A/N: Another chapter - huzzah! Post-CP2. No spoilers.
Will and Gabriel disagree about who should help Cecily.
Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns the world and characters of TID.
Reluctance
One winter afternoon, Will sent Sophie and Cecily to scout out the site of a possible demon nest. It was not his first choice to send his sister on an assignment without him, but the whole Institite was in healing. The Lightwood brothers still bore gashes and sccrapes from their last encounter with a pack of werewolves. Will had been ill with a nasty cough for a few days; it was Brother Zachariah's orders for him to refrain from missions for another week. Tessa was bedridden, recovering from a mild fever and stomach pains.
By late evening, the Institute was in a frenzy, albeit a slightly sicker one. Sophie had returned to the Institite alone. Exhausted, she staggered through the front doors, cradling her right arm that bore two deep gashes. Will shoved past a frantic Gideon pulling out his stele to kneel beside Sophie and ask where his sister had gone to. Before fainting on the spot, Sophie muttered something about Miss Cecily refusing to return to the Institute until the entire nest was clean of all demons. Upon seeing Sophie so badly injured, Cecily had ordered Sophie to return home; she would handle the demons on her own. In no condition to continue fighting even with the numerous iratzes she applied to herself, Sophie had no choice but to obey.
Will's heart lurched at the image of his Cecy overwhelmed by gaping maws and the stench of poisonous ichor. She was a fool to fight a nest of demons alone, but that lecture would wait until she was safely inside the Institute (and Will's watchful gaze). He bolted in the direction of the gates, but Gabriel, who had overheard the conversation and already dressed in gear, was faster. He slammed the front door shut as Will yanked it open halfway. Gabriel's green eyes were ablaze with...fear? Determination? Will didn't care, but he knew Gabriel was an idiot trying to stop him.
"I will go." Gabriel declared in a firm voice.
"Get your bloody hand off the door, Lightwood. She's my sister," Will snarled back.
Gabriel let out a small, impatient sigh and stared hard at Will.
"Herondale, don't be stupid. You're useless if you collapse halfway there." Will's grip on the door handle tightened until his swollen knuckles began to ache. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but he clearly heard his breathing; it sounded like a creaking door being blown at by a hard wind. The heat in his stomach that had kept him awake and moving for the day was gone. He needed nourishment, as he had not eaten or drunk anything since his sister and Sophie left in the afternoon. Gabriel still had bruises, but he was...admittedly healthier. Hesitantly, Will's hand loosened from the door handle and dropped heavily to his side. There was still one thing he could do to help his sister. even if she would not appreciate the idea.
Before Gabriel darted into the night to Cecily, he heard Will's slightly raspy voice threaten him with a shout.
"Cecily will come home safely, or I will strangle you with your own bow string."
A/N: I will never tire of Will and Gabriel trying to out do the other. All reviews are welcome!