I know, I know, I haven't updated in FOREVER. Hey, I had a friend's birthday, a different friend's graduation, a History term paper, two Anatomy projects, the SATs, a dance recital... I've been busy! I know, no excuse and all that, but... It's here now! Thanks to Pyro Band Ninja for the idea on what to do here. Love you, PBN. Thanks to all the people who put this on Alert, now please REVIEW, you fools!

Disclaimer: Thanks again to the fantabulous Cassie Clare, who is my personal hero for giving me such amazing characters.

Five Days Later

The next five days passed in a blur for everyone. Few things changed: Jace and Tessa spent increasingly long periods of time in the library together, and nobody quite knew what was going on there; Clary did a few more sketches of Jem, finding him a quite agreeable subject; and Charlotte took the opportunity to venture forth into the metropolis of New York, relishing her lack of responsibility. Will and Isabelle kept away from each other, only managing a blush and a weak "hello" when they passed in the halls. In fact, Will found himself more and more drawn to the library, disregarding Jace but hoping to catch Tessa's eye. He didn't know what he would say if she met his gaze, but as it turned out, it didn't matter; she ignored him with practiced skill.

"Tessa," he said quietly, when he was unable to bear her cold shoulder any longer. "Tessa, please talk to me."

She looked up, surprised but disdainful. "I was not aware that you sought my attention, William," she said coolly.

"I– I just wanted to– to apologize, you know, for what I said before we got stuck in this God awful city–"

"This 'God awful' city is my home. Kindly leave me to my book, if you please."

"You're stubbornly refusing to see my point, I see."

"If your point is to berate me about my hometown while trying to make light of the words you flung so callously, I think I have taken your point quite handily. I do not wish to speak to you about any of that, nor do I want you to bother me with your presence any longer," she said angrily, standing up.

Will dipped his head in admitted defeat and left, retreating to the other end of the great library. I should have known, he cursed silently. After what I said… Such things are not so easily forgiven, and– and I screwed her over. He thought back to those words: Jem cares more for me than for you, because you are not even human, as I am. Demons cannot love, nor do they deserve to be loved.

He winced. In the harsh reality of the present, he realized how unnecessarily cruel he had been, all because he couldn't find it in his heart to admit his own feelings. I am the demon, he thought furiously. Hurting an innocent girl for no reason other than because I could. If demons can love, then truly I am one. What had Magnus once said about him? 'Eyes like the night sky in Hell.' How fitting.

Kitchen

"Oh, no, not again. Clary, I'm so sorry," Jem said, upset that he had once again knocked something to the floor from the kitchen counter. She just laughed.

"You're more uncoordinated than I am, and that's saying something," she teased. "Must be my presence distracting you, right?"

"Must be," he muttered, secretly worrying that it was something else. He held out an arm to see it shake; in fact, most of his body was trembling slightly, like he was shivering. He felt an ache in his chest and head, which was how it began– an attack. I should find Will…

That thought slipped from his head when Clary smiled and pushed her flaming curls away from those brilliant emerald eyes. She was just so pretty, with her vampire-pale skin and a spray of freckles across her nose… Never mind that she was a foot shorter than him.

"You're staring at me," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, I am," he said, not embarrassed in the slightest.

"May I ask why?"

"No, I think it's best if you didn't."

"Come on, tell me."

"I like to look at you," Jem said with a shrug. She blushed. "You see, that's why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you'd blush."

She started to blush red again, but instead frowned and leaned closer to him. "You're really pale. Are you feeling all right?"

No. It feels like my brain is swelling. "I'm just a bit tired."

"Looks like you're more than tired."

Technically, telling her he was tired wasn't a lie; he had hardly slept the night before. It was only a lie of emission, because that wasn't the whole picture. "Sorry, it's the truth."

As though to punish him for the lie, his whole frame shuddered with a cough that threatened to crack his ribcage. Every time he tried to draw breath, he exploded with more hacking coughs that made his throat burn and his lungs feel like he was drowning.

Clary jumped up from her perch on a chair and ran to him, putting a hand to his chest. "Jem, what's wrong?" she asked hysterically, frantically swiveling her head to look for someone. He just shook his head, unable to talk. He felt blood rising and tried to cover his mouth with his hand, but he was a bit late. Some of the scarlet liquid stained his fingertips, but much spattered across Clary's face, now shockingly white.

He felt his knees buckle and he fell to the floor, leaning his upper body against the cabinets behind him. Clary knelt beside him, unsure of what to do but knowing she should do something. He was quivering like he had a fever, and his face was flushed, though the rest of his skin had turned icy. Do I keep him warm, or cool? Should I get help? WHAT DO I DO?

She decided that she did need Will, or Charlotte, Tessa, someone, anyone who had a chance of helping him. He grabbed her arm. "Don't– go–" he choked out, meeting her eyes. She gasped; his were no longer mercury-silver as she was now accustomed, but were almost white, black specks of pupils like ash on snow.

"I have to, I have to find help, I can't do anything," she sobbed, feeling tears stream down her face.

"Don't leave me," he whispered, and she didn't have to heart to refuse him.

Library

From his place in the library, Will suddenly felt his arm burning. Swearing, he checked it and realized the blistering heat was emanating off of his parabatai rune. He had never experienced anything like that before, but he knew it couldn't be good.

He ran to the door, where he bumped into Jace, scowling and blocking the exit.

"I heard you and Tessa, and I hope you won't hurt her again," he said with a stony expression. Will was furious.

"Who cares about that now, I need to get out?"

"Why? What is so important that you can't hear me out?"

"It's Jem!" Will yelled, arms waving wildly. "There's something wrong, and if you don't get out of my way right now, I will kill you where you stand. I can't lose him, okay?" Jace stepped aside, looking quite taken aback at Will's vehemence as the dark-haired boy flew past him. He had to find Jem before time ran out.

Kitchen

Clary had her arms around Jem, trying to keep him warm with her own body heat. She felt him lose consciousness, sliding sideways to rest on his back, breathing shallowly. "Jem, Jem, what's wrong," she mumbled to herself, keeping one hand over his racing heart. She felt the rhythm become more erratic, like a bird's, much too quick. Under her fingers, she felt the beat even out, and then… nothing. His heart had stopped beating.

Er, sorry for the cliffhanger.