Here's the second one tonight ! It's 1 a.m and I had a long day so I'm going to bed^^

It would be awesome if I woke up to some review ;)

Enjoy, Lilly

Chapter Twenty-five: Time to choose, Jace Herondale

It looked like an ordinary warehouse: scrap metal and junk everywhere, smashed windows, discolored red bricks, abandoned cars some of which had been set on fire , torn up fences and a half-missing roof. Jace walked carefully but with assurance to the entry.

"Jace can you hear me?" Alec's voice burst in the earpiece.

He winced. "I can hear you fine, you don't need to shout." He said through gritted teeth, lips moving so slightly that it just looked like he was breathing through his mouth.

"Jace?" Jules' voice was much softer. "Clary's at the safe house, Jordan took her home. So focus. That goes for you too Alexander. Aline contacted the island, Magnus, Simon and your sister are all okay and very eager to come home. Save Reyna and finish Valentine and Jonathan and everyone that gets in your way."

"Copy that," Jace said and the shadow of a smile perked up on his lips.

He stepped over the threshold and into the warehouse. He spotted Reyna immediately. She was sitting on a metal chair in the center of the room, her face resting on her chest and hands tied up behind her back, the orange of the setting sun casting an oddly dark light on her bruised features through the dirt covered shattered windows of the high ceiling. She wasn't moving, and her torn shirt was covered in blood stains, most of which were probably coming from her bleeding nose but her chest was falling and rising. She was breathing. All the muscles of his body told him to run to her, but Jace knew Valentine better than anyone and since Reyna was alive and in seemingly good shape, the urgency was not as great.

"Valentine?" Jace called, looking up at the roof where a shadow had caught his eye.

"I'm all set," Alec informed him. "Good eye," he added, when Jace slightly nodded in his direction.

"Okay Jace, everyone is in place," Hodge said. "If things go south, don't play the hero and do something dumb, just call the cavalry in."

"Do you see Reyna?" Jules asked.

"Yes," he murmured. "She's fine." He heard her sigh in relief.

Valentine stepped out of the shadow then, followed by Jonathan who had a cruel smile on his lips. He was playing with what appeared to be the point of a dagger as they were approaching Jace.

"Jonathan, what a pleasure," Valentine said. "I'm glad you could join us today," he added. He slowed down near Reyna, bent down and inhaled her gray-streaked blond hair, his fingers lightly caressing the softness of it.

"Let's cut the crap, shall we?" Jace said.

"I'm going to cut the crap out of you," Jonathan replied. "And maybe I'll feed your insides to your wife."

"Jonathan," Valentine warned, straightening up. "Patience, remember?"

"Fine," he rolled his eyes.

"Do you know what this place reminds me of?" he asked Jace who shrugged. Four men entered the warehouse behind him and he could hear the riffles, guns and other automatic weapons in the heaviness of their steps.

Jace shook his head. He didn't really care. "There are five of them," Aline and Alec said at the same time. "I can only take out three," Alec added.

"It resembles the place we first met," Valentine continued. "The day I chose to trust you. Mistake I won't make again."

Two of the armed men grabbed Jace's arms. "Do you want me to take them out?" Alec asked.

Jace shook his head. "No need for your baboons to be so rough," Jace said with a sly smile. "I'm not armed."

"Copy that," Alec said.

"You're even more stupid than I thought," Jonathan said.

"One more word from you Morgenstern and I'll make you eat your teeth," Jace threatened him. "I was doing my job," he then said, turning to Valentine. "Unlike you, I still believe in something."

"You know there was a point when I wasn't looking for you because I wanted to end your miserable life, but because I wanted you and Alexander to join me," Valentine said as his goons sat Jace on a chair facing Reyna, guarded him on each sides.

"Thanks but I'm not interested," Jace said.

"The offer expired anyway," Valentine retorted. "Too bad. We would have made an excellent team."

"I like my teams on the winning side."

"Don't be too cocky," Alec scolded at Jace. "If you move about two feet forward, I think I can have them all in my line of fire."

Jace took his chair by the seat and settled closer to Valentine. "What did she find in you?" Jonathan asked, standing next to his father. "Why does she love you much?"

Jace was on him before his brain registered the movements he made to reach him. He vaguely heard valentine shot an order to his guards and the sounds of bullets shattering glass, his hands on the ground as she swiftly knocked Jonathan off balance. He broke his fall but Jace's reflexes were more acute and he heard another shatter as the strength of his feet broke the bones of Jonathan's nose. He snarled but Jace only smirked, as he turned and grabbed his neck. The pressure was hard enough so he couldn't move or struggle but not so hard that he lost consciousness.

"Move and I'll break your neck," Jace said. "Same goes if he you mention Clary."

He looked up. Five bodies were sprawled out on the ground, a clear hole in each head. "Nice job," he whispered and he swore he could hear Alec roll his eyes.

"I think you should let him go," Valentine said.

"And why would I do "

Jace froze.

Valentine was standing behind the corpses, a smile on his lips and in his dark eyes. He was holding two guns, one Alec's head. He had cut and abrasions on his face, and was leaning on his left leg, a large shard of glass protruding from the right one. The other one was-

"Clary," Jace whispered horrified.

"Shit!" Hodge exclaimed. "How is it poss- Jules?!"

"Get Jordan on the line," He heard her shout through Hodge's office. "Jace?" she called but he wasn't listening.

Clary's hair was still damp with water. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion as she stared at him.

"Let them go," he ordered. Valentine laughed.

"It's not the way it works," he answered. "You know that, don't you?" He articulated every word, feigning a sad look, the way an adult teaching a child about rules might have.

Jace loosened his hold on Jonathan who was laughing, his voice a hoarse croak. "Let my son go," Valentine ordered in turn. Jace's mind was racing. He knew he needed the leverage but this was Clary and Alec. This was his family. He couldn't take any risk.

He took a step back, releasing Jonathan. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Jonathan wiped his bloody nose with the back on a hand. He growled at Jace and punched him in the face.

"Jace!" Clary yelled.

"Shut up," Valentine snapped.

"Let them go," Jace repeated, his cheek red although it wasn't bleeding.

"You're going to have to make a choice Jace," Valentine said. "Your brother. For all intent and purposes anyway," he began and pressed the barrel of the first gun against his temple. "Or your wife."

R&R and fav' and follow, it's really easy^^