Disclaimer: No own, no profit, no sue.

A/N: This is a series of post-eps for the major G/E episodes of season six. It's an attempt to incorporate the major events into my little CI verse that started with my fic Beginnings, though I am being liberal with the specifics. Madison is five when this picks up. Reviews are much appreciated.

p.s. have you guys seen the preview for Amends?? Looks pretty intense, but I'm glad they're finally delving into Eames' character…I love her…

"Blind Spot"

She felt the muscles in her arms stretching, tearing, and could just barely tap her toes to the ground.

Her senses swam in the black material covering her eyes and sweat, produced only partially from the heat, dripped down her neck and back.

Screams, shrill and hopeless filled the sticky air. She recalled the feel of metal against her face; a threat of what was to come and knew that she would soon be the one no longer able to recognize her own voice from the strain of her screams.

"Don't scream, don't scream," she silently chanted to herself and the other girl.

Then there was silence; nothingness.

"Hey," Goren's voice stabbed into her nightmare. "Eames."

She was in her room, her bed, and there was a thumb stroking her cheek. She turned her head and found worried dark eyes.

She rolled onto her side and buried her face into his chest. His fingers gently kneaded small circles against her neck as her fists grabbed at his T-shirt.

Eames let out a frustrated sob.

"I'm so sick of this."

Goren kissed her hair. "You've only been home a few weeks—"

"I don't care. I'm just…I'm so tired."

Both of them were. She was going to therapy, but she hadn't really told Goren any specifics. He didn't leave her alone much, which he knew she found both frustrating and comforting. He was pretty sure she was having nightmares most nights, but only a couple nights did she wake up frantic and confused like this.

He was having them too, that is when he could actually sleep. His consisted of finding her mutilated body in the trunk of her car and Declan's taunting words of her having to be dead, but he didn't tell her about them.

"Can…can you tell me about it?" Goren finally asked.

"No…maybe…I don't know."

"You don't have to…whatever you need to do."

Her mind clouded with her memories: Jo Gage came into her home, drugged her and threw her in a trunk of a car. The same woman who not two days before sat in Goren and Eames' home and had dinner with them. She told Eames stories of a twenty-something Goren and the sixteen year old daughter of his mentor who had a hopeless crush on him. She watched this woman reminisce with Declan and Goren at her kitchen table and then play with her daughter on their living room floor.

Madison wouldn't leave her side since she had come home. Some days, Eames had to wrench herself away to make it to her therapy sessions, leaving a crying, pleading little girl in her wake and most nights Madison would worm her way in between Goren and Eames while they slept.

Eames took in deep breaths and slowly let them out. She focused on his fingers working at the knots in her neck and wiped her eyes. She aimlessly stared at the white cotton in front of her.

"I…I could hear…the other girl…screaming. She was so scared and in so much pain…and I don't even know how long it lasted…and then there was…nothing. I didn't know which was worse: the screams or the silence…" she let out another deep breath. "'Cause I knew it meant…"

"It meant…it mean you were next."

She nodded as she picked at the beginnings of a hole in the fabric in front of her.

"All I could think…was that I…I was going to ruin Madison's first day of school…she was going to start school in a few weeks and I wasn't going to be there because…because I'd be dead and how fucked up that be for her," she paused as she felt the slight hitch in his breath she knew he was trying to hide from her. "And I kept thinking of all the things I'd miss…how I'd never hold her…I thought about my nephew…and you…how'd I never feel you touch me again…"

"But here I am," he swallowed the lump in his throat. "…touching you, you touching me…solid, real."

She slid her arm up and around to squeeze him closer to her.

"Momma!" a sobbing Madison crawled up onto the bed.

Goren and Eames shifted and Madison buried her face into Eames' chest. Eames held her tightly, while Goren helplessly ran his fingers through the girl's hair.

"Baby, you've got to calm down," Eames said as she fought back her own tears and anger.

"Please don't leave again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Mad. Did you have another nightmare?"

She nodded against her chest.

"Daddy couldn't find you."

Goren kissed her head and kept his mouth close to her ear.

"She didn't need me to find her, baby. Your mom…is strong…and smart and she found her own way back," he swallowed hard and looked up at Eames. "She always will."

They continued to watch each other as they each gently cocooned Madison with their hands and lulled her back to sleep.

Eames quietly cleared her throat. "Uh, Dr. Patel, thinks you should come with me to some of my sessions…"

Goren nodded reluctantly, wondering how long ago Dr. Patel had asked her to suggest this to him.

"O-okay," he said. "I…I think you…we…should ask her for someone to talk to Madison too…"

"I know," Eames said as tears welled in her eyes, but just as quickly pushed them away.

His hand reached out and landed on her cheek as his thumb swept along the bone. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought not to give into the tears banging at her eyelids.

"I…I am so sorry…" Goren whispered. "I should have—"

"Don't," Eames said, opening her eyes. "You do your guilt thing now we won't have anything to talk about in therapy."

He weakly chucked and she tried to smile.