Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Cassandra Clare and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Summary: The New York Institute has been compromised, and Sebastian and Valentine are in the wind. The High Inquisitor is out for blood, and her wrath has zeroed-in on the current head of the Institute; Alexander Lightwood. She decides to make an example out of him, but will her punishment take things too far?

Hurt!Alec and Protective!Jace/Magnus/Izzy. Takes place at the end of s02e18.

Isabelle and Alec had almost made it to Alec's bedroom when crippling pain seared through the eldest Lightwood's abdomen.

He dropped heavily to the floor with a shout, the shirt around his shoulders fluttering uselessly to the ground behind him.

"Alec!"

Izzy quickly knelt down beside her brother, hands hovering awkwardly over him but afraid to touch until she could pinpoint the cause of his pain.

Alec's head was bowed, teeth gritted and eyes squeezed shut as he fought to stay conscious. Every muscle in his body was taut, his entire body shaking with the exertion of keeping the darkness at bay.

Sweat beaded across his flushed skin as he clutched at his left side and gasped for air. Judging by where Alec's hand was, Izzy knew this particular injustice had nothing to do with the Agony rune.

"Gahh! JAAACCCEEEE!" Alec screamed, collapsing onto his right side and writhing on the floor as he felt his Parabatai forcibly torn away from him, the excruciating pain worse than anything he had felt so far.

Izzy did her best to stay calm for the both of them. "Alec, let me see."

He struggled against her, but eventually she managed to peel his hand away from his side just long enough to catch a glimpse of the angry red binding rune just above Alec's Parabatai marking.

"By the Angel…"

The burn flared as soon as the etching was completed, eliciting a choked off yelp from Alec as his hand snapped back into place over the fresh wound, then the marking slowly faded to black.

Alec let out a final whimper and fell still, curled up in the fetal position, as the pain abated just as quickly as it had begun, leaving a black hole of numbness behind in its wake.

The silence stretched on for a full minute before Alec was able to speak again.

"Izzy, I… I can't feel him," he panted, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion as he stared blankly ahead at the bare wall.

"Shh…" Isabelle cooed, sounding much calmer than she felt as she ran her fingers soothingly through her brother's damp hair, brushing the stray strands away from his pale face. "It's gonna be okay."

Her other hand rested on top of Alec's, still protectively cradling his side.

A wave of nausea assaulted Alec and he squeezed his eyes shut as he lay there, jaw clenched and swallowing convulsively.

"Alec?" Izzy prompted softly. "Talk to me, big brother."

Before he could respond, Alec's bedroom door suddenly swung open and Magnus strolled out of it, arms laden with things he had left in Alec's room since their relationship had started to get serious.

The warlock froze, taking in the sight before him.

"Alexander?"

Alec's eyes shot open in surprise, nausea temporarily forgotten as Magnus dropped the goods to the side and crouched down next to the huddled Lightwoods.

"M-Magnus?" the shadowhunter gasped, his throat tightening even further as he blinked up at the immortal man who had crushed his heart mere hours ago. "W-what are you still doing here?" he stuttered out, sounding wary, and to his horror, even a bit hopeful.

Judging by the icy glare Isabelle was giving the warlock after she noticed her brother's discarded possessions, she had already worked that answer out for herself.

"Yeah, Magnus," she snapped. "Why ARE you still here?"

Magnus shifted uncomfortably as he tried to formulate an answer while under the intense gazes of both Lightwoods.

"I was just… It seemed easier to retrieve my belongings while you were…" He gave a broad wave to the Institute at large, then sighed in frustration at his own lack of articulation. "Nevermind that right now. What happened? Are you hurt?"

Noticing that Alec was cradling his left side, Magnus reached out a hand to check for an injury, but Alec quickly twisted away.

"Don't," the younger man warned, his breath hitched at the sudden movement as every muscle in his body quivered against the lingering echoes of pain.

The warlock frowned in concern. "Alexander…"

"I'm fine," the younger man bit out, then the tension in his shoulders slowly began to bleed away and his breathing returned to normal. "Just… Just needed a second."

Using the hand that wasn't protecting his side, Alec levered his torso up into a semi-reclined position with a grunt, looking like a man on a mission.

"Hey. Slow down, tough guy," Izzy chided gently, taking hold of Alec's shoulders to keep him still while sliding gracefully behind him to give her brother something to lean against.

Isabelle's man-handling threw off Alec's tentative balance and his support elbow wobbled drastically. His other hand shot out behind him to share the burden of his weight, inevitably revealing the fresh wound on his side to the warlock's scrutiny.

Magnus's brow furrowed even deeper as he took in the newly revealed mark adorning the pale flesh that he had come to know almost as well as his own over the past few months; A marking that Alec certainly would never have agreed to if he had had any say in the matter.

"Your Parabatai rune… It's been severed by binding magic." Magnus could feel the indignant anger rising in his gut on Alec's behalf. "Who would do such a thing?"

"Imogen Herondale," Izzy replied, practically spitting the name as if it had left a bad taste in her mouth.

Magnus's eyes darkened at the mere mention of the horrid woman. "Why?"

"Because she's a sadistic bitch…" Alec grunted as he pulled his knees up and attempted to get his coltish legs underneath himself. "Just forget it. What's done is done. I need to go find Jace."

As he tried to push his body up off the floor, his shaking arms refused to hold his weight and dumped him back down into Izzy's waiting embrace with a mumbled curse.

"Rest for a second, would you?" Izzy scolded, her grip tightening protectively around her brother's chest as he tried to shake her off and stand up again. "You're just gonna hurt yourself even more."

Alec cocked his head at her incredulously. "Pretty sure a few strained muscles will be the least of my problems over the next twelve hours, Iz."

"Twelve hours?" Magnus questioned, his brain struggling to put the jumbled pieces of the puzzle together.

"That's how long the High Inquisitor's punishment for Alec is going to last," Izzy explained shortly, ignoring the heated glare from her brother for divulging too much information.

"Punishment? What on Earth for?"

"A bunch of trumped up charges that never would've stuck in a proper court trial. But I don't think this has anything to do with upholding the law," Izzy stated. "I just haven't figured out what her game is yet."

"Wouldn't severing their bond hurt both Parabatais?" Magnus inquired. "If I were a betting man, I'd say Alec might not be her only target."

"Maybe not, but Alec's the only one who got the…"

"Izzy!" Alec practically shouted, silencing her instantly.

Magnus's curious gaze shifted between the two Lightwoods who appeared to be in a stalemate, both unmovable forces of nature waiting for the other to submit first.

Whatever Alec was hiding from him, it was serious.

"Ooo-kay… Clearly I'm missing something here."

"Just help me get him into his room?" Izzy requested softly, relenting for her brother's sake. "I'll fill you in on the details later."

"Fair enough," Magnus agreed as he stood back up. "Let's get you inside then, shall we?" He reached for Alec to help pull him to his feet, but the shadowhunter instantly balked.

"What? No! Guys, I told you. I need to go find…"

"Alec, don't fight us on this," Izzy chastised. "You can barely stand let alone go hunting through the halls in search of Jace."

"But he…!"

"I will go find him, okay? You need to stay here in case the pain ramps up again. Imogen was right about one thing. We don't need to broadcast this through the entire Institute. You should lay low until the punishment is over."

Alec ground his teeth together in frustration, then nodded his concession. "Fine. But if I can't go to him, you've gotta bring Jace to me. I need to see that he's okay."

The 'he doesn't handle being alone well' remained unspoken but clearly understood between them.

She nodded. "Of course."

Slightly mollified, Alec finally allowed Magnus to grasp his arms and pull him to his feet. No more sense in delaying the inevitable.

When the younger man swayed precariously on his way to vertical, Magnus quickly drew Alec's right arm across his shoulders, taking on most of his weight.

Izzy rose to her feet as well, ready to hold up her end of the promise, but she hesitated when her brother faltered.

"Alec, are you sure you're…"

"I've got him, Isabelle," Magnus reassured, securing his grip more firmly around Alec's waist to keep him upright. "Go find Jace. Bringing them together may help ease the strain of their separation."

Izzy locked eyes with her brother questioningly, making sure he was okay with the idea of being left alone with Magnus, even if only for a short time.

Regardless of how mortifying it was to be babysat by his ex, Alec's concern for his Parabatai easily outweighed his pride.

He inclined his head slightly, and Izzy nodded once in approval. "Alright. I'll be back soon."

Then with a swish of her long black hair, his sister was gone.

Magnus cleared his throat, clearly feeling the palpable tension between them in Izzy's absence. "Right then. Let's get you into bed, shall we?"

Alec felt the blush rise up his neck and into his face at Magnus's suggestion, remembering a much more pleasant time when those words had been spoken by that sultry voice.

The warlock looked stricken and quickly backtracked. "I didn't mean… I was just…"

Alec's eyes skirted away and locked onto his bedroom door, willing it to come closer. "I know what you meant," he replied flatly, trying his best not to sound dejected.

Afraid to say the wrong thing again, Magnus opted to keep his mouth shut and focused on setting them into motion instead.

It took longer than either of them would've anticipated, but eventually, Magnus managed to get them across the threshold and lowered Alec safely onto the edge of his bed.

"Thank you," Alec stated earnestly, receiving a kind smile in return.

"Is there anything else I can get you? A blanket? Or a stiff drink, perhaps?"

"No, thanks. I uh…" Alec flexed the wrist that was still trapped by Magnus's grip on the far side of the warlock's shoulders to remind the man that it was time to let go. "I just need some sleep."

Polite and subtle, but point taken. Magnus had overstayed his welcome.

"Of course. I suppose I should leave you to it then."

Magnus released his hold and allowed Alec to reclaim his arm, though the stilted way the younger man moved and the grimace that crossed his face as he did so caught the warlock's attention.

"Are you sure you're alright? Did you injure your shoulder when you fell?"

"No," Alec answered, a bit too quickly. "It's fine. Like I said, I'm just tired."

Magnus stared at him intently, a fond smile crossing his lips and a touch of humor in his sparkling eyes, until Alec couldn't take it anymore.

"What?" he demanded.

"You know what I've always loved most about you, Alexander?"

Alec quirked a tired eyebrow at him, clearly not in the mood to start guessing.

"Your inability to lie. It truly is a rare gift these days."

Alec bit his lip and looked away. "Look, Magnus, I…"

Magnus held up a hand. "No explanation needed. But if the pain gets any worse, send me a fire message. I could whip something up that would help."

"Yeah. I'll do that," Alec replied, but again, Magnus knew he was lying. The awkward fidgeting and lack of eye contact were dead giveaways.

Alec's hand strayed to his left side of its own accord, his eyes locked on the door, waiting for his Parabatai to walk through it at any second.

Magnus had rarely seen the shadowhunter looking so lost before. He gently squeezed Alec's knee, drawing his attention back and giving him something else to focus on.

"I know this can't be easy, but remember, Alexander, this separation from Jace is only temporary. By this time tonight, you'll be reunited, and no doubt your bond will be stronger than ever."

Alec nodded somberly, then Magnus finally began to pull away in earnest.

"Alright. As I said, let me know if the pain gets any worse. I'll be home all…"

As the ornate rings on his left hand grazed past the middle of Alec's branded back, the young shadowhunter reflexively jerked forward with a hiss of pain, unintentionally exposing the Agony rune to Magnus.

The warlock's eyes instantly widened in surprise.

"What in the name of Edom…?"

Realizing his mistake, Alec tried to sit back up quickly, but the damage had already been done. The warlock easily caught hold of Alec's tense shoulders before he could escape.

"Magnus, wait…"

The older man angled him so that the light streaming in from the open door illuminated the shadowhunter's other latest rune, leaving no room for doubt as to what his "punishment" truly entailed.

Magnus's eyes instantly flashed yellow with fury, his own traumatic experience with the mark still painfully fresh and seared into his mind.

"Imogen did this to you?" he demanded in a deadly tone.

"Stay out of this, Magnus," Alec mumbled, halfheartedly attempting to pull away again.

Even that feeble struggle was enough to make the younger man's stomach clench uncomfortably in protest. The burning from the mark had already spread throughout the muscles in his back, knotting and tearing as it went.

He couldn't quite contain the flinch when Magnus quickly turned him around so that they were face-to-face. Although, Alec's reaction had more to do with having to confront the angry warlock than any physical pain he was experiencing.

"The Agony rune isn't just a slap on the wrist, Alexander. Imogen is making this personal, just as she did with Valentine. What does she have against you?"

Alec knew Magnus meant well, but the last thing he wanted to do was get into that lengthy conversation right now.

"Nothing. I screwed up, and now I'm paying the price for it. Simple as that."

"Fine," Magnus stated sharply as he stood to his full height and turned for the door. "If you won't tell me, then I'll go demand answers straight from the source."

"Magnus, stop!" Alec called after him, rising unsteadily to his own feet. "Just drop it, alright? This is none of your concern!"

"None of my concern?!" the warlock demanded, spinning back around.

"You wanted to break up, remember? You can't have it both ways! I'm not your problem anymore, so stay out of this and go back to hunting down Valentine with the other Downworlders. He's the priority here."

"Alexander…"

"Magnus, please. Don't make this any worse than it already is," Alec practically begged, his voice so soft that he sounded utterly broken.

Magnus swallowed down his anger and waited for his demon eyes to return to normal before approaching Alec and gently cradling his face in his hands.

"Just because we're no longer together, it doesn't mean I don't care about you, Alec. Just tell me what this is about. Maybe I can help."

Alec could feel another intense wave of pain starting to build and he was desperately trying to hold it together until he managed to get Magnus out of the room.

His entire torso now felt like a raw, open wound, similar to the aches and pains he has felt after particularly grueling hunts. The kind that required assistance from the iratze rune. It took every bit of his remaining strength to keep that pain concealed.

Maybe after the warlock left, he'd give an iratze a try… But he had to get Magnus to leave first. Showing weakness in front of his ex was not an option.

"You've done enough already, Magnus. Just go. And don't forget your box on the way out."

Alec's hands were shaking as he pulled the warlock's wrists away from his face and took a step back. The sooner Magnus left, the sooner he could wallow in his misery and drop the façade he was struggling so hard to maintain.

Unfortunately, the warlock didn't seem to be picking up on his cues.

"There's no rush. I can wait with you until Isabelle returns if you'd…"

Alec's frustration quickly morphed into anger.

"What part of 'just go' do you not understand?!" he snapped back. "I don't want you here, Magnus, and I sure as hell don't need a babysitter!"

Sensing that the situation was quickly spiraling out of control, Magnus hardened his heart and donned the mask of professional warlock instead of concerned ex-boyfriend.

"I see. Apologies for the unannounced intrusion. I'll just… take my leave then."

Magnus turned and headed for the door. As he gripped the knob, Alec's nausea returned with a vengeance, doubling him over.

He tried to stumble his way to the bathroom at the other end of the room, but the pain had reached the muscles in his legs and they screamed at him in protest, refusing to hold his weight.

His knees buckled and he pitched forward, landing hard on the wooden floor again with a yelp, which was quickly followed by the sounds of distressed retching.

Magnus paused as soon as he heard the loud thud behind him. He had the door cracked and the view of the long stretch of hallway was calling his name.

Part of him wanted to rush to the shadowhunter's aid, but the other part of him considered leaving the boy to stew in his own mess for a change. He warred with himself for a moment, then…

"Please, just g-go," Alec begged quietly, then retched again, followed by a furious, "Ah! Damn it!"

Mind made up, the warlock closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh as he collected his emotions, then shut the door and went back to Alec's side.

He waved his hand and cleared up the mess of bile on the floor- thankfully, Alec hadn't had the chance to eat that morning yet- then stooped down and carefully levered Alec back up and onto the bed again.

"Why must you always be so damned stubborn?"

Alec let out a miserable huff of laughter as he laid back on the hard mattress, one knee raised and his left arm wrapped protectively around his stomach.

He pressed his right thumb and forefinger against his throbbing eyes, trying to keep the manifesting migraine at bay. "Takes one to know one. You really don't need to be here for this, Magnus."

"I know. But I want to be."

"Because you enjoy watching me suffer?" Alec joked darkly, earning a playful swat on his shoulder from the warlock.

"No. Because you should never have to suffer alone."

Alec stared up at the plain ceiling, unable to look the warlock in the eye. "What if I deserve it?"

Magnus scoffed. "Having been on the receiving end of that horrible rune myself, I can assure you, no one deserves that level of misery."

"Not even me?" Alec asked softly, his eyes finally connecting with Magnus's and the pain in them reflected more than just the physical kind.

Magnus shook his head sadly. "Especially not you, Alexander."

Alec suddenly hissed and dropped his right arm to join the left, hugging his burning midsection as the pain flared again, trying to focus on breathing through the fiery torment that was tearing up and down the muscles of his entire body.

He barely registered the dip of the mattress as Magnus sat beside him, but there was no mistaking the gentle hands that rested on his biceps, grounding him when all else failed.

The warlock waited patiently for Alec's pain to abate, whispering words of comfort as the shadowhunter tossed and turned beneath his steadying grip, desperately trying to escape the agony until it finally plateaued.

Alec fell still, panting heavily and swallowing reflexively against the bile that was forcing its way up his throat again.

When he opened his eyes, he realized that he had curled into Magnus's side, the top of his head pressed against the warlock's leather-clad thigh, the fabric of which was tightly grasped in his fist.

The warlock took it all in stride, running one hand gently up and down Alec's bare arm while the other cradled his head, soothing him until the tension in his body slowly began to bleed away.

As embarrassed as Alec was by the situation, he couldn't force himself to demand distance between them again. He wanted to be strong, but he needed Magnus, now more than ever.

"I… I'm sorry, Magnus," he whispered out between panting breaths.

"What on Earth for?"

"For lying to you. For pushing you away. I screwed everything up."

"Nonsense. We've both made mistakes, Alexander. I'll admit that I'm rather embarrassed about how I reacted to whole the situation.

"You'd think, considering my age, I would've had the wisdom and fortitude to handle a break-up better and not go running to the Seelie Queen for retribution. But believe it or not, letting you go was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do."

"Which is why you shouldn't have to see me like this," Alec muttered dejectedly. "It's not fair to you."

"Alexander, whether we're together or not, I will always do what I can to help you. I only wish you had told me about the mark sooner. I know at least three different spells that could've protected you from some of this pain."

"Think that sort of defeats the purpose of an Agony rune, Magnus."

Alec nuzzled his head against Magnus's thigh and closed his eyes, enjoying the brief respite while it lasted, and the warlock continued his comforting strokes until he felt the shadowhunter become pliant beneath his hands.

"I won't tell if you won't," he responded, softly.

Gently, Magnus upped the pressure against Alec's shoulder until he was able to roll him flat onto his back with little protest. Alec squinted up at him, his exhausted eyes cracking back open to half-mast. "What're you doin'?" he croaked out past a dry throat.

Magnus snapped the fingers of his other hand, manifesting a blue ball of light into his palm. "Close your eyes and try to breathe deeply. This may tingle a bit…"

Magnus started to direct the fiery orb towards the younger man's chest. Then suddenly, the shadowhunter's eyes widened in fear as he threw out a hand, latching onto the warlock's wrist and preventing the orb from getting any closer.

"Wait, Magnus! W-wait! What if… What if the High Inquisitor finds out you interfered? She'll come after you next for getting in the way of Clave business."

Magnus scoffed. "Let her try."

"I won't let you take that chance. Not for me. Please, just… Don't."

Magnus sighed and let the magic slip away into the air around them. After all, there was plenty more where it came from. Then he gently took hold of Alec's restraining wrist and maneuvered it to rest across his lower abdomen, reuniting it with Alec's other arm.

He leaned over the nervous boy with a confident expression on his face.

"Listen to me, Alexander. I'm not afraid of Imogen, or the Clave. There's nothing they can do to me that I haven't survived at least once already. The only question here is do you still trust me?"

Alec didn't even have to consider the question. He looked directly into Magnus's eyes to be sure there were absolutely no doubts about it.

"Always," he responded, confidently.

Magnus beamed at him. "Then trust that I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. If done right, the Clave need never know I interfered."

After the slightest hesitation, Alec gave a small nod of acquiescence and settled back down again.

Magnus snapped the ball of flames back into existence and used his other hand to keep a light grip on Alec's crossed wrists to prevent any further protestations.

"Alright. Now, close your eyes, and try to lie still…"

TBC

Please review! #saveshadowhunters

AN: I was going to wait a few more days before posting again, but this is for you, Whumplove! Thanks for all your support, and hope this chapter didn't disappoint!