"I'm going back to my flat. Thanks for the clothes. Bye Magnus", Alec says sadly and before I can say anything else I hear the front door slam loudly.

"Was that him?", I hear Raphael say.

"Why was he here?", comes the counter question from Andrew. I'm still staring at the door to the hallway, trying to review what I've said.

"More importantly, how long had he been standing there. The disappointment in Alec's voice could not be ignored. Yes the situation is not common. Or even easy. But it is what it is now and we have to talk about it. Without either of us leaving the room in a panic," I say to my two friends and see nods of agreement.

"A temporary flatmate. That's all he is, isn't he?", I say more to myself than to my friends, not expecting an answer.

"Call him and then sort it out. We'll leave you alone for now. Call us if you need us." They both hug me goodbye and are gone as quickly as they showed up.

With the phone in my hand, I lie down on the sofa but still can't bring myself to call Alec. He has left my house. He shies away from confronting me. He doesn't talk about the situation. The black device feels heavy as lead on my chest. The sudden onset of vibration makes me wince. The dull hum is loud in the silence around me. The letters of his name shine brightly on the black background.

A. Lightwood

I act like a defiant child. I, too, have fled. Twice. In Vegas, the day after our wedding, and earlier, in my bedroom. The steady vibration of my phone leaves a tingle on my body. I know we need to talk. Very badly, in fact. At the thought of it, the tingling turns to a dull feeling in my stomach. Sighing, I take the call and hear Alec breathing heavily. The sound of passing cars, wild honking and then silence. A steady toot comes from the receiver. Has he hung up? I stare at the black display in disbelief. The renewed vibrating makes me flinch again.

Since when have I been so jumpy? Again I look at the glowing letters against the black background. But it's not Alec calling me. It's Ragnor.

"Bane", In a serious voice, I start the conversation.

"Maggie. You called in wrong!" Ragnor shouts loudly into his phone. I'm confused? Why? What does he mean? Then it suddenly comes back to me.

"Magnus Lightwood speaking. What can I do for you?", I say, feignedly cheerful, and I'm sure Ragnor is just stifling a fat laugh.

"That's better. Have you got everything sorted? When is the move?", he asks and again I sigh.

"Magnus what's wrong?" Ragnor has seen right through me again. I haven't been surprised for a long time. He just knows me.

"The conversation didn't go the way I thought it would. And I guess Alec didn't either. He left. I wasn't exactly empathetic", I answer honestly and begin to tell him the events of the last few hours. Meanwhile, Ragnor doesn't say a single word. He is still silent when I have finished my explanation and the thought that Ragnor has already hung up, or even fallen asleep, briefly pops up. But that is not the case. His voice suddenly sounds loud and firm on the other end of the line. He gives me the telling off of my life and I just regret having really told him everything.

"You call him now. You ask for a meeting. You apologise to him for being such an ass. You help him pack his stuff. You make arrangements for him to move. You be nice to him from now on", Ragnor thunders and I feel a bit like I'm on the parade ground. Ragnor is the commander who gives the orders. I am the soldier who stubbornly carries them out.

"Ay ay my captain", I say sheepishly and hear the sound of a knock on a wooden object. I'm pretty sure his palm has just made acquaintance with the top of the large desk in his office.

"Magnus. You both have a requirement to fulfil from the court. Don't act so childish. Alec is a nice young man. Think of it as a live-in relationship. Maybe you'll become friends." Something in Ragnor's words makes me wonder. But I can't place the feeling that he's hiding something from me.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?", I ask, and get exactly the answer I was expecting.

"Yes. Apologise to Alec." I let that go without comment. Even though I have a strong feeling that it's not what he's not telling me.

"I'll get in touch with you in a few days. And thanks for your help, Ragnor", I reply and quickly end the conversation. Not that he can think of any more things to throw at me. Nervously I walk back and forth between the kitchen and the living area. The phone slides from my left hand to my right and back again. A thousand questions form in my head and the answers to them, hide in the back drawers of my subconscious. It's pretty deep and it will take a while for these to be brought to light.

Following an impulse, I go into the guest bathroom. I try to distract myself and put off this phone call for a while. Tidying up the bathroom and turning on the machine with our beer-soaked clothes is a more welcome activity to me now than having this conversation with Alec. Once in the bathroom, I blink a few times and look around in disbelief.

The glass cladding of the shower is free of the residue of the splashing water. No drips, no streaks. I have a clear, unobstructed view of the inside of the shower cubicle. The floor is free of used towels. They are in the laundry basket and the drum of the washing machine is happily doing its rounds. There is a pleasant scent of sandalwood in the air and I remember that Alec couldn't get enough of it when we first met. He kept sucking on my skin, wanting to take in as much as he could. This memory is faint, but it makes goosebumps grow on my body.

Trepidatiously, I dial Alec's number, press the phone firmly against my ear and listen to the sound of the signal, the request for a conversation. I exhale in relief as the familiar crack sounds and Alec's deep voice captures me.

"What do you want." No greeting. Not a friendly word.

"Hello Alec. I'd like to talk to you. Can we meet?", I ask, sending a shove prayer to the heavens that he agrees.