EDITED 5/30/2020
"You can't be serious." Wesley laughed.
"I am," Clary insisted.
"Who folds their clothes before they hide them under the bed?" Wesley chuckled before taking a sip of his wine.
"I guess I was just a strange child." Clary said with a grin, then she sobered. "That was the first time I talked about her and didn't break down."
"Your mother?" Wesley clarified, although he knew exactly whom she was talking about.
Clary nodded. "Yeah. Jocelyn."
"Why do you call her that?" Wesley asked, leaning back in his chair. "Why not mom?"
"It's confusing. Yes, Jocelyn is my mom, will always be my mom, but I guess I just got in the habit of making a clear difference between Jocelyn and Maryse. Both of them are my mom's but I don't want to confuse any of my siblings when I'm talking about one or the other. Jocelyn is Jocelyn and Maryse is mom." She shrugged.
"But it makes you feel as though you're betraying her." Wesley said.
"Sometimes." Clary admitted. "But I also know she'd want me to be happy, whatever the cost."
"I'm sure she would. But can you live with yourself right now? With what you're feeling inside? You're falling apart. I've just met you and I can already see it."
Uncomfortable with how quickly the tone of the conversation changed, Clary changed the subject. "Do you think that Magnus expects us to end up together? Because I was getting a very 'Match-Maker' vibe from him earlier." She chuckled without humor.
Wesley did not seem impressed with her diversion but answered all the same.
"I know that he does, and I can see why he would think that." A corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smile. "However, if anything were to happen between us, it wouldn't be now. Especially given the state that you're in."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Clary asked indignantly.
"I mean, that I won't have you love me more than you love yourself. You have got to work through these feelings, Clary. They are ruling your life, they are overtaking you. You cannot allow yourself to drown in them. Do you understand?" He said all of this with so much kindness and tenderness that Clary couldn't stand it.
"Yeah." She whispered. "Do you mind? I've got to use the restroom."
Wesley smiled at her and gestured for her to go. She stood up and walked towards the back of the bistro, finding the ladies room with ease. She quickly opened the door and walked into a stall, locking it before she pulled her stele out from her handbag. She drew a rune into the air and stepped into the portal that appeared before her.
She came out into Magnus' apartment, startling her brother and his boyfriend pretty badly. They jerked apart from each other and looked at her in shock.
"Sorry." Clary said slowly, raising an eyebrow at them.
Magnus shook himself. "It's fine. What happened?"
"Nothing." Clary frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the clock. "Why?"
"You came here instead of the Institute." Alec pointed out.
"Yeah." Clary sighed, looking between the both of them before settling on looking Magnus in the eye. "What we were talking about earlier, maybe I could use from space from ... it. You said you wanted me to have a room here, I was wondering if I could use it for a while."
Magnus lit up. "Of course, you can! If I had it my way both you and Alexander would be completely moved in already."
"Why isn't Alec living here?" Clary asked, realizing for the first time that it was actually quite odd that Alec wasn't living with his boyfriend and daughter.
"I'm the Head of the Institute." Was all Alec had to say on the matter.
"There's a rule saying that you have to live at the Institute? That sucks." Clary replied.
"Yea -" Alec faltered. "Hmm."
"What?" Magnus and Clary asked in unison.
"Now I'm actually not sure." Alec admitted. "I'll have to look into it."
Clary shrugged. "I'll move in. I like this place better than the Institute anyways."
Magnus' grin grew. "So how was the date?"
"I thought you said it wasn't a date?" Clary challenged.
"Right." Magnus agreed. "But how did it go?"
Clary looked between the two of them again and could instantly see that there was no getting out of the conversation. She sat in the armchair and kicked her shoes off. "Fine. I like him. We had fun."
She hadn't thought Magnus' grin could get any wider. "Do I smell a double date coming up soon?" He asked the room.
"Actually," Alec answered. "I'm pretty sure that's the fish. Or maybe the tequila." He eyed the glasses on the table with distaste.
Clary snorted as Magnus rolled his eyes at the man.
"How about I show you to your room?" Magnus stood up. "I hope you realize, now that you're staying here, I'm going to keep you here forever."
Clary laughed as Alec stood up to follow the two. They walked down the hallway that led to Magnus' and, by extension, Alec's room and turned left. Directly next to their room was Clary's. Magnus showed her how the door slid open and they wandered into the room. Clary noticed that, like herself, Alec was looking around curiously, meaning that he hadn't seen the room before either.
The walls were a light grey with blue and purple swirls decorating the walls, there was an easel in the corner next to several shelves on the wall that held art supplies. Against the back wall was her bed and on the right side of the room there was a small loveseat in front of a television.
"Wow." Was all Alec said.
Clary, on the other hand, launched herself into Magnus' arms, surprising both men. "Thank you." She whispered into his ear. "You didn't have to do this."
Magnus gently pulled her away from him. "It's been a hundred years since I've allowed myself to feel anything remotely close to the way I feel about you and Alexander. I haven't had family for so long. So, thank you. Thank you for being my family." He patted her shoulder and smiled lovingly over at Alec who was grinning at him proudly.
Clary quickly kissed them both on their cheeks and smiled tiredly. "I love you both, but I'm exhausted."
"Of course." Magnus agreed. "You should get some sleep because when Madzie finds out that Aunt Clary is moving in with us she's going to want to spend all day with her."
Clary laughed and the men left, budding her goodnight.
—-
The next morning Alec and Magnus were sitting in the dining room waiting for the girls to wake up when Clary came rushing into the room, quickly grabbing her purse off the counter where Alec had placed it after she'd left it in the living room last night.
"Whoa!" Magnus called. "Where's the fire?"
"Luke called. Simon's in trouble." Clary said as she slung the bag over her shoulder.
"I thought you and Shawn broke up?" Alec asked.
"Simon and I are still friends." Clary scathed.
Alec raised an eyebrow as he popped another chunk of fruit in his mouth. He stood up and shrugged his jacket on before stooping to give Magnus a kiss.
"Alright," Alec sighed, draping an arm across his sister's shoulders. "Let's go save Sarah."
—-
I really don't know how to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it." Luke sighed as Clary held the bloodied shirt in her hands. "I think Simon killed somebody."
"He didn't do this." Clary weakly defended.
"Simon's shirt was in that dumpster." Luke said. He hadn't looked Clary in the eye once since they got there. "Soaked in the victim's blood. His fingerprints were on her bracelet."
"The only time he was fingerprinted was when he signed up to coach Little League." Clary chuckled in exasperation. "He would never hurt anyone."
"There has to be an explanation for this." Alec added.
"The Simon you know is a Vampire, Clary." Luke pointed out. "A vampire with a broken heart, I hear. Demon blood, it changes a person."
"I should've never let him come to the Seelie Court with me." Clary said in despair.
"From what I gather he wasn't really taking 'no' for an answer." Alec reassured her.
"I need to get to him before anyone else does." Luke sighed, standing up.
Clary just nodded, still staring down at the shirt soaked in blood. Luke walked away without another word and Alec couldn't stop himself from following the man.
As they exited the Jade Wolf, Alec called out to him. "Luke! Wait."
Luke turned and looked at Alec. "What's up?"
"Uh, I just needed to say something to you. It's about Clary." Alec closed the distance between them and stood a foot away from him now. "I don't think you understand what's going on here."
"What are you talking about?" Luke asked.
"You've shut her out. You left her high and dry and haven't looked back. Have you even checked on her once since Jocelyn died?" Alec asked him harshly.
Luke didn't even flinch. "I abandoned her?" He asked. "That's what you think? What about her? She became a Lightwood not even two weeks after Jocelyn died! She replaced us. I helped raise that girl and she just goes and gets a new father."
"Robert isn't much of a father." Alec admitted quietly. "To any of us. But that's beside the point. Clary needs you. There are some things my family can't do for her. I'm her brother, I can't stand in for you or for Dad. I can't. She needs me to be her brother, nothing else. She loves you, and you not being around. You leaving her alone to figure these things out, it hurts her. Did you know she was going to kill herself? Had I not extended the offer for her to join our family, she would be dead. So, think about that next time you decide that she, an eighteen year old little girl, abandoned you, a grown man. Her father." Alec spun on his heel and entered the restaurant again leaving Luke frozen on the sidewalk.
—
Alec returned to the Institute while Clary portaled back to Magnus' apartment. When she stepped out of the apartment, she found Magnus and Wesley sitting together on the couch, Madzie asleep in Magnus' lap.
"Ah, there she is." Magnus chirped, spotting Clary. "How's Samuel?"
"Simon?" Clary clarified. "They think he killed someone."
"What?" Magnus' jaw dropped.
Clary nodded and turned to Wesley. "About last night." She said, clearly ashamed. "I am so sorry. I can't believe I-"
Wesley held a hand up, smile still intact. He stood up and crossed the room, coming to stand in front of her. He towered over her, much like Alec did. He once again grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on the back of it and winking at her. "Honestly," He drawled. "I expected you to run out of there screaming long before you did. I was impressed. Is there somewhere we can talk, privately?"
Clary nodded, pulling on the hand that still held hers and she led him to her bedroom, ignoring Magnus' smirk.
Clary slid the bedroom door closed behind them and went to sit on the edge of her bed. Wesley sat close beside her but wasn't touching her.
"When Magnus called me about you, He told me he believed you were suicidal. Would you say that this is true?" Wesley asked her.
Clary shrugged. "I've gone through a lot recently."
"Why don't you tell me about it?" Wesley encouraged, nudging her with his elbow gently.
"I don't even know where to start." Clary sighed, looking down at her hands.
"How about the beginning?" Wesley smiled slightly. "I hear that's usually a good place to start."
"Ha ha." Clary laughed mockingly. "Well, on my eighteenth birthday my mom was kidnapped, right after she told me that I'm a Shadowhunter. I'd met Jace, Alec and Izzy earlier that day. I found out that Valentine was my father, Simon got turned into a Vampire," Clary rattled off.
"Remind me who Simon is?" Wesley asked.
"He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember, but more recently he's my ex-boyfriend."
"That's right." Wesley recalled, nodding. "Go on."
"Jace and I went into an alternate dimension, found who we thought was his father but was actually Valentine, we find my mother but can't wake her up, then we wake her up, Jace leaves us, he comes back and Alec kills my mom." She takes a shuddering breath. "Alec and I went to a warlock who told me she could bring my mom back, she then tried to make a demon impregnate me."
"Excuse me?" Wesley snapped.
"She was breeding Warlocks. She wiped the women's memories afterwards."
"You must have some serious animosity towards her." Wesley suggested.
"You have no idea." Clary said. "After that, after Alec saved me from the demon, Magnus told him about the spell that would make me a biological Lightwood. When Alec told me about it I kinda freaked out. That was the same day as my mother's funeral. I found out that I have the ability to draw new runes. Jace told me that I couldn't tell anyone, but I told the Iron Sister, Cleophas when Izzy and I went on the mission there."
Wesley just nodded.
"Aldertree forced Jace out of the Institute and Alec spoke to him, he told me that Jace wanted nothing to do with me. So, I agreed to become a Lightwood."
"You've been through quite a lot." Wesley remarked.
Clary nodded. "Yeah. More than I'd like."
"Is there anything else significant that's happened?"
"Let's see," Clary mused, sarcastically. "My brother tried to kill himself under a spell, by the same warlock who tried to demon rape me, that same warlock also used a blood oath to try to kill me. I nearly died, if Alec hadn't found Madzie I would be dead. Then there was being kidnapped by Madzie and taken to Valentine, Simon being kidnapped by Valentine, Alec being kidnapped by Valentine. Finding out Jace isn't my brother, well not biologically. Sebastian telling me that I'm alone in this world and that the Lightwoods took me in out of pity. The Seelie Court Mission where the Queen made me kiss Jace. Simon breaking up with me. That's all that I can think of."
"That's all that you can think of." Wesley repeated dryly.
He turned sideways on the edge of the bed, one leg bent still on the bed and the other foot planted on the floor. Clary turned as well but sat with her legs crisscrossed on the bed.
They looked at each other for a long moment and Clary found herself drawn to him in such a way that she just couldn't deny it, but she also didn't understand it, and that scared her.
"When Magnus told me about you, he said you went through something, something that might help you understand me, and help you help me. Can I ask what that was?"
Wesley looked down at his hands, taking a deep breath. "What I'm going to tell you, I've only told a handful of people, so keep it to yourself? Please?"
Clary nodded. "Of course."
"Warlocks, we're different from other Downworlders. We each have a Soulmate. If we're lucky, that Soulmate is either a Warlock or a Vampire, they'll live forever, like us. Sometimes, we get so desperate that we convince ourselves that we've found them, because we're so lonely. I did that once, convinced myself that I'd found her. She was a Warlock, like me. She was everything I wasn't. She was confident, beautiful, powerful, she was capable." Wesley shrugged. "At that point I was only fifty-three years old. I'd faked my death for my mother and stepfather, but I had a younger half-sister who, unlike my parents, knew what I was. My sister had a family. Husband, three kids; two boys and a little girl. Shaylee went to their house one night and slaughtered them all. When I found out, when I walked into their house and found them all, bled dry, blood everywhere, that little girl hanging from the stair banister, white nightgown soaked red, I knew it was her. I could feel her magic there. I confronted her and she attacked me. She beat me and tortured me. Told me it was my fault, what happened to them. It was my fault because I was weak and naive, and I let my guard down. She said she was testing me, making me a stronger warlock. That she'd done me a favor."
"I am so sorry." Clary said. She'd turned a pale white color and she was staring at Wesley with wide eyes. "I can't even imagine."
"Magnus saved me that night. We've been friends ever since." Wesley finished.
"You said all Warlocks have a soulmate. Are Magnus and Alec ...?"
"Soulmates? Yeah, they are." Wesley nodded.
"And, have - never mind." Clary decided.
"Have I found my soulmate? I have." Wesley told her. "I just haven't told her yet. It's too early."
"Oh." Clary felt a little disappointed. She shook herself. She had no right to feel this way. She'd only met Wesley last night. Maybe it was Magnus' relentless teasing. He must not have known that Wesley had found his Soulmate, otherwise he wouldn't have encouraged her to view the outing as a date. "That's good. I'm happy for you."
Wesley smiled and patted her hand that was sitting on her leg. He stood up and stretched. "Unfortunately, I have to go. I have some other things to attend to." He left the room, leaving Clary feeling conflicted.
—
"What do you mean you didn't tell her?" Magnus asked hours later, standing in the middle of Wesley's living room.
"I mean that I didn't tell her!" Wesley shot back. "It's far too early to be making any moves."
"You wouldn't be making a move." Magnus argued. "You'd be being honest with her, which is what any living, breathing person wants."
Wesley sighed and shook his head. "I can't put this kind of pressure on her, Magnus. Besides, you can't say much considering you didn't tell your Alexander until after he said, 'I love you.'"
"And that was a mistake on my part." Magnus admitted. "I should have told him far sooner. Been honest with him when he was engaged to that woman. Maybe we would've gotten together sooner."
"Why isn't what you've had good enough?" Wesley inquired. "Why wish for something that could alter what you've built? Hasn't your time together been good?"
"It's been amazing." Magnus said. "And you're right, I wouldn't trade it, but Alexander and Clary are both mortal. We don't have all the time in the world with them. And on top of that, they're Shadowhunters. They'll die young, as they all do."
"I can't push her. I won't. She needs to heal and in order for that to happen we have to be friends first. Nothing more." Wesley insisted.
"Okay." Magnus sighed, giving in. "I just wanted to-"
His phone rang shrilly. He fished it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. Isabelle was calling him. He quirked an eyebrow at Wesley and held the phone to his ear after hitting the accept call button.
"Isabelle, what's -?" He started to ask.
"You need to get to the Institute now." Izzy interrupted. "Alec's tearing his office apart. He's having a full meltdown."
"Why? What happened?" Magnus's mind was racing with all the possibilities, most of them ending up with Alec hurt.
"Valentine escaped."
Alright! So I finally settled on the fourth version of this chapter. I'm not 100% satisfied but here we are. Also - I have a few drafts in my works section and I'm trying to decide which one to finish next. I figured I'd hold a vote to see what you're interested in seeing:
1. Max and Raphael Lightwood-Bane Time Travel Fic.
2. Alec x Clary (Clalec) AU Romance Fic
3. Clalec brOTP OneShot After Sebastian says that stuff to Clary outside Magnus' apartment.
Let me know. And remember to Vote, Comment and Follow! Thank you, Darlings! ❤️