After COHF

Chapter 24

Alec couldnt stand the constant feeling of impending doom over the Herondale Manor; not while everyone was so silent. They all pretended the book didnt exsist. Which bothered him, knowing how hard it was to want to hide something was almost like Alec's very own talent.

His heart went out to his parabatai. Jace, too stuborn to look at the book, was currently wallowing around the manor and only smiled when he felt like it was his obligation.

Training drove him into a frenzy, beginning with the actual training equipment Jace soon moved on to punching and kicking the walls until his little bones broke and blood began to dribble from his mouth among other areas.

Clary was left with taking care of the baby, Izzy helped but only did what she knew, and Magnus and Simon mostly tried to keep everyone from falling apart.

Not the emergency crew you would be hopng for.

When runes were too small for the injuries Jace self-inflicted the warlock's help came in hand, although Alec could tell each night that Mangus was just about to throw Jace out of the window and leave him to free-fall.

Back on his "I'm not a shadowhunter pet," strike Magnus wandered around, straying as far from anyone who could possibly ask for more.

Clary seemed in a depressed slump, trying to get Jace to stop.

"At what point do you just get to leave him in front of a fire station?" Magnus asked.

"That depends, how old is he?" Simon asked, watching Clary wander in circles looking for who-knows-what in the vast kitchen.

"Too old, Sherman, to do it legally, of course we dont have to do anything thats all too technically legal" The warlock began, but was cut off.

"I'm going to talk to him again," Clary left the child on Izzy, and for a moment Alec felt a pang of guilt, Clary had been trying so hard, they all had, but Jace wouldnt budge.

"Magnus, you honestly cant tell me you've never had to deal with this," Iz whispered, watching Clary exit the room.

This only lead to an emancly quiet room, before being interrupted, "Okay. Well once- maybe twice- but usually there's something, someone that can make them budge."

"What have you done in the past?" Alec asked, growing hopeful.

"Take them to the silent brothers, but he'd have to show them that book of his."

"He wont let anyone see the stupid book," Isabelle fell back onto the soft diningroom chair and played with the babies fingers. She felt, for a moment at least, like she would wish to trade places with the drooling child.

"Well.. that is why i hadnt suggested that before," sighing, Magnus falls back in his chair and watches the ceiling with keen intrest. The famous ticking of the most annoying old-fashioned clock drives him to thinking but not much comes to show for it.

He silently thanked the Herondale family for staying so old fashioned- the place was clean. All rustic-red and glamorous gold, both current and staying with the true traditon of the family. Slinking in his chair he knew if he just closed his eyes he could be in another time, holding a glass and toasting to an old friends' newly built home.

Which is exactly why he was afraid to blink.

Alec watched his significant other wondering why his eyes were beginning to redden. He'd only seen Magnus cry when he got glitter in his eyes, that or sequins. (Which had actually happened once).

Simon minded his own little patch on the floor- near where Izzy was resting on the couch with her feet up on Alec.

The only sounds coming from light breathing and the very annoying grandfather clock, spinning around like the flash of a wingtip belonging to a heron.