Alec screamed until his throat was raw, all while holding Jace's limp body in his arms and he sobbed and cradled his little brother back and forth on the floor until he was numb on the inside.
"Alec....." Magnus knelt down on the floor. He didn't care if the blood was ruining the soles of his shoes. Alec's brother was just murdered in cold blood in front of him. "We need to call this in. That's what you do when there's an officer down, right?"
Alec said nothing. He just stared straight ahead and held Jace close to his chest. His eyes were swollen and red from crying; he looked broken and defeated.
"Alec, please. Jace deserves a proper funeral. Regardless of his choices in the end. We all deserve to go to Heaven."
At the mention of Heaven, Alec's gaze flickered to look at Magnus. When he spoke, his voice was gravelly and crackling. "Valentine needs to pay."
Magnus nodded. "And he will. We're going to catch him and he's going to prison for everything he's ever done."
"No. No," Alec shook his head quickly. "He needs to die. I'm going to find him and I'm going to kill him."
"You're not killing him. He doesn't deserve that. He doesn't deserve to go that way. That would only be too sweet for him. Don't you think prison time would suit him better? Have him rot behind bars with nothing but scratchy blankets, an orange jumpsuit and a bar of soap you're supposed to make last a year?"
Alec gently placed Jace's body on the floor beside him. "No. Don't you think Jace deserved to live? He didn't have to die. Valentine could've let him go but instead he shot him. Valentine shot my brother, Magnus. Killed him in cold blood. Jace isn't stupid. He just does stupid things. Like this. But he didn't deserve to die."
Magnus said nothing as Alec went over and picked up the gun Valentine used to shoot Jace. "And where do you suspect we find him next? All our leads mean nothing now. Everything we worked for. Everything we've been through-"
"We'll find new leads. Something has to lead to him eventually. That's the way the world works," Alec checked the ammo of the gun. "Are you coming with me or not?"
Before Magnus could respond, the metal door that Valentine escaped through burst open and men dressed in black with the letters SWAT on them swarmed in, all yelling at the same time.
"Get down on your knees now!"
"Drop the weapon, Lightwood!"
"Put the gun down and put your hands in the air!"
"You too, Bane!"
Alec dropped the gun and slowly got to his knees, hands in the air. Magnus did the same. "What the fuck is going on here!"
"We could ask you the same thing," a familiar voice spat. Lydia came in, hair tied back in a tight bun and a bulletproof vest on. She glanced down at Jace's dead body and scowled. "Decided to go rogue, did you? How much did he offer?"
"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about!" Alec winced as he was handcuffed. "Are you saying I killed Jace?!"
"I'm not saying anything. I don't have to. We have proof that you killed Jace. Cuff the other one too," Lydia ordered the SWAT team.
"Me? What did I do?! Alec didn't kill Jace! It was Valentine! Jace was the-" Magnus froze when Alec glared at him. Even in death, Alec still wouldn't rat out his brother. "Best guy ever. He was the best. But it wasn't Alec. You can quote me on that."
"Oh we're going to quote you on a lot of things. In interrogation, that is. Bring them in, boys. And get a body bag for Jace. See if the bullet matches that inside the murder weapon."
Alec didn't fight as the SWAT team pulled him to his feet. He knew it was easier just to listen rather than resist. He's arrested people hundreds of times in his career. But never, not in a million years, has he ever imagined being on the other side of the spectrum. Seeing through the criminal's point of view.
In the back of the SWAT van, Alec and Magnus sat next to each other as they were taken back to the precinct for interrogation. They said nothing to each other, but Magnus angled himself so that he was gently holding Alec's hand from behind their backs.
Alec looked up into Magnus' eyes and smiled softly, nodding at an unspoken question.
Magnus smiled back, leaning in and kissing Alec's shoulder reassuringly before letting unfair justice decide their fate.
**********
"All my life....seeing my dad come in here to talk to criminals....I never thought it would be one day who is the one getting interrogated instead."
Magnus and Alec sat side by side in the interrogation room waiting for Lydia to come back with her so called "proof" of Alec killing Jace. Neither one of them had any idea what she meant by that and the whole thing sounded ludicrous to them. How can they have proof when Jace's murder only happened minutes before they came storming into the basement?
"Well if it's any consolation, there's no one I'd rather be accused of murder with than you," Magnus shrugged.
Alec stared at him. "Are you kidding me right now? Are you seriously trying to see a bright side to this whole fucking situation? Because I don't see anything good coming out of this. Nothing. At all."
"I'm just trying to lighten the mood here. Geez. You act like you just got accused of murder or something."
Alec tried to lunge at him but his cuffs prevented him from moving very far. So instead, he settled with a death glare.
The door opened and Lydia came in, followed by Robert. He had a sad expression on his face.
"Dad! Dad, tell her. I didn't do it! Jace was my brother! He was working with Valentine- Valentine killed Jace!" Alec shouted. When his father said nothing, Alec felt his heart stutter in his chest. "Dad.....why aren't you saying anything?"
Robert shook his head. "I can't, son. She has pretty solid evidence. I wish I could do something, kiddo....."
"He's your son. You're not even going to try and fight for his freedom?!" Magnus yelled. "What kind of cop are you? Help him! He's your flesh and blood!"
Robert looked down at the floor, saying nothing.
"Alright. If we're done yelling at each other here, I would like to present the evidence to our accused. Oh by the way, Mr. Bane? You're free to go."
Alec whipped his head to look at Magnus then back at Lydia. "What? Why? Why's he free to go?"
Lydia laid out a folder on the table. "There's no evidence that says he's involved in the murder of Jace Wayland-"
"Lightwood. Jace is a Lightwood," Alec growled at her.
Lydia didn't even flinch under his icy stare. "Was a Lightwood, detective. Jace was a Lightwood. Now if you'll turn your attention to the folder before you, I would like to show you the proof that's compiled up against you involving this case. You can leave now, Mr. Bane."
Magnus shook his head. "No. I know Alec didn't kill Jace. I was there. Put me in that lie detector test thingy. I'll prove it to you."
"That doesn't prove anything, Mr. Bane. It doesn't save the fact that there's evidence-actual evidence in this folder right in front of you, that proves that Alec killed Jace."
Lydia opened the folder. Photos of the crime scene were then laid out before Alec and Magnus. The photos were gruesome. They made the scene look even more saddening than when they were actually there. The blood on the floor. The murder weapon. Jace's pale, dead face.
Alec almost vomit in his mouth. "I'm telling you right now that I didn't do it."
"And I'm telling you right now that your fingerprints were all over the murder weapon. Forensics tested the slug that was inside Jace's skull to see if it matched the weapon. Turns out it did. Plus we got a voicemail just before the murder happened."
Alec stared at her. "A voicemail? That's impossible. He wasn't on the phone when he was killed. No one was."
Lydia placed a recorder on the table. "Sounds like Jace to me. Have a listen."
She pressed play and sure enough, Jace's voice came through the recording.
"Hey dad. I'm following a lead right now so I won't make it home tonight for dinner. I can't get a hold of Alec-oh here he is now. Alec!" He paused. "Alec what the hell are you doing? Put the gun down! Alec don't-"
The gunshot made Alec flinch in fright; his heart was pounding in his chest. "I didn't kill him."
"So you keep saying. But this is some pretty compelling evidence, Alexander. Even I can't just ignore it," Lydia gathered the photos and put them back into the folder. "I hate to say this Alec, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you in."
Alec let out a shaky sigh. "Take me in?"
"Alexander Lightwood, you're under arrest for the murder of police officer Jace Wayland."
Alec bit back a sob. "Dad, do something. Please. Don't let them take me away without a fair trial."
Robert smiled sadly. "I can't, son. It's not under my jurisdiction."
Magnus slammed a hand on the table. "Fuck jurisdiction! He's your son! Help him!"
Lydia pulled Alec up to his feet and held his handcuffed hands behind his back. "I'm sorry, Alec. I really am."
"Fuck you. You're not sorry. You're only too happy about this. Valentine got away but at least you got the next best thing. The cop who screwed up the case."
Lydia said nothing as she pushed him along down the hallway. The other officers in the building stopped to watch, whispering amongst themselves with shocked expressions on their faces.
"Alec!" A voice shrieked. Isabelle races around the corner and embraced him. "I just heard the news. They're prosecuting you?"
"Seems that way. What are you doing here?"
Isabelle stood up straighter. "I'm appointing myself as your attorney and will be representing you in court. If our father isn't going to help you then I'll be damned if I don't die trying. You're my brother. I love you."
Alec smiled. "Thanks Izzy but I don't think that's going to make a difference."
Isabelle frowned. "Can we at least try?"
Alec glanced down at her. She looked so small and fragile. The death of Jace was getting to her but she tried her best not to show it. "Yeah. We can try."
Lydia began to shove him along again when another familiar face stepped in front of him. Clary now stood in front of Alec, glaring up at him with nothing but pure hatred in her eyes.
"Did you enjoy it?" She asked.
"Clary, I can explain-"
A resounding crack sounded as Clary slapped Alec in the face, hard, with her hand. He winced but said nothing.
"That was for Jace, you son of a bitch. All these years I've known you and loved you like a brother. Then you go and kill the only man I've ever loved?!"
Tears rolled down her face as she began to sob. Isabelle hugged her tightly and gave Alec a small smile as she led Clary to the conference room to talk to her quietly.
"Anyone else want to talk to him before I lock him up? Or slap him?" Lydia called out. "No one? Alright. Let's go, Lightwood. Start counting down the days until your trial. I have a bad feeling it isn't going to end well."
**********
A few months later
"We the jury hereby announce that Alexander Gideon Lightwood............guilty of the murder of Jonathan Wayland."
Alec felt his heart sink as the words left the jury member's mouth. Behind him, he heard his mother burst into tears and his father reassured her quietly. Beside him, Isabelle clenched her hands into fists under the table, trying not to cry herself. He reached under and squeezed her hand.
"It's okay, Izzy. I'm okay with the results," he whispered.
"Well I'm not! You're going away to prison, Alec. For life! You'll be lucky if you get the chair and face an early death! Nobody wants to rot away in jail." She held in her tears just as the judge hit the gavel three times to order silence.
"Order! With that being said, I declare this case closed and Alexander Lightwood to be transferred immediately. Case dismissed."
Everyone got to their feet and began to make their way out. Magnus stepped in front of Alec and hugged him tightly. Before the officer could take him away.
"I'm going to get you out of that hellhole, Alec. You can bet on that," Magnus whispered. "I'll do everything in my power."
"You can't buy my freedom, Magnus. This is justice-"
"Justice can suck my dick. This is unfair. You're being accused of something you didn't do and it hurts to watch because I freaking know you didn't do it," Magnus breathed in deep before continuing. "I love you, Alexander. With every fiber of my being. And so help me god, I will get you out of prison and get your name cleared. No matter what it takes."
Magnus pulled Alec into him and planted his lips onto Alec's. The kiss felt rushed; like it was the last kiss Alec would ever get for the rest of his life.
When Alec pulled away, he smiled softly at Magnus before the officer handcuffed his wrists together and led him out to the squad car. Magnus stood at the top of the courthouse steps, face sad as he watched Alec get into the backseat of the prisoner transfer van.
"There's no windows where you're headed, Lightwood. My advice would be to take in the view now while you still can. You're not going to be seeing much for the next while," the cop told him as he climbed inside the back of the van.
Alec looked up at Magnus at the top of the stairs. "I know," he said. "And I am."