Distractions

Twenty-Two: Broken Furniture and Needed Apologies

...

Alec and Magnus stood in a hallway just off the Ops Center. Alec leaned against the wall, his hands behind his back, as Magnus stood against the other wall. Both were trying their best to stay calm and collected after their girlfriend had been taken.

"I know you don't want to hear it, so I'll just say it once," Magnus began in a soft tone. "Whatever I felt for Camille, it's ancient history. Almost literally."

Alec's fingers pressed against the wall in a sharp motion born of agitation, a motion unnoticeable to anyone except him. "Yeah, but what she said about you being immortal, she's right. You watch the people you care about age and die."

"Alexander...I may be the High Warlock of Brooklyn, but even I can't see the future."

The hallway was silent as Alec and Magnus simply watched each other. The silence was broken by heavy footsteps approaching.

"They're ready," Luke announced. "They moved her to the Ops Center."

"Good. We need the space. Jocelyn's spell is very powerful."

Magnus followed Luke back to the Ops Center, but Alec stayed there for a moment longer to collect himself. He couldn't break down, not yet. He had to be strong for Izzy and Magnus, hell, he had to be strong for Clary. He needed to be strong, he couldn't let them down—he wouldn't. After a moment Alec stood up straight and followed after Luke and Magnus. It was time to wake up Jocelyn Fairchild and get some answers.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" Clary asked softly, handing Magnus the Book of the White.

Magnus had  an expression that was an odd mix of hope, hesitance, and uncertainty. "Let us hope."

The warlock snapped his fingers, causing a blue hue to slowly begin to overpower the green cocoon-like magic that surrounded the woman. "Jocelyn!" Magnus began to chant in a language Alec only vaguely recognized as Chthonian.

At last the green disappeared and just before Jocelyn fell, Luke rushed forward to catch her. "I got you," he reassured the dazed woman.

"Luke," Jocelyn breathed out. She wrapped her arms around the man tightly and it was quiet as the two reunited.

As Luke set Jocelyn down, she caught sight of her daughter and didn't hesitate to pull her into a tight hug.

"Mom. Mom!" Clary's voice broke as she buried her face in her mother's hair the same way she had when she was younger. "I've missed you so much."

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about your past."

Clary shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "No, not now. I have had enough for one day. We can talk about all that later. Right now, I just...I just really need my mom."

Jocelyn smoothed down her eldest daughter's hair as Clary sobbed into her arms. However, as she held Clary, her eyes darted around trying to find her youngest child. But Everest was nowhere in sight.

Where's Everest? she mouthed to Luke. The man shook his head, looking away. But she still saw the pained expression on his face, still saw the way Magnus and the two others in the room, who could only logically be Maryse's children, looked for someone who wasn't there. She saw these things and she wondered what had happened while she was asleep.

...

Alec was a few steps behind Izzy, Magnus, and Lydia as they approached a table. He had managed to get his emotions in check before he left the hallway to wake up Jocelyn, but he could still hear the thoughts of frustration and anger bubbling behind the mental shield he had put up, he could still see Everest and Jace being taken every time he delved into the thoughts in his head. But he made sure to keep a mostly neutral mask up, if only for his sister's sake. She didn't need to see him panicking, not now.