This past January I embarked on an INTENSE 3 month binge-read of The Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Device series, and The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. These ten books were so wonderfully addictive and sucked me deeper into the intriguing universe of the Shadowhunter Chronicles. I don't know how I went so long without ever reading these fantastic books!

This is my FIRST The Infernal Device story. I got inspiration for this fanfiction story while casually chatting to my friend about the fascinating character dynamic in The Infernal Device books especially between Tessa, Jem, and Will. Also, I was always rather amused by Will Herondale's distrust and immense fear of ducks.

This first chapter will provide important character background for the main and minor characters involved in this story. Also, it helps to set the backdrop for the next chapter.

I do not own any of these characters! Warning: There are many HUGE spoilers from City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments Book 6) and The Infernal Devices book series by Cassandra Clare in this fanfiction! This is rated T for infrequent usage of mild language.

The first chapter revolves mainly around Tessa and Jem! Now you are ready to start reading To Duck or Not To Duck!

I'd greatly appreciate your constructive feedback. Hope you enjoy my story! R&R!

February 2009

London, England

Theresa Gray wouldn't call herself a hopeless romantic. Everyone says you're lucky if you find one true soulmate during your lifetime. Apparently she was very lucky. Tessa had found two true soulmates during her 147 years of immortal life. William Herondale and James Carstairs.

Years of loneliness had made her a borderline cynic to the joys of the world. She dedicated most of her immortal life to become a well-respected scholarly warlock at the Spiral Labyrinth. The life of an immortal warlock was filled with long stretches of solitude. She had watched her children and their descendant live and eventually die, regardless if it was unnaturally or naturally, over a century. Isolation was her way of shutting out all her pain. Thankfully there was another immortal who understand how the overwhelming emotional pain of solitude took its toll eventually. Brother Zachariah.

Excluding the Silent Brothers, there were only a handful of people who knew the true identity of Brother Zachariah. James Carstairs, who many called Jem, experienced more suffering than most Shadowhunters. His parents, Jonah Carstairs and Ke Wen Yu, were brutally murdered by the Greater Demon Yanlou at the Shanghai Institute in 1873. This left an emotional and physical scar on him. The Great Demon Yanlou relentlessly tortured young Jem by poisoning him with yin fen in front of his parents. When the Shanghai Enclave rescued him, James Carstairs had become addicted to yin fen. This "illness" is the reason he was much weaker and paler than other boys his age. No one knew how long he would live. Small daily doses of yin fen were the only reason he was still alive.

Jem's only living relative left was his father's younger brother, Elias Carstairs. Uncle Elias took his young nephew into his care. Elias spent most of the year in Alicante. Alicante was the capital of Idris, the home country of Shadowhunters. His uncle persistently encouraged Jem to continue his Shadowhunter training in Idris, but Jem refused to live the rest of his life isolated in Alicante. He desired to live in the real world among the mundanes!

Six months after his parents' death, his uncle brought him to the London Institute run by Charlotte Fairchild and her soon-to-be husband, Henry Branwell. Jem fought to stay alive every day. Since he was twelve years old, his close friend and parabatai, William Herondale, was an integral part of Jem's life. Will gave him the strength to endure through his "illness". James Carstairs resided at the London Institute since he was twelve years old until late 1878. The yin fen finally took an excessive physical toll on Jem's strength almost killing him. Instead of joining the crypt of other deceased Shadowhunters' ashes in the Silent City, he made the heartbreaking decision to become a Silent Brother. James Carstairs no longer existed. Brother Zachariah was born. Brother Zachariah was uniquely different from his fellow Silent Brothers. He retained more of his humanity than his fellow Silent Brothers.

Tessa and William Herondale never lost touch with Jem. Brother Zachariah was very much a part of their lives even after becoming a Silent Brother. Most importantly he was present during significant milestones in their life. Will and Tessa's marriage ceremony. The birth of their two children, James and Lucie Herondale. Will and Tess wanted to name their firstborn son after Jem. The First Runes ritual for their James and Lucie. The parabatai ceremony for their eldest son and Matthew Fairchild. The parabatai ceremony for their youngest daughter and Cordelia Carstairs. Last but not least, Will's funeral ceremony. Brother Zachariah has seen the full circle of life in the approximately 60 years of Will and Tessa's marriage. Tessa Gray willingly chose to remain single after the death of beloved soulmate and husband, William Herondale, in 1937 at the age of 76. Will had lived a very fulfilling life as a Shadowhunter, a father to his two children, and most importantly a loving husband to Tessa.

Jem and Tess promised to secretly rendezvous one a year on Blackfriars Bridge for one hour to reconnect with each other. Time was not a problem for immortals. Tessa Gray, Brother Zachariah, and Magnus Bane saw the gift immortality as simultaneously a blessing and curse.

It turns out destiny wasn't constantly conspiring against Tessa Gray's happiness. One year ago, Tessa arrived early for her annual rendezvous with Brother Zachariah on Blackfriars Bridge. She was truly in for a huge surprise. She eagerly scanned the throngs of people for a figure covered from head to toe in a black hooded cloak. No one of that description showed up. Instead, a youthful boy in his early twenties stopped a few feet in front of her. Warm brown eyes with flecks of gold affectionately gazed into her piercing grey eyes. The boy she fell in love with centuries ago had returned to her. For some inexplicable reason, Jem was completely cured of his "illness" which was completely burned out by heavenly fire. The only physical remainder of his yin fen addiction was the one streak of silver in his wavy midnight black hair. Fate was giving them a chance to finally be together! Tessa Gray was no longer alone in this world when her soulmate, James Carstairs, was by her side. She would deeply cherish the time with her now mortal Jem.

A month after their annual rendezvous, Jem surprised his true love by proposing to Tessa on Valentines' Day. Blackfriars Bridge seemed like the perfect location for their intimately small wedding. They decided to have their wedding on Valentine's Day a year later after his proposal. It was a terribly cheesy date, yet Tessa was always a slight hopeless romantic at heart.

Hardly any of their old friends were still alive with the one exception of Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Both of them particularly Jem had chance to forge new friendships with the residents of the New York Institute over the past few years. The chaotic nightmare of events surrounding the diabolical Valentine Morgenstern, estranged spouse to Jocelyn Fray and Clary's biological dad, and later his psychotic half-human and half-demon son, Sebastian Morgenstern, brought Brother Zachariah in frequent interaction with the Institute. Also, Jem was reunited with Church, who had been residing at New York Institute almost 131 years. Church, an immortal cat, was only affectionate towards Jem since he rescued it from the Dark Sister's sinister black magic ritual back in 1878. Jem insisted on Church being the ring bearer in their wedding ceremony. Tessa couldn't deny him that one small thing despite the immortal cat never showing on ounce of affection to her.

Magnus Bane had cast a temporary invisible shield around the perimeter of the location of their wedding ceremony. Any mundane passing through that region on Blackfriars Bridge would be gently catapulted to the other side of the barrier. Mundanes had not a blessed clue there was an intimate nuptial occurring. Perks of being part of the Shadow World. Jocelyn Frey and Maryse Lightwood insisted on planning and coordinating everything for the reception following the wedding ceremony. They didn't want the bride-to-be to too stressed out when planning her wedding festivities. The weather was beautifully sunny on the day of Tessa and Jem's nuptials. A perfect day for a wedding! Of course, Magnus plentifully provided all the glitter and confetti for the merry festivities with a mere snap of his fingers.

Magnus lavishly gifted them with a two week honeymoon to Paris. The warlock insisted Tessa accept his grand wedding gift because she deserved happiness after 72 years of solitude since Will's death. Since they first met in 1878, Magnus had always been a dear friend and a constant in Tessa's immortal life. Magnus Bane and Tessa Gray had found true happiness with their soulmate within the same year. Magnus Bane and Alexander Lightwood were blissfully together after all the trials and tribulations in their relationship over the past few years. They were both boldly pursuing their happiness with their mortal Shadowhunter lovers.

Newly married Theresa and James Carstairs departed for Paris few hours after their wedding reception ended. Magnus offered to transport them to their honeymoon location via Portal, but they kindly turned down his offer. Jem wanted to have some mundane experiences in his life. When you lived more than a hundred years surrounded by Shadow World elements, mundane ways of life was a pleasantly refreshing change of pace.

Will had taken Tessa to Paris a few times when they were married. After Will's death in 1937, Magnus invited her to his French chateau on the outskirt of Paris. 'Death do us part' of wedding vows would never apply to warlocks. Magnus comforted his close friend during this hard time by showing Tessa how to have a blast in luxurious Parisian style. She hadn't returned to Paris since 1937 for it brought back painful memories. Honeymooning with her new husband to Paris, it would create new cheerful memories to overshadow the depressing association Paris still held.

Tessa and Jem casually strolled around Paris the day after arriving there. She wanted to do touristy things with her new husband. Magnus had extensively shown her around Paris, but the city has drastically changed since 1937. She loved exploring the narrow, winding Parisian streets. They stumbled across incredible French cafés and restaurants.

Immortality granted you the ability to be a walking encyclopedia of stories about various points in history. Tessa recounted of her frequent stays at the Los Angeles Institute to the keep an eye on her daughter's descendants, the Blackthorn lineage. The Carstairs and Blackthorn families intermingled at the Los Angeles Institute. Jem didn't have the luxury to often check up on any of his living descendants when he was a Silent Brother. Jem told of his intriguing experiences working closely with the New York Institute. Robert and Maryse Lightwoods along with Hodge Starkweather were exiled there as lenient punishment after their direct involvement in the Uprising. He spoke enthusiastically about the "wildcards" Clary Fray and Jace Herondale. Tessa lost any trace of hope her late husband's line wasn't completely erased after Stephen Herondale died dishonorably in the Uprising. Then, a shocking discovery uncovered that Jace Herondale was the son of Stephen and Celine Herondale. This revelation overjoyed Tessa. There were still living descendants from Will's lineage. Tessa had only visited New York a few times to visit her close friend, Magnus, in Brooklyn. It was ironic how Tessa knew more about Jem's living descendants, while Jem knew more about Tessa's living descendants.

Of course there were stories which collectively involved both of them. Jem and Tessa fondly reminisced about the good times they had as young adults living in London during the Victorian era. James and Tessa Carstairs would never run out of stories to tell each other their entire married life. Their tumultuously complex circumstances had never extinguished the consuming flames of their passionate love over the centuries.

I immensely appreciate you supporting my story! Stay tune...the next chapter is a flashback to Spring 1878!