Yes, lo and behold, the episode that everyone knows and loves is here. I'm not even ashamed that I'm too lazy to come up with an original name.

It's the longest chapter in the story so far, so sorry about that.

"You're trying again?" Shu asked.

"Are you going to tell me that I shouldn't push him?"

"No. You do what you want. If he changes his mind, he changes it, but the only way that might happen is if you try and point out the flaws in his plan. Alec deserves to choose his happiness. He's been living a slave to obligation all his life. Whether or not this is for you, he deserves to see the truth, learn that he has the potential for happiness. The only thing that's stopping him is himself. You're the only one that can show him that."

"Hello? Magnus? You said you needed to talk to me."

"Nice to see you, Alec. I wasn't sure if you'd come."

Alec held his hand out and was about to say something, but Magnus snapped a glass of wine into his hand.

"You know how I hate to drink alone, and Shu wouldn't pick up a glass if her life depended on it."

He moved to clink their glasses together, but Alec pulled his away, moving to set it on the table. "I didn't come here to drink. Do you have any information-?"

"On the Warlock who cast a spell on Joselyn? We're working on it. But…we never really finished our conversation after Izzy's trial. About your wedding?"

"There's no conversation to be had. I'm getting married. You and I, we understand marriage very differently. I'm a Shadowhunter. This is about family, tradition, honor-"

"Honor? Where's the honor in living a lie?"

"What are you talking about?"

"What about…love? Even Shadowhunters fall in love, Alec. Just tell me you're in love with Lydia, and I'll stop."

Alec opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He stuttered to find words, looking to the side. "I don't know. Why do you keep pushing? Y-You know th-this is…" He took a couple frustrated breaths. "You're confusing me!"

He scoffed and tried to walk off, but the moment Magnus continued, he stopped and turned back.

"Confusion is part of it. That's how you find out something's there. Emotions are never black and white. They're more like…symptoms."

Magnus began circling him slowly. "You lose your breath every time they enter a room."

Alec inhaled sharply.

Magnus snapped. "Your heart beats faster when they walk by. Your skin tingles when they stand close enough to feel their breath."

Magnus let out a small wave of magic from his mouth against Alec's neck. Alec turned to keep Magnus behind him, but then sighed and turned back to him to see Magnus's serious face.

"I know you feel what I feel, Alec."

Alec scoffed weakly. "You don't have any clue what I feel," He tried. "So back off."

He turned and stomped away, but then continued. "This is all just a game to you, isn't it? You flirt, you laugh, you use magic, but at the end of the day, what do you risk? Even if I did feel something for you…you want me to give up my life for you? I have to do what's right for me. I could lose my family, my career, everything. You just don't get it."

Magnus could only swallow and try to keep a straight face.

"You have a choice to make."

Alec turned to leave but hesitated.

"I will not ask again," Magnus mustered, his voice shaking.

And when Alec turned around once more, Magnus was gone.

"Don't give up on him, Magnus," Shu said. "He's just using anger to cover up the fact that you had a point. He told you those things to assure himself more than you."

"But maybe he was right."

"Maggie-"

"I'm asking him to give up everything for me. In the end, it's his life that's on the line, not mine. Just my feelings. I can get over something like this. I've done it before."

"And how many more times are you willing to do it? How many times can you possibly stand having this happen?"

"Love is just a fleeting dream for us immortals. Loving those with shorter lifespans means it's always going to come to an end. Loving someone else that's immortal means that you're eventually going to get tired of them, there's more time to make mistakes. There's no room for love even in an infinite lifespan. You said so yourself: you don't do this. This dating, this falling in love, this constant struggle for finding the one and knowing that no matter who it is, it won't last forever. When you know you're going to live for eternity, love is nothing more than an inconvenience built to make immortality hell."

"Hey. Don't start going Camille on me. You have tried constantly since we've met to convince me that I should allow myself to love someone. You've fallen in love so many times that you probably lost count centuries ago, but how many of those times were like with Alec? How many even came close? I've kept track. I could count the number on my fingers."

"Everything just sprung out of nowhere. It's just me jumping to the next person I think is cute. It's not like I'm missing out on something. I'll get over it."

"Really? Don't lie to me, Mags. I've seen people fall in love within a couple days under the right - or wrong, I suppose - circumstances. I've been with you the whole way, and I've seen how sometimes those little sparks of love that you think will turn into nothing but a fling, start the fires of real love that are carved into your heart forever.

"You wanna know the truth, Mags? I tried falling in love, back in the day. Back when I was young and thought I was pulling myself together, that I was strong enough. I came across the same dilemmas you're having: I fell apart, put my shattered pieces back together only to fall apart again, and eventually, I reached a point where I stopped. I thought it wasn't worth it. Being immortal doesn't mean living forever, that's not what it feels like. Being immortal means seeing the world and the people you love dying around you. That's the cost.

"But the other thing I learned? I learned that you can still love. You can make it past heartbreak, you can get used to it. But only if it's true. You have all the time in the world to learn what true love is, and then, now that I've learned, I'm still looking. There just hasn't been anyone up to my standards. I haven't given up on a boyfriend, Mags, or just a lover in general. I'm just looking for the one who understands what I've come to understand, who's learned what I've learned, who's willing to take the risk of pain with me.

"And I see a little of me in Alec, too. Just he hasn't lived through the years I have. He's never really been warm and fuzzy, and is not really quick to romance, but that's just because he's afraid of what happens when it is real, how it will change him. He knows he has to learn lessons about what true love is, and he knows it's going to hurt. Rather than go down that path, he keeps staring straight ahead, tries to block everything else out. He keeps it all bottled up inside, because love hurts, and he doesn't want anyone to know it hurts him. Everyone can see that he liked Jace - except maybe Jace, but maybe he suspects - but things weren't simple for him because of the circumstances. Because of that, he thinks that he has all the experience with love he needs.

She put her hand on his and looked him in the eye. "Prove him wrong, Magnus."

Magnus hesitated. "In the end, it's his choice."

"Yeah. But at least let him make it freely. He's influenced by his family's honor, all the stuff you and he are both worried about. Just take away everything, all the influence, all the pressure, and ask: How do you feel? Do not give up on him, Magnus. At the very least, do this for his sake. He's trapped. You're the only one that has a chance of making him fight to break free. Love is hard. Hard to find, hard to keep. Relationships take effort, and things won't always be perfect. But you have to be willing to fight for it. Because when you are, it is more than worth it. If you love him at all, you're going to try and snap him out of this."

Magnus sighed. "I'll try."

"You love him Maggie. I know you will. Now, back to that case for the Warlock who KO'd Joselyn. Come on, Mags. Back to the peppy brother I know and hate."

Magnus smiled and took a deep breath, recomposing himself before jumping to his feet. "Right. What's next?"

"Morning," Clary said as she a Jace walked up to the meeting table where Magnus and Shu were already sitting.

"Morning. You just come from training?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm, uh…working on my right hook."

"Good. That's a…good punch."

"Yeah. I'm, uh, I'm working on it."

"While this conversation is no doubt scintillating, remind me why we couldn't do this at my place?" Magnus requested. "At least there we have cocktails. Plus, Shu doesn't like going out, especially coming here."

"It's 9:00 in the morning," Clary protested.

"Oh, it's happy hour somewhere, my dear," Shu sighed. "I swear, Maggie could drink more than Tyrion Lannister. Or, more accurately, Cersei Lannister."

"You spend way too much time on YouTube," Magnus muttered.

"Maybe you don't spend enough."

"We invited you two here because Hodge can't leave the Institute," Jace explained. "He's an important part of this mission."

"Well then where is our tardy little tutor?" Magnus asked. "There are certain individuals that we'd like to avoid, so let's make this quick."

"Pardon the delay, Magnus, Asushunamir," Hodge said, walking up. "I was following up on a lead. Now, we've narrowed down our list of Warlocks to these four."

He clicked his tablet and four pictures appeared on the screen, one of them being Shu.

"How did you get my picture?" Shu asked.

"Why is Ragnor Fell up here?" Magnus asked. "He's not more powerful than I am."

"Well, some would disagree," Hodge said. "He is older than you."

"Certainly not wiser."

"Because the glitter and makeup covered younger Warlock is obviously wiser than the older professor," Shu said.

"Thank you."

Shu rolled her eyes. "Well, he's not older than me. I can say that for sure."

"Who is Ragnor Fell?" Clary asked.

"The former High Warlock of London," Jace explained.

"And one of our oldest friends," Magnus added.

"We went to Peru a couple times," Shu agreed.

"Very prickly. Likes to keep to himself."

"Okay, look, we just need to figure out which one of these Warlocks had enough access to Joselyn that they could create the potion for her without anyone discovering what they'd done."

"Well I had access or her for years, but I never made her a potion," Shu said. "Joselyn never asked for one. I was just there to take Clary's memories away every couple years and maybe pop in for a visit every now and then."

"You could've done it and taken your own memories away to keep them safe as well," Jace suggested.

"That would mean that my memories would have to be with Charon. I'd trust them with no one else. He may be a demon, but he takes memories seriously."

"Valak, who we have no reason to trust," Magnus corrected. "And possibly that answer is too simple, or too complicated. By the early 90's, Ragnor was a professor at the Shadowhunter Academy in Idris."

"Isn't that when my mother lived there?" Clary asked. "Could he have made the potion for her?"

Magus paused, realization taking over his face. "The little bugger!"

"That's why he hasn't responded to our fire message," Shu confirmed.

"Ever since Valentine began hunting Warlocks, Ragnor's been hold up in his secret country house just outside of London," Magnus explained. "For all we know, Ragnor suspected our fire message was a ploy by Valentine to lure him out of hiding. We'll have to confront him face-to-face."

"You're going on this mission?" Hodge asked.

"Of course! We're the only ones Ragnor trusts. Besides, I've played my last hand here. Even I know when to fold. Shu?"

"I follow Mags. Believe it or not, sometimes he does have some good judgement calls."

"Why thank you."

They stood and turned to leave…only to find Alec and Lydia walking up.

"Magnus, Shu, I didn't know you were here," Lydia said.

"That was the point," Shu sighed.

"We're just on our way to greet a few representatives of the Clave who arrived early for tomorrow's wedding. How long are you staying?"

"What's going on here?" Alec asked. "Nobody told me about a meeting."

"Magnus and Shu figured out that Ragnor Fell is the Warlock who can wake my mom," Clary explained. "We're just bringing him back to the Institute."

"How can I help?"

"We're just recovering a Warlock, Alec," Jace said. "We've got this covered."

"Besides, you have emissaries from the Clave to meet," Magnus added. "You don't want to tarnish your family's perfectly-crafted image, now do you?"

There was a moment of tension that everyone could feel.

"It's been nice seeing you two," Shu said without smiling. "We should probably go. And you've got your own things to settle. See you when we see you."

She walked past Alec, Magnus followed, Lydia walked off, Alec followed, and Jace and Clary sighed before walking off and dealing with their own problems.

"Ah, fresh air!"

"Says the one who'd never leave indoors if it weren't for me," Magnus said.

"That's only because you drag me off to even worse places, making the loft seem like heaven in comparison. Even living with you is quieter than a rave."

"Ragnor's house is just across these fields."

"Let's make this quick," Jace said. "We'll talk to Ragnor and portal him back to the Institute before anyone knows we're gone."

"Don't you just love how we've made 'portal' a verb?" Shu asked.

"Only for the Shadow World, but sure," Magnus said.

There were a few moments of awkward silence as they walked.

"So…brother and sister, huh?" Magnus asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Jace said.

"What? So we're just gonna be work buddies now?" Clary asked. "All about the mission and totally ignore the huge bomb that was just dropped on us?"

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan." He sighed in exasperation. "What do you want me to say, Clary? That I was attracted to my sister?"

"Point of fact!" Magnus blurted. "Brothers and sisters are often attracted to each other. I once knew this one couple in ancient Egypt-"

"Magnus, not helping," Clary interrupted.

"Maybe this will all make sense when we wake up Joselyn," Shu suggested. "Maybe Valentine was lying to try and mess with your minds."

"Or, seeing as Joselyn is Jace's mother as well-"

"Don't say that again," Jace interrupted. "Maryse is my mother. At best, Joselyn is the woman who abandoned me."

"Hey, that's not true," Clary protested. "My mother would never abandon her son. She thought you were dead."

"Or maybe she just didn't want me."

"You don't know her, Jace."

"That's right, Clary, I don't. Do you?"

"I'm sorry I asked!" Magnus shouted. "I came with you to escape my relationship drama, not get a front row seat to yours."

"Not that this wasn't predictable, Maggie, considering you were the one that started this conversation in the first place, and then made it even worse by continuing to talk," Shu said.

"Just trying to make conversation."

"By bringing up the worst conversation topic in existence between these two and asking for relationship drama."

"Excuse me if there really isn't any good topic conversations for these people."

Jace turned around, looking at the open field and listening. "What was that?"

"Nice try, Jace," Clary said. "You're not getting out of this conversation that easily."

"Look out!"

Green fire began burning along the grass, circling them.

"Ragnor put up wards to protect his lair," Shu explained.

"Why is the fire green?" Clary asked.

"It's a wall of fire that only the pure of heart and intention can pass through," Magnus explained. "Are you ready?"

The four of them lined up and walked through the flames, allowing them to be engulfed.

When the flames faded, only Clary and Shu remained. The fire disappeared behind them, and Clary looked around frantically.

"Jace? Magnus? Where are you?"

"Calm down, Clary," Shu said, walking forward. "They're fine."

She walked Clary over to a house hidden in the trees and they headed inside.

"Ragnor?" Clary called. "Ragnor?"

Inside, it was empty, Clary's voice ringing out.

"Hello? Is anybody home? I need your help."

The place was filled with books scattered about. "Never clean up, do you, Rag?"

"Ragnor, I know you're here." Clary walked past a painting and into the next room. "I just need to find my friends."

Shu stared at the painting, and with a small *click* it's eyes shifted to her. Shu raised an eyebrow, and Clary gasped before looking back the way she'd come. Shu turned to the stairwell to make sure she wasn't helping Clary, and Clary came back her way.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hm?" Shu asked innocently.

Clary looked to the painting of Ragnor, and saw his eyes were facing to the left. His eyes moved just slightly to stay on Clary in only a millisecond, and she smiled. "Nice try, Ragnor."

Then she reached into the painting and pulled him out onto the floor. He grunted and stood, patting himself down. "Well done, Clary Fairchild. I've been expecting you. You have Joselyn's talent, I see. Only a true artist could notice the subtle changes in my eyes."

Shu looked past him for a moment and then nodded before looking to Ragnor. "I agree."

"Yes, I know," Ragnor complained. "I need to work on not moving my eyes. You don't need to remind me."

"You knew my mom?" Clary asked, and he nodded. "So you made the potion that put her to sleep?"

"At her request, yes, though I didn't do it alone. Of course, I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to me looking for an antidote."

"What do you mean you didn't do it alone?"

"Shu and I both made the potion, splitting up the work so that not only one person had the key to waking Joselyn. She wanted her potion to be absolutely foolproof."

"Shu?"

"I don't remember making the potion for Joselyn," She said honestly.

"Ah, that's where we find our dilemma," Ragnor said. "Please, sit."

"My friends," Clary said. "Jace Wayland and Magnus Bane. They were with me, but I lost them in the fire."

"Let me do this my way!" Ragnor shouted, though not at Clary. "Your friends, are they true?"

"Magnus said he's known you for centuries."

"He and I sent you a fire message," Shu agreed.

"This is not an act. It is not an act! It is essential!"

"Okay, what's your deal?" Clary demanded. "My friends are missing and if you can't help me, I will find someone who can."

"What is it worth to you?"

"You find my friends and wake my mother…I'll give you anything."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

Ragnor snapped and Magnus and Jace appeared sitting in the chairs in the room.

Magnus sighed. "Honestly, Ragnor. Was that nonsense necessary?"

"Of course. She offered me anything. You were only up to a timeshare of your flat in Paris. Yawn. Even Shu said 'Everything, within reason.'"

Magnus gave a half-annoyed, half-amused look while Shu flat out smirked.

"All right, enough with the Warlock games," Clary said. "Can you really wake my mother?"

"Not without the Book of the White."

"What is the Book of the White?" Jace asked, also a bit ticked at Ragnor's game.

"It's an ancient book of Warlock magic containing spells more powerful than-" Magnus put a hand on Ragnor's shoulder. "-most Warlocks could ever imagine."

He patted Ragnor on the back and walked past.

"I possessed the book when your mother came to me, and I used its contents to create the potion. Regrettably, I…no longer have the book. I asked Joselyn and Shu to hide it that Valentine might never find it."

"I don't remember any of this," Shu protested.

"Shu, Ragnor, please, I have to get my mom back," Clary begged. "Is there any way to get the Book of the White?"

"Possibly," Ragnor said. "I may have something that can help us. Won't be but a moment."

He quickly hurried out of the room.

Clary sighed. "What do we do if he can't find the book?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Jace said.

"It's a bit drab, isn't it?" Magnus asked, looking around the room.

"Not very tidy at the least," Shu agreed.

Ragnor suddenly screamed and they all looked up to see him on the balcony up a floor, fighting off a Shax demon. His hands were glowing with magic, and he was pushing it back, but not before he was stabbed in the neck by its pincer claws.

"Rag!"

Shu threw a small dagger and hit the Shax demon, forcing it off of Ragnor and disintegrating it, but not before Ragnor backed off of the balcony and fell down to the floor.

"Ragnor!" Magnus called.

They all hurried over to him, and Shu lifted his head as she and Magnus began trying to heal the wound.

"Creature took me…by surprise…" Ragnor mustered.

"How could a Shax demon get past Ragnor's wards?" Clary asked.

"It must have followed us," Jace said. "Jumped through when the firewall reset."

"Be still my little dear cabbage," Magnus muttered. "Your wounds are deep."

"Hold on, Rag," Shu begged. "Please…"

He reached his hand up to Magnus's face, gasping, before he began to fall limp.

"Rag. Ragnor, no!"

"No, no, no, no…" Magnus muttered.

But he fell still, his eyes still open, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Just like that.

He was gone.

"For centuries, this man knew us better than anyone."

"All those years," Shu muttered. "All those years we knew him, all those adventures we shared. All those things we survived. Wiped out by a Shax demon of all things!"

"Magnus, Shu, I'm so sorry…" Clary muttered.

"We have to leave, now," Jace declared.

"We can't. Not until we find whatever it is Ragnor said could help us locate the Book of the White."

"It's too dangerous. If one Shax demon found us, you can bet there are more on the way."

"We have to try!"

"We don't have time to scour through mountains of Ragnor's stuff."

Shu took shaky breaths, holding back the tears in her eyes and blinking them away, before she snapped and a portal appeared through the doors of the room they'd come from.

"Get back to the Institute," Magnus ordered. "We'll transport everything back to our place and find what you need."

"Now leave us to take care of our friend," Shu said firmly.

"Magnus, Shu, I'm-" Clary began.

"Go!" They shouted together.

Jace and Clary walked through the portal and it disappeared behind them.

Shu bit her lip and closed her eyes, and Magnus's face tightened in anger. Shu wiped her eyes and took Magnus's hand. He looked to her and she nodded solemnly.

Together, they closed their friend's eyes.

Shu was hovering a ton of items in front of her and searching through them.

"Rag was never one for organization, was he. What is up with this? Can't snap a few bookshelves into existence. Or at least snap everything to be lined up, maybe?"

Magnus wasn't listening, looking to an old black and white photo of the three of them, along with Camille.

And then Ragnor appeared behind him.

"How I loath that photograph. I must remember, chin down, eyes up. Otherwise I look like a squinty toad."

"You don't look that bad," Shu tried.

"Thank you, my dear, but I do."

It took Magnus a surprisingly long amount of time to realize what was happening. "You're here," He muttered.

"You didn't think you'd be rid of me that easily, did you?" He scoffed and reached to touch the side of Magnus's neck. "Oh, my dear friend, I will always be here for you. Now please, put away that horrid photograph. It commemorates a night I'd rather forget." He walked over and sat in one of the chairs. "Oh, how I had to comfort you."

"Both of us, Rag," Shu said, taking her own seat. "You're not the only one who walked Magnus through that."

"How I loved her," Magnus said. "I prayed she would love me the same, but she just laughed. To Camille, immortals aren't supposed feel true love."

"So cynical," Shu muttered.

"Camille broke my heart."

"And I broke her nose. It obviously didn't stick, but I'd imagine it still hurt."

"You let her break your heart, my friend," Ragnor said. "You're immortal…but she killed you."

Magnus hesitated, before looking up, but the chair Ragnor had been in was empty.

"You saw that, right?" He confirmed.

"I wasn't talking to the wind," Shu said. "We're soul bonded, remember? I saw him, Mags. I heard him. But did you?"

He paused before reaching for his phone and pulling up Alec's contact and calling him. He moved to put the phone to his ear, but then stopped halfway. He ended the call and set his phone down again, letting out a deep sigh.

Shu stood and walked behind him, leaning down to wrap her arms around his shoulders and hug him. Between them, not a word was shared. And yet they both understood what they were saying.

Magnus picked up a small ukulele with a weirdly-shaped body.

He strummed it, but the notes were completely out of tune.

"I wouldn't describe that as an instrument of music," Ragnor said. "An instrument of torture, perhaps."

"Oh, you never liked the charango," Shu said smiling.

"No, I did not," He agreed. "And I pray you don't play it. Death has already given me enough of a headache."

"Do you remember Imasu?" Magnus asked. "He played this so beautifully."

"Yeah, and you didn't," Shu confirmed.

"I'm surprised that lasted as long as it did," Ragnor said. "He was always so much better-looking than you."

He chuckled, and Magnus gave him a look before setting the instrument down beside him.

"I don't understand why you didn't go after the boy. I'm certain with very little effort you could have won him back."

Magnus shook his head. "No. Imasu wanted more than I can give."

He poured himself a drink and sighed. "Maybe Camille was right. I am immortal. I can party and have fun to my heart's content without the anchors of love around my feet."

"You are not Camille," Shu said.

"And though I know you may not believe me, someday, someone will come along who will tear down those walls you've built around your heart," Ragnor declared.

"You can try to resist, but once it's true, there's nothing to be done."

"And when that love comes back to you, you must do everything in your power to fight for it," He concluded.

Magnus hesitated, but the gears turning in his head were obvious.

He then stood, setting his drink down, a smile forming across his face.

"Going somewhere?" Ragnor asked.

"Even in death…you give the best advice," Magnus admitted.

"Be nice if you took it more than once every 300 years."

Magnus swallowed and looked away, trying to keep his rising sadness down, and when he turned back, Ragnor was once again gone.

Shu was playing the guitar as the people began to crowd into the Institute where all of the things for Alec's wedding was set up.

"There's method in my madness~
"There's no logic in your sadness~
"You don't gain a single thing from misery~
"Take it from me~

Once she'd finished the song, Izzy came up to her while she was taking a drink of water.

"Oh my gosh, Shu? Is that you?"

Shu's hair had been curled, her face had more makeup than normal (as in she had makeup on at all) she was wearing a black dress and boots, as well as a necklace with a silver ring covered in odd symbols, possibly runes, but nothing Izzy had ever seen. What really surprised Izzy, however, was the fact that runes could be seen flowing across her exposed skin.

"Yeah, Izzy."

"You're all runed up, I see."

"Yeah I…I figured since this is a big event for the Shadowhunters and the Clave and whatnot that I'd fit in a little better as a Shadowhunter than a Warlock."

Thinking it was nothing but a glamour, Izzy smiled. "Well, you've mastered the art of drawing runes. No one would know anything."

"Thanks."

Izzy gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"I nearly didn't come. I kinda snapped my way into this as well as in here as fast as I could."

"I heard about Ragnor. Are you okay?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine. Can we just…not?"

Izzy nodded. "Of course. So, is Magnus coming too?"

"Don't know. He should've been here by now if he was, but maybe he's having second thoughts. Don't give up hope, though. He could just be fashionably late. He can portal his way here, anyway. Grand entrance, and all."

Izzy smiled and nodded. "Well thank you for accepting my invite and coming to play."

"No problem. Countless years to get acquainted with instruments and music, I'm always excited to have a gig."

"Well you are excellent."

She looked over to the entering guests. "Ugh, the formal people are coming in, including my parents. Do you think you could play some more classical music?"

"No problem. The violin is one of my favorite instruments."

"Thanks."

She nodded and Izzy headed off to see more people while Shu summoned her violin with magic discreetly and began to play.

She had felt Magnus's doubt creeping in, she still could. Once he came, there was no going back. Not to mention if Alec continued to deny him, he'd be coming to see one of the most painful scenes he'd face this century, no doubt.

Not to mention the fact that there were a lot of officials from the Clave here, and if Alec was worried about approval before, now would not be the best time to start considering his love for Magnus to be serious.

And Maryse.

She would not be fun to deal with.

"Still rivals 'father,'" Shu muttered.

When the ceremony was about to begin, everyone rushed to get to their seats. Simon came in to join Clary, having been late since he'd been forced to leave at sunset with the whole vampire thing.

One of the Silent Brothers, Jeremiah, banged his staff on the ground, and everyone quickly took their seats, Shu ceasing her music.

"Attention. The ceremony is about to commence."

Everyone looked to the back of the room as Izzy came walking down with the ceremonial objects for the woman, everyone smiling to her. She took her place, and then Shu snapped, rose petals falling down onto the isle from seemingly just the ceiling.

Now, Lydia walked into view, holding her bouquet and wearing her beautiful wedding dress, a smile overtaking her face. Alec swallowed nervously upon seeing her, and everyone smiled to her as she walked down the isle to Alec. He offered a hand as she climbed up the steps and she happily accepted, standing in front of him.

Izzy, looking slightly hesitant about what was happening in front of her, offered up the objects in her hand, and Lydia took the bracelet, putting it onto Alec's wrist. Jace, who had already been standing behind Alec with the objects for him, allowed Alec to grab the necklace to put onto Lydia.

"It is time for Alec Lightwood and Lydia Branwell to mark each other with the Wedded Union rune," Jeramiah declared.

Alec's parents shared a proud glance towards each other, while Izzy, Jace, Clary, and Shu all had more stoic and hesitant looks. It was time, wasn't it?

And Magnus still hadn't arrived.

"A rune on the hand, a rune on the heart. A union is born."

Jeramiah waved his staff towards the large ceremonial crystal, a rune appearing. Lydia took the stele from Izzy and tapped it to the stone, before it began to glow brighter and steam. She took a deep breath before taking Alec's hand as he pulled up his sleeve to his wrist.

She was about to touch the stele to his skin, when the doors banged open loudly and she pulled it back in surprise, everyone looking to the back of the room as Magnus rushed in. He slowed when he saw what was happening, merely standing at the end of the aisle.

Alec could only stare, Lydia lowering the stele with an accepting look on her face.

Maryse turned and glared. "What's that Warlock doing here?"

Everyone looked to find Alec unable to take his eyes off Magnus. Shu smiled, and Izzy scoffed in surprise.

"Izzy, did Alec invite Magnus?" Jace whispered.

"I did," She said, unable to hide her smile. "But I didn't think he'd show."

Maryse saw Alec's resolve wavering and stood, stomping down the aisle. "Magnus, leave this wedding now-"

"Maryse, this is between me and your son," Magnus said firmly, shushing her. "I'll leave if he asks me to."

With that, he walked past her about halfway down the aisle, watching and awaiting what Alec would do.

"You gonna be okay, buddy?" Jace asked.

Lydia sighed, though she still had a smile on her face. "Alec?"

He tore his eyes away from Magnus, expecting to get on with the ceremony.

"Hey," She said with a small chuckle.

He took a deep breath. "I…I can't breathe," He muttered.

"I know. It's okay."

He paused once more, but finally shook his head. "I can't do this. I thought we were doing the right thing, but…this isn't it."

"You don't have to explain," She said, a small bit of disappointment on her face, but mostly genuine understanding.

"Lydia, I'm sorry."

"Hey…" She reached to touch the side of his neck reassuringly. "You deserve to be happy. Okay? I'll be fine."

She nodded, and he did the same but with a shaky breath. She moved her hand to his shoulder and turned him so that he was facing Magnus, biting her lip but letting him go.

Alec stared to Magnus, everyone watching to see what he'd do. After a moment of pause, he stepped forward, going down the two steps without taking his eyes off of Magnus and pausing once more.

Magnus's eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity, but he managed to keep the rest of his face stoic.

Then, Alec stepped forward once more.

Seeing this, Maryse rushed past Magnus. "Alec, what are you doing-?"

"Enough," He declared, passing by her without breaking stride.

With that, he marched up to Magnus, grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him into a kiss that both of them needed desperately, Magnus's hand instinctively moving around Alec's waist to pull him closer.

Lydia sighed sadly, Jace gave a surprised smile, Izzy gave a proud smile, Simon and Clary gave happy smiles, Shu was grinning from ear to ear, and Maryse was gasping in horror.

Oh well. Can't win 'em all.

"You never cease to amaze me, Alec," Magnus said breathlessly.

"Yeah," He sighed. "What'd I just do?"

They looked over to his parents, and Maryse was basically glaring daggers at them. Then, without a word, she stomped off. Alec's father followed her, probably wanting to make sure she didn't murder someone.

Izzy quickly hurried over, smiling. "Alec, I am so proud of you."

He had looked scared of Izzy's reaction, but a smile made it's way across his face.

"Thank goodness I didn't have to kill someone in the near future," Shu said. "But this'll be a fun one to tell the kids someday, huh?"

"I am looking forward to the day you have children less and less," Magnus said.

She could only chuckle and wrap him in a tight hug. "I'm happy for you Mags. But way to beat the buzzer, man."

Simon walked up, and suddenly Alec's smile from his sister and Shu's approval seemed to turn more worried, mostly because he knew Simon might rant about something embarrassing. Even Izzy, Magnus and Shu began to get confused looks as he began to speak.

"Guys, that was incredible. It was like watching the live version of The Graduate. You know, the Dustin Hoffman movie? The amazing one."

He pointed to Magnus, who recoiled slightly at what was going on.

"You were Ben. Elaine!" He cheered and pointed to Alec. "And you were Elaine! I mean a…a taller, masculine, handsome version of her, but…but the alter, though. You were like-"

He turned to the side and imitated standing facing someone at the alter and turning his head on shock. "Ben!"

"Do you know what's happening?" Magnus asked, trying to keep an enduring look on his face.

Alec didn't look much better. In fact, Magnus was keeping his face more stoic than he was.

"Three hundred years of you, and I still can't say that I do. Mundanes get weirder and weirder."

"He's not really a mundane anymore."

"Then I fear what the vampires are going to become."

Simon returned to normal. "A-And then…and then now you're both sitting on the bus at the end of the movie, both totally stoked, but wondering, like, 'What are we gonna do now?' You know?"

"Okay, uh, Simon, hon?" Shu asked. "I've lived through Shakespeare's time so I…know cringe-worthy acting, but please stop. You're making me regret all my life choices."

"Who invited the vampire?" Alec asked.

"Seriously?" Simon asked, his face dropping.

"Clary," Shu guessed.

Magnus snapped. "Oh, which reminds me."

He pointed to Shu. "I've finished sorting through Ragnor's things."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "So that's why you were late. Portals leave no excuses, young man."

"Am I missing something?" Izzy asked.

"Private thing," Magnus explained. "Just be a moment."

He slipped past her and over to where Clary and Jace were talking.

"What's up?" Izzy asked.

"Personal stuff," Shu said.

"You two can telepathically communicate? Why hasn't this come up in conversation before?"

"You never asked. Besides, we don't do it 24/7. We can't do it all the time, or else we'd go insane with each other's thoughts swirling about in each other's heads, obviously. And Magnus's head is a confusing place to say the least. Although he'd probably say the same for mine. Anyway, yeah. Telepathy is cool, but not when overdone."

"Much as this will shock Alec, my visit tonight wasn't all for him," Magnus said to Clary and Jace. "We need to speak privately."