hey guys (and gals) i know it's taken me forever to add on to this, i just had more active motivation for the other story. However, FINALLY it's here for you.

I really need to thank; Omelet, paro4peace, ya, Opa12, Ivebeeninapanic, roselynne32 and zoey zink

you guys are beyond awesome. This one is for you

xxx


Jace leant against the wall, pressing the buttons on the Sensor, trying to get a gauge on any abnormal activity going on when Clary burst through the doors, an anxious look on her face.

Was she really scared I'd just leave? Jace thought then swiftly reminded himself that he didn't care.

"Your friends poetry is terrible," Jace told her to fill the silence.

Clary blinked, looking puzzled. "What?"

"I said his poetry was terrible. It sounded like he ate a dictionary and started vomiting words up at random,"

Clary's eyes flashed and Jace felt the heat on her anger as it grew. "I don't care about Eric's poetry, I want to know why you're following me,"

"Who said I was following you?"

Clary raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Nice try. And you were eaves dropping too. Do you want to tell me what this is about, or should I just call the police?"

The fact that she didn't trust him, practically accused him of stalking her pissed Jace off. "And tell them what? That invisible people are bothering you? Trust me, little girl, the police aren't going to arrest someone they can't see,"

"I told you before, my name is not 'little girl,' it's Clary," she replied through clenched teeth, the colour in her cheeks brightening her eyes to beautiful intensity; not that Jace noticed or anything.

"I know, pretty name. Like the herb clary sage. In the old days people thought eating the seeds would let you see the Fair Folk, did you know that?"

Clary glared at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about,"

God she was too intriguing, it irritated Jace, he hated puzzles."You don't know much do you? You seem to be a Mundane like any other Mundane and yet you can see me, it's a conundrum."

"What's a Mundane?"

"Someone of the human world. Someone like you," Jace replied, getting off on being superior in the knowledge of shadow hunters.

"But you're human," Clary retorted.

"I am, but I'm not like you,"

Rage burnt through Clary again and Jace forced himself to avoid those pretty eyes. "You think you're better, that's why you were laughing at us."

"I was laughing at you because declarations of love amuse me, especially when unrequited," Jace replied, still feeling bitter about that stupid mundie boy and his obsession for the fiery red head. "And because your Simon is one of the most mundane mundanes I've ever encountered. And because Hodge thought you might be dangerous, but if you are you certainly don't know it,"

"I'm dangerous?" Clary replied in stunned disbelief. "I saw you kill someone last night, I saw you drive a knife up under his ribs and-"

Clary's eyes widened in horror as she was no doubt remembering what she'd witnessed.

"I may be a killer, but at least I know what I am, can you say the same?"

"I'm an ordinary human being, just like you said. Who's Hodge?"

Ordinary? Was she insane? Did she honestly believe every mundie girl had the appeal she did?

"He's my tutor and I wouldn't be so quick to brand myself as ordinary if I were you, let me see your right hand?"

"My right hand?" Clary asked and Jace nodded in reply, tiring of the conversation and wanting to just bring her back to the Institute already.

"If I show you my right hand will you leave me alone?"

"Certainly," Jace lied, amused at her reaction when she figured out she'd be stuck with her for a while. Possibly forever. No, not forever, pull it together Jace!

Grudgingly Clary placed her pale, delicate hand in Jace's palms. Pushing aside thought of how smooth and beautiful her skin was Jace was marred with disappointment as he found no signs of any markings. How was that even possible? Unless?

"Nothing, you're not left handed are you?"

"No, why?"

Jace let her hand go and shrugged. "Most Shadow hunter children get Marked on their right hands – or left if they're left handed like I am, when they're still young. It's a permanent rune that lends an extra skill with weapons."

To prove his point, Jace showed her the back of his left hand, but Clary just stared at the hand in confusion.

"I don't see anything,"

"Let your mind relax," he suggested, wanting her to believe him, to trust him, if only to make this whole thing easier. "Wait for it to come to you. Like waiting for something to rise to the surface of water,"

"You're crazy," she told him, but Jace watched as she relaxed and her eyes went from sceptical to surprised to in awe. Blinking suddenly Clary stared up at Jace. "A tattoo?"

Jace felt satisfaction kick in; yep this was no normal girl. "I thought you could do it. And it's a Mark not a tattoo. They're runes burned into our skin."

"They make you handle weapons better?" Clary asked, in a tone that suggested she found this to be unbelievable.

"Different Marks do different things. Some are permanent but most vanish after they've been used,"

"That's why your arms aren't all inked up today, even when I concentrate?"

Definitely not just some normal girl. Jace knew he was right aboput her being special.

"That's exactly why. I knew you had the sight at least,"

Jace glanced up at the sky, damn, better get her to the Institute before Alec and Isabelle decide to come give a hand. "It's nearly dark, we should go,"

"We? I thought you were going to leave me alone,"

"I lied," Jace replied simply. "Hodge said I have to bring you to the Institute with me, he wants to talk to you."

"Why would he want to talk to me?"

"Because you know the truth now, there hasn't been a mundane who knew about us for at least a hundred years."

"About us? You mean people like you. People who believe in demons."

Jave fought back a smile at how naïve Clary was, thinking that the Shadow Hunters were like a cult, believing in things like Santa Claus and the tooth fairy, not really comprehending that this wasn't something they believed, this was something they fought.

"People who kill them. We're called shadow hunters. At least that's what we call ourselves. The down worlders have less complimentary names for us,"

"Down worlders?"

"The night children. Warlocks. The fey. Magical folk of this dimension,"

Clary shook her head and scoffed. "Don't stop there. I suppose there are also, what, vampires, werewolves and zombies?"

"Of course there are," Jace told her matter of factly. "Although you mostly find Zombies down south where the Voudun priests are."

"What about mummies, do they only hang around Egypt?"

Jace raised his eye brows at Clary's silliness. "Don't be ridiculous. No one believes in mummies,"

"They don't?"

"Of course not, look Hodge will explain all of this to you when you see him,"

Clary crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. "What if I don't want to see him?"

"That's your problem. You can come either willingly or unwillingly."

Clary looked ready to slap him. "Are you threatening to kidnap me?"

Kidnap was such an ugly word. Jace preferred to see it as, bringing Clary to her destiny.

"If you want to look at it that way, yes."

Jace waited for Clary's wrath, for her refusal, but was saved by her phone buzzing, which seemed to stun them both out of their intense conversation. The phone stopped buzzing only to start up a few seconds later.

"You can answer that if you like," Jace told Clary, affording her the kind of understanding and generosity few ever received.

Clary glared at Jace for a moment and then began to dig around in her bag for her phone, finally finding it on it's third ring.

"Mom?"

Jace watched as Clary seemed to brace herself for some kind of argument. "It's all right, Mom. I'm fine, I'm on my way home-"

Even from where Jace was standing he could hear the terror and urgency in the tone of Clary's mom through the phone. It made him start to feel anxious.

"Mom!" Clary shouted and Jace clenched his fists automatically. "Mom, are you all right?"

Jace watched as Clary paused, listening to the reply, her hand clenching the phone so tight her knuckles were going white.

"Who's found you? Mom, did you call the police? Did you-"

Clary broke off and her face was filled with so much panic Jace nearly threw her over his shoulders and ran her away, in any direction that would take her from what scared her so much.

"Mom!" Clary shrieked. "Are you there?"

"Clary," Jace said calmly, speaking for the first time. "What's going on?"

Clary ignored Jace and continued frantically dialling a number again and again and again, her panic increasing to dangerous levels and her hands beginning to shake. When she tried to dial again her hands were shaking so hard her phone slipped out of grasp and crashed onto the pavement. Clary sank to her knees to grab her phone but even Jace could tell it was broken.

"Dammit!" Tears festering in her eyes Clary threw her phone down in frustration.

Jace hated this, hated not knowing what to do. He was always good in a crisis, always the one to rely on, always the guy to make everything better; now he felt helpless, and he hated feeling helpless.

"Stop that," Jace hauled Clary to her feet and kept his hold on her wrists firm, ignoring the sparks that he felt as he touched her. "Has something happened?"

"Give me your phone," Clary ordered, grabbing Jace's sensor. "I have to-"

"It's not a phone," Jace told her, keeping his grip on her wrist. "It's a Sensor, you won't be able to use it."

"But I need to call the police!"

"Tell me what happened first," Jace kept his hold tight as Clary struggled to break free. She wasn't going to run out on him, not until he helped her, he had to help her. "I can help you,"

Jace watched as Clary's eyes flashed in anger and then without warning she lashed out and smacked him hard in the face, her nails raking down his cheeks. Surprised by the out burst and by her strength Jace jerked back, giving Clary an opening to break free and tear away.

Damn! This had gone completely wrong! Women!

Jace swept out of the alley and headed back inside, he needed to find out where she lived; because there was no way in hell he was going to allow her to get herself killed; she was his to protect her, his to keep safe and his for all time. Although, if she got herself fatally harmed tonight; he'd kill her himself.

Why do women never listen!