Disclaimer: I don't own anything here (except for Al and TJ) and am just doing this for fun and to pass the long months until Season 4.
"Hey TJ, you want to go fishing this morning?" asked Tim. The two of them were sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal. Jack was watching cartoons, Nicky was in the playpen and Cody was in the walker. Tim enjoyed watching the two babies try to interact with each other. Cody would get as close to Nicky as the walker would allow and Nicky would reach for his cousin.
"Yeah," said TJ, his eyes lighting up.
"Great. There's just one small catch," said Tim. "I can't go because I have to watch the babies. Your dad is going to take you."
TJ folded his arms and flopped back in his chair. "No way. I'm not going anywhere with him."
Tim pushed his hair back and sighed. "TJ, you've made your point. Your dad knows how hurt and mad you are. He gets it."
"Good," said TJ, lower lip edging into a pout.
"It's time to move on."
"Don't wanna."
"Well," said Tim, drawing out the word. "You kinda hafta."
"Or else what?" asked TJ, his eyes defiant.
"Or else you're going to be one very miserable little kid."
TJ kicked his feet petulantly. "But I didn't do anything wrong."
"You didn't. But your dad....he's seriously sorry and he's apologized to you so many times and tried to make it up to you. It's time for you to forgive him. It's time to give him a second chance."
"And that what happens when he screws that up?"
"I really don't think he's going to screw it up this time," said Tim, his words quiet and earnest.
TJ was quiet for several beats, then he spoke in a soft voice. "But I'm still really mad."
"I know you are, but you have to let it go."
"I don't know how to let it go," said TJ.
Tim thought about it for a minute and then had an idea. "OK, take a deep breath and puff out your cheeks like this." Tim demonstrated and waited for TJ to mimic him.
"OK, now let the air out slowly and pretend like instead of air you're letting out, you're actually letting out some of the mad, some of that anger, like letting air out of a balloon."
TJ's face was the picture of concentration as he followed Tim's instructions.
"How did that feel? Any better?" asked Tim.
One corner of TJ's lips quirked up. "Maybe a teeny bit."
"Good. Just do that whenever you start to feel mad. You want to bring the fishing rods and the tackle box down to the dock?"
TJ nodded and headed for the door. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Tim met Billy outside, where he was leaning against the railing of the wheelchair ramp, holding two small white containers and watching TJ lug the fishing rods to the dock.
"I got nightcrawlers and crickets."
Tim nodded. "Look, I think he'll listen to you now, but seriously, Billy, this is your last chance. If you mess up after this, then you've lost him. For good."
Billy looked down, eyes blinking and mouth pressed into a thin line. "I swear to God, I won't mess it up this time."
Tim clapped Billy on the back and gave him a gentle shove toward the dock. "I'm not the one you have to convince."
Billy mumbled goodbye and headed off toward to the dock with the slow, apprehensive steps of a man headed for the gallows.
"And make sure he wears his life jacket," Tim called out.
Billy turned and gave Tim a small grin. "Never thought I'd see the day when you go all mother hen."
"I just don't want anything to happen to him," said Tim, his eyes serious enough to convey that when he said anything, he meant anything.
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A few hours later, the front door banged open and TJ came running in, carrying a string of four fish.
"Uncle Timmy, we caught dinner," he said proudly.
Tim was afraid he was going to wake the babies, but decided that would be a small price to pay for seeing TJ happy and excited for the first time in months.
"Good thing Al's not here – she hates fish," said Tim. "Go get the cooler and then we'll fill it up with ice, put the fish in there and leave it outside for now."
"But can't we just put them in the fridge?"
Tim shook his head. "Your aunt's got a nose like a bloodhound. If even a single fish scale hits her kitchen, she's going to have a fit."
TJ nodded furiously and went running to the garage to get the cooler, nearly bowling Billy over on his way there.
"Sorry, Dad," he said, laughing as he raced around him.
"So, it went okay?" asked Tim as Billy sat down on the couch.
"Yeah, Timmy, it went great. I wasn't sure at first but he warmed up to me as the time went on."
"I'm glad to hear it," said Tim.
"There's just one thing that was weird, though," said Billy, his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "In the beginning especially, he kept breathing funny, like with his cheeks puffed out. I kept expecting him to start hyperventilating or something."
Tim grinned. "Don't worry about it, Billy. He's fine. Completely fine."
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Al and Amber returned mid-morning on Sunday to find TJ, Billy and Jack playing video games. Tim was on the floor with both babies, rolling a beach ball between them, much to their amusement. Amber launched herself at Billy, interrupting the game and nearly knocking him off the couch.
"I leave you boys alone for three days and you go and get a video game system? Timmy, I thought we'd talked about this," said Al.
Billy stood up. "Oh, no, it's ours – I brought it from home so I could play with the boys. I'll take it back with me tonight. Don't worry."
"Thank you," said Al.
Tim stood up with Nicky and handed him to Al, who hugged him close and inhaled his baby smell with her eyes closed. The baby smiled and then grabbed a handful of Al's hair and shrieked in delight.
"Didn't expect you home so soon," said Tim, kissing the top of her head while he gently removed Nicky's hand from her hair. "We missed you."
"I missed you too," said Al with a smile. She looked down at TJ, who was tugging on her arm. "Yes, TJ?"
"Guess what! Daddy took me fishing with real bait – worms and crickets – and we caught four fish and we ate them for dinner," said TJ.
"That's great, TJ. Disgusting, but great."
"One of the fish ate the hook and we found it when we cut him open." TJ had been particularly excited about that development.
Al turned slightly green and swallowed hard. "Fantastic. I can just imagine what that smelled like. Timmy, please tell me-"
"Don't worry, Al, no fish touched a single surface in this house. All the gutting, grilling and eating took place outside."
"Thank god," said Al, visibly relieved.
Tim hugged her and then looked at her closely. "You look like you could use a walk."
"You have no idea," sighed Al.
"I have a pretty good idea – your eye keeps twitching," said Tim with a grin.
Al gave Tim a gentle shove and then left the room to get the baby sling so she wouldn't have to put Nicky down. Tim offered to get the stroller, but Al really wanted to carry him, saying she was making up for lost time over the weekend.
Outside, they walked along the edge of the lake, headed toward Jay's house. Tim slipped his arm around Al's shoulder and she tucked her hand in his back pocket.
"Was it that bad?" he asked quietly.
"Oh, no. Just the trip home. Four hours of listening to Amber plan, in excruciating detail, her wedding to Noah Street."
Tim laughed and Al elbowed him in the ribs.
"Oh sure, it sounds funny now. Not so funny when you're the one trapped, listening to it."
"So, what's Tyra's fiance like?"
Al paused and considered the question. "He's really French. Like imagine the French-est TV or movie character you've ever seen, multiply by 100 and you've got Jean-Luc."
Tim struggled, but he could only come up with one French character. "He's like Pepe LePew?"
"No, not quite like that," laughed Al. "Although he does kiss and touch Tyra a lot. He's very thin and serious, wears black turtle neck sweaters and smokes unfiltered cigarettes. I just don't see him being able to stick around in Texas for very long. Oh and he's a lot older than Tyra."
"What, like 6 or 7 years kind of like our age difference?"
"No more like 15. At least."
"So you don't like him?" asked Tim.
"No, I like him, I guess. It's just that I'm dreading the day we lose Tyra to France."
"You seriously think that will happen?"
"Absolutely. It's only a matter of time. And given the way Jean-Luc rolls his eyes every time he has to talk about living in Texas, I'd say it's going to be a lot sooner than you'd think."
It made sense to Tim. Tyra had always wanted so much more than Dillon in particular and Texas in general had to offer.
They walked past Jay's boat dock and followed the curve of the lake through some trees and then out to a grassy field that sloped up from the lake. Tim veered toward the hilltop, steering Al with a gentle pressure on her back. When they got to the top, Al was surprised to see a bench.
"I've been taking the kids for walks. we stop up here and have a snack or play for a little while before we go back home," explained Tim.
Tim sat down first, his arm stretched out across the bench so Al could cuddle up next to him. Nicky was dozing in the baby sling and Tim put a hand on the baby's back.
"So, I've been thinking about something...." began Tim.
"Timmy, I don't have the energy to argue with you right now about a puppy, so it better not be that."
Tim smiled and shook his head. "Nah. It's about Billy. We were talking yesterday. He wants to give TJ a couple of weeks and then, if everything's still good, Billy'd like to take the kids for a weekend visit."
Al nodded. "At the cabin?"
"No – he'd take them back to their house. He and I are going to start clearing it out and giving away some of Mindy's stuff so it's a little less painful for Billy to be there. He's been insisting that he has to go back there to prove to himself that he can handle it."
"Yeah, I agree," said Al. "You can't hide forever and he's so much stronger than he was a few months ago."
"Thing is....I don't think it's a good plan for him in the long run, to stay in that house. It's haunted by so many bad memories. I never really understood his attachment to the place."
Al shrugged and rubbed Tim's jaw. "It's his home, Timmy."
"Well, I'd like to help him find a new home. If it's okay with you, I'd like to give him this hill plus a couple of acres to build a house."
Al smiled and shook her head with a sense of wonderment.
"What?"
"You're just so cute.....creating your own village."
"Besides Nicky and you, Jay and Billy are the only family I have. I like having them close."
"I know you do," said Al quietly. "Timmy, I would love to have Billy as a neighbor."
Tim smiled down at his wife, his mind reeling through all the things he and Billy would have to do to get ready for the new house. It was going to be a fantastic project. Tim could just tell.