Grissom had long ago suggested to her to get a diversion and shortly after that particular case closed she did just that. She began volunteering at the local animal shelter and found it to be very satisfying. She made it a priority on the days she just wanted to go home and ignore the world at large to go, always feeling better for doing so.
By volunteering she managed to regain some life in her otherwise dark and death filled existence. She only regretted her decision when a poor soul no one wanted was put down, or when she witnessed an animal that was un-adoptable pass through the door. She knew these animals would be better off this way then to continue living the life they did, but it still managed to break her heart.
Nick had a newfound bird because of her and Greg was the proud owner of a cat. She had managed to talk Catherine into taking a ferret, which her daughter Lindsey simply adored. The strangest pairing she ever made was to hook Brass up with a turtle. It was simply a match made in heaven.
One day not too long ago a boxer was brought in seriously underweight and uncared for. It was discovered shortly after she arrived that she was pregnant, but because of her malnutrition only one of the pups survived. Sara was heartbroken when she learned two days later the mother had died due to complications.
The boxer pup surprisingly survived and Sara spent every spare second she could at the shelter to help care for him. The pup became her solace from work and the demands of a man who was her boss, but her secret love as well.
The stressors of the day seemed to melt away when she saw the giant brown eyes looking back at her. She named the dog Hank before she found out what a slime ball the man was and by the time she did the dog refused to acknowledge any other.
Hank finally grew to become a healthy dog and Sara knew that she would soon lose him to a new owner. She so wished she was able to take him herself but she knew he would grow to become such a large dog and her apartment was just too small. That and her work schedule, not to mention the fact dogs were not allowed at her apartment, all working against her she realized she would have to hope he found a good owner.
Her fears were confirmed one day when she showed up to the shelter, it had been a particularly hard day at work. Actually it was a hard couple of days, her best friend and co-worker had been kidnapped and buried alive. After hours of searching they finally managed to find him and save him.
Sara wanted nothing more than to see Hank for an hour or so, she stopped by the house and removed the grime and turmoil from the traumatic past few days.
Two hours later she showed up and realized her best four legged friend was gone, she fled the shelter in tears. She sat in her car for half an hour before starting it up and heading home, an empty hole in her gut taking the place of the love she held for the dog.
She didn't know how but she managed to find her way home. Once there she collapsed on her couch and cried herself to sleep in her lonely, empty apartment. She woke hours later and forced herself to walk to her bedroom and her bed. She was so exhausted from the day she did not see the message light blinking on her phone.
She stripped to a t-shirt and underwear and crawled into the cold sheets "cold" she mumbled as she tried to snuggle in a bit more "just like my life" she finished before nodding off once more.
She dreamed of Hank, running alongside a man happily, the two of them keeping pace with each other as she watched. She dreamt of her tossing the ball out and having the dog fetch it and bring it back just so she could toss it again. She smiled in her sleep as the events unfolded. Her dreams began to sour, suddenly the dog was gone and she found herself crying over a glass casket, her would be lover gone. She began pounding on the glass to get to him…
She wakened suddenly to realize the pounding was not in her dream but by someone at her door. Groggily she looked at the bedside clock surprised at how much time had passed.
She got up out of bed and headed to her front door, hurrying slightly when the noise increased. Her neighbors were likely going to be woken by the person making the noise.
Without even looking through the peephole she unlocked the door and quickly pulled it open prepared to yell at the person on the other side. But when the door was opened she was too surprised by the man standing there to actually say something. Grissom, disheveled and highly agitated stood before her.
"Thank god, I was about to call your super to come and unlock the door" he said quickly making his way into her apartment. Sara just closed the door behind him mumbling "please come in" to herself.
"Is there something wrong at the lab?" she suddenly asked, thinking there could be no other reason for him to be there. A thought struck her suddenly and she gasped, holding her hand up to her mouth and asking "Is Nick ok, did he…" she couldn't finish.
Grissom gave her a confused look before realizing she was close to tears, and why. "No, no. Nick is fine, resting comfortably at the hospital. I tried to call you hours ago, why haven't you returned my calls?" he asked pacing her living room.
She glanced at her cell sitting on the living room table where she had left it the night before, just now noticing the blinking light. She grabbed the phone and glanced at the display, 9 missed calls and 6 messages. "I'm sorry Griss, I was tired and…" she trailed off feeling slightly stupid.
"It's ok Sara, I was concerned is all and when I couldn't reach you to make sure you were ok I kinda…panicked" he said in a low voice.
"Griss, I don't understand. Why did you call me in the first place if nothing is wrong? I was getting some much needed sleep" she asked through a yawn. She motioned for him to come in, closing the door behind him and heading into the kitchen.
"I originally called to tell you something, I left several messages but after a few hours I began to worry. After all that transpired over the last two days I grew concerned. I really didn't think of the time and how tired you must have been" he said in a rush.
"Griss" Sara asked with raised brows "have you slept at all?" He shook his head in reply while Sara handed him a cup of coffee. She quickly snatched it back from him. "How are you still standing? Come and sit down on the couch."
He numbly followed her into the living room and didn't resist as she pushed him down on the couch. "I'll be right back, don't move" she said before heading into her room to grab a pillow and blanket. When she got out of the bedroom he was passed out cold on the couch.
She stood there for a moment and contemplated what she should do, and after a moment she decided it would be better for him to lie in a bed and not on her hard small couch. She managed to wake him enough to get him to stand up and escort him to her room.
She was a little surprised when he shed his clothes to his boxers and his willingness to climb into her bed. She figured he didn't even know he was doing it because his eyes were closed almost the entire time and when they were opened they were glazed over with sleep.
He was snoring lightly before she had managed to tuck him in. She looked down at his clothes and realized they were the same ones he had worn the night before. She grabbed them and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.