Author Note:

Aww. I just read the new reviews *blushes* . You guys make me want to write. You guys make me feel as if writing really is something for me.

I WANNA GIVE YOU ALL HUGS AND COOKIES FOR THAT *bearhugs* hihi. Love you all!

Hope you like the new update :) ! I'll try to update much more often. Promise!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own TID/TMI :) . Just a fan who can't get over these series. Waiting on CoHF hihi.

Chapter 12: Reminisce

Cambridge, three years ago

"I was afraid that you wouldn't show." Jem said looking up at Tessa who just came in the café in town that was near their university. She was wearing a sweatshirt with their school's logo, light blue jeans, and white flats. She gave him an apologetic smile. She was already clutching a coffee cup on her left hand.

"Sorry! My professor held me back a while. He was discussing the perfection that is Shakespeare's Hamlet. I swear, he's gay for him." she laughed at her own remark as she sat down across Jem. He gave her a smile. He was quite amused at how open Tessa was without his asking why she was late.

"Well, it is indeed difficult to not be charmed by a person who has his way with words." he was thinking of Will then. He missed his parabatai.

Not a week had gone by without a letter from Will pestering him to go back to New York. 'Julliard has an excellent music program, James! You're so bloody unreasonable for wanting to cross the Atlantic if there's a perfectly decent school near home. Come back already.', Will would write. It only made Jem amused as he imagines the raven-haired boy writing with his forehead creased and cursing in Welsh as he pounds his fist against his hardwood desk. He shook his head and looked at Tessa who seemed to not have noticed him reminiscing.

"—the Bard. But I'm afraid Charles Dickens will always have the top spot in the -authors-I-adore list." she said. She took a sip from her cup. Jem was strangely, so comfortable with her.

"What's your favorite book of Mr. Dickens?" he inquired of her. And he swore, that moment, when her eyes set on his, he saw her grey eyes twinkle. He didn't know why but he already knew what she was gonna say.

"A Tale of Two Cities, have you read it, James?" she said.

Jem swore that that was the first time he knew. The first time he acknowledged such feeling. He was falling for Theresa Starkweather.

London Institute, three years ago

Jem was on his first break since he attended Cambridge. It's also been two weeks since he found out about Tessa. She's a ShadowHunter, he thought. It was a shock. He didn't think that his theory was correct. Starkweather was an old ShadowHunter name. There were only two people he knew that carried that name, Hodge and Old Aloysius. But Hodge has been dead for two years. Old Aloysius, on the otherhand, he knew his granddaughter had died a couple of years back. When Tessa had opened up to him about her knowledge of the Shadow world, he was satisfied knowing what she was. He didn't want to pry. Someday, he knew, she'd introduce him to her family.

"Jem!" he heard someone call. It was Izzy. She was with Alec, Jace, and Clary as they descended down the London Institute's steps. He had pulled up his car in front of the Institute. As he stepped out of his car, Izzy and Clary who were seventeen by then tackled him.

"It's nice to see that you are both well, Isabelle and Clarissa." he said as he chuckled. Jace and Alec though gave him each a punch on the shoulder. It's been a while since they last saw each other.

"Where's Charlotte?" Jem asked as they all proceeded to enter the Institute.

"Council Meeting." all four of his companions replied.

They had led Jem to one of the spare rooms and left him to get settled in. He opened his bags but that was as close as he got to unpacking. He was tired. He collapsed on his bed. Even if it was just an hour drive, he still wanted to get some shuteye. When he woke up, he heard someone knocking.

"Come in!" he called out in his still sleepy voice. The door let some light into his dark room. A woman came in.

"Jemmy?" he knew that voice anywhere. It was Charlotte. Before, it would've vexed him a bit that she still called him that childhood endearment she's invented. Now, he just missed it. Charlotte went to sit by his bedside so he propped himself up.

"Good Evening, Charlotte." he greeted her with a smile. Immediately, her arms were around him. It took a short moment, but he hugged her back.

"Oh, Jem! How I've missed you so!" she held him at arms length.

"How is Cambridge? Are you alright there? Have you met any friends? Do tell me!" Jem laughed at Charlotte's excitement.

"It's fine. I have adjusted to my dorm and have made quite a few friends already. Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something." she gave him a curious look and nodded for him to go on.

"Do you know if Old Aloysius has a granddaughter?" Charlotte's look suddenly turned solemn.

"Jem, you do know of that, right? Adele Starkweather's tragedy or scandal or whatever you wish to call it. She's dead. She has been for a long time now. Why do you ask?" Jem shook his head.

"Nothing. It was just…I met another ShadowHunter." Charlotte's eyes sparkled at that news.

"Is it a girl?" she couldn't help but sound teasing. Jem let out a cough. He loosened his necktie.

"Yes." he all but whispered but Charlotte heard it. She hugged him again.

"Oh! I must meet her! What's her name?" she sounded like a giddy mother who wanted to meet her son's first love. Jem smiled. A smile, Charlotte noticed, that was new.

"Tessa. Theresa Gray Starkweather."

"A Starkweather? Is that why you asked me about Old Aloysius' granddaughter?"

"Yeah. I just thought that maybe since she's here in London—I mean England that she's related to Old Aloysius." he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

"I highly doubt that. Adele was the last heir to the Starkweathers of York. Oh, I almost forgot why I woke you. Dinner is ready. We'll talk more later. C'mon now." she held out her hand for Jem to take and they went to the dining hall together.

Cambridge, two years ago

"Hello, grandfather?" Tessa was walking around her dorm room packing up for the holidays. Her cellphone pressed against her ear and shoulder as she got clothes from her closet.

"Tessa, I'll be going first!" her roommate, Pauline, said as she pulled her suitcase out the door. Tessa turned her way and gave her a wave as she mouthed Take care! . Pauline smiled and closed the door behind her.

"It's a good thing you know how to use a cellphone now, grandfather. Yes, yes. I'll be at the station by five in the afternoon waiting for Gottshall? Indeed, I will. See you tonight! I love you!" she laid her phone down the bedside table and continued packing in a much swifter pace. She wouldn't want to be late for the train. All of a sudden, her phone rang again, the beginning of Somewhere Only We Know filling the room. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID, it was Jem.

"Hey, done packing already?" she asked as she pressed her phone again to her ear.

"Yes, I'm putting my bags in my car already. What about you, love?" she sighed.

"Kind of just started. Sorry for making you wait." she heard him chuckle.

"I told you to start last night."
"But…it was the series marathon of Grey's Anatomy."

"I know. I know. Just meet me here, okay? Wouldn't want to miss your train. I love you."

"I love you too." she ended the phone call and proceeded with folding her clothes and making her shoes and books fit inside her suitcase.

They had arrived at Kings Cross station with Tessa just fifteen minutes away from her departure. They got caught in the holiday traffic. Jem helped her get her suitcase from the trunk.

"I'll miss you." Jem said as he took Tessa's hand. It was cold. The winter wind was wrapping itself on her hand as he held onto it.

"I'll miss you more. Take care, okay? Come here." she held his cheek with her free hand and kissed him hard. He could taste Tessa's cherry lip balm. They separated once they needed air. Jem then pulled her in a hug. He kissed her head and caught a whiff of her lavender shampoo.

"You wouldn't want to miss your train home. I love you, my Tessa." she nodded and gave him a light peck on the lips before turning towards the entrance of the train station. She didn't get that far when she turned around to see Jem still standing where she left him.

"I LOVE YOU JAMES CARSTAIRS!" she shouted. Then turned back towards the entrance and quickened up her pace. People stared after her and she flushed. Jem, on the other hand, stood there laughing.

'Tessa is so adorable.' he couldn't help but think. He was thinking about shouting back but Tessa was long gone. He got in his car, still with a wide grin on his face, as he headed for the airport.

New York Institute, morning

Jem stirred and opened his eyes to the sunlight that came from his wide-open windows. He blinked until his eyes adjusted. He was already in his room at the Institute. As he looked around, he saw his parabatai. Will was sleeping on the armchair that he must've pushed to Jem's bedside that night. He smiled.

Not wanting to wake Will up, he decided to leave quietly and get breakfast downstairs. He quickly drew a soundless rune on his arm and made his way towards the door. He sighed with relief when he made it outside his room to the corridor.

"Jem?" he turned and saw Izzy who seemed to have just woken up as well.

"Good Morning Isabelle." he gave her a smile. It was his way of telling her he was fine already. His injuries had healed. Izzy returned his smile and proceeded to lead him downstairs for breakfast.

"You must be hungry!" she exclaimed as they practically ran downstairs. Jem just shook his head as he let Izzy drag him. She always worried too much about him much like Charlotte.

When they arrived at the dining table, most of the others were there already and in gear. All of their attention turned to Izzy and Jem who just arrived. Mary went into the kitchen to get two fresh plates of omelets and toast.

"Good Moring, James." Gabriel greeted as Jem took a seat across him. Izzy sat beside him. He gave Gabriel a smile.

" Where's Will?" Cecily, who sat beside Gabriel and across Izzy, asked.

"Still asleep. I wouldn't want to wake him knowing he must've been up all night like he always does." his voice was traced with disapproval.

"He just worries about you because he's your parabatai. The same way goes with Jace and me. I couldn't live with myself, let alone sleep, if something bad happened to him." Alec said. Just then, Clary entered with Jace. They seemed to just have changed into their gear.

"Where are you all going?" Jem asked as he looked at Gabriel, Cecily, Clary, Jace, and Alec already in gear. This time, Mary emerged from the kitchen and set down the plates in front of Jem and Izzy.

"We're going to start an investigation. The Circle seems to be planning something." Jace replied as he sat down by Izzy and took some of the papers Alec was reading across him. Clary sat down next to him and did the same. Gabriel and Cecily stood up.

"We're off to investigate the abandoned factory you and Will were found in. You don't mind if we borrow your car again though?" Jem shook his head and two head off. He held a fork and started with devouring his breakfast. After all, he and Will hadn't eaten in a day.

Alec was the one who stood up this time. He gathered the papers and instructed Mary to bring it to the library.

"Will might want to look through it later." he said and Mary nodded.

"Where are you going?" Izzy inquired as she took a bite of her toast. Her brother turned his blue eyes to her.

"I'm going to Downworld." he declared. Jace's mouth twitched up behind the papers he was reading. It was all about the last encounter of the Clave with the Circle.

"When did you get reckless? I thought I totally owned that." Jace commented. His parabatai gave him a serious expression as their eyes met. Jace's gold ones just as intense as Alec's blue ones. They seemed to be having a conversation with their intense stares.

"I'll ask Magnus to come with me." Alec shot back. He was on his way out from the dining room when his parabatai spoke again.

"Please, Alexander. Go on a date some other time." Jace joked. This made Alec cross the room to where the blonde was seated and gave him a slap on the head. Clary let out a frustrated sigh. As much as these two looked adorable fighting, she knew they need to attend seriously to the current predicament they faced.

"We'll come with you, Alec. C'mon Jace." she stood up and got the stele that was on the table. She put it on her right pocket where she can easily access it. The blonde stood up with a smug expression which was the total opposite of his parabatai's. Alec looked annoyed. The three looked at Jem and Izzy still eating.

"We'll just catch up with you guys." Izzy declared. Clary waved goodbye at them. The three were then off as well.

"I've got a bad feeling about all of this." Jem blurted out. It was only him and Izzy left at the dining table. They had finished eating already. She just shrugged.

"Every one of us does." Izzy admitted.