This is my first "infernal devices" story, and I know Clockwork Prince is coming soon, but this was just an idea I had :) Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Tessa hadn't seen Charlotte or Henry the last four days. They, and the rest of the enclave, had been discussing whether or not Charlotte was the best choice of the leader for the institute. Tessa had been trying to shut all their voices out, but somehow Benedict Lightwood's shouts kept creeping into her mind. His reasons for Charlotte's removal all came down to the same fact; that if she hadn't sent the whole enclave against de Quincey, Thomas and Agatha wouldn't be dead, they hadn't been Nephilim, but they had still served the shadowhunters, and the fact, that there had been no one to protect the institute. And, he said, that Will and Jem hadn't received the proper training, if they had been naïve enough to fell for the magister and Nathaniel's trick. "After all he was just a mundane," he had said.

Even though Tessa didn't want to let the words in, she knew that many of the members of the enclave shared the same opinion as Benedict; Charlotte was to "immature" to lead. And somewhere behind those words, they were all agreeing that Mr. Lightwood should be the master of the institute.

The meeting was in the library, the same place where Tessa had met the enclave the first time. She knew that Will and Jem had been watching all the time from above at the storeroom, where the three of them had been sitting, watching and listening to the enclave's meeting; Jem had asked her several times if she wanted to come with him. Every single time she had declined, knowing that Will also would be there. She wasn't ready to face him. Not after what he said on the attic. She hadn't been ready to face him in nearly two weeks.

Jem, feeling her uneasiness, had eventually stopped asking.

Now, Tessa was laying on the bed, reading 'Tale of two cities', trying to let the words suck her in to their own world. It didn't work. After a couple of moments she gave up, closing the book.

A yell from the library made her wince: "She doesn't belong at the institute! She's more demon, than downworlder, with the abilities of hers!"

Tessa recognized the voice of Benedict Lightwood, and felt herself crumple from the inside, as tears started to form in her eyes. First, the conversation with Will, probably making him hate her, next, knowing that Charlotte would, no matter how hard Tessa tried not to think that way, be removed, and now, Tessa knew, that she would be thrown out, the instant Mr. Lightwood became the head of the institute.

She sat up on the bed, staring at nothing, when the door was pulled, by an outraged Benedict. He didn't seem to notice her teary eyes, but grabbed her wrist instead, forcing her out the door and down the corridor.

Letting go of her, he shoved her into the library, smashing the door closed behind the two of them. In the room, the shadowhunters of the enclave was placed around the long table in the middle of the room. Tessa raised her head, and let her gaze move over the shadowhunters, determined to show, that she wasn't afraid of either of them.

Charlotte's eyes widen slightly, but enough to show her astonishment. She rose fast, making the chair create a squeaking sound as it scratched over the floor.

"Benedict, I believe there is absolutely no reason to include Tessa in our conversation," she said.

"There is every reason to include Ms. Gray in our conversation," he hissed back. "After all, she is one of the main causes of this". Benedict grabbed Tessa's hand again, turning it, so the palm was turning upwards. His eyes scanned over the surface of her skin of her arm, before he shook her head, and did the same thing with the other arm.

He looked up, meeting the confused eyes of the other Nephilim's.

"I see no mark," he stated. "And I don't assume you, Ms. Gray, have found any mark on your body?" Tessa shook her head, knowing that even if she lied, he would just ask to see the mark. Benedict nodded slightly to himself, a smile playing upon his lips.

"As you see, and now heard, she has now mark alias she isn't a warlock, which means she can't be any form for downworlder and there for, she isn't under the protection of the law," Benedict met all the gazes of his fellows, challenging them all to talk against him. The most of them nodded at his words.

"So," he continued. "Either she is some sort of weak mutant or simply a sort of… demon". He spoke the last word with disgust. Tessa's head jerked as Benedict spoke, and Charlotte had gone a sort of gray color, all the while Henry was white as a sheet. Tessa clenched her hands into fists.

How dared he speak of her like that?

"But we could, of course, let her change and study her abilities, only to make sure their safe, and can do no harm", The Lightwood reassured the others. "We don't know much about this form for skin-changing".

He took a step towards the girl, but she stepped back, the fear now clear in her eyes. They were going to use her. Study her. Make experiments with her, just like the Dark Sisters had.

She backed away, towards the doors but Benedict grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her forward again.

"You didn't know about your brothers plan now did you, Ms. Gray?" Benedict asked trying to sound like he actually could be a good person. Tessa didn't believe he could ever be that.

She shook her head in response to his question.

"If so, you wouldn't mind to let us watch you Change and find out what you're really capable of, right?" he asked and gave her the ring on his finger. "Change right now then". The Nephilim held his ring out to her in his palm. Tessa looked from the metal to the eyes of Benedict.

"I won't do it," she said in a small voice. Benedict narrowed his brows.

"What?" he said, even though it was obvious he'd heard her.

"I won't change-"

"Why not?" Tessa crumpled under his threatening voice.

"Because I-" she started in a whisper, but was cut off by the Lightwood's yell.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to be your personal experiment," she shouted back her eyes filled with tears. How could they ask her to do that? She lowered her voice. "I don't want to be used like that again". Benedict looked taken aback by her outburst, but recovered fast, his eyes starting to shine with rage as she disobeyed him.

He slapped her across the face, making her stumble backwards. "You're just like your brother; a coward, incompetent and a betrayer to the Nephilims," he hissed.

Will had been watching from the storeroom since the meeting began. Jem had brought him supplies now and then, but Will didn't eat much. The conversation between the older shadowhunters had been far too alarming. If Charlotte was replaced by Benedict Lightwood, Will would have to get used to the fact that Gabriel was going to live them, in this very house. But the thing that disturbed him the most was the conversation about Tessa being sent away from the institute, out on the street. Right into Mortmain's arms.

Will knew that Jem, who had leaved two hours ago, had asked Tessa if she wanted to come up to him and Will and join them. Will also knew why she'd declined every time. After the episode on the attic they hadn't spoken to each other, and he was glad at that. It meant he didn't need to look her in her eyes.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when Benedict went out and slammed the library door shut. What had he missed? Had Benedict been declined in his attempts to be the head of the institute? Will hadn't believed that Charlotte would win this word-fight, but maybe he should have a bit more confidence in the short woman, who had cared for him since he was twelve. His hopes were short-lived when Benedict re-interred with Tessa in front of him. Her dress was plain white, her hair slightly messy, but still. She was beautiful. And even though Will tried not to, he had to admit it was good to see her again.

He listened to the conversation beneath him, watching as Tessa's eyes got huge, filled with the fear they had contained the first time, she had been asked by the enclave to show her abilities. Benedict's words seeped into his head and he understood the terms behind them. Will, a voice said in his head. It sounded a bit like his mother's had. Sweet but firm. They're want to use her, to make her Change until she dies of exhaustion. Will felt his eyes broaden. The enclave would do that? No, he told himself. The enclave wouldn't. Benedict would. He might even kill her in the night.

He started to scramble to his feet, he had to try to convince the enclave to stop this madness, Benedict was creating. He stopped abruptly, when he heard Tessa's loud voice: "-don't want to be your personal experiment!" Will could see she was about to cry. "I don't want to be used like that again".Will could only imaging which pictures and memories were behind her foggy eyes, as she spoke. It was hard to look at her, when she looked so sad, knowing that also he had caused her pain.

It all stopped, mind, heart, breath, when Benedict slapped her. She stumbled back, but kept herself standing. Will could see the Lightwood's mouth form words, but he didn't hear them. His mind was clouded with one thought; I am going to kill that bastard!

When Will could focus again, Tessa had gone over to Benedict, poking him hard in the chest with her index finger.

"You can call me a mutant, or a demon, or whatever you want," she hissed. "But don't ever compare me to Nathaniel. I am nothing like him". She stumped out the door shutting it behind her. The last thing Will heard before he ran out the storeroom's door behind him, was Charlotte's voice as she yelled at Benedict for what he'd just did, but Will was out the door before Charlotte finished. He had to find Tessa, had to talk to her. Because what she just did, nearly threatening Benedict Lightwood, was only going to make her chance of staying even smaller. What she just did, was the worst thing she could've done.

So, what do you think? :)

Should I continue or just trash? If you don't like it, I'm probably just gonna dump it, so please review and tell me what you think. :) ~RememberTheDays