Alec had been sitting down on his desk for hours and hours reading through the books about the demon drugs and the demons. It had been hours. The sun had seemed to set quicker and now it was night. The dark blue sky shone through the stained windows of the Institute while the fireplace illuminated the way. Alec had been up for hours, running on what seemed like almost only coffee and some cookies. It would be over soon when Alec saved the world again. He rubbed his eyes from his body's exhaustion. He needed to stay awake for a few more hours. Just a few more hours. Alec yawned loudly before cursing at himself for getting tired. He walked over to try and get his coffee cup before realizing that he had poured it off for having too much sugar inside of it. Alec rolled his eyes at himself and leaned back onto his couch instead of his desk. It had been a long night it had just turned midnight.

Alec wanted to go to sleep back at the loft and hold Magnus' close to his chest. But he couldn't. He knew that he couldn't. Because he and Magnus were fighting and there was a Circle out there. He could fix him and Magnus later. Right now, he needed to fix what was happening in New York City. Alec sighed, going into his desk and picking up a bottle of seltzer that Magnus have given him to drink to boost up energy. Alec thought that it was gross, but he sipped it nonetheless. He closed the bottle and picked up another book and started to look through the pages, not hearing as some kind of shimmering tone started to play from behind him. It sounded like it was from cartoon if you could imagine it.

From behind the couch appeared a female figure dressed a long beautiful silk dress, with a golden circlet on top of her head with a teardrop pearl hanging from the top of her forward. Alec didn't pay her any mind and he just kept on looking for the drug. The woman behind him slowly leaned forward and boomed into Alec's ear: "ALEXANDER GIDEON LIGHTWOOD!"

Alec jumped off the couch, screaming loudly from shock. If you asked him about it, he would deny his shock. He he thought that he was safe in the protection of his office inside of the Institute. He should have been prepared for something. Anything Why not some kind of magical woman as well? He crawled over to his desk and pulled out a seraph blade from one of the drawers. He held it out at the person, looking closely to see who it was. And he was shocked to see that it was his mother Maryse. "Mom?" Alec called out. "Mom what the hell are you doing here? I thought that you were in Idris?"

"I am not your mother." said the woman that looked just like Alec's very own mother. She adjusted her circlet and moved away from behind the couch. "I am here to give you a warning Alec Lightwood."

"Mom, listen… if Izzy and Jace set you up to do this, I do not have the time." Alec said. "I'm very very busy right now."

"Doing what?" she picked up a book and threw it back down. "Reading?"

"Researching. I have demons to stop." Alec said, sighing. "Look Mom, it's a very late night, and that's a very nice dress, but can we talk another time."

"I am not your mother. Do I remind you of her?" she asked, twirling her hair in her fingers. Alec walked over to his desk and grabbed his favorite picture of his entire family. It was him, Izzy, Max, Jace and Maryse standing on the top of the Empire State Building with a restrained demon underneath Max's and Izzy's feet. The Maryse look-a-like looked at the picture confused. "Hmm, you're right. This looks just like me. But then again, I just take the form of what the spell allows for the person in question."

"Mom, please stop with this prank that's going on." Alec said.

"Listen here Alexander Lightwood and listen well because I don't like repeating myself and I don't have time for this." she said. "I'm here to warn you about your Christmas spirit. Change it."

"Mother…" the back of Alec's head was slapped hard. "Mom! Ow!"

"Listen nephilim. I am warning you. Change your ways before the ghosts appear."

"Ghosts? What ghosts? What are you talking about?"

"The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future." the look-a-like Maryse said, moving a huge chunk of her hair from one shoulder to the other. Alec gave her a crazy stare.

"Mom-uh, whatever or whoever you are, Christmas isn't something that I should be worrying about. Now leave before I make you." Alec threatened.

The Maryse look-a-like just shrugged her shoulders. "Fine then." she said. "But I warned you."

She snapped her fingers and Alec found himself jolting awake on the couch. He kicked some of the books down and looked around. There was no MaryseMaryse in his room now. It was just him. Alec raised his eyebrows confused. Was that a dream? He didn't recall falling asleep. Alec rubbed his eyes and he stood back up to head over to his desk. He had to try hard to focus again. He looked through the pages again, writing down a few notes on the drug that had been used. Alec once again, too distracted on writing out notes on the drug that he didn't even notice another figure start to materialize behind his desk chair. The time changed almost quickly. From midnight to one AM. Alec grumbled to himself before once again hearing someone yell in his ear: "ALEXANDER GIDEON LIGHTWOOD!"

Alec yelped out in fright before jumping over his desk and landing in front of it. Alec sat up and saw a dark skinned man dressed in similar white silk to what his mom was wearing earlier. A long white silk robe with bronze accents pants to go along. Wait, that wasn't his mother. That was a dream. He looked over and recognized that the man was Luke. He had a similar circlet on the top of his head, but it was bronze instead of gold. "Luke?" Alec called out. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Nope. I'm not Luke. But I am supposed to look like someone that you know right?" said the look-a-like Luke Garroway. Alec gave him a blank stare. "What?"

"Okay, I know that you and my mom are a thing, but did she put you up to this?" Alec asked.

"I'm not your mother's boyfriend if that's what you're implying. I'm here to warn you, since you obviously did not listen to the first one." the Luke look-a-like said. "Come on. It has been a whole hour."

Alec looked over at the time, a bit shocked. "I guess that I wasn't paying attention to the time… well it doesn't matter. I have very important work to do."

Alec moved to get back to his desk, but Luke raised his hand. Pushing him back lightly. "No, no, no, no, no. Not this time Alexander."

"It's Alec." Alec corrected.

"Well the spell says your name is Alexander, but if that is what you prefer to be called I will work with it." he responded, jumping down the chair and putting his legs up.

"Wait spell? What the spell? Am I under a spell?"

"I've said too much. So let's skip the chit chat and get straight to the root of the issue. This is your second and last warning. People usually get one but apparently you need two to get the point across before the ghosts arrive."

Alec hled both his hands out. "No, no, no, no. Ghosts? Spell? It's so obvious." Alec said.

"You do?" Look-a-like Luke asked, sitting up with a excited look in his eyes.

"Yes. It's so obvious." Alec said, shaking his head. "Magnus put you up to this. Ugh… this is so Magnus. I'm going to go talk to him, I don't care if he's sleeping."

The magical look-a-like Luke groaned loudly, rolling his eyes and moving his hand. The office door slammed shut. Alec turned over slowly looking at Luke. "Now can you please pay attention." Luke yelled.

"Since when you did you have magic? You're a shadowhunter turned werewolf!"

"I am not this Luke that you speak of. I am your warning, you second because you can't seem to listen. Change your ways about Christmas."

"Why does this all revolve around Christmas?!" Alec yelled. "It's just a stupid mundane holiday!"

"Wrong. It is not. And you will see exactly why if you don't focus on this." The Luke look-a-like responded. "Now, I hope that you will change your ways before the ghosts have to remind you."

"Wait what ghost- hold on Luke-" Alec was cut off mind sentence when Luke snapped his fingers. Alec raised his head from his desk, jerking awake and looking around confused. He turned at the clock. It was one forty five. He hadn't fallen asleep the second time. Had he? What was going on? And what spell were they talking about in his dream. "Magnus." he growled, standing up. This had to be his doing. This had to be some kind of elaborate prank that he started to try and get Alec to get in the Christmas spirit. Alec slammed his fist on the desk and moved to go talk to him but stopped.

Going to him and yelling meant that Magnus would know that this was getting to him. And that meant that Magnus won. Alec smiled and shook his head. He wouldn't let Magnus win. He wouldn't let this get to him. "Ha ha!" he yelled out to himself. "Very funny Magnus! But Christmas isn't that important! Humbug!"

Alec turned over and sat back down at his desk. "Ghosts of Christmas. Pssh. Funny joke Maggie.


Asmodeus slowly crept through the halls of the Institute. Everyone was sleeping and he needed to make sure that it stayed that way. He looked through the halls, trying to find anything landmarks that would remind him of the room that he saw Magnus in. He cursed himself, setting down the little demon turned puppy. "Go on, find him." he said in a whisper. The small puppy let out an adorable bark before running through the halls of the Institute. Asmodeus followed him slowly, not wanting to alert any shadowhunters. It's not like he could. He had a glamour on twenty times as better as any shadowhunters or downworlders. As the prince of hell passed through the halls, he stopped hearing some noises. He peered through the door, looking over and seeing Alexander Lightwood. His head was on the desk and he was muttering to himself. Asmodeus smiled.

"Guess the spell worked. Ah. Merry Christmas Alec Lightwood." he said, before hearing some scratching on wood. Asmodeus turned the corner and saw the little demon puppy scratching it's adorable paws against a door. "Is he here? Is Magnus in here?"

The puppy let out an adorable yelp. Asmodeus picked him up again and held him in the crook of his elbow, summoning a small treat for him. He pushed the door opened slowly and walked inside. The room was exactly the one he saw in the mirror. He looked over and saw a large bed pressed against the wall. And sleeping in the middle of it was Magnus. Beside him was three shadowhunters, but they wouldn't notice him. Asmodeus loomed closer and saw that he was sleeping in absolute pain. He looked over at his burned leg, that was wrapped up. Nephilim, he thought, running his hand over the leg and the burn slowly started to go away. Magnus' sweat covered face changed from one of pain of one to absolute calm and peacefulness. The greater demon smiled and walked closer to the bed, leaning over and pressing a kiss against his son's forehead.

"My beautiful boy." he whispered. The demon puppy in his arms moved forward and started to press sweet licks against Magnus' lips. Magnus smiled in his sleep. "Come on, come on now boy. Let Maggie sleep. He has a long day ahead of him tomorrow with his nephilim boyfriend." the puppy barked a bit. "Oh what are we going to do? Well Alec does not a ghost of Christmas future now doesn't he. Come on. Let's show him the future."

The puppy barked agreeably and licked Asmodeus' arm as he was carried out of the bedroom. Magnus opened his eyes as soon as the door shut, looking around for the source of the noise. He didn't see anything. Just the vast darkness of the bedroom. Magnus sighed, moving back down against the bed and falling back into the deep sleep. Not even noticing that the pain in his leg had gone