Something Undiscovered

"I'm going to count to three, then, if this library isn't back in order, I'm going to poke Jace's eye out with this paperclip." To prove his point, Alec held up a single, silver paperclip.

"Three seconds? Oh, come on Alec, that is soo not enough time."

As much as he didn't want to admit, Isabelle was right. The rune most certainly didn't let them travel to the past, but it did create as much mess as possible. Books were strewn over the floor and the furniture, the table itself had splintered to pieces, and the rooms occupants were sitting on their butts, save for Alec, who was above them, threating Jace with a paperclip.

"I've been trying to get you to help for 10 minutes, I've already cleaned up the loose paper, but for God's sake guys, I need your help."

"5 minutes if you don't count Magnus ringing." Jace pointed out.

"You could have cleaned while I was talking."

"But we were too busy shouting, I didn't want to ruin that." The blonde boy said, spreading out on the carpet.

"Thanks for that consideration, Jace."

"No problem, Alec. It's just a natural feeling for me."

"Woah," Isabelle said, "Can you please stop there. You sound like you're coming out of the closet."

"Jeez, Jace," Clary joined in, "If you're not my brother, you're gay, are we ever destined to be together?"

"This has wondered fabulously off track," Alec said, tapping his foot impatiently, "And, as I am sure this was your intention, I'm going to poke this in Jace's eye now."

Alec walked towards his adoptive brother, paperclip in hand. Jace promptly sprung up from the floor and flew to around the other side of the table, moving in his graceful way. Alec followed, slowly stepping towards him. Jace was too intent on calling Alec's bluff, that he didn't react when Alec pounced.

Tackling him to the ground, Jace kicked at Alec's feet until he had enough room to escape. Then, jumping at the chance, he ran to the edge of the wall, barely escaping Alec and his paperclip.

Isabelle and Clary sighed as they prepared for a long day.

oOo

"William Herondale, William Herondale?"

"Um, yes, sir. Is that a problem?"

A problem? Magnus asked himself in exasperation, Yes, a slight one, Mr Herondale, considering that you're meant to be dead.

"Not really."

"Then I am sure you wouldn't mind if I came in."

"I suppose," Magnus sighed, opening the door and peeking outside.

He felt a rock hit the bottom of his stomach. There was no question that the boy knocking was Will. He was the exact same as when Magnus had last seen him; right down to his elegant formal wear and the wild glint in his eyes. As for the people surrounding him; he recognised them too. James was on his right, with Tessa on his left. Jessamine stayed hidden at the back.

He wasn't really in the mood for a reunion.

Will smiled a tempting smile. He nodded his head as he stepped onto the threshold.

"Thank you, Sir." Said Jem as he followed his parabati, "We do apologize for interrupting your day."

"That's fine," Magnus muttered to himself, "You should really be asking forgiveness from the space time continuum."

"Pardon?" Asked Will with a curious look on his face.

"I said you should really be basking in timidness from the face whine synonym." The Warlock wanted to smash his face into a brick wall.

"And why would you say something like that, Sir?" The blue eyed boy asked, making himself comfortable on the furniture.

"Demon Pox, I've had a particular bad bout this year." Answered Magnus.

Will's mouth opened as if to say something, but Jem threw a light punch at his arm. Even though he was frail, the hit was hard enough to shut the dark youth up.

Magnus smiled, the one he usually reserved for clients, and took a seat on his favourite arm chair. He motioned for the others to do the same. Once they were all comfortable on the four seater, Magnus decided that maybe a little explanation was in order. There must be a reason for the four teens sitting on his couch.

And investigating Alec's 'problematic problem' seemed a good place to start.

oOo

"Take that paperclip away from me, foul monster, or I shall be forced to fight back!" Jace was yelling, but Alec found that it was hard to take him seriously when his brother kept laughing.

They were both out of breath, but Alec still had the upper hand. He was above Jace, who was lying on his back, and held the paperclip with deadly nonchalance.

"Then clean," Alec said, cocking his head to the side, "And I won't have to hurt you."

Jace stood up with a flourish. Bouncing back up and then walking smoothly towards Isabelle and Clary. "Hurt me?," Jace asked, blonde eyebrow raised, "No one can hurt me. After all, I am Jace Lightwood, Shadowhunter extrodiare. I can defeat bars full of werewolves single handily, I am to be feared!" He finished with a dramatic wave of his hand, his blonde locks bouncing slightly as he walked.

"That's nice," Alec responded calmly, "But can you clean?" He asked, his patience finally wearing thin.

"I am far too important to clean," Jace responded. He sat down next to Isabelle who was rewinding her whip around her wrist, "Let the womenfolk do it."

If Jace had possessed any common sense, he wouldn't have said that. Not with Isabelle sitting in such close proximity to him, anyway. But if Jace was lacking one thing, it was common sense, and if Isabelle had one thing in was a boiling temper. She stood up, her expression angry. He whip was only half wound around her wrist which only served to make her look morethreatening. Alec spared a moments pity towards Jace.

"Wouldn't you like to repeat that sentence again?" Isabelle fumed, her dark eyes narrow and angry.

"No," Jace replied, quickly retreating, "What sentence? I know not of this sentence you speak of."

Clary lazily looked over to where Jace was sitting, looked like she thought about saying something, then shrugged. Alec himself just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you know which sentence." Isabelle threatened. She held her whip nonchalantly in her hand, which made it look more capable of killing you.

"The sexist one?" Jace asked, his gold eyes steadily watching the whip, "Because I didn't mean that, it was a joke." The boy gulped heavily, resisting the urge to bolt for it.

"So you think it's funny?" Isabelle questioned while Clary fought not to laugh, "Sexism?"

"No," Jace spluttered "That is-I-um…"

His pathetic attempt at getting himself out of trouble was cut short by the sharp ringing of the Institute's telephone. His angelic face lit up at the opportunity of escape. Isabelle narrowed her charcoal eyes at the thought of her prey escaping. Jace, ever graceful, bolted out of the library and into the hallway in order to answer the phone. Just as his blonde head disappeared out the door, Isabelle yawned and stretched, then plonked down next to Clary. The red headed girl looked at Isabelle, shrugged, then went back to unpicking the carpet with her nails.

"Are you going to help?" Alec questioned the two girls, whilst grabbing a sponge and a bucket to clean the ash patches off the floor from the aftermath of the unsuccessful portal, "Or do I have to do this myself?"

"Yourself." His sister answered, lazily examining her nails. He threw the sponge at her head.

"Wrong answer, now get to work."

With Izzy and Clary on scrubbing duty, Alec was left to somehow fix the desk so its pieces weren't scattered on the floor. He held up a broken table leg to his face, trying to figure out how exactly he was meant to get it back on the desk. Luckily, Jace strode in with the phone pressed to his ear and saved Alec from his conundrum. He saw his brother making elaborate gestures and rolling his eyes, which made him wonder who exactly the blonde boy was talking to.

"Yes, yes, he's here." He heard Jace snap into the phone. Looking curiously, Alec saw his brother coming towards him, hand out stretched with the phone in his hand. "It's Magnus." Jace told him.

Magnus? Why was Magnus calling him again? They spoke little over thirty minutes ago, what could be so interesting that he was calling him now? Is he hurt? Alec found himself wondering, does he need my help with something? By the Angel, what if something is terribly wrong?

Alec dropped the chair leg and silently held out his hand for the phone. Smirking, Jace placed it in his hand, took one look at the splintered table and walked off in the other direction. Not caring to bother, Alec pressed the phone to his ear and spluttered out questions of Magnus' wellbeing.

"Are you okay Magnus? What's wrong?" He heard a chuckle come through the phone.

"Does something have to be wrong for me to call you?" At the sound of the calmness in his boyfriend's voice, Alec released the breath he was holding and felt himself relax.

"No," Alec replied while dragging himself under the table so he could try to fix the leg, "I guess not."

"That's right, love," Magnus sung into the phone, "But I do have some questions to ask you."

A sinking feeling in his stomach told him that this might not just be a social call. "Y-y-yeah?" Alec stammered, "Go ahead."

He could almost see Magnus smirk.

"Define this 'problematic problem' that seems to be taking so much of your time."

Alec gulped. "Umm, no."

"Sorry, sweetheart, but that's the wrong answer."

"Is it?" He asked nervously while his hand with the table leg shook.

"Mmm," Magnus hummed contently, "Now, Alexander, do tell me what you were doing."

The frustrated the Nephlium let out a sigh. "It's not like it mattered, it didn't work." Isabelle, Jace and Clary all sort him warning looks but he ignored them.

"What didn't work?" Magnus asked, his voice ridden with suspicion.

Alec took a deep breath and sighed. "Just this stupid time travel rune." He could hear the Warlock take a deep breath over the phone.

"That, my dear Alec is where your wrong."