As always, hanks for all the reviews etc.

I should be doing University work but instead I'm giving you new chapters!

Enjoy x

'Elliot, I…'

She glanced around to check that no one was listening to them and realised that they could probably be overheard and swallowed, leaning into her bag.

She took out a pen and her diary, tearing out a sheet of paper and scrawling quickly on it, furtively passing over the message to Elliot.

He read it and she saw his eyes widen before he swallowed and looked at her intently for a few seconds with an unreadable expression before folding the paper up and putting it in the inside of his jacket pocket.

'We can talk about this another time Jess, but… I understand, okay. I'm not thrilled by it, but I get it. Christian… I dunno if Christian will see it the same way, you're his daughter, and I'll speak from experience on this Jess- he doesn't see reason all that well. Christian is incredibly blinkered with anything that might annoy or upset him, he just ignores it or gets really fucking angry. Honestly… I don't think you should tell him'

'What if it comes out?'

'Why the fuck would it? No offence meant but it's hardly the type of thing you'll be telling everyone about is it? I'll keep it to myself, who else knows?'

'Luke, Caleb, you… and I guess those involved'

Elliot exhaled deeply 'right… well at least that limits it. Give me some time to process this, but I don't think you should tell Christian- or Ana- frankly at the moment, maybe in a while, but not yet'

Jess nodded slightly and looked down at her plate until Elliot reached over their little table and tilted her face up so she had to look directly at him and he got his point across 'I don't hate you for this, I don't judge you, and it certainly changes nothing. Don't worry, can we just eat, please, and have a nice meal just the two of us?'

When Elliot dropped Jess off he drew up outside Escala and sighed 'if you do decided to tell them and Christian goes off on one then you can stay with me, any time of day, I don't even need notice, can you drive again?'

She shook her head 'too soon after the last seizure they said'

Elliot sighed 'oh of course, well just call me, anytime, and I'll come pick you up'

'I'm not going to tell them, well not now at any rate. Maybe in a while but for now I'll just… carry on'

Elliot twisted his mouth, tapping the steering wheel absently 'your mum said you were getting interested in photography, is that something you wanted to do? Or at least try?'

Jess shrugged 'I guess so, I mean… I've got to be good at something haven't I?'

'Ever the optimist Jess, now go on, you'd best get back, I'll see you soon okay?'

She nodded vaguely and got out of the car, walking back over the road to Escala.

When she was back in the apartment Jess saw Christian sitting in the main room, holding her camera 'Dad…what are you doing?'

He looked up with a smile 'I know I shouldn't have, but you left your camera out here and I was just curious, you know waiting for your mother to have one of her half hour baths… don't be mad at me but I was just flicking through them'

Christian motioned with the camera 'Jess, these are really good'

She shrugged 'well, I had expensive equipment didn't I'

Christian raised an eyebrow 'we both know that the equipment can change the quality but not the talent, some of these are incredible'

Christian flicked through the memory again to the one of the Jess had taken on her way back from dropping Harry at playgroup. She had been walking back to their car with Luke when they had seen down an old abandoned alleyway an old woman foraging for food in a dumpster.

Jess had taken a picture of the scene and it somehow conveyed the dreadfulness of the situation in a way that was far deeper than most people could have managed. They had then gone and brought the woman blankets, clean clothes, water and food, and had dropped her at a shelter, paying for a weeks stay. Jess had captured that moment as well, and it was amazing to Christian that she could managed to convey such emotion.

'See, these two, give me any camera in the world and I won't be able to give you that. Human emotion, it's a skill Jess, don't give up on this, please?'

She half nodded 'Yeah I'll see, I was looking into photojournalism to be honest… I just like the idea of telling you know, a human story, and I've only ever left this country twice, and that was to see my Dad on a military base, I've only ever seen Seattle, the towns around it, and two military bases'

Christian nodded slightly, deep in thought 'and what were you planning on photographing?'

Jess shrugged, trying to seem flippant 'there are girls in India -other parts of Asia and Africa too- that are basically forced into prostitution at a pretty young age, a lot of them have siblings or kids to look after and it's their only option. I was reading an article on it the other day'

Christian looked closely at Jess, his eyes searching her intently and his voice quiet 'Are you sure there isn't anything you want to tell me Jessica?'

As always, please review and let me know what you thought and what you still want to see.

To all my fellow Brit's reading, I hope you have a good long weekend off :)

x