Hi Lily (if you're out there)! Thanks so much for the review! :) Hopefully others will follow your example (cough cough).
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the Infernal Devices, not even Will T-T. These belong to Cassandra Clare. Now, what was happening in the story?
The sunlight shone clearly through the windows, Tessa could see it through her eyelids. It reminded her of the smell that all shadow hunters seemed to have. She tentatively reached beside her, and paused. There was quite a peculiar smell drifting in through her open bedroom door. She followed her nose through to the kitchen, where she could just see the back of someone happily flipping... was that bacon?
"Er... Jem?" She called. He whizzed around and beamed at her.
"Tessa! Good morning! Did you sleep well? I was just making some breakfast. I hope that's alright. Um..." He looked around bashfully. "Would you like some bacon?" he offered a brown crusty something on a plate.
"Um, sure." Tessa took it. "And I did sleep well, thank you. Was the spare bed to your liking?" She sat down at the bench and cautiously stuck her fork into the bacon.
Jem blushed almost imperceptibly. There had been a time when any emotion would have shown on his pale face like a red banner, but now he had a strong vigour, and the brotherhood had made his face harder to read. There were chapters in his book that would forever be closed.
"Yes... it was strange to have a real bed again. I felt like I was drowning in the mattress."
Tessa bit into a bit of bacon and broke into a coughing fit. Jem frowned slightly but returned to the frying pan.
"That reminds me." Tessa began, gulping down the last of the charred residue. "You still need to tell me about your life as a brother."
Jem didn't turn around. "Okay, well I'm a bit preoccupied preventing the bacon from burning at the moment, how about when I get a chance later?"
Tessa picked up the keys from the bench and jumped up from the bench. "How about over breakfast?" she rose onto her tiptoes and whispered in Jem's ear, "The bacon's way past burnt."
…
The London streets were already busy and clogged with traffic by the time that Jem and Tessa left the apartment. Tessa clasped Jem's hand and led him through the bustling crowds. She was headed towards a little café that Magnus had discovered during the 1950s. It was owned by a kindly little witch, who wasn't overly watchful about who wanted feeding. A boy with a bright red tail protruding from his trousers showed them to their table. Jem gingerly sat down in one of the very delicate chairs and surveyed his surroundings. The café was cosy and dimly lit, and a whole lamp's light was extinguished when a plump silhouette waddled towards their table.
"Tessie!" exclaimed the woman. She was extremely short, had a full head of frizzy brown hair, dark tanned skin, kind chocolate eyes, and most noticeably, webbed green hands and feet. "I haven't seen you in decades! And oh!" she stopped short and nearly overturned a table. "You have a friend!"
"Hello Martha," Tessa sighed with a smile. "Yes, I've come back. And this is James Carstairs, he's a fr-"
"Shadowhunter!" Martha said with wide eyes. "We haven't had one of you in here for a while." She leaned on the table and stared inquisitively at Jem. Tessa raised her eyebrows in horror and shook her head in a quick movement. Martha paused and stood back up with a smirk.
"I'll leave you two to decide what you would fancy." She said with an emphasised wink at Tessa as she disappeared into the kitchen. Tessa nervously looked over the table to see that Jem looked both slightly flustered and mirthful.
"I assume I just met the owner, who seems to know you very well?" Jem raised a fine eyebrow.
"Yes," Tessa sighed. "She was very good company when Magnus had to leave."
"Does she do any of the cooking? Do you think maybe we should've stayed with the bacon?" Jem suggested hopefully.
"Mmmm…" Tessa decided it was better not to answer. She pretended to be busy reading her menu. When the red tailed warlock came to take their orders she helped Jem make a decision and then sat in silence while they waited. Jem was busy thoroughly interpreting a newspaper, which gave Tessa a perfect opportunity to observe him. Where once he had been as pale and slim as the waning moon; a silver prince with silver crown and beautiful, silver, lunar eyes, he was now as mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Black and gold shadows fell over angular features and strong muscles. A mystery that not even words could describe. The stark silver streak against his black hair the only sign of what used to be. His beautiful black eyes seemed to go on forever, as if Tessa could stare through and see his soul; all that shaped him, and all of his life. If she could write down the content of those eyes, her immortal life would not give her enough time. Gold flecked rims, ebony irises, staring… straight at her.
"Tessa?" Jem asked with a hint of worry in his voice. "Are you alright? You seem a bit…"
Tessa shook herself out of her reverie and looked around her. "Sorry, I'm alright. Has our food arrived yet?"
"Yes." Jem slowly pushed a plate across the table. He still looked concerned but he picked up another subject.
"The food here is delicious. It's a very nice place."
"I'm glad you think so. Does it feel good to taste food again?"
Jem didn't reply but stared uneasily into the cup of coffee he had his hands clasped around.
"I know that you want me to tell you about my life as a silent brother, but the thing is, I can't remember. I would like to tell you if I could. But when you're a silent brother, everything is as if there is a frosted glass wall separating you from the rest of the world. When I was listening to you talking before it was like sound and colour had suddenly been added to my memories. I remembered, but not enough. I'm, I'm so sorry."
Tessa reached across the table and touched his hand. "Jem, it's alright. I don't mind if you don't remember. What matters is that we live in the present. If anything I just wish you'd be able to ease your conscience..." 'When you talked before it was like sound and colour had suddenly been added to my memories.' Tessa inhaled sharply. Talking had helped her to move on, words were her the sound and colour of her soul, but they were not Jem's medium.
"Martha?" she called across the tables. "May I please borrow a napkin?"
Please Review! Anything you didn't like, or did you like it? :D
Next Chapter Coming Soon. What does Tessa need a napkin for? Will we see more characters?
