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

Al was unusually quiet in the truck on the way home, her eyes closed and her head leaned against the window, although Tim could tell she wasn't sleeping.

He heard her breathe a sigh of relief when they went into the house. She dropped her backpack on the floor and headed for the stairs.

"Where you going?" he asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward him.

"I need to get out of these clothes. That's all I've been thinking about for the last eight hours."

"You know," he said, his voice low and teasing, "I could help you out of those clothes. I think about that....a lot."

"You could, but it would be much more helpful to me at the right now if you'd pour me a Scotch and wait for me down here."

He dropped her hand and nodded, watching her turn and walk upstairs. He let the dogs out while he poured them each a Scotch, then settled down on the couch to wait for her. She came back down in her most comfortable, baggy plaid pajama bottoms and worn-in sweatshirt. She picked her glass up off the table and surprised Tim by sitting down in the chair and putting her feet on the coffee table.

She took a sip of Scotch and rubbed her eyes.

"Why you sitting all the way over there? You telling me I need to shower or something, because, you know-"

She cut off his suggestive remark. "I'm sitting over here because I have to talk to you about something and sometimes, I can't think clearly when I'm that close to you."

He couldn't help the small, self-satisfied grin that slipped onto his face, but it slipped off as soon as she spoke again and he could heard her hurt and accusatory tone.

"How does Lyla know I got into Harvard?"

"I don't know. Probably Jay told her."

"You told Jay?"

Tim sighed impatiently and rubbed his forehead before running his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I probably mentioned it to Jay at some point, him being my best friend, you being my gal and him being curious about you. I didn't realize it was a secret."

"Have you told anyone about Avery?" Her husky voice was a whisper.

Tim was caught like an armadillo in the middle of a five-lane highway. He didn't want to lie but he didn't want to tell the truth either. His pause lasted half a heartbeat too long, giving him away.

"Dammit, Tim. Who?"

Tim looked down and waited a few beats before answering softly. "Jay."

She looked at him, eyes burning with anger and accusation. But she didn't say anything. He felt like it would be better if she'd just yell at him and get it over with. He tried to explain what happened.

"It was when we talked at Christmas, during his visit. He was asking me about plans for kids and it just kind of came up. I'd never, ever told anyone else and Jay's my best friend. He wouldn't tell anyone. He gets it, Al. He's a father – he can imagine what you went through, even better than I can, to be honest with you."

The seconds stretched into long, frosty minutes as Tim wished that she would say something, anything. Finally, Al nodded slowly. "First one's free, Tim. After that, I get really angry and it won't be pretty. We clear?"

"Clear," he echoed with a nod, relieved that that was the end of it.

They sat in silence, drinking Scotch and avoiding each other's eyes until Tim couldn't stand it anymore.

"You going to come over here and keep me company now?"

Al shook her head. "Still one more thing I want to talk to you about."

Tim felt like his heart was trying to climb out of his body through his throat.

"Yeah?" He tried to sound more casual than he felt, expecting that she was going to tell him that she was pregnant.

"It's not easy....I don't know how to tell you this." She looked into her glass like it held all the answers.

"Whatever it is, Al, I can handle it. We can handle it."

"It's just....ever since your father showed up, you've been....well, sort of absent, I guess, is the best way to put it. Not fully here. I feel like you're starting to shut me out, which is the one thing I cannot accept."

"I've been shutting you out?" His tone was incredulous.

She blinked, surprised by the ferocity of his response.

"Yes, you have."

"That's kind of funny, because I'm not the one hiding something."

Her eyes darted furtively before opening wide in an attempted expression of innocence. "I'm not hiding anything. What do you think I'm hiding?"

"You were late Al. I know you were. Were you ever going to tell me?"

She looked up at him, her face sad. "I was going to tell you when I knew for certain and knew that everything was okay."

"So were you....are you...pregnant?"

She shook her head sadly. "I was but it was what they call a blighted ovum."

"What, like a miscarriage?"

"Yeah, a very early miscarriage because the embryo didn't develop." Her voice was steady, matter-of-fact.

Tim tried to process her words. He thought he should feel relieved, that she was okay, that they weren't having a baby before they were ready. But he just felt a deep sense of loss and sadness.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He wasn't sure if she was apologizing for not telling him or expressing condolences on their lost child. She got up and sat down next to him, tentatively leaving a small space between them. He was looking away from her, a curtain of hair hiding his face. She reached out and brushed his hair back, tucking it behind his ear.

When he still didn't look at her, she put her hand on his cheek and gently turned his head. He kept his eyes down until he felt her starting to draw away. Then he looked up, his eyes full of hurt.

"I should have told you, as soon as I knew. I'm sorry. I was wrong to keep it from you."

He didn't say anything, but he took her hand and squeezed it.

"First one's free?" she suggested with a small, hopeful smile.

He nodded. "First one's free."

She leaned forward and hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and held her tight, hoping that the news would be better next time.