Little Daisy

Hell Week

Tim walks in and slams the door. Rae sighs and reaches inside the fridge and pulls him a beer out of the fridge. She hands it to him.

"I quit the team today." He announces bluntly and she stares at him, unsure of what to do.

"Like 'quit-quit' or the 'I'm Tim Riggins, you can't treat me like this' quit?" She asks warily.

"You know Rae, I'm not really sure." He says broodingly. She sighs and kisses his head, patting his back. After a couple minutes he sighs and gestures for her to kiss him. She indulges. "I can't get Carden tomorrow, I have practice." He grumbles. Rae kisses his head to hide her smile.

"Ok baby." She says quietly.

"Did I just see Tim Riggins playing pick up football with the neighborhood kids?" Mr. Taylor demands, walking in the door.

"You did." Mrs. Taylor says, smiling. He stares at them, uncomprehending. Rae turns the corner, rocking Gracie.

"That was me." She says, somewhat sheepishly. He raises an eyebrow. "It started out as a punishment for missing his SAT. I said he had to play with Car's friends. And when his two weeks were up, he told me if he stopped playing with them, it'd break their hearts. So he does it a couple times a week." She reveals.

"What the hell?" He demands, bewildered. Julie exits her room.

"Ready to go?" She asks, not looking at her parents.

"Go where?" He asks, looking between them. Rae makes a face and excuses herself to go put Gracie in her crib. When she straightens up, Julie just flips her hair and gives her dad a cold look.

"C'mon Rae." She says, storming out of the house.

"Bye guys! Call me if you need anyone to babysit Gracie!" She calls hastily, following Julie.

"Change of plans. I'm going somewhere else with Lois. You go to the party. Tell Matt I can't go out or something." She says brusquely. Rae's heart sinks. She knows exactly where and who Julie is meeting.

"Jules..." She says slowly.

"Rae." Julie says, sighing. "Please, just do this. For me." Rae bites her lip and shakes her head, folding her arms.

"This is not a good idea but I love you and I trust you, so ok." She says, hugging her. Julie grins and waves, running towards Lois's idling car. Rae pulls out of the driveway, biting her lip. When she arrives at the lake house she finds Tim and drags him aside.

"Julie's not coming for Matt." She says after kissing him. He sighs and reaches around someone and offers her a shot.

"It's about you, not them." He reminds her. She nods and takes the shot, then kisses him again.

"Throw me a party, Tim Riggins." She whispers, biting his lip. He leans back, grinning.

"Someone get this girl a drink!" He hollers and everyone cheers. She separates from him a little later, finally comfortable mingling and talking with the dance girls, no longer defensive about every word spoken to her.

"Hey Tim." A couple girls chatter as they walk by, shooting him coy looks. He nods, taking a drink from his cup.

"How many girlfriends do you have?" A freshman defenseman asks, looking after the girls in awe.

"Just the one." Tim says, watching as Rae leans back, laughing as one of the girls tells a story.

"God, she's pretty." The kid says and Tim lowers his drink, raising an eyebrow. The kid stutters and hurries away.