"I swear to god if I have to get this door one more time when there are three people living in this house, I will murder both of you. In your sleep. With rusty butter knives." Rae threatens, pulling the door open. Billy is looking at her with wide eyes. Tim and Carson roar with laughter behind her.
"Is this a bad time?" He asks worriedly and Rae shakes her head, letting him in, speechless.
"Uh, there's pasta on the stove, you can grab a plate. Carden can get you some iced tea." She offers, once she's got her bearings back. "Oh god, that sounds so Southern." She says, taken aback at herself. Billy waves a hand.
"No, I came here to apologize." He admits. "I really could have messed things up for Tim and I accused you of a lot of things and none of them were true. You're a good girl and you're good for Tim and I should have remembered that before I got angry with you. It's just… It's… He's my little brother." He trails off and looks down and Rae sees, very clearly, the resemblance to Tim and a smile cracks at the corner of her mouth.
"You did a good job with him Billy." She says and he looks up. "I mean, not a great job. But he's a good kid. And I know you're probably more proud of him than me, so I want us to celebrate it all together."
"Thank you Rae." He says gratefully.
"C'mon in. Have some pasta." She says and he smiles, brushing past her and heading towards the kitchen.
"I HATE FOOTBALL. I HATE FOOTBALL GAMES. I HATE RAIN. I HATE RAINY FOOTBALL GAMES. I HATE TIM RIGGINS. I HATE THIS." Rae hollers at the top of her lungs.
"SHE HATES FOOTBALL. SHE HATES FOOTBALL GAMES AND RAIN." Julie yells back, making Mrs. Taylor snort in laughter.
"WHETHER WE'RE WINNING OR NOT I STILL HATE FOOTBALL. I HATE IT. I HATE IT. I HATE FOOTBALL. YOU HEAR ME, TEXAS? I. HATE. FOOTBALL." She bellows and Julie doubles over in laughter.
"You'll get lynched for that if anyone could hear you." Mrs. Taylor comments and Rae huffs and folds her arms.
"I would like to see them try. Especially in this weather." She says but has rapt attention as she watches the final play and Tim catches the ball, sliding the mud and water.
"WE'RE GOING TO STATE!" Julie yells, jumping up and down, making the bleachers splash water. They both clamber down the stands, running towards the field with the flow of people.
"You are insane. Absolutely crazy." Rae says to Tim, removing his helmet with a smile.
"You're soaked." He observes in amusement.
"I am, my ass is soaked because I came out here to watch you, you stupid idiot and I'm all wet." She says, poking him hard in the chest.
"I'll take you home and get those wet clothes off you." He offers, kissing her ear and neck. She laughs and puts her arms around his neck.
"Aren't we going to a party?" She asks, as he drives towards home.
"No. The real parties are after state, you know that." He says and she just stares at him with an eyebrow raised. "Rae, I'm serious. I want a night in. With you. Is that so weird?"
"You're Tim Riggins, so yes, it is!" She says pointedly and he sighs, taking her hand in his.
"I just want some time with you. Ok?" He asks and she nods slowly.
"Alright, fine. But let's take a nice warm shower. I'm soaked and I'm cold to the bone."
"Hey, Tim." Carden asks in the morning, flipping through his hockey magazine absentmindedly. "How come you haven't announced that you're playing for SA State?" Rae looks up and Tim chews thoughtfully on his toast.
"I don't want to rub it in. It's not fair, with Smash's scholarship gone. I'll do it after state probably." He decides and Rae kisses his head, taking Carden's magazine in one smooth move.
"Hey!" He protests.
"I'm proud of you babe. And don't give me that look Carden. I know you have math and I know you haven't even taken it out of you folder. Let's get cracking, we have state this weekend and no one is getting anything done, I promise you that." She decrees as Tim and Carden groan in unison.
"Second time at state. Are you two ready for this?" Mrs. Taylor asks, as they load bags into the car.
"Ready as I'll ever be to watch a Texas football game." Rae says, clambering into her seat.
"Mom, can we actually get something good to eat in Austin?" Julie asks, putting her feet up.
"Like what?" Mrs. Taylor asks, following the bus as it gets onto the freeway.
"Anything that's not ribs, steak, or barbeque." Julie says firmly and her mother gives her a sideways glance.
"Jules, you know that is not possible. This is Austin, Texas."
They arrive at the stadium with enough time to look around with awe. Even Rae admits that the stadium is impressive then follows Julie back to the hotel, arguing about Texas culture.
"Have you decided on a school?" Julie asks as Rae lies on the floor with Gracie and her toys. Carden looks up.
"Uh, maybe." She says hesitantly. Julie gives her a confused look. "Don't look at me like that." She protests.
"Well, that's not a very clear answer." Julie points out and Rae shrugs, blowing kisses to Gracie.
"Well, I got into Duluth. And they have a great school and a great campus and I have a nice scholarship there and I can get loans and it's up north and Carden could play. Duluth East has a fantastic hockey program and I would love to see Carden play for them at state. But that's a long ways from Texas." She says, not looking at Carden or Julie.
"A long way from Tim." Julie corrects her.
"Texas, Tim, what's the difference? They're one and the same. San Antonio is great, but it is no Duluth." She says sadly.
"Did you get into San Antonio?" Julie asks and Rae gives her a look.
"I did. I like the campus and I like the school and the classes. Good scholarship. Better than Duluth. It'll save me money. But it means I'll stay here and he will too." She says, nodding to Carden, who has his knees drawn up to his chest. Julie stands and picks Gracie up.
"I gotta change her diaper." She says quietly and leaves the room. Rae takes a deep breath then looks up at Carden.
"Duluth East." He states and she nods. "You think I could play for Duluth East?" She laughs and opens her arms. He scoots into her hug.
"Car, you could play for anyone on this planet. Anyone. You've only been out two years. Less, if I can move up the second I graduate." She tells him and he's quiet for a long moment.
"That means leaving Tim." He says quietly and she just kisses his head.
"I know." She admits. "But if it's meant to be, it'll be. He is my boyfriend, you are my brother. You are family and I made a commitment to mom when she died to take care of you, no matter what, no questions asked. I will be your older sister until I die. You are more important."
"Where do you want to go?" Carden asks suddenly, leaning back so he can see her face. "If I wasn't a factor and neither was Tim, where would you go? Because you can make choices, Mais, choices for you. It's not always about us." He tells her and she simply pulls him into a hug again.
"Last time." Tim whispers as she leans against him in the lobby.
"Last time, best time." Rae whispers back. "I have loved watching you every second these last two seasons Tim. Know that."
"And I have loved you in the stands for me." He says, kissing her head. "I love that you're my girl."
"Win or lose, hell or high water. Always your girl." She tells him, stretching up and kissing him.
The game does not start off well. Rae watches with trepidation as Tim misses a pass and they head into the locker room, Matt hollering at Smash, Smash yelling at Tim, and Tim yelling at Matt.
"Do you think they're going to lose?" Carden asks her and she simply slides her hand over his mouth.
"See, see, it's going to be ok." Rae insists, cheering as Tim enters the end zone. "Just like last year. We will come back. It's ok." She repeats. "It's ok." She uses it like a mantra, continuous throughout her mind.
She watches in horror as Smash jumps up for a ball and is slammed to the ground, his knee bent in a funny way. She covers her mouth as the entire stadium falls silent, unsure. She watches as Coach Taylor runs onto the field and as Smash is carried off, Julie's hand finds hers.
"There's no way he can come back." Julie says quietly.
"I know. I know." Mrs. Taylor says, hands in front of her mouth. The Titans line up to take the field goal and Rae closes her eyes. She doesn't want to see this. She just wants a happy ending.
She doesn't get it.
Tim says nothing after the game. Matt says nothing. Rae and Carden follow Julie and Mrs. Taylor to the locker room, joined by the rest of the families. They stand in silence until Coach Taylor breaks it.
"I wanted everyone's friends and family to be in here to hear this, gentleman." He explains. "I have never been more proud of a team than I am right now. I am in awe of each and every one of you gentleman. You played great football tonight. This is the game that people are going to talk about for years to come. This is the game you are going to talk about. There's not a single person in this room who is ever going to be the same. You be proud of yourselves. Because gentleman, you are champions." With that, he leaves.
"Babe." Rae says softly, when Tim exits the locker room. She reaches up and gently wipes a bit of blood off his forehead, touching the sling that his shoulder is in, categorizing his injuries.
"I'm sorry." He whispers, leaning his head against hers.
"God Tim, for what?" She asks, gently running a hand into his hair.
"I wanted to give you that one last time. Run onto the field, me pick you up; spin you around, state ring. One more time. And I failed." He says, tearing leaking out of the corner of his eyes.
"Tim, never." She says ferociously. "I love you. I love you more than life itself. I love you and there is never a moment in time that you disappointed me. Get that through your football addled brain. It was never about running onto the field or showing off your state ring. It has been about you and loving you and us. My love does not depend on football, no matter what you think. So don't ever think that you disappointed me today."
"I love you." He says and with a final kiss, he is gone. Rae watches him board the bus and with a sinking feeling, realizes that for the first time she doesn't know what tomorrow will bring.
AN: The actual most heartbreaking moment of the entire show... To me, this made sense, having Tim and Smash be the same age. Anyways, today's chapter is for seth0091, and their review that gave me the biggest smile this morning. If you've noticed, I'm now updating Tuesday/Thursday because of how hectic my schedule is being, but we're getting closer to the end... Please review, comment, leave questions, favorite, follow, all that stuff. Thanks for reading!