Over the next few days Will and Cecily spent their days between Clary's house in Queens and Magnus' apartment in Brooklyn. And although they didn't mind the 50 minute train ride or the occasional lift from Clary, they would've preferred for Magnus and Alec to make up, so they didn't have to keep going backwards and forwards across the state of New York.

These days were not exactly smooth for Clary and Alec either. Clary had a painting to paint, and it had to be perfect, it just had to be.

And well, Alec had a whole plan that had to be executed perfectly, and that meant that he had a lot of things to sort out first. He knew what he was going to do, he'd known that for months it was just the details he was focussing on now. Now he was stressing. He was stressing that something would go wrong or that god forbid it could al just end in rejection. Alec sat on the bed, spiralling deeper and deep into his thoughts, his mind going a hundred miles a minute, when he was pulled from his thoughts by a loud ringing sound coming from the bed side cabinet. He looked down at his phone and checked the caller ID before answering the call. It was Jace.

"Hey Jace." Alec breathed, as though he was relieved that someone had finally pulled him from thinking about all the worst case scenarios that could happen.

"Well you sound like a ray of sunshine." Jace joked, not knowing whether it was the right time to make jokes or not.

"Just thinking, you know." Alec stated as he tapped his fingers against his leg.

"Thinking about what?" Jace asked, a growing concern in his voice. Jace knew that the last few months had been rough for Alec and he didn't want him going back to that place he had been in after the breakup. He couldn't let that happen to his brother, not again.

"Christmas Eve." Alec stated bluntly. Not in a mean way, but in a way that meant Jace knew something wasn't right.

"What's happening on Christmas Eve?" Jace asked, not knowing what the answer would be.

"Oh shit!" Alec exclaimed, "I forgot to tell you."

"Forgot to tell me what?" Jace asked, more confused than concerned now.

"I need you and Izzy to come to Raj's bar on Christmas Eve." Alec explained.

"Is that it? You're not planning anything stupid?" Jace questioned.

"Well it might be stupid, but I guess we'll have to find out on the night." Alec stated. "Oh and one more thing, could you possibly do me a favour?" Alec asked.

"Of course, anything for my brother." Jace stated and although Alec couldn't see it, Jace smiled. It felt so good that he could finally do something to help Alec instead of just watching him in pain and saying it was going to be okay.

"Can you play the piano for me?" Alec asked.

"What right now?" Jace asked slightly confused. He knew that Alec like to hear him play but he never really outright asked him.

"No, not right now, on Christmas Eve." Alec explained.

"Yeah, anything for you buddy. I'll play after whatever we're doing at Raj's."

"Well, that's the thing; I want you to play in Raj's." Alec said, his pitch rising slightly. He knew Jace didn't often play in public, but he was hoping that just this once he would.

"Alec you know I don't play in front of crowds." Jace breathed sharply.

"Yeah I know." Alec sighed, "it's fine honestly. I'll just use Raj's speakers."

"You're singing aren't you?" Jace guessed.

Alec made a vague "mh-hm" noise and began to nod, even though he knew that Jace couldn't see him.

"Well maybe just this once." Jace exclaimed. He never played in public, it was his escape, something for him. But hey, it's what you do for family, you help them even if that means putting yourself out. "Just text me the song and I'll see if I know it. If not I'll learn it for you." Jace continued.

"Thank you so much Jace. It means so much to me." Alec stated, a hint of excitement radiating through his voice. "I'll see you then."

"Text me the details and I'll see you there." Jace said.

"Will do. Bye." Alec said before taking the phone away from his ear and pressing the end call button.

And hey maybe his plan would work out after all.

CHRISTMAS EVE

"Clary I don't know I can do this." Alec breathed anxiously.

"What do you mean you can't do this? Alec your plan is flawless." Clary said as she adjusted Alec's tie. "Just think about what you'll get out of doing this."

Alec never intended to say it out loud but the word just slipped out of his mouth as quiet as a whisper, "Magnus."

"Alec you have no reason to worry, I know you love him and that he loves you. You just have to have to courage to go out there and save your love!" Clary exclaimed.

"When did you get so wise Fray?" Alec asked with a smile.

"I've always been wise, you just haven't noticed it." Clary stated, trying to hide her grin.

"Oh really?" Alec asked with a questioning smile.

Clary finished adjusting Alec's tie and made a vague "mh-hm" sound and tried to hide her knowing smile as she made her way out of the room, chuckling to herself.

Clary made her way down the stairs where Will and Cecily were waiting by the front door.

"Clary, you look beautiful." Cecy breathed as she looked at Clary.

"Thank you." Clary stated with a huge smile on her face as she looked herself up and down. "You don't look too bad yourself." Clary returned.

"Oh yeah, it's fine, I know I look beautiful. No one needs to tell me." Will stated sarcastically.

"Will, you're looking very beautiful tonight." Clary said with a laugh, as she made her way over to him and tapping him on the cheek.

"Thanks. That's the look I was going for." Will said with a chuckle.

The trio continued to talk in the hallway, until the stairs started to creak, signalling that Alec was ready.

"Wow!" Clary exclaimed. "You clean up well!"

"Thanks Fray." Alec stated with a smile on his face.

It was at this point that both Will and Cecy turned to face Alec.

"Bloody hell." Cecily breathed, her Welsh accent showing more than usual. "I can see why Magnus liked him so much." Cecily whispered to Will and Clary.

"Yeah, he looks good." Will stated, to which both Clary and Cecy turned to face him and began to laugh.

"What?" Will asked which made them laugh even harder.

"What's so funny?" Alec asked with a smile on his face.

"Believe me, you don't want to know." Clary said between laughs.

"Will thinks you're hot!" Cecy burst out. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep it in." Cecily breathed out between laughs.

"What? I never said that!" Will defended, a blush rising on his cheeks.

"Thanks Will, it really means a lot." Alec said with a grin as he patted Will on the shoulder. "But you're not really my type." Alec whispered, to which Will blushed even more and the girls tried to hold their laughter in.

"Right we should stop admiring each other and actually get going. We wouldn't want to be late now would we?" Cecily stated after finishing her fit of laughter.

"Right." Alec said, his light hearted smile suddenly turning into a serious one.

"How are we going to do this then?" Will asked his face less pink than before.

"Okay this is how we're going to do it…"

"Right, there they are." Clary stated as she and Alec watched Cecily, Will and Magnus make their way across the car park outside Magnus' apartment building and into a taxi.

"You have the spare key?" Alec asked nervously.

"Yes Alec, Cecy gave it to me in the car about ten minutes ago. You were there. You need to stop worrying; everything's going to be fine." Clary said, raising her eyebrows at her friend, who just stared blankly at her.

"You coming or what?" Clary asked as she opened the car door to get out.

"Yeah I'm coming." Alec breathed getting out of the car. "You have the painting?" Alec asked.

Clary's face dropped, "Erm, I thought I put it in the back with Will." Clary said as she looked through the backseat windows before breaking into a fit of laughter.

"What? Clary this isn't funny?" Alec exclaimed with an incredibly worried look on his face.

"I'm sorry, I just thought I'd try and lighten the mood." She said as she lifted a portfolio accompanied by a carrier bag out of the back of the car.

"That wasn't nice, Fray." Alec said, trying to look angry but he couldn't help the little smile that tugged at the sides of his mouth.

"Come we better get going. Wouldn't want to be late would we?" Clary asked, raising her eyebrows at Alec as she locked the car and made her way towards the apartment building.

Alec nodded silently to himself and followed after Clary. It wasn't particularly hard to get into the building as the concierge didn't really seem to pay them any attention. And if Alec hadn't been so focussed on his plan, he probably would have commented on how Magnus should live somewhere with a more attentive concierge.

"Right ok. 14th floor, apartment 14b." Clary said, although it was more to herself than to Alec.

"So what's in the carrier bag?" Alec asked, genuinely intrigued by what his friend could be hiding.

"You'll see." Clary said with a mischievous grin. The rest of the elevator ride was spent in silence. It wasn't awkward, it was a nice kind of quiet, it gave them time to think. Although, it wasn't that much time before the bells dinged and the doors opened.

Clary and Alec stepped forward and looked around for any other doors, but there was only one single one at the end of the hall. "Are you sure this is right?" Alec asked.

Clary made a vague "mh-hm" sound and started towards the door, to which Alec just followed. Clary promptly got the key out of her pocket and put in the lock, surprised when it fit.

"This must be it." She muttered opening the door. Clary and Alec stood there, their mouths agape.

"Wow!" Was all that Clary could say.

"Magnus is a man of style." Alec said with a certain admiration as he looked around the penthouse apartment.

"Where do you want it?" Clary asked. However, when she locked over at Alec, he was too distracted to answer. Clary followed his gaze, and saw what he was so distracted by. It seemed Alec wasn't the only one to reminisce over photos. Up against the wall there was a giant painting with a beautiful gold frame and tucked into the corner of that beautiful frame was a photo booth strip. Clary had seen Alec happy, but the way he looked in those photos was something she had never seen in her friend.

"Alec?" Clary asked, pulling Alec from his thoughts, "Where do you want it?"

"I don't know. His room maybe?" Alec said, although he wasn't convinced.

"I think you should have it as the first thing he sees when he walks into his apartment." Clary stated to which Alec nodded.

"Good idea." He breathed, watching as Clary opened the portfolio and pulled out a pop up easel. Then she pulled out the painting, Alec had yet to see it and so he made his way closer to where Clary was setting up.

"It's beautiful." Alec breathed as tears began to gather in the corner of his eyes.

"I'm glad you like it." Clary stated, her heart filled with pride. There was nothing more she wanted than to please her friend.

Alec's eyes continued to stare at the work of art before him. He looked at the way Clary had painted the sky, full of oranges and pinks and purples and blues. He looked at the way that she had made the two of them look so in love. And with that he couldn't hold them back anymore. The tears fell, there was no holding them back now.

"Oh Alec." Clary sighed, as she made her way over to her friend and pulled him into a hug.

"My god, Clary, I'm such a mess." Alec laughed as he wiped away his tears after pulling away from the hug.

"You're not a mess." Clary stated seriously. "Now let's get finished up here so that we can get going." Clary stepped away from Alec and made her way back to the easel where the painting was set, that's when she pulled open the carrier bag. Then she stood up and started to sprinkle whatever was in the bag.

"Clary, what are you doing?" Alec asked, as he realised what she was sprinkling.

"Making it more romantic. If your plan works Magnus will think you're really romantic and if your plan doesn't work, he'll come home and realise what a guy he missed out on. Then he'll come back for you." Clary stated with a sweet smile.

"Except, I wasn't the one who thought of the rose petals." Alec argued, as he looked down at the floor that was now littered with them.

Clary smiled before replying, "Yeah, but he doesn't have to know that."

Beta: gracie-the-shadow-writer

Hey guys,

I am sooooooooo sorry that this chapter has taken so long to upload, but I have been away in France for the past three weeks and completely forgot to take my computer away with me so I was a bit stuck. So anyway, here it is, the new chapter. I really hope that you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought. I means a lot to know what my readers think of what I'v written.

Thank you all so much for reading and thanks to the guest readers who have left reviews on my other chapters. I means a lot.

Thanks again.

Bash4102