One Month Later:

"What are you trying to say? You don't think I can do my job, do you?" Sara was working herself into a frenzy.

"I did not say that." Nick tried to keep his voice even and calm. "All I said was that you might actually enjoy a vacation."

"I don't need to take time off." Sara defended. "Besides, who would take care of Harley?"

Nick pursed his lips together to keep from smiling. "I can take care of Harley." His brows arched upward. "No one is doubting your ability to do your job, Sara. You've been back working solo for a few weeks now, what is this really about?"

Her expression looked to be a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. "I haven't told my parents what happened."

Nick nodded not quite understanding. "So you don't want to fly up and see them because you think they wouldn't love you if they found out?"

"It's not that. I just don't want to explain to them why I don't feel comfortable having a glass of wine with dinner." Shame flashed across her face at the admission.

"And you're afraid if you have to explain that, you'll have to tell them everything." Nick could tell he'd hit the nail on the head from her relieved expression.

"I'm just not sure I'm ready for that." She knew that she needed to hurdle her fear of telling her parents what she'd been going through. Deep down she knew that they'd be understanding, but she didn't want to fly to California when her entire support system was in Las Vegas.

"They might surprise you." Nick offered. He'd never met Sara's parents, but over the last couple of months he'd learned more about them and it amazed him what a startling contrast they were to Sara.

Sara looked at him skeptically. "You don't know them like I do."

Nick reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Then why don't you invite them here. It sounds like they just want to see you."

Sara nodded letting out a sigh. "I could probably do that."

Three Weeks Later:

"I'm done?" Sara looked at Dr. Colby a little confused.

"You've made a lot of progress, Sara. I mean you're welcome to come back any time you feel that you need someone to talk to, but as far as I'm concerned, you're doing well and you really don't need me." The mild mannered doctor smiled at her as he leaned back in his overstuffed leather chair.

"But I still have things to work on." Sara protested mildly.

Dr. Colby smiled. "Sara, the important thing is that you have tools to deal with the things in your life that you used to find so overwhelming. You have people in place who have become a support system to you. All of us have things to work on, that's part of the process of life. I'm confident that you're ready."

"Wow." Sara was a bit dumbfounded. She had come to look forward to talking with Dr. Colby, but deep down she knew he was right. She had come far and she needed to be able to face life head on. And it was true, she wasn't doing this alone any more, she had a group of friends that had proven that they were there for her. Even her parents had surprised her when she'd finally told them what had happened. The distance that she had put between them because she didn't think they understood her evaporated as she realized just how much they did love her.

"You're always welcome to make an appointment if you think you need to." Dr. Colby reassured her with a smile as he stood.

She pulled herself out of her chair and then reached over and shook his hand. "Thank you. Thank for everything." There was a sincere smile on her face.

"You did all the hard work, Sara. I'm proud of you." He grinned as he ushered her to the door of his office.

One Week Later:

"Grissom." Sara paused in the doorway of his office.

He glanced up and smiled. "How'd your case go?"

"Good. We got him." She smiled broadly. "I'm taking the night off. I just wanted to remind you."

"You're taking Harley to the vet if I recall correctly." Grissom observed. He had made it a point over the last couple of months to notice more of what was going on in the lives of the people on his team. He knew that he had let his own fears and insecurities cloud his judgement when it came to Sara, and as a result he had missed the warning signs that something was troubling her. He didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

Sara furrowed her brow. "I feel a little guilty about getting him declawed, but at the rate he's going, I won't have a carpet left if I don't. He's already destroyed my couch."

Nick came up behind her. "You about ready?" He looked at her expectantly.

She glanced at him and smiled. "Yeah, is Warrick going to come and help?"

"He said as long as you were cooking, he'd be there. We might be able to snag Greg too." Nick glanced over at Grissom. "I just wanted to remind you that I've got the night off."

Grissom nodded and smiled. "I saw that."

Nick turned back to Sara. "I'll meet you in the parking lot, I've got to grab my jacket."

"Ok." She smiled and turned back to Grissom as Nick headed down the hallway. "I'm getting a new couch and I managed to bribe these guys into helping out."

Grissom observed her confident manner and felt an ease settling over him. He had worried about her since that night that Nick had pulled her off of the railing, but she seemed to have transformed into a person who was very alive, and he was glad. "I'm sure they'd help you even if you didn't bribe them." A boyish smirk flitted across his face.

Sara laughed. "You may just be right." She had missed her easy conversations with Grissom and it seemed that things between them were slowly but surely getting back to that. Perhaps it had been her obsession with him that had gotten in the way of their friendship, or perhaps it was his inability to recognize and act upon his own feelings, but whatever the case, that was behind them and she was moving forward with her own life. "I'd better go so I can get Harley to the vet."

"Have a good night off, Sara." He smiled softly at her.

"I will." She couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "I just hope Nick doesn't try and torture me with 'Zoolander' again."