I know I just posted a new chapter, like, 3 days ago, but whatever. I'll be updating my other stories soon, by the way. So here you go! Two chapters in 1, because the first is mad short. Yo. Some interesting questions are answered, and ALL IS REVEALED.

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, I don't own Will or Jem... Sadness.

Chapter: Jem

Jem, having recovered from his "episode", another bout with his infernal illness, asked Will (who had slept by his bed) to get Belle for him. "Will, please," he begged, sounding tired even to his own ears. "I need to speak to her."

If Will thought this was a bad idea, he said nothing, just left the room with his mouth set in a hard line. Jem sighed, leaning back against his pillows and closing his eyes until he heard the door open again. Will had returned, leading a very frightened Belle to the bed. She looked exhausted, as though she hadn't slept, with her hair pulled into a messy ponytail and dark circles present under her wide eyes. Her light skin was even paler.

"Oh, Jem, are you okay?" she asked softly, clearly wanting to comfort him but being afraid to. Why does everyone think I'll break if they touch me? he wondered. "What's wrong?"

"Don't ask that," Will warned her, but Jem waved it away. "You don't have to be here if you don't want to be, William." Will did in fact leave, slamming the door behind him. Jem patted the bed beside him and indicated that Belle should join him. She did, though still looking nervous.

"Are you okay?" she asked again and Jem, after a moment's hesitation, nodded. "I am now."

"What was wrong?"

Jem took a deep breath. "I'd like to tell you, and I will, but I don't think I can right now. Perhaps tomorrow we can take a walk? I can show you one of the places I love."

Belle agreed, some color coming back into her cheeks as she relaxed. "Oh, I was so worried that you were going to–" She stopped, blushing furiously.

"Die?" Jem finished softly, as Belle bowed her head. "I'm sorry Jem, I promised myself I wouldn't say that, and then I saw you, and… and I just forgot, I just slipped up–"

Jem held up a hand to stop her. "It's fine, really. I've heard worse."

Belle shook her head. "I– I should go. Unless you want me here?"

Jem sighed. "Maybe it'd be best if…"

"Of course."

As she left, Jem did have to ask one thing. "Please don't tell Will that I'm going to tell you about… Anyway, he'd rather I didn't tell anyone, but it's not his secret to keep. If I can trust you, and I think I can, I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast."

"You can trust me, Jem."

Chapter: Belle

The sky was, for once, a shade of gray that was almost blue, and sunlight managed to shine through the thin layer of clouds. The trees were fluttering lazily in the wind, a few wayward flowers had bloomed, and a lone bird was singing. Two people, a teenage boy and girl, slipped out the Institute doors and started walking down the street.

The boy was Jem Carstairs, tall and slender with strange silvery hair and almond shaped eyes of the same color. He was dressed in the black clothes of a Shadowhunter, closefitting trousers and shirt. Only those with a trained eye would see the lump of a seraph blade under his coat.

The girl was Belle Renault, only a few inches shorter than Jem with a slim willowy figure. Her hoodie was drawn over her head, but when she pulled her hood back you could see her face. Her skin was luminous in the sunlight, black hair shining and green eyes glinting. Her full lips were curved into a smile.

The pair set off for Blackfriar Bridge, a few blocks away. "So, Jem, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Belle asked when they had arrived. When he gave her a look of confusion, she added, "You wanted to tell me something, remember? That's why we're here."

"Oh, oh, right, yeah. Uh, actually, it's kind of serious. Still want to hear?" When she nodded, Jem continued. "Okay, story time."

He took a deep breath and began. "Well, you know that I came here from Shanghai when I was eleven. You know that my parents were killed by demons. There was a greater demon, Yanluo, who was angry with my mother, who had killed many of Yanluo's offspring. The demon tied me to a chair and steadily injected me with its poison. This went on for two days as I drifted in and out of consciousness while my parents called my name. One time when I woke up, my father's voice was gone. He had been silenced. When my mother was gone, too, I was allowed to live, to suffer. I was sent here, where my father grew up. However, I had become dependant on the demon poison, and though the Silent Brothers tried to get me off it, it couldn't be done. The poison leeches the color from my hair, eyes and skin. And… and it's slowly killing me. I probably have no more than five years if I'm lucky."

Belle was silent. Jem, her closest friend, dying? It couldn't be true… but the look on his face told her it was. Anyway, who would lie about something like that? "That's why I sometimes cough up blood, if I haven't taken the poison that day. That's why I can't always keep up with Will- actually, bad example. No one keeps up with Will." Somehow he smiled. "So what about you? What's your life story?"

Belle sighed. "Story time. Once there was a young couple, Downworlders, faeries actually. The man liked to experiment, but not like Henry, who works with machinery. The man used living subjects. Specifically, he wanted to have a Downworlder with the powers of Shadowhunters. He came by Nephilim blood, dried it, and took some- no reaction. He must be too old, he reasoned. The best results would probably be on one not yet born, and coincidentally his wife was pregnant. He gave her the blood, without her knowledge, and he watched the child after birth. The child grew up to be a warrior, but many Downworlders are warriors. This one exhibited no particular special talents.

He reasoned that more concentrated blood would produce a better effect. As the Shadowhunters descended from angels, angel blood would work well for his purposes. I believe a man called Morgenstern had a similar idea in Idris a while back… Anyway, don't ask me how he got angel blood, I don't know, nor do I think I want to know, but he got it. Again, when his wife was pregnant, he gave her the angel blood. When this child was born, he watched closely for the traits he was looking for. As the child grew up, the man noticed intelligence, agility, speed, strength, and other fighting skills. However, the child was stubborn and would not obey the man. Not what he was looking for, then.

It was two years until the man's wife gave him the opportunity to try his latest experiment, using demon blood. It was easier, he reasoned, to control a demon than a Shadowhunter or an angel. When this, the third child, was born, its mother looked it in the face. It had black pits for eyes, and sharp fangs for teeth. She screamed, and throttled the child. Overcome with grief at killing her own child, though it was a monster, the woman hung herself. Downworld caught wind of this… experience, and the man fled the country with his two remaining children. And that is where his story ends, and mine begins."

Jem's silver eyes were wide. "So- so you- you're-"

Belle smiled sadly. "Yes. I am the second experiment, child of faerie and angel. This does, as you might expect, give me abilities that are more common in Shadowhunters than Downworlders."

Jem was curious. "Like… what?"

"Well, like…" Belle thought for a moment. "Look, I'm a faerie, meaning my strengths should lie in the mind. Instead, though- and don't get me wrong, my mind is stunning- I have speed, endurance… Intelligence, of course, and agility, though that might be more due to my figure than to my blood. And my looks-"

Jem smiled. "Your looks are due to your being a faerie, not angel blood. Although…"

"No, I mean… Well, look. It's not a glamour. I'm not blue-skinned, or horned, or fanged or winged or any other weird thing. This is how I really look," Belle finished, only a small bit of pride in her voice.

"If you're as special as you claim you are," Jem said in a teasing tone, "then show me something impressive."

Belle laughed. "I thought people are supposed to trust the ones they love," she mocked.

Jem leaned back and rested his weight on his hands. "And who said there was love involved?"

Belle shook her head. "Jem Carstairs, you are worse than Will sometimes, you know that? I love you as my friend. Okay…" She looked around, seeing a nearby tree. "Alright, see that tree over there? See that branch?"

Jem frowned at the tree. "What branch? The tree has rather a lot of them."

"Wise ass. The lowest one, with the patch of red leaves on it. Bet you I can reach it."

"That's got to be thirty feet off the ground! No way," Jem scoffed.

"Can too. Watch," Belle instructed. She walked over to the tree, looking up at the branch. Cocking her head slightly, she gave the sky a wry grin and jumped. It seemed she flew, rather like an arrow, straight up until she could grasp the branch. She swung herself up and over, crouching on the limb and grinning down at Jem, who was looking at her with shock on his face. With one more bob of her eyebrows, she leapt down, landing in a squat. She stood up completely unharmed.

"Well? What did you think?" she asked Jem rather insolently.

"I- I think we need to tell Charlotte about this…" Jem stuttered uneasily.

Yeah, so, kinda a female Jace... That's life. Isn't it interesting? And unexpected? And shamefully copied from City of Glass?