Author's Note: Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming. Enjoy!

Chapter 15

Will woke up the next morning alone, completely naked and wrapped in the softest blankets he had ever felt. Magnus had climbed out of bed at dawn, somehow knowing, instinctively that Will needed to be left alone after all that had transpired the night before. They had made a vow to each other, however simplistic it had been, that they would remain at one another's side until death. The vow was the same as the one Will had made to Jem, but different in the fact that it would be permanent. This time, Magnus would have to face losing Will, rather than Will being the one for death to take his lover. It was both comforting and frightening.

The entire night felt sacred to Will. He was afraid to even think about it and wanted to remember it as a perfect reality, not as an imperfect, fading dream. After every promise was made, they had climbed into bed together and made love like the last six months of pain and heartache had never happened. Will's last thought as he fell asleep in Magnus's arms was that he was finally home.

Will opened his eyes and saw that bright light cascaded in from the windows. The sky was a pristine blue. He wondered if he had fallen asleep in February and woke up in May.

"It's almost all melted," A voice whispered. Will turned his head and saw Magnus sitting on the bedside, completely dressed. "It's practically spring."

"It's just a thaw," Will mumbled. He had lived in London long enough to know there would be at least another two months of cold, damp weather. Then, there would be three months of warm, damp weather. Jem had always loathed the London weather, though Will hadn't found Shanghai's weather to much different. "Come back to bed." Will reached out to pull Magnus back into the warm cocoon of the bed.

"We have visitors," Magnus said. He crawled across the bed, laid his head on Will's shoulder, and inhaled.

"From the Clave?" Will asked.

"Not precisely," Magnus said. "It's Tessa and Sophie. Henry brought them out for a visit since the weather is so nice." Will groaned and burrowed his head beneath the pillow. He felt Magnus's weight against his chest, nearly squeezing the breath from his lungs. They could have fallen asleep this way, close and intimate. Magnus found his way beneath the pillow and kissed Will gently on the lips. "Get up. I'll make tea. When they leave we'll get back into bed and I'll do that thing you like."

"Which thing?"

"You'll see," Magnus said. "I guarantee, you'll like it." Magnus climbed from the bed, crossed the room, and went downstairs. Will closed his eyes and smiled.

Will took his time getting dressed and finally walked downstairs. The ground floor was warm, cozy and smelled of banana bread. There were voices coming from the parlor so Will walked to the room and pushed open the door.

Tessa stood just inside the door, wearing the blue dress Will had always liked her in. Her hair hung loose around her face with small sections pinned up. Tessa's eyes were intently set upon a shelf of books as she smiled unconsciously, lost in her imagination.

"Have you ever seen so many books?" Will mumbled. Tessa gasped and looked at Will, smiling secretively. She shook her head, almost gleefully, as her hand remained on the spine of a book.

"I can see why you like being here," Tessa said, her eyes knowing. She looked across the room to Magnus, who was lighting a candle on the mantle. "How are you, Will?"

"Better than ever," Will said. "I hadn't expected you and Sophie to leave the Institute."

"Sophie wanted to come for a visit," Tessa said, nodding to the sofa.

Sophie sat on the sofa, hands folded over her stomach, her lips formed into a tight pout. She had been crying the last time Will had seen her. He had made her cry, and hadn't yet forgiven himself for it. Jem would not have wanted Will to have hurt Sophie.

Will quickly crossed the room and sat down beside Sophie. She looked away, so he lifted his hand and touched her arm. "I'm sorry, Sophie. But you must understand why I did it. Benedict was saying awful things about Jem, and you. What sort of man would I be if I didn't defend the honor of my closest friend… and the woman he loved?" Will asked.

"You would be a man who put logic over brute force," Sophie said. "You would have fought your battles as a man, and not a boy."

"I'm sorry," Will said.

"What's done is done," Sophie said. She shrugged and did not meet his eyes.

Magnus set a cup and saucer on the table in front of Will. Will reached for it and caught Magnus's shocked gaze. He hadn't expected Will to have taken their commitment that seriously, yet Will had.

They sipped their tea for a few minutes, all waiting for someone to start the conversation.

"Henry and Charlotte send their best," Tessa finally said. "Charlotte says you are welcome back at the Institute. Gabriel Lightwood is two days into a five day stay in the Silent City. He caused harm to a Shadowhunter. He needed to be punished." Tessa said the words with such unabashed glee, Will found himself intrigued by her new found blood lust.

"And how are you, Sophie?" Magnus asked. "How is the little one?" Sophie put a hand over her stomach and regarded Magnus suspiciously.

"Charlie is just fine," Sophie said. "I'm entering into my seventh month of pregnancy. I'm here because… decisions need to be made. Decisions regarding Will and I."

Magnus met Will's eyes and looked away. Will wished for last night, when it had only been he and Magnus. Now, there was Sophie, and Charlie, and a whole life outside of the fortress of Magnus's home.

"Why don't you go upstairs and talk things over?" Magnus asked. "Tessa and I can suitably amuse ourselves down here." Sophie nodded quickly. Will stood up and offered a hand to Sophie, who took it. They left the parlor and started upstairs.

"Henry has found us a crib. Beatrice is sewing us some blankets," Sophie said. "In addition, someone from the Clave sent us several boxes of baby clothes. They're used, but in fairly good condition. Every little bit helps."

"And how are you?" Will asked. Sophie looked breathless as she came to the top of the steps. Will reached over to assist her.

"I'm tired," Sophie said. "I should be spending my days preparing for this baby, not… waiting for you to come home from your prison sentence."

"I'm sorry," Will said. Sophie sighed. "You must understand why I did it."

"I do. Jem would have been angry with you, but he would have been proud, as well," She said. "I know you don't want to be a father, Will. You've made that clear, however…"

"I want to be a father," Will said. "This baby, Sophie… he's the son of a man we both loved. I want to be in his life. I want to be in his life, and yours as well." Sophie smiled at Will, the first smile he had seen from her in some time.

"Thank you, Will," Sophie said. "I want you in our lives as well."

Will returned her smile, and then pushed open the door to the upstairs apartment. He walked in and Sophie followed. She looked around, her eyes taking in the walls and windows. With the sun shining outside, the room felt even more open and welcoming than usual. Sophie went over to a window and looked out of it. Will walked over to the piano and leaned against it.

"Magnus has asked that we move in with him," Will said. "The three of us could live up here. This could be our home." The small smile on Sophie's face melted away. She scowled at Will.

"Our home," Sophie echoed bitterly. "You propose that you and I and Charlie move in with the warlock?" Will was taken aback by her tone.

"He has offered us something wonderful," he said. "It's no different than living at the Institute. I would go off to work every day, and you could stay here and raise our son. It's a home, Sophie. It could be our home."

"Our home," Sophie repeated. "You want us to… live… with the warlock?" Sophie folded her hands. her eyes narrowed and she regarded Will with measured interest. Her mouth pouted like she had tasted something sour.

"His name is Magnus," Will said. His voice shook. He didn't bother saying that he loved Magnus and wanted to be with him. Sophie wouldn't have understood. "And yes. I think this apartment would be a nice place to live and raise Charlie. It's just the right size, and cozy. We could be happy here."

"I don't like it," Sophie said. "These windows… they're too close to the floor. The baby could fall out."

"So Magnus can make them smaller," Will said.

"There isn't a crib-"

"You said that Henry found us one."

"This chair won't be comfortable to nurse in…" Sophie ran her fingers over the back of a chair.

"So we'll get another chair. Any chair you want," Will said.

"This floor is so hard. It's going to hurt the baby's knees when he starts to crawl," Sophie said. She tapped her toe on the floor.

"We'll get wonderful, plush carpets then," Will said. "We can have anything you want, Sophie. Anything. Just say the words and we'll have it."

"Very well then. I would like a husband," Sophie said. "I would like a man who would be with me for my entire pregnancy, not just the last two months of it. Can your warlock provide me with that?"

"I can see what he could-" Will said.

"You must really love him," Sophie said, staring into Will's eyes. "The effort you've put into convincing me to move here, with you… it's admirable. More than that, it's… enviable."

Will braced himself against the piano as Sophie spun on her heels and marched across the room to another window. He wanted to know when Sophie had become so cold and ruthless and realized that heartbreak had made her that way. Jem truly had broken her when he had told her that he loved Will more than her. Sophie believed she could not be loved and therefore, did not want to see anyone happy.

"I wanted to give us a home," Will managed. "I wanted to provide for you, anything you might need. This place can be ours."

"Ours," Sophie said. "You only do things that benefit yourself. You want us to live here, you, and I, and Charlie. But every night you should be climbing into my bed as my husband, you'll be climbing into the warlock's bed, as his lover. I'll have to share you, the same way I shared Jem. I won't, Will. I won't. You could be mine. You should be mine." Her eyes filled with tears. Sophie tried to remain strong but Will could see the cracks forming in the foundations she had built.

"I don't want to be yours!" Will exclaimed. "I can be a father to Charlie. I can be with you as a friend. I'll never marry you. I can't love you."

"That's not good enough!" Sophie cried. "I deserve more! Jem ended things with me because he knew I deserved a man that would marry me, and love me. I deserved a man who would never leave me, who could give me more than a few years of happiness. I deserve more than what you're offering to me. I deserve more."

"I'm offering you a home," Will said. "I'm offering you a life with me." Sophie laughed sarcastically.

"With you," she spit out. "I'm declining the offer. You've been foolish long enough. It's time you became a man. Finish your prison sentence and come home. We have a baby to prepare for."

Will felt his heart start to pound as his neck got warm. Sophie smiled a smug smile and turned towards the door.

"No!" Will snapped. It was the first time he had raised his voice to her in a while. Sophie stopped, her back to Will, as his voice echoed off the walls. "What do I deserve? A life of misery with you?" Will looked Sophie up and down, a disgusted look on his face. "You? A miserable girl who had sex with Jem the minute he gave you the time of day? Am I supposed to sacrifice my happiness for you? Jem told me to love again. He wanted me to be happy. Forgive me for wanting happiness."

"Happiness? Will Herondale wants to be happy? Since when?" Sophie asked with a laugh. Will took a breath that didn't calm his body as Sophie walked back across the room, stopping less than an arm's length away from Will. "You have a decision to make. You can choose to be with me, and to raise Jem's son with me. It wouldn't be a happy life, but… it would be a life of purpose. Or, you can choose to make yourself happy, and be with the warlock. That would be a life of pleasure."

"I believe I can have a life of pleasure and purpose," Will said. His father left the Clave in the name of love and family. This choice was nothing compared to that.

"In a perfect world, you could have both," Sophie said. "This life is far from perfect. Should you choose to be with Magnus, you can forget having anything to do with Jem's son. I can make this easy on us. I can walk away. Can you?"

She had threatened it before, but the threat had never felt real. Sophie was right. She could leave the Institute tomorrow, blend into mundane society, and spread stories that would enable her to have a normal life. If Sophie wanted to leave, Charlie might be lost forever to Will.

The idea of that was awful. Charlie would never be Jem, and would never replace all Will had lost when Jem had died, but Charlie was still Jem's son and deserved to be raised knowing what sort of man his father had been. Before, Charlie had been a baby that would eventually be born, but now, Will could see Charlie turning 17 and going off to the Academy. Charlie would find a parabatai to swear to. Every dream Will had from the time he knew what the Shadowhunters were, Charlie could have as well.

"You can't ask me to choose between Charlie and what I want," Will said.

"I'm the one who's carrying this child. I can do whatever I want with him," Sophie said. "Speaking of which, you should know that I don't want to raise Charlie as a Shadowhunter. We can raise him in the Institute, and you can continue with your work there, but I don't want Charlie training as a Shadowhunter. I don't want him fighting demons."

Will gasped. "What are you talking about? This is Jem's son. Jem fought demons. His father fought demons. His father fought demons-"

"This baby's father died fighting demons. And Jem's father died, tied up and tortured by a demon. Don't romanticize death at the hands of a monster. I won't have Charlie suffering the same fate that Jem did," Sophie said.

Will ran his hands through his hair and tried to take several steady breathes. Jem had known the dangers of fighting demons. They all did. But to not fight, when one had the duty to fight…

"Sophie, this is all I have ever known," Will said.

"No, it's not," Sophie said. "You had a perfectly normal childhood. You had a father who read to you and a mother who must have loved you, and when Charlie is 18, he can decide what he wants to do."

"Eighteen?" Will asked. "He can only swear to a parabatai up until the age of 18. He has to go to the Academy at 17. He has to have his permanent runes applied when he's 14. He has to have protective enchantments placed on him within hours of his birth! You've seen the things we battle, Sophie. He must be protected!"

"I am his mother, and you are his father, and he will be protected. That's our job," Sophie said. "I'm sorry, Will. But I won't lose this child, ever. Not the way I lost his father. Have I made myself clear?"

"You can't do this," Will said.

"Who's going to stop me?" Sophie asked. She smiled and left the room.

Will didn't bother going back downstairs. He merely undressed, crawled beneath the covers of his bed, and drifted off to sleep. The sun was nearly set when Will woke up to find Magnus sitting on the side of the bed. Magnus's hair was in disarray. He was clearly shaken, so much so that Will sat up and took Magnus's hands in his own.

"You have to get up," Magnus said. "You are to return to the Institute at once. There was a carriage accident. Henry was run off the road by several men on horseback. The carriage went into a ditch, overturned…." Magnus shook his head. "You just have to go, Will."

Will saw Jem in the moments before he died, not when he had been at peace but when he had been in pain and facing death. Jem's face shifted into that of a tiny baby with jet black hair. Charlie. He could be dead for all Will knew. People died in carriage accidents. How might a tiny, defenseless baby fair? Will's chest started to ache and he rested a hand over his heart.

"Draw a Portal. I'll be ready in a minute," Will gasped.

He was still buttoning his shirt as he ran down the steps and into the parlor, where Magnus had a Portal set up. Will grabbed Magnus's hand and jumped through, thinking of the Institute. They landed on the lawn in the middle of a snowstorm, the same way they had before. Will ran up the front steps and paused at the door, Magnus on his heels, unsure of what they might find once inside. Magnus reached for the door.

"No," Will said. He shoved Magnus's hand away and turned to him as the wind screamed around them. "No, Magnus. You were right. I shouldn't have to choose. I should know the right answer." Magnus's mouth fell open. His face took on the wide eyed, shocked expression he had displayed when Will walked into the parlor wearing the ring Magnus had given him. "I can't be with you, Magnus. I'm sorry. I can't." Will pulled the ring off and pressed it into Magnus's hand. Magnus looked down at it.

"Of course," Magnus said. "I understand perfectly." He nodded as if he had expected this to happen all along.

"Good," Will said. "I have something to do now, Magnus."

"I know," Magnus said. He put the ring on his own finger, pulled Will close, and kissed him on the lips. The wind kicked up, blowing more snow at them and freezing tears to Will's face. He hadn't even known he was crying. "I love you, Will."

"I love you to, Magnus," Will said. He forced himself to let Magnus go. This was for the best.

"Anytime, anyhow, anywhere," Magnus said. Will nodded.

Magnus walked down the steps of the Institute and disappeared into the billowing snow.

Author's Note: Please review? Thanks for reading! Are there any thoughts or feeling you wish you mention? I would love to hear them!