Lucy curled up deeper into her couch as the tears continued to fall. The soup she had so carefully crafted had long since been put in the fridge. The silence was overwhelming and threatened to swallow her whole. It was moments like these she wished she still had Kojo for at least some comfort.

It's not as though she hadn't dealt with worse. She'd been cheated on. She'd lost her captain.

She'd been buried alive.

But not having your parents' support, thinking your career isn't real or meaningful after you had put your heart and soul and every ounce of strength into it?

That hurt.

She couldn't help it. She wanted to feel so much closer to her parents, but it seemed every time she tried one more wall would go up between them.

The urge to talk with someone kept growing. Lucy was a social butterfly, and she processed best by talking it out. She had no intention of disturbing Jackson during his big family dinner. He deserved to celebrate with people who loved and supported him. John was busy hanging out with Ben. Rachel, well…they had barely connected since she moved to New York.

But if she was honest with herself, the person she most wanted to talk to was Tim.

She was curious what his thoughts would be regarding her parents. Nobody else had a front-row seat to her rookie year the way Tim did. Nobody else could provide the perspective that he could.

It was also possible that maybe, just maybe, she had missed him a little today.

She stared at her phone, the screen lingering on his contact info, debating whether to call. Chatting on the phone was not their norm, but no longer being rookie and TO had now pushed them into uncharted territory. They didn't really have a norm anymore.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she hit the call button.

"Hello?" answered his clear, steady voice.

"T-Tim? It's Lucy. I, uh…." Her voice sounded raw from crying, and all coherent thoughts had flown out the window as soon as she'd heard his greeting. This was a bad idea.

And sure enough, she knew he would detect how off she sounded. "Are you okay?"

"Um, no, not at all, actually," was the honest reply that tumbled out.

"Where are you, Boot? What happened? Do you need me to come get you?" There was something in the frantic urgency of his voice that pulled at her heart.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I'm at home," she quickly assured him.

A familiar female voice spoke up in the background. "Is that Lucy?"

Oh, no. She was sure Tim would have been home by now. "Oh, are you still with Angela?"

"Yes, and you still haven't answered me. What happened?"

"Nothing, just a lousy night, and I wanted to hear a familiar voice, that's all. I shouldn't have called. I'm so sorry to disturb you guys."

"Lucy…." he said, his voice possibly softer than she'd ever heard it before.

She could have given in right there and started pouring her heart out. But exhaustion had taken over, and all she wanted to do now was hang up, watch a little mindless television, and go to bed. This had been too much to add to the evening.

"I'm fine, Tim, really. I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"And, of course, after the florist said that, Gretchen obviously beat her to a pulp."

"Yeah," said Tim, his eyes staring out the window.

"Oh, and did I mention there will be multiple strippers at my bachelorette party, since one just isn't enough?"

"Uh-huh. Wait," said Tim, finally shaking himself out of it. "What? Multiple strippers? Gretchen beat someone up?"

Angela laughed as she started to package up the desserts. "Busted! It's about time you caught on. It's been two minutes since I said anything true."

"Sorry, Angela," he said, joining in to help her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Tim rolled his eyes.

"You're obviously worried about Lucy."

"She said she's fine. She can take care of herself."

"We both know that. But she reached out to you, so maybe she really needs a friend right now."

We're not friends is what he wants to say, but he can't. He knows it's not true, and Angela would call him out on it anyway, so he remained silent, growing more uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was going.

"I couldn't help but notice you were pretty distracted by her in the bridal shop earlier."

"It's not like that."

"Then what's it like?"

Tim looked up expecting to see a giant smirk on Angela's face, but he was surprised to find genuine curiosity.

"I…don't know anymore." The situation was complicated at best. He wasn't sure if he had any real ties to her now, but he found himself wanting those ties.

It hadn't taken long to sever his ties with Rachel. As soon as she was in New York, Tim had quickly realized how little difference her absence made in his life. He had talked to her only twice since she'd moved, and it felt hollow, full of stilted conversation and awkward pauses. Calling out Lucy for not prioritizing her relationship with Emmett was easy because it was exactly how he'd been feeling about Rachel. He didn't miss her. He didn't prioritize the relationship like he thought he had. After talking with Lucy, he had gone home that very night to break up via a difficult video call.

He wasn't ready to sever ties with Lucy, though, and that was unprecedented. He'd tried to block it out, pretend her rookie year wasn't over, but reality had finally caught up to him. Adding in Lucy's fake confession that had left him reeling and it was no wonder his head was a jumbled mess.

"Look, Tim, you've been a huge help to me today, so now I'm going to help you. Let Lucy in your life. However that looks is up to the two of you, but you can't deny you have a bond with her that runs deep. So don't shut that out. You're allowed to care."

"I don't stay friends with my rookies," he said. It was his last card left to play, and he could immediately tell how much his statement lacked conviction. By the look of his best friend, so could Angela.

"Yeah, I know. But, come on, Lucy's always been the exception to a lot of things, hasn't she?"

Tim looked at his shoes, unable to deny the truth any longer.

"If you're trying to prove you aren't one big softie, it's not going to work. I've known the truth for a while, and everything you did today certainly didn't help your case."

A small smile graced Tim's lips.

"You can't tell anyone. I have a new rookie starting soon, you know."

That thought should excite him, training someone who hadn't gotten wise to his Tim Tests, who maybe won't call him out on his bullcrap, who won't shatter all his ideals about professional distance between a TO and his rookie. But instead of excitement, there was only one dominant feeling that had taken over Tim Bradford.

He missed Lucy.

"I think I'm going to head out."

"I honestly don't know why you haven't left yet. Go, get out already," Angela said, shaking her head with a laugh.

"And Angela? Thanks," he said sincerely as he exited.

Lucy could feel her eyes getting heavy as she tried to finish the episode she was watching. She was about to retreat to her bedroom to crash when she heard a knock at the door.

For a brief moment, she thought it might be her mom coming back to apologize, but she knew the level her mother's stubbornness could reach. Considering her parents were psychologists, the way they related to Lucy often made her feel like she had to be the mature one.

She never for one second expected it to be Tim standing there.

Her mouth fell open in shock. After everything she put him through yesterday, her stages of grief, her regretful fake confession to prove her point, the powder bomb, and even after insisting she was fine tonight, he was still standing at her door. The sight of him there warmed up every corner of her soul and set her senses on high alert. Whatever exhaustion she'd felt was long gone.

"What are you doing here?" she managed to ask.

Tim shrugged, hands in his pockets. "You didn't convince me you were ok."

His response was so tender, fresh tears immediately filled her eyes. She nodded him inside, and he followed her to the couch. He took a seat beside her, still keeping a respectable distance.

Taking in the silence, Tim asked, "Where is Jackson?"

"Celebration dinner with his family," Lucy answered, her face pinched with pain.

"So do I need to drag you into an interrogation room, or are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Lucy took a deep breath and looked at Tim, into eyes that only showed concern. The trust she felt for him was immeasurable.

"It was a terrible night. I was supposed to have a celebration dinner with my family, only my dad couldn't even be bothered to show up, and my mom came in ready to attack. She wants me to quit being a cop because I'm an embarrassment to them, and I should be doing something meaningful with my life."

Tim's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

Lucy nodded. "I told her being a cop is something meaningful, and I love my job. Then I kicked her out."

"Good for you."

"Really?"

"You stood up for yourself. I wouldn't expect anything less."

Lucy fingered the fringe on one of her throw pillows. "I figured if I wasn't meant to do this, you would be the one to tell me. I mean, you saw my mistakes more than anyone else." She hated the doubt that had started to creep in over the course of the evening, but it had always mattered what her parents thought of her. Even though she loved her job, she'd started to ask herself if there was any truth to what her mom had said.

"Lucy, look at me."

She slowly turned her eyes upward.

"I have never met someone more meant to be a cop than you."

Wow. "If only my mom could hear that," Lucy said with a bitter laugh.

"Give me her number. I'll tell her, your dad, and whoever else needs to hear it. I may have had my doubts at the beginning of your training, but you have more than proven yourself this past year. You had to overcome even more than the average boot, and you came through it even stronger on the other side. I'm proud of you, and shame on your parents for not being able to see what you've accomplished."

Lucy felt like she could fully exhale for the first time that night. It was exactly what she needed to hear. "Thank you, Tim."

"Remember what I told you yesterday, not letting anyone tell you can't do something?"

How could I forget?

Lucy gave a small smile. "I know, and you're right. It applies to parents, too. I just thought maybe we'd gotten past this now that I'd finished my rookie year, that they could finally support my decision, instead of seeing me as a paid bully for the city. It hurts that they won't even see my side."

"Listen, this may not be worth much, but I support you."

How did he do that? How did his words always find a way to punch straight through to her core? All those blunt, sometimes harsh, lectures or pieces of advice or just regular conversation that he'd given her this past year had stuck to her as though they were magnetized. She hadn't realized how deeply they'd resonated until now, now when they were no longer riding together and she found herself craving more of his words. They were the healing balm she'd needed tonight.

There was no question. She'd missed him.

Lucy realized with a start that they were now sitting much closer than they had been before. How had that happened? Who had moved first? Had both of them moved? But it was the boost she needed to lean forward and wrap her arms around him.

The feeling of safety she fell into when his arms slowly reached up and touched her back overwhelmed her. It was in that moment, as she rested her head on his chest that she knew her story with Tim wasn't over yet. They were just beginning a new chapter. She felt complete certainty they would remain in each other's lives in some way.

She felt a few more tears find their way down her cheeks, the last remains of the emotional night washing over her. Confidence took its rightful spot once again, mixed with hope. Hope that her parents could still come around, hope in her new role as a P2, and hope that Tim would remain her anchor for a long time to come.

"It's worth a lot more than you think," she whispered.

With Lucy's face buried in Tim's shirt, any semblance of status quo was swiftly obliterated. He pulled her in closer, his hands gently rubbing circles on her back, his fingers brushing against the waves of her hair.

Tim couldn't help but notice the two most important women in his life needed him today because of others tearing them down, but his responses couldn't be more different.

With Angela, as her best friend he was concerned for her when he'd witnessed her wedding dress meltdown, and annoyed at her friends, but he had no inclination to get all mushy. What he knew she needed were solutions, and that's what he could give her.

With Lucy, seeing her tears when she'd opened the door had made his heart crack. When she shared her story all he wanted to do was find her parents and tell them off. How could they not see Lucy for the amazing police officer and person that she was? It wasn't about providing solutions, but providing comfort. He found himself wanting to hold her, to do whatever he could to make her smile again.

Oh, crap.

He was screwed.

Tim gently pulled back, loosening his grip so he could look at her, and was struck by how beautiful she looked, even with red eyes and splotchy cheeks. There was a lone shimmering tear left on her cheek, and before he could stop himself, his thumb reached up to brush it away. Her skin was impossibly soft, and it took all his effort to remove his thumb before the situation became any more complicated. But there it was, her grin that could light up Los Angeles.

Mission accomplished.

He didn't know what to do next. Lucy continued to stare at Tim with such trusting eyes it nearly undid him. It would be so easy to stay right here and hold her all night, but he knew he needed to go home and give both of them time to process everything that had happened.

In an effort to diffuse the tension, he said, "I should probably be getting home. It's late, and you need your rest. Don't even think you can slack off because you're a P2 now…Boot." He tried to use his full TO voice but his smile gave him away.

Lucy smirked back at him. "I wouldn't dream of it…sir."

"You'll be ok?"

"Yes, I promise," she answered. "Oh, and I meant to ask, did Angela get her wedding dress?"

"She did, plus we nailed down a few other wedding details."

"You helped her with wedding planning?"

"Yeah, and it's not a big deal. She just asked me to be her man of honor."

Lucy cupped her hands around her mouth. "What? That's so adorable!"

"Knock it off," Tim grunted, rolling his eyes. "It's just so Angela can have the wedding she wants, and not what her future mother-in-law wants."

"I think it's awesome. And," she paused, "It suits you."

"What does?"

"The title. You are a man of honor, Tim Bradford. And I know you'll do a great job for Angela."

Tim nodded. "Thanks," he said, his throat feeling thick.

"Are you going to save me a dance at the wedding?"

"What makes you think you're even invited?" Tim asked as he finally stood up. They both knew she was invited, but he couldn't help but mess with her a little bit. Old habits die hard.

Lucy stood as well, folding her arms as she faced him, head cocked to the side.

"One dance," he mumbled.

Laughing, Lucy said, "Fair enough."

They slowly made their way to the front door, neither acting like they were ready to call it a night, but knowing it was necessary.

As he reached for the door, her hand grasped his arm. "Hey, Tim? I just…I want to make sure we're good, after everything yesterday. I know if I do UC work I'll have to lie to people's faces, but I never want you to wonder if I'm lying to you."

"We're good." And they were. He understood her intentions after he'd replayed her "confession" in his head later on, although he couldn't help but notice how much truth had been laced in it.

"Are you sure? Because I'd really hate it if after everything we've been through you couldn't trust me anymore."

Tim leaned forward so that he was at eye level with her. "I trust you, Lucy."

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok, good."

"Listen, I know tonight wasn't what you planned with your parents, but you should still celebrate. What if I take you to dinner this weekend?"

"Um, is this supposed to be like a—"

He cut her off. "We'll call it a celebratory dinner, and see where the evening goes."

She bit her lip, clearly trying to hide her growing smile. "Yeah, I guess that would be alright."

Tim couldn't help but laugh at her attempt at nonchalance. "Goodnight, Lucy."

"Goodnight, Tim."

He set out towards his truck once the door closed, shaking his head in disbelief.

Maybe he was a big softie after all.

Maybe he was becoming ok with that.

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