Alyssa hummed lightly as she tucked Hannah into bed 8:30 that night. She kissed the little girl lightly on the head and stroking her cheek as she sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She could kill for that little girl right now.
"I love you," Alyssa whispered, and walked to the door, shutting off the lights. She headed down the hall and into her large bedroom, crossing to the bed and stripping of her clothes. She turned down the covers and took off her socks while sitting on the edge of the bed. How I hate getting into an empty bed she thought, sighing. She shimmied into her side and lay her head on the pillow, her eyes closing immediatly as exhaustion overtook her.
--
Alyssa woke up, the alarm clock blaring 2:09am as Dan kissed her lightly on the cheek and climbed into bed beside her, touching her neck.
"Mm," she mumbled as he stroked her gently, getting all the right spots.
"I love you," Dan mumbled back, nibbling her ears.
"Not now, Dan," Alyssa sighed, rolling over to look at him, "I'm tired."
"Okay," Dan whispered, embracing her.
"Did you get the guy?"
"Hmm?"
"Nevermind," Alyssa said softly, nuzzling into Dan's chest and falling asleep again.
--
Dan eased himself out of bed at 5:45 that morning, and switched off Alyssa's alarm clock. He creeped down over the stairs, not bothering to check on Hannah - She always slept 'til 6. He walked into the contemperary kitchen and reached for the phone mounted on the wall, dailing the lab's number.
"Hi, this is Daniel O'Driscoll. I'm calling for Alyssa Ellsworth, CSI. She's not coming in today, she has a severe flu and is too sick. If you need to reach her, please call 555-4876. Thanks."
He hung the phone back on the wall and tripped up over the stairs, pulled on his uniform that was laying in a heap on the floor, and hurried outside to the garden. Dan clipped a single daisy out of the flowerbed, and ran into the house quickly and quietly. He got a pad of post-it's out of the cupboard and wrote,
"Alyssa -
The lab knows your not coming in. Take the day off and relax with Hannah, enjoy yourself.
Love you forever,
Dan."