Author's Note: Sorry. It took way longer to update than I had hoped. Oh for my noble intents- this weekend turned into a massive studying frenzy, so I got way less important stuff done than I had hoped. And yes, by important stuff, I mean fanfictions.

Voila the second chapter. Sorry if it's a let down, but frankly I couldn't figure out what to say. Then I remembered, Will went on a drug spree! He's still under the influence! Hence the title, by the way. Enjoy!

Tessa cracked open her bedroom door and peered out. Jem's door was open across the hall, and she could see the light spilling out from it onto the rug. She slid out into the hall. Quietly closing the door, she crept along the wall past Jem's room.

He had his back to the door, holding his violin to his shoulder but not playing. Tessa tried not to look at him. She knew she should talk to him, but she persuaded herself in the split second as she passed his door, that Will needed her more.

Walking the Institute corridors, Tessa tried to steer her mind clear of Will, his tragic history and his memories. But little snippets kept coming back to her... The demon... His sister's dead body... The sickening pain he had felt when he gazed at her... The piercing loneliness that came from shunning those he loved best... And the very thing she did not want to remember, the look on her own face on the rooftop and the stunned empty feeling he had felt when she had left the roof and he was alone.

Tessa found herself dwelling on that memory as she wandered the halls, found herself reliving it again and again, picturing her own face and feeling the strange relief. He had thought that would persuade her. He had thought she would hate him. Tessa remembered wanting to hate him, if only to protect herself from a broken heart. But it was always too hard. Somehow, no matter how foully he acted towards her, no matter how awful he had been or what insult he had thrown her way, she could never find it in herself to hate him. And now she knew why he had done it, and she forgave him for it. If possible, she loved him even more for it.

And for all his fear and pain and broken-ness, Will was stronger than any of them had given him credit for, for not giving up and for doing it at all.

Though she had only been to Will's room the one time, earlier that day, Tessa re-traced her steps, down the winding corridors, blindly following the hallway till she reached the tower. The door before her stood ajar. A faint light crept around the door. Tessa peered through the crack and saw Will, laying sprawled across his bed.

He tossed and turned feverishly, murmuring things too soft to hear.

And then, "Tessa."

She blinked, almost wondering if he had seen her at the door. But no, his eyes were still half closed, and he still trashed across the bed as though trying to escape a snake's hold.

He was dreaming about her.

Almost involuntarily, Tessa stepped forward into the room. "Will," she whispered. In his drug induced stupor, Will did not or could not hear her.

"Oh, Will," Tessa sighed. She stood at the side of Will's bed and watched him for a moment. Other than the red of his cheeks, his face looked paler even than it had lately, the skin under his eyes almost the same blue-violet as his eyes. His forehead was shiny with sweat. His cheeks were flushed and fiery red.

Tessa sunk onto the bed beside him and stroked his cheek with her cool fingers. Will moaned something about an angel and pressed her hand to his face with a shaking and hot hand.

With her other hand, she reached to feel his forehead to check his temperature. Only then did she realize that in her left hand, she still held Cyril's handkerchief, now stiff with Will's congealed blood. Tessa cringed, remembering why she was there. The handkerchief was flung onto the dresser next to the bed. It landed next to a pile of books. On top was A Tale of Two Cities.

For the second time that night, Tessa wanted to curl up and die.

She withdrew her hand from his grasp and set to pushing him all the way onto the bed. It was hard work, for a thin girl. And Will was no twig. But finally, Tessa had rotated Will's body so his head was on the pillow.

On the floor, she discovered a bowl of water. There was a damp cloth on the floor, flung roughly aside. Cyril must have brought it. And Will must have discarded the cloth in his feverish state. Tessa wetted the cloth and mopped awkwardly at Will's face.

He stirred and groaned.

"Will, shhh," Tessa whispered to him. "It's me, Tessa."

"Tess," he breathed.

Tessa found herself moved by a strange, unrecognizable force. She leaned in and kissed him. He gasped in surprise, but Tessa did not draw back. She entwined her fingers in his black hair and let him reach for hers. He pulled the pins from her hair as he had before, and let it fall over her shoulders. His hands grasped at her curls and tangled in them.

When Tessa had to breath, she pulled back. Will's glazed eyes stared up at her, squinting as though he was trying very hard to understand something. "Tess?" he asked, unsure.

"Will," she answered.

He stared at her uncomprehendingly. "Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming." Distractedly, he reached for her hand. "But what a dream, better by far... than what I've dreampt before..." He laced his fingers with hers. "Stay with me, let me never wake..." He exhaled slowly.

"This isn't a dream," said Tessa slowly. "If it is, then I wish never to wake as well." She leaned in again and Will pulled her closer. When they kissed again, there was an unreal feeling to it. Tessa wondered if it was really a dream, and she had imagined it all, the Change, Will's memories... What if she were really in her bed in her room, Jem across the hall, not playing his violin.

Jem.

Tessa banished him from her mind.

She pulled back from Will and looked into his starry blue eyes. "Will, I- I have something to tell you- I'm sorry, but I-"

"I love you." Will spoke quietly but firmly. His voice was low and full of emotion.

Tessa gulped. She couldn't say it now, not when he was like this. It would have to wait... But could she survive the night with the knowledge of the curse weighing on her?

"Stay with me."

Those three words were Tessa's savior.

"Yes," she whispered. "Always."

She curled up next to Will, her head resting on the place where his shoulder met his chest. She felt his breathing slowing as he fell into sleep. Tessa closed her eyes. It had been a long, long day. She closed her eyes, half-fearing more images from Will's mind, but they didn't come. Instead, she felt only the calm and relief of sleep as it crept up on her mind.

As Tessa drifted into slumber, she vaguely thought she felt Will's hand on her face, but she couldn't be sure...

Yeah, I borrowed from the Hunger Games... "Stay with me"-"Always", but it fit.

And I sort of cheated by not actually having Tessa confront Will, but it's logical, right? He's under the influence of demon drugs and I would imagine they last a while.

I would love a review or two! I do enjoy them so... And I'll try to update sooner next time. Heh.