Fic: Try a Little Tenderness, Ch 2
Summary: Tim Riggins, plus freedom, some TLC, and warm cookies. Chapter 2: Tim has a mini family reunion. Spoilers: after season 4. Note: These characters are not mine.
Tim hung up the phone. His talk with his dad had gone better than expected.
Jail had hardened him some, but it also made him realize he should try and appreciate those around him more. So part of trying to be a better person included being nice to a father you’d mostly resented your whole life.
It turned out his mom was sick and had called her ex Walt to come and fix the water heater. Her second husband, and father of Melissa, was on a “business trip.” Seems he was frequently away for work, or so he said. Some things never changed.
Walt lived a few towns over after moving back north from Corpus.
His father had put his mom on the phone, and although it was a brief conversation, it was good to talk with her.
Tim put another two quarters in and dialed Becky.
“Hey. Yeah, I need a favor back, one of those dozens of rides I gave you. I need to go visit my mom.”
-/-/-/-
The next day, Tim was waiting for Becky on the front steps as she pulled up in front of the Nest.
He surprised her with a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead. She figured he’d try to put some distance between them after their last time together, although she’d have preferred a kiss on the lips..
Tim’d gotten permission to visit his mother since she was ill. His anklet would tell his PO where he was.
Becky, for one, was delighted to be able to return a favor after all the rides she’d coaxed from Tim. Not to mention all the time it meant they’d spend alone, together.
She was also morbidly curious to meet Tim’s parents, after knowing almost nothing about them. What she had heard about his dad was horrible. And what kind of people would abandon such a great kid?
Tim unfolded directions he’d scrawled on a scrap of paper, directing Becky to go left or right after they got off the highway. He chewed his fingernails and nervously smoothed the ghost of his long hair.
“Here… pull over,” he said as they reached a small wooden house just outside of town. A girl was riding a bicycle in circles out front.
Becky squeezed his hand and smiled at him.
It struck Tim how Becky sincerely seemed concerned about him in a way nobody had lately, and he felt a catch in his throat.
“Melissa?,” Tim asked as they walked up to the girl. “Remember me? Your half brother, Tim?”
She smiled, eyes wide as the last time, the only time, he’d seen her. Tim impulsively put his arm around her and gave her a sideways hug. “Melissa, Becky,” he said, with a wave of his arm.
“Your girlfriend’s pretty,” Melissa said. Becky beamed and Tim smirked and cleared his throat but said nothing.
“How’s Mom doing, kid?,” Tim asked softly.
Melissa frowned. “She sleeps a lot,” she said, taking Tim’s hand and leading them inside. “But the doctor says she’s getting better.”
Their mom was lying in her bedroom with the curtains partially closed. She turned her head and opened her eyes as Tim, Becky and Melissa came in.
“Lord, is that Timmy?” she said in a surprised voice. “Come over here, let me see you honey.” She patted the bed next to her.
Tim sat down slowly, gave his mom one hand, which she squeezed with both. They looked at one another for a good while in silence.
“Look at you, a grown man, all handsome and whatnot. Except your gorgeous hair’s all gone. I loved your hair long.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t exactly my choice. That’s one thing that’s happened since I saw you a while back when I was with Jay.”
He shrugged. “Mom, this is Becky. Becky, Rita Rig…” He bit his lip.
“Bullock,” she corrected Tim. “Rita Bullock. Well how do you do, Becky.” They shook hands.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Becky said. She felt like she should say something like “I’ve heard so much about you,” but knew she’d be lying.
She tried not to outright stare at Rita, but she was drawn by the resemblance to Tim, the disarming good looks, green eyes, and fine bone structure.
“So Timmy, after all those years, why the short hair now?” Rita asked her son, her voice darkly husky.
“Uh… I… I did some time.”
His mom frowned and shut her eyes for a moment. “My. My god, Tim, what for.”
“Well it wasn’t as bad as you might think, like armed robbery or homicide or stuff like that. It was for selling some stolen car parts. Did six months, and released on good behavior with six months parole.”
She started sniffling. “I thought you’d be better’n your dad. He was in and out of jail a bunch of times. Even Billy… I figured Billy’d get in trouble before you would.”
“Well it was for the shop that Billy and me run in Dillon… Riggins Rigs. Car repair.”
Tim held his tongue, wishing he could lay out the truth. He never told Becky either. He couldn’t tell anyone for fear that they’d inform the police and haul Billy off to jail. Becky looked away.
“Well about Billy… there’s some good news,” he said, his face visibly brightening. “You’re a grandma. He and his wife had a baby boy nearly a year ago. Stevie.” He pulled out a picture from his wallet.
“Oh… isn’t that…” she trailed off, gazing at Stevie and weeping. “He’s adorable. But Billy, a father…?” Tim smirked and nodded.
“How could I not be there for you boys during all these life-changing events?,” she said, sniffling more. “I was a terrible mom for you. I did what I could but it just wasn’t enough. At least I had a better chance with Melissa,” she said, reaching out and stroking the child’s hair.
“She’s a great kid,” Tim said in a low voice. “Well, what I know of her anyhows.” Melissa grinned at him. It made Tim want to get to know her as much as possible.
“Well I just wanted to come and see you cause I heard you were sick. And since we ran into each other that time, I’d meant to call you, but crap happened.” He smoothed his missing hair again.
They heard the front door slam and a man’s voice say, “Is that Timmy? Where’s my boy…?”
Tim rolled his eyes at Becky, squeezed her hand, and whispered, “Here we go.”
“Hey dad,” Tim said resignedly. “Meet Becky.”
Tim hung up the phone. His talk with his dad had gone better than expected.
Jail had hardened him some, but it also made him realize he should try and appreciate those around him more. So part of trying to be a better person included being nice to a father you’d mostly resented your whole life.
It turned out his mom was sick and had called her ex Walt to come and fix the water heater. Her second husband, and father of Melissa, was on a “business trip.” Seems he was frequently away for work, or so he said. Some things never changed.
Walt lived a few towns over after moving back north from Corpus.
His father had put his mom on the phone, and although it was a brief conversation, it was good to talk with her.
Tim put another two quarters in and dialed Becky.
“Hey. Yeah, I need a favor back, one of those dozens of rides I gave you. I need to go visit my mom.”
-/-/-/-
The next day, Tim was waiting for Becky on the front steps as she pulled up in front of the Nest.
He surprised her with a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead. She figured he’d try to put some distance between them after their last time together, although she’d have preferred a kiss on the lips..
Tim’d gotten permission to visit his mother since she was ill. His anklet would tell his PO where he was.
Becky, for one, was delighted to be able to return a favor after all the rides she’d coaxed from Tim. Not to mention all the time it meant they’d spend alone, together.
She was also morbidly curious to meet Tim’s parents, after knowing almost nothing about them. What she had heard about his dad was horrible. And what kind of people would abandon such a great kid?
Tim unfolded directions he’d scrawled on a scrap of paper, directing Becky to go left or right after they got off the highway. He chewed his fingernails and nervously smoothed the ghost of his long hair.
“Here… pull over,” he said as they reached a small wooden house just outside of town. A girl was riding a bicycle in circles out front.
Becky squeezed his hand and smiled at him.
It struck Tim how Becky sincerely seemed concerned about him in a way nobody had lately, and he felt a catch in his throat.
“Melissa?,” Tim asked as they walked up to the girl. “Remember me? Your half brother, Tim?”
She smiled, eyes wide as the last time, the only time, he’d seen her. Tim impulsively put his arm around her and gave her a sideways hug. “Melissa, Becky,” he said, with a wave of his arm.
“Your girlfriend’s pretty,” Melissa said. Becky beamed and Tim smirked and cleared his throat but said nothing.
“How’s Mom doing, kid?,” Tim asked softly.
Melissa frowned. “She sleeps a lot,” she said, taking Tim’s hand and leading them inside. “But the doctor says she’s getting better.”
Their mom was lying in her bedroom with the curtains partially closed. She turned her head and opened her eyes as Tim, Becky and Melissa came in.
“Lord, is that Timmy?” she said in a surprised voice. “Come over here, let me see you honey.” She patted the bed next to her.
Tim sat down slowly, gave his mom one hand, which she squeezed with both. They looked at one another for a good while in silence.
“Look at you, a grown man, all handsome and whatnot. Except your gorgeous hair’s all gone. I loved your hair long.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t exactly my choice. That’s one thing that’s happened since I saw you a while back when I was with Jay.”
He shrugged. “Mom, this is Becky. Becky, Rita Rig…” He bit his lip.
“Bullock,” she corrected Tim. “Rita Bullock. Well how do you do, Becky.” They shook hands.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Becky said. She felt like she should say something like “I’ve heard so much about you,” but knew she’d be lying.
She tried not to outright stare at Rita, but she was drawn by the resemblance to Tim, the disarming good looks, green eyes, and fine bone structure.
“So Timmy, after all those years, why the short hair now?” Rita asked her son, her voice darkly husky.
“Uh… I… I did some time.”
His mom frowned and shut her eyes for a moment. “My. My god, Tim, what for.”
“Well it wasn’t as bad as you might think, like armed robbery or homicide or stuff like that. It was for selling some stolen car parts. Did six months, and released on good behavior with six months parole.”
She started sniffling. “I thought you’d be better’n your dad. He was in and out of jail a bunch of times. Even Billy… I figured Billy’d get in trouble before you would.”
“Well it was for the shop that Billy and me run in Dillon… Riggins Rigs. Car repair.”
Tim held his tongue, wishing he could lay out the truth. He never told Becky either. He couldn’t tell anyone for fear that they’d inform the police and haul Billy off to jail. Becky looked away.
“Well about Billy… there’s some good news,” he said, his face visibly brightening. “You’re a grandma. He and his wife had a baby boy nearly a year ago. Stevie.” He pulled out a picture from his wallet.
“Oh… isn’t that…” she trailed off, gazing at Stevie and weeping. “He’s adorable. But Billy, a father…?” Tim smirked and nodded.
“How could I not be there for you boys during all these life-changing events?,” she said, sniffling more. “I was a terrible mom for you. I did what I could but it just wasn’t enough. At least I had a better chance with Melissa,” she said, reaching out and stroking the child’s hair.
“She’s a great kid,” Tim said in a low voice. “Well, what I know of her anyhows.” Melissa grinned at him. It made Tim want to get to know her as much as possible.
“Well I just wanted to come and see you cause I heard you were sick. And since we ran into each other that time, I’d meant to call you, but crap happened.” He smoothed his missing hair again.
They heard the front door slam and a man’s voice say, “Is that Timmy? Where’s my boy…?”
Tim rolled his eyes at Becky, squeezed her hand, and whispered, “Here we go.”
“Hey dad,” Tim said resignedly. “Meet Becky.”