I know I have been so slack with this one, and there's really no excuse so I am really very sorry, also just another short one, but hopefully this tides you over, I am trying to update this one more, so just bear with me.

Thanks to those that have taken the time to read this; Masked Player, Nataliee, RoseXshapedXtears, mouse123, sita violet :), Opa12, GoldyNeedsPippi.

Thank you so much, i really, really do appreciate it. Lots of love xxx

Jace, for the first time in his life was drawing a blank about what course to take.

"I'll kill her, then save her," he muttered as he stalked in the direction she had taken off in. "No, that's probably not ideal, I'll have to save her before I can kill her idiot child that she is,"

As his frown deepened he felt the stinging in his cheek intensify; had she actually hurt him?

Jace strangely found himself turned on by her hidden strength and her determination to get what she needed done.

"Resourceful," he whispered to himself as he picked up the pace. "Resourceful can always be useful, if the girl is useful then she'll have to stay with me…us, so we can utilise her skills,"

Ignoring the pain he smirked broadly.

Maybe he wouldn't have to kill her after all, maybe she'd be someone worth protecting…for her skills of course, not for his own personal uses.

Jace stopped and knelt by the ground, trying to hone his skills so he could track her properly, efficiently; he didn't know for sure but he was willing to wager quite comfortably that she attracted trouble; and was running head first towards it.

"Hey man, what are you doing?"

Jace whipped around to find that idiot boy from the poetry reading and the street staring down at him.

"I'm fine; I'm looking for something,"

"You contacts? I keep telling Simon he should get contacts, it might appeal to the ladies more but he never listens to me,"

"Can't imagine why," Jace replied dryly.

"Do you live around here? You need a ride?"

Jace stared up at the boy incredulously. This mundie was offering him a ride? Was he so oblivious to hostility or did he get a rush from being in dangerous situations?

"No,"

"So, where do you live?"

"Why? Are you going to take me on a date?"

"I'm just asking,"

Jace grunted in a non committal way and nodded his head in the direction Clary had run off to.

"Oh, so you live in the apartments near Clary then? Is that how you know her?"

Jace stiffened at her name and got to his feet, adrenaline rushing through his veins as his urgency to find her increased, without another word to Eric he took off at a dead run, the image of fiery red hair giving him wings.

It hadn't taken as long as he thought to find where she lived, much to Jace's relief, there had been some puddles along the way Clary had run through which had given him distinct foot prints and the rest of his senses had filled in the gaps.

Upon first glance everything appeared normal as he made his way up to the front entry but as each step drew him closer dread filled his body more and more until it was an effort to lift one foot and put it in front of the other. Following her path he made his way to the front door of her apartment and kicked it in, as he raced in he tripped over a large lump and lost his footing; landing so that his face was right next to Clary's unconscious form.

Checking she was alive briefly, Jace jumped to his feet and was on the offensive, prepared for an attack at any second.

None came.

It took three seconds of scanning the room for Jace to realise three things; his work had been done for him; they were no where near out of the clear yet and there was no way in hell this little girl was just a regular mundie.

Knowing that the biggest mistake most opponents make in any battle is hesitation; Jace gently lifted Clary into his arms; noticing at once that the Ravener demon now lying dead in the room had struck Clary in the back of the neck as it's last final violent act.

He needed to get her to the institute…now.

Trying to move as swiftly as possible without waking Clary or furthering her injuries Jace rushed out of the door only to hear the tell tale signs of trouble; police sirens, and you could almost bet that they weren't the good old mundie police here to check things out.

Rushing around the back to a very well looked after garden; Jace placed Clary so she was partially concealed behind a rose bush.

Alright, he thought I'm going to have to stop the bleeding first and then hopefully get her to wake up and co operate so we can make sure she survives the night.

With one look at her face which still had a slight determination to it, Jace sighed…perhaps it would be easier if she didn't regain consciousness until they were completely in the clear.

Losing himself for a moment, shutting out all the sounds of chaos around them, Jace stared down into her face and found himself curious for the first time ever about a girl in more than a was she a thong or briefs girl kinda way.

Who was this girl that had smuggled her way into his life and mind? Was she some sort of demon sent to test him? Had he finally gone crazy and this was all in his head?

Taking in her delicate features Jace wasn't so sure she was even capable of that kind of deception…or that he was so creative.

He found his own determination setting in as he began to rip shreds of cloth from his shirt; he'd find out just what was going on with this girl, and he would do it soon because he wasn't into attachment and he didn't need any distractions.

As little moans made their way out of her perfect lips he began to rip up the shirt even quicker; they had to move and fast.

"Don't move," Jace told her quietly as he continued to rip his shirt up.

Ignoring him completely Clary moved her head to the side and her face contorted in pain, not bothering to take that as a warning, she attempted to sit up and started to gag as her hands and fingers spasming on the grass she was laying on.

"I told you not to move," Jace snarled as panic for her safety kicked in and began to piss him off. "That Ravener demon got you in the back of the head. It was half dead so it didn't have much sting, but we have to get you to the institute. Hold still."

She began to shake and shudder uncontrollably, her tiny body visibly rocking itself all over. "That thing…that monster…it talked,"

Jace placed the balmy temporary anti venom on the cloth as he began to gently tie it around her head and neck. "You've heard a demon talk before,"

"The demon in Pandemonium…it looked like a person," now even her voice was quivering.

"It was an Eidolon demon. A shape changer. Ravener's look how they look, not very attractive but they're too stupid to care,"

"It said it was going to eat me,"

"But it didn't, you killed it," Jace reminded her with a touch of pride as he finished the knot.

The relief was clear on Clary's face as soon as Jace had tied to knot and she hauled herself so she was in a sitting position.

"The police are here, we should.."

"There's nothing they can do, someone probably heard you screaming and reported it. Ten to one they aren't real police officer's, demon's have a way of covering their tracks,"

"My mom," Clary croaked in yearning.

Jace was beginning to lose his temper, intriguing girl or not, she was going to die if she didn't shut up and that was not going to happen on Jace's watch.

"You have Ravener venom coursing through your veins right now. You'll be dead in an hour if you don't come with me,"

Getting to his feet Jace offered Clary his hand. "Come on,"

She took his hand and Jace noticed how tiny, delicate and warm it was inside his as he pulled her to his feet.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

As Clary wobbled on her feet Jace moved his arm around her back to steady her; making sure he had her secure next to him.

"I think so," she told him as they began to move out from their hiding place. As Clary began to glance around at their surroundings her face paled as she noticed the not so human police officer. "Her hand…"

"I told you there might be demons," ignoring the fact that Clary had just had an emotional and mental bomb dropped on her tonight Jace looked around for an exit. "We have to get out of here, can we go through the alley?"

Clary shook her head. "It's bricked of. There's no way-"

Before she could finish her sentence the coughing took her over, when Clary moved her hand away from her mouth it was covered in blood; terrified whimpers escaped from her mouth.

That was what did it; her fear after being so brave and the reality of losing her looming so quickly before he'd even really found her. Without thinking, Jace flipped her arm over, gripped her tight so she couldn't struggle her way out of his hold and began to draw on her quickly and as gently as he could with his stele.

"What's that supposed to do?" Clary asked as he finished and the over lapping protection symbols were finished.

"Hide you, at least temporarily," he replied briskly as he sheathed his stele, noticing her eyes followed his movements. "My stele," he told her, without even really knowing why he thought she deserved an explanation.

Clary didn't question him about it; in fact she didn't ask anything because she was struggling to keep herself afloat and conscious.

Jace watched in what appeared to be slow motion as she began to sway and finally collapse right into his arms. Her eyes frantically darted around trying to find something to lock onto, some sort of familiarity. "Jace," she said just before her head kicked back and she lay limp in his arms.

Jace held her tightly, defensively, ready at that moment to do whatever it took to keep her safe, to keep her alive.

"Stay with me little one," he said quietly as he threw her light body gently over his shoulder, and began to jog towards the Institute, praying he wasn't too late.