A Leap in Time ~ An Infernal Devices Fic

Tessa Steps Out

"If no one in the entire world cared about you, did you really exist at all?"

-Theresa Gray

It was the most tired Tessa had ever been, she felt, as she stepped out of the cab on a busy downtown London street. She reflexively reached to pull her hood over her head before seeing the street was practically empty, a traffic light blinking in time in the distance her only company. Was it that late? She dropped her hand from her hood, stepping onto the curb. It wasn't like she cared anyway if someone saw her, she was too damn tired.

She stifled a yawn as she looked up and down the block. A never ending row of what she assumed were very stylish townhouses, though she certainly wasn't seeing them in the best light by the fluorescent street lamps. She kicked at the neatly rowed bricks beneath her feet. At least there weren't any bums about begging her for change (however, though she would never admit it, the lack of access to beggars and cheerful loons made her miss home rather violently), or any litter. Someone had told her it was apparently a fashionable part of town, though she wouldn't have expected anything less from Nate at the rate things had been going.

The way things were going- Well, the way things were going Nate was going to throw a fit when she told him. But it was truly too much. Enough was enough. And she was done being the breadwinner for the family by being miserable; besides, even with only what she had earned in the last four years as an international icon (for 12 year olds at least) they would be set for life. She would explain this to him clearly and he would understand. He would. Wouldn't he? Though Nate had become a bit addicted to their new status; he had picked this place out after all, not even blinking an eye when she had requested to buy a house in a country they didn't even belong to.

"If you want to settle, why not do it somewhere new?" Aunt Harriet had said after thoughtful analysis of Tessa's request. She, at least, had understood. "We were all originally from Britain, you know, your mother and father and I. Why not somewhere in London?"

Tessa didn't know much about the proper place to settle, or even where she wanted to be, all she knew was that she wanted to be home, but certainly not as it was now. She would be coerced into living not in somewhere like their old three room apartment, but somewhere spacious, somewhere grand. Somewhere she'd likely hate. She looked up at the townhome Nate had chosen for them. This street was probably inhabited solely by celebrities, the rich, and government higher ups, she thought glumly as she sank to a sitting position on the curb. Possibly some that were all three at once.

She should go inside, she thought as a raindrop splattered on her nose. But it had been such a long night, and after everything that happened, she really couldn't bear climbing into a strange bed again. They wouldn't be awake, she knew. But the next morning they'd want to hear all about the concert, not really listening, at least until she told the there had been an arrest involved- Yes, an arrest! But she didn't want to think about it. She couldn't bear to think about it. Not when, for a single second, she'd thought- Well. It didn't matter now. She couldn't help but remember his face, and wish, really genuinely wish, that she had known. . .

A siren whirred in the distance, calling her back to her senses. She stood, brushing off the back of her jeans, lightly damp from the rain that had already fallen. She sighed, walking to the door, plugging in the familiar code into the unfamiliar keypad and taking the plunge. She walked into the strange house. The smell of a place drowned in lemon scented cleaner burned her nose and, tired as she was, she simply ignored exploring, as she had found it immensely fun to do in the early days of her travel, stumbled up the stairs and attempted to find her room.