A/N: So this was 5 pages in word. Written in one sitting. Ouch my legs. Try writing on your bed! It hurts! So my sound track for this chapter was as usual, the Disney version of the hunchback of notre dame OST, Belle, from the musical, owl city, and Chopin. Best Piano composer!

Magnus POV

Magnus knew he had to go back to the tower, but he was terrified to leave Alec's side. Alec still hadn't woken, and it had been two days now. Magnus started to fear what the poison might have done... He was so scared. Not to mention the effects of the fall... Oh God... Alec would be so crushed when he found out.

Jace had been giving them news from above ground. More gypsies were being killed every day in Frollo's desperate search for Alec.

Jace had come by earlier that day, and told Magnus the terrifying news; just how far Frollo was prepared to go for Alec. The true desires in Frollo's cold, black heart:

xxx

Jace had been called into a meeting with Frollo, while Frollo's minor guards continued to question as many citizens and gypsies as they could find. He had been led into a large room with a fireplace at one end of it. Frollo was standing in front of it, gazing at the fiery tongues. His white hair shining and red eyes flickering in time with the fire.

"You asked to see me sir?" Jace had asked.

"Yes Captain Herondale. Come stand beside me in front of the hearth." He ordered, and Jace- of course- complied.

"How goes the search for the gyspy boy?" Frollo asked.

"Not very well sir... I fear we will never find him. He may not even be in the city anymore."

"No Herondale, he is in the city. Of this I am sure. May I call you Jace?"

"Of course sir."

"Do you think me obsessed Jace? Obsessed with this boy?"

"No sir. Never sir!" Jace had lied.

"Then tell me Jace; why do I see him dancing there," He gestured to the fire, which- to Jace's amazement and horror- had changed into a dancing Alec, his hair, eyes, everything moving fluidly but all made of destructive fire. A terrible representation he thought with some satisfaction.

"Why do his smouldering, blue eyes still scorch my soul? Even now, I feel him, I see him. The sun's caught in his raven hair, and is caught inside of me, and is blazing in me out of all control... You see Jace, I must have this boy." Frollo finished, and Jace felt sick.

"How sir?" He somehow managed to get out.

"When we find him, and we will find him, He will choose me, he will have no other choice. He will be mine or he will burn." And, after a few minutes of silence passed between them, he told Jace to show no mercy, to search harder, to burn the city to the ground if he had to. And dismissed him.

Xxx

Magnus had felt sick. He did even now. It was now around 8pm, Izzy would be on a hunt with most of the other shadowhunters (something Magnus worried Alec would never be able to do again) Jace would be out with Frollo, who luckily still hadn't come home, he was staying in different places around the city. Jace said he had talked about going back to the tower in a few days however. Magnus wondered whether to go back or not. He knew he had to though, as if he went now, Frollo would know it was him who helped Alec escape from the cathedral. He kissed Alec's hand, looking down at the sleeping shadowhunter. His lovely, innocent, brave, shadowhunter. What has Frollo done to you?

Just in that moment, Alec moaned quietly. Magnus' head shot up from his body to his face.

"Alec?" He whispered. Another groan.

"Magnus..." Alec whispered. Magnus' heart soared. Alec was waking up! Thank God, Thank god! His eyes felt wet. He closed them, trying to stop.

"Why are you crying?" Alec whispered, concerned. Magnus opened his eyes, with a smile but it fell just as quickly when he saw Alec trying to get up, obviously in pain.

"NO!" He shouted before collecting himself.

"No, Alec, don't get up." He begged, pushing Alec down. Magnus saw himself shaking.

"Ok, ok I'm sorry for worrying you Magnus, I'll stay in bed I promise." Alec consoled his boyfriend. Magnus then allowed himself to be glad, happy, forcing his mind of what Alec would very soon find out.

"I'm just glad you're awake." He whispered, and then got into bed beside Alec, carefully holding him close. He dreaded what was to come.

"Is Max ok?!" Alec suddenly demanded, looking around the infirmary. Of course, Max wasn't there anymore, Magnus had discharged him, and given him a project to do to help Alec with his new... Condition. He was a smart kid.

"Yes Alec, I promise you, he's just fine, now would you for once worry about yourself." He demanded, but he heard the adoration in his own voice.

"Sorry... What happened to me?" Alec asked. Here we go, thought Magnus. It's time.

"You were dancing, and when you fell, Jace caught you-mostly- you still hit the ground though, anyway, when Jace kissed you, he poisoned you with demon poison, I've been getting it out of your system for the past few days. And the malnutrition can't have helped with that Alec. You were starving Alec, literally starving. A few more days, and you would have..." He felt himself choke on his words.

"I'm sorry Magnus. I'm so sorry." Magnus nodded, trying to prepare himself for what he had to tell Alec. He pulled Alec close and kissed him, trying to remember him like this, before the grief...

"Alec there's... there's something you should know... malnutrition it does things... when you fell... you twisted your left ankle, broke the bone... there was nothing I could do... There were no vitamins, no fat, nothing I could do to fix it I had to... I had to..."

"No... Magnus you didn't..." He whispered in horror. Magnus shook his head.

"I'm so sorry Alec. There was no other choice I-" He was cut off by Alec throwing off the cover from his left leg. And he stared, before letting out a horrible wail and collapsing into Magnus' chest, sobbing.

Alec's left leg now stopped just above where his left ankle had been. Magnus had no other choice. Magic needs the basics to work off of, and Alec just hadn't had enough for the magic to work on.

"I'm so sorry Alec but you would have died... I had no other choice." After a few more minutes, he felt Alec's body stop shaking against his own.

"I know Magnus. I know. But I have to dance. I have to." He said with determination, and it broke Magnus' heart.

"Alec you can't-"

"Yes I can. Magnus you know I'm the best dancer in this city. It's the only thing I have left of my mother." He whispered the last sentence.

Magnus said nothing.

"Just let me try." He begged.

Before Magnus could answer however, he noticed someone in the hallway. It was Max. He was carrying something covered in a cloth in his hands.

"Alec you're awake!" He shouted, walking into the room very quickly. Magnus was sure the only thing that kept him from running was the thing in his hands, and Magnus was fairly sure he knew what it was.

"Hey Max. How you feeling?" Asked Alec, who was staring to get some more colour back.

"How am I feeling? Alec you just lost your foot and you're asking how I'm feeling?" Asked Max, when hit with stony silence he asked suddenly,

"He does know right?" As if worried he had just dropped a bomb shell.

"Yes I know. I'm just adjusting."

"Under the impression you'll be able to dance I suppose big brother?" Asked Max.

Alec grinned.

"Of course."

"Well then I guess you'll be needing this." He said, gesturing to the object in his hands, which he set on the side of Alec's bed.

"Man I hope this works..." Max muttered, as he uncovered the cloth. Inside it was a metal foot which would hopefully coordinate to Alec's very move, something Max and Henry had worked very hard on.

"Did you design this...?" Asked Alec, who looked pretty speechless, and who was also, starting to get up.

"Love please be careful..." Most of Alec's close friends including Max had guessed just how much Alec meant to Magnus, so they didn't have to hide here.

Alec sat on the edge of the bed as Max adjusted the foot to fit him. He stared into Magnus' eyes the whole time. He couldn't bear to look at it just yet, Magnus could tell. Then, after a while, Max stood up, seeming satisfied.

"Alright. Magnus you might need to hold on to my brother. Don't worry if you fall Alec, it's perfectly natural." He assured. Magnus watched Alec try to prepare himself. He was shaking. Magnus bent down so they were eye to eye, his hand on Alec's cheek.

"Love, I promise, no one is going to think any less of you. You'll just need some practise, that's all, and I'll be with you."

"We all will." Added Max. Alec nodded, and taking a deep breath, put one foot down, and then the other.

Max grinned.

He didn't fall over. Alec grinned too.

"Dancer's balance."

Sure, he wobbled a bit, and hold to hold on to Magnus for reassurance, but eventually, they made their way out to the square.

Max looked so happy.

"What's got you this happy kiddo?" Asked Alec, when they stopped for a bit.

"I did that. I helped you. I just... I didn't expect your balance to be good enough. I didn't expect it to work at all."

"Well it did Max, and that's all that matters. With any luck, you might have just saved my life."

"One thing is for sure Max, you saved mine." Added Magnus.

A few people came up to Alec, to tell him how well he was doing etcetra etcetra, but most knew he needed some space. The square was all but empty after everyone decided to leave them alone.

"I'm ready." Magnus shifted from foot to foot in uneasiness.

"Alec it's still too early..."

"No Magnus. Let him try, if we do it early, and it breaks from force or something, then we can make adjustments early. He has to try Magnus. Don't you want him to dance again?"

And that was the thing. Magnus knew that Alec loved dancing, that it was the only thing he felt he was truly good at, the only thing that let him escape the craziness and worries of his life, that he couldn't live without it, that it reminded him of his mother, but at the same time... it was dangerous. Was it worth it?

"Magnus?" Alec asked.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." He muttered. But Alec wasn't listening. He stepped out- without Magnus' help- to the centre of the square, and for a moment just stood there. As if waiting. Then Chopin's Ballade No 4 in F minor Op 52 started playing on the piano.

"Who's playing that?" Magnus asked Max. Max smiled knowingly. Pointing to a far side of the square just behind the stage, he revealed Jace to Magnus.

Jace was playing it rather poorly, and clearly Magnus wasn't the only one to think so, as he could see Alec frowning slightly.

So Magnus got up and sat down beside Jace, who courteously allowed him to take over the piece. What could he say? You spend a lot of time in a tower with a lot of time on your hands you learn something.

Of course with playing Chopin came the price of not watching Alec dance, but he supposed he would have to trust Jace and Max to watch him.

Because that reassured him so very much.

Eventually he gave into his desire to watch and used magic to keep the piano going. The moment he did however he heard a sickening crunch before turning around.

"Alec?"

A/N: Weren't expecting that were you? Sorry. Cliffhanger? Again, sorry. What do you think of my twist? Please review and tell me? And if you fancy checking out my new Malec fic recs video, you can youtube search my username and you should find the video, and all the links to the stories will be in the description. Just remember, when you review the stories to leave a random fruit of your choice!

-Lauren.