A/N: A compainion piece to 'Cry' I suppose, umm sorry for any mistakes I may have made and enjoy ^_^

Set before E5.

"Anna, are you okay?" Gwen asked as she fluffed a pillow before unceremoniously putting it back in its place atop Lady Edith's bed.

Anna looked up slowly from her side of the bed and set her own pillow down much more gently and patient than Gwen had done.

"Hmm, o' course, why wouldn't I be?" she asked with her usual elder sister-like smile as the two of them proceeded to straighten out the bed sheet and fold the corners under the mattress.

"Oh, no reason really" Gwen said with a small smile and a shake of her head as she went back to tucking away the bed sheet, in sync the two maids then picked up the rich golden comforter and began to set it along the length of the bed, Anna shooting an incredulous look at Gwen, rather unsure that the younger girl had fully dropped the subject.

"It's just," Gwen hesitated not sure whether or not it was her place to be asking, "you've been quieter than usual and I'm worried 'bout yah."

Anna slide her hands over the silk cover, to remove it of creases, before slowly standing up straight and letting her hands fall to her sides.

"I'm fine Gwen; just a bit tired is all, nothin' for you to be worrying about." Anna said sincerely, even though there was an underlying problem, 'but how would you go 'bout telling your best friend that you're in love with someone when you shouldn't be?'

"You'd tell me though, right, if there were something wrong?" Gwen asked innocently, knowing well enough that something was the matter, she'd known Anna long enough to know when something was troubling her, but her mother had brought her up to know when not to pry.

"Of course I would, so stop your fussing and get back to work." Anna said with a light chuckled, Gwen noticed how her eyes didn't quite light up the way they should've done, but she smiled back anyway before she turned and picked up the laundry and left the room.

Anna did not follow immediately; she stood still with her fingers pinching the comforter of the bed and tried to get her feelings in check as a tear ran down her cheek.

She was quick to catch it as the door swung open and moments later Mr. Bates stood in the entrance leaning on his crutch, he studied her for a second, and she smiled back at him nervously.

"Is there something wrong Mr. Bates?" she asked, not sure of his reasons for disturbing her chores, not that she'd been all too engaged in them.

"No, no, I was just wondering if you were alright?" she tilted her head forward slightly and looked to the floor, her eyes stung, God how she hated crying, she'd been doing it so much recently she was sick of it, she'd always considered herself to be strong and yet a simple genuinely worried look from this man tore all her walls down in a heartbeat, it unnerved her.

"Gwen just asked me the same question. I'm fine Mr. Bates, truly I am." But the truth was she wasn't fine, she hated lying to Gwen and she hated lying to Mr. Bates, yet more importantly, she hated lying to herself.

She was in love with him, but what hurt most was knowing that she couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Fin

A/N: Hope you liked it and thanks for reading :)