Just a long Wessa drabble. Enjoy!

Will walked in on James pacing back and forth in front of his phone. James hadn't even realized that his father had come into the kitchen, and Will watched his son reach for the phone before setting it down and plopping down at the kitchen table. Will's low laugh caught his son's attention, who whirled in his seat to find his dad coming around to the other side of the table.

"Dad!" James spluttered. "What are you doing here? I thought that your meeting with the publisher wasn't going to be over until 5!" he said, trying to regain his composure.

Will grinned at James. "My publisher is ill with that nasty flu that's been going around. I wanted to see if you wanted to go out for tonight for dinner, but you clearly have something on your mind. What's up?"

"It's nothing, Dad" said James.

Will raised an eyebrow. "James, you never were a good liar. What's going on?"

James sighed. "There's this girl at school, Dad. She's so…. wonderful. She's pretty and smart. And she watches action movies. Like how cool is that, a girl who likes action movies! I want to ask her to go see Fast and Furious 6 with me on Friday, but I have no idea how to without sounding like a complete idiot" he finished, running his hand through his hair.

Will leaned back in his chair, trying to find the right words. How do you explain to your fifteen year-old son that love may look beautiful, but it essentially leaves you with so much to lose? Will thought of his own tragic love story that all began when he was sixteen, just a year older than James.

Will- 16 years old

It was the first day of school, and Will knew what to expect with the upcoming year. Although he knew he ought to pay more attention to his work, Will planned on working some and playing harder. He strategically sat in the front row seat by the window so that he could stretch out his long legs without kicking the person in front of him and not trip somebody in the front of the room. His best friend James was sitting right behind him, talking to Will about his summer in France. Will was half-turned in his seat, taking in every word of Jem's. Jem's opinion was really the only thing that mattered to Will when it came to other people. Well, that was the case until she walked into the room.

Will hadn't even noticed the new girl until his English teacher started calling out attendance and he heard the new name. Theresa Gray. Theresa? Since when is there a Theresa in our year? His english teacher seemed to be having the same thoughts, and she paused for a moment. "Ms. Gray, I presume you're new here?"

"Yes Ms. Frank"

"Please stand up and introduce yourself "

Will shifted in his seat so that he was more comfortable. The girl, who was quite tall, stood up, her face a bright red. "Ummm, I'm Theresa. But call me Tessa; everyone does."

"Tessa, I detect an accent. Where are you from?" asked .

"I'm from America. I moved to England over the summer because of my father's job" she stammered, clearly looking out of place as the center of attention.

Will, on the other hand, couldn't help but stare. She was pretty, with her deep gray eyes and brown hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. He was so entranced that he didn't even realize when Ms. Frank began calling out roll again. She had to say his name three times before he finally responded with an absent-minded 'present'. It wasn't until Jem muttered a snide remark about being distracted by the pretty girl that Will turned his attention away from her, a scowl lining his face. But he knew he was a goner.

Later during the day, Will strut into the lunch room with his lunch from home in tow. He was looking for a place to sit when he noticed the girl from his English class sitting at a table near the window, by herself. She looked around the lunch room once before she buried her face back into her book. Will shook his head and walked over to her. He remembered moving from Wales to London and how glad he had been when Jem sat with him on his first day. It wouldn't be right to leave her alone. Normally, he would sit with Jem, but they were in different lunches twice a week. Will dropped into an empty seat across from Tessa and peered into his lunch bag, pulling out a turkey sandwich.

Tessa looked up from her book to spare him a cursory glance. When he gave her a lopsided smile and a small wave, Tessa sat up a little straighter.

"Ummm, what are you doing here?"

"Eating lunch. What does it look like I'm doing?" said Will around a mouth full of turkey.

"But I don't even know you" said Tessa quietly.

"Well, we can fix that. I'm Will, Will Herondale."

"And I'm-"

"Tessa. I know. You were in my English class this morning. What book are you reading?" asked Will in a blurred sentence.

Will saw Tessa smile for the first time and it made him want to smile back. It was the start of something promising.

Will- 19 years old

He and Tessa had driven to the outskirts of London in an old flatbed night sky was much more visible from the country, and Will wanted Tessa, who had always lived in cities, to see the beauty of the stars. He had prepared for a full night out. He put a mattress into the bed of the truck and covered it with blankets. Earlier in the day, he had snuck a bottle of champagne from the cellar and hid it beneath a jacket in the back seat.

It had taken Will several months in school to work up the nerve to finally ask Tessa out. Normally, he didn't have this kind of problem; it was easy for him to talk to girls. But when he did ask her out, he was relieved that she agreed. Several dates later, Will knew he had done something right because Tessa finally kissed him in the pouring rain. Unable to bear the thought of possibly being separated after school, Will applied to every college that Tessa had looked into. It was lucky for him that they were both intelligent and were able to attend Oxford University. They had graduated at the top of their class, and Will still had the newspaper photo of both them standing together and receiving their recognitions. Really, it had been one of the best moments of their relationship.

But now Will was looking towards an evening under the stars with Tessa. Tessa had been jabbering on, for once, and Will didn't want to tell her to stop talking when the meteor shower started. He hadn't wanted to tell her about the meteor shower, leaving it as a surprise for the night. But she stopped on her own, her mouth slightly open as she took in the meteors streaking across the sky.

Will glanced at the sky for a minute before he turned his attention to Tessa. Watching her was better than watching the stars because she was more beautiful than every single one of them.

"Wow, that was amazing, Will" said Tessa when the shower finished. The sky was still lit up with the stars.

"My timing was perfect, really. I normally miss the showers" he said, relieved that she found the same beauties in the sky as he did.

When she didn't answer, Will turned his head to look at her and found that she was gazing fixatedly at the stars forming the constellation Libra, a symbol of love. He reached over and held one finger over her eyes,trying to block her view. She batted it away impatiently.

"Will, stop it, I can't see the constellation" she said.

Will grinned and this time, held his entire hand over her face. "How about now, can you see it any better?" he asked.

She batted his hand away again, but instead of setting it down, he kneeled up and reached over Tessa's stomach, tickling her.

She instinctively curled her knees to her chest and began to laugh, trying to roll out of Will's reach. "William!" she squealed between bursts of laughter.

Tessa had an infectious laugh, and soon Will found himself laughing too out of pure joy. Tessa rolled onto her side and when Will tried to reach out over her, he lost his balance and somehow wound up on top of her, his hands pinning her wrists down gently by her sides.

She stopped laughing, realizing that Will was on top of her. He gave her the lopsided grin that he knew unnerved her. "How do the stars look now,Tess?" he asked.

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "I think that I am looking at something more beautiful and perfect than the stars" she whispered.

Will, who had been expecting a sarcastic reply, was taken aback. Without thinking and without knowing, he leaned in and kissed her.

The champagne they had been drinking sparked on each other's lips. Will released one of Tessa's wrists and brought his hand up to her face, running his thumb along her cheekbone. She put her free hand on the back of his head and twined her fingers through his hair. He parted her lips with his and let his tongue delve into her mouth, tasting and breathing every bit of her. He adjusted his legs so that they were positioned between hers. He let go of Tessa's other wrist and put this hand into her hair, lacing it between his fingers. Tessa's fingers found their way to the buttons of his shirt, which she slowly undid.

He knelt up impatiently to shrug his shirt off. He tossed it to the side without thinking twice. Will leaned over Tessa again, this time burying his face into the crook of her neck, planting kisses at that sensitive spot behind her ear. She gasped and ran her fingers lightly over his smooth, hard back muscles. Will pulled away from her before he reached for the hem of Tessa's shirt and pulled it over her body. She leaned up slightly so she could take the shirt of completely. Will couldn't stop staring, causing Tessa to blush.

"I know I don't have a model's figure, but -"

"You're perfect Tessa, perfect for me. I love you, I love you so much. I would be nothing without you, you know that right?" he said, his voice rising.

She reached up to touch his face before she said "I do know that, because I feel the same way. I love you Will. I don't need anything else when I have you by my side."

Will sighed as he trailed his fingers from her collarbone, between her breasts, down her stomach and pausing at the button on her jeans. She couldn't seem to stop touching him either, her hands spread over the blades of his chest. "Tessa, are you sure you want to-" "If I don't do it with you, I never will. I want this."

He nodded before he buried his face into her neck again, the star gazing completely forgotten.

Will- 24 years old

He was a nervous wreck. He was holding one of Tessa's hands, but his mind was on the hand in his pocket, which was carefully fidgeting the ring box. What if she says no? I won't be able to bear it. But she has to say yes. There's no way that she couldn't, right? But what if she's been humoring me for the past eight years? There's no way. She would've left at some point. No one could keep up a charade for that long. But Tessa is perfect at everything. Maybe she could've-

Will had been having this conversation with himself for the past week. They were in New York for a month long hiatus. Both of them successfully written and published books in the past two years. They had been so busy, but finally, after Tessa proclaimed that she needed to get out of London, Will came up with a plan to whisk them away to the States for a month. They were renting a house in Long Island, but they took excursions into the city at least three times week.

Last week,Tessa had decided to pay her friend Chris a visit. Will had wanted to roam Manhattan on his own before he met up with Tessa and her friend. Which was how he had found himself in front of Tiffany's . Tessa didn't wear much jewelry, but he figured that he could use some of the money from his book to buy her something nice, like a bracelet. As he was browsing, he saw a diamond ring set neatly in gold. The light was reflecting off it quite nicely, and without rhyme or reason, Will bought it.

He had intended to give it to her as a gift. Tessa had stated once that she didn't want to get married right way, and Will always respected her wishes. But now, he found himself thinking that he never had the intention of ever being with another girl. So why not ask her now?

Will had wanted everything to be perfect. He made sure that a photographer was there in Times Square to capture the moment. He pulled out his favorite dress of Tessa's, which was a short, white number that flowed around her nicely. Tessa had given him a questioning look when she saw the dress on her bed, but put the dress on nonetheless. He himself dressed in a pale blue long-sleeved polo shirt and black jeans to match her.

Which brought him back to the current moment. They were in Manhattan for the second time that week, winding their way through Times Square. They paused at the spot where the ball is dropped annually on New Year's Eve. The afternoon was slowly settling into the night. Tessa set her free hand on Will's arm and looked around, entranced by the lights. "This is why I love the city. It never sleeps. Isn't it beautiful, Will? " she said.

He nodded stiffly. "But not as beautiful as you."

She flushed. "Oh stop it" she said, slowly turning in a circle.

By the time she had completed her revolution, she couldn't see Will. "Will, where are you?" she called into the crowd.

"Down here, Tessa" he said.

Tessa looked down to find Will on one knee, a ring in a box on his outstretched, shaking palm.

"Theresa Adele Gray" he said tripping over the words slightly. "I have loved you from the moment I set my eyes on you when we were sixteen. Every day, I feel like you get more beautiful. There is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with" he said, sweat lining his forehead. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he finished.

Tessa stared at him, her mouth hung open. It seemed like somebody had hit the pause button on the world. Everyone around them was staring, waiting for her to react. She took in a deep breath.

"Will, I- Yes. I will marry you Will. I will follow you across the universe if I have to, but yes, I will marry you" she stammered, her own face turning red. He pulled the ring out of the box and slid onto her finger. Cheers erupted around them, glad that the pretty girl had said yes to the handsome boy.

Will rose to his feet and kissed Tessa, bending her back slightly. She gasped at being tilted backward, but then dissolved into the kiss, her fingers curling against his cheek. He didn't care who saw; he was just so relieved that she had agreed. When they were finished, Will encased Tessa in his embrace, whispering "Thank God" over and over again. Tessa laughed lightly and ran her hand over his hair and back, trying to steady his shaking body. "Let's go from here" she whispered. Will couldn't have agreed more as she hauled him into the back of a taxi, glad that he would always have Tessa by his side.

Will- 27 years old

Will blinked himself awake. The sun was streaming through the window in the bedroom that he and Tessa shared. He had fallen asleep on his stomach, and his back hurt from sleeping in that position for so long. He stretched his hand out to the side to reach for Tessa, but found that the other side of the bed was empty. She must've gotten up. That's weird, she never gets up before me. He slipped out of bed and put on a shirt that was hanging over the back the vanity chair. He stumbled into the bathroom, where he found Tessa kneeling on the floor.

She was dressed in a simple pair of pajamas and holding a white stick-like object in her hand, staring at it in shock. Will dahsed over to her side, sliding onto the floor beside her. He set his hands on her shoulders, concerned.

"Tessa, mon cherie, what's the matter? Are you alright?"

She raised her head slowly and stared into his eyes. After a moment, she broke out into a big grin. "Will, I'm fabulous. Actually, I'm pregnant" she said.

Will held her out at an arm's length before he shrieked and crushed her into a hug, kissing the top of her head furiously. "Tessa, that's fantastic! Oh my goodness, we're going to be parents! We have to call Jem and Cecily and Sophie and Charlotte and-"

"Will!" cried Tessa, laughing and cutting him off. "We'll tell them! But take a deep breath first."

He did as he was told. "Tessa, how, when, why-"

"Will, you're rambling again. I was late. Really late. I had hunch, but I didn't try to confirm it until this morning, when I woke up at about 4 because last night's fish preferred the toilet instead of my stomach. And the test came back positive. Of course, we have to go to the doctor's to confirm it, but I'm pretty sure I'm right." she finished.

Will smiled and leaned back against the wall of the tub. Tessa slid in between his legs and put her head on his chest. His arms looped his way around her again. "Tessa, I can't wait. This is going to be the greatest thing ever, I swear!" he said before he buried his face into her hair again, giddy with joy.

Will- 33 years old

Will walked through the front door of the house. He had had a long week, and was looking forward to having some quiet time with Tessa. James, their 5 year old son, was spending the weekend with his Aunt Cecily on the other side of London. Will set his jacket onto the hook and stepped into the kitchen looking for something to eat.

The house had been quiet when he entered, so he figured that Tessa was still to return from work. But he was surprised to find her seated on the countertop, looking at a letter that had come in the mail. Will walked up to her and stood between her legs, wrapping his arms around her waist. He planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Hello my love. How was your day?" he asked, trying to look at Tessa. She wouldn't look up from the letter, which was the first sign of something gone wrong. Will snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Hello, earth to Tessa? Are you there, do you read me?" he asked with mock humor.

Tessa took a deep breath and set letter face-down onto the counter and unwrapped Will's hands from around her waist, taking his hands into her own. She kissed the back of each one gently before she simply held them in her lap.

"Will, I have to tell you a terrible thing. You know about that doctor's appointment that I had this morning?" she asked, her voice shaking.

He nodded, not sure where this was going.

She continued. 'Well, when the doctor looked me over, she said that there was some abnormal lump just above my stomach, and she asked me to get x-rayed right then and there. Well, they just sent the results home by courier and it turns out that I have pancreatic cancer."

His jaw dropped, trying to take in each sentence. Cancer. My Tessa has cancer.

"Then we'll start you on chemotherapy right away" he said, releasing her hands and running his hands through his hair. "If we pack you a suitcase now, they should be able to start you on treatment in the next day or two-"

Tessa gave him a sad smile and took his hand again. "Will, they said that chemo is an option, but either way, I don't have much time. I'll fight, of course, I won't go down without a fight. But I don't know how effective it will be" she finished.

Will looked at her in desperation. This cannot be happening. He took her by the shoulders. "Tessa, we'll get through this. You'll be okay. It would be an act of cruelty to take you away from me. Please, you can't leave me" he said, his voice rising.

Tessa took him into her arms, threading her fingers through his hair. "Remember what I told you on the day that you proposed to me? That I'll follow you to the ends of the universe? Well, I intend on keeping that promise. I'll always be by your side, Will, no matter what."

Several Weeks Later

Will and James were seated on either side of the hospital bed, each holding a hand of Tessa's. The treatment had taken the life out of her. She was exhausted. All of the beauty of her youth was gone, replaced with the ghost of disease. But yet, Will only saw the girl that he fell in love with at the age of sixteen. The one who had cascading brown hair and bright gray eyes.

She slowly stroked the back of their hands. "My boys" she whispered. "I love you, always remember that. Even if I won't be here to see your next book published, Will, or watch you grow up, James, I promise that I won't ever leave your sides. Not even death can do us apart" she said feebly, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Will brushed it away, not wanting to see her cry.

He knew they had reached the end. But he couldn't let go; he wouldn't let go. Tessa was everything to him. His heart broke a little more every time he set foot into the hospital and every time he spoke to the doctor. He had hoped, but even that had gone in vain. In the end, Will just stayed by her bedside, never leaving her alone.

He squeezed her hand gently. "I know Tessa. I love you too. We love you." he corrected, looking up at James who was silently crying on the other side of the bed. Will closed his eyes. How was his son going to handle losing his beloved mother at the age of 6? There was nothing the boy held above his parents in his heart, who had given him everything.

James nodded before he choked out "Dad's right, mum. We'll always be together."

Tessa looked at both of them before she said "Always." One word. Her last. She let out a deep breath, as if she'd been holding it since she was born, and closed her eyes. Her hands went slack. The heart monitor flattened just as Will's world went blank. He rose from his seat, not knowing where he was going and what he was doing. He stumbled out of the room and could vaguely make out a pair of footsteps following him. James.

Will found himself on the roof of the hospital after about twenty minutes of wandering around. The London skies were dumping water onto the streets. He looked up, wishing he could drown himself in the showers.

"Dad!" cried James from behind him. James pulled his father under the awning of a small structure on the roof, where the two of them crumpled into a heap. Will held onto James tightly. "James, I have lost everything. I have lost everything."

James clung to his father. "Yeah, we have. We really have lost" he sobbed.

Current Day

Will looked at James again. He really was no longer a timid child.

"James, listen to me. Love…. love is surrender. I figured it out after your mother… Anyways, that what true love is. When you tell someone you love them, you are giving them everything that you have, everything that you are. It's why love is painful; because it gives you so much to lose. I know I will never be able set eyes on another woman again because wherever your mother went, she took a part of me with her. You won't know until you try, but I beg of you, be careful. I don't want to see you hurting the same way I am."

James nodded and walked over to the other side of the table and gave his dad a hug. "I know. But I want what you and mum had. Something real. I won't know if Grace is the right girl for me, but I want to see if she is. I'll bear in mind what you said."

"Just pick up the phone and call. The first time I spoke to your mum I did it without thinking twice. I didn't realize until I went to bed that night how stupid I must've sounded."

"Dad!"

"Kidding. Go, call her" he said.

James dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room. Will sighed and pulled out his phone. scrolling through his photos until he found the picture of him proposing to Tessa.

"Tessa" he whispered, running his thumb over the photo. "You won't believe how much our son has grown up. He's even asking girls on dates now. I wish you were here. You don't know how hard it is to wake up and find the other half of the bed empty. I miss you. But you'll always be in my heart. Forever and ever."

That's a wrap. For those of you who've listened to Mayday Parade's Terrible Things, this story may seem familiar. The song was my inspiration for this one-shot.