Disclaimer: SOME of the dialogue in this chapter, all characters (but Grace and Philip), the main story line and settings belong to the amazing Cassandra Clare. Grace, Philip and my own story plot belong to me. The Infernal Devices do not belong to me.
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'Your love can make me stronger, take the pain away
And your love can make me better, better
Baby let me testify, I wanna testify 'til it breaks me.'

- Testify, Ben Haenow
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-*-*-*-*- Grace -*-*-*-*-
The next morning, after a night of drawing everything that had happened in the last few weeks in her numerous amount of sketch books, Grace was exhausted. But no matter how tired she was, she was terrified to go to sleep in fear that she might never wake up again. Sleeping in the infirmary the night before was a big mistake that could of had deadly consequences.

There was a gentle knock on her door and she stood up to answer it. Jem stood in the corridor, his hair ruffled and his cheeks flushed. "Morning, Jem," Grace said, trying not to yawn. "Are you all right? You look a little...flustered."

"And you look tired," he countered. "Did you sleep much last night?" Grace shook her head.

"Not a lot," she sighed. "But I'm fine."

"Oh." Jem shifted nervously from one foot to the other, looking up and down the corridor. "Can I come in?" He asked. "I've got something important to discuss with you." Grace was bewildered but she opened the door a little wider and allowed Jem to enter. He did but did not sit down. Instead, he started pacing the length room up and down. Grace sat cross legged on her bed, her crystal glowing a bright orange. Jem was nervous, but why?

"Is this about what happened in the warehouse?" Grace asked. "Because I promise you I don't know how I burned through metal-"

"It's not about that," Jem interrupted. "We do need to talk about that, but not right now."

"Then what's making you so nervous?"

"Have you ever-" Jem started. "I- I think- By the Angel this is harder than I thought."

"Jem, you're scaring me," Grace said. "What's going on?" Jem took a deep breath.

"I'm in love with Tessa," he blurted out. Grace blinked.

"I know," she said with a laugh. "Seriously Jem, I have a necklace that can sense your emotions. Did you really think that I didn't know?"

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," Jem said. Grace's smile slipped away and silence followed as the twins stared at each other.

"Your reaction is not very encouraging," Jem tried to joke but the mood was very sombre.

"Wait, are you serious?" She asked. Jem nodded.

"As serious as I've ever been," he said. "I want to marry her. But I need your help to ask her."

"And what makes you think that I would know anything about asking someone to marry  you?" Grace said. "What makes you think I know anything about Tessa?"

"She did help you escape," Jem said quietly. "You know her better than you think. And you know me. That has to be a start." Grace sighed and looked at her hands.

"Are you sure that this is truly love?" She asked. "Because, as much as I hate to say it, she might not say yes because...well, because you can't give her forever, Jem. If she really loves you back then it shouldn't matter, but I just want you to be prepared in case it does matter in the end...." Jem sat down in front of her.

"I have thought about this," he said. "And I thank you for being honest with me. But I have thought this through, and if she loves me back then the fact that I'm dying shouldn't matter at all, because I'll give her all of my love no matter how long I have left to live." He hesitated, taking a deep breath. "You're the only family I have left, Gracey, and I don't really have anyone else I can ask this of. So, I'm asking for your blessing. Please."

Grace closed her eyes. She knew that this would all end very badly, and not because of Jem's illness.

But because Will loved Tessa too.

How could she give Jem her blessing when she had just seen everything Will went through last night? She knew that Will intended to tell Tessa of his love for her today as well. Will had suffered so much, keeping his feelings from everyone in order to protect them. He had loved Tessa for a long time but couldn't tell her in fear of killing her. He deserved to love her.

But Jem had suffered too. Yes, he didn't have long to live but he also deserved to be happy in his last few years. If being happy meant being married to Tessa, then was there a reason for him not to marry her? This all depended on Tessa saying yes, of course, but whatever her answer someone was going to get hurt. They were both her brothers and both deserved to be happy.

"You are sure that you love her?" She said tentatively.

"Yes, I am sure," Jem said, his silver eyes alight with hope. The way he was looking at her, pleading with her, she couldn't shatter that. She just couldn't. She wouldn't.

"Then I give you my blessing," she said. "Mother and father can't do that for you, but I can, and I'm sure that, if they were here, they would agree with me." Jem's face broke into the biggest smile Grace had ever seen and he crushed her with a hug.

"Thank you, Gracey," he whispered in her ear. ""Thank you so much."

"So," Grace said, releasing Jem. "What are you going to give to Tessa as an engagement present?"

"I don't want to give her our family ring," Jem said, "because she would have to give that back after we were married. I thought about maybe playing something for her on my violin but then I thought that I wanted her to have something she could keep." Grace nodded then stood from the bed, padding over to her dresser. She opened the silver box on the table, turning with it's contents in hand.

"When two people are at one in their inmost hearts," she said quietly, handing Jem their mother's jade bridal pendant. "They can shatter even the strength of iron and bronze." He looked up at her from the pendant in his hand.

"You can't give me this, Grace," he said. "It's one of the only things you have of our parents. It's yours."

"It is ours," Grace said. "And I want you to give it to Tessa, and so would mother."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Jem nodded and stood.

"Thank you, Gracey," he said, going towards the door. He stopped, speaking gently but some what tentatively. "And afterwards, I think you know that we need to talk about...well, about everything. What happened in the warehouse, when you were asleep. Everything." Grace thought about her bare hands melting through the thick metal of the automaton's hand and of burning Nate Gray as soon as he touched her skin.

"Yes," she said. "I think we do." Jem nodded and opened the door. "Good luck," she said. "You'll be fine." He gave her a small smile and took a deep breath before matching across the hall to Tessa's room. Grace shut the door and listened, waiting for Tessa to invite Jem in. As soon as the corridor was silent, she crept down to Tessa's door, placing her ear against the wood.

"...and Will and Gabriel will kill each other inside a minute so we'll go to Idris," Jem was saying. "But we cannot take you with us, you are not a Shadowhunter."

Grace sighed. Way to go, brother, she thought. Start you proposal by scaring the girl to death.

"I see," Tessa said. "Well, thank you for telling me, Jem. I will find a place-"

"Your place is with me," Jem said. "It always will be."

"What do you mean?" Grace could imagine the blush in her brother's cheeks right now. Her necklace was a strange mix of orange and pink.

"Tessa Gray," Jem said. "Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" Grace smiled at Tessa's shocked gasped.

"Miss Grace?" It was Sophie, coming down the corridor, looking red and flustered. "Miss, what on Earth are you doing?" She gave her a very disapproving look.

"Shh, Sophie," Grace whispered. "I'm listening in on Jem's proposal to Tessa!" Grace didn't see Sophie's reaction as she turned back to the door, but she certainly knew that Sophie didn't come to join her in her eavesdropping.

"...it is not my sacrifice that I offer, Tessa," Jem continued on the other side of the door. "It is yours I ask. I can offer you my life, but it is a short life; I can offer you my heart, though I have no idea how many more beats it shall sustain. This jade pendant represents everything I want in life: the love my parents had. They were at one, and I know we are as well. I want to marry you, Tessa. I am completely and utterly in love with you." There was a pause. "That is, if you love me too."

"Miss Grace," Sophie said, her tone firm and bordering cold. "Mrs Branwell wants all of you in the drawing room."

"Wait a minute, Sophie," Grace said. "I need to know her answer!"

"You will find out in due course, I am sure," Sophie replied dryly. "But right now I need to do my job." Grace sighed and moved away from the door, allowing Sophie to knock. When Tessa opened the door, Jem was on the other side of the room, his cheeks a blushing red.

"Mrs Branwell wants to see you, miss," Sophie said. "You too, Master Jem." Then she was off down the corridor again. Tessa met Grace's eyes from the doorway before tearing away her gaze. With a last look at Jem, she walked alone towards the drawing room.

"So?" Grace asked Jem excitedly. "What did she say?"

"Well, if you look at your necklace, you might be able to guess," Jem replied. Grace looked down at her crystal.

It was glowing a bright gold.

"She said yes!" Grace exclaimed. Jem laughed.

"Yes, Gracey," he chuckled. "She said yes." Grace whooped and threw her arms around her brother.

"I'm so happy for you!" She said. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Jem said. "We're not going to say anything yet. We'll wait to see what the fate of the Institute is, but we will tell everyone eventually." Grace nodded and together they walked to the drawing room.

***

"I am resigning from my position as Head of the London Institute," Charlotte said once they had all gathered in the drawing room. Grace had taken up her usual place on the window seat, just behind the armchair Will sat in. Tessa and Jem were together on a sofa on the other side of the room and Charlotte and Henry sat side by side behind Charlotte's writing desk.

"What?!" Everyone cried at once.

"Charlotte, you can't resign!" Jem continued. "You excel at your work!"

"Do I?" Charlotte questioned. "For the second time, I have not noticed a spy under my roof, Will and Tessa easily invaded my guardianship by going the Benedict's ball, Nate, a vital witness, is dead, I failed to stop an invasion of the Institute in which two of the inhabitants died and one was fatally injured, and you managed to run out to find the Magister on your own without my noticing for a least twelve hours. How is that excelling?" Jem's ears turned pink at the last statement, making Grace's crystal glow a bright orange.

"But it wasn't your fault," Jem said quietly.

"It does no matter," Charlotte said. "The past is the past, but the Consul and Council will likely not  see it like that."

"But if you resign, then Benedict will gain the Institute," Will said, sprawled over the armchair. He was trying to act nonchalant but was failing; he was literally buzzing with energy. "He's working for Mortmain! We cannot allow that to happen."

"I will inform the Consul of Benedict," Charlotte assured him. "But that is all."

"But Mrs Branwell," Sophie said, rising from her chair in the corner. "That is exactly what Mortmain wants. I-I just know it." Grace narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I have been stepping out with Gideon Lightwood," Sophie announced. Everyone blinked in shock.

"Failed to inform me of that little detail, didn't you?" Grace hissed at Will.

"I- I didn't know myself," he spluttered.

"Mortmain is holding something over Mr Lightwood," Sophie continued. "And Gideon told me; he only just found out himself."

"Well?" Grace said. "What is it?"

"Demon pox." The whole room exploded as Charlotte ran to Sophie and Will leapt from his armchair, singing his ridiculous demon pox song.

"Everyone just SHUT UP!" Grace shouted. Everyone in the room fell silent, even Will. "Thank you."

"So old Lightwood has demon pox," Will said, a grin plastered all over his face. "I can't imagine his wife knew about that." That reminded Grace.

"Wait a minute," Grace said. "Sophie, you have been seeing Gideon Lightwood who told you that his father has demon pox. But according to Will, Gabriel Lightwood said that his mother died of grief after her brother's death. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Will said. "But what does this have to do with demon pox." Grace stood from her seat, literally full to the brim with excitement.

"By the Angel, I'll be right back," she said then ran from the room to her own where she kept the records of Barbara Lightwood's death that Brother Enoch gave her when she and Tessa visited Jessamine and Philip. By the time she returned, the room was relatively calm and in order again.

"These are the records of Barbara Lightwood's death," Grace said, placing the documents on the table where everyone can see. Will snatched them up and scanned through them, his eyes lighting up more and more as he went through.

"By the Angel," he said. "These are the symptoms of demon pox! You had evidence of demon pox and you didn't tell me?! Et tu, Brute!" He hit Grace on the head with the rolled up paper.

"I didn't know it was demon pox," Grace muttered, rubbing her head and glaring at Will. "Seriously, I've just woken up from an infernal coma, give me a break."

"I would like to know how  exactly you got access to these," Jem said, giving Grace a stern, brotherly look.

"Brother Enoch gave them to me," she said. Jem raised an eyebrow. "After I asked him." Jem did not look convinced. "Look, we were in trouble with Lightwood so I thought I'd dig up something. Lightwood never seemed to be that upset by her death."

"Because he gave his wife demon pox," Charlotte said quietly. "And he knew it. That's why he covered it up, telling everyone she died of grief to protect himself and his sons. This...this is the knowing murder of another Shadowhunter, punishable by death. The Silent Brothers will remove what makes his Nephilm, and his sons will become mundanes. The name of Lightwood will cease to exist."

Grace glanced at Sophie who was pale, her eyes shining with tears. She thought she had betrayed Gideon's trust.

"So, the question is, what do we do with this information?" Jem said. Will started to answer but Charlotte interrupted.

"Blackmail," she said. "We are going to pay Mr Lightwood a visit."

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One more chapter then the epilogue and that's it for Clockwork Prince!!!

Let me know what you thought of this one! Oh, and more on Philip coming soon.

Stay tuned ;)

CricketCat