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fleurlbWarning: Takes place after the end of Season 3 and alludes to things that happened during that season. So, if you're very spoiler averse, you probably want to come back another time.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here and am just doing this for fun and to pass the long months until Season 4.
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Tim had no idea why Julie needed him to pick her up at the gas station out on Route 5, but he wasn't going to waste time asking a bunch of questions. He said he'd see her in 20 minutes and managed to make it there in 12.
He pulled into the lot and spotted her right away, leaning against the plate glass window out front, her arms crossed tight and her shoulders hunched. She started moving as soon as she saw his truck and barely waited long enough for him to stop before she'd pulled open the door and scrambled up into the seat.
“Are you okay?” he asked, searching her face for clues, even as part of him really wanted to look at her legs. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her wearing a skirt before.
She shrugged and then nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for coming to get me.”
“No worries,” he replied as he pulled onto the road, headed back toward Dillon. He waited for about thirty seconds and then asked her if she wanted to talk about it.
Julie shook her head.
“So, uh....where do you want to go?” he asked.
“I'm not sure. I know that I don't want to go home.” She rested her elbow on the door and propped her head on her hand.
“Well, that leaves a lot of options.”
“I don't want to go anywhere where there's people.”
“Okay, that narrows it down a lot. How about my place?”
“What about Herc?” asked Julie, glancing over at him.
“He's at a training camp in Albuquerque for the next three weeks.”
“Oh, good. Your place would be great,” she said, mustering up a closed-mouth smile that didn't come close to reaching her eyes. “Unless, I mean, you don't have any other plans or anything? I don't want to put you out any.”
“Nah, Taylor, it's fine. I was just relaxing at home tonight. No plans.”
“I haven't really seen you since the summer. How you been?” she asked.
“Fine.”
“What are you doing now?”
“Still working for Billy.” he said without much enthusiasm.
“Yeah? How's that working out for you?” she asked.
Tim shrugged. “It's fine, you know....It's just that fixing other people's cars isn't anything at all like fixing your own. There's way more talking involved than I expected. And....well.....working with Billy is different than I thought it'd be.”
“The fantasy doesn't live up to the reality?” she asked.
“No, it does not.”
“Do you have any other plans?” she asked.
The ghost of a smile flickered on his face and he looked across the seat at her.
“I'm sorry, that's probably none of my business.”
“No, that's not it at all,” said Tim. “It's just, well, I'm taking a carpentry class at Dillon Tech.”
“For real?”
“Yeah. It's going pretty good. I enjoy it so far. It's not the full apprentice thing or anything that's going to lead to a qualification, it's more just to try it out and see what I think.”
“That's great. I really hope it works out for you,” she said, her voice all sincerity.
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, Tim keeping his eyes on the road and Julie staring out the side window. The quiet lasted until they reached Tim's place.
He pulled into the driveway and put the truck in park. He was about to get out when he noticed that Julie seemed to be hiding her tears. He twisted slightly so his back was against the door and he could look at her directly. He put his arm up along the back of the seat.
“Taylor?” he asked gently. It was all the invitation she needed. She slid across and settled against him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and wished there was something he could to make her feel better. He rubbed her shoulder with one hand and let the other tangle in her silky hair.
He sat still and waited for her to calm down. His mind wandered a little and ended up turning down a surprising blind alley. He suddenly found himself thinking of Julie and Lyla and the difference between them.
Lyla.....Lyla was sugar-coated softness with hidden razor blades that he was always cutting himself on. Julie was all barbed wire, sharp corners, prickly humor and warning signs on the outside. But once you got past all that, once she let you through the secret gate, it was all softness and light, a core of true, gentle sweetness that wasn't just for show.
It was like that dumb joke Landry had taught him once when they were studying for a Biology final. What's the difference between an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton? An endoskeleton goes squish-crunch and an exoskeleton goes crunch-squish. Julie was definitely a case of crunch-squish. He wondered if Seven even know how much he'd hurt her, if she ever let him see it.
Tim didn't know how long they sat there like that, his shirt steadily growing damp from her tears. Eventually, when the crying had subsided somewhat, she started to talk, a stream of words that were muffled against his chest. He got the general idea. Trouble with Seven, something to do with him being unreasonable and resentful and taking it out on her.
“I'm sorry,” she said, pulling away from him, sniffling. “I've cried all over you.”
“No worries, Taylor. It's a completely different experience to have a woman cry and know it's not your fault,” he said.
She gave him a weak smile.
“C'mon, I think I got something that'll take your mind off things,” he said, partially regretting the statement when he heard how it sounded out loud. He got out of the truck and held out a hand to help her down. He opened the door to the apartment and let her walk in first.
“Do you ever lock your door?” she asked as she looked around, blinking in the dim light.
“Sometimes,” he shrugged. “I'm going to change my shirt real quick.”
“OK, um, where's the bathroom?”
He directed her to the second door on the left and then went into his room. He pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the bed, then looked around for a clean shirt. Unable to find a button-down replacement, he settled for a Panthers Football t-shirt. He went over to his closet and pulled out one of his football sweatshirts.
Back in the living room, he found Julie looking at Herc's trophies.
“Here, Taylor, you might need this. Herc doesn't believe in turning on the heat until you can see your breath, which pretty much guarantees it's never on.” He handed her the sweatshirt and watched as she put it on.
“Thanks, so, what do you have in mind?”
Tim gestured to a bunch of plastic instruments piled in the corner. “Rock Band 2 – only the best waste of time ever invented.”
“Rock Band 2?”
“Trust me,” he said, smiling.
“Okay. What do you usually play?” she asked as he signed in and created the necessary accounts.
“Guitar,” he answered without taking his eyes off the screen.
“I woulda thought you'd be all about the drums.”
“I would, but Herc can't manage the guitar and I don't sing, so....” he said with a shrug.
“What's easiest?”
“Singing, probably, if you can sing at all.”
“Oh, I don't know. I don't usually like to sing in front of people,” said Julie, fidgeting.
“Well, I'm not people, Taylor. Besides, I know you've got a decent voice. You sing in the shower.” He looked over and wondered if it was wrong to enjoy her blushing.
A short time later, Julie was set up with a blue-haired punk rocker called Jules and had run through the tutorial for singing.
“You ready,” he asked as he added her to his band.
“The Panthers,” she said. “Very original. It take you long to come up with that?”
He sighed and gave her an impatient, tight-lipped smile. “Are you ready?”
“Yes...no....wait. I don't like my clothes. Can I change them? I mean, my avatar's clothes,” she added quickly, having apparently caught the smirk on Tim's face.
He nodded, took the control from her and navigated to the right spot. “Here, you get yourself dressed there. I'm going to get a few beers.”
When he returned, 'Jules' was outfitted in a short blue plaid skirt, a powder blue shirt and matching combat boots.
“Awesome. You ready now?” he asked, setting a beer down in front of her before sitting down with his own beer at the other end of the couch.
They started with some of the easier songs until Julie got used to singing. She seemed to be enjoying it and she did have a decent voice. Tim, at least, was enjoying listening to her.
“You ready for something a bit more challenging now, Taylor?” he asked.
“Always,” she said.
He selected a 3 Song Mystery Set and settled back to see what they would get. The first song was from the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs: “Maps”.
Julie rolled through it without any trouble. “I thought this set was supposed to be challenging,” she scoffed.
“We're one song in, Taylor. Plenty more game left to play. Don't go getting cocky.”
The next song was “Black”, Pearl Jam. Julie did fine until the words stopped and Eddie Vedder made an endless series of yeahs, woos, and doo-doo-doos. Julie struggled with those and Tim could sense her enthusiasm waning. She sank deeper and deeper into the couch, slouching until it looked like she didn't have a bone in her body.
“Why can't he just stop when the words are done? Why does he have to carry on like that?” complained Julie.
Tim smiled. “I don't know. But you might sing better if you sit up straight and get some air in your lungs.”
Julie stuck her tongue out at him before turning her attention back to the screen. As the Foo Fighters' song “Everlong” started, she squealed and jumped off the couch.
“This is one of my favorite songs ever!” she said, dancing around in place in front of the couch. Tim tried to keep his eyes on the screen, since the song was beyond challenging, but Julie's swaying hips and swinging arms were distracting him. When he came to the guitar solo, she dropped the microphone and began twirling around in the room, arms over her head, hair flying, lost in the music.
As the guitar solo wound down, she spun her way back to the microphone and finished the song, laughing as she kept getting tangled up in the microphone cord. Giggling and breathless, she collapsed on the couch next him. She leaned against him, rested her head against his shoulder and looked up at him with the first genuine smile he'd seen from her all night.
“You were right,” she said.
“About what?”
“About this being exactly what I needed,” she replied, gesturing vaguely around the room.
He took “this” to mean the game and having a chance to relax and be silly, although he wished it meant more. He wished she'd meant being with him.
Julie's eyes flickered to the screen and Tim was nearly relieved to look away. Looking down into her flushed face had been starting to feel like staring into the sun.
“Look at that, Riggins, 98% I got Serious Skills!” She jumped up and did a little victory dance, then returned to her spot at the opposite end of the couch.
He smiled and tried not to show his disappointment.
“I thought I saw some Alanis Morrisette on there. Could we do that one?” she asked. “That's definitely what I need – angry, shouting chick music. Perfect.”
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Three hours later, Julie was nearly hoarse and had to reluctantly concede that she should be getting home soon.
“But can we do one last song? Please?” she asked, wearing Tim down with those hopeful eyes.
He nodded and wasn't at all surprised when she insisted on “Everlong”. He found the gig where it was a single song on the menu and set his mind to keeping his focus on the screen.
He was doing well, until near the end of the song when he realized Julie had slowed down with her spinning and he could feel her eyes on him. He glanced over at her and it was like she was singing right to him.
“And I wonder
If everything could ever feel this real
forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You got to promise not to stop
When I say when...”
Then she was off again, spinning and laughing and nearly tripping over the coffee table.
When the song was over, Tim put down the guitar and stood up. “Okay, Taylor, let's get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”
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He drove her home in silence, smiling to himself as he listened to her humming quietly. He was nearing the corner where he'd have to turn onto her street when she grabbed his arm and told him to stop. He did and looked at her, puzzled.
She nodded her head in the direction of her house and he looked out. At first, he wasn't sure what he was looking for, but then he saw it: Seven's car, parked in the street across from her house, a hunched figure barely visible behind the wheel.
“What, is he stalking you or something?” asked Tim.
Julie shook her head emphatically, her hair ending up mostly piled over one shoulder. “No. I've had my phone turned off and he doesn't like to go to bed angry. It's kind of like a rule or something with him.”
“It's probably none of my business, but what did you fight about, exactly, anyway?” Tim asked.
Julie gave him a wry smile. “Bumper stickers.”
“Bumper stickers?”
She waved her hand. “You know how it is. Sometimes, what you're fighting about isn't really what you're fighting about at all.”
“Yeah,” he said, a world of understanding tied up in that single word. He went to put the truck back in gear.
“Wait....um....I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but would you mind just letting me out here? It might be too.....complicated otherwise,” she said apologetically.
Tim pressed his lips tightly together and forced a smile. “Sure, Taylor, no worries.”
“Thank you. For picking me up and everything,” she said as she climbed out. She closed the door and walked around in front of the truck. As she passed through the glare of his headlights, Tim realized his last name was on the back of the sweatshirt.
He briefly considered just letting her go, but sighed, rolled down the window and called her back. She came over and rested her elbows on the windows.
“Yeah?” she asked.
“You might want to give me back my sweatshirt, if you're trying not to complicate things,” he said, pointing to the #33, which was embroidered just above the heart.
“Oh, right.” She pulled on the sleeves and carefully wriggled out of the sweatshirt, then dropped it in his lap.
He looked down at it, not sure what, if anything, he should say to her.
“Tim?” she said.
“Yeah?” He looked up, his hair still partially hanging in his face. She reached out and brushed his hair behind his ear. He could have sworn that her fingers lingered a little, caressing his cheek, but maybe it was just wishful thinking.
“Thank you.” Her smile was sincere, her voice was warm, and her eyes.....he wasn't quite sure what her eyes were doing, but he knew that he didn't want them to stop.
“You're welcome.” His hand slid off its perch on the ledge of the window and reached out toward her, but then the thought of how she had cried stopped him as effectively as a forcefield.
The moment hung in the air and then passed. She gave him a little wave and walked away.
He killed the lights, reversed the truck into a nearby driveway and then turned off the engine. He rested his elbow on the door and pressed his mouth against his fist as he watched Julie cross the street and walk over toward Seven's car.
Seven got out, hands in his pocket and his head down. Julie stopped a few feet away from him and stood with her arms crossed. Seven looked up at her. Tim couldn't see the expression on his face, but he could imagine it – an earnest choirboy. He could equally imagine Julie's face as she accepted his apology.
Julie held out a little longer than Tim expected she would. But soon enough, Matt held out his arms and Julie stepped up to him, pressing his face against his shoulder. Tim started up his truck and drove away, trying not to think about how he'd been there, just a few hours before.
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-16 10:30 pm (UTC)“No worries, Taylor. It's a completely different experience to have a woman cry and know it's not your fault,” he said.
This story is so. much. fun.
Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-17 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-16 10:52 pm (UTC)You know, I've never quite been able to articulate why I like Julie so much better than Lyla, but that is the perfect way to put it. Even when Julie's a total brat, I like her - and even when Lyla is sweet as pie, I really don't, lol. I can relate to her, I can feel for her, but I just can't like her.
Loving the twists in this chapter and the last. You're treating it very delicately, but this is just how I could see Julie and Matt's relationship fall apart. Oh, and I SO want to play Rock Band with Julie.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-17 05:26 am (UTC)Glad you enjoyed the twists and found the fight plausible. I really struggled to get the tone of that one.
And I LOVE that icon. It made me laugh. Even more than Kermit.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-17 08:58 am (UTC)Looking forward to the last two chapters...
no subject
Date: 2009-07-17 06:10 pm (UTC)Last two chapters are up. Am relieved, nervous, and tired. Yay for the weekend.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-17 07:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-17 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-09 12:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-09 06:16 am (UTC)