CHAPTER 10: MEMORIES
[S1E4 Raising Hell (Part III)]
The location they had pinpointed wasn't more than five minutes away, if even that. That's what Margo kept repeating when Alec slowed down to walk in step with her as she strolled a few steps behind everyone. "Margo-" He tried to grab her hand.
She shook her head, staring straight ahead. "Stop." She wiggled herself out of his grip. "We're not doing this now, not here." Her words came out strong and confident; she tried hard to make sure they did.
He pulled at her bicep, pulling the girl back. She stood in front of him now, staring right up into his hazel eyes. Though he could tell she had been crying, she showed no signs of continuing to do so. He took a deep breath in, raking his mind for what to say. What could he possibly say that would undo the damage he'd already caused?
Before he could even try to come up with a solution, Isabelle spoke up from a few feet away, bringing the two back to reality. "Magnus' lair is right behind that fence." Margo glanced back at Alec before speeding to catch up with her parabatai.
She pulled out her seraph, preparing for any attacks.
"Magnus lives in a warehouse?" Clary asked.
Margo tilted her head to the side. "Not exactly. Warlock glamour."
Isabelle stopped everyone, holding a hand up. "Something's wrong. It's far too easy to get this close. His protective wards must be down."
Alec turned to Clary. "You... don't get in the way."
She glared at him before her eyes, as well as all of her friends', turned at the sound of a man grunting and a sword slicing. "Oh, God!" Clary yelled, "Valentine found Magnus!"
The five dispersed, Margo conveniently finding herself leading Clary ahead. From afar, they saw a small girl leaning down to a man. "Daddy, get up, please!"
As another man approached her, seraph out and ready to shed blood, Clary yelled out, "Watch out!"
"Clary Fairchild. Valentine will be so pleased to meet you."
Margo's eyes widened as she found herself taking action and pushing the attacker away from the girl using brute force. With the help of Jace and Isabelle, the attacker was on the ground, a dagger in his back, a few moments later.
She turned back to Clary, who now had her arms protectively around the girl. "Stick close," she advised the two, "It's safest if we stay together."
Clary reassured the girl as Izzy caught up to Margo, latching onto her arm.
After the others fought off the other intruders, Margo, Isabelle, Clary and the small girl, whom they'd learned was named Zoe, found their way to Magnus Bane.
"Magnus," Margo called, catching his attention. He smiled at the little girl as he hugged her, allowing her to go back and join the others afterwards.
He turned to Margo once she was gone. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting yet. I'm Magnus and you are?"
"Margo," she introduced, politely sticking a hand out for him to shake.
Instead, he took her hand in his, kissing the back of it. What a gentleman, Margo thought. "I heard what you and Clary did for Zoƫ, risking your lives without hesitation to save a young warlock child."
"She was a kid in trouble. We didn't really have a choice," Margo replied.
"You always have a choice." Margo shrugged, excusing herself as Magnus started to speak directly to Clary. She found Isabelle and leaned slightly on her best friend, feeling drained from all the activity they had participated in.
She vaguely heard Magnus say, "Hold tight, everyone, we're about to move," before she felt energy pulsating through the room. Through her tiredness, she hadn't firmly planed her feet down and had somehow landed on the couch a few feet away, right on top of Alec.
She did not realize that when she reopened her eyes, taking notice that the Shadowhunters were now in Magnus' lair. Margo sighed, leaning back until she felt Alec under her, the back of her head resting on his shoulder. She cleared her throat, quickly gathered herself and shuffling to her feet next to Jace, some distance away from the older Lightwood.
She heard Magnus sigh deeply as Alec stood up, eyeing the mess around his lair. "Ah, much better," Magnus commented with a smile, "Ugh, it's inevitable. After each move, I get the itch to redecorate. Normally, I love a dirty lair, but this one is just sloppy." He eyed Alec as he spoke, getting an odd, confused look back from the brunette.
Alec found his way over to Jace and Margo, leaving the girl standing in between the two boys. "I believe in services rendered," Magnus stated, turning to Isabelle and holding out the ruby. "Thank you for defending the warlocks."
Isabelle instantly shook her head. "I couldn't."
He raised an eyebrow, walking around and clasping the necklace around her neck. "Oh, but you could. And you should. The Lightwoods have been wearing this for years. Besides, this would look silly on your brother."
Isabelle chuckled as Alec turned to Jace, both speaking in hushed voices with Margo in between. "About Alec, is he more of a flower or cologne man?" she heard Magnus softly ask Isabelle, who only chuckled again.
Margo found herself frowning, her hand immediately and subconsciously latching onto the hem of Alec's shirt, tugging. When he suddenly stopped talking to Jace and looked down at the brunette, he saw her staring at Magnus. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, one that had gone unknown by everyone who wasn't the receiver.
She snapped her head up, her fingers quickly retracting from his button-up shirt.
"Okay, so how do we summon the memory demon?" Clary asked, cutting the small-talk.
Magnus stepped out from behind Isabelle. "Are you certain? Summoning such a powerful demon could be lethal."
Clary nodded. "I'll do anything to save my mother. Where is the demon?"
Magnus nodded, still staring at her as he addressed the boy beside him. "Okay. Pretty boy, get your team ready."
Jace glanced around at everyone, walking up to Clary. "You know what to do-"
He was cut off as Magnus stopped him. "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to... you." He turned to Alec, who was standing right behind Margo, his chest touching her back. He smiled, shrugging at his parabatai when he looked at him.
Magnus waved Clary to him, leading her into another room, giving her a task, before also luring Jace in.
He returned soon after, announcing that they'd have some time before Clary could draw the pentagram to summon the demon.
Isabelle sat down next to Magnus on the couch as Margo walked off to ransack through his impressive collection of books.
She was unaware that Alec had followed her and had only noticed when she stepped around the bookshelf, seeing his figure leaning against the piece of furniture.
"Not now, Alec," Margo groaned, trying to pass by him.
"Yes, now," he argued, holding her steady.
She sighed, crossing her arms as she stood in front of the boy. Her eyes glanced behind him, ensuring that they had privacy in that Isabelle and Magnus could not see or hear the pair.
Margo waited for Alec to say something but after a few silent moments, her feet led her away.
Before she even got three feet, he said it.
"I'm sorry."
Margo stopped dead in her tracks. She couldn't recall the last time Alexander Lightwood had apologized in such a sincere manner. She sighed, sensing all her bottled-up feelings resurfacing.
She didn't turn around to look at him, because she knew that if she did, she would be putty in his hands.
"You called me worthless, Alec."
Her voice cracked. She could tell he noticed by the way his breathing hitched. His hand caught hers, pulling her around to look at him.
"I'm sorry, Margo," he said again. "I didn't mean it. You know I didn't mean it. You're not worthless, not in the slightest. You're more useful than any of us know. Without you, the team wouldn't be the team. I don't know-I was just saying anything because I was stressed out."
She paused, unsure how to respond.
He cupped her face in his hands. "Listen to me, baby. I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry. You were right, something is going on with me but, until I'm sure what it is and until I'm ready, I can't tell you. Don't ever listen to me when I say things like that. It's not me talking, it's the angrier Hulk Smash version..."
Margo cracked a smile at the comic-book reference to her favorite superhero. Alec noticed, gaining a similar smile on his face.
"I apologize, Go. I'm so sorry I ever said that you."
She sighed. It was more than she expected. It was overwhelming, honestly. Margo was feeling an intense amount of emotions in a short period of time.
So, she did the only thing that felt right.
She smashed right into Alec's chest, wrapping her arms around him.
It wasn't a breathtaking apology but it was enough for her. It was enough for her to start to overlook his mistaken words.
As far as apologies go, Alec was never one for voicing his regret. He never apologized, ever. And that's why Margo forgave him. She knew it was rare for him to say such words and she appreciated that he directed them to her. He was sincere and that was all that mattered.
They pulled back from the hug after some time, softly smiling at each other. Before Margo could even consider the thought of kissing Alec, Clary's voice rang out through the halls.
As they walked to her, Alec rested a hand on the small of Margo's back, leaning to whisper into her ear. "I never told you how hot you look in that dress."
Margo's smile widened as her and Alec entered the adjacent room, joining everyone in surrounding Clary and the now complete pentagram.
"Jocelyn was right - your artistry is beyond compare," Magnus complimented.
Clary's shrugged, wiping her chalky hands on her bare legs. "I don't know about that."
"Oh, the only other person I've known who could draw as well was Michelangelo, who was excellent in bed, I might add." He took a long, not-so-subtle look over at Alec.
Margo took notice, inching closer to Alec's body. His hand moved up and down, rubbing her back comfortingly. The pair glanced at Isabelle when she giggled.
"Okay, we're ready. Everyone take your rightful place on the pentagram."
Margo looked around, noticing there was six of them and only five sides. "I'll sit this one out," she offered, taking a few steps back, directly behind Isabelle and Alec.
"Nonsense, come join your parabatai," Magnus insisted, allowing Margo to join Isabelle at her spot on the pentagram. "We must initiate a bond. Once this bond is sealed, it cannot be broken until the demon retreats. No matter what happens, we must not let go of each other's hands."
Everyone clasped hands, hearing low booming sounds as the tether bonded them together. Margo could feel her hands start to warm up as she intertwined them with Jace and Isabelle's. Across from her stood Alec, looking slightly out of place between Clary and Magnus.
"I will lead the ceremony, and you must all do exactly as I say. The demon's name is Valak. And, at some point, he will ask for payment in exchange for Clary's memories."
Margo's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? What kind of payment?"
Magnus smiled oddly at her. "We will see. Let us begin." He closed his eyes, starting to confidently speak Chthonian.
"The necklace," Izzy gasped from beside Margo, "It's pulsing." Everyone's eyes drifted to the ruby necklace she wore before snapping their heads up as a large, black smoke filled the space inside the pentagram. The creature growled dangerously.
"Valak is among us. Do not break the bond." Margo tried her hardest to grip tightly onto Jace and Isabelle's hands as the wind picked up, rushing around. "It is time; the demon demands payment."
Alec yelled over the wind, "What does it want?"
"We must relinquish a beloved memory of the one we love the most."
Izzy's memory ventured out out to the demon first: it was of her older brother, who stood across from her and Margo.
Valak then took Jace's and Clary's, both of their respective parents.
Alec was next, his memory was of Margo. The brunette smiled at that. He loved her.
Then went Margo.
She yelped, feeling herself give up a memory of herself and a man whom she did not recognize. It was a memory dug deep inside her soul, she could feel it's ascent. In the memory, she couldn't have been older than five. The man was in his late twenties, pushing her on a swing. His dark hair and green eyes were parallel to Margo's. She giggled and swung her legs, looking back at the man. "Higher, papa," she urged him to push the swing higher.
As Margo tried to understand the memory, of which she could not recall, she felt her hands start to sweat as they slowly slipped from Jace and Isabelle's. "Who is that? I-I don-t..." She squired in place, feeling overwhelmed with emotions.
A plethora of memory fragments engulfed her brain. She saw the man in almost all of them. He started to age handsomely as the memories passed. In the last fraction, he was holding a pre-teen Margo's hands, leaning down a bit to catch her eyes.
"Baby, it's going to be okay," he promised, and somehow Margo could feel her younger self trusting him. He eyed the front door before turning back to Margo, fixing her hooded coat. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."
Margo understood. "I love you, Dad."
He smiled softly. "Yeah, I get that a lot." He ruffled up her hair playfully. "I love you too, kid." He kissed her cheek softly, pulling her into a hug before standing up. He spoke slowly in what Margo recognized as Chthonian just as banging sounded through the front door.
And when the door burst open, the memory ended.
"Margo, it's okay!" Isabelle reassured, trying to grip onto her parabatai's hand.
"No!" Margo screamed, feeling her hands slip out from her friends' before they were all sent flying backwards.
Margo slammed against the wall forcefully before landing on the floor. "I cannot contain the demon much longer," Magnus announced. She groaned, looking across the room to see Alec stand up and walk towards the demon.
Before he could do anything rash, Jace pushed him away, never noticing the demon surround him until he had the blonde in his grip. "Jace!" Isabelle ran over, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him out of the demon's grasp. "Grab him!" she ordered her brother, who helped her pull.
"The demon is growing stronger," Magnus yelled. Isabelle desperately turned to Clary, begging for help. The redhead held out her seraph. "Clary, if you kill the demon, your memories will be lost forever!" The creature screeched as Clary stabbed it with her blade without a second thought.
The two Lightwoods and the Wayland boy landed in a heap. "Jace! Oh, my God, Jace." Margo's eyes landed on Jace, who wasn't moving.
"Jace, get up. Jace," Alec urged.
"Is he going to be alright?" Clary asked as Isabelle slowly walked over to her parabatai, leaning down to look at her.
Magnus shrugged. "I don't know. Does he normally just lay like that without moving?"
Isabelle cupped Margo's shoulder, clutching onto it. "Go, are you okay?" The brunette wordlessly nodded, avoiding eye-contact as Isabelle helped her up. At the same moment, Jace took a large inhale, gasping and coughing. He breathed heavily, weakly whispering, "I'm all right. I'm all right," to those around him.
Margo felt awful. How could she let something like this happen to Jace all because of her selfish emotions? She felt ashamed of herself.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Margo," Magnus spoke as he neared her, practically reading her mind.
Her lips tightened into a line. It was one thing to internally think about how embarrassed she was, but to have someone else voice it - that was unacceptable in her books. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You will."
And just as she had done with her father all those years ago, she trusted Magnus' words, understanding that her memories would surely come back to haunt her.
