Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare

Warning: Graphic description of sexual content and implied violence

A/N: This chapter is very difficult to write as something always seems off. But here it is:D!

To the guest asking about if Magnus is real, I will answer it at the end of this chapter because there is spoiler. So if you do not wish to know, skip the last A/N:)

Chapter 12: The Butler and Keeper

Magnus equaled a pain in the ass.

That morning he already felt something was wrong, because that Simon nerd never had good ideas. Whenever Alec had a meeting with him, he would come home exhausted and easily startled. Ragnor didn't like him for a bit.

He pushed himself up from the wall when Alec rushed out. The pale cheeks were flushing like Alec was having a fever, but he knew better; his fists clenched. Alec saw him and walked towards him, putting the gloves back on. His bare hands had the traces and Ragnor could sense the presence of another robot. Not literally, but his guts churned.

"Alec."

Then the man he supposed to call Master jumped into his arms. Feeling the shaking Ragnor held him closer, letting him hear the steady heartbeat. A face buried into his neck and mumbled.

"I've made a huge mistake." The voice struggled to speak and the hands around his waist tightened. Ragnor had learnt from the past. He simply tugged Alec closer and soothed his back. One hand steadily rested on the shoulder blade.

"You haven't." He whispered. Alec let out a noise.

Ragnor continued. "You can be selfish, Alec. We want you to be."

While comforting the taller man, Aline asked through the network. The words flashed inside his head. Alince must have detected his distress.

"How is Alec? Is he alright?"

"Everything is fine. But you should prepare to expect a new member."

"…Okay."

His hands were moving up and down in the gentlest way. It took Alec months to be comfortable with this gesture and many others. Ragnor only wished this Magnus Bane wouldn't destroy their months' worth of work. They didn't want to see Alec fell into relapse again.

The introduction was awkward, as Magnus had the most flirtatious aura he had ever encountered and not to mention his eyebrows knotted when he saw Alec in his arms as if Ragnor had crossed the line.

If he had a chance, he would kill Simon within a blink. But he would torture him first as in touching the displaying goods, watched the pained face behind the thick glasses.

Alec disentangled himself from the warm embrace. As oblivious as usual, Simon announced and grinned.

"I am sure all of you will get along."

Ragnor and Magnus snorted at the same time. He instantly shot the new robot a deadly glance and put a hand on Alec's broad shoulder.

"Why don't we go to the werewolf's now? Since we are already here." Ragnor asked softly and felt the staring at him and Alec. Said man looked at him and bit his lip, thinking.

"Okay." Alec finally nodded. "But what about Magnus?"

Hearing his name Magnus stepped forward, eyes never left Alec. Simon was standing behind the counter yawning, but the brown pupils darted between the three of them.

Stupid nerd. Ragnor thought.

"We can leave him here first and get him back when we go… home." He hesitated, because he didn't want Magnus to be in their home. "I don't think it's a good idea having Magnus tags along."

Especially when he knew nothing about them, about what Alec had gone through and what they had sacrificed for this pure soul.

Without saying another word Alec turned to the door and Ragnor followed. He spared another wary gaze to Magnus, whom was staring right back.

One of the pros of being a robot was that they could communicate through telepathy. Within the short two seconds, a war was declared.

"Sweet pea."

"Stay away from Alec."

Magnus's brows raised to his hairline at his remark. Smirking, Ragnor resumed his duty and exited right behind Alec. The wind chime again rang.

The street was still empty. Alec obviously relaxed at the scenario and started heading to the werewolf's, knowing Ragnor would always be there with him. They were going to the deeper part of the street and at the end there were two separated ways. By instinct Alec took the left narrower road. As they reached farther, the shops turned into brick walls enclosing and led them to a door that only one person could pass through the small gap.

The door was made of woods, rarely in time like this but Ragnor could see the shield set up around the building. It was a two-story, shorter than average in the black market. Alec took the bronze ring on the middle of the door and knocked it lightly, indicating their presences. Soon the door was yanked open and revealed a middle-age man with brown hairs and a pair of glasses.

"Oh, Alec. You come early."

The man had eyes like Alec, blue but lighter. He smiled and welcomed them both into his small flat, piles of books and a candle lit on the table. Shelves were full of jars and bottles with fluids and pills in different colors. Everything was under their eyes; the kitchen on their left, bed on the right and the living room where they were in. It was only separated by doorways in embroidered frame.

The way linked to the bed was curtained. When patients came it acted as an infirmary, small but enough since Luke only tended residents in the black market.

This was a different world. Because of his identity Luke couldn't afford too many technical devices inside his house. It was the first house he had come to with no robots or networks. All it had was a security system complicated as humans' brains and a radio.

Ragnor closed the door and leaned on it, preventing any possible intruders. At the same time Alec walked to the table and sat down on a wooden chair while Luke went to light more candles in order to make the room brighter. There was no window, only fans on the walls for ventilation purposes.

Alec flipped a book. As he said, the old man lived a different life: so it was a real book as in papers. Alec's elegant fingers traced the words inked on the yellow pages. Even though he was wearing leather gloves Ragnor could see how much affection he injected in the touch, the very same way when he brought Aline and him back to life.

If it wasn't Alec, they wouldn't be here today. They owed him lots that the constant fear crept to their mind: too little time and too many to repay.

Luke took a seat across Alec and said to the younger male like he was his child. "You can have it."

"No. I haven't finished those you gave me last time." Alec put the book back down. "How do you do?"

"Ah, same old, same old. Reading and preparing." He took a sip of tea, a hand unconsciously touching his scarred jaw.

The worm-like ugly scar that lingered from the bottom of his jaw to the high collarbone added to his dark history. If the wound was few meters deeper his artery would be cut. The stealthy way he moved and the scar implied he wasn't an ordinary man.

Ragnor listened absentmindedly to their conversations. It was Alec's habit to visit Luke once a month regardless of his own conditions. Everyone was against that idea yet Alec was too stubborn to be stopped.

The first time Alec knocked on Luke's door Ragnor was there. Luke didn't answer, only spoke through the wood that he did not wish to see Alec. However, he just waited outside for hours and completely ignored Ragnor's advice. In the end they had no choice but let him in. And this became a routine of Alec's solitary life.

Of course at the beginning they had asked the reasons why Alec insisted on such custom, thinking of the phobia the man suffered. They didn't get a proper answer until they met Jeremiah, Alec's psychiatrist.

The question was never asked again.

Ragnor fondled his own elbows. They had to tell Magnus everything whether Alec was willing or not. The one thing they did not want to happen was Alec troubled by the past again. A word, phrases or a simple question could bring back the pain and he had this feeling of Magnus would do it wrong. Because he could tell, the new robot was more curious and adventurous than they. Only if they told him in advance, or else Magnus must obtain the information from Alec. Then everyone's effort would go wasted.

Magnus was a bad sign. Just like that Mark guy.

Unconsciously Ragnor sniffed and thought of the worst shits Magnus could stir up. Wrinkled his nose, he tried to forget the worrying fact.

They talked for an hour before Luke urged Alec to go home, aware of his conditions. He nodded towards Ragnor when Alec adjusted his hood. After a proper goodbye Alec smiled at Ragnor who held the door for him and walked at the front.

When Ragnor stepped through the threshold he was halted by a hand on his elbow. He turned to see Luke's serious face. Quickly he looked to his back. Alec wasn't far away.

He asked rapidly. "What's wrong?"

"They are coming. I don't know when but you have to be prepared." Luke said and released his grip, patted Ragnor on his shoulder and pointed at Alec. He nodded with understanding and rushed to the hooded man, heard the heavy thud behind.

There were two to three people in the street preparing to open their shops. Originally at the front, Alec slowed down and waited for Ragnor to catch up. Once the robot was next to him he immediately clutched at the white T-shirt through the cloak. Ragnor held Alec in his arm and both strode back to Simon's.

From the hood Alec's voice was somehow muffled and weak. "I want to go home."

"Okay," Ragnor replied. "I will tell Magnus to meet us at the parking lot."

In the shop Ragnor had already connected Magnus's system with theirs, so they didn't have to carry the message through telepathy but intercom. A little chat room for the three of them.

"I've sent you a coordinate. Wait for us."

"Alec?"

"He's with me. Just go and we'll there be in ten minutes."

It was the same when they was on the way back to their car, Alec tried to curl into a ball and leaned into Ragnor's arm, as if doing so there would be a shield protecting him. They had walked out from the small alleyway and entered the normal busy Central pedestrian street. Cursed under his breath, now they were moving among the morning traffic.

People passing by shot them strange and curious glances and Ragnor threatened them to look away by his dangerous glares. He did the job well, considering he was designed and sold as a guard model initially. As responsible as he was, Ragnor took it very seriously, especially when it was Alec who needed his protection.

The shoulders under his wings hunched and he felt two arms circled his waist, so tight that a human being would definitely be crushed by the force. His heart was pounding so hard that Ragnor could feel the pumping on his side.

This didn't look good.

Finally struggled through the sea of people rushing to work they reached the parking lot. From the corner of his eyes the mundane girl nodded at him yet he could only returned one hastily.

Magnus was easy to spot. Again, due to his aura and his outstanding height. The robot was wearing funny clothes that didn't fit. The black T-shirt hung on him like a tank top and revealed a section of the tanned belly, jeans too short only down to the middle of his shin. Moreover, his feet was bare.

Once they appeared in Magnus's sight the robot jumped to their fronts and asked. "Everything okay? Alec you look pale."

He extended his hand and tried to take Alec's but it was blocked by Ragnor.

"Don't say anything. Get into the passenger seat."

Magnus observed him, then Alec.

Ragnor unlocked the car from a distance and watched Magnus obediently sneaked into the car, ball of ebony hairs visible through the car window. Alec hurriedly got into the back while Ragnor swiftly turned the engine, ready to go home as soon as Alec made himself comfortable.

The drive was peaceful, if Magnus's annoying intercom didn't count.

"Is Alec short for Alexander?"

"He doesn't like people calling him that."

"Why not? It sounds better. Anyway, update my information system, my emerald prince."

Did he say Magnus was a pain in the ass?

Ragnor chose to ignore the nicknames and eyes fixed on the road, in the meantime copying the whole data base to Magnus and hoped it would shut him up. And he did.

His focus was on the drive but he could see Magnus's furrowed brows and he shifted uneasily on his seat.

"We have many things to discuss. But now you listen to my orders, or Aline's. Behave, Magnus. Even Alec couldn't save you."

Transmitted the words the favorable silence settled. Ragnor looked at the rearview mirror, one eye observing Alec.

He was lying on his side and face to the front, dozing off. His eyelids shut themselves but Alec would jolt awake when he was crossing the line and fell into the realm of unconsciousness.

The circle under his eyes darkened, resulted from the lack of rests. Alec couldn't sleep anywhere except in his own bedroom because he didn't feel safe otherwise. It was only that Alec was alone with robots he could truly relax. Ragnor had seen him with his siblings and they all tried to act like nothing had happened; through Alec knew what was going on under the cheerful smiles and cautious gestures.

The phobia was driving Alec crazy. The young man thought Ragnor and Aline didn't know when he locked himself in the bathroom, weeping after a gathering with his family or an appointment with Jeremiah. The sobs muffled could be heard by their ears. But they pretended because that was what Alec had wanted it.

He was lost inside an imaginary maze, messed up by his own subconscious. And this was already the less painful option for Alec.

Kept his emotions under control, Ragnor took a turn and up to the empty highway.

Aline was peeking, eyes looking for the familiar black car. The coordinates of Ragnor and Magnus were moving towards the house in top speed but Aline still liked to see the car coming herself.

She was fond of the ideas using human's five senses instead of robot's one. Those were dead and cold, composed of electronic particles and waves. Yet feeling – was human. When she smelled the delicious scent of breakfast she actually felt good. Exciting, enjoying and happy: things she couldn't feel before. Her past life was simply a sex bot, after all. No one cared how a robot felt since they were not made to do so. Serving was their sole purpose.

Yet Alec gave her choices and a chance to live a real life.

A new identity. Aline was a keeper, not a robot for sexual pleasure. She had a purpose more than pleasing others: protecting what was worthy to her. In this case, Alec.

Truth be told she was very surprised when Ragnor told her there would be a new robot joining their family. It had been almost two years since the formation of their little cozy home. There was a conflict, that she wanted Alec to see someone new but at the same time, scared for him.

She didn't know much about this Magnus. Nothing came up after a complete search of data base. Weird – since every robot had record attached. Like Aline's and Ragnor's were registered as destroyed in official records yet Magnus… there was no matching results. No anything. A walking ghost among them.

At first when she received the news she didn't know what to think. Ragnor and she had grown to the fact that their family was made of three. It was rare that Alec let someone into his life that quick and sudden as if he had lost his mind. She was worried just like Ragnor, of course, since Alec in the past had made some bad decisions. And she prayed this wasn't one.

Ragnor hadn't start complaining so it was a good sign. She supposed they would watch Magnus closely for a while before letting him getting anywhere near Alec. It was for the best.

A smile naturally appeared on her face when the car was stopped in front of her. A handsome man took up the passenger seat, where used to be empty. Her eyes met with a pair of sunken golden-green. There was something under the cat-like pupils she couldn't lay words on. But she didn't detect any treats or dangers.

The man looked away first, to Ragnor.

There was no one on the streets so Alec got out and walked to her, smiling. But it was different.

"Breakfast?" She asked charily.

The situation had been better. At the beginning after going out for merely 5 minutes in the garden would have Alec rushed back to his room and sick for days. The wind brushing leaves and the sounds of animals, those small things would scare him endless. It was only after days and days of practices and confidence boosts that Alec overcame his fear.

Alec replied while trying to take off his cloak at the door. "No. I want to take a nap first."

She left Ragnor to deal with the car and Magnus and offered a helping hand. Untying the strings around the neck Aline smoothly extracted the cloak and hung it on the clothes stand as Alec yawning, rubbing his eyes.

Kicking off his shoes and ungloving Alec started stumbling to his bedroom. Aline immediately abandoned her thoughts of putting the shoes back to the cabinet and went to assist Alec. Her hands clutched onto one of Alec's elbows and carefully navigating Alec's direction.

It was a side effect of his drug. Lightheadedness and many others: nauseas, losing appetite and strength, dull headache, etc. Sometimes technology wasn't that advance in the end.

His breaths were shallow and irregular, steps desultory. She increased her force to steady the young man and Alec's knees gave in. If it wasn't Aline he would have fell face down on the floor. With ease she held him in her arms and delivered him to his bedroom while Alec moaned a small protest.

"Aline – put me down."

The bangs shaded his blue eyes which lost their focus. They were wavering, searching for hers. He was having a headache, she could tell, lines formed above the bridge of his nose. One of his feeble hand dangling, the other laid on his stomach.

Aline only hummed in response and soon they were inside his blacken room. Alec groaned again; he didn't like the staying in the dark.

Right after she placed Alec gently on his bed she flipped the lamp on. Bright warm yellow light brought itself to every corner. Alec fainted into coma when he touched the snug mattress and sheet.

Alec hasn't been able to sleep for the past weeks. Aline recalled, therefore she only pulled the blanket over and tugged it tightly around the curling ball. She smiled at the different colors socks and went to smooth the wrinkles between his eyebrows. The smile speedily vanished as it came.

Placing her thumbs on his temples Aline projected warmth and started massaging. Ragnor knocked on the doorframe with half of his body outside. "How is he?"

"The new prescription has more side effects. Bad ones and it happens more frequent. We should call Catarina. Or Jeremiah."

Ragnor said nothing but waved her over, walked off to the kitchen. Aline brushed the hairs off his forehead and got up to her feet, closed the door lightly behind her. When she arrived at the kitchen Ragnor was leaning against the island, staring at the calendar on the wall next to the fridge. Magnus, in super unfitting and unbecoming clothes stood near the back door, hands folded and side rested on the stove. Both looked weary and restless.

Coughed to draw attention, Aline went to the island and took the plates of toasts, dumping them into the waste disposal machine. A bag of fertilizer dropped at the other end. Ragnor and Magnus watched her tossed the bag into a cabin.

Wiping her hands on the apron she took it off and hung it on a hook under the calendar. She turned to face Magnus who was at the far left corner.

She opened her mouth, paused for a while before speaking. "I assume you know about Alec, right?"

"Ragnor showed me." Magnus answered, eyes on her.

"What do you feel about it?" Ragnor asked.

Aline stared at Ragnor and from his eyes she knew then. That Magnus was like them.

"I don't know what to think of it. I don't even know why I am here."

His voice was low, almost inaudible. Ragnor tiled his head around, looking at Magnus sideway. "Because you are lucky. If that nerdy geek sold you to someone else you were going to be treated like shit."

Aline hushed. "No four letter words, Ragnor."

The green-skin butler snorted but didn't open his mouth again. She was grateful for it.

"You can feel whatever you want. Just… don't show it. Alec doesn't like people feel sorry for him, or anything else." She stopped for Magnus's nod. "And concerning your work… we can use a receptionist at the shop. Then I can stay home and take care of things."

"What!" Ragnor jumped, nearly bumped into her. "I have to be with him 24 hours per day? Why can't he stay here?"

Aline shrugged. "I don't think he is a keeper material."

Much to their surprise, Magnus held a finger up in the air. "Well, I am definitely boyfriend material, and a keeper in that sense."

His smart remark seemed to please Ragnor, who raised a brow in challenge. "I thought you like to wear maid dress and cleaning the house with your butts expose?"

"I didn't know you have kinks like that." Magnus remained at his spot but his amber eyes were flashing amusement and teasing. "But your wish is my command, My King of Pisum sativum."

Couldn't control it anymore Aline choked out a laugh, hands went to cover her grin. Ragnor looked at her with wide eyes, shocked but delight in the soft stare. Magnus smirked as if he had discovered a new planet. After a few seconds of containments they all burst into laughter, small in volume but still, a genuine one. One that hadn't been around for too long.

Between their fits of laughs, Aline thought, maybe having Magnus in this family isn't a bad thing.

And maybe, this light atmosphere will help Alec with his recovery.

"Angel boy."

He heard a masculine voice coming from behind and a pair of hands spanked his butt cheeks. The sounds echoed within the concrete walls, along with painful groans and terrifying screams from the other side of the room.

He couldn't see anything or move on his will. His jaw was sore; a hand lifted his chin and shoved something into his forcibly parted lips. He moaned and struggled yet he couldn't stop the invasion of a hot erection moving in and out. Saliva was dripping down and he gagged when the shaft thrust down his throat. Laughs and insults thrown at him as if he had no feelings, as if he was just a robot for sex.

In the darkness he felt something cold was grinding on his bottom. Quivering, his tongue stuck out when the torturing thing was removed from his mouth. A hand patted his crown.

"Good doggy." His collar was tugged. "Show us what you've got, alright? Or no dinner for tonight."

"Do it." The man grabbing his collar commanded and instantly an ovoid stretched the ring of muscle and entered his body with the help of spits. As he thought that was it, there came another, and another. They only stopped when Alec cried out unintelligible begs.

There was the urge to expel the foreign bodies but a wet hand was circling around the entrance, pushing the ovoid back into his contacting wall. Alec panted, and shut his eyes tighter. His lowered head was yanked up by a grip on his hairs.

"You look so pretty, Angel boy." The familiar needle travelled along his vein around the neck. He shuddered and mentally prepared himself to brace it. "If you drop one: one more hour."

Then the needle penetrated his skin and the drug was instilling. Like many other times he felt the temperate in the room rise and he began to sweat. He was on four and he pressed his chest on the floor between his chained hands, hoping this way those egg-like things wouldn't fall out.

His whole body shaking because of the tensed muscles. He heard laughs and begging from a distance.

Suddenly a wet flexible muscle licked his grundle. With that he nearly choked on his own saliva and jumped. He arched his back and pushed his pelvic down, getting away from the tongue. Yet he was trapped by the hands on his hip, pulling him back into position.

The torture continued and he didn't get a rest. They only stopped when he couldn't hold it anymore, dropped one on the cold floor. His heart chilled as the sound of heavy thud on the ground reminded him of the fact that he was going to suffer longer than originally had planned. The men chuckled and hands ran on his spine.

"Oh boy."

The hands wrapped around his chest and held him in place. He whimpered as fingers dove inside and dug those small balls out. Still gasping from the aftermath something hard and hot pushed into him –

"NO!"

Alec jerked and fell off the bed, sweating like he had been running for hours. Heard his scream Ragnor rushed in and immediately crouched next to Alec, hands on the air hesitating to touch the pale man.

"Bad dream?" The butler asked carefully. At this time Aline was by the door looking at them anxiously, hands fidgeting. Magnus peeping behind the small frame of the female robot.

Alec recognized their faces and slumped against the bed, holding his knees to the chest. "It's just a dream." He said to no one particularly.

"Just a dream." He repeated, staring at nothing since he wouldn't dare close his eyes.

Ragnor suggested. "We can call Jeremiah for you. He doesn't mind having the appointment earlier."

However, Alec shook his head, just held his legs closer. "I'm alright. He has better things to do."

"Do you want to eat? It's noon now. Lunch maybe?" Ragnor whispered, scared that being too loud would frighten him further. Again, Alec refused.

"I don't feel like it."

Aline took a step. "How about a cup of tea? A bath? Or – "

"I'm fine. I… I want some time alone." He crawled back to his bed even though the sheet and his clothes were steeped of sweats. His damp hairs spread messily on the pillow.

While Ragnor and Aline stepped back, Magnus slipped past them and crouched in front of Alec, looking into the Phthalo blue eyes.

The new robot cooed. "It's me, Magnus." He rested a palm on the sheet.

"I know. I got you this morning." Alec said while his eyes looked past Magnus, staring on the wall.

Without consent Magnus sneaked his hand under the blanket and brushed against Alec's, who instantly withdrew and gasped. The pupils focused on the Asiatic man.

"I'm not hurting you. I can't and I won't. Let me show you."

Alec swallowed hard and did nothing for minutes. When Ragnor and Aline wanted to call Magnus back, a pale hand lightly rubbed Magnus's, didn't recoil as Magnus took it with grace and interlaced their fingers. Both robots watched with surprise.

"Sleep, Alec darling. I'm not leaving you unless you tell me so." Magnus leaned forward and planted a kiss on the forehead, as if he had cast a spell Alec's eyelids closed slowly, the breathing steadied and he fell asleep.

He turned his head to see Ragnor and Aline standing near the door. They smiled to him, sadness and happiness blended in one. Magnus nodded and adjusted his position, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his chin rested on the edge of mattress. Before long he heard the door closed and footsteps faded away.

Spoiler:::

The Magnus Alec meets in Simon's shop is a robot, a replica as you said. He is a product of Tessa's project the she works on few years ago,. As the prologue mentioned, the real Magnus only agrees to help out on some conditions, that is if the project is not approved by the Clave the robot has to be destroyed. Yet like Ragnor and Aline, people don't really send all the robots to the furnace and instead sell them in the black market for money. That's how Alec buys Ragnor and Aline, also this robot Magnus.

I hope this answer your question:)