This is my last update of the year! I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of your support you guys have shown me and reviews that you have left. I'll be back around February next year, but until then, I'm still able to be reached through here if you send me a PM, or if you wanted to add me on Facebook or Snapchat :) Also, make sure you check out the authors note at the bottom in regards to my upcoming stories.

"You know that there's still men outside, right?" Jordan's voice was tight as he glanced between Sebastian and Jace before looking back to where Clary was sitting on the back of the couch, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her lips pursed together in a thin, pale line. "They saw me come in here."

"Doesn't matter," Sebastian shook his head. "They would expect us to leave someone here with Clary, we would be stupid not to," he thought about it for a moment, biting down on his lower lip. "Actually, maybe I should asked one of the other boys to come over to. The men from the path are gone, I did a sweep earlier, but we still don't know how many of them are in the van. There's two in the front, and there could be more in the back."

"Hey, man, I've got this," Jordan assured Sebastian, clearly trying to sound calm although he looked a little nervous. "Unless there's something more going on here than I know," he paused and snorted. "Actually, there's a lot going on here that I don't know, and pretty much all I know is that it's dangerous," he took in a deep breath as he met Clary's gaze. "If you guys want to call in Mark, maybe that's not such a bad idea." Jace swallowed hard as he rested his hands on the belt that was threaded through his jeans.

"We need to go now," he said quietly and Sebastian nodded.

"Uh, you can't call Mark," he muttered to Jordan. "Mark's on something else right now. But call one of the other boys. I should have thought of this earlier," he let out a short breath. "Shit, why didn't I think of that before?" He hissed to himself, eyes narrowing.

"Hey, hey," Clary got up and rested her hand on his arm. "You've got a lot going on right now. I'm going to be fine," she gave a shaky smile in Jordan's direction. "Jordan's got me, and one of the other boys will be here soon. You guys just need to...Do your thing." Sebastian nodded, although she could already see the guiltiness seeping into his expression.

"We should have gotten you out of here, like what we did with Lydia," he murmured.

"You know that there was no way I was leaving without you," Clary teased him lightly, even though her voice was tight. "I'm too stubborn for that."

"Damn straight," Jace came over and put his hand around the side of Clary's neck, giving it a light squeeze. "You do everything they tell you to, okay? You keep safe." Jordan was watching all three of them, confused as hell, but knowing that something serious was happening right now. Clary felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes and she sniffed, trying to hold them back—she had thought that she didn't have any left after the hours last night that she had spent buried in her pillow.

"I love you," her voice trembled as she looked between the boys, green eyes bright and watering. "Keep safe."

"I love you," Jace repeated back the sentiment.

"I love you, too," Sebastian murmured, leaning in for a hard kiss. When he moved away, Jace gave her a kiss that was just as hard, resting his fingers against her cheek before pulling away and striding quickly out of the house. Clary watched them go, letting out a few shaky breaths, and gave Jordan a shaky smile.

"We've got this," Sebastian told Jace, his voice firm as they approached his jeep. Jace stared at Sebastian over the bonnet for a long beat before getting inside, not answering. They got inside, Jace in the passenger seat, fiddling with the belt around his waist, just like he had been all morning. Sebastian cast a look his way as he turned on the engine. "You're going to need to stop doing that. You don't want to draw attention."

"Yeah, just nervous," Jace muttered. Hodge knew that showing up the morning of the meet or asking either of the boys to sneak out would be too risky. It was likely that there were even more men watching his house. Sebastian sneaking out last night to make sure Lydia had gotten away safely had been dangerous enough, but he made a stop on his way back, picking up a few things from Hodge and two other DEA agents. Sebastian hadn't been able to help the way he had given the two men in uniform nervous looks, not feeling comfortable surrounded by men who were blatantly agents against drug use, which was his lifestyle. But they hadn't said anything about it, merely handed him a belt for Jace to wear and a pendant on a beaded necklace for him to wear with wires embedded inside.

"We're going to go in there, get him to talk about the partnership he wants us to make so that we've got him implicating himself on tape, and then we get out of there," Sebastian repeated the plan back to him, even though Jace knew exactly what they were doing. "As soon as we're clear, DEA is going to move in."

"Yup," Jace nodded shortly, staring out the front window with a flat expression on his face. Sebastian swallowed hard as his hands flexed around the staring wheel. They were clear over their neighborhood now, and Sebastian already knew that they were being followed by a dark coloured 2014 Ford Escort, a couple of cars behind them. They would be Valentine's men, making sure no one was following Jace and Sebastian. Sebastian had already known that they would be followed, and he had blatantly told Hodge that there was no way that they could trail them, they would be seen.

Instead, Sebastian had text Hodge as soon as they had gotten a location from Valentine this morning. It didn't give them much time to scout out the place, which was somewhere in the middle of the dusty lands that surrounded the city. It was in the middle of nowhere, barely anywhere for a team to hide to have their backs, and when the boys were telling Clary that everything was going to be okay, they wasn't sure.

There wasn't really anywhere for the DEA agents to hide to give them the cover they needed if things went wrong. They probably weren't going to have any support, and so if something went down in the middle of the transaction, if Valentine thought at any point that they were playing him, that was it.

They would go down, and there was nothing that the DEA could do about it.

That was where Mark came into it.

Mark had been in the army with Sebastian, and he had been a grade A sniper. So he had gotten a text at the same time the DEA had this morning, telling them where the meet was. If there was an angle to be found, Mark would be there, with a rifle pointed at them throughout the whole meet. If there wasn't an angle to be found, well, then they were just going to have to put all of their faith in the DEA, which neither of them were particularly happy about.

"We need to make it back to her, Seb," Jace's voice was barely audible as he stared down at their hands. They were turning off the highway now, onto a side road that lead far away from population, into almost a flat, desert landscape. It took them nearly half an hour, and when they reached the turn off to the meeting point, the only life to be seen was the Ford Escort behind them, not even pretending not to be following them now.

"We will," Sebastian told him. "We will, okay?" Jace looked over at him an swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down and he nodded. Sebastian stared at the road, slowing the car down as they continued down the side road where it changed from actual gravel road to just compacted mud and sand. "There they are," Sebastian murmured and Jace looked up, taking in a breath through his nose. "Guns are in the glove box." Jace nodded and reached forward, pulling two out and running his thumb down the smooth metal.

He had never been a fan of guns, left most of that to Sebastian and the rest of his boys. He knew how to shoot, wasn't a bad shot either, given Sebastian and Jordan had made him go to the range and get acquainted with a weapon when their business started to expand. He even carried one from time to time, when it was necessary, like when they had met Meliorn for the first time the other day.

But he had never needed to fire one at somebody before.

He really hoped today wasn't going to change that.

Sebastian parked a few meters away from the other cars, half hidden from the gathering of men who were standing near them. He turned off the vehicle and looked in his rear view mirror as the Ford Escort was pulling up next to the other cars. Sebastian turned off the car and pulled the keys out, clenching his jaw, before holding out his hand toward Jace. Jace handed him one of the guns, his movements jerky, and his breaths were coming out sharp, in through his nose and out through his mouth. Sebastian reached over and gripped Jace's hand, holding his fingers tightly.

"We've got this," he said, his voice low and rough, repeating his words from before. His grip on Jace's hand was so tight that his knuckles were white and bloodless. Jace pressed his lips together in a flat line, meeting Sebastian's eyes, scared but trusting.

"Let's go," he replied and Sebastian nodded. They got out of the car, squaring their shoulders, and walking over to where Valentine was standing with five of his men, another one standing a few feet away, next to the Escort, obviously the one who had been following them. Sebastian noted Meliorn standing near Valentine, a gun held loosely in his hand, but he let his gaze slide right past him, not wanting to show any signs of recognition on his face.

"Boys," Valentine gave them a grin, a nasty, slimy one that didn't reach his eyes. Jace couldn't help but stare at the man, the man who was related to the woman that he loved. There were absolutely no physical traits shared between the two of them, and it didn't appear as though there were any personality traits either, given how warm and loving Clary was, and how cold and manipulative this man clearly was. "Isn't it a lovely day?" He spread his arms out, looking up at the sky, which was clear of any clouds, the Laguna sun already burning down on them and creating heat waves in the distance even though it was only mid-morning.

"We're not here to discuss the weather," Sebastian said flatly. "We're here about your proposal."

"Of course," Valentine tipped his head forward. "Although, I'm sure you understand, we're going to need to search you before we start with any conversation about business." Jace felt his stomach dip, but he made sure to keep his expression flat, nodding, along with Sebastian. Two men stepped forward, flicking their fingers at them, indicating that they lift up their arms. Both Sebastian and Jace spread their legs and held up their arms. They were patted down, their guns pulled from their waistbands and showed to their boss. "I didn't expect you not to come without any weapons," Valentine muttered before raising his voice. "So you can keep them, just keep in mind that you are completely out manned and out gunned. You even think about using one of those on me, you're dead."

Sebastian and Jace didn't doubt that for a second, but kept their faces neutral.

"So," Valentine clapped his hands together as their guns were handed back to them, and they slipped them back into their waistbands. "My proposal," the fake smile that he had been wearing dropped off his face, slipping his thumbs into his two front pockets, eyes flinty and narrowed. "I'm assuming you boys were smart about this."

"And by smart you mean we did some checking up on you? And found out that anyone who says 'no' to you ends up dead?" The words were out of Jace's mouth before he could censor himself and he felt Sebastian stiffen next to him. Valentine snorted, mouth twisting into a snarl and shrugging.

"Something like that," he didn't bother to deny it.

"What sort of guarantee do we have that we're not going to end up like them?" Sebastian asked, getting straight into what Hodge needed on tape.

"Well, if you're working for me, clearly I'm not going to go after you," Valentine stated it as though it was the most obvious fact in the world, but both boys just raised their eyebrows disbelievingly at him. He let out a laugh and tilted his head to the side. "Look, if you're good to me, then I'm going to be good to you. Everything I said that first time still sticks." Jace and Sebastian looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes, wondering exactly how to push without making him suspicious. Sebastian ducked his head, pursing his lips and tapping his chin with two fingers, as though thinking.

"So it was three years, with a twenty-eighty split," Sebastian began. "With re-negotiation after those years had past. I'm assuming that's because you'd like a bigger cut." Valentine stared at him levelly.

"We will deserve more, given we will have made your business a whole lot more profitable," he answered. "We'll expand your whole operation."

"And at the end of it all, we don't have a choice, right?" Jace interjected. "Because if we say no, we're not walking away from this." Valentine's eyes were flat as he looked at the golden haired boy.

"You know, I thought it was this one who was meant to be the hot head," he gestured at Sebastian. "And you were meant to be the smart one," he looked back at Jace.

"Is that what your men reported back to you with when they were spying on us?" Jace snapped with an arch of his eyebrow.

"Yes," Valentine snorted, his voice cold. "That's exactly what my men reported back to me." Meliorn shifted from foot to foot behind his boss and between two other men who were wearing suits and clearly were carrying at least one weapon on their person. "And given you clearly know who I am and what I'm capable of, I'm wondering what's got you running your mouth and feeling so brave?" He stepped closer to Jace until he was right in front of him, sharing the air he was breathing. Jace almost choked on a breath but forced himself not to break eye contact, even though he could feel Sebastian shifting next to him, probably instinctively going for the gun resting against his lower back.

"You're threatening my family," Jace replied evenly. "And my livelihood. How are you not expecting me to be pissed off and asking questions?" Valentine regarded him for a moment, looking suspicious, and then shrugged.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I brought insurance," he stated, lifting his eyes. All of the men, including Jace and Sebastian, turned their heads at the sound of another vehicle approaching. It pulled up close to them, and Jace squinted, trying to see past the tinted windows and inside. Turned out, there was no need, because the driver got out and pushed the shades off his face and on top of his head, holding a gun in one hand as he walked to the back door of the car. He opened it up and reached inside, his face blank as he jerked once and then stepped out.

Dragging Clary out.

"What the fuck?!" Sebastian let out a shout and lunged forward, but there were two men at his side, grabbing both of his arms and pulling him back.

"What the fuck is she doing here?! She's not a part of this!" Jace's whole body was vibrating but he managed not to move as Clary was brought. Sebastian was straining against the two men who were holding his arm, his eyes wild, and watching as Clary was brought to stand directly in front of them. She looked unharmed, but there were streaks of tears through the make up on her face, and there was a thick piece of masking tape slapped over her mouth, stopping her from making any noise. She was stopped beside Valentine, and once again, the boys were struck by how completely unlike one another the father and daughter were.

"We came here," Sebastian grinded out through his teeth. "We came here and did what you wanted. Why did you bring her?!"

"If you fucking touch her—" Jace began.

"You'll what?!" Valentine sounded as though he was loosing his temper for the first time, his voice lifting. "This is not a negotiation!" Clary flinched beside him, held still by the man who had dragged her out of the car. Jace shifted his gaze to look at her, his mouth dry as he saw how wild her eyes were.

Jace had never shot anyone before.

He had never wanted to, or even thought about it.

Not until right now.

He was feeling downright murderous, and clearly it was showing on his face, because Clary was shaking her head at him, her eyes pleading, and that was the only thing that was stopping him going for his gun. He took in a few more rough breaths, forcing himself not to reach out for Clary, not to reach out for Sebastian, and trying to focus back on what Valentine was saying. He was shouting, clearly getting angrier at their responses, or maybe lack thereof.

"—I gave you a week to think this over!" Valentine was growling, a gun now in his hand. He must have pulled it out of his holster while Jace was zoned out, trying to get himself back under control. "I gave you a week when there really wasn't a choice to be made!" His voice was raising and from the way that Meliorn's eyes were flitting from side to side, Sebastian was worried about what was going to happen next.

He was also worried about Jace and what his lover was planning on doing, because the veins in his neck were corded so tight they were sticking out and his whole body was trembling. He could feel the rage coming off the man, and with Clary standing there, shaking and scared, it felt like this situation was only seconds away from exploding out of control. It seemed as though they had done a complete switch—usually it was Sebastian who was fighting to keep himself under control, but this whole mess had flipped a switch in Jace, undoubtedly something to do with Clary being threatened.

"Listen—" Sebastian began, hoping that his voice didn't sound as furious as he felt.

"No!" Valentine practically roared. "You listen! I gave you boys a better opportunity than I give to the rest of those fuckers I've got under my belt, and I gave you an even longer time to think about it! Now, that is all to do with her!" He jabbed his gun in Clary's direction, taking a step away from Jace and toward her. Both boys flinched at the motion, and Meliorn licked his lips nervously. "And mainly that's just out of some sort of misguided fatherly affection, because in all honesty, she means more to you than to me!" He snorted, a deranged look in his eyes as he shoved the muzzle of the gun even closer to Clary's face and she flinched.

"Don't you—" Jace bit out.

"Stop thinking that you've got some kind of control over this situation!" Valentine snarled. "I have absolutely no problem with killing anyone who gets in my way, and you're all fucking aware of that! Now, you've got two options here!" His gun was wavering a little, getting ever closer to Clary's head, and the red head squeezed her eyes shut momentarily. "The first option, is the smart one and the only one where you all walk away! You join with my operation, we help expand your business, we divide the profits. The second option is where I put a bullet through each of your heads..." Sebastian's body jerked forward. "Starting with her," the gun pressed against Clary's temple viciously and the petite red head let out a squeak.

The boys saw red.

It all seemed to happen at once, and the whole this was just a mess.

Suddenly there were sirens, clearly from the DEA agents all moving in after deciding that this conversation had gone far enough. Sebastian was going to ream Hodge out for that later because the minute Clary was dragged from the car, they should have been screaming in.

Then the first gunshot went off.

And then a second one.

"Jace!" Sebastian gripped the man next to him, pulling his arm to force him to duck his head and lower his body. "Keep your head down!" His eyes spun around the group of people in front of him, where Meliorn had run toward one of the vehicles and was taking cover. The sirens were deafening, there must be at least ten cars coming toward them, wheels churning up dust and billowing clouds out behind the SUV's.

"Where the fuck is she?!" Jace shouted, letting Sebastian drag him backwards to hide against the side of one of the cars drive in by Valentine's men. Sebastian blinked, trying to see over the bonnet of the car, and there was the sound of another gunshot, a bullet pinging off of the metal of the car, and then a second one.

"You gave me up?!" Valentine's roar could be heard over the shouts from the other men, the gunshots that were going off—this time it seemed as though Meliorn was firing back at the rest of Valentine's men, clearly taking the boys side. "You're never going to walk away from this! None of you are!" There was a muffled squeal that maybe neither of the boys would have been able to hear if they were straining their eyes to hear anything from their girl. Jace looked through the window of the car they were behind, seeing Valentine walking forward and dragging Clary with him, the gun shoved to her temple.

"Clary! Clary!" Jace was screaming and lunging forward, and it felt like he couldn't get to her fast enough, his legs feeling as though they were made of lead, barely propelling him forward. His feet scrabbled at the ground to get out from behind the car.

"Jace!" Sebastian tried to grab him and pull him back before he saw what had triggered Jace, and then he was running right after the golden haired man, toward Valentine and Clary.

"You think that you can just flip on me?!" The sirens were close now, only half a minute away. That meant they were on the clock, because Valentine knew that he was almost out of time. And people did crazy things when their time was running out. Valentine was holding her in front of him, protecting himself from any thoughts the boys had of shooting directly at him. "You thought that I wasn't serious—even after all that checking up that you did on me?!" His finger was on the trigger and they weren't going to make it to him on time.

A shot went off—amongst the many others—this one ringing right by Jace's ear.

Clary's head jerked backwards and she fell to the ground.

Now, something that I wanted to ask everyone, is if you can all check out the upcoming stories on my profile, and let me know what your top three picks would be? Just so I have an idea of the ones that people are looking forward to and can focus on those :)

The things that I'm into at the moment are Charles/Erik from X-Men, the reboot trilogy, with Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Holy shit. So beautiful. Completely obsessed. And then it's like I've become re-obsessed with Derek/Stiles from Teen Wolf. The songs I've had on replay are Can't Fight This Feeling by Justin Timberlake, which I know has been completely overplayed, but it's just such a happy song, I'm totally in love! And the second one is Last Night On Earth by Delta Goodrem, which is just so sweet. And the last one is Give It Up To Me by Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole, an old one.

Right! So, I'll be back next year, pretties :) Until then, one last review? Pretty please? And I'll send out a preview :)

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all :) xxx