Here is the third chapter. I am dedicating this chapter to my dear friend Tibby, as she is awesome and lovely (and listens to me rambling!). This is also my only fanfic that I have deemed 'okay' for her - i.e. the one with the least depressing themes. Anyway, she has a fanfiction account - whatsintheboxx. She isn't quite up and running but I will let you know when she is so you can check her out! She is really good.

Enjoy!

Lu xxx

It had been a long time since Alec had been on a plane, and it took him a few minutes to get used to the sensation once he was up in the air. The flight to New York would take just over 5 hours, and he planned to spend most of it sleeping to gain the energy to face the place that flooded his nightmares. He knew that the city was massive, and that the chance of seeing anyone from his past was very, very slim, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that there were going to be encounters, especially since Max was keen to see all of his favorite places.

Alec had just closed his eyes when an excited squealing erupted from his right. He groaned and turned to see Max desperately happy about the view from the window - of course the kid had been given the window seat. He was sure the man sat to his left must be annoyed at being sat with them, but he didn't care. He let his lips fall into a smile, one side flicking up before the other. It made him smile to see his son so happy. He had had such a simple, happy childhood in most ways, one that Alec would have dreamed of back when he was a child only a few years ago. Of course, there had been the complication of not having a family, but in some ways Alec thought that was good. That way there were less people to hurt him the way. He wouldn't have had to go what Alec had had to go through.

No, no, he couldn't think like that. He needed the happy memories to share with Max - happy memories that included Magnus as well as those that didn't. He wanted to share a little bit of his other father with the boy, because he was an important part of Max even if he had never met the man, never known him. He closed his eyes again as Max calmed down a little bit and let his mind take him back to when he had been happiest, when the world had gone from the hardship of family life to the happiness of loving Magnus, and being loved by Magnus. When everything had been in a state of stability and simplicity that would not, could not last.

Sunlight flew in through the trees in Central Park. This was a place only he and Magnus knew. It was a small cluster of trees, full of beautiful and rare flowers. Beams of light littered the floor, throwing a dreamy patchwork of shadows on the place like a cobweb, just as mystical and just as intricate. He was leaning against Magnus, head resting in the crook of his neck. Magnus was gently stroking his hair in a lazy, caring fashion. They had been sitting there for hours together, just happy in the togetherness of each other. They had only been dating for a couple of weeks but already it was as if they were soul-mates. Without warning, Magnus took Alec's face and turned it towards his. Alec would remember forever the way the light danced in his eyes, the reflection of the sun and something else. He would remember the look on Magnus's face, the apprehension overruled by something deeper. The way he had said he loved Alec for the first time. The taste of his lips, sweet and soft and gentle on his own. Their first kiss. It was a memory that Alec would smile at forever.

Taki's was nearly full but somehow the pair of them had managed to find an unoccupied table that seemed to be shut off from the world. Magnus held Alec's hands in his, rubbing gently at the scarred knuckles that he had gained from the years of boxing that his parents had forced him into. And the karate. And judo. They had been very clear that they wanted Alec to be a fighter, and Alec had been very clear that he didn't. Magnus was wearing all black today, a somber ensemble, although the jeans were ripped and his t-shirt was covered in rivets. It was a fresh spring day, and the air had a certain brightness to it - well, as bright as it could be in New York with the ever present fumes from thousands of cars. The other boy was smiling at him, laughing at his jokes, letting him in where he let no one else. This was how Alec loved the boy. Open, totally revealed and... and just pure Magnus. Nothing else. No false appearances. No shell. Just Magnus. The Magnus that Alec loved with all his heart.

The warm sun of early fall beat down on Alec's neck as he walked back to his house. He had had a lovely time with Magnus, laughing and throwing popcorn at each other at the cinema, getting kicked out of the cinema, running away from the security guard. Just the usual madness with Magnus. The madness he had grown to love as he had grown to love Magnus and learnt to live. As he wandered down the sidewalk, a soft orange light glowing through the vibrant yellows and reds of the trees, a massive Gothic building loomed up to the side of him. The Institute. His favorite library in the city. It wasn't very popular with most people, but it was the only place that he had ever been able to call home. He had met Magnus there - he had been researching something for school and had come across Alec reading A Tale Of Two Cities in the corner. He smiled at the memory, and walked with a renewed happiness back to the place that he had to sleep in.

Alec stayed like that for rest of the journey. Somehow, for once, the dreams remained the sweet memories that he treasured rather than the brutal ones that he feared to touch the edges of his subconscious upon. After a while, Max succumbed to the tiredness that follows extreme exhaustion and fell asleep with his head resting of his father. Alec, half awake, moved his arm to encompass the boy, and held his son in the way he had done eight years before when he had flown in the opposite direction. Then they were flying to escape. But now - now, even though they did not know it, they were flying towards a better future.

It was half three when Magnus awoke. Bleary eyed, he stared at the time, and realising how late it was swore and hastily jumped out of bed a little too quickly, causing his head to spin. He caught himself and managed to regain his balance. He needed to get up. Step one - get dressed. He walked over to his closet and picked out suitable attire - ripped dark blue jeans, and a plain black top (he wasn't planning on doing much) and then moved over to the mirror to quickly swipe on his eyeliner. Yes, he wasn't doing much. But he was Magnus Bane. He simply couldn't be seen without at least something rimming his eyes.

Five minutes late he emerged with hair in explosive spikes into the living room. Will was happily playing Mariokart, bless him, and looked up expectantly when his dad entered the room. He beamed in a charming fashion and pointed to the counter, where the cat was edging ever closer to a massive pile of toast.

"I made you lunch!" Magnus ruffled his hair on the way past and swiped up the plate just as the Chairman pounced for it. There was a loud crash and a lot of hissing. The vague thought that the Chairman may have broken something flashed across Magnus's mind, but it was soon gone. He didn't really care. He was a more go with the flow kind of person.

He settled down on the couch next to his son and nibbled on a corner of the toast. It was very good so he took a massive bite.

"Thanks Will, I needed that." The boy grinned again.

"Can I have a bit?" He giggled. Ten minutes of quiet followed whilst the pair of them devoured the toast. When it was all gone, Magnus set the plate down on the old coffee table, put his feet up next to it and stared at Will, who surprisingly hadn't taken up the controller again. Magnus stared at it and then raised a single eyebrow at the boy. Weird.

"Dad, can we go to the library? I want to check out a couple of books." Ah. Made sense.

"Sure. I tell you what, I have a couple of errands to run so if I drop you off will you be okay for a couple of hours and then I'll come pick you up at say six?" Will nodded enthusiastically. Magnus grabbed his keys off of the table.

"Go get you coat on then!" He himself shrugged on his favorite jacket, a beautiful soft leather in the darkest black imaginable with slight spikes up the sleeves. It had been a gift from Alec long ago, and although it hurt him to think about the boy the garment only reminded him of the happy times, the laughter. Basically, the stuff he wanted to remember.

"Ready!" Magnus smiled and took his boy's hand.

"Off we go then."

The train ride to the pair's favorite library was short, and the trip was uneventful - they only went past a couple of stops before they reached the right one. It was relatively uncomfortable, as the train was packed to bursting and it was a deliciously hot summer day, making the air stale and barely breathable, and Magnus had to hold Will close to him so as to prevent him from being jostled away by the people. Luckily the journey was barely ten minutes, and soon the carriage was drawing into the station just a short stroll away from the library.

Magnus pulled his son out of the doors and onto the platform before they could shut and led him out into the bright summer sunshine. The station, like quite a few in New York, was grimy and tiled, a dismal place. Alec and Magnus had had their final argument on a station like this, the one they had just journeyed from, the boy Magnus had never known nestled in his arm. They had just been on their way to bring them home. Well, they had got home. And then the boy Magnus had been holding had disappeared, and he didn't even know his name. But he needed to think positive. He still had Will, and the boy had made the stars shine more brightly in the sky again through his grief. He was his salvation and his happiness. He really loved him.

They strolled together along the path, holding a mindless conversation about everyday subjects - Will's favorite comics, which he was keen to chat about, and school, which the boy was not - he preferred to do what he liked when he liked it, and the teachers often disapproved. Magnus was trying to get him to change his ways - despite appearance, Magnus had worked damn hard in school and it had got him his dream career. He wanted his son to be able to live like that, and he was sure he had the potential to do so. He just needed to unlock it.

Both of them took a moment to look up at the trees. They held the slight orange tint to the green that hinted fall was coming, and he couldn't wait for that season. Neither of them could. Magnus had many happy memories, old memories of this lane in the fall, of this city and waltzing around with those that he loved. He still had people that he cared for, but he had never loved anyone since Alec. Sure there had been one night stands and summer flings, but nothing serious. Not until Camille. But that flew out of his head, because they had reached the door.

It was a rather impressive door. It was massive, probably oak or something similar, with massive iron bolts and embellishments. Mind you, the whole place was impressive. There massive turrets with intricate detailing in the stone, a huge statue of an avenging angel boldly stuck on the center of the main hall. There was a glass dome right at the top, the place that was hard to get to but was the favorite place to read in for both of them. It was quiet up there, and beautiful, surrounded by plants and sunlight. Magnus turned to his son.

"See you at six then. Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" Will nodded and began to hurry up the steps to the enterance. He turned around to face his dad.

"Yep. Hodge knows me!"

"I know. I just wanted to be sure. See ya." Magnus for good measure watched and waited until the thick double doors had closed behind Will before he set off. The double doors to the Institute.

What do you think? Is it good? Please review. Also, check out You don't understand by Ameliaherondale. I have been beta-ing it just recently, it's seriously good. So go read it and review for her, and I will send you virtual cookies for making her happy!

Thanks for reading!

Lu xxx