Tim and Lucy made their way to the elevator, intending on heading out for the day. They both looked forward to their shift today - mostly because they loved spending time together, even though neither wanted to admit why. What they didn't count on was the elevator malfunctioning and changing the course of their lives forever. The door closed but the button took forever to light up when Lucy pressed it, the first sign something was amiss. The elevator shuddered for a brief but slightly terrifying few seconds before the lights went out, plunging them both into darkness. "You okay?" Tim checked immediately, frantically looking her over.
She rolled his eyes at his overprotectiveness, even though she didn't really mind it that much. "I'm fine - relax. I'm sure they'll get us back up and running again rather quickly."
"And you just jinxed us, Luce."
"I did not!"
"I'm pretty sure you did," he shot back with a smirk.
"I hate you," Lucy lied.
"No, you don't." Tim sighed and pressed the emergency button, unsurprised when it did nothing. He got out his radio and called for help that way instead.
Lucy moved closer to him when the walls started to close in on her a little. She was fine. They'd be out of here in no time. "How's your sister?" she questioned just to take her mind off things.
"You texted her yesterday," he reminded her.
"Oh, right." She had forgotten about that in the midst of the rapidly growing panic ready to overwhelm her system.
He eyed in concern and wrapped his arm around her. "Remember? You two made fun of me, and then wouldn't stop texting back and forth. You got another embarrassing childhood story out of it." He didn't mind too much, though, since said story had made her laugh.
Lucy chuckled. Good, mission successful then. "I have so many of them now, Tim Bradford."
"Yeah, laugh it up. I'll just go to Rachel and press her for your embarrassing stories."
She mock-gasped. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me." Tim would do it too, and they both knew it.
Outside the elevator, Angela rolled her fingers and crossed her arms. "I can't believe they're flirting in there." Okay, that wasn't totally the truth - they flirted all the time.
Wade side-eyed her. "Now we both damn well know that's a lie, Detective."
"Maybe this will finally move past the flirting and denial stage. They should be even more of a cliche." Honestly, the sexual tension was killing her.
He shook his head. "They'll get there on their own time. Somebody call me when maintenance gets them out of here." He left, leaving Angela to eavesdrop by herself.
By the time maintenance failed to free Tim and Lucy two hours in, she was visibly starting to deteriorate. He pulled her in for a hug in an effort to calm her. "I'm right here. You're safe, Lucy," he assured her.
"You're sure?" she whimpered.
"I'm positive. We're going to get out of here soon." He radioed for an update, completely unsurprised when they told him it was going to be a while.
"Don't leave me," Lucy pleaded.
"I'm not going anywhere because you're stuck with me, Lucy Chen."
The elevator creaked and she flinched. "I'm sorry."
He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "You have nothing to apologize for." He lowered them both to the ground, tired of standing.
She gasped, clearly on the verge of another panic. "I'm scared."
"I know but I'm here to protect you. Nothing is going through me," Tim assured her, rocking her back and forth a little in hopes that the motion would calm her. He wished he could be more help to Lucy now that her PTSD had been triggered. He was trying his best and hoped it would be good enough. "You want to play a game on your phone? Or mine?" he questioned after double checking hers to find the battery had been drained.
She shook her head, her whole body trembling now. "Don't go," Lucy rasped, her voice breaking.
"I'm right here, baby. You're safe." Tim grasped his hand in hers and squeezed it.
Her whole body continued to shake, and he trembled as a result since they were so close to one another. "I want out."
"They're working on it. You want me to willingly tell you another embarrassing story? Or I can tell you one about Gennifer. Are you up for that?"
"Okay."
He smiled at her, brushing her hair out of her face, and then launched into the story. Lucy finally broke and cried through it but she did relax just a bit. "Any closer to getting out of here?" he whispered after radioing for yet another update.
"Sorry, they're still working on it," Angela told him. "You two want me to grab you something to eat when you finally get out of there? Anything you want." She hoped for an update on Lucy but could hear the crying through the door and knew it wouldn't be a good one.
"What do you say, Lucy? You want to take Angela up on her offer?"
Lucy shook her head. "Not hungry."
"You have to eat something, baby. What about a burger and fries?"
"Not hungry," she repeated.
Tim sighed but didn't press it, telling Angela to grab one of Lucy's favorite desserts. "Live a little," he told her.
She snorted and burrowed into his chest, seeking more comfort. "You get some dessert too then, Tim."
He sighed but flashed her a smile and did as asked.
Four hours in, Lucy's panic continued to rise even more but the lights flickered back on and the doors finally opened. She burst into sobs, having cried herself to sleep in Tim's arms half an hour earlier, and let him help her up. "Do me a favor and take the rest of the day off," Wade told them after he met them at the front desk.
"Sounds fantastic. Thank you, sir." Tim rubbed his arm up and down Lucy's back, trying to get her to relax but her whole body continued to shake.
Angela went to hand him several bags but then noticed his arms were full. "I'll just put these in your car. I got you both your favorite desserts, and lunch."
"Thank you."
"Are you dropping me off at home?" Lucy asked.
"Nope - you're coming home with me," he responded. "Angela, can you call Tamara and let her know Lucy's not going to be home tonight?"
"Of course!" She waved them off, unsurprised when they chose to take the stairs this time. Angela desperately hoped they were about to finally admit what was obvious to everyone around them. They had all had enough.
When they made it back to Tim's place, he helped her into the house. Kojo immediately noticed how upset she was and jumped up on the couch to offer some comfort. Lucy smiled and petted the dog. "I love you too, buddy. You having fun with your daddy?" Kojo barked in response.
"That's a yes," Tim told her as he handed her a plate.
"Dessert first? You're living dangerously," Lucy teased. Now that she was coming down off the panic attack and subsequent adrenaline rush, the embarrassment was starting to settle in.
They ate dessert (and only dessert) and Tim let Lucy pick the movie. Once it started to get dark and she began to panic again, he ushered her off to bed. "I'll sleep on the couch," he told her even though leaving her alone was the last thing he wanted to do.
"You're not going anywhere."
"Fine," he grumbled. They both got into the bed and turned to face one another.
"I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water," she admitted with a sob two minutes later.
"That's what I'm here for, Lucy. You don't have to be okay right now." Staring at her, all Tim wanted to do was kiss her. So he threw caution to the wind and did exactly that. And he finally worked up the courage to admit what he had tried to deny for a long time. "I am head over heels in love with you, Lucy Chen."
She sobbed out a laugh. "I'm in love with you too. Took you long enough," Lucy teased after kissing him once more.
"We're taking the stairs from now on, right?" he asked.
"For a while, yes." She didn't want to risk getting trapped again for a long time.
"Do you want to eat?"
"Not right now. I just want to cuddle with the man I love." Holy shit.
"Sounds perfect." Tim intertwined their hands and they talked into the wee hours of the morning.
This hadn't been how they expected the day to end when they started out this morning but getting stuck in that elevator had altered everything for them. Tim and Lucy couldn't wait to start the rest of their lives with each other. Lucy's nightmares would return but he planned to be there for her every step of the way, and refused to let her suffer alone. They were in this together.