Sweet Little Serena (Original)

Chapter 150

Jace was training when the other two Herondale's entered the room, his back to them as he struck at the air with his blade. 

"Jace," Imogen called, Serena waiting at the doorway, letting them have this moment. 

Her twin froze at the sound of Imogen's voice and the blade dropped from his hand as it shook, memories flooding back about how he ran her through with a blade very similar to that one. 

"Jonathan Christopher Herondale, look at me," Imogen asked softly and reluctantly, Jace turned, lump in his throat and tears in his eyes as he faced his grandmother, guilt overwhelming him. 

Imogen walked over to him only to pull him into a hug as he began to sob uncontrollably and Imogen cradled his head to her shoulder as she shushed him gently, pressing a light kiss to his head. 

Jace was still whimpering when Imogen pulled away, gently holding his face in her hands as she wiped away his tears, his hands on her forearms. 

"Grandma, I'm - I'm - I can't - I'm sorry. So sorry. Grandma, I-" 

Imogen cut him off as she shushed him. 

"Serena already told me everything. And look at me. I'm all healed. I'm ok," she said to him. 

"But I still - I still tried to kill you," Jace stuttered between sobs as he wiped his nose on his sleeve. 

Imogen moved her hands to his shoulders. 

"No. The demon inside of you tried to kill me. I need you to know, and I need you to understand, that I do not blame you for one moment. And you do not need to blame yourself for actions that you had no control over." 

"But I -" 

"No." 

Imogen wiped more tears from his eyes, hands moving to hold his. 

"Jace, you were possessed by Lilith. Lilith. The fact that you're standing here alive and demon-free is a miracle in itself. I don't blame you, nor does the Clave, for any of it. But, if you need to hear it, I forgive you." 

There weren't words to describe the amount of weight and guilt that released itself from Jace's shoulders as he broke into a new round of sobs and wrapped Imogen back into a hug. 

Peeking over her shoulder, Imogen gestured at Serena who came barreling in and joined the hug, the three of them hanging onto each other for dear life. 

"Oh, my gorgeous children," Imogen sighed as she cried tears of her own, Serena's eyes growing misty. "I am so proud of you both. So proud." 

"We're glad you're ok, Grandma," Serena smiled through her own tears that had started to fall. Even after all these years, she was still unaccustomed to the parental figures in her life praising her and being proud of her. 

"I love you both so much," Imogen said before they all fell back into a hug. 

Serena was first to pull away as she wiped at her eyes, a wicked grin then sliding onto her face as she said, "Come on. Let's go surprise Alec. I'm sure he'd love to see you." 

Imogen smiled despite the weird look Jace gave his sister, but he went along with it anyway. 

And with their hands intertwined, the last three Herondales on Earth walked out of the training room.