Disclaimer: Same as last time.

A/N: Reviews are welcome & appreciated!

Chapter One: Hanging by a Moment

Forgetting all I'm lacking
completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation
you take all of me now

Twining the telephone cord around her fingers as she hangs pictures Gracie drew on the fridge Julie wonders if it will ever be possible for her Dad to let go.

"Sweetheart, I'm just saying you should give that boy a call." She doesn't want to hear Matt's soft drawl filled with sadness, doesn't want to listen to questions she doesn't have answers to.

"Daddy, I saw Tim Riggins last week." It's an attempt to change the subject, bring the conversation to Panther football, another topic Eric Taylor won't ever stop agonizing over.

"Really how's he doing? He's really made something out of himself that boy – man." He's a proud father, not just when it comes to his girls, but his players to. She knows that the first state team has a special place in his heart, especially his captains. He never really let them travel far. She can recall over hearing conversations where he was hassling Smash about his game, or giving out advice to Jason on handling his high school sweetheart turned wife. She can't forget about Matt, she thinks bitterly, Daddy was always giving him tips how to back into his daughters life.

But it's Tim that managed to amaze him, because it's Tim who followed in his Coach's footsteps. He worked hard senior year, ended up with a scholarship to Texas Tech, after that an assistant coaching job at Dillon. Five short years later he's become the head coach, growing into a man just like her Daddy, giving him a special place in the Taylor family.

"He's doing fine," and looking fine Julie thinks, because if Timothy Riggins was good looking at seventeen he is painfully attractive at twenty-seven. That pretty face still framed with his signature long locks, which are slightly less messy now. His torso that even covered with a t-shirt was obviously all angles and hard muscle. "But I'm sure you knew that already. I bet you are calling him everyday bothering him with plays and stats."

Gracie's giggling in the background now, and she can hear her Mama yelling a greeting over the line. Sometimes she can misses them so much it aches, but then she remembers her Daddy's neurosis and her Mom's overbearing personality and the distance between Austin and Dillon is definitely not far enough. "That may be so Jules that may be so; I'm surprised he didn't mention seeing you." Julie's not shocked Tim didn't tell her Dad, he was known for keeping things close to his chest and she even hesitated bringing it up.

Something about that meeting struck a chord in her. It was one of those private moments, that there aren't really words to describe. "Well Daddy I have to go, I got lots of things to do before tomorrow, love you"

Suddenly she just wants him off the line, and she can tell he's distracted by Tami and Grace. "Oh I love you baby, good luck with your first day, and your Mama says call her later."

The phone call ends and she's left alone in her little rental house- that's finally starting to feel like a home. She doesn't really have any errands, but she's so nervous about her first day she might vomit, so stopping by Dillon High to double check her room and lesson plans probably isn't a bad idea.

Pulling into the parking lot a half hour later she's shocked that Tim's pick up is the only other car in the lot. Julie's not really sure why it's Tim's office and not her classroom she heads to after exiting her car. She's not really ready to think about why Tim Riggins hasn't left her mind since she saw him last Friday, not ready to let her brain travel down that road.

Its Sammy Meade's voice that she hears when she pushes open the door to the fitness room. His never ending commentaries on Panther football brings her back to car rides with her parents, listening to that voice critique and doubt her father. She's not shocked to hear that now Tim's his target.

Walking into the weight room she can feel her body flush immediately because she might have suspected that Tim had the body of a Greek god, but watching him bench press his frustrations out wearing nothing but gym shorts and sweat, she's now positive.

Julie's attempting to catch her breath as he replaces the weights and turns towards her. Sammy's got a caller on the line who is spitting hateful words about Tim's family calling his father an alcoholic, and his mother a whore. When he turns to meet her gaze there is vulnerability in his eyes, a pain she hasn't seen in eight years.

"Turn it off Tim, just turn it off." A part of her wants to hug him, to give him some sort of comfort, even if it's just temporary. Her Dad told her that there was a lot of talk before they hired Tim. It bothered her then, knowing that painful past events were brought up, especially after he worked so hard to turn his life around. He brushes past her to get to the radio and switches it off.

He starts talking, looking out the window onto the field, and comfortably leaning against the glass. It hits her that this was what he must have been doing the other night when he ran into her on the field.

"I'm not my parents," he starts " I don't drink anymore." It's matter of fact. She knows Tim hasn't drank since a drunk driver killed Jackie two years after graduation, leaving Billy with a step son and more grief than a person should have to bare. She recalls the funeral and how Bo followed Tim around like a shadow, both of them completely lost in their own personal sadness.

Along with football, Dillon also does funerals well, loud gatherings filled with good food and sympathy, but this one was particularly sad.

For a moment it seems like he's drowning in memories and his next comment lets Julie knows that his train of thought paralleled hers.

"He's my QB1, Bo is." She knows this but Tim isn't asking for a confirmation so she steps next to him, placing her palm on his bare back.

"Bo's a good kid. He's my neighbor now; I'm living next to Billy and him. He helps me with my groceries, he's gonna' be in my English class this semester." She's just talking now because she's not sure she can handle the silence anymore. "He even offered to clean out my rain gutters."

The last thing Julie expects is for Tim to laugh and wrap his arms around her. "Thanks Jules." His breath is hot on her neck, and her toes are curling in anticipation. She misses this, hearing a heart beat against her ear and the feeling of a hard body against hers.

They break apart and Tim reaches for a t-shirt.

"I talked to my Dad for a while today. He said you guys talk a lot?" He smirks at her statement, holding back another laugh.

"Your Daddy has been a pain in my ass since the moment I walked on to that football freshmen year. Then it was yelling about being drunk at practice, and running wind sprints. Now it's 'that team is fast Rigs' 'your boy ready for this Rigs' 'no pressure Rigs' 'Buddy Garrity is a fool…don't listen to Sammy Mead'. " Julie knows her smile is almost reaching ear to ear as she looks at his backside, following him into his office.

"I'm glad that there is someone else on Eric Taylor's call sheet every night now." She's looking towards the field as her voice gets soft, "you talk to Matt often?" She certainly can't ask her Daddy about Matt and because of Landry Tyra also gets stuck in the middle.

"Every once in a while," She can almost feel his eye burning holes in the back of her head. "Why?"

Julie bites the bullet and turns to look at Tim. "I'd just like to know if he's ok."

"I haven't talked to him in awhile, but last I heard from Tyra he was doing fine. He's opened up a store in New Orleans selling oil paintings or something, and he's coaching the JV football team at some local high school."

A part of her wants to cry for the future she threw away. The diamond ring that still sits in the bottom of her jewelry box; the wedding invitations never addressed that are located in her hall closet are a constant reminder of what she gave up. Hearing about his life without her almost takes her breath away. Her Matt, the Matt that was willing to leg wrestle instead of have sex, the Matt that faced down her Daddy, the Matt that waited for her while she made mistake after mistake in High School.

Tim and her aren't really looking at each other, but he's asking her if she wants to go somewhere and she's not even surprised when she nods her head 'yes' and takes his hand.