I'm sorry that this chapter is short and that it took so long to get put on the sight, but I am now working two jobs. I will try to keep the chapters coming at regular intervals, but if not please forgive me. Continue to read and review, I love it when you do.

disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with The Black Donnellys television program.

The next couple of days were rough on Jimmy and Teddy, but not as rough as it was on the rest of the family. Jimmy and Teddy were not speaking to each other and it was making everyone else miserable.

Tommy sat down with Teddy, "You need to start talking to Jimmy."

She shook her head, "No I don't, and I told you guys that I am never speaking to him again."

"You do realize that you're killing him, right?"

"He's killing himself, so don't blame me."

Tommy shook his head, "He hasn't been away from the apartment, at least not by himself."

"So?" Teddy shrugged.

"So, I don't think he has had any heroin since the night you took off. What's that been about a week ago?"

Teddy stood up, "What do you mean he hasn't had any for a week, it must be killing him."

Tommy stood up and said as he was leaving the room, "Maybe you should talk to him and see exactly how he's feeling. You know everyone makes mistakes, Teddy, even your brothers."

Teddy sat thinking for a few minutes and then decided to find Jimmy, 'Maybe I'll just see how he's doing. I don't necessarily have to talk to him.'

Teddy found Jimmy sitting in his room. He was sitting on the bed and literally digging at his arm, "I thought you were never going to speak to me again?"

Teddy stared at his arm, "Tommy said that he didn't think you had had any heroin for about a week, is that true?"

Jimmy nodded and Teddy could see that not only was he digging his arm, but he was also shaking. She walked over to him and put her arms around him, "I want my brother back."

Jimmy put his arms around her and held her tight to him, "I want my little sister back too." He let go of her, "But I can't do this alone, I'm going to need your help."

Jimmy looked down at his arm, "This is only the beginning of what is going to happen to me."

"You're my brother, of course I'm going to help you, any way I can." She leaned back and smiled at him.

"Does this mean you don't hate me?"

"I never hated you, Jimmy. I hated what you were doing." A voice in the back of her head said, 'What if he knew what you are doing, could he say the same?'

"I swear I'm going to get clean this time if it kills me."

"Let's not go that far, I don't want to lose you." Teddy stood back up, "What do you need me to do?"

"How about if you read to me? We haven't done that in a long time."

"We haven't done that since I was trying to learn how to read."

Jimmy nodded, "I know, but I liked it."

"Ok, but I get to choose the book. Ok?" She turned to leave.

She came back a few minutes later with 'The Scarlet Letter', "Ok, I have to read it for school, so you get to hear it too. Maybe when we're done you can help me with my book report?"

"Maybe." Jimmy lay down on the bed. Teddy covered him up and then sat on the floor to read aloud.

At about 8 pm Tommy came walking in the room, he found Jimmy sleeping on the bed and Teddy asleep on the floor with the book in her lap.

Tommy picked up the book and his sister and brought them into her room. He laid Teddy down on the bed and put the book on the end table.

The next morning Teddy noticed that Jimmy didn't eat anything at all, "Jimmy, aren't you even going to try to eat?"

He shook his head, "Nope." He stood up, "I need to get some air."

"Can I come with you?" Teddy smiled.

"No, you can't come."

"Please Jimmy." She was walking up to him, "Please."

"I'm not playing anymore." He turned fast, not realizing she was so close to him, and smacked her across the face.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at them.

Teddy grabbed her cheek, Jimmy looked shocked, "I didn't…"

Teddy screamed, "Go fuck yourself!"

She ran to her room, but before Jimmy could get to the door she had locked it, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were that close to me."

"Go away…Go away!"

Jimmy could hear her crying and he punched the wall, "Fuck!"

Tommy grabbed his shoulder, "Go for a walk or something."

"Yea, alright." Jimmy left.

After Teddy heard the door slam she came out of her room, "Is he gone?"

Tommy nodded, "He didn't mean to hit you."

She put her arms around him, "He's never hit me before, ever."

"He's sorry, I know he is. You know all the stuff that he's been going through lately. I don't think he's handling it very well."

She nodded, "I know." Teddy took a few steps back, "Where did he go?"

"I don't know, why?"

Teddy grabbed her coat, "A week, he's been clean for a week. Have any of you seen his arms, he's digging the hell out of them and he's shaking worse then a leaf in an earthquake." She opened the door, "He's upset and he thinks that he really hurt me, so the first place he'll go is for some drugs to forget."

Teddy left and ran to the Firecracker, but Jimmy wasn't there.

When she turned to leave, she saw Joey Ice Cream walking by. Teddy yelled, "Joey, get in her!"

He sauntered in, "What do you need?"

"Where would Jimmy score?"

"What?"

Teddy looked him square in the eye, "Where would Jimmy score heroin?"

"You can't go there. It ain't a place for girls."

Teddy grabbed the gun from under the counter, checked to make sure it was loaded and looked at Joey, "Do you think they'll understand this?"

Joey nodded, "Come on."

They both walked to the worst part of Hell's Kitchen and looked down a few alleys until they found Jimmy talking to some guy.

The guy gave new meaning to the work scumbag.

Teddy walked up slowly. She put her hand on the gun in her pocket, "Jimmy!"

Jimmy turned toward her, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you. Let's go home."

"I can't, I need to speak to Frankie."

Teddy continued to walk forward, "What do you need to talk to him about?"

"You know, don't make me say it."

"You promised me you wouldn't do this anymore."

Frankie looked at her and then at Jimmy, "Why don't you tell your old lady to go home before she gets hurt."

Jimmy turned and looked at him with a sneer that would make a pit-bull stand down, "That's my baby sister you're talking about. You don't threaten her."

By this time Teddy had made it to Jimmy, "Please come home with me so I can help you."

"If you leave now Jimmy, don't let me see you around here again."

She leaned up to Jimmy's ear and whispered, "That sounds like a threat to me, big brother." Teddy palmed the gun and passed it to Jimmy.

She patted his shoulder and walked back down the alley to Joey, "Come on, Jimmy will be with us soon." She took his arm and began walking.

Joey jumped when he heard the shot, but Teddy didn't, "You Donnellys are cold blooded."

Jimmy caught up a few seconds later and put his arm around her shoulders. Teddy looked up at him and he didn't have to say a word for her to know that he was sorry and that he loved her.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "I love you too."

They dropped Joey off, but not before Jimmy told him that all he did was shoot Frankie in the foot, "You don't threaten my sister and get to walk away unharmed."

Joey nodded, "I will definitely remember that."

Jimmy turned and looked at Teddy, "I didn't mean…"

"You don't have to explain, I know you didn't mean it. I was more worried about you getting your hands on something."

He pulled her closer to her and continued walking, "If I know our brothers they're getting worried about you. We had better get home."

Teddy smiled up at her brother, kissed his cheek, "Ok, let's get home."