Disclaimer: I don't own FNL or any of the characters just the ones that I make up. This is just for my own amusement.
A/N: This is my first shot at writing FNL. This plot popped into my head while I was re watching it. Drop me a line and let me know what you think.
Chapter 1
Philadelphia
Coach Taylor stood on the sideline of the football field with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes scanned the field and he decided that it was time to call it a day. He nodded to his assistant coach. "Break 'em down coach."
"Bring it in, boys." Coach Tom Rawlings blew his whistle. He'd worked with Eric for two seasons now and he was still in awe of the magic he could work with these boys out on the field.
"Take a knee, boys." Eric lifted his sunglasses and put them on top of his head. "Tomorrow night is our last playoff game before state. This team is bigger, faster, and stronger. They have more experience than we do, but they don't want this worse than we do. They don't have the heart or the determination that we do. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to go home and get a good night's sleep because tomorrow night we are gonna hand these guys their first loss all year. We are not gonna let them come into our house and disrespect us, by beating us in our house are we?"
"No, Coach!" The players yelled.
"Are we gonna leave all that we have out on this field?" Eric got them fired up.
"Yes, Coach!" They yelled again.
"One last thing. Clear eyes, full heart," Eric went on.
"Can't lose!" They answered.
"Alright, now get outta my sight. I'm sick of lookin' at ya." Eric dismissed them.
"Great practice, Coach." Tom clapped him on the back.
"You too, Coach. I'll see you bright and early in the morning." Eric replied. He went to his office and gathered up his things before heading to his car.
The drive home was only supposed to take twenty minutes. With the traffic it took forty. He'd been in the city going on two years and he still wasn't used to the hustle and bustle. He missed the slow pace of Dillon. He didn't miss the constant pressure from the boosters and the threat of losing his job. He did miss the enthusiasm for the game and the support from the community. He was doing his best to adapt, but he still found himself floundering at times.
He didn't for a minute regret asking Tami to bring him with her. He just missed home even with all the complications. He didn't dare voice that to his wife, because she seemed so happy. She was in her element and he loved seeing her that way.
Eric pulled into the driveway and shut his car off. He walked into the house and threw his keys down on the table beside the door.
"Hey, hon, is that you?" Tami called out from the living room.
"I think it's me anyway." Eric sat down on the couch next to her and pulled his hat over his eyes.
"How was practice?" Tami took a sip of her wine.
"It was good. I think the boys are ready for this." Eric replied.
"In case you forgot I'm not gonna be able to make it to your game tomorrow night. I have a big meeting and I won't get out until late." Tami reminded him.
"I already called the sitter and she agreed to stay late so you and I can have some time together." Eric lifted his hat and made his eyebrows dance.
"Eric Taylor, was that an indecent proposal?" Tami slapped his chest.
"It was if you wanted it to be one. Come here." Eric pulled her to him and kissed her.
"Mmm, hi." Tami smiled against his lips.
"Hi," Eric drawled. "Where's the rug rat?"
"She is mercifully in bed asleep." Tami curled up next to him.
"How many books did it take tonight?" Eric asked.
"It took five and that was after a round of negotiations." Tami replied.
"Sometimes I wonder who is actually in charge around here. Then when I think about the answer I dread her figuring out that she's the one who holds the cards." Eric sank back into the couch.
"You and me both." Tami agreed with him.
Dillon
The boosters for the Dillon Panthers sat around a table looking dejected.
"Buddy, you're the one who's gonna have to do this. He won't listen to anyone other than you. You know what our problem is and there is only one man who can fix it." One of the boosters said.
"I know you just have to give me a little bit of time to work on it. I've got to make this deal too good to pass up. This has to be a sweetheart among sweetheart deals." Buddy stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"You can't wait too long. If you do that we may lose our chance." Another of the men gathered around the table said.
"I'll handle this. I have to get a few of the moving parts to work together first. Give me two weeks. Two weeks is all I need. In two weeks I'll be on a plane and I will make our offer. You all need to work on getting the funding together." Buddy took a huge gulp of his beer.
"We have that part taken care of. You take of your part." Yet another man said.
"Let me get with the mayor and work the kinks out. This is in the bag." Buddy assured them.
"You better, Buddy. A year without playoff football is not a good year." The first man stared him down.
"I said it's handled and it's handled." Buddy repeated himself.
Philadelphia Two Weeks Later
"Julie, I'm absolutely amazed at how good he is with her." Tami pointed with her eyes to where Matt played in the floor with Gracie.
"All the Taylor girls love him." Julie smiled.
"Don't let your father hear you say that. I don't think he'd be able to handle it." Tami laughed.
"I can't handle what?" Eric walked in fresh out of the shower.
"Nothin', honey, nothin' at all." Tami held in another laugh.
"Hey, Coach, how does it feel to have another state title?" Matt changed the subject quickly. Things had just gotten good between them again he didn't want anything to mess that up.
Eric bent down and kissed his youngest child's head. "Gracie Belle, keep an eye on this one will, ya? He's trouble when he wants to be."
"Matt is a good boy, daddy." Gracie said in her cute little voice.
"Good save, Gracie." Julie laughed at her little sister.
"I'll just get the door." Tami excused herself when there was a knock on the door. She tried her very best not to groan inwardly when she saw who it was. "Buddy Garrity, this is a pleasant surprise. Come on in." She plastered a fake smile on her face. "Hey, hon, you'll never guess who's here."
"T Tami Taylor, I think you've gotten even more gorgeous if that was at all possible." Buddy walked into the house.
"Well, hey there, Buddy." Eric greeted him.
"There he is, the man, the myth, the legend, Coach Eric Taylor." Buddy shook Eric's hand enthusiastically.
"I don't know 'bout all that, but it sure is good to see you." Eric eyed him warily. He knew from experience the more compliments Buddy dished out the bigger the favor he wanted.
"Hey, Matt, hey, Julie." Buddy waved at them.
"Hey, Mr. Garrity." Matt waved back.
"Matt, why don't we take Gracie out and let mom and dad talk to Mr. Garrity?" Julie suggested to him. She wanted to get out of the hot zone and she was going to save her baby sister.
"Yeah, that sounds good, Jules." Matt agreed quickly. "Come on, Gracie Belle, let's go get your coat on. We will go see what kinda trouble we can get into." He scooped the little girl up into his arms.
"My keys are on the table by the door. Ya'll be careful and have fun." Tami didn't blame them at all for wanting to get out of dodge. She kissed her youngest. "Be good for Julie and Matt, baby girl."
"Buddy, let's go have a seat and you can tell us what you're doing here. I know you didn't come all this way for nothing." Eric said once the kids had left. He grabbed two beers out of the fridge.
"I'll be in my office and I'll let ya'll talk without me in the way." Tami had no intention of listening to whatever brilliant idea that Buddy had this time.
"Tami, you should stick around this involves you too." Buddy took a seat.
"Something tells me I'm going to need wine for this. I'll be right with you, Buddy." Tami poured herself a glass of wine before joining them in the living room.
"So, what's going on, Buddy?" Eric asked. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to hear this.
"Eric, I won't try to sugar coat this. The Panthers are in trouble. Your team needs you, your town needs you, but most importantly your boys need you. This new head coach is leading them straight to hell. They barely had what constitutes a winning season this year. They were one game over five hundred." Buddy opened up with his flair for the dramatic.
Eric took a sip of his beer and scratched the back of his head. "Gee, Buddy, I'd really like to help you, but I have a team. My life is here now. Besides that, Tami has a job that she really loves."
"Eric, he came all this way at least hear him out." Tami almost couldn't believe the words as they left her mouth. It was the change in his posture that did it for her. Despite the look on his face and the words that had come out of his mouth she knew that he missed Texas football. She had said if being East Coast people didn't work out for them they could always go back.
"I know part of the reason you left was because Tami got this great opportunity. I didn't come up here empty handed when it comes to her. You know me better than that and if you don't you damn well should." Buddy took two different contracts out of his jacket pocket. He put one in front of Eric and the other in front of Tami.
"I do know you. I know you too well, Buddy. That's the problem here." Eric raised an eyebrow.
"Just read it over, Eric. It's a good contract. It's a five year iron clad contract. This one is more money a year than you were making at TMU." Buddy replied.
Eric looked over the contract quickly. "That's somethin' alright."
"T Tami, we wanna reinstate you as principal. That school was its best under your leadership. It has gone downhill without you. Dillon just isn't Dillon without the Taylors." Buddy laid it on thick.
Eric shared a look with Tami and she nodded her head. "I will do you the courtesy of looking this over and really thinking about it if in return you give us both a couple weeks to get back to you."
"I can give you two weeks to get back to us. We can do that for sure. I'll tell you what. I'll come back out here in two weeks and I'll take ya'll to dinner." Buddy agreed to that. He stood up to go.
"Buddy, you don't have to go so soon. Stay, please. I'll call Matt and Julie and have them bring something home for dinner." Tami couldn't let the big harmless idiot leave without feeding him. Despite everything he'd been a good friend to Eric and to her over the years.
"I wouldn't want to impose." Buddy put up an argument that wasn't very convincing.
"Since when has that ever stopped you?" Eric quipped.
"Buddy, don't be ridiculous. Eric, be nice. I'm calling Julie right now." Tami picked up her phone.
"How soon are you going back to Texas, mom?" Julie answered her phone.
"You hush. There's a reason that Matt and Gracie Belle are my favorite children." Tami retorted.
"Matt isn't even your son, mom." Julie scoffed at that.
"Well, he's almost my son-in-law and that's close enough. At least he knows how to be sweet. Can ya'll please pick up something for dinner?" Tami laughed softly.
"Yeah, we will pick something up, mom. See you soon." Julie replied.
"I'll see you soon." Tami said before she hung up.
One Week Later
It was week before Eric and Tami got a chance to talk about the contracts that they had been offered. Tami was busy with work as usual. As Dean of Admissions she worked much later hours than she ever had as principal or guidance counselor. Most of the time Eric made it home before she did. Tonight was no exception to that rule. She was actually later than she usually was.
Eric was sitting up on the couch with a beer waiting for her. His hair was tousled like he'd had a nap at some point. "You're later than usual."
"I know. And I know we need to talk. Let me change out of my work clothes and I will be right back." Tami kissed the top of his head.
"I'll be right here waiting for you." Eric stretched out.
Tami back out to the living room five minutes later. She was wearing a Pioneers t-shirt and sleep pants. "Ok, let's talk about this."
"That coaching offer is better than any I'm ever gonna get for high school. But you love it here and I'm not going to ask you to leave. I said it was your turn and I meant it." It killed Eric's soul a little to turn this contract down, but he would live.
"Buddy must want you back in Dillon very badly. This contract isn't just for principal. There's an advisory panel to the Texas state department of education that they want me to head up. The pay is damn good too. It's more than I'm making here. It's a really great offer." Tami informed him.
Eric clasped his hands together and leaned forward on his elbows. "It's up to you. What do you want?"
Tami got up and took something out of her briefcase. "I want his and hers closets." She handed it to him.
Eric looked at a listing for a house in Dillon. "His and hers closets. We can manage that. Are you sure about this? I know how much your job means to you."
"I'm positive, Eric. I like my job, but I don't love it. I feel like I made a bigger difference and I could help more students when I was counselor or even principal than I do now. It's way too many hours and not enough reward. I feel about this job the way you felt about the TMU job. It keeps me away from my family too much. And I know that you're not completely comfortable here. I know that you tried for my sake. I love you for that, but I want you to go home to the job you love." Tami reassured him.
"Babe, you don't have to do this just for me." Eric put up a weak argument.
"I'm not doing this just for you. I'm doing this for me too. Besides that, I want our baby to be born in Texas like the other two were." Tami watched him to gauge his reaction to that.
"Wait a minute. Did you just say our baby?" Eric's eyes got wide.
"Yeah, I said our baby." Tami handed him an ultra sound picture. That was her reason for being so late getting home.
"I'm gonna take your word for that being a baby. You know that I can't read those things. Come here." Eric pulled her into his lap. "I love you so much. You know that?"
"I love you too, babe." Tami put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him.
Five Months Later
"Eric, we're lost just admit it and ask for directions." Tami groaned. She didn't remember the cross country move being this stressful for them the last time. She'd admittedly hadn't been seven months pregnant then either. Everything Eric did or didn't do irritated her.
"We are not lost, however I will gladly pull over and let myself get lost. Even better I will stop this car and let one of the Riggins brothers drive you." Eric threatened her. Both Billy and Tim had driven up to help them move what they couldn't ship.
"You wouldn't dare." Tami glared at him.
"I would dare. And I'll make sure it's Billy. You know how much he likes to talk." Eric bantered back.
"Do it and see how much you regret it, Eric." Tami cradled her belly lovingly. "Your daddy is being mean. He isn't normally like this."
"Ok, I think we need a break." Eric announced. If he didn't get out of this car with her even for five minutes he was going to strangle her.
"I'll call Matt." Tami picked up her phone. Matt was driving her car back to Texas. Julie and Gracie were already at the new house waiting for them and getting it ready. Or rather Julie and Tyra were doing all the work while Mindy kept an eye on Gracie.
Eric pulled off the highway at the first exit he came to. Luckily there was a gas station right there. "I don't know why I'm asking you this, but do you need to use the bathroom?"
"I'm seven and a half months pregnant of course I need to use the bathroom." Tami rolled her eyes at him.
"Ok, just go and take your time. It'll be good for you and the baby both if you stretch your legs." Eric replied as calmly as he could.
"How goes the ride so far, Coach?" Tim smirked. He was already getting a case of beer.
"We crossed time zones a while back it's not noon here yet. Part of me is tempted to have Matt get in the car with her. That should answer your question." Eric spoke through gritted teeth. He grabbed a drinks for him and Tami.
"Coach, she's pregnant and cranky and uncomfortable. You gotta keep her happy. Feed her, tell her how pretty she looks, don't argue with her." Tim advised him.
"Riggins, shut up, but you're on to something there. She needs snacks and with any luck she will sleep through the next few hours. I love the woman and I'm over the moon that she's giving me another child, but I just need her to shut up. I've been in the car with her since yesterday." Eric sighed.
"Hang in there, big guy, it's almost over." Tim patted his back.
Eric met Tami back out at the car. He handed her a bag of snacks. "Here, lover, see if you can't find something in there to satisfy you."
"Eric, you brought me snacks. Just when I thought I couldn't love you any more than I already do you go and surprise me. Thank you, baby. I don't mean to be so crabby." Tami leaned over and kissed him.
"You're welcome, it's ok, I know that you don't mean it. That being said we should probably get a move on before Mrs. Riggins has a stripper pole installed in our bedroom. And before Tim is too drunk to unload any of this heavy stuff." Eric teased.
'I won't say no to a stripper pole in the bedroom if it helps me lose this baby weight when the time comes. Don't act like you would hate it either." Tami laughed.
"Now, don't you go putting ideas in my head. I have important football plays out there that I'm formulating fight now. I can't have the image of you on a stripper pole in the way." Eric kissed her to show her he was just playing.
"The thought of me on a stripper pole better get in the way of your football plays." Tami nudged him playfully.
A Month and a Half Later
Tami sat in a rocking chair in the baby's nursey. She was folding clothes and then telling Gracie where to put them. Eric was out scouting the summer league football teams to get an idea of what he had to work with. It wasn't like he'd gotten much of a choice on that one. Buddy had just shown up and drug him along with him.
"Here's another one for you, Gracie Belle. It goes in the top right drawer." Tami handed her a onesie. She waited until the little girl had turned her back to grab her belly in pain. "Hey you, stop being so rough in there." At least she thought that was the result of a hard kick.
Gracie walked back over and put her hands on Tami's belly. "Be nice, baby." The baby kicked in response.
"Did you feel that kick, Gracie Belle?" Tami grinned at the expression on her daughter's face.
"I feel it." Gracie's eyes lit up.
"The baby says hi big sister." Tami and Eric had been trying their best to get her excited for the new baby. "You ready for some more clothes?"
Gracie nodded her little head.
Eric came home to find both his girls passed out in the rocking chair. He wasn't sure how Tami made that one work, but he'd learned a long time ago that she was basically a wizard with parenting when compared to him. He kissed Gracie's head and then his wife's.
Tami opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Eric, you need to take me to the hospital. The Football is coming."
"Are you sure?" Eric asked her dumbfounded.
"I've done this twice before I know what it feels like. Get me to the hospital." Tami repeated calmly. She could always count on Eric to freak out in the beginning, but he always pulled it together.
"I'll get the bag." Eric retrieved the hospital bag.
"What about this one?" Tami looked down at Gracie.
"Don't worry I'll take care of it." Eric assured her.
"I have just one question for you." Eric stood out in the hall with Gracie while Tami's doctor examined her.
"Shoot, Coach." Tim replied.
"Are you sober?" Eric had never known him to be completely sober, but he was hoping he'd caught him early enough.
"I'm stone cold sober." Tim looked him in the eyes as he spoke.
Eric handed Gracie over to Tim. "She's all yours then. Julie should hopefully be here soon. Whatever you do take good care of her."
"I've got this, Coach. She loves me. She's in good hands. I'll hand her off to Jules as soon as she gets here. I'll keep her nice and occupied. Let her run around my property for a little while. You just go worry about Mrs. Coach and the little Football." Tim reassured him.
"Riggins, I mean it." Eric leveled him with a hard stare.
"She's safe, Coach. I promise you." Tim stared back into his eyes.
"Alright, son, I trust you." Eric finally relented. He kissed Gracie's cheek. "You're gonna go have fun with Tim. Be good for him. Matt and Julie we be by to pick you up soon, Monkey." He tickled her side.
"Come on, Gracie Belle, you're my date for today." Tim carried her away.
Eric went back into the birthing suite to be by Tami's side.
"Is she with the sitter?" Tami clutched his hand.
"She's all taken care of." Eric neglected to tell her how he'd taken care of the situation though. He knew better than to get her started right now.
Six hours later a loud ringing cry filled the room.
"Congratulations, you have a healthy boy." The doctor told them.
After Eric cut the cord a nurse carried him off to be cleaned up. She brought him back and placed him in Tami's arms.
"He's so beautiful, Eric. Just like his daddy." Tami teared up.
Eric stared at his only son in awe. "Hey, little man, I'm your daddy."
"Welcome to the family, baby boy." Julie had come into the room as soon as she got there. She had been in the room when her sister was born and her parents wouldn't have had her miss out on this time.
"Julie, why don't you go out and let Matt and Gracie know he's here? Your mother and I have something to discuss." Eric suggested.
"Sure thing, dad." Julie agreed.
Tami gave Eric a look. "I gave you Texas I get the name." They had known all along that he was going to be a boy. That's why he was referred to as the Football.
"I can live with that name, but since he's going to be the only grandson let me make a suggestion." Eric leaned over and whispered something in her ear.
"I love it, babe." Tami smiled up at him.
Matt and Julie brought Gracie in once Tami had been moved to a regular room and was presentable.
"Matt, sit her down on the bed please." Tami requested. She had the baby in her arms.
Matt sat the little girl down. "There you go."
"Julie, Gracie Belle, this is your baby brother Eric Royal Hayes Taylor." Tami introduced them.
"She named him. I'm not that vain." Eric defended himself.
"Dad, you deserve it. It's not a bad thing." Julie rubbed his arm. "What are we calling him?"
"Hayes," Eric said.
"Royal," Tami answered at the same time.
"Those are both equally Texan names. I think we are gonna have to try them out." Matt became the mediator.
"My vote is for Hayes it's unique." Julie made her choice known.
"What do you wanna call him Gracie Belle?" Eric deferred to his younger daughter.
"Bubba," Gracie hid a smile behind her hands.
"You wanna call him Bubba. I think that's a good strong name. Bubba Taylor it is." Eric agreed laughing. He kissed his son's head. "Alright, Bubba, this is your big sister, Julie." He pointed at Julie. "This monkey here is your other big sister, Gracie Belle." He pointed at Gracie.
"Eric, he can't even focus his eyes yet." Tami laughed, but she pointed at Matt. "That's your big brother Matty. And I think he wants to hold you. Tell daddy to hand you to him."
Eric took his son in his arms. "Hold your arms out, Matt."
Matt held his arms out. "Now what, Coach?"
"Now, you hold him. Just like you would a football, Matt. Support his head and neck. If you're nervous he'll sense it and be nervous." Eric transferred him to Matt's arms.
Matt settled the boy in his arms. "Hi, little guy, I'm Matt. I guess as the only other guy in this family other than your dad it's my job to help teach you stuff. You ever got something bothering you I'll be there and you can talk to me. Let me tell you a secret you have pretty great parents and they are gonna teach you everything you need to know."
Julie just stared at matt with nothing, but love in her eyes. "Ok, stop hogging him. Let me see him." She expertly took her little brother from him. "Until I hear otherwise I'm gonna call you Hayes. I think it suits you. It's a strong quarterback name."
"Julie, please. There's gonna be a football in his hand as soon as he gets home. Let him enjoy the downtime while he can." Tami groaned.
"Would now be a bad time to tell her that Riggins was teaching Gracie how to throw a spiral?" Matt chuckled.
"Matt!" Eric and Julie yelled at him at the same time.
"You left my baby girl with Tim Riggins?" Tami eyeballed Eric.
"I was desperate and he's good with her. I couldn't get another sitter on that short of notice." Eric shrugged his shoulders.
"You know what? I'm not even gonna worry about it right now. I'm too happy." Tami smiled at him.
"I'm pretty happy too right now." Eric leaned over and kissed her.
A/N: Here is the first chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Until next time please review.
