2008

"Are you sure about this?" The voice of Alec Lightwood rang out, more pointedly at his 'boyfriend', Magnus.

"Relax sweetpea, it'll be fine. It's not like I haven't created a simple portal before. Have I ever done anything wrong?"

"That, I could honestly attest to… How many times did we encounter near death situations before? It has taken most of my talent and looks to get us out those situations. Something that you fail to notice is that we're portaling to Idris and I don't think the Clave are exactly expecting us. I'm not really looking forward to another swim in Lake Lyn." Jace spoke, striding into the library.

Alec pinked visibly, how much of their conversation had he heard?

"Don't call me sweetpea," he replied mildly. Magnus ignored him. "Where's Isabelle anyway? Shouldn't she be here already?"

"I heard that. I was shaking off mum; she's been hanging around me all day. You know, about dad." Isabelle huffed and slumped onto the couch.

There was an undertone to her voice, and Alec knew exactly what she was talking about. Their parents' relationship was rather…rocky.

Jace tapped his weapons belt impatiently. "Hurry up already Magnus, this is important."

"Alright, I can't see why you have to go to Idris though, wasn't the Silent Brothers good enough and didn't you just say that the Clave wasn't expecting you? I don't think the Clave will take kindly to you bursting unexpectedly into them, they don't like being interrupted. Also, I'm not your pet wizard, I'm not always at your beck and call."

Jace frowned tightly, "Just do it already and don't you want to spend time with your boyfriend? This is a rather good excuse on my part."

Alec involuntarily flinched at that. He glanced over at Magnus, but he showed no visible reaction to his statement. Like it hadn't affected him, he thought bitterly.

It gets easier the longer you live. Of course, he had lost tons of loves in his life, why did he matter anymore than they did?

Alec could still remember that night at the subway, Magnus, his face filled with pain and then, they broke up. At least he still had the decency to look upset.

He had wanted to kill Camille then, but… Maureen had shown up instead, her hands shining with black blood.

She had claimed to kill her and had wanted to take over the London Clan of the Night's children. Alec hadn't the heart to tell her that it didn't work that way for the bloodsuckers, only on the lycanthropes.

Magnus shrugged. "Right, now let's quit with the dilly-dally and get on with it."

He rubbed his fingers together and blue sparks fell. As he drew the runes, Alec muttered to Jace standing beside him. "Remind me why you didn't want to tell Clary about this?"

His parabatai shut his eyes, a vein pulsing at his neck. Alec immediately felt guilty; this was the worse way to hit him at this time. Clary was a sore spot.

"I don't want for her to worry."

Ever since the business with Raziel and Michael's, the archangel's sword, Glorius, Jace was-well- different.

He wasn't glowing anymore which was a relief, although his eyes still shone golden whenever he got agitated, which was saying, a lot.

Magnus coughed loudly, grabbing his attention. It was hard trying to pretend everything was fine when it evidently was not. Oh, and there was that Sebastian problem too, about moving heaven and raising hell.

The portal glowed brilliant blue in front of them, beckoning. Jace hopped in first, followed by Isabelle. That left him last, standing awkwardly beside Magnus.

"Magnus, I…" The warlock put his hand out in front of him.

"Not now Alexander, now is not the time."

Alec's shoulders drooped as he stepped towards the portal trying to conjure up the happy memories of his childhood and of his times at Idris. He hunched forward and then toppled into the writhing blackness.

"If now is not the time, when is?" Magnus said sadly after the blue-eyed boy disappeared.

1878

Will stood inside the front hall of the Institute in stony silence. He had just fought with Cecily and was uninterested in anything Gabriel Lightwood had to say. He was incoherent and his shirt was drenched with blood.

"That is a great deal of blood," said Tessa, pushing forward. "Gabriel it is not all yours, is it?" There was fear and confusion evident in his eyes and he was so disorganized that he couldn't more than speak.

"No… It's theirs…" Will had never seen Gabriel so… mad before. Well, maybe when he broke his arm and while reading his sister's diary.

"Theirs? Who are they?" Gideon said, hurrying towards him, his sword clutched in his hands. Jem paused beside him in startlement and Will realized that he had seen Tessa in her wedding dress.

Will felt his stomach lurch and he pushed the thought away quickly. There came no good in fantasizing about your parabatai's fiancée.

"Is Father hurt?" Gideon went on to ask, coming to a stop beside Gabriel. "Are you?" He cupped his face with his hand.

Though Gabriel was taller, it was evident that Gideon was the older sibling- relief was fiercely portrayed on the younger one's face, and as well as a flicker of resentment at his peremptory tone.

"Father…" Gabriel began. "Father is a worm."

At this, Will gave a short laugh involuntarily. First Jem with the demon pox and now this?

"It's good to see you've come round to our view of things, Gabriel, but this is an unusual way of announcing it." Gideon shot him a reproachful look before turning back to his brother. "What do you mean Gabriel? What did Father do?"

Gabriel shook his head. "He's a worm," he said again, tonelessly.

"I know. He has brought us shame on the name of Lightwood, and lied to both of us. He shamed and destroyed our mother. But we need not be like him."

Gabriel pulled away from his brother's grip, his teeth clenched into an angry scowl.

"You're not listening to me," he said. "He's a worm. A worm. A great bloody serpent-like thing. Since Mortmain stopped sending the medicine, he's been getting worse. Changing. Those sores on his arms, they started to cover him. His hands, his neck, h-his face…"

Gabriel's green eyes landed on him. "It's the pox, isn't it? You know about it, don't you? Aren't you some sort of expert?"

"Well, you needn't act like I was the one who invented it," Will breezed. "Just because I believed it existed when you dismissed it as foolish lies. The accounts of it- old stories in the library—"

"Demon pox?" said Cecily, her face screwed up in confusion. "Will, what is he talking about? I thought you made all that stuff up."

Will opened his mouth, and flushed faintly across his cheekbones. Before he could say anything, the walls of the Institute shuddered and the runes on them began to glow.

"What's happening?" Tessa asked, her eyes coloring. Charlotte stalked towards the front door, clutching her stele in her hand.

"Well, it appears that someone is trying to enter the Institute by magical force. Don't you think we should check it out, dear? If it were an enemy, we'd be sitting ducks!" Henry announced proudly.

"Ducks… I've always hated them." Will muttered under his breath. Gabriel seemed to have composed himself enough to grip his seraph blade in hand.

Charlotte waved an arm at them. "Don't use your weapons yet, but keep them at the ready. For all we know it might be some mundane with the Sight."

She was trying to be optimistic. Of course it wouldn't be some mundane. W

ill glanced at Tessa fleetingly. He hoped that she had enough sense to keep herself safe. It would be impossible for her to fight, much less defend herself in that ridiculously long gown of hers.

Will grimaced tightly as Charlotte opened the Institute doors, the evening light filtering inside.

Out front, beyond the wrought iron gates, were three black shadows with dying blue sparks fizzing around them, the remnants of warlock magic, no doubt. Will remembered the automatons, powered by demon energies. What had Mortmain thrown at them now?

"Who are you?" Charlotte yelled, her body tense. "And why are you here?"

The idea to do a crossover was just too tempting and I had to do it. Will try to post more soon and I can't believe that there are so little crossovers! Set after the COLS and at the start of Clockwork Princess. R&R please and tell me what you think!