Coming Back (TID & TMI Crossover)

Chapter 14

"What do you mean he's in that bar?" Jem said. They were now all looking at Malcolm, who was flushed.

"Well, I know who's who, plus I lived with him for five years, so-"

"Tessa, call Jace, tell him to get down here NOW. Jem, you come with me to wait outside of Heindrich's. We can't let hime leave," Will instructed. "And Malcolm, find Magnus and tell him that we found him." Malcolm nodded entusiastically, bolting down the street towards the Institute.

Jem absentmindedly twirled his silver streak. "I can't believe it. He's been here all along."

"Well, it's not like we've been able to track him since 1929," Tessa said, looking up from dialing.

"Yeah but you'd think we'd have had a chance!" Will shouted, kicking a trash can.

Jem sighed, picked up the trash can, and set it back up. "Will, calm down. Take some deep breaths."

"DEEP BREATHS?! THAT'S WHAT YOU MUGGLES DO WHEN YOU'VE FOUND AN EVIL WARLOCK?!" Will screamed, kicking over the trash can again.

"I'm not picking that up again," Jem said as Tessa hushed them.

"Hey Jace, um... Funny story, we may or may not have found him... We're at Heinrich's... See you," she said, swiping her phone. "They'll be here soon. We need to keep an eye on him." They looked in the window to see Nix get up and walk out the back door. Jem and Will shared a look before the three dashed through the dark and murky bar.

As they looked around the quiet and dim-lighted bar, they saw a glimpse of fabric before it disappeared around a door. Jem, Tessa, and Will made their way through the thoroughly depressed looking people before sprinting out of the bar and into a dark and familiar alleyway.

"There!" Will cried. A man was hobbling down the street. Will picked a throwing knife and chucked it at Nix. He, however, briefly turned around, created a barrier, and kept hobbling. The knife flew back at Will and dropped at his feet. "I'LL KILL THAT MAN!" Will snarled, beginning to run after him, Jem and Tessa trailing behind. Just as Will was close enough to wrap his fingers around Aldous' neck, a bright-headed figure tackled Aldous and they both crashed to the ground.

Jace looked up at Will with a smug expression. "You're so worn out, you can't even decently catch up to an old man." Jace's golden eyes glinted in the sun. Alec and Isabelle came trotting over, breathing hard.

A moment later, a dark-haired boy and a golden one were wrestling in the street. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Will snarled, aiming a punch at Jace.

"YOU'RE JUST AN OLD, LAZY DEAD MAN!" Jace cried, blocking it.

Jem sighed and looked at Tessa. "Should we separate them?"

"Nah," she said. "They have problems to work out. Alec, you grab Nix. Come on. They'll get back to the Institute eventually."

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Aldous Nix had been locked in a room and even Will and Jace had made their way back to the Institute. Jace, however was looking at Will nervously, as if he had just learned something, and was afraid that someone else might find out. "Uh, Tessa?" Jace said into her ear when he found her.

She turned around, startled. "Jace, you scared me. What's up?"

He ringed his hands. "Will you and, um, your first husband meet me in the library?"

Tessa said yes, and made her way to get Will, who was with his parabatai getting a whole bunch of iratzes. After summoning her forever complaining husband, they made their way to the library.

"So, what's the deal?" Will scowled, lounging in a chair as Jace paced by the window. Tessa noticed how much Will looked like Sydney Carton, like he didn't care about anything at all. She loved it and it annoyed her at the same time.

"Well, I've been thinking," Jace said, stopping in front of the couple. "So, Tessa, you're part Shadowhunter?" She nodded. "But you're also part demon?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Tessa said, sitting down on the arm of Will's chair.

"And you married him?" Jace continued, glaring at Will. "And you had children?"

Will grinned. "James and Lucie."

Jace began to pace once more. "So technically, since you, a warlock, continued the Herondale line, does that mean I have demon's blood?"

Tessa looked at Will. She could see the gears turning in his head. "Well," he began. "That could have happened. You'd only have a tiny fraction, probably burned out by the angel's blood Valentine gave you, so I'd say no, you don't have any demon's blood."

Jace sighed. His shoulders relaxed. "Thank goodness."

"Oh, so you don't want to be related to me?" Tessa said, glaring at him.

Jace flushed. "No, that's not what I-"

"Trust me, if I had the choice, I wouldn't want to be part demon either," she said, smiling a little. "But it's saved those I love. So in some ways, I'll live, figuratively and literally."

Jace smiled and relaxed. "Good."