Julie puckered her lips, coloring her normally pale pink lips with a bright red. Leaning back from the mirror she gave herself a critical look. Her long blonde hair fell down in a straight wave down her back, her bangs were a little to long blocking her eyes and Julie made a mental note to go get a trim on her day off. Running a manicured hand down her side she grimaced at the barely covering bikini for a moment before straightening to her less than usual height atop the four inch heels she was wearing.

"Taylor your on," Julie glared at the bald man at the door, his eyes passed over her in a friendly assessing manner, "Get your ass moving."

Snatching on the tight white shirt and little skirt she wore over her bikini for a total of five seconds Julie gave the man a half-hearted smile, "Sorry Frankie, just thinking to long I guess."

"They don't pay you to think Julie," Frankie whispered as he escorted her from the dressing room to the stage entrance passing several tired looking women on the way who were taking a break, the smoky make-up of their eyes hid nothing of the tiredness they each felt. A few of the women smiled at Julie before resuming their conversations with their friends, the other didn't even notice she passed by. Frankie paused at the stairs, "There is a high tipping one in the middle seat of the third table. Good guy who doesn't use his hands."

"Thanks Frankie," Julie said before making her face go blank and listening as her music was keyed up. Her foot tapping to the beat Julie drew in a shaky breath before walking confidently on stage, her top never even making it past four steps.

Tim smiled at his brother, setting his duffel bag down on the living room floor, "Well aren't you going to say something."

Billy grinned, walking over he pulled the younger man into a hug, "I missed you little brother."

Tim pulled back a smile curving his lips, brushing his long hair out of his eyes, "I wasn't going to miss my big brother's wedding. After all I have to convince the bride she is with the wrong Riggins brother."

Billy playfully swatted at his brother's head, bending down he grabbed the duffel bag and tossed it into Tim's old room, "I can't wait for you to meet her, sweet little thing-don't know how I ended up with her to tell the truth. But I-."

Tim laughed, looking at his brother he had never seen him this animated before unless it was some harebrained idea that would land him a couple grand in debt. But something in his brother's eyes told him that this was different, and Tim was happy for him. Leaning against the kitchen counter he grinned, "How about the two of us go and meet this wonder woman so that I can see for myself how fantastic she is for myself."

"Your are going to love her," Billy grabbed his keys, glancing at his watch, "It we hurry then we can catch her on her before she leaves work."

Tim gave his brother a pat on the back as he followed him out of the house, pulling the door closed he smiled at the living room that hadn't changed all that much since he had graduated and moved out to go to college. Now almost six years later he was finally back home, and life was finally good for the Riggins brothers. Closing the door he followed his brother to the truck, smiling in a way that if anyone who didn't know him as the part owner of Hendricks and Riggins Construction would have been shocked to see. Climbing into the cab he looked at his brother, "Life is good."

Julie counted up the tips she had made, her feet aching and propped up on a stool in front of the make up station she shared with three other girls. A pair of loose jogging pants and a stretched out relic of a Dillon Panther t-shirt, throwing the money down on the table top she ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

"What's wrong Julie?" Julie looked up at Mindy Collette, the woman who had given her a home and second chance after her world had fallen apart. Still slim only the dim lighting of the interior of The Landing Strip could hide the lines of harsh living that were beginning to mark the oldest of the Collette sisters.

"I only made eighty bucks in tips and I have bills that are coming due," Julie bit her lip wanting nothing more than to curl up in a ball on the floor of the less than clean dressing room, "I just hate this sometimes you know, I wish I could go back and make it all the way it use to be."

"What back when your parents were alive and you weren't the sole care giver for your baby sister? Julie you have got to stop moping and get over yourself," Mindy snapped, "It isn't perfect but this is your life, now get you ass out of that chair and go make Gracie some dinner or something because that little girl loves you more than anything else in the world and she is depending on you."

Julie smiled, getting to her feet she winced as her feet protested the weight, "Thanks, I needed that kick in the ass."

"Anytime, just remember that tomorrow night you are going to come back and make two-fifty," Mindy gave her an affectionate hug before checking her make-up and walking out to the bar to earn her own rent money.

Julie grabbed her purse, glancing at her watch she cursed as she ran out of the strip club waving to the fellow dancers and Frankie as she left. Jumping in her Father's old SUV she spun out of the parking lot. Flying down the street Julie pulled into the Dillon Elementary with a practiced ease, mumbling under her breath the entire time Julie threw the truck in park and scanned the faces of children getting into cars or waiting. Not seeing her sister Julie cursed as she turned the truck off and got out. Pulling her hair back into a pony tail Julie did a mental take of herself, she was make-up free and only looked a bit grungy but nothing to embarrassing. Flip-flops slapping against the asphalt she walked into the school, her smile false as she nodded to the few people who recognized her or just chose to acknowledge her.

Opening the kindergarten classroom Julie was not surprised to see her sister sitting at a round table by herself coloring, "Gracie."

Gracie looked up her dark blue eyes lighting up when she located her sister at the door, "Julie! I made you a picture."

Julie walked over to her sister, smiling widely as the little girl showed her a picture of a misshapen lump with legs next to two stick figure girls with identical blue eyes and blonde hair. Her sister's teacher smiled kindly at the sisters as she looked up from her desk, Julie gave her a small wave as she crouched down next to her sister. Taking the piece of construction paper she studied the drawings, "Is that you and me?"

"Yep, and that is Larry," Gracie pointed to the misshapen lump, referring to their ungainly looking dog waiting with undoubted impatience for the two of them at home.

"This is really good Gracie," Julie said kissing her sister's plump round cheek, "I think this deserves to go on the fridge good."

"Really?" Gracie clapped her hands, the crayon she was still holding flying out of her hands and rolling across the floor.

Loren McPherson, Gracie's teacher got up to retrieve the errant crayon, "Gracie why don't you put the coloring supplies away, I have to talk to your sister for a minute."

Julie gave her sister another kiss on the cheek as she walked over to join the teacher next to her desk. Loren smiled kindly at the young girl, she was only a few years older than the oldest Taylor girl, and was very understanding of their situation which had made Julie extremely grateful when she ran a few minutes late to pick up her sister.

"The counselor and I were discussing Gracie's progress," Loren began gently, her smile not faltering in the least but still putting Julie on edge. Julie shifted on her feet, her fingers playing with her keys as she tried not to look like a guilty kid and instead an adult responsible for another person's life. Loren picked up some pamphlets, "We think it would be beneficial for Gracie to be put in a program for gifted children, she is finishing her work before the others and usually sits coloring. We think that she would challenge herself more if she were put in an upper level class that demanded more out of her…"

Julie looked over at her sister, "Is it okay if I think about it for a bit? I don't want to put her into something that she can't handle or let's her miss out on things."

"I would never dream of pushing Gracie into something that she didn't want," Loren exclaimed, pushing the pamphlets into Julie's hands, "Here, just read these over and let me know what you think okay?"

"Thanks Miss McPherson, I will let you know," Julie glanced at the pamphlets, walking over to her sister she tucked them into the little girl's purple bookbag, "Alright kid, you ready?"

"Yep," holding her picture firmly in her hands she and Julie waved goodbye to the smiling teacher before walking out of the classroom.

Tim got out of the truck and slammed the door closed, giving the slightly run down building a dubious look, "You didn't tell me she was a teacher."

"I didn't want to hear the jokes," Billy smirked, walking towards the entrance to the elementary school, "Come on, she is probably locking up her classroom by now."

The two brothers reached the entrance doors just as they were being pushed open, Tim stepped to the side to allow the two blondes through. Pausing as the little girl flashed him a smile from beside her mother, Tim did a double take as he looked from the girl to the mother, "Julie Taylor?"

The blonde in sweats froze, her head shooting up as she looked at him. Her eyes widening in recognition before a smile spread across the same round face that he remembered, "Tim Riggins, I didn't know you were in town."

"I didn't know you still lived here," Tim said as he stepped back to allow the door to close, Billy having rushed through the moment the doorway was clear leaving his brother and the two females on the entrance steps, "Is this your daughter?"

Julie laughed, looking down at the Gracie who was clutching her hand as she shyly batted her eyes at the tall man, "No, this is Gracie."

Tim crouched down giving the girl a charming grin that had gotten him to countless rally girl's pants, "I use to rock you to sleep when you were no bigger than my hands."

Gracie's eyes got wide as she looked at the hands in question, "I've seen your picture on the wall at home. You were on Daddy's winning team."

"Yes I was," Tim smiled, running a hand through his hair he stood back up, "I sent a card when I heard."

Julie gave him a shaky smile, "I got it, thank-you by the way."

Tim sighed suddenly feeling awkward and foolish, not knowing what to do he simply looked at her.

"You are here for Billy and Loren's wedding?" Julie tilted her head to the side, her hand swinging back and forth as Gracie fidgeted.

"Yeah, just got in today," Tim looked at her, taking in the rumpled sweats and the messy hair. The Julie he remembered never walked out of the house less than perfect, but this Julie looked tired as hell. He knew from having been raised by his own brother how stressful life got when you were responsible for another person and he recognized the signs of stress. Giving her a slow smile, "I should probably go and catch up to my brother…"

"Yea, we have to be getting home," Julie looked down at her sister, "Say bye Gracie."

"Bye sir," Gracie whispered, her smile wide though to belie the small voice.

Tim nodded and waved as the two walked quickly to their car, Julie giving her sister a hand up so that she could climb into the back. A final wave and the two Taylor's were out of the parking lot and he was out of their life without another thought.

Julie dropped Gracie's bag on the kitchen table, collapsing on the couch she looked down at Gracie, "So what do you want for dinner kid?"

Gracie paused in her coloring, "I want a hamburger."

"How about we go and get some then, cause I don't really feel like making them," Julie got up grabbing the phone she placed there order to the Alamo Freeze. Hanging up with the teenager on the other line she smiled at her sister, "I am going to go get a really quick shower okay?"

"Alright," Gracie called out as she turned the t.v. on, the sounds of Sponge Bob filling the small house.

Julie smiled to herself, walking into her bathroom she turned the shower on and stripped. Their home was a small but Julie hadn't been able to afford the mortgage payments on her parents old house so the Taylor's were forced to relocate. Stepping under the less than ideal water pressure spray from the shower head, Julie sighed as the hot water kneaded her muscles. Four years, it had been four years since her parents death in a car accident. Julie soaped her hair up, thinking about what she had done since her parents death. Dropped out of college full time to go part time at the local community college, which had put her back since she hadn't been able to enroll for two years. Working odd jobs trying to pay the bills and take care of her baby sister, had ended almost all her relationships but a few friendships. Her best friend in highschool Lois had told her that she needed to put Gracie in a Foster home and be done with it because the little girl was ruining her life. The only thing that had prevented Julie from punching the shit out of the other girl had been Tyra. That was the month that they had gotten evicted from their old home, Julie had felt like her life was crumbling around her. Tyra, Mindy and Angela had opened their home and helped to get Julie back on her feet. Mindy was the one that had suggested working at the Landing Strip, with Julie's background in dance and her almost too pretty face it was almost a guarantee of quick money. And so Julie danced five days a week, earning tips and salary not a lot but enough to pay the rent and their bills. Luckily for her almost all her tuition was covered to financial aid, but still she was tight for cash most of the week. Never before would she imagine herself a single mom, living in a run down house living paycheck to paycheck stripping in a club.

Stepping out of the shower, Julie wrapped the towel around herself. Another towel to her head she walked across the hall to her bedroom. The sound of deep male laughter made her pause in the doorway, turning Julie started towards the living room, "Gracie?"

"Look who's here Julie," Gracie said excitedly pointing to the man sitting politely in his wheelchair a grin on his All-American face.

"Jason," Julie greeted, a hand going up to her towel to make sure it was securely fastened, "I didn't expect you tonight."

Jason grinned, his eyes trailing over her freshly washed body, "I just stopped by to see how my favorite little cheerleader was doing."

Gracie grinned at the man, "I got a gold star today in art."

Running to the kitchen the little girl pulled the picture she had made off the fridge, "See. This is me, and that's Julie, and that's Larry."

"Well, that is just beautiful Gracie-girl," Jason said examining the picture, "Where am I though?"

Gracie furrowed her brow in thought, "I forgot to draw you…I can make another one though. If you stay for dinner I can give it to you."

Jason laughed, looking at Julie who was slowly walking backwards to her bedroom, "I would love to Gracie. That is if your sister doesn't mind?"

"Me?" Julie squeaked, her foot in the doorway to her room, "Not at all, I just am going to get dressed and then we were going to go pick up dinner from the Alamo Freeze."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Jason laughed as he and turned his attention back over to the six year old.

Tim smiled politely to his future sister-in-law as she told them the tales of her kindergarteners. Leaning back in his booth across from the couple Tim found his lips curling in a grin at the domestic picture that they made. He was happy to see his brother settle down, but the jokes he was going to crack later wouldn't show it.

"So I was thinking that instead of us having a bachlorette and bachelor party we could do something together," Tim straightened in his seat at this, ready to tell the future Mrs. Billy Riggins exactly how the Riggins brothers handled things.

Billy gave him a warning look turning to Loren he smiled charmingly, "I would love to babe, but Timmy hear has already planned everything. And he is my best man, I know you don't like the idea of a bachelor party but Timmy has told me that it is going to be us and a couple of guys just hanging out and having a few beers. Just like any other game night or something, and wouldn't you rather spend the time with your friends doing something…girly, hell I don't know whatever it is that ya'll like to do."

Loren laughed, her hand entwining with Billy's, "As long as you promise me that it will be like any other game night, and no women."

Tim almost snorted at that decree, what the hell kind of bachelor party didn't have women? And what the hell kind of woman was his brother marrying if she was dictating to him how he could spend his last night of freedom? Sipping his beer Tim waited for Billy to close the deal, and get the final okay from the Missus.

Billy and Loren kissed briefly, making Tim want to gag for a moment before he just rolled his eyes and looked away. His eyes lighting on a tall blonde across the restaurant Tim muttered an excuse and left the happy couple. Tim didn't have to worry about to many people stopping him on the way to his destination; everyone was at home eating on a Thursday night in preparation of game night tomorrow. Reaching out he tapped the blonde on the shoulder over the side of her booth, smirking as she whirled around to glare at the person she thought was bothering her, "Oh my God, Tim?!"

Tim smiled walking around the side of the booth as Tyra stood up and pulled him into a hug, "Nice to see you again too, Tyra."

Tyra pulled back looking at him, "I knew you were probably coming back for your brother's wedding its just I didn't even hear a breath of you being in town."

"I just got back today," Tim gestured to his brother and Loren in a deep conversation about the wedding from the looks of it, "I can't believe he is marrying a teacher. It's almost too ironic to make fun of."

Tyra nodded, "Well sit down, tell me what you've been doing with your self."

Tim smiled taking the seat across from her; it was easy to fall into a rhythm of talking with Tyra. They had too much history for it to be anything other than natural between them, Tim told about his small apartment in Dallas and the business he had started with one of his mother's cousins. How he had gotten a degree in business that was shockingly useful, but how it was the stuff he had learned working the odd jobs around Dillon to earn money or just for the hell of it that had gotten him through a lot of the ins and outs of construction work. It was a fledgling company but it had potential which was something that not many out there could boast about. And Tim liked being able to step back and see the results of his work, seeing the satisfaction on the customer's face was a reward in its self but nothing could compare to the sense of accomplishment that he got when built something.

Tyra talked too, about her brief engagement too Landry Clark that had ended badly and how she was working at the Newspaper as a secretary. Her Mom having married and moved to El Paso last year, and Mindy still not having much at all was not surprising at all.

Tim smiled his arm stretched across the top of the booth as they talked. They drank and talked, Tim couldn't help but think that they had talked more in the past half hour than they had the entire time that they dated. They were still talking when Billy walked over, to tell Tim that he and Loren were leaving.

Tim looked over at Tyra, they shared a smile, "I think that I will catch a ride with Tyra. See you back home."

Billy snorted, "Some things never change."

Tyra smiled as she dumped some money on the table and stood up following Billy's lead, "Nope some things don't."

Tim's hand found its way to the small of her back, his fingers brushing under her shirt to rub the smooth skin, his eyes darkening when she glanced back at him, "After you Miss Collette."

Julie smiled as she took the bag of trash from Jason, "Thanks."

Jason nodded before wheeling himself back to the living room, the house was abnormally quiet as Gracie had already fallen asleep. Julie collapsed on the couch her feet stretched out in front of her, "She loves it when you come over."

"I like coming over, she's a good kid," Jason looked to the half cracked bedroom door, "You have the night off?"

"Yeah, I go back tomorrow night though," Julie groaned, her toes pointing as she thought about putting those ridiculous shoes on once again, "Tyra is going to watch her though so don't worry. I think they are going to go to the game."

"I guess I will see them there," he looked at her, his eyes holding something that Julie wished she didn't recognize, "I was wondering though if you had thought about what I asked you last week."

"About going on a date?" Julie sat up, fingers tapping against her leg in frustration, "I did…And Jason I love you, you know I do. You've been great with helping out me and Gracie, but I couldn't."

Jason straightened in his chair and Julie had a sudden flash of him towering over her before the accident, six feet tall and intimidating on the field as he was off. His usually kind blue eyes narrowing, "Is it because I am crippled?"

"No," Julie shouted, turning she waited a moment to make sure that they hadn't disturbed Gracie before finishing, "I don't…I don't want you to be linked with a stripper. You are too good of a man Jason and this could hurt you. I don't want to lose you because of my job."

"Then stop stripping," Jason all but shouted, "It's just a job Jules, and if you are that tight for money then I can help you out. I have helped you out when you were tight for cash before-."

"I know and I can't ask you to do that again," Julie walked over to him kneeling down in front of him, "Just let me finish off this last semester of school and then-then we can talk about us."

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A.N.: So this little plot bunny has been floating around in my head for a week or so and I couldn't let it go so I hope you like it. Lots of hugs and kisses to the people who reveiw.