DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO NBC AND PETER BERG SO PLEASE DON'T SUE I DON'T OWN ANTHING ANYWAY…
The Panthers were loosing 21 to 14 at the half, and Coach Taylor wasn't happy. He knew his team could do much better. Matt Saracen was doing all he could to keep the ball moving and Smash was running the ball beautifully. Tim on the other hand, was playing the worst game of his life and Eric didn't know why.
"What the hell is the matter with you Riggins?" Eric asked when the team entered the locker room. Eric knew that Tim could do better and that was why he was so angry with him. Tim was one of his best players and he was out there playing like some fresh out of peewee JV Freshman.
"Nothing's wrong, Coach. They are just beating me out there," Tim lied. The truth was he was still angry from last night, and the players who had attacked Julie were all avoiding him, and that pissed him off even more. It was getting to the point that he couldn't think about anything but hurting them if he could just get to them, and he had forgotten all about blocking for Smash and Saracen.
"You need to get your head in the game, Son, or I'll put someone in who can do the job. Am I clear?" Coach Taylor said. It wasn't really a question. Eric knew that Tim would do the job or he would find someone who could. He just hoped that he didn't have to do that.
"Yes, sir," Tim answered. He wanted to win this game if for nothing else to exact some revenge on the four guys who had hurt Julie, and if he could hurt some of them as well then it would be an added bonus. The second half would be his half and he would shine like a shiny new quarter for all to see especially Julie.
Julie watched from the stands. She had avoided her mother and was sitting with Tyra, which she was thankful for. Now she was watching Tim get his ass handed to him. It wasn't like him to be so terrible out on the field. It made her think that maybe some small part could be her fault for keeping him up past the normal lights out time.
"They're getting killed out there," Julie said to Tyra during halftime. She knew her dad would be in the locker room yelling his lungs out at his players and Tim especially.
"Yeah well if Tim would start blocking they wouldn't have that problem." Someone from behind them said coldly.
"Don't listen to them, Julie. Tim is doing the best he can. Anyone can see that," Tyra soothed.
It still didn't make Julie feel any better about what was happening. If things didn't change they were going to loose State and her dad could be out of a job real quick. That meant that they would have to move again and she would be taken away from everything that she loved.
By the third quarter Julie was in high spirits again the Panthers were up by a touchdown and Tim was playing better than ever. She didn't know what her dad had said but it must have worked because Tim was playing like he was in the Super Bowl and not some measly State Championship.
"See I told you that there was nothing to worry about, Julie," Tyra said smiling as Landry went in to the game.
"Yeah, I guess not, I was just really worried that I did something to make Tim less than the perfect Tim out on the football field," Julie said
Tim was getting hit after hit and a few times he had even done more damage than was really necessary, but it felt good to feel the old Tim return.
"That's the way, Son, I knew you had it in ya," Coach Taylor said smacking Tim's helmet as the offence came out after scoring another touchdown.
They were up by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter when Tim got his chance to take out the guy who had been attempting to rape Julie. Tim saw the snap and jumped off the line he bulldozed through the guy plowing him into the ground it was a legal hit and there was no flag but the guy didn't get up after the whistle was blown for a dead ball. Smash had gotten a first down and they all headed to the sidelines to wait to see if the guy was going to get up or not. Tim knew that he wouldn't be getting up for a very long time when the EMT's had to come out on the field and take the guy away on a stretcher. Tim laughed a little to himself even as the he started clapping along with the rest of the team.
Smash caught Riggins laughing and asked, "What's so funny Riggs?"
"Nothin, Man, I just don't like that guy is all," was all Tim said. Smash didn't ask any more questions he just went out onto the field thinking I'm glad Riggins is on our team. He saw a dangerous spark flash in Tim's eyes and was very glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that tackle.
The referee came up to Tim and the rest of the team and said to watch their blocks and to have a safe game. Tim thought, if I get the chance to get another one of the guys screw what you say I'm gonna do it.
There was thirty seconds remaining in the game and Tim had the ball. He could hear the whole stadium yelling loudly and as he entered the end zone he felt as if all the weight of the world had been lifted off of him. There was still one thing he had to do and he didn't relish it but it was going to have to be done. For right now though I'm going to enjoy celebrating with the team, Tim thought as Smash, Landry, Saracen, and all the rest of the Panther team and fans rushed him.
Julie rushed down to meet Tim but there was a crowed around him and then she turned to see her mom and dad standing behind her. Dread encompassed her she didn't know what to tell them about all the purple marks on her body.
Tim picked Julie out of the crowd she was standing with Coach and Mrs. Coach, and they were looking at her like they didn't even recognize her. If she weren't standing with her parents he doubted that he would even be able to pick her out of the hundreds of people that were converging around him. He pushed the people out of his way and finally made it to Julie's side. It was obvious that Julie had told them some things but it was unclear to him what she had omitted from the story.
"Do you feel good, Riggins? I hope you do because you will never see another football stadium from this side again," Eric Taylor seethed. This time Tim had gone too far. He had gotten his little girl drunk and as far as he was concerned it was Tim's fault that Julie was attacked so maliciously.
"I tried to tell him that you saved me but by that time he was so mad that he couldn't even think straight," Julie sobbed.
"You need to leave right now. I don't want to see your face again until it's time to leave. After that you are never to come around my family again, and if you ever and I mean this Riggins if you ever come near Julie again I will hunt you down and when I get through with you, you will be so unrecognizable that no girl will ever look your way again," Eric threatened.
Tammi Taylor was still too much in shock at what had happened to her baby girl to even say anything. She did realize; however, that Tim had been the one to pull those guys off of Julie and he had saved her.
" Well, Coach, since you already hate me there is one more thing that I need to say before I leave. After I stopped those guys from raping Julie We went back to my room and Julie spent the night. I want you to know nothing happened and that she was safe," Tim admitted.
If looks could kill then Tim Riggins would have been dead on the spot. Eric was so furious that he couldn't even speak. It was the maddest Julie and Tammi had ever seen him and if Tammi hadn't of had her arms around him Eric would have went after Tim and pummeled him into the ground until there was nothing left but blood and bones.
"Sorry, Jules," Tim said then turned around and went to the locker room to shower. The one good thing in his life and he had screwed it up again because he was being freaking noble. Well he was done with that from now on he would be as cold as he ever was taking what he wanted and to hell with all the rest.
"You better tell me what really happened honey," Tammi said to Julie. She knew her husband was being irrational but she also knew that it was partly Tim's fault that anything had happened to Julie at all.
Julie told her mom every last detail from start to finish. Julie sobbed most of it out, but it was clear enough that Tammi could understand what she was saying.
"You know you are grounded for the next thirty years or at least until you get out of high school. This was partly your fault Julie. If you Tyra, Jason, and Tim hadn't have went out last night you would have been in Tyra's room watching television and nothing would have happened, but you chose to go out with them and you paid dearly for it. Just be glad Tim heard you and came to your rescue," Tammi said.
Julie was very glad that Tim was there, but hearing her mom talk, it was like the whole thing was her fault and she was asking for something bad to happen.
"I didn't ask for this to happen mom," Julie said coldly. Julie felt a hurt that she knew wasn't just the fact that her mom was angry with her she knew it was that Tim was going to be completely wiped out of her world and she started to cry all over again.
"I know, Baby, I am just saying that every action has a consequence either good or bad. I would never wish what happened to you to happen. We are going to have to talk about this when we get home," Tammi said packing up their things and making sure that Gracie was secure in her car seat.
"I'm sorry Mom. I never meant to make you and Dad mistrust me. I just really wanted to go out with Tim, and I knew that you and Dad would never approve of him. I messed up really bad and now Tim has to pay the price," Julie cried. She had never felt so stupid in her entire life even when she had avoided being raped she didn't feel this low.
Tim rode back to Dillon in silence. The whole team knew something was up, but no one was going to ask Riggins or Coach. They both looked like they could tear a whole in someone if they looked at them wrong. The few looks that Tim did chance at Coach Taylor he received a look that could only be described as pure unbridled hate. It was enough to make Tim's stomach churn. He knew he had messed up by taking the girls and Street out but he had wanted to spend as much time with Julie as possible. Yeah and look where you ended up, and inner voice said.
AN: I HOPE THAT EVERYONE LIKED THIS CHAPTER. IT IS LONGER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AND I HOPE THAT IT DOES JUSTICE TO THE CHARACTERS. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW AND AS ALWAYS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REVIEW BECAUSE IT MAKES THE WRITING WORLD GO ROUND TO KNOW WHAT THE READERS THINK