A/N: Hello again and sorry for not updating in a while. This chapter is a little more about Magnus then anyone else so yeah.
The portal loomed in front them. Magnus holding it open. Jocelyn and Luke had already stepped through along with Izzy and Maryse. Jace stood there watching as Clary stepped into the portal disappearing. He looked at Alec who stood next to him fiddling with the holes in his sleeves. "Who's next? I can't hold this thing open forever." Magnus called over to them. Alec looked at him. "You should go. I think I might wait for him." He said gesturing to the impatant warlock. "Say no more. I wouldn't want to intrude on your alone time." Jace said with a wink. Alec rolled his eyes.
Jace stepped in front of the portal and took a deep breath. He secretly regretted having breakfast this morning, portal travel made him nauseous. He closed his eyes and stepped through. He thought about New York, no parking, Central Park, the way the city looked in the winter. his head spinned but he smiled when he heard cars and heard the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. He opened his eyes. He was standing in front of the institute which towered over him. He was home. "It's freezing!" Jace turned to see Magnus and Alec standing behind him. "It's January." Alec said. Both came to stand next to Jace. "Where is everyone?" Jace wondered out loud. "Probably inside where it's warm." Magnus said pulling his purple leather jacket tighter around him.
"It took you long enough!" all three looked to see Catarina Loss approaching, a large coat hung open over her scrubs. She walked over till she was in front of them. "How was Idris?" she asked skipping the greeting. "Oh just fantastic, I was drugged, kidnapped, held prisoner by a psychopathic nut case, Introduced my boyfriend to my father, lost Seamus in the demon realms and watched an innocent half breed Shadowhunter get exiled." Magnus said his tone sarcastic. Jace watched as Catarina tried suppressed a smile. "I know." She finally said. " Malcolm told me." Both Alec and Jace looked at each other both confused on who this Malcolm was and how he knew about what happened. "Oh Malcolm told you. Oh of course, because Malcolm knows everything doesn't he?" Magnus said still sarcastic. "He told me you were missing." she stated while stuffing her hands into her pockets. "He was worried about you. I was worried about you!" Magnus looked over his shoulder to where Jace and Alec were still standing then looked back at Catarina. "Maybe we should go inside." Alec said quietly. Jace nodded and started following him. They both left Magnus and Catarina talking in the cold.
Magnus Bane made his way up to his apartment with Catarina behind him. They'd left the institute with Maryse offering him to stay the night (as long as it was in a separate room from her son) but he had gratefully declined. He always felt like an intruder when he was in an institute so he never allowed himself to stay long enough to be offered. "Whenever a Downworlder spends the night in the Nephilims Institutes it is for one of three reasons, one is their a prisoner of the clave, two is they've grown so desperate that they'd had no where else to go, three is they are having 'sleepovers' with one on the residence" he remembered Ragnor saying briefly decades but at the time he'd been referring to to a specific someone and she ended up living in an institute for good forty years.
He stopped in front of his door hearing the sound of salsa music. Magnus turned towards Catarina glaring at her as she shrugged. "You said he left." Magnus said gesturing to the door. "No, I said he didn't accidentally burn the city down while you were gone. I never said he left." She made her point by shoving past him and opening the door.
Malcolm Fade was laying in the middle of Magnus's living room with his legs dangling in the air clearly unaware that they had arrived and were now standing around him. Malcolm was another story altogether. He hadn't always been so… so like he was now. It had been when he was young that he was more present and well …. less broken. But now he was all wide eyed and absent to what was happening around him, his violet eyes looked glazed over and glossy and his fair hair stuck out at odd angles at times. There was a certain beauty to him as well which allowed others who didn't know him well to overlook the pain in his eyes.
Magnus stood over him with his arms crossed. Malcolm who'd just noticed him smiled. "Hello Bane. why so sour?" He said dropping his legs to the floor. Magnus stepped away without responding. He was too exhausted for this. Malcolm made little effort into sit up and bring his knees to his chest. " Not talking are we? It's okay I understand you're not pleased that decided to pay you a visit, What I don't understand is why my presence is so unpleasing." Thankfully it was Catarina who spoke next "Malcolm, let him sleep for twelve hours and then bombarded him all you like. I have to go, so please try not to drive each other crazy." she said heading to the door. "Wait! Don't leave me with him." Magnus pleaded gesturing to Malcolm. Catarina ignored him and the shut the behind her.
Malcolm turned to where Magnus was standing behind the couch. "So tell me all about you new lover, he seem interesting." Magnus narrowed his eyes at him and made his way to the kitchen. Malcolm followed him. Magnus opened one of the cabinets only to find it full of junk food or for the reason he had it breakup food. "You must really like him." Malcolm said from behind him and Magnus turned to face him. He stared at the other warlock blankly. "He's nephilim right?" Magnus still didn't respond. He knew some things were better left untold to Malcolm and he didn't want to talk about it right now and not with him. These were subjects he was better off discussing with Catarina who knew him better than anyone or with Tessa who understood. "Tessa's new lover is nephilim. Well he's not new but she hasn't seen him in a while. Strange man he just came back from being…. what are those things? what do you call them? um… you know the ones with the robes and act as healers?" Magnus watched as he struggled to explain. "Do you mean the silent brothers?" Magnus suggested with a smirk. "Oh yes I knew it was something depressing like that." Malcolm said pleased with himself.
Magnus looked at the floor feeling a slight pang of guilt at the mention of Brother Zachariah. He always did when he went to visit Tessa and he would ask about her visit with him that year. He would always feel like he had failed her, that he had failed them all. Tessa and her boys, the three people whose fates were so distant from each other yet three souls had never been so closely tied together.
He looked up at Malcolm who was staring at his dishwasher as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world. He was so tired. Magnus made his way past Malcolm and out into the hallway. He got some blankets from the hall closet and set up a place for Malcolm in one of guest rooms. He then made his way back to the kitchen to find Malcolm now starring at the oven. "Should I give you two some privacy?" He asked. "Malcolm broke his trance and looked at him surprised. "I think I'm tired now." was all he said. Magnus led his the the room he'd set up and then left for his own room.