Disclaimer: SOME of the dialogue in this chapter, all characters (but Grace and Philip), the main story line and settings belong to the magnificent Cassie Clare. Grace, Philip and my own story plot belong to me. The Infernal Devices do not belong to me.

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'Left in the pieces that you broke me into
Torn apart but now I've got to
Keep in rolling like a stone
Cause it's gonna be a long long way to happy.'

- Long Way To Happy, Pink
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Grace walked into the dining room still wearing her gear. Everyone else, including Miss Gray, were already seated at the table while Sophie and Agatha served the food. Philip, however, was absent.

"Grace do put on some more lady like clothes, for goodness sakes," Jessamine complained. "You cannot come to dinner dressed in that."

"No thanks, Jessie," Grace said lightly. "I'd rather be comfortable and eat however much I want than putting on the tightest corset I can find just to appear skinny." Will choked on his drink to hold back a laugh. Jessamine glared at him and Grace before settling back down, grumbling to herself.

"Grace, Will, Jessie, please don't argue in front of our guest," Charlotte said wearily. "And Grace, I thought you weren't coming to dinner tonight." Her voice was dripping with warning as she gestured her head to Miss Gray.

Grace sat herself down next to Will and opposite Miss Gray, completely ignoring Charlotte. "How are you feeling, Miss Gray?" she asked politely. "That was a nasty hit on the head you took."

"A lot better, thank you," Miss Gray replied.

"I assume you have already met Miss Grace Carstairs, Miss Gray?" Charlotte said dryly. "She is only joining us for a moment, I believe as she needs to tend to her brother."

"He's asleep at the moment so I thought that I would come to dinner," Grace said, helping herself to some roast potatoes.

"Grace," Charlotte hissed. "The law."

"Oh just let her stay, Charlotte," Will said. "Both of you are as stubborn as hell so we'll never get anywhere with this."

"Forgive me," Miss Gray said. "I'm a bit confused. Is it because of me Miss Carstairs has to leave?" Grace was about to assure her that it wasn't her fault but Jessie beat her to it.

"Yes it is. It's because you are a Downworlder," Jessamine said, waving her hand.

"Jessie," Will said in a warning tone. Grace put a hand on his arm, noticing that Miss Gray's eyes widened a little at the gesture.

"What? I think Tessa deserves to know that Grace here is no shadowhunter. She's not allowed to have any contact with Downworlders because the Clave are so ashamed of her," Jessamine said.

The whole table was silent. Sophie gasped and dropped her silver palate. Will looked like he was about to spring at Jessamine. Even Henry had looked up from his newspaper in shock.

"Well, if that's how you feel about me, Jessie," Grace said quietly, "Then thank you for letting me know. But may I remind you that you really don't know anything about me so, in future, don't make a judgement on someone you don't know anything about."

"Now that's putting Jessie in her place," Will murmured.

"I believe I have lost my appetite," Grace said, standing up. "I can see that I'm obviously not wanted here right now."

"Grace-" Charlotte started to say but she had already gone.

***
Once she was behind the safety of her room's door, Grace slammed her fist into the wall in frustration. Why was her life so unfair? What did she ever do to deserve this? And how dare Jessie say that to her. She should go back there and teach Jessamine a lesson that she'd never forg-

"No," Grace whispered. That wasn't her thinking.

"Why push it down, Grace?" A voice said from behind her. Grace whirled around, instantly grabbing the dagger that was on her bedside table.

"Philip," she sighed, lowering the knife. "You scared me."

"Answer my question," he said.

"Philip, you know why," she said, a bit confused. "I push it down so everybody in this Institute doesn't die. Why are you asking me this anyway? In fact, why are you in my room?"

"Today, Grace, I was told that you were going to make contact with a Downworlder which is exactly the opposite of what you are meant to do," he said, standing up from the armchair. "And now you are asking me to lie to the Clave."

"Is that what this is about?" Grace said angrily. "Philip, I can't live the rest of my life like that. The Clave are not always right and I don't care if they send me to the Silent City because I said that."

"Grace, this is not just about you!" he roared. "This is about every Shadowhunter. Those laws were made to keep them safe."

"Those laws were made because the Clave are ashamed of me!" Grace shouted back at him. "They have always seen Downworlders as below them. Letting a single Downworlder know about me is basically saying that Shadowhunters are not as pure as they all thought and opening up the window for a war to them. That is what your oh so precious Clave thinks of me."

"That's blasphemous, Grace Carstairs," Philip yelled.

"Believe what you want, Philip," Grace said calmly. "You promised me that you'd help me, that you'd wouldn't give up on me, that you wouldn't make me do something that I didn't want to do." Philip stood there with his mouth open, looking suddenly very conflicted. Grace thought that there was some kind of satisfaction in that but at the same time she was horrified at Philip. First she had had a hard time from Jessamine today and now him. Him, the least likely person to except from Jem and Will.

Philip closed his eyes and took and deep breath. "I'm sorry, Grace," he said. "I was totally wrong to come here tonight. I thought I might be helping you psychologically but I've obviously made things worse."

"I wouldn't say worse, just pretty awkward," Grace tried to joke. Philip grimaced.

"I'm just going to go now," he said.

"Maybe you should," Grace said carefully. She came with him down the stairs and to the front door of the Institute. There she stood on the steps facing him.

"I'll go back to Idris," he said. "My brother, Andrew, said he'll be stopping by there soon to show his new wife our country house. I'll report to the Consul and Council that you're improving...and that you are obeying the laws."

"Thank you, Philip," Grace said. So quickly that Grace thought she had imagined it, Philip leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek. Then he was gone, walking purposefully out of the gate and swallowed up into the night.

"Well that was dramatic," Will said from behind her. Grace did everything in her power not to groan in embarrassment.

"Thank you for that observation, William," she said. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I've just finished showing Miss Gray around," he said. "I think it might have been rather rude by just leaving her stranded in the corridor but that's just me, isn't it?"

"Are you going out tonight?" Grace asked mildly.

"Yes, I've heard that the Devil Tavern have some wonderful new beer from Poland, of all places," he said.

"Is that so," she said distractedly, still staring at the gate where Philip had just disappeared. She didn't believe a word Will said, of course. She and Jem had already seen the truth of what he did at night.

"But I also came out here to check if you were all right," he added. "You were making an awful racket."

"I'm fine," she said. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"All right, if that's what you say," he said. "I'm off then. You should be going to bed."

"Actually I think I'm going to go for a stroll," she said. "Hyde park is beautiful at night. Perhaps you would like to join me for part of the way?"

"I have a rather full night of appointments," Will mused. "People to see, places to be. But I think I can manage a small walk." Grace chuckled and led the way out of the gates.

-*-*-*-*- Will -*-*-*-*-

Will kept beside Grace, matching her pace as they walked. He could feel the tension rolling off her in waves but he didn't ask her what was wrong. He had learnt from his own experience that there were some things that you simply didn't want to talk about. Grace was one of those people and it made him want to protect her as much as he could, even if he put her in danger in the first place. In a way, she had the same curse as him, which only made him like her more. Like Jem, Will didn't think his curse applied to her. Demons had already done enough to them.

The moonlight danced over the cobbles of the street, making it shine like a lake. On any other night, Will might have just ignored it but being with Grace made him see things and appreciate them more. There were many lessons she had taught him, some that she didn't even realise she had.

"Will," Grace said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Did you destroy the medallion?" Will felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He was planning on telling Grace but he hadn't found the right moment yet.

"You didn't find it, did you?" She said quietly.

"No," he admitted. "I was trying to find the right time to tell you but-"

"It's fine, Will," Grace said. "I didn't expect you to find it, actually."

"But Grace, that thing is still out there in the wrong hands," Will said. He was extremely worried now.

"Will, the Magister doesn't want me, he wants it  but I'm not going to let him use me," she said. They stopped just outside an alleyway where they would part.

"Just be careful, Gracey," Will murmured. She started to smile but then suddenly, a pair of metallic hands appeared out of the darkness, grabbing Grace's arms. She let out a yelp of surprise before it yanked her back into the darkness, Will running after her.

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Ok maybe next chapter there will be more action...sorry...

Yeah but I promise there will be action next chapter.

Ok hope you've enjoyed this one.

CricketCat