Chapter 38

Unstoppable

I know, I know, it's been over a month since the last update. I am so sorry but things got crazy at home and at school and I just had no time to write. And when I did I didn't like the first version of this chapter, so I rewrote it. So, I am so sorry. But, here you go. This is the last chapter before the epilogue. It was really sad writing this and knowing that with each word it was getting closer to the end. But I won't keep you waiting any longer. Thank you all for reading, I love every one of you. Please enjoy.

Songs:

Life After You - Gavin Mikhail
I Won't Let You Go (Darling) - Hedley

"Okay, next you have to put in three eggs."

"Why three? Why not two or four or ten?" Alec turned to look at Magnus questionably. Around them it looked like a flour bomb had gone off; everything was covered in the white powder, including the couple. Magnus had finally decided to give Alec his cooking lessons and had figured it wouldn't be too hard to make pancakes, but now he was beginning to think he should have started with something like toast. The worst Alec could have done was burn that, not destroy the kitchen. But then again, Alec did look absolutely adorable covered in flour. If it had been sugar, Magnus would have been fighting the urge to lick it off of his skin, which would have completely negated the purpose of the whole lesson, but he probably wouldn't have cared.

"I don't know Alec. That's just what the recipe says. Why don't you ask an expert?"

"I thought I was." Alec raised an eyebrow at Magnus in reference to his earlier comment about him being an expert in the kitchen.

"I am an expert, thank you. I just don't happen to be a connoisseur on the use of eggs in pancakes."

"So you're admitting there is something you don't know? Well that's a first."

"Alec, just crack the eggs."

"If you say so." Alec took an egg out of the box, grinning up at Magnus.

"Alec," he warned. But it was too late. Alec reached up, cracking the egg on Magnus' perfectly spiked hair. Alec laughed like a child but Magnus was not at all amused. He glared at Alec through dripping egg yolk as he wiped it away with his fingers, smudging his makeup in the process.

"You didn't say crack the egg in the bowl," Alec said innocently but Magnus could see in his eyes that he knew what was coming. And a part of Magnus knew that that had been Alec's goal all along.

"You are so going to regret that Alexander." Magnus grabbed another egg, cracking it on top of Alec's head. His baby blues shot wide as the cold yolk ran down his skin. Magnus just laughed and didn't realize when Alec's hands moved to the flour bowl. Magnus was caught off guard when Alec dumped a cup of flour on Magnus' head. Oh, so that was how he was going to play it. Alright, Magnus could play that game too. He threw flour at Alec who in turn did the same. They went back and forth, throwing whatever ingredient at each other that they could get their hands on. Their laughter mixed together in the concentrated air as little by little they became undistinguishable from the ingredients. Magnus could barely see, his lashes soaked with egg yolk and caked with flour. But none of that mattered as he let himself feel like a child again as he and Alec destroyed their kitchen.

Magnus moved to throw the rest of the flour at Alec when his foot slipped on egg yolk. He instinctively grabbed onto Alec to stop himself from falling, but it was no use. He fell on his ass, the impact vibrating through Magnus' bones. Alec fell with him, his body falling none too lightly on Magnus'.

"Ow. Okay," he panted, out of breath. His head fell back on the tile as he met Alec's eyes. "I think that's enough for now."

"Are you saying I won?"

"I'm saying I bruised my tailbone and don't want to stand up for a couple minutes."

"So I won."

"I think the egg won. It put us both on our ass."

"Actually it put you on your ass and me on top of you. Not that I'm complaining." Alec grinned, raising an eyebrow at Magnus. That had always been Magnus' trick but goddamn he was not complaining that Alec had unconsciously adapted it. It was now that he became painfully obvious that Alec was none too lightly straddling his hips. Alec leaned down to Magnus' lips at the same time he rolled his pelvis back into Magnus' hips. Magnus groaned in pleasure as Alec took his lips with his. Magnus pushed into it, his whole body instantly horny. Why was it that just a simple touch, just a simple word from Alec could do so much to him? He was putty in Alec's hands, whatever the blue eyed boy wanted from him he would give. It really was nice to have this Alec back. For days there he had started thinking that small events like this wouldn't happen again. He had feared he'd lost Alec, or at least a part of him, and now, laying here, it was almost like he was in a dream. A dream he prayed he never woke up from.

Magnus let out a sound of displeasure as Alec pulled away.

"You taste like eggs and flour." Alec's face was mixed into one of slight disgust.

Magnus laughed. "And you are a tease."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Alec said innocently, a small smile painting his face.

"Oh whatever. And it's your fault I taste like this."

"My fault? I didn't do a thing."

"Don't you act so innocent Alexander. If you had followed the instructions, we'd have had the pancakes in by now."

"Well if you had been more descriptive in your directions and said to crack the eggs in the bowl, then I would have cracked them there."

"You know, I thank my mother everyday for teaching me how to cook, because if she didn't we'd be eating take out and cereal every day."

"Are you offending my cooking abilities?" Alec asked.

"Alec, when I said two cups of flour you wanted to fill two drinking cups."

"Oh yeah."

"Yeah."

They both laughed as Alec stood up. He brushed off his pant legs, more flour falling to the floor. He tucked a white strand of hair behind his ear as he hold out his hand for Magnus.

"Just let me do one thing first."

Alec just looked at Magnus questionably as Magnus started moving his arms and legs sideways across the floor.

Alec laughed as he realized what Magnus was doing. "You are such a child."

"That coming from the person who just started a food fight." He stopped moving. "Now help me up."

Alec held out his hand for Magnus. He stood up, turning around to see his artwork. Yes, Magnus had reverted back to an eight year old and made an angel in the flour. But come on, who wouldn't? He brushed the flour off his clothes, glad he had worn sweats and a simple t-shirt and not something worth some money. He trusted Alec in everything but cooking so he wasn't taking the chance. He stretched, his body protesting against him. He had no reason to doubt that his back would hurt for the next couple days.

"Next time you want to initiate a food fight, can we keep anything that might make us slip out of the game?"

"Why? I thought it was funny."

"Yeah well my ass doesn't think it's funny." He paused, stretching a bit more, his bones cracking. "Now why don't you go order us some Chinese or something for dinner and I'll start cleaning up?"

Alec's laughing happy manner of the last ten minutes drained away immediately. Shit. Magnus hadn't even noticed what he said. He placed a hand protectively on Alec's arm gently, trying to meet his eyes. "Forget about it. I'll call. You clean up."

"No. No." Alec looked up into Magnus's eyes and the fear he had expected to see there was nonexistent. "I'll call. I can do it. It's a completely irrational fear. They can't hurt me." Alec smiled. "You start cleaning." Alec moved away to go pick up the phone and Magnus couldn't help but feel euphoric joy rush through him. Alec had been afraid of picking up the phone since his attack. It was irrational but understandable. Alec was afraid of strangers, which was why he had yet to go outside. But he was getting there, slowly. He still went into another room every time someone knocked at the door, or busied himself with something so Magnus would have to pick up the phone. There were few people Alec felt safe with and Magnus hoped that soon he could expand that. But this was a step. Here he was understanding that someone on the phone couldn't hurt him. Next maybe he'd be able to open the door.

Magnus went to collect the vacuum as Alec picked up the phone in the living room. He heard Alec's voice echoing through the apartment and smiled. Alec was coming back and it was so, so beautiful.

"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night- Who writes this stuff?"

"Shakespeare Magnus." Alec looked at Magnus who was reading Romeo and Juliet over his shoulder.

"Yeah but whatever happened to like, 'She's beautiful.' There, done. I just summed up that whole speech in two words. I don't see why they have to say so many words to get across one point. Not to mention half of it makes no sense. I mean what the hell does 'so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows' mean? How does a dove troop with crows? Are they like an army or something?" Magnus looked up from Romeo and Juliet to Alec who was smiling and trying not to laugh.

"What? Are you amused by my confusion?"

"I think it's adorable."

"Yeah well my head hurts."

"Then don't read it. Now stop, I have homework to do." He returned to his book.

"Can't you put it off for a bit? I was thinking we could spend the day together." Magnus brushed his lips softly over Alec's skin, placing them behind his ear. Alec moved away before he gave in. Magnus always knew exactly where to touch Alec to get him to do anything he wanted him to. As much as he enjoyed being with Magnus after everything that had happened, he couldn't let himself go. He had work to do and unfortunately they both would have to wait. And besides, he knew Magnus was just using this as an excuse to avoid his own work.

"That's not going to work on me Magnus. I've missed enough school already and we spend every day together. I should be grateful the university is giving me this much time off so I really have to catch up." Anna had come by to drop off his English work and he had been getting all his History stuff from Magnus. He had only recently had the motivation to actually start it and it felt really good to be working. He'd spent so much time just sitting still that he'd forgotten what it was like to really do things and live again. He owed that all to Magnus and he would never understand just how grateful Alec was for everything. He owed Magnus his life.

"Oh please, you've probably known Romeo & Juliet off by heart since you were twelve."

"Fourteen, actually."

"Whatever. You are such a nerd."

"Me? You're the one who destroyed our Star Trek DVD from watching it so many times."

"Hey, not fair. You know perfectly well I don't watch for the plot. Zachary Quinto is hot and you know it."

Alec didn't entertain him, instead returning to his work. Magnus came around to sit on the opposite end of the couch, sighing very pointedly in disappointment. Alec rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered if he was dating a man or a child. He started writing just as Magnus began singing a Lady Gaga song. Magnus knew Alec hated Top 40 music and so he made a point to sing or hum or dance to it on a relatively weekly basis. "Magnus."

"What? I didn't do anything."

"If you're going to sit there can you at least sing something else?"

And he did start singing something else. This time it was Justin Bieber. Alec attempted to ignore it as he knew his boyfriend well enough to know that there was only one thing that would make him stop, and Alec wasn't about ready to do whatever it was that he had in mind since he had work to do.

"And I was like baby, baby, baby, oh! Like baby, baby, baby, oh!"

"Magnus!" Alec exclaimed in frustration.

Magnus looked at him innocently as if he hadn't done anything.

"What do I have to do to make you stop?"

"Go out with me."

"What?" Alec was caught off guard, his heart skipping a beat in his chest.

"There's this big campus book sale down the street, and I was thinking that there's still one wall in the bedroom that you haven't covered with books and thought you might want some more."

"Is this your way of saying you think I need to get out of the apartment?"

"No."

"Yes it is."

"Look Alec, it was just a thought. You don't have to."

Alec looked from Magnus to the books in his lap. His heart felt like it was going to beat from his chest but his mind stood at a standstill. He was frozen. A part of him wanted to go, but another part of him was held to his seat with fear. It was just a book sale and the store was just down the street. It's not like he'd have to go far and he really did want some more books. But the people. And what if he was there? What if he had wanted some books too? No. No. He couldn't think like that. He'd never go anywhere if he feared he'd be there every time. And Alec knew that there was no way he could be there. Alec had finally been able to speak to the police at the hospital and had told them what had happened, or had tried to. He just told them what they needed to know-what Sebastian had done to him. Sebastian would be serving 12 months in jail with a chance of parole. Alec still remembered the day Magnus had told him that, but he got no satisfaction from knowing Sebastian would suffer. It wasn't enough, not for him. Sebastian would get out and go on living his life the same way, but Alec would have to suffer the scars the rest of his life. There was no set time he'd have to suffer and a chance of it ending early. No, he was the one serving the life sentence.

Alec looked back up at Magnus who was glancing at him nervously. Alec knew Magnus tried to be really careful with what he said in case he offended Alec, but that was never the case. See, when Magnus said things like this, Alec trusted that he was right. Magnus had been through worse than Alec and made it out alive, so Alec knew that he could too. It would be alright.

"No, let's go. I can try."

Magnus smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Ask me that again and I might change my mind." Alec closed his books, setting them on the coffee table. He stood up, taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are baby." Magnus stood up, his happiness radiating off of him. They walked over to the doorway, slipping on their shoes. Alec grabbed his wallet, slipping it into his pocket. He turned towards the door and suddenly all his courage was gone. He froze as his eyes fell on the handle. Magnus stood behind him leaving it up to him to open the door. He looked at Magnus who just smiled at him reassuringly. Well at least someone had faith in him, because he sure didn't. He reached out his hand slowly, folding it around the doorknob.

Come on Alec, you can do it. It's not like he's standing on the doormat or anything. No one can hurt you. No one can hurt you. No one can hurt you.

He kept repeating that in his head and slowly his muscles loosened. He turned the doorknob, opening the door to the hallway. He let out a breath he had been holding, his heart soaring for a second as he realized that he had done it. It wasn't a huge achievement or anything but it was further than he'd been in weeks.

He knew how the whole thing looked, it was pathetic. He was afraid to even leave his own apartment. But as much as his brain told him it would be okay, his body froze every time he even thought about entering the public again. Every nightmare he had came to life on the other side of doorways or on the streets. He was safer inside, even if he knew he'd have to go outside one day. But right here, right now, with Magnus' hand entwined in his and his presence easing Alec's pain, he knew that he could do it. His body could stop being so afraid.

Alec took the first step and the next foot followed, and for the first time in weeks, he had made it further than the path between his bedroom, the living room, and the bathroom. He felt a weight lift from his shoulders but still his soul was heavy. There were still so many more steps to take.

He looked up at Magnus where a silent conversation passed between them. Magnus was saying that he knew Alec would do it, that he believed in him, and Alec was saying he was right and thanking him. Alec started walking, his hand gripped tightly in Magnus' as he took a slow breath with each step. There was no one around, just the two of them. Everyone else must have been at class or at work. Alec opened the door to the stairwell, slamming it shut just as quickly. He turned his back to the door, moving into Magnus' arms.

No. It couldn't have been. It wasn't him. He was behind bars. It wasn't him. Alec shook against Magnus' chest, caught between wanting to close his eyes and keep them open. Either way he saw his face. Either way, he was there, watching him.

"Alec it's alright. It's not him. It's just one of the neighbours. It's not him," Magnus whispered, brushing his hand through Alec's hair softly as he tried to calm him down.

"I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize Alec. It's alright, okay? Everything's going to be alright." Alec started to calm down in Magnus' arms, letting his body relax against his boyfriend's. But still he couldn't get that image out of his mind. He knew Magnus was right, it wasn't Sebastian. But he still saw his face. On that med student on his way to class Alec had seen Sebastian's face. He had thought that since Sebastian was away and out of his life, he could start to forget him. But he couldn't. Sebastian was with him all the time, whether it felt like it or not. Alec just couldn't get rid of him. The scars still bled deep and they wouldn't leave him no matter how many times he sewed them back together.

He knew that people were victimized every day, it was nasty part of this world. In that he knew that people learned how to move on, he had seen it in Magnus. When it's not you it's really easy to look at someone and say, 'just do it'. Just open the door and walk outside. What are you so afraid of? People just don't understand until it's their skin that hurts. Even before all of this, he had thought he'd understood it with Magnus, but he had been so wrong. It wasn't that easy to 'just do it'. Your nervous system was your worst enemy, and right now, his was frozen in fear. It was replaying over and over in his mind that night. And it wasn't so much the physical scars that hurt; it was the emotional and mental ones. Sebastian's fist may not have cut deep on the surface, but on Alec's soul they tore him into shreds. Everything he ever feared about coming out, about being who he was, it all came true in those few moments. Every nightmare that had woken him at three in the morning, every thought that froze his tongue when he tried to tell his mother, every single thing, was no longer just a thought or a fear, it was alive. It was alive and it lived with him and it was hard to go back from that. But people had done it. He was in the arms of one right now. Standing there, listening to Magnus' heart beat calmed Alec's soul. It calmed the living nightmares and pushed away all the darkness. It gave him hope and it gave him reason to move on. Magnus had done it and Magnus believed in him. Magnus had been through so much more than he had and here he was afraid to open a door. Magnus had even faced his father, and Alec couldn't even face someone that looked like Sebastian. But he could do it. He knew he could. He would move on, he would stand tall, and he wouldn't let this control him. This was his life, not Sebastian's.

Alec looked up at Magnus. "Maybe we'll go to the store tomorrow."

"Okay. Come on, let's go back." Magnus kept his arm around Alec as he led him back to the apartment.

One day Alec would do it and he hoped that day could be tomorrow.

Alec looked out over the city from his seat on the edge of the rooftop. Below him was a large expanse of concrete, but above him he could see the stars. There weren't many-it was New York after all-but there were a few and Alec found himself counting them above him, distracting his thoughts with their luminescent sparkle. He had come up to the roof to get some air while Magnus was in the shower. He didn't know how he'd managed it especially after the events from a few hours before, but somehow he had done it. He was pretty sure that he went from his door to the stair well with his eyes on his feet, but he had still done it. And he had done it without Magnus. But it was only a small victory. No one could hurt him from up here. It was down there that really mattered.

"Hey, you did it."

Alec looked behind him to see Magnus slightly damp and in pajamas. He smiled. "I did."

"I knew you would."

"It's still not much of an accomplishment." He looked down at the ground below him as Magnus came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Alec's waist. Alec melted into them as he normally did, and their bodies fit together like the final pieces of a puzzle. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Alec, I told you not to apologize. It's okay baby. You'll get there."

"Will I?" Alec asked as he looked up at Magnus.

"I've never doubted you for a minute."

"Well that makes one of us." Alec looked back out over the ground below them. "I know he's not there. I know he can't hurt me anymore, but I can still feel him, you know?" Magnus just nodded his head. "I see his face everywhere, and it's just... it's safer here." Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec tighter and Alec welcomed the embrace. "It's easier to forget here." He paused, biting his lip nervously. "How did you do it? How did you face the world despite what happened?"

Magnus was silent for a few seconds before he spoke. "I won't lie to you, it wasn't easy. It took me a really long time to feel even relatively safe around others. Every face I saw was my father's, every sound his voice. Even now sometimes I still think I see him in a crowd. But I learned to realize that it wasn't him, it was just me. It was me letting him win. Even though he wasn't there, my fear, my solitude, it was fueling the fire he had started. I was giving him what he wanted, and that was to see me fall. Once I realized that I couldn't let him control me anymore, I stopped being so afraid. Only when you tell yourself that he doesn't control you can you start to move on. He may think he won when he hurt you, but he's wrong. When you stand back up and you stand tall, you are the one who has won." Magnus paused. "I did it alone for a lot of life, but you don't have to. I'm here and I'm going to help you wherever you want me to. I know you can do it and I know that you do too."

"I don't want to be afraid anymore Magnus."

"And you don't have to be. You're stronger than this. You're stronger than him."

Alec just smiled, looking back out over the street. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"How could I forget? You stole my tree spot."

Alec laughed. "You know, at first I thought that was some cosmic joke. This beautiful guy I was eying on the first day just happens to sit at the same tree. And then, he has a girlfriend. Any hope I had with you disappeared very quickly. I mean who was I kidding, someone like you wouldn't look at someone like me." Alec turned around in Magnus's arms, looking up to meet his eyes. "But you did, and for some reason you let me call you mine. You knew I wasn't out but you stayed anyway, and at the time I kept wondering why. My whole life I had never been special, always living in my siblings' shadows. I was the other Lightwood, the one with his nose always in a book. No one noticed me, no one cared about me. No one but you." Alec smiled. "I owe you so much Magnus. You've saved me more times than I can count and you truly are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't know where we're going to be next month or next year, but right now I'm happier than I've ever been." He paused. "I guess what all of that means is thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me when I gave up on myself. Thank you for always being there, for loving me, and for always being you."

Magnus just smiled and Alec could swear he saw tears threatening to escape at the corners of his eyes. "Are you trying to make me cry?"

Alec laughed. "Not intentionally."

"Alright then, my turn. I remember that day all I could think was, 'Why the hell did I also date women, because there is always a more beautiful boy out there?' Your eyes were the first thing I saw and I lost myself in them. To this day I've yet to be found. My mother was the kind to believe in love at first sight; I always thought she was crazy. You couldn't know you loved someone the first moment you saw them. But the minute I saw you, I realized my mother was right. You were perfect Alec, and definitely too perfect for me. I thought that it was impossible you could ever love me, but you proved that wrong too. For the first time in nine years, someone loved me for all of me and not just part of me. You gave me something I had only dreamed about. I was dying before I met you, but you made my heart beat again. You taught me how to love Alec, and for the first time in my life I can say I'm living it. I love you Alexander Lightwood and I will continue to love you for as long as you let me."

"Forever sounds pretty good to me."

Magnus smiled, his eyes lighting up in the midnight light. "Forever sounds perfect." He leaned down, taking Alec's lips with his. They melted into each other's touch like it was the first time. Their hands held onto each other's bodies like it was the last time they would hold each other and into that kiss poured eight months of emotion. The world drained away from Alec as he lost himself in love. Nothing else mattered and nothing else ever would. Alec had only ever read about love in books, but what you read cannot ever prepare you for the real thing. It's like freefalling, never knowing where you're going to land or where the wind will push you, but living the ride the whole way down despite the outcome. It's like an ocean, one minute the crystal image of perfection, the next a rocky, treacherous expanse of darkness. It's everything and nothing, and it's just…it's love. To some people it's beautiful and to others it's disgusting, but that's what it is. It's not predictable and when you're in it, it can feel like the most beautiful dream you've ever had. In Magnus' arms, he didn't care where the ocean of love took him, because right now he was riding it with joy and he loved every minute of it. He drank Magnus in and filled himself with a love that he had only dreamed about-a love that would never die.

Suddenly Alec had an idea, something he'd wanted to do for a very long time but never had the courage to say. He pulled away, much to both of their disappointment.

"I want to do something." He pulled out of Magnus's arms, turning back towards the world beneath him. He looked back at Magnus, a grin on his face. "For months I wanted the world to know I loved you, but I was too afraid to do it. All I wanted to do was scream it from the rooftops."

"Alec-"

"I'm not afraid anymore Magnus. I want the world to know. I want them to know I love you." Alec lifted himself up onto the edge of the rooftop, standing tall above the world.

"Alec, be careful."

Alec just smiled, looking down at the world below him. He was filled with a sense of euphoria, not fear. It was fighting to break out, to overtake him. It was so beautiful. Alec looked up to the sky, spreading his arms out around him. He took a deep breath and finally let it all escape. "I love Magnus Bane!" His words echoed through the air and when he looked back at Magnus they both shared huge matching smiles.

"Good for you!"

Alec laughed as the voice of a passerby echoed up to the rooftops.

"You're crazy." Magnus said, laughing softly.

"In love with you." Alec held out his hand to Magnus who took it, lifting himself up onto the edge with Alec. Their eyes met and nothing more needed to be said. They loved each other and it would take a lot to ever change that. They were complete together and they were finally happy. For the first time in both their lives neither was hiding, neither was afraid, and neither was hurting.

The stars above smiled down at them, painting the picture of their love across the sky. Their laughter mixed in the air, echoing across the grounds, and beneath them was a world of opportunity. There were times when Alec thought they'd never make it here, that the pain would just be too much. But they proved that even the sharpest of forces could not tear love apart. Love is truly the most powerful force in the universe, and standing there in that moment Alec was ready to take on the world. He knew that with Magnus by his side nothing else would ever matter. No pain would bring him down, no tears would be too much. No mountain would be too tall, no valley too low. The world was at their fingertips, just waiting for them to take a step over the edge and fall into it.

Magnus stood in the doorway waiting patiently. He watched Alec standing there as cars raced ahead on the street in front of him. People passed by but Alec didn't turn away. He just stood there, his breathing slow, his face emotionless.

"You don't have to do this if you're not ready Alec."

Alec looked up at him, smiling. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

"With you by my side, I'm ready for anything."

The End

I can't even begin to explain how I'm feeling right now. I've got a mix of euphoria, sadness, and just a million other things. Writing those two words 'The End', it's the first time I've ever done that. This has been a roller coaster of an experience and it's been amazing. I started this story just over a year ago and I did it on a whim. I just sat down and started typing and said, 'Hey, let's put it on fanfiction.' I hadn't really planned for it to go this long and to be so well received. I owe it all to every single one of you. Rather you've been reading since the beginning, reviewed every chapter, or just found this a couple chapters ago, I love every single one of you. This is dedicated to all of you for being the most amazing readers and people.

I've also made some of the most amazing friends on here – StarryOwlEyes, Kiyori-chan, DisturbingEmily, MaybeThere'sHope, lenkagamine133, to name a few-that I wouldn't trade for anything and will carry past this experience. Thank you for sticking with me and leaving such amazing kind reviews that always make me feel so much better. You guys are fantastic and getting to know every single one of you has been amazing. Thank you to MortalMusic for being an amazing beta and friend. None of this could have happened without you and your fantastic editing skills. Thank you to HikariMelody for the amazing music recommendations and for adding dozens of songs to my iTunes library. And thank you to everyone else that has reviewed, favourited, alerted or even just read this. This is to all of you.

I wish I could say this wasn't the last chapter and could continue this more, but it is. It's exactly where I planned on it ending in the beginning- Magnus and Alec happy. I always planned that, but I also planned that it wouldn't be easy. They had their ups and downs and sometimes they went a little sideways but in the end their love made it through. Alec will get through everything and he'll do it with Magnus. They'll do it together, just as they always have. Magnus began as a scarred, broken man with no hope of ever falling in love again and Alec was a closeted, shy boy who believed he'd never be happy with who he wanted to be happy with. But Alec fixed Magnus and showed him what it felt to love somebody and Magnus gave Alec the confidence to be himself and let the world know it. Even when they fought and didn't agree, they still somehow found each other's arms again. They taught each other what it meant to live-to truly, fully live. They shared a love that no pain, no tears, nothing could tear apart. It really is, unstoppable.

This still has an epilogue which I'm going to go work on now and I really hope it doesn't take as long as it did to upload this one. I'm going to try and get it done before school gets crazy with end of year stuff. But please, please let me know what you thought. This is the first time I've ever actually written the last chapter to something and it's a really amazing feeling. I'm going to be really sad posting the epilogue because it makes it official that this is over. It's been an amazing experience and thank you all for being a part of it. Now, I'm going to go write the end. Thank you all for reading and being fantastic people. I love you all.
Be the change,
Amber