Xavier had been terrified out of his mind when Tessa told him that Daniel wanted to meet with him, and then the color had completely drained from his face when the officer asked to be left alone with the boy. Tessa obliging without hesitation and completely oblivious to Xavier's fear. Later when he had stepped out, his knees had been buckling together with his face devoid of color while Daniel stood leaning in the doorway, looking very smug about himself.

Since then, the two had been dating for a month now, very content in where they were going and taking everything slow, not even having kissed yet.

Even now, Xavier was over at their place for breakfast, both he and Tessa settled on the bar counter and talking as Daniel made them breakfast.

"Here you go," The officer turned around with a plate of pancakes. "Blueberry pancakes with a tablespoon of maple syrup and butter on top and milk, just the way you like it," He put the plate before Tessa who grinned at him, impressed by the fact that he remembered.

"And your chocolate chip pancakes," He placed a plate before Xavier and turned off the stove before turning to watch the two teens eat before him.

"Why aren't you eating?" Tessa asked him in confusion, Daniel giving her a soft smile.

"I'm not hungry, Bambi,"

"Are you sure you're okay? You haven't been eating very well,"

"I'm fine,"

Tessa gave him a skeptical look.

"Finish your food, you know we have to go to the lawyer in an hour,"

"Oh," Tessa remembered that today they would be reviewing her behavior over the past months and decide if her sentence should be reduced or not. "Right,"

"Lawyer?" Xavier piped in in confusion.

"Nothing that concerns you, kid, just legal matters, no big deal," He turned towards the counter and began to wipe it with the cloth. Looking over his shoulder, he watched Xavier gobbling up his food and Tessa eating as well and sighed. "Come on, Bambi," Daniel walked across the counter, and turned her to be facing him, cupping her chin into his hand and giving her a gentle smile.

"Everything is going to be alright," He assured her, rubbing his thumb over her jaw. "I won't let anyone take you from me, you'll be fine,"

"Are you sure?" She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, fear bubbling inside her and causing tears to well in her eyes.

"I'm sure, Bambi, and I promised I'd protect you," Daniel placed a kiss on her forehead before hugging her when she wrapped her arms around his midriff, burying her face into his chest and sniffled. Xavier watching in silence, not having realized there was anything wrong with Tessa. "Everything will be okay. And tell you what, once we're done, no matter the outcome, we'll go to the petting zoo,"

"But...that's like an hour from here,"

"It's worth the drive if you smile again,"

A huge grin overcame her face as she squealed and wrapped her arms around him again, Daniel chuckling at her enthusiasm and placing a kiss on the top of her head.

The hearing went about with standardized questions and Daniel's statement, the lawyer telling her that they would call her and let her know their decision, the simple delay of a verdict having Tessa more on edge than when she had entered the court.

"Daniel," She called out to him meekly after they had exited the building, the officer stopping a few feet ahead of her and turned back. "I-I-I..." Her voice cracked and she choked on the fear in her throat, collapsing into his arms as he held her tightly.

"Everything will be okay, I promise," He allowed her to cry into his chest, holding her in the middle of the parking lot and letting her let it all out. Eventually when she had calmed down, they settled in the car, Tessa watching out the window and staring off blankly into space.

It occurred to her that they weren't heading back towards the apartment, rather they were going someplace else, her unspoken question being answered when Daniel pulled into the parking lot of the zoo.

"Come on," He gave her a gentle smile, Tessa looking back at him with blotchy cheeks and bloodshot eyes. "You could use something to smile about," He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek before stepping out of the car, the teen close behind him.

Taking her hand in his own, they walked through the gates, Daniel relieved to see her smiling again and chuckling at the animals in their enclosure. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her into his side and placed a kiss on her temple, walking the both of them over to the petting area.

His heart fluttered in his chest when he saw Tessa's eyes widen at the baby animals, a laugh bursting forth as she grabbed hold of a rabbit, taking another one in her arms and petting a baby goat that was bleating up at her.

"Daniel!" She squealed and put a rabbit in his arms, the man laughing at her excitement as he couldn't help the butterflies fluttering in his stomach from her enjoyment. He watched her coddle a baby goat while having left two rabbits in his arms, one of the zookeepers coming up to them when she lifted the baby into her arms.

"Do you two want a picture?" She asked, holding up the camera.

"Yes, please!" Tessa grinned, coming to stand beside Daniel with a goat in her hand and rabbits in his.

He watched with adoration in his eyes as she grinned at the camera, hugging the kid to her chest and laughing, but Daniel couldn't tear his gaze away from her. From the way she smiled and the way, her eyes crinkled at the edges and glowed with her mirth; her black hair a little disheveled from the events of the day, but still flowing over her shoulders in elegant waves.

And the sudden urge to kiss her overwhelmed him.

Not just a kiss on the cheek or on the forehead or temple. But the urge to grab her face and mold his lips to hers overwhelmed him to the extent where he had to swallow the idea and walk away. Putting down the rabbits, he made his way out of the enclosure, stepping out and away to get some air. He would have smoked a cigarette if it had been allowed, so instead, he went and bought a bottle of water from the vendor, chugging down the contents within seconds.

He spent another ten minutes calming himself and trying to get the idea of his head but tensed when he heard Tessa's voice call out to him.

"Daniel!" She called, making her way to him as he turned to look at her with a questioning smile. "Where did you go? I got worried!"

"Sorry, Bambi, I just felt a little suffocated in there with all those people and animals," He explained, reaching forward to caress her cheek, but thought better of it and ruffled her hair instead. "I didn't scare you too much, did I?"

"You did," She pouted at him, the urge rising up once more as his eyes zeroed in on the way her lips jutted out and inhaled sharply when he felt her take hold of his hand. "Don't do that again, please,"

"Okay," He swallowed. "I'm sorry, won't happen again,"

The smile she sent her way had Daniel's heart skip a beat before he shook the thought out of his head, both of them spending some more time at the zoo before they both made their way back to the apartment.

Tessa gushed about the animals, while he just smiled and listened intently, chuckling every once in a while, surprised to see the picture they had taken at the petting zoo in her hand.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Oh! The girl who took our picture gave it to me," Tessa turned to allow him to see it. "I want to frame it,"

Daniel didn't get to say anything when the car behind him honked, the light before him having turned green.

The rest of the drive went by in silence, Tessa having forgotten about the hearing, never even noticing the turmoil going on inside Daniel, or even what was happening around her. When they pulled up to the apartment complex, she skipped ahead, making her way inside and upstairs with Daniel close behind her.

Entering the apartment, he told her he was heading off for a shower and that they could order Chinese if she wanted.

"Chinese sounds good," She nodded, watching him step into the washroom followed by the sound of the water running.

She was just about to make her way inside her room when a knock sounded on her door.

Turning back, she pulled it open to see Xavier standing before her with his eyebrows knitted in concern and his lips turned into a frown.

"Xavier-" She began to speak but gasped when he took hold of her hand and led her into her bedroom, closing the door behind them. "What's wrong-?"

"-Look, I understand that there are some things you are more comfortable sharing with Daniel, and I respect that," He cut her off. "But, Tessa, I get worried about you."

"Like this morning, you just burst into tears over breakfast and I don't know why you needed to go to the lawyer for, hell I don't even know what your and Daniel's relation is, and I will not pry until you want to tell me yourself. But, Tessa..." He trailed in a pained voice, taking a step towards her and cupped her face into his warm hands. "What I'm saying is that if you ever need something, anything, you can come to me, okay? I promise to be there,"

Xavier breathed out before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. Tessa was momentarily taken aback before melting in his hold and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Hey, Bambi, how many dumpling-?" Daniel's voice drifted into the room, his words stopping short when he caught sight of Xavier and Tessa kissing, his heart falling to his feet at the sight before him.

Instantly the two pulled away, both of them flushed a deep red and Xavier rubbed the back of his neck and turned away from Daniel, Tessa placing a tentative touch to her lips and looking up at the older man with wide blue eyes, a smile threatening to spill across her lips and completely oblivious to the way acid infiltrated Daniel's body and burned him from the inside.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?" She cleared her throat, stuffing her hands into her pockets, looking up at him shyly.

"I..." Daniel trailed, trying to remember what he was saying. "I was saying you can eat over at Xavier's, I'm going out for a bit,"

"Oh," Her smile dropped, having expected to eat with him. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," He nodded, stepping away from the door and grabbing hold of his jacket and keys. "Don't wait up for me," He called over his shoulder and stepped out of the apartment.

The drive to the bar wasn't a long one, but once there, he instantly ordered himself a glass of scotch, downing it in one go before ordering another, savoring that one before putting the cold glass against his forehead, the headache pounding against his skull.

He didn't know how many glasses he'd had, nor did he know how long he had been sitting there, but when a girl settled down beside him and began to flirt, he didn't let the opportunity slide.

The burning inside his chest was his constant companion of the night. Even when he was drinking, or when he brought that girl home for the night, and even when he acted to be asleep as he heard her walk out of his apartment. It wasn't until his stomach clenched in pain did he get out of bed and rush to the washroom to throw up the drinks he'd had. Washing his face, he found himself sitting on the tiled floor, clutching at his head, and willing the burning in his chest to go away.