A Silent Brother No More

A Silent Brother No More, pt 2

As usual, Tessa had been right. Jem had grown to live for his yearly meeting with Tessa on the bridge, and view the meetings as a miracle made only for him.  In the early years of his time with the Silent Brothers his visits to the Institute were quite restricted.  The Marks that served to strengthen his abilities required isolation and meditation, and he felt certain he would have lost his connection to his humanity had it not been for his visits with Tessa.

Tessa had taken to life in the Institute following Mortmain’s defeat with such adeptness no one dared question her place within the Enclave again. As he had guessed, Will and Tessa learned to lean on one another when they felt lost following Jem’s departure from the Institute and it was not long before he was told of their engagement. He welcomed the seclusion that was expected of the Brothers after learning of Will’s proposal.  Sitting alone in the darkness of his sleeping quarters Jem’s heart was filled with happiness for his parabatai and the woman who still kept his soul, but a part of him mourned the cost of his decision to live.

Jem stood in the shadows during Will and Tessa’s wedding ceremony.  Tessa was resplendent in every way.  Her hair was silken hair was curled and swept atop her head, and was pinned in place with strands of pearls cascading in layers.  Her dress was gold, as called for by Shadowhunter tradition, highlighted by cream colored lace and low slung shoulders and neckline.  In stark contrast, Will stood in his black gear with scarlet runes symbolizing the union of man and woman. Will beamed as his bride stood before him and they spoke the vows countless others had before them.

Following the ceremony, Jem had offered his congratulations by speaking to Tessa and Will through their thoughts as his mouth had been sealed and he was no longer capable of verbal speech.  The love that radiated from the people who each held a piece of his heart stayed with him and carried him through the solitude of his days until his next visit with Tessa.   

He was pulled from his revelry in the past by the sound of laughter.  He raised his head and took in the site of a mother, her arms outstretched toward her running child.  The child was all knees and elbows with shockingly black hair as he ran toward his mother laughing.  Her smile was infectious and he could not help but share in the moment. 

They had met on the bridge the day Tessa learned she was going to be a mother. She had not known her future even held the possibility of motherhood at the time since it was believed her warlock blood had left her infertile.  Jem remembered sensing something different, almost a sense of duality, about Tessa as he drew close to where she stood along the railing of Blackfriars Bridge.  The closer he got the clearer the reason behind what he was sensing became, and he found himself in awe of his Tessa all over again. 

Tessa had always believed her inability to have children only emphasized her lack of humanity, her connection to the mortal world.  As he came to a standstill before her, a wide smile lighting up her face, he was reassured of what he had always known about her; Tessa was special and unique and it set her apart and above the humans she seemed to compare herself to.  Without invitation, or hesitation, his hand moved to rest on her waist and stayed there. A look of amused confusion slowly took over where shock had been written so clearly on her features at Jem’s touch.

“Jem, what are you doing?” she asked in a strained whisper.  It was quite improper for him to be touching her in this way, his parabatai’s wife, but he had to know for sure.  If he had been able, his face would have reflected the smile of  heart and laughter would have leapt from his mouth.

“Tessa! Oh, Tessa, you’re with child,” he spoke to her from his mind.  “You’re going to be a mother!”

She stared at him silently, clearly dumbfounded, by what she had just heard in her mind. “But… That can’t be.  It’s impossible,” she whispered.  “Are you sure?” Her eyes betrayed the calmness she was trying to maintain.  He saw the fear, the joy, but what he saw most was hope.

“Yes, Tessa, of course I’m sure.”  He tried to make his mental voice sound reassuring, confident. Slowly he saw the transformation on Tessa’s face as the words sank in.

“A baby! Jem, a baby! Can you believe it?”

The time they spent together that afternoon was so full of awe and happiness he felt he could life off the ground with the sense of lightness it left him with.  He was not thinking of his loss, but was reveling in the joy radiating from Tessa and his love for her and this new life she was carrying.

He did not see Tessa again until the day her child, a boy, was born.  True to fashion, Will refused to allow any of the other brothers to perform the protection ceremony carried out for all newborn Shadowhunter children.  The antics of his parabatai reminded him of their time as children growing up in the Institute together, but he was not prepared for what Will did at the conclusion of the ceremony.  After the ceremony was finished and Will was asked the child’s name, Will had looked at Jem with his piercing blue eyes and said only one word, “James.”

Jem had been so overcome with emotion he had turned away from his brother and hid his face in his hands.  Over the years, Tessa and Will had another child, Lucie, and their children had children Jem had been present for the protection ceremonies of each. In spite of Tessa’s concern about her humanity, she and Will led a normal but happily full life together.

I felt a strong connection with Jem's character the entire time I was reading The Infernal Device series by Miss Clare. Something about him just struck a chord with me and as much as I knew the inevitable end (at least initially) of his and Tessa's story I couldn't help but cheer for him. 

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