Tim could swear there was more of a bounce in her step, a few more watts added to her already blinding smile. If he was honest with himself, he was feeling lighter, too.

It hadn't been nearly as difficult a decision as he anticipated turning down the sergeant's position in North Hollywood. He did want to move forward in his career, he did, but now wasn't the right time. Deep down he was certain of it. The lure of moving up the career ladder didn't have the pull on him he thought it did. There was a bigger pull these days, and the source of that pull was currently walking right beside him as they crossed the street.

He didn't like abandoning the people in his life. More than enough had walked away from him through the years, and he swore he never wanted to be that kind of person. He was not going to be the one giving up on someone, so he remained loyal, steadfast, even when there was no longer any reason to be.

But this time there was a reason. His rookie had just been through an ordeal that would break most people. Not Lucy, though. She was as tough as they came. But there were still repercussions from being buried alive, hits and misses in adjusting to life after trauma, and Lucy was still working through those. He wanted to be there for that. He couldn't leave her at a time she needed his support the most. He couldn't leave…her.

No, it wasn't a hard decision, except for Grey giving Tim enough knowing looks during their meeting that he nearly squirmed.

They were now right in front of Nevin's bakery, and Lucy looked up at him with questioning eyes, clearly wondering what his next move was on this unorthodox evening.

He pulled the bakery door open for her. "Any donuts you want, on me."

Grinning, Lucy said, "You might regret that."

"How so?"

"Donuts are my weakness."

"What can I get for you?" the cashier asked.

Lucy rushed right into her order. "A half dozen, please, one maple bacon, one chocolate glazed, one cruller, one raspberry filled, one Boston Cream, and one powdered."

"Alright, and for you, sir?"

"One plain glazed."

"Seriously, Tim? Where is your sense of adventure?" Lucy asked.

"We get enough adventure on the job every day. I don't need adventure in my desserts."

"Suit yourself, but I'm not planning on sharing."

Tim paid the cashier, got their donuts, and led Lucy back out the door toward his truck. He opened the passenger door for her then headed over to his side to climb in.

He doesn't really know how they ended up here tonight. Tim had finished making all the arrangements to keep Nevin's place safe from Marquel, Lucy had mentioned craving something sweet, and before he knew what his mouth was doing, an invitation had been extended to her. The thought of showing her firsthand what had been done for the bakery seemed to control his actions. She'd hopped into his truck after shift, and the world had felt a little more stable ever since.

And when he told her he wasn't moving up, that smile that she couldn't seem to tame confirmed he'd made the right choice. Finishing her training, sitting beside her every day; that was where he belonged.

Tim left the ignition alone, letting the quiet of the cab wash over them, the two of them illuminated by the patches of light shining in from the street. He wasn't ready to call it a night, so they might as well sit and enjoy their treats.

Lucy gleefully began digging into her donut box.

"You planning to eat all of those tonight?" Tim asked.

She pulled the maple bacon out first. "I definitely could, but I'm going to try to restrain myself. I don't want to be a total pig."

"I've seen you devour veggie burgers in record time. No judgment here. Enjoy your donuts."

Lucy paused, right before taking her first bite. "Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you so much for these."

He smirked. "You're welcome. But don't expect it again now that I know how much of a sweet tooth you have."

Lucy laughed, and between her laugh and the near-sensual moan she made once she took a bite, Tim nearly squirmed for the second time that day.

As they continued to talk, Tim tried not to notice how easy and relaxed the evening had been, just two people sitting in a truck eating donuts. The invisible professional barrier that existed in the shop wasn't found here. Somehow Lucy felt physically closer in the truck, even though the distance between them was the same. He felt his usual TO armor had been shed as well, leaving just Tim. He didn't feel like "just Tim" very often, and it was a refreshing change.

After a lengthy pause, he felt her gaze before he saw it. Lucy looked at him as though she couldn't hold her words in anymore, yet something still restrained her.

"Out with it," Tim prompted.

"Does Rachel know you're out with me tonight?"

"This isn't a date, Chen." He said it with such immediacy and resolve, but he had been unprepared for the slight gut punch that came with her question.

"No, no of course it isn't. That's not what I meant. I just figured you'd want to spend your free time with her rather than the rookie you see for twelve hours a day."

Tim sighed. "To be honest, I haven't seen much of her since…since…."

He looked up to find Lucy nodding as she looked away. She knew.

When Rachel had visited the hospital after Lucy had been rescued, Tim knew she picked up on how worried he was. She was aware he'd been there all night, and that the food he'd asked her to pick up on the way wasn't for him. He hadn't had the energy to try to spin it any particular way. It was what it was. His only true concern at that moment had been if Lucy would be ok. He could sort out everything with his girlfriend later.

It wasn't that he didn't care for Rachel. He cared a great deal, and he wasn't ready to walk away from her. Neither of them deserved that, and that wasn't Tim. But Lucy being buried alive had changed everything in ways he was still trying to piece together. He slept differently now, oftentimes waking up in a sweat because of a dream where he couldn't save Lucy in time. The way he related to people was different. The way he trained Lucy was different. The way he felt was different, but he couldn't explain exactly what that meant yet.

Rachel was sweet and they got along great, but lately, he could detect the absence of anything solid and permanent between them. Maybe that could still develop over time, but his gut had begun to tell him otherwise.

Lucy shook her head as if perhaps to clear out the heaviness that had settled in the truck. In her cheery manner, she said, "Well, I'm sure you two will be fine. You're great together."

"Are we?" Tim asked, not knowing why he'd even ask a question like that.

Lucy's eyes widened. "You don't think so?"

This conversation was getting to be too much. What was he even doing? He didn't talk about his personal life with his rookies, even if the rookie was the easiest person to talk to that he'd ever known. Even if the rookie had a way of getting him to share pieces of him he never thought he would. Even if the rookie had been pouring light back into his life since day one.

"No, you're right. Rachel and I are great. We'll probably get together this weekend. It's fine. But, not a word of any of this conversation to her, got it, Boot?"

Lucy nodded, reaching for the powdered donut in her mix. "Believe me, I know better than to actively try to get on your bad side."

"What about when you stole my money clip?"

"I was just demonstrating I had learned what you taught me. Isn't that your goal as my TO?" Lucy smirked. Tim just rolled his eyes, unable to completely hide a smile.

They entered a comfortable silence for a moment as they each finished the donut they were working on. She shifted in her seat to face him better.

"Tonight's the first time I've felt truly safe being out, since…since…."

He knew.

Tim couldn't help the sense of pride that rushed through him at being the one that could help her feel safe, especially knowing she'd already made a few attempts at getting out with various friends. It was an honor he took very seriously.

She continued. "Even going out with Harper and Lopez…I mean, I know they had good intentions, but—"

"You know, Lopez never mentioned what actually happened that night."

"They took me speed dating."

"They did what?" Tim hissed. It was no wonder Angela hadn't given him specifics. What were they thinking?

"No, they really did mean well. They thought it was a safer way to ease me back into the dating world. But I-I just wasn't ready. One of the guys I talked to noticed a string on my sweater and tried to get it. It was right near the tattoo, and next thing I know I'd pinned him to the ground."

Tim just stared at Lucy, feeling helpless. Her kidnapping had robbed her of so much.

Lucy rushed on. "I felt horrible about it, even though it was just a knee-jerk reaction. But, I'm going to keep trying. I'm not going to stop living my life, and one day, I'll be ready to date again, and hopefully be ready for a real relationship, too. Caleb's not going to take that from me. Dead or not, he doesn't deserve the satisfaction."

That's my girl was the unbidden thought that first popped in his head. It was almost laughable because Lucy wasn't his girl. His rookie, his boot, his colleague, someone he occasionally couldn't quite define at all, but definitely not his girl. However, that pull he kept feeling had just grown a little stronger.

"He definitely doesn't," he agreed. "And you will get there. Just give it time."

The light coming from outside had shifted, and he noticed a little powder from the donut had somehow ended up on her cheek. "You've got some powder on your face."

Her hand flew up to get it but missed entirely. "Is it gone?"

"No, it's a little further down."

"How about now?"

How was she missing it? Exasperated, he brought the back of his index finger to her cheek and the powder came right off. As innocent as the gesture was, the full awareness of what he was doing settled over him, and he dropped his hand as nonchalantly as he could, but not before the knowledge of how soft her skin was became firmly cemented in his mind. When his eyes reached hers, he was relieved to see she didn't look freaked out. All he saw was trust.

Still, it was time to call it a night. His hand went to the key in the ignition, and he turned it, shattering the silence and any weird vibes that had managed to creep into the truck. "We should head back," he said, sounding more like his TO self.

"We're not that far from my apartment. Do you mind just dropping me off there? I can ride in with Jackson tomorrow."

"Yeah, no problem."

It was a surprisingly quiet ride to her place. Lucy managed to polish off two more donuts, and Tim remained focused on the drive, knowing everything was still very much the same, and yet somehow it wasn't.

Once they reached her apartment, Lucy gathered her things and paused before opening the door. "Thank you again for the donuts."

"You're welcome."

"And…thanks for not giving up on me. I'm really happy you decided to stay," she said, eyes shining.

He couldn't help but smile. Man, he was doing that a lot tonight. "Yeah, well, don't make me regret my decision by getting all sappy." He wanted to say more, to say how much her words meant to him, but he knew he had to keep things light, because if he ventured to the deep end right now, with her earnestness and kindness and hair blowing in the night breeze as she stepped out of the truck, there was a distinct possibility he might drown.

Lucy laughed, and gave a small nod as if to say I understand. "'Night, Tim."

"'Night, Boot."

No, it definitely wasn't a hard decision to stay at Mid-Wilshire.

This was originally part of Chenford Week on AO3 last year, and it just hadn't made its way over here yet. I hope you enjoyed reading! You can find me fangirling on Tumblr as theawkwardanglophile! Thanks for reading!