Authors’ Note: Hi! This is Emily (Ace47) and Robyn (PrintDust). After watching Empty Eyes, we felt that we needed to do a follow up.

Authors' Note 2: A short spin off of 'No Good Deed Goes Unpunished' by Ace47. It takes place right where EE left off. You don’t necessarily have to have read NGDGU to understand the fic but there are a few quick notes that are important:

-Sara lost her right leg in an explosion at a crime scene. She uses a prosthesis.

-Grissom and Sara are established (engaged)

For those of you who are following NGDGU:

-Abby doesn’t exist.

-Sara has not been shot

-Sara is not pregnant

Empty Eyes, Broken Heart

Chapter 1: Her Reminder

As they walked towards the exit, Grissom realized that he’d forgotten an important file for the sheriff on his desk.

Sara stopped walking as she felt his hand pull away from her back. “What is it Gil?”

“Sorry, I forgot something. Can you wait here for just a second? I promise I’ll hurry.”

She nodded. She watched as he rushed back down the hallway leaving her alone. Leaving her alone with her feelings. She felt all the pain from the case rush back. Her cheek, wrist, and leg hurt, but none as much as her heart.

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes but quickly snapped them back open as she was assaulted with images of Cammie’s death. They bled into memories of her past.

She struggled to keep her tears in as she thought about her past, about Cammie, about holding the killer’s hand. About him grabbing her, which she’d yet to tell Grissom.

As she thought, she went numb to the pain in her wrist and leg. But the burning in her cheek remained, increasing in intensity. Her reminder of Cammie.

Sara felt trapped, like she was suffocating. She could feel the killer’s eyes watching her as she processed him. She could feel his hand in hers. She could feel the bile rising in her throat. She could feel the smooth cold wall scraping her back as she sank to the floor. Her right leg sticking out awkwardly in front of her.

She was breathing hard. Fighting nausea. She didn’t notice Grissom coming back down the hall towards her.

“Sara?”

“Gil.” She called out to him. She needed the comfort that only he could provide.

He sat down next to her. Putting his arms around her and pulling her towards him.

She held him desperately as though she was afraid he’d disappear.

“I’m not going anywhere Sara.” He felt her nod into his chest. “Honey, I know this was hard.” He stroked her hair. “But you did good. Don’t doubt that.”

“I should have done something to save her. I should have. I didn’t mean to let her down Grissom. Please, I can’t do this. I can’t…”

“Sara. Sara, look at me. You did the best thing you could do. You showed her kindness.”

“I need to go home.” She pushed away from him.

He nodded, standing up. “Let’s go home.” He offered her a hand up. She took it. “Come on Honey.”

He started to lead her to the car. She stopped. “Maybe we should stay. We can help Dayshift.”

“Sara, we just pulled a triple. You need to go home. Plus, you’re maxed out on over time anyhow.”

“No, but I can do something. For someone else, I can fix it.”

“Sara, you did fix it. You fixed it when you found her killer. You brought her justice.”

“Six girls are dead Griss. There’s no justice in that. There is only justice if the killer repents. Six girls are dead. And I could have saved one.”

He pulled her into a hug.

“What am I supposed to do?” She felt lost.

“Come home. Rest. And put more bad guys away tomorrow.”

Sara nodded and followed him out to the car.

On the way home, she fell asleep. Grissom carried her to their room. She started to stir as he put her on the bed.

“Griss?” She was groggy. She opened her eyes to focus on his face. He leaned over her.

“Hey Honey. We’re home.” He sat down on the bed and brushed the hair out of her face.

“Home?” She looked around the room. “It’s not time to sleep yet.”

“Sar you’re tired. Just take off your leg and rest. Okay?”

“No, I’m not tired. I want to get up.” She sat up, but he was blocking her from swinging her legs around to stand.

He scooted her over and laid down next to her. He pulled her into his arms.

“No Grissom. I said I don’t want to sleep. I mean it. Let me go!”

“Ok Sara.” He said sadly. He released her from his embrace and watched her walk out of the room.

Sara walked into the kitchen and started to clean. The pain in her wrist started to manifest itself again.

Grissom walked out of the bedroom. “Sar, Honey, please come to bed.”

“No.” She walked to the fridge wanting to make breakfast. “Are you hungry?”

He grabbed her hand to stop her.

She cried out in pain and shock. Flashing back to the hospital room. She forgot where she was and she pushed away from Grissom.

“Sara! What’s wrong?!”

Hearing his voice, she snapped back to reality. “Nothing. I’m sorry. Are you okay?” She turned away from him and picked up a dishrag. She started to clean the counter.

“I’m okay Sara. Are you okay?” He saw her wrist. “Sara! Your arm!”

“It’s fine. Can you get the bleach? Grissom, you really need to wipe up juice right away when you spill it on the counter or it stains. And I can’t get it out.”

He gently took her right hand in his. “Sara, your wrist is broken.”

“I told you its fine. Please just leave it alone.”

“Who did this to you?”

“I said stop! Can’t you just listen to me? I said it was fine.” She tried to pull away from him and leave the kitchen, but he was blocking her exit. “Move.”

“No Sara. No. Who did this to you?”

She shook her head. Her eyes wide in terror.

He pulled her close to him. “It’s ok Sara. It’s ok. No one’s going to hurt you. You just need to tell me what happened.”

“I can’t Grissom. I can’t.”

“Yes you can. Who broke your arm Sara?”

She ignored his question. “I’m tired. I want to go to bed now. Please, just take me to bed.”

“I can’t let you leave your wrist like this Sara. We need to get it set.”

“No! I’m not going to the hospital!” He saw the terrified look on her face.

That’s when it all connected for Grissom. What ever happened happened at the hospital. “Did Marlon do this to you?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s going to be fine. I won’t use it. It will heal. Can we just…”

“Sara, he’s gone. They took him to jail. You need to go.”

“No Grissom! Damn it! I said I’m not going. You can’t make me go. I am an adult. I can make my own choices. Now move. I’m going to bed. If you have a sudden urge to go to the hospital, you can go on your own. Maybe get your ears checked because you seem to be having a hard time hearing me tell you to drop this.”

“Sara, I’m not going to drop this. I love you and I can’t stand seeing you hurt. You need to take care of the limbs you have left!”

She froze as his words hit home.

“Sara, I’m sorry. Please…”

She nodded her head slowly. She still didn’t move. The thought of going to the hospital frightened her. Her hands where shaking. She finally raised her eyes to meet his.

“Come on Honey.” He gently led her to the truck.

As Sara sat in the car she stared out the window wondering what it felt like to have one’s throat slit. She decided it probably wouldn’t hurt that much. But it wouldn’t be pleasant.

Grissom looked over at her. He saw her cradling her right hand awkwardly in her lap. “Honey, why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“Hmm?” She turned to look at him. His eyes were on the road. She wondered if he’d even spoken at all.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you? About what? It’s cold in here.”

He turned up the heat. “Why didn’t you tell me about what happened at the hospital?”

“Oh, I didn’t…we were working a case Grissom. I had to process the wine bottle.”

“Your health is more important than a piece of evidence Sara.”

“It’s not evidence. It’s her justice. Their justice. My health isn’t more important than that. How could you even say that?”

“Because I love you Sara. And it kills me to see you hurting. And I know that you could bring her justice easier if you weren’t injured.”

“My wrist is fine. It’s probably not even broken. It’s still cold in here.”

He turned up the heat all the way. “Better safe than sorry Honey.”

She wasn’t listening anymore. She was staring out the windshield again. Subconsciously, she raised her good hand to her throat. She ran it over the soft skin where Adam Trent had once held a sharp piece of ceramic. She drew her hand along where he could have sliced through. Where Marlon cut Cammie. ‘How could I hold his hand? The same hand that slit her throat. It didn’t feel any different from anyone else’s hand. How could his hand feel just like hers did? There should be a rule. That the guilty should look different, feel different from the innocent. From their victims. Dad’s didn’t feel different. Maybe they don’t feel different because they don’t feel anything at all. How can they inflict so much cruelty and pain on another person and not feel it. Not have it devour them, suffocate them. Adam Trent felt different. I could feel the evil coming off of him in waves. He was…vibrating it. He was holding me too tightly. Maybe he should have just done it. Then someone else could have found Cammie. Someone who could have saved her.’ She stroked her neck again. ‘So soft, like paper. So easy to carve. No. No! Not easy. Not easy at all. To kill someone, to take their life, to ruin their family’s lives. I really should have saved her. I should have stopped the bleeding. I should have stayed home. I should have brought a sweater. It’s really cold in here.’ “Grissom, it’s cold.”

“Sara, the heat’s up all the way.” She didn’t respond. “Sara?” He looked at her. Her eyes weren’t focusing. “Sara? Shit!” He sped up the car.

TBC

A/N: There should be several more chapters. Please review!