Well, here we are guys... Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter (:
2003
For the first time in what felt like decades, Simon was at peace. He was in a good place in his life – there were no distant vampiric uncles out to kill him, no finding himself in a foreign century, no carrying the burden of the Mark of Cain. All he had before him now were a few good years he could spend in the company of friends as he took a well-deserved vacation.
For the most part, he spent his time in Downworld. That place had always been a safe haven for him, which, he supposed, was its original purpose after all. He helped Ixia out at the shop, as it was practically hers in all but name at this point. It just felt good to be surrounded by the bright, vibrant colours of Downworld and the matching atmosphere of the place. He chatted with clients, spent slow hours messing around with Ixia and, in most evenings, would head over to the Mermaid's Inn and help out around there until closing time, when he would spend an hour or so with his friends. He clearly had been out of the loop for some time when he returned, because Taith and Adair certainly seemed to have reconciled their differences and were, as far as Simon could make out (and he didn't want to outright ask and make it awkward), in a peculiar relationship with Mirabel. Well. He was in no position to judge, and as long as they made each other happy, that was all that mattered.
From time to time, Magnus would drop by and spend some time with them. Being the High Warlock of Brooklyn was quite a demanding job, after all. It was during one of his visits that the two of them found themselves watching the store without Ixia – she had never showed up that day, just left a scrawled handwritten message for them and left it on the counter.
"It's kind of strange, don't you think?" Simon asked Magnus, who was flipping through a magazine in a plump armchair in the corner. The warlock hummed in reply. "I mean, do you think she's alright? You don't think she's in trouble or anything? She would have told her if she was, wouldn't she? Of course she would, what am I saying..." When he looked up from his rambling, he saw one of Magnus' delicate eyebrows raised to new heights on his forehead.
"I think you're overreacting. She's a fully-grown woman and an incredibly powerful witch. If she's in any trouble – which seems very unlikely in any case – I'm pretty sure she can handle it." He turned his attention back to the magazine in his hands.
"Right," muttered Simon, shaking his head at his own over-the-top behaviour, "I'm being silly, just overreacting over nothing." Magnus hummed in the background once more.
It was several hours later, just before closing time that Ixia appeared. Simon caught sight of her through the large display window and roused Magnus' attention. The two watched closely as a young werewolf boy handed her a flower and, blushing furiously, got up the nerve to press a chaste kiss to her cheek, casting a nervous glance in the direction of the shop and blushing further when he realised that both Simon and Magnus' stares were fixed on him. He murmured a quick goodbye before scampering away, too afraid to look back in their direction. Simon knew Magnus was probably feeling ridiculously proud that he was able to intimidate a teenage boy with a single look through a window.
Ixia slowly made her way through the shop entrance, freezing when she saw the looks the two of them were giving her. Magnus had raised his notorious eyebrow once again and Simon probably looked like the biggest goofball in the universe with the barely-contained beam on his face.
"What?" she demanded, hunching her shoulders defensively, slight colour tingeing the tops of her cheekbones.
Magnus was the first to break the silence with a dramatic, "Ahhh, young love," causing Ixia to turn scarlet – redder than her scales, even, while Simon had burst into laughter, unable to contain himself.
"You've blossomed into such a beautiful young woman, Ixia," he managed to get out between bouts of giggles.
She shot him a glare, "Shut up." A smile was threatening to break out at the corners of her lips though.
2004
"Members of the de Vampyr family, both legitimate and renounced," Thea spoke officiously, addressing the last remaining members of the family, who had all made an effort to turn up – it was hard not to obey a direct order from the acting Queen of Vampires, who also happened to be your distant aunt. She and Simon had stayed in touch after the debacle with Mikael, and he had even gone with her on a short trip to some of the places they had lived together in Europe while she took a break from her duties from the rather traumatic experience of murdering her own brother. It had been nice for both of them to spend some time together; Simon had almost forgotten how well they complimented each other, how much he cared for and respected this woman. During one of their late-night discussions, they had come to the conclusion that they needed to put an official end to the de Vampyr name – the family was little more than legend in most vampire clans by this point anyway. So while he had been working in Downworld, they had worked together on tracking down the last living members of their family in order to call them all together on that day.
Simon was watching the whole scene from the seat immediately to Thea's right – a position which had earned him a few curious or envious stares from the members he had never met. He had exchanged sympathies with both Del and Augustine, with whom he had made dinner plans. There were only a few other people there that Simon didn't recognize. Two had been turned by Del several decades ago, one by Augustine, who had in turn made two others – one of whom was Raphael, Simon's own maker. Augustine's second childe, Raphael's maker, had died several years ago, and there was no indication he had known about his heritage, let alone told Raphael, so Thea had agreed not to involve him in the ceremony, as it might do more harm than good. Looking incredibly uncomfortable was Mikael's only surviving progeny, Simon's distant biological grandmother, Elizaveta. The two hadn't had time to talk before Thea had started the meeting and had only exchanged fleeting looks with one another – Simon planned to catch a moment with her on her own so they could talk a little before she left, hoping to clear the air.
"We are gathered here today to put an end to the de Vampyr name and dynasty. The principles are antiquated and the prospect of power too great a threat if in the wrong hands – I think you have all heard by now the cautionary tale of the now-deceased Mikael Jarlsberg de Vampyr." There were murmurs of assent from the present family members. "So we are in agreement? Once I am able to find a warlock capable enough, the de Vampyr family name will be dissolved, and hold no more power than any other?"
The present family members all showed signs of agreement – most of them had been so detached from the de Vampyr name and family that the change made little difference to them anyway, but Thea had wanted everyone to be aware and able to have a say in it.
After a few more ceremonial speeches, the meeting ended and the family began to disperse. Some didn't stick around long enough to even say goodbye. Del and Augustine were talking with Thea as Simon made his way over to Elizaveta. Silently, they headed outside, into the street, where they would have a little more privacy from the others. Elizaveta had her head ducked, only fleetingly making eye contact with him, yet she was the first to pluck up the courage to actually speak.
"Look – I don't want to make a big deal of this or anything," she said, "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for all the things I may have done. I could just put the blame on Mikael, but that wouldn't be fair. I met someone – not like that – another vampire, who's been helping me figure out who I am now. She doesn't know the details of the de Vampyr crap, but she's a good mentor. She's been helping me make amends to all the people I've hurt." Her words were hurried, nervous and when she was done she looked up at Simon anxiously, waiting to see his reaction. His features softened.
"I just wanted to let you know that I don't blame you for what you've done. Becoming a vampire, adapting to this life… It's hard, especially if you have to do it on your own, or your only guidance is someone like Mikael." The tension broke as Elizaveta gave a small laugh. Simon grinned, "And I'm really glad you've found someone who's able to help you."
"She's actually coming to pick me up, so maybe you'll get a chance to meet her," interjected Elizaveta seeming much more at ease now that the proverbial elephant in the room had been dealt with. "In fact, there she is now!" she waved vigorously at a car, that drew up to the sidewalk. Elizaveta looked sheepish as she continued, "I asked her to come early, in case things went badly with you,"
Simon watched as the driver stepped out of the car and approached them. When she got closer, his jaw almost dropped. She had changed a lot, it was true, her hair a wild, short mess above her head and her clothes an explosion of colour and oversized denim, but he would have recognised her face anywhere. Though Elizaveta may not have been aware of it, her new mentor was the Queen that had been missing for centuries, Andromeda Godfrey de Vampyr.
"Hey," she said, smiling as she made her way up to them, "I'm Andy. You must be Simon – I've heard a lot about you." She drew him into quick hug, deftly putting something in his jacket pocket without Elizaveta noticing. "Sorry to rush out on you like this, but I have an appointment across town. Maybe we'll see each other soon though, yeah?" And just like that, she and Elizaveta were gone, leaving Simon alone, in a state of shock on the sidewalk. Belatedly, he remembered the thing she had slipped into his pocket and reached for it. It was a sealed letter, with only one word written on it in tiny, scratchy handwriting: Thea.
2006
"So how goes the High Warlock business?" asked Simon. He'd decided to drop by Magnus' apartment for the day as Downworld was passing through New York. Magnus, who had recently been through some wild times in Peru, from what Simon had heard through the grapevine, was busy finishing off some papers related to his duties. Simon distantly wondered if High Warlocks had to do their taxes.
"It goes well," replied Magnus, pen scratching against the paper as he signed a document, his already elaborate handwriting looping and twirling across the bottom of the page. He was about to cast his magical signature on top of it before he paused, bringing his eyes up to Simon, who frowned confusedly.
"What?" he asked, beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable with the unwavering stare the warlock was giving him.
"You knew," he uttered. As whatever realisation he had come to washed over him completely, a grin began to curl the corner of his mouth. "When we first met. You always knew I would end up High Warlock of Brooklyn. You must have."
"Sure," said Simon slowly. "Is that – Are you saying you would have wanted to know the exact time you were meant to become High Warlock? Cause to be perfectly honest, I didn't know that, you and I weren't exactly close before London..."
"No," replied Magnus, a strange half-smile still on his face. "I've just forgotten, over the years, how much you knew about me when you were a person I'd never met before. Just some strange little vampire boy who had somehow made his way into Charlotte and Henry's Institute and wanted to kill me for reasons unknown to myself."
Simon's face softened as he thought back to that time. It was so long ago, yet the memories were reasonably fresh, despite everything that had happened since.
"You've been in my life longer than anyone," Magnus was saying, a slightly stunned expression on his face, as if he hadn't really thought about the length of time the two had known each other, lived together. "Certainly longer than I thought I would be able to put up with your whiny presence, in any case," he smirked, obviously joking, though Simon pretended to be offended and swatted at his arm. He had a point though. Way back before Simon had been sent back in time, he would never have considered spending a day alone with Magnus, let alone several years. Now, after everything that had happened, he honestly couldn't imagine surviving half as long as he had without the companionship Magnus had given him. They had supported each other through some pretty hard times – dead friends or lovers, heartbreak, people trying to murder one or both of them for some reason...
"Magnus," Simon spoke softly, bringing the warlock's eyes up to his, sincerity shining in his own brown eyes. "Thank you. For everything."
Magnus smiled gently at his words and they held each other's gaze in silence for a moment, before the warlock shook himself and snorted primly, "Yes, well. I'm not dying, no need to get sentimental, Lewis. I made a promise, after all, and I always keep my promises."
"That's why you make so few, huh?" The two friends grinned at each other.
2007
The music was loud and the room was thrumming with energy. Simon was fairly sure that Magnus had never met most of these people before in his life, but that was just typical of him. Besides, Simon's mind was on other things. He was only half-listening to the person he had started a conversation with by the smoke machine, his eyes roaming the room, waiting until he caught a glimpse of... Well, himself, technically. Tonight, as Magnus celebrated the birthday of his missing cat, was the night the two of them would meet for the first time in Simon's original timeline, which would then result in Simon getting turned into a rat and inadvertently kidnapped by a vampire. The person he had been talking with had clearly gotten bored with his unresponsiveness and left. He turned his attention back to surveying the crowd, nervously tugging at the edge of sleeve with his right hand. He hadn't told Magnus the importance of this night in his previous history. The two of them rarely spoke about Simon's parallel life since Mikael's death – Simon certainly never brought up the fact that Magnus had been technically brainwashing his friend since she was a child. He knew it was probably a reckless idea, hanging out at a party where he knew his past-self would be, but there was little to no chance of him being recognised, let alone spoken to unless he initiated the conversation, as Magnus and Tessa's collective glamour was still in effect.
Suddenly, a shock of red hair was in his sight and couldn't hold back a gasp. This was the first time he had seen Clary in over a century. And then – there he was, and goodness, didn't he look awkward and out of place. Other Simon's shoulders were hunched and he was clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation, his body turned to Clary in the hopes of finding some reassurance – it was tragically obvious how gone he was on her. Simon felt second-hand (or was it still technically first-hand?) embarrassment at his former self. It was an incredibly strange sensation, to be looking at oneself from across the room at a party.
He swallowed deeply as he saw Magnus approach the group and engage in a short conversation with them, masterfully covering his surprise at seeing Simon among them, shooting him a glare over his shoulder as he directed Clary and Jace to the privacy of his bedroom. And there was Izzy, dragging Other Simon behind her, who was about to try and impress a pretty girl by drinking something incredibly stupid. Simon took that as his cue to find a more secluded corner of the party and wait until Magnus kicked everyone out – the two were probably going to have a lengthy discussion once everyone was gone.
2008
The business with Valentine had come and gone, and Simon had mostly done his part to avoid everything for fear of messing up the timeline. He had spent most of his days in Downworld, waiting everything out. His mind had been focused on the upcoming date for some time, and now that it was finally upon him, he wasn't sure how to go about it. He had considered the problem from all angles, and the only solution that he could come up with that would fix any eventual loops or time-related problems required he get in touch with an old acquaintance. He was waiting for her in his shop, the sign flipped to 'Closed'. His hands had been trembling with nerves for the past few hours and he tried to occupy them by fiddling with the small box in his hands, turning it this way and that, opening and closing it.
Finally, the bell above the door chimed, announcing her presence. Simon looked up and saw Adeen standing in his doorway. She hadn't changed much in the years since had had last seen her. He stood up from behind the counter and slowly made his way over to her. He was unsure how to greet her and awkwardly extended his hand to her, which she shook firmly, her fingers a blistering heat compared to his ice cold ones.
"Simon," she said. "It's good to see you." He nodded, wanted to say something in return, but the words jammed in his throat. "So, you wish to call in the debt I owe you, correct?"
"Yeah," he replied, voice hoarse.
"This is the item?" she asked, gesturing to the small silver box in his hands with her head. He nodded jerkily. "Very well. I'm unable to perform the spell myself. It was hard to find someone that could, actually. But I did. She's willing to meet with you tomorrow, at this location," she pushed a scrap of paper with a neatly-written address on it into his hand. "Are you amenable to this arrangement?"
"Yes," Simon cleared his throat. Adeen nodded in a business-like manner.
"Good," she pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him, sealing the deal, signifying the end of her debt to him. She broke away but remained close to him, hands wavering over his chest. "Happy birthday, by the way,"
If Simon had been nervous about meeting with Adeen yesterday, it was nothing compared to how he felt today, waiting on a bench in Central Park for some mysterious person to appear and all-but seal his fate for him. He was so wrapped up in his racing thoughts, mind flitting to a thousand different places in a second, unable to really focus on any of them, that he almost didn't notice the small old woman who had settled herself on the opposite end of the bench until she cleared her throat pointedly. His head snapped up and he stared at her until a foggy memory surfaced.
"You!" he gasped, suddenly flung back to his first Christmas in the past and the strange woman who had known he was from the past, who had given him the ring that had saved both his life and Magnus' on more than a few occasions.
"How are you, dearie? Ready to come home?"
Simon waited a moment. He knew what had happened, had felt the magic course through the apartment, the jolt of something inside him that he hadn't known was misplaced settle, filling him with a sense of solidity, reality. He could hear the others panicking in the living room, turning on Magnus who was remaining calmly silent, waiting to revel in the drama, Simon was sure. The vampire was shaking again, although this time he wasn't sure whether it was from fear or excitement. Probably both.
He opened the door and made his way down the hall to where Clary was screeching at Magnus with barely contained fury.
"Where is he? Magnus, what have you done with him?!" Instead of replying, Magnus just nodded his head in the direction of where Simon had silently appeared, his movements casual but genuine concern in his eyes as they exchanged a meaningful glance. Clary hurried over to him, stopping short as she realised how different he looked to how he had just moments ago for her.
"Simon..." she murmured, "What happened? Where did you go?"
"Very far away. But I'm back now," his voice was rough with barely-contained emotion. He grabbed her, pulling her into a crushing hug.
"Simon!" she squeaked, "Will you please tell me what's going on?"
He released her reluctantly and cast his gaze over to the others, who were all watching the scene with varying expressions of worry, curiosity and distrust. He locked eyes with Izzy for a moment, and god, he'd forgotten how breathtaking she was. Her resemblance to Cecily was uncanny and he felt old nostalgia and feelings twist in his stomach. He dragged his eyes way from her - they would have plenty of time to discuss things in private later.
"I mean, it's a pretty long story. We might be here a while," he grinned at Magnus, who winked back.
"Well, go on, vampire," said Jace from his place on the couch, "Tell us your story."
And there we have it. I can't believe this fic is finally over. I never expected to write something this huge when I started it, or expected it to go where it went at times. It's been such an experience and I want to thank each and every one of the readers, from those who have been here from the beginning, those who had the courage to start an unfinished 50k+ fic, the regular reviewers, the silent readers, everyone. This fic wouldn't have been what it is without you guys. Thank you so much.
There are a lot of scenes and ideas that I decided not to include, so if you're really curious about what could have been, ask me, I'd be more than happy to talk with you! PM me here or get in touch on my Tumblr, where you can find me under the name of azoric.
Once again, thank you for putting up with my crazy fic for this long, you're all amazing.
- Jem xx
