Fading Scars: A Series of Malec One Shots

Tracking Jace

This is a scene I imagined being in season 2. Alec is desperately trying to find Jace and Magnus isn't exactly being a good sport about it

Alec stared at the screen in front of him, eyes scanning the map for any signs of a portal being opened anywhere in the city. He'd been staring at the screen for so long that a headache was beginning to make a home in his temples. He massaged it, hoping it would go away soon.

"Any luck?" Isabelle asked as she came over to him. "You've been waiting for months for something to pop up when it's been nothing but quiet lately. It's kind of eerie, actually. Makes me wish someone would break the rules on purpose."

"We had Jace for that. Now we don't," Alec rubbed his forehead. "I wish....something would pop up. Anything. The slightest sign of a portal being opened. I'd settle for that."

Isabelle held her brother's arm. "We'll find him, Alec. We always do. Just don't give up, okay? Promise me?"

Alec looked down at his sister. "I promise. He wouldn't give up on me. I won't give up on him."

Isabelle smiled and hugged his arm. "Clary and her mom are on their way here. They want to help with finding Jace and Valentine. Rumor has it that Jocelyn was quite the tracker back in the day."

"I don't doubt that for a second, seeing how her daughter has a knack for tracking down trouble-"

"Alec! Be nice!" Isabelle swat his arm. "I thought you and Clary were buddies now?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Buddies is a bit of a stretch. Comrades, yes. We both have the same goal, which is to find Jace. Saying we're friends isn't what-"

"Isabelle! Alec! Have you guys found anything yet?" Clary raced into the room, hair blazing like the crackle of a flame. "My mom said she can try and track Jace but it might take some time. She hasn't done any tracking in years."

Alec nodded. "We need all the help we can get. The Clave refuse to lend a hand. Jace is Valentine's son. He's considered an enemy now."

"And I'm Valentine's daughter. I don't see anyone rushing at me with their blades out. Do you?" Clary snapped at him.

Alec glared down at her. "No. But you weren't raised by him. You were raised as a mundane by your mother. There's a difference there."

It was Clary's turn to roll her eyes. "I brought something that might help in tracking Jace." She reached into her bag and pulled out a witchlight. "It belongs to him. He gave it to me back when we first went to see The Silent Brothers. Will it help?"

"That would absolutely help. The closer the attachment to the object, the better I can track him," Jocelyn approached them, a small smile on her face. "I'm so sorry for being absent lately. I needed a few weeks to....gather myself."

Isabelle shook her head. "No worries. Really. I'd be in shock too if I found out my son who's supposedly dead is actually....not dead."

Alec tapped on the screen. "Maybe we should ask Magnus-"

"Ask Magnus what?" A voice made them all turn around. Magnus Bane stood beside the table at the center of the room, finger tapping on the glass top. "Ask Magnus if he can use his mighty powers to track down the sad, orphan boy who's been reunited with his evil father?"

Nobody said anything at first, but Alec spoke up eventually. "Yes. That's exactly what we need your help with. Getting Jace back. And who invited you here, anyway?"

"I did. I assumed since you two were getting cozy.....Magnus was free to visit anytime he wanted," Isabelle shrugged.

Alec scowled. "Did mom and dad approve of this?"

"No. Not necessarily. But you want to find Jace, don't you? Whether they want to admit it or not, mom and dad are worried about him just as much as we are. And like you said, we need all the help we can get."

Magnus looked at Alec, eyes slitting. "And what about you, angel boy? Can't you track him using that weird power that parabatais have?"

Alec stuttered. "I-I....no. I'd rather not put myself through that again. Or Jace. It's too painful. It nearly broke our bond the first time we went through it."

Magnus sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll help you. But I need to speak to Alec first. Alone."

The group left Alec alone in his room. Leaning against the table, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay. So I'm alone. What did you want to talk about?"

Magnus raised a finger to silence him. "We need to discuss Camille. And that....kiss she gave me."

Alec shrugged. "What about it?"

"What about it?" Magnus chuckled and twirled a strand of hair around his finger. "Alec. You're not naive. You know Camille enjoys messing with your head. She strives on the pain and torment of others."

"If you're trying to tell me she's a lying, manipulative blood sucker, you don't need to convince me. I already know."

Magnus scoffed. "Then why aren't you angry? She kissed me, Alec. Kissed me. Doesn't this anger you?"

Alec drew himself up to his full height. "Doesn't this anger you? The fact that you fell in love with a Nephilim who might not be lucky enough to die of old age and has a very high chance of dying young? Does that not bother you?"

Magnus watched Alec breathe heavily as he tried to control his anger. "Alexander. I treasure every moment with you. You know that-"

"Do I? You have nothing but time, Magnus. You're forever young. I'm-" Alec winced, gripping the table to steady himself.

Magnus gripped Alec's arm. "Alec? What's wrong?"

Alec shook his head. "I felt something just now. Something-" He cried out and gripped his hip that was marked by his parabatai rune. "Jace! I can see him-" Alec fell to the floor and cried out again, clawing at the marble flooring with his nails.

Magnus hated seeing him like this. He held Alec's hand and squeezed, taking some of his pain away. Tears were now running down Alec's face as he rode out the pain his parabatai rune was causing him.

"Jace....Jace....." Alec breathed heavily once he calmed down a bit. "I felt him."

"You felt him? He's not.....you know....." Magnus made a motion of getting his throat slit open, letting his tongue hang out for added effect.

"No. No, he's not dead. My parabatai rune would be bleeding and faded into a scar. See?" Alec lift his shirt, revealing a full rune just above his left hipbone.

"Then what was he doing?" Magnus helped Alec sit up.

Alec's eyes widened. "I felt this kind of pain before. When I tracked him months ago when he was with Clary and Meliorn."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying that he-"

"Tracked me? Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Magnus chuckled. "So who's trying to find who here?"

Alec got to his feet and steadied himself. "We have to tell the group. I know where he is."

Magnus followed Alec out into the hall. "You saw where he is?"

Alec nodded. "I saw exactly where he is."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Well don't leave me in suspense. Where is he?"

Alec glanced at Magnus. "He's here. At the institute."