If You Ever Need A Pal (I'm Your Gal) - Friday Night Lights/Body Of Proof - Tami & Megan
Title: If You Ever Need A Pal (I'm Your Gal)
Fandom: Friday Night Lights/Body Of Proof
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Tami Taylor, Megan Hunt
Summary: It seemed to her that Dr. Hunt didn't have an Eric at home and that she needed someone to be there, even if it was just a friend.
Spoilers: basically for everything from both shows, especially Friday Night Lights
Word Count: 1,846
Disclaimer: Don't own either of 'em. If I did, they'd be friends and FNL wouldn't have ended.
Author's Note: Title taken from the song Friendship by Cole Porter. Unbetaed, so all mistakes are mine.
Sitting in a chair outside the Dean's office, Megan felt very much like she was being sent to the principal. It was probably the slightly guilty feeling she had for taking a day off work supposedly to go to a doctor's appointment, but it wasn't as if anyone would miss her. Still, she was beginning to second guess herself when a flurry of activity with red hair flew passed her.
"Shoot, y'all, I am runnin' so late. I'm so sorry. I'll be right with you." The Southern drawl caught Megan off guard, as did the use of "y'all". Was the woman talking to her or the secretary sitting across from her?
She didn't have time to ponder that question because the Texas tornado was back, standing in front of her with a wide smile and a slightly flushed face. "Hi, I'm Dean Taylor, so nice to meet you."
"Dr. Hunt," Megan replied, shaking hands with the dean before realizing how stuck up she probably sounded. "Megan - Megan Hunt."
"I'm sorry that I'm late, Dr. Hunt. I've been in meetings all morning long, and I swear, those boys can talk about budgets and admissions data until the cows come home."
"It's alright," Megan mumbled, watching as the dean shifted piles of paper on her desk, rearranging things rapidly before finally settling and allowing the Dean of Admissions mask to slip on. Until that moment, the dean had been just another woman, running late and harried. Now though, a dean sat before her.
"So, Dr. Hunt, what brings you in to meet with me today?" Tami asked, smiling.
"I'm checking into colleges for my daughter, Lacey. I've heard good things about Braemore and thought I should be proactive."
"Absolutely. I love proactive people. So, when would your daughter be enrolling?"
At that question, Megan stopped cold. Her hands started tingling painfully and she squeezed her eyes shut, flexing them against the pain.
"Dr. Hunt, are you alright?" Tami leaned forward, a concerned look etched on her face.
"I - " another shot of pain caused her to stumble, "I'm sorry. I'm fine. My hands just..." she looked across at the dean who seemed to have no idea who she was or what she had done, "fell asleep."
Tami blinked, but allowed the excuse. "It's fine, really."
"What were you saying?" Megan asked as the pain slowly receded.
"When would Lacey be joining us here at Braemore? In the spring or next fall or?"
"Oh," Megan sighed, suddenly realizing that this was a bad idea. "Um, not quite that soon."
Tami smiled. "Well, you are bein' proactive. Great! So, is she a junior?"
"She's 15. She's a sophomore this year." Suddenly, Megan wanted to be anywhere but sitting in front of the dean. She realized that she had, once again, failed as a parent. She wanted to be able to go to Lacey and give her the Braemore information and tell her that she could go without a worry, that her college would be paid for and her father wouldn't have to help. That she'd spent those first fourteen years of her life being an absentee mother earning the money that would pay for her college education. She wanted understanding and absolution and instead, Lacey would think she was crazy for doing these things so early and without her consent. She would never be able to make up for those missed years or measure up as a mother now.
"Well, that is a little early, but as a former guidance counselor and mother of a teenage daughter, I can tell you that it's never too early to start the college process. If Lacey is interested in Braemore, there are a few things she can do now to help the process, and once she's a junior, she'll really be able to get the ball rolling."
"Really?" Megan was caught off guard by the answer and the reassuring smile on the dean's face.
"Absolutely. Annie, can you bring in some prospective student brochures for Dr. Hunt please?" Tami called out to her secretary.
Then she refocused her attention on Megan. "The best thing to do to start the process is have Lacey look at our informational brochures to see if we're what she's looking for in a college. There's a survey that she can fill out as a prospective student to let us know who she is and what she's looking for in a college. That'll be helpful to both of us. Then it's important that she take her SATs as soon as they're offered in her junior year so we can get those scores. That's also when she can come to visit campus and attend open houses. I encourage that strongly, so we can get to know her and she can get to know us. And then the official application and enrollment process will start when she is a senior."
The secretary came in then, carrying a bag filled with brochures and catalogs that she handed to Megan. "Thanks, Annie." Tami smiled. "Those should get you started for now. Is there anything else I can help with at this point?"
Megan still felt slightly off balance, but managed to smile at the dean. "I don't think so. You've been incredibly helpful. Really. I can't thank you enough." She stood and shook Tami's hand again, squeezing it to try and show her gratitude to the woman for not making her feel like a failure.
"It's my pleasure." Tami smiled. She watched Megan start to head out the door. She had recognized in the doctor an almost kindred spirit - a mother with a drive to do what was best for her child, yet with the fear that she was constantly saying or doing the wrong thing. It had taken a lot of years and a lot of reassurances from Eric before she'd been able to accept that she was a good mother and wasn't going to screw Julie or Gracie up by making a mistake here or there. It seemed to her that Dr. Hunt didn't have an Eric at home and that she needed someone to be there, even if it was just a friend.
"Say, Dr. Hunt?" She called to the retreating redhead.
Megan turned back to face her.
"Like I said before, it's been a long morning, and I could really go for a good glass of wine. You wouldn't happen to know where I can get one, would you?"
Megan cocked her eyebrow at the redhead behind the desk.
"I'm pretty new in town." Tami admitted with a shrug.
Megan let out a laugh, and a breath she didn't know she'd been holding at the same time. "I know a place or two. But we have to be careful... I'm playing hooky from work."
Tami laughed. "Well, so am I. Let's go."
She shouldered her purse and followed Megan out of her office, pulling the door closed behind her. "Annie, if anyone asks, I'm taking a lunch meeting off campus. There's nothing too pressing for me here, so I probably won't be back to the office today. Feel free to take an early afternoon too." Tami winked at her.
"Yes, Dean Taylor." Annie smiled, watching the two redheads leave the office.
**
Megan drove to a small, out of the way bar she knew with Tami following her. She still felt awkward, especially for the fact that she was going out for drinks with someone that she barely knew. But the dean had been personable and had made her feel normal, which was somewhat of a feat these days. And besides, a glass of wine sounded pretty good to her right about now.
The women got a table in the back of the bar, although there weren't any other patrons there to bother them. They each ordered a glass of wine and then silence settled over them as they waited for their drinks to arrive.
"This is nice," Tami said, just to break the silence. "I'll have to make a note of it, so I can come back if I ever need to play hooky again."
Megan smiled. "So you're new in town?"
"Yes. Just moved here from Texas this past fall so I could take the dean job. It's been a big adjustment."
"I'm sure."
"Things are finally settlin' down now, thank goodness. And the job is really just a dream come true, so I know it was all worth it. But with the job and the move and my daughter, it's been hard to find time to make friends or get out and see the city. Mostly we either cook or get carry out from the Applebee's by our house."
"You have a daughter?"
"Two. Julie's engaged and living in Chicago with her fiancé, and Gracie Belle just turned five."
Their drinks arrived and the two continued to chat as they drank their wine, sharing stories of motherhood and career and trying to balance their needs and dreams with those of their husbands'. They could relate easily to each other and the struggles they'd faced, even if Megan had ended up divorced and Tami had stayed in a marriage that only seemed to strengthen throughout the years and the struggles.
Before they knew it, it was after four. "Oh my goodness! I've gotta pick up Gracie from the sitter! I can't believe it's after four already!"
Megan's eyes widened as she checked her watch to find that it was, indeed, after four. "Me either. It seems like we just got here."
Tami laughed. "That's what good company and good wine will do to you. I'm so sorry that I've got to run, but we should do this again some time."
"I'd like that." Megan smiled, and she knew that she meant it.
"I'll call you. Maybe you can come over to the house, have dinner with us."
"Okay." Megan nodded, grabbing her purse and following Tami out of the bar. "I'm really glad I decided to make that appointment with you this morning." She told her, remembering Kate's words. Do you have any friends? Get some.
"I am too. Bye, Megan."
"Bye, Tami."
**
"So, how was your day?" Eric asked, wrapping his arms around his wife from behind.
"It was real good." Tami smiled, turning and giving him a kiss. "I made a new friend."
"Really? And how did that come about?"
"She came in to talk to me about college for her daughter and... I just felt a connection. So we went out for a glass of wine and talked."
Eric raised his eyebrow. "A connection? Should I be worried?"
Tami laughed and slapped his chest. "You're terrible."
"What's she look like?" Eric pressed.
"Redhead. Good looking. A doctor."
"Maybe I should be worried," Eric mused, "but I'm kinda liking where this is going."
"I suggest you stop right there, Eric Taylor. Otherwise, you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Alright, alright." He held up his hands in surrender. "But really, babe, I'm glad."
"Me too." Tami smiled, stirring the chili. "Me too."
Fandom: Friday Night Lights/Body Of Proof
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Tami Taylor, Megan Hunt
Summary: It seemed to her that Dr. Hunt didn't have an Eric at home and that she needed someone to be there, even if it was just a friend.
Spoilers: basically for everything from both shows, especially Friday Night Lights
Word Count: 1,846
Disclaimer: Don't own either of 'em. If I did, they'd be friends and FNL wouldn't have ended.
Author's Note: Title taken from the song Friendship by Cole Porter. Unbetaed, so all mistakes are mine.
Sitting in a chair outside the Dean's office, Megan felt very much like she was being sent to the principal. It was probably the slightly guilty feeling she had for taking a day off work supposedly to go to a doctor's appointment, but it wasn't as if anyone would miss her. Still, she was beginning to second guess herself when a flurry of activity with red hair flew passed her.
"Shoot, y'all, I am runnin' so late. I'm so sorry. I'll be right with you." The Southern drawl caught Megan off guard, as did the use of "y'all". Was the woman talking to her or the secretary sitting across from her?
She didn't have time to ponder that question because the Texas tornado was back, standing in front of her with a wide smile and a slightly flushed face. "Hi, I'm Dean Taylor, so nice to meet you."
"Dr. Hunt," Megan replied, shaking hands with the dean before realizing how stuck up she probably sounded. "Megan - Megan Hunt."
"I'm sorry that I'm late, Dr. Hunt. I've been in meetings all morning long, and I swear, those boys can talk about budgets and admissions data until the cows come home."
"It's alright," Megan mumbled, watching as the dean shifted piles of paper on her desk, rearranging things rapidly before finally settling and allowing the Dean of Admissions mask to slip on. Until that moment, the dean had been just another woman, running late and harried. Now though, a dean sat before her.
"So, Dr. Hunt, what brings you in to meet with me today?" Tami asked, smiling.
"I'm checking into colleges for my daughter, Lacey. I've heard good things about Braemore and thought I should be proactive."
"Absolutely. I love proactive people. So, when would your daughter be enrolling?"
At that question, Megan stopped cold. Her hands started tingling painfully and she squeezed her eyes shut, flexing them against the pain.
"Dr. Hunt, are you alright?" Tami leaned forward, a concerned look etched on her face.
"I - " another shot of pain caused her to stumble, "I'm sorry. I'm fine. My hands just..." she looked across at the dean who seemed to have no idea who she was or what she had done, "fell asleep."
Tami blinked, but allowed the excuse. "It's fine, really."
"What were you saying?" Megan asked as the pain slowly receded.
"When would Lacey be joining us here at Braemore? In the spring or next fall or?"
"Oh," Megan sighed, suddenly realizing that this was a bad idea. "Um, not quite that soon."
Tami smiled. "Well, you are bein' proactive. Great! So, is she a junior?"
"She's 15. She's a sophomore this year." Suddenly, Megan wanted to be anywhere but sitting in front of the dean. She realized that she had, once again, failed as a parent. She wanted to be able to go to Lacey and give her the Braemore information and tell her that she could go without a worry, that her college would be paid for and her father wouldn't have to help. That she'd spent those first fourteen years of her life being an absentee mother earning the money that would pay for her college education. She wanted understanding and absolution and instead, Lacey would think she was crazy for doing these things so early and without her consent. She would never be able to make up for those missed years or measure up as a mother now.
"Well, that is a little early, but as a former guidance counselor and mother of a teenage daughter, I can tell you that it's never too early to start the college process. If Lacey is interested in Braemore, there are a few things she can do now to help the process, and once she's a junior, she'll really be able to get the ball rolling."
"Really?" Megan was caught off guard by the answer and the reassuring smile on the dean's face.
"Absolutely. Annie, can you bring in some prospective student brochures for Dr. Hunt please?" Tami called out to her secretary.
Then she refocused her attention on Megan. "The best thing to do to start the process is have Lacey look at our informational brochures to see if we're what she's looking for in a college. There's a survey that she can fill out as a prospective student to let us know who she is and what she's looking for in a college. That'll be helpful to both of us. Then it's important that she take her SATs as soon as they're offered in her junior year so we can get those scores. That's also when she can come to visit campus and attend open houses. I encourage that strongly, so we can get to know her and she can get to know us. And then the official application and enrollment process will start when she is a senior."
The secretary came in then, carrying a bag filled with brochures and catalogs that she handed to Megan. "Thanks, Annie." Tami smiled. "Those should get you started for now. Is there anything else I can help with at this point?"
Megan still felt slightly off balance, but managed to smile at the dean. "I don't think so. You've been incredibly helpful. Really. I can't thank you enough." She stood and shook Tami's hand again, squeezing it to try and show her gratitude to the woman for not making her feel like a failure.
"It's my pleasure." Tami smiled. She watched Megan start to head out the door. She had recognized in the doctor an almost kindred spirit - a mother with a drive to do what was best for her child, yet with the fear that she was constantly saying or doing the wrong thing. It had taken a lot of years and a lot of reassurances from Eric before she'd been able to accept that she was a good mother and wasn't going to screw Julie or Gracie up by making a mistake here or there. It seemed to her that Dr. Hunt didn't have an Eric at home and that she needed someone to be there, even if it was just a friend.
"Say, Dr. Hunt?" She called to the retreating redhead.
Megan turned back to face her.
"Like I said before, it's been a long morning, and I could really go for a good glass of wine. You wouldn't happen to know where I can get one, would you?"
Megan cocked her eyebrow at the redhead behind the desk.
"I'm pretty new in town." Tami admitted with a shrug.
Megan let out a laugh, and a breath she didn't know she'd been holding at the same time. "I know a place or two. But we have to be careful... I'm playing hooky from work."
Tami laughed. "Well, so am I. Let's go."
She shouldered her purse and followed Megan out of her office, pulling the door closed behind her. "Annie, if anyone asks, I'm taking a lunch meeting off campus. There's nothing too pressing for me here, so I probably won't be back to the office today. Feel free to take an early afternoon too." Tami winked at her.
"Yes, Dean Taylor." Annie smiled, watching the two redheads leave the office.
**
Megan drove to a small, out of the way bar she knew with Tami following her. She still felt awkward, especially for the fact that she was going out for drinks with someone that she barely knew. But the dean had been personable and had made her feel normal, which was somewhat of a feat these days. And besides, a glass of wine sounded pretty good to her right about now.
The women got a table in the back of the bar, although there weren't any other patrons there to bother them. They each ordered a glass of wine and then silence settled over them as they waited for their drinks to arrive.
"This is nice," Tami said, just to break the silence. "I'll have to make a note of it, so I can come back if I ever need to play hooky again."
Megan smiled. "So you're new in town?"
"Yes. Just moved here from Texas this past fall so I could take the dean job. It's been a big adjustment."
"I'm sure."
"Things are finally settlin' down now, thank goodness. And the job is really just a dream come true, so I know it was all worth it. But with the job and the move and my daughter, it's been hard to find time to make friends or get out and see the city. Mostly we either cook or get carry out from the Applebee's by our house."
"You have a daughter?"
"Two. Julie's engaged and living in Chicago with her fiancé, and Gracie Belle just turned five."
Their drinks arrived and the two continued to chat as they drank their wine, sharing stories of motherhood and career and trying to balance their needs and dreams with those of their husbands'. They could relate easily to each other and the struggles they'd faced, even if Megan had ended up divorced and Tami had stayed in a marriage that only seemed to strengthen throughout the years and the struggles.
Before they knew it, it was after four. "Oh my goodness! I've gotta pick up Gracie from the sitter! I can't believe it's after four already!"
Megan's eyes widened as she checked her watch to find that it was, indeed, after four. "Me either. It seems like we just got here."
Tami laughed. "That's what good company and good wine will do to you. I'm so sorry that I've got to run, but we should do this again some time."
"I'd like that." Megan smiled, and she knew that she meant it.
"I'll call you. Maybe you can come over to the house, have dinner with us."
"Okay." Megan nodded, grabbing her purse and following Tami out of the bar. "I'm really glad I decided to make that appointment with you this morning." She told her, remembering Kate's words. Do you have any friends? Get some.
"I am too. Bye, Megan."
"Bye, Tami."
**
"So, how was your day?" Eric asked, wrapping his arms around his wife from behind.
"It was real good." Tami smiled, turning and giving him a kiss. "I made a new friend."
"Really? And how did that come about?"
"She came in to talk to me about college for her daughter and... I just felt a connection. So we went out for a glass of wine and talked."
Eric raised his eyebrow. "A connection? Should I be worried?"
Tami laughed and slapped his chest. "You're terrible."
"What's she look like?" Eric pressed.
"Redhead. Good looking. A doctor."
"Maybe I should be worried," Eric mused, "but I'm kinda liking where this is going."
"I suggest you stop right there, Eric Taylor. Otherwise, you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Alright, alright." He held up his hands in surrender. "But really, babe, I'm glad."
"Me too." Tami smiled, stirring the chili. "Me too."