"What happened?" Magnus pushed open his doors as Simon and I carried Luke in, Clary right behind us.

Simon immediately spoke, "He was attacked!"

"He needs a warlock- he needs you!" Clary cried out.

My voice was backed by exhaustion, "God, he's heavy-"

"Put him here." Magnus laid a sheet over the couch as we placed Luke on the surface.

"Where are you? I can't find you-" Luke was so out of it, "Where are- where are you? Where are you?"

Suddenly, Luke calls out, "Jocelyn! Jocelyn-"

"No, Luke, it's Clary." She held his hand tightly, "Can you hear me?"

"Clary, listen to me." Luke looks at her with wide eyes, "Listen- you have to listen to me, I have to tell you, just in case-"

Clary shook her head, tearing up, "No, don't even say it, don't."

"No, listen to me." Luke bursted, "No, you need to know! Listen-"

Magnus looks between us, "Was he bitten by an alpha?"

Simon nods, "Yeah, why?"

Magnus got up, as we all backed away, "Three, two, one-"

Luke growled and snarls loudly, his eyes glowing bright green, making Clary gasp, "Oh, my God."

Magnus walks away, as I watched him, "Where are you going?"

"Hold him down- we don't have a lot of time." Magnus grabs a piece of bark and walks back over to us, "It'll take a few moments to take effect."

Clary questions, "What's happening to him?"

"Random werewolf transformation." Magnus places the bark in Luke's mouth as he bit into it, "It's a side effect of the poison in the alpha bite."

-

"The bark will stop the transformation for now, but Luke needs an antidote to stop the poison in his system." Magnus walked in with me, as I helped him carry what felt like a hundredth ingredients to the table, "And I don't have all the ingredients here."

I grunt, setting down the things, "Just tell me what you need and how to get it."

"No, you stay here." Magnus denied, "Luke will need you and Clary if he wakes up."

Clary corrects him, "When he wakes up."

Simon notices the look on his face and offers, "I'll go."

"I'll go." Jace walks in, dried blood from his nose, "Zee can come with me."

"Jace, what happened to you?" I left the things on the table and grabbed a tissue, walking over to him.

"Luke's car may have found its way into a pole while I was stashing it." Jace lightly shrugged, "I don't do mundane driving."

Simon scoffs, "Yeah, apparently."

"Magnus doesn't want me to go, I have to stay here for when Luke wakes up." I wiped the blood from Jace's nose, delicately holding his face as he watched my every move.

When I pulled away, Jace clears his throat, "What do you need for the antidote?"

Simon looks at him, "Hey, I got this."

"Phoenix eyes, moon salt, and Idris fulgurite." Magnus began pouring things into a bowl.

Simon shrugs, "One trip to the pharmacy, it'll take two seconds."

"I know a guy." Jace stopped him, "And, uh- I don't need him."

"Too bad, you're getting me." Simon shot back at him, "We'll be right back."

"One more thing." Magnus calls out, "I need Alexander."

Jace wasn't fond of this, since they weren't on good terms right now, "Uh, why do you need Alec?"

Magnus shrugs, "Virgin Shadowhunter energy."

"That explains so much." Simon said as if everything that Alec had done since he met him finally made sense.

Jace shook his head, "Um, Alec, yeah I can't."

"You know what? I'll call him." I offered, "Just get the ingredients and get back here as quickly as possible."

Jace pulls Simon along in annoyance, "Just don't speak to me."

I pulled out my phone and stepped into the hall, dialing Alec's number.

When he answers after the first ring, "Zee."

"Alec, hey." I exhale deeply at the sound of his voice, "Uhm- how's my mom?"

Alec's tone was fulled with sympathy even if we were not the best terms, "She's still the same- I'm sorry."

I huff, "At least it's not worst, right?"

Silent followed the both of us.

He clears his throat, breaking the barrier of silence and gets straight to business, "You need to get back to the Institute."

"Alec-" I inhale sharply, "You need to help me first."

Alec denied, "No, I'm not messing around."

"Me either." I shot back quickly, "I need your help."

Slight concern clouded Alec's tone, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, I just- it's Magnus." I admit, "He needs your powerful Shadowhunter energy, or something like that- we need you, please."

"Magnus-" Alec repeats, "Why does Magnus need me?"

I close my eyes, preparing myself for his response, "To help save Luke's life."

"No, I made it clear at the wolf den, no more Downworlder business- we can't be seen as interfering with a pack alpha dispute." Alec denied right away once more, "How can you even ask me-"

"I shouldn't have to ask you, Alec!" I argued, "You're my best friend- we're supposed to be there for each other."

Alec shot right back at me, "That's exactly my point."

"Alec, I know you- you're a man of honor, and the only person in the world I would trust with something like this." I sigh deeply, "Please- I'm counting on you to do the right thing."

I hung up the phone and walked back into the living room, shoving my phone back into my pocket.

Clary questions as I join her and Magnus, "What's all this for?"

"The base for the potion-" Magnus grabs my hand and places it on the wooden spoon in the bowl, "Stir- we need to have it ready before your boy toys get back."

I stirred, "What if they don't get back in time?"

"You can't think like that, biscuit." Magnus shook his head towards me as he went to grab another ingredient.

I sigh deeply, Clary running a hand through her hair stressfully, "I don't know if I can do this anymore- okay, I'm an art student, all my adventures are supposed to be two-dimensional-"

Magnus grabs a jar, "Who says?"

"Me." Clary made it clear, "Look, it is one thing to draw monsters and demons, but it is completely different to see them up close and personal- I don't know what I'm doing."

"Well, you can learn." I stirred more, "All you need is a little more training, and you'll be fine."

"Jocelyn!" Luke calls out, making us all look to him and rush over, "Wait, don't touch her-"

Clary fell to her knees, "Luke, I'm here."

Magnus' fingers sparked blue, "Let me take your pain away- agitation only makes the venom work faster."

Luke shook his head, "I need to tell Clary."

"Luke." My voice was stern, "Save your strength."

"No, she needs to know." Luke was breathless, "No, please."

I looked at Magnus, "Magnus, do it."

"You need to tell her, all of it." Luke said to Magnus, "Promise me."

Magnus nods slowly, before using his magic to put Luke back to sleep, "The poison is spreading- your suitors need to hurry."

-

"Tell me what?" Clary asked, "What's so important that Luke risked his life?"

"Everything Jocelyn hoped to hide from you." Magnus handed me a drink, sipping his own.

I set it down, "Why?"

Magnus uses his magic, having a sketch book and charcoal appear in front of Clary, "When you were younger- I'd watch you sketching- It was your bliss, you're gonna need some bliss now."

"Back then, there wasn't a day I didn't draw." Clary opened the book, "It was like breathing. Now, I look at this blank page and I barely even know what to do."

Clary sighs, "Sometimes I feel like my art, my memories- my life, it- it all vanished with that Memory Demon."

"Your art, everything you are- they're all still here." I cross my arms as she gave me a small smile from where she stood, "You're the woman your mother always knew you could be."

Clary then scoffs, "But tried to keep me from being."

"That's why you need to know how you got here." Magnus looked at her.

"Will it help me find my mother?" Clary looks at Magnus.

"That's the only reason I can think of why Luke would be so adamant." Magnus admits, shrugging.

"I'm ready." Clary spoke for the both of us, "Bring it, warlock."

Magnus nods, starting from the beginning, "When I first heard about your father, around the time he and Jocelyn first got together, long before the Uprising and the Circle, Valentine elevated the Morgenstern name- to be synonymous with virtue, and Jocelyn was at his side."

"But by the time my people came to know him, barely two years later his name had become synonymous with devastation." Magnus explained, looking at Clary, "Your mother told me it was then she first saw the signs."

"They never found all the bodies." Magnus sighed, "We'd all stood with the Clave for centuries."

"That's sick." I picked up my drink, "How could that not matter to him?"

"He was obsessed with ensuring purity of blood." Magnus exclaimed, "Convinced that the impurities were a threat to peace."

Clary's jaw was clenched as she drew, "He was the threat to peace."

"Mad men rarely make sense." Magnus remarks, "Mostly, they just hate- and he hated the Downworlders, for the gifts that we possess that he could not have. He hated us enough to kill us all."

"Ever since my mother was kidnapped, and the Shadow World invaded my life, so many Downworlders have helped me, not even thinking about what it might cost them." Clary got up and paced, "How could Valentine not see good in any of them?"

"He was blinded by his ambition." Magnus sipped his drink.

I did as well, "And why didn't the Clave stop him?"

"He was clever." Magnus tells us, "He and his followers, they managed to convince the Clave that the Downworlders they killed on their special missions had violated the Accords in some way. Complete fabrications."

Clary crosses her arms, "How could the Clave not see?"

"Shadowhunters believe in the Law as absolute." Magnus exhales sharply, "They could never conceive of one of their own going astray."

"My father didn't go astray, Magnus." Clary looked away, "He went insane."

"What happened back then is happening again." Magnus looked between us, "The Clave refuses to believe that Valentine's a threat. Nineteen years ago, their lack of vision allowed the Circle to almost decimate the entire Shadow World."

Clary spoke, "That was the Uprising?"

"Yes." Magnus confirmed, "Valentine wanted to create a new Shadowhunter army. And for that, he needed the Mortal Cup."

"He knew it would be on display at the signing of the Accords as a show of the Clave's power." Magnus went on, "He seized the opportunity to accomplish everything he ever wanted. Destroy the Accords, murder Downworlders, and secure the Cup."

"How could my mom and Luke be a part of something like this?" Clary started to pace again.

"Jocelyn and Luke tried to prevent the Uprising." Magnus explained. "They tried to change Valentine's mind about Downworlders."

"Obviously, they didn't." Clary spat, sitting back down.

"Clary, if it wasn't for your mother and Luke, the Circle would have won." Magnus held his drink.

Clary continued to sketch, "Ever since I found out Valentine was my father, I wondered how my mother could be married to someone like that and why she stayed. She had to stop him."

"And safeguard the Cup." Magnus nods, "Everything Jocelyn did, she did to save the people she'd sworn to protect. She took her oath as a Shadowhunter seriously."

I clear my throat, "How does that help her find the Cup?"

"Maybe Luke thinks if you know your mother better, you'll know where she hid it." Magnus' guess was as good as anyone's.

"Then, tell me why she gave up being a Shadowhunter." Clary sat up, setting down her sketch book.

"Because the one thing in the world she loved more is you." Magnus told her, "She had to protect you."

"From Valentine." I scoff, taking a big gulp of my drink, swallowing it down quick, my tone raspy due to it, "That lunatic."

Groans and grunts came from the couch, as I down the rest of my drink, rushing over, "Luke-"

"The magic's wearing off." Magnus set his drink down and came up behind me.

"It was our fault-" Luke mutters, "It was our fault!"

"Luke!-" Clary looked at his wound, "It's worse-"

As Magnus used his magic to keep him stable, Clary and I watched in worry and concern, as time was running out.

-

"I'm running out of magic." Magnus became weaker with every moment, trying to keep Luke stable.

"What do we do?" Clary questions, holding onto something to make sure she didn't fall she to the rumbling ground.

"I can't leave him, but the potion stock still needs Komodo scale." Magnus instructed, "Find it, add the rest when they get here- you'll have to feed it to Luke."

"What about you?" I asked, a few things knocking over next to me, almost hitting me in the head.

"I'll hold on as long as I can." Magnus told me, "Go!"

Clary and I rush around, looking for the ingredient.

Clary rummaged through shelves as I turned, running right into Alec Lightwood, my face ramming into his chest.

I stumbled back in surprise and looked up at him, "You came- you actually came-"

Alec stares into my eyes for a moment, as if this wasn't a life or death situation, and I let him, "Of course I came-"

"There-" I point, snapping back into reality, "Magnus is in there-"

Alec nods quickly, walking through the doors and disappearing into the room.

"Zee!" Jace's voice catches my attention, my head snapping sideways, Jace and Simon running in with a small bag.

"Do you have it?" I question, Jace nodding, handing me the bag, "Right on time-"

"Come on!" Clary pulled my arm as we ran into the room again, her tossing the Komodo scale in, as I tossed whatever was in the small bag in as well, stirring the mixture.

Clary scoops some up, pouring it into a small cup, rushing over to Luke, pouring it into his mouth.

Luke swallows, his eyes opening, letting out a breath.

He smiles weakly, "Clary-"

Magnus falls into Alec, Alec keeping a hold on him and looking at him, "You okay?"

Magnus weakly nods, "Yeah."

I look between them from where I stood next to Jace and Simon, breathing heavily due to how much we were running around, pursing my lips to hold back a weak smile.

-

"Alec." I smiled lightly as I walked over to him, as he was picking up a book, "Did I mention how much I love you?"

"I don't think so, no-" Alec put the book on the shelf and looks at me, as I hugged my best friend tightly, him returning the gesture.

"If you hadn't gotten here in time, Luke could be dead right now." I held on for a few moments, before pulling away, "I don't know how to thank you."

Alec stares down at me, as I quickly add in, "I know you didn't do this for me- so, I'm glad you did this for you."

Then Jace joins us, making Alec step back from me, hugging Jace then leaving us alone.

Jace smiles at me, "You have an interesting effect on people, as always."

"He's my best friend." I leaned against the couch, "Listen- uhm, thank you."

"For what?" Jace's mouth turned up wider, "For running an errand?"

"That- and," I stare at him in admiration, "For having my back."

"Hey-" Jace reaches up and holds my face with one hand, making my heart leap, "I'm always gonna have your back."

I bit the inside of my cheek, smiling, before stepping back from his hold, backing away to the side slowly, "I'm gonna go get a drink."

authors note:

dude, MAJOR best friend feels.

but, wow zace moments

zee's so oblivious to jace and alec's obvious feelings towards her, smfh

vote and comment loadssss