Disclaimer: I don't own the book series The Mortal Instruments nor own the rights to the TV Show Shadowhunters.

Hey. Hi. Hello.

Before I begin, I want to put this out there, in the world: One goddamn message, one comment about Alec being bisexual and I'm out. I'm pretty sure I've said this before but before I can see any shitstorm, I want you all to know that this is a goddamn fanfiction. Fan. Fiction. Fanfiction is when someone takes either the story or characters (or both) of a certain piece of work, whether it be a novel, tv show, movie, etc, and create their own story based on it. Sometimes people will take characters from one movie and put them in another, which is called a cross-over. (Urban Dictionary)

I will not tolerate any bashing comments based on the fact that in the TV Show, Alec Lightwood is gay and currently in love with Magnus. I am a nice human being, I love every single one of you and I really enjoy writing this story so please, don't put me in a rage-cage. Like I said before, I could make Alec anything I wanted; a fairy, a Warlock, a mundane, a pitbull terrier. I made him bisexual because I wanted to. I also don't see any hateful comments on Simon/Jace fanficions or on Isabelle/Clary ones, even if every single one of them is straight in the show. So yeah. Deal with it.

ZΛYDE WØLF feat. RUELLE - Walk Through The Fire

Alec was stunned. And maybe a little overwhelmed by the unusual situation. His fingers gripped the steele tightly as he traced a pattern on his abdomen, Iratze sinking into his skin with a slight burn he was prepared for.

It was somewhat unnerving to know that, besides Jace and Izzy, there was someone ready to stand up against his actions and words. It nearly made him shiver, the way she looked at him just a few hours before as they patched Izzy up. Clary's rune was way more effective than Iratze has ever been, first letting the demon's venom turn into somewhat harmless liquid that mixed with his sister's blood and then they all could see the wound patch up. In mere seconds it was gone and they all breathed out in relief, looking at the small smile grazing Izzy's lips.

After that, Serenity just stormed out the room and all they could hear was the door to the Infirmary close behind her in a manner they wished to never comment.

For the umpteenth time, Alec has made a mistake that could cost them all something very important. How could he be so blind? He was always trying to be rational and prepared but in this abandoned building... It all happened too fast to even register the fact. They were suddenly circled by so many demons he could not count and somewhat they managed to fight them all, but it cost Izzy way more than Alec could imagine.

Letting go of his sister's hand, he rushed after the furious redhead, followed by pointed looks from Clary and Jace.

"Serenity!" He shouted after her, his voice still slightly trembling. Hollow didn't even try to turn around, trying to fix the loose strands of hair that dropped from her ponytail. Aside from that, it was as if he was invisible. "Wait! Please!"

The girl turned around furiously, stopping in her tracks and it nearly caused Alec to bump into her. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes reflected everything; the disbelief she felt, the fear she rarely showed and the rage she emitted with every cell in her body. She stared at him for a second longer before averting her gaze and pursed her lips. It was his chance to speak and he knew he had to make this good.

"I'm really sorry, Serenity. I should've taken you with us but I thought it would be best if I go with just Izzy instead." Alec's tone was firm as he clenched his fists, breathing through his nose before continuing. "For those few weeks, I never had to hold back. It was surprisingly quiet and it didn't feel like we need to go on field with an entire Institute. However, this time I was wrong and it nearly cost my sister's life. And, for that Serenity, I am truly sorry." He nodded and she squinted slightly, but stayed silent as if waiting for him to continue. Alec sighed loudly, running his fingers through his hair. "What else do you want me to say, Hollow? That I'm broken and need fixing? Well, I know that. Because the moment Magnus stopped even trying to let me fix things, something deep inside me broke down; an entire system if I have to be precise. I thought... Maybe, I thought that throwing myself in missions would help me forget. It is not my fault that Izzy wanted to tag along."

Serenity looked up, his eyes softening yet the rage was still there. It seemed as if she was trying to suppress words coming from her mouth that were probably just a bunch of insults. Instead, she just nodded once and arched a brow in question.

"Is that all, Alec? Or you have another amount of this bullshit coming through?" She didn't mean it. She didn't want to say it. But the words were already spoken out and Serenity could see his face harden; it nearly hurt her to watch him like this. But he needed to learn this lesson. "You've broken at least two Clave rules, you've put your life at risk, not to mention your sister's life and the only thing you have to say is 'I'm sorry, Serenity'? It's not some kind of a romantic movie, Alec. I will not jump at you and shower your face in kisses because you're alive." She sighed quietly, fingers running along her tired face. Hollow didn't even want to see what kind of reaction she got out of him. She was just worn out. "I always thought highly of you; while Jace was the one do reckless things, you were viewed as the one who could be rational about decisions. About choices. What happens in your personal life, Alexander, should never reflect the things you do here. Those are separate. Keep that in mind next time you decide to let your pride and confidence take over because, Alec, let me tell you something," Leaning in a little, she raised her hand to grip his arm as if in hope to make him understand the situation better. Alec seemed to want to shake her fingers off but didn't do it, only stealing a glance at them. "Today, it was just a wound. But next time, someone of our fellow brothers and sister might be torn to shreds. Do you understand, Lightwood?"

Alec blinked once. Then twice. Thrice as her fingers dropped, only to stop at his wrist. His guilt, hurt and more of a little undefined feelings stirred within him as he looked her straight in the eye and nodded. Those emerald orbs seemed to soften a little more. He thought she would just leave him alone, go to the main hall and make a call to turn him in but what startled him the most were those slim arms wrapping around his waist out of sudden. She did not say another word, her hands gripping his shoulder blades. It took him by surprise, especially because not a few seconds before she was ready to eat him alive but, despite mixed feelings, Alec sighed briefly, closing his eyes before he returned the small gesture, letting his chin rest upon the girl's head.

But I'm not sorry I wanted to buy a cat just so it could eat you.

He couldn't help but chuckle, even if it was basically a threat that Serenity Hollow was truly going to live up to.

The next few days were uneventful. They kept searching for Valentine but he must've had some cloaking spell on him because it was fruitless, despite all their connections. It didn't came as a surprise to them that he had some kind of a warlock working with him, despite his hatred for the Downworlders, he did have to use them from time to time.

Alec leaned against the back of his chair, small bedside lamp giving him enough light to get him working through all the papers on his desk. His mind, however, was elsewhere. Earlier that night, he tried to contact Magnus again – his tries basically thrown to the rubbish bin. His ex-boyfriend would decline his call every single time he tried to get in touch and it hurt him even more. Alec wished Magnus would just shout, hit or do whatever instead of ignoring him like that. But it was just a wish that was never to be granted.

Just when he was about to get back to work, a small knock against the door made him sigh.

"Come in."

Not a second after, he was faced with a fucked up Jace, who tried his best not to trip over the edge of the rug. Alec stood up quickly, catching him without a second thought and sat him on the leather sofa, arching a brow.

"Well, not that I'm not used to you getting drunk as hell, but what was it this time?" His voice was stern, words quiet as he spoke them. "Jace, this is not how you deal with things."

His parabatai snorted loudly, eyes closed and head leaned against the back of the couch. He seemed broken and Alec winced briefly, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. He suspected what was it about but waited for his friend to spill.

"I just have no clue, Alec." Jace slurred briefly, his hand landing on his face as he rubbed his eyes. "Why did they have to send her here, Alec? Now, that everything between me and Clary seems to settle down? She is the best, invincible, fearless, blah blah blah." He looked at his best friend with an unfocused gaze and Alec just shook his head, snorting. "As if."

"You surely need to lay down and sleep it off, buddy." The raven haired male sighed and plopped down next to Jace, stretching out his legs with a grunt. "Things between you and Hollow were never serious anyway. Why does it bother you so much that she came here?"

Jace shook his head, letting out a breath that reeked of alcohol. Alec scrunched his nose – it wasn't that he was grossed out, he just didn't like the smell and that's why he rarely drank.

"She thought things were never serious, Alec." Jace chuckled and looked at the other male, shrugging. "I'm, on the other hand, pretty sure I was so in love with her that I kept wondering what our children will look like. What our future will be like." After a short pause, he added, "No things were put out there openly and then she moved out to Idris, then the demon shit happened and then... Then there was no going back, you know. I was here, she was there and I just couldn't imagine things anymore."

Alec nodded a few times, lips pursed and arms crossed. It was a rare situation, Jace pouring his heart out and he knew he had to be quiet for now. He didn't need to scare him off and leave his best friend alone in this, by his choice or not.

"That night in the Pandemonium... Clary looked so much like her. The red hair, those doe eyes, even the way she said my name. It seemed like a remedy, after all these years, and I became attached once more." Jace sighed, suddenly seeming a little more sober than before. He just needed to let this out. "And then I was suddenly declared to be her brother. Do you know how much of a slap this was to me? Like someone just tore my heart apart. I felt as if I was left alone once again." His voice faded, sleepiness taking over and Alec stood up, walking over to the armchair and took one of the blankets plastered all over the furniture. He had never seen Jace so confused before and it bothered him to know that there was someone capable of putting him in this state. But what confused him even more was the fact that he felt this slight pang of jealousy. Were those his old feelings re-surfacing? Was it the fact that Jace had loved someone else? It was not possible, since he did wash away this stupid crush on his parabatai. Alec brushed it off, deciding it was not the time and place and placed the blanket all over his nearly asleep friend.

Before he could call it a night as well, however, he heard a small mumble.

"And the sex? Yes, the sex was the best so far."

And with that, he turned off the lights and closed the door behind him, releasing a loud breath.

With a single shake of his head, he headed towards his bedroom, lips pursed and steps quiet. This was quite unexpected – he has never seen Jace in love before, no matter how much he wished to. He knew that he was hooking up with Serenity but it seemed more like they were friends with benefits. They were around sixteen back then, urges and emotions heightened and it was nothing weird, especially since Hollow was quite beautiful. She got her looks from her mother, who was now one of the Clave members. What bothered Alec the most, however, was the fact that he should've known. Clary was really similar-looking to Serenity and despite the fact that Serenity was a little more of a woman than a girl, they could pass as sisters. On the outside.

On the inside, however, there was a huge difference. Serenity was a choleric, always stepping down on bullshit but never reckless, always thoughtful. Clary didn't give a shit as soon as she got her way and that's why she and Alec didn't quite get along at first. But it didn't matter now, since all the misunderstanding were solved. Their common trait, however, was their bravery in every single situation. But Alexander could clearly see that Serenity didn't plan on getting along with Clary, the latter sharing the same feelings. All he could do was pray that there was not going to be some kind of a cat fight between them.

But for now he just wanted to sleep.

It was half past three in the morning and his eyelids felt heavy, so he just stripped down of his clothes and laid down on his bed, getting under the covers quickly. His musings had to wait for tomorrow, if it wasn't busy enough of a day. Soon enough he was asleep but it wasn't as peaceful as he imagined, because his dreams were full of red seas and emerald skies that snuck their way into his head right before his eyes closed for the night.

His fists were clenched, punching the bag with a ferocity he couldn't comprehend. Every single punch was thoughtless, it seemed like he was throwing them haphazardly, hitting any spot he could manage. But it didn't last long as Alec was suddenly interrupted, a female voice ringing through the attic.

"Not too bad, but it would've been better if you were well-rested." Serenity chuckled, walking over while stretching her arms. Alec's breathing was uneven, fists curled as he shot her a small look. She was dressed in tight working-out leggings and a sport bra, with her hair pinned up on the top of her head. "What happened? Bad dreams?"

"What are you doing here?" He spat out, the tone of his words surprising him and he cleared his throat quickly, shaking his head as he caught her look. "Im sorry."

Serenity chuckled, cracking her fingers briefly as she shrugged. She truly didn't give a shit, her mood was good enough. Even though she was stil angry with him.

"We're going on a mission today, jackass." She sighed and gestured him to come over, her invitation met with a small smirk as he approached her. "Field mission. There's another nest of Dahak demons that just might lead us to Valentine."

Alec charged at her without a hesitant note, his fist nearly colliding with her face but she ducked, her position staying the same. He took a few steps back, cocking his head to the side.

"Are you sure it's not yet another false alarm?" He threw another punch, this time aiming for the side of her stomach but she ducked as well, moving to the side with a chuckle.

"Probably more sure than you are about your fighting skills, darling." She snorted briefly, rolling her eyes. He replied with one of his own punches as she charged back suddenly, her foot colliding with the side of his stomach and he caught it just in time, pulling her in. Serenity, however, had other plans, swirling herself out of his hold and fell on her feet, flinging her leg and knocked him over in less than a few seconds. Moving fast, she grabbed him by his throat and pinned him down, red locks that had fallen off her ponytail tickling the man's face.

"Bang and you're dead." She arched a brow, letting her fingers linger on his skin for a few seconds before she let go. Alec snorted loudly, reaching out to flick her forehead but she moved away, snapping her teeth at his fingers with a pretended growl. "You gotta sleep it off before you decide to fight me, darling." She wiggled her eyebrows, her tone playful as she moved to kneel over him and dusted off her leggings.

"I have a question to ask." Alec suddenly blurted out in response, starling her a little as she tried to get back on her feet. Serenity stretched her hand out to him, arching a brow.

"What is it, now?"

Alec hesitated for a moment before he gripped her hand, pulling himself back up. Dusting off his pants as well, he averted her gaze for a moment before gathering the courage to ask. However, the question that rolled of his tongue smoothly wasn't the one he intendent to voice out.

"Did you buy this cat in the end or am I still safe enough?" His tone was wary but as soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to facepalm himself. Hard.

Serenity stared at him for a moment, her lips parted before she began laughing hysterically, her fingers covering her mouth. Alec let out an uneasy chuckle himself but before he could hear an answer to the unwanted question, someone barged through the door. They both looked at the golden-haired male with curiosity as he shook his head.

"Asmodeus. It's Amodeus." Jace groaned out, his head pounding wildly but he didn't give a shit at this point. "I'm not sure what he wants but he's the one planting nests of demons all over the city."

Serenity blinked a few times, the name making her shudder slightly before she sighed loudly. Of course it would be a Greater Demon. Who else.

Hollow pursed her lips for a moment, the strategy forming itself in her head along with unwanted memories that kept haunting her every single night. Flesh. Blood. Death.

The Beast was going to meet with its daddy.

"If it's really him, we have much more bigger problem than before. He's nearly invincible." She nodded, as if to herself before walking towards Jace. There was time for playing around and time to go back to responsibilities. "Tell me everything you know, now. And you, Alec," She ordered without even looking back. "you go find Izzy. Gather your team. It's going to be a long day."

And with that, she walked out. Two men looked at each other with wariness, the fact that this demon was the one who created the other side of the Hollow girl making them anxious. Alec sighed briefly.

It was truly going to be a long day.

Thank you for reviewing Send A Prayer To The Ones Up Above!