Okay. I'm sorry for not updating sooner. It's not like I don't have time (thanks, COVID-19). I'll try, though.

"Oww! Jace, have mercy!" Jace smirked.

"Hah. No." And then he brought the staff down. Alec, though, had learned from his last mistake and brought his own to meet Jace's. Jace grinned and blocked Alec's next blow. But when Alec whipped around again and swung the staff to Jace's knee, even Jace couldn't block it.

"Alright, Alec. I'll see you tomorrow. You hit me earlier tomorrow, you go home earlier tomorrow." Alec glared at his brother.

"Are you kidding me?" Jace grinned.

"Nope!"

By the time Alec got home, it was late, but his kids were sitting in the kitchen. "Hey, Alec!" Clary called as he limped in, knees bruised from Jace's staff.

"Dad!" Max called. Rafe smiled.

"Did Jace use staffs with you? I heard the clashing." Alec grinned wryly.

"Yeah. Look, you and your brother should be in bed. I'm going to bed anyway, so let's go. Thanks again, Clary."

"Will you need me tomorrow?" Clary asked quietly. Alec nodded.

"Probably. Thank you again."

"No problem, Alec. Hang in there." Alec's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" He asked, but Clary was already gone.

When he stumbled into his room a half-hour later, there was a letter on the bed. A new one. On top of the letter on a Post-It note, Jace had written, Alec, this was on my bed this morning. Come see me, please. We haven't gotten the chance to talk, my parabatai. I think we should.

Alec pulled off the Post-It and gulped. Now, or later? He was so freaking tired, though. Later. Alec collapsed on the bed, asleep immediately. His dreams were plagued with memories of Magnus, visions of him bleeding out on a barren rock in the Void.

When he woke up, someone warm was in the bed beside him. "Magnus?" Alec gasped.