Think and don't panic are often what they tell you to do in these types of situations but Kit was quite unsure as to how the hell he was supposed to manage that right now! It was an odd thing really, how time seemed to slow down in the moment yet pedal on so fast he could barely catch it all at once.

Think, think, THINK

Magnus? Magnus was next door wasn't he? Oh god it was worth a try at this point, since Ty was literally about to bleed out. Sure shadowhunters could lose a lot more blood than mundanes, say 65% to their 40%, but they were approaching the same consequence nonetheless and fast. With that, Kit bolted out of Ty's room and directly into the next where Magnus was propped up against the headboard reading next to an already asleep Alec.

´Kit what are you- wait what's happened?´

Kit couldn't find a sentence ´help' was all he managed

Magnus narrowed his eyes, somehow focussed, when Kit could only imagine the panic he himself reflected back. Kit turned, not waiting for the warlock, and ran back to the room. Ty was convulsing earlier… he was completely still now. A sobering thought hit him then… were they too late? Magnus calmly strode into the room and past Kit clicking his fingers and letting a fiery blue light spring from them with a practiced ease.

He turned a moment later, panic evident in his yellow cat-like eyes ´I can stop the bleed but something is stopping me from closing the wound'

Kit let out what he thought was a scream -though it actually came out as a croak- and tears welled up in his eyes ´we'd just made up'

´focus Kit, we need solutions'

´Tessa?'

´Will be met with much the samé' he looked at least a little guilty at this ´but you Kit, don't you have magic?'

´Yeah with about enough control to move a chair on purposé'

´Is his life not worth you trying?'

Okay fuck, he was doing this then wasn't he? Kit tried to ground himself and feel for the earth as Tessa had taught him but every time he closed his eyes he found his mind straying back to the hell he was in.

Focus my dear

He opened his eyes for just a second and was met with those same green eyes from earlier though the girl in question looked a lot younger now and had kind, motherly eyes and soft hair with a gentle wave. Kit knew who this was for some reason now. Kitty Jay.

Close your eyes and focus

Kit did as instructed, trying to focus on the sound of her soft and melodic voice. Focus Kit, if nothing ever mattered before nor ever again this has to matter.

Think of him, connect yourself with him if you cannot the earth.

Calming himself with a deep breath, Kit began to root himself. He thought of Ty, Ty's kind and trusting eyes, his unabashed smile, the way he said Kit's name so softly, patiently, kindly, his amazing and different way of looking at the world and god even his laugh.

Kit slowly felt that familiar, warm flame spreading out from within his core, it grew with each second fanning out around him until he felt control. Ty, ty, Tiberius.

Okay sweet one think of your goal, what you wish to achieve.

Saving Ty, healing his best friend. Kit was unaware of everything else around him right now except the broken and bloodied boy in front of him. Gingerly, Kit reached his hand forward and held it above the wound. Was this right? He hadn't done anything like this before and it almost felt silly, like a game.

´It's okay Kit, you're doing great, just keep going like you are, that's right'

Magnus

It was odd, Kit thought he could feel Ty's ruptured artery close, his body mend and his wounds stitch as if he were doing the surgery himself. He opened his eyes with a flash to a weakly similng Magnus who gave a shaky thumbs up.

´You did it Kitty Kat, you've saved him'

Kit then promptly passed out.

´How do you know you like someone?'

´Huh?' Alec said turning to Ty with a confused expression

´Oh, I asked how you know you like someoné' Ty and Alec were a couple of hours into their stakeout now

´Well friends are usually people who share similar interests and want to spend time with you'

'No, well yes but that isn't what I meant'

´Ohhh. Uh well I'm terrible at this really but I guess they are like a best friend, someone who you always want to be around, to share everything with and a person who makes you laugh even if there's nothing to really laugh about. You lose your breath every time they enter a room. Your heart beats faster when they walk by. Your skin tingles when they stand close enough to feel their breath. It's subtle but then it crashes around you all at once one day and you know.'

´Oh okay'

Ty thought about Kit and how he made Ty laugh and how he searched a room for the blond haired boy because he wanted to see him. Kit was his best friend though right? That was just best friend stuff, Kit had said they were best friends.

´Got a special lady in mind' Alec smiled mischievously at him

´Uh no' Ty felt the heat rising to his cheeks

´A special man then?' A brief pause ´WAIT is it Kit? Do you like Kit?!´

´Maybe, I'm not suré'

´That makes a lot of sense actually, you two give each other these eyes when the other isn't looking. Magnus said I used to do the same you know' he smiled broadly at the memory 'you used to be inseparable, but Magnus just thought you were holding onto him because, well, because of your sister'

´Oh' ever literate today Ty berated himself ´okay' the analysis made sense he supposed and the evidence did back it up. Ty hand a lot to think about then.

´He's not moving'

´No but he is definitely breathing and you know as well as I do, you can feel his aurà'

´I know I just worry'

'I know Tess and I understand my dear, of course I do'

´Christopher open your eyes dear, you need to eat something'

Kit felt the voice echo through his throbbing skull and willed one eye to crack open just a little bit. Magnus Lightwood-Bane was stood over him, smiling down in that way of his, but with a slight fatherly concern barely masked behind the eye.

´Well done Kitty dear, now the other one'

Kit did as he was told, now able to see that he was in his room under a heavy pile of duvets and blankets, a chair pulled up beside the bed, empty, and a warlock stood over him with a bottle of odd brown liquid in hand. By the Angel, was he going to have to drink that?

His room was an odd mix of new and old, in that Kit had kept the 4 poster bed and left the grand guiting around the walls and ceiling, but had re painted the walls a less garish cream colour and plastered them in pictures. Some of Tessa, Jem, Mina and him, some of him with Fallon, some of the LA landscape and even an old crumpled one of his father. He didn't know why he kept it since it hurt so much to look at, but he did. Kit was glad for the re-decoration as he felt that waking up right now to garish green walls may have killed him dead right there.

'Can you sit up?' Magnus asked

Kit placed his arms either side of himself on the mattress below him and pulled himself up straining greatly, his head spinning a little as he did so.

'Great, now I'm going to take some of this' he wiggled the bottle letting the liquid shake up inside 'and place it onto each of your pulse points to help with healing. Sorry but it will stink. I'd say I'm sorry but dear, it's better than other healing methods'

Kit sighed inwardly 'Oh uh okay sure'

Magnus quietly went about his work and Kit could almost immediately feel the effects, his head beginning to clear and his lungs becoming less heavy in his chest.

Ty

Kit remembered then. The blood, the panic and worst of all the convulsions. He never wanted to see that again.

'He's okay Kitten' Magnus must have seen the panic on his face 'you can see him later if you'd like. He isn't awake yet but he's stable. We called Catarina across from the academy to check on him since she's best with that kind of spell work. She isn't sure how you managed it actually nor is your poor mother'

Kit breathed a sigh of relief to know that Ty was okay, but what the hell did "we don't know" mean?! Was he turning into a superhero or a monster? a line he had to tread he supposed.

Magnus had shortly excused himself with the promise of bringing his family back who were apparently dying to see him. An interesting choice of phrasing Kit decided was purely accidental.

You know dear, I have to say I am impressed, I knew you could do something to help but that should've been impossible. I could feel his soul. I could feel the tarnished edges of the wound too.

And there she stood, as if she had been waiting, a soft look to her face like a mother's yet still so shockingly young.

'Thank you Kitty, I couldn't have saved him without you.'

So you know who I am?

'I twigged something the first time I saw you and then last night proved me right.'

You can call me Mary if you'd like… it was my original name

'Thank you Mary'

'Oh Christopher, thank the angel you're okay. Wait who were you talking to?' Tessa cried from where she had crossed the room and thrown herself onto his chest in an awkward hug

Jem looked around the room rapidly perhaps half expecting to see someone.

Kit was saved (thankfully) from answering when little Mina, who had managed to wriggle from Jem's arms, threw herself up on the bed next to Kit

'Kit Kat were you being a bit silly?! Mummy says you forgot to use your walking feet and fell over!'

Tessa, now having righted herself, looked at Kit as if to say go with it so he did.

'Yes silly Kit Kat, I wasn't being careful was I Min?'

She shook her head wildly and began to giggle and Kit, in spite of himself and his dramas, started to laugh along with his sister.

Two hours later, Kit was feeling much better and had decided to venture out towards the gardens for some fresh air and headspace… it had been an odd 36 hrs. Tessa had informed Kit that after he had passed out they'd taken him to his room and he had been stirring all night and then solidly asleep until the next morning. Tessa had been terrified but Magnus had reassured her he would be okay. Kit was glad Tessa and Jem had Magnus, had someone who understood them. Kit only hoped he would have the same one day. So Kit walked.

When he reached his favourite oak tree he stopped short, there in between the leaves was Ty swinging his legs absentmindedly and with a book in his hands. Ty must've heard his approach as the other boy looked up slowly as he got closer.

'You're okay?' he said breathlessly and Kit felt the air leave his lungs

'Yeah, what about you though, why are you out of bed?'

'What do you mean? I had the amissio rune and they called Brother Shadrach to speed on my healing, I'm fine. What about you Kit, when I woke up you were passed out in your room and nobody would tell me what had happened. I was scared Kit'

And in that moment Kit made his choice

'Not here, I'll tell you but not here' Kit began walking assuming Ty would follow.

He was right of course because 30 seconds later, Ty fell in step with him. Kit led them towards the main garden and the pagoda at the bottom, which had become one of his favourite spots. It was a delicate redwood structure hidden under a spread of tree branches that dipped in between the gaps in the wood, etching a beautiful dappled shadow upon the table and chairs inside. In the light of what Kit had now figured out was early afternoon, it looked as if it was carved out of an Edwardian romance novel. Kit remembered being here only a week ago with Fallon, and how forgetting to text her back had been his main problem. Yet, here he was now about to reveal his biggest and best kept secret to a boy that,before last week, he hadn't seen for three years.

'Can you tell me now?' Ty looked younger then, scared.

'Yes Ty, of course. Just, let me get through it okay, please?'

Ty nodded

'Okay so you know when we snuck over to the imperishable fields during the battle all those years ago' Kit started, and true to his word Ty only nodded 'well the Riders of Manan were coming at Emma and me and I remember them saying something about my heritage and they used the words "the first heir" to refer to me' Ty went white at this, cleary recognising it 'they told me that I was a descendant of Auraline and that they were the ones that killed my mother. I was so angry at the time, especially after the resurrection, and I just remember feeling this crackle of power surging inside me. The next moment I was on my knees and the riders' steeds had disappeared which shouldn't have been possible!' Kit felt himself getting worked up.

'Is that why you went with Tessa?' Ty asked so innocently it made Kit's heart break.

'Partially, like I said before I also ran from my feelings' half truths, baby steps 'but yes, Tessa said she could perhaps train me especially since she started out kind of like me. I saw an opportunity for a fresh start and I took it. I've been here working on my craft ever since'

'That doesn't explain why you were injured upstairs'

Most people would give Kit some mushy lecture about how they were glad he trusted them or some other bullshit but Ty was never one for pointless words and Kit was glad for that right now. This was going to hurt though.

'Last night, well actually I suppose two nights ago now, after we came off patrol I went to bed pretty fast since I was just exhausted. About 1:00 I woke up to someone, a presence, and I thought it was Livvy perhaps but when I opened my eyes it was a different woman, a woman from a nightmare. I don't remember much but I do remember her telling me I needed to go to you. And I did. And what I found, god, oh god i- i-'

Kit began fisting his hands and letting his nails dig into his palms so hard he might have drawn blood, he felt like he couldn't breathe. Images of crimson and ruby flashed through his minds eye, images of a shaking body on soaked sheets. Fuck. he felt Ty reach out and hold his hand.

'I didn't know if you were dead already, if I was too late' he was crying now 'I tried to heal you with runes but it didn't work, just like last time and I didnt know what to do. I went to get Magnus and he managed to stem the bleeding but he couldn't heal you. The woman turned up again and I managed to use my powers to heal you with her help, but I guess I overloaded myself and I passed out. I didn't know if you were okay, it was the worst feeling in the world'

Ty's face was painted not with the shock Kit was expecting but pure unadulterated pain 'I'm okay' was all Ty said, his grey eyes shining with unshed tears.

Kit pulled him into a hug for a brief second before going to pull away, but Ty pulled him back in and held him crushingly tight. Something clicked into place in Kit that he didn't know was out of place and he felt like maybe they could heal from the past.

'Christopher, Tiberius you need to come with me' Magnus' shadow appeared over them.

Within 5 minutes, Ty and Kit had found themselves in the attic rooms, sat across from a concerned Magnus and Alec.

'What is going on?' Magnus started, well aware that the boys would know what he meant

'Nothing more than what we have already told you' Ty, ever preserving of his secret

'No, somethings going on…' Ty tried to start again but Magnus interrupted 'no boys you tell me what is going on?!'

Kit had never seen Magnus so genuinely direct and sharpish. He knew that this information had to come from Ty or it may break his hard earned trust. It wasn't a long wait.

'Does Consul Alec already know about the lake?' Ty started, a slight quiver to his voice

Mangus nodded 'I've filled him in, yes'

'Okay, well when Livvy came back at first her spirit was kind and, well, exactly how she was in life really, but after a while she started to struggle to manifest and she became angrier when she was here, trashing my dorm room and disappearing almost immediately after. Just before I came here she did it again except this time, about an hour or so after I left, I felt a pain in my leg and then I saw a cut. It's happened a couple of other times since and the wounds can't be healed by runes.'

'Tiberius, is that what happened two nights ago, had your sister come to you' Alec, ever diplomatic, said first

'Yes, yes she did. I don't remember much other than her turning up and then she started to scream again and suddenly I couldn't see. I don't remember much after that other than an unbearable pain, it was like I was being burnt inside out'

Kit shifted at that, sitting a little straighter.

'I knew she may become volatile in time… I think that she may be dying once more and trying to take you with her. You see when you brought her back the ceremony was corrupted and so was your bond. Necromancy is a dark magic and relies on a soul for a soul rule, you taking back essentially half of Livia's soul still counts under the rule and universal balance wants half of you. It seems like the spell is inflicting wounds on you relative to your sister'

Ty seemed to be thinking deeply 'I had come to a similar conclusion myself'

'I think we need to go back to LA' Magnus stared at Ty, concern etched over his face and Alec sat stock still beside him.

Thank you so much for reading, this one was so much fun to write because at heart I will always be an angst writer. I may or may not have been writing parts of this on my lunch breaks instead of socialising but hey ho. Next chapter were finally going back to LA! And yes I know its somewhat unbelievable for them to be up and about after 2 days but im blaming it on kits 'super fae' abilities.