A Cops Dream
Chapter 2
Tim stood there in the street, staring at Lucy for the first time in 12 years. Tim was completely shaken and felt like he was going to pass out. He had no idea how any of this was possible he had not seen or heard from Lucy in 12 years and then one minute Wesley is telling him that they are still married and the next he is walking with his future wife straight towards his current wife as his future wife is working with his other wife. His head was swirling just thinking about it and Tim knew he couldn't go over there; he couldn't talk to Lucy like this. So, he stopped walking and starting talking to Isabel.
Tim: Isabel, I'm so sorry to do this right now when things just went south but I need to go home I feel really sick right now.
Isabel turned to face him, she was annoyed right now was not a good time for him to leave and besides she so badly wanted to finally introduce Tim to Lucy, but one look at Tim and she knew he wasn't lying. He really looked so sick she began to panic.
Isabel: Oh, baby, what happened? Will you be, okay? Do you want me to come with you?
Tim: I'll be okay, I think I just need some water and to lie down a little.
Isabel: You really don't look good; I don't think you should be alone like this. Let me get someone to cover us both and I'll come home with you.
Tim: Thanks Isabel, it's sweet of you to offer but they really need you here right now.
Isabel: I don't know, why don't you go to Lopez and I can pick you up from there when I'm done with all of this.
Tim: That's okay, I don't want to bother her.
Isabel: Tim, going alone is not an option here, so either you get me or Angela
Tim: Fine, I'll go to Angela.
Isabel: Perfect. I'll see you later.
Tim: Bye.
Isabel watched as Tim walked away seconds before Lucy got there. She was really nervous about Tim, but she had a job to do and right now she needed to focus on Lucy not Tim.
Lucy: That looked intense
Isabel: Yeah, that was my fiancé.
Lucy: Everything okay?
Isabel: Yeah, he was in the van with me but is now feeling unwell so I sent him home. But I was really hoping to introduce you to him now.
Lucy: It's okay some other time.
Isabel: Well, we're getting married on Saturday and I would love for you and your boyfriend to come.
Lucy: Oh, wow Isabel that is so exciting! Of course, we would love to be there.
Isabel: Perfect I'll text you the details later.
Lucy and Isabel then walked together towards the command center talking excitedly about Isabel's upcoming wedding to Tim Bradford. Lucy was actually looking forward to going out and having the opportunity to meet new people here in LA. Although she grew up here, she once she lost Tim, she stopped all contact with everyone she knew from back then, so now she was a little lonely and figured that a wedding would be the perfect place to meet new people.
Tim nervously walked up the front walkway of Angela's house and before he even had a chance to knock the door flew open.
Angela: TIM BRADFORD! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE RIGHT NOW!
Tim: Wow Angela, calm down.
Angela: Calm down? CALM DOWN? HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN WHEN I AM JUST FINDING OUT THAT YOU ARE MARRIED TO SOMEONE THAT IS NOT ISABEL?
Tim: Angela, please!
Angela: Really Tim, I thought we were best friends.
Tim: We are
Angela: Best friends don't neglect to invite their best friends to their weddings.
Tim: Can we sit down please and I will tell you everything you want to know about my first marriage.
Angela: Sure
Tim: Okay, ask me anything you want to know?
Angela: Who is she?
Tim: Who is who?
Angela: Your wife? This girl that you are married too?
Tim: Wesley didn't tell you?
Angela: Nope, he just asked me if I knew anything about your first marriage, which clearly, I knew nothing about but he didn't give me a name.
Tim: Okay, well her name is Lucy Chen.
Angela: Wait, Lucy Chen as in detective Lucy Chen?
Tim: Yup, that's her.
Angela: Oh my god, I love Lucy.
Tim: How do you know her?
Angela: I worked several cases with her while she was working for Victorville PD. I knew her partner Noah Foster from the academy and he hooked me up with her. She's amazing. So, the ring she wore, that was from you?
Tim: She wore a ring?
Angela: Yeah, she wears a white gold wedding band on her finger. I was told by Foster not to bring up the topic of her husband so I never did.
Tim: So, she knows that we are still married?
Angela: I don't know. All I was told was that her husband was in the army and never came home. Wait, you married her before the army?
Tim: Look, it's a very complicated story but yes, we got married right after the academy and then I went to the army. Her dad believed that we were too young to get married and forced me to sign annulment papers.
Angela: Which is why you believed that you were no longer married to Lucy.
Tim: Yup
Angela: Why did you never mention this to anyone?
Tim: Look Angela, like I said it's very complicated but also extremely painful. I do not know all the details from Lucy's perspective, I haven't spoken to her since the night we got married, but Angela, I have been working for 12 years to move past this, to put Lucy behind me. I do not know why this is happening but I need my best friend right now.
Angela: And you have her. I'm sorry I freaked out. I guess I was just angry at the thought that you got married without me.
Tim: We got married with no one there, and anyway I didn't know you when I got married.
Angela: Fine, you're forgiven. Just make sure that when you marry Isabel, I am there with you or you will not be forgiven.
Tim: Angela, how can I marry Isabel now?
Angela: What are you talking about?
Tim: I can't get married to Isabel on Saturday if I am still married to Lucy, but how do I tell Isabel that we can't get married because I am already married and that her new partner is my wife?
Angela: Oh, that. Yeah, sorry Tim, that is one conversation I do not envy you for.
Tim: Gee thanks for your help, Angela.
Tim was feeling slightly calmer after his conversation with Angela and decided that this conversation with Isabel was going to have to happen at some point and he really wanted to talk to Lucy first, so he decided that instead of going home he would drive to their station and wait for them there.
Isabel and Lucy ended up spending the next several hours going over all the details of the Tesca case trying to figure out what went wrong. Eventually they had to call it a night and go home. Since Isabel had come to the restaurant with Tim and he had already left she had no way home so she asked Lucy to give her a ride back to the station.
Isabel: Have you ever been married?
Lucy: Excuse me.
Isabel: I'm sorry, wasn't trying to be offensive, just we have been talking about my wedding now for a while so I was wondering if you ever made it down the aisle.
Lucy: Kind of.
Isabel: What does that mean?
Lucy: Down the aisle, no. Said "I do" and got married yes. Lived happily ever after, not even close.
Isabel: I'm sorry. What happened if you don't mind my asking.
Lucy: It used to be very hard for me to talk about, and I'm trying to be more open about it, but I can't promise.
Isabel: I'm sorry Lucy, I really didn't mean to upset you.
Lucy: It's okay, I just wanted to be honest about it, before I shut down mid conversation and you had no idea what happened.
Isabel: If you don't want to talk about it, we can forget I ever asked.
Lucy: No, I do. I'll try.
Isabel: Okay but really no pressure.
Lucy: I know. Anyway, when I was in high school, I fell in love with my best friend's brother. He had enlisted in the army but was called to duty for some time. So, while he waited, he joined the police academy, and the night of graduation he got called in. So, in typical teenage fashion we didn't want to leave our relationship in limbo while he was overseas so we eloped. My dad found us as we were leaving the courthouse and forced him to break up with me.
Isabel: And he did?
Lucy: Well like I said, we never made it down the aisle because we eloped. We said I do and got married so at that point marriage needed to be annulled. He said he would send me the documents but when they never came, I believed that he knew this marriage was real and he just said that to make my father happy. Never getting those documents was my lifeline. So, I waited for him to get back from the military and to come back home to me.
Isabel: What happened then?
Lucy: He never came home.
Isabel: Oh, Lucy. I'm so sorry.
Lucy: When they told me that my husband went missing during a missile strike in Iraq and was never coming home, I packed up my stuff and left LA behind, I just couldn't be here anymore. Everything reminded me of him and it was just too painful.
Isabel: So, what brought you back?
Lucy: The job for one, but my boyfriend lives here.
Isabel: I'm sorry, that must have been tough for you, coming back here.
Lucy: It really was, still is. I keep imagining him here, next to me, hoping that he would be proud of me and everything I have accomplished.
Isabel: I'm sure he is.
Lucy: Thanks.
They sat in comfortable silence for the rest of the drive back to the station and when they got there Isabel noticed that Tim's truck was in the parking lot so she told Lucy that she didn't need a ride home. Lucy was exhausted and didn't need anything from the station so she watched Isabel walk into the building and then she drove straight home.
Isabel smiled as she saw Tim sitting by her desk waiting for her.
Isabel: Hey babe, you feeling better?
Tim: A little, yeah.
Isabel: Hope you weren't waiting for me for too long.
Tim: Nope, only a couple of minutes. Going to Angela's was a good idea.
Isabel: I'm glad you agree. You didn't have to come here to drive me home.
Tim: I know, but I wanted to and anyway I was hoping to meet your partner tonight.
Isabel: I know, I was hoping for that also, but it's really late and we had a long stressful night so I sent her home when I saw your truck was here. But it's okay, you'll still get to meet her, I invited her to our wedding.
Tim: You did what?
Isabel: I invited her to the wedding.
Tim: Why would you do that?
Isabel: Because she is my partner, why wouldn't I do that?
Tim: So, you're telling me, that your partner, that Lucy Chen, is coming to my wedding?
Isabel: Yes, Lucy Chen is coming to our wedding.