AN: hey guys! Sorry it's been a while real life has been a bit time consuming. Also, most anticlimactic trap ever :') as always my imagination has exceeded my talent. Keep the reviews coming they're my life blood. This is an awful (but essential) chapter, sorry! But finally, Will/Gabriel people!

Character death in this part, don't hurt me! I just need to. Also for the purposes of the story the healing room is sound proofed. Yeah. Lyrics from Ways & Means by Snow Patrol.

Maybe I won't suffer
If I find a way to love here
I'd be lying to myself
But there is no way out that I can see

It took Will several minutes to process Gabriel's words. It's a trap.

Without thinking Will grabbed Gabriel by the shoulders, "What do you mean?" he demanded. He couldn't lose anyone else. He couldn't. Not the Institute, his home. They'd already lost Thomas and Agatha, and almost lost Charlotte, Henry and Jem. Jem.

Jem was weakening quickly. He couldn't cope with another huge fight just yet.

"What do you mean?" he repeated.

Gabriel whimpered and he turned away mumbling, "Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"No," snapped Will. "Gabriel, Gabriel, I need you to tell me what's going to happen."

Gabriel looked up at him with wide eyes and said, "They're going to kill all of you."

"You're sure this will work?" he hissed as they approached the Institute.

She smiled, slow and sadistically, "Of course it will."

"Demons can't get in to the Institute," he snapped, making to turn around. "It's just not possible."

She grabbed him by the arm and rolled her eyes at her two companions. "You Shadow Hunters think you're unbeatable. It's pathetic." She spat the words before turning back to him. "There's a spell we can use that will diffuse any protection and warding spells, it even weakens older magic for a time. The spell needs to be placed on an object in the area we want to enter." She smiled sweetly and for a minute he was reminded that this is the queen of demons he was talking to.

The object, she said. Your son, he heard.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked after a few moments. "You don't work with the Magister. Why are you helping me? Why do you want the girl?"

She laughed. "Why do you think I want my Shadow Hunter in charge of the Institute?"

For a few moments Benedict looked at her and thought about what he was about to do. She smiled and leant in close to him to hiss in his ear, "Tick tock, Benedict." she ran a hand along his arm, along the rash.

Tick tock, Benedict. If he did this she'd cure him and he'd be head of the Institute. All he had to do was let the demons in and let them take the warlock girl, no questions asked. Everyone else would be discredited easily. Benedict had an airtight alibi and why would they try to pin this on him?

He sighed and strode up to the Institute doors as the demons behind him changed their appearances to that of servants and maids. One of them stayed back at the carriage, the others followed him up to the Institute doors. He took a deep breath and knocked.

The maid, Sophie answered the door. "Oh, Mr Lightwood, we weren't expecting you so late."

Benedict licked his lips and spoke in the steadiest voice he could manage, "I'm here to see my son."

"Oh, oh," the maid stammered. "Um, of course Mr Lightwood. I'll just...I have to check with Mrs Branwell first."

Benedict's eyes narrowed. "Miss Collins, you will let me in right now or I swear to you, the consequences will be dire."

"Gabriel, what are they going do?" Will asked slowly, for the hundredth time.

Gabriel had his eyes shut tight, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Will leapt away from the bed and tugged at his hair in frustration. Half of him was convinced Gabriel was hallucinating, hoped Gabriel was hallucinating. But there was a sick feeling in his stomach that told him the older Shadow Hunter wasn't lying. And he didn't know what to do.

He took a steadying breath and said, "Gabriel, please. I need to know what's happening."

Gabriel looked away and before Will could say anything further Jem burst into the room, silver eyes wide, "WILL!" he cried, "Demons, demons in the Institute!" he threw Will his gear. Jem was panting, Will had never seen him look so dishevelled, his clothes were bloodstained.

Will's heart stopped. Where was Tessa? "What's going on?" she asked calmly.

"We need you; it isn't going well at all down there." Jem said, backing out the door.

Tessa appeared beside Jem and Will sighed with relief. "You stay here," Will barked, he glanced back once at Gabriel "And watch him," he added to Tessa before following his parabatai out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Will panted as they ran through the Institute.

"There were only four demons," Jem called back over his shoulder. "Gideon, Charlotte and I should have been enough. But we weren't, obviously. They- Sophie and Charlotte are injured and Henry...I don't even know where he is." Jem's voice broke.

Will caught up with him and touched his arm, "It'll be okay."

The scene in the grand hallway of the Institute was one of absolute carnage. Gideon and Charlotte were fighting a losing battle against 3 demons, blue skinned, red haired, clawed beasts; Will had never seen anything like them. How had they even got in? Sophie was huddled in the corner, blocked from retreat from a fourth demon, a woman, the same woman Will had seen with Benedict Lightwood. She was watching the fight with a smile playing across her face. And leaning against the Institute door was Benedict Lightwood.

Will's blood started to boil and he launched himself screaming, "Traitor!"At Benedict.

The demon woman cackled and called out to him as he yanked Benedict away from the door. Will could barely her hear over the noise of the fight, "Ah, William Herondale, I met your father once. I'll extend you the same offer I gave your friends. Give me the Warlock girl and I promise, we'll leave."

As soon as Will had shut the door behind him Gabriel's eyes flew open and he rasped, "What's happening?"

Tessa shook her head, "Gabriel..."

"It's him isn't it? My father?" he said softly, his green eyes fixed on Tessa.

She sat down heavily and cursed herself for being so useless. She should be down there fighting to protect the Institute, her family, instead was stuck up here. She could sneak down without any trouble but she'd just be in the way. And she couldn't leave Gabriel alone. "Yes," she said, sadly. "Yes, it is and I can't do a thing to stop what he's doing."

Gabriel bit his lip and for a moment Tessa was struck by how plaintive the gesture was. "Now you know how I've felt most of my life," he mumbled. His eyelids fluttered, he was still so weak. He could barely stay awake. "I wanna help," he said groggily.

"You can't, you need to rest." Tessa said mechanically and his eyes slid shut.

Before he stilled completely Tessa swore she heard him say, "You don't." But it was so soft she wasn't if he'd actually said it or if she'd willed it into existence.

"You're right, I don't." She said to herself.

When Gabriel slipped gladly in to the darkness again he found Christopher waiting for him.

"It wasn't you," Gabriel said softly. "It wasn't you saying all those things to me. Holding my hand. It wasn't you."

Christopher smiled sadly and pulled Gabriel to him so he was pressed against Christopher's chest. "No, of course it wasn't, love."

Gabriel ran a hand across Christopher's face. One day he wouldn't remember it. One day Christopher would just be a hazy whisper, a hand print on a foggy window. He whimpered and buried his face in Christopher's chest. "He's attacking the Institute, Kit. He's killing them and it's all my fault."

Christopher held him but didn't say anything so Gabriel whispered, "Take me with you, please."

Christopher looked down at him and brushed Gabriel's hair back tenderly, his blue eyes were wide and sad. He searched Gabriel's face and then said quietly, "Don't ask that of me. Please, Gabriel, I won't be able to resist."

"Then don't." Gabriel whimpered.

"You know, Branwell, you could stop this at any time." Lilith said smugly.

Will was limping, Jem was fading fast and Gideon left arm was hanging limp. Sophie was bleeding and Henry, Raziel she had no idea where Henry was. Charlotte's head was throbbing, her hair was congealed with blood and every time she moved too fast her head swam. They had only killed one of Lilith's demons. We don't stand a chance, she thought dimly. At least they had taken Benedict down. The elder Shadow Hunter was sprawled on the floor a few feet from her.

"Never," she spat at the demon queen.

Lilith laughed, "You would sacrifice everyone here for a little Downworlder you barely know! We'll take her anyway."

"No you won't," Will snarled from Charlotte's left.

"Then die," Lilith said, grinning widely. "Die and solve most of our problems."

Tessa watched as her friends fought, for her. Because of her. She couldn't fight with them but there was one thing she could do. She stood up from her hiding place.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Tessa said loudly. Everyone stopped and looked at her, gaping.

"Tessa," Will began but Tessa shot him a look that shut him up.

She swallowed thickly, "If I come with you, you'll leave them alone?"

The demon smiled and nodded, "Of course. I'll even leave you the Shadow Hunter to torture." She said, kicking Benedict's limp body.

"You promise?"

The demon nodded again.

"And what would I have to do?" she asked.

"That's up to the Magister," Lilith said musically. "But he's assured me he won't hurt you."

Tessa gulped and looked once more at the Shadow Hunters. Charlotte and Gideon were gaping at her; Jem was staring with a mixture of awe and fear and Will was muttering, no, stop Tessa. Stop this now. The demons were stood frozen, staring at their leader. "I'll do it."

Lilith smiled slowly, the kind of smile Tessa imagined a shark would have as it cornered its prey. "Clever girl." She held out her hand, "Come on, warlock."

Tessa strode towards her bravely, smiling to Will as she past him and mouthing, I'll be okay. As she passed Jem he stepped forwards. "You can't take her," he said very calmly, striding up to her and taking her hand. "If you take her, I'm coming too."

The demon cackled, "As you wish Carstairs. The Magister won't be pleased, though."

Tessa wanted to tell Jem to stay but she knew he wouldn't so instead she looked at him and smiled gratefully. He returned it and the two turned to face Lilith. "There's a carriage waiting for you." She said.

Jem squeezed Tessa's hand reassuringly and turned to Will who was watching them wide eyed. "You can't both leave." He said, sounding for all the world like a lost child. Charlotte was holding him back, as though she expected him to run after them at any moment and that was probably a very real possibility, Tessa reflected.

"You can't leave me, James!" Will snarled, tears in his eyes.

"William," Jem said gently. "You'll find us."

"But-" Will began, Jem tugged at Tessa's hand and she mouthed, I'll look after him, to Will.

And then they walked out the door.

"Gabriel, you don't want to be dead." Christopher said, kissing him softly. "Now wake up."

Gabriel's eyes fluttered open and he bit back a groan as reality crashed down around him. He looked around, the room was dark it must have been night time. There was a figure lying on its side in the bed beside him, he couldn't make out who it was but his heart clenched painfully. I did this, he thought. He rolled over and realised that Will was once again sitting in the chair behind his bed. The younger boy was watching him with an unreadable expression.

Gabriel licked his lips. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

Will sighed. "Demons. Sophie's hurt badly. Charlotte and Gideon are okay. Your father has been taken to the Silent City. Tessa and Jem went with them to the Magister. Henry...Henry is dead." He listed their names emotionlessly, as though he were reciting a particularly well rehearsed speech.

Gabriel couldn't stop the crashing wave of guilt that rises up within him. "I did this," he mumbled through the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. Your fault, your fault, your fault, his heart whispered with every beat. Henry's dead, Tessa and James are gone, Gideon's love is hurt.

"This isn't your fault," Will said tonelessly, looking away from Gabriel. He sounded broken, defeated, tired. Your fault.

"Of course it is," Gabriel said before he could stop himself. "I should have just died, why couldn't I have just died? But I didn't."

Will looked at him long and hard. "Yeah, you didn't." He said cruelly.

Gabriel's eyes widened.

"So it is my fault," Gabriel cried softly. "I killed Henry, and Tessa and Jem. They're going to die and it's my fault."

Will watched Gabriel bit back tears and if his heart had been anyway intact it might have broken a little bit. Gabriel started shaking, like he had when he first woke up and Will put a hand on his shoulder, alarmed. "Calm down, it's not your fault. I didn't mean..." he said standing up.

He bit his lip. He hadn't cried when they'd found Henry. He hadn't cried when Magnus had said Sophie might not make it, she wasn't a shadow hunter, they couldn't use runes. He hadn't cried when he'd sat in Jem's empty room, when he'd looked at the battered copy of Tale of Two Cities in his bedroom. But now he wasn't sure if he could hold back the tears.

"By the angel, Gabriel, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that, it wasn't true, it wasn't your fault. I was just..." he moved towards Gabriel and without quite knowing why he clambered onto the bed and pulled Gabriel towards him. "It's not your fault, it'll be okay. It'll be okay." Will said, ignoring the burn of tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Will," Gabriel whispered. "It's my fault, it's my fault. You should kill me, Will. Just kill me."

Will fisted a hand in Gabriel's hair and clenched his eyes shut. "Shut up, Gabriel. Just shut up." He said, pressing Gabriel tighter to his chest.

Gabriel broke and Will felt the older boy's back begin to shake with silent sobs.

And Will broke with him.

If I lied you'd know it instantly
So I just had to look away
All the honesty I've ever lost
I can't begin to even curse
I never knew the taste of blood till now
It's clear I never should have known