Ashleigh couldn't sleep. This place was foreign to her. These people were her family, and they were kind enough to her, but she didn't know them. She didn't even know how to get to Daddy from the room that Aunt Clary said could be hers. Hers. That meant that she would be staying here. She knew she would be, but this, this was real.

This was scratchy blankets that Uncle Jace had pulled from a closet because he didn't know that Ashleigh would be coming with. This was Will and Amanda with their strawberry blonde hair and their mother's eyes running through the halls, forgetting that she didn't know where she was. This was Daddy handing her her bow and telling her to show Uncle Jace that she knew what she was doing. This was her failing to hit the target because she was nervous. This was freaking out when Will managed to beat her when Daddy and Uncle Jace had them spar. This was not home.

Ashleigh kicked the blankets that irritated her skin away and slid on her slippers. It was late, late enough for the twins to be asleep and the adults to be out. Maybe she might actually be able to explore on her own. This place was not home, but it would have to be. For Daddy. The floor here was wooden, and by all rights, it should have creaked when she walked, but she was a Shadowhunter, despite her poor performance earlier that day, and she knew how to walk in silence. Daddy had taught her.

It was dark here, though Ashleigh was used to the dark. She liked the dark. There were less people there. She walked around, tracing the walls with her fingers, memorizing the feel of the paint, how many steps were between the doors, wanting to make sure she could do this on her own. She closed her eyes and let her feet and hands guide her. One foot in front of the other, wait, there's a door, lift your hand and one, two, three, back on bare walls. Keep moving, find your way. Seeing isn't required for that. Then, a hand on her wrist and her eyes snapped open as she tugged it back to her body and ran. She was silent as she moved, but there was the sound of feet slamming against the floor. Why couldn't people just leave her alone?

"Wait up, won't you?" Will called to her. His voice caused her to stop dead in her tracks. He kept running, and not noticing that she had stopped, ran right into Ashleigh. Together they tumbled down to the ground. Will's hands landed on each side of her face. This was not right, not right, he needed to get off her now. As if he had heard the thoughts in her head, Will pushed himself up and sat down on his heels. He offered his hand to Ashleigh, but she didn't take it. She, too, sat back on her heels.

"Why'd you let me win?' Will asked her once the silent staring got to be too much for him. The words jarred Ashleigh from the peace of it.

"What? I didn't let you," she told him.

"Yeah, you did. You were holding back. Why?" Holding back? That's what he thought she was doing?

"I wasn't holding back. I just couldn't focus," He shrugged.

"Same difference. You weren't at your best, and I just barely beat you. Amanda wouldn't have stood a chance," he said. This shocked Ashleigh.

"You've such little faith in your sister," she replied.

"Nah, I know she's good. But you're better." All this attention was getting to Ashleigh. Her thoughts began to cloud and jumble and suddenly, she was crying. Will leapt to his feet. Crying girls were not his strong suit. Amanda did not cry.

"Hey, what did I say? Are okay?" She shook her head. She was so far from okay. "Ashleigh, look. I don't know much about what's going on with your dads. But you don't have to do this alone. You don't have to be happy about it," He said in a whisper.

"I know that. I do. But Rory's already taken the pissed off route. Daddy—Alec—doesn't need to be yelled at by both of us," she stuttered out. Will looked at the girl that he knew was his cousin but had never met. She wasn't as pale as he thought she would be. He was told that she was quiet and didn't like strangers. He had assumed that she rarely left the house. That didn't seem to be true—she was darker than Rory. They had the same hair, though, light brown and messy. Hers was slightly longer than her brother's.

"You look like him, Ash, but you aren't Rory. And you aren't your dad. It isn't up to you to find out what he deserves for doing this. What you get to do is go about your life, training and having fun. And I can promise you, Ash, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be there." Will said, offering his hand to the girl on the floor. She looked at it for a minute, then took it. She pulled herself up with his support.

"Can you, can you take me back to my room? I don't know where I am," she asked after a few seconds. Will smiled.

"Yeah. Come on," he said, dragging her by the hand he still held.

"This isn't my room, Will," Ashleigh complained. He laughed.

"No, it's me and Amanda's," he said knocking on the door. Ashleigh was confused. The Institute had many rooms. Why did they share one?

"Damn it Will, why have you been gone so long?" Amanda said when she opened the door. Ashleigh hid behind Will. Amanda was intimidating.

"Oh shut up. You'll scare her away again," he told her, pushing his sister inside, "come on in, Ash." Ashleigh wasn't sure about this. She didn't know them. Will was nice. Will, she liked. She didn't know about Amanda.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly. Will turned around.

"Of course. C'mon. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. But you do have to get used to us, and that includes my idiot of a sister," he said, taking her hand once more.

"I'm not an idiot, moron. I know more about runes than you ever will," Amanda said, hitting Will on the head.

"Runes don't like me. They burn my skin more than they should," Ashleigh whispered.

"That's right, you're part Faerie. So you were out of it, and runeless and still nearly kicked my butt? I told you, Amanda, she's great!" Ashleigh grinned. This was weird. She hated that their attention was on her, but it was nice to know that they thought she was skilled.

"Yeah, I heard about that. Dad was impressed. I'm happy that you're here—" Amanda stopped talking when she saw that Ashleigh had stopped paying attention.

"It's okay. You can be happy. It's not like it's going to change anything if you're not. Just, don't expect me to share the sentiment. Is he nice?" The words escaped her before Ashleigh had even thought them.

"Is who nice, Ash?" That was Will. Amanda had learned her mistake.

"Magnus," she answered. The look that passed between the twins was all she really needed, but Will answered her nonetheless.

"He is, most of the time. He doesn't really like being around me, but Tessa says that's not my fault." Ashleigh nodded, lost in thought.

"Hey, let's get some sleep, you can have my bed. Me and Will can share," Amanda said to her, ignoring the what are you doing? look from Will.

"Thank you," Ashleigh said, sitting down on the blankets. They were much softer than the ones in her own room. The twins were talking though she wasn't really paying attention to them. They were close, like her and Rory. Rory. It was wrong to not have him there. To not be able to go to his room and sit up together until she felt better. Perhaps that was why Will and Amanda shared this room. They couldn't stand to leave the other alone. Ashleigh thought that made sense and laid her head on the unfamiliar pillow and let herself fall asleep.

Alec sat in his room alone. The walls were thicker here in the Institute, but Will Herondale was not a quiet child. Had it not been for him, Alec would not have known that his daughter was outside his door. He had trained her well, it seemed. It should have been him to comfort Ashleigh, and not Jace's kid. But Alec was glad that Will had taken her in. She needed someone to be.

"Thank you, Will," Alec whispered into the darkness when the two had left.