Hey everyone! I'm back! I (surprisingly) had time this week, given I had midterms. But I will always do my best to make time for FF! Shout outs to everyone who reviewed! It means a lot because it motivated me to keep posting this! So now I will respond to my reviews. :)

Shauna Kullden: My summary isn't that great, so I get it. If you have any suggestions on how to make it more appealing, please feel free to let me know! :) Also, yes I should've remembered that. Thank you for the correction and I'm glad you like it! :)

Guest: Thank you! I was kind of going for that. In most stories I read relationships kind of start like that and I wanted this one to be really different, so thank you for noticing!

Caitlin smith: That is my intention! Keep reviewing and I'll be more motivated to. :)

Islandgirl4evR: I needed someone to relate to Clary a little bit, and who better than Tessa?! Also, yes that was the first sign of her letting her guard down... Just wait;)

Guest: No, school is not involved here. There are some lessons thrown in (probably next chapter) but not school. So far it's in the summer! The other characters come in... some gradually, some at once. Don't worry, Simon will be making his appearance next chapter! :)

Guest: I'm flattered:) Thank you so much! Hopefully the wait wasn't too long! Enjoy!

Issi Herondale: You've read a little bit after chapter 1. Definitely all of this chapter but not all of chapter 3, so I can still surprise you a little! *insert devil face* Thanks, girly.

O-kay! So now that that's done. On with the story, and see you at the end! :) Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Recruited

Three days later, I was headed home after a late night at the gym. I had, thankfully, not run into neither Tessa nor Jace, and no one approached me. It had been a relatively peaceful and eventless day.

I had just parked my car and was walking to my apartment when someone jumped me from behind. I yelped, but the person slapped a hand over my mouth, the other arm curling around my midsection, keeping me partially immobilized. I attempted to kick out with my legs, but I didn't come in contact with anything. I opened my eyes wider, trying to get a glimpse of anything that could help me identify the person, but I came up with nothing.

And then there were other figures surrounding me; their bodies were silhouettes against the dark backdrop of my neighborhood. I slowly stilled, squinting my eyes to see if any of them looked familiar, but it was too dark to tell. I could tell, though, that there were four other people—men, by the looks of it—surrounding me.

"You can let her go now, Alec. If she agrees to not run or fight us," one of the men in the middle said. The voice was vaguely familiar. I tried to place it, but my mind was drawing a blank. I was more focused on routing my escape plan.

"What do you say, Miss Fairchild? Do you agree?" he said, almost in a mocking tone.

Trying to meet the man's gaze in the dark, I nodded. My chest was tightening from feeling so hopeless, so held down, so caught off guard… it reminded me of how he used to handle me. I fought the panic the memory brought.

"Let her go, Alec."

The man holding me, Alec, cautiously removed his hand and his hold on me, backing away. I shivered in the sudden cold when the warmth of him dissipated. I stood still for a moment, watching each of the men carefully.

"Who are you? And what do you want from me?" I demanded.

The one who spoke before raised his hands defensively. The gesture rang a distant bell. "We don't want to hurt you, Miss Fairchild, but we will if you don't wish to cooperate."

I narrowed my eyes, considering my options. All these men were taller, bulkier than I was, meaning that chances were I could outrun them. I was in fantastic shape, and with a head start, I could throw them off…

I huffed, then turned and darted to my right, slinging my purse over my shoulder and taking off like my life depended on it. I heard some groans of frustration behind me, and then light footsteps. But only one set of footsteps, quickly gaining on me.

Before I had time to react, a pair of strong hands caught hold of one of my wrists, brining me to an ungraceful halt. As I was about to turn and face him, he grabbed my other hand, twisting both my arms behind my back painfully. I tossed my head back and yelled out.

"I gave you a change, Miss Fairchild. You're very stubborn," he whispered in my arm before bringing something hard and heavy down on my temple. My world was black in a heartbeat.

I awoke with a throbbing in my head. Painful, distracting.

I was sitting in a chair, a single lightbulb above creating a dim circle of light around me. I tried to get up before realizing I was restrained to the chair and that the chair was nailed to the floor. I grunted in frustration, and the exertion pulsed in my head.

"Struggling is pointless, Miss Fairchild," a man said; the same man from earlier.

I hung my head, closing my eyes to block out the light. "What do you want from me?" I mumbled.

"You mean you don't recognize me?" the voice asked, amused.

Slowly, I raised my head—and jolted back at who stood at the edge of the circle.

"Jace!" I cried, confused and horrified.

He grinned, those damn dimples shadowing under the dim light. "Ah. I see you've finally figured it out."

I scrutinized him, and then winced in pain. This did not go unnoticed by him. His eyes flickered in concern. He stepped toward me.

"Are you alright?" he wondered, reaching his fingers out to brush my temple.

I jerked away from him; his gentle touch both disturbing me and causing more pain. "No, it hurts. Was that you who hit me?"

Jace nodded. "You weren't cooperating. I was told to."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you crazy? You could've killed me!"

He shook his head, waves bouncing slightly. "I'm fully trained. I know what I'm doing."

I snorted. "You made it sound like you're a dog."

Jace grinned. "I take it you're not mad at me?"

I turned my head away. "Of course I'm mad at you."

He sighed. "I hit you with my phone. It was in my hand, and I took advantage of the opportunity to use it."

"How do you know my name? I don't recall tell you," I snapped, ignoring his explanation.

"That's because you didn't tell me."

I glanced up at him through my eyelashes. "Then how do you know it?"

"I was assigned to you," he admitted, watching me closely. "I work for the FBI. We need to recruit new members for our team, and you were near the top of our list."

I tilted my head to the side. "How? I've managed to remain on the down-low a majority of my life."

He squatted down in front of me, requiring him to look up at me with impossibly gold and grey eyes. The color combination was striking. "We don't know much about you; just what we could pull from files here and there. You were in the foster system as a kid, adopted by a very kind and gentle woman, graduated at the top of your class in high school, and did extremely well in college. You're very smart, Miss Fairchild. Brilliant, actually. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that throughout high school and college you consistently took self-defense classes and worked out with more rigor than anyone else at such a young age."

I jutted my chin out. "You got all that from a few files here and there?"

His lips tipped up. "Not exactly. We had to do a lot of researching to find out about you, but what mainly stuck out were the rumors that went around about you here in Washington D.C."

I frowned. "Rumors? What are you talking about?"

Jace pursed his lips. "When we are in desperate need of new recruits, we generally check out gyms and places where fighters are known to go. If you do a little bit of asking around, a few tips here and there, then you've got yourself someone to look into," he explained, running his thumb across his lower lip. It momentarily distracted me. "In this case, that someone is you. You've made yourself quite well known."

Well, I thought, that is the complete opposite of what I was going for.

"I shook my head in denial. "You've got the wrong girl, Jace. I'm not someone you'd want to recruit."

He cocked his head to the side. "You're an extraordinary fighter. Brilliant, beautiful. You're a triple threat, and exactly someone this team would need. And it's under my understanding that you're still looking for a job, yes?"

I puffed my cheeks out. "How would you know that?"

He shrugged uneasily. "Let's just say my boss made sure the jobs you interviewed for didn't go through."

I made a noise of denial. "What! I worked my ass off to get those interviews! Do you know how much of a failure I felt like after them?

He lowered his gaze, making his long lashes brush the tops of his cheekbones. "I'm sorry. I just follow orders. If it's any reconciliation, all the interviewers say they were highly considering you for their jobs. Oh, and your ass is still there, in case you were wondering if you worked it all off," he added, his mood brightening a little bit.

For a moment I just stared at him in disbelief before I sat back in the chair in defeat. "It seems you've left me with no option."

"You always have options, Miss Fairchild. It's just that the one I'm offering you is the most logical one," he said.

I scrutinized him before me once again. If he was really part of the FBI…

"How can I trust you? You physically attacked me. That doesn't sound like something the FBI would do," I said.

Jace shrugged, obviously growing bored with the conversation as he rose to his full height. "You clearly have trust issues. That's up to you to get over and choose. I tried to reach out to you on multiple occasions."

I narrowed my eyes and cocked my head to the side. "What do you mean? I would hardly consider the gym—"

"I emailed you a few weeks back, offering you a job. I tried speaking with you in a bar while you were with a friend, which, might I add, you weren't allowed to be in."

I tried to think back, tried to push past the pulsing in my head, to remember. I remembered the email I received, but blew it off as some scam. And the bar he spoke of… that's right! Some guy did try to talk me up, but I wasn't interested.

I rolled my eyes, and then winced from pain. "Okay, so maybe you have. But so what? Can you blame me?"

Jace lifted a shoulder as a shrug and squatted down in front of me again. "I thought most girls liked attention from guys in bars."

"Well, I'm most certainly not most girls, I can assure you that," I retorted.

He exhaled loudly, then stood back up. "Okay, blondie, enough chit-chat. Are you in or not?"

I sighed and dropped my shoulders in defeat. "Count me in, I guess."

"Great, we'll start your training first thing tomorrow," he said smugly, reaching down to unlock my restraints. I did my best to glare a hole through him as he did so.

I rubbed my sore wrists. "I'm still pissed about what you did in the gym."

"And you've got a temper. We'll have to work on controlling that, too," he murmured, strolling toward a door, out of the spotlight. I reluctantly followed.

"I really don't like you, you know that?"

He smirked. "I sensed that. However, you're going to have to learn to like me. We'll be working quite a bit together." He opened the door, motioning me through, and into an office space. It was dark and dead silent, the only light coming from a single desk lamp across the office. Deciding not to question Jace any more, due to large part to how exhausted I was, I just followed him down the aisles between the cubicles, through another door, down three flights of stairs, and out into the cold night air. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. Jace went to drape his arm around my shoulders, but I stiffened and pulled away. Seeing his questioning look, I said:

"I don't like being touched. I told you already I had a rough upbringing," I said quietly.

His eyes flashed in remorse, but he didn't say anything else on the topic, for which I was grateful. "You know, some of the pictures we have on file for you were from your childhood. Back then, your hair was orange and curly," he stated, clearly probing but not asking.

"I needed a change, I guess," I said. It was partially true, but what I omitted is the part that I changed my hair after he found me. I started off with the bleaching of my hair, as suggested by my adoptive mother, Dorothea. After a few years of doing that I began doing straight perms, all so I couldn't be easily recognized.

I walked with Jace toward the only vehicle in the parking lot of the building we had just vacated: a shiny black SUV. Ever the gentleman, her reached for the door handle and opened the door, stepping aside to let me in the car. I gave him the smallest and briefest smile to show my gratitude at his small chivalrous gesture before he closed the door and walked to his side.

"Are you taking me home now?" I wondered as he started the car. I leaned my forehead into the cool glass of the window, a welcome feeling against my throbbing head.

"Yes. You need to rest for what you'll be doing tomorrow," he replied.

I turned to face him. "So what did I just sign myself up for?"

He gave me an adorable crooked grin, and in the passing lights from the street lamps, his dimples showed. "Why don't we discuss this tomorrow? You look exhausted, and I'm sure your head is killing you. You'll think clearer in the morning."

I glowered at him. "You're the one who hit me."

"That's because you ran when you said you wouldn't."

I huffed. "Whatever. I just want some sleep." I glanced down at the digital clock on the dash in his car. "It's one in the morning? Are you kidding me? How long was I out for?"

"About an hour. You woke up just after I got you tied down."

I bit my lip, fighting the urge to laugh. "Does that turn you on? Tying women down?"

He barked out a laugh. "You must be tired."

I leaned back into the seat, closing my eyes. Sleep instantly pulled at me. "I am," I murmured, moments before it overtook me.

I was back in that house. I was in my bed, with the same yellow sheets and patchwork quilt. Except I wasn't a little girl anymore, but a teenager. I was as old as I was the last time I had seen him. My door opened, and I huddled under the blanket, hoping it would protect me. The predator stalked toward me, dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight shining through my window.

"Tell me, Clarissa, how does it feel knowing you walked away from your mother before she could take her last breath? How does it feel knowing you turned your back on her in her time of need?" he wondered, his voice low.

"No," I croaked, pulling the quilt down just enough to tuck my chin over it. "I didn't know she was going to die. I told her to get better. I was seven years old," I said, my voice timid and higher –pitched than I remembered it being at that point in time.

"You may not have known she was going to die, but it doesn't change the fact that you left her. You left her, and came back here to be with me."

I shook my head vigorously. "No," I said again. "No, I would never do that. I hate you," I snarled, sitting up in my bed.

"No you don't. You just can't resist me. Admit it, Clarissa, admit it!" he yelled, lunging at me and pinning me down.

I thrashed my head side-to-side, trying to avoid his prying lips. I was pinned down in every way. Helpless, not in control…

I gasped, my eyes shooting open as the dream faded from my vision. Jace stood over me, and I was in my bed. My real bed. My queen sized bed, with ivory sheets and tan comforter. I was under the blankets, and I pulled them tight around me, suddenly feeling exposed.

"Are you alright?" he wondered, sitting on the edge of my bed.

I cringed away from him, my nightmare putting me on edge. "I'm fine," I rasped.

"Nightmare?"

I nodded, avoiding his gaze. "It's been a while since I've had one. Don't worry about it. I've dealt with them my whole life," I said, hoping it would get him off my back about it.

"I get it. You don't want to talk about it. You've spent your whole life being reserved and closed off from everyone and everything, and probably for good reason. That much is obvious. But if it makes you feel better, I get them too. Mine stem from memories of the past. Now get some rest. I'll be here to pick you up at eight. Dress like you would to go to the gym." He stood up and flicked off my lamp, turned, and left.

And I had never felt so alone and selfish.

My whole life I spent avoiding people at every opportunity because of my own past, my own issues, and my own fears. But I never stopped to think that maybe people who have problems, like me, could use the support from everyone possible.

Okay! So there may be some grammatical errors that my eye didn't catch, so I apologize for that ahead of time. Also, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please, let me know in a review! Any questions or thoughts are greatly appreciated and I WILL respond to them! :)

Anyway, I'll see everyone next chapter! :) Have a great week and hopefully I'll post again by the weekend!

-Caitlyn