Light in Darkness

Chapter four

Magnus wasn't sure what it was that woke him but he immediately sensed that something was opened his eyes looking around the room for any kind of danger. Though he knew the Institute was pretty well guarded and nobody got in without permission of the Lightwoods. Still there wasn't anything around that even hinted at danger, yet Magnus still had the feeling that something was wrong. He looked down at Alec who was once again moaning in pain, but Magnus noticed something that had changed from the time he'd laid down with Alec. His breathing was a whole lot shallower and coming out in sharp gasps. That could mean only one thing: Death wasn't far off. Magnus sat up in the bed and placed his hands on Alec's chest and forced magic through his fingers. He wasn't going to lose Alec like this not if he had anything to do about it.

"Hang on Alec" he whispered as he struggled against the panic in his chest. This was happening too fast they hadn't had the time to even find a cure for him. Not to mention the crisis with Clary. No one had the time to search for the answers Alec needed. Tears started to fill Mangus' eyes as he felt Alec's heartbeat start to falter.

"You can't do this to me" Magnus cried out "You don't have the right to die on me. Don't you know how much I love you and need you? Please just fight for me" He wasn't a bit ashamed of begging, he knew most people would think it was unmanly but he didn't care. The only person he cared about would soon take his last breath and it was all his fault.

"Please Alec just stay with me, I love you that will never change. I'll do anything you want, be anybody you want if you just stay with me." None of this seemed to getting through to the unconscious man lying on the bed. Magnus laid his head over on Alec's chest, listening to the slowing heartbeat. Tears dripped down Magnus' face and onto the chest that was serving as his pillow. "Please" he whispered "Don't do this, I can't stand to be in a world that you're not in." He went silent then just listening to the heart that meant the world to him. He wasn't sure what he would do if Alec died. Just thinking about the words he'd said how he had broken Alec's heart before this had the demons know somehow that Alec had been vulnerable? Did they attack him because of what Magnus had done?

"Is this your way of getting back at me?" Magnus said softly as he tears began to come to an end. He remained where he was lying on Alec's chest. "Because if it is it sucks. I want to apologize but I can't do that without looking into your gorgeous eyes, so please don't quit on me." Magnus closed his eyes trying to get a handle on the agony twisting through his own heart.

All of a sudden the door was thrown open and Jace and Isabelle entered the room. They stopped and stared when they noticed that Alec was still unconscious and he appeared to be even paler than he had been when they'd left. All thoughts of their other situation forgotten as they made their way to his bed.

"I don't think it's going to be much longer now" Magnus said the pain in his voice obvious.

"He has to make it" Isabelle said as she sat down beside Magnus and grabbed Alec's hand in her own. "He won't give up, he's much too strong willed to give up so easily." Jace said nothing he just stared at his best friend unsure of how he should react. He'd already dealt with so much pain in that one day alone he wasn't sure how much more he could handle.

"I don't think he exactly has a choice Iz" Jace said softly finally breaking out of his stupor. "I don't think he wants to go but the poison is working against him."

"Alec can't die" she said tears filling her eyes "He doesn't know how much I love him" she closed her eyes as a wave of grief struck hard. Jace swallowed down his own pain and reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

"He knows Iz he knows how much we love him, he wouldn't do this intentionally, I don't care how much you hurt him" he meant Magnus and he knew it. Of course Magnus had hurt Alec badly when he had broken up with him had Magnus known that this was going to happen he wouldn't have done it. He didn't care what Jace said this was his fault and his fault only.

"Are we just supposed to let him die?" Isabelle asked "are we willing to let him die without doing anything?"

"You know we tried everything we could think and nothing has worked" Jace said "Other than trying the Silent Brother's but I don't think they'll get here in time."

"You're right they wouldn't get here in time" Magnus said softly as he raised his head up from Alec's chest. "His hearts continuing to slow down, the poison is starting to reach it." Jace closed his eyes at the words. How had his day gone so wrong in the space of a few hours? Was he somehow bad luck? It made sense everyone around him was getting hurt, Alec dying, his girlfriend getting raped after getting into it with him. Was he somehow the cause of all this? Opening his eyes he looked down at Alec. His best friend was making soft moans of pain. He almost wished he was gone so that he wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Then again that almost seemed too cruel to even think. Who could wish their best friend dead no matter what circumstances they were in. Jace didn't want to think about life without Alec. Who would he argue with? Who could he go all out in a fight during training? Isabelle wasn't exactly willing to fight him. Not all out anyways.

"How's Clary?" Magnus asked breaking the silence. Jace sighed.

"Not good, but she'll live, she doesn't have any demon poison in her blood to kill her." He didn't want to mention that she looked pretty bad, whomever had beaten her had done quite a job on her. Her face had been so swollen that he could barely recognize her. Whoever had done it, one thing was certain, they had hated her. He wondered briefly who could hurt someone as kind as Clary but then again he didn't really know that much about her before she got involved with the Shadowhunting business.

"I think right now though" Jace said slowly "that we should concentrate on Alec. He's the one in danger of dying, there is time enough for us to worry about her later." Isabelle looked up at him through her red eyes.

"Who are you and what did you do with Jace Wayland?" she asked "The Jace I know would always be concerned about her."

"People change in situations where their family is DYING" Jace snapped irritated that she was questioning him at that moment. She sighed and shook her and then turned back to Alec. His breathing was slowing, making everyone in the room hurt in a way they had never hurt before. They watched as Alec's chest gave one more heave and then was still.

"Alec" Isabelle cried as she launched herself at him "No, please stay with us" she begged "Stay with me, whose going to teach me to be a better Shadowhunter" Tears streamed down her face in a steady downpour. Her sobs were heart wrenched as she leaned over and gently touched Alec's face. Magnus had turned away but it was clear from his shaking shoulders that he was sobbing. No one had thought Alec would actually die, the kid was far too stubborn but apparently the poison had been too much for him to handle.

Jace turned away from the scene in front of him, the pain was almost more then he could bear. He wished in that moment that he could trade places with him, he would in a heartbeat, everyone else needed Alec more than him. He wondered if it would be possible to trade his life for Alec's. It was something he was going to find out, he wasn't going to let Alec stay dead, not if he could help it.

"I'm so sorry man, if I had been a better friend, a better Parabatai then maybe this wouldn't have happened." Jace thought as he struggled with his own pain. They needed him right now but he couldn't get near that bed, couldn't get close to his dead best friend. He was afraid if he got close he was going to break, he didn't need to do that not right now. Not around anyone anyways. Feeling like he was going suffocate Jace headed for the door, He had no intention of leaving the house but he needed to get out of that room, before his heart completely exploded on him. "I'm going to fix this" he thought one way or the other. Magnus and Isabelle wouldn't have to suffer for long. He would make sure of that. Izzy deserved her older brother, especially, after having lost Max not all that long ago. He exited the room and shut the door behind him, leaning against it he closed his eyes and tried not to think about the good times they had shared.

NOT a deathfic. Please understand that I will not leave him dead for long. Thanks for reading and reviewing.