Chapter Text
“Looks like this is the last of it.” Alec set his bag down on the inside of the front door, stretching his arms. “I’ll start putting this away. Where can I put them?” Alec looked around. He didn’t have too much, just a few bags here and there with clothes and his bow and quiver, along with a few sharpening tools and a stack of paperwork he needed to approve and send to the Clave. It was all standard missions, thankfully. Ever since they had captured and jailed both Sebastian and Hodge, everything had been relatively calm. It was a welcome change for Alec, at least.
“Actually, we can let Madzie do the honors.” Magnus looked down at Madzie, gesturing for her to go ahead. “Go ahead. Just like you showed me.” He prompted.
Madzie nodded. She extended out her hand, not having quite the flourish that was present in every gesture of Magnus’ hands, but the magic—yellow and shaky—that surrounded the young girl’s palm was captivating, regardless. The bags in front of Alec emptied, all finding their rightful places in the room Alec and Magnus shared and in the office Magnus had cleared out for Alec.
“Well look at you, Madzie.” Alec picked her up, holding her on his hip. “I didn’t know you were this good at magic.”
“I wasn’t before.” Madzie explained. “I got better after the man made me drink this thing that tasted really weird and then put this mark on me. That’s why I want Papa to teach me his magic. He has those marks, too.” She moved her hair out of the way, exposing a small angelic rune in the spot right behind her ear. “The drink killed Nana, but he told me if I didn’t drink it, he’d kill me, too.” She licked her lips, looking down nervously as Magnus and Alec both stared at her, wide-eyed. “Was I not supposed to? I didn’t want to die. . .”
“No, Pumpkin. We understand why you did it.” Magnus spoke in a calm tone, trying to reassure her even though he was examining the rune, trying to think up possible explanations for it being able to appear on her skin. “It’s okay. Me and your Abba have them, too. Do you know what he made you drink?”
Madzie bit her lip. “I think it was blood.” She admitted. “But I didn’t like it and I only took a little. I’m not a vampire!”
Alec rubbed Madzie’s back as she began to panic. “We know you’re not a vampire, Madzie. We’re just a little curious, okay? We care about you a whole lot, so we have to make sure the man didn’t hurt you.” He looked at Magnus, pursing his lips and trying to communicate his worries to him without voicing them out loud and scaring Madzie.
Magnus nodded, showing he understand Alec. “We’re going to have to make sure you get a checkup to make sure you’re A-OK.” Magnus told her. “I have a friend who is a healer Warlock. Would you be okay with seeing her?”
Madzie hesitated. “If there’s something wrong. . .will I have to leave?”
“Of course not.” Alec reassured her. “You’re ours now. That’s not going to change.” He and Magnus shared a brief look, before Alec set Madzie down. “Me and your Papa need to have some grown up time. Go play. We’ll join you later.”
Madzie frowned. “Abba—“
“Madzie.” Magnus spoke up, his voice stern. “Listen to your father.” After a few moments, Madzie nodded and went to her room. Once she was out of earshot, Magnus cast a spell to make sure she wouldn’t hear anything from her room and crossed his arms. “You know I have some predictions already, don’t you?”
“You always do.” Alec said without missing a beat. He nodded his head at Magnus, “Enlighten me. You’re a lot better at this than I ever will be.”
“Well, obviously she was with Sebastian at some point,” Magnus started off. “Either before or after he was hosting Asmodeus, because he was the one who killed Iris, and many other Warlocks. She wouldn’t be alive if she was forced to drink pure Angel blood, so obviously it’s not that. So it had to be fallen angel blood.”
“That doesn’t explain how they got ahold of it.” Alec licked his lips.
“I can figure that out as well, but not yet. We’ll need to run some tests, figure out what the source of the blood is. After that, I can start try to figure out how Sebastian acquired the blood. If it’s really fallen angel blood, then Madzie is fine. She’s just. . .like me, to a certain extent. But getting fallen angel blood is a hell of a lot harder than getting ahold of angel blood. It’s practically impossible.”
“Practically being an operative word in this case, it seems.”
Magnus nodded his head. “Asmodeus can’t have a body with fallen angel blood. He’d have to be summoned to have a physical body, and there’s only way to summon him.”
Alec bit his lip. “The Kris.” He stated. He reached out to Magnus, stroking his cheek. “It’s in our possession, so that’s one less thing to worry about. Don’t get that face.” He poked the space between Magnus’ brows. It had crumpled up slightly as a deep frown appeared on Magnus’ face.
“What face?” Magnus asked, the deep set of his eyebrows not faltering.
“The face that makes me want to kiss away all your worries.” Alec’s mouth raised up on the right side, forming a lighthearted smirk. He ran his fingers through Magnus’ hair.
“These aren’t the kind of worries you can kiss away, Alexander.” Magnus tilted his head up, raising onto the tips of his toes to clear the discrepancy in their heights.
“I can try.”
“You can.” Magnus agreed, hooking his fingers into Alec’s belt loops and pulling him in, their lips meeting in a soft peck. Alec kissed him once, twice, three times before refusing to pull away, his tongue delving past Magnus’ lips and his hands traveling down from the small of Magnus’ back and grabbing his ass.
“Mm. . .” Magnus was the one to pull away, brushing his thumb over his lips with a small grin. “It helped.” He chuckled, his gaze traveling down to his feet. “But let’s not get carried away, yeah? I’ll go play with Madzie, I need you to see what you can do down at the Institute.” Magnus tapped Alec’s chest quickly before pulling his hand away. “I’ll see you later, Alexander. Be home soon, I have something important to tell you when you get back.”
“Yes you will.” Alec watched Magnus as he walked away, his eyes lingering on his ass. Once he disappeared around the corner, Alec furrowed his brows. “Wait a second, something important? Magnus what did you do?”
“Bye Alexander!” Magnus shouted. As Alec left, he heard the sound of both Magnus and Madzie giggling.
Within minutes of entering the institute, Alec sent out a message for Izzy, Aldertree, and Jace to his office. He knew Izzy and Aldertree were out, so it would take them longer to arrive than Jace. He readied himself to speak to Jace as he entered his office, sitting down in his chair and taking a deep breath when he heard Jace knock.
“Come in.”
Jace sat on the opposite side of the desk, looking distressed. “Alec, I—“
“Save it.” Alec cut him off, not wanting to hear whatever Jace had to say. He was still angry at him and it wouldn’t do Alec any good to lose his temper before the important meeting with Izzy and the debriefing for Aldertree. “Your report.” He held out his hand, ignoring the hurt expression on Jace’s face and the dull ache that came from his parabatai rune.
It Jace a few moments, but he retrieved the report and passed it over to Alec, pursing his lips. “Is that really all you have to say to me? Alec, if you’d just please let me explain.”
“Dismissed.” Alec said shortly, looking down at the report in his hand. “That is all I have to say to you. We’re not having this conversation.” His voice was cold, colder than it had ever been when he was speaking to Jace.
“Alec.” Jace set his hand down on the desk. “We have always done everything together. When you were named Acting Head, you chose me as your second and gave me control over the Demon Hunts. We’re parabatai, we trust each other and you know me well enough to know I would never mean for this to happen. You have to talk to me individually.”
“Do I?” Alec inclined his head to the right. “Because maybe you should’ve been thinking about how the two of us are parabatai before you fell for my fiancé. The damage is done. Dismissed, Jace.”
“Alec, don’t look at me like that.” Jace frowned. “Don’t look at me like I’m a stranger. I’m still the same. I’m still your brother. You know me better than anyone.”
“I thought I did.” Alec turned a page in the report, trying to read it but unable to get past the third line. “Maybe I’m looking at you like I don’t know you because I don’t. Maybe I never did.”
“Alec—“
Aldertree’s voice interrupted whatever Jace was going to say. “Should we go?” He looked over at Isabelle, who rolled her eyes and grabbed the back of his shirt, moving the both of them away from the door to Alec’s office.
“No. I called you here.” Alec waved a hand at Jace. “You’re dismissed. I won’t repeat myself again.”
Jace threw one last pleading look at Alec, but was met with a cold, unfeeling stare. He turned around, his gaze directed at the floor as he left.
“Trouble in paradise?” Aldertree asked, before letting out a punched-out groan as Isabelle stomped her six-inch heels onto his toes. He bit his lip, raising both hands in surrender before stealing the chair in front of Alec’s desk, forcing Isabelle to sit. “On a more serious note,” He began. “You requested to see us?”
“I wanted to let you know that Magnus and I have adopted a Warlock named Madzie.” Alec licked his lips. “I thought you would like to stay updated. I’ve also moved into Magnus’ loft with him and our daughter.”
“Congratulations.” Victor took out a notepad, taking down any information he would have to deliver to the Clave later. “With this new development, I have to wonder when you’re finally going to make an honest Warlock out of Magnus. I have a date in mind, if you want to hear it.”
“If you say tomorrow, Victor, you’re on Ichor duty.” Alec said tiredly. “Hire a wedding planner first, at least. Magnus is probably going to want to be working with them every step of the way.”
“Noted.” Aldertree didn’t say the date he had in mind, so Alec assumed his threat was sufficient and he had actually been planning to say tomorrow.
“Dismissed, Aldertree.” Alec managed to smile, just a little. Seeing Aldertree trying to push the Clave’s agenda in the friendliest manner possible was both irritating and amusing. It was easy to see that a lot was riding on his and Magnus’ relationship, and Aldertree was walking on eggshells with his assignment. He waited until he left the room before instructing Izzy to close the door behind her.
“I’m assuming this meeting is going to be the least fun.” Izzy crossed her legs.
“Or most. Depends on you” Alec shrugged. “I’ve got an assignment for you. It’s about Madzie.”
Izzy nodded, waiting for Alec to continue.
“I have reason to suspect that Madzie has angel blood. She was experimented on and I want you to confirm whether or not she has angel blood and I need to see if you can figure out where it came from. I can get a sample, if that’s what you need, and Magnus says he wants Catarina to be involved, so you can look forward to meeting the best healer in the city.”
“It’s not all that special. She’s still just a warlock.” Isabelle said offhandedly. “It seems like everyone has angel blood now. The Clave is going to have an aneurysm over this.”
Alec narrowed his eyes. “Just a Warlock?” He asked, narrowing in on that specific part of what Izzy said. “What does that mean?”
“Don’t do that, Alec. You know I didn’t mean it like that.” Izzy shrugged her brother off.
“We both know you did.” Alec licked his lips, cocking an eyebrow up at his sister. “But I didn’t call you in here to argue with you. I’ll be in tomorrow with the sample I need you to test.”
Izzy nodded her head. “I got it. Anything else?”
“Izzy.”
“Yes, Hermano?”
“Thank you.” Alec quirked his mouth up into a small smirk. “Also, I was wondering if you wanted to meet your new niece anytime soon?”
Izzy’s expression brightened. “Are you kidding me? Of course I want meet her! I didn’t see the girl when Clary brought her in, but that means I can make the perfect first impression. I should make her a dessert. Cookies or cake!” She brought her hands together, eager.
“You shouldn’t make anything,” Alec cleared his throat, not wanting to hurt his sister’s feelings even if she was just plain awful at cooking. “Madzie’s a picky eater.” He lied, trying to smooth over the blow from his earlier words. “You know how kids are. She only eats her Papa’s cooking. And Izzy?”
“Mmhm?” Izzy said, her grin still present on her face.
“Once you finish testing Madzie’s blood, I need you to dispose of it, the same you did with Magnus when we initially ran tests with him. If it really is fallen angel blood, we can’t have anyone getting their hands on it.”
“I didn’t dispose of Magnus’ blood. It was an intern. I’ll have them get rid of it, don’t worry.”
Alec nodded. “I want you to supervise the removal of them this time, Izzy. It’s important. I don’t want anyone getting ahold of that blood.” His tone was deathly serious.
Izzy, noticing her brother’s tone, dropped her smile and nodded sagely. “Okay. I understand.” She crossed her arms. “You know you can trust me, Hermano.”
“More than anything.” Alec agreed. “Which is why it has to be you to supervise it. It feels like you’re the only person in the Institute that truly has my back right now.” His shoulders sagged, and he glanced down, his hand briefly coming down to hover over his parabatai rune.
“Alec, you two have to work together to get past this.” Isabelle sighed. “Jace is a part of you.”
“So is Magnus.” Alec moved his hand quickly.
“Exactly. And if you think he doesn’t feel the same hurt you’re feeling because you refuse to talk to your parabatai, then you’re wrong.”
“And what exactly am I supposed to do, Izzy?” Alec snapped, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He felt tense and on edge after his conversation with Jace, and he wanted nothing more than to return to his home with Magnus and Madzie and get away from Jace disheartened expression and the deep love for Magnus he sensed within him. “Should I just forgive and forget, like I always do? Let Jace back in and watch as he takes my fiancé and our daughter away from me?” Alec knew he was being irrational, but that didn’t change anything. He needed to yell, to let out all of his insecurities and fear that threatened to come to the surface every time he saw Magnus and Jace together.
“Alec,” Izzy reached out, cupping her brother’s cheek. “Give Magnus more credit than that. He loves you.”
“I know, I know.” Alec ran his fingers through his hair. His eyes fluttered shut, long lashes settling against his cheekbones. “Magnus isn’t the issue. But you know how it’s always been. When given the choice, no one has ever chosen me. And I know you see the way Jace smiles when he and Magnus spar, and I can see that Magnus is happy, too. They’re more alike than me and Magnus are. When they enter a room, they shine. I don’t.”
“Oh, Alec.” Izzy smiled sadly. “If you can’t see the way heads turn when you enter a room, I don’t know what to tell you. Talk to Magnus. The only person that can reassure you is him.”
“I will.” Alec bit his lip. “I just—I don’t Magnus to think that I’m doubting him.” He drew a slow, deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “I’m sorry I yelled, but I need to go back home. Have Lindsay wire all calls to my cell. I finish my work in the office at the loft.”
“Of course you’re sorry, you hothead.” Izzy smiled at her brother. “Go ahead. If the world starts ending any more than usual, you’ll be the first to know.”
Alec entered his new home to find Magnus, Madzie and Catarina all on the couch, pressed close together while a kid’s movie played on the television. A small grin found its way onto his lips and all his stress practically melted away at the sight. He stood in the doorway for a few moments, his enhanced hearing picking up the sound of Catarina whispering tips in Magnus’ ear as he finished braiding Madzie’s hair into twin buns, the back of her head braided with an intricate design.
Madzie was hugging Zethor as Magnus put two bow clips into her hair, pale pink to match the scarf tied around her neck to cover her warlock mark. Zethor’s small head was squished in between Madzie’s arms, and Alec took a moment to silently thank Magnus for not letting Alec buy a real dog that Madzie would have inevitably and accidently strangled.
Alec quietly shut the door behind him, being careful so he didn’t disturb the three of them while their watched their movie, but Madzie turned her head the moment the door closed. “Abba!” She dropped Zethor and rushed over to the door, jumping into Alec’s arms. He lifted her onto his hip, giving both Catarina and Magnus a guilty smile when their gazes landed on him. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.” He gave Madzie a kiss on the forehead before setting her down. “I have some work waiting for me in my office. Catarina, do you mind watching Madzie for a second while Magnus helps me with something?”
“Go ahead.” Catarina winked at him.
“Abba, I want to go with you.” Madzie pouted, clutching onto Alec’s pant leg and giving him the widest doe eyes Alec had ever seen. Alec wanted to believe it was magic and that he wasn’t just weak to Madzie, but he knew the truth.
“Now, Now, Sweet Pea.” Magnus pushed himself off the couch and sauntered over to them both. “Play with Catarina.” His tone, as always, left no room for argument. For someone that was always so welcoming and gentle when it came to Alec, he could be surprisingly stern.
“Yes Papa.” Madzie frowned and walked back over to Catarina. It was clear to everyone, while Alec was spineless when it came to his newfound daughter, he would never go against Magnus. They were a team.
“Lead the way. I need to tell you something as well.” Magnus gestured outward with his hand, letting Alec walk to his office first, him just a few steps behind. Magnus closed the door behind the two of them and locked it, leaning against the door with his arms crossed. “I’ll start. Jace told me he’s in love with me.”
Alec’s hand involuntarily clenched into a fist. He saw red. All he could think was How dare he? and nothing else. Of course Jace was tell him. Of course.
Jace couldn’t let Alec have his happiness. He wanted to take it away from him, just like he always did. Alec was ready to leave the office and take out every ounce of anger that had suddenly appeared within him on his parabatai, but he found that he was suddenly unable to move.
“Alexander.” Magnus placed his hands on his hips. “I’m not finished. I rejected him as kindly as I could’ve, given the circumstances. I made myself clear that I will never want anyone other than you.”
“You chose me.” It was both a question and a statement.
“I will always choose you, Alexander.” Magnus snapped his fingers, releasing Alec when he felt some of his anger beginning to fade.
That was all Alec needed to hear. Maybe his insecurities weren’t completely gone, but it was such a relief to know that Magnus wouldn’t go for something better once it presented itself. That he would choose Alec, hair-trigger temper and all. It was more than Alec had ever received from anyone else. No one had ever felt as if just him was enough for him.
But Magnus. . .
Magnus was different. Not only had he chosen Alec this time, but he said that he would always choose him.
Alec pulled Magnus in by his hips, meeting his lips in a kiss. His arms came around Magnus to wrap around his waist and Magnus fingers weaved through his hair, the emotions felt through their bond conveying every single thing Alec didn’t say.
Thank you for choosing me.
Thank you for loving me.
I love you.
I love you, too.
I will always choose you.
I will always love you.