1. Million Ways

"I'm sorry. I wish there was some way I could make up for what I did. I should have been faster..." Will whispered sullenly, his blue eyes dark with guilt. Tessa moved painfully to his side, her hands light and gentle, pushing his hair from his face.

"There are a million ways that would always make me forgive you." She murmured, wincing as the cut on her shoulder sharpened with pain. Tessa smiled softly. "Kissing me would be one of them."

2. Unforgivable

"Will-"

"Just...No."

"I-"

"What you did was unforgivable." Will spat at Jem, his voice shuddering. "I've spent nearly three hours picking duck feathers from my hair."

3. Scars

Gideon brushed a finger against her Sophie's scar. "Does it ever hurt?"

"...No, I try to not think about it. I despise it." Sophie mumbled, blushing furiously.

"You shouldn't hate it. It's part of who you are." Kissing her softly on her forehead, Gideon smiled against her skin. "It makes you look tough, like a Shadowhunter.

4. Lies

"Does it ever pain you to be like you are?" Tessa asked, her gray eyes blazing with anger. "To always say you don't care?"

Will looked away slightly. It was agony and had burned him from the inside out, breaking him little by little every day. Instead, he just turned to her and laughed humorlessly. "Why should I care about you?"

5. Silver Lining

"This is better, then? Are you in pain?" Tessa asked, choking back hot tears.

Jem brushed her hair back lightly, his parchment like hood shielding his silver eyes. "No. I am not in pain. At least I get to see you." Tessa knew she should feel better, that becoming a Silent Brother would help him live, but she could not help but feel as if she were dying a little inside. Even silver linings have bittersweet endings.

6. Burn

There were many things Tessa had often ached for: books, company, sleep, and comfort, but this insatiable pain that drew her towards the hue of silvers and blues had surprised her. A flame was burning in her chest and she knew it had to be put out, but her longing for their dizzying touch one more time had begun to confuse the line between propriety.

7. Unspoken Dreams

"You always have asked me if I am alright and I have assured you that I am fine." Jem breathed, his silvery eyes glowing. "But I am not alright, Tessa. I must be delusional. I have had too many dizzying and hopeless hallucinations and dreams that cloud my mind. Something as good as this cannot be real."

Tessa curved her arms around his neck, her mouth slightly parted. "Then it's good that you have finally woken up."

8. Bitter

Jem had never seemed so cold and so aloof, his voice brisk when he told Will that he would rather die than fall prisoner to the yin fen. While it was Jem who spoke the hateful words, Will was left with a bitter taste on his tongue, wondering why he felt a sharp pain clawing at his chest. And then he realized it was concern for his health, pain for his illness, and love for his life.

9. Acceptance

"Thank you." Will whispered, his hands reddening as he pressed them to his chest. "For saving my sister."

"Will-"

"Once a Lightworm, always a Lightworm, but..." Will smiled painfully, his breath shallowing. "You are a good man, Gabriel. Make sure you take care of my sister."

10. Angel

Henry leaned in closer, studying the way the clockwork angel seemed to tick beneath his fingertips. Tessa indeed had come across a quite interesting mechanism and he would hate for something to-

"Henry!" Charlotte called, startling him. He nearly dropped it, lifting his goggles from his face and setting the metal angel on the table. Charlotte stepped inside his workshop, her brown hair falling from her plaits. "Your dinner is cold and you're still working on your little mechanical bits and bobs. You've spent half the day dreaming." Looking at her again, he could see why he thought she was beautiful. She had lovely clockwork wings and hands of slim rods of steel. Henry sighed. Her eyes were the color of gold and they glowed as she whirred and clicked. "Henry!" Charlotte snapped again, pulling him from his thoughts. "You're dreaming again!"

11. Children

"Does it bother you?" Tessa asked, her fingers running over the jade pendant at her throat. Her veil was still tucked in her bun, pooling around her.

"Does what bother me?" Taking her in his arms, Jem pressed his mouth to her cheek.

"That I will not be able to bear your children?"

"Oh, Tessa." Jem murmured, giving her a soft smile. "I would not love you more if you could have children, nor do I love you less because you cannot. As long as you are here with me, I will love you always, no matter what."

12. Not Fun at All

"Beds are supposed to be nice things. Shadowhunters are supposed to be threatening. Buildings are supposed to be welcoming!" Jem shuddered in horror. "She said that there would be entertainment. She swore that it would be fun, but was it? Oh, no. Not at all!"

Will laughed hysterically, covering his mouth with one hand. "You seriously believe that when a scantily dressed Downworlder ifrit walks up to you and asks if you want to play, that she is talking about a game of chess?"

Jem threw his hands up. "What's wrong with believing that?"

13. Confusion

"How can you be so unbelievingly stupid?" Cecily asked, her hands on her hips.

Gabriel was staring at her, wall eyed. "I thought you said Will was in the town!"

"Wait...What are you talking about? Will is in town..."

"No, he's not...I'm talking about Will finding out about us."

Cecily mirrored Gabriel's expression. "He found out about what?"

14. Marriage

Jem hooked a finger in Tessa's jeans, smiling as her kissed her tenderly on her cheek. "Do you want to get married?"

"What?" Tessa widened her eyes, her eyes glowing with joy and a hint of surprise.

"Well," Jem looked at her shyly, "I've asked once and you accepted. I'm afraid asking the way I did last time would spark memories that we have both tried to push down."

Tessa laughed. "Like corsets?"

15. Frustrated

Jem grumbled in frustration, tossing the black rectangle on the bed beside him. "You know I've been a very patient person, Tessa, but when the zombies keep eating my plants and my brains, I can't help but feel somewhat frustrated...And I thought I was good at fighting."

"It's a game." Tessa sighed, tapping icons on her phone. "It's not supposed to be like real life fighting."

"You mean to tell me that I spend over 150 years of my life training for combat, learning to heal, and speak through my mind, and it still won't help me in this game?Dear me, my life has been all for nothing."

16. Disgusted

"Don't do that, Tessa, please." Will groaned, pressing his eyes into his pillow.

Tessa smiled with amusement, lying next to him. "Why not?"

"Firstly, Changing into me with the wrong cut dress is just plain mind scarring."

17. Scones

Bridget brought out a full tray of sweets and pastries, setting them on the main table. "I have pound cake, puddings, and assortment of different breads, mini pie, blueberry scones-"

Gideon choked on his water, his facial expression horrified when he recalled a less than savory time involving scones.

18. Kiss

"Thank you Magnus." Will said softly, snowflakes swirling around them. "You helped me even though I was a pain. I admit I was impetuous and foolish at times, so thank you for listening to me and helping me."

Magnus gave him a measured look. "I've never had a Nephilim thank me before. It is better than even when I kissed you."

Will's hesitant smile slipped. "You did what?"

19. Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Tears slipped down Tessa's face as she clutched to Jem, silent sobs shaking her body. Her nails dug into his back as she cried out in pain. "It hurts, James, it hurts." Blood had started to soak through the front of her dress like a red rose. "It burns."

"It's going to be alright, Tessa. It will be alright." Jem whispered, though his voice was unsteady. Tessa's forehead was slick with a sheen of sweat, her mouth opening to grasp for ragged breaths of air. "Just hold on, Tessa. The Silent Brothers are almost here. Just hold on a little longer."

20. Together

"You're gorgeous." Jem whispered, his hands lacing with hers. "The ceremony was beautiful as well. By the Angel, I love you Tessa."

"I love you, James. It has been too long." Tessa murmured, drawing him closer. A chill breeze stirred her hair, pulling it from it's loose pins and letting it curl down her back. "He's here, James. I can sense it." She looked up, almost expecting to see Will standing before her. "He is happy."

Will smiled softly though Tessa could not see him. "Finally, together. You have my best of wishes, Jem...Tessa." He stroked a stray curl of her hair. "With hope at last, William Herondale."