EDITED 5/30/2020
Found the picture on Pinterest, thought it was funny and decided to share. Notes at the bottom, please read.
"What about this one?" Magnus held up a green silk shirt from the rack.
"Mmm," Clary hummed uncertainly as she rounded the clothing rack to look at the other choices. She selected a red one in his size and held it up against him. "Go with the red one instead. The green makes you look washed out."
"This," Magnus said delightedly. "Is why I take you with me and not your brother."
Clary shrugged indifferently. They moved on to another rack and Magnus searched through the clothing with a critical look in his eyes. "I spoke to Wes this morning." He said, his eyes flicking up to look at her.
"Oh?" Clary asked.
Magnus watched her for a moment as she looked through her side of the rack. Alec had shown up at the apartment that morning in tears. The difficult client had left only fifteen minutes before and Magnus hadn't been expecting his boyfriend and Daughter to return for several more hours. When Alec had shown up without their little girl and in clear distress Magnus had thought the worst. Alec had quickly cleared the air and informed him that Madzie had stayed behind at the Institute with her Aunt Izzy.
Magnus hadn't been too shocked to hear Izzy's concerns about her sister. And while he hadn't been shocked, he was still concerned and saddened that Clary might be teetering on the edge of her sanity. If she's truly reached her limit then she needed help, and she needed it soon. Magnus had called Wes almost as soon as Alec was finished relaying what Izzy had told him.
Once he'd finished the conversation with his friend, he'd offered to keep an eye on Clary for the rest of the day as Wes had instructed.
He hadn't been prepared for Clary's appearance, though. Her attire was dreadful and she, herself, looked like death. Her hair was limp and stringy, her eyes had bags under them, and they were red and puffy around the edges. But her eyes themselves, it was like the light had been turned off inside her. It was like she had given up. Her face was drawn, and she looked pale, but it wasn't just how she looked either. It was in the way that she moved, the way that she held herself. It was obvious that something was very wrong with her. Again, Magnus wasn't surprised. After her mother's death alone, Magnus had been worried for Clary's mental health. It was traumatic, what had happened. Someone that Clary trusted and held in high regard, had killed her mother. Possessed or not, this was something that was sure to alter Clary, even just the tiniest bit. But on top of that, she'd been attacked and nearly raped by a demon, she'd had her DNA and appearance altered, she'd become an entirely different person, and the list could go on. Clary had gone through so much, so quickly. It wasn't normal and therefore Clary was bound to have a more drastic reaction to her abnormal circumstances.
"He'll be here tonight. The two of you are going out for dinner." Magnus said flippantly as he plucked a long navy-blue dress from the racks and held it up to her.
"Excuse me?" Clary's hazel eyes found Magnus' glamoured brown ones.
Magnus placed the blue dress back on the rack and then selected a green one. He held it back up to her and nodded his head, adding it to the basket. "In order for him to help you, the two of you need to get to know each other. What better way to do that then to share a meal? Hmm?"
Clary rolled her eyes and tossed him a cotton button up.
Magnus caught it expertly, giving it a distasteful look before depositing it on a nearby shelf.
"I'm worried about you." Magnus stressed. "I don't know how many times, how many different ways I have to say it. I'm worried about you, for you. I see it when I look into your eyes, Clary. In the way that you move, everything. You are not okay. And that's okay. You don't have to be. The only thing I ask is that you don't give up."
Magnus moved forward, prying an admittedly gorgeous silk blouse from her fingers. He grasped her arms, just above her elbows and gazed into her eyes. Those eyes that looked just like his Alexander's. Those eyes that made him love this girl all the more. He reached up and brushed a stray hair from her face and left his hand there.
"I love you." He told her, his voice strong and certain. "You are my little sister. You will forever be my little sister. Alexander loves you. Isabelle loves you. Maryse, Robert, Max and Jace. You have so many people in your corner. Do not give up. I'm begging you."
Clary leaned her face into Magnus' hand for a second, closing her eyes. She straightened up again, opening her eyes to reveal that they were now glistening. She grabbed the hand that was on her face and brought it between both of hers.
"Izzy told you what I said to her last night." It wasn't a question. "I was, I was upset. I didn't mean it, not like that. I'm not going to kill myself, Magnus. I won't say that I haven't thought about it. It'd be a lie."
Clary took a shaky breath and Magnus moved his free hand to take hers as well.
"I love you, too. And Alec and Isabelle and everyone else." She laughed breathlessly. "I honestly don't know that I'll ever love a man as much as I love Alec. I know that I'm hurting him. It kills me. Alec saved me; he gave me a reason to live again. How heartless, how ungrateful would I be to throw this beautiful life away? The one that he gave me?"
"Alexander loves you too." Magnus told her. "He's scared for you. He's worried for you. Speak to him. Tell him what's happening. He wants to help you. Let him."
"Okay." She whispered.
—-
Before Clary went to speak with her brother, she felt that she had one more stop to make. Magnus had sent her shopping bags to her room at the Institute and she'd gone to the boat house that Simon was living in.
She banged on the door. "Simon. It's me." She called. "If you're not going to answer my phone calls, you can at least talk to me."
She heard some sort of ruckus from inside and then the door opened to reveal a sullen looking Simon. He looked at her for a moment before walking back inside, leaving the door open as a wordless invitation. Clary entered, sliding the door shut behind her.
They stood there for a moment, silent. Clary shook her head. "I am so sorry." She told him, sincerity pouring out of her. "I want you to know that ... what happened at the Seelie Court ... it didn't mean anything."
"You don't have to do this." Simon told her; his back was still facing her. He couldn't stand to look at her.
"Your life was at risk." Clary rushed to tell him. She could tell that this was getting her no closer to winning Simon back. "I had to kiss Jace. I had no choice.
"I get it." Simon told her. "I was there."
Clary flinched like she'd been slapped.
"This isn't about you kissing Jace." He swallowed thickly. "The Seelie Queen made you reveal who desired most. And it wasn't me. It was Jace."
"It's a trick. It's all it was." Clary pleaded tearfully.
"Just be honest with me." Simon pressed.
"I am!" Clary cried. "You heard Jace. The Seelie's - they thrive on getting inside your head."
"Clary, stop!" Simon cried harshly. "Don't make this harder than it already is because you don't want to hurt my feelings."
"What do you want me to do, Simon? Just tell me."
Simon turned around and looked at her, finally. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't have any feelings for him."
Clary hesitated. She realized that she couldn't do that. Jace, he was everything she wanted. Sure, he had his flaws, but he was unattainable anyways. Wasn't he?
Simon shook his head and started to turn away. Clary surged forward, grabbing at him.
"Simon, Simon wait! Look at me." He did. "I love you." She told him.
"Don't do that." Simon begged her.
"Why -?" Clary asked.
"Because you don't mean it the way I mean it!" He exploded, pushing her backwards by her shoulders. Clary fell, not from the force of the shove but by the surprise of it. She landed on her rear end and she gazed up at Simon dazedly. "I - Clary, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He said, shocked at what he'd done.
"Look, you've never meant it. Not like that. Ever since we were kids, I've been in love with you. Every minute of every day. You're the first person I thought of when I woke up. Always have been. And if the Seelie Queen had asked me that question? Kiss the one I most desired? No one would've even come close. There's something between you and Jace and you can't deny it. So yeah, we're over, Fray."
Clary stood up and walked out of the boat house, not uttering another word.
—-
"Clary!" Alec jogged a few steps so that he was walking next to her. "How was shopping with Magnus?"
Clary shrugged. "Apparently I'm having dinner with his friend tonight."
"Wesley?" Alec asked.
"That's the one." Clary stopped at his office door. "Can we talk?"
Alec's brow furrowed in confusion and concern. "Of course." He reached over and took hold of the doorknob, twisting it to open the door. He gestured for her to enter the room first and she did. She walked over to the couch near the fireplace and took a seat. Alec followed her lead and sat on the chair across from her.
They sat in silence for about five minutes, Clary staring determinedly at one of the buttons on Alec's blazer. Finally, Alec broke the silence.
"Clary, as much as I'm enjoying this, you said you wanted to talk. You don't seem to be doing much talking." Alec leaned forward as if he were trying to see her better.
Clary looked up at his face, trying to convince herself to speak. He looked worried. Brows furrowed, eyes confused, posture tense.
"I'm sorry." She finally said. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm sorry if I've been ... difficult or ungrateful. I know that Izzy spoke to you, told you that I'm suicidal. I want you to know that you don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to kill myself. I promise."
Alec shook his head and rounded the coffee table that sat between them. He crouched in front of his sister and rested a hand on her knee. "First of all, I'm your big brother. I'm always going to worry about you. So, you're going to have to get over that. Second of all, I think that you are having a hard time right now, it's kind of to be expected. You've gone through so much, Clary. You've been so strong, but even the strongest people break down sometimes. It's okay. It'll be okay."
"I love you." She told him, tears falling down her cheeks. "You, you are the person I love most in this world. You've given me everything. A family, a place to belong, you gave me a will to live after I'd lost everything. You mean everything to me. I just, I guess I wanted to say thank you, for giving me a chance. I know you never really liked me before, so thank you."
Alec pushed himself up onto his knees and cupped her face in his hands. "I love you too. I love you more than words could ever express. I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I ever made you feel like I didn't like you. I'm sorry. It seems so ridiculous now. The not liking you. It seems childish, it seems infantile. Because I can't imagine looking at you and not feeling this love I have for you, I can't imagine not having this relationship with you." He shakes his head. "I love you too, Sis." He kissed her forehead and pulled her gently against his chest.
Clary rested her head on his shoulder and let her tears fall freely. She balled his jacket in her fist and sobbed into his shoulder. She felt his fingers combing through her long, dark hair as he hushed her like a parent would a young child. She felt herself relaxing against him until the sobs ceased and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.
—
"Get up!"
Clary jumped, sitting up from where she was laying in her bed. She barely had any time to wonder how she'd gotten there in the first place when Magnus grabbed her arm and hauled her out from under her blankets.
"What's happening?" She asked groggily.
"What's happening is Wesley will be picking you up in forty-five minutes and I had been under the impression that you were already getting ready." Magnus griped. "Clearly, I have to do everything myself if I want it done correctly."
Clary resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Magnus started waving his hands in her direction. She, however, did make a face at him when he handed her the green dress, he'd bought for her that morning and shoved her into the adjoining bathroom in her room.
She slipped it on over her head and couldn't resist taking a look in the mirror when she was finished. Her hair had a braid that was only on one side of her head and her make-up was well done, natural with a smokey eye. The dress was a little low cut for her taste and was silk. One layer of it ended just above her knee and the other stopped mid-thigh.
She had to hand it to Magnus, the man knew how to put an outfit together.
She left the bathroom and found Magnus digging through her closet. She cleared her throat and he emerged holding a pair of black wedges and a black cardigan. He looked over at her and his face split into a grin.
"I knew that would look gorgeous on you!" He exclaimed, handing over his latest discoveries.
Clary perched on the edge of her bed and slipped the shoes on. "I thought this was just a 'get-to-know-you' thing. Not a date. Simon just broke up with me."
"This isn't a date, I promise." Magnus told her. "But I also wouldn't rule Wes out as a possibility. He's single." Magnus winked at her.
"Well, actually, I was thinking about talking things through with Jace."
Clary looked back up at Magnus to see him looking at her like he couldn't decide if she was stupid or mentally unhinged.
"What?" She demanded.
Magnus visibly hesitated. "I just, I don't think that's the best idea. Didn't you say you got over him, anyways?"
"I thought that I did." Clary stood up and shrugged the cardigan on.
"I just don't foresee this having the outcome that you expect." Magnus sighed as he moved to her jewelry box that was sat on top of her dresser. He started rifling through it as considered his words.
"Don't you think I owe it to him? To try and figure things out?" She asked, coming to stand beside him.
Magnus whirled around, an incredulous look upon his face. "No!" He nearly shouted. "You don't owe him anything. And never get into a relationship with someone because you believe that you owe them. You enter a relationship because you want to be with someone. Because you care for them, because you can see a future with them. Clary, there is such a thing as too much history. Okay? And you and Jace? I think there's just too much."
Clary shrugged. "I think I love him."
"You think? Or you know?"
"What does it matter, Magnus? It's just a talk. It's not like I'm proposing. Calm down." She plucked a pair of studded earrings from the box that he was rifling through and stuck them in her ears.
"I'm just afraid of what that talk may lead to. Remember Clary, Jace was legally adopted by the Lightwoods, he is for all intents and purposes your legal brother. There's no future there. No Silent Brother in their right mind would officiate a wedding between the two of you. Everyone would look down upon the relationship. This relationship you're pursuing, it's just as incestuous as it would've been had Valentine actually fathered the both of you. The two of you have no place together. I'm sorry."
"Shadowhunters only love once." Clary told him quietly. "What if we were each other's one? What then? What will I do?"
"Take my word for it, Biscuit. What the two of you have, it isn't true love. I've seen it. I've felt it with Alexander. That's not what you have with your brother."
Clary nodded. "Thanks for the advice." She said. "I'll take it into consideration." She turned and walked out of the room. Magnus heaved a sigh and followed after her, muttering to himself.
"If this is what having siblings is like then I'm glad I have none."
They made their way downstairs and met Alec and Izzy at the door.
"What're you guys doing?" Clary asked the pair.
"I want to meet him," Izzy told her, "and I'm pretty sure Alec wants to scope him out and make sure he's alright. Y'know how he is."
"Wesley will take good care of Biscuit, Alexander. Trust me." Magnus looped an arm around his boyfriend's waist. Alec just hummed and continued to stare at Clary like he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.
"What are you wearing?" He finally asked.
Clary looked down at herself as Isabelle started to laugh. "Uh, a dress?" Clary answered stupidly.
Alec paused for a moment before asking his next question. "Where's the rest of it?"
"Oh my God." Clary deadpanned. "Okay, Dad. I'm going to wait for Wesley outside."
"But-" Alec started to object.
"Outside and Alone." Clary called as she exited the Institute, nearly running into a very attractive man. "Oh, shit. Sorry!"
"Quite alright." The man replied in a smooth British accent. "I don't suppose that you might be Clary?"
"You're Wesley." Clary realized. "Yes, I am Clary."
"Pleased to meet you." He grabbed one of her hands and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Shall we go? I've gotten us a reservation; Magnus recommended the place. It's a little bistro, about ten minutes from here, it's run by this lovely Warlock woman."
"That sounds great." Clary nodded.
Wesley snapped his fingers and a portal appeared at the bottom of the steps. He tugged on the hand that he was still holding, and Clary followed him without hesitation. She couldn't explain it, much less understand why she trusted this man so quickly. Perhaps it was because Magnus did. Magnus wouldn't have let her leave alone with him had he posed any danger to her. Maybe it was because the pendant that hung around her neck wasn't pulsing, signaling that it was contacting Magnus. Or maybe it was that feeling, building in her chest and in her gut. The one that she couldn't identify. But, nevertheless, she followed him. And she did it with a smile.
Alright! So that's that, Wesley has been introduced and it's been decided, from the votes that Jeremy Irvine is officially who I'm talking about when I'm describing Wesley.
My Endgame at the moment, is to have Wesley and Clary end up together. The question is, in this story, in this little world that I've created, should Jace and Clary try things out? Now keep in mind, when they do this, if they were to get together, they will ultimately fail and their platonic relationship could be forever ruined. As could Alec and Jace's relationship.
Next, thank you for all the love. Not By Blood is now on Wattpad, and Archive of our own. I'm looking into putting it on Quotev as well.
What do you think about Clary and Magnus' bonding time?
Finally - what do you want to see happen in this story? This is my "Homework" for you if you have been actively reading this story. Telling me something you'd like to see happen, does not mean that it will ultimately end up in the story, but it does give me the chance, as an author to see what my audience is into and what is or isn't working. Example- a bonding scene between Maryse and Clary or A Lightwood-Bane Family chapter or something like that.
Let me know what you want to see, also - do we like the direction that Alec and Clary's relationship is going in? Is it too much? Let me know.
Make sure to Comment, Vote and Follow the Story!