A/N: Sorry it's been a while, I couldn't decide how this chapter was going to go for a while time. But -thanks to insomnia- last night I figured it out and I've been writing all morning. Hope you enjoy :)

CHAPTER XIV

We Will Endure

Time is not on my side. I don't have time to think, to dawdle. Only to act, to do something. But the endless possibilities were swarming my mind, distracting my attention. The demon's words were echoing through my head.
You know what to do...

What was that supposed to mean? Was there something I could do to help her, to stop this? But I don't have time to question that know, the Sun above is slowly rising and soon we will not be hidden by night's shadow. All will see what has happened, there will be questions, police, I need to go, to leave now. But how? The institute is a while away and I can't carry Darcy all the way there. I'm barely able to lift her at all, we'd never make it in time. Then it struck me.
Her car. Darcy drove to mine last night, her car was sitting in my drive. If I can just get her back to the house, I can grab her keys and drive there. I can find my way. Thank God my Dad had taught me on my last visit there. With the plan set, I sprung to action. I hauled Darcy up gingerly. Wincing as she groaned and the grey strip binding her chest darkened still. But a part of me rejoiced at the sound, it meant she was alive, I can still save her.

"We can do this Darcy, come one. You're not dying on me!" I grunted through my teeth, hoisting her arm around my shoulders and beginning to move as fast as I could back to mine. For the first time I was thankful that my mother had moved us closer into the city after... certain events last year. It meant my house wasn't so far away. It meant we could have the edge, that small advantage that could save her. Time, more time.

I was running on pure adrenaline. Coursing through my veins, supporting myself, keeping my rapid emotions at bay so I could help her, save her. All I felt was my heart pounding, and the cold digging at my skin. But none of that mattered, only her. Soon enough we were back at my house. First, I dug into Darcy's pocket's to relieve her of her keys. I opened the car and laid her carefully on the back seat. Closing the door and ran back to the house, unlocking the door, I flew inside, grabbing the essentials. A change of clothes, Darcy's things. My Codex. Anything that could help me now. Books, phone. Deodorant. Anything and everything I needed. Not that I had much of anything sentimental left. Because I knew, through my soul I knew. That I wouldn't be coming back, not for a while at least. I need to finish this. End this. This all was my fault, wanting this life. If I hadn't turned my back on the truth, Darcy would never had been hurt. If she died I couldn't live with myself. She deserves better, and I don't deserve this life. No, I need to find out who I am, what I am. I need to find out what hurt Darcy, why all of this has happened. And I need to end it.

And if it cost my life, so be it.

Casting a look that rung with finality over my room, I ran to the door, hastily locking it behind me and stuffing the keys in my pocket. Getting to the driver's side, I all but threw the bags over to the passenger's side and burst the car into action. Luckily for me, the roads at this time were clear and free of patrolling police officer's to pull me over for speeding. I put my foot on it and sped the whole way there, narrowly avoiding curbs and corners. Suddenly, in my peripheral vision, my eyes caught the sign that read Fleet Street and the surroundings suddenly seemed all too familiar. I spun the wheel, tyres screeching in protest as it turned (Darcy would kill me later but I didn't care, not if it meant she lived) and flew down the street. I slammed the car into park as I saw the familiar ruin of a church, looking back, Darcy was still motionless over the back seat, luckily not jostled too much by my reckless driving. Jumping out of the car, in a split second of focusing on the sight it transformed, morphed into the grand sight of the London Institute. Turns out it didn't take much. And I was desperate. More carefully now, heart thrumming in my chest, I lifted Darcy from the care. Pulling her once again over my shoulders and heaving her with all my might to the door. The steps were difficult to manoeuvre with her by my side, dead weight. Dead...

No, not now.

When I finally made it to the front door. I slammed my hand repeatedly on the hard wood., not caring to notice that I would probably have bruises there tomorrow. But after slamming and shouting, nothing. I didn't have time to be polite, to be the good girl and wait for the door to be opened. No, I don't have time for that, so with all the strength I had left. I pushed the heavy wood door open, hearing it groan as it slowly swung inwards, omitting me, us access inside. I smiled breathlessly in relief as I fell inside. I had been pushing all of my weight and the added weight of Darcy onto the door in order to open it, so it was no surprise when I collapsed onto the the floor inside the Institute, half leaning on the moving door, half supporting Darcy.

"Help! Help, please!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, voice hoarse from crying and shouting. Somehow, I managed to haul myself back to my feet, using the door as a prop but never taking my eyes from Darcy as I pulled her upwards once more. Teeth grinding as I used everything I had to haul her up.

The thud of running footsteps were music to my ears and -as Darcy was once again, over my shoulder- I glanced up in relief to see Julian, eyes wild and hair ruffled from sleep, still in his pyjamas at the entrance to the left wing, at the top of the stairs as they veered left.

"November? How did you-" he questioned, voice laden with confusion and sleep as his eyebrows knitted and he pointed in the direction of the door behind me.

"Julian" I breathed, "Please, help- help her. She's-" I stumbled forwards, hearing the door groan shut behind me, but it was all catching up to me, the lack of sleep, the shock, the adrenaline was waning and I fell to my knees. My eyelids were flickering as I saw Julian run down the stairs to me, taking Darcy's weight from my shoulders as I fell forwards, only just having the thought and strength to throw my hands before me to support my weight.

"She's what? What happened? Talk to me November!" alarm was now spiking through his usually calm tone now as -in one swift movement- he carefully lay Darcy to the ground and moved over to me.

"No- no-" I coughed, only just having the strength to lift one hand from the ground to wave his away from me, "Don't- don't waste your time with me. Help- help her. She's more important, I- I'm fine"

"No, You're-" he began to protest, casting a worried glance down to where Darcy lay, but was interrupted by another voice, calling from the stairs.

"What, in the name of Raziel, is going on here!?" called a familiarly pissed and agitated voice. I looked upwards to see Emma, hair free and flying behind, coming down the stairs. I looked long enough to see her make her way to where we were and kneel by Darcy's motionless form, but not long enough to see the tall, graceful figure emerge from behind her. Until a contrastingly calm voice called.

"Emma, is that any way to speak now. It is clear that something terrible has happened this night" the voice -though calm- was laced with concern as it moved closer to where I was collapsed, breathing heavily on the floor. I felt the figure kneel down beside me, and a soft, gentle hand rest on my bare arm, the one which I had ripped the sleeve off of, "Now, child, tell me. What has happened here?"

I felt a calm, healing pulse run through me, overtaking the cold that was still running through my veins, and my breathing levelled out. With shaking arms, moved backwards to sit on my knees and look up at the figure beside me. It was a woman, though I knew that from her voice, with long, thick brown hair tied loosely in a braid over her shoulder, and kind, grey eyes, filled with concern as they met my startled ones. I watched her inhale sharply as she met my eyes, and doubt and sadness flicker briefly in her eyes, before concern overtook once more. I was moved, touched by her concern for a perfect stranger. She gave me strength, the strength I needed right now. And I was able to speak.

"It's not me, it's her. She's hurt, mortally injured. By a- it was a demon that did it. She's my best friend, if it wasn't for me she wouldn't have been there" I sobbed, feeling tears form in my eyes, "Please... please help her. Save her" I managed to choke before my emotions caught up with me. I watched the stranger's eyes set, jaw firm with a slight nod as if she had decided something right then and there. As if I had passed some kind of test.

"Come child" she said, rising to her feet and offering a hand to me. I took it and gingering rose to my feet also, muscles groaning my protest, "We must not fall apart when those we love need us most, we are women and we must endure. I know what you are feeling, for I have felt it too and know how easy it is to fall, to break apart when the worst happens. But heroes endure because we need them, when they are needed. Never for their own sakes, and your friend needs you now. And you will endure now, because of her" she nodded once more to me and her eyes spoke of her truth. Somehow, some way, she felt familiar to me, like I had met her before but I knew I hadn't.

"Who... who are you?" I breathed, looking in wonder up at her as she smiled weakly at me.

"I am Theresa Gray" she replied, and suddenly I remembered. She was briefly in City of Heavenly Fire and I knew that she was in the Clockwork series, but those I hadn't read just yet. For one reason or another, I hadn't got around to it. But it still didn't quite explain my reaction to her. How I somehow recognised her and -on some level- had a brief feeling of... home, "Now, come with me. We will go to infirmary" she placed her hand on my arm once more and began to guide me thus, whilst turning her head to where Julian stood, dumbstruck, with Emma beside, frowning over Darcy, "You two will conduct..."

"Darcy"

"Conduct Darcy there and we will see what can be done to heal her. Have you any idea what kind of demon it was?"

"No... how could I? It was only the second demon I have ever seen"

"Only the second demon? My, what kind of Shadowhunter your age has only seen two demons?"

"I- I'm not"

"She's not a Shadowhunter Tessa" Emma chimed in.

"Is that so... well that explains a lot. But then, how could you have opened that door if you weren't?" Tessa asked with a tone of surety that implied that she knew something that I didn't.