This is the Sequal to Counting Stars

This fic takes place after CoLS

There will probably be spoilers.

I may or may not stay true to the snippets Cassie has posted on her own Tumblr.

As always, I don't own these characters or The Mortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare does.

I will do my very best to stay true to her characters. (Also I have not yet read The Bane Chronicles so if I say something outside of cannon I am sorry. :) )

You're Gone, Gone, Gone Away

Waves crashing into him. Water surrounding him. He was going to drown. I can't swim, he thought calmly as another wave crashed over his head, threatening to consume him. "Breathe Magnus," came a voice he almost recognized. If I breathe I will drown.If you don't breathe you will suffocate. It doesn't matter anymore. Alec is dead.That isn't what she said. She said she thought he was, enough that the Clave won't even look for him. My life is over."Pull yourself together Bane!"

Someone smacked him, hard. He heard it before his brain registered the pain. It pulled him out of his head and he realized he hadn't actually been drowning, he was still in his apartment. He looked around slightly dazed. Everyone was suddenly much taller than him, with the exception of Jace who was in his face. You are on the floor you nub. The floor? How the hell had he ended up there? He looked at Izzy and he remembered.

The Shadowhunters had shown up on his doorstep in the middle of the night freaking out about Alec. When he'd asked them what it was they'd all gone silent, all stared at him with pity, all except for Jace whose face had stayed in a hard line. Then Isabelle had said it, the blow that had hit him hard enough to force his soul from his body for a few moments.

"Magnus the Clave thinks Alec is dead."

His mind was pretty blank after that. It wasn't possible. He couldn't believe it. Alec couldn't be dead. Just the other day he'd seen him sulking at Takis with the others. Besides, he would know if Alec had died. He would feel it, wouldn't he? Wasn't that the way it happened with tragic romance? One person dies and the other knew. Their heart would sink, they'd have this horrible feeling in the pit of their stomach, then the news would reach them and there would be no shock. Had he felt anything? Shouldn't it have woken him from his sleep, or hit hit in the middle of his self pity? If anyone's relationship was a tragic romance it was certainly theirs. No, Alec couldn't be dead, Magnus would feel it. He would know. This isn't a romance novel Magnus.

He looked over their faces, stopping on Jace. Maybe Magnus wouldn't feel the death of the most important person in his life, but Jace would.

"Can you feel him?" he asked quietly.

"What?"

"Can you feel him?"

Jace looked at him, confused, like he didn't understand the question. It sparked anger in Magnus and suddenly he found himself slamming Jace against the wall.

"God damn it Jace, can you feel him?" he growled, "You are his fucking Parabatai, you should know, you should feel him!"

Jace's brows furrowed as he thought, then his face fell and he looked at Magnus with heartbreaking sadness in his eyes. The Warlock's heart sank as he looked at him. No. This isn't happening. "I haven't been able to feel him since he disappeared Magnus, and my rune faded." He said quietly, "Its not the normal fading, but the Silent Brothers think it could be something to do with the Heavenly Fire. They think he is dead though."

Magnus let his hands fall to his sides. It was over then. If Jace couldn't feel him and the rune was fading Alec had to be gone. He walked over to his couch and sunk down into it, putting his head in his hands. My Alexander, gone. And because I am such an old fool he died thinking I hate him. He felt a hand land on his shoulder and looked up. It was Simon.

"We wouldn't be here if we thought what the Clave does you know." He said, gesturing towards Jace. "He dragged us here for a reason."

Jace spoke again, a glimmer of confidence in his voice, "I didn't feel him die Magnus. I just stopped feeling him. I can't believe he is dead. I wont."

"He has to be alive," Izzy whispered, almost to herself. "He promised me he'd never go away. I can't lose another brother, not so soon after Max."

"He has to." Magnus agree, now determined.I will find you Alexander, if it is the last thing I do and when I do find you, I'm never letting you go again.