Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

A/N: When it comes to Tessa POV it is more informative, still crossing my fingers hoping it isn't too dull. And NO it isn't Jalec… but very fun to write.

Chapter 6: Impressions

Jem was waving to her when Tessa entered Taki. He was sitting at the usual spot and she hurried to take a seat next to him, put her small bag between her thigh and chair arm. Strands of hairs escaped from the bun. While she was combing it Jem said, "I've already ordered for you. Usual, right?"

"Yeah. Where is Will and Magnus?" Finished tidying up her messy hairs, Tessa frowned at Jem. He looked tired.

The gray-eyed man responded. "Will can't make it and Magnus will be here in 5 minutes."

Saw the nearly empty coffee cup Tessa instantly got her answer. "Something is troubling you." She stated like a fact, and without mistake Jem sighed and rubbed his wrist, slumped on his seat.

She leaned forward, listening to the small voice Jem emitted. "It's the Institute."

Inside the circle they all knew Jem was helping the organization gathering medical supply. Everyone was stunned and mouth agape when Jem said it like a chore during the celebration dinner of Jem's graduation. Will even excused himself for the bathroom and by his look Jem hadn't talked about it with him. Magnus and she hadn't said anything, Will was convinced later it was his choice. Since the incident smugglings were never brought up on the table, none of them wanted to.

"Tessa, they want to double the supply this round." Hurt coated his voice. Those dots were not hard to connect; she wasn't stupid. His eyebrows almost touched each other, lines formed between. He rotated his cup, coffee was cold by now. Tessa could see how he was battling with his belief.

She placed her hand on Jem's wrist, stopped him from fidgeting. "Do what is right. Sometimes… we don't know we are wrong until this late but there is room for us to remedy."

Jem wavering eyes met hers, she smiled in return. On time Magnus waltzed into the restaurant and took the seat opposite her. Jem quickly gripped on his cup and pretended to drink, her hand slipped back under the table. While Jem thought he faked Magnus, said man lifted an eyebrow in question at Tessa but did not comment on the weird atmosphere. Instead he grabbed the menu and entered his order, jumped to another topic that the three of them were happy to discuss.

"Remember, my show is in October. You all have already exceeded your allowance!" Magnus exclaimed, pouted lightly while he threw the menu down. If anyone else saw him acting like this definitely someone would slap him. But they were immune to it.

Jem put down his cup, which was totally empty. "I will be there." Tessa nodded in agreement. Her time was more regular than Jem's and Will's, so she wasn't worrying too much. However, emergency could happen. Like last time. She crossed her legs underneath.

It didn't satisfy the fashion leader. He huffed when a waiter delivered their lunch, said sourly to the other two. "Yeah. Despite your sweet promising promise two months ago you guys still stood up on me. I just want to share my moment with my friends! I am not asking too much."

Tessa uncomfortably rubbed her palm on her neck; that day when the fashion show was held she was called to an urgent meeting: there were influx of complaints about malfunction of their model Female Beta 37.

They were the love bots, made for sex to be precise. They didn't have the ability to love but only to perform sexual activities. The technical problem didn't get to the press simply because their clients were too ashamed to let everyone know. The majority of society after all was still very conservative and against robots like that. Investigation was still undergoing and Tessa was keeping an eye on it.

Magnus wasn't angry, he wasn't that type of person. Soon he forgot the rant when he took the first bite of burrito. Jem and Tessa shared a secret glance and began with their food.

Taki was a weird presence in the city, one of the few restaurants that served actual food. Ever since the Clave took strict control over the licensing of the ingredients markets, most of the shops and households sought their solution to the molecular-composed food machines. Actual food was a luxury because of the limited access to meats and plants, also less and less people knew how to cook. If Tessa had to share her piece of mind, the society had relied too much on the machines. Some traditions were worth preserving.

Jem had an appointment in the afternoon so he left early. He patted on Magnus's shoulder and kissed on her cheek before he set foot outside the entrance, walking to the parking lot. Right after the lank body joined the crowd, Magnus sipped at his tea. "You better tell me what happened."

"It's not my secret to tell." Tessa met Magnus's incredulous glare, and he said in defeat. "Alright, alright. So how is my robot going?" The cup clacked as it was set down on the Indian laurel table. Magnus propped his elbows on the edge, fingers crossing to support his chin.

Even after years of knowing Magnus, Tessa could always be fascinated by his handsomeness. The three of them were good-looking men but each in a different way. Will was more masculine, jaw angular and eyes determined which she suspected was trained by piles of cases in homicide division. Jem was tender and Asiatic. He smiled to everyone with artistic temperament, one that people trusted at first sight.

Meanwhile, Magnus was the middle. His line was oval, yet the golden-greenness was of assertiveness and penetrating. His windows of soul sharp like Will's, other features soft with orient. He was a pleasure to look at.

"Your bot?" Tessa teased.

"Okay, not my robot – but the bot that uses me as template." Magnus rolled his eyes, words silky-like. Not only he was an eye candy, but also had a deep and magnetic voice. If it wasn't she had listened to Magnus's terrible singing, she would mistake that this sparkling guy sitting opposite her was a born-to-be singer.

Tessa rested her hand on her small bag subconsciously, said. "It's going great. If everything goes with the flow it should be finished testing in October."

"It takes that long? And hey, don't you forget my show." Magnus pointed at her with his index finger decorated with an amber ring. Tessa giggled and covered her mouth, grinning widely behind. Again, Magnus stared at her with adoration; something that could melt one's heart.

Tessa suddenly recalled it had been a long time since Magnus's last relationship. A girl named Etta, he met her when he was in Renee. Magnus had been talking about her whenever he caught the chance, sometimes they couldn't stand it that Will would threaten to shut the video conference. He would stop for maybe two to three minutes, then it started again. To be honest, they were eager to meet her; to meet someone whom Magnus loved so much which he couldn't rest his brain not thinking about her. Yet they broke up when Magnus returned to Vikram. He was his normal self when they were gathering, but Tessa knew under the smirks embedded a broken heart that took years of time or a greater selfless love to repair.

"I won't. If I miss the show again – which isn't happening – I will provide you three years of free package for you butler and keeper."

Magnus tapped his fingers on the table and said smiling. "That's for sure."

They talked nonsenses and gossips, books and movies. Anything and Everything. Around three the waiter handed them their bills, Tessa snatched it and before Magnus could react. She connected her trading stick with the tablet and done the transaction. "This is on me."

"Now, it's not a thing that gentleman would do." Magnus pointed out.

"A thank you for your modeling for me. Please. I'll be guilty if I don't, you've done me a huge favor." Tessa stuffed the stick back into the small bag, the chip containing the datum was still inside.

Only then Magnus put back his, grunting. "If you say so, my lady."

Alec was gone for a week. Jace marked the day on his calendar, this was also the day Will went to see Verlac. Though Will ensured them Alec was fine, he could feel something with Alec as if they were connected. He hadn't slept well, always woke up in the middle of the night and sweating great enough to fill a pool. Or, startled out of the blue when eating or reading.

Watching sunrise should be a joyful thing, but Jace felt anything but that.

He was pacing in his room, constantly glanced at the clock. No matter how hard he glared at it the time wouldn't pass faster. When it reached noon, he threw himself on his bed and it bounced for a while. The two dull guards were standing near his door and window, occasionally blinked to show it was still functioning. Since the kidnapping their parents had done nothing but sent those guards protecting them. They were still outside doing their business. While they who truly cared were suffering and caged in the Mansion. Neither he nor Isabelle had stepped out from the bricks walls, not even the garden unless a shield was activated. Wherever they went (which meant only the house) each would be companied with two guards. Freedom could kiss his ass.

Rolled over on his side, the photo frame was sitting on the nightstand quietly. He snuggled closer, wiggling like a worm until he could reach the irregular plastic. The frame was sparkly, Isabelle insisted on spraying buckets of glitters to make it shiny. It was the night of Jace's 12th birthday, the three grouped together and did silly things. Hide and seek, cards, games and this – making a photo frame. The family wasn't fond of taking photos, but that night they all agreed it was a moment deserved to be remembered.

It was Alec's idea; he read it from some ancient novels. They were in the living room, after a series of bloodstaining battles Jace and Isabelle dropped the controllers on the floor, continued their argument of who was better at being a Shadowhunter.

"You saw me slaying the demons in half with my sword!"

Isabelle shouted, unlike an 11 year-old girl. "I have more kills than you! 32 more!"

"Uh-hum, but they are Imps. I killed Mirek at the final round and without me you will stuck in this level forever. Noob." Jace snorted at her redden furious face, happily to greet Alec who was holding a paper bag. "Alec you miss my great show."

The ebony-haired boy smiled warmly to his sister, said while pouring the content out on the coffee table. "Izzy just doesn't want you to look bad." Hearing this Isabelle jumped to hug his brother and ignored the betrayed face Jace pulled. He shook his head – Alec was spoiling the brat. Jace could foresee the days of her chasing after boys with knife in her hands, threatened to kill them if they didn't go out with her. She was this bossy.

They sat cross-legged, Jace in the middle sandwiched by the real Lightwood children. His parents, the Waylands were business partners with the Lightwoods. They died in a car accident and the Lightwoods kindly adopted him, saved him from the vicious system. He was loved by them, maybe not the Ligthwoods but their children. Alec and Izzy… his best friends and siblings. They just clicked. Clicked and flamed like a fire fed by love and affection. A kind that would never die.

It was Alec's thing to do handicraft, but not his. He was more into combat and weaponry. Jace protested. "This is girly."

Nonetheless Alec handed them a rectangular plastic, "No it isn't." Isabelle accepted it with glee, mumbling to herself and planned her design. On the other hand, Jace was folding his arms in front of his chest.

"I don't see the point of this. And this is my birthday, I won't do it."

It was silly, but he knew what he wanted by acting like this. Expectedly Alec nudged him with his shoulder. "Come on, Jace. You will love it once you get into it."

He liked the way Alec said his name. The older boy was always soft-speaking. Even he was angry and asked Jace for explanation or apology, he cooed instead of shouting. Alec spoke to him as if he was his lover. And he liked it.

"No."

"What am I going to do?" Alec coaxed, his hands fondling the bottle of glues.

Isabelle's word came to his ears faintly, "Hum, here needs more glitter."

He was focusing on the deepest and purest blues he had ever seen; even computers, Jace thought, couldn't make something as beautiful as Alec's eyes. They were alive, flashing fondness and gentleness. No one compared.

Also he liked Alec offered to trade. Because Jace could ask anything. He was spoiled, too, but he didn't care. He liked the attention he could get from the eldest boy.

"Sleep with me tonight?" Immediately he regretted his suggestion as he saw the widened eyes of Alec. Jace looked at him side-way, too ashamed to meet the direct stare. The boy next to him opened his mouth, but closed again.

Jace cast his eyes on his toes, picking the threads coming out from the bottom of his pajama. "I'm kidding. Let's get on with this." Then he grabbed one of the frame and started working, wondering what he could do to those white plastic. Simplicity was the beauty, wasn't it?

"I will be there." Alec said in his small voice and nudged Jace again before joining Isabelle in the debate of glittering the whole plastic frame. He watched Alec stretched his arm across the table to snap at her wrist, "You are bottling up the whole thing!" He said with awe.

"I don't want a glittery frame, Izzy!" Jace exclaimed when he saw how much Isabelle was applying those things: the whiteness was covered by sparks that hurt his eyes under lights. Alec had said the frame was made for each other, he wouldn't want one like that.

Isabelle just replied calmly. "You're going to take it, like it or not."

He liked Alec's melodious laughter, too. There were so many things of Alec that he adored, so many things that Jace wanted to keep it to himself. The three of them were working hard, trying to impress with their creativities. Jace simply draw a rune in the middle and signed his name on the back. Alec peeped, leaning close.

"What does it mean?" His slender finger traced the black line, smeared little on his tip. He explained. "It's the parabatai rune in the game. You see, when a pair of Shadowhunters becomes parabatai, they are closer than brothers. Warriors that watches each other's back."

"The Shadow World?"

"Yeah. If you play it we can be – "

Alec looked at him with surprise and interrupted. "This is for me?"

Nodded, Jace slid it in front of the boy while Isabelle was craving on the harden glue. Alec's lips pressed into a smile, and he gripped on the corner of the fame.

"Thanks."

It was a whisper, both smiled and looked into the eyes. His cheeks flushed lightly but it looked crimson for his pale skin.

Everyone was done and Jace bitterly took the shiny frame from Isabelle's hands, while Alec gave her a simply frame decorated with dry flowers on the bottom corners. After that they took pictures, printed it and put it into the frames. They hadn't talked about it, but all of them put it on their own nightstand.

And that night, Jace felt the warmth from another side of the bed. The even breathings and random dream talking put him at ease. Alec was sleeping next to him with his own pillow. They shared Jace's blanket, curling into a ball facing each other. Alec fell asleep right after he settled in the tidy bed. Jace might have kissed on the boy's forehead before he himself sneaked under the blanket and realized how lucky he was to be with them. It was one of those rare nights in his childhood after the accident, that the monster of nightmare couldn't visit him.

He took the frame, staring at the three smirks of young boys and girl. Pressed it to his heart, Jace blankly lying on his bed, thinking how things would be different if he insisted to wait for Alec after school. If, maybe, wish.

A knock on his door draw him back. The guard opened the door for him. It was Hodge.

"Master Jace, Detective Herondale is in the living room. Master Isabelle is already downstairs."He said with a bow, eyes cast down on the floor. Jace jumped out from his bed and nearly tripped himself over when he scrambled out.

Not before he carefully put the frame back down.

The keeper got him a cup of coffee and set it on the coffee table. Will thanked and took a sip, immediately put it down when he heard heavy footsteps stumbling on stairs. Looked to his left Isabelle was panting and nearly hopped to his side, but she obviously controlled herself not to do so. She quickly took a seat on the cushion, right next to him. Guards waited outside the room.

"How did it go?"

Her eyes were dark like nights of Vikram, sometimes he could catch a glimpse of uncertainty bright like the yellow rays up in the sky. Waterfall hairs inky and showered down her waist, glossy. She was in black, wearing a tank top, a tight jeans and heeled ankle boots with metal buckles. Hands slipped between her knees, she rocked back and forth looking at him intensely.

Will gulped and wrapped his arm around her boney shoulders by his instinct, whispered. "I met Verlac." As his voice dropped Jace strode into the room with tangled gold hairs. Two more guards lined up with the rest. Jace was not in better shape than Isabelle, both had circles under their eyes. The boy was in simple white tee and dark blue form-fitting jeans, matched by Pedirka boots. Seemed to Will that the Lightwood children were boots fans.

The simple statement startled Isabelle, leaned back into the cushion. Jace remained standing near the coffee table, two steps away from them. He could see the boy wasn't used to express his feelings from his distant and defensive gestures. However, what Will saw behind the façade couldn't fool him.

Jace asked without looking at his sister. "Did you see Alec?"

Will shook his head. Jace's broad shoulders hunched and he bit his lips for a second. The girl in his arm flinched and breathing loudly.

Working in homicide had taught him to isolate sides of logic and emotion, because the victim's family doesn't need you pity – they need you to catch the murder, Jonathan told him. But it was hard not to involve any when the agony and grief were so great that they destroyed and broke one's heart. Surely his job was to book the killers, yet there were cases that left unsolved. Life of the remains consumed by the fogged truth and the realization of their loved ones turned into bones and ashes, while the killers enjoying their freedom.

And they got that look. One that hope was vanishing and starting to doubt if their brother could return home. They wouldn't blame him, Will was sure of that. He felt it was his responsibility to get the boy away from the hands of Sebastian Verlac. He wasn't willing to give up.

"But Sebastian proposes another meeting. I will go to Afra again this Friday. Do you have them?" Will inquired. Sebastian wasn't stupid and without checking he already knew inside the suitcase were only piles of useless electric parts.

Ego and sly, Sebastian was opposite of what Will had imagined. Judging from the years of activeness he was around 30 years old, but the man leaning on the light pole could be easily mistaken as Alexander's schoolmate or friend. Will had met maniacs before, twisted mind with unbelievably strong willpower. Their eyes were bloody, clouded by craziness. But Sebastian was different. Frivolousness under the calm lake of darkness. He knew what he was doing. Exactly this type of people was the scariest.

"Yes. I will get it for you." Jace said and turned his heels out of the room.

Isabelle stared at the white smoke coming from his coffee cup, eyes half lidded. It pained him to see young souls like this. Their peaceful life erupted into disaster simply because of things they had no control over.

Let go of his arm Will wished, by Friday Sebastian would let him see Alec in person or at least talk though a phone. He had to know Alec was safe before handing over the money.

Jace returned with a similar suitcase and gently placed it on the table, pushed it inches closer to Will. "You need to convert it."

Abandoned his coffee Will stood up with the suitcase in his hand, feeling the weights of traceable trading sticks. Light, but his heart begged to differ.

"Don't worry, I have my way." He replied, "Stay at home and wait for my call. Don't go anyway without guards. If you have to, go to somewhere with crowds. I don't want anything happens to you."

Both of them nodded in response. Will waked out. Without looking back he knew that Isabelle went to hug her remaining brother. Clock above the Mansion entrance was ticking, the butler showed him out with a programmed smile.