"Here we are. Home sweet home."
The Lightwood home must've been a sight back in the day. Standing at two stories tall with fancy windows and a dangerously spiked fence, it was obvious to Magnus that this house meant business when it was at its prime. It was also painstakingly clear that the Lightwoods were rich. Emphasis on 'were' considering that money had no real value these days. It was just paper that people burned to keep warm on the cold days.
"Wow...." Magnus whistled. "Did you guys have your own butlers and maids here too?"
"We had a few. They were like family to us," Alec said as he jiggled the lock on the iron gates. "We haven't been back here in five years. When my parents escaped with us, everyone else ran too. We didn't even get to say goodbye."
Magnus shrugged. "Sometimes you're better off without one."
Alec said nothing. He continued to pull and jiggle the enormous lock that was blocking their way to safety. "Izzy, do you have your lock pick with you?"
"I never go anywhere without it," Isabelle beamed. She stepped in front of the group and pulled out a small box from her backpack. Inside contained several small instruments that were made specifically to pick locks of all shapes and sizes.
Magnus looked impressed. "Where did you find this handy little kit?"
"In one of the houses Alec and I raided one time. Can you honestly believe that someone just left these useful gadgets lying around? Anyone could come along and take them," Isabelle looked up at Magnus and smirked. "I'm actually glad they didn't take it. It's helped us out more than once in a tight situation. I don't think I'd survive without it."
"Well color me impressed. I should invest in one of my own lock pick sets. All I got going for me right now is a hair clip and a wire coat hanger. Think there's a chance I'll find one around?"
"You never know what's lying around here," said Isabelle, "so feel free to take what you want. It's not like we're using it." The lock clicked open. "Bingo. Mission accomplished. Next stop, the Lightwood home."
The inside was nothing but dust and cobwebs. As the small group stepped inside, they were immediately hit with the smell of something rotting from somewhere inside the house. While none of them made a sound, Alec made a motion with his hand, prompting Isabelle and Jace to raise their weapons and tiptoe into opposite directions.
Magnus followed behind Alec, leaving Max behind with Simon and Clary. The eldest Lightwood moved with such stealth and expertise that Magnus couldn't help but wonder how many times he'd done this since this whole mess started.
"Looks clear here," Alec whispered. He lowered his bow with a sigh. "The smell is probably coming from the second floor."
"If it is, then it can't be a Forsaken. You said everyone escaped. Right?" Magnus glanced a photo on the table beside them. He wiped off the dust to see what it was a picture of. "Is this you and your family?"
Alec turned to see what Magnus was looking at. "Ah. That's my high school graduation. I didn't want a photo taken but my mom insisted. She loved making photo memories." He pointed to a beautiful woman with dark hair and bright eyes. "That's my mom. She loved scrapbooking and cooking. Typical mom things, you know?"
"And that's your dad?" Magnus pointed to a bald man with a beard whose smile was so broad that his eyes crinkled around the corners. Alec's did the same thing when he smiled.
"That's my old man. Huge hockey fan. Every year we'd go to the Stanley Cup playoffs together and cheer on the Boston Red Wings. His favorite team." Alec chuckled down at the photo. "I miss them sometimes, you know? But I can't dwell too much on the past. I've got the present and the future to worry about."
A yell from upstairs brought both men out of their reverie. Alec had raced out of the hall in a matter of seconds and took the stairs three at a time, weapon raised. Magnus followed close behind.
Jace stumbled out from behind a room, his hammer covered in blood. When he saw that Alec and Magnus were with him in the hall, he shook his head dismissively. "Sorry. There was a Forsaken in my room. It surprised me but it's gone now."
"Where's Max?" Alec peered into Jace's room. It was also covered in dust and cobwebs, but it looked like it remained untouched for the past five years. "Is he with you?"
"He's with Simon and Clary. Don't worry." Jace walked into his room and picked up an old metal trophy on his shelf. "First place soccer trophy. I was in sixth grade. God, this brings back memories."
"Yeah," Alec breathed, "it really does."
Max appeared beside them, a smile on his face. "My room still looks the same."
Alec looked down at him. "You remember what your room looks like?"
"A little bit. I remember I had blue sheets and the headboard was shaped like a car. There's lots of old toys in there but I'm too old for them now," he said, sounding a bit disappointed. "Think any of it can be used for something else?"
Alec chuckled. "We'll take a look at it later, kiddo. Right now we're all going to go to our rooms and hopefully get some sleep."
Walking down the hall, Alec stopped in front of his door. The mahogany felt so familiar that it was like he never even left. His hand hovered above the handle, shaking because he was scared to open it.
"Well?" Magnus tapped the door with a finger. "Aren't you going to go inside? I'm kind of curious as to who Alec Lightwood was back in the day."
Alec took a deep breath before opening the door. He wasn't sure what he was expecting; it wasn't like his parents were there and about to surprise him and his siblings like they used to when they came home from school. Random surprises. He remembered those, even if they were memories from a long time ago.
His room was also filled with dust and cobwebs. As he opened the door all the way, the draft that was coming in from his open window kicked up a small dust storm, prompting both him and Magnus to cough. Once the window was shut, he looked around his old bedroom with a solemn expression on his face.
"Wow. Look at you. Valedictorian?" Magnus pointed to a certificate on the wall.
"Yeah. Top of my class. Isabelle would've been too if she had finished high school," Alec blew the dust off the frame. "It's in the past where it belongs. There's a guest room down the hall that you can use-"
"Simon and Clary can use it. Unless they're planning on sleeping with their partners then I'm good with sleeping on the couch in the living room." Magnus looked up to see Alec giving him an odd look. "Hey. Someone's got to keep watch while you guys sleep. Besides. I'm used to sleeping in weird places anyway. I'm like a cat."
Alec shrugged. "Whatever you want to do. If this place hasn't been raided already, there still should be some extra blankets and stuff in the closet in the hall. Take whatever you need."
Downstairs in the kitchen, Isabelle was combing through the cupboards for anything edible. Judging by the unimpressed look on her face, Alec guessed she wasn't having much luck.
"Anything?" He asked as he stepped into the kitchen.
"Nothing. Unless you like munching on stale cereal or expired dog food. Did we even own a dog?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure there's something somewhere. We still haven't checked the secret pantry. Nobody that's raided this place even knows about it. It has to be still stocked."
The secret pantry. Alec had completely forgotten about it. Their father believed in buying in bulk for 'a rainy day'. None of the Lightwood kids expected that their father would be right and they would one day need the food. Most of it being canned goods, it was exactly what they needed during a time like this.
"If dad were here he'd definitely be giving us his famous side eye smirk," Isabelle laughed.
"Because saying 'I told you so' is too mainstream," Alec grinned. "Mom would hate having to eat this crap. She'd probably try to cook something with it. Like fried dog food."
"Or grilled cereal," Isabelle grinned. Her smile didn't last long as she looked up at the picture of their family as they headed back out to the main entrance. "I miss them, Alec. I miss them a lot."
Alec gathered his sister in his arms. "I miss them too. So does Jace. Maybe Max. But I think he's too young to remember them all that well."
"Yeah. Probably," Isabelle sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You go make sure the place is secure. I'll check out the pantry for anything to eat."
"Okay. Anything we don't eat today, we'll take it with us. Or take as much of it as we can if we have to leave for some reason."
Isabelle nodded. She knew the drill. But the idea of leaving so much food behind made her ill. She trusted Alec so she did as she was told.
Jace stomped down the stairs, followed by Simon and Clary. "The house is all clear. Secure too. But making it more secure wouldn't hurt anybody."
"Simon and I found some clothes but we're not sure if it'll fit any of us." She held out a box full of clothes in her arms. "Max grew so none of his clothes will fit. But I did find some of Jace's old clothes that I can hem up so they'll fit him better."
"Thanks Clary. It's practically impossible to find clothes for Max. He keeps growing," Alec chuckled. "Where is he anyway?"
"Up in his room," Simon pointed out. "He said he found some old comic books in Jace's room so he's off reading them."
"Comics?" Jace's eyes widened. "Those are collectibles! They're not supposed to be taken out of their plastic wrap!"
Clary placed a hand on Jace's shoulder. "Jace. I doubt they have any real value anymore. Not in this world anyway." She offered him a smile as he frowned and grumbled something under his breath. "I'll go get to work on the clothes. There's a sewing kit in one of the upstairs rooms that I'm dying to use."
Alec nodded. "Jace and I will secure the windows and doors. Simon, you watch Max. Make sure he doesn't-"
"Do anything stupid? I'm on it, boss. I've been dying to know what kind of comics he had anyway," Simon smirked, taking the stairs two at a time.
Isabelle returned to the dining room holding two boxes full of food. By the look on her face, Alec guessed she was very excited that the pantry wasn't raided. "Look at all this food!" She exclaimed. "We got corn. Peas. Tons of soup. Meatballs and gravy. Canned spaghetti. This is a gourmet meal just waiting to happen."
They shared some meatballs and gravy that evening. It was served cold because Alec didn't want to risk starting a fire and attracting unwanted visitors to the house but it tasted delicious all the same.
"The last thing we need is outsiders realizing there's food and other necessities here," Alec said. "We don't have enough ammo to keep them out."
"Relax, brother. No one's getting in here. You and Jace fortified the place entirely from top to bottom," Isabelle said as she licked her spoon clean. "I think we're good here."
"You can't be too careful," Magnus whispered. He had been munching on some cereal, as stale as it was, but remained quiet for the entire evening. "While you guys were running around earlier, I took the liberty of checking out the roof for a vantage point."
Alec looked at him. "How did you get on the roof?"
Magnus pointed to the ceiling. "Attic. Then there's like a door of some sort that leads to the roof. Needless to say, you can see for miles up there. Great vantage point."
"So you're staying up there while we sleep?" Alec asked. "Wouldn't that be uncomfortable? It's not exactly summer out there."
Magnus shook his head. "So many questions. I'll be fine, Alexander. I'll just sleep while you guys are still awake and then take watch when you go to bed. I don't need much sleep anyway."
A pang of remorse went through Alec as Magnus turned over on his side and closed his eyes. "I can take watch with you if you want. That way you won't be all alone up there."
Magnus turned to look at him. "That won't be necessary but you can join me if you want. Just don't get pissy at me if you fall asleep and I didn't wake you up."
"I won't get pissy," Alec grumbled, "and I won't fall asleep. If I'm on watch, I take it very seriously."
"He really does," Jace chimed in. "He once stayed up for over 24 hours on watch back in Alicante. He's a stubborn son of a-ow!" He winced as Isabelle punched him, putting a finger to her lips. Max was sound asleep on the floor next to them, curled up into a ball.
"I'll bring him up to his room," Simon whispered. He was about to lift the boy into his arms when Magnus stopped him. "What? What's wrong?"
Magnus shook his head. "I think we're better off staying in one room together. That way if anything happens, we're all together if we need to make a quick escape."
Alec hadn't thought of that. "Makes sense. If we sleep in separate rooms, there's a higher risk of something happening. We might not make to each other in time."
Jace raised an eyebrow while Isabelle stared at her older brother in surprise, but it was Clary who spoke. "Alright. We'll stay here. There's enough blankets and pillows to go around. I dusted them all off earlier."
When everyone had a blanket and pillow, Jace pulled Alec off to the side of the group. "Since when did you start listening to another authoritative figure? Other than the Inquisitor back in Alicante?"
Alec squinted in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Magnus," Jace nodded in the group's direction. "You're taking his advice a lot. Ever since we left Alicante. Why?"
Alec sighed. "He has experience, Jace. He knows a lot more than we do. Plus he's lived out here a hell of a lot longer than we did. He didn't have a community of his own. We did."
Jace was quiet for a moment before shrugging. "Okay. Whatever you say. I trust you. I mean I trust Magnus too but I trust you even more. If you say that Magnus has more experience, then I believe you-"
"I have experience with what," Magnus said. "You're obviously over there talking about me like I'm not even here. So spill. What are you two talking about?"
Alec spoke before Jace could open his mouth. "Jace was just saying that you have more experience out here than we do. You're a valuable asset to the group." He knew Jace was giving him a weird look but he ignored it and hoped that Magnus didn't notice.
He didn't.
"So now that we're getting all cozied up for the evening, who's taking first watch?" Jace asked in an attempt to change the topic.
"I will. I don't mind. I practically live off of little sleep nowadays anyway," replied Magnus. He had already gathered up his weapon and made his way to the main stairwell, assuming position at the top of the stairs.
Alec followed him. "Are you sure? You've been walking all day. You need to rest."
Magnus snorted. "You've been walking the same amount of time that I have, Alec. Go to sleep. I'll wake you up if something happens."
Saying nothing more, Alec laid out his mattress that he had slid down the stairs earlier and spread some blankets on it. His siblings, Simon and Clary did the same. Max had already fallen to his own mattress, sound asleep before the rest of the group even finished setting up their sleeping arrangements. With a smile, Alec pulled a blanket up over his youngest sibling and ruffled his hair affectionately.
"It feels good to be home again, huh?" Isabelle whispered when she crawled into her own bed. "I mean it's been a while but it still feels like home."
"It feels different. It's not the same as before." Alec stretched out and rest his hands under his head. "The only thing missing is mom and dad."
Isabelle fell silent. When Alec looked at her to see if she had fallen asleep, he saw that she was gazing at him with a sad expression.
"Do you think we could've saved them?" Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke.
Alec turned to look up at the ceiling. "No. There was nothing we could've done that day. We were already past the checkpoint-"
"But we could've gone back," Isabelle hissed. "We could've gone back for them."
Jace, who had been listening intently the entire time, finally chimed in. "Isabelle. Stop. It's in the past now. We need to focus on the present and the future."
"I am thinking of the present," she snapped, "and I'm always thinking of the future. Max would still have had parents if we went back to save them that day. He wouldn't have nightmares every night-"
"Isabelle," Alec's voice was low and serious. "Enough. Get some rest. We need it for tomorrow when we go out to scavenge."
"Scavenge?" Simon perked up. Turns out, he wasn't asleep either and was listening in on the conversation that the Lightwood siblings were having. "We're staying here?"
"For a few days. I thought we could stock up on supplies just in case we need to stay longer than we have to." Alec lifted his head and looked out at Magnus in the main hallway. The man was still seated at the staircase, his gun in his hands, eyes alert to his surroundings. "We all need to get some rest for tomorrow. Go to sleep."
Simon rolled his eyes. "Okay, mom. Whatever you say-" He grunted as Jace punched him in the arm.
Alec stayed awake for a while longer, just watching Magnus sitting on the staircase. He considered going over and keeping Magnus company, but his eyes were so heavy and so tired that he fell asleep before he could even get up to join him.
It was the best sleep he had in years.