Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or the Mortal Instruments series for that matter. The pleasure instead belongs to Cassandra Clare.

Authors Note: The circumstances under which they end up back in time are rather clumsy but I promise it gets better!

"No. I don't believe you. We are now bordering on ridiculous and I'm just not having it," Simon crossed his arms defiantly as Magnus continued his work in thoughtful silence, having blocked out the mad banter that had been surrounding him for the last half an hour.

"Are you being serious Daylighter? After discovering a world full of demons, werewolf's and Shadowhunters, after turning into a freaking downworlder yourself, the thing that pushes you over the edge is time travel? Seriously, Simon, that's lame," answered Jace from a Victorian style armchair. "Anyway, I thought with all your role-playing fetishes you would be a lot more open to this stuff."

"I don't have a role-playing fetish; I play a few online games, that's all."

"Whatever you say," Jace grinned.

Simon sighed and wandered over to the window but all he could see was a flurry of snow painting the city white. All the high-rising tower blocks looked like giant icicles piercing through the earth, going up into a sky that was already tuning black as night approached.

Magnus finally looked about him, shifting his eyes between the two with an arched eyebrow, "Are you both quite finished with your petty little mutterings? I am actually doing work over here, paid work I might add, unlike the torrent of favours I do for the Lightwoods. Although I do expect to be paid one day, you know."

His eyes glazed over slightly as he considered all the back payments and interest he could perhaps one day claim, he wouldn't of course, but there was no harm in dreaming...

"I don't think you quite understand the meaning of the word 'favour'," Jace said, sitting up in the chair with his feet resting on a rather old looking oak table.

"Well you could at least pay me to replace that table. Now you've touched it I have to burn it," Magnus drawled.

Jace stuck out his tongue petulantly but nevertheless moved his booted feet begrudgingly off the table. He then decided to stand up all together and inspect Magnus's work. "So this can really make someone go back in time?"

"Hey," Simon said sternly, "You can't laugh at me for being sceptical about time travel then turn it on yourself just a few minutes later!"

"It's not polite to interrupt people, you know," Jace replied in a crisp tone before turning back to Magnus with a smile on his face, "as we were saying...?"

"Of course it can, I'm not a dufus you know. It's not that hard to go back in time."

"Then why don't people do it all the time?" Simon moved away from the window and sat in the chair that Jace had left vacant moments before.

Magnus turned to him with a wide smile on his face and the light caught his cat-like eyes in a way that made them gleam menacingly. All of a sudden he reminded Simon very much of the Cheshire Cat.

"It's a bit of warlock secret. We don't exactly broadcast it or we would have more work then we could handle."

"Then how did this client find out?"

Magnus shrugged, "It's not my problem how he found out. I've just got to make sure spells right. Jace, where is Alec?"

Jace raised an eyebrow, "Don't you remember me coming in here and going "hey Magnus, where is Alec?" and you saying "I don't know but he said he would be here at seven so why not hang around". Any of this ringing any bells at all?"

Magnus thought about it for a moment then snorted. "Not really."

"I heard it!"

"Not really helping my case here, Simon."

There was a knock on the door and Magnus leapt up and tugged it open. "Alec! Finally you've come to save me from these two!"

Magnus tugged a heavily padded sleeve through the door and with it came Alec Lightwood; a fine sprinkling of snow lay over him, contrasting dramatically with the black of his hair.

"I'm the one he's saving," muttered Jace gave Alec a gentle pat on the shoulder after Magnus had finally torn himself away to go and zap up some hot chocolate.

"No gloves, no scarf, no hat, what were you thinking, darling?" Magnus called from the kitchen.

"I was in a rush when I left the Institute-"Alec shouted in reply as he tugged his heavy coat off and shivered. "What's this meant to be for?"

He pointed at the pentagram.

Simon shrugged, "Time travel apparently."

"Jace, you are not going back in time. Mum would kill you."

"The thought hadn't occurred to me but now you bring it up-"

"It's for one of Magnus's clients," interrupted Simon.

Jace spun around to look at him. "Always stealing my thunder aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

Magnus came back in with an elaborate silver tray upon which sat four steaming cups of hot chocolate. He placed it on the table and then placed each cup on a ceramic saucer, except for Alec's which he gave to him personally. Alec groped the hot mug tightly as he suddenly realised just how cold he really was.

They sipped in silence for a while, until Jace got bored.

"So, what's with the antique furniture and accessories?"

"I just fancied a change and I've had this stuff lying around for ages. It's Victorian, which is ironic all things considered." He giggled to himself and Alec gazed at him with curiosity burning in his eyes.

"Why is it ironic?"

Now Magnus smiled slyly, "Because that is where my client wishes to go. One ticket to Victorian England." He broke eye contact with Alec and continued drinking nonchalantly.

Alec looked at the pentagram again.

"Don't tell me, you were there, right?" Simon said.

"Am I really that predictable?"

Alec stopped paying attention to the conversation. He was transfixed by the pentagram and where it went, and who was there... Magnus... in Victorian England... years before I was even born...

"Do you want any more, blue eyes?" Alec was startled out of his thoughts and looked up to see Magnus with his hand touching his arm and staring intently into his eyes.

Jace rolled his eyes and stood up again to stalk the room, like a restless tiger prowls around a cage.

That was when the lights went out- not only in the apartment but all over the city. With a bang and a crack the apartment was drenched in a heavy quilt of darkness.

"None of you move." hissed Magnus. Alec felt him let go of his arm and heard the crunching of fabric as Magnus moved to the far side of the room.

"That's what happens if you stare intently into someone's eyes, you two. It overloads the whole electrics system! An-"

There was a crash and then the room was suddenly lit up again by blue flames that arose from the pentangle, and inside of them was a fallen Jace.

"I'm thinking this is a bad place to be right now," quipped Jace although Alec could tell that he was on edge.

"I told you not to move, you stupid Shadowhunter!" cried Magnus as the flames grew taller and enveloped Jace.

"Can't you stop it?" cried Alec turning to Magnus swiftly, with a note of panic in his voice that annoyed Magnus, always the blonde...

"I can't stop it at this stage." Magnus looked at Jace who was sitting awkwardly amongst the flames and was already beginning to fade. "You're going to have to go with it Jace. But it only lasts five days then you get dragged back here, understand? Five days to keep out of trouble!" Magnus shouted over the crackling, magical flames.

Alec grabbed both of Magnus's wrists tightly and their eyes ripped into each other.

"I have to go too."

"No, Alec! No! It's dangerous!"

"Exactly I can't leave him there, you know he can't keep out of trouble, I'm going, Magnus."

Alec jumped into the pentagram and the flames swallowed him and Jace up entirely and then settled down as if dowsed until there was nothing left but ashes. The room fell in to darkness again.

Magnus stood quite still. His arms were still hanging listlessly in mid-air.

Simon broke the silence first.

"That was an eventful half an hour."