Title: Pages of The Past

Summary: Tessa can't move forward. Magnus can't root himself in the past. Two friends share a conversation over a century after they first meet. Malec, implied Tessa/Will and Tessa/Jem.

Notes: Let's see. Mortal Instruments has Magnus Bane. Infernal Devices, a prequel to Mortal Instruments, has Magnus Bane. CC herself has said that the woman Magnus is speaking to by the edge of the forest in the epilogue of CoG is Tessa. I might as well be the one to write a possible conversation. I couldn't decide who I wanted her to end up with, so that's up to you. *sigh* I'd personally go for Jem. But that's just me (and I have a whole theory supporting the idea that she goes for him in the end).

Anyhow, CA was amazing, I loved it. I'm still trying to figure out how the black hair and blue eyes of the Herondales switched to the Lightwoods and Jace got the blonde hair and gold eyes (though that may be more angel blood than genetics). I guess we may learn eventually... I'm just struggling to figure out who marries who. Watch out for another Magnus centric crossover. I was oh so intrigued by the idea of Magnus having relationships with various characters, particularly Lightwoods, throughout the years (Him and Benedict totally had a thing. Ha, crack pairing much?) Anyhow, we'll see how that comes out when I finish it. Enjoy the little fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own MI or ID, both owned by the amazing CC.

Magnus Bane straightened his coat and stared into the face of the girl in front of him. She was unruffled and adjusted her white dress only slightly.

He couldn't bear this silence any longer. It had been too long since he had seen her, but not too long to forget their friends. Mortal lives simply didn't stretch like their memories did

"I didn't expect to see you here," he said quietly. "You don't usually come to parties."

Tessa Gray shrugged. "I felt this was a cause for celebration. You look well, Magnus."

Magnus nodded. "And you, too. How have you been?" His words were stilted and awkward. He tried to match Tessa's speech patterns, but he tended to grow and change with the world. She liked to root herself in the past, the only place where her lover could be- besides in a grave.

"I've been... coping," she said after a short silence. "Who are your acquaintances these days?" A smile tugged on the sides of her mouth. Magnus almost laughed. She knew how sporadic he was. It was rare for him to remain in contact for anyone as long as they had been.

"Well, who are yours?" Magnus asked, partly as a joke and partly in true concern.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "My books and my words and the magnificent Mr. Darcy who never changes no matter how often I read the book."

Magnus waved his hand. "Darcy was never my type. I go more for the Holden Caulfield ones."

Tessa narrowed her eyes. "The boy from Catcher in the Rye? He's a bit... odd."

Magnus ran his hands through his sparkling hair. "Aren't we all?"

Tessa folded her arms across her chest and slumped ever so slightly. Magnus cocked his head. If she wanted to, she could pass for a modern day teenager. Then again, if she wanted to, she could have come to some of the parties he put together, or responded to a few letters, or perhaps even offered a shoulder to cry on. She didn't want to. So, she wouldn't.

"He wasn't odd," she murmured. "He was perfect the way he was."

Magnus could see that her eyes were teary and quickly tried to veer away from the subject. "Camille is here!" he exclaimed. "Lady Belcourt? Remember her? She's here. I'm sure she'd like to see you again. She's with this little twat, Raphael. Don't get me wrong, he's wonderfully manipulative, but he acts more like a subjugate than her second in command."

Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Camille leads a coven?"

"In New York. Their place is a wreck, though. An old, abandoned hotel. If vampires weren't living there, it'd be a whorehouse, I think."

Tessa smiled completely now. "Magnus, the way you speak is so... It makes you seem much younger than you are. It's refreshing. You sound like one of those teenagers over there." She gestured towards Alec and his friends. Magnus noticed that Clary and Simon had joined them.

Magnus tapped her nose. "Are you implying that I'm old? I'm not a day over eighteen!"

Tessa laughed and raised her eyebrows. "Eighteen? My, does somebody need to brush up on their mathematics. There are 365 days in a year, not 365 years in a year."

"All right, all right. Not a day over three hundred and eighteen then." He paused. "Okay, fine. You win. I'm closer to nine hundred and eighteen, but don't tell Alec. I told him I'm about eight hundred last time he asked."

Tessa's mood fell again. "Alec? Who's Alec?"

"My boyfriend." Magnus's grin grew wider as he thought about it. "Haven't you heard? He kissed me in the middle of the Accords Hall before the battle. Everybody was watching. Romantic, don't you think?" God, Magnus was sure the passion he felt from that kiss was the only thing driving him through the gore and blood and killing, the only thing driving him through everything in the world.

Tessa stiffened. "You're dating a man?"

Magnus rolled his eyes. "You're so behind on times, Theresa. People date people that are the same gender as them now. In particular, me. Get over it."

Tessa took a breath. "I apologize. I... I'm not as oblivious to society as you believe I am, but I wasn't expecting you-"

"Stop right there." Magnus put up a hand. "I shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that you were anything but overjoyed for my happiness. I'm just too sick of these Shadowhunters and their old fashioned beliefs."

Tessa looked like she was anything but overjoyed. "Not all Shadowhunters are bad. And I'd appreciate it if you let me know when you change your sexual preferences, just so I'm not shocked."

Magnus tried to smile seductively, but was quite sure he failed. "Is that why you're in a white dress of innocence? Hoping I'd take it off you?"

Tessa swatted him on the shoulder. "No!"

He winced. She hit harder than he was expecting. "Okay, okay, sorry. Kidding, darling. But really, if you had read my letters, you'd have known. See that one over there? With the black hair?"

Tessa turned to look at the group. Her expression hardened. "Oh, dear. I should have known. Black hair, blue eyes... you once said you liked that to me." She frowned. "Were you attracted to Will?"

Magnus laughed. "God, no, honey. That was just you." he paused. "He's a Lightwood, you know."

Tessa nodded. "Well, you're not bound to any Shaodwhunter family. You don't have to choose sides."

Magnus put a hand against the tree. "See the boy with blonde hair on the Accord Hall steps? That's Jace. He's a Herondale."

Tessa cocked her head to the side. "He looks more like Jem."

Magnus sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm always thinking that. Him and Alec are best friends. Practically brothers. Actually, I think Jace is basically adopted by now."

Tessa turned back towards Magnus and began to laugh. "No!"

"Yes. Parabatai, even."

Tessa placed a hand over her mouth. "Gabriel and Will must be rolling in their graves! Their descendents best friends?"

"That was my first impression when I found out that Jace was a Herondale. He was raised a Wayland, told he was a Morgenstern, and ended up a Herondale, though. So you can't blame him for letting the families combine."

Tessa's mouth opened in a little o. "I see. He's the Morgenstern boy. I've heard about him." She sighed. "Is he anything like him?"

"Cocky as can be. He thinks the world wants him in their beds, he thinks the world bows down to his every need, he's reckless as hell... But he's got a good heart. A great one." Magnus noticed a tear roll down Tessa's cheek and took her hand.

She pulled away. "Of course." She glanced quickly at the crowd and away again. "No Carstairs."

"How could there be?"

Tessa placed a hand over her stomach gently. "I thought... I'm different... For a while, I was so frightened but so pleased to know... But he was fated to die and so was his bloodline."

"He loved you," Magnus said gently. "They both did."

"But what if I made the wrong choice? What if I chose the wrong love? They both loved me and I loved the both, what if I chose wrong?" She was slowly sounding more and more hysterical.

Magnus wanted to hug her, but he knew that she'd never allow him to comfort physically. "You never know. You might meet someone that makes you feel fabulous, like Alec does to me. You might meet your real life Darcy."

They both looked at the group. Simon was looking extremely weary of a kelphie with drinks and Magnus couldn't help but grin, knowing that it had been partially his fault. Mostly Izzy's. But partially his, since he did supply the drinks.

"Is he a Holden?" She had calmed slightly and now sounded simply defeated.

Magnus laughed out loud. "Anything but. But he's better." He gave a little grin to Alec when he looked their way. Clary looked also and Tessa stiffened.

"I ought to go," she said and began to slip into the shadows. "I'll write to you. We must keep in touch."

"We must," he agreed. "Au revoir. Farewell." Quietly, he added when she was almost gone, "I miss them, too."

And then he broke away from the forest and left the past behind.