Disclaimer: I don't own anything here (except for Al and I suppose I should claim TJ, now, since he's rapidly becoming one of my favorite characters) and am just doing this for fun and to pass the long months until Season 4.

Tim drove back to Billy's house and packed bags for the kids. He wasn't sure how long they'd be staying so he gathered enough clothes for a week. He remembered to get Cody's diapers and baby monitor, the stuffed mouse that Jack needed to fall asleep, and all of the nightlights.

When he got back home, he found Al in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and arranging them on a tray. He sat down at the kitchen table and looked out the sliding glass door at the backyard. Noah and TJ were playing football and it looked like Jack was trying hard to keep up with them. Amber sat on the porch swing and watched while George lumbered around the yard, knocking into the kids.

"George is a pretty good blocker. Even if he has no clue which team he's on," said Tim.

Al stood behind him, wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

Tim took a deep breath and let it out through puffed up cheeks, feeling a bit like a deflated balloon. "Okay, I guess. Billy says Jack jumped on his back this morning and aggravated an injury, so he just took two of the pills."

"Well....that's better than the alternative, right?" asked Al, searching in vain for the bright side of this storm cloud.

"Yeah. 'Course there's no telling how much or for how long he'd been drinking, so that's kind of maybe a problem." Tim never felt like he had any right to criticize anyone else's drinking, but it was impossible to stand by and watch what Billy was doing to himself and his family.

Al kissed his cheek and squeezed her arms tight around him. "They keeping him overnight?"

"Yeah. I got clothes and stuff for the kids. I'm thinking they might be here for a few days at least. See how Billy's doing first."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Al.

"Billy wanted to see Amber and TJ, but I told him I wouldn't bring them up there, that he should call them instead. Did he?"

"Yeah – Amber talked to him for about five minutes, cried a little, talked for about five minutes more and then was fine. TJ refused to take the phone or even say a single word near the phone."

Tim rubbed his face, like he could wipe his troubles away that easily. "So," he said finally. "What's for dinner?"

"Well, I put the roast in the freezer. I didn't know when you'd be back and it takes a long time to cook, so it just seemed better to save it for later. So I put it to a vote."

"You did, huh? You put it to a vote to a pack of kids? What's it going to be, ice cream and Lucky Charms?"

"No, I wish I'd thought of that as an option. Mac and cheese was the big winner," said Al with a smile.

"That kind you make with the real cheese and milk and butter and then you bake it so the top gets all nice and crispy?"

"That's the one. Sorry, it's not much of a Christmas dinner, but given the circumstances..." Al's voice trailed off.

Tim turned around in his seat so he could kiss her. "It's great. One of your best dinners. It's not like it's coming out of a box or a can."

"And I hope you don't mind, I invited Jason and Lyla over for dinner."

Tim pursued his lips and shook his head. "That's great. That'll be a good distraction."

"Now you see that? That right there?" asked Al, gesturing toward the back yard.

Tim turned around and looked. He saw Amber carrying the football. She bypassed TJ to give it to Noah, grinning the whole time. Tim didn't really remember what grade school flirting looked like, but he guessed it went something like that.

"That is going to be trouble in about ten years," said Al with a sigh.

"No, more like seven or eight years," said Tim,. He watched the kids play and wondered what they'd be like in seven or eight years. He shook his head. Forget years. The way things were right now, he could barely think seven weeks into the future.

Tim stood up and stretched. He put an arm around Al and kissed her forehead. "I can still smell the hospital – I'm gonna take a shower. Wanna join me?"

"I really shouldn't. Somebody has to keep an eye on the kids out there."

"You sure?" Tim asked, tracing her collarbone, wishing they could pick up where they left off when TJ had called.

"I'm sure that I'd like to and equally sure that I really can't. Raincheck?"

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"You better," she said, pushing him lightly toward the door.

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Tim felt much better after he'd showered and changed his clothes. As he passed through the dining room, he saw Al struggling to put in the table extension.

"Let me get that," he said.

She grumbled a little but stepped away and grudgingly watched as he easily popped the heavy mahogany panel into place. "Thanks."

"No problem. You do know that you don't have to do everything by yourself? You can ask for help. You know that right?" he asked, his teasing tone not quite matching the serious look in his eyes.

Al sighed. "I know. It's just I used to be able to do that. Carrying Nicky around all day isn't anywhere near as good of a workout as being at work."

Tim kissed her forehead. "Yeah, well, we'll talk about that soon. Not today though."

"Definitely not. Jay and Lyla should be here in about fifteen minutes."

"Okay. I need to talk to Amber and TJ....I'm not sure what to do about Jack. I can never tell how much he understands." Tim rubbed the back of his neck, dreading the conversation he was about to have.

"Send him in with Noah, I can talk to him. You don't have to do everything yourself either," she said with a smile.

He put a hand on her arm and squeezed it gently, then went outside and sat on the porch swing next to Amber.

"Hi, Uncle Timmy," she said, then she lowered her voice a little. "Isn't Noah Street about the cutest boy ever?"

Tim smiled and subtracted a few years from his estimate of when Amber and Noah were going to be trouble. "Sure, he's a nice kid."

Amber went back to watching the boys and Tim cleared his throat, then called them over. In seconds, he was surrounded by three eager little boys and one panting Wolfhound.

"Noah and Jack, you need to go inside to wash up for dinner. We'll be there in a minute."

Tim watched the boys head for the house and disappear through the glass door. He looked at Amber, her face open and hopeful, and then over at TJ, whose expression was unreadable. Kid's going to make one hell of a poker player, Tim thought as he took a deep breath.

"I wanted to talk to you about your dad. He called, so you know he's all right. The thing is, your dad is really, really sad and, well, it's making it hard for him to take care of y'all. So you're going to stay here with me and Al until he feels better."

"How long is that going to be?" asked Amber.

"I don't know," said Tim, figuring it was better to tell the truth, even when the truth was that he had no idea.

"When can we see him?" There was a little quiver in Amber's voice and Tim was on high-alert for tears.

"I'm not sure about that either. Maybe a few days, maybe longer."

Amber nodded and looked down. Tim looked at TJ, who had folded his arms, and was looking off into the distance.

"Amber, can you go inside? I think Al might need some help and I think you're just the girl for the job." Amber jumped off the porch swing and took a few steps away, then turned back around and gave Tim a hug before dashing off.

"Have a seat," said Tim, patting the wooden bench next to him.

TJ shook his head.

"Okay then. Tim rested his forearms on his knees and leaned forward, trying to connect with TJ. "I know today was scary for you, but you did really good. You did everything right and none of this is your fault and none of this is anything you can change. Do you understand?"

TJ shrugged one shoulder and looked down.

"TJ, look at me. Do you understand that this isn't your fault?"

The boy kept his head down, but Tim should see his green eyes peering up at him through scruffy bangs. It reminded him of the time he'd found an injured cat in the alley behind the convenient store, the animal backed into a corner, neither flight nor fight a viable option.

"I guess so," TJ finally said.

"Your dad loves you so much, he really does. More than anything."

"You're lying," accused TJ.

"No, I'm not. Look, TJ, I promise you, I am not going to lie to you about any of this. Someday, that might mean that I have to tell you something that will hurt you, but right now, I can tell you, cross-my-heart-hope-to-die, your dad loves you and your sister and brothers more than anything in the world."

TJ sighed. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, okay, I get it. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Tim allowed himself a small smile. "Don't have to like what?"

"Don't have to like the stupid things he does because he's sad." TJ looked up now, his eyes fierce even though a few tears had slipped out.

Tim reached out and gently took TJ's arm, pulling him close enough so he could lift the boy into his lap. Tim put his arms around his nephew and squeezed him tight. "Nope, you don't have to like what he does, but you should still try to love him and remember that he loves you because he's still your dad and nothing can change that."

Tim held TJ for a few more minutes, then leaned back to look at him. "You okay?"

TJ shrugged. "Yeah."

"Ready to go inside?"

"Yeah," TJ hopped back to the ground, rubbing his face against his arm. If a magical genie had appeared at that moment, Tim's first wish would be that Billy would get his damn act together because Tim didn't know how many of these conversations he could have with TJ before both of their hearts were nothing more than a pile of splinters.