My Fool

Short oneshot, written as a request. Enjoy!

I made my way carefully down the stone steps, lifting my skirt as so not to rip it. Again. That would be the second time I’d had to mend this dress this week and that simply would not do. Not that I hadn’t had my reasons; being distracted by Will’s change in heart, or Cecily’s arrival, the effect that had had on the all of us, the baby, young Jem proposing to Tessa and-

“Charlotte! My dearest Charlotte!” Henry rushed up to me, taking my hand and leading me down the rest of the steps before smiling at my stomach. 

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help the little bubble of happiness that swelled up inside me. Henry and I had both been so excited over the baby, it had been so wonderful. Despite all that had happened, we had found our own happiness. We really were a family now, especially with Will being as he was now. It was a relief. 

Henry dropped my hand as soon as were at the bottom of the steps, gesturing to the utterly chaotic lab with obvious pride. 

“Look! I’ve been working on this for weeks now, utterly thrilled with it, so close to being finished, you see when I tell the clave about this I am sure they will-”

“Henry.” 

He turned to meet my gaze, wide eyed and breathless with excitement. “Yes dear?” His voice was happy and light. “Henry. Henry, you’re on fire.” I sighed heavily. “Yes! I’ve been working diligently all through the night dear, so nice of you to notice-” I cut his babble off before he could continue any further. 

“No, Henry your arm is on fire. Your sleeve has caught alight.” I looked down at the floor, pressing my lips together in an attempt not to laugh as my husband leapt away from me, sprinting and prancing around the room like a mad man, attempting to extinguish the fire he had somehow created. I gave up my battle as I heard a distant clang and the subsequent “darn it!”. I burst into laughter, almost doubling over as I looked up at him through my lashes. 

He was standing with his arm submerged in a tank full of water, the flame gone now, but the workshop absolutely demolished. I bit back another laugh as I approached him, careful not to trip over any of the clockwork pieces that littered the floor, nor the tangle of wires or chunks of wood that were interspersed around them. 

I looked down, nervous suddenly about talking to him. It came from nowhere, but perhaps I was worried he wouldn’t care, or…well I wasn’t quite sure. Suddenly he took my face in his hands, tilting my chin up to face him while he looked at me with concern and confusion.

“What is it Charlotte?” His voice was gentle, yet unusually strong. I suppose it was because I was so used to him being distant, his mind always with his creations. “Well…I wanted to see if you had anytime to perhaps discuss names for the baby?” My voice was uncertain and hesitant. I scolded myself internally for it. 

His face lit up again though, and my earlier doubts vanished. 

“Of course! Oh how silly of me, we of course need to name the baby! Oh where shall we begin? What if it is a boy? Or a girl? How many middle names should we give it? Perhaps a modern name? Or a more traditional one? What about a shadow hunter name? No? Maybe not. Or-” I cut him off with a laugh. 

“Henry I just meant we should maybe think of a few, not decide tonight!” I couldn’t help but smile though, it was so heart-warming to see how excited Henry was. The pride and joy shone out of him, his glance always going back to me or my stomach, his protective gestures, which were not needed, served to remind me that he truly did love me, even more than his clockwork adventures. 

He wrapped his arms around me, one hand absentmindedly tucking a stray curl behind my ear before he released me. “My apologises, I’m just…well, I don’t think I could be happier really.” His smile was like a child’s, one that had just been caught sneaking a treat before dinner. It was incredibly endearing. I laid a hand upon his cheek before noticing, and straightening his bow tie. 

“Why don’t you show me what-” I started but couldn’t even finish the sentence before Henry leapt away, sprinting towards the dark back of the lab, illuminated by only a few low burning witchlights. I sighed, but still couldn’t stop smiling. His passion for all things scientific was incredible. 

His voice called out from the back, distant, yet I could just make it out.

“-emits a certain frequency, which when placed upon those clockwork monstrosities should- I mean if it works correctly-maybe a few more tweaks- should stop them dead in their tracks!” He then turned around and walked a few steps towards me before holding out a cautioning hand. 

In the palm of his hand was a small bronze object, no bigger than perhaps a small fist. Henry pressed a button on it and I held my breath as I stared at it. Henry’s smile faded until all that was left was a confused expression. He held the thing up to his eyes, peering at it intently before mumbling to himself.

He ran back to the work bench in the corner and began tinkering with it. I shook my head, still smiling, and looked around the room. I sighed. It was, of course, in a complete state of disarray, with smouldering aprons lying across cluttered desks and great piles of metal and wood were everywhere. Long spools of wire also adorned the various piles of junk around the floor. 

I looked back over to Henry, who was bent over the table, muttering to himself and sorting through a box of tiny clockwork pieces. “Henry dear, I have to go back upstairs. Tessa wanted to talk with me and I need to sort through some papers. Show me later.” 

And with that I left him playing with his clockwork mechanics, a small smile still on my face, and a warm feeling inside of me because he might be a fool, but he was my fool.