Epilogue


Isabelle Lightwood

15 April 1912—

I clutch Aline's hand in one of my hands and Max's shoulder with the other. Max, just nine years old, is much calmer than people twice, thrice his age, and he knew I was freaking out, which I guess was why he made me take him along when I went back to find Jace and Clary. I'm thankful Aline decided to wait for me on the top deck where they were boarding the lifeboats so that I wouldn't have to worry.

Aline's fingers brush over my knuckles in a soothing motion, and I'm so grateful, and so happy that she's by my side but not even her presence can stop my tears from making their way down my face every time I remember that Alec and my mother never made it out. Or, they did, and I can't find them. Either one, and I hope to God that it's the latter.

'Izzy, what were you thinking, going back there in your condition?' Aline reprimands me, grabbing my face in her hands, cradling.

Aline knows, I told her after I found out. I shut my eyes, wondering how everything got so messed up. I'm pregnant, I don't know if my family is dead and I'm in a secret relationship with Aline ever since I accepted that I am in love with her. And my brother is dead.

'What was I thinking? Well, Aline, I don't know. Maybe that Jace and Clary were down there, and that I couldn't leave them to die,' I snap, my eyes tearing up again.

Jace. Ever since he joined our family, I've loved him as a sister and nothing less, and I'm heartbroken. Aline seems to sense how I'm feeling because she says nothing and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

16 April 1912—

They're not alive. Aboard RMS Carpathia, hour after hour I checked and rechecked the list, hoping every time the passengers of every lifeboat coming in included mother and Alec, but they weren't there.

Father, however, was on one of them…the first ones, and never have I ever been more ashamed to be related to him. He left my brother and mother on the sinking ship, one I saw split in half. There was no way they're alive now—not if that horrendous sight was real, with the freezing temperature of the water.

He promised me he'd go back for Alec and mother and here he is, alive, without them…on one of the first boats. Which speaks for itself. How would he be one the third lifeboat if he went back for Alec and Maryse? Which leaves the only possibility that he didn't go back.

I haven't spoken to him—he doesn't even know I'm alive, or Aline's alive. He doesn't deserve to know. Or maybe he does, I don't know. All I know is that my mother and Alec are most probably dead, and it hurts.

28 April 1912—

They weren't found. Not by Carpathia, or by the ship that was sent to salvage any bodies found. Aline, Max and I found a boarding house in New York to stay in, and I can't bring myself to look for Robert.

15 May 1912—

Aline read me the newspaper today, and I had to place my palms over Max's ears.

Father's dead. It seems confusing that he would take his own life after surviving the Titanic. I believe that guilt had something to do with it, and grief. Grief over his entire family's demise, and guilt knowing that he somehow could've saved a few.

I think I should feel remorse, or maybe guilty for letting him believe his whole family was dead. But then, I blame the man for every bad thing that's happened to me. I suppose I could say it's been something of a reflex, since his mental and emotional abuse of us when we were children.

24 August 1915—

Aline and I never married, but we live together in a house that we've bought in the countryside. I guess it's better this way. We may never be married, but we're a family in all the ways that matter. With my son, Alexander, and Max, we're it for each other. It's not ideal, but we make it work every day. And I guess that's what matters most.

18 January 1925—

It was particularly cold today, when I finally went to visit Seraphina. I heard she was in the city with her husband, so I decided it was finally time I gave her Clary's memento.

It was a day among many from then when it didn't hurt so much to think of Clary or Jace as it did before.

I could never travel by sea again after that catastrophe, and I believed Seraphina would've understood. She had tears in her eyes, and was stricken when I gave her the box. Whatever was in it must have meant a lot to her.

However, she was strong. I admire that about her. I think Clary would, too. In ways more than one, Seraphina is a lot like her sister. I was reminded that the good do influence people to be like them, because Seraphina's parents were definitely not good—Clary was, and I am so glad that Sera decided to follow in her sister's footsteps rather than her parents'.

13 May 1985—

It's my twentieth year in an old age facility—Aline, Max and my son left the world before me and it's not something I would wish upon anyone, having to live without loved ones. It leaves me to believe that my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have grown tired of me. They barely come visit. When they do, it's to sign away a deed, or revise my will. I don't think it matters anymore. Only one of my descendants cares, and she's one I named.

Clary visits me often, sometimes to hear tales of her namesake, as much as I can tell her, given I knew her for a short time.

And once in a while, I believe she shares the same temperament and spirit. It's amazingly uncanny.

16 April 1987—

Today, Clary is the only one here. Aged ten, she can barely understand death, and I'm grateful for that. She won't know what will happen to me until some time.

It seems as if I've outlived everyone I've known and loved, and those who strive for immortality are fools, unless they've never loved.

The End


A/N: So, that's it, folks, for this story. I'm going to be continuing my story, Mirror Worlds when I get time, and those of you who haven't noticed, I've deleted Crossed. I've done that because I lost motivation.

Can't believe I actually finished up a story :D

Thank you all so much for your reviews last chapter!

Guest1: Ah, sorry. I'm not so sure about the alternate ending, though. I like this the way it is, I hope you understand.

Guest2: Why would I do that? 'Cause I'm evil :)

Olivia: Thank you so much! Hope you liked this epilogue!

Guest3: That's a lot of Os.

Guest4: Aw, thank you! That means so much!

Thank you all for reviewing the last chapter, and I replied to all reviews, if I'm correct. If I missed anyone out, I'm sorry, please know that I appreciated it.

And that's it! I might have an idea for another chapter, post epilogue, so you might not want to unfollow just now. But that's just an idea, no promises.

It's going to feel so awesome when I put up the complete tag after posting this chapter! Leave a review?