I gave him for almost fifty years now and I'm not about to call him something different."

"I would expect you to," Logan said quietly.

"Right, anyway, as I was saying, I'm hungry," the warlock said, standing. I say we go out for breakfast and then go shopping for you. Seeing as you and your itty bitty self won't be able to fit into our clothes comfortably you'll be needing your own."

Logan's eyes lit up, a dimpled smile filling his cheeks. Alec smiled and shook his head. "He can't get any cuter," he said, looking at Magnus.

"Oh, just wait. I'll bet that sweet little grin of his will lose its luster before this thing is over," he sighed. "Alright, Meow, let's find something for you to wear."

Logan was pulling a dark gray sweater over his head when the door buzzed. He jumped as per usual, making Magnus laugh.

"Down, kitty," he chuckled. He left the room, going downstairs. Logan fought the urge to follow him and see who it was. He rolled up the sleeves four times before he found his fingers and still felt like he was swimming.

"I still don't know why Magnus won't shrink them," Alec sighed.

"They don't fit right when you change 'em back," he said softly.

"Alec!" Magnus called, stepping back inside, "your family and Clary here." Jace, Clary and Isabelle followed him in.

"Oh my God," Isabelle gasped, her eyes resting on Chairman Meow. "He is so cute, where did you get him?"

"Aw," Clary cooed.

"Alright, alright," Magnus huffed, "this isn't a zoo. This is, er, was my cat. This is Chairman Meow, otherwise known as Logan. And, well, you know all of them."

He nodded. Isabelle went to him, a flirtatious smile playing on her lips. Magnus rolled his eyes.

"God, she just needs a pulse, doesn't she?" He growled.

"Not even," Jace snorted. "She does vampires, remember?" Clary smacked his arm. "What?" She rolled her eyes and looked away.

"So, uh," Isabelle smirked, looking down at him. "Since you're human now you probably need someone to show you around this crazy city, eh?"

He looked at her for a beat. "Ya know, there's a lot I want to do," he grinned. "Starting with this."

He stalked over to Jace, who frowned and stared at him as he approached. In one swift movement, the smaller man grabbed his butt.

"WHOA!" Jace exclaimed, jumping away and hiding behind Clary. "WHAT THE HELL?"

"Calm down, it was one feel." Logan shrugged. Isabelle's mouth hung open, absolutely mortified. Magnus and Clary were laughing hysterically.

"What did I tell you?" The warlock said, gesturing to Logan, who was looking at his fingers and wiggling his toes. "He's a conniving little shit!" The cat shrugged. Alec laughed, shaking his head.

"That is the first time a guy has overlooked me for my brother," Izzy said, still in disbelief. Jace shuddered.

"Well, that answers that question," Alec chuckled.

"Sorry," Logan said, chewing his lip. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

"You turned your cat gay," Jace said, shaking his head.

"Before this gets any worse, why are you here?" Magnus asked. The three Shadowhunters exchanged glances.

"Um, what did you do last night?" Isabelle asked. Magnus smirked.

"Your brother." Jace and Izzy grimaced, Clary blushed and clapped her hand over her mouth and Alec turned bright red. Logan barked a laugh. "I was in Long Island taking care of something."

"Did…did you happen to kill someone while you were there?" Clary asked. Magnus stared at her, expression blank.

"Why?" He asked. Chairman Meow looked between all of them, frowning. Magnus's gaze stayed locked with hers, unrelenting.

"Because, there's a gang of warlock's that went to the Clave saying you killed one of their friends in cold blood," Jace said, taking the attention off of Clary.

"That's a lie," Magnus said, stony faced.

"Can you prove that?" Isabelle asked. Magnus rolled his eyes and lifted his hand, taking a piece of paper out of thin air. He tossed it to Isabelle, who snatched it out of the air with ease.

"'I hereby state for all to recognize that this man has committed crimes against both Mundanes and Downworlders. It is decided by several witnesses –myself included- that this man will die under this paid contract by the previously approved by the Clave High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane," the warlock recited, sounding bored. He held his hand out toward a cabinet to his right, which popped open immediately. A small vial escaped from it and flew into his palm. He held it out to Jace.

"Give that to your mother, she'll know what to do with it. I didn't kill that warlock for no reason, trust me. If you had seen the things that son of a bitch had done you'd have killed him too. I'll face the Inquisitor's sword if I have to, hell, throw me at the Silent Brothers, but I was justified in my decision to kill that man. He was a sadistic bastard and now that he's gone a community can sleep easier." He looked around at them. "Any questions?"

"I told you so," Clary mumbled. Jace frowned.

"Hey, I-"

"…Am prejudice and assume that I would do something like that strictly because my blood gives me all the probability to do so, just like Maryse and Robert had assumed as well," Magnus smirked. Jace glared at him, only making his smile bigger.

"I questioned you," Izzy shrugged.

"It's fine. Take those to Maryse before I have Nephilim coming to arrest me. Now," he stood, snapping his fingers, making coats appear on Alec, Logan and himself. "We have somewhere to be."

The gray pea-coat was much too big for the smaller man. The hem fell to the back of his knees whereas it would have been to the waist on someone of normal height. The plaid scarf fell to his knees as well and he had to push the white knitted hat above his eyes just so he could see.

"I don't like being this small," he grumbled. "Why am I so bundled up?"

"Because you're a lot smaller than Alec and I are and it's very cold out," Magnus said pointedly, tugging on red leather gloves.

Clary smiled. "Gay or not, he's still super cute." Logan blushed and shook his head.

"Alright, we're going to breakfast, then we're finding him clothes," Magnus said, linking his fingers in Alec's.

"Can we-?" Clary and Isabelle began in unison.

"Absolutely not!" Magnus said firmly. "My cat, my money, I pick what he's wearing, got it?"

"If you see something you like just tell me," Alec whispered, winking. Logan smiled and nodded.

"If Maryse or Robert has any questions let me know," Magnus said, ushering them out, Alec and Logan in tow. Jace, Clary and Izzy hailed a cab while Magnus walked. "It's only a few blocks. Tell me if you get too cold," he said.

Logan wasn't paying attention. He was looking up at the snowflakes gently floating to the ground, catching a few on his nose. He smiled, feeling, at last, human.

Cold…dark…I don't want to be here…someone let me out, please…

The boy shivered in this dark, damp hole, naked and blind, listening to whatever was crawling around in the crawl-space with him. His stomach churned and rumbled with hunger, throat begging for water and using fire to get attention.

He prayed…and prayed…and prayed…He didn't know what else he could do. How many times could you beg God for forgiveness with every fiber in your being?

If only he hadn't had that dream. The dream where that nameless boy that made him feel better just for a minute kissed him. Just one kiss. He'd never been kissed, or hugged…or loved. And in those few seconds, he was loved.

NO! He screamed at himself. NO! You will burn for those thoughts, those sins! You're an abomination before God Almighty…disgusting, filthy demon! …Oh, God, please, help me!

He'd been here for days. No food, no water, no warmth, no light…nothing. Just his own mind condemning his own soul. He'd stayed huddled in this corner, crying…so cold, so guilt-ridden.

The panel across the porch he'd been tossed under opened, letting in morning light. He squinted against it, begging that he would be let out of here this time. A pile of clothes were tossed inside.

"Get dressed, boy, you got school." He waited for the footsteps to die away before diving for the small bundle, hastily pulling them on, his shame diluting just a little. A tear dripped onto his glasses as he put them on. He blinked, finally able to see again. He crawled out into the backyard and ran inside.

He darted into the bathroom, checking his appearance for irregularities that he would have to right.

He was pallid and gaunt, dark circles like violent bruises under his dark eyes. He wiped the dirt from his cheek sand shook the dust from his hair. He put on deodorant and sprayed cologne to mask the earthy smell that enveloped him. He pulled on his jacket to hide the bruises on his arms and snatched up his backpack from the hallway.

He headed for the door, stomach aching at the thoughts of the food in the kitchen he was walking through. He stopped abruptly when his father barred his way.

"Has you lesson been learned, boy?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have the sinful thoughts been cast from your mind?"

"Yes, sir. M-may I eat t-today, sir?" He whispered.

"You keep Fasting until tonight, understand?" His heart sank, stomach rumbling painfully.

"Yes, sir."

"And I will check to see if you ate," he warned, moving out of his way.

"Yes sir."

He ran out the door, jogging up to Darren, who was waiting at the corner.

"Way to get the lead out," he chuckled.

"Sorry," the boy smiled. "Haven't slept much this weekend. Studied like crazy."

"No wonder. You look like shit," Darren said, smiling. "And you don't need to study. The curve's set on you anyway. It'd help a lot of people if you bombed a test or two."

The boy smiled and shook his head. Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly, making silence lapse between them before they broke into fits of laughter.

"Hungry?" Darren asked, cocking a brow.

"Hell no," the boy lied, frowning. "No, no. I think I caught that stomach bug goin' around."

"Man, you got the short end of every stick, huh?"

"Seems like."

They laughed, but Darren saw the purple bruise peeking from under the collar of his T-shirt. He knew better, but he couldn't say a word, not if his best friend wanted it to be a secret.

"I think someone owes you a bone," he chortled. The boy looked up briefly, half-smiling, doubful.

"Maybe."