Disclaimer: I do not own any of the familiar characters you see from The Infernal Devices trilogy.

The Wheel of Time

Chapter One: A Colossal of a Mess

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again." – Robert Jordan

Christmas Eve, 2008

London

"Look, Mum, look! The sky is crying."

"No, darling. It's called snow. S-N-O-W. Now come on, let's get you inside."

Tessa looked over at the mother-daughter pair, now scurrying across the street in an effort to seek shelter. The sky is crying, she thought dismally, and turned her face up towards the offending dark clouds and snowflakes currently fluttering towards her umbrella. Then again, she really shouldn't have expected any different from London, especially in the wintertime.

She blew out a sigh and hoisted the backpack she was carrying. Despite the chilly weather and the incessant snow, there was an unprecedented amount of people wandering the streets, zooming in and out of shops for last-minute holiday gifts. This was supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year," according to that one American song, but these people didn't look very happy. Tessa ought to know. She was one of them.

She sifted through her bag again, counting the gifts under her breath. Her list was short, as it always was. Through the century that had gone by, her zeal for the holidays had gradually diminished, leaving a sort of tired wake amidst all the festivities. She still remembered the first Christmas she had ever spent in London… the big tall fir tree that could barely fit in the Institute, and a certain blue-eyed boy's sarcastic question of how on earth the tree had gotten into the Institute in the first place.

If Tessa had to be honest with herself, she had long forgotten what he sounded like… the years were too many and too far in between. But she would always remember his presence, remember the fire that had burned so brightly within him, remember how much he had loved her…

She shook herself out of those thoughts. Now was not the time to let the past creep up on her.

Normally, Tessa wouldn't have even really bothered to celebrate Christmas. Her time in the Spiral Labyrinth had removed her from all things mundane, but this year… this year was different. Jem had finally returned to her side after a century of serving as Brother Zachariah, and Tessa wanted to do everything she could to help him return to civilization. And that included celebrating all the holidays.

The only problem now, however, was the issue of actually finding a present worthy enough to purchase Jem. She had been wandering the streets for the past two hours and had procured miscellaneous gifts for everyone, even Magnus. But what of Jem, the boy so kind-hearted that he'd, in all likelihood, accept any gift she gave him with a smile and a word of genuine gratitude?

A violin would've been the perfect present as far as she was concerned, but Tessa knew that the last century had done very little to help her hone her musical talent. The chances of her picking out a good violin was slim to none. There was something about the sound quality, the wood, the finish… all matters way beyond her depth.

An Xbox? Clothing? Camera?

She sighed. Each idea sounded worse than the last.

A book then. Reading had never been Jem's favorite pastime, but given the century he had spent in the Silent City, he was probably craving a healthy dose of light-hearted fiction. It was a good start, in any case.

With her mind made up, Tessa started heading in the direction of the local bookstore, already mentally running through a list of books she figured Jem would enjoy.

And that was when she heard the ruckus.

At first it sounded like an argument, but as she neared the bookstore, she realized the man wasn't yelling. Was he… lecturing? And if he was, it sounded like a very vehement lecture.

Tessa steeled herself and stepped through the open door, umbrella already folded. She was prepared to calm the gentleman down long enough for her to purchase a book so she could be on her way, but the curious part of her was already stopping to assess the voice.

There should've been nothing special about that lilting accent, about that barely superior tone when he loftily informed the storekeeper that no, you couldn't just consider Sydney Carton a tragic hero because the man was, in fact, not a hero at all. And yet there was something oddly familiar about the manner in which he spoke, the way he punctuated the air with a finger to further accentuate his point.

Tessa turned to look at the sign the boy was madly gesticulating at. It was clearly an advertisement designed to lure your average unsuspecting teenager into reading A Tale of Two Cities.

"A must-read classic for the modern day individual!" the sign boasted in swirling gold set against an inky black backdrop. And to the right, there were three selections you could choose from: "Are you Charles Darnay the People's Advocate? Sydney Carton the Tragic Hero? Or Lucie Manette the Good Girl?"

Tessa briefly balked at the idea that Lucie Manette could possibly be considered the "Good Girl," and then decided she had more important matters to worry about. Important matters such as the boy in front of her who was still going on a rampage.

"This is a detriment to our society," he was saying, sounding, if possible, more insulted than before. "You're misleading the youth of our generation! Telling them falsehoods, encouraging them to go down a twisted path that will lead to nothing but self-destruction and misery."

The man behind the counter looked positively flummoxed. He was opening and closing his mouth as if unsure whether he ought to retort or not.

There was a brief moment of blessed silence as the boy stopped talking to glare at the man, as if that glare could drive his point home. But when it was clear that the storekeeper didn't have a response in mind, the boy let out a loud dramatic groan and spun around.

Tessa's world froze.

Clearly William Herondale's beauty was meant to withstand the test of time. A century and then some years had done little to mar his uncannily good looks. Those high cheekbones, sharp blue eyes, midnight dark hair that curled just at the base of his neck, that lightning-quick smile…

Now, however, his lips were curved downward, frown apparent. He looked like a very unhappy child.

His name left her lips at a near whisper. "Will?"

He looked up and their eyes met. Tessa waited with baited breath to see his reaction. Would he remember her? Was he the same Will? Or for that matter… was he even Will? Because even though Shadowhunters believed in reincarnation, it was not a concept she had ever put much credence behind. How could she, given that she was immortal? But here he was… in flesh and bone and so utterly Will that Tessa would've had a hard time accepting any other name or identity for him.

It felt like an eternity before he opened his mouth to speak, but when he did his voice was quick, startled. "Yes, that's my name. Do I… know you?"

Tessa blinked, stunned for a moment. A part of her mind gave out a silent cheer when he had confirmed his name, but another part of her wilted slightly. He didn't remember her?

"I'm Tessa. Tessa Gray? You don't remember me?"

Will tipped his head, the expression on his face slowly morphing from confusion into one that she couldn't fully identify. He let his gaze trail down her body, his blue eyes bright in the dim lighting of the bookstore. "Unfortunately, I do not. I must admit though, it is a shame. You're quite a looker."

Now she was truly taken aback. Dare she say it, but she was almost offended. "Excuse me?"

He smiled and stepped forward, A Tale of Two Cities and the impertinence of calling Sydney Carton a tragic hero all but forgotten. His steps were smooth, his motions fluid. It was almost as if he still had Shadowhunter blood in him.

Will took her free hand and lowered his head, pressing a light kiss to the back of it. It was such a gesture of ages past that Tessa felt her heart flutter. He lifted his eyes and grinned, the left side of his lips angling just slightly higher than his right.

"William Herondale, at your service," he announced, and then winked. "Ah, but of course, you already knew that."

It was the surname that finally nailed it in for her. So it was him. But if that was the case… why couldn't he remember her?

"Will?"

Now he looked at her a little funny. "Yes, that's my name. And your name is Tessa. We've gone over this already."

Tessa's heart warmed at his tone. Still so sassy.

Unfortunately for her, she was having a bit of difficulty forming coherent thoughts. "I…"

Will was starting to get a little impatient, and it was apparent in the way his eyes flickered left and then right, as if subconsciously looked for an escape route. He had always had such a temper. "Right, well, can I help you with something? If not, I'll be taking my leave. It is Christmas Eve, you know. Places to go, people to see, and…"

He stopped then, his words freezing halfway out of his mouth. Tessa looked up to see what had distracted him and saw that his gaze was focused on a point somewhere past her shoulder. His face had gone pale, and if it weren't for the sheer ridiculousness of the entire situation, Tessa would've been worried that he was about to faint. She briefly wondered if that was what she had looked like when she had first laid eyes on him.

She turned to see who or what had frightened Will so much. Jem was framed in the doorway, his wet umbrella still only partially closed. He had frozen mid-action as well, and was staring at the scene before him as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"William?" he breathed, at the same time that Will jabbed his finger at Jem and cried, "You!"

Tessa watched the exchange with wide eyes.

"Me?" Jem asked, still in a state of shock. "What…"

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Will demanded. His finger wobbled a little. "Why are you following me? What do you want with me?"

There was a pause as everyone tried to process the situation. Tessa saw the storekeeper slowly slip away, his expression a mixture of resignation and alarm. Smart man, she thought. He definitely did not want to be caught in the middle of this.

Jem, at this point, had managed to successfully close his umbrella, and he set it aside gently in the rack. He then looked back at Will, his expression surprisingly calm given the noticeable tension in the air. Then again, Tessa probably shouldn't have been surprised. Will had always been the more dramatic one, and the scene unfolding before her was just a perfect case in point.

"I'm following you?" Jem finally managed.

Will was shaking his head now, as if that would somehow restore everything back to its normal order. "You're following me," he muttered. "You're following me and I don't even know who you are, much less why I have dreams about you. I thought you were just a ghost, but here you are, standing right in front of me. What is this madness?" That last bit was directed at Jem with an accusatory glare, as if he was the sole cause of all the problems in the world.

Jem blinked, looking for all the world like a deer caught in the headlights. Tessa nearly smiled. Even a hundred years as a Silent Brother hadn't prepared him for Will's return. And what a return it was. It couldn't have just been a casual bump-in on the streets? But no, that was how Will operated, a blazing force to be reckoned with no matter the circumstance.

"Will, I…" And Jem paused, looking like he was struggling to find the right words. "I don't know where to start."

Will's eyes narrowed. "Start with the easiest question first then. Exactly who are you?"

He laughed, a light breathy laugh that lit up his eyes. "Now that," he murmured good-naturedly, "is a harder question than you might think." He smiled then. "But first, I have a question. You have dreams about me?"

Tessa had to smother a giggle. There was something so dry and impish about his tone that she knew Jem found it comical as well. It didn't help that Will's cheeks pinked upon hearing the question, and he crossed his arms with a sniff.

"Nightmares would be a more accurate term," he snapped, sounding insulted. "Why are you haunting me? Did I kill you without knowing it? Because if that's the case, I apologize profusely and would like you to please leave me alone."

Now Jem looked surprised. "Haunting you? You think I'm haunting you? Just as you pointed out in your diatribe earlier, I'm standing right in front of you. I'm not quite sure 'haunting' is the word you're looking for."

Will appeared mollified, if only just a little. "Regardless, this conversation displeases me greatly. Frankly, I'm a little alarmed that I keep dreaming of a man, and would prefer to dream of something more pleasant once in a while. I hope I never see you again. Good day."

And then he turned and walked out of the bookstore without so much as another word or glance. Tessa opened her mouth to call out to him, but the door had already slammed shut in his wake.

She could still see him through the store window, and watched as he buttoned up his jacket, and after a brief shudder from the cold, he turned the corner and walked away.

Tessa sighed and glanced at Jem, who was still wearing a look of disbelief. "I never thought I'd get the opportunity to be rendered speechless by Will again," he admitted. "I think I actually miss that about him."

Tessa smiled. "Of course. Will wouldn't be Will if he weren't infuriating." She looked out the window again, but there was only snow. "Do you suppose he lives in the neighborhood?"

"I would presume so."

"I want to find him, Jem," she said seriously. "I know he's a different person now and remembers nothing from his past life, but doesn't his having dreams about you say something? Maybe there's a chance he's the same Will. Is that… is that bad of me?"

Jem smiled gently and rested a hand on her shoulder. "No, it's not. I can empathize. We'll go to Magnus and ask him to track Will down for us."

"Do you think he would?"

"Magnus?" He gave a light chuckle then. "I've always wondered about his relationship with Will. But whatever the case may be, I'm sure he would be agreeable to the idea."

Author's Note: I just FINALLY finished reading Robert Jordan's A Wheel of Time series (the final battle took forever and a day to come...), and I was suddenly inspired to write this story for our beloved TID characters. Will and Jem had spoken of reincarnation in The Clockwork Princess and I thought I'd take that idea for a spin. This will be a 5-chapter short story, so it'll go by relatively quickly. :) Hope you enjoy and do let me know what you think!