Disclaimer: I don't own anything here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the long months until Season 4.

Tim didn't know what he was looking forward to more, drinking beers with his brother after the garage closed or having a night of uninterrupted sleep at his new place. Al went out at lunch to buy the beer and get a set of keys made for Tim. At quarter past four, after Billy finally sweet-talked the last customer into wrapping up the small talk and leaving. Al grabbed three beers and a glass, then walked out the back door with the brothers and Bruno following her.

Two battered lawn chairs were set up to look out over the abandoned field behind which the sun was setting. Tim had a moment of awkwardness as he realized that there were only two chairs. He felt like he was intruding on what had become Al and Billy's little Friday tradition. Al solved the problem by sitting on the ground near the chairs and whistling Bruno over to sit next to her.

She looked comical, a tiny woman sitting next to a giant dog. Bruno towered over her in their seated positions. Billy grabbed two beers from Al and muttered "Thanks, Short Stuff". He dodged her playful slap and settled into the second chair, leaving Tim the chair closest to her.

Tim popped the cap off his beer and tossed it, then noticed his brother's wide-eyed look of warning. Billy pocketed the cap from his own beer while gesturing silently at Al.

"Yeah, Tim, I've tried to bring some civilization to these parts. It won't kill you to dispose of your bottle cap in the trash like a normal person." Al's husky voice was wry and she was smiling.

Tim smiled at Billy and mouthed the word "busted." He looked over at Al, who was pouring her beer into a glass. When she'd emptied half the bottle, she handed the rest over to Tim.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Billy plucked the bottle out of his brother's hands and drained it in a single gulp. Wiping his arm across his mouth, he explained. "She can't drink a whole beer and still feel comfortable driving home because she's like a midget or something, Dumb Ass."

"Billy, no need to call names," chided Al.

"Oh yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to call you a midget." Billy didn't sound all that sorry.

Al picked up a small stone and tossed it at Billy, nailing him solidly in the hand and causing him to yelp in surprise.

"I meant calling your brother names."

Tim lifted the bottle to his lips and smiled behind it. Having Al around was different, but it was maybe even turning out to be better than when it was just him and Billy.

"So, little brother, you've been here for days and still haven't told us what the hell happened."

Tim sighed and got up.

"Hold up, there, don't walk away. You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

"It's just going to take at least another beer or two." He covered the distance between the chairs and garage in a few easy strides, grabbed four beers, and returned to Al and Billy.

He popped the cap off a bottle, looking pointedly at Al as he slipped the cap in his pocket. Then he sighed and brushed his hair up out of his face.

"I went to Vanderbilt to surprise Lyla on her birthday only I found her kissing this guy, Rafe."

"Rafe? What the hell kind of name is Rafe?" asked Billy.

"Exactly," said Tim.

"Spanish, probably short for Raphael," said Al with a shrug.

"You know that was a rhetorical question, right? And how the hell do you know this shit anyway?" said Billy.

Al gave them her impish grin. She'd taken out her ponytail after they finished for the day and her blonde curly hair blew in the wind. The curls looked like they had minds of their own, each moving in its own crazy pattern. Tim thought she looked like a mad scientist. A very small, very cute mad scientist.

"But how'd you manage to miss the game? I know you're not that stupid," said Billy.

"I tried to get on an earlier flight, but they were all full. Then these storms came, cancelled all the flights and I couldn't get out of Nashville until Sunday."

"Why didn't you rent a car and drive back?" asked Al.

"Because I was maybe kinda a little bit too drunk by that point."

"Oh." Al looked at Tim apologetically, although Tim wasn't sure what she was sorry for. It was his own stupid fault. Tim didn't want her feeling sorry for him, so he decided to change the subject.

"So, you know what kind of name Rafe is, maybe you can tell me what sort of name Al is for a girl." Tim grinned at her and thought he saw a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I told you, it's just a nickname."

"So what's your real name then?"

Al shook her head.

"Come on, tell me. I promise not to laugh."

"But you would laugh. It's none of your business."

Billy chuckled, watching his brother trying to cajole Al's name out of her. He knew Tim was used to having girls give him whatever he wanted, but he'd never met a girl like Al before.

Tim turned and looked at his brother. "You must know what it is, since you're her boss. Tell me."

"No way." Billy shook his head and crossed his arms. "I like my balls way too much."

Al smiled sweetly at Tim as she got up. "I'm going to leave you two for some brotherly beer-drinking, I'm sure you've been looking forward to it all week. And Billy, you're wise to value your balls. Don't you dare tell him."

Tim thought he heard a note of pleading in her voice, which only made him all the more curious about her name. It must be something truly horrible. Like Gertrude or something.

"New Roommate, I'll see you later," said Al over her shoulder as she walked away, Bruno trotting behind her.