EDITED ON 5/30/2020
Two weeks after Clary's transference ceremony (and after Alec and Clary freed the Angel) Alec was in ops with Izzy watching footage of the Angel taking flight.
He paused the video when he saw it. "There!" He pointed. "That's the Angel."
"Are you sure it wasn't a shooting star?" Izzy asked him, peering at the streak of light.
"Are you saying you don't believe Clary and I?" Alec asked her. "I thought you'd be impressed."
"I'm not saying I don't believe you." She sighed. "It's just that no one has seen an Angel in hundreds of years." She tapped the screen, getting rid of the video as Alec turned towards her.
"Did you take my advice about Magnus?" Izzy changed the subject. Earlier that week Alec had approached her about intimacy and with his boyfriend.
Alec looked away from her awkwardly.
"You did! Didn't you?" She gasped excitedly. "Start talking!"
Alec shook his head. "Nothing to talk about."
Max Lightwood rushing into the room saved Alec from the embarrassment of Izzy's next question.
"Hey, you guys!" Max called.
"Hey, buddy! How you doing?" Alec smiled, resting a hand on Max's shoulder.
"Max!" Izzy cheered. "I missed you so much!" She crouched to wrap her arms around him. "You look so handsome. What are you doing here?"
Maryse walked in, causing the smiles to fall from her older children's faces.
"Alec. Isabelle." She greeted them formally. "It's good to see you both. Where's Clary?"
"With Luke." Alec answered.
Maryse grimaced before placing her hands on Max's shoulders. "Max has some news. Tell them sweetheart."
Max grinned up at his older siblings. "I passed my last trial. I'm ready for my rune ceremony!"
"Congratulations!" Alec beamed.
"So, you finally perfected your roundhouse kick?" Izzy asked.
"Yeah!" Max confirmed. "And I knocked out two different instructors." Izzy double fist-bumped her little brother.
"Sadly," Maryse interjected. "Your father won't be able to attend. So, Alec, as the eldest male in the family, you will oversee Max's ceremonial party."
"What do you mean he won't be here?" Alec asked in disbelief.
"He's tied up with the anti-Valentine task force in Idris."
"I can't believe that Dad would miss this." Izzy shook her head.
"He doesn't have a choice." Maryse defended stiffly. "We're all on high alert, especially after what that demon did to both of you. And Jocelyn."
Izzy rolled her eyes and stalked off, Maryse called after before following her, leaving Max with Alec.
The Lightwood boys exchanged raised eyebrows before starting to walk across the room at a leisurely pace.
"Bet you wish you were back in Idris." Alec said conversationally.
"I thought I was coming here to get away from the fighting." Max complained.
"Fighting?" Alec asked in surprise. "Mom and Dad?"
"All the time." Max told him, clearly upset.
"What's going on?"
Max stopped walking and didn't quite look at Alec. "Mom doesn't like you having a warlock boyfriend."
Alec tried to smile but he huffed a little in exasperation. He tried to act like that didn't hurt. Like it didn't sting even the tiniest bit.
"And you?"
Max shrugged. "Whatever. I don't care." He rolled his eyes.
Alec nodded. He walked around with Max for another 45 minutes talking about Idris, Shadowhunter training and everything in between. When Maryse found then, Alec turned on his heel and stalked off, winking at Max as he left.
It took him an additional 20 minutes to make it to Magnus' apartment.
When he made it to his boyfriend's door, he walked right in and saw Magnus standing in the entryway doing something or other.
"My mother's back." He announced.
"Which means I'll make myself scarce." Magnus returned without pause, turning and walking further into his apartment.
"No." Alec followed him. "I have something else in mind."
Magnus hummed.
"How would you feel about throwing a party?" The pair stopped walking and Magnus turned to look at his boyfriend with a smile.
"Have you met me?" He smiled, seemingly agreeable to the idea.
"It is for Max's rune ceremony." Alec added hesitantly.
"I think I'll pass." Magnus started to walk away.
"Magnus. . ." Alec sighed.
The man turned around. "I love Max," He said, "but Maryse? That woman hates me."
"That's sort of the point of the party." Alec told him. "So that she can see that this" he gestured between the two of them, "us, it's not going to go away."
Magnus smiled. "You sure about this?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Alec asked him.
"Then I better get to work." Magnus patted Alec's shoulder, grabbing a book as he walked away.
—-
Later that night, Clary walked out to the pier after Simon had asked her to meet him there. As she walked up, Simon was mumbling to himself.
"Simon, are you okay?" She called out.
He spun around and looked at her. She could tell that he didn't recognize her.
"Who're you? How do you know my name?"
Clary sighed. She'd known it had been a while since she'd talked to Simon, but she hadn't thought that it'd been so long that she hadn't told him about the transference ceremony. She supposed that she may have forgotten.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. Magnus cast a spell, I'm biologically a Lightwood now, so I look different."
She took a step closer to him making him take a step back and throw a hand out between the two of them, keeping her away from him.
"How do I know it's really you?" His eyes were searching her face for some familiarity and Clary was sure he wouldn't find any. He'd find that she looked like Isabelle and Alec, the latter of which Simon wasn't fond of.
"Remember when we were 7 and we went camping with Luke and that deer -"
"Okay!" Simon shouted, straightening out of his defensive stance, "I believe you! No need to bring that up."
"Are you okay?" Clary asked again.
"Yeah, I am very okay. Hopefully." He chuckled nervously. "Do you want to sit? I mean standing works too."
"What's going on?" Clary asked, half amused and half concerned at Simon's behavior. "I get this weird text to meet you here at 11 at night. Did something happen with you and Maia?"
"Yes! Something did happen. Look, Clary. The thing is, um." He looked down and hesitated.
"Simon, I don't have a telepathy rune." Clary stepped closer to him.
The pair laughed, easing some of the tension.
"Right. Of course not." Simon rubbed his eye. "We've been friends, best friends, for a long time. A really long time, and the last thing I'd ever want to do is screw that up. Because it's really important to me."
Clary was confused as to where he was going with this but replied, "it's really important to me, too."
"But the thing is, when two people are friends, people like you and me," He stepped closer to her. "Sometimes feelings evolve, y'know? And the relationship, the friendship, whatever it is, needs to change along with it."
"Look, Simon, I - is this because of Maia? I don't want you to think we can't still be best friends because you, because you're seeing someone."
"No, see, that's it! I don't want to see anyone. Anyone else I mean." He smiled at her. "I'm in love with you, Clary. But I realize that you might not feel the same way and it might get weird, it might be -"
Clary surged forward and planted her lips on top of Simon's, cutting him off.
When they broke apart, Simon stared at her for a moment. Not daring to believe this was real. "We did that." He stated lamely.
"We did." Clary beamed.
"Yeah, we did."
"We did." They laughed.
"Was it, y'know, was it...?" Simon stammered.
"Weird?" Clary giggled.
"Yeah." Simon nodded as Clary crossed her wrists behind his neck.
"In the best way possible."
—
Back at the institute, Alec is unaware of his little sister's dalliance with his least favorite vampire as he hands their mother an invitation to the party.
"At the residence of Magnus Bane?" She asked incredulously.
Alec remained silent and seemingly indifferent to her reaction.
"It's very kind of your friend to offer, but the rune ceremony is a solemn rite of passage. For Shadowhunters. Not some Downworlder rave."
Alec peeked at the invitation. "Where does it say anything about a rave?" He asked. "And why is it only for Shadowhunters?"
"It's tradition." Maryse groaned.
"Traditions change." Alec said. "Especially those based on ignorance."
Maryse laughed while Alec continued. "Anyone who cares about Max should be there and that includes me and Magnus. Together. If Dad were here, he'd understand."
"Well he's not." She snapped. "Alec, I don't want to fight with you. This dinner, it should be about family. Our family."
"What family?" Alec demanded. "You wanted Jace dead! You hated Clary at first."
"I was following orders!"
Alec looked at her intently, as if he'd never seen her before. "You keep saying that. After a while it loses its meaning."
Maryse was silent for a moment. "You're right. She admitted. "Of course, we'll be there." She told him, going back to the topic of the party. "Thank you for going to all this trouble for us."
Alec leaned down and made eye contact with her. "Thank Magnus. He turned and walked out.
—
Clary and Simon were enjoying the party when Jace approached them, drink in hand.
"Hey." He nodded to Simon. "Book club?"
Clary interrupted Simon's stammered response that was full of affronted huffs and beet red cheeks. She held out a hand to her Ex-big-brother, now adoptive brother. "Clary Lightwood."
Jace looked down at her hand, eyes following up along her arm until they reached her face. She could see him examining her features, poker faced with a locked jaw. "So that's what Alec meant. Well, you two look cute together."
"Thanks," Simon grinned. "We were just heading to the bar to see what kinds of blood types Magnus has on tap. Do you want anything?"
He directed the question to Jace who glanced down at the drink in his hand. "I'm good."
"Okay." Simon quickly walked towards the bar.
"Well," Jace said looking somewhere just over Clary's shoulder, stone faced. "I guess congratulations are in order."
"I guess so." Clary said.
"For him and for being a Lightwood." Jace added.
Clary nodded. She shifted uncomfortably; she wasn't sure if Jace was aware that he was glaring harshly over her shoulder, but she didn't like it.
"I'm happy for you." He gritted out.
"Thanks." She said as she shifted awkwardly once more. A hand landed on the shoulder that Jace was glaring over and Clary looked up to see Alec staring Jace down.
"Walk away." He told him. "Now."
Clary glanced over at Simon to see if he would be coming back soon only to find that he was sneaking off with Maia.
"Actually," Clary interjected. "I'll walk away." She turned and kissed Alec's cheek before stalking after her wayward boyfriend.
When Clary finally caught up to the pair, they were on the fire escape. Maia pulled Simon into a kiss and Clary huffed before stalking off once again.
—
"I'm worried the empanadillas are soggy." Magnus said as Alec took his place next to him. "I gave the chef very specific directions . . ."
"Magnus." Alec interrupted. "Everything is perfect." He turned just in time to see Maryse and Max slip inside. "Max, Mother." He nodded to them.
Magnus turned only a second after Alec, but he still instantly made eye contact with Maryse. He smiled warmly, albeit a little hesitantly, at her only for her to thrust a bottle of alcohol at him.
"I heard you like to drink." She greeted him.
He paused in shock for longer than he would've liked before chuckling good naturedly and taking the bottle from her outstretched hands.
"Welcome, Maryse." Sincerity colored his voice. He leaned down towards the youngest Lightwood, "Max, this is your night." He swept an arm out towards the gathering of people in his apartment.
"You do have exotic taste, don't you?" Maryse asked, eyeing the partygoers with an expression tinged with distaste.
"Oh!" Magnus acknowledged. "The Spanish theme is in honor of you and your husband."
"Really? How so?" Maryse asked in a way that made it seem like she didn't really want to know.
"Alec told me that Robert proposed to you in Barcelona. I wanted to celebrate a joyous memory. Especially since he couldn't be here."
Maryse was all but glaring at the warlock now. "How sweet that Alec feels comfortable sharing our personal family stories with you. Especially considering your . . . disparate backgrounds."
Magnus once again paused uncomfortably for a long moment before speaking once more. "How about a drink?" He offered. "A sangria for the lady, Roy Rogers for the guest of honor." With that he fled.
He got the drinks and passed them off to Alec before going to retrieve the gift he'd procured for Max when he walked past a very emotional Clarissa Lightwood. He grabbed her wrist as she stalked by. "Hey!" He pulled her around to look at him and his smile and cheery tone vanished at the sight of her tears. "What's going on, Biscuit?"
"Simon," she snuggled, shaking her head. "He poured his heart out about wanting to be with me and then he hooks up with Maia."
Magnus' brow furrowed as he brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "That doesn't sound like Simon." He told her, sincerely. "Are you sure you haven't had too much Sangria? It's strong. I made sure of it."
"Please." Clary begged him. "I just need to leave." She tried to turn out of his grasp, but he held on.
"Hey, don't." He chided her gently. "We'll figure out what's going on with Simon, but tonight's about your brother, your family. You'll never forgive yourself if you're not there for them."
Clary sniffled one last time. "Okay."
Magnus smiled. "Atta girl. Now come with me." He took her hand in his and pulled her through the party with him. They stopped at a large cabinet and he waved a hand, magic rippling under it, before pulling it open and grabbing a long white box with a red ribbon wrapped around it. He replaced the spell and dragged Clary along behind him again. They reached the terrace doors and Magnus stepped out, joining Alec, Max and Maryse before helping Clary step down.
Magnus led Clary over to Alec, whose face had creased in concern when he'd seen her tear stained cheeks. Alec wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side as they watched Magnus kneel before Max and present him with the box.
"I don't see anything." Max told him as the family watched on.
"That's because you're not looking hard enough." Magnus told him kindly, he snapped his fingers and moved his hand quickly over the space where the box was, and it appeared to Max in a blue flash.
Magnus handed the gift to the young boy with a "congratulations, young Shadowhunter."
"What do you say, Max?" Alec prompted with a small prod to the boy's shoulder.
"Thank you." He groaned, looking more bored than grateful.
Magnus smiled in response and stood up.
"Where's your Warlock Mark?" Max questioned, rudely.
"Max!" Alec prepared to scold his brother.
"You were just as curious at his age." Maryse told her eldest.
"It's okay." Magnus assured his boyfriend. He turned to Max. "I only share with my closest friends." He informed the boy and then removed the glamour on his cat eyes.
Max stumbled backwards in shock, but he recovered quickly. "How much of you is demon?" He asked just as Jace made his way onto the terrace.
"Max! Enough!" He scolded. "That's not how we treat our friends. Apologize to Magnus."
"You can't tell me what to do." Max snapped at Jace.
"Hey! Just because you're getting your first rune doesn't mean you can talk to your brother like that." Alec told Max.
"Jace isn't my brother!" Max insisted.
"Max!" Clary spoke for the first time since coming outside.
Max ignored his sister and turned to Jace. "Mom says you're not even a part of our family."
At that Magnus quickly turned and walked off the terrace with Max and Clary following close behind.
"Jace, I-" Maryse tried but Jace followed the other three off the balcony.
"This is your fault." Alec accused his mother.
"I've tried to keep Max out of it.
"The hell you have. He learned this behavior from you." Alec spat. "If you ever want to make things right with me, you better make them right with Jace."
Maryse walked away from her son and back into the party.
—
Clary spotted her sister walking into the apartment and quickly approached her.
"Izzy! Where have you been? I was worried about you."
"Out. You okay?"
"This night has just been filled to the brim with Lightwood family drama." Clary sighed. Izzy's interest piqued.
"What happened?" She asked, stopping and turning to look at her sister.
"Max has been very informative." Clary bit her lip.
"Oh." Izzy nodded. "I'm going to go find him and mom. Kay?"
Clary nodded and after Izzy walked away, she looked around the room for Simon, Magnus or Alec. She spotted Simon immediately. With Maia.
"You have got to be kidding me!" She snarled. As she was stalking towards the couple, fully prepared to cause a scene, Magnus ran up to her, catching her around the waist and holding her in her place in front of him.
"Slow down, hotshot."
"Get out of my way, Magnus." She pushed herself out of his grasp.
"Oh, no. I'm not letting you make a scene." He told her. "This is an elegant affair, not an episode of the real housewives of Idris."
"Tell Simon that, because I can't stand here while he hits on Maia right in front of me."
Magnus looks at her, clearly confused and slowly turns to look where she pointed. Where Clary saw Simon and Maia shamelessly flirting, Magnus saw Simon talking to Raj. He turned back to look at Clary as if she'd grown two heads.
"I think we have a different idea of courtship."
Clary looked at him clearly confused as Magnus saw something out of the corner of his eye. Clary had had enough of the night.
"Magnus I can't stay here, okay? Everyone is acting completely insane; I have to leave."
Magnus quickly returned his attention to the near-hysterical girl. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side of the room near the wall.
"Not while you are hallucinating. Stay right here until I figure out what's going on."
Clary waited until Magnus was out of sight before scoffing and once again heading towards the door. She was almost there when her brother intercepted her.
"Hey, are you leaving?" He looked mildly disappointed.
Clary turned around, a vicious look on her face.
"I have to. Seeing you here, drink in hand, all smiles, it makes me sick."
"I have to. Seeing Simon here, flirting with Maia, it's making me sick. I can't stay, I'm sorry."
As Clary walks towards her brother, he's walking backwards, a confused, hurt look on his face.
"What are you talking about?" He stammered.
"I'm talking about you killing my mom."
"I'm talking about Simon, are you -?"
Alec turned and fled up the stairs, Clary followed him quickly, confused by his behavior. He made it to the roof, and he rushed to the ledge. He climbed on to it, wobbling a little and looked down at the busy Brooklyn street.
Clary made it to the roof just after he made it onto the ledge. "Alec! Alec, no!" She shouted when she saw him balancing on the ledge. "Alec what are you doing? You're scaring me!"
"You're a murderer, Alec. Nothing more. Why are you still here?"
"Alec, please. Come down from there."
"All those times you told me I wasn't a good Shadowhunter."
"I know, I know you wish I was dead instead of Jocelyn." Alec cried.
"I don't wish you were dead, Alec. You're my big brother. I- I love you."
"You let a demon possess you? You're weak."
"Please." Clary cries, tears falling. "Don't worry. Take my hand." She stretched her hand out to him.
"Nobody's going to miss you. Weak. The guilt must be eating you alive."
"Take my hand."
"Murderer."
"No!" She shouted as her brother let himself fall backwards off the building.