One Hundred and Thirty One Story:

Partner In Crime

Clary POV:

"God damn it." I cursed as I got back in the squad car.

"We'll get him next time." Jace told me optimistically.

"Next time is too far away. This son of a bitch should already be in custody." I said indignantly.

"Calm down Fray. We're hot on his heels. He isn't going to last much longer, and by the looks of it, neither are you." He said and I glared at him. "What? You have bags the size of Texas under your eyes, and I haven't seen you eat a solid meal in almost a week."

"You know I prefer to snack rather than eat a full meal." I said, and he scoffed.

"That doesn't mean you can forgo on meals all together." He reprimanded. "Look Fray, you're my best friend. My PIC. I'm worried about you, and if you don't start taking care of yourself, I'm gonna tell Chief and get myself a new partner until you're back to normal."

"You wouldn't dare." I hissed.

"Oh I would." He said. "And I'll tell Jon."

"Oh, that's low. Even for you Herondale." I said.

"I refuse to lose you in the line of duty. Whether it be by bullet, malnutrition or complete lack of judgment due to sleep deprivation." He said honestly. "You need to regroup or I'll make you regroup."

"I hate you sometimes. I hope you know that." I said and he laughed.

"You love me Fray. This job wouldn't be as fun without me, and you know it." He winked and my heart started racing. If only you know how much I loved you. I said to myself.

Working with your best friend/love of your life is hard. Especially when they have no clue. Jace and I met at the Academy, and just clicked. We often knew what the other was thinking without even having to have a conversation. We were so in tune with each other, and it really helped up in the field.

Jon, my brother, was also on the force. I actually joined because of him. I always wanted to do something meaningful with my life, and what has better meaning than getting bad guys off the streets? Nothing in my opinion.

Jace and I were currently investigating a serial rapist. We were in the violent crime division, and in my opinion there is no greater crime than rape. Most people disagree with me, and that's their opinion, but I stand by my beliefs. We've been on this guy for months, and I finally thought we were going to nail his ass to the wall, but he evaded us again, and I was getting pissed.

"We're here Fray." I heard Jace say and I looked out the window and I was at my apartment.

"Thanks." I said.

"When you come in tomorrow, I expect you to be fully rested, and have eaten both dinner and breakfast. No if's ands or buts." He said.

"Yes mother." I said and he laughed.

"Tomorrow is a new day Fray." He said. "Plenty of time to catch bad guys."

"Goodnight Jace." I said. He nodded and I got out of the car and headed upstairs. When I got into my apartment, I went straight to my freezer. I pulled out a frozen meal (I can't cook, sue me) and I heated it up before changing my clothes. I should probably shower, but I had no motivation right now.

I grabbed my pills (mainly for depression and anxiety) and took them just as my meal beeped. I sat on the couch, and turned on some useless TV and ate my food. It tasted gross but I suffered through it.

Jace may be my best friend, but he didn't know everything about me. High school was a dark time for me, and I kinda checked out and gave up on myself. I started binging and purging, and I got really depressed. If Jon hadn't noticed the signs, I'd probably be dead right now, and it's still hard to handle, but I'm doing better, and that's what matters.

It also didn't help that when I get focused on a case, that's literally all I focus on. It's a bad habit, but I put myself on the back burner, and I put everything into my work. Not the healthiest way to do it, but most of the time I hardly notice, unless someone brings it up to me. Which Jace certainly did today.

After I finished my food, I went straight to bed. It wasn't even 7 yet, but I didn't want Jace to pull me off the case, which he would totally do if I didn't take care of myself, so I was going to get a good night's sleep tonight, and eat breakfast tomorrow just like he told me too. I took a sleeping pill (since I don't sleep well to begin with) and slowly exhaustion started to set in and I was floating off to dream land. I knew Jace was just being a concerned best friend/partner, but I'm a big girl, I don't need a caretaker.

Time Jump – Next Day

Jace POV:

I was in early getting some paper work done when Clary walked in. She looked better than she did last night, which meant she took my advice into consideration. She took a seat at her desk, and handed over the coffee she always brought me in the morning.

"I don't know what I'd do without you Fray." I said and she laughed.

"You'd have to get your own coffee, and god forbid you do that." She teased and I couldn't help but smile.

"It's just so much better when you deliver it." I said.

"Which reminds me. You owe me $4.75." She said.

"$4.75? What is this coffee made of? Golden grounds?" I asked and she laughed.

"Of course not. But I do charge a delivery fee." She smirked and I couldn't help but laugh.

"How about lunch on me?" I asked.

"Deal." She said and she started working. The relationship Clary and I had was one that I cherished. She understood me, and we worked incredibly well together. I don't think I could do this job without her, and I wouldn't want to even try.

"Herondale! Fray! My office, now." The Chief said.

"Shit. What do you think we did?" I asked and Clary laughed.

"I didn't do anything, you on the other hand is a whole different story." She said and I pushed her playfully. We got into the chief's office, and took our seats.

"We got an anonymous tip about the serial rapist." He said and my heart sink. "Someone saw the APB we have out on our suspect so I'm sending you two on a stakeout."

"Yes." I cheered.

"Ugh." Clary said at the same time, which caused me to laugh.

"Don't worry, you won't be in a car." The chief said.

"What will we be in than?" Clary asked.

"The place where the tip led us was a suburban neighborhood. We talked to the people who live across the street from the house, and we're putting an RV in their driveway so you can stakeout there." The chief explained.

"You mean we actually get a place with a bed and a stove?" I faked shocked.

"Don't be a smartass Herondale." The chief said. "Jon will come to check in every now and than to make sure you both are making good choices."

"I don't need my brother babysitting me chief." Clary said.

"It's not babysitting. Both of you are too stubborn for your own good. Which makes you two a great team, but sometimes it gets in the way. Jon is simply going to be a third party who cheeks in from time to time. That's all." The chief explains.

"When do we start?" I asked.

"Tomorrow." He said. "Take the rest of today to get ready." He said and we both nodded before heading out of his office.

"You ready to live with me Fray?" I asked with a smirk.

"Oh, I've been dreaming of this day my entire life." She said sarcastically.

"You're gonna love it Fray. Trust me." I winked and she just laughed. Being on stakeout was normally not all that glamorous, but I've never been on stakeout in an RV, so it should be an interesting time, that's for sure.

Time Jump – Two Weeks Later

Clary POV:

It's been a crazy two weeks living in this RV with Jace. Of course we did it seamlessly. Everything with Jace was just so natural, and I expected living together would be the same.

Jon came one a week to make sure things were going well, and of course they were. He would stay for an hour or two until he left. I liked having Jon around, it gave Jace and I time to catch up on sleep, which was something we were both lacking. Today is was down pouring, and nobody has come out of the house in two days. It has been slow, that's for sure.

"Clare." I heard and I turned around to see Jace coming out of the back room. "What are these?" He asked as he held up my pill bottles.

"Where did you find those?" I asked curiously, and a little uneasy.

"I dropped something in your stuff, and when I went to get it, these fell out." He said. "Clary, these are for depression and anxiety."

"I'm aware Jace. I am the one who has depression and anxiety." I stated.

"Why have you never told me this before?" He asked.

"Because it's embarrassing Jace." I said honestly.

"Clary, you're my best friend." He said as he sat next to me.

"I had a tough time in high school." I admitted. "But I'm getting better. I don't feel the need to relive what happened to me."

"But you're okay right?" He asked. "You aren't dependent on these right?"

"If I wasn't dependent on them, I wouldn't be taking them." I said. "They stabilize me Jace. I need them to function."

"So you aren't okay?" He asked.

"I'm normal for me. That's the best answer you'll get." I said.

"What happened Clary?" He asked again. I realized that if I didn't tell him, he'd constantly be worrying. I knew part of his curiosity was the cop in him, but the other part was just him making sure I was okay.

"My parents divorced when I was a freshman in high school." I started. "Although they filed for divorce when I was only in 5th grade." I explained. "Jon and I were used as pawns in the worst possible way."

"I'm so sorry." He said genuinely.

"I'm actually surprised you never asked why Jon and I had different last names." I said.

"I just always assumed you have two different fathers." Jace said honestly. "You don't look anything alike."

"If you saw our parents, you would see that I'm a replica of my mom, and Jon is a replica of my father." I said and he nodded. "Well, after they finally got divorced, it didn't end. My father fought for my brother, and my mom wanted me."

"That's horrible." Jace said and I nodded in agreement.

"We were separated. Went to different schools, made different friends, we had different lives." I explained. "I felt like I didn't even know my brother anymore. I got depressed, and the anxiety was crippling. I stopped taking care of myself all together."

"Why?" Jace asked innocently.

"My mom was barely around after the divorce. She worked crazy hours and I was alone most of the time. The loneliness really got to me." I said. "It makes you go mad."

"What happened?" He asked.

"I started skipping school because I couldn't get myself out of bed." I said. "I would faint randomly, and my muscles started to deteriorate." I continued. "Eventually I started binging and purging. It was the only control I had over my life for so long, and I liked it." I looked at him and he had this look in his eyes that begged me to continue. "So I figured that I might as well start going back to school because now I had something I could control." I took a deep breath. "It went on for months, hell I couldn't stop making myself throw up until I was nearly a senior in high school."

"What made you want to get better?" He finally asked.

"Jon found me." I said. "It was after a huge purge, and my body just couldn't take it anymore. He thought I was dead, so he called an ambulance and I spent a month in the hospital before I went sent to rehabilitation center for eating disorders."

"How long were you there for?" He asked.

"Until the end of senior year. I finished my school work there, and when I got out, I readjusted to life and than I joined the academy." I said. "We met and thus began our partnership."

"So these are precautionary?" He asked as he held up the bottles. I reached over and put my hand on his.

"These make me who I am today Jace." I told him honestly. "Without them, I'd be a shell of a human being. A ghost, and I wouldn't be able to do my job."

"I just want you to be okay Clary." Jace said and I couldn't help but smile.

"And I am." I told him. "As long as I keep taking my medication."

"Okay, I'll drop it. But you'll tell me if you aren't feeling right, won't you?" He asked.

"Of course Jace." I said. "You'll be the first to know." He smiled before getting up and going back into the back room. I took a deep breath. Part of me felt lighter now that I knew Jace knew, but part of me was worried that he was never going to leave me alone now, and that didn't really sit well with me. I didn't want to be treated like a wounded animal. I guess only time will tell though.

Time Jump – A Few Days Later

Jace POV:

It's been a long stakeout, but I finally saw some movement, and now things were going to get interesting. So far we only have the anonymous tip about the alleged rapist being in this home, but so far, no visual has been made. I had a feeling that was all about to change now.

"Fray! Get up here!" I called as she emerged from the bathroom.

"I just finished my shower." She said annoyed.

"I think we're about to make a bust. Sorry it's more important than a shower." I said and she was next to me in a heartbeat.

"You saw him?" She asked excitedly.

"I saw movement. And nobody has entered this house all day. I can only assume that it's him." I said confidently. I saw more movement and I decided to make the call. "Go!" I said and Clary was running out of the RV. We were both running towards the house when it blew up. Clary and I were sent flying. When I looked back at the house, it was being consumed by flames.

"Fuck!" Clary yelled. Soon everyone in the neighborhood was gathering to see what was happening, and the fire department was there rather quickly. Our department showed up and Clary and I were looked over by EMT's. Thankfully we weren't close enough to have any real damage inflicted, but being tossed on your ass is never fun.

"Everyone okay?" I heard the chief ask as he made his way onto the scene.

"We're fine chief. Our ego's may be bruised, but that's about it." I said as Clary and I approached him.

"I'm glad you two weren't in that house." He said and I nodded in agreement.

"Well, at least that bastards dead." Clary said venomously. She always took rape cases more personally than anyone I've ever met before.

"Captain Evan's, status report?" I heard a firefighter say.

"No causalities." He reported, and I think my stomach lurched.

"No causalities?" Clary reiterated. "There was a man inside there right before the place blew up!" She yelled.

"There was nobody in that house ma'am." The firefighter said.

"What do you mean? Who do you think blew up that place?" Clary yelled.

"We haven't found the source of the explosion yet." The firefighter informed us.

"This is unbelievable. He was in that house. We saw him." Clary said to me.

"We saw something. Like I said, I assumed it was him." I told her trying to be reasonable even though I was just as pissed.

"That means something should have died in that explosion." Clary said.

"He could have pulled a Home Alone move Clare." I said to her. "We have no idea if what we saw was real."

"I'm not crazy! Someone was in there!" She yelled before walking away. I went to go follow her, but Jon stopped me.

"Let her cool off for a moment." Jon said and I nodded, knowing he was right. Since the fire was now out, I decided to get a good look at the crime scene. Everything that was blasted was pretty much ruined. There were scrapes of things left, but who knows if that's enough to convict anyone. I was walking around what was meant to be the living room when I felt the floor beneath me crack. I moved, and walked over it again, and it creaked again. I bent down and removed all the ash and the carpet and found a trap door.

"Over here!" I called and people started to flock me. "Send a couple uniforms down there." I said and they nodded, Jon taking control of the search. I went to go talk to Clary. She was standing by the RV with her arms over her chest.

"Don't even try and tell me I was out of line Jace. I'm not in the mood." She said the moment I approached her.

"I was coming over to tell you that we found a trap door." I said and her face lit up. "We were right Clare. We saw someone in that house. They just escaped before blowing up the place. I was just trying to be reasonable Clary. You know in these types of situations, looking at things reasonably and logically is the right move."

"I know. But I can't shut off my emotions." She told me.

"I don't expect you too, but it would be nice if my partner didn't blow up when things don't go the way we thought." I said and she sighed.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I just want to catch this guy."

"I know you have a certain vendetta against all rapists, and I totally understand that. They are despicable human beings, but is it more personal for you?" I asked cautiously.

"In high school, a good friend of mine was raped." She admitted. "When they tried to prosecute, he got off on a technicality. She was messed up for a long time, nearly killed herself. I vowed that I would do everything in my power to make sure every rapist I came across got tried, and got jail time. Preferably for the rest of their life."

"We'll get this sick son of a bitch. I promise you that." I said and she nodded. I pulled her into a hug and she melted against me. Our bodies always did fit together quite well.

"We found something!" I heard from behind me and Clary and I made our way over.

"What do you have?" I asked as Jon made his way out of the tunnel.

"Remote control for the detonator." Jon said. "Maybe we could get prints off if he didn't use gloves."

"Send it to the lab as soon as possible." Clary said. "Put a rush on it."

"Already on it." He said and we both nodded.

"You two go home. Get a decent nights sleep, decent food, and be at the precinct tomorrow to start looking at where this guy could be." The chief said.

"Do we know where this tunnel leads too?" I asked.

"Not yet. It's a pretty long tunnel though." The chief said. As much as Clary and I didn't want to leave, we knew we needed too. Being on a stakeout was tiring, and a good nights sleep will do is both good.

Time Jump – Next Day

Clary POV:

I came in today bright eyed and bushy tailed. I got a good nights sleep, and I was working on my 3rd cup of coffee this morning. I was ready to catch this psycho and put him in jail.

Jace was already at his desk when I walked in. he always was an early bird, something I didn't understand, but that's who he was. I got to my desk, turned on my computer and saw that the fingerprints came back without a match. But that shouldn't be surprising. This serial rapist wasn't in the system, other wise we would have caught him by now.

"Detective Herondale." Jace said as he answered his phone. "And you're sure that's where he went?" He said and that spiked my curiosity. Jace jotted something down quickly. "Thank you so much." He said before hanging up.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"We have a possible ID on the suspect. You up for a ride?" He asked.

"Hell yea." I said as I grabbed my coat.

"Chief, we got a lead!" Jace called out.

"Let me know what you find." Chief said. We nodded and headed out towards Jace's car.

"So, where are we going?" I asked as we started driving.

"Upstate New York, Livingston." He said and my jaw dropped.

"Jace, that's two hours away. We don't have jurisdiction there." I said.

"I know. The police have already been alerted, but I figured if he's up there, we should be up there too." He said.

"Okay. I'll call the police department." I said as I dialed the number. The sheriff there was very nice, and said we were more than welcomed to come and help find this guy, which I was thankful for.

The rest of the car ride was spent listening to music and talking. Thankfully Jace and I were familiar with having go-bags, so we were prepared to spend as much time as possible up there until this guy was caught.

When we finally got there, I felt like my legs were numb. I wanted to hit the ground running, but this wasn't our jurisdiction, so we had to work with the Livingston Police, and I hated not being in charge, especially on a case that I've been working on for so long.

"Thanks for coming." The detective said. "I'm Detective Verlac, but you can call me Sebastian."

"I'm Jace, and this is my partner Clary." He said as we shook hands. "We're here to help in any way that we can."

"I appreciate that. We don't know much about this guy, so any help is welcomed." He said and we nodded. "Let's set you up in the conference room." We followed him and we got situated in a room, and started an evidence board. "So, what should we know about him?" Sebastian asked.

"He preys on younger women. His age range is anywhere from 17 to 25." I explained. "He does it at night, and in secluded areas. He blind folds them so they can't see his face, and he gags them so they can't scream." I continued. "The witnesses we've talked to don't have much to go on, but that he as an accent."

"What kind of accent?" Sebastian asked.

"We don't know." Jace said. "Each victim remembers it differently. Some say Russian, another girl swears it was Polish, and the others just know he wasn't American, they were too frightened to pay close attention."

"What should I tell the people of my town?" Sebastian asked.

"Tell women to not go anywhere alone. Make sure they have pepper spray, mace, knives, anything to protect themselves. If they have a big dog, take that dog with you wherever you go." I explained. "Avoid parks at night time, don't go out after dark, and if you absolutely have too, go in packs. Do not be vulnerable. This guy preys on that kind of stuff."

"My people are losing their freedom." Sebastian said.

"Look, this guy is used to the city." Jace said. "New York City has over 8 million people in it. He has more opportunities for women to be alone. Don't let the women of this town give him the satisfaction. Hopefully once he realizes that he can't do anything here, he'll leave, making himself vulnerable, and that gives us the chance to get him, and put him away forever."

"This guy is a sick twisted son of a bitch isn't he?" Sebastian asked.

"In the worst possible way." I said and he nodded.

"Okay. I'll hold a press conference this afternoon." He said before leaving the room leaving Jace and I alone.

"We'll get him Clary." Jace tried to reassure me.

"You sure about that? Because it's been months and he just keeps getting away with it." I said.

"But we're better than him." Jace said. "We're smarter. He'll mess up eventually."

"I'm not so sure about that Jace." I said honestly. "I'm going to get coffee. You want any?"

"Yea." He said and I walked out of the room to clear my head. This guy has evaded us for months. I was beginning to question our investigative skills. I don't think we are ever going to catch him, and that absolutely sucks.

Time Jump – Later That Night

Jace POV:

"Go get some sleep. Meet back here in the morning." Sebastian said to Clary and I.

"Yea Clare, we should get some sleep." I said as I yawned.

"Deal. Where is he closet motel?" Clary asked Sebastian.

"Literally right around the corner. It's called Dot's House." He said.

"Thank you." I said as we grabbed out stuff and made our way to Dot's House. We got in there, and there stood a lovely woman behind the counter.

"Well you two are new faces." She smiled brightly. "How can I help you?" She asked.

"Do you have a room available?" I asked.

"The only room I have left is our suit. Is that okay?" She asked.

"We'll take anything." Clary said and she nodded. I paid her, and she led us to our room. She handed over to key and than left. I opened the door, and the room was slightly bigger than a hotel room, but only had one bed. "I guess this is what I get for being willing to take anything." Clary said and I laughed.

"We'll survive." I said and she smiled. We made our way into the room and Clary made a beeline for the shower. I was exhausted. We had been trying to get information all day, but this guy was so good at blending in that it made it impossible to get anything from people. They simply didn't recognize him, and that was terrifying.

Since I loved getting up early, I was planning on taking a shower in the morning. I got ready for bed and got under the covers. About 15 minutes later, Clary joined me.

"You take your medication?" I asked and she laughed.

"I did." She said.

"Good." I responded and than it was quiet again. I liked to know she was taking care of herself, especially after learning about her past. She was important to me, and I wanted her to be her healthiest. I knew sometimes it annoyed her, but I was just keeping an eye out for her.

Time Jump – Next Morning

Jace POV:

I woke up holding onto something. No, someone. I opened my eyes and Clary was practically on top of me. The scent of her shampoo filling my nostrils. She was so tiny that it barely felt like I was holding onto anyone. I looked over at the clock and noticed that it was only 5 am. Now, I'm an early bird, but 5 was too early in this instance. I closed my eyes and pulled Clary even closer to me. She made some noise, which was incredibly cute, and buried her head into my chest. I waited for sleep to consume me yet again, but my mind was flooding with Clary. I don't know why, but the way we were right now was incredibly natural. Like we were meant to be sleeping next to each other, and I was meant to hold her. She shifted and turned around, and I was sad that her warmth was now not surrounding me, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me to her. We were now spooning, and I laughed to myself. I closed my eyes for a second time, this time letting the sweet scent of Clary lull me to sleep.

Time Jump – A Little Later

Clary POV:

I woke up, and I immediately heard the shower. I looked at the clock and it was only 6:45 in the morning. I rolled over, and pulled the covers up to my throat. Jace being an early bird was ridiculous, like didn't he like sleep? I was in an out of sleep, but a light sleep, so I heard when the shower turned off. I heard the door open, and I heard Jace trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Don't you value sleep?" I said groggily, which caused him to laugh.

"I do value sleep. I slept 45 minutes longer than usual." He admitted.

"Ugh. I don't wake up until at least 7:26." I said.

"7:26? That's oddly specific." He laughed.

"Well if I get up any later, I'm certainly going to be late, but if I wake up any earlier I'm twiddling my thumbs until it's time to leave. I have found 7:26 is the perfect time." I explained.

"Whatever you say Fray." He said, and I could hear the smile on his lips. His perfectly formed lips. "I'm going to grab some breakfast. When I get back, you better be awake."

"Aye aye captain." I said. He laughed, than the door opened and he was gone. I wasn't planning on going back to sleep, but I did stay in bed. I heard a vibrating noise, and when I looked over I noticed Jace forgot his phone. It stopped, so I closed my eyes, but the vibrations soon started again. Annoyed, I reached over and grabbed his phone only to see the one name I never wanted to see text him.

Kaelie: Jacey, I miss you. When are you going to call me back?

Kaelie: Come on baby, you know you can't stay away for very long.

Kaelie: Ugh. You think you're some big hot shot because you're a detective. Well listen well and listen good, I'm the best thing that ever happened to you, and if you don't call me back in the next 5 minutes, you'll never hear from me again.

Kaelie: Fuck you Jace Herondale! You just lost the best thing that's ever happened to you. Have fun being lonely forever.

Kaelie: Oh and that redheaded bitch you spend all your time with will never be able to satisfy you the way I can. I know you, every inch of you. Can she say the same?

I laughed at the last one. Jace always had the tendency to pick the wrong one-night stands. They were always super clingy and thought they were hot shit, when in reality, they were just easy. The door opened, and in walked Jace was coffee, and what I assume are doughnuts.

"Breakfast is served!" He said and I laughed.

"You mean delivered." I smiled as he handed me my coffee.

"Same thing." He said.

"You're recent conquest texted. She isn't very happy." I said and he groaned. "Seriously dude, you need to find better women, or just not give out your phone number."

"I didn't give it to her. She found it." He said which made me laugh. "Laugh at my pain, real nice Clare."

"Your fault. You slept with her." I said.

"Won't be making that mistake again." He said and I laughed.

"We should head to the station." I said as I grabbed my coffee and a doughnut.

"Sounds good." Jace said.

We got everything together and headed towards the station. This guy hasn't done anything thus far being in town, and it's slightly confusing. Why was he here in the first place? And what was his next plan of attack.

Time Jump – Later That Night

Jace POV:

"This is useless." I explained. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"No idea. But we should be glad he hasn't raped anyone." Clary pointed out.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled he hasn't assaulted anyone while being here, but it doesn't make any sense." I said and Clary sighed.

"No it doesn't, but we'll be in every single town he travels too prepared to arrest his ass. Or shot him. Which ever one comes first." She said and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Help me!" Someone yelled as she stumbled into the station. "I was just attacked."

"Ma'am, can you tell us what happened?" I asked as I slowly approached her.

"I was walking outside to get my mail, when someone grabbed me and threw me into his van." She explained.

"Did you get a good look at him?" Clary asked.

"No. But I got a good look at his van." She said. "It was a black SUV, and the license plate started with HGU." She explained. "After I fought him off, he pushed me out of the car and drove away. I ran straight here."

"That's very good." Clary said. "Why don't you go and give your statement to the officer over there." She pointed to the direction of Sebastian. The woman nodded and Clary looked at me. "You ready to get this son of a bitch?"

"Hell yea." I said and we got into the car. We went straight for the highway, thinking he was leaving this town. He wasn't getting away this time, I was going to make sure of it.

We had our police lights on and we were weaving in and out of traffic to find this plate number. There were a surprising amount of people on the road this time of night, so we had to make sure our eyes stayed peeled for the car we wanted. We were driving for a good amount of time and we still had no visual on the car.

"This seems pointless." I said.

"Don't give up just yet. He had a head start on us." Clary said. "It makes sense that we would have to drive a little before we got to him."

"What if we're going in the wrong direction?" I asked. "What than?"

"Than we put an APB out for the whole country." She said. "He can't hide forever Jace. Remember that." I turned my head for a split second to look at her, and that's when everything shifted. Literally. The car skidded on the road, and I tried to get control but before I could we were already flipping.

"Brace yourself!" I yelled at Clary. I held onto the wheel as tightly as I could until the car came to a stop, unfortunately, that had to be when the car was upside down. "Clary, you okay?" I asked.

"Yea. I'm good. You?" She asked.

"I'm good." I said as I looked around. "Can you get free?" I asked.

"Of course." Someone other than Clary said, and that's when I looked over and saw a man holding a knife to Clary's throat. "Always a pleasure Detective Herondale." He smirked. "I'll take good care of her." He said seductively.

"Clary!" I yelled and at that moment she was being pulled out of the car.

"Jace!" She screamed as she was being dragged away. "Don't let him get away!"

"I'll find you Clary!" I yelled as I pulled at my seatbelt. Damn thing was jammed. "You won't get away you son of a bitch!" I yelled.

"I think I already have." He said and than they were both gone.

"Damn it!" I yelled. My seatbelt was more than jammed, so was my wheel, right against my thighs. I heard the vague sounds of police and ambulance sirens and I knew I was going to be helped, but my mind was on Clary now, and I was scared to death for her.

Time Jump – Hours Later

Jace POV:

After I was released from the hospital, I was escorted back to the local police station in the jurisdiction the kidnapping took place. When I walked in, the chief and Jon were already there talking to the sheriff of the department.

"What do we have?" I asked when I walked over to them.

"Jace, you should be resting." The chief said.

"My partner was just kidnapped by a lunatic rapist. I'm not resting until she's brought home safely." I said.

"Chief, you aren't going to reason with him." Jon stepped in. "Plus, him and Clary have been working this case for months. He has the most knowledge on how this guy operates." He pointed out. "We need that. Clary is tough as nails, but this guy is crazy, and having Jace's knowledge might be out best bet in finding him and Clary."

"Okay, but the minute your emotions start clouding your judgment, you're done." Chief said.

"Deal." I agreed. "So, what do we have?"

"So far, we know he went South. We have him on traffic cameras, but we lost him just as he entered Pennsylvania." Jon said.

"I doubt he kept the same car. He probably switched the moment he got out of New York." I told them.

"How long does he normally keep his victims?" Jon asked and I flinched at the words.

"Can we refrain from calling Clary a victim? As far as we know all he's done is kidnap her, and knowing Clary she will kill him before she allows him to assault her." I said and they both nodded.

"But do you have a time period?" The chief asked.

"This guy keeps his…..the women for two days. Than he disposes of them on the side of the road groggy, and unable to remember much of what he did to them." I explained. "But I think Clary will be different."

"How so?" Jon asked.

"For one she's a fighter." I said. "He also went out of his way to abduct her. He wants her, probably for leverage, probably for revenge, but I think he just got a whole lot more complicated for us."

"First we need to find out where he's going. Once we figure that out, we nail his ass to the wall." Jon said and I nodded in agreement. "Let's get to work boys." We all started calling every police agency in Pennsylvania to make sure they knew who we were looking for. We told them about Clary, and this guys history. Every police force in the country was going to be on look out for him, and we weren't going to stop until Clary was home.

Time Jump – Two Days Later

Jace POV:

"God damn it. We have nothing!" I yelled as I slammed my hands on the table.

"Jace, we're getting closer." Jon tried to assure me.

"This is the third country police department we've travelled to with possible sightings, but we have nothing Jon. Nothing! When are we actually going to get good fucking intell?" I yelled.

"You need to calm the fuck down Jace, before chief pulls you off the case." Jon said in an alarmingly calm tone.

"Clary is missing Jonathan. And we aren't doing a damn thing to help her." I hissed.

"Get your ass in the conference room. Now." He said and I huffed before following his instructions. I knew a calm Jonathan, was a dangerous Jonathan, so the best thing to do is listen. Once he closed the door, he turned towards me. "Listen, I know she's fucking missing. She is my little sister. I'm supposed to protect her." He said and I sighed. "But out in the field you're the one who has her six, and it fucking sucks that she was put in this situation, but you need to pull your head out of your ass and look at this from a detectives point of view." He said and I nodded in agreement. He was right, that's the only way to help Clary.

"You're right, and I know I've been hot headed lately, I just want her safe." I admitted.

"Dude, I get it." He said. "But just because you're in love with her, doesn't mean you have reason to lose it."

"Love? What – I don't know what you mean." I said completely dumbfounded by his accusation.

"Oh please." He scoffed. "You wouldn't be freaking out like this if there wasn't something there. Sure, she's your partner, and that's a very special bond in and of itself, but there is more there. I can see it in your eyes when chief talks about her as a victim. She means more to you than you think she does."

"She's my best friend." I said completely ignoring what Jon just said.

"Sometimes those are the best foundations for relationships." He said and I just looked at him. "Look, compose yourself and than meet me out there." He said and than he left. I stood there for a few minutes, I couldn't be in love with Clary and not even notice it, could I?

Clary POV:

I've been getting man handled by this creep for two days, and I didn't like it one bit. Whether it was him dragging me out of the car into a creepy motel, or threatening to hurt me, he made a point to make sure I knew he could truly hurt me or assault me whenever he wanted to, and as much as I hated being man handled, being hurt, or raped was something I don't think I would recover from well.

The strange thing about this is that this didn't fit into his MO. He wasn't just a kidnapper. He was a rapist, so why was he just holding me? What was his end goal with me? If it wasn't to rape me, what could he possibly want from me?

The car stopped, and I couldn't see anything out of the windows, so I had no idea where we were. When the door finally opened, I noticed we were in a parking lot. It didn't seem like a motel, so I really had no idea what his intentions were with me. All I knew was that I had to get away, or try and find a way for Jace to know I'm okay.

"Listen, your hair is basically my death sentence, and I don't have time or patience to wait for your hair to dye, so we're getting a wig." He explained. "I don't trust you out here alone, so you have to come with me, but say anything suspicious, and you'll wish you weren't alive." He hissed. He unwrapped my hands, pulled me out of the van, and threw his arm over my shoulder in a possessive way. This might be my only chance to tell someone what's going on, but I would have to be careful. I didn't want him to find out.

When we walked into the wig shop, I was actually really surprised at how crowded it was. I've never been in a wig shop before, so I had no idea how much of a commodity wigs actually were. I was being dragged to a certain part of the store, and nobody even batted an eyelash at this behavior. I guess it could be perceived as a boyfriend and a girlfriend who just really like each other so it wasn't that suspicious. I forgot that not everyone looks at things the way I do. I'm a skeptic, but it comes with the job.

"Can I help you with anything?" I heard from behind us and I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Oh darling, I didn't mean to scare you."

"She's just a jumpy person by nature. Isn't that right babe?" He said and I wanted to throw up.

"Yea. Just naturally jumpy." I said.

"Well, if you need anything, just let me know." She said sweetly before walking away.

"Just act fucking normal." He hissed in my ear. "Now, we're going to split up for a few moments like a normal couple would in this situation, but if you run, the people in this store will be in danger, and you don't want that, do you?" He asked and I shook my head. "Good. Now behave." He said before he walked away.

I started looking at the wigs and I noticed that when people were bringing them up, they were bringing the Styrofoam heads with them. That's when I remembered that I had a pen in my pocket. I grabbed it, grabbed a black bob wig and started writing on the Styrofoam head what I needed the cashier to know.

"You find anything?" I heard from the next row over.

"Uh, yea. I got one." I said as I placed the wig back on the head. I made my way to him and smiled. I hated having to act like I liked this bastard. "I like this one. I always wanted to see what I would look like with black hair." I said and he nodded.

"Than lets go." He said and I nodded. We walked up to the cashier and I put the head down facing her so he wouldn't see the writing when she took the wig off.

"Will that be all?" She asked as she grabbed the wig.

"Uh yea, can you hurry up we're in a rush?" He said as he looked around. When his head was turned I looked at the woman and mouthed 'look at the head'. She took the wig off, and her eyes widened. She looked back up at me, but I couldn't do anything because he was paying attention now. "What's wrong?" He hissed at the woman.

"Nothing, I was just trying to see what this would look like on her." She said as she grabbed the wig and put the head under the counter immediately. "That will be $75 please."

"Here." He said as he threw $80 on the counter. He snatched the bag and grabbed my arm and rushed us out of the store. I looked back and say the woman looking at me with worried eyes. I mouthed 'thank you' to her and we were gone. I was tied back up and thrown in the back of the van. I couldn't only hope now that Jace got my message, and came as soon as he could.

Jace POV:

I felt like we had absolutely nothing. There wasn't anything that we could use, and I was getting more and more frustrated by the day. My phone started ringing, and so much of me wanted to throw it off a bridge with how much false information I was getting, but I was holding out little hope for something decent to come through.

"Detective Herondale speaking." I said when I answered it.

"Hi, my name is Pam, and I think I just found your partner." She said.

"How?" I asked completely shocked.

"She just came into my wig shop with a guy. She didn't seem scared, but he seemed paranoid. They bought a black bob wig and left." She explained and I started writing these details down. "She wrote on the Styrofoam head that I should call you and tell you."

"She's a freaking genius." I laughed into the phone.

"She's a smart girl. If I was in her shoes, I wouldn't be able to be so brave. She also wrote that the car she is in is white, and looks more like a moving van than a car." She said and I wrote that down.

"Where are you exactly?" I asked.

"Philadelphia." She said and I nodded.

"Thank you so much." I said.

"I hope you find her detective." She said and we hung up. I ran to Jon and the chief feeling better than I have in days.

"I have a tip. I good tip." I said and they turned around.

"From where?" Jon asked.

"Philadelphia." I said. "They just went into a wig shop and bought a black bob wig. Whatever that means. She also said she's in a moving van, not a regular car."

"Alright, let's go." Jon said and we nodded. We got in the car and headed towards Philadelphia. Hopefully he hasn't left yet, and hopefully he doesn't know Clary informed us of this new information.

Time Jump – Next Day

Clary POV:

We haven't moved out of Philadelphia yet. He seemed set on staying for a few days, and I didn't understand why. All I hoped for was that Jace got my messaged, and found me quick.

We were in a house that looked like it hasn't been lived in for years. The furniture was covered in dust, and some of the windows were boarded up. Everything was out of date, which led me to believe this place really hasn't been lived in in a long time.

My kidnapper, tied me to a chair in the living room, and left me there. He gave me nothing to eat or drink, and barely talked to me. I didn't understand. This was making no sense to me. He wasn't someone to hold onto someone for this long, and it definitely wasn't in his character to not rape one of his conquests. So what the hell was this guy waiting for? And why was I so important to him all of the sudden?

Being kidnapped was only part of my problem though. I haven't taken my medication in over a month, and I could feel myself slipping back into that destructive and self-hating mindset. It was getting worse and worse by the day. I knew if I was ever rescued, I was going to take some time to get back to who I was before, and I was slightly terrified about that journey. It was hard the first time, and I had a feeling this time wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

It was dark. Probably the middle of the night, I was losing all sense of time by now. I was exhausted, but I tried to not sleep as much as I could. I wanted to be awake in case anything happened, but I could feel the exhaustion hitting me like a freight train, and all I could do was hope that Jace was close to finding me. As my eyes started to close, I heard the door open. I wanted nothing more than to stay awake, but I just couldn't do it anymore. As the darkness took me over, I was scared to death at what he would do to my unconscious body.

Jace POV:

According to the information we've gotten, Clary was still in Philadelphia and I was feeling slightly more optimistic about finding her. It was late, but nobody was going home until this guy was caught, and Clary was home safely. I was looking at possible places where he could be hiding them out in when the phone rang.

"Detective Herondale speaking." I said when I picked it up.

"Hi, my name is Callie, and I think I know where this rapist and your partner are hiding." She said and my heart started racing.

"Where is that?" I asked trying to keep my cool.

"This old abandoned house on the corner of Castle Avenue." She said. "I knew the family growing up, but nobody's lived there for years." She explained. "I can't be 100% certain, but I think the guy you've been looking for is the son."

"What's his name?" I asked. Considering we had no information about him other than a picture, a name would be greatly appreciated.

"Axel Mortmain." She said. "He was a really strange child, and a pretty troubled upbringing."

"Thank you so much for the information Callie." I said and we hung up. "Boys, we have a great lead!" I yelled to the station.

"Where too?" Jon asked.

"An abandoned house on Castle Avenue." I said. "Let's go." We all grabbed our guns and badges, and got into cars and headed towards the house. We were going to get Clary back that was for certain.

We pulled up to the house and there was a car in the driveway. The place looked like something out of a haunted house. We made our way slowly inside inspecting all the rooms. There didn't seem to be signs of anyone. As I made my way into the next room, that's when I nearly lost it. There sat Clary, tied to a chair, unconscious, and our guy passed out on the couch. I holstered my weapon and ran over to Clary.

"Clary?" I asked but she didn't respond. "Clary." I said again as I began to shake her. "In here!" I yelled, and that's when the rest of the squad came in. "He's on the couch, and call a bus. We need to get her to a hospital." I said and they sprung into action. "Come on Clary, I need you to wake up." I said as I began untying her. She began to stir, and I was thankful that she was waking up. "Help is almost here Clary." I said and her eyes opened and locked with mine.

"Jace?" She questioned.

"Yea, it's me. Everything is going to be okay." She gave me a sad smile before I lost her yet again. I heard the sirens and the moment they put her on the gurney, and loaded her into the ambulance, I finally felt at peace. We caught the son of a bitch, and Clary was safe, and going to be taken care of.

Time Jump – Hours Later

Clary POV:

The first thing I felt when I woke up was warmth. I opened my eyes and I saw that I was in the hospital. As I took in my surroundings, I saw Jon fast asleep on the couch in the room, and I saw Jace in a chair next to my bed. I couldn't stop but smile as I ran my fingers through his golden hair. He started to stir and he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Clary?" He questioned and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hi Jace." I said and I couldn't help but stare at his bright white smile.

"Oh my god." He said as he sat on the bed and hugged me. "You scared me half to death."

"That makes two of us. I was scared half to death." I said.

"You are a fucking genius Clary. That Styrofoam head? Like, who thinks like that?" He said and I smiled.

"It was the only thing I could do. I had no idea where I was, and I knew he wasn't going to bring me anywhere else. It was now or never in that moment." I explained.

"Well, it was amazing." Jace said and I smiled. "I'm so glad you're safe Clary."

"I didn't think I was going to make it out alive." I finally confessed as the tears started streaming. "I thought he was going to kill me."

"I will never let anything happen to you. I fucking promise you that." Jace said and I nodded, not trusting my voice anymore.

"Where is Jon?" I asked after I controlled my emotions.

"He spent the night last night, so I took over this shift." Jace said and I couldn't help but smile. "I'll let him get a few hours of sleep before I tell him you're awake."

"Thanks." I said and he nodded.

"So, Jon and I have been talking, and we both think it would be better if you weren't left alone. For a little while that is." Jace explained. "But we figured you'd want to be back in you bed, so I offered to stay with you for a couple weeks. If that's okay with you."

"Okay. That sounds reasonable." I admitted.

"Especially because you've been off your meds, and it will take some time for you to get used to taking them again." Jace said.

"Wow. You've been doing your research." I laughed and he smiled.

"I wanted to make sure I was prepared for staying with you. I know I'm not your caretaker, but you mean the world to me, and I want to make sure you're okay." He said, and I started crying. "Oh shit, what did I say wrong?" He asked.

"No, you said everything right." I reassured him. "It's just really amazing to hear you say that, and to see how much you care." I told him.

"Of course I care Clare." He said. "You're everything to me."

"Jace." I said, but that was about all that came out.

"I learned a lot while you were away." Jace said. "About myself, and about our dynamic."

"What's wrong with our dynamic?" I asked a little worried.

"Nothing is wrong per say, but I would like to make a few modifications." He said.

"Okay, like what?" I asked because I thought everything was great between us, although I have been gone for a little.

"For one, I'm in love with you." He flat out said.

"Wow. Talk about going for it." I said because to be honest, I'm completely shocked.

"If you don't feel the same way, I'll understand, but I needed to get that off my chest, and if you do feel the same way, I would really like to take you out on a date." Jace said.

"You stupid idiot." I laughed. "I can't believe you haven't noticed in all the years we've been friends."

"Wait, so you love me too?" He asked.

"For so long." I admitted. "I knew one day I would either have to own up to it, or let it go."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't let it go." Jace laughed. "Losing you is something I never want to do again." I reached out and took his hand in mine.

"You'll never lose me." I told him honestly. "You're everything to me."

"I love you so much Clary, and I'm incredibly happy you're home." He said and I couldn't help but smile.

"I love you too." I said, and I couldn't believe this was happening. Jace had the biggest smile on his face as he leaned up and pressed his lips to mine. "I could get used to that." I said when he pulled away.

"I could definitely get used to that." Jace said and I giggled. Like an elementary school girl. He took a seat on the bed with me and I leaned into his side. The future looked damn bright.

Time Jump – One Year Later

Jace POV:

Getting into work today was hard. The weekend was a huge party for Jon's birthday, and waking up early to get here on time was a struggle. But we were getting three new members of the team today, so that was always exciting.

"Large coffee with three scoops of sugar and a teaspoon of half and half." Clary said as she walked over to me. I grabbed the cup and gave her a light kiss.

"You know me too well babe." I said and she smiled.

"After all these years, I better know your coffee order." She said as she took a seat. "Did the chief say when the new guys were coming in?" She asked.

"Nope. I just got here five minutes before you." I told her.

"You left fifteen minutes before me this morning. How did you just get here?" She teased as she hit my arm playfully.

"A kid fell on her bike and she was crying and nobody was paying her any attention, so I helped her out." I said as I took a sip of my steaming beverage.

"You're too kind Jonathan Herondale." Clary said and I was about to reply when the chief walked in.

"Glad to see you all survived the weekend." He said with a smile. "Now, these are three newest members, so show them the ropes." He explained and we all nodded. "Okay, Jace, your new partner is going to be Alexander Lightwood. Background in undercover, but he wants to focus on violent crimes."

"My pleasure chief." I said as Alexander made his way to me.

"I prefer Alec if you don't mind." He said as we shook hands.

"Understandable." I said and he nodded.

"Clary, this is Isabelle Lightwood, she'll be joining you in the sex crimes division." The chief said. "Her background is in child prostitution and trafficking, so she has a good understanding."

"Sounds like a plan chief." Clary said as Isabelle made her way over to her.

"I much prefer being called Izzy." She said as she went right in for the hug.

"Of course. I know I should be showing you the ropes, but I've only been in sex crimes for a couple months, so you might be teaching me a few things." She laughed.

"Of course. Anything to get these bastards off the streets." She smiled and Clary nodded.

"And last but not least, Simon Lewis. He's in cyber crime, so he'll be mainly with you Jon." The chief said.

"You got it boss." Jon said as Simon made his way over to him. "You have any special nicknames?" Jon asked and the kid just laughed and shook his head.

"You all have plenty of cases to work on, so get to work." The chief said and we all nodded.

"So, were you two ever partners?" I asked Alec as I pointed to his sister.

"When we first started we were." Izzy answered for him. "We already knew each other, and it was just simple patrols, but as we got higher up, they thought it would be a conflict of interest. So when we decided to move to a bigger city, we saw that there were two offers here for two different partnerships and jumped at the opportunity. We've always wanted to live in New York."

"Plus the pay is better." Alec chimed in which made me laugh. "So, what happened to your old partners?" He asked Clary and I.

"Oh, he chief split us up." Clary said as she motioned between the two of us.

"Why is that?" Izzy asked.

"Conflict of interest." I said vaguely.

"Bad blood?" Izzy asked curiously.

"No, he just didn't think husband and wife should work together. Things tend to get heated when he doesn't listen to me." Clary laughed.

"Uh, you hate admitting I'm right. That's our problem." I countered.

"And when are you ever right?" Clary said back.

"Stop bickering like children. It's annoying." Jon said as he joined the group.

"Shut up Jon." Clary said with a laugh. "Now, this is my brother."

"I don't see it." Izzy said and I smiled.

"Nobody ever does." Clary smiled.

"So, how long have you two been married?" Alec asked.

"A little over two months." Clary said.

"Where did you go on your honeymoon?" Izzy asked.

"We haven't yet." I explained. "We decided to wait until Christmas to go on our honeymoon. We want a vacation away from snow, and Clary has always wanted to go somewhere tropical."

"Where are you going?" Izzy asked excitedly.

"We're going to Spain!" Clary said excitedly. "I've always wanted to go."

"It sounds amazing." Izzy said with a smile.

"I sure hope so. It's costing me an arm and a leg." I said and Clary just laughed.

"You act like you don't have a nice trust fund." Clary pushed.

"Okay, so maybe not an arm and a leg, but definitely a pinky." I said and Clary laughed as she put her arms around my waist.

"I'll reward you ten fold." She said with a seductive grin.

"Ugh, please don't talk like that in front of me." Jon gagged.

"We're married, we're allowed to talk about our sex life." Clary said and that caused Jon to gag even more.

"Not at work." Jon said.

"Speaking of work." I said. "We got a pretty crazy case this morning, you up for the challenge Lightwood?" I asked.

"Hell yea." Alec said with a smile.

"Cool, so I'll see you at home?" I said to Clary.

"Of course. We have to go track down a guy who is sending out child porn anyway." Clary said.

"Be careful out there?" I asked and she smiled.

"Always." Clary said as I pressed my lips to hers.

"You'll take care of her, right?" I asked Izzy. "She's always been my partner, and giving her away is pretty tough." I admitted and they both laughed a little.

"Don't worry, she's in good hands." Izzy smiled.

"Good. I love you." I said to Clary and she smiled.

"I love you too." She said, and before she walked completely away she turned around. "Oh and don't worry, you'll always be my partner in crime."

Authors Note:

Wow. Okay, so I've been bad. I know that, but like I said, I'm so not motivated, and I'm sick, so the motivation is way down. But I have tried my hardest to finish something, and here it is. Also, if you're wondering why the number has changed, I deleted the authors notes! All the stories are still there!

Also, I have come to the conclusion that I am going to end these one shots at two hundred. I have enjoyed writing them so much, but I feel as though it is coming to and end. I still have a long way to go, but giving you that news now, gives you all time to soak it in. Let me know what you think, and I'll get another one to you hopefully soon, but I don't want you to hold your breath, it might take a lot longer to get them out with how much I've been struggling lately.