Hello lovelies! I'm sorry that I haven't given you a new chapter , but, since I'm going away on a vacation with my girlfriend for about 4 weeks now, I wanted to upload something for you. Once again, thank you for being so patient with me and with the story. I hope you'll like it.
(Hopefully, there will be 3 more chapters and then this journey will end, but.. you never know ^^) Enjoy! xo

"It's late," Magnus mumbled against Alec's hair, his arm around the boy's shoulder "We should go to bed."

Alec swallowed and nodded "Yeah.." He really didn't want to go to sleep, because that meant waking up to a new day. A new day that Alec never really would be ready to wake up to.

"I think I'm going to get a shower."

Magnus furrowed his brows "Again?" He soon relaxed "You want a replay of earlier?" Magnus smiled and nudged Alec, who rolled his eyes but leaned against Magnus "Easy."

Magnus kissed his forehead and stood up "Make it quick. I'll miss you."

Alec nodded with a smile that soon died out as Magnus left. He sighed and started to bite on his nails in order not to dig his fingers into his wrist. That was usually something Alec wasn't fully aware of that he was doing. Normally, Jace or Magnus would tell him to stop and instead tell them what was wrong. It was a nervous habit, a sign of being on the edge of losing control. Control. Robert would be the one in control tomorrow, no matter what Magnus said. Alec groaned to himself before he made his way to the shower, hoping that, once again, the warm water would wash away some of the weight of his shoulders.

"Did you think of me the whole time?" Magnus teased as he watched Alec walk in to the bedroom, his hair still wet. Alec tossed the towel at his boyfriend

"Funny, aren't you?"

Magnus chuckled and leaned forward to gently grab Alec's hand "Come here."

Alec easily followed and soon he found himself in Magnus arms.

"Do you think you'll be able to get some sleep?"

"Don't know.." Alec shrugged, fidgeting with his hands. Soon Magnus' hand was placed above them. Alec looked up at him through his hair that was hanging down his eyes. "Sorry"

Magnus moved Alec's hands to his lips and kissed them. He watched the boy close his eyes and this time, a sigh of relief left his lungs. They laid down together.

"How about you? Do you think you can sleep?"

"I don't know," Magnus said "But I know that we're going to need it."

A few minutes of silence washed over them, a silence with reassuring touches of Magnus being there for Alec. He wondered what Robert might be doing, if he too would be hunted by his own thought.

"Do you - Do you think he's able to?" Alec mumbled, leaning his head against Magnus chest.

"I assume you're talking about - "

"Yeah," Alec interrupted "Do you?"

Magnus sighed. " I don't know. I hope he's troubled. He should be." He looked down at Alec who met his eyes "Everything's going to be fine, you know?"

Alec didn't respond to that, just nodded slowly. He placed a kiss down to Magnus neck "I love you."

"I love you too. Try to get some sleep darling."

x-x-x-x-

As Alec turned around for the fifth time within half an hour that night, it had started to rain. He looked at the watch on his phone. 2.15 a.m. and sighed, turning so he laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He hadn't been able to fall asleep. Too many thoughts were running through his mind but he had hoped that the exhaustion of them would force him to fall asleep, but no.

So here he was, two hours later, his body asking his mind to let the night take him but without any succes. He closed his eyes and exhaled heavily through his nose. The Warlock moved beside him.

" - lexander?" Magnus raw voice mumbled and Alec felt his hand touch his waist. He turned his head and a pair of tired eyes met his "Hey?"

"Did I wake you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

" 'nt worry" Magnus mumbled and drew him closer, pressing a small kiss against Alec's hair.

Just as quickly as Magnus had woken up, he was back to sleep. Alec smiled, Magnus arms still around him and his body heat made Alec relax. For now. He closed his eyes once again, listening to Magnus steady breath on his neck, somehow calming him. Tomorrow would come in a couple of hours. Alec would never be ready. But Magnus would never leave his side, neither would his siblings. He was not alone.

"Magnus?!" Alec yelled through the corridor. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He had asked Magnus to wait for him, so they could talk to Robert together. Alec was starting to freak out. He was just about to call out Magnus name again when Maryse bumped into him.

"Mum?"

"Alexander, what are you doing here?" Maryse wondered in surprise "I thought you were over at Magnus?"

"Have you seen him? We were going to talk to dad-"

"Your father's in his office, he's been asking for you." Maryse replied and placed a hand on his shoulder "You should go, now"

"I - I have to find Magnus" Alec mumbled and started to back away "I told him to wait for me"

"I'm sure he's alright. Go talk to - "

"Have you seen Jace? Or Izzy? I really need to talk to them" Alec interrupted and turned around "Tell them I'm looking for Magnus, tell them to come and see me!"

"They don't want to talk to you."

At that Alec turned back and looked at her "What?"

"They've left." Maryse said slowly "Why would they want to see you? I know what you are."

"M-Mum?"

In the same second a door behind him opened and leaning in the doorframe was Robert "Alexander," he said "Finally."

Alec opened his mouth, trying to speak but no words left his mouth. Maryse kept on looking between Alec and her husband. "So? Aren't you going to do something?"

"Are you alone?" Robert asked Alec with steady eyes.

Alec swallowed. "I'm - I'm waiting for..Magnus, I'm waiting for Magnus." he mumbled

"And why would he come?" Robert asked. Was he mocking Alec? "I've already spoken to him."

Alright, this was starting to get a little too much. What?

"What are you talking about?" Alec wondered and looked from Robert to Maryse

"I told him to leave, to never see you again. Unlike you, he listened."

"You're lying.." Alec mumbled because he wasn't sure if his father actually spoke the truth or not. "He promised-"

"He promised you a lot of things, didn't he?" Maryse asked and reach out to stroke Alec's cheek but he just shrugged away "Made you believe things, do things. Things that you know are wrong."

"Stop it" Alec gritted through his teeth. This wasn't happening. Magnus had told him he wouldn't leave, that he would be by Alec's side, that they would speak to Robert together, that Robert would never hurt him again..

"You know it's true Alexander." Robert continued "You're replaceable, don't you see?"

"Where the hell is Magnus? Where's Jace?" Alec asked in a stern voice as he turned around, to leave "I'm going to find them, and then-"

He felt a strong pair of fingers gripping his upper arm "Why aren't you listening to me?" Robert said in a loud voice "Why don't you ever listen to me?"

For a moment, Alec feared that his father was going to hit him again, so he curled in on himself as the grip on his arm got even tighter. "Let me go"

"I thought I'd made this clear Alexander," Robert warned "You're not allowed to see him again"

"You can't tell me what to do!" Alec half-yelled as he started to struggle against Robert "Let me go!"

And so Robert did, by pushing Alec against the nearest wall, face first so he split his lip. Alec groaned and covered his bottom lip, staring at his father.

"I must say, I'm a little disappointed at you," Robert said "I had hoped for you to come and speak to me alone"

"Yeah? How's that working for you?"

"But then I remembered, " Robert continued, ignoring Alec "What should I have expected except this? What else could I have expected from you?"

Alec swallowed "Are you done?"

Robert chuckled and once again, that feeling in Alec's stomach was back, the one that he'd felt back in the office when Robert broke his nose. It felt heavy in his chest, the knowledge, that no matter what, he would always be alone in this. And with those thoughts in his head, he prepared himself for the hell that was yet to come.

Alec gasped as he sat up in the bed, sweat running down his temple as the nightmare slowly released its grip on him. With trembling hands, he ran them through his hair. He tried to breath through it, he really did but somehow it felt like he didn't get enough air. He leaned his head in his hands as he felt a hand on his leg, making him jump

"Sh, it's me. You alright?"

Alec swallowed back the lump in his throat, eyes still closed as he answered in a hoarse voice " 'm fine.."

He felt movement beside him and a pair of lips that found Alec's bare shoulder.

"Tell me what happened" Magnus whispered and carefully placed his arm around Alec's waist. Alec shook his head and sighed heavily "You weren't there.. I looked for you.."

Silence.

"I'm sorry."

Silence. Hands gripping naked skin and comforting touches, Magnus hands stroking Alec's arms and shoulders. "It's alright. You're safe. It was just a bad dream."

Alec shook his head and slowly leaned away. Magnus let him. "I - I have to go.."

"What?"

"I have to go, I have to get out - some fresh air, I'm sorry I - " Alec mumbled and stood up, Magnus behind him "Alexander it's 4 in the morning, where are you going?"

"I'll be back, I promise," Alec told him as he put on his shirt, walking through the livingroom, pants on his hips "I'm sorry, I just - I need to think"

Magnus reached out for him "Alexander - "

"Stop!"

Magnus dropped his hand and for a second Alec thought he looked like someone who had been burned. Afraid to touch. And then it was gone.

"Alexander." Magnus said once again, softer this time.

"Please just stop." Alec opened the door but looked back one more time. Magnus eyes met his and they hid a question that his lips wouldn't let slip away. Not bit his lip and walked up to the Warlock "I will be back. I just - I need some time to think, alright?"

He kissed Magnus quickly before turning around "Go back to sleep"

He heard Magnus sigh and he knew he was probably running a hand over his face in frustration, but Magnus didn't say anything more. Instead, he watched Alec walk out the door, letting the night take him away from him like so many times before.