Friday Night Lights - "The Door in the Mountain Side", Tim/Julie, M
Title: The Door in the Mountain Side - Epilogue
Author: lindentree
Rating: M
Character(s): Tim/Julie
Word Count: 1,827
Summary: This is an AU which takes place four years after 4x13 "Thanksgiving." Tim is an ex-convict and Julie is a college graduate, and both of them now know that in this life, there are no guarantees.
Thanks again to ishie, and to those of you who commented. I appreciate it more than you know! Thank you. ♥
“Hey babe, I’m home!”
Tim strode up the front steps of the house, stepping over the uneven board which wouldn’t stop creaking, no matter how many times he pulled it off and hammered it back on. They had moved into this, their first house, six months ago, and there seemed to be an unending list of things in need of fixing. He crossed the small veranda and let himself in through the teal screen door. It banged as it closed behind him but Tim ignored it, his attention focussed on the scrabbling of claws on linoleum as Faulkner, their deaf rescued greyhound, came to greet him. Tim bent down and patted the dog’s lean brindle sides as he panted happily, wagging his tail.
“You had your dinner yet, buddy?” Tim asked, standing up again and walking further into the house. Faulkner followed close at his heels. “Jules?”
“I’m out here!” Julie’s voice came from the backyard. Tim walked through the little kitchen and out the screen door to the deck at the back of the house, which overlooked their small but pretty yard, where Julie attempted to grow figs and peppers, and numerous potted cactuses, with mixed results.
She was sitting in one of the deck chairs, her feet propped up on the railing before her and a glass of water at her side. A book was open in her lap, and, as always, she had a pen and a highlighter handy as she read. Tim smiled. Tim had never met anyone who enjoyed learning as much as Julie did. She wasn’t even in school anymore, and she was still studying, still absorbing as much of the world as she possibly could. He appreciated it, even though he couldn’t say the same for himself.
“My dad called,” she said, not looking up from her book. “He wants to know if you watched those videos he sent you, of that new running back.”
“Not yet,” Tim admitted sheepishly, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before grabbing one of the other chairs and sitting down across from her. Idly, she removed her feet from the railing and dropped them in his lap.
“I figured,” she smiled. “I told him that business is booming and you haven’t had time.”
“Thanks,” Tim sighed. It wasn’t a lie; Tim had started his own landscaping business only a year earlier, and it had quickly grown beyond their east Austin neighbourhood. It had grown so much, in fact, that he had hired two local high school kids to help him out for the summer. Now that September had arrived and they had gone back to school, Tim was struggling to meet all his commitments, and was on the hunt for someone permanent to help him out. “How was your day off?” he asked.
“Relaxing. Got some stuff done around the house, then Faulkner and I went for a nice long walk at the park. Didn’t we, buddy?” Julie reached down to where the dog lay on the deck and gave his belly a scratch. He groaned happily and thumped his skinny tail.
Julie had finished her associate degree in less than two years, during which time they lived in a tiny apartment and both ended up working two jobs to scrape by. Tim recalled those exhausting months with a pained wince. They had nearly broken up twice, but they got through it somehow. Tim still really wasn’t sure how. Pure stubbornness on both their parts probably had something to do with it.
Julie had since become a counsellor at the local teen drop-in centre, with an eye on eventually working in addictions counselling once she had enough experience under her belt.
“Hey, I have something for you,” she said.
“Oh yeah?” Tim asked, tiredly stretching his arms behind his head as he watched Julie lift the book in her lap and pull something out from under it. A strand of blond hair fell across her cheek as she looked down, and Tim smiled.
“Here,” she said, handing him something small and white and oblong. Tim squinted at it in the bright afternoon sunlight, and his throat tightened as he realised what it was. It was a pregnancy test. He turned it in his hand and peered at it more closely. There were two little blue lines in the screen. He looked over at Julie.
“I thought about wrapping it in a bow, or putting it in your coffee cup tomorrow morning, or maybe setting it on the table tonight, instead of your fork, but then I thought, you know, it’s something I’ve technically peed on, so maybe not,” Julie rambled, her face flushed.
“Are you... Seriously?” he asked, his mouth suddenly dry.
“Yeah. I’m pregnant,” she said, her expression excited, but anxious. “What do you think?”
Tim said nothing, unable to find any combination of words that could express how he felt. He pushed Julie’s feet from his lap and knelt down to put his ear to her stomach. Julie laughed, the sound vibrating against his cheek.
“I don’t really think there’s anything to hear, yet,” Julie said. “I’m only about eight weeks along, if that.”
Tim pulled away, leaving a hand resting over her bellybutton. “If it’s a boy, I wanna name him Waylon. Like Waylon Jennings.”
Julie sputtered. “Are you kidding? No, absolutely not. Full veto is in effect, and I veto Waylon.”
“You’re the one who named the dog Faulkner,” Tim replied. “Not sure your opinion can be trusted.”
“Yes, but there’s a bit of a difference between an old deaf greyhound and our firstborn,” she said, laughing.
“Firstborn,” he repeated, sticking out his bottom lip in contemplation. “I like the sound of that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, it means there’s gonna be more after this one. Little Waylon and Conway and Emmylou and Loretta and -”
“Ah!” Julie exclaimed, sliding off her chair to tackle him, straddling him right there in the middle of their sun-drenched deck. Faulkner got up and moved aside, giving a perturbed woof at their antics as he went. “You’re officially banned from suggesting names.”
“Bet your dad’ll agree with me,” Tim countered, grinning up at her.
“Bet he’ll suggest a bunch of famous running backs to name our children after. Even the girls.”
“You’re right about that,” Tim replied, his hands coming to rest on her hips. He turned serious. “Probably shouldn’t roughhouse like that, Jules. You okay?”
Julie rolled her eyes heavenward. “It’s like the size of a pea right now, Tim. It’s safe in there, believe me.”
“Still. Can’t be too careful,” he said, rolling them both up to standing before dropping an arm behind her knees and scooping her up in his arms.
“Are you kidding me? Really, Tim?”
“I’m gonna carry you two everywhere from now on.”
“God help me,” Julie moaned. “You won’t be saying that in a few months when I’m as big as a house. And gassy. Don’t forget gassy.”
“Good point,” he grimaced. Julie giggled and leaned her head against his shoulder, submitting to being carried into the living room, where he deposited her on the couch.
“I should have known you’d go all prehistoric about this,” Julie observed.
Tim shrugged, not bothering to deny it. He walked into the kitchen, which was separated from the living and dining room by the breakfast bar. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Are you going to cook for me?” Julie gasped, a grin spreading across her face. “This is so great! I should be pregnant all the time. Are you going to do the laundry and clean, too?”
“I clean sometimes,” Tim replied, scowling at her. Her smile merely widened. “I think you should start eating meat again, though. It’s better for the baby.”
“Thanks, Dr. Riggins. I bet that has nothing to do with the fact that you’d eat a plate of fried chicken and meatloaf for dinner every night if you could.”
“Not at all,” he replied, trying to keep a straight face and failing. Julie watched him from the couch, a smile on her face. They just regarded one another for a moment.
“Hey,” Julie said, her voice soft and rough. “I love you.”
Tim continued to stare at her, suddenly submerged in one of those surreal moments where he wondered if this was really happening, if he was actually this happy. Ignoring the urge to pinch himself, he walked back over to the couch and sat down. Julie immediately sat up, cuddling up to his side. He sighed and dropped a kiss on her head.
“Hey, I love you, too.”
She sighed, and wrapped an arm around his chest. They fell quiet for several minutes, the only sound their steady breathing. Tim idly stroked the hair on the top of her head, and closed his eyes.
“You tell your parents yet?” he asked, after a long pause.
“No, of course not. I wanted to tell you first, once I was sure.”
“They’re gonna be so excited,” he replied, grinning.
“I know. You’ll have to help me figure out a good way to tell them. Over the phone seems wrong. Anyway, I want to wait. I want it to be our secret for a little while. You know?”
Tim nodded, considering this as the initial shock began to wear off and reality sunk in. They were going to be parents. He was going to be a father, someone’s dad. He had no idea how you were supposed to do that. Tim gulped. “Hey, Jules?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you... Do you think I can do it? You know, be someone’s dad? A good one?”
Julie pulled back to look at him. “I don’t doubt for a single second that you are completely capable of being not only a good dad, but a great one. I think you’ll be patient and kind and loving and protective. And fun, too. That’s what I think.”
Tim blinked at her and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He still didn’t understand where Julie’s faith in him came from, but he had long since stopped questioning it. A little crease formed between her eyebrows as she regarded him.
“Do you think I’ll be a good mom?” she asked. “Sometimes I’m kind of... I don’t know. So many of the young moms I know seem so mellow and nice. What if I’m not nice enough?”
“Are you kidding me? Look what you do. Practically your whole life revolves around looking out for other people. You’ve got this one in the bag.”
Julie smiled, settling her cheek against his chest again. “Who would have guessed that getting rejected from grad school would turn out to be the best thing that could happen to me? I should write those colleges some thank you notes.”
“I think I’m the one who should be thankful.”
“Let’s just call it a happy accident of fate, then,” Julie suggested lightly.
“Sounds good to me, Jules. Sounds good to me.”
-end-
Author: lindentree
Rating: M
Character(s): Tim/Julie
Word Count: 1,827
Summary: This is an AU which takes place four years after 4x13 "Thanksgiving." Tim is an ex-convict and Julie is a college graduate, and both of them now know that in this life, there are no guarantees.
Thanks again to ishie, and to those of you who commented. I appreciate it more than you know! Thank you. ♥
“Hey babe, I’m home!”
Tim strode up the front steps of the house, stepping over the uneven board which wouldn’t stop creaking, no matter how many times he pulled it off and hammered it back on. They had moved into this, their first house, six months ago, and there seemed to be an unending list of things in need of fixing. He crossed the small veranda and let himself in through the teal screen door. It banged as it closed behind him but Tim ignored it, his attention focussed on the scrabbling of claws on linoleum as Faulkner, their deaf rescued greyhound, came to greet him. Tim bent down and patted the dog’s lean brindle sides as he panted happily, wagging his tail.
“You had your dinner yet, buddy?” Tim asked, standing up again and walking further into the house. Faulkner followed close at his heels. “Jules?”
“I’m out here!” Julie’s voice came from the backyard. Tim walked through the little kitchen and out the screen door to the deck at the back of the house, which overlooked their small but pretty yard, where Julie attempted to grow figs and peppers, and numerous potted cactuses, with mixed results.
She was sitting in one of the deck chairs, her feet propped up on the railing before her and a glass of water at her side. A book was open in her lap, and, as always, she had a pen and a highlighter handy as she read. Tim smiled. Tim had never met anyone who enjoyed learning as much as Julie did. She wasn’t even in school anymore, and she was still studying, still absorbing as much of the world as she possibly could. He appreciated it, even though he couldn’t say the same for himself.
“My dad called,” she said, not looking up from her book. “He wants to know if you watched those videos he sent you, of that new running back.”
“Not yet,” Tim admitted sheepishly, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before grabbing one of the other chairs and sitting down across from her. Idly, she removed her feet from the railing and dropped them in his lap.
“I figured,” she smiled. “I told him that business is booming and you haven’t had time.”
“Thanks,” Tim sighed. It wasn’t a lie; Tim had started his own landscaping business only a year earlier, and it had quickly grown beyond their east Austin neighbourhood. It had grown so much, in fact, that he had hired two local high school kids to help him out for the summer. Now that September had arrived and they had gone back to school, Tim was struggling to meet all his commitments, and was on the hunt for someone permanent to help him out. “How was your day off?” he asked.
“Relaxing. Got some stuff done around the house, then Faulkner and I went for a nice long walk at the park. Didn’t we, buddy?” Julie reached down to where the dog lay on the deck and gave his belly a scratch. He groaned happily and thumped his skinny tail.
Julie had finished her associate degree in less than two years, during which time they lived in a tiny apartment and both ended up working two jobs to scrape by. Tim recalled those exhausting months with a pained wince. They had nearly broken up twice, but they got through it somehow. Tim still really wasn’t sure how. Pure stubbornness on both their parts probably had something to do with it.
Julie had since become a counsellor at the local teen drop-in centre, with an eye on eventually working in addictions counselling once she had enough experience under her belt.
“Hey, I have something for you,” she said.
“Oh yeah?” Tim asked, tiredly stretching his arms behind his head as he watched Julie lift the book in her lap and pull something out from under it. A strand of blond hair fell across her cheek as she looked down, and Tim smiled.
“Here,” she said, handing him something small and white and oblong. Tim squinted at it in the bright afternoon sunlight, and his throat tightened as he realised what it was. It was a pregnancy test. He turned it in his hand and peered at it more closely. There were two little blue lines in the screen. He looked over at Julie.
“I thought about wrapping it in a bow, or putting it in your coffee cup tomorrow morning, or maybe setting it on the table tonight, instead of your fork, but then I thought, you know, it’s something I’ve technically peed on, so maybe not,” Julie rambled, her face flushed.
“Are you... Seriously?” he asked, his mouth suddenly dry.
“Yeah. I’m pregnant,” she said, her expression excited, but anxious. “What do you think?”
Tim said nothing, unable to find any combination of words that could express how he felt. He pushed Julie’s feet from his lap and knelt down to put his ear to her stomach. Julie laughed, the sound vibrating against his cheek.
“I don’t really think there’s anything to hear, yet,” Julie said. “I’m only about eight weeks along, if that.”
Tim pulled away, leaving a hand resting over her bellybutton. “If it’s a boy, I wanna name him Waylon. Like Waylon Jennings.”
Julie sputtered. “Are you kidding? No, absolutely not. Full veto is in effect, and I veto Waylon.”
“You’re the one who named the dog Faulkner,” Tim replied. “Not sure your opinion can be trusted.”
“Yes, but there’s a bit of a difference between an old deaf greyhound and our firstborn,” she said, laughing.
“Firstborn,” he repeated, sticking out his bottom lip in contemplation. “I like the sound of that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, it means there’s gonna be more after this one. Little Waylon and Conway and Emmylou and Loretta and -”
“Ah!” Julie exclaimed, sliding off her chair to tackle him, straddling him right there in the middle of their sun-drenched deck. Faulkner got up and moved aside, giving a perturbed woof at their antics as he went. “You’re officially banned from suggesting names.”
“Bet your dad’ll agree with me,” Tim countered, grinning up at her.
“Bet he’ll suggest a bunch of famous running backs to name our children after. Even the girls.”
“You’re right about that,” Tim replied, his hands coming to rest on her hips. He turned serious. “Probably shouldn’t roughhouse like that, Jules. You okay?”
Julie rolled her eyes heavenward. “It’s like the size of a pea right now, Tim. It’s safe in there, believe me.”
“Still. Can’t be too careful,” he said, rolling them both up to standing before dropping an arm behind her knees and scooping her up in his arms.
“Are you kidding me? Really, Tim?”
“I’m gonna carry you two everywhere from now on.”
“God help me,” Julie moaned. “You won’t be saying that in a few months when I’m as big as a house. And gassy. Don’t forget gassy.”
“Good point,” he grimaced. Julie giggled and leaned her head against his shoulder, submitting to being carried into the living room, where he deposited her on the couch.
“I should have known you’d go all prehistoric about this,” Julie observed.
Tim shrugged, not bothering to deny it. He walked into the kitchen, which was separated from the living and dining room by the breakfast bar. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Are you going to cook for me?” Julie gasped, a grin spreading across her face. “This is so great! I should be pregnant all the time. Are you going to do the laundry and clean, too?”
“I clean sometimes,” Tim replied, scowling at her. Her smile merely widened. “I think you should start eating meat again, though. It’s better for the baby.”
“Thanks, Dr. Riggins. I bet that has nothing to do with the fact that you’d eat a plate of fried chicken and meatloaf for dinner every night if you could.”
“Not at all,” he replied, trying to keep a straight face and failing. Julie watched him from the couch, a smile on her face. They just regarded one another for a moment.
“Hey,” Julie said, her voice soft and rough. “I love you.”
Tim continued to stare at her, suddenly submerged in one of those surreal moments where he wondered if this was really happening, if he was actually this happy. Ignoring the urge to pinch himself, he walked back over to the couch and sat down. Julie immediately sat up, cuddling up to his side. He sighed and dropped a kiss on her head.
“Hey, I love you, too.”
She sighed, and wrapped an arm around his chest. They fell quiet for several minutes, the only sound their steady breathing. Tim idly stroked the hair on the top of her head, and closed his eyes.
“You tell your parents yet?” he asked, after a long pause.
“No, of course not. I wanted to tell you first, once I was sure.”
“They’re gonna be so excited,” he replied, grinning.
“I know. You’ll have to help me figure out a good way to tell them. Over the phone seems wrong. Anyway, I want to wait. I want it to be our secret for a little while. You know?”
Tim nodded, considering this as the initial shock began to wear off and reality sunk in. They were going to be parents. He was going to be a father, someone’s dad. He had no idea how you were supposed to do that. Tim gulped. “Hey, Jules?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you... Do you think I can do it? You know, be someone’s dad? A good one?”
Julie pulled back to look at him. “I don’t doubt for a single second that you are completely capable of being not only a good dad, but a great one. I think you’ll be patient and kind and loving and protective. And fun, too. That’s what I think.”
Tim blinked at her and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He still didn’t understand where Julie’s faith in him came from, but he had long since stopped questioning it. A little crease formed between her eyebrows as she regarded him.
“Do you think I’ll be a good mom?” she asked. “Sometimes I’m kind of... I don’t know. So many of the young moms I know seem so mellow and nice. What if I’m not nice enough?”
“Are you kidding me? Look what you do. Practically your whole life revolves around looking out for other people. You’ve got this one in the bag.”
Julie smiled, settling her cheek against his chest again. “Who would have guessed that getting rejected from grad school would turn out to be the best thing that could happen to me? I should write those colleges some thank you notes.”
“I think I’m the one who should be thankful.”
“Let’s just call it a happy accident of fate, then,” Julie suggested lightly.
“Sounds good to me, Jules. Sounds good to me.”
-end-