Disclaimer: Thank God I don't own the Shadowhunter Chronicles, because nobody could've written them better than Cassandra Clare.
Little Finger
Jem Carstairs jumped gracefully off the black carriage, his shoes clicked against the stone pavement. He looked up and faced a grand set of stairs covered by mud and moss.
James sighed. He wasn't a boy any longer. He was closer to forty than thirty now –if you ignored the fact that he was really over a hundred years old–, and while he was still a Shadowhunter, that didn't mean he could still climb the 120 steps that led to the Academy as easily as he did when he had the body of a twenty year old.
The Clave member that had brought Jem drove away without saying a word. Jem didn't expect anything else from him. Only a mundane-made-Shadowhunter would be given a job like this, and James didn't blame him for being bitter.
The dark-haired man started climbing the stone stairs and reached the top in about five minutes. He stopped for a few seconds to recover –and felt like an old man doing so– and then proceeded to walk towards the Academy's gates.
Vivianne Penhallow and Catarina Loss were waiting for him, and Jem could see their smiles from the distance. He started to walk the path that led to the entrance. The school's courtyard was empty of students, since it was early in the morning and they would all still be sleeping. It was a happy time for the Academy, full of students and youth and life.
The only thing that lacked was parabatai. Every year more people joined the training and less became parabatai. No one really knew what was causing this, but the Clave had suggested that what the children needed was an example of what a successful parabatai bond was. So they had invited Jem to participate, which he had agreed to immediately. James would do anything to preserve Will's memory, and what better than using him as an inspiration for the new generation of Shadowhunters to do it?
"Mr. Carstairs!" Dean Penhallow greeted him and offered him her hand. "It's always a pleasure."
Jem shook her hand and turned to Catarina.
"James." She said with a smile. "You don't look a day over 130."
"You look great too, Catarina."
The women led him to the Dean's office, were other adult Shadowhunters were waiting. He recognized them at sight.
Jonathan Herondale and Alexander Lightwood stood next to the room's large windows, chatting animatedly. Clarissa Herondale and Simon Daylighter were there too, sitting on the armchairs placed in front of the desk.
Although Jem knew he would always remember them as the strong-minded teenagers they once were, they all looked like upstanding adults now. It had been years since he had last seen these people, and almost a decade since he had last been in Idris. Him and Tessa were just too busy travelling around the world.
That didn't mean Jem didn't keep an eye on them. He would always watch over the Herondales, and where Jace and Clary went, the Lightwoods would follow. He knew Clarissa was currently teaching rune-making at the Academy and that Jace was still addicted to demon-hunting. He knew Alec Lightwood now ran the New York Institute with the help of his husband, Magnus Bane, after his parents had retired. And of course he knew about Simon and Isabelle Daylighter, who fought for Downworlders and against the Clave's cruelty every day.
"Everyone!" Dean Penhallow demanded their attention. "As you can see, Mr. Carstairs will be joining us today. Take a seat, if you would."
Jem sat next to Clary, and she gave him a warm smile.
"As you know," Vivianne started, seating behind her desk. "I called you here for a simple reason. The number of parabatai bonds is descending each passing day. All of you know what a bond like that really is, and the Clave thought it might be interesting if you, uhm, spoke to our students about it."
"I don't understand." Jace intervened. "Boring kids to death with a lecture and a bunch of stories they don't even care about won't make them suddenly change their opinion about parabatai. It's more common for a Shadowhunter to die without ever finding the right person to become parabatai with than finding them before they're nineteen. And everyone in this room knows how much pain a failed parabatai relationship can cause to the Shadowhunters involved. I don't want to make these children feel pressured to do anything."
"Mr. Herondale is right." Jem agreed. "Having a parabatai is having something precious, unique. Not many people are destined to have one. Maybe these children just aren't meant to."
Vivianne seemed to be considering their words when Catarina decided to speak.
"I teach these kids. And I've noticed some… abnormalities. I've seen parabatai together enough times to 'detect' them among common friendships. And I'm seeing potential parabatai everyday. What intrigues us is why the children aren't taking the big step. That's why we thought that seeing how great having a parabatai really is might motivate them."
"Well, that makes more sense." Simon admitted.
"Let's do it, then!" Clary cheered.
"Very well." Dean Penhallow was smiling now. "Mr. Herondale and Mr. Lightwood can participate in Catarina's first class, Mrs. Herondale and Mr. Daylighter will go after them and Mr. Carstairs will go last. If that's okay with you, of course."
They all agreed. Jace and Alec left with Catarina right after they finished arranging everything.
"The kids are going to be so embarrassed when they see their parents walk into the classroom!" Simon laughed. "It's going to be so fun."
Of course, Jem realized. Their children came to school! He hadn't seen them since they were all babies, when him and Tessa attended Magnus's birthday at least ten years ago in the New York Institute. Now they were all in school.
How quickly time passed when you were not (nearly) immortal still amazed Jem sometimes.
"We can wait in my office." Offered Clary. "So we don't bother you, Vivianne."
"That would be great, thank you. Also, make sure no student sees them-" she pointed to Simon and Jem. "-before they're meant to."
Clary's smile fell as soon as she closed the Dean's office's door.
"She bosses me around even when I'm not on duty!" She groaned, her face red with anger.
"She's not that bad." Simon argued.
Clary sent him a deathly glare. "She was never your boss."
Simon didn't dare speak on the matter again.
They reached Clary's office. It was beautiful, and it reminded Jem so much of past generations of Fairchids that it almost physically hurt. He saw Charlotte's determination, Matthew's brightness and Jocelyn's creativity everywhere.
That's why he was so startled when Clarissa said while searching through her desk's drawers: "I can't seem to find my stele. Matthew must've taken it."
He was so taken aback that he let out a 'what?!'
"Matthew." Clary answered him, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "My son. He must have taken my stele from my purse before I left this morning."
Her son!
"Isn't your son named Alexander? After his uncle."
"Yes, he is. And his younger brother's name is Matthew. Has it really been that long since we last saw each other?"
Simon looked utterly confused. "Wasn't it at one of Magnus's stupid parties? His cat's birthday maybe."
"No." Jem sighed. "It was his own birthday."
"Oh, yes! That's why you don't know Matthew. I was pregnant at that time."
"With Matthew."
"No. With Adeline. My daughter."
Jem rubbed his temples.
"You have three children!" Clearly, he hadn't been watching over the Herondales as well as he had thought.
The Carstairs owe the Herondales, Jem told himself, don't let yourself forget that.
"I do!" Clary smiled. "So does Simon. We've been busy having children these years, as you can see."
"Not that any of my children were planned." Simon muttered, and Clary punched him in the arm as if they were teenagers again. "Why were you looking for your stele anyway?" he asked, avoiding the subject.
"I need an stamina rune. I didn't have my coffee this morning and I refuse to eat or drink anything made inside this building."
"I respect you for that."
Jem had left the conversation long ago. Had he really missed so much? These were Will and Tessa's descendants! Did Tessa know about the Herondale children? Had she known all this time and hadn't told him? There weren't many things that Tessa wasn't aware of when it came to Herondales.
"James, are you alright?" Clary asked him when she saw his shocked expression.
"It's just that… I was overwhelmed for a moment. I knew someone named Matthew once, and he was also the child of a Fairchild woman."
"Of course." She gave him another warm smile. Clarissa smiled quite often now. "Matthew Fairchild, son of Charlotte Fairchild. He was also James Herondale's parabatai. Don't think I haven't done my research! I was looking for a name for the baby when I found out about Matthew Fairchild. I found it quite fitting. He was related to strong Fairchild women and broody Herondale men, just like my Matthew."
Jem smiled back. Her descriptions had been awfully close to the truth.
"How's your son like?"
"You said it. He is my son. He loves drawing, has red hair and is very clumsy. You could have met him, if he was old enough to attend the Academy."
"This is so strange." Said Simon suddenly. "It seems like yesterday when we were discussing about war and death, and now all we talk about is our children." The room fell silent for a few seconds until he spoke again. "I like it so much better now."
"Ugh, Simon! You're a walking parental cliché."
"You're the one whose face's lights up when talking about their son. I'm proud of my son, too! He's studying in Tokyo!"
"How old is your son?" Jem exclaimed. He had to be at least sixteen to be sent to another country's Institute to finish his training. "My head's starting to hurt. You have so many children and I've been gone for so long."
Jem had a vague memory of Simon and Isabelle's child. He remembered thinking he looked just like his mother and uncle and wore glasses from a very early age.
"Seventeen. He wasn't, uhm, planned. He was more of a surprise. Very, very unplanned."
"It wasn't that bad. Elijah is only two years older than Alex."
Yes, Jem remembered now. He remembered how much Elijah Daylighter liked to talk, even when he barely could and how much he liked his Uncle Alec, following him around all day.
They slipped into a comfortable silence, Clary arranging some files on her desk, Simon playing with his stele while looking thoughtfully out the window and Jem observing them both.
He couldn't believe these children had children of their own. Of course, they weren't children anymore and they didn't look a day younger than him. But Jem had known them since they were children (teenagers, they would have argued back then, almost adults).
The door opened suddenly and the hinges screamed. Jace Herondale stood in the doorway.
"Jace." Simon said, still recovering from the scare. "How nice of you to knock."
"Whatever." His daring expression wavered when he saw his wife murderous look. "We finished with our group. The next class is in about thirty minutes. You better start getting ready." Simon and Clary stood up and headed towards the door.
"You can stay here, if you want." Clary offered. "Whose class did you get?"
"Adeline and Victorie's. I must say we did set the expectations very high."
"Dammit!" Simon swore. "I missed my opportunity to embarrass Vic in front of her classmates."
"Hey, we might still get Alex's class!" The two parabatai left discussing ways to embarrass that poor boy.
Jace Herondale and Alec Lightwood came into the classroom then. Jem examined them.
He remembered both very well. Jace was the hero of two wars, and Alec was the hero of a very different kind of war. Also, the Herondale had saved him from his eternal torment once.
Yes, the Carstairs owed the Herondales indeed.
"How did it go?" Jem asked, hoping to start a conversation.
"It went well, I think." Alec answered. "The children seem very interested about anything that has to do with Jace Herondale. Especially the girls."
"I can't believe that's coming from you!" Jace exclaimed, indignant. "You're discriminating! I believe I saw a couple of boys drool too."
Jem honestly could not believe how long it took everyone to realize who Jonathan really was, when he was the Herondalest Herondale he had ever met. He was worse than Will.
"Did you see Adeline's face, though?"
Jace laughed loudly. "She's just like Clary. I thought we were both going to drop dead at any moment with the looks she was giving us. I raised her right."
"No, you didn't! You spoil her. You spoil all of them."
"Of course I do. I spoil everything that has a bit of Clary. Except Jocelyn. That woman gives me the creeps. And she's my mother-in-law."
Jem smiled. He wasn't surprised that Jace loved his children so much. He wasn't surprised at all.
"So what did the children say? Do you think you've convinced them?" James asked.
"Maybe." Alec shrugged. "This is a very serious matter, so we tried to make it look like something very difficult to deal with. Which it is, but we might have exaggerated a bit. Just so nobody makes mistakes they'll regret. A parabatai is forever."
Jem thought about Will, waiting patiently for him in heaven, everyday one step closer to reuniting with him. "Indeed it is."
"I think I saw a poor Mundie girl turn green. Catarina told me she was one of the few who were about to become parabatai. I fear we might have scared her off." Jace dropped himself on his wife's chair and started playing with the stuff she had on her desk. "What is this?" He picked some papers. "Tests! Let me see… Yes! Alexander Herodale. Wait. An F! That boy is getting his ass whipped!"
"Jace! Stop sticking your nose in Clary's stuff! Also, if the girl was giving second thoughts about becoming parabatai, then she shouldn't become parabatai at all."
"I agree."
Jem saw himself in Alec Lightwood, always running after a Herondale, fixing his messes up.
But Jace wasn't listening to them, of course. "I can't believe Clary didn't tell me he was failing his exams! His rune-making exams! It doesn't make any sense."
"Actually," Jem interrupted him. "it makes a lot of sense."
"How?"
"How would you act if your parents were war heroes and you felt like a defective version of them? If the one thing they excel at is your Achilles's heel?"
Jace seemed taken aback. "I-I had never thought about it that way."
"He's probably under a lot of stress everyday in school, where everyone expects him to be as great as his parents once were. I'm sure he actually loves runes, but hates being compared to his mother, who is a rune maker."
Jace muttered something that sounded like 'my poor baby'.
Alec nodded in agreement. "I know Max feels that way too. His father is the Great Warlock of Brooklyn. He's an adult now, anyway, so I'm sure he's overcome that by now."
Ah, yes. Jem was starting to wonder when Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane's children would come up. He had been absolutely delighted when he heard Magnus was starting a family, and even more when he found out his first son was a warlock. He remembered Max from his father's birthday, too. He remembered his blue skin and white hair and horns, and how much he acted like a Shadowhunter more than a warlock. Jem remembered his sister, too, a beautiful baby girl around Simon and Isabelle's son's age. She had once been a mundane baby with the Sight, but she had Ascended years ago.
"How are your children, Alexander? How is Magnus?"
"Everyone is well, thanks for asking. Both Max and Elizabeth still live in the Institute. Max follows Magnus everywhere, trying to learn anything and everything, and Liz is still finishing her training."
"I'm glad you're all so happy. You certainly earned it."
Alec smiled in gratitude, but Jace was still busy dealing with the truth of his son's feelings.
"Why did he never tell me?" He blurted out. "I could have saved him. Trained him at home, where he wouldn't have been pressured. I can't believe I didn't notice! My poor, poor baby…"
"Jace," Alec started saying gently. "isolating him would've been worse. He needed to feel normal, he needed to go to school, fail his exams and lie to his parents, just like every other kid."
Jace nodded but his mind was still somewhere else.
Just then, Simon and Clary came back.
"Hey, we're back." The walked into the classroom looking exhausted, like anyone does when they just dealt with a large group of kids. "Catarina's waiting for you." Clary told Jem.
He got up, gave Jace Herondale a reassuring pat on the shoulder and left.
Jem never thought he would ever want something as much as he wanted to finally leave the Academy. So when Catarina Loss and Vivianne Penhallow bid him goodbye, he thought he might start crying out of relief.
But of course, his day wasn't done just yet.
He noticed a girl –no more than thirteen years old– sitting under a tree. She was reading a book, her blonde head almost buried in it. He hadn't seen anyone devour a book like that in over a century.
He approached her, and the closer he got to her, the more obvious it became that she wasn't fine. She should've been in class or with friends, not all alone outside in the cold.
"Are you okay?" he asked when he was close enough.
The girl didn't even look up.
"No. What do you care?"
"Hostility is never the answer. Sympathy is better."
"Why don't you use your sympathy to leave me alone?" the more uncivil she got, the more he wanted to know what had happened to her.
"I'm just trying to help you. Is there anything I can do for you?"
The girl sighed. "Who the hell are you?" she asked, without even lifting her head.
"My name is James Carstairs."
Her head shot up as fast as lightning.
And Jem looked straight into Will Herondale's eyes.
"James Carstairs? THE James Carstairs?"
He didn't know what to say, his mind had gone blank.
How was it possible, that after all this years, this random girl had Will's eyes? It had been more than a hundred years since those eyes focused on his.
"I'm Adeline Herondale. It's so great to meet you. I'm sorry about before. I just thought you were someone else. Someone not important."
Well, that explained everything.
Adeline Herondale's eyes –or, should he say Will's –bore into him like knives. "Are you okay? Have I offended you? It's nothing personal! I act like that towards everyone!"
Finally some sense came into him. "No, no. Don't worry. I'm fine. It's very nice to meet you, too. I've heard a lot about you."
Adeline's eyes shone, just like Will's. "Really? Oh, I hope you heard good things."
Jem smiled gently. "Of course. Now, will you tell me what's wrong?"
Adeline's smile fell abruptly and frowned. Just then Jem realized how much she looked like her father. It was startling actually. He'd seen children who resembled their parents before. He'd seen Lucie and Tessa, he'd seen Isabelle and Maryse Lightwood, he'd seen Jonathan and Valentine and Clary and Jocelyn. But there was something about Adeline and Jace, not only their looks, but the way they carried themselves, with such elegance and sophistication and assertiveness. Adeline had inherited of all her father's best qualities, from his good looks to his social skills. She had insulted Jem but he had liked being insulted by her.
She closed her book and left it on the ground beside her. "Oh. It was actually about the talk my dad and Uncle Alec gave this morning."
Jem sat down beside her. "Did you not find it interesting?"
"Quite the opposite. I found it too interesting. I'm afraid I might have scared my best friend away."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because I hinted at her that I wanted to become parabatai and she ran away faster than you can say 'Nephilim'."
Jem smiled reassuringly. "Many people are scared of commitment. That doesn't mean they wouldn't love what came from committing."
"And why is that?"
"Because they feel like they might lose something. They're afraid of losing their freedom, of eventually getting bored or of feeling like they're wasting their precious time."
Adeline shook her head. "Victoria isn't like that. She's Virgo, she's very selfless and modest and patient. She's always been my best friend and she loves me. I don't understand why she wouldn't want to be my parabatai."
"Have you asked her?"
"What?"
"Have you actually asked her to be your parabatai?"
"Well, no."
"Herondales, always making assumptions. Ask her when you feel you're both ready. Then you will have your answer, not like this, while moping under a tree all by yourself."
Adeline seemed to consider his words. "I guess you're right." She smiled, and it was the most beautiful smile James had seen in a while. "Thank you, Mr. Carstairs."
"Oh, call me Jem. And I'm sorry I interrupted your reading."
"No! Don't worry! It's not like it's the first time I've read A Tale of Two Cities."
Jem was not surprised when the next month he found that he and Tessa were cordially invited to attend Adeline Amatis Herondale and Victoria Maryse Daylighter's parabatai bonding ritual's after party.
Jem and Tessa found themselves in a very familiar situation.
"Trapped between Herondales, Lightwoods and Fairchilds again, are we?" Tessa whispered to him.
Jem laughed and kissed her cheek.
The party was being thrown at Lightwood Manor, where the Daylighters-Lightwoods lived and whose courtyard was big enough to host the party. Everyone was there. He recognized Jocelyn and Luke Garroway, who were conversing with who Jem guessed was Alex Herondale, a tall boy with golden hair and green eyes. Sitting on a bench next to a small lake were Isabelle Daylighter with her son, Elijah, who looked just like he did when he was four years old, and her daughter Quinn, who wasn't even ten years old.
"There's so many people I don't know!" whispered Tessa. "So many children!"
"Don't worry. They're mostly your progeny, they'll be glad to meet you."
But who Jem really wanted Tessa to meet was a certain Herondale with those unique blue eyes and a habit to inherit anything Will-related.
"Jem, Tessa, you came!" It was Clary Herondale, who was holding hands with a little red haired boy. She hugged them both and introduced her son. "This is Matthew, my youngest child. Jem told me you'd never met him!"
"We hadn't!" Tessa answered, her face lighting up when she noticed the boy's golden eyes. "Matthew is a very fitting name for him."
Clary smiled lovingly and stroked her son's hair.
"Mom, stop! I'm almost eleven!" Matthew sent his mother a very serious glance, and Jem had to hold back a laugh. These situations were just too familiar.
Tessa noticed, too. She wore an honest smile, big enough to light up her whole face.
"How are you Matthew?" she asked the boy.
He looked at her with curiosity. "I'm fine. Just glad that my sister's found her parabatai. And who are you?"
"I'm Tessa Carstairs, but many people still call me Tessa Gray."
The boy's eyes opened wide. "You're Tessa Gray?! By the Angel! I've always wanted to meet you." He opened his mouth to ask something, but his mother gestured for him to stop.
"Baby, don't harass Tessa with questions. Go find Quinn. I need to talk to Jem and Tessa."
Matthew understood his mother perfectly and left with a kind smile.
"Jem," Clary looked at him thankfully. "Adeline told me about the conversation you two had. I just wanted to thank you for being so kind to her, even when she talked to you like that." She blushed, embarrassed.
"Clary, it's always a pleasure helping Herondales. She needed a push start so I gave it to her. And don't worry about her behavior, we're all rude when someone interrupts our reading."
The woman thanked him again and left with a promise to introduce them to everyone.
"Oh, look!" Exclaimed Tessa. "There's Magnus!"
Magnus Bane was standing next to his husband, watching his daughter and son fight animatedly about whose turn it was to do the dishes later this evening. He noticed them and with a smirk gestured them to come talk to him.
They approached the family, and saw Alec shush his children discreetly.
"Jem and Tessa Carstairs! I heard Adeline had invited you. I love that girl."
"Magnus." Tessa hugged the fellow warlock. "It's been way too many years."
"It's not like we lack time, Tessa. For us it's been like the blink of an eye. Anyway," he placed his hands on his children's shoulders. "I hope you remember my children. Maxwell and Elizabeth." They both grinned at them.
"Yes, of course." Said Tessa. "The last time I saw you, Elizabeth was just a little brunette baby who followed her brother everywhere. Now your hair is blue!"
Elizabeth smiled confidently. "I'm honoring my brother and looking fabulous while doing it."
Yes, she was indeed Magnus Bane's daughter.
"I noticed you were looking for someone when you arrived." Alec suddenly intervened. "I suppose it was Adeline. She's in the back, with Victoria. We gave them some privacy, but I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you."
Jem thanked him and they left the family to discuss again who was going to do the dishes when they got home.
"I don't want to interrupt the children, Jem…" Tessa whispered in his ear while they made their way to the back of the house.
"Tessa, you need to meet that child, and that child needs to meet you."
If she agreed or not, Jem would never know, because she kept her mouth shut on the matter.
Just then Jem found Adeline and her parabatai, Victoria. They were sitting on the grass, their heads bent together. They seemed to be gossiping, because every time one of them whispered something the other would laugh and nod her head in agreement.
They walked over to them, and Victoria noticed their presence. She lifted her head, but Adeline didn't.
"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Carstairs! It's very nice to meet you!" She stood up, and Jem was taken aback by how tall she was.
Victoria looked like a feminine, more refined version of her father. She was beautiful, with dark brown hair and black eyes and her mother's slim figure. She shook both of their hands.
"Excuse my friend. She likes to make people beg."
Adeline laughed, and stood up too. When she raised her head, her eyes met Tessa's immediately, and Jem heard his wife gasp.
"Oh, my…"
Adeline frowned. "Are you okay?" her purple eyes wore a worried look. "Did I do something?"
Tessa shook her head, her eyes watery. "No, no. It's just… You have eyes like my husband's."
Adeline's face relaxed. "Ah, yes. Will Herondale. That's what Magnus says all the time." She turned to look at Jem. "He was your parabatai. Why didn't you say anything about my eyes the day we met?"
"It seemed almost impossible to me that after so many years I would be able to look into Will's eyes again, but then I met you. I was taken aback. Also, please do tell Tessa about your favorite book."
Adeline gave him a confused look, but obeyed anyway. "A Tale of Two Cities. I found it in my house's library. It's very old, a relic."
Tessa's face was pale now, and she was almost in tears.
"I have it here. I'd like to give it to you. Not as a gift, because it was already yours, but as a way of welcoming you two into the family again." She handed Tessa her beloved book.
"I can't accept it." Tessa's voice came out husky. "It's your favorite book."
Adeline smiled. And the she hugged Tessa. "Please, take it. For me it's just a book. For you it's a marriage, a love story and a family. I want you to have it again." She released his wife, and placed the book in her hands.
Tessa wiped the tears from her face and gave Adeline a thankful smile. "I will always be in debt with you, Adeline. There is nothing I can do for you that can compare to what you just did for me."
"I did it to make you happy. I don't want anything in return. Just for you to visit more often."
"Oh, we will. We will."
….
This came to me yesterday morning, and for once I decided to write something in less than a year. It's also the first Shadowhunter Chronicles fanfiction I write in English. I hope it's not really bad.
If you like it, please review! If you don't, please don't hate…