A/N: HELLO TO EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS! :) ANYWAY, THIS WAS WRITTEN AS A SURPRISE FOR MY BEST FRIEND, WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP VEERY SOON! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Annika was dreaming. That much at least she was aware of. She floated about in darkness, her body almost seeming ethereal in the whorls of black that spiraled around her. Pale and glowing, she lifted an arm to her face, only to find that her arm could go through her face and her entire head. She was transparent, like a ghost. Three same thoughts continually bounced around in her mind. My birthday. February 14. Tomorrow. Before anything else entered her mind, her ghost-like body was sucked up into a swirling vortex.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in front of the Empire State Building. The only reason she knew it was the Empire State Building was that she'd visited New York before. But why was she in New York? Her house was in the suburban areas of Chicago, and that was in Illinois! Unfortunately, she was still transparent.

"Hello," Annika said to a woman who was bundled up in a long black coat who was also walking right by her. She didn't reply. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge the fact that Annika was right next to her. "HELLO," she said in a louder voice. The woman still made no response. "I'm right here, lady! Can you at least acknowledge my existence?" Annika waved her arms as she spoke, but she wasn't paying attention to where her arms were, so she ended up smacking the woman in the arm.

Or would have ended up smacking her in the arm. Her ghostly transparent arms went right through the woman, making a light whooshing sound as her arm passed clean through the lady's body. Annika shuddered. If her arms had solidified when they were slicing through the lady's body…...well, it would have been a rather gruesome sight. But something hit her right after the lady walked away, without even noticing the fact that a girl's arms had just swiped through her own body like a credit card. She was still transparent.

"You have got to be kidding me," Annika muttered in exasperation. "Meh! Still transparent! The one time I get to go to New York, and I'm transparent and completely invisible?!" As though she had made a wish, a dark cloud descended over her and covered her vision. "Get away from me!" She made feeble attempts at trying to dissipate the cloud, but it was like trying to swat a boulder.

Annika opened her eyes for the third time now, and saw that to her relief, she was completely solid. It's still just a dream, she thought to herself. You aren't actually in New York. Glancing around, she saw that she was standing in Central Park. A path snaked past her and trees and benches lined the sides.

Weird. She hadn't been thinking about New York when she went to bed, and she definitely hadn't been thinking of Central Park. Suddenly, something that was vaguely doorway-like and rippled like a mirage appeared in front of her and she yelped in surprise. Meaning to get away from the thing—Portal, she thought, from the Mortal Instruments series, but why would it be here—she stumbled backward, but before she could move more than a full step, someone tumbled out of the Portal and landed squarely on top of her, resulting in the two of them dropping to the ground and landing hard. Especially Annika, since she was the one on the bottom.

The person was a young girl, not much older than maybe fifteen or sixteen. She had fiery red hair that cascaded in untamed curls down her back. When Annika twisted her head to look up, her own indigo eyes met emerald green ones. A light sprinkle of freckles dotted the girl's face, and her skin was porcelain white.

"Ouch," the girl moaned, then seemed to register the fact that she was lying on top of someone else, and quickly scrambled to her feet. Annika did likewise. "Who are you?" the girl asked her, not unkindly but curious, yet still guardedly.

"Annika," she replied distantly, staring at the girl. Flaming red hair, vivid green eyes, that description was becoming increasingly familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place the name. "What's your name? And why did you fall on top of me?"

"Clary," the girl responded. Amazement was showing on her face, along with incredulity. "You can see me?"

"Of course I can see you, I'm not blind," Annika said, then remembered why the description had seemed so familiar to her. She was staring into the eyes of Clary Fray, the female protagonist and main character of The Mortal Instruments. Another question surfaced in Annika's mind: Why are there characters and elements from a book series appearing in the real world?

Just as she opened her mouth to ask Clary a question, something flew out of the Portal, slammed into her and knocked her down again. She screamed loudly, but no passerby heard her. "OW!"

"What did I land on? Last I checked, grass doesn't talk," someone said in a snide tone of voice. The voice also belonged to the person who had landed on her. This time, molten gold eyes met her own, and Annika froze. Gold eyes, sarcastic, yep, that was Jace.

"And I'm also not grass," she snapped back at him. He stared at her uncomprehendingly, then began to laugh. Carefully standing up, he brushed the dirt from his clothes, and smirked at her.

"Sassy one, aren't you?" Jace remarked, not bothering to hide the amusement in his tone.

"Jace! Don't be rude!" Clary smacked him, then turned back to Annika and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, he's usually not this...discourteous."

"What are you talking about? I'm just being my usual charming self!" Jace protested, earning himself another smack from Clary.

"Oh, trust me, I know," Annika muttered under her breath. But inside, butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. She was actually meeting and talking to Jace! And Clary! Though she really hadn't expected Jace to be, well, so Jace like, but she probably shouldn't be surprised.

Scrambling to her feet, Annika quickly smoothed out the wrinkles in her shirt, courtesy of Jace and his absolutely spectacular landing, and glared at him.

"Uh, Annika? You might want to—" Clary didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before another shape flew out of the Portal and fell on top of Annika. For the third time in a row.

Now angry and charged with adrenaline, Annika shoved the figure who was on top of her off her body and stood up. "Ow!" she shouted. "And do not fall on top of me again! What do you take me for, a welcome mat?"

"—move," Clary finished weakly.

"Tsk tsk. Alec, you might want to move. And get up. This one has a temper," Jace observed. Annika stormed up to him and glared at him. He glared right back, and indigo clashed with gold.

The person who'd just fallen on her—Alec—got up and when he saw her, he stiffened. "Sorry about that. And what do you mean? Did these two fall on top of you too?" he apologized, but his voice was flat as a board.

"It's okay," she replied, but her voice held no warmth. It wasn't exactly glacial, but it wasn't warm and welcoming either. More like...cool.

"How can you see us?" Jace and Alec demanded in unison.

"Chill. I can see you, okay?" Annika sighed in exasperation. But Jace wasn't believing her story. His face tightened, and held little of the humor that had existed only moments before.

Because of his sudden change in tone and expression, she grew a little nervous, and her hand went to the dagger sheathed in her belt. Whipping it out, she pointed the sharpened tip towards Jace, but within seconds it fell from her hand and clattered to the ground. A smug look on his face, Jace smirked at her. Drat Jace. He had knocked it easily out of her grip.

"You can't hurt me with that, little girl," he said. "Plus, I am so much better than you in all aspects. Looks, speed, strength, use of humor…" He went on to list things Annika hadn't even realized existed, and he went on babbling until she couldn't take it anymore.

Lunging forward, her hand lifted and crack. Her hand left a red mark on his cheek, throbbing and angry. Anger that matched her own. She heard a laugh, and saw to her surprise that it was Alec who had laughed, not Clary, though she was unsuccessfully holding back a smile.

"What's going on here? And who slapped Jace? Whoever it was, I commend them. And encourage them to do it again," a different, feminine voice said. A figure walked gracefully out of the shadows of the trees, and Annika saw that it was a girl. A very beautiful girl.

Isabelle Lightwood stepped out, and a small smile lifted the corners of her lips. She had raven-black hair that fell in a soft, dark waterfall to her waist, and had a slim and curvy figure. The gear she was wearing only emphasized her hourglass shaped body even more. Her steps were quiet as a cat's, and soft as feathers.

When she saw Annika, her eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Annika," she introduced herself. "And to answer your question, I slapped Jace"—at this point she shrugged—"because he was being an arrogant prat. And I'm not all that fond of arrogant prats."

Now Isabelle's smile grew wider. "She called you an arrogant prat! I like her!" she chortled. "She's fierce, strong, and not girly."

"I," Jace protested, feigning mock hurt, "am not an arrogant prat. I am an incredibly beautiful person."

"Also an arrogant prat," Annika and Isabelle pointed out. Clary grinned, and voiced her opinion.

"Personally, I agree with the two of them," she said, and Jace pouted.

"Where are your Marks?" Alec asked her, his voice quiet. "Only other Shadowhunters can see us, and all Shadowhunters bear runes. Yet you do not have any."

Now Annika faltered. She had no idea how to explain her lack of runes, and it was clear that all four of them would be able to tell if she was lying. Isabelle and Clary were staring intently at her, Clary giving her the slightest of encouraging smiles. Alec's cold stare was focused entirely on her, and Jace's demeanor was amused, and held a lazy confidence.

"I…" she started. Thankfully, Izzy saved her from answering, because she really had no idea how to explain without seeming entirely insane.

"You can call me Izzy," she said. Her whip snaked out from her sleeve where she'd been wearing it on her wrist. Annika, fearing she might use the whip on her, backed up a little. Cracking the whip, Isabelle turned back to her and smiled a glittering, chilly smile. "And I'll help you train. You already know how to use basic weapons, I can see that, and your speed is notable. Your strength, however, may need some work, as will your stamina. And I'll help you. Also, slap Jace more often. He may be my adopted brother, but that doesn't mean he isn't a complete jerk and as you put it, an arrogant prat sometimes."

Well. Isn't that nice. Izzy was offering to help train her. "Thank you, Isa—Izzy," she corrected herself.

Clary smiled. "And I'll help too. What do you say to a girls day out tomorrow? Just you, Izzy, and me."

Now Annika felt more at ease. "That would be lovely." Jace began to protest, but Isabelle effectively shut him up with a threatening crack of her whip. Alec didn't agree, but he didn't seem entirely happy with the current situation either.

"Great!" Izzy squealed. "Annika, how about you come back to the Institute with us? You can stay there for a while, and Clary and I can help you train!"

"Hold on," Alec interjected. "Are you sure Maryse will allow it? And we don't know for sure she's a Shadowhunter or not."

"We'll just tell her she's a new friend of mine who needs a place to stay," Isabelle replied. "That's not necessarily entirely false either. And of course she's a Shadowhunter. She wouldn't be able to see us if she isn't one."

"I know how we can see if she is or not," Jace interrupted. His hand wandered down to his belt, where he drew out a glowing white wand of sorts. His stele. He handed it to Izzy, who took the proffered item without resistance. "Here, you do it. I don't think she'll want me anywhere near her." He smirked. Annika gritted her teeth.

Isabelle took the stele and set it to the inside of her forearm. "This might sting a little, okay?"

Annika nodded, and gave her permission to draw on her arm. Izzy began drawing. Thick black lines swirled out from the tip of the stele, and when Iz was done, Annika saw that the rune that had been drawn was enkeli, the rune for angelic power.

Everyone had been holding their breath, Annika herself included. They all waited to see what would happen. She dearly hoped she would not go crazy and turn into Forsaken, but if she did, she just hoped that Jace wouldn't be the one to kill her.

A minute later, she dared to open her eyes. Looking down, she saw that not a hair had been harmed on her body. She was perfectly fine. No lacerated skin, no burning scent, no peeling hairs. Nothing to prove that she was turning Forsaken. The rune was still on her arm, thick and black.

"So she isn't a mundie after all," Jace muttered. "I had rather been hoping she would turn out to be one."

"Jace!" Clary and Isabelle both turned on him. Alec seemed amused at the sight.

Annika let out a sigh of relief. So she was a Shadowhunter. "Look, we know I'm not a mundane, so can we leave now?"

"Sure," Clary responded. "Right after Mr. Ego here gets his well-earned smacks." Jace grinned, a crazy, maniacal grin.

Izzy whacked him with the butt of her whip twice, just hard enough to bruise the skin but not break it. Jace rubbed his arm vigorously. "Ow," he said.

"And those were for being rude to our guest," Izzy grinned.

Then the five of them set out towards the Institute, with the boys sulking in the back and the girls talking and laughing in the front. The minute Izzy showed her to a spare bedroom, Annika thanked her newfound friend profusely, and the minute Izzy walked out of the room, she slumped down onto the bed and fell asleep immediately.

More black swirls. Another vortex. "Not again," Annika groaned. She lifted an arm, and saw to her immediate disappointment that she was transparent. But this time, she knew that what had happened in Central Park was all just a dream. It had never happened. She felt a slight pang of sadness. But why? She had never really warmed up to Alec's stoicness, and Jace's arrogance was something she should be glad to be rid of. But then she remembered Izzy and Clary, and then figured out the reason for her sadness. There wasn't time for another thought before the vortex swallowed her up again, so the last thought in Annika's head was, My birthday is tomorrow.

When her eyes opened, she saw that sunlight was filtering through a window. Oh, good. Her bedroom. But was it her bedroom? "Okay, so it was all a dream," she decided.

"What was all a dream?" a vaguely familiar and drawling voice inquired. She opened her eyes, surprised at the voice, and saw a boy, not much older than she was, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with black hair and alluring blue eyes. Her first thought was, WHY IS THERE A BOY IN MY BEDROOM?!

Then she realized who the boy was, and groaned in despair. "Please tell me this is just a dream," she sighed.