One Day More

Jem Carstairs, or Brother Zachariah, watches the sky through the grimy glass window, his fingers unconsciously running over the scar on his cheeks. It had become a sort of habit, ever since he left the Institute so many years ago. To hope that it would fade completely, hoping that Magnus' spell had worked on him. His life as a Silent Brother had been near hell, but it wasn't the experiences he had to go through that made it a hell. It was the fact that he could only see Theresa, his Tessa, once every 365 days. Only five minutes to be with the one person that he had loved, against all law he was bound to as a Silent Brother. Only Brother Enoch knew of his escapes to the Bridge for the past hundred of years, and he had never told a soul. Not that it had mattered.

Every aching moment away from her felt like a million years, and a year felt like a millennium without her. He wished to run his pale, thin fingers through her soft brown hair, that would either be twisted into a bun, fell in short curls or was released in a shock of wavy, long brown hair. He couldn't remember which era in which he loved her the most, but he knew it was when the world hadn't changed. When Charlotte was looked down upon as the Head of the London Institute, and London had been shrouded in the evils of Mortmain. When she had first been a frightened young woman that he had encountered in the middle of the night. That night was the first time he had felt some sort of hope, some sort of hope for a lover. And she had stayed true all these years. Though he knew she would still be hurting, as it's been years and years since William had died. He knew that she had loved them both, but there was still that pressing guilt that had lingered in the back of his mind. That he could now have her properly, as his to have and to hold for years. William will always be his parabatai, and he had no doubt that he would meet him at the river that all must cross after death into the new world; he couldn't help but hope she had still loved him all those years. He definitely has. He still had a beating heart, and even now, it beat for her. His Tessa.

He hadn't lived a full day since she had departed by his side, as when was the last time she had truly touched him without feeling any repulsive feelings? He knew she despised his appearance as a Silent Brother, but now, he looked nearly human. His long black hair was no longer tinged with grey, as it had been when he was sickly. Standing straighter then before, his dismissal from the Silent Brothers had been unexpected, but he knew, staring into Brother Enoch's eyes, that they had known exactly why Magnus had cast his spell on Jem. They had still felt love in their heart, and if their loved ones were still alive, James was sure they would have joined him. But he knew, they had nothing to live for anymore, except for the good of the Clave and of the Shadowhunters everywhere.

It was nearly 5:00am. He was to be discharged from the Brotherhood at 5:05am. And he'd have to spend eight hours in the New World, this New World he had never known. 2008. No longer the 1800's, nor the 1900's. Close to 200 years since he had been free to do what he liked. He would have to buy new clothes, and visit the Institute of London, for sure. For they had been warned of his release, and after that…he'd be free. To see the New World, to see what lay in store for him. And he'd be able to see his Theresa once and for all, and she'd no longer be alone.

"I didn't live until today…" he whispers to himself, staring down at his hands, remembering the way her hands used to slip into his, "And now, I will finally see you…as me."

Theresa Gray stares at the ceiling of her London apartment, biting her lip. The sun was due to rise any moment soon. 5:05am. She would see James, her love, for the first time in the past 365 days, and she wouldn't have to be alone. Of course, her happiness would be short lived, as always. James was still a Silent Brother and he would always be Brother, a Silent Brother. Brother Zachariah. The past hundred years have never been so lonely and so quiet, as she had decided to part herself from the Institute and the world of Shadowhunters, ever since William died. All her children, and grandchildren's funerals had been organized by her, and even her great-grandchildren were still living to this day. They just never contacted her, as the fact she still resembled a beautiful young woman of 16 always dissuaded them from contacting her. For now, she was alone as ever. She was over 900 years old, and she had witnessed the horrors the World had gone through. The First Great War, the Second Great War, The Great Depression…everything only one generation would be able to live through. For now, she was twisting and turning in her bed, wondering when the next few hours would past. She couldn't wait to see him again

"I love you, James…" she whispers to herself, holding the Jade pendant in her hand. It seems to glow in the darkness, and she was painfully reminded of the last time she had seen him. He had looked more human, but the scars, those horrid scars, would always be there. That would permanently remind her of their eternal separation. She had loved him for the past hundred years, even when William had been alive, and when she had been by his side, she couldn't help but hope that maybe she would die too, so that the pain of separation between the two would lessen. But she knew, that Will would wait by that riverside for years and years, still waiting for his parabatai and his love. He had told her that he would wait for both of them, so that all three of them would be able to live the years of a new world together. Now, the New World was lonely without either of them. She had gotten job as a librarian at the local school, and every now and then, she'd feel pain enter her heart, remembering that look of happiness Will had had when they had been together. Reading poetry together, reading about the new world together, and living it to the fullest. From Tennyson to the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle, she had read with William, the words taking them from their ordinary lives to a new one, filled with love, courage, honor and heroes. She would always remember William, and James. Even if they were both gone, she knew that she would never forget them. On her own, she was until the hour hit twelve. Then, she would suffer for years, knowing that James Carstairs could never be hers, but she'd only be able to keep that memory, that shadow of the Brother that used to be her only love and fiancé. The man she would always love, for a thousand years, from the moon and back, and she would always love, even if she had to wait by that river of death, she would still love James. She had loved him once, and she will love for all of time.

Tomorrow, we'll discover what Our God in Heaven has in Store!
One More Dawn
One More Day
One Day More!

A/N: I had finished reading Clockwork Princess today, and my Lord, I was sobbing for literally twenty minutes. This popped into my mind, and so please enjoy!