So, here's the next chapter. The song for this one is White Blank Page by Mumford & Sons. I have to say, I had never heard of the song or the band before. I found it accidentaly on youtube and everything that follows came to mind because of it. I think it's a good chapter. Anyway, you'll be the judge of that.

Thank you Intoxic for your review. I agree with you about Leviathan, but will he really kill Lucifer, his brother? I don't know yet. I guess we'll find out!

Don't miss the author's note in the end!

Disclaimer: I don't own TMI. If I did Malec would still be together.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8

"Lucifer has something of mine, someone that I want to get back. I will make sure Magnus will stay by your side, only if you help me get what I want." Leviathan explained. He had met them in this worn out warehouse to discuss business with them. Lucifer was not only after Magnus, but he had captured Leviathan's most precious possession and Leviathan was not ready to let him get away with that.

"How?" Alec asks. If there was a way to accomplish what Leviathan was saying, he needed to know.


"What is it now?" Lucifer growled.

"I'm sorry, Master. It seems that the meeting included the Shadowhunter too."

"Bring me my brother." What was Leviathan trying to do? He had not been sent out there to socialize. So, what was he doing exactly?


"That is none of your concern, unless there is a deal. Then and only then will I reveal my plan. Not a moment earlier."

"You do not expect us to blindly trust you, do you?" Magnus raised an eyebrow in question.

"I do not. I only made you my offer. Now it is on you to decide if you accept it or not. The details are for later."

"We need you to guarantee that when all of this is over Magnus and I will remain as we are. Happy, together and alive with everyone we love around us. We need our happy ending, not yours." Alec needed to make sure that everything they've ever dreamt of would have the chance to become true. He wanted their happy ending to happen and not some sickly twisted happy ending that Leviathan had in store for them.

Magnus looked surprised at his boyfriend. He was right. He found a compromise for both parties that could guarantee the success of the plan without one of them being on the losing end. Magnus didn't want to admit it, but they needed to do something. They needed to act and on their own they were at a dead end. Leviathan was offering a plan with a good and possible outcome. That was the best they could wish for.

"Oh, young man. I do not wish to interfere with you future plans. You may not believe me, but I can understand true love when I see it. And that is something I would never get in the way of." The person Lucifer held in his cells is the one that showed him the power of true love. It is the person that showed him how to truly live and he would not let an egocentric sadistic arrogant demon take the meaning of his life away.

The emotion behind Leviathan's words was unexpected for both Magnus and Alec. They shared a look and decided to not comment on it. Leviathan had told them something they had never expected from a Prince of Hell and they didn't want him to take it back.

"We need one day to think about it." Magnus said. He wanted to discuss this with Alec in private and, if he wanted to, to tell the others as well.

"Okay then. If you have not summoned me by this time tomorrow, my offer is off the table." Leviathan said and left them to think about it.

When he got out of the warehouse there was a demon waiting for him already. He had been expecting that, to be honest. Lucifer wasn't one to let someone else have control over anything.

"Sir, Master has requested for a meeting with you." The demon said as humbly as he could.

What the demon meant, though, was 'get your ass to his office or else'. Leviathan guessed it was time to have a talk with his brother. "Always so polite. Don't be afraid to talk to me, son. I am not the one who burns you when you say a word wrong. Or is it when you say a wrong word?" he wondered.

"Either way, Sir." When the demon realized what he said, he clasped a hand over his mouth and looked ready to run for his life.

"Relax, son. I will not rattle you out." He winked and disappeared in order to find Lucifer, who, of course, was in his office.

When Lucifer felt his brother's presence he turned around and asked "You met with Magnus and the Shadowhunter. Why?" He cut to the chase. He didn't want to waste his time with pleasantries. Those were for mundanes.

"I did. But how do you know, if you don't mind me asking? I highly doubt that your son sends telegrams in Hell to inform you about his well-being." If Lucifer's pimps followed him around that would prove to be an obstacle for his plan to succeed. He guessed he could meet the couple at that warehouse as long as they were heavily glamoured.

"You really are a fool, Leviathan, if you think I will let you roam the Earth unsupervised. If you really want her alive, you will do what I want the way I want it."

And there was the arrogant side Lucifer was trying so hard to suppress around his brothers. He was a lot like Satan in that way. Speaking of Satan… "By all means, Satan. I never once thought you would let me out of your sight. But had I known I was being followed, I would have given my guests a snack."

"Do not call me that! I am nothing like him!" Lucifer snapped. If you wanted to infuriate him, calling him Satan, his biggest nemesis, would be the way to do it.

"If you actually thought about it, you would find yourself wrong. Anyway, I do not believe I am here to talk about our family's traits, Lucifer. What am I here for?"

"I want you to tell me your plan on how you will accomplish the task you have been given."

"That is none of your concern. I will accomplish my task sooner than you think. Shall you not reach your end of the bargain; Satan will not be your greatest nemesis anymore." Leviathan warned and left, trying to find a flawless plan that could get his brother fooled. Since there were demons following him he thought he would stalk the couple some more to give the demons something false to report to Lucifer at the end of the day.


When Magnus and Alec got back to the apartment, they were both silent. They were lost in their own thoughts. Mechanically they went to the kitchen to start making lunch. The meeting with Leviathan and the thinking they had to do was emotionally exhausting for the both of them. That's why they started cooking together. They found it relaxing, how their bodies were in sync and when they worked together there was no danger for the kitchen to get on fire.

They cooked and ate in comfortable silence. None of them needed to speak for now. They had to think. They had to think through the deal with Leviathan on their own and build up their arguments whether they were for or against it.

Magnus sat on the sofa and patted the place next to his for Alec. He rested his head on Magnus' lap and he let the warlock play with his hair. After a few minutes of silence Magnus asked "What are you thinking about love?"

"About earlier today. I don't know what the right choice to make is." Alec whispered. He wanted Magnus on his side and he wanted to defeat Lucifer once and for all. But what if it is not that easy? If they side with Leviathan, what happens when the Clave finds out? Because the Clave will find out one way or another, history has proven that much. But what happens then?

Magnus, as if he could read Alec's mind, answered "We can't worry about the Clave. Hopefully by the time they find out, everything will be resolved. But we have to consider our lives and our family first. They are our priority."

Alec suddenly had a stupid smile on his face that was inappropriate for the situation but he couldn't help it. It was the first time Magnus had ever said 'our family' and he really liked the sound of that.

"Why are you smiling?" Magnus asked.

Alec locked eyes with him and said "You said 'our family'."

Magnus hadn't realized his slip up and nervously tried to fix it "That is only if you want me and consider me-" He was cut off by a pair of lips on his own. Only Alexander Lightwood could ever make the High Warlock of Brooklyn nervous.

"You are. Izzy already calls you whenever she has a fashion or boyfriend crisis and Jace teases you every chance he gets which is a great sign. Even my parents love you. Max liked you too even though he never got to know you." Alec whispered the last sentence. No matter what or how many years passed it was still hard to talk about him. But Magnus had helped him stand on his own feet after his death. He was sure Max would have loved him.

Magnus felt something that no words could describe. He was honored to be a part of the Lightwood family. Before he met Alec, he thought that they were backstabbing snakes. Now they are his family. He felt loved and most of all he felt like he belonged. After all those centuries living like a leaf in the wind, he never felt like he was a part of this world. There was no place that he felt at peace. Now he had a home, the love of his life and a family. Is there any more anyone could ever ask of?

"Thank you" whispered Magnus, his lips touching Alec's.

"What for?"

"For being you. For being what I need. For being all I've been looking for."

Alec would be lying if he said those words didn't affect him in the lightest. Those words took his breath away and made the butterflies in his stomach flutter and regardless how cliché it sounded he could swear his heart stopped beating for a moment. "There's nothing to thank me for." He said and he meant it. If Magnus wasn't who he is- this magnificent glittery caring loveable person- Alec would have never even spared him a glance. Alec isn't with him out of pity, only out of love.

"Au contraire, darling."

Alec just smiled. There was no convincing Magnus Bane when he had his head set on something. His smile fell, though, when he realized they still haven't made a decision. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you want to do?" Magnus asked softly.

"I think we should accept Leviathan's offer."

"I agree" Magnus nodded "If there is anyone who can help us take down a Prince of Hell, is a Prince of Hell himself. And I have a feeling that Leviathan truly wants Lucifer out of the way." Something about the emotion behind his voice when he spoke of true love made Magnus think that he was being honest, that indeed he wouldn't dare get in their way.

"I know." Alec thought about it for a minute. Something about Leviathan made him think that he knew what he was talking about. Had he ever fallen in love? Is that even possible? Magnus is half a demon and he was able to love. What about Leviathan? "Do you think they can fall in love?"

When Alec said 'they' Magnus understood who he meant. The Princes of Hell. He didn't know. The Princes had pure demonic nature that was more animalistic and vicious than any other kind. He had demon blood in his veins but in his case it was different. He had his human side that stabled him. He didn't have the urge to eat or kill Alexander, or even harm him in any way. Maybe Leviathan had found that something that stabled him too. "I wouldn't put it past them Alexander. But considering their true nature it must be rare."

"So if Leviathan has loved someone, he can understand and help us."

"Only if we help him out first, love." Magnus reminded him.

That was the catch of the deal. Leviathan apparently was able to feel love, an emotion that most demons were unfamiliar with. He could understand what they were going through. He could understand that they would go to Hell and back for the other. He could understand why they were risking everything to stay together. He could help them a lot more than he let on just because he could relate. However, if they failed to save the one that Lucifer held prisoner, then they would be in the black list of two Princes of Hell.

"We'll accept the offer. We will not fail him." Alec said determined to succeed.

Magnus agreed. They would help Leviathan out and they wouldn't fail him so that then he had no reason to fail them. "Want to tell the others about it?"

"Let's call Jace."

When Jace came over, they told him about the meeting and their decision. He listened patiently with no interruptions until they were done talking and Alec was looking at him curiously.

"You know Izzy is not going to like it."

Magnus rolled his eyes at him and said "We know, Goldilocks. That why we told you first."

"Do you think we should tell her now or after we've made the deal?" Alec wondered. He needed his brother's advice, the one person that knew Isabelle as well as he did.

They were standing in the kitchen. They were supposed to start dinner when Jace came in, so dinner was now long forgotten.

"Better now. You know it will be worse if she finds out you've kept it a secret from her."

"Okay, I'm going to call her." Magnus said and left the room.

"What do you think?" Alec asked as he leaned on the wall.

"I think we could use Leviathan to our advantage. Besides, if anything goes wrong, I could fry him." Jace smirked and started to glow.

"Wait, you can control it now?" Alec asked surprised.

"When I'm calm enough, yes. Otherwise I would advise you against touching me in any way."

Alec looked at his parabatai for the first time since he came in. He saw the stance of his body. He was tense and determined. He was graceful as ever with his movements which could only mean one thing. He had trained without Alec. Surprisingly he didn't feel angry. He felt guilty. He was so caught up in his own world that he had neglected his parabatai. Jace had made improvements that Alec wasn't there to witness. His parabatai needed him and he hadn't been there. "I've been a shitty brother, haven't I?" Alec sighed.

Jace saw Alec's expression and understood what he was talking about. Alec was probably feeling guilty because he's not spending as much time with him as he used to. They haven't gone on a hunt together for a long time. But Jace understood. These were hard times for his brother and he was willing to wait. "You got your own problems man" He said and stood exactly opposite of Alec to look him in the eyes "Regardless, I think I was the one who has been a shitty brother."

Alec frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Ever since I met Clary I've been so absorbed with her that I wasn't there for you, I didn't listen to you. Still you always had my back." Jace looked away and admitted "By the Angel, I had to see you at your lowest to realize that."

"Jace, it's okay-" Alec tried to say but Jace interrupted him.

Jace looked at him again "It's not Alec. I'm your parabatai. I'm supposed to be there for you, have your back and that's what I'm going to do. Fear not, brother. I'm always here." Jace hugged Alec and turned to leave but what he said next made him stop.

"I forgive you, you know. I forgave you a long time ago."

Jace closed his eyes and let Alec's words sink in. Of all the Lightwood children Alec always was the one with the biggest heart. He was their protector and since their parents were gone all the time, he had also been their guardian. And he never complains, not even once. It meant a lot to him that he had his parabatai's forgiveness. "Thank you. Now it's time to forgive myself." Jace said and left Alec alone.

Alec just stood there looking at nothing thinking over what had just happened. He didn't want Jace to feel guilty or that he even owed Alec anything. If he was honest with himself though, this talk brought some kind of closure for him. He had always resented Clary for taking Jace away from him. Maybe now that that was settled he could be friends with her and not just get along for the sake of others.

He went to the living room just as the doorbell rang. Jace was organizing the table, while Magnus went to open the door.

"Izzy, darling, come in. We have some serious matters to discuss." Magnus greeted her and lead her to the living room where everyone now was settled in.

When Izzy heard what they had to say, she turned to Jace. "You agree with them?"

Jace looked her in the eyes and held her gaze "Yes, I do."

"Okay" was the only thing she said.

"Okay? No tantrum? No anything?" Magnus asked looking at Isabelle as if she was sick or something.

She then turned to Alec. "Would you still do it if I said no?"

Alec answered without hesitation "Yes."

"Then I'm with you." She couldn't go against her brother wishes. He usually knew what he was doing. She only hoped that this was no exception.

So, do you want snippets of the net chapter or not?

I'll give you one, just in case.

"If I left him, you could be safe. You would all be safe. But I can't leave him Jace. I just can't."

So what do you think? When I get more than one opinion this time, I will post the next chapter. :)

Thank you!