Magnus entered the armory where Alec, Marley and Izzy were. "There you are. Good news, the core is off the ley line grid and free of demonic corruption."
"Thank the angel." Marley comment, happily.
Alec was being flatly. "That's good news. Thank you." Then he sighed.
"All righty, then." Magnus looked at them awkwardly. "I'll make myself scarce."
"We just got a fire message from Mom saying she's "dropping by" for an impromptu "family dinner"." Izzy finger air quoted.
"Those are a lot of air quotes." Magnus comment, flatly.
"You don't say, dad." Marley sighed, sarcastically.
"Mom doesn't just drop by for anything." Alec sighed.
"Yeah, we're thinking it has to do with her and Dad." Izzy added. "They're finally making their divorce official."
Magnus looked at them. "My condolences."
"It's for the best." Izzy sighed. "Problem is, instead of just being sad like a normal person, she starts trying to fix everyone around her."
"Like Izzy." Marley coughed.
Alec looked at Magnus. "Which usually includes grilling her children on everything she thinks is going wrong in their lives."
"So, where are you holding this suspenseful dinner?" Magnus asked to them.
"Definitely not here." Izzy replied quickly.
"I agree." Marley comment.
"The Institute tends to bring out her inner Inquisitor." Alec added.
"How about my place?" Magnus suggested.
"Daddy, you don't have to…" Marley was interrupted.
"I insist." Magnus looked at them all. "You can have the place all to yourselves."
"Wait, you should be there." Izzy suggested to him. Magnus smile faded and he shook with his head. "Think about it. If Magnus is there, being his usual charming self, Mom won't have time to interrogate us."
"I am charming." Magnus comment, smugly.
"You don't think it's too much?" Alec asked to him.
"Too much" is my middle name." Magnus replied to him. "Look, clearly this is important to you." He glanced at his daughter. "Ergo, it's important to me. Hmm?"
Later, Alec and Marley were preparing the dinner. Alec was measuring something in a cup. "Are you sure this is exactly half a cup?"
Just then, Magnus walked in the kitchen. "Cooking is an art, not a science."
"I think it's a little bit of both." Marley comment to them.
"Well, if that were true, then there wouldn't be instructions." Alec held up a card. "Now, this is an old family recipe. Izzy and I found it right after my grandmother died." Stirring the stew. "My mother was inconsolable till the day we made her this stew. That was the first time that I saw her smile."
"Well, you're a sweet man, Alexander." Magnus comment.
Then Marley was plucking something out of Alec's hair. "Oh you are so adorable with radish in your hair."
Then, Alec feed Marley a spoonful of stew. "Here."
"Oh." Markey looked at him.
"Okay." Alec looked at her. "How is that? Good?" Marley nodded and chewed. "Yeah. Good." Then Alec's phone ringed. As soon as he walked off Marley pulled a face, her father snickered and spits the rest of the stew out in a cup.
"Oh, God." Marley groaned. "That's bad, really bad."
Magnus was across from her as then he used his magic, and improved the stew with a snap. "Here."
When Alec came back Marley quickly started stirring. "Izzy texted." Moved Marley away from the stew, she rolled with her eyes. "Out, out, out. She's going on mission with Clary and Jace. Which means it's just me tonight."
"Oi." Marley scolded him. He forgot her. "Just us. Okay?"
Just then, there's knocking on the front door. Alec looked at the door. "Okay, remember, my mother is on edge. That means avoid any sensitive subjects, like my dad or that I turned down that job at the Clave."
"Or the fact that you're dating a dastardly warlock? Hmm?" Marley sighed.
"I'm sorry." Alec looked at her. "Am I being terrible?"
"No, no, no. You're just tense." Markey grabbed a glass. "Here, drink this."
Alec downs the drink. Magnus and Marley looked a bit in shock. "I'm okay. You're okay? Okay."
"Oh, I'm okay." Marley comment as Alec went to the door. "You're okay." She put down the glass and joined Alec at the door, followed by Magnus.
"My boys!" Maryse chuckled, glancing at Marley's stomach, then she give Magnus a hug and a bottle of wine to Alec as then she gives him a hug as well. "Marley, my dear." She gave Marley a hug as well.
"I'm far from being a boy, but I appreciate the sentiment." Magnus comment, flatly.
"My apologies." Maryse looked at him. "I should respect my elders."
Then Alec asked to his mother. "Can I get you a drink?"
"How about a round of Magnus' famous cocktails?" Maryse asked back as then she went to the living room.
"This is your mother on edge?" Magnus glanced at Alec.
"She looks pretty calm to me." Marley added, taking the wine from Alec and followed Maryse.
Magnus, Markey and Maryse were laughing at the dinner table. Alec was surprised with how well the dinner's going. "I'm serious. Truman Capote was a total closet warlock, and he never knew when to leave." Magnus was imitating Truman. "I'd like to stay here the entire night drinking cognac and regaling you all with all my stories."
"Well, you do know how to host." Maryse comment to him.
"Oh, please." Magnus told her. "Tonight was all Alec."
"What my father said, Maryse." Marley added, smiling.
"Really?" Maryse blinked. "That stew was incredible. Who knew you could cook?"
Alec looked at his mother. "I've made that for you before."
"Oh, how could I forget?" Maryse smiled. "Alec and Isabelle made this for me when they were little kids. To see the looks on their faces when they brought it to me. It still warms my heart. But that stew, I still have nightmares."
"I thought you loved that stew." Alec was taken back with what she just said.
"Oh, I do now." Maryse pointed at the food. "Whatever you've done to the recipe, it's unrecognizable."
Alec looked at Magnus and Marley. Magnus looked at the table. "Would anyone care for a digestif?"
"No, thank you." Maryse replied to him. "I'm probably embarrassing Alec as it is."
"Oh, we're just happy to see you in such good spirits." Marley comment to her.
"We thought you might be upset, what with the divorce and everything." Alec added.
"I've made my peace with that. But your instincts are right." Maryse sighed. "I do have some unpleasant news. I wanted Isabelle and Jace to be here, but you need to know. In light of Malachi's coup, the Clave has reopened its investigation of former Circle members."
"You had nothing to do with Malachi." Alec protested.
"Still." Maryse sighed. "Based on a review of my actions in the Circle, the Clave has reclassified me a traitor."
"What?" Alec asked, eyes widen.
"They're stripping me of my runes." Maryse replied to him. "In a few days, it'll be announced that I have been exiled from Alicante."
"This is completely unjust." Alec looked at his mother. "You've given your life to the Clave."
Magnus felt that Maryse and Alec needed to discuss this in private. "I'll go check on the desserts." Then he leaves the table.
"I will come with." Marley comment as then she was held back by Alec, he didn't want her to leave. "I... Okay, I will stay."
Alec pulled Marley on his lap and put his hands on her stomach. "This is a total hypocrisy. What about the Pangborns, the Blackwells? Do they keep their positions? What about Dad?"
"He was assigned to the LA Institute as part of a deal." Maryse looked away from them.
"That is exactly my point." Alec told her angry. "He gets a slap on the wrist, not exile."
"Please, don't make this harder than it already is." Maryse sighed. Alec sighed as well as then Maryse stood up from her chair across Alec and Marley and sat down next to them. "My punishment is more severe because my crimes were, too. Back in the days of the Circle, I was convinced Valentine had all the answers. I recruited many good people, including your father. And together with Valentine, I orchestrated all the bloody details of the Uprising."
"But you got out." Alec looked at her.
"Only after I knew we were doomed." Maryse explained. "Once I saw Valentine for who he really was, I couldn't believe what I had done. I vowed to devote the rest of my life to the Clave. But the charges against me are just."
"That's very noble of you, Mom." Alec told her. "But if you're not going to fight this thing, I will. Even if that means stepping down from the Institute."
"No." Maryse shook with her head, pointing at Marley's stomach. "Seeing what you have accomplished as Head of the Institute, nothing has made me prouder. The Clave has always had its faults. My generation nearly destroyed everything in our passion to fix it. Yours will have to be wiser."
Later, Alec, Marley and Magnus were seeing Maryse out. "Thank you, again. Tonight couldn't have been nicer."
"You're welcome anytime." Magnus nodded.
Then Maryse looked at Alec. "And, um, I'd appreciate it if you could keep our conversation between us. I'd like to tell Isabelle and Jace myself." Then she glanced at Marley, who nodded already to her.
"Of course." Alec nodded, being seriously about it. Then Maryse hugged Alec.
"I suppose we'll be seeing more of you." Marley comment to her.
"I'd like that." Maryse smiled. Then she went serious. "I may have had my prejudices in the past. But seeing you stand by Alec, it's what every mother wants for her children. Thank you for loving my boy and my grandson." Maryse hugged Marley as then she put her hand her stomach, then Alec smiled. Then Maryse leaves. Magnus, Marley and Alec smiled at each other.
Author's note: I'm on roll!