Why, hello there. Thank you for joining me. I wanted to apologize very deeply for not updating, I've been busy, and the more life gets in the way, the harder it is to write. I'm not sure at all about this chapter, especially Brother Enoch. I tried portraying him as best as I could but I have a bad feeling about him, and the whole chapter in general. I hope you can enjoy it anyways.

Let me know what you think. And sorry for any mistakes!

Disclaimer; I'm posting thing in my underwear, at 1:00 AM. I wouldn't be able to own such amazing characters as much as I'd want to.

Chapter 7: Unhealthy

It had been four days before Jace contacted Magnus, telling him he somehow got a Silent Brother to come check Alec without raising attention from the Clave. Four days too much.

Alec has been getting worse, and Magnus was at loss.

While he had been having short breakdowns before, they now lasted a few hours. A few hours of Alec getting upset, rageful or agonizingly scared. All of Magnus's efforts mattered nothing when Alec screamed, seeing things Magnus couldn't. When Alec cried thinking he was alone, lost, not seeing or feeling Magnus what so ever.

Magnus had tried using spells and potions, but no magic had helped Alec. Nothing worked. Magnus hasn't been sleeping, while Alec got up at least two times at night, screaming or crying or both. Magnus have been crying every time Alec fell asleep with tears. Alec kept forgetting but Magnus never did. Every single whimper Alec let out left an ugly scar on Magnus's soul.

Isabelle has been visiting to check on them, and she wanted nothing more than to help Magnus after she saw him. Exhausted, pained and broken, but Magnus insisted he was handling everything, and sent her home every time.

It was noon now, and Magnus and Alec were in the living room, cuddled on the sofa, and watching a movie. Alec has been laughing hysterically at one of the characters for the past ten minutes, and Magnus couldn't help but giggle along. With all of the troubling thoughts going through his mind for the last days, Alec's laugh was extremely addictive, and quite adorable, if Magnus may add. It seemed to be an okay day for Alec, better than the rest. He hadn't had a breakdown yet, and he hasn't been hallucinating. He even slept through the whole night. The only thing out of ordinary was his maniac happy mood, but Magnus wasn't complaining.

By the end of the movie, Magnus had a phone call from Jace, saying he was on his way with the Silent Brother, Isabelle and Clary. So when the movie ended, Alec still laughing, Magnus shut off the TV and waited for Alec to calm down before he started talking.

"Alexander, dearest, Jace is on his way-" Magnus was interrupted by a few knocks from the door. He gave Alec a quick smile and rushed to open the door. As said, Jace stood there, behind him Isabelle, Clary and a Silent brother Magnus recognized as Brother Enoch. Magnus opened the door wider for them to walk in.

"I didn't get to tell him, and he's kind of in a weird mood today so, uh, be gentle." Magnus spoke to the Brother as they walked to the living room.

'I am aware of his condition, High Warlock. I will do what I can.' Magnus heard Brother Enoch's voice echoing inside his skull. He was about to say something as Jace and Isabelle abruptly stopped walking ahead of him and the Silent brother, causing them to stop as well. When Magnus looked over Isabelle's shoulder he saw Alec, on the floor, rolling from side to side and shaking. He was about to run over when he heard the laughter.

Alec was on the floor, rolling and laughing. Jace, Izzy and Clary all looked at Magnus, confused. Magnus sighed. "Yes, weird mood." Was all he said. Izzy was the one to approach him.

"Alec?" She spoke loud enough for him to hear over his own laughter. When he didn't respond, she reached out and put her hand on his shaking knee to gain his attention. Alec jumped, surprised, and Isabelle drew her hand back, just before Alec broke into the most goofy smile, as he looked at everyone in the room. "Is everything okay?" Izzy asked, her expression showing a half a worried, half amused smile, like she didn't know how to respond to the situation.

But, it seems, Alec decided to ignore the question. Huge smile still on his face, he asked, "Are we having a party Magnus?" And immediately started laughing again, this time staying put instead if rocking on the floor. Jace barked out a laugh, and Isabelle and Clary smiled. What made Alec's laugh grow, and he rocked his head back, laughing and clutching his stomach.

Magnus wanted to laugh along. It was quite a nice change from the last few terrible days. But he struggled to hold it in anyway. The silent brother was here and Magnus really wanted to find out what was going on with Alec. So he slipped past Jace and Izzy, and put his hand on Alec's shoulder. "Dear," Magnus said, waiting for Alec to calm down. When Alec's laugh became a muffled giggling, he continued. "You remember Brother Enoch, right? He's here to ask you some questions, is that alright?" Magnus didn't want to sound so motherly, but he couldn't stop himself when Alec was acting like an overgrown baby.

Alec nodded, his smile disappearing slowly as Magnus led him to the couch. The rest followed quietly, and Brother Enoch approached Alec when he took a seat on the sofa, Magnus walking backwards a few steps to give them space.

'Alec Ligh-' Brother Enoch started, but was cut off by Alec jumping with a scared "OH!". Magnus tensed, and so did the others.

"Huh," Alec breathed. "I, uh, I forgot you talk," he pointed to his temple and tapped his head. "here,". Everything went quiet for a few moments, everyone looked worriedly at Alec, who gulped. "Uhh, c-continue." Alec said, visibly confused with himself and the others.

'Alec Lightwood,' Brother Enoch started again, 'I will approach you, and search for a source of the problem. Prepare.' As Enoch finished, he approached Alec as he said. Alec took a breath and held it, shoulders tensing, but before he could do anything Brother Enoch's hands were hugging both his temples. Blinding pain spread through Alec's head, needles were piercing his mind as he felt something search through him. It was painful and weirdly invasive. Alec couldn't help it and let out a grunt of pain, which didn't at all help ease any of the bystanders worry.

Even though the Silent Brothers didn't have much of facial expressions, Brother Enoch looked like he hasn't concentrated on anything as much as he did on searching through Alec's head. After minutes of silence, except Alec's short, pained breaths, Brother Enoch finally let his arms drop from him, and Alec realesed one last painful groan as he fell forward, eyes clutched shut.

Magnus, the closest to the Silent Brother and his boyfriend, leaped to catch Alec before he fell face first into the floor. Alec grabbed Magnus as he straightened them both and sat on the couch, helping Alec lean down slowly.

"Well?" It was Jace, as eager to know what's wrong with Alec as the rest of them, but the first one who dares to ask. Brother Enoch doesn't reply for a moment, and the silence that follows feels like it could drown Magnus.

'It seems that something is wrong with Alec,' Enoch says, and Magnus resists the urge to scoff with a frustrated 'you think so?'.

'I can not locate the source of the problem. It seems that Valentinen has messed with something psychological, but with no magic.' Enoch stopped then to look at Alec again, who appeared to be sleeping now. Magnus felt a twinge of sadness, the mind searching was a bit for Alec at this state, and it didn't even last that long. His mind must be very damaged.

'You said that he's gotten worse since the first day he came back,' Enoch started speaking again, referring to Magnus.

"Yes," Magnus said, without hesitation. Alec has been getting a lot worse with every passing day. Magnus was praying every night and day it'll stop soon, but with every single breakdown it seemed like it never will.

'It seems that the damage is growing, Alec's mind is very unorganized at the moment.' Brother Enoch continued, 'until we find the cause and learn to fix it, his state will grow worse.'

Clary, who hasn't spoken since she came in, looked up from Alec's still form to the tall Silent Brother. "Is there anyway to actually find it? The source of the problem, I mean." Brother Enoch did something with his head that would have passed as shaking it if he were looking like a normal human being.

'I can only search more, but without the Clave's aid, my abilities are limited.' With Enoch's reply, Jace felt his face crunch up with anger. He balled his hands into fists and grit his teeth to try and calm himself before he went on a homicidal journey to find Valentine, but it wasn't quite enough to stop the angry words spilling out of his mouth.

"That son of a bitch," Jace spat, and attention went from Brother Enoch to him. "He did this. I'll torture the cure out of him. I'll make him fix this." Jace's words poured out of him in pure rage, and he started walking towards the door. "I'll find the bastard right now, dammi-" but he was cut off by Clary grabbing his hand and forcefully turning him around to face her. She takes one look at his face and pulls him in for a hug. Jace doesn't try to get away, instead he just falls into her as if she was the only thing he can hold on to, like a piece of wood in the middle of a sea storm, threatening to swallow him up.

"We'll find Valentine Jace, but right now, stay with Alec. He needs you." Clary soothes him, and Jace's shoulders slump as he lets his anger go for the moment, and lets his girlfriend give him the comfort he desperately needs.

Magnus and Isabelle, who both were staring at the little sad scene, looked away when it became too privet for them to bare. Magnus takes a look at Izzy as they both turn away, and sees the tears rolling down her cheeks. He feels bad enough already, and hates seeing that people around him are breaking as he does, because he knows how great the pain is, and how hard it is to bear.

Because knowing something's wrong is hurtful, but knowing you can't do anything about it is just plain torture.

Magnus mentions her to come sit by him and when she does, Magnus wipes her tears away.

He wants to do more, but at the moment, he can barley keep himself together. So he gives her a sad smile, and turns to Brother Enoch, who has been eerily quiet.

"Can you search any more than you did? Isn't it better to do it when he's asleep?" Magnus asks, images of Brother Enoch holding Alec's head tightly while Alec was clearly suffering went through his mind, and he didn't want to put Alec through any more pain than necessary. It's better if he's asleep.

Brother Enoch nods slightly, but says nothing as he approaches Alec's still form, on the couch. But before Enoch can put his hands on Alec, Alec whimpers and tosses him self off the couch, causing the Silent Brother to back away from him. Magnus immediately gets down to the floor to pick Alec up as both Clary and Jace approach them, with concern. Alec is whimpering and shaking now, and when Magnus touches him, Alec jerks away. But he doesn't wake up. His eyes are still shut as he curls into a shaking ball and whisperes.

"Please," his voice is broken and damaged and so lost.

"Please," Alec pleads in his sleep. "Please don't do this, I can't do it. Please I CAN'T DO IT." He shouts in his sleep, and his voice cracks. Magnus decides he won't take it, he can't handle it right now. So when he hears the small, broken "Alec," From behind his back, coming out of Isabelle as she sobs, he spreads his arms over his shaking, crying boyfriend and let's his hands drip blue flames of magic over him, to make him sleep again.

It takes a minute or two, but eventually Alec stopped crying and went back to a peaceful sleep. Jace moved to pick him up and put him on the sofa again, while Magnus leaned back and breathed. Magnus closed his eyes for a moment, exhaled, and opened them again. When he saw all eyes on him, he got up from the floor and turned back to Brother

Enoch.

"Thank you for your help," Magnus tries to sound as patient as he can, but doubts he does at all. "I think that was enough for today, Alec should rest." The Brother says nothing, and so Magnus clicked his fingers and the front door opened. "Goodnight." He makes sure to end the word with kind of a final tone, to deliver the massege that Enoch should leave. And he does. But before Enoch turn around to leave, he speaks, 'don't use magic on him, it could worsen his state.' and with that, the Silent Brother leaves.

Magnus feels startled by the last comment Enoch's made. He had used magic on Alec before too, has this been the reason Alec has been getting worse? As he looked back at everyone, though, it seems that they didn't hear it. Or more correctly, Enoch had kept the statment privet between himself and Magnus.

Magnus wants to cry, he wants to so bad, but he can't anymore. He's too tired, his body is too tired and his soul is too tired. "Please," he croaks out, facing, head down, the shadowhunters that have circled Alec, somehow protectively. "Just- just come back tomorrow." He asks, because he can barley handle his own roller coaster of emotions at the moment, and he know he can't have three more heartbroken teenagers on his mind, too.

Jace opens his mouth to object, but Clary shuts him up with a hand on his shoulder. "Let them rest, we'll come tomorrow." She whispers to him, sympathetically. With that, the three of them make their way to Magnus door, and through it. The whole while, Magnus kept his head down, throat burning with unshed tears. Now that he can't use magic on him, Magnus carries Alec to bed with exhausted hands and lays down beside him after he covers him up with a warm blanket. Alec sighs in his sleep and Magnus throat tightens as he smiles sadly and fondly. At least, both of them can have a bit of peace now. Magnus crawled under the covers and snuggles close to Alec. Of course sleep takes its time to actually overcome Magnus, and Magnus feels more and more tired as time passes. He tries to take comfort in the rises and falls of Alec's chest, but it's not quite enough.

He lays awake for more hours than he likes, but eventually, the exhaustion was too much for his body and he fell asleep against Alec's beating heart.

But when Magnus wakes up, the lovely Rethym is gone, and Magnus finds himself alone in the large bed. He straightens up immediately, "Alec?" Is the first thing to come out of his mouth. But the second he's met with nothing but silence in reply, he knows something's wrong. He gets up from bed. Trying to force the screams of concern in his mind to quiet down as he searched the apartment quickly. And then again. And again.

Nothing.

Not in the bathroom or kitchen or balcony.

Alec is gone.

Hi again! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Wanted to say once again, sorry for not updating sooner, but that doesn't mean I can't be a tiny bit evil and give a little hangcliff. I'll do my best to update on time for next chapter so I don't leave you hanging for too long. :)