Hey everyone :D so I got such an AMAZING response to my first ever JALEX fic that I just couldnt resist writing another one to all of you who reviewed, favourited, alerted or all of them to say thank you :D I hope you all like this one even half as much as you did the last one :) This is dedicated to all of you.

xoxox

Becca

She finds Justin's acceptance letter to Harvard, a week after he accepts a place at NYU, and she's not entirely sure what to do about it. She wasn't snooping when she found it exactly; she just likes to know what's going on in her children's lives. And if she happens to have the need to riffle through their drawers as she tidies their rooms to find out what she wants to know, then so be it. It's not like they would ever tell her. Still, she is torn between confronting her eldest son about his decision to keep his acceptance into one of the best schools in the country from her, or to trust that he knows what he was doing.

She decides on the latter but can't help dropping hints occasionally at dinner throughout the next few weeks; little comments about withdrawing his application from NYU and accepting one of the other- better- colleges instead. He simply smiles benignly at her across the dinner table and tells her he likes the course choices at NYU. Plus, he adds, its closer to home; he'll be able to visit more often than if he went all the way across the country- just for a fancy campus. She knows something is up the second he says that. Those are Alex's words, not his own, Justin would never say anything negative about something as sacred to him as school.

She narrows her eyes at her children across the table, her penetrating glare telling them without words I know something is going on.

From the corner of her eye, she sees Justin glance warily at Alex, sees Alex stare blankly back- her face betraying nothing but boredom, but her eyes flashing- and watches as Justin slowly relaxes back into his chair, a small grin tugging at his lips.

Justin moves into the dorms for his first year away from home. He complains, loudly, about them whenever he comes home for the weekend: the washers never work, so "mom, can you clean these? I need them for tomorrow." The bathrooms don't have any baths, so "move over Maxxie, I need to get clean!" The food is inedible, "oh my poor mija, we need to feed you up! You're getting so thin"

She can't help but be worried about him, he's her baby. It doesn't help that he always looks so scruffy whenever he comes home; stubble growing on his chin, grease under his fingernails, even a hole in his usually pristine jeans.

She feels like she's missing something though, as though there's a joke being played and she's the only one who doesn't know the punch-line. It unsettles her slightly, but she's too worried about her baby not eating and wasting away and "¡Dios mío! Alex is going to go through the same thing if she ever gets to college"

By the time Alex graduates and somehowgets offered a place at NYU, she's been forbidden to move into halls. Teresa passes it off as a momentary trick of the light when she thinks she sees Alex smirk at the news, and cast a smug smile Justin's way, before wailing and moaning at her parents about it being "so unfair" because "all my friends are going to be there. I'll be a social outcast if you make me live with Justin." complete with puppy dog eyes and pouting lips.

She hadn't even considered the idea of Alex living with Justin before, but now that it's been brought up, Jerry pounces on the idea. "It's perfect" he says. Justin already has an apartment anyway, has since the start of his second year; why not have Alex join him! That way, Alex would be safe from the horrors of a dorm room and away from college boys. And Justin...well, Justin could keep her away from college boys.

Justin puts up the expected fight, already half resigned to his fate as he rolls his eyes at Alex where she stands behind her mother– most likely mouthing insults at her older brother.

The feeling she gets as she watches her daughter dance around her room, happily packing up her eccentric collection of clothes and talking about all the things she's got planned for the apartment, is slightly akin to the knowledge that you have a "kick me" sign stuck somewhere on you, you just can't seem for the life of you to find it. It's like waiting for the other shoe to drop, to suddenly realise the joke.

She's being trying to figure it out for over two years. She still hasn't got there yet.

The feeling only gets stronger as Justin walks along the hallway and Alex momentarily straightens up, from her packing to flash him an unnaturally bright smile. She thinks she must have imagined it a second later when she blinks out of her momentary stupor and sees Alex still calmly packing- as though nothing unusual had just occurred.

Alex makes it through the first year of college unscathed and Teresa breathes a sigh of relief. She didn't believe Alex would ever even get in to college, let alone last a year there. Anything after this is just a bonus really.

She shares an apartment with her brother the entire time, and Teresa is surprised at the lack of calls they receive in that year; begging to be allowed to murder their sibling. There were one or two in the first few weeks, but they seemed more joking than anything else. Apart from that, her two children seem to be getting along perfectly together. It makes her frown briefly for a moment as Alex's face pops into her head; smirking as she complains about living with her brother.

She can almost feel the 'whoosh' as the shoe freefalls past her. It just hasn't quite hit yet.

They spend part of the summer at home; relaxing, working in the shop, trawling the streets of Manhattan for a specific type of silk that Alex wants for her first year, showcase selection near the end of the month. One thing Teresa, notices is that they do everything together nowadays. It unnerves her slightly at first, but she soon gets used to it. College changes people, she can understand that. It's just strange, that's all; that her two eldest children who a year ago could barely tolerate one another now act like they're a...

But no, because that's just wrong, and as strange as her children are, that's a step too far. Even for them...she hopes.

Then, before she can let her paranoia get the best of her and make something out of the way Alex and Justin rarely talk anymore, instead sharing thought filled glances and lingering, questioning looks- that seem to convey more in a second than a hundred words ever could, Alex leaves.

She leaves a note- magical of course-that tells her family a friend from school has invited her to go down to California for a week or two and that she simply couldn't wait for them all to wake up and for her to have to explain, and then pack and then book a flight- because she knows, that Jerry won't let her use magic- so instead, she's left them this, while she uses the I.P.P. to sneak out. Over the sound of her tinkling exit laughter and Justin's barely concealed snort, She hopes they'll all have fun until she gets back, kisses to mom and dad and Max. Kisses to Justin too aaaaaand yeah, well...she'll see them later. Bye!

Oh, and P.S. mom, don't freak out.

Teresa is too busy freaking out to pay any attention to the thoughts that have been swimming around her head for the past few weeks.

By the start of August, Alex isn't back and Teresa finally snaps. Her daughter has been gone since late June and school starts back up in September. She was hoping Alex was going to go back. She's gotten three phone calls in the month since Alex disappeared and she hates it. She's worried and she wants her baby home. Justin offers to go to California and talk to her a couple of times but "no" she says, she's already had one child run off unchecked on her, she doesn't need another doing the same. Justin rolls his eyes at her slightly and it's so scarily like Alex's own look that she can't help mutter that he's been spending far too much time with his sister lately.

She didn't mean anything at all by it, she's too tired and pre-occupied stressing over Alex to even remember her thoughts about the two before Alex took off, but the hard look that settles on Justin's face for a moment makes them all come rushing back to her. He scrutinises her for several moments, trying to see what- if anything- she meant. Satisfied, he turns and walks slowly down the hallway towards his to room muttering what sounds suspiciously like "perhaps, or maybe I haven't spent nearly enough with her" under his breath as he goes.

She hears him on his wand later that night, laughing loudly into it and grinning inanely at the empty room around him. She knows its Alex on the other end, can hear her voice filtering through; distorted and crackly, but Alex all the same. She confirms it when she listens to the way Justin is laughing, he only ever laughs like that with Alex. She steps into the room just in time to hear her son saying his goodbyes. Abrupt she thinks, but it's not like he knew she was there, wanting to talk to her daughter.

Two weeks later Alex still hasn't returned, she's returned a handful of Teresa's phone-calls, laughing her way through stilted five minute conversations before she "has to go" again. She has no idea what Alex is doing, but she doesn't like the sound of it. There's always blasting music and the sound of several people in the background whenever she calls. She hopes her daughter is being careful; she hates thinking of her being in any danger.

Eventually, she relents and asks Justin to go and bring his sister home. He tries to fight down the rising smirk as he grabs a backpack and his guitar. "Just in case" he has to stay a few days. "You know Alex," he shrugs at her confused expression. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she lets him go. She can feel that shoe getting closer and closer to hitting the ground. Any. Second. Now.

There are only five weeks left before NYU re-opens for the new academic year. It will be Justin's last year and Alex's second. Teresa is sure Justin will bring her back. He would never willingly miss school. Especially not on the first day.

It's seven days until she hears from either of them.

Justin phones her; at one o'clock in the morning, babbling down the line at her about the beach and the sky and "sand mom, you should see the sand...all shiny and sparkly and soft..."It takes her about thirty seconds to realise with horror that he's drunk. She demands they come home immediately, tells him to call him when he sobers up and slams the phone down.

It's another three days before he calls again.

This time he sounds more like himself; serious and logical. And only a little like he wants to groan from the pain in his head every few seconds. He apologises, explains calmly that he didn't see the harm in letting Alex show him around for a few days and promises they'll be back within a week.

She tries to ignore the sound of Alex's music beating nearby in the background as she asks where he is staying. His casual reply of "Oh, its fine. We're at a hotel" makes her choke slightly and she feels like she has just swallowed a brick. She ends the conversation soon after saying a quick hello to her daughter and reminding her to be safe. She doesn't care how innocent it probably is, the sound of Justin hissing "Alex, get off, I'm on the phone to mom" is making her feel queasy.

They don't call again for two weeks. And by now she's getting frantic; Justin needs to be back at school, Alex just needs to be in the state. But they're not, they're still in California doing god knows what and she wants them home. The thought of them all the way across the country, alone, makes her uneasy. She tries to put it down to motherly concern, but really, that excuse just doesn't seem to be quite covering it anymore. She's pretty sure she's getting closer and closer to finding that "kick me" sign with every passing day. And she's not so sure she wants to anymore. Ignorance is supposedly bliss after all.

She tries to call their cell phones, but they're cut off- unpaid bills- she calls the number of the hotel they were at but is told that they are out. The clerk asks if she wants to leave a message and chokes when she simply says to tell them both that their mother phoned and would like to talk to them.

She calls again the next day and is put through to the room. When she is answered with a breathy "hell-ooohh!" from Alex, she pinches the bridge of her nose tightly and pretends she did not just hear that. She says her daughter's name sharply and hears a muffled curse float down the line, followed by some creaking, a small thump and Alex's loud giggle. Then her daughter is back on the line, out of breath and slightly panting and Teresa wishes she could just close her eyes and pretend this is just a very bad dream.

Alex starts going on about how much fun she's having and how many new people she's met. Teresa tunes most of it out until she hears the words "amazing classes..." and then she's all ears.

Alex has transferred schools. To Cal Arts. Teresa wants to scream.

Quietly, she asks if Justin is there and ignores the way Alex laughs a little as though amused as she hands over the phone to him. It isn't until Justin starts talking about "How fast can they get it here do you think?" And "It's a bit sudden I know, but I don't think my professor's will mind transferring my work" that she realises he's staying too.

She can't breathe, and has to force the phone into Jerry's hands as she stumbles to the sofa. The penny has finally dropped. And her children aren't coming home.

Before she knows it, a year has passed and Justin is calling to tell her about his graduation ceremony; saying he's sorry they couldn't make it. There was never an invitation anyway she knows. It hurts that her children seem so fine without any of their family in their lives, but she did all her grieving a year ago when she didn't leave her bed for a month and wept the whole time. So she says she's proud of him and asks if he and Alex are planning to visit anytime soon. She's given up bothering to pretend they lead separate lives.

Max turns eighteen in March, and her children come home for the first time in over a year and a half. They stay for two weeks because Justin got time off from his new job, and Alex is on spring break- about to start her third year as a fashion-design major.

They fly in, something Teresa doesn't quite understand since Alex still has a controller to the I.P.P, but they're smiling when they picks them up at the airport and she figures that's all that counts. They look different than when she last saw them and she knows she really shouldn't be surprised, but she is, and a little pang goes through her heart when she realises she no longer knows the people coming towards her.

Alex's hair is cut short around her face; choppy and layered. Her fringe is gone and her cheekbones stand out sharply in her slim face. All trace of roundness has left her daughters face, leaving her eyes looking even wider than before and her lips looking even fuller. With Justin, it's the same; she almost doesn't recognise him when he steps up beside Alex to scan the crowd with her; laden down with suitcases and bags of course. She thinks for a second that Alex has ditched Justin somewhere and brought her boyfriend along with her. She realises her mistake when she sees his eyes lock on her and the smile that curves his lips as he calls their names.

He isn't her little boy anymore she realises, his hair is longer than it was when he left; he's grown it out from the almost military cut and instead, has it smoothly styled in a casually ruffled look. He's an adult now she thinks, as she watches them walk steadily closer; chatting and laughing with one another. Alex pushes Justin's arm lightly at one comment, and Teresa suddenly realises his style has changed as well. His shirt is casual; a fitted v-neck T that looks like he barely has room to breathe in it's so tight. It doesn't do anything to hide his newly muscled physique either she realises as she catches many people openly staring at her son in admiration. The semi-formal suit jacket and perfectly pressed, stone wash jeans make her smile slightly though; at least he's still a little like she remembered.

The closer they get to her, the more Teresa recognises them, they may be changed physically, but underneath they're still the same old Alex and Justin. Her smile only widens when she hears Alex's voice playfully commenting on the geekiness of Justin's job- telling him to quit and become an artist instead. It's so much more fun. And Justin's return barb about the price of Alex's shoes being more than she'll ever make in a year from a career doing that.

She sees Alex's lips twitch as she gets ready to retaliate, but then her daughters face changes, and she sees Alex's eyes narrow as they walk past a girl. She's confused at first, then she realises the girl is openly admiring Justin and it clicks. Her smile falls at the same time the girl meets Alex's glare and quickly looks away. Justin laughs when he sees the exchange and casually slings an arm around his sister's shoulders while pressing a kiss into her hair. The girl hurries away from them red faced and Teresa wishes she could do the same. She sees Alex huff lightly as she looks up at Justin with a pout and for a second, she swears she sees her son lean downwards to... But then Alex's eyes flick towards her and he straightens up. She hopes she was just imagining it.

Back at the apartment they casually unload all their bags and dump them in Justin's old room. She pretends she doesn't notice it and thankfully after dinner Alex moves some (most) of them into her own.

They sit and watch TV as a family for the first time in she can't remember when. She, Jerry and Max sit on the old orange sofa together while her two eldest children take the floor. She tries to keep her attention on the movie, honestly she does, but the sight of them on the floor together is just too much to ignore and she spends two hours watching her estranged children instead.

They are so casual together that it almost breaks her heart; Alex lies with her head resting against Justin's shoulder, one hand buried constantly in the popcorn bowl she has balanced expertly on her stomach, removing it occasionally to stuff handfuls into both her and Justin's mouths.

Halfway through the film, they turn around simultaneously to look at Max. Their mouths are full to bursting while their cheeks bulge and Alex turns red from holding in her laughter. The sip of soda Max has just taken flies out of his mouth in an icy shower; covering both Jerry, and the sofa in orange soda while all three siblings laugh like children.

Alex's other hand plays continuously with Justin's fingers; pulling and twisting his hand to make shapes on the far wall, until he shrugs his shoulder and she falls to the floor with a small yelp. After punching his chest lightly and settling immediately back into place- his arm slipping around her this time to tangle long fingers in her hair- she uses it to draw patterns on the carpet; a heart with letters that she quickly rubs her fingers over to erase.

If only it were that easy for Teresa to erase what her eyes continue to see.

She refuses to wake them up the next morning for breakfast. She wouldn't know which bedroom to go to. Even acknowledging that is enough to make her stomach churn for the rest of the morning. Thankfully she doesn't have to; Alex darts in through the side door in running clothes just as she's putting everything out on the table. Her daughter smiles brightly at her, snags a piece of bacon from the plate she's holding and runs up the stairs to "see if captain dorks-a lot is out of bed yet" moments later, she hears a loud, high pitched shriek, accompanied by Alex's audible giggles and Justin's yelling of her name as feet pound along the upstairs hallway. A door slams and she can hear water running- accompanied by Alex's "That's not fair Justin! I need to shower! Let me in!"

Her eyes sting a little at the sheer familiarity of it. Some things never change at least.

The day of Max's birthday comes around three days after they arrive and Teresa feels bad for her children, two of them are going to lose out very soon. Justin and Alex seem unaffected by the whole situation, happily helping out with the plans for Max's party that afternoon. Alex thinks he's a little old to still be having them but "helps" with the preparations all the same.

What her children don't realise is that the party isn't just for Max.

They figure it out about two seconds after Zeke and Harper walk through the door. They look slightly horrified she thinks but quickly cover it up with hugs on Alex's part and a handshake on Justin's. Alex smirks at that as though still expecting to hear Justin speaking 'Spok'. He rolls his eyes at her and offers both of their old friends a drink. "Something seriously strong" she hears Alex mutter as she walks past. She shoots her daughter a disapproving glance that Alex ignores as she heads for the mini-bar.

She sees Harper watching Alex and Justin dance a few hours later with a slight frown on her face and silently commiserates with the young girl, who's crush on her son never really died, as she turns to do the same.

There is nothing inappropriate in the way they are dancing and to anyone else it would look perfectly innocent, but as Justin pulls Alex towards him to send her into a twirl, she sees his hand ghost down her side lightly. She watches as Alex rises from a deep dip and sees the way as she brings herself up, her fingers dance along Justin's neck and gently tangle in his hair. As she moves over to stand beside Harper, she sees the way they watch one another with the same kind of intensity usually reserved for films and reaches out to squeeze they young woman's shoulder consolingly. Harper looks at her resignedly and gives her a sad, accepting sort of smile before she slips away whispering sadly to herself "four years."

Teresa closes her eyes and feels the tears well up again. She really didn't want to know that.

Five days later the competition takes place. Neither she nor Jerry ever expected the outcome. Alex and Justin forfeit, looking only at one another as they make the declaration. Max keeps his powers. Teresa knows nothing is ever going to change their minds now.

A week later and it's time for them to leave. Teresa goes with them in a cab to the airport and ignores their clasped hands the whole way. When Alex pulls out their tickets, Teresa realises it was their plan the whole time to give up their powers and she doesn't quite understand why. She can't ask them though, she's sure it has something to do with magic stones and mistakes and Aunt Megan and missing memories and one bed roomed apartments in California and a hundred other little things that will make no sense to her but mean everything to her children.

She holds them close to her when their plane is called and doesn't want to let go when she feels them to her too. But eventually, she does, and she watches as they clasp hands unashamedly on the way to the gate; Justin taking Alex's bag from her and Alex smiling up at him from under his arm as she wraps her arms around his waist in a semi-hug. She can't help the tears that slip down her face as they leave but manages a weak smile when they turn to wave at they walk head into the terminal.

Before she knows it, seven years have passed and Max is getting married. To a French witch two years older than him. She isn't sure about them at first, but Anjou is nice enough, and Max loves her more than he loves orange soda. His words. So she figures it's not up to her. She has no idea how they make it work since Max is still ridiculously immature and loves to play with his magic like it's a toy and Anjou, is a serious little firecracker who loves nothing more than to rip people to shreds in a wizarding courtroom. They seem to manage somehow though, and they are happy. It's all she's ever wanted for her children. All of them.

Alex and Justin are invited to the wedding of course, they claim Alex has been advised not to fly by her doctor so they can't make it. Max laughs when he hears their excuse and claims his siblings have completely forgotten how to be wizards. Teresa worries about why Alex isn't allowed to fly but gets her answer soon enough. Two days before his wedding, Max uses the I.P.P to transport himself to the address in California, Alex has given them. He comes back slightly pale, his eight month pregnant sister on one side of him as he walks through the door from the lair. Justin on the other. All three of them look slightly uncomfortable

Teresa faints.

Alex looks defiant when she bumps into her in the hall the next day, looking just like when she was fifteen and got caught sneaking out to a party. Teresa wishes she was still fifteen. Her daughter looks like she expects a fight but instead, Teresa just pulls her to her in a tight hug. She's too tired to fight anything anymore. Her baby is going to have a baby. Alex looks shocked at the action but returns it anyway, tearing up and cursing her hormones as she pulls away several moments later. Teresa can't help the tearful laugh that escapes her own lips at the sight of Alex grumpily rubbing her swollen stomach tenderly.

Anjou doesn't blink an eye when Max introduces his brother and sister, Alex and Justin to her later that day. Even when Justin puts a very obvious arm around Alex's waist and kisses her forehead gently. Teresa wonders if things are different in the wizarding world but can't quite bring herself to ask Jerry. She thinks he's figured out what's going on, but she'd rather not be the one to have to break it to him if he hasn't and asking a question like that, well, it wouldn't leave her any option but to tell him. Ignorance is bliss after all. She wishes she'd listened to the voice that tried to tell her that years ago.

They stay for a week before they have to go back; Alex refuses to walk up and down another flight of stairs and wants her own bed. Teresa says she understands, but is still a little hurt that they can't stay longer. Especially since she hasn't seen them in nearly three years.

They call her two weeks later at five o'clock in the morning. She is now a grandmother to Maria Magdalena Teresa Russo: 6lb4oz, born at 4:37AM on 12th November 2022.

She cries down the phone line to Alex for twenty minutes before she wonders what she's doing and hangs up. An hour later, she's at her daughter's bedside holding her granddaughter for the first with a barely awake Max slumped beside her. Jerry is sleeping in the chair next to Alex's bed, clutching his baby girl's hand tightly in his own, even as he slept. Justin is stretched out beside her on the tiny hospital bed, his arm curled gently around her shoulders. The numerous scratches and half moon, nail marks covering his arms are clearly visible to everyone in the room as he reaches out to take the baby from Teresa; a look of pure, unadulterated love and devotion covering his face as he gazes down at his daughter and passes her gently into Alex's waiting arms. The two look at one another for a long moment before Alex sighs happily and burrows her head deeper into Justin's shoulder, closing her eyes and falling into an exhausted sleep as she holds her baby girl.

There are a lot of things Teresa Russo has never understood about magic; she understands even fewer things about eldest children. But she sees the way they look at one another, and she sees the way they look at their daughter and she wonders if maybe, that isn't a type of magic in itself. What else could explain two siblings falling so deeply in love that they could give up their entire lives for one another, give up their parents and brother and all their friends just for the chance of something more. Maybe magic could explain how they had the strength to push the limits on right and normal so far that they found something solid and new and beautiful because of it. Maybe it could explain the tiny miracle cradled in their arms at this moment, but she doubts it. Her children were born to be extraordinary, she knew it from the moment she saw them, she just never pictured this being the way they would do it. But for once, as she watches the new family huddled together on a tiny bed in a Californian hospital, she can't bring herself to care. Not when they look so happy and so peaceful and so right. And really, it's all she's ever wanted for them.