The shadow world enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace while the Lightwood-Bane children were growing up, along with their cousins the Herondales: Jace and Clary's second child, Christopher Lucian was born three years after his sister Chloe.
There were clashes among Downworlders and between Downworld and the Clave but nothing like the enmity that had existed before. And there were always outlaw demons to hunt. Alec joined his parabatai occasionally in New York, fighting shoulder to shoulder or back to back as in the old days. Jace trained new Shadowhunters but still went into the field when needed. A Shadowhunter's first mission always included Jace backing up the newbie. Clary had accepted promotion to administrative positions within the Institute so that one of their children's parents would be safe to look after them. She sparred regularly but rarely fought in the field and never if Jace was also in the field.
The Lightwood-Banes moved out of the Consul residence after Alec's ten-year term ended and purchased their own property in Idris. Besides redecorating Magnus had transplanted the blueberry bush with bluebell bed and the four trees representing their family at that time. He added a saltwater lake to remind Sylvie of her maternal ancestry and they all swam and played in it together. Sylvie also fostered in the Faerie Court for a month each year with Queen Clementine and Prince Consort Meliorn. They were the most fertile royal couple in centuries, having produced a daughter to inherit the throne and two younger sons to protect their sister's birthright. Sylvie was the only person besides their parents who knew their true faerie names.
Alec had been made a member of the Council, which didn't take as much time as Inquisitor or Consul, so he and Magnus split their time between Idris and the Brooklyn loft. Alec went on missions with Jace and Magnus consulted with Lorenzo Rey who was still High Warlock of Brooklyn. Magnus remained High Warlock of Idris but had asked that another warlock be named High Warlock of Alicante to allow him time to lecture at the Shadowhunter Academy and mentor apprentice warlocks in his home workshop. Gideon had been his first apprentice and was already making a name for himself as a warlock.
All three Lightwood-Banes had attended the Academy though only Rafe had angelic blood. Gideon and Sylvie attended for training but did not Ascend and become Shadowhunters. They were all assigned to the New York Institute to train with Jace and, even as their lives took separate paths, they got together to spar just as Alec and Jace still did.
Isabelle had mirrored Alec's career and been named Inquisitor and then Consul, leaving Andrew Underhill as head of the New York Institute. Simon gave guest lectures at the Academy to each class but continued to portal daily to New York to oversee his vampire clan duties. They had no children of their own but were beloved by their nieces and nephews, especially during those rebellious years when a Shadowhunter aunt and a Daylighter uncle were so much cooler than a teen's suddenly impossible parents. Simon would never age but he glamoured himself to appear older to match Isabelle who, with that Lightwood bone structure, remained beautiful through the years. Simon was Jewish but one of his best friends was the former vampire turned mundane Catholic priest Raphael Santiago. Father Raphael had blessed a vial of holy water for Simon who put it away to end his life when Isabelle was gone.
Robert – Grandpa Bobo – Lightwood had retired as head of the Los Angeles Institute and was eventually succeeded by son Max who married and had children of his own.
Maryse Lightwood Graymark's shop was successful but when grandchildren came along, she hired an assistant who became her partner so MayMay could spend more time with her grandchildren. Her husband Luke who had become a Shadowhunter again after being changed back from a werewolf also became a cop again when he was named head of the Clave's special branch which conducts investigations.
Sylvie – possibly the most beautiful girl ever – followed in her Papa's fashion footsteps but still broke his heart briefly during a punk phase when she chopped off her flowing silver hair.
It was a joy to watch their children grow up but they missed some things from their childhood. Two days after Silvie's thirteenth birthday Magnus initiated some of his best moves but Alec's mind was elsewhere:
"We're not Papa and Daddy anymore."
"All our kids are teenagers now," Magnus agreed a little sadly. "That's when Rafe and Gid started calling us Dad and Pop. Sylvie has joined them."
"I like being Dad but I miss them being little and calling me Daddy."
Magnus nuzzled his neck. "I could call you Daddy."
"Don't make it weird."
It was an unfortunate occasion two years later when Sylvie called them by their old pet names. She came home unexpectedly from the Academy and found her fathers on the sofa.
"Daddy! Papa!"
The levels of horror ranged from Alec really very horrified to Sylvie a little horrified and Magnus not at all. Their clothes were scattered but a flick of Magnus's fingers brought two robes, dark blue with satin cuffs and lapels for Alec and a rich brocade in jewel tones for himself.
Sylvie had retreated to the kitchen to wait for them to get decent.
Alec took a seat, a flush still visible along his cheekbones. Magnus put his arms around his husband and kissed his cheek. "Your Daddy is easily embarrassed."
Alec returned the kiss and said, "Your Papa is an exhibitionist."
"I was just surprised," Sylvie said. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, you're both in great shape …" She paused.
"Thank you for not adding 'for your age' to the end of that sentence," Magnus said.
The flash of a portal showed outside the kitchen followed by Rafael and Gideon sporting a good deal of demon ichor on their clothes and in their hair.
"Use the outside shower!" Magnus shouted. "The housekeeping spell doesn't do well with all the different demon gore you two track in."
Alec shook his head. "How many times have we told them?"
Their sons returned ten minutes later freshly scrubbed and with wet hair slicked back.
"Hey Silly, class end early today?" Rafe asked.
"Yes, and I thought it would be nice to surprise Dad and Pop because they've started complaining that we're never around. I don't think they miss us that much. They seem to keep busy."
"Afternoon delight?" Gid asked, noticing his fathers were wearing robes.
"On the sofa in the sitting room right by the front door," Sylvie said.
"You've never caught them before?" Rafe asked.
"It's not an exclusive club," Gid said. "Uncle Jace has told us stories."
"We could tell stories about Jace," Alec said.
"He stayed at the loft for awhile and desecrated the guest room," Magnus added.
"With Aunt Clary?" Sylvie asked
"No."
"But Uncle Jace is devoted to Aunt Clary."
"It was when they broke up for awhile," Alec said.
"They thought they were brother and sister," Magnus explained.
"How could they be?"
"Jace was born a Herondale and everybody thought he died with his mother," Alec said. "But Clary's father kidnapped him."
"Not Grandpa Luke!"
"No, no. Clary's blood father Valentine Morgenstern. He pretended to be Jace's father and told Jace his last name was Wayland. When Jace was ten Valentine faked his death as Wayland. Your MayMay and Bobo took Jace in and he became my brother and parabatai."
"Still not getting how he thought Clary was his sister," Rafe said.
"Valentine came back ten years later and messed with Jace and Clary by telling them they were brother and sister."
"We didn't hear about all this in Shadowhunter history at the Academy," Gid said.
"It's not necessary for the entire shadow world to know personal family details," Alec said.
"Why didn't you tell us this stuff before?" Rafe asked
"First you were too young to hear it," Magnus said, "And then you weren't interested."
"We didn't know anything exciting had happened to you," Gid said.
"You know about the uprising twenty years ago," Alec said. "You didn't think that was exciting?"
"Well, sure, but exciting in general," Rafe said. "This is about people we know."
"Our first kiss was at your Dad's first wedding. That was exciting." Magnus smiled at the memory.
Rafe and Gid were stunned silent.
"Daddy? You were married before?" Sylvie asked in a small shocked voice.
"No. Your Papa stopped the wedding."
"Like, he stood up and objected at the part where if anyone knows a reason why they shouldn't get married?" Gid asked.
"You've seen too many mundie rom-coms," Magnus said. "I arrived late and stood at the back in the aisle."
"I looked up and saw him and I couldn't go through with it."
"He came down the aisle and grabbed me and kissed me. He wrinkled my lapels and I didn't care."
"You didn't notice at the time. You cared later, you clothes horse," Alec teased.
"Who were you going to marry?" Rafe asked. "Do we know him?"
"Lydia Branwell."
Another stunned silence.
"But she's a woman," Gid said, "And you're gay."
"Another reason I couldn't go through with it. It was meant to be a political alliance to unite our families."
"But Lydia comes to your parties," Sylvie said. "You've invited her to dinner."
"She was very understanding about being left at the altar."
"Enough about us," Magnus said. "It's dinnertime. Are you staying?"
"That's why we're here," Rafe said."
"We've been thinking about breakfast for dinner," Gid added. "Dad, will you make French toast?"
"Gladly, if you never discuss our sex life again."
"Not with you," Rafe said, "But we'll probably talk behind your back."
Over French toast, bacon and eggs, Magnus said, "It's Friday. Big plans tonight?"
"We're going back to New York to hang with Maia, Bat and the pack," Rafe said.
"I'm going too," Sylvie said, "But I'm cub-sitting."
Maia and Bat were mated and had ten-year old twin girls who were just old enough to begin running with the pack. Their little boy had been a happy surprise three years before.
Sylvie kissed her fathers goodbye and called them Daddy and Papa. Rafe and Gid hugged them and allowed a kiss on the forehead. Magnus opened a portal and the house was empty again.
"Do you want to resume our activities?" Magnus asked without much enthusiasm.
"I hate to admit it but I'm not in the mood," Alec replied.
"Me, either. Our little cockblockers," Magnus said affectionately. "How about Scrabble?"
"Sounds good. And you never know. Maybe, later …"
Later, Alec was spooning Magnus.
"All these years your name has been misleading me with false advertising, Alexander. I can feel you and that's definitely not light wood."
Alec's hand reached down, brushing past the smooth spot where a belly button should be to rest between his husband's legs. "Magnus means great. Which means your name has always been honest and upfront about your assets."