Here's the beginning of the sequel to It's Complicated. If you have not read It's Complicated I advise you to read that first and come back :)

It's Still Complicated Chapter One: New Complicated Beginnings, Old Complicated Problems.

Alec Pov- I sat in that large white room where Valentine kept me locked up for I don't know how long. I thought Magnus saved me. I could have sworn he took me to the hospital where I spent six months getting clean and then we started living in a flat together. It must have been a dream because I was still here in this horrible room.

I stood up looking around the room "Magnus? Magnus are you here?" "sorry to tell you but he's not here" a cold familiar voice said from behind me. I turned around frowning looking at Valentine who was standing there smiling smugly at me. "H-how did I get back here?"

Valentine walked up to me having a smug look on his face "you came here yourself." My eyes widened in shock "why would I willingly come back to this horrible place?" He held out his closed hand to me before opening his fingers revealing a handful of white powder. I stared down at it feeling my nerves buzzing under my skin.

"You came for this" Valentine said smirking down at me. I shook my head backing up "I'm clean now. I have Magnus and my life is going good right now so I don't need that crap." I backed up till I hit a wall and Valentine walked up trapping me there.

"You can't fool yourself Alexander. You say you don't need it and maybe that's true but that doesn't stop you from wanting it. You miss it don't you? The thrill of the high, the feeling of complete bliss as you forget yourself, not having to worry about life or your problems?"

I shook my head no closing my eyes tight "I don't miss it. I have Magnus to make me happy I don't need to rely on some drug. I'm stronger than I was six months ago." Valentine tilted his hand letting the white powder pour down to the floor.

I watched it as it fell; my entire body yelling at me to catch it and not to waste it. I didn't move to catch it though. I just watched it hit the floor and Valentine put his foot over it crushing it. "You can say you don't want it anymore but everyone knows the truth. They will always see you as the drug addict who needs to be watched. They're just waiting for you to mess up."

I shook my head frowning "That's not true. Magnus and my siblings have faith in me. They know I've changed." Valentine rolled his eyes at this "six months can't change three years of being who you were."

I met his eyes glaring "are you saying I'll never change? That I'll never get better?" He nodded crossing his arms over his chest "that is what I'm saying. You are damaged beyond repair and no one can save you. Not Magnus Bane, not your sibling, and definitely not yourself."

I shook my head sliding down to the floor and covering my ears. "I don't want to hear any of this." Valentine knelt down leaning in closer to me "you don't want to hear it because you know its's true. You don't want to face yourself because you know no matter how hard you try you can't change. You may love Magnus and you may want to change yourself for him but that doesn't mean you will."

I looked up at Valentine glaring, going to scream at him but he was gone. It was like he was never there in the first place. I sighed running my hand through my face before looking down at the floor. My body stiffened once my eyes locked with the white powder still scattered across the floor.

My heart raced and I could hear ringing in my ears. My blood heated up wanting to feel that amazing drug run through it. I reached out a shaky hand running my fingers through the powder slowly before putting my hand to my nose. I stared down at the powder on my fingers before closing my eyes and breathing it in.

"Alec… Alec wake up… Alec" Magnus's voice broke through my dream forcing me to wake up. I looked around our bedroom catching my breath before looking behind me at Magnus. He was propped up on his elbow looking down at me "Alec dear clam down, you were having a panic attack in your sleep." I looked into his eyes frowning "sorry… just another nightmare."

Magnus frowned running his hand through my sweaty hair "it's not 'just another nightmare' Alec. If you need to talk about it, I'm right here to talk." I smiled up at him and reached up caressing his cheek gently "thanks Magnus but I'm alright." He searched my eyes frowning "did it have to do with Valentine or your hallucinations?"

I glanced away from him keeping quiet. It's been three months since Magnus and I started living together and I still haven't been able to tell him about what I saw during that crazy LSD trip. I couldn't tell him that I heard him say I was boring to him or that I stabbed him to death. I don't want him to think I'm crazy.

"Alec you can talk to me about what you saw. I won't think any less of you or be angry. You can trust me." I glanced back at Magnus frowning "that's the thing Magnus… I can't trust you. Not fully anyway."

Magnus frowned and nodded grabbing my hand "I know I have a long way to go to gain your trust back. I hope someday you can be able to tell me things that are bothering you. I want to be able to help you." I smiled reaching over and touching his cheek "you being here helps me."

I pushed him to lay down before I curled up next to him laying my head in the crook of his neck. I always felt safest when I was cuddling with Magnus. Magnus wrapped his arms around me and slid a hand into my hair running his fingers through it. "Tomorrows a big day for us."

I nodded thinking about what I'll have to do tomorrow. It's finally time for me to meet Magnus's parents and I am terrified they won't like me. I'm sure they heard the gossip and read the articles. They know I'm not worthy of their son just as much as I do.

Magnus cupped my cheek in his hand and turned my head to look him in the eye "don't be afraid Alexander." I bit my lip searching his gorgeous eyes "I'm not afraid. I'm worried. What if they don't like me and say we can't be together?"

Magnus rolled his eyes at this and smiled "Alec I don't need my parents' permission to be with you. If I want to love you I will love you; and believe me I want to love you." I half smiled at Magnus before leaning in and kissing him softly. "I love you too Magnus but I still want your parents to like me."

"Alec my parents don't really like anyone. Wither you have a past or not I'm sure they would give you a hard time. I'll help you through it as long as I can you just can't take everything they say to heart." "I take everything everyone says to heart" I said softly.

Magnus nodded "I know and that needs to stop." I cuddled more into him closing my eyes "I don't know how to make it stop. We have all these parties and events coming up and I'm terrified of hearing what people will say behind my back. Not to mention my parents will be at some of these events. I haven't seen them since I was eighteen."

Magnus ran his hand through my hair again, making me relax in his arms. "It will be hard but I will be with you every step of the way. You are a part of uptown again so that means you have a right to be at these events and parties. Don't let anyone make you think differently."

I leaned into the crook of Magnus's neck kissing it softly "when did you become so wise?" He laughed laying his chin on top of my head and closing his eyes "I have always been wise." I wrapped my arms around him closing my eyes and smiling "not always." "Well I have made some bad choices but loving you isn't one of them. Choosing you was the smartest choice I have ever made."

I smiled wider cuddling as close as possible to Magnus "I love you Magnus." "I love you too darling. Get some sleep and don't worry about tomorrow." I nodded getting comfortable in his warmth before falling asleep in his arms.

The next morning, I got changed into some nice jeans, a blue button up top and a nice suit jacket. I normally didn't like dressing like this but I wanted to make a good impression on Magnus's parents. Magnus walked out of the steamy bathroom just getting out of the shower and he had a towel wrapped around his waist and another around his hair. He looked me up and down smiling "well, don't you dress up nice?"

I looked at him "is it really nice? Should I dress up more? They're fashion Icons so I can't just show up with jeans and a jacket." Magnus rolled his eyes pulling the towel out of his hair "don't stress yourself out over this Alec. I happen to like what you're wearing and that's all that matters. Who cares what my parents think."

I frowned "is that your way of telling me that your parents are going to hate it?" Magnus walked up to me putting his hands on my shoulders and looking me in the eye "Alexander stop stressing. Everything is going to be okay." I looked down frowning but then looked up again blushing remembering that he is only in a towel.

Magnus and I have been living together for three months but we haven't done anything together except kiss. Normally I would be all up for jumping his bones but I'm trying to change myself. That means I need to take things slow and get to know him better before I sleep with him. Magnus smiled seeing my blush and he kissed the tip of my nose "so adorable."

I rolled my eyes moving away from him "hurry up and get ready so we can get going. The quicker we get to your parents' office the quicker this will all be over." In the three months that we have lived together I haven't once left this house. I haven't met any of Magnus's friends or family because I was too afraid. I need to stop being afraid though if I want to be part of Magnus's life.

Magnus let me go sighing before going to get ready for the day. "This is a small thing Alec. My parents' opinions don't really matter to me. This is just practice for meeting my friends; their opinion is one that matters."

I frowned watching him "so if your friends don't like me then we're done." Magnus looked back at me "of course not Alexander. My friends will have issues with you at first I know them well enough to already know that. The way you handle yourself around it will be good for your recovery. You can't take everything my friends and family say to heart and I'm preparing you for that."

I nodded blushing when Magnus started undoing the towel around his waist "I'll go wait in the living room" I said before walking out of the room. I made some coffee before sitting on the couch sipping it slowly and getting lost in thought. My thoughts weren't lost for long because Magnus's little cat Chairman Meow pounced on my bare foot making me wince in pain and glare down at the creature.

You can call it possessiveness or whatever but this cat doesn't like me one bit. He did at first, he let me pet him and he even sat on my lap which excited Magnus since he said his cat doesn't like a lot of his dates. Once it was clear that I was here to stay though Chairman switched like a light. He now bites my toes when I'm sleeping, tares up my sweaters until he's unraveling them into yarn, and whenever Magnus and I get into a heated make out session he gets in between us.

I have to thank him for that last thing though because sometimes Magnus and I get a little too heated when making out. It's hard to remember my no sex promise when my entire body is practically screaming for it. Chairman's interruptions help me cool down so he's not all bad. At times like now however when he's biting my feet, I do not like him.

I pulled my feet onto the couch out of his reach before sticking my tongue out at the cat. He let out a small hiss before walking away going to his food dish. The only time Chairman did like me was when I fed him. Granted, he obviously has never heard the saying 'don't bite the hand that feeds you'.

"How do I look" Magnus asked walking out of the bedroom. I looked at him and skimmed his body with my eyes. He was wearing nice black dress pants, a lavender silk shirt, and a nice navy jacket. His hair was slightly spiked up and he applied eyeliner and glitter for his makeup.

I smiled standing up "you look absolutely amazing." He smiled walking up to me and wrapping his arms around me "you know we could just skip seeing my parents and go on a romantic dinner date." I touched his cheek "that sounds amazing and a lot less stressful but I don't want to give your parents another reason to hate me." He rolled his eyes "I doubt they hate you."

I let him go moving out of his grasp "you 'doubt' they hate me meaning you aren't sure. We need to go and make them like me." Magnus sighed "Alec I already told you that my parents don't like anyone." I crossed my arms "too bad because they are going to like me."

"Keep that enthusiasm darling" he said grabbing his wallet and walking out of the house with me. I grabbed his hand once he finished locking up and walked to the subway station with him "okay tell me everything I need to know about your parents." Magnus looked ahead thinking, swinging our hands back and forth as we walked "well my father's name is Asmodeus Bane, he's the CEO of Bane Fashions. My mother is Esmerelda Bane and she designs most of the clothes in the Bane collection."

I rolled my eyes "I know all of that stuff already. I read up on them when I was studying to take over my father's company. I want to know personal things about them. Likes, dislikes, things that might set them off if I say or do anything."

Magnus frowned going down the stairs of the subway station "sorry Alec I don't know any of that stuff." I frowned "what do you mean you don't know?" He shrugged getting on the subway and pulling us to some seats before someone else could snatch them. "My parents and I aren't really that close. We don't talk about personal stuff."

"How am I supposed to know what to say to them if you don't know what they like to hear?" Magnus smiled at me and kissed my cheek "you'll be fine darling. Just be yourself and I'm sure they will grow to accept you." I looked at him frowning but nodded "fine."

He nodded laying his head on my shoulder smiling, closing his eyes. I smiled watching him and the sound of whispers caught my ear. "Look, it's Alexander Lightwood." I frowned looking over at the direction of the voice seeing it was a group of people around my age.

"I heard he came back uptown. I'm surprised they let him back in instead of throwing him in jail. Isn't prostitution and being involved with a gang illegal" a girl asked. The guy next to her scoffed "oh please, Magnus Bane has enough power in this city to pardon him."

"I highly doubt he has that much power. He and his family are just fashion designers" the girl commented. Another girl shrugged "but unlike everyone else in town the Bane family is known worldwide. Families like the Morgenstern's and Lightwoods only reach New York."

"Stop listening to them Alexander" Magnus whispered in my ear making me flinch and look at him "what? I wasn't listening to anything." Magnus looking into my eyes his face inches from mine "I know you Alec. You were listening in on that conversation."

I frowned searching his eyes "I'm making people talk bad about you. I'm dirtying your name." Magnus rolled his eyes before grabbing my face and crushing his lips to mine. My mind told me I should pull away so people will stop staring but instead my body reacted and I kissed him back.

He ran his fingers into my hair pulling me closer so he could kiss me deeper. I gladly kissed him back smiling and I heard one of the girls' snicker. "Seriously, they're on a public train. Once a whore always a whore I guess."

I blushed pulling away "Magnus we're in public. This isn't going to help people get over the things I've done." Magnus sighed slouching in the chair "Alexander stop caring what people think of you. Their opinions shouldn't matter."

"It does matter to me Magnus. I need to get a job and make my way in the world. I can't do that as long as everyone thinks I'm some slut." Magnus frowned moving a strand of hair out of my face "I don't think you're a slut."

"I know you don't think so Magnus but everyone else in New York does." Magnus held up our joint hands kissing mine "we could always move somewhere else." I glanced at him "that would just be running away. Besides I'm sure if we ran from my past it would just follow us."

The train stopped and we both stood up getting off. "I don't like you being so paranoid about what everyone thinks." I shrugged "until everyone changes what they think of me I will be paranoid about it." We walked up to Bane Fashions and I looked up at the building feeling like I was going to be sick.

"You can do this Alexander. Don't care what my parents say okay? If you start to have problems just grab my hand and I'll give you my strength." I nodded squeezing his hand tight before going inside with him.

We walked into an elevator and he pushed the button for the top floor. I closed my eyes catching my breath feeling more and more stressed with every floor we passed. "Alec calm down. It's all going to be okay" Magnus said squeezing my hand again. I opened my eyes looking at him before nodding and taking some deep breathes.

The doors opened and I took one last deep breath before walking out of the elevator with him. We went down a long hallway where large framed images of Bane clothes on the runway were lined up. I looked at each of the photos as we passed "these clothes are amazing." Magnus smiled "I would hope so; all these pictures are from years of being at New York fashion Week."

I looked at him shocked "New York Fashion Week? That's super impressive." He laughed smiling "thank you but it's not very impressive to me anymore. I don't think it'll be a big deal to me unless it's my own fashion being presented."

I glanced at him "I figured you didn't actually do fashion. You said you did but I thought it was a lie." "I did lie about needing downtown to be my inspiration but I really do love making clothes. I just loved being a journalist more."

We stopped in front of a large door and Magnus looked at me "you ready?" I shook my head no "no but let's do this anyway." He nodded and opened the door pulling me inside with him. I closed my eyes taking a deep breath before opening them and going to say hello.

When I went to talk though the room was empty. Magnus looked around sighing "they must be in a meeting. They're always in a meeting." I looked up at him frowning "should we come back later?"

He shook his head taking a seat "it will be over soon enough. Take a seat and get comfortable." I shook my head walking around the office and trying to get a grasp of the Banes. There were certificates and photos of clothes everywhere but not a single family photo.

I looked at Magnus frowning "where are the embarrassing photos of you from childhood? Are they at your family home?" Magnus laughed "sorry but you won't find any of those. I spent most of my childhood with lots of nanny's. My parents always worked."

I frowned "my parents always worked but they always made the point to come home and spend time with Isabelle, me and… and Max" I said softly. It was still hard for me to talk about Max. I still hated myself for not keeping my promise to see him again. He died thinking I didn't want to see him."

Magnus stood up putting his hand on my shoulder "it's alright to talk about Max, Alexander." I frowned laying my head on his chest and wrapping my arms around him "I still can't stand that I couldn't say goodbye to Max before he died. I should have known everyone was lying to me. The moment Jace said Max was playing soccer I should have known something was up."

Magnus hugged me frowning "you couldn't have known Alexander. You were going through a lot at the time and being in Downtown was all so new for you." I looked up at him frowning "that's no excuse." Magnus looked down at me frowning looking like he wanted to say something but stopped when his parents walked through the door.

I quickly let go of Magnus blushing and I held out my hand to his parents "Hi I'm Alexander Lightwood, it's a pleasure to meet you." His mother looked at my hand skeptically but didn't try to shake it back. "Yes we've heard a lot about you" she said walking passed me going to her desk. I watched her before looking at Magnus's dad still having my hand out.

Asmodeus Bane looked me over not looking very impressed and his stare intimidated me. He had the same green eyes that Magnus had when he wasn't wearing his cat contacts. "So you're the famous Alec Lightwood?" I frowned dropping my hand "oh um yeah… that's me."

He also walked passed me and sat on the corner of the desk crossing his arms "so this is your boyfriend." Magnus nodded smiling "yep this is him." His mother looked back at me "what have you been up to since coming back uptown?" I bit my lip "um well… I went to rehab for a while."

His father nodded "that's right we heard you have a drug addiction." "Had a drug addiction" Magnus corrected. His father glanced at him before looking back at me "most drug addicts don't stay clean longer than six months." "I actually was clean for a year before… incidents happened to make me relapse.

His mother was the next to speak "incidents happen all the time. How many 'incidents' will it take to make you go running back to the drugs?" I frowned hugging myself and glancing away from them "well I… I'm trying really hard not to let that happen." "You can try but maybe trying won't be enough" his father said watching me.

Magnus frowned "father, mother, Alexander worked very hard to get clean again and I will help him stay clean. He was alone last time but now he's not." I looked at Magnus feeling bad that he had to defend me to his parents. "It's not just the drugs Magnus. It's the prostitution and gang violence" his mom said looking at him.

Magnus glared at them "mom that is all in Alec's past. He is remaking his life." His father nodded and looked at me again "okay Alexander what is it you want to do with your life now that you're clean and have your life back?" I frowned not really sure how to answer that.

I haven't really decided what it is I want to do now that I'm back in uptown. Most of my options are closed because of my past so there isn't a lot I can do. "I would like a job" I said not knowing what else to say. I really did want a job but again it will be hard to get one with my record.

Magnus rubbed his temples shaking his head "mom, dad, can you please try to be nice to Alec. I know being nice is a struggle for the two of you but you're not even trying." I looked at Magnus shocked that he just talked back to his parents like that. "Magnus you don't have to talk to them like that."

He looked at me "I do have to talk like this to them Alec. This is the only way they actually hear me." He looked back at them "I love Alec and I don't care what the two of you think I will be with him. I would like your support but I don't need it in order to be with him."

"Then why did you even let us meet him" his father asked looking at him. Magnus shrugged sighing "He wanted to meet you because he wants to know all the important people in my life. You're my parents so that automatically makes you important to me but your opinion isn't the one I take to heart." I expected his parents to be furious but they didn't even look like they cared.

Magnus's mom looked at the time before looking at her husband "it's almost time for our next meeting." His father nodded before looking at Magnus "this will be all for today." Magnus rolled his eyes "thank you for fitting us into your schedule" he said before grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room. I looked back at his parents frowning before looking ahead at Magnus.

"We're leaving already" I asked confused. We got into the elevator and Magnus hit the button "we actually got a lot more time than I thought we would." I frowned "that wasn't even ten minutes." Magnus shrugged checking his phone "I was expecting five."

I watched him frowning "are you used to being treated like that? Is being fit into their schedule normal for you?" He nodded and shrugged like he didn't care "I'm used to it." I shook my head before taking his phone out of his hand and wrapping my arms around him hiding my face in his shoulder "I'll always have time for you."

Magnus smiled wrapping his arms around me and he kissed the top of my head "I know you will Alexander. That's one of the reasons why I love you." I stood there hugging him like that until the elevator door opened. Once it did I let him go, grabbing his hand instead and I walked out of the building with him.

Once we were outside he smiled at me "like I said before that was just practice. Are you ready to face my friends?" I frowned "your friends and your parents all in the same day?" He shrugged "My friends are a lot more important than my parents."

"I know and that's why I'm way more terrified to meet your friends than I was your parents." Magnus smiled "the fact that you care so much about what my friends think means a lot. You don't have to be worried though. They will definitely give you crap but if you just be yourself they will love you."

"Who's all going to be there" I asked starting to walk with him down the street. Magnus thought about it "Catarina, Ragnor, Tessa, Will and James." I looked at him surprised "Jem is going to be there?" He nodded looking back at me "you know him?"

I nodded "he was in rehab with me the first time. He was one of the only decent people in the place and he actually helped me a lot." Magnus smiled haling a cab "see, you will have someone there who will make you feel more comfortable." "That doesn't make me any less nervous" I said getting in the cab with him.

He told the cabbie where we were going before smiling at me "trust me Alec meeting my friends will be a lot of fun. It will be a little hard at first but I promise you once they get passed interrogating you everything will be fine."

Magnus Pov- I got out of the cab with Alec walking up to my favorite diner and Alec followed me looking up at it. "I forgot uptown even had a diner." I grabbed his hand pulling him inside "have you ever been to this place?" He shook his head no "my parents said it was beneath us."

I shook my head "believe me the food here is amazing. That diner you took me to may have had the best burger but this place has the best fries." Alec smiled at that "burgers and fries are a pretty good combo." I nodded before looking around for my friends.

They were all at the end of the room huddled around a table. They must have ordered ahead of us because they were already eating. "Those jerks. They couldn't have waited for us" I asked before walking up to them.

As me made our way over Alec clenched his hands tight getting nervous again. He really was super cute when he was nervous but I didn't take it lightly. Alec's panic attacks get bad and if he gets too stressed or nervous it could set one off. I just hope seeing my parents then my friends right after won't be too much for him.

We stopped at the table and everyone stopped talking, looking at Alec and I. "I see you all ordered without me" I said crossing my arms. "You took your sweet time so why wouldn't we order ahead of you" Ragnor asked scowling up at me. I sighed "you all have no respect for me."

Alec looked down at his feet shyly before looking up facing my friends. "Um hi… I'm Alexander Lightwood but you can call me Alec. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Everyone stared at Alec keeping quiet and Jem smiled standing up "Alec it's been so long."

He hugged Alec and Alec hugged him back patting him on the back. "Yeah I know, almost two years now." He sat back down skootching over in the booth to give Alec and I room to sit down. We sat and I introduced Alec to everyone one at a time starting with Ragnor, then Catarina, and lastly Tessa. Alec already knew Will and Jem so there was no point in introducing him to them.

Tessa was the first to start interrogating Alec. "So Alec, did you really do all of the things Magnus wrote about you?" I knew one of them would come out and say it but I figured it would have been Catarina or Ragnor. Not my sweet loving Tessa.

Alec thought about how he was going to answer this. "Well in a way yes it is true. All of it was true up to the point of me joining Raphael Santiago. At the time I was in rehab getting clean and after the article came out and situations occurred I decided to give up and I ended up actually joining him."

Jem looked at him frowning "How have you been doing with the death of your friend Jonathan?" Alec frowned more glancing away from him. There were two things Alec and I didn't talk about. His LSD trip and Jonathan Morgenstern.

I have been dying to ask Alec if he blames me for Jonathans suicide. I saw his father beat him, I found all those schools for Jonathan, and I didn't warn Alec about what Valentine was planning for him. Maybe if I spoke up Jonathan would still be alive and well today. "I have been dealing with it one day at a time" Alec said and left it at that.

"How many people did you sleep with" Will Herondale asked not even going to bother beating around the bush. Jem and Tessa both punched him in the arm and I had to hold back a laugh. Alec's face was beat red as he looked away from everyone "I couldn't tell you… I lost count after Thirty."

Wills' jaw dropped not expecting that answer and I shook my head making a mental note to kill him later. "Right well… what did you do when you worked for Raphael" Tessa asked trying to bring the conversation to a better place. This was not the topic that would do that. "I was a hitman and killed people for him" Alec said still not looking at anyone.

The group was quiet again and I bit my lip before picking up a menu "how about I order for the both of us Alexander?" Alec just nodded rubbing his arm nervously. I flagged down the waitress and told her what we wanted before looking at Ragnor "so who took over my spot as head reporter at Circle Inc.?" Ragnor chewed on a fry looking at me "Sebastian Verlac; he's not very good but he gets the job done."

"Do you miss your job at Circle Inc." Catarina asked looking at me. Alec glanced at me from the corner of his eye also wanting to know and I shook my head. "I thought that would be my dream job be frankly it just made me miserable." "I went out on a limb for you to get you that job and you only kept it for a year" Ragnor complained.

"Being a reporter sounds super boring. You're lucky you got out when you did" Will said before biting into a hamburger. Ragnor looked at him "not everyone can be like you and Jem and play music for a living." Will smirked "you wish you were as awesome as Jem and I."

"No I really don't" Ragnor said simply before looking at Alec. "So what do you plan on doing now that you're clean and living life right?" Alec frowned looking at Ragnor "to be honest I'm not sure yet. I don't really have a lot of options."

"Setting limitations for yourself will get you nowhere Alec. You have to ignore limitations and break through them to get what you want" Catarina said sipping tea. Alec listened looking like he was thinking her words over and I watched him before smiling at the waitress when our food arrived.

I ordered Alec and I each a burger, some fires and a chocolate shake. Alec looked over the food smiling "this looks perfect" he said grabbing a fry and taking a bite. I watched him chew on it and smiled at his shocked face. "These fries really are amazing" he said looking at me.

I smiled starting to eat my own food "they are heavenly." He smiled looking around eating and I started to talk to Catarina about her work at the hospital. They have been getting a lot of people injured by guns and It wasn't hard to guess that it was all coming from Valentine Morgenstern. Valentine still hasn't been found out as a drug lord and the war between him and Raphael Santiago has only gotten worse.

"Most of the bullet wounds are really sloppy. They miss vital areas that would have killed the person" Catarina said finishing off her tea. Will laughed "I bet you were a way better shot than them huh Alec" he asked looking at him. Alec didn't answer and when I looked at him I saw he wasn't paying attention.

He was staring out the window in a daze and when I looked out the window my entire body stiffened. Outside the window two guys stood, one distributing drugs and the other buying it. I looked back at Alec looking over his body and I saw his fingers were twitching as if itching to grab something he couldn't reach.

I grabbed Alec's hand making him flinch and be pulled out of his daze. He swallowed hard, taking a moment for himself before looking at me and smiling "sorry I zoned out, what was the question?" All my friends stared at him not saying a word and I frowned thinking they must have noticed what I did. Jem moved closer to Alec and grabbed his free hand smiling "you feeling okay Alec?"

Alec nodded smiling at him "I'm fine just had a moment of fuzziness. This food is amazing" he said taking his hand back and going back to eating. We all watched him worriedly before going back to eating in silence. He was trying to fight his need for drugs, I need to make sure he doesn't lose that fight.

Poor Alec, a drug addiction won't be an easy thing to kick. Let's hope he doesn't take steps back.