With a yawn and big stretch Julie Taylor rolled over to look at her alarm clock. The blue numbers were vivid in the early morning light. 5:45. She knew she shouldn't be getting up this early, but going back to sleep probably wouldn't happen. Today was going to be an important day and she was nervous. She rolled onto her side and stared out the bedroom window. A smile crept across her face when she thought back to that first kiss two months ago. She then thought about all the kisses that had come after, thinking of them as their stolen moments. She and Tim had been very careful to keep their budding relationship completely under the radar, or at least they thought they had.

Remembering how Tim had almost killed their relationship before it even got the chance to start brought Julie close to tears. He had distanced himself from her that next week after the kiss in the locker room. Julie thought back to her feelings of confusion and how she had thought walking away might be the best idea, end it before they both get too deep. Being together was going to be difficult and while she wanted to try she was limited to what she could do. She finally decided to fight for him when she saw some slutty rally girl throw herself on him his lap during lunch. Julie saw Tim standing alone near his locker later that afternoon before the team left for the game. She knew it was her opportunity to talk so she walked up to him.

"Hi Tim."

He turned to see her and a smile flashed across his face before quickly disappearing. "Oh, hey, Jules."

She could tell he was trying to be nonchalant, but she wanted to know what was going on.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"Uh, good. Busy. I'm, uh..."

"What the hell are you doing, Tim?"

He looked back at her with shock. She knew he hadn't expected her to be so blunt, but she was pissed about him letting that rally girl crawl all over him.

"Getting ready to go, you know?" He replied blankly.

"Don't play dumb with me. What's changed? Why have you gone MIA all of a sudden?"

With that he looked down at his boots stalling for time. No way, Julie thought. You're not going to avoid this.

"Look, Jules..." he trailed off.

She knew he was going to end it. Bastard. She was kicking herself inside for letting him in. She shouldn't have been surprised. He was Tim Riggins, but she had been so sure she had seen something different in him. He had gone through her mother, for crying out loud, to get the chance to see her. She put her hand on her hip and looked at him, readying herself for the words she knew were coming.

"I..." he started and then stopped.

"You're going to have to say it Tim, I'm not going to do it for you."

He stood there looking at her. There was no doubt in her mind he could tell she was pissed. She knew she was getting all red and splotchy because she wanted to kick his ass but she didn't care what she looked like. He couldn't seem to form the words.

"Fuck you, Tim. You're a coward. You come on all strong and then just give up?"

She could tell he was uncomfortable and that the words stung, but at that moment she just didn't care.

"Look, Jules. I'm doing this for you, you don't want to be with me. I'm not the right guy for you. Go back to Matt or something. "

"Are you kidding me? Matt?! You think I want to be with Matt? You really are a dumb ass, you know that?" She fumed. Continuing her little tirade she added, "I just happen to be the idiot who wants you and I thought you wanted me. too"

She knew she sounded wounded, she didn't want to seem weak in front of him, but the feelings that had formed in her heart for him were the most intense she'd ever had. There was just something about him that drove her wild. She knew no other guy in Dillon would ever spark something like this in her. Hell, she doubted she'd ever meet someone as intriguing to her as Tim Riggins was.

"You want me?" He looked at her with a vulnerability she'd never seen before.

"Duh! You think I just let any guy come to my window in the middle of the night and give me the best first kiss I've ever had in my life?"

He gave a low chuckle with that. "It was a pretty righteous kiss, wasn't it?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, it was."

"I thought the locker room one wasn't bad either." He added.

His ego really knew no bounds, did it? Softening her voice she implored, "Tim, seriously, what's going on?"

Running a hand through his long hair, he sighed. "I don't know Jules. I just don't want to mess up your life."

"Who says you would mess it up?"

"My track record. I mean I haven't been the most model guy, you know?"

She knew he had a volatile relationship with Tyra and the history of what he did to Jason with that bitch Lyla Garrity, not to mention the numerous girls he had been with for random sex.

"Tim, I know all of that, but I thought that was in the past. I guess I thought you wanted to try something new, with me..."

"I did. I do..." he trailed off.

"So what's the problem?"

"Julie, we live in Dillon, remember? You're the daughter of my coach, who's a very protective man, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm the guy in his nightmares coming for his little girl."

She had to laugh with that one. "Oh, Tim. I think you're being a little over dramatic."

"Really? I know you were drunk, but did you see the way he looked at me when he found me in your room. I still count myself lucky to have my nads attached to my body."

"Well, he would have reacted that way to finding any guy in my room." She tried to play it off. "I thought we'd go down more a traditional route this time, you know? You'd come over to study, he'd see the changes in you, ease him into the idea. Wasn't that your big plan?"

Tim nodded.

"So what happened to that? You haven't even given it a try."

"Tyra..."

"Tyra?! What has Tyra got to do with this?" Julie's mind reeled. She couldn't imagine they had gotten back together. Tyra was still trying to figure out things with Landry, how had they...

"She pointed out the flaw in my plan...me."

Julie breathed a sigh of relief. "Tim, she's just doing what she thinks is best for me. Tyra wouldn't be Tyra if she didn't let you know exactly what she was thinking the minute she was thinking it. You just need to focus on this."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"That I'm not a little girl and I'm telling you I want to do this with you."

There, she had said it. All her cards were on the table. If he walked away now she would know he had never been the right guy and she would just have to file this away in a little box in her heart as something that could have been. She didn't want that, but she wasn't going to beg.

They stood there looking at each other. Julie wished she could read his mind but she didn't have to wonder what he was thinking for very long.

"I got to hand it to you, Taylor. You'd make a hell of a lawyer someday."

She smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're very convincing."

"Really?!" She said excitedly.

"Really." He added with a smile.

She took a quick look around, but didn't truly care who saw her throw her arms around him and plant a quick kiss on his lips. He put his hands around her waist and kissed her back on her forehead.

"You got me. I'm yours."

She had never heard better words in her life. She had fought for him and won. Tim Riggins was hers. She hadn't felt this much joy over something ever. They quickly got back to reality and he said he'd see her that night at the game. They were playing in Buckley and Julie would be there watching him.

After that Tim had come over to study three times a week and surprisingly they actually did do a lot of that. Much more than he would have liked, but they were usually accompanied by one or both her parents. On those rare occasions that they were left alone they quickly ditched the books and made out like their lives depended upon it. There had even been a few times at school they had managed to meet up in some remote spot and spend several minutes losing themselves in passionate kisses and groping.

She was brought back to present day when she heard her little sister wake up and her mom going in to get the baby up. She heard a soft knock on her door soon after.

"Come in, Mom. I'm up."

"Say good morning to your big sister, Gracie Belle." Tami sang to the baby as they came in and sat down on Julie's bed.

Julie smiled up at her mom and sister and played peek-a-boo with the sheet to make the baby laugh. Tami reached down and patted her hand.

"You ready for today, sweetie?"

"Are you?" Julie asked back.

"I couldn't sleep very well. I kept wondering how your Dad was doing. I almost made you come get in bed with me to keep me company." She teased.

Julie rolled her eyes and laughed at her mother. "You'll have him back tonight, Mom. I think you'll live."

"You know we have to tell to him, no matter what happens at the game tonight, right?"

Julie nodded. Her mom had figured out what she and Tim were doing and talked to Julie a week ago. She told her mom everything. How their feelings had developed for each other and how Tim had changed. Tami had been torn on what to do, she saw the changes Tim had made in his life, his grades and attendance had improved and she couldn't deny that Julie's personality had blossomed, which had made things a lot easier around the Taylor home. Against some pretty strong odds, the Panthers were going back to State and the last thing she wanted was to upset Eric with this. Julie agreed and told her mom that she and Tim had not been physical past some kissing, that they were serious about each other, this wasn't just a fling. That had concerned Tami almost more than her thinking Tim Riggins just wanted to have sex with her child. They had talked long into the night and finally agreed that they would wait until after the game in Austin was played to tell Eric his daughter had fallen in love with his star fullback. Julie had been praying non-stop since then that the Panthers would win. She couldn't imagine telling her dad this after a loss.

"Well," her mom said standing up, "we better get this show on the road. Clean up and get packed, we need to be on the road in an hour, OK?"

"Yeah, Mom." Julie answered swinging herself out of bed.

The Taylor girls were driving to the game today, with the addition of Gracie Belle they thought it would be easier to not take the whole family to Austin for the day proceeding the game as Eric would be swamped, but would be staying the night tonight. She had selected a dress to wear to the after game dinner and party, her parents had agreed she could attend, that she knew Tim liked. She placed one more item in her bag. She was still contemplating on whether or not she'd wear it. As much as she wanted to, she needed to think about it some more. It was a big step.

When Julie had told Tim her mom knew everything he had gotten very nervous. She knew he was scared of her dad being upset with him so she assured him that he wouldn't be told until after the championship game was over. It took Tim a few days to get used to the idea that their secret relationship wasn't going to be so secret anymore, but he had done the best thing he could have.

"It'll be good. It's time. Here." He said placing something in her hand.

As Julie headed to shower to get ready she looked back at her bag. The white jersey with the number 33 sat on top.

AN: Going to take a break for a few days, but I needed to get this out while it was still fresh in my mind. Special thanks to all you awesome reviewers of the last two chapters (A9L9O8N7E, Ansleyrocks, Cenababy, Fallen 1987, Luckylily, Lunatic Lorenzio and Ody!) I appreciate it so much - Scarlett