DISCLAIMER ~ I don't own anything Infernal Devices or Mortal Instruments-wise. That is all down to the incredibleness of Cassandra Clare – who is, it has to be said, a pretty damn good writer xD

NOTES ~ I am soooo sorry it's taken me like, two months? To get this next chapter up. College work is really taking it's toll on my time and muse. I'm sorry it's so short and suckish...i need to get back into the swing of the characters a bit more. Hope you guys can forgive me ... if not, have a cookie –offers cookie- and hope you like the chapter. Thanks you sooo much for the reviews so far, you guys are all so nice (: Hopefully, i can live up to your hopes with this next chapter – enjoy and i promise to stop yabbering on about how sorry i am XD oh and I also apologise for the wrong spelling of 'parabatai' and my lack of capitalised 'I's which was point out to me. Sorry I thought my word document was on autocorrect for the I's, and I wasn't aweare about my wrong spelling of parabatai but yeah, thanks for the corrections and sorry!


CHAPTER FOUR ~

Will's hand grasped the wood of the door tightly and forced it shut with a passion, feeling a little satisfaction in the way that the slam resonated within the room – and no doubt down the hallway too. He knew the others would be questionable as to why he'd exited the room so melodramatically, but they wouldn't understand. He frowned at the slightly distorted glass of the window, hardly seeing the scenery but simply choosing to lock his ice blue gaze fixedly upon something. To say he was shocked was an understatement. To say he was angry wasn't entirely false. But to say he was upset – now there was the clincher.

A descendant. He threw himself down upon his bed with finality and huffed a muffled noise into the strangled covers. How had that worked out? He had never vowed to marry or have children, and yet apparently, in the future, his name carried on. To wonder if it were a different line of Herondale was preposterous. It would be far too coincidental for two Herondale Shadowhunter families to co-exist. Which meant that this ... Jace ... was related to him? Not just related – this Jace was a son of one of his children! Infants he didn't even have, had never even thought about, or thought he wanted. Why was he upset? That was perhaps easy to understand if you thought. He was upset because, to Will, the path he'd always thought was his own to choose, the whole 'living in the here and now' concept was shattering like a window pane around him. His future was already mapped. He would marry. He would have children. Was it fair? To know now, that something was set – that something's would happen, even if he didn't want them.

Which made him wonder – if he had had...or was going to have, children, then who with? When? How many? Is this what would become of them? It made his head ache as endless questions circled his mind vulture-like. Will disliked this – the knowing that this is what would become of him; a father, a grandfather and then no more. There would be a world in which Will Herondale was no more, and this Jace would take over.

Far from intrigued about how his descent would carry the Herondale name onwards, Will took a deep sigh and shut his eyes. What a way to ruin the day, he supposed. He knew he wouldn't be able to shut himself away for long – Jem would come searching for him and drag him out...or Tessa. And there was that small pained voice in the back of his mind. Tessa. He would not admit his feelings for her to even himself, but he knew that that pain was there because whoever his descendents were, they were not half of her.

Back within the dining room, the two sets of Shadowhunters had struck up uneasy talk. Clary was keeping a reassuring hand within Jace's, knowing he felt thoroughly uncomfortable by this whole ordeal despite the confidence he exuberated. The two Lightwoods were stuck close together, taking solace in their sibling relationship whilst Jem politely attempted at conversation with them, enlightening them a little as to who Gabriel was after their confused questions. Charlotte and Henry had dispersed, perhaps to talk privately or alert the Clave as to this baffling turn of events.

Tessa stood a little off to the side, having been near silent ever since the mention of a future Magnus Bane. She knew the others were curious as to her – her silence, her species, who she was to these Victorian Shadowhunters. But she did not wish to be hospitable right now, and wished for once that she had Will's audacity to slam her door and hideaway within her room. That was when she entered – Jessamine.

"What is with all this noise?" She opened the door with a smooth flourish; gaze irritated despite the obvious lack of noise the group had been creating. She paused within the doorway; chin pointed outward slightly, head raised with arrogance and precision. Her cool gaze touched every one of the new Shadowhunters, pausing slightly longer on both Alec and Jace with a slight interest, and then Clary and Isabelle with a hint of distaste. "And who the devil are you?"

Tessa sighed, not up for confronting Jessie's irritate attitude for now, and she simple inclined her head at the others and exited the room without a further word, not caring for now if she appeared rude as she hurried away to her room for peace.

Jem's silver gaze flickered to catch Tessa leave and he chewed his lip with worry, knowing that for now the responsibility of entertainment and hospitality for the ... guests he supposed...had fallen upon his shoulders. He smiled slightly at Jessamine as she entered, but the smile was a little thin as he wished that Will had stayed just a little longer to bark something at Jessie before he'd disappeared. It was not like Jem to dislike somebody – even Jessie, who was thoroughly disliked by most – but his patience was wearing thin by surprise and bafflement.

"It's a rather long story...and you missed it." The dark haired Isabelle spoke up and Jessamine's sharp gaze flickered to her, one fine eyebrow raising slightly.

"well I daresay you can have fun repeating it again for my benefit at the very least." Jessie said briskly, eyes tracing Isabella, lip curling slightly at the corners as if in disdain of her clothes, disinterest flicking in her irises'. Jem sighed and ran a slender hand through his silver hair, shaking his head.

"Jessie..." he paused as she looked sharply at him with a frown. "I will enlighten you later, for now, will you simply be polite? This is Isabella and Alec lightwood, Jace Herondale, and Clary Fairchild." Jem said carefully, watching Jessie as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Lightwood? As in Gabriel?" she laughed derisively and then heard the rest of the introduction. "Herondale..." she frowned in confusion. "you're related to William?" she glanced to Jem for confirmation then looked back to Jace, eyes catching Alec's and giving him an approving smile, despite his obvious uncomfortable appearance. Several of the 'guests' made to open their mouths, but before they could the door opened.

"The council has summoned us to a meeting...they request a meeting with the four of you." Charlotte had entered, Henry absent from her side, possibly tinkering with instruments in his lab. The room went silent as all of the inhabitants looked first at each other and then charlotte. A council meeting ... it sounded ominous, and serious. Clary glanced at her friends and bit her lip, immediately worried that she might have thrown them in at the deep end with this visit to the past. What if the council wished to have answers about the future? They shouldn't know should they? What if they wanted to use them and refused to let them return home? Well of course, she was thinking dark thoughts but still, it worried her so. Jem looked equally as worried by the slight frown upon his face, and the turn of his lips.

"When?" he asked charlotte.

"Now...they're on their way." Charlotte said quietly, sharing a glance with Jem that Clary, Jace, Alec and Isabella couldn't understand.