So sleepy. Mid-term week at school. Please excuse the delay. All of you (my readers and reviewers) are absolutely amazing u don't know how much you encourage me. Enjoy. Chapter eight should be out soon.

A big hug goes to Iz :) ill tell u bout the break-up Izzy i promise ;) Don't worry about the wait. I wont sic the baseball bat and angry mob at you. :)

Chapter 7

London

It was my curiosity that brought me to Magnus.

He was just so . . . interesting. He was . . . okay, he's old, but he's seen so much, learned so much. It bothered me that I didn't know his part in detail. I wanted to know. I wanted to feel like I was there in the room with him even if it was centuries and centuries ago. He should write a book about his entire 800 years so I can sit down and read it.

But here I was.

This amazing opportunity had been granted to me. At first, I saw this whole crazy thing as something I wouldn't be able to handle, as something I needed to get out of and find the quickest way home when I awoke to George and Violet.

Now, I'm not just in 19th century London, I'm in London in Magnus' home. Or as Vy says, "Master Bane".

This was unbelievable.

My family probably isn't missing me too much. What's wrong with just staying here for a little while?

The second he walked out that door in front of the three of us, so many memories rushed back. Honestly, I think I drooled a little bit. He was just so . . . intoxicating! Magnus looked regal almost with his sleek and shiny black hair cropped short. He wore a vest and pants that very closely resembled his ensemble in Idris, except for the fact that these clothes were rather dull. His hair was different, his clothes were different, but his head was still held high and those crazily beautiful eyes were the same. He looked pretty great, actually.

That's why I loved his eyes.

They weren't just beautiful; they were the never-changing feature about him. Those eyes were always the same whether he was another man in the past, or when he was just being born and when he wasn't even in full control of his powers yet. They were the one thing I knew was always the same when he dared to tell me a story of the time before me.

I wanted to run after him and kiss every single part of him that I could reach. I wanted to tell him that I was here and that I loved him. I wanted to see those clothes off and on the floor with our bodies connecting together.

I wanted to tell him that I missed him.

But then just before he could leave the hallway to wherever he was heading to, George and Vy said, "Good evening Master Bane" in perfect twin unison with their heads bowed and hands together in front of them.

When were these sudden realizations going to stop?

In the privacy of my head, I groaned.

This was an entirely different time. Magnus didn't know who I was and I wouldn't mean absolutely anything to him.

I was nobody, and apparently I was now a part of his loyal servants.

This day keeps getting better and better. I think Jace would be proud that some of his bitterness rubbed off on me.

If I ran to him and said, "Honey, I'm here!" who knows what could've happened. Were gay people even open in this era, or were they the ones that got stoned to death? Or was the stoning thing the one for witches that were suspected by mundies?

I really have to brush up on my history.

I wonder how he resisted the urge to not wear any make-up in public. But even without the make-up I still wanted him. I still wanted to give him a big kiss and feel his body and hands against mine. I needed him next to me, comforting me and whispering in my ear so I could feel the reassurance that he was there, always there. His breath against my skin telling me that he loved me.

I wanted all the passion he usually gave to me, even when I didn't deserve it.

Stupid different era.

"Alec? Are you okay?" The twins both looked at me in concern with their heads cocked neatly to the side. The different Magnus was already gone.

Damn it.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that, just having a moment." I casually shrugged my shoulders; I hoped it looked casual at least. They nodded their heads and switched to other topics that I honestly couldn't care less about.

Do I tell Magnus who I am? Would he understand? Hah, forget understanding, the question was if he'd even believe me at all. It was times like these where I wished there was an 'answer all questions no matter what' rune.

This is when Clary was important.

Then, as the questions in my head were just getting started, a very scary looking lady rushed in from the door that Magnus had just left through. She looked stressed and tense, and her eyes bugged out of her head when she looked up from the floor and stopped muttering to herself.

"What are the three of you kids doing? Just standing around! This is unacceptable! The master has moved the ball to tonight!"

She was dressed in gray with an apron around her waist that looked too spotless to look like she was really doing anything worthy. Her hair was almost as gray as her outfit, with stray wisps of hair poking out of her carefully-made bun. The glasses that were perched at the very top of her nose slipped slowly down as she looked at us.

She looked like my mom in 20 years.

"Get to work!"

George's eyes were wide when he sputtered out a sentence. "Umm . . . ma . . . madam! Alexander is here as more help . ."

"That's fine just go!"

With Violet at the front of our three-person single-file line, we rushed out the way we had just come.

Present

New York City

Magnus was still sleeping.

He didn't look as tall or strong or other-worldly as he slept in our hospital wing. After making sure Magnus was at least still breathing, Jace, my parents, and the rest of the crew went back to the library as if just because that's where my brother was supposed to land, that's where he'll magically reappear.

I stayed here with Magnus.

He might want company when he woke up . . . and I'm going to hound him until he tells me what happened before he collapsed.

Two birds with one stone, really.

Alec always told me that I had maternal instincts somewhere in me, that I just didn't see myself the way I should. Looking down at Magnus on the bed with the light blue sheets under and over him, I realized that maybe he was right.

There's a mom in me somewhere deep, deep down. Then again, maybe I was confusing my want to comfort, protect, and dote on the warlock with my feelings of wanting to punch him in the face.

He's such an idiot.

I have no doubt in my mind that he has nothing to do with where Alec is. Alec wouldn't run away even if the break-up was bad enough, and Magnus wouldn't send him somewhere to get rid of him.

Besides, I missed my buddy.

I needed someone to tell me if my new red heels were too hooker-ish, and Magnus doesn't hold back with opinions.

It did scare me that we don't know where Alec was, even if I can't admit it out loud, but I knew he was strong. He could handle it no matter what.

Now it was just about waiting for his return, and that was the worst part. There was something in the back of my mind telling me that this is what everyone else felt. The others that stayed behind during battle when the rest of us went off had to feel like this. The not knowing what was going on, not knowing who was down and who was still fighting the horrid fight. The waiting was as excruciating as if it almost caused physical pain. This had to be what Magnus always felt when we needed Alec to help fight a demon.

This was exactly why I was part of 'the rest'. This was why I was a Shadowhunter that was always on the field; I never wanted to be on the other side.

I sighed into the nearly empty room.

I was bored, and concerned for Alec, which was a very bad combination. Boredom mixed with a very serious situation never equals good.

I picked at my already chipped black and sparkly nail polish.

If I was curious enough and asked my big brother a question, even a personal one, he would answer me truthfully. He would blush and beat around the bush, but he would tell me. I didn't even have to punch him, throw him on the ground, or blackmail him. He just trusted me and I was always grateful that it stayed the same. I ask him a question and he asks me one and we would spill out our feelings and secrets of the day, even our sex life. Magnus sounded pretty magnificent but that's not the point.

He came home one night and said, "We broke up", just like that. As if I didn't want the whole story. I still don't know the whole story.

"Asshole," I cursed under my breath. My voice sounded shaky. I groaned again, straightened my back from the uncomfortable stool I was sitting on and rolled my shoulders.

Then Magnus' free-of-make up eyelids fluttered slightly, there was a groan and assuredly I could see those unmistakable eyes.

I wanted to pounce on the bed, hug and hit him at the same time, then tell him that he was an idiot and finally, insist on a shopping spree and frappuccinos from Starbucks.

But no, I had to get to the bottom of this first.