And this is where the motivation peaked! I finished this chapter, and it was like all ideas for this story left my head! I'm trying my hardest to get this story back on track but I'm struggling! Let me know what you think, and how I should take this story! I'm down for any suggestions to get these creative juices flowing! I hope you all had a great week, and continue to have a great next week! Let me know what you think! :)
Chapter Eleven
Magnus POV:
I was sitting in my office looking over this weeks pictures when my door burst opened. I looked up and there stood Alec. He looked a little winded, and today was his day off so I was really confused as to why he was here.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"The verdict." He said and I dropped my pencil.
"Please don't tell me he's getting off." I said and Alec shook his head enthusiastically.
"No. He got a life sentence without the possibility of parole." Alec said gleefully, and I couldn't help it. I got up and hugged him. We lingered for a little before we broke apart.
"Why did you come here?" I asked trying to avoid the mushy feeling in my whole body.
"I don't know. They read the verdict, and I just came here." He said and I nodded. "I wanted to tell you."
"Why?" I asked.
"I don't know." He admitted. "I guess because you've been there for me throughout the whole thing and I wanted to share the good news with you."
"Oh." I said and I took my seat. "Look Alec, I think now we should start becoming work friends, and nothing more." I said and his face fell.
"Why?" He asked, sadness clear in his voice.
"Because I'm your boss, and it's professional that way." I said, even though the words felt like venom on my tongue.
"Okay." He said. "If that's what you want." He said and I simply nodded.
"Which brings me to another point, I wasn't going to offer it to you, but seeing as you got the verdict back, maybe it could be the perfect timing." I said.
"And what's that?" Alec asked.
"There is a Fashion Show in Romania." I said as I pushed a piece of paper over my desk. "They asked us to send a few photographers, and you're at the top of the list."
"I've never been to Romania." He said as he looked at the paper. "Who are the others you're looking at?" He asked.
"Lydia." I said and he nodded.
"I'd love this opportunity." He said and I nodded.
"Than it's yours." I said.
"Thank you Mr. Bane." Alec said, the professionalism killed me, but it was what I suggested. Before I could say anything else, Alec was gone. I put my head in my hands and sighed. Everything with Alec was new territory, and I didn't know how to navigate that new territory. So the best I came up with was cutting all personal ties with him. It sucked, but its something I needed.
Time Jump – One Week Later
Magnus POV:
I was sitting in my office – like I do every night – looking at pictures when my door busted open. I looked up and there stood a distraught looking Clary
"What's wrong? What did Jace do?" I demanded and it looked like that confused her.
"Jace didn't do anything." She said almost offended. "Why do you think he did something?"
"My past experience with him, and the fact that you look upset." I pointed out.
"Well, I'll have you know, things with Jace have been perfect." She said. "An argument here and there, but we always resolve it."
"Okay. I'm sorry if I offended you, but you can't blame me for jumping to conclusions." I said.
"Well, if we're done talking about my relationship, let's move onto yours." She said. And it confused me.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You mean, you don't know?" Clary asked, and now I was super confused.
"Now I am really confused." I said honestly.
"Alec." She said.
"Yes, he's been in Romania for the past week at the Romanian Fashion Show." I pointed out.
"Oh Mags." Clary said. "You should really follow the news, or get on social media."
"Everything is so depressing." I said and she sighed.
"The Romanian Fashion Show was hijacked." Clary stated and my heart stopped. "Radicals came and took as many people as they could, and killed whoever they couldn't." She further explained and my eyes started to water.
"Is Alec….dead?" I asked hesitantly.
"As far as Jace knows, Alec is missing. Most likely captured." She said and everything in me broke. "I just got done telling Raphael, he went home."
"I figured." I said honestly. "I'm heading out too."
"But your shoot." I said.
"I talked to the head honcho, I'm taking a week off." She said. "They are going to schedule another model. Everything is figured out."
"Why didn't you talk to me about this?" I asked curiously.
"I thought you already knew." She said honestly. "Which is why I ran here after I told Raphael, I thought I'd check up on you. I'm sorry I broke the news to you."
"No, I'm glad you told me." I said truthfully.
"Well, I'm going over to Jace's. If you want to come by at some point, the door is always opened." She said and I smiled.
"You must spend a lot of time at his place if you're opening up his home to me." I said and she laughed a little.
"I probably spend more time there than I do at my own place." She confessed. "Not to mention that he'll do anything to make me happy."
"I'm happy you're happy Clary." I said and she smiled.
"Alec will be okay Magnus." She said and I looked at her. "I can tell you're afraid. But he'll be okay."
"I sure hope so biscuit." I said. With that, she left and I was alone once again, only this time, my mind wasn't focused on pictures anymore. The only thing I could think about was the last conversation with Alec, and how that could potentially be the last conversation we ever had, and that made me sick to my stomach.
Time Jump – Hours Later
Magnus POV:
After Clary left, I threw myself into my work even more than I have before. I wanted to distract myself from the news I heard about Alec, but no matter what I did, he was always on the back of my mind, and I knew he would stay there until I heard anything about his kidnapping.
God, and the last conversation we ever had was about us just being co-workers, when in reality that's not what I want, and I could see the hurt for a split second in his eyes. He was hurt, and I did that to him and now he is being held by some weird Romanian terrorists, and that's the last conversation I have to hold onto? Ugh.
I don't even remember the last time I felt this vulnerable. I made it my mission to never let it get this bad ever again. I was going to do everything for myself and never rely on someone because I knew I would eventually get hurt. But here I am, in the most vulnerable state I've ever been in, and it's all by my own doing. I sent Alec there, I told him it would be professional to be just co-workers, and now I may never see him again? I couldn't be more devastated if I wanted to be.
It was nearly 2 am at this point, and I was at my end. I was exhausted, and I needed to get home. On the way there I thought about what Clary told me earlier when she delivered the news. Jace's doors were opened if I didn't want to be alone until we had more information. I didn't necessarily want to be with anyone, but I knew where I wanted to be, and that required Jace.
I turned around and started heading towards his apartment. It felt like it took years to finally get there, but when I did, I went straight up to his door (how I remember where it is, I don't know) and I knocked. The chance of them being awake were 50/50 at this point, but I was on a mission.
"It's the middle of the night." Jace said once he opened the door.
"Clary said your door was opened to me if I needed it." I said and he laughed a little.
"Of course she did." He said. "Come in." He motioned to me, and I happily went in, when Clary came out of the bedroom with a blanket wrapped around here.
"You decided to come." She said in a very sleepy voice.
"You know, when you offer someone's home up for visitors, you should probably mention that to the person who owns the home." I suggested and she smiled.
"He would have said yes anyway." She said and Jace laughed.
"She's right." He agreed. "You want to crash here for the night?" He offered.
"Actually, I came here for a different reason." I admitted.
"Oh? And what reason?" Jace asked.
"Do you have a spare key to Alec's apartment?" I asked and he looked confused.
"Uh, why?" He simply asked.
"Because the only place I want to be right now, is surrounded by Alec." I said rather emotionally. "I just need to be around him." I said more calmly.
"Being around his things won't make the pain hurt any less." Jace said, and Clary slapped his chest. "What? It's true."
"I know, but he's hurt. Don't pour salt on an opened wound." Clary chastised.
"He's right." I said as I took a seat on the edge of the couch. "Sitting on his couch, or looking at his holey sweaters, or even being surrounded by his scent won't do much, but it will make me feel a little better for a little while." I said as I looked at the both of them. "And I need that right now." I said and Jace simply walked away. Clary walked over and hugged me, as Jace returned and handed me a key.
"I'm listed as his emergency contact, and I'm the only one allowed in his place while he's on vacation." Jace informed me. "But I'll call the front desk dude and give him both Alec and my permission to let you up."
"Thank you." I said almost silently.
"I'll try to keep you in the loop as much as possible, but I might forget." He said honestly.
"And if he forgets, I'll tell you." Clary chimed in and I nodded.
"I have court in the morning, so I'm going to get back to bed." Jace said and I nodded. He gave Clary a quick kiss before going back to bed, but Clary stayed for a few moments.
"You have yourself a good one." I told her and she smiled.
"He is rather amazing." She admitted as her cheeks grew rosy.
"What's that look for?" I asked, which only made her beam more.
"He told me he loved me earlier today." She said and I couldn't help but smile in this dark mood I'm in.
"Oh Clary." I said, and I was honestly truly happy for her. "That's amazing. I'm assuming you said it back, right?" I asked and she laughed.
"After the initial shock wore off, yea I said it back." She said.
"Were you really that shocked? That man worships you." I pointed out.
"It has taken a lot for me to trust these days, and I always knew Jace would never hurt me, but I just never expected to find love like this, or with him." She openly admitted.
"Why not?" I asked curiously.
"He's hot." She deadpanned. And I nodded in agreement, he was a fine specimen. "He's incredibly smart, and he's cocky but he's so incredibly sweet when it comes to those who he cares about. He's had a hard life, and just to see him use all that negative history to pursue something so good, and so right in his life just makes him that much more attractive, if that's even possible, I mean look at him." She laughed and I just couldn't not laugh along.
"You're happy?" I asked.
"The happiest I've ever been." She said and I nodded. "And you'll get that happy too."
"I don't know about that biscuit. I think I really messed things up with Alec." I said. "And now I might not get to fix that."
"Don't think like that." She said. "Jace has been trying to look at everything logically too, and in this situation, you have to be hopeful. You just have to be."
"Do you know the statistics of hostages that make it out alive? Because I researched it and….."
"Stop it." She cut me off because I could finish. "Don't think statistics. Just focus on hope."
"I should go." I said as I stood up.
"Get some sleep Magnus." She said. "You got bags." She teased, and I knew she was trying to help, but I just felt lost and I didn't know how to handle it.
When I got to Alec apartment, the front desk let me right up and I stood in front of his door for a few moments before putting the key in and twisting. The moment I walked in, I was punched by the sweet scent of Alec, and for the first time in many years, I felt like crying.
I went into his room, pulled out one of his many black sweaters, pulled it over my head, and fell onto his bed. I cried my eyes out until I didn't have any more tears left. I drifted off into a restless sleep, inhaling the scent of a man who I cared deeply for, and who I may never see again.
I apologize for there being no sneak peak! I have no idea for Chapter 12, and I hope that it comes to me sooner rather than later! I really like keeping a schedule! Hope you all can forgive me for my lack of inspiration and motivation! :)