Simon bounded up the stairs, flinging open the now familiar door into the warehouse, stopping by for a visit on his way home from school. A gorgeous fall day, one of the last real warm ones before the chill came down and the colors started to change. Maybe he and Clary would have taken a trip to Central Park to enjoy it, if she were here. It'd been about a month now, since she and her mom had left. But they'd left him with another weird circle of people to hang out with.

"Any change, Amatis?" asked Simon hopefully, as he always did when inquiring about Luke.

"No. Here, have something to drink," she let him down gently.

"Don't mind if I do."

"How's school going?" she inquired, but he shook his head. "It's okay, I guess. It's hard to focus sometimes, thinking about all that's happened. I'm glad I still get to see you all, otherwise I'd get confused, like none of this ever happened. I still get together with the band–"

"What's the name of it now, Simon?" Magnus called out, coming out of the cell area. Must have been cleaning up in there. Seemed weirdly happy, though. "The Atomic Rangers, thanks for asking – but I miss Clary."

"You're welcome here anytime," the warlock offered, enthusiastic to a suspicious degree.

"That is so nice of you, Magnus, but I've gotta say you're positively beaming and while I have a healthy amount of self-respect I don't think it's about me. What gives?"

"Let's just say I have my eye on someone."

"You didn't tell me that, Magnus. Who is it?" asked Amatis.

"Yeah, we're all friends here, right? I just poured my heart out. Don't keep us in suspense!" Simon agreed.

"You recall the going away party I threw for Jocelyn and Clary?" Magnus obliged them.

"Yes," Amatis said, inviting him to continue.

"Clarissa invited her new friends, the Lightwoods. The eldest son and I chatted. I got his phone number. We've been seeing each other," he finally revealed, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"Good for you," Amatis celebrated with him.

"Yeah, I'm jealous!" Simon piped in.

"I thought you might chastise me. A relationship between a Shadowhunter and a warlock," Magnus explained.

"Oh, that's bad?" asked Simon, then felt slow. Downworld and Nephilim didn't mix, he knew that. It was just hard going between the two: walking down the street, people and cars, modern society, and the secret world underneath it all. And not the subway tunnels the Ninja Turtles occupied.

"It's a bit complicated, but if you like him and he likes you, well, then I support you," Amatis gave her blessing, and Simon gave his too. "Yeah, I mean, that's the hard part, right? Just meeting at all!"

"Truly, you two are too much," Magnus attempted to chastise, but they could both tell he was moved and pleased.

Magnus sighed. Normally, his own love troubles took precedence but he was caught up in these two. All because of that truth spell, back when the sun was high in the sky. But now it was lower, soon to be winter, and astoundingly Valentine was here at the warehouse on his own, asking Magnus for an update on his former parabatai's condition, but Luke was still stuck, could sporadically communicate, and no phase of the moon, no season, seemed to change it and the only thing Magnus could think of was what he'd sworn to keep secret. Except, it wasn't a secret to Valentine, was it? And he was the only one currently here: Jonathan who knows where, Amatis at the bookshop, Simon off being a mundane teenager, Jocelyn and Clary back in Idris, picking up where they'd left off.

Magnus still couldn't really see it: these two together. But would it help Luke, to prompt Valentine to speak about this? Was Magnus a fool for believing love always won out? And most importantly was he bold enough to ask? It was a comfort Valentine no longer wanted to destroy all the races of Downworlders, but they were nowhere near friendly. However, this was the only question he surely knew the answer to. Of course he was bold enough. He was the high warlock of Brooklyn. So he planted his feet and raised himself to his full height – getting additional benefit from heeled boots – in front of the door to the cells.

"Before we see him, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Valentine raised his eyebrow, but was otherwise calm. "What would that be?"

"Well, how do I put this delicately? I know that your apology to Luke was, shall I say… quite physical."

"And how did you happen to find that out?" Valentine asked, relatively unperturbed; Magnus had expected him to look at least mildly surprised.

"Luke told me."

"Did he really?"

"I used a truth spell on him. I needed to know if you were a threat."

"I assume whatever Lucian told you led you to believe I am not, since this is the second time you have allowed me here."

"Correct."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I suppose because... I have guilt about it. I had hoped he would never know but as you can imagine, when you blurt out who you had sex with to a stranger you quickly realize something is afoot. He made the attempt on his life soon after that – I was there with him, when he tried. It, and being with you all, has left a deep impression on me.

"I completely empathize, that things are complicated between the two of you but please, however you care for him, tell him now. You're alone, and I swear this time, I will grant you total privacy."

Valentine nodded and Magnus was about to open the door, but was struck with a chance and a selfish desire for personal advice. Then felt ashamed to take advantage of the situation in such a way. Valentine, and particularly Luke, were in a much more dire straits than his own romantic woes amounted to. However, he still found himself stuck with his hand on the door.

"...Is there something else?" Valentine inadvertently gave him the go-ahead, and Magnus blurted out, "Yes, actually. Since we're talking about this, and I am utterly serious, how do you get these reserved ones to respond to advances? I am seeing someone, and having one heck of a time with him."

Valentine said nothing, but by doing so, said everything. "He made the first move!?" Magnus exclaimed in disbelief. Just one more thing, about these two that didn't make any sense. "That's even more impressive! How did you manage that?"

Valentine side-stepped answering that question in an annoying suave maneuver, recommending Magnus simply take time – probably because as far as Magnus could tell, it had never been a problem of his. Some people just had all the luck, until Magnus stepped back down from cloud nine, remembered that Valentine's son had been injured by demons, causing him to suddenly have to leave his lover – lover? – and in the space between, Luke had succumbed to a most terrible series of events, leading him to being confined for nearly a season, with no end in sight. Though, in that way, he had given Magnus the advice he'd sought. Alexander's guardedness was nothing to be overly concerned about.

Particularly when late the next morning, Magnus went to check on Luke and inadvertently ended up waking Valentine, and in that flash of vulnerability, as he was regaining his bearings, Magnus could see the flash of hope in his eyes, that when he looked into the cell there would be the outline of a man and not a four legged beast. Alas, the wolf laid curled in sleep.

Magnus had not expected him to stay the night and Valentine must have seen the unspoken question in his eyes for he answered, also to Magnus' utmost surprise, "Rectifying a previous mistake."

And though it could have been vague, Magnus knew what it was, of which Valentine spoke. Knew from the memory, changed and made clearer in hindsight, of how Luke had answered his door, when Magnus called on him that afternoon. His answers that had pushed belief, that Valentine meant no harm. How Valentine already left town and he had not stayed the night. All leading to the previously unimaginable scenario, of Magnus trying to comfort him. "You could not have known, what was to come."

"When Lucian and I became parabatai, I thought we would have all the time in the world. That we would never be apart. As you already know, I was gravely mistaken. Yet I made the same mistake twice: when we met once again, I once again foolishly assumed we would have more time. Perhaps in your immortality sometimes you forget that, so I meant what I said previously: simply take time, enjoy what you are given with young Alexander. You will know if it is not meant to be.

"Thank you for taking care of Lucian. I am in your debt for it. If you should ever need a favor from me, I would happily give it to you. Please notify me should anything change with him. For better or worse."

And just for a moment Magnus could swear he saw it, the cord that tied these two together, but then it was covered, lost to the sands of time, gone by way of betrayal or turmoil, just as Valentine stood and then was gone, and the days and nights kept coming, Amatis alternating between the bookshop and the warehouse, Simon visiting when his schedule allowed it, Jocelyn asking for news, and Jonathan's offer sitting heavily upon them all.

"Man, it's cold," Simon shuddered, as he shut the door behind him, then shook the snow off his coat. "Hey, anybody here?" he called out into the warehouse but only heard his echo back, then only heard his echoing footsteps, as he pushed open the creaky door to the cell area and walked over to the chair in front of Luke's. Set his backpack down, took his hat and gloves off. He'd been so scared, the first time he came here – and admittedly still would be without Magnus' barrier – but now look at him: here all by his lonesome, sitting with a werewolf.

Not like anybody would believe him. It was getting routine, but it was also getting grim, and well, Grimm's Fairy Tales, those rarely ended well. Seemed like Luke was just slowly getting worse, less responsive, and Simon could tell by the look of him, he wasn't there right now. Just those wolf eyes he was starting to despise, attached to that giant wolf head laying in the corner. It was draining the life out of Amatis daily: she'd so wanted to reconcile with her brother, and it seemed that chance was getting slimmer and slimmer. Just like Simon's hopes were getting dimmer and dimmer. But still, he was here, he'd fling his voice to and fro – his only superpower – and give it another try.

"Hey, Luke, it's just us today. I know this isn't particularly original, but it's still weird with Clary gone. I miss going to their apartment, I miss Mrs. Fray's cooking – Clary always thought I was sucking up, but I really liked it, and well, you know, during the bad times with my mom's drinking, I wasn't exactly getting a lot of home cooked meals. It meant a lot to me, to be able to go over there, and have things feel normal for a little while. You and Mrs. Fray – should I be calling her Jocelyn now? I don't know… but you and Mrs. Fray always seemed so… stable? Yeah, stable. Funny, now, knowing what you both went through.

"And it's also funny because I've always loved stories like this: a normal person suddenly thrown into a fantastic life. It's awesome Clary is training to be an Amazon warrior woman, protecting humanity from demons, but you know how these stories go: the heroine dives headfirst into her new world, and her old crew – me – just can't keep up.

"She's meeting so many new people. She's friends with the Lightwoods now. She met Amatis' godson, Jace. Ugh, Jace. Clary talks about him all the time. What kind of name is Jace anyway? A douchebag's name."

Simon sighed, suddenly contrite. "Jealously doesn't become me. I get why they call it a green-eyed monster now. It's probably obvious, right? I've been in love with Clary for years, as long as I've known her really.

"I always hoped – assumed, if I'm being honest, which I am – that one day we would be together, but I'm starting to think that's not true anymore. I hope we can still be friends, but even that seems unlikely.

"Clary's studying to be a Shadowhunter and I'm going to… graduate high school. Go to college probably, don't know what I'll study. Mom says to get an accounting degree. She quotes good ol' Ben Franklin – 'Nothing is certain but death and taxes' and says I'm too scared of blood to be a doctor. Or an assassin as my sister likes to add. Whatever.

"At least I don't have to see Valentine and Jonathan on a regular basis. They both look a little too much like what Hitler was going for with his master race, then when you add Valentine's whole 'I'm going to exterminate all Downworlders' thing, it's just too much for this dashing Jewish boy.

"I told Amatis and Magnus that. They had a good laugh about it. I know you and Valentine used to be close, though – again, gotta be honest here – I'm having a hard time picturing it.

Simon paused, looking up at the ceiling. Same old thing he'd been looking at for months now. Same old thing Luke had been looking at for months.

"Sorry I'm being such a downer today. I think it's just starting to sink in. When I was first told about all this, it was all I could do just to hold on for the ride. But now, I can think about it more, and that must have sucked, I mean really sucked, to watch Mrs. Fray and Valentine get together. And you were the best man? Why didn't they just twist the knife while they were at it? That's how I feel right now, anyway."

Then Simon experienced a shuddering he would have loved to attribute to the cold, but it wasn't. A swell of sadness, sitting in this jail, the grey sky outside and the frozen ground that Luke hadn't stepped foot on in forever. He'd always loved being outside and he'd sacrificed all that to live in the city, to be with a woman he loved and she never loved him back. To take care of his friend's kid, and since her dork of a best friend was always chasing after her like the love-sick puppy he was, Luke took care of him too, and Simon had always been amazed, watching him do all sorts of manly things involving hammers and wrenches, saws and nails, at the farmhouse, or looking under the hood of his truck, and really hated that he had gradually started thinking of Luke in the past tense.

So he looked at that wolf, stared it down, made sure he had its attention and tried to get his hands to stop shaking, blinked the extra water out of his eyes, and as Magnus had advised him the first time he was here, took his best damn shot, with no hand-eye coordination to speak of. "I'd love to honestly be able to say 'Please, turn back, Clary needs you.' Or 'Amatis and Mrs. Fray need you.' But that's not what I'm going to say.

"I'm going to say, please turn back, because I need you. If you made it through this – watching the one you loved marry someone else, getting turned into a werewolf, getting exiled, then I can handle Clary going with this Jace asshole – it's a work in progress, what can I say. And I can handle Clary being a Shadowhunter and me being a lame mundane, but you know what I can't handle? If you survived all that, to end up stuck like this, and what – we're going to take you out back like Lassie?So my Christmas wish – Hanukkah's already past, so I'm giving it another try – so if Santa, or Jesus, is up there listening, what I really want is you turning back, and telling me I'm going to be alright. I'll believe you, because you've been there."

The wolf won the staring contest, because Simon had to look away, when it wasn't Luke there, started to think he was forgetting what Luke looked like, and instead watched his tears drip onto the concrete. Until his skin broke out in goosebumps, and a tingle shot down his spine, not from the chill, but due to sudden action from the wolf, now up on all fours, thrashing its giant head about, pawing at the ground, and he really hoped that barrier still worked, and hopefully some sound proofing was in place, because if anyone called the cops Simon could not explain this, screeching howls like bats out of hell, growls like rolling thunder. It kind of looked the wolf was trying to shake off a hive of bees, until its skin started rippling, fur falling to the ground, and bone cracking resounded, and then Simon was up on his feet screaming, shouting, losing his mind like this was the final yards till a touchdown, a runner gunning for home base, a striker about to score, all the sports he'd never cared about, but that's what this was, Luke in the ring with the wolf, throwing punches, wrestling to see who was going to wind up on top, and it was brutal and mind-bending, what he was seeing, the tipoff for control of the ball, for the body, then downright euphoric, when Luke beat him to the finish line, was there, and Simon hadn't forgotten what he'd looked like, there he was, wild hair, even wilder eyes, not that blasted yellow but clear blue, a total mess, had his clothes on, but they looked straight out of a horror movie, bloody gore, on both his shirt and his jeans, then a primal, guttural scream, that made Simon take everything back, about Luke being a mild mannered guy who ran a bookstore, suddenly made visceral sense, how he had taken over a wolf pack, because he'd just achieved another victory, against a crazy adversary. And he was still breathing hard, when he raised his head, made eye contact with Simon, and even smiled slightly, which Simon returned.

"You're going to be alright," he said hoarsely, while Simon nodded absently. Continued nodding absently, as Luke collapsed on the floor. Stared a moment, in complete shock, unable to contemplate what to do next. But after some sort of length of time went by, Simon regained coherence, realized he could not get to Luke through the barrier, and pulled out his phone to call Magnus.

Magnus did not pick up. So he sent him a text message, briefly explaining the situation. Then he called Amatis. She did pick up. "Hi, Simon, what's up?"

"Luke turned back. Now he's passed out." There was silence on the other end.

"Did you get that?" he asked, anxiously.

"I'm on my way."

"Oh, bring some clothes of his." The bloody gore was getting to him. He knew it was old, but Luke was looking pretty dead over there.

"Got it. Sit tight. I'll be there as fast as I can."

Simon paced, calling to Luke every now and then with no response, until Amatis ran through the doors. She too tried to rouse Luke, but he didn't respond, and then they both paced, until Magnus came through, calling Simon, who handed his phone over to Amatis to let the two of them discuss it. He was having the shakes pretty bad, and his teeth were chattering something fierce. A few minutes later, the warding came down.

Magnus wasn't High Warlock of Brooklyn for nothing, and Amatis was also an Amazon warrior woman, who immediately hauled her brother up and over her shoulder, then carried him off to the bathroom. Simon wandered after her, eventually settling at the usual table out in the room beyond the cells. Heard water running, and realized she was cleaning off all the bloody gore. Magnus arrived with a flourish, in a fluffy fur coat and matching hat, while she was still in the bathroom with him, and Simon silently pointed him in their direction.

He heard the murmur of conversation, but couldn't understand what they were saying. Also couldn't seem to see too much at the moment, because he hadn't even noticed Magnus walk to the cells until he returned, and then Amatis eventually appeared, walking by in a blur, with Luke across her back, had changed his clothes for him, and Simon floated after them, back to the cell that Magnus had rearranged, it looked a lot more homey now, had a bed with a table and chair beside it, was clean too, that werewolf fur Simon swore was there earlier gone, if it was ever there at all. Amatis laid Luke down, then to Simon's surprise, came over to him, placed her hands firmly on her shoulders and said, "Magnus is going to make sure you get home. One of us will let you know what's happening."

He understood he was being dismissed. Part of him wanted to stay, but mostly he could see their reasoning. And at the mention of home, he wanted nothing more than a cup of hot chocolate and to curl up under his covers.

"You better," he replied. "Also, I want total credit for this."