EDITED 5/30/2020

Alec had fallen asleep in his favorite place in the world, in his husband's arms while he stroked his hair and sang into his ear with so much love that Alec let tears slip from his eyes and onto Magnus' bare chest.

"El ils disent que I'amour est un voyage (And they say love is a journey)

Je promets que je ne partirais jamais (I promise that I'll never leave)

Quand c'est trop lourd a porter (When it's too heavy to carry)

Rappelle-toi de ce moment avec moi (Remember this moment with me)"

Alec had been sleeping very well on his side, Magnus holding him from behind, face buried in Alec's neck. Alec stirred when he felt eyes boring into him. He opened his eyes clearly and looked up. He flinched and sat up when he saw who was standing over him. Magnus' arms fell away from him and he rolled over with a whine.

"What the Hell?" Alec groaned.

"Not exactly," Azazel shrugged. "Although I do live there."

"Why are you standing over me while I sleep?" Alec asked, rubbing his eyes.

Azazel sat on the edge of the bed next to Alec's waist and shrugged once more. "I can't watch my son sleep?"

"Uh," Alec was confused. "It's a little creepy."

Azazel frowned. "I didn't intend to unsettle you." He said sincerely, well, Alec thought he was being sincere. "I wanted to ensure your safety, if Azrael truly means you harm, he could have compelled you while you slept. I wanted to watch over you."

"Oh," Alec said. "That's . . . thoughtful."

"I make you uncomfortable." It wasn't a question.

"A little." Alec admitted.

"Why is that?" Azazel asked. "Because I'm a demon?"

Alec shrugged. "I did banish you." He said. "And you did switch my soulmate's body with a mass murder."

"I'm sorry if that hurt you." Azazel replied. "And you didn't know any better, you thought I was going to hurt your lover."

Alec yawned and Azazel frowned. "You must be tired, child." He gently pushed Alec back down onto the bed. He stood up and pulled the blanket up to Alec's shoulders. "It's just after midnight." He reached up and brushed Alec's hair out of his eyes. "Sleep," He instructed. "I will kill anyone who dares to come near you."

"Oh, uh, that's not entirely necessary." Alec said as Azazel lifted his head up and moved to put it in his lap. He started to card his fingers through Alec's hair as Alec laid stiffly, unsure of how to proceed.

"Hush, my sweet child." Azazel crooned. "Sleep, your father will protect you."

"Right." Alec replied awkwardly and against his better judgement he fell asleep, head in Azazel's lap, the demon's fingers running through his hair.

Magnus woke up knowing something wasn't quite right. He opened his eyes and found his husband lying on his back, not touching him which was extremely unusual.

Upon further examination he realized there was a third person in the bed with them. Azazel was sitting, back against the headboard, his husband's head laying in his lap. His fingers were tangled in his beautiful black hair.

"What's going on?" Magnus asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

Azazel looked over at Magnus and then looked back down at the man whose head was cradled in his lap. "I wanted to watch over him and be sure he was safe."

"I wouldn't let any harm come to my husband. "Magnus assured him.

"Father to father," Azazel smiled lightly. "Would you let anyone other than yourself assure your child's safety were they in true danger?"

Magnus conceded his point. "I suppose not." Then sighed and leaned over, placing a kiss on his husband's lips. "Speaking of which I should check on the baby." He climbed out of bed, spared Alexander a backwards glance, and left the room to go check on his youngest son.

He found his baby sitting up, babbling. Max started to clap once he noticed Magnus approaching.

"Hello, my darling blueberry." Magnus grinned, going forward and lifting his son from his crib as he raised his arms in a silent request.

The day was rather uneventful after that. Raphael and Simon went to Brooklyn for the day on clan business. Jem and Tessa stayed out of the way, Azazel went to his room and Magnus thinks that he was plotting. Eventually, Magnus requested that Wesley and Clary watch Max and Madzie before he dragged Alec to their bedroom.

He pushed his husband down on the bed and climbed on top of him, pulling his shirt off over his head.

"Magnus." Alec laughed as Magnus started pressing kisses all over his face. His cheeks, his forehead, his nose, chin, eyelids and lips. That laugh was cut off as Magnus rolled his hips against Alec's making the younger boy moan.

Magnus pulled Alec up into a sitting position and pulled his shirt off before wrapping his arms around his neck. Alec leaned forward and slanted his lips across Magnus'. They kissed messily and Magnus rocked forward making Alec fall back against the pillows. Magnus moved to mouth down Alec's neck, and they moved their hips together, gasping quietly. Alec threw his head back arching his back as Magnus started to focus on the junction of his neck and shoulder just as the door opened.

Magnus pulled his mouth off of Alec's skin with a wet pop and Alec looked over as Azazel entered the room, not looking at them but going over to the side of the room nearest Alec's side of the bed.

"I can't seem to find the book that I brought in here last night," He was saying. "I thought I'd come look here real quick."

Alec started to sit up, but Magnus took him by the shoulders and forcefully pushed him back down and held him against the mattress. Magnus rolled his hips against Alec's twice more, Alec trying to hold back his moans as Magnus started kissing down Alec's neck again, seemingly deciding that Azazel wasn't going to get in the way of what he wanted, and what he wanted was his husband.

Azazel was still talking as he looked around, trying to find his book. Alec had pressed his lips together, trying to suppress the sounds that were trying to escape his lips. Magnus started making his way down Alec's body, kissing down his chest. Alec tried to push his husband away, but Magnus tangled his fingers with Alec's and kissed right next to his belly button. He looked up at Alec with a smirk as his tongue darted out and he licked a stripe up Alec's stomach just as Azazel turned to look at them.

"Oh!" He said in surprise as Alec arched up into Magnus. "I'm interrupting something."

"Just a little." Magnus confirmed, ignoring Azazel as he unbuckled Alec's belt and opened the front of Alec's jeans.

"Well," Azazel looked from his writhing son to his smug son-in-law before turning towards the door. "Enjoy."

"Oh, I will." Magnus promised, as he dived back down to press kisses to Alec's waist band. Azazel shut the door just as he heard Alec let out a low groan.

Alec had just stood up from the toilet, flushed and was in the middle of pulling his pants up when the door opened. Alec jerked them up his hips the rest of the way as Azazel burst in.

"The little creature won't stop crying." He said, staring into Alec's eyes like he was on the verge of a breakdown.

"What are you talking about?" Alec turned around and zipped and buttoned his pants and moved to wash his hands.

"Your friends wouldn't let me assist them, but the little blue one won't stop crying." Azazel thankfully didn't cross over the doorway because Alec was very uncomfortable with him.

"Is he hurt?" Alec spun around; eyes wide.

Azazel shrugged. "Like I said, they wouldn't let me near him."

Alec sprinted out of the bathroom, just barely making it past his father without bumping into him. He heard Azazel following him but paid him no mind, he found Magnus sitting with Max in the nursery, a bottle in the little one's chubby hands as he sucked the formula down greedily.

Magnus looked confused and raised an eyebrow as Alec came to a halt just inside the doorway, panting slightly as he looked at the pair seated in the rocking chair.

"Darling," Magnus shifted Max in his lap slightly. "What's the matter?" He said it hesitantly, as if he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know.

"He's fine?" Alec nodded to Max. Magnus nodded, eyebrows furrowing further. Alec turned to Azazel who was standing in the doorway behind him, looking in on the scene, a look of shock on his face. He'd apparently really believed that something was wrong with the baby. "He's fine." Alec told him. "He was hungry. Maybe next time ask why he's crying." Alec brushed past Azazel and walked out of the room.

Azazel looked to Magnus imploringly. "I didn't mean to upset him." Azazel told him. "Your friends wouldn't let me examine the child, I thought that something was wrong. I wanted to let him know, I thought he would appreciate it."

"You have to give him time," Magnus told him. "I understand that you are trying to be a father to him, but he's twenty-three years old, he has children of his own. In all of his lives, Alexander has only ever had two decent fathers. Robert Lightwood is not one of them. He doesn't really know how to accept fatherly love, especially from someone he just met."

"I just want to be there for him." Azazel told him. "I make him uncomfortable."

"Most things make Alec uncomfortable." Magnus smirked.

Alec opened his eyes to find Azazel standing over him once more. He was enveloped in his husband's arms, Magnus' face pressed into the back of his shoulder and Madzie tucked against his front.

Azazel was looking at him, head tilted to the side, eyes inquisitive, a bowl clutched in both of his hands.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Alec grumbled into his pillow.

"You're out of milk." Azazel answered.

Alec groaned. He unwrapped Magnus' arms around him and carefully maneuvered himself out of the bed, narrowly avoiding kneeing Magnus in an unfortunate spot.

He sighed, scratching his stomach and led Azazel out of his room, peeking into Max's room and finding him still sleeping, suckling on his thumb. He smiled softly, closing the door and moving on to Clary and Wesley's room, finding Wesley awake, propped up on the pillows, arm around Clary who was sleeping on his chest.

He looked up when Alec poked his head in and smiled. Alec smiled back and closed the door. He went next door and poked his head into Raphael's room. For the first time since Alec came into Raphael's life as James, Alec found him asleep.

Unable to help himself, Alec walked into the room and up to Raphael's bed, kneeling next to it and smoothing his son's hair back from his face gently. Azazel watched as Alec leaned in and pressed a kiss to Raphael's forehead and the boy's face scrunched up. His eyes opened blearily and he half-hardheartedly glared at his father.

"Creep." He mumbled.

"I'm not a creep." Alec laughed lightly. "I'm just a dad that loves his son and I haven't caught you sleeping since my last life. I wanted to take the opportunity."

"Mmm." Raphael hummed. "Love you too, Dad. Now let me sleep."

Alec faked a deep sigh. "I guess I can do that." He pressed another kiss to Raphael's forehead and got up, leaving the room. "Come on," He murmured as he passed by Azazel.

He leads him into the kitchen where the early morning light is starting to stream in through the windows and stretch across the floor. Alec went straight for the fridge and opened it causing more light to stream into the otherwise dark kitchen.

Alec sent an annoyed look over his shoulder at his father and plucked a container full of milk out of the back of the fridge. "Milk." He said as he put it down on the counter and shut the refrigerator. "You have to move stuff around and look for it."

"Oh." Azazel blinked. "I apologize."

Alec heaved a deep sigh. "It's fine. But I am going back to bed. Enjoy your cereal."

He trudged out of the room and up the stairs. He moved into his bedroom and shut the door quietly. In his absence, Madzie had moved to cuddle up close to Magnus. Alec slipped back into bed easily and Magnus reached out instinctively, placing a hand flat against his right pec as Alec settled on his left side. Alec reached up and wrapped his fingers around his husband's wrist as Magnus opened his eyes slightly.

"Why did you get out of bed so early?" He asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Azazel couldn't find the milk." Alec murmured quietly, pulling Magnus' hand off his chest and enveloping it in his own. "He wanted me to help him, I went and checked on the other kids, too. I'm sorry I left you, unfortunately it couldn't be helped."

"I'm unfortunately used to your absence, my darling." Magnus said sadly. "We've been separated far too often in the past four centuries."

"Me being gone was never something I wanted you to grow accustomed to." Alec squeezed his hand.

Magnus smiled, but it had an underlying sadness and resignation behind it. "Alexander, you are my entire world. Without you, I don't think that I could continue living. Every time you died, each time you were gone, I thought about you every day. Almost every waking moment was filled and consumed by my thoughts and longing for you. And every night when I laid down to sleep, I lied there, awake, thinking of you. Missing you. Cursing the world for being so completely unfair and ripping you away from me, again and again and again. It was a constant ache that nothing could soothe, and I would never want it to be soothed, because if it were, it would mean that I had forgotten about the person that I love so wholly and so unconditionally."

Alec let a tear slip down his nose before he smiled at Magnus, mirroring the sad, resigned look that he saw on his partner's face. "You can't say things like that so early." He whispered. "I promise that I am going to fight like hell to stay with you forever this time."

Magnus shrugged a little. "As much as I'd like to believe that this is some epic love story where we overcome our obstacles and succeed with flair, I am not so naive as to believe that, and to believe that I won't lose you to something as trivial as a car accident or freak demon summoning or sickness. Perhaps even this war, Jonathan is still out there, and I can't pretend that we are more equipped to win than he is."

"Then I'll believe for the both of us. Because four centuries ago, I found something that I believe is worth everything." Alec brought Magnus' hand to his lips and pressed a sweet kiss to his knuckles. "Your love is worth fighting for, Magnus. And I will never give it up, not for anything."

It was that same afternoon, just after one o'clock that Alec was rummaging around the kitchen. Azazel had gone out into the woods to find the clearing that Alec and Clary had summoned Azrael in, and the kids were downstairs with Simon, Tessa and Jem playing some game that Simon swore was the best thing ever.

Magnus was in the living room, restocking the bar that Simon and Raphael had apparently taken advantage of last night so when someone walked into the kitchen, Alec naturally assumed that it was his husband and began to talk without turning around.

"We're going to have to send someone to get more groceries or have them summoned, which I still think is stealing, by the way. If we run out of the chocolate ice cream Madzie will throw a fit because she has to have that with the strawberry ice cream and we only have a few spoonful's left. And Wesley won't be able to function without green tea, we only have enough to last us until tomorrow. Jem, Tessa and Simon aren't picky, they'll just eat whatever we get, but as much as Raphael pretends, he doesn't care we really should stock up on some cheese or he'll be grumpy. Clary probably needs more lemonade and chocolate milk and those weird little snack bars she likes, and Max will need more formula and baby food before the week is over. I don't know what it is that Azazel has been eating, I've only ever seen him eat the cereal. We have about four different kinds of that, I'm not sure which one he ate. We'll need more milk, though. We have a little less than one bottle left."

"That was riveting." Azazel replied. "Although I didn't understand most of it."

Alec spun around and found his father standing, palms laid flat on the island countertop, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Sorry." Alec said, moving to stand across from Azazel at the Island. "I thought you were Magnus."

Azazel nodded. "I could tell. He went downstairs when the others came looking for him. I was hoping you and I could talk about a few things."

"Sure." Alec nodded, leaning back against the counter behind him, crossing his ankles and then his arms across his chest. "Is something wrong?"

Azazel half-shrugged. "Your husband explained to me that you have had a difficult time in the past when it comes to fathers. That you might not understand, or perhaps know how to deal with the affection that I am trying to give to you. I understand that I make you uncomfortable, and I am sorry for that. It is not my intention to cause you discomfort in your own home. I can always find somewhere else to stay if that is what you need."

Alec stood up straight and shoved his hands in his pockets. "No, you don't have to go anywhere."

"Then tell me what it is that you need from me." Azazel seemed to plead.

Alec opened his mouth, prepared to say that he didn't need anything other than what they summoned Azazel for in the first place, but he stopped himself. Magnus had voiced no concerns about Azazel's intentions with Alec. He had not asked Alec to proceed with caution or to keep Azazel at arm's length, in fact, he has been encouraging Alec to keep an open mind and has encouraged Azazel in his pursuit of Alec's trust and acceptance.

"I . . . I'm not sure." Alec replied honestly. "I guess I just don't really understand what it is that you want from me."

Azazel looked at Alec for a long moment, as if he were looking for something. He looked down at his hands for another long moment before removing them from the counter and cautiously moving around the Island, clearly waiting to give Alec time to move away if he wished to.

Azazel approached him with the wariness and care that one would approach an injured animal. When Alec didn't move away, Azazel stepped right up to him and reached out with one hand. He placed his palm against Alec's cheek, not having to reach up or down because the two men were the same height. He stroked Alec's cheek lightly and Alec looked at him, confused.

"What I want from you?" Azazel asked. "What I want is for you to be happy, and safe and well loved. You are my child, Alexander. You were my child in your past life, and you became my child again the second you went through with the ritual to regain your warlock abilities. You may not believe me, dear son, but I do love you. Very dearly."

Alec took in a large breath and closed his eyes. "I don't remember the last time I heard that from one of my fathers." Alec admitted shakily. He reluctantly leaned further into Azazel's touch on his cheek and Azazel decided to just pull him into his arms instead.

It took Alec a moment, but he eventually relaxed into his father's embrace.

"Then I will take great care to remind you just how precious I believe my child to be." Azazel promised him. "You are my only living child, Alexander. You have been my only child for over a century. There is a reason that I am so fiercely protective over you and your family. I will destroy Azrael and all those that took part in harming you. No one gets away with harming my son."

Azazel was stroking Alec's hair and the back of his neck lightly and Alec was leaning further and further into Azazel's arms as he relaxed more.

"How about we go out to dinner tonight?" Azazel asked. "Just the two of us? We can get to know one another better."

"Sure," Alec pulled back, straightening his clothing and avoiding eye contact. "That sounds good . . ." He hesitated, staring down at the marble countertops.

"You can call me, Dad, Alexander." Azazel told him.

Alec blanched. "We'll get there, I'm sure." He stuttered.

Azazel nodded. He seemed to consider something before smoothing Alec's hair back from his face, cupping his cheek and then pressing a kiss to Alec's forehead. It took Alec a moment to realize that Azazel was emulating him, doing what he had witnessed Alec do with his eldest son that morning.

Alec was touched that his father seemed to think he was a good enough father to try and imitate what he has done. Azazel pulled away with one last stroke of his thumb along Alec's cheekbone.

He gave Alec a smile and wandered off. Alec stayed in the kitchen and forty-five minutes later, Magnus entered.

"Hello, Sayang." Magnus greeted. "How is my darling husband?" He pressed a quick kiss to Alec's lips and heaved himself up onto the counter next to him. Alec quickly slotted himself in between Magnus' legs and wrapped his arms around his waist, leaning his head against his husband's shoulder.

"Azazel wants me to go to dinner with him tonight." Alec murmured.

"Oh?" Magnus asked. "That's good."

Alec shrugged. "He told me that he loves me."

Magnus stayed silent.

"Apparently I'm his only kid in over a century, and he thinks I'm precious." Alec sounded a little bewildered.

"You are precious." Magnus confirmed.

Alec snorted. "You have to say that because you're my soulmate and my husband."

"And because it is the truth." Magnus teased. "You are more precious than any jewel, artifact or antique that has ever existed."

"Stop," Alec whined.

Magnus laughed delightedly and leaned in to kiss Alec once more. "So, dinner?"

Alec nodded. "Yeah, dinner. Maybe a walk after and a long talk. We can really get to know one another before we take our relationship to the next level."

Magnus appeared to be amused. "That sounds an awful lot like a date, darling. Should I be worried you're leaving me for your father? If so, I have a few concerns. The first being that that sort of relationship is universally frowned upon."

"Ugh." Alec groaned. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Alec snuggled further into Magnus who wrapped himself around his darling husband. "I'm sure you will be fine, Sayang." Magnus said, a slight chuckle in his voice. "It's just dinner after all, the worst that could happen is that your food is less than extraordinary."

"No," Alec pulled back, fixing Magnus with a serious look. "The worst that could happen is Jonathan interrupts or I'm arrested again, or I could be hit by a bus or compelled to step in front of a bus."

"Alexander, so long as you continue to let yourself be ruled by your fears, let yourself worry about the what ifs, you will never be able to just feel the moment, live in it."

"I'm living in this moment." Alec whispered huskily, moving to press a kiss to Magnus' cheek. "And I'm definitely feeling it." He pressed closer to Magnus, dragging the man forward so that he was flush against him. "All I ever feel is you." He pressed a few kisses to Magnus' neck before pulling back again to press his forehead against his shoulder once more. "You're all I ever want to feel."

Alec was beginning to wonder if he was clairvoyant because although dinner with his father had gone splendidly, after Azazel had left to go plan, as he put it, Alec had decided to walk back to the house when he was stopped.

"Inquisitor Dearborn." Alec greeted. "Forgive me if I don't stop to chat, I was exiled and forbidden from seeing Nephilim."

"Is that why an eyewitness put you at the Battle of Alicante, then?" The Inquisitor sneered.

Alec didn't react. "I'm not sure what you mean, Sir." He replied. "My husband and a few of my friends left to fight, but I did not. I stayed home with two of my children."

Dearborn laughed humorlessly. "Oh," He sighed. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you. Alexander Gideon Lightwood-Bane, you are under arrest by order of the Clave. Give me your hands."

Alec sighed and held his wrists out for the Inquisitor to snap them on. Magnus was not going to be pleased.

Dearborn led him into the alley he'd appeared out of and into the portal that was already waiting for them. They came out of the portal into the Guard. This time, Alec was not put into a cell, Dearborn led him straight through the big room and all the way outside into the execution court.

Alec felt his breath come quicker as he realized what Dearborn had planned. "No!" Alec gasped. "Please, I didn't come to Alicante. I didn't break the rules of my exile!"

Dearborn forced him over to the beheading stump where another Shadowhunter was waiting with a giant axe. "You know, I had planned to send your head to your father in Los Angeles, but now I think I might send it to your husband. Let him know what happened to you, wouldn't want to leave him wondering, would I?"

"Where's Jia?" Alec demanded. "Where's the Consul? I want to speak to the Consul!"

Dearborn kicked the backs of Alec's knees forcing him to fall to the ground and then aimed another kick to his back, making him slump against the stump in front of him. He felt the air rush as the executioner made a practice swing and watched as Dearborn's lips curled into a feral smirk. He kept his eyes open, glaring at the Inquisitor as he felt the air part as the axe came down.

"Stop!" The axe just barely stopped before it made contact with Alec's neck. He made the mistake of trying to raise his head to see who had come to his rescue and felt the axe slice into the skin of his neck. He immediately laid his head back down as the blood trickled under the collar of his button down. "What is the meaning of this, Horace?"

"Consul Penhallow!" Dearborn looked worried. "I was told that an eyewitness spotted Mr. Lightwood-Bane in Alicante on the day of the attack. I thought I would handle the mess for you."

"Well," Jia said. "You thought wrong. Release Mr. Lightwood-Bane, he and I will have a word in my office."

Alec was let up and his hands were freed. He shakily stood up, still in shock from what had happened and what had nearly happened. He followed Jia without a word back through the guard and through the halls of the building, all the way up the Consul's office. Jia gestured for him to enter ahead of her and then closed the door behind them both.

"Are you alright?" She asked like a worried mother. She immediately rushed over to him and looked him over, grimacing at the cut on his neck. "I assure you that Dearborn will be removed as Inquisitor as soon as you and I are done here."

"And how much is that going to fix, Jia?" Alec asked, exasperated. "This is all about prejudice and you and I both know it."

"That wasn't my only plan." Jia told him, she almost seemed sad, perhaps resigned. "The entire world is a lot for only one Consul to handle. My plan is to split the countries up, have a whole council of Consul's that work together. I want you to be the Consul of the United States. You will be the boss, you won't have to answer to anyone unless it is a worldwide issue, you make the rules other than the usual no harming mundanes and fight demons. What do you say?"

"Without my runes?" Alec said. "You want me to be Consul of the United States without my runes?"

Jia grimaced. "I cannot give them back to you, but technically, you are Consul now. Your exile is no longer valid, and you may reapply your runes whenever you wish."

"And I'm in charge of all the Institutes, so I'll need to find a Head for New York, right?" Alec asked. "And I'll need to appoint an Inquisitor for the U.S. as well?"

"If you take the job." Jia nodded.

"I accept the job." Alec said. "I want Lydia Branwell as my Inquisitor and Aline assigned to the New York Institute as Head of the Downworld Cabinet that will be implemented in every American Institute."

"Very well." Jia agreed. "Congratulations Consul Lightwood-Bane. I will inform Lydia and Aline tomorrow afternoon I'd like for you, Inquisitor Branwell and I to make an announcement at the New York Institute. You'll need to make a speech, tell them what your plans are."

Alec nodded. "Do I have to get my runes back right away?" He asked.

Jia shook her head. "Well . . . no, but why wouldn't you?"

"After what I went through . . . I can't. Not yet. I got really sick after the derunement, and even just the derunement itself. I'm not ready."

Jia nodded, she looked guilty and Alec couldn't help but feel a little glad for it. They talked about several other things, including the search for Jonathan Morgenstern and some of Alec's plans for the United States and the Institutes there.

"I'll meet you at the New York Institute at one tomorrow." Alec finally told her. "It's nearly three in the morning, Magnus is probably scared to death. I was supposed to be home almost five hours ago."

Jia's eyes widened and she nodded quickly. "Oh, yes. Go, go. I'll see you at one."

Alec formed a portal and stepped through into his bedroom, finding Magnus sitting at the edge of their bed clutching one of Alec's shirts in fists, tears rolling down his face. Alec moved quickly, kneeling next to Magnus and taking his hands.

"Magnus?" He whispered gently. "Hey, baby, it's alright I'm here." He looked down at the hands clutching his shirt he realized that Magnus' magic was running over it. Magnus had been trying to track him but had been failing as Alec had been hidden by the Alicante wards.

Magnus looked up at him and let a few more tears slip from his eyes. "Alexander." He smiled. "You're home. Where did you go? I was so worried."

"I was arrested by the Inquisitor again." Alec said. "Apparently I was spotted in Alicante during the battle. He took me to the Guard and straight through to the execution court. Jia interrupted just before they beheaded me."

"Beheaded?" Magnus gasped, the shirt slipping from his fingers.

"Jia and I went back to her office to talk." Alec moved on quickly, not wanting to speak any more about the sensitive subject, and especially not wanting to tell Magnus what exactly Dearborn had said about the execution. "She has a plan to better the Clave, she wanted me to be in on it. I am now the Consul of the United States. She is making it so that there is a Consul for each country, and I am the Consul for this country."

Magnus smiled. "I'm so proud of you, husband." He told Alec. "No one deserves it more. Now come here. I need you to cuddle with me for at least five hours, to make up for the time you were gone."

"Of course." Alec told him earnestly. "You are my top priority." He stood up and went over to their closet, pulling out a pair of sleep pants. He undressed as Magnus picked up the shirt, he had used to attempt to track Alec and placed it in the hamper as it was all wrinkled and tear stained now. When Alec came over to him to put his clothing in the hamper as well, Magnus turned to him a still-strained smile on his lips that vanished as soon as he caught sight of Alec's neck.

"I thought you said that Jia stopped the execution before they could hurt you?" Magnus demanded, tilting Alec's chin to the side as he looked at the bleeding cut that stretched across the side of Alec's neck.

"They may have nicked me." Alec told Magnus hesitantly as his husband placed a hand on the cut and healed it.

"Sometimes I think that you are cursed with all the trouble you get into." Magnus grumbled, pulling Alec to the bed. He pushed him down onto his back and climbed on top of him, straddling his thighs and then laying down, his head falling to Alec's shoulder. Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus and held him close. "The amount of times that I have lost you, or almost lost you, or that you've gotten hurt is innumerable."

"It hasn't been that often." Alec denied.

"Alright," Magnus said. "Let's see. You have died eight times. You proposed to someone else, so I almost lost you then, there was the forsaken attack on the Institute where you got hurt, you went into a coma, were possessed by a demon, you almost walked away when we talked about how different we are. You almost killed yourself jumping off the roof, Valentine kidnapped you and almost slit your throat, you were tortured by Imogen, the Shadowhunter Killer, you shut me out after Max died, you were impaled by that glass after a mission, almost hit by a fireball at the rift, you collapsed screaming when Jace died and I was sure you were dying, I thought you were going to leave me after I refused to make you immortal and then again when you left me to sleep at the Institute, every time you passed out when you were getting your memories back, Simon nearly drained you, Izzy almost killed you, you were arrested and thought to have been executed, then you got so sick you didn't even recognize me and you were arrested again tonight."

Alec sits in silence for a long moment. "I guess I see your point."

"You guess?" Magnus laughed a little. "You are a danger magnet."

"Does everyone else know that I was missing?" Alec asked.

Magnus shakes his head. "Just me, Azazel, Raphael and I am assuming Simon."

"I'm going to go check on Raphael and Azazel." He sighed but he didn't move. Magnus didn't move either, just resting against Alec's chest, relishing in the sound of his beautiful heartbeat. Magnus relaxed little by little with every beat of Alec's heart against the side of his face.

He finally sighed, assured that his husband was very much alive and in their home. He rolled off of Alec and onto their bed, patting his abs and grumbling. "Go, just come back soon please. I haven't gotten all my cuddles. And maybe later we could have some hot, sweaty, passionate cuddles, if you know what I mean." He smirked up at Alec as he rose from the bed.

"I'll be back, for your normal cuddles and the hot and sweaty cuddles." Alec promised, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Magnus' throat.

He left the room going first to Raphael's room. He was surprised to find that Raphael was not alone in the room, rather that Simon Lewis was asleep in bed next to Raphael, fully dressed to the father's relief. Raphael was sitting up in bed, one hand under Simon's head, perhaps he had been stroking the younger boy's hair as he drifted off and just didn't have the heart to jostle him by moving it. Raphael looked up as Alec entered the room and his eyes lit up, subtly.

"Dad." He said quietly. "You're back."

Alec moved further into the room, coming to stand next to the bed and looking down at his son, eyes cutting between the two boys in the bed a few times, a little uncomfortable as he had yet to experience this with Raphael. At this point it was just to be expected that wherever Clary was, Wesley would be there too. They shared a room and had ever since they rescued Clary from Jonathan in Paris, but in the entire time he knew Raphael, he had never seen him in a relationship.

"Yeah, I got arrested again and have some news, but I'll share after breakfast when everyone is there, okay?" Raphael nodded. "I just wanted to let you know that I was back and I'm alright. I have to go check on my Dad, I'll see you later."

Alec pressed a kiss to Raphael's forehead and went down the hall to Azazel's room. He knocked lightly on the door and it flung open. Azazel was in the doorway, wild eyed and clearly frustrated. He saw Alec and it was like the frustration and mania drained from his body. He flung his arms around his son and pulled him into his chest. Alec heard him inhale deeply and wondered if his father had just smelled him. He'd have to ask Magnus if that was a thing.

Azazel pulled back and cupped Alec's face. "My darling boy." He said, more to himself than to Alec. "My precious son, my baby." He looked sad, worried.

"I'm not a baby." It was all Alec could think of to say. "I have a baby."

"You'll always be my baby." Azazel patted his cheek, pulling Alec's face towards his and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "What happened to you? Where did you run off to? We were worried."

"I was arrested and then had a meeting with the Consul. I got some good news; I'll be talking to everyone about it tomorrow. I just wanted to let you and Raphael know that I was alright. I have to get back to Magnus and get some sleep. I have an appointment to keep this afternoon."

Azazel frowned. "I'll come with you to your room."

Alec shook his head. "I'll be fine, Magnus is with me."

"I'd much rather watch you sleep." Azazel insisted.

Alec sighed. He really hoped Azazel would grow out of this.