A/N: It has been brought to my attention that you guys are starving for some Malec love. It's coming, I promise!
As always, thanks for the awesome reviews! There are no words to describe how much I appreciate them! *SiriuslyFour'sGirl shirt* omg you are too much!
July 7, 2028 (Alec, 38, Ellie, 12)
Alec couldn't remember ever seeing Ellie look so excited. She had been talking non-stop all day, and was currently scampering around the house at a blinding pace. Her theatrical flare was at an all-time high today, as she pulled yet another outfit from her closet, considered it, and tossed it over her shoulder, dismissively, onto the floor.
The reason for Ellie's current state was not surprising though. Alec still remembered his twelfth birthday, the day he got his first rune. He had been apprehensive, not completely believing his parents when they said the application of runes wasn't horribly painful. He had watched his parents apply runes for years, had seen the faint trail of smoke rise from the skin, had smelled the light, but distinct odor of burning flesh. How could that not hurt?
In the end, his parents had been right. While the voyance rune, his first permanent Mark, was uncomfortable, the pain that Jace regularly inflicted on him during training had certainly been worse.
Ellie had been privy to similar sights in her lifetime, watching as Alec and Jace and the others came home after demon hunts, wounded and bleeding, applying Marks of healing and pain relief, of energy and blood replenishment. She had been fascinated, knowing that one day she would be doing the same things.
And Alec had hid nothing from her. He wanted her to know the life she had been born into, even if it wasn't a conventional life by any standards. He and Magnus had strived, always, to make her life special, meaningful, to protect her while still allowing her to experience the things she would need to be a successful adult. They had guarded her, defended her, but not sheltered her. She had been permitted to grow and experience life.
And now, she was about to take the next step in her journey of becoming a Shadowhunter. She was preparing to accept her first rune. Alec was proud of his daughter, of the young woman she was slowly but surely becoming.
Even if her room currently looked like a war zone…
Alec pushed himself off Ellie's bed and strode to the door. "Magnus!" he shouted. If there was any one situation that Magnus was acutely designed to handle, it was this one. Alec was out of his league, far beyond his comfort zone when it came to wardrobe issues.
Magnus skidded into view, a dazzling smile splitting his face as he took in the sight before him. He rubbed his hands together, completely in his element, as he entered Ellie's room. He kissed Alec briefly and said, "I've got this." He ushered Alec out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Alec retired to the couch, propping up his feet, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. His eyes immediately darted open as a torpedo hit him in the belly, knocking the wind out of him. He sat up, gasping, and scooped up the 'torpedo' in question. Staring up at him was a solid black furball named Bartholo-meow. Alec sighed at the devil cat and patted him affectionately under his chin.
He let his thoughts slip to a few months previously. It had been a dark time in the Lightwood-Bane house. Chairman Meow, their beloved tiny puffball of a cat, had finally succumbed to old age. Magnus, through the power of his magic, had kept the little cat going until the age of twenty-one, but even magic couldn't make an ordinary cat live forever.
Magnus had been inconsolable for several weeks after losing Chairman. Alec hadn't been much better, but he at least was functional and able to go to work. Magnus had cancelled all of his appointments indefinitely, had barely gotten dressed, and had eaten very little for the first week. Ellie and Alec had tried to cheer him up. In the end, Alec bringing home the little black demon cat finally broke him from his dismal existence.
Bartholo-meow, usually referred to as Barty, was nothing like the Chairman. Where Chairman would hide when company came over, Barty thought it much more fun to swat at guests and bite their ankles. Chairman had been allowed to sleep in their bed, after they had finished making love, of course. Barty, however, had quickly been banished from the bedroom. The mischievous beast had a habit of biting toes and pouncing in the middle of the night.
The quirks of the black cat did not deter Magnus's affection. He had fallen completely in love with the cat. He had even said bizarre things like 'Bless his little heart' when Alec had received a particularly painful bite and had been on the verge of punting the cat onto the street.
Barty had finally grown on Alec though, once his kitten teeth had fallen out and been replaced by slightly less sharp adult versions. At least, until he did things like torpedo into Alec's stomach.
"You are evil," he said affectionately to the cat, once he had regained his breath. Barty climbed onto his chest, nuzzling under his chin, and Alec smiled. He really did have a soft spot for cats.
An hour later, Magnus and Ellie found the pair lying in the same position, both asleep. Magnus nudged Alec, who stretched, not unlike a cat, as he woke. Barty uncurled from his chest, stretching likewise and looking annoyed that his nap was interrupted.
"We're ready," Magnus announced.
Alec sat up, rubbing his bleary eyes and stretching again. His eyes finally landed on Ellie and his mouth dropped open. His daughter, his twelve year old daughter, was wearing a pretty pale blue sleeveless dress with a tight bodice and flowing skirt. The dress accentuated the fact that she was developing into a woman, showing the slight curves that Alec was not prepared for her to have.
The blue of the dress brought out the blue of her eyes, making them shine brilliantly. Magnus had applied a pale eyeshadow to her upper lids, and faint brown eyeliner on her lower lids. She had color on her lips that was slightly pinker and plenty more shiny than her normal color. And of course, there was glitter. Glitter in her dress, glitter on her eyelids, glitter in her hair, which was pulled back from her face in a series of twists. She looked beautiful.
And that, Alec thought, was the problem. He was not ready for his twelve year old daughter to look beautiful. He wanted to preserve the tiny little girl with large blue eyes and bouncing black curls as long as he could. Time was not being very kind to him.
"Glitter, Magnus? Really?" he said, trying to sound as if he disapproved, but knowing he had no chance of fooling his husband.
"Yes, glitter. Doesn't she look beautiful," Magnus said. He was practically glowing with pride. Alec thought any little girl would be lucky to have Magnus as a father. Magnus was the perfect man to teach Ellie how to dress, how to wear make-up, and, he sighed, how to sparkle.
Alec's expression softened as he looked at Ellie. She pirouetted on one foot, letting her skirt fluff in the breeze created by her spin. "That she does," Alec said, smiling fondly at her.
A tap on the door broke the light mood, and a slight air of excitement and apprehension replaced it. Alec let in the three Silent Brothers who had arrived for the Rune Ceremony. He greeted them with a slight nod of his head.
Hello, Alexander Lightwood, Brother Enoch said inside their heads. He crossed the room to where Ellie and Magnus stood and gave them a slight bow in greeting.
Generally, Downworlders were not allowed to be present for Nephilim ceremonies, but Magnus had been given special permission, not only as Ellie's father, but because of his special relationship with the Silent Brothers, having lived many of his younger years with them. Consequently, he was more at ease with them than most Downworlders would have been, and he greeted them cheerfully, inviting them into his home.
Magnus said, "This is our daughter, Ellie."
Hello, Elizabeth Lightwood. We are very pleased to make your acquaintance.
Ellie's eyes darted from the hooded figure before her to her dads, surprise written all over her face. Magnus and Alec had prepared her as best they could for the experience of having the Silent Brothers speak into her mind, but no amount of words can fully do it justice. Alec nodded encouragingly to her, and she remembered her manners.
"Hello," Ellie said politely.
I am Brother Enoch. Behind me are Brothers Thaddeus and Kenan. We are here to give you your first Nephilim rune, the Rune of Voyance.
Ellie nodded her understanding. Her eyes grew wide as the Silent Brothers drew their hands up to their parchment colored hoods and began to lower them, revealing the disfigured faces beneath. Her dads had warned her about the look of the Silent Brothers, how they had dark runes carved into their faces, how their lips were sewn shut, how their eyes were empty sockets, but it still took every bit of poise she had not to flinch away from the sight.
She wasn't afraid, per se, but she could not deny that the sight was frightening. She took several deep, calming breaths before nodding again.
Now that the Silent Brothers' faces were revealed, they seemed to lapse into a sort of trance. Their heads fell back, their arms held out beside them almost in a welcoming gesture. A buzzing sound filled the room, and it took several moments for Ellie to realize that buzzing was a chant emanating from the Brothers. Whatever magic they were performing, was clearly being summoned by the chanting, and Ellie said perfectly still, watching it all unfold.
After several minutes, Brother Enoch addressed her again.
Your first rune is a special occasion, Elizabeth. However, for you, it is even more special. I have rarely had occasion to place the Rune of Voyance on a child whose veins hold lycanthrope blood.
Ellie smiled weakly.
Please extend your dominant hand.
Ellie held out her right hand. She involuntarily recoiled slightly as the cold hand of Brother Enoch took hold of her hand.
This will be uncomfortable but the pain should not last long.
Ellie nodded again. Alec had already told her about the pain involved with the first rune, but none of them knew if her pain would be worse because of the werewolf blood. She braces herself for the worse, gritting her teeth, her posture stiff, as Brother Enoch produced a stele.
A small gasp escaped Ellie's lips as the heat of the stele touched her skin. It was painful, but not as much, she thought, as her first transformation. It was not as bad as she had felt after her first day of training with her cousin, Will. It was not intolerable pain.
She watched as the eye-shaped symbol came to life on the back of her hand. The thick, black lines and swirls captured her attention and wouldn't release her. When Brother Enoch finished the last bit and removed the stele from her skin, Ellie was filled with pride. She was now officially a member of the Shadowhunter community.
Brother Enoch echoed her thoughts. Congratulations, Elizabeth. You are now officially one of the Children of the Nephilim. May you always use your power and skill for the good of mankind.
Ellie beamed and hugged Magnus as Alec thanked the Silent Brothers and showed them to the door. He returned a moment later, unable to suppress his smile.
"Now it's time for a special dinner, in honor of the ceremony and your birthday."
Ellie squealed excitedly.
Twenty minutes later, they were seated in the fanciest restaurant Ellie had ever been to. Plush carpet lined the floors, softening the noise of the patrons. The tables were covered in white linen, with china place settings and real silver cutlery. Fluted glasses of water sat in front of them.
A waiter, dressed in a black jacket and dress pants, both with a gold stripe at the seams, stopped to take their order. Ellie smiled politely as she asked if she could possibly get utensils that were not made of silver. The waiter smiled indulgently at her, but looked put off when Magnus and Alec agreed. Ellie blushed slightly at the waiter's annoyance. It wasn't as if she were purposefully being difficult, but he had no way of knowing the reason behind her request, and she would not tell him. Being only part werewolf, she was not as severely affected by touching silver as a full lycanthrope would be, but it was still uncomfortable to touch, and she had no intention of going home with red, swollen fingers, especially not when she was out celebrating.
The waiter returned moments later, begrudgingly adhering to her request. He sat a set of plastic cutlery in front of her and she thanked him.
They had a lovely meal, the atmosphere light and joyful. Ellie intermittently glanced at her right hand, at the Mark that now resided there. The rune seemed to catch her eye with every move she made, like wearing a piece of jewelry she was unaccustomed to or when she had a wound that required a bandage. It was something new, different, exciting. The Mark gave her a sense of purpose, of belonging.
As the waiter cleared away the special piece of molten lava chocolate cake she had gotten as her birthday cake this year, both of her dads wished her a happy birthday. She grinned at them. It really had been a happy birthday, a very special day for her.
Alec sat a long, narrow black box with a too big gold bow on the table in front of her, indicating for her to open the present. She tore off the bow and ribbon and slid the lid off. Inside, resting in a bed of soft purple velvet, was a stele. She instantly recognized the implement from seeing her Dad use one on a regular basis, and it was not unlike the one Brother Enoch had used on her earlier today.
She turned her big blue eyes on Alec and grinned. "Every Shadowhunter should have her own stele," he said.
She hugged both her dads, thinking there had never been a better day in the history of all days.
Alec toed off his shoes beside the closet door, leaning against the frame for balance. Magnus was a step ahead of him, already undressing and slipping under the covers. He held the plush comforter up as Alec climbed into bed, then wrapped his arms around him.
"Don't you look like a proud papa," Magnus said with a grin.
"I am," Alec replied. He leaned closer and gently kissed Magnus. "I can't imagine a better day."
"It's not over yet," Magnus whispered seductively in Alec's ear, causing a shiver to run down his spine. "If you're not too sleep, that is."
Magnus's lips grazed the soft skin of Alec's neck, planting kiss after kiss as Alec melted into him. Magnus slid a hand down Alec's bare chest, gently passing over the rippling muscles that time had not taken from him. Alec was still in excellent shape, still training and fighting regularly. Magnus's hand found the waistband of Alec's boxers and gave a gentle tug.
Magnus made a 'tsk' sound. "You shouldn't have bother leaving these on," he said, as he slid his hand below the band and guided the undergarment off.
He rolled onto his back, pulling Alec on top of him, as his lips found Alec's and swallowed Alec's surprised laugh. He pressed their bodies together, firmly, running his hands along Alec's back and tangling them in his hair.
"Definitely not too sleep," Alec said in a heady, unstable whisper.
A/N: I was trying to fact-check about the ages of receiving first runes (age 12) and beginning training (age 10). I found conflicting info on the net, and didn't think you wanted to wait for me to read 9 books again to make sure I had it all right. This is how I remember it from my original reading, so it's what I went with. If I'm wrong, my apologies.