Lucy woke up the next morning to the smells of pancakes and coffee...and the sound of a dog barking. She quickly jumped out of bed and got dressed, but before she could take two steps, her bedroom door burst open, and in walked-

"Kojo!" Lucy exclaimed, brushing right past Tim and ignoring the unamused look on her boyfriend's face. "How's my sweet little guy?"

"Good morning to you, too," Tim muttered, trying not to sound jealous of the attention and affection that Lucy was showing Kojo.

"Someone's jealous," Lucy joked, untangling herself from the overly-rambunctious dog. "So two questions: When did you get here, and why didn't I see Kojo when I was at your place?"

"I dropped him off at Genny's when the shit started to hit the fan; she brought him back last night after I dropped you off here. And we've been here for about an hour." Tim held up a steaming hot mug of Lucy's favorite tea. "I made you breakfast too. I was going to bring it to you in bed, but seeing that you're up..."

"Ass," Lucy smiled.

"Thanks for noticing. Come on, breakfast is getting cold."

Lucy's jaw dropped when she saw the spread occupying her kitchen counters. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, and potatoes sat, waiting to be eaten. "Wow. You made all of this?"

"Always the tone of surprise," Tim joked in response.

After the dishes had been washed and put away, Tim grabbed his phone, his keys, and Kojo's leash before kissing Lucy on the cheek. "Gotta run," he said.

"Where are you headed?" Lucy asked.

"I have a meeting with IA at 10."

"That's not for another hour."

"I know that. I want to take Kojo home first."

"Wha- I can watch him."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, he can keep me company while I study for the Detectives' exam."

"Alright, yeah. You're not worried about Prim, are you?"

Lucy smirked confidently. "I'm going to run circles around Prim and make him my bitch. He's not going to know what hit him."

Tim beamed with pride as he opened the front door. "That's my girl. I'll be back later. Love you!"

The hustle and bustle of Mid-Wilshire had somewhat of a calming effect on Tim before his meeting with Internal Affairs. With nothing else to do for the next half-hour, he took out his phone and started playing the pool game he'd recently downloaded. It helped him pass the time, but he was bored after about fifteen minutes. He closed the game and slipped his phone back into his pocket just as the IA Commander's secretary spoke.

"Sergeant Bradford, Commander West will see you now."

"Great." Tim rose from the chair he'd occupied and entered Commander West's office.

"Sergeant Bradford," Commander West greeted, his hand outstretched. "Twice in six weeks. I don't know if this is a record, but it's damn close."

"Commander," Tim replied, shaking West's hand before sitting down.

"Let's get down to business. I want to go over a few details from your report on the Antonov shooting. I need some clarification on a few things."

Tim nodded. "What do you need clarification on?"

"What were you and Officer Chen doing at the Santa Monica Pier when you made initial contact with Mr. Antonov?"

"As I stated in my report, Officer Chen and I were simply going to get something to eat when Officer Chen observed Antonov on the beach."

"Forgive me for saying so, but that seems like a long way to go, just for lunch."

Tim chuckled. "It was one of those pop-up food trucks making its way up the coastal cities. Lucy, sorry, Officer Chen, found the location through social media."

"And when did you make contact with Mr. Antonov?"

"Officer Chen observed him walking along the beach. We initiated a foot pursuit, keeping a safe distance behind him to avoid starting a shootout in an area filled with civilians. He got in his car and drove away; Chen and I followed in my truck. I called everything in as it happened."

"I heard the recordings from dispatch. I also watched the video, multiple times. There's something in it that caught my eye, and I was hoping you could explain it."

Tim looked confused as West turned the monitor on his desk around and pressed the "play" button. Tim watched, noticing the video glitch when Antonov pulled the trigger. Tim hoped his face didn't give anything away, as he remembered the Saint Michael Medal that had been in his pocket all day. 'Saved my ass again, Jackson,' he thought.

"Sergeant Bradford? Your explanation?"

"Old phone, sir," Tim lied. "I planned on upgrading this week, in fact."

West nodded. "Uh-huh. Well, that's all I needed. It's my determination that this was a clean shoot. Antonov was a danger to the public. Sergeant Bradford, you are cleared to return to full duty immediately."

"Yes, sir." Tim rose from his seat and shook West's hand. He made his way downstairs and was almost to the exit when he heard somebody call out his name.

"Bradford!"

Tim turned to see Grey beckoning him into his office. Tim made his way to the Watch Commander's office, shutting the door behind him.

"Sir?"

"Have a seat," Grey said. When Tim sat down, Grey continued, "Bradford, as I'm sure you know, promotions are cycling around again in the LAPD."

Tim nodded. "I've heard. Aren't the lists of new Lieutenants and Captains due out soon?"

"This morning, actually." Grey handed Tim the list of the new Lieutenants. "Take a look."

Tim read the Lieutenants list in disbelief. "No way. This has to be a joke. Someone in this department is fucking with me."

Grey chuckled at Tim's reaction. Hell, he started outright laughing. "Oh, it's real. Besides, someone needed the promotion with Pine making Captain."

"This is gonna be weird."

"This is the LAPD. 'Weird' is Tuesday to us. Read on; it gets weirder."

"How weird?"

"Check the Captains list."

Tim set the Lieutenants list aside and checked the Captains list, smirking when he saw the fourth name on the list. "Well, I guess congratulations are in order."

Grey scoffed. "Congratulate my wife. She's the one that pushed me to take the damn test."

The smirk on Tim's face quickly became silent laughter. "Now that I believe."

"Laugh it up, laugh it up. That's going to be you sooner or later."

Tim roared with laughter. "By the time that happens, Lucy will be commanding an entire squad of detectives and I'll be golfing with you and Nolan on weekends."

"That reminds me: How's Lucy doing with the detective exam? Is she worried about Prim at all?"

Tim shook his head. "She's doing fine, and she's not worried about Prim. I believe her exact words were, she's going to, run circles around Prim and make him her bitch."

Grey nodded his approval. "Tell her I'm rooting for her."

"I'll be sure to. Matter of fact, I should probably get back to her."

"So you told her how you feel?"

"I did."

"How'd that feel?"

Tim sighed. "Liberating. Like the weight of the world came off my shoulders."

"Then I won't keep you any longer. Go enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thanks, Captain." Tim gave a mock salute and left.

Kojo plopped himself down on Lucy's legs when Tim left, and hadn't moved since. He occasionally sighed contentedly as Lucy studied for the detective exam. His ears perked up when the door opened and Tim walked in.

"Hey, babe," Lucy called. "I'd get up, but your dog is currently laying down on my legs."

"Oh, so when he's cutting off your circulation, he's my dog," Tim joked, strolling over to the couch and kissing Lucy. "But when he's doing something 'totally cute and adorable,' then he's our dog."

"Shut up," Lucy laughed. "How'd the meeting with IA go?"

"Swimmingly. I'm back on Duty starting tomorrow. I also had a talk with Grey."

"About what?"

"Promotions."

"Promotions? Whose?"

"A few. Pine made Captain and got transferred out of Metro-"

"So who's in charge of Metro now?"

"I'm getting there. Luna made Grey take the Captains' exam, and he passed."

Lucy burst out with laughter. "You're joking."

Tim raised his right hand. "Hand to God. Here's the kicker: Some genius decided to promote me, of all people, to command Metro. I get my Lieutenant bars next week."

Lucy nudged Kojo off of her so she could stand up to hug Tim. "That's awesome! Congratulations, Lieutenant."

"Thanks, Luce. That means a lot. But there's just one more thing we need to take care of."

"What's that?"

On a stormy sea of moving emotion
Tossed about, I'm like a ship on the ocean
I set a course for winds of fortune
But I hear the voices say

Tim hesitated. "Have you seen the video yet?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, I haven't. Why?"

"Something weird happened when he pulled the trigger. On the video it was a glitch, but...I think it was something else." Tim motioned to the St. Michael medal on Lucy's coffee table. "That was in my pocket that night."

"Tim. You don't think...?"

Tim nodded. "I do. I also think it's time. We should do it tonight."

Carry on, my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more, no!

Lucy nodded with a tear in her eye. "Okay, then. Tonight."

Tim wrapped Lucy in a tight hug and held her close. He knew how close she and Jackson had been, so there was no way this was an easy decision for her. Burning the medal meant letting go of one of her best friends.

Tim returned home late that afternoon and dug a five-foot pit in his backyard. Lining it with dry twigs, he admired his handiwork while he waited for Lucy. If what Juarez had told him on the phone was true, then he need only throw the medal onto the fire and that would be that. 'Oh, well,' he thought to himself. He wasn't sure about all this supernatural stuff anyway.

Carry on, you will always remember
Carry on, nothing equals the splendor

Just after sunset, Kojo's excited barking signaled to Tim that Lucy had arrived. She made her way to the backyard, where Tim waited with a beer in his hand and more in a cooler. He offered her one before lighting a match and throwing it into the pit. The fire roared to life as Tim and Lucy each took a drink in Jackson's memory.

Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you

Lucy pulled the St. Michael medal from her pocket and she and Tim shared a knowing glance. With a nod, she threw the medal onto the fire.

Carry on, my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry, don't you cry no more

"See you on the other side," Lucy said softly, watching the medal burn. She looked up from the fire, and swore she could see Jackson, plain as day, smiling at her and Tim, offering a thumbs-up before completely vanishing.