Standing outside of the Taylor's front door, Tim was quite possibly more nervous than he had been in his entire life. Butterflies were dancing in stomach while sweat poured out of the glands in his palms. Finally gathering up the bravery to knock on the door, attempting to convince himself that it simply was an afternoon of watching film with Coach, he lifted his fist to knock. Before he was able to rap it against the wooden door, however, it swung open to reveal Julie and Tami on their way out.

"Uh, hi," he drawled with a grin.

"Oh, hey Tim honey," Tami spoke first, "Eric's just waitin' for ya in the living room."

He nodded but didn't move; his feet were apparently glued to the ground. "Alright, thanks," he finally squeaked out.

"Ya'll have fun," Julie said sarcastically, brushing past him as Tami followed with Gracie Belle on her heels, the only sign of assurance she gave him as she did was a gentle pat on the back.

Once they were both loaded into Tami's car and pulling out of the driveway, Tim made his way into the living room where Eric was sitting on the sofa, already watching film, with a beer in his left hand.

"Coach," Tim greeted as he sat in the chair opposite the sofa.

Eric nodded in greeting. "Wanna beer or something?"

"I'm good," Tim responded, probably for the first time in his life.

"You sure?" Eric asked, obviously surprised by his refusal of alcohol.

Tim nodded.

Soon, they fell into a comfortable routine of watching the game film, rewinding, and critiquing it. Eventually, Tim's thoughts were so focused on the players and the game in front of him that his original reason for coming fell from his mind.

When Eric stood for a second beer and began to ask questions, however, Tim's afternoon mission flew to the forefront of his mind once again.

"You see Julie a lot up there in the New York, Riggins?" he heard Eric ask from the kitchen.

"Yes sir," Tim answered politely, waiting for Eric to give him an opening.

"You know," Eric commented as he reentered the living room, "Tami and I were a bit worried about her a few months back after graduation when all her new college friends went their separate ways. Seems like she's been better off since you've been up there."

"Is that right?" Tim asked, his heart swelling with pride in his chest.

"It is," Eric said. "I'm just curious though how you two came to be such good buddies up there is all."

Tim shrugged, it wasn't something he had really sat down and thought about. "I guess we were both drawn to the familiar."

"You weren't exactly friends in Dillon," Eric pointed out.

Tim nodded in agreement. "I know," he said.

"The thing is Coach, Julie and I spend a lot of time together, to be honest. I suppose it's because she's the only person up there, besides Jay, that I can truly believe is with me because of me, not because of my career," he admitted.

Eric narrowed his eyes. "With you?" he asked.

"What I'm saying, Coach, is that I'm kind of dating your daughter." Probably, he thought to himself, I should have accepted that drink.

--

As Julie watched the woman at the nail salon paint her toenails the shade of red she had chosen when she walked through the door, her thoughts traveled to the conversation that Tim and her father were likely having. To the casual observer she looked like she was enjoying an afternoon with her mother and little sister, but on the inside she was hoping and praying that things were going well at her home.

"Penny for your thoughts," said Tami, realizing that Julie hadn't flipped the page of the magazine she was holding in a good five minutes.

She figured she might as well be honest. "Just wonderin' how things are going with Tim and Dad," she said casually.

Tami's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sure they're fine, honey, you know how those boys get when they start in on that game film; they're probably half way through a six pack by now," she assured Julie.

Julie nodded slowly causing Tami's motherly intuition to go into overdrive; something was bothering her girl.

"What else is it, honey?"

It's now or never, Julie thought to herself. "Promise you won't freak out?"

"Promise," Tami said quickly.

"Probably right about now Tim is telling dad that we're dating and have been for a few months," Julie blurted out.

--

"You're kind of dating my daughter?" Eric asked with wide eyes as he moved to the edge of his seat, his attention shifting from the TV to Tim.

Tim wasn't sure if it was anger or complete shock at being blind sighted by the news that he heard in his voice.

"I guess, I mean we are dating," Tim corrected himself as he moved to the edge of the chair he was in, mirroring Eric's position.

Eric nodded slowly. "How long's this been goin' on?"

"A couple of months." Tim ran his hands through his hair nervously.

"I see," Eric said, apparently gathering his thoughts.

"Is that, uh, okay with you, sir?"

"Depends," Eric said. "You treatin' her alright?"

Tim nodded.

"No rally girls, no crazy parties with the team?"

Tim shook his head no. "Of course not, Coach."

"You know she ain't like anyone you've been with before, Riggins. She's my daughter," said Eric, his eyes growing wider with each statement.

"I know," Tim nodded. Suddenly, his feet were very interesting.

"And you know if you do anything, anything, to hurt her, then I hurt you. I know I'm not your Coach anymore, but I am your girlfriend's father which gives me that power."

Tim continued nodding.

"You respect her, you treat her right and we'll be alright. You got that?"

"Yes sir," said Tim.

"Alright," Eric sat back against the sofa cushions.

"You know Julie could have just told me about the two of you on the way to Midland the other night," he commented a minute or so later.

"She knew that I wanted to tell you," Tim paused, "she knew that I wanted to tell you so that I could look you in the eye and make sure that I had your blessing to date her."

Eric smiled at this. "Riggins, I've known you for a long time, son, a long time. I've watched you mature, both on the football field and off and I know that conversation we just had wasn't easy for you," he paused, "hell it wasn't a cake walk for me. But son, I admire your bravery and determination. The man you've matured into makes me proud to have you as my daughter's boyfriend."

"Thank you, sir," Tim said with a wide grin, finally allowing himself to relax back into the chair he was sitting on the edge of.

"Tim," Eric pleaded, "one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Quit calling me 'sir'."

Tim chuckled. "I think I can do that, Coach."

Eric stood and began to head into the kitchen again. "You want that beer now?" he asked on his way. "I think Texas is playin' Oklahoma today. We could watch that before the ladies get home, I'm sure my wife will force you to stay for dinner."

"Probably," Tim agreed, he could practically hear Eric rolling his eyes at Tami and the invitation that was sure to come when they got home. "A beer would be great, Coach."

--

Tami's erupted into laughter. "That's a good one, Jules," she said in between giggles.

"Mom," Julie said, attempting to convince her. "I'm serious."

Tami immediately stopped laughing and straightened in her chair. "You're really not kidding?" she asked, noticing the sincere look on Julie's face.

"No," Julie said, biting her lip.

"But I thought you said he was seeing someone in the city?"

"I did," Julie agreed. "I just didn't say who."

"It was you?" Tami asked, her eyebrows lifting in surprise.

Again, Julie nodded. She was fairly sure that her mother wouldn't hear any words she decided to use as an explanation.

"You know, I thought I saw you two making googly eyes at each other at the game last night," Tami commented.

"That's the same thing Tyra said," Julie said with a grin.

Tami slowly nodded, digesting the information that was just thrown at her. "You wanna start from the beginning, honey?" she finally asked.

"Uh, sure," Julie said, launching into the story of how she and Tim had run into each other at the gala for the Ronald McDonald House she had attended. Stopping only briefly when Tami needed clarification, she loosely chronicled their story from then until now, omitting of course the kitchen incidents and the Cosmopolitan shoot.

"And you left him all alone with your Dad to tell him about ya'll?" Tami asked when Julie finished with a sigh.

Julie shrugged. "He wanted to," she explained innocently.

"I see," Tami said, allowing all of the information Julie had just spouted to sink in fully. By now they were sitting in the front of the nail salon, Gracie Belle in the chair across from them, waiting for their nails to dry.

"And you're okay with me dating Tim Riggins?" Julie asked, emphasizing Tim's name so that her mother would know that with it, she was carrying his reputation.

"Jules, honey, you're a big girl and I trust your judgment," Tami said. "That, and I can see that Tim isn't the same boy that he was in Dillon. He's grown up."

"He has," Julie agreed. "How do you think Dad took it?"

Tami shrugged before removing her hands from the nail dryer and reaching for her purse. "I honestly have no idea, you never know with your father. Wanna go find out?"

Julie nodded and stood, repeating Tami's actions. "Let's go."

--

Cheering from the living room greeted the Taylor women as they entered the house. After sharing a confused look, Tami and Julie followed the noise into the living room while Gracie Belle escaped to her room to play with her Barbie dolls. Arriving in the room, Julie was surprised at the sight before her. Eric was sitting on the sofa with his eyes trained on the television while Tim did the same from his chair. Six empty beer bottles were scattered across the coffee table.

"Honey?" Tami asked, taking a seat next to Eric.

"Oh, hey babe, how was your afternoon?" he asked, turning to Tami with a goofy grin.

"It was fine," she said. "Sweetie, what's goin on in here?"

"We're just watchin' some football," Eric said, stating the obvious.

Tami rolled her eyes before turning to meet Julie's gaze from where she had taken up residence on the arm of Tim's chair. His arm, Tami noted, was lazily wrapped around Julie's waist.

Julie shrugged, the look she shared with her mother silently agreeing that the conversation between the two men in her life had gone well.

"Tim, honey, you wanna stay for dinner?" Tami asked.

Eric and Tim shared a knowing look and a laugh. "What is so funny?" Tami demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Nothing, honey. Nothing at all," Eric explained.

Julie looked down at Tim. "How did it go?" she asked quietly while her parents began to discuss dinner.

"Really good, Jules," Tim said, nodding and grinning. His hand gently squeezed her hip.

"I can see," she said with a laugh. "What happened to game film?"

"I think your dad realized that was only my reason for getting over here, so we decided to watch the game," he explained, gesturing the to TV which was playing the last few plays of the Texas-Oklahoma game.

"Jules, honey, come help me get things ready for dinner," said Tami as she stood from the sofa.

"Okay," Julie said, standing and following her mother. It wasn't like she cared about the football game, though she was enjoying Tim's arm around her waist.

"Tim, you wanna help with the salad?" Tami asked casually.

"No!" Tim and Julie said at the same time. Both Eric and Tami's eyes widened in surprise at their adamant protests, their gazes training on the pair as they waited for an explanation.

"I mean, uh, Tim's kind of a mess in the kitchen, mom. Just, uh, let him finish watching the game with dad," Julie pleaded.

"Yeah, Mrs. Coach, you don't want food poisoning or somethin'," Tim said, nodding in time with Julie.

"Alright," Tami said, sounding unconvinced. "Whatever ya'll say."

--

Dinner was a surprisingly comfortable event for everyone. Julie and Tim sat across from each other, a fact which Julie was grateful for so that she wouldn't have to worry about wandering hands or feet with her parents around. The conversation flowed comfortably between stories that Tim and Julie had from New York City and football talk. By the time Tami brought out dessert, it seemed that everyone had grown used to being around each other. In essence, Tim easily fit into the Taylor family dynamics.

"Would it, uh, be okay if I stole Julie away from ya'll for the evening?" Tim asked in between bites of the Key Lime Pie Tami had served.

"Sure, honey," Tami nodded. "What do you have planned?"

"It's kind of a surprise," he said slowly.

Tami and Eric nodded. "Just don't her back too late, son. She may be grown, but when she's home I still sit up worried about her if she's gone too long," Eric said.

"Don't worry, I won't Coach," Tim said. He was going to make it his personal mission to see that Eric Taylor had no reason to question his actions or motives.

Tami stood and began collecting dessert plates. "I'll help you, Mom," Julie said before standing.

"I've got it, honey. Why don't ya'll go ahead and get going?" Tami smiled, waving her off.

"Okay," Julie said with surprised. Instead of returning to her seat, she headed to the foyer to get her jacket.

"Dinner was great, Mrs. Coach," Tim said, following Julie's suit and standing.

"Thanks hon," she said with a grin before retreating to the kitchen.

Once they were in Tim's truck, memories flooding Julie of the only other time she had been in it the day of the tornado, she turned to him. "Where are we going?"

Tim chuckled at her question. Julie, it seemed, always needed to know the plan. "Just enjoy the ride," he said, pulling her across the seat to nestle in his side, "you'll see where we're going soon enough."

--

A/N: So, there it is...Coach and Tami finally know about them. What did ya'll think? Let me know!! As always, I love my sweet little reviewers :)