Sorry Sorry Sorry this took me forever.

Tessa's calves were on fire as she pushed herself to run faster. At least her body had warmed up enough that she couldn't feel the cold rain as it poured down on her. Today was the third morning of her so called "training" and it was painfully exhausting. She touched the angel necklace through her sweater, making sure it hadn't fallen off or disappeared. It had become a quick habit wanting to check its presence. After Henry tested it for all types of deathly substances, Charlotte allowed her to keep it and it had been around her neck ever since. It made her feel a lot less lonelier and for that she was grateful. When she explained that the necklace belonged to her mother, Charlotte decided putting a hold on search for Nate for a few days and she agreed. With the incident in the dressing room and the necklace arriving, she finally accepted the idea that someone wanted to hurt her and it seemed personal. Agreeing to stay at the institute had been only for assistance in finding her brother but protection appeared necessary now. That had been three days ago and tomorrow night she would finally be able to go looking for Nate. Charlotte directed Will to keep her safe without asking him if he even wanted the job. He flat out refused; claiming that going hunting for information in the "downworld" with someone untrained would likely get them killed or something worse like scarring his pretty face. After many back and forths between the two, it was decided that Will would train her to what he considers acceptable enough to go with her Friday night.

The next day she woke up to her phone beeping loudly. When she read the screen it snapped her into consciousness. Will wanted her downstairs dressed in workout clothes in five minutes and not to disturb Jem. It had been four in the morning. Surprisingly, Jessie had thought to buy active wear. Then again she had bought clothes for any kind of occasion. When would Tessa need a ball gown? She didn't know but arguing had been pointless. Her work out outfit consisted of leggings which were too tight fitting and a jacket that was too much pink. Downstairs, Will barely looked at her as he quickly explained what they would be doing. They ran to Hyde Park where he proceeded to make her to do an extensive amount of pushups and lounges, then more running. She was a sweaty mess but soon grew too tired to care. Will's behavior was…distant to say the least. He exercised right along with her and only spoke to her when she held herself in the wrong position. But he never touched her. Not that she wanted him to touch her or anything. Tessa didn't want to give him the satisfaction of watching her fail, so she pushed herself harder body than ever before. It was easy to tell when she wasn't meeting his standards because his mouth would twist like he wanted to scowl and say something not nice. She would prefer if he spat out whatever he was thinking because ignoring her- yet having to spend time with her- made it feel worse. When they had said training, she thought more in the lines of hand to hand combat or weapon use but so far all he had her doing was running and exercises that made her bones feel like jelly.

It had been that reason, after her first workout, she asked Sophie if she was taught how to fight. Apparently all of them had gone through a teaching on how to defend themselves. Even Jessie, who had insisted on doing it in heels, went through the training. Tessa couldn't imagine Jessie doing anything extraneous but Sophie explained it was one of Charlotte's conditions for her to stay. Charlotte feared that with her line of work, often involving some of them, she wanted them to be safe and prepared for any kind of dangerous occurrence. With the dressing room killing situation still fresh in her mind, she asked Sophie if she could show her some moves. Now in the afternoons, Tessa would spend her time in the institute's gym with Sophie and Thomas. They were amazing instructors and she found herself looking forward to learning more defensive skills. So far, Thomas taught her how to get herself loose from tight locked positions that seemed impossible to escape. He would use Sophie as an example for some of the exercises and the feelings he had for her were undeniable. He looked at Sophie like there was nowhere else he would rather be and be with. They were adorable together, finishing each other's sentences, laughing at private jokes, and small affectionate touches. For the first time in a long time, she felt like a normal teenager when she hung out with them.

Her sides were hurting her and her lungs were protesting with every step. Tessa was pretty sure she caught pneumonia like five minutes ago. The rain had lightened up to a mist making it easier to see. The only thing keeping her going at the moment was the text she received late last night. Jem asked if she would want to join him to watch some "teli" after her workout. She hadn't seen him since the morning of going shopping with Jessie and somehow they never saw each other even though his bedroom was five feet away from her door. The workouts and defense classes left her body brimmed with exhaustion. She had fallen into a routine the past three days: wake up at four in the morning to work out with Will, come back to the institute to shower, eat, and sleep, wake up for her teachings with Sophie and Thomas, shower while the others eat dinner, read and eat, and finally sleep. A big part of her felt guilty for not searching for Nate and the other part argued that she was doing this for him. Charlotte had promised tomorrow night they would go looking.

Tessa could see Will leaning against a tree up ahead of her which meant that her five miles were over. It really wasn't fair that he could still look handsome in just blacks running pants and a dark gray hoodie. The rain also seemed to enhance the darkness of his hair and the pinkness of his lips. She slowed down once she was ten feet away from him. He was on his phone, probably calling Thomas to come pick them up like he had the past few days. She focused her attention on the grass while trying to control her ragged breath. A hand holding a bottle of water came into her line of vision, making her look up.

"You're getting faster," Will said, in an unimpressed tone.

Tessa nodded, taking the water carefully from his hand. She gulped it down greedily, knowing it was bad to do so but her body felt hot despite the cold weather.

"But still not under 45 minutes," he added.

She shrugged in response. Now he wants to talk? Without thinking about it, she opened her mouth. "Why do even care? I'm here doing everything you say. In the freaking rain!"

Will's lips twitched upward like he was trying hard not laugh but his eyes were. "Freaking?" His mood shifts were what she couldn't keep up with. How did he go from disregarding her existence to poking fun at her? It was confusing…and annoying.

Tessa rolled her eyes and scowled at his direction. "Can you just go back to ignoring me now?"

"I'm not the one doing the ignoring. You're the one who doesn't show up to dinner because you're getting trained by others who aren't me last time I checked." His voice grew serious, lacing with disapproval.

Tessa could only stare at him in shock. She wasn't sure how he had found that out but was slightly satisfied that it bothered him.

"All you have me doing is running. If I'm in terrible danger, shouldn't I be learning how to protect myself?" she asked, with all the bravery she could muster.

Will stepped away from the tree and closer to her. Something fluttered in her stomach and she scolded herself for still having a weakness to his looks especially those blue ocean eyes. She still couldn't understand how she went from finding guys moderately attractive to a full blown overwhelming attraction to one specific guy. Sure some male celebrities were insanely handsome but with all the photoshop in the media, they seemed too good to be true. She also hated the fact that after that grueling run, she buzzed with energy at Will's nearness.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you feel like you're in terrible danger?" His voice was soft but still serious.

"Yes." Although not for the reason he assumed. She felt in danger when Will was around her. Before she never cared if a guy thought she was pretty or smart, never cared if they were impressed, and never cared if they ignored her. But with him she found herself caring and that scared her. She had to focus on getting her life back not some beautiful distraction.

"I'm building up your speed and strength. What's the point of knowing how to fight if you're not quick?" He had that expression again, daring her to answer his rhetorical question. "You want some advice Gray? If you're in trouble, run and run fast."

Tessa had him talking at the moment but could tell he didn't want to. His silence these days said as such. Will wasn't interested. She had so many questions for him about books, Jem, and the institute; they were begging to be asked out loud but she knew the beautiful boy in front of her would offer no answers. Fatigue began to spread through her legs and she shivered from the frosty London air.

Will still stared at her with a weary gaze, waiting for her response to his advice. She looked away from him and up to the dark gray sky.

"There's a hole in the world, like a great black pit, and the vermin of the world, inhibit it, and it goes by the name of London," she recited in a half whisper and smiled at the clouds.

He wouldn't talk to Tessa in words but quotes seemed to be a game of his and she wanted to prove that she could play. She could tell by the expression on Will's face that he was searching around his mind to recognize her quote.

"That's not from a book," he said finally, with a slight uncertainty.

She shook her head at him. "It's not."

They both noticed the sleek black BMW several feet away and walked towards it with a large gap in between them. Once in the car, Will would ride in front with Thomas and she would ride in the back.

"Tell me." He turned around with an impatient pout, before they reached the car.

She shook her head at him again with a smirk and walked by him.

For a moment, Tessa stood on the doorway leading into the living room. She had only been in their once just to see it. Similar to all the other rooms in the building, it was incredible large yet simple with white walls, a medium grand piano in a corner with an empty violin stand next to it, a plasma television hung above the fire place, and a big long burgundy sofa, the "L" shaped looking kind in the middle with an antique coffee table in front of it. The strange yet interesting thing about the room was that it didn't have any windows because of the way it faced in the institute, so the light came from little pockets on the sides of the floor that lit up to different brightness ranges. She stared at the back of Jem's head well more like his black hat, wagering if she should even bother with her plan to get some answers to her burning questions.

As if he felt that he was being observed for too long, Jem turned to look back at her. Immediately she met his luminous silver eyes that only express a happy gentleness. Her lips curved into a smile matching his.

"Tessa." His voice was soft and quite. "What are you doing standing there? Come sit," he said while gesturing at the space next to him with his jaw.

Not wanting to seem excitedly eager to talk to him, she walked a slow pace. "What are you watching?" Tessa asked curiously, finally noticing the screen. There was an old Asian man being interviewed and the language wasn't English but it had translated subtitles.

"It's a documentary called Jeri Dreams of Sushi. It's about a man who's been making sushi his whole life and apparently it's the best in the world," Jem replies with respect in his tone.

Confusion and amusement sketched on her face. "You really find this interesting?" She had made herself around the sofa and tried to decide quickly if she should sit right next to him or leave a cushion between them. She went for the latter.

He gave a small chuckle and looked at her sideways. "Yes…that man is completely passionate about his work. He never stops trying to better his technique. The dedication is absolutely incredible."

She could hear the awe in his voice. "And that's how you feel about music right?" Maybe if she kept asking questions then they could lead to the one's she was dying to ask.

"Not really. I love music but I can't make it my whole life." Jem's face turned a little sad and regretful, like he wished he could be wrong.

They fell into a comfortable silence and watched the film. Not the same kind of silence as with Will. That type of silence felt suffocating. But this silence was peaceful and relaxing.

After a couple minutes Jem asked, "How's the training going?"

Tessa let out a short groan. "I swear he's trying to kill me. All he has me doing is running around the park for miles. I've never been so sore."

He snorted but turned to look at her with a sympathetic look. "He knows what he's doing. I mean, he trained almost everyone here so just trust his advice because he won't push you past your limit. I have some pain relief medicine that works wonders on muscle soreness, if you would like." Jem offered in a soft voice.

"Thanks." She grinned at him. It was time for her to bit the bullet. Now or Never. "Hey can I-"

"I have something-"

They both broke out in quite laughter.

"Ladies first," Jem said.

"Nope. Elders first," she teased.

"Calling me old? Just for that I will go first," he said in false annoyance. He reached into the pocket of his navy blue hoodie and pulled out something that hid in the fist he made. "I thought you might like this." His voice had turned a little shaky and low. "If you don't want it, that's okay too…"

Jem held his fisted hand across the cushion. Tessa placed an opened palm hand under it, wondering what he could give her that was so small. Next thing she knew, an IPOD nano rested on her hand. It was one of the newer models with a tiny touch screen on it. A pair of earphones were plugged in and tied in a neat bundle.

"Just in case you felt like listening to something-"

"You programmed music into it?" Even though Jem had moved his hand away, hers still stayed open flat at the same spot.

"Yes. I put plenty of Thirteen Senses and Band of Horses." His tone was nervous. She noticed his fingers were twitching as if they were on an invisible instrument. The fact that he had remembered the bands she mentioned days ago made her happy in a way she wasn't sure she could describe. "The rest I thought you might be interested in…I can delete it if you're not."

She closed her hand around the music device and held it close to her chest. "I already love it. I can't wait to use it on my morning runs." It would most definitely keep her distracted from Will and she was honestly excited to see what music Jem had personally picked out for her.

His smile was shy and some pink had flooded in his cheeks. He cleared his throat before saying, "Your turn."

"I'm sorry?"

"You started to say something before I rudely interrupted you and in return you called me ancient," he teased.

"I did not call you ancient," she replied half laughing but got seriously very quickly when she realized what she was going to ask. "Well I wanted-I mean can I ask you something kind of personal?" Tessa looked at his hands rather than his face.

"Of course." Jem smiled warmly at her and patted the cushion between them. "Sit closer so I can stop yelling."

Tessa moved and sat cross legged sideways so she could face him instead of the television. At a closer space, she could notice the bags under his eyes and his breath was a bit loud. He looked weak and tired. But from what, she had no clue.

"Uh I was just ... wondering how you and Will came into Charlotte's guardianship?" It was easy to meet his silver eyes because they never expressed anything but utter gentleness and patience. They sucked her in.

Jem didn't answer right which made her nervous. Had she crossed the line? She knew it had been a gamble to ask.

He let out a deep breath through his nose and stared at Tessa with a half smile. "About 9 years ago Will and I lived in an orphanage, that's where he and I met. We stayed there for 6 years. Nobody was interested in adopting us and honestly we weren't hoping to. He and I had each other and that was enough. Will had these plans of living on our own once were 16 years of age, getting our own flat and doing whatever we wanted. He gambled some and caught the attention of some powerful bad guys. I don't know much about the type of jobs he had when working for them but he made loads of money. Our plans seemed to become closer to reality." He paused to catch his breath. Tessa hadn't even noticed when he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his sweater. "Will got caught listening in on a conversation that definitely wasn't meant for him to hear. You see, there was going to be a major drug transaction but for it to run smoothly there was going to be a shooting arranged at some festival, as a distraction. They wanted him dead for learning information. Then we found out abou-I mean the circumstances changed. Charlotte was working to bust this case and she cornered Will from what I understand. They came into an agreement that he would give up what he knew and in return she would protect us both. We thought she would move out of London but instead she asked us to move in to the Institute and work for her. I dunno, I think she saw something in us for her to do that. We've been her ever since."

Jem's expression was grim and she blamed herself for that. "What do you mean she saw something in you two?"

"Everyone in this institute comes from a tragic place. We're not normal. But we fight our demons every day." His tone was distant and it reminded her too much of Will. "Does that make any sense?"

Tessa nodded in response. "What did you do these past few days?" She asked hoping to make the conversation light again. The movie was long forgotten now.

"I slept a lot." He grinned looking at her again.

She had a feeling that it wasn't a lie but not the whole truth either. "Are you still tired?" she asked slowly with her head cocked to the side. "Are you feeling ill?"

Jem copied her and cocked his head as well. "Yes. Sometimes." He was curious about what she was getting at.

The fact that he wasn't elaborating his answers let her know he didn't want to talk about it and whatever "it" was but he wouldn't lie if she asked. There were more questions but he just admitted to be tired and she was too.

Slowly but surely she was learning more about the mystery of this place and the people who lived in it. Specifically, the two boys who seemed to be occupying more of her thoughts than she would like.

Tessa moved and sat back against the couch, right next to Jem. She looked sideways at him and found that he was staring at her so intensely, like he was trying to silently communicate with her with his silver eyes. They seemed to say, I want to trust you.

She gazed back and hoped he could read in her eyes, You can.

He looked away first. She tried to focus on the film but couldn't. Tomorrow she would go out with Will to look for her brother and it her emotions were all over the map. Without permission, her lids closed and she was asleep.

Again i'm sorry this took really long to do but it seemed like all the parts in my life were demanding attention. I will be updating again tomorrow or sunday! i promise :) teaser

Tessa always thought jealousy brought out people's anger but did it also make them feel like they were suddenly insignificant too? She scolded herself for feeling hurt watching Will flirt with that woman. His advice had been to run and run fast when she was in danger, and that's what she had to do. She needed to run far away from him because the influence he had over her was becoming unbearable.