“Interesting,” Emma chuckled as she heard his story. “Bondsperson. But that was a long time ago. I’m the sheriff now,” she replied with a smile. It’d been a long time since she’d had to track someone down because they’d broken parole or something of the sort. Now it was her duty to make sure people didn’t break the law in the first place. “I did. He was still in Storybrooke. A little terrified that I’d disappeared, but it’s nothing we haven’t been through before.”
Peter shrugged. “My past isn’t clean. I don’t try to hide that fact. All I can do is moove on from it and be a better man.” he replied. The wolf sipped his tea and arched a brow. “People randomly vanish in your town often, I presume?” he asked with a faint smile. “OR is it just you that seems to disappear?”
“You promise?” she asked, lifting her eyes to look at his face. “I wish I knew how to do that. Because right now, it’s all I can do to not think about them.”
“…I know it doesn’t seem like it, right now. But I promise, Clary, it will get better. I just takes time. Believe me, I know.” he said, his voice quiet as he lifted a hand to run it through red waves. “When they wake you up, if you aren’t with me, come find me. Focus on the fact that we’re alive, and we’re together. It might help.”
“I know the feeling,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Yeah. I wish I knew how to make them stop.”
Jace wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head. “It’s going to take time, but eventually they won’t be as numerous.” he answered honestly. “We just have to do our best to get through until they don’t happen as often.” His voice was quiet, resigned, having gone through this as a child, too, though for different reasons.”
Emma let out a soft chuckle. “I can’t imagine having more than one at a time. Thanks,” she said, taking the water bottle. “I don’t know how it happened, either. But it’s my job to find people, so… I thought I’d see how some of the people were doing.”
Peter chuckled. “Well, long story short, I wasn’t myself for a while and turned a teen, and his friends have since kind of joined the ranks in one form or another.” he explained. “But all of them know better than to leave my manor is such a mess.” He shook his head as he moved to sit down. “Oh that’s right. You were a PI or Bondsperson, right?” It had been a while since he’d seen the blonde, and some memories from the odd version of New York he’d been living in were hazy. “I’m glad you seem to be well. Did you find your husband?”
Clary had woken up in the middle of the night, luckily without screaming this time. She shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. “Not again,” she mumbled. She got out of her bed and walked to Jace’s room, where she found him wide awake. “Hey,” she spoke, trying not to startle him as she walked over to his bed. “Can’t sleep either?”
Jace heard the latch on his door, but he didn’t look up until he heard the voice. Clary. He turned his head to look at her, giving a half hearted smile. “Not really sleeping much at all these days.” he admitted quietly, scooting over to give her room. “Another nightmare?” he asked. He could recognize the signs in Clary easy enough.
“Peter,” Emma replied, happy to see a friend again. “It’s quite alright. I raised a teenage boy. I’ve cleaned up lots of messes.” She sat down at a nearby table and shrugged. “Water? I mostly just came to see how you were doing.”
Peter nodded a little with a laugh. “I think I’d trade one teenager for the half dozen I have now.” he moved to get a bottle of water, bringing it over. “I’m…doing well. I don’t know how everyone ended back home, but it seems those of us in relationships are together here.” he explained. “How are you? I had hoped someone would contact me after I woke up back home, but so far you’re the only one.”
Jace was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling because he coudln’t sleep. His nightmares weren’t from Lilith anymore, but they kept him awake just the same. Little power naps here and there had been keeping him mostly going with the help of his stamina rune and he stared up at nothign and tried to clear his mind so he could sleep, wanting to have just one night of peaceful sleep in the hell that was the aftermath of his possession.
Emma chuckled and shook her head. “If I knew the answer, I would tell you. But I think that’s something that everyone has the problem that no one has the answer to.”
Peter looked up and couldn’t but smile. “Miss Emma.” he said, nodding. “Apologies for the mess. My pack unfortunately has a few teenagers who can’t clean after themselves if I’m not here to get onto them, it seems.” He shook his head as he moved, sighing a little. “Can I get you something to drink?”
themusechronicles 