Chapter 19: And we met again
The one where Lucy and Tim become Godparents.
"Can't you let me go, pretty thing?" A man around the 60 years mark pleaded with Lucy. They had arrested him 30 minutes ago in downtown LA and he had been trying to persuade them to release him ever since… not doing a very good job though.
"I really can't." Lucy answered, trying to hide her smirk as she collected the older man's fingerprints.
"Oh, come one. I didn't hurt anyone." The man pleaded, putting his hands together in a prayer.
"Yes, but you still can't flaunt your private areas for everyone in downtown L.A. to see." Lucy told him as she collected his watch and the other jewellery pieces he had.
"Please, all L.A. that's in my age group has already seen my junk." The man admitted and Lucy bit her lip to prevent from laughing, thankfully Tim wasn't having a hard time keeping his emotions in check.
"That's really impressive Norm but it's the third time you have done this, this year." Tim warned him. "You don't wanna get yourself admitted, again do you?"
"yes, you need to take your meds Norm." Lucy advised, not too sternly but still with a tone that portraited how truly serious she was.
"They make me all boring." Tim and Lucy exchanged a look and tried to contain their laughter.
"You could never be boring, Norm." Lucy told, since she joined the LAPD, they had arrested him twice and he was always a sweetheart, never causing unnecessary drama.
"Thanks sweets." The man said with a flirtatious smile. "I'm still going in, aren't I?" He asked, looking at Tim's serious facial expression.
"Yes." Norm nodded and simply walked into the cell, smiled at the two off them and sat down.
"He's certainly a character." Lucy laughed as she gave the heads up for the guard to lock the door.
"Yeah, have been arresting him since I was a Rookie." Tim admitted as he and Lucy walked to the safes to look Norm's belongings. "Every time he's off his meds, this happens."
"It's really hard to control Bipolar disorders, people are highly aware of the effects of medication and in people that have been manic for many years, the opposite symptoms do tend to scare them and they eventually end up leaving their meds." Lucy explained glancing at her T.O. to check for his opinion and found him looking at her gobsmacked.
"Forgot I was talking to a psych major." Tim admitted, it was like she swallowed a textbook.
"Sorry, I tend to ramble about this sometimes." Lucy smiled shily. "Feels nice to know I didn't forget or throw my education completely away."
"Oh come on Boot… Are you going to tell me you don't analyse everyone you met?" Tim questioned, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Not everyone." Tim looked at her and she rolled her eyes. "Well yes, but it's just a once over." Tim shook his head, smirking.
"Bradford, Chen." The two officers turned to look at Officer Taylor as he called their names. "Someone is here to see you."
"The two of us?" Tim asked the man.
"Yes, they are in interrogation room 3." Tim nodded at the desk Officer and looked down at Lucy who was looking at him confused.
"Who do you think it is?" Lucy asked Tim confused, there wasn't anyone they could thing that would need to speak with the two of them that didn't have their number… unless they were about to be in deep troubles.
"No idea, what did you do?" Tim asked her, smirking.
"Why would I have done something?" Lucy asked as she put the report in the pile for stamping and the two walked together over to the interrogation rooms.
"You are the rookie." Tim answered like it was obvious.
"And you are the one with lacking social skills." Lucy defended herself.
"My social skills are great, thank you."
"you treat almost everyone like they are the next Ted Bundy." Lucy remembered him and Tim shrugged. "If anyone got us in trouble is you."
"Maybe but it's still your job to clean it up."
"And how is that?" Lucy asked humorously.
"You are my Rookie." Tim explained grabbing hold of the doorknob on interrogation room 3. "After all the amazing teachings I've passed down to you, that's the least you can do." Tim teased as he pushed open the door. Lucy rolled her eyes and still went ahead of him when he offered for her to go first.
Lucy entered the room to see a couple, perhaps between her age and Tim's, standing in the room facing the opposite wall, she looked at her T.O. who shrugged his shoulders in response. They did not look like someone who came over to pick up a fight. Tim cleared his throat to claim their attention and the two turned.
Only then did Lucy and Tim noticed the little boy in the woman's arms. A little boy that had touched their life's so much, that had brought them closer and planted in both, Tim and Lucy's, mind the possibility of one day forming a family together. Lucy gasped in shock, cupping her face, as she saw Enzo's gentle face and his beautiful blue eyes, the shock made her stumble slightly backwards and Tim had to steady her with a hand on her lower back. Lucy looked at her partner to make sure that it was real, and Tim also nodded at her, his eyes filled with as much emotion as hers. The soft baby babble that escaped Enzo's mouth was enough to make Lucy's attention turn back to the boy, who was now fidgeting in the woman's arms and reaching for Lucy.
Lucy took a step forward and looked expectantly at the woman. "Can I hold him?"
"Yes of course." The woman answered softly, and Tim noted that she had a soft voice and mannerisms and handled Enzo with a lot of care. Lucy picked up the little boy who grabbed franticly onto her, fists tight around Lucy's ponytail and his head resting softly on her chest. He was looking straight at Tim and he offered the small boy a smile, that he eagerly returned. It was good to see the little boy again, neither Tim or Lucy had been able to visit him since January but only now, after two months since they last visited him at the orphanage, did they feel how much they had missed him. He looked well cared for, well dressed and happy, his cheeks more filled out, more like a regular, happy and well-loved baby.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your day." The man apologized.
"No, no, this was a really good interruption." Lucy smiled at the couple and then at Enzo, bouncing him in his lap. "Yes, it was." She tapped his nose softly with her free hand and the boy giggled.
"We hadn't been able to visit him for a few months now, too much work." Tim explained as he offered his finger to the little boy who pulled at it, like it was their own personal game.
"Yes, Dana spoke very highly of you. She told us that Enzo was very smitten with you." The woman answered softly looking at the three of them. "She was clearly right."
"He's a sweetheart." Lucy answered still fussing over the little boy.
"I'm sorry but if you aren't Social security, who are you then?" Tim asked more seriously, Lucy looked at him confused, she had completely ignored that fact because she had been so focused on Enzo but clearly nothing slipped Tim's notice.
"That's rude of us." The man said, laughing nervously. "I'm Mathew Norton and this is my wife Theresa, we are Enzo's foster parents… soon to be just his parents." The man added, smiling at them and holding his wife's hand.
"We should have probably started there but we were so happy to see Enzo so excited." The wife admitted smiling at the little boy who turned to look at them. "Enzo is a lovely baby but quiet and Dana had mentioned that he had taken quiet a liking to the two officers who rescued him…" Theresa started to explain but her eyes filled with tears so her husband finished explaining for her.
"We though he probably missed seeing you two, so we fought Dana for your information and here we are." Mathew finished explaining to Lucy and Tim, who nodded their head in comprehension.
"I- we missed him a lot Too." Lucy stated after looking at Tim to check that he also felt the same. She really didn't need to check because the way he had came to stand so close to her, his arm resting comfortably by hers as she helped her support Enzo, and the soft, non-Tim Bradford, smiles he threw at them was a clear indication on how he felt.
"We're glad Enzo found a good family." Tim answered, he could tell that the couple cared deeply for the boy or they wouldn't have brought him to see them. But he was still going to run a background check on them when he could, just to be sure.
"We're glad we found him too." Therese explained softly. "We had wanted children for so long and we had been searching in the system for years but no one we connected with ever came up and one day we see him and it was just perfect, like it was always meant to be…that's also why the process has been soo fast."
"That's amazing that you found each other." Said Lucy, who too had tears threatening to fall down her face. "you have a nice, good family Enzo." Lucy filled the little boy with kisses, and he giggled loudly, making the rest of the adults' smile.
"Dana told us that you named him." Tim and Lucy nodded, remembering that night in mid-January. "It's perfect for him."
"Thank you, we thought so too." Lucy smiled up at Tim, who returned her smile. The little boy had made Tim and Lucy family and for that he was simply perfect.
"He is a little warrior." Tim explained, tickling the little boy.
"And thank you for carrying so well for him that day and for visiting him after." Mathew said, emotion clear in his voice.
"We did it gladly, he made quite a mark in our hearts as well." Lucy explained, bouncing the boy around in her arms.
"Yes, and that's also why we have come here." Mathew explained, looking slightly at his wife, who gave him a nod." We wanted to see how you interacted together and there's no denying it…"
"We want to ask you if you would like to be Enzo's godparents." Theresa finished for her husband.
Tim and Lucy looked gobsmack at each other, they certainty did not see that coming. They were expecting a formal thank you or even an invite to dinner or something but definitely not to be Enzo's godparents …that was a huge responsibility. Theresa felt the excitation coming from Tim and Lucy and giggle nervously, adding:
"Please don't say no just yet." She begged them and the two officers smiled sympathetically, at loss from words. "Please consider it, the two of us are only children, our parents are old, and our friends have kids of their own and too many responsibilities."
"Besides, in case anything happens to us." Mathew added. "We want Enzo to be with someone who truly cares for him, that can protect him and look for his best interests and there's no doubt you two would do it." He said pointing slightly at the way Tim and Lucy stood so protectively over Enzo.
Tim nodded at the couple, their plea pulling harshly at his heart strings and he looked at Lucy. The countless wheels in her brain were spinning at 100 miles per hour and her eyes were clouded with emoticon, on the verge of a flow of tears. When their eyes connected, Tim knew exactly what she was thinking, as always, the two were in perfect tune. The thought of one day being responsible for a life was terrifying but to think that they could miss Enzo's life was even worst. They had the conversation mentally in their heads, could they do this? If it came a time, god forbid, that Enzo needed them to be his parents, could they do it? They were good partners, responsible, they shared good values and put other people's life's ahead of their own… but a child…
"We can give you time to think. "Theresa said, stepping forward to collect Enzo from Lucy's arms. It was clear that the two officers had plenty to discuss.
Lucy looked down at the boy in her arms and she was certain of one thing and was that she wanted to have him in her life as long as possible. Everyone knew the side of the story of how much Lucy helped Enzo but not few, in fact only Tim, knew how much Enzo had done for her in the worst time in her life. How he had restored purpose and meaning to her, just by simply being himself. She pulled the baby tighter to her chest and said to Mathew and Theresa. "I want to do it." She looked at Tim, whose exterior remained serene, but his interior was in full turmoil. "I would really like it if you did it with me."
"I…" Tim started completely lost for words. It was hard to see himself stumble to give an answer to something, he was always strong and ready to act but there were too many uncertainties to this. Could he be responsible for a child? Sure, he could protect and provide but could he love? Most people he loved either left or he pushed them away. He focused his gaze on Lucy's and Enzo's face, the little boy was smiling at him like he already knew the answer and Lucy, freaking Lucy Chen, who looked at him like he had the answers for everything and as he was her rock and her saviour. How could he say no to that? "Okay." He agreed.
"Really?" Theresa answered enthusiastically, jumping up and down and engulfing the two, well the three, of them in a hug. "That's great."
"I won't promise will be any good at it." Tim said rubbing the back of his head, to hide his shyness.
"But if needed, you will give your best and that all that we can ask for." Mathew stopped him and Tim nodded.
"Thank you soo much." Theresa thanked them again. "How about we have dinner at our house the first weekend after Easter? We can talk about every detail and get to know each other."
"That's great." Lucy nodded as Tim noted down the Norton's phone number. "See little guy, we're family after all." Lucy tickled the baby.
"We should let you get back to work." Therese said, taking a step closer to them so that she could pick Enzo.
"Oh right." Lucy said, she had completely forgotten that they had work to do. She hugged Enzo closer to her and rubbed her nose with his. "It was soo good to see it little guy and I'm soo happy to be auntie Lucy." The little boy laughed, his chubby hands grabbing her shoulders and Lucy kissed his forehead. She looked at Tim and silently asked if he would like to hold him.
Tim contemplated that for a few seconds and took the boy from Lucy's arm, which earned him an immediate hug from Enzo. He smiled and hugged the little boy close. "Missed you too bud, but we'll be seeing each other more often now." Lucy smiled as she heard him mutter those words and thought back to the first time, she met Tim and how wrongly she had judged him. He was nothing short of a walking teddy bear. Tim handed Enzo to his (new) mom and both officers smiled when he settled comfortably into her arms, like he had always belonged there.
"We'll see each other on the 25th of April for dinner!?" Lucy and Tim nodded at Mathew and the other couple smile. "We'll walk ourselves out." They all nodded their goodbyes and Lucy and Tim waved at little Enzo.
"I did not see that coming." Tim admitted resting his hands on his hips, after the little family had left. He turned to Lucy, who was looking up at him, eyes glistening and hands cupping her mouth. "Tell me you're not going to cry."
"I think I am." She admitted and instantly tears fell from down her eyes
"Come one Chen, this is a happy moment, you should be laughing." Tim teased slightly, smiling at her. She did have a big heart for such a badass.
"These are happy tears." Tim laughed as Lucy tried to wipe her tears with the sleeves of her uniform. "Don't laugh at me, I'm on my period." Tim laughed harder and Lucy swatted at him with her free arm.
"Come here, you big baby." He mocked her but still grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest, comforting her in a way that only he truly could. He rested his head on top of hers and waited for her heart to steady. "It was a really wonderful surprise."
"I wasn't expecting it." Lucy admitted, her voice muffled because her head rested directly against his chest. "He looked really happy."
"He did and he loved to see you, mama bear." Tim said kindly, his lips touching the top of her head so slightly that she nearly missed it.
"You think..." She asked, pulling slightly away to look at his eyes. "You think, we'll be good Godparents?"
"I'm sure you'll be great and help me along the way." He admitted, knowing that he would screw up many times along the way, but that Lucy would be there to show him the right path.
"Oh, so this is gonna be a partnership!?" She asked, teasingly, pulling away from him and offering him a smirk.
"Isn't everything when it regards us !?" Tim questioned rhetorically "I can't seem to push you away, like a damn slug, always attached."
"You like this slug a lot, thank you very much." She answered smugly, knowing that even though he denied her, she was rooted onto his heart
"We'll see." Tim added drily but Lucy saw the mirth in his eyes. "I would like the slug a lot more if she was ready to go back onto the streets."
"This Slug is more than ready sir." Lucy knocked her shoulder with Tim as she exited in front of him. "She really just needs to pee first."
"And what else is new, Boot?" Tim drawled at Lucy. "Hurry up and meet me in the shop, you have five minutes."
"I'll need 10 but that's okay." She turned and headed towards the lady's bathroom and Tim shook his head. Would he ever be able to say no to her? The real answer would be no. Yes, when they discussed serious topics, like where the best place to buy a house was or which hospital had the best OBGYN or whether or not trying to talk out a enraged armed Man was a viable method or not, Tim would always be able to say no and to stand his ground. But if the topics were, which ice cream to eat after dinner, what transformer Enzo would like for his birthday or whether or not Lucy should wear a dip V to a wedding, Tim could not say no… and all she had to do was give him her doe like gaze and smile. If anyone asked him, he would deny it, but Tim couldn't imagine it being any other way, that was just what he got for caring for Lucy Chen.
Here it is guys, chapter 19. A sequel to one of my favourite chapter. I love to portrait Lucy and Tim as a family because to me that's what there are. Maybe I'll do one more sequel to this, what do you think?
Next chapter is called: Neves again, Satan and it's a fun one. Angela helps a little 😉 (she's one of my favourite characters). So excited for tonight's episode, can't wait.
Today I had an amazing day, I played monopoly (and lost) and I ate cake. I was great. Hope this makes your day a little better too.
-Stay safe, XO.
