Modern Day

A/N: What if Will was granted his wish? Or Jessamine hers?

Jem unhitched his arms from his cane and sighed. "You know I believe we are reborn," he said quietly. "I think if two souls are meant to be together, they will remain together on the Wheel and be together again in the life after this one."

"Is that an official teaching or something you invented yourself?" Will asked.

Jem laughed. "Does it matter?"

Will looked at him curiously. "Do you think we will be together again?" At the change in Jem's expression, he added, "I mean, is there a chance for me? To have another life after this, a better one?"

Basically this story is a mixture of a reincarnation of the gang from the Infernal Devices bringing them into the twenty-first century to an alternate dimension. So the characters will be slightly OOC since I will be placing them into the twenty-first century (and as you know a lot has changed and therefore they have to change) but they will still have similar characteristics as well as other things to the original ones in Clockwork Angel & Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices Series). And, oh, they will be entirely human (Jessamine's wish) and as far as I've written there will be no paranormal in this story. Meaning possibility of change, but very, very unlikely.

Prologue

Tessa stared angrily out the car's passenger window.

"Cheer up Theresa," her Aunt Harriet called out. "Pouting is very unladylike."

Tessa rolled her eyes sometimes she could swear her aunt came out directly from the 1800's. She was always scolding her for being improper or not feminine enough or just simply not…perfect.

Sighing Tessa started to fiddle around with the car's radio trying to find a station playing something other than classical music.

"Theresa," Aunt Harriet said sternly.

Tessa flipped it back to the original station as she leaned her head against the car window even though she wanted to pound her head against the glass instead. Maybe getting a concussion would cause everything to go back to normal, to the way it used to be. Maybe if she knocked her head hard enough she would escape this nightmare and go back to reality. She looked over at her aunt through the corner of her eyes and saw her giving a stern expression.

Reluctantly Tessa sat up straight, away from the car window. From the back she could hear a snicker and a soft, "Wuss."

She kept her gaze straight ahead, trying to ignore her brother, and keeping herself from getting upset over the fact that Aunt Harriet pretty much let Nathaniel do as he please without reprimanding him. Actually, whenever Nathaniel did anything Aunt Harriet would deem 'improper' it was Tessa that Aunt Harriet would come down on with stricter punishments and harder housework. It was an endless cycle and one that started the day Tessa and Nate's parents died.

Quickly Tessa closed her eyes, wishing and blinking away the tears. She looked over at the rearview mirror to see Nathaniel lying across the back seat with no seat belt on and his eyes fully dilated. He gave her a sloppy grin and there was no doubting that he was drunk—she could smell the brandy from her seat—but seeing him like that was more confirmation than she could take. She tore her gaze from the mirror and stared hard at the endless road in front of them wanting and hoping for a life she could never have, a family she could never be a part of.

"Will? William!"

Will tore his gaze from the window to look over at an impatient Amelie.

Her arms were crossed over her chest and her gaze was narrowed on him. "You weren't listening to a word I was saying, were you?" She didn't give him a chance to answer as she moved around him and looked at the window huffing out, "You were just staring out the window ignoring me. There isn't even anything out there remotely interesting. Just some father with his son."

She flung her arm out in emphasis to the scene of the father and son laughing as they walked down the street before disappearing around the corner.

She turned back to Will. "Honestly, I don't know what's with you these days."

Staring at her he wondered how she couldn't know. Sure, he hadn't told her every detail but he knew she had heard enough to piece together the events. And she did run, somewhat, in Jessamine's circle and everyone in the town knew how much of a blabbermouth she was.

But Will didn't say anything, kept silent about his own issues as he said, "Sorry." It didn't come out very strong, but Amelie either didn't know or didn't care.

She looked at him hard before her face softened and a small smile appeared, enhancing her beauty. "It's alright," she replied with a sigh before taking his hand and pulling him away from the window. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't make any other plans for Saturday night with Jem or something."

"Saturday?" Will asked. "No, why?"

"There's a party being thrown over at Martin Bakshaw. I want to make an appearance there for at least two hours or so, you know, and catch up with everybody to see how their summer went," she said swinging their hands lightly as they approached the close door. "You can see if Jem wants to come."

Jem? A party? Unless that party had classical music playing he wouldn't want to go. Jem had never enjoyed the type of parties Amelie wanted to attend, too many people he didn't really know or get to know with how loud the music would be. But Will would never tell Amelie that.

He scratched his head as he replied, "I don't kn…"

"He can even bring a date," Amelie cut in. "I know a few girls who would be dying to go with him," she added with a large smile.

Amelie had been dying to set Jem up with one of her friends for the simple reason she wanted to go on a double date. They hadn't gone on many for one reason being Will couldn't stand most of the guys Amelie's friends went out with and even a few of Amelie's friends but those usually weren't close friends.

"I'll see what he says," Will replied as Amelie's eyes sparkled.

"Thank you." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips. Her head turned back towards the closed door. "Now we better go inside. I'm sure they've already started the poetry session by now since you were so intent on your staring into nothingness."

They entered the house, their new house. It would never be home, not for Tessa.

She stared up at the winding staircase feeling an impending sense of dread before her aunt's voice called out for her, cutting through the silence as sharp as a knife.

"Theresa, we do not have all day! Now stop straddling along and help move the boxes inside."

Tessa sighed as she turned back to the direction of the front door and her Aunt Harriet's voice. She was tester than usual, but that may have more to do with Nathaniel's current state.

When Tessa reached the doorway Nathaniel came slumping around the corner, blocking her exit. He leaned against the doorway, obviously too intoxicated to even stand upright. His grin was sloppier than before and Tessa wondered if he had gotten his hands on even more alcohol, although how she did not know. Aunt Harriet had thrown away every liquor bottle she could find when she found the state Nathaniel was in that morning. She never confronted him about it though and apparently he had hidden and snuck the bottles during the trip. It was a great way to start life in their new town.

Catching the whiff of alcohol as strong as if it had been smoke coming from his coat—which it was still too warm to wear—Tessa stepped back. Her nose twitched at the repulsive smell and her eyes averted from the daunting look he was giving her.

"Ah, Tess—ie," Nate sneered in his drunken state. "Have chores to do, like a good little girl."

Tessa's eyes closed for a minute. It was as if he had called her one of the worst names by the way he scoffed out 'good little girl'.

"Don't you think it is a little too early to be smashed, Nate," Tessa replied, opening her eyes.

Nate only leaned down to her and said, "It's never too early to be smashed on life, Tess—ie," before smirking and clumsily making his way to the staircase.

Tessa could still smell the brandy, practically taste it, as she watched her brother go in disgust. He hadn't always been this way. Once Nate had actually been an older brother she could look up to, but that was a long time ago back to when they had two parents.

"THERESA!" Aunt Harriet shouted, short-tempered and irritated.

If it had been Tessa's mother here instead of Harriet she wouldn't be shouting out Tessa's name, she would be forcing Nate to sober up and help out. It was Aunt Harriet who was the adult here not Nate, not that anybody could tell.

Before waiting for another angry shout from Aunt Harriet Tessa quickly went back through the door and out to the car. But, of course, for Aunt Harriet that wasn't nearly fast enough.

Jessamine Lovelace twirled around in the mirror, admiring her new dress. It was a dress she picked out only a few days ago and one that would be perfect to wear for the first day back to school although she would only be wearing it for half that school day before changing again. Still, she admired herself in the mirror as she posed.

The dress was a dark green satin that looked great on her. It hugged her tightly in all the right places—she had it fitted for that intent purpose—emphasizing the curves that were starting to appear. She smiled at her reflection knowing that many eyes, many boy's eyes, would be on here that day, a mere freshmen making a strong impression. Maybe even older boys…seniors, possibly…

A face in the mirror caught her attention. It was Jem and she raised an eyebrow as she turned around to face him.

He was staring at her with a strange look.

"Yes, Jem?" she asked. "Is there something you want?"

He rubbed his neck as he said, "Jessie, don't you think that dress is…uh…a little too much. You're not planning on wearing it to school, are you?"

"Of course, I am," Jessamine replied, sounding slightly insulted. "It's perfect. And it's not like other people won't be wearing less, much less."

"Yes, but…" He shook his head. "Never mind, dinner's almost ready just to let you know." He stepped out of the doorway before turning, looking at her once more, and then walking away with his head slowly shaking from side to side.

Jessamine pursed her lips as she turned to look at her reflection once more. Maybe it was too revealing? But as Jessamine turned from side to side she decided she didn't care and Jem would just have to deal with the fact that she was a woman now and not the little girl he grew up with.

Tessa looked over her shoulder at the clock. It read 6:43.

She glanced back at the table she sat at. Three plates were set but only one had a meal, or half a meal, on it while the two others stood barren across from each other with plenty of food remaining in the middle of the table.

Sighing Tessa stood up and filled both plates with food and wrapped them in tin-foil. She then cleared the table, placed one of the plates in the microwave, and wrote a note for her Aunt which she placed on the kitchen counter.

Aunt Harriet had left shortly after they had loaded the last boxes in the house. She said she had to leave for a short time but would be back soon. That, of course, was hours ago. And it wasn't much longer after Aunt Harriet left when Tessa was in her room unpacking boxes of hers that she heard the window in Nathaniel's room, on the other side of the wall, opening and looking out her window she saw Nathaniel climbing down the wall, jumping, and then sprinting across the grass, while pausing for a second to look over at her with a smirk on his face, before he continued his dash down the street.

Tessa picked up the remaining tin-foiled plate and carried it with her upstairs. She placed it outside of Nathaniel's room knowing better than to enter his room. She made that mistake once where she saw items she didn't want to see scattered all across his bedroom as if mocking her, or maybe he was mocking Aunt Harriet.

Shaking her head Tessa walked the short distance to her bedroom door and went inside. It felt cold and lonely inside, which sadly reminded her of the small apartment they left back in New York.

She smiled bitterly as nothing felt different, nothing changed. She was by herself with no idea where her Aunt or her brother were. The only thing that had changed was that it was a house, a large house, but that only emphasized the emptiness.

She walked over to her bed and sat down before pulling an open box towards herself. She dug around inside the box before her hands passed over a familiar friend. She smiled as she pulled out her worn Tales of Two Cities book. Her most prized possession. It was one of the original editions that her father had found in an antique bookshelf over in London while on business.

Lifting the book to her face she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. It still held that old book smell that she loved. Sitting back against her headboard she flipped to the first page and read while she listened for someone to return back to the house.

It was the best of time, it was the worst of times…

A/N: So that's the prologue, longer than I intended but that's mainly because I wanted to get the different characters POVs in the story. So what are your thoughts of the modernized Infernal Devices characters? And of course more Infernal Devices characters will be appearing in the next coming chapters such as Henry, Charlotte, Sophie, Gabriel, ect. along with a few new characters like Amelie. So review and tell me what you think.

Next chapter first day of high school where characters will start to cross paths.

"Alright, class, I hope you picked the right seats for today because for the person sitting with you will be your lab partner for the rest of the year. So, I'll give you exactly two minutes to introduce yourselves and become acquainted with each other, after that I will give you your first assignment." He went over and sat down at his desk and the room instantly erupted into conversation.

Tessa turned towards…