Disclaimer: I don't own anything here (except for Al, the car-fixing, football-playing, hand-crushing, ass-kicking gal) and am just doing this for fun and to pass the long months until Season 4.
Author's Note: This is a sequel to Walking Away, so you should probably read that first if you want this one to make sense. If you don't want to read the whole thing, I'd say Chapters 1, 21, and the Epilogue would get you caught up pretty well.
This story starts where the Epilogue left off, on Christmas Eve of what would have been Tim's senior year in college, had he not left. Nearly all the characters should be familiar except for Al, who is Tim's fiancé. Bruno is Al's Great Dane and George is Tim's Irish Wolfhound puppy. Amber and TJ are Billy and Mindy's kids. I think that's all the information you need.
Tim sat on the couch, watching Al, who was sitting on the floor at the coffe table, wrapping presents for Amber and TJ. He felt an uncountable surge of pride and happiness every time her engagement ring caught the light. He couldn't help smiling to himself while thinking "that woman is going to marry me." The thought made him giddy and light-headed. He wasn't talking much because he wasn't sure he would be able to speak coherently.
George stood up from the basket where he was sleeping and walked over to Bruno. The older dog paid no attention to the puppy, so George started play-bowing and barking. When that didn't work, he escalated to gnawing on Bruno's neck.
"Your dog is being mean to my dog," said Tim.
"Funny, I was thinking of saying the same thing to you. My dog's tired after all that running around this afternoon. He just wants to rest. He's like a middle-aged father after a day spent with a toddler."
Tim smiled and eased himself down onto the floor, calling George over. Soon he was wrestling and rough-housing with the puppy.
"Tim, you know that dog is going to grow up to weigh 150 pounds right? I've seen his parents – he is going to be massive."
"Yeah?" said Tim. He was now lying on the floor with the puppy standing on his chest.
"Anything you do with him now on a regular basis, he's going to think is normal play and is going to want to do it, even when he's too big."
"Good to know, but you know what? I've waited my whole life to have a puppy. Can I just spend a couple of days enjoying him without worrying about messing him up?"
Al nodded. She hadn't meant to imply that she thought Tim was messing up, just that he needed to think a little bit about the results his actions could have in the future.
"I'm glad you like him."
"Like him? I love this dog." Tim started roughhousing again while George went crazy and tried to lick his face at every opportunity.
The doorbell rang, causing Bruno to leapt to his feet and head for the door, barking all the way. George tried to tag along, but Tim held him back. Al looked a question at Tim, who shrugged.
She went over to the door and opened it to find Jason. She sent Bruno away so Jason could get through the door. Tim stood up, holding George under his arm like a football, and greeted his friend.
"Beer?" he asked and Jason nodded. Tim headed off to the kitchen and came back with three beers. He popped the cap off the first beer, handed the bottle to Jason and tucked the cap in his pocket. The second beer was Al's and then Tim settled down on the couch with the final bottle.
"Hope you don't mind me stopping by like this – my mom is driving me nuts. She's been hovering over Noah every since we got here, like second-guessing everything I do."
"No worries, you know you're always welcome here," said Tim.
Jason wheeled over to a spot next to the couch. Al went back to sitting on the floor at the coffee table and wrapping gifts, although George was making a nuisance of himself by trying to attack the paper rolls when she unfurled them.
"So, you've been engaged what, eight or ten hours? You plan the whole wedding yet?" asked Jason in a light, teasing tone.
Al shook her head and Tim smiled. "Six, I got the easiest job in the world. Billy told me – all I gotta do is say 'yes, dear' to everything up to the day of the wedding and then say 'I do' at the wedding and I'm done."
"Do you have a date in mind?" asked Jason, directing the question at Al.
"I'd kind of like to get married in July."
"July?" echoed Jason in an incredulous tone.
"You don't wanna get married in July in Texas," said Tim. He looked at Al with a grin, but then realized he was making a huge assumption. "Uh, unless you wanna get married in Minnesota."
Al shook her head. "Texas is my home now. Anyway, we'll bring Minnesota down here, don't you worry about it."
Tim smiled and took a drink of his beer.
"Would it be really miserable in July? I sort of have my heart set on an outdoor, early evening wedding at the lake." Al asked. She watched Tim and Jason share a look that she couldn't decipher.
"Well, with the shade and everything and if you had it close to sunset, that might actually be bearable," said Jason.
"You really want to get married at the lake?" Tim asked Al, his voice deep but soft.
She nodded.
"That's settled then. Six, will you be my best man?"
Jason grinned his crooked smile and nodded, not trusting his voice to work properly. After Tim returned his grin, he was able to get a few words out. "Would love to, Timmy. Would love to."
"Tim, I hate to interrupt your moment, but it's been a few hours since your puppy's been outside. You probably want to take him out soon."
"Yeah, Timmy, you don't want to wait until he's crossing his legs and doing the pee-pee dance," teased Jason.
Tim put his beer on the coffee table, kissed Al on the top of her head and then scooped up his puppy. He was feeling a little silly, so he pretended that George was flying to the back door as "Super George, the best puppy in the world." Tim slid open the back door and left it open, so they could hear him in the backyard, encouraging the puppy to hurry up.
Al looked up at Jason, who was looking at her like she was some kind of alien: amazing, interesting and completely unknown.
"Al, you know, you are seriously the best thing that ever happened to him. I've never seen him so happy."
Al blushed and ducked her head. "Well, I guess we're about even then, because he makes me pretty damn happy too."
