April 2008

Magnus and Tessa were seated at the small circular kitchen table in Tessa's cozy London loft. They watched as Jem assembled an Ikea bookshelf in the living room, brows knit lightly in concentration.

Tessa had books she collected over the years that she had never shelved. The first time Jem walked into her flat, he immediately noticed the veritable pile of books by the living room couch. He had chuckled, looking back at her fondly. She had entwined her hand in his, resting her cheek on his shoulder, and said, "I've been in need of a new shelf for a while now."

"Then get one you shall, my love," he'd whispered. She turned her face up to look at him, and soon his arms were around her again, and then she couldn't help but remember the bridge, how they'd made such a scene, but how neither of them had cared in the least, not until they'd finally broken apart for air and caught out of the corners of their eyes-onlookers slowing their gait, gazing long and curiously at them from above.

It had been four blissful months together, and Tessa had started to forget how the loneliness had crept up on her over the decades. After World War II, she yearned for her yearly meetings with Jem-Brother Zachariah-more desperately, the death and destruction having made her feel so alone in the world. But when they met this year, she wept tears of happiness-Jem was Jem, and she never thought she would be happy that they would no longer have their yearly meetings on Blackfriars Bridge. They would both be happy together, every day.

It was like the sun had finally come out again, for the first time in seventy years.

"So what's it like?"

Tessa glanced briefly at Magnus. "What's what like?"

She didn't see the mischievous look on his face. Matter-of-factly, he clarified, "Sex with Jem Carstairs."

Tessa promptly choked on her tea, coughing violently. Jem whirled around in alarm, dropping the board and L screwdriver he'd been holding.

"Tessa?" He was already advancing toward her. "Are you alright?"

His concern ebbed slowly as he registered her face, beet-red with embarrassment, and Magnus's failed attempts to hide his amusement as he reached to pound her back. She was still coughing, but its violence soon subsided.

Tessa, still flushed, took another gulp of her tea. When she regained her voice, she said, "Magnus has been asking inappropriate questions."

"Ah," Jem said, looking between them. "I am quite accustomed to... inappropriate questions. Believe it or not, a hundred and thirty years of the Brotherhood can do that." He glanced back at the unfinished shelf in the living room. "I've never constructed mundane furniture before. It's very different without magic."

"I can help you with the magic part, if you like," Magnus said mildly.

Jem looked at him. "Oh, no it's alright. I had forgotten how it felt to build something with only my hands. This will do."

Tessa put a hand on his arm, smiling up at him. "Have another cup of tea with us, Jem. I don't want to be the only object of Magnus's prying."

"Of course," Jem replied, sitting down with them. "I would like to know what Magnus wanted to ask that has my Tessa so flustered-"

"Oh, Magnus doesn't need to know about that," Tessa said quickly, shooting a glare at Magnus, who had started to look expectantly at her. "It has been so long since the three of us were together."

They talked well into the afternoon, not nearly enough time to catch up on their centuries of memories. As the sun set, Magnus departed, with a promise that he would see them at Jocelyn Fairchild's wedding next month. Tessa closed the door behind him, and turned to face Jem.

"I'm looking forward to going back to New York for a while."

He smiled. "Yes, I hear that Church is at the New York Institute. I wonder if he has made any friends over the years."

Tessa laughed. "Well, I would be very surprised if he has. But some things never change."

Jem pulled her into his arms. After going decades without physical affection, now he could never seem to stop touching her. She didn't mind at all.

"Mm. My love for you has never changed."

"I know."

Jem watched how the sunset turned Tessa's hair a radiant gold, and how her eyes reflected the horizon outside the window, like pools of heavenly fire. He remembered when she had literally Changed into an angel before his eyes, so many years ago. Her entire being was the color of the sunset in London right now. He still felt twinges of panic sometimes, that she was only a figment of his mind, that he was merely dreaming, far below the ground in the Silent City. But the vividness of it all-how her hair smelled of sweet lavender, her skin of violet water-could not be a dream, he was convinced. Even in his most fevered imagination, he couldn't make up the way her hands caressed his body, how her lips burned with love and longing against his, how she let him touch her like that-

"Tessa?"

"Hm?" Her voice vibrated against his chest. He could feel her heart beating against his.

"What did Magnus ask that made you choke on your tea?"

She looked up at him then, surprise and amusement and-something else-in her eyes. Slowly it became clear to him what that something else was. He'd seen this look before, and no doubt the same look was in his eyes. She was so close now that he could count the faint dusting of freckles across her nose.

"It's none of his business," she murmured, and kissed him. It was one of those kisses that made Jem weak in the knees. He pulled her tighter against him, breathing her in.

Jem forgot all about Magnus's question the next day.