Will Herondale: Out of Time

Homesick

Recently, Will's late-night walks were becoming more frequent. Five years ago, he'd appeared in Central Park, having fallen down a time portal. He'd been passed about the Institutes, from New York, London, Los Angeles, Alicante, the Silent City, back to LA, back to New York, back to the Silent City and repeat. As much as he loved and cared for his new modern friends, their stories were moving forward, and he was not. Even Magnus, who understood what it was like to be immortally frozen while time passes, was moving forward. These thoughts crowded his head, and his visits to the Silent City did not help soothe them.

His recent return from the Silent City was on a chilly November day. Will made his way back to Magnus' high rise apartment.

Mostly living in LA now, he had not seen much of the warlock. Except of course when he came to assist the LA Institute's commotion. He tossed the key onto the counter, where the warlock would return it to it's hiding spot.

That night, Magnus watched Will get up from his regular spot on the couch that, grab his jacket and leave without a word. The way the shadowhunter seemed to desperately bolt out the door unnerved Magnus. The warlock's instincts told him to follow, and he did.

Magnus followed him all around Brooklyn until finally, Will stopped at the bridge. The shadowhunter climbed up and pulled himself up to sit on the metal beams, swinging his legs above the river. It wasn't uncommon that Nephilim seated themselves on dangerous ledges. At first, Magnus didn't think anything of it, until Will moved closer to the water, and let himself fall.

The second Will was engulfed by the waves the ground began to shake, and time started to unravel, ever so slowly. It seemed only Magnus was aware of the beginning destruction. The warlock cursed and used magic to retrieve the shadowhunter. The magic took it's time tracking Will under the rushing flow of the river and returning him to the Pier where Magnus waited to take him home. The moment his health was stabilized, the effects of time returned to normal. "William, you absolute idiot," Magnus muttered under his breath.

"What do you mean he jumped off a bridge?" Alec demanded in a hushed voice.

Will sat by the fireplace, lips almost as blue as his eyes, blankets wrapped around his shoulders. His hands were clamped over his ears and his gaze was distant as if he wasn't present.

"I mean exactly that," Magnus said. "I know Will. He's overly dramatic about death, but I doubted he'd ever do something like this. I'm beginning to think those visits to your City of Bones aren't doing him any good."

"Those visits are the only thing giving us any insight in how to return him-"

"And yet in five entire years, they have made no progress. I hear the rumors, Alexander. They say you can lose your mind in a matter of hours down there."

"But the Clave-"

"Not the first time you'll have screwed over the Clave."

Alec ran his fingers through his hair. Being in charge of anomalies in the Shadow World was not as thrilling as it may seem.

Both Alec and Magnus raised their heads as there was a knock on the door. When neither of them answered it immediately, there was another knock, a little more aggressive than the first. Magnus was the one to finally open it.

"Jem Carstairs, I didn't expect you until the morning at least."

The corners of the ex-Silent Brother's mouth twitched upward. "I'm sure as you've learned with Jace and Alec, you'll see when it comes to Parabatai, there is no hesitation between us."

Magnus nodded in understanding. "Might I get you a drink while you're here?"

Jem's gaze was already focused on his Parabatai. "Hot chocolate wouldn't happen to be on the menu? Just half a mug... the other half for Will."

"Of course."

Jem politely moved past Magnus and made his way to seat himself by Will. It amazed Magnus, to watch ―in person― how gracefully Jem handled such a reckless, unpredictable person. Jem nudged his friend. "Will? Will, I know you can hear me. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Magnus returned to the pair, handing one mug to Jem, and placing the other in Will's hands. With a solemn glance at Will, the warlock left the two to converse.

It was a moment or two before Will finally opened his mouth to speak. His voice was quiet, uncharacteristically soft. "Do you remember, last year when Mark saved me from one Malcolm's old poison traps? I almost died then too."

"I remember quite clearly. I nor Tessa could not come to you due to the commotion outside of the Spiral Labyrinth."

Will 's fingers tightened around his mug and he nestled further into his blanket. "When I was dying, and time started to crack, I saw you in those fissures. Not you, present you, but you from before. Silver-haired and all. My Jem. He was looking for me, where I disappeared. I called out to him."

"They told me you asked for me in your sleep."

"I was calling to him, past Jem. He looked back. And then the cracks closed. The Silent Brothers and Mark had removed the poison from my system. I would live."

Will took a ginger sip of his cocoa and kept his gaze locked on the fire dancing in front of him. "I see my life there every time I go to Silent City, but that was the first time I saw you, the you I know. As much as it warms my heart that the two people I have loved most are not only surviving but living, I cannot be here knowing my story ends, without me. I don't know much longer I can stand that. I'm running out of time."

Will turned then, to look at his former Parabatai. It was still strange to him, looking into these dark brown eyes. "Jem, I want to go home," he said, his voice wavering. There was a hollow desperation in his eyes. "I need to go home. Do you understand?"

Jem's heart ached for his friend. He as well appreciated having Will back in his life, but Will, this Will, was not his to keep. He put his arm around his parabatai's shivering shoulders.

"Yes, William. I understand."

Will nodded and slowly finished his half of the hot chocolate. With every sip, he became more drowsy until finally his eyes closed and his weight fell onto Jem. Jem, whose body was no longer being eaten away by a wretched drug, could fully support the young shadowhunter for the first time.

"That was smart, putting a drought in something thick, something he wouldn't notice," Magnus said, coming around the corner with Alec trailing behind.

Jem smiled and ran his fingers through Will's hair, protective and kind like a brother would. "An old trick," he admitted, "This is not the first time Will went without sleep for an extended period of time. I'm simply glad you understood what I meant."

Magnus shrugged. "Mark Blackthorn called me aside before Will arrived here. I recalled him talking about Will's restless nights."

"Alec," Jem said, getting back on track.

Alec straightened, startled that someone other than Magnus had acknowledged him. "Yes?"

"I understand you have done a great deal for Will. All that you can, I'm sure. I do agree with Magnus, though. I cannot be sure about how soon we can return him home. In the meanwhile, the Clave has to stop treating him like a liable experiment."

Alec nodded. "The Silent Brothers will come for him tomorrow evening. I'll have something worked out by then."

"Thank you, Alec," Jem said, with a ghostly smile.