"We don't have to fight, you know. I can Portal us far away from here where nobody can find ever find us. We'll be safe."

Alec filled his quiver with as many arrows as it could hold. The idea did cross his mind earlier that day when he and every other Shadowhunter at the New York Institute was being debriefed by Inquisitor Herondale on the plan of attack. He thought about just running away with Magnus, disappearing where no one could find him and had no idea where they were. But he was a Shadowhunter. He didn't run from battles or his duty.

"So? How about it? Let's disappear together, Alec. Wait this one out," Magnus' sparkled as he spoke, excited that this could become reality. "I know a place. I lived there back in the early 1700's. No one will ever find us-"

"Magnus. I can't," Alec said, looking up at his boyfriend. "I can't run. This is my duty. This is what I've been training for and I can't run from that."

Magnus' smile dropped. "Oh. Right. Of course. You're a warrior. Warriors don't run, right?"

Someone shouted an order and the Shadowhunters around them grabbed their weapons and quickly made their way to the entrance of the Clave headquarters. Alec felt his blood singing for him to follow but he wasn't finished talking with Magnus.

"I know what you're thinking. Your face says it all," Magnus said with a sad voice.

"Magnus. You have to understand-" Alec's own voice broke as he swallowed past the lump that was forming in the back of his throat. "This is my life. This is what all my years of training have been for."

"And I do understand. That's why I'm joining you in battle."

Alec whipped his head around to look at the warlock. "What? No. Absolutely not. I won't allow it-"

"I don't exactly need your permission to fight in battle, Alexander. This is my fight too. Valentine has killed so many of my kind....this is retribution."

A slow exhale escaped Alec's lips. He closed his eyes, trying not to imagine a bloodied up, injured Magnus on the battlefield, but failed miserably. "Magnus....if you get hurt out there...I won't forgive myself."

"And I won't forgive myself if you get hurt. Alec...I'm fighting by your side. I'll watch over you," Magnus smiled as he reached up and held Alec's face between his hands, pressing his forehead against the Shadowhunter's. "I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me."

"I always do," Alec breathed. He wanted so much to just be enveloped in Magnus' strong arms and just go back home where it was safe. "I always trust you. You don't have to tell me."

Magnus kissed his cheek. "Gear up, warrior. I can hear Isabelle's heels coming this way. She's probably coming to get you."

----------

Alicante was war torn as Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike fought in the streets. Demons were crawling everywhere; most of them being species of demons that Alec had never seen before. Some had horns while others had wings or more than six legs. It was a bloodbath.

"Alec!" Magnus yelled over the noise of the screeches and yells from other Shadowhunters. As he approached Alec, he could see that his handsome, hazel eyed boyfriend had a cut along his left temple and his shirt was torn in several places. "It's not too late to take me up on that offer to disappear!"

Alec barked a laugh as he nocked an arrow into his bowstring. "Seriously? We're doing this right now?!"

"Better late than never!" Magnus yelled, shooting a ball of fire at a demon that resembled a slug with needle sharp teeth. It burst into flames instantly.

"How about we discuss this later? Maybe talk about a small vacation-" Alec released the arrow and it lodged itself between a scorpion-like demon. "That's if we make it out of here alive!"

"Don't jinx it, Alexander! Of course we'll make it out alive!" Magnus grabbed Alec by the collar and hauled him backwards as a large boulder landed right where he was standing. "See? Aren't you glad I decided to stick around?"

Alec scoffed but laughed. "You were going to stay anyway. What are you talking about?"

A black mass soared past them, and they both shot at it the same time, with Alec shooting an arrow while Magnus shot red fire.

"I need you to go find Jace and bring him to the front line. He'll be of better use there than where he is now," Alec took out his seraph blade and held it at arm's length.

"And where exactly is he now?" Magnus ducked under Alec's blade as it was swung.

"Sorry. There was a demon behind you," Alec flashed an apologetic smile. "Jace is at my family home. More than likely protecting the children they gathered up and brought there."

"Then I'll go get him. Try not to get yourself into any trouble while I'm away?" Magnus chuckled, "and by trouble I mean try not to get yourself killed. I wouldn't like that very much."

"Neither would I," Alec rolled his eyes, allowing himself to be kissed once before engaging himself in a battle with a demon resembling an ox on two legs and and carrying an axe.

As Alec said, Jace was at the Lightwood mansion defending it with everything he had. A blade in either hand, he swung them both down on a Dravak demon as it leapt towards him. Once they were dead, he turned to see Magnus standing there watching him. He smiled broadly.

"Hey Magnus. Did you need something?" He asked.

"I do, actually. I wanted to wait until you killed that demon. Would've been rude of me to interrupt," Magnus threw another fireball at a demon.

"Oh. How polite of you. But let me guess: Alec needs me."

"Pretty much."

"Alright then-" Jace stabbed another demon in the chest. It disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Lead the way."

They took the back roads to avoid any more demons. Other than the scattered corpse here and there, none of the demons seemed to notice them moving about in the alleyways.

"You seem to be in your element here," Magnus whispered over his shoulder.

"Obviously. I'm a Shadowhunter. This is what we do. We-" Jace gasped suddenly, collapsing back against the brick wall of a building.

Magnus grasped the blonde's shoulder. "Jace? What is it?"

Jace grunted and a hand slowly went up to his left side. "I'm not sure. It's Alec-"

Magnus didn't let him say anymore. He was already racing towards the direction he had left Alec in without another word or even to look back at Jace to make sure he was alright.

Alec was on the ground. Unmoving, he looked almost dead as Magnus fell to his knees beside him, hands trembling in fear of the inevitable. Everything around them seemed to slow down, such as time, and the only thing that mattered right now was Alec.

"Alexander....wake up," Magnus shook Alec by the shoulders. Tears began to form in his eyes when the Shadowhunter didn't move or open his eyes. "Damn it, Lightwood! Open your eyes!"

A demon scuttled towards them and made a leap to attack, but Magnus looked up at it, eyes blazing, and a protective bubble formed around himself and Alec. The demon bounced off it and burst into flames at the contact.

"Alec...please don't leave me. I just found you and here you are trying to leave me." Magnus hugged Alec to his chest and began to sob when the hazel eyed man never budged. "Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god....."

After a few minutes of sobbing, a muffled cough broke through his tears. Shocked, Magnus looked down at Alec. His eyes were open and he was coughing.

"You were smothering me. I couldn't breathe," Alec inhaled a lungful of air. "Are you crying? Why?"

"You adorable idiot," Magnus laughed through a happy sob and kissed him. "I thought you were dead! You weren't moving. You didn't even have your eyes open!"

Alec winced as he sat up. "I'm not dead. Just had the wind knocked out of me. Guess I went unconscious for a few minutes," he coughed again and glanced at Magnus. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Magnus shook his head. "Don't apologize. I was just so scared that you were dead that it didn't occur to me to check for a pulse," he laughed as Alec rolled his eyes. "I'll know better next time."

"Hopefully there won't be a next time," Alec smiled softly. He gently placed a kiss on Magnus' cheek before getting to his feet. "Now come on. We have a battle to win."

Magnus got to his own feet, brushing off his pants. "That we do, Alexander. Meet me on the battlefield?"

Alec raised his blade with a smile. "I'd meet you anywhere."