Jace ran on the rooftops, jumping over the gaps and landing easily and gracefully, like a cat, on the other side. He reached to a particularly large gap between two buildings. Thank god that the one he was on was higher than the one he needed to jump to. He watched as the man in front of him, dressed in all black except for the red jacket that fluttered in the wind, looked back at him, smirking disdainfully, and jumped over to the next building, landing like the pro that he was. Jace reached the edge and watched as the man mockingly saluted him and ran forward. "Here goes nothing." Jace mumbled and quickly backed up a little, taking a longer run and lunged at the edge. The wind gushed by and he felt weightless for a few seconds, before he landed on the other side, rolling over and then standing up quickly.He felt pain in his right leg but shook it off. He saw the man climb down from the side of the building, using ledges and window panes. He rolled his eyes - what a show off.

He squinted his eyes, spotting a red ladder - a fire escape. He rushed to it and climbed down. Just as his legs touched the ground, he saw the man run towards and alley way. He smirked and took another way. He rushed into a small take out place, running in and ignoring the frightened shouts of the waitresses as he jumped over the counter. He ran through the kitchen, zig-zagging through the personnel and the fryers that smelled like grease and got out the back - just in time for the runaway man to stumble headfirst into the door. He groaned as he fell down and Jace went down next to him, pushing a knee against his throat. "Let me-go!" the man tried saying, although it sounded distorted, because air was cutting short in his lungs. Jace smirked. "Nah. I think I won't do that. You've wasted an hour of my time and I don't like that.I have other things to do than catch murderers and traitors." he said, taking out a gun and screwing on a silencer. The man's eyes were now wide and he was terrified.

"Traitor? I don't know what you're-" he started babbling but Jace sighed and stared at him, straight in the eyes. "Raphael Santiago sends his regards and asked me to give a message to you." Jace said, his voice now cold and hollow. The man stilled, his mouth gaping and his eyes so fearful and full of horror, Jace almost let him go. Almost. He pushed the gun to the man's temple and willed his breathing to be even. "Los hombres muertos no hablan." he whispered, before he pulled the trigger.

***

When he sneaked to the old market place, that was now abandoned, Jace saw the building with a roof that had fallen in. There were old wind chimes still hung outside, where the door used to be and they made an eerie sound in the night, the wind carrying it to Jace's ears. He approached the building, looking all around him in the rain and made his way in, quietly. Holding his right hand inside his coat, his fingers around the hilt of a knife, he sneaked around. The old staircase had almost completely fallen apart, but he didn't mind. He didn't need to go upstairs. He turned to what used to be the kitchen, he supposed, and the floor was slick with grime. There was a broken window, from where the rain and wind could break in, making the whole house cold and forgotten.

He stopped abruptly, when he heard a very small, almost soundless breath behind him and a shuffle of feet. He turned, immediately grabbing the intruder by his hands, holding them behind his back. "Dios, soy yo! It's me!" came a squeaky voice and Jace let go, the smaller boy stumbling a little bit when he was released. The boy was very skinny, a little shorter than Jace but his face betrayed his youth and the way he had been out and about on the streets for years. "Jose. Fucking hell, don't sneak up like that." Jace said, rubbing his tired eyes. The black-haired boy stared at him, wide blue eyes defiant. "What, so I was supposed to just scream 'hey, over here!'?" he asked with a Spanish accent and Jace couldn't help but chuckle. The kid had spunk. He took him gently by the arm and led him further into the kitchen, away from the window. He leaned on the counter, that looked like it couldn't be cleaned not even with a pressure washer. Jose's eyes gleamed in the dark, as the street lamp illuminated them and Jace pushed his shoulder, making him squat down and he lowered himself to his level as well. They were now both behind the counter, concealed from prying eyes.

"How are you? How's your mum?" Jace asked, always asking those questions first. Jose waved his hand dismissively, like he always did. "We're fine. The last time you gave me money I could by her a new coat. She was over the moon." he said, his smile genuine when he thought about his mother. Jace smiled, too. "I'm glad. Tell Elanora that I said hi." he stated, and Jose nodded. "Why don't we get to the real business?" the boy asked, a mischevous glint in his eyes and Jace rolled his eyes. "Hahaa. Funny. Alright, what have you got for me? It's been almost three weeks." the blonde said, his voice betraying a little sorrow. Jose pulled out a crumpled up paper from his pocket, that upon closer investigation turned out to be a photograph. "I've got a special surprise for you this time. Not just information, but pictorial proof." the boy said, his smile wide. Jace's heart almost stopped and he snatched at the photo, but Jose pulled it back. "But I want double for it." he stated and Jace scoffed. "Yes. You know I would've given that to you anyways." he replied, almost hissing. Jose looked at him, hesitant, but then smiled and handed over the picture. 

Jace sighed, as soon as he looked at it. It was smeared and a little wet from the rain, but the brunette on the picture looked lively and well. Simon was wearing a black jacket and a simple T-shirt and his hair were tousled, he was walking outside. He was chatting with a redhead, who Jace knew to be Clary, and seemed happy. His eyes were as soft as Jace remembered them. He touched his face on the photo, feeling his heart contract. He missed him, but at least he was alright. "That's taken about four week ago. I got information, that he's still being watched. Both him and his family, and the redhead. But no one else. He's not exactly followed, but there are people he sees almost daily, like the administrator at the gym he goes to or the clerk at the nearest shop and so on." Jose informed and Jace put his other hand into a fist. Raphael still had a hold on him, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it, not if he wanted Simon, or anyone dear to him, pay the price. He didn't have family himself, not besides his grandma, and Raphael would never go after such a well-known figure. 

He took one last look at the picture and then pocketed it, taking out a small pouch. "Here you go. Thank you, Jose. Be safe." he handed the pouch to the boy, who snatched it right away, but then, as an afterthought, leaned in to hug Jace. The blonde was surprised at first, but then hugged bag. "Thanks, Jace. You be safe, too. Adios." Jose replied and got up. Jace peeked out from behind the counter, watching Jose sneak outside. He stayed for another 30 minutes, before he got up and left the house. 

He doubled back to the alley he had first came from, looking down at the ground where the other man had laid, with a bullet in his head. He stared at the spot, rain falling down and his mind was racing. He wished he wouldn't be here. He wished he'd be stronger, so he could just kill Raphael and be done with it. But he was so much weaker than everyone thought he was. Shaking his head, he moved from the spot, walking a few miles to an abandoned church. He saw Jonathan stand at the entrance, smoking. He got up to him and the redhead smirked at him. He almost shivered at the glance - there were a lot of things off about this guy, but Jace needed to keep the peace. So he nodded to him and Jonathan followed him in. Raphael was kneeling before the altar, looking up and his eyes were closed. 

There were three other men around the room, two sitting on the benches and one was leaning against the wall, playing with a knife in his hands. He eyed the man for a second and then approached the altar. Jace stood behind Raphael, respecting his space and put his hands together behind his back ,like a soldier. Jonathan stopped next to him. Raphael's head was now lowered and he was muttering his prayers. Jace always thought that it was interesting - why would someone like him believe in God? But then again, he must've needed to atone for all the sins he'd done...

When Raphael stood, he turned around slowly, the same deviant smirk on his face, that he almost always wore. Either that or a stone cold mask, that promised death. "Ah, amigo. Job well done?" he asked and Jace nodded, looking straight ahead and not at him. He had found, that the more he looked the man in the eye, the more he wanted to beat him to death. Not a wise thing to do when his henchmen, especially Jonathan, were standing right next to them. Raphael came closer, patting his shoulder. "Good. We fly out tomorrow. The body?" he asked, lighting a candle at the small table, where he wrote his prayers. Jace stayed immobile. An image of the man, falling off the pier came to mind and he closed his eyes. "Dealt with." Jace stated and Raphael clapped his hands together. "Wonderful. I hope he was no trouble, this one was a sneaky little bastard." Raphael said and Jace shook his head, indicating a 'no'. He tried not to talk to Raphael too much.

The man came closer to him and then grabbed his arm and made him look at his face. Raphael had a long scar on it, from his brow to his cheek and Jace had heard different stories about how he got it. He didn't believe any of them. "Be ready at dawn." he said and, letting go, he turned to Jonathan. "All of you. Spread the word." Raphael continued, throwing a glare at Jonathan, who nodded faithfully. Raphael walked away and with one last glare, Jonathan followed. The other men did the same and Jace was alone. He stared up at the figure of Jesus. If only he believed in God. Maybe he'd be free by now. He felt the photograph in his pocket push against his chest. He walked away, towards the stairs that led to the tower and went up. The other men stayed down in the basement, where they had made living quarters for the past three months, but he had asked to be alone. Raphael hadn't objected. After all, where would he go?

He climbed the old creaking stairs and reached the top, where a small room was located. He closed the door, shrugging off his leather jacket and shook his head, making droplets of water fall from his hair. He shivered from the cold air in the room. The small mattress and his bag made all there was in the room. He kneeled on the 'bed' and took out the photo, straightening it. That was his Simon. Even though they never even expressed anything else but great affection towards each other, Jace still felt his heart pick up speed. He loved to think, that Simon hadn't forgotten him, but of course he should've wished that the other man would've moved on. At least, that's what he needed Simon to do. To move on and forget Jace, for he was a lost man anyways. He put two fingers on his lips and kissed them and then moved them down on the photo. "Be safe, Simon." he whispered into the night, and as he stripped the rest of his clothes, he blew off the small candle that lit the room. In utter darkness, he let himself feel empty and sad, not the emotionless hitman he had become. Right then, he allowed the one tear make its way down his cheek, as he tried to remember Simon's lips against his.

***

A week before

"No way! I could kiss you right now!" Simon exclaimed, looking at the beeping red dot on the screen on a map and jumped up and down in his chair. "I'd rather you didn't." Luke said and gave him an annoyed look. Simon stared back at the map, that showed many narrow streets of a little Spanish town. Luke glanced at the clock on the wall that showed 3 a.m. "We have to go there, like right now." Simon said, getting up. Luke pushed him down to the chair. "Hey, it's in the middle of the night. Also, you're still being watched. And lastly, you are not going anywhere. At least not by yourself." he stated sternly, making Simon pout. "I'll call the guys and we're ready to go." he said, trying to get up again. Luke shook his head, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Simon, I get that you want to find Jace..." he started, but Simon swatted his hand away. "Every time, Luke! They've slipped away and the FBI is not doing a damn thing. Like he wasn't even one of them. I'm tired of no one moving an inch, and now that we've finally got him, you are saying no?" Simon got wound up, but Luke gave him a look that made him lower his voice. 

"We'll deal with this in the morning. Simon, you need a plan." he stated and Simon bit his lip. He had a plan. A perfect one. It just didn't involve Luke. "Alright. When?" he asked and Luke seemed to mull it over. "Be back at 10 a.m. and bring the others." he said and Simon nodded. When he left Luke's house he took out his phone. He sent a text to 5 different numbers, all saying the same thing. 'We're a go.'

He took a cab back to his apartment. Jordan had moved in with Maia, finally, and Simon was happy for them. But the apartment felt so empty, that most of the time, Simon didn't even go there. He stayed at Clary's or at Magnus's. 

It had been almost 3 months after Jace had been taken by Raphael and he had gotten shot. He hadn't forgotten about Jace. No, he never had. Luke had confirmed his suspicions about Jace being at the hospital and that he was now forced to work for Raphael. He and Luke had tried to track Santiago and his crew down, for months with no result.

Jace's face haunted Simon's dreams, his beautiful mismatched eyes staring back at him, begging for him to come and save him. Over those months, Simon had gotten it into his head, that he needed to up his game if he was going to go against Santiago, so he called in a favor. The FBI was doing jack shit, so he needed some help from his buddy, that used to work in the Special Forces. He retired after he was blinded from the left eye by an explosive. Mark was like a brother to Simon, mainly because when they had been to school together, Mark's parents had divorced and his mum had left, leaving him with the alcoholic and abusive father. Simon had seen Mark's black eye in school and he had won him over with Simon's mum's chocolate chip cookies. 

Simon's mum took Mark in, until he came of age. Elaine didn't really need to do anything legally, since Mark's father didn't even notice him gone. Mark lived with Simon's family until he turned 18 and then started to look for his own place to live. Thanks to his job as a nurse he was able to afford a small apartment and after he turned 20, he joined the Special Forces. Mark was only slightly older than Simon, but they had always been like brothers. 

Simon had called in a favor and Mark didn't hesitate to help him. They knew of the dangers and Simon wouldn't have called him, if he'd think that Mark's life would be in immediate danger. But Mark was strong and cunning, but more importantly - he was a professional. There was no one better. Mark had gathered 4 of his Special Forces buddies, who were more than happy to back up a brother in arms. Simon walked up to the apartment, opening the door with a creak. It was cold, empty and Simon shivered a little. He went straight to his bedroom and pulled out a large chest from beneath the bed. Opening it, he took out the files he had on Raphael Santiago and his closest henchmen. He picked up his glock and made sure there were bullets in it. He changed his clothes, putting on black, slim cargo pants and a black T-shirt, over which he pulled a black jacket. He reached for his gun holster and put it around himself. Then he took out the Swiss army knife and tucked it into his jacket, putting his phone, wallet and a flash drive into his pockets.

He stood up and reached for his computer bag, tucking the files in it. He went to get his computer from his desk when he stopped. The laptop was open and Jace's face stared back at him. It was a picture Simon had taken of him that day Jace had fallen asleep in Simon's lap, after watching TV. He looked peaceful and happy, and his hair were on his face just a little. Simon's heart clenched. He strode over and touched the screen, wishing he could feel Jace's skin under his fingers. He sighed, shutting the laptop and slid it into the bag. He looked around, trying to think if he'd forgotten anything. He shut the light and picked up a large duffel bag next to the front door that he had packed days ago. It contained clothes, a toothbrush, hygiene products and other essential stuff for when he needed to leave his home for a while longer. He knew this day would come, he never stopped believing that he'd eventually catch up to Jace.

He took one last look at the apartment. He smiled sadly and glanced at the couch, where they had dozed off together. He could almost see Jace sitting there, smirking at him invitingly. He squeezed his eyes shut. Closing the door, he locked it and then looked at the key. Jordan still had one and so did Clary. He took the key in his hands and then, when he exited the building, he threw the key down a drainhole. The chances of him coming back were pretty slim. Besides, he had thought about moving anyways.

***

Back in the present, in Spain

"Hurry up, genius!" one of the men called out to Jace and he rolled his eyes. He looked around the hangar they were in, the plane's engine roaring behind him. It reminded him of the painful night when Simon got shot. Thank god Raphael had missed his vital organs. He clenched his teeth as the man walked towards the plane, a smile on his lips. He wanted to run to him and beat the crap out of him, but he had to hold himself in place. "The plane doesn't fly without a pilot." Jonathan said, coming up to him, smoking a cigarette. "Really?" Jace asked sarcastically. Jonathan came closer, stubbing out his cigarette. He was in Jace's personal space and the blonde tried not to flinch at the sudden intrusion. "What was that, Herondale?" he asked, threateningly and Jace rolled his eyes. "I said, I'll be right there." he replied, not wanting to pick a fight, not having the energy. Jonathan eyed him but then a menacing smile made its way to his lips. He leaned in a little, his eyes burning. "By the way, Raphael asked me to give you this." he said and reached into his pocket, handing him a picture.

It was a picture of a body, lying dead on the ground with a pool of blood emerging from the head. Jace's eyes widened. He willed himself not to gasp in shock, as he stared at the lifeless eyes of Jose. "Don't ever sneak around behind Raphael's back. Next time, that'll be Simon." Jonathan hissed, his eyes dancing with amusement for Jace's terrified expression. Jace closed his eyes as Jonathan's words hit him and he stilled, when the redhead left to approach the plane. Jace felt tears stinging in his eyes. He wanted to curse out loud, for being so stupid. For involving Jose and getting him killed. His heart pounded with sorrow and pain, but anger rose inside of him. "Hey, amigo. Let's get this show on the road!" Raphael shouted at him before disappearing into the plane. Jace clenched his fist, crumbling the photograph. He could always crash the plane and kill them all. He almost laughed at the thought, that he was actually considering it. Then it'll all be over. He started to walk over to the plane, when suddenly there were shouts coming from outside and then Jace heard a gunshot. 

He pulled both of his guns out and aimed at the hangar door, while Jonathan jumped down from the plane, holding out his rifle. "Dios! Get the fuck in this plane and get us airborne now!" Raphael yelled and Jace tried to understand what was going on. He saw men in black make their way into the hangar and he realized they were wearing red bandanas over their faces, with a symbol of a falcon in flight embroidered on it. He cursed under his breath. Los Solidos, the gang Raphael was in war with. How'd they even get there? Raphael was very careful with their hideouts and checkpoints.

He saw a man pull his gun at him and he dived behind a stack of boxes, peering out from behind. There were at least 10 men there, and Jonathan was shooting at them from behind the plane, while Raphael hid in the plane with two others. the rest of his men were outside, like Jace, and trying to hold off the intruders. Jace shot one of the gang members and then rolled back, feeling the boxes move when the gunfire hit them. He crouched and peeked out again, shooting at two of the men, wounding one as he did and then he pushed himself up, running towards the plane. Then, there was an explosion. It all happened really fast, but the glass window on the ceiling shattered at the same time as Jace saw one of the Los Solidos members light a match and ignite the gas tank on the far end of the hangar. The glass fell on the ground while Jace stumbled over from the explosion, his ears ringing and he struggled to catch his breath. He got up on his elbows, just in time to see three men come down from the window, sliding to the floor on ropes and he stared at the plane, where Raphael's men had now gathered, shouting and shooting at the gang members. He struggled to run to the plane, his balance still off and he stumbled over a body lying on the ground, while a bullet whizzed past him.

The three men were now in the room and Jace saw from the corner of his eyes, that they were definitely not Los Solidos gang members. They had professional gear on and they pointed their guns at the gang members, while three more men dressed in the same fashion, broke in from the back door. Jace ducked, seeing the gang members take target of their plane and he dived behind it, finding Jonathan reloading his gun. "How the fuck did they find us?" Jace spoke through gritted teeth. The bullet that had whizzed past him had in fact grazed him slightly from the shoulder. Jonathan grunted and his face was retorted with anger. "I don't know. But our priority is to get out of here, Raphael unharmed, so get on the fucking plane!" he yelled, shoving Jace towards the plane, where the door was wide open. Jace put a hand on the edge, heaving himself up, when someone grabbed his feet. He fell back and the guy was one of the men that came through the window, and Jace punched him square in the face. The man staggered back, Jace couldn't see his face behind the black mask, but his eyes were focused on him.

Jace drew his gun, but the guy kicked it out of his hand, so swiftly, Jace knew right away that these guys were no ordinary gang members or even members of the local police force. This was a trained pro. He lunged at Jace, his hand going on the other gun and throwing it aside while Jace kicked him in his stomach, rolling on the ground with him. The guy groaned but got a hold of his arm, twisting it behind his back, but Jace hit their heads together, so the guy staggered back with a groan, face bloody. Jace jumped up, and just when he pulled his gun on the man, he felt another gun pressing to his head. He stilled, raising up his hands and a voice behind him spoke. "You've lost your touch, darling." it said and Jace almost had a heart attack. He knew the voice. He recognized it.

"Simon?" he asked, not daring to turn around, in case his mind was playing tricks on him. After all, around them was chaos, the gang members still shooting at the plane and Raphael's men trying to hold them off. "Missed me, angel?" the same voice asked and Jace didn't care anymore, he turned around so fast his head spun and he was faced with a taller guy, dressed the same as the other one he had intended to shoot, gun now lowered and the same black mask on. The eyes that stared at him were as hazel as Jace remembered them. He opened his mouth to say something, but Simon lunged at him, pushing him down on the ground when Raphael's men shot at Simon. Jace's breath got knocked out, but Simon was already heaving him to his feet and ran ahead, pulling Jace with him. The guy that had attacked Jace ran after them, while Simon took out what looked like a radio transmitter. "Joe, move." he said and Jace raised an eyebrow. 

When Simon moved to raise his gun, Raphael's men charged at them. Simon's hand didn't waver, when he shot the first one in the leg and threw his knife at the other, lodging it into his chest. His companions, at least that's who Jace thought they were, went towards the plane while Simon grabbed Jace by the arm, making him wince a little from the earlier intact with a bullet. Simon walked towards the exit, while Jace picked up a gun from the ground, spinning around and glancing at the plane. Raphael Santiago stood there, holding a rifle and he was aiming to shoot them.

"Simon!" Jace shouted and raised his gun, letting his bullet fly, but missing Raphael, as he dived before Simon, hearing the gunshot and feeling it going through the flesh of his right arm. Simon yelled his name and he raised his gun, taking exactly two shots, one to Raphael's chest and the other to his forehead. He fell and Jace saw him crumble to the ground. Jonathan was nowhere to be seen and another man charged at Simon, jumping on him, making Simon drop his gun. Jace shouted, trying to reach his gun but his arm was on fire. Simon hit the man to the chest, knocking out his breath and then brought his knee to his face, breaking the man's nose with a loud and sickening 'crack'. "Simon, there are more of the Los Solidos guys coming. We got to move." another masked man said to Simon. The brunette nodded and kneeled down to Jace.

Simon took off his mask, and Jace could finally see his face. It was tanner than usual, his eyes were scanning him, determined but worried, and his lips were a hard line. His brunette hair were messy and covered in dust and dirt, but Jace just stared at his hazel eyes. He sighed, leaning his head back on the floor, for just a few seconds. "Took you long enough." he finally said and Simon's face broke into a smile. "Good to see you too, darling." Simon replied, pulling him up.

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A/N: Okay, so I reunited them. You're welcome...BUT this is not the end of drama. mwhahaha.

Vote and comment, guys, I love hearing from you! :)xxx