Okay, another chapter for you.

AsraStar: I am pleased you do. Here is your update xx

Torchwood and The Doctor: okay, so not yet but I have a plan, don't you worry. And I am updating soon, and this chapter – maybe no happy exactly, but not horribly sad. Probably. xx

Alec was just sort of recovering slightly – he had gotten up off of the floor, and was sat on the floor with his knees curled up to his chest, his arms hugging his legs, trying to control his breathing. He was trying to think about things logically, but it wasn't really working. Eventually he started to have some coherent thoughts, but even when each though was clear they were muddled up together making his head feel like it was going to explode. He needed a distraction. Anything to keep his mind of Magnus and Will. Anything. Anything at all.

Just then, his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID, breathed in for a moment, and pressed the answer button.

"Hey Clary."

He sniffed. He probably sounded absolutely pathetic, but he really didn't care. Not one bit.

"Hey, um, Alec, are you okay?"

"Yeah, no, I'm fine, um, what were you calling for?"

"Oh, right yes, I was kinda wondering if you and Max wanted to come over for dinner tonight with us ."

"Um sure."

"All of us."

"Yes…"

"As in Jace too."

"Oh, no that's fine."

"Really?"

"I think it's probably time I tried to speak to him again. He is my brother."

"Okay, well I'll see you over here at say five?"

"Yep, sounds good."

"Bye Alec."

"Bye Clary."

A distraction. Perfect. Now all he needed to do was tell Max. Oh shit. Max.

Alec wandered over to Max's bedroom door, standing outside it silently. Quiet sobs were coming from inside, the sounds of sniffing and tears. Alec knocked softly on the door with the back of his hand before twisting the knob gently and pushing the door quietly inwards. Max was leant against the wall with his head in his hands, crying desperately into his arms. He looked lost. Not broken, just very lost and confused and scared. Alec walked over to him and sat down beside his son, wrapping his arms around him.

"Hey Max."

No response. Max just leant into his dad, burying his face into Alec's chest as he sobbed.

"I know its hard Max, and I'm sorry you had to see Magnus in the way you did. I honestly had no idea. And I'm sorry you had to find out about Will like that too."

Max looked up at his dad. His eyes were large and red and puffy.

"I'm not sad because I saw them. It was just a bit of a shock…and…and it was hard realising who Will was, and…and seeing…seeing the dad I never thought I'd know…"

Alec held Max close again, stroking his hair gently.

"I know, I know. But hey, good news."

Max looked up again.

"What?"

"We're going to dinner at Aunty Clary's tonight."

"Really?"

"Yep. And you are going to get to meet your Uncle Jace."

"But I thought you and Uncle Jace didn't like each other and shouted at each other all of the time?"

"No, we don't. We were just both very angry and upset. Before you were born we got on very well."

"So was it my fault you fell out?"

"No, absolutely not. It was a lot of things. But not you. Okay?"

Max nodded.

"Right, shall we both get cleaned up? We have to be there by six and it is now…" Alec looked down at his watch. "Five. Damn."

Max groaned. Alec laughed.

"Okay, come on mister."

He grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him up after himself, dragging him to his feet.

"Right, I'm going to have a shower now, and so should you. Put on something nice, and I shall meet you in the lounge at half five. Deal?"

"Deal."

Alec laughed and ruffled Max's hair before leaving his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. He didn't exactly know if Max was feeling okay, but he was just going to have to go with it and hope that seeing Clary and Jace would cheer him up a bit. And he had taken a liking to Tessa almost immediately, playing with her and making her laugh all of the time. Clary had been quite pleased, Alec reckoned, to see the two of them get along so well. She had also expressed her desire for the two of them to get on well with their new cousin, who would be born in only a couple of months now. At that Alec had turned a bit icy and Clary had quickly changed the subject.

He had a shower and then quickly donned a pair of black jeans and a white tshirt with a chequered blue shirt over the top. He had taken some influence from Magnus all of those years ago and now knew how to dress properly – well, not properly, just slightly less shabby like he had always done. He wandered out into the lounge, doing up the cuff buttons as he did so, to see Max already waiting nervously in jeans and a plain black tee. He looked really cute.

"Right let's go for this family reunion."

Max nodded and grabbed onto Alec's hand.

When they arrived Tessa was sat making a mess in a high chair and Clary was running around the kitchen like some sort of demented beast, her shockingly red hair flying out of its messy bun and making a halo around her head. She looked up and smiled when she saw Alec and waved him over, opening the oven and releasing a cloud of suspicious looking smoke into the already humid air.

"Heya Alec, um, slight change of plan…"

She sounded nervous at him. This would not be good.

"What?"

He sighed, not coldly.

"Um, Izzy is kinda coming too. With her husband, Simon. He's awesome. You'll like him."

She was trying to divert the subject. No. Not happening.

"Izzy's coming!"

"You aren't mad, are you?"

"No, I just wish you'd told me Clary."

He said exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked and saw that Max was already messing about with Tessa again, her mad blonde hair flying everywhere just like her mom's.

"Any more nasty surprises?"

Clary bit her lip.

"Clary."

"None of them know that you are coming."

She squeaked.

"Shit. Clary, why didn't you tell them?!"

"I didn't want everyone to get all flustered before!"

"Clary, if you don't call them now, it is going to go to hell in a hand basket in here when they arrive."

"But they are all getting here in like, two minutes!"

"Two minutes warning is better than no warning at all."

Clary sighed, and was just pulling out her phone when there was a knock on the door.

"And that is Izzy and Simon. I'll ring Jace, just let me get the door. I'm sorry, Alec. I guess…"

"Clary, it doesn't matter, honestly. And anyway, it is Jace I'm worried about."

She nodded.

"I'll text him."

She pulled out her phone; tapping on it furiously as she made her was over to the door.

It creaked open, and there they were. Izzy, now getting pretty huge, wearing a green dress that she still looked stunning in and Ugg boots – thank the Lord that she had seen sense and was wearing comfy shoes now. Next to her was a tall man who looked like someone who started off scrawny and then grew up. He had slightly crooked glasses, slightly curling chocolate brown hair and soft, laughing brown eyes. He was wearing a superhero tshirt and jeans, and hands stuck in his pockets. He didn't seem like Izzy's type, but then again, she did have a habit of being unpredictable. Izzy. Izzy, who was staring at him with shock with her beautiful dark brown eyes.

"Alec."

She whispered.

"Hey, Iz."

He raised a hand to her.

"I didn't know that you would be here too."

"Yeah, Clary forgot to tell everyone."

Clary shrugged her shoulders and blushed slightly. Suddenly the air was filled with smoke.

"Oh, shit, the food, um make yourselves comfy guys!"

And she rushed back to the kitchen.

Izzy just stared at Alec.

Then she rushed forward, as fast as she could given her state, and wrapped him in a massive hug.

"Alec, I am so, so sorry about what we said, we were so stupid, and you were right, and…"

Izzy, Isabelle Lightwood/whatever this guy's last name was, was on the verge of hysteria.

Well, she was pregnant.

"Iz, it's fine. Don't worry. And to be fair, I should have told you I was leaving."

She smiled at him.

"We're good then?"

"Of course."

"Right, I'm going to go sit down, it's too tiring standing up for this long."

Alec laughed and watched her as she sat down. Turning his gaze back he realised that Simon had walked over and was shifting around awkwardly. He held out his hand.

"Hey. I'm Simon, Simon Lewis. I'm Izzy's…"

"Husband, yeah I heard. Congratulations."

He took Simon's outstretched hand warmly.

"I'm Alec, her brother."

"She speaks really highly of you, you know. I think what she said the other day was just everything that had accumulated over the last few years coming out all at once."

"Yeah, I think so too. Hey, it's nice to meet you."

"You too."

Suddenly Alec remembered that they hadn't met Max.

"Oh, Iz, Simon, you'd better come and meet Max. Max, come over here!"

Alec and Simon moved to sit over by Izzy on the couches, Simon next to her and Alec on the opposite sofa. Max came over nervously and sat next to his dad.

"Max, this is your Aunty Izzy and your Uncle Simon. Simon, Izzy, this is Max, my son."

Max looked at Izzy and cocked his head to the side.

"So, you are Dad's sister?"

He asked.

"Yep. Sure am."

"And you're the one who's having my new cousin?"

"Yep."

He turned his gaze to Simon.

More specifically, his tshirt.

"Superman! Cool!"

"Ah, you into your superheroes then?"

Max nodded enthusiastically, and soon the two of them were locked in a debate as to which superhero was best, Superman or Thor from the Avengers. Max was winning with Thor and Simon was looking pretty impressed at how well he was arguing.

"He sure is convincing!"

He said to Alec, who laughed – he had been telling Izzy all about what had been going on in Claifornia.

"Yep. He rarely argues with anyone, but when he does, he always wins. It can be a pain sometimes."

Max just grinned and all of them laughed.

A few minutes later Clary came over and joined them, passing around wine.

"So, Iz." She said, slumping down next to Max, "What gender is the little one?"

Izzy smiled.

"We're having a boy."

Clary just squealed in excitement.

"Any ideas on names yet?"

Asked Alec. Simon answered.

"Well, Iz wanted Max, but it appears that has already been taken-"

Max grinned again.

"-so we were thinking maybe James."

Everyone nodded in agreement that this was indeed a good name.

"When's he due?"

Asked Alec.

"About a month and half I think they said, right, Si?"

"Yep. A month a half and you get your first nephew to go with your beautiful niece."

Simon nodded his head towards Clary, who smiled.

Just then the door burst open and in rushed Jace, throwing a leather jacket over a hook by the frame.

"Sorry I'm late…"

He froze.

"Okay, Clary, why didn't you tell me Alec was coming."

"Guess he didn't get that text."

Clary said.

"Woops?"

Jace looked at her furiously, and then glared at Alec before turning to stare at Max with a gaze that Alec doubted even Clary could read. His mouth dropped open slightly.

Well, he did tell Clary to tell Jace. He did tell her to call him.

Sooo? What do you think?

Lu xxx