Behind the Immortality

1) Trust is key not blood

Tessa is sitting at the dinning room table gripping Will's hand tightly. The Conclave had arrived and was glaring at her as if she were a child needing a punishment. Tessa just looked at the table trying to process why they would be questioning her now. Gideon was the one who broke the silence. "Why can't Tessa live here, it's never bothered you before?" Gideon asked a little annoyed with Riverpush. Will answers for Riverpush. "Because the Conclave thinks that since Tessa is half warlock and half shadowhunter she would report every weakness we have and should therefore not be trusted."
"That is absurd!" Sophie starts.
Charlotte sighs, "Tessa has done more for the shadow hunters and Clave than they have asked of her. She didn't have to stop Mortmain. Why do they have so little faith in her?"
Riverpush replies, "Mrs. Herondale is a downworlder by birth. Nothing more, nothing less. She has to leave." Anger flooding through Tessa, however, she contains it. She looks at Riverpush carefully as she stares him down. Will bursts out his chair. "As Charlotte has said, Tessa has done more than the Clave has asked! She is staying!"
Tessa turns her gaze to Will and tries to get him to calm down. "Will, dear please sit."
Will looks at her, sighs, and sits back down. Tessa turns to look at Riverpush again. "Where would I go if I did leave? I am nephilim too." Tessa points out.
Riverpush glares at Tessa, "Hold your tongue downworlder. You have no say in these matters so keep your trap shut you filthy vermin."
At that point Will had had enough and lunged at the man. Charlotte hits the table, "That is enough! Will, go take a walk!" Will storms out of the room cursing about Riverpush.
"Daniel, that language is not aloud in this house! Tessa has a right to live here just as much as we do! If you want to question her presence here then lets take this up to the Clave!" Charlotte continues.
Tessa is now worried that this would be more trouble than it was worth. "Charlotte, taking this matter to the Clave wouldn't that be over dramatic?"
Sophie is the one to answer, "No Tessa, this is a matter of loyalty that Mr. Riverpush shouldn't be worrying about because you have stood by the shadowhunters at every turn. If he thinks this is something to question we should take it to the Clave to get the official word that you can be trusted." Tessa nods.
Riverpush glares at Tessa still. "You Mrs. Herondale will leave if you know what's good for you. As for you Mrs. Branwell I hope to see you in Idris." He gets up and then escorts himself out of the Institute.

Tessa looks at each person at the table slowly and looks at Charlotte last. "I don't know which is worst: Having you leave, Tessa or that awful man trying to get rid of you." Charlotte says shaking her head. Tessa looks at her hands in her lap. Will comes in cradling his hand as if he just punched something. Gabriel notices, "What did you hit your hand with?" Will smirks a little, "Daniel Riverpush's face. He deserved worse for saying those things to Tessa, but I didn't want to get in too much trouble with Consul Charlotte Branwell." Charlotte sighs. Tessa gets up and tends to Will's hand. Once she is finished wrapping Will's hand they sit back down. Will hits his injured hand on the table, "What do they have against you, Tess?"
She shakes her head, "I don't know but I am pretty sure that if Charlotte loses this fight I will have to leave, seeing how I am a 'downworlder' in the Claves' eyes." She quotes Riverpush. Will holds her hand. Charlotte stares out of the window. "Will, we will have to deal with this in Idris, I would have you come with us Tessa but with where they have you in right now with Daniel's mindset, it isn't exactly the best idea." Charlotte says with as much respect as possible. Tessa nods. "Thank you Charlotte." Tessa smiles.

Will and Tessa head to their room when the meeting was over. He opens the door for her, like a gentleman, and she walks through. Will closes the door behind him and helps Tessa a bit with her shoes. "Will, do you think they will let me stay and be considered a shadowhunter?" Tessa asks as Will removes her shoe.
"I hope so, Tess. If they force you to leave I will leave here as well. I love you and I will stay with you no matter what," Will answers and cups Tessa's cheek as he smiles up at her. She smiles back at him. Will starts to remove her other shoe. When he pulls off her shoe she removes his tie. Will trades spots with her and removes his shoes and she puts his tie in the dresser. Once Will has his shoes off he gets up off the bed and takes off Tessa's necklace. He sets the clockwork angle on the dresser. Tessa turns to face him and rests her head on his chest. She feels him rubbing her back and trying to soothe her. She closes her eyes relaxing in his arms. Will surprises her by picking her up and taking her to the bed and setting her down. She giggles and smiles up at him. Will kisses her softly. She kisses him back and feels him wrap his hands around her. She wraps her arms around his neck. He smiles and starts to unlace Tessa's dress. She smiles and starts to pull his shirt off. Will pulls her dress off of her and then his shirt.

Tessa wakes up next to Will. His arm is over her stomach and his cheek is almost resting on her's. She pulls up the blankets, that were around them, around her a bit more. He starts to stir a little. She smiles then gets up to get dressed. Will continues to sleep as she dresses. Once Tessa is putting her necklace on, a pair of hands take the necklace from her's and puts the necklace around her neck. Once the necklace is clasped the hands, that were once clasping the necklace, wrap around her stomach. She looks at Will knowing he was the one behind her. "Good morning. How did you sleep?" She asks smiling up at him.
"I slept well, thank you. How about you? Sleep well at all?" Will asks back.
"I slept good." She answers him.
"I need to speak with Charlotte about when we are leaving," Will sighs. "I really wished the Clave could just trust you." He keeps holding her. "I know but look at it this way, once this is over you will be back here in my arms no matter what." She smiles at him. Will kisses her and then goes to get dressed himself. She waits for him. Once he is fully dressed they go to breakfast.

At breakfast Will and Tessa sit next each other with Cecily, Gabriel, Sophie, Gideon, and Charlotte. Henry has to be working in the work shop if he isn't playing with Charles. Tessa thought to herself. The whole table was quiet until Will asked, "Charlotte, when will we be leaving for Idris?" Charlotte looked at Will. "We will be leaving tomorrow morning. This is a matter that has to be taken care of as soon as possible." She answered. Will nodded in agreement. Tessa looks down a little feeling guilty a little. Sophie notices. "Tessa, don't worry. Everything will be ok." Tessa looks up and tries to smile. Will could see that Tessa felt guilty for the trouble and wanted to soothe her. "Its going to be ok." He says trying to cheer her up. She nods losing the fake smile.

Once breakfast is eaten Will and Charlotte stay behind to talk about travel plans. Tessa goes to the library and collects the book she was reading before Daniel Riverpush had come to evict her. She sits on the chair and starts to read her book silently. Church patters in and sits on a book shelf in the library.

Will hated the idea of leaving Tessa just for a problem with the Clave and wanted to bring her, but knowing where they had placed her in their eyes, it would be safer if she stayed behind. Charlotte sees Will thinking. "Will, we will get this figured out. What we need are the reasons why she should stay and why she should be considered to be a shadowhunter not a downworlder." Charlotte tries to tell him.
Will looks at her. "Tessa has more than any right to stay. What I don't understand is why they don't trust her. She has done more than they have asked and they are having trouble trusting her." He shakes his head.
Charlotte nods, "Will, lets focus on the problem at hand. We need to get as much information on why Tessa should stay and how she has benefitted us at the London Institute."
Will sighs and says, "Your right, Charlotte. Do you want to take care of that while I start packing or should I?"
Charlotte thought for a moment the answered, "I will. You go pack and be with Tessa. I'm afraid that she seems to think this is too much trouble on her sake."
Will nods in agreement to this, "She did seem a bit off this morning. I am just worried about her in general." Charlotte notices the small bit of pain in his eyes. Will stares out the window.

Cecily was practicing her swordsmanship on a dummy in the training room. She hears door opens and close. She ignores it and keeps attacking the dummy. "You keep fighting like that and the dummy will be in pieces." A boy said behind her. She knew who it was. It was Gabriel Lightwood. She smiles as she takes a break from training. "I might be willing to do that considering what that stupid man, Daniel Riverpush, wants to evict Tessa." She takes a drink of water.
Gabriel smiles at her. "I was worried when Will lunged at Riverpush, that Gideon and I would have had to hold Will back and try to pull him away." Gabriel says.
Cecily nods. "That awful man crossed the line when he called Tessa a vermin. She isn't anything like that." Gabriel nods in agreement. He takes her hand and holds it. She smiles at him. "It will be ok, Charlotte and Will, will figure this out. We just have to be patient." Cecily nods again. They stand there silently, Gabriel trying to comfort Cecily.

Gideon and Sophie were walking down the hall. When they reach Gideon's room, he takes her hands and smiles at her. She smiles at him. He kisses her cheek. Sophie smiles more with a slight blush on her cheeks. Gideon opens the door and lets her in. Once she is in he closes the door behind him. "How are you; other than the whole Clave and Tessa thing?" Sophie shrugs, "It has me rattled to be frank. I am pretty sure that no matter what the solution is, it won't be good for either party. The Clave is having issues trusting downworlders and now they are firing at Tessa. I don't know what to think of the problems that are occurring." Gideon nods and holds her, "It's going to be alright. Charlotte and Will are going to get this whole matter about trusting Tessa cleaned up." Sophie nods. Gideon kisses her and pulls away after a bit and they just stand there in the room.

Edited: 12/30/18