Title: Eternally Bound

Summary: Alexander Lightwood was only three when his parents died. Now he's a servant of the Morgensterns, bound to their secrets more tightly than any could imagine. Now he must free himself and experience life before his runs out.

Note: I have no excuse for this wait. Really, truly, no excuse. I mean, school and work really. But that's no excuse for the cliffy I left you with. But hey... It's out in time for COFA! (I haven't gotten it yet, I'm dying!) A big thanks to Calliope Sparkle, who sent me a PM who really kicked my butt into shape and made me finish this chapter. I'd been working steadily, but, er, slowly. It's unbeta-ed, at least for now, so I apologize for any mistakes!

Oh and those of you who expressed dislike for Magnille - I know end game. And it's not Magnille. Just keep that in mind, guys, kay? :) Favors for Malec, Toblec, and Jalec fans this chapter - see if you catch em.

Disclaimer: I do not own MI. Cassandra Clare does.

Chapter Seven

Alexander sighed and leaned his cheek into Magnus's hand while Carstairs tipped the vial into his mouth. His physical state looked atrocious, but Magnus was sure he felt better. As soon as he began spreading the thick yellow paste over the rash, Alexander's entire body relaxed. The potion was meant to hydrate him, and then he'd be on the road to recovery.

The room, which originally contained Magnus, Carstairs, Robert, and the sickly boy, now held the entire Lightwood family, including the cat. Magnus tried to brush off their stares and focus on his work.

Alexander moaned and suddenly twisted from Magnus's soft touch.

"Sh," he murmured. "It's okay. We're helping you." Magnus glanced at Carstairs and gestured towards the thickly padded binds. The Shadowhunter got the message and began to rewrap Alexander's wrists.

The boy protested incoherently and Magnus's heart clenched. "It's for your own good, Alexander." He spread the paste on the boy's face a little thinner, but not sheer enough to see the peeling rash. "So you don't scratch yourself."

He kicked out weakly at the air and groaned. This time, Magnus was able to decipher a few words from his garbled, cracking speech. "Hurts – no – let go, please, don't –"

Carstairs froze in the middle of sealing the Velcro and stared at Magnus with concern. "Should we –"

"Finish," Magnus ordered. "He won't thank us, but his health will."

"But what if he's having flashbacks?"

Magnus pulled his hand away and wiped it clean of the yellow gook on a towel. "I'll put him to sleep. It'll take a little while for the ointment to really kick in."

"Will it heal him?" Robert asked. He, Mayrse, Isabelle, and Jace were in the far corner. Only Church and Max sat any closer, both huddled on the floor in the middle of the room. Max had lost interest by the time they finished coating Alexander's torso and was playing with a little wooden soldier. Apparently, Church was the demon in the fight. A big, furry, blue Person cat shaped demon.

"It'll take the itch away," Magnus admitted. "Not much more. I have some cream that might heal some of the skin, but he'll have to apply it daily." He turned to face the family. "Actually, he'll have to apply both of them daily until it goes away. If the dehydration keeps up – which it may – I'll give you a good supply of that potion as well."

Mayrse frowned and craned her neck to see Alexander properly. "Is it the poison?"

Magnus shrugged. "I assume so. I've never heard of someone being dehydrated so quickly in this sort of environment, especially when they must have had…" He glanced around at all the water bottles and glasses in the room. "At least a gallon of water. Probably more." He glanced at the still squirming boy. "I wonder how badly he has to pee."

Carstairs huffed. "Can we get him redressed before he becomes fully conscious? We don't need him having a panic attack when he wakes up."

Magnus checked his watch. "We've got at least twenty minutes until he wakes up completely, he'll be fine."

The next sound that came out of Alexander's mouth was an inhuman moan. "Toby," he croaked. He opened his eyes and looked around the room, disoriented.

"Or maybe twenty seconds," Magnus corrected quietly.

Carstairs clenched his jaw but took Alexander's bound hand. "Hey, kid, I'm right here. How're you feeling?"

Alexander blinked a few times. "Gooey." He blinked again. "Why?"

Magnus tossed Carstairs the towel, and he wiped off his own hands. "We've been putting this gunk on you for at least a half hour. It's going to help with the rash."

Alexander frowned. "The rash…" He groaned and shut his eyes again. "It's itchy."

"But not as itchy as before, right?" Magnus asked. That was the important part, to make sure he was doing his job right.

Alexander's eyes flew open and the hazy gaze landed on the warlock. "Magnus?"

"Morning, Blue Eyes. Are you as itchy as before? Do you remember?"

His eyelids fluttered shut. "Not sparkly. No colors."

Magnus wrinkled his forehead and stared at the boy. He was talking absolute nonsense, and he hadn't even been given any medication that would make him loopy. "Sparkles? Colors?" Magnus caught his own reflection in the mirror across the room and the realization hit him. "Oh, me? No, I didn't get all dolled up today, darling. I worked until my girlfriend tore me away. We had some plans tonight." He ruffled Alexander's hair gently, almost afraid that he was crossing some unseen boundary. "Thanks to you, we rescheduled. I think." He hadn't talked to Camille since he left the apartment, though he called and texted her the entire time he was traveling. She ignored each one.

"Oh." Alexander licked his lips. "Not so itchy anymore."

"How about thirsty?" Carstairs had slipped into the bathroom to fill up one of the several glasses of water. "Are you thirsty?"

Alexander shook his head. "No, sir. Not thirsty."

Magnus finally felt his muscles relax. "It worked, then. Both the treatments." He wiped his sweaty forehead with his sleeve. "Thank God. Blue Eyes, please tell me this won't happen every two weeks?"

Alexander bit his lip. "I don't know, sir."

Magnus didn't expect anything else. "That's all right. Don't worry about it." He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. "Hold on, I should probably take this." He flipped open his phone, already aware of who it was. "Hold on, babe, just two seconds."

Camille sighed on the other end. "All right."

Magnus slipped past the Lightwoods, careful not to step on Max or his toy. Isabelle grabbed his hand as he passed and squeezed gently.

"Thanks," she whispered.

Magnus squeezed back and returned a weak smile. He didn't know how to break it to her – that he hadn't done anything but make the boy comfortable for the time being, that he hadn't cured him.

He left the door open a few inches and blinked at the phone, hesitating. Then he lifted it to his ear again. "Hey. Camille, look, I –"

"ImsorryMagnusIshouldnthave."

There was a pause. "What?"

"I'm sorry," she said slower. "I shouldn't have accused you of cheating. It was out of line and…" She trailed off. "You're right, I am a jealous bitch."

Magnus tried to process what he was hearing. "I shouldn't have said that," he said quietly. "Even if it's sometimes true, I shouldn't have said that."

He could almost see Camille nodding. "Well… yes. Are you still there?"

"Yes," Magnus said and glanced through the door. Isabelle and Jace had lost their inhibitions and were sitting on Alexander's bed. Izzy was chatting her mouth off, interrupting Carstairs and Alexander every time they opened their mouths. Jace just laughed and messed up Alexander's hair while he advised him to just keep quiet. Mayrse stood behind Jace and stared at the yellow patches of paste over Alexander's body. "I just finished treating him."

"Oh. Is he going to be all right?"

"He'll be fine." Magnus checked his watch. "Listen, babe, I know you're probably back with the coven, but –"

"I'm not."

"What?"

"I'm home. I'm going to bed soon, though." Camille's voice was soft and hesitant when she added, "I wanted to hear your voice before I slept."

"Home?" Magnus repeated dumbly. "You mean – my apartment?"

"Our apartment," Camille corrected. "You invited me, did you not?"

A grin broke out across Magnus's lips. "Really? I thought you'd change your mind after tonight – and – I'll be home soon, I promise."

"Take your time," she urged. "Make sure he's all drugged up or whatever it is you need to do. I don't want the Lightwood boy interrupting us until it's absolutely necessary." There was a short pause. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Good day. Sleep well."

Camille laughed. "I always do when it's your bed. Of course, it'll be a little different without you here… Meow, off the bed!" Magnus heard her snap at the cat. "Off! I feed you once and you decide that I'm your new pet?"

"Just pick him up and throw him out," Magnus suggested. "Shut the door though. And ignore him if he scratches at it. He's a diva."

"I wonder where he learned it," Camille said sardonically.

"The best, darling, the best."

"Bane!" Carstairs yelled. "Get in here!"

Magnus sighed. "Gotta go."

"Good day." Camille hung up and Magnus snapped his phone shut.

"I'm not a servant," he spat while he passed Robert. "Don't speak to me like I am." He stopped next to Alexander, whose hair was sticking in a million directions due to Jace's affections. "Are you okay, Blue Eyes? These psychos rubbing off on you yet?"

Alexander looked at him with big eyes. "Are you leaving?"

Magnus frowned. "I – well, my girlfriend is waiting – I'll be back later, if you'd like. You should get some rest." He let a few sparks from his fingers land on Alexander's forehead.

Alexander flinched slightly and looked down. "Thank you, sir. For… the –"

"Don't." Magnus put up a hand. "Please don't. It's my job. I want you to be as healthy as possible."

Jace broke the ringing silence that ensued. "You have a girlfriend?"

Magnus narrowed his eyes. "Yes."

"That's actually a girl?"

"Jace!" Mayrse scolded. "Be polite!"

Jace put up his hands in front of him in defense. "Look, just – look!" He gestured to Magnus wildly, who let a smug smile stretch across his lips. He knew this moment would come eventually with the Lightwoods – he just didn't realize the reaction would be so comical. "How was I supposed to assume that he was straight? He hit on me!"

Magnus's grin fell instantly at the reminder of the party. Complete disaster, even if the Shadowhunters hadn't crashed. He secretly thought that was the best part of the night. "First of all – who wouldn't? Watching your ego grow was probably the most entertaining part of that party. I was just waiting for your head to explode from it. Second of all – that's a taboo topic right now. Camille was not happy with me." He winced at the memory.

"I still don't believe you're straight." Jace crossed his arms while Isabelle rolled her eyes beside him. "I mean, the glitter – could it be any more gay?"

"Could that be any more offensive?" Isabelle asked in a manner of curiosity rather than spitefulness.

"Oh, honey, it definitely could," Magnus assured. "That's all right, I don't mind. And Jace, I just have two words for you."

"Are they 'go away?'" Carstairs asked. "Because I was going to say that to you, seeing as you were going to leave, oh, a conversation ago."

All heads turned to stare at the boy, who shrugged. "Is it a bad thing that I really don't care about his sexual preferences? I'd rather not know who he's doing. Actually, I think that'd be better for all of us."

Magnus couldn't pass up the opportunity to make him uncomfortable. Maybe he was a sadist, maybe he had some prejudices of his own, and he knew he only made things worse by arguing with Carstairs. Still, how could he resist? "Oh, you'd want to know her. Trust me – if you ever saw her, you would. And Jace, darling, my two words – I'm bi. Also, I'm saying bye. Get a good rest, Alexander." He pushed Jace aside so he could face the boy more directly.

Alexander blinked sleepily up at him. "I'm not tired, sir."

Magnus shook his head and resisted the urge to ruffle Alexander's already mussed up hair. "Sure, you're not, Blue Eyes. I'll be back, okay?"

Alexander's eyes shut. "Mmk," he mumbled.

He was asleep within minutes.

Mayrse was the first to say farewell. "Thank you for your help," she said stiffly and shook Magnus's hand. With one guilty gaze at Alexander, she fled the room and convinced Max to follow. The cat stalked out right after they did.

Robert sighed and looked at Alexander pityingly. "I'm sorry about her," he said after a moment. "This has hit her very hard, unfortunately."

Magnus absently traced the black runes on Alexander's wrist, just visible underneath the yellow paste. "It's hit everyone involved, I think. She's justified in her coldness, I believe."

Robert nodded awkwardly, one hand stuck in his pocket and the other on Isabelle's shoulder. "D'you know he doesn't like being called Alec?"

Magnus smiled. "He doesn't like being called Blue Eyes, either." He turned his head towards Isabelle. "How are you two doing?"

Isabelle shrugged. "He's insanely innocent. I don't think he understood half of the conversation we just had about Camille. Or any of it, really."

Magnus sighed and withdrew his hand from Alexander as he made a fist. "For a kid that's been through so much, it's sort of unbelievable that he knows nothing about sex. You will fix that, right?" He addressed Robert specifically. "As soon as he's fully recovered, you can bet he'll be trying to act as normal as possible. And if he doesn't understand, the next thing you know, you'll have a pregnancy scandal on your hands. I don't want to see that happen to anyone."

A mischievous grin crossed Jace's face. "We can fix his ignorance easily."

Magnus thought about arguing, but realized that Jace probably would be able to give the boy a decent Talk. "Do me a favor and don't show him porn. Corruption of innocence can be satisfying, but he doesn't deserve that."

"He also doesn't deserve to freeze after you knocked him out," Isabelle said and pointed to the pile of clothes beside the bed. "Can you two redress him or something? Seeing my brother in his boxers in only a little awkward, thanks."

Robert laughed and hugged Isabelle around the shoulders. "If you remember correctly, you used to see your other brothers in their boxers all the time. Sometimes less."

Isabelle wrinkled her nose. "Yes, but Max was what? Two? Three? Four, at oldest. And Jace – well, Jace seems to think that being parabatai means no secrets at all. Or at least he used to."

Jace didn't pale, but he looked as if he'd be stricken. "I got the message, Iz. It was a joke, really."

She glared. "The next time I see that part of you, I'm cutting it off."

Jace shuddered and Magnus had to hold in laughter. "Just don't swear on the Angel, okay?"

Isabelle frowned. "I'll think about it."

"All right, it's late!" Robert announced unnecessarily, simply to interrupt their argument. "Jace, Izzy – bed. Tobias, you ought to get some rest soon, too. And Bane – thank you."

Magnus was so sick of hearing that. "It's not a problem." He couldn't understand why they were thanking him for something that was his job, for something that he couldn't help wanting to do. Anyone who refused to help Alexander had to be a monster – the boy was helpless, infantile.

Isabelle gave him a quick, bone shattering hug and Jace clapped him on the shoulder once before they both filed out behind Robert.

Carstairs was slumped in his seat. There were purple bags under his eyes and he watched Alexander with uncertainty. "Bane, do you swear you'll do everything you can to save him?" he asked in a low voice.

Magnus touched the yellow covered wrists again. "I will."

"Swear on the Angel," Carstairs demanded.

Magnus brought himself to full height. "I'm not Nephilim. I will swear as I please, and it will not be on someone I'm not sure I believe in."

Magnus walked out the door without another glance. Damn it to hell if he couldn't save that boy, swear or no swear.

Alexander stared at the object in Tobias's hand. The blonde was shoving it towards him, thrusting it in his face.

"Here," he said. "Take it. It's yours. Or, well, now it is. I got it for you when I was inParis, visiting my niece. I know it's been three days, but I just remembered. Things have been crazy."

Alexander hesitantly reached out to feel the thick, soft cover of the notebook. It was leathery and dark. "What is it?"

"A journal," Tobias said and shrugged. "I thought you might be able to vent in there. It's supposed to be good for getting your emotions out. I know that you can't really talk about a lot of stuff, because, well…" He gestured to Alexander's bandaged wrists. "But I'm sure it'll be a little therapeutic."

Alexander nodded and ran his hand over the smooth clean pages within. "It's beautiful. Thank you, sir." He mustered a small, hesitant smile and looked up at Toby.

"No problem, kid," he responded and mussed up his hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Alexander ducked his head and fixed his hair. "May I get out of bed today?"

Toby laughed and Alexander smiled when he heard him. He hadn't thought his comment was humorous, but Tobias always seemed to find the things he said "endearing." Toby sat down on the bed, near Alexander's feet, and pulled a vial out of his pocket. "Maybe. You know how your mother is."

Alexander cringed. It's not that he wasn't grateful for his mother's constant care. It was just that – constant. Alexander was unused to being hovered over and cared upon. Maryse wasn't the warmest woman and her presence always made Alexander nervous. He took the vial from Tobias and downed the disgusting potion. His lips and throat, which were beginning to feel dry, instantly moistened.

"Thank you, sir."

Tobias shrugged. "That's my job. Bane would kill me if I forgot your potions. You ready for more No Itch cream?"

Alexander sighed and unwrapped his own wrists. The cream was putrid smelling and slimy, but it was the only thing that alleviated the painful itchiness of his skin. The rash, already spread to his entire body, only got worse by the day. The few glimpses into the mirror he'd caught in the last few days had been comical – he was splotchy red and yellow all over.

"This stuff is disgusting. I can't wait for this symptom to be gone," he complained, but dipped his fingers in the jar to spread it over his cheek. He tried not to gag on the smell.

Toby pulled back the bedcovers. Hold on," he said and took the jar away. "Let's get you walking a bit. You can use the bathroom and a mirror to do that."

Alexander wiped the rest of the cream on his hand onto his arm. "Thank you, sir," he murmured while Tobias helped him slide out of the bed. The pajamas that Isabelle and Mayrse had bought for him were far too large – too long in the sleeves, and far too baggy. They kept slipping off his bony shoulder, though he had gained several pounds since the vomiting was stopped.

His legs were wobbly, unaccustomed to much movement. They quickly made their way to the bathroom, by which time Alexander had regained his balance. He splashed his face a few times with cold water and watched the goop disappear down the drain.

Cautiously, he poked the rash. It was still peeling, but not as badly as the day before. "Do you think it's getting better, sir?"

Tobias had sat down on the closed toilet and was watching him carefully. He frowned imperceptibly. "Not really."

Alexander sighed and covered his face with the yellow. "I guess not." He sent Tobias an embarrassed glance, but unbuttoned his top anyway to reach the rash on his chest. He ran his finger over his ribs as he spread the cream. Tobias looked away as he usually did. "Why do you do that, sir?"

Tobias had his eyes trained on the floor. "Do what?"

"Look away. You don't have to, sir. It's okay. It doesn't look so bad anymore." Alexander knew that Tobias hated seeing him so injured. The bruises were mostly faded, though scars remained. He traced the letters on his arm fondly before he covered it up with the cream.

Tobias wrung his hands. "It's… Alexander, it's out of respect."

Alexander snorted, unable to help himself. "I don't think I've ever heard of that before, sir. At least not referring to me."

"Exactly." Tobias sighed. "Look, I know that you're not used to it, but after all the things you've been through, I can't – I don't – I don't want you to feel like a – a – I don't know, Alexander, it's just… I feel like I shouldn't."

Alexander slipped the shirt off completely and attempted to stretch to reach his back. "Sir? Can you –"

"Sure." Tobias took the cream already in his palm, his fingers warm against Alexander's, and smeared it over the itchy spots. Alexander watched him in the mirror – he still kept his head down.

"Magnus doesn't look away," he said after a moment.

Tobias's lips thinned. "I don't think that thing has respect for anyone, especially not someone like you."

Alexander frowned but tried not to move as the boy progressed down his back. "Magnus is always very nice."

Tobias rolled his eyes. "He's attracted to you, obviously. Of course he's nice, he wants you in his bed. He's several centuries old, I'm sure he's at least figured that much out."

Alexander blinked. "Attracted?"

A small smile, miniscule, really, quirked the ends of Tobias's lips. "Yes, attracted. Haven't you heard of that before?"

Alexander ran his finger on the counter, through a drop of water on the granite. It broke apart into two. "I – what makes a person attracted to another, sir?"

Tobias sighed and grabbed Alexander's shirt. "Well," he said pensively. "It really depends." Alexander slid his arms through the sleeves and buttoned himself up. Tobias took his seat again. "Attractiveness has something to do with it. But there are other things. And – oh, by the Angel, I'm about to give you the Talk, aren't I?"

"Sounds like it. Can I watch? This should be fun."

Alexander redirected his gaze to the bathroom door. Jace grinned cockily and leaned on the doorframe.

"Hello, sir," he murmured in greeting.

Jace smiled and walked in, only pausing to mess up his hair. "Hey, kid." He sat himself at the edge of the bathtub. "Mayrse sent me to check on you two." He punched Tobias in the arm lightly in camaraderie. They had formed a surprisingly close bond in the last few days.

Alexander nodded. "I'm doing well, sir." His knee throbbed and he remembered that he had a whole second half to cover in paste. With a sigh, he loosened his pajamas pants just a little, which caused them to fall to his ankles instantly.

He could feel Jace's gaze acutely, but continued covering the rash.

"Is your knee still hurting?" he asked after a quiet silence.

Alexander glanced at him and shrugged. "Just a bit, sir. My walking stick helps. And rest helps, too." He fidgeted in his place. "I'd like to do something, though. I haven't had a break from work since I was young. It's… odd."

Jace nodded. "I know what you mean. When I came here, I had a full three days where I didn't train. It was the first vacation I had since I was four or five. I still get restless if I don't."

Alexander smiled at him. "Yes, that's what it is, I think. Restless." He paused. "How is Clary?" The redhead had visited two days prior, but simply stood in the corner and kept her mouth shut. Isabelle and Simon, her friend, had joked that Alexander was the only one that could keep her silent.

"She's okay," Jace said. "Her mom – Valentine's wife –"

"Jocelyn," Alexander murmured from memory.

Jace nodded. "Yeah. She's in a sort of comatose state. So she's just worried. But we've been talking about Jocelyn, actually. Because she's a Morgenstern, through marriage. We think it'll count, and maybe she can lift the orders. I know Clary can't, because she's under eighteen, but maybe Jocelyn would be able to."

Alexander fixed his pants and rewrapped his wrists in new gauze. The runes were still black as his hair, and the bruises were a brown yellow. He slid to the tile floor and leaned his head against the cabinet. "Perhaps," he said but he wasn't going to be too hopeful. "What is the Talk?"

Jace placed a hand on Tobias's shoulder. "Toby, do you think it's time? Do you think he's ready?" Alexander could hear the obviously playful tone in his words, but there was an undercurrent of seriousness.

Tobias took Jace's hand and gazed at Alexander thoughtfully. "I think so."

Jace ripped his hand away and laid both fists over his heart. "Oh! He's growing up so fast, Toby! I can't stand this! He's maturing before our eyes!"

Alexander laughed at his dramatics. "Jace, sir, please, just tell me what it is!"

The boys seemed to be enjoying themselves, though, and ignored his request. "Oh, I don't know Jace," Tobias said mournfully and shook his head. "Son enough, he'll be dating –"

"And driving –"

"And speaking back to us –"

"And marrying and giving us little nieces and nephews!" Jace exclaimed. He observed Alexander for a few moments. "Do you remember that girl in Taki's yesterday, when we went to pick up dinner? Do you think she's his type?"

Tobias also regarded Alexander carefully. "The blonde? I don't think so."

"Hm. You're right," Jace agreed. He clapped his hands together. "So! The Talk! You ready to find out the essentials of life, Alexander?"

Alexander rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir, I am."

Tobias slid to the floor to join him. "All right, then. Now, listen carefully, okay? When a mommy Shadowhunter and a daddy Shadowhunter love each other very much –"

"Hold on!" Jace held up his hands. "You are not giving him the five year old version. He's eighteen, for the Angel's sake. Listen to me, okay?" Alexander nodded, but it wouldn't have made a difference. Jace kept talking. "So, you see a girl that's really hot, right? And you two are probably going to wind up doing stuff – trust me, I know – and you need to be prepared for what it is. So first…"

Jace and Tobias took turns talking until Alexander was bright red without the help of the rash. Isabelle came to fetch them for dinner, only to find the three boys laughing on the bathroom floor, Alexander's hands clapped over his ears in a position of defiance.

She slipped away before they noticed her. They could eat later. He was healing.

End Note: Yay! End of chapter! A happy end! Hope you liked it! Please review! I'm sort of in a rush, so thanks so much for reading! next chapter ASAP 3 Thanks again for sticking by after this long, long update space.