Wow, thanks for the response thus far! Glad you are enjoying it and sorry for the cliffhanger. Thanks to those reading/reviewing/ Enjoy this chapter :)

Alex's POV

It's after midnight by the time I get home. It has been a horribly long day. I went to work at ten AM and this is the first time I've been out of the office all day.

Olivia's car is still in the driveway so I know she and Renee are still down in the basement. They texted me this evening to tell me they were at my house getting the flat screen TV and video game consoles set up. I had asked them to wait up for me.

I toss my keys on the table and head down to the basement, taking the stairs two at a time. I announce my arrival when I'm halfway down. "I'm home!"

When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I freeze exactly where I am in shock. The basement looks amazing. The couch is exactly where I asked Olivia and Renee to move it to, the flat screen is mounted on the wall and the entertainment center housing the game consoles and speakers is put together with everything arranged neatly on it. The area rug I bought for the basement is in a good position in front of the couch, and the mini fridge is against the wall to the right of the entertainment center.

Olivia and Renee are seated on the couch, both with XBox controllers in their hands. They both smile and stand when they see me.

I approach them slowly, still in shock. Blaze, who had been lying in front of the couch, runs up to me to greet me, his tail wagging happily. I bend down and give him a pet.

"Is everything to your liking?" Olivia asks, watching me in amusement as I look around the basement. They even put the game posters up on the walls!

"It's perfect," I tell Olivia with a smile. "Casey is going to love this!"

"Does she have any suspicions?" Renee asks me.

"No. Since the couch arrived, I've kept the basement door locked. I told Casey I lost the key to the basement and had to get another one from the realtor. She didn't think anything of it. She hasn't even tried to come down here." My smile is stretching ear to ear. "But she sure will now!"

"Yeah, you'll probably never see her," Olivia remarks with a smile. "She'll be down here all the time with the dog. Unless she gets you to play too?"

I wander over to the couch and pick up one of the XBox controllers. It's wireless and very light. "I play the Wii once in a while. But this XBox looks kind of cool too. Did you get that Kinect thing hooked up too?"

Renee and Olivia glance at each other, laughing. Olivia goes up to the entertainment center and picks up a black sensor type thing. "Yeah. This is it. The 'Kinect thing'. It's a camera and sensor for the motion games. If you like the Wii, you'll like this even more. It's pretty cool."

The smile has yet to leave my face. I'm exhausted and stressed and I miss my wife terribly, but yet I'm still smiling. I'm anticipating the look on Casey's face when she sees what we've done.

I sit down on the couch with a sigh, and Renee and Olivia sit as well. This is the first opportunity I've had to rest all day. I fish my phone out of my pocket and look for a text from Casey, and frown when I don't find one. She hasn't texted or called me in a couple hours.

"Have you talked to Casey? How was the fundraiser?" Olivia asks.

I quickly set out composing a text message to my wife, only glancing briefly at Olivia. "She texted me a while ago when she left the hotel. And I saw that she called a couple hours ago but didn't leave a message. I'm sure she's enjoying herself. The fundraiser is probably still underway or she went back to the hotel room and went to bed because she was tired of waiting up for me. She's supposed to text me when she gets back to the hotel so we can Skype."

"This late?" Renee asks in shock.

"This late is nothing for us. And I don't care how late it is; I can't sleep without seeing or talking to my Casey."

I'm aware of how corny and sickly sweet that sounds, but I can't help it; it's true. Olivia and Renee look at each other again and then break out in a chorus of "Awww!"

I look away, mildly embarrassed. "I know. We're pathetic."

"Not at all," Renee is quick to answer. Suddenly she leans forward, placing a kiss on Olivia's lips and smiling. "I've got to visit the bathroom. Play nice while I'm gone."

She starts for the stairs when I stop her with, "There's a bathroom down here. It's really nice. I just furnished it this week for Casey. New rugs and a shower curtain…the works. Tell me what you think."

As soon as Renee disappears into the bathroom, Olivia turns and looks at me, a serious expression on her face. "This place is really cool, Alex. Casey is going to love this. It's so thoughtful."

I smile at her kind words. "Thank you; I hope so."

I'm so glad that Casey and I were able to repair our friendship with Olivia. After what had happened I thought it would be impossible. But Renee has had a huge effect on Olivia, and I can tell that she is in love with her. Renee is a very nice girl and treats Olivia very well. I'm glad she found happiness; just as she's glad I did too.

And it's good to have Olivia to talk to. Of course Casey and I talk every day and tell each other everything, but Olivia provides a nice non-spousal ear to me. I've borrowed that ear several times this week and probably drove her nuts with my worrying about not being able to attend the fundraiser.

"I just hope she doesn't see it as me trying to make up for not being able to go with her tonight. I so regret not going, Olivia. It was really important to Casey…I should have been there no matter what."

"I think Casey understands, Alex," Olivia assures me. "You know Casey." A smile crosses her face. "You'll just have to give her some extra loving when she gets home."

I know Olivia is trying to make me feel better, but it's not working. The nagging feeling of guilt has been in the pit of my stomach all day and hasn't moved. I sigh and lean forward on the couch, putting my face in my hands and shaking my head. "I know she understands…but I still feel so bad." I look back up at Olivia and see compassion in her eyes. "Casey has been through so much in her life. Charlie, getting censured, me cheating on her with you…" Olivia looks away guiltily when I say that, but I continue. "Then her mother passing away and getting appendicitis…not to mention being mugged and having her engagement ring stolen. We got it back, but still. She's faced a lot. And now we're married and I'm supposed to face all life's challenges with her. Tonight was a big deal for her."

"Yes, Casey has been through a lot," Olivia agrees. "But she has you now. You two love each other. And it was one fundraiser, Alex. Don't beat yourself up over it. Casey will Skype you tonight and probably tell you it was a snooze fest and the two of you will laugh about it."

We both start to laugh as Renee comes back to the couch. She's smiling and flops down next to Olivia, immediately lying across her lap and looking at me. I smile; she reminds me a lot of Casey. Casey is very affectionate like that. "The bathroom looks wonderful, Alex," Renee tells me. "I especially love the monkey shower curtain."

Olivia laughs. "You got her a monkey shower curtain for the bathroom down here?"

I laugh as well. "Yes, I did. It's cute and it matches the colors of the bathroom. Plus Casey likes animals. If she doesn't like it, she can return it."

Speaking of animals, and as if on cue, Blaze gets up from his spot next to the couch and comes over to me, placing his head on my knee and nudging my hand. I pet him obligingly. I know he misses Casey, probably as much as I do. "This guy is wonderful; I'm so glad Casey picked him. He's a great dog. No accidents in the house, he's quiet and well-behaved." I give Blaze a smile. "I'm pleased."

Olivia is petting Blaze's back. "Yes, he is pretty good. We took him for another walk when we first got here. Much better than a puppy, huh?"

"Oh my yes…we had agreed no puppies long before we even got the house. We didn't want the chewing and messes on the floor every day. So Blaze being two is just about perfect."

Renee looks at her watch and announces to Olivia that they'd better get going. I watch with a smile as they kiss each other, and then get up off the couch. It's so nice to see Olivia with someone.

I stand up as well and give them both a hug. "Thank you so much for moving the couch and getting all the games hooked up. I'm sure Casey is going to love this. Oh, and is the fridge cold yet? I bought a twelve pack of Mountain Dew I want to load it up with so it's ready for Casey tomorrow."

"Yes, it should be set," Renee tells me as they reach the staircase. Then she turns around and frowns at me. "She's coming home tomorrow? Doesn't she have to work in Washington every Monday? Why doesn't she just stay over? She's going to have fly right back…"

"She's going to leave early on Monday morning. The flight is only about an hour and a half." I give her a smirk. "We don't want to be away from each other for an extra night."

Renee rolls her eyes and says with a smile, "Newlyweds!"

I know; it's pathetic. But I don't care.

Renee goes up the stairs and Olivia turns back around to say one more thing to me before she leaves. "Alex, don't worry about tonight. Really. I promise you that Casey is not mad. And once she sees this basement she's going to be so excited she'll forget all about it. I know that's not why you did it, but it will still help. And as far as what Casey has been through – it's all in the past. She knows you love her. And you two have a great life. Wonderful jobs, the strongest love in the world…and look at this house. It's amazing. You guys have a balcony and a pool and three-car garage. You guys made a wonderful life together. Focus on that; not the past."

"Thanks, Liv." I give Olivia one more hearty hug before she heads up the stairs as well. I look once more around the basement and then follow her.

Olivia is right – Casey and I have made a great life for ourselves. Our lives are perfect. And I don't see that changing any time soon.

Casey's POV

My eyes open slowly and I'm immediately hit with the most miserable feeling of my life. I moan deeply, rolling onto my back and squinting in the bright sunlight that's coming in through the window. My head is pounding and I'm completely nauseated.

I reach out for Alex. Somehow during the night I must have rolled away from her. My fingers claw desperately at the sheets, searching for my wife.

But I don't feel her anywhere. I pop my eyes open and sit upright in bed in surprise and fear when I realize I'm not in our room.

The sudden movement causes the room to spin and I have to swallow a strong wave of nausea. I'm looking around the room, my breathing hitching in my throat as I take in the unfamiliar surroundings.

Where am I? What the hell is going on? Where's Alex?

I look down at myself and gasp when I realize I'm naked. I'm starting to panic now; my heart is pounding right out of my chest. What in the world is going on?

I wrack my brain to recall the last thing I remember. The fundraiser…yes, I was at the fundraiser last night. I shook hands and talked and was amazed by the turn out. I wore that dress that Alex and I picked out.

But why am I naked now? Where am I? Whose bed is this, and why am I not back in the hotel?

Suddenly my stomach lurches and I bolt out of bed, nearly tripping myself when the sheets get tangled around my feet. I'm running as fast as I can across the room to what I believe is a bathroom right off to the left, but it feels like I'm running in slow motion. My movements feel sluggish and my head feels like it weighs a million pounds.

I make it to the bathroom just in time to throw open the toilet and empty my stomach contents into it. I retch so hard that my ribs hurt, and I just keep getting sick. It doesn't seem to stop. I can't remember the last time I was this violently sick. When I've finally finished vomited, I put my arms over the toilet and rest my head on them, struggling to catch my breath, only to have the burning sensation in my stomach return and cause me to get sick again.

This time when I'm finished I collapse on the floor and lay on my side on the hard linoleum in front of the toilet. The lights are hurting my eyes, but I know this isn't a migraine. This is something else entirely….and whatever it is scaring the hell out of me.

I lay there for several minutes trying to regain my strength. I curl up into a ball and cry. I don't know where I am or why I'm naked or how I got here or why I'm sick. I'm terrified. Completely and utterly terrified.

After I'm able to pull myself together, I make my way out of the bathroom. I'm so light-headed and weak that I can barely walk straight. I need to find my clothes. I am so exposed and vulnerable this way. I don't want anyone to see me like this.

I find my bra, panties and the dress I wore to the fundraiser on the floor by the bed. My heart clenches as I bend over to pick them up. They look like they were tossed there hastily. My hands are shaking as I sit down on the bed and start to put my panties back on.

But a pain between my legs makes me stop. I hadn't noticed it until I sat down, but there's a distinct discomfort there. I feel my face go pale as I look down and see faint traces of blood on my right inner thigh.

No….no, no, no, no, no! This cannot be happening…it can't be…I'm only dreaming…

My mind is starting to fight through its fog and put the pieces together. I'm naked in a strange bed….my clothes are in a heap…I have pain and bleeding between my legs…I can't remember what happened to me or how I got here and I'm sick.

Another wave of nausea hits me and I run back to the bathroom and get sick again. By the time this vomiting spell has ceased, I'm sitting next to the toilet shaking and crying, clutching my knees to my chest and rocking myself back and forth.

I was drugged. Someone slipped me a roofie. I worked sex crimes long enough to be able to read all the signs. Someone drugged me, took me to bed…and had their way with me.

Someone who was not my wife had sex with me. Someone I didn't want. Judging by the pain I'm feeling and the blood, they were rough with me. Maybe I was resisting and fighting back…I hope I was.

Oh my God, I've let Alex down! I never should have let this happen! I shouldn't have gone to the fundraiser without her…this never would have happened.

After I'm sure I'm not going to be sick again, I go back out to the bedroom and get dressed. My head is still pounding but I'm starting to be able to think clearer.

I try to think of the last thing I can remember. I remember going out onto the balcony and Jenna kissing me. I remember yelling at her and going inside to call Alex but getting her voicemail. Then I remember Jenna coming into the kitchen and me yelling at her again. Then I went into the bathroom…

And that's when it hits me. That's when I know. I left my wine glass sitting outside the door; that I do remember. Jenna was still in the hallway when I closed the bathroom door, and I picked the glass up and finished it when I came out of the bathroom. And I don't remember anything after that.

Jenna…

I start to cry again as I desperately search around for my purse. I find it sitting on top of the dresser, and I pull my cell phone out in a blind panic. The digital clock on my display tells me it's after ten AM and I have five missed calls from Alex and two voicemails.

I start to cry harder as I look at her name. My Alex…my wife.

I start to dial 911 when the realization that I don't even know where I am hits me. I get up off the bed and approach the closed door slowly. I'm still so weak that it's an effort to walk. I open the door and it feels like it weighs a million pounds, but I know it's just my weakness.

I step out into the unfamiliar hallway and look around. The hallway is long with several doors on each side and a staircase to my left. My head starts to spin again as I step out of the room.

And then I see a note taped to the door. I tear it down and read the careful handwriting. "Casey – After you've slept off your stupor, go back to your hotel and clean up. I expect you to come in early for work tomorrow; we need to talk." It's from Ryan.

My blood runs cold. My 'stupor'? He thinks I was a drunk? How and when did he see me after I was drugged? Did I make a fool of myself?

I know a thing or two about date rape drugs. They strongly mimic the effects of alcohol and you can appear drunk off your ass even after having no alcohol whatsoever. I can remember having one glass of wine…but that's it. If I drank more after that one, I don't recall it. I start to cry and wrinkle the note up, dropping it by the door. I'm so frustrated that I can't remember more about last night.

I can't call the police; not now. I'm at United States Senator's house. I can just imagine how that would play out in the papers. "Staffer spends night at Senator's house, claims she was raped". They would pin it on him and both of our names would be dragged through the mud.

So I do the worst thing I could possibly do – I leave the scene and go back to my hotel.

During my years as a sex crime ADA, I could never wrap my mind around the fact that so many women went without reporting their rapes. I could never understand why they wouldn't want their rapist to face justice.

But I understand it now. I feel ashamed of myself, and dirty. The entire taxi ride to the hotel I keep looking at the driver in the mirror, paranoid that he's looking at me knowingly. Thinking I'm a slut and seeing how dirty I am. How many women leave a huge mansion in the morning in evening wear? I might as well put a sign on my back.

Almost as soon as I'm back in my hotel room, I get sick again. I'd felt somewhat better on the taxi ride over, but as soon as I walked into my room the nausea gripped me again. As I'm in the bathroom getting sick, I hear my cell phone ringing. I already know it's Alex.

I stumble out of the bathroom, breathing heavily and wiping my mouth with my arm. I feel extremely dizzy again and sit down on the bed as I pick up the phone to return Alex's call. She's probably worried about me.

Before I call her, I play her most recent voicemail message. I cease my crying long enough to pick my phone up again and play Alex's most recent voicemail message. My heart clenches when her message begins. "Hey Casey…it's me. I'm starting to get concerned. I hope you didn't forget about me. I really miss you. I've been thinking of something I read one time. Did you know that in French, you don't really say 'I miss you.' You say 'tu me manques,' which is closer to 'you are missing from me,' translated to English. I love that. 'You are missing from me.' You are a part of me, you are essential to my being. You are like a limb, or an organ, or blood. I cannot function without you. So you'd better call me back before I shrivel up and die. I love you."

As soon as the message is finished, I press 'save'. That was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. And now I have to put off calling her, because my tears are coming in droves now. I can't stop them. I pick up the pillow and clutch to my chest, burying my face into it and yelling, "Why?!"

It's several minutes before I have pulled myself together long enough to return Alex's call. She picks up on the second ring. "Casey! Thank God you called! Haven't you been checking your messages? You missed our Skype date last night. How was the fundraiser?"

I almost start to cry. Alex is so cheerful and happy to hear from me. She has no idea the ordeal I've been through. She has no clue that I was violated in the worst way possible and am sicker than a dog right now.

And only one of those things am I going to tell her.

"The fundraiser was okay," I tell her, swallowing harshly. I feel like I'm going to get sick again, but I take a few deep breaths and my stomach calms.

Alex is my wife…I love her…I never keep anything from her. We made a promise when we got married that there would be no secrets, ever.

But I'm breaking that promise. I can't tell her what happened; what I allowed to happen. I should have been more careful. I used to prosecute these cases, damnit! Why did I let myself become a victim?

And I'm supposed to go home today. I haven't seen Alex since Friday and we were going to spend the night together before I came back tomorrow morning. But I know now that's not going to happen. I don't want her to see me like this – broken and dirty.

Hiding things and lying to Alex is new territory for me, so I proceed with caution, not sure that I can stick to the designated path. It's several seconds before I can say, "I'm actually really sick, Alex. Really sick. That's why I didn't call back. I've been in bed."

"Oh no!" Alex rushes out, in complete concern for me. "Baby, what's wrong? A migraine?"

Yeah…I wish this were a migraine. I hate those things, but right now I would give anything to have that be the source of my problems.

"No," I tell her softly. Speaking loudly seems to make my head pound. "It's my stomach. I've been throwing up all night and all morning. Maybe it was something I ate at the fundraiser last night; I don't know. But I don't feel up to going to the airport and flying home. I'm going to stay in bed and try to fight off whatever this is."

"Of course, sweetheart. I understand. I'm so sorry you're sick! I wish I was there to hold you…do you want me to come? I can stay the night with you. I'd be happy to do it, Casey."

My heart breaks and this time I let out a little sob. God, this is killing me…killing me. Alex loves me so much that she's willing to come all the way to DC to spend the night with me. I would love to have her here…nothing would make me feel better than my wife's arms around me right now…but I can't.

I have tears streaming down my face as I tell her, "No, Alex. It's okay. In case it's a virus, I don't want you to get sick. Stay home. I'll be okay. I promise I'll take care of myself."

Alex sighs. I can tell she doesn't like this one little bit. "All right. You get some rest, okay? If it gets too bad, make sure you call me. Any time. I'll be out there before you can snap your fingers. I love you and make sure you keep checking in with me, okay?"

I can barely utter out, "Okay…I love you too." I disconnect the call and throw myself onto my stomach, sobbing into the pillow.

I just had to lie to the person who loves me more than anything in this world. She's sitting home thinking about me being sick and worrying about me. She's going to torture herself about not being able to be here with me. And I did this to her.

No, Casey, you didn't; it wasn't you. It was Jenna, I keep reminding myself. I have no memories of her doing anything to me and there were no traces of her in the bedroom, but I know it was her. I'm sure of it.

So I know it wasn't really rape. She's a woman and I'm a woman. She can't 'rape' me in the technical sense of the word. She violated me…but it wasn't rape. It wasn't rape….

I keep telling myself this over and over, but it doesn't make me believe it any more. She drugged me and did things to me without my consent, and forcibly so. The dull pain I can still feel and the small amount of blood is an indication of how rough she was. She used her fingers or God knows what else…and had her way with me.

But it wasn't rape…

So now I'm acting like all those victims before me whom I used to sit back and secretly judge for not coming forward sooner about their sexual assault while evidence was still present. I've left the bed and sheets behind; I'm sure there are hairs and even fluids from Jenna on the sheets. I tear off my dress and wad it up into a ball and throw it across the room; I never want to see it again. Then I turn on the shower and make the water as cold as I can stand, and I climb inside. I vigorously wash my hair, just in case Jenna ran her hands through it. I later up my body and wash every area I can reach. I want every trace of her gone. Anywhere she may have touched me, I want clean. I use practically half the bottle of my body wash and when I'm finished I stand there watching it swirl down the drain, taking precious evidence with it.

I don't feel any cleaner. I still feel dirty. I leave the showerhead on as I burst into tears and sit on the shower floor, pulling my knees to my chest and rocking myself back and forth. The cold water is hitting my back and actually causing it to ache because it's so cold, but I pay it no attention. I lay my head on my knee and continue to cry. For myself, for what happened, and for Alex. And for our life, which was perfect and content until now.

Until I ruined everything forever…

Alex's POV

It's nearly two o'clock by the time I reach Casey's hotel. I hastily pay the taxi drive and literally run inside the building. I had been hoping to arrive earlier, remembering the bustle at the airport the last time I was here. It wasn't any better today; in fact, it was worse.

Casey is going to be surprised to see me. She told me to stay home…but I couldn't. I can't sit home while my wife – my other half, whom I love dearly – is in a hotel room in Washington sick and alone. I had called Olivia as soon as I got off the phone with Casey and asked if she and Renee could look after the dog and ferret while I went to look after my wife. They had been happy to oblige. So I quickly packed a bag, and here I am.

I get Casey's number from the woman at the front desk and take the elevator to her floor. I smile as I clutch the teddy bear and flowers I bought for her at the airport. It's not much, but I think they will make her smile. And I know I will.

I easily find Casey's room, and I take a deep breath and knock lightly on the door. If she's sleeping, I don't want to wake her with loud knocking. I wait a few minutes and when I hear no movement, I knock again, a little harder this time.

And this time I hear footsteps approaching the door, then Casey's hesitant voice ask, "Who is it?"

"Casey? Sweetie, it's Alex."

"Alex…?" I hear her unlock the door from the inside and she opens the door, looking out at me with a puzzled expression.

She certainly does look sick. She's dressed in her plaid pajamas, and her face is very pale. Her eyes look droopy and lifeless and she looks utterly exhausted. My poor baby.

"What are you doing here?" she asks again, in a tone close to panic. "I told you that you didn't have to come…"

She's acting strangely; as if she doesn't want me here. And then I remember what Casey is like when she's sick. She loves to be babied as much as I love to baby her, but at the same time she likes to be left alone for certain…things.

"Casey, there is no way I could let you stay here alone. Not after finding out that you're so sick." I look past her into the room. "Can I come in?"

Casey steps aside and allows me entry, closing the door and locking it behind me when I enter. I immediately turn to give her a hug and a kiss, but she avoids me and goes to sit on the bed. My heart breaks for her; she looks so miserable. Even her walk over to the bed looked sick.

"Don't you have to work tomorrow?" she asks quietly, doing her best not to look at me.

"Yes I do; I'll go home early in the morning. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't want me here," I tell her, going over to sit near her on the bed. She slides away from me when I go to touch her leg, which causes me to frown. "What's wrong?"

"I just – " she shakes her head and forces herself to meet my eyes. Her eyes have the look of someone who has been asleep for too long but still doesn't feel well. "I just don't feel well…at all. You know I get cranky when I'm sick. I'm sorry. Of course I'm glad you came."

She gives me a smile, which relieves me immediately. I knew it had to have something to do with her being sick; Casey usually loves and craves my affection. She probably doesn't want me picking up any germs from her; as if that would stop me at all.

I smile sympathetically and reach out to touch her cheek. She closes her eyes, but doesn't pull away. "I understand. I know how bull-headed you are. Are you feeling any better at all?"

"A little. I've stopped throwing up. But I still feel pretty bad. I'm weak and so tired I can barely keep my eyes open."

Those sound like flu symptoms to me. At least four people have been out of the office so far the past couple of weeks with a bad strain of the flu. Luckily I've managed to avoid it. But it looks like it made its way to the Senators office and now my wife is stricken with it.

I place my hand on her forehead, checking for warmth. Her temperature feels normal, which is a relief. And she isn't vomiting any more. Maybe she just has a twenty-four curse and it's nearly out of her system.

Casey is sitting there staring at an invisible spot on the wall. I can see her struggling to keep her eyes open, so I place my hand on her back and make a suggestion. "Baby, why don't we sleep? Let's get you under these covers and I'll hold you…you know that always makes you feel better."

The blankets are already turned down, indicating that Casey has already been utilizing their warmth. She was probably doing so when I entered. I go and sit against the headboard and motion for Casey to join me. She's sitting there staring at me with those tired eyes again.

I pat the blankets. "Come on, sweetheart. It will make you feel better. I promise."

She crawls over to me slowly but instead of resting her head in my lap like I expected, she lies with her back to me, pulling the covers around herself tightly. I frown and immediately move to her, sliding in beside her and wrapping my arms around her.

Casey suddenly jerks away from me. She rolls over to face me, catching the confused expression on my face. She looks uneasy and nervous and I watch her swallow harshly before saying, "I just want to sleep. I know you want to hold me and I want you to…but I have body aches right now. It kind of…hurts."

Of course; body aches accompany the flu. And sometimes they're really bad. I smile at my wife and brush a stray strand of her red hair out of her face, giving her a light kiss which she accepts but doesn't return. "Of course. I'm sorry; I should have realized. Go to sleep, baby. I'll stay and I'll be here when you wake up. I love you."

"I love you too," she answers, and then turns around, putting her back to me again. I watch her intently and just a few minutes pass before her breathing is evenly spaced, indicating that she's asleep.

I'm glad she's resting, but my heart breaks as I watch her. I desperately want to hold her. But I have to respect what she wants right now. In the morning before I go home I'm sure she'll feel better and will let me hold her, maybe even play with her hair.

Until then, I'll enjoy sitting here and watching the woman I love sleep.

So what did you think? Sad? What do you think Senator Palmer is going to tell Casey? Please review and let me know what you thought of the chapter!