DISCLAIMER: All characters / world belongs to Cassandra Clare, with the exception of Winifred Morgenstern. I do not own the picture, either :)

CHAPTER ONE

The Return of a Friend

In true London fashion, it was raining the night a knock on the door snapped William Herondale's head up. He was not too far from the entrance, and heard Sophie scurrying to answer it before a scream echoed down the corridors. In the next instant, he heard Gideon charging like the love struck madman he was to aid her.

I wonder what this is all about.

"Who are you?" Gideon demanded in a cool, but threatening tone but his words were smothered and Will could hear Sophie pushing him away.

"No, Mister Lightwood!" she said quickly. "It is not like that! We need to get Miss Char—"

Will stopped and sighed. He supposed it was time to intervene before Sophie would begin hyperventilating, and his curiosity was getting the better of him. He knew that only Shadowhunters may enter the threshold uninvited, but who in the Angel's name would knock on an institute? A Downworlder, most likely, one with affiliations to Charlotte. He left the room, his hands running over his Seraph blade. "Now, now Sophie. The man of the Institute is —"

He stopped cold in his track, his blue eyes wide as he took in the sight in front of him. Her name was stuck on his throat.

Winnie.

"Sophie, what is the matter? I heard —"

The crowd grew and now circled around the Institute doors was the engaged couple. Tessa was in her usual light blue dress, her fingers tangled in her skirts as she breathlessly ran to where she had heard her friend cry out. On her heel was Jem, who although had a concerned expression on his face prior to seeing past the shadows now stood frozen like Will and Sophie. "Winnie," he breathed, his silver eyes wide. "But how —"

Tessa looked away from her fiancé and finally noticed Will's stricken expression and turned her gaze to the girl at the door.

The first thing Tessa noticed was that she was young, around her age, and she was lovely the way Sophie and Jessamine were but took much more likeness from the latter. Her hair was undone and hung wet from the rain, the colour of pale blonde like Jessamine's, but there was no scold or bitterness in her face, especially not the way her eyes lit up at the sight of the two male Shadowhunters.

Correction.

Eye.

For she wore a black patch over her left eye, the straps hidden beneath her hair. But on closer observation, the lantern that Gideon held in his hands shined a light that bounced off her eyes that were as dark as Will's hair. Everything of her was like an intensified version of Jessamine. Hair too light, and eyes too dark.

Her smile deepened and at last, she spoke. "Jem," she said first, her eyes softened. "Will, Sophie — oh by the Angel, I've missed you deeply." She dropped the bag she had been holding by her side and enveloped Jem first in a hug, her arms around his neck as she pulled him closed and Tessa's eyes went wide with astonishment. Sophie choked.

She heard Jem's slight gasp but it was Will who reacted first. He blinked, snapping out of his shock and reached to put a hand on the girl's shoulder, pulling her back sternly. "Winnie, what are you — how are you here?" he asked, his eyes blazing.

"I got —" And then she stopped when she realized there were other people in the room. She regarded the Lightwood carefully first. "Hello, Gideon," she said in a strange tone. "I don't suppose your brother is here as well."

"I thought you were —"

"And hello," she turned to Tessa at last, "pleased to meet your acquaintance." She held out her hand and a one—sided smile lit up her face. "My name is Winifred Morgenstern and you," there was amusement glinting off that sole eye, "are not a Shadowhunter."

"Jem." Will spoke sternly and his eyes, hard. "Perhaps you should take Tessa elsewhere, along with Gabriel —"

"— Gideon," the named boy said, quick to correct. Will continued anyway.

"And Sophie." His eyes flickered to the now frowning girl beside him. "Winnie, come with me."

"Wait!" she said quickly and twisted around to reach a pocket on the bag on the ground. "Jem, stay — please. I have something for you." Her eyes moved to the girl who was a stranger to her and the man who had always been deemed not an ally carefully. Jem looked uncomfortable, and his eyes looked at Tessa with a yearning for her to understand, but she was still trying to piece things together. Gideon cleared his throat, taking the cue and left after a few whispered words to Sophie, who put a hand on Tessa's arm and took her away.

When they were far enough from the entrance, Sophie let out a breath. Tessa turned. "Sophie," she said urgently, now thirsting to understand, "who was that?"

Sophie's hazel eyes widened and she bit on her lip. Although they were in the common room now where no one but they could overhear, Sophie still seemed nervous. But she knew of Tessa's unwavering curiosity, and sighed. She moved over to the fireplace, lighting it quickly before feeding the flames. Then she smoothed her apron out and squared her shoulders to Tessa. She looked tired already. "It is a story you may not want to know, Miss Gray," she said quietly.

"Please, tell me." Her curiosity was killing her as it always had. She watched as Sophie fidgeted a bit more before taking a seat.

"She is a Shadowhunter here at the Institute," Sophie began, "but something...happened."

A fire was rampant in Tessa's chest. There had been another? She thought about Jessamine and her loneliness, wondering why this was never brought it. The girl was pretty — beautiful, even, and she thought that she would make good company for Jessamine, and with their likeness, they could even pull off as sisters for Jessamine's runaway plan. "Please, Sophie, go on," she prompted but the maid was still looking into her skirts. At last, she nodded with finality and took a deep breath.

"I think it was several weeks before you arrived, when Miss Winnie departed. There was an investigation that she had been a part of along with Will and they had ran into a Greater Demon." Sophie looked up. "She had been greatly injured and needed to leave London immediately — her aunt Amalia had been furious. You see, Miss Winnie was originally of the Munich Institute but had left when she was young because..." Sophie stopped, her hands covered over her mouth and she got up immediately. "Goodness, I cannot gossip. I am terrible sorry, Miss Gray, but I have no right to speak of her history. Perhaps you may ask..."

"Jem?" Tessa asked. She recalled how the girl had held Jem like that when no one had shown affection like that in the Institute but Charlotte, who was like a mother to them. But this girl was obviously not a mother, and she had seen how Will had treated Jessamine. But that was because of the curse, and yet there was an undeniable familiarity in his tone when he talked to her.

Tessa groaned, even as Sophie left.

This curiosity was the death of her.

xxx

Now the original group of Shadowhunters was assembled in the drawing room. Charlotte, Henry, Will and Jem all stood around Winnie, who looked unnaturally comfortable sitting in the middle. "So where shall I begin?" she asked with a smile playing on her lip.

Charlotte flushed. "Winnie, you are supposed to be with your aunt —"

"It was a dreadful bore, Charlotte," the girl complained, seeming very, very young, "I do not like it in Germany."

"It is a city of geniuses!" Henry proclaimed, quick to defend other scientists. "Why ever not?"

"Because," she pouted, "it is full of Germans."

At that, Jem coughed to hide his laugh, his eyes moving towards Will who had a stoic expression and his arms crossed. "You can't just leave Winnie," Jem reminded her gently with that ever present kind smile signature of his, "there was a reason why you left London."

A dreamy expression passed her face and she had forgotten about Charlotte and Henry as she stared at Jem, her dark eyes bright. "Well, you cannot force me stay there. I have recovered."

"And what has Amalia said about all this?" Charlotte inquired quickly, already beginning to think of the long correspondences she would have to handle between London and Munich on the matter. "Were you given permission?"

At that, Winnie looked uncomfortable. "Well, not quite..."

"You just left?" Will asked incredulously, his eyebrows shot up.

"The Clave will not be happy," Jem said in a warning tone. Her lips puckered to the side in thought, a trait that had followed her since childhood. Her hair was beginning to dry by the fireside, lightening back to her usual white blonde. She had arrived in Shadowhunter gear, hidden by a Glamor and they could all see the runes that twined at her collar, by her neck and along her arms when she habitually twisted her hair up in a quick bun, refusing to answer. "You could be labelled a rogue."

"I am not," she said with heavy exasperation, "and the Clave knows fair well that they have my complete allegiance. Just not to that particularly Institute."

"You couldn't have possibly left because it was full of Germans," Henry commented slowly, side tracked as always. He sounded dubious. He could quite well imagine that, actually, despite his words.

"Did you at least leave a note? Inform them that it was by your own will and that you were not, I don't know, murdered?" Charlotte asked, thorough as always.

"Of course," she said quickly but then paused, her mouth twitching before another smile spread across them. "Although it was more of a verbal warning, if anything..."

Charlotte's hands flew up. "I have much paperwork to do now," she said with a sigh, "thank you for that, Winifred. Not to say that I am not pleased to see you again and I hope you are in good health, but —"

"By the Angel, Charlotte are you pregnant?"

"Took her long enough," Will muttered beneath his breath but the girl's eye was wide as she ran over to the small, dark—haired woman and gently touched her stomach. She had been so preoccupied with seeing Will and Jem that she didn't get a chance to see Charlotte come in earlier and did not have the chance to fully absorb the image. Jem laughed softly.

"Shut up, Will," she said distractedly. "When is the baby due? I must stay now!"

"You most certainly are not," Charlotte said but it was not unkind. "You will remain as long as the Clave sees fit. Honestly, Winifred, please have some sense before you flee the country. Now I must leave, we will talk later." And with that, the woman left in a hurry and Henry stared after her, so obviously smitten. Then he turned to Winnie who seemed upset not to hear more about this baby.

He patted her head, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "It is good to see you," he said but then he slid his goggles back down, "but I must take my leave as well."

And then it was just the three of them. She looked around. "Where is Jessamine?"

Jem looked at the ground and Will looked out the window. Her eye bore on them, flickering between the parabatai. She decided on Jem first, knowing that he had always been kinder to her. "Jem, where is she?"

"It is a long story."

"I imagine it would." She sat down. "We have time."

Will looked at his comrade first and shrugged, as if saying there was nothing to hide. Jem gestured with his hand to begin but Will, an avid story teller of all kinds, had no idea where to start. But eventually he sighed, and took a seat in front of the blonde girl. "Jem," he warned, "maybe you should go to Tessa. This will be a long story and your —"

"I think I will stay," he interrupted hastily but his smile was polite as he gracefully took his seat next to Will. "After all, we want this recounting to be honest."

"God knows that we will not get that from our Will," Winnie pointed out.

"Oh? And since when have you been the just one, Winifred?" Will countered and her nose wrinkled. He knew that she hated that name, and only accepted from adults when they tried to maintain a serious atmosphere.

"More so than you, Gwilyn Odaine Herondale."

"Your accent is horrible, do stop."

"Sometimes, Will, you just...backpfeifengesicht," she muttered in German. Jem's eyes lightened the way they always did when Will and Winnie bickered about. Will's arm raised and he pointed a finger at her. She frowned. "What are you —" And then he poked her on the forehead with just enough strength to push her head back and she swat it away.

"I taught you that word, you ungrateful pest," he said but the smile on his face contradicted his words.

"I do recall that as a going—away gift of sorts," Jem said, amused.

He remembered the frantic, hurried night. It had been dark and raining and thundering and they were all panting as they raced to the docks, no longer armed and bleeding. He remembered how horrible it had been for him — how hard it was to breathe and how badly the impact of his shoes against the mud had been on his body. He remembered dragging the girl with one arm around his neck and the other around Will's as they tried to get her to escape, to get her on the boat and the way Will had laid her on the cargo ship, hidden, as he brushed a lock of hair from her face and whispered that it would be safer in Germany, to take care of herself. He remembered Will's attempt of making the sobbing girl laugh as he told her the profanity, and the way Jem had kissed her forehead in a brotherly manner before his parabatai and he jumped off the ship to face the demon.

That all was months ago and yet he remembered every detail.

"To protect you from all those German men," Will added as if it was a brilliant point.

"Ah yes, the Germans." She nodded solemnly and there was a moment of silence before the three began to laugh – or rather Jem and her. But the corner of Will's mouth pulled up in a devilish smile and that was enough proof of the fact that he was happy to see her just as much as Jem and the rest.

"Well, anyway, let's begin. It all started when we found the dead body of Emma Bayliss..."

0—0

"Charlotte, Charlotte!" Tessa called out once she saw the short woman leaving the drawing room and heading up stairs. She stopped and turned around, blinking as if she had forgotten about Tessa.

"What is it?" she asked, and there was a rushed tone to it as if she had many to do. Tessa flustered slightly.

"Who is it? Who is —"

Charlotte sighed and shook her head. "It is a long story," exactly as Sophie had said it, "and I do not have the time. I am sorry, Tessa, but perhaps another time." And she disappeared into her office. Dejected, Tessa turned to continue going to the training room. She had changed into training gear with the help of Sophie, trying to get more information from her but the girl's mouth was sealed. When she arrived in the high—ceiling room lined with weapons on the wall, she saw a muscular, sandy haired man cleaning what looked like a scimitar, runes gleaming on the silver blade.

"Gideon," she exhaled. He had been there as well and the girl — Winnie — had addressed him by his name. Perhaps she could get answers out of him. "Do you know her?" Tessa skipped with the introductions. Although she was not particularly close to the Lightwood, his friendliness with Sophie and the hours he had trained with her softened the edge of the need of politeness. Gideon frowned.

"Winifred Morgenstern." He sighed and there was a curious way he had said it, like the way someone would mention a chore. "I suppose you have not met her. You arrived some time after she left."

"Was she here for a while — a Shadowhunter of the Institute?" At last, her questions were being answered and she felt that familiar rush of excitement.

"I believe so," he leaned back against the table decorated in polishes and rags and weapons. "I think she had arrived shortly after Jem," he said, looking up, "or at least it had seemed that way at the holiday soiree all those years ago." So they had grown up together? Tessa's chest fluttered with nervousness. "I do not know too much about her, but it was quite a bit of a story when her parents were murdered by the Folk people."

Tessa gasped, her hands flew to her mouth. She had heard of Shadowhunters being killed by demons and the Downworlders — but the ageless, winged fey had not been spoken greatly about. "I am not sure if it was because of past Spoils or a rough relationship, but the fey had blinded her in one eye and by the time backup arrived, it was too late. It was shortly before she arrived in England, I believe."

Well that explained her eye, but not much else. She wanted to know about her relationships with Will and Jem. She wanted to know everything about this girl, if she was a Shadowhunter like Jessamine or if she was proud like Will. She wanted to know if she loved the two boys, if she had been kind to Sophie, if she had been like a daughter to Charlotte and Henry. She was not sure if it was envy or just curiosity but her mind had been distracted the entire time Gideon was training her.

She kept on reanalyzing the event again and again her mind: the way Jem had said her name and more importantly, the way Winnie had said his.

The look in her eye.

It was as if Tessa was looking at a reflection of herself.

I deleted the first upload of this...no idea why...but here it is again! First Infernal Device fic :) Thanks for reading — reviews would be lovely!