Disclaimer- I own nothing but the plot line

Some news- I am terribly sorry for how late I updated this, I was waiting for a friend's review but he has been very busy lately so I decided to just continue. Secondly, I am participating in NaNoWriMo this month and I cannot gauentee how often I will be able to update this or any other of my fanfiction. I'm sorry but this novel I'm starting is more important to me in the long run, especially since I want to BE an author as my career I need to do this. That's all lovely followers, please continue and read.


The three boys, as Clary liked to call them, followed her down below deck as she led them toward her cabin, the Captain's quarters, a place sailors tend to hate being in. Her room wasn't ornately furnished, like some other well most captain's, and it made the boys instantly curious. She took out a bottle of rum and poured herself a glass. 'Wow, she starts early.' Jace thought. She was interesting and he would be lying if she didn't pique his interest more now than before. When people start drinking early it means one of two things if not both, (1) they have a serious drinking problem or (2) they are drinking away their sorrows. Jace understood loving to drink, but not as much as he understood drowning away one's problems; it made me wonder which one pertained to her He snapped out of his thoughts as she settled down in a chair and began talking.

"I want to ask you boys something now that we have weighed anchor and are swiftly sailing out to sea, what do you think the purpose of The Glorious is?" The all wore confused and questioning looks. Jace hadn't thought about that. He stole a glance at Alec and Simon, both wore a look of ignorance and confusions, which he no doubt mirrored. She gave a hint of a smile, knocking back her shot and pouring another. The larger Door, Jonathan shared a worried look with Sebastian at the sight of Clary drinking already but he didn't say anything. Jace suddenly realized that Clary, the three of them, The Doors, and Izzy had all gathered in her quarters and it made him curious as to what she had to say.

"She's fast but large. She has serious artillery and battle scars. What kind of ship do you think this is?" Jace's eyes widened. He understood now. Alec and Simon just stared in the same confused state. Her eyes traveled the three in front of them, allowing a slight smile when she saw the realization on Jace's face. 'So it was true.' Jace thought, suppressing a shiver. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk that she was sitting behind.

"We're pirates my dear boys." Simon almost fainted, the color drained so quickly from his face it was almost amusing. Alec threw Izzy a heavy look but she only smiled, tapping her gold whip. "And you are our new runners." Jace was stunned in a silence. He had signed onto the most famous ship, The Glorious, captained by the most stunning woman he had ever seen and it was a pirate ship manned by pirates. She tossed back another drink and it all clicked into place so neatly, Jace put a hand against the wall behind him to stead himself.

"And now, it seems we have a reaction from our golden boy." He would have clenched his jaw in anger at the comment but he was too stunned. She grinned at him before pushing the rum across the desk towards Jace. "Leave us." She ordered. She was staring at Jace intently as she barked the order.

"Clary, I don't think-" She turned a cold gaze towards Jonathan.

"Are you already questioning me, Jon?" she asked, her voice clipped from anger and dripping with venom. He shook his head hastily before ushering everyone else out. He threw Jace and Clary a worried look before the door clicked shut behind him and the room seemed to drop several degrees in temperature.

"Sit." Jace jumped at her command and quickly took the seat across fro her. She looked amused and Jace felt so much less than a man in that moment. She's say jump and he would do it without hesitation because she was his captain and he had signed her his life.

"Now," she started pouring two drinks, handing one to him,"ask the questions I can see brewing up there." He was momentarily taken aback to say the least. It was like she was able to see past everything he had built over the past several years: the walls, the barriers, the hurtles, sex; she had defiantly broken the last one.

"What's the purpose of The Doors?" The question slipped out of his mouth so quickly he couldn't believe he had actually asked it. She threw back her head and let out a laugh, the same one as before and something in him reacted very much to it. He furrowed his eyebrows and grabbed his shot, tossing it back with ease.

"I like that, 'The Doors.' Very clever." I shot her a glare.

"I am a rather clever person." She grinned.

"I already know that, pretty boy." He ground his teeth together. He hated that word: boy. "The twins are my older brothers and they are here because I'm oddly attached to them and they would stow away anyway." For some reason, Jace felt relieved and it must have shown on his face. "Ah, you thought I kept them around as my playthings. No, I try to quench my urges," she paused, giving him another smile,"before I get aboard my ship." How had she known what he was thinking? He felt heat creep up into his cheeks and she grinned, handing him another drink. 'Damn. I, Jace Herondale, have never blushed in my life until this girl, no Clary is much more than a girl, woman strode into my life and plucked away everything I had so precisely built.' He thought wonderingly.

"As fun as you men believe yourselves to be, there is only one real love for him. The sea." She gaze out the window longingly, seeing the ocean spreading out beside them. That was what her faraway look was about last night, she loved the sea in such a way that it was the only thing that held a place in her heart. Jace felt a sudden urge to push aside her love for the sea, to gather her in his arms and kiss away the longing she so openly wore even though they were sailing already. He had never felt the need to do something like that before and it bothered him for some unknown reason.

"Why are we runners?" He asked, the term unfamiliar on his tongue. She turned her gaze back to him, like she had forgotten he had been there in the first place.

"You are runners because the lot of you are tall, quick looking, and well defined." She gave him a small smile at the end of her sentence, letting her gaze travel over his chest, arms, and legs. Jace shifted nervously under her gaze and her smiled widened. "When we reach a ship, Izzy will be your head officer in running and she will tell you what to do unless the service of someone smaller is needed." She told him and he knew that 'someone smaller' was her. She was the smallest person besides a child he had ever met; being small must have some advantages.

"What do you do?" He asked, leaning forward to pour himself anther drink.

"I'm the bait." She stated simply, tossing back another shot. "People have this fierce desire to protect those they perceive to children, women, and weak." She said, ticking each off them off her fingers.

"And that must make you the perfect bait." Clary wasn't weak, but she looked small and Jace, although he refused to believe it, he had wanted to help her even if she didn't need it. She nodded solemnly before getting up and walking towards one of the windows, they weren't portholes-which was odd- but blurred glass windows. She trailed her hand lovingly across the wood and glass as if reminiscing. Jace followed her silently and fought the urge to put his arms around her.

"What's your story?" He asked quietly. She gave a bitter laugh before turning around.

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for that story." She said, shock flaring up in her eyes at how close he was when she turned around to face him. It seemed that the rum was dulling her finer abilities. "You should probably get back up on deck before the crew start to think you're special or that I have started showing favoritism." She whispered as he moved closer to her. Her eyes flickered to his lips and he smirked knowing he was having an effect on her.

"But I am special." He told her, his voice husky, reaching up to trail a finger along her jaw. He leaned down slowly to kiss her her, teasing her, when the cabin door opened. There The Doors were, standing in the doorway ruining the overly lustful moment between Captain and new runner. Jace sighed audibly while Clary turned a cold glare at her brothers.

"Yes?" She asked, not moving from where she stood close to Jace. They were obviously shocked and Jonathan looked like he wanted to hit Jace.

"We have a stowaway." Sebastian told her and her eyebrows rose. She finally moved away from Jace, back to her desk, putting away the rum.

"Bring him to me." She ordered. Jonathan nodded and left. Sebastian threw a heavy but meaningful glance between Jace and Clary but she seemed more intent on the stowaway than on Jace. Jace leaned against the window sill, arms crossed as he watched Clary with a blank expression. Jonathan came back, guiding a little kid by hand.

"Max." Clary groaned, resting a hand against her head. "Oh, Max. How many times have I told you that you couldn't sign onto The Glorious? You need to be in school, learning how to be a gentleman and successful like your father." Clary said exasperated moving towards Max, taking his face in her hands as she crouched down. Something about the way she acted so tenderly and carefully with him caused something else to stir within Jace but he pushed that aside as well. Max smiled at Clary, showing off his missing front teeth. Max couldn't have been more than nine years old.

"But Izzy and Alec on here. And you're here." He said. Clary groaned, closing her eyes briefly.

"Fine. Fine. You'll be my cabin boy okay? But I'm going to teach you to be a gentleman. You can do so much more than be a pirate Maxie." He jumped up, letting out a a shriek of happiness while Clary sighed heavily. Jace wore an amused smile as he watched them. "Go now. Tell Izzy and Alec. It's not like I can send you back now that we are so far away from port." She ordered the three of them. Sebastian began to protest but she silenced him with a look and pointed with her hands to leave. He threw Jace a dark glare before leaving the room.

Clary sighed heavily, placing her hands against the desk. She looked up after a few moments, regarding Jace with her large green eyes, before crossing the between the two of them quickly. It was Jace's turn to be shocked and mildly concerned. She pressed a hand against his chest as she traced the muscles in his arm with the other. Jace started to each down to kiss her when she flitted from her touch and was on the opposite room, a glint in her eyes.

"You should do too. Like I said, can't have the crew thinking you're my favorite; Max has already claimed that position." He gave her a dark look, two could play this game, he thought squaring his shoulders as if accepting a challenge.

"I can change that." He whispered down her neck before leaving the cabin. She shivered, resting a hand against the desk to steady herself. 'Damn him.' She thought. 'He comes striding up on deck and messes with everything!' All the walls she had built came crashing down when he was around: the barriers, hurtles, puzzles, the sea, sex. He had definitely broken that one when she saw him on her ship signing away his life to the devil, to her. She sighed heavily before moving to change clothes, she had work to do and even a man like Jace wasn't going to change that.