Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Eighteen: Gut Feelings

Magnus stepped into the room just in time to see Alec lunge at Jace. "What the hell is going on here?" He shouted over the raised voices of the two brothers.

"What's going on?! You know damn well what's going on," Alec breathed heavily. He looked and sounded like a bull ready to charge; the anger in his eyes caused his pupils to dilate to the point where they almost looked like black holes. "You both said you would take care of Max when you went out to scavenge."

Magnus bowed his head. "Yes. I-"

"So, that was a false promise then? As soon as you stepped out that door did you three decide 'ah fuck it' or something?"

Jace shoved Alec forcefully into a wall. "Fuck you! Max is my brother too! I tried to get him back! How else did you think I ended up getting shot?!"

His own wound throbbing in his shoulder, Alec looked down to see Jace's leg dripping with blood. "I would've kept trying," he said, his voice a low whisper.

"I did, Alec. Even when the bullet struck me, I ran after their truck. I can only do so much on one good leg."

Alec turned to fix his eyes on Simon and Magnus. "So what happened to your legs? Or can you only do so much too?"

"Alec," Isabelle hissed. "They tried their best-"

"Yeah? Well maybe their best wasn't good enough, Izzy. We got Quantico over here who's supposedly skilled in all areas of combat. He could've done something to save Max. Then we got Simon. As useless as he is-"

"Hey! That's enough!" Isabelle's hand cracked against her brother's cheek as she slapped him. The force was so strong that Alec's head actually turned to the side upon impact. "Don't you dare call him useless. He's the one that the water irrigation system going back in Alicante. In case you already forgot."

Alec's cheek throbbed in sync with his shoulder. "I didn't. I'm just...." The room began to spin around him and he tilted to one side.

Magnus was the one that caught him. "Come on, big guy. Let's get you back to your room to rest. You shouldn't even be up in the first place."

He carried Alec back to his room. Once Alec was resting comfortably on his mattress, he changed Alec's bandage again. He'd torn open a few stitches when Jace shoved him against the wall and was bleeding profusely through his shirt.

"I know you all tried to get him back," Alec rasped. "I didn't mean to react the way I did."

"I know. You don't have to apologize to me. Max is your baby brother and I totally understand. Your reaction was justified."

Alec swallowed hard. "I just feel like....I failed, you know? I promised our parents that I'd watch over them and I couldn't even do that. For all I know Max could be dead-"

"Hey. He's not dead. Don't talk like that." With his finger and thumb, Magnus gripped Alec's chin and forced Alec to look at him. "We're going to get him back. Okay? I'll take full responsibility for losing him. I should've been watching him more closely."

Alec winced as Magnus sewed him back up. "If you're going out there then I'm coming with you-"

"You," Magnus pointed at Alec's chest, "are doing no such thing. You're staying here and resting. Besides. You'll only slow me down."

"I won't slow you down," Alec scowled. He hated feeling powerless like this.

"Look. I'll be quick. In and out. You won't even notice I'm gone. You go to sleep, and when you wake up Max will be out in that living room doing whatever it is that 9 year olds do during the zombie apocalypse. Understood?"