A/N- Soooo sorry this took so long D: I really am, but I have good news and then a chapter for you- first, my friend is much better and back in school, second, I have a new boyfriend :) and third, today is my birthday! So yeahh, sorry for the long wait, I was so freakin busy. Here's the promised chapter! Enjoy!
Disclaimer- Even though it is my birthday, I unfortunately still do not own the Mortal Instruments series. :(

(Magnus POV)

I couldn't even process what was happening when Jamie drove Alec and I back to his house, which I figured was going to be my home for the time being. It was all a big, blank blur though.

Jamie stayed with us when we got there. Everything sounded hollow to me, like I was far away from the rest of the world, but I recognized Alec's voice explaining to his parents what had happened. I sat next to Jamie, practically catatonic and trying to stop the steady waterfall of tears running down my face. My mouth was oddly dry ad my head was hurting again. All I wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up to the smell of my dad making omelets. They always fell apart, but they were my favorite thing to eat for breakfast.

I realized suddenly that I was an orphan. I had no more relatives; all of them were either dead or unheard of. I was the last living Bane.

(Alec POV)

Saying the Magnus spiraled into a deep depression after his father died would've been an understatement.

It had been about five days and Magnus hadn't gone to school or done any of the homework I brought for him. He hadn't eaten much either… or slept, or spoken, or done much of anything really. He just sat on the couch or my bed all day and stared off into space with the TV on mute.

I tried to cheer him up a little by asking him if he wanted to help me cook dinner one night. I figured he would say no and had probably lost all feeling in his legs, but he nodded and got up off the couch.

"I was thinking of making breaded pork chops," I told him, walking to the kitchen. "Friday is always pork chop day." He just nodded again, looking toward the direction of the living room.

I went to the fridge and pulled out some ingredients- bread crumbs, eggs, flour, and raw pork chops. I saw Magnus wrinkle his nose at the meat. Vegetarians, I thought. I also grabbed three small bowls, a pan, and some oil.

"Okay," I said. "It's actually pretty simple." I quickly explained to him that all we had to do was slice the pork, flour it, egg it, evenly coat it with bread crumbs, and then fry it for about 3 minutes on each side. Easy, right?

"Want to crack the eggs?" I asked him. Surprisingly, he shook his head. "Would you rather cut the meat then?" He nodded, so I demonstrated how to cut the pork and handed him the knife. He looked at it a bit too long for my liking, though.

I cracked to eggs in one of the small bowls after filling the other two with flour in breadcrumbs. I was looking around for a whisk when I heard Magnus mumble something. "What?" I asked him.

"I said 'I didn't know you could cook.'" His voice sounded raspy and tired, but beautiful all the same. It was nice to finally hear his voice again.

"Oh, well I really can't," I said. "This is the only thing I know how to make besides cereal." He smiled, but not really; it was more like a slight upturn of the corners of his mouth.

We fell into silence again, and all that could be heard was the sound of my whisking. I slowed down as I thought of something. "So," I said, glancing sideways at him. "When do you think you'll be ready to come back to school?" He shrugged. "Magnus," I said firmly, setting down the whisk. "You can't miss any more school." He shrugged again. "We have final exams soon and I know how you fell right now-"

Magnus slammed the knife on the counter, cutting me off (no pun intended) and making me jump.

"No," he practically growled at me. "You don't know how I feel; not at all. You didn't lose both of your parents. You aren't an orphan. You aren't alone."

I was surprised the he snapped at me like that… but I also understood him. He was right- I had no idea how he felt. Both of his parents had died and now he had to hear me telling him to go to school before he was ready to. I should have known better. I should have kept my mouth shut… my big, fat mouth. I felt like an asshole.

"You're not alone," I said quietly. Magnus looked up then, his eyes beckoning me to continue. "You can talk to me about anything," I said. "I'm always here and so are Isabelle and really my entire family. I don't ever want you to think you're alone. That… That's absurd."

He only looked at me for a minute. "Okay," he said huskily. "Okay, that's nice to hear, I guess. I'll try to come back to school. But not on Monday. Any day but Monday."

I was about to ask why Monday would make any difference but I held my tongue and nodded, saying, "So… Tuesday then?"

"Maybe," he said. "But I'm not making any promises." He resumed his cutting."

"Okay," I said back to him. I picked up the whisk again, but the eggs were already as whisked as possible. "Everyone really misses you."

I saw his eyebrows go up. "Do they?" he asked slowly. "Or are the just saying that?"

"No one else but Simon knows," I told him. "Well, your teachers know, too. But that's standard protocol."

"Are you sure Jace hasn't told anyone?"

"He swore," I said. "And I kind of threatened to kill him if he told anyone… Even Clary."

Magnus half-smiled again. "Thanks."

I would've taken his hand, but his fingers were all covered in slimy pork juice so I just smiled at him. And I hoped against all hope that things would get back to normal and Magnus would start talking again.

I really needed him to be there for me for the next few days…

Because I was going to come out to my parents.

A/N- Sorry for the long wait and then the sucky/short chapter :( don't hate me, I just ran out of time and inspiration. Please, please, please review like there's no tomorrow and I will write a nice loooong chapter mkay? Thanks!
Byez!
-Ella