Clockwork City (The Mortal Instruments / Infernal Devices Fanfiction)

Chapter Four : Starting Over?

*Quick little thing - There is a slightly mature thing at the end of this chapter - people under 12 I wouldn't advise reading.

Tessa sat outside on the roof of the institute, looking out at New York City. The darkness of night rendered most of New York invisible, but Tessa could still make out the lights of the large buildings. Her breath fogged up around her and she shivered slightly despite being wrapped up in a warm coat. The light was on in the room behind her and cast a long shadow across the tiles of the roof. Birds flew past and Tessa followed them with her eyes, wondering what it’d be like to spread your wings and fly off the way a bird does. She could hear voices behind her, and knew that they were talking about her. About what had happened. Tessa’s eyes felt heavy and she picked up the caffeine rich coffee next to her. Wrapping her hands around it, she felt warmer. Lifting it to her lips, she took a sip and felt the warmth of the liquid fill her body. Footsteps signalled the arrival of Jem. He sat down beside her and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

“Let’s take a walk.” He said.

Central Park was not how Tessa remembered it. There were a lot more people. Admittedly, the last time that she’d been was when she had gone with her brother back when things were normal. They’d had a picnic on some rocks by a lake. After a walk around some of the open spaces, Tessa directed them there.

“Where are we going?” Jem asked when Tessa grabbed his hand and lead him off the road.

“The Lake.” She said, smiling to herself.

“What’s it called?” He asked, stopping at a map. Jem had never liked to walk too far from the institute, not without Will.

“The lake,” Tessa pointed at it on the map, “Is called The Lake.”

“How imaginative?!” Jem said, laughing.

“I know,” Tessa went up on her toes to kiss Jem’s face, he blushed, and she laughed again.

It only took them a few minutes - well, it would have done if Jem hadn't stopped every few seconds to stare at something he’d never seen before, or laugh at a duck - to get there and when they did, Tessa ran up the rocks and down the other side to the water’s edge. She sat down there and took off her shoes and socks before dipping them into the water.

“Is that safe?” Jem asked, sitting down beside her and taking off his own shoes. He wasn’t wearing socks.

“Probably not.” Tessa said, Jem pulled his feet back under him. “I know you coaxed me out here to talk about what happened. I told him that I was sorry.”

“I know, and he’s forgiven you. The person who hasn’t is--”

“Clary, and because of that Jace won't forgive me, or you.” Tessa observed. She looked at him and saw how utterly lost he was.

“Tessa, you’ve lived all these years alone, I’ve been hidden away with the Silent Brothers and I don’t remember much if anything. I feel like a child wandering around trying to find their feet. Having people look like the ghost of others makes it worse, and having those people hate me because you attack their girlfriends best friend doesn't help either.”

“Jem, he was in the institute. Don’t you understand that!” Tessa shouted, a few people walked past the rocks behind them and giggled loudly. Tessa saw Jem’s hands curl into fists.

“He was given express permission from the Clave. You shouldn’t have jumped him like that.” Jem’s hands didn’t relax when the people had gone.

“Jem, this is hard for me too. I’ve been alone all these years, like you said. Having you back was the best thing that happened to me, but seeing Jace brought back memories of everything. I heard him yesterday night. You’d gone to sleep and I’d woken from a nightmare, I heard voices outside and pressed my ear against the door. It was Alec and Jace.”