Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's note: I'm sorry but I had no idea on how to make baby-talk in English, if there are sounds little kids can't make. Bear with me! And see you on Friday for the final chapter! There will be no further epilogue, so on Friday we say goodbye :(
The Seelie Queen was dead. Her body was on the floor of the secret chamber, still beautiful but without that unique sparkle that made her fearsome and powerful. She was gone.
And her daughter was alive and crying on the altar where she slept for so long, protected by the crystal magic her mother conjured to keep her safe.
Clary was the first to react, walking to William to raise him in her arms. The child was trying his best to reach the wailing baby and even though he let her mother pick him up, he kept up his efforts.
"Sister! Sister!" He kept calling, while Clary tried to keep him away from her. But there was no reasoning with William and no mistaking the desperate note in his voice. He didn't want to leave her.
Clary looked helplessly at Jace who was more than stunned by his son's behaviour.
"He truly believes she's his sister," he quietly said. "Do you believe they are bonded, despite what Magnus said?"
"I don't know." Clary was still bleeding from her wounds but her heart was hurting the most: what had been done to her son? Would it be safe to separate him from Sebastian's daughter? They knew nothing about the fairy magic after all.
"Jace…" She started, but her husband nodded as if he knew what she was thinking.
"I know… believe me, I know. We can't be sure it won't damage William if we leave her here. Or if we kill her."
And yet, as soon as the words left his lips, he locked eyes with Clary and knew something that both upset and calmed him: they wouldn't kill the baby. They couldn't. As much as they feared what she could become, as much as they had hated Sebastian and the Seelie Queen, this baby was helpless and neither of them was the kind of monster who would kill her in cold blood. There was still humanity in them, even after everything they went through. Or maybe because of everything they went through.
"I'll take her." Alec offered, his bow now secured on his back. "You and Clary get out of here."
Jace nodded, grateful for his parabatai and slowly walked to his wife, sheathing his sword.
"William?" He called when he was right beside him. The toddler turned to him and in that moment it was like those horrible months never happened: William looked at him with his beautiful golden eyes and lifted his arms.
"Daddy!" He smiled, shifting to move into Jace's embrace. With a sob, Jace held his son in his arms, tucking his hand in his blond hair, breathing in the scent that was unique to William, still not believing that the nightmare was over.
"My baby…" he whispered, trying not to weep. It was perfect. Just perfect. William hugged him as hard as he could and then looked at him smiling, his little fingers on Jace's cheek.
"Daddy." He repeated, laughing and hugging him again. Then he turned to Clary, pointing at her and shifting again in her embrace.
"Mommy!" There was no end to his laughter as he moved between them again and again, hugging them and receiving their kisses, until finally he rested in Clary's arms and Jace embraced them both.
Then William closed his eyes laying his head on Clary's shoulder and sighed in happiness.
"Mommy." He whispered, relaxing in the embrace. "Daddy. Sister."
Little William Herondale fell asleep for the first time in months knowing his family was complete again, in his mother's arms, with his father's hand caressing his hair and with his little sister safely held in the arms of his uncle Alec.
"I still can't believe it's over." Clary murmured some time later, laying on her bed in the Institute. It was the room she and Jace had shared when they lived there and she never set foot in it again after William was kidnapped. It was neat and tidy, everything in its place, like time never passed. Instinctively she knew she had to thank Simon for that. And Isabelle. They always hoped things would work out for her and Jace and kept the room as a sanctuary. Being there again was like going back in time and set her heart at peace.
After some iratze, a shower and changing her clothes she felt as good as new, thanks to her advanced runes; Jace was beside her, on his side and between them William was peacefully sleeping. The child had briefly awakened upon his return to the Institute and he had been covered in hugs and kisses from every member of the family, before falling asleep again in the arms of his mother. Jocelyn, Luke, Maryse and Robert were staying at the Institute and even though Robert and Luke were needed in Idris to deal with the situation, they were all determined to stay as long as they could at the Institute, to be with their little nephew.
"I still can't believe it either." He whispered, caressing his son's hair. "And we're damn lucky that Simon and Isabelle destroyed those reports as soon as they did. I never dreamt that Jia would show up that fast. She must have paid a warlock to gate them right in the throne room."
"I heard Magnus telling her that we would take care of Kaelie ourselves." She said, looking up on him. "I'm sorry she died, Jace."
He sighed, turning his gaze on her. "I wish I could have done more for her. She didn't deserve to die like that, tortured and in pain. It was my fault, I didn't protect her like I promised I would."
"It was Jiliel's fault." Clary remarked, shaking her head. "He was the one who killed her. He was the one who tortured her. You did everything you could, Jace."
"And yet, she's dead because she decided to help us. And it was her family who did this to her." He lowered his gaze again but Clary saw the pain in his eyes. She knew her husband and it would take a long time before Jace could forgive himself for failing Kaelie, before he could be rid of his guilt. That dull pain in the chest was Jiliel's legacy, but she swore to herself that she wouldn't let the Fey damage them further. She took Jace's hand in hers, caressing his knuckles.
"Clary, I'm so sick of families killing each other. Shouldn't a family treasure its members?"
"It should…" She murmured, thinking about her own brother. "But you know, you don't always get the family you deserve. And you can't choose the family you're born with, but you can choose the people you want around in your life: Kaelie, in the end, chose us. She chose you. She died protecting the person she cared about, doing what was right."
Jace sighed and squeezed her hand. "I'm so glad this is over. I'm so glad my family is together again. You're my heart Clary, you and Will. My whole soul. And when I think I almost lost you both… "
He looked at her again, then lowered his gaze on Will as if he couldn't bear to look at her. "I was bluffing. In the Seelie Court."
Clary immediately understood what he was talking about. She gently caressed his face. "Jace, you could never kill someone who can't defend himself. It's not in you."
"I kept stalling and stalling, hoping the Queen would release Will." He whispered, closing his eyes. "But I knew I would have never killed her daughter. She was there, under my sword, sleeping, helpless. Clary, what would have happened if the Queen saw my bluff?"
"I don't know." She sighed, still caressing him. "And I don't want to think about it. All I want to think about right now, is that we're here and we're safe and William is with us."
Jace slowly nodded and then carefully pushed himself forward, looking at her. "By the Angel, you're so beautiful. I'll never let anybody tear us apart again, I swear."
She smiled and touched his forehead with her own. "You won't get rid of me that easily, Jace Herondale. I can promise you that."
"Yes, please." He whispered. "Promise me, Clary."
Reaching out he kissed her, a gently caress of his lips on hers, light pressure that told her she was loved, cherished, protected. When he looked at her again, his golden eyes were shining. "And I promise you, you'll never feel lost again. You'll never be alone. I'll be by your side every step of the way, never asking, never demanding. If you want to kiss me, I'll be there. If you want to hug me, my arms will be open. If you're never ready to sleep with me again, I'll just hold you in my arms and thank all the Angels in Heaven that you're with me and that you love me. Forever, Clary. Always."
"I want to…" Clary repressed a sob, biting her lower lip. "I need to be with you again, Jace. I need you so much that it's painful."
"Hey." He held her chin in his hand, making her look at him. "In your own time Clary. When you're ready. I'll be there to help and I'll wait for you."
"Yes," she breathed, leaning her face in his palm, his strong, warm hand that had always protected her. "I know you will."
The late afternoon light was shining through the windows, showing the hints of the sunset soon to come. Clary and Jace stayed silent for a while, just watching their son sleeping, revelling in the simple fact they could touch him, be with him, something that was denied to them for so long. And when finally William yawned and opened his golden eyes, Clary wanted to cry for the sheer pleasure and joy of seeing the recognition in them and knowing she could finally hug him to her heart.
"Mommy." Will smiled, sitting up and turning around. "Daddy!"
He threw himself into Jace's arms and then looked around, recognising the room. "Home! Will home!"
"Yes baby." Clary answered, caressing his hair. "You're home."
"Will hungry." He said, stroking his tummy.
Jace laughed, hugging him. "Well, buddy, let's go eat?"
"Yes!" William stood up on the bed, clasping his hands.
Jace took him in his arms and kissed his forehead before leaving the bed. Clary opened the door, but as soon as they left the bedroom, the cry of a baby stopped them. Nobody knew that Sebastian's daughter was there, nobody even knew she existed, aside for Clary's and Jace's families. Alec had brought her to the Institute before Jia arrived and they intended to keep her a secret from everybody, at least until they figured out if and how exactly she was bonded to William.
William instantly turned his head toward the sound and pointed his little finger. "Daddy, Will want Sister!"
"Uncle Magnus is with her, baby." Clary tried to say, "Will is hungry, right?"
"Mommy, Sister sad!" Will argued, his face serious.
"She's hungry too, baby." She tried again. She didn't want her son near that child, not when they still didn't know if she was dangerous or not. "Uncle Magnus will feed her."
William shook his head, stubborn as only a child can be. "Sister sad. Will know. Mommy, Sister!"
The child pointed again and Clary sighed, half relieved that it looked like Will was quickly remembering how to talk now that he was home and half aggravated that he was using his voice to see Sebastian's daughter… but there was no denying him when he looked at her with those eyes.
"Alright buddy." Jace tried to smile but he couldn't completely hide his worry. "Let's go to her."
"I suppose we'll have to face this sooner or later.". Clary grumbled, leading the way to where the crying was coming from. Magnus was in the room his son Max used when he was in the Institute and was apparently trying to feed the baby they brought with them from the Seelie Court. She was wailing, her face as red as her hair, her eyes squeezed shut, fisting the soft, warm blanket she was wrapped into.
As soon as he saw her, Will demanded to be put down so he could go to her and Magnus looked at Jace and Clary, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"William won't be swayed. Whatever the Seelie Queen did, Will wants that baby." Jace stated, looking at his son. "Just be ready for anything."
The warlock nodded and then he slowly sank to his knees, showing the child to Will. "Here she is, sweetie."
William smiled and raised his hand to caress the baby's hair.
Nobody expected what happened next.
The baby instantly stopped crying, sobbed a couple of times and then quieted. She yawned and stretched in Magnus' arms and then she opened her eyes: they were a vivid green, a colour bright and vibrant.
Clary held her breath as she instantly recognised them: those were Sebastian's eyes. No, she corrected herself, those were Jonathan's eyes, the eyes of the brother of her dreams, the caring, loving brother she never really met.
And they were fixed on William with total, utter adoration.
"Now Sister no sad." The child said with obvious satisfaction. Nobody dared disagreeing with him.