Hey everyone, this is my very first Rookie FanFiction. I've just finished watching series 3 and I have become obsessed with Chenford! I hope you enjoy this little one-shot, please let me know what you think.
Disclaimer - I own nothing!
"You like her," teased Angela, as she, Tim and Nyla dug into their tacos. A few tables over Jackson and Lucy were enjoying their lunch.
"Everyone likes Lucy," said Tim, with a shrug, chancing a glance at his former rookie.
"I didn't even mention Lucy's name!" exclaimed Angela, in delight. "Tim has a crush."
"You were staring at her, even though I'm only a lowly TO not a detective, I could work that one out," said Tim, snarkily. "Besides, I'm thirty-nine year's old. That's too old to be having crushes."
"Infatuation? Attraction? L-O-V-E?" said Angela, with a wink. She held her hands up in surrender as she dodged a piece of lettuce he had thrown at her. "Come on, I'm an old married lady now and I have nothing else to do but meddle in the love lives of others so they can be as happy as me."
"You're definitely into her," agreed Nyla. "I think Chen got under your skin a long time ago, but she was your boot and your a rules guy. Also, a gentleman who doesn't want her reputation to be damaged, I respect that."
"I was married when I met her," said Tim dismissively. "And then I dated her best friend. At her request."
"And then the minute effort needed to be put into that relationship because it became long-distance, you broke up!" said Angela. "Because you're heart wasn't into it, because your heart belongs to someone else."
"I just wanted a nice lunch," sighed Tim.
"Why settle for a nice lunch when you could have a nice girlfriend?"
"She's too nice, she's sunshine and rainbows and I'm me."
"That girl is a badass!" said Nyla. "She might be sunshine but she can burn when she wants."
"She had the best TO," said Tim proudly.
"Are you telling me you've never thought about it?" asked Angela bluntly.
Tim shrugged.
"I don't think you had pure colleague feelings when you were cradling her after digging her out of the ground and breathing life back into her," commented Nyla.
"It was my fault she was in there," retorted Tim, darkly.
"Okay guys, let's lighten it up a bit," said Angela, placing a hand on her friend's arm. She remembered how racked with guilt Tim had been, and although she agreed with Nyla, she understood those memories were too painful for him. "Keeping it simple, if you didn't know her, she was never your rookie - not even a cop - just a stranger you met in a bar… what would you think of her?"
Tim glared in silence for a moment. He knew exactly what his thoughts on Chen would be if their first meeting was in a bar. He could imagine her so easily. Her dark hair tumbling in waves, big gold hoops, a cropped top with little capped sleeves and her shoulders bare, and tight high waisted jeans that begged him to rest his hands on her hips. She would be laughing, smiling wide and her eyes bright. She's never sultry or coy because she doesn't play games. She's unabashedly delightful. She's Lucy.
"I'm going to read that face as you'd be taking her home that first night," whistled Angela. "She's not your rookie anymore, Tim, and you need to make a move before she thinks it will never happen and moves on."
Tim sighed. "I tried to… kind of… I asked her to save me a dance at your wedding - your first wedding - and then, you know."
"Then Angela getting kidnapped at her own wedding was a major cockblock for you," finished off Nyla bluntly.
"Dude, I'm sorry for the inconvenience," laughed Angela.
"I hope you realise that you have now officially admitted your feelings for Chen," pointed out Nyla.
"Fine," said Tim relenting. "I don't know how or when but the boot got into my head, alright. She's there, and she won't go away, but I don't know how she feels. She won't want to be with an old hardass like me."
"She adores the ground you walk on," said Nyla, rolling her eyes.
"She's right," agreed Angela. "But not without her eyes wide open. She knows you're a hardass. She was one of the only boots who ever really stood up to and wasn't terrified by you for a full thirteen months. A trait, which I think, you found sexy."
"I don't think I would have been subjected to this if I hadn't have been your man of honour. I'm not one of the girls, you know."
Angela and Nyla shared a look. "Yes, you are."
"Hey, boot!"
He watched Lucy jump as he startled her. She fumbled with her car keys and dropped them. He rushed forward to grab them from the concrete floor for her. He placed one hand on her elbow to steady her and used the other to pass her keys back. He held on to her hand with the keys between them.
"You shouldn't creep up on a girl when she's alone in a poorly lit parking garage," joked Lucy, catching her breath.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure I caught you before you went home," said Tim, absentmindedly stroking her arm with his thumb. "I heard you had a rough day."
Lucy swallowed. "Just the last call. Domestic call. The wife covered for her husband and refused our help. It's frustrating."
"She'll get the help when she's ready," assured Tim. "And you'll be there for her."
"I hope so," smiled Lucy. "How was your day?"
"I had an interesting conversation with Harper and Lopez," admitted Tim. "They reminded me of something."
"Oh?"
"That I never got the dance I asked you to save me," replied Tim, not able to keep the smirk off of his face when he saw a faint pink blush spread across her cheeks.
"Well, it would have hardly been appropriate at the time," reasoned Lucy, with a shy smile.
"I don't see why now isn't appropriate?"
Lucy laughed. "Because we're in a parking garage? There's no music? I'm in a sweatshirt and leggings, not a dress?"
"You're already holding my hand."
Lucy looked down at their joint hands as though only just realising he had never let go. She twisted her wrist slightly letting the keys between them drop to the floor once more. He grinned as she interlocked her fingers with his tightly. He was emboldened to cup the small of her back and pull her tight towards him. She let her spare hand snake up his chest and rest on the back of his neck.
She laughed as Tim started to sway her gently on the spot, and he couldn't help but chuckle with her as she was so infectious. "This isn't how I pictured this."
"I'm sorry I'm not in the tux anymore," joked Tim.
"You should be," teased Lucy. "It was probably eighty-five percent of the deciding factor of me saying yes to a dance."
"Whenever you want me in it again, just let me know."
Lucy nodded before resting her head on his chest. "Is...is this okay?"
"Of course," murmured Tim, letting his chin drop to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her citrus shampoo. He couldn't remember the last time they had been this close to each other, except perhaps, his worst day. That day he hadn't been enjoying the touch of her, just grateful for the air going in and out of her lungs and the blood circulating through her veins. Now though, he didn't feel guilty for savouring the feel of her curves pressed against him or the feel of her hot, smooth skin underneath his fingertips. He had never been as thankful of her love of cropped tops as he had at this moment, grateful nothing was separating his hand from her.
"Tim?" started Lucy. Even without being able to view her face, he could tell she was biting her lip. "Are we just dancing because you want to cheer me up after a bad day or… or is this something else?"
"Something else," replied Tim, softly.
"What is it then?"
"The ball is in your court, boot," said Tim, with a deep breath. He knew given his age and his rank that the power balance was in his favour. Not that it had ever felt that way, not really. Lucy had managed to wrap him around her little finger in a way that no one else had before. He wanted to make sure she had the control, never wanting that taken away from her again.
Lucy lifted her head from his chest. "I'm scared."
Tim had only just realised that they had stopped moving. He removed his free hand from her spine, taking delight in her little shiver, and cupped her cheek. "Why are you scared, Lucy?"
"Because I need you in my life, Tim," said Lucy, breathlessly. "What if it doesn't work out and what we have is ruined?"
"You don't need me, Lucy," said Tim. "You are so strong. I don't know what our future will be if we try this but I want to find out. I can't picture what comes next without seeing you by my side. I hope you're appreciating all of these honest words and feelings, by the way."
Lucy snorted. "I was expecting actions rather than words, to be honest."
Tim raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk crossing his face. "Do you want me to be a man of action?"
She had barely started saying the word yes before he captured her full lips with his own, pulling her tightly against him, his hand sinking into her hair. For once in his life he wasn't aware of his surroundings because Lucy was the cause of all of his senses exploding. The taste of peppermint tea on her tongue, her warmth pressed against him, the soft moans filling his ears.
"Wow, that was… an action," gasped Lucy, as they broke apart, faces still close. "I've been imagining what that would be like for a long time.
"I hope it lived up to expectations," grinned Tim, leaving light pecks on her neck as she caught her breath.
"Exceeded them," smiled Lucy, tilted her head with a sigh. She pouted as he stepped back, placing his hands on her hips, pushing back on her as she tried to step closer. "What?"
"I can't carry on kissing you like that in a parking garage, Lucy, because otherwise we'll both end up convicted under penal code 647."
Lucy laughed. "What about a bit of lewd behaviour in private then?"
Tim groaned. "This isn't just that for me. I need you to know that before we do anything else."
"I know," nodded Lucy. "It isn't for me either."
"Are we really going to do this?"
"I think so," said Lucy, smiling.
"You're going to have to repay the favour, you know," said Tim, as he leaned against the kitchen counter next to Angela as she poured herself a coffee.
"What do you mean?"
"How do you feel about being my Best Woman?"
Angela swore as she missed her mug completely, spilling coffee on the countertop. "I didn't expect you to move that fast!"
"I haven't," replied Tim, helping her wipe the mess up. "Just giving you a warning. I'm going to be marrying that girl."
