The sun was high overhead when Alec reached the Institute. He slumped against the door, exhausted by the small effort of walking…what? A few miles? He blushed.
He got shakily to his feet. Placing a hand on the doorknob, he thought, I am Alec Lightwood, one of the Nephilim, and I ask entrance to the Institute. The door stayed stubbornly shut. He frowned. I am Alec Lightwood—and yelped with surprise. The doorknob, which had been cool, had suddenly become flaming hot. He hissed in pain. I didn't realize it would do that! But why—he bit his lip. Of course, his family thought he was dead, so the security system did too. The only thing left to do was…he sighed, and knocked on the door.
"Coming!" called a sleepy voice from inside the house. He recognized it as Isabelle. He heard her struggling with and cursing at the heavy lock. He had to stifle a smile. Typical Izzy, who couldn't even open a door. But finally she managed and the heavy wooden door swung open. "Hello—" she started, then cut off abruptly and stared.
Alec stared, too. His sister was a mess. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt. Her skin looked like she hadn't washed it in days. Deep shadows hung under her eyes.
Neither sibling spoke for a moment. "I'm home," Alec said finally, in a desperate attempt to break the silence.
Izzy screamed with delight and leaped at her brother. He caught her and only just managed to keep both of them from toppling off the porch. "Hey," he said, wincing. "Careful. Ouch."
"Alec!" Izzy cried, sobbing into his shoulder. "You're alive! I don't believe it!" She hugged him tightly, as though afraid that if she loosened her grip that he would disappear again.
Alec hugged her back. "I missed you," he said, his voice catching. Dammit, I am not going to cry. But he felt the telltale moisture in his eyes all the same.
Izzy finally stepped back, her eyes shining. "Is it really you?" she whispered.
"It's really me."
"Oh my gosh." She hugged him again. "Now, c'mon, we gotta go see Mom and Dad." She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the hallway.
Maryse was sitting on the living room couch with her head down, her shoulders shaking. Robert was sitting next to her with one arm around her, murmuring softly to her. Isabelle made her way over to her mother and whispered something to her. To Alec it sounded like, "Mom, look who's here."
Maryse slowly raised her head. When she spotted her son, she stood, moving towards him as if in a dream. She stopped a few feet away, as if unwilling to believe it was him. "My baby boy," she whispered, raising a hand to touch his face. "Can it really be true?"
"Mom, it's true." Alec said. "I'm here. I'm alive."
And she was hugging him, and he felt like a child again, safe and protected and loved. "Alec," she whispered. "My baby! You're alive! You're alive!" Then Robert and Isabelle were hugging him too, and they all were laughing and crying at the same time, one big happy family. But finally Alec had to break away. "Where's Jace?" he asked.
"Upstairs," Robert answered. "With Clary."
"I'm going to go see them." Alec started up the ancient stone stairs. Isabelle moved as if to follow him, but Maryse held her back.
"Let him go alone." Isabelle looked murderous but didn't answer.
He found Jace sitting on his bed, Clary in his arms. Both of them looked as though they had been crying. "I just can't believe he's gone," Clary sniffled.
"He's not," Alec spoke up.
The looks on their faces were priceless. But finally Clary spoke, her voice trembling. "Alec? Is that you?"
Alec smiled. "The one and only."
He was surrounded by a flurry of red hair. "You're alive!" Clary cried in delight.
"You know you're the fourth person to tell me that today?" Alec asked dryly. "Are you people incapable of thinking of anything more original?" For a second he reminded himself inexplicably of Jace.
Clary pulled back from him. "Sorry," she apologized. "But…you are!"
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
Jace was smiling. "Good to have you back, man."
"Good to be back."
"You guys are so cliché!" Clary complained.
Jace laughed. "It's a gift." Clary pretended to slap him. The obvious love between them was heartwarming.
Suddenly Alec was reminded of something else he had wanted to do. "I have to go," he said suddenly.
"So soon?" Clary cried, looking crushed. "You only just got back."
"No, you don't understand." Alec paused with his hand on the door. "I need…" he took a deep breath. "I need to go see Magnus."
