Tessa had never changed her last name back to Gray. Ever. It always stayed Herondale. Jem didn't mind. Even when people asked why they never got married after being together for so long. They would just smile and say they were married in their hearts. For they were. They had traveled the world together and eventually settled down back in London. But Tessa's heart was split in half, which wasn't surprising, she'd loved Will and Jem at the same amount for the past two centuries. Jem was never jealous, like Will had never been jealous, and was still not jealous. Will after all that time was smiling down at them, happy that they were happy. But now was anxious. Jem was on his deathbed.
Tessa felt as if Jem died, she'd have nothing. She was going through it again. Except this time there was no one sharing her pain, no other family members. She and Jem never had kids. Magnus had come to visit earlier, but only for a little bit. And he, of course, felt bad for Tessa and though he liked Jem he felt nowhere near the pain Tessa was feeling.
This was worse than when Will died, because now she would have no one, it would just be her alone. She knew if she ever needed someone Magnus would be fine with it. But it wouldn't be the same. He was a great friend who she was very fond of, but he wasn't Will or Jem or even a family member. She had none of those alive.
Tessa wished she'd died with Will, that that she'd aged. But she didn't. Sobs made her body shake. This was the worst pain she had ever encountered before. She missed Will, Cecily, Charlotte, Henry, Sophie, Gideon and Gabriel. She missed their children, grandchildren, and her children and grandchildren. They were her family, and they were all gone. And now Jem was going too.
Jem was stroking her hair and telling her it would be okay, but she knew it wouldn't be.
"I love you, I love you so much, and with you gone I have nothing." Tessa told him.
"That's not true, there are Lightwoods alive. You are probably related to them."
Tessa shook her head. "They don't know me, family is about more than blood and marriage James, you know that." As she said James she thought of her son, and her body shook with sobs yet again.
"Tessa... It will be all right, you will
be fine, I love you." He said those last three words in Mandarin. Those were his last words. Tessa screamed when she realized he was dead and knew without a doubt what she had to do.
She would kill herself. She refused to remain on this earth without Jem. She didn't care what came after death anymore, wasn't afraid. It would be nothing compared to the pain she was feeling right now.
She found a knife and pressed it to her chest, shut her eyes, and felt pain, but death came quick, everything went black.
Will had watched Tessa kill herself in horror, watched the her in extraordinary pain. He wanted to look away, wanted Tessa to not be in pain, wished she hadn't killed herself. But she had. He saw her body crumple and blood gush out. He cried out in horror. What had Tessa done? Despite his lessons about how only warlocks who had a good heart would go to Heaven he still had a feeling of dread.
Cecily heard her brother cry out and rushed to his side. "Will!" She said, terrified. Charlotte was next to Will, along with the others, and had a hand over her heart. They had all been watching, everyone. Cecily was as well but withdrew herself for just a moment.
Will didn't answer, he just gaped. Cecily looked at Charlotte, but "Tessa.." Was all she could say.
When Tessa awoke she let out an astonished gasp of surprise. She could feel no pain, despite all that had happened.
All Tessa could see was light, light, everywhere. Nothing could be seen even though it was the complete opposite of darkness.
"Theresa Herondale." Said a voice. It was a deep commanding voice that radiated power.
"Yes?" Tessa said.
"Do you know where you are?"
"I-no."
" You are in Heaven, but before you continue on to your life of eternal paradise we have some matters we must deal with."
Tessa was shocked, she was a warlock, what was she doing in Heaven?
The voice chuckled. " I see goodness in you Theresa, Nephilim and Downworlders both believe that any kind if Downworldler goes to Hell, that is not true. Only if they are evil, do they go to Hell, and only of they are good, do they go to Heaven. In Heaven it doesn't matter what runs in your blood, it matters what is in your heart. And me and Satan, we are never wrong about Good and Bad. Though I'm sure he would love to punish people even if they do not deserve it. I cannot say the same about this to vampires, they actually do go to Hell and are able to live normal lives down there. There are clans and even families settling down in neighborhoods! They try to avoid The Lake of Fire and The Devil's Domain of course. But nobody on this planet gets what they do not deserve in the afterlife. But anyway, we must get down to business. When a Shadowhunter comes into Heaven he or she is made an angel. And shadowhunter blood is dominant, Theresa, therefore you will too be turned into an angel. Right now you are simply a soul, the ceremony has not taken place yet. When it does, all your loved ones will be there. After the ceremony you will be angel and you will be looked at whatever age you want to be looked at, as will the others. Know that it is not your true form, your true form as an angel you cannot see here but only if you go down into the mundane world will you be seen by Nephilim and Downworlders in your true form. As an Angel you will have responsibilities, unlike the mundane and downworler souls that are in
eternal paradise. You will be in eternal paradise, but you will have
responsibilities. Sometimes I will give you missions that in which you will have to deal with things in Hell, you will also have mundane prayers to answer. With that being said I have a few questions to ask you before we proceed.
"Do you, Theresa Herondale, wish to proceed as an angel?"
"I do."
"And do you, forgive your brother, Nathaniel Gray, for all he's done?"
"I do."
"And who do you wish to be with, William Herondale or James Carstairs? I assure you that the one you don't pick will indeed be happy, for he has someone destined to be with him here. I know who you will pick, but it is best that you say."
Tessa's mouth went dry. She had no idea who to pick. Wasn't Will the one who had been here a long time? Did he find someone else? If so... But her mouth acted of it's own accord.
"William Herondale." She said. After all, the voice, which Tessa was only beginning to realize was probably God, had said that Jem would be happy with someone else he was destined to be with. And Will was the one he had kids and a family with, she hadn't had hat with Jem. This was Heaven, and it wouldn't even hurt to see him with someone else, though she knew there would also be a part of her that belonged to Jem. He would be happy, and she would be too. With Will. This was the start of something new, something great.
"And know, Theresa, that your family has also forgiven you, all of them, for leaving, they understand. After all, being good is all about forgiveness."
