Friday morning had Emily struggling to get out of bed. She had managed to go for her usual run with Jack on Monday and thanks to cricket training on Tuesday and Thursday she was able to avoid having company. Wednesday she told him she was sick and to stay away. With everyone else at work and Carla busy with her parents who had come up from Busselton, the days went by much the same and if not for Sookie on the bed beside her, she would have been completely alone. She turned her phone off, didn't bother checking her emails and couldn't even be bothered getting the mail from the letterbox at the end of her driveway.

She knew she should be thankful to have all she did but losing the bakery had left more of a void than she ever expected. The box of her things still sat in the corner against the kitchen counters wall completely untouched and it was midafternoon by the time she decided to have a shower and try to freshen herself up. She had hardly eaten which didn't help how flat she felt and once dressed she took Sookie to sit outside, not wanting to be inside any longer.

She was nearly asleep when there was knocking on her door and reluctantly she got up to go and see who was there. Opening the door she didn't expect to see Dan who looked back at her sheepishly, a hot pink parcel in his hands. "Hi Emily. I hope you don't me coming round but Gemma gave me your address cause I wanna give you something"

"Not at all, come in" She forced a smile, sensing how on edge he was and as he saw Sookie who stood in the doorway with her hackles raised he hesitated coming in. "Don't mind her, that's Sookie"

"Ok" He stuck close to Emily as he passed the dog that after taking a few sniffs of him as he passed went to lay back in her bed under the air conditioning. "She is pretty fat"

"She's pregnant" Emily laughed, hoping Sookie wouldn't take offense to that statement. "Did you want a drink? I got coke, water, lemonade?"

"Coke would be good" He shrugged, trying to keep his image intact. Emily passed him a can of the soft drink and got one for herself, motioning for him to take a seat in the living area. "Nice place"

"Thanks. So what brings you around?" She was genuinely interested and hadn't gotten around to asking Gemma for his details to compliment his work in the alley. Just thinking about the bakery made the smile leave her face and Dan coughed nervously, thinking the change of mood was because of him.

"I made this for you" He handed her the pink parcel, wondering if she would like it. The last few weeks had been the best of his life and all because of instead of calling the police; she took a chance on him. He had been given a play to stay, was guaranteed three meals a day and not only was he able to do his art around the city but he was being given lessons on how to make it better.

"Really?" Her smile returned, touched that he would do something for a stranger. He looked around the room, focusing on the picture frames not wanting to watch her reaction in case she didn't like it.

"Oh Dan, this is amazing!" She gushed, feeling new tears forming as she discarded the wrapping. It was a simple black frame, nothing special but the sketching held within it was amazing. "There are no acts of kindess to small"

The quote was written into a wall and the male figure writing it was clearly Dan and the woman who stood beside him was her own face staring back at her like a photo would not a drawing. Like the alley way, her side was in color, seeping in over his black and white and she understood the meaning of it all.

The kid was talented.

"Do you like it?" He asked anxiously, fiddling with the top of the can.

"Dan, it's amazing!" Emily leant over giving him a hug and she frowned at how tense he was at the contact before getting up and giving it pride of place in the middle of her bookshelf. As she got up Sookie came over, looking to Dan for attention and seeing her ears and how skinny she actually was his nerves over whether or not she liked the picture were forgotten.

"What's wrong with your dog?" He rubbed under chin, avoiding the scabby sections of her ears and head.

"She's not really mine, I'm fostering her while she has the pups and then she'll be up for adoption" Emily told him about the shelter and the condition she and the others were in when they were all taken in.

"That's so fucked" Emily looked at him sternly and he looked away, "I mean, that's horrible" 

He was quiet for a few moments before he looked to where she put the picture. It demanded attention there. "You don't have to display it if you don't want to"

"I want to, trust me Dan I do. You're so talented, I'm glad you're doing well" He looked cleaner than the last time they met his clothes were newer and he looked happy.

"Thanks. I guess you're used to helping out people hey?"

"I guess but I don't think it makes a huge difference"

"It does to the people you help" Dan stayed for another hour after that before having to get back to his new home for dinner just as Jack arrived after work.

"Do you think I could see the puppies when they're born?" Dan asked, feeling uncomfortable around Jack who came in his suit fresh from work.

"I would love it if you did. Do you need a lift?" She hugged Dan once more and seeing Jack was glad he was seeing her now and not a few hours earlier or yesterday. "Dan this is Jack, Jack this is Dan"

"No thanks, nice to meet ya man" Jack shook his hand, adopting the fist bump at the end like a natural.

"Same" Emily kissed Jack on the cheek and he was extremely curious as to whom this kid was and the pair waved him off as he headed down the road towards the bus stop. "Who was that?"

"Remember that guy in the alley that was doing that graffiti?" Jack nodded; he had been worried about her approaching some punk kid in the street who was now in her house? "He came and gave me this"

She held up the drawing proudly and Jack was impressed. "He has talent. See you are amazing"

"I sure haven't been feeling it this week" Emily sighed, slumping on the sofa Sookie awkwardly climbed up beside her.

"Thought you were avoiding me" Jack slipped in between her and the dog, not caring about the fur sticking to his clothes like it was made of Velcro.

"I was. I miss my shop" She finally admitted, wrapping herself over him she let the tears dampen his shoulder as he rubbed her back gently. She hated crying but it was all she seemed to lately and Jack never once made her feel stupid for doing it, always just there to let her get it out.

"Why don't you open a new one? Fresh start and all that?" Honestly Emily had considered it but could she go through it all again? The majority of her cliental was lost and where would she even go?

"Maybe. I'll just finish off this year and I have Sookie to keep me busy" Jack nodded, wondering what else he could do to cheer her up. Talking about him leaving wasn't the best topic of conversation for tonight but he was happy for it to wait although he knew he couldn't delay the inevitable.

"Fancy getting dinner out?"

"Sure" Emily got up from where she had been covering him; savoring his kiss she knew things were going to get better and slowly the color was seeping back into her world. It may not be happening over night, but it would happen.

"I'm going to go change; I'll pick you up in like half hour?"

"Perfect"

The hot day gave way to a humid night and with the city covered in tinsel and Christmas decorations, walking down Hay Street hand in hand left Emily feeling deeply satisfied. Jack carried her bags of shopping; she had finally found Carla's present and something for her Dad and going down into one of the malls she hummed along to the Christmas carols that were on repeat in all of the stores.

"So what do you hope Santa brings you for Christmas?" Jack asked, glancing in the direction of a jewelry store.

"Food"

"Huh?" Jack looked at her confused, not at all what he was expecting.

"Oh um, I don't know. But I'm starving, can we eat?" Greg never asked her what she wanted for Christmas; he also never came shopping with her.

"Sure" Finding the food court Emily grabbed a burger while Jack went for Chinese and as they got a table she couldn't help but eye off his noodles and seeing that Jack guarded the like a hawk not willing to share but not hesitating to steal some fries. Seeing her pout he gave in, surprised at how someone so small could fit in the large meal and burger as well as half of his noodles and some honey chicken.

"I'm going to miss you over Christmas" Emily leant against him as they headed back towards the shops. She didn't care if she sounded needy; it was the truth and wanted him to know it.

"Its mutual, trust me" Neither said anything for a while as they browsed the stores, simply enjoying the others company.

"How about we have an early Christmas before you leave?" Emily finally spoke up, happy to move Christmas to have it with Jack.

"That would be good. I was looking forward to seeing how you guys do it down under" Her eyes light up mischievously, making him eager to get back home.

"There won't be any hot hams or eggnog"

"I'll live and I hate eggnog" Emily wrinkled her nose up, not a fan of the drink either.

"Me too" They stopped at a pet store and got some new toys for Sookie as well as a few blankets and things to be ready to set up her whelping box and headed back to Emily's. It was hard to think it had been a week since their date, it had always felt like she had known him longer than the four months it had actually been. She never felt an inch of what she did for Jack with Greg, not even in the beginning and she was scared to think it could be the real deal.

Jack helped her set up a quiet corner by the dining table for Sookie and as they did so she told him about the last litter she had helped and once done the dog was happily sniffing around, digging amongst the blankets as if she knew exactly what they had just made for her. Once done they wrapped the gifts they had bought and once it was all done, settled in front of the TV with Sookie.

"Wanna stay tonight?" Emily asked hopefully as Jack got up to put his cup in the sink. It had been a long week and there was only one she wanted to end it.

"Am I crowding you?"

"Huh?"

"I don't want to be that demanding boyfriend who is always around. Tell me if I need to back off" Where did he even come from? Emily was silent for a moment as she realized her own fears were the same as his and all she did was laugh. "What?"

"You're my boyfriend?" She got up, coyly walking towards him and filled with the confidence she got from him and the look of lust that filled his eye as he watched her she took off her shirt, revealing the hot pink bra that had him swallowing nervously.

"If you want me to be?" He answered, unable to look away as she slipped of her denim shorts to show him the matching hipster panties.

"Jack, I want you" He had never heard her sound or seen her look as sexy as she currently did, teasing him she pulled down her bra straps preparing to loose the item completely and that was all he needed before throwing her over his shoulder and taking her into the bedroom, more for the sake of Sookie as no one, not even the dog - needed to see the things he was about to do to her.