Chapter 11: Cheers to us

The one where it sucks to be single on Valentine's Day.


Until lunch time, Lucy had downloaded and deleted Tinder at least 30 times. If there was a worst time to be single, was valentine's day, it truly sucked, and it was even worst when everyone around you was all lovey dovey. John had dinner plans with Clair, Jackson with Sterling, Lopez with Wesley and even Harper had her daughter for the night. Apparently only Lucy and her T.O. were alone for the night but Tim didn't even look bothered by it.

"You are going to block your phone if you keep it up." Tim said from his place on the left, the group of T.O.'s and Rookies were having lunch together.

"Why do I have to be single on Valentine's?" Lucy carefully tossed her phone to the side and tilted her head backwards.

"I don't get the fuss." Tim stated causing Lucy to simply roll her eyes. "I really don't. It's just a waste money on pointless overpriced dinners, overprices jewellery and flowers and in most cases in pointless fleeting flings."

"And that's why you are single." Harper explained pointing at Tim.

"I swear I don't understand why everyone thinks being single is so bad." Tim simply added in his defence.

"And that's also why you are single." Lopez reassured.

"Of course, you don't understand." Lucy added looking straight at him and pointing at him, Nolan and West. "You are man. No one tells you, repeatedly that you should find a partner and start a family. Your aunts don't ask you all the time if you have a boyfriend and definitely no one shakes their head sadly at you when they see you have dinner alone."

"Yup, most times we date man to keep other women from judging us from being single." Angela added.

"Until you simply learn to tell them to fuck off." Harper said in her usual tone of finality

"well that works when you don't have Asian aunties." Defended Lucy.

"Or Hispanic."

"You woman are nasty." Jackson stated and Tim and John looked at him like he was crazy. "That's why I don't date you, but I sure love to see the drama."

Lucy, Angela and Nyla laughed while Tim and John simply shared a complete look of shock and shook their heads.

"I don't know about nasty but definitely strange." Tried Nolan to insert himself in the conversation, in his very politically correct way.

"We are more advanced." Corrected Lucy.

"Ahh keep telling yourself that Boot, if it brings you tranquillity." Tim smirked and Lucy simply elbowed him playfully.

"7-ADAM-19. Call for Public Indecency at 406 Ellis Street." Dispatch called over their coms. Freaking Valentine's Day and their stupid love display thought Lucy.

"Look boot maybe this is the lucky guy for you." Tim joked as he and Lucy got up and headed for the shop, leaving their colleges laughing.

"This is funny and all because your parents don't bug you about it and they also don't want to psychoanalyse if your previous abduction experience is impairing your ability to create lingering relationships with man." Lucy banged her head against the head rest, and hadn't she looked so distressed; Tim would have laughed.

"I thought you were avoiding talking to your mother during this week."

"I was but she showed up at my house this morning."

"Auch…if it's any consolation I know the feeling." Lucy looked at him sideways, he did not get to mock her. "What? Brook created a Bumble account for me and already send me 10 possible matches." Lucy laughed out loud. "Don't laugh, not funny. I think a couple of them wore minors."

"You're a daddy." She laughed even harder and Tim simply rolled her eyes. "Now you know what I suffer."

"My sister is 10 times more persistent than your mother and can use 10 different apps to bug me." Tim left out the part where his sister said that if he went out with Lucy, she would stop bugging him.

"Well being an only daughter had to have some advantages." She teased him, at least she had managed to get the all being alone for the night out of her mind.

"7-Adam-19 please reroute to Colorado Street Bridge.10-56 in progress." Tim glanced at Lucy who sat straighter as he turned the car around.

"ETA 2 minutes." Lucy communicated to the dispatch centre.

"copy that. Fire department is 10 minutes away."

"We never had a suicide, did we?" Lucy shook her head at Tim's question, and he nodded, glancing slightly at her. "The most important thing is to keep him from jumping and usually the best tactic is communication. Think you can handle it?"

"Yeah, think so." Lucy reassured Tim even if she wasn't sure she could.

"You send me a sign, any sign, if you think you can't." Tim parked the shop at the end of the bridge and looked straight at Lucy. "And if he or she jumps, you do not look down." He ordered, reinforcing the message with firmness.

As soon as Lucy excited the shop, she saw the body of a man standing on top of the ledge of Colorado bridge at least 80 ft. in front of them. She approached him carefully, like they had taught her in the academy and made a mental checklist of all the communication tolls she had learned both in training and in Uni. Tim stayed in her peripheral view and kept his eyes divided between his boot and the possible jumper. He wondered if he was more concerned with the jumper or the impact a suicide could have on Lucy.

"Don't come closer." The jumper said. Lucy looked at him closely as she stopped on her track at least 15 feet away. She wasn't sure he could be called a man because he didn't look a minute older than 20. He was well put together and neat and even though Lucy knew she wasn't supposed to make speculation, a taught came into her mind: This was not the type of person she associated with jumpers.

"Okay, I can stay right here." Lucy said, glancing at Tim who gave her a short nod. "I'm Lucy, can you tell me your name?"

"I'll still do it."

"That's fine but I would still like to know your name."

"Dearil Watson." He said turning to look at slightly at Lucy and she could finally see his troubled green eyes.

"It's nice to meet you Dearil." Lucy stepped slightly to the side, closer to the ledge of the bridge so that she could face him better. "I'm 28, you?"

"I turn 20 next month." He looked at Lucy and then back at pavement underneath him.

"Well that something to look forward to."

"It's another year of suffering, disappointment and loneliness."

"I felt like that two just recently." Lucy admitted softly.

"How could you relate?" He said looking closely at her and throwing a glance at Tim. "You seam to have everything figured out."

"That couldn't be further from the truth. I got really hurt in December and for some while, I wasn't sure I was gonna be able to recover and move past it." Lucy admitted and Daeril could see the truth in her eyes. "To be honest there are times that I still don't know if I can, but I push through and find something to hold on to. You can too."

"No, I can't." He said shaking his head furiously. "There's nothing for me out there. No family, no school programme, no where to go, no job, no one, there's nothing..."

"We can figure something out. We can help you." Lucy pointed to herself and Tim.

"That's just words." When Lucy was going to speak, he interrupted her. "It's ok. I think these was always my destiny, even my name declares it: The one who calls for Death."

"That's not truth. You decide your own destiny and you can turn it around."

"Maybe. Thank you." He said genuinely at Lucy." But I can't do it anymore." Lucy still tried to grab him, but she wasn't fast enough. The moment he jumped; Lucy whipped any knowledge she had acquired from her head. It hadn't been enough, she had failed.

Tim gave a long stride towards Lucy but before he could grab her, she had already leaned over the edge and seen the atrocious sight that was a body that connected at high speed with concrete. He reached her in the exact moment she threw her body backwards and held her so she wouldn't fall. "Come on." He muttered so only she could hear and not all the units of fire and rescue and LAPD that had converged at the site. He, almost, dragged her body out of sight and towards the shop. As he reached it he opened the door to the passenger side, just in time for the avalanche of tears that escaped Lucy's eyes. He allowed their combined bodies to slide along the side of the car it until the ground, remaining protected, from preying, eyes by the door. "It's okay." Tried Tim to tranquilize Lucy as he held her closer to him, his chest baffling the sound of her tears.

"I couldn't save him." She said between her tears. "He was right there."

"Some people aren't meant to be saved Lucy." He ran his hands trough her, now loose, hair in a soothing manner. "He was determined, his mind was set… there was nothing we could have said that would have changed his mind."

"Then why do I feel like there was?"

"Because you are a good and Kind person." He whispered softly. "I should have told you to hang back."

"No, I needed to face this sooner or later, it's part of our job." She tilted her head to look at him and even though her eyes where red and her face puffy from crying Tim had never thought her more beautiful. "Thank you. Can—Can we stay here for …"

"We can stay here for as long as you need." Tim squeezed her in his arms as to give her strength. Lucy regained her senses, listening to his heart and ignoring the busy sound of the sirens and voices around them.

"you deserve a bath tonight." Harper squeezed the younger officer's shoulder as she passed her on the way out of the station.

"That's my romantic plan, yes." Lucy said with a soft smile, wrapping up her report and leaving it in Sargent Greys office. She headed towards the locker room, rubbing her eyes from the bulging headache she had.

"Boot." She turned her head around to look at Tim that was leaning against the other side of his looker room, now dressed in his civilian clothes.

"Officer Bradford." She greeted in a soft smile, blushing slightly when she remembered the state of his uniform shirt when he released her from his embrace. "What can I do for you."

"Actually, it's what I'm gonna do for you." He explained and Lucy looked at him confused. "I think you need to have a drink to relax."

"I think it's a safer beat if I just head home."

"Come on, I'm a trustworthy guy and I'm paying." When he could tell she was about to refuse he added. "Come on, it's your last chance not to have a complete crap of a valentine's day."

"Thought you didn't care about that."

"And I don't but clearly you do." He said resting his hands in his pockets. "And my job as a T.O. is also to guaranty you maintain a healthy mindset… sometimes at least…"

"Alright." Lucy agreed smiling, whenever they hanged out, either the two of them or in group, Tim was never the one who made the first contact, so she wasn't going to miss the opportunity. "Give 20 minutes, I need a shower."

"You have 15. So, hurry up Boot." He said in his best T.O. voice.

A little over 15 minutes later, Lucy was ready to go. She took a little extra time deciding between the blouse she wore in the morning and the deep V bodysuit she had stored in her looker for special occasions, finally opting for the flowy but still beautiful blouse, she didn't want to give her T.O. the wrong impression or perhaps the right one. She also applied a little extra make up, nothing that would be noticeable to Tim but that made her feel more confident.

"Thank god Boot. I was in REM 5 already." Tim simulated to be deep asleep, but Lucy simply rolled her eyes.

"So, do I fallow you to the bar?"

"I'll drive us." Lucy raised an eyebrow at him and Tim chuckled. "What? You don't trust me now? Believe me my car is safer than your piece of junk."

"Janice is a classic." Defended Lucy with a cute pout.

"A classic peril. I'll drop you home after, you can ride with Jackson tomorrow."

"If boss commands, I obey." She mocked saluted.

"See, now this is how it should have been from the beginning."

"Keep dreaming." Lucy joked as Tim held the door open so that she could get into his car. She didn't pay much attention that he did it, considering that it had become a constant in their lives.

They drive in comfortable company, talking slightly and when the conversation fell, Lucy would sing in tune with the Radio and Tim would simply listen to her voice, observing as her face relaxed as she sang. Lucy noticed that, instead of driving further into town, Tim had taken the route up the hills.

"Should I be worried I'm being kidnapped again?" Lucy asked as Tim took a left towards an unpaved road.

"If I kidnapped someone this wouldn't be how I do it." He stated simply.

"Really? That sounded like you have given it a little thought."

"Sometimes you have to think like…" He started to lecture.

"A crook." Interrupted Lucy and Tim gave her a slight smirk, remembering the time she stole his money clip.

"Yes. Besides that, I though watching couples vacuum each other's face wouldn't be the relaxed drink we needed." He parked his car on a small cliff-like area with a view of the city. "Think a quiet viewing of our laud city is exactly the right definition of quality time."

"It really is something." Lucy said as they exited the car and she felt the fresh hair of the night. Tim joined her in the front, offering her a bottle of Tequila and keeping one of whiskey for himself.

"Thanks." Lucy thanked as she accepted the drink and leaned on the hood of the car by his side.

"I just didn't want to catch any of your germs." He said, taking a sip from his bottle.

"That was not what I meant." She punched him slightly on the arm and Tim gave her his lopsided smile. "And don't be cocky but I think this is one of the nicest drinks I have ever had."

"What can I say. Tim Bradford does everything with the at most rigor." Lucy laughed loudly. "Give me your phone."

"Ok." Lucy said suspiciously but handed it to him anyway. Tim swiped up the look screen (That to his surprise was still his face, from the commemoration) and turned on the camera on selfie mode. "What are you?" Lucy asked as he pulled his arm hight to catch the two of them.

"Just smile and lean closer Boot." He ordered and Lucy did just that. She smiled and leaned closer to him, almost like her head rested on his shoulder. Tim snapped the picture and handed her the phone when he was satisfied with the result. "Here, I think this will get your mother of your back." He was certain it would, anyone who didn't know the two well would look at that picture and think they were a perfectly normal couple.

Lucy smiled softly at him; Tim Bradford continued to amaze her. Who would have known that the hard-ass jerk she had met 7 months ago would be the same person comforting her when she needed comforting?


Hey guys. Here it is chapter 11 😊 I enjoyed writing it so much and I hope you liked reading it. It's the first time I went a little darker in tone, so let me know if you liked my take. Don't worry though that I'll keep most of this story more on the light side.

I don't know Chapter 12 name yet because I'm rearranging some chapter (I have planed up to chapter 25). If I don't add anything else by Sunday 😉 enjoy the new episode of the Rookie.

-XO