Author's note: Just a couple little things that came to me after reading Clockwork Princess.

Happy reading!

Love Over Time

An Infernal Devices One Shot

By Danielle Cheri

1885

"Tess, stop." Will said softly, placing his hand over hers.

She had been quietly tracing the parabatai rune in his chest. "Sorry."

He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "It is quite all right. I miss him too."

Tessa turned her face into his shoulder. "I have somewhere I need to go tomorrow."

"I know. I wish I could come with you."

"You shouldn't even know." She sighed.

"I shouldn't have followed you last year. I like knowing, though. That you're helping him remember what's important. So that he doesn't forget you."

She was quiet again. Her breath was soft on his cheek. She spoke after a while, "He probably already knows about the baby."

"Probably. But tell him again anyway." He kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep."

"I don't think I can. You invigorate me, Will." She crooned.

He smiled. "And what does that mean, Tess?"

She grinned and pressed her mouth hard to his.

An appreciative sound escaped Will's throat as his hands slid up his wife's back. Tessa chuckled. She was happy that nearly seven years of marriage hadn't diminished their passion in the slightest. In fact, it had only seemed to deepen as the years went on. She couldn't wait to see how it would be in twenty years or more.


2008

"I can't believe any of it." Tessa said, her head resting on Jem's shoulder. She started absently tracing the faded runes on his torso.

"I had a hard time with it myself." He slid his hand up her arm and back down. "I've tracked down some of my family. They are in America. California. I'd like to see them eventually."

"We can make it happen." She assured him. "I haven't been there in a long time."

He picked up the jade pendant where it rested on his chest. "You never took it off at all?"

"Never. Like this bracelet Will gave me, it is something important to my past. And I adore it for all it meant and all it still means." Her hand moved to his chest, to the parabatai rune she knew so well. She had traced the shape of Will's so many times. "I know where your violin is."

"Is that so?" he kissed her forehead. "You will have to reunite me with it one day."

"Yes. I will. I have never heard anyone who could rival you, Jem. I have listened to many talented people over the years, but no others even come close. Will took me to a recital once. We agreed it wasn't the same. We tried a few times after that, but we always missed your playing."

"I'll play everything I know and learn everything I don't. And I'll play for you every day for the rest of my life."

"Don't talk about 'the rest of your life' like that. I don't like thinking about that part of it. Let's think about tomorrow. What will we do tomorrow?"

He ran his fingers over her spine. "Well, I understand in this day and age there are places you can go to marry quickly and no one questions it."

"Jem?" She said softly.

"We were engaged once." He lifted the pendant again. "This is proof of that. Or do you not wish to be married again after Will?"

"No, I just wasn't sure you would still want that with me."

"Why would I not? You have been the only one who has kept me going all this time."

She kissed him. It started soft, but quickly turned more passionate. Jem rolled her onto her back, his hands sliding all over her body as he took her in. Never in all his time thinking of her could the imagination ever match the reality of it all.

"So is that a yes?" He asked against her lips.

"It is. Let's finish what we started all those years ago."

He smiled against her lips and continued to kiss her and caress her.