Alec was officially looking forward to his soulmate. Nothing could fuck up this day anymore. Why not have his male, probably gay, soulmate come along and show the entire Shadowhunter community, hell the Downworld one too, that Alexander Lightwood was gay. Because, honestly, between Jace and Izzy's soulmates, the Mortal Cup reappearing, a mundane with missing memories, her friend who won't shut up and the need to see a Warlock to get back said memories and how reckless everyone wants to be to 'save the world', there was plenty for the Clave to derune them for already.

Alec couldn't deal with this crap anymore. How can two soulmates cause so much havoc in less than twenty-four hours? Seriously. Yesterday, Alec didn't want to leave his bed to deal with it, today Alec contemplated going to the Warlock and instead of getting the whiny redhead's memories, he'd get the Warlock to reverse time. It's just a daydream, it's not possible, because A) you can't change your soulmate, B) time travel doesn't exist, C) the Mortal Cup would appear again at some point… Oh, forgot to mention the whole Valentine's back from the dead thing that would also still happen.

Yeah, a lot of shit has happened and Alec really doesn't want to deal with it anymore. Cause now, he's babysitting four teenagers instead of two and Hodge is jumping on the Mundane only slightly worse than Jace is and really… did she need to bring a friend with her, that had to be Izzy's soulmate. Alec was torn between wanting to look at his clock and not wanting to look, because either way, he had to leave the Institute again, and after two Mundane soulmates, he could only imagine what he'd get.

With the luck he's had over the past three days, he'll probably get a Downworlder, who's a guy, who's immortal, and… well… Alec was running out of ways that it could get worse. Maybe he'll get killed by a demon and he just won't have to deal with coming out, or having a Downworlder soulmate. Is it Alec's upbringing or his own insecurities that have that as the best-case scenario for today.

Izzy's taken the Mundane girl to get dressed for the Warlock's party and the boy is just floating around the Institute at the moment. Jace is probably also getting ready for the party and Alec is dragging his feet, hoping that, even though his timer will count down while at the party, it'll turn out to be some sort of coincidence that there's a female Shadowhunter whose clock runs out at the same time as Alec.

Even Alec would admit that he's just being self-pitying now, but eighteen years waiting for something that is meant to be amazing, and life-changing, and good, just seems to be creating all these problems that he shouldn't have to deal with. So while the others are getting changed he'll send a fire message to his mother in Idris to keep her updated with A) Jace and Izzy have found their soulmates, but they're Mundane, B) Valentine isn't dead and is looking for the Mortal Cup and has kidnapped someone named Jocelyn Fairchild, who it seems is a family friend, C) they have to go to a Warlock party because Jace's soulmate is missing memories (thanks, Warlock), and D) Alec has yet to meet his, but as a heads up 'Mum I'm gay'.

Well, that last part he left out, because, well… that can just wait a little longer. And Alec still thinks, maybe, just maybe… his soulmate might be a girl.

He wondered idly, if maybe his parents had this much trouble when their generation started getting their soulmates… and if the other's in Idris and around the world did. He signed the paper with his stele as Izzy opened the door.

"You can't go like that."

There were very few things that Alec could count on right now, and Izzy being more worried about appearances than Shadowhunters interfering with Downworlders is one of them. He shook his head and look at his attire. Black pants, black shirt that was kinda greying, black boots that he's still trying to get demon ichor off and his usual frown. Nope, he looked fine to go deal with a Warlock, and their party.

"I've laid out clean clothes on your bed, I don't even want to know how long you've been wearing that shirt. I've even gotten Jace to put some effort in today." Izzy strode out of his office before he could really respond to her.

Alec left his office, mumbling about soulmates and good impressions and 'of course Jace wants to look good for the Mundane, not like you don't either'. But it was no use. He entered his room and saw what she had laid out, denim button up shirt that was for some holidays years ago, black jeans that would probably cut off the circulation to his privates and a new pair of black boots that wouldn't be useful when killing demons.

He sniffed his shirt and wrinkled his nose while lifting it over his head, yeah, even he wasn't sure just how old that shirt was. He sniffed under his arms too and figured a quick shower might be a good idea. Just because he didn't really care to make a good first impression on his soulmate doesn't mean he wants to walk around New York, or go to a Downworlder party as a Clave representative smelling like they weren't taught proper hygiene.

He didn't take his time in the shower and only scrubbed enough that he was certain that he didn't smell like a sewer before getting out a towelling off in his room, to avoid the temptation to look at his clock. He got dressed in the clothes Izzy laid out and was surprised that he didn't have to squeeze into the pants, when a note fell out.

In case they need to come off quickly.

He blushed at the note and mentally decided that Izzy should take the sewers next time. He fluffed his hair, grabbed his stuff and walked out of his room.

Izzy and the others waited in the entrance, Jace and the male Mundane staring at the female Mundane while Izzy flirted with the boy.

"About time, Alec. We should have left twenty minutes ago." Jace was dressed in his best clothes, and Izzy was no better. The Mundanes were dressed in nice clothes as well, but Alec spent more time rolling his eyes at Jace than actually looking at what they were wearing.

Alec shook his head and headed to the weapons room for his bow and quiver, hoping that they would be waylaid by some demon or Downworlder so that he could not do this, but that would just make the Downworlder-as-soulmate-theory more possible. He grabbed a Seraph blade and sword as well. He tucked one into his boot and the other into his scabbard on his hip.

"We're not going to war—"

"But we are going to a Downworlder party," Alec interrupted Jace. "We can't just expect to knock on the door and enjoy the party like you usually do. Remember that we're going for business not pleasure. Not that that's ever stopped the two of you."

Alec didn't look at their faces, he knew that they would both be pissed that Alec had told their soulmates that they both played the field a bit before meeting them. Though by the look of the Mundanes, they haven't really noticed anything strange about the two Shadowhunters. 'Maybe Mundanes don't get soulmate clocks.'

He opened the Institute doors and walked into the street without looking behind.

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They rode the subway to Brooklyn. Jace and Izzy voted against using their glamour runes, so the five of them made an odd group compared to the other commuters who were heading home or to some fancy event. More than once, Alec glared at someone to stop them from staring, though offering a seat to an old lady meant more weird looks.

Internally he sighed, listening to the other four talk about nonsense, Valentine, the Mundane's mum, or the Warlock they were looking for was boring Alec. Hodge had given them a rundown on Magnus Bane, and Alec really didn't want to deal with a flamboyant, eccentric Warlock. He mourned his book sitting by his bed, and the list of patrol routes they still had to complete this month and tuned out their voices.

They got off the subway and walked two streets over to where the Warlock's lair would be. Izzy was giving the male Mundane some last-minute instructions for when they go to the party and Jace was listening to the girl talk about her mum and stepdad and her life. Alec tuned them out again, but stopped at the next intersections.

"What was the address again, Iz?"

"Just up on the left." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and the boy must have smelt her perfume or something because his face went blank and then he started to smile. They walked on a little further and came to a group of demon bikes.

Jace caught Alec's gaze and raise his eyebrow. Alec shook his head and followed Izzy and the Mundanes to the front door. When they hit the stairwell Jace joined them and they trudged up the three flights to the Warlock's lair. Izzy fluffed her hair, straightened the boy's shirt, hiked up the girl's dress, gave Jace a once over, and scowled when Alec wouldn't let her mess with his hair.

Alec felt a tingle go through his chest when Izzy rang the doorbell. It spread through his body until he had pins and needles in his fingers and toes and he took a deep breath.

'Fuck,' he thought.

Whoever was on the other side of that door, maybe even the one to open the door, was going to be Alec's soulmate. He wondered if Izzy and Jace had felt like this. Either way, fate was about to royally fuck with Alec's life, and have a good laugh at his expense.

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So, Merry, early, Christmas. (Or holiday season). Hope everyone is Happy, Healthy and can take time to appreciate what they have an look forward to a better 2018.

I hope that the next chapter will be up before New Year's. It's planned as the last one, but I may add another - I will post it before January's end, PROMISE!

Hope you like this chapter and as always, comments and Kudos are love!