Max thinks he knows how to solve all of this and then they begin the spell.

Chapter Five.

Max Michael Lightwood-Bane is a caring child. He cares about everyone that he knows and he cares about them deeply and individually. He puts effort into listening to people, paying attention to what he can, though he knows there is very little his Papa wants him to pay attention to. And he uses everything he knows about people and about magic to make them feel happy. If he can't make them feel happy, his dad told him that he could just give them a great big hug. Dad said that was the best medicine sometimes and Papa agreed that when a hug comes from a little blueberry like Max, everything was okay again. The thought of what his fathers always tell him about how caring he is makes him feel good. Maybe this will all be over soon. Maybe he could just fix it with a hug like Dad said. Daddy loves hugs and Papa always hugs him when he comes from a long day at work. Maybe if Max, the special blueberry hugged him than everything would go back to normal and he would be okay.

Yes, that would be the best idea that anyone has come up with the entire time they have been here!

Max jumps from his place on the floor, ignoring Clary's comments and Rafe's protests about him knocking over his tower or something. He rushes past everyone in the living room, which was nearly everyone but his parents now. He turns the corner with a skid and then pushes on the locked door. With a bit of magic he tries his best to open the door. He thinks hard about what Papa told him about opening doors. He told him to concentrate on the lock itself. He told him to think about the gears turning in his favor. But Max doesn't know what a lock really looks like on the inside! How would he know that? He also remembers that his Papa told him not to come into their bedroom without knocking and never to try to unlock their door because they might be talking about something important or maybe something secret like Christmas. Since Max decided very quickly that he absolutely loves Christmas, he never wanted to spoil anything. Anyway, he never understands the really important conversations.

As he tries for his magic again and again he gets more and more frustrated. Soon he stomps his foot on the ground and starts to groan before he can feel the tears well up in his eyes. He feels alone and scared and just wants to see his parents. He stomps his foot on the door again but this time he loses control and his body shifts to a bat.

"This always happens!" he thinks, annoyed.

He floats around the door a few times, thinking again of what Papa told him about turning into a bat and how to reverse it but he can't come up with anything good. Instead he continues to float around, waving his wings and hoping that Papa will just come out and help him instead of all of these silly family members looking so sad all the time. He doesn't want anyone to be sad. Caring, kind Max wants everyone to be okay and he intends on making that happen. If he could just get into the room, he could make his daddy feel better. He just knows it.

"Papa!" he thinks, wanting to scream it but can't. "Papa! I need help!"

Finally, the door opens. Papa stands looking tired and sad, the way he has been looking recently. Daddy says that it's nothing and that he is perfectly fine but Rafe says that there is something wrong. Rafe tries to trick Max sometimes but he doesn't think that one is a trick. He thinks that part is real and real scary too.

Papa gives Max a little sigh and kneels down to his level.

"Remember what I told you about that Max," he says in a hushed tone. As if just his words fixed his thoughts, Max transformed back into his little blue self with his feet flat on the ground. He gave himself a huff and whipped his face off with the back of his hand.

"It's okay, little blueberry," he says with a smile, scruffing his hair in between his two horns.

"I have an idea," Max says.

"What is it?"

"Daddy is sick."

Papa gives out a long and terrible sight that has Max really worried for him. He reaches up and holds out his hands to be held. In a long swoop, Magnus holds up his son on his hip, though he is getting to be a bit big for this. But he doesn't really mind.

"Dad told me one time that I could help anyone if I just give them one of my magic hugs," he says with a grin. "So I gonna give Daddy a magic hug and then he'll be aaaalll fixed."

Magus gives his son a quick squeeze and then turns back to the door of the bedroom. Surprised, Max feels excited when he brings the blueberry inside to their bedroom. But this is not right. Dad is laying on the bed with his hands down clenching the bed sheets. He is groaning and his head is straight up, looking at the ceiling. He does look sick and really really sad. It scares him. Max huddles into Papa's shoulder, burring his face into his shoulder and letting out a weeping sound that Alec notices right away.

"Max?" he asks, managing to sit up. "Magnus, why would you bring him here?"

"Max can tell you that," Papa says. He nudges Max and the young caring boy wants to please them both so badly that he sits up and looks over at his dad. His body is sweaty and gross but Max wants to help more than anything so he reaches over. To his surprise, Papa keeps his hold on him but Dad puts his arms around him. They hug for a brief moment.

"Wanted to hug," Max says. "Make Daddy feel better."

"I do feel a little better now," Dad says with a smile that does not last long. "Thank you."

"We'll all be back, Alexander," Papa says. Sometimes Max forgets that his parents have real names and it's always odd to hear them being used between the two of them. "It's almost time to start."

"Start what?" Max asks, confused.

"A very special spell to help Dad," he explains as Dad leans back on the pillow with his arm draped over his side. It is clear to Magnus that he is holding back everything when Max is in the room but the tired feeling of exhaustion cannot be held back.

"And you will have to be a part of it. We are going to use some of your magic, Max. You are going to have to be very brave. Can you do that?" Papa asks. Max feels a little scared but also excited. They are trusting him. They want him to help. The caring little boy that always wants to help everyone gives a happy nod.

"I can be brave," Max says.