SHAPESHIFTED (✓)

30. The saviors.

A/N Please listen to the song I've attached above. I just think it fits the current situation of this story. Now, back to the chapter.

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"Demons below! Finally! I thought you'd never show up. How am I looking? I hope Spiral Labyrinth hasn't aged me. I swear on Lilith, if I get to be sent to that horrendous place for years again, I'm taking the person there with me who wishes to banish me there ever again." A person's voice said as two glasses of red wine appeared on the huge glass table placed in front of the couch where Magnus was sitting, still burying his head in his palms.

As the person sat on the couch beside the one Magnus was sitting on, a frown appeared on her face. "Is The Magnus Bane upset over something? Whose ass do I need to kick? Don't tell me it's Ragnor again?"

"Shut up, Catarina!" Magnus' muffled voice came through his palms, and Catarina's frown deepened. It wasn't Magnus' regular arrogant voice, it was her old friend's voice. Her heart skipped a beat as soon as she realized that.

"Magnus..." She said softly. "Are.. are you... crying?" She reached out for his hand and removed it gently, revealing Magnus' sad face. There were a few drops of tears resting on his cheeks and more were threatening to fall down, but as usual, Magnus was trying to suppress it and bottle it up. She was surprised and relieved at the same time. She had no idea what happened, but Magnus finally had tears in his eyes, something she thought she'd never see again.

"Magnus, what happened? Are you okay?" She asked gently, something she thought would never happen again. Since the time of Matthew's death, Magnus changed completely, became more dark, loud, violent, completely opposite of himself, and now hearing his soft voice again, seeing him showing emotions, she wanted to know what happened when she was gone, wanted to search for the person, and thank him/her for breaking the shield he wore for centuries.

"Magnus, talk to me, what happened?" She asked again when Magnus kept looking at the glass coffee table like it could solve his problems.

"He... he shouldn't have found out. He's... he's broken, again. I.. I saw it coming, but.. but why do I feel like this? He shouldn't have known before I found out my answers, but he does, and I.. I don't know what to do!? I-"

"Magnus! Magnus, calm down! I just came back from Spiral Labyrinth, I have no clue what you're saying. Tell me from the beginning, Magnus, what happened?" She asked softly, daring to pat his shoulder, thankful that he didn't shove her hands away.

Magnus looked at his best friend like really looked, and she was right, she did change, but in a good way. Her usual curly brown hair was straight and ran down to her waist, she had become slim and more beautiful and was wearing a solid deep blue colored knee-length dress. If it were some other time he would've complimented her for her new look in his usual sassy way, but not right now, he had some bigger problem to deal with.

"Catarina, my... my new..." He looked at her, who had a frown on her face and was looking softly at him. He didn't know how to put it, boyfriend? Friend? Playtoy? No. No, Alec wasn't a playtoy. "My new... partner, he's him, Catarina. I'm sure he's him!"

"Who's whom, Magnus? Do you get too close to your new playtoy this time?" She knew all about his playboy persona, that's what he became after Matthew's death, that's how he coped, by becoming an emotionless, cold, and evil playboy. Even if he felt something, he kept it inside himself, and bottled it up, making him more evil and cold-hearted if possible. There were instances where he got closer to his 'playtoys' and ended up getting hurt, as a result, doing things that the Magnus she knew was never capable of.

"No! No, he's not a playtoy, Catarina. He's... Alexander.. he's.. he's.. my boyfriend?" It came out more like a question than a statement, why was he feeling like that? He was still not able to process what just happened.