A/N: Sorry for the delay! School let out, kids are home and life is getting busy. Only one chapter after this one so will post it very soon. Thanks again!

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

McGee's eyes fluttered open. Where was he? He could hear machines and he was lying down on something soft so he assumed he was no longer out on the woods.

"Tim? C'mon Tim, wake up!"

It took a moment for Tim to recognize the voice. Sarah? Sarah was here? He opened his eyes completely and met those of his sister who was peering down at him, her face grey with exhaustion but her eyes bright with hope.

"Sarah?" he croaked, barely able to get a sound out.

"Yeah, Tim!" she said, tears now running down her face as she pushed her long brown hair out of her face. "It's me!"

Tim frowned in confusion. "Whatr …you…doin' here?" His mouth was so dry and his throat so sore that making any sound at all was a chore. Sarah, seeming to recognize this gently lifted his head and placed a plastic straw between his lips. In a moment, cool, soothing water came flowing into his mouth washing away the cobwebs.

"Not too much!" smiled Sarah wiping away more tears. She couldn't believe Tim had regained consciousness and was actually talking to her!

With a contented sigh, he rested back onto the pillow and looked as his sister once more as he struggled to recall the events that brought him to this place. It was obviously a hospital, that much was clear. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What…happened?"

"Don't you remember, Tim?" asked Sarah in confusion. She figured he'd remember everything as soon as he woke up. "You got bit by a snake and almost died!"

Snake...snake…snake…the word echoed through his mind as he considered its meaning, then his eyes widened as the memories came rushing back: Emmy…the church…Beelzebub… DiNozzo! He'd been shot!

"Tony!"

Sarah placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "It's OK, Tim," she soothed. "He's OK. He's even been to see you. He's going to be just fine!"

Tim closed his eyes feeling overwhelmed by relief. He remembered everything, every unhappy, painful event. God, how could he have been so stupid! Once again he'd let himself be swayed by a pretty face and where had that gotten him? Almost killed…again.

He turned again to Sarah. "How…" It was too hard to say more.

"How did you get here?" He nodded. Sarah took a deep breath. "Gibbs and Ziva went out to find you and Tommy…I mean, Tony. They found Tony first and then Gibbs kept looking for you and they found you in the river with that girl…" she snapped her mouth shut. She hadn't meant to mention Emmy for fear it would upset her brother.

"Emmy…dead," said Tim slowly not looking at her.

"Yeah, Tim," replied Sarah uncomfortably. "She's dead but Gibbs said she did try to rescue you. She had some antivenom with her."

Tim gave a small nod as he closed his eyes again. He knew that somehow. He'd had dreams where she'd come to him and told him that. At least he thought they were dreams. He dreamt she'd told him she'd cared for him in the end despite what she'd done to him and even though he knew it was stupid, that meant a lot to him. With that thought, he drifted off to sleep again.

Sarah sat beside his bedside, holding his hand as if that would keep him with her. The doctors were optimistic now that he would recover. His heart had gradually gotten stronger and with time the other organs began to recover. They'd taken him off the ventilator just this morning and it was a cause for celebration that he'd been able to breathe on his own. Plus, she'd gotten a message from her parents. They had finally managed to catch a flight out of Africa and should be with her in a couple of days. She'd been terrified Tim would die before they could get here. Now, she could give them more positive news.

She thought back over the past few days since Tim seemed to rally. His NCIS friends had been instrumental in keeping her from completely losing it. Sure, she knew she loved her brother but it wasn't until she had to watch him go through this horrible ordeal that she realized how empty her life would be without him in it. He could drive her nuts with all his computer games and technobabble but he had always been there for her when she really needed him like the time she was a suspect in a murder case. He'd even resigned from NCIS because she meant more to him that his beloved job. He was her big brother but to see him so vulnerable had been more painful than she could possibly have imagined. She still wasn't sure what had driven him to join that weird snake handling church or to marry that girl that let them try to kill Tim. She understood the church had been drugging him but none of Tim's friends would really talk to her about it. However she knew how insecure her brother could be, always needing affirmation. Even as a kid. He had to win ribbons and trophies in all those math bowls, science fairs and academic pentathlons just to prove to himself he was a smart as other people thought he was. Maybe something had happened at work that sent him looking for that affirmation elsewhere. But a church! And a weird snake handling church to boot? That just didn't make any sense to Sarah as far as her straight-laced brother was concerned. He must have been drugged!

She closed her eyes and stretched. God, she was tired! She'd lost all track of time here in the windowless confines the ICU. She only remembered to eat because that nice Dr. Mallard would drag her off periodically to the hospital cafeteria. She didn't even mind listening to his stories. They had distracted her from her worries about Tim. In a way it was like listening to Tim when he'd get excited about a new online game or God forbid, rocket packs! She smiled fondly at her brother. Yeah, he was definitely a geek, but he was her geek and she couldn't imagine life without him.

She looked up to see Agent Gibbs standing in the doorway watching her with a smile. "How's he doin'?" he asked quietly.

She glanced at Tim's sleeping face. "He woke up a short while ago," she said her voice rough. "He remembered everything." A shadow crossed over her face and she turned to face Gibbs directly. "Agent Gibbs, what really happened? Why did he leave NCIS for some crazy church? Why?"

Gibbs swallowed, his jaw tightening as he considered her question. How did he explain this? He sighed. "Sarah, the simple truth is I screwed up. I let other things get in the way of watching out for my team and I didn't see the signs that something was wrong. I took your brother for granted and forgot how important he really is to the team."

Sarah scowled. "So you drove him to join this crazy snake cult?"

"No, not exactly," replied Gibbs sadly. "I'm supposed to understand what makes each of my team tick; their strengths, their weaknesses, so I can use them to their best advantage. Tim is different than the agents I usually deal with. When it comes to computers, only Abby comes close to his abilities. Tony and Ziva came from law enforcement backgrounds, well Ziva might have been a bit more than that and I'm military. Tim came from MIT and hardly what I would call typical cop material. Even if he can be a bit full of himself, he's a genuinely nice guy and one of the hardest workers I've ever met."

Sarah laughed a little. "Agent Gibbs, you hit the nail right on the head. I've seen a lot of change in Tim since he started working for you. He's not nearly as whiney and insecure as he used to be! Smart? Hell, yes, but he always worried he was doing something wrong. Drove my parents crazy!" She paused. "So, what, you said something to hurt his feelings or something?"

"Worse than that. I forgot that he had actually turned into a damn good field agent and treated him like he was still completely green and didn't really matter. He deserved better than that."

Sarah bit her lip. She knew Tim thought more highly of Agent Gibbs than anyone he'd ever met and she could imagine how he'd react to being treated like that by a man he so respected. She could remember as a little kid how a harsh word from their father, another man Tim respected, could totally crush Tim's spirit. She laughed a little herself. It was quite a surprise to Dad when his daughter was not so easily cowed! But it was becoming clearer to her now. If Gibbs had treated Tim like he didn't really matter to the team, Tim would again be crushed which apparently left him wide open to be ensnared by some crazy black widow snake girl.

"So what's gonna happen now," demanded Sarah. "Is he still in NCIS?"

"If he wants to be," replied Gibbs looking now at Tim. "It's up to him. I'd have him back in a second but the question is, will he want to come back after what's happened."

"Of course he will!" retorted Sarah quickly. "He loves working for NCIS! My dad couldn't believe it when his brilliant son didn't wanna go work for some high profile tech company making big bucks because he wanted to be a Navy cop! NCIS is all Tim ever wanted to do! Agent Gibbs, you have no idea how excited he was when you made him a field agent. I spent an entire weekend having to listen to him go on and on about that!"

Gibbs smiled for the first time. Yeah, he did remember how excited McGee had been when he'd presented him with his promotion. Of course, Tim had been in for a bit of a come down when he found out Kate and Tony still put him low man on the totem pole but he'd come a long way since then and Sarah was right, Tim did seem to love his work. He glanced over at Sarah again taking in the pale complexion and dark circles under her eyes.

"Why don't you go home and get some rest," he suggested as she tried to subdue a massive yawn. "I'll sit with him."

Sarah looked uncertain for a moment but the long days of stress and emotional turmoil had taken their toll and her body felt heavy with fatigue. She'd been here when Tim first woke up and that was the important thing so maybe she could slip back to the dorm for a few hours of sleep. Damn. It just occurred to her she'd need to talk to her professors concerning all the classes she'd missed. She almost smiled. That was the first sign that maybe they were coming out of the dark tunnel and into the light of normalcy. She stood up and stretched. "Thank you, Agent Gibbs. I'm beat and I think now that he's doing better I could actually sleep."

Gibbs stepped aside as she moved towards the door. Sarah paused and looked at him. "Thank you, Agent Gibbs. For being here for Tim and for me. I couldn't have gotten through this alone." She turned and was gone.

Gibbs stared at the empty doorway for a few moments. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been in this position in the first place. With a weary sigh, he settled into the chair next to Tim.

XXXX

When McGee woke up the next time, the room was dimly lit. He looked around trying to get his bearings again.

"McGee?"

Tim turned his head to see Gibbs sitting nearby leaning towards him. "Boss?"

"Yeah, it's me, Tim. How ya doin'?"

Tim considered this a moment. He felt incredibly weak and groggy and there was a dull throbbing pain in his leg but he was alive. "OK," he managed. Gibbs nodded then like Sarah before him, offered Tim some water which McGee accepted gratefully.

"Sarah?"

"I sent her home to get some rest," replied Gibbs setting the water back on the small table near the bed. "She's been here for days and was exhausted."

Tim digested this. "Tony?"

"He's doin' OK. It was close there for awhile but you know DiNozzo. He's tough. Now he's up there givin' the nurses a hard time. They should be releasing him in another day or two. He said you pulled him out of a river and will forever be in your debt. I suggest you take full advantage of that. "

Tim gave a faint smile. "How long…?"

It took Gibbs a second to realize what he was asking. "Ten days. You've been here ten days."

Tim's eyes widened slightly at this. Gibbs laid a hand on his shoulder. "But you're gonna be OK, Tim. We weren't sure there for awhile but I wouldn't have picked you for my team if you weren't tough." Tim continued to stare at him as if doubting what he was hearing.

"Tim," sighed Gibbs deciding it was time. "I've said this to you while you were in the coma and I just said it to Sarah, now it's time I said it to you. I let you down when you needed me. I was too immersed in my own problems to realize a member of my team was in trouble and let things get out of hand. I've been treating you like you were still wet behind the ears but the truth is, you're turning into an excellent field agent."

"No, Boss," croaked McGee looking dismayed at Gibb's admission. "I screwed up! I let a pretty face… get me in trouble. Shoulda known better." He stopped and swallowed painfully. He wanted to say so much more but it was just too hard to get the words out.

" McGee," Gibbs said forcibly. "They were drugging you! You weren't really thinking straight and I shoulda seen the signs that you were in trouble. Instead, I just let it slide. I wasn't there for you and I shoulda been! You're part of my team, my responsibility. I have no excuse for letting this happen."

McGee said nothing. He wasn't entirely sure what to think. He was the one that screwed up! Not Gibbs. Sure, Gibbs had been riding him hard and McGee didn't always feel like he was a necessary part of the team but that was no reason for Gibbs to take the blame for McGee's stupidity. McGee had fallen for Emmy hook, line, and sinker from the moment he'd seen her and that had obviously clouded his judgment and yet… first Tony and now Gibbs had accused the church of drugging him. Was that true? He felt so groggy it was hard to think but suddenly he could see himself ransacking the storage room looking for a bottle of the elixir, his face wild with desperation. Had that really been him? He behaved like some junkie desperate for a fix. He felt sick to his stomach.

Gibbs watched a series of emotions wash over McGee's face, from confusion to disbelief to horror. What was going through his mind, Gibbs wondered. He hesitated a moment then said, "Tim, I know you've been through hell but you survived it and I think you'll be a stronger person in the end. I know you resigned, but I want you back on the team. You don't have to answer me right now, but we need you. Everyone on my team is important and vital to the functioning of the team. I wouldn't have picked you if I thought you weren't able to handle the work. I only want the best on my team. Do I make myself clear?"

McGee blinked trying to refocus his attention on Gibbs. He frowned in confusion. What had he said?

Gibbs shook his head and leaned in closer. "I said, I only want the best on my team…do I make myself clear!"

McGee stared at him for a long, long moment before slowly nodding. Gibbs smiled and returned the nod. "Good. Get some rest, McGee. And listen," he leaned closer, conspiratorially, " if Director Vance shows up trying to convince you to go back into cybercrimes, don't listen to him…You're too valuable a field agent to be stuck down in the basement ." He patted Tim on the shoulder and with a nod to the nurse who had just entered, disappeared through the door.

McGee lay speechless staring at the now empty doorway as the nurse checked his vitals. He felt Gibbs's words whirling around in his head. Vance? Cybercrimes? 'Best on the team' as his muddled brain tried to make sense of them. He shook his head. What had just happened?