AN: Inspired by the malec scene in the new trailer. Alec is suffering the effects of Jace's abuse and is feeling all his pain and it's making him sick. Magnus is there to try and help.

"Magnus..." Alec mumbled from the couch weakly. It had been a gradual thing, every day Alec slowly noticing that his muscles weren't as strong as they used to be, his eyes growing tired faster. Izzy had noticed it first, commenting that he looked pale and almost sickly. But Alec didn't give it a second thought, just kept doing what he did best. Working. And working hard, pushing himself to the brink to find Jace, to find anything that could lead him to him. His parabatai rune was numb for most days, though recently it has been burning, sending pulses of pain through his side and straight to his head. His recurring headaches were now permanent migraines, his temples feeling like daggers were trying to dig their way through him.

"Magnus," He tried again. His eyes were closed and sweat was beginning to drip down his face and back. He was just so tired and when Magnus was suddenly next to him, Alec wanted to reach out but couldn't muster the strength.

"I'm here," Magnus said, brushing wet hair from Alec's forehead. He was burning. Magnus swallowed his panic and went to take his hand, rubbing soothing circles on his skin with this thumb.

Alec's chest rose then deflated and he swallowed weakly. "I... it hurts."

"I know, darling. I know," Magnus felt useless. He wanted to scream, he wanted to help but he had no idea how to. He was burning himself out with using so much pain-healing magic on Alec's rune, but it only lasted a few hours at most now. He knew of the parabatai oath and how strong the bond was between two Shadowhunters, but he didn't know how it felt nor did he know how to cure one of them when they were feeling the pain and heartbreak that the other was going through. There was nothing he could do except help ease a small amount of Alec's agony away.

"Let me ease some of the discomfort," Magnus said but Alec groaned, shaking his head.

"No... it-it won't help."

Magnus bit his lip, Alec sounded so fragile, so weak. He had just gotten Alexander, he wouldn't let anything take him away, not now, not yet, not ever. He couldn't. His heart had lept into his throat, making it hard to swallow.

"Alec..."

"Magnus," Alec lazily cracked open his eyelids, not all the way but enough that Magnus could see the pure exhaustion and sickness in them. His once beautiful and radiant hazel eyes now covered by Jace's pain. His voice was desperate and he clutched at Magnus' fingers. "We have to...to help him. He's dying, Magnus. I can feel it, it's all over me and I - I -"

"Shh, shh, it'll be okay, darling. I promise, we'll find him, we'll get him back." Magnus rubbed his shoulder. "He'll be alright. Just rest." Alec looked at him with a sort of desperation that made Magnus' chest ache before falling silent once again. Magnus knew that Alec knew they were doing their best, it just seemed to be doing nothing.

Being fidgety, Magnus quickly reached for his phone and dialed Izzy's number. As it rang, he propped it in between his ear and shoulder and pulled the blanket up to Alec's shoulder, tucking it around him while he magicked a cool cloth for his forehead. Alec shivered at the contact.

Izzy picked up on the 4th ring. She sounded exhausted as well. "Magnus? What's wrong? Is it Alec? Is he okay?"

"Do you have any new leads on Valentine?" Straight to the point.

"Uh, not anything that you don't already know. What's going on?"

"Alec's getting worse. Isabelle we have to find Valentine and we have to find him now, whatever Jace is going through it's bad and Alec isn't going to be able to cope much longer until Jace is back. He's getting weaker by the second and my magic is starting not to be as effective anymore and I," Magnus looked down at Alec and saw he was asleep before continuing quieter. "I will not loose him, so you have to work faster, you need to find them now."

"Magnus, breathe. Listen, we are working as fast as we can, all of us are working overtime. I know you're worried, we all are, we don't want anything to happen to Alec or Jace either. We have patrols out looking, all of our computers are scanning, there's nothing more we can do. But I promise we won't stop. We will find them." In the background people were talking loudly and rushing about.

Magnus sighed and leaned his elbow on the side of Alec's body on the couch, his head falling into his hand. He felt so drained... not just from magic but his everything just seemed to bow under the stress. All of this had happened too fast. No rest for the wicked it seems. When he spoke again, his voice came out almost like a plea. "I can't loose him, Isabelle. Not after everything that's happened."

Her reply was soft. "You won't, we won't. We won't stop until we find them Magnus, I swear to you. Alec will be alright, Jace too. But we're going as fast as we can." She cut off and Magnus heard her talking to someone else. "I have to go, but I'll notify you as soon as something pops up."

"Okay, thank you darling."

"Of course. Look after Alec and yourself, you need rest too."

"Mm, sleep does sound good right about now." His eyelids felt heavy.

"Go, recharge. I'll call again when I can."

When he hung up the phone he rubbed a hand over his face and took a few deep breaths. He just wanted all this to be over, he had enough of war and hate. Centuries and centuries of it. The times of stress-free easy living were rare and needed to be cherished even if it only lasted a second. It wasn't perfect at the moment, but at least Alec was safe with him and Magnus could thank everything holy for that small miracle. And with a few hours of rest, he could ease some more of Alec's pain - he could focus on that, focus on Alec, make sure he was well and try to magic some of Alec's ease through their parabatai bond into Jace. It's all he's been doing the last few days, but it was something to help at least.

Not wanting to disturb Alec, Magnus brought the lazy boy chair beside the couch and flopped down on it. The bed would be more comfortable, but Alec was here so he was too.

Sighing, Magnus reached out and softly trailed the back of his finger down the boys cheek before moving to take his hand. Alec made a small innocent noise in his sleep and shifted so he was facing Magnus, their hands twined delicately in the curve of Alec's chest.

Magnus smiled. The stress lines were gone in Alec's peaceful face, his long dark lashes kissing his cheekbone. He looked beautiful and Magnus felt a pang of protection in his chest. He wasn't used to falling for Shadowhunters, he never wanted to, but something pulled him towards Alexander - some invisible string that was bound to both of their hearts. He knew the first moment he laid eyes on him that he would've sacrificed himself if it meant Alec was safe. It scared him how fast he had grown attached to him, he just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him in the end.

Leaning forward, Magnus pressed a lingering kiss to Alec's forehead, letting his eyes close as he breathed in the smell of sandalwood and sweat. "I've got you." He whispered. And he did, through this, through everything. Anything that threw itself at them and tried to knock them down, he would stand beside him.

He wanted Alec to know that from this moment on, he would never be alone.