As I lay in bed I replay the day over in my head. The stress was overwhelming and the fear that I wouldn't ever see Anya again emotionally exhausted me. What would I have done if I lost her? Christine and I wouldn't recover losing our baby sister. I take a deep breath and try to push the thought out of my mind. She is safe. She is in the next room resting. The sleep will do her good.

I turn over onto my side and think about that horrible newscast woman who could have gotten my sister killed. The anger built back up in me. Some people don't care if they put others in danger. I don't see what Ryan saw in her. If Calleigh had not gotten between us, I may have hurt the newscast woman.

Calleigh Duquesne. The thought of her brings a smile across my face. The Southern blonde has long since stolen my heart. Her smile was always contagious, her Southern drawl turned my heart upside down, and I always felt warm around her. I have long since stopped fighting my feelings for her. They were beyond the feelings of friendship. I found Calleigh attractive. Actually, I think I'm in love with her!

The thought makes me smile wider as I lay on my back and stare up at my ceiling. The smile slowly disappears as I soon realize, as I have many times, that the love was totally unrequited. Calleigh was in love with men, not women. If I ever told her how I truly felt, she would end our friendship. She would find it disgusted that I felt that way about her. However, each day I see her hurts me a little more to know I can never tell her. It is slowing breaking me down, but what can I do? I can't handle the rejection if she turned me away and ended our friendship. A lone tear falls down the side of my face as this realization hits me once more. I look at the clock next to my bed. Four-thirty, I will have to be up soon.

I sit up in bed and pick up my cell phone sitting next to the bed. I go to her contact in my phone and look at that bright smile on her contact picture. I think about texting her and telling her how I feel just to get it off my chest, but the braveness quickly dies as I return my phone to the side table. I get out of bed, slip on my slippers, and check on my sister. She is sleeping peacefully in her bed. I sigh as I walk downstairs to the kitchen and pour me a cup of coffee. There's no use going to sleep now!

A few hours later I see the subject of my affection sitting in the DNA lab as if she was waiting on me. I enter and pull my lab coat off the coat stand as she notices my presence.

"Hey, Nat!" She says with that wide, gorgeous smile. I give her a fake smile and slip into my lab coat. She must notice the emotions I am trying desperately to hide on my face as I walk behind the table. I glimpse over the paperwork waiting for me as she approaches the other side of the table.

"How is Anya doing?" She asks me. I glance up at her and shrug.

"She slept through the night okay. Time will tell." I answered before looking back at my paperwork. I want so badly to tell her how I feel about her, but I know I will only get hurt if I did. "Thanks for dealing with that newscast woman yesterday. I'm really grateful."

"It was my pleasure. I'm glad we found Anya. Why didn't you tell me you had a sister?" She inquired. I suppose I never mentioned it. We have only begun to spend time together outside the lab as friends. My guard was still up over the mole fiasco. Who do I trust now? I erase those thoughts quickly.

"I have two actually, Christine and Anya. I suppose it never came up." I answered. Anya was the problem child of the family. Christine had her own family and was married. And here I am in my thirties and I'm still single, searching for where I belong. I already know where I belong, but it hurts to know I can never be there.

"I have an idea. Let's go out tonight, me and you. I'd really like to get to know you better. I feel like there's so much about you I don't know yet." Calleigh suggested with a wide, but nervous smile. Why is she nervous? Despite the pain I am feeling, I involuntarily smile. A night with Calleigh is exactly what I need.

"I would really like that!" I answer with a genuine smile. Calleigh surprised me by coming next to me and pulling me into a hug. The smell of her overwhelms my senses as I feel her wrap me tight to her. After a few moments, she pulls back. Her face is red and she doesn't keep eye contact with me. I nervously smile at her, not knowing what is going through her mind. However, I absolutely loved the contact!

"I'm sorry… I… I just felt like you needed that right now." Calleigh stuttered. I take a chance and place my hand on her arm, really wishing I had gone for her hand.

"Thank you, Cal. I really needed it. And I really do need our night out." I admitted. She instantly made eye contact with me and her wide smile returned.

"Good. It's a date, then!" Calleigh stated as she turned around and walked out of the lab. Did she say date? She stops in mid-step and turns back around. She walks up to me and plants a light kiss on my cheek. She blushes as she looks into my eyes.

"I feel like you need that, too." Calleigh grinned as she walked out. I stand in the lab, watching her leave. My heart lifts and a large grin overtakes my face. I wonder what tonight will bring?