Chapter 10 – Malec Happily Ever After

Alec dropped his duffle bag by the hotel door, rolling their larger suitcase in just a little further before letting go of the handle and making a beeline for the bed. Magnus followed shortly in with his own small carry-on bag and set it by Alec's.

"You're being a little overly dramatic," Magnus smirked, leaning against the wall while using his foot to tap the end of Alec's feet hanging off the edge of the bed. "Usually, that's my job."

Alec twisted on the bed to face Magnus, sitting up and planting his feet on the floor, "You just told the little old lady in the elevator we just had a very active honeymoon."

"We did. We did a lot on the ship and at each port of call." Magnus kept the smile on his face, sheepish and innocent.

"Yes, but you didn't have to continue that statement with the words 'both in and out of the bedroom'. She didn't need to know that?"

"She was thinking it."

"Oh my god, Magnus! She's like 90 years old." Alec groaned sitting back on the bed, laying all the way back. "I don't want to think about somebody's grandma thinking about my sex life."

"Our sex life." Magnus corrected with a grin, Alec had buried his head in his hands when the words left his mouth, so he missed the women's eyes grow wide and then grin with a nod of her head. She was totally into the answer and Magnus nodded back to her. They were on the same page, it was his prude of a husband who was currently still red, "She was all about it. She gave me the nod; she's happy for us."

"You could leave something to the imagination."

Magnus took out his phone then put it back in his pocket after quickly checking the time. "I'm going to run to the Publix across the street. Do you want to come with or you going to stay in here and hide?"

Alec sat up then, "You getting what I think you're getting?"

"Yes, if you come. If not, then no." Magnus shook his head. "I mean I didn't think we would actually run out I had done a little planning beforehand."

Alec smirked, "There was a flaw in your plans apparently." Magnus pulled off his light jacket and threw it at Alec who caught it before putting it on the bed, "Too much sex before the cruise."

"Who knew the beach would turn a person on?" Magnus whispered more to himself than to Alec. "Who knew the sight of you on the beach would turn me on so much?"

This was Alec's first time at the ocean and his excitement at seeing the ocean would lead to Magnus getting excited and they would spend their first night in a hotel before they even made it to the cruise ship in bed together, all night. There was something so amazing at seeing Alec act all giddy as something that Magnus has seen many times before. It was so childlike and the bright blue of Alec's eyes meshed well with the ocean and Magnus had to have him. Multiple times; which was the flaw in his plan. He didn't prepare himself for being that active before the cruise. Not to mention the time they spent on their wedding night. Alec wanted slutty wedding sex, so Magnus gave him slutty wedding sex. Long story short, Magnus thought to himself, they ran out of condoms.

"Let's never repeat this conversation to anyone. It sounds like we did nothing but have sex." Alec smirked at the look flashing across Magnus' face; he could see the words swirling around Magnus' brain, the comeback on the tip of his tongue. Alec held up a hand to silence him, "Let's go, honey, I want to call the kids."

"Honey?" Magnus stepped up to Alec, picking up his hand out of his midair and locking their fingers together, "I like that, but you know what I would like more-"

"Shut up, while your ahead Magnus." Alec tugged him towards the door. They knew what was coming next and Alec flat out refused to call him, 'daddy'. There was never a scene in his head where that word came out of his mouth in a sexual manner. "We have two more days before we return to normal life. And I love that life but can we please just have two days of calm before heading back. No dramatics."

Magnus frowned, "Do you even know who you married?"

Alec shook his head and pushed a little harder to get Magnus out of the door.

"I won't live a lie, Alexander." Magnus moaned in his most dramatic high pitched voice ever causing Alec to turn bright red with thoughts of abandoning the run for food and condoms altogether. He could go without.

…

"Dude, baby whisperer, get over here." Izzy craned her head over her screaming daughter to look up to her big brother, they had returned from their honeymoon the night before and he was just coming down the stairs.

Alec was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt and looking like complete hell. Their plane landed almost two hours late, between that and luggage he and Magnus didn't even make it home until nearly five in the morning. It was almost three in the afternoon but the kids wouldn't let them sleep and if they had to be up by eight in the morning then, so did everyone which meant Magnus and Alec were looking rough on family fun day.

Charlotte had a cold and wouldn't calm down for anyone or anything, but the second she caught sight of Alec earlier that morning, it was game over. Charlotte was in love; the second Alec left her sight she went back to fussing. He only went upstairs to use the bathroom but that wasn't allowed in Charlotte's world.

Alec looked around the room to see no sight of Magnus or the boys, "Where-"

"Downstairs. Here" Izzy held out Charlotte and Alec took her without even noticing he was being handed a baby. Charlotte calmed down and stared up at the tall man with a beard holding her.

"It's like magic." Simon slumped on the couch next to Clary, who was leaning on Jace.

"What is with you four?" Alec instant moved in a slow dancing motion which calmed Charlotte down even further.

Clary perked up causing Jace and Simon fall towards each other, almost knocking heads before they caught themselves, "It's the calm before the storm." She held up a single finger then went back to the couch unaware that if she waited a second less, she would have crushed both Simon and Jace. "She'll scream again."

"Seriously? What is the deal?"

"Is it just me or everyone acting funny?" Magnus came up in almost the same state of exhaustion as Alec, similarly dressed as well. "Oh, you found a baby!" Magnus smiled and lightly touched Charlotte's dark black peach fuzzed head, she was going to have amazing hair. "Alec, will you be my baby da-"

"Stop." Alec stepped back. "Don't finish that."

"Baby daddy?" Clary giggled with the question left in the air.

Alec looked around to make sure the kids were nowhere in sight, "He's got this weird thing with me calling him 'daddy' and I won't do it."

"I only do it because you get all squirmy and panicky." Magnus sat down next to Izzy with a huge grin, he locked eyes with Alec and just stared.

Izzy frowned, looking between Alec and Magnus. "You wouldn't know that you two just came back from a honeymoon with the way you guys are staring each other down." Her frown deepened, "Maybe you need another one."

"Well, due to poor planning, on my part, we ra-"

"Magnus, if you don't shut up then you'll be divorced twice." Alec tried to keep the grin off his face but he couldn't.

"Fine, but give me baby." He held out his hands to take Charlotte. She wasn't as in love with Magnus as she was Alec but she didn't get as loud as if anyone else was holding her. "Just one more month little one, then we will have a baby boy or baby girl to go with you." Magnus used the smallest voice he could muster to coo at her. They knew what they were having but they weren't telling. Magnus wanted it to be a secret, so Alec agreed, he even went as far as to agree on two separate occasions not to tell Clary. He had kept his promise this time.

Alec went over to his armchair and took a sit just in time for Max to make a flying leap into his lap. "Hey, Max." He hugged his son to his side and twisted slightly when Chris climbed up onto his lap. Raphael frowned, "Hold on." He tapped on Max, "Up for a second." Alec pulled Chris up with him and he stood to sit on the floor, with his back on the chair. He put Chris on his lap while Raphael hugged into his side and Max climbed into the chair but sideways with his feet hanging off the edge and a hand in Alec's hair.

"So Alec, are you going to keep the beard?" Jace asked with a hand motion over his own face.

Alec didn't grow the beard on purpose, he had forgotten a razor and didn't notice until he was on the ship and refused to pay ten times the cost for a razor, so he went without. Magnus offered his but Alec decided to grow it out for the trip, see what it would look like. His hair was also slightly longer than more and Magnus didn't complain. His goal was to get it all trimmed up before work in the morning but leaving the house didn't seem like it was going to happen.

"I want him to keep it." Magnus smiled down at Charlotte, "It's sexy. Yes, he is." He smirked at her squirm, loving the baby wiggles. Then he looked up at Alec, "Super sexy. The beard stays."

"Oh my god, what happened to you two? You two weren't like this in the beginning." Jace sat up completely straight, the annoyance rolling off him in waves, "It has been nothing but this hands on crap. You're in love. You find each other sexy. We get it. Get over it." Jace groaned, Clary smacked him hard across his chest hissing at him to shut up. "What?"

Alec looked at Magnus with a frown. His heart stopped for just a half second, Magnus saw it flash across Alec's face, "What happened?" Magnus spoke up at Alec's frown; he passed Charlotte back to Izzy, the baby was sleeping and no longer fussing. "Nothing happened. We just love each other." He didn't want to remind the entire room what happened. It had taken the last year and half of their lives to get past what happened and make it down the aisle, into a new home, with a baby on the way. He was in a bad mood and exhausted and now he wanted their family gone. "I didn't think it was a crime to tell my husband I think he's sexy. Maybe you should say it to your wife from time to time."

Alec noticed Jace sitting up a little straighter and gearing up for a fight so he cut in, "Alright," He looked at Clary to make sure Magnus' comment didn't cross a line with her, he couldn't tell for sure but it looked like she had a smirk hiding behind her eyes. "Magnus and I are exhausted and we would like time with our children before bedtime, so family day is over." Alec pushed on Raphael, "Max, Raphael, say your goodbyes." He hugged Chris tightly to him before releasing him.

"We haven't had dinner yet?" Izzy complained, "I wanted pizza."

"You can get pizza anywhere. We're tired." Magnus spoke up, him and Alec shared a look. Jace pissed off Magnus, and Alec was exhausted. They were ready to drop and still wanted to spend time with just their children. "Sorry, guys. Thanks for watching our children. Hopefully, they weren't too insane for everyone." Ragnor had to leave the day before, he had to get back to work so for the last day and a half Clary and Izzy handled the boys.

It didn't take long for the Lightwood/Lewis clan to pack up and leave which made Magnus smile; he wanted them gone. He loved them. But Jace was annoying him and he was just plain exhausted. The boys were wild tonight with the excitement of them being home and he couldn't blame them; it just meant they needed more time together to get them to calm down for work and school in the morning.

"Alright, monsters, what do you want to do?" Alec asked a giggling Max and Raphael, both were hanging on the couch, playing some sort of foot war.

"Aunt Clary got us a new book," Raphael spoke up.

Alec grinned, "Of course she did. Papa, here-" Alec hit Magnus twice on the stomach, "- is going to order pizza and I'm going to come read to you guys, go downstairs."

Magnus frowned, "Papa?"

"What? Got something else you would rather be called?" Alec raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to say it.

Magnus shook his head. He already tried the 'daddy' joke earlier and it didn't go well; it was too soon to try again. He had to time them just right, or the joke would go stale and he would never hear the words out of Alec's mouth. "Honey?" He smiled at his retort.

"Okay, honey," Alec leaned in for a quick kiss, "Order pizza then family time."

"I shouldn't have pounced on Jace with that last comment. I know he didn't mean to be mean, it just hit a nerve." Magnus was scowling through his phone for the pizza app, he didn't want to look at Alec, "I'll text him later and tell him I'm an idiot."

"He doesn't know that last year is still an emotional scar for me because I don't tell him. We have changed over the last year, for the better, but we have. He's not going to connect the dots on the cause and effect which I don't expect him to." Alec wished Magnus would just look at him, "You saw me panic."

Magnus looked up at him then, "I did."

"So you got snarky with Jace because you saw me panic." Alec held out his hand, glad when Magnus took it with a squeeze, "Thank you for protecting me. I love you even more for it." He tugged Magnus to him, "But let me take on Jace. I'll text him."

"I messed up."

"No, no one messed up. Thank you for always being there even against Jace, who has no idea he said anything wrong."

Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's waist, pulling them flush together. "He should know. Clary and Izzy knew. They straightened up so fast."

"Simon didn't." Alec fought back, "It's okay Magnus, this is my issue to deal with I don't expect the rest of my family to consistently remember that something bad happened to me. I don't talk to them about it and so I honestly get why they don't. I would prefer them not walking on eggshells around me. Maybe I should tell them more but I'm okay. I love you."

Magnus glared at him, "You're lying, baby daddy but I'll let it go for now."

….

Magnus leaned back as far as he could in his chair without falling over, it had been almost a week since they returned from their honeymoon and it was so hard for him to back into his lawyer mode. He had clear a lot from his plate before leaving work for two weeks with time off for the wedding prep and then the extended honeymoon which made it hard to get back into work mode. He was busy. He had work. He just didn't want to do it. It was late in the afternoon, he had less than twenty minutes left in his day and he was counting the seconds.

"What do we pay you for?" Mr. Wells walked into Magnus' office, closing the door as quietly as possible.

Magnus sat up straight staring at his boss, "Sir."

Mr. Wells spoke with his hands while taking a seat, "Congratulations, Mr. Bane. I like the tan."

Magnus smiled, "You should see the other guy." He pulled out his phone and showed off his favorite picture from the last two weeks. It was the last night of the cruise, he and Alec were on the top deck with the music blaring all around them, it was barely light out and the setting sun in hues of pink and orange surrounded them. He was sitting on a lounger in his shorts with an open, bright blue shirt; Alec was in his favorite pair of cargo shorts and a light color polo which blended in with the sunset. You could see their tans; both had a pair of sunglasses resting on top of their heads, along with Magnus holding a drink in his hand. Alec was taking the picture with matching wide mouth smiles.

"You guys are adorable." He smirked, "Have fun?"

"I really didn't want to come back."

"I didn't either. It got harder with each child as well."

Magnus groaned, "Alec and I haven't even worked on that yet, we know the first two weeks for sure will be both of us. But we don't know after that."

"Well, how was it with the first two?" Mr. Wells leaned all the way back in the chair; these were nicer then Magnus' old office.

Magnus frowned a bit, "Alec was a single parent and hired a day nanny for a bit before putting Max in daycare. I was married when Raphael was a baby and my wife stayed home. This situation is all new to us."

"Well, you have leeway to work from home if you need to, you know that policy. The boss' have always been proud of their family forward thinking."

Magnus nodded, "I'm thinking of taking the two weeks off then teleworking for another week. Bonding with your child, in the beginning, is important."

"You have come in so many Saturdays over the last few months; I think the boss' would give you anything you asked for." He stood up then, bringing Magnus to his feet with him, "Alright, back to work and keep me posted."

"Thank you, sir." Magnus held up his cell phone as if buzzed across his desk, "Sir, could you close the door behind you? It's my brother-in-law." He waited for his nod before answering, he and Jace hadn't spoken since the family dinner that never happened, "Hey, Jace, what's up?" He felt terrible for his overreaction of the situation but he had been exhausted and how many times could Jace get away with making stupid comments and not thinking things through. Yes, it was Alec's emotional drama but the timing of the comment had been back.

"Hey, sorry to call when you're at work but Clary and I could use a favor."

"What's up?"

"I have this client meeting across town and Clary has to take her mother in for this procedure. I can't take Chris and she doesn't want him in the waiting room with her for hours. Izzy and Simon are gone for some dinner thing. Can you and Alec watch Chris tonight for a bit?"

"Of course, what time?"

"Well, Clary has to leave in an hour but if you could meet her at the hospital and pick Chris up from there. I tried calling Alec twice but he hasn't picked up my call in days, actually."

Magnus frowned, he didn't know that. Alec didn't say anything, maybe he was busy at work and forgot, "Actually, I get out in ten. I can meet her at the house or the condo if that's easier. I got time before the boys are due to be picked up."

"Yeah, actually, if you could swing by the condo, that would be great." Jace paused, "Listen, uhm, Magnus about last weekend. I wasn't trying to be insensitive. It's just one of those things where I forget what happened to Alec, it seems so long ago. He doesn't talk about it with me and he acts like nothing happened so sometimes I forget. I-"

"It's alright Jace; I was being snarky because I was tired. I shouldn't have said what I did. Listen, Jace, I'm going to tell you something but I really need to understand you have to be an adult and not tell anyone." Magnus paused, Alec was going to murder him, "Alec's in therapy for it. He's not over it; it doesn't creep in every day but it's there. He's getting better but being sexually harassed, assaulted, has a lasting effect. I tell him I love him every day and I think he's sexy because I know he likes it. It distracts him and reminds him of good things. He had other issues that therapy is helping to work out that were there before Underhill but he only really noticed because of the whole Underhill situation. He's getting the help he needs and he's so much better but he's still sensitive."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll do a better job in the future. I'll call Clary and let her know you're on your way. Thanks, brother."

Jace hung up before Magnus could correct the brother comment but he secretly enjoyed it as well. He slowly began packing up his computer. He had a family he never thought possible before.

…

"Dad?"

Raphael pushed on Magnus' chest with a force so hard, Magnus thought he was going to die. "Yeah?" He hissed out when Max decided to join in on the fun and push on his other side, "What do you want minions?"

"Breakfast."

"Go find Alec." He twisted still not opening his eyes, he could feel that Alec wasn't with him, or he would have been groaning along with him.

"We did-" Max started.

"-he said to find you." Raphael pushed again.

"I was kidding, you two. Go downstairs; we'll be down in a minute." Alec pushed on Max's head to get him off his side of the bed and sat down with his back against the headboard.

"Go." Magnus pushed on Raphael, who flopped down on his chest.

"Pancakes?" Raphael whispered.

Magnus nodded in his sleep, "And bacon."

"K." Both kids left the room completely ignoring Alec.

Alec watched their two sons run out of the bedroom and down the stairs, "Wakey wakey." Alec whispered in the general direction of Magnus' ear. Magnus twisted to lay against Alec's leg, throwing his arm over his legs, "Careful." Alec twisted just enough to sit a little higher on the bed.

Magnus smiled at the sound; he knew that sound. He finally opened his eyes and smiled at Alec when their eyes met, "Mornin' babe." He sat up to kiss Alec on the cheek, then rested his hand on the back of their daughter's head, "Morning, my baby girl." He kissed her head then went back to laying beside them. She fussed in Alec's arms but settled back down when Alec whispered her name to her.

"I didn't hear you get up." Magnus laid on his back to stare up at his husband and daughter.

"We haven't been up long, have we?" Alec smiled at her, her little eyes closing and opening softly, she wiggled a little then settled down just to wiggle again.

"How about I get the boys food and cleaned up and you get her?" Magnus set up again, "You're sisters are going to be here soon, I bet."

"Actually, I didn't tell them." Alec smiled at the shocked look on Magnus' face. "Listen-"

"Alec, they are going to kill us." Magnus frowned, "You didn't tell them we have a baby? Kinda impressed you could keep a secret from Clary actually." He whispered the last part to himself.

Alec pouted his bottom lip out, "Listen, today is family day anyway, everyone is going to be here around two, right?" He asked but didn't wait for an answer, "I thought we could have a little more family time and then we could surprise them."

"Alec, Cecily was born on Thursday, she's been home since Friday morning and you haven't told your family yet." Magnus had to grin at him, "I didn't know you knew how to keep a secret from Clary."

"I want to put her in that cute little purple tutu outfit Max and Raphael picked out for her and show her off, I want to show off our daughter." He had the brightest grin on his face. "I want to present her to the family. Our baby girl."

Magnus' grin widened, "Come here you." He twisted on his knees so he could kiss Alec, really kiss him, applying pressure until Cecily wiggled in Alec's arms. She was calling the attention back on her. Magnus laughed, "Welcome to the family, Cecily Grace Lightwood-Bane."

"Thanks," Alec whispered back to Magnus who just smiled at him. "Daddy."

.The End.