"Don't you think this is a little over board?" Alec asked.

"Never!" Magnus grinned then kissed Alec on the cheek and skipped to the car.

"I do love seeing you so happy," Alec said with a smile. "I guess I can put up with the party planning." Magnus dumped the boxes he was holding into his car quickly then turned to Alec.

"Is that why you think I am happy?" Magnus asked him, sincerely. Alec handed Magnus the boxes he was holding, smiling at his boyfriend.

"You love parties," Alec said. Magnus dumped Alec's boxes into the car and, moving closer to Alec, placing both his hands on Alec's face.

"Not as much as I love you," Magnus whispered. "This party would mean nothing to me if you were not here." Magnus paused but Alec didn't say anything. "I am glad I told you everything Alexander."

"Me too," Alec said.

"But I am sorry," Magnus said letting his hands drop to his sides and looking down at the ground. "I should have told you without all the…"

"Drama?" Alec supplied. Magnus nodded.

"Yeah," Magnus said. Being loved unconditionally was still a new concept to Magnus; he knew this had also been a factor in his insecurity but wasn't sure how to explain it to Alec who had been loved by his family all his life. Catarina would have hit him over the head if she could hear his thoughts and asked if she was chopped liver. Magnus almost smiled at the thought.

"You were just scared," Alec whispered, raising one hand to stroke his boyfriend's cheek.

"But you weren't," Magnus said looking directly into Alexander's blue eyes. "You just listened."

"I hated hearing about your pain," Alec said. "I wish all of that had never happened to you."

"I don't," Magnus confessed. Alec looked stunned so Magnus explained. "If any part of my past were different I may never have met you." Alec's eyes still held questions so Magnus tried again. "The false steps and broken road of my life led me to you and I wouldn't change that for anything."

"Magnus," Alec whispered, awed.

"Now," Magnus said, snapping to business again. "We have a party to get to."

"Remember we are picking Max up," Alec reminded him.

"How could I forget!" Magnus said in mock horror. He drove them to the Lightwoods and Alec got out to collect his brother.

On the short but pleasant drive Max talked to them about an anime con he wanted to go to next summer. Alec, even though he cared little for anime, agreed to go with him. Magnus agreed to tag along and the rather tentative plan was settled. Once they arrived Magnus put them all to work setting up.

"Tables go over there," Magnus said pointing so Alec knew where he meant.

"How can I help?" Max asked.

"You could help me lay out the food?"

It didn't take long with the three of them for everything to be set up.

"Now what?" Max asked when all the work was done. Magnus dug around in the one unpacked box.

"Here," Magnus said, handing Max the frisbee. "Go make Alec play with you." Max grinned and ran off, yelling Alec's name as he waved the frisbee around.

Magnus sat a bench and watched them play. He wanted to stay here to greet guests but that wasn't why he wasn't playing. Magnus loved being able to see the difference in Alec now that the questions weren't weighing on his mind. Alec's forehead wasn't always crinkled in thought; his beautiful blue eyes were no longer dark with worry. Alec could be described as nothing other than joyful as he played with his brother.

"Admiring the view Tall Dark?"

Magnus smiled and turned to see Aline standing there with, he could only presume, Helen on her arm.

"You have to admit it is a nice view," Magnus said.

"Actually we don't," Aline teased.

"You don't," Helen corrected. "I can appreciate that you have caught quite the hotty, Magnus."

"Thank you, Helen," Magnus smiled at her. He offered them both something to drink and it wasn't long after that when Clary and Jace made their appearance.

"Magnus, my man," Jace said. "Food! Give me!"

"Good afternoon to you too," Magnus said shaking his head as he pointed to the food.

"Sorry," Clary said. "He hasn't had lunch."

"Good," Magnus said. "If he had then I brought too much food." Clary laughed but followed Jace to make herself a plate from the buffet.

Everyone finished eating and Clary and Jace had taken over the only bench before Simon and Izzy arrived. The lawn chairs Magnus had brought were unfolding and available for sitting on but the bench was the more comfortable seating. There was room for a third person to sit there but they were making out to such a degree as to make no one want to sit next to them.

"Izzy!" Magnus called waving to her, all smiles, as he saw her approach with Simon. Magnus thought he saw Simon whisper to Izzy before they came into earshot. "I would like you to meet Aline, and Helen."

"Hi," Izzy said, smiling. Simon repeated the sentiment.

"Help yourself to food," Magnus said. "And Alec is playing frisbee with Max if you would like to join him." Izzy grinned wickedly and ran off, yelling at Alec as she did so.

"You have out done yourself, Magnus," Simon said.

"Just wait!" Magnus said, beaming. "There is more. I have games planned. And pie!" He paused then remembered he was hosting. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Sure," Simon replied. "What do you have?"

"Lemonade," Magnus said.

"Sounds great."

Magnus left Simon, Aline and Helen to their own devices as he turned to the cooler. He was filling the glass when he realized he was humming. The song, he thought, rather summed up his life at the moment so he decided to keep humming it.

"I'm walking on sunshine, wooah," Magnus sung to himself as he finished fixing drinks. "And don't it feel good. Hey! Wooah" Magnus moved his head side to side as if he could hear the music. "I used to think maybe you loved me, now I know that it's true."

When Magnus returned to the others Helen was standing apart on the phone and he seemed to have interrupted something between Simon and Aline. Rather than pry he handed Simon his drink and asked if Izzy wanted one.

"I think she is too busy kicking Alec's butt at frisbee," Simon said. Magnus couldn't help but laugh at this. His heart light as a feather he turned to gaze at his boyfriend. Alec's face was bright with exercise and laughter as he ran with his siblings. Magnus snapped out of ogling his gorgeous boyfriend when Helen returned from her phone call.

"Sorry guys," Helen said. "Mark got called into work. I have to go watch the kids."

"Would they like to join us?" Magnus asked.

"Are you guys sure you want a bunch of kids crashing your party?"

"The more the merrier!" Magnus said, grinning. "There is plenty of food. Beside this has turned out to be rather kid appropriate get together don't you think?" Helen's gaze shifted to Clary and Jace with their lips glued together.

"They will have to come up for air sometime," Simon said.

"Alright then," Helen said, smiling widely. "I will be right back."

"Thanks guys," Aline said when Helen was out of earshot. Magnus quickly told her it was nothing then turned to the open grass.

"Oh Alexander!" he yelled playfully as he skipped off to meet them.

"Yeah," Alec asked turning as a frisbee went past his head.

"Helen is bringing all her siblings to join us," Magnus said.

"You came all the way over here to tell me that?" Alec asked.

"Yes," Magnus said locking eyes with Alec. With this man somehow a look could be just as emotional as a kiss. But Izzy had to ruin his moment.

"Kids," Izzy whined.

"Yep," Magnus said. "Only child-appropriate behaviour from now on." Magnus noticed a twig in Izzy's hair and thought he knew why she and Simon had been late. Before Magnus got a chance to tease her about this Izzy ran straight for Simon.

"Look at them," Alec said shaking his head and Magnus had to agree the image was rather hilarious. Izzy with her arms wrapped around Simon by the food tables and Jace's tongue down Clary's throat where they sat together on the bench. This party consisted of two straight couples and two gay ones but only the straight people were having trouble keeping their hands to themselves.

Alec walked right up to his sister and said some such thing to her or at least Magnus assumed as much since Simon blushed and removed himself from Izzy.

Magnus watched Izzy drag Simon into the frisbee game and though he was tempted this time Magnus stuck to watching them play.

When Helen returned with her little brothers and sisters Magnus tried to remember all the names Alec had told him. Jules was the oldest and two of them were twins but Magnus couldn't remember the rest. He made a mental note to ask Alec for their names again rather than embarrass himself with his horrible memory. Magnus pulled Twister out of his the unpacked box and the kids recognized it at once. Magnus handed it over and they went into the grass to set it up.

The rest of the afternoon passed in good company and laughter. Jace started directing the children while Clary watched. Alec, Izzy and Simon played frisbee. Aline and Helen seemed to be enjoying the alone time since they were nowhere to be seen. Magnus found them around the corner from the gazebo sitting in the grass together.

When the kids tired of twister Magnus started a game of capture the flag. He made it boys vs girls to make things simple and they were rather even that way as well. At least they would have been if Aline and Helen had joined them. Since many of the boys were just little kids the game was still evenly matched enough to be fun. Izzy's presence on the girls team seemed to even out the teams nicely.

When evening arrived no one was eager to leave and there was still pretty of food. They ate dinner together before people started to leave. Helen had to go first since the kids were tired. Aline went with her to help since Mark would still be at work. Simon and Izzy left next. Magnus saw a glint in Izzy's eyes that he was determined not to mention to Alec. Clary and Jace stayed the longest to help pack up. When Magnus's car was loaded they left with a wave saying they had a marvelous time.

Magnus drove back to the Lightwoods house and parked in their driveway.

"Thanks," Max said. "That was a blast." Max opened the car door then turned. "You coming Alec?"

"I think I'll stay at Magnus's tonight," Alec said smiling. "I'll come home tomorrow for a bit, okay?"

"Alright," Max said as he got out of the car. "See you later then."

"Are you sure?" Magnus asked. "I know you had fun with Max today. Maybe you should stay here tonight?"

"Silly," Alec said reaching out to mess up Magnus's hair. Alec's hand moved down from Magnus's hair to cup his face as Alec locked eyes with him. "If I asked to move in with you now you couldn't tell me I was just running from something." Magnus's breath caught in his throat. "But I can't leave Max when everyone else is about it."

"We have all the time in the world," Magnus said.

"The rest of our lives," Alec agreed. Alec kissed him briefly then turned to face forward and Magnus took that as a sign he should drive them home.

Magnus and Alec unpacked the car together. Once the empty food containers were in the sink, the leftovers in the fridge and the boxes of games in the closet, the two of them sat together on the couch.

"Would you like to watch a movie?" Magnus asked. Ragnor was at his gaming station but Catarina looked up from her textbook at Magnus's words.

"I could use a break," she said and got up to join them on the couch.

Magnus let Alec and Catarina argue over which movie to watch as he marveled at how well the people he loved most in the world got along. Somedays Catarina seemed like a big sister to him but others he remembered how she had been the closest thing to a mother he had ever known. Ragnor was always like a brother to him. Somedays Ragnor was his older wiser brother but often he played the part of the younger sibling.

Alexander, of course, was Magnus's forever.


Beta read by Rosycat

Because these chapters are so interconnected I wrote them at the same time therefore I am uploading a little sooner than normal. I also made you guys wait all weekend so its only fair right? ^_^