Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I promise to put them back exactly as I found them when I'm done.
A/N: Well, a few people asked for a sequel/continuation "Shattered", my other Cath/Sara fic, so I guess you could think of this as just that. This was just an idea that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. I started it a few months ago…and I guess I just forgot about it XD It's the first multi-chap fic I've ever actually posted, so I'm sorry if it kinda sucks. Anyway, this first chapter is in Catherine's POV, but most of them will probably be from Sara's because…well, it's just easier for me to write from her POV XD
"Cath…"
"Catherine."
"Catherine!" Nick all but shouted in my ear.
"Sorry, what?" I replied, shaking myself mentally.
"I said I'm gonna take this back to the lab. Think you can finish up here?" He repeated for what probably seemed like the hundredth time in the last five minutes.
"Oh. Yeah."
"…You alright?" He asked.
"I'm fine." I answered rather unconvincingly.
He gave me an odd look for a moment before nodding, though still unsure. "Alright."
I watched as he carefully stepped over the small pool of blood and out the front door of what had once been the home of a once-happy family. Now, however, it was the origin of a young girl's ghosts.
With that thought, my mind once again drifted to Sara, as it seemed to do so often nowadays. I would like to blame this on the case we were working on—it was the case of a woman who killed her abusive husband in front of their nine-year-old daughter—but I knew I couldn't. What was my excuse every other time?
An hour passed before I was finally loading the backseat of my Denali with bags of evidence and driving back to the lab. I almost felt bad for the lab rats, seeing how much work they had cut out for them. Of course, it wouldn't be incredibly important in the trial, considering they had an eyewitness and a confession. At least the trial would be a quick and (mostly) painless process. That poor girl had seen enough already without having to deal with that.
What would happen to her now? Her mother would likely be sent to a mental health institute and (obviously) her father couldn't take care of her. Not that I really considered what he did taking care of her.
Sighing, I parked the vehicle and got out, opening the back door and taking as many bags of evidence as I could with me back into the lab. "Need help?" Nick offered when he saw me, holding the door open for me.
"Thanks."
He nodded, taking the bags of evidence in my arms. I wondered why everyone was offering so much help lately, but didn't object as I returned to the Denali to retrieve the remaining evidence. I couldn't help but smile, remembering when Nick's car got stolen with all the evidence from the murder at a wedding in the back.
My mind, for what felt like the millionth time that week, traveled to Sara. Her words still echoed in the back of my mind. "Can the love be real, when the flowers aren't?" I remembered wondering later if Grissom ever gave her flowers. Probably not. Probably bugs or at least books about insects, knowing him.
"Hey, Cath, did you find the bullet yet?" Nick asked me as I walked into the break room some time later.
"Bullet?" I repeated, staring at him blankly.
"Yeah. I thought I told you, the bullet is probably still in the car. I didn't find it at the scene and it's not in the vic." He clarified, but I still stared at him blankly for a moment before it finally registered what he was talking about. The bullet. The man had been shot in front of his car. I vaguely remembered Nick texting me asking me if I wanted to look for the bullet and me telling him I would before forgetting about it…
"Oh. No, I was just about to go look." I lied.
"You want some help?"
"I can handle it."
"Alright." He shrugged, standing from the sofa and brushing past me. I hoped he was going home to rest—we had both just pulled a double. If any of us needed sleep, it was probably me, but I knew I wouldn't sleep, so what was the point? Might as well stay busy working. Lindsey was at her friend's house, which I wasn't sure I was relieved about or not. I hadn't even seen her my daughter in almost a week and it occurred to me that I was doing the exact thing that I used to tease Sara about. When was the last time I even saw the inside of my house?
Sighing for what seemed like the millionth time, I slipped on a pair of gloves and stared at the car. If anything, I could at least say working kept my mind busy. So…where to start looking for the bullet? Probably under the hood somewhere… Oh, joy.
"Hey." A Texan's voice greeted me almost as soon as I had bent over the engine of the car, causing me to jump and hit my head on the hood.
"Ouch! Damn it, what the hell, Nicky?" I cursed, rubbing the back of my head as I straightened and turned to look at him.
"Sorry. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. What do you need?"
"Just came to see if I could help." He answered sheepishly.
"Go home, Nick. You look like you could use some sleep." I sighed. His constant offers for help were starting to get on my nerves now. Was I really so out of it that I looked like I needed that much help? Well, probably, but that was beside the point.
"You sure?" He pressed and I nodded, trying to keep my temper in check. "Alright. Just call if you—"
"I got it, okay, Nicky?"
"Sorry." He apologized once again, standing in front of me awkwardly for a moment before turning to leave. He was only trying to help…
As soon as Nick was out of sight I turned back to the car. It was going to be a long night. Maybe I should have taken his offer… But no, I just had to be my stubborn self and do things on my own. Great choice, Catherine, great choice.
Not five minutes passed when I heard footsteps behind me again. I, assuming it was Nick yet again to bug me about letting him help me, didn't turn around to look. Even if it wasn't Nick, it was obvious I was busy. Couldn't they bother me some other time? It wasn't like it was incredibly hard to find me anyway, seeing as I was always here or at a crime scene.
"Catherine." A voice spoke and I froze. I would recognize that voice anywhere. That voice that I thought I would never hear again. I turned slowly to see the person I knew would be there.
"Sara…" The wind seemed to be knocked right out of me as I breathed the name I thought I would never have to say again. Stood before me, clad in jeans and a shirt I recognized as one I had bought, was Sara Sidle.
A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter—and the next one, too—but I promise most of the others will be much longer.
Anyway, thanks for reading :D Reviews are much loved—I need them to finish the next chapter (hint, hint)