Less than ten minutes later, Tessa found herself standing outside of the young shadowhunter's door with her hand hesitantly hovering over the doorknob. She knew that at some point she would just have to suck it up, open the door, and walk in, but the idea of holding it off indefinitely soothed her raging nerves. She had absolutely no idea what she could say to the boy to make him feel better. Yes, maybe knowing that he wasn't the only one left in his bloodline would help him like Magnus had said, but she knew that him finding out that his only living relative was a half-demon, would most likely make matters worse.
Tessa took a deep breath and threw a quick glance over her shoulder to where four people stood, intently watching her. Magnus and Alec simply gave her an encouraging smile, while Isabelle and Clary simply started back. The three shadowhunters had been quickly briefed on why Tessa was there and how she was going to help but the two females of the group had been reluctant to allow a complete stranger go in and talk to a defenceless Jace, all alone. Thankfully, Alec, who had trusted his boyfriend's opinion so soundly, had been able to convince his sister and friend that they should at least allow Tessa to try to rescue their beloved Jace from his melancholy. On the surface, Tessa had been pleased that he had be able to convince them to allow her to try, but deep down, the butterflies in her stomach had wished they had said no.
Her grey eyes flickered to Magnus, focusing in on his. Immediately, he seemed to understand her fears, sympathizing with her in the way only a century-old friend could. He nodded towards her and mouthed the words 'it will be okay'. Tessa gave him a thankful smile but soon realized that she had acted too soon. His smile turned mischievous and he raised a single hand, giving it a sharp twist. The doorknob spun and the door flew open. Before Tessa could react, she felt a push on her back and she went stumbling into the room as the door shut tightly behind her. She mentally cursed Magnus and promised herself that at some point in time, she would seek revenge.
Unfortunately, she did not have time to plan her retaliation as it was that moment, she found herself coming face-to-face with a golden eyed boy. His eyes were distant and when he spoke, his voice was broken. "I don't feel like talking to anyone, especially not a stranger." Tessa's heart ached at the sight of the shattered boy and, not just because her reminded her of how Will had once been. Instead, the reason she found his despondent state so painful was because he was so different from the witty, courageous, and strong fighter that Magnus had explained him to be; she couldn't even see a fraction of the boy he once was.
"You might feel better if you talk to someone," Tessa whispered. Her voice was quiet but her tone was defiant. As she spoke, she surveyed the golden boy, watching as his eyes hardened at her words. Although the immediate progress had not been positive, Tessa still happy that she had managed to make some sort of progress.
"You have no idea what I am going through," Jace all but growled. It was evident that he had expected her to flinch at his words but instead, she did the exact opposite. She laughed. It was hollow, but it was till a laugh.
She shook her head as she spoke. "You would be surprised how much you and I have in common, Jace Herondale. I have lost almost everyone I was ever close to, including my brother and both of my parents. I was told I was human but then I was thrown into this world of Shadowhunters, Downworlders, and demons. I was lied to about my family. I was possessed by heavenly fire. Even more importantly I am-"
He abruptly cut her off but she could tell her words had broken through to him. "I said I didn't want to talk to anyone. How do you not understand that?" He turned his back on her and walked swiftly to the door and opened it. "Get out. Get out now."
She sighed before answering. "If you want me to I will leave you want me to, but aren't you curious as to what my name is? Who this strange girl your family allowed into your room is?"
For several moment, he remained silent. Tessa could a see a battle raging behind his eyes. Part of him was curious, dying to know who she was, but the other part of her simply wanted her gone. After a moment of debate, the former one out. "Fine. Tell me your name."
Tessa smiled warmly at him. "My name is Tessa Herondale."
Jace said nothing, but closed the door. For a moment, he just leaned against it before gathering himself, before he turned and faced her. "That's not possible. I am the last Herondale." His voice was weak, but the detached-from-r reality tone was gone.
"With that, you are wrong. You are not the last. You are one of the last two. There's a difference."
His eyes narrowed slightly as if he was trying to solve an impossible puzzle. "How could you possibly be a Herondale? I don't have any siblings or cousins. What are you anyways? Twenty? Younger?"
At that, Tessa let out a loud laugh that came straight from the stomach. "Me? Twenty? No, definitely not. Try a hundred and forty-six." She paused before thoughtfully adding, "I was born in 1862."
Now it was Jace's turn to laugh, although his sounded a bit off. "I'm not an idiot. There's no way you could be that old unless-"
"Unless I'm a warlock or a vampire, correct? And I know what you're thinking. You can tell that I am not a vampire and there's simply no way I can be a warlock without a mark, which I obviously don't have." Jace made a move to cut her off, but she raised her hand before he could speak. "You Herondale's boys alwaysinsist on cutting of the lady when she's talking and its bloody annoying, so let me talk. I am, in fact, a warlock. My father was a demon but my mother… she was a shadowhunter who bore no runes, allowing me to survive. My strange heritage has given me abilities that no other warlock possess but did not leave me with a warlock's mark. Those abilities consist of shapeshifting and being able to have children. In 1989, I married a man named William Herondale. Together, we had a son, James, and a daughter, Lucinda. James is your great-great-grandfather making me, your great-great-great-grandmother. Do you understand?"
Much to Jace's credit, all he did was blink and nod. Satisfied, Tessa continued. "Now I know you are feeling lost because you don't really know who you are, but I do. There is no doubt that you are a Herondale. Not only can I see the family resemblance in your eyes and in the way you hold yourself, but I am certain that on your collarbone is a star." The boy's eyes widened, letting Tessa know that she was in fact, correct. "From what I heard from Magnus and your Alec, you are a total smartass, a loyal parabati, afraid of ducks, and an excellent fighters, all of which are qualities that make up the Herondale family."
Jace's mouth and opened and closed as his brain tried to formulate the words that were not coming to it. After a minute he began to sputter out random words. "Ducks - how did you know? - The star? - It's true - Grandmother? - James?"
Tessa gave a roll of her eyes. "This is probably one of the few times you've been at a loss for words, am I correct? Now, since you know I am your three times great-grandmother, you have to listen to me and to listen to me good. I know that you've been through hell and back but you need to move on. I forbid you from sitting in your room and isolating yourself from your family any longer. You have a wonderful family and girlfriend out there who are waiting for you to rejoin the real world. You are not going to pity yourself, but you are going to go out, have dinner with them tonight, and laugh. Have fun. Be a teenager. Don't waste these years. They are more precious than you will ever realize. My time here is up, I really have to get going. I am meeting a friend in London in two days and I can't miss it, but I promise you, we will meet again."
Jace stared at her for moment before laughing and grabbing her into a tight and unexpected hug. Tessa joined in with the laughter. "Thank-you for everything, great-great-great-grandma."
I really hope you liked it! :) If there's anything that needs to be changed, let me know!
