The moment of truth is coming, you guys!
DISCLAIMER: None of them belong to me. Who is them, you ask? Everyone. Everything.
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"I don't quite know,
How to say,
How I feel...
Those three words,
Are said too much...
They're not enough,"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Alec woke with a gasp.
All he could see was white, white bedsheets and white ceiling and white walls- then gold, and red, and green, and blue, and the colors swirl into faces.
"Alec. Alec!" Jace was saying, Clary was next to him, her bright green eyes worried and red-rimmed, like she'd been crying.
"W-wha-?" he slurred, blinking heavily, sitting up. The world tipped. His head pounded. He blinked again, vision beginning to clear itself.
Alec managed to sit up all the way, disoriented but otherwise fine.
"Don't sit up so fast, dumbass, you've been in a coma for like three days!" Clary exclaimed.
"M-magnus..." he coughed. "Is Magnus okay?"
Clary and Jace exchanged a loaded look.
"W-what is it?" Alec asked, worry building. "I-is he okay?!"
He couldn't think straight enough to remember that they didn't know, to keep up the facade. All that mattered was the last thing he remembered was Magnus shouting and in pain and gunshots and then darkness, and was Magnus okay?!
"Alec," Clary said carefully. "Magnus was there when you were shot at?"
"Yeah," he said weakly.
"He said he found you," Jace said angrily. "That son-of-a-bitch, why would he lie if he didn't do it?"
"Do it? Magnus didn't- Magnus didn't attack me, are you insane?" Alec demanded.
"I told you," Clary said urgently. "We need to call the station now, he could be leaving any minute, it might already be too late!"
"What?!" demanded Alec.
"Magnus is the prime suspect in your case," Jace said. "They found his blood at the crime scene, his skin under your fingernails. They're sending him off to holding any time now."
"His blood was there because I think he might've been shot," Alec gasped. "I need to get over there now!"
"Alec, if he was shot, why wouldn't he just-?"
"Because he's an idiot," gritted Alec before lurching out of the bed.
"Alec!" Clary yelped. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I have to get there, right now! I'm running on adrenalin, I'll make it-!"
"Alec, stop! You just woke up from a coma!" Jace yelled. "Get back in that bed now, you fucking idiot!"
Alec steadied himself on Jace's shoulder. He looked directly into his eyes and said, "If it was Clary, would you let me stop you?"
"Alec, Magnus isn't Clary. You don't even like him!"
"He's my Clary, Jace!" Alec staggered backwards, shouting, "Think about it! Why would he be there with me after hours? Why would his skin be under my fingernails? Do you want details? Just let me go! I have to go stop them!"
Jace looked utterly stricken. "But... You never said. You never told me."
"Not now, Jace, please!" Alec pleaded.
"Jace." Clary said as calmly as she could, biting her lip uncertainly. "If we're careful... and fast, we can do it."
For a long moment, Jace clenched his jaw, silence in the hospital room.
"Alright," he said finally. "But we are talking about this later. We'll take my car."
"Thank you," Alec said.
He only hoped they would make it in time.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Beckett had had a long day.
They were bringing Bane out to be transferred. He was cuffed, hair limp and unbrushed, makeup slightly smeared and everything about him seemed a bit dimmer. His usual cheerfully sarcastic demeanor, the glitter, the colorful clothing... It all seemed dulled, like he had given up.
She could see Castle conspiring with some of the other ex-suspects, all of them looking sadly at where Magnus was being led down the hallway.
He didn't look at any of them.
Becekett sighed. Logically, she knew Castle would get over it. She knew she'd done everything she could to support her partner's theory. She knew that she had gotten the bad guy. Case closed.
But there was some niggling doubt in the back of the mind.
"Uh, Beckett," Esposito called. "Alec Lightwood just went missing from his hospital room."
"What?" she demanded.
Bane looked up, eyes wide, and the others all flocked over.
"Was my brother taken?" Isabelle demanded.
"Are Clary and Jace okay?" Simon asked. "They should've been there."
"No. There are no signs of a struggle," Esposito reported.
"Okay... Thanks, Javi,"Beckett said, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Do you have any idea why Alec may have left the hospital room?" she questioned them. "Or where he might've gone? Maybe he still thinks his attacker is at large?"
"No," Isabelle said. "Unless..." She looked to the door.
There was the distant sound of yelling which slowly grew more distinct as the owner of the voice drew closer.
Finally, Alec Lightwood, still bruised and in plain white clothes, burst in, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Magnus Bane, you complete and utter asshole!"
Beckett realized he must be here because his friends told him who had attacked him.
Bane stuttered at the sight of him, eyes wide, stumbling back out of the surprised guards' hold, still handcuffed.
Alec marched over to his attacker, and Beckett moved to intervene. As much as she disliked the guy, she couldn't have her vic being charged for assault.
But he brushed past her easily, storming over to Bane with fury and determination in his eyes, and Beckett was sure he was about to punch Bane right in the nose.
Instead, he leapt forward, threw his arms around Bane and kissed the life out of him.
Bane easily melted into his embrace, obviously shocked but not unhappy with the turn of events.
"Alexander," he gasped as they broke apart, breathless. Bane was bright-eyed and beaming. They'd seemed to have forgotten the room full of people watching- cops, friends, family members.
That- that wasn't anything like what she'd expected at all.
It seemed that Bane was nothing that man from college- because the way he was looking at Alec now, all starry-eyed and glowing, that was something that that horrible man would never have been capable of.
Shit, she swore mentally. I fucked up.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Beckett gaped. A quick glance to the side showed similar reactions in everyone except for Isabelle, who just grinned and snapped a photo with her phone.
Obviously they'd missed something important.
"You," Alec huffed, "are the most selfless, loyal dumbass I've ever known! What the hell?"
In the shocked, utter quiet of the precinct, their conversation was easily overheard, but the two didn't seem to notice... or care.
"Alexander, you know I don't-"
"-Break promises, yes, I know, but when I- I didn't mean- it's not worth your life, Magnus! I'm not ashamed-"
"-I know you're not, idiot, but your parents-"
"-screw my parents!"
Magnus blinked slowly, before finally saying, "...That sounds unappealing, to be honest. I much prefer you."
Alec blushed.
"Not that this isn't adorable," Esposito interrupted, voicing what Beckett was thinking, "But what the fuck?"
They both turned in unison, Alec blushing and Magnus looking very pleased.
"Uh..." Alec managed. "Magnus didn't do this. He was actually- with me when... He probably saved my life. And even if he hadn't, he wouldn't. Attack me, that is."
"I wouldn't," Magnus confirmed. "I actually- got shot, so, that's where the blood came from."
"So you were shot?"Alec demanded, stepping back slightly at the same time as Beckett found her voice and said, "Why didn't you just say something?"
"I promised I would never out Alec without his explicit consent," Magnus said.
Alec shot him a glare. "No, no, no, back up, you got shot and you didn't get any medical attention? And by the way, I didn't mean go to goddamn prison for it, Magnus!"
"I did too get medical attention!" Magnus protested. "One of my friends is a nurse. I learned a lot from her!"
"Magnus-!" Alec began exasperatedly, but was interrupted by a rather high-pitched squeal of excitement.
They all turned to look at Castle.
"This... is... so... cool!" Castle burst out. "That was the best plot twist ever!"
He was grinning like a kid on Christmas Day. "I was so close! And that was adorable, did you see that?! Beckett, you can't say that wasn't one of the most romantic things you've ever seen-?!"
"What about the skin under the fingernails?" Beckett asked, shooting Castle an empty glare. Ryan and Esposito exchanged looks.
Alec blushed deeper. Magnus wiggled his eyebrows.
"Uh, we..." Alec stuttered. "W-we..."
"You can say the word 'sex', Alec," Magnus said. "It's not like they don't know we're in a relationship."
"Y-yeah. That." Alec said lamely.
Beckett sighed. "J.T., can you remove their handcuffs please?"
The officer nodded, hiding a small smile, unlocking Magnus's cuffs.
Magnus flexed his hands, grinning.
"So back to the drawing board," Esposito sighed.
"Ah, yes. Who's your next suspect?" Magnus asked.
"You're still civilians," Beckett said. "You shouldn't be involved in this any further. In fact, you should all go home."
"I just got framed for attempted murder," Magnus pointed out mildly, walking in a circle as if to address everyone, not just Beckett. "And my boyfriend was the one nearly killed." he continued, sweeping past Ryan and Esposito and swiping a folder from the desktop, "I think it's fair to say we're involved. Besides, I've not only seen a shit-ton of crime shows and read every single one of Mr. Castle's books-" he shot a wink at Castle, to which Alec raised his eyebrows at, "-and I also took several courses on criminology and psychology in college. I think I can handle helping out on one case, hmm?"
"It'll look good for the mayor," Castle chimed in hopefully.
Beckett looked thoughtful. Behind her, Magnus looked through the file, brow furrowed.
"And," Magnus added, pausing dramatically, "I have a lead."
.
YESSSSSS! Finally, amiright?
But this isn't the end... There is more drama to come! Who's the real assassin? And will they try again?
Or will they go after someone else?
Is anyone safe?
Find out... later! No idea how much later, because this is all I had written! Sorry about that! :D