"The only song I know how to play is Mary Had A Little Lamb. My piano skills don't get any better than that."

Magnus was tinkering with the piano while Alec was setting it up for Madzie in the living room. Apart from the three of them and a few of their daughter's toys, the room was mostly empty due to Magnus' need to redecorate every couple of weeks.

"I can play Chopsticks. You're not the only one with insane skills," Alec chimed in. "Check this out."

Magnus laughed as he played Chopsticks with just two fingers. "We should start a band together. Made up of all pianos."

Madzie giggled and shook out her curly hair. "Daddy? Can I play a song?"

"Of course you can," Alec said and helped his daughter climb up into the piano seat. "What song are you going to play for papa and daddy?"

Madzie grinned and kissed his cheek, making him laugh. "I made it up, daddy. Watch me play!" She giggled again as Alec made a goofy face when she began to play. "Look at me, papa! I'm playing piano!"

"You sound beautiful, baby girl. Good job!" Magnus clapped as Madzie played random keys, not making much music and more noise than anything else. Once she was done, she slid down off the bench and ran to go play with her toys. With her now gone, the room seemed too quiet. Alec was now seated on the piano chair, humming to an unknown song and pressing gently down on the keys. Magnus pressed his hands together, unsure whether or not he should speak. "Well then....were you lying to me all along and can you actually play?"

Alec couldn't hear anything; all he could hear was the music playing inside his head as he stared at the keys in front of him. Magnus' voice was a muffle beneath all the notes, and there were a lot of notes. He wanted to play so bad; his fingers were itching to play an old song he had learned as a boy. The one in his head was complex and filled with emotion. Magnus would love it.

"Okay then....I'll just be over here. Making no noise and pretending that I don't exist." Magnus smirked at his Harry Potter reference, wishing Alec had heard it but the man was too enveloped in the silent piano to even give Magnus the time of day (not that he needed it).

A few minutes went by without a peep from either of them. Magnus sat quietly beside the piano and Madzie played with her toys on the floor while Alec continued to listen to whatever song he was listening to inside his head, humming and moving his fingers in the air as if playing the piano.

"The piano is behind you, handsome," Magnus chuckled. Alec ignored him and his joke altogether, earning himself a grunt and more humming. Shrugging, Magnus took out his book he'd been reading for the past week and flipped through it to pass the time.

Alec, with all the notes of the song committed to memory, finally turned around to face the piano. The black and white keys stared back up at him, practically screaming at him to start playing a song. So doing exactly that, he placed his hands on the keys, closed his eyes, and began to play.

Magnus almost dropped his book in surprise when he heard notes being played. Leaning forward in his seat, he marvelled at the way Alec's hands and long, expert fingers flew over the keys with such precision and passion. For someone who didn't have much musical talent, he thought Alec was a music God with the piano. Even Madzie looked enthralled by her daddy's musical skills. She had stopped playing with her toys to get up and stand next to Alec, watching his hands and fingers move expertly over the keys.

Alec was in another world. He was so absorbed with the music that he didn't even notice Magnus and Madzie staring at him with their jaws to the floor. All he could focus on were the notes and the music he could hear crystal clear inside his head.

When the song ended, the room went dead silent. Alec had relaxed his body and was now rubbing his neck nervously as he tapped his foot on the floor. "Why are you guys staring at me like that?"

"Alec," Magnus whispered. "That was...."

"That was beautiful, daddy!" Madzie jumped up into Alec's lap and clapped her tiny hands. "Again! Play it again!"

Alec groaned. "I don't really like playing in front of people, Maddy."

Magnus shook his head. "I don't see why. That was incredible. Where did you learn to play like that?"

Alec felt his nerves relax when Magnus complimented him. "I mostly watched Jace play. Taught myself. Listened to music on slow days. Figured out what the right keys were to the music."

Magnus let out a breathy laugh. "So you play by ear? You've got some serious talent, Alec. You could go far in the music industry with talent like this. If you were a mundane, that is. Have you played for anyone else before?"

Alec shook his head in response, staring at the piano keys. "No. You're the first audience."

"Well, you should. I think you're amazingly talented." The corners of Alec's mouth twitched as Magnus talked. "Come on. Play us another song. Do you want daddy to play another song, Madzie?"

Madzie nodded. "Yeah! Play the Dora theme song!"

"I don't know that one. But I'll play a song called Transcriptions. You'll like that one."

Madzie squirmed on his lap in excitement. "Play it. Play it, daddy!"

"Yes daddy," Magnus smirked, "play it."

Hesitating at first, Alec eventually adjusted himself on the seat, eying the keys warily. He didn't particularly like the new smell to this piano; it was almost like some sort of strong cleaner smell to it. He pressed down on a key. It made a gentle "clink" sound along with its note. B flat. Alec took a deep breath, looking down in front of the piano. He closed his eyes first before letting his hands move over the keys so fast that they looked like a blur to Magnus.

The music that came from it was beautiful. If there was ever a time to die peacefully, this would most definitely be that time. The way Alec's hands danced over the keys was simply breathtaking and beautiful to watch. Magnus couldn't look away; he was captivated and under Alec's musical spell. Madzie seemed to be under the same spell as she watched her daddy play the most beautiful song she ever heard.

When Alec finished playing, the final note of the song echoed and trailed on throughout the penthouse. Magnus seemed unable to speak. The only thing he was able to do was just stare in awe and work his mouth open and shut, like he wanted to say something but was unable to get his voice to work.

"Yay daddy!" Madzie cheered. She began to bounce up and down on Alec's lap and giggle. "Again! Again!"

Alec groaned and scooped Madzie up in his arms. "Not today, little missy. I believe it's someone's bedtime."

"Noooo," Madzie moaned as Alec kissed her cheek. "I wanna stay up longer! Play more music!"

Magnus got to his feet and held his daughter's hand in his own. "The piano will still be here in the morning, baby girl. Daddy can play for you when you get up for breakfast. Sound good?"

Madzie nodded and yawned. "Okay, papa. Promise you'll play for me in the morning, daddy?"

"I promise," Alec kissed her on the cheek. "I'll play you a song in the morning, princess. Now let's get you tucked away in bed, huh? Papa and I will read you a bedtime story."

Madzie wasn't even in her bed five minutes when she dozed off, teddy bear tucked safely under her arm. Both Magnus and Alec kissed her forehead goodnight and left the room, turning off the light so that it was just her nightlight glowing in the room.

"She really liked your song today. You could see it in her eyes," Magnus whispered.

"You liked it to. You couldn't even speak," Alec chuckled. "I've never played for anyone before. It felt kind of weird having an audience to be honest...."

Magnus stroked Alec's arm with a finger. "Look at it this way. If you mess up, we won't know because it still sounds good to us."

"Oh. Thanks. I guess...." Alec smiled as Magnus kissed his chin. "So now that our daughter's gone to bed....I was thinking that you and I have a bit of us time."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what if our girl wakes up and catches us in the act?"

"I don't know. Do you know any spells that takes away memories?"

Magnus swat him on the arm. "Alexander Lightwood! I'm not using a spell like that on our child! Are you nuts?"

Alec winced and put a finger on the warlock's lips. "Shhhh. Maddy's sleeping. Keep it down."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "Sorry. But I'm not casting a memory spell on her. Let's wait to have some us time when Isabelle takes her for the weekend. We'll have the whole penthouse to ourselves then."

"Mmhmm," Alec chuckled. "That does sound nice. It's been a while since we had the place to ourselves. Whatever shall we do?"

"The sky's the limit, Alexander. We could do anything really." Magnus pulled Alec's head towards him and placed a sweet kiss on the Shadowhunter's mouth. "How about we just watch a movie for now? Make some popcorn?"

Alec was about to answer when Madzie's bedroom door opened and she stepped out into the hall with them.

"I can't sleep," she announced. "I wanna watch a movie too."

Alec and Magnus looked at each other. Magnus was the one who spoke up. "You're really supposed to be in bed, baby girl. It's late and you have a play date in the morning."

Madzie stuck her lip out in a pout. "Can I sleep on the couch while you and daddy watch a movie?"

Magnus glanced at Alec, who closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay. You can sleep on the couch with us but when the movie is over, we're putting you back to bed. Okay?"

Madzie nodded and took Alec by the hand as she led them out into the living room. Not long after the movie (Moana) started, she drifted off to sleep, her gills contracting as she let out tiny snores.

Alec had to cover his mouth with a hand to keep from laughing at how cute she was when she slept. "She snores like you. It's endearing."

"I don't snore. That's you who snores. You just like placing the blame on me to make yourself look good," Magnus dodged a swat from Alec. "I'm going to bring her back to bed. You coming with?"

"I'll go get our own bed ready," Alec leaned down and kissed Madzie, who was still sound asleep in Magnus' arms as he carried her back to her bedroom.

A few minutes after Alec had pulled down the covers to their bed, Magnus returned to the bedroom and stripped down into his boxers while crawling into bed.

"She finally asleep?" Alec asked him.

"Yeah. Out like a light. She's going to be tired in the morning," Magnus stretched and yawned. "We're going to be tired too."

"Being first time parents will do that to you," Alec leaned over and kissed Magnus on the cheek. "You're a great papa. Just thought you should know."

"And you're a great daddy. More ways than one," Magnus snickered as Alec poked him in the chest. "I'm kidding. You really do make a great father, Alec. You give Maddy the world and I'm sure she loves you for it."

"She loves you too. She loves both of her daddies," Alec kissed him again before shutting off their bedside lamp. "Let's get some sleep. I promised the little gremlin I'd play a song for her in the morning. And I always keep my promises."

Magnus snuggled into Alec, draping an arm around his waist while resting his chin just in the crook of Alec's shoulder. "Goodnight, handsome. I love you."

Alec stroked the hand that was around his waist. "I love you too, babe. Goodnight."