The battle on Valentine's ship was hard on all of us. It left us wounded and confused,and worse of all Valentine still got away. I now sit in the kitchen drinking water to cope with the body heat the healing runes created. Clary walked in lookin terrible, her fiery red hair a mess, and healing runes also decorated her arms. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water, she stared at me. "Hey Alec, Isabelle told me that today is your nineteenth birthday, that's good, we could use some good news after...that day."

  "It's nothing special, I mean the same thing will happen as it does every year. Isabelle bakes me a cake, she burns it, buys me a cake, and then I get a book or some sort of dagger from her and Jace."

  "Well aren't your parents coming home this year? Shouldn't that be good?"

  "It's probably nothing at all, just felt bad for abandoning me most of my life and think a few one week visits will patch things back together." I said that a lot more bitterly than I intended to.

  "Oh...What about Magnus, he's your boyfriend after all? Isn't he going to do something for your birthday?" I choked on my water.

  "Who told you that?!"

  "I figured it out myself, it's okay Alec I won't tell anyone, just try to have a good time today."

 "No promises." She looked confused and walked out of the room. She probably is wondering why I'm so bitter. Well for starters Jace is mad at me for hiding Magnus from him(I still haven't told him yet though), more and more people seem to be learning about my love life, Magnus has been busy with clients so he's much more disconnected to reality lately, and lastly my parents said when they come they're going to give an "announcement" for me and it has left me nervous. My parents "announcements" have never been pleasant, like when they said they're taking Max to Idris and leaving us here with Hodge(even though he isn't here anymore), a family member dying or ill, or even when they introduced me to Magnus;that wasn't pleasant because I saw him without being able to show any affection towards him with my parents around. Anyway it could literally mean anything;it could be that Clary couldn't keep her mouth shut and the information reached the clave, they could be taking us all to Idris because Hodge is gone, one of few family members we have left could've died, it's nerve raking. My thoughts of worry were suddenly cut off by Isabelle walking in with the usual cake and a plain black bag. "Happy birthday, Alec." She came over and hugged me while setting the cake down.

  "Where's Jace? He's usually here just to grab some and leave"

  "Oh he's here I just wanted to distract him while I gave you my present." Oh by the angle this can't be anything good. She handed me the black bag and I opened it to find a random assortment of things. First on top was a new copy of the Shadowhunters codex because I had lost mine, this was fairly normal but then it's Isabelle we're taling about so I kept rummaging through the bag. Besides that there was a pair of white skinny jeans and eye liner. Oh by the angel what are you planning Iz. "Iz may I ask you what's with the clothes and makeup?"

  "Do you not remember who you're dating? I'm trying to help Magnus in fact, and plus guy liner is hot, have you not seen Pete Wentz?"

  "I have no idea who that is and I have no intention in finding out, and that doesn't really give me an answer."

  "I owe him a favor, this is how I'm paying my favor."

  "And you owe him a favor for..."                                                    

"Enchanting my whip." I gave her a confused look when Jace walked in holding a seraph blade.       

  "Isabelle your were lying there are no ducks outside...Oh hey Alec, happy birthday man." He patted me on the back, stole some cake and went his merry way. This wasn't unusual for Jace, he did the same thing every year so I was used to him just leaving like that. "Soooooo Alec, are you going to visit Magnus today?"                                             

  "Bloody hell why does everyone keep asking me that?! First Clary now you, why are you all so interested in my love life, you don't see me asking her about Simon or you about that fearie guy." Isabelle looked as if she was going to defend herself but a sudden shake of the entire institute cut her off. I got up and walked to the library because that is where we keep the portal and I want to get this announcement over with as soon as possible. I breached  the library and opened the wooden door to find Max, my parents, and a girl standing there. Max immediately ran up to me and hugged me telling me he missed me and wishing me a happy birthday. I gently pushed him away and ruffled his hair then stared at my parents. They had a very firm look on their faces and the girl was just looking around. "Max, go talk to Isabelle and Jace, we need to talk with Alec." I heard my father say. Max turned around and ran out the room, I barely noticed the comic book he had in his hands. The girl took a few steps forward and was a bit ahead of my parents. She had light brown hair and dark green eyes with light skin and couldn't be older than 18. She was wearing a black skirt and blue blouse, she was freakishly skinny for a shadowhunter, not like Isabelle who had muscle to her but as if she had never been in training when the marks were clearly visible on her. She was pretty but I didn't pay much attention to her looks as my focus was on my parents. My father cleared his throat and began to speak again. "Alec this is Julie Silverscale, we met her in Idris when the clave called a meeting. Well Alexander you are now nineteen and you have never had a girlfriend and shadowhunters still use some old traditions such as pre-planned engagements we thought we should introduce you to her. Alexander Gideon Lightwood, meet your future wife." My heart stopped beating for a moment. Wife?! No this cannot be happening I can't be engaged to her I have Magnus.  

  "No no, I-I can't marry her, I just can't."                

  "What do you mean you can't marry her! You're nineteen now and need to keep the Lightwood blood line strong. I don't see anything wrong with her."                                                                

"Alec, it's okay, when I found out I was a little afraid too but I realized that I do want to marry you." I heard Julie say. She had a high voice that sounded like a singer's.                                      

"No I'm sorry, you seem like a great girl and I'm sure someone in the world deserves you and will love you but that person isn't me. I can't marry you I'm sorry as I am in love with someone else." My father tried to stop me but it was too late I already sprinted out of the room and out the institute and ran to the only place I could run to. Magnus. Oh no when he finds out he'll be devastated, this is awful.                                                      

It was raining and I was soaking wet once I let myself into his apartment. I left a trail of muddy footsteps on the stairs but the condition of his stairs was not a worry to me at the moment. I threw open the door and saw Magnus there with another warlock who had green skin and horns. I grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him out of the room. I apologized to him saying that I needed to talk to Magnus immediately. "Alec that was my old friend Ragnor, why are you here? I know it's your birthday I had that all figured out but-" I cut him off by flinging myself into his arm and not letting go.      

  "M-Magnus, I'm so sorry, I can't do anything about it." I started to sob into his chest and he sat us down on the couch without letting go of me. He started to stoke my hair until I was calm enough to speak and the cries have passed.                        

"Alexander, what happened?" He was truly concerned about me, I couldn't sugar coat it so I just said it straightforward.        

"My parents are forcing me to marry someone." I watched as all the color in his face drained and his cat eyes narrowed.        

"Alec, w-what do you mean?"                                                          

"My parents are forcing me to marry this girl because they think it's time that I do. Her name is Julie Silverscale, have you heard about her or her family?"                                                       

"I have heard of the Sliverscales, an old family that's name came from their association with mermaids in the past, they became a shadowhunter family after the servant of a person who studied mermaids accened, she chose the name after all the time she helped care for the mermaids, very rich family. But they became rich by killing downworlders and taking what they could from them. Although I know their history I don't know much about their recent descend Julie as you said her name was, I don't think I heard about her at all."                                     

"It's awful, if only I wasn't so cowardly and told them earlier then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation. if only I wasn't such an idiot." He took two fingers and put them under my chin to tilt my head up so I was looking straight at him.                      

"Alexander, don't dwell on the past, it's there's nothing we can do about it but deal with it now."            

  "I know but I can't help but think if only-."                                    

"No stop, stop thinking 'if only' it isn't worth it, what happened happens and we can't change that. We can't change what happened in the past but we can change our future and we can deal with your parents later. We can always just tell them" I looked at him for a while. For being extremely flamboyant and fun he is very wise from all of his years of living. Times like this make me remember why I fell in love with him in the first place.

"Magnus, I would like to tell them but I just can't. I will get myself out of this and that is a promise I will keep."                      

"Okay, but you will have to tell them someday and I hope that day is soon."                                              

  "It will be, just always remember that I love you."                      

  "Of course, I love you t-" I couldn't hear the rest as i had fallen asleep laying on him. It was mostly out of exhaustion but also stress because i can't seem to get it through my mind that  I'm going to be marrying this Julie girl. All of my worries went away as i slept for who knows how long.

Magnus's POV

  Alec had fallen asleep with his head on my chest while i was speaking. He looked peaceful in his sleep after all he had been through today. I genitally lifted him up and carried him to our room and laid him on the bed. I was about to join him when a beat on my door, a yell of "MAGNUS FUCKING BANE OPEN THIS DOOR NOW," and a click stopped me from doing so. Then Isabelle Lightwood stomped into my room holding a black umbrella. She stared at me and then saw Alec asleep on the bed and she rushed to his side. "What did you do to him?" She hissed at me                                            

  "Isabelle he's okay, do you really think I'd hurt him?"                

"I-I don't know, I really can't trust anyone But Alec running out of the institute and finding him here cold, wet, and passed out on your bed doesn't look very good. D-did he tell you what happened?"        

  "Get comfortable because this is going to be a long story." She took a seat on the chair next to my bed and i began to explain.                                                                                              

  I explained the best I could to the younger Lightwood and by the time i finished she had her face in her hands. "No no no no, this is awful." She reached over to put a hand on my shoulder. "You know he loves you and only you no matter what happens."  

"I know, I do too, but i cant help but just wish that he actually acknowledged us for once. I know that you cant change the past but-"                                                                                          

  "No stop there i know you wish that he did I do too, but you don't understand how hard it must be for him. Trust me if I was in his position I would be terrified to tell my parents. But I think even if he did tell them this would've happened anyway, I don't think they'd be very accepting."                                  

  "Now i feel bad for trying to get him to tell his family." I sat down on the bed beside his feet and  began to play with a wet lock of his hair.                                                                                

 "Don't, is okay you don't need to say sorry. Well i think i should get going, Jace is already suspicious of Alec i don't need him to get on my case. Oh and i think you should dry him off, you don't need him getting sick." I got up and snapped my fingers and the water evaporated off of him, Isabelle gave me a slight smile. Ironically just as she got up to leave the sound of loud footsteps rang through my apartment. The blond one, Jace, walking into the room in a similar fashion as Isabelle first did but angrier. His golden eyes scanned to room, first to Isabelle, then Alec laying on the bed, then lastly to me. He charged at me and pinned me to the opposite wall holding a silver dagger to my throat. Isabelle called after him to stop but he didn't, he actually held a tighter grip on my wrist. "What did you do to my brother you half-breed." Its surprised me that he called me that, half-breed is a insult people use for warlocks.      

  "Jace, he's okay. I didn't do anything to him, he came over need to talk to a friend and he fell asleep. I didn't do anything to him."                                                                                                      

"A friend sure, listen warlock i don't know what he told you but it seems like he has you going along with his web of lies. I doubt you actually make him happy." This was the last straw for me, I heated his dagger until it fell to the ground, burning the skin on his palm also.                                                        

  "You son of a-" Isabelle slapped him across the face leaving a red mark on his cheek.                        

  "JACE, YOU CANNOT DO THAT AND THINK ITS OKAY." She then grabbed him by his shirt and tried to drag him before he slapped her hand away. I saw her mouth "sorry" at me before she was walking away. He began to walk out but stopped to revive his dagger from the ground. He appeared like he was going put it up when he flung his arm back and threw it at me. A pain spread over my right cheek and i could feel the hot, red liquid pouring over. Looking over my shoulder was the dagger pinned to the wall. Isabelle stood with her mouth wide open and was walking towards Jace when he moved out the way to viciously shake Alec awake. Alec swatted Jace's hand away and sat up. He began coughing and looked over at me. His eyes went wide and he yelled my name. Jace then pulled him out of the bed and pulled him out the door. He didn't take his blue-eyes off of me as he was forced out of the room, stumbling as he went. My hand went to my bleeding cheek and I healed it and looked in the mirror. There was a faint scar that I could get rid of but i didn't want feel like it at the moment. I don't know what Jace's problem with me and Alec is but I'm getting tired of it and i literally have a scar to prove it. I went to the couch and sat down. As soon as I sat down the chairman came out from under the couch where i think he must've been hiding from all the noise. He jumped up onto my lap and began to paw at my shirt. I picked him up and put him next to me. With a snap of my fingers the tv turned on, I just wanted anything that would take my mind off of what just happened.

Alec'sPOV

  I ran...well stumbled out of Magnus's apartment faced with two people who were feeling completely different at the moment. Isabelle had sympathy in her eyes and Jace with furry in his. Jace had let go of me as soon as we got out and turned away from me and started to walk in the direction of the institute with me and Izzy trailing behind him. She leaned over and whispered in my ear "Im so sorry I-I dont know whats gotten into him. You okay?."                                                        

 "Yeah im okay but im worried about Magnus. What happened while I was out?"                                      

  "Ill tell you at the institute, and im sure Magnus is fine. Hes strong." I nodded my head and we continued our way home. Though I looked calm I wanted to smack Jace, he had cut Magnus as far as I know and i wasn't going to let him off so easily about that.  Once we got in I went off at Jace "What the hell was that!"          

"I was taking you away from that warlock who is no good for you."                                                                

  "You don't know anything Jace. Just ignore it."                          

  "No I cant ignore it because you wont tell me the fucking truth so i have to do things like this. You're my parabatai and my brother so why wont you tell me you're with him!"                          

"OKAY, Im dating him are you happy! Why does it matter so much to you?"                                                

  "It matters because I'm supposed to know if you're dating anyone and on top of that gay. I thought we were close enough for you to tell me that but apparently only Iz can know. You would've just told me in the first place so we wouldn't be in this situation! I wouldn't have to have go and find you in his apartment and i wouldn't have to cut him out of anger your lies have caused! He even went along with your spiral of lies you've created!"                                                                                      

  "You know Jace I don't think its the fact that i lied that is causing you to lash out, I think you're just taking your anger from the fact that you cant be with Clary out on me."                  

"You son of a bitch you take that back."                                        

"No i wont, now im done with this conversation. Goodbye Jace." I went to my room and Isabelle was at my heels. I didn't mind her as i needed to talk to her. We went to my room and i moved out of the way so that she could come in. I sat. down on my bed and put my face in my hands. Isabelle was about to say something when I stopped her. "Lets not talk about what happened with Jace, j-just tell me what happened at Magnus'." I didn't know how i didn't get up and walk up to Jace and punch him. Everything he did to Magnus was just unbearable, from calling him a half-breed, saying he cant make me happy, cutting him, it almost made me think he deserved his hand getting burned. I thanked Isabelle for telling me this and told her to just go to bed. She tried to comfort me but i wouldn't let her so I told her to leave. She got up and walked out the door without a backwards glance at me. I couldn't take it anymore, I buried my face in my hands and let the tears flow out for the second time today. I don't usually cry, I need to stay strong no matter what for everyone elses sake. I had tried to stay strong all day but this was my breaking point, from being forced to marry someone against my will, Jace insulting and hurting Magnus, and coming out to Jace in the worst way I could think of. After a while of just crying I finally calmed down and decided to text Magnus.

Mags, are you okay? He replied almost instantly.

Yeah, its just a scar now but i can fix that later.

Can i see?

image attached (1). In the picture I could see that he had a faint scar that stretched from the corner of his lips to the top of his cheekbone. It just infuriates me that Jace would do such a thing

Yeah I'm sorry about that, I don't know whats gotten into him lately 

Nither do I. Well darling you should get some rest after the long day you've had. I love you no matter what and don't forget that. goodnight

Love you too, goodnight. I put my phone on my nightstand and went to sleep with my mind still in a million different places.

Hey long chapter huh? I was going to make it into two chapters but i couldn't find a good stopping point, expect more of these ridiculously long chapters in the future ^.^. Stay awesome and goodbye