Chapter Seven

Four years.

Over four years had passed since she'd seen her son-in-law and she couldn't help the way her heart burst as she hugged him close. He returned it, once lean arms, strong as steel as they wrapped around her, his shoulders broader than they'd been all those years ago.

He'd grown so much.

She couldn't help but hurt for the fact that he'd done so mostly alone. Running a hand through the thick dark curls atop his head, and he stiffened.

He didn't cry, she hadn't seen him do so since they found him curled over her grandson's body, but the tiny tremors of his body spoke of the emotional exhaustion he felt and she just-

She wanted to cry for him.

When her David had come home with the slender teen all those years ago, she'd wanted to be angry. Here was this innocent boy, infatuated with her son, despite their age difference, and David had seemed to love him just as much. The two had been inseparable...at first. Still, Alex was young, much too young for her son and she'd wanted to warn him away.

It was his eyes that had stopped her.

There was something starved in his gaze, as if the affection shown by her boy was the only thing keeping his head above water, the fear in them vivid as David revealed that they were together.

She'd thought that maybe he'd grown up in a homophobic or even abusive household, and several things he did only enforced this. He sat in places where he could easily get to the exit, tensing slightly when people moved too close to him unexpectedly. She'd had the feeling that David knew what was going on, but until after their wedding, neither told them anything.

Then Alex had told them he was pregnant.

She'd been in disbelief, after all the boy was very much a male. Then He'd told them that he wasn't quite human, that he was a child soldier, quickly on his way to a leadership position in his world. He revealed that his relationship with David could get him killed, or exiled and that he would need to hide their son and she just-

She'd finally had her answers and they'd been so much better and so much worse than she'd feared.

Still she'd been excited to know that she was finally getting the grandchild she'd been yearning for.

David...hadn't been as excited.

She'd never been so ashamed of her son, especially as Alex started to draw further and further into himself. Every blooming bruise, every time the teen flinched from his husband, she felt as if she were trapped in a nightmare she couldn't quite escape. She and her husband had been consulting divorce lawyers on what could be done and counselors on how they could change things when, only days after AJ was born, her son began to change again.

The seemingly endless rage in him seemed to have calmed with their son's birth and Alex was turning up with less bruises each time she saw him so she let them be.

But she never forgot.

Alex hadn't either if the faint glimmers of fear she caught in his eyes at times were any indication.

Then David and AJ had been killed.

And after their funeral, Alex had vanished.

She'd feared he was dead, especially after word of the Rico massacre had reached their ears.

It was only when they'd spied him at the cemetery on David's birthday that they realized he wasn't.

A few months later, he began to talk to them again, calling but never visiting and they'd settled into a new normal. She had no idea how much she'd missed him until she'd seen him sitting in their living room.

And she said as much.

He pulled away, thin lips curling in a tiny, barely there smile, so different from the wide ones that had once graced those handsome features.

"I missed you all too. I just-" He shrugged, looking away and she hummed, grinning at him, and at Daniel, who was watching them both with soft eyes.

"Go rest," She commanded. "I'll make us all a late dinner."

The two shared a glance then sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

Watching them leave she felt her heart swell when they exited, her son leaning heavily on his brother in law as the pain of his injuries hit him. Alec helped him diligently, and as they began their trek up the stairs she tried to pretend she wasn't imagining a third taller figure walking along with them, a deep laugh echoing in her ears.

*/*

"Is it true?"

Since that terrifying night, only three nights prior, that question had dogged his footsteps and with each passing moment, he couldn't help but wonder who'd been foolish enough to open their mouth.

When he had joined the Rico famiglia fifteen years previous, he had done so because he wasn't good at much else. He was strong, and loyal, but he wasn't as good at the academic shit. That's not to say that he was stupid, but most of it seemed pointless when you could just knock a few heads together and get the same results. It was only when his wife had gotten sick that he'd asked for Rico to give him a job at the club, knowing that his love's fragile health wouldn't be able to take the strain of him continuing his original job working as Rico's second best enforcer.

He'd never regretted a decision more, and yet he couldn't help but wonder if it was the only thing that had kept him alive.

After all, the day The Banshee had first attacked Rico, over four years previous, had been his first day working as the club bouncer. He'd been late, his wife having had a particularly bad spell, and when he'd arrived.

He shuddered in remembrance.

When he'd arrived, it was to a high pitched keening cry ringing through the air full of grief and fury. To a lean dark haired creature with angel wings darker than the abyss, and pale skin covered in old runic markings he didn't understand. The scent of copper was thick, and all around them was blood and bodies in indescribable states, but worse, the creature never stopped crying. Those dark eyes were full of the same pain and grief as the sound that left their owner's throat, tears leaving them only to evaporate as they slid down his blood splattered cheeks.

He'd wanted to run, but terror had struck him still, his heart racing in his chest, breath trapped in his lungs, and he couldn't help but think he was going to die.

He'd been certain of it.

Then a miracle happened.

The creature vanished, not even noticing his arrival.

The second it was gone...he'd fled.

He'd fled home to his wife and hugged her as if he could do nothing else. Then he'd, reluctantly, called the police, hoping they'd at least be able to identify the people that the creature had killed.

It had haunted him for years to come. Hell, it haunted him still.

He'd been almost thankful when the Boss reappeared almost a year later, though the scar marring his face was forever a vivid reminder of what had happened.

He'd listened as rumors began to spread of the massacre, listened as slowly a name was whispered...a reason.

Xander Vitalino.

The Banshee.

The moniker had come from another man, Eliot, the only person that the creature had knowing spared, a civilian.

Suddenly, his fear had a name, and worse, it was a powerful name.

The Vitalino Famiglia, headed by Michael Vitalino.

The single most influential syndicate in the world.

The only famiglia with the power to completely destroy their family and had a reason to.

A reason that he knew would eventually be traced back to him.

After all, he'd been the reason that Rico had ordered Vitalino's son killed.

He'd hoped it would never resurface.

That Xander Vitalino had only been a specter, a creature that could be banished.

Then, Rico had drawn the Banshee back into the light.

Tossing back his shot, Victor Vasaria heaved a heavy sigh, feeling as if a the reaper's blade was pressed ever so gently to his throat.

"Yeah," He responded to the woman sitting beside him and her expression morphed into one as fearful as his own had been. "Xander Vitalino has returned."

*/*

Her brother had been married.

Somehow, that thought continued to circulate through her mind in the days following the revelation of the double life he'd led. When he'd returned to the institute the day after they'd discovered his past, he and their mother had been swept into a series of meetings with the Clave. On top of that, she and Jace had been helping Clary with finding her mother and as such, they hadn't gotten a chance to speak to either of the elder Lightwoods about what had happened.

It was driving her insane.

How?

How had Alec managed to hide this from them for so long and why was it that their mother, a woman who very rarely paid attention to them beyond their mission success, knew before she did. If it had been their father, she'd understand, after all he paid more attention to them, but their mom?!

Why did she feel so betrayed by this fact?

Her mind went back to the warmth their mom had shown during their talk at the Vitalino's house, the way she'd seemed to be the only thing grounding Alec in the present and she wondered when they'd gotten so close. Alec had never been too close to either of their parents as far as she had known, too mature and independent to lean on either the way she and Jace did, and afraid of their reaction to his sexuality.

Yet, Maryse hadn't been surprised when he revealed that he'd been married to a man. The only part of the explanation that had surprised her was the revelation of his son and the fact that he'd killed the people responsible.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She startled, a wide smile crossing her lips as she saw who was standing in the door of her lab.

"Dad!" She greeted hugging him. He gave her a warm smile and hugged her back, raising a curious eyebrow.

"You didn't even notice I was there. Normally you have better reflexes." He commented and she blushed slightly.

"Sorry, I had a lot on my mind."

Concern flitted across his features. "Wanna talk about it?"

She thought about it, about the betrayal Alec would no doubt feel if she revealed his past and she sighed.

"Not yet. Some of it isn't mine to tell." He nodded, then began to lead her from the lab stating that he had a surprise for her and the others.

To her surprise he led her to Alec's office, and knocked.

Their mother answered, dark eyes widening slightly, then icing over as they landed on their father.

"Robert, Isabelle." She greeted, "Come in we were just listening to Max tell us why he isn't in Mumbai."

She grinned while their Dad groaned. "Max I thought I told you this was a surprise."

Alec chuckled and she looked over to find him sitting beside their baby brother, the shadows in his eyes lighter than they'd been a few days prior. In fact, had she not seen the horrifying expression he'd worn when he told them about his family she wouldn't have ever guessed how much grief was hidden behind that smile. Next to him, Max was smirking mischievously, his messy dark hair similar to how Alec's had been at that age, his eyes the same kaleidoscope of colors as their elder brother.

Actually, now that she was looking, Max shared much of their mom and Alec's appearance while she took more after their dad, and she couldn't help but be reminded of the picture they'd seen of Alec's late son.

He'd be around the same age as Max was now if she remembered right.

Oh.

Oh Raziel.

Her heart broke for her brother as a sudden realization struck her.

Alec had been Max's main caretaker until he'd gone to the academy a year ago. Which meant he'd been taking care of their brother and mourning the loss of his own child all at once.

How had he survived?

She Knew Alec, knew that he loved stronger than anyone in their family. The loss should've destroyed him, especially if he had been protecting his son at the time of the child's death.

So how-?

Frowning, she glanced over at her brother, who met her gaze and nodded.

They would talk...later. She could only hope that he would answer her questions...and that she could find out just how close to the edge he really was.

TBC...