Hey :D
Thanks so much to Zoey Zink and Elena for taking the time to read and review. Means a lot, really. Only a short one this time but hopefully still good :D
This chapter is for you two.
xxx
"Jace! You allowed a mundane to see you?" Hodge asked in outrage.
Jace sighed. "I didn't allow anything, she just saw us. It wasn't like i walked up to her and said 'hey babe, would you like to see me gut a demon?' as far as I know Hodge, that doesn't turn girls on."
"Is this a joke to you?"
"Not at all, impressing girls is very serious to me."
Hodge smacked his hand on the table. "Jace! You are not listening, she could be in league with demons, she could be in danger, she could be anything. You almost got yourself killed for the distraction, this must not be allowed to happen ever, ever again!"
"In all fairness Hodge, she seemed pretty unimportant to me," Alec said, always Jace's saviour.
"You should have let me take care of her," Isabelle added, always the ruthless one, doing what needed to be done without question.
"Isabelle, there is no need for that," Hodge said hastily.
"If you're so concerned, I'll bring her back here for you to talk to her," Jace told him calmly.
"Well, it would be good to find out more about this girl, but perhaps I should go, from what you have told me, she thinks you're all some murderous vigilantes."
"No, I'll go," Jace pressed. "She's going to want to see a familiar face."
"And you think yours is going to make her feel better?" Isabella asked sarcastically.
Jace smirked at her. "I have a way with women Isabelle, and unlike you, I didn't even consider 'taking care of her', probably because I don't find her a threat."
Isabelle grit her teeth and turned away.
"She could still be a threat though," Alec argued. "I'll come with you for back up."
"Back up?" Jace laughed. "Alec wasn't it you that said she was nothing of importance? That there was nothing special about her, she was just a stupid mundie? I think I'm better off going alone, unless you think she has a killer hamster stored away I should be careful about?"
Alec blushed and began muttering under his breath, Jace turned away from his best friend and looked up at Hodge's wear face expectantly.
"I'm not so sure Jace, how do you know she isn't going to just make a scene and run away from you? We don't need any unwanted attention."
"Because I have a feeling about her, she is going to be curious, have questions, questions only I can give her answers too, she's going to come willingly, she just needs me to show her where to go."
"And how do you expect to find her?" Hodge asked.
"Easy. Give me until tomorrow night, I'll find her," Jace told him confidently and for some reason he actually believed it was true, he had no idea how, but he knew he was going to find her, that some part of him would be drawn to her.
"I don't see why you won't allow the others to go with you," Hodge pressed, raising an eyebrow. "Why is it so important that you go alone?"
What the hell was Jace supposed to say to that? It was destiny? Yeah right, Jace tried to avoid getting sucked into stuff like that, there wasn't a thing such a chance or destiny, there was what you made of everything yourself.
"I'm going, with or without your permission," Jace told Hodge firmly. "I would prefer to have your permission so I'm not grounded when Maryse and Rpbert get back, but either way I will go and I will find her."
"And if she isn't anyone of importance? You will leave it be?"
Jace felt his insides grow cold, then immediately warm up again. "Of course," he told Hodge smoothly, because he knew she was important, he just wasn't aware of just how much.
"Very well, you have two days to bring her here Jace,"
"But-" Ale began but Jace cut over him.
"Alone?"
Hodge sighed. "Yes alone, but any repercussions that occur if something goes wrong are yours and yours alone to bear."
Jace grinned cockily. Nothing was going to go wrong. "You got it."
"I suggest you all get cleaned up and have a good nights sleep, you all look like you could use it, and I know I for one could use some sleep too."
Jace saluted Hodge mockingly and skipped off to his room, he wasn't tired at all and he doubt he was going to get any sleep, if he did it was going to be of the mysterious red head, she was a puzzle he was just dying to figure out.
Strong hands yanked him out of his thoughts, back to reality and against a wall.
"What do you think you're doing?" Alec hissed.
Jace stared into those bright blue eyes and saw more than Alec intended to show. "I'm about to drop you on your ass if you don't let go of me Alec."
Alec immediately loosened his hold but kept his hands just resting on Jace's wrists. "You need to take me with you, we don't ever go anywhere without each other."
"He's right," Isabelle added. "We're a team."
Jace rolled his eyes. Great, just what he needed the Lightwood guilt and employ strategy.
Lucky he'd developed his own defences. "I thought I made myself clear. I am going alone. There is no danger, and no need for either of you to come. Alec will just bore her to death with his lectures on morales and how it is rude for one to interrupt a hunt and Isabelle is just going to intimidate the poor girl because you don't like sharing. I, however, will be charming and ease her into this. You two expect her to run before she can walk."
"And what are you going to do?" Alec spat. "Carry her so she doesn't need to learn either."
Jace grinned. "I do like a damsel in distress, although something tells me this one isn't going to let me be the hero."
"I still think you should-"
"That's enough!" Jace snapped and they both shut their mouths. "We need her, we need to find out who or what she is and it's been decided that I will bring her back. I'm in no mood for your little arguments and ambush so how about you write down all your complaints and slip them under my door, I'm sure I'll get to them eventually."
Alec had completely stepped away from Jace now, a heart broken look of confusion on his face, whilst Isabelle had a hand resting protectively on her brother's shoulders.
Happy little family, One that Jace was never really a part of, just an observer behind the glass, as close as anyone could ever get.
"Why is this so important to you?" Alec whispered.
"I don't know," Jace replied as he walked away. "Maybe I like a challenge."
He was lying and they all knew it.
Jace lay in bed, mind racing a million miles an hour, trying to figure what the hell had come over him. This wasn't like him, he usually wanted girls then that was it, and it was never to this degree. He couldn't get her out of his head, every detail swirled around. From her deep red hair to her pretty eyes and fiery attitude, she was an enigma to Jace, she was nothing like any other girl he'd ever met. God what was wrong with him? Why was he obsessing like some little school girl, he barely even knew the girl! Maybe he just needed to find her, ride this thing out and then it would be all over. He was Jace Wayland, he didn't care, he didn't open up and he certainly didn't love.
No, tomorrow he would find this girl, he would do what he had to do and then he would move on, because that's all he's ever known. That's what kept him safe.
