At last, it's chapter 12. I really like this chapter. I know I need to go into further detail with this one, but that's what chapter 13 is for. All the relationships are going to get more intense and are going to build as the story goes on. Don't judge me just yet. I'm trying to build from this point on. Please enjoy and review!

The gang of shadow hunters have decided it's time for a break. Knowing there won't be one for a while they head of to a club where things get heated very quickly. How will Clary react when Isabelle tries to give her a make over? What will Jace do when he sees something so beautiful it takes his breath away? Read on to find out...

Chapter 12

We all pile into three cabs. I get stuck riding with Jace. As if this couldn't get any more awkward. I sit there while pulling my coat closer around me. Jace looks over and smiles. "Hey, don't be so nervous. Is this your first time going to a club?"

"No, but it's the first time I'm going where I'm not there to do a job," I tuck my hair behind my ear.

Jace grins. "A girl who has blood on her hands. That's pretty hot."

"Shut up," I roll my eyes.

Jace licks his lips then moves closer to me. "Hey, Clary?"

"Yeah?" I look over.

Jace clears his throat then speaks. "Let me have the first dance with you. I promise you won't regret it."

I roll my eyes, but agree. When we get to the club I recognize the name of the club. I groan. Jace looks over at me. "What's the matter?"

"Last time I was in Pandemonium there was a raid and I nearly got caught," I'm just lucky it was Luke's team that time. I didn't want to have to deal with going to prison then reaching out. I have enough crap to deal with.

"What were you doing?" Jace opens the door of the car and gets out.

I slide over and swing my legs out. I start to remember the reason. A smile spreads across my face. Jace holds out his hand with a curious look. Jace pays the driver then takes my hand and takes me into the club. Images from the past flash in my mind.

Jace leads me over to the bar where Jace orders himself a drink. He turns to me. "Do you drink?"

"No," I scowl.

Jace smirks. "Why not?"

I lightly punch Jace's arm. "Because I'm tiny and my body can't process the alcohol. That's why, you idiot."

Jace grins then grabs his drink. "Just when I thought you could handle anything I learn you can't handle alcohol. I find it a bit pathetic and disappointing."

I cross my arms. "Well, excuse me for not being perfect."

Jace takes a swig of his drink. "No one is perfect… except for me that is."

I roll my eyes then look out at the thrown of gyrating dangers. I spot a familiar face in the crowd. I groan and turn away. Jace hears me. "What's up with you this time?"

I gesture over at where the guy is standing. "That guy over there is the son of a powerful mob boss. I told him last year that if I wasn't in a relationship the next time I saw him he could do whatever he wants to me. Trust me, Jace, I don't even want to picture it."

"Does it have to be a real relationship?" Jace takes another drink.

I shrug. "I guess not, but it looks like I have one more problem to deal with now."

"Maybe not," Jace matters.

Just then the others get to us. Isabelle orders drinks for herself and an upset Simon. He sits on a stool while his girlfriend gets hammered. Alec gives Isabelle a disappointed look. "Seriously, Izzy. Have you ever head of alcohol poisoning?"

Isabelle looks up with a dizzy frown. "Leave me alone, Alec. I'm trying to have some fun. You should try it too and go dance with Magnus."

With that Isabelle puts Simon onto the dance floor. Alec blushes deeply at Isabelle's words. Magnus leans in to whisper into Alec's ear. Whatever Magnus says it makes Alec turn an even deeper shade of red. Magnus grabs Alec's arm and pulls him into the crowd. That leaves me with Jace.

Jace is glaring at the guy from across the club. I see him coming over. I groan and turn to Jace. "Can we leave? I really don't want to deal with him."

"No," Jace grabs my hand and pulls me into the crowd.

I can see Isabelle and Simon dancing very close to each other. Alec and Magnus are sitting on the other side of the club in a lounge sitting very close to each other talking. It's about damn time they started getting to know each other.

Jace turns me around and puts his hands on my waist. "Just play along."

"What are you planning?" I give Jace a look.

"I'm just trying to get rid of your little problem over there," Jace jerks his head back.

He's coming over to us. I really don't like him. It's not that he's not good looking. It's that he's so unbearably stupid. He thinks he's so great just because his dad is powerful and he has his good looks. On top of that he was kicked out of school because there was really no point seeing that he was so stupid.

Jace moves my hips. I start moving on my own. When that guy sees this he gets really upset. Not just upset, furious. He walks over and grabs Jace by the shoulder intending on decking him. It goes the other way around. Jace grabs his fist and pushes his fist.

The guy stumbles back then looks up with a furious expression. "Get off my girl!"

Jace arches an eyebrow, mockingly. "You're girl? If that were true would she be grinding up against me?"

I do a little shimmy up and down against Jace. I wrap my arms around Jace and give the guy a look. "Deal's a deal. Go away. I'm with someone now."

He doesn't move. He glares at Jace. "Get away from my woman!"

Jace knocks him down before the guy can touch him. "You stay away from my woman! If I ever see you around her again I will personally hunt you down. Got it!"

The guy still doesn't get it. Finally the bouncer has to come and throw him out. Jace turns to me when I let go of him. Jace grabs my arms and makes me hold onto him. "Come on, Clary. You still owe me a dance."

I roll my eyes, but go with it. Jace moves even closer to me as we keep on dancing. It's not until now that I realize how he smells. It's like sunshine. It makes me feel warm. I turn my face up to look into Jace's eyes. He's looks down at me.

For a moment I feel like we would be stuck like that forever. Then Jace leans down and kisses me. It shocks me at first, but when Jace wraps his arms around me I melt into him. I slide my arms around Jace's neck to pull myself closer.

Jace's arms slide around my waist and brings me closer. I feel Jace's tongue against my lips. I hesitate for a second then part my lips. Jace is slow and gentle. I can tell he's holding himself back.

When we pull away from each other we're both breathing hard. I lick my lips and clear my throat. "Wow…"

Jace grins. "Not exactly the reaction I wanted, but it will do."

"And just what were you expecting?" I frown.

"Fainting," Jace muses.

I roll my eyes then move out of his arms. Jace grabs my hand and lets me lead him back to the bar. Jace sits and pulls me onto his lap. I give him a look. "Don't think this means anything."

Jace wraps his arms around me waist. "You keep telling yourself that, baby."

I make a face at Jace then turn toward the dance floor. I can see Isabelle and Simon still dancing. Isabelle glances over at us and flashes a grin. I scowl at her then turn back to Jace. "She's not the kind of person to forget everything after drinking, is she?"

Jace smirks. "No such luck."

"Great," I groan.

Jace turns me to him again and smiles. "At least I'll get to kiss you whenever I want now."

To prove his point Jace leans in and kisses me again. I reach up to curl my fingers through Jace's hair. It's incredibly soft. I play with Jace's hair as I pull away. "Jace, don't get carried away with this."

"Don't blame me if I do," Jace strokes my cheek.

I smile slightly then lean against Jace. I cross my legs making them look way longer than they should. Jace strokes the bare skin of my thigh and glares at any guy passing by who stares at me. I've never been with someone who had the urge to protect me. I kind of like it.

Jace takes my hand in his which he seems to enjoy a lot. I look up at Jace. "Do you want to leave? I'm kind of getting annoyed at how much guys are staring at me."

"Me too," Jace mumbles.

I stand and fix my dress. Jace takes my hand and pulls me out of the club. It's really cold outside even with my coat on. Jace puts his arm around me and pulls me in tight. The warmth I get from Jace is better than any coat. I put my arms around Jace.

As we stand outside waiting for a cab Jace turns me to him to smile down at me. "You know, you're really amazing."

I blush and look away. "Whatever."

When the cab finally comes Jace opens the door for me. Isabelle comes running out of the club. "Hey! Where are you two going? Jace, you better not try anything with Clary. She's the only pure friend I have."

"I promise not to do anything too naughty with Clary," Jace grins.

Simon runs out and grabs Isabelle. "Come on, Izzy. You know you're not allowed to be out here when you're drunk."

Isabelle gives Jace another look. "I swear, if you do anything to Clary I'll kill you."

Jace waves away Isabelle's threat then gets into the cab next to me. He pulls me close and kisses me. I pull away first, blushing. "You know, if you do try anything I'm going to kick your ass."

"Kinky," Jace smirks.

I roll my eyes and lean against him. I push my hair away from my face and look out the window. "Tell me something, Jace. How many girls have you been with?"

Jace's face goes pale. He clears his throat. "Well, I've been with a few girls. I don't know how many girlfriends I've had, but I've slept with five girls before."

"You're a manwhore," I push away from Jace.

Jace grabs me and pulls me back. "None of them meant anything to me. I was really messed up back then. Mistakes are mistakes. You can't tell me you haven't made some in the past."

I look down. "I guess… but I've never slept with anyone before."

"You haven't?" Jace looks surprised.

"Didn't I say I was a virgin just recently?" I give Jace a look.

Jace thinks back. "Oh yeah. I was kind of distracted. What with you sitting so close to me. Did you know you smell like green tea?"

"No," I frown slightly at my dainty scent.

Jace lifts my chin and smiles. "Don't look so disgusted. I really like it. It makes you seem a little bit normal."

I make a face. We arrive at the institute and get out of the cab. Jace pays the driver then he takes me inside. I go upstairs to my room to change out of the clothes Isabelle forced me to wear. I put on some pajama pants and a tank top. I wash the makeup off my face.

Then I walk back downstairs where Jace is lounging in the living room with normal clothes on. I go sit next to Jace. Jace puts his arm around me and pulls me in close as he watches an episode of CSI.

Eventually Jace gets bored of that and turns to kiss my bare shoulder. The sensation of his lips against my skin is intense. It sends a shiver all throughout my body which Jace notices. He smirks then kisses me again. This time Jace bites the spot. There is a mark after a minute.

Jace moves to my neck where he leaves a mark in a place anyone will see it. I'm not shy when it comes to kissing. It's just that Jace does it so softly and intimately. When I used to go on missions and I had to get close to a male target I needed to seduce him. Even then it was harsh and cold. This is something completely different. Something I haven't tasted before.

Jace trails kisses up to my lips where he pushes his tongue into my mouth. I reach up to run my fingers through Jace's silky hair. I'm usually the dominant one when it comes to kissing, but Jace just sucks the strength right out of me.

The feeling of Jace's hands on my back sends shocks throughout my entire body. Jace lets me go after five minutes of continuous making out. I feel really dizzy. Jace holds me close with a satisfied grin on his face. My face is really hot right now. I need a second to cool down.

We're doing a mixture of watching television and making out when the others finally decide to stumble into the institute. I make us break apart when I hear footsteps moving toward us. I look up as Simon practically carries Isabelle in.

Magnus and Alec walk in hand in hand. Magnus is beaming, but Alec looks a little embarrassed. Jace sees their hands then makes a face. "It's about damn time you came out, Alec. I was starting to think you wouldn't."

Alec blushes then glares at Jace. "You knew?"

Jace smirks and puts his arm around me. "Yeah, I knew. I didn't want to say anything because making you squirm was way too much fun. Lucky for you I now have my own little ginger to tease."

Magnus looks over at us. "So, you two are an item now? That means we all balance out. There are now three couples between the six of us. That's interesting."

Simon gives Jace a look. "Izzy will kill you if you hurt Clary. You know that, right?"

Jace smirks and turns to me. "Hey, Clary. You want me to hurt you?"

I narrow my eyes. "Was that an innuendo?"

Simon lifts Isabelle and sets her down on the couch. Magnus sits on the couch, but then Alec looks uncomfortable when Magnus tries to pull him onto his lap. Jace stands and takes me with him. Jace makes Magnus move then pulls me onto his lap. Alec looks a little relieved when he does.

I on the other hand am very conscious of just how close we are now. Isabelle is asleep against Simon. Alec and Magnus look ready to crash too. I lean my head on Jace's chest. "Despite being nothing, but muscle you're actually really comfortable to lie on."

Jace wraps his arms arm me and strokes my arms. I could get used to the cuddling. I've never been in a relationship where I could cuddle with someone where it didn't make me sick.

The way Jace is holding me makes me feel so safe and comfortable. I want to stay here forever. I feel Jace lean his head against mine. I close my eyes and snuggle closer.

I don't know how long I'm asleep before I wake up against Jace. I shift slightly which makes Jace do the same. Jace has his arms wrapped tightly around me. I relax my body again and place my hand on Jace's chest. Jace's hand moves up to grab mine. "Good morning."

When I look up Jace's golden eyes are watching me. I close my eyes and let out a sigh. "What time is it?"

"Who knows," Jace shrugs then groans.

Jace tilts my head up to kiss me. I don't think I'll ever get used to the little shock waves it sends through my body. I let Jace kiss me then he pulls away first, to my surprise. "So, do you want to go up to my room? The others won't be awake for another few hours."

"Way to ruin a moment, Jace," I roll my eyes then sit up.

Jace sits forward then lifts me in his arms. "Wow. You're a lot lighter than I thought you would be."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?" I narrow my eyes at Jace.

Jace shakes his head and carries me to the kitchen. "Stop picking at everything I say and just shut up for once, little miss ginger. Let me make you some breakfast."

"You cook?" I raise my eyebrows.

Jace sets me down on the table and leans in to kiss me before he gets to work. I watch while Jace starts cooking. He moves like he knows what he's doing. It's kind of strange seeing Jace doing this kind of domestic activity. I never imagined Jace being the kind to know how to cook. It looks like the big bad shadow hunter has a docile side.

When the food is ready Jace turns to me and sets two plates in front of me. I reach out for one, but Jace stops me. Jace takes a fork and holds up a piece of omelet to me. "Say 'ah'."

I give Jace a look then open my mouth. Jace feeds me. I give the flavor a second to settle then look up in surprise. "Wow. This is amazing."

Jace smirks. "I know."

I eat the omelet on my own then look up at Jace. "It's official. You need to make every one of my meals from no one. I don't care what you say. You are doing it."

Jace leans over and kisses my neck. "Sure, but it's going to cost you."

I groan. "Come on. Just give me this one thing. Your cooking is simply amazing."

"Perhaps, but it always comes with a price," Jace leans in and kisses me properly.

When we pull away from each other I finish eating then I head up to my room so I can get take a shower and get dressed. I feel like today we're going to have a lot to do. We had our fun. Now it's time to get serious. I feel like we already wasted too much precious time… except for Jace's kisses. I can make an exception for those.

After I'm finished in my room I head back downstairs to where everyone is finally waking up. Jace is making everyone else breakfast. I walk up to him and lean against him. "No more having fun today. We need to get out minds focused."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean we can't have some breaks in between," Jace serves the rest of the omelets.

"What do you think focus means, Jace?" I give Jace a look.

Jace shrugs then walks to the table. "I'm just going to focus on getting to kiss you again."

I roll my eyes then kiss Jace lightly before moving into the living room where Isabelle is groaning on the couch with a major hangover. She looks up and sees me. "Shouldn't you be making out with Jace somewhere?"

"Shouldn't you know not to drink more than what you can take?" I throw back.

Isabelle gives me a look then groans in pain. "Please tell me you know a remedy to get rid of hangovers. My head is killing me."

"That's your own fault," I sit on the couch and cross my legs. "So, where did Simon go?"

Isabelle manages to push herself up so she's sitting. "He went to his apartment to get some things. Since we're going to stay here for a while he might as well bring an overnight bag."

"Isn't he too young to be living on his own?" I ask.

"Simon's mom kicked him out after she found out he was a vampire so he had to find his own place," Isabelle kicks off her boots and pulls off her oversized earrings.

Jace comes into the living room carrying some plates. Jace hands one to Isabelle and places the other on the table. Alec and Magnus disappeared into the showers. They should be down any second now.

When I look up at Jace he winks at me then comes over to sit on the arm of the couch. "So, what's the plan today, Clary? Are we going over to Luke's again?"

"Yeah," I nod.

"Someone should go through the stuff in the secret room here as well," Isabelle suggests.

Simon walks into the living room carrying some bags with him. "I'll do. I really don't feel like going out again. Besides, I'm starting to feel like I'm being watched."

"Didn't I say it would be better to just lay low for a while?" I give Isabelle a look.

Isabelle crosses her arms and pouts. "I just wanted to have some fun before everything started falling apart. There won't be time to do this sort of thing again for a very long time. I mean, Jace, you got to see Clary all dressed up. Didn't you like it?"

Jace rubs his chin then looks down at me. "I definitely did like seeing you in so little clothing. I didn't like that so many guys were staring at you."

I push my hair back. "Don't expect me to wear anything like that again for a long time."

Jace pouts. "Aw. I didn't mean you couldn't wear it for me in private."

"I have a bunch of lingerie that Clary could borrow," Isabelle gets a sneaky look on her face.

Jace's face lights up. "That would be interesting. What do you say about that, Clary?"

"No." I say, adamantly.

Isabelle grabs my arm and makes me look at her. "Listen to me, Clary. Jace is one of those people who needs his sick fantasies fulfilled to be satisfied. I'm sure making out and groping is fine now, but at some point you're going to have to pick it up a notch."

"Well, I'll get there when I get there," I shake Isabelle off.

Jace leans down to whisper in my ear. "Don't worry. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

I look up and see the seriousness in Jace's eyes. Despite how he may act, Jace is actually a very caring person. I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. Jace would hurt others in order to protect me. The thought is endearing, but I don't need to be protected.

So far I haven't had to deal with possessiveness, but I don't know how I'll deal with it. I already like that Jace wants to protect me. Having him want to keep me from everyone else might get on my nerves. We'll deal with it once we get there.

I stretch up to kiss Jace quickly. Jace returns the kiss and deepens it. I open my mouth. Then I hear Isabelle groan. "Get a room."

Jace looks up with an arched eyebrow. "I would like to, but Clary refuses to go anywhere near my room."

"Because I know the bed is where your mind is all the time," I push Jace away.

Magnus and Alec appear in the living room when their hair still wet from their shower. Jace stands and stretches. I admire his strong form. Jace groans and walks to the door. "I'm taking a shower. Eat breakfast then we'll settle on a plan for today."

Once Jace is gone I start to think. I wonder how this is going to turn out…