As you know, this fanfic, a firstborn of mine, is ending. I'll continue writing, of course, so feel free to give me any comment for improvements or what next should I write. I've fallen in love with writing, so please help me continue this dream. Again, thanks for all your comments. It makes me very, very, very, VERY happy (maybe too happy for my family's ears' sake), but you get what I mean.

"O, how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away."

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (I, iii, 84-87)

Finishing off with the Lightwoods, Mortmain had his full attention on Tessa. This is just great, she thought, the complete attention of a mentally unstable villain. Well, at least that bought some precious time for Will to do what he had to do. Not knowing what she should say under this dramatic moment, she said, "We're through with the lies, you and I."

"Yes, dear. We're done with them," Mortmain said quietly, with the look of a lustful man, which sent shivers down Tessa's spine. "You are mine, shape-shifter. No matter how many tricks you think you have on me, you are mine."

"Then, please at least give me some answer," Tessa begged.

"To what?" he asked.

"Answer to my origin. What am I? Who were, or are, my parents? And what part did you have in my birth?" Tessa drilled.

"You? Ha! You're just a worthless hybrid of a higher demon and a Nephilim," he said. "You alone, in your kind can procreate, and that is your value to me. You have been chosen to give birth to my children, and together, we shall rule all that is living."

"You're speaking of madness. I would never sleep with you! I am not a whore!"

"But you are. Look at your friends, haven't you already done the deed with both of them?"

"You are lying!" Tessa shouted.

"Silent! You will obey me, warlock!" Mortmain shouted angrily at Tessa. She recoiled, but then she remembered all the lessons she had took, and she quickly picked up a sword from one of the fallen shadow hunters, and she charged at Mortmain. He was surprised.

"My creation standing against me?" he asked himself, and he backed up to the altar.

Before Tessa could reach Mortmain, Will appeared behind Mortmain, and with a violent slash, Mortmain's white head was gone, leaving a bloody trail on the altar as it rolled off the stairs.

"It is over," Will said, and Tessa knew it was true. They went back to Jem's side, and watched as he drew his final breath.

That day, the Onclave had lost much. Though Mortmain and his clockwork army were defeated, the victory was bitter. Without much celebration, they returned to the Institute in silence.

A week later, it was Jem's funeral, along with a few shadow hunters. This time, Tessa was permitted to go along, as she was his wife-to-be. The entire ceremony was solemn and simple, lack of the complicated mundane ceremonies. Jem was gone, she thought grimly, he would not be there when Will had made her upset, he will not be there to be her comfort and support. He will not be there anymore. At that thought, she started to sob and rocked back and forth uncontrollably, and an arm grabbed hold of her and helped her way out of the gloomy city of bones. It was Will, she could tell by his smell. She was starting to see sunlight.

"Will, you can let go of me now. I am fine," Tessa whispered.

"No, you are not. Now sit down, for goodness' sake," said Will, impatiently. "In the name of Raziel, can't you care for anyone other than yourself?"

He put her down gently on a smooth boulder, and sat opposite her on another boulder, distancing himself from her.

"But I don't have anyone else to care for," Tessa rebutted. "And what does me sitting down has to do with caring?"

Will cupped his forehead with his hand, and said, "Don't you remember that night?"

"What night? The night at the ball?"

"No," he said, trying to continue with obvious effort. "The night… after the bachelor party, the night that we…"

"We, what? What did we do?" Then a horrible sense of realization came over Tessa. "We didn't. It was just a dream."

"Don't you get what Jem meant by holding our hands together over your… belly?" Will was stuttering. It was so unlike Will that Tessa knew he had to be telling the truth.

Reaching her hand down her belly, she tried to feel for any sign of life. "But it is impossible!" Tessa exclaimed.

"But it's NOT! Mortmain would not have lied to a person he was sure to possess." Will looked pained, but he continued, "It was reasonable for you and Jem, because you were betrothed. But me and you?"

He waited for a long pause and said, "It is my fault. I have betrayed my parabatai. Now, you're my responsibility, and I WILL take care of you and the baby." He took Tessa's hands, and stared into her eyes with those blue eyes of his. "Tessa, I know this is not the best time but, would you marry me? Come with me, to Idris or to Wales, wherever you want. We can spend our lives together, free from any curse, from any harm. We can raise the baby together, give him or her the best care it can have."

"Will… I don't know what to say…"

"Then say yes." He eyes were burning feverishly, so much that it reminded her of… of Jem. Her heart sank at that thought.

"I can't, I can't do that. Not when Jem just…"

He dropped his head, then slowly said, "Then I'll wait for you. No matter how long the wait is, I'll wait for you. I'll come back when you're ready."

Standing up determinedly, he said, "Three years."

"Wha… what?"

"The Chinese tradition is that when your loved ones passed away, you would need three years of mourning."

Three years sounded like a long time without either Will or Jem. Perhaps Will was right, Tessa thought, I DO need some time to prepare, to open her heart, to love again.

"I'll wait for you," Tessa said.

"And I you."

With that, Will walked quietly away, so quietly that he made no sound that all. A shadow hunter's kind of quiet.

*Epilogue: tomorrow (I'll try my best)