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a-race-of-cannibal-ducks · 4 years

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Chapter 1.

Yes, I haven’t considered a title for this yet. This is only chapter 1 of a 2, perhaps 3, part fic about Jem, Will and Jessamine aged fourteen (thank Herondale for this idea). It’s sad, it’s angsty and apparently the plot made people cry! It’s quite Jessamine centeric, but also focuses a lot on Jem and Will. Withought giving much away: arguments, crying. Enjoy. (Also please note I know Sophie wasn’t with them at the time, but I suck with names so Herondale and I decided all maids were Sophie now).

Spirits were anything but high and tensions were anything but low. A series of missing - presumed dead - mundanes had sparked the attention of the London Institute and Enclave, leading to tri-weekly meetings lead by an ever-more growing stressed Charlotte Branwell and an incredibly tired Henry Branwell. At morning breakfast, the tension was palpable.

Sitting around the large square table, were the residents of the London Insitutue, a low murmer filling the room as food was brought out and set down in the centre of the table. Toast, eggs, bacon - often enjoyable foods the people sitting around the table would savour. But no one seemed to be collecting anything for their plate. Everyone's eyes seemed to be stern and sorrowful.

"Oh do please have something," Charlotte sighed, lightly buttering a slice of browned toast. "It'll keep your energy up," she added, stealing a quick glance at her husband, Henry, whose eyes seemed to be trained to his copy of the news paper. The news paper had been surpisingly useful as of late, stating whether or not the mudanes had returned - dead or alive.

Sucking in a shallow breathe, Charlotte asked,"is there anything of use in there today?"

Henry shook his head, taking a sip of the steaming cup of tea which Sophie had poured for him. "Nothing I can find, but I'm looking." The reply was quick, uncertain, especially as updates had been appearing within the first few pages of the newspaper if there had been any.

Across from Charlotte and Henry, sat Jessamine, her face pressed to her hand as she picked at the corner of her toast spread with a thin layer of strawberry jam. "It's not like he's doing a good job of it; he's probably missed something," Jessamine bit, her tone laced with frustration. Being fourteen, it wasn't much of her place to be doing work on this case, nor her position to comment on the ability of Shadowhunters her senior.

"I don't suppose you'd do much better," Will replied, shooting an angered look at Jessamine. He, like Jessamine, was also fourteen and unable to be much of an assistance to anyone (in fact, one may call him a nuisance with the amount of remarks he seemed to make whenever tasked with helping out Charlotte or Henry) but still criticised Jessamine.

At this, Jessamine looked affronted - she wasn't known to be much of a worker nor a trainer, in fact, she despised the idea of even becoming a Shadowhunter at all. Often, she'd refuse to handle any and all weapons, she had only read very certain parts of the Shadowhunter's Codex, and wasn't very attentive to her studies. So, rather than replying, she scowled and continued to stare at her toast.

"Do stop the unnecessary bickering," Jem, Will's parabatai, replied, waiting for some angered reply from Jessamine which didn't come. Instead it was a weary Charlotte who had just checked the large clock behind her for time.

"Benedict and the rest of the Enclave will be here presently... Henry and I will be in the Great Library, but please try to leave us undisturbed," Charlotte spoke, her tone almost pleading as she rose. They were very often interrupted by anyone of the younger Shadowhunters whilst in the middle of a meeting - but this one was important. Charlotte gently tugged at the hand of Henry once she was standing fully, an urge to pry him away from the newspaper which had been ruled useless nonsense.

"Is there anything which needs doing?" Jem asked before Henry and Charlotte had exited, his tone was more quiet than usual, despite getting a world more sleep the night before. The question earned groans and sighs from Will and Jessamine, people who did not want to do anything extra.

But Charlotte shook her head. "No, I don't believe there is. If you'd like to catch up on studies or perhaps do some weapons training? Do be careful though." Charlotte directed her last sentence as Will as Jem nodded and the two older shadowhunters departed the room.

It took a good few more moments before Sophie appeared, a small smile on her face and her cap slightly askew. "Are you all finished?" her tone joyful and slightly accented with a cockney accent.

"Send Agatha my thanks," Will joked, seemingly ignoring the previous slight altercation. Although, when he looked down at his plate, he still saw his slice of toast and rash of back, almost perfectly intact.

Standing up, Will and Jem pushed in their chairs as they began to leave the grand dining room, leaving Jessamine sat in her seat, head still pressed to her hands. "Why do you always have to do everything together?" She asked as immediate regret filled her. She hurriedly pushed in her chair to catch up with the boys.

"Well," Will started, his tone already dripping in sarcasm. "Would you care to spar, Miss Lovelace?" he knelt in an almost proposal sort of way while Jem stood behind him, shaking his head very lightly.

"Of course I don't!" Jessamine exclaimed, throwing her hands up in a piqued manor. How dare he? Of course she didn't want to spar with him!

"Why ever not?" Will laughed, coming up from the position on the ground. "Are you afraid I'd win?" he asked, turning to Jem, who was doing nothing to diffuse the situation yet. "James Carstairs, your thoughts?" Will asked.

Jem blinked a few times, trying to focus himself back in. During the second brief altercation, he'd let his mind wander a little and found himself disconnected and relatively dizzy. "Perhaps we could interest Jessie in something we could all enjoy, hm?" His tone was light and kind. It was a talent of his, the ability to find a solution for everybody.

"I'm not afraid of anything you do William, but more, a lady doesn't fight!" Jessamine retorted.

"A lady?" Will scoffed. "You're a Shadowhunter, Jessamine! That's all you'll be, and a bloody bad one at that if you keep up the way which you're going. I very much doubt you've attended a single weaponry lesson, and only occasionally bother to turn up for other such studies!" William wasn't angry at her, per say, she could do as she pleased for all he cared, but it was something which Will knew would upset Jessamine. She never wanted to be here, to be a Shadowhunter. But neither did Will. Infact, none of them chose to even be in the London Institute anyway!

Jessamine felt the breath leave her body for a second, wide eyed. How could he say such a thing? She didn't have to be a Shadowhunter and she didn't need to learn Shadowhunter things! Tears pricked the back of her eyes and flashes of her mother and father shone behind her eyes. Oh how she missed them.

"You can't say that!" Jessamine spoke, her voice raised, not saying more for fear of the prickling tears becoming streaming ones.

"I can't? Well, I am aware I have a voice, so-" Will got cut off.

Jem had moved from behind Will to be standing in front of them both, a frustrated look on his pale and tired eyes. Jem always came to be the mediator - never Charlotte, never Henry - it was always Jem. Often, he was fine with it, allowing himself to have an open mind and take no sides. But this time... everything Will had said to Jessamine, it truly exasperated him to no end, but Jem also wasn't one to lose his temper.

"Take a moment," Jem started, taking a breath that was harder than it should have been. "Think about what you're both saying." He coughed. "Will, d-do you really... think that's what you o-ought to be," Jem coughed again, a few more times, bringing the taste of metal to the back of his mouth.

"Jem... are you feeling alright?" Will ask, sudden vulnerability rushing into his voice, rather than the sarcastic and hurtful tone he used to jab at Jessamine.

Jessamine stood motionless, still reeling from Will's prior comment, and now Jem. She knew he was ill, but not to which nature nor degree - it wasn't a highly discussed subject and Charlotte kept much of the details very hush-hush. But she knew the Silent Brothers were unable to cure whatever troubled him and, she'd heard, a few comments here-and-there passed around that death was inevitable.

Brushing off the concern, Jem went on. "Ought to be saying while the Institute is..." he tried to take a breath again, but it was harder, his chest was tight and heavy. He closed his eyes briefly for a moment of solidarity, but the moment he opened them again, everything was dimmer than he remembered and he could feel himself slowly collapse to the ground, a fit of coughing wracked his body.

"Jem," Will said hurriedly, dropping to the ground beside his friend as he supported his head, pulling out the handkerchief he had stuffed into his black trouser pocket and handed it to Jem. Will glared at Jessamine who was frozen in shock and terror, her heart pounding in her throat and she could feel the blood rushing in her ears.

"This is your fault," Will bit at Jessamine, colder than she had ever heard before. "If you hadn't said anything..." Will knew it wasn't Jessamine's fault, he knew it wasn't but he couldn't do much more than blame her.

Shaking, Jessamine shoved her arms into a crossed position, trying to fend off all of the memories which she and Jem had. Although she would never admit it, she saw quite a friend in Jem. Whenever she was having a difficult time at night, Jem would happily come to her room, to have conversations about whatever she wanted to, play with her dolls if she liked. Jem would play Father doll and Jessamine would play Mother and Baby Jessie doll. It was always a normal day they would playout, breakfast, piano, reading together. Jessamine's eyes welled up further with tears, this time she couldn't blink them back.

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#admin: carstairs #the infernal devices #shadowhunters #the shadowhunter chronicals #the infernal devices fanfiction #shadowhunters fanfiction #will herondale #jem carstairs #charlotte branwell #jessamine lovelace #henry branwel #pre: tessa #this is sad lol #i am so sorry if you saw this pre-edit

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