Disclaimer: Of course I don't own this, I barely own the laptop I'm writing on...

Summery: The war is over, and everyone just want to enjoy the peace while it lasts. Alec is happy, he's the head of the New York institute as he always dreamed, he's got Magnus by his side and he's more in love than ever. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot if you ask Maryse…

Mostly Malec, because come on… With a little bit of other relationships thrown in.

Bad, bad Maryse!

Author's note: This is set after the end of season 2, so no specific spoilers but there could be spoilers to any and all things in the series. BTW, I've never read the books- to be honest, I didn't know the books existed until my friend urged me to watch the show…

I really want to get this all out before the new season airs, so I decided to start posting it now and hopefully finish writing in the next couple of days (I'm about 2/3 of the way done), crossing fingers and toes!

Amor verus numquam mortuum

True love cannot die

Chapter I

Magnus heard the knock on the door from his workroom. Wiping his hands delicately he made sure everything was in order before he went to answer it. Humming softly, with his hips swishing he made his way through the loft, a soft smile on his face. It had been a good day- no annoying clients, no pesky shadowhunters or downworlders clamoring for his attention which meant he was able to complete quite a few tasks that were waiting patiently for a day just like this.

"Ah, the lovely Isabelle," He said with a bright smile as he opened the door and saw who was there, "My second favorite Lightwood!" Isabelle couldn't help but roll her eyes at the compliment. She followed Magnus into the loft, watching as the warlock made his way to the sofa and sat himself with a flourish and crossed his legs, "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Isabelle said as she sat herself beside Magnus,

"Is everything alright?" Magnus asked, his good mood starting to dissipate away at the uncertain look in Isabelle's dark eyes, "Is something wrong with Alexander?" Isabelle quickly shook her head,

"No no, Alec's fine." She said hurriedly, hoping to stave Magnus' worry before it spread, "Last time I saw him he was in his office, said he was trying to finish up a couple of things so that he could get home to you in a reasonable hour." Isabelle smiled, it was so amazing how quickly Alec and Magnus had become such a domestic couple, even before they officially moved in together. For anyone who didn't know better they looked like they've been together for years, not months, completely in sync with each other. It was adorable and so darn cute, and she was so glad her brother was finally comfortable with himself and happy, so very happy. Magnus gave a soft little smile and Isabelle found she was trying to stave a pang of jealousy. She spent years trying to find a good man, sure the road there was also fun but ultimately she was kinda sick of being alone, while Alec- the bastard got all the luck in the world on his first try! If she didn't love Alec so much she'd hate him for this.

"Then what is it?"

"Well, it's about Raphael actually." She said, her voice turning a little exasperated and made Magnus want to roll his eyes. Of course it was, ever since Raphael caved in and allowed Isabelle access to his life, post the whole vampire venom addiction it felt to him like he was playing both shrink and parent to both, each coming to him with their little problems and insecurities. He didn't mind of course, he cared for both of them and wanted nothing more than for both to be happy, but the truth was- sometimes he wasn't all that convinced that being together was going to get them that happiness.

"What did our delightfully grumpy vampire do now?" He asked lightly, hoping this would not be too heavy and heart-wrenching, because if what Isabelle said was true then Alec would be home shortly and he hoped that some of his good mood lasted.

"His birthday is coming up and I was thinking about throwing him a surprise party." Isabelle said with a wide smile, "I need your help to plan it." Magnus held up his hand, trying his best not to get swept away with the idea of planning a party,

"You discovered when his birthday is?" He asked, his eyebrows going up with the surprise, "Usually vampires are less than thrilled to share this type of information," Even he didn't know when Raphael's birthday was, and he knew the boy for over fifty years. Immortals, as a rule, didn't really do birthdays, because what was another year in the grand scheme of things, and vampires were the worst about it. Finding out when a vampire's birthday was... that was a big deal.

"I have my ways." Isabelle said with a coy shrug and a broad smile and Magnus decided to leave it at that, some things were best left unknown when it came to other couples. "So, will you help me?"

"A surprise party may not be the best idea," Magnus confessed with an apologetic smile, his fingers wriggling softly. At Isabelle's confused frown he elaborated, "Vampires are not the best creatures to surprise, even by a strong shadowhunter like yourself." Isabelle deflated at hearing this, damn that was spoiling all her plans! "And Raphael is worse than most."

"Great," She scoffed, "Just like Alec!" She rolled her eyes impressively, this was really unfair, there was so little she could do with Raphael as it was, due to the fact he didn't eat or stepped outside into sunlight, and now she couldn't even surprise him with a party?

"What do you mean 'Just like Alec'?" Magnus asked suspiciously,

"He didn't tell you?" Isabelle asked, surprised, and Magnus shook his head, his brow furrowing with dread, "When Alec was fifteen Jace and I decided to throw him a surprise party." She started telling the story, watching as the dread settled deeper with every word, "It was going to be the party of the year, everyone was there and the theme was amazing. But when Alec walked into the room and saw all the people he immediately turned and ran away." She finished with a sigh, this was one of her only failures in party planing, and it still stung, "It took us nearly a day to find him."

"Well..." Magnus breathed out, "It's a good thing I learned this now..." Isabelle looked at him sharply,

"Wait, did you already start planning Alec's birthday?" She asked incredulously and Magnus rolled his eyes,

"Of course not, Alexander's birthdays is almost six months away!" Yes, he loved Alec more than anything but he did not need six months in order to throw an amazing birthday party, not to mention he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to throw one- the idea of having Alexander all to himself was much more appealing to be honest. "This is just one idea off the list."

"So you think I shouldn't throw Raphael a party?" Isabelle asked, trying to bring Magnus back to the topic at hand. This was always a risk when talking to either Magnus or Alec- they tended to drift off whenever the other person's name was being mentioned. Again cute, but really annoying sometimes.

"Oh, you should definitely throw Raphael a party, kitten!" Magnus said, a mischievous spark in his eyes, "Just let him know beforehand."

"He's going to hate it, isn't he?" If this was Magnus' idea of annoying Raphael, she was going to... get very creative with her whip!

"Probably, but that is no excuse to not have a party." Magnus said brightly, every excuse to have a party was a welcome one! And Raphael would just have to suck it and be gracious about it. Or leave early... "Don't worry kitten, I'll be there every step of the way, helping you out." Isabelle smiled broadly, Magnus' enthusiasm finally rubbing off.

"Thank you!" She cried and throw herself at the surprised warlock with a huge hug. Magnus patted her back softly, shaking his head fondly.

"So, I take it things are going well between the two of you," He said once she released him and Isabelle shrugged,

"Everything is fine." She replied. After Raphael had tried to shut her away, claiming he wasn't safe for her Isabelle found herself in a very new position for her, rejected. And she didn't like it, not at all. In a way, Isabelle had to admit, she should thank Alec for his idea of weekly meetings with the downworld's representatives, because that way she was sure to meet her vampire every week and eventually even Raphael couldn't ignore her anymore. They had started off tentatively, at first Raphael didn't trust himself around her and asked for someone, usually Simon or Max to be around when she was. It annoyed Isabelle quite a bit, she was not used to being chaperoned. It was a strange relationship, Isabelle had to admit, and not something she was used to- the one time she tried to seduce Raphael he had shot her down and told her he wasn't interested in sex and that left her quite shocked. Once she got over her venom addiction she really had time to think about what that meant and no one was more surprised than her to be back in Hotel DuMort wanting to spend time with a brooding and quite grumpy a-sexual vampire. Isabelle Lightwood was known for her body and sexual charms and she was so used getting her way with them, weather it was for pleasure or work and now she was stripped of the ability to use those and all that was left was her, bare-souled and honest- and she liked it. "He's teaching me how to cook."

"That's great!" Magnus said, a little too enthusiastically for Isabelle's taste. She sent him a glare which he returned with an unashamed grin- cheeky Magnus! She knew both Alec and Jace had told Magnus about what they thought of her cooking, and she wholly blamed Magnus for Alec's newly improved taste buds, her brother was the only one who never complained about her cooking, but even he won't touch her food since he started going out with Magnus. Magnus saw her pout and smiled, patting her hand reassuringly, "Learning a new skill is always welcome, and cooking is definitely a skill worth learning," He said breezily, "Or having enough money to pay someone else who has that skill." He added with a little wink and Isabelle laughed. "Raphael is a wonderful cook."

"He is," Isabelle said with a soft smile, "He's great, he really is."

"But?" Magnus prompted gently, knowing there was more to it, and Isabelle sighed,

"It's just that sometimes I miss sex, you know?" Magnus let out a soft breath, this must be hard for someone like Isabelle Lightwood, who had honed her sensuality like a weapon and could use it just as well as she wielded her whip. "I miss being touched, I miss kissing!"

"Have you discussed this with Raphael?" Magnus knew the boy wasn't interested in sex, they've had countless talks in the matter, Raphael doing his best to hide this from his clan and pretty much everyone else, thinking there was something wrong with him. At first this affiliation with Isabelle baffled Magnus because there probably were no bigger opposites than these two, but over time he learned to see how good they were for each other, even if he had a hard time trying to convince Alec of this. But the sex thing, that was always going to be a huge obstacle, sitting right in the middle of their relationship, no matter how long it lasted. It made Magnus almost laugh when he thought about the way he and Alec were so concerned with each other's pasts, because that problem was solved quite satisfactorily the night they first slept together. Blinking his eyes he took a deep breath, trying to regain composure before Isabelle noticed he was Alec-spacing again.

"He says he doesn't mind if I find someone else for that," Isabelle confessed. At first she had been quite relieved when Raphael said that, but the more she thought about it the more she found herself being offended that Raphael didn't think she had any self-control. She looked up at Magnus, who gave her a 'And?' look, and sighed, "I'm not sure I want someone else..." She admitted. No one had ever promised her that dating Raphael Santiago was going to be easy...

"It sounds like you're falling in love with him." Magnus said softly, and Isabelle slumped back on the sofa. Damn it, that was what she was afraid of...

"Mum and dad are going to love this..." She said with an impressive roll of her eyes. Not that she normally cared about what her parents, and especially her mother, thought of her affiliations with men, but having sex with downworlders to get information (and naturally for fun) was a world of difference from falling in love with one.

"Sadly, when it comes to your parents I have a feeling that no matter what you will do, you'd still be better off than your brother." Magnus said with a sad smile and Isabelle reached for his hand. This was really unfair, the way her parents didn't see how good Magnus was for Alec.

"Magnus, I'm really sorry..." She said, wrapping her arms around the warlock and pulling him into a tight hug. She really hated the way her parents, well her mother really, treated Magnus and found she was apologizing far more than she should for something she didn't do. It was infuriating, after all she was one of Alec and Magnus' biggest supporters.

"That's quite alright, kitten," Magnus said softly, accepting Isabelle's hug with grace. Normally he didn't care much for parents and their opinions- most of his former lovers never even bothered with introducing him, even if their parents were alive at the time. But Alec was all about family, and he cared what his parents thought and that blatant disregard of his feelings was hurting Magnus as well. Oh, if he only could make Maryse and Robert Lightwood disappear from his life forever... Pulling himself together with a sigh he gave Isabelle a brave smile, "Come on kitten, we've got a party to plan!"

Before he had time to even get up from the sofa the door to the loft burst open and in ran Alec, his face etched with worry and his bow and quiver unglamoured.

"Magnus!" He cried in a rush, "We need to move, I can't find Izzy!" Just then he spotted his sister on the sofa next to Magnus. Without losing a beat Alec rushed over, pulling Isabelle to her feet and hugging her tight.

"Alec, what's going on?" She asked, her voice slightly muffled by the fact her face were pressed against Alec's shirt,

"You scared the hell out of me." Alec complained loudly, his voice still a little rough from his earlier scare and he knew that Isabelle could hear how fast his heart was beating and not only because her ear was directly pressed against it. "Why aren't you answering your phone?" Isabelle pulled herself away from her brother, looking apologetic,

"I forgot to switch it back on after training." She explained and extracted herself out of her brother's hold, walking over to the side of the sofa where she left her jacket. While Isabelle was busy checking her calls (16 missed ones from Alec) and messages (starting with 'Hey Iz, what's up?' and going all the way to 'If that vampire did something to you I swear I'm going to stake him! Screw the accords!'), Magnus rose gracefully from the sofa and smiled at his boyfriend, tapping his cheek lightly to indicate he wanted a kiss. Alec smiled, relief was washing all over his body and making him feel tingly, as he crossed the short distance to his warlock and pulled him in for a proper kiss.

Isabelle lifted her eyes from her phone, the anger at Alec's messages bubbling fiercely, to see her brother and his boyfriend in a lip-lock that felt a little too intimate to witness, but she was already used to that because apparently those two didn't have a tone-it-down dial.

"You were going to raid the DuMort?" She asked, her voice hard and her eyes harder. Even after all the talks, arguments and even fights they had in the matter it seemed she couldn't get the over-protectiveness out of Alec's system no matter how hard she tried. Being in a relationship with Raphael sure didn't help... Alec pulled back from his kiss and gave her an apologetic shrug,

"I was going to start my search there..." He explained somewhat sheepishly, knowing Isabelle was pissed as hell with him right now, but she should have known better and not ignore his calls! He couldn't really switch off a habit of a lifetime just because she insisted she was a grown up!

"Alec," Isabelle started sternly, but never got to finish her tirade because Magnus boldly stepped between the siblings, who were glaring daggers at each other,

"Well, now that everyone is safe, how about some dinner," He announced happily, doing his best to diffuse the situation because he really didn't feel like knocking them both out with magic, which he was fully prepared to do if things got out of hand! "I'm starving!"

"Dinner sounds great," Isabelle said, deciding she was in too good a mood to be ruined by Alec, "I'm in."

"What are you in the mood for, kitten? Anything you like," Magnus said generously, his smile broad as he glanced over to Alec and saw his shoulders relaxing. Good.

"Brazilian." Isabelle said after thinking about it,

"Would that be men or food?" Alec muttered under his breath, but unfortunately he wasn't quiet enough and earned himself a death glare from Isabelle and an elbow to the ribs from Magnus,

"Excellent," Magnus declared loudly, hoping to drown Alec's little faux-pas, "I know this wonderful little place in Bahia," He prattled on as he moved his hands in a circular motions, creating a portal in the middle of the living room, "And it's close enough to Carnaval so we can also go dancing afterwards." That earned him a bright happy smile from Isabelle and a pained groan from Alec, which he chose to ignore as he linked his arms with both Lightwoods and the three stepped into the swirling portal.