<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"><span style="font-size: 15px">Sarah listened to Tim speak, and when he finished, she just squeezed him a little tighter. "Don't be scared, Tim. I'm gonna be okay. It's gonna take a while, and therapy and time and hard work. But I can do this, okay? I'm strong, and I have my big brother here to help me." She sighed softly. "I knew that Wes used to do drugs. He told me shortly after we met a few years ago. But he was clean for so long, and then he started behaving differently and I didn't want to see the signs. I didn't want to believe that he had fallen back into old habits."<br/>
<br/>
"He'd relapsed twice, it was why I called off the engagement both times before you or anyone else could meet him. He was a good man, Tim. Really. He was just.. broken inside. Really broken, and though I tried to help, and I tried to be there for him, it just wasn't enough." She pulled back from the hug and looked down at her hands. "We were gonna go to a party last night, but when we got there we ran into his dealer. </span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px">The guy stabbed Wes and then broke his neck. And before I could scream for help, he grabbed my arm and dragged me off to some place.."<br/>
</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"><span style="font-size: 15px">"I don't remember much of what happened next, just that I drank something that I now realize was drugged. I remember the guy yelling about money, and yelling about Wes, and how he was glad that he had killed Wes, because it allowed him to make an example of out of him. And then after he forced me to drink that, I woke up in the backseat of a car, and then in the damn lake. It took me awhile to realize the danger I was in in the lake, because the drugs the guy had given me, screwed with my head. They only lasted a few hours."<br/>
<br/>
"And by the time you and your team found us, they had worn off ten minutes before, and I realized the horrible situation I was in and started screaming. I could tell there were people there already, reporters, but none of them did anything to help. They just kept taking pictures and filming. </span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px">I thought I was gonna die, Tim."</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"><span style="font-size: 15px"><br/>
_____________________<br/>
<br/>
Ziva was quick to snatch the inhaler from Gibbs's hand when he produced it. And she got up from her chair and quickly made her way over to Tony, where she practically shoved the inhaler into his mouth, and rested one hand on his back. As he used the inhaler, she breathed in and out slowly, to try and get him to relax and so that it didn't <br/>
make things worse. "I am not trying to bully you, Tony, but maybe you should reconsider getting yourself checked out. You do not sound good," She said softly, and there<br/>
was real concern in her voice and on her face. <br/>
<br/>
"Come on, I will go with you and if anyone does anything that makes you uncomfortable, I will shoot them." Her words were serious and she let him see that. She took the role as his partner seriously, and when it looked like he was going to protest, she reminded him of something. "Tony, you will not be able to do your job, or be there for your friends<br/>
if you do not take care of yourself. Now, let's do this. </span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px">The sooner you get looked at, the sooner you can get help for the issue, and then you can do whatever you want." <br/>
<br/>
She led him to sit down in a chair and kept a gentle hand on his back. "I got the number for Dr. Pitt, from Ducky, and I will have Dr. Pitt meet us. Do not argue.." She said, and handed him the flask from her desk with the tea, which he hadn't used afterall. "Drink the tea, it is good for you and helps the lungs." As she spoke, her hand that wasn't on his back, pulled her cell phone from her pocket, and she did a quick text. When her phone beeped 2 minutes later, she nodded and keyed in a short reply, and then stuck the phone<br/>
in her pocket. <br/>
<br/>
"Dr. Pitt has agreed to come here and check you out, Tony. I want you to see him, and let him examine you, and if you argue.. You will surely regret it.." She said simply, and then smiled at him sweetly. Once she had said her piece, she went back to gently rubbing his back.<br/>
<br/>
________________________</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"><span style="font-size: 15px"><br/>
<i>She seems to be managing Tony pretty well on her own</i>, Kate typed in reply to Jethro's words about Tony. <i>And I wasn't planning on giving him a hard time. I meant what I said in my messages, Jet. I'm going to be a better friend to our boys, and I'm going to try to get to know Ziva, too. </i>When Jethro held out the fry to her, she leaned forward and smiled, and then bit into it, careful not to bite him. <i>I had made dinner for us tonight, but since Ziva picked this up for all of us, I'm thinking of sending the lasagna I made, over here with Tim tomorrow, so that he and Sarah can share it. </i><br/>
<br/>
<i>I'll make us something else for dinner tomorrow. Though you still need to tell me what you want to drink besides Bourbon and coffee. That way I can make sure to have it at my place. Oh, and also, I got the lights installed. I wasn't sure if you had gotten my message where I told you about them. This way I won't end up pulling a gun on you guys when you come to my place. </i></span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px">There was a smile on her lips as Jethro fed her, and she leaned over and grabbed a fry of her own, and then held  it out to him. </span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px">Yes, we're sappy and cheesy, but I don't give a shit.. </span></span></span></i><br/><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px"><br/>
She typed a few moments later. </span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px">It's been a long time since I've been able to do something like this with someone I love.</span></span></span></i>