EDITED 5/30/2020
"I'm just here to see my children!" Alec and Izzy turned to see Maryse at the front door of the Institute, pleading with the guards.
Alec wasn't sure why she was there in the first place, she was supposed to meet him at Pandemonium at five o'clock that afternoon to get ready for the wedding.
"Is that mom?" Alec asked as he and Izzy made their way to the door.
"Show some respect!" Underhill said, sounding angry.
"This woman's been excommunicated by the Clave. She's not allowed to enter." The Guard argued back.
"This woman is Alec Lightwood's mother." Underhill informed the guard. "Allowances can be made."
"It's fine." Maryse said, trying to end the argument
"Hey!" Alec yelled. "As long as I'm in charge, Maryse Lightwood is allowed in the New York Institute. Understood?"
The guard stepped aside and Maryse strode into the Institute, enveloping Izzy into a hug.
Alec led the two women into the courtyard, glancing over his shoulder to give Underhill a grateful nod.
"Happy wedding day!" Maryse squealed, giving Alec a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you, son."
"Thanks mom." Alec said as Clary practically ran towards them.
"Underhill told about what happened. You okay?" She hugged Maryse to her.
"Oh, honey." Maryse ran a hand over Clary's back. "I'm alright."
"Um, while all three of you are here, there's something I need to tell you all." Alec said. Maryse and Clary broke apart and all three women directed their attention to Alec.
"Izzy, Clary, you already know that every Warlock has a soulmate. I'm Magnus' soulmate. But, there's something else." He hesitated.
"What is it, Alec?" Clary asked as Maryse stared at him in shock.
"I'm a reincarnation." Alec blurted. "This isn't my first life. It's my ninth. Magnus and I have been together in each one. I'm starting to get my memories back. That's why I collapsed yesterday. I remember my last two lives."
"Wow." Izzy choked. "That's...wow."
"In my last life I was a Warlock. I died in a freak demon summoning accident. The point is, Magnus and I talked about it, about how he has lost me, over and over, and how I don't want to leave him, ever again. In two weeks, Magnus, Wesley, Catarina and Tessa are going to do a ritual and turn me into a Warlock so that I will be immortal and I won't have to leave him or our children."
"Children?" Clary asked. "Plural?"
"That's the part you get stuck on?" Izzy laughed nervously.
"Madzie, of course." Alec said. "And Raphael Santiago. Magnus and I took him in and cared for him in my last life. He's mine and Magnus' son."
"That's awkward." Izzy said quietly.
"Is that why he's staying with us?" Clary asked.
"Yes." Alec nodded. "His sister died and he's going through a hard time so Simon brought him to us. He'll be staying with us for a while."
"You'll lose your position." Maryse told him. "You're sure you are okay with this?"
"I'd give anything, anything, if it meant sparing Magnus any more heartbreak. He's everything to me, mom. He's my soulmate."
"Then I support you. One hundred percent."
"What if I can make a rune, so that while you will be gaining immortality and your magic and all of that, you can keep your runes and your Shadowhunter abilities? You'd be able to keep your position within the Clave, keep changing the world." Clary said.
"I think maybe, we should go and talk to Magnus about this." Alec said. "Because I don't know if that would work, or if it would just mess with the entire ritual. We should go see Magnus."
Clary nodded. "Okay."
"I'll see you both when it's time to start getting ready for the wedding." Alec told his mother and Isabelle.
They both nodded weakly, still clearly digesting the boatload of information that Alec had just dumped on them.
Clary drew her portal rune into the air and they both stepped through.
Alec was excited to go and see his fiancé. He had had to slip out of bed without waking Magnus that morning and had yet to speak to him. So when they stepped out into the living room of their loft, Alec hightailed it to his bedroom. Clary followed behind him laughing quietly.
"Daddy!" Madzie screamed, stopping him in the hallway before he could get to his bedroom. "Daddy's here! Daddy's here! Daddy's here!"
Raphael and Magnus came out from the work room as Madzie started tugging Alec down towards the ground by his jacket, with a little help from her magic. Alec knelt down in front of her and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled against his chest, grasping the lapels of his jacket as if she were trying to keep him there.
"Hey, Princess." Alec greeted her with a smile. "How are you today?"
"You and Papa are getting married today!" Madzie pulled back and grinned at him. "Papa said so! Papa said that I get to throw flowers and walk with Raphael!"
"Do you now?" Alec asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah!" Madzie bounced on her toes. "Raphael is my brother! Did you know that, Daddy?"
"I did." Alec nodded. "Because you are Papa and I's daughter and Raphael is our son. That means Raphael is your brother and you're his sister."
"That's so cool!" Alec laughed and unlatched Madzie from him. He stood up, much to Madzie's protest as she clung to his hand with both of hers. He turned to look at Raphael and Magnus.
"Hey, hijo." Alec pulled Raphael to him with his free hand and into his chest. Raphael wrapped his arms around Alec, grasping him tightly.
"Hi, Dad." Raphael said, loud and clear.
"D'you mind taking your sister with you to her room or yours? Aunt Clary and I have to talk to Papa." Alec asked him.
"Sure, c'mon Madzie." Raphael pulled away from Alec, shooting Clary a small smile. "Dad and Papa and Aunt Clary have to have a grown up talk."
He and Alec pried Madzie's fingers away from Alec's and Raphael scooped her into his arms. He carried her back into the room she'd left when she had heard Alec and Clary arrive, and shut the door behind them.
"Hi." Alec smiled at Magnus and went to take a step forward before his vision blurred and he let a gasp slip through his lips. He reached blindly for Magnus who grabbed his arm firmly and pulled him to him. He wrapped an arm around Alec's back, holding him up.
"Alexander?" Magnus' worried voice was in his ear.
"I think - I think it's happening again." Alec panted. A blinding pain flashed through his head. "Oh, Raziel. Magnus!"
"I've never seen you here before." George said, coming up behind the man that he had been watching for the last hour.
The man turned around and locked eyes with him. George felt like he could drown the brown depths that were the other man's eyes. The man broke the eye contact and looked George up and down before meeting his gaze once more and giving him a blinding smile. George couldn't quite put his finger on the exact emotion in the man's eyes, but it made him feel warm inside.
"No." The man agreed. "No, you have not. But I imagine that you will be seeing me a lot more often. I'm Magnus Bane."
"George."
"No last name?" Magnus asked curiously.
"I don't have one. I don't have family." George told him.
"Well darling, you do now." Magnus stepped forward and placed his lips on top of George's. It lasted less than a second, but it made George's knees weak.
Magnus was sitting at the end of the couch, arm propped on the arm of the couch, holding a book. George's head was in his lap, he was asleep, stretched out on the couch with Magnus' hand in his hair, softly stroking.
"Why do you do that?" George asked groggily.
"Hmm?" Magnus closed his book and looked down at George with a soft smile, like he couldn't quite believe that George was really there with him, as if George was the most precious thing in the world to him. "Why do I do what, my darling love?"
George smiled at the endearment. "I remember every life that I've lived. In every life you've always stroked my hair like that. Why?"
"Do you not like it?" Magnus asked, gently pulling on the short strands.
"I love it. I just wondered why." George told him honestly.
"In every life you've ever lived you've always had black, curly hair. You've been tan, pale, you've had freckles or a clear complexion. You've been a woman and a man, you've been Russian, Norwegian, European, French, Danish and Peruvian. You've had brown eyes, blue eyes, hazel eyes and green eyes. You've been so many different things, had so many different features, but the one thing that has never changed is your hair."
"I love you." George told him, leaning up to capture Magnus' lips with his own. "That is one other thing that has never changed. It will never change."
"I'm begging you." Magnus told him, voice breaking. "Please, George. Please don't go. I'll lose you, I just know it. Darling please. Don't go."
"Magnus, it's my duty." George explained patiently. "I have to go. I was drafted."
"We can run. We can run, they won't find us. I'm a Warlock, you know this. I can make it so that we can live peacefully without having to worry about them finding us. We can do it."
"No, baby." George shook his head. "We can't. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I wouldn't be able to live with a clear conscience, I'd feel too guilty."
"But you'd be fine with leaving me?" Magnus demanded, tearfully. "You'd be guilt free, leaving me behind? Your soulmate. Knowing that I'd have to suffer for who knows how long, not knowing when I'd see you again. And it wouldn't even be you! It'd be someone else with your soul. I'd have to start all over again, hoping, just hoping that maybe, just maybe, this next someone would be willing to spend forever with me! What is so wrong with me that even my own soulmate isn't willing to stand by my side for all eternity? What about me is so horrible? Please, please tell me so that next time, after you leave me and die after only having you for four measly months, I actually have a shot at keeping you."
"Magnus..." George reached for him.
"Don't."
Magnus opened the door. He saw George standing on the stairs, soaked to the bone, water dripping from his clothes, from his beautiful, curly black hair that was now wet and matted to the top of his head. He had tears streaming down his face, Magnus thought, but he couldn't be sure since water was dripping down onto his face.
"I'm sorry, Magnus. Baby, I'm sorry. Let's go. We still have time. We can run. We can travel the world like we always talked about. We can just lay on the couch, the fire going in the fireplace, you reading a book, playing with my hair, me pretending to be asleep because I didn't want you to stop. We can do that, we can have that. Let's just go. I don't want to go to war. I don't want to leave you alone."
"You just have cold feet, George. If we leave, you'll resent me. You'll regret it."
"No, no. I wouldn't. I'd never regret choosing you. Magnus you know this. You know me. You know me better than anybody. You're everything. Magnus you're everything. Please. Let's go, take me away from here. Run away with me, Magnus. I'm begging you."
"We can't George. You're just confused. You're doubting. You're scared. It's normal. You'll feel better in the morning."
And with that, Magnus shut the door. He listened to George's cries as he turned around and went to bed, not expecting to sleep a wink.
"Please don't say it." Magnus said when he opened the door.
"I'm so sorry, Mister Bane." The uniformed soldier said.
"Don't say it, please."
"Private George was shot and killed in battle three days ago. He listed you as his beneficiary. Everything he owned is now yours. I'm sorry for your loss."
Magnus slammed the door in the soldier's face and leaned back against the door, sliding down to the ground, sobbing.
He sat there for a moment before he pushed himself up, still crying, his chest heaving with his sobs, which only made the unbelievable pain there worsen. He couldn't breathe, he could, but he couldn't.
Magnus made his way over to the little table in the entryway where he had placed several photographs in frames, each one either had a picture of George or a picture of the couple together.
Magnus picked the one in the middle up and held it in shaky hands, his vision blurred as he stared down at it.
"You left me." He accused the picture. George smiled up at him from it. The black and white rendering of his soulmate, looking so effortlessly perfect and happy angered him. "I begged you. I begged you to stay with me. Why did you have to leave me? We barely had any time together. Why did you do this to me? Why did you have to break my heart again?"
How had he lost yet another one? Why didn't he just run when George had asked?
Alec shot up, his head leaving the pillow, back arching off the soft mattress with a choked gasp.
"Alexander!" Magnus placed one hand over his heart, feeling Alec's chest rapidly rise and fall underneath his palm. The other hand came up to cup Alec's cheek and Magnus pressed his forehead to Alec's. "Alexander, it's alright. You're alright. You're safe."
"It's," Alec gasped. "It's always you. Always you."
"What do you mean, darling?" Magnus rubbed his thumb back and forth over Alec's cheek bone. "What's always me?"
"My last thoughts. They're always of you. You're the first thing I think of when I wake up, the last thing I think of before I go to sleep and the last thing that I think of before I die. When James, Etta and George died, their last thoughts were of you. They loved you so much, Magnus. And so do I."
"I love you, too, my darling." Magnus' voice broke. He knocked Alec's nose with his own, affectionately.
"Y'know I didn't come here to pass out on you." Alec told him, turning his head slightly pushing closer so that his lips were closer to Magnus'. "I wanted to see you before the wedding, and Clary had an idea about the ritual."
"I know, I know." Magnus closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Alec's in a quick, chaste kiss. "What was the idea? Biscuit?" He turned to look at Clary who was standing at the end of the bed.
"Alec told us - Me, Izzy and Mom - about the whole reincarnation thing. And the whole immortality thing, turning into a warlock. I was wondering, if I were to create a rune that would allow Alec to keep his runes and still have his Shadowhunter abilities, would that interfere with the ritual?"
Magnus shook his head. "I don't see why it would. I think that it's worth a shot."
Clary pulled her stele out and approached Alec. "Where do you want it, big bro?"
"You've already got it?" Alec asked. "Seriously?"
"I can see it." Clary nodded.
Alec pulled his shirt over his head and laid back down. "You pick." He told Magnus.
Magnus examined his fiancé's torso. "Here." He stoked some unmarked skin just under and to the side of Alec's right pec.
"Right here." He let his fingers linger for a moment before pulling them away to let Clary place her stele there. Alec and Magnus watched as she drew the rune onto his skin.
"There." She said, watching as it turned black and remained present. "And there's one other thing Mom wanted me to talk to the two of you about."
"What is it?" Magnus asked, softly stroking the new rune.
"I drew the two of you a rune, one that you can have applied, Magnus. It's a version of the wedded union rune. Mom wanted to know if you wanted to do rings and runes or just rings."
"You're sure that it won't hurt him?" Alec asked.
"Positive." Clary told him. "I wouldn't have even suggested it if I had the slightest hint of a doubt that it would hurt Magnus."
"Let's do it." Magnus nodded.
"We're getting married." Alec smiled. "Today."
"We're getting married today." Magnus nodded, a big smile on his face.
Magnus was standing at the altar with Catarina, Wesley and Tessa by his side. He could see many warlocks and old friends out on his side of the audience.
Jem was sitting in the front row looking up at Tessa with a smile, Maia was sitting next to him with Luke and Meliorn there as well.
Pandemonium was beautiful. Magnus had magicked windows all around the walls and a skylight so that the twilight lit up the club. The floors had turned into grass with beautiful blue and yellow flowers sprouting.
Music started flowing through the room and Madzie and Raphael were walking down the aisle, Raphael had a pillow with a pair or rings and a stele on it, Madzie was throwing flowers. Raphael led Madzie over to the side of the altar. Izzy started walking down the aisle next, Clary and Simon followed behind her, coming to stand next to the altar. Robert and Alec walked up the aisle next and Magnus had to hold back a sob.
Alec was by far the most beautiful man that he'd ever seen. Despite his efforts a few tears slipped out. And then Alec was standing in front of him with a wide smile and teary eyes, reaching for his hands.
"Magnus." Alec whispered.
"Alexander." His voice was wobbly with emotion.
"I love you."
"We are gathered here today, to join two lives as one." The silent brother told the people gathered. "To join two people whose love for each other is palpable and powerful. Mister Bane, Mister Lightwood, you may proceed with your vows."
Alec took a deep breath. "The love I have for you."
"Is a love that knows no bounds." Magnus finished.
"In times of joy as well as sadness.
"in sickness and in health
"I will love you as my equal."
"And protect you above all else."
"I will share with you my truest feelings."
"And when you speak, I will listen."
"I will catch you when you fall."
"And when you soar, I will help you reach your greatest heights."
"Magnus Bane."
"Alexander Gideon Lightwood."
"I am and will always be, your loving Husband."
"It is my honor to pronounce you one." The Silent Brother spoke, his voice reverberating in everyone's minds. "You may now apply your runes. A rune on the hand and a rune on the heart."
You could hear a pin drop in the club. Many Downworlder looked on in shock as Raphael stepped up with the stele and Alec started unbuttoning his shirt. Once he had it unbuttoned enough to show the skin just above his heart, he took the stele off the pillow that Raphael had held out to him and he helped Magnus hold it in his hand. Together, the two of them drew their very own wedded union rune into Alec's chest. Magnus' breath hitched at the sight of it and the tears built up in his eyes once more. That was his mark on his husband. Alec was his husband. That rune was put there by his own hand, making it so incredibly special. That rune would be there until the end of time.
Alec then took the stele from Magnus' hand and gripped Magnus' hand in his, flipping it over so that he could draw the rune on the inside of his wrist.
Alec rubbed his thumb over the rune and exchanged the stele for the rings that were on the pillow. Both men had already moved their engagement rings to their right hands. Alec held the rings out, in the palm of his right hand and Magnus plucked one of the rings out of his hand.
"You may now exchange rings and seal your union with a kiss."
Alec took Magnus' left hand in his and slipped the ring onto his finger. Magnus mimicked Alec's movements and slid the ring home onto Alec's finger. Almost immediately after the ring was settled onto Alec's finger, Alec had wrenched his hand out of Magnus' and pulled him into him, crushing their lips together and letting their tears mingle as they fell from their eyes.
Alec could barely hear the applause as he kissed his husband. Could barely hear the cheers or the hands patting his back and shoulder as his siblings and friend celebrated behind him.
Alec pulled back and looked Magnus in the eye.
"I present to you, Mister and Mister Magnus and Alexander Lightwood-Bane."
"I've never loved you more." Magnus whispered, knocking his Alexander's nose with his own. His husband, his Alexander. "I've never loved you more than I do right now, in this moment."
"I'll love you until the end of time." Alec whispered back.
They turned to the audience and smiled, because they were finally married. After centuries of loving each other, they were married.