"I don't know how, I don't know who, but I want to know why." Charlotte asked calmly. "Why did you set the Lightwood's carriage on fire?"

They were meeting in a drawing room. Sophie had stocked up the nearby fire and left the room in a great haste, her head down, eyes averted while the teenagers were questioned about the Lightwood's fiery problem.

"I just don't understand!" Charlotte continued, pacing along the floor. Jace and Clary were sitting on the loveseat in front of the fire, Tessa and Isabelle on the other couch and Jem and Will leaning against the wall, repressing smiles. "I understand that you are not fond of them, Will. No, I know you hate them. But whatever would possess you to set their ways of transportation away from here is baffling."

Will's mouth dropped open. "I-what?"

"Will, I'm sorry, you are the most likely candidate for setting their carriage on fire." Charlotte admitted, twisting her hands onto one another.

Will was speechless. Jace was grinning.

"You have been known to make a….spectacle of yourself," Charlotte continued. "Knowing your temper and your habits of making such rash decisions. And this…."

"But-I-I_" Will stuttered.

"Charlotte," Jem explained smoothly. "Will couldn't have possibly set it upon a fire. He had been with Tessa and I when then it happened, so I don't see how he could have possible done it."

Tessa nodded agreeing. "It's true,"

Will smiled. "You see? For once, this I've done nothing cruel to the Lightworms. I mean-" He flinched at Isabelle's harsh gaze. "Lightwoods."

"Besides," Tessa added suddenly. "Knowing Will, if he were near an open flame, he would have caught fire too."

Charlotte smiled at this despite herself. "Well, that's all very well and good. But the Lightwoods are still very angry and are seeking compensation for their destroyed carriage that we'll have to pay."

"Um, Charlotte?" Clary asked, her coppery eyebrows pulling together. "What were the Lightwoods here to discuss anyway?"

Charlotte pursed her lips, her gaze heaven ward. "It's too late to talk about now. I think that we've all had enough excitement for today. I'm going to retire before something else catches on fire."

With that, the head of the Institute exited the room and Will turned to his grandson. "If you are any ancestor of mine I should hope that you were the one to set that carriage on fire."

Jace's smile widened. "Making you proud, gramps?"

"I knew it!" Will exclaimed. "I knew it was you."

"No you didn't it," Tessa pointed out, shaking her head at the dark haired boy.

"You would have told Charlotte it was Jace at the first chance you got." Isabelle agreed, earning a look from Will. "It's true."

"Why did you set their carriage fire, Jace?" Jem asked his silvery eyes filled curiosity.

Jace shrugged. "It was the thing to do?"

Clary rolled her eyes. "Charlotte needed a distraction. They were talking about the portal and it was the first thing we could think of."

Tessa's eyes were wide. "You were a part of it?"

"There was a group coup against the Lightwoods and I wasn't a part of it?" Will demanded.

Clary and Isabelle grinned like Jace.

"They had it coming to them," Clary promised.

"My great-Grandfather was well-known for his screw-ups." Isabelle added. "He does better in the future though."

Will was not at all pleased by this news. "He changes? For the better? Say it isn't so."

Isabelle shrugged. "It is so."

"No!" Will exclaimed. "I will cherish my time of the evils of Gabriel Lightwood.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Thank you, for helping Charlotte. Even though she doesn't show it, sometimes I believe she could use the help."

"No problem," Jace replied. "If you ever need my pyrotechnic skills again don't hesitate to ask."

. . .

"You still haven't told me the real reason you brought them here." Magnus asked himself with a mischievous smile. No one knew him better than himself, and he knew when he was hiding something.

"Hm?" The future Magnus asked, looking up from the view of the window. He'd forgotten the view from here as he'd forgotten many things thought out the years.

"The real reason you brought them here. The Herondale decedent, the vampire, him." Magnus nodded at Alec, asleep on the lounge chair, dark hair falling over his eyes completely unaware of the two warlocks. "Why?"

Magnus didn't answer for a long moment. "I thought they were needed."

"For protection?" The younger Magnus asked, sarcastically.

"For guidance." Magnus replied curtly.

"I don't understand." Magnus's cat eyes narrowed mas he scrutinized himself, a very interesting thing indeed.

"I know," Magnus placed his hand on the glass as he gathered his quickly changing thoughts. That was the thing about living for eternity, your thoughts twisted and formed until they were unrecognizable. He had known more than his share of Warlocks who'd gone mad as the years kept coming. "It's a complicated thing."

"Too complicated for him to know?" Magnus gestured to Alec.

Magnus sighed and turned away from the window. "I'm afraid that there are many things Alec doesn't know about me."

The Magnus from this time period shook his head at himself. He had always meant to break the habit of breaking secrets, but obviously that wasn't going to end any time soon. "Too complicated for me to know?"

Magnus thought about that for an even longer moment, and then. "It doesn't matter."

"Pardon?" Magnus asked.

"It doesn't matter what I tell you." He explained to himself easily. It wasn't almost comical. The easiest person to talk to was himself, not the love of his very long life.

"Because I'll already know in the future," The Victorian Magnus replied looking pleased with himself.

"Because you won't remember what I tell you." Magnus explained, looking even more pleased.

The gold-green cat eyes widened. "Pardon?"

"No one will be able to remember this meaning after we leave this place," Magnus said softly, as if someone else could hear their words. "No one but I will."