A hand caressing her swollen belly, and another bracing her weight against the counter Tyra Clarke silently cursed her husband for putting her in her current condition. Outwardly she was smiling politely as the woman sitting in her shop chair was talking about the latest news in her church social circle, Tyra wanted nothing more than to kick the woman out of her shop and soak her swollen feet in a bucket of water. But the old bitty was a steady customer so Tyra just stood and smiled.
"…And we are having a barbecue this weekend, you and your man should come," Mrs. Robert Walken said as she gave her set hair another pat before pulling the money out to pay for her hair. Smiling at Tyra she reached out a cautious hand as if touch the protruding belly of the stylist, but when Tyra raised an eyebrow she decided against it. Francis smiled, "I was a might tetchy too when I was expecting. Do you know what you are having?"
"A little girl," Tyra answered automatically, taking the money from the woman she reached in her pocket for change.
"No you keep it honey," Tyra smiled her thanks, not leaving her spot to walk the older woman to the door. Instead she waited half a breath after the shop door closed before sinking gratefully into the vacated chair. Looking around the soothing blue of the walls, and the modern looking stations Tyra was proud of her salon. It would never rake in the dough that one in Austin or Dallas would, but it did steady business. The opening day picture rested on the wall next to her Cosmetology license, Tyra gave the picture copies of her and Landry a wistful smile. He had his hand around her shoulder, and she hadn't known it at the time but a ring in his pocket for her. The shop was the first of quite a few changes in her life since getting her license, working her ass off in Austin at a commercial salon and building enough savings to open her own. When she had moved back to Dillon she had said it was to be closer to her family, but both she and Landry knew it had been for them. They had been steady friends and lovers since high school, a mild break hadn't slowed down the feelings that she got when she was with him, and when they had gotten married three years ago, Tyra had known that it wouldn't end up like her mother's relationships.
The shop bell dinged, turning Tyra plastered a sweet smile on her face. It dropped into a real one when she spotted the two blondes at the door, "Hey there stranger. Some one is looking a bit shaggy, come here Teddy."
Teddy wiggled in his mother's arms, the three year old grinning at his aunt. Julie groaned as she set the boy down, "Thanks for doing this Tyra."
"As the Godmother of the little guy you don't even have to ask," Tyra said getting the booster seat needed to cut the little boys hair. She patted the seat, smiling as Teddy climbed into the chair with the nimbleness of a monkey. Throwing a cape around his neck she got her scissors out and began to wet the boys hair with a spray bottle, "So have you seen Keith lately?"
"He is still in New York, but he did make the time to send the divorce papers to the lawyer once he signed them," a dark look on her face Julie glared at her reflection, "I still can't believe he left…"
Covering Teddy's ears with her hands Tyra gave her a pointed look, "It isn't like he was around more than a month out of the year anyways."
Teddy swatted at Tyra's hands, "Stop."
"Sorry little QB," Tyra muttered smiling at Julie over his head, "At least he was good for something."
Julie laughed, "A pretty baby making isn't a good trait to look for in a guy."
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Tim pulled his truck to a stop outside the small but decent looking ranch style house, glancing at the address he confirmed it before turning the truck off and grabbing his bag. Worn out baseball cap pulled down over his eyes he slung the bag over his shoulder and limped up to front porch. The echo of the doorbell was almost drowned out by what had to be the worst music he had ever heard. Holding his finger too the bell, he heard a pause in the music about a minute before the door was flung open and he was facing a panting Landry Clarke. Tim gave the blonde a once over, finding not much had changed since the last time he saw him before he had split town. Funny how things change but they don't, smiling he shifted his bag on his shoulder, "Hey."
"Riggins man," Landry held the door open moving aside so the former Panther could walk by him, "I wasn't expecting you till like tomorrow, I mean Tyra would have been here if she had known that you were in town this early."
"I got an early start," Tim looked around the modest looking living room. The pictures decorating the walls reminded of the brief stint he had staying at the Taylors, as if the remembrance of that very time had conjured it Tim felt his eyes drawn to a group shot sitting on the bookshelf. Setting his bag down at his feet he flicked his eyes over the smiling bridal party, Tyra in her bridesmaid dress was towering over the petite blonde bride. Julie, his mind whispered as he trailed a finger down the cheek in the picture. She made a stunning bride, but Tim had always known she would. He barely glanced at the groom before turning back to face an overly attentive looking Landry, "Sorry, I didn't get to make it back for you guys wedding."
"It was no problem," Landry shrugged, "I have to say the present made up for it."
Tim smirked as he looked at the flat screen he had sent as a wedding present to his old flame. Funny that with the history that he and Tyra had that she was probably his closet friend besides Jason Street. Picking up his bag he followed Landry to the guest room, passing by what was apparently the other man's home office. From the looks of the disorganization Tim guessed he had interrupted something, "Thanks, again for this."
"Well if it was up to me I would have said no, but Tyra is pretty emotional now a days," Tim grinned as Landry grimaced, "She went into this nesting stage and you called just at the right time before she decided to organize my office. So I guess I am kind of thankful to you."
Tim laughed, easing down on to the bed he stretched his leg out in front of him. His bag on the quilt beside him, "When is she due?"
"Mid March," Landry answered a smug smile coming on his face, "And if you in any way say she looks anything other than gorgeous then you won't have to worry about a reporter finding out where you are. I will end you."
Tim raised an eyebrow, his eyes scanning the slight man, "Is that so?"
Landry rubbed the back of his neck, "I'll find someone who will then."
Tim stood up, holding his keys in his hand he walked past Landry, "I think I am going to go for a drive. You want me to get anything while I am out?"
Landry paused, not expecting the polite question from the Tim Riggins he remembered, "No, you might want to stop by the old Hardware store on main though."
"Why?" Tim had his hand on the front door, he turned to face the amused former footballer.
"Cause that is where Tyra is working, she opened a hair salon up," Landry smiled his pride evident, "She is getting off work in about an hour, it being Saturday and all but you could swing by and tell her you are here."
Tim nodded, he was still nodding when he got into his brand new pick-up truck. Throwing the truck in gear he pulled onto the familiar streets. Eight years, it had been eight years since the last time he had just cruised down the streets of Dillon. Tim leaned his arm on the open window of the truck, watching as he passed by old men sitting on porches. Football signs stood sporadically outside of homes, advertising for the boy inside. Tim laughed raising his hand to wave at the few people who acknowledged him; he doubted they even knew who he was. But that was the way things were done here, you waved even if you didn't recognize the vehicle cause you might come to find out later that it was someone you knew. Pulling the big truck into a spot available a few yards away from the old hardware store, Tim smiled as he looked up at the pale white sign advertising Tyra's shop, Colette Style. He had to give it to her; she was making her maiden name into something besides the town tramps.
Taking a deep breath Tim got out and walked to the shop, his hands stuffed in his pockets and feeling like he was a schoolboy. Tyra was possibly the only person in the world that could make him feel like he was still that shrimp in peewee's. He didn't know how she did it but she had wormed her way into his life on a permanent basis. With the exchange of a few phone calls and emails over the years she had kept him up to date for the most part, and part of silent agreement after she had told him about Julie's wedding she excluded the older Taylor girl from her reports. Pulling the shop door open he put a shit eating grin on his face and walked into the transformed old store front.
"If you want to make an appointment for tomorrow then go ahead and write your name on the list, we are closed early today," a voice called from the back.
Tim walked further in, a small noise from the floor beside him had him raising his eyebrows. A little boy, ash blonde hair falling straight and into his big blue eyes looked up at him from his position on the floor playing with a Tonka truck. The kid's eyes widened as he craned his neck back to look Tim in the eye, Tim grinned he was always a sucker for kids and this one was adorable. Crouching down as comfortably as he could with his knee, Tim pushed a truck towards the boy, "Hey there."
"Hello," the little boy said watching the truck get closer with a concentration that startled a laugh out of Tim, "That's Aunt Tyra's truck."
"Is it?" Tim studied the kid for a minute, so this was one of Mindy's brood? Damn cuter than he thought they would be, "You think she would mind me playing with it?"
The little boy pondered for a second, his head tilting to the side as he shrugged, "I no know. She's in back stocking."
"Really," Tim felt his knee protested at the position, with a grunt of pain he got to his feet, "I am a friend of your Aunt's, what do you say we go surprise her?"
The little boy scampered to his feet, he didn't reach hardly past Tim's knee and Tim felt a moment's pause as he looked down at the little upturned face. Something was familiar about the small face, shaking his head he and his new little friend quietly crept to the back of the store. Tim hovered behind the little boy, bending down to coach what the kid would say, "Tell her a football player is here."
The little boy nodded, a smile stretching his small face as he grinned cheekily at the woman Tim couldn't see, "Aunt Tyra, a football player here."
Tim nodded encouragingly, he smiled when he heard Tyra huff out in frustration, "Tell him to hold on Teddy, okay?"
"Tell her that he is the greatest football player," the little boy repeated what Tim said, his words rushed but still coming out clear. Tim smiled as Tyra curse under her breath, giving Teddy a smile he waited as the little boy repeated the last phrase.
"He wants the fullback...count," Teddy cocked his head to the side, Tim stifled his laugh as the little boy could get half of what he was saying right. But he gave Teddy a thumbs up in encouragement earning a grin from the kid, "He says...its for all the balls...spiked at his head."
Tyra gasped, Teddy moved quickly back against Tim as his aunt barreled around the corner. Her smile was just as brilliant as the last time Tim had seen it, which had only been a couple of months ago at one of his games. She was in his arms in a second though, squeezing the life out of him as he struggled to hold her rather unbalanced weight. Pulling back Tyra held his face in her hands, "Tim Riggins, I should murder you. What are you doing here so early?"
"I got an early flight," Tim answered his attention centered on her protruding belly, "Put on a few pounds Colette?"
Tyra punched him in the arm, as she laughed, "If you even think of saying I look fat one more time you will be sleeping in your truck."
"At least the one I have now has a nice backseat," Tim muttered, nursing the spot she hit, the girl hadn't lost any of her muscle. Just as he was taking a step back from her though, another hit caught him in the thigh, glancing down he raised an eyebrow at the little boy who had his fists drawn and raised to do damage, "What was that for?"
"Aunt Tyra hit you," Teddy said as if that should be explanation enough for the tall man, dismissing Tim with a frown he turned to Tyra, "I want my sippy Aunt Tyra."
"Sure thing Teddy," Tyra laughed as she walked over to the mini fridge in the backroom, getting the cup out she handed it to the little boy, "Why don't you go get your things together so that we can go home okay?"
Tim watched the little boy run off, cup firmly held between his chubby hands, "Cute kid."
Tyra looked at him for a minute, grabbing an oversized bag off the shelf she turned the lights in the back room off and motioned out into the floor of the shop, "Yeah he is cute, takes after his mom that way. Drives me crazy when he turns them big eyes on me though, me and his Pop both. Neither one of us can resist them-Anyways what made you want to come home? I mean the accident couldn't have spawned this much homesickness, you have avoided this like the plague for the past couple of years."
Tim took the bag from her, walking with her he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the small figure steadily picking up toys in the front, "I just needed a place to think. This was the only place that I knew of where I could."
"Street still in Germany?" Tyra asked, knowing that if Tim's childhood friend was in the U.S. she wouldn't have gotten a call. Tim's nod was slow but solid, "So I was a last resort…Figures, but just to let you know I am going to expect some work out of you."
"Work?" Tim trailed behind Tyra as she took Teddy by the hand and the two began out the door. The little boy had a pintsized bag strapped to his back and a grin on his face as he waited for Tyra to close the shop, "I need your expertise with the baby room. Landry is great when it comes to certain things, but I refuse to let my child sleep in a crib that could fall apart if a piece of dust landed on it."
Tim laughed, walking the duo to Tyra's car, "So if he can't fix things, and from the looks of his office he can't clean either…Why do you keep him around?"
The blush staining the tall blonde's cheeks was enough to answer his question, Tim shook his head, "Forget I asked. I'll meet you back at the house."
Teddy climbed into the car, buckling himself up as Tyra turned to face Tim, "Where are you going?"
"I thought about checking out some things before it got too late," Tim called from his truck, "Don't worry I'll be back for dinner."
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Julie looked around her classroom, strange how it felt like only yesterday she was walking into this classroom for her first day of school as a student, and here she was in her second year of teaching. Relaxing back into her chair, she threw her pen down on the stack of essays she had just finished grading. Her Honors class hadn't lived up to their usual stuff, but no surprise there more than half her students were football crazy and with Dillon on a winning streak she knew they would be sub par workers this week. Her fingers cramped from all the corrections she had made Julie reached for her purse, she had done more than enough work for one Saturday night. Plus she had a little boy waiting for her that probably was in need of a good scrubbing, especially after playing with his Uncle Landry all afternoon.
Walking to her car Julie froze when she saw the truck parked near the football field, she had gotten into the habit of parking in the back of the school because of all the traffic in the mornings at the front. Not recognizing the truck Julie remembered that the Laribee game was coming up and this was probably some pre-game pranksters, cursing kids and football in general she tossed her bag in her car. Her sneakers kicked up dust as she stalked across the parking lot, Julie was glad that she had dressed comfortably not wanting to think about the scuffs her nice shoes would have gotten from this little trek. Glancing inside the truck she saw no one, skirting around it she reached the open gates of the field in no time. A lone figure was standing just in the in-zone, his hands in his pockets as he looked out at the field.
"Excuse me," Julie called out, walking forward she glared at the trespasser, "I'm sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to leave. You can't-."
The man turned around a small smile playing at his lips, "Hello Taylor."
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Eric smiled at Tyra, "Thanks for dropping him off."
Teddy held his arms up to his grandfather, "Pop! Pop I got ice cream."
"I can see that," Eric shifted the boy in his arms, his hand coming up to wipe at the chocalate smear on the little cheek, "Your Mom is still at school, but Gracie is in her room buddy, go see what she is doing."
Teddy slipped from his grandfather's arms, running towards his aunt. Eric turned back to Tyra, "Is Tim coming into town tomorrow?"
"Actually he is in town now, I couldn't tell her Coach. She is just getting over Keith and what that prick did to her I just didn't have the heart to tell her that Tim was back," Tyra shifted under the hard stare that Eric gave her, "Listen I have to go and get dinner for Landry…Tell Jules that I will see her soon. And give my hellos to Tami and Gracie."
"Night Tyra," Eric said as he closed the door behind her, Turnign he smiled at the little boy and girl standing at the end of the hallway, "Who wants chicken nuggets?"
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"Julie," Tim called after her, hop-running to catch up with her hurried stride, "Julie wait up a minute."
"Why," Julie whirled around her hair whipping her in the face, "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"
He shrugged, he didn't know of anything else to do. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do because she gave him a sneer and turned away in disgust yanking her car door open. He was opening his mouth to say something to stop her when she slammed the door closed and turned to face him again. Tim took a step back, drinking her in. She hadn't changed a lot; her face was less round though he knew she would still look like a little girl when she smiled. Her body had filled out into that of a mature woman, full breast above a flat stomach and wide hips, legs that he could tell were probably still strong from years of dance. The fire in her eyes and flush to her cheeks reminded him of the few times he had riled her temper just to see the wild beauty that it released.
"Why are you here Tim?" Julie crossed her arms under her chest, hip cocked to the side so like her mother when she was yelling at the Coach that Tim almost smiled, almost.
A million answers flashed through his head, "I saw your wedding photo at Tyra and Landry's. You looked beautiful…you still are."
Julie sucked in her breath, closing her eyes, "Why are you here Tim?"
Tim stepped closer biting the inside of his cheek to keep from cursing when she took a hasty step back as if being within a three foot radius of him would make her sick. Shifting to get his weight off his leg he considered telling her the truth, everything about where he had been and what he had been doing. It was too much too soon though, instead he opted for the short version, "I got into a car accident, the doctors recommended going home to help with the healing process…"
"So no other reason as to why you are here?" Julie bit her tongue after asking, but a small part of her wanted to know if he still thought about her.
"Do I need one?" Tim snapped, remembering the happy face of a blushing bride he had seen at Tyra's house.
"No, I guess you didn't," try as she might Julie couldn't keep the hurt tone out of her voice, "Well I hope that you have a good stay…It was nice seeing you again, I have to go-."
"What's his name?" Tim stepped closer his voice lowering in volume unconsciously to a menacing tone.
Julie quirked her eyebrows at him, her mind going to her three year old son waiting for her at her parents house by now. Tim wouldn't know about Teddy though, or at least she didn't think he could. Puzzled Julie didn't realize how close they were until she choked out her answer, "Who's who?"
Tim gritted his teeth, this was the first time in a long time that he had felt anything other than coldness. For so long he had closed himself off in order to do his job, and two minutes in Julie's presence had all the irrational emotions he had bottled up come leaking out in a rush, "Your fucking husband, that's who. What is his name?"
Julie laughed she couldn't help it, "Keith, his name is Keith Mason. Not that it is any of your business, considering you gave me up before we were anything to begin with. Oh and then you disappear. Do you even realize the hell you put everyone through with that stunt?"
His name was Keith; it would only take Tim a phone call to have the man's entire history laid out before him. Wrapping his mind around the perverse pleasure he would get out of slowly torturing the man if he found out that he had at any point treated Julie wrong. Shaking his head of the various ways he could dispose of the body Tim realized that Julie was staring at him with blue fire in her eyes, waiting for his answer to her questions, "I know."
"And where did you go," Julie whispered her eyes loosing some of the anger, "Why did you leave?"
"I went to my Uncle's," he was blunt, but right now he wanted nothing more than to hold her, to kiss those lips that had tempted him in his dreams for the past eight years, "I graduated from some small school in North Dakota, that had no football team and no clue who I was. I joined the Marines, and have been pretty much everywhere in the world."
"Why?"
Tim swallowed, "You need to get home."
Julie leaned towards him, this time it was Tim who backed away effectively cutting himself off from her. Julie whimpered, "Tim, please…"
"Go home Taylor," he couldn't bring himself to call her by her married name, "Go."
She read the darkness in his eyes, something that she had only seen a handful of times before. Reaching blindly behind her she grasped the handle for the car in her hand and got in the car. She watched him as she cranked, momentarily hesitating watching him in the headlights of her car before pulling away. She didn't even realize she was crying till she had to stop at a light and could barely read the speedometer. Wiping her eyes, Julie leaned her head on the steering wheel, crying more than she had when Keith had walked out on her.
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Eric looked up at the door, then down at his watch. Julie was late, usually when things got to be hectic for her she would call to tell them that she was on her way or to at least alert them to where she was. It was almost ten and still no Julie, he was getting worried. Getting up he walked to the front window, opening the blinds he gave a sigh of relief at spotting the small car parked in the drive. He could just make out Julie siing in the car, hands clenched on the steering wheel.
"Eric," Tami called out, she yawned as she walked over to encircle her husband's waist, resting her chin on his shoulder, "What is it babe?"
"Julie," Eric ran a hand caressingly over her hands clasped on his stomach, "I think she found out that Tim Riggins is back in town."
"You can't protect her forever Eric," Tami whispered her arms tightening for a second before releasing him and walking over to the couch where Teddy was sprawled having fallen asleep watching game clips with Eric, "She is a grown woman now, a mother and as much as you would like to keep her from getting her heart broken again she has to learn to stand on her own feet."
"She's my girl though," Eric closed the blinds and hurried back to his position on the couch when he saw Julie getting out of her car, "Here she comes."
Tami smiled at her grandson, bending down she brushed his hair out off his forehead, "I still can't believe she has a baby sometimes."
Eric grinned, "Our little QB1," the door opened and both Taylor's turned to greet their tired daughter. Eric was the first to say anything, "Hey darling, long day?"
"Yeah," Julie walked over to the couch, smiling at the little boy who was snoring softly, "Someone was watching game tapes again?"
"He loves them," Eric gave her a sheepish smile, coughing he tried to look discreet as he asked, "How was work?"
"Students who half copied their papers from wikipedia," Julie walked into the kitchen and grabbed a drink from the fridge scanning the leftovers, "Oh and I ran into Tim Riggins at the football field."
She said it so absentmindedly that Eric even wondered if she was talking about the same boy that she had cried for weeks after he disappeared. Tami shook her head discreetly at him, but Eric needed to know, "Really, how was he?"
"He was Riggins," Julie spat, grabbing a cookie she stuffed it in her mouth. Chewing angrily she glared at the wall containing the Dillon Panther's team pictures since Eric had become coach. Zeroing in on the first year she found number 33 without a problem, she had spent countless hours previously staring at it trying to figure out why he had left. Where she had gone wrong.
"Okay, come here little guy," Julie bent and picked Teddy up, settling him on her shoulder. He murmured opening his eyes briefly before snuggling closer to her and going back to sleep, "We are going to head home. Thanks for watching him."
"It was no trouble," Eric walked her to the door, Tami following with Teddy's bag of toys and various essentials. The short stroll to her car was silent, though Eric was dieing to ask her more questions he knew that he had barely scraped by with the one he had asked. His arm around his wife he waved as Julie's second hand car from Buddy pulled out of sight and down the road, "She's going to be okay isn't she?"
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Julie groaned pulling her son out of the booster car seat, amazed when he didn't wake up from the rough treatment. Holding Teddy in her arms she kicked the car door closed, juggling her keys in the other hand she clicked the remote lock attached to her keys. The flash of the headlights lit up the front porch of the old farmhouse she and Keith had bought the first year of their marriage. A shape bounded towards her from the side of the house, the dark grey mutt gave an excited bark at seeing her before running towards the porch and waiting patiently.
Shoving the dog out of the way with her leg Julie jammed the key in the lock struggling to keep Teddy secured in her arms and not drop the bags she was also carrying. A kick got the door open when it stuck in its frame, the dog scooting around her to trot ahead happy to be inside. Throwing her and Teddy's bags down on the couch Julie walked into Teddy's room, pulling the covers back she laid him down gently. Thankful that her mother had put him in his pajamas, Julie brushed a kiss across his forehead and left the room quietly. Leaving the door opened a crack to let the dim hall light in Julie let out a sigh of relief, at finally being finished with the day.
The dog thumped its tail happily when she walked into her bedroom, its head not moving from the cushion of its paws though. Julie shook her head at the lazy dog, it was a mutt that Landry had found one day and insisted that Julie and Teddy needed. Mostly because Tyra wouldn't let him have a dog, and when Julie had seen the half husky-half collie mix she had fallen in love with it. Keith had frowned and said the dog was a nuisance, but Teddy and her own protests over its removal had prevented the animal from going anywhere.
"Come on Pan," Julie muttered scratching the dog behind the ears as she stepped over him on the way to the dresser. Changing into an oversized Panther football shirt Julie yawned and glanced at the clock, it was only a little after ten. She had become an old woman, going to bed before it was even time for the Late Show. Going through her night time routine Julie couldn't help but remember Tim standing in her headlights before she drove away from the school. His hair was still long, though he had said he was in the Marines. Julie frowned, she would have thought that his hair would have needed to be kept a certain length, then her mind flashed to how firm he looked. He was still the slim powerful build of the football player that she remembered. But now there was a sort of ease to his stance that came from knowledge of ones own body and abilities that he had never had before that scared and fascinated her. She frowned even more as she turned off the lights and climbed into bed, hearing Pan's claws click on the hardwood as he came to lay beside her on the floor beneath the bed. She could almost smell the spicy scent of Tim's cologne from when he had stepped close to her, Julie turned onto her stomach burying her head in her pillow trying to force the reactions of her body out of her mind so that she could fall asleep. But in her minds eye she saw Tim standing in button down shirt and jeans, his hands in his pockets and the patented Riggins look of stoicism on his face. Groaning Julie tossed onto her back, "Damnit Tim."
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A.N.: There it is ladies and gentlemen the first chapter of the sequel to My Life and Yours. I hope that it meets within approval of everyone, this has to be the only fanfiction that I write this quickly for so enjoy because it might not last.
