"Now then," Chris started, making sure it was just he and Jess in the room, "you wanna tell me what this is all about?"

"You know what this is all about." She retorted. "You and her…"

"Jess, whatever you think is going on, you've got the wrong idea." He folded his arms across his chest. "Nothing is going on between me and her."

"You made that pretty obvious when I saw you with her."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know full well. There was a connection between you." She sounded almost afraid of him going off with someone else. "People do know a closeness between others when they see them."

Chris decided that was enough pretence for then. "Ok, I'll be honest with you. There is something going between us, but not for what you think."

Jess shook her head incredulously. "Wait till mum finds out about this. Then you will be in trouble."

"She knows, Jess." He stopped her from going. "She knows everything."

She tilted her head. "And she's ok about it?"

"If you wanna hear if from her yourself, you're more than welcome to." He opened the door to let Karen back in. "She's not buying it." He stated to her aside.

She nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jess couldn't help but notice the small touch she gave him. Were things as sordid as any of them were keen to make out?

"Let me deal with her, Chris. You've done all you can to convince her."

He nodded dimly, as he left them both together.

"I thought you of all people would empathise with what he's doing." She stated to her icily. "To look after someone from that sort of background and want to help them takes a lot of compassion."

"Mum, I saw them both together. There was something else going on."

"I know Chris. He's not a pervert and he's not trying anything on with her. I should know because I saw them both. He's taking very good care of her."

"That's not the only thing he's doing with her."

Karen folded her arms across her chest. "I want you to apologise to him – to both of them. But especially him."

Jess scowled at her. "What is it about him you like so much? He's not exactly perfect."

"Apologise to him, Jess." She stated, even icier than before. "Now."

"How are you getting on?" Chris peered over at Lian, as she was on the fourth page out of six that he asked her to go through. "Coping ok?"

"Not too bad."

"Good." He smiled softly. "I knew it wouldn't be long before you picked up." His smile faded when he saw Jess slowly come back in.
He got out of his chair and went over to her, his hands on his hips. "Well, you managed to keep the door in one piece for a start."

"I came to apologise." She admitted dimly, not wanting to look directly at him. "I'm sorry."

"Well, there was no need for that behaviour. You of all people should know." He tilted his head towards Lian. "I think you have someone else to apologise to as well."

"I'm not apologising to her."

"And why not?" Chris wanted to know. "Oh, you're jealous, aren't you?"

"Because you're giving her all your attention."

He smirked to himself. "So you want attention." He flitted his gaze away from her. "I hate to disappoint you, Jess, but I'm not giving you any of mine anymore."

Lian peered up at him softly, causing him to melt inside.

"You love her, don't you?"

"This has got nothing to do with you." He stated, coming over a little more protective. "Now go away. If you haven't got anything decent to say to her, then don't bother coming back."

Lian smiled a little, as he resignedly closed the door after Jess had gone.

He noticed her gazing at him amusedly. "Sorry about that."

"You love me?" She put her pen down, her eyes bearing more of a softness to them.

Chris swallowed hard. "Y-you'd better get back to where you'd left off…" He told her hazily, going back behind his desk again.
He couldn't deny he felt something for the young girl, but after what had gone on before with Jonah and Cesca…should he really have felt that way for her?

Although, the two of them had already been kissing and touching – to take the next step with her and try something else…something even more exciting…was just asking for trouble.

Jess answered the incoming call on her mobile. "What now? I thought I finished everything between us…" She retreated into the girls' toilets. "Y-you want more money? I don't have any…I don't know what you want from me."

Afternoon break came.
Chris talked with Karen about how Lian got on. "…She's getting on very well." He told her.

"Well, I am impressed." She admitted. "What exactly did you do in the end?"

"I gave her some fairly easy textbooks to try out." He noticed her concerned expression. "Don't worry, they weren't anything like GCSE standard, they were ones that dealt with the later half of the SATs."

She breathed a small sigh of relief. "I'm surprised any of those were about, we don't usually keep them."

"But she's done really well." He assured her. "Maybe soon I can get her started on the GCSE stuff."

"I take it Jess apologised?" Karen assumed.

"As good as." Chris admitted. A smirk appeared on his face. "Oh, I get it now…you sent her down to do that, didn't you?"

She shrugged. "She's one of those that's quite conceited at times…she doesn't like admitting when she's wrong about something."

"Oh, I'm sure it's something she'll grow out of."

She smiled softly. "Not giving me tips on parenting, are you?"

He smirked to himself, wanting to get back on track with things with Lian. "I mean I know I've done some really stupid things, but…"

"What you've done within the past few days wasn't stupid."

He shrugged. "Come on, you must've had some sort of unpleasant thought about me taking on such a vulnerable young girl…"

Karen nodded in admission. "But anyone would've thought that without knowing the full extent of the situation."

"You have to understand that I didn't wanna leave her." Chris pointed out. "I couldn't have left her, Karen."

She noticed his eyes came over slightly liquefied, almost as though tears were standing behind them but he was trying so hard to stop them from escaping. She placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing him there. "You're a very good person, Chris…"

He swallowed hard, in an attempt to repress the extreme emotions he was feeling. Never before had he felt so strongly for someone.

"I told you that you'd get on ok with her." She added, surprised at seeing such strong emotions within him. "And she loves you to pieces."

"How do you know?"

Karen smiled softly, prompting him to gasp softly as she brushed a small tear from the corner of his eye. "Because of the way she looks at you."

Jess got to the dilapidated studio at the proposed time.

It wasn't long before the photographer came out to see her.

"Better make it quick." She rolled her eyes at him. "Before my mum starts looking for me."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. "My sentiments exactly." He made to pull off her top and skirt, prompting her to pull away. "You know how hard it is to keep a low profile with cops looking for you?"

"Cops…?" She frowned in confusion.

"Some bright person reported me to the cops." He stated to her furiously. "Someone who you know."

She came over slightly frozen. Chris, she thought to herself, as he succeeded in shedding her clothes from her.

"And because you don't have any money," he started, "that makes things that little more convenient."

Jess was pushed up against the wall. "L-look, if you wanna take photos of me like this, you can do that…"

"I want you to give me the name of the person who reported me." He stated ominously, not intending on letting her go.

"W-why should I?" She shot back. "He'll only call the cops and get them to take you away."

"Because if you don't…" He took out a penknife and held it against the side of her neck; he drew out a gasp from her as the cold steel pressed into her skin. "I'll give you a new makeover."

She struggled to get away.

"And it won't be that pretty."