For the first time in a very long time, Sara slept deeply. With the weight of the day and all of the things she had been dreading lifted off of her shoulders, she felt a sense of freedom, and so she slept. And she would have kept on sleeping too if Nick hadn't woken her up.

He tapped softly on the door of the guest room and when he didn't get an answer, he quietly opened it and poked his head in. He had to smile at the image of Sara looking so peaceful, so unlike the Sara of the last few months. He knew that she usually slept very little and he felt guilty about waking her, but she'd made an appointment to see a counselor before shift and he'd promised to go with her, if for no other purpose than to sit in the waiting room until she was done.

He cleared his throat. "Sara."

She stirred slightly, hugging the pillow to her body, her lips curling upwards in a sleepy smile.

Nick felt a smile tugging at his own lips again. "Sara."

This time, Sara's eyes fluttered open and then closed again. "What time is it?"

"You've got that appointment before shift." Nick reminded her gently.

Sara snuggled with the pillow. "I'm tired."

Nick chuckled softly. "You need to get up."

"Five more minutes." Sara smiled with her eyes closed.

"If you want to primp in the bathroom like you did yesterday, you're gonna want to get up now." Nick had a teasing tone in his voice.

Sara's eyes opened and she smirked at him. "I did not primp."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you did. Although, I'm not sure why, you look good no matter what you do."

She looked at him a bit curiously. "Thanks, I think."

Nick gestured towards the hallway. "I put towels in the bathroom for you. Let me know if you need anything else in there, I don't use that one much."

She smiled sleepily at him. "Thanks." Reluctantly, she pulled herself out of bed and let out a yawn as she stretched.

Nick watched her in amusement. "I take it you slept well."

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. I don't think I've slept that well in months."

"I'm just gonna make us something to eat." He turned and closed the door behind him and headed into the kitchen. He had a smile on his face as he considered Sara's demeanor. He hoped that it would remain that way even after she'd talked to the counselor.

Nick had just pulled a loaf of garlic bread out of the oven when Sara finally emerged from the bathroom. He couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed that she'd taken even longer to get ready than she'd taken the day before.

She wandered over to where he was preparing the food and glanced over his shoulder. "What are we having?"

"Eggplant parmesan." Nick smiled.

Sara's eyebrows shot up. "You're kidding."

Nick smirked. "No, I'm not kidding. I happened to see this on 'Everyday Italian' on the Food Network and it was actually very easy."

Sara couldn't help but let out an amused snort. "The Food Network. You watch cooking shows too?"

He gave her a slightly annoyed glance. "What's wrong with watching cooking shows?"

She pursed her lips together to keep from laughing and shook her head. "Uh, nothing, I just didn't picture you as the gourmet cooking type." She furrowed her brow together for a moment and then she started laughing. "Oh, that's the one with the young Italian woman isn't it?"

Nick looked slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. Why?"

Sara noticed the hint of pink in his cheeks. "You watch it because you think she's cute, don't you?"

Nick glanced at her and smiled. "She is pretty hot, but the recipes are good too."

Sara raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Nick answered her challenge by handing her a plate. "Try it if you don't believe me."

She took the plate and carried it over to the dining room table. As she took a bite, she closed her eyes. "Mmmn. This is so good."

He grinned as he sat down next to her. "See? I told you it was good."

She looked at him quizzically. "Where did you learn how to cook like this?"

He chuckled. "My mom made sure all of us could cook before we left home. It was kind of a hobby for her, a way to unwind after a long day in court and she'd have one of us help her make dinner each night. I think it was a way she could spend time with us one on one without anyone else feeling like they were getting left out."

They continued to chat throughout the meal and when they were done, they quickly washed the dishes and headed out the door for Sara's first appointment with her counselor.

By the time they arrived in the parking lot, Sara was a bundle of nerves. She looked over at Nick with a panicked expression. "I don't know if I can do this."

Nick reached over and placed his hand on her arm. "Yes, you can. I'll be there the whole time, Sara."

She glanced out the window, feeling the pit of her stomach tighten. "I feel like a nut case."

Nick squeezed her arm. "You're not crazy, Sara."

She glanced over at him. "Then why do I feel crazy?"

He smiled reassuringly. "You're not crazy. Now Nigel Crane, he was crazy. Trust me, you're not even close to crazy."

A myriad of emotions flickered across her face and then she looked him in the eye. "Ok, but you promise that you'll be in there the whole time."

He nodded. "I promise." A mischievous expression crossed his face for a moment. "Unless of course you have deep dark secrets about why you alphabetize your spices, I wouldn't want to pry."

She slugged him in the bicep and shot him an amused glare. "Very funny."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Sara. I promised that I'd be there, and I'll be there." He glanced at his watch and then back at her. "We'd better get going in there if you don't want to be late."

Sara let out a deep breath. "Since sitting here is obviously out of the question, I suppose there's no time like the present."

Nick smiled. "It's gonna be ok."

"I sure as hell hope so." She muttered under her breath as she climbed out of Nick's Denali. As they made their way up the sidewalk towards the entrance to the counselor's office the only thing that kept Sara from bolting was Nick's hand at the small of her back.