Note from the author: Not everything I write will be perfect, and certain parts will certainly not be liked by all. But hey, I'm new to this so give me a shot!

Before setting out I should state a few things. For one, this happens between City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire in Mortal Instruments terms and as for the Infernal Devices side of things, this is after Clockwork Princess (the last one) however holds a few differences. Jem is still Jem, not a Silent Brother and is still betrothed to Tessa Gray. The clockwork machines are defeated, however, at a great cost to Tessa, Will and Jem as everyone they have come to love (Sophie, Gideon, Charlotte, Henry) has perished in the end. Things are about to become even more complicated when the three are thrown into the future only to meet the TMI gang and a whole new set of problems for both groups.

Thank you and please review! :)

Note: Characters, places, and a hell of a lot of weird things are courtesy of Cassandra Claire and I have no claim over it, unlike this plot.

CHAPTER 1: TICK TOCK

She stared at him as if he was too delicate to touch and as if she were his protector, a thought which made her snort in a way that was most unladylike. She ran a finger through his hair shyly, blushing in mortification at the chance of getting caught doing such a thing. Her hand paused as she sternly told herself she should not feel such guilt, that it had no place in her heart which she had so solemnly sworn to him. Reassured by her conscience, she recommenced her pensive and dreamy movements, stroking his hair while she watched him doze away. She smiled. He looked so healthy as he slept this night, she thought. His silver hair framed his face in a way that made his sleep laden face look almost impish and frightfully alive in a way that escaped him in his temperate waking hours.

A knock on the door stirred her from her reminiscence and she swivelled in her chair, ready to tell Sophie that she did not need anything and that she wouldn't go to bed, not with Jem in this state—but all of it was cut short when the door opened and Will walked in, his appearance crushing her hope that Sophie could be alive at all. His face scanned hers as regret and loss clouded his eyes and he walked to her side, putting a hand on her shoulder with great hesitation, whilst staring calmly at his parabatai's sleeping form. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes, knowing it would be improper to stare at him directly. Wouldn't it? She almost let the sigh escape as she cursed herself for overthinking things but choked it down as she saw a corner of Will's mouth tip up. Oh no, she certainly shouldn't be staring at his mouth, she scolded herself before reasoning that of course she would look at his mouth if he were smiling—she could hardly look at his ears when his mouth was the thing demanding her attention!

"Why are you smiling?" She breathed out finally.

He looked at her almost surprised that she had noticed him smile, but then shrugged and said, "I was just thinking about the first time I took Jem to a pub. It's a charming story, really."

He was practically begging her to ask him about it. She sighed in concession.

"I never mistook you for one to pass up the chance to tell a story involving yourself"

He smirked at that.

"It was a mild evening midsummer and we had just fought with our first set of demons as parabatai. The cause of celebration one might say!" Will launched into the story with a theatrical flair, as a five year old might have spoken of dragons or a giant dog to a close confidant.

"…It was in the wee hours of the morning when we stumbled upon the great ramshackle building and there were not very many respectable gentry prowling through the inn as we took our seats, bragging about our exploit earlier that night when a great, giant, ugly, hairy and greatly barbaric troll of a cre—"

"It was only you bragging, Will" interrupted Jem, his eyes half open as he let a smile play across his lips. His eyes met Tessa's which were wide with curiosity but still soft with affection for him.

"Go on," whispered Jem as he sat up wincing, waving away help from Will. He took a hold of Tessa's hand and directed a patient smile at Will who, with great ado, continued with his tale, "And there on the counter, instead of our chilled beverages stood a tremendous, horrific, ghastly spawn of the devil himself!"

"Oh you can hardly say that, Will. It was only a duck!" reasoned Jem, his expression solemn though his lips quivered in the attempt to smother his laughter. Tessa, on the other hand, made no such effort as her laughter bubbled. It was futile for Jem. His efforts went to a waste as his masculine laughter burst forth to join hers.

"So perhaps the Great William Herondale does not associate himself with ducks, but is that truly a flaw? No! Never trust a duck!" proclaimed Will.

Tessa rolled her eyes and Will shrugged as Jem smiled at the memory of a very drunken Will challenging a fluffy duck to a duel the very night he had slain three demons with one slash of a blade. The irony was not lost on him.

As the laughter died down Tessa turned to look at Jem, whose face was bright with love and laughter as the moonlight caressed his silver hair. She smiled back at him thinking of how she would love to spend the rest of her life with him until a dark thought brushed her smile away. Was there even a chance? His eyes shone bright but was that only because of the joy in the room—how much of it was the Yin Fen? He looked at her, his eyes now lined with concern as he touched her wrist. And she could feel their time ticking away. The next click always more insistent than the previous. The ticking so loud now that all three of them looked up when three great metal structures drifted into the room.

"Impossible…" Will began, startled at the sight of sleeker versions of the same clockwork creatures they had put an end to. The same creatures they had lost so much to. He gritted his teeth and stood in a protective stance on Tessa's right knowing that Jem had already taken up the left side so they flanked her. She looked stricken, paralysed by fear.

Will gave the three clockwork monstrosities an arrogant smile, which he had perfected many a battle ago, then asked with venom thick in his voice and just the right intonation to sound patronising, "What do you want little creatures? If it is death, you have surely come to the right place…"

"We cannot die," chuckled one of the creatures, mimicking the sound of grinding metal. The three abominations paced forward, screeching in unison—

"TICK. TOCK. Your time is up!"

Three metal fists shot out at Jem, Tessa and Will as their world turned black and spun around them and a hypnotic thumping pounded into their ears.