revenant|c.g.|

xxxvii

Clary looked down from the balcony of the Barington house, her eyes upon the funeral for the boy they had lost on the run. She could hardly mourn him as she didn't know him, but she did feel sadness for his parents as their eyes looked solemnly at the wooden casket. Haunting notes sung by Alden filled the air, reaching even her ears as she listened on in silence.

The solemn moment was broken as she felt the tiniest of hands cradle her face, her eyes falling upon the little boy that rested in her arms. She couldn't help but let a soft smile paint her face, bringing her hand to cover Hershel's before placing her lips against the soft skin in a swift kiss. He giggled at the feeling, her own laughter sounding softly as she brought her lips to his temple for a moment.

With his soft coos, Clary began humming a song quietly as she approached the rail, the boy seemingly following her gaze as she looked at the constellations that painted the darkening sky. Her eyes landed upon the North Star, transporting her to the night more than two years ago when she had sat with Carl and Judith as they had looked at the same stars as she did with Hershel now.

"He likes your humming. Stops his fussing a lot faster than I ever could."

Clary smiled as she turned back, seeing Maggie leaning against the door frame. "What can I say, I'm a hit with the boys." Maggie let out a laugh, shaking her head as she approached the two. "Speaking of boys, where's Carl?" Maggie questioned, noting the softening look on Clary's face. "He went for a walk a while ago. He needed to clear his head." Maggie furrowed her eyebrows in question, the girl meeting her gaze before sighing. "It's Rick, he's trying to put doubt in Carl's mind, telling him that he doesn't belong in Solaris. It really pissed him off." Maggie's gaze softened before she reached for the boy, Clary maneuvering him into his mother's arms.

Placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, the woman smiled. "You should go check on him. I'm sure he needs a little bit of reassurance from his Commander." The girl was unsure whether she should, not wanting to leave Maggie to watch the funeral she was not permitted to attend. "It's okay—" Maggie cocked her head to the side slightly before shaking her head. "Go. Hershel and I will be okay without you for a bit." With her comforting gaze, Clary nodded. Placing a soft kiss on Hershel's temple, she gave a small smile to the woman before departing.

The girl found herself walking out of the Barington house doors, seeing mostly everyone within Hilltop had taken part in the funeral, leaving the rest of the grounds empty. With no other bodies around, it was easy to spot Carl as he stood in the shadows. Upon nearing, Clary was surprised to see he was standing at the foot of a grave. Glenn's grave.

"Hey," Clary said softly, causing the boy to turn to face her, a smile being his greeting. Seeing his relaxed features, she took it as the go-ahead to approach, a good idea as he enveloped her hand in his own as she stood by him. As she looked down on the grave, covered in flowers that Clary had planted long ago to replace the dark Earth, the pocket watch she never parted with hung heavily in the pocket of her pants. With the phantom weight, she wrapped her arm around his, placing a soft kiss on his shoulder before resting her head on the same spot.

"What are you doing?" Clary asked, looking up at Carl to see a soft smile resting on his face. "Fulfilling a promise. One I made to him," Carl declared, the girl confused as she had no idea what he possibly meant. "What did you promise him?" Carl didn't respond, the smile staying on his face as he looked at her. Bringing his hand up to her face, he brushed her hair behind her ear before tracing his thumb along her cheekbone. "A story for another day."