So sorry for the long absence. Life got in the way and this story did not get put on the back burner but I think got lost in the freezer if you know what I mean :P I will try to update more regular but make no promises. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Ariel slammed Jace into the wall for the third time. The blonde boy let out a grunt as he slid to the floor. "I give," he muttered and held up his hands in surrender. Ariel grinned with a once lost but now returned sparkle in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead quickly spun around just in time to block Alec's stick.

"That was incredible!" he said. He let the stick drop to the floor and placed his hands on his knees. "I feel totally wiped out."

"Me too," Jace agreed. Ariel reached down to help Jace off the floor.

"Let's go order some pizza. I'm starved," Jace said as he slid the finally weapon back into place on the wall of the training room.

The three sat on the couch as they scarfed down pizza. "You should come hunting with us tonight," Jace commented as he grabbed his next slice of supreme pizza.

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I'm ready." Ariel lowered her head and glanced at Jace through her long brown eyebrows. She absent-mindedly braided her still damp hair.

"Come on. If you can best both of us you can surely handle a few demons. Right, Alec?"

The dark-haired boy shrugged his shoulders, "I think Ariel would know if she's ready."

"Really," Jace rolled his eyes at his parabatai. "If we all waited until we weren't scared none of us would kill any demons." Jace turned to look at Ariel and gave her one of his large, charismatic grins. "We won't leave your side the whole time. I Promise," he added at the end while crossings his heart and giving the scouts honor.

The alley was dark as the three shadowhunters silently stood and listened for any noise that might lead them to the hive. Jace had spotted three spider demons scuttling from the sewer drain into the enterance of the alley. Jace quickly traced another sight ruin on his arm. "I still don't see anything."

"I got this," Alec said as he pressed the button on his watch gadget. It activated the sensor to track the icor traces that the demons left behind. The three walked silently to the end of the alley that stretched out onto a busy street.

"Where did they go?" Jace questioned as he stretched his hand with his witchlight between to bars of the sewage drain. As his witch light illuminated the opening of a large sewer pipe, several shapes began to scuttle into view.

"I think I found them," Jace spoke quickly as he jumped up and began to slowly back up. He motioned the others to do the same.

"Woah," Alec gasped from the gust of air that blasted his back as he nearly got ran over by a yellow taxi that sped by completely unaware of the impending danger.

Ariel spun around when she heard the same scuttling noise they had heard at the entrance of the first alley, but this sound was much louder and a much faster pace. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw a swarm of spider demons flooding out the sewer from the other side the street as well. "Guys," she whispered as she began to back up.

She jumped slightly when something touched her from behind. "Relax, we got this," came a reassuring voice as she saw both Jace and Alec charge toward the oncoming swarm.

"That's the last one," Alec exhaled as he stabbed his serif blade into the final spider demon. It made a loud hissing sound as icor began to bubble from the puncture wound. Alec turned to see Jace wiping his sword on a piece of crumpled newspaper he had picked up from the gutter. Jace slid the mostly clean sword back into its sheath on his back.

As the young shadowhunter brushed a strand of blonde hair out of his eyes, he glanced around. His brows knit together he a turned in a slow circle. "Ariel," he called. "Hey, Alec, do you see Ariel?" he called to his parabatai.

Alec stood up from picking up an arrow he had found and glance down the deserted street. "Ariel," he called as he walked to the entrance of the next alley. "I don't see her."

"Ariel!" Alec could hear Jace calling as he disappeared down the alley that they had started in. Alec crossed the street and began showering the large hedges that lined the park and calling for her as well.

He had nearly made it to the next street when he heard Jace holler, "I found her!" Alec sprinted down the alley to where he could see the faint glow of Jace's witchlight. Jace was crouched down next to a large rusted dumpster. When Alec came to a hualt and looked around the edge he saw Ariel. She was squished into the corner between the dumpster and the cement wall. One arm was wrapped around her knees. Her brown eyes were large like dinner plates. Her other hand was clasped tightly over her mouth as if to keep a scream from coming out. Her face was a pale and her hand trembled.

"Are you injured?" Jace asked gently as he scanned the scared girl for visible cuts or blood stains on her gear. She shook her head but didn't move her hand from her mouth.

"Can you stand?" inquired Alec and held out his hand to help her. She shook her head ever so slightly, and Alec saw her body tremble and noticed a small tear roll down her dirty cheek, which was streaked by many other tears that had already spilled down. "It's okay," he comforted softly as he crouched down. Jace moved out of the way as Alec gently scooped Ariel up in his arms. She slowly lifted her one hand reaching to place it on his neck as she rested her head against Alec's broad shoulder.

By the time they reached the institute Ariel had fallen asleep. Her head leaned against Jace. "I'll carry her if you can grab her sword." Jace said climbing out of the SUV then leaning back in to lift the small girl into his arms. Alec opened the door to let his parabatai through.

"How was the hunt?" Isabelle questioned from the top of the stairs. She was just pulling the towel from her freshly washed hair. She dropped the towel on the floor and rushed over when she saw Ariel in Jace's arms. "You took her with you?" she scowled at first, but her face quickly turned gentle as her looked down at the sleeping girl. "Is she okay? What happened to her?" she whispered.

"She's fine now, but I think it might have freaked her out a little." Jace shrugged as he passed Isabelle. He disappeared into Ariel's room.

"What did he mean it freaked her out a little?" Isabelle nearly hissed as she grabbed her brother's arm. Isabelle's face grew redder and seemed as if it might explode, as Alec explained to his sister what had happened. Her rampage was just about to come spewing out, when Alec pressed his finger to his lips and jerked his head to the doorway. The red receded from Isabelle's face as the two glanced in the room.

Jace was leaned over pulling the blankets up as Ariel curled into the fetal position. He gently brushed a few strands of hair from her face and whispered, "See you in the morning."

Jace ushered Alec and Isabelle out of the doorway and pulled the door mostly shut. "I think we should give her a little more time before we take her hunting again," Jace muttered as he stopped in front of the other two out in the hall.

"You think," Isabelle nearly spat out. Her dark eyes instantly widened as she stared at Jace. Her nostrils flared and her hands were tightly gripping her hips. "She better be okay for your sake, or so help me Jace…" Isabelle's finger flew in Jace's face before she flipped around so fast that her wet hair nearly whipped her brother in the face. His face wrinkled a bit as he wiped at his cheek to remove the water droplets.

Both boys stood silently staring as Isabelle bolted into her room. When the two finally turned to look at each other, Alec spoke first, "Do you think she will be okay?"

"I think she just needs a good night's sleep," Jace half whispered and nodded his head as if trying to convince himself though his look did not seem very sure.

Jace had just finished taking a shower and was climbing into bed when he jumped at the scream. He swung his door open and leaned out into the hall. He listened for any crashes that would indicate where the scream had originated, as he began to slowly creep down the hall. Another cry came but this time it was more of a whimper. He stopped in front of Ariel's door that was slightly ajar just as he had left it. "Ariel," he whispered when he heard a rustling sound.

When he got no answer, he pushed open the door. At the foot of the bed, he made out a pile of blankets. Even in the darkness he could see Ariel's arms wrestling with the tangle of blankets wrapped around her body. "Go away," she whimpered as she pulled at the sheet. "Please, I can't do this anymore."

Jace flipped on the light and hurried over to try to grab the edge and pull it loose. This only caused the blanket to tighten around the terrified girl, which made her struggle even more. Jace let go of the blanket, but then used his quick reflexes to grad Ariel. Although she struggled he held her still. "Ariel," he called to her gently. "You're having a bad dream."

After several times of calling her name she finally opened her eyes. "Where am I?" she mumbled as she blinked in the light. Her body trembled in Jace's grasp.

"Your safe at the institute. In your room."

"The demons…they were everywhere," her voice trembled as she blinked at the blankets piled around her.

"Alec and I killed them all. It was just a dream."

"No. It wasn't. I remember it all." Ariel's eyes slowly traveled around the room as her body continued to tremble.

"Just rest. You just need to go back to sleep. The demons are gone. I promise," Jace was just saying as the door quietly opened a little more.

"Is everything okay?" came Alec's groggy voice.

Ariel looked up and quietly spoke, "I don't want to go back to sleep. The demons will come again."

"You're fine," Jace tried to reassure her. She only shook her head and began to plead with him to not make her go back to sleep. "Alec can give you a ruin. It will help you relax and sleep."

Jace just finished his sentence and was glancing over toward Alec, who was pulling out his stele, when without warning Ariel flew form his arms. Jace turned to look in the direction he had felt the movement. Ariel was standing in the corner of the room. Her hands tightly gripped her sword and her eyes were wild with adrenalin. "I don't want a ruin," her voice sounded firm but yet there was also fear.

Both boys stood shoulder to shoulder. "Ariel, put down your sword," Alec said slowly. "No one is going to hurt you."

"The ruin will, just like it did before." Ariel used her left hand to pull at the collar of her shirt. Both boys cringed at the jagged iratze shaped scar.

"How did that happen?" Alec whispered.

"They did it, after the demons were gone."

Alec lowered his stele and slid it into his pocket. "You don't have to have a ruin, if you don't want one."

"I don't think she will go back to sleep if we don't give her a ruin to help her relax," Jace met the blue eyes of his parabatai.

"We'll just have to figure out something else."

"What are you going to figure out?" came a small voice from behind to two shadowhunters. Both looked back to see Max standing in the doorway with his pinstriped pajamas on.

"Ariel had a nightmare and doesn't want to go back to sleep. She won't let us give her a ruin to help her relax."

"I can read to you," Max said as he pushed passed his older brothers. "Mom always used to read to me to help me go to sleep. Would you like that?" Ariel nodded and slowly lowered her sword. Max reached out his hand to her. She reached out her own hand and took his. As the two left the room, Ariel paused to leave her sword leaning against the wall between her bed and the night stand.

"What do you think happened to her? Alec questioned as he and Jace watched Max and Ariel disappear into the room a few doors down.

"I don't know, but she seems to be remembering more. Maybe we can ask her in the morning." Jace flipped off the light and headed back to his room. Alec followed behind.

They both stopped at Max's room and peered inside. Max sat on his bed with a large book in his lap. Ariel was curled next to him with her head resting on his shoulder. Neither seemed to notice the two at the door as Max continued to read.

"Hm, who would have thought," Jace muttered as he turned to head into his own room. Alec remained at the door with his eyes closed. Images played in his mind as he listened to his little brother read. It was the same story his mom had also read to him on the nights when he was young and just couldn't fall asleep.