Simon Lewis rode his bike everywhere around New York; it was one of the quickest ways to get around the city once you got enough practice dodging the masses of people constantly walking amongst the busy streets. He'd ride through the rainiest storms, the coldest nights and even in the fog and the snow. He'd ride the squeaky old bike every day; the most normal thing in the world.

While he still rode his bike, today was not any normal day. Today was the most important job interview of his life - an interview at Lightwood Garroway.

He never expected to even get a reply when he sent in his application; he'd never worked at a law firm before and Lightwood Garroway was one of the absolute best. In only a few years they had garnered an impeccable reputation, big name clients and millions of dollars. They practically ruled New York, and now he had the chance to work for them. He'd be starting as a paralegal and working his way up (hopefully), but he knew that was definitely for the best. He needed to keep his head down if he was going to work there, and no one could know why.

The Lightwood Garroway building looked as if it could reach the sun. Sunlight reflected among the thousands of glass windows. The company name was displayed proudly right on top of the skyscraper for all to see. As Simon brought his bike to a stop outside the building, he had never felt smaller. He secured the bike in the shelter outside and checked his reflection in the mirror; he adjusted his dark hair as best he could and hoped the creases in his cheap suit weren't as bad as he thought they looked (and what was he thinking when he chose that tie?).

As he walked into the main reception, he wondered whether he should keep the laptop case strung over his shoulder or carry it like a briefcase. He decided to leave it over one shoulder as he approached the metal archways where employee after employee scanned their keycards to enter the main part of the building.

Simon stood awkwardly at the gate for a moment, staring at the guard stood next to it. "…Hi."

The guard turned to look at him. "Can I help you in any way, sir?"

"Ooh, 'sir'! I like you." Simon chuckled lightly. The guard remained emotionless.

"…Anyway," Simon continued on, "I'm here for a job interview?"

"Name?"

"Lewis. Simon Lewis. Two first names." Simon grinned.

The guard picked up a clipboard, flicked through a few pages and crossed out a name. "Interviews are on the 35th floor. Go on through."

"Awesome! Thanks!" Simon smiled, walking through the archway and heading for an elevator. It already had a lot of smartly dressed men and women in it but he squeezed in and looked at the buttons; the number 35 was already lit up, so he took a deep breath as the doors closed and waited to arrive at his destination.

…

"No."

Jace Wayland knew who he was and what he wanted; nothing and no one had ever altered his opinions or instincts and probably never would. He was always told growing up that his arrogance and utter belief in himself would be his undoing, and of course he told them that they had too cynical an attitude.

Despite being a very handsome man, with striking eyes and radiant golden hair, his personality had been known to irk a lot of people, and today had been no exception as he sat in his office on the 38th floor of Lightwood Garroway, feet up on his desk as his superiors Robert and Maryse Lightwood stood before him.

"Jace, this isn't a negotiation." Robert insisted, his dark eyes a mix of admiration and annoyance as he looked at Jace.

"You're right, because the answer is no." Jace repeated.

Maryse took a step closer to Jace's desk, the sunlight beaming through the window illuminating her sleek black dress and giving life to the golden necklace around her neck. "Jace, you don't get a choice with this. It's a tradition and the least you can do is do as we ask for once."

"Why?"

"Why? Do you realise what an honour it is for you to be made a senior partner at this firm?" Robert asked, appalled.

"An honour I've earned fair and square. I'm the best at what I do. I make this firm millions and you know it, otherwise I wouldn't have been promoted in the first place." Jace remarked.

"You're the youngest employee to ever make senior partner…why am I starting to think this would just inflate your ego even more?" Maryse wondered.

"Because it absolutely will." Jace smirked.

"Enough of trying to talk your way out of this! Every new senior partner at the firm has employed an associate attorney to work for them." Robert stated as if it were a law written on a stone tablet.

"I. Don't. Want. One. I work better as a solo act. I'm like the male Beyoncé." Jace smiled.

"We've already outlines candidates for you to interview on the 35th floor; all you have to do is pick one." Maryse said.

"I'll take the hottest one." Jace grinned.

"Be serious, Jace." Robert said.

"You want me to be serious now? Before you've told me to be myself since that has what has won me all of my cases. Really Rob, where will the contradictions end? You're sounding like the so-called witness I tore to shreds last week." Jace chuckled.

"Do NOT call me Rob again."

"Sorry, Rob."

"JACE." Maryse said, her voice raised in a way she rarely ever did. But when she did, you should never risk not listening. Jace was silent. "I will allow it to be for a trial period of two weeks. If after that you still don't want an associate, then we can dismiss them."

Robert opened his mouth to object, but a glare for Maryse silenced him.

"…Two weeks." Jace agreed reluctantly. Robert walked angrily out of the room, saying nothing. "Gramps is a bit touchy, huh?"

"Robert deserves respect you don't give him. That can't continue, not now you're senior partner. You've earned it, yes, but remember it can easily be taken away too, especially if you don't pay the fee to join the council." Maryse explained.

"You'll have it by tomorrow morning, don't worry." Jace said, fiddling with a pencil.

"…You do remember there a three name partners, don't you? Lightwood isn't the only surname on that door." Maryse warned.

"I do, though I don't think good old Mr Garroway remembers I exist since he hasn't come to congratulate me on my promotion." Jace rolled his eyes.

"Luke is a busy man. He makes this firm a lot of money too, you know. It took us a lot to convince him to allow your promotion. He objected strongly." Maryse explained.

"He doesn't respect me, that's why."

"You don't respect him either."

"Maryse, your intelligence never ceases to amaze me."

"Your sense of humour never ceases to annoy me."

"That's just what someone with no sense of humour would say."

"Candidates are on the 35th floor, Charlie Chaplin. Your secretary is already down there waiting for you. You never know, you might find someone you really like." Maryse said as she headed for the door.

"Only if the female Beyoncé is down there waiting." Jace smiled.

Maryse rolled her eyes but smirked nonetheless as she headed out and toward her office.

…

The elevator door opening on the 35th floor was like stepping into a whole new world (even as Simon thought that, it took a lot of self-control not to burst out singing the song from Aladdin). Simon stepped out with a few other people, but felt rather out of place to see them all know exactly where they were headed.

Along one side of the seemingly endless space were a string of secluded rooms, while the other side was full to bursting with desks in separate cubicles; each and every one was occupied with men and women working hard. There was also a constant flurry of movement as workers headed to collected forms they had printed off or perform a million other tasks they had to do before they could go home in the evening.

Despite the organised chaos, Simon noted that the place looked squeaky clean; a well-oiled machine. There was a sense of harmony about the area, like everyone knew what they were doing and that it all came to them naturally. Deep down, Simon was terrified he'd fall apart. Part of him wanted to leave; a larger part of him knew he absolutely should.

"You okay there?"

Simon turned to see where the gentle voice had come from, and was greeted by the kind smile of a young woman sat at a cubicle nearby to where he was stood. Her fiery red hair was striking (in a good way), and her small frame should have made her blend in with the other workers but something about her was always going to stand out. She was rather beautiful, which probably helped.

"…Me? Yeah, I'm fine. You?" Simon asked instinctively, regretting it instantly and showing it on his face.

The young woman laughed. "I'm good. I can't help but notice you look a bit lost. Are you new?"

Simon walked up to the edge of her cubicle, looking down at her sat at her desk. "I'm here for an interview, actually."

"Oh yeah, I forgot they were interviewing for new paralegals today. They cleared out the whole floor below to make room for you all. The IT department aren't too happy about having less space but they'll get over it. I'm Clary." The woman said kindly, offering out her hand. Simon shook it happily.

"Simon. Nice to meet you."

"And you. Don't worry about the interview; I'm sure you'll do great. It's pretty intense working here, and there's a lot to do, but that's just the business we're in. I love it though. Hopefully I'll climb the ranks one day, but being a paralegal isn't so bad." Clary explained.

"Oh…you're a paralegal?" Simon asked.

Clary looked surprised. "Of course, we all are here. Have you, uh, have you never worked at a law firm before?"

"What? Of course I have. Totally! Yeah, I've worked at all the firms." Simon lied (badly).

Clary chuckled. "…Okay…well, good luck with the interview. As long as you know your stuff it'll be a piece of cake. It's not getting the job you have to worry about, it's keeping it. They have very high standards, but that's why Lightwood Garroway is the best of the best. But you already know that."

Simon pushed his glasses back up to the top of his nose. "Ha, yep. I…I definitely do."

"Good." Clary smiled.

"…Could you, uh…would you mind…do you think…is it too much to ask…am I able…?"

"You posed a lot of questions there without finishing them."

"I did. Sorry. I ramble. I, uh…could you just run down the hierarchy of this place for me?" Simon asked.

"…You did research this place, right?" Clary wondered.

"Of course! A little bit." Simon admitted shyly.

Clary stared at Simon suspiciously for a few moments. "Right…well the main people you need to concern yourself with are firstly the IT department, the clue is in the name. That's run by a woman called Dorothea – she's a bit odd, so I'd keep an eye on her if you ever needed her help – and then there's paralegals like me and hopefully you. Then there are associate attorneys who help out with cases and can also handle their own if necessary. They work with and for the partners, be it junior partner, senior partner or name-slash-managing partner. They're the big bosses. Managing partners here are Robert and Maryse Lightwood and Luke Garroway; they're also name partners, as you may have guessed considering their names are on the door. Robert and Maryse co-founded the firm right at the beginning and Luke bought his way in few years later. Jace Wayland got promoted to senior partner just this week; I've never met him but apparently he's a snob but he makes the firm a lot of money. Robert and Maryse's children, Alec and Isabelle, are associate attorneys so technically they work for Jace as well as the managing partners. I don't really know them very well either." Clary explained.

"Bit weird, a whole family working together like that." Simon noted.

"It started as a family business; they only brought in others in order to survive. You have to do what you have to do, and now look at how huge the firm is. Rumour has it that Alec and Isabelle haven't made partner yet because Robert and Maryse don't want anyone thinking they're just handing out the top jobs to their kids. From what I've seen though, they're both damn good at what they do. They all are here, I suppose." Clary added.

Clary's attention was drawn to something behind Simon; he turned and saw an older red-haired woman with a clipboard escorting someone to the elevator. She looked over and waved. Simon smiled and waved back; the woman's face dropped before Simon realised she was waving at Clary.

"Who's that?" Simon asked.

"That is the woman you need to talk to; she's managing all the interviewees today. Her name's Jocelyn, Jace Wayland's secretary and the most badass woman I know. I can vouch for her niceness. Look, I really need to get back to work but she'll sort you out, good luck!" Clary smiled.

"Thanks, and thanks for all the info. It'll be super helpful!" Simon grinned as he headed towards Jocelyn.

Clary watched him go through gritted teeth. "So underprepared…poor guy. No way is he remembering all that."

Simon reached Jocelyn and smiled politely at her, saying nothing. After a few moments of silence, Jocelyn spoke.

"…As much as I love uncomfortable silence, knowing your name might be a big help."

"Oh! Sorry! Lewis. Simon. Simon Lewis."

"And you're here for an interview?"

"Nah, I just have a fetish for women in smart dresses." Simon joked. Jocelyn looked at him as if he'd just jumped into the large waste bin beside them and started undressing. "Sorry…yeah, I'm here for an interview. Paralegal position."

"Let me just find you." Jocelyn said, flicking through the papers on her clipboard.

"Fourth page, seventh name down." Simon said suddenly. Jocelyn looked at him in shock for a moment before turning to the fourth page. Sure enough, his name was listed seventh.

"…How did you know that?" Jocelyn asked.

"The guard downstairs has the same list. I remembered." Simon answered.

"That's certainly impressive." A new voice announced. Jocelyn and Simon turned to see Jace stood there with a grin, having just walked out of the elevator. "I haven't seen anyone make Jocelyn here look that surprised since…well, ever."

"Oh, sorry…I…I didn't mean to surprise you in any way, I just thought it'd save time and be helpful. I, uh, I have an eidetic memory, you see. I read or see things once and that's it; it's in my head forever." Simon said.

"…That's a hell of a tool to have in this business. Where did you work before?" Jace enquired.

"Uh, well…nowhere."

"…You don't have any experience working at a firm?" Jace asked.

"No. I uh…straight out of law school, you know? I, uh, I got my degree and came running here. Best of the best." Simon chuckled nervously.

"And you got an interview with no experience? You must have got some good recommendations." Jace noted.

"He's interviewing to be a paralegal." Jocelyn informed him.

"…A paralegal? A man with a talent like that, you'd be wasted doing paralegal crap." Jace said.

"Paralegals are essential cogs in the machine, Jace." Jocelyn said sternly.

"That they are, but not every paralegal can read a book then recite it back to me. But I bet you can, right?" Jace asked Simon, who nodded tentatively. "You've read the BarBri Legal Handbook I take it?"

"YES!" Simon exclaimed excitedly. Jace and Jocelyn looked at him as if he'd just jumped out of the large waste bin and then jumped right back in again. "Sorry. I, uh, yes. I have."

Jace looked at Simon for a moment. "…Follow me."

"But my interview…?" Simon argued.

"This is an interview. Come on." Jace said, leading Simon into one of the rooms on the left half of the room while Jocelyn looked on curiously. "Sit down."

Simon sat down at a chair in the middle of a long, narrow table taking up the length of the room. Skyscraper after skyscraper could be seen through the large windows making up the room walls. Jace sat in the chair directly opposite him.

"BarBri Legal Handbook…" Jace echoed and paused for a moment, not taking his eyes away from Simon's. "…Civil liability associated with the agency is based on several factors, including -"

"-the deviation of the agent from his path, the reasonable inference of agency on behalf of the plaintiff, and the nature of the damages themselves." Simon finished faultlessly.

Jace stared at him in silence for a moment. "Holy shit. You recall that quick as a flash?"

"Only had to read it once." Simon shrugged, but not in an arrogant way.

"That's the only sentence in that book I can quote word for word yet you could sit here and repeat every goddamn page of it to me if I asked." Jace commented.

"…Are you asking?" Simon wondered.

"No, I don't have the time for that. Okay then…stock option backdating. Let's talk about that. Backdating options is legal, but violations arose related to disclosures under RIC section 409A." Jace initiated.

"Except you're forgetting Sarbanes-Oxley." Simon said.

"The statute of limitations render Sarbanes-Oxley mute post-2007." Jace returned.

"Not if you can find actions to cover up the violation, established in the Sixth Circuit, May 2008." Simon stated.

Jace looked stunned. "How old are you?"

"Twenty four." Simon replied.

"A year younger than me…you graduated fast." Jace noted.

"…Pretty easy when you can learn everything you need to in a few hours. But you didn't take too long, don't feel bad." Simon smiled.

"Bantering now, are we? Excellent. Too many people think we all have to be serious…you prepared to work hard here? Do all you need to do?" Jace asked.

"Of course." Simon nodded.

"Great. Fancy being my associate?" Jace asked casually.

Simon nearly squealed. "I…I'm sorry?"

"I've just been made senior partner. I've been told I have to get an associate, two week trial basis; though I wasn't expecting anyone to come across as well as you do. I think we understand each other, and that's what counts. There's people who can do their job and there's people who can work with me. You're both. I like following my gut. Plus, you weren't on the list of candidates for this job and it'll make Robert and Maryse furious." Jace explained happily.

"But…you don't want to go over my CV or…?"

"Nah, you wouldn't be here if you didn't have the knowhow. Besides, anything that's new to you you'll learn after doing it once. It's a lot easier to smell the bullshit in words from the mouth opposed to words on a page. I have a good feeling about you…what was your name again?"

"Simon."

"Right. What do you say Simon?" Jace asked, offering out his hand.

"…I mean, I…this just escalated really quickly, I…"

"You'll be getting paid more than triple what a paralegal earns."

Simon's hand shook Jace's. "When do I start?"

"Monday. But let me show you around a bit first." Jace said, leading Simon out of the room. "Jocelyn, cancel the interviews. I've found my guy."

"But he wasn't even interviewing for that position." Jocelyn argued.

"And yet I know he'll be better than all of those that are combined. A law firm and yet there was almost an injustice…shocking." Jace grinned, winking at Jocelyn as he and a bewildered Simon stepped into the elevator. Simon just had time to clock Clary looking at him in shock as the doors closed.

…

"Welcome to the 38th floor." Jace grinned as the elevator doors opened. "I'm sure I can sort out some office space for you on this floor eventually, but for now you'll probably be on 34. Or if you liked the look of 35 I can get someone swapped out for you."

"Uh…I'll have to think on it. Sorry, this still seems so mad." Simon admitted.

"And that's exciting, right?" Jace grinned wildly.

"Right." Simon smiled as he and Jace reached Jace's office and headed inside.

"This is my humble abode. They just need to change the word 'junior' to 'senior' underneath my name on the door, but they'll get on that pretty quick. The managing partners have offices on this floor as well, as well as two associates – Alec and Isabelle." Jace explained.

"Those are Robert and Maryse's kids, right?"

"Yep."

"And the other associates aren't bothered that Alec and Isabelle get their own offices but they don't?" Simon questioned.

"They probably do, but if they voiced their annoyance they'd get fired. The number of people who want to work here is unbelievable. We get flooded with calls. Well, Jocelyn does. Finest secretary there is, that woman. Besides, you're unlikely to see more than one Lightwood working on the same case as it brings about issues with ethics and conflicts of interest blah, blah, blah. They don't benefit from their blood as much as people like to complain about. Robert and Maryse are pretty strict parents from what I hear. Hell, I started out so young it sometimes feels like they raised me as well." Jace revealed.

"Lot of history between you and the Lightwoods, then?" Simon wondered.

"Indeed there is, but most of it is boring and I've got work to get on with. I'll be seeing you on Monday, bright and early. Also, you need to buy a new suit because that is terrible and the tie is too thin." Jace remarked.

Simon looked down at his suit. "What's wrong with a light grey suit?"

"Nothing, it just needs to cost enough to put a dent in your wallet; it looks like you found it on the street."

"Okay, fine, fine. Anyway, uh…thanks for taking a chance on me. I won't let you down, I promise." Simon said.

"You better not. Off you go." Jace said and turned to his computer. Simon stood there awkwardly for a moment, expecting Jace to say something more, but he didn't and so he went.

He walked out of the room and was already unsure of which way to go.

"To the left!" Jace shouted from inside his office, the clear windows of his office allowing him to see Simon. Simon looked back and held his hand up in gratefulness before continuing on. Just as the elevator came back into his vision, he nearly crashed right into a young man walking out of an office to Simon's right.

"Woah, sorry! Wasn't concentrating for a minute there." Simon chuckled awkwardly.

The man looked at him as if he were a piece of dirt. "This is a law firm, concentration is key. Who are you?"

"Simon Lewis."

"A name is all very well and good, but I was kind of wondering what you were doing on this floor?" The man asked. He had jet black hair and brilliant blue eyes.

"Talking to Jace." Simon said timidly. He felt extremely intimidated.

"I'd appreciate a bit more detail in your answers."

"…Right…sorry. I'm his new associate." Simon revealed.

The man's face seemed to tense up even more, as if he were holding back a lot of rage. "I see. Let's hope you can live up to our high standards."

"Alec!" A woman's voice yelled from behind the two men.

Simon almost had to hold his jaw to stop it hitting the floor. The young woman walking up to them was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Silky black hair falling down her head and shoulders like satin sheets on a bed, a short purple dress showing off an outstanding figure and dark eyes that felt like an invitation to the greatest party of all time.

"She is hot." Simon said impulsively and without thinking.

The blue eyed man glared at him. "She's also my sister."

Simon went white as a sheet. "Of course she is."

The beautiful woman stopped in front of the men and handed Alec a sheet of paper. "The affidavit you asked for."

"Thanks." Alec said, looking over the paper as she properly noticed Simon for the first time. Simon was scared he'd never be able to speak again after seeing her. If the blue eyed man was Alec and this was his sister, she must be –

"Isabelle Lightwood," she said, holding out her hand, "and you might be…?"

"Lewis. Simon Lewis, two first names. I've gotta stop introducing myself like that." Simon mumbled. He didn't even need to look at Alec to know he was rolling his eyes. Isabelle's lips perked into a radiant smile as Simon shook her hand.

"I hope my brother wasn't giving you too much of a hard time." Isabelle said.

"This is Jace's new associate." Alec said, his eyes still on the paper in his hands. Simon didn't like the disdain in Alec's voice when he said Jace's name.

"Oh, I see. Nice glasses." Isabelle said.

"Thanks. Nice…uh…dress." Simon winced.

"Oh, I know. How do you think I got our client to sign that?" Isabelle smirked, looking at the paper Alec held.

"I, uh, I look forward to working with you." Simon said.

"Yeah, it'll be a blast." Alec sighed, sarcasm dripping off his words.

"Ignore him. See you around, Simon Lewis." Isabelle smiled. Simon smiled back before awkwardly rushing off towards the elevator.

"I don't like him." Alec said as he and Isabelle walked the opposite direction down the corridor.

"You don't like anyone." Isabelle argued.

"I don't know; you're okay in small doses, little sister."

"Oh, thanks. He seems a bit clumsy but sweet enough. I really did like his glasses. His face was even better." Isabelle smirked.

"Jace doesn't deserve his own associate." Alec groaned.

"Maybe not, but don't hold that against the associate. We need to give him a chance at least." Isabelle noted.

"I won't need to give him a chance because I won't be working with him on anything." Alec said sternly.

Isabelle grabbed Alec's arm to stop him walking any further. "…When did you last speak to mom and dad?"

"Don't know, don't care. Obviously they don't either."

"Alec…"

"I don't want to hear it, Izzy. They don't need me to be their son when they have Mr Perfect Jace." Alec said and carried on walking. Isabelle watched him go sadly for a moment before following.

…

"Simon Lewis? He wasn't even on the list of candidates." Maryse said.

"He was on a list of candidates." Jace smirked as he got up from his desk to head home for the night.

"Jace…"

"You wanted me to hire an associate, and I did. In my own way of doing things. The guy's got talents; I have a good feeling about him." Jace said.

"…And you checked his background, CV, references…?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's all good. Look, I'm so confident in this that I'll revoke the two week trial clause you implemented. I'm officially stuck with him." Jace said.

Maryse looked impressed. "In that case, I hope you made the right choice. Fingers crossed he isn't any trouble."

Jace smiled. "This guy's squeaky clean, he won't let me down."

…

"Honey, I'm home!" Simon shouted as he walked through his apartment door, discarding the laptop case on the table.

A man around Simon's age, his roommate Jordan, walked into the living area from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his hand. His long hair was as scruffy as the loose clothing he wore. "Wasn't funny the first time you ever did that, still isn't funny a million times later."

"I highly doubt I've done that a million times." Simon chuckled.

"Feels like it. I can't believe you got that freakin' job. I thought I'd read your text wrong." Jordan said as he sat on the couch and sipped his coffee.

"It was the weirdest thing. I'm gonna make an absolute killing." Simon smiled.

"I can see the flat screen TV already." Jordan grinned.

"It's gonna be great."

"And it all checked out with the background check and everything?"

"Didn't even do any of that, this Jace guy seemed in a rush. I told you my mind would be all I needed." Simon smiled.

"You did, but they'll still be asking you about your past. They'll do the checks eventually." Jordan warned.

"It'll be okay. I paid that computer guy and he did his job." Simon said calmly.

"But if it gets out you don't even have a law degree, you're finished."

"They won't find out. According to the internet and Harvard's records, I do. I can finally live my dream. I was only gonna be a paralegal and keep my head down but I'd have been mad to turn this job down. Don't worry about me, okay?" Simon said.

Jordan sighed. "On your own head…"

"No one will ever know. It's gonna be great." Simon stated. "Nothing's gonna go wrong."