EDITED 5/30/2020
Story is now up on Archive of our own.
Sorry this is so late and short. I really did my best with this chapter. It kinda jumps around a little and it's more of a set up for the next chapter so bear with me. I haven't had a lot of free time lately, working on work and getting my degree so no hate please.
Magnus blinked as if he'd been slapped. He slowly sat back upright as he processed what Clary had said. "You don't -?"
Clary looked at him a little harder and blinked, keeping her eyes shut longer than normal after each blink. "Mmm," she groaned. She opened her eyes again and they looked clearer, not nearly as glazed over.
"Magnus?" She asked groggily, reaching a hand up to her head.
"Yeah, biscuit. It's me." He reached out for her free hand and took it in both of his. Clary took a shuddering breath and the door opened, Alec came in the room and his troubled expression brightened considerably when he saw that Clary was conscious.
"Hey!" He said quietly, going to sit on the bed next to her. Clary started to sit up but quickly eased herself back down with a groan of pain.
"Take it easy." Alec told his sister, reaching over and brushing her hair from her face, letting his hand rest on her cheek for a moment before dropping it to her hand.
"What - what happened?" She asked, looking at her brothers, well one is her brother, but she considers them both to be her brothers.
"You were drugged." Alec told her gently. "Fortunately, Susan got to you before it was too late."
"Who?" Clary asked, confused.
"Simon." Magnus corrected his boyfriend with a half-hearted glare that Alec was sure was more for Clary's benefit than Magnus actually caring what Simon's name was.
"They tried to kill me?" Clary asked in disbelief.
Alec's jaw clenched as he glared down at the bed sheets and Magnus stared at the wall above her head.
"Where's Simon?" Clary asked, finally sitting up.
"He had to leave." Alec didn't look at her. "Imogen is still in charge here and him being here would've made things worse. I told him I'd let you know he was here."
"I've gotta go call him." Clary clambered out of bed; Alec released her hand.
"Izzy has your phone."
Clary kissed both men on the cheek and swept out of the room.
"Alexander." Magnus looked away from the wall and towards Alec.
Alec let the sob leave his mouth as it racked his shoulders. Magnus quickly left his chair and knelt before the Shadowhunter.
"Alexander." Magnus said again and Alec let himself slip from the bed onto the floor nearly on-top of Magnus as he wrapped his arms around the older man's neck and buried his face in his shoulder.
"We almost lost her." He cried into Magnus' silk shirt.
Magnus wrapped his arms around the sobbing man's torso and held him close. He reached one hand up to card through Alec's fine, raven locks.
"Shh," He hushed him. "She's okay. You're both okay."
Alec sat up and looked Magnus in the eyes, trying desperately to tame his sobs. "It's one thing to come after me, but she's my baby sister. She's untrained, inexperienced, and she was all alone. It's pure luck that she's alive right now. At least I stood a chance."
Magnus took a moment to observe Alec. His eyes were red and puffy, tear stains decorated his cheeks, he had bags under his eyes and his hair was sticking up thanks to Magnus running his fingers through it. But if you looked really closely, if you really looked at Alec, you could see how afraid he was. You could see the fear practically radiating off of him. But Alec wasn't afraid for himself, he never was. Alec was selfless. He was afraid for the people he loved: Clary, Jace, Izzy, Max, Madzie and Magnus. Alec had gotten a taste of what could've been, tonight. He'd gotten a taste of what it might be like to lose someone he cared for. He'd nearly lost a sister.
Magnus knew that Alec would do anything to make sure that wouldn't happen.
—
"She had everything." Izzy was telling them. "Werewolf claws, Vampire fangs, Seelie blades, she used it to make it look like a Downworld uprising."
"The question is: why?" Jace said.
"I'm not sure," Alec answered. "But It has to go beyond covering her tracks."
"I agree." Clary said from her place on the arm of Magnus' chair.
"Great work, Iz." Alec complimented.
"I hear Max is back up on his feet and ready to take over the world?" Magnus asked, speaking for the first time during the meeting.
Alec looked over at him. He was reclined comfortably in the arm chair, Clary was balanced carefully next to him, an arm over the back of the chair and her legs curled with her knees pointed towards the Warlock who had an arm draped over her legs. He couldn't help but smile to himself. Their relationship was more than he could've ever hoped for. He was glad that Magnus got along so well with his family.
Izzy smiled. "Yeah." Alec blinked and focused back on the conversation.
"How are you doing?" Jace asked her. "You okay?"
"Good. Getting better."
"Well, we'll keep investigating Kaelie." Alec said, "But for now, apparently, we have somewhere to be." He threw a disgruntled look at his youngest sister. "And apparently, we have to like it. Or at least pretend to."
Magnus couldn't help but think that that was something that had been drilled into Alec's head by the young Shadowhunter sitting next to him.
—
"This is gonna be humiliating." Simon worried to his girlfriend. "What if there's only like two or three people? And I'm not even ready to perform in front of two or three people yet! Unless they're really drunk."
"Simon!" Clary interrupted him. "Have I ever lied to you?"
"Not that I know of." Simon replied.
"Then believe me when I tell you: you are going to crush it." She smiled. "Okay?"
"Okay." He nodded.
"Go get em, tiger."
They entered the bar and it was packed. They made their way through part of the crowd to find Maia.
"Hey!" Simon caught her attention. "What's going on? Are you giving away free alcohol?"
"Turns out," Maia smiled, holding up a flyer for Rock Solid Panda. "Some Vampires got wind of a singer they're really into."
"See?" Clary said. "Your Vampire friends know a good thing when they see it."
"Something tells me it's not all about the music." Simon protested.
"Go!" Clary pushed him, groaning. "I'm not letting you out of this."
Clary turned to go sit with her friends when Maia stopped her. "This is on the house." She handed her a glass of beer.
"Thanks." Clary acknowledged. She went to sit next to Alec, Magnus, Izzy, Luke, Jace and Raphael whom Alec did not seem happy to see. Or maybe Alec just wasn't happy to be here. Clary wasn't sure.
After Simon was done singing, Alec pulled her aside.
"Starting the day after tomorrow, I'm going to be your trainer. Every day at five a.m., we will meet in the training room. Got it?" He asked, not unkindly.
"Got it, Mister Head-of-the Institute." She teased, poking him in his muscled stomach.
The corner of his mouth lifted just a little before he pulled her flush against his chest and held her like a lifeline. Her head was tucked under his chin as he mumbled to her.
"I can't lose you. I can't. I wouldn't survive it. If I lost any of you. And I came so close, today." He breathed deeply, trying to blink back the tears. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and smiled a little when he felt her arms squeeze him tighter.
"You won't lose me, okay? Or Izzy, Jace Or Magnus. Okay?"
"Okay."
After Simon's set, Simon approached the table of friends and everyone congratulated him. After everyone was done Alec gave Simon a tight smile.
"Well done, Sheldon." He inclined his head a little. "That was almost completely bearable."
Alec stood up and pulled his coat on. "Unfortunately, I've been summoned by Inquisitor Herondale. I've got to go."
"I'll go with you." Isabelle jumped up. "You shouldn't be alone with her."
Alec flinched at the mention of his torture. There was a reason why no one spoke about it. Alec didn't want to. He had no interest in reliving those nightmares.
He and Izzy made good time back to the Institute and found Imogen in the Head's office.
"Mister and Miss Lightwood." She acknowledged.
The pair of siblings just looked at her.
Imogen regarded them with a bit of an awkward air, she finally sighed and turned to Alec.
"I've been recalled to Idris. Make us proud, Mister Lightwood." She left the room, brushing against Alec on accident.
Alec's flinch did not go unnoticed by his sister.
—
""We've lost seven of our own." Alec said, looking out at the Shadowhunters gathered in front of him. "But we can't allow a single, radical Seelie define the entire Downworld anymore than we can allow Valentine to define all Shadowhunters. So, to restore unity with our allies, I will be hosting regular cabinet meetings here with the Downworld leaders of New York. Let's make the Downworlders feel welcome."
Alec nodded once to himself and started to descend the stairs, the Shadowhunters dispersed as he walked over to Jace and Clary.
"Look at you! In charge for two weeks and you're already shaking things up." Jace said, half-jokingly. "I think this Cabinet thing is a good idea."
"Yeah, I'm not sure everyone agrees." Alec muttered as Izzy joined them.
"All the more reason to do it." Clary said cheerfully, smiling up at her brother. "How can I help?"
"Actually," Alec said. "I need you and Jace for a mission. You're going to the Seelie Court."
Clary watched confused as Izzy and Jace exchanged a look of unease.
"Where is that?" Clary asked.
"The nearest entrance is in Central Park." Izzy informed her. "But it's in another realm. Where the Seelie Queen lives."
"I requested an audience with her to discuss Kaelie's crimes." Alec elaborated. "But she said she'd only meet with Valentine's experiments."
The change in Alec's tone as he spoke about the Queen's name for his siblings was evident. He spat the words out like they were poison.
"Wow." Clary remarked. "Charming nickname."
Alec shrugged.
"So, you think the Seelie Queen is responsible for Kaelie's attacks?" Clary asked Alec.
"That's what I want you to find out." Alec countered.
"It would make sense. Those murders weren't exactly Kaelie's style." Jace agreed with his brother.
"How did you know Kaelie?" Clary turned on Jace.
Jace looked over at Clary and Alec could see the panic in his expression. He looked between Clary and Alec once more before replying. "Book club."
"You read?" Clary asked in disbelief.
Alec looked towards the ceiling and tried hard not to laugh. It was funny yet not funny. Funny in the sense that Jace was so hung up on their sister that he pulled that same, lousy excuse again. And not funny in the sense that Alec walked in on Jace and Kaelie during one of their book club meetings in Magnus' apartment.
"Yeah." Jace lied. "Why does everyone find that so hard to believe?"
"Look." Alec interrupted; he'd reached his limit on bullshit. "Focus. We need to find out if she's complicit. An entire faction could be turning against us."
"That shouldn't be too hard. Right?" Clary asked. "Seelie's can't lie."
"Technically, yes, but after hundreds of years of practice, they can't expertly manipulate the truth." Jace answered patiently. "And the Queen's the master."
"She's very dangerous." Izzy added. "The entire realm is. More than one Shadowhunter hasn't made it back."
Clary took a shaky breath. "What could go wrong?" She asked her sister in false enthusiasm. She turned back to Jace and Alec. "But, we're Valentine's experiments. Right? Don't mess with us."
Jace's expression turned stony and Alec's earlier disgust at the Queen's words returned.
"I have to go." Alec quickly excused himself. "Be safe." He told the two and pressed a quick kiss to Clary's forehead.
He left the institute and hailed a cab to the Jade Wolf. It took approximately twenty minutes to get there and when he got there, he didn't feel too welcome.
He and Luke stood opposite each other in the restaurant. Luke had his arms crossed across his broad chest and Alec stood straight as an arrow, not letting his gaze waver under Luke's distrusting glare.
"You're the only one who hasn't agreed to join the cabinet." Alec broke the silence,
"Why should I?" Luke challenged.
"Well, you're the most respected pack leader in New York." Alec offered. "And as a former Shadowhunter, you understand what's at stake for both sides."
"Yeah." Luke agreed. "That's exactly why I can see this for what it is: an empty gesture. Look, after what all the Downworld has been through, Alec, we need change. Real change."
Alec nodded. "I couldn't agree more." He told Luke, sincerely.
"Then prove it." Luke pressed. "Destroy the Soul Sword."
"You know that the Clave will never destroy a Mortal Instrument." Alec told him regretfully.
Luke nodded. "Then Valentine needs to die."
"You're right." Alec agreed again. "I promise that I will do everything I can to push for Valentine's execution with the Clave. But this isn't just about Valentine. It's about improving Shadow World relations, and that's what this Cabinet can do. But not without you."
"I'll be there." Luke sighed.
Alec's grin lit up the room. "Thank you."
—
"Just be prepared because Jace is not going to be happy you're here." Clary murmured to her boyfriend as they approached Jace.
Simon scoffed. "When is he ever happy to see me?"
"Well that's true, but -"
Jace spun around when he heard Simon's voice.
"What is he doing here?" He demanded.
"Well 'Hello' to you." Simon joked. "I'm joining the mission."
"No, you're not!" Jace barked. "You weren't invited."
"I already told him that." Clary interjected.
"But then I pointed out that you can never have too much backup." Simon added. "You've seen my fighting skills firsthand."
"There will be no fighting." Jace told him. "If you hurt anyone in the Queen's realm, she has every right to hurt you. This is a sensitive, political mission. It takes a certain charm."
"Well," Simon stammered for a second. "I'll have you know; I was voted Vice President in the eighth grade. And you do not win an election without charm."
"Simon this isn't middle school." Jace shook his head as Clary giggled. "This is life or death."
"Have you been to middle school?" Simon asked seriously.
"Look," Jace was getting fed up. "Seelie's have the beauty of angels and the viciousness of demons and those opposing qualities make them unpredictable. A vampire or werewolf, they prefer to attack you head on, but Seelie's, they want to trick you into your own self-destruction."
"That's a little dramatic, don't you think?" Simon asked quietly, significantly more subdued. "I mean, aren't Seelie's like, woodland hippies who eat berries and ants?"
"I thought the same about Kaelie." Jace told him sadly.
"And who saved Clary from her?" Simon asked proudly.
"Jace you're not gonna get him to change his mind." Clary sighed. "We have to go. Where's the entrance?"
Jace shrugged and shook his head, he looked down at the water underneath the bridge they were standing on. "There." He indicates the flowing water.
He moved away from the railing so that Simon and Clary could peer over it.
"The Seelie Court is in a creek?" Simon asked incredulously.
"Not in it." Jace said. "Through it."
He ran forward and launched himself off the bridge. He fell into the water and disappeared in a golden flash.
Clary laughed a little. "Last chance to turn back." She told Simon, staring at the door where Jace disappeared with an amazed look on her face.
Simon blew out a breath, he turned to Clary. "Wherever you go, I go Fray."
Together, they jumped in the water and found themselves standing next to Jace in a beautiful forest that had patches of snow on the ground.
"Woah." Clary breathed.
"After you, Mister Vice President." Jace teased Simon with a wave of his arm.
Simon smirked and helped Clary climb the hill near them, Jace following closely behind.
—
"It's important that this meeting tonight goes smoothly." Alec was telling Magnus as they spoke on the phone.
"It will." Magnus assured him. "I'll be by your side the whole time."
"Actually," Alec stretched the word out. "I'd rather you not."
"Have I done something wrong?" Magnus asked, worried.
"No, not at all." Alec sighed. "It's just, I don't want to be accused of Warlock favoritism."
"I see." Magnus said, and he did. He didn't want Alex getting any backlash because of their relationship. "Perhaps another Warlock should go instead."
"No, I need you there, Magnus." Alec chuckled. "Just not as my boyfriend. As a Warlock representative. Is that okay?"
"Of course." Magnus said. "It's best that we keep our Personal and Professional lives separate."
"Thank you." Alec smiled.
"I'll be leaving Madzie with Catarina for the night, then. Okay?"
"Okay." Alec agreed. "Tell her Daddy loves her and I'll see her tomorrow. I love you; I'll see you tonight."
"Love you too."
Alec hung up and looked up as he heard Maryse enter the office.
"Mom. What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I wanted to congratulate you on the promotion." She beamed. "I'm so pleased to see the Lightwoods back in command."
Alec just smiled. "I always knew this was your destiny." She continued. "I'd always find you in here when you were little, sitting behind your Father's desk, writing out your own memos in crayon." They laughed. "Well, here you are. Your father and I couldn't be prouder."
"Speaking of Dad... what's the latest?" Alec asked. "Are you leaving him?"
"It's complicated, Alec." Maryse sighed.
"It's not." Alec disagreed. "He cheated on you."
"And it's over between us." Maryse assured him. "But we can't let our marital problems undermine our political careers. The last thing we want is to tarnish the Lightwood name."
Alec scoffed. "It's been through a lot worse."
Maryse laughed. "Where's Clary? And Isabelle?"
"Clary and Jace went on a mission, Izzy's training Max."
"I'm going to go find Isabelle then." Maryse stood up from her spot leaning against his desk. "I'll find you later?"
Alec nodded, a small smile on his lips.
His phone rang from its spot in his pocket and he pulled it out. Magnus was calling him.
He answered quickly and held it to his ear.
"Magnus? What's wrong?"
"You might want to come over, darling. It's not good."
"What isn't?" Alec asked as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair.
"Clary just showed up. She won't say anything and she's just staring at the wall. Completely unresponsive."
"I'm on my way."