Thanks for all the new followers guys! So here's the next chapter, please review because I can't make my story better it you don't tell me what's wrong! So anyway, this is the last time I'm saying it. I don't own the characters or TMI, at all.

Chapter Four: What to do With the Girl

Robert's voice rang through the entire house, but it was the loudest in the dining room, where the family (not including young Max) had met for a family meeting.

"She did what?!" Robert shouted, outraged. How dare a slave girl attack his son!

"Darling-" Maryse Lightwood said, placing her hand on her husband's hand. He pushed it away though and opened his mouth to shout again, but his son's cool and clear voice spoke before he had the chance to share his mind.

"It wasn't her fault, father," Alec replied. His arms engulfed in bandages and Robert couldn't help but want to sell the girl as fast as he could.

"She ripped up your arms, Alec! How is not her fault! Actually, you're right. This isn't her fault. It's mine. I'm the one who bought her for $2,000. That's the biggest mistake I've ever made. I should've let her pass and gotten a well behaved, gracious slave who would accept our help and our kindness. I'll get rid of her this coming sale- it's in eight days in North Carolina."

"We can't sell her!" Jace exclaimed, surprising everyone. He never disagreed with selling a slave. Then Jace froze. He tilted his head towards the wall and his lips peeked up at one corner.

"Jace! For goodness sake!" Robert yelled. "You don't ever find a need to keep a slave! You even allowed us to sell your own! Why do you care about this one girl?" Robert shouted. He could find no reason his son would want to keep the girl.

"Don't you understand father? If the girl is treating us like this, it must mean something!"

"Of course it means something, son! It means she is unbehaved, a horrible listener, and rude and disrespectful! This girl can't hold her position to save her life! You wonder why her back is so ripped up, it's because of her behavior!"

"Father! That's not what it means to me, it means she has had a terrible past and needs help! Can't you see?"

"I personally don't think I want her if she won't do what I say," Izzy butted in. "She should do what I want her to, she's my slave."

"Iz!" Jace cried. "That's no fair to her! She can't change her past, but we can help her future if we would just give her a chance! Can't you see it? She could act like a sane person if we actually helped her!"

"Then you take her, Jace! If you want her to be so safe, you take the girl. She does not suit my needs," Izzy replied.

There, Robert thought. He won't want another slave. He hates them. He smiled at Maryse, but Maryse only frowned back. Jace then, surprised him.

"Fine. If none of you will take her, I will. I think this girl needs to have help and become a person again. Maybe if I get the chance, I will grant her her freedom."

"I refuse to let-" Robert stood.

"I said maybe! Now let's not get into this argument father! Can she be my maid, my water girl, and overall, my slave?"

"If you really want her to be Jace. Just remember this though Jace. Your mother may have told you that she would never leave you, but then she did. You may see the slave as broken, but you can't fix her, if you don't fix yourself."

"Don't talk about her!" Jace screamed at Robert and Robert jumped back. This was exactly what he was talking about.

Jace fled the room and slammed the door behind him, causing the room to shake.

Clary was hiding in the wall of the dining hall in new and clean clothes. The bandages were still on her back, but she had repeatedly refused to let anyone change them. Her hair was loose and tamed, when Amatis had help her calm the red curls down a little.

Through her thinking, a tiny voice startled her.

"Why are you hiding?" Clary peeked down and saw the littlest of the Lightwood family, Max, right beside her. His glasses were hanging off his nose and he looked right up at her.

"I am not hiding, Max. I am listening in because this meeting is all about me. What about you?Why are you in this wall and not in that room?" Clary nodded her head towards the dining room's wall.

"Daddy and Alec say I'm too young. Don't worry though. It's okay. Jace says all they talk about in there is boring stuff and he and Daddy are always shouting at each other. I'm glad I'm not in that room." Clary smiled. "Why don't you call us Mr. and Mrs.? When Simon, Maia, Jordan, Magnus, and Amatis all came, they were trained to call us Mr. and Mrs."

"I just- I think calling people Mr. and Mrs. only shows that they think they're better than you. But, they aren't, Max. We're all equal, no matter who you are, the color of your skin, or even who your family is."

"Ohhh. That's a nice idea."

"Well, Max. I think that we should find something else to do then stay in the wall and listen to some stinky family meeting where Jace and Robert yell. Let's do something fun! Do you want to ride the horses? We can pretend you are the king and the fields and the ants are your royal subjects."

With a grin on his face, Max agreed. "Yes, lets!" He almost shouted.

"Shhh," Clary whispered. We don't want Jace to hear us. He has super ears!" And giggling, the two slipped from the wall and out the front door. As Clary Closed the door, she was sure she heard Robert shouting. She smiled. And Max was correct.

When Jace walked out of the dining hall, he knew exacty what he was going to do. Find Clary and Max. He knew the two were off somewhere, her heard them inside the wall behind him. How they got there made him curious, but he didn't need to know that now. All he needed to do now was find the young boy and the small lady.

He wondered about the house and found no trace of them, so he decided to take a chance and check outside. Who knows?

When Jace walked outside, he heard a shout and his head whipped to the right. In the fields, Max was on the pony and Clary was leading him around.

"All bow to the Prince of Alicante!"She shouted. Jace smiled. He rarely ever saw a smile like that on Max's face and the smile on Clary's face seemed almost imaginary because it looked so big.

"Hurray! Hurray," Max screamed. "Move it people, the prince and his horse and his friend are coming through." Clary laughed. It sounded like tinkling bells. When had he ever heard her laugh like that? Jace wondered. In the short time that he'd known her, he'd never made her laugh, especially like that. Was this truly the girl who had attacked his brother for trying to put bandages on her back? Where had her temper slinked off to?

"Jace, Jace!"Max shouted and Clary and him both turned to Jace, who had realized he'd been caught. Clary led the horse through the grain and over to the back door, where Jace was.

Jace bowed low. "Hello my Prince. And how is your country, what was it? Alicante?" Max grinned.

"Yes! Clary told me about how her Daddy told her about a magical country called Alicante. It had bunches of mena people in it though. And everybody ate each other." Jace looked up at Clary in shock. She told a little boy stories of cannibalism?

"I never said that!" Clary shrieked and grabbed max off the horse, pulling him off the pony, but above her head. "What are you doing Mister?! Are you trying to get us in trouble for having fun?" Clary pulled Max to his hip and raced into the grain, where Jace couldn't see her very well.

He heard muttering and then shouts and laughter. An angry pit was in his stomach. Wasn't Max his brother, not Clary's?

"Come find us Jace!" Max shouted and he laughed. A shush rang through the fields though and Clary's tinkling laugh was softly heard. Jace grinned. He'd find them alright.

He prowled through the tall fields and followed the flattened corn as Clary and Max ran. Finally, he heard Clary a few yards in front of him whisper, "I think we lost him, Max!" They high-fived and I could only grin. I jumped out right behind them and screamed "I found you!"

They both turned and screamed. "Run!" Max shouted and He jumped on Clary's back. She spun him around once and then sprinted towards the house. I chased after, tracking them easily because Max was yelling "Run, Clary ruuun! He's gaining, Ruuun!"

When they reached the house, Clary dropped Max on the ground and collapsed in the grass, panting. Jace was about to step from the grain, but decided he wanted to hear what Clary would say when he wasn't there. "Again Clary!" Max shouted and jumped onto her stomach. She gasped and looked fondly at the little boy.

"Do you play with people often?"

"No," Max replied. "Normally my family is too busy and the slaves are being forced to do deeds they don't want to do." Clary frowned.

"Well, that's not right. Every little kid should have someone to grow up with. I did."

"Who?" Clary inhaled sharply and paled a little bit.

"My brother, Jonathan." Max grinned.

"A brother? Like your age! That must've been awesome! Was it Clary? Was it?" Clary smiled softly.

"Of course it was, Max. It was so cool and we were definitely together all the time," she lied. She still was pale and Jace wondered what happened with Jonathan that the girl was so worried about.

"Let's play inside, Clary. Pu-leasee!" Max pleaded. Clary giggled at the look on Max's face.

"Maybe, in a little bit, Max. I don't think your family would be so happy to see me right now. Pkus, I have to put our horse back. You can go on in though, okay Max? I'll meet you in there a little later." Max beamed bigger than Jace had ever seen his do before and bounced off, but before he passed through the door, he glanced back at Clary.

"Clary? You know your my first friend I've ever had in my whole life. But, your also my bestest." Then he bounced back inside. Clary smiled at the door.

"So, my family came to an agreement," Jace said, slipping out from the grain. Clary gasped and her hand hit her heart.

"My goodness, Jace! Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Clary began to walk the horse up the trail that led to the barn. "Anyway, our agreement is your my slave now because Izzy didn't wan-" Jace stopped there. He didn't want the girl to seem like she wasn't wanted.

"You can say it you know. I know no one wants the mouthy red-head girl as their slave and I bet you only took me in to get me in bed with you." Jace's mouth fell open with shock. Was this really what she accustomed to at the other houses she'd been to? "You should know one thing though, Jace. I won't put up with it. You can whip me and beat on me, but I won't let you get me into your wretched bed without a fight."

"Well, I don't want to get in bed with you actually." Clary stopped, and whipped around, causing the horse to whiny. Jace realized, through shock, that it was true. Fir the first time, he didn't want to just get the slave into his bed. He actually wanted to see why the hurt in her eyes was so deep and what had happened at the other houses that made her so cautious."I noticed you're very good with Max. I could get you to be his sitter? I spend the whole day watching him anyway, so you can play with him while I do what I need to do."

"I like that idea," Clary said, smiling at him over her shoulder.

"Good," Jace said. "So that means no more attacking anyone if they are trying to help you, or change your bandages. Do we have a deal?"

Clary grinned ahead of him. "We have a deal."