AN: So this week has been a baby fever week and after watching the first three seasons of Friday Night Lights, this story for Lyla and Tim won't get out of my head. It's angst-filled to start, but don't worry. It will have a happy ending! I have a couple of ideas for my Puckleberry story, so keep an eye out for new chapters for that! This story takes place after Billy and Mindy's wedding, so no, Tim will not be going to jail. ;)

Flashback:

"Don't make me be that guy, Lyla. You have to go to Vanderbilt," Tim told her, his hands seeking hers out, his fingers wrapping around hers. Lyla looked up at him, shaking her head easily. "Tim, I'm not going to Vanderbilt because I'm pregnant," she told him softly. His eyes widened as he looked at her and then down at her stomach before looking back at her. "You … Pregnant? Are you sure?" he asked softly. Lyla let out a soft laugh, nodding her head. "Yes, Tim, I'm sure," she said softly. "Are you … I mean is this …" Tim made a frustrated noise, his fingers gripping hers. All he could think about was how he'd been jealous of Billy just the day before and now it seemed like his wishes were being answered. Lyla smiled, leaning forward to kiss him softly. "It's going to be hard and we're going to struggle, but I want this. I want this life with you, Tim," she told him. Tim nodded, leaning forward to kiss her back.

In the end, neither one of them had ended up at San Antonio State University. Tim had given up his scholarship in favor of an assistant coach position with Eric Taylor at East Dillon High School. When Tim and Lyla had sat down with Eric and Tami and laid it all on the line, Eric had been quick to offer him a job. This was a different Tim Riggins and Eric was hoping that by giving Tim a different role model than his brother Billy that he might just have a chance at all those things he wanted. Tami had helped Lyla to sign up for correspondence classes with the local junior college and the two had settled in. There were tough moments, and fights, but they were managing.

In August, their world would come crashing down for a short time. Tim had been at practice with the team and Eric when his cell phone had started buzzing in his pocket. At first, he ignored it but when it buzzed again, he pulled it out to check the caller ID. He frowned, fear tugging at his belly. Lyla never called him during practice. He quickly flipped his phone open, holding it to the side of his head. "Lyla? Everything okay?" he asked her, his pulse speeding up quickly when he heard the sounds of Lyla's sobs before he heard her voice.

"I'm bleeding … and it's bad. I need you to come home," Lyla sobbed out. When the bleeding had started that morning, she hadn't worried too much. It hadn't been a lot and she knew spotting in the first trimester could be completely normal. But by afternoon she had started to bleed heavier and the cramps were worse than anything she'd ever experienced before. Tim's face paled when he heard her and his head snapped up to look at Eric.

Eric, having seen Tim taking a phone call during practice, had stalked over to ask the young coach if he really wanted this job but the look on the young man's face had stopped him. "Tim, what is it?" Eric asked him. "I'll be home in ten, Garrity," Tim forced the words out before he closed the phone. "Um, Lyla's bleeding, Coach, and she says it's really bad," he said, his eyes finally moving away from his phone to look up at Eric. Eric squeezed his shoulder easily. "Go home, son. Go home to her. Call me or Tami if you need anything," he told him. Tim nodded gratefully before grabbing his keys and sprinting to the truck. He made it home in less than ten and was suddenly grateful for their close proximity to the school.

"Lyla? Lyla, where are you?" Tim closed the door to their apartment, tossing his keys onto the table. "Ba-bathroom!" Lyla called back, barely managing to get the words out before the sound of vomiting filled the apartment. Tim sprinted into the bathroom and visibly paled when he saw the blood under her, spreading over the tile, as she heaved violently into the toilet. Tim rushed to her side, gathering her hair back as she continued to heave, his large hand rubbing over her back. When she was done, she wiped her mouth before collapsing against his chest with heavy sobs. "Shhh, babe, it's gonna be okay," he whispered to her, hugging her close. He pulled back a bit, taking in her appearance and he dug his phone out of his pocket, dialing Tami's cell phone number.

"Tami Taylor," she answered in her soft accent. "Uh, Mrs … Mrs. Taylor. It's Tim Riggins. Listen, I'm sure you're busy but … can you come over? I really need you to come over right now," Tim said, a sense of urgency in his voice under the shaking. Tami's head snapped up when she heard the tone of his voice and she jumped up from behind her desk. "I'll be right there, Tim," she assured him as she grabbed her purse and her keys, flying out of her office. She almost ran into Eric as she was leaving. "What's going on?" she asked him, hurrying out to the car with him. "Lyla called Tim at practice. She's bleeding pretty bad," Eric told her. Tami bit her lip, picking up speed as they ran to the car.

Tim reached up, grabbing the washcloth off the edge of the sink, ringing it out and pressing it against her face. He didn't like how pale Lyla was and he wasn't sure if it was from blood loss or pain. Lyla let out a low moan, her arms tightening around her midsection as another wave of pain washed over her. "I know, baby. I know," he murmured, trying to calm her any way he could. Lyla started to cry again, her fingers gripping his tightly. He dipped his head to kiss her fingers, nuzzling her knuckles with his nose for a moment. He looked up when he heard voices at the door and he realized he'd never felt so relieved in his life as when Tami Taylor walked into their bathroom.

Tami's eyes widened when she saw the state Lyla was in and she hurried over to the young girl. She brushed her hair back from her face, tears in her own eyes when Lyla opened her eyes to look up at her. "I know, honey, I know," she whispered, squeezing her hand. "I think we need to get you to the hospital," she told her with a nod of her head. "I really think it's best to get you checked out," she told her. Lyla nodded, licking her pale lips. "Okay," she agreed with a whisper. Tami looked over at Tim. "Hon, get some towels, okay? We'll put them under her in the truck," she told him.

Tim nodded and slid up, pulling the bathroom cabinet open. He grabbed the towels and handed them over to Eric when he held his hands out for them before bending over to pick Lyla up easily. He cradled her body against his, not even noticing the blood stains on his knees from where he'd knelt in the blood on the floor. His head spun sickly for a moment at the amount of blood on the floor when he lifted her but he shook his head to clear it as he carried her out to the Taylor's truck. Eric laid the towels in the back and Tim set Lyla on them before climbing in after her.

The ride was quick, and silent, punctuated every so often by soft sobs or moans coming from Lyla with fresh waves of pain. Tami ran in ahead of them to talk to the triage nurse while Tim carried Lyla in. The nurse hurried them back to an exam room and then ran to get a doctor. The nurses quickly undressed Lyla and tried to get Tim to leave, but neither he nor Lyla were having any of that. The doctor came in to examine her and run a quick ultrasound before confirming what the young couple already knew: Lyla had lost the baby.

Lyla bit her lip, stifling a sob as she gripped Tim's hand tighter. The doctor explained that she was still bleeding pretty heavily and therefore he wanted to do a D&C to make sure that her body was expelling everything on it's own. He explained that she would have to be put under for the procedure but that it would be quick and that Tim could be in recovery with her when she woke up. Lyla nodded her understanding, squeezing Tim's hand to give him permission to sign the forms. He leaned down to kiss her while the doctor booked an OR, moving his fingers through her hair.

"I'll be right here when you wake up, okay?" he promised her, his fingers rubbing against hers. Lyla nodded, sniffling softly. "I love you," she said softly. "I'm sorry," she started to sob again. "Hey, hey, now. None of that," Tim wiped her tears, kissing her temple. "It's not your fault, baby. These things just happen. It's not your fault at all," he promised her. When the orderlies came to move her, he kissed her again. "I love you. I'll see you when you wake up," he told her. He waited until they'd wheeled her away before he went out to update Eric and Tami on what was going on.

Tami jumped up when she saw him, moving over to hug the young man tightly. Tim returned the hug gratefully, his body shuddering with a sob as he held onto her. Eric came over, squeezing his shoulder easily. "How is she, son?" he asked softly. Tim shifted, lifting his head as he wiped his face. "She's going to be okay. They're um … they're doing some procedure because they're worried about … retained …" he trailed off, trying to remember what the doctor had told them. "Retained products of conception?" Tami asked softly. Tim nodded quickly, a sob hiccupping in his chest. Tami nodded her head, rubbing his back easily. "She's going to be fine, honey," she promised him as they lead him over, easing him into a chair.

Eric looked at the blood on Tim's clothes and quickly called Julie, stepping outside to take the call. "Jules, honey, it's daddy. I need a huge favor from you," he explained to her what was going on and asked her to swing by Tim and Lyla's to get him a change of clothes. Julie quickly agreed and headed over to Tim and Lyla's with Gracie Belle, getting Tim a change of clothes. She gasped when she saw the mess in the bathroom, closing her eyes as she said a silent prayer. Once she'd gotten the clothes, and a spare pair for Lyla figuring the ones she'd been wearing were ruined, she headed over to the hospital with the clothes.

Tim looked up when he heard Gracie squeal his name. The nearly two-year-old still had a soft spot for the fullback. Tim couldn't help but smile a bit when he saw Gracie and he stood up, moving over. "Hold on, Gracie Belle," he told her, kissing her cheek as he took the clothes from Julie with a grateful smile. He went into the bathroom to change his clothes, balling up the bloodied ones and throwing them away. He came back out and easily took the toddler, settling back into the same chair. Gracie seemed to know that things were different today and she snuggled against Tim's chest with a quiet sigh. Tim kissed the top of her head, rubbing his hand up and down her back easily.

It was over an hour before the doctor came out to talk to them. Tim jumped up, nearly scaring Gracie in the process. Tami took Gracie easily as Tim hurried over to talk to the doctor. "She's going to be just fine, son. We're giving her some blood to bring her counts back up, but everything went as expected. I'll take you back to her now," he said. Tim looked over his shoulder at the Taylors, giving them a grateful smile. Tami waved her hand. "You go, hon. We'll wait here," she assured him. Tim followed the doctor back, wringing his hands in the bottom of his shirt. "Um, doc … will we be able … I mean can she still?"

The doctor smiled easily, squeezing Tim's arm. "She's perfectly healthy, son. I have no doubt you two will still be able to have children. These things just happened sometimes and they're often flukes, so don't you worry about it. When her body is healed, you'll be able to try again," he assured him. Tim nodded his head, thanking him quietly as he stepped into Lyla's room. His breath caught in his chest as he took in the sight of her. She looked as white as the sheets she was laying on. He moved over, sitting in the chair beside her bed, taking her hand in his as he waited for her to wake up.

Lyla shifted, moaning softly as she started to come back to consciousness. She swallowed thickly, making a face at how much it hurt. Tim shifted up, getting the cup of water from the table. The nurse had told him that her throat might be sore from the breathing tube that had been down her throat during the procedure. "Here, babe. This'll help," he slid his arm under Lyla's shoulders and helped her to sit up, holding the straw to her lips. Lyla drank deeply before laying back against the sheets. She closed her eyes, quiet for a moment before she began to speak. "This isn't exactly how I pictured this hospital stay," she whispered quietly, her fingers threading through Tim's as she laid against the pillows.

"I know, darling," Tim said softly, kissing her knuckles easily. Lyla nodded, blinking back tears. Tim leaned over, kissing her cheek softly. "I talked to the doctor. He said everything went according to plan and that when you're healed … when you're feeling up to it … we can try again." Lyla opened her eyes, looking over at Tim. "Do you … want to try again?" she asked him softly. "I mean, not that we really tried the first time," she said, a hint of a smile on her face. Tim laughed softly, rubbing her hands between his and nodded his head. "Yeah, I do. I mean, if you want to. This time just wasn't right for us, but I know it's gonna happen," he told her honestly.

Lyla smiled softly, nodding her head. "I want it, Tim. I want it bad," she told him, stifling a yawn. He smiled softly, kissing her cheek. "You need to get some rest, okay? We'll talk more later," he told her, his fingers squeezing hers as she drifted back off to sleep. He watched her, blowing out a shaky breath as tears filled his eyes. He was sad, but above all he was grateful that she was okay, that they would be okay.