All the pain I put you through? I'm hoping this chapter is worth it.

Objectively, three days was not a long time. Alec had spent twenty-six years and then some without seeing Magnus. Three days were nothing. Except for the part where they were.

They had been three busy days as the team had worked on finding a way to get Magnus out after he was well enough to move on his own but before he would be transferred to the nearest jail. Their window was small but they didn't have much of a choice so it would have to be enough. None of them was ready to let Magnus go, not only Alec. They had all had poured their whole being, body, brains and heart, into finding a way of breaking him out. Alec was immensely grateful.

He was still recovering from the events at the manor and even if he knew Magnus was okay when Lydia went to see him every day and texted him to let him know, it was like his subconscious had forgotten everything about the two months they had spent together. He hadn't slept properly since he had essentially passed out with Izzy and Jace on the night of the heist, because every time he laid in bed, his minds was plagued with images of Magnus and none of them were from the happy, carefree moments they had spent together. It was Magnus lying in his blood, Magnus' eyes clouded with pain, Magnus' voice sounding so distant and hurt. And really, there was no way he could sleep with these thoughts in his mind.

So, he had been wandering a lot in the villa, on the beach, carefully avoiding their favorite patio couch because it felt wrong to sit there without Magnus. Nights had been a special time for them. It was their insomnia that had brought them together in the first place and in the hours of darkness, when everything around him was silent, when he was alone with his own thoughts, he missed Magnus more than ever.

Three days was not a long time but it felt like months. Luckily, his wait was coming to an end.

Alec was in the van, in the back with Clary and Jace while Simon was behind the wheel, Isabelle slouched on the seat next to him and Alec stared up by the van window at the building in front of him. It was a modern building, all wide windows and grey walls and somehow, it didn't look like a hospital. If the words Sharp Memorial hadn't been spread out in big white letters on the pediment, he would have thought they were in the wrong place. The fact that a dozen of ambulances were parked on the side was a bit of a giveaway as well.

When they had called Raphael to ask him to meet them there, he had been more than reluctant but Ragnor had managed to convince him after Alec had all but begged him to try. So, as agreed, Raphael met them on the parking lot, slamming the door of his rented car with far more brutality than necessary. He was still mad at them, not that Alec could blame him. He was angry at himself too. Jace opened the van back door for him. Raphael silently took in their little group before stepping inside, shutting it behind him.

"What is this?" he growled with an annoyed frown.

"We have a plan," Jace told him, as confidently as he could. His blond hair was falling into his eyes, hiding the cut on the arch of his eyebrow. His bottom lip had already recovered but he was still sporting the traces of a black eye.

Alec shifted in his seat as Raphael scanned them all with judgmental eyes. They had barely seen him since Magnus had been out of surgery. He spent most of his time either with Ragnor or in his hotel, trying to figure out a way to avoid being caught in the crossfire of their mess. He went to the hospital once a day, sneaking in during the night, from what Alec had understood. He couldn't pretend the FBI had matters with Magnus without exposing himself. They were all aware that his cover would only last as long as they hadn't figured out who Magnus really was yet. It was a good thing that the San Diego Police Department had other priorities at the moment. It was apparently a courtesy of Catarina, who had sent some of her contacts to rob everything they could in the area to keep the police forces occupied. Alec couldn't wait to meet her.

Raphael was paler than usual and the bags under his eyes were proof enough of the lack of sleep he had accumulated in the past few days.

"Last time you had a plan, Magnus almost died and all of you almost ended up in jail," he deadpanned coldly.

"To be fair," Simon chimed in and these words were enough for Alec to know Raphael was not going to be happy with what followed, "it was Magnus' plan."

Alec had to resist the urge to slam his head against the van's window. Or to slam Simon's head against it. That sounded like a better plan.

Raphael growled, narrowing his eyes threateningly. "Do tell," he said and his tone showed quite clearly how he felt about all of them (basically, Alec pondered to himself, he didn't like them, not that he could blame him). "What's that great plan of yours?"

"We're going to break Magnus out," Clary vouched, an excited edge to her voice.

Raphael rolled his eyes and heaved out a deep sigh, running a hand over his tired features. "He's in no condition to be broken out," he replied, like he was talking to a bunch of children. "They're still monitoring him to be sure the wound doesn't get infected. He's still in pain."

Alec inhaled through his nose, trying to tame the wild beating of his heart. It was the closest he had been from Magnus in three days and as much as he got where Raphael was coming from, he wasn't about to let him discourage them. For once, he was confident that their plan was pretty good.

"We're not going to break him out today," he said firmly.

"What are you doing here then?" Raphael asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Somehow, he was softer towards Alec than the rest of them.

Alec wasn't sure he liked it. They had all been treating him like a wild animal these past days, ever since he had broken down in the kitchen on the night of the heist. They looked at him like they didn't know if he was going to break down again or jump at them to tear them apart. It was extremely annoying coming from his family and friends. He hadn't expected it to come from Raphael, who had never outwardly shown him anything but annoyance or polite indifference.

"I -" he started but quickly cut himself off, chewing on his bottom lip.

"We got a prepaid phone for him," Simon cut in helpfully, "and I worked my magic on it so it's undetectable. That way, we can contact him."

"Give it to me," Raphael sighed, holding out a hand. "I'll bring it to him."

Alec shook his head wordlessly but firmly and he was oddly comforted when no one tried to move to oblige.

Raphael frowned. "What are you waiting for?"

"I – I need to see him," Alec muttered sheepishly, almost timidly, but his eyes were cold and determinate.

It was probably the reason why Raphael sighed again.

"Look, Lover Boy, you can't just go in like that," he uttered apologetically. "I can't even go in anymore. They moved him to a secured room last night. There are a couple of cops guarding his door."

Alec nodded and was about to answer but Jace was quicker. "We know. Lydia told us," he said, nothing but confidence in his voice. "We have a plan for that too."

Raphael looked between them for a moment, from Jace and Clary's confident postures, to Simon's cheeky smile and Isabelle's fierce gaze. His eyes settled on Alec and he sighed again.

"There's no way I'm going to talk you out of this, is there?"

When the only answer he got was a wordless approval, he had no choice but to utter, "Room 312. Do not get caught."

Alec smiled, unable to hold back the excitement that made his skin prickle at the idea of seeing Magnus.

"Thank you," Simon said, before opening the laptop that had been sitting on the seat next to him.

Raphael shifted on his seat, as far away from any of them as possible. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at the screen.

"The hospital's blueprints," Simon replied matter-of-factly. When Raphael fell silent, he turned his head to look at him, catching on his bewildered gaze. "What?" he blurted. "That's what I do. I hack shit."

Alec had to bite his lip to hold back a smile at Raphael's dim expression. "There," Simon added after a pause, showing them a mark on the plan, "room 312. You need an electronic card to get in."

"That's my cue," Isabelle chimed in with a wide smile. She grabbed an earpiece from Simon, leaned in to peck his lips lightly and winked at the rest of the team.

She was wearing a blond wig ("platinum", she had insisted when Alec had mocked her choice) and glasses that were too big for her face. Casually attired in a pair of jeans and one of Simon's ridiculous t-shirts (this one featured a reproduction of Van Gogh's infamous self portrait and said in big black letters "Let it Gogh"), she looked barely recognizable. "Wish me luck," she said before adding, a smirk playing on her lips, "not that I need it."

And just like that, she was gone. Alec stared at her retreating figure, shaking his head fondly.

He turned toward the rest of the team, grabbing the earpiece Simon was already holding out to him. "Where's the break room?" he asked, putting it on.

"There's one on every floor but you should try the fifth one. It's where the lab is so there's probably less traffic," Clary said, pointing a finger at the screen. "It's at the end of the corridor when you turn left after the elevator. They have a terrace with a small garden, it's the room just in front of it."

Jace reached out to drop a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Tell him we say hi and that we're going to get him out of there."

Alec nodded, barely able to hold back an excited grin. He was going to see Magnus. Finally.

Without another word, he got out of the van, walking with measured steps towards the entrance of the hospital, forcing himself not to rush. His heart was pounding in his chest but it was nothing like the agonizing ache that had left him breathless a few days ago.

Once inside, he went straight to the elevator, shared a quick smile with the woman in a wheelchair who was already there and pressed the fifth button. The elevator stopped on the third floor so the woman could get out, but then he arrived on the fifth. He switched his earpiece on as he made his way towards the break room, warily surveying his surroundings. When he got there, the room was thankfully empty. He tip toed inside, quietly closing the door behind him. There was a round table in the middle of the room, with a couple of disregarded empty coffee cups. Next to the window, a TV was showing a news channel, the volume turned to minimum. Along the wall, a row of lockers stood and Alec smirked, getting the metal pin out of his pocket.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Isabelle exclaimed in his ear, an exaggerated edge to her voice that he could only hear because he knew her so well.

"It's alright," said another soft voice, definitely masculine. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course," Isabelle replied. "Thank you, Dr…"

"Chen," the man said. "Are you lost?"

Alec smirked. Sometimes, he was taken aback by how good his sister was. They had made their research in the past days and they had listed out a few members of the hospital who would be in possession of an electronic card. Dr. Chen was one of them.

"Not anymore," Isabelle responded, a seductive edge to her voice.

"I don't like him," Simon mumbled, mostly to himself.

Alec rolled his eyes and picked open the padlock right in front of him, relieved to find a pair of scrubs hanging from the hook inside. He grabbed it and slid it on. It was almost a perfect fit. Finally, the universe seemed to be on their side. It was about time.

"I'm looking for the lab," Isabelle said and he could picture her innocent smile. "Maybe you can help me?"

"Of course, it's on the fifth floor," the doctor replied. "The elevator is that way."

"Thank you, Dr. Chen."

Alec got out of the room and walked back to call for the elevator.

When the door opened, Isabelle was already there, standing next to an old couple. They nodded respectfully at him so Alec nodded back, wondering what that was about before he remembered he had scrubs on and they mistook him, rightfully so, for a doctor. He stood straighter on his feet, because somehow, it was how he supposed doctors stood, holding his chin up with confidence. Isabelle shifted closer but purposely ignored him, sliding the electronic card in his hand, not sparing him a single glance. Alec quickly pressed the third button and got out, leaving his sister behind.

"Give him my love," Isabelle whispered a while later, once she was away from preying ears. "Black Widow going back to the van."

As the corridor that faced the elevator was mostly empty, he allowed himself to fidget a little, pulling nervously on the hem of his scrubs' sleeves. He had to resist the urge to bounce on his feet, an excited prickle growing in his stomach. The ding from the elevator brought him back to earth and he cleared his throat and walked out as sternly as he could.

The room 312 was almost the last one in the corridor. There was a man in full police uniform sitting in a chair in front of the door and he looked about to fall asleep, his head resting on his fist, his elbow on the armrest.

Alec stepped forward confidently and the cop glanced up, casting a bored gaze his way.

"Hey Doc," he muttered.

"Officer," he saluted with his best professional voice. "Where's your colleague?"

"Went to get a coffee, the lucky bastard," the cop replied with a frown. "Are you going in?"

Alec nodded, holding the electronic card between two fingers to show him. "I need to check the wound for signs of infection."

He mentally thanked Max for forcing him to watch all these episodes of Dr. House a few years back because it was the only inspiration he had. Although, he wasn't sure it was the best example… Gregory House hadn't seemed like the regular kind of doctor.

The cop waved dismissingly. "Sure, Doc. How long will you be? Do you mind if I go get a coffee as well while you're in?"

Alec managed to hold back the wide grin that threatened to break onto his face. Barely. Yep, the universe was on their side at last.

"Of course. I'll be about fifteen minutes."

It was supposed to be five, at most but if he could gain more time with Magnus, he wasn't about to throw it away.

"Perfect. Thanks, Doc. Give us a shout if you need us. We're just down the corridor."

The cop waited for Alec to slide the card into the electronic lock and for the door to open before he walked away, a heavy edge to his steps. Alec pushed the door shut behind him and his eyes immediately found Magnus. And finally, finally, he could breathe again.

Magnus was lying on his back in his hospital bed with his eyes closed and the room was utterly silent, apart from the recurring shrieking noise of the machine monitoring his vitals, a steady rhythm that was oddly comforting. There was a tube coming out of his right arm, linked to a bag of a translucent liquid that Alec supposed was some kind of antibiotics to prevent the risks of infection.

"I'm in," he murmured.

He switched his earpiece off (because privacy, please) and stepped forward slowly, cautiously. He could feel his heartbeat in his fingertips. It was probably silly that he suddenly felt so relieved at the sight of Magnus' chest slowly rising up and down. Lydia had told him he was fine. So had Raphael. But seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

He came to a halt when he reached the bed and his hand moved on its own accord, sliding gently into Magnus' hair. He leaned in to drop a light kiss on his forehead and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, enjoying the proximity, the feeling of Magnus' skin beneath his lips, the knowledge that from now on, everything was going to be okay. He wouldn't let it be any other way.

Magnus stirred slightly and Alec pulled back just in time to see his eyes flutter open. His clouded gaze immediately settled on Alec and he smiled. It was such a simple thing, a tiny pull of his lips, but it was more powerful and more beautiful than anything Alec had ever witnessed and it made everything better in the world (probably the universe, but Alec was a bit biased).

"Hello handsome," he muttered softly.

"Hello gorgeous," Magnus croaked, voice breaking on a cough.

Alec grabbed the glass of water on the night table, gently holding his head up to help him drink.

When he was done, Magnus took a quick look at his surroundings before gazing back at Alec.

"What are you doing here?" he asked softly and his gaze wandered lower, taking in Alec's outfit. "Is it a sexy visit? Because I approve."

Alec flushed and cleared his throat to try to hide it but it was quite vain, especially when Magnus knew exactly how to push all of his buttons.

"You got shot," he replied instead. "Sexy times are out of the question for a while."

Magnus pouted and Alec couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You're mean," he whined, sounding every bit like a petulant child. "You can't come to see me, dressed up like a doctor and expect me to keep my kinks to myself."

Alec chuckled, shaking his head fondly. "You're impossible."

"But in a good way, right?" Magnus retorted, a lazy smirk on his lips.

Alec smiled, nodding. "In the best way possible."

"Good. So, Dr. Sexy Pants, is there a particular reason for your visit or are you here to examine me?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I've got something for you," Alec replied, ignoring the blatant flirtatious tone in favor of glancing over his shoulder to make sure the door was still closed. He got the phone out of his pocket and Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"It's a prepaid phone," he explained. "Simon did whatever he did to make it untraceable so we can contact you. There's some sticky thing on the back so you can hide it under the bed."

"Very thoughtful," Magnus said.

"We're going to break you out," Alec blurted, voice firm and determined.

Magnus startled, his mouth falling open in shock for a second before a small smile took over, his eyes lighting up with delight.

"You are?"

"Yep," Alec nodded decidedly, his hand finding its way to Magnus's, thumb rubbing against his.

They settled in a comfortable silence for a few seconds, enjoying their reunion, taking in the other's features like they hadn't seen each other in months when it had only been three days. Three days was a dreadfully long time, Alec decided.

"How are you feeling, by the way?" Magnus asked after a while, somehow sounding concerned. "I don't know if I hallucinated it but I think Hodge hit you pretty hard."

"He did," Alec confirmed dismissively. "I'm currently plotting on the best way to get back at him for it."

Magnus frowned. "Alexander," he uttered, awfully serious, "how is your head?"

And it was kind of ridiculous that he would be worried about Alec's health when he was the one lying in a hospital bed, recovering from a gunshot. Then again, Alec wasn't one to judge over-the-top protectiveness. It was just odd, for him, to be on the receiving end of it. It had been happening a lot lately.

"I haven't had any complaints," he retorted lightheartedly, gently squeezing his hand.

Magnus tittered happily. "Cocky," he muttered with a smirk. "Now, I know I've been shot and blah blah blah but you've been here for five minutes and I still haven't been kissed. Why is that?"

"I – I don't want to hurt you," Alec whispered hesitantly, waving awkwardly at the bandaged wound on his stomach.

"I'm not made of glass, darling," Magnus replied, his eyes lighting up with affection. "The only way you could hurt me would be if you spent any more time not kissing me. You don't want to hurt me now, do you?"

Alec chuckled and leaned in. He let go of Magnus' hand to cup his cheek, bringing their mouths together. It wasn't the best kiss they had shared: the angle was awkward, Alec was trembling with relief and Magnus was a bit numb because of the painkillers. It was nonetheless extraordinary, because it was Magnus and every kiss with Magnus managed to render him lightheaded. He was embarrassingly short of breath when he pulled back but Magnus was looking at him with nothing but tenderness in his eyes so it was okay. Everything was okay again.

"You have no idea how terrified I was," he confessed abruptly, his voice barely a whisper.

Magnus' gaze softened. "I know," he murmured. "I'm sorry."

Alec shook his head, waving his apology away. "I'm just glad you're okay. Next time, just… Listen to me when I say it's a bad idea, maybe?"

Magnus laughed quietly, his eyes teasing. "Darling, I can't promise you that. Listening to anyone has never been my forte. Just ask Raphael."

"I'll just handcuff you to a chair or something," Alec countered playfully.

"Who's being kinky now?" Magnus witted, sending him a mischievous wink.

Alec rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile playing on his lips. He didn't think he had ever felt as carefree as in that moment and it should have been worrying, because nothing was solved yet and they still had to break Magnus out of here as soon as he was back on his feet but somehow, the playful banter, the familiarity of it was enough for him to know that they would make it. It all seemed like formalities. For once, Alec wanted to be optimistic. Maybe Magnus was actually a good influence.

"How is Ragnor?" Magnus inquired, his voice dropping slightly. "Raphael said he was okay but I'd rather have a second opinion."

Alec smiled as reassuringly as he could, taking his hand again to drop a kiss against his palm. "He's mostly okay," he answered truthfully. "He took your room in the villa and I don't think he sleeps much. He talks to me and to Luke a little bit but otherwise, he keeps to himself. Except when Raphael visits. He looks better when Raphael visits. He looks forward to seeing you."

Magnus nodded weakly, his gaze settling fuzzily on a point over Alec's head. "I can't believe he's… not dead."

"I know," he muttered sympathetically.

"And I haven't even had a chance to see him," Magnus sighed. "I just… I should have known. I didn't find a body but there was just so much blood… and that letter… I never actually looked for him."

Alec had to resist the urge to groan because of fucking course Magnus would blame himself. Again.

"Magnus," he said firmly, forcing the man's eyes to focus back on him, "stop blaming yourself. You had a normal reaction considering what happened. There was no way you could have known."

"There is," he gritted through clenched teeth, his eyes now burning with cold fury. "Camille."

Alec had heard this name far too much for his liking these past few days. Whether it was from Hodge, Raphael, Ragnor or now Magnus, it was always uttered with hatred and wrath. It made him curious to meet the woman, to see for himself what she was like. If she was the reason why Magnus was lying on a hospital bed instead of back at the villa with the rest of the team, he already knew he would hate her at first sight but he also had a few things he'd like to say to her.

He took a quick look at his watch and barely held back an affronted whine. "I have to go," he sighed. "My fifteen minutes are almost up. Our numbers are in the phone under Simon's stupid code names. Delete everything as soon as you've either read it or written it and make sure you don't get caught."

"I know the fact that I'm lying in a hospital bed can send the wrong signal but I'm not actually an idiot, darling."

"Could have fooled me," Alec smirked.

"Don't ever become friends with Raphael, please," Magnus groaned. "I don't want you two bonding over how much of an idiot you think I am and teaming up against me."

He chuckled, unable to help himself.

"Now, kiss me again before you go," Magnus demanded.

And really, Alec wouldn't have been able to deny him even if he had wanted to.

It took all the willpower he had and more to pull back and step away, making his way back to the door.

"Alexander?" Magnus called out just as he was about to get out of the room, his hand already on the doorknob. He stopped immediately, desperately grasping at any excuse to stay longer, even though he knew it was dangerous. He turned around, eager eyes finding Magnus's teasing ones. "Keep the scrubs. I'm sure we'll find some use for them."

Alec blushed a deeper red than he ever had, all the way from his collarbones to the tip of his ears, choking lightly.

"Er… Ahem."

Magnus chuckled lowly, a playful but tender smile playing on his lips. "Did your brain just short-circuited?"

Alec blinked twice but didn't reply, his cheeks burning.

"Damn. I broke you, didn't I?"

Alec stormed back towards the bed in two steps, cupping his face between his hands to crush their mouths together again, taking great pleasure in Magnus' stunned gasp. It was a rushed kiss, slightly desperate although he tried to keep it as soft as possible by fear of hurting him but Magnus didn't seem to mind because he kissed back eagerly once the surprise had vanished.

"I'll see you soon," he panted when he pulled back, resting his forehead against Magnus's.

Magnus seemed a bit taken aback, like he was trying to put himself back together, to recover from the kiss but eventually, he simply grinned. "I'll hold you to that," he whispered breathlessly.

"Soon," Alec repeated, like a mantra and a promise, before hastily making his way out.

He didn't look back this time and Magnus didn't try to stop him. Somehow, they must have been both aware that they wouldn't be able to break apart again if they did.

He nodded sternly to the cop who was back in front of the door, a coffee cup in his hand and hastily walked to the elevator. He had a lost electronic card to bring back to the reception desk, he reminded himself sternly but it wasn't enough to pull his mind out of its haze.

His heart was bouncing in his chest and his lips were tingling with the ghost of Magnus's. He had never felt lighter.

.

It was a welcome change for Simon to see Alec happy again. He hadn't stopped smiling for the whole ride back. It was a small grin but it was still there and the best thing about it was probably that Alec didn't seem to even realize he was doing it. It was a welcome change because it immediately lifted his siblings' moods. So odd, how closely they could be connected.

Simon had witnessed how they worked, how they seemed to share the same brain, understanding each other wordlessly and moving in perfect unison effortlessly. But in other situations, it was a heart they shared and that was something else entirely. Alec was their rock, the older brother who held them all together and was the only one who managed to get a semblance of authority over them.

So, when Alec had crumbled, he had unwillingly pulled down his siblings with him. It was unnerving, of course, but Simon had to admit it was also incredible to witness. Probably a bit dangerous, too, but he had quickly understood that there was nothing he could do about it. It was a feeling of powerlessness that he could get on board with, nothing like the one that had taken over him three days prior when everything had been going mental and there was nothing he had been able to do.

He had distracted himself with taking care of Ragnor, who had been completely out of it. He still was, every so often but Simon supposed he wouldn't really get better any time soon. It had been a welcome distraction when his friends, people he deeply cared about, had found themselves in mortal danger while there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't like them. The only reason he was here was because he was good with computers and because Clary had asked him. This was a lot more that he had originally bargained for.

Somehow, though, he couldn't find it in himself to regret this decision. Sure, his current life was absolutely insane, but now he had friends who weren't Clary (not that Clary hadn't been enough but having more than one friend was nice too) and he had a girlfriend too. His mother was going to be ecstatic when he finally went back to New York. Well, she would probably yell at him first like she had the last time he had called her, about a week ago, because he wasn't giving her enough news and "what kind of holiday lasts for two months, Simon?". "The kind that's not a holiday but a full combination of illegal activities instead," he had most certainly not replied because he didn't have a death wish.

But the main reason why he didn't regret his decision was probably Isabelle, although he knew that already and so did she, so there was no point in reflecting on that thought. Without Isabelle's presence, maybe he would have regretted it but how could he when this whole thing had brought her into his life?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he gently kicked at Alec's shin to catch his attention. He was slouched on the couch in front of Simon's, his feet sprawled on the coffee table.

Alec glanced at him, raising a questioning eyebrow and Simon grinned.

"It's good to see you like that," he said.

"Like what?" Alec asked with a frown.

Simon shook his head fondly. "Content."

Alec smiled that bashful smile of his and shrugged dismissively.

Ragnor was sitting next to him, absentmindedly playing with a ring on his fingers. Raphael had brought the ring with him after his first late visit at the hospital and given it to Ragnor.

"He said it was a gift to cement your reborn friendship," he had said, sounding exasperated although the fond spark in his eyes was betraying him.

Simon had had a joke about lame proposals at the tip of his tongue but he had held it back when he had seen the look in Ragnor's eyes as they fell on the silver band. It had been an unguarded look, full of care and amusement and recollection. And then, Ragnor had laughed, a small, quiet, almost inaudible laugh but a laugh anyway. He hadn't stopped playing with the ring since then.

Alec had explained the story between Ragnor and Magnus, at least what he knew of it, what Magnus had told him during their restless nights: how they had met, how they had become friends instantly (or almost), how close they had been, how Ragnor had supposedly died… He had stopped there, unwilling to share something with them that would have been too personal for Magnus but Simon had understood enough. Ragnor and Magnus were like Clary and him, close enough to be family but maybe even more so, because they both didn't have a real one. Simon had his mother and his sister. Clary had her mother and Luke. All Magnus had was his friends so of course they would be family to him, it was probably why the loss had been so painful for him.

He found himself smiling to himself, knowing that they would be reunited soon enough, that once they had broken Magnus out, things would fall back in order naturally. At least he hoped so, for his friend's sake.

Ragnor had a lot to deal with and Simon had noticed how he was starting to show the first signs of posttraumatic stress disorder but he knew that with Magnus and Raphael around him – and any of the rest of the team, if he wanted them to – he would get better.

And then, a thought occurred to him.

"Holy shit," Simon exclaimed loudly, his eyes lighting up like he just had an epiphany.

Next to him, Isabelle, who was lying on her side with her feet on his lap, jumped, glancing at him with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. Alec and Ragnor both looked his way with a curious frown.

"I just realized!" he cried out enthusiastically, pointing a finger at the English man, "Ragnor is totally the Winter Soldier! I can't believe I didn't notice before."

There was a stunned silence for a moment and then, Alec mumbled a curse and threw a pillow straight at his face.

"Seriously, Izzy?" he groaned. "This guy?"

"Seriously, Alec?" Isabelle retorted, teasing. "Magnus Bane?"

"No, but for real," Simon exclaimed, readjusting his glasses on his nose, waving excitedly with the pillow Alec had thrown his way. "He's totally Bucky Barnes."

Ragnor looked puzzled and he glanced sideways at Alec, raising an eyebrow. "What is he on about?" he inquired. "I don't understand that reference."

Simon and Isabelle burst into laughter and, although he tried to hide it by biting his bottom lip, Alec snorted before he turned to Ragnor to explain with an exaggerated sigh.

Simon settled for letting him explain, thinking back to the two months that had just passed and smiling at the idea, not a faint hope anymore but a true certitude, that everything from now on would be fine. Breaking Magnus out was just a formality.

My mighty cupcakes,

I can't believe part one is over. I'm a little bit emotional which is ridiculous because there's so much more to come...

Pardon my French but 110k+ fucking words? When did that happen? Someone stop me! This got out of hands and I'm afraid part two isn't going to be any better… ugh.

So. Speaking of part two, here's how things are going to go:
First, I'm going to wait patiently for y'all to come yelling at me about this chapter.
Second, I will post an extra chapter either by the end of this week or on Monday (and that's my final deadline for the bonus chapter, I promise!).
Finally, about a week or so later, we're all going on an adventure because the second arc of this story is going to be one so brace yourselves. From where I stand today in my writing, I currently don't have enough advance to post twice a week yet but that's why I'm giving myself some time before I post part two. If I manage to write enough, the "two chapters per week" rhythm will go on (*queue Celine Dion*). If I don't, it will be one chapter a week until I can get enough of a head start!

Deal? Deal.

(also, I might have an OS in the oven and I'd like to write that before I start posting part two…)

If you don't want to miss either the bonus chapter or the beginning of part two, you can subscribe to me to make sure you don't miss it ;).

I can't say much about part two for now because I have a strict "no spoilers" policy but I can tell you this:
1) we're leaving California ;
2) you'll have all of your favorite characters and more (*cough* Max *cough*) ;
3) Si vis pacem, para bellum.

Since I'm already rambling anyway, I want to tell you all a huge thank you for sticking with my nerdiness since the beginning of this story and for leaving reviews and adding me or this story to your favorites and even if you didn't do any of these, thank you for reading!
You're my precious bunch of cupcakes and I want to wrap you all into warm blankets and feed you cookies (real ones) and just… ugh, now you've made me emotional! I love you all. THANK YOU.

You can always come to yell, talk shit about CC (I'm still salty about that announcement, tbh) or just comment on the weather with me on tumblr (onceuponasourwolf) or twitter (_L_ecrit).
And please, let's all appreciate the greatness of my beta (pynchie on tumblr) without whom none of this would have been possible.

All the love,
L.