Will looked at his watch again. They had been getting ready since early on in the morning, and they were still not done? What exactly did they need to do? Will had just showered, put on his tuxedo, sprayed some cologne on and attempted to flatten his hair before walking downstairs. It took about half an hour at most.

He finally heard the clacking of heels on the marble floor upstairs. He cocked his head towards to the mouth of the hallway and smiled as his sister approached. But as Tessa appeared behind her, all the thoughts in his mind were knocked away. It was a bit of a deja vu, seeing her walk down the grand staircase like that. Only this time, she was quite literally the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on.

Her soft pink dress accentuated the blue in her bright eyes. Her silky brown hair was up in an intricate bun with a few loose strands perfectly framing her face, which looked even more exquisite with the makeup. She was blushing ridiculously, which made him want to smile, because she was still Tess, and she always would be no matter how much people tried to change her on the outside.

They had arrived at the bottom of the staircase, and Will knew he was staring, but he couldn't care less.

"You look beautiful, Tess," he finally managed to say, even though it seemed like an understatement to him. He couldn't help smiling when her cheeks turned even redder.

He continued to look at her, and she continued to look at her feet.

Finally, Cecily coughed awkwardly from beside them. "So… We should really get going."

The gates of The Institute were wide open, and bright light spilled from inside onto the dark moonlit concrete. Tessa had a sheer wraparound draped across her bare shoulders.

They entered the Institute, and followed a blue velvet carpet into the ballroom. It was exquisitely breathtaking. Tessa marveled at the giant chandelier that hung from the high ceiling, illuminating the giant expanse. There were giant windows that allowed a view of the starry night sky beyond it. A small orchestra played sweet music from one corner of the room. Elegantly decorated tables were scattered on one side of the room, with a long buffet table sitting against the wall adjacent to it. In another corner was the Christmas tree. It stood over 5 meters tall, with the magnificent string of lights blinking and lighting it up. The ornaments seemed to have a theme of red and silver. She stood close to it, looking up at the golden glowing star placed on the very top of the fresh-smelling tree.

"Hello, Tessa," greeted a familiar soothing voice from next to her.

She looked to her right, where Jem stood in a deep blue tuxedo. "Hey, Jem. Looking sharp," she said with a grin.

"Not so bad yourself, Miss Gray," he replied with his usual warm smile.

She curtsied in an exaggerated manner, with her head cocked to the side. "Why, thank you, Mr. Carstairs. I would never want to disappoint you."

He chuckled. "Oh, Tessa. I don't think you ever would," Jem said in a more serious tone.

Tessa smiled gratefully at him. She really was fortunate to have Jem's friendship. "Thank you, Jem."

"Hello, James," Will greeted, appearing from thin air.

"Will," Jem replied, giving him a big hug.

"Shall we eat something?" Will offered, nodding towards the table of food.

Tessa shrugged, which Will took as a yes. He dragged her over to the buffet table and began piling up his plate with a bit of everything. Tessa, on the other hand, only filled a quarter of her plate with food.

Will eyed her plate suspiciously. "Are you sure that's enough?"

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Yes, Will. My appetite's not as large as yours," she said, raising her eyebrows at his plate stacked high with food. The truth was, she was a bit worried that eating too much might produce a food baby, and her dress was quite tight.

"Fine, whatever suits you. Just don't faint halfway through the night, okay?"

Once again, Tessa rolled her eyes. They took a seat in one of the tables and ate in silence, until Cecily and Gabriel joined them. They were precariously close and Tessa saw Will stiffen from the corner of her eye.

Cecily took a seat next to Tessa and Gabriel sat next to Cecily. Tessa continued eating until she felt Will lean in to her.

"I don't like the way Lightworm is looking at my sister," he whispered into her ear.

Tessa glanced at them and saw Gabriel's bright green eyes fixed on Cecily with something close to adoration and longing. Tessa had already known something was going on from their very first meeting, so it wasn't much of a surprise for her. Obviously, the same couldn't be said for Will.

Tessa tried to hide a smile, but Will immediately caught the look. "You know something, don't you?"

"What are you talking about, Will?"

"Really, Tess. Just tell-"

"Hello, you two. What are we whispering about?" asked Jem as he set down his plate and took a seat beside Will.

Will turned to him. "Is there something going on between my sister and Gabriel?" he asked, panic beginning to seep into his voice.

Jem raised his eyebrows calmly and averted his silver-rimmed eyes towards the other side of the table. Gabriel and Cecily were now talking and laughing together, completely oblivious to the three pairs of eyes observing them.

Jem looked down at his food.

"James? Tell me, do you know anything about this?"

Jem merely smiled at him before continuing to eat. Will groaned in frustration.

"Oh, what is it now, Will?" Gideon asked, suddenly appearing and putting down his plate on the table.

Will glared at him, which caused Gideon to raise his hands in surrender. He looked over to Jem with a questioning look, which Jem responded to by nodding slightly towards Gabriel and Cecily, who were still engrossed in the conversation.

"Ah," Gideon said, his face taking on a look of understanding. He finally sat down next to Gabriel, but Gabriel didn't seem to take any notice of his brother's arrival.

All four of them were now staring intently at the pair, hoping to gain their attention. Finally, Gabriel seemed to sense something and slowly tilted his head towards them. His eyes widened when he met Will's furious glare.

"Why, you little-"

"William, it's a Christmas party. No cursing, please," Jem stopped him.

Will humphed in protest and resorted to just glaring at him icily.

"What did I do wrong?" Gabriel asked, looking around the table. They all just shook his head at him.

Cecily looked at Will and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you have to stop being so overprotective. You can't control who I like and flirt with!"

Gabriel was gaping at her now and his face had turned a deep shade of crimson. He took a quick glance at Will, who looked as if he was ready to use the cutlery in his hands to decapitate Gabriel. He gulped slightly and rose from his seat.

"I'm going to just… yeah."

He took off and Cecily groaned. "Really, Will? Did you have to ruin everything?" she asked in annoyance before going after Gabriel.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Will exploded in a string of curses.

"Will," Jem warned sternly.

His curses ceased, but he that didn't stop him from talking. "I can't believe Gabriel would go after my sister like that! And Cecily is flirting right back at him! Unbelievable. If I could just-"

"Okay, Will. Slow down there," Tessa said, putting a hand on Will's clenched fist. He seemed to calm down slightly.

"I'm going to take a walk," he declared before getting up and going through on of the doors to a small garden.

"I'll go after him," Jem said with a sigh, setting down his knife and fork on his still full plate.

"No, it's fine. I'll go," Tessa offered. Jem nodded gratefully at her and proceeded to finish his food.

As Tessa walked through the door, the cold winter met her and bit her skin. She pulled tighter on the flimsy wrap around her shoulders, hoping it would provide a bit more warmth.

She saw Will's silhouette outlined by the light spilling from inside the ballroom.

"Will."

He looked back over his shoulder. "I'm really not in the mood to talk about my sister and Lightworm right now."

Tessa stood next to him. "I wasn't going to," she replied. And somehow, it was true. She didn't just come out here to talk about Cecily's love life. But she didn't exactly know what she was planning on doing either.

The soft melodies floated out from the ballroom into the open night sky. They looked at each other for what seemed like centuries. His jet-black tuxedo made his eyes bluer, and Tessa felt herself falling into it.

Will stepped back and held out a hand. "May I have this dance?"

Tessa smiled and took his rough, strong hand. "I thought you'd never ask."

And that's what they did. Under the moonlight, in the bitter winter air, they danced to the faded music of the party and the crowd. Will led them in a waltz.

"You know how to waltz?" Tessa asked incredulously.

"We don't just fight here, you know. We have lessons on other basic necessities," Will replied.

"And waltzing is a basic necessity?"

Will chuckled. "According to my father, it is. And where did you learn how to waltz? I'm quite sure they don't teach it in normal schools."

Tessa gave him a rueful smile. "When I was little, Nate and I used to dance in the living room. I would step on his toes, and he'd teach me all these dances. Then my Aunt Harriet would watch from the sofa, clapping and humming along," she said, her voice breaking with the weight of the memory.

"I'm sorry," she suddenly said, stopping and dropping her hands from Will's. "I just… need a moment."

She turned away and took deep breaths. She thought going to this party would be a good distraction, a night where she would just have fun and enjoy herself. But even a stupid waltz was making her tear up.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't know, Tess."

"It's not your fault," Tessa whispered.

He caught her hand. "Do you need anything? A drink, maybe?" he offered.

"No, I'm fine now. I think."

"It's okay if you just want to stay out here, away from all those people."

She nodded and they stood there, staring out into the garden in a welcome silence. And suddenly, it dawned on her why she wanted to see Will out here in the first place.

"Will, I.. haven't gotten a chance to say this, and this is much too overdue," she began. "But… Thank you. Thank you for being there for me, even when I didn't want to admit I needed someone. I don't know how I can ever repay you and-"

"Repay me?" Will cut off incredulously. "Tess, you being okay is more than enough payment for me," he continued, his eyes softening.

Somehow, that statement made Tessa feel bold and she took a step, leaving only mere inches between them. She saw Will's breath hitch. Tessa herself couldn't breathe properly, and her heartbeat was loud enough to block out the music playing inside.

Will leaned down, his breath hot on her face. His blue eyes disappeared behind his eyelids and she closed her eyes as well. Tessa waited for his lips to meet hers, but it never happened.

Her eyes fluttered open and Will's face was still inches from hers, but now his dark blue eyes were open. The longing in them was now replaced by fear and hesitation.

"Will?" Tessa managed to breathe out.

His breaths became shorter and he suddenly stepped back. She immediately felt the loss of his body heat and shivered.

In one swift motion, Will took his overcoat off and draped it around her shoulders, before stepping back once again.

"I- I'm sorry. You should go in, you look like you're freezing."

And with that, he left.

Will crouched down and put his head in his hands. He had come close to the end of it all. No, Tessa could not love him. He would just end up hurting her. And he couldn't bear the thought of hurting Tessa. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting anyone he loved. If they ever loved him back, they would end up hurt, one way or another. And Will would be the cause of it.

He couldn't let anyone in again, not after Ella. Will took deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Will? Oh my God, Will! No!"

The snake recoiled for a moment, before darting its head forward. Will widened his eyes. He had not expected it to come forward so quickly.

"Will!"

The snake bared its venom-filled fangs, ready to sink into Will's flesh. But he saw a blur of black in front of him and a thump.

The bite never came.

Will looked up and saw the snake slithering away. Lying on the soft green grass was his sister. Everything was still. So, so still.

And then she began screaming.

"Ella? Ella!" Will cried. He ran forward and stumbled onto the lump that was his older sister. Tears ran down her cheeks. Her hands were clamped over the side of her neck.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Will screeched at the top of his lungs. He turned back to Ella, who's cries began to diminish into a whimpering sound. "Are… you… okay?"

Will nodded, tears streaking his chubby cheeks. "Why are you hurting, Ella?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but instead she began gasping. Her hands dropped down to clutch her chest and Will saw it. A part of her neck had an icky bubble on it. Will began to scream even louder.

And then his parents were with them.

"Ella? By the Angel, what happened?"

"Her neck! It's swollen!"

"Can you breathe, honey?"

"We have get her to the hospital, Edmund!"

His dad scooped Ella in his arms, while his mother carried him inside.

A week later, Will was dressed up in black and standing in front of a wooden coffin. In his opinion, it was much too big for his sister's tiny figure.

Tessa stood there with a stone in her stomach. She was stupid to think that he liked her that way. This was exactly what happened the last time he suddenly shut himself out.

She was stupid, and pushy, and naïve. Honestly, why would he even like her? He could get any girl at all, and there were many who were prettier than her. And now she had ruined one of her sweetest friendships.

Tessa told herself it was her fault, but still, the tears spilled out. Her chest tightened and her breaths were labored. She had always thought that the term 'heartache' was an exaggerated expression, but obviously she was wrong. It felt like someone was gripping her heart and squeezing it tight, making her chest feel closed off.

Tessa stumbled backwards and fell into something hard. She began to turn around, but something solid and icy cold grabbed her from behind. She gasped and tried to squirm away, but its grip was too strong.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, still wriggling in the deadly grip. A piece of cloth was clapped over her mouth roughly, and she felt the warm blood trickle from her lips from the impact. The hand felt bony and cold, like its arms.

A sharp smell reached her nose. Tessa began to panic even more. She tried to hold her breath, but she could still smell the sting wafting into her nostrils. She felt herself being dragged away and tried to kick backwards, but her head was becoming light and her vision was blurring. Her muscles felt weak and she just felt like sleeping.

Tessa tried to move away, but sleep was clouding over her heavily, and she began to lose consciousness.

"Tessa!" cried a distant voice.

The last thing she saw before the darkness took over was a familiar figure with messy black hair running from far far away.

Will's thoughts were interrupted by a blood-curdling scream.

Without thinking, he immediately ran to where he thought the source of the voice was. He heard more yells, muffled this time and ran towards the sound. He found himself in the area of the balcony where he had left Tessa. And there she was, still in the same spot. Only this time, a robot-like creature was holding her with one arm, while the other hand pressed a cloth to her face. Her eyelids were beginning to droop down, and her bright eyes were dimming.

"Tessa!"

Will sprinted towards them as the creature began to drag her limp body away. But they were too far, and he knew that even though he was faster than most, he wouldn't be able to catch up with them. They began to disappear into the darkness, and Will lost sight of them completely.

He had lost Tessa.

Hello again! (I feel like this hello is slightly unnecessary because I literally said it 2 hours ago. But anyways.)

Yes, this chapter is jam-packed, but I hope you guys like it. I won't be able to update tomorrow, because I'll be leaving for London (YAY first-hand experience to write this fic). I'll probably update again on Thursday? (But I'm not promising anything)

I actually have an extremely detailed picture of Tessa's dress in my head, but a) Will probably knows nothing about dresses. b) as SilverCarstairs said, it's nice to leave the dress to your imagination. So I just gave a colour and the rest is all up to you. But if anyone wants to know what I imagined, just pm me :)

Also, CECILY AND GABRIEL! I've been trying to put this in somewhere, and then this scene left a gaping wide hole of opportunity so yay. And... I'm sorry for not giving Wessa's first kiss. (Okay not really oops)

You can leave a review if you have any comments, questions, or if you just want to vent! :)

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything mentioned above.