Once they'd returned to the Institute, they'd learned that the Morning Star sword in Belgium was a fake. But on the plus side, when Serena went to help Izzy with her autopsy, she found a metallic data chip hidden in Greenlaw's stomach. Serena who'd then stayed up all night trying to decrypt it but so far was having no luck. Whatever was on it must've been ridiculously important for it to have so many firewalls.
She walked into the cafeteria, well past when they stopped serving breakfast, and sat in between her husband and brother as she began to steal food from both their plates, Clary and Izzy laughing quietly at them from the opposite side of the table.
"Get your own food, Rena!" Jace said as he grabbed her hand, throwing it back at her before she could grab at his food again.
Serena, who was clearly tired and irritated, had the most serious of looks on her face as she placed a fist on her palm.
Jace mirrored her as they counted to three.
"YES! Little brother still with the rock every time," Serena cried in victory as she pulled his tray in front of her. Jace sulked in defeat as he crossed his hands over his chest.
"Fine. Have the bacon," Serena relented and, like a little kid, he broke into a wide grin as she passed him the saucer with the pieces of bacon on it, Alec handing over some of his bacon to his wife.
"Any luck with the data chip?" Clary asked as she watched Serena stuff her face, with eggs.
"No," she mumbled, mouth half full. "Not yet. I'm trying something as we speak, but so far no luck."
"I left an algorithm on your desk to try after if it doesn't work," Izzy said and Serena only nodded as she gulped down half a glass of orange juice - Alec's orange juice.
"Baby, maybe you should get some sleep," Alec said as he noted the tiredness in her eyes.
"Sleep is for the weak. And I can't sleep when hundreds of Downworlders could be getting tortured right now and I'm one firewall away from finding out."
"You two are really twins," Clary commented and both of them gave her a look before returning to their food.
"Down to the fact where we've both died and come back to life," Serena sassed with her mouth full as she and Jace bumped fists.
"Rena, the firewall will still be there, when you wake up. You need some sleep," Jace persisted. "We'll wake you up if Izzy breaches the firewall."
"No. I still gotta deal with the wolves and the vampires. Luke said to leave it till this morning until we knew Jordan was ok and I have to meet him at noon. I gotta stop them before it turns into a full-blown war. And this new leader of the Night Children is freezing me out and it's doing my head in. I want Raphael back. Hell, I'd even take Camille at this point."
"The algorithms are self-running, and I can even get Alec to take over. I can take your meeting with Luke. It's not a war yet and I think I can handle it," Izzy offered.
"I don't know...."
"Rena, come on. You're exhausted. And you do everything for everyone else, let us help you," Jace insisted.
"I don't know," she repeated.
"Alright, that's it," Alec announced as he stood, and Serena began shaking her head madly as he moved towards her. She tried to stuff her face with as much food as possible before Alec threw her over his shoulder.
"Alec! Put me down before I kick your ass!" Serena wailed as she swallowed the last of her food. Jace, Izzy, and Clary laughed as the couple walked out of the cafeteria, other Shadowhunters looking on and smiling.
"You're too tired to do that, otherwise you'd have done it before I picked you up. Now it's off to bed with you."
Serena only sighed, letting her body go limp as Alec carried her to their room, but not before smacking his ass as he walked, Alec hitting her back.
********************************
"Serena. Serena, my dear. Wake up," encouraged a voice as Serena felt a hand cupping her face and pushing her hair back.
"Grandma? What are you doing here?" Serena groaned as she woke to see her grandmother sitting on the edge of her bed. Her alarm clock on her nightstand beeped as it told her that she'd slept for close to 14 hours.
"What, so now I need an excuse to come see my only family?"
Serena smiled as she sat up and hugged her. "Of course not. It's good to see you. I'm glad you're ok."
"I owe all that to you," she smiled as she cupped the girl's cheek.
"The Silent Brother's cleared you and everything?!"
"Completely cleared to return to active duty," she assured her granddaughter.
"How long are you here for?"
Imogen sighed. "Unfortunately, the Clave needs me back in Alicante as soon as possible. I only came by for a quick hello and to drop off Aline before heading back to Idris."
"Grandma, can I ask you for a favour? And can you be honest with me?"
Imogen grew concerned. "Of course, you can ask me anything."
"Izzy and I have been investigating reports filed by the recaptured Downworlders from the Gard. They claim that they're being tortured. Grandma, I have to know, is any of this true?"
"I'm sorry, but I have no clue. As far as I know, the Clave outlawed torture over 100 years ago."
"What about Project Heavenly Fire?"
"I'm not even going to ask how you know about that," Imogen said with a knowing look.
"That's probably wise."
"Project Heavenly Fire was an off-book project commissioned by Consul Malachai. I barely had the clearance to hear of it but when Jia came in as Consul, I thought it was shut down. Beyond that, I don't know much more but I can assure you, I'll start digging once I return to Alicante, if you'd like."
"Yes, please! Thank you, Grandma."
Imogen kissed her forehead, Serena feeling nothing but loved by the touch. "Of course, Serena. You and Alexander are exactly the kind of change that the Clave needs. I wouldn't be surprised if you became the next Inquisitors after me. Or even the next Consul."
Serena looked confused at her Grandmother's mischievous smile. "But there's only ever been one High Inquisitor or Consul at a time before."
"And before you, there was no such thing as a Clave Envoy to Downworlders. Like I said, you are the change that the Clave needs."
Ithuriel's words then flashed through Serena's mind. "If your vision of what the Clave should be would come to pass..."
Brushing it off, Serena pulled back the covers, slipping on some shoes and throwing one of Alec's button-downs on, tying the ends into a knot at her waist, and undoing a couple buttons to reveal the blue camisole she wore underneath.
But before she left, she moved to her bedside table and pulled out a stele. "I believe this is yours, Grandma," she said handing it back to the older Shadowhunter, who smiled warmly at her.
"Thank you, my dear."
"Let's go find Jace and Alec before you have to leave."
And the two Herondale's strode out arm in arm.
********************************
Jace was training when the other two Herondales entered the room, his back to them as he struck at the air with his blade.
"Jace," Imogen called as Serena waited at the doorway, letting them have this moment.
Her twin froze at the sound of Imogen's voice and the blade dropped from his hand as it shook, memories flooding back about how he ran her through with a blade very similar to that one.
"Jonathan Christopher Herondale, look at me," Imogen asked softly but her voice was still full of authority. Reluctantly, Jace turned, a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes as he faced his grandmother, guilt overwhelming him.
Imogen walked over to him only to pull him into a hug as he began to sob uncontrollably and Imogen cradled his head to her shoulder as she hushed him gently, pressing a light kiss to his head. Jace was still whimpering when Imogen pulled away, gently holding his face in her hands as she wiped away his tears, his hands on her forearms.
"Grandma, I'm - I'm - I can't - I'm sorry. So sorry. Grandma, I-"
Imogen cut him off as she shushed him. "Serena already told me everything. And look at me. I'm all healed. I'm ok," she said to him.
"But I still - I still tried to kill you," Jace stuttered between sobs as he wiped his nose on his sleeve.
Imogen moved her hands to his shoulders. "No. The demon inside of you tried to kill me. I need you to know, and I need you to understand, that I do not blame you for one moment. And you do not need to blame yourself for actions that you had no control over."
"But I -"
"No." Imogen wiped more tears from his eyes, her hands moving to hold his. "Jace, you were possessed by Lilith. Lilith. The fact that you're standing here alive and demon-free is a miracle in itself. I don't blame you, nor does the Clave, for any of it. But, if you need to hear it, I forgive you."
There weren't words to describe the amount of weight and guilt that released itself from Jace's shoulders as he broke into a new round of sobs and wrapped Imogen back into a hug.
Peeking over her shoulder, Imogen gestured at Serena who came barreling in and joined the hug, the three of them hanging onto each other for dear life.
"Oh, my gorgeous children," Imogen sighed as she cried tears of her own, Serena's eyes growing misty. "I am so proud of you both. So proud."
"We're glad you're ok, Grandma," Serena smiled through her own tears that had started to fall. Even after all these years, she was still unaccustomed to the parental figures in her life praising her and being proud of her.
"I love you both so much," Imogen said before they all fell back into a hug.
Serena was first to pull away as she wiped at her eyes, a wicked grin then sliding onto her face as she said, "Come on. Let's go surprise Alec. I'm sure he'd love to see you."
Imogen smiled despite the weird look Jace gave his sister, but he went along with it anyway.
And with their hands intertwined, the last three Herondales on Earth walked out of the training room.