Epilogue

"It's a Brand New World"

Alec was sitting in his office reading the last reports he was delivered by Jace from the New York Institute. As always, one of two Heads of that Institute had some unorthodox idea to run the place. Alec stopped being surprised by that, years ago, when he stepped down from being the Head himself after he was offered the new position in the ranks of the Clave.

Truth to be told, Alec was shocked, to put it mildly, when he was voted to become the New Consul. What was shocked more was the fact that his nomination was put by none other than his own father. Alexander, of course, had a vague idea that it's the aftermath of the reveal of the corruption of the Clave.

Magnus, Catarina, Raphael, Lily, Simon, Maia's pack, Knights of the Seelie Court, Alec, Jace, Clary, and Isabelle appeared in the Idris only week after the death of Victor Aldertree. Ever since they had learned about the true intentions of the Clave, Magnus and Alec were preparing their plan. The downworlders of New York were shocked when they learned that Alec is very adamant to take down his own people. Of course, Alexander didn't want any unnecessary deaths to fall on either side of the feud. Magnus promised that they'll try to be more civilized than the shadowhunters.

That's how they had founded themselves in the middle of the Council meeting, while the rest of their team were guarding the Hall of Accords.

"You have no right to be here!" Jia Penhallow screeched, already reaching for her weapon. However, before she had a chance to rise it to the air, Magnus conjured it to himself. "Arrest them!"

"I wouldn't try," Magnus spoke sternly, swirls of his magic already circling his fists. "If you try anything, you'll meet your death immediately."

"What do you want, warlock?" Jia grunted through her teeth.

"Reveal your idiocy," he replied, taking a step ahead. Alec close on his heels with his arrow pointed at the potential enemy. Many eyes in the room were looking between Consul Penallow and Magnus Bane. "I'm doing what you wanted me to do, Consul Penhallow. You and Victor Aldertree wanted me to lead attacks on the shadowhunters, so I'm doing it."

Gasps erupted in the room, followed by silent murmurs of disbelief. Alec wondered maybe not all of the Clave members were corrupted as Jia and Victor. Magnus surveyed the room before his cat eyes landed on Jia Penhallow once again.

"You think us the barbaric kind, the animals, but it's you who's planned the mass murder of your own kind," Magnus continued.

"Victor Aldertree attacked Hotel Dumort, burned almost the entire clan of the vampires, along with many shadowhunters." Alec declared loudly, standing next to Magnus. "He did it, with a blessing of Jia Penhallow! They slaughtered the second of command of Alpha of the Brooklyn's pack and a member of the Praetor Lupus. He sacrificed many members of our people, throwing them into the fight with the werewolves. He tortured Raphael Santiago to force Magnus to attack New York Institute and wanted me to order hunt of the downworlders in the New York. And most importantly, he tortured and killed the Princess of the Seelie Court, the daughter of the Queen, Lady Akiria. And it was all with the blessing of Jia Penhallow."

Silence filled the room a moment before the door to the room opened wide and the Head of Security, Helen Blackthorn walked inside the room with guards behind her and the daughter of Jia Penhallow on her right side.

"Jia Penhallow, by the authority of the Clave, you are under arrest."

"I'm the Consul, you can't arrest me!"

"Mom...just don't…" Aline sighed, shame in her voice. "How could you? They've done nothing wrong."

"Their whole existence is wrong."

Alec was disgusted with the thinking that both Jia and Victor had imprinted in their minds. Downworlders were just as human as the shadowhunters were. To be all honest, before Magnus, Alec could think the same. His parents bestowed them with the same education of how the downworlders were beneath them in the whole hierarchy. They were tainted by demons, they did not deserve any goods in this world. That was the lessons his parents were teaching them. Alec was the oldest child in the family, he ought to prolong the same thinking and pass it to the future generations of his children.

But everything has changed ever since Magnus Bane has stepped into his life for the second time. Nothing was the same anymore. He realized then that the world he was living in was all black and white. Ever since Magnus waltzed into his life, his life did a flip over 180 degrees and become more colorful, more glittery but for most, it became clearer. Alec started to see the differences from what had his parents and teacher taught him. The downworld wasn't as they painted it to be, not in one bit.

Jia and Victor were wrong. The whole Clave was wrong and Alec was going to show them the truth.

"No," Alec protested, stepping ahead. "Your existence is wrong, Jia. The downworlders are equals to us. They hold the same right to live in this world. They are not doing more bad things that we are. You think them monsters? So how do you call us, huh? How do you call those shadowhunters who kill their own people? How do you call the shadowhunters who torture innocent people? How do you call the shadowhunters who want to use their own man to manipulate downworlders just because he fell in love with one? I call you monsters. I am sure that when Angel Raziel decided to grant the power to Jonathan Shadowhunter he didn't even imagine that you will use this power to take down innocent lives? He wanted us to protect people from evil creatures. From demons."

"But they are part demons," Jia battered more, as two men were holding her down.

"And we're only part angels." Alec was sure that his words shook his people to the core. "And let me tell you that some downworlders are part angels too. Those who come from the fallen Angels have angelic blood in their veins as well. Tell me, how are they different from us?"

"When your little fairytale ends, you'll see our vision, Alec Lightwood," Jia commented as the men walked her by Alec. "Or maybe, I will show what kind of monsters they are just now."

Before Alec had a chance to react, Jia pulled out the seraph blade from one of the man's hands and wanted to attack Alec. However, she couldn't stand a chance. In a blink of an eye, Alec was pushed back to the ground by a large physical force and a loud growl filled the room.

"Raphael!" Alec was moved from the ground by strong arms, holding him up by his waist. He knew those arms.

"Are you ok, son?" Alec's head was pounding, he must have hit it on the ground when Raphael pushed him down. Alec shook his head and looked ahead. But the view was horrible.

Raphael was laying on the ground with a blade ran through his non-beating heart. Magnus was kneeling and hovering over him, pouring his magic inside of his body. But things didn't work. The angelic blades were meant to be deadly for vampires.

"It's ok, pull it out," Raphael whispered. "Thank you for everything, Magnus. I'm going to see him. It's ok."

"I love you, my sweetheart." Magnus sobbed out, placing a kiss on Raphael's forehead before he pulled the blade out. Raphaels' body lit up and turned into the ashes in seconds. The last reminder of the vampire left out in the middle of Magnus's hand. The silver cross he had gotten from his mother. Magnus hid the cross in his pocket and turned to Jia, who was now kneeling on the ground, being held down by the warriors. Her wicked grin was disgusting. "You wanted to see a monster? A demon? Then watch."

Magnus's cat eyes turned black immediately. Black swirls of magic circled his fists before he threw the warriors away from the woman. The men hit the wall across of them with a loud thud and fell to the ground. Bane directed his magic at Jia Penhallow and rose her to the air, choking her with his magic. Many shadowhunters ran in his direction with weapons ready to attack, only to be thrown back by Magnus's magic. Alec realized then that it's the same kind of magic Magnus used on the people in the Gard when they were saving Raphael. The young shadowhunter squirreled out of his father's grasp and ran towards Magnus. He didn't dare to touch him, but he dared to push on their bond.

"Magnus, don't…" Alec whispered barely audible, yet, his alpha caught his plea. "You're better than her. You are not a monster she paints you to be. You're good."

Magnus was looking at him with the same black eyes he had only days ago when they were saving Raphael. Their eyes were crossing for what it seemed forever, but in reality, it was a moment before the darkness disappeared out of Magnus's eyes turning them back to their usual golden color. Magnus eyed the room for a moment, spotting shadowhunters with their weapons scattered on the floor, while Jia Penhallow was dangling in the air with magic choking on her.

"You see this omega?" He turned towards the former Consul. "You should grovel at his feet and be thankful. He just saved your life, for now. "

Magnus called down his magic and Jia fell to the floor with a loud thud. Magnus wouldn't admit but he gave a small smile hearing some bone breaking.

"See?" She cried out. "He's a monster. All downworlders are monsters."

"Jia Penhallow!" A new voice reached their ears and the Queen of the Seelie Court walked inside the room with her knights behind her. Magnus and Alec bowed their heads to her. "For the crimes against the Seelie Court, you are sentenced with immediate death."

"It's too lenient punishment, my Queen," Alec turned to the Queen, not daring to look her into the eye before she walked towards him and raised his chin up. "Death would be too easy."

"What do you propose, shadowhunter?"

"With the agreement of the leaders of the Downworld, I propose and vouch to the Council of the Shadowhunters that Jia Penhallow would be stripped of her marks and exiled to the mundane world."

"No!" Jia begged. "Anything but that! Kill me!"

"Death would be too merciful for you, after what you had done." Alec continued firmly. "You did not only kill many downworlders but your own people as well. You do not deserve to wear the marks from the Angel Raziel."

"The council agrees with you, Alec Lightwood," Jonathan Ashwood, one of the council members spoke from the top of the room. "Jia Penhallow, by the authorities of the Clave, herby you're to be stripped of your marks and exiled to the mundane world. Those who were working with you shall meet the same fate. Call for a Silent Brother to bring out the Soul Sword, the questioning must be held before the exile."

Alec was shocked that he, Magnus, Lily, Maia, and the Queen were able to participate in Jia's trial. Under the power of the Soul Sword, Jia listed all of the people who were active in the newly reborn Circle and who committed in the crimes. Jonathan Ashwood declared all of them to be taken down to the Gard and stripped of their marks and exile to the mundane world as well. The whole ceremony was held the next night so Lily and her newly clan could witness it as well in the middle of the Angel's Square right before the Gard, in public so all of the residents of Alicante could see it.

Aline Penhallow and her father had a free choice of participating in it and they chose not to. Alec understood them perfectly. He found out through Helen, that Aline will move with her to the Los Angeles Institute, while Patric would move back to Paris. None of them wanted to be ostracized in Alicante on a daily basis. Alec understood it perfectly.

A few days after, Alec was called back to Alicante once again. He was shocked that he was invited to participate in the Council meeting, seeing he's an omega. Omegas hardly were involved in political matters. And yet, here he was, surrounded by alphas and betas with his mouth agape, after hearing their proposal.

"In the aftermath of the latest events, we must choose a new Consul." Jonathan Ashwood declared in a tired voice. "The acts of Jia Penhallow and Victor Aldertree were revolting. We are to protect innocent lives and destroy the demons. And despite the downworlders being part demons we cannot treat them all like monsters. It is a time to choose our new leaders, who will show us respect for the order. A leader to whom each member of the shadow world will be looking up."

"I propose Alec Lightwood," Alec was shocked beyond anything when his father proposed his name loud and proudly. He looked at him with his big blue eyes and opened his mouth. "You will probably say that I am biased because he's my son. But you've seen Alec up close. I didn't want to see it earlier, because I felt shame that my eldest is an omega and bonded to a downworlder. But I do see it now. My omega son is everything that a shadowhunter should be. Loyal to his kind, protective of the weaker and a great leader. He spectacularly leads the New York Institute, I admit, even better than me. He has the respect of the downworlders of every kind. And he has the respect of many shadowhunters, including me."

Alec swallowed hard and blinked a few times, trying his most damn to not cry in front of the entire Clave. The words his father spoken were the words he always wanted to hear from him. He wanted his father to be proud of who he was. He offered his father a warm smile in response.

"I vote Alec Lightwood too," Jonathan Ashwood agreed with Robert. Soon, many other shadowhunters agreed as well. There were sporadic disagreements but all in all, Alec had the majority of votes. "Excellent. In a few days, you will be officially promoted to the Consul of the Clave, Alec Lightwood. Congratulations."

"Will I have to move into Alicante?" He asked at the side after he received a few congratulations. "Because that's not possible for me. I mean, Magnus…"

"I think that the portal in the Gard will find its using after so many years." Jonathan patted him on the shoulder and smiled fondly. "I truly look forward to your leading. But first, your priority task will be choosing the new Inquisitor."

"I already have someone in my mind," Alec replied, biting down on his lip. He consulted with Magnus before that if he could propose someone's name he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"If it's your father than I'm afraid…"

"No, no," he shook his head. "It's actually someone who's just as close to the downworld as to the shadowhunters. However not in a way like I am."

"I'm intrigued."

"Helen Blackthorn."

"Hmm," Ashwood hummed. "Half-shadowhunter half-fey."

"She's a great warrior," Alec conducted. "She's been the Head of the Security for a few years now. She's very modern. And she has ties to the Seelie Court. I believe the Queen will be pleased with this choice. But aside from that, Helen is a remarkable shadowhunter. I've met her only recently but she's strong. She's not so upheld over the old order and she's a fierce woman. I believe that with her by my side I can lead the shadowhunters into a new order so we wouldn't have another Valentine, another Jia or Victor among us."

"Very well," Ashwood agreed with a small smile. "And Alec, until you find yourself a new advisor I am always happy to help you out."

"I wouldn't dream of doing this without your help, sir."

"I have faith in you, Alec Lightwood. You are what the Clave needs."

Jonathan Ashwood remained by Alec's side for six years, until he stepped down due to his old age. Through those years, he, Alec and Helen provided a new order for the entire shadow world, so that no one would feel above the other. Alec started to organize the meetings with the downworld's leaders and include them in creating new rules and such.

So many things had changed in the entire shadow world, but not just there. Alec's life went through a flip as well. Not only he was an omega, but he found his real mate, a soulmate within a downworlder, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane. Alec was so so thankful to Clary that she stumbled years ago upon them and led him right to Magnus. Maybe they would meet without her intrusion, but Alec was happy that she came to their lives, even though it took him years to let her in and become her best friend, even more, she became another sister to him, not just by marrying his parabatai, but Alec cared for her just as much as for Isabelle.

Alec smiled at the picture frame on his desk in Alicante. His whole family was looking at him with wide smiles on their faces. But his favorite picture stood next to it, framed in a simple paper made frame decorated with macaroni and small hearts cut out of red and pink paper. Alec couldn't stop a grin creeping onto his face as he looked at the three people on it. There was his whole heart on the simple picture taken on the couch of his living room. Alec remembered the day as if it happened just yesterday.

"Sit down, guys," Alec laughed as he tried to organize his boys on the couch. "Max, don't bite your brother!"

"But he's mean to me, daddy!" The three-year-old warlock pouted.

Alec always wondered, why Max wasn't a half-warlock and half-shadowhunter, but a full-blood warlock with beautiful blue skin and horns. When he became pregnant again, when Rafael was only a year old, Alec feared that Asmodeus will come again to claim his other son's magic. So Magnus and Catarina did their best to conceal the baby's magic from the outside world and let it grow inside of Alec just like a mundane baby. They never found the reason for Max not being a shadowhunter. They wondered whether it could be because of lack of Asmodeus's magic being involved like the first time, but they could not be sure. The second pregnancy took longer than with Rafael, who was born only a month later after they came back from Edom when Alec was just barely seven months pregnant. They fought a true battle for Rafael's health and life. He was so small and weak when he was born, so Alec prayed to Angel Raziel to save his baby and instead take his own life. But baby Rafael was a fighter from the first second he breathed out in the world. He fought so hard to stay alive five years ago and he succeeded.

"Rafa, don't be mean to your brother." Alec shook his head at his older son.

"But daddy! He's conjuring his plush toys at me!" Rafael pointed at the few bears next to him. "I'm a big boy now, I don't play with plush toys."

"Max, don't use your magic without papa," he warned his younger son. Max pouted once again but sent away his plush toys. Alec could only hope they ended in his room or in Alec's office in Alicante. Magnus adjusted the wards there to match his and Max's magic, after discovering that their little warlock likes to portal in his sleep right into his omega father's loving arms. "Now, enough with this feud. Shake your hands, boys."

"I'm sorry," they grunted at each other before they fell into a bone-crushing hug. Despite being two different species, they loved each other eternally. Alec couldn't be prouder of his both sons.

"And now, let's take a photo, so daddy has it placed in his office, ok?" Both boys eagerly agreed to the idea and smiled brightly to the camera on Alec's phone. "Magnus! Come here!"

"Coming, coming!" the warlock waddled into the room, looking like million dollars. Raziel, Alec found himself a real catch. He wore a pair of black pants and a burgundy dress-shirt with a black-gold vest on. Face free of make-up, hair flattened down just the way Alec liked them.

Magnus sat between their sons and soon he found his lap full of a little shadowhunter and a little warlock. Boys snuggled up to their alpha parent and Magnus tickled their sides causing a laugh out of them. It was such a beautiful view. Alec quickly snapped a few photos of them and had a dopey smile when he looked at his gorgeous family. They were everything Alec wanted, even though before Magnus he didn't hope to have it.

"Boys, why don't we make daddy laugh too, huh? Get him!" Before he knew, their whole house was filled with laughter and soft pleas of stopping the tickles.

Later that day, Max and Rafael were working on something in Rafael's room. Before they went to sleep they jumped onto Magnus and Alec's bed in the bedroom and presented Alec an object covered by a crumpled blue paper.

"What's that?" Alec asked, slowly unwrapping the object.

"For our new photo!" Max exclaimed happily. "We made it, daddy!"

Inside of the paper laid a framed picture of them in a paper frame decorated with raw macaroni and small hearts. It was perfect.

"I love you so much, my hearts."

"We love you too, daddy. And papa too!"

"I think you should go home already," Alec shook himself off and fixed his reading glasses and moved his eyes upon Helen, who was leaning over the door frame. "You've been staring at the picture on your desk for an hour now. Your kids are cute and your mate is hot, for a guy of course."

"I still have some reports to finish," he replied looking at the pile next to him. "I need to check them."

"Let Simon do it, he's your advisor." She reminded him of the newly chosen advisor. Simon Lovelace nee Simon Lewis, the ascended shadowhunter and privately Alec's brother-in-law. "And you have something else to work on, Alec."

"Aline has such a loose tongue," Alec grumbled, remembering how he asked Aline for some tips before he'll pop the question. Even though Alec and Magnus have been together for years and have two children, the thought of marriage always hanged only in the back of their heads. With the children coming to their lives and Alec's position as the Consul, none of them had acted on this idea, until their kids asked Alec one day, why he and papa are not married like uncle Jace and aunt Clary. From that day, Alec began to dangling the idea in his hands until now, when he was ready.

"You know my wife," Helen laughed and walked into the office. "You have the ring here?"

Alec pulled out the Lightwood ring he had gotten from his mother. She was truly happy for him now. Over the course of the years, his parents have changed as well. They were living separately seeing as Robert cheated on Maryse and they had broken their bond. Truth to be told, their bond was already broken ever since his brother Max was born. Robert admitted to Alec once, that if it weren't for Max, he would have broken the bond between them earlier so they could both move on. Alec didn't forgive him for that, but he understood it. His parents were better off without each other, everyone could see it. His father changed as well. Alec never forgave his dad for hiding Victor's plans for him. But he appreciates the change. He began to respect downworlders, especially Magnus and he was a doting grandfather to his sons. Things weren't perfect between them, but they were good.

"By the Angel, Alec," Helen sighed contently. "Magnus is such a lucky man."

"No, I'm the lucky one."

"You changed the whole world for him." She remarked softly.

"I didn't do it just for him," Alec offered, as he stood up from his chair. He walked towards the window and looked down where he spotted his sons playing with shadowhunters children of Alicante and few werewolves children from the Idris's pack and Magnus in the middle of them, showing them some magical tricks. He couldn't stop smiling at them. This is what he fought for when he chose to reveal his real nature. This is what he fought for when he chose Magnus and Magnus chose him. This is what he fought for when he started to change the world from the inside. "I did it for all of us. Shadowhunters, Downworlders, even mundanes. For Alphas, omegas, and betas. I did it for us."

The sun was slowly getting down and Alec looked at Magnus and the children again. The warlock was looking up and waving at him, along with their sons. Alec waved back. He was so lucky to have them.

He was so lucky that despite all of his imperfections he was granted with something so perfect.

And we've managed to bear to the end.

I hope you liked the end.

I wanted to thank Daime, who jumped into this new journey with me. Even though the last few chapters were created by me, I wouldn't be able to pull this out without her. So thanks! This journey was one hell of a ride for both of us and I'm glad I was able to do it with you, hon.

Second, I wanted to give equally big thank you to Val, who supported this story for most of its ongoing. She did her wonderful magic in correcting our mistakes, which I'm always grateful for since I'm not a native English speaker. You were a great help to us and become a friend as well.

And third, I wanted all of you and each personally for reading, favoriting and leaving a review on this story. We gave you better and worse chapters, but you stuck with us anyway. You gave us a huge encouragement in this and it's been amazing since it was the first time each of us decided to write in the unknown topic for us. Sure we've read some a/o/b stories before in different fandoms, but writing one was a new experience for us. So thank you that you didn't give up on this story and gave us kind words through the whole process.

Now, I'll probably be back in this fandom in some time, because I can't stay too long from writing fanfics about Malec. Maybe for some one-shot or maybe a long-term story. However, for now, I'm planning to focus on my new original story.

Thank you for everything,

Intoxic