Disclaimer- The characters do not belong to me but Cassandra Clare.
I Didn't Do It
The first thing Charlotte heard was an enormous crash coming from the dining room. There she was filling out some papers in the drawing-room, when she heard and felt a crash that shook the house. She took off running toward the dining room thinking that Henry's inventions had blown up again. She entered the room and sighed when she realized the culprits of the disturbance were two boys trying their best to look innocent. Well at least one was, the other one looked so guilty that she would have laughed had the circumstances been different. And indeed this was no laughing matter; around these two was a colossal mess of broken china, the china she had specifically told these two to stay away from. "William, James would either of you care to explain why all our fine china is lying on the floor in tiny pieces?" she exclaimed using the voice her no-nonsense voice. She saw Jem wince and immediately regretted her harsh tone. Their only boys, she thought, they didn't know any better… Finally she steeled her nerves, as she told herself not to go soft because they went against her wishes, and deserved a harsh tone. But, still her heart ached to give them leeway, but her mind told her to stay firm. She looked at the two her eyes shooting daggers, when she saw them both glance at each other as though they were silently communicating before they both opened their mouth to speak, unsurprising two different things. "We didn't do it" Will said at the same time Jem said "were so sorry Charlotte". She knew immediately that it was Jem telling the truth for he said nothing but the truth. She zeroed in on Will to see if he would try to defend his innocence. "Traitor" Will muttered to Jem before turning to Charlotte looking for all the world as innocent as a choir boy. "Charlotte" he began "you must believe me when I say we had nothing to do with this unfortunate accident. We heard the crash and raced in here to find the source of the disturbance, just as you only to find ourselves in the middle of all the china. Perhaps Henry's inventions went astray again and knocked the china off?" She gave him an incredulous look when he finished, wondering why he would try to defend his innocence when all the facts clearly pointed to him as the culprit. "William" she began "are you telling me that the china just decided to jump of the cabinet by itself, because last time I checked Henry was fast asleep and that was 10 minutes ago so I doubt Henry was in any way involved in this." You however, I think had a starring role in the destruction of my china because, one you're standing right in the center of it and you have broken china bits in your hair and two James looks like he's about to die from guilt" Before Will could answer Jessamine flounced into the dining room and observed the scene with disdain. "Oh William" she began "can't you go one day without destroying anything, I mean is it too much to ask." She saw Will give Jessamine a supercilious look before copying her tone "Oh Jessamine, can't you leave and never come back, or is it too much to ask?" He gave her a cold look as she flounced back out the room with a muttered line about Will having the manners of a savage. Charlotte then turned towards James knowing that if she wanted the truth only he would give it to her, "Jem can you please tell me the truth about why the china is on the floor?" She listened as Jem gave her a recount on how Wills' shenanigans had been the cause of the china's destruction. When Jem had finished the tale he looked as though the world had been lifted of his shoulders while Will looked like he hated the world, well like he hated it more so than usually. Once Charlotte had gotten her temper in check she turned and frowned at Will ready to reprimand him for causing such a mess and to tell him to clean it up when he cut her off before she could say anything. "It's not like you can do anything Charlotte" Will began bitterly "you're not my mother so I don't have to listen to you and the damage is already done." His word especially "you're not my mother" cut into her like a knife, she had been trying so hard to be a mother for all three of the kids under her care and here was one telling her that he efforts were in vain. She refused though to let him see how much his words hurt her when she started to speak again, "Your right on both accounts I'm not your mother though I try to do my best, and I can't do anything about the damage since its irrevocable." Will was giving her a cold look when he replied "I'm so glad were on the same page" before stalking out. Jem looked torn between going after Will and consoling her when he finally turned to her and said "you may not be my birth mother but you've been like a mother to me and for that I am forever in your debt and despite whatever Will says he feels the same way." and gave her a kind smile before running after Will. She smiled at his retreating figure and found herself wondering again how he and Will are even best friends, Parabatai even. They were reciprocals of each other, Will was cold and bitter and Jem was warm and friendly, they were like ying and yang. Will was darkness and Jem was light. She found herself wondering again why the angel choose Jem to be the one to die, she knew that when he did the little light in Will would be gone along with the light in everyone else.