It had been a long time since Tessa had been around this many people. It was nice that she knew most of them. She'd come to know Alec quite well through Magnus, and indeed Clary and Simon though her ex-roommate as well. She remembered Izzy, and her roommate from their night out clubbing. So when a girl with long dark hair and pale skin greeted Alec with a hug Tessa recognized her as Izzy. The girl with a slightly darker tone to her skin who seemed to be avoiding a boy in the corner she knew to be Maia. Tessa couldn't help but wonder what the story was behind that.

Lucie began fussing, and Tessa absently rocked the infant back and forth as she continued to survey the room. Magnus and Alec darting off to comfort their cats like doting parents had made Tessa smile. She was so happy for her friend. If anyone deserved to find their soulmate, it was Magnus Bane. With the amount of times that man had had his heart broken, Magnus had more than paid his dues, and Alec was just enough of an opposite while having many of the same core values for them to really make it work. Tessa looked down at her daughter for a moment and wondered if now that they were engaged, if Magnus and Alec would talk about kids? She hadn't planned for hers - not that she was ever going to tell Lucie this - but for Magnus and Alec, they'd never have kids if they didn't plan for them. In many ways, Tessa thought this was a much better way to go about it. She was doing her best, but she knew for a fact that not all parents are cut out to be parents. Having sex was the only prerequisite after all, and any monkey could do that, but raising a happy, healthy, independent human was another task altogether.

"Are you alright, Tessa?" Jem asked.

"Oh yes," Tessa replied smiling. "Just mulling over the nature of the universe, don't mind me."

"Here let me take the baby and you can go get something to eat," Jem said reaching out to scoop Lucie out of her arms. Tessa felt a tiny pang of separation anxiety, but didn't act on it. If anything, the feeling made her relieved. Before the post-partum depression, she remembered this feeling, but during it she'd felt quite the opposite. Tessa hoped this meant it was all over. Tessa almost couldn't believe that Lucie was six months old. They'd started her on solid foods, though only mushy fruit and those crackers designed for babies that melted in the mouth on contact.

Speaking of solid food, Tessa was supposed to be getting herself some. With Lucie safe in one of her father's arms, Tessa headed toward the buffet. She was followed closely by Will who was also eyeing up dinner.

"This looks amazing!" Will said. William had a love for food that neither she nor Jem could match. If the man wrote poetry, Tessa was sure he would have written about something edible. Tessa's great love was books - and though Will shared this love - she felt like food mattered at least as much to Will. Jem was all about his violin and rarely cared what was for dinner.

A few moments later, Tessa returned to swap out with Jem so he could go investigate the buffet. Placing her daughter on her lap, Tessa used her other hand to eat her own dinner. Before Jem returned with his meal, they were joined by Jace. Tessa recognized him by his bright blonde hair, which Clary had described for her at least a few times by now. Jace awkwardly greeted them, then went to sit down beside William. Tessa wasn't really sure what to make of it, but this didn't stop her from eavesdropping on them however.

"So Alec tells me we're cousins," Jace said bluntly. "Even if I'd have pegged you for Alec's older brother."

"I know what you mean," Will chuckled. "When Magnus first met me, he mistook me for Alec."

"I didn't know that," Jace replied. "Must of been awkward."

"It was before he even knew Alec's name, I think," Will answered. "Magnus just asked me if I went to the first years orientation party."

"Yeah, seem to recall Alec telling me once that Magnus first saw him there," Jace replied. Both of them seemed be interested in talking, but unsure of what to talk about. Tessa could sense the awkwardness in the air. She had a feeling Jace had a similar estrangement from his family as Will did.

The moment was interrupted by Lucie's sudden discontentment. She began crying in that way infants do when they are more screaming than crying. Tessa set aside her food to try and comfort her daughter, but Will was faster. He was moving over to scoop Lucie into his arms in a matter of seconds.

"What could possibly be so horrible you need to make a sound like that, huh Luc?" Will asked in his usual baby voice. "You got life made, no need for crying." He was rocking her back and forth with some bouncing action, and she seemed to be calming down. "Or are you just jealous of all the delicious food you are too little to eat, hmmm?"

"I hope you don't expect an answer," Jace said, laughing lighter. "I don't think she'd quite talking yet."

"She listens though," Will replied. "Don't you sweetheart." He lifted her up and brought her nose to touch his. "Yes you do." He was grinning now, moving his head back and forth so their noses touched repeatedly. Lucie was laughing.

"Did you always know you wanted kids?" Jace asked suddenly. Will stopped, turning to face his cousin.

"In one word, no," Will replied, taking the question as seriously as Tessa believed Jace had meant it. "But then again, I never thought I'd met someone I wanted to have them with. It's a strange concept this thing we call life. It always finds a way to surprise you."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Jace smiled. "Do you mind?" He asked reaching out his arms to indicate that he wanted to hold the baby. With a quick glance at Tessa, who smiled, Will handed Lucie to Jace.

"Hello," Jace smiled down at the baby in his arms. "Your dad's my cousin," he explained, as if speaking to an adult. "Though I am not sure what that makes us." Tessa watched as Lucie giggled at Jace, then wrapped her whole hand around Jace's one finger. "Oh she's just so cute!" Jace exclaimed.

"The very cutest baby in all the world if you ask me," Will replied, with an obvious note of pride in his voice.

Just then, Clary walked over to join them, standing behind Jace and looking over his shoulder at Lucie.

"Hello," Clary smiled waving at the baby. "Did my silly boyfriend steal you from your mother?" Everyone laughed, except Lucie who made this half-scream half-shriek noise that almost seemed like it was meant to be a giggle.

"From her father actually," Will replied.

"One of them," Jem added.

"Well that does sound complicated," Clary chuckled. "Maybe it's time to return the baby before there's a bidding war."

"Maybe it's time for Clary to have a turn," Jace suggested, lifting Lucie slightly to show he was willing to hand her over, but Clary took a step back.

"I am not good with babies," Clary said with a smile. "Worse than Magnus."

"Oh come on," Jace pleaded.

"Is that you, Magnus," Clary replied, turning as if she'd heard someone calling her name, though it was obvious she was faking. "Coming." And with that, Clary turned and disappeared around the corner.

Tessa had a funny feeling Clary and Jace hadn't had the kids talk yet, and from Clary's reaction and Jace's smile as he gazed down at Lucie, she was concerned it might not go well. She didn't have long to dwell on this however. The doorbell rang again, and Alec appeared as if from nowhere to greet two woman. Tessa knew Alec's cousin and friend Aline had been among those invited tonight, and she knew Aline was coming with her girlfriend, thus she suspected the new arrivals to be Helen and Aline, but her assumption wasn't confirmed until about an hour later when Tessa found herself in a conversation with the couple. Helen took to baby Lucie instantly, asking if she could hold the baby and talked about all the little brothers and sisters she had back home.

"Yeah, there's Octavia, Drusilla, Tiberius, Liva, and Julian, though I think Julian thinks he's a grown up," Helen finished her monologue. "Mark is older than me, but he and his boyfriend Keiran graduated last year."

"Does having so many younger siblings make you not want kids of your own?" Tessa asked.

"Quite the opposite actually," Helen smiled, then she turned to Aline who also smiled. This, Tessa thought, were the actions of a couple who had already had a successful kid talk.

"I am not very close with my half brother," Tessa continued. "I can't imagine having so many siblings."

"They're a handful," Helen agreed. "But more than worth it. I miss them when I'm at school."

"You won't miss them long" Aline said happily. "We are spending the summer with them, so I can meet everyone."

"And everyone wants to meet you too," Helen added. "Mom and dad especially." At these words, Aline's eyes went a little wider and her body tensed, though only for a moment. Tessa could understand that. Meeting the parents, no matter the circumstances, was always a little nerve wracking. She'd gotten off easy in this department since Jem was an orphan, and Will hadn't spoken to his in many years. Jem and Tessa's nagging for Will to contact his family was still falling on deaf ears.

"Oh relax," Helen sighed, turning to her girlfriend. "Mom and dad are going to love you just as much as I do. Now stop freaking."

"I hope not just as much," Will sniggered. There was a pause as everyone was forced to imagine the horrid image Will just put into their heads, before Jem smacked his best friend on the back of the head.

"Shut up," Jem said laughing.

"Ouch," Will complained, but he was smiling too.

"Your baby's adorable," Helen said very seriously. "But you might want to rethink this whole-" she gestured to all of Will and added, "him thing." Everyone laughed, even Will, and for the rest of the evening, Helen and Aline sat near them, though Tessa suspected this was just so that Helen could hold Lucie. Helen's monopolizing the baby was actually kinda adorable, and Tessa made sure to get her number for future babysitting prospects before they left the party.

"Congratulations again," Tessa told Magnus and Alec, giving them each another hug on their way out. It was Lucie's bedtime and she was starting to really cry. Even her father's comforting arms couldn't sooth her at this point.

"Thanks for coming," Magnus replied, loudly over Lucie's crying.

The drive home was long with such an unhappy baby in the backseat. Once they arrived, Tessa started getting Lucie ready for bed right away, but despite being so tired, she didn't want to sleep. She wasn't crying anymore, at least.

"Ah, ka" Lucie giggled, reaching her arms towards Tessa. The sounds she made were usually just noise like ah, oh, ou, ka and such. It was therefore a surprise for everyone when Lucie suddenly said, "Da-da!" Everyone froze except Lucie who was squirming in her mother's arms.

"Da-da!" Lucie insisted as if giving instructions. Without thinking, Tessa moved toward Will, but this made Lucie squirm even more. "Da-da!" she insisted, turning her body towards Jem. Slowly Tessa handed Jem the baby, and almost at once, Lucie settled down and closed her eyes, laying her head on Jem's shoulder.

There was total and complete silence for a moment. Then Jem carried the almost sleeping baby to bed, leaving Tessa and Will alone in the living room. Will didn't say a word, but Tessa didn't miss the look of deep disappointment on his face.

Just happened to be re-reading my own story to try and figure out how the hell to keep writing this huge beast when I discovered this chapter had been accidently removed while the next Magnus chapter was duplicated. Sorry for whoever missed this on their binge read. I'm honestly surprised no one left me a message asking where the missing Tessa chapter was.

I don't remember what my original author's notes were so this is gonna be it.