James

Will halted his pacing as yet another painful shriek sounded from the room at the end of the hall. It was near midnight, and the candlelight cast eerie shadows across the floor. His jaw had been clenched tight for the past few hours, and it was beginning to feel sore. Will didn’t mind though. It was the screams that were bothering him. Being asked to just sit patiently in the next room as his Tessa went through such extreme pain was too much to bear. When no more sound came through the wall, he began his frantic pacing again, not knowing what else to do. He needed to do something. The thought of Tessa in such agony was ripping his heart to shreds.

“Sit down, Will, you’re giving me a headache,” Gabriel groaned, rubbing his temples. He sat at the small table in the center of the room next to his brother. Gideon was looking down at his hands clasped together on the table, with two small girls playing a clapping game with their hands at his feet. Across from him was Magnus, who sat back with a faraway look in his eyes. Henry sat on his other side, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the wall, as the young boy in his lap tried to catch them in his hands. Will glared with all his anger at his brother-in-law before slowly walking towards the table, fists clenched in frustration. Usually, he wouldn’t dream of doing what a Lightwood says, (or anyone but Tessa, really,) but all his thoughts were on the girl down the hall. He lowered himself into the seat next to the warlock and set himself to work by tapping his feet.

How long will this take?

Another cry sounded through the walls, and Will slammed his fist against the table, making the others surrounding it jump at the sudden noise. Henry murmured something close to “By the Angel!”

Magnus regained his composure first, and sighed. “Tessa will be fine, William. There is always some pain in childbirth.”

“Couldn’t you have used your magic to help her?” Will barely got the words out through his clenched jaw.

“I would have put a spell on her or mixed her something, but that risks affecting the baby. Besides, she’s not going through it alone. Sophie, Charlotte, and Cecily are all there to help in any way they can. I’m here to help with any complications, but there won’t be any, I’m sure. Trust me, Tessa will be perfectly all right once it’s all over. Anyone as strong as Tessa can make it through much worse than this. In fact, she already has. Now relax, Will, and stop pulling out your hair or you’ll go bald.”

Will lowered his hands, having not realized what he was doing in the first place. He wasn’t just worried about Tessa, though. When she had first announced her pregnancy, he was overcome with happiness, but also with fear. What if, because of what Tessa was, the baby wouldn’t make it? The thought of losing the child and how heartbroken his wife would be over the loss had been haunting him for months. What would happen to Tessa if the infant died?

What will happen to me?

Will put his face in his hands and rested his elbows on the table.

She’ll be fine, it will all be over soon, they’ll both be fine…

At that moment, Sophie burst through the door. The men leapt to their feet, and Will nearly tripped as he ran to where the girl was standing. He never stumbled. Before she could get out a word, Will had Sophie by the shoulders and was looking anxiously at her face. Whatever expression he would have found before was hidden by surprise.

“Is she all right? Did she deliver the baby? Is the baby unharmed? Is – ”

Sophie cut him off mid-sentence, taking his hands in hers. “Calm down Will! Yes, they’re both fine, why don’t you go see them? I’m sure it’s all right now that Miss Gray is decent – ”

She never got to finish her sentence, for at her first few words, Will had let her go and dashed through the door behind her. Down the hall and to the left, he surged through Tessa’s door and stopped in his tracks. In her bed, Tessa was propped up against some pillows, wearing her nightdress and swathed in white sheets. Her gaze was directed at a bundle of blankets in her arms, and only looked up as Will approached the bed. Her smile grew even larger, and despite how tired she looked, her gray-blue eyes were alive and sparkling. That had to be a good sign. Will dropped to his knees beside the bed and took her face in his hands, making sure to be gentle.

“Tess! Are you all right?”

“I’m doing well, Will, don’t worry. The pain was not as bad as they say, although I could have gone without it. Oh, William, we have a son! Just look at what we made!”

At this, Will stood as Tessa passed him the bunch of blankets she was holding. Nestled deep in the many soft layers surrounding him was a small infant, eyes closed, brow furrowed, and fists clenched close to his face, as if defending himself in a fight. Will was so overjoyed at the sight of his wife and newborn son in a healthy condition, he couldn’t help but laugh at the child’s silly expression.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he, and already a little man! This one is going to grow up right, I tell you. Clever like his mother.”

“And courageous like his father,” beamed Tessa.

That’s when Will heard the soft sniffling off to his side. He hadn’t even noticed Charlotte and Cecily when he entered the room, with his thoughts only focused on Tessa. Everyone was gathered by the door now, the girls crying tears of joy into their handkerchiefs. Charlotte with Henry and their little boy, Sophie with Gideon and their girls, Cecily with Gabriel, and even Magnus Bane, all gathered around to see the newest addition. His heart sank a little as he thought of Jem, but this was his family. As long as he had them, Tessa, and now his own son, he would be all right.

“What will you name him?” asked the young boy clinging to Henry’s shirt. He was just as curious as his father. He hid behind the man after the words came out, his shyness returning.

Will smiled. This was something he had thought about before, and knew the answer to. He turned to face his wife.

“I would like to call him James, if that’s all right with you, Tessa.”

“Of course,” replied Tessa, tears brimming in her eyes and falling down her cheek. Will came to sit beside her on the bed and wiped away her tears. They sat like that for a long while, her head on his shoulder, and his head on hers, looking down at the bundle of blankets they held together in their arms. The others gathered around the bed, taking turns holding the baby. Cecily was first, snatching up the baby before anyone could protest.

“Oh, isn’t he just adorable! Look at his little face! Oh, Gabriel, I want one of these!” She looked involuntarily over at her husband, who immediately turned a violent shade of pink.

Sophie was next, cradling him gently in her arms. “He’s so quiet, what a proper little gentlemen! Barbara was like this, but Eugenia would cry enough to wake the entirety of London.”

“She was almost as loud as Bridgette,” smiled Gideon, “but it looks like you two will get some sleep after all.”

Each of her girls came up to say hello to their new little friend before running off to play again. Charlotte took the baby from Sophie, and Henry leaned over close to examine him properly.

“My, my, he’s going to be strong! Look at those arms! Oh, his eyes are opening! What an unusual color, I wonder whom he gets it from!”

“Yes,” purred Magnus, leaning over the boy, “they’re almost as gold as mine.”

Will had noticed the odd tawny brown James’ eyes were, and had the same question.

Charlotte sighed. “Wherever they are from, they are beautiful all the same. Would you like to hold him, Magnus?”

In response, the warlock picked up James from Charlotte’s outstretched arms as if he were a bomb about to go off. Magnus crinkled his nose.

“I don’t believe I have ever held a baby before. It’s so…small. And…fleshy.”

“Please don’t turn him into a cat or something,” Will grinned nervously.

Charlotte smiled sadly. “If only Jessamine were here, I’m sure she would have loved the child.”

“Yes, what with her obsession over those dolls and all. I think she would be glad to know that they are in good use thanks to your daughters, Sophie,” said Will. This he actually knew for a fact, since he had talked to her recently. He did so whenever they visited the institute.

They talked on and on like that, sharing memories of times not that long ago, from particularly interesting dinners to battles with the clockwork beings to wedding proposals. Everyone would quiet down when Jem was mentioned, but someone would always recall a pleasant story with him in it, and they would carry on talking and laughing almost as if he were in the room with them. Sometimes, Will and Tessa felt like he was.

Dawn was approaching after everyone had finally left to retire. After Tessa and James had fallen asleep, Charlotte came over to the bed and whispered to Will; “We must take him to the Silent City to have his protection ceremony carried out first thing tomorrow.”

“Very well,” grinned Will as he looked up at her, “I know just the man for the job.”