WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

214. Chapter 214

My Best Friend's Brother

That1VT

Summary:

Lucy Chen is a 22 year old psychology student living with her roommate and best friend, Genny Bradford. Lucy's life suddenly gets more complicated when Genny's older, police officer brother, Tim, suddenly becomes a larger presence in both women's daily lives.

Notes:

This work is inspired by a story I wrote for another fandom titled My Best Friend's Sister, though it will not follow the story completely as I want to stay as true to Tim and Lucy as I can, even though I am writing an AU. I personally prefer reading non-au stories, but I can't get this idea out of my head for these two and I am about to be off work for summer break and figured I may as well find a productive way to fill that time. I hope some of you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Twenty-two year old Lucy Chen was a senior psychology student at the University of Southern California, destined to graduate in two short months and then spend one final carefree summer to herself before heading off to graduate school in the fall to take the final steps to becoming a licensed clinical therapist, just like her mother and father.

Though, Lucy wasn't entirely thrilled about that trajectory. It wasn't her dream, it was her parents dream and it always had been. Both of them had decided when their daughter was still in diapers that this was the life she was going to lead and she'd never had a single choice or say in the matter. In fact, until she'd gone to college and been on her own for the first time, her parents pretty much made every single decision for her. From the clothes she wore, to the extra-curricular activities she was involved in, down to the boys she dated, her parents made all of her choices for her.

And to be honest, Lucy didn't feel like those choices were always what was right for her. To be completely honest, they were rarely right for her. Take her first serious boyfriend for example, Chang Lee. That relationship that her parents practically tossed her into ended in sheer disaster. The two dated all throughout Lucy's senior year of high school and up until the end of her first semester in college. On paper, Chang seemed great. He was intelligent, in fact, he was the valedictorian of their high school. He was also tall, handsome, and charming and from a well to do family of doctors. On top of that, he was planning to become a neurosurgeon and received a full-ride scholarship to attend Stanford.

Her parents had planned the next ten years of her life with Chang. Insisting that they date long distance throughout college while Lucy attended the less prestigious University of Southern California and Chang attended Stanford. They then insisted that two would become engaged after they completed their undergraduate degrees and marry the following summer in a traditional Chinese wedding. The next part of their plan centered around Lucy and Chang completing graduate school and working for a year before Lucy began blessing them with the first of many grand-children.

However, Lucy's parents didn't factor in the part of the plan where Chang cheated on Lucy with one of her best friend's from High school, who also happened to be attending Stanford with him. It turns out, Chang's parents were a lot like Lucy's in regards to the fact that they had also planned out Chang's life piece by piece and had included Lucy as part of their plan, while Chang had been in love with Lucy's friend Karen since he was 15 and had never been allowed to date her because his parents only wanted him to date other asian women.

Walking in on Chang and Karen at the start of her Christmas break when she'd decided to surprise her boyfriend by showing up to his dorm a day early had not been on Lucy's bingo card at all. And it left her with a bitter taste in her mouth, as she was filled with betrayal, by not only her boyfriend, but her best friend as well.

And while the sting of betrayal hurt, she had to admit, she also felt some form of relief after it was all said and done. She realized she was more hurt by the fact that Chang and Karen went behind her back and lied to her for so long than she was by the fact that she'd lost Chang and the life her parents envisioned for her. She realized then that she didn't love him, she'd probably never truly loved him, and she'd just been going through the motions because it was what was expected of her.

That was almost 4 years ago and Lucy hadn't been in a relationship since, not that her parents
hadn't tried desperately to pair her with plenty of guys since then, because they had, relentlessly. Often telling her on her visits home she'd end up on an old maid with a hundred cats if she didn't let them find her a partner. But the constant nagging from them didn't deter her, she was dead set on not simply settling for someone or having someone settle for her. Not that she didn't go out with men from time to time or have the occasional hook-up here and there, because she did. But she refused to let things get serious with any guy she came across since Chang and Karen, not because she wasn't over him, but because he made it difficult for her to truly be able to trust someone after being lied to for long and she didn't think it was worth the effort to take a chance that someone else might do the same thing to her. And she was proud of herself for finally being able to stand up to her parents from the constant pressure they put on her to change that and be with who they wanted her to be with.

And now, as she sat cross-legged on a bar stool, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, with a hefty, worn textbook in front of her, all alone in her kitchen on a Friday night studying for her Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience mid-term, she sighed heavily and wished she could stand up to her parents in other ways as well.

Before she could push the text-book away in a fit of frustration and leave her seat to abandon her studies, she heard the creaking of the front door opening and the infectious laughter of her roommate, Genny, fill her ears.

"Are you seriously still studying?" Genny chuckled, her long, red hair wild and messy from a night of dancing.

Lucy groaned and shook her head yes, her lips forming into a pout as she met the other woman's eyes.

Genny kicked off her heels and sauntered towards her friend, taking a seat beside her on the empty bar stool. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to have a little fun sometimes. Put the book down, put some make-up on, go to the club with me." The redhead paused and wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe meet up with Chris at the club."

"Stop," Lucy whined and playfully pushed Genny. "I do have fun." When Genny simply stared in return, Lucy insisted, "I do! I go out, you know I do! And I've had fun with Chris already, a few times already. I just have to get a grade on my mid-term. You know how my parents get if my average drops below a 97."

"I know," Genny agreed sympathetically. "But I just hate to see you so stressed. And I miss my best friend going out with me."

"I know, I know. I just, I have to buckle down these last few weeks. I need to finish strong and graduate Summa Cum Laude. But I promise that this summer, we are going to have ALL the fun."

With an accepting nod, Genny smirked. "And what about you and Chris? Are you two going to have all the fun this summer?"

With a wince, Lucy shook her head adamantly. "We might have some fun every now and then, but you know I don't do relationships. He knows I don't do relationships. I've made that perfectly clear multiple times.."

Genny's smirk faltered. "I ran into him tonight and he wouldn't stop asking about you. He likes you, Luce. And he's smart, and good looking, and he's going to be a lawyer so that means he's going to be rich."

"And none of that matters in the end. I'm not going to get with someone just because they fit all these perfect little boxes on paper."

"I just want you to be happy."

"I am," Lucy insisted. Genny's eyes drifted to the textbook on the table and she casts a doubtful look at Lucy. "Okay," Lucy giggled, "I'm not happy about this mid-term, but I am happy. I have the best roommate ever, "she reaches across the bar and squeezes Genny's hands, " and some really amazing friends, like Jackson,Aaron, and Celina. I don't need a boyfriend to be happy."

"Okay, okay," the taller woman relented. "I give up for now."

"Good," she huffed in response.

"I'm about to get a shower and go to bed. I met this really cute guy named Rob at the club and we danced for hours, so I'm beat." She threw a grin at Lucy and stood up to head to her room. "Oh by the way, Tim called earlier and he wants to meet me for lunch tomorrow, he said he had something he wanted to talk to me about and insisted it had to be in person. Do you wanna come?"

Lucy's nose scrunched and her face soured. "Tim, as in your brother Tim? Lik the arrogant, brooding, cranky Tim that I did nothing but argue with the entire time we were in a room together when we met last year because he's such a pompous jerk? Yeah, no thank you."

"He's really not that bad," Genny defended, "he's just been going through a rough time and it's put him in a mood."
"I'll take your word for it," the brunette replied as she buried her head back in her textbook. "Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning."

With a roll of her eyes, Genny called out, "goodnight," and headed towards her room.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Notes:

I'm happy to see the interest in this story and I hope people continue to enjoy it! Thank you all for the support so far.

Chapter Text

Around noon the next day Genny showed up at Mel's, a quaint, 50's style diner in L.A, known best for their greasy food and vintage look. It was a popular spot for her fellow college kids to frequent all hours of the night.

After waiting ten minutes, Genny glanced at her cell phone and sighed, feeling a mixture of mild irritation and slight worry at her brother's tardiness. It wasn't like Tim to be late, he was a stickler for timeliness. In fact, he was a stickler for a lot of things, feeling a constant need to follow the rules and make sure everyone around him is also following said rules. It was honestly quite annoying at times and one of the reasons she believed Lucy and Tim didn't exactly hit it off last year when Lucy joined Genny for her yearly visit with her older brother.

Just as Genny was about to enter the code to unlock her phone and make a phone call to check on the elder Bradford, the dinging of the bell over the diner door caught her attention and she lifted her eyes to find her brother strolling through the glass door.

"Wow!" Genny muttered with a perplexed expression as he slid into the yellow booth in front of her. "You look like absolute shit."

Tim growled in response and swiped a hand over his uncharacteristically scruffy face. "Nice to see you, too."

"Sorry," she winced. "It's just, I've never seen you like this." She paused before speaking again, taking a moment to fully take Tim in. He had bags and purple circles under his eyes, his normally neatly cut short hair was grown out and disheveled, and his five-o'clock shadow seemed like it had seen about three or four five o'clocks since the last time it had been trimmed. The slight worry she felt earlier suddenly turned into extreme worry and she demanded, "What's going on? Are you okay?"

After sucking in a deep breath, he replied in a shaky voice, "Isabel got out of rehab."

Confusion etched across her features, Genny began, "Well, that's great, TIm. How is sh..."

"She's sober," he cut his sister off abruptly with a bitter edge to his voice, "she's sober and clean and she can go home and start her life over... "He paused and his voice trembled, "Except she doesn't want to start her life over with me. She handed me divorce papers when I went to pick her up."

Genny's jaw dropped and she stared wide-eyed as she muttered, "Oh my God! I'm so sorry." And reached across the table to squeeze her brother's hand.

Tim recoiled at her touch and shook his head somberly, his eyes growing glassy and heavy.. "She said I'd always be a reminder of her lowest point in life. That I always made her feel like she had to live up to some standard she couldn't measure up to. Like it's my fault she got hooked on heroin. As if I'm the one who put that needle in her arm."
"I'm sure that's not how she meant it," she weakly attempted to offer.

"Doesn't matter," he huffed. "None of it matters now. It's over. Ten years of marriage is just over."

Genny grimaced and tried to stifle her own tears threatening to spill from behind her eyes at the sight of seeing her older brother, the strongest person she knew, so broken. She slid out of the booth she was in and slipped in next to him, placing a soothing hand on his back as he placed his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands.

She couldn't imagine the pain Tim must be feeling right now. Isobel was his first love. They'd been together since he was 15, married since he was 18 and returned from basic training, survived 4 years of deployment together, then survived coming up together through the police academy and making it on to the force. The two had literally grown up together and she imagined it must feel like he was losing a .

After allowing Genny to gently rub his back for a few moments, Tim stiffened and sat up, mustering the gruffest voice he could to hide pain, he huffed out, "That's not even the worst part of all this, Gen. I didn't just lose Isobel, I've lost everything."

"What do you mean?"

"The house, our savings, it's gone. It's all gone."

"But, I don't understand? How's it all gone? What judge in the world would give all that to Isobel after the hell she put you through?"

"It's not that," he muttered weakly and shamefully. "There's nothing to give, nothing to fight over. It's just all gone. She drained all of our savings when she first ran off and left me over a year ago."

"And the house?" Genny pressed firmly, shocked at what she'd just learned.

Through gritted teeth, he admitted, "I took out a second mortgage so I could send her to the best treatment facility there was."

"Tim," she scolded unintentionally.

"I know," he tossed his hands up defensively, "Okay, I know. It was stupid. Probably one of the dumbest things I've ever done. But I wanted my wife back. I needed to save her…I….I needed her. And right now, I don't need a lecture, I just need my sister."

"I'm sorry," she stammered, "I just, I wasn't expecting any of this. Why didn't you tell me?" He shoots her a knowing look and she simply nods and offers. "I get it, we aren't exactly close, but we're family. You could've talked to me about this. You could've come to me."

"You're right," he agrees," we haven't been close in a long time and a lot of that is probably my fault. I mean, I'm six years older than you and we're in totally different places in life and have been for a long time…And even if we weren't, I'm the older brother, I'm not supposed to come to you with my problems, you're supposed to be able to come to me."

"No," she countered sternly, "we should be able to come to each other."

His misty blue eyes meet hers. "I'm coming to you now, aren't I?"

"Yeah," she agrees, squeezing his arm affectionately. "So, tell me what you need? How can I help?"

Once again, Tim swipes his hand over his face and mumbles, "I wouldn't be asking this if I had any other option…and believe me, I thought about ALL the other options. But, Nyla and Donovan have the new baby at home and Angela and Wesley just got engaged and I don't wanna intrude on their new life together. So then that left Smitty, and I was going to go with Smitty, but then," he shudders at the memory and trails off.

"Get to the point, Tim" she teases lightly, " it's not like you to ramble,"

He groans and hangs his head, muttering barely above a whisper, "I need a place to live."

"You mean wanna move in with us?" She clarifies.

"I don't want to," he grumbles and folds his arms across his chest, "I need to. Just for a little while. Just until I get back on my feet. Maybe six months, tops."

"Of course," she agrees. "Of course! I mean, we have the extra bedroom since Jackson moved in with his boyfriend a few months ago and I'd be happy to have you stay with us for a while." The smile that swept across her face at being able to help her brother solve one of his problems suddenly falters and she winces slightly."I just, I do need to run it by Lucy first."

"Lucy," Tim groans loudly. "As in your annoyingly bubbly," he waves his hands dramatically, "unnecessarily cheerful, yaps as much as a chihuahua friend? That Lucy?"

"Yeah," Genny chuckles softly, "That's the one and only. And being positive, friendly, sweet, and talkative are actually qualities most normal people appreciate in a person."

Tim simply rolls his eyes and orders the waiter over and tells him, "I need a coffee. Black. Give me the strongest one you've got. I'm gonna be needing a lot of it."

Chapter 3: Moving in

Summary:

I'm so happy to know you guys are still enjoying this! Once summer break begins at the end of May, I hope to update this story every other day. Until then, updates may only be on the weekends and mid week. I'm not sure entirely how many chapters this will end up with, as I really want to take my time and hit all the important moments and beats, though I do have a solid plot laid out and know exactly where I'm going overall.

Chapter Text

It was late Saturday afternoon and Lucy was in the living room of her and Genny's house, her pink yoga mat on the floor, Beethoven's symphony playing lightly in the background, and her body situated comfortably in in a plank she'd been holding for the past 62 seconds when she heard the jingling of keys and the turning of the door knob, followed by Genny leisurely strolling inside, a tight lip, almost forced smile sprawled across her face.

Lucy drops her planked position and props herself up on her elbows, her head resting in the palm of her hands as she asks, "You're back late. How'd lunch with your broody brother go?"

With a hum, Genny maintains that forced smile and takes a seat on their light gray, sueded sectional. "It was good. Good. You know, really good.".

"Okay," Lucy chuckles, noticing the odd tone in friend's voice and the strange expression that seems glued to her normally easy features. "That's great."

Genny slaps her hands on her knees and blows out a heavy and uncomfortable, "Yep."

"Okay," Lucy shakes her head and arches a curious brow. "Stop being weird and tell me whatever's going on." When Genny hesitates and looks away, Lucy begins to speculate, "Oh, does it have to do with that Rob guy? Did he turn out to be a total creep?"

"No," the redhead smiles fondly at the thought of Rob. "Rob's actually pretty great so far. We've been texting on and off all day and we've got plans to meet up again tonight.

"Okay," Lucy taps her chin thoughtfully and then squirms into a sitting position, crossing her legs and staring intently towards the other woman. "What is it then?"

Sighing, she relents and replies, "I, uh, I kind of need a favor."

This time, noticing the growing distress in Genny's voice and in her furrowed brows, Lucy straightens and her face grows serious. "Wh-What is it? Do you need me to cover rent this month? Whatever it is, you know I got you, girl. We're practically like family."

"Speaking of family….IneedyoutobeokaywithTimmovinginforafewmonths," Genny mumbles out at record speed and just above a whisper, her eyes darting to the floor.

Somethin between a snort and a laugh escapes Lucy's lips as she asks, "What?" Fully unable to comprehend a word of what had just been said.

Her eyes still trained to the floor, but speaking slowly and more clearly, she replies, "I need you to be okay with Tim moving in for a few months."

"What!" Lucy howls, her body physically recoilimg at the news. "You've gotta be kidding. No way!"

"Don't be like that. Remember that I was totally fine with it when you wanted Jackson to move in when we decided to find a house after living together in our dorm all freshman year."

"That's different," Lucy whines. "Jackson is sweet, and funny, and he's the type of roommate that holds your hair back when you puke from having too much to drink. Tim, well he's-he's the type of roommate that would push your face down in the puke and tell you he warned you not to drink so much and that you better learn your lesson and not do it again."

With a deep frown and fierce protectiveness in her voice, Genny counters, "That's not fair. You don't know Tim like that. He's not cruel." Though internally, Genny does have to admit the scenario Lucy painted doesn't sound entirely unreasonable to imagine. "Tim's actually really kind underneath all his bluster and bullshit, he just doesn't open up to people and let them see that side of him easily. You of all people should understand defense mechanisms, you're a psychology major. And you're never this judgemental of people. You always want to see the good in them, no matter what. Why can't you try and do that when it comes to Tim?."

Lucy's face softens and she begins to feel a ping of guilt bubbling in her stomach seeing how defensive her friend is growing over her brother and knowing she's judging the man a bit harshly over one interaction they shared over a year ago. "I know, I know, okay? I'm sorry, I don't know what it is about him that just rubs me the wrong way and you can't sit here and tell me he doesn't feel the exact same way about me. The thought of living with someone I can't get along with for an indefinite amount of time, it's just an overwhelming feeling."

"Come on, Luce, she pleads. Do this for me. He's my only brother and he needs me right now."

"Ugh," the brunette sighs. "Fine, okay. I'll do it. And I'll try my best to keep an open mind and be nice."

"Thank you, thank you!" Genny claps, the corners of her lips quirking up and her misty eyes brightening. "You're the best."

With a forced smile, Lucy tries to push away all the uncertainty and anxiety she's feeling over the situation when something suddenly dawns on her and her face contorts in confusion. "Wait? Isn't he married? Is his wife going to live here, too?"

Genny recounts an extremely edited version of Tim's story, simply supplying the fact that this ten year marriage just ended abruptly and he can't afford to keep the house, not including Isobel's addiction or his second mortgage and drained savings, knowing her brother is an extremely private person and that he wouldn't want someone who barely knows him knowing all the details of his divorce, let alone the fact that he wouldn't want that information shared with someone he didn't particularly like.

Lucy's disdain and agitation begin to soften even more and that bubbling guilt seems to mix with a feeling of pity and she fidgets with a loose strand of hair hanging down beside her neck. 'I'm sorry that happened to him. Of course I can tough it out for six months to help someone so important to you going through something so difficult."

"If that long," Genny responds, "I know my brother, he doesn't like depending on people. Least of all, depending on me. I'd be shocked if he was here longer than three months."

()()()

Later that night, Gennny informed Tim that Lucy was on board with him moving in and a place was put into place for Tim to begin moving in the following weekend. Jackson's room was still mostly furnished, as he didn't need his bed or dresser when he moved in with his boyfriend Sterling, and the plan Tim discussed with Genny was for him to simply bring over small items, like his clothes, pull-up bar, punching bag, and a few photos and personal items. The younger Bradford suggested to the elder that it might help him in the healing process if he was able to have a fresh start in his temporary home.

Reluctantly, Tim agreed and placed larger items in a storage building that belonged to his best friend, Agenla Lopez, and her live-in boyfriend, Wesley Evers. It's a unit they used to, in Angela's words, "store all the tacky crap Wesley owned that she didn't want cluttering up her house now that they were living together."

The week came and went, and before Tim knew it, the following Saturday arrived and he was reluctantly pulling up to his sister's house in his Gray, four-door, Chevy Silverado, the only remaining large item to his name.

He paused as he pulled into the drive-way of the ranch-style home that's located along a small, hilly, winding road in a quiet neighborhood that provides a distant view of the San Gabriel Mountains. His hands firmly grips the steering wheel of his truck as he peers out through the window of his truck and stares ahead. 13 years of his life start playing like a slideshow in his mind. He forces out the bad memories as the end of that slide show approaches and images of the future he and Isobel should've had in the next 13 rushing to the forefront. The children that they should've had that. The little girl with Isobel's blond locks, her smile, her blue eyes. A blond little boy in a baseball uniform with his height, his build, and his cheekbones.

He's never felt like such failure in his life. Failure as a husband. Failure as a man who was unable to save his wife, his marriage. Failure as a man who was supposed to father those imaginary children and bring them into a loving, picturesque home. Failure as a brother who'd barely maintained a relationship with his younger sister since he moved out at 18 after joining the military, but now had to depend on that sister for a place to live at the lowest point in his life.

He blows out a heavy breath and forces his eyes away from the mountainous view and away from those unwanted thoughts and back towards the home in front of him. He takes in the sight of the overgrown grass and the unstained wood on the wrap around porch. His eyes catch sight of a shutter that's hanging upside down and in desperate need of a new coat of pain.
He tries to assure himself, after seeing those sights, that his sister actually needs him here. He tells himself she and her annoying roommate could use him around the house to work on these things and he'd actually be doing them a favor by staying here for a while. It's a futile attempt to make himself feel better, but he allows himself to believe it nonetheless, which is honestly the only thing that gives him the will to hop out of the truck and head to front door and take those steps into his new life instead of living in cheap, seedy motels for the next few months while he saves up enough to get another place of his own.

With a duffle bag slung over his arm and a large suitcase that he tugs behind him, Tim clammers up the small stairway of the front porch and unenthusiastically knocks on the door. He's barely finished one knock when the door opens and it's Lucy, not Genny, who opens the door.

"Tim," she greets him with a polite and welcoming smile, "Come in on. Genny's in the restroom, but she'll be out in just a minute."

"Chen," he curtly responds with a nod and slips in the door, clutching the strap of his duffle bag. He doesn't know why, but her warm smile irks him. His eyes linger on her face, noticing the clear irritation at the use of her last name instead of her first with the way the dimples in her cheeks disappear as her smile falters and is replaced with heavy scowl and folded arms across her chest.

"You can call me Lucy," she corrects firmly. "That's my first name. That's how normal people address people."

His brows crease and he's about to jump on on the defensive, but Genny walks in before he can open his mouth and quickly steps between them, pulling him in for a hug which he loosely returns with one arm. She tells him how much better he looks with a clean shave and haircut, though he knows she must still see the heaviness behind his eyes, because he can damn sure still feel it.

She ensures him it's great tto see him and how happy she and Lucy are to both have him staying with him, and he doesn't miss the huff and eye roll Lucy lets out at his sister's statement. He narrows his eyes at her and she rolls her eyes at him before looking away.

Tim steps all the way inside, lugging his heavy suitcase behind him as Genny points to the hallway as they walk, showing him the location of his new room, which happens to be located directly across from Lucy's, only six feet away from his own, while Genny's room is located on the other end of the house, all the way across the living room.

"So, she and I will be sharing a bathroom," Tim states, not hiding his disappointment as he notices the small bathroom located between the two bedrooms.

"Yeah, there's only two. The one in my room, which is the master bathroom, and then this one."

"And there's no way you and I can swap rooms?" He suggests.

"No way!" She playfully shoves her brother. "I won that room fair and square three years ago in an intense game of rock paper scissors. I'm not about to give it up now, especially not when you're only going to be here half a year."

Tim groans, but doesn't argue. "Fine, but she better not make a mess and she better not hog all the hot water."

"Lucy's pretty organized and she's like you and likes to keep things neat." Genny chuckles. "And if I remember correctly from when you were in high school, you're the one who hogs the bathroom."

"Haha, aren't you funny."

"Oh, I'm pretty hilarious," she agrees as they walk through the hallway and she opens the door to his new room.

As he steps inside, his nose tingles and his face scrunches as he mutters, "What the hell? Who's been smoking pot in my room? It smells like a hot box in here." He reaches into his jeans and pulls out his badge, waving it around furiously in the air. "Don't you two realize I'm a cop?"

"First off," Lucy calls out from the position she'd taken on the couch as Genny showed Tim around the house, "Marijuana is legal in the state of California for both medicinal and recreational use, so even though you're a cop, it doesn't matter if Genny or I were to use it. Second, it's not Marijunna you're smelling. It's a combination of Sage and Eucalyptus."

His forehead wrinkles and he barks out, "What? Why?"

She migrates from the couch and into the hallway, holding up a finger. "Sage is very therapeutic. It's been shown to promote calmness and boost your mood" She holds up another finger. "Eucalyptus has been shown to help refresh and re-energize the body, while also soothing the mind. I was trying to be helpful."

Tim glares at Genny first, then Lucy, before sighing, shaking his head and storming into his room and grumbling, "I don't believe in that cleansing, mumbo-jumbo crap. And I don't need my mood to be refreshed or re-energized, or re-anything." He slams his door behind him and growls, "Stay out of my room. Both of you."

"I was trying to be nice," Lucy growls back at the closed door, throwing up her hands in frustration. "You should try it some time."

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Chapter Text

For the remainder of the day, Tim and Lucy do their best to avoid one another. Each basking in the solitude of their own room to ensure they don't come into contact with another. The exile they both seek is only intensified when Genny leaves the house that night to meet up with Rob, the guy she'd met at the club the night before, and the two are forced to be inside alone Both take extra precaution when leaving their room for food or bathroom breaks, pressing their ear to the door before daring to venture outside the confinement of their four walls to make sure they don't hear the other, then slowly inching the door open and peeping behind the cracks to make sure the other is nowhere to be seen. Neither knowing the other is mirroring their actions each time.

Lucy takes her time in solitude to work on her paper that's due the following Wednesday, busying herself well into the night while blasting Aretha Franklin songs to keep her focus. After the third playback of the album, and the fifth time that night she'd listened to I Never Loved a Man, she feels her eyelids growing heavier and heavier and finally gives in to the exhaustion and calls it a night. It must've been around two or three a.m. when she fell asleep which is why she's none too thrilled to wake up to the "pow, pow, oof, oof, wham, smack," noises that abruptly pull her from her slumber only hours later.

She shoots up in bed, startled from the unexpected chaos which sounds like it's coming from directly across the hall. Her heart drums in her chest from the surprise of the noise and the sudden way she's been woken up, and she jumps out of bed, her brunette hair tousled in wild curls. She's about to dart out of her door and into the hallway in only the black boy shorts and sports bra she'd fallen asleep in, when she suddenly realizes the reason for the noise is likely coming from her new, unwanted roommate.

She huffs and pulls her favorite black and yellow kimono from her closest to provide more cover for herself and wraps it tightly around her waist as she stomps through her door, down the small hallway, and into Tim's room where she snatches it open, fully prepared to bite his head off for causing a disturbance so early on a Sunday morning and disrupting her sleep. With her hand still on the golden doorknob, she opens her mouth to yell, but is suddenly left slack jawed and frozen in place at the sight in front of her; the sight of Tim beating the hell out of a punching bag that he must've hung from the ceiling sometime during the 12 hours the last spoke.

And it's not just Tim going to town on the punching back that has her temporarily turned to stone. It's the fact that it's a shirtless Tim going back and forth with the punching bag that's fixed her in place. She doesn't mean to, but she can't take her eyes off him as he swings his arms back and forth, connecting his balled firsts with the red leather bag with impressive speed and precision. She watches as sweat that's beading around his forehead drips from his brow down his face, her eyes skim lower, taking in his sculpted arms, then they dip down to his lean but defined chest and they follow down his toned abdomen as it dips into a v-shape and disappears behind the waistband of his gray sweatpants.

Instinctively, she licks her lips and her heart thuds in her chest again, but this time it's not due to the fact that she's surprised and alarmed. Though in a way, she is, because she absolutely should not be having the thoughts she's having right now. Not about him. Not about someone she can't stand. But she can't help herself, and she still can't bring herself to speak or move, transfixed by the sight before and bewildered by her own reaction to it.

"What the hell are you doing?' Tim barks as he pulls his airpods out of his ear after finally noticing her standing in his doorway through his peripheral vision. "I thought I told you to stay out of my room?"

His rude tone breaks the trance she was in and she bites back, "What the hell am I doing? What the hell are you doing? It's five in the morning. I was trying to sleep and then I heard all this ruckus and I thought you were murdering someone in here or something."

He points to the punching bag and grumbles, "I'm working out. Or I was, until you barged in here."

"Can you maybe do that at a more reasonable hour so I can get some sleep?"

"No."

"No?" She folds her arms across her chest. "Are you serious right now? I was up almost all night working on school work and I'm freaking exhausted."

"Yeah, I am. You didn't care that I was trying to sleep a few hours ago when you kept playing that garbage you call music that sounds worse than a herd of cats dying. Why should I care now?'

"I didn't even know that it kept you up! You didn't say anything!"

"You were only playing it as loud as humanly possible. So loud you didn't even hear me," he points to the punching bag, "installing this."

"I would've turned it down if you asked!"

He simply shrugs and places the earbuds back in his ears, returning to his task as if she wasn't even there.

Lucy narrows her big, brown eyes dangerously at him. "Are you seriously going to be this petty?"

Tim doesn't acknowledge her and continues his assault, "Bam! Pow, Whack, Thud!"

With a final snarl, she slams his door and tramples back to her room, hearing him shout, "Stay out of my room!" before she slams her own door and jumps into her bed, shoving her pillow over her face so she can try and drift off to sleep.

()()()()

Lucy groans at the sound of rapping on her bedroom door and Genny's voice calling out, "Are you alive in there? It's almost eleven?"

She jolts awake at that revelation, stunned that she slept past nine on a Sunday morning. She curses under her breath, feeling as though if she doesn't get up and moving now she'll waste her day, so she scurries off towards the bathroom to get ready.

By the time she'd brushed her teeth, dragged a brush through her matted hair, and changed into a loose tank top and a pair of purple yoga pants, she exits the bathroom and heads towards the kitchen. On her way out she comes across Tim, still clad in those gray sweat pants from last night but now wearing a white t-shirt.

The two exchange a courtesy nod and Lucy curtly tells him, "Good morning," to which he responds the same, albeit in a more gruff voice. Tim takes her place in the bathroom and Lucy makes her way into the kitchen, where she finds Genny has breakfast waiting.

Taking a plate, Lucy thanks her roommate and asks about her night, to which Genny blushes, looks away, then takes a sip of her orange juice to avoid the question. In return, Lucy smirks, swats her friend's arm playfully, wiggles her eyebrows and says, 'somebody got lucky last night." To which Genny only chuckles and nods.

Tim takes that moment to enter the room and groans, "Can we talk about something else? Anything else?"

Genny averts her eyes from her brother and down to their cedar table, embarrassed her brother just heard that. "How did y'all's night go?" She inquires. "You both slept pretty late. Did you guys decide to actually be civil to each other and spend the night getting to know each other?"

Tim picks up the pre-made cup and plate Genny left him and takes a seat across from Lucy and beside his sister. "No," he grumbles. "Someone decided to play Aretha Franklin all night so I didn't get any sleep." He picks up the piece of bacon from his plate and takes a bite as he scowls across the table.

"It wasn't all night," Lucy sighs. "And somebody else decided that 5 in the morning was the perfect time to beat their punching bag to a bloody pulp so I couldn't sleep."

Before he could argue back with Lucy he spits the bacon he was chewing into a napkin he quickly snatches from the table and says, "I think you cooked the bacon wrong. It's dry and chewy and it doesn't have any flavor.."

Genny rolls her eyes. "I didn't cook it wrong. It's turkey bacon."

"It's horrible is what it is. Where's the real bacon?"

"It's good for you," Lucy chimes in between chewing her own piece.

Tim glowers at the three remaining pieces of bacon on his plate and shakes his head. He grabs the cup of milk Genny left for him, knowing that he's always loved a cold glass of milk for breakfast, and takes a sip, hoping to rid the horrible taste of the unsatisfactory meal from his mouth, but he's equally disappointed when what he tastes isn't milk, at least not any milk he's ever tried, and he spits it back into the cup.

"It's Almond milk," Genny informs him before he can question what's wrong with it, too.

"Almond milk?" He howls. "Why don't you have real milk?"

"Almond milk is better," Lucy once again interjects.

"No,it's not," Tim huffs.

"It is," she insists. "Studies show it contains less saturated fat, it has higher amounts of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A, D, and E. Plus, it tastes better and lasts longer."

He holds up a finger and argues, "One, it doesn't taste better. It tastes like ass. And two, it's bad for the environment. Almond milk contains way more water than dairy milk and it's predominantly created here in California where we're already in a constant water shortage. Plus, there are just as many studies that show it's not healthy and raises the risk for a lot of diseases."

"Oh, and dairy milk doesn't?" She counters, pushing her pate to the side and learning across the table. "Humans are the only animals that drink other animals' milk. It's not natural and take into account that many humans are lactose and tolerant…"

Genny's eyes dart back and forth between the two as they continue to argue about almond milk v.s. dairy milk and she sucks down a big gulp of orange juice, wishing to herself that her glass contained wine instead and pondering that she may become an alcoholic before this new living situation is said and done with if these two don't learn to get along.

After what feels like ten minutes of arguing between the two, Tim pushes in his chair and stands, announcing that he's going to go grab some "real food," and that he'd be back later.

"The least you could do is tell your sister thank you for making you a plate and including you," Lucy instructs him as he scraps the uneaten food into the trash bin before leaving. "Especially since you haven;t bought any groceries yet and the food you were eating is technically ours and you just wasted it."

"Lucy," Genny scolds.

Tim simply narrows his eyes and glowers at Lucy, but between gritted teeth, he thanks Genny before heading out the front door.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Notes:

Thanks for reading! I hope you guys are still enjoying it!

Chapter Text

After heading out to grab himself breakfast, a sausage, egg, and cheese burrito from his favorite food truck, Tim stops by the nearest grocery store and picks up a few things. He makes sure to include real milk, real bacon, and he even includes real eggs and real cheese for good measure, halfway fearing that his sister and his roommate would have some subpar version of those normal foods that he'd be forced to try out of hunger if he didn't.

While he shops, he also tosses some lean chicken breast, lean ground beef, steak, salmon, sea bass, potatoes, carrots, and a few other random vegetables into his buggy, as well as a six pack of his favorite beer. Before he leaves, he even tosses in a pack of that disgusting turkey bacon they'd fed him earlier and a small carton of almond milk. Afterall, he figures he needs to make amends with the two women currently in his life, since he did insult their food, waste it, and not even say thank you.

It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for being thought of by Genny when she made breakfast this morning, he was. It was just that, well, he really didn't like the food, and even more than not liking the food, he didn't like change. Tim craved comfort and stability outside of his very hectic and chaotic job and right now, his life was nothing but constant, gut-wrenchingly painful change.

So yeah, he did recognize that maybe he was being a bit ill and a bit ungrateful for the help Genny, and as much as he hated to admit it, even Lucy, were offering him right now, and maybe he did feel a bit guilty about that fact, but it wasn't exactly easy to snap himself out of the mood he was in because he was perpetually pissed off with the world right now.

But, the guilt was temporarily winning over the perpetual anger at the moment, so he decided to make one more stop on his way back to the house after he left the grocery store, which is how he found himself struggling to open the front door with one hand while balancing a brown paper bag full of groceries and two paper cups in the other. He props the groceries up on one knee and slips his finger through the slit in the cups to grip them as he works the lock, which also apparently needs some work because he has to jingle it several times before he finally hears the "click" signaling he's now able to enter the home.

What Tim doesn't expect, however, is the sight waiting for him on the other end of the door when he enters, and all he is able to do is stare ahead wide eyed, jaw gaping, and unmoving.

Right in the middle of the shared living room, there's his roommate, his sister's best friend, with her body sprawled on a pink yoga mat in the downward dog position, her hips and ass arched in the air and pointing directly in his line of vision, as she has on nothing but a pair of extremely short black yoga shorts and a matching minimal top that's criss-crossed in the front, leaving an open view of her cleavage spilling out.

He doesn't mean to stare, he doesn't mean to freeze, but somehow he can't force one foot in front of the other. Hell, he can't even force his eyes away from where they've crash landed, which is on her firm ass, He feels his breath hitch in his chest as his gaze wanders to her shapely, supple thighs. They linger there for longer than he cares to admit, and unwanted, utterly unexpected images flash through his mind of her in that position, him directly behind her, his hands firmly planted on her hips, rummaging over and gripping her ass and then falling lower until he's caressing her thighs and bending over her, nipping at the exposed tattoo that's located along her neckline.

"Um, are you going to come in and shut the door or are you just going to stand there all day?" Lucy calls out to him from her precarious position.

The fact that she's noticed him in the middle of his dirty daydream startles Tim back to reality and in his shock and sudden embarrassment, the cups he was holding slip from his hands and thud to the floor, the tops immediately popping off and the laminate wood floor becomes flooded with light brown liquid.

"Shit," Tim mutters, his normally stoic face faltering and his tan cheeks turning cherry red as he uses his now free hand that isn't clutching the grocery bag to swipe through his hair in a fit of nervous energy.

The sudden crash causes Lucy to jump out of her yoga position and she arches a brow. "What was that?"

"It's a mess is what it is," Tim sighs heavily, his voice gruff and off putting. Partially due to the irritation of spilling the drinks and partially due to the shame he feels about the thoughts he was just having.

"I'll grab some paper towels," she offers, noticing the way the liquid is quickly spreading and fearing it's only moments away from reaching her favorite rug. She bounds into the kitchen and returns with a wad of napkins and hands them to Tim, taking the grocery bag from him in exchange and setting it on the kitchen bar as he bends down and begins the clean up process.

"You know," she quips as he soaks up his mess, "I always had you pegged as a black coffee drinker. No sugar, no milk. You know, nothing fun or enjoyable."

"I am," he grumbles. "This wasn't for me..."

"Oh?" She questions.

He stands abruptly, taking the two now empty cups and the wet, soggy, stained napkins with him to the trash can. Lucy follows behind him as he enters the laundry room and she shows him where the cleaner is so that he can wipe the now sticky floor.

When he returns to his work in silence, she presses, "So, who were the drinks for?"

He shakes his head and quietly mumbles, "They were for you and Genny." Though he can't seem to meet her eyes because he's still embarrassed about his intrusive thoughts from only moments before.

"You brought me coffee?" She asks, clearly surprised by the gesture.

"No, I got Genny coffee," he clarifies. "I got you a Chai Latte."

"But," her brows scrunch, "how did you know…"

"You ordered it last year," he interrupts. "At the food truck you and Genny ate at with me outside of the station." The corner of his lip turns up involuntarily at the memory. "Then we argued over what was better, coffee or tea…"

"Which led to another argument over what was better, iced drinks or hot," she finishes for him through a chuckle.

He nods and hops from his position on the floor, carrying the cleaner and the soiled rag back to the laundry room and Lucy follows behind him, hot on his heels.

"I can't believe you remembered that," she notes.

"I tend to remember a lot of things that annoy me," he quips, which earns him an eye roll and a gentle shove of the arm.

His muscles tense a bit at the unexpected contact of her hand on his bicep and he clears his throat and nods towards the kitchen. "I should put my groceries up before they go bad. I got some stuff I'd like to tide me over for a few days until I can grab more, but you and Genny are welcome to have some of it, too. I ah, I also bought you guys some more turkey bacon and almond milk as a peace offering, seeing as how I did waste your food and all earlier."

She thanks him, then asks, "Is that what the Chai Latte and Coffee were for, too? Peace offerings?

"Something like that," he agrees as he anxiously scratches the back of his neck and continues to avoid her gaze.

She stares at him a moment, an easy smile sweeping across her face that makes her dimples deepen and her brown eyes light up.

"What?" He grunts and rests his hands above his waist in a defensive posture, expecting this moment to end in an argument or some sort of criticism that has been par for the course with them.

"Nothing." She continued to smile at him. You just took me by surprise, that's all."

He relaxes a bit and begins reaching into the grocery bag. "What can I say, I'm a man of contradictions."

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Summary:

Thanks for the feedback and for reading. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Chapter Text

Tim wakes up abruptly around 4 in the morning, an hour before his normal alarm is set to go off. His breathing is heavy and sweat falls down his creased brow as he tries to compose himself from the steamy dream he just awoke from. He sits up in bed and his hands clench around the white sheets as he blinks rapidly in the darkness, hoping that will somehow dispel the naughty images torpedoing through his brain.

It doesn't, not in the slightest, and he groans desperately as his raging hard-on strains against the soft fabric of his red and black plaid pajama pants. He lets his mind linger on the dream. One that started with Lucy on her yoga mat in the downward dog position, just as she had been a few days ago when he'd come home and unintentionally started checking her out, which led to her startling him and him dropping his peace offering. Except this time, instead of asking him if he's going to just stand there or if he's going to come in, she spreads her legs a bit, opening a space wide enough between them that he can see her shooting him a sexy grin, and she asks, "Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to come fuck me?"

In his dream, he wastes no time tossing the items in his hands to the side, rushing behind her and caressing her roughly, nipping and suckling the base of her thighs, all the way until he's hunched over her, nibbling her ear until she turns her head and shoves her tongue down his throat. They fumble together desperately, clothes flying off in a frenzy until their bodies are a tangled mess and he has her bent over the arm of the couch, one hand on her waist and one kneading her breasts as he thrusts frantically. But the dream ended suddenly, with her screaming his name and clenching around him, just before he found his own release.

The aching throb between his legs leaves him groaning and he starts to desperately slip his hand into his waistband and let his conscious mind fill in the blanks where the dream left off, but the guilt of basking in those images overtakes him after the first pump of his hand. Guilt from knowing he's technically still legally married since the divorce isn't finalized, and guilt lusting after his sister's best friend, who he isn't even sure he fully likes as a person yet.

He isn't sure why he's having this dream, or why his brain started imagining her that way the other day in the first place. He hasn't thought of another woman in that manner since he was a teenager. Not since he met Isobel. Not one he knew in real life anyway. He was a man after all, and he did watch porn and take care of himself when he had an itch that needed to be scratched. Though he never allowed himself to venture outside of his marriage. It's like he shut that part of his brain down.

He'd remainted faithful to Isobel their entire marriage, even after she left over a year ago and he knew she was with other men during the time. He knew that the drugs were influencing the decisions she made, not the woman he knew and loved, and he couldn't bring himself to cheat on her. Because that's what it would've been if he'd slept with someone else, cheating. Pain and simple. It didn't matter if she was doing it, too. It would still be cheating. And he hated cheaters with a passion.

Maybe that's why he was having such a visceral, raw reaction to Lucy. Because his sexuality had lay dormant for so long and she was a woman in his everyday life he had contact with, close contact with. After all, she was the first woman he'd seen in so little clothes, other than random women at the gym that he tried not to stare at or allow his eyes to linger on out of respect, in a very, very long time.

It was basic biology. He was a man and she was a woman and they weren't related. Of course living in close quarters would bring about such a reaction. And even though she grated his nerves and irritated the crap out of him at times, he had to admit, she was attractive. Very attractive. So it was only normal, biologically speaking of course, that he had these subconscious urges towards her.

But that didn't change the fact that he felt it was wrong to have these thoughts, and he wasn't going to allow himself to act on them. That could only lead to disaster. He was disciplined, he could work through this unwanted physical attraction and train his brain to focus on something else. Something more productive.

And the first step towards that was cleaning his mind and ridding it of such thoughts, which was going to be to get rid of his raging boner. But not by taking care of it himself, because that would lead to thinking of her again, and that would be wrong. So he jumped out of bed, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and decided his best course of action would be to take a shower. A long, cold shower, which would be sure to get rid of his not so little problem.

What he wasn't expecting as he traipsed to the shower, however, was to slam into something in the pitch black hallway, Or someone rather.

"Ow," came the sound of Lucy's soft, feminine voice as her head connected with his chin, causing his jaw to pop violently. "Damn it," he muttered to himself and stumbled back slightly, his hands reaching out to steady himself, landing directly on her hips for the briefest moment, before he realized that he's still half hard and her body was now flush against his, which only caused his dick to twitch more as it was pressed against her stomach.

He flew backwards, as if her skin had seared his flesh, and his bare back connected with his closed bedroom door with a thud. "Watch where you're going," he barked at her! Embarrassed and once again feeling guilty about those pesky thoughts, he decides to put up his walls and be an asshole, that way she couldn't' somehow read his mind and know that she was the reason he was poking her.

"Me watch where I'm going?" She huffs, the palm of her hand pressed against her throbbing forehead. "Why don't you watch where you're going?" She grabs her cell phone and presses the home key so the two aren't submerged in total darkness and the dim light illuminates the hallway. "What are you doing up, anyway?

He clasps both hands together and placed them in front of his crotch and nodded towards the bathroom. "I was-I was going to pee." HIs voice hardens and he demands, " What are you doing?"

"The same thing," she replied cooly, her eyes lingering on him as heavy silence falls between them, her flashlight still shining that dim light, allowing them to make out one another's features in the faint light.

With a few feet of space between them, neither makes the move to head towards the bathroom door, and Tim can't help but notice how her eyes are unwaveringly set on him. "What?" he growls after several uncomfortable beats pass.

Finally, she lowers her phone and her eyes drift from his bare chest as she moves towards the bathroom, stopping just a few inches away from him and whispering seductively, "What, you can check me out but I can't check you out?"

His blinks and his mouth opens, but he's not able to form words, and his eyes are adjusted to the darkness just enough that he catches her smirking at him with her head peeking through the bathroom door just before it clicks closed, though the lock doesn't turn.

HIs head falls backwards and hits the closed door as he sucks in a desperate breath. He pinches his forearm as hard as he can, wondering if this is another one of those naughty dreams and he never really woke up, but he the sting of the pinch leaves him muttering curses under his breath, and he decides she must've been screwing with him in that way she loves to irritate him, and mumbled, "Ha-ha, very funny," before he rolled his eyes and crept back into his room.

The moment he hears the bathroom door open and close, then her bedroom door does the same, he makes a bee-line for that cold shower.

()()()

Later that evening Tim returns from a 12 hour shift, exhausted and frustrated. It was a long day at work and the events from early morning were still weighing on his mind. Genny and Lucy aren't home, his sister is out with that Rob guy again, and Lucy is, well he doesn't know where she is. He doesn't keep up with her schedule. Why should he?

He finds himself happy for the solitude and he cracks open a beer, settling in front of the couch with a cold bottle of beer. He checks his phone and realizes that the Dodgers game just started thirty minutes ago and he happily flips the channel until it reaches the sports station and settles in, ready to give his mind full attention to the game and take it off of everything else, especially his new roommate.

He jumps from the couch, shouts, "Yeah!" and throws a first in the air when Corey Seager hits a grand slam twenty minutes later. This game was providing the much needed distraction he deserved. Grinning from ear to ear, he plops back on the couch and takes a sip from his second beer as he leans back and throws his sock clad feet on the coffee table, but his mood falters when he hears the jingle of keys and the front door opens to reveal a smiling Lucy behind it.

"Hey," she greets him cheerfully, stepping inside with a laptop bag slung across her shoulder. "How was your day?"

He presses his beer to his lips and slowly takes a sip. Carefully, he shrugs a shoulder and offers her a curt, "Fine," in response. He decides that, even though the two have been courteous and somewhat friendly since his failed peace offering, the best way to prevent thinking of her sexually is probably to put distance between them.

She heads to her room and is gone a few moments, changing from her high waisted skinny jeans and button up yellow top into something more comfortable. She reemerges in a red tank top, tight matching sweat pants, and her hair pulled in a loose ponytail. He watches out of the corner of his eye as she dips into the kitchen and hears some clanging around. Ten minutes later, she's sauntering into the living room with a plate of food in hand and nodding at him to scoot from the position he's in on the middle of the couch.

He huffs in response, but he slides over, beer in hand, and settles on the far end of the sectional.

Lucy pops a sweet potato fry into her mouth and reaches for the remote, telling TIm," The new True Crime documentary starts in ten minutes. I've been waiting months to see it. "

"Nuh, uh! No way!"

She raised a brow mid chew.

He points to the television. "I'm in the middle of watching the game!"

She grunts and whines, "Come on! Can't you pull up the app on your phone or something?"

He could. He knows she's right and he could totally watch on the app, but he's resolved to distance himself from her and avoid her as much as possible, and that includes being unnecessarily nice to her. Plus, he doesn't want to watch on a tiny screen.

"No!" He firmly insists. "I was here first."

"Because I've been at the tutoring center all afternoon. I've had it set to record for weeks, way before you even moved in!"

"Forget it!"

"Tim," she begs, giving him the most pitiful set of puppy dog eyes he's ever seen, "please?"

His stomach does this weird sort of flip flop, which he absolutely doesn't like and tries to convince himself is indigestion from drinking two beers too quickly.

"NO!" He snatches the control from where she set it beside her and sits down on it, folding his arms across his chest as he stares her down.

She let out a frustrated sigh and stomped to the kitchen, snatching her keys from the bar and storming off towards the door. On her way out, she shouts, "You're such a giant, irritating ass. I'm going to Jackson's to watch with him and Sterling."

He watches her leave, and feels a smidgen of guilt for not giving in, but he pushes it down and gulps down the last of his second beer. Soon enough, the Dodgers score another homeroom and he forgets about Lucy entirely.

()()()

The next morning, Tim awakes early for his shift. He's happy that he didn't have any more strange dreams about Lucy last night, and even happier they didn't interact more before he went to bed. In fact, he isn't sure she came home at all, and if she did, it was long after he went to bed.

As he steps into the kitchen, he finds a note by the coffee pot written in impeccable script on a napkin. It reads, "Tim, I feel like maybe I overreacted a bit last night when we argued about the T.V. I shouldn't have called you an ass and you deserve to relax and enjoy yourself just as much as anyone else in this house. I woke up early to give you my own peace offering, there's a fresh cup of coffee for you. Just like you like it, plain and boring =)."

He can't help but feel a bit of warmth spread across his chest at the gesture, even though he thinks that it's a bit ridiculous because he was intentionally being a bit of an ass and he definitely doesn't deserve the coffee. He folds the note and slips it into his pocket, not fully knowing why he did, and he grabs the mug and presses it to lips, eagerly anticipating that first sip. But his pleased face distorts into one of disgust and he spews the coffee into the sink instead of relishing it. Instead of a fresh cup of black coffee, she's left him with a stale cup that tastes a week old.

He shoves his hand into his pocket to retrieve the napkin, so he can clean the droplets that splattered onto the counter and the window up, and that's when he catches what she'd written on the back, "Gotcha! You suck!"

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Chapter Text

Lucy arrives back at the house she shares with Genny and Tim around 7 that evening and finds the siblings sharing dinner at the kitchen table. She sets her stuff down and joins them, fixing a plate of the vegetarian lasagna Genny made, but steering clear of Tim's beef lasagna Genny fixed especially for him.

She takes the seat across from Tim, grins at him smugly and asks, "How was your coffee this morning?

He hums quietly and lifts his spoon in her direction. "That was clever. You got me."

"Wh-That's it?" Her features fall in disappointment in response to his calm demeanor.

"Yep," Tim manages between chews. "I can appreciate a good prank and give credit where credit is due."

Lucy stabs at her dinner and huffs. She'd been anticipating and preparing for an argument about her little prank all day.

Genny looks between the two and signs, knowing that she's about to be caught in the middle of a warzone. Her brother absolutely does not give in with anything, and neither does her best friend.

"So," Genny begins, knowing she doesn't want to be caught in the crossfires that will undoubtedly ensue, "I think I'm going to hang out with Rob again tonight."

"Hold on," TIm throws up a hand and pushes himself back from the table. "You've been with this guy almost every night since I moved in."

Genny stares dangerously at her brother. "And your point is?"

"I haven't even met the guy!"

This time it's Lucy shifting uncomfortably and looking between the siblings.

"Yeah," the younger Bradford roars. "You haven't. Just like you haven't met any of my other boyfriends."

"That-That's not fair…I was.."

"You were what, Tim? Too busy? Come on, we haven't lived more than twenty minutes apart in at least four years, and you're seriously going to play that card?"

"Look, I get it. I haven't been the perfect big brother, but…"

The red head folds her arms across her chest and levels her eyes. "No, you haven't, and you don't get to start playing that overprotective card now just because you're looking for something to keep your mind busy."

Tim mirrors her stance and his voice raises, "That is not what this is and that's out of line!"

Genny stands and shoves her chair under the table, the legs screeching across the tile and wood thudding against wood as the table and chair connect. She grabs her plate and shovels the remnants of her dinner in the trash, then grabs her keys and storms out of the door, shouting, "don't wait up!" on her way out.

"Can you believe her!" Tim turns to Lucy, looking at her incredulously.

Lucy holds up her plate and stands, not wanting to take sides. "You know what? I'm gonna finish this in my room."

She can practically feel Tim's eyes roll as she makes her way to her bedroom door. She pauses and gives it a suspicious stare, noticing that the door is partially cracked when she could've sworn she shut it this morning. She assumes she must've been in a hurry and left it cracked and makes her way inside without too much thought, which she instantly regrets when the door opens and a cup of ice cold water spills onto her head, soaking her clothes, her food, and the floor.

"Tim!" She hisses through clenched teeth and shivers as goosebumps erupt over her flesh. "You're so going to pay for this!"

In the kitchen. Tim's irritation with his sister temporarily fades and he smirks proudly to himself, knowing his plan of revenge worked.

()()()

The next three days in the Bradford-Chen household were tense to say the least. Genny wasn't speaking to Tim at all, and Lucy and Tim were deadlocked in their prank war.

After Tim drenched Lucy with the cup over the door, Lucy exacted revenge by placing saran wrap over the toilet seat, covering Tim in his own urine right before he had to leave for work.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He shouted, banging on the wall between the bathroom and Lucy's bedroom. "I'm gonna have to get another shower because of this."

"Turnabout is fair play," she'd shouted back between fits of laughter.

He tossed his soiled outfit on the bathroom floor and turned the shower on, snarling, "It's on, Chen. Oh, it is on."

And on it was. Though Tim worked the night shift that, he'd made sure he was home just in time to be there before Lucy had to leave for class, and he hid in the laundry room while she fixed her routine morning cup of coffee, covering his mouth to stifle his laughter as he watched her add her almond milk and four customary scoops of sugar in the raw that she stored in her light blue hedge-hog shaped ceramic container.

Lucy was contentedly humming the lyrics to Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift as she brought her smiley face mug to her lips, but her face quickly contorted and she ran to she sink, her morning treat gushing from her lips and sputtering into the sink just in time for Tim to pop out of the laundry room that connected to the kitchen and snap a photo of her reaction on his phone.

"Salt!" She shrieked between gags as she flipped him off "You seriously replaced my sugar with salt?"

The corner of his lip curled into a smile. "What is it that you said? Turnabout is fair play?"

She grabbed a paper towel and dabbed the corners of her mouth, then reached into the fridge and grabbed the orange juice, orange juice Tim specifically bought for himself, and pressed the carton to her lips to rid the horrific taste from her mouth.

He placed his phone in his pocket and shook his head. "Stealing isn't very nice."

She flipped him off again and gulped down another large swallow.

"You just wait," she warned, her warm and welcoming brown eyes darkening. "You're going to find out what not nice is."

He raises his brows and purses his lips. "Is that a threat, Chen?"

Slowly, she shakes her head and creates a feigned calmness to her tone. "No, of course not, Officer. It's a promise."

"Bring it," he challenges with a smug grin.

()()()

And bring it Lucy did, because the next morning, Tim was absolutely not expecting what happened when he took a shower and found his nostrils burning and his stomach turning at the smell coming from his own body after applying his usual body wash, causing him rush from the bathroom with only a towel slung low around his waist as he banged fervently on her door and shouted. "Damn it, Lucy! What the hell did you do?"

She opened the door in record time, her eyes bright and full of mischief, as she leaned against the frame and innocently replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You-you don't know what I'm talking about!" He yelps, his neck straining and the veins in his forehead bulging as he stares at her in a furious glare. "You put fart spray in my body wash!"

Sha takes a step close to him, her nose only centimeters away from his exposed chest, and sniffs. She then takes a step backwards, her nose scrunching up in disgust. "You definitely smell like shit," she agrees, then the look of disgust turns to a devilish smirk. "But that's probably normal for you, since you're a giant asshole and all."

"I-you-ugh," he makes several inaudible sounds and shakes both fists in the air, causing his towel he was securing with one hand to drop to the floor.

Lucy's eyes flit down and she tilts her head and lets out an impressed hum. "Guess there's other giant things about you, too."

Tim's jaw drops and he can feel the heat from his neck all the way up to his face and he's sure he's beet red. He makes another inaudible noise and snatches the towel off the carpeted hallway floor, hastily wrapping it around himself and scurrying back to the bathroom.

"My body wash is under the sink cabinet if you need it," Lucy chuckles wildly.

()()()

On his lunch break at the station, Tim scribbles furiously at his notepad when his best friend, Angela Lopez, slides into the seat beside him raising a curious brow.

"Are you designing a Rube Goldberg machine?"

Tim slams the notebook closed and puts the pen down.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he innocently tells his friend.

"Uh, huh," Angela studies him carefully as she bites into her burrito.

"Hey, uh," he scratches the back of his neck, "would it be too mean to toss eggs at someone if that someone was a woman?"

Angela chokes on the bite of food she just took and when she regains her composure. "So I take it you and Genny aren't getting along?"

"The eggs aren't for Genny," he replies, though he doesn't admit that he and Genny are in the midst of their own argument.
"Do tell?" She presses, dropping the burrito and pushing her food to the side, far more interested in Tim's story than lunch.

He rolls his eyes, but then spills everything about his prank war with his new roommate.

"So that's why you smelled like a woman today! I told Harper you didn't get laid."

He does a quick sniff check and scowls, the scent of Lucy's strawberry vanilla body wash still lingering on his skin.

"Wait, why are you guys talking about me getting laid?"

Angela's face softens and she meets his eyes. "I mean, don't you think it's time?"

"NO!" He roars. "My divorce isn't final yet and won't be for a few more months."

"Tim," she reaches over and places a gentle hand on his forearm, "your marriage was over a long time before you filed for divorce. No one would blame you if you started moving on."

His throat bobs up and down and he has to work hard to steady his voice. "I'm not a cheater."

"I know that," she agrees delicately. "But it wouldn't be cheating. No one would consider it that way."

"I would." His blue eyes harden and his voice grows gravely. "End of discussion."

She holds up two hands in surrender. "I get it, I do."

He nods and his eyes fall to the black metal table.

"Tim?"

He glances back to her, hurt blue eyes meeting concerned brown.

"If you want to speed up the divorce, just say the word. Wesley is owed a favor with a judge and the circumstances surrounding your situation would warrant an exception to normal California law. It's okay to start living your life again and get back out there."

Again, his throat bobs and he swallows down the emotion threatening to spill over.

"I should get back inside," he abruptly announces, "I need to debrief Gray on a few things."

()()()

When Tim gets home that evening, he's spent, physically and emotionally. Genny's still ignoring him and practically leaves the house every time they cross paths, he's still reeling from his conversation with Angela at lunch, and to top it off, he got into a physical altercation with a suspect late afternoon and ended up with a black eye and a busted lip.

He settles on the couch, too drained to get a shower, and pops open a beer and turns on the T.V. for background noise, though he absentmindedly listens, his mind swirling like a raging sea.

When Lucy shows up an hour later with a wicked grin as she opens the door, he holds up a single hand and shakes his head. "Not today. Okay? I'm putting a pause on our battle for now."

"Does that mean you're giving up and I win?" She smirks, rubbing her hands delightedly until she takes him in, her eyes falling onto his swollen lip, then working their way up to the puffy, purple circle around his normally smoldering eyes. "Are you-are you okay?" Her voice is unsteady.

He hums, but his voice isn't the normal confident, collected, Tim voice she's used to, when he replies, "You should see the other guy."

Lucy rushes to the kitchen and grabs a bag of frozen peas and takes the seat beside him, genuine concern written on her face. "Take this," she instructs, "it'll help with the swelling."

"Which swelling," he huffs, weakly attempting a joke.

Lucy grimaces and rushes back to the kitchen, retrieving another frozen bag, this time it's broccoli.

"Put the peas over your bad eye." He does as she says, then she cautiously presses the broccoli against his lip, he winces and hisses slightly from the pain, and she apologizes but keeps the bag pressed firmly on his bottom lip, her brow creased with worry as she remains beside him.

Chill bumps explode along his arms from the intense cold, and a shiver runs down his spine, but he remains still, allowing Lucy to tenderly worry over him and care for him in a way he can't remember anyone doing in a long time.

Her face is still troubled as he watches her from his one good eye as she take a single finger and traces it along his scruffy jaw, causing another shiver to run down his spine and his stomach to flip flop wildly as his heart hammers in his chest.

He swallows, but this time it's not overwhelming anger, grief, and sadness he's trying to push down, it's something else entirely. Something he can't quite identify and isn't sure he wants to.

The rest of her fingers trail gently along his cheek and her thumb grazes his chin, causing his head to fall back on the couch, and a contented hum to escape his lips. Her hand falls, fingernails lightly scraping the flesh behind his neck, then working their way into his hair, gingerly massaging at his scalp, her other hand carefully remaining in place to keep the ice cold bag pressed against his lip.

"Feels good," he mutters a bit breathlessly, the throbbing pain in his lips and eye all but forgotten. The sensation of having another human being showing him affection and physical touch for the first time in over a year stunting every last instinct he'd normally have to shut this situation down immediately.

Lucy's eyes linger on him, and he watches, out of his eye that isn't covered with peas, the way her teeth rake over her bottom lip. Tentatively, he pulls the bag from his covered eye, and cautiously lifts his head, her fingers still raking through his hair, though she gingerly begins to lower the bag she'd been holding against his lips.

Their eyes are locked on one another, studying each other carefully, attempting to read one another without a single word, the air around them charged as both ever so slowly begin to lean into another, and he can almost swear he can feel Lucy's hand urging his head forward as her fingertips tug at the nap of his neck.

But whatever spell had come over them is suddenly broken when a surprised male voice stutters, "Oh, shit! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt. Lucy and I had plans to watch the new episode of Rescue 911."

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Summary:

Some of you are really great guessers! Enjoy the next installment and thanks for reading!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Lucy and Tim instantly leap away from one another and Lucy clasps her hands together and stammers, "Oh, my God!, Jackson! Hi!" Her voice high-pitched and panicked.

Lucy and Genny's former roommate and one of their closest friends, points over his shoulder, smiling widely but awkwardly, and says, "I'm just gonna go."

"No, don't be silly," Lucy laughs nervously, fidgeting wildly with a loose thread on her jeans, her eyes flitting to the couch cushion. "Tim and I…we were just…uh…"

"I was just leaving," Tims stutters anxiously, hopping to his feet and strutting past Jackson and out rhe front door, clunking the door closed as he leaves.

Jackson's brows furrow as he glances between Lucy and the door. "But doesn't he…"

He's interrupted when a clearly rustled Tim bursts back inside, bug-eyed, flabbergasted, and mumbling, "I'll be in my room."

Grinning from ear to ear, Jackson waits until he hears Tim's bedroom slam and he raises his eyebrows at Lucy. "So, that's the famous Tim Bradford."

Lucy shifts uncomfortably and refuses to meet her friend's scrutinizing gaze. "Yep. Yes. That is he. That is Tiim."

He wiggles his brows suggestively. "You know, I can still leave if you need me to?"

"What? No!" She slaps her friend's arm and drops her voice to a hushed whisper. "That was not-it's not what you think. It was nothing."

He stares at her in disbelief.

"It wasn't!" She insists, her voice small. "He had a tough day at work and I was just taking care of him."

"Oh yeah, you were about to take care of him alright."

Her eyes grow wide as saucers and she darts them around the room frantically. "Oh my God! You're so loud." She snatches Jackson's hand and tugs him from the couch, through the kitchen, and out their sliding glass back door onto the deck overlooking their fenced in backyard, being sure to close the door behind them for good measure as the two take a seat on the wooden steps.

"So," Jackson begins carefully, "are you gonna tell me what that was all about? Because I was under the impression you couldn't stand the guy, seeing as all you've done is complain about him for the last few weeks."
Her head falls into her hands and she wearily shakes it. "I don't even know what that was. It's just-he came in from work and it was clear he'd had a really bad day. I mean, did you see his face? And I just-I didn't like seeing him like that and I wanted to be there for him and then…I don't even know how that happened. Or what was about to happen."

"Well," he smirks, "he is pretty hot. I can't say I blame you."

She groans and shakes her head again, because she knows Jackson is right. Tim is hot. He's freaking gorgeous and that's something she hasn't been able to deny since the moment she met him. It was just easier to ignore when she thought he was nothing more than an arrogant jerk and didn't have to see him on a regular basis.

"Do you, uh, do you like him?"

"What?" Her nose wrinkled and her voice was high pitched and squeaky. "No, of course not! Not like that, anyway. I'm kinda sorta starting to like him as a person," she reluctantly admits. "But I don't like him, like him. I mean, okay, sure, he's, like, really, really good looking. I do have eyes. You know? And sure, maybe I've thought about him sexually a time or two, but that's just because he's, you know, super sexy, and I've seen him half naked a few times and it's been months since I've gotten laid because I've been so busy with school. But that doesn't mean anything. It's just-it's just basic Biology."

Jackson's lips pursed and he tilted his head thoughtfully. "O-kay."

She swipes a hand through her hair and sighs heavily. "Oh my God. Oh my God. I was about to take advantage of him."

"Uh, I don't think," Jackson offers, but is instantly cut off.

"I mean, here he is, he's just been literally beaten at work. He's in the middle of a divorce from a ten year marriage and I don't even know if it was his choice to end the marriage or not. He had to move out of his house and move in with his little sister, who he's currently in the middle of a huge fight with and they haven't spoken in days. He's completely vulnerable. And here I was, about to-about to stick my tongue down his throat! And why? All because I'm horny and I can't control myself? What's wrong with me?"

"Luce," Jackson places a steady hand on each of her shoulders attempting to stop her from spiraling, "I promise that was not the face of a man who was about to be taken advantage of. He looked like a very willing participant."

"I was practically smushing his face towards mine!" She groans.

"Okay," he chuckles, still holding her steady, "But Lucy, come on? A guy that looks like that and is in the middle of a divorce, he's probably banged his way halfway through L.A. by now. I'm sure that he was just as willing and ready for whatever was about to happen as you were."

She turns a hand up. "I honestly don't think he has. He goes to work, comes home, watches sports, works out, goes to bed. It's kinda wash, rinse, repeat with Tim. I've never seen him come in later, or leave in the middle of night, none of that."

"Still, I mean, you're pretty hot, too. I don't think he'd have any complaints if I hadn't walked in and interrupted."

She sighs again and shakes her head. "Look, can, uh, can we take a raincheck n Rescue 911? I think I need to talk to Tim."

"Of course." He pulls her in for a hug and kisses the crown of her head. "Don't beat yourself up over this. Okay? And call me later."

"I will," she forces a weak smile. "I promise."

()()()

When Jackson is gone, Lucy makes her way towards Tim's bedroom, her legs wobbling like jelly as she tries to muster up any idea of how to broach this conversation. She stands in front of his door for a beat, her hand forming a fist in the air, before she finally pulls together the nerve to knock lighty.

She sees Tim suck in a breath when he opens the door and sees her and he offers her a strained, "Hey,

She gnaws at her lower lip. "Can we, uh, can we talk?"

Her peers over her and she quickly assures him that it's just the two of them. She watches as he throws a panicked glimpse between her and his bed, as if he's petrified she's going to suggest they sit there to talk, and she quickly invites him into the living room.

"So.." she begins, her hands slapping her thighs as she fights for what to say next.

He seems as uncertain as she is and he fumbles his hands together and looks everywhere but in her eyes.

"About earlier..," she tries to begin, but he surprises her when he jumps in and says, "It was a bad way for us to try and prank each other."

Her long lashes flutter and her brows pull together. "Prank each other?"

"Yeah," he blows out. "You know, I went in for a kiss, you went in for a kiss, we were both waiting to see who'd pull back first and start laughing. Clearly we had the same idea at the exact same time."

"Right," she sputters, forcing a very non-convincing laugh. She motions between them. "Great minds think alike."

"Exactly," his own forced laugh matches hers. "I mean, can you imagine if your friend hadn't walked in? What if neither of us backed down and we actually had to…"

"That would've been, just..ew. Totally, totally ew." Her face contorts and she wants to melt into the couch for how fake and unconvincing that sounds.

"Totally ew," he snorts, though his jaw trembles a bit as he says it.

"So, um," she grows serious and taps his thigh with her index finger so he'll meet her eyes, "maybe we uh, maybe we shouldn't joke like that again. It uh, probably wouldn't be a good idea."

"Yeah," he agrees somberly, weary blue eyes holding unsettled brown ones. "It wouldn't be."

She nods solemnly. "Listen, I also wanted to ask if you're okay." She points to his face.

"I've had worse," he dismisses.

"That may be true, but that's not what I asked." She cocks her head at him and gently presses, "Tim, are you okay?"

HIs jaw clenches and he shuts his eyes a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose before he answers with, "It was a shitty day." He gazes at her thoughtfully. "Thank you, you know, for uh," he gestures over his face. "With icing my injuries and all."

"Of course. It's my job."

"Pfft. Your job? How?"

"I'm your roommate. I"m here to support you, look out for you, help you. It's kinda the roommate code."

"Really? Coming from the woman who put fart spray in my body wash this morning."

"I'm also here to torture you," she grins.

He rolls his eyes and grunts, but the corner of his lip curls upwards, despite the fact the gesture makes him wince in pain from his swollen lip.

"Do you, maybe wanna have a beer with me? Just sit here and talk some more?"

"You trying to be my shrink?"

"Just trying to be a friend."

He presses his lips together and shrugs. "Alright. What the hell."

Lucy strolls to the kitchen and grabs a bottle for them both. They clank them together and sip in silence for a moment.

Finally, Lucy pulled her legs up on the couch and positioned herself with her legs criss crossed, one leg folded atop the other, her body facing Tim directly. She carefully traces her fingertip over the rim of her beer bottle and leaves her eyes trained on the brown glass opening, as she asks, "How are you with everything else? I mean, other than your bad day at work. How are you handling all this change?

He gnaws the inside of his lip and drums his fingers on his thigh impatiently.

"Do you wanna talk about what else is bothering you? Because I could tell when I walked in that it's more than just your tussle at work."

He levels his eyes at her. "You're not gonna leave me alone until I talk are you?"

"No," she admits. I"m not."

"Fine," he grumbles, taking a large swig from his bottle. "I don't like Genny not speaking to me." Though he doesn't open up about how his conversion with Angela about Isobel and moving on and how affected his mood as well.

"You could tell her that, you know? Apologize to her."

"Apologize!?" He snorts. "For what? I was just trying to be a big brother for once."

"Yeah, I think that's exactly how Genny sees it. Emphasis on the for once part."

He shoots her a cold look.

"Listen, I"m not trying to take sides or throw you under the bus, I"m just offering some perspective. Genny and I have lived together 4 years and I've only met you once. I can count on one hand the amount of times she visited you before that during all those years. I"m just saying that taking the overprotective approach when you've been out of the picture for so long might be a bit of a sore spot for her."

He rubs his jaw and downs another swallow. "Look, the reason I wasn't around wasn't because I don't love my sister and I didn't wanna see her."

"No, I didn't think…

"Truthfully," he continued over her, "It's because I had a lot going on and I was just trying to keep my head above water. I moved out when she was 12 because I joined the military and got stationed. Then it was off and on deployments the next four years. By the time I finished serving, Isobel and I signed up for the academy and then we were both so busy trying to make a name for ourselves once we graduated." He pauses and his jaw stiffens.

Lucy gives him the space he needs to gather himself, waiting intently.

"I was happy on patrol," he continued after a pregnant pause, "She wanted to move up. She went the detective route, became a UC. Next thing I know, she's gone a few weeks here, a month or two there. Assignments get longer. We're working at different stations, completely different shifts. I have no intel on where my wife is. Whether or not she's okay…" His voice cracks and he downs the rest of his bottle.

Once again, Lucy doesn't push and gives him space to compose himself and gather his thoughts.

"I felt like I couldn't breathe the entire time she's gone. Then, each time she comes home, she never really comes home. Not all of her. Every op took a piece of her, little by little, until there was nothing left of the woman I married. The person I fell in love with when we were 15.. I was fighting like hell to save my marriage and myself, and I know it's selfish and it's a little fucked up, but I couldn't make time for Genny while I was doing that. I didn't know how."

She watches as Tim stands and traipses to the kitchen. The bottle clunks loudly as he tosses it in the trashcan and he comes back a moment later with a new bottle that emits a loud hiss as he twists the cap.

He falls lazily into the couch and props his legs onto the coffee table, his body melting into the cushions as he slowly sips and doesn't offer any more explanation.

"Have you told Genny any of this?" Lucy inquires after she waits a while to see if he is going to speak again and is certain he's done.

"No," he shakes his head.

"Maybe you should. Maybe she wouldn't be so resentful if she knew why you couldn't be around."

"She wouldn't understand. There's other things. Things going back to our childhood. She blames my absence on that."

Lucy briefly knits her brows wondering what those things could be, because Genny has never mentioned anything from their childhood that would explain a strained relationship between the siblings, but it's clear Tim isn't going to talk about that. Not tonight, anyway.

"Look, Genny loves you to death. She's talked about you so much since I've known her, and even if she's feeling hurt or bitter, she deserves to know your side. I know her well enough to know she'll be more understanding than you think she will. You just have to talk to her. She isn't a mind reader. No one is. You have to communicate with people. That's how healthy relationships work."

"Is that in one of your textbooks you've always got your nose in?"

"Yeah, it actually is," she snorts. "And from my parents, who are both pretty successful therapists."

Tim takes another sip, but before he can continue his conversation with Lucy, keys jingle behind the closed door and then Genny walks.

"Lucy," she nods to her friend quickly, ignoring Tim and not even letting herself look at her brother before she bolts towards her room.

Lucy meets Tim's eyes and a muscle in his jaw jumps, but he caves and calls out, "Wait, Genny, can we talk?" Before she disappears behind her door.

Genny pauses, her hand on her doorknob, and slowly spins around. Her face falls and she blinks rapidly when she sees Tim's battered face and she rushes to his side and she demands, "Are you okay? Who did this?"

He holds up a hand "I"m fine, I"m fine. It was just a rowdy suspect." He turns his head and looks to Lucy, who takes note of his silent communication and stands.

"I"m gonna go get takeout so you two can catch up. I"ll be back."

()()()

Lucy stays gone around an hour, wanting to make sure she's given the siblings ample time to make amends, and when she returns, she's happy to find them still sitting on the couch, laughing and reminiscing about Tim's prom, which apparently he ended up looking Slim Shady for. She makes a mental note to bribe Genny for pictures later, strictly for blackmail purposes of course.

She meets Tim's eyes as she walks in, and he offers her a subtle nod, as if to say thank you, and she assumes the conversation went well, so she smiles at them and takes a seat beside Tim, placing her bag of takeout on the coffee table.

"Is that sushi?" Genny beams, her eyes falling to the bag.

"It is," Lucy grins. "And I got enough for everyone." She reaches into the bag and grabs two boxes, handong one to Genny and the other to Tim.

He swiftly declines and pushes the box away.

"You don't like sushi?" She gawks at him.

"No. It's gross."

"Have you ever tried it?"

"No."

Then how do you know you don't like it?" She presses.

"I don't need to try it to know that I don't like it," he grumbles. "It looks disgusting."

"You can't knock it until you try it! Come on, just have a bite!" She pops the container open and grabs a piece with chopsticks and dangles it in front of him.

"Tim doesn't try new things," Genny chuckles. "That's kind of his thing. He sticks to his comfort zone."

She bats her eyelashes at him and pushes the piece of sushi towards him, hanging the chopsticks just below his lips.

He emits a low growl from the back of his throat, but instead of pushing her hands away, he plucks the sushi from the chopsticks and pops into his mouth, chewing gingerly until he swallows it down.

"So?" Lucy questions, her eyes sparkling with delight.

He shrugs. "It wasn't terrible.

Smugly, she grins, then uses the chopsticks to grab a piece for herself, but just before it meets her lips, Tim plucks it from the chopsticks and pops it into his own mouth, giving her his own smug smirk, which earns him a smack on the shoulder and a, "jerk," comment from Lucy.

Genny's eyes dance between the two, a stunned expression creeping across her own face.

Notes:

Some of you are really great guessers! I hope you enjoyed this and thanks for reading!

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Notes:

This was a bit delayed because my week was busier than expected. I hope you enjoy the new chapter and I'll try and update again tomorrow or Monday.

Chapter Text

Over the next two weeks, things begin to settle in the Bradford-Chen household. Tim and Genny were getting along and spending more time together, well they were spending time together when she wasn't hanging out with Brad, anyway. Which wasn't often, but was a lot more than the two had spent time together in many, many years.

And Tim and Lucy, well, they were spending a lot of time together. A lot of time. With Genny gone so often, it left the two alone in the house during evenings, which often resulted in them sharing meals, watching shows, or sometimes just talking when Tim wasn't working the night shift.

Initially, after their almost kiss when Lucy was tending to his injuries, Tim had a fit of internal panic when he'd retreated to his room and planned on freezing her out entirely and being as abrasive as possible to her the rest of the time he lived with her. Because the fact that he'd almost kissed her in the heat of a very unexpected moment had deeply terrified him and even caused him to be extremely angry at himself.

He knew he was absolutely not ready to go there with anyone. Let alone anyone that would complicate things for him as much as Lucy would. Even though Angela was right and his marriage had been over for a long time before the divorce process began, that was only partially true. It may have been over for Isobel long before then, it may have been clear to any outsider it
was over long before then, but it wasn't clear to Tim. For him, he'd held genuine, optimistically blind hope that he could save her and they could rebuild what they'd lost and the moment he found out that hope was all in vain, he'd been devastated.

A part of him still loved Isobel, maybe he always would, and he didn't think it was fair to get involved with anyone else while he still held such strong feelings for his soon to be ex-wife. He knew he wouldn't want to play second fiddle to anyone, and he felt it was only honorable to make sure he didn't let anyone else play second fiddle for him.

Now, that isn't to say he planned to be cellibute for the rest of his life. He was a man, after all. He had needs. Needs he believed were kicked into overdrive from not being met for so long and only fueling his unwanted desire for his roommate. Eventually, he'd give in to those needs with someone. After his divorce was final. After he believed an appropriate amount of time had passed.

But his plan was not to go there with someone he knew. Not with someone he knew that may get attached to him or want something more, something he didn't believe he could give. No, he'd only go there with someone he was sure only wanted what he wanted. Someone who was up for a night of meaningless, desperate sex. Someone he wouldn't really have to see again. He would only go there with a one night stand. Which is something he still had a hard time wrapping his brain around a bit, seeing as how Isobel had been his first and he assumed would be his only.

And Lucy, well, he was certain that Lucy was absolutely not the one night stand kinda girl. She was kind, insightful, very in-tune with her feelings. And she seemed to want to make everyone around her just as in-tune with theirs. Tim assumed that she simply wouldn't be the type of girl who could separate her emotions from her sex life.

And that was fine with him, because hell, even if she was, going there would be way too complicated. For starters, she was his little sister's best friend. He wouldn't want Genny fooling around with any of his friends, so he shouldn't fool around with hers. If things ended badly, it could destroy his sister's relationship with Lucy, and that wasn't fair. Beyond that, she was six years younger than him and they were in two completely different places in their lives.

Well, okay, the second part wasn't exactly true. They were actually in similar places. She was getting ready to start her life, and he was re-starting his. But still, six years was a significant age gap, wasn't it?

Besides all that, they lived together. They'd have to see each other all the time. ALL the time. It would basically be like being in a relationship if they hooked up. No matter how convenient it would be having his booty call across the hall, and man would it be convenient, he just wasn't capable of dealing with that.

So, that's why Tim decided his safest bet with Lucy was to go another route entirely. Because despite how sexually attracted to her he was, and as much as he begrudgingly hated to admit that he was insanely sexually attracted to her, he rationally knew it couldn't happen. And simply arguing with her and pushing her away the next few months wasn't going to work. Hell, the arguing with her made it worse sometimes, because, depending on the argument, it often only turned him on even more the way she could go back and forth with him and challenge him like no one else.

That's why he decided to approach the situation in an entirely different way. He was going to become friends with her. He'd get to know her, really get to know her, let her get to know him, and he'd put her in the friend zone and get rid of those pesky feelings entirely. He was friends with Angela and Nyla, both very beautiful women, and he never thought of them sexually. So it only made sense to him that if he could mesh Lucy into that friendship category, surely, he'd stop thinking of her that way, too. He'd see her as a human being, someone who's well-being he cared about, not simply an object of his desires and deepest fantasies.

And that's how he found himself on the couch for the fourth time this week after a long day at work, a glass of red wine in one hand, a bowl of popcorn in the other hand, and Lucy beside him with the remote.

"I am not watching baseball with you again, FYI," Lucy informs him, reaching into the bowl and shoveling a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"And I'm not watching True Crime with you again," he retorts back adamantly.

"You're no fun," she whines, though there's the hint of a grin playing at her lips. "Okay, what about The Bachelor?"

His nose scrunches. "What about, no?"

"Married at First Sight?"

"Even bigger no!" He grows excited. "Let's watch Shane!"

"No!" She groans. "We just watched that last week. Twice."

"It's a classic!" He defends vehemently. "You can never go wrong with a classic."

"I know it's your favorite movie and all, and I took pity on you when your eyeball was still all bruised and your lip was still all puffy, but your face is normal now and you've gotta try something different. We talked about this, new things are good. Remember the sushi?"

"The sushi wasn't terrible," he grumbles, "But if I had my choice I'd have gone with some salmon and rice or something like a nice filet and loaded potatoes. Nothing wrong with sticking with what you're comfortable with and what you know you like."

She rolls her eyes and grabs another scoop of popcorn. "You can pretend you didn't love it all you want, but you scarfed every last piece down. Now, let's see," she flips through the channels,
pausing and excitedly pointing and screaming when she lands on Channel 12, "Oooh, Top Chef! Let's watch Top Chef!"

He shrugs and tosses a few kernels into his own mouth. "I'm good with that!"

"Wait! You watch Top Chef!" She drops the remote and clasps her hands together in excitement.

"Yeah," his brows crease, not so sure why she's so excited to learn this, "I've found a lot of good recipes from this show."

Her face scrunches. "Wait, you can cook?"

"Yes," he sighs, "I can cook. Are you forgetting that I was married? I'm not some 28 year old bachelor who's been living on takeout and microwavable meals the last ten years.

"Well then," she grins delightedly, "you're going to have to cook for me sometime." Her grin falters the moment the words leave her mouth, and she quickly adds, "For us, I mean. You know, me and Genny."

His eyes linger on her a moment, his face a bit perplexed, but he shrugs off what she said after she corrects herself, dismissing it to a mere slip of the tongue. Afterall, she'd agreed they didn't need to "prank" one another again when he'd tried to chalk their almost kiss up to that. He knew she knew he hadn't been kidding, and he knew she wasn't either, but calling it a joke somehow diminished the seriousness of what almost happened and allowed him to talk about it and move past it. And she'd seemed to be on board with moving past it herself and hadn't brought it up again.

"I could do that sometime," he agrees, quickly adding, "You know for-for you and Genny." She nods and that easy smile of hers creeps across her face and he can't help but notice how beautiful she is when she smiles and without warning his gut does that weird flip-flop, the one where you're at the top of the rollercoaster and you're about to start falling downhill.

And maybe she noticed the way his gaze lingers on her just a little too long, because she shifts her body away from him and says, "Good, I'll pencil you down for next Wednesday and Genny and I will be eagerly waiting. Now, stop talking and let's watch the show and gather some ideas so Chef Bradford can whip us up something good to eat."

Silence falls between the duo, but Lucy is never one to let silence linger for long, and as she sips her wine, she eventually asks Tim who his favorite Top Chef judge is.

"Definitely Tom," he replies without hesitation.

She grins knowingly.

"What?

"Nothing," she chuckles.

"Nuh-uh. Something." He turns to face her. "Spit it out."

"It's just such a you answer."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, it's just," she pauses, considering her words. "He's gruff and opinionated. He reminds me a lot of you, actually, so of course it makes sense he is your favorite."

"I'm opinionated?" He huffs. "Have you met you?"

She rolls her eyes. "Relax, I didn't say it's a bad thing."

"And let me guess," he ventures. "Your favorite is Gail?"

"Impressive," she credits leaning into him. "How'd you know?"

His shoulders rise and fall as he reaches for more popcorn. "She pays attention. Observe things. Is always aware of her surroundings and trying to read the room and figure things out."

Her mouth gapes slightly. "Did-did you just give me a compliment?"

"No!" He sputters. "I was giving her a compliment. Not you."

"Mhm." She looks away from him, her eyes beaming, and she tries to focus back on the show and allow silence to fall back between them. As she watches one contestant whip up apple pie ice cream sandwiches, she reaches her hand over to Tim's lap to grab more popcorn.

However, Tim had also been reaching for more popcorn at the same time Lucy was, and instead of his hand connecting with a fist full of popcorn, it connected with Lucy's. Her soft, smooth fingertips brushing against his, surging his adrenaline and causing a rush of electricity that he had no business feeling from such a simple, unintentional act, making him feel like a giddy teenager on his first date.

He expected her to snatch her hand away, to make a snarky joke, to do anything except what she did, which was to leave her hand dangling against his, her index finger lightly caressing the back of his hand as she chanced a peak at his reaction out of the corner of her eye.

His rational mind told him to crack a joke, to pull back, to make an excuse to get up, but his rational mind more and more seemed broken when it came to her and his jaw simply went slack, his words failing him as he peered at her, unmoving.

But the short spell they were both under was broken when the front door swung open and the two of them snatched their hands away, as if they were children about to be caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and Tim couldn't decide if he fucking hated that door for always interupting them or loved it for sparing him from whatever the hell almost kept happening between them.

"Good! You're both here," Genny announced, grinning from ear to ear as she rushed towards the couch and slipped into the newly found space between the two. She was so filled with her own glee that she didn't catch the moment she just interrupted.

"What's up, sis?" Tim asks her, trying to play it cool, though his voice cracked ever so slightly.

"Well," her eyes sparkle as she speaks, "I just won reservations and dinner for 4 from a radio contest to the opening of that new beachfront restaurant, Oshi."

"Oh, that's awesome!" Lucy beams. " I"m so jealous. The videos they keep posting on ClipTalk look magical."
"No need for you to be jealous," Genny elatedly informs her friend, reaching over and squeezing her arm. "I want you to come with me." She looks over to her brother. "Both of you."

Tim groans, "A beachfront restaurant? No thanks"

Genny opens her mouth to protest Tim's refusal but Lucy chimes in before she can with, "You don't like the beach? Why am I not surprised?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He huffs.

"Nothing. It's just, hating one of nature's greatest gifts is totally on brand for you."

He rolls his eyes. "Come on,a beachfront restaurant is a horrible idea. Do you seriously want sand all in your food?"

Genny holds up a hand between them. "Can you two just not start? I'm not done talking." When her brother and best friend reluctantly oblige, she continues, "Listen, I really want you both there. I"m taking Rob and I know I haven't let either of you meet him yet, but things between us are getting really serious, so I want him to meet the two most important people in my life."

Lucy smiles at her friend warmly. "Of course I'll be there. I can't wait to meet him."

"Tim?" Genny questions.

"Can't you just bring Rob here?" He counters.

"No way! You're not meeting him here. I already know you're going to try and intimidate him. Giving you the home field advantage will only make that worse. It's better if you meet him in public."

He sighs and folds his arms across his chest and taps his foot petulantly on the floor.

She places a hand on his bouncing knee. "It would really mean a lot to me to have my big brother there. Please, Tim?"

Both women are looking at him expectantly and he caves, grumbling, "Fine. But they better have decent food."

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Notes:

This chapter is a lot longer than I anticipated and could have probably been split into two. Hope you guys like it. As always, thanks for reading! You guys definitely inspire me to keep writing.

Chapter Text

"Are you eating Sushi?" Angela questions with an arched brow as she takes a seat beside Tim outside of the food trucks at Mid-Wilshire Police Station.

Tim shrugs his shoulders and pops a salmon roll into his mouth.

She blinks and shakes her head. "Who are you and what have you done with Bradford?"

He rolls his eyes and downs another roll, muttering, "Lucy made me try it. Turns out it's not half bad," between bites

She reaches across onto his plate and steals a roll, eying him suspiciously, but not probing further. "So, Wesley and I are watching the game tonight. We invited Harper and Donovan. You wanna come over and join us? We'll have pizza and beer."

He groans. "I can't. Lucy and I are going to dinner with Genny and her new boyfriend at the new beachfront place."

This time, she can't help herself, as she grins and wiggles her eyebrows. "So you're going on a double date?"

His hand freezes mid air and gapes at his friend. "What? NO!

"She glares back at him and folds her arms across her chest.

Tim shakes his head and sets the sushi roll back on his plate. "It's not a date. Well, I guess it is for Genny and Rob," he corrects. "But it's not a double date. Lucy and I are not dating. That's ridiculous."

"Is it though?" Angela questions, all hints of teasing aside, which earns a troubled look from the accused sitting beside her. "I"m just saying, you've mentioned her just about every time we've talked the last few weeks and you spend almost every evening with her."

"Because she's my roommate!" He quickly defends."Not because I like her!"

Angela leans back in her chair and tilts her body so she can better study her friend's reaction. "So you're saying you aren't the least bit attracted to her?"

"I'M NOT!" He erratically squeaks, but she continues to hold his gaze and he huffs. "Okay, look, yeah, she's beautiful, objectively speaking, of course. But that doesn't mean I like her. I-I can recognize that you and Nyla are attractive women, objectively speaking, and I don't like either of you. You're my friends, and that's all Lucy is to me. A friend," He places an emphasis on the word friend, and he isn't sure if it's more to convince Angela of the fact or to convince himself, because friend zoning her wasn't nearly as easy as he thought it was going to be.

Angela hums and leans forward. "Okay, Timothy. If you say so."

"I do say so."

She purses her lips and nods,"Okay," and before he can protest more, a call comes over the radio and both are rushing to their shops, the current conversation forgotten for now.

()()()()

Lucy stands in front of the mirror in her bedroom and groans in frustration, tossing the third dress she's held up to her figure to the side. She's never struggled so much choosing an outfit, and she tells herself it's because she's never been to such an elegant event before. Tries to convince herself that it has nothing at all to do with the fact that she's going to dinner at such an elegant place with Tim.

"Ugh!" She sighs heavily, rushing to her closest and fingering through her wardrobe for what felt like the millionth time. This was absolutely ridiculous. She was fretting as if she was going on an actual date with this man. Tonight was about Genny and Rob and Genny feeling comfortable enough to introduce her new boyfriend to her brother and best friend. This was not at all about having a chance to impress Tim and make him want her.

Why did she have to keep thinking of him that way? Why did she almost kiss him? Why had she tried to hold his hand last night after they both low-key agreed the kiss Jackson interrupted had been a terrible idea to start with?"

And it was a terrible idea. She turned the idea over and over again in her mind, and there was absolutely no scenario that played out where it was a good idea to sleep with Tim. He was in a horrible place emotionally. He was her best friend's brother. And he wasn't even officially divorced yet. What if she slept with him and he and his wife decided to work things out? She rationally knew that wouldn't make her a mistress since they were separated, but she'd still feel like one. After being cheated on herself, she never wanted to be the one to make another person feel as betrayed as she felt by that act.

Plus, she couldn't end things easily with Tim if they slept together a few times and she decided he was getting too attached, which is what she normally did with guys when she felt they were overstepping the boundaries they'd established when the arraignment started.

Lucy was always upfront with the guys she hooked up with, letting them know she wasn't looking for anything serious and that she just wanted to be friends with benefits. The arraignment was like hitting the lottery for most guys she'd been with and almost all were on board and had no issues with it, but there'd been a few that definitely developed feelings and ending it became uncomfortable and she'd had to cut them off, but at least it was simple enough because she made sure they were people she wouldn't run into on a regular basis.

She never went there with friends, or people she took classes with, or family members of friends, or close friends of friends. That was just a no-no.

Tim was literally her roommate. She wouldn't be able to escape him if she went there with him and it soured.

She knew that. Her brain accepted and recognized that. But the raging hormones that man gave her, they absolutely kept ignoring those facts. In fact, she wasn't sure she'd ever been that attracted to anyone before to the point she lacked absolute self-control when it came to them. She never planned those little moments that kept happening between them, but she kept finding herself drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. Even with the stupid bruise and swollen lip, she'd been ready to ravage him. Why did he have to be so damn fine? Why did he have to make her so horny?

She comes back from her closet holding up her maroon dress that she knows accents her figure and highlights her amber eyes. One that cuts low enough in the front that it exposes just the right amount of cleavage to draw your attention to it and get your imagination going, but not enough that you can have a full show and leaves you wanting more. She decides that this is the dress she'll wear tonight. And she tries like hell to convince herself that it has nothing to do with the way she imagines TIm might react to it.

()()()

Lucy busies herself in her room, delicately applying her make-up and getting her hair just right as she waits for Tim to get ready now that he's home from his shift. Genny has already left and headed to Rob's house where the two will travel together to Osia since she's going to spend the night at his place and because she wants to prepare Rob for the nightmare she knows it is going to be meeting Tim for the first time.

She left Lucy with two tickets, one for her and one for Tim, and Lucy and Tim agreed that it made the most sense for them to ride together since they'd both be coming back to the same place and Tim offered to take his truck.

Lucy puckers her lips together after applying a hint of lip gloss, just enough to make her lips pop but not so much you can outwardly notice unless you're really paying attention. She stares into the mirror, giving herself a final once over and then glances at her phone, noticing they only have about 20 minutes until they need to be at the restaurant and knowing that factoring in traffic means they need to live now or they'll be late.

She stands from her make-up table and smooths out her dress. She feels giddy and nervous and her stomach is bubbling in an unfamiliar way. She sucks in a breath and tries to push those feelings down as she calls out to Tim from behind her door, "hurry up or we're going to be late," and then she quickly slips on her favorite ring, a moonstone ring her favorite aunt Amy gifted her just before she started college, because it helps ground her when she's feeling unsure.

"I"m ready," Tim calls out from the hallway and Lucy opens her bedroom door and comes face to face with Tim, who is slipping a black dress jacket over a baby blue button up shirt. She doesn't miss the way he stops in his tracks at the sight of her. The way his lascivious eyes rake over her. The way his lower lip parts ever so slightly and his tongue snakes out over it.

She can feel her cheeks burn, and she flirtatiously spins around and asks, "What, is there something on my dress?"

His head shakes and his eyes are still burning into her skin as he stammers,"N-No. It's just-you ah, you look… you look…"

Her rational mind kicks in and she decides to quit torturing him, internally scolding herself for the little game she started to play, though she somehow can't stop herself reaching out, squeezing his forearm, and telling him with an appreciative smile, "Thank you. You clean up pretty nice yourself."

He hastily clears his throat and holds his hand out toward the door. "We should go. Don't wanna be late."

She agrees and follows behind him, a look of genuine shock sweeping across and lingering on her face when he not only holds open the front door for her, but also the door to his truck. And he must feel the heat of her stunned gaze when he starts the ignition in his truck, because he huffs out, "What?"

"Nothing." Her lip quirks up, though she is averting her eyes from him and focusing on the gray glove compartment. "I just, I guess I didn't expect you to be such a gentleman."

His brows scrunch.

"Holding the doors," she chuckles. "I've never had a man do that for me."

He gnaws his lower lip. "I didn't realize I did. Old habits die hard. I always did that before with…" He trails off.

She nods in understanding. "Well, thank you. It was kind of nice."

His troubled features lighten and he offers her something akin to a small smile as he puts the truck in reverse and heads out of the driveway.

()()()()()

The two arrive at the restaurant, and even though Lucy suspects Tim may stop with the door holding since she drew it to his attention, he doesn't. Whether it's an autopilot response this time or something he chose to do, she isn't sure, but she doesn't call him out on it again.

She leads the way through the beachfront venue, scanning the horizon for Genny and marveling at the scenic view and the soft, sparkling lights that are stung above them and she can't help but think how romantic this place would be to have an actual date at. She takes a peak over her shoulder and notices Tim is simply following along, his hands slung into the pocket of his dress pants.

She can't help but appreciate how handsome he looks in more formal attire. Or the way his baby blue shirt makes his blue eyes shine even brighter. The way the full moon hanging on the sky helps illuminate his features in contrast with the lights. Her heart flutters when his eyes catch hers and she quickly turns away, catching Genny in her peripherals waving them both over.

She and Tim make their way over and Tim pulls out Lucy's chair for her as they take their seats across from Genny and Rob. She introduces herself and offers a friendly smile to Rob, who is luckily for him, sitting directly in front of Lucy and not Tim. She takes note of his features, comparing her to the idea she'd created in her head over the last few weeks. He's not short, but he's not as tall as Tim. He has dark, somewhat curly hair, and dark eyes. That's neatly trimmed. He's caucasian, and he isn't fair skinned, but he isn't tan either. He's lean, but not overly muscular, about average body type. And she thinks that average is a good word to describe him. Not that there's anything wrong with that, or that she expected a model, she just expected something a bit different. But he isn't bad looking, and even if he were, Lucy knows looks aren't everything, so she's curious to see what his personality is like.

She glimpses at Tim and notices the way he's squared and stiffened his shoulders, the way his gaze is narrowed and scrutinizing, and she doesn't miss the slight change in his voice as introduces himself to Rob and gives the man a firm, solid handshake, his muscles bulging through his jacket as his arm bobs up and down, clearly sizing the other man up and asserting his dominance.

"So, Rob," Tim pauses and takes a sip of the white wine in front of him, wine Genny informed them as they sat down was Chante d'Yquem, "what are you studying?

"I'm actually not a student," Rob offers, straightening his tie and shifting nervously. "I'm a screenwriter. Or, I'm trying to be."

Tim's brows crease and his lips furrow. "How old are you?"

Rob downs a large sip of his own wine, and replies, "29."

"29!" Tim echoes disapprovingly. "Didn't you meet my sister at a club? What are you doing cruising college clubs when you're pushing 30."

"Tim!" Genny scolds.

"No, ah, it's okay," Rob chuckles nervously. "I also bartend at the club we met at, so I can keep my bills paid until my screenwriting career takes off. We talked a lot during the night and when my shift was over, I ah, I asked her to dance with me and we just hit it off from there."

Tim nods, though his gaze is unapproving. "And uh, do you do this a lot? Prey on drunk college aged women even though you're pushing 30?"

"Tim!" Genny sternly warns through clenched teeth.

The elder Bradford exhales heavily and holds up an apologetic hand. "So, have you ever been married?" The other man shakes his head. "Any kids? Again, Rob shakes his head. "Been arrested?"

"N-no?"

"Done drugs?" Tim prods further when the man uncertainly glances to Genny, his eyes pleading for help. "Crack? Heroine? Coke? Molly? Shrooms? PCP?"

"Just a little weed," Rob squeaks, hastily adding, "a long time ago, when I was in college."

Tim takes another small sip of wine, and Lucy doesn't miss the death glare Genny is shooting her brother.

"What about STD's? Ever had any of those? Chla-" Before Tim can finish that sentence. Lucy places a hand on his thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze, causing Tim to abruptly turn and face her, and she gives him the slightest shake of her head, silently letting him know he needs to tone it down and give the guy a break.

"You know, Lucy butts in, leaving her hand resting on Tim's thigh under the table in an effort to keep him calm, "I'm sure we'd all love to hear more about the screenplays you're working on."

Genny gives Lucy an appreciative look across the table and Rob's troubled features brighten, but Lucy can almost hear Tim's eyes roll beside her.

"So, get this," Rob's eyes beam with glee, "I'm working on a show about cops. But they're not just normal cops, they're werewolf cops, right?"

Lucy can feel Tim's body growing more rigid under the palm of her hand and she gently rubs his leg and bites down her bottom lip so she doesn't burst out laughing from the incredulous look she knows he's wearing as the other man continues his story.

()()()

By the time Rob finishes his story, the waitress comes and brings the foursome their first appetizer of the night. The dinner Genny won consists of a 12 course selection, including 3 different wines, two appetizers, two entrees, four sides and a dessert. Lucy is glad for the distraction of the food, because the vein in Tim's neck was bulging for the last 5 minutes of Rob's detailed account of his screenplay, and she was getting slightly worried he may have a heart attack.

"Good evening," the waitress greets them all with a friendly smile as she sets the food down. "Your first course for the night is Chef Celine Barris' take on blini's and caviar. A savory onoki pancake with fruit of the forest row and smoked Himalayan salt espuma."

Tim's lips curl downward and his nose scrunches as he stares down at his dish and asks, "Was any of that in English?"

Lucy smirks. Indulgently at him "Let me translate. All you need to know is that the pancake is made of mushroom, which I know is not your favorite." She reaches for her fork and leans across him to steal the tiny dish, to which he simply pushes the plate closer to her and says, "Oh no. Take it."

Genny blinks rapidly, trying to decipher what she just witnessed.

"You don't like mushrooms?" Rob replies in disbelief. "Not even on a bacon cheeseburger?"

"They're literally a fungus," Tim counters.

"He has bad taste and trouble venturing out and trying new things," Lucy informs Rob between bites. "I'm working on it."

"I'm actually not an adventurous eater, either," Genny chimes in. "Though I did try goat when we went on vacation with Jackson's family to Jamaica during our sophomore year."

Tim tries to stifle a chuckle and Lucy swats his arm and warns, "Don't even dare. I will hurt you."

"What?" Genny curiously inquires, glancing between the two.

"It's nothing," Lucy hisses.

"Oh, it's something," Tim grins, his eyes sparkling and the corner of his lips twitching. Rob and Genny look on expectantly and Tim catches Lucy's eye, silently asking for permission, and she reluctantly gives a nod of approval, to which an eager Tim continues with, "Okay, the neighbor down the street has a pet goat, right? Well, last week we saw him going up and down the road and he's screaming, 'Gerald! Come here Gerald!'. And this goes on for like two hours until I guess he finally gets tired and gives up. Well, Lucy runs out to her to grab one of her textbooks she forgot to bring in. And she was supposed to be coming right back inside so we could watch Shane, but it' been like ten minutes and she still isn't back, so I walk outside to check on her, and she's just bent over looking into the rolled down window of her car making goat noises trying to coax him out of the driver's seat of her car."

"Who knew goats could jump like that?" Lucy giggles, her cheeks burning at the memory. "But he was so cute, though! Except for that little present he left in my seat. Anyway, I've been sweet talking this goat in goat speak for the past ten minutes and he's just staring at me going, 'baaaa,' not offering to move and Tim's just behind me laughing his ass off until I turn around and and beg him for help and then he stands up straight and his voice goes all gruff and serious and he just stares at the goat and orders, 'Gerald, out now!' And that freaking goat just leapt out of the car and pranced back toward his house."

"It was so great," Tim snickers, then points at Lucy, "I called her goat whisper for like three days after that."

"You drew a goat on my favorite coffee mug!" She whines, though her lips are turned upwards.

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing this story?" Genny asks, hands clasped together as she looks between her brother and best friend.

Lucy motions between Genny and her beau. "It's just, you've been so busy, we haven't really had much time to talk."

The waitress interrupts and comes and removes the platters that held the mushroom pancake and gives each guest a glass of red wine, and Rob orders Patron on the rocks on top of his second glass of wine, earning a dirty glare from Tim, which then earns Tim a slight pinch of the thigh from Lucy, whose hand has still been resting there to keep him grounded.

"So," Rob tries to connect with Tim, "do you like baseball?"

"I do," Tim slowly sips from his glass. "You?"

"Yeah," Rob excitedly announces. "The Angels are my favorite."

Tim folds his arms across his chest and huffs.

Genny hangs her head and curses.
Lucy winces.

"What?" Rob asks nervously, not seeing how the topic could've soured so quickly

"Tim's just a hardcore Dodgers fan," Genny informs her date with a reassuring rub of the knee.

"Hardcore is one way to put it," Lucy snorts and when the others raise their brows, she tells them, "He wants his ashes spread across Dodger field when he dies."

"Seriously?" Genny gapes.

"I was kidding!" Tim grumbles, and his eyes flit to the table. "My ashes would screw up the Ph level of the grass."

Lucy's thumb gestures towards Tim as she cackles. "Can you believe he called and checked?"

The waitress brings out Rob's Patron on the rocks and the shorter man quickly downs it all in one gulp. He dabs his wet lips with the cloth napkin in front of him, and motions between Tim and Lucy. "How long have you two been together?"

Lucy turns to the side and sputters out the sip of wine she'd just been taking and Tim's glass clanks on the table as the two look to one another, then Genny, and stammer out in unison, "We are not together!"

Genny holds up a defensive hand. "Honey, I told you, Lucy is my roommate and best friend and Tim's my brother, and also currently my roommate. I never said they were dating."

"Sorry," Rob sheepishly mutters, "It's just, you two seem very close and like you know a lot about each other. I just assumed…I guess it's just because you've known one another so long."

"We, uh, actually haven't known each other that long," Lucy admits, her eyes now trained on the table cloth. We've only been living together a little over a month and only met once briefly before that."

"I could barely stand her until like two weeks ago," Tim mumbles, which earns him a shove and "the feeling was mutual," from Lucy.

Rob fidgets with his hands a moment the waves the waitress over, ordering another Patron on the rocks."

()()()

Eventually, the remaining courses are brought out, and everyone at the table is stuffed and ready to call it a night.
As they go to leave, Genny hugs Tim, but whispers in his ear, "I should stab you in your sleep for how you acted tonight."

"Then' I'll just have to arrest you for threatening an officer," he quips back. "Love you, sis," he mumbles

She rolls her eyes, then hugs Lucy and tells her brother and roommate she'll see them tomorrow. Tim and Lucy head the opposite way because Lucy's bladder is full of wine and she doesn't think she can make it home without taking a pit stop at the restroom.

Tim follows behind her and as they walk, Lucy says, "You did better than I thought you'd do. I thought you'd eat him alive."

"Yeah," he chuckles, "Well, I probably would have if you hadn't been beside me trying to reign me back in."

"I still can't believe you were about to ask him if he had chlamydia."

"It's a valid question!" He defends. "There were over 98,000 cases of STD's in the Los Angeles area in 2019 alone."

She shakes her head and stops walking, trailing her hand along his forearm. "You know, Genny's tough and she's smart. She can take care of herself."

"I know," he admits. "I know. I just didn't like the guy. Did you see how much he drank tonight?"

"I did. But, in his defense, I"m sure he was feeling a lot of pressure from you. He couldn't give an answer that you'd like to save his life."

"He's a screenwriter!" Tim groans. "They are literally the worst."

"She seems happy with him. Give him a chance."

"I'll think about it," he mutters, which earns him a nod of approval before Lucy disappears into the restroom.

When she returns, she taps Tim's elbow and asks, "Ready to go?" To which he nods, and as the two start to step away, but Lucy feels a tap on her shoulder and turns to see a familiar face greeting her.

"Lucy," the Asian man smiles, pulling her in for a hug which she awkwardly reciprocates.

"Chris, hi!" She forces a smile but pulls away, stepping closer to Tim.

The man named Chris seems to take note of this and his voice cracks as he motions between Lucy and Tim and asks, "Are you, uh, are you two on a date?"

Lucy and Tim glance at one another and roll their eyes and Lucy chuckles lightly. "Ah, no. This is definitely not a date. Chirs, this is Genny's brother, Tim. TIm, this is Chris." The two men share awkward courtesy nods. "We were here with Genny meeting her new boyfriend. What are you doing here?"

"I was having dinner with the law school cohort I'll be joining in the fall."

"You got in? That's great!

He grins proudly and nods. "Yeah. I'm excited. It's a little late, but would you uh, maybe wanna come celebrate that with me and grab a few drinks?"

"I can't," she looks to Tim, whose hands are shoved deep in his pockets, eyes staring hard at the ground, and then back to Chris and politely declines. "We really need to be heading home."

"What about tomorrow?" Chris tries desperately.

She grimaces and shakes her head. "I can't. I'm sorry. I'm really busy working on my senior capstone, finishing papers, helping out at the tutor senior, and trying to keep my grades up. I just don't have a lot of free time right now."

"Okay," Chris deflates. "Maybe some time over summer? I've missed you."

"Maybe," Lucy mutters non-committedly then she tugs at Tim's arm. "We've gotta go. Good seeing you."

()()()()()

On the way home, Lucy notices that Tim has grown uncharacteristically quiet. Not the kind of quiet she's grown used to from him when he simply doesn't have anything left to say and wants to sit in peace, but the kind of quiet Tim is when something's on his mind.

She tries to make small talk about the meal. Making fun of the dishes he'd scoffed at, the tiny serving sizes, and even some of the strange remarks Rob made to attempt to engage him, but he doesn't bite and shrugs off all her attempts.

When the two get inside their home, Lucy kicks her heels off and plops down on the couch. Tim is a few steps behind her, slinking out of his jacket and tossing his own shoes to the side. She pats the cushion next to her, inviting him to join her, and he holds her gaze a long moment before sighing and slipping into the spot beside her.

She pulls her legs up on the couch and studies his face, trying to read what he's hiding behind his downcast eyes. She doesn't like this shift in the air between them, and she toys with her moonstone ring as she tries to determine how to go about moving past this and unsure of how they got there.

Eventually, Tim's leg begins to bounce and he chews at his bottom lip, but he does fill the uncomfortable silence by asking, "That guy back at the restaurant, was he an ex-boyfriend of yours?"

Her brows knit together and the lines in her forehead wrinkle. "Chris?"

He nods.

"Oh, God no! I haven't had a boyfriend since my freshman year of college."

Tim tilts his head and casts her a doubtful look. "Does he know that he wasn't your boyfriend?"

"Yes," Lucy mumbles, glowering.

He holds her gaze, waiting expectantly for more information.

She fervently twists the ring around her finger and her eyes fall to her lap.

"That's new," he murmurs.

"What?"

"You, not wanting to talk about something."

This time, she's the one gnawing at her lower lip. "You and I, we're both very opinionated, and I just think we'd both have very different opinions on the Chris thing. I just, I don't wanna get into a fight and go back to square one with you.."

"Lucy," he prods softly, dipping his head so she's forced to meet his eyes. "I promise I won't judge."

Now she glares at him doubtfully, but she sighs sharply and gives in. "Chris and I, we ah, we used to hook up."

Tim is clearly surprised by the news and his eyes widen. "Like a one night stand kinda thing?"

"No. I don't do one night stands," she clarifies. "That's dangerous for a woman to just go home with some guy she doesn't know. I just, I don't do relationships. I meet guys, get to know them a bit in public settings, and sometimes, if the vibe is right, we do a sort of friends with benefits thing. It's just so much easier than…" she trails off.

"Risking feelings getting involved and getting your heart shattered into a million pieces? "Yeah," he hums, " I actually get that line of thinking."

She's a bit taken aback that the topic hasn't sparked an intense debate. "You-you do?"

He holds up his left hand and shows off his empty ring finger that still has a faint shadow of lighter skin where the gold band was wrapped around it for ten years and it didn't see the light of day. "Honestly, I don't think I'll ever want to be in a relationship again after what I've been through."

She nods in understanding, realizing how much worse it must've been for Tim's marriage to end than her relationship with Chang, where no real love ever truly existed.

"I just, I don't know about the friends with benefits part," he muses. "Seems like it could get messy and a one night thing is just easier."

"For a guy who doesn't have to worry about ending up in pieces in someone's freezer, sure," she offers, and that earns her a faint chuckle. "But for the most part, it works pretty well as long as you go into it open and honest. Lay out all your expectations. Problem is, sometimes I don't think some people are completely honest from the get go. They go in with the hope it'll turn into something more."

"And that's what happened with Chirs," he deduces.

"How…"

"The guy is clearly smitten with you," Tim mutters. "It's written all over his face the way he looks at you."

"Smitten? What is this, some cheesy romance novel?" Tim growls at her and smirks at him. "You're right, though. Chirs definitely wanted more than I did out of the whole situation. He started trying to get me to meet his parents. Wanted me to leave stuff over at his place. Begged me to stay the night. All things that are completely against my rules. I had to back away from him. He was way too intense and he just wouldn't listen to me when I tried to reiterate those boundaries."

"You never thought about giving it a real shot with him?"

"No, never."

Why?"

She pauses and purses her lips. Suddenly, she realizes she's spent a lot of time the last few weeks laughing and joking with Tim, probing him to get to know him better, but she's never actually broken down her walls and let him in on the most intimate parts of her life.

It occurs to her that isn't very fair, so she caves and tells him about her relationship with Chang and how it ended. She tells him about how overbearing her parents are, and how Chris is exactly the type of man they'd want for her. A future lawyer. Half asian. From a respected family. Clean cut. Personable.

But how none of those things are what she needs in the person she chooses to be with. How other than finding Chris attractive, they had no real commonalities and that spending a lot of time with him often left her bored and unfulfilled.

Tim listens intently, not interrupting her once, and when she's done speaking he queries, "What would you want in someone, if you ever did decide to settle down?"

"Honestly?" She chuckles. "I don't know. I've never been in love before, so I don't know what that's supposed to feel like and I"m not exactly looking for it. I guess, I'd want someone I"m attracted to, obviously. Someone funny, capable, smart. Someone that challenges me, someone who pushes me to be the best version of myself. Someone who believes in me." Her shoulders rise and fall. "What about you? What would you want, if you ever decided to go there again."

Tim grows eerily quiet and still. She can audibly hear him swallow before he answers with, "Someone who loves me and puts me first." He clears his throat and stands. "I uh, I should get to bed. I'm working the early shift tomorrow."

Lucy's heart pricks at the pain and bitterness evidenced in his voice. "Goodnight, Tim, I had fun tonight on our not-a-date double-date."

He half hums, half snorts at her quippy comment. "Yeah, me too. 'Night Lucy."

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Three prompt, rapid knocks on Lucy's door had her waking from her slumber the morning after eating at Osia. The unanticipated disturbance causes her to shoot up in bed, and she rubs from the sleep from her eyes as she groggily calls out, "Come in!"

Slowly, the door opens and behind it she is surprised to find Genny. Lucy blinks a few times as Genny flips the light switch on, trying to adjust her pupils to the sudden change in light. She glances at the digital clock on her nightstand and knits her brows when she realizes it's only six in the morning. She assumed Genny would still be at Rob's and the two would sleep in.

"Is-uh-is everything okay?" She questions her red-haired roommate, who is still wearing her glamorous outfit from the previous night.

"Everything's fine," Genny smiles brightly, moving to take a seat on the edge of Lucy's bed. "Rob had to get up early to run to one of the ritzier coffee shops so he could try and hand out his scripts to unexpecting celebrities."

Lucy smiles and scratches her head, wincing at the tangled mess it's become overnight.

"So,' Genny muses, "what'd you think of Rob?"

"He seems to make you happy," Lucy offers in return.

Genny seems to be waiting for more, and when Lucy doesn't return her excitement, her shoulder's slump. "You didn't like him?"

"No, no!" Lucy hastens, reaching out to grab her friend's arm in reassurance. "It's not that." And it wasn't. It's not that Lucy didn't like Rob, she just hadn't been all that impressed by him. "I guess I just was expecting something a bit different. He's not quite like all the other guys you've dated."

"That's kinda the point," Genny chuckles. "Guys our age are still in frat boy mode. All they wanna do is party and hook-up. Rob-he's older. More mature. I think he's looking for something serious and I am, too. I mean-we're graduating next month. Sure, I'll be working on my master's in marketing, but I'm getting ready to start my life. My real adult life, and I'd like to have someone that's ready to start that with me."

"That makes sense," the brunette replies, though she isn't quite sure she understands that mentality. Lucy herself certainly doesn't think she's anywhere near ready to settle down with anyone, or that she would be any time soon, but she recognizes people want different things out of life and respects that Genny feels like she's ready for it. "I'm happy you've found someone you think you can see a future with. And you know, I'm sure I'll love him once I get to know him better."

"And Tim?
Lucy's brows furrow, perplexed because she thinks Genny is asking if she'll love Tim once she gets to know him better.

"What'd Tim think of Rob? Did he say anything after you guys got home?

Hesitantly, Lucy purses her lips.

"He hated him," Genny finishes for her.

"He didn't hate him," she counters, though she isn't sure that's the total truth. Tim definitely did not like the guy. At all. "He's just being protective of you and wants to make sure that he's going to treat you right."

"Yeah," Genny sighs. "I guess. Speaking of Tim," she meets Lucy's eyes, "it seems like you aren't just the goat whisperer."

"What?" Lucy snorts.

"You're also a Tim whisperer. You really had a calming effect on him last night."

Lucy unconsciously rubs the tattoo on her neck. "I-ah-I guess so."

"Believe me, he'd have been ten times worse if you weren't there."

"Who knew your brother was less hard-headed than a goat," she teases.

Genny smiles weakly and then presses her lips into a stern that's eerily similar to the way Tim does when he's bothered about something and Lucy almost has to do a double take.

"Listen," Genny ventures carefully, "I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me."

She straightens and peers at her friend intently. "Of course. What's up?"

"Is something going on between you and Tim?"

The blunt accusation leaves Lucy stunned and reeling. "Wh-why would you even think that?"

"You two just seem to have gotten really close. I mean, he let you take food straight from his plate. He shut up and left Rob alone when you jumped in and changed the subject. I even saw your hand on his leg under the table."

"I-I was trying to calm him down," she jumps on the defensive. "That was no big deal. You know I'm big on physical touch, that's just part of who I am. It doesn't mean anything."
"Maybe," the taller woman agrees. "But Tim isn't. He doesn't let people in his personal space easily. I mean, for God sakes Lucy, the man ate sushi for you. Sushi! He hates trying new things. I'm not sure Isobel ever even got him to branch out with food."

Lucy swallows, carefully considering what Genny just said, but convincing herself it doesn't mean anything. It couldn't.

Tim just told her himself last night he wouldn't ever want to be involved with anyone again, other than an occasional one night stand. He was clearly still reeling and broken from his failed marriage and the way he'd told her if he ever was involved with anyone again that he'd just want them to, "put him first and love him," left her stomach in knots, causing her heart to ache and leaving her wanting to pull him in for a bear hug and take all the pain away.

"Gen," she softly replies, "Tim and I haven't done anything. It's-it's not like that."

"And you don't want it to be?"

Lucy's eyes flit to her polka dot cotton sheets and she pinches the soft fabric between her thumb and index finger. "No," she lies, deciding no good could come from being honest with Genny about the sexual fantasies she's had about her brother. "Not at all. We're just becoming friends. Really good friends."

Genny is silent for a moment, finally letting out a relieved, "Good."

Almost offended, Lucy spouts, "Would it be so horrific if there was something going on?"

"Yeah," she replies, as if the answer should be obvious and not the least upsetting.

"And what's so wrong with me that you wouldn't want your brother with me?" She blurts out, grimacing once the words leave her mouth because she said them far louder than she intended.

"Luce, you know I love you." Genny pats her friend on her comforter covered knee. "It's not that there's anything wrong with you. There absolutely isn't, at all. It's just…you're into that hook-up lifestyle. You don't want anything serious with anyone. Tim, he's, I just don't think he's built for that."

Her brows raise. "And you don't think after his marriage ending that may not be just the thing he's looking for?" She doesn't tell the younger Bradford that the elder Bradford admitted last night that a non-committed relationship is all he'd be looking for.

"No, I don't. I think maybe right now he's hurt and might think that's all he wants, but I know my brother well enough to know that isn't him. He'd get attached. Especially to someone he spent a lot of time with.

Lucy silently stares down at her bedsheets and worries her lower lip. "Well, then I guess it's a good thing we aren't doing anything."

"And you won't. Right?"

"Right," Lucy promises, hoping Genny didn't catch the strangled sound of disappointment that escaped her lips, one that left her mind spinning because it caught her completely off guard.

"Thank you," Genny pulls her friend in for an appreciative hug. "It's just, Tim's been hurt enough in his life, I don't want to see anything else cause him pain."

"I'd never wanna do anything to hurt Tim," she assures her friend, rubbing her back gently as the two embrace. And as the words leave her mouth, it stuns her a bit to realize how true they are. Even before they'd started becoming friends, when she'd seen him all busted up after that altercation with the suspect, she'd wanted nothing more than to comfort him. To take care of him. To take his mind off the physical pain he must've been feeling.

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Notes:

Thanks for reading! I appreciate the patience all of you have as you wait for the moment we all want to happen. Without saying too much, it will happen sooner rather than later, but i want to do justice to Tim and Lucy's bond before we go there, as I feel that is an important part of why I love them together. Even if this is AU, I need that to be there before they jump each other's bones. I hope you enjoy this one and I am hoping to churn another chapter out by Tuesday at the latest.

Chapter Text

The next few days flew by before Lucy knew it. She'd been hard at work on her senior capstone project, Genny spent most of those days with Rob, and Tim had been working the midnight shift, so the house had been relatively empty and quiet.

Lucy was not a fan of quiet, so she hadn't spent much of that time at home, rather opting to go to Jackson and Sterling's to work on her senior capstone. Quiet felt suffocating to her, it always had ever since she was a child. She supposed it was because of her childhood, growing up an only child in a home with parents who she could never satisfy. She'd get a 96 and be berated for not getting a 97. She'd wear her hair straight and get told it would look better curly. Put on red lipstick and get asked why she hadn't worn pink.

It was a never ending cycle in her household, one that always left her reeling and feeling not quite good enough. And moments where she was alone and left in silence, it allowed those memories to creep in, flooding her mind and drowning her in a sea of misery and self-deprecation

And the last few days, well, she'd found herself teetering close to the edge of slipping off into that sad, stormy sea more times than she cared to admit.

Her conversation with Genny kept jumping to the forefront of her mind. The one where her friend adamantly told her she didn't want her fooling around with her brother. Outright admitted she was sure Lucy would crush his heart. And she knew Genny didn't intentionally mean any malice or harm from her statement, but it still stung all the same. It took her back to that place where she felt unworthy, unfit, just like her parents always made her feel.

And the worst part of it was, Lucy actually believed Genny might've been right. Maybe she would break Tim even more than he already was if they crossed that line. Maybe he couldn't separate sex and feelings the way she could, no matter what he said about not wanting another relationship ever, and maybe she'd have only made his life ten times worse by wanting to provide physical comfort and release to him, while also satisfying her innate hunger and desire to ravage him.

That seemed about par for the course to her, at least from what she'd been forced to believe about herself for most of her life. No matter how good her intention was, no matter how hard she strived, she could never quite do anything right. But at least Genny made her remember that fact before she royally fucked up by fucking him.

She was almost happy for the time away his temporary swap in shift had allowed them. Not seeing him for a few days allowed her to clear her head and gain some perspective. It allowed her to open her mind and see how utterly careless it would be to continue allowing those little moments to happen between them before the sexual tension brewing beneath the surface boiled over and erupted like a fiery volcano.

She was adamant in her resolve to simply remain friends with him and keep her promise to Genny to not let anything happen.

But when she walks into the house Wednesday evening after she leaves the tutor center and she's greeted by a mouth watering scent when she walks in the front door and the sight of Tim in the kitchen, that resolve is immediately tested.

"What's going on?" She muses as she enters the kitchen, setting her bags on the bar and curiously watching Tim with a hand on her hip.

"I'm making dinner."

"Clearly," she chuckles. "It smells and looks delicious. But, what's the occasion?" Her curious brows fall suddenly and she hastens as she squeaks, "Do you-do you have a hot date or something?

"No," he snorts, as if that thought was utterly ridiculous. Using an oven mit, he picks up the handle of the pan and tosses his sizzling concoction back and forth. "You said you penciled me in for dinner Wednesday, so I'm making you dinner."

The corner of her lip twitches into a surprised grin and her stomach flutters and he meets her eyes and her grin only expands at the cocky smirk etched across his face and the proud beam in his eyes that seems to stem from her pleased look, but then he clears his throat suddenly and adds, "I mean, it's not just for you. It's for Jenny and Rod, too. I told her I was cooking and to bring him over so I could get to know him better."

"It's Rob," she corrects, working hard to ignore the swift disappointment she feels once she knows they'll have company and that this effort wasn't all for her. But instantly chastises herself and reminds her it's a good thing that they aren't alone and that he didn't do this just for her.

"Whatever," he mutters and nods over his shoulder. "Will you grab the plates? This is almost ready."

She obliges his request and rummages through the cabinets, finding the nicest set of china they own, which isn't all that nice and came from a yard sale of a divorcing couple in North Hollywood. As Tim adds his finishing touches to his dish, Lucy sets the table and when she glances over her shoulder at him sprinkling bean sprouts and cilantro on top, she can't help but feel a certain sense of domesticity about the moment.

She's never made dinner with a man before, not that she's making it now, Tim is, but she's never worked together with a guy she's attracted to before to prepare a meal and set the table, the same way she sees couples on TV do, or the way Jackson and Sterling do, and the seemingly simple moment somehow makes her even more attracted to him, to the point she's biting her bottom lip and squirming, forcing herself to look away from him as he meets her eyes.

()()()

Not long after the table is completely set and all of the food is done, Genny and Rob join Tim and Lucy and the four gather around the kitchen table, with Tim on one end, Lucy on the other, and Genny and Rob sitting beside each other.

"I'm normally really picky, but this is very good," Genny compliments. "You definitely got mom's skills in the kitchen."

Lucy watches as Tim's chewing slows and his jaw sets at his sister's compliment, but he composes himself quickly and insists, "I just watch a lot of Top Chef. That's where this came from."

"What'd you say it's called again?" Rob wonders aloud as he sloppily scarfs down a noodle.

"Chicken and Shrimp Laska. It's noodles, lemongrass, pungent shrimp paste, and nutty peanuts, mixed with coconut milk, topped with poached shrimp and chicken, peppercorn, cilantro, and bean sprouts."

"It doesn't seem like something you'd normally try," Genny observes.

He shrugs a shoulder. "Lucy and I were watching Top Chef and she didn't think I could cook. She mentioned how amazing this dish looked that night and," he grins smugly at Lucy, "I had to show her she was wrong. Like always."

"I mean, you're no Chef Ramsey, but it's not half bad," Lucy playfully teases.

Genny grabs a napkin and dabs sauce from her lip, then takes a sip of the Chardonnay Lucy poured for them, glancing between Lucy and Tim, then quickly changing the subject to how stressed she is over her own senior capstone and how she can't believe they only have two weeks left to turn them in.

"I know," Lucy groans. "I really wanna make mine stand out from everyone else's, but I can't get the approval I need to make that happen."

"What are you trying to do?" Tim asks.

"I'm researching how a person's environment affects their personality and behavior. I really wanted to do a ride along and interview suspects at the North Hollywood Division where Jackson's dad works in I.A. and I thought Commander West would be my in, but the Watch Commander there is a real asshole according to Jackson and he won't give me the green light. I just thought It would be neat to have some first hand accounts from people who've found themselves in these illegal situations and see how much of their behavior was determined by experiences in their childhood and the environment they were raised in."

Genny looks expectantly at Tim and catches his eyes, earning a glare from him and an adamant, "No way."

"What?" Lucy ponders.

No," Tim sternly insists, holding his heated gaze on his sister, but his demands go ignored.

"Well, I happen to know for a fact that Tim's Watch Commander is absolutely not an asshole. In fact, he's let me do a ride-along with Tim before. Plus, the man loves my brother and I'm pretty sure he owes him a few favors for the sheer amount of overtime Tim has worked for fun over the six years he's been at Mid-Wilshire."

"Oh my God!" Lucy claps her hands in delight. "You could do that? You could take me on a ride-along and help me get the data and info I need for my project?"

A low, guttural growl escapes Tim's throat. "I could," he slowly affirms,"but I don't want to."

She extends her hands out of sheer instinct, reaching for Tim's arms, but she pulls back for two reasons. One, she can't reach him from across the table. And two, she's decided the less physical contact they share the better in effort to try and reduce the sexual tension between them. Instead, she pulls her hands to her and clasps them together, begging, "Please, Tim. Pretty please?"

"It's just not a good idea," he hastens.

"Come one," she whines, "I let you move in here without complaint, you owe me."

He stares at her in disbelief, calling her bluff.

"Okay," she admits, "I complained a little, but I caved and got on board because Genny is my friend and that's what friend's do, they help each other out. And now, you're my friend, too, and you can help me out."

He sighs heavily and folds his arms across his chest, leaning back in his chair as he studies her. After a long beat, he huffs, "Fine, I'll ask Sargent Grey." As she claps in victory and high fives Genny, Tim snarls, "But you have to listen to me when we're out there. Okay? You can't be hard headed and try to do your own thing. My job is dangerous and if you don't pay attention and you can't follow orders, it gets you killed."

She nods eagerly, grinning from ear to ear, and agrees with a frisky, "yes sir!"

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

As Tim gets ready for work Friday morning, he finds himself dreading the day ahead of him. Why did Genny have to volunteer him to take Lucy on a ride along? Why the hell didn't he have a stronger resolve and put his foot down and shut it down?

It's not that he hated the idea of spending the day with her. He didn't, at all. Not now, anyway, since he'd started to get to know her. She was funny, smart, easy to talk to, and beautiful. Beautiful-well that was the damn problem.

He was trying like hell to avoid thoughts like that about her, but he couldn't help it. They kept creeping in, no matter how much he tried to remind himself she was just a roommate. Just his sister's friend. Just his friend. And that would work for a while. Until she wrinkled her nose, or the corner of lip twitched, or until she gaves him puppy dog eyes and let out that playful whine of hers which he once found insanely annoying but now he finds strangely adorable.

Thoughts like that, well, they're enough of a problem on a day to day basis as it is. But they're an even bigger problem for him while he's at work because they cause a distraction for him. And he can't afford to be distracted at work. It puts himself at risk not being on top of his game, and more importantly, it would put Lucy at risk.

Lucy has absolutely no idea how harsh the streets of L.A. can be. She hasn't been exposed to the horrors of humanity in the same way he has, and she's always spouting off optimism, and positivity and sunshine and rainbows and all that shit. A part of him is terrified to ride around with her all day and expose her to the darker side of the world that she is totally unprepared for and could result in making a grave mistake. At least when he took Genny on the ride along she knew the dangers that people could pose, the evil that lurked behind some men and women.

It doesn't help that he knows how bull-headed and stubborn Lucy is when gets it in her head to do something and he's worried she'll act irrationally and get herself hurt, or worse.

He should lie. Tell Lucy that Grey changed his mind and decided it wasn't a good idea or that something urgent came up. But in the end, he doesn't. He figures they'd call his bluff or that Lucy or Genny might call the station and ask to speak to Grey themselves and call his bluff.

So instead, he resolves himself to do whatever it takes today to keep her safe, even if it means he has to be an asshole to accomplish it.

()()()()()

"I'm so excited," Lucy says on the way to the station, her eyes shining and her body practically bouncing in the front seat of Tim's truck.

He glances over at her and for a moment, he can't help but think of how cute she looks, but then he berates himself for the thought and rolls his eyes and his voice grows gruff and stern. "This isn't a day from one of those stupid reality cop shows you watch. Okay, this is real life, and it's dangerous. One wrong move, BAM! You're dead. I need you to take this seriously."

She straightens and swallows, then nods as she begins twiddling her thumbs and casting her eyes to her lap and the two remain silent the rest of the way to the station.

After they pull into the station, Tim parks and he leads the way into the building, holding the door for Lucy as they enter. He watches her eyes grow wide as she takes in her bustling surroundings.

He taps her lower back and nods over his shoulder, directing her to follow him and then pointing to a bench and instructing her to sit and not speak to anyone as he slips off to change into his uniform. He doesn't really care if she talks to anyone really, well, except Angela that is. He absolutely does not want Angela to meet Lucy because he knows she'll relentlessly tease him about her and he'd be mortified if that teasing occurred in front of Lucy.

()()()

Lucy does as Tim says and remains on the bench, swaying her legs back and forth as she waits for him to return. She can't help but feel a bit in awe of the station. She'd never been inside before and had no idea how large or busy it would be. People constantly strutting about, chattering loudly.

"Excuse me," an unfamiliar voice greets her, extending his hand.

She looks up and sees a man who appears to be about 15 years older than her. He's a white man with neatly cut brown hair and a few crows feet around his friendly blue eyes and he has laugh lines on his face. He isn't dressed in uniform, and he doesn't have the stern,
surly look she's seen most of the officers scattering about wearing.

She purses her lips remembering Tim told her not to speak to anyone, but then she rolls her eyes, telling herself it would be ridiculous to ignore someone speaking to her and she offers a pleasant smile and says, "hello," and returns his hand-shake.

"I'm John Nolan," he introduces himself. "Are you a new boot here?"

Her brows furrow. "Um, a-a what?

"A rookie," Tim clarifies as he struts up beside them, now fully clad in his uniform. His hands land on his duty belt and he sizes up the man speaking to Lucy. "Who are you?" He demands.

The slightly older man extends his hand to Tim and says, "I'm Jo-"

"I heard your name," Tim interrupts curtly. "Who are you? What's your business here?"
John's friendly smile falters and he carefully draws his hand back, getting the message Tim isn't going to shake it. He straightens his face and his shoulders. "I'm Officer John Nolan, reporting for duty, sir. I'm the LAPD's newest rookie."

Tim snorts, an amused grin lining his lips. "You're Nyla's new boot?"

"Yes, sir," John proudly replies.

"Well, you better get ready for roll call then, Officer Nolan, because you've only got about five minutes."

John frantically glances at his watch. "Thank you, thank you!" He mutters in a panic. "I um, where's.."

"Locker rooms are that way," Tim points over his shoulder and as Nolan rushes off Tim calls out, "By the way boot, it's tradition to present yourself to the captain on your first day. She's upstairs, third office on the left. You better hurry."

Tim's grinning proudly to himself and Lucy casts a disapproving look at him, knowing by the tone of his voice that he just set that poor man up to make a fool of himself on his first day.

"What," he groans. "It's just a little friendly hazing, and that really is a tradition."

She shakes her head, but chuckles lightly. "At least now I know you're an asshole to everyone you first meet and it wasn't just me"

Eh," he tilts his head, "it was a little bit about you."

"Shut up," she slaps his side with the back of her hand.

He almost grins, but reminds himself now isn't the time to play and he places a hand on the small of her back and ushers her forward, leaning his head next to her ear as he says, "Come on boot, we've gotta get to roll call."

"I"m not a rookie," she protests.

"I'm going to treat you like one today. It's for your own good."

()()()()()

"Sargent Grey really doesn't like that Nolan guy," Lucy comments as she and Tim are leaving the station in his shop.

"Why should he," Tim huffs. "He's a poster boy for a walking mid-life crisis, That's not what the L.A.P.D. needs."

"He decided to change his career trajectory later in life, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I mean, we don't know what made him decide to make this change. Maybe he didn't have a choice about what he was going to do when he was younger and this is the path he was already going to take."

Tim stares ahead at the road, but one hand briefly leaves the wheel as he says, "that's ridiculous. Why wouldn't he have a choice?"

Lucy shifts in her seat. "Pressure from other people. Feeling like you've got no say, no voice."

He briefly glances away from the road and at her, noticing how small her voice grew. "And is that what you're doing? Going into psychology because you feel like that's what your parents want you to do."

Her lips form into a stern line and she twiddles her thumbs. "No. Yes. Maybe."

He glances at the road again, then back to her and he waits expectantly for her to continue because it's Lucy and he knows she can't keep her mouth shut for long.

And she delivers on his expectation, "I mean, it's-there's never really been another option for me. From the moment I've been able to speak they've been preparing me for this job. Waiting for me to join them at the family practice. There was never a question about what I wanted to do, it's always just been 'this is what you're going to do.' I guess I never really took the time to think of what I might want for myself since it wasn't an option."

A part of Tim can't understand how Lucy can be so matter-of-fact, take no bull-shit with him but how she seems to become a shell of herself where her parents are concerned. She'd told him they were overbearing and had high expectations, but he hadn't realized the full extent of that until now. He can't picture Lucy bowing down to anyone from what he's seen from her, but a part of him does fully understand that parents can be an entirely different ballgame and that they can bring out the worst parts of you.

"If you could imagine yourself doing anything, anything at all," he poses to her, "What would it be?"

Lucy grows quiet and still, contemplating Tim's question thoughtfully. "I-to be honest, I don't know. I mean, when I was little I-" her monologue was interrupted by the sudden slam of brakes and screeching of tires. Her body flies forward forcefully, but the seat belt catches her and her heart hammers in her chest as Tim screams, "I've been shot, boot! Where are we?"

Frantically her eyes scan his body, her hands shaking as she searches for blood and a bullet wound, but all she sees is a wild-eyed Tim glaring at her and he mutters, "And now I'm dead," and her eyes flit desperately over her surroundings, searching for a gunman she's sure she didn't hear, and then back to Tim, who she's become certain is fine, if not a bit psychotic, and she shrieks, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he replies, casually driving away from their stopped position. "That was a test."

"A test?" she pants, her heart still thundering wildly. "

"I like to call it a Tim test, specifically, but yeah, a test. You like those. You're always studying for them."

"I am not your boot, or you're rookie, or-or whatever the hell else you call it. How can you possibly expect me to be prepared for something like that out here? I've had no training."

He holds a single finger up from the steering wheel and his voice softens. "Exactly. You're not prepared to be out here. It's dangerous. That's why I didn't want you to come. As a police officer, we have to be on constant alert. Any situation can change in the blink of an eye. Without warning, without hesitation, and we have to be ready even if we're feeling the most vulnerable at that moment."

She huffs, still trying to catch her breath and calm herself. "So, what, you were trying to distract me so you could scare the hell out of me and catch me off guard. You don't really care about what I'd want to do with my life if I ever felt like I had a choice?"

"No," he softens, "I do care. And I want you to think about it." He glances over at her and she's smiling softly at him. "But you can tell me after you figure out where we are. Now get out and walk."

That easy smile falters. "You can't be serious."

"I am," he nods. "And I believe you agreed you'd listen to me today. You even used the words, 'yes sir,' if I'm not mistaken."

"I don't like the work version of you," she hisses through gritted teeth as she tosses her seat-belt to the side and jumps out of the car.

"Good, that means I"m doing my job." As she slams the door in his face he smirks to himself and lets down the window so he can talk to her as he creeps along beside her while she figures out exactly where they are.

()()()

Once she's identified their location, Tim stops the car and reaches over to open the door for her. She gets in and gathers her notepad and pen from the floorboard, which had flown out of her hands when he slammed on breaks, but she notices an unfamiliar book down there as well, and picks it up.

"Field Training Officer Training Manual," she reads aloud. "What's this?"

Tim reaches over and snatches the book from her, shoving it into his center console. "It's nothing?"

"Is that what the woman who the John guy is riding with does? Are you trying to become a training officer?"

"I said it's nothing," he growls.

"Okay," she holds up her hands in surrender. "All I'm saying is, if you need a study buddy, I'd be happy to help."

"We're not talking about me. We're talking about you. So tell me, what would you wanna do with your life? What do you really want?"

"I-," she shakes her head sadly, "I really don't know. I mean, I'd know I'd wanna help people. And I can do that as a therapist, I guess. So it isn't like it's something I'd hate to do. It's just not…" She trails off. "How about you? How'd you know you wanted to be a cop?"

"I didn't," he admits. "At least, not initially. I joined the military right after high school because I couldn't wait to get out of my house. If I'd had a choice at eighteen, I'd have gone off to college to play football or baseball, but I'm not like Genny, that school crap wasn't ever easy for me. I'm better at hands on. Anyway, I figured the military was as hands on as it gets, and they give you a good signing bonus, and I could marry Isobel and start my life with her by doing it, so I signed up because it made sense. And I loved it, I really did. The brotherhood, the unity, feeling like I was a part of something larger than myself and knowing I was good at it. But, long deployments are hard when you're young and newly married. So I finished out my contract and I decided I wanted to come home and be with my wife. She'd finished up a criminal justice degree and decided she was going to the police academy and I figured it was the closest thing I'd get to the military as a civilian. Turns out I was right and I haven't looked back since."

"But you're happy in your job, right?"

"Yeah, it's the best decision I ever made. I get to stay active and be physical all day. I get to help people. You know, protect them, keep them safe. And I get to look like a complete badass while doing it. It's a win win."

Lucy rolls her eyes at his cockiness, and then a call comes in over the radio that leaves Tim turning on his sirens and speeding off. She clutches her notepad to her chest and a thrill shoots down her spine as she ponders what they may encounter.

()()()()()

After weaving through mid-morning traffic, the duo arrive at a local convenience store, where, before turning off the shop, Tim instructs Lucy to remain vigilant and to stay behind him at all times and to not open her mouth until they're back in the shop.

"It should be a simple call," he continues, pointing to the older white man in front of the store who is wearing a beanie and baggy clothes, "he's probably just a low level dealer trying to make a few bucks."

The two exit the shop and Tim walks in front of Lucy, his hands resting on his hips as he approaches the man.

"Morning Officer," the beanie guy says, his eyes peering behind Tim and sweeping over Lucy. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Maybe not for you," Tim replies cooly. "We got a call from the store owner, he said you've been hanging around out front for a few hours. Chatting it up with his customers."

"I just went out for a walk and stopped to take a break," he responds with a toothless grin.

"Mhm. And uh, all the conversations with the patrons?"

"Just being friendly is all. That's not a crime, is it?"

"It's not," Tim agrees, "but loitering is. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, sir."

"Ask or make me?" The older man challenges, his friendly demeanor fading as he takes a step forward.

Tim's stance grows defensive and he prepares himself for an altercation, until he hears an unsettlingly familiar voice in the background telling someone to, "have a nice day," and he instinctively turns around and his jaw and his heart drop, as he mouths in disbelief, "Isabel.'

"Tim," Isabel breathes out, clearly just as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" He asks. He was under the impression she'd moved to Seattle to live with her sister.

"I uh," she frowns and her hands fold over her slight protruding stomach. "I had a doctor's appointment."
His eyes follow the movement of her hands and he clenches his fists until his knuckles turn white and he hisses through his teeth, "You're-you're pregnant?" He's so distracted that he doesn't even hear or notice the beanie-clad man running off and forgetting Lucy is beside him.

"Yeah," she sighs, her eyes flicking to the ground.

"And you just, you weren't gonna tell me? Ever?"

"Tim, you know it's not yo…"

"I know,' he grimaces, "I know that! He sucks in a deep breath. "Who.."

She shakes her head somberly and shamefully mutters, "You already know."

"You gotta be kidding me!" He shouts. "I thought you were clean. I drained our entire savings to get you clean!"

"I am! I am clean!" she shouts, frantically looking around them. She steps forward and reaches out to grab his hand, but he snatches his arm back at the contact, as if her hand was a hot stove that seered him. "Can we please go somewhere to talk about this? Not here."

Suddenly, he remembers Lucy, who he sees is awkwardly trying not to pay attention to them. "Go inside," he tells her firmly. I'll call you in a minute when you can come out." She shoots him a concerned look, as if she doesn't want to leave him, but he nods to the door and she relents and walks in, a bell clanging loudly behind her as she enters the store, then he points to the shop and instructs Isabel to get inside so they can talk privately.

()()()()()

Lucy aimlessly wanders around the store, picking up different snacks and drinks and reading the information labels, partially from boredom and partially from nervous energy as she worries about Tim. It feels like an eternity has passed and she begins to worry he's grown so distracted he left her.

That is, until she hears the erratic beeping of a car horn being pounded in the parking lot and she rushes outside to investigate.

She finds she's right, and the noise is coming from Tim's shop, where she can see through the window that he's repeatedly punching the steering wheel. Though his outrage slightly scares her, she snatches the door open and jumps in the passenger seat, asking, "Are you okay? Are you alright?"

His balled fist pauses in the air at the sound of her voice, and his entire body is shaking as he bites his lip and shakes his head.
Lucy notices blood pooling around his knuckles and she reaches over and grabs his uninjured hand, holding it tightly in hers, deciding that Tim needed some sort of action right now, not words. She half assumed he'd pull away from her, that he'd yell and scream and tell her to get out, but he doesn't. He links his fingers through hers like he's drowning and they're his life-line, her tiny hand full encapsulated by his.

She stays like that for as long as he needs, even if he's squeezing her hand so hard that her fingers are growing numb. But eventually, he releases his grip and clears his throat, both of his hands falling on the steering wheel as he steadies his breathing.

"I won't tell anyone," she promises him, knowing this moment is not one he'd like to remember.

"You're damn right you won't," he mumbles as he starts the car and the two ride in silence for the next 15 minutes.

()()()()

He's surprised when Lucy doesn't press him about his private talk with Isabel. He waits and waits, fully expecting her to pry or tell him he needs to open up, but she doesn't. She only casts worried glances his way every few minutes, ones he can feel without seeing and they burn into his skin until he finally rattles off what's on his mind.

"She's pregnant," he announces, as if Lucy hadn't deduced that much from their conversation in the parking lot. "Pregnant by the piece of shit low life that she left me for that got her hooked on heroin and used to beat her. Can you believe that?"

Lucy doesn't respond, because for once, she doesn't know what to say.

"She's been pregnant since she overdosed and got taken to the hospital where she begged me to help her get clean when they called me as her emergency contact. She knew then, it's why she decided to get clean. How could she not tell me?"

His hand slams against the steering wheel again, but he misses the horn this time and he quietly mumbles, "How could she not wanna get clean for me? Why wasn't I enough"

Lucy reaches over and places a hand on his leg, no touching rule be damned, because he needs comfort right now.

He goes on to tell Lucy how Isabel's biological father was an addict that chose drugs over her and was in and out of her life, which is what led her to want to be a police officer and to pursue the narcotics division to begin with. He tells her how Isabel told him today that she couldn't be like her father, that she couldn't choose drugs over her child and that she hadn't wanted to hurt Tim any more than she already had by telling him she was pregnant with another man's child. The man he deemed responsible for the end of his marriage, no less.
She promised him she wasn't seeing the guy now and that he wasn't going to be in her child's life, but that she wanted this baby and it gave her a purpose, a reason to stay clean. She thanked him for helping her get clean. Thanked him for all he'd sacrificed for her, and apologized for all the pain she'd caused.

But her apologies didn't diminish the pain he was feeling. It didn't erase what she'd told him the day she'd served him divorce papers.

"How can I be a constant reminder of the mistakes she made, the lowest point in her life, but a child that resulted from that lowest point in her life isn't a reminder of that?" he wonders aloud, his voice cracking.

This time, Lucy does speak. "Maybe it's because she feels so much guilt from what she put you through that she can't stand to face you every day knowing she let you down and hurt you so much. This baby, it won't know any of that. It won't be born knowing it's mother was addicted to heroin, knowing it's mother cheated on her first husband, or lost her job, practically ruined her life. It won't know any of that, it'll just know that it's mother loves it and has been putting it first since the day it was born. Maybe that's what she needs to move on. To be surrounded by people who don't know her past so she can move on and make a new future."

He stares at her through narrowed eyes and she can feel his body stiffen below the palm of her hand on his thigh, and she hastens, "I'm not defending her. I'm just trying to offer some perspective. I agree she should've told you and that you didn't deserve to find out this way."

Before Tim can respond, another call comes over the radio, a more serious one this time and once again the sirens wail and they speed off.

()()()()()

This time, it isn't a simple stop, and Tim sternly orders Lucy to stay in the shop with her head down as he draws his gun and hides as much of his body as he can behind the door of his car as he tries to talk an armed suspect down, who has two accomplices, one in the car with him, one who has already fled on foot. But the suspect can't be reasoned with and he draws fire on Tim, who shoots back while mumbling for Lucy to stay down and not get up for any reason.

Before backup can arrive, Tim is struck in the abdomen with a bullet, gasping and grabbing his side as he falls to the ground and blood pools around him. Bullets are still flying at him as he is sprawled on the ground, and he winces in pain as he tries to scoot back behind the car for better cover and his entire body tenses when he feels a pair of familiar arms wrap around his shoulders, dragging him backwards.

"What the hell are you doing?" He barks at Lucy as she hunches lower to dodge stray bullets.

"Saving your life," she huffs as she drags his heavy body fully behind the car.
"I told you to stay in the car no matter what," he groans

"Yeah, well, if I let you die Genny would probably think I did it on purpose and never forgive me," she tries to playfully quip, though her entire body is shaking and covered in goosebumps as they hunker down. She sees blood spilling from behind Tim's hand that he's using to cover his wound with and she whips her shirt off and rips it in two, helping him tie it around his waist to apply pressure. He howls in pain and she winces along with him. When he tries to grab his radio and call for help she places her hand over his and tells him, "I already called over your car radio to let them know an officer was down. That little lesson you gave me earlier came in handy and I was able to give them our exact location."

Notes:

This was another long one. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Also, please know I don't hate Isobel, but I do recognize she hurt Tim a lot and some things need to be a catalyst in this story.

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Lucy's pacing anxiously in the waiting room of the hospital as she waits for an update about Tim. She twists her hands together, her eyes fall to the hem of her tank top, the one she was wearing underneath the shirt she'd torn off to tie around Tim to try and help stop the bleeding after he was shot, and she lingers on the scatter of splattered blood droplets that are on the once white fabric. Her eyes water and she feels a lump in the back of the throat threatening to form from the intense worry she's overcome with.

But before she's overtaken by her own emotions, Genny bursts through the doors of the emergency room, her eyes flooded with her tears and her voice cracking as she races to Lucy and envelops her into a bear hug.

Genny sobs into Lucy's shoulder as she holds onto her friend for dear life, then she releases her suddenly, her hands and eyes searching desperately as she asks, "Are you okay? You weren't hurt, either, were you?"

Lucy shakes her head and grabs Genny by the shoulders when the redhead spots the fresh blood and her eyes threaten to pop out of her head. "I'm okay," she assures her, "I'm okay. The blood's not mine," the latter words come out more strangled than Lucy intended and this sends Genny into another spiral of sobs.

"How is he? Is he okay? Is my brother okay?"

"I don't know," Lucy replies somberly. "No one will give me any real information because I'm not a family member. They let me ride in the ambulance on the way over and he was stable when they wheeled him back, but that's all I know. I'm sorry, Gen. I'm so sorry."

"No," don't be sorry," Genny responds between tears, taking Lucy's hand and squeezing it. "I'm so glad you were with him. Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't pulled him to safety."

Lucy smiles weakly at her friend, then looks up when she hears a woman frantically call out, "Genny!" and rush into the hospital with Sergent Grey on her heels."

The hispanic woman, who is dressed in civilian clothes, puts a hand on Genny's shoulder. Lucy notices her eyes are puffy, as if she'd' been crying, though she is stone-faced and definitely trying not to let her emotions show.

"How's Tim?" she asks.

"I don't know, Angela," her voice quivers, "I just got here and they wouldn't tell Lucy anything."

Lucy doesn't miss the way this Angela woman looks her up and down and she shifts on the balls of her feet from the woman's scrutinizing gaze and the change in her voice as she goes, "You're Lucy? The Lucy?"
Lucy presses her lips together, unsure of what that means exactly, and gives a small nod. "If by that Lucy, you mean Genny's best friend and Tim's roommate, then yeah. That's me."

Angela looks at Sergeant Grey with an arched brow.

"Ms. Chen was on a ride-along with Officer Bradford today," the older man explains, "she's doing research for a class of hers.

Angela's gaze is no less perplexed by his response, but she doesn't continue to prod and grabs Genny by the arm and says, "Come on, let's go find someone who can give us an update on Tim."

As the two women walk towards the front desk, Sergeant Grey's attention falls to Lucy and his voice is commanding when he says, "Ms. Chen,"

She throws up both hands, as if she's being scolded and apologies, "I know. I know I shouldn't have gotten out of the car and I'm probably not supposed to touch police equipment and I'm sure it was a huge liability to your department and it was stupid. I just–I saw Tim go down and I didn't think, I just reacted. Please don't arrest me or…"

Sergeant Grey cuts her off and places a hand on her forearm. "That's not at all what I was going to say."

"It-it wasn't?"

He shakes his head and offers a slight smile. "Not at all. In fact, I was going to thank you. You put your own life on the line to help one of my best officers. That showed a hell of a lot of bravery and a level of fortitude you don't see in just anyone."

Lucy blinks, stunned by his reaction.

"In fact," he continues, "I'd love to shake your hand for it."

She obliges him with a handshake, still stunned by his words. And even more floored when he adds, "Have you ever considered being a cop?"

She almost snorts out loud at the mere suggestion, knowing somewhere her mother's eyes are probably rolling into the back of her head at the thought of her child being a cop. "No sir, I can't say that I have."

"That's a shame," he replies as he drops her hand. "Our department could use someone like you." He reaches into his back pocket and retrieves his wallet, where he pulls out a card and hands it to Lucy, telling her, "If you ever consider it, give me a call."

Again, all she can do is blink as she takes the card and slips it into her pocket and as she looks up again, she sees Genny and that Angela woman coming towards them, and her chest feels heavy as she waits with bated breath to hear the news about Tim's condition.

"He's going to be okay," Genny says with a relieved smile as she takes both Lucy's hands in hers. "Doctor's have him in surgery now, but no major organs were hit. Tim's gonna be fine."

Lucy lets out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and she can feel the weight lift from her body as she and her best friend share a relieved embrace and she tearfully utters, "Thank God. I was so worried about him."

()()()()

The four remain in the waiting room while Tim is out for surgery and are eventually joined by Nyla and her new rookie, John. Nyla informs them that the suspects were all apprehended and that John actually had to shoot one in the leg to stop him from harming an innocent woman he took hostage.

Eventually, a doctor comes out and lets them know Tim's surgery was successful and that he's waking up and allowed to have two visitors at a time. Genny and Sergeant Grey go back first, and when they return Genny leaves long enough to grab an overnight bag so Tim won't be alone tonight. Sergeant Grey leaves as well, because he has to get back to the station. Angela and Nyla then go back to visit with Tim, and Lucy waits with the new rookie, allowing all of those she feels are much closer to Tim than she is an opportunity to check in on him.

"What a day," John comments after several moments of silence between them.

"Yeah," Lucy agrees. "I bet you weren't expecting a shootout on your first official day as a cop."

"Not at all," he agrees with an easy chuckle. "But, in my thirty-seven years of life I've come to learn that you can always expect the unexpected. I certainly wasn't expecting that stick my girlfriend was holding when we were seventeen to have two pink lines on it. I wasn't expecting to work at my Uncle's steel factory for eighteen years after that instead of studying pre-law at college. Nor was I expecting my marriage to end as soon as my son graduated high school. Or to be in the local bank while it was being robbed 9 months ago, which ultimately led to me moving to L.A. and becoming a cop in the first place. So, in a way, I guess I should have expected it."

John must've noticed the strange look on Lucy's face, because he immediately begins to apologize and explains, "I'm kind of a talker."

"It's okay. I'm a bit of a talker, too. Under normal circumstances."

"Well, I hope my story helped distract you a bit. I'm sure you're really worried about your friend. I can tell you're really close."

She purses her lips together and twiddles her thumbs, playing with that statement in her head. It was a strange thing, to consider herself close with Tim. And a month ago she'd have laughed in anyone's face for suggesting such a thing, but this Nolan guy was right, she and Tim were close. The thought that she could have lost him today left knots in her stomach and to be honest, she couldn't imagine not coming home and talking to him in the evenings. Not arguing with him over little things. Not competing with him to see who could pull the best prank. And she had no idea someone could mean so much to her so fast.

She's so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't notice Angela and Nyla coming back into the waiting room until she hears Angela tell her, "We're about to leave. You should go back there with Tim."

Lucy leans forward, fighting the desperate urge to jump from her seat and rush off to his room and instead trying to play it cool, she asks. "Is he up for more company right now?"

"It's Tim," Angela snorts, "he's never up for company. But I'm sure it'd do him good to see you. So go on back."

()()()()()

Lucy sucks in a deep breath before she opens the door to Tim's hospital room. She wants to make sure she's composed before she sees him, but the thought of seeing him laying in bed and hooked to IV bags and monitors make her stomach churn and when she does open the door she has to stop herself from rushing to his bedside and throwing her arms around him, because she doesn't think he'd appreciate that, and she also doesn't think it's appropriate it.

"Hey." She greets him with a smile she forces on her face that is meant to cover her troubled features. And she's surprised when she doesn't get a response in return, or even an acknowledgement of her presence. Tim is simply sitting up in bed, arms folded across his chest, as he stares up at the Television.

"Are you okay?" She asks, the forced smile fading and the worry creeping back in. There's still no response. "Are you in pain? Should I get a nurse?" Again no response. And she can tell by his steely blue eyes and turned down lips that he's angry about something, not in pain.

She assumes that maybe he's upset about Isabel and finding out she's pregnant earlier, after all, this hasn't been the best day for him, so she tries to elicit a smile from him as she lightly jokes, "What? Did I save your life wrong or something?"

His head snaps in her direction, and his silent resolve ends as he barks at her, "I told you to stay in the car. What the hell were you thinking?"
She absolutely was not expecting to be snapped at like this and takes a physical step back. "I- what?"

"How could you have done something so careless? " He continues his rampage.

"Careless," she growls back, feeling attacked. "Seriously Tim? I risked my life to protect you and this is the thanks I get?"

"It's not your job to protect me!" He bites back. "I didn't need you to protect me. I needed you to stay in the damn care so nothing happened to you instead of being stupid and jumping out in front of flying bullets."

His words sting. Maybe they sting so much because they remind her so much of words her parents have said to her. Or maybe they sting so much because all she's thought about since he got taken to the hospital was seeing him again. Of knowing he was okay. Of being there for him. And not once did she picture him yelling at her or being angry with her once she saw him again.

She throws up her hands and spins around. "Nothing happened to me. I'm fine. You, on the other hand, were not. You got shot, Tim! And you know what? I heard you scream in pain and saw you hit the ground and it scared the hell out of me and I didn't think about the danger. I didn't think about anything. I couldn't think right then because all I cared about was the fact that you were hurt and needed help and I was going to do whatever it took to get you that help. So if you wanna be mad about that, you just be mad then. Because if I could go back, I'd still make the same damn decision. And if you think that makes me stupid, then so be it. But right now, the only thing I feel stupid for is giving a damn."

She shakes her head sadly, then she turns to walk away with tears in her eyes, and as her hand lands on the door to his room to pull it open, Tim's voice cracks and he begs her, "Please don't go. I'm sorry."

Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Notes:

Thanks so much to all reading and double thanks to those taking time to leave kudos and comment. Y'all are the best!
I apologize for taking so long to update, I'm on vacation and sunshine is taking priority. However, it's rainy today so my loss is your gain. I hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter Text

Tim had never been the type of person to beg and grovel, but as Lucy's hand fell on the door and she turned to leave, he was willing to do just that to get her to stay. He wanted her with him. He needed her with him. Today was one of the top five worst days of his life, and he couldn't handle ruining his friendship with Lucy on top of it.

So when she turns to look at him, her hand still on the door as if she's ready to go if he doesn't say just the right thing, he only has one chance to make things right and he doesn't waste it.

"I know I was being a dick," he explains regretfully. "But I wasn't trying to be, okay? I just–thinking about what could've happened to you when you jumped out of the car to grab me, it…"

He pauses before he allows himself to use the word that came to mind, which was terrified. It absolutely terrified him thinking she could've been hurt or killed trying to save him. And it's in that moment that he realizes just how important she's become to him. How devastated he'd be if she was no longer in his life and that realization in itself is also terrifying. And he isn't sure he's ready to acknowledge how much she's come to mean to him in such a short amount of time, to herself or to himself.

"It scared the hell out of me," he settles on, telling himself that it somehow carries less weight than the word terrified, "and I know it's not an excuse to be a dick, but that's what happens when I'm worried or upset about something. It just comes out and I don't mean for it to. But you deserve better than that from me." He pauses and pulls in a deep breath, not sure he's ready to verbalize the next part, but ultimately deciding it's true and she should hear it and he offers her a slight smile as he tells her. "You make me wanna be a better person than that."

And she does. She absolutely does make him want to be better. She's so positive, genuine, and kind and even though those qualities irritated the hell out of him when he first met her because the world has jaded him over time and he thought it was a waste of time to have such a mindset and outlook, she's reminding him of the good still in the world. Of the beauty in those qualities.

Lucy lets go of the door and her body turns to completely face him, but her face is still contorted and her arms fold over her chest, but her voice is softer as she meets his eyes and says, "I get it. I do. Processing your emotions is hard for you and you've been through a lot the last few months, hell the last few hours, but I can't be anyone's emotional punching bag, even if it came from a place of caring, because I get enough of that from my parents and it just takes me back to a really bad place."

"I know," his voice is low and sad and his eyes full of remorse and he feels even guiltier for how he acted. "And again, I'm sorry. I'd take it back if I could. I'm a little fucked up." He shakes his head. "A lot fucked up if I'm being honest. Please don't give up on me. Please don't leave. "

Her arms fall from her chest and she strides over and takes the seat beside his bed and places a hand over his forearm and gives it a squeeze as she tells him, "I'm not going anywhere." When his heavy eyes brighten at her assurance she playfully adds, "I mean, I've got far too much work to do to make you better to back out now."

He groans and throws his head back on his pillow. "You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

"Not a chance," she replies, giving his arm one more squeeze before pulling her hand away. "But don't worry, I'll let it be our little secret."

He can feel a small amount of the crushing weight he's been feeling since he woke up from surgery being lifted from him now that she's here next to him. She grounds him in a way no one else has ever been able to do and just being around her brings him a sense of peace and calm he didn't know another person could give.

"Thank you," he tells her softly.

"You're welcome," she replies. "Having secrets with you is kinda fun."

"Not just for that. For everything. For staying even after I acted the way I did. For listening before, you know, after everything with Isabel. For pulling me behind the car. All of it. Just–thank you."

Lucy nods and there's something on her face he can't quite read as she meets his eyes.

"You did good, you know," he continues, and when she arches a brow, he clarifies, "the way you reacted when I was shot. Calling for help. Getting to me as quickly and efficiently as you did, applying pressure to my wound. Hell, you responded with more mental aptitude and clarity than a lot of rookies I've known of. "

This time, he can read the look she's wearing. She's smiling and her eyes are dancing and there's a sense of surprised pride on her face and damn if she isn't beautiful while she's staring back at him like that.

"You sure you're not just trying to get back on my good side with all these compliments? She quips.

He shakes his head. "I mean it, Lucy. You did good."

"And it's not just the pain meds?"

He rolls his and he snorts but then he grabs his side and winces, because the movement in his belly made his freshly stitched wound hurt. "Definitely not the pain meds," he mutters as he clutches his side.

"Sorry," Lucy grimaces, touching his arm instinctively as she sees him in pain. "I ah, I guess you aren't the only one who thinks that, though."

His brows arch, and she reaches into her pocket to retrieve the card Sergeant Grey gave her and explains their conversation in the waiting room. "Can you believe that?" She snorts. "That he thinks I'd make a good cop? That's ridiculous, isn't it?"

Tim presses his lips together and mulls the thought over in his head, and maybe he's silent for too long, because eventually she goes, "What?" And he shrugs and tells her, "If you asked me that when I first met you, I'd have probably laughed at the thought." He holds up a hand, "this isn't me being a dick again, okay? Just my perception, so don't get mad if I explain why."

"I won't," she responds carefully.

"I just–I would've thought you'd be too sensitive for it. But now, I don't know, now I think you've got the instincts for it. And hell, maybe all that empathy of yours could be used as an advantage."

She snorts and shakes her head. "My parents would absolutely die if I decided not to go to grad school and become a cop."

"Lucy," he says her name firmly, and her gaze meets his, and then his voice softens, "Your life isn't about what your parents want." She opens her mouth to protest, but he interjects, "I'm not telling you to be a cop. I'm just saying that whatever you want to do, it should be because you wanna do it. Not to please them. You deserve to make a life that's gonna make you happy, so don't ever let what they want for you interfere with that or even go into consideration when you're trying to decide."

She purses her lips and runs her hands up and down her thighs, then changes the subject. "Enough about me. How are you?"

"Doc says I'm gonna be just fine and I'll be back to work in no time. Nothing major was hit. There's still a few fragments in there they couldn't get, but he doesn't think they'll cause any problems."

"No, I know that. I'm not talking about just your gun shot wound, I mean, overall how are you? I know today was hard for you with Isabel and now all of this on top of it. Are you okay?"

His voice falters and his eyes flick to the unnaturally white bed sheets as he admits, "No, I'm not." His blue eyes raise and level with her brown ones as he confidently adds, "But, I will be." Because for the first time in a long time, despite everything that happened today, he actually is starting to feel like he will be okay again. That he's going to make it through all of this.

()()()

Comfortable silence settles between the duo and Tim began to play ESPN in the background. It wasn't long before Genny was walking through the door to his room apologizing for taking so long and rushing to Tim's side to ask how he was, to which he assured her nothing had changed since he'd been gone.

"Lucy," Genny tells her friend as she takes a seat beside her, "you can go home and get a shower and change if you want. I know you're probably ready to get out of those blood stained clothes."

The brunette's eyes dip down to her stained shirt and then back to Tim's, and she shakes her head. "Thanks, but uh, I think I'll hang around a little bit longer."

"I figured you'd say that," Genny chuckles, reaching for the overnight bag she'd brought with her and handing it to Lucy. "I brought shower stuff and a change of clothes for you, too." The redhead nods towards the bathroom in Tim's hospital room.

She takes the bag from Genny and thanks her, excusing herself and disappearing into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Once she's done with her shower and turns the water off, she can faintly hear the siblings arguing through the door, and though she doesn't intend to eavesdrop, she can't help but hear Tim huff, "I can't believe you called her."

"You're kidding, right? She has absolutely every right to know you were shot and are in the hospital."

"I'm telling you right now, Genny, she better not show up. I don't wanna see her."

"Tim," she tries to calmly reason.

"No, I mean it, Gen. I don't want her here. Do you understand?"

"Fine," she reluctantly relents, "I'll call her back and tell her not to come. But it's gonna hurt her."

"Yeah, well, she never seemed to care when I was hurting."

"That's not fair, she did all she could..."

"We're done talking about this."

Lucy waits a few beats before opening the door to rejoin the siblings, not wanting to give away that she just heard the tail end of their conversation that she assumes is about Isabel. When she does finally rejoin the Bradford's, she tries to lighten the now heavy mood by picking up a teen vogue magazine and quizzing them over their cat personalities, which earns her several sighs and groans.

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Notes:

Sorry for the delay in updates, but I'm home now and they should get more regular. Enjoy.

Chapter Text

Tim wakes up alone in the hospital the next morning. Genny spent the night with him, much to his protest, but she had to leave at 7 in the morning so she could get to class on time. Lucy stayed until the night shift nurse came by around 11 and informed them that only one person was allowed to stay overnight, and of course his sister was going to be the one to stay. That made the most sense after all, she was family.

But, Lucy was his first visitor of the day, swinging by the hospital on the way to her own morning class and bringing Tim his favorite breakfast. She even made sure to get there early enough so that she could eat and visit with him, promising she'd check back in on him after lunch, even though he tried to assure her she didn't need to and he'd be fine.

Though he would never admit it out loud, a part of him was appreciative of all the care and doting she was showing him. It felt nice to feel like he mattered to someone. That he had someone looking out for him and worried over him, someone that was willing to protect him.

And it wasn't just Lucy he knew he had in his corner, he appreciated the support his sister was giving him, and Sergeant Grey, who'd checked on him multiple times since yesterday. And Nyla, who'd called him before bed and first thing in the morning to make sure he was still alright.

And his best friend Angela, of course, who not only called him multiple times after she left yesterday, but showed up around 11 this morning unexpectedly and was currently sitting next to him and had commandeered the remote to his overhead television and was currently flipping through channels, muttering that she wanted to, "watch anything but sports."

He takes a sip of water from the white styrofoam cup the nurse brought him that was filled with ice-cold water and peers curiously as his friend, who hasn't said much since she came in this morning, but she's tapping away furiously at the buttons on the remote, her eyes leveled on the T.V. and her lips tucked downwards.

"So," he begins as he pulls his lips from around the straw and sets the cup on the wooden tray next to his bedside, "you gonna tell me why you're here in the middle of the day wearing your civilian clothes and looking like your dog just died, or are you gonna keep taking out all your frustration on that remote until you break it and they add it to my hospital bills?"

Angela sighs, her narrowed eyes moving from the television and onto her friend. She drops the remote and it plops on the cushion beside her. "You just got shot. I'm not dumping my problems on you right now, I'm here to keep you company and keep your mind off things."

"Please," he huffs, "it was only a flesh wound. I don't know why they insist on keeping me for 48 hours. I'd be good to go home now. "

"Yeah, no need to watch for infection or monitor for problems that might arise post-op. You're Super-Tim, nothing could hurt you."

"You're damn right," he agrees, and he smirks when she rolls her eyes at him. "Come on, Lopez, I'm fine. Now spill it, what's going on?"

She gnaws her lower lip and leans back, letting out a heavy breath and sliding her hands anxiously up and down her thighs as she stutters out, "I'm pregnant."

Tim gapes at her, unsure of exactly what to say because he definitely wasn't expecting that from his bingo card of what could've been wrong.

"I know," Angela laments, "I know, it's horrible. How could this have happened?"

"Well, if you and Wesley don't know how it happened, then I"m guessing that's why it happened."

"Shut up," she groans, though there's a laugh mixed in with it. "I just–we weren't planning it, you know? I'm on the pill."

He straightens himself in the bed and his voice grows soft and serious, as he tells her, "Look, Ang, I think it's great. I'm happy for you and Wesley."

"Wesley doesn't know," she admits quietly. "I haven't told him yet."

"Why not?"

"Because.." she hesitates, trying to gather her thoughts, "because we haven't even been together a year yet, we've only lived together a few months, we aren't engaged, it's just, we're not ready. I wanted to build a life before we built a family."

"Do you want kids?" He asks her bluntly.

"Yeah, eventually."

"Does Wesley want kids?"

"Are you kidding?" She chuckles. "He is an only child, he wants a whole house full of them."

"Then this is a good thing, it's something you both want. It's just happened a little earlier than you anticipated."

She shakes her head and her voice is unsteady. "I wanted him to have that choice when he was ready and not be forced into it with me, not like my dad was with my mom. You know how well that ended with them, he bailed before my youngest brother was out of diapers. I just, I can't do it Tim. I can't trap him and ruin his life, and then ruin my kid's life. I don't think I can have this baby."

"Look," Tim holds up a hand and sighs, "I'm about to tell you something, but you gotta promise me you didn't hear it from me and you've gotta pretend like you have no idea when the time comes, okay?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Wesley wants all that with you, okay? He wants to marry you. He's got a ring and everything."

She blinks several times, trying to process what she just heard. "How would you even know that? You and Wesley aren't even friends, you're more like friends in law. You only talk or hang out because of me and when I'm around."

"Most of that is true," Tim agrees, "but we have talked without you being around. He showed up at my house before I moved in with Lucy and Genny. He showed me the ring and everything and said he wanted my permission to marry you. He said since your dad isn't in the picture and since he knows you're closer with me than you are to any of your brothers, it only seemed right to ask me."

"No he did not!"

"He did," he nods his head.

"What did you say?"

"I told him you're a grown ass woman that can speak for herself and that he shouldn't waste his time asking me, he should man up and ask you himself."

"Tim!"

"What? It's true. Anyway, that's not the point, the point is, he wants all of that with you. Marriage, kids, the whole nine yards. So if that's what's holding you back, if being afraid of what might go wrong five or ten years from now is stopping you from being a mom right now, then it shouldn't, because Angela, you're gonna make a great mom and that kid is gonna be lucky as hell to have you."

She sniffles and wipes a tear from her eye, as she lets out a relieved laugh. "Wesley is really gonna propose to me?"

He nods.

"When?"

"Nu-uh," he shakes a finger at her. "I don't know that. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. I already told you way too much."

She purses her lips, smirking from ear to ear, as she tells him, "Thank you."

"Just telling you the truth. So, you gonna keep the baby?"

"I don't know," she admits, "I need to talk to Wesley, let him know I'm pregnant, see his reaction myself before I decide, but ah, I think there's a good chance I will."

He grins as he says, "I'm gonna be the best godfather."

"What makes you think you'll be godfather?"

"Come on?" He huffs, "Who else would you trust your kid with?"

She rolls her eyes, but she doesn't argue with him, she can't. She trusts Tim more than she trusts most of her family. Instead, she turns the tables on him. "So, are you gonna take your own advice?"

His brows knit together as he tries to rack his brain for what she means. "About what?"

"About being afraid of what could happen five to ten years from now and not taking a risk because of it."

"I'm not following."

"I'm talking about getting back out there, Tim. Dating again."

"That's totally different."

"How?"

"One," he holds up a finger, "I'm not afraid to date. That's ridiculous. I'm not afraid of anything. I just think it's a waste of time."

She hums at him.

"Second," he holds up another finger, "I've already given the whole marriage thing a shot. It didn't work for me. If things blow up with you and Wesley, I won't try and convince you to get back out there. I'll applaud your attempt at giving it your best shot and babysit your kid whenever you need to blow off steam with random hookups."

"I knew you were doing way too good at this whole making me feel better thing. There's the Tim I know and love."

He groans at her and his hands fall over his chest. "I'm just saying, it's a totally different situation."

She opens her mouth to argue, but remembers he did just get shot a day ago, so she lets it slide for now.

"I ah, I do have a favor I need you to ask Wesley, though. After you two get all the baby stuff sorted out."

"Of course. What is it?"

"I wanna get the divorce expedited, like you said he could."

Her eyes light up and the corner of her lip twitches. "Timothy, is this because of…"

He holds up a hand and cuts her off with a growl. "It's not because of Lucy, so don't start. Okay? It's just-I realized yesterday that I need to move on from my marriage, to really move on. Isabel and I both do, and the longer we're legally tied to each other, the longer it'll take for that to happen."

She studies her friend curiously, but doesn't press, knowing he'll explain further when he's ready. "You got it. I'll talk to Wesley and get him right on it."

"Good." He lets go of a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, then he swipes a hand through his short hair, and adds, "I ah, I kinda need another favor, too?"

She arches a brow at him.

"I need you to take Lucy on a ride along with you. She didn't get to finish the one she did with me because I got shot and all, so she doesn't have what she needs to finish her final project or whatever she's working on and by the time I get to go back to work her classes will be over with."

Angela winces and shakes her head. "Look, I um, I don't know if I'm comfortable with that."

"She'll be fine," he reasons. "She did good when she was with me."

"It's not that," she hastens, "it's just, I know how you are when someone means something to you, and don't argue with me and tell me she doesn't mean anything to you because we both know that's b.s. Whether or not you have feelings for her, you care about her and I don't feel like facing the wrath of Tim by taking her out on the streets with me if something goes wrong."

He swallows and nods his head. " You're right, I do care about her. She's a good friend to me and it means a lot to her to do well in school and she feels like making this project of hers stand out is a big deal, so I want her to be able to do that. I wouldn't ask you to take her with you if I didn't trust you to protect her. There's no one else I'd be comfortable asking."

"Fine," she caves. "But she's getting tactile gear and at least a day's worth of my personal training before we hit the streets."

()()()()

Within the next 24 hours, Tim is discharged from the hospital and allowed to go home, though he is instructed, per doctor's orders, to take the next two weeks off work to allow his body to heal, which he is none too thrilled about.

On the day of his discharge, not only does Genny show up to drive him home, there's also Lucy, Angela, and Nyla with her to see him out the door, to which the nurse tells him he's a lucky man to have so many beautiful women in his corner. That same nurse also forces him to be wheeled out, per hospital policy, in which the ladies in his life get a kick out of forcing many uncomfortable selfies on him before the leave, where Tim's stoic face is oddly contrasted with their smiling, upbeat ones.

Though there is one picture he saves to his phone when Genny sends him a bombardment of photos. It's one with Genny on his left with a toothy grin, Angela and Nyla behind him doing bunny ears, and Lucy on his right with her arms wrapped around his neck and her face pressed against his, her tongue sticking out behind closed, puckered lips as she throws up a peace sign with her left hand.

The women keep him company all day, having pizza and wings delivered to the house and indulging him by alternating between westerns and sports center throughout the day, to which he tries to tell them a million times he's fine and they can leave him be, but they refuse to listen.

The next day, the women's lives return to normal, Genny and Lucy going back to class and Nyla and Angela returning to work, and Tim is left alone at home to his own devices most of the day.

()()()()()

Lucy has found herself wondering about him more than she cares to admit during the day. Wondering if he's taking his meds like he's supposed to? Wondering if he's listening to the doctor and taking it easy, which she is almost certain he isn't because it's Tim. Wondering if he's feeling alone or sad with only himself and his thoughts, or if he's grateful for the silence since she knows he's had attention overload the past few days and may need time alone to process all that's happened.

She decides to skip out on volunteering at the tutoring center this afternoon, opting to grab takeout and check in on Tim instead, because she knows her mind won't be where it needs to be if she stays.

As she enters the door of their home that afternoon, with a white plastic bag of takeout in hand, she expects to find Tim in the living room, watching T.V., but he isn't anywhere to be seen, despite his truck being parked in the front yard.

"Tim?" She calls out, stepping towards the kitchen and her eyes scanning the house. No response, so she calls out again, and then she hears a muffled reply coming from his bedroom and she walks to the hallway, finding his door slightly ajar and through the crack, she can see him sitting upright in his bed, arms folded across his chest, lips pouting, his eyes fixated on the empty gray wall of his bedroom.

"Are you okay?" She asks, gently pushing the door open with the tip of her shoe.

"I'm bored out of my damn mind," he mumbles ruefully, his eyes nor body budging.

"Have you–have you just been in bed all day?"

This time, his head turns just enough so his eyes meet hers and he huffs, "Of course not. Didn't you notice everything I did to the yard and house?"

Her head slowly shakes no, because in all honesty, she hadn't paid attention to the yard as she came in, she'd been laser focused on getting inside to check on him.

"I mowed the yard, painted the fading railing on the front porch, fixed the shutters, stained the deck on the back porch, fixed the leaking faucet in Genny's bathroom, and all of that was done before lunch."

"Tim!" She scolds. "That is not taking it easy like the doctor said."

He waves a dismissive hand, insisting, "It's fine. It's not like I worked out or anything, even though I thought about it."

She shakes her head and holds up the bag of food she's carrying. "I picked up chinese. You want some?"

He shrugs his shoulders and mutters, "I guess, but I don't really feel like going to the kitchen so I'll just eat mine in here." He holds out a hand, expecting her to hand him the food and leave, and is completely taken aback when she shrugs a shoulder and tells him, "suit yourself," as she steps over and slides into the empty spot in his bed next to him and begins taking out the food.

"What are you doing?" He asks, his arms falling to his sides.
"I'm keeping you company."

He rolls his eyes. "You don't have to do that."

"I know," she smiles, "I want to." She hands him his plate and a bottle of water she pulled from the bag, then pulls out her own meal and water and begins telling him about her day as they eat, shoulder to shoulder, as they share their meals together.

"That was good, thank you." Tim tells her as he finishes his last bite.

"You're welcome," she replies, dabbing her lips delicately with a napkin. "Don't forget the best part." She hands him a fortune cookie from the bag.

He shakes his head and gently pushes her hand away. "No way, those things are gross. Not to mention ridiculous."

"Oh come on,' she pleads, "have a little fun. You don't have to eat it."

He huffs, but relents and takes the cookie from her.

She's grinning from ear to ear and she opens her own, reading her fortune aloud, "You will soon begin a new and exciting journey." She hums to herself and says, "Maybe I'll win a trip to Paris so I can finally put all that French I taught myself to use."

"Exactly how many languages do you speak?" He asks, already knowing she speaks Cantonese on top of English.

"Including the ones you know about? 5. I also speak Spanish and Tagalog. I learned Spanish at my high school and I took two more years of it in college, and then one of my cousins is part Filipino, so she taught me when we were kids."

"Show off," he mutters playfully. "I can only speak English and Spanish."

"Did your friend Angela teach you Spanish?"

"A little. But there's also this app on my phone I use when I work out to help me learn. I figured it would help me to know Spanish on the job."

She grins at him, impressed he took the initiative to do that and maybe they share a look for a little too long because Tim eventually clears his throat and looks away, the plastic crumpling beneath his fingers as he unwraps his own fortune. "What's it say?" Lucy asks him curiously as she watches him pull out his slip of paper.

He snorts as he reads, "You will soon find something you didn't know you were looking for. See," he holds the paper up in front of her, "freaking ridiculous," and he tosses the slip and the plastic towards the trashcan near his bed.

She pops the empty cookie he left out in her mouth and rolls her eyes at him as she chews, and a knock on the door has them both looking at one another.

"You expecting company?" Tim asks her, and there's almost a certain unfamiliar edge to his voice that she catches.

She shakes her head, racking her brain for who it might be. Jackson still has his key so he wouldn't knock. It could be her friends Celina or Aaron, but she's almost certain they'd text or call before they stopped by.

"Maybe it's Nyla or Angela or someone else from the station," she suggests.

He groans. "You get it. And tell them I'm asleep."

She taps his shoulder with the back of her hand. "That's rude. They'd be coming to see you because they care."

"I know, and I get it, but I'm just tired of being smothered by everyone. I need to breathe a little."

"Oh. Do you–do you want me to leave you alone after I send whoever it is away?"

"Nah. You get on my nerves less than most people."

She pushes him gently and hops out of bed to answer the door as the knocking grows more intense. "I'm coming, just a minute," she calls out as she rushes to the door. She plasters a friendly smile on her face as she pulls the door open, but her brows crease when she finds an unfamiliar face behind the door and she asks, "Can I help you?"

The woman, who is tall with familiar blue eyes and short, wavy red hair, gives her cheeky smile and pulls her in for an unexpected bear hug, muttering, "My goodness! You must be Lucy, I'm so delighted to finally meet you!"

"Um, nice to meet you, too?" Lucy replies, her brows shooting to her forehead as her body sways back and forth from the woman's over eager hug and she tries to figure out exactly who this woman is. "Not to be rude," she asks slowly, "but do I know you?"

The woman pulls back, her lips still turned up from ear to ear, as she meets Lucy's gaze, but before she can introduce herself properly, Lucy hears Tim's shocked voice behind her stammering out, "Mom, what are you doing here?

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Chapter Text

Tim's mother immediately releases the vice grip she's held on Lucy the moment she sees her son and focuses her attention on him, tears welling in her baby blue eyes and her arms circling around his neck as she mutters, "Oh, my little Tim Tim, come here."

Tim Bradford does not blush. He is absolutely not easily embarrassed at all. But all of the blood rushes to his normally cool face and his cheeks turn fiery red as he hears Lucy snort under her breath and his mother sways back and forth with him in her arms.

"It's just so good to see you," she continues, not letting go of her boy, whose body is limp in her arms. "I was so worried about you when Genny called to tell me you were shot."

Tim sucks in a deep breath and forces himself to pat his mother lightly on the back, telling her, "I'm fine, mom. You didn't have to come. I'm fine and it really wasn't a big deal."

"Hogwash," she scolds, finally letting him go and turning again to face Lucy. "Can you believe him? My son takes a bullet and acts like it's not a big deal. He's always been so stubborn and bullheaded. Well, don't you worry, son. I'm here and I'm going to look after you for the next few days."

His eyes fall behind where his mother is standing and he catches a glimpse of a pink rolling suitcase behind her and he has to bite down on his lower lip so he doesn't growl out his displeasure. He looks to Lucy, his eyes pleading, as he tells her, "Would you mind showing my mom to the kitchen? I've gotta make a quick phone call."

Lucy, who picks up on his uneasiness, offers his mother a warm smile and gently places a hand on her shoulder. "Mrs. Bradford, would you like some tea? I make the best cup of chamomile this side of L.A."

"Of course, dear," the Bradford matriarch clasps her hands together excitedly. "I'd love some, and while you make it, you can tell me all about how you saved my baby boy's life. Genny has been singing your praises the past four years and as amazing as she made you sound, I had no idea just how wonderful you truly were until I heard about what you did for Tim on your ride along."

"She didn't save my life!" Tim shouts as the two women stroll towards the kitchen. "The wound wasn't life threatening!"

"Isn't he adorable?" The older woman says to Lucy as they continue walking. "He just never knows how to give someone a proper compliment."

Tim pinches the bridge of his nose and exhales as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, frantically dialing his sister's number before stepping out onto the porch. She answers on the third ring, and before she can get out the words, "hello," he's taking a seat on the porch steps and yelling, "What the hell, Gen? I thought I told you to tell her not to come?"
"Hello to you, too, asshole?" His sister replies from the other line. "Now, do you care to calm down and use your big boy words and tell me what's going on?"

"Mom's here," he huffs. "With a suitcase."

"Wait, what!?"

"Yeah. And you're telling me you knew nothing about it?"

"No, I honestly didn't. I told her when you were in the hospital not to come and that your injuries weren't serious and you'd be home in no time and didn't wanna put her out by making her drive eight hours to get here." Genny pauses, then askes, "She really has a suitcase with her?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, okay. Is, uh, is she alone?"

"She better be," he mutters into his speaker.

"Okay, okay. Listen, I'll be home in like thirty minutes so you don't have to deal with things alone. Are you okay until then?"

"Yeah," he sighs, "I'm good. I've got Lucy with me and she's in the kitchen making her some tea."

"Okay, that's good. I'll be home as soon as I can. I'm sorry, Tim. I really didn't know she was coming."

"Yeah, I believe you. See you soon, sis." He presses the red end button on his screen and pulls in a deep breath before going back inside, wondering how long exactly his mother is planning to stay and reminding himself internally that Lucy makes him want to be a better person and to try and keep the whirlwind of emotions bubbling inside him at bay.

()()()

"You're absolutely right, dear," Tim's mother tells Lucy, both of her hands clasped around the Dr. Who mug Lucy had given her to drink out of, "this is the best tea I've had this side of L.A.."

Lucy's eyes twinkle at the comment. "Thank you Mrs. Bradford."

"Oh, please don't call me that. I hate that name. Call me Gina, I insist."

"OKay. Well, thank you Mrs. Gina," she corrects herself.

"No Mrs. needed dear, just Gina will do." She reaches out and covers Lucy's hand with hers and gives it an affectionate squeeze. "And again, thank you for helping my son. Even if he can't express it, I'm sure it means a great deal to him and he appreciates you more than you know."

Lucy smiles behind closed lips and her eyes cut back to the living room where she hears the front door opening and sees Tim emerging behind it. "You know, he's actually a little better at expressing that appreciation than you think. I'm starting to think he's got a lot more teddy bear in him than that roughly grizzly bear exterior he wants people to think he has."

Gina looks at Lucy, then back to Tim, and the corner of her lip twitches into a barely noticeable grin. "Is everything okay?" She asks her son as he steps into the kitchen and joins them.

He hums and forces a smile on his face. "Great, everthings just great. I was just calling Genny to tell her the good news that you dropped in unexpectedly for a visit. She should be here soon."

"Lovely," Gina squeals. "I'm so excited to be under the same roof as both my babies. It's been years since that happened." She catches Lucy's eyes. "Honey, could you show me around the kitchen? I'd love to whip you all up something good to eat for supper."

"Mom, you really don't have to. In fact, Lucy and I just…"

"Non-sense," she cuts her son off, "I want to, it'd be my pleasure."

He shoots Lucy a look, trying to apologize with his eyes, and she tries to convey one back that lets him know she doesn't mind. She can tell he's clearly uncomfortable by his mom's presence between his stiff body language and the strangled smile she'd seen him trying to sport, and she wants to do whatever she can to make this experience less painful.

"I'd be happy to help you -" she catches herself, "eeerr Mrs. Gi." She pauses again. "Gina. I'd love to help you Gina, and I'm sure Genny and Tim will love whatever you make them. Tim, would you mind watering my hanging plants on the porch while I help your mom?" Lucy thinks he could use a few minutes to himself to sort out whatever he's feeling and that some fresh air might be good for him.

He simply nods in return, knowing she waters them herself every morning and being grateful she's offering him a quick out.

()()()()()()()

Gina Bradford gets to work in the kitchen, and before long, she's cooked up creamy chicken pesto with a side of cobb salad. Genny's home before her mother is done cooking, with Rob in tow, and the Bradford clan plus Lucy and Rob are soon gathered around the dinner table to partake in the meal.
However, the dining table only seats four, and Lucy grabs her plate and moves to take a seat at the bar to give the family some time to reconnect, that is, until Tim's hand is covering her wrist and tugging at it with a pleading look in his eyes.

"There's no room," she quietly replies despite the pleading look in his eyes

He shakes his head swiftly, as if to say he can't deal with sitting alone with everyone and she offers him a perplexed look, but follows him as he pulls out the chair at the end and sits halfway on it, leaving room on the other half for her.

She takes a seat next to him, a bit uncomfortably, as they sit elbow to elbow and receive strange looks from the other three at the table, to which Tim barks out, "What, I thought the point of this was for all of us to eat together?"

"Indeed, it is," Gina replies, raising her wine glass for a toast, "to time with family!

Everyone else raises their glass as well and the glasses clink together, and then Tim's is hitting his lips as the others, aside from Rob's, hit the table, and he isn't sure who downs the wine faster, him or Rob.

There is small talk at the table as they eat, with Gina asking Genny about her classes and Tim about his job, then probing Lucy and Rob to get to know them better, in a much less threatening way than Tim had done to Rob when he met him, though not much less intrusive.

She somehow manages to find out Rob's career, most serious relationship prior to Genny, and the fact that alcoholism runs in his family. While also prying out of Lucy that she doesn't date, to which Gina goes off on a tangent about because she insists Lucy is too pretty and sweet not to have a boyfriend.

When dinner is done and the table is cleared, the five gather around the living room to continue chatting, where Mama Bradford pulls out a photo album from her suitcase and Genny groans, "Seriously mom? Can we not do this?"

"Don't you wanna show your new beau how adorable you were as a baby? You wanna see that, don't you, Rob?'

"Yeah mama G, I'd love to," he replies, nursing a beer he grabbed from the fridge, which earns a malicious glare from Tim for three reasons. One, because that was his beer. Two, because he doesn't wanna look through all these damn photos and his mom doesn't need any more encouragement about it. Three, because he didn't like the new nickname Rob just gave his mom.

With dancing eyes, she pulls open the album, Genny on one side of her with Rob by her daughter's shoulder, and Tim on the other side of the sectional with Lucy's knee pressed next to his. The first page contains a picture of a much younger version of herself that looks strikingly like Genny, with a plump baby on her knee.

"Look at those little cheeks," she beams, as she points proudly to the photo.

"And those rolls," Genny chuckles.

Tim groans and Lucy smirks, realizing it must be him. "You were a little chunk," she giggles.

"And looky here," his mother points to a photo with a young Tim on the potty, little hands covering his private parts. "He's always been so modest and serious."

"Okay," Tim reaches over and flips the page as everyone around him snorts and giggles. "Enough about me, let's make fun of Genny now."

"Oh, not that one. Please no."

"Wait, that's a real person!" Lucy gasps, I thought Tim was holding a Chucky doll."

Genny glares at her brother, who's stifling a laugh. "Yeah, well, Tim thought it would be a great idea if I was Chucky for Halloween and when mom was cleaning the house, he cut and spiked my hair, then dressed me in those horrifying overalls and took a sharpie to my face to give me freckles."

"You're welcome," Tim replied. "It won you first place in the costume contest at the carnival."

They continue to flip through photos, which are largely unorganized by time. There's ones from both kids' kindergarten graduations, field days, Christmas and Easter photos throughout the years, photos from his baseball and football days and Genny's softball and volleyball days, and then Tim bristesl for a moment when they reach photos from his prom and a pang forms in his gut as sees Isabel on his arm and both of them staring into one another's eyes, young and deeply in love.

But when Lucy's outrageous laughter fills his ears, and she cackles out, "Oh my God, yes! Look at it, it's the photo Genny told me about. You look just like Slim Shady! Oh, no, no, I got one even better one, It's Slim Tim!"

He breathes out an irritated sigh, but the corner of his lip quirks up the tiniest bit as he watches her head fall back in her fit of laughter.

"And there's Genny's prom picture," Gina points out.

"Mom, no!" Genny groans.

"Nice hair, baby," Rob snorts, noticing the floofy 80's style hair and dress she was sporting.
She shakes her head and grimaces. "My date had this huge obsession with The Breakfast Club and he wanted us to go as Bender and Claire."

"And getting those photos while I was stationed in Afghanistan really brought a bright spot to my day," Tim smirks, to which Genny flips him off and then he sticks his tongue out at her.

"Enough children," Gina chastises them playfully, then turns the page, her eyes brightening as she sees the five photos lining the page.

"Wow, you really liked to play dress up, huh?" Lucy comments, noticing the array of photos of a young child in heels, oversized dresses, hats, sunglasses, and feather scarfs."

"Oh, that's not me," Genny beams, nodding to Tim.

"My little Tim Tim had quite the imagination as a boy," Gina giggles fondly.

Abruptly, Tim stands, grabbingthe book from his mom's lap and shutting it, before he storms off and says, "We're done here."

"Tim," Lucy calls out, but he doesn't respond and she hears the thud of the back door sliding closed and she turns to his mother and sister and asks, "What was that about?"

Gina sighs heavily and utters, "I don't know. He gets upset like this out of nowhere sometimes when we're reminiscing."

Somehow, Lucy doesn't think this just came out of nowhere and she looks to Genny for further elaboration, and the redhead is staring at the floor, one leg shaking as she asks Lucy, "Will you go talk to him? See if you can calm him down?"

"Me?" She asks, a bit surprised.

"You speak Tim better than any of us, remember?"

Lucy stands and excuses herself, though she isn't quite sure where to start or what the hell just happened. She carefully pulls the sliding door open, where she finds Tim sitting on the back deck, one leg shaking furiously as his hands are clasped together and resting under his chin as he stares off into the tree line beyond their wooden fence.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," he grumbles.

She gingerly takes a seat beside him and asks, "You wanna talk about it?"

He shakes his head no and they sit in silence a long time, the only sounds surrounding them are the occasional chirp of random crickets from their grass and echoing noises from the highway down below the winding hill they live on.

Tim eventually lays back and stares up at purple and orange hues in the sky, his hands behind his head, and Lucy lays down next to him, the crown of her head pressed against his.

"I uh, I'm gonna tell you something I've never told anyone before, not even Genny," she offers.

"You don't have to do that just to get me to talk. I told you, I'm fine."

"I know," she replies cooly. "But I wanna tell you, because sometimes we keep things to ourselves for long that they kinda start to eat us alive and I just–I feel like I can trust you with this."

""Okay." He rolls his body slightly so he can face her as she talks.

Her hands fall on her belly and her thumbs dance over one another as she tells him, "My dad, he isn't really my dad. I mean, he is, in all the ways that count, but he's not biologically. My mom got knocked up from a patient she was seeing and he wasn't ready to be a father, so he bailed. My dad worked at my mom's practice and had a thing for her all those years, so he stepped up and offered to marry her when he found out. The only other person in our family who knows he isn't really my dad is my aunt Amy, my mom's sister, and I wouldn't know if I hadn't gotten curious my freshman year of college and taken one of those ancestry DNA tests to find out why the hell I had freckles. I was expecting some random Scottish or Irish ancestry that showed up through recessive genes, not…not that." She pauses, her voice unsteady and scratchy.

"Lucy, "I'm sorry," he offers tenderly. "You don't have to keep going."

"No, it's okay. This is actually kinda cathartic telling someone. Anyway, I found all these cousins on my paternal side with the last name Walsh and I was confused, so I messaged one of them and asked how they were kin to Patrick Chen and she responded and said she wasn't, but she had an uncle named Patrick Walsh who was killed in a car accident last year. I–I didn't know what to make of it, so I freaked out and called my aunt Amy and she rushed over and met me for lunch and explained everything. How fucked up is that? My mother spent my entire life maintaining this perfect image and unreasonable expectations that I feel I have to live up to and never can, and meanwhile she's been hiding this. Turns out, I've been disappointing her since she peed on that stick and those first two lines showed up.."

A single tear slips out of the corner of her eye, and Tim must see it in the faint light the setting sun is still emitting, because he slips an arm around her and mutters, "Come here," as he rolls over on his back and pulls her to his chest. He holds her like that until the sun dips below the trees and then he finally sucks in a deep breath and says, "I'm sorry your family sucks. If it helps, mine does, too."

She doesn't prod him, but her eyes flick up and meet his, and he elaborates anyway, telling her, "My old man was a piece of work. Drank a lot for as long as I can remember. Some days were worse than others. On the better days, he'd yell and cuss, and punch holes in walls. On the really bad ones," he stops and shudders at the memory, "he'd tune me up on the regular. The older I got, the worse it got."

"Tim,"her hand falls protectively to his chest and covers his heart.

He bites his lower lip and continues. "When I was seven he smashed my head into the wall for the first time, and the next day he made me help him fix the dry wall, like it was supposed to be some fucked up fathter-son bonding moment. Not even six months later, he left me in Griffith Park with only a compass to find my way home. Said it was to help make me a man."

Lucy blinks rapidly, trying to fight off tears from imagining the innocent little boy in the pictures she'd just seen going through all that.

"Those photos my mom just showed you, they were taken when I was four, before Genny was born, and when my dad came home early one day and caught me dressed like that, he took off his belt and beat the hell out of me so bad I couldn't walk the next day. Calling me all kinda homophobic slurs. That's one of the first memories I have."

Her hand falls from the resting place above his heart and she wraps her arm around him, pulling him as close to her as she can as her head moves on top of his chest and she's careful not to apply any pressure to his abdominal wound.

"My mom," he shakes his head, "she's not a bad person and I love her. She was at every game we had. Every school function. She was part of the booster clubs. Hell, she read to us before bed each night. But all those years, all those damn years, and she never put a stop to it. She never left him. I just, I don't get how she could stay with him after all that. When I think about having kids someday, there's nothing I wouldn't protect them from. Nothing."

Lucy considers her words carefully, not wanting to take sides or upset him, but wanting to offer perspective. "Maybe she was scared? Maybe he threatened to hurt her or hurt you and Genny if she left."

He swallows and nods. "He did. I know he did and she told me once she was scared of him being alone with us. That he'd get visitation and it would be worse if she wasn't there or that he'd somehow convince a judge to give him full custody since she didn't work outside the home. I get it, kinda, you know? I come across women in these situations all the time at work and I sympathize with them and try to provide them with every resource I can so they can get out, but at the same time, understanding why doesn't erase what happened to me. It doesn't negate the fact that I feel bitter and pissed as hell she only got out as soon as Genny went to college. That we both had to live through that hell and that both my mom and Genny can just pull out those albums or reminisce whenever we all see each other like we lived in some Leave it to Beaver bullshit family when life was more like HIillhouse."

She rolls over her side so she can face him and gently runs her fingers through his hair as she stares down at him. "Have you talked to them? Told them how you feel about it?"

"They know how I feel," he mumbles.

"Maybe, maybe not. People are wired so differently and we all have different ways of processing. Maybe the way they get through it is to remember the good times the three of you had and they don't understand that those good times bring up awful memories for you as well. Maybe you three can start making new memories together so you don't have to focus on the old ones when you do see each other."

He's quiet, but she can see the wheels turning in his head as his lips purse.

"I"m not trying to force you to have a relationship with your mom, and clearly every family has secrets. But, Tim, she really seems to love you and is so proud of you. While I was making her tea she couldn't stop gushing about you. Neither of my parents have ever talked about me that way to someone or lit up the way she did when she was looking at those old photos. I get that staying with your dad wasn't right and that she should've done something, but I'm willing to bet she regrets it and maybe she doesn't know how bad you're still hurting over it."

She tilts her head, contemplating her next move, but eventually, she leans down and presses a tender and quick kiss to his forehead, to which he leans up on his elbows, stares at her like a deer caught in the headlights and asks, "What was that for?

She shrugs a shoulder and replies, "It just looked like you needed it." She stands up and holds her hand out to him, opening and closing it to invite him to join her, and he does. He places his hand in hers and their fingers interlock as she smiles at him and she holds his hand in silence for a lingering moment as their eyes lock, eventually letting it go, but not before she gives it a big squeeze and then opens the door to go back inside with him following on her heels.

Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

After Tim and Lucy came back inside, the rest of the evening went relatively smoothly. Lucy suggested that everyone play pictionary, which Tim reluctantly agreed to. The game went well, even if Rob tried to create a drawn out backstory for every picture drawn that he went on a tangent about at the end of the allotted guessing time.

The five of them stayed up until almost midnight, and Rob ended up staying the night because he had too much to drink and it wasn't safe for him to drive home. Before bed, the argument of who was sleeping where arose, because obviously Tim didn't want to let his mother sleep on the couch, but his mother didn't want her son who'd just been shot to sleep on the couch.

Genny would've offered to take the couch and give her mom her room, but with Rob there, it only made sense for the two of them to stay in her room. So, Lucy ended up volunteering her room for Tim's mom, to which Tim protested about as well, saying he wouldn't feel right making her sleep on a couch in her own home.

Tim ended up escorting Tim's mom to his room despite Lucy's many arguments and then the two of them ended up in a standoff about who would sleep in Lucy's bed for the night, which ended up with both of them on opposite ends of the sectional, competing for who would get sleepy first and take the bed.

By the time 2 a.m. rolled around, neither of them had budged, though both their eyelids were growing heavy, and when Lucy noticed Tim's head bob she smirked to herself and said, "Looks like you're getting sleepy. Might as well go ahead and give in."

He startled at the sound of her voice and shook himself awake, and through a yawn, muttered, "Not a chance. I'm just using reverse psychology to make you sleepy."

"Mhm. And is that drool trickling from your lip part of that reverse psychology?"

He wiped the corner of his mouth and scowled. "You know, you're the one who has to be up in a few hours. I have all day to sleep when you're gone. Why not admit defeat and give up now so you can at least get a few hours under your belt?"

She pinches the edge of the fuzzy purple blanket she's curled up in between her thumb and forefinger and stretches out, making herself more comfortable to prove she isn't budging as she positions her head underneath the pillow and stares up at the ceiling.

She doesn't remember when she falls asleep exactly, but she does remember it's when she's still on the couch and the last thing she thinks of before drifting off to dream land is of how comforting it felt to be held in Tim's arms earlier when she poured her deepest, darkest secret out to him, and how a part of her wants to offer that they just share her bed for the night, no strings, no sex, and to just enjoy being held in one another's embrace as she knows a part of him still has to be just as emotionally reeling from their deep conversations earlier as she was.

But of course, she doesn't do that. For many reasons, one of which is her best friend sleeping across the hall who she knows would shit a brick if she woke up and found her brother and her best friend in bed together, no matter how innocent.

Despite that fact, it doesn't stop Lucy from dreaming she's in Tim's arms. And when she rolls over the next morning and instead of falling off the couch, her arm wraps around something soft and plush, she blinks herself awake and her head darts off her pillow as confusion etches across her face when she finds herself in her room.

She pushes herself up on her elbows, trying to remember how the hell she got here and wondering if she was sleep walking in the middle of the night from sheer exhaustion, but when she checks her phone, she sees a text from Tim that reads, "You snooze, you lose." Followed by a picture of her placed in her bed with the covers pulled snugly over her body and his face beside hers as he gives a thumbs up.

It's then that she realizes he must've carried her to bed at some point during the night, and despite being a light sleeper, she hadn't budged in his strong arms. The thought makes her body shiver and her heart and stomach flutter, and a part of her is sad she hadn't woken up as he carried her, but she bites that feeling down; convincing herself she just wanted to experience the comfort of his contact after sharing such personal experiences earlier.

()()()()

While Tim was still passed out on the couch, Lucy and Genny left for class and Rob left for work. When he woke up, his neck and back were stiff and his sutured wound was throbbing. He walked to the kitchen and found his mom made him French toast, smiley face pancakes, and sausage and scrambled eggs, to which he tried to tell her she didn't have to and she insisted she wanted to.

She pesters him to make sure he's taken his meds and cleaned his incision, then she follows him around all morning like a lost puppy, telling him all about her life in Tahoe City and begging him to come visit sometime.

Eventually, the two go to lunch, because Tim is adamant she isn't going to cook for a third time in the last 24 hours. And while they're at lunch, Lucy's words are like a bug in his brain, clawing away at his mind until he finally caves and tells hers how he feels about taking trips down memory lane when they visit and explaining that's why he puts so much distance between them sometimes.

She cries and apologizes over and over again for their childhood, and then he feels like an even bigger ass for opening his mouth, but then she pulls him in for one of those bear hugs of hers and as her salty tears soak his henley, he wraps his own arms around her, engulfing her petite frame as he rests his chin on her shoulder. They agree to try and focus less on the past and more on making better memories for the future, and Tim promises to try and come around more and work on forgiving her.

()()()()()()

By the time afternoon rolls around, Genny and Lucy are home and Gina is offering to cook supper again for the family, but Lucy and Genny had made plans with Jackson, Sterling, Aaron, and Celina earlier in the week to go sing karaoke at a local dive bar. Instead of canceling with her friends, Genny decides to invite her mom and Tim along, but Tim absolutely declines, deciding he'd rather get shot again than have Lucy try and force him on stage and do a duet of some silly song in front of hoards of people.

His mom, however, thinks it's a great idea, and she goes out with the girls and their friends and Tim gets some much needed alone time for a few hours. Once he's sure no one's around, he props his feet up, pops open a beer, and puts on Dr. Who and begins binge watching.

As he's finishing his third episode, he gets a video message from Genny. One of his mom, Lucy, and who assumes must be Aaron, all on stage rapping Flex and Flow songs from the 90's. He involuntarily bristles when, in the video, Aaron wraps an arm around Lucy and she comfortably leans into him, her head pressing against his as she laughs hysterically through the lyrics.

He downs the rest of his beer, a deep scowl forming on his face, and he tosses his phone to the side. He tries to tell himself he's only annoyed by the video because he cares about Lucy and he doesn't know this Aaron guy so he's just being a protective friend. He is absolutely not jealous of him being so close to Lucy at all. Not in the slightest.

And as he tries to put on the next episode and enjoy another beer, and his phone pings with more videos coming in, he absolutely isn't jealous at all when clicks the T.V. off, tosses the control to the other side of the couch, and drives himself to the bar they're all at. Nope, it's not jealousy at all, he's just tired of being alone and missing out on all the fun.

()()()

He peers through the dim light of the hazy bar until he spots his sister on a stool in the back with a few unfamiliar faces. With hands shoved deep in his pockets, he makes his way over and Genny gapes at him in surprise as he joins them, pulling up a stool of his own that scrapes across the concrete floor.

"What are you doing here?" She asks in utter surprise.

"Got bored at home," he mutters with a shrug as he glances around the crowd.

"Uh, who's this?" Sterling inquiries, nudging Genny.

"This is my older brother, the infamous Tim Bradford," she introduces him to the others at the table, which consists of Sterling, Aaron, and Jackson, who Tim briefly met the night he interrupted that almost kiss between he and Lucy.

A few awkward handshakes are exchanged, and Tim peers curiously at Aaron, as he says, you look really familiar.

"Yeah, uh," He scratches the back of his neck. "You've prolly seen me in the tabloids. My dad is Lincoln Thorsen, Flex from Flex and Flow."

"What the hell are you doing in college? " Tim blurts out. "Your parents are loaded."

Aaron shrugs a shoulder and sips his beer. "They wanted me to have the experience. I'm majoring in production, but honestly, my mom could have built me my own production company without it. They said I needed to have a somewhat normal life before embarking on adulthood and joining in on all the wealth and fame. I mean, it's been pretty great so far, so I'm thankful to them for that."

Tim snaps his fingers and ushers the approaching waitress over, ordering a beer of his own, and once again peering around the bar as he asks, "Where are mom and Lucy?"

"In the bathroom," Genny explains, "with Celina. They'll be out any minute. So, you wanna get up there and do a sibling duet? Put on your Slim Tim hat and rap with me?."

"Not a chance in hell, I'd rather watch all of you humiliate yourselves."

The others chuckle, and then Jackson and Sterling's names are called to the stage and the couple rush hand in hand to sing, "My Love."

As those two hit the stage, Lucy, Gina, and Celina return from the bathroom, and Lucy is grinning when she spots Tim, and she asks, "What are you doing here?"

He holds up his phone and shakes it, telling her, "Couldn't just sit there and miss all the fun, could I?"

Celina, who is standing behind Lucy, flaps her hands in excitement as her face fills with glee and says, "This must be Tim! I've heard so much about you." She points rapidly between Tim and Lucy and rambles, "Did you know your auras are…" to which Lucy promptly grabs her hand and goes, "Oh my gosh, I've gotta pee. Why don't you come with me?"

"But, you just peed?" Aaron points out.

"I did," Lucy mutters through gritted teeth, "but I've gotta go again. It's a girl thing." She tugs her friend's arm violently and excuses herself as the two disappear behind a crowd.

Gina giggles, her face flushed from the drinks she's had, and she takes a seat beside her son, placing a loud smooch on his check that leaves a red lipstick print while she tells him how happy she is he showed up and he groans and wipes his face.

()()()()

The night drags on for a few more hours, and many more rounds of karaoke take place but Tim never gets on stage, despite pleas from his mom, sister, and Lucy.

It's clear that almost everyone around him is extremely inebriated and won't be taking themselves home and the last few songs that are sung are mostly uttered in drunken slurs. Though the very last song is performed by Lucy, which is She Will be Loved by Maroon Five.

The first few lines come out unsteady, but Tim and the rest of the bar are stunned into silence when she composes herself and sings perfectly on key in an angelic voice that sends shivers down his spine.

The bar erupts into whoops and hollers when she's done, and she stumbles off stage grinning proudly as she high fives Aaron, then Genny, then Jackson and Sterling, then Celina, followed by Tim's mom who pulls her into a hug and tells her how great she did. When she reaches Tim, he's staring at her in awe, slack jawed, and he tells her, "I–I had no idea you could sing like that."

Her eyes flit to the ground and her flushed face grows even more red as she grins shyly and wrings her hands together, but then, she steps behind him, wraps her arms around his neck, and presses her lips to his ear and whispers seductively, "There's a lot you don't know about me yet, Tim." Her arms go slack and her chin falls on his shoulder and he knows she's done for the night and doesn't need another drink.

()()()()

The bill gets taken care of and the group begins to say their goodbyes for the night. Luckily, Celina, Jackson, and Sterling live within walking distance to the bar, but Aaron doesn't and Lucy, Genny, and Tim's mom are far too plastered to drive home, so Tim makes sure everyone piles into his truck.

Genny is wobbly, but steady enough to walk inside, but Mama Bradford and Lucy are not. Tim wraps an arm around his mom and helps her inside, and Aaron has to all but carry Lucy in the door.

He makes sure Genny gets to her room safe, then his mom, and he leaves both women a bucket in case they get sick. He then goes to the living room, where he left Aaron with Lucy and he thanks the younger man for helping get her inside.

"I can carry her to bed," Aaron offers while he holds a sleeping Lucy in his arms.

Again, that pit in Tim's stomach forms which he is absolutely sure isn't jealousy and is only over-protection, and he tells Aaron, "I got her," as he reaches his arms out to take her.

With uncertainty, Aaron glances between Lucy and Tim. "All due respect, you just got shot. I think it's probably best if I take her."

Tim glares at the younger man and huffs, "Do I look like a man that doesn't know my limits?"

Aaron shakes his head carefully.

"Okay then. I'll be fine. I got her."

Reluctantly, Aaron hands her over, being careful not to drop her. During the exchange, Lucy's eyes fly open and she blinks a few times. Hugging Aaron and placing a kiss on his cheek before she leaves his arms, telling him, "I had so much fun tonight."

"Me too, Luce," he tells his friend. "I'm handing you to Tim so he can get you to bed. That okay?"

"Tim!" She cries out happily. "Timmy Tim Tim Tim."

"Yeah," Aaron chuckles as he lets her go. "Tim's getting you. Goodnight, Luce."

"Night Aaron," she yawns, settingling her head on Tim's shoulder as she rests her head on his neck.

"I'll be right back," Tim tells Aaron. "Then I'll take you home."

"No need," Aaron assures him as he pulls out his phone. "I'll have my limo driver here in no time. You stay here and keep an eye on the girls."

Tim nods, thankful the man has connections, and heads for Lucy's room, ignoring the pain in his side as he moves.

"Tim?" she moans, breathing in his scent as he carries her.

"It's okay, I got you. I'm just taking you to bed," he assures her. She giggles against his neck and the vibrations tickle his skin and he has to ignore the thoughts it causes to pop up in his brain.

And he has to ignore them even harder when she leans up and nibbles his earlobe, then his neck, as she purrs, "I've been waiting for that for so long."

He breathes in and out, reminding himself she's drunk and has no idea what she's saying as she threads her fingers through the back of his hair and scratches at the nape of his neck.

If he was ten years younger and hornier, he'd probably end up hating himself the next day.

And even though he's insanely horny, maybe hornier than he was at 18 because he's been so long without it and thought about it with her so much, he's smart enough not to cross a line and take advantage of her like this.

"You're dunk, Luce," he whispers, arching his head so her lips peel away from his skin. "You'd regret this tomorrow."

"No, I wouldn't," she whispers back, but she drops her hands and moves slightly until her head is nuzzled in the crook of his neck.

When he reaches her bed, he tells her, "I"m about to put you down, okay? So you can go to sleep." She nods her understanding and he tentatively peels her comforter back and places her in bed, just like he'd done the night before. Her arms are still wrapped around his neck and he whispers, "You gotta get some sleep so I'm gonna need you to let me go."

Lucy whines, but she relinquished her grip and rolls over in bed, trying to find a comfortable position.

He stares at her a moment, then reaches down and brushes a strand of loose hair from her cheek before leaning down to mirror the kiss on her forehead she'd given him the night before and telling her, "goodnight."

When he turns and walks away, she calls out, "Tim?" And he pauses with a hand on her doorknob and goes, "Yeah?"

"Stay with me," she pleads.

"Lucy," he firmly replies.

"Not like that," she sloppily stutters, "just stay in here with me. Please."

He sighs, but he doesn't argue. Instead, he tells her that he'll be right back and he goes to the living room to check on Aaron, who is just about to leave because his ride pulled up. The men share a handshake and then Aaron heads out the door. After, Tim gets a quick, cold shower before heading back to Lucy's room with a pillow and blanket and puke bucket in tow and he makes a pallet on the floor beside her bed.

Notes:

I am hoping for another update to give you tomorrow. I promise we are so close to what you guys want. Thanks for the patience.

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Chapter Text

Lucy groans as she rolls over in bed, clamping her eyes shut and pulling the covers over head. She is absolutely not ready to wake up. She knows she had too much to drink last night and that she's in store for a hangover from hell today. Her head is already throbbing and her stomach is lurching, and part of her is surprised she didn't wake up in the middle of the night, puking her guts out.

She's aware she's in her own room from the familiar scents and the feel of her surroundings, like the dip of her mattress and the way her pillow is perfectly fit for her head and neck. One thing she isn't aware of, at least not immediately anyway, is how she got there. The last thing she remembers for certain from last night was wrapping her arms around Tim's neck and whispering in his ear, "there's a lot of things you don't know about me yet, Tim."

She groans again, this time from mental discomfort on top of the physical. Why had she said that to him? And more importantly, what else had she said?

She knows she gets bolder when drinks. That she loses her filter and is often more flirty and forward than she might normally be, and she hopes like hell she didn't make an ass of herself or do something to ruin their friendship.

With her eyes still tightly shut, she racks her brain, willing herself to piece together the memories from last night. It comes back in a blur. Tim cutting her off the next time she tries to get a drink. Aaron putting an arm around her and helping her into Tim's truck. Laughing like hell with Genny, Aaron and Gina Bradford on the way home as they continued their own personal karaoke performances and Tim's irritated moans and groans as he drove.

Her eyes pop open suddenly as the next memories flood to the forefront of her mind. Aaron placing her in Tim's arms. Tim carrying her and telling her he was taking to her bed. She's mortified when bits and pieces of the memory surface, like the way she assaulted his earlobe and neck with her lips and told him she'd been waiting for that. How he obviously must've shut that down because she knows he told her she'd regret it and she knows she told him she wouldn't. Her final memory is asking him to stay and him saying something about being right back, and her arms wildly flail as she tosses the covers off herself and searches her bed,

She's petrified that she pushed for something to happen between them last night. And while she'd meant it when she said she wouldn't regret it, because Genny's feelings be damned, if it happened she absolutely wouldn't regret that it happened, she would regret she didn't remember it. And she'd definitely regret feeling like she pressured him into it.

There'a rustling of covers and the next thing she hears is Tim's startled voice, "What's going on? Are you okay?" But the words don't come from beside her, they're below her.

"I uh," her head is spinning and she squints, despite the fact that there's hardly any light peeking through her window because it's clearly barely past sunrise.

"Do you need to puke?" He leans up from his pallet on the floor, his weight resting on his elbows, and he holds the bucket he brought with him last night up for her.

She reaches out and gently pushes the bucket away. "No, um, I'm good. A little queasy, but I'm good. What-ah, what are you doing on the floor?"

"You asked me to stay in here with you last night," he fills in the blanks, assuming she doesn't remember much. "You were really drunk, like way drunker than Genny or my mom, so I figured it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on you."

She scratches the back of her head and an involuntary grin lines her lips at the gesture. She wonders if maybe she dreamed the part where she tried to get him to sleep with her, but she's far too embarrassed to bring it up, especially if it was a dream.

Instead, she plays it safe. "Listen, ah, I just wanted to say thank you. You know, for everything you did last night."

He hums, sitting up and wrapping his arms around his knees. "Don't mention it. It was no problem."

"Did Aaron make it home okay?"

Tim's body stiffens and his voice is gruff, "Far as I know. He called his limo driver and he picked him up from here."

"Sounds about right," Lucy chuckles, always amused at the fact that Aaron basically has the world at his disposal at all times.

"Hey, uh, you and Aaon," he pauses and when he speaks again, his voice is a bit unsteady and doesn't reek of that confident Tim edge it normally has, "something going on with the two of you?"

"What?" She snorts incredulously, but then she panics, wondering if what she thinks she said and did to Tim she did to Aaron by mistake, being so drunk she mistook him for Tim. "Wh-why would you think that?"

"It's nothing really,' he mutters, "just you two seemed really close last night. You had your arms around each other and you kissed him on the cheek before I grabbed you from him. I just–I know you said sometimes you do the whole friends with benefits thing, I was just–I just figured maybe you and him…"

The tension in her body eases a bit and she shakes her head. "No, that's just how I am. I'm affectionate with my friends." She blushes. "Maybe a bit more affectionate than normal when I"m drunk. But Aaron and I have never been like that. We never would be. I mean, he's a good looking guy and all, but I told you, I don't do that with my real friends that I wanna keep in my life, it would complicate things too much."

"Right."

Lucy can't quite tell if there's relief in Tim's voice or disappointment, and both expressions would leave her confused. "Look, I think I'm gonna get a shower and brush my teeth. But, ah, thank you again for staying in here with me last night. It means a lot."

"Of course, it's what friends are for." He stands and gathers up his pillow and blanket. "I'm gonna go take my meds and crash on the couch. I didn't get much sleep last night. Wake me up if you need me."

Lucy nods and watches as he walks off. She isn't sure if the hangover is leaving her feeling so unsteady or if it's Tim.

()()()()()

After her shower, Lucy dries her hair and puts on clean clothes, then carefully tiptoes to the kitchen and grabs herself a gatorade. Tim is passed out on the couch, one hand draped over his face as he snores quietly every now and then.

Lucy wraps her fingers tightly around the bottle, then creeps to Genny's room, being sure to not let the door so much as creak as she steps into her friend's room and crawls in bed with her as she's done what seems like a hundred times after a night out on the town.

Genny grunts and moves a pillow over her head, asking her friend, "How is your head not in a toilet right now?"

"Just good luck, I guess," Lucy muses, slipping under the covers and resting her head on the pillow beside Genny. "I had a lot of fun last night, I think I needed that."

"You definitely needed it," Genny's muffled chuckle comes from behind the pillow. "It's been months since you went out with us."

"I know. I know. I just was trying to…" she trails off and sighs. "I was trying to make my parents proud."

"Luce, you've got better grades than anyone I know. I'm sure they're already proud."

"Not really," Lucy replies unevenly.

Genny removes her pillow from her head and rolls over to face her friend. "What do you mean?"

Lucy sucks in a breath to prepare herself and tells Genny everything she's never told her. Not just about the high expectations Vanessa and Patrick have, but about how she feels nothing she ever does will be good enough. About how her dad isn't really her dad. About how she doesn't even know what she wants to do with her life anymore. About how she feels like she's nothing but a disappointment.

And she almost tells her friend how much it hurt her when she told her that she didn't want her pursuing anything with her brother, how it made her feel just as unworthy as her parents make her feel. But she doesn't. Bringing that up feels too much like admitting she wants Tim, and admitting she wants Tim would make her examine how she wants him, and she's not ready to do that.

"Come here," Genny scoots close and puts an arm around Lucy. "I wish you'd told me all this before. I can't believe we've known each other this long and I had no idea how bad things were. I'm so sorry and I wish I'd have known so I could've supported you more."

"Some things aren't easy to talk about. Even to those closest to us."

"No, they aren't," Genny breathes out. "I'm guessing Tim told you about our family drama when you talked to him the other night."

"A little," she admits, not wanting to betray Tim's confidence.

"Well, I'm glad he could talk about it with someone," she replies. "It's just, it's not easy talking about what we went through. Reliving it."

"I can't even imagine, Gen."

"It just–it always seemed like no one would be able to understand…I mean, Jackson and Aaron's parents are still married and they're so good to them. And, I mean, I knew your mom could be an overbearing bitch, but she and your dad are still married and both so involved in your life, I just–I didn't think you guys would get it and I didn't want all that pity or for people to tiptoe around me."

"Airing out family secrets is never easy, it's okay. I just–I want you to know now that you can talk to me about anything if you ever need to."

"Yeah, same to you," Genny smiles. "I-ah-I hope it helps you understand why I'm maybe a bit protective when it comes to Tim. He got the worst of our dad by far, and I-I don't know. I know he's always wanted to build his own family and give them everything he didn't have growing up. Some people wanna run away from that and avoid it after having such a bad upbringing, but Tim was always so determined to be different. I want him to have that, and I know after losing Isabel he'll probably be scared as hell to try again, but I don't wanna see him give up on something so important to him and that he's wanted for so long and just settle for meaningless sex because it's easier."

Lucy swallows, her friend's words twisting like a hot knife in her gut.

"Is that why you do it?" Genny questions. "Keeping it casual instead of giving things a real chance? Because you don't feel like you're good enough for something real because your parents always made you feel that way?"

Lucy's chest tightens and her throat bobs as she tries to push down the emotion threatening to spill over. "No. Maybe. I-I don't know."

"Luce," her friend tenderly says her name and squeezes her arm, "you are one of the sweetest, smartest, most capable people I know. Don't let the fact that your parents are overbearing, insensitive assholes stop you from having wonderful things in your life. Whether that's a job or a relationship or–or whatever else it is that you might want. You are amazing and you deserve it all."

She sniffles and smiles at her friend and gives her a small nod, then says, "You know what I really want?"

"What?" Genny muses.

"To not be hung over," Lucy cries, kicking her feet in frustration. "My head feels like it's going to explode and your ceiling is spinning."

Genny chuckles lightly. "When my mom wakes up, she's got a mean hangover cure. When I snuck inside sloppy drunk for the first time as a teenager I was sure she was going to kill me, instead she held my hair back while I puked and made me this special drink, which was disgusting as hell by the way, but it was magic."

"I love your mom!" Lucy beams. "She's just so great."

"She is," Genny agrees.

"And did you see the way she was pouring those tequila shots back with me? It was so impressive.

The girls giggle and eventually they drift off back to sleep for a few more hours.

()()()()()()

Genny was right, her mom made a mean hangover elixir and Lucy was extremely grateful that she didn't spend her entire Saturday miserable.
Lucy spent the rest of her Saturday hanging with Jackson and Sterling. She wanted to give Tim and Genny some time alone with their mom before she left Sunday, and she was still slightly embarrassed about trying to put the moves on Tim while she was drunk and she wanted to avoid an uncomfortable conversation for as long as possible.

She ended up deciding to stay the night with them, deciding it was for the best so Tim could finally have a bed again. Afterall, it couldn't have been good for his healing process to sleep on the floor last night.

On Sunday, she arrives back home just before Gina Bradford is leaving to return to Tahoe City, and she gets a warm goodbye from her best friend's mother.

"It was so good to meet you, Lucy," Gina tells the younger woman as she squeezes her neck. "You're even more wonderful than I imagined and I can't wait to get to see you again."

"It was so great to meet you, too," she replies, hugging the older woman back as she leans into the loving embrace.

"Take care of my babies for me," she whispers in Lucy's ear while she rubs her back affectionately.. "Especially my Tim-Tim. I think you're a good influence on him."

"I'll do my best," she chuckles and then Gina lets go of her and hugs her daughter, then her son. Kissing them both on the cheek as she makes them promise to visit her this summer.

"You, too," she points to Lucy. "I fully expect you to join them on their trip up to see me this summer. We'll spend time on Lake Tahoe. We can fish and swim and go out on the boat, it'll be just splendid."

A smile teases the edge of Lucy's lips and she gives her nod. "Wouldn't dream of missing it, ma'am."

With that promise, Gina is off and out the door and next thing Lucy knows Genny is headed off to Rob's. She hasn't seen him since Thursday and that's the longest they've gone without seeing each other since they started dating.

Suddenly, it's only Tim and Lucy in the house, and she's hyper aware of the fact and she feels unreasonably and unusually nervous.

"So," she mumbles, her eyes darting to her feet, "did you have a good weekend?"

"Yeah. Genny and I enjoyed some time with mom yesterday. You could have stayed, you know? You didn't have to go."

"Jackson and I haven't spent a lot of time together lately because I've been so busy with school. It was nice to get to hang out with him for a bit. Sterling knocked out and we stayed up binging crime documentaries and just talking until it's the middle of the night like we used to when he lived here."

"Of course you did," he snorts.

She smirks and rolls her eyes. "Anyway. I uh-I should go to my room. Get some work done or do some yoga or something."

"Lucy," he calls out to her assertively but not hatefully as she attempts to scurry off like a mouse.

She stops in her tracks and sucks in a calming breath before turning to face him and forcing her features to remain cool and collected.

"Are you avoiding me?" He asks her point blank, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Wh-No! Of-Of course not!"

He glares at her incredulously and accusing.

"Okay, fine," she huffs, her hands sliding down her face. "Yes, maybe I'm avoiding you a little. It's just–I…"

He cuts her off. "Look, it's okay. Alright? I get it, you were really drunk and you didn't mean it. I know you wouldn't go there with me and it never would've happened if you were in your right mind. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I mean, I know I'm a very handsome boy and that in the moment of inebriation and lack of sound judgment maybe that just got to you a bit."

"Ugh, gag!" She sticks her tongue to intensify her reaction.

"I'm kidding," he holds up a hand as he smirks at her. "It wasn't a big deal. Okay? I know it didn't mean anything and I just–I don't want to make things weird with us. I want us to be okay. So, can we pretend it didn't happen and just move past it?"

Her top teeth rake over her bottom lip and she runs her fingers through her hair and agrees, "Yeah. I think that sounds really good."

"Great." He points over his shoulder to the kitchen. "So, how about I make us some popcorn, we have a few beers, and I put on Top Chef?"

"Sounds like you're reading my mind!"

He smiles, and not one of those tight lipped smiles he does, it's an ear to ear, toothy grin and she feels the tension draining from him the same way it's draining from her.

He comes back moments later with two beers and a large bowl full of popcorn and he settles on the couch beside her where she's already flipped the channel and ready to start the show. She's fully expecting him to put some distance between them, but he doesn't. Instead, he curls up next to her and they are shoulder to shoulder and he looks over and smiles at her as he hands her a beer, which she eagerly takes and clings against his before kicking her feet up on the coffee table.

They enjoy the show in silence, that is until her phone buzzes and she's left groaning when the called ID reveals who is on the other line. She mouths an apology to Tim and stands to take the call a few feet away in the kitchen so she isn't interrupting the show for him.

"Hi mom," she answers, trying to sound cheerful. "Yes, I know it's your birthday this weekend. Yes, I remember you're turning 50. Of course I'm going to be there. Wait! What? No! No way!" She argues vehemently. "Well, yes, I do have a reason. Yes, it's a good one. What's my reason?" She laughs nervously and rubs the back of her neck. "I'm seeing someone. That's my reason!"

She grimaces once the words have left her mouth, knowing full well nothing good can come from the lie she just told.

"I surely am," share reiterates to her mother, who is asking a million questions on the other end of the line. "Sure, I'd be glad to bring him to your party." She winces again, knowing she's digging a hole deeper and deeper but it's too late to back out now. "Listen, mom, I gotta call you back, I'm kinda in the middle of something. Yes, that's it. That's right. Of course, we'll be there Saturday, I promise. Gotta go. Bye, love you." She quickly ends the call and whines out loud, stomping her feet.

"What-ah-what was that about?" Tim curiously inquired, twisting his head so he can see her over the couch.

"My mom," she groans. He stares at her expectantly and she clomps over to the couch and tells him, "She's turning 50 this weekend and she's having this huge birthday party to celebrate. She was trying to hook me up with her friend's kid as a date for the party."

"And ah, you can't do that because you're uh–you're seeing someone?"

"You heard that?" She squeaks.

He nods carefully. "Ar–are you? Seeing someone?"

"No, of course not," she swats his arm. "I just–I don't wanna be set up. And especially not with someone my mother knows."

"But you told her you're bringing someone."

"I know, I know." She leans her head down and places it in her hands. "I don't know what I was thinking. I am so screwed. What am I gonna do?"

"Take Jackson," he offers.

"That won't work. She knows he's gay."

"Aaron?" He suggests, though his voice carries an edge.

"Uh-uh," she shakes her head. "Who do you think I get my love of reality TV from? She follows way too many tabloids and she'd see right through that." She sits up, a light going off in her head, and she grins at him.

"No! No way!" He shakes his head rapidly and waves his hands in the air.

"Come on, please!"

"No! Come on, you avoided me the past two days because of what happened this weekend. It would–it would make things weird again."

"No, it wouldn't!" She promises. "This would be premeditated. It would all just be pretend, so there'd be nothing for either of us to feel weird about. Plus, you're a cop and nothing would disappoint my mom more than for me to be dating a cop. You love pissing people off!"

"I do," he hesitantly admits, "But, I don't know…"

"Come on, you owe me! I saved your life!"

"First, you didn't save my life, it wasn't a life threatening injury. Second, I looked after you when you were drunk, I feel like I paid you back already."

"Technically, I did save your life because you could've been hit again if I didn't pull you to safety. I feel like that earned me at least three favors, so you still owe me at least two more." When he doesn't respond immediately, she begs, "Please, Tim? I really don't think I can deal with my parents alone this weekend and I need you there."

"Fine," he grumbles. "I'll do it."

Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Notes:

The second update in less than 24 hours is here. I'm hoping to crank a third one out sometime Sunday. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter Text

"The week flies by, and before Lucy knows it, it's Friday. Which means her ride-along with Angela is today and her fake date with Tim is tomorrow. She honestly isn't sure which one she's more nervous for.

She'd spent her lunch the past three days meeting with Angela, the woman drilling protocols and practices in her mind, laying down rule after rule that she must follow on the ride along, because in the words of Lopez, "She wasn't dealing with Tim's man pain if something happened to Lucy under her watch."

Lucy still wasn't sure what she thought of Angela. The woman was bold and beautiful, clearly not afraid to speak her mind and go after what she wanted. She was definitely the type of woman Lucy admired, but she was also a bit intimidating, because in some ways, she was everything Lucy wished she could be and felt she wasn't.

A soft knock on her door breaks Lucy from her thoughts.

"Come in," she calls out as she changes into a pair of more comfortable shoes for her adventure.

"You ready for today?" Tim asks, leaning into her door frame with his arms crossed at his chest.

She nods, giving him a confident smile, but she does admit, "I wish I were riding with you, though. I mean, I appreciate you working it out so I could go with Angela, but I just, I guess I just felt a little safer knowing you were next to me last time."

"Angela's a solid cop," he tells her. "You're in good hands."

"I'll take your word for it."

"So, listen," Tim's eyes flit to the beige carpet, "I was thinking…we should probably sit down tonight after you're back and go over some things. Make sure we're on the same page about tomorrow for this whole fake date thing."

"Right. Yeah. We should come up with matching backstories. Set some guidelines. That way we're both comfortable going in."

"Exactly."

"Well, I gotta get going so I can meet Angela at the station. I'll see you in a few hours."

He nods as she walks by him, his hands slip into his pockets, and he tells her, "Stay safe out there," as she disappears.

()()()()()()()

"Lucy?" John Nolan, in full uniform, greets her as she walks into the station.

"Oh, hi!" She smiles at him, offering a friendly wave.

"What are you doing here?"

"Finishing my ride along. Just, with Angela this time, since Tim's still out."

That's great. How is he, by the way?"

"He's doing pretty good, a little impatient and ready to get back to work, but he's healing well."

"I started to bring over some food, but Officer Harper advised against it," he chuckles. "She said Tim's not exactly a people person."

"He has to let people grow on him a bit," she agrees with a twinkle in her eye. "How are you? Are things going well on the job?"

"I can't complain. Well, I could, but it wouldn't do me any good. There's still a bit of good natured hazing and I think some people, Sergeant Grey especially, are still struggling to take me seriously, but I plan on sticking around and proving them wrong."

"Good for you."

"Boot," Nyla Harper barks as she strolls by, "roll call is in less than five minutes. Is there any particular reason you're out here flapping your gums and not waiting in your seat like you should be? If you're not early, you're late, remember?"

"My mistake, ma'am. I'm on my way now." He nods goodbye to Lucy, his hand on his duty belt, and stalks off towards roll call.

"Any idea where Angela is?" Lucy inquires, looking around the room.

"In the bathroom, she'll be out in a minute," Nyla replies. "Tim still doing okay? I've been meaning to come by, but between work and the baby, free time's been a little tight."

"He's good, just ready to get back."

"Good. Keep an eye on him for me." She reaches into her pocket and slips Lucy her card. "And give me a call if you ever feel like he needs something. I'll work something out with Lila and find a way to be there."

She thanks the other woman and takes the card, and then Angela comes around the corner and the three women are walking into the roll call room together.

()()()()()()

"Thank you again for taking me along with you today," Lucy buckles her seatbelt and smiles as Angela cranks the shop.

Angela gives a small nod and while she drives, she asks, "Why is this so important to you? Getting this data?"

"Honestly?" Lucy pinches the yellow slip of the legal pad that's in her lap with one finger and drums her blue ballpoint pen on her thigh with the other hand. "I don't know anymore. I was doing it for my parents, I guess, to make them proud. So I'd stand out and get a great grade and get recognized at graduation. But the closer graduation gets, the more I realize I've been doing this all for them these last four years and every time I pull out my acceptance letter for grad school and stare at it, the more I wanna crumple it up and throw it away." She stops suddenly and winces, remembering she barely knows this woman. "Sorry," she mutters. "I overshare sometimes when I'm nervous."

"I bet Tim loves that," Angela snorts.

"Yeah," Lucy chuckles. "I think that's partially why he hated me at first."

Angela turns the car with one hand and smirks at the woman beside her. "He definitely doesn't hate you now."

Lucy pauses the drumming on her thigh and her jaw drops as she stares Lopez. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know. You tell me?"

"Wow. Okay, um, I don't know what you're getting at, but Tim and I are friends. That's it."

"Right. And, ah, is that why you're going on a date with him this weekend?"

"He told you about that!"

"Maybe," she grins smugly.

"Okay, well, then I"m sure he also told you that it's a pretend date and he's just doing me a favor so my parents don't randomly set me up with one of their friend's kids."

"He may have mentioned something about it not being real."

"Let me guess," Lucy huffs erratically "You think it is a terrible idea and you're gonna lecture me on how Tim's not legally divorced yet and he isn't ready to date and I'm not serious enough for him even if he was and that I should cancel before I fuck things up and ruin his life or something?"

"Quite the opposite, actually. That man needs to get laid."

She blinks several times, attempting to process what Angela just said.

"I'm just saying…" Angela holds up a finger, her face going pale. "Hold that thought, we've gotta make a detour. "

Even though no call has come across the radio, Angela turns the sirens on and zips off, tires screeching while she whips the car into the nearest gas station. She tells Lucy to stay inside the shop and bolts inside, returning five minutes later.

()()()()()()

"Are you okay?" Lucy asks when Anegla returns to the car ten minutes later.

"I am now," the slightly older woman replies, popping an antacid in her mouth.

"Are you sick or something?"

"Or something…" Lucy continues to eye the other woman, and Angela groans, and mumbles, "Guess it can't hurt to tell you. Tim already knows and you don't actually work with me. I'm pregnant."

"Oh. Congratulations."

"Yeah, congratulations to me. I get morning sickness that nobody tells you lasts way longer than just the morning, and indigestion, and my boobs hurt. Hooray."

Lucy grimaces and mutters, "Sorry,."

"No, I'm sorry," Angela sighs. "I'm just cranky. Hormones and all. That's another fun part about this process. It really is great and Wesley and I are excited."

"Is it–is it safe to do this job while you're expecting?"

"Depends. My doctor says pregnant women aren't nearly as fragile as people tend to think we are, but the further along I get, the more dangerous it can be. I'll eventually have to take a step back. Make sure I respond to less risky calls. Maybe even go out on maternity leave at some point. I guess it's kind of a good thing I didn't move up as a T.O. when I had the chance."

"You had a chance to become a training officer? Why didn't you take it?"

Angela grimaces. "It's a long story."

"Does, uh, does Tim wanna be one? I found a training book in his shop that day I rode with him, but he didn't really wanna talk about it."

"He does," she responds carefully. "He, Nyla and I planned to move up together. They offered the test right after Isabel first left Tim."

"So he didn't take it?"

"He did. It's just, he was distracted. Upset about his personal life and his head wasn't in the game. He didn't do well. Only Nyla ended up moving up."

"You didn't do well either?"

Angela doesn't respond and stares ahead at the road.

"You did well," Lucy deduces. "Because you said before that it's a good thing you didn't move up, not a good thing you didn't pass."

"Not a word to TIm," she warns with a dangerous scowl.

"Of course not, I wouldn't want to tell him anything that might hurt him. I just–I guess I'm just surprised you didn't take the opportunity for yourself. That you sacrificed something like that for Tim."

"Working on this job, it bonds you in a way other jobs don't. These people aren't just your co-workers, they become your family. I'm closer to Tim than I am to all four of my brother's. He couldn't handle feeling like a failure, he already felt like he'd failed in his marriage. If Nyla and Donavan hadn't been trying for a baby, she'd have done the same as I did, but she needed the pay raise. Kids are expensive."

"What about now? You're about to have your own kid. Does that change things? Are you gonna become a T.O.?"

"Wesley's family is loaded. I'm talking about old money-rich. Luckily we don't have to worry about finances."

"So you're just gonna stay in the same place until Tim tries to take the test again? If he tries?"

"I don't know," she admits. "He's in a better place now and the exam is coming up again next month. I'm gonna try to talk him into taking it again, but if he doesn't, I might talk to Grey and see if I can get my own rookie. It just all depends on how I feel he could handle things if he failed again.."

()()()()()()()

Lucy's muscles ache as she unlocks the door to her home that evening. She's always considered herself to be in decent shape and works out regularly, but today wore her out. They had to pursue multiple suspects on foot chases, and she has a new found respect for the career of policing and the level of work that Tim, Angela, and the others at Mid-wilshire put in every day.

When she steps inside her home, the flickering of a plethora of candles catches her eye and she looks curiously at Tim, who's sitting on the couch watching videos on his phone.

"Power's out," he explains, looking away from his video and meeting her eyes. "There was a bad wreck and a few power lines were taken out by a drunk driver. I hear it's affecting a two mile radius and the power company isn't sure when things will be restored. I didn't feel like being trapped in the dark so I was being preemptive."

"Yeah," Lucy sighs. "We responded to that call and the guy fled on foot. Angela tackled the suspect like a linebacker."

"Things go okay?"

"They did," Lucy smiles. "But I think you already know that."

"I may have checked in with Angela a time or two," he admits.

"A time or two?" She chuckles with a shake of her head. "I'm pretty sure you texted her every hour."

"She told you that?"

"Maybe."

"Traitor," he mutters.

"It's kind of sweet that you care."

"Just making sure you weren't out there trying to be a hero again."

"Not today."

"Did you get everything you needed for your project?"

She takes a seat beside him and shakes her head no, sliding her bag from her shoulder and resting it on the coffee table. "Some people didn't wanna talk to me at all. Other times, there wasn't time for me to talk before the next call came in and we had to rush off. Your job is a lot more fast paced than I realized. Something is always changing. Always going on. Today was very…insightful."

"Yeah. I think maybe that's why sometimes I just like to come home and relax. Do the same thing night in and night out. Why I don't like trying new things.I like the predictability. Having a few hours where I don't have to be on high alert and I can just breathe."

"It makes sense," she observes. "You've been in a constant state of fight or flight since you were a kid. I'm sure that having some stability and routine is comforting."

He nods and changes the subject. "Sorry you didn't get to finish your project, by the way, Do you want me to see if you can have one more ride along and try again?"

"No, that's okay. I think I realized standing out was less about me and more about my parents and I'm coming to terms with the fact that I don't have to live my life for them. Or I'm trying to, anyway."

"Does that mean we don't have to do this pretend date and I can get out of going to your mom's birthday party and you can just tell them that you're happy being single and you don't wanna go anywhere near anyone they'd set you up with?"

"Not a chance," she chuckles. "I'm absolutely not there yet. Baby steps."

"Yeah, I had a feeling I wasn't gonna get that lucky. So, how about I pour us some wine and figure out what we're gonna tell everyone while we're there?"

"Sounds perfect."

When Tim heads to the kitchen, Lucy grabs her phone and puts on her random playlist so there can be music in the background while they talk. An album by Michael Nau begins to play and Lucy takes her wine glass from Tim, relishing the first sip he takes the seat next to her.

"Alright, so how long have we been dating?"

"Mmmm. Two weeks next Tuesday."

"That's specific."

"Well, it gives a good time frame from when we met. It shows we didn't jump into anything the moment you moved in, but that we got to know each other a bit first. Formed a connection."

"So we're going to weave the truth in some? Admit to them that I'm in the middle of a divorce and we live together?"

"We're going to lean into the truth a bit," Lucy explains, "it'll be easier to keep things straight that way. But we obviously need to omit the most complicated parts. The goal is to make my mother believe we're together so she backs off, while simultaneously pissing her off for shits and giggles, but not to the extreme that she tries to drag you outside by your ear to get you away from me."

"Okay.. And the truths are?"

"You're Genny's brother. You're a cop. We didn't get along initially. You were shot recently."

"And the not-truths?"

"We probably shouldn't mention the pending divorce. My mom would make too much of a big deal about it. Maybe we just say that you sold your house and you're staying with us while you wait to close on your new one."

"Do we tell her that you were there when I got shot or…"

"I don't know." Lucy scratches her chin and pulls her legs underneath her body. "I'm torn because I feel like they'd love the whole idea of me collecting data and conducting research, but they'd hate the idea I was on the streets while you were on patrol. But, I do think it makes a better love story that I saved you. What do you think?"

"I think that we should just tell them we met at a barbeque."

"No, that's lame!" She hisses. "It sounds so much better that I was with you, and I saved you, and then I helped nurse you back to health. And the day after you were released, I came home from work, and you overdid it because you got bored and your incision was bleeding, so you took your shirt off and I got on my knees and helped you clean it. Then our eyes met and time seemed to stand still, goosebumps ghosted over our skin, and you grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. You licked your lips and brushed my cheek with the tip of your index finger as you pushed a strand of hair behind my ears so you could see my eyes better, and then we shared our first kiss. It was short and sweet, and you pulled away, all worried you'd just made a mistake and ruined our budding friendship, but then I grabbed your face and pulled you back to me, and the next thing I knew you had me pressed against a wall."

His jaw hangs open, his eyes wide and brows raised as he stutters, "Yeah, o-okay. That's-that's good. It's–it's good."

"Thank you."

"Just, uh, maybe we don't tell your parents that I pushed you against the wall. I can't see any dad wanting to hear that story."

"Right," she blushes and looks away, taking a large sip of wine, realizing her fantasy may have gotten a little carried away.

Tim runs a fingertip along the rim of his wine glass and averts his gaze from her. "So, uh, we should probably talk about the elephant in the room. You know, if we're going to actually sell that we are boyfriend and girlfriend, we may have to, you know, we may have to um…"

"May have to what?" She teases with a twinkle in her eye. She's fully aware of where he's going with his statement, but she kind of loves watching him squirm.

"May have to…you know…"

"May have to PDA?" She teases, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

He growls and slides away from her slightly. "You know what, forget it."

"No, no," she reaches out and rests her hand on his forearm that's stretched across the back of the couch. "You're right. If we're going to, if we're going to have to," she pauses and lets out a nervous laugh, "kiss for the first time, it probably shouldn;t be in a room full of strangers and my parents."

"That's what I'm saying," he mumbles.

"Right. Yeah."

Things grow silent and awkward and Lucy twists a loose thread on her jeans. She can feel Tim's eyes on her, and a heaviness settles in her chest as her heart thunders and part of her fears it's so loud he might hear her.

"Should we, uh, should we maybe stand?" She blurts out, no longer able to take the silence.

Tim's eyes dart around the room, anywhere but on Lucy's eyes. "Yeah. Sure. Great . Let's get this over with."

They both jump to their feet, only a mere twelve inches between them, and when he peers down at her, his lips already puckered, she jumps back involuntarily, her nerves getting the better of her. She's imagined kissing him so many times the past two months, but she never expected it to be like this. So scripted. So premeditated. So much time to think of what she might do wrong.

She suddenly realized she was about to be his first kiss since his marriage ended. That he'd been kissing the same woman for 13 years until now, and she felt unmeasurable pressure realizing that.

A giggle escapes her lips, one that makes her sound far too much like an inexperienced schoolgirl, "Just give me a minute," she hastens, taking several deep, calming breaths to prepare herself.

He nods, mutters, "take your time," and she swears she can see him pulling in a few preparatory gulps of his own.

"Yes, okay, I'm good. I am good," she tells him, though every fiber of her being feels like it's on fire and her stomach is in knots, and her heart is fluttering in giddy anticipation as she closes her eyes and leans in, But she's left surprised and disappointed, when instead of the steamy kiss she'd been expecting, all she gets is a quick and chaste peck.

Her nose wrinkles and she stammers out, "That's it?" Without much thought to what she said or without regard to the proud look he'd been wearing in anticipation of her response.

"You know what," he huffs, his hands falling to his side. "If you're going to criticize…" she doesn't wait for him to finish. She leans forward, having to move herself on her tiptoes to account for the height difference, then grabs his face with both hands, pulling him towards her and ghosting her lips over his.

She isn't quite sure what she expected to happen next, she hadn't exactly planned her reaction in that split second that she made the decision, but she was pleasantly surprised when he didn't pull away and he responded to her kiss, his soft, warm lips dancing with hers, slowly, tentatively, tenderly. His hand coming up from his side and resting gently on her shoulder as she parts her lips to deepen the kiss. One of her hands drops from his cheek and slides down to his chest as their tongues tangle together and her body lightly presses against his.

Everything around them seems to disappear in that moment, and she's only vaguely aware of the soft lyrics from Only My Love Survive playing in the background as she loses herself in him.

Chapter 21: Chapter 21

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

A symphony of emotions washed over Tim and the weight of every unspoken word, every stolen glance, every missed opportunity until now was culminating in this moment and it was as though the world around him had become nothing but a blur.

He'd always assumed that his first kiss with someone new would be uncomfortable and strange; foreign. Like being forced to wear a new pair of shoes because your favorite pair have become so tattered and broken.

But this practice kiss with Lucy was far from that. With each brush of their lips, an electric current seemed to course through his veins, igniting a fire within him that he long since assumed was extinguished.

The kiss was sweet. Affectionate. Vulnerable. Warm. And it created an inexplicable feeling within him of safety and belonging he had no clue could be found again.

He didn't want to stop kissing her. To lose that moment between them. To not feel the delicate way her fingertips traced the contours of his face. To not feel the way his heart skipped a beat when her teeth raked over his bottom lip, luring his lips back to hers when he made a feeble attempt to pull away for a moment and pull much needed oxygen into his lungs.

And he didn't dare part from her after that, surrendering to the dizzying feeling that was overwhelming him, fully giving in to the intoxicating whirlwind of emotions and hormones raging within him.

That is, until an unanticipated and unwanted interruption in the form of frantic knocking on their door has them leaping apart.

They are both breathless and flushed, and as the knocking intensifies, they share confused looks, neither expecting company.

"You, uh, you mind getting that?" Tim asks, his cheeks burning as his hands come to rest over his midsection in an attempt to hide his raging hard on..

This causes Lucy's own cheeks to grow pink and she nods, though a smug grin tugs at her lips realizing that she'd had such an effect on him.

"Just a minute," she calls out as she walks to the door, and she's left raising a brow when she sees her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Horne standing at their door with tears welling in her big green eyes.

"Thank God!" The older woman cries when she sees Lucy. "I need your help, please you've gotta help me!"

"Okay," Lucy reaches out and gives the woman's hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze. "Just tell me what's wrong and how I can help."

"It's Harold," she laments. "His oxygen tank is almost empty and the power company still isn't sure when power will be restored. He has severe COPD and he can't be without it, he'll die. You have to help me!"

"Okay," Lucy racks her brain. "I can, ah, I can call my friend, Aaron. He or someone in his family might have a generator they can spare."

Tim, who has been listening from a few feet away, and whose problem has almost fully resolved, steps to the door. "I can do you one better, ma'am. I'm a police officer and we keep backup generators at the station for situations just like this. If you think he has enough of a supply for about 20 more minutes, I can run down there and bring you one back."

"Would you do that, son?"

"Yes ma'am," he nods. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Lucy offers.

"No," he shakes his head. He thinks that this woman could use a calming presence and he knows Lucy is just that. He also knows he could use a few minutes to himself to process that kiss they just shared. "I got it, " he assures her. "Why don't you go back home with her and help her keep an eye on her husband until I get back?"

Lucy's lips press into a thin line and she nods, then he watches as she grabs the elderly lady's hand and offers her a reassuring smile as they walk towards her home.

"It's the third house down from yours on the left," Mrs. Horne calls out to Tim. "With the yellow siding and the bird bath in the front yard."

He makes a mental note of what she said and heads back inside to get his keys, leaning against the front door and his face contorting as if he is trying to solve a math problem and he tries to decide if he's grateful for this cosmic interruption or angry and disappointed that he didn't get to see what would've happened if they didn't get interrupted.

()()()()()()()()()()

Tim gets to the station and explains what's going on to Grey, who allows him to take one of the generators. Tim fills it up with gasoline and also fills up a 5 gallon tank of gas in case something happens and the power issues don't resolve soon enough.

The elderly couple are so thankful that they insist on feeding Lucy and Tim dinner to show their gratitude. The couple has a gas range oven and stove, so the lack of electricity hadn't affected her ability to prepare dinner. And while both Tim and Lucy try to insist that it isn't necessary, Mrs. and Mr. Horne are having none of their protest and when an older person tells you to sit down and eat, you sit down and eat.

While they're at the table, Mr, Horne, who it turns out is a retired police officer himself, makes a comment that Tim and Lucy remind him of himself and his wife when they were younger and that they are a cute couple.

The comment causes Lucy to choke on her food and Tim stutters out, "We are not a couple. We're just-we're just friends."

"I've never kissed one of my friends the way you two were kissing while I was banging on that door," Mrs. Horne comments

Lucy and Tim's jaw drops and they share a stunned gaze, both silently trying to communicate with their eyes on how to proceed and the silence between them is heavy, pregnant with unspoken implications.

"I peeked through the window to make sure someone was home after I didn't hear movement from my first few knocks. No wonder you two didn't hear me," she chuckles. "I almost didn't wanna interrupt you after what I saw, but it was an emergency, after all. It couldn't wait, not even for young love."

"We-ah-we were just…practicing," Lucy mutters sheepishly.

"I've never met two good looking twenty-somethings that needed to practice kissing before," Mr. Horne chuckles. "Most people get that out of the way in their teens."

"We-we're going on a fake date," Tim elaborates. "So Lucy's parents get off her back about dating. It's all just pretend."

"Isn't that something, Harold?" Irene Horne's eyes twinkle as she meets her husband's gaze. "Sounds like it's straight out of a movie."

"Or one of those raunchy books you read," he grumbles.

"Stop it," she swats her husband's elbow playfully. "Better than those nasty movies that showed up on our cable bill after our son's last visit."

"I told you Irene, baby," Harold huffs, "that was all Leroy's doing. You think I could handle one of those kinds of movies? My heart would give out on me two minutes in. Just seeing you strut around the kitchen in your nightie is almost too much for me."

Lucy cringes and Tim stares furiously at his food as the older couple continue their banter.

()()()()()()()

"Tonight was…interesting," Lucy comments while the two begin their short walk back home.

"Yeah," he laughs, his hands running through his short hair. He isn't sure if she was talking about their kiss or the interruption or their dinner with the Horne's or all of it. And he doesn't want to make things awkward, especially after Mr. Horne's comment about them, so he doesn't try to dig any further.

"Listen, uh," she twirls a loose strand of hair with her fingers as she talks, "I just wanted to say, you know, earlier when we were practicing, uh, you know, good work and all."

He chances a glance at her from the corner of his eye and his lip twitches. Yeah, um, you, too," he tells her. "Great work as well." He turns his head and rolls his eyes at himself for being so awkward. He should absolutely know how to approach this, but the experience had been so powerful, so consuming, he doesn't really know how to proceed and he isn't quite sure if she felt what he felt when they kissed.

After all, she's far more experienced sharing random kisses than he is, she's probably kissed someone far more recently than he has, and what he felt was probably just an exaggerated experience because it had been so long for him since he's had that type of physical contact and connection.

They pause before their front door and they share a silent look. Unspoken, palpable tension lingering in the air. Eventually, Tim holds his arm out towards the door, signaling for Lucy to enter first, which she does after clasping her hands together and ringing them about.

When they step inside, that heavy silence is still lingering, and Lucy must feel just as crushed by it as Tim does, because she excuses herself to bathe off from her long day with Angela. A true shower isn't an option due to the lack of hot water since the power is out but she needs an excuse to put some space between them for the moment and she also feels a little grungy from all the running she'd done earlier.

Tim heads for his own room and begins flipping through his FTO training manual by candlelight in an attempt to distract himself as well.

He's about ten pages in when he hears a knock on his door frame and he looks up to find Lucy leaning against it, clad only in an over-sized U.S.C. t-shirt and a pair of bike shorts.

He stares at her a moment, his pants growing tighter and his lips slightly parted, until he finally asks, "Everything okay?" But she doesn't speak immediately because she's too busy staring back at him in the same way.

"Great, everything's great." Her thumb finds its way to the corner of her lip and she gnaws at the nail a moment with her legs crossed before she asks him, "You played sports, right?"

"Yeah?" His brows raise curiously, because of all the things he imagined her asking, that was not one of them. "Baseball and football from the time I was old enough to hold a ball until I graduated."

"I played softball," she informs him, her thumb dropping to her side. "All middle school and high school and even for a semester freshman year in college before my parents made me quit so it wouldn't take time away from my studies."

"O-kay?"

Lucy's throat bobs and she takes a careful step forward into his room. "I uh-I learned something important while I played sports. I'm pretty sure you were taught the same thing."

He blinks at her, still unsure of where this is going.

She takes another tentative step forward. "I learned that practice is very, very important. Before you get on the field, you have to run plays several times so you can perform just right in the game." She takes another step forward, her fingers threading through the hem of her shirt. "And ah, you can't run those plays alone. You've gotta practice with your teammates, so you'll be perfectly in sync."

His eyes darken and they fall to the hem her shirt, which is hanging just above her tiny bike shorts, exposing the soft, delicate flesh of her thighs. He licks his lips, and his voice grows husky. "Practice does make perfect."

"Mhm."

She steps forward again and now she's directly in front of his bed. She catches his gaze, her lecherous eyes asking silent permission, which he gives by tossing his book and reaching out and tugging her hand, pulling her in bed with him until she's climbing on top of him, her hands cupping the side of his face, his hands falling on her naked thighs, his thumbs circling over her smooth skin as he emits a low, guttural growl from the back of his throat.

Her brown eyes, as enticing as rich chocolate, are deadlocked on his own. Her lips part slightly, a sexy grin forming on her face that's a mixture of allure and mischief and she's radiating confidence and self-assuredeness that makes her even more attractive than he thought possible.

The anticipation is maddening, and he's too impatient. Without much thought, he's leaning up, capturing her lips with his own in desperation. But she pulls back ever so slightly, shaking her head and gently placing her index finger over his pouting lips.

He's confused and hurt and disappointed, but she doesn't give him time to linger on those feelings before she's simply changing the pace. She's more deliberate when she leans into him. Their lips lingering in a tantalizing embrace. It's gentle, yet teasing. Soft, but exploratory.
And there's that electric current again, sparking inside of him.

His fingernails lightly graze across her thighs and she moans into his lips, causing her to pick up the pace into a more fervent exchange that he matches, desire burning within him as they lose themselves in the taste and texture of one another.

The only sounds in the room are the smacking of lips, ragged breathing, and the moans of pleasure that escape them as their hunger consumes them, As the desire grows, conscious thought is lost and Tim's hands wander up her thighs until they are sliding underneath her shorts, inching their way up higher and higher until Lucy's lips are suddenly no longer on his own and she's resting her forehead against his, her cheeks flushed, panting desperately.

Tim freezes, his entire body growing rigid and still. "Did I do something wrong?"

"God, no!" Lucy raggedly breathes out. "It's just–I'm sorry. I'm not–I didn't come in here planning to round all the bases. I just–I really did only mean for us to keep, you know, practicing, like we were before."

He slides his hands out from under her shorts and nods. "I didn't mean to…"

"No, don't be" she interrupts, "it's okay." She licks her lips and the corner of her lips twitch into a pleased grin as she reaches for the buttons on his shirt with shaky hands and her mouth presses a gentle kiss to the side of his face, down his neck, up to his earlobe, and back down his neck again, nibbling and suckling along the way.

Tim's head falls back and he releases a satisfied groan, his hands moving to her hips as her body rocks back and forth over his.

"You sure about this?" He forces himself to ask, not wanting to pressure her or make her feel like she has to.

She undoes the last button on his shirt and pushes it off his shoulders, revealing his bare chest to her. Her pupils dilate and her left hand trails down his toned, bare chest, a lascivious grin curling her lips. "Very, very sure," she whispers, her lips crashing wildly against his.

He doesn't waste any time, greedily tugging at the edge of her t-shirt, which she eagerly responds to by lifting her arms so he can slide it over her head.

He pulls away from her long enough to sweep his eyes over her in an appreciative gaze, and then their tongues are tangling together again while his hands roam her upper body, exploring every curve until he's kneading her breast through her lacy pink bra with one hand and fidgeting with the clasp on the back with his other.

It doesn't take long before he's won that battle, and he's freeing her breasts. He fondles them appreciatively, then tears his mouth from hers, earning a dissatisfied whine, which turns to moans of pleasure when his lips seek new refuge on her breasts, his tongue lapping against her nipples.

"You've got a condom, right?" She manages to muster out between sweet whimpers.

He freezes, his steady hands resting on her thighs, and he chokes out, a disappointed, distressed "No." He hadn't used a condom in over ten years and hadn't exactly been planning this, so he didn't have one on hand.

"I've got some in my room," she reassures him, leaning her body in preparation to slide off him and retrieve one.

But Tim's far too worried if she gets off him one of them might overthink this and change their mind in the amount of time takes her to walk to her room and back into his, so he slides his hands possessively up and down her thighs to hold her in place and with a throaty, commanding voice, he instructs her to wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he lips ghost over her neck, tracing a path up to her earlobe, where he gently nibbles.

She does as he says, her arms winding around his neck and her legs locking around his lower back, and he stands in one swift motion, holding her bare back with one arm and extending the other outwards for protection as he backs them out of his room and towards hers, only the faint faint candlelight guiding them on their way.

There's several bumps along the way as Tim's outstretched hand connects with door jams and walls, and she giggles against his lips each time he saves her head from being smashed.

FIinally, they make their way into her room, which she'd lit two candles in while she'd gotten dressed, and she tells him to shut her door, which he does by backing her up against it and the primal part of him wants to fuck her right then and there against the door, but she tells him, "they're in my nightstand, by my bed," and then he's moving again, this time with his eyes open while she assaults his neck and chest with her lips, until he's lowering her onto her bed.

He's standing over her, admiring as best he can in the dim flickering of the candlelight, the way her breasts are splayed out and taking note of the fact that her bed's the perfect height, when she desperately mews out, Tim," and arches her body.

He doesn't make her beg. He leaps for her night stand, grabbing a sleeve of condoms and tearing one off the top. She sits up and works his pants off him, and even though he's already rock hard, she strokes him with her hand and takes the condom from him, peeling it open and carefully placing it on the tip with her hands, before she takes him by complete surprise and uses her lips and tongue to work it all the way down to the base.

He elicits a string of muttered curses and his hands tangle in the back of her hair, and when she pulls away and her dark eyes meet his, she says. "You grabbed a flavored one, figured I might as well."

A pleased growl escapes his lips and he steps out of his discarded clothes and roughly pulls down her shorts, which she wastes no time wiggling out of. She remains on the edge of the bed, perfectly positioned for him, legs sprawled open, and he slips a single finger inside, pumping it and and out and biting down on his lip and muttering, "fuck me," when he realizes how wet she is.

"That's what I"m waiting for you to do," she mews, and he doesn't make her weight any longer, he steps forward, pulling her to the very edge of the bed, then he pushes her legs even further apart with his knees, and begins gingerly pushing himself inside her, taking his time and allowing her to adjust to his width and length before he sets a steady pace.

Notes:

I was originally going to make Jackson be the one to interrupt them, it was something I planned from when I first imagined this story and I was also going to have their first time be after their fake date, but no matter how hard I tried to write that, I could not get it how I wanted it. I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, and I always feel weird writing sex scenes, but I hope it turned out okay.

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Notes:

I am absolutely blown away by the response to that last chapter. I never in my life imagined it would be so well received but I am thrilled and in awe. I know writers should write to make them happy, but I publish so an audience can also enjoy it, and to see so many people are enjoying this story is so exciting. I'm having the most fun writing it and I could theoretically keep telling this story forever. Not really, but I probably could get about 80 chapters out of it, but I do plan to conclude it in a satisfying way before the end of July so that I don't have to wait weeks before updating when life gets busy again. The plan is to update again tomorrow, and hopefully daily after that until this is complete. Enjoy this latest installment!

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Lucy's body was still humming with the echoes of pleasure as Tim pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder blade before pulling out of her. Their hot, sticky bodies were still pressed together and she felt a bead of sweat that trickled from his forehead and landed on her chest while he languidly moved to disconnect their intertwined bodies.

Slowly, her now wobbly legs unwind from the vice grip they've been holding around his shoulders and there is a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins that's fueled from the the thrill of excitement and exploration from discovering new depths of pleasure and intimacy with someone who seemed to light her entire being on fire and left her feeling waves of emotions she's never felt in the afterglow of release.

There's a certain vulnerability mingled with her excitement and satiety that she isn't quite used to. First times with new partners, no matter how attracted to them she is, are often messy or uncomfortable. There's so much pressure to remain fully unsatisfied or to give that new partner a play by play of what you want, no need, from them. And it normally takes some time before, and sometimes even if ever, that perfect rhythm is found.

But with Tim, it was different. There was a sense of trust and connection there she was so unaccustomed to during sex. The way their bodies intertwined replayed in her mind like a vivid movie. His touch, his kiss, how effortlessly their bodies seemed to synchronize. Her body shuddered and trembled in ecstasy again just thinking about it.

The experience definitely exceeded her expectations. Not that she'd had any expectations when she'd gone into his room tonight. She meant what she said when told him she hadn't intended for anything beyond kissing to happen between them. There'd been no pretense of sex on her mind when she'd stepped into his doorway, she'd honestly just wanted to kiss him some more. She hadn't been able to get that kiss off her mind since Mrs. Horne interrupted them, and as much as she tried to fight it, she craved the feeling of his lips moving against hers in a way she'd never craved contact with another person, so she'd come to him with that stupid analogy about practicing, hoping he'd take the bait, and he did.

Things just naturally escalated from there, and of course they did. She shouldn't have been surprised by it. Their tongues were down each other's throats and she was grinding against him, practically dry humping him. Of course his hands began to wander, it was only natural and she should've seen it coming, And maybe a part of her did, even if she didn't want to admit it to herself.

She'd almost put a stop to things the moment his fingertips grazed the base of her thighs. Not because it didn't feel good, because my God, it felt amazing and all she wanted was for his fingers to keep working their way up until they were inside her. But for a fleeting moment, panic swept over her. Knowing once they crossed this line it couldn't be undone and all she could hear was Genny's voice in her head telling her not to do it.

But Lucy was so damn tired of listening to everyone else and doing what was asked of her and expected of her. She was sick of putting her wants and needs last to make others happy. And when she felt Tim freeze and saw the panicked, hurt look in his eyes when he thought he did something wrong, she told that voice in her head to shut the fuck up and went for what she wanted.

After all, Tim was Genny's brother, not her boyfriend or her ex, not someone she laid any real claim to. And at the end of the day, both Lucy and Tim were grown, single, consenting adults and it was clear they both wanted it. There was no real, valid reason to not give in to temptation and give themselves exactly what they wanted.

Besides, what Genny didn't know wouldn't hurt her, and there was no reason Genny ever had to find out about this.

So, Lucy doesn't let herself feel the least bit guilty as she revels in her euphoric state.

Instead, she basks in the remaining moments of it. Her eyes follow Tim's naked body in the faint glow of candlelight as he discards the used condom in the trashcan by her bed. She admires his firm ass as he picks up his boxers and slides them on, her bottom lip poking out when her view is covered by the tight blue cloth of his boxer briefs. Her eyes continue to follow him, curiously watching as he doesn't bother to put on his pants right away, and instead, heads towards her and collapse on the bed beside her, his chest rising and falling rapidly with one hand underneath his head and the other splain across his chest and a goofy grin she's never seen him sporting is spread across his face while he stares up at the ceiling.

Suddenly, she's feeling a bit exposed and vulnerable, lying completely naked beside him while he's partially covered, and she reaches over and grabs a throw blanket from the edge of her bed to cover herself.

He must've spotted her movement out of the corner of his eyes, because then he's rolling over, that dopey grin being replaced with a curled down lip, and he's delicately reaching out to brush a curl behind her ear.

She smirks at him, and though he can't see it, she's blushing and she doesn't know why, but her stomach flutters at his simple gesture.

What she does know is her smirk causes his dopey grin to return, so she rolls over so she can have a better view of him.

She's thankful that his shirt was discarded in his bedroom and that she can still appreciate his chiseled chest and abdomen. She licks her lips, and she has to stop herself from reaching out to run her hands up and down his body, because that would feel too intimate now that the sex is over. Too much like cuddling. Too much like something boyfriends and girlfriends do, not what fuck buddies do.

They're face to face, about a foot of space between them, and neither is speaking. Maybe there is a touch of uncertainty there on both parts. Each of them wondering if this is simply a fleeting moment, a beautiful memory they'll both cherish, but not dare to revisit.

Instead of speaking, Tim leans in and presses his lips to hers. Not desperate and hungry, the way he'd been fucking her only moments before, but warm, soft, gentle, tender.

He's still smiling as their lips move together, she can feel it in the way his lips are quirked up, and she wonders how his face isn't hurting from being locked in that expression. Not that she's complaining, because, well, maybe she's still smiling a little, too.

"You were right," he mutters between kisses, not daring to end the moment.

"I usually am," she pauses and catches his bottom lip with her teeth, her eyes sparkling at the moan of pleasure it earns her, then she mumbles, "But I'm going to need you to be more specific."

His hands slide underneath the throw-blanket, coming to rest on her hip as he scoots himself closer to her. "Sometimes change is good," he explains, though it's a bit muffled when her lips cover his. "Very, very good."

"It was very, very good," she hums and her thumb grazes across his stubbled cheek and she deepens the kiss because she doesn't know what else to say.

On one hand, hearing him voice how much he enjoyed their encounter thrills her. On the other hand, the weight of that statement hits her like a freight train. She suddenly remembers that this was the first time he's had sex since his wife left him. That she's only the second person he's ever been with in his 28 years of life. The magnitude of that realization leaves an uncomfortable ache in her chest, and she finds her old familiar self doubt creeping in. Worrying that Genny could have been right, maybe she shouldn't have crossed this line with him. Maybe she should have considered the long term implications for Tim before she gave in to selfish desire.

And if the mere thought of her could speak Genny into existence, Lucy's almost certain she just manifested her best friend's presence, because she hears the undeniable voice of the red head coming from the living room, calling out in confusion, "Lucy? Tim? Where are you? And why the hell are all these candles out?"

"Shit," Lucy hisses, tearing her lips from Tim's. "You've gotta go," she stammers, leaping to her feet and scrambling for her clothes. "I'm in my bedroom," she yells back as innocently as possible. "Power outage because some drunk idiot took out a light pole. I'll be out in a minute. Don't come in, I'm getting dressed."

Tim, who doesn't seem in nearly as much of a hurry, leans on his elbows and asks, "Why are you freaking out? It's just Genny."

"Exactly," Lucy whispers through clenched teeth. "Now be quiet before she hears you in here."

"Any idea when the power will be back on? And where's Tim?" Genny replies back.

Hobbling on one leg at a time as she slips back into her shorts, she responds, "No ETA on that last time I checked and he's-uh-he's helping the neighbors set up a generator." She picks up Tim's pants and tosses them at him, resulting in them thudding against his chest.

He stands up and puts his pants on as he watches Lucy hastily toss on a bra and t-shirt. "Why are we lying? Why can't we just tell Genny we were hanging out in here?" He questions with raised brows.

"Because she's not stupid and she's going to know we had s-e-x," she spells out in a hushed voice.

"That's sweet of him," Lucy can hear Genny say through the walls. "Which neighbors?"

"The Horne's."

"She's not gonna know we…" Tim scoffs.

"Yeah, she will," Lucy insists. "And she kinda made me promise not to have sex with you, so it'll be a really big deal when she finds out I broke that promise."

"She did what?" Tim growls.

"There's no time to explain," she huffs as she opens her window and points, ordering him to climb out of it.

"You can't be serious right now."

"Please, TIm!" she whines.

"I don't even have a shirt or shoes on!"

"You're taking a long time," Genny comments, "Are you okay? Do I need to come in?"

"No!" Lucy hastens. "I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute." She shoots Tim a pleading look and he sighs, but he doesn't argue anymore and he slips out the window.

Lucy breathes her own sigh as soon as he's out of sight, but hers is a sigh of relief and not frustration like Tim's.

()()()()()()()()

Lucy steps out of the hallway and finds Genny on the couch and she does her best to bite back the guilty feeling of betrayal that's burning in her gut for breaking a promise to her friend and she plasters on her best smile and cheeriest tone when she takes a seat beside her friend and asks, "How was your day?"

"It was fine, " Genny replies, staring back at Lucy carefully.

Lucy's hands drum on her own thighs and she keeps the conversation going. "You do anything fun?"

"Went to class, had lunch, dropped by to see Rob for a bit. The usual." Genny continues to carefully eye Lucy, the insane amount of candles Tim had lit in the living room after the power first went off providing ample light for her to study her friend. "How about you? How was your day?"

"It was good. Great. Good. You know, same as most days."

"You didn't do anything out of the ordinary?"

"No," Lucy chuckles nervously, scratching at the back of her neck. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because you went on that ride along with Angela today?"

"Right. That. Well, of course that was different than most days." She lets out another nervous laugh. "It was good, though. Except for that part where we had to chase the guy who's responsible for the power being out." She holds up her elbow to show Genny a small scrape. "I actually tripped when we were running. Scuffed myself up a bit."

Realization washes over Genny's face. "So that's what happened to your neck?"

Lucy touches the right side of her neck. "My neck?"

Genny reaches over and places a finger on the left side of her friend's neck, just above her collarbone. "I thought that was a hickey and what was taking you so long was you were trying to sneak a booty call out of your window," Genny giggles. "But it's just a scrape, right?"

Lucy winces, and she hopes like hell Genny thinks it's from the pain of that spot being touched. "Totally. That-that's exactly what happened. Damn slippery rocks."

Before Genny can prod any further, there's a knock on the front door and Lucy is bolting off the couch to get it before Genny can inspect her body for any more random marks. Behind the door, there's Tim, who is inexplicably now wearing shoes and a t-shirt.

"How are the Horne's?" Lucy asks, trying to play up her lie to avoid further suspicion.

"Good. They're good. Got them all set until power's back on." There's a forced calm to his voice and his hands are shoved deep in his pockets when he steps inside.

"Why'd you knock on the door?" Genny questions, crossing her legs and leaning forward.

"What?"

"Why'd you knock on the door? Why didn't you use your keys?"

"I–I forgot to grab them. Mrs. Horne showed up frantically asking for our help and I just didn't think to grab them."

"Then how'd you get the generator?"

"Huh?"

"You'd need your truck to get a generator for them, wouldn't you?"

"I–I…" Tim scratches the side of his head, "I did use my truck. I grabbed my spare key from where I keep it on the inside of my gas tank. I didn't wanna waste time running back inside, so I decided it'd be best to use the spare."

"Then why was your truck here when I pulled up and not at their house?"

"Uh, I brought it back after I dropped the generator off. I realized I left the extra gas tank I grabbed for them on the back of my truck, so I ah, I just walked it down to them."

Thick silence hangs in the air and Lucy's heart is thundering so hard beneath her chest that she wonders if Genny and Tim can hear it.

But if Genny has any doubts about Tim's story, she doesn't voice them. Instead, she pats the couch and says, "Do you wanna sit down? Lucy was just telling me all about her ride-along with Angela today.."

"No-no I'm beat," Tim forces a smile at his sister. "I think I'm gonna head to bed. You two talk. Have fun."

Lucy can visibly see Tim swallow and he meets her eyes, holding her gaze with an unreadable expression behind his eyes before he walks off and he disappears into his bedroom.

Notes:

Sneak peak for tomorrow: The fake date finally happens and Lucy and Tim have a talk.

Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Notes:

This one is a long one. Enjoy. As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter Text

Lucy's lying in bed later that night, unable to get comfortable and unable to stop the racing thoughts running a marathon in her mind when she hears tapping at her door. She glances at the clock on her nightstand, and the time reads 1:42 a.m. The electricity having finally returned a little less than an hour ago.

She isn't sure whether Tim or Genny is behind her door, and part of her wants to pretend she's asleep and deal with whichever it is tomorrow, but she's wide awake and there's no chance of her falling asleep soon, so she says, "Come in."

The door creaks open and it's Tim standing behind it. "I didn't know if you'd be awake," he mutters.

She reaches over and flips the lamp on her nightstand on and she sits up in bed and mutters, "Couldn't sleep," and in the light she notices he's clutching something in his hands.

"Me either. I-uh-I figured you might want these back and I wanted to wait until Genny was asleep because I'm sure you wouldn't want her to see me bringing them back to you." He holds out his hand, her t-shirt wrapped in a ball with her bra inside of it gripped in his palm.

"Thank you," she croaks, her stomach knotting and twisting at the conflicting emotions him returning her clothes brings about. For a moment, she's flooded with happiness remembering how amazing their time together had been, but that dissipates quickly when she remembers how everything fell apart so quickly once Genny came home.

He doesn't fully step inside her room, instead tossing the balled up wad of clothes to her on the bed. He turns, his lips pressed together tightly, and he begins to walk away.

"Tim," she calls out quietly but desperately, wanting so badly to fix this, "can we talk?"

He pauses in the doorway, his back facing her and one hand resting on the wooden frame. "What's there to talk about? We fucked. It was good but it clearly isn't happening again and it's something you regret, so there's no need to ever bring it up again."

"I don't regret it," she mutters, her voice thick with emotion. "I regret that you're mad at me now but I don't re–"

"I'm not not mad at you, Lucy," he interrupts.

She stares at him incredulously. "It's pretty obvious you are…"

"I'm not," he insists firmly, swiping a hand over his face and finally turning to face her. "But I am mad." Slowly, he makes his way over and plops down at the edge of her bed, leaving a great deal of distance between them. "My sister has no right to gate-keep my sex life."

"To be fair, I don't think she wants to gate-keep your sex life, I think she just wanted to gate-keep you sleeping with me."

His eyes roll and he shakes his head. "Doesn't matter, she had no right to say anything to you about it in the first place. In fact, what the hell was she bringing that up for anyway?"

"It was the day after we met Rob. She said she saw something between us at the restaurant and she thought something was going on. She didn't think it would be a good idea for you and I to," she pauses, searching for the right word, "get involved", she settles on. "She knows my history with guys and relationships and she's worried you'd, that you'd get attached and I'd hurt you after all you've already been through."

He blows out a heavy, irritated breath. "I'm a grown man, I don't need her looking out for me."

"She just loves you and is worried about you. It's not that different from the way you acted about Rob when you first met him."

"Yeah, it is. She barely knew him," he explains. "And none of her family and friends knew him. And you know what, I never once told her she can't date him, even though I still don't like him after getting to know him. It's different with you, she already knows you and what a great person you are, and I don't need protecting from you."

"I'm sorry," she bemoans. "I know this was a big deal for you, being with someone for the first time after Isabel. I know this isn't how you imagined the night would go your first time with someone new and even though I don't regret what happened between us, I'd take it back if I could so you could've had the experience you deserved."

He swipes a hand over the back of his neck and shakes his head. "I wouldn't take it back. Not even with how things ended tonight. I–," he hangs his head and his cheeks tinge pink from embarrassment. "I always imagined being with someone new would be weird, you know? That it would feel wrong kissing someone else. Touching them. Being inside them. That I'd be so aware it was some different that I wouldn't be able to be in the moment and I'd just be sitting there wishing it was Isabel. Comparing everything about them to her." He pauses and his Adam's apple bobs. "It wasn't like that with you. It felt…" He trails off.

Amazing. Life changing. Comfortable. In sync. Perfect. Those are all words that come to the forefront of Lucy's mind, but she doesn't dare utter them.

"We were really good together," she finishes for him.

"Yeah." He glances up at her and there's a smile there, a sad one, but still a smile.

She clutches the edge of her comforter, her fingers turning white from the amount of strength she's gripping the thick fabric with. "I still wish things had gone differently after, though," she admits. "Tonight was amazing and I honestly wasn't ready for it to end, not how it did anyway, but Genny is my best friend, I didn't want to hurt her by breaking her trust."

"I know," he hangs his head again.

Her voice cracks, "I don't want to hurt you either, Tim."

"You didn't." He reaches out to touch her face, but his hands fall mid air, and instead he repeats, "you didn't."

"So we should probably just pretend like tonight never happened," she suggests, though she can feel her heart drop when the words leave her mouth.

"I don't wanna pretend like it never happened," he mutters dejectedly.

"I don't either. Not really," she admits. "But I don't want to ruin my friendship with Genny, I care about her too much. And I care about you, too, Tim."

"I know." His shoulders rise and fall with the heavy breath he pulls in. "That's why we probably shouldn't let it happen again. I mean, I'm glad it was you I was with my first time out again. And I'm not gonna forget it or try to make myself pretend it didn't happen, but there's too much at risk to let it happen again. For both of us. We live together and you're my sister's best friend and my divorce isn't even officially final yet, and it's all so complicated with us, so, it's probably best if I stick to my original plan of only having one night stands from here on out with people I don't really know. And won't see it again."

"And I should probably only keep sleeping with guys I don't want to keep in my life long term," she agrees.

"Right."

"You don't have to go with me tomorrow," she gives him an out, knowing that things are complicated now. That playing pretend after they've been intimate with other might be too much to bear. "I can handle it on my own."

"I'm still going with you," he insists firmly.

"Tim, you don't have…"

"I'm going, Lucy. I'm not making you deal with your parents alone after everything you told me. You stood by me while my mom was down and I'm gonna be there for you."

"Thank you."

He nods and silence settles in between them, the kind of silence that creeps its way in before a tumultuous storm starts to brew, and it's as thick as the rolling black clouds you'd suspect in such a storm.

"We should probably get some sleep," Lucy finally suggests.

"Yeah."

He's still sitting on the edge of her bed, staring deeply at her, his blue eyes flicking between her eyes and her lips, and she wonders if he's thinking the same thing she is. If every nerve of his body is as desperate for one final kiss as she is.

She wants to lean in, or to ask him if it's okay if they share one last kiss, but she doesn't. They've already crossed a line they can't come back from, and they just drew a new one in the sand, and she doesn't dare step over it.

Tim stands, his hands sliding down his pajama bottoms, and he says, "Goodnight, Lucy," as he makes his way out of her room, not looking back at her.

"Goodnight, Tim," she squeaks. Her entire body feels like lead and there's a lump in her throat and an ache in her chest and she's realizes she didn't even feel this way when she and Chang broke up and she's only slept with Tim once, no strings attached, and the thought of never having him again in that way is crushing her.

()()()()()

The next morning, Genny runs into Tim at the breakfast table, and he scowls at his sister while she pours herself a bowl of fruity pebbles, not bothering to respond when tells him good morning.

Good morning to you, too," she mutters, not missing his passive aggressive attitude.

Again, he doesn't acknowledge her presence, instead angrily shoving a spoonful of frosted flakes into his mouth. He's never been more pissed off at his sister in his entire life for inserting herself into his personal matters and he finds himself wishing he was an only child.

She essentially ruined what had ended up being the best night he's had in at least a year, hell several years if he's being honest with himself. He couldn't remember the last time he was as happy as he was last night after kissing Lucy, being inside her, lavishing in the afterglow together, their tongues dancing together languidly. All he'd wanted to do was hold her close, to relish in the moment, to continue kissing her and allowing his mind to get lost in her to forget all of his problems and all the hurt he'd gone through and to just bask in that happy moment with her.

But then Genny came home and ruined it, and then he'd found out she'd actually ruined it long before it began and now she'd created this unspoken distance between him and Lucy that he wasn't sure could fully be repaired because he knew Lucy felt so damn guilty for betraying that stupid promise she'd made to Genny.

And it pissed him off because Lucy didn't have a damn thing to feel guilty about.

Neither of them did.

And even though part of him thought maybe he'd feel some guilt for betraying his wedding vows, since according to Wesley, there were about 30 more days to go before the expedited divorce was official, he didn't feel guilty about it all.

Not in the least. Isabel made her choice and broke those vows long before he could, she created another life breaking those vows, and he'd be damned if he let himself feel guilty for finding comfort in Lucy after the fact.

He'd done what he was supposed to do. He stood by his wife. He got her help. He didn't give up on her and he helped her get clean and healthy. And she made her choice after, and he'd made his now. He was moving on, like Angela had been telling him for so long, it was time.

They should be happy this morning, sharing stolen glances across the table, sharing silent laughs with their eyes about their secret tryst the night before while Genny looks on without a clue.

But now, they're going to be sharing awkward looks and avoiding eye contact because his sister is unknowingly making Lucy feel like the worst friend in the world by breaking a promise she had no business asking her to make.

"What crawled up your butt? Genny finally asks him when he doesn't bother to speak after she's almost finished her meal.

"Nothing," he mutters, standing and sliding his chair out, which screeches across the floor. He wants to go off on her. To bite her head off and chew her out. But he doesn't. He isn't even sure how to bring it up without giving away the fact that he and Lucy hooked up, and he knows Lucy doesn't want that, so he keeps his mouth shut.

He simply puts his now empty bowl in the sink and grabs his keys, needing to get out of the house for a while and away from his sister so he doesn't explode. He decides he's going to retrieve the generator from the Horne family and take it back to the station then run some errands before he has to come home and get ready for his fake date with Lucy.
()()()()()()()()

Tim doesn't return home until about an hour before he and Lucy have to leave. She texted him at least 5 times to make sure he's okay and that he isn't mad at her, and he kept assuring her that he was fine and definitely wasn't mad at her and he'd be back in time to go with her.

When he gets home, he says hey to Lucy and finds out his sister is at Rob's and is planning to stay there for the night, because in Lucy's words, "her brother's in a mood and she doesn't want to deal with him."

Which he's perfectly fine with, because he doesn't want to deal with her comments or questions about their fake date, which he's now certain Lucy hasn't told her about.

He heads to the bathroom to get ready, taking the time to shower and give himself a clean shave and he pulls out his best cologne and spends about twenty minutes trying to choose the best outfit. He knows this date isn't real, but he's supposed to be convincing her parents that he's actually her boyfriend, so he knows it's important to sell it and go all out.

He settles on black pants and a black button up that he compliments with a black jacket. He hasn't color coordinated with Lucy to see what she's wearing, but he assumes that black is a safe color that can compliment almost anything.

He combs through his hair one last time and gives himself a once over in the mirror, smoothing down the sides of his jacket, and then he's stepping out of the bathroom, where he comes across Lucy in the hallway, where she's paused and placing a gold hoop earring in her ear.

He stops in his tracks, his breath hitching in his chest when he sees her. She's wearing this greenish-blue dress with all these brightly colored flowers on it that fits her form perfectly. It's cut low in the front exposing her cleavage where a gold necklace dips down her breast line and his eyes fall to her chest, remembering how not even 24 hours ago those breasts had been cupped in his hands and how her nipples were inside his mouth and how he wishes the power hadn't been out so he could've gotten a better look at them.

He bites the inside of his cheek to distract himself and to hopefully quell the way his dick is threatening to spring to life, but when he looks up and his eyes reach her face, he's no less mesmerized and he simply stares at her in awe.

She turns, asking him," What?" As if she's worried there's something wrong with her outfit.

And when she does, he gets a glimpse of the way her dress opens in the back exposing the skin at her shoulders and mid spine, and he's never been more turned on by a bare back in his life.

"It's nothing," he stammers, and while a part of him is left speechless and fumbling and he thinks he should try and play the moment off, he tells himself that they've already slept together and things are already somewhat awkward now, so no harm can come by giving her a compliment.

"It's just, you look really beautiful."

Her eyelashes flutter and she smiles at him, one of those bashful smiles of hers that make his stomach twist, and she tucks her hair behind her ears, letting her eyes roam over his form as well, and she tells him, "You look quite handsome yourself."

"Are you ready?" He asks,knowing if they keep staring at each other like this then that resolve they have to not let things happen again is going to crumble, at least on his end. "Traffic is probably getting bad and the drive to Santuari is already hectic enough on a good day."

She clears her throat and gives him a firm nod and the two head for the front door.

()()()()()()()

Just like he did the night they went out with Genny and Rob, Tim holds the front door and the truck doors open for Lucy. He knows it isn't a real date, but he feels like it's the gentlemanly thing to do, and it's probably a good idea to stay committed to the fact that they are dating so that there are no slip-ups.

The drive over starts with uncomfortable small talk, but it's not long before they've thankfully settled into their normal comfort zone. Somehow they end up arguing about the best soup for when you are sick, vegetable or chicken noodle and Lucy tells him he's impossible when he won't budge from his stance on chicken noodle.

They get to the venue and even though they're fifteen minutes early, the parking lot is packed. He knows it's a bustling restaurant and her parents have simply rented a private space inside for the evening, but he wonders how many of these cars belong to her family and their friends and acquaintances and how many are simply customers.

When he opens the door of his truck for her, he rests a hand on the small of her back as they walk towards the entrance,and he doesn't miss the way she glances at him out of the corner of her eye at that contact. It's not a displeased glance, just a surprised one, and he leans in and whispers, "Just trying to be a good boyfriend."

"Well, you're succeeding so far," she whispers back with quirked lips.

The usher, a young Hispanic man in a nice suite, shows them to the private room the Chen's have reserved and the style is very boho with chic furnishings and airy linens, and Tim has to admit it boasts an amazing view. It would be a great place for an actual first date, if that's what this was, but it absolutely isn't that and he absolutely isn't pretending it is.

()()()()()()()

"This place is gorgeous," Lucy comments, her arms winding around his waist as they walk and she takes in the views of an immaculate botanical garden through the large picture windows.

He walks with her, her body tucked perfectly into his side as they step inside the private room, and his eyes, always on high alert, scan his surroundings. There's easily already 35 or 40 people there, and he wonders where Lucy's parents are.

But he isn't left wondering for long, because a middle age Chinese couple are quickly approaching them, both sporting disapproving looks.

"Lucy," Vanessa Chen curtly greets her daughter.

"Hi mom," the younger Chen replies, her grip around Tim's waist tightening. "Hi Dad," she greets her father.

Briefly, she releases her hold on Tim and steps forward to hug her parents, neither welcoming her in a full embrace, their shoulders barely touching. As soon as she lets go of her father she's clinging to Tim's side again.

"You're late," Mrs. Chen huffs. "The party started at 5:30.

"But, you said it started at 6:30?" Lucy counters.

Patrick eyes the women warily and Mrs. Chen scoffs, "I did no such thing. Really dear, you should have your ears checked. It's like you never listen to a word I say."

Lucy doesn't argue with her mother, she knows it's futile, so she tries to redirect instead. "Mom, dad, this is my boyfriend," she tries to ignore how easily those words slipped from her tongue, "Tim Bradford."

Tim smiles widely and extends his hand. "It's nice to meet you both. Lucy's told me a lot about you."

Patrick Chen, though reluctantly, shakes his hand and Vanessa outright sneers at him as she offers him a limp handshake in return and mutters, Well, I can't say the same about you. Anyway, why don't you both come sit," her mother instructs. "Everyone here is starved from waiting on you two."

As the elder Chen's lead the way to the dinner table, Lucy apologizes profusely to Tim for her mother's behavior, and he dismisses it by telling her, "It's fine. Dinner with my dad would be much worse."

()()()()()

Once they are seated, the servers begin bringing out the food, and Tim picks at his appetizer with pouty lips.

"Is something wrong with your food?" Vanessa, who is seated across from Tim and Lucy, ruefully inquires.

"No ma'am," he replies cordially, though he knows he's lying through his teeth.

"Tim hates mushrooms," Lucy answers for him, not wanting him to feel forced to eat something he doesn't like to impress her parents. She takes her fork and scoops mushroom and polenta from his plate and onto hers, chuckling as she says, "Can you believe every time we go to a fancy restaurant with predetermined meals that they end up giving you mushroom based appetizers?"

"And just how many fancy restaurants have you two gone to together?" Lucy's Aunt Amy, who is sitting between Lucy and her mother, inquires.

"This is technically just the second one," Tim answers.

"Is my daughter not good enough to take on fancy dates?" Vanessa barks.

"I–no. Of course not. Lucy's-"

"Mom," Lucy intercedes sharply, cutting Tim off. "We've only been dating two weeks."

Tim holds up a single finger and corrects, "Two weeks this coming Tuesday."

"Look at that," Aunt Amy swoons, "a man who's handsome, sharply dressed, and remembers important dates"

"That's not sharply dressed," Vanessa murmurs and points across the room. "Lucy, you see your cousin, Sophia, over there? Her husband Liam, now he's sharply dressed. Look at that three piece Armani suit he's wearing. And look at Sophia, her hair is impeccable tonight. It's so straight and beautiful. Why didn't you wear your hair straight?"

Lucy opens her mouth to remind her mother every single time she's worn her hair straight in front of her she's chastised her for not wearing it naturally, but she remembers that reminding her mother of that fact won't do any good. She only shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

"I asked her to wear her hair like this," Tim informs Vanessa while he reaches out and twirls one of her curls with his finger. He's thankful for his ability to tell people what they need to hear under high stress situations that almost make lying to Lucy's parents so easy. That and the fact that he's barely known her mother for ten minutes and he can't stand her so far. "I mean, she always looks beautiful, no matter what her hair looks like, but I love the way it curls at the ends."

"Did you pick that dress out too?" She sneers at Tim.

"He did not," Lucy retorts thickly, unable to hide her growing irritation. "I did. Why, what's your problem with it?"

"I just feel that you could have worn something more classy, like Sophia did. Her dress is conservative and form fitting. It's sexy and leaves plenty to the imagination. Not so," Vanessa's eyes sweep over Lucy, "revealing like yours is."

Lucy's fork clangs on her plate and Tim rests his hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. This time, he doesn't address his attention to Mrs. Chen, only to Lucy, and he turns his head and presses a kiss to her temple, his husky voice whispered but not hushed low enough everyone at the table couldn't hear him when he tells her, "I think you look very, very sexy in this dress, and it leaves plenty for my imagination."

Aunt Amy looks at her sister, who is fuming, and her brother in law, who is slack jawed, and she downs her glass of wine the waiter brought out, but she's smirking at her niece and her niece's new boyfriend, enjoying the way he is reassuring her niece and speaking up for her.

()()()()()()()

Amy turns the attention away from Lucy and Tim and starts asking Vanessa about her job, and she brags about recently having some of her research published, momentarily turning her wrath away from Lucy and Tim.

She goes on and on about herself forever, until the waiter has brought out the main dish and Tim's more pleased with it than he was that monstrosity mushroom appetizer they served him. The main course is something called Ceviche, which consists of local white sea bass, wild Mexican shrimp, citrus, red onion, avocado, jalapeno, cucumber, and tostones.

He doesn't make a fuss about the avocados or tostones, simply pushing them to the side and enjoying the rest of his meal in silence while Vanessa groans on about herself.

His hand is still resting on Lucy's thigh under the table, and at some point, she's slipped a hand over his and they're somewhat holding hands while they eat. He knows physical touch is important to her, it's something she uses to calm herself down when she's worked up, and he's okay with providing that to her tonight. Hell, he knows she needs it.

Patrick Chen, who's been relatively quiet, finally starts to prod into to Tim and their relationship himself when his wife stops talking,

"So, Tim," he asks between bites of his own food, "how did you two meet?"

Lucy's fingers squeeze his under the table, their hands still interlocked, "He's actually my roommate Genny's brother. He moved in with us for a little while so he can wait to close on his new house."

"You two live together," her father mutters, clearly not impressed by the news.

"Temporarily," Tim interjects. "Just until I'm able to get into my new place."

"This is Genny's brother," her mother repeats, and there's no question behind her words. "The same brother you met a year ago and said, what were your exact words?" Her mother taps her chin. "Ah, yes, something about him being a pompous, arrogant assclown that you could barely stand to sit through lunch with?"

Lucy winces and shoots an apologetic look to Tim. "Yes, he's that Tim…But at the time I didn't–"

"It's okay," this time Tim is giving Lucy's hand the squeeze. "I was all those things when your daughter met me last year," he admits. "I was going through a hard time and I wasn't in the best place, so I was kind of a jerk when we met back then. I'm just grateful that she gave me another chance when we met again and took the time to get to know me."

"Oh, so you have emotional problems and you take your anger out on those around you?" Vanessa acccuses.

"Mom!"

"It's okay," he tells Lucy, not wanting to be the cause for a blowout on her mom's birthday "I probably was doing that, at the time. But I've worked through that, and Lucy's actually helped me learn a lot more healthy ways to process my emotions."

"And what, exactly, caused you to be in such distress you couldn't process your emotions properly?" Patrick inquiries.

Tim looks to Lucy and she hangs her head. She knows just as well as he does this conversation has gone off the rails. And he knows that he should shut up. That he should excuse himself to the bathroom and get the hell away from her parents. But he's said too much now. And he decides that being transparent, at least partially so, is the only way to go.

"My wife of ten years got addicted to heroin and ran off and left me, with another man. So I wasn't exactly in my finest moment."

Instead of enraging her parents, he almost sees relief wash over their faces as they share a look at his revelation and he's somewhat confused by it.

Again, Aunt Amy swoops in for the rescue and changes the subject, this time asking Patrick to tell them all about his new, alternative anger management therapy practices he's just begun utilizing.

()()()()

After the main course is served, everyone gets up to mingle while they wait on dessert. Lucy's thankful to get out of the war-zone that is the table with Tim and her parents, and she scampers off, Tim following behind her with his hands on her hips, and begins introducing him to her other relatives and family friends.

Eventually, they retreat to a dark corner with some wine glasses, and Tim finds a comfortable chair to sit on, and he pulls her in his lap, one arm resting around his waist and one just above her knee. She threads her fingers through his hand that's resting above her knee, and she leans into him, trying to to think too hard about how nice it feels to sit with him like this, even if it's pretend.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispers in his ear. "I don't think I could've made it through tonight without you. But I really hate the way my parents are treating you."

"It's fine," he assures her again. "I've heard far worse. I'm the one who's sorry you've got to deal with it on a regular basis. Your aunt seems nice, though."

"Amy? Yeah, she is. We've been close my whole life. She always supports me and I've always been able to talk to her about anything"

"Did you hear her call me handsome?"

"I did. But I wouldn't read too much into that. Her vision is terrible and she's not wearing her glasses," she teases.

His lips ghost over her earlobe and she can feel his breath tickling her skin as he whispers, "I don't seem to remember you having any complaints about the way I looked last night."

Clearly, Tim meant it when he said he wasn't going to pretend last night didn't happen between them. But she can't flirt back with him, no matter how bad she wants to, because if she does and they go back and forth then she's just going to show up at his bedroom door again babbling about some metaphor as an excuse for them to start making out again. And then biology is going to take over and they'll end up between her sheets again. Or on top of them, rather.

It's better this way, she thinks. Less risky. For Genny. For Tim. For herself.

So she tries to keep things light and playful, and mutters, "Well, it was dark. I couldn't really see you." But instead of earning a laugh, it earns a throaty growl, and he's probably imagining the same thing she is, which is them, together, no candles, no dim light, in a fully lit room where they can see every part of each other clearly.

She shifts her body, an ache between her legs growing at the thought, and his hands firmly lock into place as he warns her, "I'm gonna need you to be still or we're not going to be able to get up for a while."

And if her mother couldn't have picked a worse time, she struts up next to Tim and Lucy, her lips tightened and gaze narrowed when she approaches them.

"Tim, would you mind going to grab my daughter and I some champagne?"

He meets Lucy's eyes, searching for permission to leave her alone, not wanting to step away if she isn't ready to be alone with her mother, but she gives him a small, reassuring nod to let him know it's okay. He unlocks their fingers, his hands weaving around her body in a tight embrace from behind and his head resting on her shoulder, where he places a chaste kiss on her cheek before standing and excusing himself to give the two women some space.

Lucy stands, not wanting to sit down and give her mother any leverage over her as they talk, and she waits until Tim is out of earshot until she's ready to fully engage with her mom.

"I'll give you this," Vanessa compliments as he struts away, "he is nice to look at."

'He is," Lucy agrees, folding her arms over her chest and bracing for what's next.

"But you can't be serious about him, can you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's only been divorced what, 6 months?"

Lucy doesn't correct her mother and lets her think the divorce began soon after Isabel left Tim. "And your point?"

"Come on, LuLu," she sighs, "be honest with yourself, you know he's just using you to get over his wife."

"Excuse me?'

"He was married for ten years. No way he wants anything real. You're just a rebound. A convenient piece of ass that's right across the hall from him. It's every man's dream. But you're getting older, dear, starting your life. If you want to be married by the time you're 25, you've got to start taking dating seriously so you can settle down with a nice man and raise a family. Most of a woman's eggs are gone by 32 and you'll only have a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle at that age. So have a few more weeks of fun with your boy toy over there, and then move on so you can get what you really want."

"But that's not what I want mom," she blurts out. "That's why you want. I–I don't have some ticking time bomb on my life that tells me what age I need to be married by or when I need to have kids. When I choose to do that, if I choose to do those things, it won't be because I'm a certain age or–or feel like I have to, it'll be because I'm in love and I want that with the person I'm with."

"Calm down," her mother shushes her, "you're making a scene."

"No, mom," Lucy grunts, "you're the one making a scene with the way you've been acting all night. You've been so rude to me and–and to Tim. You haven't even given him a chance."

"Because I know it's not going to last," the older woman retorts wildly. "If you want me to take your date seriously, bring me someone worth taking seriously."

"Okay, wow," Lucy pinches the bridge of her nose and raises her voice, "well, he's the first guy I've ever cared enough about to even bother bringing around you, so he's obviously worth taking seriously to me. He's a great guy, mom. He's kind and funny, and–and smart and he challenges me in every way possible and sometimes he pisses me off more than anyone I know but you know what? That's okay, because every time we disagree I learn something new about myself and about him. I don't care if he's not good enough for you, or if you think less of him for whatever reason, because I think he's great and I am sick and tired of worrying about what you, or dad, or anyone else wants for my life. I'm done with it, mom. I'm done with all of it. I'm done trying to please everyone else.

And you know what, if I wanna wear a dress that makes me feel confident and beautiful, then I'm gonna do it. If I wanna wear my hair a certain way, that's how it's gonna be. If I wanna be with Tim, I'll be with Tim. If I don't wanna get my masters in psych, I won't get my master's in psych. If I wanna change the entire trajectory of my life and join the police force, I'll join the freaking police force."

Vanessa, mortified, begins yelling at her daughter in Cantonese, which draws the attention of Mr. Chen over, and then all three began arguing back and forth, which draws the attention of Tim, who even though he doesn't understand the language, knows the situation is hostile from their body language, tone, and facial expressions and he rushes to Lucy's side, placing a hand on her elbow and asking, "Are you okay?"

She shakes her head no and he can see the tears welling in her eyes. "Okay, we're done here. Let's go."

"Take your hands off her," Vanessa orders, switching back to English. "I'm not done speaking to my daughter."

"Yeah, you are," he replies cooly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his badge "And if you've got a problem with that, I've got a whole lot of friends at the L.A.P.D. who can be here any minute and help you work through that."

"Come one sweetheart," he tells Lucy gently, the fire leaving his voice, "let's get home."

Vanessa shakes her head somberly and mutters, "Just when I think we couldn't be even more disappointed." But Lucy doesn't engage, she simply lets Tim wrap an arm around her and lead her outside.

()()()()()()

The ride home is thick with silence, and even though Tim asks her if she wants to talk about it, she shakes her head and insists she doesn't.

When they get back inside their home, Lucy kicks her heels off and mopes over to the couch, plopping down and removing her earrings and then letting her head hit the back of the cushion as she stares at the ceiling.

Tim slides his jacket off, resting it on the arm of the sofa and he takes a seat beside her. He knows she said she didn't want to talk, but he knows her well enough to know that she isn't going to want to be alone either.

They sit next to one another in silence, until tears trickle from the corner of her eyes and with a lump in her throat, Lucy cries, "I don't know what's so wrong with me. I just don't get why they can't love me and accept me for who I am.

His heart clenches in his chest and he shakes his head, reaching out and brushing the tears from her eyes with his thumbs as he assures her, "There's nothing wrong you."

"Yeah, right," she sniffles.

"There isn't," he reiterates, tipping her chin forward with his thumb and leaning up so he can meet her eyes. "Luce, you're kind" he kisses her forehead. "And smart," He kisses the left side of her cheek. "And insightful." He kisses the right side of cheek. "And beautiful." He places a chaste kiss on her lips, then pulls away and stares deep into her eyes, "so, so beautiful." His thumb circles her chin, and he starts to lean in and kiss her again, but he stops himself, because he doesn't want to take advantage of her in this situation.

But then she's leaning in and closing the gap between them, her mouth closing over his and moving in perfect harmony. And despite his better judgment, he kisses her back.

And it doesn't take long before she's desperately clutching his shirt, pulling him in closer, until she's climbing in his lap, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, and by the time she's worked the third one open, he's mustered enough self control, to pull away from her and pant out, " We can't. Not like this."

She shakes her head sadly, her lips pursed, and she tells him, "This isn't because I'm sad, or because I'm mad at my parents, or because I need a distraction. This is because all I've been thinking about all night, every time you touched me, is how good it felt when we were together last night. How every time your hand was on my leg, I thought about the way you gripped my thighs last while you pushed in and out of me. It's because when you whispered in my ear earlier all I could think about was your lips on my skin, your teeth raking over it. How I've never been with anyone who made me feel as safe and secure as you did last night. Screw what Genny thinks or what my parents think, because the only person's opinion I care about right now is yours, because the only people this decision should involve, is you and me. All I want right now is to feel something good. You make me feel good, Tim, and I know I make you feel good, too. We both deserve that."

He holds her gaze, considering his words carefully, Uncertainty looming over them, hanging in its balance a weight of consequences he knew they'd eventually have to address, but she was right, this decision was theirs and theirs alone, so he closes the gap between them, his lips engulfing hers in unrestrained hunger and this time she's the one smiling against his lips, holding his face in the palm of her hands as she greedily sucks and nibbles at lips as she rips his shirt open, but this time he's the one slowing things down.

He pulls away, long enough to catch his breath and place a tender kiss to her place where her collarbone ends and the neck begins.

"Tim," she whines desperately.

"Shhh." He kisses that spot again, then moves half an inch higher, then another half inch, his hands sinking into her ass. "Be patient," he whispers against her skin. "I'm gonna make you feel good, we're just gonna take our time tonight."

She arches her neck, giving him better access, and moans in delight, showing her understanding.

"Don't let go," he tells her, and just like last night, he moves in one swift motion to lift her again, carrying her to her room.

She doesn't dare let go,and she lets him take control, enjoying the way his hands roam her body through her dress. Goosebumps erupt over her skin with each new kiss he trails all the way up to her earlobe and down to the base of her breast. And then he's lowering her onto the bed, easing the zipper on the back of her dress down, tentatively helping her stand and slide it from her shoulders.

He doesn't dare blink as it slides to the floor, and his eyes darken and he licks his lips, staring at her in awe in the full light of her bedroom.

Standing before him, she pushes his undone shirt off, her hands roaming up and down his chest, his body tingling in anticipating until she finally rests her hands on his belt, making quick of it and tossing it to the side before dropping to her knees and undoing his pants, but she doesn't take him in her mouth, she simply kisses the spot where the skin peeks out at his waist just above his boxers, working her way up until she's she's standing again and trailing kisses along his jawline.

She hooks a finger into each side of his boxers and tugs at them until he's stepping out of them and then he's doing the same with her panties until he's kissing her and backing her up against her bed. Their tongues dance wildly, her hands roaming his back, his hands cupping her face, until she's climbing backwards onto the bed and he's following.

Their naked bodies tangling together, his slick head rubbing against her wet folds as he grinds his body against hers and he's ready to sink into her until she's fumbling wildly in her night stand, grabbing a condom and shoving it in his hand.

He apologizes and slips it on, hovering over with one hand, and pressing a lingering kiss to her lips as he carefully moves inside her and she's whimpering sweetly beneath him.

He takes his time, unlike like their hurried, desperate trysts last night, and his fingers lace through hers as they find their perfect rhythm.

Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Lucy rolls over on her side when Tim rolls off her, her heart pounding rapidly and her body glistening with sweat. With each breath she pulls in, a deep sense of calm washes over her, the events with her parents momentarily forgotten. The weight of sadness she felt before was temporarily replaced with a feeling of warmth, understanding, and acceptance.

She's not used to having sex the way they just did. So slowly, so tentatively. It was tender and gentle, not frantic and fast like the night before, but she was left no less satisfied from it. There was a lot of kissing during the act, and his hands were either locked with hers or cupping her face the entire time and she imagines that when people use the term making love instead of terms like doing it, fucking, screwing, or just having sex, they're refering to this type of sex.

Not that he's in love with her, or she's in love with him, because she knows that thought is absolutely absurd. That's not what this is at all. It can't be.

It would just be hard for her to put into words. It's just–the act felt loving. Like he was trying to show her care and appreciation with each slow thrust. With each gentle kiss. With each wave of warmth and comfort that washed over her each time he'd interlace his fingers through hers.

He'd promised her on the way to her room, as he carried in his strong arms, that he was going to make her feel good, and he'd more than fulfilled that promise.

She'd been with a lot of guys before that made her feel powerful, beautiful, sexy, desired, and Tim made her feel all of those things of course, but It was as if he was also trying to prove to her she mattered, she was important, she was worthy.

She can hear him beside her, the way his breathing is growing more steady, and she wonders if he's wearing that same dopey grin he'd worn last night after they'd finished, but she can't make herself roll over to face him right now, because, if she's being honest with herself, as much as she loves the way he just made her feel, it scares her a little.

Getting naked has always been the easy part, letting someone in, really letting them in, that's the hard part. And she doesn't know exactly what this is between them, she won't let herself think about it too hard, but she does know it's not just sex. It's not just basic Biology. At least not for her.

Suddenly, she's feeling exposed and vulnerable again and, without facing Tim, she's reaching for her throw blanket to cover herself.

The bed creaks and shifts, and she can hear Tim standing, rustling about, and she assumes he's getting dressed and he's about to leave her room, which is fine, because that's how these things usually go for her. She and her partner get what they need and they part ways and they link up again when they're ready for some more fun and that's fine. It's always been fine. It's always been what she prefers and she's usually the first one making the move to leave or make some excuse so they have to leave.
But Tim isn't leaving, because the bed dips again she lets go of breath she hadn't realized she was holding. And then, she feels him invading her space, his large arms enveloping her small frame and it causes part of the blanket to ride up, exposing part of her back and shoulders where she can feel his firm muscles pressed against her bare skin and she assumes he must've only slipped on his boxers and that maybe he'd started to feel as vulnerable as she did.

He rests his head on the crook of her shoulder and he presses a soft kiss to her cheek and asks her, "Are you okay?"

She hums at him, her arm reaching out from underneath her and weaving itself with the one he has draped around her side, instead of making the excuse that she has to pee or pretending to cough, or saying she needs a glass of water, like she'd done so many times when Chris tried this same thing.

"You're just being really quiet," he murmurs in her ear, and she can hear the concern in his voice and she isn't sure if it's concern about how she might be feeling about what happened with her parents, or if he's worried she's regretting what happened, or both. "I'm not used to that with you."

"I'm good," she reassures him with a light chuckle at his quip."I don't wanna talk about it yet, I just want to enjoy this, like we should've been able to last night.."

She's still upset and hurt about what went down with her parents, but she's happy right now, a little overwhelmed and a little scared of her feelings, but she's happy at this moment and she doesn't want to ruin it by talking about all of that. There's time for that later.

He nuzzles against her face and releases his own contented hum as her fingernails begin to trace lazy circles over his forearm and they stay together a long time like that, Tim's arms creating a temporary impenetrable force field that can shield her from harm and uncertainty, where she's only surrounded by a deep sense of safety, protection, and support.

()()()()()()

Tim's not quite sure how long they've been holding each other, but the one thing he is certain of is that he doesn't want to let go.

Not yet.

And if his sister comes home unexpectedly and interrupts them, well, then he just might end up becoming an only child and he might have to call Angela to help him stage a crime scene.

They're still both practically naked, he clad in only his boxers and Lucy with only the cover of that skimpy blanket she's thrown over herself, neither of them daring to move and get dressed because that would mean they'd have to unravel from each other.

He's not a person that's ever considered himself big on physical touch. He hugs his mom and his sister, sometimes even Angela, on occasion, but he doesn't do it often and he doesn't seek it out.

He knows Lucy is big on physical touch. She's always swatting his arm, or grabbing his hand, or touching his leg. And it's not just with him that she's like that. He sees her do the same with Genny, with Jackson, with Aaron that night she was drinking. He knows it's just a part of who she is, so he's certain that holding her like this isn't out of the ordinary for her or is somewhere in her normal zone of comfort.

But it is ordinary for him.

The only person he'd ever been comfortable being this close to was Isabel and he didn't imagine he'd want to cuddle after sex with the next person he was with.

Except he absolutely wants that with Lucy. From the moment they parted, both times they'd slept together now, he'd longed to be next to her again.

Not to fill some deep seated desire, or scratch an insatiable itch, but to just seek sanctuary from the chaos of his world, to find stability and balance he could only reach with her.

That's not to say holding her close like this doesn't ignite that desire, because it does. Which is why he ends up absentmindedly suckling her neck. His hands tugging at the edge of her blanket, seeking silent permission to venture underneath and wander her body.

He's not trying to start a second round, initially. He only yearns to explore her, to trace every curve. Because they hadn't done a whole lot of foreplay so far.

Lots of kissing, some petting, but they'd skipped a lot of bases on their way to the home plate.

Since he'd started dating Isabel so young and they were each other's first everything, aside from first kiss, they'd taken things slow, hitting every base on the way to home plate.

He's heard some guys aren't into foreplay, that they like to skip straight to the final act. A lot of his buddies that he plays pickup basketball with boast about endeavors like that.

But he's always enjoyed the lead up. The anticipation of what's to come and the heady buildup.

So, he fondles her breasts, his thumb grazing her nipple as he kneads them, paying close attention to her cues, making sure she's okay with what he's doing and ensuring she doesn't tense beneath his fingertips.

And she doesn't. He can feel her breathing quicken against his chest, and she hurriedly pushes the blanket all the way off, giving him full access and a perfect view for his explorations.

"Beautiful," he murmurs into her ear, nipping at the skin there.

She throws her arm back, fingers tangling in the back of his short hair and at the nape of his neck as he allows one hand to venture lower, languidly tracing over her rib cage then her belly, ghosting over the area where her panty line would be, if she was wearing panties.

He takes his time, in no hurry and enjoying his journey. Savoring the breathless way his name escapes her lips every now and then as she wiggles against him.

Not tearing his eyes from her body, he slips his hand lower and lower, until his fingers are roaming over her core, teasing her slit with two fingers as his thumb circles her clit.

She digs her nails into the back of his neck, and grinds against him, and he revels in the way she responds to him, biting down on his lower lip as she bucks against him.

"You want me to stop?" He asks, because he thinks maybe he should. Maybe he should've asked before going this far, because she's not his and he isn't hers and he's not really sure what the rules are for this kind of thing.

"N-no," she breathes out, grabbing his hand and holding it in place, as if to tell him he better not stop.

So he doesn't.

He slips a finger in, cursing into her ear when he realizes how wet she is and he teases her like that, with only one finger dipping in and out until she's begging for more and he adds another.

Though his plan hadn't been to initiate another round, it's not long before she's telling him to get a condom and seeing as how he is aching and hard as a rock, he's definitely not saying no to that command.

They remain in the spooning position, Lucy arching a leg over his hip to give him easier access, and he glides into her, one hand cupping her breast and the other holding her hips as he begins to rock back and forth.

()()()()()()()

This time, Lucy initiates the cuddling in the aftermath, resting her head on Tim's chest and and her fingernails grazing up and down his chest.

"That was fun," she hums contentedly.
He grins and runs a hand up and down the top of her arm, his heart still thudding rapidly in his chest and his lungs working tirelessly to replenish his body with much needed oxygen.

"Very fun," he agrees, his voice thick and husky.

She's exhausted and her body's aching, but it's in all the perfect ways, and she can't remember the last time she's felt so sated

They're both dripping with sweat and in desperate need of a shower, but she's not not ready to get up. Not ready to break away from him just yet.

So she closes her eyes and lets herself relax, not allowing her mind to dwell on anything but how relaxed and satisfied she is in this moment.

And, just as she was close to the edge of drifting off to sleep she hears her phone buzzing from where she'd left it in the living room. She groans and Tim tells her, "just let it go to voicemail," as he clings to her more tightly.

Which she does, but not even a split second later it's buzzing again and she knows it's not going to stop until she answers, so she growls in irritation and abandons her safe haven. Pulling on clothes before padding her way into the living room.

Dread fills her gut before she answers, assuming it's her mother or father on the other end, waiting to bite her head and yell at her some more.

But it isn't and she's filled with relief when she reads her Aunt Amy's name on the caller ID.

"Hey," she greets her, her tone calm and friendly, knowing no screaming match is going to ensure.

"Hey Luce," Aunt Amy's voice replies from the other end. "I just got home and I wanted to check on you."

"I'm okay," she tells her aunt. "I've just been," she pauses, panicking because she almost just told her aunt she'd be in bed with Tim. But then she remembers that her aunt is under the impression she's dating Tim, and she doesn't have to lie about the fact that was just snuggled up next to him. And honestly, she's too mentally exhausted to lie, so doesn't. "I've just been lying in bed with Tim."

"Is he taking good care of you?"

"Yeah," Lucy smiles, her cheeks burning at the memory of just how good he'd taken care of her. Twice. Three times if you count the fact she got off more than once during their second time tonight.

"Good." There's a pause on the line. "LIsten, Lucy, I'm really sorry about what happened with your parents earlier. You know I've never agreed with how hard they are on you."

"No, I know." Lucy anxiously twirls her hair. "There's no need for you to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Do you want me to come over? We can watch cheesy movies and throw darts at pictures of your mom."

Lucy spins around and her eyes fall to the hallway, where she notices Tim is leaning against the opening of her door, and there's concern written all over his face.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll take a raincheck, if that's alright."

"Of course, just let me know when you're ready and I'll show up with the darts and my best bottle of wine. I'll let you go back to that hunky new man of yours, I'm sure he can spend all night making you feel better."

Even though she can't see her Aunt's face, she can hear the grin in her voice and she's sure the woman is wiggling her eyebrows right now on the other end of the line.

"Oh my gosh, stop!"

"I love you, Luce," her aunt chuckles. "I'll call you tomorrow, goodnight."

"I love you, too. Goodnight." Lucy ends the call and discards her phone on the sofa. Tim's already making his way over to her, and before he can ask, she's assuring him, "I'm fine. It was just my aunt calling to check in."

He nods and continues walking over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing the side of her neck. She leans into him and smiles at the warmth that's flooding through her body at the gesture.

"You hungry?" He mutters.

"I could eat," she replies.

"Good, because I"m starving." He lets go of her and pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through their regular delivery options. "You made me work up a hell of an appetite."

She smirks at him, her eyes full of mischief. "We better eat then, you might need more fuel for later."

"Oh really?" His brows raise and there's a bit of a stunned but excited expression on his face

She shrugs a shoulder and shoots him a flirty, promising grin."

()()()()()()()()

They settle on the couch together once the food arrives. Both are fully dressed again, mostly anyway. Tim's only sporting a t-shirt and boxers, and Lucy's just in an oversized tank top and yoga pants, but they are clothed as they eat their pizza.

Tim ordered a stuffed crust meat lover's for himself and Lucy ordered a thin crust veggie pizza with no cheese, which he's called disgusting at least three times so far.

Dr. Who is playing on a loop in the background, and Lucy was a bit surprised to learn he liked that show, pleasantly surprised but surprised none the less.

At some point, after they've eaten all they can hold for now, Lucy ends up laying on her side with her head in Tim's lap while he plays with her hair and he asks her, "You ready to talk about it yet?"

"About what?" She asks, and her stomach flips because she's not sure if he means what happened with her parents or what happened with them tonight, but both topics leave her with a sick feeling in her gut.

"What happened before we left," he specifies. "When you and your parents were screaming at each other in cantonese."

She pulls in a heavy breath while she considers how much she wants to tell him.

She doesn't want to bring up the fact her mom thinks he's using her and won't have any interest in her in a few months. Because, while Lucy knows he isn't using her and that he cares about her, she also knows her mom is right. This thing between them can't be long-term. Tim himself has told her he never wants to be in a relationship again. She knows that, but she finds herself not wanting to hear it again from him.

"My mom, she just kept going off at me. About you, about my life, and how she thinks it should play out and I don't know, I just lost it. I went off on her."

"I don't blame you," he tells her softly. "I mean, Lucy, they were horrible to you tonight, they deserved it."

"I know, I know. It's just," she shakes her head sadly. "I shouldn't have exploded like that. Not in front of everyone. Not on her 50th birthday. I feel guilty for that."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do," she cries. "Because I love my parents. Despite all the negative things about them, they have their good qualities. They always made sure I had everything I wanted or needed and they taught me how to be a good person and I feel like I owe them respect."

"They owe you respect, too. And tonight, they weren't giving it to you. From what you've told me, they don't give it to you often. You deserve to be treated with respect, Lucy. And you deserve to be recognized for all your accomplishments, not torn down."

"I know," she agrees, but her voice is small and she almost has a hard time convincing herself to believe it. "I don't regret telling them how I feel, and I meant what I said about being done, about not allowing them to run me over anymore. I just–I wish I could've done it in a different way. At a different time."

"You're human. Everyone has their limits and you were at yours. It's okay."

She racks her brain as his fingers thread through her hair,t rying to remember exactly what she told them, but she was seething mad and words were just spewing from her mouth and she can't remember everything she said, but she does remember telling her mom, "If I want to be a police officer, I'll be a freaking police officer."

"Oh God," she groans. "I told them I might wanna be a cop. They are going to disown me."

"They don't like cops?"

"No," she winces. "I'm sorry. They–they think the system is broken and that all cops are a bunch of bullies who punish and torture people with mental health conditions instead of providing them with proper treatment and care."

"That's not fair," he hotly retorts. "The system isn't perfect and it needs some work, but there's a lot of us out there who give a damn and are giving everything we can to get people the help they need.

"I know. You know I don't think that about you."

"But you did, at one point."

"I might have," she sheepishly admits, "but you even admitted earlier you didn't make the best first impression, so I may have unfairly judged you based on that."

"I know I didn't, it's okay," he mumbles and then he hums, "I bet your parents really hate me now that they know I'm a cop."

"Yeah." She doesn't bother to disagree, though that's not the only reason they hate him, but she doesn't tell him that. "They think it's your fault I don't want to go to grad school anymore. That I'm considering the police academy. They said you poisoned my mind and are poisoning me against them."

"You can let them think that if you want. If it'll help."

"No," she shakes her head. "I've waited way too long to stand up to them. I'm not throwing it off on you, I'm standing my ground. If I don't, I'll end up in a loveless marriage with five kids before I'm thirty and working with my parents at their practice." She shudders at the thought. "I'm not doing that. It's time for me to speak up and start going for what I want in life."

His hands freeze in her hair and he asks, "What do you want?"

Her thumb works its way to the corner of her mouth and she gnaws at her nail and mumbles, "I–I don't know, but I'm trying to figure it out."

He begins to move his hand again and mutters, "Yeah, me, too,"

Notes:

I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks for reading. Also, I promise not every chapter from here on out will contain sex scenes.

Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Chapter Text

The sounds of clunking and thrashing has Lucy stirring awake the next morning. The noise is unexpected and it startles her, to the point she's bolting upright and rubbing at her eyes. Still in a sleepy haze, she blinks herself awake, and she doesn't find the familiar yellow walls of her bedroom in front of her, but rather the blue-gray hues of her living room.

She finds herself on the couch with a thick fuzzy blanket draped over her and she remembers the last thing she was aware of last night before drifting into unconsciousness was being sprawled out on the couch with her head in Tim's lap while he rubbed her back and played with her hair and she assumes he didn't want to wake her once she fell asleep and left her there.

Her arms extend and she stretches her body, letting out a loud yawn before slinking off to the kitchen to investigate the noises that roused her, where she finds Tim in the kitchen with a whisk and mixing bowl in hand.

He smiles at her. It's big and goofy, and there's genuine happiness in his tone when he greets her with, "Morning,"

"Morning," she replies back with an easy smile of her own. She'd been partially worried when she woke up that things would be awkward in the morning light. That they wouldn't know what to say to one another or how to act, especially since they didn't really talk about what happened between them before she fell asleep, or what it meant, but she's pleasantly surprised with how comfortable things seem so far.

"I didn't mean to wake you, I was just getting breakfast ready."

"It's fine, it's way past time for me to get up anyway." She stretches again, her neck popping from the unfamiliar angle she'd slept in on the couch. "I think I'm gonna grab a shower, unless you want me to help you finish getting things ready."

He shakes his head, assuring her, "I got it. Go ahead."

So she saunters off towards her room to grab a change of clothes and hit the shower, and she can feel the heat of his gaze lingering on her as she walks away, despite that fact that her hair is frazzled and her clothes are wrinkled and she's certain she looks a hot mess from just waking up, and it leaves her pursing her lips and grinning to herself.

()()()()()()

"Smells good," Lucy announces when she steps back into the kitchen, the sweet and toasty aroma of pancakes filling the air and making her mouth water.

Tim flips a pancake, then reaches over and hands her a steaming mug. "It's sugary and sweet and disgusting, just how you like it."

"Thank you." She takes her coffee and slips into a seat at their kitchen bar, sipping it slowly as she watches Tim finish the pancakes.

With the final stack complete, he fixes them each a plate and grabs the syrup, then joins Lucy at the bar, an assortment of toppings, including whipped cream, blueberries, chocolate chips, and strawberries laid out before them.

Lucy giggles to herself and decorates one of her pancakes, giving it blueberries for eyes, a chocolate chip for a nose and making angry eyebrows and a frown from the can of whipped cream.

"You are such a nerd," he snorts.

To which she huffs, "I'm an artist, not a nerd. And you should be appreciative, I was making a pancake replica of you. Didn't you notice he has your eyes?"

He scowls at her and stabs one of the blueberry eyes onto his fork.

"Poor little pancake Tim-Tim," she pouts, earning an eye roll from him. "He's blind now!"

He stabs the other blueberry onto his fork. "No, now he's blind,"

She playfully smacks his shoulder and he smirks at her and they continue eating their breakfast until they're both stuffed, even though there's a stack of pancakes left and they are left sitting across from each other in silence, which Lucy breaks first.

"Listen, um," she fidgets her hands and stammers, "I just wanted to say thank you. And, not just for breakfast. I want you to know that last night meant a lot to me. All of it. The pretend date, standing up to my parents for me," she smiles suggestively, "everything after."

"You don't need to thank me. After all you've done for me, I'm glad I could be there for you."

She nods and smiles. "I'm glad we can be there for each other."

"So, listen," he pauses for a moment and she watches him pull in a steady breath before asking, "what-uh-what are you doing today?"

"Well, I promised Jackson earlier in the week that I'd come over today and help him go shopping for his and Sterling's one year anniversary next month. He wants to get a head start on picking out the perfect present, which is sickeningly sweet. I figured that after that I'd drop by Aunt Amy's and let her physically see that I'm okay and not falling apart over last night so she stops relentlessly checking on me via text. And after, I"m not sure. Why?"

Tim traces the edge of the bar with his index finger. "I was just thinking–you know–that maybe tonight…"

He's trailing off and he won't meet her eyes and Lucy's almost certain he's going to suggest they hook-up again. She knows she kind of hinted that they'd have a 3rd round last night, but she'd fallen asleep and it never happened and she assumes he's wanting to collect on that, but she's caught off guard by what he actually suggests.

He pauses and pulls in a heavy breath, forcing himself to meet her gaze when he says, "I was thinking we should probably sit down and talk. You know…about…about last night…and the night before."

"Oh–um," she scratches the back of her neck. "Yeah–uh–we probably should, you know, talk about that."

He nods. "So,tonight? Unless you're still processing what happened with your parents and you need more time to–"

"No," she interrupts, reaching over and squeezing his hand gently. "No, it's fine. We can talk. Later. Tonight."

"Okay. Good."

"Do you want me to help clean up?"

"No, I got it. You can go ahead and head over to Jackson's. if you want."

"Okay. I'll uh, I'll see you tonight?" She gives his hand another squeeze, this time a tight one, before gathering her things and heading out the door.

()()()()()()

Not long after Lucy leaves, Genny's strolling through the front door, humming, "Something smells delicious," as she heads for the kitchen and finds her brother rinsing out dishes in the kitchen sink.

"You cooked, so that must mean you're in a better mood, thank God" she comments with a grin, but he doesn't return her grin, he doesn't even turn around to look at her.

"Okay, or not." She slides next to him. "You wanna tell me what's got you in such a shitty mood?"

"I'm not in a shitty mood," he huffs, scrubbing angrily at the pan in his hand. "I'm in a great mood."

"Well, that pan you're mutilating with the scrub brush would beg to differ. So, you're either being extremely sarcastic, or you are in a great mood and the only person you're in a shitty mood with is me. So, which is it?"

He pauses his scrubbing and glares at her.

"Okay, so I'll take it that it's the latter. Except, you're gonna have to help me out here, Tim, because I can't recall doing anything to you that you should be this pissed at me for. I mean, what? Are you mad at me because I dumped out the last of your milk? Because it was expired and it had chunks in it."

He drops the pan and rinses his hands, stepping away from his sister to place some space between them.

"Don't do that. Don't ignore me. Tell me what's going on."

He leans against the kitchen counter and crosses his arms at his chest, glaring at her vehemently.

"Tim!" She demands. "Spill it!"

He blows out a heavy, irritated breath. "I went on a date with Lucy last night."

Genny's eyes bug out and she stutters, "You what!?"

"A fake date," he elaborates. "I went with her to her mom's 50th birthday party, so her parents wouldn't try and hook her up with their friend's kids all night or put all this pressure on her to date people they want her to be with."

His sister's eyes are still wide as saucers and she stares at him with an unreadable expression. "O-kay. And how does that correlate to you being pissed at me?"

Tim rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet and considers his next words. He's not going to tell Genny everything that happened with Lucy. It's none of her damn business and he won't betray Lucy's privacy like that, but he is going to tell her how he feels about what she told Lucy.

"That fake date led to an interesting conversation you had with Lucy about your feelings on anything ever happening between the two of us."

"Oh." Genny's eyes fall to the floor and she hangs her head.

"Yeah," Tim grumbles. "Look, you have no right to put yourself into my personal life. You've got no right to say who I can and can't sleep with or who Lucy can and can't sleep with."

Her head perks up sharply. "So you're saying you two slept together?"

"What! No, that's not what I'm saying and even if it was, it wouldn't be any of your damn business."

"Lucy's my best friend," Genny interjects.

"Yeah, she is. And she's also a grown woman who should be able to make her own decisions. I'm your brother, not your boyfriend or your child, or whatever the hell you think I am that would give you the right to do something like that."

"Look, Tim, I know you don't get it, but I was trying to look out for you. Both of you."

"Right," he scoffs.

"I was," she defends. "There's a reason she is my best friend and that's because Lucy is amazing and she's exactly the kind of woman I could see you falling in love with again. I–I've seen you be hurt more times in my life than I can count, and I know this thing with Isabel almost broke you. I just don't want to see you have to go through something like that again."

"That's life, Genny. It hurts sometimes and I'm used to it by now. You don't get to choose for me what's worth taking a risk on and what's not."

Genny swallows and her lips press together tightly. "Okay. You're right. I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"I'll talk to Lucy."

He nods, unfolds his arms, and leans forward. "Next time you've got an opinion about my personal life or what you think I should or shouldn't do, come to me directly. Okay?"

She sheepishly nods her understanding.

"You can have the rest of the pancakes," he tells her, nodding to the stack left on the plate. "I'll come back and finish the dishes later. I'm going outside to get some fresh air."

"Tim," she calls out as he's leaving the kitchen.

"What?" He turns his head to face her.

She tilts her head and studies him. "Is she worth it?"

He hums and purses his lips together, still feeling bitter with his sister. "That's none of your damn business either."

Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Chapter Text

"Why is it so hard to find the perfect gift?" Jackson groans in the middle of the clothing store, throwing his head back in frustration.

"Maybe because you're overthinking it too much," Lucy suggests. She's walked into seven different stores with Jackson so far, and none of them had anything he'd been satisfied with. Not the necklaces or watches in the jewelry stores. Not a single outfit in the four clothing stores they'd stepped foot in.

"It's just, I want it to be perfect. You know? I want the gift to scream how much he means to me." His shoulders slump. "What would you get a guy for a first anniversary gift?"

"Dodgers tickets," she replies easily.

Jackson's lips purse and he raises a brow at her. "That's oddly specific."

Lucy winces, realizing she'd just named what would ideally be the perfect gift for TIm. "I mean, most guys love sports….so."

"Well, Sterling doesn't. So I'm screwed."

"You're not screwed." She rubs his back. "You just need to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and think about something he'd really want. Something that shows how much thought you put into it."

Jackson does as she says and it doesn't take long before he's grinning like the Cheshire cat and slapping his hands together, shouting, "I got it!"

"Okay," Lucy grins excitedly. "Tell me, what is it?"

"I'll get him one of those VIP Fan Expo packages for his favorite show. He can meet some of the cast, maybe even get some acting tips since he's still got his heart set on making it big. Maybe we even make a weekend of it. Go see a show at the Vaudeville theater. Oh! Oh! I could surprise him with a box of his favorite chocolates and hide the tickets underneath them."

"See!" Lucy beams. "Now that's perfect. Ugh. Why do you have to be gay? If you were straight, I might've been willing to take a chance on a relationship."

"No," he chuckles, "you wouldn't have. You'd have been way too afraid of ruining our friendship and we both know it. Because, as far as friends go, well they don't get any better than me."

She rolls her eyes and shoves him playfully, though there's a slight sting in her chest at his words. Not because they hurt her feelings, but because she knows he's right. There's no way she'd have ever considered risking anything with Jackson even if he was straight. He's way too important to her.

And that makes her think of Tim, who she's supposed to talk to later about whatever the hell it is that's going on between them. And she has no clue what she's going to say, or what he's going to say, or how she's going to react to it.

She knows she doesn't want whatever they have going on to end. But, she also doesn't know if she's willing to risk taking it further and ruining the friendship they've built. They haven't known each other long in the grand scheme of things, but she's bonded to him in a way she isn't with anyone else in her life. And not just because they've had sex, but because he understands her in a way she doesn't feel like anyone else does.

While she and Jackson head out of the store since he's no longer on the hunt for the perfect present, Lucy asks him, "After you and Gino broke up, what made you so sure that it was worth it to really try again with Sterling? What made him so different from all the other guys you dated, the ones you would barely give the time of day to after Gino left you for that other guy?"

Jackson turns to her and shrugs a shoulder. "Honestly? I don't know. I can't say it was one moment or one thing that made me know I was willing to risk putting my heart out there again. I just, I think I knew that he made me happy and that after my brother almost died from renal failure from his diabetic neuropathy I realized how short life is and that you've gotta take a chance sometimes or you'll never know. And I'm damn sure glad I did."

She smiles at him and squeezes his arm. "I'm glad you did, too. You deserve to be happy."

Jackson stops walking and when Lucy turns to see what the hold-up is, he tells her, "You deserve to be happy, too, Luce. So if you ever meet someone who makes you feel that way, don't be afraid to take a chance on it."

()()()()()()

The two get back to Jackson's and he taps away on his laptop, ordering the tickets he needs for Fan Expo and reserving seats for Vaudeville Theater.

After, he and Lucy settle in his living room and he hands her a beer, kicking his legs up in his recliner and asking her, "So, tell me how your mom's birthday went. How many times did she try to set you up with one of her friend's sons or hound you about your grades?"

"For once, my grades didn't come up." Lucy sips her beer. "But that's probably because I was barely there an hour before it turned into a screaming match."

"Wait, what!? I need details like now!"

She takes another sip of her beer and exhales heavily. "Okay, so, this conversation stays between you and I"
"Okay."

"No, I mean it, Jackson," she warns sternly. "You can't even tell Sterling."

"I won't, I promise." He holds out his pinky and she connects hers with his, sealing his promise with a pinky swear.

"Alright, so, I kinda sorta gotTimtogowithmeandbymyfakedate." Every word after sorta that leaves her mouth is hurried and jumbled together.

"I'm sorry, what?"

She repeats herself, no slower than before and she's closing her eyes, as if the action would somehow make her confession easier.

"You took Tim on a fake date to meet your parents? As in your roommate Tim? Genny's brother Tim? That Tim?"

Again, she closes her head and she nods her head rapidly. When she dares to open her eyes, Jackson is leaning forward, his ears up and his mouth open, and he's smirking at her. "Okay, this is the best tea I've been served in, uhhhh, forever. Tell me more!"

She groans and whines and stomps her feett, but she tells him everything that happened at the restaurant. Nothing that happened after, obviously, or the night before, but she tells him all about her parents going off on her, how she went off back, and how Tim threatened them with his badge and got her out of there.

"Damn, Luce. I'm sorry. Are you okay?'

"I don't know," she sighs. "I will be. Eventually. I just–I'm tired of being who they want me to be and I can't anymore. I want to be who I wanna be. You know? And I don't know who the hell she is,yet,not fully, but I am so ready to find her."

"And you will find her." He holds out his beer bottle to toast her. "To living your best life on your own terms and making yourself happy."

"Cheers," she mutters as their glasses clang.

"So," Jackson's eyes twinkle. "Tell me more about this whole fake date. Did you two kiss?"

Lucy's cheeks grow fiery red and she looks away, avoiding his expectant gaze and studying the beige carpet fervently.

Jackson reaches over and smacks her knee. "Ohhh! You so kissed him! How was it? Was it good? I bet it was good."

"Oh my gosh, stop!" She covers her face with her hands. "Okay, yes. I kissed him. We decided the night before that it would be a good idea to practice. You know, so our first time wouldn't be so awkward if we had to in front of my family and all their friends."

"And? How was it?"

"It was a good kiss." And she can't stop the way she's grinning from ear to ear when she admits that to him.

"Scale of 1 to 10?"

She shakes her head and giggles. "Nu-uh. That's all you're getting. Storytime is over." She places her beer on the coffee table, which is still halfway full, and she stands. "I promised my Aunt Amy I'd stop by and see her for a while and I really need to head that way so I can get back to the house before too late."

"You're no fun!" He pouts.

"I'm the most fun. It's why you love me so much."

"You got me there."

Jackson?" She worries her lower lip with her teeth and her voice is fragile.

"Yeah?"

"You really can't tell anyone."

"My lips are sealed." He pinches his thumb and index finger together and drags them across his lips for good measure.

()()()()()()()()()

Lucy stays with her aunt a few hours, allowing her aunt to pamper her with pasta and baked goods and eventually the two do toss darts at a photo of Lucy's mom, just to work through some anger. Maybe it's not the healthiest coping mechanism, but it makes her laugh and she needs the laugh.

It distracts her from everything. Her issues with her parents. Her looming conversation with Tim.

But, time slips by and dusk is approaching and she knows she has to go home sooner or later to have that conversation she promised Tim they'd have, so she tells Aunt Amy goodbye and makes her way home, her stomach flip flopping the entire way and her knuckles turning white from the way she's gripping the steering wheel.

She's a ball of nerves when she walks through the front door, and she's bracing herself for the inevitable, but she doesn't find Tim eagerly waiting for behind the door, instead it's Genny who's leaping to her feet when she steps inside, the taller woman bouncing on her heels and knitting her brows the moment the door creaks open.

"Is everything okay?" Lucy asks her friend, even more worry settling in her gut at Genny's nervous demeanor.

"Everything's fine. I've just–I've been waiting on you to get home."

Lucy's brows raise and she pulls out her phone. "I didn't get any missed calls or texts from you."

"No–I–I know. I didn't call or text. I thought we should probably have this convection in person."

"You're freaking me out, Gen. What's going on?" Her eyes scan the room and her gut sinks as she fears the worst. "Where's Tim? Is he okay?

"Tim's fine," she assures Lucy. "He's somewhere avoiding me, but he's fine. Can we go for a walk?"

Lucy nods slowly, the sinking feeling in her gut remaining as the two women step outside. "Did you and your brother have a fight or something?"

"Or something," Genny sighs deeply as they walk down their winding road. "Listen, Lucy," Genny's voice quakes and her hands shake, "I owe you a huge apology."

"For what?"

"Tim told me about your fake date."

"Oh." Lucy's eyes flit to the pavement and she almost swears that she feels her heart drop to her feet. "Look, Genny, I–"

"No," Genny interrupts. "Please don't apologize or explain. "I understand why you didn't tell me and I'm not mad. In fact, you're the one who should probably be mad at me. I've been very unfair to you."

Lucy pauses her steps and stares at her friend. She's unsure of exactly how much Tim told her, or why he told her about the fake date, and she's flabbergasted that Genny isn't flipping her shit and is apologizing.

"I haven't been a very good friend to you," the redhead admits. "I never should've told you that you couldn't go after my brother. It wasn't fair of me and thinking back on it, it makes me come across as kind of a bitch. I was just so wrapped up in protective sister mode that I lost track of good friend mode and overstepped a lot of boundaries. You and I have been through a lot together and you've always had my back, no matter what. You're one of the most selfless people that I've ever met and you're always putting other people ahead of yourself. You've never once led a single guy you've been with on or been anything less than honest with him. I lost track of all that by only focusing on what I was worried about happening to Tim and his feelings and I didn't think about you or your feelings. I'm sorry, Lucy. I shouldn't have done that and I really hope you can forgive me one day."

"I-um-wow-I was not expecting this conversation." Lucy blinks several times in an attempt to process everything Genny told her.

"I didn't mean to blindside you with it. It's just, Tim was pretty mad at me this morning and it turns out that's why he was mad yesterday. But he made a lot of good points when we talked and reminded me," she chuckles lightly, "several times, actually, that you're both adults and what you do or don't do is none of my damn business."

"Uh-huh." Lucy's hands plant firmly on her sides and she purses her lips, unsure of what to say.

"I know I can't take it back and it might be hard to make things right," Genny babbles, "but if there's anything I can do to make up for it, please tell me."

"Thank you," Lucy sighs. "I accept your apology and um–if I'm being honest, it did kind of make me feel shitty about myself when you asked me not to go there with Tim and gave me your reasoning. I mean, I don't have a sibling, so maybe I just couldn't understand it, but it did hurt and made me feel like you don't have a very high opinion of me."

"Again, I'm so sorry, Lucy. I really, really didn't mean to make you feel that way. I hope you know how much I love you and that I think the world of you. You've been absolutely amazing with Tim since you two started becoming friends. You've made him open up in ways I've never seen before and he seems happy again. Genuinely happy in a way I was worried he'd never be after Isabel, and I honestly don't think he'd have come this far this fast without you by his side and I can never thank you enough for that and I'm sorry that I'm just taking the time to do it now."

"Thank you," she mutters softly as she scrubs the tip of her shoe into the concrete. "I forgive you, Genny. I appreciate you owning up to your mistakes and apologizing to me. I–I don't really know what else to say right now…"

"You don't need to say anything else," Genny assures her. "And listen, I promise not to get in your business again, and if I do start to stick my nose where it doesn't belong, speak up and remind me to step back."

"I'll do my best," Lucy replies. "I'm kind of in the middle of working on that whole speaking up thing."

Genny raises a brow. "Everything okay? Anything you need to talk to me about?"

"No," again Lucy's eyes flick to the rocky pavement, "not yet,"

"Well, whenever you're ready, I'm here to listen."

Lucy nods and mumbles, "I know."

()()()()()()()

As the two women walk back towards their home, both raise a brow when they see Tim walking down the Horne's driveway.

"What are you doing?" Lucy's the one to ask when all three cross paths.

"Went for a walk earlier. Mrs. Horne was outside checking her mail and insisted I come inside." He holds up a tupperware full of cookies. "She force fed me cookies for helping them out the other night and insisted I bring you some back, too."

"You were gone a long time," Genn observes.

His eyes narrow on his sister. "Yeah, well I enjoyed their company more than yours."

"Yep. Guess I deserve that," she mutters.

With his eyes still narrowed dangerously, he motions between the two women. "What are you two doing?"

"Clearing the air," Genny replies soothingly.

Tim nods sharply and looks cautiously at Lucy, trying to gauge her response to see if she's mad at him for telling Genny and then promptly telling her off about it.

She doesn't seem mad, but there is something in her eyes he can't quite gauge.

"I ah–I think I'll go to Rob's again tonight," Genny abruptly announces and looks to her brother. "Give you a little more time to calm down." She turns and faces Lucy, reaching out and squeezing her hand, and asks, "Are we good?"

"We're good," Lucy insists, "squeezing her hand back.

()()()()()()

The three walk back to their house in relative silence, Tim and Lucy exchanging secret glances now and then on the way back as Genny walks between them.

Not a lot is said once they are all inside, but Genny does tell them both goodbye before she leaves for Rob's.

When they're finally alone, Tim seeks Lucy out, finding her on the edge of her bed, her legs crossed, with the tupperware container full of cookies in front her, and she freezes her hand in mid air when she sees him in her door frame, slowly lowering her hand and placing the cookie she'd grabbed back into the container.

"Are you mad at me?" He asks her point blank. "For telling Genny that I knew she'd said she didn't want us hooking up?"

"Mad? No. Surprised? Very. How did that even come up?"

"I was–I was just pissed at her and I was trying to deal with it by avoiding her so I didn't go off on her, but I realized I could only avoid her for so long since we live in the same house, so I decided to practice some of that talking things out crap you're always going on and on about. I probably shouldn't have without letting you know I was going to, but I don't think I could've made it much longer without exploding." He steps forward, fully emerging into her room. "I didn't tell her anything else, I swear."

"I know." She puts the top on the tupperware container and pushes it to the side. "I figured as much after she and I talked. I'm sure she would not have been nearly as apologetic if she knew."

"Did you–"

"No." Lucy shakes her head and rocks back and forth. "I didn't feel like I should. Not yet. I mean–you and I hadn't talked yet and I didn't want to say anything in case…"

Tim's Adam's apple bobs and he nods his understanding when she trails off. "So, are you ready to talk?"

Ready as she'll ever be, she thinks to herself. "Sure."

"Do you wanna go first or…"

"No," Lucy stutters, her voice unsteady and thick with emotion. "You first.

He points to the bed. "Can I sit?"

She nods and pinches her plush, white comforter between her fingers.

His hands run up and down the rough fabric of his rough jeans and he whistles through his teeth. "Sorry, I–uh–I had this whole speech in my head all day about what I was gonna say, but now, it's like the words won't come out."

She swallows and fights the urge to scream out that he doesn't need to explain anything. That the past two nights are nights she'd never forget and a part of her will always cherish them and she'll always be thankful to him for being there in every single way she needed him to be, but that it's best if it never happens again.

That's what is safest. What would make the most sense and provide the least complications.

But she holds all that in because that's not what she wants.

What she wants is to allow herself to have the ability to fall asleep in his arms and wake up to him holding her and grinning like an absolute idiot because he's so happy she's next to her.

To kiss him whenever she feels like it.

To have him hold her from behind every time she feels like she's about to fall apart.

But all of that terrifies the ever living shit out of her, because giving in to that means it could also be ripped away at any time.

Admitting she wants that out loud could mean he crushes her by telling her that's not what he wants.

And instead of saying either of those things, she says something else entirely, something she doesn't really meant to say at all, and it comes out broken and just above a whisper.

"You scare me, Tim."

I–what?" He visibly recoils.

"Not in a way that you did anything wrong, because you haven't. God, you've done nothing but do everything right." She pauses and pulls in a shaky breath. "But–y–you scare me because you make me feel things I haven't felt before. Want things I haven't ever wanted before."

Her words hang in the air and he stares at her with a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and fear in his eyes, not interrupting and allowing her space to continue.

"Part of me hates that I'm telling you this. I–I don't even really know why I am, other than the fact that I'm so tired of playing it safe and not going for what I want, but I know that even if I go for this, things are complicated and I probably don't even stand of chance of getting it…but I–I can't not say it, because even if I hold it in, it's not gonna change how I feel and I'd just sit there hiding how I feel about you for the rest of the time that you live here."

He waits a moment when she's done speaking, making sure there's nothing else she has left to say. She's staring at him expectantly and her body is shaking, her lower lip trembling while she waits with bated breath on his reply.

"You scare me, too,' he tells her softly, his own voice threatening to quake. "I like you, Lucy. I like you a lot. I like talking to you. I like being around you." His lip twitches slightly "I like being with you. And I didn't think I'd ever feel that way about anyone again," He reaches over and grabs her hand, holding it in his and lacing their fingers together.

Her eyelashes flutter and her heart skips a beat at his words. She hadn't been expecting him to say that at all.

"So where does that leave us?" She wonders aloud.

"I don't know," he admits with a deflated sigh. "I mean–I wanna be able to tell you with confidence that we could dive in head first and things would be fine, but, I don't wanna hurt you."

"Right." With her free hand, Lucy pinches her covers again and her head falls. "Because you're just getting divorced and you've only ever been with one other woman besides your wife and you should probably have some time to go out and figure out what you like..What you want."

He lets go of her hand and reaches out and tips her chin up with his thumb so she can meet her eyes. "It's not about that. I don't care about that. I told you, I like for things in my life to be comfortable, stable, routine. I mean, I'm pretty sure you know I enjoy sex by now. But I don't need a different woman in my bed every night to figure out what I like or what I want."

"Then what is it? Why do you think you'd hurt me?"

"It's not that I think I would, it's the fact that I can't know I won't. I can't know I won't hurt you, or you won't hurt me. It's bullshit when people make that kinda promise because nothing in life is ever guaranteed. And my head is telling me to play it safe. To do what I can to make sure you stay in my life long term and that we don't blow this up because you're important to me. Your friendship is important to me."

"I understand," she mutters, biting back tears.

"That's not what I want, though," he replies, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand.

"What do you want, Tim?"

He leans forward and places a soft kiss to her lips, then leans his forehead against hers and whispers, "I want you. I wanna take the risk and see where this goes."

She nuzzles her forehead against his, a relieved sigh escaping her lips, and she whispers back, "I want that, too. But what we have–is it–is it worth taking that risk?"

His lips ghost over hers again, and this time his tongue teases her lips, begging for entrance, and she parts her lips and allows him access.

She leans into the tender way their tongues tangle together. Savoring the taste of his lips on hers, of his tongue swirling gently and rhythmically with hers, and she tries to memorize his exact taste, the exact scent lingering in the air, the feel of the sudden prick of goosebumps erupting on her skin, the way her spine tingles and her heart thuds erratically, in case this is the last time she ever gets to experience it.

They are both panting when he pulls away and he presses his forehead against hers again and holds her face with both hands and tells her, "You're worth the risk, Lucy."

Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Chapter Text

A strangled noise escapes the back of Lucy's throat and it's mingled with relief and happiness, and terror and thrill all at once and she stares into Tim's eyes and asks, "Are we really doing this?"

"I hope so," he replies, smiling back at her with hope and the tiniest bit of worry, because a small part of him fears she might back out. That she'll let her hesitations get the best of her.

She leans in and kisses him, smiling against his lips and she tells him between smooches, "Let's take the risk. Let's see where things go."

"Yeah?" His heart leaps in his chest and he almost can't believe he heard her right. That this is really happening. That they're giving in to their feelings and not letting the what ifs consume them. Not allowing their complicated circumstances to control their fate and diving in for what they want.

Maybe it's stupid. Maybe it's a terrible idea and it will all blow up in their faces and they'll both walk away from it maimed and heart broken.

His head told him that was going to happen..That he's in no place to jump into a relationship right now. It's too soon.

And while Genny might've been worried about his feelings, Tim was worried about Lucy's. He'd been worried about them all day while he tried to decide what the right thing to do was. What the right thing to tell her was.

Isabel's words to him the day she served him with divorce papers kept ringing in his head. Reminding him that she'd felt suffocated by the pressure she felt he put on her to live up to his standards that she felt she could never match.

He'd never even realized she felt that way, not once in the entire time they were together had she ever told him that he made her feel like that. And he'd never asked her to meet any standards that he could recall. He never remembers asking her to change a thing about herself for him. Not even the fact that she wanted to do undercover work, even though he'd hated the idea and missed her like crazy every single time she was gone, he'd never asked her to stop and give that up because he knew she loved it.

But there had to be some truth to her statement. He knows he has high expectations of people. There is right and there is wrong, and though he is a man of contradictions when it's necessary, he doesn't often toe a line between those ideals.

Part of him is afraid Lucy will feel the weight of those unreachable expectations Isabel claimed to feel from him. He knows she already feels like she can't live up to her parent's standards, and he's slightly terrified of making her feel the same way they have. Of breaking her down the way they did. Of not being the partner she needs or deserves to build her up and help her see herself for the beautiful, wonderful, amazing person he knows she is.

He knows she's never been in love before. That taking this risk with him is a huge deal for her. She's willing to give him her heart and that's something she's never been willing to give anyone before. And while the weight of that thought is crushing, it's also a strong motivator to do whatever it takes to make things with her work.

Because while he meant what he said, he can't promise he won't hurt her or she won't hurt him, he is making a silent promise to himself to do everything in his power not to hurt her. To do whatever it takes to be the kind of man she needs, even if that means he has to do things he isn't used to doing and that don't come naturally to him, like communicating his feelings.

And so he decided that taking the risk was worth it and that listening to his heart was better than listening to his head. Lucy was worth it. He'd take the gamble that she might hurt him and he'd do everything he could to make sure he didn't hurt her because she made him happy in a way he'd never imagined was possible again, and even though things could go wrong, he also knew they could go right. And if they went right, he'd have another shot at the life he'd always wanted, with someone he wanted it with more than he could put into words.

They stay on the edge of her bed, languidly kissing through dopey grins and hushed laughs. Neither fully believing this is really happening and relishing their moment of bliss.

Eventually their kissing grows more passionate, and the two are falling backwards and scooting up the bed until Tim's hovering over Lucy and he's reaching for the hem of her shirt and tugging it upwards, but he's taken aback when she tears her lips from his and grips the collar of his shirt with a trouble expression washing over her features.

"What's wrong?" He asks, his voice filled with worry.

"Nothing," she breathes out with knitted brows. "Nothing's wrong at all. It's just–I don't wanna have sex right now."

"Oh. O-kay." His body tenses and rolls off her and onto his side, racking his brain to see if he'd done something she didn't like, but he comes up empty.

"It's nothing you did," she quickly assures him, reaching over and placing her hand above his heart. "It's me–I just–I know it's silly, but I'm so used to things being only about sex and while I know that's not what this is, and sex with you is freaking amazing, I just want to do something different tonight. I just want to kiss and–," her eyes shyly flit away from him and her cheeks flush and her voice is muffled, "cuddle."

He covers the hand she's holding over her heart with his own, his large hand eclipsing her small one. "Kissing and cuddling sounds perfect." He kisses her forehead and lays back on his pillow, pulling her closer to him so her head can rest on his chest.

"Are–are you sure?"

He hums and kisses her forehead again. "We can go as slow as you want. I know this is all new to you and just because we've slept together already it doesn't mean we have to jump into that now that we're giving us a shot. If you want to wait weeks or months until we go there again, I'm fine with that."

Her fingers trace circles over his heart and she's quick to say, "We're definitely not waiting weeks or months. I don't have that kind of willpower. But I do want a little bit of time to just enjoy the smaller intimate moments of being with you without the naked time."

"Naked time?" He chuckles.

"Shut up," she pinches him playfully and lets out a yelp, which causes her to grin.

"Seriously, though," he tells her, "I'm fine with whatever you want, Lucy. I'll be ready when you are."

Her hand stills and falls at rest on his heart and she hums contentedly before asking him, "So, how's this gonna work?"

"Uh, I mean, what we've been doing is fine with me. Why? Is there some other way you like to do it?" He knows he hasn't had nearly as many partners as her, not that he knows how many she's had or wants to know how many she's had, but he doesn't think there's much he hasn't done or doesn't know about.

"Not that," she rolls her eyes. "We've got that part all figured out. I mean, how are things going to work for us being that we share a house with your sister?"

"We could put a sock on the door like they do in movies," he suggests. "Pretty sure she'll get the message loud and clear." Lucy grows quiet and her body grows very still, so he asks, "What, you don't like that idea?"

"No, it's not that. It's just, you want to go ahead and tell people about us?"

"You don't?"

"It's not that I don't want anyone to know because I'm ashamed of you, of us," she explains. "It's just, I don't want anyone to get inside our head. You know? People are going to have opinions about it and people genuinely like to share their opinions whether they're helpful or not."

"Genny won't be a problem again," he insists. "And if she is, I'll handle it."

"It's not just Genny. Your friends, my friends, everyone is going to have something to say. Some will probably be good, and some will probably be bad."

He nods and sighs because he knows she's right. "And you're worried that it could make us second guess things."

"Yeah," she admits quietly. "I don't want to have to listen to people listing every single reason this could go wrong. I've already thought about those enough myself, and I just, I want us to figure this out on our own."

"Okay, So we won't tell anyone yet. Keep it between us until we're in a place we know we won't overthink things and or let anyone else's opinions get to us."

"You're okay with that, right?"

"Yeah. It's probably a good idea and I don't mind having you all to myself for a while." He leans over and kisses her and grins lecherously. "Besides, the whole sneaking around thing might be kinda hot."

"It'll be very," she kisses him back, "very hot."

He savors the kiss a few moments longer and then pulls away, fully content to just hold her in his arms and not take anything further.

()()()()()()

Lucy wakes up early the next morning just before the crack of dawn, her alarm blaring wildly, and she groans groggily and reaches over to her nightstand to turn it off.

She's barely flipped the off switch when she feels Tim's sinewy arms winding around her and tugging her back to him, her body colliding with his naked chest and he presses a tender kiss to her collarbone.

She'd asked him to sleep in her room last night, sticking to her temporary no sex rule, but craving the comfort of his touch as she drifted off to sleep.

He'd agreed to stay with her without hesitation and without complaint regarding the lack of sex, though both agreed they needed to wake up early before Genny came home so their secret wasn't discovered.

"You've gotta go to your bed," she whispers as he snuggles in closer to her.
He grunts and groans against the delicate skin of her shoulder, muttering, "I don't wanna get up."

"I know, I don't want you to either." She rolls over in his arms and presses a kiss to his chest, just above his heart, her fingertips landing on his bare hip and ghosting over his ribs, over his pecs, and back down his firm abdomen. "But," she softly kisses him, "you've gotta go back to your room."

He kisses her back, their lips meeting in a gentle and unhurried union, melting into the warmth and comfort of their embrace until they lose themselves in the sweet tenderness of the moment until all rational thought is gone and their hands are lazily roaming over one another's bodies until Lucy's climbing on top of him, pulling the bralet she slept in over her head and tossing it to the side, her panties soon following, then Tim's boxer briefs, and the next thing she knows she's grabbing a condom and sinking on top of him, slowly rotating her hips, keeping a languid, rhythmic pace until they're shuddering and crying out each other's names.

"I could get used to waking up like that," Tim breathlessly mumbles against her neck as she rolls off him.

He's got that goofy grin on his face again and she wonders if he's ever going to stop looking so happy after. She hopes he doesn't, because it leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling in her gut that she's starting to allow herself to enjoy more than she wants to admit.

She settles her head against his chest after he discards the condom in her trashcan and pulls the covers back over them while she listens to the steady thumping of his heart just below her ear and her fingernails scrape lightly up and down his sweat slicked stomach, taking extra caution each time she drags them near his sutures that he's set to have removed in a few day.

"Mhm. I could definitely get used to waking up like this, too. And see, I told you it wouldn't take weeks or months for it to happen again."

"Would've been fine if it did," he assures her, running his hand up and down her arm. "But I mean, I get that you couldn't resist me and all."

"Maybe I was just trying to make you feel better about yourself." He pokes his lip out and she grins and pushes her body up just far enough to give him a quick peck and tells him, "You're cute when you're pouting,"

"Cute? All I get is cute?" He snorts.

She shrugs a shoulder innocently. "You might be a little handsome, in the right lighting."

"Is that so?" He flips over on top of her, holding himself up and hovering over her and tilting his head as he stares into her eyes. "What about now?"
"Now?" Her eyes flick to his biceps, admiring the way they're flexed out supporting his weight, perfectly displaying each bulge. She reaches up and traces the contours of his face, her thumb delicately grazing along his jawline. "Moderately handsome."

He leans in like he's going to kiss her, and she can feel his breath on her as his lips hover over her own, but he doesn't close the gap. He leaves her needy and waiting and flips back onto his back, resting his hands behind his head until she's the one hovering over him and closing the distance, nibbling his lip and pulling him back to her each time he tries to pull away, whispering that he's, "very handsome and very, very sexy," each time their lips part.

()()()()()()

They force themselves to get out of bed not long after, both realizing that Genny could come home any moment and deciding that it's not worth it to get caught and that they still want to keep things under wraps for now.

Instead of cooking, they decide to go out for breakfast. Heading over to one of Lucy's favorite cafes in Tim's truck. Afterwards, they decide not to go home immediately and head over to Elysian Park, which happens to overlook the police academy, where they know they'll be free to steal more hidden moments together. They stroll hand in hand there to Angel's point, and stop to admire the views it allows of Dodger Stadium, Hollywood Hills, and Downtown L.A.

Lucy leads him to her favorite spot in the park. A hidden gem called Secret Swings, which is located up a short, steep hill that leads to a wooden swing hanging by ropes from an old tree and offering the best views of the city.

Tim takes a seat in the swing and Lucy takes a seat in his lap and they enjoy the serenity of the location, birds chirping and the bustling hum of the city in the distance, as they watch clouds go by in the sky and Tim stares off longingly at Dodger stadium and tells her about his favorite games he's been to there.

Lucy thinks it's shaping up to be the perfect morning, that is until they get back home and they find a tow truck in the yard, the driver hooking up Lucy's car and preparing to load it on the back.

She leaps from Tim's truck before he's reached a complete stop and rushes to the man in the process of taking her car, demanding, "What are you doing? That's my car!"

The man pauses and reaches into his back pocket, pulling out some crumpled paperwork and scanning over it from behind his thick framed glasses.

"Do you know Patrick or Vanessa Chen?"

"I–yeah? Those are my parents. Why does that matter?"

The man nods and shrugs his shoulders. "Well, car's registered to them, according to the VIN. They called this morning and said they wanted it towed to their house. Sorry."

Lucy frantically turns to Tim, who's just stepped out of his own truck.

Tim reaches into his pocket and pulls out his badge, asking the man what the issue is, and he pops the gum he has in his mouth and gives Tim the same story he'd just given Lucy.

"Can they do that?" Lucy looks pleadingly at him.

Tim frowns and offers her an apologetic look."Unfortunately, they can. The car's in their name, so that makes it their property and they have the right to do what they want with it."

"Unbelievable!" Lucy mutters, pulling out her phone and angrily tapping away until she's landed on her mother's number. Her hands fall to her hips and she paces wildly in her front yard.

"Helllo?" Vannessa's voice comes from the other line after 4 rings.

"Mom? You're having my car towed. Seriously?" Lucy all but shouts into the phone.

"We gave you the car with the expectation you'd use it to get back and forth to school. That expectation included grad school, which you no longer wish to attend."

Lucy rubs her temples and bites down on her bottom lip, growling, "Okay. Well, I still have one more week in undergrad. Can I keep the car until then?"

"No."

"No? What do you mean, no? What am I supposed to do about getting back and forth to class?" Lucy cries.

'Figure it out yourself. You said you wanted to start figuring things out on your own and didn't need us anymore. Now's your chance. You can start figuring it all out on your own. The car. Rent. Groceries. All of it." her mother curtly tells her and then the line goes dead.

Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Lucy's not sure whether to scream or cry as she watches the tow truck pull off with her car. She tosses her head back, emitting something between a groan and a growl, and runs her hand through her thick, wavy hair, muttering, "What am I gonna do? I have no car, no job, no money for rent and groceries, and I don't even know how I'm going to get to class tomorrow to finish out my final week of school."

"Genny and I can cover the bills and groceries while you figure that part out," he offers supportively. "And I'm sure between the two of us we can get you back and forth to class the rest of the week."

Lucy's lip twitches at the sweetness of his offer, but her lip pulls quickly into a deep frown and she shakes her head and tells him, "No. I appreciate it. I really do, but I can't let the two of you do that. You're supposed to be saving for your own place and Genny starts grad school and won't be able to work nearly as much. I can't put the two of you into a position to compromise either of you financially."

"Lucy," Tim tries to reason but is abruptly cut off.

"Tim, really, I can't let you do that. I'll figure it out. I need to figure it out. For me."

Reluctantly, he nods and doesn't argue with her.

"I probably won't say no to the ride part," she concedes. "Finding an uber in the city to get you where you need to go in a timely manner is a nightmare."

"Whatever you need, I'm here," he promises her.

She pulls in a shaky breath and says, "I could use a hug."

"Come here," he holds out his arms and she falls into them, her arms winding tightly around his chest and criss-crossing over his back while his arms fall to rest over her lower back and he kisses the crown of her head, holding her securely in their front yard.

()()()()()()()()

Genny returns home from Rob's shortly after lunch time and she's surprised to find Lucy in the living room meditating with the lights turned down low, candles lit, and her Binaural beat playlist softly echoing in the background.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were home," Genny comments when she steps inside. "Where's your car?

Lucy's eyes peep open and she hums sadly. "Who knows? Maybe it's parked under the red oak in my parents' yard. Or maybe it's still on the rollback somewhere. Or maybe it's at a used car lot with a shiny new for sale sign on it."

Genny blinks and raises a brow. "Wait, what?"

Lucy recounts the story of what happened this morning and Genny rushes to her side on the yoga mat on the floor and wraps an arm around her shoulder. "That's just awful Lucy. I can't believe they'd do that. I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

"I'm okay," Lucy weakly insists.

"No, you're not, and you shouldn't be. Look, I don't have a lot of money, but Tim and I can cover things here for a while, so you don't have to worry and have time to figure it all out."

"Tim offered the same thing earlier, and while it means the world to me that you're both willing to do that, I can't let you. I've let my parents do so much for me for so long because I told myself it was all in my best interest long term, and I think I excused some of their bad behavior because of all they did for me and I let them control me because of it." Lucy sees Genny's face contort and holds up a hand. "Not that I think you or Tim would ever try to hold it over my head the way they have, but I just–I need to start working things out on my own. I need to know I can do it and if I fall on my face and I can't do it myself, I know you and Tim will be there if I need your help after."

"Okay." Genny offers her a supportive smile. "Is there anything I can do in the meantime? Order comfort food?"

"No thanks. Tim's on the comfort food part, I sent him out for Thai about ten minutes ago. But, you can give me a ride to class tomorrow, and maybe the rest of the week if you don't mind. I know our schedules aren't perfectly synced, but I can hang around in the library until you or Jackson are free to take me home."

"Of course."

"You can also, you know, let me scream or cry or yell whenever I need to."

"Always," Genny promises. "While pouring you your favorite wine."

()()()()()()()

Tim showed up with Thai food about 30 minutes after Genny came home and he had the foresight to bring his sister back a plate of her favorite meal in case she showed up while he was gone.

Genny took the food as a sign of forgiveness from her brother and the three of them ate lunch together and talked for a while, temporarily taking Lucy's mind off the issue with her parents.

Later in the evening, Lucy went with Genny, Jackson, Sterling, Celina and Aaron to sing karaoke at their favorite bar, but she limited herself to water while her friends indulged in drinks. She wanted to save what money she did have left in her bank account, assuming her mother didn't drain it before the end of the week, and she didn't want to take her friend's money, though they'd tried several times to buy a beer or a shot for her during the night.

She'd felt bad enough letting Tim pay for the Thai food earlier, but he'd been very insistent, despite her protests, and argued, "Can't a guy do something nice and buy his girl one of her favorite meals?" And well, him calling her his girl had turned her into a temporary puddle of goo and she'd stopped arguing with him about it and let him buy the food for her.

But her friends didn't have quite the same effect on her that Tim did, so she wasn't going to cave to their pleas. Besides, she was having fun without the alcohol and she didn't want to risk getting drunk and then getting sad about the situation with her parents.

Since they all have class tomorrow and it's finals week, karaoke night doesn't last long and everyone is heading home by 11, with Lucy driving Genny's car and acting as DD for Aaron and Genny.

Once Aaron is dropped off the girls go straight home and Genny's ready for bed, giving Lucy a bear hug before heading off to her room for the night and making her promise to wake her if she needs to talk.

Lucy promises just that, but she knows the whole time that Genny isn't the Bradford she'll be seeking out later tonight when she wants some comfort, Tim is.

And she doesn't waste much time before she's tapping on his bedroom door, eagerly opening it when he calls out, "come in."

He looks up from the FTO manual he's studying in his bed and smiles when he sees her, marking the page he is on by folding a corner down and placing it on his nightstand so he can give her his full attention.

"How was karaoke?" He asks her.

"It was good and it kept my mind off things. Genny and I got up and rapped Baby Got Back.

He grimaces. "I"m so glad I did not have to see that."

She rolls her eyes, "How was dinner with everyone from the station?"

"It wasn't everyone," he corrects. "Just Angela and Wesley and Nyla and Dovan and Nyla's new boot. But it was good, other than the fact I think I'm deaf in one ear now from Angela screaming that she is engaged all night. If it wasn't for the baby, I'd have thought she was drunk."

Lucy smiles, though she has a hard time imagining the straight faced, no nonsense Angela Lopez acting like a silly school girl over her engagement. "I think it's sweet she's that happy."

"Or that hormonal," Tim grunts. "She cried when the waiter brought the wrong brand of Ketchup. It's like her emotions are a literal rollercoaster right now."

"Be nice. Your best friend is pregnant and she can't help it."

"I am being nice," he huffs. "It's why I agreed to be her Man of Honor at her wedding?"

"Man of Honor?" Lucy raises a curious brow.

"It's like a maid of honor, but you know, I'm a guy, so…"

"Does that mean you'll be planning the bachelorette party? Finding the perfect male strippers for her?" She teases.

"No way. Nyla's getting tagged in for that. I'm just here to help her plan and make sure her soon to be mother-in-law doesn't turn into a monster-in-law and hijack all her plans."

"Well, as long as you don't get asked to be the stripper." She leans against the door frame and grins playfully.

He shudders. "You've got nothing to worry about there. Women at bachelorette parties are terrifying. Last time that happened my uniform got ripped."

Her eyes dilate and her jaw drops. "Wait, you were a stripper! When?"

"No. Not willingly, anyway. We were dispatched to a bachelorette party that got out of hand and when I walked in, well, pretty sure you can fill in the blanks."

She snorts at the images her head conjures up, though she has to admit, she wouldn't mind him putting on the uniform and giving her a private show sometime.

"It wasn't funny," he gripes, folding his arms over his chest.

Her hand covers her face to stifle a laugh but her eyes are still twinkling. "Of course not."

"So, are you uh, you gonna come in or you gonna stand there and lean against the door frame all night?"

She shrugs a shoulder. "Depends. Are you up for a little more cuddling with the possibility of some kissing here and there?"

He slides over to make more room for her and peels his cover back and she cautiously peeks over her shoulder to make sure Genny's bedroom door is still shut. When she finds it is, she closes the door to Tim's room and saunters over, slipping in bed beside him under the covers and curling into his side where he drapes an arm around and her head settles against his shoulder.

"So," she asks while she traces the tip of her finger along his bicep, "did you miss me?"

"No," he replies easily. "Not even a little."

"Jerk," she growls, but then she's grinning when he leans in and kisses softly.

()()()()()()

When Tim wakes the next morning, he's slightly disappointed to find Lucy is no longer next to him. He knows she fell asleep with him because she knocked out before he did, but he isn't quite sure when she slipped out of his bed. It must not have been too long ago, he thinks, because there is still a slight indentation on the pillow beside him from where her head was.

He realistically knows she had to go back to her room so Genny wouldn't find out, but that doesn't mean he isn't disappointed that he didn't get to wake up with her in his arms. It's like she fits there perfectly and is a missing piece to a puzzle he had no idea she could complete.

She was joking last night when she'd asked him if he missed her those 8 hours they'd been apart, at least he thinks she was, so he fired back at her and told her no. But the truth is, well, the damn truth is that he had missed her. A part of him longs for the day they've got this all figured out and he can freely take her with him and proudly display her by his side when he's hanging out with his friends, no worry or hesitation about what anyone might say regarding their new relationship.

He thinks it's probably a little ridiculous and it makes him feel a bit needy, but he doesn't care. He knows what he wants and what he wants is her and to be with her as much as possible, but for now, he'll take what he can get and he's excited and nervous to see where things go.

He checks his phone and sits up in bed, stretching his arms above his head, cracking his knuckles, and letting out a loud yawn. It's barely past eight and he knows he's going to be bored out of his mind for most of the day while Lucy and Genny are in class and all his friends are at work. He's set to return to work tomorrow, when he'll finally be medically cleared and ready to return to duty and he can't wait to be back on the job.

He doesn't bother throwing on a shirt and pants and heads towards the kitchen in his boxers, his stomach rumbling loudly and signaling to him that breakfast can't wait.

When he rounds the corner of the hallway and finds Lucy sitting at the kitchen table, sipping from her favorite coffee mug and scribbling furiously onto a notepad, he arches his brows and questions, "What are you doing here?"

She looks up at him, her eyes glancing up and down appreciatively at his mostly naked body, and she snorts, "Good morning to you, too."

He huffs and leans down to press a gentle peck to her cheek. "Good morning," he corrects, offering her a warm and genuine smile. "But, shouldn't you be in class?"

"Technically? Yes." She presses the pen she's been writing with to her lips. "But, I told Genny to head out without me. I'm really not feeling it today."

"Lucy," he sighs, "I know you're upset about everything going on, but you've worked too hard and come too far to screw everything up now. You've only got, what, 4 or 5 days left?"

"I know that. All we're doing this week is prepping for finals and completing our capstone projects. I'm ahead in all my classes and there's no way I'm coming out of any of them with anything less than a 95. Relax, I am good. I just need a day to decompress. I deserve it. I haven't missed a single day of class in four entire years."

"Alright," he slides a chair out and takes a seat next to her, stealing a bite of the bagel she'd left on her plate and nodding at the yellow legal pad in her hand. "What's all that?"

"This," she waves it around excitedly, "is our agenda for today?"

"Our agenda?"

She hums at him with a sparkle in her eyes. "Yes, our agenda. A whole list of fun activities I have planned for you and I to do today."

"Okay. And what exactly are you roping me into today?"

"Well," she grins proudly, "there's the shooting range, and paintball, then for lunch we can stop by the food trucks so I can grab a veggie burger and fries, and after we'll finish out the day volunteering to walk dogs at the local shelter."

His lips purse and he questions, "The shooting range and paintball?" Both places sound like a great idea to him, but he's not sure they're where Lucy would want to spend her day.

"I figured that if I'm considering becoming a police officer it's best to learn how to handle weapons properly. I mean, I don't want to feel behind when I go to the academy. And paintball will help prepare me for the tactical aspects, learning how to strategize and use hiding spots to my advantage. Plus, who better to teach me all that stuff than you?"

He smirks at her compliment. "Fair point. But, are you sure you've got the money for this?"

"The shooting range is free. We can go to the one you guys use for the L.A.P.D. and I'll tag along as your guest. Jackson's dad takes him all the time and it's fine. As far as paintball goes, it's not that expensive and I can cover it. I know that's not the most responsible decision, but," she taps the side of her head, "I've got a few ideas brewing and I plan to have a job lined up by the end of the week. I need this, Tim. I need to blow off steam and forget about all my problems and just have a fun day with my boyfriend."

Boyfriend. It's the first time she's referred to him as her boyfriend and can't help the warmth that spreads across his chest of the slight flutter in his stomach at the term coming from her lips and he finds it impossible to deny her of the day she wants. "Okay. Let's do it."

"Okay, yay! Let's do it!," she leans forward and her mouth hungrily connects with his. "And," she tells him with a lascivious grin after they part, "I didn't even tell you the best part yet."

"Oh yeah?" His head tilts curiously. "What's that?"

She points to the first thing written on the list and he grins and nods his approval as he reads, "Quality sexy time."

She licks her lips and hooks her fingertips into the waistband of his boxers. "What do you say we get started on that right now?"

The physical hunger he initially awoke with is overpowered by his lustful hunger for her and he doesn't waste any time before his hands are gripping her thighs and his mouth is roughly colliding against hers, until he's dragging her into his lap and tearing her clothes off piece of by piece while sucking and nipping at the nape of her neck and then he lifts her long enough to firmly plant her ass on the kitchen table, spreading her legs with his knees and settling between them as she yanks his boxers down and blindly and desperately fumbles in her drawstring bag that she'd left on the kitchen table while she got ready this morning to retrieve the condom he would've carelessly disregarded in his eagerness to crash inside of her.

Notes:

I hope all the fluffy little moments are not coming across as filler. I enjoy imagining these two in blissful moments of happiness like that and I hope it's also helping move the plot forward for you guys by seeing them reach this point. I'll try and update again tomorrow but I already know Thursday and possibly Friday are no go's for updates, as I'll be visiting the closest beach to me for one final overnight trip, so it may be Saturday before I get another chance to update. Also, I'm so happy the site is back on, I was bummed out yesterday when I couldn't access it.

Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Chapter Text

"So," Tim, his voice raspy and rough, whispers in Lucy's ear after they're done, "how was that for quality sexy time?"

"I'd give it five stars," she mutters lazily, her hands raking down his chest as he pulls away from her.

"What's next on your list? He wonders while sliding his boxers up over his knees.

Her hands shaky and her body still trembling, she grabs her yellow legal pad and places a check and a smiley face next to number one on her list and reads off number 2, "Take a hot, relaxing shower and get ready for the gun range." She giggles and hops off the table to gather up her strown clothes. "We should probably clean the table first, though."

Tim's stomach growls loudly and he reaches over and grabs the rest of Lucy's bagel that he'd already stolen a bite from and around chews he mumbles, "Go ahead and get in the shower. I'll wipe the table down and fix something to eat while I wait on you."

She steps in front of him and her hands fall on his hips and she pokes her bottom lip into a pout, "you're not going to join me for the relaxing shower?"

His forehead creases and his lip curls. "I'd love to." His stomach rumbles again. "After I eat. I'm starving."

()()()()()()()()

Lucy cleans the table while Tim scrambles some eggs for himself and then the two head into the bathroom for that relaxing shower Lucy was looking forward to.

There's no second round of sex, just some kissing and light touching as the warm water cascades over their bodies and they take turns massaging and laterhing each other's chest and back with sudsy body wash.

It's another one of those small, intimate moments Lucy wants to enjoy with him without it leading to something more. To enjoy the way his muscles flex and twitch beneath her touch. To enjoy the quiet moans of pleasure she elicits from him from the innocent act of her long, sweeping strokes from the base of his spine to the tips of his shoulder.

To revel in the way Tim used his fingers and palms to work the soapy lather into her skin and how it somehow manages to knead all the built up tension and stress from her body, all of it slowly melting away underneath his careful touch as she sighs and hums contentedly.

The temptation to remain like that in the shower, exploring and appreciating one another all morning is strong, but it doesn't take long until the hot water begins to run out and they're both hissing from the frigid water trickling on their skin, chill bumps erupting like a volcano on over their bodies and their soothed and relaxed muscles growing rigid, which has them escaping the shower in a hurry, shivering and reaching for towels to recover some warmth.

With his towel swung low around his waist, Tim's arms wind around Lucy, who is perched in front of the mirror with a hair dryer in hand, and he presses a gentle kiss to the base of her neck. She smiles against his touch, and she can see him smirking in the mirror, because it's clear he's admiring his handy work from leaving another hickey on skin.

"You've got to stop doing that," she warns. "Genny saw one after we were together the first time. I had to convince her it's where I fell while I was with Angela chasing the suspect who took out the powerlines."

"She believed that?" He snorts. "She's supposed to be the smart one out of me and her."

"I was very convincing."

"I bet you were," he mutters, his lips ghosting over the spot again.

"Tim," she whines feebly, the hair dryer in her hand slowly lowering as she leans into him.

He chuckles and it tickles her skin. "You don't see me complaining about the marks you left on my back."

She smirks and arches her neck more for him, giving him all the access he wants and needs to suckle her tattooed skin. "You should," her chest rises and falls sharply, her breath hitching and momentarily pausing her words, "probably not walk around shirtless for a few days. At least, not when Genny's home."

"Mmhmm." He half-heartedly agrees, continuing his plight. "Want me to stop?"

"God, no!" She reaches behind her and threads her fingers through the thin hair on the back of his head, urging him on. "I'll cover it up with make-up. Keep doing that."

He obeys. His fingers flexing and sliding from her towel covered hips down to where the flesh peaks out behind the soft cotton, exposing her bare thighs. His fingertips rest there momentarily and begin creeping their way up until the front door slams and they startle apart when Jackson calls out Lucy's name.

Tim's left throwing his head back and rolling his eyes in frustration, and Lucy straightens and tightens the towel around herself, mouthing, "sorry," to Tim, before stepping out of the bathroom to get rid of Jackson.

She cracks the door open as slightly as possible and slips out, obscuring any view of Tim her friend may accidentally see. "Jackson, hi!" Her voice is high pitched but cheerful and she plasters a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hey." He smiles back at her, his brows knitting curiously. "I just wanted to come by and check on you before my first class. Genny called and said she was worried about you because you ditched class.I figured you might want a skip buddy."

"That was sweet of her. And sweet of you, but seriously, I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, your face is all flushed and your voice is kind of weird."

"You know, hot steamy showers do that to your skin."

Jackson folds his arms and stares at her, tilting his head to the side and studying her carefully.

"What?" She huffs.

"Is that a hickey on your neck?"

Her hand instantly goes over the area Tim had just been tantalizingly assaulting. She chuckles nervously. "Nu-uh. Nope. No. Just uh-just burnt myself with a curling iron is all. You know, silly me, being clumsy."

"Uh-huh." Jackson scratches his chin. "And the one on the other side of your neck that's fading and looks like it's a few days old?"

She swallows and gives him the same story she'd given Genny about that mark, because, well, consistency is key to keeping all these lies straight.

"Riiight."

"Shouldn't you be heading to class?" She reminds him.

"I should be," he agrees and his voice softens. "But I'm not so sure you should be alone. I really don't mind skipping and spending the day with you. We could do a true crime marathon."

Her eyes flit over her shoulder to where Tim is hiding behind the bathroom door. "Tempting. But I've got a whole agenda planned for myself today. Go be a good student and get to class."

Jackson reluctantly nods. "Okay. But, call me if you need anything at all."

"I will. I promise." She holds out her pinky and he interlocks his with hers.

Jackson doesn't let go, instead tugging her into him by her pinky and wrapping her into a friendly and warm embrace, not fussing when she briefly settles her head on his shoulder and her damp hair leaves an outline on his fresh shirt. "I'll call you later, Luce."

"I expect nothing less." She lifts her head and pulls away from his embrace. She waits until she hears his car whirling to life before she opens the bathroom door. Tim's sitting on the counter, looking a little bored and a little frustrated, and she apologizes. "Jackson's still got a key. He was worried about me because Genny told him I didn't go to class so he let himself in to check on me."

"It's fine."

Her hands fall on his knees and she wiggles her brows, "You wanna pick up where we left off?

He covers her hands with his and shakes his head. "We probably shouldn't risk Jackson coming back in or Genny showing up when he tells her you didn't want him to stay with you."

"Right. Yeah. That's smart."

"How about we get dressed and move on to number three on your list?" He suggests.

"Yes," she lets go of his knees and clasps her hands together, "let's go to the shooting range."

She's giddy and practically bouncing at the thought and he's smiling at her adoringly when he asks, "just how much coffee did you have before I woke up? "

"Um, yeah, I'll go ahead and apologize in advance about that."

()()()()()()

"I suck at this," Lucy groans when she's missed her target for the fourth time in a row.

"You don't suck, you just need practice," Tim tries to reassure her. He holds his hand out and motions for her to give him the gun. First, he forms the correct stance and shows her, giving her a visual as he fires off at the target and hits it in the center.

"See what I did there?" He asks and she nods. "Now," he carefully places the gun back in the holster on her side, "square your shoulders."

She does as he says.

"Good." His hands fall to her hips and he helps direct her, "your feet should be shoulder width apart," he reaches down to her knees and presses lightly, "knees slightly bent." She follows his orders. "Good. Now, lean slightly forward." He pauses and takes a step back, eying her position and giving her a satisfactory hum. "Next thing you're gonna do is remove the gun from your holster with your dominant hand. FInger off the trigger and along the frame of the gun."

"Like this?" She inquires, not flinching from the position he'd maneuvered her in.

"Mhm. We're going to get in the ready position now," he moves behind her and helps position her arms. "Keep the gun close to your body, in front of your abdomen, pointed directly towards your target." His hands cover her, lining her up just right for the shot, and he slowly peels his hands away, his front still pressed firmly to her back. "Now, shoot."

She fires three times, all three shots hitting dead center.

"That was great," he beams proudly.

She glances over her shoulder and smirks at him, lining the next target up in her sights and firing three more shots. Once again, hitting the target spot on.

Tim's jaw drops at her accuracy and precision "D-did you just hustle me? Do you already know how to shoot?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lucy puts the gun on safety and slides it back into the holster by her side. "I think you're just a really great teacher."

He steps forward and stares down at her, leaving only about an inch of space between them. "Is that so?"

She shrugs a shoulder innocently. "Or, maybe I just wanted you behind me like that. I guess you'll never know."

His eyes darken and his hands fall to her hips. He licks his lips and raggedly says, "If you want me behind you then all you need to do is tell me."

She smirks, leans up on tiptoes and captures his mouth with hers in a hungry kiss that he wastes no time responding to because there's no bossy sister that could interrupt them and no nosey former roommate that might barge in without invitation. It's just the two of them, losing themselves in one another in the middle of the uncrowded gun range, until a familiar and annoying voice disrupts them.

"Bradford? Holy cow. Is that you?"

Tim freezes, his mouth hanging slack open against Lucy's and he slowly steps away from her, emitting a low, angry growl from the back of his throat. "Smitty, he greets the man sternly and unenthusiastically.

'Were you two," the older blond man motions between them and drops his voice to a whisper, "about to hook up in the middle of the gun range?"

If looks could kill, the daggers Tim was shooting with his eyes would cut Smitty to pieces, so Lucy quickly and anxiously chimes in, "We were just celebrating because I hit my first targets."

"Hell of a way to celebrate," Smitty mumbles, his hands falling over his duty belt.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?" Tim demands, averting the tension from himself.

"I am. I have mandatory firearms training today. Something about the fact that I missed aiming at a suspect and took out a fire hydrant eight feet away. It's bologna, is what it is if you ask me. It could happen to anyone."

Lucy raises a worried brow to Tim and he just shakes his head, knowing he'll have to explain later and that it's going to take a long time to explain Smitty to someone who doesn't know him.

Again, Smitty motions between Lucy and Tim and his eyes light up. "Wait, she's the one who saved your ass the day you got shot, isn't she?"

"I am," Lucy boasts proudly before Tim can respond.

"NIiiice." Smitty holds up a hand and waits for Tim to reciprocate the high five, but Tim leaves him hanging.

"We're leaving," he barks tugging Lucy's hand and pulling her along behind him. "Not a word of this to anyone, Smitty," Tim warns dangerously as he and Lucy stalk off. "If it gets back to me that you made one mention of my personal life to anyone, anyone at all, I'll make sure everyone at the station knows what you do in the storage closet on break."

Lucy's grimaces. "Wh-what does he do in the storage closet?"

"You don't wanna know."

()()()()()()()()

They grab lunch after the Smitty fiasco, Lucy gets the veggie burger with extra pickles and fries that she was so desperately craving. Over lunch, Lucy confesses to Tim that she's been to the shooting range a few times before with Jackson and his dad. Admitting she wanted Tim's perspective about firearms and safety and that she really would like all the training she could get and thinks he's a very good teacher, but that she couldn't pass up the opportunity to surprise him today. He compliments her for her abilities, given her limited training, and they make plans to come back soon so she can get more practice in and he can offer her more pointers.

On the way to the paintball arena, Tim brings up the fact that they've been interrupted twice in the last 2 hours, and that they might have to sneak out to his truck tonight for full privacy so Genny doesn't make it 3 times.

Lucy laughs, but the comment brings an important topic to the forefront of her mind and she begins flitting her eyes from Tim to her drawstring bag that's sitting in his floorboard by her feet and she blurts out, "we need to talk about something."

His eyes veer from the road and his knuckles tighten around the steering wheel. "About what?"

"I-uh-" she picks at a string on her jeans. "I kinda get the feeling that you don't like using condoms."

"What gives you that idea?" He responds cautiously. He knows he's never suggested they don't use them, but he also knows he's been ready to sink into her without one almost every time.

"Because," she laughs nervously, "I kinda have to remind you about almost every time."

"I"m just not used to having to use them," he admits. "Isabel was on birth control and it's not exactly the first thing running through my mind when we're about to…"

"No, I get it. I'm not mad about it, It's just, I've never had sex without one."

"Oh." He doesn't say anything else, because he isn't sure where this is going.

"It's just–I was a mistake. Plain and simple, I wasn't planned. I think that's part of the reason my mom is so awful to me. You know?" I'm a constant reminder of her greatest moment of weakness and her biggest regret. Maybe she's even still angry at my bio dad for walking out and she takes it out on me, I-I don't know. All I know is, if I was actually my mom and dad's kid and it happened after they were married and stable, I feel like she'd treat me a lot differently."

"Lucy," he reaches over and laces his fingers with hers and squeezes her hand.

"I'm not trying to make today sad," she insists, steeling her voice. "I just–I made up my mind a long time ago that I don't ever want to feel about my future child the way my mother feels about me. So, I'm extra careful when it comes to sex. I don't want to chance any mistakes. I can't let myself become anything like her. Plus, I want my kids to know their dad. Their real dad. And not have to wonder about him the same way I have.."

Tim can't imagine a world where Lucy is cruel to anyone, let alone her own child. She's one of the warmest, most nurturing people he's ever met, and he's certain that someday, a long time from now, she'd make an excellent mother.

"I get not wanting to be like your parents," he tells her. "Trust me, I do. But, even if a surprise happened, I don't think you'd be anything like her."

"Maybe," she admits, "But maybe not. I can't ever really know . My point is, I've always been safe, even with my high school boyfriend and even though I have a birth control implant in my arm, I want that extra protection. Before you, I reminded myself it was also necessary. I wasn't always sleeping with one guy at a time and they weren't always only sleeping with me and I didn't want to catch anything."

Tim shifts uncomfortably at the unwanted image of her with other men that pops into his mind.

"Anyway, I'm saying all that to say that with you, it's kind of hard, " they both giggle at her choice in words, "sorry, no pun intended. But it is difficult to remember to always grab one. I get so caught up in the moment with you sometimes that I almost let it happen, but then I freak out again and I'm grabbing for one. It's why I had a whole sleeve stuffed in my bag this morning. I knew we'd probably end up somewhere and one of us would start something we wouldn't want to not finish and I wanted to be prepared. I guess I just–I want you to know why it's so important for me and I'm hoping you can maybe help remind me if I ever forget or get so caught up I don't go for one. I hope you understand even though I know sometimes it's inconvenient and that I know it doesn't feel as good for you with one."

While he knows sex without one does feel better, he's actually glad they've been using them. Especially the first time, because after over a year of going without, he'd have exploded in an embarrassing amount of time if he'd been inside her raw.

Hell, he just assumed she wasn't on birth control until now and that's why she always made sure they had one. Even though he now knows she's got an implant, he thinks it's probably wise to have the extra layer of protection. While he wants kids someday, neither of them are anywhere near ready for a baby, separate or together, and though he wants kids, he has his own hang ups and fears about being like his father and wants to feel ready when it happens.

"He smiles reassuringly at her. "I've got no complaints. And uh-I'll invest in my own supply and keep some on hand, that way it's not always on you to remember."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He nods and puts the truck in park because they've just pulled into the paintball arena.

"You ready to get your ass kicked?" He teases her.
She smirks playfully. "I'm ready to kick your ass."

()()()()()()()

They enjoy paintball, despite the nasty welts they're left with in the aftermath. Their competitive sides were on full display, and they trash talked each other relentlessly while competing against each other. Eventually a few others piled in and they were able to compete together and crush their competition.

They run home to shower again before heading to the local shelter, rinsing the splattered paint from their skin and changing into fresh clothes, but not before picking up where they left off prior to their earlier interruptions, Tim taking her from behind on the couch like he'd imagined doing so many times before she was his.

When they are dry and dressed, Lucy checks off items 3, 4, 5, and 6 off her list, item 6 being more quality sexy time.

On the way to the local shelter, Lucy tells Tim all about how she has been volunteering there over breaks from school the past two years. She gushes about all of the adorable puppies and kittens, and tells him about her favorite dog that she's ever come across there, a large American Bulldog named Kojo who was abandoned by his family around Christmas but was adopted before Valentine's Day this year.

The plan is to play with the puppies and kittens and walk a few dogs, because in Lucy's own words, "there's nothing more therapeutic than the unconditional love an animal offers you."

They're instantly greeted by a balding 40 year old man with glasses, who shakes Lucy's hand eagerly and welcomes her back, then introduces himself to Tim as a man Andy, who is the manager of the shelter.

He takes them on a tour, showing Lucy a few new runs they've added since the last time she came by and Lucy oooh's and aahh's at all the barking dogs she passes by, until her face falls when they reach the last run on the end.

"Why's Kojo back?" She sadly asks Andy. "I thought he got adopted?"

"He did. But the man returned to him because his new girlfriend was afraid of Kojo." Andy regretfully informs her. "You know he doesn't always trust new people easily and he's a little territorial."

"He should've gotten rid of the girlfriend," Lucy mutters angrily. "Kojo's a big softie underneath all that gruff."

Tim watches as Lucy crouches down and gets eye level with the dog, who instantly begins squirming, whining, and wagging his butt in a helicopter motion the moment he sees her.

"Hey sweet boy," she coos. "Do you remember me? I've missed you. Yes I have. Yes I have." She reaches for a leash hanging on the wall and lets Andy know she and Tim will be walking Kojo first, but her hand freezes when her eyes read the date on the card above his run. Her eyes water and her bottom lip trembles. "That can't be right. Tell me you're not going to–"

Andy hangs his head. "I'm sorry, Lucy. It is. I don't want to, but you know we can't keep them forever because we have to make room for the hundreds more piling in. He's been back three months with no interest in him at all and the higher ups say that the oldest residents have to be put down first. I've done all I can. Marketed him to everyone who comes through. Reached out to rescues. People don't like big bulldogs like him. They're afraid of him."

Her lower lip trembles and she shoots Tim a pleading look.

There's a stabbing pain in his gut seeing her so sad like this, but she's in no position to get a dog right now. "Lucy, sweetheart, he gently tries to reason.

"Tim," she shakes her head and the tears begin to spill out. "He's a good dog. He doesn't deserve to-" her eyes flit to his run and she can't stand to say the words in front of him. "He deserves a good life. His family, the people who were supposed to love him, they just threw him away. Twice. And for what?" She sniffles, her entire body trembling. "Because–because he didn't fit some stupid idea they had about him? Because he turned out differently than they imagined he would? Because he isn't perfect? He didn't deserve that. He deserves to be loved for who he is. He deserves to have a good home and be fed and spoiled and taken on long walks. Not to," her voice dips to a hushed, strangled whisper, "not to die here at the end of the week, scared and alone and wondering why he wasn't good enough.

He steps forward and wraps his arms around her, letting her sob into his shoulder as she clutches the back of his shirt like a lifeline. He kisses the crown of her head and swallows thickly, sighing heavily as he rotates his head and asks Andy, "What are the requirements for adoption?"

Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

On the way home from the shelter Kojo is sitting, all seventy-five pounds of him, in Lucy's lap, his tail flapping and thudding against the passengers side door, his big brown eyes emanating joy and adoration as Lucy gentle strokes his ears, periodically leaning down to nuzzle his forehead or squeeze his flabby jowls and tell him how much he's going to love his new home and that he'll never have to worry about being thrown to the side again.

Tim tries to focus on the road, but he keeps catching glimpses of the two of them out of his peripheral vision and he can't help the way his eyes light up at the sight, even if he's still wondering why in the hell he agreed to adopt the damn dog in the first place.

Okay, that's not entirely true. He knows why he adopted the dog.

And it's not just one reason, really. There are multiple reasons.

One of those being the fact that the sight of Lucy bawling her eyes out left him feeling like his insides were being strung out of him and he'd do whatever the hell it took to take that pain away from her and see her smiling and happy again.

Another reason, and it was sort of two reasons, is the backstory Lucy sobbed out about Kojo's life. Being abandoned by those who were supposed to love and care for him the most, being left alone, and likely afraid, by the people you believed loved you. Well, he knew that's a feeling Lucy knew all too well right now.

Even if she was trying to work through it or dismiss it or make the best of it, the situation with her parents was clearly hurting her far more than she let on or maybe even wanted to admit to herself and it was very clear to him that she saw herself in Kojo. Not being accepted or loved for the way she was, the way his owners didn't accept or love him. And as much as it was clear to Tim that Lucy loved Kojo and didn't want to see the dog put down, he knew it ran so much deeper than that for her.

And if he's being honest, hell, that part digs at him, too, and gives him a special endearment to the mutt he's just laid eyes on for the first time. Because Tim can also relate to not being loved or accepted by someone who should love him most of all. By being abandoned, emotionally/mentally by his father from as far back as he can remember. Being tossed to the side for a woman, the way his father treated his mistress, as if she was superior to his own family and actually deserved the respect and adoration he'd never given them. And, like Kojo, being abandoned a second time in his life as well, by Isabel, his wife. Who'd left him feeling, more than anyone else, that he wasn't good enough or worthy of love.

Tim realized Lucy was right. This dog deserves a chance at life with people who weren't going to let him down. And who better to not let him down than two people who knew all about the heartache of being let down?

And so he'd found himself caving and adopting the dog. Or rather, adopting the dog for her. He isn't sure yet which statement is accurate, though he knows he had to be the one to legally adopt Kojo from the shelter due to their proof of income requirements and Lucy's current lack of a job.

Luckily, the adoption fee was waived due to the circumstances and the fact that Lucy volunteered so much at the shelter, so all they needed to do was purchase a collar and leash and food and treats and toys and a crate, which Lucy has promised him she'll pay him back for the moment she gets her first check once she lands a job.

But he isn't really worried about being paid back. He doesn't mind getting the dog the things he needs, or the things he doesn't necessarily need, but deserves.

"Tim and I are going to take you on long walks," he hears Lucy promising Kojo from beside him and he can see the way Kojo's ears perk up in an undeniably adorable way, somewhat resembling Dorito chips.

"And I'm going to get you pup cups, when I get a car again," she continues and Kojo's head cocks, allowing him to look up at her curiously as she speaks. "And take you to the beach. And whenever Tim cooks breakfast I'll make sure to sneak you a plate."

At the mention of Tim's name and breakfast, Kojo jerks his head and reaches his long front legs out over the center console of the truck and paws Tim's thigh roughly, letting out a pitiful whine.

"Be patient," he grumbles to the dog. "We'll be home in ten minutes and we'll find you something to eat."

Kojo whimpers again, batting his big brown eyes and putting his head down helplessly, and Lucy chuckles, "I think he's hungry now," as she scratches his chin.

As if on cue, Kojo paws Tim's thigh again, this time letting out a loud, "ruff."

"Seriously?" Tim mutters and rolls his eyes before removing one hand from the wheel and holding up a finger and firmly telling his new pet, "No, we'll eat when we get home and I don't wanna hear another word about it."

Kojo doesn't paw him again, but he does let out an almost disappointed sounding whimper before settling his head in Lucy's lap and then Tim reaches over and ruffles his head affectionately.

()()()()()()

When they get home, Tim goes to the kitchen and heats up the leftover scrambled eggs he'd made at breakfast and feeds them to an excited Kojo while Lucy sets out a bowl of water for him.

He then heads out by himself, Lucy staying home with Kojo because they don't yet know how well house trained he is, and sets out to purchase the necessities they'll need for him, like dog food, the cage, and a collar and leash.

But before returning home, he makes an important phone call to his sister, asking her if she has time to take a break at work so they can talk.

When he arrives at the school library to meet her, she's frazzled and her voice is frantic as she runs up to him, stuttering, "What's wrong? Is everything okay? Is Lucy okay?"

He holds up two calming hands. " Relax. Lucy's fine. But what we need to talk about does involve her."

Genny stares at her brother with steely eyes, and motions for them to take a seat at the empty table right outside the library.

Tim wastes no time getting to the point once they are both seated. "Lucy and I got a dog today."

Genny blinks several times. "I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you correctly. You did what?

"Lucy and I adopted a dog today. Or I adopted a dog. Or I adopted a dog for Lucy. I-I don't know. The point is, there's a dog living at our house now and I thought you might want a heads up before coming home and being ambushed by it."

Her voice raises. "And you didn't think I'd want a heads up before you maybe adopted the dog in the first place? What the hell, Tim?"

"There wasn't really time for all that..."

"There wasn't time to make a phone call to me?" Genny snorts. "Please, enlighten me."

Tim explains what happened and how they'd come to the split second decision to take Kojo home and Genny leans forward, her elbows flat on the table, and she rubs her temples.

"Out of everything that crossed my mind that you needed to tell me about Lucy, I didn't have you two rescuing a dog from euthanasia on my bingo card."

Tim's forehead creases. "Wh-what did you think I was gonna tell you about Lucy?"

Genny waves him off. "Nothing. It doesn't matter right now, we've got other things to deal with."

"Look, Gen, I get you being upset because no one consulted you, but you'll barely know he's there. Lucy or I will see after him and you're at Rob's most of the time anyway, plus we've got the fenced in backyard. He won't be much trouble."

"It's just," Genny sighs. "I'm sure Kujo's really cute and…"

"Kojo," Tim interrupts. "His name is Kojo."

"Kojo," Genny slowly corrects herself. "I'm sure he's really cute and sweet and all. But it's just–do you think it's the best idea for Lucy to get a dog when she's already going through so much?"

"I do." He answers without hesitation.

"And you're not just saying that because…"

"Because what?"" He snaps defensively, leaning back in his chair.

"Nothing," Genny shakes her head.

"Look," he exhales sharply, "people I was in the military with used emotional support animals to help get them through some of the most difficult times of their lives after they got out. And I know that this isn't the same thing but Lucy is going through something very difficult and she sees herself in that dog and I think it'll help her work on some of her issues to be able to help him and show him the love that he needs while also getting some of that herself. You and I both understand that feeling all too well."

Her fingers drum on the table, her recently done nails clicking on the plastic. "You make a compelling argument."

"I know." Tim's arms fold across his chest. "I'm good at being right."

"You're good at being a conceited jerk," she huffs. "But, you're being a thoughtful and considerate conceited jerk this time, so I'll let it go this once."

He smirks. "So, do you think you can come home and be excited to meet Kojo?"

"Yeah," she smiles. "I can do that."

()()()()()()()()

When Genny walks through the door that evening, she puts on her most surprised face when she's greeted by a barking dog that Lucy's holding back his collar.

Kojo isn't being aggressive, his haunches aren't raised and his teeth aren't showing, he's just bellowing out several deep, alerting barks that show he's leery of the stranger that just barged into his new home.

Lucy tries to soothe him while also trying to stammer out an explanation to Genny, and Tim stands up and orders Kojo to sit and stay in a commanding voice to get the dog to settle down so Lucy can have a chance to explain things.

And she stammers out the same story Tim had previously spouted off to his sister, apologizing for blindsiding her, but honing in on her reasoning and the the urgency of the matter, promising her roommate that, "Kojo looks all gruff and tough, and he may be a little smelly right now, but after a few good baths she's s going to see how cute he is and how much of a softy he is, kinda like Tim, and she'll fall in love with him.

Genny chuckles at Lucy's words and smirks at her brother, who is eyeing her cautiously to make sure she doesn't make a big deal about Kojo and start a fight, and she quips, "Smelly and cute, huh? Well, he definitely sounds like Tim, at least when he was a teenager."

Lucy's eyes widen at Genny's sudden and easy acceptance, but she appears pleasantly surprised and grateful and quickly retrieves the bag of treats Tim brought back for Kojo and insists that Genny feed him a few so they can make quick friends.

While Genny bends down and feeds Kojo a treat, Tim mouths, "thank you," to his sister and she offers him the faintest hint of a nod in return.

()()()()()()()()

That night, Tim is the one coming to Lucy's bedroom door after Genny is fast asleep and leaning against her door jam.

"Hey," Lucy mutters, her voice hoarse and sleepy.

Tim shines the flashlight of his phone on the edge of Lucy's bed. "I see that crate I bought earlier is working out really good,"

Lucy's eyes fall to the foot of her bed where Kojo is curled up against her legs. "I was going to make him sleep there, but he kept whining."

"You're going to spoil him," he warns.

"Maybe," she chuckles. "But it's his first night in a new place and he's been caged up for months. He deserves a soft bed and some warm cuddles and maybe I needed a few warm cuddles, too," she quietly admits.

"Replacing me already?"

She knows Tim is teasing, but there's something in his voice that's almost too unsure and too un-Tim-like for her comfort.. "I mean, he is cute and he's a great snuggler, but I'd prefer to have you both."

He hums and steps inside her room, gently closing the door behind him, taking extra caution to make sure it doesn't creak before he creeps over and slips in bed beside her.

Kojo rouses briefly, his tail wagging wildly as he tries to worm his way in between them. Tim pats his head a few times, then snaps his fingers, firmly but quietly saying, "Kojo, lay down," then muttering, "she was mine first," as he drapes an arm around Lucy and pulls her close after Kojo resettles between both their legs, his head resting on Tim's shins.

Lucy curls into Tim's side, breathing in his unique and manly scent and smiling to herself as his warmth envelops her and she lays a hand on his chest. "

"Thank you for today," she murmurs sluggishly, her eyelids heavy. "Everything you did, it meant a lot to me. More than you know."

"For what?" He mumbles dismissively. "Doing my job?" He doesn't feel she has any reason to thank him. He spent the day with her when she was having a hard time, which is something any decent boyfriend would do.

"Oh, so it's your job to give me everything I want? Nice to know, I'll keep that in mind."

"Within reason," he replies, threading his fingers through her hair "And I know you wouldn't abuse that within reason part."

"I feel like I did," she admits. "You adopted a dog for me, Tim. Not that I'm not ecstatic that you did, because I am and I plan on showing you just how much I appreciate it later, but that's kind of a huge deal."

"It's not that big of a deal. You were right, he deserves a good home and I'm glad we can give that to him."

"I am, too.. He-he didn't deserve to be thrown away like that. I know he's just a dog, but he deserves to be loved and to be shown affection and know that somebody cares about him for who he is…I just–I…" Her voice shakes and Tim's grip tightens around her.

"I know, I know." He kisses her temple. Lucy?"

"Hmmm?"

"You know you deserve that, too? Right?"

She's deathly silent and the only sounds that can be heard in the room are the sound of Kojo's soft snores and Lucy's uneven breathing.

"I care about you for who you are. You know that, right?"

She doesn't reply, but he can feel her head bob up and down against his chest.

"Genny does, too. And Jackson. And your Aunt Amy. And the rest of your friends. Hell, my mom does, too." He snorts. "I think she likes you better than she likes me. Every time she calls she asks me about you."

She either snorts or chuckles, he can't fully tell, but he's glad it's not the sound of her crying, which is what he was worried was about to happen.

"Kojo deserves to be happy, and so do you. So the fact that I got to help both of you be happy on the same day, well I think that's a pretty damn good day if you ask me. Please don't feel like you're taking advantage of that by allowing me to do something that made me pretty damn happy, too."

There's another long moment of silence, and when she speaks again, there's a playful buzz in her voice. "So, what I'm hearing is that you care about me and I make you happy."

He holds out his hand and spreads his index finger and thumb about a quarter inch apart, muttering, "Just a little bit."

"I'm hitting you in my head right now."

"Good to know," he smirks in the darkness, only the faint glow of moonlight peeking through her window offering the tiniest bit of illumination that she can't even benefit from at her angle with her head pressed against his heart.

"I feel that way about you, too. You know?

His fingertips are dancing along her triceps, tickling her flesh."Hmmm?"

The words are barely audible and just above a whisper when she says, "I care about you and you make me happy," but he makes them out and his breath hitches in his chest and his fingertips still along her delicate flesh.

"It still kinda terrifies me," she mutters against the soft fabric of the wrinkled white t-shirt he's worn to bed.

He swallows and nods, admitting in a throaty whisper, "It still scares the hell out of me, too."

She re-adjusts herself, nestling her head directly over his heart and her hands zigzagging around his waist.

"How-ah-how'd that last item on your list go?" He inquires. Prodding her about the final item on her agenda for today, One she insisted she had to be alone. Without him. So he'd stayed with the dog and allowed her to borrow his truck to complete it.

Their previous topic felt too heavy and the weight of their admissions mirrored a suffocating blanket placed over his head, one he needed a brief respite from so he could breathe.

"I think it went really well," she hums, and there's a certain tone in her voice that comes across as almost proud. "But I'll let you know for certain as soon as I know for sure.."

"You gonna tell me what it was?"

"No. Not yet. But I will, I promise."

"Okay."

Her fingers slide underneath his t-shirt and her nails scrape tenderly along his lower abdomen, his muscles twitching with each smooth stroke. "What about you? Your first day of work in over two weeks is tomorrow. How are you feeling? Are you nervous?"

His eyes flutter from her soothing touch and he relaxes into the connection when her palm falls flat against his stomach. "No. I'm ready to be back. I've missed it." She's quiet again, so he has to ask. "Why? Are you worried about me going back?"

"I know you can handle yourself."

"That's not what I asked."

"Maybe a little," she admits. "I mean, I was there when you were shot. But I know you love your job and I know you're out there making a difference, so I'm happy you get to be back out there and get back to it. Just don't be surprised if I text you once or twice."

"And you don't panic if it takes a while for me to respond."

"I won't."

She grows quiet again, but her breathing is deep and rhythmic this time.

"Luce?"

"Hmmm?" Comes her drowsy, almost incoherent, response.

"You want me to stay in here or should I go back to my room?"

Her reply is a dozy, muffled, "stay," but it's all Tim needs to hear to settle in next to her and close his own droopy eyes, unconsciousness slowly taking over and consuming him while he settles into the comfort and warmth of being sandwiched Lucy and Kojo.

Notes:

Thanks for reading! The next chapter will focus on Lucy's college graduation and there will be visitors.

Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Chapter Text

After returning to work, the rest of the week seemed to pass by in a flash for Tim. Maybe it was because returning to his face-paced, ever changing job and not being chained to the confines of his house for hours on end by himself time seemed to pass by so quickly this week, or maybe because his mind and body were on constant high alert and he didn't have time to drown in monotony and he was too distracted to keep up with the passage of time.

Or maybe it was because he had something to look forward to coming home to while he was at work and that somehow made the time pass by quicker.

That something to look forward to being someone, in the form of Lucy. Or rather, two someone's, if you also considered their new dog Kojo a someone. And Tim did, because Kojo was making himself right at home and worming his way into becoming a cherished family member, even if he was still a bit rough around the edges and needed more potty training and training in general.

As much as Tim hated being bored at home over the last two weeks after getting shot, he was grateful for the amount of time it allowed him to spend with Lucy while he was down and out and how, during that time they grew so much closer and decided to give themselves a real shot at a relationship, even if they were still keeping it under wraps for now.

Navigating that aspect of the relationship was tricky now that he was back at work and she was trying to finish out her last few days of class. There didn't seem to be enough hours in the day to squeeze in as much time as he'd like with her.

Genny hadn't spent much time with Rob the past week because she was also in crunch mode, studying for finals and tweaking her portfolio so she could finish out her last days of undergrad strong. And with Genny around constantly, that meant that only real time Tim and Lucy were getting, just the two of them, were the walks they took Kojo on together in the afternoons and the hour or two they had it in them to stay awake before knocking out after Genny went to bed and they took turns sneaking into each other's rooms.

That also meant they hadn't had sex in almost 5 days. Five days and 14 hours to be exact. Not that Tim was counting, of course.

The last encounter they had was the morning after they'd adopted Kojo. Lucy had asked Jackson to swing by and take her to class on his way so she didn't have to leave when Genny did and sit around doing nothing until her class started, at least that's the excuse she'd given her friends.

The real reason was, according to Lucy, she wanted to thank Tim for how amazing he'd been and that he deserved a special reward for all of his thoughtful efforts. So she'd made him his favorite breakfast and for dessert, she aggressively grabbed him by the shirt and shoved her tongue down his throat while dragging him to the living room couch, where she proceeded to undo his pants and drop to her knees and give him what he can only describe as the best blow job of his fucking his life, leaving his knees shaky and as wobbly as a jello for the next ten minutes, to the point he wasn't even able to stand.

He hadn't even been able to return the favor after, because by the time he'd pulled his pants up and regulated his breathing, Jackson's car was pulling into the driveway and he was blowing the horn, signaling for Lucy to come out. She'd kissed Tim goodbye, the taste of him still fresh on her tongue, then darted out the door.

After a long and thought out talk, they decided it was probably for the best if they didn't have sex or do anything sexual when Genny was home, there was too big of a chance of her hearing them and they still weren't ready to tell people yet.

But that didn't stop them from indulging in heated makeout sessions for the time being. In fact, they'd been making out like teenagers the past few days, until their lungs were so deprived of air it felt like they'd collapse if they didn't pull away, until their lips were purple and swollen and too sore to keep dancing.

He loved kissing her. Getting lost in her. He loves the way her hands cover the sides of his face and map out his features. The way they'd fall to his chest and his abs, her lips curling against his while she mapped them out just as intently as she did his face. The way her hands would roam over his back and her nails would graze his skin. The sexy way she moans into his mouth when he fondles her breasts or caresses her ass and thighs. The proud glint in her eyes and the smirk on her lips he can make out from the faint light sneaking through her curtains when they cuddle after and he's rock hard and pressing into her back or stomach or thigh and it takes forever to go down and he knows she is eating up the fact that she has that kind of effect on him.

But damn if he doesn't have the worst case of blue balls that he's ever had in his life and he's eagerly anticipating Lucy and Genny's graduation tomorrow, because it means Genny will have a lot more free time to spend with Rob. In fact, his sister is supposed to go with Rob to visit their mom in Lake Tahoe for a week after graduation, and Tim is already planning to fuck Lucy on every surface of the house, except for Genny's room, while his sister is gone, because well, he has to makeup for all the lost opportunities.

After going over a year without it, he figures he has a lot to catch up on for all the sex he's missed. And if he takes into account the fact that sex with Lucy is the first time he's had good sex in about three years, he really has a lot to catch up on.

Even before Isabel left him in the middle of the night, things weren't great between them. Ever since she started working undercover, it's like she never truly came home from her first op. She lost part of herself and she'd come back so detached. He'd still loved her and wanted her, but it was hard to get into it when he could tell she was somewhere else in her head and it felt like going through the motions, a means to end, something they were supposed to do because they were married and had needs, but not something they wanted to do.

It's why he'd initially thought she was cheating on him before he'd realized she had a drug problem.

He loves feeling wanted again. Feeling desired. Craved. And he loves having those same feelings towards Lucy and he can't wait to show her again how much he wants, desires, and craves her, which is why he's on his phone on his lunch break, just outside the station, grinning wickedly as he taps out a text to Lucy in only emojis, sending a tongue, a cat, water droplets, and a face with a brain exploding out of it's head with a text below that reads, "I can't wait to for this weekend." Ending the message with three winky faces.

He doesn't notice Angela sliding in beside him at first, not until he hears her amused voice asking, "What's got you smiling so much lately?"

His cheeks flame and he quickly hits send and slides his phone into his pocket, innocently shrugging his shoulders and muttering, "nothing. Can't a guy just smile every now and then."

"A normal guy? Sure." Angela pops one of her popcorn shrimp into her mouth. "Tim Bradford? Nu-uh. Your face is eternally broody." She waves her finger around. "Something is up."

"Just happy to be back at work. That's all."

"It's Lucy."

"What! No it isn't." Tim's reply comes out high pitched and squeaky.

"Yeah, it is." She points over his shoulder. "She's walking up right behind you."

Tim turns his head and glances over his shoulder, and sure enough, Lucy is strutting up behind him. Her hair is curled and she's wearing those hoop earrings, the same ones she wore the night she and her parents had it out, and she's got on a belted pencil skirt dress with black heels.

She looks down when she notices him staring at her, like she hadn't been expecting to run into him, but her eyes dart up again quickly and she grips the strap of the purse on her shoulder and makes her way over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling at both he and Angela as she tells them, "hi."

"Wh-uh-what are you doing here?" He can't help that the question escapes his lips before he's properly greeted her back, but he's confused by her presence. She hadn't mentioned anything to him about coming by the station.

Angela is looking on curiously between the two, an amused grin lining her lips as she tosses back popcorn shrimp and takes note of Lucy's hand resting so easily on Tim's shoulder.

"I-uh.." She looks down again, but when she's looking up, she's got a pleased smirk on her lips. "I kind of had an interview over in the communications office."

"With dispatch?" Angela clarifies.

Lucy nods. "They need a temporary communications officer to field and route calls to you guys until a woman named Latonya gets back from maternity leave. It's only for six weeks, but I figured it would give me some money in my pocket until I figure out my next step and it'll give me some real experience in the workforce."

"Lucy, that's great," Tim beams, but his tone is a little hurt when adds, "Why didn't you tell me you had the interview?"

"I didn't wanna jinx it," she admits shyly. "It's the thing I told you earlier in the week I had to do by myself. I was gonna tell you tonight. At home. Once I knew I had the job."

He smiles at her proudly, his smile so wide it reaches his eyes, and he leaps from his seat and pulls her into a celebratory hug that he instantly releases when he remembers his best friend is watching them.

He clears his throat and his hands fall to his duty belt, the softness in his voice being replaced with his usual gruffness. "We've got work to do. I'll see you at home this evening."

Lucy nods and hums to herself, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looks between Tim and Angela. "Maybe we can celebrate later? Me, you, Genny, maybe Jackson?"

"Maybe," he mutters no commitally, trying like hell to downplay how happy he is for her and how much he can't wait to celebrate with her later.

"I've gotta head out myself because I borrowed Jackson's car to get here and he's going to need it back any minute." "Lucy turns to Angela. "It was nice running into you again. I look forward to getting to kinda sorta work with you for a while."

Angela purses her lips and grins. "Nice to see you again, too, Lucy. And congratulations."

Lucy tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and gives Tim one final smile before strolling past them and to the open parking lot beyond the food trucks. Tim's hand still rests on his duty belt and his eyes follow her until she's out of sight, his smile slowly fading until it's gone completely once she's disappeared from his line of vision.

Another popcorn shrimp flies into Angela's mouth and she leisurely chews it as she observes Tim.

"What?" He finally barks at her, her scorching gaze burning a hole into his skin.

"Nothing." She smirks and takes a bite of a ranch dipped fry.

"Bullshit, Lopez," he growls. "Spit it out."

She dips one of her fries into her sloshy chocolate milkshake that had been sitting on the table since she sat down and she shrugs a shoulder nonchalantly. "Like I said, it's nothing. It's just really good to see you smiling again, Bradford."

()()()()()()()()()

When Tim gets home from work that evening, he's scrunching his brows when he steps inside to find Lucy sitting at the kitchen table with his mom and Genny, the three women laughing and sipping wine, while Kojo rests at Lucy's feet, that is, until he spots Tim and races to him. His entire body wiggling in excitement.

He slinks his gym bag off his shoulder and crouches down on one knee to give his boy some love before he steps into the kitchen with the ladies.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Hello to you, too, son." Gina Bradford snorts.

He leans down and hugs her with one arm. "It's good to see you. I just thought you weren't coming in until early tomorrow morning."

"I decided to take an earlier bus so I wouldn't have to wake up so early and feel rushed to make it in time for graduation." She looks at Lucy and her eyes dance. "And I'm glad I did. It seems we have some big news to celebrate. I hear Lucy will be working at the station with you."

His eyes fall to Lucy's and he offers her a proud smirk "That's what I hear."

"We're going to meet up with Jackson and Sterling and grab Thai." Genny informs her brother. "You wanna come?"

Lucy looks at him expectantly. "Of course. Wouldn't miss it. Just let me go get changed."

Once Tim changes clothes the four head over to one of Lucy's favorite eateries on Hollywood Blvd. where Jackson and Sterling meet them. It's not the most fancy but far from shabby. There's a wide assortment of options to choose from and the place is dimly lit. enough so that Tim feels confident enough to slide his hand under the table and tap Lucy's thighs with two fingers, earning him a quick grin and when his hand settles atop his own leg Lucy is scooting her chair over just enough so that she can rest her own hand over her thigh and their pinkies are touching, occasionally warring together unbeknownst to everyone around them.

When the waiter comes around, Lucy orders a bowl of Tom Yum soup and vegan papaya salad, while Tim opts for the roast duck over rice, his lip curling at Lucy's choice in orders.

While the six wait for their food, Jackson proposes a toast with a toothy grin. "To Lucy and her new beginnings." Everyone raises their glasses while Lucy's cheeks tinge pink.

As she tentatively sips her wine, she dismisses the praise by commenting, "I'm not the only one embarking on new beginnings, Jackson and Genny are graduating with me tomorrow and starting new journeys."

"And we will celebrate all three of you and that accomplishment tomorrow," Gina Bradford chimes in. "Tonight, my dear, is all about being proud of you."

Genny raises her glass and smirks. "I'll drink that."

Lucy feels the gentle pressure of Tim squeezing her thigh under the table and she relents to the praises, relishing in the love and warmth surrounding her.

Laughter and conversation fill the table. Discussions about feelings of looming doom regarding pushing out last minute assignments. Reminiscing about wild parties their freshman year that involved dorm room hallway slip and slides and running off two hours of sleep. Sterling talking about an audition for a Vaudeville play he has coming up. Tim telling stories about how his job only seemed to get more crazy after returning and how he'd had to tackle a naked suspect who was convinced he was invisible.

When the food is brought out, the conversation hits a slight lull, everyone scarfing down their meals, their mouths too full to talk.

Until Lucy decides that her Tom Yum soup is to die for and that Tim has to try it. Which earns, "no thanks," and a "hell no," when she tries a second time.

But then she holds up her spoon to his lips and pokes her bottom lip out, murmuring, "please, it's so good," and rubs his knee with her other hand under the table.

And he huffs and gives in, because it's Lucy and of course he does, so his head bends forward slightly and his lips cover the spoon, savoring the refreshing lemon flavor that hits his tongue and sparks his taste buds.

"Not bad," he mumbles, not wanting to admit how delicious it actually is.

Lucy emits a contended hum of victory. "One day you're going to learn I'm always right."

And he thinks maybe he will. That maybe she somehow knows him better than he knows himself, even if he'd never put that thought into words.

When his eyes peel away from Lucy, he sees his sister staring at him from across the table, slack jawed, and his mother is wearing a similar expression.

"What?" He grumbles.

"You never eat after anyone," Genny points out. "I'm your sister and you won't even eat after me."

Shit. He hadn't thought about that little fact.

"His shoulders rise and fall."Everyone is always after me to try new things."

Genny scoops a helping of her tofu and ground pork soup into her spoon and extends the spoon to her brother, challenging him. "That's great, Tim. Try this."

Lucy rubs his thigh apologetically and he sighs, but grudgingly reaches over and takes the spoon from Genny, reluctantly pressing it to his lips and muttering, "yum," through clenched teeth.

()()()()()()()()()

Lucy and the Bradford family return home after dinner. Settling in front of the television to watch a movie before bed. When it's over, Tim takes his mom's things to his room, once again offering to take the couch while she's there. He grabs a few of his things, including his favorite blanket and pillow, and settles on the couch for the night while everyone else heads to their room, knowing they all need to be up early for graduation in the morning.

Tim's laying on the couch, one arm draped behind his head one over his forehead as he contemplates whether or not he should sneak off to Lucy's room tonight.

He probably shouldn't. His mom is right across the hall and he'd already made himself look suspicious over dinner when he'd let Lucy spoon feed him.

He can't believe he did that in front of everyone. He just wasn't thinking. Well, not about anything other than how he wanted to see her smile.

And speaking of her smile.

"Hey."

He sits up and there's Lucy, standing at the of the hallway in an oversized t-shirt that covers her shorts, if she's wearing any, clutching something in her hands.

"Hey yourself."

She tiptoes her way over to him and joins him on the couch, concealing what she's holding and sliding underneath the covers with him. Though they are both sitting up.

He drapes an arm over her shoulder, deciding that's simple enough to play off if someone were to talk in. "What are you doing up?

"Couldn't sleep. Kojo's hogging the bed." She chuckles. "In fact, I think he's in there dreaming about chasing tennis balls, because he's kicking his legs every now and then like he's running."

Tim snorts.

Lucy leans her head on his shoulder. "I had fun tonight. Celebrating my new job."

"I'm proud of you." He presses a quick and chaste kiss to her forehead. "But I wish you'd have told me you were going to apply. I probably could've gotten you in without you having to go for an interview."

"That's exactly why I didn't tell you," she sighs and sits up, her head leaving his shoulder as she fidgets with the blanket.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He stiffens.

"That I needed to do this on my own without your help and I knew you'd want to help."

"Is that a bad thing?" He huffs. "Wanting to help you?"

"No." She reaches over and covers his hand with hers. "It's not a bad thing and I love that you'd do anything for me. But…Tim, think about it for a minute. If this thing with us lasts," and God she hopes it does, even if she isn't ready to tell him how much she hopes it does, "and I do end up going to the academy and becoming a cop, some people are going to assume I'm only making it because of you."

He opens his mouth to speak, but she stops him. "Don't. Okay. You know it's true. Even if it sucks and it's unfair, you know it's true. You'll be high fived for fucking a hot, younger woman while people whisper about me behind my back that I'm trying to fuck my way to the top."

He hangs his head. He hadn't thought of that, but she's right. He knows and he hates it, but he knows it's true.

"That's why anything I do, even if it's just working dispatch at the station, needs to be because of me. Not because of my connection to you. It's why I had to go talk to Grey myself and ask him if there were any non-officer openings that he knew of and go on the interview and land the job myself. Not because of my connection to you."

"I get it." He pulls her back to his side. "I hate that's the way it is, but I get it."

"Even if it wasn't for that, I'd still have to do this myself," she admits sadly. "I have to prove to my parents that I can figure all this out on my own. I have to show them that I can make it in life and I can make my own way on my own terms. They're waiting for me to fail and come crawling back and admit I was wrong."

"And you will," he promises her.

"I hope so," her voice is unsure.

"Have you told them about your job yet?"

"No. We haven't spoken since my mom's birthday. I figured I'd tell them tomorrow. If they even bother coming to my graduation."

His fingers curl through her hair and he leans his head against hers. "If they don't show up, they're the ones missing out and I hope you know there will be people there cheering you on that are proud of you and happy for you."

"I know." She burrows herself further into his shoulder. "Hey, um, I kinda have something for you," she announces abruptly, needing a distraction and change of topic. "I've been working on it for a while and I just had time to finish it earlier today after my interview."

He assumes that's what she must've been clutching when she first stepped into the living room and raises a curious brow, but tells her, "you didn't have to get me anything."

"I know," there's a hint of a smile playing at her lips as she reaches to the side and grabs his present. "But I wanted to."

He holds out his hand and she places a small mp3 player with headphones wrapped around it in his palm. He studies it curiously and uncertainly.

"It's an audiobook of your FTO training manual," she gleefully explains,

"There's no audiobook for that."

"There is now," she grins. "I made one."

"Why?"

"When I rode with Angela she mentioned to me how the two of you took the exam last year but it didn't exactly work out." She's careful not to divulge the fact she knows he failed or that Angela passed but didn't accept the position for Tim's sake. "Anyway, um, Angela mentioned she might be interested in going that route sometime in the near future and I've seen you reading your manual a few times and I thought this might give you a leg up next time you take the exam.. I mean, it's pretty clear to me you're probably a kinesthetic learner and..."

"A what?" He interrupts, slight offense in his tone.

"A kinesthetic learner. It's nothing bad. Everyone has a different learning style and itt just means you need to be active to absorb things while you learn. It's probably why you excelled in the military and at being a cop."

He drums the mp3 player in his hand hums pleasantly before leaning forward and capturing her lips with his in a passionate, tender kiss that doesn't last nearly long enough for either of them.

"Thank you," he mutters against her lips as they part, his hands, resting on the sides of her face.

"I ah, I also came up with some games we could play to help you study. For educational purposes, of course."

"Oh yeah?" His teeth rake over his bottom lip. "What kinda games?"

"Well, there's strip trivia. I ask you a question and if you get it right, I lose an article of clothing."

"And if I get it wrong?"

"You lose an article of clothing."

"Mmm." He licks his lips. "I think I like that game. What else you got?"

"Strip trashketball jeopardy. We take an empty trash can and a few tennis balls and I pull up a jeopardy template on my computer and you have to shoot the tennis ball into the trashcan to answer the question, then you pick a category and answer the questions and for every 500 points you win, I lose a piece of clothing. But for every 500 you lose…"

"I take off my clothes," he finishes for her.

Her index finger pokes him in the chest. "Exactly. See, you're already learning."

Again, he's closing the gap between them and things start to heat up. His hands once again cupping the side of her face, her knuckles desperately grasping the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

She exhales heavily and lets go of the now crumpled collar of his shirt that she'd been clutching, her eyes glancing over her shoulder and to the dark hallway. "I should probably get to bed. Big day tomorrow and all."

"Yeah."

She pulls him in for one more lingering kiss that he eagerly responds to, her forehead resting against his when it's over and she tells him, "Goodnight, Tim. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Luce." He kisses her forehead before she stands and begins to walk away, his eyes lingering on her form until her silhouette disappears behind the corner.

He puts his earbuds in and presses play, listening to her read off the title of the FTO manual and it's author and publication date, chuckling to himself when she adds, "read by the best roommate and hottest girlfriend you've ever had."

()()()()()()()

Lucy finds herself tossing and turning in her bed. Her mind racing with a plethora of never ending thoughts. Jumping from sadness and worry regarding whether or not her parents will show tomorrow, to the excitement and pride she feels of landing her first job, to the unwavering support she's finding in her friends that fills her with joy, and to Tim, which seems to encapsulate the bulkiest amount of her thoughts.

She thinks of how much she likes him. Of how important he's become to her in such a short amount of time. How she feels she can rely on and depend on him for almost anything, and how that knowledge should send her running for the hills, but only somehow makes her want to be closer to him.

She thinks about the way he kisses her. How good his hands feel when they roam all over her body. The tantalizing way his teeth scrape the skin on her neck and it ignites every nerve in her body. About the ache between her legs from where she longs for him to be. She thinks about the naughty message he sent earlier and how she can't wait to find out what he can do with his tongue this weekend, because if the way he kisses her and suckles her neck is any indication, she's going to be left weak in the knees after.

Her covers fly off her, and the sudden movement spooks Kojo, who she quickly apologizes to, but the images in her brain have just made her so damn hot and she's so uncomfortably horny and as much as she loves Genny and is growing to love Tim's mom, she wishes both of them were somewhere else right now.

She sighs in frustration and agitation, and then she's reaching for her phone on her nightstand. The time reads 2:05 a.m. and she can't help herself when she scrolls to Tim's name, who is at the top of her messages. She writes out a simple message to him that reads, "you up?"

"Yep." Comes his swift reply.

Followed by another, "Are you good?"

"I'm fine," Lucy types back. "Can't sleep."

She sees the dots on her screen that indicate he's typing a reply, but she's too impatient and shoots off another message. "Can't stop thinking about this weekend. Tongue emoji. Water droplets emoji. Fireworks emoji. Mind blown emoji. I wanna see what you can do. Double wide eye emojis"

He sends back several, "drooling face emojis." Followed by a, "tongue and taco emoji," and a text that reads, "gonna eat you like a five star meal."

"Why wait when dinner's ready now?"

"You forgetting the house full of people I'm related to and our nosey dog?"

"Kojo can take a nap in his crate. Remember when we said it could be hot to sneak around? What's hotter than trying to keep quiet and not get caught?"

Several dots appear and disappear before his reply. "We probably shouldn't."

"You're right. I doubt you could keep quiet anyway. Tongue sticking out emoji."

"Laughing face emoji. Please. You're the one who isn't going to be able to keep quiet. You'll be screaming my name so loud the neighbors can hear."

She rolls her eyes at his confidence, but bites down on her lip because she really wants to find out if he's all talk or he can put his money where his mouth is. "Sounds like a challenge to me. But if you're not up for it…"

"You're trying to reverse psychology me into bed, aren't you?"

"...Maybe….is it working?"

"Oh, it's working." He sends a picture of the bulge in his sweatpants.

She licks her lips and grins sinfully. "Come on, then. Let me take care of that and let's see who can be the quietest."

Another reply doesn't come through and Lucy assumes he's on his way to her room, so she whispers out a command to Kojo to go, "take a nap," which is the way they get him to willingly go into his cage, where he has a plush dog bed waiting for him. She slides a treat through the cage door and murmurs, "good dog."

After a few moments, when Tim doesn't show, she's making her way to her bedroom door in search of him and she finds him standing in the hallway and arches her brows. "What are you doing? I've been waiting."

He takes a tentative step towards her and their bodies are flush against one another when he pulls her back by her hair and shoves his tongue down her throat.

"This is a terrible idea," he mutters between sloppy kisses.

"Horrible idea,' she agrees as he backs her into her room and kicks her door closed behind them.

He tears his lips from hers, his chest heaving rapidly as they slam into the side of her bed. "You gonna keep quiet?"

Her eyes are dark in the flickering light of the candles she has lighting her bedroom. "Are you gonna make me?"

His lips connect with hers again, long and hard, and then he's pushing her down on the bed and dropping to his knees, her lower half hanging off the side as his hands first, then lips, trace their way up and down her thighs.

She's already squirming at his touch and he wastes no time ripping her shorts off and getting down to business.

Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Chapter Text

There was nothing quiet about what just happened in Lucy's bedroom.

Nothing at all.

Not the way her bed creaked and groaned.

Not the way Kojo howled and barked from his owner's strange and startling cries.

Certainly not the way she'd screamed out in ecstasy from the magic he'd been able to work with his tongue and fingers.

Or the way Tim bellowed out her name after he lost it less than 10 strokes in, and it was probably a good thing he hadn't lasted any longer than that once he was inside her, because she was honestly worried her bed might collapse the way it was rocking and swaying.

They'd tried to be quiet. They really had. To the point Lucy thought she might burst a blood vessel from trying to hold back.

Tim even covered her mouth with the palm of his hand during some points when he was going down on her, and she'd yelped and yowled, strangled, muffled moans into his hand.

But all of that was to no avail, because at some point it became too much and she was prying her head away, writhing and shrieking in pleasure.

They're both spent, lying on their backs and gasping for air while Kojo whimpers and whines from his cage, and a part of Lucy momentarily wonders if the reason his last owner's girlfriend didn't want to keep him is because he's a little cock block.

Not that Lucy would get rid of him if he acted out every time she and Tim were together, she'd simply remember to let him take a quick vacation in their fully fenced in backyard next time.

"I was right," Tim mutters through desperate breaths, a dopey and smug grin spread across his face. "You definitely were not quiet."

"Like you were any more controlled," she snorts, swatting his sweat slicked chest.

"More so than you."

"Yeah, only because you were done a lot quicker than I was once we got to the part where you were actually able to enjoy it."

He rolls over and runs his finger along her cheekbones, his voice gravelly "Oh, I was enjoying myself before I got inside of you. It's why I didn't last long once I got there."

She reaches out and intertwines her fingers through his and she is wearing a pleased grin. It's been a long time since she's had that done. Most of the guys she's been with weren't interested in performing oral, because in their words, they weren't putting their mouth where another dude's dick might've been a few days ago. Some only did it with official partners, while a few she'd been with said they found it disgusting and wouldn't do it all with anyone. That fact disappointed her, because she loved getting oral. She's always been one to take care of others and make sure their needs are met, but during oral it's only about her and she doesn't have to focus on anything else other than how good she feels.

He licks his lips, the taste of her still freshly there, and he growls, "Was it as good as you imagined?"

She shakes her head and she sees a flash of hurt in his eyes in the dim lighting, so she presses her lips against his, tenderly and slowly, and tells him, "it was even better."

His dopey, cocky grin only widens and she knows she's probably creating a monster, but she doesn't care. It's the truth. She's not sure she could even stand right now if she tried. She's so weak in her knees.

"Do you think anyone heard us?" She ventures to ask.

Kojo lets out a loud bark and paws at his cage, causing the metal to rattle.

"I don't know," Tim replies. "But I'm sure they heard him at the very least. Maybe all his whining and yapping drowned out any noise we made."

"God, I hope so. I'll never be able to look your mom in the eyes again if she heard that."

He chuckles and Kojo continues to bark, so Tim throws his t-shirt and boxer briefs on and opens the cage door, freeing the distressed pooch. "Sorry buddy," he ruffles Kojo's head as he bounces around excitedly. "I'm gonna take him out and see if he needs to potty, then grab something to drink. Want me to bring you back anything?"

"Anything cold. I'm thirsty."

He nods and heads out of her room with Kojo hot on his heels.

()()()()()()

Tim grabs an 8 ounce bottle of Gatorade from the fridge, gulping the cool blue liquid down in seconds and wiping his mouth before tossing the empty bottle in the trash.

He doesn't turn on the lights, the glow of the moonlight illuminating the backyard through the sliding glass door just enough that he can make out where he's going.
Kojo bounds down the steps and Tim takes a seat at the top of the deck, stunned when he finds his mother is sitting on the top step, staring up at the night sky.

"M-mom? W-why are you up?" He stammers out.

She hums and shakes her head. "I just needed some fresh air.

He doesn't ask, because dear God, he does not want to know if the reason she is up is because she heard him and Lucy going at it. Instead, he sits there in silence, feeling uncomfortable that he's sitting next to his mother in only boxer briefs and a T-shirt post some of the hottest sexy time he's ever had in his life.

"Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course." He rocks uncomfortably. Maybe she didn't come outside because she heard them. Maybe she came outside because she couldn't sleep because she's bothered by some of the things relating to his childhood and their past.

"Good." Her hands pat the wooden stairs. "Now listen, do me a favor. Okay, son?"

He nods slowly, uncertain of what this favor might be.

Gina leans forward and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Tim, honey, I don't wanna say this, but I have to. Please know it makes me just as uncomfortable as it's about to make you feel, but honey, next time I spend the night and you feel the need to sneak into Lucy's room in the middle of the night, I'm really going to need you to leave me some earplugs on your nightstand, because there are just some things a mother never needs to hear her son doing."

Tim blinks three times, shaking his head to try and wake himself from what he's certain must be a nightmare. He even pinches himself, hoping like hell this is just some fucked up dream, but all it does is sting like a bitch, and he's still sitting beside his mom who just told him she heard everything that happened in the next room over.

He's never been suicidal. Not even at his lowest point after Isabel left. But if the ground were to open up and swallow him whole right now, well, he'd consider it a blessing.

"I–I don't know what you're talking about…" He weakly tries to insist.

"Do not sit here and insult my intelligence. I am 48 years old and," she shudders, "I know what was going on."
He isn't sure what to say and he doesn't want to say anything. He just wants to put a Tim shaped hole through the sliding glass door, but he's frozen in place from being so stunned.

"It's okay. Nothing for you to feel ashamed about or guilty for. Your divorce will be official soon and you've got every right to move on. I was worried you'd never get over Isabel."

"Mom," Tim holds up a hand, "I really, really don't wanna talk about my sex life with you."

"And I really, really didn't wanna hear your sex life, but here we are."

He grimaces and rubs his temples.

"I'm just saying, you know, good for you for getting back out there and getting over Isabel. I suspected something was there between you and Lucy since the last time I was here, but I didn't think you'd act on it out of some false sense of loyalty to Isabel.."

"Wait what? How could you possibly know something was there? We hadn't even done anything at that point."

"I'm your mother," she simply replies. "A mother knows her son."

His lips purse and he shakes his leg. "And ah, now that you know all that you know, you don't have anything to say about it?"

"Even if I did have an opinion," she chuckles, "I'm not the best person to be giving life advice with all the bad decisions I've made. Staying far too long with your father and subjecting my babies to his horrors being at the top of that list. I of all people have no right to tell you how to live your life, and you're a grown man, you can figure things out for yourself."

He swallows and clasps his hands together, worrying at his lower lip.

"I will say that I like Lucy," his mother comments. "I loved Isabel. I still do and always will, she was my daughter in law for a long time. But Lucy's…different. She pushes you in a way I've never seen you let anyone push you."

"Don't tell her that," he snorts. "She'll never stop mentioning it."

She smiles and shakes her head. "Do you like her?

"I just walked out of her bedroom at 3 in the morning. What do you think?"

"I think that a lot of men walk out of a lot of women's bedrooms at 3 in the morning and they don't always like them."

"Yeah, well," he huffs, "do those men let those women spoon feed them like an idiot in front of their mom and sister and a table full of her friends?"

Gina chuckles again. "Fair point."

"Look, mom, no one knows we're together. We aren't ready to tell people. We're still-we're figuring things out. It's all happening so fast and she's never been serious about anyone before and I've got all my Isabel baggage. We know the deck is stacked against us here and there's a million reasons we can't and won't work long term, but," he sighs, we don't need everyone else getting inside our head and reminding us of that. We deserve time to figure all of this out without anyone else's influence. Time where we can just enjoy it."

"So what you're saying is, I have to keep my mouth shut."

"Please?"

She makes a zipping motion across her lips. "Your secret is safe with me, son. But, it won't be long before people start figuring out you two are crazy about each other. It's kinda hard to miss."

He hums and hangs his head. "Yeah, we'll see. Right now I'm just hoping Genny didn't hear and figure it out."

"I doubt she did. Your sister has always slept like the dead. And even if she heard something, it was probably your dog barking like crazy. If I hadn't been sharing a wall with you two the only thing I would've heard is him."

"And here I thought he was just being jealous. I guess he was trying to look out for us."

"I'm gonna head to bed," Gina tells him. "It's way past my bedtime and I'm too old to be running on this little sleep."

"'Night, mom."

"Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"Seriously, if you're going back to Lucy's room where do you keep your earplugs?"

His face falls into his palms and he grumbles, "Mom!"

()()()()()()()()

Kojo hops on the bed with Lucy when he and Tim come back to her room, rolling straight onto his back and throwing his legs in the air with a huge grin on his face.

Tim hands Lucy a cup of water that she sips with one hand and she gives Kojo belly rubs with the other while baby talking, "I'm sorry we exposed your little eyes and ears to all that. Yes I am. Next time we will definitely be putting your loud little ass outside because you probably almost got us caught. Yes you did. Yes you do."

Tim gets in the bed between them and gives Kojo a few belly rubs himself then instructs him to go lay down, which he obeys and settles at the edge of the bed near their feet.

Lucy looks at the time on her phone and groans when she sees it's past 3. "I'm going to be so tired tomorrow that I'll probably look like a racoon at graduation."

"Well, you'll be the prettiest racoon I've ever seen."

"Shut up."

He snorts and adjusts his pillow.

"What took you so long?" She yawns out as she settles in next to him. "Did Kojo find a rabbit to chase or something?"

Tim sighs heavily. "No. I um, I actually ran into my mom. She was on the back deck."

Lucy's face pales and her stomach drops. "Please tell me she wasn't up outside in the middle of the night because she heard…"

"Yep. Unfortunately that's why she was up."

"Oh my God. Oh my God. No way. I am never going to be able to be in a room with her again. I will die of embarrassment."

"Imagine how I feel having to have a conversation with her about it!"

Lucy's tone is small and fragile as she grips the side of Tim's shirt. "Wh-um-what did she say? About us? Did she tell you how it was a horrible idea and that one of us is only going to get hurt and…"

"Lucy."

"And that you're on the rebound and you shouldn't be getting serious about anyone.."

Lucy…"

"Or…or that I've never been serious about anyone and you're better off not falling for me because I'll only break your heart even more than it already is."

"Lucy," he runs his thumb over her chin. "Sweetheart. Stop. She didn't say any of that."

"Sh-she didn't"

"No. She said I'm an adult and it's none of her business what I do and she has no right to give me advice. And she also said she likes you and that maybe." He rolls his eyes because he really doesn't want to add the last part but he thinks Lucy maybe needs to hear, "that maybe you're a little good for me."

Lucy can feel the immense weight and impending dread lift from her. "She really said that?"

"She did. Although I clearly think the last part is crazy, because you're obviously a terrible influence on me."

She pinches him and he yelps out, "Ow. What was that for? I'm being honest."

"How?"

"I clearly remember saying hooking up tonight was a bad idea," he teases. "It's your fault my mom heard us."

She groans and gags." Quit reminding me that happened."

()()()()()()()()()()

Everyone gathered around the Bradford-Chen breakfast table that morning was sleep deprived and sounded zombified.

"Lucy," Genny grumbles from across the table, "please tell me that your dog didn't get surrendered to she shelter because howling and barking like a maniac in the middle of the night is a regular thing for him."

Lucy scratches her neck, nervously rubbing along the area where her tattoo is and she catches Tim's eye. "Oh, you, uh, you heard that."

'Yes, I heard it. I have ears," she huffs. "And I heard you screaming at him to please stop."

Lucy had actually been screaming, "please don't stop." But she's thankful Kojo's barking drowned some of that out.

"I think he was barking at the neighbor's," Gina offers. "I heard some strange noises coming from next door in the middle of the night before he started going crazy.

Lucy and Tim catch Gina's eyes and the sly sparkle in them as she sips her coffee.

"Well, if that's the case," Genny looks to Tim, "next time you might wanna pull your cop card and go over and see what's going on and tell them to stop."

"Good idea," he mutters.

Genny stands and stretches. "I'm going to start getting ready for graduation. We're still doing pictures on the front campus with Jackson, Aaron, and Celina before the ceremony right?"

"Yeah, we're all supposed to meet around 9." Lucy confirms.

"Okay," Genny yawns languidly and loudly. "Are we all riding together from here or?"

"How about I drive my truck, "Tim suggests. "In case Lucy's parents come and she wants to go somewhere with them after. That way she can take it and have an out if it goes south."

Genny gives a thumbs up and heads for her room.

When her door is shut, Gina looks to Tim and Lucy. "Did you see what I did there? I redirected her attention so she wouldn't suspect a thing. And it wasn't even a whole lie, I just didn't say the noises were coming from the room next door."

()()()()()()()()

Lucy rides to the college with Tim while Genny drives her car and her mom rides with her. Tim leaves his car in park for a moment before they embark from their driveway, and he pulls a small, rectangular shaped black box from his glove compartment and hands it to Lucy.

"What's this?" She asks through a surprised grin.

"Open it and see."

She hesitates, her hand on the cover. "It better not explode," she warns. "I don't have time to change."

"It's not gonna explode," he chuckles. "But that would've been a great idea and I wish I'd have thought of it."

Tentatively, she removes the top cover of the box, her eyes lighting up at the contents.

She holds up her gift and eyes the thin, gold chaain with the circular pendant and smiles. "Did you pick this out all by yourself?"

And he had. He hadn't even had to ask the jeweler for any ideas for Lucy's gift. Though she did help him pick out his sister's present. "I did. Is that so hard to believe?"

"No." She smirks mischievously and waves a hand over herself. It's clear you've got good taste."

"Clearly," He snorts and rolls his eyes, grabbing the necklace as she pulls her hair back and clasps it around her neck.

Lucy's thumb and forefinger pinch the pendant and she presses a chaste kiss to his lips "Thank you. You really didn't have to, but it's beautiful." She's taken by surprise at the gesture. This thing with them is still so new, it hasn't even been two weeks yet, and a gift giving on this level seems like a big gesture.

"Eh, I wanted to. I kinda sorta like you…Sometimes."

Tim turns the key and the truck rumbles to life, and as they drive down the road, Lucy asks, "Why a circle?"

He shrugs a shoulder. "You said it was your favorite shape." He figures it's far too soon for a heart or a diamond. He could've gotten a pendant with a C or an L for her name, or he could've gotten her birthstone, he supposes, but he saw that circular pendant and it just seemed fitting. It would be simple, but also meaningful.

Lucy's lips tremble and she pinches them together tightly, biting back the emotion that bubbles in her chest and threatens to spill out from her eyes in the form trickling tears and her throat as strangled sob. They've shared little details like that. Their favorite colors. Favorite foods. Favorite movies. But the fact that he's retaining that information about her, scribbling it down in the notepad of his mind and holding it close, it's joyful and overwhelming and terrifying and exciting all at once.

()()()()()()()()()()

The 5 graduates and their families, save for Lucy's parents, meet up on the front lawn of the college for professional photographs that Aaron's parents have paid for as graduation gifts to everyone. The friends take pictures together as a large group alternating between silly and serious photos., And the 3 former roommates take some together as well. Followed by photos of just Lucy and Genny.

Aaron breaks off for photos with his mom and dad, while Celina takes some with just her mom, Jackson with Sterling,his brother, and parents, and Genny with just Tim and her mom, while Lucy stands around awkwardly and tries to ignore the throbbing pain in her gut at the fact she doesn't have her parents her with her taking photos.

It's not that they didn't show. She hadn't actually invited them. Aaron didn't bring up this idea until after her mom's birthday and she hadn't wanted to reach out and extend an invitation she feared they wouldn't accept. It felt easier to just stand there alone while her friends gathered around happily with their families for celebratory and memorable photos than to risk standing there alone knowing they wouldn't want to stand there beside her.

After they'd snapped a few family photos, Genny spots Lucy standing off to herself, looking sad and alone, and she calls Lucy over and asks her to get a few pictures with the Bradford family, and Lucy joins them. One of Lucy's favorites is a photo where Gina is on one of Genny's arms, Tim on the other, and Lucy on Tim's arm, which she plans to frame and place in her room because it's probably the closest thing to an intimate graduation picture she's going to get with her boyfriend.

With only 30 minutes left to be in place for graduation, the photographer begins packing up to leave and the graduating crew start to head toward the lineup while the parents prepare to take their seats, but as the majority of the crew walks off, Gina Bradford is taking her time, hanging in the back.

"You know what?" Gina suggests, rubbing her chin. "I have my camera with me and I'd love a few pictures of just me and my son out here. Do you know how long it's been since Tim and I had our pictures taken together?"

"Mom," Genny mutters, "can't that wait until after? We kind of have a strict timeline we're working with."

Gina waves her off. "Oh, I know. This will only take a minute. I know how testy you get about being late. You go on and get in line. Tim and I will be right behind you."

Genny nods and walks on without her mother or brother.

"Lucy," Gina calls out. "Would you be a doll and stay back and snap these photos for me?"

Lucy hesitates, looking between her friends and their families and back to Gina. "I really can't be late. They won't let me walk if I am."

"You won't be," Gina promises and waves her over. "Come on, hurry up. The longer you argue with me the more time you're wasting."

She hands Lucy the camera and has her snap a few photos of mother and son, and when she's certain there's no one else in sight, she retrieves the camera from Lucy and grins. "Alright, now that they're all out of the way, let's get some pictures of just the two of you?"

Tim quirks a brow at his mother, then looks to Lucy, who is equally perplexed.

"Wouldn't you two like some pictures together? Since you're," her voice drops to a hushed whisper, "together and all."

Lucy smiles at the gesture and extends her hand to Tim. "Wanna take a few pictures with me?"

His fingers lace with hers and he doesn't protest as his mom begins posing and directing them into all these cutesy little ideas she has and Lucy tries like hell not to feel awkward when Gina tells them to kiss or for Tim to lift her into the air by her sides and stare lovingly into her eyes, or to wrap her in his arms from behind and kiss her on the cheek.

"Now," Gina chuckles, "I'm no expert, but I've gotten pretty damn good at taking pictures of sunsets over the lake, so I think you'll like how these turn out.

Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Chapter Text

During the ceremony, Lucy's eyes anxiously scan the auditorium in search of her parents, but the venue is so vast, she had no real chance of finding them amongst the crowd.

She knew she could text her aunt and find out if they were there, but she didn't dare ask, not wanting to ruin her mood before she had the chance to walk across the stage.

Even though psychology wasn't her passion and what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, she was proud of herself for reaching this milestone and she knew that beyond the knowledge gained from textbooks and lectures, she had learned valuable life skills, such as resilience, teamwork, empathy, and adaptability. Which are traits that will serve her well in whatever path she chooses to follow.

She was also unendingly grateful for the past four years of her life. For the experiences college allowed her to partake in, good and bad. The friendships it allowed her to make. Some she truly believes will stand the test of time and last the rest of her lifetime.

And she wants to celebrate that today. To honor the way these last four years have helped her grow as a person. To commensurate all the hard work and effort she'd put in.

And she's hopeful, that despite their differing opinions, her parents want to recognize and acknowledge all of that for her as well.

Despite their condescending and overbearing ways, she knows they do love her and she's grateful to them for all they've done for her and she wants to tell them that today. To thank them for providing her the opportunity to walk across this stage and for everything they did for her along the way.

She bounces on the balls of her feet as she stands in the seemingly never ending line. She knows it's going to be a long morning with all the different degree programs to be called, so she pulls out her phone and snaps a few photos to distract herself. She sends one to Genny, Jackson, Aaron, and Celina in their group chat where she's holding up a peace sign. They follow with their own variety of photos with silly poses and Lucy snorts loudly when Jackson sends one making a contorted face, his lips twisted and gnarly and his eyes crossed with his lids turned up.

That one she saves to her phone because it's memorable and dorky and because she just might need it for blackmail someday.

They text back and forth about how sweaty they are and how much their feet hurt and how they can't wait for the party that Aaron's parents are throwing tonight in their honor. They make wild plans that revolve around beer pong, flip cup, quarters, and even drunken Jenga and karaoke.

It's their last night as undergrad students, afterall, and the real world is waiting for them all. Why not go all out one last time?
The topic somehow stirs to Lucy's sex life, or lack thereof according to Aaron, since no one has seen her with a guy since Chris.

Jackson starts suggesting old booty calls that she should invite, because in his words, "she deserves to get laid tonight to celebrate her months long celibacy while she focused on school."

Genny points out Chris is a willing phone call away.

Aaron throws out the idea that his cousin will be there, and that while he knows Lucy doesn't do one night stands with men she doesn't know, "he's a decent dude and he thinks she'll find him really good looking."

Celina ominously throws out that there's no reason for them to do anything because she senses there's a tall, handsome man that will be taking care of all of Lucy's needs later.

And Lucy suddenly wants to scream from the overwhelming interest her friends have in her sex life.

She types out a reply that tells them all, "All of my needs have been met just fine lately. I don't need anyone's help in that area." Which she hopes they'll take as her taking care of herself.

Briefly, she puts the group chat on mute, and snaps another photo of herself. A cute one where she's sticking her tongue out behind closed lips and smiling with her eyes. She sends that one to Tim, the tall, handsome man that is taking care of all her needs lately.

It takes no time for him to respond. And he shoots over a corny picture of himself giving her a big grin and a thumbs up.

She smirks and messages him back, "you're an idiot."

Blue dots appear then disappear before his reply comes back, "an idiot you're willingly going to invite into your bed later. What's that say about you?"

Her fingers click away on her screen. "That I'm an empathic person who took pity on you, clearly."

She unmutes her group chat and switches back and forth between texting Tim and her friends until the ceremony is over and all names have been called, her small circle that's come to mean so much to her filling her with love and joy while she waits.

()()()()()()()()()()

After commencement, the five friends find each other first and share a warm tear-filled embrace, Four years worth of love, memories, and friendship culminating in the group bear hug.

It doesn't take long before their families are bombarding them and pulling them apart, pulling their own loved ones in for celebratory hugs.

Lucy isn't left out during this occasion, and she's pulled in first by Jackson's family and Sterling, then Aaron's, then by Celina's mom, and finally by Tim's mom, then Tim himself, who makes the hug quicksand runs his hands up and down her arms before parting, giving them a gentle squeeze and offering her a tight lipped smile before dipping his head and stepping back.

Family plans for lunch are being made amongst the others as Lucy's eyes dart around the bustling room, but in the sea of people she hasn't yet spotted her family. But her phone springs to life, a loud, bubbly ring emitting from the speakers as it vibrates underneath her robe. She pulls it out and answers it, closing one ear with a finger to drown out the noise around her when she answers.

Her aunt Amy is on the other end of the line, trying to find Lucy and instead of trying to direct them through the hoard, she sets up a designated meeting place and hangs up the phone.

She puts away her phone and excuses herself to the others, her stomach churning with anxiety as she explains to them that her aunt and parents are waiting for her.

Her friends look on apprehensively, but none quite as much as Tim, whose jaw is locked tight and eyes set like stone.

"Should one of us come with you?" Jackson is the one to speak up and say what they're all thinking.

But Lucy forces a confident smile and shakes her head. Ensuring them all she'll be fine and that they should be with their families right now.

Lucy doesn't miss the conflicted way Tim glances between her and Genny, but she knows he can't come with her without arousing suspicion, and even if he could, her parents don't like him at all and it's probably for the best if she tries to mend fences when he isn't around.

"I'll be fine and I'll call you guys after," she insists, knowing everyone is about to head off for lunch but that they'll all reconnect for the party later.

"Lucy," Tim calls out as she walks away and when she turns to face him, he's holding out his hand. "Take these."

Slowly and with raised brows, she walks over and he places his keys in her hand.

"Take my truck. In case things don't go well and you wanna come with us for lunch."

She nods and takes a shaky breath as his palm closes over hers during the exchange, giving her hand a deliberate squeeze before he steps away to join his mother, sister, and Rob and she steps off into the other direction, but she can feel his lingering gaze on her as she falls into the crowd.

()()()()()()()

The initial reunion with Lucy's parents isn't nearly as awful as she'd expected it to be. She'd been given a joyous hug by her aunt and then her parents followed up with hugs of their own for her. They'd even brought her flowers and her father had kissed her on the cheek, and some of the tension in her gut uncoiled.

The decision was made that they'd all go out to dinner. Lucy, her parents, and her aunt Amy. Though Lucy did insist on driving herself over and meeting them at the restaurant, to which her parents had been a bit shocked at the fact she was able to drive herself over and sneered in displeasure when she informed them she was driving Tim's truck.

Lunch started off easy enough, though.. With simple small talk and the huge fight mostly ignored, though, Lucy has to field some rude comments about Tim and why he isn't with her, even if she knows they're glad he's not. She remains calm and bites back the bitterness she feels at their attitude towards him as she explains he's with his sister and mom and she felt it best if she came alone.

Feeling happy at the presence of her family and relieved an all out war hasn't ensued, Lucy takes a moment after appetizers are ordered to formally express her gratitude.

"You know, I'm just, I'm so happy you guys came and we're all here together," she somewhat timidly begins.

"Of course we came," her father snorts incredulously. "We've been waiting for this day since you were a little girl."

Lucy smiles and presses her glass of water to her lips. "I know. And uh, I just want to take a moment to thank you. Both of you. Thank you so much for all you've done to get me here. The sacrifices you made financially. The way you pushed me to succeed no matter what, even when it was hard and I didn't feel like it, thank you for staying on me so that I saw this through. College has been life changing for me in so many ways, and I can't imagine having taken any other route the past four years."

Her parents look at each other and share a pleased smile.

"And, just, thank you, for raising me and giving me so many opportunities in life. All the extracurriculars you put me in during school. Showing me the importance of learning different languages and appreciating and experiencing other cultures and ways of life. I wouldn't be who I am without all of those opportunities." Lucy pauses, feeling herself overcome with emotion. "I know it maybe didn't seem like it the last time we spoke because emotions were running so high for us both, but I do love you both so much and I'm glad you're my parents." She looks pointedly at her father. "Thank you for choosing me and loving me, even though I know you didn't have to."

"Now, this is the Lu that we know," her father nods approvingly. "Our thankful, ambitious, goal oriented little girl."

"Indeed," her mother agrees. "It sounds like you've finally come to your senses."

Lucy bristles at the comment, but remains composed. "I was acting out of anger and frustration the last time we spoke," Lucy concedes, "And the way I handled myself was not appropriate for the situation, and for that, I do apologize. The conversation should have been held in private, not at your birthday party in front of all our family and friends.'

"The conversation shouldn't have happened at all, dear," her mother briskly corrects. "Your entire future is not something you should whimsically decide to change out of the blue."

"My entire future is also not something someone else should've planned out for me my entire life while I sat around without any say over it," Lucy bites back, though she keeps her tone as respectful as possible.

"We've only been looking out for you," Patrick chimes in. "You said to yourself only a moment ago how grateful you are for all we've done. For all you've been able to accomplish."

Lucy's forehead wrinkles and her brows knit. "And–I–I am. I've grown and learned so much these last for yours and it's something I'll be able to utilize–in any career I choose."

"Any career you choose?" Her mother scoffs. "Seriously? From your speech I thought it was clear you'd seen the light. That struggling on your own, without a car, without money, I thought it would show you that you don't want that kind of life. That you want to take advantage of the opportunities we've allowed for you."

"Maybe struggling is what I need! Maybe finding my own way is what I have to do. You've spent my whole life telling me I need to be strong, drilling it into my brain that I need to figure things out and think them through. That's what I'm trying to do right now."

"Yes, we drilled into your brian to be a critical thinker," her father interjects. "Not to derail your entire life. You can't possibly want to skip grad school to–to what? Become one of those people you know are the problem. To join a system that oppresses the mentally ill and poor?"

Lucy inhales sharply. "Not all cops are like that! Yes, there are some bad ones out there, but what better way to change the system than to become part of that change and make a real difference? Think of all the good I can do on the inside. How I could advocate for the patients that you're treating. How I could use my degree to move up and create real, true change."

"Or you could bully them and further ruin their lives," her mother snarks. "Because you lose sight of everything you know and let them indoctrinate you, the same way you're letting that man you're with do to you right now."

"This has nothing to do with Tim!"

"You know what?" Amy suggests, anxiously looking between everyone at the table. "Why don't we press pause on this conversation and simply celebrate tonight for what it is, Lucy's graduation."

"We can't celebrate something that's going to end up being all for nothing," Vanessa hisses. "And this has everything to do with him. You've never once disrespected us and since you met him, you can't be around us without showing disrespect."

"I'm not trying to disrespect you, mom," Lucy's voice shakes and her bottom lip quivers. "I'm trying to respect myself by being honest with you. I don't want to be a therapist. I don't want to join your practice. I've felt this way for a long time but I never had the guts to tell you before because I didn't want to disappoint or hurt you…But I owe it to myself to create a life that makes me happy. I shouldn't have to settle just to please the two of you."

"You're just experiencing a beginning of life crisis," Patrick insists sternly. "It's not abnormal and we can talk you through this.."

"No, dad, you're not listening," Lucy groans exhaustedly. "I've felt like this for a long time. I just haven't told you. I'm sorry, I just–I don't want what you want for me and I can't make myself do it just to please you. I'm not going to grad school, I'm going to work as a communications officer to the L.A.P.D. for the next six weeks, and then–then…" Her hands are shaking and she pulls in a deep, steady, confident breath. "Then, I'm going to join the police academy."

Vanessa's lips press into a stern, thin line. "We simply don't accept that."

Lucy's hands clasp together and she worries her lower lip. "You don't have to right now. I understand that this is all very jarring and I don't expect you two to necessarily like it or be fully on board with it, but I would like for you to give me room to explore this without judgment. To trust that you raised a young woman who's smart enough and capable enough to do what's right for her own life without–without condemning me or belittling me. To just take today to celebrate what I have accomplished so far and be proud of that while you take time to process the rest."

"We cannot sit idly by and watch you ruin your life," Patrick laments. "We won't, we love you too much for that. So we are not leaving this table until we've convinced you of the error of your ways."

Lucy nods firmly and purses her lips. "Then I'm sorry, but you'll have to sit here without me, because I'm not changing my mind and I'm not going to be miserable on my graduation day. There are people who love me that just want to celebrate today and my accomplishments with me."

Her parents erupt into an uproar, but Lucy calmly stands and pushes her chair under her seat, apologizing to her aunt and telling all of her family she loves them before exiting the restaurant.

She picks up her phone on the way out and calls the first person that comes to her mind. "Hey, where are you at and is there room for one more?"

Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Notes:

I hate that this took so long to update compared to prior updates, but alas, my year is back in session and updates will slow to only weekends now. I will finish this story, though, don't worry. I hope you guys to continue to enjoy it even if I can't update as frequently. Thank you for reading!

Chapter Text

When Lucy arrives outside of the restaurant, she's greeted by a visibly anxious Tim waiting by the curb for her. The knots in her stomach that have been twisting and winding themselves her entire ride over after the fallout with her parents begin to uncoil the moment he meets her eyes and rushes to her.

His eyes are full of concern, his forehead wrinkled in worry, and his fists deep in his pockets as he rushes towards her.

"You okay?" He immediately asks once they're face to face.

She shrugs, her lips pressed together tightly, as she mutters, "I will be."

His eyes are searching hers desperately and his thumbs are just outside of his pockets and they graze circles over his dress pants. "Is there anything I can do?"

She glimpses towards the door of the restaurant and around the busy sidewalk and street. She knows they have to be careful about the level of affection they show one another in public with his family right inside, but she also just wants to be held by her boyfriend right now so she tells him, "A hug would be nice."

He doesn't hesitate, his hands circling around her tiny frame and pulling her close. One of her hands fist around the breast area of his blue button down dress shirt and the other wraps snugly around his back. Her head comes to a rest just below his collarbone and she blinks back tears and her chest heaves, once, twice, three times, as she pushes down the deep bubbling urge to break out into tears, instead finding solace with the person she's quickly learning she feels safest with.

She won't give in to the all consuming urge to fall apart because her parents can't support her. She won't allow herself to wallow in self-pity because she knows her choices will never be good enough for them. She won't feel guilty for putting herself first. Not today.

Today, she is choosing to celebrate. She is choosing to be happy. To be with the ones who love her and are happy for her and are going to lift her up for all she's accomplished and will accomplish.

She can feel Tim's fingers tenderly threading through her thick, wavy hair and she breathes in his scent, her lungs slowly expanding as she revels in the way his touch and smell melt away the heaviness hanging over her.

Part of her doesn't want to move, would be content to stay in his arms right in the middle of the busy walkway, but her stomach rumbles loudly and the enticing aroma of Italian food tickles her nose and she gingerly pries herself away from his warm embrace, swallowing and plastering on a smile.

"We should go inside."

He nods, his eyes lingering on her a long moment after they part and he brushes a loose strand of hair behind her ears and offers her a closed lip smile before putting a hand on her lower back and walking her towards the door.

His palm remains there on the back of her dress when he opens the door for her and they step inside, not dropping once, even when Genny and Gina Bradford, Rob, along with the entire West family who are sitting with them, turn in their direction as they approach the table.

When Tim pulls out the chair next to him for her, his flat palm is still resting on the small of her back until she bends to take her seat, but he doesn't keep his hands to himself once they're seated, one hand swiping under the table and coming to rest atop her thigh just above her knee while the rest of the table greets Lucy with welcoming smiles and waves.

No one dares to question Tim about his actions, but it's clear to Lucy by the way their eyes were glued on them when they came to the table that everyone noticed the small, intimate gesture.

Lucy allows herself to settle in at the table, her body relaxing as she's surrounded by friends who've become her chosen family over the past four years, and soon turns her attention away from her family troubles and begins celebrating the day as she enjoys a delicious meal of shrimp scampi.

As they eat and celebrate, Commander West raises a toast to Jackson and Lucy and praises their decision to join the police academy, declaring that he'll see to it that a spot is saved for them in the Hollywood Division.

Jackson catches Lucy's eye and shifts uncomfortably in his seat and sips his wine, meanwhile Tim interjects, commenting that Lucy would be a good fit for Mid-Wilshire and the two men jest, mostly good-heartedly, over which station is better.

()()()()()()

After a long and eventful lunch, the groups split off into separate directions, planning to meet again at Aaron's later in the evening to continue the celebration.

Jackson and Sterling head back to their apartment and the West family returns to their home, while Genny rides with Rob to his place, and Tim, Lucy, and Gina head back to their place.

An over eager Kojo greets them once they return home, wiggling his butt and jumping in circles the moment he sees Tim and Lucy, giving Lucy his own doggy version of congratulations in slobbery kisses and head nuzzles as he almost tackles her to the floor when she bends down to love on him.

Eventually, Tim takes Kojo on a quick walk and Lucy and Gina step into the kitchen where Lucy makes two cups of earl gray tea.

The women sit at the table together in a somewhat awkward silence, Lucy using a finger to trace aimless circles on her steaming mug as she avoids meeting Gina's eyes, the fact that Gina heard her fooling around with Tim last night is still burned into her mind.

"Umm…I wanted to say thank you," Lucy mutters, her eyes firmly planted on the wooden table. "For getting some pictures of Tim and I together earlier, and ah," her voice dips to just above a whisper, "for, uh, for covering for us earlier. And ah, you know, I'm sorry about…you know…what you heard.."

Gina snorts and drums her fingers on the table, an amused grin on her lips. "I definitely could've lived without hearing what I heard, but I was happy to take those pictures for you and to help you both keep your little secret. I know he didn't confide in me intentionally, but it almost makes me feel closer to Tim, to know something about his life I know that no one else knows. It's been a long time since he's let me in, and I understand why, I really do, but I'm happy I'm getting a chance to know my son better and rebuild a relationship with him." She presses her mug to her lips and takes a long sip of tea, then smiles. "And I'm happy to see him happy again, I can't remember the last time I've seen him smile so much or his eyes light up the way they do with you."

Lucy blushes but she can't hide the way the corners of her lips involuntarily curl upwards.

"It's serious between you two, isn't it." Gina pries. There's no question in her words, it's a genuine observation.

Lucy's brows raise and her eyes grow wide, her tongue feels like lead and she swallows, unable to form words.

"It's okay," Gina assures her kindly, reaching over and squeezing her hand. "It's not a bad thing."

Lucy simply nods, still unable to voice what she's thinking. She likes Gina. She likes the woman a lot. But she still barely knows her and she's Tim's mom, she isn't sure she should be talking about their relationship with his mom while it's still so new and their future is so uncertain due to so many factors.

"Keep pushing him," Gina continues, "chipping away at those walls he puts up. He's lucky to have a young woman like you in his corner, one who's not only smart and beautiful, but incredibly kind and patient, and understanding in all the ways that Tim needs someone to be. I'm proud that he's found you, and I'm proud that my daughter has a friend like you in her life as well and I know that you're going to make an amazing officer and blow everyone at the police academy away."

Lucy's bottom lip trembles and she lurches from her chair and wraps her arms around Gina's neck, a strangled sob escaping the back of her throat as the woman tightly winds her arms around Lucy's neck and rocks back and forth with her and a few tears leak from behind her eyelids.

Tim walks in with Kojo as Gina continues to hold Lucy, and his voice is higher than normal when he asks, "What happened? What's wrong?"

Lucy pulls away from Gina and sniffles, wiping her red, puffy eyes and blinking away the tears. "Nothing," she insists teasingly. "We were just trash talking you."

Tim's eyes roll and he unclips Kojo's leash and he tentatively makes his way into the kitchen as Kojo settles onto his dog bed, his eyes darting curiously between his mom and Lucy.

"I think I'm going to get a nap in," Gina comments, finishing the last of her tea and standing. "You two might want to do the same so Lucy can enjoy her party later."

Gina squeezes Tim and Lucy's arms as she heads off to bed and the couple is left in the kitchen, Tim arching a single brow at Lucy.

"You gonna tell me what that was really about?"

Lucy's arms cross at her chest and she shrugs her shoulders as she fiddles with her new necklace he gave her. "It's just…your mom is really sweet."

"She is," he agrees. Annoyingly so at times, but she is."

Lucy snorts.

"Wanna go to bed?" He offers, nodding towards Lucy's room.

She sighs dramatically. "Yes, please!. I'm exhausted and I just want to fall asleep in your arms."

"I might be able to make that happen," he teases. "If you promise not to snore or kick me."

"Oh, I'm so kicking you. Just for saying I snore." She playfully throws a leg at him and he jumps back, dodging her kick, then his arms slip around her waist and he scoops her up while she squirms and fights him until he presses a kiss to her her tattooed neck and she settles into his arms and allows him to carry her into her room.

They strip out of their dress clothes and Tim shimmies down to nothing but his boxers while Lucy throws on one of Tim's comfy cotton t-shirts she'd stolen from him one night he left it in her room after a late night tryst.

They settle into bed under the covers and goosebumps explode along Lucy's skin as the scruff from Tim's beard tickles her skin while Tim continues to press gentle kisses along the tattoo on her neck as spoons her from behind.

Her eyelids are heavy and she's on the cusp of falling asleep as she lazily and contendly mutters, "I love…" and her eyelids pop open when Tim's kisses still and her body grows rigid and panic overtakes her. "This." She hastily adds. "I love this. You. Holding me. Like this." A nervous laugh escapes her lips. "I love it."

Tim is silent and unmoving for what feels like an eternity and Lucy closes her eyes tightly and grimaces to herself, not daring to roll over and face him as her heart thunders away in her chest.

The silence is so thick and deafening that she can hear him swallow and he finally moves again, tracing languid circles over her thighs with his fingertips underneath the covers as he presses a lingering kiss to her temple and mumbles against her skin, "Yeah. I love it, too."

()()()()()()()()()()()

They are able to catch a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before Lucy's alarm blares, waking them from their slumber so she can get ready for the party at Aaron's.

She invites Tim to join her, but he ultimately decides it's not the best idea to attend a college party where there may be people partaking in underage drinking.

She decides it's probably for the best anyway, knowing if he's there she'll likely be torn between enjoying time with her friends and wanting to stay right under him, which is something she'd swore she'd never do, be one of those girls who wants to be around her boyfriend all the time.

It's also probably for the best because she can't stop thinking about her slip from earlier. She can't believe she almost told him she loved him, doesn't even fully know if she meant it because she isn't really sure what being in love with someone feels like, and she tries to blame it on the stress of the day and her lack of sleep affecting her mind temporarily and causing her to be slightly delusional.

She's relieved she caught herself, worried that such an omission would scare Tim away and ruin what they were building. It's far too early to say those three little words.

She shudders to think of what she might say under the influence of alcohol if Tim is around her later, remembering the last time she tried to take him to bed before they were together when she was drunk and he carried her to her room.

Jackson picks her up and drives her to Aaron's. Sterling isn't joining him either because he has an audition in the morning and it looks like it might just be the fab 5 without their partners for the night because Genny said Rob isn't coming either because of work.

There isn't a lack of a crowd at Aaron's house, though. Between his family and several other large groups of people they know from college, the Thorsen mansion is overflowing with people.

Lucy spends the evening mingling with acquaintances and bouncing back and forth between her 4 closest friends while trying to dodge advances from Aaron's cousin, Devin.

She's hiding out by the pool from Devin and grinning like an idiot at the adorable picture of Kojo Tim sent her when Jackson takes a seat beside her on the lounge chair, peeking over her shoulder at her text and nudging her arm when he notices the heart eyes she's sending back to Tim.

"Heart eyes," Jackson's eyebrows wiggle. "Who's the lucky guy and why don't I know about him?"

Lucy groans and scrolls up, shoving the photo of Kojo curled on his back with his legs in the air in Jackson's face. "You have met him. The lucky guy is Kojo, king of canines, destroyer of chew toys."

"I didn't know dogs could text. You could probably make a lot of money off him."

Lucy rolls her eyes and mutters, "Tim sent me the picture."

"Yeah, I figured." Jackson clasps his hands together and rests his elbows on his knees. "He's your person."

"Excuse me?"

"Tim. He's your person," He repeats.

Her jaw goes slack and she slowly sets her phone down. "I–wh-what do you mean?"

"He's the first person you call when you're upset," he points out. "The one you go to for comfort. Like today, he's the one you called when things didn't go well with your parents. He's the one who met you outside the restaurant and was the first to comfort you. He's your person. It used to be me or Genny, but now it's Tim..."

"I just–we just," she exhales heavily. "We live together and we spend so much time together…"

"I know," Jackson replies. "I get it. I mean, Genny and I are in relationships and we're not around as much. I'm glad you've got someone you can turn to." He shrugs and chuckles. "I'm just shocked it's Tim. I never would've guessed that would happen when he first moved in."

"Yeah," Lucy snorts and rubs her neck. "Me either. He's kind of like a fungus though, he grows on you."

Jackson grins and hums. "Is uh, is he the reason you aren't giving anyone here the time of day?"

"What?"

"Come on, Luce! Aaron's cousin has been after you all night and like 5 other guys have been checking you out and you haven't even batted an eye at them. Clearly your mind is on someone else."

"You know I don't do one night stands," she vehemently defends.

"True. But you haven't hooked up with anyone that I know of in, like, months. You'd at least be flirting and trying to get to know some of them by now based on the Lucy I know and have known the last four years."

She rolls her eyes and ignores him.

"So," he continues to press, "is it because of Tim? Have you two been," he air quotes with his fingers, "playing pretend again."

"Oh my gosh. You're impossible," she whines.

"That's not a denial!"

Lucy tilts her head and smirks at him. "I can confidently promise you, Tim and I aren't playing pretend at anything."

"O-kay." He nods towards the blond man on the other side of the pool that's checking Lucy out. "Then why don't you go over there and get to know the hottie checking you out. You've worked hard and you deserve to blow off some steam."

Lucy peers to where Jackson is looking and notices the man lasciviously eyeing her up and down in her bikini like she's a piece of meat he's ready to devour. He's decent looking, but he's no Tim in the looks department, and more importantly, he's NOT Tim.

She rubs her chin thoughtfully and stands. "Tempting, but I think I'll pass." She grabs her phone and invites Jackson with her to grab a drink, hoping it will distract him from prying into her love life.

()()()()()()()

The next morning, still half-asleep and slightly hung over, Lucy stirs in bed, the feel of a heavy arm draped over her side. She scoots backward trying to close the wide gap in the bed and tugs at the arm on her side, her voice hoarse and raspy as she mumbles, "Come closer, babe. I want you to hold me."

For a brief moment, the arm pulls her closer and she falls flush against the chest next to her, but she startles awake with a scream when she realizes on contact that the body next to her isn't Tim's, the arms she settled into aren't nearly broad enough to be his and they're not as familiar and comforting.

The sudden scream next to her that responds to her sudden jump and outburst however, is familiar, and she's relieved to find that the arm and body belong to Jackson, who she now remembers she fell asleep with at Aaron's house in the guest room.

She rests her head in the palm of her hands and tries to ignore the throbbing pain in behind her eyes as her they adjust to the blinding light coming through the oversized picture window and Jackson sits up rubbing his own eyes and questions, "why the hell were you asking me to hold you and calling me babe?"

"I don't know," she huffs. "Why was your arm around me?"

"I'm used to falling asleep with Sterling like that." He leans his neck side to side and pops it. "Who have you been calling babe?"

"No one!" She grunts. "I–I must've been dreaming."

"Mhm." He wiggles his eyebrows and teases. "Dreaming about Tim."

Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Chapter Text

Tim is in the middle of making Kojo breakfast the next morning when Lucy and Jackson come bounding in the front door, giggling and snorting about something only they must be privy to.

He looks up eagerly and offers her the faintest hint of a smile when she catches his eye, one she easily returns and it makes his heart flutter in a way it hasn't since he was a teenager until he met her.

He'd missed her last night, as crazy as it sounds because it hasn't even been a full 24 hours since he last saw her, but he'd missed her nonetheless.

Missed falling asleep with and waking up next to her. Missed waking up ridiculously early to sneak back into his room or going to bed insanely late so Genny wouldn't catch them. He'd missed kissing her until he was dizzy and aching and desperate. He'd missed the way she'd trace a lazy circle along his arm or run her soothing hands up and down his back until he fell asleep. He'd missed the way she'd twitch and grunt in his arms when she fell asleep before him, and the way they'd whisper and share muffled giggles between ridiculous arguments over random topics well into the middle of the night.

He's pretty sure she almost told him she loved him yesterday, it was on the tip of her tongue as she was falling asleep in his arms and it sounded like she caught herself and corrected it, but he's not entirely sure that's what it was and part of him thinks maybe his brain is only tricking him into thinking that's what she meant.

Maybe that's what he wanted her to say, even though he thinks he shouldn't want that. Not yet. It's far too soon. This is still so new. It's snowballing so fast and he should be running from it, putting distance between them, pushing her away so he has no chance of getting hurt again or hurting her, but the thing is, he can't imagine creating any sort of distance between them. He can't imagine her not in his life. Not kissing her and holding her every day. Not having her as the first person he turns to.

It's worth the risk to him, whatever may happen next, even if it shouldn't be. And he knows that means he's falling in love with her, hopelessly and irretrievably, and it terrifies the fuck out of him, but he doesn't care, because she is worth the risk. They are worth the risk.

Which is why when his mother, who is sitting at the kitchen table and sipping her morning coffee while she reads the paper, asks Jackson and Lucy, "How was the party, kids?"

And Jackson cackles and responds, "it was great. We had a blast. And guess what? Lucy woke up next to the hottest guy there."

The moment the words leave Jackson's mouth, Tim can feel his heart drop to his feet and the plate he was in the middle of carrying to Kojo shatters onto the floor.

Gina's cup of coffee freezes in her hand and her eyes bug out of her head.

Lucy groans and rushes over to a frozen, pale faced Tim and the shattered plate, pulling Kojo by the collar out of the way as he licks at the gulps at the splattered eggs and salmon on the floor that is now mingled with broken glass.

"He's talking about himself," Lucy ruefully mutters through clenched teeth. "Jackson and I slept in the guest room together and shared a bed for the night."

Jackson's arms wave up and down over his body and he grins. "Like I said, the hottest guy there."

Tim glances down at Lucy, who is still on her knees holding Kojo back, a sinking feeling still lingering in his gut, and her eyes are wide and pleading as she shakes her head in silent communication. He reaches down and slips two fingers through Kojo's leather collar and clears his throat, excusing himself, "I'm gonna put Kojo in my room so I can clean this mess up without worrying about him getting hurt. I'll be right back."

As he walks off, he hears Lucy say, "I'm gonna go with Tim to get Kojo settled and make sure he doesn't have any glass in his paws. I'll uh, I'll be right back."

She slips in behind him and he closes the door, his body still tense and his gut still churning slightly while his eyes lock onto his bedroom floor, intently studying the beige carpet.

"Babe, look at me," Lucy gingerly says as reaches up and tilts his chin towards her and he can see how glassy her eyes are when she all but desperately promises. "Jackson really did mean I woke up next to him, I swear. Tim, I would never.."

Once upon a time, he also thought Isabel would never. She'd never leave him. She'd never do drugs. She'd never be with another man while she was his. But she'd done all those things and he's reminded of the fact that it's almost impossible to ever fully know someone else.

He swallows and nods, trying hard to remind himself that Lucy is not Isabel and that there was so much distance between them before their marriage fell apart and all those things happened, and he and Lucy are in a really good place.

He forces a smile that he can only muster as a half smile, because even the thought of Lucy cheating on him, of being with someone else, leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

She places a hand on each side of his waist. "Talk to me, Tim. Please."

"I believe you," he finally manages after a pregnant pause, but it's in a throaty whisper. "I do…I just…"

"It's hard to put that kinda trust in someone again," she finishes for him.

"Yeah."

"I get it. But, babe, I wouldn't do anything that I know would hurt you." Her right hand glides up his side until it's covering his heart. "You mean so much to me and all I could think about last night every time any guy even talked to me was how they weren't you."

He arches a brow. "Just how many guys were trying to talk to you?"

"A few," she chuckles. "There was Aaron's cousin, Devin. And uh, some blond guy, I think his name was Garret or Gary or something with a G." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a slip of paper with her left hand. "One guy even slipped his number and facebook handle into my pocket while I was sitting by the poolside bar, but I'm not interested in any of them and none of them are who I want to wake up next to. Only you."

With his middle and index finger, Tim grabs the piece of paper from her and narrows his eyes, disdainfully reading off the sloppily scribbled name Caleb Wright.

Lucy takes the slip of paper back and rips it into shreds. "That Caleb guys was a little creepy, I don't know what it is, I just got a bad vibe from him because he kept watching me all night, which is one reason I asked Jackson to stay in the room with me in the first place. I was going to tell you about this later. When it was only us. But Jackson is kinda sorta on to the fact that there's something going on between us because I wouldn't give any of these guys the time of day last night and I kinda maybe thought he was you this morning when I was half asleep and called him babe and pulled him closer to me. I'm pretty sure he said that just now just to get a rise out of you and see your reaction."

Tim purses his lips and he nods. "Guessing my reaction didn't help any."

"Not a chance," she chuckles, grabbing his hands and threading her fingers through his. "And ah, it probably also didn't help that I followed you into your room right after. But I don't care. All I care about is that you're okay. That we're okay.

He smiles, a real one this time, and leans down and closes the gap between them, capturing her lips with his. "We're good," he assures her when they part, their fingers still intertwined together. "And uh, I don't blame you for not wanting to give any of those guys the time of day. Why would you when you already have the most handsome boyfriend in L.A.?

"Is that so? I guess that's fitting, since you clearly have the hottest girlfriend in L.A. I mean, why else would all those guys have been after me?" She teases.

His voice is husky and he leans down and captures her lips again and between kisses he whispers, "I clearly do. And I can't wait until everyone's gone tomorrow so I can show her how hot I think she is and how happy I am that she's all mine."

Kojo emits a loud bark and whine, interrupting their kiss and they pull apart, reminded that they have a hungry dog who's still waiting on breakfast and one of Lucy's best friends and Tim's mom waiting in the kitchen, as well as a mess to clean up.

()()()()()()()()

"All good," Lucy announces when they return to the kitchen. "No glass to be found in Kojo's paws."

"You must've done a thorough inspection," Jackson chuckles. "That took a long time." His smirk fades when he feels Tim's stern gaze on him and he takes a sip of the coffee Gina fixed him while they were waiting.

"I cleaned up the mess for you," Gina tells Tim as his eyes scan the now spotless floor and she hands him a bowl full of heated canned dog food. "And I fixed my grandpup an alternate breakfast. It's not as high class as the meal you made him, but it'll do the trick for a hungry dog."

"Thanks, mom." He grabs the bowl and heads back to his room to take it to Kojo, who is still shut in there because he wanted the shattered glass cleaned up before he let him out.

Jackson stands as Tim walks away. "I'm gonna head out and get home to Sterling. Maybe I'll have time to run through a few lines with him before he has to leave for his audition." He nods towards the Bradford matriarch. "Good to see you again, Ms. Gina."

She waves goodbye to him. "Always a pleasure to be around you, my dear."

"I think you left something in the car, Luce. Wanna walk out with me and grab it on my way out?"

Lucy raises a brow but nods, following him even though she's fairly certain she didn't leave anything.

When they reach the front porch, Jackson turns to her and grins smugly. "Look, I know there's something going on with you and Tim you're not telling me." Lucy opens her mouth to protest and Jackson waves her off. "I get it. You'll tell me when you're ready. And I won't say anything to anyone in the meantime. Especially Genny. But I know one thing, Luce. You're crazy about him, and after today, I know he's crazy about you, too. Don't be afraid of that."

Lucy's voice shakes and she exhales heavily, not revealing the entire truth, but admitting, "I'm trying not to be."

Jackson pulls her in for a hug and kisses the crown of her head.

Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Chapter Text

Tim stirs in his sleep, a faint, enticing aroma drifting into his dreams. A scent that invokes feelings of warmth, sweetness, and comfort. The unmistakable scent of freshly baked cookies. He grunts to himself, his eyes still tightly closed as he's still halfway in a deep slumber, and he swings his arm, reaching out to grab the woman who was next to him physically when he fell asleep and is now also next to him now in his hazy, dream induced state, where' she's baking cookies.

But his arms come up empty in the present and in his dreams, and he's suddenly blinking himself awake in the faint glow of moonlight seeping through the curtains, his hand patting the cold, empty spot next to him in Lucy's bed.

He sits up, slightly confused and still slumber dazed, and rubs his eyes, trying to will the final remnants of sleep from his heavy eyelids while the aroma from his dreams is growing stronger with each passing second.

With squinted eyes, he peers at the clock on Lucy's nightstand, noting that it's just past 4 a.m. and he tosses the comforter off his half naked body and swings his legs over the bed and pads his way towards the kitchen, his nose following the enticing aroma like a trail of breadcrumbs that he knows is going to lead him to his missing girlfriend.

He stretches and yawns as he steps into the living room, and he catches a glimpse of Lucy out of the corner of his, rummaging in the kitchen and opening the oven door, shoving a baking sheet into the oven, wearing nothing but her purple and black floral patterned kimono.

"Baby?" His voice is scratchy and thick, the term of endearment falling off his tongue easily, like he's said it a million times, though he'd only tested it out for the first time hours earlier, after she'd started calling him babe after Jackson's quip made his world feel like it was about to come crashing down on him. "Why the hell are you up and baking cookies at four in the morning?"

She jumps slightly, startled at his unexpected voice, but in the dim light that's reaching the living room from the kitchen, she's smiling warmly when he turns around.

"Because," she slowly explains, rocking on the balls of her feet, "I can't sleep."

"Clearly," he mutters walking towards her. "But, why all the cookies?'

"I just…I needed a distraction," she sighs. "My first day at the station is only a few hours away and I just can't stop worrying about how it's going to go. You know? It's my first real job and I wanna do well. I want to impress everyone and I don't want to make any mistakes and I want everyone there to like me and to make a good impression so that I can possibly come back to Mid-Wilshire after the police academy. Besies, I wanted to show them all how much I appreciate this opportunity, especially Sergeant Grey, because you know, he kinda stuck his neck out for me by recommending me. So I started to make chocolate chip, but then I decided not everyone would like them so then I made peanut butter, but then I thought about how many people might have allergies to that, so I made oatmeal raisin, because they're healthier… "

"So you're going to bribe them with cookies to like you or put them in a diabetic coma if they don't?" He chuckles lightly.

She winces. "No! Yes! Maybe?"

He steps towards her, closing the distance between them and letting his hands fall on her hips. "You've got nothing to worry about. You're gonna do great and everyone is gonna like you. Who wouldn't?"

Her eyes narrow and she peers up at him and deadpans, "you didn't like me when you first met me."

His shoulders rise and fall and he grins mischievously and leans down and presses his forehead against hers. "Maybe I just liked you a little too much and I decided to be a dick because Isabel just left me and I was hurting and knew I had no business finding my little sister's best friend so sexy and it was easier to fight with you so I didn't do something stupid that I knew I'd end up regretting?"

She scoffs, shakes her head, and leans up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his, and he responds, languidly returning her kiss.

"That's a good story, but you're so full of it," she giggles against his lips, calling him out on the narrative.

"Not entirely," he mutters. "I did begrudgingly find you very, very sexy the first time we met."

"Even when I was biting your head arguing with you?"

"Especially then." He deepens the kiss and begins backing her towards the counter, one hand on her hip and one extended to protect her head from a collision with the cabinets.

She pulls away after a moment, breathless, lips swollen, and flushed cheeks, and she takes his hand and leads him to the stainless steel mixing bowl. She dips a single digit into the bowl and swipes the side, swirling her tongue around her finger and enjoying a slurp of cookie dough as he watches her with a heated gaze. She repeats the motion and presses her cookie dough covered index finger to his wet lips.

He groans and his lips encircle her finger, lapping the treat up and earning a pleased, sultry grin.

She grabs his hand and leads it towards the cool, steel bowl, guiding his middle and index finger in a sweeping motion through the decedent mixture before gingerly pressing them to her own lips and tantalizingly swirling her tongue over each finger, one by one, her head dipping down all the way to the base.

Tim's head snaps back and he groans in ecstasy, muttering out a drawn out, "fuuuuuck," while she works her magic and licks and sucks every last bit from his fingers.

Her hands rake appreciatively over his bare chest, coming to a rest at the drawstring of his plaid pajamas. "You know," she suggests seductively, "those cookies I just put in probably have a good fifteen minutes left before I have to take them out."

"Is that so?" He hums.

She nods. "And uh, I can think of another productive way to help me relieve my anxiety about my first day while we wait on them."

"Mhm."

"And uh," he brushes her hair behind her ear and his lips ghost over her neck, her warm breath causing goosebumps to explode along her flesh, "what are you thinking we could do to relieve that anxiety?"

Her fingers slip into the waistband of his pajamas and her nails tickle the skin just below his belly button. "Maybe some more of what we did before we fell asleep?"

He hums again, the memories of their writhing, naked bodies tangled together hours earlier rushing to the forefront of his mind.

Genny, Rob, and his mom had left for Tahoe City a little after lunch, and he and Lucy had thoroughly enjoyed having the house all to themselves without worry of being caught, interrupted, or heard, and they both plan on making the most use of the next seven days they'll have like that.

He gently tugs at the ties around her kimono until it's popping open and her bare breasts are falling out, his eyes sweep up and down her body and his gaze darkens as he takes her in, until his body jerks and shudders in surprise when she reaches out a dabs splotches of cookie dough from his chest to just above his groin.

Before he can ask her what the hell she's doing, she's working her way down, eating the cookie dough off him until she's falling to her knees in the middle of the kitchen while the cookies finish baking.

()()()()()()

Neither of them go back to sleep after, both having a shift at the station that starts at 6 that morning and will last until 6 that evening.

Despite the stress relieving activities, Lucy's no less anxious on their way to work and when Tim pulls his truck into the parking garage, he places a hand on her bouncing leg and gives her thigh a reassuring squeeze.

"You're gonna do fine," he insists.

She tries to force a smile, but it falls flat on her lips. "Yeah, but what if…"

"No," he shakes his head adamantly. "No what if. You're going to do great."

She appreciates his encouragement, but she can't help but worry and self doubt creeps in and tells her that she's going to fall flat on her face and make a fool of herself before she can even join the police academy. That taking this job is a big mistake and her parents are right. That maybe she should've just stuck with what she knows and has been preparing for her entire life instead of taking a risk.

He must sense her apprehension, because he takes on a different tactic.
"Let's make a bet," he proposes.

"A bet?"

He nods.

Her brows crease. "What kind of bet?"

"I bet that you're going to do great today." He grins smugly.

"Is there some type of reward for this bet or is this just another way for you to try and be encouraging?"

"I'm not trying to be encouraging," he huffs, "I am being encouraging. But no, this is an actual bet."

"O-kay. And the winner gets?"

"If you're right and you do horribly" he quickly adds, "which you won't. Well, then I'll do whatever you want, anything at all, to make your day better and help you feel better."

"And if you win?"

"If I'm right, which I will be, then we do whatever I want."

"Whatever you want?" Her voice is skeptical and hesitant.

He locks eyes with her, his voice soft. "Do you trust me?"

She simply nods. Because she does. She trusts him far more than she should for someone she's only known for a few months.

She grins at him and mutters, "what the hell, let's do it."

He leans over and kisses her once, long and hard, and he gives her thigh one final squeeze before they part and they exit the truck and head towards the station together.

As they reach the glass doors to step inside, Tim taps her thigh twice with two fingers and she looks at him and shakes her head incredulously.

"What?" He grunts.

"You do realize we can't touch once we get inside, right? This building is full of cops and they're going to get suspicious if you, of all people, are acting touchy feely."

"I know that."

"Do you?" She chuckles.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He pauses in front of the door and folds his arms across his chest.

"Nothing. It's just, you're a lot more affectionate than I would've guessed and I don't think you even realize it."

"Please! I know how to be 're the one always grabbing people's arms or touching their shoulders. You're going to touch me before I crack and touch you."

She clutches the large container of cookies she's carrying to her chest and challenges him, "Care to bet on that, too?"

"You're on," he smirks, pulling open the glass door and nodding for her to step inside first.

Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Chapter Text

"She wants me to wear a peach. PEACH! Can you believe that?" Angela groans while she and Tim patrol the streets of Los Angeles together Monday morning.

Tim's shoulders rise and fall as his hands remain in the ten and two position on the wheel. "So tell her how you feel, what's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?" Angela snorts. "She's going to be my mother-in-law and my baby's grandmother. I can't just tell her to shove that ugly ass peach dress she picked out up her pretentious ass."

"Listen, it's your wedding. And I'm assuming you're still under the impression it's going to be your only one," he smirks, "so you deserve to plan it the way you want to."

Angela holds up a finger and shakes it at him. "It is going to be my only wedding. But even if it was one of thirteen, I am not wearing that atrocious monstrosity."

"Tell her that!"

"You don't get it," she whines. "She means well and Wesley is her only kid and it's the only wedding she's ever going to get to help plan." Tim cuts his head and looks at her, as if to say it may not be Wesley's only wedding if they get divorced, but her eyes narrow and darken and his head whips back to the road.

"Can I ask you something? She abruptly changes the subject.

He groans. "If I told you no, would it stop you?

"No." She grins. "So, listen, do you really believe all that crap about a cop's first marriage is destined to end in failure?"

Tim straightens his body and stares ahead at the road for a long moment, his jaw set tightly and his knuckles fiercely gripping the wheel. FInally, he blows out a heavy breath and says, "I didn't believe it before…"

"But you do now?"

He shrugs a shoulder. "Honestly? I think this job puts stress on a marriage in ways most other professions don't. I mean, your partner has to wake up every single day and realize you might not make it home and be okay with that. Factor in the type of shit we see daily and the mental toll it takes on a person, I think it stacks the deck against any of us going into a marriage."

"But a second marriage can survive all that?"

"I don't know," he admits cautiously. "Maybe. If the person learns from the mistakes they made the first time out and if the new person they're with can accept the job. But it sure as hell doesn't stop most of the cops we work with from trying a second time."

"Or three or four more times," Angela chuckles.

"Or that," he snorts, taking in out of the corner of his eye the weary way Angela is staring out of her window. . "Listen, Lopez, don't listen to anything I said before. Wesley is a good guy. I mean, as far as lawyers go and all. The two of you, you're gonna be just fine."

Angela's hand falls over the barely noticeable swell of her belly and she smiles softly. "Yeah, I know we are. As long as I don't rage kill him from the stress of planning this wedding before his little minion makes it where I can't even fit into a dress and have to waddle down the aisle like a duck."

She reaches forward and turns on the air in the shop and the moment her back is once again against her seat, Tim's lurching forward to shut the air off and she slaps his hand away.

"Ow." He rubs his hand. "What the hell? You know I don't allow the A/C on before lunch."

"Timothy Bradford," she warns dangerously, "I am pregnant and it is May in L.A.. It is burning up. I will not name you godfather if you touch that knob one more time."

"Fine," he huffs. "But only for Lopez junior over there. And Grey better have you back in your own shop tomorrow because I am not making a habit out of this."

Silence settles between the old friends as they cruise around the streets of L.A. until Angela randomly says, "Tim, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Is his nonchalant reply.

"Say a cop gets married again after being divorced."

"Uh-huh…"

"But say he marries another cop who hasn't been married before, how do you think that first marriages don't last for cops rule works?"

Tim purses his lips and his body grows rigid and tense while an uneasy feeling settles in his chest. He thinks of Lucy. Of how she's planning to become a cop. He thinks of how she's never been married before and how he has, and it makes him consider if there is any merit to that saying, what would it mean for them?

He knows they're nowhere near ready to be considering marriage and he isn't sure he'd ever want to get married again anyway, or how Lucy even feels about the idea of marriage, but he can't help but wonder if things did eventually lead there, what would that rule mean for them?

He must've zoned out completely, because when he finally hears Angela repeatedly calling out, "Tim?" He swallows and clears his throat, muttering out a distant,"yeah?"

"I personally think that whole saying is bullshit."

"Do you, now?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean, look at Grey and Luna. They've been married almost 20 years and they're doing just fine. Sometimes shit just happens, no matter what your job is, and I don't think any of us are predestined to–to fail just because of the career we chose. And I don't think it should stop any of us from living in the moment and going for what we want. Like you said, as cops we never know if we're coming home tomorrow. If I don't get tomorrow I sure as hell am glad I woke up next to the man I love today and that I'm getting to share my life with him while I can."

His eyes briefly leave the road and meet hers and he offers her a faint smile and a nod.

()()()()()()()()()()

The rest of shift is not nearly as uneventful as the morning started off, and by the time Tim's ready to clock out, his entire body, his back in particular, is aching.

He says goodbye to Angela and makes his way towards the communication office to see how Lucy's day went and get her so they can head home, but he doesn't anticipate running into Smitty on his way over, who's devouring a cookie while he walks and dripping crumbs everywhere on the floor.

The older blond man is smirking at Tim and makes a beeline in his direction, and despite the fact that Tim wants to, there's nowhere to go to escape Smitty and he knows he's about to be forced to have a conversation with the man.

His hand falls to his duty belt and he nods politely, trying hard to hide his annoyance at the fact he is being stopped.

"Bradford!" Smitty enthusiastically greets him,

"Smitty," Tim replies, far less enthusiastically.

Holding up the half of the cookie that's left, Smitty waves it around in the air and raves, "These cookies your girlfriend made are fantastic…"

Tim's head snaps left, then right, and he shoots Smitty a death glare, hissing through clenched teeth, "What the hell are you doing? I paid you 50 bucks and gave you my Dodgers tickets not to say anything to anyone about what you saw between Lucy and I at the shooting range."

"Relax, Bradford," Smitty waves him off with a chuckle. "I didn't tell anyone you were with her. Or, whatever you two are. I haven't said anything to anyone about it. A promise is a promise, and Quigley Smitty is nothing if he isn't honest."

Tim groans and rolls his eyes.

"All I was doing is trying to give your…" Smitty pauses and rubs his chin, "companion a compliment. The entire station is going on and on about how great her cookies are. You think she'll bring some every day while she's working in dispatch?"

"No," Tim responds curtly.

"Damn."

"Look, Smitty, some of us actually hit the streets and worked hard today, so I'm gonna go tell Lucy my shifts over, change, then head home."

"10-4" Smitty presses two fingers to his temple and salutes Tim. "And Bradford, thanks for those Dodger tickets, by the way. You know I sold them for 100 bucks?"

"You did what!" Tim growls and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Do you have any idea how much I paid for those seats?"

Smitty shrugs and pops the rest of his cookie in his mouth as he walks off.

()()()()()()()()

Tim stalks off to the communications office and tries to hide his irritation with Smitty as he pops his head in the door, offering Lucy a warm smile when sees her sitting next to Nell, who he knows has been appointed to train her the next few days.

"Hey, how was your day?"

"Hey Tim!" Nell fervently waves and with an exuberant smile and she adds, "My day was great. How was yours?"

"That's great, Nell." He nods to the seat beside her "I'm sorry, I uh, I was actually talking to Lucy."

"Oh," Nell's face falls.
Lucy looks curiously between Tim and Nell, but then smiles at her boyfriend. "It was good. Really good. Nell's really great at explaining things and walking me through them. I feel like I learned a lot."

"Nell's pretty great," Tim agrees and he doesn't miss the way she blushes and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear at his words. He clears his throat and shifts on his feet, one hand on the frame of the door. "You about ready to go? My shift is over and I'm just gonna change and I'll be ready to head home."

Lucy looks to Nell, wanting clarification there isn't anything else she needs to do before clocking out.

"We're almost done here," Nell explains. "She'll be ready by the time you've changed."

Tim nods and waves goodbye to Nell.

Nell waves back and smiles, calling out, "It was great to see you again, Tim," while he walks off.

()()()()()()()

Lucy doesn't miss the way Nell's eyes follow Tim's ass while he walks off and she's hit with a sudden and unexpected pang of jealousy and possessiveness witnessing another woman lust after Tim like that.

"You're so lucky," Nell mutters to Lucy when Tim's out of earshot.

Lucy leans back in her chair and folds her arms. "Excuse me?"

"Getting to live with Tim," she swoons. "I mean, I know he's your best friend's brother and all and you probably don't see him that way, but that man is drop dead gorgeous."

"I may have noticed he's a little good looking," Lucy carefully replies, leaning forward and grabbing a pencil off her desk that she's been taking notes with throughout the day.

"A little?" The red head snorts. "The man is fine with a capital F. Have you ever heard the song, 'What's Your Fantasy?' by Ludacris? Those lyrics are exactly what I want to do to him."

The pencil Lucy's fidgeting with snaps between her fingers and her eyes grow wide as saucers.

"Sorry," Nell mutters, her cheeks turning as fiery red as her hair. "I know that's T.M.I and all, it's just that I've had the biggest crush on him for the longest time." Nell's chair creaks as she twirls side to side in it. "You uh, you wouldn't happen to know if he's seeing somebody, would you? I heard through the grapevine his divorce will be final in a couple weeks and I don't know, I was maybe hoping…"
Lucy sets the destroyed pencil to the side and inhales sharply, working hard to make her voice as even as possible when she forces a smile and replies, "Sorry, I couldn't tell you if he was."

()()()()()()()

By the time Tim has changed, Lucy is ready to go and the two walk out of the station together, side by side, and into the parking garage. They share stories about their day and, just as Tim predicted, Lucy did amazing and her day went well.

The moment she's sure no one else from the station is around, she closes the gap between them and latches onto his arm.

"I knew you'd be the first one to break the PDA rule," he teases her.

"This does not count," she insists adamantly. "There's no one around and it's no different than when you touched my thigh outside the station. That bet is still on and you're still going to lose."

"We'll see about that," he chuckles. "But I did win the other bet."

"You did," she reluctantly admits. "And as much as I hate to lose, I'm glad you won, because I was seriously worried about how things were going to go and I'm so happy it all went so well."

"Me too," He agrees.

"So," her finger scratches his arm, "what exactly are you going to want me to do since you won?"

"Haven't decided yet," he mutters.

"Seriously?" She groans.

He taps his head. "Don't worry, I'm thinking hard about it. I'll figure it out by the end of the week."

"Can't wait…"

"It won't be too bad," he promises.

They reach his truck and Tim stops and opens the door for her. She lets go of his arm and he sets his bag in the backseat and the two of them head home, Lucy reaching across the center console and holding his hand the entire ride home.

()()()()()()()()()()

Once they get inside, Tim hops in the shower and Lucy starts working on supper. She chops up some vegetables for a stir fry and tosses them in seasoning while the meat simmers in the pan until the vegetables are ready to be added.

She busies herself cleaning as the meal cooks, and when she hears the water shut off in the bathroom, she steps out of the kitchen, leaving the stove on low, and knocks lightly on the bathroom door until she hears Tim telling her she can come in.

He's in front of the mirror shaving his face when she steps into the steamy room, only a towel swung low around his waist, and she walks up behind him and wraps her arms around his large frame. She presses a kiss to his bare back and her head comes to a rest just below his shoulder blades.

Tim pauses his shaving and covers her hands, which are clamped together over his midsection, with his own larger ones.

"You okay?" He asks her.

"Yeah," she breathes out, her head still nuzzled against his back as she holds him tightly. "I just, I'm really grateful for how supportive you've been of me. From everything with my parents, to being at my graduation, to listening as I try to figure out my life, and even just reassuring me while I was freaking out this morning. It just–it means a lot to have you in my corner like that and I want you to know how much I appreciate you and how lucky I am to have you."

"You are pretty lucky to have me," he quips and he winces when she pinches his nipple and calls him a jerk.

She doesn't let go of him, though. Her grip only tightens and she presses another kiss between his shoulder blades.

"Supper's almost ready," she tells him. "I know you're sore and you had a rough day, so after we eat I'm going to pull out my most relaxing lotion and put on some peaceful music and give you a back massage."

"Not gonna argue with you about that," he mutters. "Except for maybe the music part."

()()()()()()

True to her word, Lucy gives Tim a back massage after they eat supper. She pulls out her lavender and peppermint lotion, which he only minimally complains about being too girly, and she gets to work kneading out the knots in his shoulders and back as she sits on top of his ass.

"Damn, baby," he mumbles in deep satisfaction, "that feels so good."

A pleased grin spreads across her lips and she continues to work her magic with her hands.

"Maybe I can consider a career in massage therapy if the whole being a cop thing doesn't work out. You know, further disappoint my parents with my life choices."

"You're going to be a badass cop," he grunts out between pleased moans. "Besides, I wouldn't want you rubbing on anyone else like this while they're half naked. I'm the only one who gets to know how amazing you are with your hands."

"I think there's someone else who'd like to show you what their hands can do," Lucy unintentionally mutters, thinking back to Nell's words from earlier and her movements grow slightly rougher and less soothing.

"What?" Tim raises up on his elbows, clearly confused, and Lucy's hands still.

"Shit, sorry," she mumbles and grimaces. "It's just, after you left to get dressed, well, Nell kinda said some things that lead me to believe she might have feelings for you."

"Oh."

"Oh? That's it?" Lucy snorts. "I just told you a woman you work with has a crush on you and that's your response?"

"Luce, I already know Nell has a crush on me. She has for a while now."

"You know?"

"Yeah," he snorts. "I mean, how many times do I have to remind you, I'm a very handsome boy."

"A very handsome boy she wants to lick from his head to his toes," she grumbles.

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing," she shakes her head, not wanting to embarrass Nell. It's not like the woman knows Lucy is with Tim and she can't blame her for finding him attractive, afterall, the woman has eyeballs. And Nell has been patient and kind to her while she's training her, Lucy is thankful for that and doesn't want problems with someone she works with.

"Are you jealous?" He pointedly asks, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Of course not," Lucy scoffs. Because she isn't. Not really. Well, not much anyway.

"You're so jealous!"

"I'm not," she insists and she resumes the massage, but as she works her way up and down his back, she can't help but ask, "have you uh, have you ever considered anything with her? Before me?"

His reply is instant. "No. I mean, we went out once, on Valentine's Day this year. But only as friend's. And I made sure she knew it was strictly platonic. It was just–that's the day Isabel served me with divorce papers and I didn't wanna be alone that night. Angela and Wesley had plans and Donnavan and Nyla had plans. I didn't want to be a third wheel and I honestly didn't wanna be around happy couples with their life and all their shit together. Nell and I had a few drinks and talked. It was fun and it distracted me, but I never even considered anything more with her. You already know you're the first and only person I've been with since Isabel and that I wasn't looking for anything with anyone."

"I know," she sighs. "I just–I don't know. I'm not used to feeling this way about someone. Liking them so much the idea of another person wanting them or looking at them the way she looked at you, it's so not like me at all to feel this way about that and to be honest, it's a little unsettling."

Tim rolls his hips slightly to signal to her to hop off him and he rolls on his side to face her. He rests a hand on side and looks deep into her eyes.

"You know you've got nothing to worry about, right? You're the only one I want."

She holds his gaze, nods, and smiles at him. "Yeah, I know. Now roll over and let me finish massaging your back and then I'm going to help you study for your FTO exam. We've gotta get you ready to ace this thing by the end of the month."

Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Notes:

One more update for the weekend. I'm going to try and wrap this up in the next 10 to 15 chapters, but it may happen sooner or it may happen later. I've had 0 official plot for this since my trajectory changed during their first hookup. What I plan to write never turns up on the page how I imagined it since then. I do know how I want it to end, though. So I am working to get there. I hope you guys are still enjoying it and thank you for reading.

Chapter Text

The next few days fly by. Lucy is enjoying her new job and she's doing well at it. It's fast-paced and hectic, and she never has any idea what type of call she's going to get. It could be a cranky old neighbor calling in miniscule noise complaints that didn't even need addressing, or it could be a citizen finding a body in a dumpster behind their work while they were only trying to take out the trash.

She's finding her psychology degree is coming in handy for these unpredictable calls. There are certain situations and times she has to get the caller to remain on the line and stay calm until officers arrive, like the one call where a young girl teenage girl had locked herself in a closet while her step-father held her entire family hostage at gunpoint because he was high on crystal meth and tweaking out of his mind.

There's definitely a darker side to the world that is being brought to light working as a communications officer. Horrors going on all around her city that the average person has no idea even exists. And the more she learns, the more she can't wait to start the police academy and get out on the streets herself to protect and serve the city she loves and try to offer help to those in need.

Another perk of the job is the fact that she gets to talk to or see Tim throughout the day. Sometimes it's as simple as him responding to a call and her being able to hear his voice, and other times she's gotten lucky and their lunch lined up and they were able to eat outside the station together by the food trucks.

Today is their last shift before both of them have two days off, and it's also one of those days that Lucy's going to be lucky enough to eat with Tim during lunch.

He texted her and told her to meet him in front of the food truck in ten, and that was five minutes ago. She takes the initiative and orders him a burrito just like he likes it, in case he gets a call and doesn't have as much time to eat as he expects, and she goes ahead and takes a seat at one of the empty tables.

Her phone dings while she waits, and she opens it to find a video from Genny. Her best friend is out in the middle of Lake Tahoe, sitting on a clear Kayak with Rob. She's smiling and holding up a peace sign, then dipping her phone to show off the clear water, while telling Lucy, "I wish you and Tim were here! We're having so much fun and the view from mom's house is amazing."

Lucy snaps a photo of herself with the food trucks in the background and texts Genny back, telling her she misses her and that she wishes they were there, too. When she hits send and looks up from her phone, she notices Nolan and Harper heading to the food trucks and she throws up a friendly wave and a smile.

"Lucy!" Nolan greets her back eagerly, waving and smiling with a toothy grin as he motions between himself and Nyla and the table Lucy is sitting at. "Mind if we join you after we get our food?"
With a shrug of her shoulder, she tells him, "Why not?" And as soon as he and Nyla have their food, they're sitting with her while she waits for Tim, making idle chit-chat about her new job and how their day is going out on the streets.

Next, Angela shows up at the table with her fiance, Wesley, right behind her. He's at the station due to some case he's working on regarding a suspect currently in custody.

When Tim arrives moments later, Lucy waves him over and his brows are raised slightly at the crowded table where there's now barely room for him to sit. Lucy, who is smooshed between Nolan and Angela, scooches herself over to make room for him, and tells him, "I already grabbed your lunch so you didn't have to wait in line."

Tim slips in and thanks her as takes a seat between her and Angela, his broad shoulders touching both ladies due to the tight fit at the round table.

Angela and Nyla share a subtle sly grin when Lucy hands him the burrito and bottle of water she'd been holding for him and the crew settle into friendly conversation while they eat.

"So, Lucy," Nolan asks her as they eat, "what would you say is the most surprising part of the job so far?"

"Honestly?" Her brows raise and she racks her brain. "I think the fact that some people waste their time calling in things as simple as kids dribbling their basketball too loud blows my mind. My second day this irate lady called in twelve times about a group of young boys playing basketball in the middle of the afternoon, complaining that the noise was disturbing her cats that were trying to sleep. I tried to explain that someone would come out to talk to her when they could, but that there were more pertinent emergencies at the moment and it might take a while before someone got there. The twelfth time she called back in twenty minutes I had to stay on the line with her until someone got there and listen to her rant about how awful and loud these poor kids who were just out there trying to have fun while I wanted to do was tell her to mind her own damn business and be grateful these young men were outside having fun and not being delinquents. Absolutely blew my mind."

Angela raises her hand and smirks. "I responded to that call. Took all the kids some gatorade and snacks and shot a round of hoops with them after I told her they weren't doing anything illegal and had every right to play basketball in their own yard and that unless an actual crime was being committed, she better not waste my time again because she was taking away time from stopping actual crimes, like robbery, rape, and murder."

"What about you, boot?" Nyla chimes in, directing her attention to Nolan. "What's the most surprising part of the L.A.P.D. so far?"

"Oh, that's a tough one," the oldest man at the table chuckles. "Should I start with the fact that Sartgent Grey hates me or lean into actual things on the job?"
"He doesn't hate you," Tim mutters. "He strongly dislikes you and what he thinks you stand for and he wants you to prove him wrong. If you don't, then he might hate you. So stop whining about it and go out there and prove him wrong."

"Yes, sir," Nolan notes sheepishly. "I plan on it."

"Anything else surprising to you?" Angela asks him. "Other than the fact that a rookie old enough to be a dinosaur isn't readily accepted into the ranks of the L.A.P.D.."

Everyone at the table, including Nolan, chuckles at Angela's joke.

"I guess the amount of times I've been shot at," Nolan muses. "I mean, I knew it was part of the job description, but I definitely didn't expect the bullets to start flying on my first day. What about you three," he motions to Tim, Angela, and Harper. "You've been on the job for over half a decade. What's the most surprising thing you guys have seen?"

"I know Bradford's most surprising moment," Angela snorts.

"No you don't," Tim snaps.

"Oh, yes she does. I do, too!" Nyla cackles.

"Oooohhh." Lucy's hands clasp together and she smiles delightedly. Do tell! I can't wait to hear it."

"There's nothing to tell," Tim growls. "There's no surprising moment for me. I always expect the unexpected."

"Riiight. Sure Eagle Eyes. Like you expected your shop to get vandalized by a graffiti artist while you stood ten feet away from it when you were a Rookie," Angela mutters.

"No way!" Lucy hisses, her hand covering her mouth as it hangs open in shock. "Tim, pay attention to everything. Bradford, let his shop get graffitied right in front of him?"

"It's not like I have eyes in the back of my head!" He defends.

"Oh, that's a good one," Harper agrees. "But the story I was thinking of was the time he got skunked."

"You got skunked?" Lucy snorts and slaps Tim on the knee. "When? How? These are so much better than the stories Genny has about him. Please, tell me more."

()()()()()()()

While Nyla relays the story of Tim's skunking, a call comes in over the radio and Tim is the first one to respond, more than ready to escape the slew of horribly embarrassing stories his friends are sharing with his girlfriend. He scarfs down the last of his burrito and grabs his bottle of water, not bothering to offer proper goodbyes as he stalks off, though he does text Lucy before he heads out in the shop, sending a message that reads, "you're enjoying this way too much, aren't you?"

She replies, "so, so much. See you later Eagle Eyes. She includes the eyeball emoji, an eagle emoji, and a heart emoji at the end of her text.

He rolls his eyes and sends her a bird finger emoji in response. But before he places his phone in his pocket, he does send her a heart emoji back, just in case something happens while he's out on the streets.

()()()()()()

Lucy texts him when her shift is over to let him know she's already waiting for him in the parking garage by this truck, so he changes as quickly as he can and heads out of the building to meet her. His eyes narrowing dangerously when he gets sight of her leaning against his truck, which now has some new decorations on it.

"Lucy, what the hell did you do to my truck?" He barks, his eyes falling to the poorly drawn red eagle and eyeballs on the driver's side.

"Relax, babe," she walks up and presses her hands to his heaving chest in an effort to calm him, because his head looks like it's about to explode. "It's just an auto-body marker. It'll come right off. We can take it by the car wash when we leave and I'll clean it myself. I just couldn't resist."

He peers down at her, his jaw locked and his eyes steely blue. "You think you're funny, huh?"

"No, I don't think," she grins. "I know I am." She leans up on tiptoes and brushes her lips against his. He doesn't respond immediately and she nibbles his lower lip, her tongue snaking out from behind her lips and he finally gives in.

When he pulls away, he huffs in irritation, but there's a small grin there. "You know, I'm going to talk to Genny and Jackson. Find out some embarrassing stories about you and get you back."

"Oh, are you now?"

He nods.

"Well, I'm not sure my friends will embarrass me as easily as yours are ready to embarasses you."

"We'll see about that."

She hums and grabs his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "We sure will. So, you ready to take me home, Eagle Eyes? We'll get your truck cleaned up, grab some Thai food, take our boy Kojo for a walk, put on Top Chef, and make good use of our last two nights together before Genny gets home by having some quality sexy time."

"Mmhm. Sounds like a perfect night."

The two hop in the truck and start the drive to the car wash, and on the way Tim glances over curiously, taking note of the way Lucy's typing away on her screen.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Nyla."

His voice rises a few decimals. "Why are you talking to Harper?"

"After you responded to your call, we started talking about me going to the Academy. She and Angela suggested that I start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu lessons. That way I can learn to utilize my smaller size with bigger opponents to take them down. I thought it was a good idea and I'm going to go with Nyla this weekend. I really wanna stand out when I get to the academy and make a name for myself, so I'd like to go in knowing a thing or two."

"That's actually a really great idea. I should've thought about it and suggested it."

"It's okay. You're a man and you're tall and strong and used to having the advantage in fights. You aren't always going to think about how a woman might need to defend herself differently.

He nods.

"I like your friends," Lucy comments as they continue to drive. "It's nice to be surrounded by strong, confident women and I love that they're willing to help me figure out how to become a great cop."

"And you also like that they know millions of embarrassing stories about me."

"That's also a plus," she chuckles, and she reaches over and places a hand on his thigh. "But, I also just like that they know you so well and that they know a lot of stories about you in general so I can get to know you better. I wanna know as much as I possibly can about you, Tim. The good, the bad, the hilarious."

His right hand leaves the wheel and comes to rest atop hers and he squeezes her fingers.

"Hey, um, I've been thinking about that bet we had from your first day. And uh, I think I know how I want you to owe me," he announces as he continues to hold her hand.

"Ugh," she groans. "Okay, what is it? Am I going to have to wash all the dishes for the week? Do your laundry? Shine your shoes? Clean your room? Lay it on me?"

"No," he scoffs. "Nothing like that."

She arches a brow at him.

"I want you to go out with me," he tells her simply.

"Um, Tim, did I miss something? Because I thought we were already together. I mean, I know it's a secret and all still, but.."

"I mean on an actual date," he interrupts. "I take you out to a fancy restaurant. Just me and you. We have some overpriced wine, eat some expensive food. Maybe go for a walk in the park after."

The corner of Lucy's lips quirk up. "But, isn't losing a bet supposed to be some type of punishment?"

"Not necessarily. The fact that I won just means I get something that I want out of it. And what I want to do is take my beautiful girlfriend out on our first real date where she puts on a sexy dress and we eat good and celebrate the fact that I was right and she was wrong and she's doing great at her new job just like I knew she would. So, what do you say? You wanna go on a date with me, Lucy?"

"Yeah," she's grinning from ear to ear, "I do."

()()()()()()()

They get home and take Kojo on a quick walk, then sit on the couch and eat Thai Food while they watch the newest episode of Top Chef, and every time the show cuts to a commercial, Lucy asks Tim a million questions about their date, but the only information he gives up is the fact that it will happen tomorrow and that she needs to wear something nice.

Kojo cuddles with them on the couch as they watch the show, and afterwards they take a shower and then Lucy helps Tim study some more for his F.T.O. exam by playing strip trivia.

Tim does great at the game, getting every question right until Lucy's down to only her bra and panties, and then he misses the next several questions, losing his shoes first, then socks, then shirt, followed by his pants until he's only down to his boxer briefs.

Lucy's a bit stumped that he's gotten so many questions wrong in a row, especially ones he's gotten right earlier in the week, but when she asks him the next questions and lowers the index card after he gets it right so she can unclasp her bra as his reward, he's stepping towards her and gently grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him to stop her, his mouth crashing down on hers when his body is flush against hers.

He pulls away moments later, breathless and panting, and rests his forehead against hers, easily rattling off the correct answer for every single answer he previously got wrong.

"Did you get those wrong on purpose?" She giggles.

"Maybe," he admits hoarsely. "I wanted us to be on an even playing field. What's your next question?"

He suckles her neck and slips his fingers through her hair as she shudders and asks him, "What are the six major responsibilities of an F.T.O.?"

"To be a role model," he kisses her neck again, "instructor, evaluator, mentor," he pauses and nips and licks at her skin. "Counselor and supervisor."

"Very good," her hands wind around his back and she scraps her fingernails down his spine as he begins to work the strap on her bra himself and it falls to the floor.

"Next questions," he rasps.

She reads the question off the card that is shaking in her hand as he trails kisses along her collarbone and mutters off the correct answer, hooking his fingertips through the side of her panties and tugging them down her thighs.

()()()()()()()()

The next morning, Lucy and Tim are snuggled together in her bed with Kojo at their feet when Lucy is startled awake by the blaring ringing of a phone next to her ear and she groans and reaches for her night stand, still half asleep and her eyes closed as she swipes up on the screen and presses the phone to hear ear, hoarsely muttering, "hello," into the speaker while her head still rests on the pillow.

There's silence on the other end of the line, and Lucy repeats herself a bit louder this time, "hello?"

'Um..Sorry," comes the shaky response of a woman on the other end of the line. "I was trying to get in touch with my husband, Tim. I ah, I guess he changed his number."

Lucy's eyes suddenly snap open and she shoots up in bed, her heart thundering erratically in her chest. She pulls the phone away from her face and glances at it, realizing it is Tim's and remembering he left it on her nightstand to charge last night because the plug in is on her side of the bed.

"Umm.. No, you uh, you have the right number. This is Tim's phone. I grabbed it by mistake."

"Ooooh. Genny? Is that you? I didn't recognize your voice."

"No," Lucy's head hangs and she rubs her temples. "This isn't Genny. Um…just hang on a sec. I'll get Tim for you."

Her hand falls from her ear and the phone shakes in her palm as she glances at a still snoozing Tim. Part of her wishes she'd have told Isabel that she did have the wrong number and that this was no longer Tim's phone, but that would've been wrong and it was up to him whether or not he wanted to talk to his soon to be ex-wife or not.

The slight feeling of jealousy she had about Nell's inappropriate comments about Tim were nothing compared to the intense, stabbing, twisting pain she felt in her gut right now as she reached over and shook Tim awake, purposefully muttering, "babe," loud enough that Isabel could hear her on the other end of line.

Tim stirs and raises his head, his eyes glazed and heavy as he peers up at her behind squinted lids. "What's going on?"

She swallows down the lump in her throat and holds the phone out to him. "Isabel called and she wants to talk to you."

Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Notes:

Here's a fourth and final update for the weekend. I had a lot of coffee today and even though I am going to hate myself for being up late and avoiding responsibility, this wouldn't leave my brain until I penned it down. Thanks for reading and I'll be back with more updates this coming weekend, I hope.

Chapter Text

Tim is groggy and not entirely certain he heard Lucy correctly. There's no way in his mind that Isabel could or should be on the other line, and he partially wonders if he'd dreamed her saying that. But she's holding his phone out to him and as he squints, he sees the caller ID is reading a Washington phone number.

He also takes in the very noticeable look of despair written across Lucy's face, the worry lines in her forehead, the deeply troubled look etched into those big, beautiful brown eyes of hers, the way her lips are curled downwards and the bottom one is slightly trembling, along with the shake in her hand, and he knows he must've heard her right. His soon to be ex-wife must be on the other end of that line.

After rubbing his eyes, he slowly reaches over and takes the phone from her, a pit settling in his stomach as the screen touches his ear. His eyes remain on Lucy, who has called Kojo and pulled him onto her lap,hugging him tightly against her chest and rubbing his ears, and he pulls in a braceful breath as he prepares himself for whatever is waiting on the other end of the line.

He sits up against Lucy's headboard and his voice slips. "Hel-hello?"

The other end is silent for a moment, and then he hears a gulp, followed by the unmistakably familiar voice. "Hey, Tim."

"Isabel, is everything okay?" He replies, because he can't think of any other reason she'd be reaching out to him unless something was terribly wrong.

"Yeah," she breathes out, but there is a quake in her voice and she quickly corrects, "actually no. Not really. I'll be in town later this week. I was really hoping we could meet up and talk about a few things."

He remains next to Lucy, wanting her to be privy to whatever is said between them, because he can almost physically feel how uncomfortable she is.

"No. Whatever you need to talk about, it can be done over the phone." Comes his firm reply.

"O-kay." She hums. "Before I start, the woman who answered your phone," her voice is pained and strained, "is she–is she someone you're seeing?"

"Yeah," he doesn't hesitate.

"Is she next to you now?"

"Yes."

"Could you…could you maybe go in another room or…"

"No," he interrupts sternly.

"Wow, okay. I guess that means you're pretty serious about her, huh?" A strangled noise escapes Isabel's throat. "I honestly did not expect that from you. I figured you'd wait until our divorce was final before you started fucking someone else."

"And I figured if you got knocked up while you were married to me the baby would be mine, but here we are," he bites back.

The line goes silent and he watches as Lucy shifts uncomfortably and slides off the bed, patting her leg and clicking her tongue to instruct Kojo to follow behind her.

Tim swipes a hand over his face and throws his head back as he watches Lucy leave her bedroom with Kojo on her heels. He wants to run after her, but he realizes she must not want to hear any more of the conversation.

"Guess I deserve that," comes Isabel's shaky reply.

"What do you want?" Tim demands. He's not trying to be mean, but this conversation isn't going to do anything productive for him and he's worried it's only going to cause issues for him and Lucy.

"I keep playing the fact that we'll be officially divorced in the next ten days over and over in my head. I've been staring at the date on our divorce summons the past three days and I just–I couldn't stop myself from reaching out to you. The moment I got the papers saying that the process was going to be expedited, I–I wanted to reach out to you. To talk to you…To see if it made everything as real for you as it did for me and if you were feeling what I felt and wondered if you felt like I did and realized we were making a huge mistake. Now that I know you're with someone else, I guess that it all makes sense why you're so eager to get things over with."

"I filed for the expedition before Lucy and I got together," he huffs. "After I got shot, which you didn't even know about. It made me realize life is short and it was time to move on, Isabel. You're the one who filed for divorce in the first place, you're the one who left me in the middle of the night. The one who's having a child with someone else." His voice shakes. The one who basically told me it's my fault you got addicted to drugs because my standards are too high for you. I have a right to move on with my life. You didn't seriously expect me to be miserable the rest of my life, did you?

"No, of course not. I don't want you to be unhappy, Tim. That's the last thing I want."

"But you're calling me and telling me you think we made a mistake. And…what? You–you think I'm supposed to come crawling back because you changed your mind? That I'm supposed to come raise a kid with you that I didn't father and that would be a constant reminder of the fact that you left me for over a year and shacked up with some other guy and that I'm supposed to forget all that and live happily ever after with you?"

"I never wanted to hurt you, Tim. I never wanted any of this to happen. I got addicted and it all spiraled so fast, we've talked about this."

"Yeah, we have." He rubs the side of his head. "And we agreed that we could never go back to the people we were before. That there's too much hurt and history between us, so why are we even having this conversation?"

"I just–I don't know. When I served you those papers, I thought I was doing what was best for you and for me. I knew I was pregnant and it wouldn't be fair to you to raise another man's kid, and I thought if you knew, you'd try to be my protector like you always have and tell me it didn't matter and that we'd raise the baby together. I–I didn't want that guilt because I knew what it would do to you and I knew what hurting you that way would do to me. The guilt woud've eaten me alive and I didn't wanna relapse. I don't want to relapse."

"I probably would've suggested that," he sighs heavily. "That's how much I loved you and wanted you back at the time."

"But you don't love me anymore, do you?"

"No," he admits. "I'll always care about you. Want you to be happy and okay, but I'm not in love with you anymore."

"Are you in love with her? The woman who answered your phone?"

He swipes his hand across his face. "That's not really any of your business."

"Guess I deserve that, too."

"I'm not trying to hurt you."

"No. I know," she mutters sadly.

"You're not in love with me anymore either. You fell out of love with me a long time before I fell out of love with you."

"Maybe I did," she admits somberly. "I think maybe I forgot how to love anyone in my life while I was working undercover."

"So again, why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because I'm scared," she stutters. "Scared that no one else will ever love me the way you did, you set the bar really high. Scared I'm going to be a terrible mother and mess up this kid's life. Scared that I won't be able to handle doing this all on my own."

"I can't be your protector anymore, Isabel. I can't save you just because you're afraid and you're falling apart. You gotta figure all this out on your own. It's not even fair of you to try and come running back to me just because you don't wanna be alone."

"I know. I'm sorry," she cries. "I just–I didn't know who else to call. You were always the person I could turn to when I was falling apart ever since I can remember. We literally grew up together, Tim. It's–it's weird not having you as that anymore."

"I might've been the person you could turn to, but it's been a long time since you were the one I could turn to…Listen, I gotta go. I hope you find someone to talk to about all of this. I hope you figure things out and that everything goes good with the baby, but I'm sorry, I can't be there for you."

"No. I–I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called. I'm sorry. And Tim?"

"Yeah?" He breathes out exacerbatedly.

"I hope this Lucy girl can measure up to what you've been looking for your whole life."

"She does," he hums. "I just hope I'm good enough to measure up for her. Goodbye, Isabel."

()()()()()()()()()

Tim tosses his phone on the bed and leaves the bedroom, walking through the house in search of Lucy and Kojo, and he spots them through the sliding glass door, sitting on the back deck, Kojo's head resting in Lucy's lap as she stares off into the distant tree line beyond the fence.

He eases his way through the kitchen and slides the back door open, taking a seat beside Lucy and scratching Kojo's head.

Lucy looks up at him, her body stiff and her lips pressed into a thin line, but that doesn't stop her from worrying about him and grabbing his hands as she asks him, "Are you okay?"

He nods his head and locks his fingers with hers. "Are you okay?" He throws the question back at her.

"I guess that depends," she mumbles. "Wh-ah-what did Isabel want?"

He holds her hands and blows out a heavy breath and lays all his cards on the table, being honest with Lucy and telling her that Isabel was calling to see if he wanted to call the divorce off and get back together.

"Right. Yeah. Of course she did," Lucy's hands leave his and fly in the air. "I mean, you're great. You're amazing. Of course she regrets everything she put you through and she wants you back." Her voice trembles. "Why wouldn't she?"

"Luce, come here," he pulls her into his side and he can feel her chest heave as he holds her and she rests her head on his shoulder.

"So I guess this is over, huh," she tearfully mutters.

Tim's brows knit together."What?"

"I mean, the love of your life called you and wants you back, of course you're going back to her."

"No, I'm not."

"You–you aren't?"

"I'm not." He shakes his head insistently and ushers Kojo out of her lap, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her to her feet, he then tugs her into a hug and gathers her as close as possible to him, winding his arms around her lower back and resting his chin on her collarbone.

"But..she's technically still your wife and you still love her?"

"Not anymore. Not like that," his scratchy voice whispers.

Lucy pulls away and searches his glassy blue eyes and he presses his forehead against hers and his throat bobs up and down as he stares back into her watery brown orbs.

"I love you," he manages to murmur out just above a hushed whisper.

Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Notes:

This is possibly the shortest chapter I'll ever write but I felt it needed to stand on it's own. Hope you guys enjoy and thank you for reading. I plan to update again tomorrow night.

Chapter Text

Lucy blinks and looks up. staring deeply into Tim's blue eyes while she twists her hands together. She tries to speak, her mouth parting no more than half an inch, but words won't quite climb from the back of her throat to the tip of lips.

And that's no surprise, really, because she's pretty sure her brain is short circuiting from the sheer shock of Tim's words to her.

In mere seconds, she'd gone from being sure her relationship with him was about to come to a sudden crashing halt, to hearing him admit his love to her for the first time. Of him choosing to keep pursuing this new relationship with her instead of crawling back into the familiar arms of his first love, his estranged wife.

She's not entirely sure there's a word for what she's feeling at this moment. There's shock, there's awe, there's elation, and there's a warm bubbling sensation building in her gut and cascading throughout her entire body, but it's also mingled with a bone chillingly crippingling wave of anxiety that rocks her to her very core.

Hearing Tim say those words breathes an entirely new breath of life into their relationship. It solidifies the seriousness of where they're at, of where they're headed, of how important they are to one another. And it barrels their relationship into a level she's never reached before, one she's avoided reaching with every fiber of being until now.

Despite how terrifying that knowledge is, it doesn't stop the slow, shaky smile that teeters along the corner of her lips at his words.

It feels like she's been staring at him forever, and she knows he's waiting expectantly for her reaction. She didn't miss the vulnerability in his voice as he uttered those three words. The fragile, hushed way the words spilled from his lips. The way his eyes welled with unspent tears.

With trembling hands, she reaches forward. Her small hands desperately clinging to the soft fabric of his white t-shirt, she buries her head in his chest and she worms her body against his. She feels his strong, comforting arms wind around her back and he cradles her as close as humanly possible against his chest.

There's unease in his embrace. She can feel it radiating off him. The rigidity in his muscles that lets her know he's unsure of himself and likely unaware of where he stands with her on this matter.

She has to say something. She knows she does, but she's never been more petrified to speak in her life. This trumps the level of fear she felt when she had to tell her parents she wasn't going to live their dream anymore and she was going to start following her own.

Telling Tim she loves him back will change everything. It means admitting to him, and herself, that she's never felt this way about anyone before. That he has the absolute power to break her in ways she never dreamed imaginable.

But yet, she knows whether or not she admits it aloud, that's already true. She'd been on the verge of falling apart the entire time he was on the phone with Isabel and she'd been dreadingly anticipating him to come out and announce it was the end for them.

She pulls in a long, deep, steadying breath and let's her walls crumble, admitting in a tremulous quake, "I love you, too," as she latches onto him for dear life, her stomach dropping as if she's just fallen off a cliff and is about to dive head first into the unknown, and she can't help but wonder if that's why it's called falling in love.

His tense muscles immediately unwind and she feels the way he relaxes into their embrace as he continues to hold her close. Her already watery eyes brim over with joyful, relieved tears she'd been holding back and they begin to unintentionally escape, leaving a damp imprint just above his heart where her head is nestled tightly.

There's a simultaneous feeling of one weight being lifted off her shoulders now that she knows exactly what page they are on and that they are on it together, as well as the new weight of what that means settling in.

She ignores the second, newer weight, and revels in the beauty of where they are for now.

Gingerly, Tim begins to pull away from her and his hands settle on her shoulders. His head is bent and he gazes down at her, a dopey grin that reaches his eyes and rivals the ones that creep across his face in the blissful aftermath or their sexual encounters.

"Yeah?" He mutters, and there's a question in his response, as if he needs confirmation of what she'd just said.

A noise that is a mixture between a strangled laugh and sob bubbles out of her and her glassy brown eyes sparkle as she confirms, "Yeah."

On tiptoes, she leans up and brushes her lips against his, her hands wrapping around his neck, and she invites him in for a gentle, tender, tantalizingly slow kiss that lingers until her knees are weak and wobbly and she's left feeling woozy and giddy.

Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Chapter Text

Not long after the impromptu confessions of love, Tim gets a call from a frantic Angela, who is spiraling about wedding dress shopping and needs her best friend and man of honor to come to her aid.

He kisses Lucy goodbye, promising to be back in time for their date later that night. Before he leaves, he tests out those three little words again, letting them slip from his lips much easier and much more confidently this time.

When he arrives at Angela's house, he finds her teary eyed and halfway through a tub full of ice-cream, and he pulls his friend into a one armed hug while she sobs into his shoulder.

He's known Angela six years now, and she's cried more times during this pregnancy than the entire time he's known her.

Tim doesn't like tears. They make him uncomfortable and sad, and they often remind him of the tears his mother and sister cried throughout his childhood. Tears he was incapable of doing anything about.

But unlike the tears he saw shed far too often growing up, he can do something about Angela's tears, and he walks with her over to her couch after she lets him in and lets her tell him exactly what's wrong.

And he listens intently as she tugs out a tear stained wedding magazine and rustles through the pages, angrily pointing all all the gorgeous dresses that she grumbles she won't be able to wear once the wedding rolls around in the fall, because in her own words, "she'll be the size of a whale and they'll make her look fat."

He rolls his eyes and snorts at her comment, and she pulls away from him and punches his arm, earning a yelped out, "Ow!" from him.

"That's what you get," she growls, her big brown eyes narrowed dangerously at him. "It's not funny, Tim. I'm going to look huge on my wedding day. I already can't fit into any of my old clothes anymore other than sweats, and they're starting to feel tight."

"Yeah," his shoulders shrug and she rears back again, but he reacts quickly and catches her hand this time. "Because you're pregnant. Getting bigger means your baby is growing and that's a good thing."

She sighs and hangs her head. "Yeah, it is. But I also want to be able to feel beautiful when I walk down the aisle. I don't wanna wear ugly dress that makes it look like I'm dragging a white bed sheet around myself just to hide my humongous bump."

"Then don't."

"What?"

"Don't hide your belly."

She stares at him, unblinking.

"Are you ashamed of your baby?"

"No, of course not!" She defends.

"Then pick out whatever dress you want and march your beautiful ass proudly down that aisle with a smile on your face and show off the life you're creating inside of you. If anyone has a problem with it or makes a snide comment, they'll have to go through me."

The corner of Angela's lip quirks up, and for the first time that morning, there's a hint of a smile on her face.

"This is your wedding," he reiterates, "fuck what anyone else thinks. Do what makes you and Wesley happy."

She swipes the corner of her eyes with the back of her hands and sniffles.

"When did you get so damn comforting and wise, Bradford?

"Please, I've always been this way," he grunts.

"Yeah, okay," she chuckles quietly. "Hey, Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"You think you could run to the bridal shop with me downtown so I could try on a few dresses? I know it's probably not how you expected to spend your day, but I could really use your input and reassurance while I pick out a dress. Plus, I'll buy you lunch."

Tim pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the time. He still has a little over six hours before he has to start getting ready for his date with Lucy.

He nods and shoots off a quick text to let Lucy know he'll be a little longer than expected and when he slides his phone back into his pocket, he tells Angela, "I actually need you to go somewhere with me after, if you've got time."

Angela arches a curious brow at him when he won't elaborate any further, but agrees without hesitation.

()()()()()()()

While Tim is off with Angela, Lucy takes Kojo for a walk down their street. Even though they have a fenced in backyard, both she and Tim like to take him out on hikes and explorations down their road to give him a change of scenery. Afterall, he is the king of canines and has earned the right to have the best life possible, and that life includes indulging in new experiences and seeing the world outside of his little home.

On her way back to her house, she passes by the Horne's and sees Mrs. Irene weeding out her flower bed. The older woman throws up friendly waves and smiles brightly at Lucy, waving her over.

Lucy obliges the invitation, though a bit hesitant due to having Kojo with her. She clutches the lead tightly, watching his body language carefully as they approach, but he wags a happy tail and bounces eagerly the closer they get, and Mrs. Irene approaches him with the same bright smile she offered Lucy and slowly extends the back of hand to Kojo, baby talking to him as she bends down to rub his head.

After showering Kojo with love, she looks back to Lucy, telling her, "It's so good to see you. I was starting to worry you'd moved out when I hadn't seen your car in a while, but then I was looking out the window last week and noticed you and Tim walking this handsome fellow."

"It's good to see you again, too," Lucy responds. "And uh, no plans of moving any time soon. I ah, I just don't have a car anymore unfortunately, but I'm working on a plan to get a new one as soon as possible."

Mrs. Horne wipes her sweaty brow. "Why don't you come inside and I'll fix us a glass of lemonade? It's sweltering out here. Harold is out with Leroy and they won't be back for a while, so it'll just be us girls."

Lucy nods to Kojo. "I'd love to, but I doubt you want this big goofball coming inside."

"Non-sense," Irene waves. "I'll fix him a bowl of ice water and grab him a few treats. We keep some Milk Bones on hand for when our son Lionel visits with his baby girl, precious. She's a lot smaller than your boy here, so the treats are dainty, but I'm sure he will have no complaints about the taste."

Knowing she still has plenty of time to get ready for her date with Tim, Lucy accepts the offer and follows Mrs. Irene inside, where the older woman fixes her a glass of homemade lemonade and offers her some fresh muffins she'd made that morning while Kojo feasts on Milk Bones and laps up the water Mrs. Irene gave him eagerly.

The two women catch up, and Lucy learns that Harold and Leroy are out shopping, for what Irene assumes is most likely an anniversary present. And not just any anniversary, but their 50th anniversary, which they'll celebrate next weekend with all their family and friends.

Lucy can't help but grin when she finds out how long the two have been together and she congratulates Mrs. Irene on the accomplishment, and Irene follows by insisting Lucy look at old photo albums with her while Kojo snoozes on the cool linoleum floor over the air vent.

At the kitchen table, Lucy looks on intently as Mrs. Irene opens up the album, grinning from ear to ear, and giddily points out an old black and white photo of a much younger version of the couple leaning against a 1950's Ford Thunderbird. They're both wearing snazzy clothes and Irene's hair is light, possibly blond, shoulder length, and worn in tight curls while Harold's hair was cut in a neat flat top.

The young couple were sporting toothy grins and Irene was pulled coles to Harold's side, one of her legs kicked up behind her and thrown in the air while her hand was outstretched and showing off a small ring.

"This was the first photograph we ever took together," Irene fondly recalls. "And it was our engagement photo."

"You both look so young," Lucy comments in awe once she learns this was an engagement photo.

"That's because we were," Irene chuckles lightly. "Barely eighteen, the both of us. Young and dumb and so in love."

Lucy can't imagine being engaged at that age, but she supposes it was far more common back then than it was today.

"Had you been dating long?" Lucy can't help but wonder aloud.

This earns a hearty chuckle from Irene, one that makes the gray haired woman's belly rise and fall as she rambles out, "All of three weeks."

Lucy's head snaps up and she blinks a few times, "Three weeks?" She stutters out in shock.

"Three weeks until he popped the question," Irene then points to the wedding photo that is below their engagement photo, "not even a full four weeks before we tied the knot."

"I..wow." Lucy isn't quite sure how to respond.

"I told you, we were young, dumb, and in love, but when you know, you know. I'd say it's worked out pretty well 50 years, four children, and five grandchildren later."
Nodding, Lucy offers her a warm smile. She'd spent all morning if she was crazy falling in love with Tim so fast. She'd always assumed it would take at least a year for someone to be so sure of feeling something so strongly, she never understood couples who could say those three little words so fast and truly mean them until Tim.

"It definitely did," Lucy agrees. "You two are great together."

"Thank you," Irene's eyes twinkle. "My parents sure as hell didn't think so."

Lucy frowns and her brows furrow.

"Come on, honey, this was the sixties and I was a white woman marrying a black man. On top of that a man I'd only met a few weeks before when he stopped to change my tire. Add to it the fact I ended an engagement with my daddy's best friend's son to be with Harold, well, let's just say I'd never seen that man's face so red and I thought his damn head was going to explode."

"You were engaged before Mr. Harold?"

"I was. To my high school sweetheart. Our parents set us up in eighth grade and planned our whole lives out. I was supposed to be a housewife who lived the rest of her life in Southern Alabama married to the local plumber. Problem is, that was my mama and daddy's dream, not mine. I never loved James, but I didn't know I had a choice in the matter. Good little girls did what their mama and daddy told them and they didn't question it. But the day Harold stopped to save me when I was broken down on the side of the road in that sweltering heat in his army uniform, he swept me right off my feet and made me question everything I'd ever known. I'd never seen a man so handsome and respectful and I asked him what I could do to repay him for his kindness and he said he'd love to take me out on a picnic, well, who was I to say no?"

"D-did your parents ever come around? Did they learn to accept Harold and the choices you made?"

"Not for a long time," Irene sadly admits. "Harold and I eloped when he found out he was being stationed out west. My parents couldn't accept it, and frankly, his parent's couldn't either and we didn't speak to either set of them for years and years. But our children came along and grand-babies have a way of helping to heal things. There were a lot of hurt feelings on both sides, but apologies were said and my parents eventually came around to Harold and grew to love him and move past their close minded ways, and his parents grew to love and accept me as well. It took some time to move past the hurt we felt for them not accepting us or accepting our choices, but we got there and had some good years before they passed on."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Lucy reaches over and squeezes her arm.

"Judging from the fact that you and Tim had to go on that little fake date that you were," Irene uses her fingers to make quotation marks in the air, 'fake kissing for,' I'm guessing you know a thing or two about parents disapproving of your life choices."

"Yeah," Lucy mutters.

Mrs. Irene pats her knee. "Well, go on then. Tell me all about it."

So Lucy does. She unloads everything, starting with her relationship with Chang and ending with her decision not to pursue grad school, and the conversation ends with Mrs. Irene pulling Lucy in for a hug and patting her back, telling her, "To hell with you parents and what they think. Life's short, do what makes you happy and don't regret it for a minute. They're the ones missing out if they can't accept you and your choices."

Lucy eagerly leans into the hug and thanks Mrs. Irene for the support, and Irene assures her she meant every word and that if she wasn't rooting for Lucy and Tim to be a couple, she'd try and set her up with her youngest son.

Lucy chuckles and wipes her teary eyes as she pulls away. "Well, just because I like you and Mr. Harold so much I might agree to that, if Tim and I weren't already together."

"I'll be," Irene slaps her knee. "I knew it! I could see the chemistry between you two. I can't wait to tell Harold I was right. It really is just like one of those romance novels of mine. Tell me everything. I want to know exactly how it happened and how long it's been going on."

()()()()()()()

While Tim and Angela are out dress shopping, Angela finds the perfect dress, and with Tim's encouragement, she goes ahead and buys it.

The two then grab a quick meal and afterwards, Tim drives them out to Silver Lake Reservoir.

Angela raises a brow at him as he places the truck in drive and warns him, "If you brought me out here to kill me, I'm going to have to warn you that I'll rip you to shreds with my bare hands like they're a claw hammer."

Tim rolls his eyes at her and reaches into the door pocket of his truck, then nods his head, instructing Angela to follow him as he opens the door.

His hands are buried deep in his jeans as the two friends walk in silence around the edge of the lake, and Angela finally stops in her tracks and grabs Tim by the shoulder, asking him, "What are we doing here?"

He exhales sharply and hangs his head. "This is where I asked Isabel to marry me. She, uh, she called me this morning."

A very disapproving look washes over Angela and she folds her arms across her chest. "What did she want?'

His shoulders rise and fall as he pulls in a heavy breath. "She wanted me back."

Angela's mouth snaps open, but Tim waves her off before she can speak. "I told her I didn't wanna be with her. That I don't love her anymore."

Angela breaths out an audible sigh of relief and her body relaxes.

"I can't tell you how many times I prayed she'd call me saying that," he admits, his hands still deep in his pockets. "How many nights I waited by my phone, just hoping she'd be on the other end. I thought I'd love her and want her back the rest of my life." He shakes his head and pulls one of his hands out from his pocket, holding a gold band up to his face and studying it carefully. "I've driven around with my wedding band in my truck since the day I took it off when she gave me those divorce papers. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it." He hums and balls his first up, rearing his hand back and pitching the ring out into the lake where it skids across the top of the water twice before sinking below the murky water. "I never thought I'd be able to do that. To move on. It feels good."

Angela reaches out and rubs Tim's bicep, offering him an understanding smile. "I'm so glad you just said that, Timothy Bradford. I was so worried you were about to tell me you were going back to Isabel and that you'd fucked up whatever was building between you and Lucy and that I was about to have to kick your ass."

Tim's jaw goes slack and he stammers, "I-what? How?"

She shakes her head at him. "Come on, I'm your best friend. I know what it looks like when you're in love. And give me some credit, I'm going to be a detective someday, I'm observant. I notice things."

He doesn't deny he's in love with Lucy. He doesn't even try. They agreed to keep things quiet until they figured things out, and now that they'd both admitted they loved each other, he didn't think there was too much more to figure out.

"There wasn't even a moment I considered picking Isabel when she called, "he confesses. "Even if she wasn't pregnant with another man's kid, it'd still be Lucy. You're right, Ang. I'm in love with her."

Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Notes:

Only one update this weekend, but it's a long one. I hope you guys like it. Thanks for reading.

Chapter Text

Lucy is adding the finishing touches to her make-up in preparation for her date with Tim when she hears three swift knocks coming from the front door. Kojo, who is sitting on her bed watching her, lets out a gruff bark.

Her hand, which is clutching the eyeliner she was applying, freezes in mid-air. Her brows furrow, because she isn't expecting company, and she loudly calls out, "babe, can you get that?"

She knows Tim is already dressed and ready, patiently waiting for her as she tries to perfect her look for tonight. There's a swarm of butterflies swirling around her stomach, even though she knows they've already been together several weeks now. She knows they've been out to eat together before. That they've gone out and done things together tons of times before tonight, but tonight is still somehow so vastly different.

It carries so much more weight than any of those other outings, even more so now since they admitted their love for one another this morning, and she wants tonight to be perfect to cement such a monumental occasion in their lives.

It's huge for her. Telling Tim she loves him. Being so openly vulnerable and freely giving her heart to him without question. It's a huge deal for her and it still terrifies her to her very core, but she doesn't regret saying those three not so little words. She meant them with every fiber of her being, even if it's still hard for her to comprehend how it all happened so fast.

And she knows this is a huge deal for him, too. She honestly still can't believe he chose her this morning. She'd been certain as she sat on the back deck waiting for him to end that phone call that he'd come outside and tell her he was sorry, but it was over. That as much as he liked her, he still loved Isabel and she was still technically his wife and he had to take that second chance.

After all, he had the opportunity to run back to his first love. To go back to what had to once be the most comforting place in his life, Isabel's arms, and yet, he didn't want that. He'd rather be with her. He no longer loved Isabel, but told her that she, Lucy, now held that place in his heart.

And dear God, that knowledge was overwhelmingly, bone-chillingly terrifying and yet simultaneously possibly the best thing she'd ever heard in her entire life to the point she'd thought her chest might explode and her entire heart might melt into goo when the words left his mouth.

When she first met Tim, she couldn't imagine a world where this very scenario would play out, nor that she'd want it to play out. But here they were, and it was somehow everything she never knew she wanted and needed in her life.

She desperately wants to celebrate that tonight.

As she goes to reapply her eyeliner, the knocking continues, and she pauses again, calling out louder this time, "Babe, can you get the door, please?" But there's no response and the knocking continues, growing louder and louder with each new bang.

Kojo yelps out another loud bark and Lucy arches her brow and places the eyeliner on her make-up table and heads out of her bedroom, leaving Kojo shut behind her door in case he isn't a fan of the visitor.

"Tim?" She calls out as she rounds the corner of the hallway, but again, there's nothing. She peers ahead, glancing into the open door of his spotless bedroom, but he isn't there. And as she heads for the front door, she calls out his name again and searches the kitchen and living room, finding both empty on her way.

A nervous bubble forms in the pit of her stomach, and her mind begins weaving unwanted worst case scenarios that she tries to push back as she tentatively opens the front door, and a her arms cross at her chest and lopsided grin spreads across her face as she cocks her head to side and she incredulously snorts, "what are you doing?"

Tim, who happens to be the person behind the repetitive knocking, is grinning back at her behind closed lips and holding a bouquet of peonies, mixed with white, pink, yellow and red flowers.

"I'm here to pick up my date," he answers, still grinning smugly.

"You do realize you live here right?," she chuckles affectionately at him.

"I know," he sighs, the grin faltering and his broad shoulders slumping. "But we haven't exactly done things very traditionally so far in our relationship," he sees Lucy's face contort and he hastens, "not that it's a bad thing and I'm glad we're together and I've got no complaints about how we got here, it's just, I wanna do things, right, Luce. You deserve for things to be done right. And I want us to have a real, traditional first date we can look back on some day. The kind of first date that you deserve. Where I pick you up," he proudly holds up the bouquet, "bring you flowers. Take you somewhere fancy and nice. Maybe I'll get a kiss at the end of the night if I play my cards right?"

That fond, affectionate grin returns and she muses, "That does sound nice."

He nods. "It does. So can we try this again? I knock, you let me in, and we go from there."

"Yeah, we can." Her hand falls to the edge of the door and she moves to close it so they can start over, pausing when it's halfway shut and her eyes dance while she peers up at him and she teases, "you do realize that if we're doing this the traditional way, I don't sleep with guys on the first date, right?."

He hums and his eyes twinkle. "Well, I've got a feeling you'd be worth waiting for."

Even though she knows they've slept together more times than she can count at this point, she has no doubt he means what he'd just said and her heart flutters and her cheeks tinge pink, but she plays it off with a roll of her eyes and mutters, Smooth, Bradford, smooth."

She closes the door and smoothes her dress out as she waits for him to knock again and he doesn't waste any time tapping away on the white wood. Lucy swallows and opens the door, getting into character to play out the first date scenario and she opens the door, a nervous smile lining her lips as a shaky, "hi," escapes them.

His reply is no less shaky, and he stays in character as well, his eyes raking appreciatively up and down her body as he takes her in. "You look," there's a brief pause, and his voice is husky as he breathes out the words, "beautiful."

Lucy tucks a long strand of hair behind her ear and her eyes flit from him to the floor and she bounces on the balls of her feet. "Thank you," she tells him, her eyes slowly rising upwards as she takes him in, as if it's the first time she's seen him this evening, appreciating the way the suit he's wearing fits him just right, how the dark colors he's chosen perfectly bring out the blue in his eyes.

"These ah, these are for you," he hands her the bouquet.

Gingerly, she reaches out and takes them, giving them her full attention this time. "They're gorgeous. I love peonies, thank you."

He nods, clearly pleased with himself and her reaction, and his now free hands slip into his pockets as he steps inside and she closes the door behind him. "They uh, I read that in Chinese culture, each peony color has a different symbol behind it. White is to symbolize you're thinking of someone. Pink is for affection. Yellow is for luck and prosperity. Red is for passion and love."

Lucy's chest clenches as she's overcome with emotion and tears threaten to prick her eyes and she blinks rapidly to keep them at bay. "Tim…" she momentarily breaks character, "you don't even believe in stuff like that. You think it's ridiculous"

"I don't believe in that kinda thing" he admits, "But you do, and it's important to you and you're important to me, so…"

She wants nothing more than to lunge at him and kiss him desperately at that moment, but she doesn't. She sort of likes the idea of pretending this is actually a real first date and that they haven't already crossed all these important milestones in their relationship, so she clutches the flowers to her chest instead and nods, swallowing down the emotion building within her.

"I'm going to put these in some water so they don't ruin. Why don't you have a seat on the couch and then I'll finish applying my make-up and we can go."

He nods and takes a seat on the couch.

()()()()()()()()

It doesn't take Lucy long to finish getting ready, and then the two head out in Tim's truck to the restaurant that Tim still won't tell her the name of because it's a surprise.

They keep up their game on the way, pretending they don't know one another well and teasing each other lightly on the ride over.

"I like the necklace," Tim points out during the ride, nodding to the circular gold pendant around her neck. "Where'd you get it?"

She reaches up and pinches the pendant between her thumb and index finger. "I uh, I actually got it from my roommates' brother. He gave it to me as a graduation gift."

"Hmmm. He has great taste," Tim smirks.

"He does," she agrees.

"I bet he's a great guy."

"He's alright. Sometimes he's a bit of a jerk."

Tim snorts and rolls his eyes.

"What about you? Any roommates?" She teases.

"I live with my sister," he replies. "And uh, her best friend."

"Ah, is her best friend a girl?"

"She is."

"Is she hot? Should I be worried?"

"I guess she's not bad looking," he smirks and Lucy reaches over and pinches his side playfully and he winces "But, you definitely don't have anything to worry about. No one can compete with you."

Again, her heart flutters and that swarm of butterflies flap away in Lucy's stomach.

()()()()()

Once they arrive at the restaurant, Lucy is in awe of the place he picked. It's considered one of the most romantic restaurants in town, and rightfully so. The place is dimly lit, soft music playing in the background, an array of plants scattered throughout the building, and everyone in attendance is wearing expensive clothes and shoes, dressed to the nines.

Tim walks her inside, his hand easily resting on the small of her back, and as the hostess escorts them to their table, Tim pulls her chair for her so she can take a seat before he takes his own.

Lucy's eyes widen at the menu, noticing the fact that the place is so upscale and high class that the prices aren't listed next to the food and she winces.

"What?" Tim asks her, the expression on her face not going unnoticed by him.

"It's just," she lowers her menu, "I don't know what to order because I don't know what things cost. I'll feel guilty if I get something and your bill comes out to be, like, 200 bucks."

He waves her off. "It's fine. Get whatever you want."

"Tim," she huffs.

"Lucy," he huffs back, "I said it's fine. Get whatever you want. It's not a big deal."

She sighs, and shoves the menu in front of her face and her eyes scan it carefully, the sea bass catches her attention, though she can't imagine how expensive that's going to be.

"Good evening," the waiter approaches them with a friendly voice, "My name's Noah and I'll be taking your order tonight. Can I get you two started with any drinks or appetizers?"

Once again, Lucy is wincing, but this time it's not at the drinks, it's at the waiter's unmistakably familiar voice, and she shoves the menu even further in front of her face and buries herself behind it.

"I'll take a water and glass of Pinot Noir," Tim answers easily.

"Uh, yeah," Lucy's voice is deeper and gruffer than normal as she tries hard to disguise it, her menu still eclipsing her face, "I'll uh, I'll take a water as well and a glass of Merlot."

The man doesn't jot down the orders, he has no notepad, but he assures them the order will be, "coming right up," and he steps away from their table.

Lucy doesn't immediately pull her menu down, though, she keeps in front of her face, and Tim is perplexed by that and her mangled voice and asks, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," she squeaks, the menu remaining in place like a shield.

"Lucy," his voice is firm and concerned, and it's clear their playful first date charade is about to be dropped, at least for the moment, as he reaches out and tugs the menu down gently, once again asking her, "what the hell's going on?"

She places her elbows on the table and rests her head in her hands, cringing as she mutters out, "I uh, I think I kinda know our waiter."

Tim's lips purse and his brows raise unsurely. "O-kay?"

Lucy blows out a heavy sigh and shakes her head. "I mean, I know him, know him."

Tim swallows and shifts uncomfortably. "As in you.."

"Yeah," she sheepishly mutters.

"Oh. Uh." His hands slide up and down his dress pants. "How uh, how long ago…"

"Second semester freshman year of college. And uh, a few times after that over the years. He's uh, the first guy I was with after everything that happened with Chang."

Again, Tim nods.

"I'm sorry," she mutters sadly.

"No uh," he sighs and reaches across the table and takes one of hands in his and gives it a squeeze. "It's fine. It's not…I mean, it's not like you knew he worked here or even knew where we were coming here beforehand. I mean, it's not a big deal. No reason for you to hide behind the menu all night."

"Are you sure?" She raises a brow at him. "I mean, I don't want it to make things weird. We could go somewhere else or.."

"It's not gonna make things weird," he tries to gently reassure her but she simply glares at him. "Okay," he chuckles, "it's a little weird. But no reason to let it ruin our night. We both had a past before we met each other and uh, unfortunately mine called me this morning and now we ran into part of yours tonight, but that shouldn't stop us from enjoying our date. Right?"

"Right," she squeezes his hand back and offers him a smile.

()()()()()()

Even though they agreed it shouldn't make things weird, conversation doesn't come as easily as it did before Noah showed up as their waiter, and things start to go further downhill when he returns with the drinks and actually notices Lucy is the one who was sitting at the table with Tim hiding behind the menu.

"Hot pants!" Noah cheerfully explains, raising their glasses of water in the air once he realizes it's her. "Holy crap, I had no idea that was you! How are you!"

"Noah," she nods courteously, though she's flicking her eyes to the white tablecloth and gnawing her lower lip. "I'm good. How are you?"

"Doing great!" he replies enthusiastically, completely ignoring Tim. "Man, it's been, what? Probably almost a year since I've seen you."

"Something like that," she mutters.

Tim clears his throat and Noah looks apologetically to him and places the glasses of water he's been holding up on the table in front of each of them respectively. Realization dawns across the waiter's face and he motions between them, "Are you two, uh, on a date?"

"We are," Tim sternly responds, his eyes narrowed and carefully watching Noah's response.

"Tim's actually my boyfriend," Lucy jumps in, "we've been seeing each other for almost a month now."

"Boyfriend, wow." Noah's overly energetic voice deflates. "Never thought I'd see the day, hot pants." He nods to Tim. "You're a lucky guy."

"I know," Tim replies, coolly.

"Hey, uh, why don't I swap tables with Molly," Noah suggests and points to a blond waitress a few tables away. "Make this a lot less awkward for everyone here."

"That would be great, thank you, " Lucy says with relief evident on her face and in her voice.

Tim's looking at her with one of his forced uncomfortable smiles, and this time she's reaching across the table and giving his hand a squeeze as she locks his fingers with hers. "Babe, are you good?"

"Mhm."

"Tim," her voice is the one that's firm this time, "don't bullshit me. Are you good?"

His face softens and he meets her eyes. "I'm good," he insists.

()()()()()()

Molly, their new waitress, comes over not long after and delivers their wine and a complimentary loaf of bread, then takes their order. They each cut a slice of bread and the tension Noah's presence created eases off some, but things still go far from smoothly.

Rustling and yelling can be heard from the back of the restaurant and as much as Tim, Lucy, and everyone in the restaurant tries to ignore it, it soon spills out of the kitchen and into the dining area.

Tim's hand falls to his off duty weapon in his pocket as he carefully watches the scuffle, and he and Lucy both leap from the table when a knife gets pulled and the chef gets slashed by an angry member of the kitchen staff who's grown tired of his verbal abuse.

Within seconds, Tim is in front of them holding his gun and badge and putting a stop to the altercation, announcing he is LAPD while Lucy calls 911 and then assists the bleeding chef.

By the time officers arrive, the two have to give statements, and they both decide not to stay at the restaurant, each of them feeling deflated by how the night has gone so far.

When they get in Tim's truck to leave, his hands grip the wheel tightly and he hangs his head, sighing that, "This is the worst first date ever and that he's sorry for how things turned out."

Lucy affectionately rubs his back. "It could've been worse."

He lifts his head and meets her eyes. "Really? How?"

"Isabel could've shown up," she deadpans, "Or every other guy I've slept with." He shakes his head, not finding humor in the situation. "Tim, it's not that big of a deal. We can try again tomorrow."

"It is a big deal," he groans. "I wanted this to be perfect, baby. You remember what your mom said, when I went with you on that fake date on her birthday? She asked how many fancy restaurants we'd been to together and when I said this was only the second one, she asked if I thought you weren't good enough for me to take places like that."

"Tim.."

"I wanna do this right, Luce. I wanna give you everything you deserve."

"You already do."

He grunts.

"You do," she insists. "That night after we met Rob for the first time and you asked me what I'd be looking for if I ever decided to fall in love, you check off every last box on that list. I don't need fancy dates, or flowers, or anything else from you. I just, I need you to keep being you. Keep challenging me. Keep believing in me. Keep pushing me to be the best version of myself and loving and supporting me the way you do. That's all I want or need from you."

Slowly, he lifts his head from the steering wheel and meets her eyes and she pulls him in for a hug, wrapping her arms snuggly around his neck and he holds her close.

"I'm still hungry, and you owe me a date," Lucy mumbles into his ear. "So, why don't we go somewhere that's more us and finish our date?"

"Sounds perfect," he mumbles back.

()()()()()()

Tim sits at the metal table, glancing up at all the fairy lights strung in the trees above them.
"Streets of Vietnam. That's where we ended up," He mutters and his eyes fall back down and he looks across the table at Lucy, grinning at her as she grins back at him.

They're outdoors, in front of a food truck that's located in a park down the road from the beach, and instead of wine and 100 dollar entrees in front of them, they have canned beers and black plastic trays, but that's okay with Lucy, because all she cares about is the fact that they're here together, and she thinks the outdoor scenery and fairy lights are no less romantic than the high end restaurant.

"So, I guess this is our official first real date," Tim comments, his hand resting on Lucy's thigh under the table.

"Nuh-uh," she shakes her head and chuckles. "The restaurant was, for sure. It makes a better story for the grandkids."

Tim's brows shoot up and he shifts backwards in his seat, but he's grinning when he teases back, "We've got grandkids now? Nice to know."

Lucy giggles and her cheeks burn, her head dipping down and her eyes sparkling with the lights when it rises again. "So, uh, I guess everyone at the station is gonna find out about us now, since we're both going to be listed on the arrest report."

"Yeah," he exhales.

"Are you ready for this? Everyone finding out about us?"

He nods and squeezes her thigh under the table. "I am. Are you?"

"Yeah," she smiles. "It'll be nice not to have to hide it anymore."

"I uh, kinda told Angela earlier," he confesses. "Or, she kinda guessed, really."

"How, uh, how'd she react?" Lucy's voice is nervous.

"Very annoyingly," he grumbles. "She wanted to know everything. And I mean everything."

"And she's okay with it." Lucy twists her hands together. "With us?"

He nods. "She's happy that I'm happy. She likes you."

The unease drains from Lucy's face and her shoulders relax. "Good. And uh, Jackson already suspects, so it won't be a shock to him, either."

"You told him!"

"No," Lucy snorts,"he has eyes. But he's fine with it. He just wants me to be happy."

Tim nods. "So we just need to tell the rest of our friends before they hear it from someone else."

Lucy nods, and again, she begins to twist her hands together. "I guess we should tell Genny when she gets back tomorrow."

"Do you want me to tell her?" Tim offers. "I could do it alone."

"No," Lucy shakes her head. "Actually, I uh, I think I need to tell her by myself. I know she's your sister and all, but I think she should hear it from me, all things considered."

"If that's what you want," he agrees and moves to sip his beer, and he groans when out of the corner of his eye, he spots a man attempting to break into a car. "Hey moron," he calls out gruffly and holds up his badge, "L.A.P.D."

The scrawny young man scurries away, not wasting time getting out of dodge.

Lucy shakes her head and smirks. "You know he's gonna break into a car in another neighborhood, right?"

"Yeah? Well, then some other cop can arrest him."

Lucy smiles, a smile that reaches all the way to her eyes, and Tim leans in slowly while she mirrors his movements and their lips come together in a tender, gentle kiss, Lucy tugging Tim back to her by nipping his lower lip with her teeth when he tries to pull away.

()()()()()()

Despite being hungry, both of them ignore most of their food, the awkward parts of the night long since forgotten as they enjoy each other's company and steal kisses underneath the night sky.

Eventually, the food truck closes and the park empties, and only the two of them remain, until Lucy grabs Tim by the hand, saying,. "I know you're not a beach person, but would you be okay walking down the sand with me? There's just something I love about listening to the waves at night and walking the beach."

"As long as you don't expect me to get in the water with you," he agrees and the two stroll hand in hand, kicking their shoes off at the end of the wooden walkway once they reach the sand.

They walk with only the night sky and nearby condos and beach houses lighting up the world around them, and when they reach an empty lifeguard station, Lucy tugs Tim's hand until he's following her up the stairs and they take a seat at the top, leaning against the railing and Lucy resting her head on Tim's shoulders as they silently sit in the darkness and listen to the waves crashing around them.

Despite the summer heat, there's a chill in the air from the breeze coming off the ocean, and Lucy snuggles deep into Tim's side.

"I'm sorry for the way the night started out," she apologies again. "I know you had this perfect idea in your head of how things were going to go, I kinda had that image in my head, too, and I know it didn't start out the way either of us wanted."

"No need to apologize," he insists and rests his forehead against hers "Besides, I like how it ended up."

"Me, too." Her hand comes to a rest above his heart. "Can I ask you something and trust that you'll be honest with me?"

"Hmm?"

"Seeing Noah earlier and knowing I've been with him, did it bother you?"

Tim's body stiffens and he clears his throat. "I mean, I didn't love the image it brought to my mind and I didn't like how he was looking at you and how he called you hot pants," he admits cautiously. "But I'm not mad about it or anything. I'm sure you were just as uncomfortable, if not more, when I was on the phone with Isabel earlier."

"Yeah," she breathes out, her fingers tracing circles over his heart through his button up shirt. "But I don't want him to make you uncomfortable. You've got something Noah or no other guy has ever had, you've got my heart."

He lifts his head and reaches out and tilts her chin, capturing her lips in his and smiling against them as they kiss.

"And I don't want the fact that Isabel called earlier to make you uncomfortable," he mutters as he rests his forehead against hers, "I meant what I said earlier, Luce, I love you. And you've got something she doesn't have and that I don't want her or anyone else to have."

"What's that?" She squeaks out.

"My future."

She clutches his suit jacket in her hands and pulls him to her, kissing him desperately until they're both breathless and she's climbing in his lap, rocking back and forth, while she's going for the buttons on his shirt and his fingertips dig into her thighs.

He stops her when his bare chest is exposed and he shakes his head. "We're in public and I don't have a condom."

"No one can see us," she whispers as she nips at his neck and pushes his shirt and jacket off his shoulders.

"And the condom part?" He pants as she works her way down his neck.

"I'm okay with not using one if you are."

Tim Bradford does not have sex outside. He does not have sex in public. If he got caught, he would be in hot water with his job.

But all the blood that's normally in his head has rushed to other parts of his body and coherent, rational thought has been abandoned so Lucy doesn't have to ask him twice before he's tugging her dress up and sliding his pants down.

Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Chapter Text

"Maybe the beach isn't so bad after all," Tim whispers into Lucy's ear as she snuggles into his side at the top of the lifeguard station after they've both climaxed and readjusted their clothes.

Somehow, they miraculously managed to be quiet enough not to get caught, despite the fact that the laughter and chatter of several people could be heard along the shoreline searching for crabs and seashells.

Moans of pleasure and ecstasy were drowned out with deep, lingering kisses, and the roar of the waves and howling of the wind helped to cover the desperate cries that did escape.

Lucy nestles into the crook of his neck and lets out a contented hum as she rests her hand above his heart, the steady drumming of his heartbeat vibrating underneath her fingertips and the delicate symphony of the waves crashing over the sand and filling her ears as the waves caress the shore and the same way the sea is carrying out the grains of sand, all of Lucy's worries seem to be carried away as well.

She's not sure she's ever felt such underlying peace before. She thinks she could fall asleep up there, under the stars and in Tim's arms, without a care in the world.

"You're a terrible influence," he teases her as he holds her in his arms.

"How?" She snorts.

"What we just did is punishable by a $1,000 fine and six months in jail."

"Oh yeah?" She teases back lasciviously, a finger tip tracing lazy circles over his heart. "Are you gonna arrest me, Officer Bradford? Put me in handcuffs?"

His brows arch at her flirtatious tones and his voice is dark and husky. "Handcuffs? Really? Would you, uh, would you be into that?"

"It could be fun," she muses suggestively.

"Noted," he growls out as he presses a kiss to her temple.

"Know what else could be fun?"

"Hmmm?"

She shivers as the chill from the wind makes goosebumps break out over the bare flesh of her shoulders and arms. "If you take me home and we crawl into my warm bed with our adorable dog and you hold me until I fall asleep and I wake up in your arms."

"Eh, I don't know about fun. I guess it doesn't sound horrible," he mutters mischievously.
"Don't make me hurt you," she warns him through an amused grin.

()()()()()()()

"Okay," Jackson comments with raised brows and a curious grin as he watches his best friend pace circles around his living room, "what's got you so riled up that you rushed to my house at 6 in the morning on a weekend to wake me up for it?"

Lucy, her hands on her hips and bouncing on the balls of her feets as she squirms in giddy anticipation, is grinning from ear to ear. She's speaking a million miles a minute, practically bursting at the seams, her voice filled with happiness and excitement as the dam she's been holding back breaks and her river of secrets regarding her relationship with Tim spills from her lips.

"And oh my God," she flails her arms dramatically, "I have wanted to tell you all of this for so long, like ever since the first night we hooked up, but I couldn't because Tim and I were figuring things out and we didn't want other people's opinions to get in the way or mess things up, but it feels soooooo good to finally be able to talk about this with you and get it off my chest."

Jackson pulls her into a hug, chuckling as he does so, and tells her, "I mean, it's been totally obvious you were into him this whole time and I figured you two were screwing around at this point, but I can't believe my little Lucy is all grown up and in a real relationship."

Lucy snorts and rolls her eyes as she hugs her friend back, her arms wrapped around the middle of his back and she stutters, "Honestly, I can't believe it, either. I never knew I could feel this way about anyone. When Isabel called him yesterday morning and I thought he was going to end up going back to her, Jackson, it literally felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest at the thought of losing him. It's terrifying, and unsettling, and just, so amazing all at once and even if it sounds crazy and too fast, I really do love him."

Slowly, Jackson pulls away, holding Lucy by the shoulders as he peers down and gazes into her familiar brown eyes. He blinks, unsure that he'd just heard her right. "Wait, say that last part again."

"That I really do love him?"

He nods tentatively, brows raised all the way to his forehead, and his jaw goes slack as he stares at her in disbelief.

"D–did you…did you just use the L word?"

She shakes her head and purses her lips, then groans, "Oh my God, you think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"No, not all." A toothy grin spreads across his face and again, he's pulling her in for a hug. "You're in love? Like, seriously in love with him?"

"Yeah," she chokes out, clinging desperately to her best friend as the weight of speaking those words aloud to another person hits her full force. "He's everything I've never been looking for but always needed."

"This is so huge, Luce!" He exclaims as he pulls away and frantically scans the room. "We've gotta celebrate!"

She giggles. "It's not even seven in the morning. We're not drinking yet."

He rushes off towards his tiny kitchen, Lucy following behind him, and he starts a pot of coffee. "Well, we might not be drinking wine, but we're going to have coffee with all the sugar and all the creamer and I'm gonna door dash some breakfast while I ask you a million questions that are waaaay too personal and you spill all the tea."

And that's what they do. They sit together at the table, sipping coffee while they wait on their delivery as Jackson pries into the intimate details of their relationship.

"So, what's he like in bed?" He wiggles his brows. "I can see it going one of two ways. Missionary every single time because he's such a tight ass that has to have things the same way, or super rough and commanding because he's sometimes kind of a dick and it seems like that might be his style.."

Lucy's cheeks burn and she plants her face in the palms of her hand. "Seriously?"

"Seriously! I need to know!"

"It's definitely not the same every single time," she chuckles. "But I'll be honest and admit that I was a little worried since he's so picky about everything else that he'd be a bit rigid when it came to sex. But, I've got absolutely no complaints in that area and he is definitely versatile and knows how to change things up depending on the mood. You can never tell him I said this," she warns, "but he's probably the best I've ever had."

"Wow, impressive," he commends. "Even better than.."

She cuts him off and nods. "Even better than him." Lucy runs her finger along the rim of her coffee cup and chews her lower lip. "Can I uh, can I admit something to you?"

"Of course."

She hesitates a moment. "I know I've been with way more men than he has women. I mean, his only experience is his ex and now me, and I guess he should feel like he has more to compete with because of that, but um, sometimes I worry that he's always going to compare me to her, if that makes sense. Like, even though I think he's the best I ever had, will I always be second best for him because she was his first love. First, everything. Like, how do I compete with that? How do I compete with knowing if it wasn't for her drug addiction, he and I would've never been a thing?"

Jackson reaches out and covers her hand with his. "You don't have to compete with anything. She's a part of his past the same way that all the guys you've been with are a part of yours. I get he was married to her and all and that he loved her and once upon a time wanted a future with her, but the reality is she did get addicted to drugs and their marriage is over. Doesn't matter what would've happened if that didn't happen because it did. And you might not be his first love, but you get to be the first person he trusted enough to love again after having his heart broken, I think that's a pretty special thing. Trust me, I know from experience what that means to love someone enough to trust them with your heart after someone else broke it, and it's no small feat."

A wobbly smile dances across her lips.

"And even if there was a competition," he continues playfully, "you're a total badass and you'd clearly win. Remember, I used to share a room across the hall from you. I'm sure you're blowing his mind in the bedroom."

They snicker together and sip their coffee.

"So, since you told me, does this mean you're telling Genny?"

"Yes," Lucy groans, throwing her head back. "I'm gonna tell her tonight."

"And clearly you're looking forward to it."

Again, she groans. "It's just, how do I tell one of my best friends that I've been fucking her brother behind her back and that I'm in love with him? It's gonna be awkward. You know? Especially since she made her feelings clear on the matter before I ever even went there. I just, I don't want tension at home and I know she's gonna feel like we've been lying to her, and I guess in a way we have, even if it was none of her damn business. I doubt she's magically going to approve of us, not that I care because I'm going to be with him regardless of what she thinks or how she feels about it. Not that I don't care about her feelings, I mean, of course I do, but he's worth the risk of hurting her feelings and whatever happens as the fallout, But still, you know, out of all the guys in L.A., why does the one I actually fall in love with have to be my best friend's brother?"

"Do you want me to be there when you tell her?" He offers. "I could be a buffer."

"No," she exhales sharply. "No. Thank you. But I need to do this on my own. This is between Genny and I and I need to be the one to handle it."

"I understand. But if you guys need a mediator, just call me."

"I will. I promise."

"Luce?"

"Hmmm?"

"No matter what Genny says about this, no matter how she feels, you deserve to be happy and for what it's worth, I can see Tim makes you happy. Don't let her reaction have an effect on that."

"No, I know," she confidently replies. "Like I said before, her opinion isn't going to change my mind. At all. I'm in this with him 100%."

Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Chapter Text

Lucy gets home from Jujitsu with Harper and she's aching and sore but she enjoyed it far more than she anticipated. She already signed up for lessons 3 times a week, and she can't wait to go to her next session on Tuesday.

Tim and Kojo are over at Angela's. Tim's helping her with wedding plans and Angela's mother in law is supposed to be coming over to give her input on flowers and the venue, and Tim is already texting her about how much of a headache Wesley's mom is giving him and she hasn't even gotten to Angela's house yet and how he can't believe he let Angela rope him into being her 'man of honor.'

Lucy also has a headache now that she's back at home, but not from her jujitsu session, it's from obsessing over how she's going to tell Genny about her relationship with Tim. She's run it over in head a million times since she left Jackson's house, but none of the scenarios she's come up with seem to feel right.

She tried to get Tim's opinion on it, hoping since Genny was his sister he'd have just the right words waiting in his mind to tell her. After all, he'd offered to be the one to break the news, so she assumed he had something gentle in mind he was going to say to her, but his response was blunt and honestly somewhat crass.

With a straight face and an even tone, he'd suggested, "Tell her we started fucking after we practice kissed then we fell in love over the last several weeks. Straight and to the point. Rip the bandaid right off."

The problem is, Lucy felt it was too straight and to the point. She didn't want to rip the bandaid off, she wanted to carefully craft her words in a way that would help Genny understand how they felt about each other and why they'd been willing to hide it from everyone until now.

But those elusive words just won't seem to surface, no matter how hard Lucy digs, and she finally gives up and lights some candles, puts on some soft music, and soaks in a hot bath with her favorite bath bomb while she waits for Genny to return from Tahoe City.

When she gets out of the tub, she wraps herself in her favorite Kimono and starts reruns of The Bachelor while she anxiously awaits Genny's return. Fixing herself a glass of wine and checking her phone every few minutes until Genny finally strolls through the front door, an hour later tugging her suitcase behind her and dropping it when she sees Lucy waiting for her.

Genny runs to the couch and embraces her friend. "I missed you!" She exclaims, swaying back and forth with Lucy in her arms. I really, really wish you and Tim would've been there. We had the best time and it was so gorgeous. I mean, naturally it is so beautiful and serene and Tim probably would've griped and complained about the bugs and lack of city noise the entire time, but still, it would've felt complete if you were both there."

Lucy smirks at Genny's comment as the embrace ends, because she knows that Genny is absolutely right. Tim would've groaned the whole time, even if he enjoyed it, simply because it was so different from what he's used to.

"I was really jealous of all your pictures," Lucy responds. "It looked gorgeous and I told Tim that we all need to go back before I start the academy and I don't have time to do anything for a while."

"Yes, that sounds amazing! Mom said he talked to her the other night and mentioned coming up near the end of June. I think it would be perfect and the weather will even be a bit warmer by then so the lake won't be as frigid. Kayaking was fun, but oh my gosh, that water was so cold when it splashed up and hit us."

Lucy smiles politely as Genny pulls out her phone and begins going through photos she hasn't sent to Lucy yet, but it's not genuine and it almost hurts her cheeks to hold it in place. She's sure Genny can't sense it, but she's a blubbering mess of nerves knowing the clock is ticking down to her big reveal and she's so worried about Genny's reaction.

Glancing around the room after she's scrolled through all the pictures, Genny asks, "Where's my brother at? I just realized I didn't see his truck outside."

"He's uh, he's at Angela's, helping her work on wedding plans. He took Kojo with him and they probably won't be back for a while. It's just girls for a while."

"It's been a while since it's just been the two of us," Genny grins and clasps her hands together. "How about we watch HGTV while we dream about redoing our future homes and drink some wine and order in and you can tell me all about everything I missed while I was gone. I wanna hear all about your new job and everything else I've been missing out on while we've both been so busy."

Lucy holds up her empty wine glass that she drained while waiting. "Ahead of you on the wine part."

()()()()()()

"Ugh," Genny groans, pointing at the screen after they finish their takeout, "Why am I not that talented? The house is unrecognizable in the most amazing way. They're going to make a killing when they flip it."

"There's actually a guy that works at the station," Lucy replies, "he's Harper's rookie, and he used to be a contractor for like, 18 years before becoming a cop, and did stuff like this all the time. He's shown me pictures of remodels he's done and he was almost as good as The Property Brothers. He makes it sound so easy and if we owned this place and we both weren't broke as hell, I'd probably get him to come out and show us a thing or two so we could fix it up."
"Wait, this guy was a contractor for 18 years and he's a rookie? How old is he?"

"In his mid to late thirties, I think." Lucy shrugs. "I respect him, though. He got his high school girlfriend pregnant when they were 17 and gave up the life he always dreamed of to raise his kid and do what he felt was right, and when his son went off to college the marriage ended and he decided to go for what he wanted for the first time. I'm just glad it didn't take me that long to be able to go for what I want."

"I'll drink to that," Genny holds out her wind glass and waits for Lucy to clang it. "Speaking of your life changes, how's the job going?"

They'd spent the past hour watching TV and eating and they hadn't talked much until now, and Lucy's stomach churns now that the door for conversation is opening.

"It's good. Really good, actually. I love being able to help people that call in and it's only solidified my resolve to become a cop. I can't wait to be the one responding to calls and physically be out there helping those in need. Plus, everyone at the station is great. Lopez and Harper are amazing role models and I actually started Jujitsu lessons with Harper earlier. She suggested it to help me prepare for taking down opponents that are larger than me and learning how to use my small size to my advantage and I can already tell it's going to be so useful once I'm out on the streets."

They talk more about Lucy's new job and her plans for the academy and after, and Genny listens intently, both women refilling their glasses as they chat.

'You know,Genny gestures in the air, "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I was a bit worried when you said you wanted to be a cop out of the blue. It's not something you'd ever mentioned before, and I wasn't sure why you decided to go that route or if you'd even follow through with it, but you're really passionate about it and I've never really seen you light up this way when you talked about psychology, so it's good to see you pursuing something that I can tell means so much to you."

Lucy felt her hackles rise the moment Genny said she wasn't sure if she was going to follow through with being a cop, but her defenses lower at the second part of Genny's observation and the tension melts away.

Running her finger over the base of the wine glass, Lucy bites her lower lip and casts her eyes to the sectional. "Thank you. Um, I know it probably came out of left field to you, but I know it's what is right for me and it feels good to go after something that I want."

"You deserve to be happy and go for what you want," Genny nudges her knee affectionately.

Lucy briefly looks up and smiles, but it falters quickly. Her hands swipes the back of her neck, easing itself over her tattoo in a comforting brush. "Um, speaking of going for what I want, there uh, there's something I need to tell you."

Genny straightens and she crosses her legs, leaning into Lucy intently. "What is it?"

"I uh," she winces and she tries like hell to get the words out, but they fall flat on the edge of her lips, "I uh," again, her words fail her, because nothing running through her head at the moment sounds right, and in a panic, she stammers out, "I'm fucking your brother."

Genny visibly recoils at Lucy's statement and the redhead opens her mouth, then closes it, her eyes wide and stunned.

Lucy facepalms herself, horrified at her choice of words and she's kicking Tim in her mind and starting to worry that maybe he's rubbing off on her a little.

"That is so not how I wanted to tell you about Tim and I," she stutters frantically. "I just… we just…we shared a practice kiss for that fake date with my parents and one thing led to another and then I kinda crawled on top of him and the next thing you know his hands are... " Her hands flail wildly in the air and her voice is shaking, but she stills when Genny reaches out and gently pushes her hands down.

'Lucy, stop. Please, I don't need to hear the rest."

But I need to…" Lucy huffs.

Genny shakes her head slowly, "No, you don't. I know you and Tim have been sleeping together."

"Y-you do? How?"

"Seriously?" Genny snorts incredulously. "I'm not an idiot, Lucy. Come on, the hickies you tried to pass off as burns and scrapes, the way you two look at each other and are constantly, and failing by the way, to sneak touches. Plus," Genny cringes at the memory, "I heard you two having sex the night before graduation."

"What!? You said you heard me saying stop to Kojo."

"Yeah," she hums, "Because I didn't want to voice out loud I heard you telling my brother don't stop and I figured if I let you know I heard you that I would hopefully never have to ever hear that again in my entire life."

"I've been stressing about how to tell you all day!" Lucy howls. "And you knew this entire time?"

Genny shrugs and sips her wine. "I'm not blind or deaf. But, I do have to ask, why now? What made you guys decide to tell me? Tim made it clear he doesn't think it's any of my business who he is or isn't fucking."

Lucy's voice is no longer quivering, and she sits up straight. "Because we aren't just fucking. We've been dating almost this whole time and we kinda sort of said I love you for the first time yesterday."

This time, the stunned expression on Genny's face isn't because of Lucy's word choice, it's because of the actual confession itself, and now the female Bradford is the one who can't find words.

"Say something," Lucy shouts after what feels like an eternity of silence but probably hasn't even been a full minute.

"I uh, I wasn't expecting that,' she carefully replies, her face no less stunned. "You two are in love? My best friend is in love with my brother?"

"Very much so," Lucy affirms.

"Just um, give me a minute to process," Genny holds up a finger.

"Yep. Take your time." But Lucy, in fact, doesn't deal well with Genny taking her time and after about fifty seconds, she stammers, "Okay, that's enough time. I can't. I've been stressing about this all day. I need to know how you feel about this. How you really feel. I know I dropped a bomb on you and that you're probably overwhelmed with an array of emotions, and you probably feel upset and…and maybe disappointed and hurt and betrayed…And I'm sorry if I hurt you and if you feel all those things and please know I never intentionally wanted to make you feel those things even if I know you probably do and part of me feels awful for it, but your brother has quickly become the most important person in my life and even if it hurt you, I'm sorry, but also not sorry, because I don't regret falling in love with him and even if you hate the idea of us together, I'm not ending it with him because he makes me happy and I deserve to be happy and so does he."

Genny blinks. "You really wanna know how it makes me feel?"

Lucy nods stiffly. "Yes. How you really feel. I think it's important to our friendship that we're both honest with each other from here on out, no matter how worried we are about what the other might think."

"I think that you're my best friend and he's my brother and I'd be a liar if I said I couldn't see how happy you two make each other and how good you've both been for the other…" Genny trails off and looks away.

"But?" Lucy presses.

"But the thing is," Genny sighs, "you're my best friend and he's my brother. If this doesn't work between you two it's selfish, but, I hate to think of the fallout from that. I'd have to take sides and how am I supposed to choose between two of the most important people in my life if something happens and you two end up hating each other?

"That thought scares the hell out of me," Lucy admits vulnerably as she twiddles her thumbs. "Tim and I not working out. It was almost terrifying enough to make me not even want to try more times than I care to admit, but he understands and challenges me in a way no one else ever has. I don't know where this is going long term, but he and I are in a beautiful place right now and that's worth exploring for me. But whatever happens with us, it doesn't affect you and I. My relationship with Tim is in no way tied to my relationship with you and vice versa."

"I guess I just, I guess I sometimes want to control things too much," Genny admits. "I feel like I can prevent bad things from happening if I stop them from happening in the first place, and you and Tim are two people in my life I never want anything bad to happen to. I'm not surprised he fell in love with you, Lucy. I knew from the moment I could see the chemistry between you two that if he got close to you, he'd fall head first if you guys ever went there. I think a part of me knew you'd fall for him, too. I mean, as different as you guys are on paper, you're really kind of perfect for each other. Yin and Yang."

"If this blows up, it's going to crush me," Lucy admits. "But if there's even the smallest chance that this works out, it's worth knowing that." She bumps Genny's shoulder with her own. "And think about it, if it does work, I get to be your sister in law someday and you'll be the biological aunt to my kids." The moment the words leave her mouth, Lucy's own jaw drops and she stutters, "Not that we're anywhere near ready for that or that I'm thinking about marriage or…or kids…or anything like that. I was just saying.."

"I know what you were saying," Genny places a hand on Lucy's knee and smiles. So, my best friend and my brother are really in love, huh?"

"We are."

"Well," Genny takes Lucy by surprise as she pulls her in for a hug and winds her arms around her neck, "welcome to the family, then."

Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Notes:

Thanks for reading! I'm glad to see so many still enjoying this. We aren't done yet and there is still some more story to tell. I am planning a few short time jumps in the next few chapters, though. Nothing major. Just a few weeks. We'll have a few of those as we go along. But seeing as it took me 45 chapters to cover about 2-3 months in time, please know it does take me a while to get to a point and that we still might have a ways to go depending on whether or not I include one story-line I'm debating on right now.

Chapter Text

When Tim and Kojo finally leave Angela's, after scrutinizing hours of going back and forth with his best friend and her soon to be mother-in-law over wedding details, he realizes that he hasn't heard from Lucy in a few hours.

He knows Genny must be home by now, and that likely means the two women talked and that now his sister knows about his new relationship. He just can't decide if the radio silence from Lucy means that talk went good or bad.

The question is immediately answered when he and Kojo step foot into the house that night, and he finds his girlfriend and his sister sitting on the couch, drunkenly giggling while trash t.v. plays in the background.

Lucy looks up when she sees him step through the door, a lopsided grin splayed across her face and coos out, "there's my favorite guy."

Genny looks between them and chuckles with an overly dramatic roll of her eyes and an affectionate gag.

Lucy gets up and makes her way in Tim's direction, and he assumes she's going to throw her arms around him, but she drops to the floor and wraps her arms around an excited Kojo, baby talking, "there's my favorite boy. I missed you. Yes I did. Yes I did, "while she hugs him and scratches his back.

Tim unclips Kojo's leash and rolls his eyes, then says "I take it you two had fun while I was gone."

"We did," Genny replies, smirking mischievously. "But not nearly as much fun as I'm sure you and Lucy had while I was gone. Or have been having the last month or so."

A hearty giggle escapes Lucy's throat and Tim looks down and watches the way her chest heaves in laughter and she instantly stills when she notices his eyes on her and looks up at him and shrugs, "Genny knows."

"I see that," he nods, reaching a hand down to help her to her feet and pulling her affectionately into his side. Lucy wraps her arms around Tim and rests her head against his chest as Kojo runs off and lays down on his dog bed and Tim slowly walks them over to the couch where they take a seat next to Genny and the three begin to catch up.

()()()()()

It isn't long after Tim gets home that Lucy drifts off to sleep, comfortably nestled against his side. Between the combination of being exhausted from jujitsu, the amount of wine Lucy consumed before and after Genny came home, and relief from Genny's reaction to her relationship with Tim, it was the perfect cocktail for knocking out for the night.

Tim's not sleepy, but he knows Lucy's going to be miserable tomorrow if she stays in the crumpled position she's in, so he gingerly scoops her into his arms and moves to carry her into her room. She squirms a bit when he stands and groggily mumbles out, "what's going on?"

"I got you, baby," he assures her gently, "I'm just taking you to your room so you can sleep in your bed."

She seems to accept his answer, because she grips his shirt and rests her head contentedly against his chest and nods back off. When he places her in bed, he kisses her forehead and leans up to leave, but she grabs his arm as he pulls away, and mutters, "are you getting in bed with me?"

"In a little bit," he promises her. "I'm gonna spend some time with my sister. Goodnight, Luce."

"Night, babe," she mutters through a loud yawn.

When he turns to walk away, she calls out, "Tim?" and he turns on his heels in the darkness to face her.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Warmth spreads throughout his chest and the corner of his lip curls into a grin. "I love you, too."

()()()()()()

Tim heads for the fridge first, grabbing a bottle of beer and twisting the cap off with his shirt, and he falls onto the couch next to his sister, who is peering at him curiously with her legs curled and crossed.

"What?" He huffs.

"Nothing." She grins. "I just didn't know you could be such a big softie."

His eyes narrow and he scowls at her as he presses the cool bottle to his lips and takes another swig.

"She's good for you, you know that, right?" Genny remarks as she sits across from her brother.

His scowl softens and he blows out a heavy breath that's followed by a curl of his lip. "Yeah, I know. But don't tell her that. I don't want her getting a big head."

"I"m not so sure you're good for her, though, " Genny teases.

Tim's scowl returns. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you know how she told me about the two of you?" Tim shakes his head no and Genny fills him in on Lucy's bluntly crude comment.

He smirks and shrugs a shoulder, sipping from his bottle and muttering, "I don't see anything wrong with that. It's an accurate summary of what happened between us."

"I figured you had a hand in the way that came out," she chuckles.

"So, you really knew this whole time, huh?" He asks her.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out that you were at least sleeping together," she snorts. "I mean, you're like the grouchiest person I know and you've been walking around grinning like an idiot for over a month. You can't stand being smothered by people but you've been following Lucy around like a lost puppy and can't get enough of her, and you've been sneaking into her room like a horny cat burglar at night. You two are not nearly as smooth as you think you are."

He huffs, because he wants to disagree with Genny, but he knows it would be hard to argue that it wasn't easy to tell a difference in him since he and Lucy started things up, so instead he changes the subject.

I'm guessing your opinion on Lucy and I has changed since we were all having a civil conversation earlier and I didn't come home to World War III?"

Genny tilts her head and offers the same explanation she gave to Lucy earlier regarding her worries, but how she can clearly see they're happy and good together and that she has no plans to get in the way of that and that she's rooting for them.

"She really loves you, you know that, right?" She adds.

"Yeah?" There's a question at the end of his answer because he isn't sure where his sister is going with this.

"I just, I want you to understand how big of a deal that is for her. You're the one I was worried about when I could see things brewing between the two of you at the start, because I didn't want you to get hurt post Isabel and I was worried Lucy would be too scared to go all in with you, but Tim, she's alllllll in with you. She spent all night talking about you and how great you are with the goofiest smile I've ever seen on her face and it wasn't just because of the wine."

Tim leans forward and sets his beer on the coffee table, then rests his hands on his knees and exhales sharply. "Gen, I'm your big brother, so that means you've known me your entire life, right? 22 years."

"Yeah?"

"And in all that time, have I ever come across as wishy-washy to you? As someone who doesn't know what he wants or that just jumps into something without thinking it through?'

"No. Never."

He nods and runs his hands up and down his jeans. "This thing with Lucy, I'm not taking it lightly. I threw my wedding ring in the lake yesterday. Isabel called me and practically begged me to take her back and it never even crossed my mind to leave Lucy and run back to her. I'm not saying I'm sitting here planning out the rest of my life right now, but I meant it when I told her I love her and honestly, I can't imagine losing her." He pauses and his voice cracks a little. "She's the first person in my life that's ever put me first and made me a priority and I would never want to do anything to hurt her or jeopardize our relationship."

"Good," Genny smiles, her face clearly relieved. "Because I'd hate to have to kick your ass if you hurt her."

Tim eases forward and grabs his beer, muttering, "you're funny," as he nurses it.

"I'm hilarious," she agrees and she scratches her chin and teases him, "You know, I know what you see in Lucy, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what she sees in you."

"Clearly," he waves his hand up and down his body, "it's my good looks. Something you wouldn't know anything about," he quips back, "since I am the one in the family that got all those genes."

They banter back and forth, throwing playful jabs at one another until Tim finishes his beer and decides it time to join Lucy in bed. When he stands to toss his empty bottle, Genny stands with him and pulls him in for a hug, telling him, "I really am happy for you and Lucy and I really do think you're pretty great together."

"Thanks,' he mutters, hugging her back with one arm. "Night, sis."

"Night," she replies. "And Tim?"

"Hmmm?"

"Maybe, you know, just make sure you guys keep it quiet on the nights I'm home, or you know, just cuddle on those nights."

"Maybe, you know, invest in some earplugs or noise canceling headphones," he throws back at her with a smug smirk.

She groans, calls him impossible, and shakes her head and heads for her room while he tosses his trash, gets Kojo settled for the night, and tiptoes his way into Lucy's room and quietly slips into bed with her after stripping down to just his boxer briefs, trying his best not to wake her up, but she must feel the dip of the bed when lays down, because she rolls over and throws her arm around him, her head working it's way into the crook of his now bare shoulder and one arm winding around his lower abdomen.

He breathes her in, the familiar scent of her shampoo wafting it's way into his nose, and his body relaxes into her warm and comforting embrace as he closes his eyes and happily drifts off to sleep, his life feeling complete and full with the woman he loves safely and securely next to him.

Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Summary:

So my state is getting hit with a hurricane which means no work for me and that means more chapters for you all unless I lose power, which hopefully I won't since I should be far enough out to be safe. Enjoy and stay safe if you're also in the path.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks go by fast. Everyone finds out about Lucy and Tim's relationship, but to the couple's shock, no one is surprised. Not even Sgt. Grey. It turns out, there was a betting pool on whether or not they were actually already together and when they'd officially get together, and Nyla took home the pot and thanked the couple for padding Lyla's college fund.

Genny, true to her word, has been supportive of their relationship and things in the Bradford/Chen household are running smoothly. The siblings go out on double dates with their partners at least once a week, and the unspoken tension in Lucy and Genny's relationship has fully dissolved since the elephant in the room has been dealt with and the girl's are back to being the best of friends. Tim, however, still can't stand Rob, but does his best to tolerate him for Genny's sake.

Tim's divorce with Isabel is finalized days after their relationship is revealed to the public, and he's happy to officially have that part of his life behind him and is looking forward to the future. And, well, his future is looking bright

He took the T.O. exam a couple days ago, and he's expecting his results any day now. He feels far more confident in his results this time, though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a bit nervous and that fear of failure wasn't lingering in the back of his mind. But, between his homemade audiobook Lucy gave him and all the naked study games, he's almost certain he aced the exam.

Things are going great for Lucy, too. She's excelling in her job as a dispatcher and the entire department loves her. She's also doing great with jujitsu lessons and they've sparred together a few times. Once, she was even able to put him on his ass, which was strangely kind of a turn on and they might've ended up in another $1,000 fine and 6 months of possible jail time scenario.

In addition to doing well at work, Lucy's becoming fast friends with Harper and Lopez, which TIm can't fully decide whether or not that's a blessing or a curse. The three of them love to team up on him and he doesn't stand a chance in hell with all of them coming at him. He should really probably make more guy friends.

Lucy's got two weeks left working in dispatch before the woman she is filling in for returns from maternity leave, and then she'll have a week off before she starts the academy, which she's both excited and nervous for, though Tim has no doubt she's going to do great there.

They're supposed to spend the majority of that last week before she starts the academy on Lake Tahoe with his mom. It's their first trip away together and they'll have been together going on three months by then. He knows it's a family trip and his sister and her boyfriend will be there, too, but a part of him he wouldn't openly admit to anyone is looking forward to the trip and that milestone in his new relationship with Lucy.

He's enjoying all of their little firsts together. Jotting them down in the notepad of his mind and sealing them in his memory like they're carved in precious stone. He knows how significant all these moments are to Lucy. How important it is because these are true firsts in every sense of the word for her, but even if this isn't the first time he's in love, even if it's not the first time he's going out of town with a woman he loves, that doesn't mean he thinks reaching these steps with her is any less important. Hell, in a way it's almost more important, because until Lucy he didn't think he'd ever share moments like this with anyone again, and he's going to savor the fact that because of her, he can have these new memories.

So, while they're eating outside of the food trucks during lunch and she leans over and shows him the glow in the dark kayaking tour she booked for them during their trip, he doesn't growl, he doesn't gripe, he doesn't moan, he doesn't even roll his eyes. He just shrugs his shoulders and says, "What the hell. Why not? There's probably not nearly as many dead bodies or as much sewage in that lake as there is in the ocean. Let's do it."

"You two make me sick," Angela snarls, joining them at the table and stabbing her chicken tender violently with her fork.

Nyla and Nolan, who are behind Angela, take a seat at the table as well.

"You're in a lovely mood," Tim grunts to his best friend.

Pausing her hand with a chicken tender hanging by her fork in mid air, she growls at him.

"Is this a pregnancy thing?" Harper muses. "Being pregnant with Lyla made me unreasonably and disgustingly happy, maybe it's making you irrationally angry."

"Oh, I'm mad all right," Angela hisses, "but nothing about my anger is irrational."

"What did Wesley's mom do now and how much time am I going to have to spend fixing it?" Tim groans, which earns him a shove from Lucy and chuckles from Nolan and Harper.

"Not his mom," Angela mutters ruefully, "it's Wesley. And at this point, I don't even know if he's invited to the wedding."

Nolan arches a brow. "He's your groom. The groom kinda has to be there."

"Not if I kill him first."

"Okay, what's going on?" Lucy asks, shooting her new friend a worried look.

"Well, let's just say my baby daddy is a lying liar who lies."

"Wesley? Squeaky clean, justice for everybody, Wesley?" Harper scoffs.

"Yep. Except he isn't as squeaky clean as you think. I just found he's been lying to me basically our entire relationship."

"Wait, what?" Tim barks. His muscles tense and he can feel his blood pressure rise as he braces himself for Angela's response.

"I just found out Wesley was engaged to someone else."

"That son of a bitch," Tim growls and Lucy puts a hand on his knee as he tries to stand and angrily announces, "I'm gonna…"

"Slow your roll, Kemo Sabe. I didn't mean while he was engaged to me. I just meant that I found out today that he was engaged before me. To another lawyer. A woman named Monica he went to law school with. And get this, the relationship ended because he cheated on her.

"Damn, I did not see that coming," Harper comments, and the rest of the table hums their agreement.

"Wait, so how'd you find out?" Lucy asks.

"Well, I was out getting my morning bagel because baby Lopez-Everz does not play and needs their morning bagel, and I ran into this red head who was in front of me. She sees my ring and makes a comment about how gorgeous it is and that sparks up a conversation that leads to me telling her about Wesley, and lo and behold, next thing I know she's scoffing and wishing me luck, because in her words, I'm gonna need it with him and then she tells me her own story."

Lucy winces. "Ouch. Not good."

"Nope. Not at all." Angela stabs her chicken again. "So naturally I confront the lying bastard at his office and he admits to everything and now, here we are. I'm engaged to a lying liar who lies and carrying his spawn."

"Well, technically, Nolan points out, "he didn't lie. He just never told you about it."

The entire table cringes and Angela points her fork in Nolan's direction. "Boot, do you want to be next on my hit list?"

Nolan holds up his hands in defense. "No ma'am. Not at all. And I meant no disrespect, I was just trying to point out that maybe he didn't tell you because he was worried about your reaction and he was embarrassed about what he'd done. I mean, we all make mistakes, we're only human, and he might've been afraid you'd look down on him if you knew or that you wouldn't be able to trust him.

"Damn right I can't trust him now!"

"Well, what'd you say? What was his reasoning for not telling you?" Harper wonders aloud.

"Basically the same bullshit Nolan just spit out and that he was never in love with her and blew the relationship up on purpose because Monica was what his family wanted for him, not what he wanted."

"Maybe he meant it," Lucy tries to offer sympathetically. "I mean, I'm not saying he shouldn't have told you, he absolutely should have, but maybe he really was afraid you wouldn't give him a chance if you knew."

"Or maybe he didn't even think it was relevant because it was in the past before he met you and he knows he loves you and would never cheat on you," Harper offers.

"Oh, so if you found out Donovan had an ex-fiance he cheated on before marrying you, you'd be fine with it?"

"You want me to be honest here?" Harper replies.

"Yes, please. God knows that's all I'm asking for in my life is honest people."

"Okay," Harper nods. "I've cheated before, technically." The entire table stares her down and she waves them off. "Not on Donovan. On a guy I was seeing in college. We hadn't been together long and I'm not really sure if we were totally exclusive or not but we never said we weren't. Donovan and I had been friends for a while but not super close and he didn't know I was seeing the guy. Guy goes out town Halloween weekend and Donovan and I are at a party together. We had a few drinks, one thing led to another, and we hooked up. I called the guy the next day and ended things. I–I felt awful, but I liked Donovan a lot and had for a while and I could see a future with him. He's so uptight that I knew if I told him I'd been seeing someone else that he wouldn't have given us a chance and we'd have both missed out on something really great."

Uncomfortable silence fills the table.

"And this is why people don't always tell the whole truth," Nyla waves a hand in the air. "Mistakes make people look at you differently and they get uncomfortable. That story I just fed you all is total b.s. by the way. I wouldn't be dumb enough to confess something like that to you all knowing my husband still didn't know and it could somehow get back to him eventually, but it proved a point. All of you were judging me and thinking less of me for something I said I did far before you knew me and that has no reflection on the person I am today."

Nolan stares at her wide eyed. "You're a really good liar."

"Thanks, I know," she smirks proudly. "Before Lyla came along the plan was to have a career in undercover. Now, it's to be a detective by the time I'm 30." She turns her attention to Angela. "Listen, I"m not saying let Wesley off the hook, but, I am saying that a mistake he made with someone else years ago when he was young and dumb and finding himself isn't worth ruining what you two have over it. Just, calm down and talk it out, okay?"

Angela stabs another chicken tender and grudgingly nods.

()()()()()()()

On the way to Tim's truck after their shift, Lucy notices Tim is unusually quiet, and when they hop inside to head home, she gently pokes him in his side and frowns at him, asking, "What's wrong? You're unusually quiet. Even for you."

He tears his eyes from where they were staring blankly ahead at the parking garage floor and he flexes his fingers on his steering wheel as he meets her eyes. "That uh, that conversation at lunch with Lopez about Wesley, it–uh–it just got me thinking."

"Well, I promise I don't have any random ex-fiances out there," Lucy tries to quip, but Tim's face is stoic. "Babe," she rubs her hand up and down his thigh, "what's going on?"

He clears his throat. "I uh–I messed up in my marriage. A lot. I mean, I know Isabel was the one who got hooked on drugs and left me for someone else, but I wasn't always honest with her."

Lucy shifts uncomfortably. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't like her doing undercover work. I never liked the idea of her going that route, let alone the long ops that took her away for months at a time. I hated her being gone and I hated how it chipped away at who she was every time she came back. But I never said anything to her about how I felt. Hell, even when she first started using drugs I noticed a change in her. I could tell something was different, but I thought she was cheating and I kept convincing myself I didn't wanna know for sure if she was so I just kept my damn mouth shut. Never pushed her to talk to me. Never pushed her for anything. She lied to me, too. Never told me how bad she was hurting. How difficult it was to be on those ops and how she was losing herself out there.."

He shakes his head somberly. "I–I don't wanna make those same mistakes with you, Luce. I need us to make a promise that we aren't going to lie to each other. Ever. No matter how worried we might be about what the other might think, I need us to always be honest with each other."

Lucy reaches over and places a hand on his cheek, then tilts his face towards her and gently brushes her lips against his. "I promise," she whispers and offers him a reassuring smile. "We will always be honest with each other, Tim. We've been pretty great about it so far, haven't we?"

He smiles back and nods, his hands relaxing on the wheel and his muscles and the knot in his stomach unwinding. "Yeah, we have."

"Pranks don't count as dishonesty, right?" Lucy clarifies quickly.

"Of course not," he scoffs. "Pranking is the foundation of our relationship."

"And here I thought it was love, honesty, and respect," she playfully pouts.

"Those clearly come in second. Our prank wars are what helped me start to tolerate you in the first place."

"So romantic," she groans.

He grunts, "I'm not trying to be."

Chapter 47: Chapter 47

Chapter Text

The next day, as Tim and Lucy are heading out of the station at the end of their shift, Sgt. Grey calls out, "Brafdord, come here," and waves him over to his office. Tim glances over his shoulder, catching Lucy's eyes, and Grey notices the gesture and adds, "Chen can come, too."

The duo share a curious look as they stroll into the glass office, and Sgt. Grey is smirking as the door closes behind them.

WIth his hands resting on his duty belt, Grey evenly announces, "I thought you might like to know that I got the results from your T.O. exam back."

Tim's brows raise at the news and he swallows, his heart racing slightly in anticipation. He glances between Lucy and Grey and slides his hand up and down the strap of his gym bag that's slung over his shoulder as he stammers out, "Oh. Uh, that's uh, that's great. How–uh–how'd I do?"

Sgt. Grey extends his hand, a proud, beaming smile etched across his face, "You, Officer Bradford, are Mid-Wilshire's newest training officer. You scored in the top 8 of all applicants tested. Congratulations."

Before Tim can even respond, Lucy is jumping up and down and shouting, "Yes! I knew it." In fact, she almost lunges into Tim's arms the moment the words leave Sgt. Grey's mouth, but she pulls herself back in order to maintain an air of professionalism. She's bursting at the seams, overflowing with how proud she is of her boyfriend and how happy she is that he reached this goal for himself.

Sgt. Grey chuckles at Lucy's enthusiasm and looks fondly between the two.

"Thank you, sir," Tim returns the handshake firmly, still slightly in awe at the news but maintaining his composure. "I won't let you down in this new role."

"I have no doubt, son."

Tim grins slightly at the comment and nods,

"Well, I'll let you two go. I'm sure you both wanna celebrate. Have a nice night and I'll get with you tomorrow with more details and plans to set you up with your first boot."

()()()()()

Lucy hangs onto Tim's arm as they leave the station, proudly grinning the entire way out the door, but Tim's features remain schooled until they're in the privacy of the parking garage, and then a dopey smile erupts over his face and then he's backing her against his truck, his hands on her waist, and his mouth crashing down on hers.

"Can you believe it?" He mutters between kisses. "I passed. I'm an F.T.O."

"Of course you passed, babe," she mutters back, "I had no doubt. I mean, you had the best tutor, after all."

He hums and rests his forehead against hers. "I don't know about the best," he teases," but your teaching methods were definitely motivational."

She grips his shirt in the palms of her hands and stares into his eyes adoringly. "I'm so proud of you."

Tim does not blush. That's not something he does. But he can feel an inexplicable warmth across his cheeks when the words leave her mouth and he breathes out, "I'm excited!"

"Me, too! How do you wanna celebrate?"

Again, he's capturing her lips with his own until they're panting and breathless.

When he pulls away for air, he suggests, "Dinner at my favorite restaurant and then naked time?"

Still gripping his shirt, she seductively counters, "How about we skip dinner?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, I'm hungry. Besides, you're gonna need that fuel for later."

()()()()()()

Tim meant what he said when told Lucy she'd need that fuel for later, and in all their enthusiasm and celebration, Lucy's bed happens to break in the middle of things.

That also happened to be the exact moment Genny came home for the night, and all she heard was a loud, crashing thud coming from Lucy's room and she runs to her friend's bedroom door, which is thankfully locked, and jiggles the handle erratically as she frantically askes, "Lucy, are you okay? What happened?"

Behind the door, Lucy and Tim are both snickering wildly, and Lucy calls out, "Everything's okay. I just–uh–I think I need a new bed."

"Wait, what?" Sudden realization dawns over Genny and she gags. "Ew. Nevermind. Gross. I'm going to rip my ears off."

Again, cackling can be heard from behind the closed door and Genny sighs and heads to her room.

()()()()

Ten minutes later, the couple emerge from Lucy's room, both looking a bit bashful when they meet Genny in the kitchen on their way to let Kojo back inside.

Genny groans out, "I'm so glad I didn't come home five minutes earlier."

Blushing, Lucy scratches her neck. "Sorry. Uh, we thought you were staying with Rob and weren't expecting you home."

"Yeah, well, I decided I'd rather come home and take my chances hearing you two than deal with him tonight."

TIm steps forward and his protective brother mode is activated. "Did something happen? What did he do?"

"It's nothing," Genny dimisses. "We just had a little argument and we just need a night apart to clear our heads."

"You wanna talk about it?" Lucy offers.

"No." Genny plasters on a forced smile. "I'm good. Unlike your bed," the red head deflects. "Which I'm honestly surprised has made it this long because rolling over in your sleep made that thing rock back and forth.."

Lucy snorts and grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator while Tim opens the sliding glass door and lets Kojo in. "See, Tim, I tried to tell you not to let that go to your head and that it was just unstable."

He shrugs. "And yet no one else managed to break it until I came along."

"Ew." Genny points to herself. "Sister in the room. Right here."

"Sorry," Lucy mutters through an embarrassed chuckle. "We're just both in a really good mood."

Genny leans against the counter. "Why?"

"It's not a big deal, really," Tim mumbles. "I just found out earlier that I passed the F.T.O. exam and I'm going to be promoted to training officer."

"That's a huge deal! Genny exclaims, breaking out into a smile and moving forward to hug her brother. "Congratulations!."

The three share a beer to celebrate and at the end of the night, Lucy, Tim and Kojo head to his room to sleep since Lucy's bed is demolished and it's the first time that Tim has slept in his own room since his sister found out about his relationship with Lucy.

()()()()()()()()

On duty in the morning, Tim catches up with Angela to tell her his news. He's a bit worried about telling her, because the morning of the exam she texted him and told him she wasn't going to make it, citing the fact she was dealing with a terrible bout of morning sickness and was physically unable to make it in. He hates the thought of moving up without her, especially since Nyla has already moved up, and as much as he doesn't want to, he's going to offer to wait until she can take the exam to start his new position.

To ease the blow he assumes it is going to be, he brings her a scone from her favorite bakery and she instantly raises a suspicious brow at him.

"Timothy, what did you do?" Her voice carries an accusatory tone.

"Nothing!"

"Timothy, that's your guilty voice."

He sighs and motions for them to sit down. "I–ah–I got my T.O. exam results back."

"And?"

"I passed."

"Tim, that's great," she punches his shoulder playfully.

"Thanks. I ah-I know. But I know you couldn't take the exam and if you want me to, I can tell Grey I need to wait…"

"Lucy didn't tell you," she interrupts.

"Tell me what?"

Angela rests a hand over the swell of her growing belly and smiles. "Don't get mad, okay?"

He stares at her with narrowed eyes. "No promises."

She sighs and rolls her eyes. "I lied to you about the exam. I wasn't sick that day. I just didn't need to take the exam because I already passed last year."

"Wait, what?" His voice raises.

"Look, you were in a bad place with everything that was going on with Isabel and I didn't wanna move up without you, so I lied to spare your feelings."

"You did what?" He barks. "I don't need to be treated with kid gloves or like I'm some charity case."

"I wasn't treating you with kid gloves or like a charity case," she hotly defends. "I was being the friend you needed me to be but I knew you wouldn't let me be if you knew I passed and you didn't. It wasn't a big deal for me to wait another year."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "And why the hell does my girlfriend know this and I didn't?"

"Because I told her on our ride along, before she was your girlfriend. We talked about you a lot that day. In fact, I encouraged her to sleep with you, so you sort of have me to thank for the two of you getting together. You're welcome for both things, by the way."

"You shouldn't have lied to me,"he huffs.

"No, I probably shouldn't have," she admits. "But I'd do it again if it meant it helped you feel a little less shitty in a time in your life when you were feeling the shittiest."

He nods slowly and runs his hands up and down his uniformed pant legs.

"And don't you dare get mad at Lucy for not telling you," she warns. "I told her that in confidence and made her promise not to tell you."

"And yet you're surprised she didn't tell me?"

She shrugs a shoulder. "I mean, the two of you tell each other pretty much everything. It's actually quite shocking how great you communicate with her. I didn't know you had big boy words until she came along."

"Funny," he mutters. "So, you gonna be a T.O. now that I passed my exam?"

"Hell yeah," she holds her fist out to him so he can bump it. "Once this baby pops out you, Harper and I are going to be the three best T.O's Mid-wilshire has ever seen."

He returns her first bump and smirks.

"So…how are you and Wesley? I take it you didn't go home and murder him since I saw him when I walked in."

"We're okay," she chuckles. "We talked last night. A lot. And while I still wish he'd told me before, I get why he didn't. Neither of us have ever said much about our past relationships before and neither of us felt the need to because they aren't important to our current relationship with each other. Besides, I know he'd never cheat on me the way he did Monica. He's far too afraid of me."

"As he should be."

Chapter 48: Chapte 48

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

"You wanted to see me sir?" Tim announces himself after tapping light on Sgt. Grey's open door.

"Yeah. Have a seat," Grey nods to the empty chair in front of his desk.

Tim does as he's told and sits in front of his Sergeant with his hands folded in his lap and the two men begin talking about his new position.

"If you're ready," Grey eventually says, "I've got a new boot that I'd like you to start training on Monday. She's ex-military, like yourself, and I think you'd be a good fit for her."

"Absolutely, sir," Tim nods assuringly. "I'm more than ready."

"Good. Her name is Katie Barnes and she'll be here first thing in the morning on Monday. I've got no doubt you'll prepare her for life in the L.A.P.D."

"I'll make sure she's ready for what's waiting on the streets of L.A. or I'll make sure she doesn't make it through the program if she isn't." Tim stands to leave, scraping his chair across the tile floor. "Sir, I have a request. I don't know if you can fulfill it, but I need to ask."

Sgt. Grey leans back in his chair and studies Tim carefully as he speaks.

"You know Lucy's going to the academy in a few weeks and that she'd like to end up being stationed here for her training…" Tim begins.

"I do."

"Sgt. Grey," he pulls in a deep breath, "she is the most important thing to me in my life, I don't want just anyone to train her."

"I think I know where you're going with this, but son," Grey shakes his head, "you and I both know that there's no way in hell I.A. is going to allow me to let you train her, besides, if Barnes does good, then you'll already have a boot on your hands."

"No, I know. I wasn't asking to train her," though he wishes like hell there was some exception and he could be the one to train her, "I need Lopez to be the one to train her. I know she passed her T.O. exam last year and didn't move up because of me. And I also know she's ready now and wants to start being a T.O. as soon as the baby is born and she's off maternity leave, which should line up pretty well with Lucy graduating from the academy."

"And you're sure you want Lopez to train her, not an experienced T.O.?"

"There's no one at this station, aside from you, that I trust more with my life than Lopez and Harper. Harper already has her own boot and unless he washes out, which I think we both know at this point he isn't going to, then she can't do it. Lopez knows what Lucy means to me, and on top of that, she's a damn good cop. One of the best L.A. has to offer. Experience be damned, I know that if I can't do it, there's no one more suited to do it than her."

Sgt. Grey nods his understanding and promises, "I'll see what I can do."

()()()()()()

That evening, Lucy was picked up from work by Jackson because the two had plans to go to one of Sterling's plays. She enjoyed the time with her friend and watching his boyfriend on stage, and she's in a great mood whe Jackson drops her off at home and she's ready to see Tim and spend the remaining few hours of her night with him.

What she isn't expecting when she opens the front door, though, is to find her boyfriend and one of her best friends in the middle of a screaming match.

"There's no way in hell I'm doing that," Tim yells, throwing his hands in the air.

"He's our dad and he's dying," Genny cries.

'No. No, he isn't," Tim's voice is shaky and unsteady, "He's a glorified sperm donor who abused all of us and made our lives miserable. He can rot in hell for all I care and I hope it hurts."

"Tim, he's changed and he's sorry for everything he did to us.."

"How the hell would you know that?" He snaps.

Genny pauses, her lip quivering.

"Genny," he demands.

"I"ve been going to see him," she tearfully confesses. "The past two weeks, I"ve been going by the house to see him. He called me and told me he was in end stage liver disease and that he didn't want to die with his family hating him and that he wanted to make things right…I'm sorry, but I had to go see him and see if he was telling the truth, and Tim, he's sober and he's a different person and he is sorry."

The siblings have been so engaged in their argument that they haven't noticed Lucy, who has been stuck like a deer in the headlights watching their back and forth.

"That's a bunch of bullshit and you know it. People don't change. He's saying whatever he needs to say to get you to take care of him."

"You of all people should know how much addiction can change a person into the worst version of themselves," Genny shoots back, "and that getting sober can bring them back to a new version of who they were before."

Tim, overcome with negative emotions, loses it at his sister's comment and turns and punches the wall, leaving a fist shaped hole through the drywall and his knuckles scraped and bloody.

"Woah, babe, calm down," Lucy rushes to Tim and makes her presence known by placing a hand on his shoulder and reaching for his injured hand.

Tim jerks away from Lucy, his entire body shaking, and his voice quivers and softens when he meets her eyes, his own eyes glassy and his head shaking from side to side, he tells her, "I need to be alone right now."

"Tim," she calls out, but again he's shaking his head and reaching into his pocket for his keys before stomping out to the front door.

Lucy turns to Genny when the front door slams, her mouth gaping and her eyes as wide as saucers. "What's going on?"

Sniffling, Genny explains, "Our dad's dying. Doctor's say he has anywhere from 30 days to 3 months. I told Tim and I told him dad wanted to see him. It's his dying wish. I also told him that we need to fix dad's house up and sell it so we can pay for his medical care so he can be comfortable in his last days in a hospice facility where he can have around the clock care."

Lucy blows out a heavy breath, trying to decide best how to address the fight. "Gen, I know he's your dad, but the things he put Tim through…"

"I know. Okay? I know he was an awful person. I know he did terrible things. He really is sorry, Luce. He was an alcoholic and drinking made him become a horrible and abusive person. I don't blame Tim for being hurt and angry, I still am, too. But, he's the only dad I have and I'd like to get to know the good side of him while I still have a chance and to stop him from suffering as much as possible while he dies. He's still a human being and I don't want him to go out suffering if we can afford to get him good palliative care if we fix the house up and sell it."

"I get it," Lucy tries to sympathize. "I understand wanting a chance to know your dad, even if he wasn't the best person. I really do, because I wish I could've met my biological father at least once, to get answers to questions I'll never know the answer to, so I understand you needing that closure. But Gen, he did things to Tim that, from my understanding, he didn't do to your mom or you. He put his head through walls, he left him alone in a park when he was 7 and made him find his way home. He repeatedly beat him more times than he can count and I can't count how many scars on his body that I've seen that were left by your dad. No two children ever have the same parent, even if they have the same parents, and I know you might think Tim might regret not taking a chance to find his own closure with him, but I don't think you should push him to go see him. I don't think that it would be good for him and I don't think he wants or needs the closure you do."

Genny is quiet while she processes Lucy's words, and she nods her head, her eyes just as red as her hair and lower lip trembling. "I get it," she mutters through tears, "I get that he might not be able to see him. I'm not going to push him to do that. But I do need him to help me fix the house and sell it. I need to be a better person than our dad was and make sure he doesn't suffer the way he made us suffer. Plus, selling the house would be good for Tim and I, too. Dad said we could keep all the money left over after paying for his medical needs and it would rebuild Tim's savings so he can buy another house when he's ready and I could pay off my student loans and pay for grad school."

"I don't know if he can do that," Lucy replies solemnly. "It might be too much for him, Gen. Just, let him process things, okay? Let him have some time for the news to set in and think about how he feels about everything before bringing it up again."

Genny swallows and nods, tears flowing from the corner of her eyes, and Lucy rushes to her friend and gathers her into her arms, holding her while she cries into her shoulder.

()()()()()()

Tim returns home hours later, not uttering a word as he steps inside and tosses his keys on the coffee table. He immediately goes to the bathroom and takes a shower, then in only a towel, he heads straight to his bedroom and sits on the edge of the bed in the pitch black room.

Lucy, who'd been sleeplessly laying in bed waiting for him to come home, anxiously rolls over and asks him, "Hey, are you okay?"

He swallows, his voice thick with emotion, and replies, "No."

She tosses the covers off her body and waddles on her knees over to him, wrapping her body around him from behind, her legs intertwining around his waist at his back and her arms coming around his back and encircling his chest while she rests her head between his shoulder blades. She can feel his chest heave and she presses a tender kiss between his shoulder blades while she clings to him.

"I'm sorry," he breathes out in a raspy breath.

"For what?"

"Punching a hole in the wall. I–I shouldn't have done that. That's something he'd do. I shouldn't have…"

"Baby," she whispers, her own voice cracking, "it's okay. You don't go around doing things like that all the time. You're not a violent or mean person."

"I did when I was younger," he admits in a trembling tone. "I used to lose my temper and do things like that all the time, sometimes in front of Isabel after we were first married. Then, after Isabel left, I can't count the holes I put in the walls of our old home in the days and weeks right after. I–I saw the look in your eyes when I turned around after I did it. You were afraid…I–I don't wanna be like him. I don't want you to be afraid of me."

Again, she places a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades. "I'm not afraid of you, Tim. You're nothing like him. Nothing. You're a good person."

His head is hanging, his voice thick and scratchy. "I meant what I said about hoping it hurts when he dies and that I hope he rots in hell. Is that something a good person says about their father?"

"It's like you said earlier, he wasn't a father to you, he was your abuser. I don't think it makes you a horrible person for wanting him to feel what he made you feel." She tightens her grip around him. "What can I do for you? What do you need?"

"You," he rasps, his hands covering her arms as they rest over his chest. "I just need you."

"I'm right here, babe. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere," she promises.

Notes:

Please know that in no way will Tom Bradford be redeemed in this. He is a terrible human being, and like Tim, I hope it hurts.

Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Notes:

Here is a 2nd update for today. I'll try to get 2 more in this weekend. Thanks for reading.

Chapter Text

Tim falls asleep in Lucy's arms, and when he stirs himself awake the next morning, she's still right by his side, just as she promised, and it's clear she's been awake for a while.

"Morning," he mutters, rubbing his eyes, his voice husky with sleep.

"Morning," she replies, her fingers slowly working their way through his short hair. She can feel him relax into the way her fingertips are massaging his scalp, and he looks so much more peaceful than he did last night, so much more at ease. She bends down and kisses his forehead and offers him a loving smile. "Are you hungry? I could make you breakfast."

"I could eat," comes his lazy reply.

"Okay." Her fingers graze affectionately over his scalp one last time and she moves to roll out of bed, but she feels Tim's fingers graze over her wrist and he tugs her back to him, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his chest, and she gives in to his silent request and settles against his naked frame.

"Thank you," he whispers while he holds her close.

She presses a quick peck just above his heart and remains snuggled in bed with him for ten more minutes before starting breakfast.

()()()()()()()()

Lucy has to work today, but Tim doesn't, so she eats breakfast with him, cooking enough for all 3 housemates before she heads out and kisses Tim goodbye before borrowing Tim's truck with his consent for her shift.

While Tim sits at the table and finishes munching on his toast and sipping his coffee, his sister emerges from her bedroom, awkwardly glancing at the floor and spinning on her heels the moment she notices her brother.

"Genny," he sighs, his toast falling to his plate and his hand lowering his coffee cup to the table, "let's talk."

Genny's lips are pressed together tightly and she gingerly pads her way into the kitchen, fixing her own cup of coffee and taking a seat across from her older brother. Despite the fact that Tim asked her to talk, a heavy silence fills the room and the siblings are left staring at one another until, in unison, they say, "Listen, I…" and then they share a laugh.

"Can I go first?" Genny asks and Tim nods. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about going to see dad or his illness sooner. It's just, I knew how you'd feel about it and I didn't want you talking me out of it, the same way you didn't wanna tell me about you and Lucy until you were ready because you didn't want me trying to talk you out of that."
Again, Tim nods, because he understands that perspective, even if he doesn't understand why she felt the need to see their father.

She goes on to explain her point of view to her brother the same way she explained it to Lucy last night while Tim listens intently.

"I don't expect you to go with me to see him," she adds. "It's okay if you can't or don't want to. I understand you have to do what's right for you. But Tim, I really think we should fix the house up and sell it. I know you don't care how dad goes out, and I don't fault you for that, if you can't do it for him, do it for me, please."

He runs a hand over his face. "Look, the place is a dump. It was built in the 50's. I doubt it's worth the time or energy that goes into fixing it up…"

"It has good bones," she argues. "And the way the housing market is now, we could make a killing. If you can't do it for me, do it for you and for Lucy."

"What?"

"Come on, you and I both know how serious you two are. You're not going to want the three of us to live together forever. We could make enough off the house to pay for all dad's expenses and split the rest so you could have a nice down payment on a new place for the two of you."

"Okay," Tim holds up his hands, "Lucy and I have not looked that far into the future yet, first of all. Second, do you really think we could make that much off it?"

"I do. Lucy and I watch HGTV all the time, and with the right updates, you wouldn't believe what houses in our area are being flipped for these days. It's a seller's market."

"And you seriously think he's actually going to follow through and let you keep the money?"

"Tim, must I keep reminding you, I'm not an idiot. I've already talked to him about having papers drawn up for power of attorney, medical directive, and a will. I figured we could hire your friend Wesley to get all of the paperwork ready and signed off on."

"Wesley isn't my friend, he's more like friend-adjacent because he's my best friend's fiance." Genny rolls her eyes and Tim continues, "I hate that house, Gen. It's filled with awful memories."

"I know. But we had some good ones there, too. The two of us and mom."

"We did." His fingers drum on the table. "I'll think about it. Okay? That's all I can give you right now."

"I'll take it," Genny smiles.
"Hey, uh," Tim's throat bobs, "what you said about Lucy and I getting our own place someday, has–ah–has Lucy said something to you about wanting that?"

Genny doesn't tell him about the fact that Lucy pointed out they could very well be sister-in-law's someday or that Lucy could possibly bear her future nieces and nephews. She doesn't tell him because it's pretty clear that they haven't talked about those sorts of things together yet, and because she isn't sure if Lucy meant those things or if they were simply part of her nervous ramblings during her confession about her secret relationship with Tim.

"No," Genny shakes her head. "It's just, that's where relationships eventually go when people are in love, right? Buying houses, being engaged, getting married, kids, the whole nine yards."

He purses his lips and nods. "Right."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"How was work?" Tim asks when Lucy walks through the door that evening.

"It was good," she replies, heading towards Kojo and giving the happy boy a scratch behind the ears. "How was sitting at home all day?"

"Productive." He nods towards the newly plastered drywall. "Patched the hole. Did the dishes. Cut the grass. Got a good workout in."

"Maybe talked to your sister?" She questions hopefully.

"Talked to my sister," he chuckles.

She walks away from Kojo after handing him a treat and takes a seat next to Tim on the sectional. "Did you decide whether or not you're going to help with the house?"

"I don't know," he whistles through his teeth.

"Well, I talked to Nolan at work, and if you decide on fixing up the house, he'd be willing to lend a hand and with all his contractor experience he seemed to think it'd be a good investment and if you do the work yourselves, it wouldn't cost that much."

"Are you taking Genny's side?" He bristles.

"No," she rests a hand on his knee. "I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm here to listen to you both and if you can't do it, you can't do it and that's fine, Tim. I'm just trying to help you explore all the options."

"I didn't mean to snap at you, Luce, I'm sorry," he exhales sharply. "It's just–I–I don't wanna relive some of those memories and if I'm in the house…"

"I get it, babe, I do." She squeezes his knee. "I'm here for you no matter what you decide, just like I promised I'd be."

"I know," he throws his arm around her and pulls her close, placing a kiss to the top of her hair as her head falls on his shoulder. "As much as I hate that damn house, I love my sister more."

"I know you do. And I think she really needs you to do this with her, but it's okay if you can't."

"You'd help us fix it up? If I decide to go that route?"

"Are you kidding? I've been dreaming about remodeling a house, for like, ever. Of course I would. Besides, you'd look really hot with all those power tools in your hand."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm. And uh–maybe you and I could make some good memories in that house." She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

He adjusts himself so he can move in and steal a kiss, one that's slow and sweet at first, until it grows heated and he's laying her back on the couch, climbing on top of her, his hands cupping her face and his hips bucking into her.

"Maybe we can make some good memories on this couch right now?" He suggests huskily as he reaches for the bottom of her top.

Chapter 50: Chapter 50

Notes:

Update 3 for today.

Chapter Text

After a lot of thought, Tim decides to help Genny remodel their dad's house. The prospect of rebuilding his savings is too tempting to turn down, and Genny made a valid point, the housing market is much more expensive than when he bought his first home, and if and when he decides to buy again, it would be nice to have a cushion when purchasing a new home that he didn't have to save years and years for while paying outrageous amounts of rent.

He absolutely isn't planning to see his father, though. He doesn't care if the man has two hours, two months, or two years left, he's not going to visit him and honor his dying wish. The man is a monster, and no matter what Genny believes, he knows in his heart his father hasn't changed.

Thankfully, Genny is respecting his decision to continue maintaining his distance, though she visits their dad once a week and had the man moved to a hospice facility and got with Wesley to set up all the needed paperwork for power of attorney, medical directive, and a will that named both Tim and Genny the sole beneficiary of Tom Bradford's estate in the event of his passing.

With Tom in a hospice facility, that's how Tim, Lucy, Genny and Nolan end up spending their weekend in the Bradford sibling's childhood home, beginning their journey of demolition and reconstruction.

Nolan and TIm decide together that an open floor plan would help them get the most bang for their buck when re-selling, so they decide to take down a wall in the living room. Nolan, who happens to own all the tools they need, runs out to his truck to grab sledge hammers and saws, and Genny's eyes follow the man appreciatively until he disappears out the front door.

"Are you checking Nolan out?" Lucy teases her friend with a mischievous grin.

Genny shrugs and smirks back at her friend. "I mean, he's pretty good looking."

Tim's brows wrinkle and a deep frown forms on his face. "Nolan? You think Nolan's good looking?"

"Yeah," Genny scoffs, as if her brother shouldn't even have to ask.

"He's old."

"You're old," Genny counters.

"Not that old," he retorts. "You're closer in age to his son than you are to him."

"Luce, back me up here. Tell your boyfriend the man's not bad to look at."

"He's definitely not ugly," Lucy offers and Tim's frown deepens, which makes Lucy giggle and she walks over to Tim and wraps her arms around his waist. "Don't worry, I still think you're a very handsome boy."
"More handsome than him," he grudgingly mutters with pouty lips and Lucy leans up on tiptoes and places a peck to his lips.

"Gag," Genny groans.

"What are we gagging about?" Nolan asks when he steps back inside.

Genny nods in the couples direction. "Them. They're disgustingly happy and I should not be subjected to the torture of my best friend and my brother locking lips."

"I actually think it's kind of sweet," Nolan muses, "I mean, your brother's a lot less terrifying when he's around Lucy."

"What's that boot?" Tim growls.

"Nothing sir," the other man shakes his head. "What I meant was, Officer Bradford is absolutely horrifying all the time, even when his girlfriend has her arms around him like he's a giant teddy bear."

"Let's get to work," Tim barks as he steps away from Lucy. "We're burning daylight."

As Genny turns to take her tools from Nolan, her eyes fall to the mantle and she looks to Tim and nods, "Awwww, do you remember how mom made us pose in front of the mantle before every formal dance we had?"

"My parents did that, too!" Lucy squeals and holds up her wrist. "And I always had to wear those little corsages."

"Yes, I hated those!"

"We're not doing this," Tim groans. "This isn't story time. We are not walking down memory lane. This is about fixing up the house and selling it."

"Come on, Tim," Lucy points out, " you two are ending a huge chapter of your lives and this could help you find closure."

Tim ignores his girlfriend and places safety glasses over his face, then picks up a saw and turns it on, sarcastically muttering, "What? I can't hear you."

"I said you need closure!" Lucy shouts.

"What?" He repeats, staring at her as the saw vibrates rapidly in his hand and the rumbling noise it emits fills the room.

She rolls her eyes at him, but she's grinning affectionately, and she loudly tells him, "I said you're an idiot."

()()()()()()

About an hour later, Tim's ripping off drywall when something shiny catches his eye that's been hiding behind the wall for who knows how long, and he mutters, "What the hell?"

The other three pause their work and face him curiously.

"What is it?" Genny inquires.

"There's something behind the wall."

"Is it my Malibu barbie? I've been looking for her since I was 8 and I bet she's worth a fortune now," the red head quips.

"No, it's metal." He leans down and reaches his hand behind the wall, and to his surprise, he pulls out a small handgun.

"Is that a gun," Lucy states, but it's more from shock, and less of a question.

He nods and holds it up carefully by the butt and inspects it closely. "The serial number is filed off."

Genny's arm fold across her chest. "That's not good, right? That's what criminals do, isn't it."

"Yeah," he mutters curtly. "I need to take this in."

"Well, wait! Can't Nolan take it to the station instead?" Genny suggests.

"No, he's a rookie, he can't handle evidence on his own."

"You could call someone else from the station to come get it," Nolan helpfully suggests, which earns him a hateful scowl from Tim.

"No. Everyone else has their hands full protecting the streets of L.A. I'm gonna handle this myself."

"Yeah, that's about right. I knew you'd do this," Genny grumbles. "Find an excuse to leave."

"Genny, I'm a cop and this is quite possibly evidence from an actual crime. I've gotta take this in. I'll be back as soon as I can. Boot," he orders sternly, "stay with my sister until I get back."

"Yes, sir," comes Nolan's obedient reply.
Tim storms off towards the door, glancing behind himself and catching Lucy's eyes to silently ask if she's coming with him, and Lucy looks apologetically to her friend and mouths, "I'm sorry," before following after her boyfriend.

()()()()()()

As they ride to the station, Lucy gently asks him, "Are you sure you don't wanna hand this off to someone else once we get there?"

"No. I'll handle it," he insists.

"Are you using this as an escape? Is it too much being there?"

"It's just a house," he mumbles, his fists locked tightly around the steering wheel as he stares straight ahead.

"Tim," she carefully presess.

He blows out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and shakes his head, "It's a lot. Being there. Brings it all back, you know?. But I can handle it. This gun, Luce, I need to know what this is about. And I need to be the one to handle it."

"Okay, just checking," she replies, reaching up and over to rub his shoulders while he drives.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Once they're at the station, the gun is sent down for evidence and to be processed and Tim wanders his way into the bullpen where he paces anxiously. Lucy slips away while he's distracted and bribes the man in charge, Dexter, to hurry things along by using her charm and buying ten boxes of girl scout cookies from his kid.

It takes less than an hour before the report is back and Tim reads in the file that striations from the gun match up with a bullet from a homicide 14 years ago.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asks, noticing the troubled look that washes over Tim's face and reaching out to place her hand on his bicep.

He fills her in on what he just read and adds, "This man, Frank Ochoa, was our neighbor. Got killed in what was said to be a botched home invasion when I was 14. This is the same weapon used in the murder."

The color drains from Lucy's face and her heart sinks for Tim. "You don't think…"

Tim slaps the file in his head. "Yeah, I do. It makes sense. Why else would the murder weapon be hidden in our freaking wall?"

"What do you remember from that night?

"Uh, not much. I had a football game. Mom took me and Genny and dad stayed home, like always. When we got home there were cops everywhere."

Lucy glances over the file in Tim's hand. "It says your dad had an alibi. Um, Frank's wife, Monica. It says here she was at the house and he was helping her with her taxes."

"Monica is not a solid alibi," he mutters through clenched teeth. "She's the woman I told you about before that my dad had an affair with."

"And uh, if Frank discovered the affair," Lucy pieces together.

"Then my dad would've had a motive to kill him," he finishes for her.

"Okay. But," she sighs, "why hide the murder weapon in the wall of your family home? I mean, why not dump it down a storm drain or into the ocean." She knows she's grasping at straws and all the evidence is pointing to the fact that Tom Bradford is a cold blooded killer, but she desperately doesn't want that to be the case and for Tim and Genny to have to deal with that knowledge on top of all the other horrid things the man has done.

Tim's shoulders slump and he somberly mumbles, "I don't know, but I'm gonna find out."

Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Notes:

Here's a 5th and possibly final update for the weekend. They've been coming out back to back because my creative juices have been flowing like crazy. I know these last few chapters were similar to 4.9 in many ways, but that episode is so integral to their relationship and I really wanted to add my own spin to it and bring it to life in this AU. I hope I've done it justice and that you all have enjoyed these last few updates, even though they were a bit heavy and our boy was kinda sad and insecure, which is not our normal Tim.

Chapter Text

Tim's solution to finding out the truth involves bringing in Frank Ochoa's wife for questioning immediately, and Lucy all but has to beg him not to be the one to go into the interrogation room with her.

"Listen to me," Lucy firmly tells Tim as she takes his hand in hers, "you cannot be the one to go in there."

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this," he insists.

"Tim," she pleads, her voice softening, "she is your father's mistress."

"Exactly," he huffs, "and she's his alibi, which means if anyone in the world knows whether or not he killed Frank, it's her."

"You cannot be the one to question your father's mistress. You've gotta do this right."

He takes a step back and nods, knowing she's right, but hating it at the same time. "Okay. I'll call Lopez. But I'm staying behind the glass and watching."

"And I'll be right beside you the whole time," she promises, "but babe, you've gotta calm down and you've gotta breathe."

()()()()()()()()()()

The couple watch as Angela interrogates Mrs. Ochoa, and while it's clear the woman is uncomfortable and hiding something, she doesn't break. In fact, she insists on ending the interview before Angela can really get anywhere with her.

And that does not sit well with Tim, who storms out behind her before Lucy can stop him, and he catches her in the hallway, where she's clearly taken aback by his presence, and she squints and stutters out, Tim? Little Tim Bradford?"

He nods, his lips pressed together tightly, and he doesn't waste time getting to his point. "Mrs. Ochoa, did my father leave at any point the night your husband was murdered?"

"Of course not!" She spits out quickly. "You think I lied to the police?"

"Look, I know you two were having an affair…"

"Excuse me!"

"It–it's fine. It was a long time ago. But if you're protecting him…"

"That's it," she barks, her patience gone as she storms off and bellows, "I'm done."
Tim watches her storm off and through clenched teeth, he hisses, "she's lying."

Lucy and Angela share a weary look and Lucy rubs his back and agrees, "maybe, but we can't prove it.

"If I can't get her to confess, I'll get him to," Tim vows and he walks off.

Angela winces and catches Lucy's eye. "He's in rare form tonight."

"Yeah," Lucy exhales deeply, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "I've never seen him quite like this. Have you?"

Angela nods somberly. "Right after Isabel left."

"How do I fix it?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Angela sighs. "You can do more with him than anyone can. Just go with him. Be there for him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"I'll try," Lucy mutters, jogging off to catch up with him.

()()()()()()()

Tim doesn't talk on the way to the hospice facility, and Lucy decides not to push him on the drive over, but when they pull into the parking lot and he puts his truck in park, she turns to face him, and pointedly asks, "We promised not to lie to each other, right?"

His brows knit together and he tilts his head at her. "What?"

"We promised we wouldn't lie to each other. Remember?""

"Yeah? What's that gotta do with anything going on right now?"

She pulls in a heavy breath. "What are we doing here, Tim?"

His eyes scan the parking lot outside and he shakes his head, unable to meet her eyes, as he mutters, "I don't know."

"You're scaring me, Tim."

He recoils at her words, the hurt evident on his face.

"Not because I'm afraid of you, because I'm not. I'm afraid of what you're going to do and how that's going to impact you. You're not thinking clearly and I need you to calm down and focus. Can you do that for me?"

His throat bobs and he nods, still avoiding her gaze. "I just–I need to confront him. I need to know if he did it."

"Okay. Okay. Well, I'll go in with you and…"

"No. I don't want you anywhere near him."

"This is not negotiable, Tim," she firmly insists. "I'm not letting you go in there alone. You're too emotional."

"And you think I won't be even more emotional if you go in there and he says something or does something to you?"

"I think that, no matter what, you'll listen to me if I'm in there," she calmly reasons. "I made you a promise that I'd stay beside you the whole time during this ordeal with the house, and that includes this part, too. So stop arguing with me and let me be there for you. Okay?"

"Okay," he reluctantly agrees.

()()()()()()()

Lucy holds Tim's hand as they walk through the hospice facility, only letting go once they reach Tom's door. She watches Tim pull in a shaky, steady breath before opening the door, and she follows closely behind him as he steps inside the room.

Tom Bradford clearly wasn't expecting his son, and the man is as wide eyed as if he'd seen a ghost the moment he registers the fact that Tim is standing in front of him.

"Oh man. Never thought I'd see you again. Genny finally convinced you to visit?"

Tim takes the site of his father in. The man who once towered over him and made him cower in fear looks so small and feeble in the hospital bed, his skin yellowing and oxygen tubes shoved up his nose. It's almost enough to make Tim feel sorry for the bastard. Almost.

"Wow, liver really did a number on you, old man."

"Eh, I don't have it so bad here. Nurses all love me. It's just, no one will bring me that shot of Patron I keep asking for."

Tim's eyes narrow to the shot glass filled midway with gold liquid on his father's dinner tray.
"Apple juice," Tom clarifies. "It's a joke."

Tim hums and shakes his head. "You always seem to have someone looking after you. Even when you don't deserve it."

"Something on your mind, son?"

Tim's skin crawls at the use of the word son, but he shakes it off, determined not to let the man see any weakness or vulnerability in him. "Remember Frank Ochoa? Lived down the street. Shot to death 14 years ago." Tom doesn't respond, and Tim grudgingly mutters, "I'm sure you remember his wife, Monica."

"Can't say that I do," Tom coyly responds.

"Come on," Tim groans in irritation, "you were sleeping with her behind mom's back."

"Where'd you get that from?" Tom snorts, as if it is the most absurd thing he could be accused of.

"Because I saw you two together when I was thirteen!" Tim bites at him, his resolve not to show emotion slipping.

"Oh. Crap."

"For some reason I still don't understand, I lied for you, lied to mom."

"Poor little Tim-Tim," all traces of friendliness disappear from Tom's voice and are replaced with red hot anger and malice. "What are you bitching about? You kept your mouth shut. You did good. Now get over it." Tom nods behind Tim, to Lucy, who has been standing there with her hands clasped in front of her. "Who are you to judge me anyhow? Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, because I might be old and dying and I may not have seen you in years, but I do know that hot little piece of ass sure ain't your wife."

"I'm nothing like you, Tim growls calmly. "You're right, Lucy's not my wife, she's my girlfriend. I'm not married anymore. And you'd know that if you weren't such a shitty father and I didn't have to cut you out of my life."

"Well, good for you on getting divorced. Best thing that ever happened to me was when your bitch for a mother left me for no good reason."

Tim wants to go off, he wants to lose it on his dad, but Lucy puts her hand on his back and he reigns himself in. "I'm not here to talk about mom or to play catch up on my life with you. You don't deserve to know anything about either or us."

"Then why are you here?"

"I found the gun you used to kill Frank today. But one thing I don't get, is why'd you do it? D–did you want Monica all to yourself? Ruining one family just wasn't enough for you, was it?"

"And so what if I did?" Tom challenges, snatching his oxygen tube from his nose and tossing it to the side as he rises from bed and steps towards Tim. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Get back in bed," Tim warns, his jaw setting stiffly.

"Make me," Tom dares his son, puffing his chest out and leaving only about an inch of space between them. When Tim doesn't respond to his threat, Tom mumbles, "that's what I thought," and he turns and walks back toward his bed, winded and shaky as he takes a seat. "You're right. I killed Frank. But he had it coming. So screw him, and screw you," he holds out his hands, "put the cuffs on me and drag me away from my death bed, like the big man you are."

Tim looks to Lucy, who is watching him carefully and with concern filled eyes, then he looks to his father and warns him "this isn't over."

"Get the hell out of here," Frank shouts, tossing his food tray.

()()()()()()

Once they get back to the station, Tim gets to work typing up his father's confession, and Lucy excuses herself to talk to Angela, making Tim promise her that he won't leave the station without coming to find her.

As he is finishing his report, Lucy is reappearing in his line of vision, and he taps out the last sentence and tells her, "I just need to call the D.A. and then…"

"Tim," she tries to interrupt.

"Once I get a hold of Del Monte we can start the process of filing charges…"

"Tim…"

"I'm going to be the one to arrest him and put him in handcuffs.."

"Babe," she raises her voice when he continues to ignore her and places a finger under his chin and tilts his head until he's looking up into her eyes. She shakes her head and tells him. "I called Angela and had her convince Monica Ochao to come back in while you were working on this."

"Wha–why?"

"Because I knew in my heart there was more to her story and you–you couldn't see past the version you wanted to see."

He blinks at her, his lips opening and closing several times before he finally gets out, "What did she say?"

"She confessed. It was her, not him. Angela is processing her now."

"H-how did you know?"

"Her body language the entire time Angela was interviewing her. It was clear she was hiding something. That she was afraid for herself. If he did it, she wouldn't have been so secretive and she probably would've been trying to throw him under the bus to make sure she was saving herself. She had no reason to protect him after all these years. It's been over ten years since she's even seen him and she has no ties to him anymore."

His voice is broken, vulnerable, and dejected. "And yet, he was still trying to protect her. After all these years."

"I'm sorry," her lips tremble seeing the man she loves in such a worn-down state and she moves behind him and leans down and wraps her arms around his neck. "I love you."

"Love you too," he replies in a throaty, hushed whisper.

()()()()()()

Tim and Lucy leave Mid-Wilshire and drive back over to the hospice facility, and somehow, Tim convinces Lucy to let him go inside his father's room alone this time. He's much calmer than he was the first time they were here, more composed and in control of his emotions, but even so, Lucy is waiting right outside of Tom's door for him in case he needs her.

This final confrontation is something he needs to do alone, and as much as he thought he didn't need it, he has to admit that maybe does need some type of final closure.

He's clutching that bottle of Patron his father asked for in his hand when he enters the room, and his eyes are already misty, his voice raspy and unsteady, when his father meets his eyes and nods to the botte in his hand, commenting, "you brought me a present."

"Think of it as more of a push," Tim responds cooly, pouring his father shot and setting it in front of the old man.

Tom wastes no time downing the smooth liquid, licking his lips as it burns all the way down his throat.

"You didn't kill Frank," Tim says evenly.

"Sure I did," Tom snorts. "Now cuff me. Get this over with."

Tim shoves his hands deep into his pockets. "Monica confessed."

"Leave her out of this!" Frank yells.

"Frank was beating her," Tim continues, calmly, unfazed by the outburst. "She fought back. Shot him. She was terrified and ran to you. You concocted the burglary story and helped her stage the house, then you hid the gun in the drywall in case the cops ever got too close and you needed to frame someone else."

"He was a brutal, abusive, bastard who got what he deserved," Frank growls.

"He was an abusive bastard?" Tim scoffs incredulously.

"You think I'm like him? I'm nothing like Frank. I taught you what you needed to know. You're a man now because of me."

"No," Tim snarls, "I am who I am in spite of you. When I have a son someday, I'm going to know exactly what not to do because of you. I will never put my wife and kids through the hell you put us through."

"You talk a big game for someone who's already fucked up one marriage and been divorced before he's thirty. We'll see how those words come back to eat you on your second go around when you add kids in the mix on top of it all."

"You won't see. You wouldn't get to see it even if you weren't dying. Goodbye, dad. I hope it hurts."

()()()()()()

The moment Tim steps out of his father's room, he leans against the white walls of the hallway, his head colliding with the cold cement walls while Lucy rushes to his side and winds her arms around him, her voice thick with concern as she asks him, "Are you okay?"

"No," he admits sadly and his voice falters, "he was protecting her. He never did anything to protect us," he bites down on his bottom lip, "but his mistress, he broke half a dozen laws to protect her."

Lucy clings to him, holding him as tight as she can, and she reluctantly tells him, "I ah–I talked to Angela. Del Monte said that they aren't going to prosecute your dad on his deathbed."
"Doesn't matter," he mumbles, "he'll be judged soon enough." His jaw trembles and he utters out a promise, he isn't sure if it's more to himself, or to Lucy, or both, "I'm never going to be like him. I'd never put you through what he put my mom through."

"I know, baby," she assures him, her hand rubbing up and down his back.

"I'd never," he chokes out, "I'd never put our kids through what he put me through."

Lucy's hand stills, her entire body freezing in place, and she can't even blink while Tim's words replay in her ears. She's not sure if he's speaking about some hypothetical children that his mind conjured up from the hurt and weight of today, or if these hypothetical children of theirs absolutely exist in his mind already in plans for their future, but what she does know is that the very mention of them should shock and terrify her to her very core, but it doesn't. In fact, flashes of these hypothetical children play in her mind like a slideshow, a boy and a girl that are the perfect mixture of them both, and her breath hitches in her chest.

Now is not the time to bring that up, though, and it's not the time to remain frozen in place, so she forces the words, "I know, baby," out of her mouth for the second time and keeps rubbing his back, because she knows it's what he needs right now.

()()()()()()()

When they finally get back to the Bradford childhood home, Genny and Nolan have made good progress in tearing down the walls that separated the kitchen and living room and cleaning up the mess, in fact, all that's left is residual dust on the floor from the drywall, which Genny and Nolan are in the middle of sweeping up.

"Nolan," Lucy gestures to him when they step inside, "do you think you could help me outside for a minute, I need your opinion on the backyard and updates we could make there."

Nolan glances a bit apprehensively between the siblings and back to Lucy, but he agrees, stating, "absolutely, in fact, I bet we could come up with plans for a cheap gazebo to spruce things up a bit back there."

With Lucy and Nolan outside, Tim makes his way over to his sister and moves to take the broom from her, offering, "let me."

"I got it," she roughly insists. "I'm good at cleaning things up on my own. Have been for the last six years."

"I know you are. And I don't know how many times I can say it, but I"m sorry I wasn't around much until the past few months."

"I know," she sighs, pausing her sweeping and leaning on the broom. "I don't mean to keep bringing it up."

"This isn't easy for either of us and it's bringing up a lot of bad memories for both of us."

"No. It's not easy," she agrees, "and it's definitely stirring up some negative feelings.."

Tim is the one to initiate a hug, holding his arm out for her sister to slide under, which she does.

"Look, I can fix this place up myself. Get Nolan and a few guys from the station to help out when they can. We'll still split the money, but you won't have to deal with the stress of it."

"No," she replies with determination. "This was our home and we're family. We're doing this together. We're gonna fix and sell it and then be done with it. All of it."

"Okay," he agrees.

"What happened with the gun?"'

He lets go of Genny and grabs the broom Nolan discarded on his way to the backyard with Lucy, ignoring his sister's question and busying himself with sweeping.

()()()()()()

It's late when they all head home and all four of them are exhausted. Nolan goes back to his house, while Genny goes to Rob's, and Tim and Lucy head to their house.

They're covered in sweat and grime, and much to Kojo's displeasure, he's left in the backyard a little while longer while Tim and Lucy hop in the shower to get clean.

As the hot water cascades over their naked bodies, Tim cups Lucy's face in his hands and kisses her desperately. Not necessarily in a sexual way, though his body does respond that way because they're naked and pressed together, but in a gentle, loving, appreciative way that he hopes conveys how much she means to him.

And in case it didn't, he presses his forehead against hers when he pulls away, and tells her, "Thank you for everything today. I love you so damn much."

Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Chapter Text

"So," Lucy asks, her fingers intertwined with Tim's free hand as he drives them to work on Monday morning, "are you nervous about taking on your first rookie?"

"No," he replies easily, and there's no trace of deception in his tone.

"Seriously? Not even a little bit?" She presses.

"Come on," he scoffs. "It's not like I haven't been in a position to train people before. I did it all the time in the military. I've got everything I need to do to teach this woman all planned out."

"And let me guess," she smirks at him, "your plan is to torture this poor girl like you did me the day I rode with you, when you tossed me out of the car and made me walk because I didn't know where we were when you slammed on brakes."

He shrugs a shoulder. "You can't say that wasn't effective, it came in handy when I got shot and you already knew where we were to call over the radio."

Lucy hums and shakes her head. "I suppose it did come in handy when I had to save your ass." Her comment earns a narrowed eye glare from Tim. "Just, don't be too much of an ass, okay? It's her first day and I'm sure she's super nervous."

"Look, I'm not here to be this woman's friend. I'm here to make sure she's prepared for the realities of the L.A.P.D. and that a little over a year from now it will be safe for her and our community for her to be alone on our streets. If that means I've gotta be a hard ass, so be it." He can feel Lucy's scrutinizing gaze, and he adds, "Listen, she's ex-military, she's gonna be able to handle the tough shit I throw at her. She'll be used to way worse and I'm sure she can survive walking a few miles beside the shop, having her duty belt stolen, and whatever else I come up with for my Tim tests."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then she washes out and Grey gets me a rookie that can."

()()()()()()()()

While Tim heads off towards the locker room, Lucy spots an unfamiliar face in uniform on her trek to the communications office and when her eyes scan the name tag and she finds it reads, "Barnes," she makes it a point to approach the woman with a friendly smile and introduce herself.

"Hi," she waves eagerly, offering the short haired woman a bright smile. "Are you-uh-are you the new rookie?"

"I am," the woman replies with a nervous chuckle. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little, but mostly because I'm pretty used to all the faces around her by now and I haven't seen you before." She extends her hand. "My name's Lucy. Lucy Chen. I work over in the communications office."

"Nice to meet you," Officer Barnes replies, shaking her hand in return. "My name's Katie. Katie Barnes. Or, um, Officer Barnes."

"So, I hear your training officer will be Ti—um–Officer Bradford."

"Yeah. That's what Sgt. Grey said. Do you know him?"

"I do," Lucy grins. "Pretty well, actually."

"Any words of wisdom?"

"He can be a bit," Lucy pauses and purses her lips, "intense when you first meet him. But, he's actually a really great guy and an amazing police officer. Just remember that if he's a bit hard on you at first."

"Thanks for the tip," Katie responds. "I kinda figured he'd be a hard ass once I heard he was ex-military. I gotta say, it kinda relieved me a bit. I haven't been out very long myself and one reason I chose law enforcement was because of the familiarity I assumed it would offer me, so it's a bit comforting to know that my T.O. will have some of the same mentality that I'm used to."

Lucy nods, feeling a bit relieved that Katie seems prepared to handle Tim. She knows how much becoming a T.O. means to him and she wants him to be successful and things to go well with his first rookie. She also knows that with everything going on with his dad, that he could use the distraction that being successful at work could bring him,

"That's good to hear. Well, good luck and I hope you have a great first day. If you need anything," she points towards the communications office, "you know where to find me."

()()()()()()()

Other than a brief text telling him she hoped his day was going well, Lucy hasn't had much time to communicate with Tim other than relaying calls over the radio, so she's anxiously waiting to hear from him at lunch to see how his first day as a T.O. has gone.

She spots Officer Barnes first when steps out to the food trucks, and again, she offers a friendly wave to the woman and approaches her.

"How's your first day going?"

"Pretty good, actually," the other woman replies with a nod.

"How many Tim Tests has Officer Bradford given you?" Lucy quips.

Officer Barnes brows raise. "Tim tests?"

"Sorry, uh, that's what he calls the little mind games he uses to prepare you for the L.A.P.D. You know, kicking you out the car and making you walk until you know your exact location. Those kinda things."

Officer Barnes shakes her head and looks perplexed. "Um, no, sorry, I don't know. Officer Bradford has been really patient and kind all morning. He's pretty much the opposite of what I was expecting after our conversation this morning."

"O–oh." Lucy swallows. "Uh, where is Ti–um, Officer Bradford now?"

Officer Banres points to the food truck on the left, "Grabbing our lunch. He was even nice enough to offer to pay for mine."

Pursing her lips, Lucy nods and tightly replies, "That's very generous of him." She clears her throat. "If–uh–if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go run check on something."

Without waiting for a reply from the other woman, Lucy bolts away from the food trucks, her stomach twisting into painful knots and in her hurry to get away, she passes by Angela, who grabs her arm and asks, "woah, you good?"

"Yeah, um, I'm just not very hungry all of a sudden," comes Lucy's quickly muttered response, her eyes trained on the ground.

"Do you want me to grab Tim?"

"No," she shakes her head adamantly. "I'm good. I'll be fine. No need to bother him."

Angela looks her best friend's girlfriend up and down, not buying a word of what she's saying. "Okay. Well, I hope you feel better,"

"Thanks."

()()()()()()

At the end of shift, Lucy's stomach is still in knots, but she's tried to tell herself all day that she's being ridiculous. That she has absolutely no reason to feel even the slightest bit jealous and that it's a good thing Tim wasn't torturing the poor woman and that he decided to be nice to her instead.

In fact, being nice to her may have only been a way to lure her into a false sense of security and he could've turned into a hard ass after lunch the moment his new rookie was least expecting it, to show her how quickly people can turn on you when you trust them.

That sounds like something he'd do.

And her nerves unwind a bit when she decides that's what he must've done, that it was all part of his grand plan and there wasn't some other reason he was being so soft and kind with this person he just met when he'd been an absolute dick to Lucy when he first met her, and not only Lucy, but Harper's new boot Nolan as well.

But when she enters the bullpen and finds Tim working on paperwork at the end of their shift, those nerves in her stomach bubble up again and her brows knit together tightly and she asks, "what are you doing?"

His eyes are trained on the clipboard and he mutters, "Fixing paperwork Officer Barnes screwed up on."

"You're staying late to fix your new rookie's paperwork?" There's a bite to her voice that she didn't mean to let out, and Tim doesn't miss it.

He slowly lowers the clipboard and glances up at his girlfriend. "Is there a problem with me doing that?"

"Yes," she stutters out. "Why are you being so nice to her?"

"Excuse me?" His voice rises a bit.

"I wasn't even your rookie and you kicked me out of your shop for not knowing where I was the day I rode with you. You argued with me relentlessly about everything the day I met you and acted like the mere sound of my voice was torture for you. When–when you first moved in we screamed at each other for days and I was pretty sure you hated me…"

Tim's smiling fondly at the memories while Lucy rambles off the reasons she's upset. "Luce, Officer Barnes has some issues," he tries to explain.

"Like what?" She scoffs. "Like she's smart, and–and fit, and beautiful?"

"She won't wear perfume."

"W-what? You don't want me to wear perfume?"

"No." He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. "She won't wear perfume because she's worried it will give away her position. A part of her is still waging a war in Afghanistan and if she's going to be a good cop, that has to go." He reaches out and grabs Lucy's hand. "You are a kind and insightful person that chooses to always, well almost always," he chuckles," see the good in people, and when I first met you that pissed me off and annoyed me beyond belief because I was in a dark place and I didn't want that kindness or really believe in goodness like that anymore. To Officer Barnes, the world is a dark and scary place right now, and she could use some kindness and insightfulness right now to help bring her back and show her that not everyone is out to hurt her."

"Oh," Lucy's voice softens and the knot unwinds and is replaced with guilt and sympathy. "Is–is she going to be okay?"

"I hope so." He drops her hand. "So, is that why you weren't at lunch and Angela said you were acting weird?"

She scratches the back of her neck and her eyes flit to the tile floor. "It might've been."

"You were jealous," he smirks smugly, folding his arms across his chest.

"No." He glares at her. "Okay, yes! A–a little. It's just, you were so nice to her!"

"Weren't you wanting me to be nice to her this morning?"

"Yeah, but," she huffs, "you were so certain you weren't going to be that it threw me for a loop to see you buying her lunch and hearing her say how nice you were."

"Yeah, well, thank yourself for that one. You're a terrible influence and it got me thinking that maybe I don't need to be a hard-ass on everyone. Maybe I just need to train my rookies based on what they need at the moment."

She rolls her eyes and shoves him playfully.

"So, am I good to finish this," he holds up the clipboard, "so we can get out of here and head home?"

"Yeah," she nods and fiddles with the hem of her shirt. "Are you upset I got jealous?"

He smirks smugly and works on the report. "No. It's kinda hot when you're all worked up like that."

Again, she rolls her eyes and shoves him.

Chapter 53: Chapter 53

Chapter Text

Time flies by, and soon, Lucy's final day at Mid-Wilshire as a communications officer has come and gone. She's slated to begin training at the police academy next week, both she and Jackson.

Her final day on the job, her co-workers in the communications office had thrown her a small party with finger foods and cupcakes, and all of them wished her luck on her new journey and told her they looked forward to seeing her again as an officer when her training was complete.

She'd truly felt like she found her place within the walls of the Mid-Wilshire Division and she couldn't wait to come back in a new capacity in a little over six months.

For now, though, she was going to enjoy her week off before starting the next chapter of her life, joining Tim and Genny for a week spent on Lake Tahoe with their mom, a place that is polar opposite from their hometown of Los Angeles.

A part of her is eager to see how rattled Tim gets stepping out of his comfort zone in the new area, and she wonders how much she's going to be able to talk him into enjoying the great outdoors with her and how often she'll have to settle for enjoying the scenery with her best friend, their dog, and his mom instead while her boyfriend grumbles inside by himself and watches baseball.

Either way, she knows she's going to have a great time exploring somewhere new and she can't wait to spend the week away with the man she loves and his family. She's never gone on vacation while in a relationship before, let alone gone on vacation with a boyfriend and his family, and she's looking forward to this new milestone in her life and their life as a couple.

The two of them are currently shopping at Ralph's, grabbing snacks for the long ride they're going to embark on in the morning, and they're in the middle of a competition where they split their list in half to see who could grab the items on their list the quickest, meaning they're split up in the middle of the grocery store at the moment.

Lucy's grabbing a box a bag of rice crackers for herself off the top shelf on the aisle, having to climb a few shelves to reach what she needs, and when she jumps down, dancing to herself in victory at her achievement, she stills instantly when notices her parents are standing a few feet in front of her.

The plastic bag crackles in her hand as she clutches it tightly, staring ahead in surprise.

"Mama, Baba," she chokes out, her mouth slightly agape after the words leave her.

"Lucy," her mother nods curtly.

This is the first time she's seen her parents since her graduation. They haven't initiated contact with her since, and other than wishing them a Happy Mother's Day via text and Happy Father's Day via text to which they replied with a simple, "thank you," the three have not been in any true form of contact in going on two months.

"H–how have you both been?" She tries to stir up normal conversation, tries to push down the painful awkwardness this situation is creating.

Her father begins to proudly ramble on about work and how successful his new anger management classes have been, while her mother boasts about the un-named troubled teen she's helped to make significant breakthroughs over the past month.

Lucy smiles and nods politely, trying to ignore the sting of how easily it seems her parents accept these strangers for who they are and go leaps and bounds to help them find balance and meaning in their life, something they'd never seemed to do for their own child if that balance goes beyond what they want for her.

But she's not about to bring those feelings up in the middle of a supermarket on a Sunday afternoon. She's not going to let her hurt and anger get the best of her to the point she melts down in front of a building full of strangers and shouts at the people who brought her up and gave her opportunity after opportunity in life that she knows many people did not have.

So she plasters on that fake smile and continues to nod politely as they continue to speak. Fighting tears that threaten to prick the corners of her eyes and holding her lips together tightly while she prepares to steady her voice for her response.

"Well," she clears her throat, making sure to wash away any hint of negative emotion, "I'm glad things are going well for you both. I know how hard you both work and how much pride you take in your jobs, so I know it means a lot for you to be seeing so much success."

"And you?" Mrs. Chen remarks, "How are you? Your Aunt Amy refuses to give us any real detail on your life, other than saying you're happy and doing well for yourself. She said if we wanted to know anything else, we'd need to ask for ourselves."

Lucy smirks to herself, glad to know her aunt has her back and is respecting her boundaries. "Mama, Baba," she tells them earnestly, meeting their eyes and holding their gaze, "I'm happy. My life is good. Really, really good."

"Have you been working?" Her father asks, and there's a hint or worry there, the worry only a parent carries about not truly knowing how their child has been getting by on their own the past few months.

"I have," Lucy nods proudly. "As a dispatcher with the Mid-Wilshire Division of the L.A.P.D. Friday was actually my last day, though."
"Oh," comes her mother's curious response. "Does this mean you've come to your senses and realized that the life of a police officer is not what you want after being exposed to the horrors of the things they do on a daily basis?"

"No," Lucy's voice falters, sadness bleeding though despite how hard she tries to hide it. "I'm still going to become a police officer. I start my first day at the academy next '

The Chen's share a disappointed look and shake their heads.

Mrs. Chen sighs and hangs her head. "And there's no talking you out of this, is there?"

"No, there isn't," she exhales sharply. "You raised me to be a strong woman and to push and fight for what I want, and this is what I want. I'm going to be a police officer and I am going to make a difference. If you just try to open your eyes and see the good I can do, I think you could come around and understand why I'm doing this."

Again the Chen's share a disappointed look and shake their heads.

"I suppose that means you're still seeing that disrespectful man," Vananessa mutters ruefully.

And as if on cue, Tim rounds the corner, not noticing the Chen matriarch and patriarch, and he makes his way towards Lucy, calling out, "I've been looking all over for you, baby, I got everything on my half of the list." He holds up a can of whipped cream and grins, "You lose and that means you owe me-" he freezes, his mouth hanging open when he gets close enough to see the distressed look on Lucy's face and he takes in the presence of her parents.

He swallows and lowers the can in his hand, dropping it into his buggy with a clank and his lips form into a stern line and he nods to his girlfriend's parents and deepens his voice while stepping towards Lucy and placing an arm around her waist, "Mr. and Mrs. Chen, nice to see you again."

"Wish we could say the same about seeing you," Vanessa grumbles, her eyes narrowing on Tim like daggers.

A low growl emits in the back of his throat and he has to bite down on his bottom lip to keep from saying what he wants to say.

Lucy's eyes flit up to Tim, then back to her parents. "To answer your question from before, Tim and I are still together, and like the idea of becoming a police officer makes me happy, so does he. Happier than I ever imagined another person could make me. If you could just give both him, and my future job, a chance, I know you'd be able to understand why they are both right for me."

"We have to go," Patrick Chen announces abruptly, "we've got friends coming over for dinner at 7 and we won't have time to get everything ready unless we leave soon." He meets his daughter's eyes, "It was good seeing you, nu'er. I understand you have to explore things for yourself right now but know we cannot be a part of this journey you are on because we don't agree with it," he scowls at Tim, "but when you realize what is important, what is truly for you, we'll be waiting with open arms."

Vanessa turns to her daughter and speaks in Cantonese, to which Lucy curtly replies in Cantonese, and then the older Chen's turn and walk off.

Tim pulls Lucy further into him and she latches her arms around his waist, clutching her bag of rice cakes while he presses a kiss to the top of her hair.

"You okay?" He gently asks her.

"No," she chokes out, "but I will be."

Again, he presses a kiss to the top of her head and gives her a big squeeze before letting her go so they can head to the checkout.

()()()()()()

When they get home, they finish packing and preparing for their trip, and when they complete those tasks, they settle on the couch, where Tim lays on his back and Lucy lays on top of him. He winds his hands underneath the bottom of her shirt and he rubs slow circles over her lower back while her head rests on his chest.

"Wanna talk about what happened earlier?" He whispers.

"I just wish they could come around and accept me. Accept the life I want. Accept you," she mumbles sadly. "Be supportive parents."

"What did your mom say? When she spoke in Cantonese?"

Lucy doesn't respond.

"Luce," he presses, "you can tell me."

"She said I could do better," she mutters reluctantly, "better than you. Better than being a police officer. That she hopes I realize that before I screw up and get knocked up by you and I'm stuck with you and stuck in that awful job and trapped in a life I can't escape out of a false sense of duty."

"Oh."

Lucy leans herself up on her elbows and looks deeply into Tim's blue eyes. "Can I tell you what I told her without you getting upset or freaked out?"

He swallows and nods, emotionally bracing himself for whatever Lucy's reply to her mother was.

"I told her that I'd be lucky to have you as the father of my children and that when that happens for us, she won't be coming near our kids until she can accept you and the life I've chosen for myself because there is no way in hell that I'd ever let her or my father make my children feel like they were a disappointment to her the way she's made me feel."

He stares back into her rich brown eyes, simply dumbstruck at the words that left her mouth. One arm unwinds itself from her back and he reaches up and brushes a finger along her jawline, an unsteady smile lining his lips as he tells her, "I love you and you're going to make an amazing mother someday."

She brushes her nose against his, her stomach rising and falling like a rollercoaster, and she grins and presses her lips against his, tender and gentle, just a slow, lingering kiss with no intention of going further, and she pulls away and rests her head above his heart, listening the rhythmic way it drums beneath her ear.

"Does it scare you?" she asks him when he returns his hand underneath her shirt and continues to rub slow circles over her lower back.

"Hmmm?"

Her voice is small and vulnerable. "That I basically told my mom I could see myself having your kids someday? I mean,I know we've only been together a little under three months and it's still really early and I don't want those things any time soon or anything and…"

He kisses her forehead. "It scares me," he confesses and he can feel her tense beneath his touch, "but not because you want those things, but because somewhere down the road in the future, I know I want them, too. And I don't ever want that kinda hope ripped away from me again."

"Yeah," she whispers, understanding what he means even if she can't fully comprehend how much it must've hurt for him to lose the life he imagined with Isabel, but knowing how much it would hurt her to lose the life she's allowing herself to envision with him.

"I meant what I said the night we chose to be together, Luce, you're worth that risk."

"So are you," she whispers, her fingertips tracing his stubbled jaw.

"And you wanna know something?

"Hmmm?"

"When that day comes," he promises her, "somewhere down the line, we're gonna be everything to our kids our parents weren't to us. We're going to give them everything we needed from them that we didn't get."

Chapter 54: Chapter 54

Chapter Text

"Up and at 'em, let's go," Tim announces loudly as he taps on his sister's bedroom door at 5 in the morning.

There's a long beat before Genny trudges to the door, still clad in her pajamas and her red hair sticking up wildly.

"Seriously?" She groans to her brother, who is freshly shaved, neatly dressed, and has a suitcase waiting behind him. "It's still dark outside."

"I know." He taps his watch. "Now let's go. I've estimated between bathroom and food breaks that, if we leave now, we'll get to mom's place by four in the afternoon at the latest."

"We're going to be there almost a whole week," she whines, "I think it will be okay if we get there a little later than 4 and we sleep in a bit."

Lucy pops up behind Tim, a cup of coffee in hand that's almost entirely empty, one that she only started drinking about 10 minutes before. "Good, you're finally up!" Lucy raises her other hand and proudly waves a notepad around. "You should start getting ready so we get on the road. I've got a step by step list ready of all the places we're going to stop on the way and music we've got to listen to during the trip."

Tim snatches the notepad and shakes his head sternly "I am not spending eight hours in the truck with you two listening to NSYNC albums on repeat."

Lucy snatches the notepad back and glares at her boyfriend. "It's not only NSYNC. And besides, you're out voted two to one on the music."

"Are you forgetting we're going in my truck?" He counters.

"You know what,' Genny suggests, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why don't you two go to your room, whichever room you're sharing these days, and argue about this for a few more hours while I get some sleep."

"We're not arguing," Tim snorts, "there's nothing to argue about because we are absolutely not listening to boy bands for hours on ends."

"It's not just boy bands!" Lucy huffs. "There's also some Taylor Swift, Flex and Flow, and Aretha Franklin. I like variety."

He crosses his arms and narrows his eyes at her. Oh? You like variety, huh?"

She rolls her eyes and shoves him playfully. "In my music," she clarifies, then tugs him to her by the collar of his shirt. "Only in my music. I don't need variety in certain other areas anymore. I found what I like best and I don't need any other options."
The two share flirtatious grins and Lucy leans up and presses her lips against his, which earns a gag from Genny, who then slams her bedroom door shut and mutters, "there are other rooms in the house for that."

()()()()()()

Within the hour, Genny's packed, dressed, and ready to go, and Lucy, the Bradford siblings, and Kojo are on the road to Tahoe City, though Genny spends the first two hours of the trip snoozing in the back seat with Kojo and using him as a pillow.

When Genny does wake up, she and Lucy manage to commandeer control of the radio for about an hour before Tim's had almost all he can take of their playlist and personal road trip concert.

They make a few pit stops on the way, even taking Kojo for a walk and stretching their legs in Red Rock Canyon State Park and grabbing lunch in a hole in the wall diner in the middle of nowhere about halfway between Los Angeles and Tahoe City, though it did have outside dining so Kojo could enjoy lunch with them.

It's a little past 5 when they finally arrive, and they're all thrilled to finally be out of the truck and able to relax.

Lucy's in awe of the place when they first arrive, taking in the serene beauty surrounding the A-Frame house that sits on the top of a hill that leads down to the lake. There are sugar pine trees and Douglass firs surrounding the house, and a fire pit that's visible just off the screened in porch, which contains a hot tub. The vast mountains in the distance and the rocky, clear blue water are breathtaking, even from afar.

"I can't believe your mom lives here year round," she marvels while Tim grabs their luggage from the back of his truck.

"Me either," he mutters, though his tone is less awestruck. "It's way too quiet here."

"Not exactly what I was thinking," Lucy chuckles. "It's so gorgeous."

He shrugs a shoulder. "It's okay, I guess."

"You sure you wanna keep him?" Genny teases. "He clearly does not have good taste if he isn't in love with this place at first sight."

Tim's eyes land on Lucy and they flit up and down her petite frame, "I clearly have good taste," he assures his sister. "I just don't see what the big deal is. We have hiking trails in L.A."

"Not like this," Genny replies. "And just look at that water, come on! It's beautiful here."
As if he agrees with her, Kojo lets out a loud, rumbling, "woof!"

Tim rolls his eyes and the three, plus Kojo, head towards the front door with Genny leading the way, where Gina Bradford welcomes them all with open arms.

()()()()()()

Tim and Lucy are given a tour of the house, which is quaint and homely, but contains two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a loft above both bedrooms. There's an open floor plan where the kitchen and living room are joined and a small laundry room right off the kitchen, plus the screened in back porch that overlooks the lake and boasts a small hot tub. Inside the small space, Tim's mom has created a welcoming home. There are photos of young versions of Tim and Genny scattered about the living room that range from their childhood, to high school, even some of Tim that look to have been taken around the time he must've left for basic training, fresh faced and buzzed hair in his marine attire. Photos of him that Lucy takes in where he's in long sleeves that must be of him in his rookie year, and the next photos to catch her eye are far more recent.

These photos are from the visit where Lucy first met his mom, one with the two siblings hugging their mother on either side just before she left from her visit that Lucy herself had snapped.

Unsurprisingly, there's photos of Genny from her graduation, some with just Genny, some with just Genny and Tim, or just Genny and her mom, and more surprisingly, there are photos of only Tim and Lucy from graduation day. Photos Gina herself had secretly taken while they were still keeping their relationship under wraps.

Lucy knows the photos are not about her, they're about Tim and the fact that his mom must be thrilled to have new, happy photos of her once estranged son displaying on her wall, but they make her inadvertently smile none the less and she can't help the way her eyes linger on the largest photo Gina chose to blow up, a photo where Tim's effortlessly holding her in the air by her waist and she's grinning down at him with her arms around his neck and her forehead pressed against his while he stares adoringly into her eyes. It's the same photo that's been her lock screen on her phone since she and Tim revealed their relationship to those closest to them.

Gina doesn't miss the way Lucy is momentarily transfixed on the photo, and she nudges Lucy with her shoulder and smirks, telling her, "I think that one's my favorite of all the ones I took that day. I just had to hang it up.."

Lucy's eyes are beaming and she pinches the pendant on the necklace Tim gave her the same day that photo was taken, and she's a bit breathless when she agrees, "yeah, it's mine, too."

They are shown to their rooms, and it's decided that Genny will get the loft for the next week, because it doesn't have doors and everyone in the house agrees that they don't want to live in a space where Tim and Lucy can't disappear behind the privacy of a closed door, and then the four, plus Kojo, head to the kitchen where Gina has a warm meal waiting and they eat around the small, square table and catch up on each other's lives while Kojo scarfs down the special, designer dog food Gina went out and bought for just for him.

()()()()()()()()

Being exhausted from the long drive, the group doesn't do much after dinner. Gina gives Tim and Lucy a tour of the property, and Kojo happily gallops along on a leash beside them, eagerly taking in all the new sights and scents around him.

Gina goes back inside, taking Kojo with her, and Tim and Lucy sit on the edge of the dock and watch the sun disappear behind purple and orange hues while Lucy freely swings her legs over the edge of the dock and Tim keeps his legs tucked tightly underneath him, one arm resting around her waist and holding her close.

Lucy lets out a contented hum, breathing in the crisp evening air while the soothing sound of crickets and frogs singing in the distance fills her ears.

"How can you not love it here?" She wonders aloud as they stare off into the distance.

Tim stiffens ever so slightly at her words, but she knows him well enough to notice, and she tentatively leans up and studies his face. "What is it?"

He averts his gaze and chews on his lower lip until she places a gentle hand above his heart and gingerly presses him, urging, "Babe?"

"I'm happy my mom has this place," he begins slowly. "I really am. And I'm happy she's happy and free. I just–sometimes I just–I guess I still feel kinda bitter that she stayed with him so long. That she couldn't have escaped here with us and saved us from the hell we lived in. I know that may sound stupid or–or selfish, but.."

"It doesn't," she assures him. "I get it and you've got every right to still be upset about the things you and Genny lived through."

"Yeah," he clears his throat. "Doesn't matter anyway, it's not like she got this place until after her Uncle Daniel died and it wasn't just waiting for us to escape to the whole time. It was his and he left it to her in his will when he died the November Genny turned 18, this place and about 20 grand to start a new life, under the condition she would finally leave my dad. The moment Genny graduated high school, that's what she did. Came here and never looked back."

"Is that part of the reason you don't come up here? It's hard to think about what could've been different for you? Should've been different for you?"

"I don't know," he exhales sharply. "Maybe. I guess with everything going on, finding out dad's dying, seeing him for the first time in almost six years, finding out about what he did for Monica, I guess it brought it all up again. I–I'm sorry–I know you've been looking forward to this trip and our first time going away together."

"No, don't be. It's okay." She purses her lips. "How about we head back up to the house, I change into my bikini, then we get in the hot tub and I take your mind off things."

"Tempting," he hums gruffly, "but that sounds a lot less appealing knowing my mom and sister are only a few feet away at any given moment. Plus, I'm beat from the drive. Can I take a rain check, though? Maybe cash in on that in the middle of the night sometime this week?"

"Mhhm. You can definitely cash in on that whenever you're ready."

()()()()()()

By nine that night, Tim and Kojo have gone to bed, and only the women remain up. All three of them are sitting on rocking chairs on the back porch, sipping hot chocolate and giggling together over stories from Tim and Genny's childhood. Lucy listens intently, soaking up every detail she can and planning on relentless ways to tease Tim about all the new and embarrassing information she's getting.

By eleven, Gina has started yawning and heads off to bed herself, and it's only Genny and Lucy awake, both women are still planted firmly in rocking chairs on the screened in porch.

"You know," Lucy muses, sipping her third cup of hot chocolate, "if Tim wasn't L.A. born and bred, I'd have to consider moving here."

"Look at you," Genny snorts, "I never thought I'd see the day that Lucy Chen was taking a man into consideration when choosing where she wants to live.

"Oh my God," Lucy groans and hangs her head, though she's chuckling through her groan,"I know! What's wrong with me?"

"Well, judging by the fact that you chose to date my brother, I"m going to say a lot," Genny teases, which earns an eye roll and a bird finger from Lucy. "Seriously, though? It's so great seeing you this happy. Seeing both of you happy."

"Yeah," Lucy smiles to herself. "It feels pretty great, too. Speaking of happiness, how are you doing without seeing Rob for a week? This is the first time you've been away from each other this long since you started dating. I figure you were soaking up as much time with him as possible last night and that's why you didn't get in until after midnight and weren't ready on time this morning."

Genny runs a finger along the rim of her maroon mug and she stares at the wooden deck below her feet. "Uh–actually I–uh–I wasn't with Rob last night. I was with John."

Lucy's brows crease. "John? John who?" Genny doesn't respond, but stares at her friend as if her answer should be obvious. "Wait? Nolan! John Nolan? As in Harper's rookie? That John Nolan?"

"Yes, that John," Genny chuckles, shaking her head.

"But.."

Genny holds up an explanatory hand. "It's not like that, okay? We were working at dad's house. He was helping me install a new back splash in the kitchen."

"Why didn't you call me or Tim? We could've helped."

"No–I–I know. But John was free and I was bored and I wanted to take my mind off things and I knew you and Tim had plans to do the snack run before the trip, so I didn't wanna bother you two."

"It's not a bother, Gen. Tim wants to help fix the house. I want to help fix the house."

"I know. And you guys have been. We've all been working together as much as we can, and we're still going to keep working together on it. There's still so much to be done. It's just–I needed the distraction and John's actually a really good listener."

"You okay? Is something going on?"

Genny sighs. "Things with Rob, I don't know. I guess I'm just realizing that maybe he's not right for me. You know? I mean, everything with dad, I've seen you be so supportive of Tim. You've been by his side the entire time. It's made me realize that Rob isn't really there for me that way, you know? He hasn't offered to help with the house once, or to go with me when I visit dad, even though I've told him how hard all that is on me. Plus, I've started to notice how much he drinks, and, I don't know, I guess it makes me worry. I mean, obviously not everyone who drinks becomes a raging, abusive alcoholic, but it's something I need to think about if he and I are going to be together long term."

"I–I wish you would've told me this sooner. How long have you been feeling this way?"

"A couple weeks," Genny admits. "And it's just, it's complicated. I mean, you're dating my brother," Genny laughs. "Our friendship doesn't have the same rules it had before. Your loyalty is to Tim first now, not me. And sometimes, there's just things I don't want my brother to know. Like the fact he may have been right about his opinion of Rob."

"I know it's different," Lucy agrees. "I mean, we can't share notes the way we used to about how good the guy I'm with is or isn't in bed or how big his," the women catch each other's eye and chuckle, "anyway, that doesn't mean we can't still talk about things. You know? I get that Tim and I share a lot, but Gen, if you tell me something in confidence, I'm not going to tell Tim, if you ask me not to."

"Even if it's something you thought he should know?" Genny challenges.

Lucy pauses and tilts her head curiously. "Like what?"

"Nothing specific," Genny shakes her head. "I was just saying in a general sense."

"You sure?" Lucy prods gently, studying her friend.

"Positive," Genny smiles. "Now, how about we go put on a spooky movie and pop some popcorn and make a fort in the living room before you abandon me to climb in bed with my annoying brother?"

"Sounds like a perfect way to end a great day," Lucy readily agrees.

Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Summary:

I am so blown away that people are still interested in this story and I am still having so much fun writing it. I never imagined I would get this reception when I first wrote it or that the story would become what it has, but I'm satisfied with where it has gone and I am beyond happy that you many of you are still enjoying it and along for the ride. So, thank you all so much for your continued support and I hope you guys keep enjoying it until I get to my stopping point.

Chapter Text

It's a little after sunrise when Lucy wakes up in the morning, despite the fact that she didn't crawl into bed until well after midnight. The unfamiliar bed isn't nearly as comfortable as her new one at home, or Tim's, and even if it was, when she rolled over to find the bed empty, no Tim or Kojo in sight, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and climbed out of bed in search of her guys.

She doesn't have to look far for them, though, because she finds them both in the kitchen, Kojo drooling as he intently watches Tim mixing pancake batter.

Lucy smiles at them and her voice still hoarse, she mutters, "Morning,"

"Morning, baby," Tim turns to her, the wooden spoon in his hand pausing mid stir, "I hope I didn't wake you."

She shakes her head no and pads over towards him, yawning with each small, slow step she takes. "What are you doing up?"

He shrugs. "I got in bed a little after nine and knocked out, so I got about 7 hours of sleep, plus this is about the time I normally get up. My body's pretty much on an automatic internal clock at this point."

She nods, knowing that's true, and she steps behind him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his back while she mumbles against his white cotton t-shirt, "Breakfast smells good."

"I figured I may as well keep myself busy since I'm up. Plus, I knew mom would cook for us if she got up before we did and I don't want her to feel like she has to slave away in the kitchen the whole time we're here."

"That's sweet," she hums sleepily.

"I'm not being sweet," he scoffs, "just practical."

"Mmhmm. Whatever you need to tell yourself."

He rolls his eyes and mixes away while Lucy remains tangled around him.

"I'm gonna see if Kojo needs to potty," Lucy announces after a moment, her arms unwinding from his muscular, comforting frame.

"I took him out already." He moves to pour the batter into the pan on the stove. "So, what's on your list for us to do today?" He knows Lucy has an entire check list of activities she wants to complete while they're here, and he assumes she doesn't want to waste time getting to them.

"Unless you had something planned, I figured we'd just do whatever your mom wants for today. Let you and Genny get some time in with her before the two of us start to disappear."

He nods and watches her saunter over to the coffee pot and fix herself a cup.

"But, I already have a three hour kayak tour booked for us on Wednesday" She spins on her heels to face him, fully expecting her boyfriend to grimace or protest, but he doesn't. "Really, nothing? You're good with going out on the water all morning?"

"As long as you don't expect me to get in the water, sure. I'm telling you, bodies of water are nothing but dumping grounds for murders."

She smirks. "I can live with that, but uh, you're getting in the hot tub with me, right?"

He smirks back and steps away from the stove, looping an arm around her waist and tugging her close before he peers down at her and stares into her eyes, his own blue eyes darkening as he backs her into the counter "oh, I'm definitely getting in the hot tub with you."

Their lips brush together lightly and Lucy pulls away before it goes any further, remembering they're in a small house, Genny's right above them with no door on her room, and that his mom is asleep only a few feet away. She places her palms on his chest and tells him, "I think I'm gonna grab a shower and brush my teeth.

He glances over his shoulder at the stove, where he knows he's about to have to flip pancakes, and suggests, "How about you wait until I finish making these and then I get in the shower with you?"

She raises her eyebrows suggestively. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," comes his husky reply, and he leans in close, his mouth only a half an inch from her ear, and he whispers, "that is, if you think you can actually be quiet this time."

()()()()()()()()()()()

Once their long shower is complete, Lucy and Tim eat breakfast together while the rest of the family, aside from Kojo, is still snoozing away inside.

After breakfast, the two slip into their swimwear and take a dip in the hot tub, while Kojo takes a nap on the screened in porch.

Lucy lets out a contented hum as she stares off into the distance at vast, rolling mountains beyond the clear, blue water, and out of the corner of her eye, she catches Tim peering down at her, that goofy grin of his he reserves only for her plastered across his face.

She runs her hand up and down his swim trunk covered thigh and matches his grin. "You know, I'm definitely not complaining about it, but you're in a much better mood this morning than you were after we got here yesterday evening." She settles her head against his chest and slides an arm behind his back and settles into his side.

His chest rises and falls evenly and he says, "I am. I thought about a lot of things before I fell asleep last night, and I realized my dad has already ruined so many parts of my life, and I'm not going to let bad memories from him ruin this trip. I mean, look at what happened with your parents the day before we left, and you're not letting how they made you feel get you down, you're still soaking up all you can and living in the moment with me, and my sister, and my mom, and that's what I'm going to do, too."

She arches her body slightly and places her free hand on his stubbled cheek, her thumb grazing just under his chin. "Good, because I love seeing you happy and I love seeing this smile." She adjusts her hand, so her fingertips graze his upturned lips, "I think this is my favorite part of you."

His brows arch. "My lips?"

"No," she chuckles, "your smile. You're always handsome,even when you're brooding and mad, but you look so free and at peace when you smile, and it lights up your face and brings out those gorgeous blue eyes of yours even more." She playfully shrugs and adds, " But, your lips are pretty nice. Especially what you can do with them."

He turns so he can face her and the water sloshes around them, and he's still grinning, albeit a bit mischievously. "Wanna know my favorite part about you?"

She nods eagerly and he places a hand over her left breast and she's certain he's going to say something lewd, like her boobs, but he doesn't, his voice is soft and tender and just above a whisper when he tells her, "your heart. You always see the good in everything. Whether it's a person or a situation, you always try to find the positive and don't dwell on the bad, and it makes me want to see things that way, too."

"Tim," her voice cracks and her bottom lip trembles. She was not expecting those words and they caused a whirlwind of emotion to wash over her.

His fingers thread through the back of her hair and he gently presses her forward until their lips meet and dance together gingerly and his other hand lands on her thigh.

When he breaks the kiss, he's still grinning, and he squeezes her thigh, "I also love these." One hand drops from her hair and moves down while the one on her thigh moves up and over until he's reaching under her and grabbing her ass with both hands, "And this," and he gives it a firm squeeze before lifting her up and planting her in his lap, where his hands fall to her hips, "And these." She's staring down at him with a smile on her face that reaches all the way to her eyes, and his hands slide up her rib cage and he presses his face into her chest, pressing a peck to the exposed skin of her breasts that's peeking out behind her bikini top. "And these, I definitely love them."

Then he moves and suckles her neck, causing her head to dip back and a throaty moan to escape her lips, which causes him to growl out, "this tattoo, I love this tattoo. So Sexy." But he doesn't linger, and she pouts and whimpers when he breaks away to place a kiss on her cheek. "These freckles," he whispers, "I love them, too." Then he kisses her nose, and eyes, telling her how he loves them, too, and finally, he captures her lips with his, nipping and suckling her lower lip before slipping his tongue inside and between rough, sloppy kisses, he mutters out that he loves them, too.

Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Summary:

I hate there was a delay on this one. Hopefully I am back with regular updates and that you guys are still interested in finishing it out.

Chapter Text

Tim groans, slowly slipping into consciousness Wednesday morning. He's warm and comfortable, and despite the fact that his internal clock tells him it's later than he normally sleeps, he has absolutely no desire to crawl out of bed yet.

He's lying on his side and he can feel Kojo curled into a ball, nestled cozily behind his legs. He can also feel Lucy's forehead pressed against his own, one of her arms draped around his side, the tips of her fingernails lightly grazing the exposed skin of his back underneath the plush comforter they are covered with.

He hums contentedly, his lips turning up while his eyes remain closed, and he groggily mutters out, "Morning, baby," to her.

"Good morning," she replies, nuzzling her head against his.

"What time is it?" His eyes are still tightly closed, not fully prepared to give into consciousness.

"Way past time to get up," she giggles. "You've been out like a light."

He blinks several times, squinting as the bright rays of sunlight pierce his eyes and he realizes it's way past sunrise. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

She shrugs and continues to trace her fingertips up and down his spine. "You and Kojo looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you."

"So what? You've just been watching us sleep?"

"Maybe," she bashfully admits, her eyes flitting to the bed sheets. "Do you have a problem with me wanting to take some time to appreciate my favorite guy and how lucky I am to have him?"

Her words cause his breath to hitch in his chest and morning breath be damned, he moves in and presses his lips against hers.

Her hands move from his back to his chest and she responds to his efforts, gently moving her lips with his, grinning as they kiss, and teasing, "You do realize my favorite guy is Kojo, right?"

He rolls over, tugging her on top of him and his lips ghosting over her neck, his teeth nipping lightly over her tattoo. "You sure about that?"

"Yep, still sure," she taunts.

He continues to work his magic, his hands wandering to her hips and over her ass. "How about now?"

A little breathless, she continues to insist, "Yep, it's still Kojo. I guess you're a close third though, behind Jackson, of course." He moves to capture her lips with his again but she plants two hands firmly on his chest and shakes her head. "We've gotta start getting ready for our kayak tour. So we're going to have to press pause and you'll just have to try and convince me why you should be my favorite later."

"Or," he suggests huskily, you can join me in the shower while I get ready and I can convince you now."

Again, she shakes her head no. "Your mom and sister are already up. But uh, maybe later when everyone is asleep tonight we can get in the hot tub again and you can try and convince me there?"

"Deal," he agrees, smacking her ass as she rolls off him, his eyes following her while she saunters out of the room with Kojo to take him for his morning walk.

()()()()()()()()()

"Welcome," an auburn, curly haired woman named Kathy greets Tim and Lucy when they arrive for their kayaking trip later that morning.

Genny and Gina remained at the lakehouse with Kojo, allowing the couple to have some time to themselves during the trip, though the family spent all day together on Tuesday, visiting shops and hiking during the day, eating out that evening, then playing card games and sipping wine that night.

They shake hands with her and listen as she explains some rules and regulations to them, and eventually she asks, "Do you prefer a tandem kayak or single?"

"Single," Lucy replies quickly, shooting Tim a smug smirk. "We've got a bet on who can paddle faster."

"And I'm clearly going to win," Tim responds confidently.

"You're afraid of the water, you're going to paddle slower than my grandma would."

"I'm not afraid of the water," Tim snorts, "I'm just not swimming on a cesspool of rotting flesh."

Kathy smiles fondly at them. "How long have you two been together?"

They pause their bickering and Tim answers, "Almost three months."

"Ah, new love." She nods over to the tandem kayaks. "You know, if you want to see if your relationship can stand the test of time, there's no better way than to see if you can work together to maneuver the tandem."

"No, thanks," Tim replies.

"I don't know,' Lucy muses, "it could be fun to do it together."

"No way, you'd probably flip me out of it on purpose."

"I would not!"

Kathy chuckles. "Actually, it's a lot harder to flip the tandem than the single because of how sturdy they are. I tell you what," she offers, "how about I give you two 30 minutes extra time and I let you take the tandem out first to see how well you work together, then you can have all the time you paid for on your singles. I'll give you a full relationship assessment if you do. Don't want to see if this new love is destined to be in the long run?"

"Let's do it," Lucy urges.

Tim's eyes narrow and his arms fold across his chest. "You seriously think she can tell whether or not our relationship will last by watching us for 30 minutes on a stupid kayak?"

"Of course not," she snorts, "I'm just up for the challenge of showing her we can figure it out where other couples have failed."

His lip twitches. "What the hell, let's do it."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

It turns out, finding a rhythm together had been much harder than Lucy expected in the beginning, and they spent about five minutes going nowhere and arguing back and forth while splashing water on one another with their paddles.

"Not too bad for first-timers," Kathy smiles when they return to shore after their thirty minutes are up.

"So," Lucy muses, "what's your read on our relationship?" She catches Tim rolling his eyes out of her peripherals and she can almost hear his internal groan at her question.

"Well, from what I could tell, there was a huge push and pull at the start when you two first met. Probably a lot of arguing and a lot of disagreements, you didn't like each other very much. You both had very strong feelings about things, but those feelings seemed miles and miles apart and neither cared to hear what the other had to say because you were both convinced your way of thinking was the only way and that the other's thoughts and feelings didn't matter."

Lucy's mouth gapes slightly.

"But, it didn't take long before you started to pay attention to one another, silently at first, listening to what the other needed. And over time you came to an understanding, a deep understanding, that down at your core, you're far more similar than either realized and that you work better together."

"That's uh–that's actually not that far off," Tim admits.

"So," Lucy inquires, far more intrigued than she had been when she agreed to try the tandem, "what's your assessment? Is it meant to last?"

"Well, I can never know for sure," she muses thoughtfully, "but it seems like you two are built to stand the test of time. There's an effortless way to how you two communicated on the water, putting aside your ego and need to be in control to do what was necessary to communicate and move forward together. And I'd have to say, that's key to sustaining any long term relationship, so while I can't guarantee it, I'd say there's a good chance that I'll see you two out here in about ten years, married, with a couple kids of your own. Then again in 30 or 40 years with the grandkids."

Chapter 57: Chapter 57

Summary:

So happy to see you guys are still interested. I have many updates planned for this week.

Chapter Text

The rest of the week goes by fast, too fast if Tim's being honest, and before he knows it, it's Friday evening and tomorrow will be their last full day in Tahoe City, because they're going home Sunday morning so he and Genny can go back to work Monday and so Lucy can start the academy.

He's currently in the backyard tossing a tennis ball back and forth with Kojo while Lucy and Genny are out on the dock, soaking up sunshine.

"See," his mom walks up behind him and comments, "this place isn't so bad, even my grand-pup loves it here. Maybe now that means I'll at least get one visit a year from you here on out."

Tim's tennis ball clad hand pauses mid air and he swivels on his heels, turning to face his mom, and offering her an almost apologetic smile. "You're right, it's not so bad at all." He turns the ball back and forth in his hand and gnaws his bottom lip. "Mom, I'm sorry I haven't been up to visit often. It's just…"
"I know," she deduces, her voice dropping low, "it's hard for you, I understand."

"It is," he agrees, "or, it has been. But, Lucy's got a way of putting things into perspective for me and." he pauses and swallows, "I guess for a long time, I never realized how hard it was for you, too. I'm sorry for everything you went through mom, and I'm sorry for blaming you sometimes, you were his victim, too.

Despite the fact that it's warm outside, Gina's hands rub up and down the side of her arms, as though she's suddenly freezing. "We're not his victims anymore. Not a single one of us, we're free."

"Or we will be soon enough," he muses, considering the fact that his father's days are numbered.

"How are you dealing with that?"

"Dad dying?"

She nods.

He shrugs, not an ounce of emotion on his face. "I'm counting down the days."

"Tim-Tim," she reaches over and places a hand on his bicep. "It's okay to have feelings about it. He's your father."

"No, mom," his stone faced features falter and a line in his jaw jumps, "he was my nightmare. I know Genny thinks he changed but," again a line in his jaw jumps and his voice cracks, "I promise you, he hasn't, he's still the same monster he always was. I get that Genny needs to believe he changed and I'm not going to ruin that perception for her, but he's getting what he deserves and I'm not sad about it and I don't care how that makes me sound."

"You went to see him?" Gina's clearly surprised.

"It's a long story," he sighs sharply, "but yeah, I saw him once, briefly."

"That must've been very difficult for you."

"It wasn't exactly pleasant," he hums, "but Lucy was with me, so that helped some."

Gine smiles and her eyes flit out to the dock where her daughter and her son's girlfriend are sprawled out on lounger chairs, laughing with each other about something, "I'm glad she was with you and I'm glad you have her. She's a special young lady."

"She is," he agrees with a smirk of his own. "I'm pretty lucky."

"She's a lot of fun, too," Gine chuckles. "She's kept you on your toes all week."

His mom is right, Lucy has kept him busy all week. They've gone kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, biking, zip-lining, they even rode in a hot air balloon, and even though some of those adventures aren't things he'd normally be interested in doing, he's loved experiencing them with her. She's adventurous and constantly convinces him to try new things, whether that's eating some strange new food, making love to her underneath the stars outside, or convincing him to glide down a cable in the middle of the woods only attached to a harness, he's consistently stepping out of his comfort zone with her and he thinks he'd probably follow her off a cliff if she jumped first.

"Yeah, well," he shakes his head fondly, "she's pretty good at keeping me on my toes all the time."

"Good, you needed someone to show you how to live and enjoy life again," She shrugs. "It almost makes me believe I could find someone like that for me. It gets–it gets lonely sometimes. I mean, don't get wrong, I throw myself into work and I have girlfriend's I go out with, but, seeing you and Lucy together this week, really seeing you two when you're being yourselves and not trying to hide that you're together, I don't know, it makes me wish I could find something like that for myself."

Again, Tim spins the ball in his hand and he studies the ground a long moment before he says, "You deserve to be happy, mom. If you wanna date again, then you should."

"You'd be okay with it? Me dating?"

"If it would make you happy, yeah." Kojo, who's been sitting patiently and waiting for him to throw the ball, lets out a loud bark and jumps back and forth, and Tim grins and rears his hand back, launching the ball into the air and watching as Kojo gets a running start, kicking up dirt behind him, and bounds away after the ball. "Just know if whoever you date ends up hurting you," he nods out towards the lake, "well, bodies of water are popular dumping grounds for the dead.."

()()()()()()()()()()

Tim and his mom remain in the yard chatting and tossing the ball to Kojo about 30 more minutes, until Genny and Lucy emerge from the dock and the family decides to go out to eat for supper.

Of course, everyone has to get ready first, so they take turns using the small bathroom, Tim being a gentleman and allowing the women in his life to have access first before he preps himself to go out.

When it's his turn to get ready, he's shaving his face in front of the bathroom mirror when Lucy pops in on him, all dolled up wearing red lipstick and a form fitting red dress that hugs every curve perfectly.
Despite how many times he's been with her by now, she still takes his breath away and he drops his razor in the sink and accidentally knocks his phone off the edge of the sink and into the trashcan while he can't help but stare at her in awe, mouth gaping and his brain short circuiting.

"Yo–you look," his eyes sweep up and down and he can't help the dopey grin that lines his lips as he takes a step towards her, remembering she's his and he's allowed to touch her, and he places his hands on her hips, "so, so sexy."

A blush forms along her cheeks and her hands land on his neck as she stares deep into his eyes at first, then appreciatively at his shirtless chest and she licks her lips. "Mmm. So do you," she grins mischievously and a finger swipes the side of his face that's still covered in shaving cream. "I mean, you look a little ridiculous, "but in a hot, sexy, idiot, kind of way, you know?"

His eyes narrow. "Funny."

She wipes the shaving cream off the tip of her finger onto a hand towel next to the sink and grins at him, then trails her hand down his chest, biting her lower lip. "I'm glad you're my hot, sexy, idiot."

"Yeah," his features soften and he cracks a smile, "well I'm glad you're my hot, sexy, annoying, pain in the ass."

She swats his chest playfully and feigns hurt. "You know you love me."

He catches her hand and pulls her close, being careful not to get shaving cream on her while he leans down and presses a gentle peck to her head "I do, so much." When he pulls away from her, he says, "Thank you for coming here with me."

"Thank you for inviting me. And thank you for joining me on all of my adventures, I know they're not necessarily your thing, but.."

He cuts her off. "Seeing you have fun, seeing you smile and light up, that's my thing, Luce, so whatever you're thing is, that's my thing."

She takes his hand in hers and gives it a big squeeze, a bit too overcome to speak..

"Besides," he continues, "I kind of really like some of your adventures. Especially when they involve naked time."

She rolls her eyes and drops his hand giving him a playful shove. "Again, you're an idiot."

"But I'm you're hot, sexy, idiot. Remember?"

"Yeah, you are," she smirks proudly. " Now, finish getting ready, I'm starving."

"I'd already be done if you hadn't come in here distracting me," he reminds her.

She leans up on tiptoes and places a peck on the clean, fully shaved side of his face and disappears behind the door.
He shakes his head as she disappears and rinses his razor, then finishes shaving. When he's done, he reaches to grab his phone, but remembers it thudding into the trash when Lucy walked in and broke his brain, so he grimaces and reaches into the trash can, frowning when he sees the phone has sunk to the bottom.

Carefully, he digs around, trying his best not to touch anything gross as he fumbles at the bottom of the trashcan, but his phone isn't the first thing his fingers find, instead it's a white and blue plastic stick that he slowly retrieves from the trash can. He blinks several times, reading the small words on the right side that spell out clear blue pregnancy test and the words on the left that say pregnant with an image of a plus sign below them and underneath that a negative sign with the words not pregnant, showing the user how to read the test. His eyes fall to the middle of the stick where an unmistakable prominent, big, fat, blue plus sign is staring back at him and the stick begins to wobble in his large, trembling hands.

Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Summary:

Update 1 of 2 for today.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

"Babe, are you ready?" Lucy calls out from behind the bathroom door, noticing it's been more than a few minutes and Tim still hasn't emerged from shaving his face.

No response.

Babe.

Again, no response.

She taps loudly on the door, starting to get a bit worried. "Tim, are you okay?"

She hears some fumbling, followed by, "Y–uh–yeah. I'll be out in a sec."

The water begins to run and she assumes he's washing his hands, and when he steps out from behind the door, his face looks much paler than it did ten minutes before.

She reaches out and touches his forearm. "Are you okay?

"U–Uh–yeah. I'm g-good. Great." His eyes fall to her midline and he visibly swallows, his throat bobbing up and down and one of his hands reaches out to her side. "A–are you good? Are you o-okay?"

Her brows crease at his strange behavior. "Yeah, I'm okay." She lets out an amused but slightly concerned laugh. "Did you fall and hit your head in there or something? You're acting weird."

His mouth opens and closes his eyes pinch shut, then snap open. "I'm good. I just–is–is there something you wanna talk to me about?"

"I don't think so.." She studies him for a long moment, trying to figure out what the hell happened to the lovey dovey version of him she'd just experienced ten minutes ago and why it's now replaced with this stammering, panicked version. "Is there something you wanna talk to me about?"

He goes to speak, pausing to pull in a steadying breath, "Lucy, I…"

"Are you kids ready?" Gina abruptly cuts him off, her eyes falling to the apple watch on her wrist. "If we don't leave now we might miss our reservation."

Tim swipes a hand over his face. "Yeah, let me throw my shirt and shoes on and we can leave."

"Genny and I will be in the car."

He nods, then turns to Lucy. "Can we uh–can we pick this up when we get back?"

Slowly, she nods in agreement, but her stomach churns a bit and she fiddles her hands together. "Unless we need to talk now. Tim, if something's wrong, if you're upset…"

"No," he quickly interrupts, a hand coming to rest on the side of her face and his eyes growing a bit glassy. "No, I'm not upset. It's okay, I promise." He offers her a shaky smile. "Go ahead and get in the car with my mom and sister, I'll be right out."

Despite his words of assurance, a knot is still winding in her stomach, but she joins the Bradford women in the car and waits for him.

()()()()()()()

On the way to the restaurant, Tim is still acting off. His eyes keep coming to a rest on her waist, and while they hold hands in the back seat as his mother drives, his hand is unusually clammy and a bit shaky, and his normal adorably goofy smile he gives her is replaced with a tight, forced one.

Lucy doesn't like it and wants nothing more than for this meal to end so they can get home and talk about whatever the hell it is that's suddenly bothering him.

To calm her nerves, she tries to focus on the ambient setting. She tries to appreciate the low lighting, the live music, the fresh breeze and the breathtaking scenery off of the outdoor seating area that overlooks the lake, but Tim keeps staring at her in that weird way and it's unsettling.

When the waiter comes by and asks if they'd like appetizers, she immediately orders a glass of red wine to try and settle her nerves.

"Are you–are you sure you want wine?" Tim cuts in while the waiter jots down her order.

"Yeah," she stares at him with arched brows. "Maybe you should order a glass, too."

He shakes his head and his lips form into a thin line. "I'm good."

Gina orders an artisanal cheese & charcuterie for everyone to share, then the waiter disappears and the four make small talk at the table, well, really, the three women do, because Tim is exceptionally quiet, even for him.

A few moments later, the waiter returns with the charcuterie and Lucy's glass of wine, and before she can even touch the glass, Tim's snatching it up and downing it in one swift gulp.

"What was that?" Lucy spouts, not hiding her irritation. "You said you didn't want wine."

He sets the glass down slowly. "I changed my mind."

"And you couldn't have, I don't know, ordered your own glass? Or maybe just asked for a sip of mine?"

"I was really thirsty."

"You've got a full glass of water beside you," Lucy argues.

Gina and Genny watch on uncomfortably, trying to avert their eyes from the bickering couple and Lucy sighs and drops it, not wanting to make a scene in front of his mom and sister, let alone in public.

The waiter comes back a few moments later to get their entree orders and Lucy orders herself another glass of wine with her meal, to which she sees Tim shift next to her uncomfortably when she does and she catches his eye and holds his gaze until he purses his lips and looks away, running his hands up and down his pant leg.

Gina brings up the academy and how excited Lucy must be to start Monday, and it temporarily distracts her whatever is going on with Tim as she excitedly talks about the anticipation of her first day and how she can't wait to start this journey with Jackson and how happy she is that she and one of her best friends get to do this together.

When she's finished talking, the waiter appears with her new glass of wine and she thanks him as he sets it on the table, and once again, Tim wastes no time snatching it up and gulping it down.

"Okay, what is going on with you," Lucy demands firmly, not caring if Gina and Genny are beside them. "Why do you keep taking my drink?

"Luce," his face is pained, "you can't drink..."

"I can't drink? What are you talking about? Why can't I drink?" She pauses, wondering if his dad's battle with liver disease and his struggle with alcoholism is getting to Tim, though he's never had an issue with her having a few glasses of wine or beer before, and he certainly didn't have issue with himself just downing two glasses she'd have drank much slower and probably wouldn't have needed them both.

"It's not safe…" he tries to covertly point out.

"If it's not safe then why'd you drink it?

"I mean it's not safe for you right now." He huffs in frustration.

"What?" Her face scrunches in confusion. "What is going on with you? Why are you acting so weird?"

In exacerbation, he blurts out more loudly than intended, "I know about the baby, Luce."

"Baby!?" Her nose scrunches. "What baby?"

His voice dips to a whisper, as if everyone next to them hadn't heard what he'd just said and as his mom hadn't just audibly gasped. "Our baby."

Again, Lucy's face scrunches. "We have a baby?"

He rubs his forehead, clearly not happy to be having this conversation here, then he takes her hand in his. "I found your pregnancy test in the trash. I knocked my phone off the sink and into the trash when you walked in looking so hot in that dress. It's–it's okay, sweetheart, I know and it's okay. I'm not mad, but you shouldn't be drinking, not even a glass, we shouldn't risk that."

Her jaw drops and she shakes her head. "I didn't take a pregnancy test, Tim. I'm not–I'm not pregnant."

"Well, if it's not yours, then who–" he stops mid sentence, his eyes moving from his girlfriend to across the table where he finds his sister hanging her head in her hands.

Sniffling, the red head slowly raises her head. "This is so not how I wanted any of you to find out."

His face falls and his voice cracks. "Gen…"

She shakes her head, rising from her seat and storming off towards the restroom and Gina runs after her daughter.

Tim and Lucy share a look and Tim moves to stand but Lucy places a hand on his thigh. "Just–give them a minute. Okay? And don't go all big brother Tim when you do talk to her. I'm pretty sure she's freaking out enough for both of you."

He nods and falls back in his seat, his gut twisting at the knowledge of his sister being pregnant in a completely different way than had it been at the thought of his girlfriend being pregnant.

"I'm gonna go check on Genny and your mom," Lucy announces, and her voice is unsteady, tears welling in the corner of her eyes. "Why don't you get our food to go and we can all just eat at the lakehouse."

He reaches out to grab her hand, hearing the hurt in her voice, but she snatches it away from him and shakes her head.

"Lucy," he pleads.

She shakes her head sadly at him and presses her lips together tightly. "We'll talk later, Tim. Genny needs me right now."

()()()()()()()

Lucy finds Gina and Genny in the women's restroom, huddled together in the handicap stall, and with their permission, she joins them and closes the door behind herself. She pulls her friend into a hug and holds her while she cries.

"It's okay," Lucy whispers. "It's gonna be fine, Gen."

"I didn't mean for this to happen, Luce." She cries. "It was just one time, my shot was only out for like a week and it was just one time without protection while not on birth control.."

"I know," she runs her hand up and down Genny's back in comforting circles, "I know you weren't planning on it. I know you must be terrified, but I'm here to support you however you need and in whatever decision you make. Okay."

Genny nods and clutches tighter to her friend. "I wanna keep the baby," she whispers. "I mean, I'm not ready and I'm scared as hell, but I wanna keep it."

"You're gonna make a great mom," she assures her, "And I'm gonna be here every step of the way to help you however I can."

"Thank you," Genny mutters through tears.

()()()()()()()()

The ride home is quiet, and no one is in the mood to eat when they get back to the lake house, so Tim puts the food away. Genny excuses herself to her room, and Gina follows her upstairs, leaving Tim and Lucy alone on the back porch, and the tension between them is thick.

"Luce…"

She shakes her head, letting out a sharp exhale. "I can't believe you thought I was pregnant and just blurted it out in front of your whole family like that without talking to me first."

"I tried to talk to you before we left but then my mom was rushing us to go! I–I thought you were afraid to tell me and I was freaking out and it just came out, I'm sorry!"

Lucy pinches the bridge of her nose. "I tell you everything, Tim. You are the most important relationship in my life, you're always the first person I go to for everything. How could you possibly think you wouldn't know the moment I even suspected I might be pregnant?"

"I told you," he steps closer to her and places a hand on each of her hips, "I was freaking out a little, okay? I wasn't-I wasn't thinking clearly and it just–it just came out after you kept ordering wine and I was worried about what I thought was our baby."

Her tone is hurt and disappointed when she asks, "And you seriously think I would've been drinking if I was carrying our child? You think I'd be such a terrible, irresponsible mother that I would dare put my baby in danger for one second?"

"No, of course not," he hangs his head. "I know you wouldn't ever put our child in danger if we had one. I have no doubt that if you'd been pregnant and we had the baby, you'd have been an amazing mom. I was just–I was too inside my head. I–I didn't even know if having a baby right now was something you wanted and maybe–maybe part of me was afraid you didn't want that and that maybe you were ordering the wine because you knew it wasn't what you wanted and that you knew weren't going to..."

"Again, you seriously think I just wouldn't have come to you about all of this? That I wasn't going to include you in the decision about what we should do?"

"That's not what I meant. This–this is coming out all wrong."

"Mmhmm." She shakes her leg. "I'm taking Kojo for a walk. You should go talk to your sister."

"Lucy.."

"No, Tim. Okay? I don't wanna talk to you right now. I'm too upset to talk to you right now. Just–go talk to Genny. We'll continue this conversation later, because regardless of what you may think, I share things with you. I always have and I thought that's what we both did, I thought we were good at communicating. I thought we knew each other a hell of a lot better than this."

Notes:

I'm going to hide in a corner now...I've earned the right for them to have one fight after 58 chapters, right?"

Chapter 59: Chapter 59

Summary:

Update 2 of 2 for today.

Chapter Text

Tim shoves his hands in his pockets and watches as Lucy walks away, whistling for Kojo to follow behind her and a sharp pain stabs in his gut, realizing how atrociously he fucked up with his words, and lack thereof of using them in private.

He's going to give her space, allow her time to calm down, and in the meantime, he's going to try and organize his thoughts enough to have a proper conversation with her later tonight so he can hopefully better explain his outburst and his bumbling explanation that only made things worse.

But first, he knows he needs to check on his sister, like Lucy suggested. It's clear this pregnancy was unexpected for Genny and that she's not thrilled about it, and his sister needs him and he needs to go be the kind of big brother he hasn't always been for her.

With his hands shoved in his pockets, he makes his way up the stairs to the loft, finding Genny and his mom curled up in Genny's bed, Genny's head resting against her mother's shoulder. There's no door for him to knock on, so he clears his throat to introduce himself.

When the Bradford women look over to him, he offers them a soft look and says, "Can I come in?"

Hesitantly, Genny nods her approval and sits up, wiping her eyes with her bedspread.

He gingerly makes his way to the edge of the bed and takes a seat, his hands leaving his pockets and clasping together in his lap. "You're gonna be a mom," he states, offering her an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, looks like I am," she blows out.

He holds out his arm and nods to her, "Come here?"

She crawls out of her mom's arms and walks on her knees over to her big brother, falling into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. "How are you feeling about everything?"

"Terrified," she snorts. "Absolutely fucking terrified. I have no idea how I'm gonna do this alone."

"Alone? What about Rob?"

She shakes her head solemnly. "I don't think he's ready to be a dad, Tim. And even if he was, I don't think he'd make a very good one.."

His body tenses. "What do you mean?"

"He's just–he drinks a lot. And it scares me, you know? I don't wanna end up with someone like dad. And–" she looks down at the blue and white floral bedspread, her voice dropping to a strangled whisper,. "Even if isn't like our dad, he–he doesn't wanna be a dad in general. I wasn't sure that I was pregnant before we came here, but I–I suspected. I was late. Late, late. And I mentioned it to him, and he–he said not to worry. He'd given me the money and we'd get it taken care of."

"That bastard," Tim growls. "He doesn't just get to walk away from his responsibility like that. When we get home I'm gonna…"

"You're not gonna do anything, Tim," she firmly warns her brother. "If he isn't ready, if he doesn't wanna be involved, I'm not pushing him to be. I don't want to force him to be involved and him to take his frustrations out on my child because of it. You and I both know better than most that some people just aren't meant to be parents."

Tim sets his jaw and nods, knowing Genny has a valid point. "He should still have to pay child support, even if he isn't involved. You didn't make this baby alone, Gen. You shouldn't have to do everything yourself."

"I know-I just–I don't want him to push for rights if I push him to pay. And maybe he was just scared and he'll come around–I–I don't know. All I know right now is that I'm having this baby and everything else I'll have to figure out along the way. I talked to John before we left for our trip. I knew he'd dealt with an unexpected pregnancy at a young age and I needed to–I needed to know if it was worth it. If he'd go back and do it all over again. I needed to know if it was normal to feel so lost and afraid, but still want to take the leap anyway, and he just–he helped me solidify my decision."

"Why didn't you tell me, Gen? Or tell Lucy? We could've been there for you this week while you were struggling by yourself. We could've been there when you found out so you didn't have to handle that news alone.."

"I didn't want you to be disappointed in me," she mutters.

"Disappointed?"

She nods sadly. "I know you don't like Rob. I know you've had a bad vibe about him this whole time and I–I thought you'd freak out. I thought you'd try to lecture me and tell me that you told me so when it came to him."

"I'm not disappointed in you, Gen. I know that you weren't planning this and I know it's changing your life in ways you weren't planning for and I wanted you to be able to reach all our dreams and find a guy who deserves you first, but I'm not disappointed at all. And yeah, I never liked Rob but to be honest, I probably wouldn't like any guy you brought around and I'd find some fault with him. You're my baby sister, not just anyone is good enough for you."

"I just–I wish I'd realized all this about him before. I wish I'd have seen past the fun I was having with him to think long term. I hate that I'm bringing a baby into the world with a lousy dad and I hate that we're gonna be alone."

"You're not gonna be alone," he promises her. "I know I haven't always been the best big brother, but I told you before that I'm here now, and I meant that. I'm here for you and my niece or nephew. Just come to me next time you're handling something this heavy alone, okay? And if you can't come to me, go to Lucy."

"Going to Lucy means going to you, Tim, and I wasn't ready to do that. You two, you tell each other everything."

"Yeah, well," he exhales heavily, regret filling his chest, "not everything."

"Yeah, you kinda screwed up big time back at the restaurant."

"Yeah." He hangs his head. "Sorry for making you out your secret like that before you were ready. I guess I screwed up in more ways than one."

"A little bit," she admits, "but I'm going to give you a pass this once because you thought you were going to be a dad and it freaked you out, and well, I know first hand now how panic-inducing unexpected pregnancies are."

"Yeah, well, hopefully I can get Lucy to understand that I temporarily lost my mind for a minute. She's pretty pissed at me."

()()()()()()()()

An hour later, Kojo and Lucy return to the house and Tim practically glides down the stairs from Genny's room when he hears the door open.
"Hey," he greets her uneasily.

"Hey," she replies evenly, not meeting his eyes.

"I know you just got back inside, but uh, can we maybe go for a walk? Just us?"

She nods, her arms folded over her chest, and she tells Kojo to go lay down on his dog bed.

They're both silent on the way outside, and down the steps of the porch, and Tim isn't exactly sure where to begin, but he tries anyway.

"Lucy, I know I messed up. I know I should've come to you before blurting that out. I just–I.."

She holds up a hand and holds out her phone to him.

"I don't understand."

"It's going to be a talking piece," she explains.

"A talking piece?"

She nods. "The person speaking holds it, and no one else is allowed to speak unless they've got it in their hand. It'll give us a chance to hear each other out without interrupting and maybe-maybe we can just listen and understand where we're both coming from."

He nods. "O–okay. Do you go first, or–"

"You first," she tells him.

"Okay," he scratches the back of his neck, "Well, to start with, I wanna admit that I was an idiot."

"Yeah, you were," she agrees.

"I know." He flashes her his dopey smile and his voice is hopeful but also worried, "But I'm still your idiot, right?"

She rolls her eyes and huffs, but her features soften briefly and she does give him a small grin. "Yes, you're still my idiot. An idiot I'm upset with that really hurt my feelings but you're still my idiot."

He nods and shakes the phone. "So, am I good to start explaining or…"

"Please do."

"Right. Listen, I know we always talk to each other. I know you always tell me everything," he taps his heart. "I know that right here," he taps his head and swallows, "here, here wasn't listening so well. Here was giving me all the reasons you wouldn't tell me this. I–I didn't grow up in a house where I was allowed to express how I was feeling, Luce. Most of my life until I was 18 was all about hiding how I felt so I didn't set my dad off, and you know I love my mom, but she didn't exactly encourage me to talk about how I felt, her main goal as the same as mine, do whatever it took not to set dad off and keep him as happy as possible. So I got really good at keeping things to myself. Even in my first marriage to Isabel, I–I didn't wanna rock the boat. I thought it was better to avoid conflict than bring it out, and well, she kinda had the same mindset. Neither of us were good at telling each other things, even before her addiction, our marriage had a ton of cracks in it I didn't wanna see because of how much we avoided communication in an attempt to spare each other's feelings or keep the peace."

"I get that, Tim, but I'm not.."

He shakes the phone. "Talking piece, remember?"

"Right." She looks down. "Go ahead."

"I know you're not her, Luce." Again, he taps his heart. "I know that here. But I'm still healing from my divorce. I'm still learning how to trust again and to communicate. You've healed me in so many ways, put me back together in a way I never thought possible and taught me how to be someone I didn't even know I could be," he swallows, "I'm a better man because of you, but that doesn't mean I'm perfect and it doesn't mean that all of my old wounds are healed."

She holds out her hand, asking for the phone, and he places it in her palm, his hand lingering over hers a long moment before pulling away.

"I can't pretend to know how much your marriage broke you and I hope I never have to know what that feels like. I get that you're still growing and healing and I know you're not perfect, I don't expect you to be. I just–I need you to come to me, even if you're feeling unsure. Even if you're afraid, I need you to get out of your head and talk to me. I don't care who we're with or what we're about to do, anything and everything else can wait until we work it out. And I–I need you to know that no matter how bad Isabel hurt you, I'm not her, Tim. It's not fair for me to pay for her sins."

He holds his hand out, asking for the phone and she hands it back to him. "You're right, it's not. I admit I was wrong. I just–I over-corrected at the restaurant. I started panicking and thought you were avoiding talking about, avoiding acknowledging it, and I blurted it out because I didn't want to fall into the same pattern of avoidance. I wanted to meet it head on, I just–I chose the absolute worst moment to meet it head on."

She takes the phone from him. "You did. A conversation like that should only be between us. Not you, me, and your family. Certainly not us and a room full of people we don't know."

He takes the phone back. "Agreed. And I promise, next time, any issue we have will be discussed in private. The moment it comes up."

She takes the phone from him. " I'm still upset that you thought I would drink if I was pregnant. That you thought I'd put our baby in danger. I can't believe you don't know me better than that. That you think I'd decide to–" her voice shakes, "to get rid of our baby without so much as consulting you."

He reaches out and tilts her chin up to meet his eyes. "It's not a good excuse, but my brain was short circuiting and every worst case scenario popped into my head. I just–I remember when we first got together, when we always used condoms, you told me–you told me how afraid you were of getting pregnant before you were ready. How you were terrified of resenting an unplanned baby the way you feel your mom resents you and how you knew you couldn't have a kid until you were ready because of it–I just–I know you'd never resent our baby, but I was afraid you didn't know that and that you'd convinced yourself of it and decided it wasn't worth the risk. My rational mind knows that isn't you, but my freaked out, panicked mind, it–it didn't…"

"You're right, I've been terrified since the moment I started having sex that I'd get pregnant by the wrong guy at the wrong time," she admits shakily, "but–Tim, the moment I told you I was good without one, I knew that if it did happen with us–it wouldn't be with–it wouldn't be with the wrong guy and even though it wouldn't be in my plan and it wouldn't be the right time, I'd be okay with it happening. I know you'd stick beside me, be there for me and our baby."

"I would be" he promises her. "I mean, I meant what I said when I promised you before we left to go eat that I wasn't upset. I just–I meant I wasn't upset about the baby. I was–I was afraid, overwhelmed, shocked, disappointed and hurt because I thought you didn't tell me, but I wasn't upset or angry that I thought you were carrying my baby."

"Well, just so you know," she rocks back and forth, "for future reference, you're the first person I'll be telling if an unexpected pregnancy pops up, because I will be freaking out if it happens and I'm going to need you to calm me down. Even though I know you'll be there, I still–I still want it to be a while before that happens for us. Like, a long, long while."

"I can definitely do that if it happens," he promises. "But uh, I want it to be a while, too. I want that with you someday, Luce. I really, really do. But–I want us to build a life together before we build a family. I want you to start your career, and I want us to buy a house and get married and give you the perfect wedding and honeymoon first. Then, we can work on making a beautiful little girl that looks just like you."

She gives him a crooked smile and reaches up to touch his lips with her fingertips. "And maybe a little boy with your smile."

"Maybe," he smirks. "And if it doesn't happen in that order, it really is okay, Luce. We could handle it, because most of the time, we work pretty damn well together. When I'm not being an idiot."

"We do," she agrees. "We just have to do what we've been doing up until now, talk to each other and figure it out, together."

"Together," he agrees. He rocks back and forth on his heels, "Can I–can I maybe get a hug?"

She shakes her head and his face falls and his heart sinks, but she leans up on tip toes and grabs the side of his face, pulling him in for a kiss which he eagerly returns.

"I love you," he mutters, pressing his forehead to hers. "And I'm sorry and I'll always come to you first from here on out."

"I know you are and I believe you," she nuzzles against his forehead, " and I love you, too."

He wraps his arms around her and holds her close, one hand holding her head and the other wrapping around her lower back, kissing the top of her head and feeling the sinking pit in his stomach slowly disappearing.

Chapter 60: Chapter 60

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

They remain under the stars together, pulling apart from their hug and sharing another long, deep kiss, and when they break apart, Lucy's breathing hard and gripping the collar of his shirt with both hands, licking her lips and smirking devilishly.

"You know," she muses, "this was our first fight."

"We've had plenty of fights." He counters, his hands planting themselves on her thighs.

"No," she corrects, "we've had plenty of trivial, petty disagreements. This was our first real fight. The first time we've ever really been upset with each other."

He shrugs a shoulder and tilts his head thoughtfully. "I guess you're right."

She pops a button open on his collared shirt, and her voice is low and teasing, "And you know what that means, don't you?"

His hands slide around until he's cupping her ass and he gives it a firm squeeze, his head bending until his lips are nipping at her neck and he's growling, "we need to make up."

"Mmhmm," she purrs into his touch, arching her neck to allow him better access, and her fingers continue to work the buttons on his shirt one by one.

This time Tim's the one feeling adventurous, and his eyes scan the dim area, searching for the perfect place to make-up at. He knows that going inside isn't an option, the house is far too small and the rooms way too close together and he has absolutely no intention of being careful and quiet right now.

There's a two room building down near the dock that catches his eye, it's a storage shed and a bathroom with a small shower. That could definitely work. It's far enough away from the house and it's private.

There's also his truck, it's just right up the hill and parked in front of the house, but it's a bit of a walk and Lucy's just torn his last button open and her hands and sliding up and down his chest, working their way around his back, and dear God, she's just moved them to his waist and her fingertips are teasing just below his beltline and he's tempted to just throw her up against that tree their standing next to.

His lips move from her neck to her exposed collarbone as he holds her by the hips and slowly backs her towards the dock, she's undoing his belt and giggling as they walk, tossing it to the side in the darkness.

Instead of the storage building, another destination catches his attention as his eyes fall on the neighbor's boat dock next to their dock. He hasn't seen anyone at the house all week, and he's more than sure the house only serves as a vacation getaway and not a permanent residence.

Is it trespassing? Yes. Could he get in a hell of a lot of trouble if they get caught? Yes. Does he care right now? No. Absolutely not.

He pauses his assault on her collarbone, earning him a disgruntled whine, and he nibbles her earlobe before huskily whispering, "You ever done it on a boat before?"

"No." Her fingertips rake tantalizingly down his spine. "Have you?"

He shakes his head and smirks wickedly. "You want to?"

She bites her lip and nods, gasping in surprise as his lips crash down on hers and he leads them towards the neighbors dock and onto their pontoon boat.

They waste no time once they're on the boat, and Tim backs her against the side of the boat, snatching the hem of her dress up and tugging her panties down her leg, which she quickly scurries out of and kicks her shoes off.

Next, she undoes his pants. First the button, then the zipper, freeing his strained erection from his boxer briefs and swiftly pumping while a guttural growl escapes his lips and his head falls into the crook of her shoulder.

With her free hand, she reaches around to undo the zipper on the back of her dress while she continues to stroke him, but his large hand wraps around his wrist to stop her and he demands, "Leave the dress on. For now."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Early the next morning, Lucy finds herself underneath Tim, one arm wrapped around his neck and the other on his lower back while he slowly moves in and out of her, his heavy weight pushing her further into the mattress as he moves his hips in the perfect languid rhythm.

One of his hands tangles through her hair and the other clutches until his knuckles are white as she falls apart underneath him, drowning out her scream by biting down on his collarbone as she shudders around him and he picks up his pace and his own release soon follows.

He hovers over her and his mouth lands on hers to drown out his own pleasure and they remain connected, tongues tangling gently, until the need for oxygen overtakes him and he's forced to roll off her.

She turns on her side and nestles against him, both their bodies slick and sweaty, and her fingertips trace his stubbled cheek as she regulartes her breathing and her heart thumps in her chest.

"You know," he jokes through ragged breaths, "maybe we should fight more often. Three times in less than twelve hours, I could definitely get used to that." He fondly recalls how last night, they also made use of the storage shed and his truck.

"You're an idiot," she snorts, grinning and shaking her head, her fingers still tracing his face.

"But I'm your idiot," he reminds her.

"You are," she affectionately agrees, leaving a kiss just above his heart. "Always."

He kisses the crown of her head and unwinds his arms from her. "I'm gonna grab a shower and make breakfast."

He throws the cover off and Lucy watches his ass sway appreciatively until he covers it up with a pair of basketball shorts and her lower lip pokes out.

"You know," she suggests, tossing the covers off herself, "I could shower with you. Save water and time."

"Mmmm. You could." This time, he watches her appreciably, her naked frame sauntering across the room, and he's the one left pouting when she covers herself up in one of her kimonos.

"And maybe," she checks the time and wiggles her eyebrows, "just maybe, we could make it four times in less than 12 hours. That is, if you think you're up for it."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Tim makes breakfast after their shower, and he smirks proudly to himself as he cooks. They did indeed make it 4 times in under 12 hours, even if the 4th time involved a lot of foreplay and him taking care of her first just in case he was too spent, because after all, he was pushing 30.

The 4, plus Kojo, eat together in the small kitchen, and after the meal, Tim and Genny take Kojo on a walk while Lucy and Gina clean the kitchen. While Lucy is at the sink washing dishes, handing them to Gina to dry, she offers, what she is certain will one day be her mother in law, an apologetic frown.

She's been worried since last night that Gina is upset with her for fighting with her son in front of her. While the Bradford matriarch has been nothing but kind to her since she met her, she knows that a mother's loyalty is almost always, or should almost alway be, to their child, and the same part of Lucy that knows she is always a disappointment to her parents, now fears she's a disappointment to her boyfriend's mother.

"Listen," she hesitantly begins, holding a clean plate in the air as she speaks, "I um–I just–I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Gina reaches over and takes the plate, and with cocked brows, she asks, "For what?"

"Last night," Lucy sheepishly admits, "looking down to the tiled floor. "Tim and I argued in front of you and Genny. How that argument led to Genny having to tell us about her pregnancy before she was ready. I–just–I should've asked Tim to go talk to me outside. I just–I was not expecting that to be his reason for acting so weird. Anyway–um–you know, I know you're probably upset with me for–"

"Lucy," Gina places a hand on her shoulder and rubs it affectionately, "I'm not upset with you. It's okay.

"You–you're not?'

"No," she hums. "Not at all. Couples are going to have misunderstandings and disagreements. It's only natural. How they handle the disagreements and misunderstandings is the important part. As long as it's done with care and respect, that's all that matters. And, from what I can tell about how you two acted when you came back inside last night and how you're acting this morning, that's exactly how you handled it."

Lucy blinks. "And you're not–you're not upset that because I pushed Tim to tell me what was wrong right then and there that it led to Genny having to admit her pregnancy?"

"No." Again, she rubs Lucy's arm. "I mean, the middle of the restaurant was not the best place for that, but," she shakes her head, "had you and Tim not had that misunderstanding, there's no telling how long Genny would've kept that to herself and suffered in silence. My kids–they," she hangs her head shamefully, "they never learned how to talk about how they're feeling. About what's bothering them. Unfortunately, I helped teach them it's better to hold things in. To keep it to yourself. If I could go back, I'd undo that in a heartbeat, but I–I can't. I can never undo the damage their childhood caused them and unfortunately, it's going to take a long time for them to fully move past some of things that have so long been ingrained into them." She smiles. "But, I'm glad they both have you to help them unlearn some of those unhealthy coping mechanisms."

"Thank you," Lucy whispers.

"And Lucy," Gina opens her arms, inviting her in for a hug, to which Lucy falls into her arms, "It's clear to me your parents taught you well when it comes to opening up and and saying how you feel, but I'm not so sure they did the best job at letting you know they were proud of you and that they'd support you no matter what, and I'm sure that's hard for you to overcome and you've got parts of your past you're working on as well." She rubs Lucy's back gently, "but honey, you are worth being proud of and let me tell you, you are the absolute light of my son's life and possibly the best thing that ever happened to him. And, you know what, I can promise you that he is so, so proud of you and proud to have you. And you know what else? I'm proud of you, too, and I couldn't have picked a better woman to be in his life and by his side or a better friend for my daughter, and," she hums thoughtfully, "I couldn't have picked a better aunt for my first grandchild. I'm so happy and thankful that you're a part of our family."

Notes:

Slight time jump coming up next chapter. And as we move along we will also get more slight time jumps. I'm calling this the never ending story for now, because the more I write, the less I have any actual idea of when this will end. As long as there is interest and I have motivation, I'll keep going with it. The moment one of those two slow, I'll find a satisfying way to tie it all up.

Chapter 61: Chapter 61

Chapter Text

The next four months seem to blow by.

When they got home from Tahoe City, Lucy and Jackson started the academy and both were thriving at it, despite the challenges.

When Lucy's first check came in, because you get paid your first year salary while attending the academy, she bought tickets to a Dodgers game and surprised Tim as a thank you for being willing to join her on all her adventures while they were at his mom's. She went out all, buying them matching caps and Jerseys to wear to the game, and she cheered louder than he did every time they scored, and yelled louder than he did every time got an out. In fact, he practically had to drag her from the stadium kicking and screaming so she didn't argue with the umpire after the Dodgers lost.

In July, Lucy's birthday came and though she got a bland, generic happy birthday text from her parents, they made no effort to come see her and celebrate with her. Tim took her out to dinner, though she was still a bit sad while they ate, even if she tried to hide it. When they got back to their house, she was blown away to find all of her closest friends, her aunt Amy, and even Tim's mom waiting on her and shouting, "Surprise!" It turns out Tim conspired to organize a surprise party for her. And even though she was still sad about her parents not being there and the distance between them, she was in awe of the support from everyone else, especially Tim.

She continues to exceed in the academy, though she isn't top of the class, Jackson is. A young man named Chris Rios is second, and for the first time in her life, Lucy feels okay with not being at the top. There's no pressure from any outside source, and while she does well and pushes herself to do the best she can, she doesn't feel like a failure for not being in first place and she doesn't need to be, she's content with where she is and what she's doing, and if she wasn't 100% certain before that being a police officer is what she wanted, the academy definitely solidified it. She's found a sense of belonging and purpose that she never quite felt before.

Tim, however, isn't exactly riding the same high in his professional life. When they returned from his mom's, his rookie only made it with him two more days before she called it quits. She worked desk duty while he was away, and she realized that her PTSD from the military was still too high to function well as a police officer. In her head, she was still waging a war in Afghanistan, and the streets of L.A. took her back to that place too much. Being inside, stuck behind a desk, it provided peace and clarity to her, and what she needed right now was peace and clarity.

A part of Tim assumed he'd be happy any time a rookie washed out. That he'd feel a sense of pride for weeding out people who had no business being cops, but that isn't what he felt at all when Katie quit. He felt a little sad. Guilty even. Like he could've or should've done more to help her. He truly believed she would've been a good cop and somewhat saw a former version of himself in her. Part of him blamed Lucy for all that damn empathy he was feeling, though deep down he knows it's a good thing and he's glad she's brought out that side of him.

And even if he's more empathetic than he once was, he's still practical. Because when his next rookie washes out on the first day, not even ten minutes into roll call because he accidentally fires his gun as he's introducing himself, Tim doesn't feel the slightest bit of empathy for him and he's thankful to have dodged a bullet, literally and figuratively.

He does hate that he hasn't had any success as a T.O. so far, though, after all, he does want to mold and train the future of the L.A.P.D. just as much as he wants to weed out candidates that shouldn't be there.

In his personal life, he and Lucy have been trying to help Genny during her pregnancy. His sister was right, Rob wasn't ready to be a father and wanted no part in the baby's life. Genny ended the relationship immediately, and Lucy and Tim had taken turns over the last 4 months attending doctor's appointments with her so she didn't have to go alone. Tim was at the most recent one two weeks ago when she'd found out she was having a boy and he was elated to learn he was having a nephew and already planned on teaching how to throw and catch a ball, he just hoped the kid got his and Genny's athletic genes.

In the midst of all that, he's still been helping Angela plan her wedding, and after many mishaps, like failed venues and losing their live entertainment, the day that his best friend is getting married is finally here and he's standing in front of the bathroom mirror, attempting to straighten his crooked bow tie.

Lucy walks up behind him and wraps her arms around his waist, her head resting between his shoulders, and she chuckles affectionately at his struggle and offers, "let me do it.'

"I got it," he insists, but clearly he doesn't, because he continues to fumble with it and Lucy moves from behind him and steps in front of him placing her hands over his and looking up at him. "Let me. We don't wanna be late."

He stills, his breath catching in his chest when he sees how beautiful she looks in the green dress she's wearing, full make-up, and her hair curled at the ends, partially pinned back and partially hanging at her face.

She fixes the bow tie and smiles adoringly at him. "See, much better."

He's still staring at her in awe, and her cheeks flush to the point they almost match the color of her lipstick and she flits her eyes to the tiled floor and giggles, "What?" Because when he looks at her like that, it still gives her butterflies 7 months into their relationship.

"You look," one hand falls to her hip and another fingers through the tight curl that's hanging in front of her face, "so, so beautiful. You're gonna be the most beautiful woman at the venue."

"While that's sweet, I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be Angela today."

"She's gonna be gorgeous," he agrees, "but if I thought Angela was the most beautiful woman there, we'd have a problem, because I'd probably be the one marrying her today. You, you're always going to be the one in the room that takes my breath away."

She bats her eyes rapidly, trying like hell not to let her eyes water, and again, she smiles adoringly at him.

"And I'm gonna be the most handsome boy in the room, right?" He quips, trying to make her smile.

"I don't know. It's Wesley's day," she teases.

He rolls his eyes, and moves to step away, but her hands now fall on his hips and she catches him. "Yeah, babe, you're definitely going to be the most handsome guy in the room, and I'm lucky that I get to be the one to go home with you."

He leans in and presses his lips to hers and they get lost in each other, until his phone rings and he has to pull away, a little breathless, to answer Angela's frantic call reminding him not to forget the rings.

()()()()()()()()()()()

They arrive at the wedding, an outdoor venue that was pulled together last minute because the original venue got busted as a drug smuggling ring only days before, and Tim goes to find Angela while Lucy takes a seat with Sgt. Grey and his wife Luna.

He knocks on the door of the bride's chamber and his best friend tells him to come in.

He smiles at her standing there in her wedding dress and she does look beautiful, there's no doubt about it, but he stands by what he told Lucy earlier, no matter how beautiful Angela looks today, Lucy's still the most beautiful woman there.

"Wow," he compliments his friend, "you look beautiful. But uh," he slides the sleeve of his tux up and checks his watch. "If you've come to your senses and decided you don't wanna marry a lawyer, there's still time for Lucy and I to bust you out of here if we hurry."

She points to her protruding belly and laughs. "Seeing as how I'm popping his kid out in 4 weeks or less, give or take, I think I'll go through with it."

"Fair enough," he grins. "I guess as far as lawyer's go, Wesley's a good one."

"He is," she grins. "Just don't tell him I said that."

"So, you ready? You need anything?"

"I don't think so. I've got something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I threw up like 3 times already so it doesn't happen out there in front of everyone. I think I'm good."

"All right. Good. Well, I think we should start getting into position then, things are about to start." He holds his arm out to her to lead the way and she links hers with his.

"Tim?"

"Hmm."

Thank you for everything. Helping me plan all this. Dealing with all my crazy hormones during it and Patrice. All of it. I owe you."

"Oh yeah, you definitely owe me," he agrees.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Angela's brother's Benny and Cruz walk her down the aisle together and her brother Damian is a priest, so he is the one who officiates the wedding.

He'd asked if he could read a passage of scripture during the service, and Angela and Wesley agreed.

While Tim stands beside his best friend at the altar and he hears her brother recite this verse, he can't help but feel a bit overcome with emotion and he looks into the audience and his eyes fall on Lucy and she's looking up and catching his own eye at the same time while Damien reads 1st Corinthians 13 verses 4-8: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury. it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

The verse speaks to him. Perfectly summing up, particularly the last verse Damien read, what he's always thought love should be. How he feels about his love for Lucy, and how he's sure she feels about her love for him. It speaks of a kind of love he'd been sure only 10 months ago would never be a possibility for him, and though things with Lucy happened so fast after the dissolving of his first marriage, though they came out of nowhere so unexpectedly, he is so thankful it happened and that he's found a love like this in her and with her.

()()()()()()()()

The rest of the ceremony goes as planned, and Angela and Wesley are officially pronounced husband and wife and a reception follows. Tim goes to the bar and grabs two glasses of champagne and then finds Lucy, where she's still with the Grey family and now also John Nolan, and he hands her a glass and joins them making small talk about Dominique and Henry's college plans and listening to Luna reflect fondly on her and Sgt. Grey's own wedding day, then John reflects on his own rushed, shotgun wedding.

Music begins to play and the DJ opens the dance floor and Sgt. Grey and Luna shuffle off together to share a dance. Lucy looks at Tim expectantly, and he takes her empty glass, along with his, and sets them to the side and grabs her hands, leading her out to the dance floor.

"You know,' she muses when they reach the floor and he holds one of her hands with his and the other falls to her hip while her free hand comes to rest on his shoulder, "I have to admit, I thought I'd have to work to convince you to get out here with me."

"I"m full of surprises," he reminds her, making a quick move to twirl her around which earns him a surprised, squealing giggling.

She grins at him, quite impressed. "Bradford's got moves."

"Yeah," he grins back, the smile evident in his voice, and he pulls her close and they sway together gently.

"Can I ask you something," she hesitantly begins, a little unsure, "and you'll be honest with me?"

"Of course."

"When Sgt. Grey and Luna, then John, were talking about their weddings, I just–does being here, does it remind you–does it remind you of yours?"

He swallows, momentarily stilling them both. "Honestly? A little. It's like–a trigger memory. You know? The setting, the mood, of course it brings back memories of the fact I've been here before. Remembering how stressful it was. How excited and hopeful," he shakes his head, "and how damn young and naive I was." He looks into Lucy's big, expressive brown eyes, and he catches a flash or worry, and maybe even a hint of sadness. "But it's not–it's not like a longing memory. And it's not making me sad or–or wistful. It's just remembering a part of my life that once was, and reminding me of how much I've grown, and healed, and maybe of how unready I really was at the time for something as big as marriage. How much more prepared I'll be the next time I do this."

"Oh yeah?" The brightness in her eyes comes back to life, and there's a playful lilt there. "Got anybody in mind for next time?"

He shrugs and begins to sway back and forth with her again. "No, not really."

She rolls her eyes at him and he spins her again, her infectious laugh filling his ears and causing his eyes and smile to light up.

()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy's off talking to Nyla and John, laughing and telling them all about her adventures at the academy, and Tim's sitting on the edge of a fountain by himself, sipping another glass of champagne when Angela waddels over to him and takes a seat beside him. She's barefoot, having kicked her shoes off long ago because they were irritating her already swollen feet.

"You think I can fake going into labor and kick everyone out so I can go home and go to sleep?"

He doesn't hear her. He's too busy staring at Lucy and lost in thought.

"Yo, Earth to Bradford," she waves her hand in front of his face and snaps her fingers.

He shakes his head, turning his attention to his friend and apologizing. "Sorry, I was–I was just thinking about something."

"I see. What's got you so in your head?"

His hands fumble in his pocket and he glances around carefully before he pulls out a tiny, velvet black box.

"I'm flattered," she holds up her hand. "But I'm already married, Tim."

He rolls his eyes and glares at her, popping it open to reveal a shiny, sparkling diamond engagement ring.

"Is–" she points at the box, her jaw dropping, "is that what I think it is?"

He nods, quickly snapping the box closed and shoving it back into his pocket.

"Yeah, Ang, it is." He grins from ear to ear. "I'm gonna ask Lucy to marry me."

Chapter 62: Chapter 62

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

"Timothy Daniel Bradford," there's venom in Angela's hushed tone, "I swear on everything holy if you propose to your girlfriend at my wedding I will squat down and shoot this baby out before you can get on one knee. Do you understand me?"

He huffs at his over dramatic friend and rolls his eyes. "I'm not proposing today. I don't–I don't know when I'm going to do it or where. I just–I know that I am. When I was picking the rings up for you this morning I was browsing through the store while I waited for them to bring them out to me, just looking around, and that ring caught my eye and I just–I knew. I knew it's the ring. It's Lucy's ring. You know?"

"Wow, so you two are really serious, huh?" Angela deadpans.

Tim rolls his eyes and moves to stand up but Angela puts a hand on his knee and pushes him down. "You're really ready for that? To get married again?"

He glances away from Angela and back towards Lucy, and Lucy notices him looking and gives him a cheerful, energetic wave and smile and he returns her smile.

"I am. Lucy's just–" he's not entirely sure how to sum up exactly how he feels about her in words because there's so much to say, so much depth to their relationship that it can't be summed up in a simple sentence or two. "She's different than Isabel. Our relationship is entirely different. We've both talked about a future together someday. We know this isn't a passing fling. I just–I love her Angela. More than I thought possible and I never wanna lose her. I wanna spend the rest of my life with her."

"Well," Angela grins, "not that you need my permission, but I approve."

"You're right, your permission or acceptance is absolutely not needed, but thank you."

"I've gotta ask, though," she pauses, trying to choose her words carefully, "do you think Lucy's ready for that? Marriage?"

"I don't know," he admits with a sharp exhale. "That's why I don't know the date I'm going to ask yet. I know–know she loves me. I know she doesn't plan on this ending, but I also know she just turned 23 a few months ago and we haven't been together a year yet. I just–I don't wanna freak her out. I don't want it to feel too sudden, too soon."

"I'm really glad I'm not a guy," Angela snorts. "I can't imagine the pressure of trying to find the perfect moment, of being sure the other person is going to say yes."

"Way to be supportive," he grumbles. "I can't imagine being a girl and being split open pushing a kid out of me."

She holds up a finger and growls, "I swear to God, Bradford, if this baby splits me open, I'm making my Abuela put a curse on you and when you and Lucy do get married, let's just say you won't be able to enjoy your wedding night."
TIim instinctively crosses his legs and winces.

"I'm just saying," she holds her hands up, "try me Bradford, you've been warned."

"Anyway," he quickly changes the subject, "can you keep what I told you just between us? I don't want Lucy to expect anything when it does happen. Okay?"

"So you haven't told anyone else?"

"No, and I'm not going to."

"I feel honored."

"Well, don't. I just–I felt excited and I couldn't keep it in and you happened to be the closest one next to me."

"Come on, who else were you gonna tell? You can't tell your sister, she's too close with Lucy. You don't even like Nolan enough to tell him."

"I could've told Harper or Grey."

"Uh-huh. Except they aren't your best friend, I am. I call dibs on Best-woman at the wedding whenever it happens, by the way."

"Eh, we'll see."

Lucy walks towards them and they taper their conversation, when she approaches, she bends down and hugs Anegela, telling her, "You look so gorgeous. And I'm so happy for you and Wesley."

"Thank you," Angela gently pats Lucy on the back. "So, I saw you get Tim out on the dance floor earlier. I was surprised to learn he didn't have two left feet."

"I know, right? I was pretty impressed."

"Hey?" His tone is offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Angela shrugs. "I just never pictured you dancing. Dancing is for happy ,upbeat people."

"I can dance better than Wesley," he grumbles, folding his arms across his chest.

"Speaking of dancing," Lucy extends her hand, "Care to join me again? Show me more of your moves?"

He takes her hand in his and stands. "I'd love to."

The couple move to walk away and Angela shouts, "Hey, where the hell do you two think you're going?"

They pause and turn to look at her.

"I can't get up on my own." She waves her hand over her swollen belly.

They chuckle and head towards her, each extending a hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Never get pregnant," Angela warns Lucy. "I eat Fritos dipped in cream cheese. I pee every five minutes. I can't remember the last time I slept on my stomach. I waddle like a damn duck. I haven't seen my own vagina in two months and I'm pretty sure it looks like the Amazon jungle down there." She shakes her head, then smiles fondly. "It's just such a magical time."

()()()()()()()()()

Angela's reception lasts another hour before the bride actually does kick people out, but she doesn't fake her labor to do it. After the bouquet is thrown and cake is served, she more or less thanks everyone for coming and tells them they don't have to go home, but they have to get the hell out of there."

On the way home from the reception, Lucy moves to place a hand on Tim's thigh, and he instantly remembers the ring box in his pocket and catches her hand and interlocks their fingers, then brings her hand up to his lips and places a kiss to the back of it, eliciting a grin from Lucy. He keeps their fingers twined together and rests their hands on the center console as he drives.

"Did you enjoy the wedding?" He asks her.

"I did. And I really enjoyed our first dance."

He hums. "Yeah, me too."

"You know, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised you're good at dancing."

"Why's that?"

She smirks flirtatiously. "Well, I've always heard good dancers are good in bed and I already know you're good in bed."

He smirks smugly. "Is that so?"

"Mmhm. And I'd definitely say you're in my top 5."

He scowls. " I crack the top 5? That's all I get?"

She shrugs a shoulder innocently. "I didn't say what number out of 5."
()()()()()()()()()()

When they get inside and close the front door, Tim's kissing her passionately and pinning her against the wall.

She pulls away breathing heavily, her hands gripping the sides of his tux, and she pants, "Not that I'm complaining, but what's this about?"

His fingertips caress the side of her face. "It's partially about how gorgeous you look in this dress and how much I enjoyed dancing with you earlier and how much I love you in general."

"And the other reason is because?"

His lips descend on her neck, working their way over her tattoo. "It's partially because I'm trying to work my way up to number one before the night's over."

"Seriously?"

He hums against her skin and continues to work his magic, fingertips flexing and hands trailing down her hips.

"Okay," she moans, "show me what you've got."

()()()()()()()()

They end up in Lucy's bedroom, which is really their bedroom at this point, and afterwards Tim is propped up on his elbow, staring down at her and tracing a finger along her exposed breast.

"So?"

"So what?" She giggles.

"Am I still only in the top 5?"

She leans up and presses her lips to his, then smirks at him. "I told you, I never said what number you were."

"Well, am I still the same number?"

She shakes her head at him and wraps her arms around his neck, staring deeply into his dark blue eyes. "Yes, you are." And when she sees the flash of disappointment and what could almost be deciphered as hurt reflected back at her, she hastily adds, "But that's because you already were number one. There's no competition."

His smug smirk erupts into a toothy, confident grin. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she assures him, nuzzling her forehead against his.

"You're not gonna ask where you're at on my list?"

"No. I mean, there's only two on your list and I'm pretty sure I already know what number I am."

There's no confidence in her voice like she's trying to assert she knows she's the best he's ever had. Instead, her voice is a bit fragile and her body a bit tense.

"Hey," his thumb traces her jaw line and he echoes the words she'd said to him, "there's no competition, baby. You're number one. In every single way, on every single list I have, you're at the top. " He kisses her softly and she responds and matches his pace, leaving her arms wound around his neck while he hovers over her.

Notes:

A proposal is coming, I promise. But only I know when =) I promise it won't take 60 more chapters to get to, though.

Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Chapter Text

Three weeks later, Lucy sits across from Jackson on their lunch break at the academy, her bones aching from a particularly taxing day of PT.
She fidgets her chopsticks around her plate, not even bothering to pick up any of her bean sprouts and bring them to her mouth.
"Did they wear you out that badly?" Jackson mutters while he slurps down a spoonful of his Shrimp Pho. "Because we aren't even halfway done with today."
"Huh?" She jerks her head up, she'd been lost deep in thought, and it takes her a moment to register her friend's words. "Oh, uh, no. It's not that. I mean, I'm sore, but I'm good."

"What is it then?" He curiously inquires.

"I don't know, it's probably nothing. It's just, Tim's been acting really weird for a few weeks.."

Jackson sets his spoon down and pushes his bowl to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Okay, this is probably TMI," she casts her eyes to the table. "But, uh, after Angela's wedding we came home and…you know."

"Yeah? That's not strange, though, you two are like bunnies. It'd be strange if you hadn't come home and done that."

"Shut up," she rolls her eyes and groans, tossing her head back. "Anyway, our clothes kind of got scattered everywhere on the way to my room, so after I got out of bed I started to pick them up and he, like, he freaked out,t Jackson. He bolted out of bed and started picking up all the clothes, like he didn't want me to touch them."

"That is pretty weird."

"Right!?"

"What else?"

"Well, we went out to dinner two weekends ago and it was really cold in the restaurant. He saw me shivering and offered me his suit jacket."

"That's not weird."

"I'm not finished."

"Go on."

"About five minutes later he started freaking out and wanting his jacket back."

"Okay, that's strange."

"I know!"

"You don't think," Jackson trails off and clasps his hands together, his voice growing soft and weary, "I mean, you don't think he could be," he pauses and swallows, "cheating..Do you?"

"Uh-uh," she shakes her head adamantly. "No way. That's not Tim."

Jackson gives her a cautious look.

"I'm serious. Okay? I know this sounds strange coming from me, but I know him better than that. And it's not me being idealistic or naive. Tim is not the cheating kind, he's extremely loyal. He was loyal to his ex-wife the entire time she ran out on him and he didn't know where she was. I mean, we probably wouldn't have hooked up until after his divorce was finalized if Isabel hadn't been pregnant with another man's kid, that's the straw that broke the camel's back and let him know it was okay to start moving on."

"Well, if it's not cheating, what do you think it could be?"

Honestly? I have no idea."

"Is he upset about something?"

"I–I don't think so. I keep asking him and he keeps promising me nothing's wrong and that he's never been happier."

"Do you believe him? Does he seem happy?"

"I mean, yeah. We're really happy together. We laugh and have fun. Our sex life is great. Other than him being super nervous and cagey the past few weeks, things are pretty much perfect."

"Maybe it's all in your head then?"

"What do you mean?"

"How long have you two been together now?"

"Almost 8 months. Why?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "That's–it's a big deal for you, Luce. Maybe you're trying to convince yourself something is wrong because you're kind of panicking and freaking out about how serious things are…"

"No," she cuts him off. "Not at all. I've known this was serious between us for–for a while. We've talked about our future and I'm fine with it. I want everything with him, Jackson. I'm not–I'm not trying to self sabotage. Okay? I'm telling you, something is off with him."

"Okay, well, you could always do a little digging. Play detective."

"What?" She snorts. "Snoop on him?"

"Hell yeah."

"No, no way. Tim and I don't have secrets, I don't have a reason to snoop."

"You're literally the one saying he's hiding something!"

"I didn't say hiding something," she clarifies, "I said not telling me something."

"Same difference," Jackson mutters.

()()()()()()()()()

Six hours later, Lucy gets home from the academy and finds Genny on the couch, dipping pickles into Nutella.

She grimaces. "Is that my Nutella?"

Genny crunches the hazelnut spread pickle. "Yep. You want some?"

"No. I am good." She waves her pregnant friend off. "And uh, you can have that jar of Nutella by the way. I'll get a new one."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Lucy falls on the couch next to her friend and rubs her forehead, exhausted from the long day.

"Hey baby," Tim steps into the living room in black dress pants, a black button down shirt, and a black jacket. "You gonna get a shower and get dressed so we can go?"

"Shit," she groans.. "I'm sorry, I forgot we were going out tonight."

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she sighs "It was just ALL PT ALL day. I'm a little sore and a lot exhausted."
He nods in understanding. "I can give you a good massage later." He checks his phone and notices the time "Want me to start the shower for you so we can make our reservation?"

She glances up at him and forces a smile, seeing how he clearly still wants to make dinner. "Sure. Thank you."

()()()()()()()()()

Lucy showers and fixes her hair and make-up and puts on the smallest set of heels she owns, then she and Tim head out to the restaurant.

He holds her hand on the ride over, shooting her nervous glances out of the corner of his eye every few seconds and there's a slight tremble to his hand while their fingers are locked.

When they're seated, his nervous glances only intensity and they don't settle into their normal conversation, instead talking is lulled and Tim mutters some nonsense about the bread assortment the waiter brought out.

Lucy can't take it anymore and reaches over and grasps his hand, laying all her cards on the table. "Okay, spill it. What's going on with you lately?"

"N–nothing…"

"Tim," she demands firmly, "we promised at the lake when we fought we wouldn't lie to each other and we'd always talk about things when something's wrong." Her voice shakes. "You're freaking me out lately, I need you to tell me what's wrong."

He licks his lips and shakes his head. "Hey, I promise, nothing's wrong. Okay?" She stares at him in disbelief. "I mean it, Luce. Nothing's wrong. In fact, nothing's been wrong with me for a long time now, and well," he swallows and reaches up to run his thumb along her cheek. "it's because of you."

His voice sounds sincere, and even if it wasn't enough to convince her, the look in his eyes and the adoring ear to ear smile he was giving her sure was and she matches his smile and squeezes his hand. "That's sweet, babe,"

Tim's free hand fumbles around in his pocket under the table. "Lucy, I-uh…" He begins, but he's abruptly cut off by a familiar voice that he hasn't heard in a while.

"Bradford? Lucy?"

He and Lucy share a confused look, then turn away from each other and look up from their table.

"Emmett?" They mutter in unison, both clearly surprised to see him, and even more surprised that they both know him.

Emmett motions between them, not hiding his shock that they're sitting together. "I didn't realize you two knew each other."

"Lucy's my girlfriend," Tim quickly replies, then cooly adds, "I didn't realize you knew her at all." He carefully studies the man he knows works for the L.A.F. D. and that he occasionally played pick-up basketball with prior to his divorce and moving in with Genny and Lucy.

Emmett awkwardly scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah, we uh–we used to," he pauses and chooses his next words thoughtfully, "hang out from time to time a couple years back."

Once again, Lucy's left rubbing her temples and she downs the glass of white wine in front of her.

Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Chapter Text

"Well, I'm gonna do," Emmett points over his shoulder, "I'm eating with my sister's family for my niece's birthday. It was uh–it was good running into you two. And congratulations, by the way." He gives Tim a final look before walking away. "Bradford, you should come out and play ball with us next weekend, the team's been slacking without you."

"We'll see," Tim replied shortly, downing his own glass of wine while the other man jogs off.

Slowly, he lowers his now empty glass and looks to his girlfriend. So you and Emmett…"

"Yeah," Lucy rubs her forehead. "I'm sorry. It was my junior year and I didn't know you two knew each other or that we'd ever run into him." She'd met Emmett at the gym and they flirted back and forth a few months before ever officially hanging out, and they'd hooked up a handful of times over the span of two or three months, then he'd ended things via text when he met someone he had feelings for and wanted to pursue something serious with.

"No, it's um–it's don't have anything to be sorry about. It's just–uh, I didn't realize you were the Lucy that–that…"

"Oh God," she blanches, "he gave you details, didn't he?"

Tim nods and shifts uncomfortably. He knows Lucy's been with other guys and it doesn't normally bother him. He knows he has nothing to be jealous about and that he's the one, the only one she is or has ever been in love with, but knowing about them and being able to visualize in vivid detail the things another man has done with her, well those are two very different things.

Her elbows prop onto the table and she buries her head in her hands.

Tim scoots closer to her and puts an arm around. "Hey, it's okay. Really, baby, it's okay. There's nothing for you to feel bad about. Like you said, it was way before me."

"No, I know, it's just, it's awkward we keep running into guys I've been with. I mean, first Chris before we were dating. Then Noah, now Emmett, L.A. is a huge city, and it's like the universe just tries to find ways to make things uncomfortable."

"Yeah," he rubs her back gently, "it's pretty good at doing that." She's right about the universe trying to make things uncomfortable. And there's no way he's proposing tonight after this. Since Angela's wedding, he keeps trying to find the perfect moment, the perfect words, the perfect night, and something always gets in the way or he finds the words he's trying to conjure up in his brain fall flat.

He's starting to wonder if maybe it's not the right time. If the universe is trying to tell him to wait and slow down. That maybe it's a sign trying to tell him that Lucy's not quite ready for that step yet and that he should wait a few more months, maybe until their one year, before taking that next step. Even if the ringing is burning a hole in his pocket and he can't wait to ask her to be his wife, maybe he needs to take a step back and consider what she might or might not be ready for.

()()()()()()()()()()

They eat dinner, and they try as best they can engage in conversation like normal. He tells Lucy about his day at work and how they arrested a guy who was running around naked and high out his mind after licking toads.

She tells him how they were pushed to their limits today during P.T. and how a few members of their cohort ended up puking their guts out, and he smiles proudly when she asserts that she wasn't one of them.

One the way, her hand rests on his right thigh, and he's thankful that he was smart enough this time to hide the ring in his left pocket this time so he doesn't have to think on his feet and swipe her hand away.

When they get inside, Genny's passed out on the couch, and Lucy smirks affectionately and covers her friend with a blanket before the couple disappears into their room to change. After taking out her hoop earrings, Lucy carefully makes her way over to Tim, who just slinked out of his jacket, and she places a hand above his heart and stares deep into his eyes.

"Listen, um," she bites down on her lip, "I know we got interrupted earlier, but I wanna circle back to what we were talking about before Emmett interrupted. Something's been off with you, and I know you say it's nothing, but Tim, I know you. And I know it's something and it worries me. So much that I even talked to Jackson about it today, and I'm telling you this because I don't want you to feel like I went outside of our relationship with a problem, but I just needed to talk it out because it was worrying me so much and you kept insisting you're fine. You're normally so confident and certain and you're just–you're a little quirky lately."

He covers her hand with his and gives her a small, tired smile. "Lucy, I promise you, I'm okay. I know I've been a little weird since the wedding.."

"A little?"

"A lot," he admits, "it's just," he pulls in a deep breath, "being beside Angela up there, hearing their vows, that verse that was read, I guess it got me thinking a little."

"About what?" Her nose scrunches.

"How much I love you," he admits softly.

"And that makes you nervous?" She arches an uncertain brow.

"Maybe a little," he admits. I just ah–" he pauses and his throat bobs, "-I guess I've just been thinking about how much I want all that with you someday. How I could see that being us."

"Yeah?"

He nods, tilting his head and holding her gaze.

"Maybe I thought about that at the wedding, too," she confesses, "drumming his chest lightly with her fingers."

His other hand comes to rest on her hip and he continues to hold the one she's keeping in place over his heart. "I meant what I said earlier. That I'm good and I have been for a while because of you."

She hums and her eyes briefly flit to the floor, overcome with emotion.

"I ah–Lucy, I," he pauses, growls, and hangs his head as his phone vibrates in his pocket. He snatches it out and answers it, not checking the caller ID, and his voice is gruff and annoyed. "Hello?" He blinks and his jaw goes slack as the other line fills him. "No, um, I–I understand. Th–thank you."

His phone drops from his hand when the call ends.

Worriedly, Lucy asks, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

His mouth opens, then closes, and he sucks in a deep breath. "That-uh–that was hospice. They called me because they couldn't get Genny to answer. Our dad just died."

Chapter 65: Chapter 65

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

After his father's death, Tim was the one who handled everything that needed to be taken care of. Genny was a mess, she was still emotional over her unexpected pregnancy and the ending of her relationship with Rob, and he knew she was already too overwhelmed to take care of what needed to be handled, so he stepped up to the plate as the older brother and did what needed to be done, and Lucy was with him for everything.

They chose to have him cremated. Tim didn't feel that the man deserved a funeral service and during his sickest, most delusional moments in his final days, he kept asking about his former mistress and Genny found out about the affair and how he helped her cover up the murder of her husband, and the news rocked her, shaking the foundation of the forgiveness she'd been allowing him in his time of need, and she wasn't up for a public celebration of his life either because she, like Tim, was having trouble finding things to fondly remember about the man that helped create them.

Their mom flew in and stayed for a few days, wanting to be near her children and help them through their grief.

But the thing about it was,Tim didn't feel any grief over the loss. He wasn't sad that his dad was gone, he wasn't angry with God or the universe for taking the man, he didn't feel guilty that he didn't feel upset because he knew he was justified in not caring, and he simply felt relieved that the world had one less monster in it.

Lucy had been convinced the past two weeks since his dad died that it was going to affect him. She did check-ins with him about his feelings daily, bought books on grief for children of abused parents for both he and Genny and even recorded certain parts of the book for him to listen to while he worked out so he could help process what he was feeling, and while he listened to the recordings to give her peace of mind, he didn't feel like he actually needed them because he wasn't feeling anything they said he would be feeling so there was nothing for him to process and he promised her every single day the he was okay, he was handling it, and he was doing fine, and he wasn't lying to her or trying to hide his pain, it's honestly how he felt.

If anything, the only thing that made Tim angry or upset about his father's death was the fact that it once again threw a wrench in his plans to propose to Lucy. Leave it to Tom Bradford to screw with his life one more time, even in death. It was totally on brand for the son of a bitch.

But other than that, he was coping. He was moving on. He was okay.

Or so he thought.

Until he wasn't.

It hit him like a ton of bricks and came out of nowhere when he least expected it.

He worked a wreck this morning. On the outside, the wreck looked devastating. The car was a mangled mess of twisted metal. A teenager lost control and crashed into a guard rail and went over the side of an embankment, flipping the car several times.

Miraculously, the 17 year old was okay, only a few scratches and a goose egg on his head, but when the father showed up to the accident and saw the car, the man lost it, convinced from the wreckage there was no way his son would have survived and dropped to his knees, violently sobbing until his son stepped out of the ambulance.

The man rushed to his boy, enveloping him in his arms, kissing his cheek and now crying tears of elated joy over the fact that his son, his child, was alive and well. The young man apologized over and over again for totaling the car and the father stopped him, promising him he didn't give a damn about the car and only cared about his life and how happy he was that he was okay.

The moment took Tim back to his own car wreck at 16. He'd borrowed the family car to drive Isabel home from a date and he'd been rear ended by another car at a red light. He and Isabel were a little banged up, he busted his head on the steering wheel, but nothing major. Of course, the cops called his parents to let them know what happened and so he could get a ride home because the car had to be towed and the moment his father got there, he didn't even care to ask how his son was or even seek him out, he immediately lashed out about what a dumbass Tim was and how he ruined the family car, even though it wasn't Tim's fault and the other driver hadn't been paying attention, and the moment he laid eyes on his son, he barreled toward him in anger, swiftly kicking him in the ass and doing even worse once they were home alone.

The contrast between the reaction of this young boy's father and Tim's own father elicited a long hidden, deep, sorrowful feeling buried inside of Tim. Sudden, intense anger and grief bubbled to the surface, but not the grief and anger you'd expect from losing someone you love, of losing someone important to you, but the kind of grief and anger associated with the loss of a normal childhood, the grief and anger of never having known the love he should have as a child.

The unexpected onset of these feelings is what led to him driving to the liquor store after work. For reasons he didn't fully understand, he purchased a bottle of Patron, his dad's favorite poison, and he drove back to his house, sitting alone a long while just staring at the bottle, staring at the substance his father deemed more worthy of attention and love than his own family.

Lucy was at the academy and Genny was at work and neither would be home for hours. Nyla was at work, they had different shifts today. Angela was at home with her newborn baby boy who'd come into the world two weeks after her wedding, and Wesley was on paternity leave with her the next four weeks spending time bonding with their new son and he didn't want to disrupt their family time with his newfound grief, which is how he ends up alone, taking his first shot from the bottle in front of him.

He does it to calm his nerves. To try and drown out the pain he's feeling. It burns all the way down and a few minutes later he realizes it's done nothing to dull the pain, so he takes another, and another until he's feeling anything but the hollow pit of despair that's formed in his gut.

Each shot burns all the way down. Tim drinks beer and wine pretty regularly, he'll even have the occasional whiskey on the rocks if he's drinking socially, but he doesn't get drunk often. In fact, he's pretty sure Lucy's never actually seen him drunk, a little buzzed, sure, but not sloppy drunk.

But this afternoon he gets piss drunk and by the time Lucy gets home from the academy, he's sitting on the living room floor, spinning the empty bottle in circles.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy walks through the front door, she'd had a long but fulfilling day at the academy and she's thrilled to be on the cusp of graduating in a few short weeks.

She can't wait to tell Tim about how well she did during weapons training today, and she's grinning from ear to ear when she walks through the front door, until her bright smile falters when she finds him plopped down in the floor, glassy eyed and with the one of the most gut wrenchingly broken looks she's ever seen on him.

Immediately, she drops his bag and rushes to his side, falling to her knees next to him. "Babe, are you okay?"

He blinks, his eyes wet with unshed tears, and he shakes his head ever so slowly.

Lucy doesn't hesitate to pull him into her arms and instantly the pungent aroma of alcohol fills her nostrils. She's almost certain the dam to his grieving process has finally broken, but in his line of work, she can't be too sure and asks, "Did something happen at work?"

He nods his head but doesn't elaborate and his hands circle around her back as she holds him in her arms and clings to her and he rests his head on her clavicle.

"Wh–what's wrong with me?" He slurs.

"Nothing," she runs her hand up and down his back, "nothing's wrong with you."

His words are slurred and barely understandable. "Th–then w–why a–m I s–so ha–hard to love?"

"You're not," she tries to soothe him and her heart breaks hearing him talk this way. "I love you so so much, baby. More than I ever thought was possible. I mean, hey, you made me fall in love with you when I was dead set against falling in love at all, so I think that makes you pretty damn easy to love if you ask me. And your mom and your sister and Angela and Nyla and so many other wonderful people love you, too, so much.."

"Why–why couldn't h–he love me?"

"I don't know," is all she can say, because she has no explanation and none she could attempt would ever be good enough, "but that has everything to do with him and nothing to do with you or Genny or your mom. He was broken, and maybe someone in his life broke him, so he tried to break you, all three of you, but he didn't. You didn't let him, none of you did. I am so proud of you for how you turned out in spite of him. He didn't deserve you. Any of you. But you and Genny, you're doing something pretty amazing, something so many people can't find the strength to do, you've put yourselves back together and you're breaking that chain of abuse."

He clutches her tighter and buries his head further into her shoulder. "I love you so fucking much," he mumbles into her shirt. "Don't ever leave me."

"I'm not planning on it," she promises, kissing the side of his head and teasingly adding, "you're stuck with me forever."

He lifts his head and he sways backwards, and Lucy has to catch him by his shoulders and pull him up and steady him. His wobbly hands find the side of her face and he stares deep into her eyes and stutters out the words, "M–ma–arry me?"

His words surprise her, so much so she can't breathe for a second and she is physically jarred backwards in surprise and then her eyes flit to the empty 5th of liquor on the floor and she tenderly presses her forehead to his. "You are so drunk you're not even going to remember this tomorrow, but someday," she promises him.

She moves to stand and Tim clutches onto her desperately. "Where are you going? Yo–you promised you wouldn't leave."

"I'm not leaving," she gently reassures him. "I'm gonna help you up and I'm gonna get you to bed so you can sleep this off. Okay?"

He nods and lets go of her.

She leans down to help him and he stumbles and sways, even after she's able to maneuver his arms around her shoulder to help support him and they almost tumble backwards together several times on the way to their room. She props him against the wall once they're in their room and drops to her knees and begins to undo his belt and and take his jeans off, and his head thuds against the wall and one his hands drop to the back of her head and he mutters, "Hell yeah, baby."

She looks up at him with an amused grin. "That is so not happening right now. I don't even think you could."

"Oh, I co–could."

"I'll take your word for it. Now," she tosses his belt to the side and undoes his button, then his zipper, "brace yourself with the wall and step out of these, then I'm getting you in bed."

"Okay, but you're gonna have to be on top because if I get on top I th–think I might get sick."

She stiffles an amused chuckle. "Again, babe, not happening tonight. You need sleep."

"Baby," he whines as she helps him step out of the jeans that have fallen around his ankles.

"Hmmm?"

"I–I don't—I don't feel so good." And with that admission, he empties all the contents of his stomach,

()()()()()()()()()()()

The next morning, Tim blinks himself awake, his head throbbing and his stomach still queasy. The events of the night before are a bit of a blur, though he vaguely remembers downing the 5th of Patron and Lucy helping him into bed, and maybe even wiping him down with a wet washcloth, though he doesn't remember why.

"How you feeling?" Lucy asks softly, her soft hands fingering their way through his hair as she stares down at him from where she's sitting against the headboard

"Like shit," he mumbles, pushing himself up on his elbows and closing his eyes to stop the dizzy feeling threatening to overwhelm him.

"Are you okay? What happened? What made you decide to get so drunk?"

He explains the accident with the 17 year old to her how it set him off. "You were right," he tells her. "It hit me. You knew it would. I really thought I was okay. I wasn't trying to lie to you. But you knew it was coming. Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself."

"Yeah, well, I feel the same way when it comes to you with me. We're partners, that's how it's supposed to be. We know each other and we look out for each other."

He nods and worries his lower lip. "Thank you for taking care of me last night. Was I–was I an asshole?"

"No," she assures him, gently stroking his cheek. "You were sad and it made me sad to see you that way, but you weren't mean."

He breathes a sigh of relief. He'd never forgive himself if he'd taken his feelings out on her in a negative way.

He's hesitant. "Did I say or do anything out of pocket?"

She thinks back to how he asked her to marry him, but she decides not to bring it up. She knows he was wasted out of his mind and she doesn't see the need to freak him out or embarrass him further by mentioning something she's sure he didn't mean.

"You kind of sort of may have thrown up on me and yourself."

He winces and rubs his temples. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"It's okay. I cleaned you up."

"And here I thought those hazy memories of the washcloth were of you giving me a sexy sponge bath for fun," he quips.

"Not hardly," she chuckles, "though you switched from sad to horny at the drop of a hat."

He doesn't remember what she's talking about. "Surprised my dick even got up as trashed as I was."

"Oh, no, it didn't. But you kept saying it could."

"Hey," he places a hand on her hip, "again, thank you for–for everything. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Lucky for you, you don't have to ever know." She leans in and kisses his forehead then nods to the night stand next to him where there's Midoll, saltines, and his favorite flavor of Gatorade. "Finish all this and I'll go start the shower for you and set out some clean clothes. Okay?"

He does as she says, gulping down the Midol and chasing it with the cool blue liquid, then forcing some saltines down to settle his stomach and gulping down more of his refreshing drink.

He moseys his way into the shower, feeling much lighter than he did yesterday, and he lets the hot water cascade over his body while Lucy gets his clothes ready for him.

He basks in the feeling of relaxation and warmth it brings him and marvels at how lucky he is to have Lucy in his life and how grateful he is for how tenderly she's taking care of him, even being so kind to go across the hallway into the room that was once his where he still keeps his clothes since the closet in the room they share is so small and there's room for another dresser.

"Babe," Lucy calls out from his old room, "which drawer do you keep your boxers in?"

"The top one."

"I looked there already, it's empty."

"Uh, check the middle one."

"Okay!"

He turns his body, contently allowing the hot water to trail down his back until suddenly his eyes snap open when he remembers what he else he has hidden in that middle drawer and he's leaping out of the shower, hangover be damned, almost breaking his neck on the way out, hurriedly throwing a towel around his waist as he bounds out of the bathroom door, water still trickling down his body and leaving the outline of wet footprints in the carpet as he sprints into his old room.

It's too late by the time he bursts through the door, he finds Lucy holding the tiny, black velvet box in her hand, a look of utter shock etched across her face. She turns to face him, clutching the box in her trembling hand, and his jaw drops and he stutters out, "I–I–that's.."

"Is this–," she stops herself, her breath hitching in her chest, "is it–"

He nods, because it's all he can do. He can't explain it away, there's no believable lie to tell, no way to throw her off track, it's clearly evident what she's holding in the palm of her hand.

It suddenly clicks for her. Why he'd been acting so weird after the wedding. Why he snatched their clothes up after they made love that night. Why he wanted his jacket back at the restaurant that time. Why he'd been acting so cagey and nervous and so unsure of himself, nothing like the overly confident, cocksure Tim she knows him to be.

He steps forward, clutching the towel around his waist so it doesn't fall. "Lucy look, I," he's cut off when she tosses the box at him and he catches it with one hand and raises a confused brow.

She takes a few tentative steps towards him, a lopsided, hopeful grin on her face. "So, do you have something you wanna ask me?"

He's left a bit in shock by her actions. His mouth gapes at first, his jaw slack from sheer surprise, but suddenly a smile that reaches all the way to his ears overtakes him. "Yeah," he takes a step forward, "I do," and he drops down on one knee and takes her hand in his.
He doesn't have anything prepared and he never imagined he'd be proposing soaking wet, hungover, and half naked, but he's also oddly never felt more ready.

"Lucy," he begins, his voice thick with emotion, "you are my best friend, my partner, the person in my life I know I can always turn to and who will have my back no matter what. You've seen me at my worst, and helped me reach my best, and you've made me happier than I ever thought I could be and I wanna spend the rest of my life making you feel the same way. Will you marry me?"

She falls to the floor, her arms winding around his neck and her forehead pressing against his while her entire body shakes and trembles and she nods fervently, laughing and crying when she stares into his eyes and tells him, "Yeah. Yes. Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

Notes:

I skipped the gym to write this so you guys didn't have to wait until the weekend. I'm sure you were all getting quite impatient and while it may not be the way some of you imagined it, I hope it turned out okay. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Lucy's lying on her side in Tim's old bed, her fingers interlocked with Tim's as she stares into his eyes, a giddy smile splayed across both their faces.

"I can't believe we're engaged." She inches closer to him until their sweaty foreheads are pressed together and she giggles while his finger traces over her the ring he placed on her finger only twenty to fifteen minutes before.

"I know," he hums, bending his head and capturing her lips with his for a slow kiss they both savor.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why were you so nervous about asking me? We've talked about our future together plenty of times. We knew it was a given we'd end up here someday."

He squeezes her hand in his. "I guess someday is the key word there. I mean, we never talked about when it would happen. You know? It–it always seemed like a far away idea. Something down the road, after we'd been together a few years. I know you just turned 23 and you're finally getting where you want to be in life and starting a career that's important to you and I wasn't–I wasn't sure you'd be ready just yet. Even though I knew it wouldn't be a no forever, I was worried it'd be a no for now and I didn't wanna freak you out or put pressure on you. And honestly," he pauses and pulls in a breath, " I didn't know how well my heart would handle hearing a no, even if it was only for now."

"Honestly," she admits, "I always assumed it'd be down the road, too. I wasn't expecting it to happen so fast and I had no idea this is what had you acting so strange, it never even crossed my mind as an option," she sees the brief flash or worry in his eyes, "but," she grins at him, "the moment I saw the ring box, I knew that's what I wanted. That I'm ready to take that step with you, I'm not afraid of it. And I–I don't see any reason why I can't build my life and career at the same time we're building our relationship and our life together."

This time, she leans in and kisses him, and it lingers longer than before.

"I want you to know," he tells her when they part, "we don't have to get married right away. You can take the lead on this. How long our engagement is. What our wedding is like, it's all up to you."

She shakes her head. "Absolutely not. We'll make these decisions together. The wedding isn't just about me and what I want, it's about us."

"Okay, but just so you know, I'm really okay with whatever you want. Having you, knowing you're going to be my wife, that's the only thing that matters to me."

"That's sweet," she grins, "but you're still helping me plan this thing when we're ready for that and you're sharing your input."

"Deal."

"Speaking of," she raises their hands in the air and dances them together above their heads, "are you thinking of more of a long term engagement or…."

"I guess that depends on what our wedding is like. Do you want a big ordeal or something simple, like the courthouse?"

Her nose scrunches. "I don't know that I like the courthouse idea."

"We could always just go to Vegas one weekend."

She rolls her eyes at him.

"Kidding." He smirks." Mostly, anyway. So, you want a big wedding then?"

"I don't think so," she muses. "I mean, nothing huge anyway. Maybe something small and intimate, with our closest family and friends."

"I like that idea."

"Me, too. But, uh," she hesitates a moment, worried that what she is about to say might come across the wrong way, " maybe we shouldn't–shouldn't do it right away. You know? I mean, I graduate from the academy in a few weeks and then I'll start my rookie year and I just–I don't wanna be distracted planning our wedding and lose focus. I wanna be able to go into it and give 110% and I wanna be able to do the same when it comes to our wedding and I don't know if I can do both at the same time after seeing the hell Angela went through trying to organize her wedding."

"No, absolutely. I-I agree. Rookie year is tough. The last thing I want is for you to be distracted when you're adjusting to your new role. How about this? We enjoy our engagement for the next year or so, then we start planning our wedding once you're a P2?"

"I think that sounds perfect."

He pulls their interlocked hands to his lips and presses a kiss to the back of her hand and whispers, "you're perfect."

Her face flames and her eyes drift from his to his bare chest. "Stop," she mutters.

"Nuh–uh," he kisses the back of her hand again, then her forehead, nose, then a chaste peck to her lips. "So, so damn perfect." Then his head dips to her neck, collarbone, then breast, then follows the same path back to her lips. "Thank you for agreeing to marry me."

"Well, thank you for asking me to marry you." Her eyes fall to the shimmering rose gold diamond encrusted rope band with the split marquise design that turns into diamond halo around the oval diamond in the center. "And thank you for picking out such a gorgeous ring. I mean, I'd have said yes even if it came out of a gumball machine but–"

"What makes you so sure it didn't?" He teases. "Maybe it was just a really fancy gumball machine."

"You're an idiot," she snorts playfully.

"An idiot you're going to marry."

Her fingers unwind from his and she wraps her arms around his neck and presses her lips to his, muttering between smacking lips, "Damn straight I am."

Notes:

There was no real reason for this other than I forgot I had an appointment today and was off work and when I got home I was bored after and felt the need for some fluff. Next chapter their friends and family find out and then we will dive into the start of rookie year with a bit of a time jump, and jumps will continue sporadically as we move along. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 67: Chapter 67

Chapter Text

Tim pulls up to Angela's later that morning after Lucy leaves for the academy with her favorite bagel and a decaf coffee in hand as he knocks on her door.

She opens the door, her hair frazzled, spit up stains on her oversized t-shirt, and in a pair of pajama bottoms she may or may not have been wearing the past two days, and she scowls deeply at her best friend. "I swear to God, Timothy, if you would've woken my son up you'd be the one quelling his cries the next two hours."

"Nice to see you, too." He smirks.

"What are you doing here?"

He holds up the bag and the cup of decaf. "I was off and I figured you might want some company."

"And you don't think to come keep us company during the 2 a.m. changings and feedings but you want to risk waking our little hellion mid morning?"

He points over his shoulder. "I could go, if you want."

She huffs and snatches the treats he brought her. "Come in. Sit. Just don't talk above a whisper. Understood?"

He nods and steps inside.

Angela takes a seat on the couch and digs into her bagel. "You gonna tell me why you're really here?" She mumbles around bites.

"Do I need a reason to stop by and visit one of my best friend's?"

She holds up a finger. "Best friend, I'm your best friend. And, yes. You absolutely do." She sips her coffee to wash down her starchy snack. "Let me guess, you finally got the balls to pop the question."

He rolls his eyes at her comment, but can't wipe away the grin that etches across his lips. "Yeah, I did. Lucy and I are engaged."

She punches his shoulder. "That's great, Tim. How'd you do it? Romantic restaurant? Walk on the beach? Did you take her to where you had your first date?"

"Oh, ah, that–that doesn't really matter…"

"She found the ring before you could ask, didn't she?"

"Little bit, yeah."

Angela shakes her head.

"Hey, your husband proposed in the middle of the living room, that doesn't exactly scream romance either," he defends.

"Shhhh!" She presses a finger to her lips. "You're being too loud."

"Sorry," he mutters.

"Hey, it doesn't matter how it happened," she offers. "All that matters is you two love each other and you're going to get married and live happily ever after."

"Thanks."

"I mean, unless that whole first marriage for cops curse thing rings true and it ends in disaster since it's technically Lucy's first marriage."

"By Ange…" He stands to leave.

"Don't you dare leave," she orders. "Wesley's paternity leave is over and I miss having adult conversations in the middle of the day. Tell me more about your proposal. Did she cry? Did you cry? Who else knows?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

During their lunch break, Jackson and Lucy go to an Ethiopian restaurant and as Jackson sits across from his friend, he waves his hand and observes, "What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're unusually cheerful today."

"I'm always cheerful.."

"Yes," he agrees. "But this is different, you haven't stopped smiling since we got here this morning. Even during P.T. you were practically smiling your face off during burpees."

"Well," her left hand circles around her drink, "let's just say I had a really good morning."

"Ewww." He frowns. "I don't need to picture that."

He didn't catch the glimpse of her ring when she tried to nonchalantly flaunt it by grabbing her cup, so she tries a different route and asks, "Can you pass me some napkins."

After he reaches into the container and pulls out a wad to hand to her, Lucy makes sure to reach for them with her left hand and brush Jackson's hand as they make the exchange. He looks down, the feel of the smooth diamond brushing across the skin of his palm and his jaw drops.

His voice rises 3 notches. "Is that? Did Tim?"

"Yeah, this morning," she beams.

"Shut up! You can't be for real!"

"I'm dead serious. Tim and I are engaged."

"No way!"

"Why is this so hard for you to believe?" She chuckles.

"It's just–Lucy 'commitment phobe' Chen is getting married before me? How is that even possible?"

"I was not a commitment phobe," she protests.

He glares at her dubiously with crossed arms.

"I wasn't!" She defends. "I was simply commitment-averse to settling with men who did not deserve my time."

"Whatever you say." He reaches forward and grabs his friend's hand, gawking at the glistening diamond on her finger. "It's gorgeous, Luce. And I'm so happy for you. But I still can't believe you're getting married before me."

"Well, you still have a chance to get married before I do," she assures him. "We'vee decided to have a long engagement and it'll be at least a year before we even think of planning any part of it. We both agreed I don't need any distractions during my rookie year."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy's eager to get home to her fiance' after a long day at the academy. Gosh. Fiance'. She uses the index finger on her right hand to trace the diamond on her left. They've only been engaged a little over 12 hours and she still can't fully wrap her head around the fact that Tim is her fiance' and he is going to be her husband. She smiles to herself as she imagines their future.

She has Jackson drop her off at her aunt Amy's on her way home and Tim's supposed to pick her up from there in the next thirty minutes so they can go out to celebrate because they didn't have near enough time in the morning to bask in the glow of their happiness before she had to leave.

Her aunt has no idea what she's about to tell her, only that Lucy missed her and wanted to stop by for a few to catch up. The two women hug when Amy opens the front door for her favorite niece and as they walk to the couch together, Lucy fidgets with her newly ringed finger.

Aunt Amy asks questions about the academy first and if Lucy is ready for her pending graduation. Then, the conversation shifts to her relationship with Tim.

"It's great," Lucy smiles, nervously stammering, "Really, really great. I mean, super great. Super duper great."

"Mmhmm." Aunt Amy studies her carefully and raises a brow. "Am I sensing trouble in paradise?"

"No," Lucy hastens. "Really, my relationship with Tim is amazing and I'm so happy. He's supportive and wonderful and everything I ever could have dreamed of in a partner."

"Are you–" she blinks, "Are you pregnant?"

"What! No!" Lucy adamantly shakes her head. "No. No. No way!"

"Then explain to me why you're being so anxious," the older woman demands.

"Well, while I'm not pregnant, Tim and I do have some news." She holds her hand out in front of her and squeals. "We're engaged!"

"I–you're–you're what?"

"Tim asked me to marry him this morning."

Shocked, Amy stares down at the ring, unblinking.

"Okay, you've gotta say something, you're freaking me out."

"I just–I was not expecting that." Aunt Amy blinks and gently takes Lucy's hand, inspecting the new jewel. "And you–you're ready for that? Marriage?"

"With Tim? Yeah ,I am," Lucy doesn't hesitate and her face scrunches and grows troubled. "You know, I expect my parents to be upset by this, but you've always supported me, why does it seem like you're almost disappointed?"

"Oh, Luce, I'm not disappointed at all." She pulls her niece in for a bear hug. "Surprised, absolutely, but not disappointed. I just–a year ago I never even imagined you allowing yourself to get serious about anyone. And now, you're ready to commit for the rest of your life and it left me a bit stunned. Really, though, Tim is a wonderful young man and I'm happy for you. I just can't believe my little LuLu is all grown up and ready to be a wife."

"Thank you," Lucy relishes in her aunt's embrace. "Can you uh–maybe not mention it to my parents. Not–not yet. You know how they feel about Tim and all of my choices, really, and I just wanna enjoy this for now. Tim and I deserve to be happy about our decision without it being shit on."

"Of course you do. Don't worry, I won't tell them. You have my word."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

When Tim and Lucy get home that evening after he picks her up from her aunt Amy's and takes her home to change, he corners her in the living room and pins her against the wall before she can start to get ready and kisses her deeply.

"I've been thinking about kissing my beautiful fiancee' all day," he manages between kisses.

"Oh yeah?" Her hands cup the sides of his face, "What a coincidence, because I've been thinking about kissing my handsome fiance' all day."

Genny frowns, walking into the living room and seeing and hearing the loud smooching. "Didn't we agree that there are other rooms in the house for activities like this when you see my car in the driveway?"

Tim scowls at his pregnant sister but steps away from Lucy and Lucy wipes her swollen lips and apologizes. "Sorry, I guess Tim and I got a little carried away because we're so excited about our engagement."

"You're what!?"

Tim takes Lucy by the hand and the couple step closer to Genny and he raises Lucy's hand and kisses it in front of his sister. "I asked Lucy to marry me. We're engaged."

"Oh my God. Oh my God!" Genny covers her mouth and her eyes grow watery as she looks at Lucy. "We're going to be sisters! This is–it's amazing." Her hand falls from her mouth and she wraps her arms around her brother and future sister-in-law.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Slowly, everyone else in their circle finds out over the next few days. Nyla and Nolan and Sgt. Grey and Aaron and Celina. Everyone that is, except Tim's mom, and of course Lucy's parents.. They've been trying to come up with ways to tell Gina Bradford other than a text or simple phone call, and after borrowing Aaron's personal photographer for engagement photos, they finally have the perfect idea.

"Hello?" Gina Bradford's bright voice fills the other end of Tim's line when he calls her that evening.

"Hey mom, how are you?"

"I'm good, dear. How are you and that beautiful girlfriend of yours?"

"Hey Gina!" Lucy waves as she warmly greets Tim's mom, even though she knows she can't see her through the phone.

"Lucy, what a delight that you're on the line, too. To what do I owe the pleasure of this joint phone call?"

"Well," Lucy takes the lead, "Tim and I are thinking of doing a Christmas card and we can't decide on what picture to use. We were wondering if you could help us narrow it down between the three that we really love."

"You talked my son into making a Christmas card?" Gina snorts. "I guess hell finally froze over."

"Funny mom," Tim deadpans. "Can we send the pictures and you help us pick?"

"Of course. Let me put you on speaker and send them on over." There's fumbling on the other end for a moment. "I'm ready."

The first picture Lucy sends over is one of her and Tim at the park walking together and holding hands while staring into each other's eyes. The next photo is also at the park, with Lucy, Tim and Kojo and Kojo is sitting between them while Tim has an arm around Lucy and Lucy has one around Kojo, her palm resting on the dog's chest.

"I'm partial to the one with my grand-pup so far," comes Gina's voice.

"Wait," Lucy bites down on her lip to keep the giddiness in her voice hidden, "we–we've got one more." She clicks the buttons on Tim's phone and sends the final photo, a close up of the two of them sharing a passionate kiss, Lucy's left hand resting tenderly on his check, her engagement ring on display.

The sound of a phone dropping and being picked up can be heard over the line and Gina can be heard gushing, "Tim-Tim, did you ask that precious girl to marry you?"

"I don't know that I'd call her precious, more so annoying," he grins mischievously, wrapping an arm around Lucy, "but yeah, mom, I did."

Chapter 68: Chapter 68

Chapter Text

The unexpected sound of "swoosh, pow, whack, bam," startles Tim awake in the middle of the night and leaves him instantly reaching for his badge and off duty weapon on his night stand and then placing a protective hand on Lucy in the bed next to him.

He finds the spot in the bed next to him empty and for a brief moment, the fact that his fiancee' is nowhere to be found sends a chill down his spine, until he's conscious enough to see the light from his old bedroom seeping underneath their door frame and he recognizes the sounds that woke him as the sounds of his punching bag being brutalized and he slowly returns his badge and weapon to their spot on the nightstand. All the while Kojo has remained at the foot of the bed, unbothered and snoozing away.

After rubbing his eyes and stretching, he tiptoes his way out of his and Lucy's bedroom and makes his way down the short hallway into his old room where he finds her assaulting his punching bag. She's laser focused on the throws and kicks she's alternating between, air tucked tightly in her ears, and she doesn't notice him perched in the open door frame.

She only notices him when she pauses to wipe the sweat beading around her brows. "Oh, hey. Did I wake you?"

"Little bit," he hoarsely mutters, carefully studying her with crossed arms. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Maybe because it's three in the morning and you're beating the hell out of the punching bag instead of being asleep in bed with me?"

She cracks her knuckles and shrugs. "I couldn't sleep. I organized the pantry, meditated, did some yoga, listened to soothing music, nothing worked to help me unwind, so I figured I'd try and get a good workout in."

"Anything in particular keeping you up?" He continues to prod.

"Not really. It's just–I graduate from the academy in two days, Tim. Two days."

"I know," he smiles proudly at her. "And then you get to come work at Mid-Wilshire with me."

"Yeah, I know. And I–I'm so excited," she pauses and picks at the shock wrap on her hands, "but I'm also just–a ball of nerves, you know? Like, these past 6 months have flown by and I've learned so much. I mean, so much. But what if I haven't learned enough? What if I–what I mess up when I'm out there on the streets."

"You're going to," he simply replies.

"Wow, way to be a supportive partner," she deadpans.

"I didn't mean it like that," he hastens. "It's just–you're going to make the wrong call sometimes your first year. Hell, maybe your first few years. Mistakes, well, they're how you learn. But you're going to be fine, Luce. Angela, she's gonna have your back and she's an excellent example to learn from. And even though I can't train you myself, I'm still going there to help and guide you."

"I just–," her voice cracks, "I want this so much. I don't wanna screw up. I don't wanna fail. I don't want my parents to be right."

"Come here," he nods his head, motioning for her to come to him and she does,falling into his warm, comforting embrace. "You are an amazing partner. A great friend. And you're gonna be one hell of a cop." He kisses the top of her head. "Don't get inside your head and start second guessing yourself. Okay? You've got this, baby."

"I know. You're right. I just–I don't know. Jackson kept going on and on today about how proud his parents are of him and how they can't wait for Saturday and how he has family coming in from Arizona just to see him graduate and I–I don't know. It sent me down a rabbit hole thinking about my own parents and I started spiraling."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You just got home a few hours ago and you were exhausted. I didn't want you to have to stay up worrying about me when I know you've gotta go back to work in a few hours.."

"You should've told me, Luce. That's what we do. We're partners, remember?"

"I know, I know. I was going to talk to you tomorrow afternoon. I just wanted you to get some sleep."

"Did you ever give them the date for your graduation?"

"No," she shakes her head. "And I told Aunt Amy not to, either.I don't know if I can handle telling them and then knowing they decided not to show up."

He grits his teeth and bites back the urge to say what he wants to say about her parents. "And they still don't know we're engaged either?"

"No." She pulls away and worriedly looks into his eyes. " You know that has nothing to do with how I feel about marrying you, right?"

"I know," he offers her a small, tired smile. "But, they've gotta find out at some point. They've gotta find out about all of it. Your graduation, our engagement, our marriage, our first kid. We can't just run into them at Aldi someday with three kids they've never seen or heard of.."

"Three? That's mighty ambitious of you. What makes you think I like you that much?"

He rolls his eyes and ignores her. "Look, I know it's hard that they don't support you and I know it hurts every time they don't show up or they put you down and it kills me to see it hurt you, but it's hurting you right now either way even if you keep telling yourself it is easier. Maybe they come around, maybe they don't, but you deserve to be able to show off the life you're building and if they still actively choose not to be a part of that, they are the ones missing and they are the ones failing. Not you."

"Thank you," she mutters thickly.

"No need to thank me, I'm just telling you the truth. Now, what do you say we go to our bed and I do the one thing guaranteed to relieve the tension you're feeling and help you fall asleep?"

"Do I have to return the favor?"

"No. Not tonight," he promises. "Tonight's all about you and I'll take an IOU."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy falls asleep shortly after Tim takes care of her, and he's the one that's not able to sleep anymore. He can't stop thinking about how much her strained relationship with her parents is hurting her and how much he hates seeing her hurt, which drives him to make the decision he does after work that afternoon.

And that decision is what leads him to the doorstep of Lucy's childhood home right as his shift is about to end..

Patrick Chen is the one who happens to open the door, and his face drops when he sees Tim, still clad in uniform, and a look of panic fills his eyes as he stutters, "Is Lucy okay? Is my daughter okay?"

"Yes, sir," Tim assures him. "Lucy's fine."

Patrick's brows crease. "Well, wh–what are you doing here?"

"I was actually hoping to speak with you and Mrs. Chen. Is your wife home?"

He nods and calls out to Vanessa and her lip curls downward when she appears next to her husband sees Tim.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Chen. How are you?"

"Cut the crap," the small but feisty woman barks, "You and I both know you don't care how I'm doing. What are you doing here?"

Sometimes Tim wonders how in the hell Lucy came from this woman. He pulls in a calming breath and forces a fake smile. "Well, I was hoping to talk to you and your husband. May I come in?"

"No," is her instant reply. "And if you're asking whether or not you can marry our daughter, the answer to that is no, too."

"Well, all due respect, ma'am," he steadies his voice the best he can, but there's still a bite to it, "the only person's permission I need to marry Lucy is hers. But that's–it's not why I'm here."

"Please don't tell me she's pregnant with your child," Vanessa groans.

"No, she's not. Not yet, but I hope someday she will be." Vanessa opens her mouth to speak, but Tim turns his best authoritative voice on. "Listen, Mr. and Mrs. Chen, it's very clear you don't like me. And that's fine. To be blunt, I don't like you very much either. But we have one very important thing in common, we all love Lucy. And your daughter, she is the single most important thing in the world to me and your strained relationship with her is taking its toll on her. You've missed so much of her life the past 9 months. Moments you can never get back. And all for–for the hope you can freeze her out until she caves and does what you want her to do. Well, I've got news for you, your daughter is the most stubborn, determined person I've ever met, and clearly she gets those traits from you, so you should be proud. But you should also know she's not going to cave on this. She wants to be a cop. She's going to be a cop. And a damn good one, too. She graduates the academy in two days and it would mean the world to her to have you there supporting her."

The Chens are silent and stare ahead at him until Vanessa asks, "Is that all you have to say?"

"No," he replies firmly. "I meant what I said earlier, I have every intention of having a family with your daughter someday. But I can promise you this, I grew up with a father that mistreated me, my sister, and my mom and left me feeling unlovable and unworthy. Our children will never experience that feeling. Not from anyone. I hope you can open your eyes and see the pain you've been causing your daughter, how awful you've made her feel for not accepting who she is or what she wants, and that you can remedy that. But if you can't, I promise you won't continue to make her feel that way and you damn sure won't ever get a chance to make our kids feel that way." He shoves his hands in his pockets and pulls out a folded invitation and hands it to them. "Like I said, graduation is in two days. I know it would mean a lot to Lucy to have your support. Have a good night, Mr. and Mrs. Chen." And with that, he turns and walks away.

Chapter 69: Chapter 69

Chapter Text

Lucy reaches over to her night stand and grabs her phone,shielding the blinding light with the palm of her hand so it doesn't wake Tim and blinking away the remaining remnants of sleep.

Her heart is racing with anticipation, though it's still pitch black outside. Today is the day she's been waiting months for, the day she will graduate from the police academy. All of the rigorous training, mental and physical, were about to pay off. She'd pushed through, despite how demanding the journey had been, and she's so ready to start making a difference in her community.

She swings her legs over the side of the bed and grins into the darkness as her eyes land on her police uniform hanging on the back of her bedroom door, the crisp navy blue fabric ready for her to put on and strut across the stage in.

Her thoughts begin to race, a slideshow of the past six months playing on a reel in her mind. New friendships formed with her fellow cadets, late night study sessions with Tim as he quizzed her and helped her prepare the same way she'd done for him while he prepped for his F.T.O. exam, grueling hours of physical training, and all the doubts she'd experienced along the way, it all culminated in today.

Despite the hollow ache she feels from the knowledge of her parents not supporting her along this journey, she's choosing to revel in the gratitude she feels towards all the ones who have supported along the way in this journey. Her Aunt Amy, Jackson and his family, Genny, Gina, Aaron, Celina, and of course, most of all, Tim. This isn't a celebration of her own accomplishment in her mind, but also a way to celebrate those who helped get her here, even when she wasn't sure she'd make it.

She casts a glance over her shoulder before leaving her bed, her eyes falling to Tim's unconscious frame. He's curled on his side and Kojo has wormed his way right next to him despite being banished to the foot of the bed when they laid down. Tim's arm is draped around their dog's shoulders and she can't help the way her face and eyes light up as she looks at the two of them snoozing so peacefully.

"I love you," she whispers to them both before she stands and ventures out of her room to start a pot of coffee.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy, Tim, Gina and Genny ride together to her graduation, and upon their arrival, Genny and Gina hug Lucy and venture off to find a seat, but Tim uses his connections to slip in the back and wait with her until just before the ceremony is about to start.

She's dressed meticulously, her neat uniform is worn without a single crease, her white gloves covering her dainty hands, hair pulled into a tight bun, and her cap adjusted perfectly atop her head. She's been taking selfies with Jackson and several cadet friends they've made along the way, and now Tim's snapping pictures of her on his phone, looking almost as proud and excited as she herself feels.

She bounces on the balls of her feet and tugs him by the hand, insisting they snap a few together. Initially they snap a few sweet, coupley ones, then borrow Jacskon to take a few silly ones, including one where Lucy pretends to be arresting Tim.

After Jackson hands her phone back to her, Tim leans down and whispers in her ear, "You know, I've been a very, very bad boy. I think you should finish arresting me when we get home."

"Is that so?" She hums, her hand running along his forearm. "Guess that means I'll be playing bad cop when I interrogate you later, since you've been such a naughty boy."

"Um, guys," Jackson shifts nervously, "you know I can hear you, right?"

Lucy flushes and chuckles and Tim glares at the other man growls, "Not a word of this to anyone or I will make your life a living hell starting Monday, boot. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Jackson nods, quickly stepping away from the couple.

Tim scowls until Jackson's out of sight and Lucy shakes her head at her future husband.

Instructions about lining up and taking position begin to be rattled off Lucy looks to Tim. "You should probably take a seat. I gotta go get in place.."

He nods, his hands coming to rest on his belt. "I know. Just–uh before I go, how are you feeling?"

"I'm so excited!" she squeals, her body rocking back and forth and a cheshire cat grin lining her lips.

"Good," he smiles back at her. He isn't sure whether or not his talk with her parents did any good and has no idea whether or not they'll show up, so he hasn't mentioned his conversation with them to her yet, but he's glad to see she's allowing herself to be excited and enjoy the day without her situation with her parents and their feelings bringing her down.

He reaches out and places a hand on her side and tells her, "I'm proud of you, you know that, right?"

"I know," her grin grows even wider, if that's possible. "Thank you."

"For what? He snorts. "Doing my job as your partner?"

"Yeah," she hums, her brown eyes sparkling up at him. "You're a damn good one and I'm lucky to have you."

When the ceremony is over, family and friends rush to greet the new police officers and the moment Lucy's eyes land on Tim, she sprints towards him, bouncing on her heels like they have springs in them and lunging herself into his arms and winding her arms around his neck.

"I'm a cop!" she squeals while he spins her in his arms. "I did it! I'm a cop!"

"Eh, almost," Angela teases with baby Jack strapped to her chest. "Or at least you will be, come Monday."

"If she makes it through her first day with you as her T.O." Nyla teases

Slowly, Tim lowers Lucy to the ground and she blinks a few times. "I–I didn't know you guys were coming."

"You kidding? We wouldn't miss it," Nyla replies. "It's the last day we get to be nice to you for about 13 months, boot."

Lucy rolls her eyes and hugs the women and thanks them for coming, then she hugs her Aunt Amy, Gina, Genny, Aaron, Celina, Sterling, and Jackson's parents as well before returning to Tim's side, and Tim's drapes an arm around her while Jackson's dad suggests they all go out to celebrate togethe.

But Lucy's head snaps away from Percy West when she hears a timid, emotional voice stutter, "Nu'er." She blinks once, twice, three times, and even pinches herself to convince herself she isn't dreaming. The pinch hurts like hell, but she doesn't wake up and she knows what she's seeing is real.

"Ba'ba'? Wh–what are you doing here?"

The old man fidgets with his hands and nods to Tim. "A little birdie dropped by and told me you were graduating today. I couldn't miss such an important occasion in my little girl's life."

Lucy looks to Tim, her jaw going slack. "Wha–Whe–" She can't fully get the words out and her head snaps back to her father. "Where's mom?"

Sadly, Patrick Chen shakes his head. "Sh–she wasn't feeling well today. I'm sorry."

The unexpected elation Lucy was feeling regarding her father's surprising presence is momentarily replaced with a punch to the gut, but she shakes it off and tightly tells her father,. "Well, thank you for coming. It uh–it means a lot."

"Of course," he replies, still nervously fidgeting with his hands, but his voice is hopeful. "I was ah–I was hoping I could take you for lunch. To celebrate?"

Again, Lucy peers up at Tim, then back to her father. "Yeah, of course. I'd love to."

Patrick Chen smiles, a full on toothy grin. "Good."

Lucy glances around at Tim's family and all their friends, who've all awkwardly been trying not to stare at the situation unfolding. "I'm so sorry, but um, could I maybe, um, could I take a rain check on our celebration until this evening?"

"Of course, dear," Gina assures her, reaching out to squeeze her arm. "This is your day, we're working around your schedule."

"Thank you," Lucy replies, once again turning to hug all her guests and thanking them for coming.

"So, should I drop mom and Genny off first and then we meet your dad at the restaurant?" Tim suggests.

Lucy looks up at her fiance' and chews on her lower lip. "Um, can you excuse us," she tells her dad, her eyes not leaving Tim's. "We need a minute.."

Patrick nods and steps away, and Gina takes the opportunity to introduce herself to Mr. Chen while Tim and Lucy talk in private.

"You're mad at me," Tim deduces before Lucy can even speak.

"I'm not angry," she replies evenly. "I just-you invited my parents and didn't tell me? When?"

"Two days ago. After you were up all night so upset. The only reason I didn't tell you is because I wasn't sure after I talked to them that they'd come and I just–I didn't want it to hurt you if they didn't show and I knew how much it would mean to you if they did."

Her hands rest on her hips and she taps her boot clad foot into the dirt, dusty little mushroom clouds forming around her feet.

"I understand if you're upset with me and maybe–maybe I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. I really just thought..."

"I'm not upset with you," she breathes out sharply. He looks back at her in disbelief. "I'm not," she insists," her hands coming to rest on his hips. "I understand why you did it and I'm thankful to have my dad here, even if it blindsided me…"

"But?"

"My dad's here, but my mom's not here," she chokes out.

He pulls her into a hug and she clutches the collar of his shirt with one hand and winds an arm around his back with the other. "I'm sorry, baby. I fucked up. I shouldn't have told them at all.. I didn't mean to go behind your back and ruin your day. I thought–I thought I was helping."

"You didn't ruin my day," She shakes her head and steadies her voice. "It's okay. Really, I'm glad my dad's here and that he seems to be trying to be supportive, even if my mom can't."

"Are you ready to go eat with him?"

"Yeah," she nods and slowly pulls away from Tim's protective grip. "But I need to go alone."

"Lucy…"

"No, Tim," she firmly replies. "I need to talk to my dad alone. I'll get him to drop me off after lunch. Go home with your mom and sister and wait for me and we can talk more about everything tonight. Okay?."

Reluctantly, he nods. "Call me if you need me to come get you. Okay?"

"You know I will."

()()()()()()()()()()()

The ride to the Vietnamese restaurant is awkward and quiet, a clear distance between father and daughter evident from the crater in their relationship the past nine months, but once they arrive and are seated, the pair settle into friendly conversation as Patick asks a million questions about Lucy's life over the last nine months.

He lets her tell him all about her time working as a dispatcher and all the people she was able to help, and then about her trip with Tim to Tahoe City. and her father listens intently and smiles proudly while she moves on and tells him about her adventures at the academy and how she was able to purchase her very own car by herself about a week ago, a 1977 Datsun 280Z.

He doesn't interrupt her, doesn't criticize any of her choices, and seems genuinely proud of her and happy for her, that is, until his face falls when she reaches across the table for the fish sauce.

"What?" Lucy asks, her hand freezing around the bottle and brows scrunching when she notices the sudden change in his demeanor.

Patrick Chen swallows and nods to the ring on her now gloveless fingers. "You're engaged." There's no question behind his words.

"Oh…" Slowly, her hand abandons its quest and releases its grip from the bottle and she pulls both hands into her lap under the table. "Uh…Yeah. Tim, he–uh–he asked me to marry him a few weeks ago." She brings her ring clad hand out from underneath the table and shyly waves it around. "Obviously I said yes."

"I shouldn't be surprised," Patrick notes solemnly.. "A man doesn't speak with the conviction he did unless he intends on marrying the woman he's speaking of."

"You don't want me to marry him," Lucy mumbles, her voice a mixture of sadness and irritation.

"I–" Patrick stops himself and sighs.. "I don't know the man well enough to know how I feel about my daughter marrying him." Again, he pauses. "I–I suppose that's my fault."

"Tim's a good man," Lucy tells him earnestly. "He–he treats me so well. You raised me to excel, to never settle for mediocrity. Ba'Ba'. I wouldn't settle for anything less than the best in the man I chose to marry."

"You're a determined, strong, smart girl, you always have been," he smiles wistfully at his child. "This is all just–it's a lot to take in."

"I understand," she swallows. "Thank you for not tearing into me, even if you don't agree with my decision."

"Were you going to tell me? Tell your mother?"

Lucy's fingertips drum on the table top. "Eventually. Some day. I just–I wanted to be happy about it for a while first. I deserve that much."

"You do," he agrees. "A pending marriage should be a joyous time in a person's life. Nu'er, I–I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not supporting you the way you needed. I'm sorry for making you feel–making you feel like you weren't good enough. Making you feel like you can't share the biggest parts of your life with me. I've missed so much these last nine months. I don't wanna miss any of it anymore. I don't wanna miss my only child's marriage. I don't wanna miss knowing my grandchildren."

"I don't want you to miss any more either," her voice trembles, "I want you there for all those things. Both of you. But I also can't deal with the constant criticism, the constant feeling of never measuring up or being good enough for either of you. I want you in my life, dad. I do. And I know–I know you've never been as bad as mom, I know you've never torn me down quite the same way she has, but you've stood by and let her down me all these years without saying a word and that–it's not okay, either."

"No, it isn't okay. You're right," he shamefully mutters in agreement.

"Tim and I," her hands clasp together and shake, "we're gonna have kids someday. I don't know when. Maybe five or ten years from now. But when I think about those future kids of ours, I can't–I can't imagine ever speaking to them the way I've been talked to. I can't fathom letting Tim, or anyone for that matter, speak to them that way and just–just standing by and saying nothing while our children are being torn down like that. I–I could never let our babies be around that kind of hurt."

"Your future husband has made it very clear your children won't be talked to that way by anyone, and that you won't be talked to like that any longer, either." Patrick's head hangs shamefully. "And you never should've been. We were wrong. I was wrong."

"I'm sorry," Lucy's hand circles in the air, "rewind for just a second. What all, exactly, did Tim talk to you two about when he came by?"

Chapter 70: Chapter 70

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

After lunch with her dad, Genny is the first person Lucy sees when she walks into the front door of their home. Her best friend and future sister in law, now almost seven months into her pregnancy, waddles over to her and offers a sympathetic smile and a worried glance.

"How did things go?" Genny questions.

"They went–" Lucy pauses, searching for the right way to explain it, "better than I anticipated. Where's Tim?"

"Outback throwing the ball to Kojo. He's been pretty worried ever since we got home that you two are going to end up fighting over this and that he's ruined your graduation." Genny reaches out and squeezes Lucy's bicep. "Please don't be too hard on him, okay? I know he went behind your back on this, but his intention was really pure and he did it out of love for you."

"This pregnancy has got you going soft," Lucy teases. "Normally you'd encourage me to rip your brother a new one just for the hell of it."

Genny's hand falls protectively over her protruding belly. "I guess that baby boy is going to have a soft spot for his Uncle Tim."

Lucy smiles. "Yeah, well, lucky for Tim I've got a soft for him, too." She excuses herself, heading towards the back door in search of him and when he hears the sliding glass door slide open, his head instantly peers back in her direction. "Hey," she greets him softly.

"Hey." He runs his hands up and down the sides of his black slacks while she takes a seat beside him. "How'd it go?"

"We talked about a lot of important things and there was a lot of apologizing and even some tears. We uh–he and I are going to go to therapy together. Twice a month. To work on repairing the hurt and damage and moving forward."

"That's–that's good. Right?"

"Yeah, it is. I'm happy he's willing to put in the work and that he wants to try. He said he's been thinking of reaching out a lot since Thanksgiving and especially Christmas. That it just wasn't the same without me there this year and his heart couldn't take the distance any more, and that you showing up was the final kick in the ass he needed."

Kojo runs up to Lucy and drops a slobbery tennis ball at her feet. She rubs his head and chin a few moments and then tosses the ball to him, grimacing as she wipes her hand on Tim's clean pants leg while the dog bounces off after the ball.

"Thanks for that," Tim grumbles.
She shrugs. "Better your pants than my nice, clean uniform."

"And I'm sure that had nothing to do with paying me back for keeping you in the dark about inviting your parents."

"Eh, maybe a little bit."

"Lucy," he exhales heavily and claps his hands together over his thighs, " be honest, are you angry with me?"

"I'm not angry with you for inviting my parents, Tim. I know you, and I know your intention was good and it came from a genuine place of love and concern. And it worked out partially, it helped give my dad the final nudge he needed to try and make amends and I'm really happy about that."

"I'm sensing a but coming.."

She nods and rests a hand on his knee. "But…you didn't–you didn't just invite my parents to my graduation. You also told them you didn't like them and you basically told them if they didn't get their heads out of their asses and treat me better they'd never see our kids."

He holds up a finger. "I didn't use those exact words," Lucy cuts her eyes at him, "But that's a relatively accurate summary. To be fair, though, your mom was being pretty rude about me showing up and the part about not liking them just kind of came out because she was being so point blank about her dislike of me."

She shakes her head. "I really wish I could've seen the look on Vanessa Chen's face when those words left your mouth."

He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Lucy isn't fuming. "It was pretty priceless."

"And the never being a part of our kids' lives thing? How'd that come up?"

"Honestly? It just came out, too. I didn't–I didn't plan on bringing it up, I only intended to go there and invite them to your graduation. That was it. But your mom sh–she's so flippant and she just–her cold attitude really gets under my skin. I hate the way she treats you, Luce. I can't stand it and I can't stand seeing you sad and all I wanna do when I see you like that is fix it and make it right for you. I wanna give you the world and I wanna give our future kids the world and the thought of her, of anyone in their life, ever treating them half as cruelly as she's treated you, it makes my blood boil. It just–it came out and I know that's a conversation I should've let you lead the way with down the road when the time came for it, but I also know we've talked about it before and we're both on the same train of thought with that. No one, not even family, would ever be allowed to hurt our kids."

She squeezes his knee. "I know we've had that talk before and I know we're in agreement on that. I even basically told my dad the same thing, which is how he ended up telling me you'd already told him something similar. You wanna protect me, you wanna protect us, and our future. I understand that about you and I love that about you, but that is a conversation that I, or at least you and I together, should've had with them. Keep that in mind for me in the future."

"I know, I'm sorry. And I definitely will."

"It's okay," she rubs his leg. "I get why you did it. Believe me, I'd love to dig your dad up and share a few choice words with him."

"You can't really dig him up," Tim shrugs, "He was cremated, remember?"

"You know what I mean," she rolls her eyes.

"I know." He swallows and puts an arm around her and pulls her close. "Are we good?"

"Yeah, we are. Thank you for inviting my parents. And for always standing up for me, even when you're not asked to, I do appreciate the sentiment behind it."

"Always. I mean, I know you don't need me to, I know you're strong enough to handle things on your own, but I like being able to be in your corner and tagging in when you need it."

"Good," she leans her head on his shoulder, "because I like having you in my corner."

He kisses the top of her head and Kojo drops the slobbery ball at his feet this time and tosses it for their playful pup.

"By the way," Lucy informs him, "my dad saw the ring. He knows we're engaged."

"How uh–how'd he take that?"

"He was shocked and not exactly thrilled, but he didn't say anything negative. In fact, he wants you and I to meet him for lunch or dinner at least once a month so he can get to know you."

"I'm definitely open to that. I'd like to get to know the man that raised the woman I love."

"Well, how's next Thursday sound for our first dinner with him?"

"Sounds perfect to me if it's good for you."

"Perfect."

"So, Aaron texted while you were gone. His parents want to have their caterers show up at their house later to celebrate your and Jackson's graduation with all the family and friends we wanna invite. His dad even offered a mini Flex and Flow reunion concert as your graduation present..."

Lucy's eyes go wide. "Wait, are you serious right now?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I told him I'd see if you were up for it when you got back and I'd let him know."

"Hell yeah! Text him back now."

Notes:

Next weekend, if time allows me to update, will dive into rookie year and time jumps will be interwoven sporadically. Thanks for reading! I know Tim and Lucy resolve issues quickly but they sort of do that on the show because they are so good at communicating and my partner and I are the same way. We talk things out and move on so I guess I lean towards writing them that way and I hope it is not getting too boring. They'll definitely still face issues going forward though and have drama in other ways, and in a future chapter, Tim's going to be the one getting upset with Lucy and they'll have to navigate that.

Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Notes:

It's been longer than I'd liked for it to have been with an update on this, but I needed time to re-watch season one for inspiration on rookie year and I am just now getting that time. Hope you guys enjoy this little chapter to ease us into rookie year.

Chapter Text

Lucy tiptoes out of bed on the morning of her first day as a rookie with the LAPD. It's about an hour before she has to actually be up and she doesn't want to wake Tim, but she can't contain her excitement about her first day and she can't just lay in bed any longer or she thinks she might combust from excitement.

She reaches into the cabinet to grab her coffee, and mutters," what the hell," when something unexpected tumbles down and lands on her hand.

Squinting her eyes in the dimly lit kitchen, she picks up the unexpected item that bounced off her head and landed on the counter, which turns out to be a tiny pair of black boots that she's now holding by the tied together laces.

The flash of a camera and the gruff sound of the words, "morning, boot," cause her to turn her head, where she finds her fiance' smirking at her and snapping a photo and she levels her eyes at him and mumbles, "You think you're cute, huh."

"I know I am." He lowers his phone and walks up and places his hands on her hips, still grinning at her, and presses a gentle kiss to her lips. "Ready for your first day?"

"Mmm. So ready."

"You still dead set on driving that death trap and not riding with me?"

"Yes," she swats his chest and steps away to once again reach for her coffee in the open cabinet, "and I've told you multiple times, do not speak ill of my baby."

"I just don't get why you won't ride with me," he leans over her and grabs the canister for her when she's struggling to reach it on tiptoes, "we're literally going to the same place."

"I told you," she huffs dramatically, taking the coffee from him, "not everyone at the station knows we're together and I wanna keep it that way. I don't want people thinking I'm only there because of you."

"No one's gonna think that," he waves dismissively.

"Really, Tim?" She plants a hand on her hip and gawks at him.

"Okay, some people might think that at first. But," he holds up a finger, "you're gonna walk in and be the most badass rookie Mid-Wilshire has ever seen and quickly prove them wrong."

"While I appreciate the confidence," she busies herself starting the pot of coffee, "I think Jackson might give me a run for my money. Speaking of my best friend, care to tell me all the ways you've decided to torture him since he's your newest rookie?"

"So you can go back and tell him and give him a leg up?" Tim shakes his head. "No. Not a chance."

With her coffee now started, Lucy turns and grips the front of Tim's white t-shirt and looks into his eyes, "It was worth a shot. Care to tell me about all the ways Angela is planning to torture me?"

"And give you a leg up, which will in turn make you soft and risk you not becoming the best rookie Mid-Wilshire has ever seen? Again, no. Not a chance."

()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy and Tim share a breakfast and coffee, then a shower, and Tim leaves for work five minutes before she does at her insistence that they don't arrive at the same time.

She's seriously regretting that decision now, and her decision not to just ride with him, because her stupid freaking car has broken down on the way to work just a block from the station and she's been pushing it for the past five minutes

And yes, she could leave the car and call Tim to come get her, but well, that would be admitting she'd been wrong and her car actually was kind of a death trap and she didn't wanna do that and hear Tim rub in the fact he was right. She knows her car isn't the nicest, but it's hers. She bought it on her own, with her own money, no help from anyone, and it means something to her to be able to say that.

If all that wasn't bad enough, some sketchy ass dude has now started following along beside her as she pushes the car.

"Hey mama," the unfamiliar man calls out, his eyes raking over her, "nice ride."

She gives him a tight smile and mutters, "thanks," and keeps pushing.

He steps towards her. "Might just have to take it off your hands.'

She pauses her pushing and raises a brow at him. "Are you trying to steal my car?"

He nods. "Might just take you for a spin, too."

She hums to herself and smirks at him and then minutes later wIth the sketchy dude now in handcuffs, Lucy proudly walks into the station smirking and steps to the front desk, announcing loudly while she presses the young man into the counter, "Officer Chen reporting for duty."

()()()()()()()()()()

Panicking about the amount of time her broken down car and subsequent arrest took, Lucy rushes to the locker room to change into her uniform, quickly texting Tim to let him know she's here once she sees he's already messaged her twice to see where she is and make sure she's okay.

She rounds her corner on the way out of the locker room, almost barreling into someone in her hurried state, and she quickly begins apologizing, blushing even harder when she looks up and notices the person she almost toppled over was her captain.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, ma'am," she apologizes profusely. "I–I didn't see you there."

Captain Anderson smirks at her. "All is forgiven, Officer Chen, I'm sure you're in a hurry. Afterall, I heard you've already had a busy morning, arresting a car-jacker before you ever clocked in for your first shift."

Lucy's hands rest on her duty belt, her normally loose hair pulled in a slightly uncomfortable tight bun that's going to take some getting used to, and she nods proudly, "Yes ma'am. I've always been a bit of an overachiever."

Captain Anderson chuckles. "Do you have a minute? I'd like to speak to you in my office."

She glances down at the watch on her wrist and nods and follows Captain Anderson as she leads the way.

Once inside the room, Captain Anderson steps behind her desk and pulls out Lucy's file, glancing over it carefully. "You know, Officer Chen, many above me have called me crazy for allowing you and officer Bradford to work in the same department. A brand new rookie and her new T.O. fiance' well some seem to think it's going to spell disaster for you both, and those people are none too happy, seeing as how you're fiance' is one of our most decorated officers."

Lucy already learned what a big deal it was that she and Tim were allowed to work in the same area when they both had to come in and fill out assloads of paperwork disclosing their relationship last week, but she doesn't mention that now.

"Well, ma'am," Lucy cautisonaly begins, "I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate you taking that chance and letting me work here with Tim. And I can assure you, we'll both be nothing but professional on the job, the same way we were while I briefly worked in dispatch."

Captain Anderson nods. "I sure hope that's the case, because officer Bradford cashed in a lot of favors to try and make it happen, and to get you paired with Lopez." She pauses and snaps the file closed. "Do you know why I allowed you to be placed here, Officer Chen, despite the hesitance from others?"

"Because Tim's so well respected?" Lucy ventures unsurely.
"He is," Captain Anderson laughs, "but that's not why. It's because you impress me."

"I–I do?"

"Yes, you do. You jumped in front of gun fire to save Tim early last spring on that ride along and showed a calm and sense of rationality some veteran officers don't possess. I'm very curious to see what you bring to the table now that you've been through training."

"Well, ma'am, I'm eager to show you and everyone what I've learned."

"Good." Captain Anderson glances at the watch on her wrist. "Roll call is in 5, boot, you better get going. Sergeant Grey's a real stickler for the rules, and he won't make exceptions just because you're banging Bradford."

"Yes ma'am," Lucy hums, swiveling on her heels and hurrying off.

()()()()()()()

She's a bit out of breath from rushing to get to roll call when she sees Tim just outside of the room waiting on her.

"I hear you've had quite the day so far," he comments.

Her lips press together and she nods. "Word travels fast around here, huh?"

"It does. So…care to tell me how you almost got car-jacked on the way over?"

"Uhhh."

"Your car broke down, didn't it?"

"Maybe," she winces.

"Lucy, I tried to tell you," he huffs, but he's cut off when Angela slips in front of him.

"Nice job, Chen," Lopez smirks at her. "What a way to start your first day."

"Thank you."

"Don't get too cocky," Angela warns, "that's gonna be the best part of your day, hell maybe your week, if I have anything to do with it. Now," Lopez points at the couple, "finish your little spat later, if your ass isn't in that chair early, you're late, and no boot of mine is gonna be late."

Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Chapter Text

John Nolan walks up to the lunch tables outside of the food trucks at Mid-Wilshire and takes a seat across from his new fellow rookies, who are looking quite war-torn and dejected, neither bothering with their trays of food and both resting their heads in the palms of their hands.

"Rough first day?" The older rookie inquiries, taking a bite of his burger.

"How'd you guess?" Jackson mutters woefully.

"I can practically smell the despair in the air," John smiles, and he looks off fondly. "My first few months were a nightmare and I was pretty sure Harper had the devil on speed dial, that's how awful she was to me. It was truly a magical time."

"Yeah, well," Jackson huffs and points to Lucy, "if I didn't know her fiance' outside of work to know he was actually a decent human being and that he treated her well, there's no way in hell I'd let him so much as look in Lucy's direction, because work Tim, he's a freaking psychopath!"

"Hey," Lucy looks up and defends hotly, "Tim is not cruel, he's just calculating."

"Your man stole my duty belt while I was taking a shit, Lucy. Tell me that's not cruel?"

"Okay, it's a little cruel," she reluctantly admits.

"How about you, Lucy?" Nolan questions. "What has Lopez done to torture you on this fine morning?"

Lucy, a bit spacy, shakes her head. "It's not that she's tortured me per say, not yet anyway. It's just, she ripped me a new one. A well deserved new one."

"What do you mean?" Jackson wonders.

"We responded to a call," Lucy explains, "about a kid locked in a car that had reportedly been there possibly all night. When we got there, the kid was clearly passed out, and uh, I panicked a bit. I mean, I was able to get inside the car in time and get him out and he was just asleep, but I went about it all wrong, tried opening the locked door a few times, then attempted busting the window with a tire iron before it finally clicked to use my punch tool. I wasted seconds, precious valuable seconds, that if this was the dead of summer, could've cost that kid his life. And while I was busy being proud and relieved when I got him out and saw that he was okay, Angela swiftly reminded me of everything wrong I did and how awful it could've been."

"Hey," Jackson nudges her shoulder, "the important thing is you got him out and he was fine."

"Yeah," this time," Lucy huffs through gritted teeth, "but she was right, I fucked up. Didn't think clearly. I needed to be called out and reminded of what could've been."

"Look," Nolan offers sympathetically, "that's why she's here with you. To help point those moments out. You'll get there. I can't tell you how many times I screwed up my first few weeks, hell months, hell yesterday. Don't beat yourself up."

"Thanks," Lucy nods.

"Boot," Tim stands and calls to Jackson from the table behind them, "lunch time's over, let's go."

"Yes, sir," Jackson responds. "I'll see you guys later. I'm gonna go find out what new way Tim has in mind to humiliate me."

'That's Bradford to you on the job, boot,' Tim yells.

"How the hell did he ever hear that?" Jackson grumbles.

Lucy snorts and stands to toss her trash, knowing Angela will be calling for her to head out any minute since they got to the lunch tables only a few minutes behind Tim and Jackson. While she walks to the trash can, Tim walks up beside her, lightly tapping her thighs with his index and middle finger in a sort of secret morse code, which earns a small smirk from her.

"How's your first day, boot?" He asks. "Make any more impressive arrests?"

"Not yet, sir," she grins at him, his presence temporarily lifting the weight she feels from screwing up on the latest call. "But the day's still young." She brushes his forearm discreetly before walking off, whispering, "stay safe," to him before walking away.

He glances over his shoulder, watching as she saunters off and quietly murmurs, "always."

()()()()()()()()()

The next few hours are eventful for Lucy and Lopez, and they actually do end up arresting a suspect and bringing him back to the station for booking. A very large man who attempted to rob a liquor store, one who Lucy and Angela had to tag team to take down, and it was ultimately Lucy locking him in a full nelson that choked him out and took him to the ground.

After they're finished booking him and getting ready to head back to their shop, they have to jump back when another shop zooms in front of the station, practically coming in on two wheels.

It doesn't take long for Lucy to realize that a very irate Tim is the one who was behind the wheel of the shop, when she sees him jump out and slam the driver's side door, looking angry in a way she hasn't seen him look since before they started dating.

"Lopez," he growls, waving his long time friend towards him, "a word."
Angela starts to walk off and Lucy follows behind her, causing Angela to stop and Lucy to slam into the back of her. "Boot," she growls, "did Bradford stutter?"

"Ma'am?" Lucy raises a brow.

"You heard me. Did officer Bradford stutter? Because I clearly heard him say Lopez, not Lopez and Chen."

"I know, but I just see how mad Tim is and…"

"Nuh-uh," Angela holds up her hand. "I'm gonna stop you right there. Whatever Tim has to speak with me about right now, doesn't involve you or your relationship. So unless he calls out for you to join us, you stay right here and mind your own business. Understood."

Lucy swallows, nervously looking at a pacing Tim, and she nods tightly.

()()()()()()()()()()

"What's up?" Angel asks, walking over to a very livid Tim Bradford, who is pacing around like a caged animal.

"What's up?" He roars. "I'll tell you what's up. They gave me a broken boot?"

"What?"

"West," he points angrily towards the car. "He froze up, Angela. In the middle of gun fire, the kid just froze."

"That's not good," she grimaces.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"What are you gonna do?"

"What the hell do you mean what am I gonna do? He's a liability. I'm washing his ass out."

"It's his first day," she tries to reason.

"And? Tomorrow will be his second day and he's still gonna shit himself when the bullets start flying and he'll be useless to me. I'm not having his blood on my hands."

"His dad is the commander of I.A."

"Your point?"

"My point," she whistles, "is if he washes out he's your third rookie in less than 6 months not to make it, and his dad's gonna make a really big deal about that."

"Barnes had PTSD and took herself out of the program," he defends. "And that Badger guy fired a gun at roll call before I ever had a chance to test him on the streets. That wasn't my fault. And this isn't either."

"You're right, it isn't," she agrees. "But we both know how politics work."

He swipes a hand through his hair and exhales sharply.

"Just–train him not to be afraid. We're T.O.'s right, we're supposed to be able to train and mold these recruits."

"You can't train someone to run towards bullets. That instinct, it's there or it isn't. Wanna know what happened to people in the military on that frontlines that just didn't have it?"

"What?"

"They ended up dead," he growls. "And they took a few with them from not being able to properly provide cover."

()()()()()()()()

While Tim and Angela talk, Lucy cautiously makes her way over to the passenger side of the shop and knocks on the window, startling Jackson, who slowly rolls it down, sweat beading on his brow.

"Everything okay?"

Jackson shakes his head slowly and somberly mutters, "I'm done for, Luce."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Jackson recounts to Lucy how he froze up in the middle of a shootout and how pissed Tim had been.

"Well," she sighs, "he can–he can help you through it, right? I mean, it was your first time under gun fire. I'm sure that's happened to other new cops before and–"

"There's no excuse for it, Luce," he groans. "I messed up big time and I don't think I can come
back from this."
Lucy opens her mouth to respond to Jackson, but Tim's stomping his way back over to the shop and she turns her head and looks to her fiance'. "Tim," she begins.

"Go back to your T.O. boot," he firmly orders, not meeting her eyes and locking his hands above his duty belt.

"Tim, just wait a second," she tries to reason.

His head snaps up and his posture straightens and he levels his eyes on hers. He works hard to clip his voice so he doesn't yell, but there's a stern edge to it that he normally wouldn't speak to Lucy in. "That was an order, not a suggestion. Get back to your T.O. This doesn't concern you."

She looks between Jackson and Tim and nods painfully and reluctantly, but follows her orders and returns to Lopez.

Chapter 73: Chapter 73

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

The rest of the shift is intense, and Lucy makes a few more mistakes, but nothing major. She's worried about Jackson, and upset about what happened between her and Tim in the parking lot regarding Jackson, but she's able to compartmentalize her feelings and push them to the back of her mind until end of shift, which Angela very promptly reminded her she damn well better do the moment they got into her shop.

After she's changed, she waits for Tim just outside the station, her gym bag slung over her shoulder. "Hey," she greets him, softly and a bit hesitantly, when he steps outside the front door of the station.

He nods at her, his hand running along the strap on the gym bag slung over his own shoulder. "Hey," he responds.

The air between them is thick, looming with tension, and it seems as though neither is sure what to say at the moment.

Tim breaks the silence first when he asks, "You riding home with me or you pushing that death trap home?"

Her lip twitches slightly. "I already called a tow truck for it. Same company the city uses. I think I'll be riding with you for a while until the shop gets it back to me….if that's okay with you?"

He nods and then mutters, "let's go." No hand resting on the small of her back as they walk. No arm slung low around her waist. No gentle tap of her thigh as they walk elbow to elbow. He's stone faced as they walk, remaining two steps in front of her, his jaw rigid, shoulders tense, and she knows he's definitely still irritated with her about what happened in the parking lot.

()()()()()()()()()

The ride home is uncomfortable and silent. No hand holding across the console. No laughing over crazy arrests. No worrying over the struggles each might've faced on the job.

When they step inside, Genny greets them both eagerly, smiling at her brother and best friend while she holds out a tray of cookies she baked because she'd been craving them, offering them a snack.

Tim pushes the tray away, grumbling that he isn't hungry, and he slips past his sister and into the hallway, taking a sharp left and heading into his old room and not the one he shares with Lucy.

Genny glances at Lucy and cocks a brow. "Bad first day?"

"Yeah," Lucy stares off towards the hallway. She doesn't tell Genny about what happened with Jackson, but she does tell her friend, "it uh, it became pretty clear today why Tim and I had to sign all that paperwork just to be able work together."

Genny frowns sympathetically and holds out the cookie tray. "Would a little comfort food help?"

Lucy smiles, tight lipped, and grabs a cookie, taking a bite and chewing on it thoughtfully.

"So, which one of you crossed a line?" Genny muses.

"Me," Lucy admits freely. "I uh, I saw Tim upset about something and I immediately tried to get in the middle of it, and it was um, it's something I really shouldn't have tried to get involved in."

"Yeah, I didn't wanna say anything and make either of you mad, but I did kinda foresee it being an issue. So, are you gonna ask for a transfer to a different division now that you see it could be a problem for the two of you? Try and get ahead of issues like this so it doesn't mess with your relationship."

"No," Lucy shakes her head adamantly. "No. We–we'll figure it out. It's just, it's gonna take some adjusting. For both of us."

()()()()()()()()()()

After scarfing down two more emotional support cookies, Lucy gently makes her way to Tim's old room and taps on the door until she hears the pelting on the punching bag stop and he calls out, "come in," from behind the door.

"Tim, can we talk now? Please?"

His arms fall to his sides and he nods, moving to take a seat on the bed and she walks over and sits next to him.

"Look, I know I was out of line earlier…"

"Yeah," he agrees, "you were."

"I know." She hangs her head. "It's just–you and I we talk about everything. We figure everything out together. I'm not used to–not used to being on the outside of that with you. So when I saw you upset after you called Angela over, of course I wanted to run to you and find out what the problem was. And then–then when Jackson told me what happened, I just–I wanted to help. I wanted to find a way to help both you and him."

"I get that Luce," he blows out heavily, "but on the job, we aren't partners. You can't tell me you don't want to ride to work with me because you don't want people to think you're only there because of me and you don't want me to treat you differently than any other rookie and then try and get in middle of something with me and my boot when there's no way in hell that I'd allow that with any other rookie. I can't–I can't always tell you everything at work and you can't be the one I turn to for advice there. It's not that I don't still value your opinion once we clock in, it's just, you've been a cop for two seconds, you don't have the same perspective as Harper or Lopez or another senior officer. And even if you did," he shakes his head, "Jackson's too close for you to be unbiased about this."

"I know. I'm sorry, babe," she grabs onto this arm. "This is–it's gonna take some getting used to. I'm gonna have to remind myself of boundaries and learn to function in an entirely new capacity with you. But I can do it. I will do it. And I won't…I won't get in the middle of it at work next time."

"Thank you." He runs his hand up and down her thigh affectionately. "So, overall, how was your first day?"

"It was hard," she admits and she tells him about the kid locked in the car. "I don't know–I don't know what I'd have done if we found him and he wasn't…"

"Yeah," he sighs. "I'm glad that's not how you started your first day. Seeing a dead kid, it–it changes you." He clears his throat and changes the subject. "So, Lopez told me you choked out a guy twice your size. Pretty impressive."

"Keeping tabs on me?" She questions. "Because, I don't think you'd do that with any other rookie."

"No," he hastens. "I was just–Lopez and I were trading T.O. war stories and it happened to come up."

"Mmhmm."

()()()()()()()()()

When they're laying in bed that night, Lucy can still tell Tim is tense, and she props herself up on her elbow and runs her other hand along his chest and asks him, "Are you still mad at me?"

He stares up at the ceiling in the dark. "No. I'm not mad at you. I wasn't mad at you earlier, I was just…frustrated."

"Are you still frustrated?"

"Not with you..."

"Wanna talk about what's frustrating you?"

"Just—trying to figure out the right thing to do about Jackson and I don't–I don't know what that is and it's pissing me off."

"Oh…" She doesn't press him. Doesn't ask questions. She said she'd stay out of it and she meant it. No matter how bad she wants to jump in and offer her thoughts and advice, she fights the urge to do so.

"I should wash him out," he thinks aloud. "He's a danger to himself. To me. To Lopez. Harper. Nolan…to you. I could never forgive myself if I let him stay on and something happened to someone I care about because of it. Or to some innocent bystander because he can't step up and do what needs to be done."

"What's got you hesitating?" She can't help the words slipping off her tongue. She knows he's hesitating because when Tim makes his mind up to do something, he's dead set on it and doesn't think twice.

"He knows his shit," he explains. "Better than anyone else I've ever seen step through those doors at Mid-Wilshire. Kid knows his rook book cover to cover. But," Tim sighs, "being book smart doesn't make you a good cop. Hell, if that's what it took, I'd have never made it on the force."

"Look, babe, you've got good instincts. Better than anyone I've ever met. If you think–if you think Jackson's not cut out to be a cop," Lucy swallows thickly, "then I trust that instinct and I know it's for the best, even if it sucks for him...But…"

He rolls over and faces her. "This is you staying out of it?"

"Sorry," she winces. "But to be fair, you brought it up to me."

"I did," he nods, biting down on his lip. "And we aren't at work right now…So, what's your but?"

"I just–I feel like you could help him work through it. If anyone has a chance to do that for him, it'd be you."

"Luce, I can't–I can't train someone not to fear flying bullets. People are either willing to put their ass on the line for others or they aren't.

"I mean, we could take him to the paintball arena or go to buy some splat guns or airsoft guns and…"

"12 year old's aren't afraid of those because they know there isn't any real danger. It's not gonna help to light him up and leave a few bruises on him."

"Okay," she dejectedly mutters. "I get it. I understand that you've gotta do what you've gotta do and I respect your decision."

He's quiet for a long moment, then muses. "There may be one thing I could try. But, it's a long shot. And if it doesn't work…"

"Then you wash him out," Lucy reluctantly finishes for him. "I'd rather have him alive and devastated than dead." ()()()()()()()()()

The next day, Tim drops Jackson off at a recluse's apartment. A formerly outgoing man who loved to travel but was almost beaten to death during a hate crime and hasn't left home out of fear since.

He leaves his rookie there for hours, and when he returns, Jackson sheepishly enters the shop.

"Thank you for not washing me out," he tells Tim, pulling his seatbelt on.
"Don't thank me yet," Tim growls. "I haven't decided I'm not going to. I don't give a damn who you are or who your daddy is. It doesn't matter to me that you're Lucy's best friend, it doesn't matter to me your dad is head of I.A. I will not hesitate to end your career if you freeze up again because I won't have your blood, or anyone else's blood on my hands, boot."

"Yes sir, understood."

Tim snatches the car in drive. "Until I feel like you're capable of jumping in front of the action, if we find ourselves in a situation with bullets again, you keep your ass in the shop and keep your head down."

"Sir, I can't just…"

"That's an order, boot, not a debate."

"Yes sir," Jackson nods obediently.

()()()()()()()()()()

An hour before the end of shift, they end up in another shoot out, arriving as backup for Harper and Nolan, and Tim sternly reminds Jackson to stay out while he gets out of the car and jumps in to help.

They've managed to take down 3 out of 4 suspects, and just as the fourth suspect runs up on Tim out of nowhere while he's in the middle of reloading, a glock aimed directly at Tim's head, Jackson plows the man down with the shop.

Tim breathes a sigh of relief and offers his rookie a nod of approval while he rushes to kick the gun out of the now injured man's way and places him in cuffs.

Notes:

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. I'm thankful for each and every one of you who supply me with endorphins and dopamine when you comment or leave kudos on my story. Also, spoiler alert, this won't be the last time being a couple on the job proves trying. And, as a side note, any police-like-actiony story-lines will be recycled from the show. My creativity is limited to romance, comedy, and drama. I'm just not good at coming up with action plots. My brain doesn't work that way, unfortunately.

Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Chapter Text

3 weeks and 4 days. That's how long Lucy's been a rookie for. And that's exactly how long it took for her to end up taking a trip to the hospital.

And this trip wasn't a trip she earned because of being stabbed while wrestling an unruly suspect, or taking a bullet during a shoot out. Nothing noble or brave.

No, this was a trip to the hospital that was earned while she and Lopez were trying to temporarily relocate a group of homeless people because the Vice President was coming to town and the street needed to be clear when he passed through.

A tussle between two of the inhabitants during their relocation efforts ensued and while attempting to break them up, Lucy was tackled to the ground, which should've been simple enough.

It should've been a simple fall that left her with a scraped elbow or a sore hip.

But it wasn't.

Instead, it's a fall that left her with a dirty hypodermic needle in her side.

A needle that could potentially be contaminated with a blood borne disease like HIV or Hepatitis.

And she's been in a fog ever since Lopez pointed out that literal thorn in her side.

Her training officer tried to distract her by having her rattle off proper protocol and it worked temporarily, until they arrived at the hospital and nurses began pulling samples of her blood and she was left playing a waiting game for the results and her mind spiraled down the worst case scenario boulevard.

()()()()()()()()()

Tim and Jackson arrive at the hospital with a gunshot wound victim, one that was shot in the neck during a shootout that Harper and Nolan were responding to, which Tim and Jackson defied an FBI agent to go help their team out with because they were outgunned and
outnumbered.

Tim had to admit, Jackson's surprised him and stepped up in the past three weeks. Ever since he left him with Wallace, he hasn't frozen up again. Not even today when a bullet clipped his vest just above his heart. And, on top of jumping into the gun fight, Jackson was the first to render aid to the downed suspect and rode in the backseat of Tim's shop the entire way to the hospital, applying pressure to the wound and doing his best to taper the bleeding to give the man a chance at survival.

Since Jackson was the one rendering aid, he's the one that rushes to the back with the young man alongside the paramedics and nurses, and Tim steps into the waiting room, knowing there's nothing that he can do but be in the way while the professionals work on the kid.

What he isn't expecting when he steps into the waiting room, however, is the sight of his best friend and fellow training officer. Quickly, his eyes scan the room, desperately searching for Lucy, and when he doesn't see her, his heart drops and he shouts, "Lopez, what the hell are you doing here?"

Angela stops the pacing she was doing and turns to look at Tim. Immediately, she holds up a hand and calmly tells him, "Don't panic, but.."

"Don't panic, what the hell do you mean don't panic?" He barks. "Where the hell's Lucy?"

The other T.O. pulls in a deep breath, "There was an incident, she's fine, but there was an incident and I had to bring her to get checked out." She goes on and explains the dirty needle situation.

"Why didn't you call me?" He growls.

"Because you were in the middle of your own assignment and it's not life threatening and Lucy's fine and we don't even know anything yet," she reasons gently.

He grits his teeth and shakes his head, his voice low. "You still should've let me know. Now where is she?"

()()()()()()()()

Lucy hears a knock on the door to the room she's in and glances up from her phone and quietly mumbles, "come in," assuming it's a doctor or a nurse or Angela. She's completely surprised, however, when the door slowly creaks open and the face she sees behind it is her fiance'.

Her brows crease. "Wh–what are you doing here? Did Lopez call you?"

"No," he shakes his head and closes the door and walks up beside her. "Jackson and I rushed a GSW here and I saw her in the waiting room and just found out. You okay?"

She presses her lips together and tries to nod yes, but her body won't allow her to lie to him, and her head moves side to side instead.

"Come here," he steps in front of her and wraps his arms around. "It's okay, baby, you're gonna be fine," he promises as he cradles her head against his chest.

"You don't know that," she squeaks. "HIV is three times more prevalent in the homeless community. Hepatitis is 5 times more prevalent."

He pulls away, leaving a small space between them, and rests his hands on her shoulders, looking down and staring into her eyes, "Hey, going down the web MD rabbit hole isn't doing you any favors. Okay?"

"But Tim," she huffs, "what if I have one of those viruses now? Or both? What if–what if I do, and–and then one day I get shot and Lopez is trying to help me but she has a cut on her finger. Or–or worse, a kid gets shot and I try to help but I'm the one with the cut."

"Then you'll be a cop with Hep C and a cut," he firmly replies, holding her gaze. "You signed up to put your life on the line, and that means your health, too. If you have it, we'll deal with it."

"That's also what I'm afraid of!" She shouts.

"What?"

"What does that mean for us," she gingerly runs a finger along her engagement ring. "Those are also sexually transmitted diseases, Tim. I–I'm supposed to marry you. I'm supposed to be your wife."

"Yeah," he agrees. "You are. And you're going to be. Having Hep C or HIV won't change that."

"How could it not?" She snorts. "I'd literally be putting your health at risk every time you made love to me."

"Lucy, people with HIV and Hepatitis still have sex all the time. That's what condoms are for, to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases."

"And if the condom broke?" She counters, brown eyes welling with tears.

"Then I'd be a cop and your husband with HIV or Hep C," he adamantly tells her.

"Tim…"

"Lucy," he shakes his head, "Don't. Okay? Marriage means in sickness, and in health, I knew that when I asked you to marry me. If you're sick, we'll deal with it. We will. Okay? But right now, we aren't going to focus on all the hypothetical what ifs. They aren't doing you any good and it could all be much ado about nothing anyway. So what do you say you stop drowning in all the what if bullshit and you get back in the here and now with me and we get back to work?'

"Yeah," she nods. "Okay. I can–I can do that."

"Good." He leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Tim gets called back to the station and has to leave Lucy. The FBI agent, Danvers, is ready to tear him a new asshole for leaving his post of protection over the V.P. and she arrogantly thinks Grey is going to side with her and punish him, but he doesn't. Instead, he praises Tim and Jackson for doing a proper needs assessment and backing their brother and sister in blue versus being useless posted up in a hallway while snipers and other endless detection detail are positioned around the building for the V.P.

He leaves Jackson at the hospital with their GSW, telling his rookie to wait and keep him posted on the patient's condition, and also asking him to keep Lucy company while she waits on her results until he can come back, knowing having her best friend next to her will help keep her calm.

After he's done speaking to Grey and Agent Danvers, he asks permission to return to the hospital and Grey grants it, and he rushes inside to be by Lucy's side, finding her, Jackson, and Lopez sitting together in the waiting room.

Lucy is sandwiched between her best friend and his, and he nods to Jackson, instructing him to get up and taking the newly vacated seat beside her, lacing his hand with hers while they wait.

He hasn't been back a whole five minutes when a doctor with a clipboard appears, calling Luy's name. Nervously, she looks to Tim and they stand together and walk towards the woman who tells them to follow her into a room.

"No," Lucy shakes her head firmly, "just, tell me here, please?"

"Okay," the woman in the white coat nods, but she cautiously glances at Tim.

"It's okay," Lucy tells the woman, "he can hear. He needs to hear. He's my fiance'."

The doctor nods her understanding and peers down at the chart in her hands. "Good news, all tests for viral infection came back negative. We will need to retest your blood in sex months, just to be safe."

Lucy literally sighs in relief.

"But," the doctor continues, "there is a presence of staph in your blood."

"Wh–what's that mean?"

"It's a treatable bacterial infection but you need to start you on IV antibiotics immediately. Some strains of staph can be resistant to drugs, so we'll have to keep an eye out for swelling, cellulitis, things like that in the coming days and weeks. But, you should be just fine."

"Okay, great," Tim says, squeezing Lucy's hand. "Do you have a room for her or–?"

"Yes. You two can follow me and we'll get Ms. Chen set up and start the intravenous antibiotics."

"Wait!" Lucy calls out, once again, a finger anxiously running along her engagement ring. "Um..you said I have to retest my blood in six months. What ah–what's that mean for us?" She motions between herself and Tim. "You know, being that we're an active young couple and all."

"Ah. Well, it would probably be a good idea to take precautions the next six months, just in case. Use condoms, of course, which I'm an advocate for anyway. And while the risk of transmission during oral sex for hepatitis and HIV is very low, it's not entirely impossible, so keep that in mind as well."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

After they've discharged Lucy once she's finished receiving her I.V. antibiotics, Lucy and Lopez get ready to leave while Tim and Jakcson are left to wait on their suspect, who made it out of surgery but is in critical condition

Tim hugs and kisses Lucy goodbye just outside the hospital, and Angela tells Lucy to get in the shop while she has a word with Tim.

She turns to her best friend, her hands planted on the front of her duty belt, and pointedly asks, "Are you still pissed at me for not calling you?"

He looks away from her.

"Tim, there was no reason for you to be here. Okay? If you knew, you'd have hauled ass here and you wouldn't have been available to assist Harper and Nolan during the shoot out and that young man, he'd have died if you and Jackson weren't there to get him here on time."

"I know," he sighs. "I know. You were right not to tell me. Like you said, she was fine."

"I would call you if she ever wasn't. Okay? I promise."

"I know you would." He nods.

"So, are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good."

()()()()()()()()()()

When they're at home in bed that night, Lucy is curled into Tim's chest, her head resting on his heart, and she thinks back on her day, telling him, "You know, I find it strange that the best and worst parts of my day involved needles." She recounts to him how while he'd gone back to the station, she'd used the restroom and had a strange encounter with a young woman that left her suspicious and she discovered a bottle of bleach in the stall floor and ended up stopping the woman from injecting the bleach into her brain dead brother's neck,

"You really can't be left alone for five minutes, huh?" He teases.

She rolls her eyes. "Shut up." Then she grows quiet and somber. "I didn't see it. The dirty needle. I–I didn't see it."

"You couldn't have," he assures her. "It's not your fault. Sometimes things just happen. Important thing is, you're gonna be fine."

"Yeah," she breathes out. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being there for me. Calming me down. Promising you'd love me and stand by my side, no matter what."

He kisses the side of her head. "That's my job."

Chapter 75: Chapter 75

Chapter Text

The tantalizing aroma of pancakes and freshly brewed coffee waft through the air, gently coaxing Tim into wakefulness. Rubbing his eyes, he blinks at the sunlight streaming into he and Lucy's cozy bedroom.

He glances at the empty spot next to him and pushes himself up on his elbows and makes his way to the kitchen where he finds Lucy standing in front of the stove, adorned in a white apron with red purity blossoms, flipping heart-shaped pancakes. The table is neatly set with care, adorned with a bouquet of vibrant red roses and a card that simply reads, "To the love of my life; my idiot." And there's a heart drawn around the words, "my idiot."

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Lucy chirps, turning to give him a radiant and adoring smile. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Tim can't help but grin from ear to ear as he slips in front of her and his hands fall to her hips. "Happy Valentine's Day to you too, baby. What's all this?" he inquires, gesturing to the lovingly prepared breakfast spread.
"It's your surprise, silly!" she laughs, motioning for him to take a seat. "It's our first Valentine's Day together and I wanted to start our day out with a little extra love."

He glances at the plate next to her on the counter with the heart-shaped pancakes with their names, "Tim & Lucy," written in the middle in syrup. His dopey smile grows even bigger and he pulls her closer to him and leans down and moves his lips over hers in a slow, loving kiss.

Their sweet, romantic moment is interrupted, however, when a heavily pregnant Genny who looks like she's going to pop baby Tyler out any day now, waddles into the kitchen and throws a hand over her mouth to catch the sob that escapes her throat at the sight before her.

The couple slowly break apart, Tim's hands on Lucy's waist, Lucy's hands on Tim's chest, and they turn and face Genny, watching as the water works stream down her face.

"I'm sorry," she sniffles, wiping her eyes with the sleeves on her shirt, "it's just, you two are so cute together." She motions from them to the cutesy breakfast and flowers on the table, "all of this is just so adorable and it's just too sweet how much you love each other.

Lucy gingerly drops her hands and steps away from Tim, then walks over to Genny and wraps an arm around her friend. Smiling sympathetically because she's grown accustomed to these random bursts of emotions these past few weeks, and she walks her future sister in law and one of her best friends to the counter and hands her a plate with two heart-shaped pancakes she'd set aside just for her, a big one with a small one on top of it made with blue food coloring.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you and baby Tyler, too, Gen." Lucy squeezes her, which again, causes more tears to stream down the red-heads face and she wraps her arms around Lucy and cries into her shoulder.

()()()()()()()()()()

"Sorry our breakfast got interrupted," Lucy says on their way to work.

"It's okay," he reaches over the console and squeezes her thigh, "It was all very good, by the way. Thank you. "And uh–" he smirks flirtatiously and cuts his eyes at her from his seat. "what I have planned for later, we don't have to worry about anyone interrupting that."

"Oh?" Lucy wiggles her eyebrows. "And uh," her voice is husky, "what is it exactly it that you have planned for later?"

"Mmm." He shrugs a shoulder. "It's a surprise, you'll just have to wait and see. All we have to do is make it through the craziest work day of the year, and then you're all mine for the rest of the night."

"I can't wait," she covers his hand, the one resting on her thigh, with her own. "By the way, why do you and Lopez keep insisting that today is going to be the craziest day of the year? I would've assumed that it would be like Halloween or black Friday or something. Not a day that's supposed to be all about love and appreciation."

"Those are close second and third place winners, but they don't have anything on today. Today brings out all the crazy, jealous exes, horny idiots screwing around in openly public places, couples doing stupid, illegal things to try and win their partners approval, and tons of sad, lonely people acting out of desperation and depression."

"I guess it's a good thing I'm stuck behind the front desk all day today," Lucy snorts.

"Slacker," he huffs.

"Hey, it's not my fault baby Jack is sick and Angela's off work!"

"Yeah, sick," he makes air quotes with his fingers. "Kid is probably fine. She just doesn't want a repeat of two years ago."

"Wh–what happened two years ago?"

()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy has just finished helping a woman behind the desk who tried to report her cat, Mrs. Whiskerson, as a missing person when Tim walks into the station. She smiles at him and waves happily, and he nods and returns a slight smirk of his own, but her features quickly change when a very distressed and tousled looking Jackson follows in behind him.

"Your fiance', Jackson instantly begins to grumble when he sees Lucy, "is evil. Pure evil."

"You're being dramatic, boot," Tim rolls his eyes, stopping in his tracks and his hands falling to his duty belt.

'No," he shakes his head adamantly, "no I'm not." He points to Tim accusingly. "He–he made me tackle a very large, very hairy, very," he shudders, "slippery, naked man."

"He was a suspect," Tim huffs. "That's your job, boot, arresting the bad guys. Can't hack it, maybe you shouldn't be a cop."

Jackson''s jaw hangs open and he turns to face Lucy. "I–I got poked with things. Okay? It was traumatizing."

Lucy shakes her head and snickers, eyes dancing between the man she's going to marry and her best friend.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Even though she isn't out on the streets today, Lucy can't deny that this day of the year brings out a whole other side in people.

People have walked through the doors to ask the most off the wall questions or report the strangest things. One woman wanted to have a squirrel arrested for stealing a package off her porch. There was a man who came in to report his roommate stole 5 lb.s of bacon from him and demanded he be arrested. Another man came in and insisted his girlfriend had invaded his dog's mind and she was making it pee on his leg and crap at the front door as revenge for cheating on her. The list goes on and on.

Despite her deep level of empathy and understanding, she's had to work hard to stop herself from erupting into fits of laughter at the sheer absurdity of requests at times.

Which is why she feels slightly relieved when a blond woman walks into the station holding a bouquet of flowers and a card, because she assumes it's a girlfriend or wife of one of her co-workers that's simply stopping a gift by to her partner and she won't have to come up with a polite way of sending this person down the road without honoring their ridiculous request.

"Hi, I'm Officer Chen," she cheerfully greets the woman. "How can I help you?"

"Oh," the woman blushes and looks around the room shyly. "I–uh–I was looking for Officer Bradford. Would you happen to know him?"

Lucy's smile melts and her brows pull together tightly and she carefully responds, "Yeah, you could say that. What do you need with Ti–um, Officer Bradford?"

The woman glances at her bouquet and clutches it to her chest tightly, smiling to herself. "I just–I wanted to give him these. As a thank you for saving my life earlier."

"Oh. Are you–are you okay?"

She nods. "Yeah, I am now. I was in an accident. There was a downed power line and I was stunned and got out of the car and didn't see it and it zapped me. He rushed into action and pulled me to safety and started CPR. He's pretty amazing, huh."

"Yeah," Lucy offers her a tight smile, "he is."

"Do you think I could see him? To give him these and tell him thank you in person?"

"Sorry, no. He's out on call right now."

"Oh…Okay. Well," she reaches up and places the card and bouquet on the table. "Do you think you could give him these for me?"

"Sure." Again, her tight smile returns.

"Thank you. I'll um–I'll stop by another time to give my thanks in person." She waves goodbye and heads out the front door of the station.

()()()()()()()()()()

Tim cocks a brow when he and Jackson return from their call with a new suspect in hand, he spots the fresh flowers on the front desk with Lucy, and nods for Jackson to lead the suspect to booking while he approaches the front desks and runs a ringer along one of the pink petals in the bouquet.

"Did your dad send you flowers or something?" He asks her curiously.

"No" she shakes her head and pushes the vase they are sitting in towards him, " these are for you."

Again, his brows cock. "You got me more flowers?"

Slowly, she shakes her head. "No, a woman dropped them off for you."

"A woman? Why would a random woman bring me flowers?"

"Because you saved her life."

He steps back slightly and holds up a finger. "Wait, the woman from the car accident earlier brought me these?"

Lucy nods.

"That's um–a bit of a strange way to thank me for saving her life."

"Yeah, well," Lucy's shoulders rise and fall, "I think she wanted to do a lot more than that to thank you."

He snorts. "Are you seriously being jealous of this lady? Come on, Luce, I'm sure all she was doing was trying to express her appreciation."

She reaches under the desk and hands him the card the woman left, he opens it and as his eyes scan over the card, they go wide and he snaps it closed and he hesitantly admits, "Yeah, okay, um, maybe she wanted to do a little more than say thank you."

"Mmhmm. I told you, and I didn't even read the card yet. I could read it in her body language."

He slides the card to her, watching her eyes go wide as she reads it herself and he sees the flash of green in her brown eyes as she roughly places the card on the table.

"Wow. Okay." Her hands come to a rest on her hips. "That was um…"

"Graphic?"

"Yeah. Uh-huh." She stares ahead looking troubled, hands still planted on her hips.

"You good? Because you know there's no way I'm going to entertain the idea of leaving you for this woman, right?"

"Yeah, I know." She softens, rolls her eyes, and gives him a genuine smile. "That would make a hell of a Lifetime movie, though, huh?"

"More likely it'd turn into one of those stupid True Crime Documentaries you love so much."

"Stop it," she swats his arm from across the front desk.

He smirks at her and nods towards the hallway. "Anyway, I should go catch up with West. Make sure he gets all the paperwork right. Idiot we grabbed was trying to rob a jewelry store with a water gun in broad daylight so he could propose to his boyfriend."

"Okay. I'll see you later. And um, try not to make anyone else fall in love with you out there."

He waves a hand up and down his body and gives her a cocky grin. "Hey, you knew I was this good looking and irresistible when agreed to marry me. It's not my fault."

Chapter 76: Chapter 76

Notes:

So, I've finally got an end in sight for this story, for real this time. I would like to make it to 100 chapters, but I may not get there and I def plan on finishing this before the show returns in February. I'm sad to think of ending this world I created, but all good things must come to an end sometime. I may create a random one shots collection of this universe when it's done, though, to update sporadically and let it live on. I'm still blown away by all the support I've received on this one and how well loved it became. So thank you all so much for taking this journey with me.

Chapter Text

After a very long, very interesting Valentine's Day shift, it's finally time for Tim and Lucy to leave the station for the day and Tim is ready to give Lucy his surprise, though he makes her wait a little bit longer before she knows exactly what it is.

Once they get home, he tells her she needs to pack a bag, and she raises her brows, but he shakes his head and insists she can't ask questions yet, and to just trust him.

As they're about to get in his truck and leave, there's a knock on the front door, and while Lucy is finishing packing, and Tim goes to open it.

His forehead wrinkles when he finds a member of the Mid-Wilshire team, John Nolan, standing behind his door. "What the hell are you doing at my house, boot?" Tim grumbles

"What a nice way to greet someone who helped you renovate a house you made a fortune selling and didn't ask for a dime for all his help," John smiles, his hands resting in front of him.

Tim rolls his eyes but re-checks his tone. "What's going on, Nolan? Is something wrong?"

"Everything's fine. I'm ah–I'm actually not here to see you."

Tim crosses his arms, the gruffness in his voice returning. "You're here to see my fiancee'?"

"Oh, no!" John shakes his head and holds up a finger. "No, no! I'm uh, I'm here to pick Genny up."

"Y–you what?"

"I'm taking Genny out tonight," he further elaborates.

"Wh–" Tim's voice squeaks, "you're taking my pregnant sister out? On a date?"

"It's not a date," Genny, all dolled up for the first time in a months and wearing a beautiful, flowing maternity dress, waddles over next to her brother and then smiles at John. "I mentioned to John on the phone the other night when we talked how much I miss dating and how lonely I'm feeling and how I know once Tyler gets here I won't get to go out for a while, so being the gentleman he is, he offered to take me out one last time before I give birth. As a friend," she emphasizes.

"I–but—why didn't you tell me?"

"Because," she smirks at her brother, "I knew you'd get all protective and weird and act like this. Honestly, I figured you and Lucy would already be gone before he got here and I was hoping I could avoid you knowing at all."

"I'm not being weird," mumbles.

"Yeah," his sister chuckles, "you are." She looks at John. "Are you ready? Our reservations are in 30 minutes and traffic is going to be awful."

Hesitantly, he looks to Tim, as if he's reconsidering his offer. "I assure you, sir, I'll take good care of your sister and your unborn nephew andI'll have them home before 10."

"What the hell are you doing?" Tim snorts. "We're not at work and I'm like 10 years younger than you, you don't need to call me sir. Besides, I'm Genny's brother, not her dad, and she's a grown woman. Don't be weird."

Genny shoves Tim and rolls her eyes. "Stop being a dick. I'll be home later, don't wait up."

"Actually," he glances around quickly and whispers, "Lucy and I won't be home tonight. It's uh, kinda part of my surprise. Don't tell her, though."

Genny does a zipping motion across her lips, then gives her brother a side hug and heads out to the door with John, and Tim scowls as he watches the oldest rookie to ever grace the halls of Mid-Wilshire link arms with his baby sister.

()()()()()()()()()

"Why are you being grumpy?" Lucy pokes Tim in the side as he drives down the road, his eyes narrowed and jaw firmly set.

"I'm not being grumpy," he grumbles, eyes not leaving the road.

"Babe…seriously? Don't even try to lie to me. It's written all over your face. What's going on?"

He huffs and tells her about John showing up to take Genny out. "I mean it's just–it's weird. Right?"

"Not really." Lucy shrugs and Tim snaps his head in her direction, shooting her a displeased glare. "I'm just saying," she chuckles, "it's actually really sweet of him."

"He's old!"

"He's not that old!"

"He's old enough to be her dad!"

"No, he isn't," Lucy rolls her eyes at him. "He'd have had to have her at like 15 if he was her dad."
"That happens!" He defends.

She reaches out and rubs his leg affectionately. "Look, Nolan's a nice guy and taking Genny out one last time before she has the baby is actually really, really sweet of him. So what if he's older than her? He's someone you don't have to worry about taking advantage of your sister or mistreating her, and even if this was in any way not just friendly, he's a really great guy and he's a great dad to his son so he'd probably be good with Tyler, and he's a hell of a lot better than Rob. So please, stop being weirded out by all this and enjoy whatever this surprise you won't tell me anything about that you have planned for us is. Okay?"

"You're right," he sighs. "I don't want our night to be ruined, so I'm gonna stop being weirded out by it tonight."

Thank you."

"But tomorrow," his hand briefly leaves the steering wheel, "tomorrow I'm gonna go back to hating it."

Lucy groans, "you're impossible," and rolls her eyes at him.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Okay,' Lucy peers curiously out of the passenger side window as Tim pulls up to their destination, "why are we at a fancy hotel?"

"Because," Tim grins as he pulls into the valet parking section, "it's where we're staying for tonight."

"We're staying at The Marquis? Tim, this place is–it's expensive."

"I know. And romantic, and beautiful, and most importantly, away from anyone who can interrupt us."

"You–you really didn't have to…"

"I know," he threads his fingers through the back of her hair, and pulls her in for a passionate kiss and when he pulls away, he tells her, "But I wanted to. I love my sister, and I know she's going through a lot right now, but she's just always been around lately and I just want some quality time with my future wife without any interruptions and without having to worry about either of us having an aneurysm from being so damn quiet."

"That does sound very, very nice."

"Mmmhmm. So, what do you say we go inside and order room service and spend the rest of the night just enjoying the two of us and all this much needed privacy?"

She tugs on the collar of his shirt and pulls him in for a desperate, hungry kiss. "I think that sounds great," she pants when their lips part, "but uh, how about we skip dinner for now? The only thing I'm hungry for is you."

Chapter 77: Chapter 77

Chapter Text

Lucy hums contentedly as the warm water sloshes around in the bathtub and she sinks into Tim's chest in the oversized tub. A lavender scented bath bomb is dissolving in the water around them, the fizzy bubbles, and Tim's fingertips, tickling her skin as the soothing aroma envelops the room.

She can't believe he isn't gripping and complaining about the girly bath bomb, or the soft instrumental music she's playing in the background from her phone. Maybe he's too sated from the afterglow of passionate, amazing, mind-blowing uninterrupted sex to care.

Or maybe he secretly loves the romantic ambience of their private hotel room just as much as she does. Maybe he's reveling in the warm, flickering glow of candlelight, the comforting feeling of his bare chest against her bare back, his arms and legs lovingly wrapped around her waist, and his lips roaming the crook of her neck, the same way she's reveling in it all.

He was right.

They needed this time alone. If only for a night.

Between her adjusting to her rookie year, Tim adjusting to being a T.O. and Genny's neediness and hormonal angst these last few weeks in her pregnancy, they hadn't been able to spend much quality time alone, let alone quality sexy time.

She closes her eyes and a sigh of relief and pure bliss escapes her lips and she can feel the way Tim's lips quirk into a smirk against the delicate skin along her collar bone.

"Enjoying our first Valentine's Day?" He asks, his cheek scrubbing along her skin as his lips move next to her ears.

"Very much so," she runs her hand along his forearm and leans further into him. "Whenever we get our own place, it has to have a tub like this." The tub in their tiny shared bathroom now is nowhere near big enough for the two of them, it's cramped enough when their both in the shower together, and she could get used to taking relaxing baths together after a long day at work.

"Agreed," he hums and he nods to the walk-in shower across from them. "And one of those. Which, by the way, we're definitely using before we leave."

"Are we really gonna need a shower after this? We're leaving tomorrow, aren't we?"

He nips her ear and his voice is low and husky while he growls, "we are, but if you're up for it, I was thinking we'd refuel and spend the night making up for lost time."

"Mmhmm. I think that sounds perfect," she cranes her neck and presses her lips to his, moaning in delight at the slow, lingering way their tongues dance together.
()()()()()()()()()()

Later that night, the hotel room looks like a mini tornado hit it. Lucy's bra has been hanging on the lamp shade since moments after they walked into the door, Tim's undershirt is haphazardly tossed on top of the T.V., and loose articles of the rest of their clothes, the bathrobes they put on after their bath, and two condom wrappers are scattered along the floor in various places.

They are tangled together underneath the covers, bodies positioned on their sides, sharing lazy kisses while Lucy's fingertips graze across Tim's exposed shoulder blades. The kisses aren't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon because their second round ended only ten minutes ago, but that knowledge doesn't deter them or entice them to break apart.

It almost feels like they're trapped in their own little world inside that hotel room, completely lost in each other to the point Lucy feels woozy and tingly, the same way she always does after two or three shots of her favorite tequila when she's catching a good buzz.

A year ago she never could've imagined her life how it is now. Finding and falling in love with Tim, the two of them getting engaged, stumbling head first into a career she never imagined herself in but that she loves almost as much as the man attached to her lips. It all happened so fast, so unexpectedly, but is so much more than she ever could have dreamed of and she's happier than she ever knew she could be, despite her relationship with her mother still being strained.

And she thinks she could spend all night marveling and celebrating the fact that this has become her life, that she's been lucky enough to find not only the man she loves, but to begin building a life she absolutely loves and celebrating a day she never imagined herself celebrating.

But life, however, has other plans, when the incessant ringing of first Tim's phone, then Lucy's phone when he doesn't answer, leaves them grudgingly pulling apart with loud, irritated, groans, that is until Lucy's brows knit together when she sees the caller ID.

"Why's Nolan calling you?" Tim asks grumpily, sitting up against the headboard as Lucy swipes the green accept call button on her phone.

She shrugs her shoulders as she says, "hello?" And her face morphs from confused to concerned as her fellow rookie rambles on from the other end and she stutters out, "Okay. Wow. Um. Yeah…yeah…thanks for letting me know. Of course. See you soon."

Tim catches the concerned look on Lucy's face and heaviness fills his own features. "Is–is something wrong at the station?" He immediately asks, the lack of oxygen to his brain from all their previous kissing makes him forget that his co-worker was out with his sister.

"Uh, no," Lucy calmly replies, mustering a small smile as she grabs Tim's hand in hers. "Genny's water broke a few minutes ago. John called an ambulance and she's on her way to the hospital. The baby's coming, Tim. You're about to be an uncle."

Tim blinks, stone faced at first, but then he pales.. "Is–is she okay? Is my sister okay?"

"Yeah. She's fine, babe," she squeezes his hand. "But Tyler's on his way, so we should get to the hospital. Okay?"

He nods and his throat bobs, the same way it does any time he's overcome with emotion, but a smile breaks out across his face

()()()()()()()()()()()

They get dressed and rush to the hospital, and Lucy's pretty sure Tim breaks about ten laws to get there and that he'd probably have used his badge to get out of them if he'd been caught. John was waiting at the hospital for them when they got there, refusing to leave Genny's side until she had a family member present, and even after Tim and Lucy arrive, he remains vigilantly and dutifully in the waiting room.

It turns out, though, labor after water breaks isn't as miraculously quick as it is in T.V. shows and movies. There's about a four hour wait before the newest Bradford, Tyler Timothy Bradford, officially enters the world with his Uncle Tim and Aunt Lucy by his mom's side and Jackson, Sterling, Aaron, Celina, and John all anxiously sitting in the waiting room.

It's definitely not how Lucy envisioned her first Valentine's Day with Tim going, but as she sits in that hospital room and watches her fiance' hold his tiny new newborn nephew in his big, strong arms, she almost melts into a puddle of goo on the squeaky clean white floor.

She's glad they're having to use condoms right now because of the six month precautionary safety period from her dirty needle exposure, because she's pretty sure her ovaries spontaneously released about 100 eggs just from seeing Tim hold Tyler and smile down at him in awe and utter amazement and she isn't sure any birth control in the world could withstand that level of egg deposit and efficiently protect against pregnancy.

And part of her, in that moment, thinks being pregnant, having Tim's baby, wouldn't be the most terrifying thing in the world and she's filled with a surging, overwhelming urge to grab him by the collar of his shirt and drag him into one of the storage closets right there in the hospital and asking him to put a baby in her.

But her rational mind overpowers the rush of oxytocin she's feeling. And she reminds herself she isn't ready for that. She wants a marriage first. She wants to buy their own home and make it theirs. She wants to build her career and make P2 and maybe even P3 before that happens so she can make a name for herself.
She's only 23. And while Tim is 29 and was married before her and is thriving in his career, and part of him is probably ready for all this with her, she knows he loves her enough to wait until she's there, too. And God, that knowledge makes her love him even more and she has to look away and blink back tears.

"You wanna hold him?" Tim quietly asks, careful not to wake a sleeping Genny who's passed out from exhaustion in her hospital bed.

Her head snaps in his direction. "Oh, no," she begins to wave him off.

"Come on," he nods her over and swaps the baby to his other arm, making room for her in his lap.

She sighs and nods, quietly tiptoeing over to the chair he's in and taking a seat in his lap and when she's comfortable, Tim gently and tenderly places Tyler in her arms and helps support his head.

She melts again as she stares at the baby boy's sleepy face. Her lower lip twitching while she takes in his features, picking out pieces of both Tim and Genny in the newborn.

"He's pretty amazing, huh?" Tim marvels, his giant finger stroking the soft wisps of light brown hair.

"Yeah," Lucy agrees, and peers up from Tyler's sleeping, angelic form and she catches Tim's eyes. "You know, you're gonna make a pretty amazing dad someday."

He snorts, like he doesn't quite believe her.

"I'm serious," she huffs, and quickly winces and lowers her tone so she doesn't wake Genny. "You were so calm with Genny while she was giving birth and seeing you with Tyler tonight," she stops, choking up, "it just–I don't know. It's a really beautiful thing."

His eyes flit up and down, and he nods, taking in the sight of her holding his newborn nephew, and he throatily agrees, "It is." He leans in gingerly, careful not to squish the baby, and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Sorry our Valentine's Day and night alone got interrupted."

"It's okay," she chuckles, shaking her head and pressing her lips together. "At least we got a little time alone before this little one made his debut, and besides, it's definitely a night we'll never forget."

Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Chapter Text

Lucy nods off for the third time during patrol on midnight shift with Angela about a week after Tyler's born, and when she's startled awake by Angela's booming voice calling her name and a loud smack on the dashboard, she shakes herself awake, eyelids heavy and droopy with dark circles underneath her eyes, and apologizes profusely through a big yawn, saying, "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to keep nodding off. It's–it's just you have no idea how exhausting it is to have–"

Angela's eyes grow wide and she glares at Lucy. "I have no idea?" She snorts. "Listen boot, on top of the screaming baby I have at home that wakes me up every few hours, he also attaches himself to my boobs every times he's hungry, he's pissed in my hair at least five times this week, he's puked on me at least three times, and he's dripped runny, nasty shit on me twice. I think I have every idea of how exhausting a new baby in the house is."

"I'm sorry," Lucy winces, "apologizing again. "You're right. I know it's not as bad for Tim and I as it is for you and Wesley with Jack and Genny and their mom, who are the main ones taking care of Tyler. I just–I haven't gotten more than two hours of sleep each night this week because that kid has the most piercing scream I've ever heard in my life when he wants something. Like, I didn't know babies could be that loud and angry."

"I mean, he's related to Tim. Of course the kid is grumpy and bitchy."

Lucy snorts and rubs the side of her head in an effort to wake herself up..

"I bet it's a hell of a form of birth control for you two."

"Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong, seeing Tim hold the baby is just–" she smiles to herself, "it's so adorable and it temporarily makes me want to jump him and lock my legs around him so he'll put one in me, and I think it's having the same effect on him when he sees me with him, but then those three a.m. feedings wake us up and we come to our senses and we're both racing for the condoms before we," Lucy blushes and looks down at the center console, "you know?"

"Some days I wish Wesley would've thought to use one of those," Angela smirks. "Nah, I'm kidding. Jack is my world, but he's so, so exhausting and you're smart to wait. Rookie year with a newborn, that'd be next level hell. I'm barely surviving my first year as T.O. with one. You're lucky I haven't crashed us into a bridge or something." Angela looks out her window, glancing around the empty neighborhood and drumming her fingers monotonously on the steering wheel. "How's Genny doing, by the way? Is she adjusting to motherhood?"

"She's a natural," Lucy grins, reaching for her phone to show off pictures of her best friend/future sister in law and her new nephew. "I mean, she's exhausted and it's–it's tough on her doing it without Rob and knowing he still wants nothing to do with them, but she loves that little boy so much."

"The lack of sleep, sore breasts, and non-existent sex life really are worth it when it's your own kid," Angela fondly comments. "He's precious, by the way. When they're older, he and Jack are definitely getting together for play dates."

"A mini Lopez and mini Bradford in the same space? I'm not sure anyone's equipped to deal with that level of terror," Lucy teases.

"Watch it, boot," Angela warns. "I'll have you on drunk tank duty for the next week if you piss me off."

Lucy chuckles, and shakes her head, squinting while something in the distance behind the bushes near their shop catches her eye.

"What is it?" Angela asks, after noticing Lucy hone in on something.

Lucy holds up a finger and lets her window down and shines her flashlight on the bushes, carefully peering out into the darkness and listening intently. After a few moments of radio silence and no further movement, she clicks her light off and slowly lets the window up.

"Nothing, I just, I thought I saw something or…or someone moving in the bushes. I guess that's just my sleep deprivation."

Angela keeps her eye in the direction Lucy was looking in, then peers around the upscale subdivision they are parked in. It has a historically low level of crime, and the only reason they're posted here for the night is because the mayor's daughter lives here and insists on a strong police presence in the neighborhood.

Lopez shrugs a shoulder and dismissively offers, "Could've been an animal. Or some spoiled rich kid sneaking out after tricking their parents' alarm and camera system."

"Oh my God!" Lucy groans. "I'm so glad cameras in the house weren't a thing when I was a teenager. My mom would've been even more controlling than she already was."

"Yeah, well, also be glad you were an only child. Having four brothers in a two bedroom apartment was like having a camera on me at all times. I could barely fart without my mom knowing."

()()()()()()()()()()()

Meanwhile, back at home, Tim crawls out of bed in the middle of the night. But it isn't a screaming Tyler that wakes him for once this week, it's a whining Kojo.

Tim rubs the sleep from his eyes and pats the antsy dog on top of the head, muttering, "what's wrong boy? You miss your mama? Can't sleep good without her?" As he makes his way out of the bedroom to let the dog out in case he has to potty.

When he exits the hallway, he's surprised to see his mom in the living room, rocking back and forth on the edge of the sectional with Tyler cradled in her arms. She presses a finger to her lips to shush Tim, and he tiptoes through the kitchen and lets Kojo out, careful to make as little noise as possible.

While the dog does his business, Tim creeps back into the living room and takes a seat on the other end of the sectional, hands swiping through the back of his hair as he raises an eyebrow at his mom in the dimly lit room and whispers, "did I actually sleep through him crying for once?"

Gina smiles at her son and shakes her head, her voice soft when she tells him, "I scooped him up the moment he started to squirm and slipped him a bottle before he could get going. Your sister's exhausted and running on fumes so I begged her to let me keep him in my room for tonight so she could get some uninterrupted sleep."

Tim nods, stretching his arms above his head while a quiet yawn escapes his lips. He knows his sister loves her newborn son more than anything in the world, but it's clear she's frazzled and could use a good night's rest. Even though their mom came down the day after he was born and has stayed with them since, Genny insists on doing the majority of the work when it comes to her baby and it's clearly taking a toll on her as far as lack of sleep goes.

"You and Lucy are exhausted, too," Gina notes. "You're both starting to look like racoons."

"Thanks mom," he murmurs. "Good to know we look like shit."

"Just calling it like I see it." She continues to rock Tyler in her arms, beaming down at her sleeping grandson. She's quiet for a long moment, admiring the peaceful infant in adoration, until she finally looks over at her son and bluntly tells him, "you and Lucy need to move out."

His head jerks back at her unexpected statement and he blinks at her. "I'm sorry, are you trying to kick us out of a house we pay two thirds of the rent in?"

"I am," she nods. "You two need sleep. And you need your own space."

"Genny just had a baby, mom. We're not leaving her to deal with that alone the same way that piece of shit ex-boyfriend of hers did. Besides, she–she can't afford to take care of a baby and foot all the bills on her own."

"She wouldn't be alone, Tim-Tim. I'd move in with her."

"Y–you wanna move back to L.A.? Mom, you love Tahoe City and you said the best thing you ever did for yourself was get away from here."

"No, the best thing I ever did for myself was get away from your father," she corrects. "But he's not here anymore. He's not anywhere anymore. And L.A., it's where everything important to me is. Your sister, Tyler, you, Lucy, it's where everyone and everything I love is. And I wanna be closer to all of you. I wanna watch my first grandson grow up. I wanna–I wanna be able to spend as much time as possible with all the future grandbabies you and Lucy make for me someday. And I wanna–I wanna make up for all the lost time I've missed with my own babies. It's time for me to come home, it's time for me to put you and Genny first. And the best way I can do that, is to move in with Genny and help her with Tyler, and to give you and Lucy the freedom to venture out on your own without being held here by guilt and a sense of duty to Genny and Tyler."

"We–we don't mind staying to help Genny," he argues. "We love her and Tyler."

"I know you do." She smiles. "You're a good brother and a good uncle. But you're 29 years old and you and Lucy are engaged. The two of you are going to get married and become your own family and you should be putting the steps into motion to make that happen. You should–you should be buying a house. You've got more than enough for a down payment after what you made selling your father's place. When you first moved in with Genny, your plan was to be here for six months tops, then get your own place again. It's almost a year later and you're still here, son. It's time to move on, for you and Lucy both. It's what you both deserve and deep down, I know it's what you both want. Don't be so damn stubborn and hard-headed like you always are and try to argue with me about it when there's no sense in it because we both know I'm right."

Chapter 79: Chapter 79

Notes:

Hopeful I can update a lot the next two weeks. Sorry it's been a bit.

Chapter Text

"Look who it is, Mr. and Mrs. Mid-Wilshire," Gina Bradford smiles as Tim and Lucy walk through the door after the end of their shift. She's sitting in the new rocking chair she purchased, swaddling her 3 week old grandson while Genny's in the kitchen working on dinner. "Any luck at the open houses you two checked out before work?"

"No," Lucy groans, "everything's way overpriced."

"And if it isn't overpriced, it's literally falling apart," Tim chimes in.

"Something will turn up," she cheerfully offers.

"I hope so," Lucy smiles.

When Tim first mentioned the fact to her that Gina insisted it was time for them to move out on their own, she'd been adamant that she wasn't leaving Genny when she needed her the most. But after Genny herself came to Lucy and gave her blessing for the betrothed couple to venture out on their own and assured her she'd be fine and her mom was moving in with her and would help her all she needed, Lucy actually started getting excited about the idea of her and Tim having their own place and she's already started thinking about color schemes, china patterns, and furniture styles.

"It will," Gina again states confidently, "and the reason you haven't found it yet is because the places you looked just haven't been the right one for the two of you."

Again, Lucy smiles at her future mother in law's words. Her eyes fall to baby Tyler in Gina's arms and his little blue eyes flutter in her direction, and Lucy holds out her arms and coos, "there's my favorite guy. I missed you, yes I did," as she scoops him out of his grandmother's arms and into her own. "Who's just so handsome?You are, yes you are."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Tim snorts from behind her.

She rolls her eyes at his feigned offense and continues to gaze down lovingly at their nephew. "Come on, look at those adorable lips and those gorgeous blue eyes." Tyler's little hand wraps around her finger and she squeals, "How can you not think he's the most handsome thing ever?"

He waves a hand up and down his body. "Uhhh. Hello? Gorgeous blue eyes and adorable lips are also right over here."

"Are you really jealous of your nephew?" She grins.

"No," he scoffs. "I'm just pointing out that he clearly gets his good looks from me and I think I deserve credit for being this ridiculously handsome."

"Correction," Genny enters the living room from the kitchen and points to herself, "he clearly gets his good looks from me.

"You know," Gina chuckles, eyes beaming at her children, "as much as I want you two to find the perfect house, I'll admit I'm enjoying all of us living under the same roof for now."

()()()()()()()()()

The next morning, on their way to work, Tim and Lucy stop by another open house. This time, it's in a subdivision with completely remodeled older homes from the 70's instead of the new homes they've been pursuing.

The street itself is quiet and all of the one story brick homes have been refinished with siding, the shingle roofs replaced with metal, and the open caprots sealed in.

The house they're looking at has a literal white picket fence around it, and a fenced in yard is on their list of priorities for Kojo, because the King of Canines deserves a place he can stretch his legs without being confined to a leash.

Still, the asking price is a bit higher than Tim thinks it should be, especially for the age of the home, but Lucy insisted they check it out anyway, arguing the updates inside could make it worth the extra money.

The couple stroll together into the older home hand in hand, briefly speaking to the realtor before they begin looking around.

"I like how spacious the kitchen is," Lucy mentions.

Tim nods his agreement. "And the glass top stove is nice."

"Plus there's tons of cabinet space," Lucy further points out.

They leave the kitchen and make their way into the living room, and Tim stops to frown at the puke green color of the walls.

"Nothing a fresh coat of paint can't fix," Lucy offers positively.

He shrugs. "That's true."

They explore the dining room next, then make their way down the hall and check out each of the three bedrooms and the two bathrooms.

Lucy frowns at the size of the second bathroom, noticing it's smaller than the closet in her current bedroom and only boasts a small shower, sink with a cabinet, and then the toilet.
"That's…tiny." Her nose scrunches.

"Yep." He hums. "And I know you don't have siblings, so you don't understand this struggle, but Genny and I would've killed each other if we had to share a bathroom this small growing up."

Lucy peaks into the bedroom across from the small bath, her forehead wrinkling. "The bedroom's kinda small, too."

Next they walk into the second bedroom on the same side of the hallway.

"This one'se a decent size," Tim comments.

"So what," Lucy snorts, "we pick our favorite kid and give them the good room?"

"Why not?" Tim smirks. "Sounds like a plan to me."

She shoves him playfully.

"Or," he suggests, " if we have two of the same sex they share this room, and then the only one of the opposite sex gets the smaller room."

She stops and quirks a curious brow at him, her hand coming to rest on his chest. They know they want kids together someday, far, far into the future after they've been married a few years, but they've never put a number on these future children. "How many kids are we having, exactly?"

His shoulders rise and fall noncommittally.

"Tim?" She presses, her hand rubbing his chest. "How many do you want?"

"Ideally? 3."

"Three," she repeats, letting the words roll off her tongue to see how the idea of having three kids feel.

"Mmhmm." He grins down at her, letting his imagination take over. "You know, ideally speaking, two girls and a boy. And if we're really rolling the dice for complete ideal-ness, the girls would be twins."

She can't help the warmth that spreads across her chest as she listens to him paint this perfect vision of their future family that he's clearly been keeping in his own mind.

"Twins could be nice," she hums, her eyes lighting up as she stares back at him, "two for the price of one and it would mean I'd only have to go through two pregnancies and maternity leaves."

"Exactly," he responds, tapping the side of his head, "it's only practical."

"Come on," her hands drop from his chest and she tugs his hand, "let's check out the master bedroom and bathroom."

()()()()()()()()()

The two are no less impressed with the master bed and bath than they were with the other rooms. In fact, the bedroom didn't look any larger than the second bedroom across from it, and the bathroom, though cutely remodeled, was still on the small side and she felt like she and Tim would step all over each other in the mornings trying to get ready in it.

Lucy hated feeling like she was being picky, but well, she was. They were going to sign 15 to 20 years of their life away paying for this place. And she wants the home they buy to be the one they end up raising their family in. She wants the house they pick to be the house for them.

"So, what'd you think?" Tim asks as they stand just outside the front door.

"It was…okay. What about you?"

"Eh,"

Seeing he is equally unimpressed, Lucy quickly rattles off, "it's not the one."

"No," he agrees, "it isn't."

"We're never gonna find a house," she groans, tossing her head back dramatically.

"Yeah, we will." His hands fall to her hips to steady her. "We haven't even been looking for a full month. And, it's not like we have to move out of where we are, we–we have plenty of time to find the right house, baby."

"I know, it's just, she huffs, "I love your mom and your sister and Tyler so much, but it's getting crowded in the house with all of us plus Kojo there. I just–I'm excited to be in our own space and have some privacy."

"I know. Listen, say the word and we put in an offer. This house or–or any other house we've looked at . Okay?"

"No," her forehead wrinkles. "I want us to find a place we both love, Tim. Something that's perfect for us. And it's not just my decision, you're the one putting all of the money up for the down payment, if anything, you should make the final call about the place we buy."

"Lucy," he firmly insists, "I already told you, it doesn't matter that I'm putting the money up for the down payment, it's going to be our house and both our names are going on the deed. I–I just want you to find a place you're happy with, it doesn't matter to me where we live, home isn't four walls and a roof to me, it's–it's wherever you are. And whatever place we choose, I know you'll turn it into the perfect home for you and me and our future family."

Her face contorts, overcome with his words, and she leans up on tiptoes and presses her lips against his, and they both temporarily get lost in the kiss.

That is, until a somewhat familiar feminine voice that neither can instantly place interrupts them, calling out, "Oh my gosh, Officer Bradford, is that you?"

Tim and Lucy break apart, Tim's hands falling from their resting place on Lucy's hips, and he arches a brow at the blond woman standing in front of them.

"Can I help you?" He asks, brows pulling together as he tries to place the woman. He recognizes her face, he can't quite remember where from.

She smiles adoringly at him. "It's me! Denise!" She beams, extending her hand to him. "You saved my life a few weeks back on Valentine's Day in the car accident. You gave me CPR after I was electrocuted from the downed powerline."

"Oh, right," his face morphs into an apologetic smile, feeling genuinely guilty he didn't instantly remember the woman whose life he saved. He clasps his hands with hers. "Good to see you doing so much better."

Instead of giving Tim a firm, simple shake and dropping his hand, she doesn't release her grip and pulls him to her, latching her arms around his neck for an uncomfortably long amount of time until Lucy clears her throat loudly and the woman takes the hint and lets go of him.

"I'm so sorry," she offers both Lucy and Tim an apologetic smile and her cheeks turn red, "I just–I've wanted to thank you so badly since the day you saved me and when I stopped by the station to thank you in person, you weren't there." She tucks a strand of her behind her ears and her eyes shyly fall to the grass. "I left flowers and a card for you and my number was in the card, I was hoping you'd call and I could thank you properly."

"Oh," Tim awkwardly looks at Lucy, his ears burning when he remembers exactly what the woman wrote in the card she left him with the flowers, "Yeah, um, well, really, there's–there's no thanks needed. I–I was just doing my job."

"Well," she smiles at him again, her eyelashes batting flirtatiously, "you did your job very well."

"Uh…thank you. It was nice running into you and I-I'm glad you're okay, but my fiancee' and I really have to get to work." He nods to the front door and takes Lucy's hand in his. "Enjoy the open house and I hope it's what you're looking for."

Chapter 80: Chapter 80

Chapter Text

When they're on their way to work, Lucy glances over to Tim, drumming her fingers on her thigh, and she purses her lips and says, "Well…that was awkward."

Tim's left hand momentarily lifts from the wheel. "Yeah. She's clearly pretty sweet on me."

"Sweet on you?" Lucy snorts. "What is this, the 1950's?"

He rolls his eyes.

"It was weird, though, right?" Lucy continues to look at Tim.

"What do you mean?"

"That woman," she states, as though it must be obvious, "showing up at the same open house we were at?"

He shrugs a shoulder. "Not really. People other than us are looking for a house, Lucy. It's part of why everything is so damn expensive."

"Yeah…but…it just seemed, I don't know, like she wasn't surprised to see you?"

Tim cuts his eyes in her direction and smirks at her.

"What?" She huffs.

"I–is this you being jealous?"

"Jealous! A–are you kidding right now?"

"I mean, it just seems like it's clearly bothering you how forward she was with me in front of you and maybe you're leaping to conclusions."

"Leaping to conclusions? Really? You're the one always telling me t-to use my cop eyes. How do you, Super-Cop Tim Bradford, not notice how convenient it was she showed up at the same open house we were at? This L.A. Tim, not Mayberry, it's a big city with a ton of houses for sale."

"Look, I get that it's improbable, but it's not impossible. All I'm saying is," he holds out a hand, "maybe you're looking at it a little more through jealous girlfriend eyes than cop eyes."

"I am not jealous!" She insists, folding her arms across her chest in irritation. "Being jealous implies I'd have something to be worried about, which I know I don't."

"You're right," he agrees softly, smirking at how cute she looks while she's annoyed with him, "you have absolutely nothing to be jealous of."

"I know," she insists, her voice still clearly annoyed.

To which Tim decides to push her buttons further and rile her up even more. "I mean, can you blame her for being a bit sweet on me? If I saved your life the first time we met, you'd have jumped me even sooner than you did."

"Jumped you even sooner?" She scoffs

He nods.

"You're the one who made the first move towards sex!"

"Because you crawled on top of me and shoved your tongue down my throat!

"Yeah, but I wasn't trying to fuck you, I just wanted to kiss some more."

"Not like I had to do a ton of convincing to make you take that next step," he points out. "And, you're the one who shoved your tongue down my throat first."

"Because you suggested we practice kiss for our fake date!"

"And the chaste peck I gave you clearly wasn't enough because you made the move to pull me in for more!"

"Because that peck was the saddest kiss ever!" She grumbles. "Like, really? That was supposed to sell we were a couple? Jackson's kissed me on the cheek with more passion than that!"

"Excuse me for trying to be a gentleman," he gripes.

"Yeah, it was really gentlemanly of you to put your hands up my shorts a few hours later."

"Wasn't very gentlemanly of me to fuck you the way I did after that, either," he grins wickedly, his eyes darkening at the memory.

"No," her lip twitches, her irritation with him fading "it wasn't. But it was pretty damn hot."

"It was," he agrees huskily, licking his lips while his hands flex on the wheel and he tries hard to keep his eyes on the road and remind himself they'll be at work in less than 10 minutes and he needs to cool himself down.

"You know?" Lucy taps her chin. "By the logic you presented before, I think it's pretty clear you did make the first move."

"What logic?"

"The being hot for a person who saved your life logic. I mean, I saved your life when you were shot, so clearly you'd had the hots for me ever since then and that's why we're together now and why you made the first move."

"I mean," he shrugs, "it was kinda hot to see you jump in front of bullets for me."

"So you admit it!" She pumps her arm in victory. "You did make the first move."

He holds up a finger. "I didn't say that."

"Uh-huh." She runs a finger along his bicep. "Admit it, you fell for me first."

"Not happening."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"What's with you?" Angela asks about two hours into their shift, noticing how quiet Lucy's been this afternoon which is absolutely not normal Lucy.

From the passenger seat, Lucy sighs and scratches the back of her neck, "it's um–it's nothing, really. Just something that happened this morning at the open house Tim and I went to."

"You guys disagree on whether or not to buy it?"

"No. We both agreed it wasn't the one."

"Well, what's the problem then."

Again, Lucy scratches the back of her neck. "It's uh…there was this woman there–the one Tim saved on Valentine's Day when you were out."

"The one you told me about that sent him flowers?"

"Yeah. Her. And–and she walked up on us before we left. Caught us kissing."

"Of course you were making out at the open house," Angela snickers.

Lucy rolls her eyes. "Anyway, she um–she interrupted us and pulled him in for this–this very inappropriate hug, and then she like–flirted with him right in front of me, after she clearly saw us kissing."

Angela smiles knowingly. "And it made you jealous?"

"No," Lucy dimisses. "No. It made me uncomfortable and it pissed me off that she clearly didn't respect the fact we're together and tried to shoot her shot right in front of me, but I'm not jealous of her. I get it, Tim's hot. Women look at him all the time when we go out and it–it doesn't bother me. I know I'm the one he wants and the one who gets to go home with him."

"So, what's the problem then?"

Lucy hesitates and looks out the window.

"Chen," Angela demands, "spit it out. If you don't get it off your chest you're going to be distracted all day and when you're distracted you're a danger on the streets."

Groaning, Lucy mutters, "You're gonna think I'm being ridiculous. Tim already did."

"Try me."

"I–I think she may have been…" her voice dips down to an embarrassed whisper, "stalking him. Or…us."

Angela's brows rise to her forehead.

"You agree with Tim," Lucy groans. "You think I just–I'm being a paranoid, jealous partner."

"No…I've known you long enough now to know that's not who you are."

"So..you believe me?"

Angela shrugs. "I believe there's something in your gut making you uneasy about this woman. Have you looked her up? Found out if she had any priors? History of mental illness?"

"No," Lucy shakes her head. "I clocked in and came straight to roll call."

"Okay, well, when we get back to the station, let's do a little digging, try to ease your mind."

()()()()()()()()()

When they get back to the station, Angela gets to work pulling up the accident report and gathering all of the needed information on this Denise woman to look into her background. There's no priors they can find, but they do discover she was recently widowed. Her husband, who was serving in the army, was killed in an IED explosion only days before his deployment was set to end.

And the husband, well, in the obituary picture they find of him in his fatigues, he looks eerily similar to Tim in a lot of ways. Same eye color. Similar build. Similar hair color and cut.

"You see what I see, right?" Lucy questions her T.O.

"Yep," Angela clicks her tongue.

"So…I could be right, then? She–she could see her late husband in Tim and maybe…maybe be after him?"

"Maybe," Angela agrees. "But…one random instance doesn't prove anything. It could all be purely coincidental."

"So, what, for now I should just let it go?"

"I mean, that's all you can do. If she pops up again, or you see her peeking through your window at night, then we'll go from there."

"Thanks for that visual. I'm sure I'll sleep great tonight."

"Eh, you're both cops and you're both decent shots, you'll be fine if 'fatal attraction' here," she points at the computer screen, "pops her face in your window at 3 a.m."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

On their way home from work, Genny calls Lucy and asks if they can pick up some diapers for Tyler, because she's down to her last two. She readily agrees and tells Tim they need to stop at the grocery store.

While shopping for diapers, they grab a few things they're running low on while they're out. Toilet paper, shampoo, candles, a box of condoms, fresh fruit and vegetables, dog treats, and strawberry pocky, which Lucy is currently struggling to reach from the top shelf.

With a soft hum, Tim reaches up and grabs three boxes for her, smirking as she scowls at him, and when she goes to take them from him, he playfully snatches them away and holds them over her head.

"What do you say when someone does something nice for you?" He teases, still dangling them in the air.

She glares at him. "Give it here before I hurt you?"

"No, I don't think that's it." He holds them ever higher.

She smirks mischievously and changes tactics. "Give it to me and I'll give you what you want later?"

He lowers the boxes slowly and arches a brow. "And what, exactly, is that?"

She jumps up and takes the boxes from him, doing a little victory dance in the middle of the aisle when they're secure in her palm and when she's done ,she shrugs innocently, "I don't know, you'll just have to wait and see."

Tim cocks his head and purses his lips, but before he can respond, that same familiar voice from earlier interrupts them again, beaming, "What a small world! I can't believe I've been lucky enough to run into you twice in one day, Officer Bradford."

Tim stares ahead in shock for a moment, then slowly turns his head to meet Lucy's eyes and she's staring at him with an, "I told you so," look.

Chapter 81: Chapter 81

Chapter Text

"You're kidding!?" Harper chokes out from across the table outside of the station as Tim and Lucy recount the story of everything that went on with Denise yesterday to her, Nolan, Lopez, and West.

"I wish we were," Lucy groans, hands falling into her head. "It's sad when you think about it, really, and I can't help but sympathize with her. I mean, I'd be so devastated if something happened to Tim."

"Yeah, of course," Jackson snorts, "but there's a fine line between devastated and delusional and this woman seems down right delusional."

"Alright, look," Tim huffs, holding up his hands, "clearly, the woman has issues. That's not up for debate." He looks pointedly to Harper. "Are you gonna try and talk to her for us or not? Because obviously it'd be a horrible idea for West and I to do it because she could misconstrue anything I try to say, and since Lucy and Lopez ride together, it clearly can't be them since she knows Lucy and I are engaged."

"Yeah, no. Um, see, I'd be far too blunt for her emotionally fragile state." Tim and Lucy gape at her, Lucy looking deflated and Tim looking annoyed, and she quickly holds up a finger and points to Nolan. "But Officer Friendly here, he has the gift of gab, it's kind of his cop super power. So don't worry, we'll handle it, and hopefully she'll get the message loud and clear."

"And if she doesn't?" Jackson questions, raising a curious brow.

"If she doesn't, we'll get a restraining order and if she violates that, we'll go from there and have her arrested," Tim explains in a no-nonsense tone.

"But hopefully it doesn't come to that," Lucy adds. "Since she has no prior recorded history of mental illness, maybe she just needs someone to help her see reason and steer her into the direction of getting the help she needs."

()()()()()()()()()()

Harper and Nolan arrive at Denise's house thirty minutes later, and when she opens the door, the way her brows rise to her hairline show that she wasn't expecting their visit.

Hesitantly, she allows them inside and leads them into her living room, politely offering them coffee, to which they both decline.

"So," she inquires innocently, taking a seat on her couch and crossing her legs as she looks up at them, "what can I help you with? Is this about the accident I was in?"

Nolan looks at Harper questioningly, and she nods to him, as if to tell him to take the lead.

"Well, yes and no," Nolan answers, carefully taking a seat next to her. "It's come to our attention that you've been running into one of the Officer's that arrived on scene an awfully lot lately."

"Yes!" She beams. "Officer Bradford! He's the one who saved my life. I ran into him twice yesterday and I just couldn't believe my luck. It meant so much to me to be able to see the man who literally and figuratively breathed life back into me."

"Yes, I'm sure you're quite grateful to him for helping you." He smiles politely and clasps his hands together, then nods over to the picture on her end table, one of her in a wedding dress, kissing a man in uniform. "Is that your husband?"

"Yes," her face falters quickly. "Or he–he was my husband. He was killed in action a little over a year ago."

"I'm so sorry," Nolan replies softly, "I bet that must've been devastating."

"Yeah," she breathes, hands shaking, "It was. I–I've felt like I was walking around in a daze ever since then. That is–until Officer Bradford saved me." Her face brightens as quickly as it fell. "Ever since then, I've finally felt alive again, and I have him to thank for it and I just want to be able to show him how much I appreciate that.."

"I can't imagine losing the person I was planning to spend the rest of my life with," he sympathizes, "And then to have a near death experience on top of it, wow. That's all so life altering and it's a lot for anyone to process."

"Yeah," she agrees, "it has been."

"You know, it's not the same, but uh," he scratches the back of his neck, "my marriage ended earlier last year and I was walking around in daze afterwards myself. I didn't know who I was or–or what my purpose was and I was looking for, desperately clinging to–to anything I could to pull me out of that. But, after seeking some counseling and a life affirming moment, I realized that what I was looking for or trying to cling to so desperately, it wasn't going to be found in another person, it was going to have to be found within myself. Have you tried counseling? To help you through your grief, to help you process it all?"

"I—no. No, I haven't."

Nolan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a card. "This is a really great counselor who specializes in grief and major life changes, and I think she'd really be able to help you out if you give her a call."

Slowly, Denise reaches out and takes the card from him.

"And you know," Nolan continues, "I know you're probably quite enamored with Officer Bradford right now, and you feel you owe him all the credit for making you feel alive again. For–for lifting this weight of sadness and darkness, and despair off you, but ma'am, I think you just happened to realize you were ready to live again, really live again after looking death in the face and surviving. And you don't need Officer Bradford to go on living a happy and fulfilling life. He saved your life in that moment, but you don't need him to continue to save you. You've been doing that all on your own for the past year and you can keep doing that. You can, okay? I–I know he's flattered by how much you appreciate what he did and he's thankful for how grateful you are, but," Nolan pauses and sighs, "Officer Bradford is very happily engaged to a woman he loves just as much as you loved your late husband, and it's–it's very important to know that while he's happy you're alive and well, he's not interested in anything more and absolutely no more thanks on your part is necessary and continuing to try and show that thanks is crossing a line. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," she exhales sharply, eyes falling sheepishly to the floor, "yeah, I think I do."

()()()()()()()()()()()

"You know," Jackson comments as he and Tim patrol around town, "I gotta say, I'm glad you're the one who rushed to that woman's aid and that you're having to deal with all this and not me."

Tim cuts his eyes at Jackson and growls, "Do you think this is funny, Officer West?"

"I–I," Jackson stammers, "no sir. Absolutely not, sir. I was just pointing out I wouldn't know how to handle it if it were me."

"That's what I thought," Tim growls, eyes moving back to the road.

"Has it ever happened to you before?"

"What? Being stalked by a civilian I saved?"

"Yeah."

"No, it hasn't. It's not exactly a common occurrence. Normally the people coming after cops are people that are pissed at us, not ones that should be happy with us.."

Jackson nods and peers out the window, clocking their surroundings closely as they cruise the quiet neighborhood. "Are you afraid?

"Afraid of what?" Tim snorts. "What's she gonna do to me? She's like half my size. Besides, she's obsessed with me, she doesn't wanna hurt me."

The rookie shrugs. "I mean, they say there's a thin line between love and hate. I'm guessing that line could be a rejection for a person already on edge."

"Even so," Tim points out, hand raising from the two o'clock position on the wheel, "I don't think I have anything to worry about. I can handle myself."

"Yeah, I know. I just–I don't know. Maybe Lucy and I have watched one or two too many True Crime documentaries, you know, but it seems like this type of situation could get ugly and dangerous."

"Yeah, well, hopefully she listens to reason and hears whatever it is Nolan tries to tell her and she backs off before it has to go any further."

"Yeah, hopefully," Jackson agrees.

As soon as the rookie is done speaking, the radio crackles to life: "7-Adam-100, 459 in progress. Female locked in her bathroom and stating an intruder is in her home."

Suddenly, their quiet patrol is over and the lights and sirens are switched on as T.O. and rookie speed off to respond.

When they arrive on scene they find the door of the home unlocked and they instantly begin sweeping the house, but no intruder is to be found.

Jackson and Tim share a nod, guns still gripped in their hands, and then Jackson loudly calls out, "Ma'am, the house is clear. It's safe to come out."

When the caller rounds the corner, she's grinning from ear to ear, and she meets Tim's eyes and winks. "Officer Bradford, you've come to my rescue once again."

Chapter 82: Chapter 82

Notes:

Without saying too much...For anyone triggered by violence or blood, there will be mentions of some in this chapter. Nothing to in depth.

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

After the phony call to her home about the break in, it became evident that Denise didn't get the message from her talk with John.

Jackson and Tim gave her a stern lecture, letting her know that falsely reporting a crime was a misdemeanor, and that her actions can be considered stalking and she could be charged for both, and she was cited for the false report and bonded out by family later that day.

A restraining order was immediately put into effect, and per protocol, the local sheriff's department delivered the order and explained the rules regarding the order to her and consequences for violating said order. They also strongly encouraged her to seek counseling prior to her court date for the false report, the same way Nolan had when he met with her.

It's been a little over a week since then, and though both Tim and Lucy have been on high alert and kept their eyes peeled, but there's been no sign of Denise, though the Bradford-Chen household decided to invest in a brand new security system for the home, something that they probably should've done a long time ago, considering two people in the home were known cops.

On their way to work, they carefully arm the system, with Gina, Genny, and Tyler out of the house for the day already for Tyler's check up.

They hop in Lucy's car, which she was insistent on driving since it was finally up and running again and was excited to have it back, and they begin the drive to work, casually talking about their plans for their upcoming weekend off.

"There's some decent listings in Monrovia we could check out," Tim comments, scrolling through his phone while Lucy drives.

Lucy scrunches her nose. "Ugh. Monrovia?"

"I know," he agrees, "but the prices aren't that bad."

"That's because nobody wants to live there," Lucy grumbles and Tim snorts.

"So that's a no or…"

"I mean," her head bobs side to side, " how nice are we talking about for the price?"

He reaches over and shows her the listing, scrolling through each photo of the home as she alternates between scanning the road and the photos. "Okay. Um wow. Yeah, that's–that's nice. We can check it out."

"I'll message our realtor and let her know we're interested in viewing it.."

"Okay." Lucy leans over and rubs his thigh. "So, what are you gonna do without me while I'm working the midnight tomorrow?"

"Finally get a good night's sleep," he deadpans.

"Jerk!" She slaps his leg.

They make more weekend plans as they finish their ride to the station. There's talk of taking Kojo on a hike. Plans to have a picnic in the park. There's even a wine tasting event happening on Sunday they consider going to.

When they pull into the parking garage and Lucy throws the car in park, they both reach for their gym bags and exit the car, Lucy clinging to Tim's side with one arm linked underneath his as they walk underground.

'You good?" He asks as they approach the opening, noticing she's being a bit more clingy than normal this morning. It's not that she isn't usually affectionate, it's just that she doesn't normally stay this affectionate once they are at work

"Yeah, everything's good," she quickly responds, though Tim notices the slight edge in her tone.

"Lucy…"

"Okay," she huffs, "it's just, I don't know, I need you to promise me you'll be careful out there. This–this whole obsessed stalker thing has me feeling a bit on edge and I–I just want you to be extra cautious. That's all."

His steps halt and he moves and places his hands on her waist, staring down into her worried brown eyes and offering her a reassuring smile. "I'm going to be fine, I promise. If she comes near me again, she'll be arrested and charges will be pressed and we won't have to worry about her coming near us again for a long, long time because they won't bond her out after that.."

"I know." Lucy frowns. "And I still wish there was a way to make her get the help she needs. I mean, I'm not sure jail will fix her issue, you know? And it's so sad what's happened to her mental state and now she's blowing up her life and I can't help but feel for her. But I also, I just, I don't know, I can't help but let my mind keep jumping to the worst case scenario. I–I know she has no violent priors, but you've seen the show snapped. Sometimes, people just–they just, they lose it and do things completely out of character and out of the realm of what anyone thought possible."

"I know. I–I'd be losing my mind if the roles were reversed and this was some random man after you," he admits. "But, I promise, I'm staying vigilant. Okay? Just, don't worry about me. I need you to worry about you and to stay focused on the job and to keep your eyes out for yourself and Lopez. Alright?"

"You're right, I know." She forces a smile

He matches her smile and his hands move from her hips and cup her face. "I'll stay safe and come home to you, I promise. I just need you to do the same for me. Okay?"

Her arms wind around his neck and her throat bobs. "Don't make a promise to me that you can't keep, Tim. You and I both know anything can happen on this job at any time."

A line in his jaw jumps and he leans down and moves his mouth over hers in a tender kiss. "I'm not. I'll be going home with you at the end of shift, Officer Chen. I promise."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

As promised, Tim and Lucy ride home together at the end of shift, neither any worse for the wear than they were when they went in that morning.

They only see each other in passing the next day. Tim and Jackson are assigned on morning shift, while Lucy and Angela are on midnight shift, and they share a brief moment in the supply closet before Tim heads home and Lucy clocks in.

The midnight shift is largely uneventful as of four hours in, and it's mostly spent with Lucy and Angela exchanging life stories to keep themselves awake as they patrol the streets. Some regarding the new adventures of motherhood for Angela, some about the many curses Angela's abuela has put on people who've wronged her and her family, horror stories of Lucy's mom micromanaging every aspect of her life up until almost a year ago, Angela's lousy dad walking out after her youngest brother was born, Lucy's Avril Lavinge phase she started in defiance of her parents at 15 that lasted all of two days before her mother forced her to dress how she always had, and other conversations about Tim's academy and rookie days, which Lucy scribbles down furiously on her notepad so she can relentlessly tease him about during their weekend off together.

That peace and silence ends about 30 minutes later, though, when a 415 is called in over the radio, indicating a disturbance inside a home.

The women waste no time rushing to the scene, and when they arrive, they find the door locked and are unable to get a response from the homeowner, though all lights are on. After announcing themselves and giving the owner a chance for the door to be opened, which doesn't happen, they promptly kick the door in to rush to the caller's aid and immediately call for back-up and begin clearing the home.

Angela takes to clearing the front of the house while Lucy moves to the back of the home. She finds the bathrooms, linen closet, and the first two bedrooms empty, but when she opens the door to the third bedroom, she finds a familiar blonde woman lying in bed, pale faced, eyes closed, and as still as a rock, with a note on the bedside table next to her. A pit settles in her stomach at the sight, chills shooting from her spin all the way to the tips of her toes.

She recognizes the woman instantly as Denise. With her weapon raised, she frantically calls the woman by name, but gets no response. Not even a flinch. For her safety, she proceeds to clear the room first and calls over her radio for Angela once she's certain it's clear and no one else is inside with them. Quickly, she glances over the note on the bedside table, reading what appears to be a long apology to those she loves, and then gingerly reaches for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief as she presses two fingers to Denise's throat and feels the steady thump, thump, thump beneath her fingers.

She calls in a request for an R.A. to the home and just as Angela appears in the door frame of the bedroom, Lucy turns her head and opens her mouth to inform her T.O. about what's going on and she feels a blinding pain, almost like a hot iron poker, in her lower right pelvic region.

Her hand instinctively falls to the area, her eyes first flicking to the gushing wound, and then to the source of her injury, where she finds Denise sitting up in bed, rearing back to stab her again, when, the distant, fading in and out of Angela screaming her name fills her ears, followed by the sudden crack of a guns shot. She watches in a hazy slow motion as the bullet catches Denise in the shoulder and the bloody knife drops from her hand, blood from the woman's fresh bullet wound splattering against the yellow wall behind her while she collapses onto the bed.

The last thing Lucy remembers before fading to black is trying to hold pressure to her gaping wound, Angela rushing towards her while her, her body suddenly feeling ice cold, shivering uncontrollably, and dripping with sweat before she goes completely numb.

Notes:

I know. I know. I'm sorry. Like really. I am. But...the muse, man. She did this. She's been after me about this for weeks since I wrote the stalker into the story. I wanted to do something different than Caleb, but I also find Lucy being injured rookie year critical for her growth as a cop.

Chapter 83: Chapter 83

Chapter Text

The moment the doorbell rings in the middle of the night, Tim instantly knows something is wrong. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to show up at their door at that hour, and when he opens the door to find a somber looking Harper and Nolan standing on his porch, his mind and heart immediately begin to race with worry, his heart falling to his feet when he forces the shaky the words, "What happened to her? Is she okay?" out of his mouth.

Their faces are filled with heaviness and there's a palpable tension in their air from the news they carry with them, and it's Harper who's the one to deliver the gut punching blow, gently and remorseful informing him, and Gina and Genny who've now come up behind him, about the call Lucy and Lopez responded to and the subsequent stabbing that ended in Lucy being rushed to the hospital.

Tim's never seen Harper so stoic, he's never watched her struggle so much to let words leave her tongue, but when she's finished speaking, it feels like a huge stone was dropped onto his chest. He can't breathe and there's a heavy, deafening silence around him, or maybe there isn't. Maybe Genny and his mom are in tears and he just can't hear them because he's so out of it, body and mind filled with a storm of emotions; shock, disbelief, anger, sadness, unimaginable rage.

He doesn't remember how he gets to the hospital. Has absolutely no recollection of who drove or who all rode with him there. All he remembers is jumping out of the moving car as soon as the emergency room came into view, barreling through the automatic doors like a madman while he begins demanding to know where Lucy is and if she's okay.

Angela leaps from a seat in the waiting room once she spots him, her hands and uniform covered in blood that he realizes must be Lucy's and he's filled with an overwhelming urge to vomit while also choking back a sob and stumbling backwards.

"Tim…" his best friend begins softly, her eyes watery, red, and puffy.

But Tim doesn't give her a chance to speak before he's ripping into her. All the fear, all the worry, all the anger and sadness he's feeling bubbling over and coming out at the nearest target because if he holds in everything he's feeling, he might spontaneously combust.

"How could you let this happen!" He barks at her, arms flailing wildly in the air. "You're her T.O. It's your job to train her. To protect her! To make sure she knows how to do her damn job right so shit like this doesn't happen!"

"I did my job!" Angela spits back. She knows Tim's hurting, but she's not going to let him use her as an emotional punching bag. "I did protect her! I took the shot as soon as I saw her coming at Lucy with the knife a second time. I reacted as quickly as I could and I did everything I could to stop the bleeding until the paramedics got there. There's nothing I could've done differently, Tim. Nothing!"

"You shouldn't have let Lucy go into that woman's house!" He continues to rage. "Y–you knew she was stalking me! You knew she was unstable! Lucy never should've been allowed near her!"

"I was doing my damn job, Tim! So was Lucy. We got a call and we were given an address, not a name. You know how calls work. We jumped into action without hesitation to serve and protect because we were told someone was in danger. It's what we do. She found Denise not moving and not responding in that bed and what appeared to be a suicide letter next to her and she was prepared to give her aid, no matter who she was or what she'd done, because that's what we're trained to do and that's who she is. So you can sit here and rake me over the coals and try to burn the world and everything in it down because you're angry and afraid, which you and I both know Lucy wouldn't be remotely okay with, or you can pull yourself together so you can be there for the woman you love when she needs you most."

Tim's chest heaves and his entire body trembles, and he stares at Angela unblinking, his lower lip quivering and eyes glassy when he manages to utter in a cracked whisper, "I can't lose her, Ang.. I–I can't."

"I know," the Latina softens, stepping forward and pulling Tim into a bear hug that he's unable to return, he just remains standing there limply, arms at his sides, while Angela's arms wind around him. "I know you can't. She's going to be okay," she tries to soothingly reassure him, repeating the same statement over and over again while gently rubbing his back.

He feels a hand go on his right shoulder and turns his head slightly, finding his sister standing beside him, tears streaming down the side of her face, her eyes a darker shade of red than her hair and Nolan is beside Genny rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back. Harper is on the other side of him and she also and she rests a hand on his other shoulder.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Tim doesn't allow the others to hover over him for long before he's shaking them off of him and pacing the waiting room like a rabid, caged animal.

Jackson, Aaron, and Celina have shown up by now as well. Apparently Genny called them on the way over, and Tim learns he and Genny both rode with Harper and Nolan, his mom staying home with Tyler so Genny could come be with her brother and best friend.

All Tim has been told so far is that Lucy was rushed into surgery and she lost a lot of blood. Nothing else, that's all he knows. And he's ready to bust through the O.R. doors and demand answers, because he's not sure how much longer he can wait.

Finally, just before he acts on that impulse, a blonde doctor with a kind face emerges, introducing herself as Dr. Grace Sawyer and asking for Lucy's next of kin. Tim, Jackson and Genny rush from their seats and surround her, and she raises an almost skeptical brow, knowing none of the three in front of her are the same ethnicity as the woman she's been treating.

"I'm her fiance'," Tim clarifies.

"And I'm her soon to be sister-in-law," Genny chimes in.

"And I'm her brother from another mother," Jackson adds.

"We're all her family," Angela says from a few feet behind the others. "We're just not blood."

The doctor, who they soon learn is Grace and was ironically Nolan's college girlfriend, nods at them, but directs her attention to Tim, who she deems as the most relevant person to speak with about Lucy's condition, considering he's the one who's going to marry her.

"Your fiancee' suffered a pretty nasty stab wound to the right pelvic region. The uterus and uterine artery were missed completely but her ovarian artery on her right side was nicked. She lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion, but we were able to repair the damaged artery and stop the bleeding, and she's stable."

Relief washes over Tim and that large stone that felt like it was sitting on his chest and crushing him is slightly lifted, to the point he feels like he can breathe for the first time since he heard the news. "So Lucy's gonna be okay?" He asks, needing to hear this woman, this doctor, who holds his entire future, his entire world in her hands, to hear her utter those words confidently.

Dr. Sawyer nods. "It appears so. We're going to watch her closely and keep an eye on her vitals, but the way things are looking right now, she should make a full recovery."

Audible sighs of relief and "thank God's" can be heard all around him, and there's an almost instant lighter feeling that fills the room at the news.

But that lightness is short lived for Tim, because while the others are celebrating, he catches the flicker of unease in the doctor's eyes. "What?" He demands firmly "What aren't you telling me?"

Her lips press together tightly, and she offers him a truly sympathetic look. "While I told you earlier that the uterus was missed completely in the stabbing, the right ovary, which rests just above the right ovarian artery that was nicked, wasn't missed and it suffered the brunt of the damage from the blade. I'm very, very sorry, Mr. Bradford, but we weren't able to save Ms. Chen's right ovary."

Chapter 84: Chapter 84

Chapter Text

Lucy groans and slowly blinks herself awake, squinting against overwhelmingly bright lights illuminating the unfamiliar sterile room she finds herself in. It takes a moment in her groggy state, but her vision begins to adjust, and when it fully does she becomes hyper aware of the rhythmic beating of machines surrounding her.

"Hey baby," she hears a soft, hoarse, worried voice greet her, and she blinks her heavy eyelids to find Tim reaching up to brush her cheek with the back of his hand, his other hand protectively covering the one resting by her side on the bed. She notices the slight tremble in his hand as it brushes her cheek, the weary smile on his lips, the glassy haze to his eyes, and the dark circles underneath those blue orbs that make it evident he's in desperate need of sleep.

Still a bit disoriented, she tries to remember how and why she's in this unfamiliar room, and it doesn't take long for the fog to lift before flashes of what happened play in her groggy mind.

She vividly recalls the radio call, showing up at the house, clearing rooms, finding Tim's stalker in bed and appearing seemingly unresponsive, then the unexpected and sudden blinding pain that hit her pelvic area, the haunting sound the knife made when Denise drew it out of her body.

Her heart rate monitor spikes erratically as flashes of her hand covering the gushing, bleeding wound fill her brian. Images of a bloody river spilling out from behind her hand and over her fingers, and the horrifying way she felt before losing consciousness, wondering for a moment if she was going to die and her last memory would be Angela's voice calling her name, the ringing gunshot, and her murderer's blood splattering against a yellow wall.

"Tim.." she chokes out, eyes flicking to the IV in her arm, her own voice hoarse.

"It's okay. I'm right here." He leans in and kisses her forehead, one hand still desperately holding onto one of hers.

"Denise…" she begins to try and explain. "She.."

"I know. I know. But you're okay. Doctor's say you're fine. You're gonna be okay."

She nods, her head relaxing into her pillow and she looks up at him, brown eyes filled with concern and asks, "Are you okay?"

"Really?" He snorts. "You got stabbed and you're worried about me?"

She shrugs a shoulder and the movement makes her wince a bit, a slight throbbing pain low on her right side.

His voice spikes with panic. "Do you need me to get a nurse?"

"No," she dismisses weakly. "No–not yet. I just, I want a few minutes with you. Just you.."

He nods and scoots his chair closer to her, their fingers locking together and he holds her gaze and hoarsely confesses, "I think I almost had a heart attack when Nolan and Harper showed up at the door and told me what happened to you. I don't know what I would've done if..if."

"Hey" she shakes her head. "I'm here. I'm okay and I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

He nods, again, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. Because he can. Because she's still here. He kisses both cheeks next. Then her lips, and a salty tear trails down his cheek and mingles along both their lips as he lets his mouth linger on hers and when he pulls away, he presses his forehead against hers and chokes out. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so, so sorry."

She reaches up and threads her fingers along the back of his neck and into his short hair. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. You didn't do this. She did."

"But she came after you because of me…she hurt you because of me. If I hadn't saved her life that day.."

"You were doing your job, Tim. You were helping someone who needed help. I'd never want you to not do that. And you shouldn't regret doing that. You didn't make her do this. Okay? You can't blame yourself. I don't blame you. This–it could've happened to me at–at any time. Like you said when I got jabbed with that dirty needle, I knew what I signed up for when I chose this career. I agreed to put my health and life on the line every day. It's literally in the job description."

"Your fiance's stalker trying to murder you isn't in the job description," he argues. "I–I should've…"

"No, it's not. But this could've happened if you saved her or not. It could've happened if I was a cop or not. It–it could've. I could've been a therapist like my parents wanted me to be and she–she could've been my patient and seen your picture on my desk and become obsessed with you. Or she–she could have become obsessed with me. She was a ticking time bomb waiting to go off, it's not on you. So don't blame yourself. There's nothing you could've done to stop it." She looks pointedly at him. "Nothing Lopez could've done to stop it. Sometimes things, they just, they just happen. The important thing is that I'm still here with you and I'm going to be fine."

He swallows and nods. Because she's right. That is the important thing. The ONLY thing that matters to him.

"By the way," she inquires, "there's–there's no major damage, right? I'm not, like, missing any vital organs, am I?" There's a playful tone in her voice when she says it, trying to make light of the situation to make herself and Tim more relaxed, but the way way Tim's thumb brushes over the side of her hand, the way his eyes momentarily flit away from her and to the wall, and the flicker of trepidation in his eyes as they leave hers has a pit of worry forming in her gut.

"I was only kidding…I'm not like, missing any internal body parts, am I?"

He clears his throat and forces himself to meet her eyes, throat bobbing slightly as he tenderly tells her about her ovarian artery being nicked and how she needed a blood transfusion, then he slowly eases into the news that she lost her right ovary, his heart pricking as he watches the color drain from her face and tears spill from the corner of her eyes.

He brings the hand of hers he's holding up to his lips and kisses the back of it, then quickly tells her, "Dr. Sawyer said it doesn't mean we can't still have kids someday. She said your left ovary is fine and you'll still ovulate. It–it may be every other month, or y–your body may compensate and ovulate monthly like normal. But she says plenty of women go on to have families with just one ovary and that there's no need to panic and jump to the worst case scenario. She's even going to send a fertility specialist to meet with us before they discharge you and she said we can ask her any questions we may have."

She fervently wipes at her eyes and sniffles. "It's almost comical," she mutters, the first hint of anger and bitterness detectable in her voice since she woke up. "I've spent the past 6 years since I became sexually active just praying I wouldn't get knocked up. Imagining it to be the worst thing that could happen to me. And now," she blows out a sharp breath, one that leaves her newly stitched side in agony, "now, even the idea of not being able to have a baby with you someday seems like the worst thing imaginable."

Once again, he brings the back of her hand to his lips and kisses it. "That won't happen. Okay? Like I told you before, Dr. Sawyer said most women that lose an ovary and still have a functional one go on to have children."

"Most," she growls out, and her anger isn't directed at him, but the look on his face tells her that her tone stings him nonetheless, and she feels guilty and speaks more gently, the anger being replaced with fear and uncertainty.. "She–she took away a part of me, Tim! I literally just lost half my freaking egg supply! Women aren't like men. We only get so many eggs and that's–that's just it for us."

"I know," he sighs. "I know. And I can't imagine how hard that is for you. How angry and scared you must be and I'd–I'd do almost anything to take that feeling away from you. But baby, whether or not you give me a hundred kids or we don't have any, all I care about is that I still have you. You're what matters to me."

"You want kids, Tim," she huffs, "Three of them. Remember?"

"Yeah, I do. But I can live without them. I can. Okay. I–I don't know if I could live without…" he stops himself, growing too choked up to talk. "I love you so much, Lucy. So damn much. And we'll figure this all out. We will. We'll talk to the specialist they send in and–and ask all the questions we can think of and we'll figure it all out together and we'll have the family we talked and dreamt about someday. We will. I'll spend every last dime I have making that happen for you if I have to. Okay? But right now, I'm just glad that I still have you and that we can still build a life and a future together."

She nods, biting back tears. "I'm glad I'm still here with you, too." She pushes herself up, wincing as she moves, and tries to slide over in bed and make room for him to join her.

His brows crease. "What are you doing? You're gonna hurt yourself."

"It already hurts. I'd rather it hurt while you're holding me."

As gingerly as possible, he crawls in next to her and pulls her into his arms, allowing her to carefully settle herself against his chest and wrapping his arms around her, his chin coming to rest atop her head.

"So much for that good night's sleep you wanted to get," she snorts. Once again trying to make light of the situation for herself and for him.

He kisses the top of her head. "Wanna know a secret?"

"Hmmm?"

"I never sleep good when you aren't next to me."

She half expects him to add a teasing quip. Something flippant. But he doesn't. He just kisses the top of her head again and tightens the grip he has on her and for a moment she thinks he may never let her out of his sight again.

Chapter 85: Chapter 85

Notes:

Thanks for reading and I'm glad you guys liked the angsty last few chapters. Expect abundant updates on all fronts the next couple of days if all goes as planned.

Chapter Text

Nurses come in and out to check on Lucy over the next few hours, and one nurse in particular named Ashley makes a nasty comment about Tim being in the bed with Lucy, but Lucy shoots the woman a death glare and tells her her won't be moving because she doesn't want him to and the woman doesn't dare say anything else about it.

Just after the most recent nurse leaves, there's a young, friendly black woman in sea green scrubs that's carrying a clipboard that knocks on the door and pokes her head in. She smiles warmly at Lucy and makes a crack about her being the MVP of the hospital, most visited patient, then tells her that two more people have shown up to see her and asks if she's up for it.

Lucy quirks a brow, racking her brain to think of who hasn't come back so far. Genny, Jackson, Aaron, Celina, Sergeant Grey, Harper, Nolan, and Lopez have all come back for a visit. She wonders if maybe Gina is dropping by to see her, but Tim hasn't mentioned that his mom was on the way.

"They say they're your parents," the woman further supplies, noticing the curious look on Lucy's face. "Are you up for company or would you like some rest?"

Lucy looks hesitantly to Tim and swallows, before nodding her approval, while the woman disappears to bring them back. She knew Jackson, Harper, and Nolan left to tell them what happened, but she wasn't sure she expected them to come rushing to see her. Not her mother, anyway, not since it's been going on a year since they've held a civil conversation and that her birthday, Christmas, and Academy graduation were largely ignored by the woman.

Tim rubs her shoulder while they wait on her parents to arrive, and the moment Patrick and Vanessa step into the room, it's clear both parents are overcome with emotion seeing their daughter in a hospital bed and hooked to IVs and heart rate monitors.

Immediately, they rush the side of the bed Tim isn't on and begin fussing over her in Cantonese, and Tim has no idea if what's being said is positive or negative, but Lucy must be able to tell by the look on his face that he's worried and doesn't like being in the dark, so Lucy only responds to them in English, telling them both. "I'm okay. The doctor's say I'm going to be fine. I'll make a full recovery."

The parents share a relieved look, Patrick's eyes watery as he stares down at his daughter, and he says, "Good. I'm glad." He nods to Tim, acknowledging his presence, but doesn't speak directly to him. The two get along well enough on the monthly lunch visits he and Lucy have been having with her dad, but it's unclear to Tim just now if his wife is aware of those visits.
Vanessa does not acknowledge his presence or speak to him, instead, choosing to pretend he isn't sitting right there next to her daughter, holding her in his arms.

"Babe," Lucy turns her head and looks up at Tim, "do you know what I'd really love right now?"

"Hmm?"

"An iced chai latte from that little cafe down by the cafeteria. Would you mind running to get me one?"

Tim stares back down at her, searching her eyes. He doesn't want to leave her. He's terrified to do so, but he can tell she wants a moment alone with them, so he simply nods and forces a fake smile. "Sure, baby. I'll be right back." He kisses her before gingerly clambering out of the bed, being careful not to hurt her. He stands and turns and looks at the Chens and as politely as he can, says,. "Sir, ma'am, would you like anything while I'm down there?"

"Black tea, please," Patrick requests.

Vanesssa does acknowledge him this time, though she won't look at him when she curtly tells him. "No, thank you."

Every single Chen in the room is quiet as a mouse until Tim disappears, the hospital door clicking closed behind him.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Tim makes his way down the hall, glancing longingly over his shoulder with each step, worried out of his mind about Lucy. What if her mom does something to upset her? What if the doctors missed something while she was under and she crashes while he's gone? What if Denise, despite the gunshot wound to her shoulder and being handcuffed to her own hospital bed, escapes and tries to finish what she started? All the what if, worst case scenarios playing out in his min.

When he rounds the corner on his way to the cafe, he's surprised to find Angela sitting in the waiting room, her leg bouncing up and down. She's in civilian clothes now, freshly showered and clean, and he didn't expect her to be back so soon.

He slowly approaches her with raised brows. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you home with Jack?"

Her leg stops shaking and she looks up at him. "Wesley's at home with him. I showered, changed, and went to my I.A. interview for the Officer involved shooting, then came straight back here."

"Ang," he sighs, "it's okay. She's okay. You can go home. Get some rest. Go be with your son and your husband."

"I'm good."

"Listen," Tim blows out, taking the empty seat next to her, "I'm sorry I went off on you. You didn't deserve it. It's not an excuse, but I was– I was scared. More afraid than I've ever been in my entire life and I just–I lost it. I know you did your job and I know that what happened wasn't your fault." A line in his jaw jumps. "Thank you for all you did to save her. And thank you for all you've done to train her so far."

"I didn't wanna be her T.O." Angela confesses to him. "I know what she means to you, Tim, and I didn't wanna be her T.O. when Grey approached me about it. I didn't want to because I knew what it would do to you if something happened to her and I didn't want something to happen to her under my watch."

"Something happened but she's still here because you were there. Any other T.O. might not have done what you did and she could've been stabbed a second time, hell multiple times. Any other T.O. might not have been able to keep her stable until help arrived. I asked Grey to assign her to you because there's no one I trust more with her. That was true then and it's still true now."

"Thank you," Angela mutters.

"So, uh, how'd your interview with I.A. go?"

"As good as any of those ever go. Grey said it should be pretty straight forward from the body cam footage and he doesn't expect any issues."

"I would've killed that woman without blinking if I was there and saw that happen," Tim freely admits.

"I know," Angela nods. "It's why you aren't allowed to be her T.O."

He clasps his hands together and rests them on his lap. "I know." Now, his leg is bouncing. He doesn't want to admit this out loud, but he needs to get it off his chest. "Part of me wanted to climb out of the bed with Lucy a hundred times over and bust up in her room and kill her. Knowing she's only a few hundred feet away from her…knowing she…because of me…"

"I know," Angela sympathizes. "I know. That's one reason I made sure they've got extra security on her. You can't do that, Tim."

"What?" He snorts. "Kill her?"

"Well, duh. She didn't take Lucy's life. She's alive and still here with you and you and you can't ruin your life just to get revenge for how she hurt her. It's not worth it. But also, you can't blame yourself. It's no more your fault than it was mine. You know that, right?'

"I'm trying to," he rasps, "I'm trying to."

()()()()()()()()()()()

When Lucy's sure Tim is out of earshot, she turns her attention to her mom and dad and tells them both, "Thank you for coming. It uh–it means a lot."

"Of course, we came, Lucy. We're your parents," Vanessa scoffs incredulously. "I just–I can't believe this happened to you." Her voice cracks and she squeaks, "If you'd only listened to us, if you'd have just not become a cop then this would've never…"

"Mom," Lucy pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head, "Don't. Okay? Just…don't. I was literally stabbed today and almost died today and I–I cannot have this conversation right now. I cannot deal with anything less than your unwavering support and your–your abundant happiness and thankfulness that I'm alive and well. If you can't give that to me, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave, as much as it will hurt me to do so, because I do not have the mental capacity to handle anything less today."

Vanessa's lips press together tightly and she nods. "Okay. I can do that. And I am thankful and happy you're alive nu'er. I really, really am."

"Thank you," Lucy replies, a few tears sliding down her cheek. "And um, I need one more thing from you if you're going to stay."

"What is it?"

"You're my mother and I love you so much and I want you here, I do, but I need you to treat Tim with dignity and respect if you're staying, because he is not leaving this hospital. He doesn't want to and I don't want him to. You don't have to like him, you don't have to accept him or the fact that I love him, but you're not going to sit here and treat the man I'm marrying and love more than anything in this world as less than a person just because he's a police officer and you don't agree with his career. And that includes not speaking about him rudely in a language he doesn't understand. Are we clear?"

Again, Vanessa's lips are pressed together tightly, but she nods her understanding and mumbles. "Understood."

Lucy lets go of the breath she was holding. "Thank you."

Her father is standing silently beside her mother and her mother's eyes roam the room, until they end up scanning the dry erase board schedule on the wall in front of Lucy's bed. Her eyes squint as she reads aloud the words, "Dr. Leigh - Fertility Specialist - 2 p.m." Her head snaps in Lucy's direction. "Wh–why are they sending over a fertility doctor for a stab wound?"

"Shit," Lucy mutters to herself. This is a conversation she is so not ready to have.

V

Chapter 86: Chapter 86

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

When Tim returns with Lucy's order from the cafe' he walks in the room to her, in a clearly annoyed voice, telling her mother, "No, I'm not–I'm not letting you pay to have my remaining eggs harvested and frozen. Can you–can you just let Tim and I talk to the fertility specialists first before you start trying to make reproductive decisions for us that are probably not even necessary. Please?

He has to wipe the glowering look off his face in a swift instant and forces himself to replace it with an award winning fake smile, as he tries like hell to pretend he didn't just hear the tail end of that conversation, and he holds out a tray and announces, "Sorry it took so long, the line was backed up during shift change."

He sets the cardboard tray down and begins passing out paper cups, starting with Lucy's order, then giving her father his, and even handing his future mother-in0law a cup of her own, telling her, "I–I know you said you didn't want anything, but I thought you might change your mind later, so I went ahead and grabbed you a rose ginger matcha. Lucy's mentioned to me before how they're your favorite.

Vanessa tentatively reaches for the cup, schooling her expression to hide the fact that she's impressed by Tim's gesture and muttering out a noncommittal, "thank you," while she takes the cup from him.

Tim takes his own cup out last, tossing the tray in the trashcan and then stepping to Lucy's bedside and leaning down to press a tender kiss to the side of her head as he strokes her hair and settles into the seat beside her bed.

Vanessa does not continue her probing conversation in front of Tim, much to Lucy's relief, and Lucy feels a bit suffocated by the new, awkward silence and begins filling the void by asking her mother about her favorite subject, herself. Afterall, there's a lot to catch up on since they haven't spoken in more than a few dry texts in months.

While they're catching up, Tim gets a call, and steps towards the door to answer it to allow mother and daughter to continue talking in privacy without disrupting them, but to Tim's dismay, Vanessa stops talking so she can hear what's being said on his end and he has to physically stop himself from rolling his eyes as he quickly handles the call, which happened to be from their realtor, trying to confirm the time for their viewings this weekend in Chatsworth, which he now has to cancel due to Lucy's injury.

The call has Vanessa interested in Tim for the first time, and she raises a curious brow at him, hands tucked underneath her armpits, as she asks, "So, you're buying a house?"

"Yea–uh–yes ma'am. Or looking to buy, at least. The market isn't the best right now and we haven't really been able to find one we love in our price range."

"We?" Vanessa's curious brow shoots all the way to her hairline.

Lucy winces. While her father is privy, from their joint therapy sessions and monthly lunch dates, to the fact she and Tim are engaged and looking to buy a house, her mother is not, though part of Lucy assumed her dad had told her mom long before now. She should've known better, though, because she never got an angry phone call telling her how wrong she is for choosing to marry Tim.

Tim grimaces for accidentally spilling the beans and casts an apologetic look to Lucy.

Lucy swallows and takes the lead. After all, this is her mother. "Yeah, mom, we, as in Tim and I...we're buying a house together. We're…" she reaches over and fiddles with the engagement ring on her left hand, the one her mother clearly hadn't noticed yet, "we're buying a house and getting married after I'm promoted to P2."

Vanessa takes a step back, her mouth gaping. "I–I'm sorry, you're what?"

"I'm engaged to be married and I'm buying a house with my fiance'," Lucy states cooly, not in the mood for her mother's dramatics after all she's been through.

"How could you not tell us this!" Her head snaps over to her husband in outrage. "How could our only daughter not tell us she–she's getting married." But Patrick's docile demeanor quickly lets her know Lucy did tell at least one of her parents. "She told you! She told you and not me? And you didn't tell me? Th–this is unbelievable," Vanessa scoffs, her attention turning back to Lucy. "How long?"

"A few months," Lucy replies, not holding back or trying to pretend it just happened for the sake of sparing her mother's feelings or avoiding a fight. "Before I graduated from the academy. Before Christmas."

"And what? You were just–just never gonna tell me? Never invite your own mother to your wedding? Pop out your first kid and never introduce it to its grandmother."

"I would've told you eventually and I would've told you from the start if you hadn't been freezing me out!" Lucy huffs. "But we haven't had a decent conversation in–in almost a year, all because you want to run my life for me and make all of my decisions without caring what I want or what I think is best for me. It's–it's like you wish I was a robot that you can program to meet your perfect stands and not a person with hopes and dreams and autonomy. You made your feelings on Tim perfectly clear, so I knew where you stood, but I'm a happy mom. Happier than I've ever been or ever imagined I could be,and Tim is a devoted, loving, caring, supportive partner that is everything you should want for me to have in a husband, and while keeping you in the dark probably wasn't the healthiest or wisest solution in hindsight, I wanted to bask in that happiness without having it–without having it shit on or trying to be talked out of it.":

"Is that your form of an apology?"

"If you're looking for an apology, then I'm sorry it hurt your feelings that I kept something so big from you, but I am not sorry I did what I needed to do for my mental health and my happiness. I want you to be part of my life mom. I do. I want you at my wedding and–and in our future kid's lives. There's a version of today where–where I wasn't so lucky. Where I didn't just lose an ovary and a couple pints of blood, but I lost my life. We aren't promised tomorrow. None of us are…and I'd–I'd really hate for one of us to lose our lives going the way we have been without trying to fix things between us, and I hope you realized that as much as I did. So, please," Lucy all but begs, "please, can we just…can focus on the fact that life has given us a second chance and start right now with trying to do what we need to do to build a good, healthy relationship that makes us both happy?"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

A few hours later, it's just Tim and Lucy again, her parents left about an hour ago, per Lucy's request, so she can try and get some sleep before the fertility specialist comes in to talk to them and answer questions they may have about living with one ovary and getting pregnant with one ovary.

Vanessa didn't start an argument after Lucy's monologue, and she didn't voice any negative opinions on their engagement or house hunting, and she seemed to be on the same page with Lucy as far as realizing that less than 24 hours ago, her only daughter could've been killed and tomorrow isn't promised, so they needed to try and fix things.

But that didn't somehow make her magically pleasant to be around, either. At her very core, she's overly critical and extremely complainy person. Making snide comments about the colors on the wall, the temperature in the room, and even the sound the monitors make, as if she's the one being the most inconvenienced by it all, and a couple hours of visitation were more than Lucy could take of her.

She has a feeling she'll only ever be able to get along with her, no matter how much she tries, in small doses, and she hates that, because spending time with Tim's mom is so effortless and easy, and she wishes it could be like that with her mom.

She and Tim are currently cuddling in her hospital bed, her head on his chest and his finger tracing lazy lines up and down her arm, when there's another knock on the door, and the same friendly woman from earlier who brought her parents in, is back, telling them she's sorry to bother them, but there's one more visitor that would like to see her, and she came bearing gifts.

Lucy and Tim both quirk their brows, and then they see Gina poke her head up from behind the shorter woman, holding up a brown bag and announcing, "I didn't want two of my four favorite people starving to death while they're trapped here, so I decided to go out and buy food. I hope that's okay. Plus, I really wanted to see you were okay with my own two eyes."

"It's more than okay," Lucy laughs, wincing as her pelvis aches with the sudden movement it causes.

Gina walks in the room and rushes to the bed, leaning down to give both Tim and Lucy a hug and a kiss on the forehead, then taking a seat in the chair beside the bed while handing Tim the bag of food she brought them.

"I got your favorite," Gina tells Lucy.

Lucy's eyes light up. "Veggie burger and fries?"

"Mhhm. With extra pickles."

"Ahhh. You're the best," Lucy beams. "Thank you so much! I was starving."

"Did you get my favorite, too?" Tim asks, as he hands Lucy her burger first.

"No," his mother teases. "I've got no idea what you like."

Tim rolls his eyes, but smiles to himself when he reaches into the bag again and notices his mother also grabbed his favorite to go meal. "Thanks, mom. You didn't have to do all this."

"Non-sense," she waves him off. "Of course I did! No matter how grown you are, you're my babies and it's my job to look after you two in your time of need, and I see no greater need than when one of you is in the hospital. And don't worry, I won't stay long. I know you guys have an appointment with the fertility specialist and I don't wanna intrude on a sensitive, private moment like that."

.

Notes:

Slight jump after this chapter incoming. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 87: Chapter 87

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

"So," Jackson asks, popping a french fry into his mouth as he sits across from Lucy, "are you ready to get back to work tomorrow?"

"Oh my God!" She groans. "You have no idea how ready I am. I've been going crazy just sitting here and, don't get me wrong I–I love him so much, but Tim is smothering me and driving me insane. He follows me to pee, Jackson. I cannot take a piss in peace when he's home. It's like he thinks she's gonna crawl through our bathroom window or something to finish the job."

Jackson chews slowly as she speaks, a grin lining his lips. "It's so hard to imagine him as the doting fiance' after he's been my hard ass T.O. for the last four months. And believe me, he's been in extra hard ass mode ever since fatal attraction stabbed you, so uh, I'm looking forward to you getting back to work, too, and him hopefully going back to normal hard ass instead of the hard ass on crack he has been."

"Believe me, I want normal fiance' Tim back as much as you want normal T.O. Tim back. Hopefully once we're back in our regular routine, his nerves settle down a bit."

"Speaking of nerves," Jackson can't help but ask, "how are yours? Is your mother still working them?"

"Every. Last. One. Of. Them." Lucy emphasizes, reaching over and stealing one of Jackson's fries. "She will not leave me alone about the egg freezing thing."

"But…didn't the fertility specialist tell you and Tim that you guys most likely won't need that option and that as long as Tim is also fertile, there shouldn't be any issues conceiving a child in the future just because you're one ovary down?"

"Yes."

"And didn't you tell your mother that?"

Yes," Lucy repeats, the word coming out harder this time. "And she just….doesn't wanna listen."

Jackson hums, pausing their talk to grab a bite of his burger. As he chews, he covers his mouth and asks, "How is she other than the constant push for egg freezing? Are things better than they were?"

"Better than they were when we weren't speaking?"

He shrugs.

"Depends on the day." Jackson snorts and Lucy smiles. "Honestly? They're better than they have been in…a while. She hasn't tried to talk me out of being a cop and she hasn't tried to talk me out of marrying Tim or said anything negative about him since I laid down the law on all that…but I'm patiently waiting for the, 'my child almost died and I barely spoke to her in a year guilt' to wear off and the Vanessa we all know and loathe to return with a vengeance.."

"Maybe she really did have a change of heart," he offers.

"Yeah, maybe," Lucy muses. "But I'm not holding my breath."

"Probably wise. I'd hate for you to go out that way after you survived your first injury in the line of duty."

"I told Tim I was trying to catch up with him. He didn't find it very funny."

"He really loves you. You know that, right?"

"I mean, it may have occurred to me once or twice after he put this ring on my finger," she chuckles and holds up her hand, "but yeah, I know."

Jackson rolls his eyes. "That's not what I meant. It's just–I guess I didn't realize exactly how much he cared about you until I saw how upset he was in the hospital while we were waiting to hear back about how your surgery went. He was a trainwreck, Luce. I–I don't know what we would've done with him if something happened to you."

Lucy fidgets with her engagement ring. "He would've gotten through it. He survived losing his first wife and they were together almost 13 years. We haven't even been together a full year yet–he would've been okay eventually.."

"He lost her to drugs, not death. And I'm telling you, you didn't see him. I really don't know that he would've. The man was feral."

"Well, thankfully, we don't have to put that to the test. Because I'm fine and I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon, so he's stuck with me."

It's at that moment that Tim steps through the front door, clad in basketball shorts and a sleeveless shirt, returning from a pick up basketball game that Lucy urged him to go to even though he kept trying to tell her that he'd be happy staying home with her on his day off.

"Who's stuck with you?" Tim asks, closing the door behind himself and arching a brow at her.

"You." She grins at him.

"We aren't married, yet," he teases. "I can still return you and you the ring."

"Oh, okay," she nonchalantly shrugs, reaching to pull it from her finger and toss it to him.

"Don't even dare," he warns, walking over to where she's sitting on the couch and covering her hand with his to stop her, then kissing her, his salty lips moving over hers and her other hand coming to rest on his damp, sweat soaked shirt. "You need a shower," she murmurs between smooches.

"Yeah? Wanna take one with me?"

"Uhhh. I think that's my que to go." Jackson stands and grabs his remaining food.

Tim breaks the kiss and casts a glance at his rookie. "I'd say that's a wise choice, boot."

"Dude, we aren't at work now," Jackson huffs, "Just call me by my name."

()()()()()()()()()()()

"Ugh," Lucy grumbles as she crawls into bed from letting Kojo out later that night.

"What, would he not go to the bathroom?" Tim asks as he watches Kojo hop in the bed behind Lucy.

"No. Kojo's fine." She scratches the pooch behind the ears. "He's always the best boy. It's my mom."

"What'd she do?" He hesitantly asks, slightly worried she's starting in on Lucy about their engagement now that Lucy's all healed and ready to go back to work.

"She paid for my eggs to be frozen, Tim. Literally went ahead and paid for the procedure, even after I told her we don't want to go that route unless we have to and that we aren't having kids for a few more years anyway and it'll be a while before we really, fully know whether or not we have to take a measure like that. I swear, she–she is obsessed with the idea of me giving her grandkids. Always has been. It's like–like she couldn't get it right with me and she thinks I owe her a child as a redo that can meet all her ridiculous standards."

"Come here," he reaches over and tugs her to his chest. "She couldn't ask for a more perfect child than you, so there's no reason for her to think she didn't get it right when it came to raising you. And listen, I–I know she's a pain in the ass and I know she's not listening to what we want, but in a way, a completely overbearing and conniving kind of way, it's sort of sweet that she cares enough to do whatever she can to make your dream of having a family a reality someday."

Her head snaps up from his chest. "Tell me you are not defending her."

"No, baby, I'm not. I'm just saying that it's nice to know she wants to do what she can to help you, help us, make sure we have a family someday."

"It's less about us and what we want and more about what she wants, trust me," Lucy huffs.

He begins to rub her back and pulls her back to rest on his chest. "Well, can you just call them and have them refund her?"

"I don't know. I'll figure it out. But it won't be tomorrow, because I don't want any distractions on my first day back."

"Are you nervous?"

"No. Not at all. I'm ready."

His hands still.

"What?"

"Nothing.'

Tim."

"It's just,' he sighs, "the first day back after being injured like that can be–it can be tough, mentally speaking."

"I'm sure," she hums. "But I was cleared by psych and I've been meditating and exercising before bed and I really do feel ready."

"Okay."

"But, if that changes at any point, I'll tell you, I promise. And I know you'll help me through it, the same way you've been helping me through it since it happened."

"It's my job," he mutters, kissing the side of her head.

Notes:

I figured my first story and biggest story should be my first update of 2024. Happy New Year!

Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Chapter Text

"She's gonna be fine, you know," Jackson comments, noticing Tim 'no phones in the shop' Bradford has already been on his multiple times today and they've only been on shift a few hours.

"Mind your business boot," he grunts, then shoves his phone in his pocket.

"Yes sir," Jackson obediently replies, but he doesn't mind his business. "All I'm saying is, she's happy to be back out on the streets and she's been doing a good job of working through the trauma from the stabbing and if she wasn't ready, she would've stayed home longer. You don't need to worry so much."

Tim throws his blinker on and jerks the wheel, tires screeching the shop pulls over on the side of the road. He snaps his head at Jackson, his eyes burning as he stares at his rookie and he growls out, "Do you have any idea what it's like to know the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with almost died? To know that it never would've happened if some mentally unstable woman wasn't obsessed with you and did it to try and take her out of the picture so she could have you? Don't sit here and tell me not to worry, boot, until you've almost lost the most important thing in your life and you know deep down it never would've happened if it wasn't because of you. Do you have any idea what it's like to–to wake up in the middle of the night because the person you love is screaming and thrashing and crying because they're having nightmares about what happened to them and the only thing you can do is hold them while they cry in your arms? Huh, do you?"

"No sir," Jackson swallows. "I don't. And I hope I never have to."

"Then don't you dare tell me not to worry, boot. Because you've got no idea. No damn idea."

Jackson looks away, a twisting feeling in his gut at hearing Tim explain the nightmare's Lucy has struggled with, and this time he does obey and drops it when he says, "Yes sir."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy and Lopez get a call about a possible homicide in a nice neighborhood over on Elmhurst Drive. It's a quiet street in a normally safe neighborhood. The home in question they respond to, 6950 Elmhurst Drive, has been used as a rental for the past 5 years while the owner has been in a nursing home and her children have rented the space out to help pay for her care.

Apparently, unbeknownst to the children, their tenant was a pretty big drug lord, and at first glance it looks like he either got in over his head or someone came for his stash, because he's been stabbed to death in the living room of his rental with no noticeable items taken from the scene and no evidence, other than a lake of blood surrounding his dead body, left behind.

Lopez notices Lucy staring at the giant pool of blood and walks up behind her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and softly asking, "You good?"

Lucy bites her lower lip and nods, then clears her throat and says, "I'm uh, I'm gonna go look around the rest of the house and see if I notice anything out of place anywhere else."

Angela nods, sensing Lucy might need a moment to herself. "Just yell if you need anything."

"Will do," Lucy promises, and she leaves the living room and begins her trek through the rest of the house.

She's gone no more than 5 minutes when Angela hears a scream of, "Oh my God!" And she doesn't waste any time dashing away from the dead body and hurtling herself in Lucy's direction, her heart beating a hundred miles an hour and her hand resting on her gun as she rushes towards her boot.

But she doesn't find Lucy in distress, in fact, it's quite the opposite when she comes up behind Lucy in the master bathroom of the home, and she notices the rookie staring in awe around the room.

"What the hell, boot, you scared the shit out of me! Angela barks.

"Sorry," Lucy mutters. "It's just, do you see the backsplash? And–and that Jack and Jill sink and the countertops? And the size of that shower and the gorgeous tile in it? Not to mention the oversized spa tub? Or–or the master bedroom? It was huge and the view out of the window? In fact, the entire house house is really…"

"Seriously?" Angela growls. "I almost had a heart attack thinking you were in here being attacked or something an–and you're conducting your own little open house on the murder scene?'

Lucy's shoulders rise and fall. "I'm just pointing out what a nice, fully remodeled house it is, that's all. In a really great neighborhood. With a cute patio and a fully fenced backyard."

"Yeah," Angela snorts, "with a nice dead body in the center of the living room. With a fresh new blood stain on the carpet."

()()()()()()()()()()

After CSI have done their job and the coroner has taken the body, Lucy and Lopez hit the streets again, and Lucy can't help but notice the way that her T.O. has been on her phone a lot more than usual today, with an irritated scowl on her face each new time the phone dings.

"That's not your nanny blowing up your phone about Jack, is it," Lucy says knowingly.

"No," Angela exhales sharply, "it isn't. It's your annoying fiance'."

"Has he really been checking up on me all day?" Lucy groans.

Angela nods slowly and she softly explains, "But in the idiot's defense, he's just scared, Lucy. I saw firsthand what losing Isabel to addiction did to him, and he almost didn't come back from that. He was so certain after he lost her that he'd never love again and then, he found you. If he lost you, in any way, it would tear him apart. But if he lost you forever, if you weren't a part of this world anymore, I don't know he would come back from that."

Lucy pinches her pant leg. "I would want him to come back from it. I–I wouldn't want him to be miserable the rest of his life if something happened to me. Being this worried about me…It's not healthy for him. It's not healthy for me. He's been so clingy since it happened, he–he follows me around like a lost puppy. Like if he's not watching me or keeping a constant check on me then something terrible's gonna happen to me and I just–I want him to trust that I can take care of myself. That–that maybe I screwed up and didn't weigh all the risks when I noticed Denise laid out in the bed because I let my empathy for what she'd been through cloud my judgment of what she could be capable of, but that I've learned from it and won't let anything like that happen again and that I wish–I wish he'd stop smothering me."

"Look, I–I don't think that Tim doesn't trust you out here. Or that he blames you for what happened in any way. Okay? I don't think that's it at all. I think it's more of…more of him feeling out of control about what happened to you and maybe over correcting a bit by trying to remain in constant control of everything to deal with that feeling. Before you came into his life, he had a bad habit of using his control as a coping mechanism."

"Yeah," Lucy snorts, "I remember what he was like when we first met."

"Have you–have you talked to him about how you feel? Asked him to back off a little?"

"N–not in so many words." Again, she pinches the leg of her uniform. "I know how scared he was and I–I've just been trying to let him work through it. He's been so good to me through all of this. He was right by my side in the hospital. He was adamant he'd still be with me even if it meant we couldn't have kids after I found out I lost my right ovary. He took a week off work just to be with me while I healed, even though he's already been off more this year than he has in entire career between his shooting injury and our vacation to Tahoe City. And he–he wakes up and holds me in the middle of the night every single time I have a nightmare about what happened, without complaint or irritation, he just–he pulls me in his arms and holds me while I sob into his shoulder. And I don't–I don't wanna invalidate what he's feeling or try to tell him he has to cope in a different way."

"You need to talk to him, Lucy," Angela replies sympathetically. "I know I haven't been married long and I'm by far no relationship expert, because Wesley is the first guy I've ever been serious about, but trust me, not talking about how you feel, it's just gonna cause one of you to explode That–it happened with me and Wesley, when were first started dating, and it almost cost us our relationship. Hell, you of all people should know the importance of communication with your psychology background."

"I know…I know," Lucy whines. "It's just–sometimes it's easier to know how to tell someone else to confront those issues than to confront them yourself. It's why a lot of therapists are better at giving advice than taking it, like my parents for example.."

"Well, you damn sure don't wanna be like them," Lopez deadpans.

"No," Lucy laughs a little, "I don't."

"So talk to him, Chen. I don't get it. You guys have always been good at communicating. What's the problem now?"

"I just—I don't wanna hear him say he doesn't think I can handle myself anymore. Handle this career anymore…And I–I know you don't think that's it…but it really is what I'm afraid he thinks but won't say."

Chapter 89: Chapter 89

Chapter Text

On their way out of the station that evening, Tim walks beside Lucy, his arm winding around her lower back as they head towards his truck and despite Angela's urgence that the two need to talk, Lucy doesn't bring it up on their way out of the station, or on the way home.

She's worried that the conversation is going to lead to an argument, and she doesn't want an argument outside the station, nor does she want one while they're driving.

She plans to bring their current predicament up when they get home. She really, really does, but from the moment they step in the door, their house is in utter chaos. Tim's mom is in the kitchen cooking and blaring 80's music, and to complement the blaring 80's music, Tyler's screaming his little head off because he's colicky and nothing Genny tries has been able to soothe him lately.

On top of that, John Nolan is, for some reason or another, following Genny around as she walks circles around the living room, rocking her son back and forth in her arms desperately trying to quell his painful cries, and reading off a list of old wives tales tricks for colic that Genny irritatedly keeps telling him she's tried and they didn't work.

Normally, Lucy would spring into action and try and take the baby from Genny and see what she could do to help, or step into the kitchen and ask Gina if there was anything she could to to help finish making supper, but she can't tonight. All the noise and her hidden frustration with Tim's over protectiveness is pushing her into sensory overload, and she just needs to get away for a few minutes.

She grabs Kojo's leash from where it normally hangs on the wall, and in exacerbation, looks at Tim and says, "I'm gonna go for a run to get some fresh air and take the King of Canines with me. I'll be back."

"If you hang on and give me a minute, I'll come with you. I just need to change first." While she's wearing leggings already, he's in jeans and would prefer to run in shorts or joggers.

"No, Tim!" she replies, and it comes out far more snappy than she intended it to and she winces and clips her tone. "I just…I need to clear my head for a few minutes." She reaches up and places a gentle hand on his chest. "Alone. Okay? I just–I need a few minutes alone."

Hurt and a bit of anger from her harsh tone flash in his eyes, but he doesn't yell or raise his voice, though his muscles are tense under her hand when he quietly growls out, "Fine."

"I'll be back in a half an hour tops. Okay? And when I get back I–I think we need to talk. Even if it means we have to go on a walk alone together" She leans up and brushes her lips over his and when she pulls away, she sees the hurt and anger morph into worry. "I'm fine. We're fine." She tries to reassure him. "I jus–I just need a minute."

He nods slowly, though it's clear he doesn't like the idea of her going for a run alone and that he'd rather talk about whatever the hell this is right now.

"Do you have your phone…in case."

"Yes, babe," she reassures him gently, still feeling a bit guilty for snapping at him, and she reaches in her pocket and pulls out the device, jingling it in front of his face. Next, she holds up her wrists and taps the smart watch on her left arm. "I promise I'll be able to get in touch if I need you. But I won't need you, I'll be fine. Okay?"

His chest rises and falls, and again, he only nods, watching a bit helplessly as she steps away from him, clicking her tongue as she calls Kojo from where he's at in the kitchen, who has been sitting like a good boy and drooling while he watches his Grandma Gina cook and waits patiently for the inevitable snack she'll give him, but he abandoned his quests for snacks when he hears his mom shake the leash and runs towards her, jumping in circles and wiggling his stubbed-tailed butt while Lucy smiles at him and clips the lea on his collar.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

When Lucy and Kojo return a little less than half an hour later, Tyler has finally settled down and Nolan is sitting on the couch holding him, with Genny sitting beside him, the two engrossed in the latest episode of The Bachelor, and she thinks she hears Nolan talking to Genny about how much he misses when his son Henry was as little as Tyler, but she's not entirely sure, she's too focused on finding Tim after she unclips Kojo's leash and politely says hello to her best friend and their house guest.

It doesn't take long for her eyes to land on her future husband, spotting him in the kitchen, helping his mom set the table, and Lucy follows behind Kojo, who's already prancing his way towards the kitchen.

Gina must've turned the music off once Tim came to help her, because the kitchen is now quiet, too, and Lucy sees that mother and son are working together wordlessly to ensure everything is ready to eat soon.

Lucy walks up to Tim and rubs his bicep affectionately, and she gives him a tired but warm smile as she tells him, "hey."

But there's no smile in his reply and his voice is guarded when he mirrors her, "hey."

"Lucy," Gina beams, turning from where she's stirring her decadent pot of sauce, "did you enjoy your run?'

"I did. It was refreshing."

"Wonderful. And tell me, how did your first day back go?"

"It was good." Again, Lucy smiles. "It felt great to be out on the streets again. To finally feel useful again and like I'm making a difference in the world."

"I'm sure everyone at Mid-Wilshire was glad to have you back there with them."

Lucy glances carefully at Tim, and her gut twists. The insecure part of her that believes Tim no longer feels she's capable silently telling her he'd be happier if she changed careers. Or hell, the way he's been acting, happier if she locked herself in a bullet proof bubble.

"Yeah," she breathes and her fingers are still curled around Tim's bicep and she gives it a gentle squeeze. "Um, if your mom can spare you, would you mind going on a walk with me?"

"You sure you don't wanna go alone?" His voice is laced with an edge of bitterness.

"Timothy Daniel Bradford," Gina scolds, arms folding across her chest, shooting her son a displeased and disappointed look.

He swallows and gives Lucy a sheepish and apologetic look. "Sorry. Yeah, let–let's go."

()()()()()()()()()

When they're off the front porch, the two walk side by side, Tim with his hands shoved deep in the front pocket of his jeans.

"Look," they both begin at the same time, and then they share an awkward laugh.

"Can I–can I go first?" Lucy asks and Tim nods.

"Thank you," she replies and whistles through her teeth. "Listen, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I–I didn't mean to. It's not about you. Okay wait, that's a lie. It is. It's about you a little."

"Wh–I haven't done anything!" He grows defensive.

"But you have!" She counters. "I know you were texting Lopez and checking up on me all day."

He holds up a finger and they stop walking a few feet in front of where his truck is parked. "I–I was no–" Lucy juts her hip out and rests a hand on it, giving him a 'don't you dare lie to me' look, and he folds and admits, "Okay. I was. But I was worried about you, baby. I just–I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I told you I was when you texted me, and again when I saw you at lunch!"

"I know. But I was afraid you were just saying it. That–that you'd get back out there and something would trigger you for what you'd been through and that then you'd–" he pauses and swallows," then you'd lose focus and something would…something would…"

"Something would happen to me," she finishes for him and he nods sadly. "I knew it. I knew it." Her eyes begin to water. "You don't think I can do this anymore. You don't think I'm cut out to be a cop."

"What? No. Of course I don't think that."

"You just admitted it!" She tosses her hands up.

"Lucy, no. That's not—that's not what I meant. I just–I was just worried about it being too soon and the PTSD kicking in. That you'd see something and it would take you back to that night. Like–like when you have those nightmares."

"Psych cleared me, Tim. I'm fine. I've been doing my grounding exercises. Going to the psychologist. I'm fine. "

"But you're not!" He chokes out. "You woke up with one of those nightmares only a few days ago. And it–it kills me seeing you that way. Knowing there's nothing I can do to stop it. Knowing you wouldn't be having them if she didn't come after you because of me."

"We've been over this," she groans. "What happened to me wasn't your fault. You've got to start believing that."

He leans against the driver's side door of his truck, his body suddenly feeling heavy, and his head connects with the window. "I want to. But this voice in my head…it keeps telling me it never would've happened if you weren't with me. And no matter how anyone tries to spin in, the voice is right. She never would've come for you if it weren't for me and that's a fact."

She sucks in a sharp breath and takes a step towards him, hands resting on his hips. "You can't control everything, baby. It wasn't your fault and nothing you could've done could've stopped it and even if it wasn't her it could've been someone else because sometimes things just happen. I should've paid more attention. I–I should've been on high alert. I shouldn't have let myself feel sorry for her and let that feeling cloud my vision. I should've anticipated how dangerous and conniving she was, I should've seen it coming and–and I know you don't trust me now because I didn't…I know you don't think I can be a good cop anymore. I know you don't think I can handle myself because of it."

Tim's brows furrow. "What? Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because you follow me everywhere!" She throws her hands in the air. "I can't take a piss without you coming into the bathroom with me. I haven't showered alone since it happened. If I walk to the kitchen, you're getting up and following behind me. I go to the gym? You grab your bag and you go with me. I get up at night for a glass of water and I hear the bed creak because you're following behind me. It's like you don't trust me to breathe correctly anymore if you don't watch me inhale and exhale and if you don't trust me to complete those simple little tasks on my own, then," her voice grows small, "then I know you don't trust me to protect myself or anyone else out on the streets."

"Luce," his voice is strained, "I'm sorry. I'm not…I'm not trying to make you feel that way. I don't think that." She scoffs at him. "I don't. Really. I know you can handle yourself. It's–it's not about that. I just–I can't stop thinking about what happened. I can't stop playing Harper and Nolan showing up at the door to tell me what happened over and over again in my head and stepping foot in the hospital and seeing Lopez covered in your blood." He swallows and his throat bobs and his voice cracks. "There was so much blood, baby."

"You can't watch after me 24/7, Tim. It's not good for you and it's not good for me."

"I know. I'm–I'm sorry. I just–I've never been more afraid of anything in my life than I am of losing you. I can–I can't…and I just–I need to feel like I'm doing all I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

She rubs his sides. "You've been through a lot in the past year and a half. Losing your home and going broke and having to start all over. Your marriage officially ending. Your ex-wife being pregnant with another man's kid. Being shot. Rebuilding a relationship with your mom and sister. Falling in love again unexpectedly. Your dad dying. Us getting engaged. Me being stabbed. That's a lot of life changes for anyone to process. And especially in such a short amount of time. I mean, that's–that's like a good ten years or worth of life experiences all condensed into less than two. I get that what happened to me was probably a breaking point for you emotionally."

"It would've been even if everything else hadn't happened," he firmly insists.

"Maybe," she agrees, hands still traveling up and down his sides. "But either way, we can't keep going like this. I can't keep feeling smothered and hovered over because it's making me lose all this confidence I've worked so hard to build in myself, that you've helped me build. And it's driving you crazy, too. Distracting you from putting your all into your job. I'm not the only one who needs to be 100% in the game out there, Tim," her eyes are watery and her voice thick with emotion, "You do, too."

"I know…I know that."

Her lips purse. And she's hesitant to suggest what she's about to throw out there, because she knows he isn't going to like the idea. "Maybe..maybe you should talk to someone. About…about all of it."

His brows shoot to the top of his hairline and the pitch in his voice goes up. "Like a shrink?"

"Therapist," she corrects carefully. "But yes. I think it could be helpful."

"Lucy…"

"Tim," her voice is firm. "I'm not saying you have to, but I really do think it would be helpful. I know you keep saying you can't lose me, but here's the thing, I can't lose you either." She searches his eyes desperately. "I'm not the only one who could get killed out there from a distraction and not having my head all the way in the game. And on top of that, I don't want all the progress you've made in the past year to go down the drain. I don't want you to become a shell of the man that I've fallen in love with and revert back to the person you were when we first met because of this."

"Okay," he rasps. "Okay. I'll look into it. I promise."

"Thank you." She wraps her arms around him and settles her head on his chest and his arms wind around her and his head rests on top of hers. "I really am sorry that I made you feel like you aren't capable and I don't believe in you. I do, Luce. So much. How I've been acting has nothing to do with you. At all. It's–it's my own hang ups. But I'm gonna fix them, I promise I will. I don't ever wanna be responsible for making you feel like you're not good enough. Like you're not capable. I want you to always know I'm your biggest supporter and that I know you can do anything you set your mind to. Don't ever let anyone make you feel like you can't. Not even me. And I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to fix all of this and make sure I never make you feel that way again."

Her arms tighten around him while he kisses the top of her head, and they stay in the front yard holding each other in silence for a long moment, until Lucy gingerly pulls away and looks up at him, her arms still slung around his waist. "Oh, there's uh, there's one more thing I wanted to talk to you about."

Tim's heart begins to sink.

"When Lopez and I responded to the homicide call earlier, it was a stabbing and I um, I may have gotten triggered for a moment when I saw all the blood, so I decided to step away and do one of my sensory grounding exercises." Tim listens quietly, and she can see the pain in his eyes from worrying about what she's going to say next, so she tries to speed the story up as much as possible, "So while I was doing the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory exercise, I uh, I couldn't help but notice all these great things about the house and the neighborhood we were in."

"Wh–what?" Tim's face switches from worried to perplexed.

"It–it's a rental," she explains. "And um, well, to make a long story short, the owner is in the nursing home and the kids have been the ones renting it and now that it's an actual crime scene involving a drug lord they've unknowingly rented to for five years, they aren't so keen on finding new tenants and are looking to sell and um, from what I hear, they're willing to take 20% below the normal asking price for comparable homes in the area, and they'll even take 30% off asking if the new owners take it as is and replace the bloody carpet themselves."

Tim can't help the soft chuckle that escapes his list. "Are you trying to get us to buy an actual murder house?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I mean, it's a really nice house and the area is perfect and I think it's worth taking a look at together."

He cocks a brow at her. "You sure you'd be good with raising our future kids at an actual crime scene?"

"We'd get Celina to do a proper cleanse before we moved in. But, what better way to replace the bad energy in the house from the murder than to fill it with good energy from a committed, happy, loving couple, their adorable dog, and their beautiful, smart, amazing future kids?"

Chapter 90: Chapter 90

Notes:

A little unapologetic fluffdate that you can thank the weather for me being able to crank out. Maybe you'll get another on this or another story tomorrow if the power stays on. (I can't believe this is chapter 90 and I still have an interested audience. Still blown away by how this took off and all the support you guys have given this story. It's been a great ride.)

Chapter Text

It turns out, Tim loves the murder house just as much as Lucy did. It ticks every single box they have. Larger than 1,500 sq feet. Three bedrooms, with a den that could easily be converted into a 4th bedroom or office if need be. The big, fenced in backyard. 3 large bedrooms and 2 large bathrooms. The quiet, safe neighborhood. The patio and fire pit in the backyard. The open concept floor plan. The spacious kitchen with plentiful cabinet space. It's perfect for them and all the hopes and dreams they have, so they immediately put in an offer after viewing it, and the children of the homeowner accept. The entire process takes a little over a month before their closing is complete and they're ready to move in.

In that time frame, a lot has happened.

Lucy and Tim celebrated their one year anniversary, or maybe it was technically their sexiversary? Since they didn't "officially" become a couple until a couple weeks after they first hooked up, but both agreed that the night of their practice kiss and initial hook-up really was the start of their relationship, even if they hadn't realized it at the time.

Tim has also started working though all the trauma he's experienced the past year and a half, hell, two and a half years if you count the fact that it all started when Isabel left. And if he's being brutally honest, it all really started from birth if he factors in his abusive father and his upbringing and the unresolved issues there he never fully dealt with.

He still has a long way to go, but he's stopped smothering Lucy and hovering over here, relinquishing his need to be in control to feel safe. much to her relief, and when he's feeling extra worried, he's stopped texting Angela behind her back and reached out solely to his fiancee', trusting that she'll tell him the truth about how she's feeling and where her head is at from her attack.

And Lucy's doing good from it. Really good, actually. She's still in therapy and regularly practicing her coping mechanisms, but nothing has boiled over to the point she can't do her job and the nightmares have slowed. They haven't stopped completely, but they've slowed and happen less than once a week now.

When she does wake in the middle of the night these days, Tim still wakes and holds her until she's coherent and calm. And even though he initially worried that the nightmares were a sign she wasn't ready to be back at work, Lucy has explained to him and made him see that her conscious mind can work through the her triggers in the light of day while she's awake and aware, but she can't put those techniques into practice during sleep, but that she knows she can turn to him and he'll help her through it when those terrors creep up on her in her dreams.

He still hates Denise for what she did to Lucy.

He's trying not to. He's trying like hell. But it's damn near impossible for him to get over it.
He knows it isn't healthy, and he's working on getting over it, but he's not sure he can, no matter how much Lucy wants him to. That woman, despite how mentally ill she was, almost took the most important person in the world from him, and he's not sure how he can ever get over the anger he feels for that. Had she actually taken Lucy from him, he's almost afraid to know what he would've done.

But he doesn't dwell on that. He can't. It does no one any good.

And now?

Well now, he's happy. So damn happy.

Because it's his and Lucy's first night in their new home. The home he'll step over the threshold carrying her as his new wife in. The home they'll raise their future children in. The home that he hopes like hell they'll spend the rest of their life in because housing prices in L.A. are a nightmare and he can't imagine what they'll look like 10-20 years from now and he doubts they'll run into another steal like this..

Their friends and family, well his family and Lucy's Aunt Amy at least, have been extremely helpful in this transition in their new home, helping them load and unload boxes and furniture and appliances the house didn't come with.

The entire precinct blessed them with housewarming gifts, so they have a plethora of new linens and pots and pans, a new air fryer, coffee pot, crockpot, instapot, and tons of knick-knacks to decorate with.

Nolan and Jackson helped them rip up the blood stained carpet and put down new today, and Nolan's even promised to help them paint and make small changes to the home whenever they're ready to make it more of their own.

But for now, the couple just wants to settle in and enjoy finally being on their own in their own home, and that's exactly what they do tonight, both curled up together on their new couch, sipping wine and watching a Dr. Who marathon, Kojo sleeping peacefully at the other end of the couch, a low snore escaping the pooch's nose every now and then.

Lucy's head is on Tim's chest and his hand is resting on his favorite place, her thigh. Both relaxing in comfortable silence, both exhausted from all the moving they'd done today. And if there needed to be any evidence to that fact, the unpacked boxes littering the floor that neither had the energy to exert are proof of that.

"This doesn't quite feel real," Lucy hums sleepily.

"It's not," Tim turns up a palm. "It's science fiction."

"Not the show, idiot," she snorts. "I mean this. Us."

"What?" He chuckles.

"It's just…" she gingerly pushes off his chest to meet his eyes. "It almost seems too good to be true. Like I've been living a fever dream the past year, because how can this really be real?. And I–I know we've had our fair share of ups and downs the past year, together and separately, but, I'd say the good has far outweighed the bad and it just seems so surreal sometimes that we're here. You know? Happy. Thriving in our careers. Engaged. Living in our own home. The rest of our lives are at our fingertips."

He hums, his hand affectionately running up and down her thigh. "Yeah. If anyone told me a little over a year ago that this is where we'd be, I'd have laughed in their face. And to think, it's technically all thanks to your mom we're together."

"What?" Lucy snorts, brows pulling together tightly.

"I'm just saying, if she hadn't been pestering you about hooking you up with her friend's kid at her birthday dinner, then we wouldn't have had to fake date and fake kiss and you may have never jumped me."

"I didn't jump you," she protests, "like I've pointed out before, with evidence mind you, you made the first move." Tim rolls his eyes and Lucy ignores him and continues, "but I suppose that is true, my mom is technically why we're together. Or, at least it probably would've taken a while to get there without the fake kiss, we'd probably still be dancing around our attraction and feelings for each other."

"You think we should thank her in our speech at our wedding?" Tim muses and Lucy chokes out a laugh.

Her eyes dance and her head resettles on Tim's chest, her hand resting above his abdomen. "Yeah, I'm sure she'd love that."

"I don't know, I think she's coming around when it comes to me. She actually referred to me by name when we ate with your parents for her birthday."

"To ask you to pass the Tzatziki."

"Still, it's progress. I'm gonna win her over," he confidently asserts with a tilted head.

"Good luck with that," Lucy snorts. "She birthed me and I still haven't managed to win her over in the last 23 years."

Tim rubs her thigh again and kisses her temple. "I don't see how, you won me over pretty quick."

"Because you're nothing but a big softy," she teases him. "It really wasn't that hard."

"I am not a big softy," he huffs. "Ask Genny or Harper or Lopez or anyone else that's known me for a long time. You're just that amazing."

Lucy chuckles. "All this flattery tells me that someone's trying to get lucky tonight in our new house."

"Trying? I don't have to try. You're like a moth to a flame when it comes to me." She pinches him and he squirms. "But in all honesty, I'm too tired for that tonight, unless you wanna do all the work."

"Tempting, but I'm pretty tired, too," she yawns. " And we have the rest of our lives to christen our new home."

The rest of their lives. Their home.

Those words fill his chest with inexplicable warmth and make his stomach flutter, and flashes of her walking down the aisle to him fill his mind, though they haven't yet started planning a single detail of their wedding or set a date.

Lucy pushes herself up from Tim's chest and stretches, letting out a long, loud yawn that wakes Kojo, causing the pup to lift his head and grunt in annoyance at his mom.

"In fact, I'm so worn out that I think I'm gonna go to bed," she murmurs out in her yawn, and it's barely audible. "You gonna finish the show or come join me?"

He grabs the remote and clicks the power button, the screen dimming and fading to black as he sets the remote on the coffee table and he steps towards her, pulling her flush against him, his hands landing on her hips and grinning at her dopily behind heavy eyelids, while he responds, "I'm gonna join you. In our bed. In our bedroom. In our house."

Chapter 91: Chapter 91

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

The next couple of months seem to fly by and before Lucy realizes it, she's hit some major milestones in her rookie year. She's now in short sleeves, meaning she has officially made it halfway through the program, more than halfway at this point.

She's also survived plain clothes day, even if it almost spelled the end of her career when she sort of threatened some asshole on a whim because he was abusing his dog. Angela made things work by trying to smooth things over with the man after he filed a complaint against Lucy, and then the man filed a complaint against her, and then Tim made things even worse after he went behind Angela and tried to fix it for both women.

All 3 were berated heavily by Sgt. Grey and Captain Anderson, and had the man not ended up murdering his neighbor and Lucy spotting the blood trail under his garage door and choosing to risk her entire career by following the hunch the blood was human and not animal, her career would've been over before it started and Tim and Angela could've been heavily reprimanded, but considering the circumstances of the complaints coming from a murderer, they were luckily thrown out.

Captain Anderson warned all 3 that nothing like that better ever happen again, and warned Lucy privately if she didn't see the potential she did in her, that she would've ended her career over this and made her promise not to regret choosing not to.

All 3 have toed the line since, being sure not to allow their personal connections to each other to influence decisions that could impact their careers.

Other than that incident and her prior stabbing, though, things have still been going rather smoothly for Lucy on the job, or as smooth as being a rookie in the L.A.P.D. can be anyway.

It's not without trial and error, and she faces constant danger on the streets every day, but she's learning a lot and exceling.

In fact, she was crowned the Mid-Wilshire shooting champ at firearms qualifications. Beating out all the veteran cops, including Tim and Harper, who tied for second. And while Tim privately acts like it hurt his pride he beat her and talks a lot of smack about her getting a few lucky shots, she doesn't miss the prideful twinkle in his eye every time she brags about her win, or the way he made love to her that night after they went out to celebrate her victory, and she also didn't miss the fact that she saw several officers passing him a few 20's after she was crowned the winner, or the fact that he used those winnings to take her to dinner.

She also surprises herself by making higher than Jackson on their six month exam by ten points, her best friend barely scraping by with a passing grade.

And well, Jackson doesn't take really take his grade well, and her long time friend has fallen into a self-deprecation spiral between not meeting the expectations of the grade he wanted, as well as a hardened criminal his father arrested long ago, Oscar Hutchinson, getting inside of his head and deflating the perfect image of the man he's spent his entire life idolizing by claiming he was a dirty cop in the 80's and used planted evidence to have him arrested and caught.

And Tim, well of course Tim doesn't take Jackson's spiral well either, because he sees his rookie's shortcomings as his personal failure as a T.O. despite how much Lucy and even his therapist, try to remind him they aren't.

Angela talks with Lucy privately about it, pointing out to her that even if it's not directly Tim's fault, there's a ton of pressure on him training the head of I.A.'s son and if Jackson ends up being his 3rd washout in a row, his future as a T.O. could be in jeopardy.

Lucy, of course, doesn't want that at all, so she's been doing the best she can to encourage her friend and her fiance' as best she can, but Jackson doesn't help matters by having a meltdown in front of a group of cadets that Sergeant Gray personally selected him to speak in front of, and he's reprimanded by being forced to remain in long sleeves, while Lucy graduates to short sleeves, and then Tim, ever the hardass T.O., kicks Jackson's when he's down and tells him that even when Grey releases him from his punishment, he won't allow him to wear short sleeves until he personally feels he's ready, because Tim is his T.O. and has the authority to make that decision.

The couple have a brief disagreement about it, Lucy urging Tim to lighten up on Jackson and Tim reminding her that she can't let her feelings for Jackson as her best friend override what he thinks is best for his rookie's feelings, arguing even more that he thinks Jackson may have only pursued a career in the police force because of the way he idolized his father growing up and pointing out that he's having the 7 year glitch early because of his long standing devotion to the career and his hang ups about who he knows his dad to be, making the case that being hard on Jackson and making him have to really push and fight to get where he needs to be will cause the rookie to determine whether or not this is the career he really wants.

In the end, Lucy backs off and lets Tim do what he feels best, knowing he isn't being unreasonably cruel and knowing he also has to find himself as a training officer and learn what works and doesn't work, even if she doesn't like the fact that it involves Jackson and his feelings, because at the end of the day, it's better to have Jackson alive and properly trained, than temporarily happy and later dead, and she knows that due to how much she loves Jackson, Tim is taking on the task of training him 10 times more serious than he would training anyone else, and that's saying something, because Tim doesn't take much lightly, least of all his job.

Lucy still does her best to try and keep one of her two best friends in good spirits, though, which is why she, Jackson, and Nolan have found their way at Las Torres after shift, sharing a drink and singing karaoke, no T.O. 's or senior officers in sight. That is, until Tim shows up after he finishes watching the game later to uber Lucy home.

"I gotta say," Nolan sips his beer, "I do not miss being a rookie. I don't envy you guys, like, at all."

"Gee, thanks," Jackson scowls, angrily tossing a dart at the wall.

"At least Sergeant Grey doesn't have it out for you," Nolan cheerfully points out. "He was hell bent on washing me out for almost all of my rookie year."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say he isn't," Jackson grumbles. "Not after I fucked up and and had a meltdown in front of those cadets."

"Okay," Lucy jumps in between the two men and bumps them both with her hips, "this is not get drunk and cry my heart out hour, this is get drunk and forget our troubles hour, so can we please lighten up and have some fun?"

Jackson swirls the gin and tonic in his hand despondently.

"You're going to make it through the program," she insists, "And we're going to graduate together and ride together and be two of the best cops.."

Nolan clears his throat.

"Three of the best cops," Lucy chuckles, correcting herself, "that L.A. has ever seen. In fact, they'll probably make action figures after us. Mine will be called," she stops and poses, flexing her muscles, "Lucy Chen, Fist of Justice."

Jackson rolls his eyes, but the bottom of his lip twitches. "Does Tim know you're this much of a dork?"

"Yes," she sips her tequila. "Yes he does, and he loves me for it."

"Or, in spite of it," Nolan teases.

"Speaking of Bradford's," Jackson directs his attention to Nolan and wiggles his eyebrows. "When are you ever going to ask Genny out?"

"Woah!" Nolan holds up a hand. "That is not like that. Genny and I are just friends."

"Because you're afraid of Tim?" Jackson is the one to tease this time.

"No," Nolan carefully answers, again slowly sipping his beer. "Because there's a pretty big age difference and she's a new mom and I have a girlfriend."

"You and Jessica are still together?" Lucy asks, and she can't help sounding surprised.

"We are. We celebrated two months this past Tuesday. Why do you sound so shocked? "

Lucy shrugs, thinking of a polite way to tell him that she just doesn't think they're a good fit because Nolan's has a golden moral compass while the Department of Homeland Security Agent he's dating seems to have a shifting moral compass, one that shifts to meet the story she wants to tell.

"She just doesn't seem your type," Jackson offers, saving Lucy from having to spin her answer.

"I've gotta say, a hot, badass woman is definitely my type. In fact, they're the dream."

"Anyway," Lucy quickly changes the subject, "which one of you wants to go get on stage with me next?" Both men look down into their glasses and ignore her. "Really?" She scoffs. "I've gotta start hanging out with women more. You guys suck," and then she dashes towards the front and signs herself up for the next spot in karaoke.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The guys talk while Lucy sings, and then when she returns they shoot a round of pool before returning to the bar, and when there's a lull in conversation, Lucy finds herself adding wedding items to her pinterest board.

She and Tim haven't set a date yet, and neither have brought up the idea of the actual wedding as anything more of an abstract idea that will take place after her rookie year is over since they decided to wait, but sometimes, when she's bored or looking for a distraction from life, she starts thinking about menu options and venues and dresses and flowers and lighting and guest counts, and honeymoon destinations and vows and cakes and everything in between and she can't help but pin items to her board.

Of course, when the actual time comes to make these decisions, she'll consult Tim, but for now, she lets herself daydream and she thinks it can't hurt to have ideas and suggestions ready.

But then, Jackson looks over her shoulder, his jaw dropping in offense when he howls, "Did you start planning the wedding without me?"

"What?" She jumps slightly, startled from being pulled out of her own little world. "No, of course not. I just–I was just looking at stuff."

Jackson raises a brow at her fully pinned wedding board. "You've been doing a lot of looking."

Her ears begin to tingle. "This isn't just from tonight, I've slowly been adding to it for…a while now. I started when I was stuck at home after I was…" she trails off.

"Remind me, why are you two waiting again?" Nolan asks, tapping his chin.

"Weddings are stressful," Lucy sighs. "And as you know, rookie year is stressful enough without wedding planning on top of it. Even if we had been planning it, so much has happened these past six months that it would've been put on hold anyway. My injury, finding a house, moving, getting settled. It's just–it's not the right time."

"You want my sage, older adult advice?" Nolan offers.

"I have a feeling you wanna give it to me whether I want it or not," she grins.

"Fair enough," he chuckles. "But look, take it from the old guy, there's never a right time for anything. Life is always going to throw curve balls or get in the way of things, you've gotta make the time for the things you want, or something will always pop up to put them off."

"You're very pro-marriage for someone who's been divorced," Jackson points out.'

Nolan shrugs. "Just because my marriage ended doesn't mean I stopped believing in love and the one."

"You wanna get married again someday?" Lucy purses her lips as she waits for him to answer.

"Absolutely," Nolan answers without hesitation. "When I find the right woman. I love being married. And you know, far be it from me to tell you and Tim what to do, but all I'm saying is, if you two are ready to be married, don't wait. You both know all too well we never know what can happen, especially in our line of work."

Notes:

I decided to be active on Twitter instead of just lurking the Chenford tag. Feel free to add me if you want. MissyDa95960243

Chapter 92: Chapter 92

Chapter Text

Lucy considers what Nolan said at the bar, but she doesn't bring it up to Tim. At least not immediately. Part of her wanted to. The whimsical, slightly drunk part of her wanted to jump in his arms when he picked her up from her night with her friends and wrap her legs around him and give him a deep, passionate, tequila laced kiss and say, "Why the hell are we waiting when life is so uncertain. I don't wanna waste another day and I'm ready to be your wife."

But she didn't. They agreed to wait for some pretty good reasons and even though she's made it halfway through her rookie year now, she still has several more months to go and she reminds herself that she doesn't need the distraction and stress of planning a wedding. And though they could go to the courthouse and get married tomorrow, she wants a real wedding. A white dress. Tim in a suit. Their closest friends and family surrounding them. A first dance. A reception. She wants all of that. And though this is Tim's second marriage, she knows he plans for it to be his final and it's definitely the only one Lucy ever plans on having and she wants to do it right.

And that even though they aren't married, their lives are so intertwined they may as well be already. They live together. They bought a home together. They work together. They are each other's beneficiaries on life insurance. They are each other's emergency contact and medical proxy. There's not a whole lot a marriage license would change, other than admitting their love in front of family and friends, who all happen to be pretty well aware of that love anyway.

So she convinces herself it's fine to wait. That even as certain as life is, they shouldn't rush. Hell, she even tells herself that waiting was Tim's initial idea and that even though he asked her to marry him, maybe he needed more time to be ready for the actual wedding.

After all, his divorce has only been finalized a little over a year at this point. Maybe, though she knows he was fully ready to be with her forever and commit to her and only her when he asked, she thinks that maybe he also wanted a bit more time before plunging head first into the actual marriage a second time around.

And so, life goes on for them over two months after her night out with Nolan and Jackson.

Work is hectic and stressful but rewarding and they both love and thrive at it.

Once a week they have dinner with Genny and Tim's mom, and they even babysat Tyler one night on their own to give Genny and his mom a break.

They still have lunch with Lucy's dad at least twice a month, and her mom even joined them during the most recent lunch gathering, and though she's still not the most pleasant person to be around and always finds something to be critical of, she's been very careful not to be critical of Lucy or Tim ever since the stabbing.

Apparently, the thought of Lucy dying was all it took to make Vanessa reconsider her attitude towards her daughter. Who knew? Lucy might've faked a horrible accident years before this if she knew it would allow her mom to show a sliver of compassion and empathy towards her wants and her feelings.

And while their relationship is still complicated and strained, she'll take the direction it's going in any day over how it was before, even if she feels like she's waiting on the other shoe to drop any day.

But, all in all, life has been good the past two months, and Lucy's at peace and content with her decision to remain holding off on setting a date and planning the wedding until her rookie year is over.

That is, until a terrorist group concocted a plan to release a hemorrhagic virus all over the city of Los Angeles.

The day started out like any other and neither of them had any clue what was in store for them after they clocked in to work.

They shared a shower, which turned into a quickie in the shower, then Tim cooked breakfast while Lucy got ready for work. Both blissfully happy to be able to enjoy a few lazy kisses and a petting session against the counter while Tim finished the pancakes without fear of being walked in on and interrupted.

They rode to work in Tim's truck because Lucy lost the rock, paper, scissors match for which vehicle they were going to take, much to Tim's delight.

After clocking in, they'd reported to roll call and been sent out on separate missions for the day, both blissfully unaware and neither realizing the potential danger both of them, their co-workers, and the city were about to be placed in.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Are you seriously still pissed at me?" Jackson grumbles to Tim as they head to the shop that morning.

Tim stops walking, doing an about face and turning on one foot, stern faced as he meets his rookie's eyes. "I'm impressed," he deadpans. "I was starting to suspect you had absolutely no self-awareness."

"Look, I'm sorry about yesterday," Jackson sighs sharply. "I just..I let my family drama clouded my judgment a bit. That's all."

His jaw tightly set, Tim shakes his head. "I'm sorry's getting a little old with you, Officer West."

"It won't happen again," Jackson promises.

"You're damn right it won't. Come Monday, I'm requesting you be assigned a new training officer."

Jackson's jaw drops and he stares wide eyed at the man in front of him.
"Wa-what?"

"Look," Tim's hands come to rest on his duty belt, "you were a mess out of the gate. And I cut you some slack I shouldn't have for two reasons. One, your dad is head of I.A. and my ass was on the line if you washed out and I didn't give you a fair chance. Two, you're Lucy's best friend and from the moment I've known her all she's done is talk about how much you wanted to be a cop, so I knew it would devastate her and you if that didn't happen for you. But after your latest meltdown and all of your wishy-washy bullshit the past couple of months, I'm not convinced that's really what you want after all."

"It is!" Jackson insists.

"Yeah?" Tim challenges him. "And why's that, West?"

"Because it's what I've always wanted, sir."

"Being groomed for this job and wanting to do this job are not the same thing, and there's no room in the L.A.P.D. for you to sort out your daddy issues and figure out which one that really is for you. You almost cost a woman and her baby their life yesterday from your reckless attitude because all of a sudden you decided it's time to slack off and not take things so seriously. Guess what? Everything about this job is serious, boot. We're dealing with people's lives every single day. I will not cut you any more slack and if you as much as make a wrong step today, I'm going to Grey at the end of shift and having you reassigned to Webb or some other half ass cop that'll train you to dodge calls and play it safe with a full explanation of why I no longer want you as my rookie and feel that's the best path for you. Understood?"

Jackson's lips press together tightly and he nods slowly. "Yes, sir. How can I start to make this right? What can I do to prove to you that I do want this? Not for my dad, not for anyone else, but for me?"

Tim digs in his pocket and retrieves the keys to the shop, and without a word, he tosses them to Jackson and he fumbles to catch them. "You got stuck behind a desk on plain clothes day, so I never got the chance to see what you'd do calling the shots. Now's your chance, you're in charge. Show me what you've got, boot."

Jackson swallows, roughly gripping the keys in his hands until the metal ends dig into his palm painfully. "Happy to, sir."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy and Angela have inadvertently busted a man for possible homicide after responding to a call at a local psychic shop where a customer grew violent after the psychic began talking about seeing him in the woods with a woman and he started flipping tables over and yelling at her and after cuffing him is when they get the call to report back to the station for an emergency mandatory meeting in the roll call room.

It's at this meeting that they learn that a murder victim at a bus station was a likely member of a fringe nationalist bio-terrorism group with plans to release a deadly hemorrhagic fever on the city that has a 90% fatality rate and that there's a good chance the murder victim got cold feet and was murdered by his partner, who is going to unleash this deadly bio-weapon any minute in an unknown, but likely populated location.

They're all restricted from letting anyone know exactly what is going on, but they have been given permission to inform their close family to stay away from populated areas. After making calls, they've been tasked with tracking down bus passengers that rode with the victim and conducting interviews, trying to get a lead on the partner's whereabouts.

Lucy glances over her shoulder at Angela the moment they're dismissed, silently letting her T.O. know that she needs a moment alone with Tim, and the woman nods, then looks at Tim, who'd been giving her a similar look.

Angela pushes her chair back and stands, then calls Wesley to warn him to leave his office immediately and go home and be with Jack, while Lucy rushes over to Tim's side.

"You don't think Genny or your mom have left the house, do you?"

"I don't know," he blows out a heavy breath. "But I'm gonna call them and let them know to stay put. Are you gonna call your parents?"

Lucy anxiously rubs her arms. "Yeah. I mean, I–I know they're gonna freak out and demand more details than I can't give them, and they won't agree with not letting the masses know we're sounding the alarm about something, but I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to them and I didn't."

He nods his understanding.

"Tim?"

"Hmmm?"

Her voice is strained and full of worry. Out of all the dangerous situations she imagined herself ending up in as a police officer, trying to halt a domestic terror attack definitely didn't cross that list.

"B–be careful. Okay?"

Tim forces a smile. "Always am," he tries to cooly and confidently play it off, but he can tell the moment the words leave his mouth, they've done nothing to appease her worry, so he does something he normally wouldn't do in the middle of the station, something they've been very careful not to do in front of their co-workers, and he pulls her in for a hug.

"It's gonna be okay, Luce," he promises, holding her against him tightly.

"I know," she sighs into his shoulder, arms clutching around his back.

"You be safe out there, too," he echoes her earlier sentiment.

"Always," she mirrors his words, breathing in his familiar and comforting scent until it fills her nostrils and her lungs wholly and completely, taking it in and memorizing the way he smells and the way she feels in his arms, in case she needs to remember it to help ground herself later, and then she lets him go. The couple share a long, hard look before they break away to phone their family members and hit the streets to try and put a stop to the pending tragedy.

()()()()()()()()()()

"And here I thought you testing me by letting me repeat plain clothes day would be the worst part of my day," Jackson quips as they show up at the bus passengers door.

Tim is unamused by Jackson's comment, and due to the pending attack, he's revoked the in-charge for the day card from his rookie.

When the man answers the door, it quickly becomes clear they have bigger issues on their hands than simply interviewing the man about what he might've seen, and the moment he starts rattling on about a suspicious bag that was mistakenly switched out that has taken authorities hours to show up and investigate, Tim and Jackson share a weary look, one that only grows the moment the man starts talking about vials he found inside the bag and cutting his finger on one of them.

It only gets worse from there, when moments later the man coughs up globs of blood that splatter all over Tim's face and uniform. With cat-like reflexes, Tim kicks the man's bedroom door closed and instantly locks it the moment he hears Jackson shout his name in a panicked frenzy and he sees his rookie step towards him in his peripherals.

"Bradford," the lock jingles violently and Jackson all but shouts, "are you okay?"

"I'm good, boot! Just stay out there," Tim orders, but as much as he tries to come off reassuringly, he hears the slight tremble in his own normally steady voice.

"You were exposed, weren't you," Jackson knowingly says, but Tim doesn't respond. "Damn it!," the rookie mutters. "I'm calling Grey so he can tell Russo and so we can get the proper people out here to help. Then I'm calling Lucy and letting her know what happened."

"No, you're not," Tim barks at him. "Call Grey and let him talk to Russo, but don't you dare call Chen. Do you hear me?"

"Tim," he tries to reason.

"That's an order, boot," Tim growls. "There's no telling what she's in the middle of right now and there's no reason to worry her. Not yet. So don't you dare call her or I won't hesitate to do what we talked about earlier. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Jackson grudgingly replies, though his stomach twists in knots as he collapses in slow motion onto the floor and retrieves his phone from his pocket to get Tim the help he knows he desperately and immediately needs if this hemorrhagic fever is as serious they've been warned it is.

Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Chapter Text

While Tim is now potentially infected and stuck behind a door with a man showing symptoms of the hemorrhagic virus, Lucy and Angela are all the way across town, Lucy still completely unaware of what's going on with her fiance'.

They've been canvassing a neighborhood where they've been told the suspect might live and while they keep their eyes peeled and wait, Lucy makes casual conversation with Angela to help distract herself from worrying about the threat looming over them.

"Did Wesley make it home to Jack?"

Angela nods, taking a bite of the sandwich she'd grabbed on her wait out of the station, because even during crisis, a girl's gotta eat. As she chews, she covers her mouth and responds, "I'm glad we have Jack, or else I might not have told him."

"Wh–he's your husband! How could you not warn him of a danger like this?"

"Because, he's a social justice warrior who would be too worried about the people's right to know and then he'd cause mass panic and chaos and make our jobs ten times more complicated than they already are right now and put the masses in imminent danger from the spiral that the mass panic would cause. Thankfully, being a father has shifted his priorities just enough that his main concern is being with our son and keeping him safe, while still keeping him the same insufferable man I feel in love with."

Lucy chuckles. "Yeah, no, I-I get it. My parents were demanding to know all the details the moment I told them. Part of me wanted to go arrest them and leave them in a holding cell to keep them from doing the same thing."

"It's not too late for that, you know. We can go pick them up now, if you want. I once had to handcuff Wesley and leave him in the back of the shop to stop him from sounding the alarm on something big."

"How did you guys ever end up married?" Lucy snorts.

Angela cocks her brows and shrugs a shoulder. "Fighting is kind of our thing. Some couples run marathons. Some go to Disneyland. We fight, and then," she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively with a twinkle in her eye, "we make up. And that's the part that we're really, really good at."

Just then Grey comes in over the radio: "Feds are pulling resources from all over the Southland. All major roads heading to LAX. So while the airport is shut down, I need you providing support at assigned checkpoints on Century and Sepulveda.

"7-Adam-07, copy," Lucy is the one ro respond. "En route to Sepulveda checkpoint."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Back at the infected man's house, a team from the CDC arrives, and Jackson breathes out an audible sigh of relief.

"Officer West," a man who has introduced himself as Dr. Morgan addresses him, "can you tell me what happened?"

Jackson relays the story of the switched bags at the bus station and how the man who found the suspects bag coughed up blood on Tim, and Jackson watches in wide eyed horror as the team from the CDC urgently begin to seal all of the interior doors and windows with plastic and duct tape.

"What are they doing?" Jackson frantically barks. "We need to get them out of here!"

"We will," Dr. Morgan calmingly assures him. "But first, we have to establish proper quarantine. Did any of the blood get on you?"

Jackson shakes his head, his mouth going dry. "No. Uh, no. I was out here and Officer Bradford immediately closed the door."

"Smart man." The doctor steps closer to the door. "Officer Bradford, this is Dr. Morgan from the CDC."

"Hey Doc," Tim replies, and his voice is still stuck in that unusually uneasy tone that betrays every bit of his normal cool and confident demeanor.

"How you doing in there?"

Tim is sitting on the floor with his back against the wall next to the bedroom door. He's removed his coat and uniform shirt, but he's still sporting his Kevlar vest and his white t-shirt underneath it. He swallows as he watches the man, Mr. Langston, sit on the floor on the other side of the room, sweating bullets, coughing uncontrollably, and his nose bleeding profusely.

Though he won't admit it out loud, Tim's afraid.

He's fucking terridied.

He knows every day he clocks in for this job that he's putting his life on the line, but he's used to doing that in a way he's been trained for. He knows how to fight off an angry suspect trying to kill him. He knows how to dodge bullets and shoot back with precision. He knows pit maneuvers to dodge other cars. He knows how to think on his feet and get himself out of almost any life threatening situation.

But this deadly pathogen that was splattered all over him? The one with a 90% fatal? The one he's watching the man in front of him slowly and painfully die from? No training in the world can equip him to fight this off.

All he can think about right now is Lucy.

How he may never get the chance to see her again. Hold her again. Kiss her again. Make love to her again. How he may never get to marry her. To watch her carry their first child. To raise children with her. Grow old with her.

As he sits and stares off at the unfamiliar wall in front of them, he feels like he's watching their future, his future, go up in smoke, and it causes a painful, indescribable ache in his chest.

A part of him wants her here next to him right now. He wants to hold her in his arms for whatever little time he has left before he suffers the same fate as the man on the floor across from him and tell her how much he loves her and how much she means to him and how much better she's made his life. To thank her for putting him back together piece by piece and showing him how to live again.

But that's the selfish part of him. The part that's seeking his own comfort.

The part that loves Lucy more than life itself won't let him give in to that desire. It's what made him tell Jackson not to call her.

First and foremost, he knows that once she hears he's been exposed, she's going to freak out. She's absolutely going to lose it, he knows this because if she was the one exposed and he got the same phone call, he'd fucking lose it. And he has no idea what she's in the middle of right now. What she could be facing while she gets that phone call, and he doesn't want to put her in danger, not because she can't handle herself, but because he knows the paralyzing, all consuming fear he felt when he found out her life was in danger and he doesn't want her to experience that while she may be in the middle of her own turmoil on the job.

And second, he's afraid of Lucy knowing because he knows that once she knows, she will go through hell and high water to get into this house to be with him, CDC and their precautionary quarantine measures be damned. And he absolutely 100% does not want to put her life in danger. Does not want her to come anywhere near this deadly pathogen, even if it means being by his side while he's afraid and suffering.

And the suffering part, well, that's the 3rd reason he doesn't want her here. If she did somehow get past the CDC and make it into this house, which he has no doubt she would, he doesn't want her to watch or hear him go out like he knows he will if the vaccine doesn't get to him in time, bleeding from every orifice, choking on his own blood.

No, he can't subject her to that. More importantly, he won't. Absolutely will not subject her to images of him dying a slow and painful death that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life, giving her new nightmares he'll no longer be there to hold her after she wakes shaking and in tears from.

And even though he is far from fine, he pushes all of these thoughts from his mind and clears his throat, forcing his voice to grow more calm and steady as he tells the doctor on the other side of this door, "I'm fine, but Mr. Langston is struggling a little."

"Can you describe his condition?"

"Yeah. He, uh, started coughing up blood about 20 minutes ago. Now he's got a pretty wicked nose bleed."

"Why aren't they coming in to help? Where's my ambulance?" Mr. Langston cries in a panic.

"It'll be here any minute. Just stay put," Tim calmly but firmly tells him and he can hear Jackson on the other side of the door hissing, "When will the vaccine be here?"

"It's still in the air. Should land in the next hour or so," Dr. Morgan responds, and it's all Tim can do not to roll his eyes as he grimly stares ahead at the man rapidly deteriorating in front of his own eyes and he suppresses the urge to vomit that churns in his gut.

"You can't make Tim wait in there that long," Jackson argues. "He might not even be infected."

"Sorry," Dr. Morgan sympathizes, but quarantine rules exist for a reason. Officer Bradford, do you mind if I put you to work while you wait?"

Tim's lips form a thin line. "You wanna know what's in the bag?"

"Yes, I do."

"Copy that." He's almost relieved at being given a task. Something to take his mind off the fact he might be dying. Something to take his mind off of longing for Lucy. Take his mind off the fact of how devastated his loss will make her. How much it will affect his mom and sister.

"West," he instructs, "I'm gonna turn on my body cam. You can monitor it from out there."

"Okay…Tim?" The rookie's voice quakes.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

His hands shake when he reaches for his body cam. Jackson's words are a reflection of Lucy's earlier ones to him, just before they left the station, and he remembers how he promised her he'd be fine. How that's a promise he's afraid he can no longer uphold.

He thinks of how happy they were this morning. The hot water cascading over their skin as he deliberately moved in and out of her. He thinks of the way she giggled against his lips when he pushed her against the countertop and stole a few lazy kisses while he flipped their pancakes and how she tasted like mint, the toothpaste she'd used moments before still fresh on her lips. The way her small hand fit perfectly inside of his when he locked their fingers together. And how that comforting hug they shared in the middle of the roll call room may have very been the last time he touched her and breathed her in.

He sucks in a sharp breath and pushes all of those thoughts from his mind, distracting himself with the task at hand as he carefully peruses the contents of the bag and explains what he finds, giving Dr. Morgan the information he needs so that they're able to piece together how the suspect is planning to transmit the pathogen, but defeatedly telling everyone on the other side of the door that there is no I.D. or target information to be found.

As soon as those words leave his mouth, he hears Jackson shout, "Tim! Look out! Look out!"

His nose scrunches and his brows knit and as soon as he spins on his heels, he barely has time to react once he sees Mr. Langston charging at him with a chair, the sound of a loud crack filling his ears at the same moment that blinding pain seers his head.

Chapter 94: Chapter 94

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

As Lopez drives towards Sepulveda, Lucy takes a moment to check her phone. She ignores the incessant messages from her mother begging to know more information. Shoots off a quick text to her Aunt Amy, who's checking to see if she's okay. Then her eyes brighten when she notices a message from Tim, but when she opens it and begins reading it, her brows pull together in confusion, not because of what it says, but from the random nature of the message that simply says, "I love you, baby.

"Something wrong?" Angela asks, having looked over and noticed the troubled look on her rookie's face.

Her brows still knit together, Lucy slowly shakes her head. "No. Um. No. It's just..I got a weird message from Tim."

"What's it say?"

"I love you, baby."

"You're right. That is super weird that your fiancee', the man who asked you to marry him and would literally move Heaven and Earth for you if he could, would tell you that he loves you."

Lucy rolls her eyes. "It's not that part that's weird. It's just the fact that it came out of nowhere. Normally he texts me and asks me how things are going or something and then follows with a message like that. Not just randomly saying I love you."

"Well," Angela lifts a hand from the steering wheel as she drives, eyes focused on the road, "it isn't exactly a normal day and it was pretty evident you were shaken up from the bio-terrorism news before we left the station. Maybe he's just worried about you and trying to be reassuring and he didn't have time to say much else."

"Yeah. Yeah. You're probably right." Lucy's hands run up and down her thigh and she types out a message back to him. "I love you more, babe! I can't wait for this mess to be under control and for us to get take out and go home and curl up on the couch with our boy and watch the newest episode of Top Chef. And, just to give you something to look forward to, I was thinking we could pick up where we left off at breakfast. ;) ;) ;)"

()()()()()()()()()()

Tim was able to get his taser out just as Mr. Langston clocked him over the head with the chair. When he comes to, Mr. Langston is still on the floor from being tased, and Tim can feel blood trickling down his face. He shakes the haze and the pain off, then quickly covers his mouth and retrieves his handcuffs and crawls over to the sick man, cuffing him to the leg of his bed to prevent a future attack.

Once he's secured the threat, Tim scurries backwards on hands and knees to the bedroom door, his back pressed firmly against the wood as he calls out to a frenzied Jacskon, letting him know that he's okay.

He tears off a sliver from the bottom of his white t-shirt and presses it to his bleeding forehead, his chest heaving from what he hopes is only the adrenaline of what just transpired, and he feels his phone buzz in his pocket.

With his free hand, he pulls the phone out, his heart seizing in his chest as he reads Lucy's reply, and a tear slips from the corner of his eye as he considers the fact he may never make it home to her tonight.

He knows he should tell her what's going on. Knows she has every right to know. But he can't bring himself to just yet. The need he has to protect her from danger is overriding his desire from clicking on her contact icon that she set in his phone herself, Lucy aka Best Fiancee' Ever, and dialing her number to let her know exactly what's going on.

He will tell her, he promises himself. He will. He won't die without talking to her again. Hearing her voice one more time and audibly telling her he loves her. But he won't make that call until he knows his time is coming. Until he knows he'll be already gone before she can get there to see him go out like Pete on the floor over there. He refuses to put her in any form of danger and emotional turmoil until he absolutely knows he has to.

He closes his messages. Not replying to the text she sent him back for now. Any reply he sends, other than the truth of what's happening right now, is too much of a lie for him to spin to her. And while he knows he's already lying by not telling her what's going on and keeping her in the dark, he can't bring himself to ignore the truth of what's happening if he lets himself reply. He can't keep up a conversation with her and lull her into a false sense of security that he knows will later be burst.

His finger swipes longingly over the screen of his phone. Eyes lingering on the engagement photo they sent his mom that's set as his home screen. The one where they're kissing and Lucy's ring clad hand is covering his cheek and his stomach churns as he closes his eyes and silently prays for the experimental vaccine to get here soon.

()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy and Angela are diverted on their way to Sepulveda after a call comes in over the radio, alerting them to the fact that the suspect vehicle was spotted on Centinela, heading south on La Cienega. California license Victor, 5, Bravo, Uniform, 9, Foxtrot, 7.

They join in on the car chase, and Nolan and Harper perform a pit maneuver to stop the suspect vehicle, which ends in a wreck, and the suspect, and an additional suspect they weren't aware of, begin fleeing on foot. Harper and Nolan chase after one of the men, while Lucy and Lopez chase after the other.

Shots are fired at both sets of cops as the men flee and the man they're pursuing ends up fleeing onto a bus,for cover, a backpack on his shoulders that they all fear is filled with the pathogen.

Quickly, Lucy and Lopez concoct a plan to apprehend the man and get the bus driver and passengers out of harm's way. Lopez grabs a rifle from the back of the shop and Lucy boards the bus inconspicuously, her intention being to distract the suspect long enough to give Lopez an open shot.

Her heart hammers in her chest as she arms herself and gets into position, sneaking in from the back of the bus and moving herself into position to begin talking to the man, barricading herself behind a seat for protection, knowing good and damn well that while it might protect her from bullets, it'll do nothing to save her from the pathogen if this man releases it, but she knows she has to do this. It's her job to protect these people. To protect her city. In turn to protect herself and those she loves most.

As the man's hands grip the mist bottle and he threatens to spray the bus if she doesn't let him go, Lucy doesn't back down, her voice remaining calm and steady as she firmly tells him she made her peace with dying when she stepped foot on this bus, but she won't let him go so he can hurt more people.

And she means what she said.

She knows she might die any minute now, or a few hours from now if a bullet doesn't get her and he sprays the virus and it does.

She knows it and she hates it, but she accepts it. Accepts she may never get to see Tim again. May never get to marry him and build their family, but she takes solace in the fact that at least it means everyone else she loves, Tim included, will get to live if she doesn't make it.

Thankfully, she doesn't die, though.

The moment Lucy takes a step forward from behind her protective barrier the man steps out of his covering as well and moves towards her and Lopez takes her shot. Lucy flinches, her ears ringing as the mist bottle drops from the man's hand and blood from his fatal bullet wound splatters across her face and uniform jacket.

She let's go of the breath she was holding and clears the passengers off the bus, slowly pressing her hand on her neck as she feels a shallow, bleeding scrape.

"D-did you shoot me?" She cocks a surprised brow at Angela as the woman steps towards her.

"Maybe a little," Angela smirks and lightly teases, "Don't tell Tim, though, or I might drop you from the program."

()()()()()()()()()()()

It's been well over an hour since the vaccine was supposed to have arrived, and in that time frame, Tim has watched Pete Langston die right in front of his eyes. His breathing growing ragged, eyes bleeding, and body twitching as he screamed and begged for help, gurgling on his own blood, while Tim watched helplessly, imagining himself suffering a similar fate.

He's started scrolling through his phone, trying to burn away the image of the dead man in front of him by filling his mind with happy memories. He scrolls through pictures of his nephew, of Kojo, of Lucy, those three making up the bulk of the album on his phone. But he also looks at his mom and his sister's social media. And Harper and Lopez's. Reminding himself of all the people he loves and all the people that love him and thinking fondly on all the memories they've made together.

He pulls up Lucy's ClipTalk. Watching all the silly videos she's made with Genny, Jackson, Aaron, and Celina, and a few she's talked his mom, Nolan, Harper, and Lopez into making with her. He feels guilty at the moment that he's always been so grumpy about making them with her when she's asked and that he only has two or three of them together to look back on now. Feels guilty that she'll only have those two or three videos to look back on if he doesn't make it through this.

"Hey, I just checked with Dr. Morgan," Jackson rubs his neck as he speaks to Tim from the other side of the door, pulling the T.O. from his stroll down memory lane, "the vaccine should be here any minute now."

"You might be good at a lot of things, but you're a terrible liar, West. You definitely shouldn't pursue a career undercover."

"Wait?" Jackson's head jerks in surprise. "You actually think I'm good at things?" What things? Be specific?"

"You know what, I misspoke. That was clearly the fever talking. You're right, you suck at everything."

Jackson swallows grimly. "How uh–how are you feeling? Any symptoms yet?"

"Sweating like a pig. But that could just be because it's a hundred damn degrees in here," Tim tugs at the collar of his shirt and blows out a shaky breath.

"It's all gonna be okay. You know?" Jackson begins to ramble. "You're gonna go home to Lucy tonight and you guys are gonna get married next year and then have a few kids and make me their godfather and you're gonna finish training me and eat your words about me not being fit to be a cop and you'll tell those kids of yours how their uncle Jackson was the greatest rookie you ever trained.

"Yeah," Tim snorts, "I'm sure you believe that. But if it isn't here so–."

"Man, don't talk like that."

"If it isn't," Tim continues firmly, "I'm not going out like my man Pete here did."

Every muscle in Jackson's body tenses. "What are you saying?"

Tim's eyes fall to the gun on his hip and his throat bobs and his lower lip twitches. "When the time comes..I–I'm going out on my own terms."

"No!" Jackson jumps to his feet. "No, you're not."

"West!"

"No, don't you sit here and bark orders at me from behind that door, Bradford. You're not doing that to Lucy. I won't let you. You don't even get to think like that. And you know what else you aren't doing to her, you're not keeping this from her anymore. Either you're gonna call her right now or I am. Your choice."

"Who the hell do you think you are barking orders at me? I already told you, boot, if you say anything to Lucy, I'll…"

"I'm your fiancee's best friend, that's who the hell that I think I am," Jackson cuts him off hotly. "And I don't give a damn what you do to me. Wash me out. Assign me to another T.O. I–it doesn't matter. I can live with that. I can't live with the fact Lucy will never forgive me if you die and I didn't let her know what was going on and give her the chance to be near you or tell you she loves you one last time. So pick up your damn phone, and your balls while you're at it, and call the woman you love and tell her what's going on, or I will."

Tim exhales long and sharp. "Alright, fine," he growls. "I'm calling her."

"Put it on speaker," Jackson orders.

"Excuse me?"

"Just..until she answers. Until I know you've told her what's going on. Do it, Tim, or I will. I'm not kidding."

"Fine," he growls again, his hand shaking as he dials Lucy's number. She picks up on the third ring, her voice bright and cheerful, all things considered for what he's certain she's been going through all day, and when he hears her say, "Hey babe. I was just thinking about you. Guess what? We got the suspects. Lopez and I even took one down ourselves," he feels his breath catch in his chest, the words he was about to speak freezing in his throat.

"Tim? Are you there?"

"Y–yeah," he chokes out, "I'm here baby."

"What's wrong?" She instantly clocks it in his tone, and he imagines the crestfallen look she gets when she's upset washing over her face and again, his chest tightens.

"I um…I need to tell you something…"

"Is Jackson okay?"

"Yeah..He–he's fine. I promise."

"Thank God!"

"Luce?"

"Yeah?"

"I uh…" his voice continues to shake, and as much as he wants to be strong for her, as much as he wants to convince her there's nothing to worry about, he can't correct his tone. "You know how we went to interview bus passengers earlier?"

Yeah?"

"We uh…one of the passengers…his bag got mixed up with the suspects. He um…he cut his finger on a vial and he was exposed."

"Is he okay?"

Tim is silent for a beat as he stares at the man's lifeless body and he gulps. "No baby, he's not."

"Oh. I'm sorry." It's clear she's not expecting him to tell her that he's been exposed, but more so recount a difficult day to her, and he knows he's about to break her heart.

"Luce..I'm so sorry.."

"Wha–why are you sorry?"

There it is. She's catching on to the fact that something's wrong. Bad wrong. He clearly detects the hint of panic in her voice.

"He–he…before he passed…he coughed up blood on me. I've been exposed and I'm in quarantine. I–have been for a couple hours."

A strangled sound fills the line, followed by, "Where are you?"

"Luce…"

"Where the hell are you, Tim?" She hisses, and he can hear the tears in her voice.

"Baby, I told you, the CDC has me in quarantine…you can't.."

"I don't give a damn about the CDC or quarantine, Tim. Where are you?" She fiercely demands.

Before he can say another word, Jackson's shouting the address to Lucy from behind the door and Tim is cursing himself for not taking the phone off speaker.

Notes:

So...should Tim have told Lucy? Absolutely. But, in canon, it's pretty on point for Tim to not tell Lucy when he's in danger. Specifically 5.06 and 5.21, and I've had this moment in my head for a while because of that and this is the road we took here because the muse does what she wants. Also, we will see a very pissed and upset Lucy next. I know y'all have been waiting for that but by now you guys already know how long it takes me to get to a point since we're 94 chapters in. Ngl though. I'm slightly nervous about this chapter and the next and the response to them.

Chapter 95: Chapter 95

Notes:

This took a few segments to write and it ended up longer than I expected.

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

The moment the words, "I've been exposed," left Tim's mouth, Lucy's head began to spin and for a moment, it felt like the ground beneath her feet was going to open her up and swallow her whole. The fear of losing Tim formed a vice grip around her heart, and she struggled to breathe long enough to form words and regain enough composure to find out where he was so she could get to him as fast as she could.

For the moment, she tried like hell to ignore the fact that he'd also included the tidbit about how initial exposure happened hours ago, they would fight about him keeping her in the dark this long later, her first and only concern for now was her desperation and determination to be by his side.

Which apparently he didn't want, because Jackson was the one who'd had to scream the address out to her, so muffled she had to repeat it in her head three times to fully grasp what he meant.

Again, that feeling that the Earth below her might swallow her up overcame her, and she felt as though a dark shadow was standing over her, choking the life out of her as she imagined the impending tragedy of losing the love of her life, and in such a catastrophic, terrible way.

"I'm on my way," she breathlessly mumbled into her phone the moment the address stuck in her mind, her legs rushing her towards the shop.

"Baby, please," came Tim's strangled reply, begging her, "please don't. Just stay put somewhere safe. The–there's nothing you can do. They won't let you in here with me and you don't need to put yourse–"

"Tim," she chokes out, her voice a mixture of anger, fear, and sadness, "you have absolutely lost your mind if you think there's any way in hell you're convincing me not to come be by your side right now. And you better stay on the phone with me the entire time I'm driving to you. Do you hear me?"

"Lucy…"

"Do you hear me?" She repeats firmly, daring him to try one more time to talk her out of this.

"I hear you."

"Good," and then she begins rattling off questions a mile a minute, her hands shaking as they fidget frantically in her pocket for her keys. "A–are you okay? Are you showing symptoms? Are they bringing you the vaccine? Was Jackson exposed, too? How long did it take before the man who exposed you showed his first symptom before he…before he…"

"Chen!?" Lopez calls out from where she'd been standing a few feet away talking to Grey, noticing for the first time that her rookie is standing near their shop, her entire body shaking, as her hands fumble wildly on her pockets.

Lucy, who is balancing the phone between her ear and collarbone, turns her head slightly to glance at Angela, who she just heard calling her name. And it hits her then, in her haste to get to Tim, she'd forgotten her T.O. was the one with the keys. She tries to listen carefully while Tim answers each of her questions, while also calling out desperately to her T.O. "We have to go. Now! Tim's been exposed and the CDC has him in quarantine."

Lopez' eyes bug out of her head and her head jerks from Lucy to Sgt. Grey, and based on the pained, sympathetic, but unsurprised look on the Watch Commander's face, it seems as though this isn't his first time he's been informed of the news.

"Go," Grey gently gives her permission. "You can take care of the paperwork and I.A. stuff later."

Angela nods, her own legs like jelly as she runs towards Lucy and her shop.

()()()()()()()()

Tim puts his phone on mute while Lucy fires question after question at him, and through gritted teeth, he growls at Jackson, "I'm gonna stick my foot so far up your ass when I get out of here that you'll be shitting out my boots."

"And there he is," Jackson's pleased reply comes, "Tim Bradford is back, ladies and gentleman. Good to know you still have that fight left in you and that you're planning on walking out of here after all."

He wants to yell at Jackson, rip him a new one right then and there for disobeying a direct order from a superior officer, but he can't. Lucy's on the other end of the line and he has to take the phone off mute. Has to put her mind at ease as best he can and answer the questions she has. He owes her that much, he knows, so he starts listing off as much information as he can, hoping like hell it quells her nerves enough that she doesn't do something royally stupid in her quest to blow past the CDC and get to him when she gets here.

()()()()()()()()()

Angela puts the address Lucy gave her in the GPS and she anxiously glances between her best friend's fiancee' and the road as she drives.

"He's gonna be fine," she softly promises Lucy, though her own gut is in knots as she thinks of her best friend bleeding from every pore and dying slowly in a room all alone, across from a body that suffered the same fate.

"He better be," Lucy mutters sadly, hitting mute on her phone as she growls, "because I'm gonna kill him myself for keeping this from me for long when we get home."

Angela wouldn't do this with any other rookie, or under any other situation, but Lucy isn't just any rookie and this is an overwhelming situation for her as well, so reaches over and rubs Lucy's knee, forcing a playful smile at the younger woman as she says, "You want any help with that or do you need the honor to be all yours?"

There's a brief flash of light in Lucy's eyes for a single moment, but it goes as soon as it comes and a sudden sob escapes Lucy's lip. "I can't lose him, Ang. I–I can't."

"You're not going to," Angela firmly insists. "They'll get the vaccine there in time and he'll be just fine. It'll take more than a little virus to take out Tim Bradford" And with that promise, Angela pushes the pedal to the floor, her sirens whirring as they race to get to Tim at the quarantine house.

()()()()()()()()()

Angela pulls into the driveway of the quarantine house, and she and Lucy share a pointed look, noticing the white tent set up outside and the shuffling group of men and women milling about in yellow Hazmat suits, Lucy swallows biting back tears, her sole focus to get inside with Tim and make sure he gets the vaccine.

"We just got here baby," she tells Tim, and she hears his exacerbated sigh.

"Luce…please…don't do anything reckless."

She doesn't respond, because she knows she absolutely cannot promise him that.

"I'll see you in a minute, Tim."

"Lucy!"

"I gotta go. I love you."

"Damn it! Lucy!"

But she doesn't respond, she simply hangs up the phone and jumps out of the car, Angela hot on her heels as 3 or 4 people from the CDC rush towards them ordering them back.

They wave their arms in those fat yellow suits, the facial coverings fogging up as they shout, "Officer's, step back! You can't be here. This is a restricted area due to contamination from a deadly virus. It's not safe. I repeat, this premise is not safe."

"My fiance's in there!" Lucy barks. "Where's the vaccine? It was supposed to be here almost two hours ago!"

"It's on the way!"

"That's what he was told an hour ago! Why isn't it here yet?"

"There was a slight hold up on take off," one of the women explains, holding up a non-threatening hazmat suit clad hand. "It should be here soon."

"We–well you can't just keep him in there until then! Wh–why are you making him wait in there, locked in a room with a dead body! You need to let him out. He isn't even showing symptoms! Every minute you leave him locked in there you're further putting him at risk for contamination and exposure."

"We have to follow proper protocol," they continue to explain. "We're very sorry, but we cannot let him out until they give him the vaccine. It's for public safety, including yours."

"Well then let me in there with him!" She demands.

"Ma'am, we understand your concern, but we can't do that either."

Lucy lets out a loud, displeased, huff, rubs the side of her neck, and then ignores the fact that they just told her she's not allowed inside, bobbing and weaving in a mad dash between the men and women in suits as she runs ahead Angela in a desperate race to the front door.

"You can't go in there!" They warn more firmly, and then one of them comes out of nowhere and grabs Lucy from behind, her small body flailing in the air as she tries kicks and thrashes, trying to break free from the Hazmat person's grip.

"I told you, my fiancee's in there!" She barks through tears. "You have to let me in there with him! Please!"

"We can't do that, I'm sorry! We've been trying to tell you, he's been exposed to a deadly pathogen."

"You don't think I know that? I just stopped one of the two people responsible for this whole mess!" She continues to thrash wildly in what she now knows is a man's arms. "Officer Bradford served his country for four years where he was given a silver star and marine achievement medal and has served and protected this city for the last 6 years. His entire adult life has been dedicated to saving others and he deserves to be recognized for his sacrifices by being treated as a medical priority." Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and she pants out through warm, salty, free falling globs of tears, "and if you can't do that for him, if you're just gonna–just gonna let him die in there, let him choke on his own blood, then at least let me go be in there with him while you make him suffer that fate so he doesn't go out alone."

Another person in a hazmat suit comes and stands in front of her, this one a woman with red hair, and she shakes her head side to side sadly, sympathetically and gently telling Lucy, "I'll make a few calls. See where the vaccine is and insist on the urgency of getting here sooner, if possible, but we cannot let you in there. Your fiance' would not want you to put yourself at risk to be with him right now. You have to know that."

Sobbing and her body going limp, Lucy only nods her head, and the man holding her gently places her feet on the ground. She wipes her eyes and tries to steady her heaving chest, and as soon as the man who'd grabbed her steps back, all rational thought leaves her and she tries to make another run for the door, but the woman who just spoke to her tackles her to the ground, and then they hold her down and order a helpless Angela to handcuff her to the shop while the woman who tackled Lucy orders the rest of the crew to allow her to wait handcuffed in the yard until the vaccine arrives.

()()()()()()()()

"You know you just technically attempted to violate a federal order?" Angela points out as she cleans not only the scrape on Lucy's neck she sustained as the bullet grazed her earlier, but also cleans a scrape above Lucy's eye that she received while she was just tackled.

Lucy winces as the antiseptic Angela wipes across her wounds stings her skin, and she mumbles, "Not my finest moment for sure,"

"The one who tackled you seems to be the one in charge out here, and lucky for you, she seems sympathetic, that or she's a little afraid of your scrappy ass. So I think you're gonna avoid the fines and imprisonment that come with that."

Lucy doesn't laugh. Her eyes don't sparkle in the slightest, even for a moment. She doesn't even respond to what Angela just said. "Can you–can you reach in my pocket and grab my phone and dial Tim's number. I just–I wanna talk to him. I need to talk to him until the vaccine gets here. I–I have to know he's okay."

Angela nods and grabs Lucy's phone, pulling up the last call her rookie made and smirking to herself as she notices his name in Lucy's phone. Babe aka Big Softie Angela cocks an amused brow and teases, "Problems in the bedroom, Chen?"

This does earn a slight twitch of the lips from Lucy, though her eyes are still sad and worried and she shakes her head and her eyes flit to the ground. "No. Not at all. Far from it. It's because he's just a–just a big teddy bear. A big, giant stupid teddy bear I'm so pissed at and worried about and as soon as I see him again I'm going to jump in his arms and kiss his big stupid face off and then I'm going to stab him…repeatedly."

Angela rubs Lucy's arm gently and hits the green call button, and it doesn't finish its first ring before Tim's answers.

"They wouldn't let me in," Lucy mumbles defeatedly into the line.

"I heard…and it wasn't from lack of trying on your end," and though Lucy knows he's glad they kept her out, she can hear the hint of pride in his voice from how hard she tried to get to him.

"Yeah..now they've got me handcuffed to the shop. And it's definitely not nearly as fun as the last time I was in handcuffs.

Tim snorts and Angela grimaces and sticks her tongue out as she holds the phone to Lucy's ear.

"Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you still feeling okay?"

"I'm good."

"Tim…" She presses.

"Really, baby, I feel fine. I promise." And he is. Physically, anyway. Other than the pounding headache he has from where his head connected with the chair, he's fine. He's still asymptomatic.

"O–okay," she breathes. "Good."

"You know…I–I've been thinking."

"About what?" Lucy asks.

"Our honeymoon."

"Slow your roll, I think we've gotta make it to the wedding first."

"No..I know..I was just…I was thinking Hawiia might be kinda nice."

"You hate the beach," Lucy scoffs.

"I hate the cesspool that is the ocean, not the beach," he reminds her. "But you love it and you've always wanted to go and I–I love you and I'd really love to take you there and see your face when you see it for the first time. So…what do you think?"

"I think it's a start to making amends for how pissed I am at you for not telling you were locked in a room and possibly dying."

"Lucy, I'm so sorry," he begins shakily, "I only kept it from you becau–"

"Not right now, Tim," she sighs. "We–we can fight later. And believe me, we're going to fight about it. Big time. After. It's just–right now, I want you to tell me more about this amazing honeymoon we're gonna go on."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Around an hour later, the vaccine actually does arrive, and they give Lopez permission to uncuff Lucy after a team has taken it inside. She tells Tim she loves him and has Angela hang up the phone once the team is inside.

She rubs her wrist now that her hand is free, the tight metal cuff having irritated her skin for the past hour.

Harper and Nolan have also arrived at the scene, waiting with her and keeping Genny and Gina up to date for her.

She paces like a wild animal, waiting on Tim, Jackson, and the team from the CDC to exit the home. It feels like an eternity has passed when she sees the front door open and blinks to herself as she watches them lead Tim outside.

She rushes to him, lunging off the ground and into his arms the moment his feet leave the steps.

He catches her with a loud, "umph," and she winds her legs around him, cupping his cheeks with both hands and peppering kisses over every inch of his face, alternating between telling him how much she loves him and how pissed she is at him.

Some members of the team are yelling at her, telling her to get off of him and trying to explain that he still has to go to the CDC for 24 hour monitoring, despite being asymptomatic and receiving the vaccine, but a woman who Lucy assumes is the doctor in charge of everything shuts them down, telling them to just make sure Lucy's taken in for observation as well, and she's so happy she could kiss her, too. Not that they were going to be able to get her off Tim without multiple people prying her off of him anyway.

Lucy frowns when she notices the scabbed over laceration on the side of his head.

"What happened?"

"My quarantine buddy was almost as scrappy as you are and tried to concoct an escape plan. Didn't work out so well for him."

Her frown deepens and she kisses all around it, her thumbs circling over his scruffy cheeks, and when she pulls away, she presses her forehead against his, hot tears of relief streaming down both their cheeks, and his lips move over hers in a long, slow, desperate kiss, both forgetting that they're surrounded by people.

But they don't forget that for long, because their crowd has started whooping and hollering and clapping, and with a deep scowl, Tim pulls away from Lucy and glares at them, growling, "Don't you all have paperwork you should be doing?"

"Oh, yeah," Jackson grins, "he's definitely back."

One of the people in a hazmat suit approaches Tim and Lucy, urgently telling them, "you two need to come with us so we can start the 24 hour observation period."

Tim and Lucy nod and Tim gingerly lowers Lucy to the ground from where she's been perched in his arms.

As they begin walking away hand in hand towards the black van, Tim suddenly stops in his tracks, his heart racing erratically, his hearing growing fuzzy, and his vision blurring. The last thing he remembers before he hits the ground is Lucy's worried voice and her hand curling around his bicep.

Notes:

Up next. Tim takes a trip to the hospital. Lucy and Tim fight about his decision to keep things from her. Lucy confronts Jackson. Tim confronts Jackson.

Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Notes:

After writing this, it ended up just being about Tim and Lucy's fight. I didn't want to mess with the tone and flow of this chapter after considering it. The Jackson conversations will come next chapter.

Chapter Text

Tim is rushed by ambulance to Shaw Memorial after he collapses, and Lucy rides in the back with him. For the second time today, she feels like her world is going to shatter.

She looks on helplessly as he has a seizure and listens with baited breath as the medical team explains they don't think his collapse is related to the virus, more likely, based on his symptoms, an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine.

They give him epinephrine to combat the anaphylaxis, and as they pull into the emergency room parking lot, they encounter an entirely new threat when an armed gun-woman starts rattling off rounds.

When bullets pierce through the side of the ambulance, the first thing Lucy does is shield Tim's limp body with her own. She kisses his forehead once and then leaps from the back of the vehicle to help her team fight off the shooter, who were leading the way for the ambulance to the hospital.

The automatic weapon proves difficult for them to fight off, despite Lucy, Harper, and Nolan firing back rounds at record speed, but Tim busts through the back door of the ambulance, to everyone's surprise, and takes the shooter down with a single shot to the collarbone.

Nolan rushes to the woman's side, cuffs her, and tries to render aid, but there's no use, the shot was fatal, and he calls it in over the radio.

Lucy has already rushed to Tim's side by the time Nolan stands again and the newly crowned P2 looks to his senior officer, a bit bewildered by how much better he looks than he did less than 10 minutes ago, and asks, "Are you okay?"

Tim looks to Lucy, throwing his arm around her, and shakes his head, muttering, "I should've taken today off."

()()()()()()()()()()

From the hospital parking lot, Tim and Lucy are transferred to an isolation wing at the California branch CDC office in San Bernardino, where they'll spend the next 24 hours under close monitoring, not only for symptoms, but for additional side effects Tim may experience from the vaccine.

They're placed in a negative pressure room with glass doors and a single hospital bed, which they curl up together in.

Another dose of the experimental vaccine is put on standby in case Lucy begins displaying any symptoms, though the team believes it's unlikely since Tim was out of the window of incubation period and not experiencing symptoms by the time the two had any contact.

The sheer relief Lucy's felt since the moment she was reunited with Tim, coupled with the lack of privacy during their stay in the isolation wing, has stopped them from fighting thus far.

But that all ends the moment they're released the next day with a clear bill of health. Almost the moment they step inside the door of their home, it's like a light switch has flipped with Lucy's mood.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Behind the safety of their own four walls, she wastes no time letting Tim know exactly how she feels about his choice to keep his exposure from her.

"How could you do that?" She barks, unable to maintain her composure and talk calmly the way she normally would when they're fighting. The hurt is too deep. Still too fresh.

He holds up two hands in front of himself. "If you'll calm down and let me explain…."

"Explain what, Tim?" Huh!" Tears spill out of the corner of her eyes as her arms flail wildly. "That you–that you were just gonna let yourself die alone in that room without telling me what was happening to you?"

"I was gonna tell you!" He yells back defensively.

"Oh really? When? When you we–were bleeding from your eyes, ears, nose? When were you gonna tell me, Tim? When you could gurgle out one last I love you and you'd be long gone before I had a chance to get to you?"

He looks down at the floor, avoiding her scrutinizing gaze. He's glad Kojo is with his mom and Genny, because the dog would not be happy about the way they're talking to each other.

"Exactly, Tim. I just–I don't understand how you could keep that from me for so long."

"I made a mistake, Lucy." His voice softens. "Okay, I–I did. But I'm not the only one who made a mistake yesterday."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He stares at her incredulously. "Seriously? You think that I don't know that you trying to fight off CDC personnel and bust into a government mandated quarantined area is a federal crime? Not only could you have tanked your career, you could've ended up in jail on top of that. You're lucky that the doctor's husband died unexpectedly a few weeks ago and she understood your insane need to be near me."

"My insane need to be near you?" She huffs. "Yeah, as if you wouldn't have done the same exact thing if it were me on the other side of that door."

"You're right, I would've!" He agrees hotly. "And that's exactly why I didn't tell you immediately. Because I knew what I would've felt if it were you. I knew the lengths I'd go to in order to get to you. I knew how absolutely terrified and helpless you'd feel, and I didn't–I didn't want you to feel that when you were in the middle of God knows what out there on the streets trying to put a stop to all of this." He swipes a hand over his face. "Look, you were more useful out there with a clear head than you would've been handcuffed to the shop outside of that house just to be near me. And you did good, baby. You and Lopez, you took down one of these guys. You stopped them from unleashing this virus on the city. From potentially killing millions of people. You did that, Luce, and that was more important than being near me at that moment."

She swallows and shakes her head at him, tears still falling from her eyes, and each one he watches slip down her cheek cuts him like a sharp knife because he knows he's the cause of them.

"That's where you're wrong, Tim," she chokes out. "The moment you asked me to be your wife and I agreed, you became more important than anything else to me. Hell, if I'm being honest, you already were before that."

They've been standing at least six feet apart until now, shouting at each other across their living room, but Lucy rushes over to him now, grabbing his hands in hers and staring into his eyes as she says, "I love this job. It's important to me and what I do, it matters. I know that. Okay? I–I do. But some other cop could've done the same thing I did yesterday. Some other cop could've stopped the terrorist and they would have. But you? There's no one else that should've been at your side but me. You're going to be my husband and that's…it's more important than this job to me. They can replace me in the blink of an eye, but you? I can't replace you and if I'm going to lose you and you know that, then I deserve to have the choice to come and spend your last moments with you. I deserve to be able to tell you goodbye."

"You're right," he rasps, "I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner."

"Yeah, you should've. If this is gonna work long term, if we're going to have a healthy marriage, we can't keep secrets like this from each other. Okay? We–we have to be honest, even if we're scared of what that honesty could do to the other person and we can't assume we know what's best, no matter how good our intentions are or how well we know each other. And I get that you were worried about how I'd react. I understand all too well now what you felt the night I was stabbed and how all consuming and paralyzing that fear was for you. But I also need you to know that when you were in the back of that ambulance yesterday, even though I didn't wanna get out and leave you when those bullets started flying, I did. Because it's what I had to do to keep you and myself safe. I would've done the same thing on the streets if you'd told me about your exposure. I would've kept a level head long enough to get myself out of whatever it was I was in the middle of to be able to get to you."

He nods and clears his throat, thick emotion overcoming him.

"I um…are you saying we shouldn't…that this proves we shouldn't get married?"

"Wh–no! No, that's not what I meant." Her brows pull together and she shakes her head and squeezes his hand. "Babe, I'm just saying we need to learn a valuable lesson from this if we're going to have a happy and successful marriage. Which I know we will, because that's what we do. We figure things out. Together. We've always done that. I wasn't saying that I don't think we should get married. I mean, if anything, it made me want to get married sooner."

"R–really?"

"Yeah." Her shoulders shrug. "We both could have died at different points this year. I don't–I don't wanna keep putting it off and then all of a sudden, it's–it's too late. You know? I wanna be your wife. And I want you to be my husband. I don't–I don't wanna waste time that we might not have because we're too worried that planning that might be a distraction. I think that's one of our biggest problems. You know? We underestimate what we can handle. And maybe it'd be a lot to handle on our own, but together? Together, we make a pretty good team."

He feels the heavy weight that settled on his chest moments before begin to lift and a smile tugs at his lips and he leans in, his mouth only an inch from hers and mutters, "Not just a good team, we make a great team."

"Yeah," she agrees breathlessly, "a great team." And she moves in closer to bridge the gap between them.

It doesn't take long for that kiss to grow heated. For Lucy to start tugging at the hem of his shirt and for him to start backing them against the wall while she effortlessly works the button of his pants.

She's wanted, no scratch that, needed, to be intimate with him from the moment she knew he was going to be okay. Desperately needed the grounding that only their bodies joined together can bring her.

And as he steps out of his pants and bucks her against the wall with his hips, nipping at her neck while he tugs at her pants, she wastes no time threading her fingers through his hair, arching her neck to give him better access while his hands roughly palms her breasts and she is left desperately panting, "I need you."

He tries to take a step back, planning to break the spell long enough to back her into their bedroom, but her fingernails dig into the back of his neck and she holds him in place and she moans out, "No time for that. I need you. Now."

His eyes darken and he obediently nods, moving his lips over hers frantically and snatching her panties down, before sliding his hands under her ass and snatching her into his arms and pinning her back against the wall, where he makes love to her. Rough, desperate, and dirty.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

In the aftermath of lovemaking, they remain tethered together, Lucy still pressed against the wall, both of them dripping with sweat and breathing heavily.

Pictures frames and decorations have fallen off the wall and to the floor, some of the glass from the frames have been shattered from their fall, but neither of them pays any mind to that for now, completely lost in each other.

Tim kisses her collarbone gently, such a sharp contrast to the rough way he was nipping at her skin only moments before, and he promises against her salty skin, "I won't ever leave you in the dark like that again. No matter what. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I know you are," she soothes, her hands trailing their way up and down his slick back. "It's okay. And I'm sorry I lost my mind a little and almost got myself arrested."

His lips trail their way from her collarbone up her neck Gingerly, tentatively working his way to her lips, appreciating and devouring every inch of her skin. Reveling in the way she tastes. Something he'd feared a little over 24 hours ago that he'd never be able to do again

When he reaches his destination, her lips, he kisses her, long and gently, until they're both deprived of oxygen and have no choice but to pull away, he rests his forehead against hers, and his voice is thick and raspy when he asks, "Did you mean what you earlier?"

"Every word," she pants. "But, I need you to be a little more specific, which part are you referring to?"

"That you don't wanna wait to get married?

She swallows. Her saliva suddenly feeling so thick that she could choke on it. She did. She absolutely meant it. But in the aftermath of her passion filled rant, part of her fears he isn't ready for it. Afterall, he never said he was when she blurted it out. "I mean…"

"Because if you did, I'm ready whenever you are. "He cuts her off. " We can go to the courthouse right now, if that's what you want."

"Right now?" She giggles. Her eyes falling to their bare chests. "You sure about that?"

"You know what I mean." He grumbles, rolling his eyes.

"I do," she breathes out sharply. "I do know what you mean."

"So, is that something you want?"

Her head bobs side to side, and she can see the clear confusion wash over him.

"I do wanna get married soon," she clarifies. "Just, not today. I still want our closest friends and family there. Something small and intimate, but more personal than the courthouse. I wanna start planning. I wanna pick out my dress. I want us to pick out a venue. Pick out bridesmaids and groomsmen. Set a date, one that's not too far away. Plan the reception. Maybe book tickets for that honeymoon you were telling me all about."

He gives her that dopey grin of his. The one that makes her heart flutter and her knees go weak.

"Okay," and he starts walking them towards the shower. "Let's get cleaned up and start planning our wedding."

Her brows shoot all the way to her forehead. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," he nods eagerly.

And they giggle together all the way to the shower.

Chapter 97: Chapter 97

Chapter Text

Later that evening, Lucy goes to the front door of her home to answer the steady knock. She isn't expecting anyone per say, but after everything that's happened since yesterday, she knows it could literally be anyone in their life showing up for a check in.

When she opens the door, it's Jackson she finds standing behind it. One of her best friends. Tim's rookie. And he's standing in front of her with a bouquet of flowers and a brown paper bag from her favorite Thai place, giving her a tight smile.

Her arms fold across her chest, giving herself a hug, and they exchange awkward hellos as she steps aside to let him come inside..

There's thick heaviness in the air that's never existed before and neither of them quite seem to know how to navigate it.

Lucy takes the items from him and thanks Jackson, telling him he didn't have to bring over the flowers and food, and he follows behind her as she walks to the kitchen to put the food away and place the flowers on their center island.

"So uh, where's Tim? I didn't see his truck outside."

"He had to go to the station for the officer involved shooting interview and to fill out paperwork. Afterwards, he's going to Genny's to visit with her and his mom and pick Kojo up."

He nods and leans against the island as thick silence blankets them, and he lets out a sharp breath, his eyes flicking to his Nike's as he mutters, "You're mad at me." There's no question behind his words, only observation.

"I'm not mad," she begins carefully, her hands fidgeting together as she rocks back and forth on her heels.

"Bullshit, Luce."

"I'm not mad," she insists again, more firmly this time. "I'm just…Tim could've died, Jackson. I don't get why you didn't tell me the minute he was exposed. You knew for hours and you–you didn't say anything to me."

"He's my superior Officer, Lucy," he reminds her. "He gave me a direct order not to. And e–even if he didn't, it wasn't my place to tell you. It was his."

"I know that," she squeaks. "I do and he does. At least, he does now because we fought about it and I reminded him why he can't just leave me in the dark to protect me. It's just, two of the most important people in my life kept something huge from me, something I deserved to know, and it hurts knowing that."

"I get it, I do. And I'm sorry. Okay? I am. I really am. Under any other circumstance, I would've told you. But Tim's my boss and it complicates things."

"Yeah," she agrees, shaking her head. "I get it. Just working with him complicates things for our relationship. It's not quite the perfect fairytale scenario we had in our heads when I decided to go to Mid-Wilshire."

He smiles sympathetically and leans forward. "If it helps, I wanted to tell you right when I found out. And before he called you, I stood up to him and told him I didn't give a damn about my job and that if he didn't call you and tell you right then, that I would."

"No wonder you were so nervous when I answered the door," Lucy's lip twitches.

"Yeah, well," Jackson snorts, "it gets worse. I may or may not have told him to go find his balls."

Lucy winces.

"I know. He's gonna kick my ass. I mean, after he has me assigned to a new T.O. That is, if he doesn't have me fired for insubordination."

"Wait, what?

Jackson tells her about the conversation Tim had with him prior to getting in the shop yesterday morning.

"Okay," she holds up both hands, "that's not gonna happen. I'll talk to Tim and…"

"No," Jackson cuts her off, "you won't."

"Yeah, I will," she insists.

"Lucy," comes Jackson's stern reply. "No, you won't. You and Tim have already had at least two fights about you staying out of it when it comes to him training me. And he's right, you can't let your personal feelings about me dictate his decision. It has nothing to do with your relationship and it isn't your place."

Reluctantly, she concedes, "you're right. It sucks, though. I mean, we only have a few months left in the program. He can't wash you out or hand you over to someone else now."

Jackson shrugs. "Maybe it's for the best. Maybe Tim washing me out would be for the best. Then I can go find my plan B."

"That's bullshit and you know it. I get that you walked into this thinking it would be a walk in the park because it's what you've always wanted and because you've been bred for it, and it's knocked you down a few pegs and made you question yourself because it's been a lot harder than you expected, but nothing worth having comes easy. You've wanted this for as long as I've known you. And I've seen you in action out there. When you're not in your head, you're a damn good cop."

"Are you just saying that because I'm your best friend?"

"No. And besides, you're not my best friend. Technically, Tim is."

Hey!" Jackson shakes an offended, displeased finger at her.

She shoves him playfully and the two share a laugh.

"Maybe you're right, though," Jackson admits. "I mean, deep down, I do still want this. I just…I'm afraid of not measuring up when it counts. Of being on my own in a few months and screwing up from something I can't come back from. Of–of not being half the cop my dad was. If who I thought he was even is who he was."

Lucy reaches over and rubs his back. "I don't know if what Oscar said is true or not, he's a liar and a manipulator, but even if it was, you're not your dad and you don't have to be. Just like I'm not my parents and I am so glad I realized that I didn't have to be. You're going to blaze your own trail and become your own cop, and you know what, I'm sure someday you'll be even better than he was."

"I don't know about that, but thank you," he smiles. "So I guess you and I are good now, huh?"

"Yeah, we are. And uh, it's a good thing, too. Because I've got a very important question to ask you."

He cocks a curious brow at her.

"After Tim and I fought," she explains, her voice growing giddy, "and then made up…we uh…we decided we don't wanna wait until I'm done with the program to start wedding planning. We realized life is too short and our careers are too dangerous and we wanna start planning now. So…." she twirls her thumbs, "will you be my man of honor?"

"Uh, duh!" He shouts, reaching over and pulling her in for a bear hug.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Jackson and Lucy settle on the couch and Lucy pulls out her laptop, the two going through the Pinterest wedding board that Lucy's been compiling the last couple of months, squealing together over venue options and dress choices, until both are left looking up when Tim opens the front door, Jackson gulping when he sees the way the man's scowling at him.

Kojo rushes to Lucy and drops on his belly, throwing his legs in the air and scooting around on his back. She rubs his belly and tells him how much she misses him, then stands up and meets Tim in the middle of the room, where they share a hug.

She looks anxiously between Tim and Jackson, then says, "I'm gonna take the King of Canines out in the backyard for a potty break and to get some fresh air. I'll uh, I'll be right back."

Lucy and Kojo disappear and Jackson stands and nods to Tim. "You, uh, you feeling okay?"

"I'm good," comes Tim's short reply. His hands slip into the pocket of his jeans and he shrugs as he says, "I'll be out for a few days. Until I.A. clears me from the hospital shooting and until I get a psych eval. You're gonna ride with Harper."

"So Harper's gonna be my new T.O.?"

"No. Not permanently. Just until I get back."

"Wait, you–you're not having me reassigned? Even after I…"

"I should," Tim cuts him off. "I should've given you a damn blue page."

"But you didn't. Why?"

"Because, boot, you showed me something in that quarantine house that I've been waiting for you to show me for months now."

"What's that?"

"Conviction. Guts. Steadfastness. Confidence. Certainty. You stood up to me there. And while it's not what I've been waiting for you to stand up to me on, you showed me you've got it in you."

"Wait, you've been waiting for me to challenge you? I call b.s."

"Not as far as things on the job go," Tim quickly corrects. "I meant about yourself. Everytime I told you that you weren't meant to be a cop, that you were gonna wash out, that you weren't ready, I was waiting on you to bite back and tell me why the hell you were and why I was wrong. As a cop, you've gotta have that type of fight in you. Physically and mentally. I've seen you throw a punch, so I know you have the physical part down." Tim taps the side of his head. "But the mental part, I didn't think you had it in you. I thought you were just gonna lay down and take everything. Shut down the way you have been doing."

"I haven't been…"

"Yeah, you have. You fuck up and you give up and wallow and doubt everything you ever wanted. You hear a rumor about your dad from a literal sociopath, and you just believe it and get stuck in your own pity party about how awful your dad is and how much you don't respect him now and blah, blah, blah. You have no idea what a bad father is, boot. You hear me? Maybe your dad fucked up and made a bad decision in a time before technology was what we have today and criminals got away left and right because cops couldn't prove shit, and I'm not, I'm not justifying it if he did plant evidence on Oscar. But you and I both know Oscar wasn't innocent and the world's a better place for him being in jail."

Jackson nods along with his arms crossed over his chest and Tim continues, "At the end of the day, Percy West has been in your corner from the moment you were born, supporting you and giving you every opportunity to succeed, and until your own dad has put your head through a wall or kicked you in the stomach, or not talked to you for months just because you didn't follow the path he wanted for you, don't start crying about what a terrible person your dad is and how unfair it is that you can't trust him anymore and how it makes you question your entire being, because I promise that is the top of the iceberg for life could've given you in a father and it's no reason to blow up your entire life over the way you have been."

Jackson swallows. "You're right. I don't know what a bad father is. And I–I have been shutting down. I have been a coward in more ways than one since I started this job."

"Yeah, I know," Tim grunts.

"But I do have that fight in me, Tim. And I will finish this program and I will become a P2. Not because it's what my father wants. Not because it's what everyone in my life expects of me, but because it's what I want and it's what I was meant to do."

"Well, hopefully you finally found your own balls and that's true. And while I'm not washing you out now and I am giving you one final chance, if Harper tells me you fucked up while I'm out or if you fuck up even once when I'm back…"

"Yes sir, I understand."

"Good. And I promise, that's not an empty threat. I mean it. I have a blue page written, tucked away and ready to file."

"I have no doubt. Hey, Tim?"

"Yeah."

"At the quarantine house when I said I'd tell Lucy if you didn't…"

Timg groans. "Don't apologize and take back what you said now that I've just started to respect you a little for standing up to me."

"No," Jackson waves him off. "I–I'm not. I know that it was the right thing to do, even if it wasn't my place to get involved, I know Lucy needed to know and you needed the push to tell her. I just–I wanted to say that I don't wanna be in that position ever again. Where you're making me choose between obeying a direct order from you and telling my best friend the man she loves is in danger. So…if that's gonna happen again, I think it's best if I do get assigned to another T.O."

"Not that my relationship with Lucy is in any way any of your business, but it's not gonna happen again."

"Good, because I really don't want another T.O."

"If you're going to get all sentimental it's not too late for me to assign you to someone else," Tim grumbles.

"Oh, no. I'm not being sentimental. I've just grown accustomed to the way you bitch at me everyday, sir," Jackson grins.

Chapter 98: Chapter 98

Notes:

Sorry it's been a minute. Haven't been in the head space for this story. Anyway, there are officially only 2-3 more chapters to go, including the epilogue. I'll try to crank those remaining chapters out before next Tuesday.

Chapter Text

"You think this is cute?" Tim's scowl deepens as he holds the personalized t-shirt Lucy had made in front of her face. One of the many that are floating around the station that depict a scandalous picture of Tim himself, in all his glory, save for a giant cup-cake covering his crotch.

"Just as cute as you found the t-shirts of me that you had made that showcase me falling asleep during midnight shift," she sasses back at him.

He smirks to himself at the memory of making those t-shirts out of a photo Angela sent him of Lucy passed out and drooling during a midnight shift back when they still lived with Genny and his mom not long after Tyler was born.

But his smirk fades when Smitty walks by and snaps his finger, pointing to the t-shirt in Tim's hand and giggling, "Good morning, Officer Copcake."

Tim huffs and his lips press into a stern line. "At least you were fully clothed! Do you really want the entire station walking around with my naked body on them?"

"Technically," Lucy holds up a single finger, grinning wickedly, "it's not your naked body. It was a very similarly built body that was photoshopped by that kid that was blackmailing Aaron that you and Jackson went to talk to and scare. But even if it was your body, I wouldn't mind." She reaches forward and places a finger on his chest. "I'm the only one who gets to enjoy said naked body at the end of the day."

"Yeah, well," he scoffs, "let's see if you get to enjoy it tonight after this little stunt."

"Challenged accepted, Officer Bradford," Lucy purrs and Tim rolls his eyes and tosses the t-shirt at her in a fit of frustration, which only results in a bellowing laugh from Lucy.

"Officer West," Tim barks the moment he sees Jackson approaching them, "go get our war bags and let's roll." Without looking behind him to see if his boot follows, Tim storms off.

Jackson's hands come to rest at the front of his duty belt and he nods to the t-shirt in Lucy's hand. "I'm guessing he didn't appreciate that little prank you came up with."

"Not particularly."

"Good thing I didn't walk up with my uniform halfway unbuttoned like I planned to do to antagonize him."

"Yeah, that was probably smart," Lucy chuckles.

"Thank you for that, by the way. I'm sure he'll be a dream to ride with today now that you've put him in a mood."

"Eh," Lucy waves him off, "he was gonna be a nightmare anyway, seeing as how today is the start of our 30 day push."

"That is it is," Jackson grins, his eyes bright and beaming. "Only one more month of Tim tests and being tortured. I can't wait to be free of him. You on the other hand," Jackson motions his thumb at her, "get to officially tether yourself to him for life in only a little over 30 more days and I gotta say, after riding with him the last twelve months, I have no clue what the hell you were thinking when you voluntarily agreed to do that."

Lucy purses her lips and sways her hips, proudly holding up the cupcake t-shirt to Jackson. "For one, I was thinking he is a literal snack."

()()()()()()()()()()

"30 day push," Lopez comments as she and Lucy patrol the stress of Los Angeles in their shop that morning, "you feeling nervous."

"Depends. Do you mean nervous about becoming a P2 or nervous about marrying Tim?"

Lucy and Tim have spent the last couple months since the quarantine house planning out their wedding, which turned out to be a lot less stressful than either first anticipated, because of the fact that Aaron basically loaned them every personal assistant he and his family have to take care of everything they could possibly need, save for creating the bride and groom party and making the guest list.

They even borrowed his family travel agent to book their honey and plan out their excursions. All that's left to do is for them to get married, which they decided on doing the weekend that Lucy and Jackson are promoted to P2, and the reason for that being is so that Lucy's PTO kicks in and they can actually go on their honeymoon after the wedding once she's officially promoted to P2.

"Both" Angela retorts playfully.

Lucy twists the engagement ring on her left finger and she can't help the way she smiles as her finger traces over the diamond. "Honestly? I couldn't be more ready for this wedding. I know that probably sounds insane, like, bat shit crazy even…but I feel like we've been through so much together in the less than two years since he moved in with Genny and I and we've supported and stood by one another through all of it and I feel like we can withstand whatever a lifetime together is going to throw at us."

Without turning her head, Angela glances over at Lucy and smiles. "And what about being P2? You nervous for that, boot? Are you ready to survive on your own without me?"

"I'm maybe a little nervous about that," Lucy hesitantly admits. "I mean, I keep getting inside my head about it. You know? What if I get out there on my own and I don't do this? Or what if I should've done that and there's no one standing beside me to remind me or help me figure it out and wha if I, like, totally fuck up a case."

Angela drops her T.O. facade. "You're gonna do fine, Lucy. You've shown yourself time and time again out here the past year. And yeah, maybe sometimes you won't make the right call each and every time, even veteran cops don't, but you'll learn from your mistakes and get it right the next time. And I know that you will because you're a very self-aware and introspective person, and that's why you've excelled so far in this career."

"Thank you," Lucy whispers out, a bit too overcome with emotion to say more.

"You're welcome, boot. Have you, um, have you talked to Tim about how you're feeling? Told him you're worried?"

"Yeah, I have. And he's been encouraging and supportive and…a bit annoying."

"Tim? Annoying? Shocker." The women share a laugh and Angela presess, "What's he doing?"

"Quizzing me every night on all these off the wall scenarios and asking me how I'd react. It's maddening and it's been part of our nightly ritual the last few weeks and it's really getting in the way of quality sexy time."

Angela winces. "That's something I did not need to know."

Lucy opens her mouth to apologize, but her phone begins to buzz to life in her pocket. She silences it. Twice. But by the third time it comes to life, Angela all but yells, "Answer the damn phone, boot," and when Lucy does all the color drains from her face instantly and she begins frantically speaking in cantonese.

"What's going on?" Lopez asks once Lucy's ended the call.

"It's um…that was my dad…h–he's at a conference in Sacramento and my mom was just attacked by one of her patients and rushed to the E.R."

"What hospital?"

"St. Stepehens."

Angela wastes no time whipping the shop around and driving Lucy to the hospital to be with her mom.

()()()()()()()()()

When they arrive, Lucy is escorted back to the triage area and is horrified to find that her mom's arm has been broken and when she tries to get her mother to tell her who did this to her, Vanessa refuses, arguing that it wasn't his fault because he wasn't in the right state of mind and saying Lucy will only have the man locked up and then he won't get the help he needs.

"Just because he's mentally ill doesn't mean he isn't dangerous, Māmā. Think about the woman who stabbed me. She needed help and suffered a psychotic break, but she was still a danger to me. This person who hurt you, they could hurt someone else."

"And if she'd had help after her husband died she may have never escalated and done what she did to you. Your solution is to throw this man in jail?" Vanessa scoffs. "You work for a broken system that jails people for being mentally ill and ignores the root cause of their problems."

Lucy grits her teeth and places her hands on her hip. Leaning forward and countering with a clipped tone, "And you think ignoring what this man did is a better solution?"

"A better solution than letting you lock him up!" Vanessa leans forward herself and fires back, then she immediately winces and grabs her throbbing arm. "If you're more worried about being a cop than being my daughter, then you should leave."

And Lucy does leave. Not permanently, but for the moment. To put some distance between her mother and herself so neither say something they regret. And so her mother doesn't see the unspilled tears that threaten to slip from the corner of her eyes.

()()()()()()()()

While she's clearing her head, she meets up with a patient in the hallway that was hospitalized due to a call she and Lopez responded to yesterday. A young man who was being held hostage, beaten, and tortured by his mother, who believed he'd been possessed by "the dark one."

Despite the heinous act she committed, the young man is still worried about his mom and asks Lucy before their conversation ends, "what's going to happen to my mom? Is she going to be in jail for a long time?"

Lucy empathizes with him. That resilient love and care he still holds for his mother, despite all she's put him through. It's the same love she still has for her own mother, though what Vanessa Chen has put her through is much smaller than what this woman did to her son in comparison, she still understands that undying, unwavering love and concern for the person who literally gave you life and it hits harder today seeing it, believing deep down her mother doesn't have that same level of unwavering love for her.
"It's not my call," Lucy raps out in a shaky breath. "She's facing some serious charges. But um, they will take her state of mind into consideration and if you choose to advocate on her behalf, there's a possibility that she'll get the treatment she needs and avoid a lengthy prison sentence."

The young man's lower lip trembles and he nods. "Thank you, Officer Chen. For everything."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Lucy takes an additional stroll to the cafeteria after visiting with the young victim, Mario, and she knocks lightly before she enters her mother's room again, holding up a package of snickerdoodles as a peace offering and shaking them, telling her mom, "I figured you could use a snack."

"I can't eat them. I'm going into surgery soon."

Lucy nods tightly and places the pack of cookies on the tray in front of her mother's bed. "For later then."

There's a long beat and Lucy bites down on her lower lip and rocks on her heels when she breaks the silence by saying, "I know you're disappointed in me. For…a lot of reasons. But mom, you and dad always taught me as a child to be true to myself and this job…" her voice cracks and she bites down harder on her bottom lip. "it–it's who I am and it makes me happy. You hate the system because it's designed to punish people, not care for them but that will never change unless people like me step up and make it change."

"I stepped out into the hallway after you left," Vanessa confesses, "I heard you talking to that young man. You were honest with him. And kind. I was–I was impressed."

"That's how you raised me to be," Lucy chokes out. "I'm still your daughter." She takes her thumbs and bumps her chest with them. "I'm still that same person you raised, even in uniform. Even if I'm not in the career you wanted for me. Even if I'm not marrying the man you would've chosen for me, it's still who I am. Who I always will be."

Vanessa looks away, out of the window near her beside and down to the busy street below.

"I'm a good cop, mom. And I'm going to make a difference. Whether or not you can or can't be proud of me for who I am or for what I do, I am going to do that."

Slowly, Vanessa turns her head until she's facing her daughter. "I'm sure you'll try your best to do so."

And that, Lucy realizes, is probably as close as she'll ever get to hearing her mother be okay with her career or give her some semblance of a compliment regarding it.

()()()()()()()()()()()

When they meet up to ride home after changing out that evening, Tim approaches Lucy with a sullen look still etched across his face and she shakes her head somberly at him and places a palm on his chest directly over his heart. "Look, if you're really mad about the t-shirt, I'm gonna need to press pause on it for. Okay? At least–at least until tomorrow."

Tim's features immediately swap to concern and he reaches forward and pulls her against his chest, murmuring in her ear, "is everything okay?"

"My mom's arm was broken by a patient today and she had to have surgery to reset it."

"I'm so sorry, baby. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, or she will be anyway. It just um…it kinda led to a small fight because I wanted to arrest the person who did that to her and at the end of the fight I just…" she chokes up and takes a moment to compose herself, "I think it finally hit me, like really hit me, the life I've chosen for myself will never be good enough for her. I mean, I know ever since I was stabbed we've been tiptoeing around our issues and playing nice and I–I knew nothing was really resolved or fixed or–or whatever. But um, I guess I just thought maybe she was finally going to start coming around and accepting the life I've chosen for myself. I know it's stupid but…"

"It's not stupid," he reassures her, rubbing her back soothingly as they stand outside the front of the station like that. "I love you, Luce. And I know it isn't the same, but I'm proud of you.

"Thank you," she clings tighter to him. "And I love you, too. So much."

Chapter 99: Chapter 99

Notes:

One more and an epilogue. I think.

Chapter Text

"To being P2's!" Jackson raises his glass and clanks it against Lucy's as they sit at the bar as Las Torres and celebrate the fact that they survived their last shift as rookies.

"To being P2's!" She agrees enthusiastically with a smile that reaches all the way to her ears, bringing the shot of Patron to her lips and wincing as the clear liquid burns its way down her throat.

Genny, who is enjoying a rare baby free night with her friends to celebrate their promotion to P2, orders another round of shots for them. "And to the fact that you're marrying my brother this weekend and you're going to be my sister-in-law!"

"To marrying your brother and being your sister-in-law!" Lucy giggles, clanking her new shot glass.

"And to the amazing bachelorette party we're gonna throw you!" Celina shouts.

"And to the," Lucy's nose scrunches. "Wait, th–the what?"

"Uh, I believe she said the amazing bachelorette party we're going to throw. Which, by the way, is going to be freaking epic," Aaron grins.

"And when exactly is this amazing bachelorette party I had no idea about going down since I have to work the day after tomorrow and then I'm kind of getting married the day after that?"

Genny, Aaron, and Jackson trade mischievous glances and then Jackson places an arm around Lucy and tells her, "Well, that would kind of be tonight."

"T–tonight? Like, tonight, tonight? But Tim's supposed to be picking me up in an hour."

"Yeah," Genny tosses her arm around Lucy's other shoulder, "and now he's not. Angela's taking care of that. You are all ours for now."

()()()()()()()()()

Angela and Nyla are over at Tim's, their husband's both on baby duty for the night, and the two women are sharing a beer with their fellow T.O. to celebrate the fact that all three of them have now officially trained their first rookie.

"To our rookies not washing out!" Angela raises her bottle and the three clank their bottles together and take long, slow slips.

"And to not them not getting shot, stabbed, maimed, or harmed in any possible way," Nyla toasts next.

"Lucy was literally stabbed and lost an ovary," Tim glares incredulously.

Nyla winces apologetically. "You're right. Sorry." She motions between herself and Tim and corrects. "To our rookies not getting shot, stabbed, maimed or harmed in any way possible and to your fiancee' surviving being stabbed and maimed."

"And to you marrying your badass, survivor fiancee' in a couple of days," Angela raises her glass again.

The corner of Tim's lip quirks up and he murmurs, "I'll drink to that."

"And to the second time being the charm," Nyla adds.

"Except it's Lucy's first time," Angela points out.

"Are both of you drunk already?" Tim grumbles.

The women share a look and shrug.

"So," Angela prods playfully, "are you nervous? Getting cold feet?"

"Nah," Tim dismisses genuinely and easily.

"You sure?" Nyla presses. "I mean, this is your last chance to back out before being tied down again. Your last chance to be free and sow your wild oats."

Tim leans forward and places his beer bottle on a coaster on his coffee table. "Okay, what the hell is wrong with both of you tonight?"

Lopez smirks. "Nothing. We just like giving you a hard time."

"Clearly."

Nyla holds up a finger. "You love us for it. Or else you wouldn't have made us your groomswomen."

"You're a groomswoman. I'm the best woman," Lopez is quick to correct.

Tim and Lucy are having very non-traditional wedding parties. Tim's consisting of Angela, Nyla, Genny and Lucy's consisting of Jackson, Aaron, and Celina.

"You can all be uninvited and it can become a private wedding," he growls.

"Mmmmm. We all know Lucy would never let that happen. Besides, if you uninvite us, you won't get your epic bachelor party."

"My what now?"

"Your epic bachelor party, duh!" Angela repeats slowly.

"Yeah, no. Unless my epic Bachelor party consists of us watching a Rams game and drinking beer, I'm good."

The women share a devilish grin. "We had a feeling you might say that. Now, come on Bradford. We've got your backyard all set up with a cooler full of beer around your fire pit, all your favorite snacks, and a projector playing the game. And after the game, well, we've got a surprise for you."

"I don't like surprises," he huffs out in an exacerbated sigh.

"Eh," Angela shrugs as she slaps him on the shoulder, "you'll like this one. Trust us."

"Lopez, I swear to God, you two better not have ordered me a stripper." He blinks in horror as a thought crosses his mind, "and even more than that, you better not have roped Smitty into being a stripper as some kind of gag."

Again, the women share an amused look and snicker as they walk towards the back patio.

()()()()()()()()()()()

When the Rams game is in the 4th quarter, Nyla and Angela catch one another's eyes and share a nod, Angela excusing herself to get some ice first, followed by Nyla excusing herself to run to the restroom.

Tim's so into the game that he doesn't notice the fact that the women never returned until he's jumping from his chair and cheering about the Ram's win and finds that there's nobody to celebrate with him.

He curses to himself, realizing they must be inside and up to no good, and he pats Kojo, who's passed out with his legs in the air, on the belly before heading inside to see what his two friends are up to.

As he slips inside his home and steps foot inside his now dimly lit living room, his cursing is no longer only to himself when he notices the newly set up stripper pole in the middle of his living room and he barks out, "Damit Harper and Lopez, this isn't funny! I told you I didn't want a stripper and I swear if Smitty pops out in a thong, I'm punching him in the face."

It's not Harper or Lopez's voice he hears next, however, and it's certainly not Smitty's that calls out, low and sultry, "Alexa, play' Dance for Me' by Mary J. Blige," and Lucy steps out of hiding, wearing only racy black lingerie, fishnet stockings, and black heels,

"Holy shit!" Tim stutters out, his jaw hanging open like a cartoon character.

She can't help the way her lips curl into a proud smile at his reaction and she steps forward, tangling her body around the newly assembled pole that she hopes like hell is put together well enough to hold her weight.

"You still sure you don't want a stripper?" She teases, her fingers seductively running up and down the poll as she holds his stunned gaze.

"I–no.."

"No?"

He shakes his head and licks his lips, his eyes appreciatively sweeping up and down her body and his voice is husky and full of desire as he tells her, "No, I do. I definitely do."

She blushes, suddenly feeling a bit shy and slightly worried her skill level from the impromptu stripping tutor session she attended an hour ago is going to leave her face planting and embarrassed, but she's just drunk enough not to let it stop her from trying to put on a show for him anyway.

With one finger, she directs him forward and he comes to her like a moth to a flame, his breathing erratic and uneven as his top teeth graze his lower lip while he once again rakes his eyes over her and instinctively he reaches out and places his hands on her hips, but she places a palm on his chest and waves a finger at him.

"No touching. Not yet." With one finger, she pushes him backwards until he's collapsing on the couch and she starts to put to use all she's just learned.

()()()()()()()()

The next morning they wake up tangled together on the couch by a whining and very displeased Kojo, who's none too happy that he was left in the backyard alone all night.

Tim kisses the side of Lucy's head and holds her tighter as he tries to will himself to untangle their bodies and get up to let the king of canines back inside so he can take his throne on his favorite chair.

"Best bachelor party ever," he murmurs into her hair as he snuggles closer to her.

Without opening her eyes and her voice still groggy, she mutters back, "Even when I fell forward at the end of my last dance and you had to stop me from face planting?"

"Even then," he assures her, humming softly at the fresh memory.

"It was fun," she agrees, snuggling further into his chest. "I'm glad they drug me to the pole dancing class last night."

"They?" He questions. Until now, he assumed Angela and Nyla conspired to get Lucy lessons.

"Jackson, Aaron, Celina, and Genny."

"I'm sorry…d–did you just say my sister helped you get pole dancing lessons to strip for me?"

"Yeah," Lucy yawns. "We actually all took lessons."

His points at the still intact pole in the middle of his living room. "Thanks for ruining that for me."

"It's not like we can keep it. I've gotta give it back to Angela."

"Angela!?"

"Yeah, it's hers."

"Lucy," he whines, each new detail she tells him only making him cringe more and more.

She rolls over to face him and runs a finger along his stubbled cheek. "What, are you saying you don't wanna get some more use out of it while we're both off today?"

"I didn't say that," he rasps.

"I didn't think so," she hums. "And by the way, you're gonna give me a show before we give it back. In uniform and all."

"I don't know how to strip," he scoffs.

"Please?" She pouts, sticking her bottom lip out. "You can even take out the handcuffs."

He tilts his head, considering her offer.

"That's what I thought," she laughs and pats his bare chest. "Now get some clothes on and let our boy in before he wakes up the entire neighborhood."

Chapter 100: Chapter 100

Notes:

So it turns out I can't get everything I want for the wedding in just one chapter, so there will be at least two more after this. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the start of their wedding day.

Chapter Text

"I'm getting married today!" Lucy shouts enthusiastically as she bursts into the living room from her old bedroom at Genny's where she'd spent the night last night, she and Tim having decided to keep the western tradition alive of the bride and groom spending the night apart before the wedding.

Jackson peers at her from his spot on the couch, his eyes dancing with amusement at the way Lucy bounced into the room. She's so giddy that she's practically floating.

She's barefoot and wearing a white, skin tight tank top and a pair of baggy gray sweats. Her hair is a tousled mess and her voice is still scratchy and sleep laden, but even at 6 in the morning, her brown eyes are bright and sparkling and filled with insurmountable hope and joy.

She can't help the scream that escapes her lips, as she once again repeats herself, even louder this time, but a bit slower, reiterating the fact as if no one had heard her announcement, "I'm getting married…tooooo–day!"

And if she was worried no one heard her the first time, a shrill cry from behind Genny's door is evidence that her elated shouts and cries have in fact been heard, when the now eleven month old Tyler startles awake from the noise, clearly not as thrilled by his soon to be aunt Lucy's pending nuptials as she is.

Lucy winces instantly, feeling guilty for waking her best friend and soon to be sister in law's young son. And she's apparently also woken by her soon to be mother in law as well, and she jumps slightly when Gina's unexpected hand lands on her shoulder.

"Yes dear," the Bradford matriarch mutters through a tired, drawn out yawn, "we know. But did we really need to wake up at the crack of dawn just to be reminded of it?"

"Sorry, I'm just," Lucy looks down sheepishly clasping her hands together and bouncing on her heels, "I'm so excited."

"I don't see why," Genny grumbles stepping into the living room with a freshly soothed baby Tyler on her hip, the boy is resting his head on his mother's shoulder and sucking his thumb with a red, flushed face and puffy eyes, "tt's just Tim you're marrying. Not really that big of a deal. You could do better."

Lucy rolls her eyes and huffs out a laugh at the sibling jab.

"Since we're all up," Gina suggests, stepping around Lucy and heading towards the kitchen, "who wants coffee?"

"Me!" The three former roommates all shout in unison.

"I'm on it," Gina chuckles, padding her way to the coffee maker in her leopard print slippers.

"Make sure to fill the pot all the way up, please!" Lucy requests. "I think I'm gonna need six cups before nine alone. There's so much to do. So much to be done before the ceremony." Suddenly, all the color drains from Lucy's face. "Oh my God," she stammers. "There's so much to get done. So much that could go wrong. What if–what if the caterers don't show? Or the D.J, backs out, or the cake doesn't get delivered? Or Or–or worse, they deliver the wrong cake and it has like—a giant dick on it or something? An–and what if it rains? We have an outdoor venue. What if it rains and we and all our guests get drenched? Oh my God, what if my mom stands up in the middle of the ceremony and objects to me marrying Tim? "

Jackson and Genny look and grimace, and Jackson wastes no time as he springs to his feet and rushes to Lucy's side, placing a hand on each of her shoulders and giving her a mild shake to try and bring her back down from her spiral.

"Okay, look at me," he shakes his head slowly, "none of that is gonna happen. Okay?"

"You don't know that!" She roars frantically, her brown eyes wide with panic and fear.

"But I do. Okay? Aaron's people are in charge of almost all of that and they get paid very, very well to make sure the Thorsen family is happy, so that means they're getting paid very well to also make sure you're happy and that your day is perfect. Nothing is going to go wrong, Luce. So just breathe for me, can you do that?"

Her chest heaves and her lower lip trembles, but she breathes in gently and regularly, allowing the air to travel in her nose and through her mouth and she counts down from one to five as it flows out.

Her hands plant on her hips and she gives herself, and her friends, a reassuring nod. "I'm good. I am good."

"You're damn right you are," Genny agrees. "And today is going to be amazing and everything you dreamed of and we," the red head circles her finger around the room, "are going to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. So don't you worry one bit, everything is going to turn out perfectly. All you need to focus on is looking stunning and walking your fine ass down that aisle in your gorgeous dress to marry that idiot brother of mine."

Lucy presses her lips together and nods in agreement. "You're right. You're both right. Everything's gonna be fine. I'm freaking out for no reason."

"You are," Jackson agrees, gently rubbing her back, "but to be honest, we've all kind of expected you to spiral for a while now and we've been taking bets on how and when it would happen, and this is a lot better than we anticipated, so it's all good and we've got you."

"Uh, hold up! First, why did you think I'd spiral? Second, how bad did you think it would be?"

"Come on Luce," Genny rocks her son, who's growing fussy again, back and forth on her hip, "it's you and we know you. We love you, but we know you. Getting married is a big deal and it's bound to cause anxiety for anyone, especially someone who's had a year as stressful as you have."

"I bet Tim's not," Lucy snorts, thinking of how calm and collected Tim always is, even in the most trying situations and how she normally relies on him to pull her back from the edge.

()()()()()()()()()

"Why in the hell are you up pacing my kitchen floor at the ass crack of dawn?" Angela glares at Tim as she slips past him to get to the coffee canister. He spent the night at her place last night because no one trusted he nor Lucy not to slip off and break the rule about the bride and groom not seeing each other the night before the wedding if both of them didn't have supervision.

Tim's bare feet screech to a halt and he freezes in place, his mouth opening slightly, then closing.

"Timothy," she carefully sets the canister down on the counter and folds her arms across her chest, "please tell me you're not getting cold feet and that I'm not gonna have to drag your ass down that aisle, because so help me God, I absolutely will."

"What? No. Of course not."

His voice is even and the scrunched, perplexed look on his face that Angela could even think for a second that he had doubts about Lucy being the one for him gives the T.O. some peace of mind. But the worry wrinkles on his normally stone face leave her still a bit concerned and she steps towards him, her voice softening as she gently prods, "What's going on, Bradford?"

He huffs out a breath and shakes his head, taking a moment to lean against the wall next to him and staring off at the refrigerator as he asks, "Do you think I have high standards?"

A shit eating grin lines Angela's lips. "Uh, duh!"

It's clearly not the answer Tim wanted to hear, because he immediately starts to chew on his lower lip.

"Come on Bradford, you're pretty self aware. You can't tell me you didn't already know that. So what's really the problem?"

His eyes remain locked on the silver refrigerator, fixating on a picture of baby Jack being held by Santa at the mall last Christmas.

"Tim…"

"It's just," he huffs again, digging his heel into the tiled floor, "Isabel told me the day she served me with divorce papers that I always made her feel like she had to live up to standards she could never measure up to."

"Ah," Angela nods, everything suddenly making sense.

"That's it. That's all you've gotta say? Ah?"

She shrugs and takes a step next to him, their shoulders touching. Or Angela's shoulder touching Tim's bicep anyway, due to the height difference. "Lucy's not Isabel, Tim."

"I know that," he grumbles irritatedly.

"I know you do," she taps his heart, then the side of his head, "but right now, I don't think this pesky little thing does. Look, you've got high standards, but guess what, you know who else does?" When Tim doesn't reply, Angela rolls her eyes and snorts, "you're soon to be wife, you big dummy. She has high expectations for you and herself. Lucy's a very goal oriented person and she thrives on wanting to be the best at whatever she does, just like you do. You two, you push each other to be the best version of yourselves, and I don't know, maybe I didn't know her before she met you so I can't say for certain, but I sure as hell know she changed you for the better and I'd be willing to bet all that money in Wesley's trust fund that you changed her for the better, too."

"I'll take that bet and gladly hope you're wrong so she and I can start an early retirement and just stay in Hawaii once the honeymoon is over."

"Yeah, well, I'm not wrong, so too bad. And even if I was, we both know you'd never live in Hawaii long term. And neither of you would be down for an early retirement. You both live for this job, which also makes you even more perfect for each other."

Tim presses his lips together, the edge of his lip curling ever so slightly, and he slips his hands in his gray and black flannel pajamas as he mutters, "yeah, you're right. We are pretty perfect."

"Perfect for each other," she clarifies, "I didn't say perfect in general. God knows you're far from perfect."

Tim snorts and rolls his eyes, hands still planted in his pockets.

"I know as cops we are trained to know that nothing in life is certain and anything can happen at any given time, but I really believe this one's gonna stick, Tim." She rubs the side of his arm. "There's nothing you and Lucy can't work out and get past as long as you two remain honest and open with each other the same way you always have."

Before Tim can respond to Angela, his phone dings underneath his hand in his pocket. He slips it out and glances down at the text, smiling the moment he sees it is from Lucy and he silently reads the words, "Good morning! I missed you! Only 6 more hours until I see you again and then only 3 after that until I'm officially Mrs. Bradford! Can't wait to be your wife!"

A dopey smile lines his lips as he taps on the screen, replying, "I can't wait either baby! And I also can't wait until tonight to show you just how much I missed you last night and how happy I am to be your husband."

He slips his phone back into his pocket, smiling so hard it makes his cheeks hurt as he realizes Angela's right, and he's been having a last minute morning freak out for no reason. Just because his first marriage fell apart, it doesn't mean this one will. Lucy and Isabel are two totally different people, and he and Lucy have always had an open line of communication and reliance on each other that he and Isabel simply were never ever to fully establish, despite how much he did love her and he believes she did once love him.

Things have been different with her since the moment he met her, and whatever life may throw their way, he knows in his heart they'll face it together and come out stronger, the same way they've been doing since he moved in with her and Genny.

()()()()()()()()()

At nine, Tim leaves to head over to his sister and mom's place, where he's going to meet up with Lucy and his family to have a chinese tea ceremony, which is a traditional practice in chinese culture before a wedding that Lucy wanted to incorporate into their wedding.

The ceremony is symbolic in Chinese culture to show the union of two families becoming one and the acceptance of the families welcoming the bride and groom to their new family as the bride and groom serve their elders tea to show their gratitude for becoming a part of this new family.

Though not every aspect of their wedding is going to follow Chinese tradition, because Lucy wanted a blend of both their cultures on their big day to represent the blending of their lives together, this was one part that was very important to her and that she was adamant about being incorporated.

She requested they start with Tim's family, because she knew she'd already be at Genny's that morning and because she felt in her heart that it would go more smoothly than the one with her parents, her aunt Amy, and her Nana, and she wanted their wedding day to start and end on a good note.

In order to properly follow tradition, Tim's dressed in the same tux he's going to wear to the wedding, a black tux with red labels and a red tie that will compliment Lucy's Qun Kwa, her traditional chinese wedding dress she also wanted to incorporate into their ceremony.

He hasn't seen her in it yet. In fact, he hasn't seen the dress at all yet and all he knows is that it's red, because as Lucy told him, all Kun Kwa's are, but the moment he steps foot inside the home his sister, mother, and nephew share that he once lived in with Lucy and where he fell in love with her at, his breathe is instantly taken away the moment he sees her in it.

The dress is sleeved and modest, but it fits her form perfectly, the silk clinging to her body like a second skin. There is intricate embroidery woven on the scarlet fabric white dragons and phoenixes, which are symbols of power and prosperity, reflecting the power of the love they share and the hope for a prosperous and bright future together filled with joy and unwavering love.

The moment Lucy's eyes meet Tim's, those exact sentiments are reflected in her brown orbs, and she smiles warmly at him, albeit a bit nervously, brushing the single strand of hair that's hanging in front of her face behind her cheek and the rest on her long dark brown locks are pulled together and pinned back in a neat, woven bun.

"Hi," she greets thickly as Tim strides towards her, and the entire room, Genny, Tyler, Gina and Jackson, seemed to be holding their breath as the soon to be husband makes his way towards his soon to be wife.

"Hi yourself, beautiful," he rasps back, his jaw hanging open and a Cheshire cat grin is etched on his face as they connect physically, their hands locking together, touching for the first time in almost 18 hours. They hold hands, blue eyes locked on brown, unspeaking, silently communicating to one another in a connection that transcends any words either could ever verbalize.

They gaze at each other and hold hands for so long, enveloped in thick silence and fragrant whispers of incense, grinning from ear to ear, until their cheeks begin to ache, and both of them giggle like teenages that are about to go to prom.

Chapter 101: Chapter 101

Notes:

So, there's at least one more wedding Chapter after this one...my bad. Blame the muse.

Chapter Text

The pre-wedding tea ceremony goes exceptionally well with Tim's family, not that either Tim nor Lucy had any doubt that it would. Lots of laughs and hugs are shared and there's and a few tears that are shed by the women, and though the ceremony is supposed to represent the joining of Tim and Lucy's families, Lucy has already felt like a part of his family pretty much since they became a couple, before that even if she considers her friendship with Genny, and there is no ceremony necessary to solidify that fact.

The ceremony with Lucy's family, however, is something she dreads almost the entire ride over to her parents house. Though her parents have been cordial to Tim ever since her accident, and though her dad in particular has tried to get along with Tim and establish some semblance of a relationship with him even before then, there is no denying that it's not going to be the jovial, happy gathering they just left from..

She knows deep down that both of her parents don't agree with her choice about marrying Tim, even her dad who has put forth more of a concentrated effort to get to know and connect with him, and as much as she wishes it didn't bother he, it does, and a large part of her still longs deep down to have that approval and shared love and happiness with and from them.

Tim must notice the troubled, far away look on her face, because he reaches across the counsel as they drive and grabs her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the diamond ring on her left finger that will soon be joined by a wedding band.

"What's on your mind?" He inquires lowly, his eyes briefly flicking from the road to meet hers.

She shakes her head, forcing the negative thoughts away and giving him a warm and genuine smile. "Just thinking about how much I love you and how I can't wait to be your wife in a few hours."

He hums and nods his head, his hand still interlocked with hers. "You're a smooth liar. If I didn't know you so well, I'd buy it."

"That's not a lie," she scoffs. "I do love you and I can't wait to be Mrs. Bradford. I mean, off the clock anyway, at work I'll still go by Chen for simplicity's sake."

"Oh yeah? Well, if loving me has your face all scrunched up like that, then we might need to rethink this whole wedding thing before it's too late."

She rolls her eyes, squeezing his hand and keeping their fingers interlaced.

"I'm just nervous," she confesses weakly.

"About marrying me? There's the tiniest hint of a quiver in his strong voice that slips through the cracks as he asks her that question on reflex alone.

"No," she shakes her head certainly and gives him an adoring smile. "Not about marrying you. That's one thing I've never been more sure of."

He grins from ear to ear and replies in one simple, satisfied word, "Good."

"I guess I just, I want this day to be perfect," she continues, tension draining from her body as she begins to confess all that's on her mind. "And I'm scared that everything's gonna go wrong. I know my parents don't exactly love the idea of me marrying you and what if they make that known and try to ruin our day?" And her rambling doesn't stop there, she stammers out all the previous worries she shared with Jackson and Genny first thing that morning in one rushed breath.

"Luce?" He's still holding her hand and he gives it a big, reassuring squeeze, "No matter what, today's going to be perfect."

"You can't know that," she huffs in protest.

"But I do," he cuts her off firmly, "And you wanna know how I do?"

"How?" She scoffs.

"Because," he grins again, "as long as today ends with me marrying you, then it's the perfect day. No matter what else happens, as long as you're my wife by the end of it, the day was perfect."

Her lips twitch into a huge, adoring grin, but she can't help but tease, "Even if my mom stands up in the middle of the ceremony and tries to object in front of all our friends and family?"

"Not gonna happen," he replies confidently.

Lucy arches a skeptical brown.

"Lopez is on standby right beside me as my best woman and she's hiding a taser under her dress to stop that exact scenario from playing out."

The relative ease Tim says that statement with almost gives Lucy enough pause to think he isn't entirely kidding and she makes a mental note to ask Angela later if Tim has legitimately created a contingency plan for that exact situation.

()()()()()()()()

When they arrive at Lucy's parents house it's her aunt Amy who greets that both at the door, and she pulls the soon to be betrothed couple into a hug the moment she opens the door, clinging to her only niece extra tight as she rubs her back and tells her how beautiful she is.

When the embrace is broken, Aunt Amy turns to Vanessa Chen, who is standing a few feet away, and with her hands still on Lucy's shoulder, she looks to her sister and says, "Isn't your little LuLu so beautiful?"

The words are not nearly as jovial and there's nowhere near as much emotion behind them as Aunt Amy portrays, but Vanessa genuinely replies, "Yes, she looks very nice," and you'd blink and miss it, but there's the faintest hint of a smile on her lips as the words leave her lips.

With a hand on her lower back for support, Tim and Lucy step inside of the Chen's home, where Aaron and Celina have already been by to adorn the living room with hues of red, white, and gold. A mixture of balloons and flowers are placed throughout and the fragrant scent of incense fills the room and the two couples move to take their places and start the ceremony, where Tim and Lucy will serve her parents tea on bended knee and her parents will, hopefully, impart words of wisdom and their blessing on this new union.

And, surprisingly, both of Lucy's parents do offer those words of wisdom.

Mr. Chen goes first, looking to his daughter and soon to be son in law and saying, "Lucy, Tim, today marks the beginning of your new journey together. As you share this cup of tea, you are not only joining your lives but also uniting our families. May your love be as enduring as the ancient tea traditions we hold dear."

Mrs. Chen is next to speak. "In the teacup, you taste the sweetness and bitterness, just like life. May you face challenges with grace and savor the moments of joy. Remember, your roots will now be intertwined, just like the leaves of the tea plant. Nurture your love, and it will flourish."

Tim and Lucy receive the tea cups with both hands, a symbol of respect for their elders. They take small sips, allowing the subtle flavors to linger on their tongues and the room is hushed, filled with the quiet satisfaction of witnessing a sacred moment and an intense relief that her parents were able to push their unspoken feelings aside and allow Lucy to happily revel in the biggest day of her life so far.

For the first time that morning, as she remains beside Tim on bended knee, knelt in front of both of her parents, Lucy's filled with an inexplicable calm. An overwhelming sense of joy that wraps around her entire body like a warm, comforting weighted blanket and whispers in her ear the same affirmation that Tim gave her earlier; today was going to be perfect.

But, just like the remnants of the tea on their tongue that's both bitter and sweet, life always has a way of being just the same, as Vanessa had only pointed out moments before.

Because in the hushed silence of the Chen living room, Tim, Lucy, Amy, Vanessa, and Patrick's phones simultaneously go off, the blaring a haunting emergency alert sound that echoes throughout the entire room and the the 5 people scramble to their feet in search of their phones, eyes wide, horrified, and filled with vulnerability as they read the message on their screens that tells them to seek shelter immediately because the city of Los Angeles is going to be hit with a missile in the next 29 minutes.

"Tim," Lucy chokes out, her body paralyzed and her voice laced with fear.

He forces his face to remain neutral, though his entire being is consumed with that same fear that Lucy's freely displaying. "I'm sure it's just a false alarm," and he almost convinces himself that he believes it as calm and collected as he comes off, though his mouth has gone completely dry and his heart feels like it's in his throat.

Lucy doesn't have time to reply before she and Tim's phones are both buzzing again over the blare of the emergency alert, a text from Sergeant Grey that's been sent to the Mid-Wilshire group chat that tells them he needs all hands on deck.

Tim's eyes meet hers, a silent question, making sure she's mentally prepared to go into the chaos that awaits them on the streets, Making sure she's prepared to spend what is possibly the last twenty nine minutes of her life on the job and not with her family, not being held in the arms of the arms of the man she loves and is supposed to marry in the next few hours, and she doesn't hesitate, she doesn't back down, she just gives him one swift nod, letting him know she's going to step up and do what needs to be done, even if her throat bobs as her head dips up and down.

"Ma'ma, Ba'ba, Tim and I, w–we have to go."

Vanessa shrieks, "Wh-what do you mean you have to go? I thought he just said it was probably a false alarm!?"

"It probably is ma'am," Tim reiterates. "But the fact of the matter is, our city is in a panic and there's nothing more dangerous than millions of people in a panic at the same time."

"It's your wedding day!" Aunt Amy points out mournfully.

"I know," Lucy chokes out. "But there are people out there who need us right now, and it's our job to protect them." Her eyes flick to Tim and her lips press together tightly as her stomach coils and uncoils, knowing what she says next is not a promise she can guarantee. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

"As soon as this false alarm is over and order is restored to the city," Tim adds, "we'll be back and then we'll continue on with our wedding."

"Nu'er," Patrick Chen pleads with his daughter, his eyes glass and his voice shaky, "stay. Please."

"I can't, Ba'ba," Lucy shakes her head adamantly, "There are people who need me right now. I'm sorry. We'll be back."

Chapter 102: Chapter 102

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter fornotes.)

Chapter Text

Because of the nature of the emergency, all officers are required to go out with a partner as they man the streets during the missile crisis. And also because of the nature of the situation, Grey gives Lucy and Tim permission to ride together.

His reasoning being that if the missile really did hit, there'd be no repercussions for his decision anyway. And if the missile crisis wasn't real, well, who would blame Grey for allowing two officers who were supposed to be getting married in a few hours the luxury of spending what everyone thought was their last moments on Earth together?

The call the couple responds to ends up being at a liquor store, one where Tim knows the owner, Amiri, from time they spent together serving in the military, and the store was in the middle of being robbed and looted, but Tim's acquaintance didn't take too kindly to that, even at the end of the world, and decided to defend what he's worked so hard to build by firing shots at the culprits, blasting a hole through the window of his store in the process just as Tim and Lucy respond to the call.

"Amiri, put the gun down, it's Tim!" He orders as he and Lucy step towards the shop.

"Bradford?" His former brother in arms replies with knitted brows.

"Yeah. The one and only. You okay?"

"Yeah." He nods to the counter behind him, where his clerk is clutching his bleeding forehead. "But Lewis took a bottle to the head before I could run them off."

Tim offers a sympathetic look and places his hands on his duty belt. "Put the gun down for me. Okay?"

Amiri shakes the rifle in his hands angrily. "They were robbing us!"

"I know," Tim calmly agrees. and motions to Lucy with a jerk of his neck. "But we're here now. Okay? Put it down for me."

Reluctantly, Amari follows orders and places his shotgun on the counter and Lucy moves behind the counter to begin checking on the injured clerk.

"You're going to be okay," she tells the young man during her gentle assessment. "You need a few stitches, but there's nothing life threatening."

Tim glances at Amari, his hands still resting on his duty belt, and he speaks softly, "Why don't you take him around the corner to your house. Get him cleaned up?"

"I–I can't leave my store!"

"It's just stuff, Amari. The missile is coming. Go be with your family."

"And if it isn't? Then what? I've worked too hard to lose everything!"

Lucy, still leaned down beside the injured Lewis, peers up at Amari. "Nothing is more important than the people you love. Go be with them. We'll stay with your shop."

"B–but what about you two? What about the people you love?" He looks to Tim, who he's seeing for the first time in four years. "Don't you wanna go be with Isabel?" Then he glances back down to Lucy, nodding to the ring on her finger. "Don't you wanna be with your fiance'?"

"I am with my fiance'," Lucy replies with a soft but somber smile.

Amari's eyes widen and his head snaps to Tim, looking for confirmation, and Tim nods.

"Isabel and I have been over for a few years and Lucy and I met after it ended. We uh–" he pauses and swallows, his chest tightening as he considers that this may never happen now, "we were supposed to be getting married today. At 3."

"I–I'm sorry."

Tim clears his throat. "Go be with your wife and kids. Get your friend cleaned up. We've got this. Okay?"

"Okay. Okay." Amari nods thankfully. "Thank you. Thank you so much. And Tim?"

"Hmm?"

"I hope this is only a false alarm and you two are still able to get married today."

"Yeah, me too. Alright," Tim takes a step forward, "let's get him up so you can get home.

He and Lucy help Lewis to his feet and get him positioned around Amari's shoulders so the men can walk around the corner to Amari's house, and then they are left alone in the middle of the liquor store.

Tim glances at his watch, his heart pounding in chest as he sees they've got only a little more than ten minutes until impact.

"How much time is left?" Lucy inquires shakily, stepping towards her fiance' and looping her fingers through his belt loops.

Tim pulls in a steadying breath and reaches for Lucy, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her close until her head is resting against his chest. "We've got all the time in the world," he whispers as he cradles the back of her head softly, "because this is all just going to be a false alarm and we're going to get married in a few hours and go on our honeymoon tomorrow and then we'll come back and move up in our careers and when I'm a sergeant and you're a detective we'll start making those three beautiful kids we've talked about and they'll grow up and go to college and we'll retire from the force and have a house full of grandkids that we tell this story to before we tuck them in bed during sleepovers."

A strangled sound escapes the back of Lucy's throat, a mixture between a laugh and a sob, and though her lips curl upwards, those tears she's been working so hard to push back slip from the corner of her eyes and Tim pulls her closer, fingers tracing up and down her back as he pulls her further flush against his chest.

She pulls away after a moment, creating just enough distance between them that she's able to push herself up on tiptoes and move her lips over his, because if she's going to be to blasted to smithereens in a few moments then she wants to go out finding comfort in the arms of, and against the lips, of the man she loves.

And apparently, Tim's having the same thought process as she is because he responds eagerly, kissing her back with all he's got until they're tumbling against the back of the checkout counter, Lucy pawing at the buttons of his uniform and Lucy hastily snatching at his belt.

"Do you think we have enough time?" She pants, the metal on her belt clanking as it's undone, a loud, "swoosh" filling the air as Tim snatches the leather from the loops and tosses it to the side.

He lifts his arms, his lips never leaving hers, as he glances at his watch. Fighting the urge to gulp as he notices there's about seven minutes left. "If we don't, I can't think of a better way to go out." his chest heaves as he responds and his nails dig into her hips, walking her backwards, his tongue plunging in her mouth the entire walk, until their lower halves are hidden behind the counter.

()()()()()()()()()()

It turns out, thankfully, the missile threat was in fact a false alarm and Los Angeles and its inhabitants are still standing when those last seven minutes are over.

Although, that doesn't mean Lucy and Tim are able to clock out and go home the moment the threat is over, because the city is still in a state of utter chaos from the uproar the threat created and it takes two hours to get things under control enough for all off duty officers are cleared to go for the day.

And unfortunately, in the midst of that chaos, the wedding cake was ruined in a car crash as it was being delivered to the venue, the flowers were ruined before they could go out to delivery when the flower shop was looted and inadvertently set on fire, which they happen to respond to after the threat is over, and the caterer decided since the world was about to end that they were going to spend the rest of their time alive getting plastered and not preparing the meals for the wedding.. So on top of now having a limited amount of time to get dressed and make it to their venue, their reception has been effectively ruined.

Just when they're despondent enough about the mishaps they've decided they're resigned to postponing their wedding, they run into Lucy's ex-firefighter situationship Emmett, who ironically connects them with someone who helps save the day.

His co-worker, Bailey, it turns out, is a jack of all trades and she volunteers to make them a cake because she was actually a cake decorator in high school. She also has a friend who owns a flower shop that donates the arrangements she had for another wedding that actually did get canceled because of the missile threat, and then she has an old sorority sister that owns a food truck and offers to bring it and set up at the venue for a very discounted price because in her words, "Any friend of Bailey's is a friend of hers."

And despite the fact that the wedding starts about 3 hours later than it was supposed to and none of the fine details are as they imagined, Tim and Lucy still stand in front of their closest friends and family at The Fig House and exchange their vows; tearfully promising to love, honor, and cherish one another for the rest of their lives before sealing those vows in front of their loved ones with a passionate kiss.

Afterwards, they share their first dance underneath the setting sun, the sky above them adorned in purple and orange hues and with fairy lights splayed in the trees surrounding them. Their family and friends look on as they sway back and forth to one of Lucy's favorite songs, "If I AIn't Got You," by Alicia Keys, but to Lucy, it feels like they're the only two people at that venue at that moment.

Her hand rests on Tim's chest and both his palms are resting on her lower back as he holds her as close as humanly possible and they stare deeply and lovingly into each other's eyes, cheshire cat grins locked on their faces.

"You know," Lucy teases playfully, her fingers running up and down the red lapels of his suit, "between the stabby stalker, the hemorrhagic virus, and the missile, I was starting to think Jackson was right and the universe was against the idea of us getting married.."

Tim scoffs. "No way. It was just giving us tons of stories for the grandkids."

Lucy swats his chest and throws her head back and laughs as they slowly dip their bodies right, then left.

"Besides," Tim continues, "I kind of like that things were so chaotic today."

She cocks a questioning brow. "You like that our wedding was almost ruined?"

"No," he chuckles, "but I like how imperfect it was and how imperfect everything leading up to it was."

Again, Lucy's brows raise.

"It's just, life, you know? It's imperfect and chaotic and painful, but also beautiful." He smiles down at her. "Like how we met and fell in love. And it's—I don't know, it's fitting that our wedding day is also all of those things. And I know that things in our marriage aren't always going to be easy, sometimes it's going to be scary and hard and sometimes things may seem impossible, but we'll always have each other and we'll find a way to make it work because we have each other.

She hoarsely whispers, "I love you," then leans up and brushes her lips against his. The kiss is soft and chaste, but it's filled with affection and adoration and her hand lingers on the side of his face as she pulls away and Tim's breath hitches in his chest, because he almost can't believe this is real, that Lucy is his wife and she loves him and she's kissing him in the middle of their first dance at their wedding reception.

"I love you too, Mrs. Bradford," he whispers back in a dopey, toothy grin when his eyes open again and his breathing returns to normal.

"Mrs. Bradford," she repeats giddily, the words falling from her lips with ease as she buries her head against his chest and giggles. "I can't believe I just married my best friend's brother."

He moves his jaw, his lips ghosting over her ears, and whispers, "When the song's over do you wanna disappear and go fuck your best friend's brother?"

She pulls away, stone faced, and shakes her head, firmly telling him, "No." And when his face falls, she bites her lip and smirks seductively, telling him, "But I do wanna disappear and make love to my husband."

Notes:

I may do another reception chapter with their friends and family or may jump straight to the epilogue next. Not sure at this moment. Either way, thanks for reading this far.

Chapter 103: Chapter 103

Notes:

Part 1 of 2 of the Epilogue. This is a ten year jump.

Chapter Text

In the station that morning, Detective Angela Lopez walks over to Metro Lisaon Sergeant Tim Brafdord and bumps him with her shoulder, "So, today's the big 10. What do you have planned?"

"Well," Tim grins playfully, "they say it's represented by tin, so I just bought Lucy a bunch of aluminum foil. I figured that'll do."

"You're such an idiot," Lopez snorts. "Wesley took me on a second honeymoon. To the Maldives, might I add. But hey, when she murders you tonight don't count on me to help solve the case. You'll have gotten what you deserved."

"I wouldn't count on you to help solve my case anyway," he scoffs. "My wife's the best detective at Mid-Wilshire and I'm sure she's learned a thing or two from all the criminals she's helped put away, so it's not like they'd ever be able to find my body and build a case against her."

The longtime friends share a laugh and Tim saunters off to his office, the same office he's been in for the past 6 years while serving as the liaison sergeant between Mid-Wilshire and Metro. A position that he took after passing the Sergeants exam and being heavily recruited by Lt. Pine.

Initially, the position was a necessary change, because if he didn't take it after passing his Sergeant's exam, he or Lucy would've had to swap stations in order for him to move up, so as to keep him out of Lucy's chain of command.

However, when she passed the detective's exam 3 years ago and joined Harper and Lopez in Homicide where they'd already been working for the past 7 and 5 years respectively, Tim could've applied for a swap from Metro to Patrol Sergeant and worked underneath Sergeant Grey and alongside Officer Nolan, who was now a T.O.

At the time, he opted to stay where he was at. He was happy in Metro. He'd bonded with his team and he excelled in the position, most likely because it was similar to being a squad leader in the military and his brother and sisters in metro behaved and carried themselves with a similar mentality to his brothers and sisters in the armed forces.

Lately, however, he's been reconsidering.

The hours in Metro can be brutal and unpredictable, and between his hours and Lucy's detective hours and raising three kids, there just never seems to be time.

Their girls, 4 year old twins Leilaini Grace and Alliyah Hope, are becoming involved in gymnastics and he feels like he's missed more competitions than he's been present for. He's also missed far more bedtime stories than he'd care to admit, and since the birth of their three month old son, Adam Dax, Tim's been reminded of just how fleeting time is and how much he's missed out on with his girls over the years, and how much he doesn't want to miss out from here on out with Lucy or any of his kids.

He and Lucy have talked about it a good deal lately, and both agree that it's the right move for them and their family, as much as he hates to leave Metro, and he just has to bring it up with Sergeant Grey next, which he plans to do tomorrow.

But that can wait, because as Angela so graciously pointed out to him earlier, today is his ten year wedding anniversary, and he has plans with his beautiful wife, plans that involve much more than a few rolls of tin foil that he joked about with his best friend on his way in.

And speaking of his beautiful wife and their beautiful family, they are the first thing he is greeted with when he opens the door to his Metro office.

"Hey babe," Lucy greets him with that infectious smile of hers, sitting in the chair behind his desk as she feeds their son.

Simultaneously, his daughters are greeting him by wrapping their little selves around his khaki cargo pants legs and screaming, "daddy, daddy!"

"Hey baby," he replies with a warm smile of his own to Lucy, then he wastes no time bending down and scooping his girls up, one in each arm, and plating a kiss on their cheek as they emit girlish giggles while his scruff tickles their cheeks.

"Daddy," Leilaini proudly tells him, "did you know Gigi is picking us up and taking us to the zoo?"

"She is?" He pretends to act shocked that his mother is getting them for the night, as if he didn't partially orchestrate that plan so he could have a night alone with his wife.

"Yep!" the girl replies, popping her P and clapping her hands excitedly. "A–and sissy and I get to spend the night with her! But not bubba, he's gonna spend the night with Nana, because if he stays with us too then we won't get to go to the zoo and the waterpark and paint and water color and all the other fun stuff Gigi has planned because all he does is cry and poop, and eat mommy's booby."

Tim cocks a brow. "I thought you loved your baby brother?"

"We do love Dax," Alliyah huffs, "but he's boring right now. We'll like him better when he can talk and play and have fun."

"Careful what you wish for," Tim warns his daughters, "Once Aunt Genny started talking and playing I found her a lot more annoying than I did fun. All she did after that for a long time was tattle on me and steal my stuff."

"I'm used to that," Leilaini grumbles, "All Alliyah does is steal my stuff."

"Do not!" The twin that is younger by four and half minutes pouts.

"Do too! The oldest retorts hotly, poking her plump lips out. "You stole m–my whole entire face!"

"You know, maybe my parents had the right idea with keeping me an only child," Lucy quips as her daughters continue to argue.

She plucks her son from her breast and adjusts him on her shoulder to burp him while Tim sets the bickering girls down and tries to distract them with toys and Lucy looks on with amusement, partially glad it's going to be a while before her baby can join in on the fussing.

With the girls finally distracted by blocks and now working together to build a tower, Tim slips away from them and steps over to greet his wife, bending down to kiss her on the lips and softly brushing his hand over his son's wispy, dark hair.

With big blue doe eyes, eyes Tim strongly doubts stay that color, the boy looks up at his father and gives him a gummy smile.

"First day back after maternity leave," Tim comments to Lucy. "You excited?"

She hums. "But I'm even more excited to see what you have planned for us tonight."

"Like I told Lopez, it's the tin anniversary. I bought you tons of aluminum foil, so you can have it to wrap left overs."

"If that's the case, I'll just call our moms and let them know they don't need to keep the kid overnight," she teases.

And speaking of one of the devil's, Gina Bradford chooses that moment to stroll through Tim's office door, and his girls immediately drop their blocks and run to their grandmother and are enveloped with hugs and kisses, the red head largely ignoring Tim and Lucy and focusing all her attention on her grand daughter's first, then her grandson.

"Hey mom," Tim snorts, "don't you wanna say hey to us, too? You know," he waves between himself and Lucy, "the people it wouldn't even be possible to have these grandkids without."

She smirks at him and reaches up and pinches his cheek. "Isn't that cute Luce, he's jealous of his own kids."

"I am not jealous of my kids," he scoffs and Lucy cocks a doubting brow at him.

"I'm not," he insists, "I'm just a little bit envious of the fact that one of them gets more use of one of my favorite parts of you these days than I do."

"Timothy," Gina scolds, "really? Did I need to hear that?"

He shrugs.

"Can we go now?" Leilaini tugs at the bottom her Gigi's shirt. "I'm ready to be at the zoo."

"Sure thing sweetheart," Gina smiles at her firstborn granddaughter. "Let's get your daddy to help me with your bags and we'll head on out." Gina walks over and rubs her Grandson's cheek and tells hims he loves him, then hugs Lucy, and winks at her, saying, "Have fun tonight, and who knows, maybe you could get to work on grandbaby number 7 for me."

"No thank you!" Lucy insists with a firm shake of her head. "We are done. Talk to Genny and John if you want another grandchild."

"Agreed," Tim snorts. "These sleepless nights are killing us."

"I've been trying," she mutters, "But between Henry, Tyler, and Tyson, they keep insisting they're done. Personally, I think they need a girl."

"Yeah, well, I'll let you take that up with them," Tim grunts, grabbing his daughter's suitcases. "Okay girls, go tell mama and bubby goodbye and that you love them and will see them tomorrow so you can go have fun with Gigi."

Chapter 104: Not a Chapter

Chapter Text

This is not a chapter. It is a note. I will finish this story this weekend but afterwards I am going to take a possibly permanent hiatius from writing and my other works may not get done. Thank you for everyone who has followed and read along or commented since I started writing. I just find myself very upset with season 6 in general and last night's episode and I do not want to indulge in something that's going to make me feel upset or depressed, real life is doing that enough.

Chapter 105: Chapter 105

Notes:

Exactly one year and one day later and this story is finally done. I should've ended it around chapter 85, but I really wanted to make it to 100. Thank you so much to all who took this journey with me and I'm sorry for the delay in finishing it.

Chapter Text

After Tim helps his mom load the girls into the car, he heads back to his office and finds that his mother-in-law has arrived to pick up their son for the night.

He opens the door just in time to catch what appears to be an ongoing conversation between Lucy and Vanessa, where the Chen matriarch reaches for her only grandson and reminds her daughter, "Nu'er, stop worrying. Your father and I raised you, remember? And you turned out just fine."

There's a tight smile on Lucy's face at that reminder, one that Tim knows is born from the deep-seated memory of just how incorrect that statement is, because though the Chens raised a wonderful, thoughtful, smart, kind, beautiful daughter, they absolutely did not leave Lucy without scars in that upbringing.

And while things with the Chens began to slowly improve after their post missile crisis wedding, and had drastically improved overall during the past ten years since, the mistreatment and belittlement Lucy suffered for so many years is forever burned into her mind and there's always the slightest worry she and Tim both feel each time they hand their children off to her parents, though neither has ever witnessed Vanessa or Patrick so much as look at any of their grandchildren cross.

The trauma will always be there, no matter how much the Chens began to accept their daughter's life choices over the years, Lucy can never forget all she endured from them, even if she is grateful they all have much healthier relationships now that was born from a lot of work on both sides and a laundry list of boundaries set forth by Lucy and reiterated by Tim, she confessed to him when their girls were little that she's never as comfortable when her own mother has the twins as she is when his mom has them.

He's grateful that the strained relationship has healed though, even if there are still scars. He's happy his wife is able to get along with her parents, happy his children have active grandparents in their life from both sides, and so happy and thankful his three children are surrounded by so much family, some blood and some not, that love and nurture them. He's happy they have everything both he and Lucy so desperately wanted growing up, what they've been lucky enough to find and create as adults.

"I know, mom," Lucy murmurs without argument or pointing out the fallacy in that statement as she stares down into her son's sleepy eyes and sways him in her arms, "but this is my first time leaving Dax overnight. It's–it's always so hard the first time and Tim and I weren't away from the girls overnight until they were six months and he's only three months…"

"I know," Vanessa nods understandingly and reaches forward to stroke the little boy's forehead, "but he'll be fine. He's going to get quality time with his nana and papa and he won't have to listen to his loud sister's fussing and fighting. It'll be his first vacation and his mommy and daddy need that, too. Take it from someone who's been married for over thirty years, you have to make time for each other, even when they're little."

Tim walks up beside Lucy and kisses the side of her head, slinging an arm around her waist as he does so. "He'll be fine," he reassures his wife and she closes her eyes and nods, ever so reluctantly handing Dax off to her mom.

"Remember," Tim begins once the infant is in his mother-in-law's hands, picking up with the same instructions Lucy gave only moments before, "he has to be rocked to sleep at night or he's just gonna wake up in an hour or so. And make sure to sing his favorite lullaby while rocking him. Oh! And his blue binky with the gold rams symbol on it is his favorite and he won't start to fall asleep without it. Oh, and make sure you pat his butt three times before you lay him in his crib or he's gonna wake up…"

()()()()()()()

Tim and Lucy start their childfree night at Lucy's favorite sushi place, both discretely trying, and falling, to check up on their kids during dinner until each of their parents text the other and tell them to tell their spouse to, "just trust them and stop checking in every five minutes or they're going to block them."

They share a laugh and put their phones away, reigning themselves in and dialing it back to the point they only check in hourly.

After dinner, they head to a Lakers v.s. Clippers game, where they bicker over the score because Lucy's pulling for the Clippers and Tim's pulling for the Lakers, and much to Tim's dismay, the Lakers are losing. He swears Lucy doesn't even care about basketball and only roots for the Clippers to get under his skin, and well, he's right about that. They're good at arguing, they always have been, it just so happens that they're also very good at many other things as well, which is why they're so perfect together.

He scowls out at the court when the Clippers hit another three and grumbles with his arms crossed as Lucy jumps out of her seat and cheer, muttering, "I'm gonna go get a beer," unwilling to watch the massacre unfold for another second.

Lucy rubs his shoulder affectionately and laughs, then stands up to join him as he heads to the concession stand where they order a thing of popcorn to share and two drafts.

"I thought these tickets were supposed to your anniversary present to me," he gripes as the turn to walk back into the arena.

"They are," she snorts.

"Some present when my team's losing," he huffs.

"Not my fault your team sucks tonight, babe," she chuckles, grapping onto his forearm as they walk.

And if Tim wasn't already having a rough enough night with his team losing, it gets even worse when a blond girl, an inch or two shorter than Lucy, comes barreling around the corner and smacks straight into him, spilling a blue slushie all over his yellow jersey.

"Son of a bitch," he mutters out of instinct, hissing from the unexpected chill and tossing his hands in the air.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry mister!" The blond haired, blue eyed girl stares at him, frozen in horror.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Lucy reassures her, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it was an accident."

"It was! It really was!" She insists. "I was just trying to get my seat before my brother, I'm so sorry."

As if on cue, another blonde, blue eyed child darts around the corner, this one about a foot and a half shorter and around 5 or 6 years younger than the girl they can only assume is his sister.

The boy's blue orbs grow about three sizes when he sees her and the mess and he screeches to a sudden halt, his own red slushie sloshing in his cup and small droplets spilling over frm the force of his stop. "Woah! You made a mess, Lizzie! You're in trouble."
"I am not!" She puffs. "It was an accident.

As the the two siblings argue back and forth, Lucy's began reaching for napkins and started to help Tim clean, barely listening to the bickering a few feet from them when she absentmindedly hears what she assumes to be her the children's mother scolds both of them for running.

"Look what Lizzie did to that grumpy old man!" The little boy shouts and points, Lucy can hear behind her back as she chuckles at Tim's disgruntled face.

"Oh my God!" The mom mutters, and Lucy raises a brow when Tim's head snaps forward at the voice, and her own head is snapping backwards when the next words out of the woman's mouth are, "Tim. Oh my God," she huffs out a laugh, "It–it's really you."

Tim blinks, the ice cold mess covering him momentarily forgotten. "Isabel."

"You know him, mommy?" The little boy shouts.

"Yeah," Isabel smiles fondly. "I do. Or I–I did. A long time ago." She nods to her daughter and waves to the mess she inadvertently created. "The kids are so excited the Clippers are winning and were in a hurry to get back so they don't miss anything. Lizzie, can you apologize to my old friend."

"I already did, mom," the pre-teen assures her, but then looks to Tim and Lucy again and insists, "Really, I didn't mean to. I'm very sorry."

"She's uh," he nods to the girl who slammed into him who i's apparently named Lizzie, "she's…"

"My oldest daughter," Isabel nods with pride and with a bright smile, though her throat bobs a bit at the admission, clearly still feeling a bit guilty for the child she conceived twelve years ago while still married to Tim.

He nods slowly, studying the girl's features. "She looks like you."

Isabel smiles proudly, because she hears that a lot, and then she pats her son's head. "And this is my son, Noah."

Again, Tim nods, his eyes flicking to the little boy, and now that he knows they are both hers, he clearly sees her features written all over both of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Lucy shift uncomfortably, and he reaches over and laces an arm around her waist and pulls her close, smiling proudly as he says. "This is my wife, Lucy."

Isabel smiles politely and genuinely,extending her hand for an introductory shake, then squints and murmurs thoughtfully, "You look familiar."

"We uh, sort of met once. Kind of. I was with Tim outside the gas station doing a ride along when you two ran into each other back when you were…" Lucy trails.

"That's right," Isabel nods, faintly recalling seeing Lucy there, then she smirks and motions between them, "Did you train her? Was she your rookie."

"What?" He scoffs. "No, of course not!"

"I was his roommate," Lucy interjects with a grin of her own, "and Genny's best friend."

Isabel's smirk intensifies at that news, but then wobbles as she realizes Lucy must be the woman Tim already moved on with the day she'd called begging him to come back to her.

"We're here celebrating our ten year anniversary," Tim informs her.

The wobble in her smile doesn't linger, and it's once again replaced by a genuine turn of the lips. "That's pretty cool," Lizzie muses. "Mom, you and dad are here celebrating your anniversary, too."

Tim arches a brow, wondering if the girl's former low-life addict father cleaned up his life and he and Isabel ended up married, but that assumption is quickly laid to rest when a man walks up with a thing of nachos and baby girl strapped to his chest, brows pulled together tightly as he surveys the mess around him and the little boy, Noah, clings to his leg, squealing, Look daddy, Lizzie ran into that man that mommy knows and made a huge mess!"

"I see," the man chuckles, eyes falling to the sloshy mess on the floor before slowly flicking up and growing wide as saucers at the sight before him, "Wait, hot pants!"

Lucy's jaw drops. "Noah Foster!"

"Wait," LIzzie motions between the man who's obviously actually her step dad or adopted father and Lucy, "You two know each other and mom and that guy know each other? How is that even possible?"

"I guess it's just a small world," Isabel offers, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

()()()()()()()()()()

The former lovers spend a few more minutes catching up, all four laughing over the absurdity of the circumstances, and Tim and Lucy proudly show off pictures of their 3 children before parting ways and returning to their seats to watch the rest of the game.

On the way to Tim's truck, he and Lucy hold hands, and Lucy casually murmurs, "Isabel looks happy."

"Yeah," Tim replies, squeezing his wife's hand. "She deserves it."

"I can't believe she and Noah met a few years after you and I did and ended up married," Lucy points out. "How crazy is that?"

"Almost as crazy as her kid running into me and ruining my favorite jersey," he grumbles.

Lucy smirks but it falters and she stops walking when they're a few feet in front of his truck.

"What?" He quirks a brow at her.
One of her shoulder's rises and falls nonchalantly. "Nothing really, I just, I guess I'm wondering if it bothered you at all?"

"If what bothered me at all?"

Lucy feels small as the words leave her mouth, and she doesn't know why she feels so small, so insecure, but she can't help as she rushes out the words, "Seeing your ex wife and her kids. Kids that could've been yours."

"Hey," Tim reaches forward and tucks a strand of hair gently behind Lucy's ear, "the only kids that were ever supposed to be mine are mine. Ours." He leans in and kisses her, soft, slow, and with purpose.

That brief flash of insecurity that reared its ugly, unwanted head melts away and she smiles, a smile that makes its way all the way to her ears.

"You wanna know what I think is crazy?" He muses, a hand cupping her cheek,

"What's that?"

"That the biggest traumas in our life led us to the best things in our life."

"What do you mean?"

"Isabel leaving me. M–my whole life falling apart. It led to me moving in with you and Genny, and then falling in love with you. And then, you know, your mom and how she used to be towards you, that led to us going on that fake date and you basically, you know, jumping me."

"I did not jump you," she chuckles, thinking back fondly to that night she crawled in bed with him and started kissing.

"You totally jumped me," he argues and wiggles his brows, "and it was very, very hot. In fact, if you're lucky, when we get home I might let you jump me again."
She reaches forward and grabs the lapels of his newly stained jersey, pulling him in for a deep, dirty kiss. And they only part when each of their phones ping, both a bit breathless as they retrieve them from their pockets and look down at the videoes they'd just been sent. One from Tim's mom of the girl's snuggled up together in their pajamas, eyelids drooping as they murmur to the camera, "G'night mommy, G'night daddy, we love you!" And the second is a video of Lucy's dad rocking Dax to sleep, softly singing his favorite lullaby.

And Lucy can't help but think about how Tim's exactly right, their greatest traumas somehow ended up being the best thing that could ever happen to them.

Falling in love with her best friend's brother was the absolute best thing that could've ever happened to her.