A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you guys are awesome! Here is the revised chapter two. I hope you like it. R&R

I do not own any part of the Mortal Instruments series.

CHAPTER 2 - THE BEST

It hadn't taken long for Clary to fall asleep, although she had put up a good fight. Jace could tell that she had had a rather trying evening. She had immediately started drilling him about the shadow world. He explained that she would receive a codex when they made it to the institute, a sort of shadowhunter manual.

"So you're a shadowhunter too?" she asked pulling the throw blanket up to cover her braless form. He had known what she looked like from the case file he'd been given. Jocelyn Fairchild, her mother, had been a very prominent shadowhunter before she had vanished eighteen years ago and her marriage to Valentine had only made her all the more famous. Clary took after her mother, he could tell.

"Yes. In fact you could say that I'm the best." tearing his eyes away from the tiny freckles that dotted her shoulders with a panty dropping grin. Wanting a woman was no surprise to Jace; he would enjoy them for a moment and then get bored. But this particular woman was off limits because this was an assignment. He forced himself to put on his professional face and lay back against the couch pretending to close his eyes. Waiting until her breathing evened and she slept soundly.

Jace pulled out his phone and dialed Maryse.

"You're late Jace," her clipped tones' letting him know that she was not happy. Maryse was the director of the New York Institute.

"I wanted her to be asleep before I called you. I think you are right about this girl," Jace kept his voice low.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know Maryse, she's…different. I'll move her at sunrise. Can you have a car delivered to take us to the portal?" He asked

"Sure, any weapons?"

"I packed heavy so I think I'm ok. I've got to go," Jace hung up the phone before she could respond. Glancing over at Clary, she looked so normal, like every other mundie girl. Her skin was unblemished by the scars of runes. The words that Jocelyn said to him before she left played through his head, she is your responsibility.

Clary's hair fell in waves on her shoulders. Most of the girls at the institute were tall and slim, but she only came to his chest. Jace admired her curves, watching her sleep on the couch next to him. She looked so…beautiful. Something about her made him want to go to her, and pull her into his arms. Innocence had never been his thing, and when it came to his world Clary knew nothing. I don t know this girl at all. Why am I thinking like this?

He shook his head, he was probably just horny. He was currently dating Aline, which meant that he only had sex when she was in the mood. Not that she wasn't just great and all, but Jace was a little more accustomed to the single life.

He checked the time. 6:15 a.m., the sun would be rising in about thirty minutes. It was time for him to wake her up. He walked to the side of the couch and knelt down beside her. The skin on her shoulder was so soft; he couldn't help but run his fingers down the length of her arms. She stirred every so lightly and Jace quickly pulled his hand away.

Clary stretched her arms and slowly opened her eyes. She didn't remember actually falling asleep at all. The sofa was stiff under her back, why am I on the couch?

"Good morning princess," a male voice said, presenting her a steaming mug of coffee.

"Oh, it's you," It came back to her in a tidal wave of memories, drowning her in an instant. Her family was gone and had abandoned her to strangers. She was going to be sick; rushing to the bathroom she grappled with the knob but the door wouldn't open. Jace was behind her in a second, a flash of silver and the door responded.

"Go away," Clary demanded trying to hold the sickness back. She slammed the door in his face just as her stomach heaved.

Twenty minutes later Clary emerged from the bathroom toweling off her wet hair. That shower had been amazing; she had enjoyed scrubbing away the horrible feelings with her favorite body wash and listening to the new Shinedown album. Jace was sitting at her kitchen table when she had returned, a bag open in front of him.

"Feeling better?" he asked snapping the pieces of his gun back together expertly.

"Much. What's all of that?" She said motioning to the bag.

"Weapons, but don't worry they aren't for you," He replied reaching in and pulling out a blade. Clary saw his lips move but couldn't hear what he said; suddenly the blade flashed with light.

"Come sit." He patted the seat next to him. "Soon you will know not just what they are, but also how to use them." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the same silver stick he had used on the door. "My stele," he explained showing her, "it is what we use to mark ourselves with protective runes. They can make us faster, stronger, more agile, and even heal us. Once they're used, they're gone. Leaving nothing but a thin scar," Jace stood without warning and pulled off his shirt. Clary spit her coffee back into her mug to prevent herself from choking.

She couldn't help but just sit there and do exactly what every other girl on this plant would do. She stared open mouthed, marveling at Jace's chest. He was built to perfection, and his body seemed to radiate with a golden light.

"This," he said watching her eyes trace his form, "is what your body will look like eventually." He was enjoying the attention.

"No offense, but I've been in Florida for eighteen years and I haven't managed to come close to a tan like that." Clary said smartly, she couldn't let him get the best of her.

"I meant the scars Red. If you would like a tanning lesson, you'll have to wait till later." His abs flexed as he spoke and she finally noticed the tiny white scars that interlaced over his skin. They looked surreal and Clary couldn't believe how many there were but he wore them well.

"My mother gave me one last night," Clary fished her grandmother's stele from her bag.

"Good, don't lose that. Most shadowhunters receive their first marks at twelve; better late than never, right?" He said jokingly. "Hold out your hands."

"Will it hurt?" Clary was suddenly nervous. Yesterday morning she was just a normal girl with two happy parents, living in sunny Florida. Today she was in her soon to be burned down home, with some guy she had never met, alone with no parents. To top it all off, that guy was trying to mark her with his magic stick. That didn't come out right, but Clary had no time to continue her inner monologue.

Jace had taken her hand in his, resting it against his palm. He felt her hand trembling and couldn't keep himself from rubbing soothing circles on her skin with his thumb.

"Shhh, you are strong Clary. It will not be painful." He placed the tip of his stele against her skin. It was white hot but to her surprise didn't hurt. PROTECTION.

"This is what makes shadowhunters different than humans. Our blood allows us bear the runes of the Angels, it would kill a mundane. These won't be permanent. We will handle that when we get to the institute. But we have to get a move on, so get your things."

He turned his attention off of her and placed his stele against his own skin. Clary could have watched endlessly, but he was right they had to go. She didn't quite know what a portal was or how it was going to get them to New York. She would just have to add that to her mental list of thing to look up.

"Ready," she said ten minutes later walking back into the living room. She was wearing a pair of acid wash skinny jeans and a black leather jacket that hugged her curves perfectly. Truth be told, it was the warmest thing she owned.

"Are you sure you have everything you want? There won't be any chance of finding it again," he was clearly not joking anymore. She just nodded.

They walked down the stairs to a black SUV parked right in front of the entrance.

"Do not, for any reason, get out of this car Clary until I return. Do you understand that?" He pushed the internal lock and shut the heavily reinforced door.

"Why?" But he didn't stay to answer her.

Jace walked back into the apartment, setting small bricks of clay on various tables and window sills. C-4 was a powerful explosive, and he had no intention of leaving anything behind.

The car ride was mostly silent. A big blacked out SUV with black rims rolling down the beach strip was no surprise in Miami. Clary pulled out her auxiliary cord and motioned to Jace, asking if she could put on some music. He punched a button on the wheel and plugged the cord in. Clary put on her favorite playlist she had titled, 'Jam Out Rock' and hit shuffle.

'Careless Whispers' by Seether blasted from the speakers. She decided that this was the perfect time to ask Jace a few questions about what he was telling her before.

"So why are we able to bear the runes?"

"Because the angel Raziel gave his blood to Jonathan Shadowhunter, so that he could start a new race to protect the humans from demons and downworlders."

"You make it sound as if the world is swarming with them," Clary said motioning to the hordes of tacky tourist and bikini clad beach goers.

"Well first off, its day time demons don't like sunlight, and others may live just as you do; pretending to be normal," His voice was silky but the comment angered Clary. I didn't know I was pretending. "And second you need to learn how to look past glamours."

"I'm not pretending to be normal! I am normal. It isn't my fault that my mom has been paranoid for eighteen years," She hadn't even realized how angry she was at her mother for lying to her.

"No one said it was your fault Red. The man your mom married, Valentine, is a really bad guy. Hiding was her and Lucians best chance at keeping you safe. But things change, and you have to have a tougher skin or you won't last." Jace didn't want to tell her to suck it up, in fact he wanted to hold her and tell her everything she wanted to hear. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter; he tried to focus on the road. They were headed to Jacksonville, the closes portal was actually in Orlando but Jace was worried that Valentine might be watching it incase Jocelyn tried to use it to move Clary.

"You have to trust me Clary, I know all about him," Jace said darkly.

"What is that supposed to mean, Jace?"

The song began to change, 'Sick Like Me' by In This Moment. Clary had loved them since seeing them at Welcome to Rockville last year.

"Before I was born, Valentine got close to my mother. Stephen, my father, didn't like it and told her to stay away from him," he wasn't looking at her. "They found her body eight months later; someone had tried to cut me out of her stomach. My father raised me in secret for four years, until Valentine finally came for me. He killed my father but never found me. I fled to New York." His voice was raw with hatred when he said Valentine's name. Clary felt so bad for him. "That is what I mean, Red."

"Why?" Clary was certain she sounded like an irritating five year old asking all these questions but his entire world was a mystery to her.

"He was doing something to my mother, we don't really know what. He wanted the result of his experiment." The word hit Clary like a ton of bricks… experiment? Like Jonathan?

He turned up the radio signifying the conversation was over and started drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. She was pleased to see he liked her music choices, most of her 'friends' in Miami preferred the more main stream edm and dubstep.

They were about two hours away from Jacksonville when Clary said she needed to find a ladies room. Jace just nodded. They pulled into a rest stop off the interstate and Clary reached to unbuckle her seat belt, but Jace grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think you are going, Red? You need to stay in the car until I check everything out. Oh and here," he said reaching into the glove box. He pulled out a small silver gun and handed it to Clary. "This is the safety it won't fire with this on but be careful. You only have eight rounds." The gun was so heavy and cold in her hand but she took it anyway. "Now stay here until I tell you to get out." He was gone faster than she could imagine. The way he moved was lethal. Is that how all shadowhunters are?

Her door opened before she actually saw him. He walked very close behind her ushering her along under the trees.

"Are you going to come into the stall with me to?" she said crossing her arms.

"Why the hostility? I'm your protection, remember? Florida is like the abduction capital of the U.S., now hurry up." He shoved her along.

When they were settled back in the car Clary handed Jace the gun but he shook his head. "It isn't much use against demons but it will slow Forsaken down. Keep it." Clary fought the urge to ask what forsaken were.

Night was beginning to fall when they pulled up to a tiny little coffee shop off a back road. It looked like the type of place even locals didn't know about. He ushered her inside quickly and headed straight into the back.

"Hey Iz," Jace said to a tall brunette girl leaning against a table. "This is Clary. Clary this is my adoptive sister, Isabelle."

Clary looked at the 'girl', she was wearing gear similar to Jace's but instead of pants she wore fitted short shorts. Her legs were long and tan ending in thigh high black stiletto boots.

"Um, hi," Clary muttered under her breath, there was no way she could compete with this girl. Jace said he was going to get the bags and left Izzy to watch Clary.

"Don't let her out of your sight Izzy."

"Yes Sir." She addressed him formally before turning on Clary. "So… are you excited?" she was practically bouncing in her heels.

"Excited about what?"

"Coming to the Institute…duh! I can't wait for you to meet everyone."

"Oh, yeah… I guess. To be honest this is all really weird to me right now, I don't even know what it is I'm supposed to be exactly," Clary sighed. Oh God, what if this is all some embarrassing mistake? Jace came in with the last of their bags.

"Alright Red, you and Izzy will portal through first. Just hold on tight to the bags and her hand. I will cover the back and make sure we get through clean. Got it?" Jace pulled back the curtain and Clary stared straight into a swirling void in front of her. Suddenly terrified, she clutched Izzy's hand and closed her eyes.

A/N: The revised chapter 2! Please review and let me know what you think. Chapter 3 is in progress but I won't post until I have reviews!

Xoxo

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