Jace woke the following morning to the bed empty. Clary had left through the night, just like she said she would. Feeling a little disappointed but he supposed she had things to do with her mom. He couldn't have her all the time to himself. Throwing the covers back on the bed, he stretched out. Looking around the room he spotted the mess they had made the night before. The white fur rug bringing back many welcome memories , perhaps he would keep that in here. Or when he moved out of the institute it could go in the lounge room of his new house. Wherever it was, it was a nice reminder of how hot last night had been.
Stripping off his pyjama's and stepping into the shower he noticed he was must have been enjoying the memory of last night more than he realised. He was rock hard, Dammitt. He thought to himself, why did Clary have to leave. It would have been much more fun to have her with him. Turning the water on cold he tried to focus his attention to something else. Anything else. Dipping his head back, feeling the water rush over his head. The cold water hitting his body, slightly helped but not much.
After washing himself clean, he stepped out the shower, to be greeted with a message from his fiery redhead of a girlfriend.
"Jace, I think we need some time apart. You are smothering me" the text read.
Feeling slightly confused as she was the one who snuck in here last night, he dialled her to speak to her instead of this back and forth texting that would no doubt happen. Not that Clary wasn't allowed to loose interest in him, Jace just thought it seemed off, that she was affectionate last night, planned him a surprise party and they had been away together this week and it was her that initiated a lot of it. Something wasn't adding up. Her phone rang out.
Pulling on his pants, and then throwing his t-shirt on as he left his bedroom he made way down to the comm's room in the institute. Walking past many people on they way, they spoke to him but he just nodded his head in response. Surely it was just a prank she was pulling as she had to spend today away from him with her mother. She had written that letter the night before, perhaps this was her idea of funny. In the back of his mind, the thought of the threats popped up.
When he entered the comms room it was filled with people, doing their daily jobs. Checking the mundane papers for any sign of unusual attacks, following up on investigations and from what the guy in front of him was looking at holiday destinations.
"Rogers" Jace called, as he whirled around to face Jace. Switching of his computer screen as discreetly as he could.
"Whats up Jace?" he said casually.
"If you don't mind tearing yourself away from holidays spots, can you trace Clary's phone please?" Jace tried to sound calm, even though inside his mind was going a hundred miles and hour.
"Sure thing, just been looking at spots to take my girlfriend, its our anniversary this weekend" he told Jace, as he turned on his computer again and pulled up the program needed to find Clary's phone.
"Uh huh, how is the trace?"
"It seems to be taking a while, there is a problem with the tracer you had me put on her phone. Its not coming back with any where"
Alarm bells started to go off in Jace's mind. First there was a strange message from her, then now trace on her cell. "Thank you Rogers, good luck with your weekend" he responded. Already walking off before he could hear the response from Rogers.
Taking his phone out of his pocket he called Jocelyn.
"Good Morning Jace" Jocelyn spoke sleepily
"Good Morning, Is Clary there please?" he asked calmly.
"Hang on, I'll go get her. Why didn't you call her phone?"
"Ah, it doesn't appear to be switched on" he told her awkwardly.
"Ok, i'm in her room she's not in here. She might be in the shower though, shall I get her to call you after?"
"Jocelyn, I don't think she is in the shower. I called her and there was no answer on her phone, at first I thought it was turned off then I checked the tracker and its come up empty. We can't get a trace on her and she sent me this message this morning asking for space"
"Let me check my phone, I'll see if she has contacted me"
Jace heard her put the phone down, there was a gasp, then she picked up the phone again.
"'Yep, apparently she is spending the day with you. Ok I will be at the institute within 15 minutes"
"No!" Jace called. "It was the institute she was taken from, I can't trust some of the people here. I don't know who I can trust. I will meet you at your house. I'll find Izzy and Alec"
"Ok" Jocelyn hung up. Jace flung himself back up the stairs and without knocking he walked straight into Izzy's room. He was met by a shirtless Simon on top of Izzy on the bed.
"Ahem" he called as he approached the bed. "As much as you are occupied. Clary is missing"
Izzy lifted her head up from the bed. "What did you say?"
"You heard me. Get dressed. We are meeting with Jocelyn in 10 minutes. Tell no one."
Jace turned on his heel to leave the room. "Jace wait" Simon called.
Turning back to him, "Where was she taken from"
"The institute, Which is why we tell no one .We don't know who we can trust. Leave as normal and I will meet you at Jocelyn's" Jace ordered them.
After leaving Izzy and Simon, Jace left for Alec and Magnus the only other people he knew were trustworthy. Opening Alec's door, they weren't there.
"Dammit" he called, they must be at Magnus' place. Pulling out his phone he called Alec, he answered on the second ring.
"Alec, She's been taken. Will you and Magnus meet me at Jocelyn's?" Jace tried to sound firm and collected, but he knew is parabatai would be able to sense his true feelings. It was one of the down sides to their connection.
"Of course, You don't need to ask. We are on the way now"
Jace was relieved that Alec had not commented on his emotions and was glad he jumped straight into action. Not too long ago, Alec would have been annoyed at the fact that Clary was in danger. As Jace had recalled Alec and Clary had not been overly friendly to begin with. Now that Alec had Magnus though, he had changed. He knew what it would be like to loose the person who was the most important to you in the world. Having that connection with Magnus had made Alec a better person. He had always been caring but it was different now, Alec looked after his own fiercely and Clary was as much as his family as Jace was. Whoever had taken Clary would be made to pay, once they found them that is.
Roughly 15 minutes later they all stood in Jocelyn and Luke's lounge room. Jace stood arms crossed waiting for everyone to be seated. Jocelyn and Luke sat next to each other on the lounge. Magnus took the single seater with Alec perched on the arm rest and Izzy and Simon pulled over 2 dining chairs.
"Thank you for meeting us here so early. Ok, so here is what we know. Clary was taken early hours of this morning, her phone has been switched off and is untraceable. Before being switched off, I received a message as did Jocelyn" he inclined his head over to her.
"What did the message say? Does it give us any indication of her location?" Alec enquired.
"Obviously not" was what Jace was about to respond, but decided against it as they were trying to help,. Instead he went with.
"No, it said she wanted space from me and to Jocelyn it said she was spending the day with me. I think it was a way to try give her captors a day or so ahead of us"
"But it didn't work, you noticed her gone." Simon added.
Jace nodded and was about to speak but Luke had something to say.
"How was she taken from the institute? She came back here with us, are you certain that is where she was taken from. I might be able to track a scent from the abduction point, but I need to know where"
Looking akward, Jace responded. "She came back to the institute late last night"
"Did she leave something there?" Jocelyn asked.
"She had a birthday present to give me"
Magnus tried to hide a smile, and Jace was relieved he hadn't spoken aloud. He obviously knew what the gift was.
Luke rolled his eye's. "Right well I hope it was worth it, in the meantime I will go down to the institute and try to catch a scent. Jocelyn, are you coming with me?"
She nodded and they left soon after. Magnus got up and signalled Jace to the other room. Jace followed.
"I know why she came back last night, and I'm guessing it was so good you slept right through her leaving?" Jace nodded. "Ok, well I also know what she gave you. Why have you not used the watch she gave you to track her? It was mainly so she could sneak in to see you in the middle of the night, but it will take you to her."
"Why didn't you say anything to everyone else?"
" I assumed you wanted to keep your little ah, how can I put this. Sex portal to yourselves?" he laughed. "But I am happy to fill them in?"
Jace smiled in reply. "Yes I would have wanted to keep in between us but I think I might need to tell them now. Its unfair for you to keep this from Alec. Besides it could be the way we find her."
The two of them walked back into the lounge. "Well we have a way to find biscuit" Magnus beamed.
"Your kidding?" Alec questioned them.
"No, for my birthday. Clary had a portal made. Ah Magnus I don't remember how it works, can you explain it?"
"I imagine you had more on your mind. But yes I can. Clary and Jace both have two pieces of Portal Gem. They are embedded in a bracelet for Clary, and Jace's watch. Clary created a rune so she could portal to Jace and him to her whenever they wanted. "
"Magnus your not serious?" Alex asked.
"I am. She asked, she had done all the research and I did was the fine tuning."
"Ok, so how does it work? Can we use it to find her?" Izzy asked them all.
Magnus continued speaking and explained how it worked.
"So she has to be wearing it?" Jace asked
Magnus nodded. " So as we don't know when she has the bracelet on we will need to try all the time to establish a connection . Where is the watch now?"
"On my bedside table. I will go get it, then by the time I get back we should have some more answers."
Jace left the house and walked back towards the institute. How could he have been so careless. He knew full well that there was a threat against Clary. They had been too wrapped up in each other last night to even consider the alternatives. Never wanting to see a piece of jewellery as much before he couldn't wait to get back and put the watch on. He just hoped that she had the bracelet on, for if she didn't they would have to hope that Luke was able to pick up a scent.