A/N1: Yes, I finally got back to this. There are too many pieces that need to be put in their right spots for me to give this less than my complete attention.

A/N2: For those reading this series as I post, you know what I mean. Certain people need to stay alive for future events to be possible. If you are reading this in order, never mind that last sentence. :D

Hopefully I can get this chapter done without too many distractions. (edit: it's been four months since I started this, obviously I was distracted many times)

Enjoy.

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Hodge puts the ring on his finger and waits.

Valentine appears, "Starkweather, it's about time you got back to me. Do you have the Cup?"

Hodge nods as he holds it up, "Yes, sorry about the delay, but Lightwood had it locked up."

"And how did you get it out?"

"I told him, that I wanted to study it."

"Good thinking, Starkweather."

"Thank you. Now where can we meet?"

Valentine smiles, "I also want Clary."

Hodge shakes his head, "She was not part of our original agreement."

"I told you that there would be changes. I want one of my children at my side."

"Fine. I'll think of something to tell her. Where and when?"

"James Madison Plaza. Ten tonight."

Hodge nods, "Fine."

Valentine smiles, "Don't be late." He removes his ring and disappears.

Hodge removes his ring and puts it in his pocket. He takes out his stele and passes it over his mendelin rune. 'Hodge' becomes Jace.

Jace smiles and walks into the War Room. He walks over to Alec, Izzy, and Clary, "It worked."

Clary folds her arms, "What does he want with me?"

Jace rolls his eyes, "Who knows. Valentine loves an audience."

Izzy nods, "But why do I have a feeling that we are forgetting something?"

Alec asks, "Like what?"

She shakes her head, "Not sure, but suppose Valentine knows that Hodge is dead?"

Alec glances around, "Then we are in trouble."

Izzy nods, "Since the days when Mom and Dad ran the Institute, there have always been spies here."

"We should be prepared, just in case this is a trap. I have a few more reports to catch up on, then we can work on a game plan. We meet here at six?"

Jace nods, "Plenty of time to figure out all the angles."

Izzy and Clary also agree.

Alec leaves the War Room.

Izzy, Clary and Jace prepare to go on patrol.

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Izzy walks into the War Room at ten minutes to six. Clary and Jace walk in a few minutes later.

Jace looks around and asks Izzy, "Alec isn't here yet?"

She laughs, "Him and his paperwork."

Clary laughs, "I'll go get him." She walks over to the elevators and takes one up. She gets off and walks to Alec's office. She knocks on the door. When she doesn't get an answer, she opens it.

The office is empty.

She takes out her phone and texts Izzy as she runs to the elevators. Alec isn't in his office.

Izzy shakes her head as she reads the text. She calls Magnus.

He answers, "Yes Izzy?"

"Is Alec there?"

A portal opens in the War Room and Magnus walks out as Clary returns.

Magnus puts his phone in his pocket, "Alec should be in his office."

Clary shakes her head, "But he isn't."

Izzy goes over to the computer and pulls up the security footage of Alec's office.

They see Alec sitting at his desk, then Warner Prince walks into the office. There is no audio, but it is obvious that the two men are arguing. Alec stands and walks around his desk towards the door. As he walks past Warner, the older man takes out a syringe and sticks it in Alec's neck. Warner catches Alec as he collapses. A portal opens and he leaves the office with Alec.

Jace yells, "Is Warner out of his fucking mind?"

Izzy shakes her head, "Doesn't he know that the office has cameras?"

Clary adds, "Not to mention, that Magnus can track Alec?"

Magnus closes his eyes and thinks of his husband's smile. He slowly opens them and looks worried, "I can't find him."

Jace nods, "I can't sense him either."

Izzy looks from one to the other, "That's not good."

Jace lifts his shirt, his parabatai rune is still there, "No, if he were dead, our rune would be gone. There must be something blocking us from getting to him."

Magnus takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out, "Agree. We can assume that Warner is working with Valentine. That bastard hates us, but that doesn't stop him from using warlocks."

Jace nods, "My meet with Valentine probably will include Alec."

Magnus coldly says, "Then I'm going with you."

Izzy nods, "This just got more complicated."

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Hodge and Clary walk into James Madison Plaza at 9:55pm. They see Valentine standing by the globe. They stop by the benches.

Valentine smiles, "Starkweather, you are right on time. Hello Clarissa."

Clary sniffs, "Yeah, why am I here?"

Valentine laughs, "I wanted to see if he would actually bring you. And he did."

Hodge nods, "That's what you wanted."

"Where's the Cup?"

"It's in my backpack."

"Hand it to me."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that. Jace"

Hodge smiles, "Why would you call me 'Jace'?"

"Because I know Hodge is dead. Besides how were you able to leave the Institute?"

Hodge closes his eyes as he realizes his mistake, "Damn it." He takes out his stele and passes it over his mendelin rune. Jace looks at Valentine coldly, "Where's Alec?"

Valentine laughs, "Did you lose your parabatai, my son?"

"I didn't lose him, you have him."

"Me? I haven't been in the Institute for years."

"But you've had people in there all this time."

"True. Give me the Cup and I'll give you back your parabatai."

"First Alec."

Valentine smiles, "You are not in a position to demand anything. You are right, I do have Lightwood, and I can easily end his life with one text message." He takes his phone out his pocket. "Now give me the Cup."

Clary looks from one to the other, as Jace shakes his head, "I want to see that Alec is okay."

Valentine laughs, "You have until the count of five before I leave, then I will kill him myself."

Jace says nothing.

"One."

Jace stares at him.

"Two."

Clary looks at Jace, who continues to stare at their father.

"Three."

Clary grabs the backpack out of Jace's hand and tosses it at Valentine. Jace glares at her as Valentine takes the Cup out the backpack, "Thank you, Clarissa."

She looks at him coldly, "Alec."

Valentine nods, "A deal's a deal." He sends a quick text. Two minutes later, a portal opens by the lamppost. Ivan walks out, dragging an unconscious Alec. He lets Alec fall to the ground, then walks over to Valentine.

Magnus and Izzy run into the park as Valentine laughs. Ivan opens a portal and they leave.

Magnus kneels by Alec and relaxes as he feels Alec's pulse, "Once you walked in, the bastard had a force field put around the park. Ivan dropped it, when he showed up with Alec." He opens a portal of his own and gently picks up Alec, "Let's get him to the Institute."

They walked through the portal and walk out into the Infirmary. Magnus carries Alec into a room as Izzy runs to find a doctor.

Clary grabs Jace's arm, "Playing chicken with Valentine?"

Jace shakes his head, "I don't know what I was thinking."

Izzy and a doctor run over. The doctor goes into the room. Izzy walks over to Clary and Jace, "Did you really think Valentine was going to blink first?"

Jace shrugs, "I did." Magnus walks over to them, "I'm sorry, Magnus."

Magnus squeezes his arm, "It's okay, Jace."

"Valentine has the Cup."

Magnus nods, "Yes he does, but we have confirmation that Warner is working with him."

The doctor walks over, "I activated his Iratze rune and that should help get the sedative out of his system faster."

Magnus nods, "Thanks, doctor."

The doctor nods and leaves. Magnus walks into the room. He walks over to the bed and kisses Alec. He traces the Love rune and breathes a sigh of relief when it glows blue. Magnus sits on the bed, leans against the pillows and rests Alec's head on his chest. Magnus absently plays with Alec's hair.

Jace walks over to a chair and sits down, "Izzy and Clary are going to bed."

Magnus nods, "You don't have to stay, Jace."

"I know."

"For the record, I thought Valentine was bluffing."

Jace gives him a weak smile, "Thanks."

"The important thing is, we got Alexander back. Valentine having the Cup is bad, but we can handle it."

Jace nods, "You're right."

"Get some rest."

Jace nods as he gets comfortable. Magnus leans over and kisses Alec. He adjusts the sheets over his husband, then closes his eyes knowing that Alec is safe in his arms.

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Magnus opens his eyes, Alec is still asleep. Jace is standing and stretching. He glances over at Magnus, "Morning."

"Good morning, Jace."

Jace's phone buzzes. He takes it out of his pocket and sees that Izzy sent him a text. His eyes are cold as he tells Magnus, "Izzy was on her way to the dining room, and she saw Warner going to the elevators."

Magnus gently puts Alec's head on the pillow as he stands up, "Stay here, let me handle that bastard." Jace nods as Magnus runs out the room and down the hallway.

Warner walks out an elevator just as Magnus gets there. Warner glares at Magnus, "I heard that Valentine now has the Cup."

Magnus nods, "As if you didn't have anything to do with it."

"What are you talking about?"

"You grabbed Alec from his office and handed him to Valentine."

"Bane, how dare you accuse me of working with that traitor."

"You fool, there's video of you drugging Alexander and leaving through a portal."

"Oh." Warner calmly pulls a small blade from his cuff and takes a step towards Magnus.

Magnus grabs his wrist and slashes the blade across Warner's throat, severing his right carotid artery. Magnus jumps out the way as blood spurts out. Warner's eyes roll back as he falls to the floor. Magnus coldly watches as Warner bleeds out and dies.

Jace runs over, "Magnus?"

"I'm fine."

Jace takes out his phone, "Let me get Izzy up here."

Magnus nods, "I'm going back to Alec." He walks to Alec's room as Jace texts Izzy.

Alec is sitting up in bed. Magnus smiles, "Good morning, Alexander."

Alec's eyes widen, "Magnus, why do you have blood on your shirt, are you hurt?"

Magnus looks down and curses under his breath. He smiles at Alec, "This is Warner's blood."

"Warner? Warner Prince?

"Yes. What do you remember?"

Alec closes his eyes as his hand rubs the back of his neck, "Warner barged into my office. He was still pissed about Hodge. I got up to walk him to the door, when I felt something on my neck. Then I woke up here."

Magnus nods, "He sedated you, portaled you out of the office and handed you to Valentine. Then he shows up this morning all innocent. He went after me with a knife and I turned it against him."

"Warner is dead?"

"Yes he is."

Alec sighs as he leans back against the pillows, "Not looking forward to that paperwork."

Izzy laughs as she walks in with Jace, "Then it's a good thing, it's already been taken care of."

"How?"

She kisses his cheek, then sits on the bed. She smiles at Magnus, "Catarina dropped by and got rid of the body."

Magnus asks, "Catarina? What is she doing here?"

Jace smiles, "I called her and asked her for a favor."

"Oh? Catarina is doing favors for ShadowHunters now?"

Jace laughs, "I happened to mention that Warner was working with Valentine and that Alec got hurt. She offered to help with cleaning up a few things."

"Just like that?"

Izzy laughs, "She did say something about Alec cooking his world famous chicken cacciatore for her."

Magnus laughs, "I better go grocery shopping then."

Alec nods, "That is an easy price to pay."

Catarina laughs as she walks in, "Good, because all leftovers are mine as well."

Magnus smiles, "You assume there will be any."

"There better be. I'm free this weekend, so either day is good for me."

Magnus laughs, "Let's say, Sunday."

"Sounds perfect. I gotta get back to work." She leaves after saying "goodbye" to everybody.

Izzy stands, "Take the rest of the day off, big brother. I can handle the Institute until tomorrow."

"You sure, Izzy?"

She kisses his cheek, "Positive." She walks out the room.

Alec asks, "So how did the meet with Valentine go?"

Jace shakes his head, "Valentine knew that Hodge was dead and he demanded that we trade the Cup for you."

"By the angel. So Valentine is even more dangerous than he was before."

Jace nods.

Magnus adds, "And a warlock by the name of Ivan is working with him."

"I thought he hated DownWorlders."

"He does, but he isn't above using us when it suits his convenience."

Jace sighs, "Valentine will use anybody as long as it's to his benefit."

"Yes."

"I'm going downstairs for some breakfast, you want anything?"

Magnus shakes his head, "I'm taking Alec home."

"Right." Jace leaves the room.

Alec sighs, "I could use some coffee."

Magnus smiles, "We have coffee at home."

Alec nods as he gets out the bed, "Okay."

Magnus kisses him, "I'm a bad husband."

"Why?"

"I didn't ask how you were feeling."

"That's my fault. I saw the blood on your shirt."

"Which I should have gotten rid of before I walked in here."

"I'm sure Warner's death will reach Valentine's ears."

"Count on it."

Alec shakes his head, "I'm ready to go home now." He kisses Magnus.

Magnus opens a portal. He takes Alec's hand, "Your wish is my command." They leave.

-tbc-

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Oh yes, I'm bringing all the players to the field and putting them in place.