Not By Blood - THE REWRITE

Chapter Seven - Interlude

Raphael stayed in the dark hallway for a while. He slid down the wall to sit on the floor and he took large, unnecessary breaths. So much had happened in so little time. The mundane being captured, Camille's threats against Raphael's baby sister, and seeing someone who looked so similar to his father which was horribly jarring.

Finally, Raphael made his way back to his room and pulled his phone out once more. He tried to calm his shaking hands as he attempted several times to unlock his phone and then struggled even more as he pulled up his Papa's contact information and dialed. Magnus picked up at once.

"Hijo? Are you alright?" Magnus sounded more concerned than usual. Knowing his father, Magnus had probably been anxiously awaiting his son's phone call after the last one.

"I'm fine," Raphael assured him. "Could you open a portal in my bedroom at the DuMort for me?"

Magnus hung up without replying and a portal opened a second later. Raphael stepped through and came out into his father's living room. Ragnor, Catarina, and Wesley were seated around the room, and they all looked at him with varying levels of concern.

Magnus stepped forward, a look of relief blanketing his features and enveloping him tightly in his arms. Raphael could feel as his father's magic flowing through him, searching for injuries. It found the stab wound in his shoulder and focused there, knitting the flesh back together.

Magnus pulled away and cupped Raphael's face in his hands. His eyes searched Raphael's for answers.

"What happened?" Magnus asked, stroking his cheek with his thumb. "You look bothered."

"I got them out, everyone is fine. Clary, the mundane, Ragnor's son, the Shadowhunters, they all got out." Raphael told him. He wanted to tell him about Alexander and how much he looked like James, but he hesitated, suddenly apprehensive.

"But?" Catarina prompted.

Raphael glanced at her and then back at his Papa.

"Hijo," Magnus said tenderly. "what's happened?"

"Papa," Raphael whispered. "I think I saw . . . I think I saw dad."

Everyone in the room froze. They had all known and loved James Marcs. Ragnor and Catarina had also met all the ones before him. James, or more accurately his soul, was so well loved among the group. James had died back in 1977 in their old apartment. After Raphael and Magnus had walked into their apartment to find James' body gruesomely destroyed by a demon that he'd attempted to summon for a client, Magnus had immediately gotten them a new place to live. Ever since then, Magnus had been hoping to find his soulmate once more.

"What on earth do you mean?" Magnus asked shakily, his hands falling to Raphael's shoulders.

"Alexander," Raphael glanced at Ragnor. "He looks just like dad did."

Everyone looked to Ragnor at that. He nodded. "I will concede that my son looks remarkably like James, but that doesn't mean that he is James, Raphael. I wouldn't get ahead of yourself. Doppelgangers do exist."'

Raphael knew that it was more than that, though. He looked at Alexander, looked into his eyes. He knew that he was his father. Alec just didn't know it yet.

"Maybe," Raphael conceded, knowing that not a single person present, including himself. Believed that he was truly dropping the subject.