#shadowhunter fan fic

[green28go]

Butterflies.

What an unpleasant day, Magnus thought as he sat in his apothecary and stared at vast nothingness despite having demonology books on the study table. Alexander was not back yet. No, the whole truth is that Alexander, who was angry with him, had left in the morning at nine past and was still not back. It’s 4 pm now, and since his boyfriend left their home, his mind constantly circled back to the fight they had in the morning. It was awful and really loud—the argument. It had been about the immortality issue once again and this was their first big argument after they got back together since the Camille debacle. This time he had really pushed Alec’s buttons which he’d never willingly do. And Alec, by the look on his face, could understand that his boyfriend’s resolve broke and was seconds away from slamming the door, right on his face. From then, up until now, he sat worrying about him. He’d wanted to do nothing more than to look into the bright blue eyes and tell how sorry he was and that he did not mean a single syllable that he had uttered at that moment, he knew that Alec required space and he respected that, but now, his mind starts to worry and he glances at his phone if he’d received any text from Alec but feels dejected as there is no sign of what he is looking for.

He gets an idea that he deems fitting as an apology to the Archer for the way things ended between them in the morning. So, he summons a small stack of Clairefontaine Triomphe writing papers and, writes a short and sweet letter for Alec.

Dear Alexander,

                            I apologize for my suboptimal behavior earlier this day and would want nothing more than to tell you by holding your hand that I did not mean an ounce of what I said in the moment of heat. Believe me, love, when I say that you are indeed the best thing that happened to me in decades. Now, if you will come home, to me, I would gladly curl up with you on the couch and kiss you till the daybreak.

Love, Magnus.

He perfumed the letter with sandalwood, of course, what else would he use, and performed his little trick that sent the letter, converted into a fire message, flying out of the room to his Alec, in the form of a butterfly. He watched as it left the room swiftly and started waiting patiently for Alec to reply.

He waited and waited. Ten minutes turned into thirty and that turned into an hour and a half.

No reply, not a single word through any means from Alec. He was not on a mission or on patrol as Alec would always ensure he informed him beforehand. So, he must either be in the Institute or with the Alliance. Magnus has a half mind to track him but he resorts to calling Isabelle instead.

“Hello, my favorite compatriot from Brooklyn!”  

“You don’t really know many people in Brooklyn,” he replied.

“Of course, I do, like your boyfriend who lives with you,” he is amused at Isabelle’s reply.

“And pray tell, why is your brother not your favorite?” he asked.

“Because he is in a grumpy mode and had already snapped at me once and twice at Jace,” she answered.

He is indisputably aware of the grumpiness in his boyfriend and it is his job to make it go away. Just when he was about to inquire about what Alec was doing, Isabelle pondered a question towards him.

“Magnus, does it have to be something to do with you?” she asked.

His reply was easy. Silence.

“By the angel, should’ve already known it was you, I thought it had something to do with mindless Shadowhunters who are refusing to cooperate with the Alliance,” she said again, more like realized.

“Is he in your line of sight, dear Isabelle?” he asked her.

“Yes, we are in the training room and he is staring at a piece of paper with his signature “I’m unimpressed,” look,” she said.

What Isabelle said only meant one thing. Alec is nonchalant about his apology, not impressive enough, so he’ll just strengthen his strategy to woo Alec through his cher-courrier.

“Thank you, Isabelle, now I have to make it up to your brother,” he said with determination.

“I know you will, Magnus,” she said leaving the call.

Now, he took the writing paper and started expressing his love for Alec, molded into an apology in the form of words.

Dear Alexander,

                         I once again stand here to tell you how sorry I am for what happened in the morning. Darling, you are exqui………………….

He filled the entire letter with his adoration for his loving Shadowhunter and, transformed it into a butterfly, scented it, and sent it flying towards the Institute.

He waited for forty-five minutes and when nothing came his way from his beloved, he took the feather into his hand and started writing again. Maybe the letter was quite a bit. So, he tried again.

My Dearest Alec…………….

No answer. He tried again.

I truly am remorseful……….

Nothing from his boyfriend. He wrote afresh with a different ink.

I want to hold you……………

None. No reply. He was reluctant to give up. He sprinkled glitter in the letter and sent it Alec’s way.

Sweetheart, I love you………

Nope, not a singular word from Alec. So, he dipped the feather in the black ink and started.

Alexander, talk to me……....

He was exhausted, not because of expressing his affection and fondness for Alec but because of having his beloved not give an expression for what he was saying. The silence was absolute torture and now it turned into anger.

Come on, this is not fair………

He wrote, and waited. The answer became obvious when he held the feather again.

He was feeling what was a huge amount of sadness, hurt, and a bit of anger and decided that this was his last letter and he was going to the Institute, once the reply from Alec resembled his previous replies.

Come home, Alexander, I’m sorry………

He sent it and waited. It was almost 10 ‘o'clock and he seriously questioned his boyfriend’s stubbornness in not wanting to speak with him and ghosting him. Was this how Alec felt during the time of their break up? He remembered how sorry Alec was and how frustrated he got in a certain voicemail. He had listened to all of them, a part of him at that time hoped that he’d preserve those voicemails if Alec never wanted to get back together with him. But that was an obstacle that they had overcome, together.

He didn’t make an effort to dress himself ever-so-enticingly as far as his fashion sense goes. He was worn out and missed having Alec by his side. The only energy he has is required to open up a portal directly to the Institute and he did that.

He was at the back of the Institute and walked, without a single thought on his mind, into the place, as he no longer required anybody to escort him. He found Jace in the corridors and Jace, who must’ve either sensed it or found it from Isabelle, had simply mouthed at him that said training room.

He strode towards the place with quietude, careful not to show his wretched worry.

There was his Alexander, his back facing him and his position upright. He was holding the bow and arrow, aiming towards the target with the proficiency that can only be achieved by vigorous training. He cleared his throat to draw the attention of his boyfriend.

Alec didn’t turn toward him and just spoke in a tone that indicated detachment and coldness. If he was surprised by his presence, he did very well not showing it.

“What do you want?”

Oh no. That angered him. After all those apologies and letters and his obvious efforts, Alec just did not do that.

“What do I want? What exactly do you want Alec?” He said with a clear indication of how furious he was.

“Nothing,” Alec stated, not moving an inch.

“Why are you being so uncompromising?” He said, his voice weary.

“You mean difficult,” Alec answered, finally turning towards him.

“No, I didn’t say that,” He immediately responded. Alec looked like someone who hadn’t been sleeping for two days and he could notice the bruises on the archer’s hands.

“But you meant it,” Alec quietly voiced his opinion.

“You’re never difficult to be with, Alexander,” He uttered in a soft voice.

Alec didn’t respond to that, he was just standing there, with his eyes looking anywhere except at the person in front of him.

“I’ve apologized so many times, Alec, and I-” he started but was cut short.

“Wait, when did you apologize?” Alec asked him, clearly confused.

“Seriously Alexander,” He said, looking every bit unimpressed.

“Magnus, You didn’t apologize at all, today,” Alec finished.

“I did,”

“In your dreams, I suppose,” Alec muttered.

“Alexander,” he retorted.

“I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about,”

“What did you even read in those letters, Alec?”

“What letters?”

“The letters that I sent you,” he exclaimed.

“I did not receive a single letter from anybody today, the Institute mailbox is empty,” Alec declined.

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, now you don’t think I am telling the truth, fantastic, what else is new?” The bitterness in his voice was evidently clear.

“Alec, will you just stop, I am trying to make things right between us,”

“So, you think I am not?”

“For Lilith’s sake, I don’t see you doing that,” He said, frustrated.

“Magnus, if you are really here to pick fights with me I-”

“My purpose of being here is not that, but I highly suppose you are the one who is trying to do it,”

Just when Alec was about to remark, they were interrupted by footsteps making their way toward the Institute. So, they naturally fell quiet. It was Clary, and she was carrying a strange cage in her hand.

“Hey, are you guys okay?” she inquired.

They nodded.

“Magnus, I’m here to ask if these belong to you,” she pointed to the box she was holding. Now, it became distinct to him what was in it—his letters—all of them. Their wings were fluttering, and those butterfly-shaped letters were trying to get out of the cage.

“They’re sparkling and have a natural glimmer of your magic, so I brought them to you,” she said, holding them out.

“Yes, they belong to me, and how did you get them? " He said, taking the cage into his hands.

“Oh, the new group of Shadowhunters from Geneva caught them, they are still waiting for more in the entrance,” she answered.

He’d take care of them tomorrow but for now, his priority is Alec and giving him these letters.

 “Thank you, biscuit. You truly helped me a lot today,” he said with a breath of relief and gratitude toward the redhead.

“You’re welcome and good night, the both of you,” she left with a smile on her face.

He looked at Alec, who was looking at the cage in his hand. There was no anger, only mild irritation mostly masked by curiosity.

“All right, brace yourself, Alexander,” he said, hoping Alec would like what he had done.

He opened the cage and the letters went flying toward Alec, landing on Alec, forming a half-silhouette of the Shadowhunter.

“Magnus, what are these?” Alec asked not moving an inch and holding still so as not to disturb those little inanimate letters.

“Pick one and read,” he instructed his boyfriend gently.

Alec did as he was told. He watched as his eyes skimmed over the letter swiftly, the expression on his face changing, his gaze softening and a small smile forming on his angelic face.

Alec looked at him and asked.

“Are all these letters, apologies?”

“Yes, they are,”

“Why so many?”

“You were not responding so I-”

“I forgive you,” Alec didn’t blurt it out but had said it calmly.

“You didn’t read all of them,” he said.

“I will but to forgive you, you are enough,”

Alec uttered those words with such sincerity that it made him want to reach out to the Archer and wrap him in the warmest hug. But he didn’t.

“I do not mean anything I’ve said this morning, I’m sorry-” he started instead.

“Magnus, I know,” Alec told him gently.

“So, you already forgave me?”

“Of course, I did,”

“But, you didn’t say so,” he said in a quiet tone.

“Because I wanted to know,” Alec hesitated. “I wanted to know if you’d reach out to me before I’d do it,” Alec whispered.

He moved towards Alec.

“Oh, Alexander,” He cupped Alec’s face in his hands and gently tugged at his face so that the Shadowhunter would look at him. The butterflies on Alec's body stayed where they were, only fluttering a little.

“Of course, I would reach out to you,”

“I know, it’s a stupid doubt to have-” Alec mumbled but he cut him off in the middle.

“Of course it’s not sweetheart, I’m sorry that I gave you the implication that I’d never come to you first and that you had to doubt me about it,” he softly said those words, meaning every monosyllable.

Alec looked at him with adoration and in a heartbeat, kissed him. The butterflies came to life when their lips touched and then again settled on Alec.

The kiss was soft, nothing passionate but rather it was a slow one, one that is full of love and familiarity. Their hands wrapped themselves around each other.

When they finally broke the kiss but, didn’t break away from the embrace, Magnus bent his head forward and a bit downward, his forehead touched Alec’s.

“I’ll try to do better,” he said gently. A soft smile spread across Alec’s face.

“So will I,” Alec uttered with reverence.

It was a promise from both of them. They smiled into their kiss once again.

[secretly-a-catamount]

@lescahiersdesable

It took me three weeks but I did it!

[imawriteriwrite]

*five years later*

If anyone is still following me from my Malec fanfic days, here, have the first chapter of a new fic. I hope you like it! 🙈

Synopsis:

Alec and Magnus have a reputation for ruining holidays amongst their friend group. From the mistletoe incident to the infamous Halloween massacre (no one even came close to dying, despite what Simon claims). But this Christmas is special as it might be the last one they all spend together in their hometown before everyone moves away and Magnus is determined to make it the best ever. Starting with a promise to the others that he and Alec can get along and not ruin Christmas. Again. But they wouldn’t be them if there wasn’t a healthy dose of friendly competition, right? Anyone who says you can’t win at Christmas isn’t trying hard enough.

Also known as: that moment you stop believing in the magic of Christmas but true love helps convince you it was real all along (like any good Hallmark movie)!

In this fic, you can expect: lots of angst and fluff, Christmas fun, idiots in love, a healthy dose of competition, and lots of mutual pining.

[demon-of-arts]

currently writing a Malec 4+1 fic where you have the talents of your soulmate and the first scene i have is alec playing the piano

a snip it-

Struggling to come up with other talents up i know i want to add mangus' potions or something with his magic, i also know i want to add 2 talents for alec and 2 for magnus

But the one i'm looking forward to is magnus using a bow!!

[claymoresofinfamy23]

Leather, Fury, and love.

Angel!Cody Rhodes x Shadowhunter!OC Samantha “Sam” Smith.

A/N: be nice. This is the first time I’ve written a fic in 3rd person. Warnings/triggers: typical wrestling violence, swearing, blood, also. This is an AU. So things are unrealistic and at times exaggerated, if you don’t like it, don’t read it. I WILL block you if you leave hate. I love you all! Roman’s a little OOC and implied smut.

Third person POV

Sam was watching the monitor in Cody's locker room. Cody had said he didn't want her getting into the middle of his problems with  Roman and Rock the two leaders of the most powerful werewolf pack. Sam had initially agreed to stay out of it, but as she caught something in the Rock and Roman's eyes that no one in that crowd of mundanes would be able to understand, The Shadowhunter had to break the promise she'd made to the angel she loved. Sam ran out there, got into the ring, and leaned over Cody. She gently caressed his face as his eyes were closed when she leaned over him protectively. "Cody" she whispered, trying to wake him up. His eyes fluttered open, and he groaned. Sam heard a scoff and turned to face the Rock, Who was staring at her Sam and Roman were close friends off camera so,

Sam didn't acknowledge that he was there as well. Sam focused her attention on the Rock instead. "You think you can protect him?" Rock taunted. She stayed in place, determined to protect Cody and Seth. "Yeah, even though I'm a woman, I have more balls than you'll ever have" she snapped, one hand on Cody's shoulder, and the other on Seth's. "Move" Rock ordered, only to get a defiant stare from Sam as she stayed in place, refusing to leave her friend and boyfriend alone. "No. I won't cower to an entitled bitch." Sam said harshly, her eyes staring daggers into the Rock. Roman moved forward slightly as if to try and reason with the shadowhunter, and Sam shot him a look that could melt steel. He almost immediately stepped back, he did not want to be on the receiving end of Sam's wrath. Rock however made the mistake of underestimating the 5'6 woman. He raised the weight belt he'd been hitting Cody with, and hit Sam, the leather ricocheting off her back. the Rock seemed to expect Sam to yelp or scream and cower, and was a mixture of surprised and infuriated when she merely flinched, her body going rigid as she turned and faced him. Sam's back was stinging, but she didn't seem to care as she stood up, the glare she gave the Rock was enough to melt steel. She snatched Cody's weight belt out of Rock's hand, and began she swung it, the belt crashing into the his face. She kept swinging, hitting the Rock's back, sides, collarbone and ribs several times until Cody wrapped his arms around her waist, whispering softly in her ear. "I'm alright Samantha, let it go" he whispered, his hands beginning to knead Sam's tight shoulders. She hit the rock in the stomach with the belt one final time, before returning the belt to Cody. It was his after all. He gently took the belt from Sam's hands, kissing her cheek tenderly. Sam's gaze turned to Roman. "Get your cousin under control." She said, her tone a bit harsh. Roman just looked at her, surprised and maybe a little scared of what she'd done to Rock. Sam turned to Seth, her eyes softening slightly. "Are you alright?" Seth nodded. "I'm fine. Remind me to never get on your bad side." He said, a nervous chuckle escaping him. Sam laughed. "You know I wouldn't hurt you. Not after how you've helped Cody." Seth nodded and Cody spoke up, interjecting himself into the friendly conversation between his girlfriend and Seth. "Sam can be quite scary when she's mad" this caused Sam to laugh again. "Don't flatter me, Rhodes" she said as she gently smacked his chest. Seth rolled his eyes playfully. "Get a room you two" Sam shot Seth a playful glare at his statement. 10 minutes later, Sam and Cody made it the privacy and safety of Cody's bus. Sam sank down into the couch, Cody sitting down in front of her moments later, his back resting against her chest. Sam's hands gently played in Cody's short, bleach-blonde hair, her earlier anger subsiding into concern. After a moment, she leaned up, laying her head on Cody's shoulder. "Take off your shirt." She said suddenly, having an idea that would hopefully make Cody feel better as she didn't doubt that his back was on fire after all of those shots with the weight belt. His eyebrows raised in a mix of fake surprise and playfulness. "Making this interesting, are we?" He teased as he took off his shirt. Sam gasped at just how red Cody's back truly was. She felt the rage boil within her again, and nearly tore the handle off the bathroom cabinet when she got the lotion out of it. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she sat down behind Cody, gently pressing her lips to the back of his shoulder "I'm sorry" she said, getting some lotion onto her hands and gently rubbing on his back, causing him to sigh in relief as she gently kneaded his tight back and shoulders and applied lotion to hopefully quell the burning. "Don't be, you saved our asses out there." Sam shook her head as she continued to apply lotion. "I wasn't apologizing for coming out there. I meant, I'm sorry that this happened to you. You didn't deserve it and

If I see-" "Shh, Sam, it's alright, love. You couldn't have known what was gonna happen." Cody took one of Sam's lotion-covered hands and kissed the back of it as he spoke. "I'm okay, I'm an angel after all, it'll take a lot more than an egotistical werewolf to keep me down." He continued, kissing Sam's hand again. He wanted her to know that he'd be fine, and that she didn't need to stress. Sam let out a chuckle at his words, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, her head resting on his shoulder. "I love you, Codes" she said softly after a moment of silence. Cody smiled, turning around to face Sam. "I love you too, Sam." He caressed Sam's cheek gently with his thumb, before pulling her in to kiss her deeply, her legs wrapped around his waist as he picked her up off of the couch and gently pressed her against the wall. His tongue met hers, causing her to moan softly, Cody pulled away from Sam's lips, chuckling softly and caressing her cheek again. "Let's take this elsewhere?" He asked, kissing her collarbone. "Definitely" Sam replied, kissing his neck. They walked off to the bus' bedroom as they kept kissing and tugging at each other's clothes.

A/N: ahhh! Sorry it’s late. Got distracted lmao. Should I do a smutty part two? Be honest.

My amazing Cody moots!! (If you wanna be added or removed, lmk)

@mini-rhodes

@alyyaanna

@there-goes-thefighter

@southerngirl41

@xtripleiiix

@claymorexpunisher

@queenofthetable

@darhknight

@romanthereigns

[dani-dabbles]

A Prince Restored, A Lover Lost

Title: A Prince Restored, A Lover Lost

Artists: @capcavan and @another-random-stranger

Beta: quill_and-ink (AO3)

Rating: Teen and Up

Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood

Word Count: 24k+

Summary: A SH 2x12 canon-divergent story where Magnus isn’t rescued by Alec and is executed in Valentine’s body by the Clave. His last moments of life are that of absolute agony…

…until the moment he wakes up in Edom and in the company of Asmodeus. 

Given a second chance at immortal life, Magnus returns to New York only to discover that, despite the seemingly fleeting moments he’d spent in death, decades have passed in the mortal realm. 

In a desperate attempt to reconnect with the Downworld/Shadowhunter family he was just beginning to build, Magnus finds everything and everyone changed. And the one he misses the most…he can’t find at all.

Devastated and unmoored, Magnus returns to his loft. And while the place is mostly the same (aside from inches of dust and stale air), it's the pile of mail at the door that stops him short. Because among the credit card applications, coupon sheets, and charity solicitations, are letters. Letters upon letters and each is labeled to mark the passing of time - Day 3, Day 64, Day 378, Day 1104 - all written in a heartbreakingly familiar hand. 

Through Alec’s words, the events after Magnus’ passing begin to unfold. And with each painful letter, a hopeful path back to the man who had the makings to be Magnus’ greatest love begins to be revealed.

Link to AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49775434/chapters/125643631

This fic was created for the Shadowhunters Mini Bang 2023: Presented by the @malecdiscordserver. 

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

[purplebass]

Happiness Was Itself A Chemical Reaction - Gracetopher

Grace and Christopher are both 22 and they are attending their final year at university in the United States. I don't say what they study, but I figured they'd be interested in chemical engineering!✨ They are trying to complete this experiment they have to show to their class, but they are not in luck. Good for them, they can take a break and go to London through portal to have dinner with some known faces :) This fic is canon divergent so some of the events of Chain of Thorns didn't happen here, including [redacted]'s death. Read on A03 💜

“What do you think of wine, Grace?”

When Christopher asked Grace such a random question, she wasn’t the least bit surprised. It was late morning, the rays of the sun filtered through the high windows and bathed the table with chemicals and beakers in warm colors. Grace loved spending her time working in the lab and devouring science books until she was sick of it (she was never sick of this, if you asked her). 

She also developed an unexpected appreciation for the simple things, which were denied to her as she grew up. The things everyone took for granted. Spending more minutes in bed and going through her day at her pace, occasionally taking a morning off to think about what was not adding up to something new she was trying in the lab. Watering her favorite flowers, which she planted herself in the backyard of the Fairchild residence back in Grosvenor Square. 

She believed that keeping a little garden would keep her busy and teach her more about nature and science while she wasn’t studying. She thought they could also help with experiments, and she started to keep a diary to annotate their progress as they grew. Just like her. 

“Imagine if we could make hair dye or other cosmetics from the petals,” Grace suggested one day to Christopher. He was bent over the table, using the microscope. His glasses were close to falling off his nose, but he didn’t make any move to adjust them. 

He observed and took notes, but glanced at Grace when she spoke, her ideas sparked his interest and he needed to put off his work to listen to her. “Hair dye, you say? Cosmetics? Done by using the process followed by Phoenicians?”

She nodded with a sincere smile, and they started discussing whether that could be achieved. 

Most of Grace’s days would go on like that. After the invention of fire messages, Kit told her about other projects he had that could benefit the shadow world, but he needed to do some research before he could be sure that he was on the right path. Grace had beamed at the prospect of working on new things, but she had also been thrilled to work on new things together. 

Making new discoveries and enriching her science studies were her new life goals. Years prior, she had never thought she would say that, but here she was. She was enormously grateful for Christopher too, whom she thought to be the best person to accompany her in her journey. Grace saw Kit as a professor who knew too much but was too young. Someone who could teach her but who also seemed stimulated by their talks in the lab. But, of course, it wasn’t just that.

Grace enjoyed her time with Kit. It wasn’t just what they worked on in the laboratory that made her happy, it was his presence too. Nothing seemed to truly faze him and she was a little jealous of his positive attitude towards life. And his unpredictability made life with him peculiar to be with. She was always eager to hear what he had to say, and she realized he was too, with her. 

Things were evolving, albeit slowly, but she wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere. She never thought she would get where she was and she was happy with the progress she made, but she knew she could do more. 

“I want to go to college,” she informed her brother one day. 

Jesse raised an eyebrow and grinned. “I’m not surprised. You would do great in college,” he said. “There is money to pay for tuition,” he added, to which Grace nodded. She knew that woman had enough funds that could build a castle, but she also knew that they couldn’t still obtain those yet. The will said Jesse had to be eighteen to access the money, which he would be soon. 

“I know. And I wanted to ask you because –” she bit her lip and sighed. “Those are Blackthorn money,” your money, she wanted to add, but recognition in her brother’s eyes told her he understood her concerns. “And you still can’t access them.”

“But I will in a few weeks,” he offered Grace a genuine smile. “Those money are mine as much as they are yours, Gracie,” he replied to her mental question. “You can do whatever you wish. If college is your dream, do not hesitate to take as much as you need.”

Grace’s smile was bright when she went on to tell Christopher about her decision. “You know, we could really use a bigger laboratory and the backing of an academic institution,” he told her, his eyes beaming at her. She could tell he was already starting to plan. “We could have funds and –”

“We have to graduate first,” Grace reminded him. “We’ll be just college students to them, until the end.”

“Yes, of course, but we will still have access to the lab and to ingredients and chemicals we can use for your research,” he winked. “It may even get academic recognition in the mundane world.”

“Kit,” Grace said, her voice low. “Does this mean you’ll be attending with me?”

“Of course,” he told her, his eyes wide and his smile even wider. “I’ve always loved this lab and studying by myself, don’t get me wrong. But getting full access to a variety of books I can borrow freely? And working with my favorite person? Amazing! A dream come true.”

Favorite person? Grace tried not to blush too much, but Kit was gazing at her and she smiled. A dream she never thought would come true. 

They had enrolled at a college in the United States, thinking that it would do them well to leave the stale and humid London air for a while. Going abroad scared Grace a little, since she had never traveled by herself. But then she remembered that Christopher would be with her, and she felt safe. She would be able to visit every few months thanks to the portals, and in the meantime, she could exchange fire messages and use the mundane telephone to keep in touch with her brother and her other immediate family.

Grace wasn’t surprised that they had accepted her request to join the university. America was more open to women joining college, and this was another reason why she thought it was better to move overseas to study. She was sure she could have a better experience there, and the experience proved right. She was glad she chose the United States.

That afternoon, she wondered what wine had to do with their experiments, but she was glad for the break. They were studying the distillation process of some chemicals, and they needed to show it to the class, in addition to creating a stable solution that would not explode. This would get them closer to graduation, and they needed for it to go well. Thinking about graduation brought her joy, but she was also frustrated because they still couldn’t achieve their goal. If they’d worked on it for fun, she wouldn’t have minded spending more time on it. But they had a deadline, and they needed to hurry. 

“I only tasted it once,” Grace confessed, remembering the moment with a slight shudder. She wondered if Kit caught that. “It had a bitter taste, and I do not wish to drink it again for the time being.”

Christopher raised his eyebrows, nodding. “I understand, that is a fine decision, by the way,” he managed a genuine smile. “I consumed wine on more than one occasion, even though I shouldn’t have, but,” he shrugged. “Fine, I guess, but not my favorite. I do not enjoy alcohol and I suggest people should mind how they consume it.”

“Then why did you taste it?” Grace wondered.

“Because I was curious about how it tasted,” he said, as if he was just talking about a dessert or some food. “And how wine is perfected to become the way it is. Do you know that you also need to do laboratory tests to check the status of the wine?”

“I suppose so,” she arranged her notes in her lap and shrugged. The grandfather clock chimed in to announce the time, and she didn’t continue. 

The sound of the wooden device made Grace gaze up at it. Lunch would be served soon, but they wouldn’t eat lunch. Not there, at least. She glanced back at Kit, and noticed him staring intently at her. 

“You stopped talking, Grace,” Christopher said quietly. “Perhaps you find the topic of heavy drinks uncomfortable? Because we can talk about something else. For example, do you prefer tea or coffee?”

She laughed softly, and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Old habits die hard. “Certainly, those two can still classify as drinks, don’t they?”

“Of course, they can. Their base is a liquid, and they do satisfy thirstiness,” Kit answered with glee. “But they are no less harmful than an alcoholic drink. Do you know that tea and coffee are stimulants and they can cause severe damage to your body if you have too much?”

“No, I did not. I did not know that,” she told him humbly. “I hope you didn’t try to prove this theory like you did with the wine.”

Christopher made a face. “I love tea and I love tea with lemon tarts, especially those mama makes,” he put his hand in front of his mouth and whispered: “don’t tell aunt Sophie that. She thinks I love hers more, but she doesn’t put enough lemon in them and I want them to taste like lemon, not some washed out version of it.”

Grace giggled, and glanced at the clock again. “Perhaps we should get ready to leave.”

“Oh,” he also gazed at the clock, and then at the window. “Yes, you are right, Grace. I lost track of time talking about wine, and I’m not even inebriated!”

They both laughed and started gathering their things. They had a dinner to attend, and they didn’t want to be late.

They were expected at Christopher’s house that morning. Or night. New York was five hours behind London, and it meant that when they crossed the portal that led to the London Institute, it would be evening in the old country. They would be five hours in the future, and this often fascinated Grace. Did it mean they traveled back in time once they returned? Of this, she wasn’t sure. 

“Feels good to be back for a short while,” Christopher said once they found themselves in the basement of the London Institute. He inhaled the air, which Grace found funny. “The air seems cleaner than New York. One time, we should measure both.”

“There’s too much pollution in the States,” Grace nodded. “Perhaps we can do something about it.”

“We will see about that,” he beamed at her, ever excited about the prospect of improving people’s lives. 

They climbed the narrow staircase that took them to the main hall. Grace’s heart hammered in her chest once she saw who was waiting for their arrival. Her brother Jesse turned upon hearing their steps on the ancient floors, and his pensive expression suddenly turned into a bright smile. 

“Grace,” he muttered affectionately, and Grace couldn’t help but quicken her pace and hurry to him. They hadn’t seen each other for two months because the last time Grace and Kit had visited, Jesse was in Idris for shadowhunter business. “Hello, Christopher,” he said to his cousin. “How have you been? Is New York treating you well? ”

“Good, really good,” she managed a grin. “New York is the same as usual, you should come again sometimes,” she suggested. 

“I believe Lucie would have fun with inspiration there. I have lost count on how many murders have happened recently,” Christopher chimed in, and Jesse frowned. “Do you remember, Grace? We helped the police, once, when that fellow student was found dead on the campus.”

Grace shook her head. “It’s not like I keep track,” she glanced at her brother, who was curious and astonished at the same time. “And it was just one time, and it was for a good cause. He died because of a demon attack, but they will never know.” 

“Murders on campus because of demons?” Jesse raised an eyebrow. “Sure, that’s probably a topic Lucie would love to hear more about,” he chuckled, and his eyes wandered on the staircase behind them.

“On that note,” Kit said, “where is Lucie? Is she not coming with us?”

“She is coming,” he answered. “She had a last minute urgency,” he offered a smile without disclosing much. “She’ll be here s– oh, there she is.”

They all turned in time to see Lucie coming down the stairs, her hair up and held by a glittering pin on the side of her face. When she saw Grace and Kit, her smile widened, but she still took her time descending the stairs, perhaps because of the emergency her brother had cited as the reason for her delay. Her face was flushed, maybe because she was in a hurry.

“We were about to leave without you,” Christopher said, and Grace didn’t know if he meant it as a joke or not. He seemed serious. She still smiled. “You are late,” he added, and Lucie subtly glanced at her brother and shrugged.

“Alas, it couldn’t be helped,” she replied enthusiastically. “I’m pleased to see you again after two months!” she added, changing the topic. “How are you faring? Is there something interesting happening in the Big Apple?”

“Do you like murder, Lucie?” Christopher wondered.

“Do you mean as a literary topic or literally?” Lucie inquired, and they started walking to the main door. “Tell me more about it.”

Grace and Jesse looked at each other and made a face, then followed after them to the carriage waiting outside.

It was a short ride to Bedford Square, where Christopher’s parents still lived with his younger brother Alexander. They also hadn’t seen their son and Grace for two months, and they were beyond themselves when they finally arrived.  It was nice to be back for a short while, and being around some of the people she cared about the most. That night it was just her, Christopher, his parents, her brother Jesse and Lucie, who was now his wife. 

“Are you eating well in New York? Because if not, I’m going to come to the college and argue with your principal and his poor meal services,” Cecily threatened. Grace knew that those weren’t empty threats. 

“Do not worry, mama. We are eating well. Right, Grace?”

Grace blinked, trying not to betray much emotion. “Yes, don’t worry,” she said politely, but Kit’s mom was still frowning. She probably didn’t buy it, she thought, eyeing her companion, who had moved to talk to his father. And for good reason.

“Tell me the truth, Grace,” Cecily leaned in and lowered her voice, as Christopher laughed at something Gabriel said to little Alexander Lightwood. “I don’t want to pry into your life as you are not children anymore, but you both look like you could use more sleep and better food. I’ve briefly been to the United States, but their food tastes awful.”

Grace smiled at the comment. “It isn’t awful. I would not define it as such, but it isn’t my favorite either. We are eating, if this is what you are worrying about,” she said. She didn’t specify that they mostly survived on dachshund sausages that they could buy from street vendors and other types of takeout food they could eat in the lab. 

Cecily didn’t seem convinced, but she let it go, and Grace exhaled a sigh of relief. She wasn’t great with small talk, and she didn’t know how to lie properly. She’d rather not lie, but she believed that white lies were okay. Christopher’s mom was highly inquisitive, and she could smell when someone wasn’t being honest with her. After they moved abroad, she used to come everyday through a portal to check on them because she worried about their wellbeing in New York City too much. At some point, she realized that they wanted their independence and that she needed to let them live their life and be independent, which Grace vastly appreciated.

It was pleasant to know that there was someone other than her brother who also cared about her like that. It had been three years since they moved, and they tried to arrange dinners every few weeks to keep in touch with their families. But that hadn’t been possible in the last two months, because of the workload from the lab that they still needed to complete. 

Grace sighed just thinking about it, but she trusted that they could make it in time.

“Do you like lemon tarts, Grace?” uncle Gabriel asked, his hand holding a small tray with Christopher’s favorite treat. She had probably sighed for real and hadn’t noticed it. 

“Yes, thanks,” she grabbed one. “Did Aunt Cecily make these?”

“She woke up at dawn to make them perfect,” he took one from the tray and tasted it, making an elated face when he did. “Delicious. My wife is an amazing baker,” she glanced at Cecily, who was deep in conversation with Jesse and Christopher on the sofa. Lucie was beside them but she was silent, every now and then grinning and commenting at something they had said. Little Alex was still there but he was falling asleep on Kit’s arm. 

“They are great, you are right,” Grace nodded. “Can we get some to take to New York with us?”

Gabriel’s smile widened. “Cecily prepared a box for you and Kit. It is meant to be a surprise, but it doesn’t matter,” he giggled. “Pretend you are surprised when she gives it to you, please,” he demanded, and it made Grace laugh. Sometimes, uncle Gabriel reminded her so much of Christopher, and it was funny to see where he probably inherited his inability to keep secrets. 

“I’ll pretend you never told me, uncle,” she lowered her voice and glanced at the group to see if they’d heard them. They probably didn’t. Someone made a joke and they were laughing out loud. 

Gabriel giggled at the sight and excused himself to the kitchen to get the drinks. Grace walked to the group right as Alex was protesting. 

“I was sleeping, mama!” He said with annoyance and rubbed his eyes. 

“There will be more laughing, my dear,” Cecily said gently to her youngest son. “Perhaps it is time you go to bed? You are tired.”

“No, I want to be with you,” he cried, and held Kit's arm even more tightly. “You will go and I will see you again in two months and I don’t like that!”

“Come, come, Alex,” Kit said. “We will come back soon, and we will play next time. Not tonight. There is not enough time tonight.”

“If you want,” intervened Grace, “we could take you to bed and wait until you fall asleep?”

Alex’s eyes lit up at the proposition. “Yes, please!” he said excitedly, taking Christopher’s hand and dragging him towards Grace. He also took her hand, then turned to the other three. “I’m sorry Lucie, I’m sorry Jesse. You can’t come,” he said fiercely. “And I hope you aren’t jealous. You’ll take me to bed next time, good?”

“No hard feelings, little man,” Jesse said with a grin. Everyone was smiling at Alex’s peculiar personality. 

“Yes, have fun with your brother and Grace,” Lucie added, and the kid smiled happily.

They turned towards the staircase and Alex held Grace and Kit’s hands in his. She heard her lab companion say: “Kiddo, do you like murders?” and she rolled her eyes with a grin. She couldn’t expect any less from a boy whose family loved to recount how their ancestor, and Christopher’s very own grandfather, had turned into a worm. 

Alexander fell asleep after Christopher started telling him about the last New York serial killer the police were trying to locate. He didn’t even have the time to tell him more, that Alex closed his eyes, his hands still holding theirs, and started snoring peacefully.

“I don’t think he likes murder stories that much,” Kit commented once they left the kid’s room.

“I believe he was just tired,” Grace said. “It is barely afternoon for us, while it is late at night for him.”

He snorted loudly, and stopped at the top of the stairs. “Which reminds me,” he sighed, “we must go back to the laboratory once we cross the portal. I mean, not at the same time, but you understand. We must complete our experiment before next week.”

“We do, and we will,” she said confidently. “But first, we should enjoy more time with our family. We haven’t seen them for weeks and I don’t know you, but I appreciate this break, albeit brief. And the food.”

“The food here is something else,” he confessed. “I trust your confidence, Grace,” he continued with a hopeful smile. “It is a delight working with you,” he added, which made her blush. Before she could reply, though, he went downstairs. Typical Kit behavior. 

She didn’t follow, though. Instead, she decided to take that time to use the bathroom. It was enough socializing for the night, and she needed to recollect and refresh herself. Cecily outdid herself with the dinner, and she didn’t think she could accept more cakes even though she wanted to. When she reached the bathroom, the door was shut, which meant someone was inside. 

It didn’t take long for the door to open, and a surprised Lucie appeared from the other side. “Grace,” she muttered, her mouth slightly open. “I’m sorry, I must have lounged in the bathroom for too long.”

“It’s okay, it wasn’t so urgent,” she said, eyeing her dress. Lucie often dressed in blue hues, but tonight, she wore a dark pink chiffon dress. There was a stain on the silk part on the bodice, and it stood out. Grace’s eyes lingered too much on it, and she blinked. 

Her gaze met Lucie’s, which managed a shy smile before glancing where her sister in law had just been. “By the Angel, I stained my dress,” she sighed, as if she was resigned and she expected for it to happen. She rushed to the sink, and she was about to dab her handkerchief on the stain when Grace took her hand by the wrist and gently stopped her.

“You will ruin it if you put water like that, and it will stain more,” Grace told her quietly. “Let me see if there is baking soda in the kitchen. Wait here,” she ordered, and returned as soon as she could with what she needed. 

Lucie was still there, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Grace had already thought she seemed to glow with a new light, but now, in the small bathroom at the Lightwood’s, she could see it better. She brightened when she realized Grace was there. “Did you find it?” she pleaded, and turned to face her. 

Grace put a bit of white powder on the stain and used a wet handkerchief to cover it. “We should wait a few minutes and rinse it off,” she explained. “Baking soda works wonders with stains.”

“I didn’t know about that,” she said. “If it works, I’m taking you out for lunch next time you come here.”

“It will work,” Grace said confidently. “I would like to have lunch with you, but are you sure you will be okay? If you are in the first trimester, this may happen again.”

“I –” Lucie opened her mouth in disbelief. “I am, apparently,” she replied. “How did you know?” she asked, placing a hand on her stomach on instinct. “I’m barely showing.”

Grace looked at Lucie’s belly, which, like she said, didn’t seem any different than the last time they saw each other. “You are glowing,” she said. “You often radiate this energy, but tonight your cheeks almost match your dress,” she raised her eyebrows, tilting her head on the side. “You also declined a drink, which isn’t itself telling. I casually glanced at you while you ate, and you seemed distressed because you have nausea, am I right?”

“I’m quite predictable, aren’t I?” Lucie nodded. “Perhaps the others must’ve caught on too.”

Grace shrugged with a hint of a smile, but didn’t answer. “Let’s see if the stain disappeared,” she said instead, and used the same handkerchief to remove the baking soda. “It’s gone, but you’ll still have to get this dress cleaned as soon as possible or it will leave a halo on the texture.”

“You are a lifesaver, Grace,” Lucie took her hand in hers. “I’m beyond grateful for your assistance. Thank you. Thank you so much!” she said gleefully. “I shall go back to the living room before everyone thinks I fell into the toilet because a sewer monster got me,” she laughed, and Grace laughed with her. Their eyes locked, and Grace realized she wasn’t done. “Please, do not tell a soul. Only Jesse knows,” she spoke rapidly. “We’ve just found out about this and –” she bit her lip and sighed, and Grace noticed her cheeks turned even more pink. “I wanted to be sure that it was real and it wouldn’t be like what happened to mam,” she didn’t elaborate on that, and offered a tight smile. She supposed her mother had lost a child once, and was terrified it could happen to her. “You’re the first to unofficially know.”

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’m glad you’re entrusting me with this news, Lucie. And I will keep your secret, don’t worry, ” she admitted. Funny how that was the second time that day that she was promising to keep a secret. Or maybe the third. She smiled to herself. “And –” she stopped, hearing steps coming from the living area. She relaxed when she saw it was her brother Jesse.

“There you are, girls,” he said. “I thought some demon kidnapped you. I was ready to get my gear and my sword.”

Grace made a face, and she exchanged a grin in acknowledgment with Lucie and chuckled. “Being with you is rubbing off on his creativity,” she told her. 

“What?” he wondered, but the girls just shrugged.

“Nothing of importance, my darling. I’m going back to the living room before aunt Cecily says I didn’t want to eat the other dessert she made,” Lucie winked at Grace and patted Jesse’s arm. He stared at her until she disappeared at the end of the corridor. 

“Lucie told me the good news,” Grace confessed, and Jesse frowned. “She told me no one knows, and I’m going to respect your privacy. Let me congratulate you, since you’re here.”

“Thank you, Grace,” he replied and his eyes lit up. She could tell he was happy and she was too. She only wished for Jesse to be happy and she knew he also wished the same to her. “And I’m glad the cat is out of the bag. I don’t know how long I could’ve kept it from you,” he laughed. “Maybe you figured it all out before she even told you. You are quite perceptive.”

“Maybe,” she shrugged with a knowing smile. 

“It feels like yesterday when you told me you wanted to attend college,” he told her after a beat. “And it didn’t surprise me at all. You’ve always been smart, Grace. I’m glad you found something that makes you happy.”

“I am happy,” she said proudly, her voice a little shy. She never thought she would say it out loud a few years ago, but here she was. “Studying in New York makes me happy,” she added, and her brother grinned. “And even though three years flew by, I think I’m just getting started.”

“I think mama’s cake upset Lucie’s stomach,” Kit told Grace after dinner. They ditched Lucie and Jesse’s offer to ride on the carriage back to the London Institute with them, and decided to take a breath of fresh air and walk to Fleet Street. 

“Do you believe so?” Grace played clueless. “I found your mother’s cooking agreeable, and so did the other guests.”

“Yes, it was quite okay, considering,” he glanced at her with a genuine smile. “Her face was green when she finished the first course, maybe she is p –”

“I thought you said there was a place you wanted to take me,” her eyes flickered with an idea to divert the conversation. She promised Lucie to keep her secret, after all, and she wanted to end the night in London by doing something else. “Is it still open at this dreadful hour?”

Christopher blinked. “Oh, yes. I completely forgot. I can take you there, but it’s not open.”

“Blimey,” Grace sighed, but at least she has diverted the conversation on to another topic. “Then we could go next time we come to London, if you want?”

“No, tonight will do,” he said confidently. “We can still break in with an open rune, Grace. If you want to. I want to show you this place because it could help us with our research which is due in a few days,” he reminded her.

She pursed her lips. “You are right. Unfortunately, though, we are not thieves. We can’t just break in a mundane place just to use a lab.”

“Of course, we can,” Kit’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s for the sake of science, right?”

“Why can’t we go during the visiting hours?”

“Because there aren’t visiting hours, Grace,” he answered. “We are going to a distillery. Or a winery, if you like.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “That’s why you asked me about wine today?”

“Okay? Just like that?” Christopher demanded. He was beyond excited. “What if I told you it was run by the mob?”

Grace frowned. “What of it?”

“You are so brave,” he grinned. “But no, I was kidding. It is a regular winery owned by regular people. I just wanted to see your reaction.”

“Well, you have seen it. How about you take me there now?”

And that, he did. “We are here,” he said after not much time. Grace realized they reached the Northern entrance to Regent’s Park, which had an eerie atmosphere at that hour of the night. 

“I only see the park,” she admitted, but then her eyes adjusted to the dim lights and she made out the outline of a small building, which was right behind the main entrance of the park. “Oh, I see it now.”

“We better prepare,” Christopher said, and Grace saw he drew a night vision rune on his forearm. “Give me your arm,” he demanded once he was done, and he did the same on her wrist. She appreciated the gesture. 

“You are talking as if we are going to have to fight, or something,” Grace said, trying to follow Kit as he neared the entrance of the factory. Mad Oak Distillery, that was the name. 

“Or something,” he replied with a chuckle. “Quite a riveting name, isn’t it? Unfortunately, I don’t know why they chose it,” he said. “Perhaps there was such a grandiose oak on this soil, and they had to cut down the tree to build their business. They believed they uprooted the whole tree, but the roots were still underground, and they got mad because they lost their body, so to speak.”

“Sounds fair,” Grace commented. “The oak had every right to be mad.”

“You can say it. But,” he continued, his hand pointing at the big text with the name of the factory. “Metropolitan legends say that the wine this factory produces is maddening. As that is displeasing. Insufferable. Vomit inducing –” he looked up and lost himself in his thoughts, “perhaps my parents served that at dinner? That’s probably why, my cousin –”

“Christopher,” Grace put a hand on his arm and managed a smile. “Shall we see it for ourselves?”

“You’re right, we shall,” he agreed with a grin. “Can you draw an open rune, Grace?”

“Right away,” she said. Once she finished, the main doors gave away, and they entered.

It was pitch dark, and they used a witchlight to see where they were going. There was a door in the furthest corner of the room which pointed to the laboratory. Grace knew they were going there without asking Christopher. After all, supposedly, they broke in to witness how a winery worked so they would get help with their project, but with Kit, she never knew what to expect. 

They found the laboratory where they tested the wine’s acidity and other stuff. “The taste of wine doesn’t just depend on the quality of the grapes,” Christopher told her as they wandered around and checked some papers the workers left there, “but also from other factors.”

“What do you think is missing from our research? Why won’t that liquid stabilize like wine ferments?” Grace huffed. She was tired, and she didn’t want to hide it. Doing this experiment was taking a toll on her already messed up sleeping schedule. She was frustrated. 

“Wine fermentation is one of the oldest chemical reactions used by people,” Christopher said, glancing at some notes on a desk. “This laboratory is such an amazing place, and I thought it would offer some input on how to proceed with our work, but alas, it didn’t.”

“We still have time to mull over it,” Grace considered. She put her hand over Kit’s, still holding some papers, and he looked up. 

“Yes, definitely,” he agreed. The moment seemed endless, as neither of them broke eye contact, at a loss for words. “Maybe –” he began, and all of a sudden, lights turned on in the room. 

“What is happening?” Grace asked with alarm. “Isn’t it shut down for the night?”

“I forgot,” Christopher shook his head as if he realized he had left the gas open in the kitchen but he didn’t care. “This factory is managed by a vampire named Oak, hence the name. And the wine is actually,” he gazed up at Grace, who frowned. “No, it’s not blood. But it is red as blood because of a peculiar kind of grape they grow in the countryside from where Oak was born centuries ago. I’m sorry but I don’t think we can go look at the barrels underground to tas –”

She didn’t let him finish. Grace grabbed his hand and took him in the adjacent room, and begged him to stay silent. Muffled voices came from the laboratory, and Kit’s mouth gaped open as if to speak, but he did not. Luckily for them, there was an exit door nearby, and they went through it in silence.

Grace exhaled a sigh of relief once outside. “That was close.”

“It was, but I wouldn’t have minded if they found us there.”

“You don’t? They could’ve reported us to the High Warlock of London for trespassing or something,” she said, but she wasn’t sure if that could be possible. She started working on the street that would take them to the London Institute, the Mad Oak several steps behind them.

Kit was laughing softly. “I’m sorry, Grace, I should’ve told you.”

“Told me what?”

“That I knew Oak, the owner. I made business with him at the Shadow Market when I still lived in London full time, and in exchange, he said I could visit his laboratory to get advice on the fermentation process.”

Grace snorted and shook her head, then she started laughing. “And here I thought I would go to vampire jail or that they would bite me out of spite for finding their secrets about winemaking.”

“Don’t worry, they can’t,” Kit said, and he offered her a grin. “And we had a deal, but our time is up, regrettably. He told me I could come here while there was nobody but it looks like the night shift just started.”

“We’ll just have to make do with what we have,” Grace sighed, worn out at this point. 

“Which, luckily for us, here I have some notes I got from the laboratory,” Kit showed her the bundle of papers that he had checked out while they were looking around. 

“Won’t Oak get… mad?”

“Nah, don’t sound too worried. He made a copy for us,” Christopher said nonchalantly, and Grace scoffed. 

It looked like she wasn’t the only one keeping secrets that night. 

They arrived at the London Institute in complete silence, and Grace found her brother waiting for them by the Portal downstairs with the boxes (plural) of lemon tarts Cecily baked for them. 

“Thanks Jesse, but you could have left them on the floor,” Christopher muttered and grabbed the boxes, nearing the Portal as Grace stopped beside her brother. “Oh, and, since you’re here, do you remember if we drank wine by Mad Oak Distillery by any chance?”

Jesse frowned and thought about it for a few seconds. “Uhm… no? Why is that? Do you want me to get it for you before you leave? I don’t think Will likes that one –”

Grace sighed and turned to Kit, ready to do damage control. He wasn’t letting it go, was he… 

“Nothing, nothing,” he quickly said. “Just curious. Well, Grace, I am going. I’ll wait for you on the other side,” he grinned. “And I will see you next time, Jesse. And congratulations! Too bad Lucie is not here…” he waved and crossed the portal, not waiting for an answer. 

Grace was baffled. She shot an apologetic look at her brother, but he shook his head. “Don’t worry, I know you kept the secret. He already cornered me after Lucie left the room to inquire about her condition, and I’m sure he understood. Sooner or later, everyone will know anyway,” he shrugged. 

She nodded. “We’ll see each other before the baby is born,” Grace promised, and she hoped she wasn’t lying to herself and to Jesse about that. “See you soon,” she managed a smile before disappearing through the portal as well, and returned to her imminent task.

They didn’t go back to the laboratory after coming from London, even though Grace had promised Christopher they would, and she was feeling a bit guilty for losing precious hours. But her body demanded sleep, so she excused herself to bed after crossing safely back to the United States. The following morning, she found Christopher right outside her room, and they went to the laboratory again. 

He took the Mad Oak notes with him, and they started dissecting the writing together, discussing options and trying, but failing. Grace's spirits fell and she felt even more exhausted than yesterday after their little adventure at the factory. 

“Perhaps we should get a dachshund sausage,” Christopher suggested after lunch hours had greatly passed, but Grace barely shook her head. He had already stopped reading the material, and was massaging his temples. He needed a break.

“Wait, wait, stop,” Grace announced after a while, rereading a piece of the notes and making a few calculations on a blank piece of paper. Kit was intent on watching her as she wrote, and then – “I think I found the problem!” she exclaimed, and showed it to him. “See, maybe it’s this. If we change this and put this other one in its stead –”

Kit nodded and started helping her until they were done processing. Seconds felt eternal as they waited for the concoction to explode… and it didn’t. They’d made it. 

“I think we did it, Grace,” he said enthusiastically. “It is stable! It didn’t explode! My glasses are safe,” he joked, and she laughed softly.

“Yes, we did,” she couldn’t believe herself. “We finally did it!”

“Well,” he continued. “Can I hug you, Grace? To celebrate?”

She answered by hugging him. She could feel his own heart racing and she knew hers was the same. 

Was that what true happiness feels like? 

She loved that sense of finally making it after long hours spent researching for the best outcome. The excitement of finding the missing piece. Grace didn’t know much about her future, but she was positive that she wanted to do this for a long time, with Christopher by her side. 

Happiness was itself a chemical reaction. Quite like how they made wine, the taste of happiness didn’t just depend on one element. Happiness could be a place, could be a food, could be a person. Or it could be all those things mixed together, many of those things. More than one place. More than one person. When we are with them, they affect how we feel and send signals throughout our bodies that we are happy. Our heart beats loudly in our chest. Our hands are sweaty. We smile uncontrollably, laugh, and feel giddy. 

Happiness was one of the oldest chemical reactions used by people, and it was free. Just like Grace.

Hey readers! Thank you so much for reading <3 Here's some things I wanted to point out:

America allowed women to get into university around 1880's.

I don't think Jesse needed to turn 18 to access Blackthorn money (I believe Tatiana left them A LOT of money) but I wanted to add this modern touch lol

Dachshunds sausages is the name for hot dogs in the XIX century :) they were exported to the US from Germany. I thought that Grace and Kit would be the types to eat street food while they work at the lab, because it's easy to manage.

I apologize if I said something wrong when I talked about what they were doing in the lab and about wine making. I'm not too good with explaining such stuff and I tried to do research, so I hope it wasn't bad.

[scorpiomindfuck]

I desperately want to read some really really angsty fanfic rn but i can't decide on a fandom

Anyone got suggestions?

I'm thinking something truly gut wrenching, feeling kind of frozen and i need a cry

Honestly, I'd prob read from fandoms i don't follow tbh.

[jamie-rosemary69]

Someone give me writing prompts (if you want, no pressure)! I can’t promise I’ll write them, but I’ll try. I really wanna write more (especially Malec).

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

New Pinned Post!

Hello! Welcome to my blog. I'm 28 and I love to post about THE LAST HOURS BOOKS by Cassandra Clare and DEAD BOY DETECTIVES, the Netflix series.

MY INTERESTS

Art all by @illustratinghan !

Neil Gaiman apologists DNI.

My favourite-ever characters (in no particular order) are:

Matthew Fairchild (TLH)

Cordelia Carstairs (TLH)

Alastair Carstairs (TLH)

Thomas Lightwood (TLH)

Edwin Payne (DBDA)

Charles Rowland (DBDA)

Niko Sasaki (DBDA)

Other characters I love an abnormal amount (in no particular order) are James Herondale (TLH), The Cat King, The Night Nurse and Kashi (DBDA), Tessa Gray, Will Herondale, Sophie Collins, and Gideon Lightwood from The Infernal Devices, the HIMYM gang, and Lum, Ataru Moroboshi, and Shuutaro Mendou from Urusei Yatsura.

When it comes to ships, you can expect to see a lot of my OTPS:

Thomas/Alastair (TLH)

Edwin/Charles (DBDA)

James/Cordelia (TLH)

Will/Tessa (TID)

Sophie/Gideon (TID)

Kashi/Night Nurse (DBDA)

I also love and post about Ari/Anna and Grace/Christopher from TLH, Crystal/Niko from Dead Boy Detectives, Robin/Barney from How I Met Your Mother, Kitty/Minho from XO Kitty, Lum/Ataru/Mendou from Urusei Yatsura, and Simon/Isabelle from The Mortal Instruments.

In addition to loving The Last Hours, I really enjoy The Infernal Devices/The Mortal Instruments/The Eldest Curses and all of the short story content associated with them. I'm a Shadowhunter book fan through and through! However, if you're a TDA fan, you may want to block #anti tda, #anti blackstairs, and #anti julian blackthorn. I'm happy to have you here, but just FYI! I use these tags!

I also post less frequently about a hodgepodge of other interests like Taylor Swift, How I Met Your Mother, XO Kitty, KJ Charles books, other things I'm reading, Urusei Yatsura, and Crazy Ex Girlfriend.

MY FANFICTION

^ Actual footage of me reading! (Real!)

I write a lot of fanfiction on my Ao3, thegirlofthorns. You can find my dashboard here.

I have various collections I sort fics into for the characters and ships I write most:

Matthew Fairchild

Thomas Lightwood & Alastair Carstairs

James Herondale & Cordelia Carstairs

Charles Rowland & Edwin Payne

I also have a collection compiling my favourite Shadowhunter Chronicles fics from other writers and a collection compiling my favourite Dead Boy Detectives fics from other writers.

My current main project is a canon-compliant version of Dead Boy Detectives Season 2. It's called Now We're at the Starting Line (I Did My Time). Told you I was a massive Swiftie!

This fanfic will update every month on the 15th. There are also little side-fics to go with some of the chapters. So, there will be a couple of other goodies for those who follow the series!

Nice meeting you! I hope you'll come hang out with me!

[dark-dragon-8]

Ok so I'm watching Supernatural right now, right, and I'm also a long time fan of Shadowhunters (as in, I watched it when it first came out and still rewatch it every once in a while, big fan). So I know how the dynamics work in the show quite well.

It also means I find crossover potential between the shows because, let's be honest, they'll go really well together. Two aspects of how the world deals with the supernatural, hunters being unaware of Shadowhunters because they can't even see them. Amazing, 10/10 crossover potential.

Now, what I don't understand is why people take Sam & Dean from the future (AKA later seasons) in their fics and have them work together with the Shadowhunters when there is so much rivalry potential between them.

Take Clary's ability to talk to angels, for example. If the two series were in the same universe, I can assure you that the angels will jump on the opportunity to communicate with her (or just talk to any of the Shadowhunters in general, since angels can do that in Supernatural as long as they have a vessel), tell her lies and/or half truths about the Winchesters

[like how they are demonic in ways warlocks aren't, how they turned at least two angels, one of which is an Archangel, mind you, against heaven and "made" the first one kill other angels for them. They even killed a couple of Archangels. Hell, depending on the timeline, they could even tell them that the Winchesters killed God, they can tell them how ungrateful they are, that they were God's chosen, that he gave them whatever they wanted, powers, immortality (he kept bringing them back to life), their loved ones back, etc and they still killed him]

They could manipulate the Shadowhunters to be on the lookout for the Winchesters just like they did with those church messengers.

What I'm trying to say is, that so many people have them getting along in their fics yet I can't find a single one where people actually explore the dynamics of distrust and even fear (those people killed GOD, everyone who knew/found out would be scared of them) that could happen had the angels actually been involved and the two were actually set in the same universe and with their respective plots progressing at the same time (or at least the same years the shows themselves are set in, just make them match and/or make them interact during each of their respective seasons that occur at the same year/time frame).

It could honestly show such a new, raw and authentic turn of events that could make the fic feel just that much more real.

I love all types of crossover fics, I really do, I'm just really disappointed that there aren't any fics with this dynamic available and instead majority of them are all either Destiel or dimensional travel. It's just a bummer, honestly.

[crow-caller]

love that you never mention shadowhunters even tho it's like thee quintessential bad angel y/a... any thoughts about it you wanna share? 👀

I have a blood oath against cassandra clare basically

I've never heard it called the quintessential bad angel ya before though. bad ya though? yes. I have tried to read it, more than once, over the years and just hated the experience! as it stands now the series is so long I'm not keen on having to read any/all of it for a video. but I know I also ought to, so I can feel finally justified in my animosity towards it

Things about shadowhunters mortal instruments cassandra clare

Big Name Fan in the harry potter fandom for a very long time, and notoriously unpleasant. huge bully. Tried to get a girl kicked out of university over fandom drama. This is all old drama but she just buried it when she got successful rather than ever own up to it

Frequently plagiarised for her fics. suspicions have long been if her books feature any stolen ideas, but she 100% did plagiarise for her fics a number of times

my main fan community for a very very long time has been Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve and this is where the true personal beef lies. Mortal Engines is similar in name to Mortal Instruments (oh the mix ups). Mortal Engines book 3 is named Infernal Devices (just like her prequel series huh). The villain of the first Mortal Engines book is a man named Valentine who winds up being the secret father of the red-haired protagonist. The villain in the first Mortal Instruments book is a man named Valentine who winds up being the secret father of the red-haired protagonist

I don't like how deeply into incest she is. I'm not crazy for the fact 'Mortal Instruments' was first the name of her ron/ginny fanfic. I find it weird she made her whole series about faux maybe-maybe-not sibling incest because she's finds it hot.

The books, famously, just kinda suck

While I'm here, the red scrolls of magic cover is just really bad and it annoys me every time I saw it. I haven't seen it in a while and I looked it up and I still hate it.

it was one of those fandoms you saw a lot which was pretty exclusively made of people into the one gay ship. I also remember a lot of fighting over shipping an aroace character and ignoring his identity. this wasn't very endearing to observe

the shadowhunter logo looks a lot like the odal rune, which is used by white supremacists. this is a coincidence, but once as a teen at my job I met a grown man with a tattoo I thought was the shadowhunter logo and was like 'weird. bad taste.' and then many years later was like 'wait a fucking second'. obviously if you know them, it's different. but I don't like making that kinda mistake

I'm petty and this is a grudge I've just kept going for well over a decade now. that's all

[hereghostslive]

comfort fan fic recs

tagged by @liminalmemories21

prompt: - what are your old school comfort fics? The ones from fandoms that haven't been active in yeeeaaars, but you've read so many times you can practically quote them.

very excited for this tag so i can gush about my favorite fics. some of these fandoms are definitely still active but i personally don't read them as much anymore.

Pointing at the moon series by shoulderbone (lavenderforluck) (Skam - post series - (Even/Isak)

Three stories detailing how Isak and Even come back together after a break-up. Like to think of them as long meditations on grief, reconciliation, and second chances. Isak and Even are written so well they feel like a perfect version of canon, just a few years in the future.

Graduate Vulcan for Fun and Profit by @lazulisong (Star Trek AOS - Gen)

Summary:

It really does take a village to raise a Jim.

The members of the Kelvin's crew watch over Jim as much as he lets them.

One of the most memorable fics I've ever read. I think about the funeral scene all the time. Jim's realization of what Sakel did is so satisfying. Plus, secret genius Jim and Tarsus IV are my kryptonite when it comes to Star Trek fic.

Retrograde by Pinkninja (The Old Guard - Joe/Nicky - Time Traveler's Wife AU)

Summary: Nicky's lives and deaths are different. He is unstuck from time - at every death he revives into a different point in his life. Each time he is struck down he wonders, will he awaken to deserts and swords? Will it be gunshots in cities? Joe and Nicky build a fractured life together, falling in love across two different sets of centuries, then patiently waiting for the other to fall in love too. He meets the rest of their little family out of order, but they still build a family around Nicky's involuntary time-traveling.

The amount of times I've read this is kinda wild. I don't even like The Time Traveler's Wife, but the concept works so well for immortal beings.

Men for all Seasons by new_kate (Merlin - Merlin/Arthur)

Summary: Reincarnation story set in 1940. In Albion's hour of need Arthur is brought back from his rest in Avalon. He learns that the world is at war, and that the enemies have dark magic at their disposal. With the help of the mysterious Vril society the invaders are about to gain air superiority and become unstoppable. Only Merlin could fight the new magical threat, but Merlin has been missing for a long time.

Cool take on the King that was Promised mythology, and immortal Merlin.

None the Wiser by @loftec (Shameless - Gallavich)

Summary: AU. Slow burn. The real time accounts of Ian visiting Mickey's dingy diner and slowly becoming his friend. Day 152 (167)

Talk about fics always on my mind. This is a WIP but there's so much of it there that it is possible to live in the world of Mickey's dingy diner and settle in for all the times Ian drops by and scoots his way into Mickey's life.

Your Name for a Capital by @the-prophet-lemonade (Shadowhunters - Alec/Magnus)

Summary: Magnus Bane meets a man from his future, interwoven throughout moments in his past.

More time travel angst! this one made me cry, even though, like, obviously they end up together. but Magnus's loneliness is so palpable here.

Malasadas for the Healing Soul by thoughtreflex (Hawaii Five-O - Gen)

Summary: The one where Danny has a secret, people discover this secret, Steve gets hurt, Danny gets hurt, Steve goes all ninja-possessive-SEAL, and Chin and Kono have to break out the BAMF routine to try and fix things. Not a typical Five-O month at all.

Actually just did a reread of this one. It's so good. The buildup of Danny's secret is one of my favorite parts of this story.

We Are Young (I'll Carry You Home Tonight) by @femmequixotic (Harry Potter - Harry/Draco - Political AU)

Summary: Harry and Draco have been falling into bed on and off again since the last election five years ago, much to the amusement--and financial gain--of their circle of friends. But when Harry agrees to work with Draco to put Kingsley Shacklebolt into the Minister's office, they can't work side-by-side again every day and sleep together; that would be courting disaster. Wouldn't it?

The dynamic between Draco and Harry in this one is so sharp. But what I like most about it how good of friends they actually are.

The Interaction series by ConstantCommentTea

Series Summary: Angel had thought that he'd done the Detached Misanthropic Vampire thing pretty well. He lived alone, his only "friends" were other vampires and demons, and his only enemy was Human Attachment. He saved if it was convenient for his conscience, and he went back to drinking human blood. His scowl was perfect.

After 200 years, he'd practically succeeded in fading away from humanity.

Practically.

This literally does not get enough love. A fully realized series that takes place 200 years in the future, full of OCs, but it's still Angel being the lone wolf who's heart slowly melts into caring about other people. and it's great. Bonus: The same author co-authors another series called Blood and Time, which is a Doctor Who/Angel crossover, that ALSO crosses over with their Interaction series ocassionally.

--

Those are all the major ones, I think. I do want to do a special shoutout to some series that no longer exist on ao3 or ff.net:

The Genesis-verse by beamirang - Star Trek AOS. i loved that series so much and am always thinking about it.

Methuselah's Children by wind-ryder (The Old Guard). also another one i read a lot.

--

Open tag for anyone that want's to play!

[hephanna]

hi everyone, I've been wanting to stay offline as I write to get more of my fic finished so I can publish & hopefully bring joy to some of you! I sincerely hope to finish don't go sharing your devotion (lay all your love on me) soon - currently at 10k, and still have a bit to go! however, with the recent announcement that Netflix has cancelled Dead Boy Detectives after 1 Season, I want to send all my love to everyone in the fandom. I understand how devastating this is - and how much we all wanted a second season of Charles, Edwin, Crystal & Niko. This is not the first time Netflix has done this to a diverse cast and storyline (Shadow & Bone, Shadowhunters, etc) and will likely not be the last. I understand that a lot of time, it can feel like one step forward, two steps back when it comes to getting the kind of media we all long for.

I am still be, and will always be, a huge fan of DBD and I hope to continue creating fic for this fandom, and am always willing to discuss with other fans. Perhaps, Dead Boy Detectives will return in some other way - hope never hurts - but even if it never returns as a television show, we can continue creating our own stories. All my love, Hephie.

[hallowpen]

Hi Kodakins! I miss you🙁 Insomnia has plagued me once again, and you're on my list of people I bother when I cannot sleep. Don't worry, I won't put you through another round of either/or😅

Since there are "Top 5" polls going around, I was wondering: 1) Now that ThaiGL has taken over, which top 5 series are you most looking forward to?

2) What top 5 genres/tropes would you like to see from future GL projects?

Thank you for indulging me❤️

P.S. Now that I finally have some free time, I'm catching up on fics that I had saved to read for later and um

EXCUSE ME????? WTF IS THIS????? YOU NEGLECTED TO MENTION SOMEONE DYING!

❤️❤️❤️

Don't worry, I won't put you through another round of either/or😅

Thank you!!!

My Top 5 Upcoming Thai GL Series (I think you can probably predict most of these hehe)

1 - The Loyal Pin It's one of my favorite yuri novels (I own both the Thai and English versions). It's FreenBeck. It's promoting Thai culture on an international scale. It's the first Thai GL series to be backed by the MOC. It will break barriers... and my soul. I AM SOOO READY!!!

2 - The Last Case It's an original script. It stars openly queer actresses. It's being directed by N'App who is also openly queer. ESTER ORUCHE!!! The only reason it's not number one on my list is simply because it is Identity's first series and I have nothing to gauge their production by.

3 - Reverse 4 You I am a huge fan of Be My Favorite and while the premise is not exactly the same, it has its similarities. If this series comes anywhere close to being just as good, I'll be a very happy camper.

4 - Pluto Putting any issues I have with its source aside... I love Namtan Tipnaree. I tend to favor actors who have really great emotional range and Namtan can certainly deliver. Her being paired with an equally compelling actress like Film Rachanun certainly caught my attention. All I can hope for? That GMM will do right by them and the other female actresses involved 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾

5 - I'm Your Moon "กัษธิษฐาน" (the novel this series is based on) is a story of fated lovers and reincarnation...and that is one of my favorite tropes!!! The series is still in the very early stages of production, so anything can happen...

I'm generally not too concerned about genre or tropes in a series so instead, I'll answer you this...

My Top 5 Hopes for Future Thai GL Series

1 - Alright... there is one genre I want. VAMPIRES!!! Bet ya didn't see that one coming! 🤣🤣🤣 No...but in all seriousness, I'll take anything supernatural. Vampires, Sirens, Wiccans... it's all fair game. Bonus points if there's an incorporation of Thai mythology... there's such a rich history there.

2 - More Inclusivity. I'd love to see more sapphic stories beyond the standard variety. Give me trans leads, give me ace rep, give me neurodiversity, give me more disability rep, more Thai-black rep... there are so many identities that could benefit from more on-screen representation. I don't know if Thailand is fully there yet, but I hope someday we will be.

3 - Original Content. I'd love to see production companies develop their own original stories (much like The Last Case). I'm not saying to eliminate the Novel-to-Series model altogether, but original scripts tend to help diversify a genre.

4 - Step away from adapting Planoy novels. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but my issue with them goes beyond their writing. I'll continue to say that they have contributed to the harm of the Thai queer community in both word and action. I will never support them and production companies should really stop giving them a platform. There are other, less problematic, GL authors who are more deserving of an opportunity.

5 - MilkLove in another, more mature GL. I'd (selfishly) love to see them in a series more suited to an older/adult audience.

...as for the fic, I don't know what to tell you hehe It's Shadowhunters. These are life/death situations... but just trust me. Not all is what it seems!!! (Thank you for reminding me to finish writing the fighting scenes for that. Those are always the most difficult to do and I've been putting it off for far too long)

[lurafita]

I need immortal husbands who accidentally travel back to current times from like a century or two in the future. And Alec is super relaxed because while he keeps in shadowhunter shape just in case, he has been retired from official clave business for over a century and malec are currently the owners of a small island b&b. And anyway island life Alec falls through a portal and lands in season 1 and has to tell himself to chill out.

Anyway, you are the place I send my weird fic ideas I don’t have time to write. I love reading yours when you post them!

If season 1 Alec, then immortal future Alec probably has a bit more to tell him than just to relax. A lot of fans like to forget that early Alec had some major hangups that fortunately he grew out of. But an older self coming back to this mirror of the past, and dragging him into a room and telling him exactly what a bullshit statement "Downworlders are slaves to their instincts" is, would just be *chef's kiss*. Also how there was more to life than leading an institute the way his parents and the Clave want it to be led. That adhering to tradition too stubbornly stands in the way of progress. That life is nothing but a meaningless list of tasks to complete if you aren't true to yourself. That the respect of his subordinates isn't earned by standing in his family's shadow. That loving your siblings doesn't mean that you should go along with every cockamamie idea they have. And yes, he uses words like cockamamie now. And so on. Just imagining the possible butterfly effect of change it could bring if Alec got an early start for a change of perspective, and did things differently. Especially if this meant that he and Magnus would get together quicker. And then when future Magnus steps through a portal to collect his husband (it probably took him a bit to figure out what happened and where Alec ended up), future Magnus can take a bit of a crack at past Magnus as well. Why not give him a head's up about the whole Valentine disaster? Why not deal with Iris Rouse sooner? Why not lay the groundwork to cut ties with Camille once and for all? Why not prevent Ragnor's death? Why travel back in time at all if you don't change things for the better. Magnus isn't worried that these changes would affect his and Alec's relationship. They have stood the test of time. They are rock solid. And they both believe in their love. So many lives can be saved, relationships repaired, diplomacy practiced, and so on. Two Magnuses going up against Lilith and Asmodeus? Two Alecs leading the institute to a frontal assault against Valentine, Malachi and Altertree? Hell, maybe they can even help Johnathan. At that time, he hasn't commited any atrocities yet. And then they can go back to their time and island living. With the added occasional visit from Ragnor, who is promptly tlaked into babysitting the latest kids that Malec have adopted, so that they can have an anniversary date under the stars.

Keep the fic ideas coming. I love responding to your messages. XD

Hope you are doing well, and remember to drink enough water.