WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

223. Chapter 223

I Pretend You're Mine

girlintotv

Summary:

On the weekend of her beachside small town wedding, Aunt Amy admits to Lucy that she is terminally ill and only has one regret in life: that she didn't see her beloved niece get married or at least get engaged. Quick to comfort her sick aunt, Lucy lies and says she's engaged. To Tim. Chaos ensues.

Title is lyrics from "Delicate" by Taylor Swift

5x6 canon divergent

Notes:

Forrookiesrach.

Chapter 1: It's Tim

Notes:

Angst level: 2

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

When Lucy walked over to the food trucks for lunch, she was surprised to see her Aunt Amy sitting at one of the tables. "Aunt Amy, what are you doing here?"

She shot up from her seat and pulled her niece into a tight hug, "Oh honey, it's good to see you." Amy took a step back to take in the sight of Lucy and smiled, "I was just catching up with a friend."

It was a curious spot for anyone who is not a cop to eat at, and Lucy angled her head as her lips pursed in confusion, but before she could ask any more questions, Tim walked over holding out tacos.

"Here are your fish tacos, Amy," Tim smiled and set them down in front of her before placing his own by his seat.

Lucy watched him take the chair next to her aunt's and was DEFINITELY confused. "Since when do you eat with my aunt?" Those had been the first words she had spoken to Tim that weren't work related since he told her that he and Ashley broke up.

Tim opened his mouth to speak, but was rendered speechless by the fact that they were around each other unexpectedly. Hearing her voice knocked him off center, but he had to admit that it was nice to hear her talking to him.

"Since we're friends. Tim is such a good man," Amy beamed and placed a light hand on the man's cheek.

Lucy tried speaking a few times but found that she could not compose any sort of decent reply to this absolutely shocking news.

"Why don't you join us, Lulu," Amy smiled and pointed to an empty chair at their table.

"Yeah, Lulu," Tim said teasingly with a slight smirk, since he knew how much she didn't like the nickname. Poking fun at her felt normal enough, and with Amy as a buffer, he thought he had the strength to be around her. They do work together and share all the same friends. They NEEDED to get past the awkward tension between them.

Lucy eyed him sassily but took a seat next to her aunt and across from Tim. She welcomed the jab. It was a glimpse into what they used to be, and she missed that.

The problem was that once she sat down, his mouth went dry, and Tim kept repositioning himself in his chair in lieu of actually saying anything. To get some distance and relax, he volunteered, "Let me go get your usual," and left the table to order her food.

Amy whipped her head in her niece's direction and smirked, "I like him for you. You guys are good together." Lucy opened her mouth to object, but her aunt quickly waved at her dismissively. "I know your parents don't approve, but I like him."

"My parents? I barely speak to them let alone about Tim."

"I know, but I've mentioned him a few times. I'm trying to get Patrick and my stubborn sister to warm up to the idea of Tim. After all, I know how serious it is between you two."

"Aunt Amy, I…I don't know what you think is happening between Tim and I. I'm seeing someone, but…"

"You don't have to lie to me, dear. It's time that you two stop hiding your relationship. You don't need your mother's approval to be happy. You and Tim are perfect for each other."

Lucy really could not believe that her aunt misinterpreted the situation between her and her friends and coworkers, because that's all they were. Friends and coworkers. Friends and coworkers who kissed twice for work. "We are…"

Perfect for each other.

Quite the concept.

But TIM being perfect for HER? Sure, they're friends, and Lucy feels a strong connection to him, but there is a big difference between some attraction and being PERFECT. That seemed like quite the jump. Especially since when Tim opened the door and suggested that the two kisses that they shared for undercover work felt like more than pretend, Lucy had been quick to tell him it was merely "basic biology" and nothing more. She didn't know WHY she was so eager to tell him that it was nothing, but it felt important that they did not entertain the idea of there being anything MORE between them than friendship.

"Here you are," Tim presented her tacos, and she gave him a small smile of appreciation and tapped her hand on his forearm. It was a casual touch with barely any physical contact, and Lucy never understood why she always reached out to brush her fingers against him, but it felt like a habit she couldn't break.

"Okay, so, Tim, I know you said you wouldn't come to my wedding, but that's why I invited you to lunch. To beg you to come. It would mean so much to me, and I'm sure Lucy would agree with me that you should come," Amy pleaded.

"You invited him?" Lucy asked.

"Sure I did. We're friends, remember?" Amy questioned her niece and turned back to Tim. She patted one of his hands and requested gently, "Tim, it would mean a lot to me if you of all people came. Bring Kojo with for the weekend, too. Please."

He took one look at her pleading eyes, and he could not find it within himself to say no. Even though he doesn't like weddings. Tim's eyes flicked over to Lucy and back to Amy. "I'll come."

Amy lit up with glee and then launched into a discussion about the wedding and her fiancée. Lucy listened happily as her aunt explained how she fell in love with a kind bookstore owner who lives in a small town. They were going to get married at the end of the week on the beach by the fiancée, Dave's, house, and she couldn't wait to show Lucy the town. She thought it seemed odd that her aunt was marrying a man who she had only been dating for about 6 months, and of course, she was had moved to a small town for that man after only ever living in Los Angeles her whole life. But, Amy seemed very happy, and that's what mattered most to Lucy.

Lunch ended, and Lucy walked back to the station with Tim. "Seriously, when did you and my aunt get close?"

"I've run into her a few times," he shrugged.

She could tell he was lying, and she did not understand why. "You don't have to go. I know how much you don't like weddings."

Before Tim could explain that as much as he doesn't like weddings, the real reason he was avoiding Amy's wedding was because he remembered that the last wedding he attended was Nyla and James'. He spent the whole night talking and dancing with Lucy, and it was fun, but he could not imagine another night where love is in the air that he was staring at Lucy while trying to move on. He had been the one to tell her that it was time to move on, and he had to live with the consequences of those words as he watched her seem to grow closer to Chris. "I don't mind. Is Chris looking forward to the first family function where he'll meet your cousins and your parents?"

Lucy shook her head. "Oh, I-I didn't ask him. I'm bringing Tamara."

"Why?"

The answer to that question seemed simple but also incredibly complicated. "Just didn't seem…CHRIS!" Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as her jaw dropped. "I forgot. We were supposed to have lunch together. S-sorry. I have to call him."

He watched her fumble for her phone and start to dial while walking down the hallway where she could get a little privacy. Lucy forgetting lunch plans with Chris seemed like another one of the million signs that they weren't right for each other, but what could he say? Tim couldn't help overhearing her apologize profusely while rubbing at her brow, and he wanted to point out just how wrong that man is for her if she could not remember plans they made to see each other, but he remained silent, and as she hung up the phone arranging to see Chris for dinner that night at her apartment, Tim walked away silently.

Chris was in a MOOD when he arrived at Lucy's apartment. He was huffing, and his face was twisted into an annoyed expression, which she understood.

"You stood me up for lunch again," he said by way of greeting and shouldered inside of her apartment.

"I know, and I'm so sorry," Lucy apologized.

"How come You always FORGET our plans?"

"I just was going on my usual walk over to the food trucks, and I saw my Aunt Amy, and apparently she was eating lunch with Tim, and they invited me to sit with them, and…"

"TIM," Chris bit out the name with disgust. "I should've known. It's always about Tim."

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Lucy. I've tried to ignore the way you always bring him up and always end up hanging out with him, but I'm getting a little sick of my girlfriend splitting her time with me and another man."

She shook her head. "It's not like that."

"Really? Because from where I'm standing, I get a little confused which one of us you're dating. You can't go a day without mentioning him, and every time I'm at the station, I see you two talking or staring at each other like you're speaking in some code. It's like I'm third wheeling here."

"Chris…"

"You two don't even ride together any more, so if I asked you to stop hanging out with him, would you?"

"Excuse me?" Lucy scoffed and folded her arms over her chest.

"Would you stop spending time with Tim if I asked you to?"

"Tim is one of my best friends." She offered as a feeble excuse as to why she could never stop spending time with him. The truth, of course, was that she could not imagine her life without him in it.

"And you can honestly tell me that there isn't anything else between you two?"

"What's THAT supposed to mean?"

"I don't have to be a cop to be observant enough to see how you two act around each other. The way you two look at each other…it's not how people who are JUST friends look at each other."

Lucy shook her head violently and shut her eyes. "You're seeing something that isn't there." At least she HOPED that was true, but even Lucy had to admit that their had been quite a number of moments of charged eye contact between them that sent a rush down her spine.

"Really? Because he walked you up to your apartment the day I was bleeding on your couch, and I heard your voice offering him a drink before you two even noticed I was there. Then when you wouldn't go to UC school, it took him less than 5 minutes to convince you to go, and I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but the way he was talking to you…when you walked back over to me, you looked so upset like you two fought or something."

"We didn't fight."

"Just the other day on Halloween, you forgot I was picking you up at the station and left with Tim. I saw the way you were looking at each other like you weren't saying everything you wanted to. So just answer me honestly, did something happen between you two?"

Immediately, Lucy's eyes flicked over to her living room where she and Tim had kissed (technically twice), and then she thought about the way she eagerly reached for him in the airplane bathroom to taste him once more despite the fact that her excuse to do so was pretty lame.

Chris could see by the way her mouth was slightly open and her eyes went a little wide- it was clear that she was thinking of SOMETHING. "Wow," he said dully. "I'll take that as a yes."

"No, Chris, I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face like the look in your eye when you're with Tim. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Chris…" Lucy started, but she really didn't know what to say. As confusing as her feelings for Tim were, she could no longer deny that their was something strong drawing her to him, and Chris had noticed.

"Don't. I…I can't do this anymore, Lucy. We're done," Chris shut his eyes sadly and rocked away from her. He noticed that she did not try to reach for him or say anything. She just looked at him with a mixture of confusion and sadness in her eyes, and he had a sinking suspicion that Lucy was not sad about their relationship ending and more sad about something that has to do with Tim. With one last look at her, he spun around and left her apartment with a loud slamming of the door behind him. As he called the elevator, Chris hoped she would chase him down the hallway, but she didn't. Lucy let him go.

She swore at herself, because Chris had noticed her feelings for Tim just like her Aunt Amy indicated earlier in the day. Was she that obvious? Obvious enough for Tim to know? Lucy poured herself a glass of wine and started pacing her living room. IF her feelings for Tim were strong enough to threaten her stable relationship with Chris, how could she STOP them? What would she need to bring an end to the sheer magnetism of Tim Bradford? Surely, she couldn't live like this any more. Yearning for one of her best friends and arguably the most important relationship in her life was dangerous. Lucy was fated for every romantic relationship to end, and she could not bear the thought of falling deeper for Tim and then losing him.

The entire evening was filled with deep introspection. Alas, no obvious answers of how to stop her attraction to Tim had come to her.

Thoroughly distracted by thoughts of Tim, Lucy packed for Amy's wedding. The 5 hour drive to the small town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California (referred to as Carmel by the locals) provided no more answers.

"You barely said a word the entire drive. Are you okay?" Tamara asked once they arrived at the bed and breakfast.

"I'll be fine. This weekend is about Aunt Amy and her fiancée, Dave," Lucy plastered on the most convincing smile she could manage and went to check in to their room.

"What do you mean canceled?" Tamara wondered.

"Our reservation was canceled, and all of the other rooms are booked by my family that's coming in for the wedding," Lucy scratched her head and tried to think of what to do. In such a small town, there were not a lot of lodging options. "I'll call Aunt Amy and see if she has any ideas."

"Come stay with me. Dave and I have plenty of room in our house," Amy offered over the phone.

Desperate, Lucy agreed to stay with her aunt and drove over to their beachside house. She had only seen pictures of the home, but it looked grander and more charming in person. The white paneled house with a pastel green door and wrap around porch looked inviting and cozy. Amy and Dave greeted Lucy and Tamara with big enthusiastic hugs before ushering them into a bedroom with 2 twin beds. It wasn't ideal, but Dave explained that his daughters used to share the room when they came for the summer and thought it would be suitable for their new guests.

Lucy set her bag on her bed and started to unpack, but Amy placed a hand between her shoulder blades to call her attention. "Can we talk?" She saw the somewhat solemn look on her aunt's face and nodded before following her out of the house to walk down to the sandy beach behind their house.

Amy took a long look at the ocean and the way the sun was starting to set and casting the beginning of pink, purple, and orange hues on the world. "I'm sure you think it's a little ridiculous that a city girl like me has agreed to move to a small town and marry a man I've only known for 6 months."

"The thought has crossed my mind," Lucy smirked and watched her aunt's shoulders pull upwards to indicate the tension she was holding inside, but the way Amy was facing the water and staring away from her, she could not see her face and decipher her expression.

"I have End Stage Renal Disease. My kidneys are failing, and it's terminal."

Lucy gasped at the completely unexpected words cascading out of her aunt's lips. "Aunt Amy, I am so sorry. Are you on the transplant list or…"

"I've tried to fight this, Lulu, but my doctors told me it's a fight I can't win."

"What are you saying?"

Amy finally turned to face her niece and tried to speak as evenly as possible, "I'm not long for this world, Lucy, and I've made my peace with it. I've had an incredible life, and I'll be spending whatever time I have left with an incredible man in a serene place." She paused for a minute, unsure if she should say the next part, but life is short, so why not? "I only have one real regret. I wish I got to be at your wedding or at least meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with."

Lucy's eyes watered as she tried to accept Amy's confession. The idea of losing the only maternal figure in her life that she had positive memories with was heartbreaking enough, but to know that her aunt's only regret in life had to do with her? It was too much to bear. She wanted to say something comforting, but all the sentiments died in her throat.

Amy was distracted by a figure that appeared onto the back porch and gazed as a man walked down the steps of the porch towards the beach. "Tim!" She waved to beckon him to join them.

"Hey, Amy. Dave said I should just come here until I can sort out where to stay. Apparently, my room at the bed and breakfast was canceled."

Lucy watched Tim walk over when an idea dawned on her. She reached out and took his hand before turning her attention back to her aunt. "Actually, Aunt Amy, you've already met the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. My fiancée. It's Tim."

Notes:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY REACTION QUEEN RACHEL!

Alright, everyone, this is a fake engagement story. As the description says, CHAOS ENSUES! Hope you enjoy your ride on this Vicoaster! It's gonna be fun!

Twitter: girlintotv
Tumblr: girlintotv

Here's my angst scale that I use to assess the pain of every chapter:

xo Victoria

Chapter 2: The Cottage

Notes:

Angst level: 1

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

"Actually, Aunt Amy, you've already met the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. My fiancée. It's Tim," Lucy declared with her and Tim's hands clasped together.

Tim could barely fathom why Lucy was holding his hand so suddenly, and greater confusion set in when his brain processed her words. Fiancée?

Amy's face lit up. "Really? Last we spoke, you denied that you two were even together."

"I haven't told my parents about our relationship let alone that we're engaged. I didn't want them to be the last to know," Lucy lied. All of her undercover training was activated in her mind to make this story work.

She looked between the couple for a moment and then pulled them into a big hug. "I'm THRILLED! Congratulations you two!"

Lucy let go of her aunt and tucked some hair behind her hair. "Thank you."

"This is the best news!" Amy pinched Tim's cheek and beamed. "Alright, well, since you're about to be family, why don't you stay here with Dave, Lucy, Tamara, and I."

"I…" Tim stammered. He was utterly confused and pretty dizzy, and he vaguely realized he was holding Lucy's hand, but he could not let go as though that was the only thing anchoring him to the Earth.

Lucy saw that Tim was too stunned to speak, so she volunteered, "I'll call the bed and breakfast and get this sorted out."

"Nonsense! We have plenty of room! Oh, it would make me so happy if you both would stay with us," Amy said.

She looked to her fake fiancée, who was still frozen in shock and definitely not playing his part well, internally rolled her eyes, and responded, "I'll help him get settled in a guest room."

"A guest room? Lucy, I know you two are adults, and you're ENGAGED! You two will stay in the cottage together."

"Oh, I've already settled into the guest room with Tamara," Lucy said nervously.

"Dave can help you bring your things over. It's no trouble."

Lucy looked over at Tim's bewildered expression, which seemed to be how his face is permanently fixed now, and then saw how her aunt was positively ecstatic. "Okay, Aunt Amy." Her eyes snapped back to the dumbfounded man beside her, and asked, "Can I just talk to Tim alone for a moment?"

"Sure," Amy smiled and started walking away from the beach and back into the house.

"Tim," Lucy hummed softly. Her aunt was not far enough away to speak any louder. He slowly blinked at her but didn't speak. "Tim," she repeated and squeezed at their joined hands- neither of them had let go.

"W-W…" He took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on hers. "What just happened?"

"Aunt Amy thinks we're engaged," she answered simply.

"I got that."

"I mean, we're not ACTUALLY engaged…I just sorta had to tell her that we are."

The way she was biting her lip made him relax a little out of his panicked stupor. When Lucy is worried, he wants to be the one to make her feel better. "That doesn't make any sense."

"My aunt said she wanted to meet my fiancée."

"Why did you tell her you have a fiancée? Are you and Chris…?"

"Oh, God no!" She was horrified at the idea. She squeezed the bridge of her nose and tried to explain the situation again. "You know how much I love my Aunt Amy, and I would do anything for her. She told me she wants to see me get married or at least meet the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, and so I lied and said you're my fiancée to make her feel better."

He shook his head and noticed they were still holding hands. Tim pulled his fingers away from hers, watched her hand drop, and then looked at the ocean while he smiled wryly. "This is ridiculous, Lucy. We're gonna go back inside and tell her that you were joking. That you made all of this up."

"I can't," Lucy insisted and stepped around to force him to meet her eyes.

"Why not?"

"Because, she's dying," she sighed.

"I know," he replied somberly.

Lucy's eyes widened. "What do you mean you KNOW?"

"I know. I was there when the doctor told her."

She rocked back in her surprise and shook her head. "You…why…how…how come you were there?"

"Amy asked me to come. She started feeling weaker and knew something was wrong, so we went in for some tests, and she asked me to take her to the doctor to get the results. Dave was there, too."

"Okay, I know you're a man of few words, but I think you need to expand a little on what the hell is going on here," she crossed her arms and hardened her gaze.

He blew out a breath and tried to find a way to elaborate. It took him a few tries, but Tim finally settled on, "Right after Jackson died, I went to Shaw Memorial on a call. I saw Amy walking out, and we got to talking. She told me she'd just been diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease. Her kidneys weren't functioning properly, and she needed to start dialysis, and she was…going through a lot. I had some coffee with her and let her talk for a while, since I know how the women in your family like to talk, and I just listened. Then, I gave her my card and told her to reach out if she needed anything. She called a week later and said she was on her way to her first dialysis appointment, and she was nervous. I took the day off and went with her to the hospital."

"You…you've known for 2 years about my aunt's diagnosis, and neither of you told me?"

"You were grieving, Lucy. You feel everyone's pain so deeply. I knew that if you found out, you would want to be there for your aunt and put a hold on processing your grief after losing Jackson. I didn't want you to suffer, so I took care of your aunt as best as I could. I've taken her to every dialysis appointment I can when I'm not working. I've sat with her at every doctor's appointment. I've been with her in the ways I knew you would want to be. I just didn't want to burden you with your aunt's illness. Neither of us did."

"So, you guys just weren't gonna tell me?"

"Amy was responding well to dialysis, and the doctor said as long as she kept coming back for her treatments, she could live a long life. She was also on the transplant list, so we both thought there was nothing for you to worry about."

"She's my aunt, Tim. Of course I'm gonna worry about her! You should've told me!"

"I wanted to. So many times. I kept practicing how I would tell you and begged Amy to let me be the one to explain everything that happened, but she kept asking me to keep the secret. She kept saying that she was perfectly fine and ESRD wasn't going to ruin her life, and she was responding so well to the dialysis."

"Then why did she just tell me she's dying?"

"A rare complication with dialysis is pancreatitis…Amy was just diagnosed a few weeks ago. The treatment for her ESRD is hurting another part of her body. She's no longer eligible for a transplant, and dialysis won't be as effective…she was telling you the truth. It's only a matter of time."

"And, since you've been going with her to the doctors, you know all about her options. You've asked if there was another way?"

"I've asked every single question I knew you would ask. I've done research like you would have. I've supported her since her diagnosis as best as I can, Lucy. The day she got the news that it's terminal, she was devastated, and I begged her to let me tell you, but…she wasn't ready for you to know, because then it would be real. Once we finished making her final decisions, her and Dave decided to push up the wedding day, and here we are."

"You…you and my Aunt Amy…that's why she said you guys are friends. That's why she invited you to the wedding."

He nodded.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me. You didn't have to respect her wishes, Tim. You could've just said something."

"You and I both know it wouldn't have been right to break her trust and tell you about her diagnosis, and anyways, I had it handled."

"Because, you've been taking care of her for years without me even knowing."

"You can be mad at me all you want, Lucy, but I did the right thing for both of you. I helped your aunt feel supported, and I gave you the time to grieve and pick yourself up after Jackson. I don't regret the choice I made to keep this secret. I just wish you didn't have to find out like this."

"Me, too."

"You're punching me in your head right now, aren't you?" He asked to lighten the mood based on the death glare she was giving him.

"Mhm."

"You can punch me for real if that'll make you feel better, but then go inside and talk to your aunt. This weekend is about celebrating a happy occasion and a chance for her to be with your whole family for what might be the last time. Let Amy have this special weekend. Be there for her like I know you can."

"I'll try…but, for the record, I'm still pissed at you."

He predicted that reaction. "I'll drive back home. Leave you to be with your family." Tim took a step back to start moving away from Lucy. He wanted to blame the sand for his slow movements, but in actuality, he always found it difficult to leave her proximity.

"You're not going anywhere. You're staying this weekend, and you're pretending to be my fiancée."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I'm mad you kept this from me even though I understand WHY you did it. It still hurts, because we talk about everything, well, I thought we did until it took you days to tell me you and Ashley broke up…"

"Three weeks. I…she broke up with me right after my back surgery."

"Three weeks? You waited THREE weeks to say something?"

"Things between us have been a little…" he winced.

"I know," she cut him off softly.

He swallowed.

"Look, I need time to process my aunt's diagnosis, but I know without a doubt that she is one of the most important people in my life, and I would do anything for her. She said her biggest regret is that she won't live to see me get married or even meet my fiancée. I can't cure her disease, but I can do this, so we are going to pretend to be engaged this weekend. We're gonna make a dying woman happy."

"Lucy…"

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, and since you never told me before about you and Aunt Amy's friendship, you owe me."

"I don't owe you," he shot back with a smirk.

"You owe me, Timothy Bradford." She raised an eyebrow at him and leaned in just a little closer.

When she knows what she wants, there is no negotiating with Lucy. "This is insane," he grumbled.

She rolled her eyes. "I know, but it's only for a few days. I gotta go in the house and grab my stuff."

"I didn't say yes."

Lucy flashed him a half smile and responded, "I know you well enough to know that it's a yes."

"Fine, it's a yes," he surrendered.

She lifted her lip in a slight smile that he had acquiesced, and then she noticed that her aunt and Dave were standing by the windows of the house watching them. Lucy immediately wrapped Tim into a hug.

He had not expected the sudden physical contact, but it only took a second before he put his arms around her.

"They're watching us," she whispered.

"Who's watching?"

"Aunt Amy and Dave. If they've been watching this whole time, they saw our argument, so they need to see that it's resolved. I don't want them worrying about our relationship."

"We've only been engaged for a few minutes, and we're already arguing? That's not a good sign," he joked and felt her little giggle vibrate through his body. Even without seeing her face, Tim could easily picture the smile she was wearing and shut his eyes at the image. He liked holding her. Feeling her warm palms on his back, her nose pressed into his shoulder, her chest against his, her soft hair brushing his cheek, and the smell of her shampoo and perfume wafting into his nose. They didn't hug often, and it was probably a good idea that they didn't, because having her in his arms was just perfect enough that he was unwilling to let her go.

Lucy glanced back at the house to see that Aunt Amy and Dave had stepped away, probably to give the fake couple some privacy, but since she was not ready to move away, she let her eyes slip closed and clung to Tim for a few more moments- just to hear his heartbeat over the sounds of the waves, to feel his strong body touching hers, and to have the man she has missed so dearly in her grasp after a few months of awkwardness. She needed him back in her life. Maybe aspects of their friendship were irreparable since they kissed twice for an undercover assignment and almost slept together when they were both in relationships with other people, but Lucy was comforted to know that there was something to salvage. There was still something between them. Something she couldn't name, or more accurately, something she refused to name. Lucy finally released her hold on him.

"Are you sure the coast is clear?" Tim asked and selfishly kept his hands on her back.

"Yeah, they're gone."

He pulled away and was immediately missing her touch already, but he had to overlook that sensation to focus on his objective: pretend to be Lucy's fiancée.

They walked into the beach house where Lucy gathered her things from the guest room she was initially assigned.

"So, we're not sharing a room?" Tamara asked to clarify.

Tim reached out and took Lucy's zipped up bag off of the bed. She silently thanked him before answering, "No, Tim and I are staying in the cottage."

"Sounds romantic," Tamara smirked.

"We already told you it's all part of him pretending to be my fiancée. We need you to play along. Don't be weird," Lucy whispered.

"I won't. It's not like I'll have to act differently," Tamara shrugged. "And neither do you. You two already act like a married couple."

Lucy blushed at her friend's assessment and left the room with Tim in tow.

Dave smiled the whole walk down the beach to the little cottage as he held onto Kojo's leash. "Amy and I are so happy to hear about your engagement. From the way your aunt talks about you, she says you deserve the best, and I'm sure you know that it's hard to find a better man than Tim."

Lucy faked a smile and nodded before looking over at Tim who was simply stoic.

Dave opened the door and allowed Tim to enter the cottage first, but he stopped Lucy in the doorway to whisper, "I'm glad you finally gave him a chance after all this time. Amy told me he's been pining for you for years, but everything has its season. You wised up and got yourself a man who really loves you and will take good care of you."

There were quite a few parts of that statement that she was having trouble digesting, but one aspect was just too unbelievable. "He hasn't been pining for me for years," she scoffed.

"Really? Then, how else do you explain Tim going to the hospital every time he wasn't on shift to sit at your aunt's side during her 3 hour dialysis treatments? He did that for the last 2 years, and Amy wasn't under any delusion. She knows it's not just because he's a kind man. She knows he did it mostly because he loves you."

Lucy shook her head slightly but could barely move.

"I'll let you two get settled while I grill up some burgers," Dave said while handing her Kojo's leash.

She walked into the cottage with Kojo at her side and took in the space- a large room with light blue walls the same hue as Tim's eyes when he really laughs on a bright sunny day. There was a small kitchenette on one wall with a small circular table and 4 chairs, a door that leads to the bathroom, a sitting area with a dark grey leather couch and a white loveseat, a TV on a small stand, a desk tucked into the corner, and a set of thin, see-through, gossamer white curtains suspended from the ceiling to separate the rest of the cottage from the bed.

One bed.

Tim was standing very still as his eyes moved between the couch and the bed until Kojo darted through the space and hopped onto the white loveseat.

"Kojo you have sand on your paws! Come here, boy," Lucy said sweetly and lead him over to the kitchen to carefully wipe the salt and sand away. It was a great distraction from their assigned living arrangements where there was one bed only a few paces away from the couch in the tight studio layout of the cottage. She had to remind herself it was only for the weekend.

Tim watched her take special care of his dog, and he always loved watching Lucy and Kojo together. She was so sweet and gentle with him in a way no one else was aside from himself.

She felt his eyes on her and looked over at Tim. "You can set the bags down." He was still holding their luggage. Since he didn't speak or move, she added, "I'll take the couch."

"No, Lucy, you should have the bed."

"I roped you into this charade we have to put on. Least I can do is give you the bed."

"We're pretending for your aunt who we both care about, and besides, I know for a fact you're still upset with me that I never told you about how Amy and I became friends. Besides, I'm a gentleman. Couch is fine by me."

"You just had back surgery…"

"Weeks ago, and I was cleared for duty. I'm fine," he assured her and set his bag on the floor next to the couch before weaving through the curtains to place her bag on the bed.

Lucy gave Kojo a kiss once she was done cleaning his paws and said, "He's still got some sand in his fur. I can give him a bath later today."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you have wedding preparations to worry about."

"There's always time for Kojo," she smiled.

Tim needed to distract himself from the adoration shining in her eyes, so he opened his garment bag and removed the suit inside. He hung it in the small armoire. "Want me to hang up your dress?"

Lucy nodded and watched as he unzipped her garment bag to find the light blue chiffon floor length dress that she had to wear for the wedding. There was something in his eyes as he surveyed the gown that intrigued her.

He could already picture how beautiful she would look in it, but he kept that thought to himself as he hung up the dress.

"Thanks," Lucy said quietly.

Tim was sure he had something to say in response, but she was just staring at him through the thin curtains, and even from a distance and beyond the flimsy material, he could see her so clearly. Her eyes sparkling, her hands knitted together in that nervous way he finds adorable, her lips parted that signaled that words are failing her, and her hair hanging off her shoulders and slightly tousled from the gentle winds of the beach. She's beautiful even without wearing the dress…of course, she still has clothes on. Tim was NOT trying to picture her without clothes on. That would be highly inappropriate.

Lucy was not sure how long they stood on opposite sides of the drapes just looking at each other, but finally Kojo's little whimper pulled her attention away from Tim. "We should give Kojo some water. I think he's thirsty."

"Yeah, I…I'll get a bowl." He stepped over to the kitchenette and opened cabinets until he could find one, filled it with water, and set it on the ground. He saw Lucy's eyes flit around the space. It was nice to know she was not fully comfortable with their accommodations either.

"We should get back to the house. Dave said he's making burgers."

"Sure," Tim agreed, feeling relieved. The more time they spent at Dave and Amy's house, the less time they had to awkwardly share their little cottage. It's only for a weekend, he tried to remind himself. They could manage the tight living quarters if only the tension surrounding them didn't fill every crevice, taking all the air out and leaving them suffocating on all the unsaid words between them.

Notes:

For those of you who would like a visual representation of the cottage floor plan, here's a rough little layout I made:

xo Victoria

Chapter 3: A Ring

Notes:

Angst level: 1

Chapter Text

Tamara silently observed the madness of Tim and Lucy's charade, which was admittedly quite entertaining. Over Dave's freshly grilled burgers, Amy kept eyeing the fake couple making Lucy nervous enough to hold onto one of Tim's hands on the tabletop as a silent gesture to make their fake relationship seem more convincing. The way Tim so casually glided his thumb across Lucy's knuckles made it seem like second nature. How frequently had they held hands before? Tamara wondered.

Amy decided to bring up something she was curious about, "Lucy, why aren't you wearing your ring?"

"M-my ring?" She asked to clarify.

"Your engagement ring. Tim, you asked her to marry you with a ring, didn't you?"

Lucy and Tim exchanged a quick panicked glance.

"Our, uh, engagement was really spur of the moment, so I didn't have time to get her one," Tim answered. It was honest. He did not know he was going to pretend at being engaged to Lucy for a weekend.

Aunt Amy's lips were a thin line to express her disapproval.

Lucy noticed how her aunt reacted, so she was quick to add, "Maybe our engagement was a little unconventional, but that's par for the course for our relationship. We just love each other so much. All that matters is that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. Nothing else is as important." Her eyes found Tim's and it felt REAL. HONEST. Their relationship could most certainly be classified as unconventional, and she knows she loves him as a friend. There were deeper feelings than a friendly love, but thinking about that frightened her too much to label those emotions. Lucy kept looking at Tim in wonder at the prospect of sharing a future with him. It sounded pretty ideal, and yet, impossible. She knew she had lost her chance at something more with him when she denied that their kisses could mean anything in the privacy of their hotel room in Las Vegas while undercover, and soon after, it was confirmed that their window of opportunity had closed when Tim stood in the hallway of her apartment complex and told her it was time for her to move on.

Tamara had to sip on her water to hide her growing smile at the sight of Tim and Lucy just staring at each other like they were exchanging a million unspoken words and also not really doing much more than getting lost in each other's eyes. She has never seen it happen before between them, but it was not necessarily surprising- Tamara had watched as Lucy gazed at Tim's back with something fond shining in her eyes, and she has seen Tim glance at Lucy when she wasn't looking with a softness only reserved for her. If their eyes met, Tamara suspected it would look something just like this. Their fake engagement was growing more and more convincing even to Tamara who knew it was a farce.

Tim heard Tamara's scoff, which drew his attention away from Lucy and back to the rest of the table. "What?" He asked, vaguely aware someone had been trying to speak to him, but it seemed so insignificant in comparison to holding Lucy's gaze.

"I asked if you wanna get a ring for my niece while you're in town this weekend. Surely our family will judge that Lucy isn't wearing one," Amy repeated herself.

"You know, Aunt Amy, it's your weekend. We don't want to steal your thunder by announcing our engagement. Tim and I can tell people later," Lucy spoke up.

"Nonsense! I want everyone to know that you two finally wised up and got together, and now you're going to get married. It's giving me chills," Amy beamed.

"Me, too," Tamara added with a smirk.

Tim flashed the young woman a look of warning and then felt Lucy squeeze his hand.

"Aunt Amy, it's really okay. We can keep it just between us. Besides, I don't need a ring. What Tim and I have is special," Lucy said sweetly. Frankly, it was. She treasures their relationship as the precious thing that it is, and saying it aloud just reminded her of that.

Amy grinned at them. She loves the way they talk about each other. For years, she has called her niece and heard her go on and on about everything going on in her life, which always revolved around Tim. When they were not riding together, it should have been odd that he still came up so regularly in conversation, but Amy suspected they had feelings for each other then. Especially since when Tim actually spoke while sitting next to her during her dialysis treatments, he always found a way to weave Lucy into the conversation. Those fools were always thinking about the other. It was only a matter of time before they realized how they feel about each other and act on it. "We'll put a pin in the ring discussion. I want to know all the details about your relationship. When was your first kiss?"

Lucy was quick to answer, "In my apartment."

"Oh, well, we don't need to hear any more details," Dave said coyly, assuming that something more happened after the kiss if it was shared in Lucy's apartment.

"That kiss doesn't count. It was for work," Tamara objected. After seeing Lucy's eyes widen, she added innocently, "You said it didn't mean anything."

Tim swallowed hard, because despite the fact he said the same thing to Angela, it still hurt to know Lucy had felt that way, but he should not have been surprised considering her comment about "basic biology" to attribute how he thought they felt after their two kisses. He saw Lucy was having difficulty recovering after Tamara's comment, so he was happy to answer Amy's question differently. "It was actually after our first date. I took her to a nice restaurant, and when I dropped her off at home, I walked her to her door and kissed her." He had imagined quite a number of different scenarios where he kissed Lucy, but every time he thought about them sharing an undeniably REAL first kiss, he always pictured it at her door after a date.

"What a gentleman as always," Amy mused.

Lucy smiled at the vivid image of Tim wearing a dress shirt and being a little nervous as they walked down the hallway towards her apartment door, but then he would have a glint of confidence in his eye before bending low to capture her lips. It felt real, and she refused to admit that she wished she could actually experience it. She must have been staring at him for too long, because Lucy saw his mouth moving but could not hear a word he said for a few moments as though her brain was processing audio at a delayed rate.

Her breathing hitched when she fully registered Tim's response to Aunt Amy: "She makes me want to be a better man."

It was true. Tim always wanted to strive for better for Lucy even before having feelings for her.

She gaped at him but could not think of something to say in response.

Amy decided she had done enough interrogating and changed the subject to sharing embarrassing stories about Lucy's childhood.

Tamara was half listening while observing as Tim and Lucy had yet to let go of each other's hands, and at one point, Tim shoved his plate towards his fake fiancée to silently offer her the carrots she was already reaching for. They sat so comfortably, and if she did not know better, she would have believed they actually are in love. Maybe, as she had suspected before, they truly are.

After dinner, Dave suggested playing cards. Tim asked Amy to borrow a blanket, because he just knew that Lucy was cold as the night breeze blew off the ocean, and he immediately draped the blanket around her shoulders. She silently thanked him with an adorable smile that made his chest warm. He knows her so well that it sometimes surprises him, but he likes that she understands him without saying a word. It means he can't bluff while playing cards with her, so he will, unfortunately, always lose to her very convincing poker face, but it also means he didn't have to say a word for her to suggest: "It's getting late. I think it's time we turn in." Lucy did not look tired at all, so he flashed her an appreciative little smile, since he knew she said that for his benefit.

"We get it. You two just want to have some alone time," Tamara winked, which made Tim blush and feel a little flustered, especially when Amy and Dave just grinned at the fake couple.

Lucy and Tim walked in lock step down the beach towards the cottage, but neither spoke until they were inside.

"Go ahead and get ready for bed first. I know you're tired," Lucy said.

He nodded and walked over to his bag to grab his toiletries. By the time he exited the bathroom in his pajamas, he found Lucy had dozed off on the loveseat in her tiny sleep shorts, oversized t shirt, and silk robe. Tim watched her for a moment, noting how pretty she looked with a soft, sleepy, expressionless face illuminated by the moonlight filtering in from the windows, but then he nudged her to wake her up.

She blinked a few times to come out of her slumber and was unprepared to find Tim standing over her.

"It's only a few days, Luce. Maybe we should try to share the bathroom to make things easier," he suggested.

The idea sounded pretty intimate in a simple way, but it was better than one of them falling asleep waiting for the other to get ready for bed. "Yeah, we can try that in the morning," she agreed and wiped at her tired eyes.

He saw her walk into the bathroom, and then Tim went to the couch to settle in for the night, but he could not sleep despite his exhaustion. His guilt weighed on him heavily.

When Lucy reappeared, she saw his scowl and commented, "We don't have to talk about this right now." She could always so easily read his mind.

"Then, when are we gonna talk about it, Lucy? This long weekend is only gonna get busier when the rest of your family comes for the wedding."

"Let's just wait until we get back to L.A."

He shook his head and sat up. "I can't…we can't have this hanging over us for the next few days. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Amy's condition."

"You should've, Tim." Lucy crossed her arms.

"She asked me not to."

"And, you care more about her than me? We're…close." She wanted to say "friends", but that label just did not seem right after two kisses that would most certainly not be classified as friendly, simple kisses without any complex feelings behind them (no matter how vehemently she denied it).

"I know we are. I just…I wanted to respect her wishes as the patient. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"You're supposed to be the one person I can trust with everything, and you kept something really serious from me."

"You're right. I did, and I'm so sorry. It felt like an impossible situation, but if I did it all over again, I would have probably told you."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Looks like you're still mad at me," he pointed out based on her slight pout.

"I'm still processing. I-I just found out the only blood relative that I actually love is…" she couldn't finish the sentence. Thinking about the prospect of her aunt passing made her throat tighten.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy," Tim said sympathetically and stood from the couch. He expected she might want a hug but did not want to assume, so instead he asked, "Do you…need a hug?"

She just looked at him for a moment, surprised by the way he so swiftly offered exactly what could help, and then she walked over to him. They stood close to each other, eyes locked, and for a brief instant, Lucy thought it might be a bad idea, but she wasn't strong enough to resist the pull to him.

They ended up colliding into each other, neither knowing who moved first or if they leaned in at the same time. Lucy felt his arms wrap around her gently, but with an exhale, he tightened his grip on her, and she melted into the hug. A few tears fell as she let the realization sink in that she could be losing her aunt soon, so Lucy nestled closer and allowed herself to cry.

Words evaded Tim, so he just kept holding onto her while she cried. He wished there was a way to make her feel better, but at least he could do this. Be with her. Share the burden with her. Support her. Care about her. Eventually, she rocked away and looked up at him with still wet eyes. He lightly brushed away the last of the tears as they fell and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Lucy."

"Thanks," she choked out, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Can I do anything else for you?"

"You're doing it. Being my fake fiancée for the weekend. Thank you for going along with this sorta ridiculous plan."

"Not a problem. It's not so bad. It's like being undercover. We've done it before."

"Right. It's just like undercover," she concurred and then swallowed once she realized that last time they went undercover, they kissed twice, and she asked him if he wanted to come into her apartment, and now they were sharing a cottage all weekend with just one bed and a flimsy curtain separating them. If it would not look suspicious, Lucy would have preferred to stay in the guest room with Tamara to avoid losing control this time.

Tim saw her mind working, and he wondered what she could be thinking about, because all logical thought evaporated from his brain the second he held her, and now they were still standing far too close to do much more than stay perfectly still, or he feared he might reach out and pull her back to him. This was just an undercover assignment to her. He had to tuck away his feelings for her and keep from acting on his urges to touch her. Lucy would have to initiate everything as the expert on undercover work. He decided he would simply comply.

"Good night," she murmured.

"Night," he replied and climbed back onto the couch. He heard her get into bed and shuffle around, and he stayed awake to hear if she would start crying again, but Lucy slipped into a deep sleep. The change in her breathing was audible through the curtain, and the sound finally gave him the peace of mind to go to sleep.

Tim woke early in the morning to walk Kojo, and they started on the beach. Amy waved him over to the main house, so he lead his dog over to her.

"Tim, dear, I was wondering if you could go into town with me for an errand," she said sweetly.

"Sure. Can we bring Kojo?"

"Of course."

Tim sat in the passenger seat with his dog in his lap as Amy drove the short route into town. The main street was only a few blocks long with colorful, quaint shops. Everyone was still waking up, so not much was open save for the coffee shop and bakery, but they did not stop at either place.

Instead, they pulled up, oddly enough, to a jewelry store.

"Kojo's gonna have to stay in the car, but we'll keep the windows down, and we won't be gone long," Amy smiled.

Tim wanted to ask why they were at a jewelry store, but instead, he followed her inside.

"Roy, thanks for opening up early for me," she greeted the shopkeeper.

"Anything for you and Dave. So, is this the man you were telling me about?" The shopkeeper named Roy asked with a joyful grin.

"This is my future nephew, Tim. He and my niece got engaged, but apparently it was spur of the moment, so he hasn't had a chance to buy a ring. I was hoping you could help us pick something out," Amy explained.

"A ring for Lucy?" Tim asked and hated the way his voice went up an active in his anxious state.

"Well, yeah, she deserves a ring, Tim. I'm sure you were planning on getting her one anyways, so we might as well pick it up now. What are you waiting for?"

"What's the rush? We were planning on having a long engagement anyways," Tim tried to lie. He thought their discussion over dinner satisfied Amy's interest in Lucy wearing an engagement ring, but apparently, the woman was too stubborn to let it go.

"Let a dying woman see her favorite niece wear the ring she'll have for the rest of her life from the man she'll love forever," she requested.

How could he say "no" when Amy guilted him like THAT? Tim sighed and said, "Just gonna take a look. I'm not promising I'll buy anything unless it's perfect for her," he agreed, but he was pretty certain they wouldn't find something worthy of Lucy. Besides, a ring made their fake engagement seem less fake, which was good for their undercover operation objective but definitely confusing for his heart.

"What's your fiancée like?" Roy questioned.

"She's kind, and strong, and fierce, and smart, and genuine…and beautiful. When she walks into the room, she brightens up the whole place with her smile, and you'll never meet anyone more empathetic or patient. Lucy is the greatest woman I've ever known." His eyes bugged out when he finished his list. He couldn't believe how easily that characterization of her fell from his lips.

"She sounds special. I think I might have something for her," Roy tapped his chin and searched his display cases for a specific piece. He glanced up at Tim and then back at the ring before presenting it to the potential customer. "Do you think she'd like something like this?"

Tim saw the two yellow diamond baguettes on either side of the round 1 karat colorless diamond on a gold band and gasped. It was perfect for Lucy.

Amy grinned at Tim's reaction and said, "We'll take it," before handing over her credit card.

Tim shook his head, "Amy, you can't buy this for Lucy."

She patted his shoulder and replied, "I insist. The way you lit up tells me she'll love it, and I want to support you both. Consider this an engagement present."

"I should pay for it."

"My boy, you are the closest thing I've ever had to a son. I might not be around to see you get married and have babies, but I can be a part of your life right now. Let me do this one thing for you two." She could tell he was moved by her words, but was well aware of his inarticulate nature, so Amy added, "Come here," and pulled him into a crushing hug.

Roy boxed up the ring and put it in a bag while smiling at Amy and Tim. Then he handed the other man the bag while saying, "Congratulations."

Tim mumbled his thanks and then drove back to the house with Amy.

"I'll walk Kojo. You go ahead and give Lucy her ring. I'm sure she'll be so happy," Amy said.

He obeyed and walked over to the cottage to find Lucy in a robe with freshly blow dried hair and still pink cheeks from showering. She was humming while starting the coffee maker, and for a moment, he let himself watch her before he said, "Morning."

She saw the tension in his face and crossed the room to ask, "Are you okay?"

"No, well…Amy…she wanted me to give you this," Tim fumbled for the right thing to say and then just decided to open the bag to show her the ring as an explanation.

The little black velvet box was enough to shock Lucy, but then she dared to open it and felt all the air escape her lungs. The ring was gorgeous. More ideal than anything she had ever dreamed of. "This isn't a piece of costume jewelry, is it?"

"Amy was pretty insistent on buying a ring."

"Tim, we can't…"

"I tried fighting her on it, but she pulled the terminal illness card, and I couldn't say no."

"My aunt is so stubborn."

"Is that who you take after?" He joked.

Lucy scoffed and flicked her eyes between the ring and Tim, and she really didn't know what to do.

Tim understood her reservations since he had similar ones, but he urged, "Just wear it for the weekend. Make her happy."

She nodded and took the ring out of the box to get a better look at it. Then, she held it out to him and said, "Okay, put it on me."

"Why?"

"Because, I'm not gonna put my engagement ring on my own finger." Lucy said as though it was obvious.

He rolled his eyes, because she was not making any sense, but he reached for the ring at the same time Lucy tried to hand it to him, and it fell to the ground. Tim knelt down with an exasperated sigh. He looked up at her where he was on his knees, and even though it was not a real proposal, he decided since they ended up in this position that he should do it properly.

Lucy watched as Tim shifted his weight to kneel on one knee and then reached for her hand to slowly glide the ring on her finger. Her breathing hitched, and she noticed that he kept his hold on the ring while staring up at her. A second later, he was standing to his full height, eyes still fixed on hers, and he was holding her hand delicately.

Their fake engagement felt a little too real that it was terrifying.

Chapter 4: He's Just Not…

Notes:

Angst level: 2

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Tim kept staring down at Lucy while holding her hand where the new engagement ring was sparkling in his periphery. From what he could tell, she was holding her breath while being caught in the same trance.

The only coherent thought Lucy had was that she wished her real engagement could be like this- simple. Even though she was wearing a robe and standing near the doorway of the cottage, it still felt special and unbelievably charged. She had never been the type of girl to plan her engagement before, but she decided she wanted it to be exactly like this…and if Tim happened to be the man who actually proposed to her, well, she did not hate the idea.

He finally cleared his throat and asked softly, "Does it fit okay?"

"Yeah," she replied just as quietly and looked down to see that he was still cradling her hand.

Since Lucy brought attention to their hands, Tim dropped his away from hers and scratched the base of his neck as he does when he's nervous. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"I just took one…not that you were asking me to join you, because that would be weird…I'm-I'm gonna go to the main house to get some milk for my coffee." She was feeling so nervous around him just like after the first time they kissed; apparently, realizing she could see herself getting engaged to Tim was enough to throw her off balance.

"You might wanna change first," he suggested and pointed at her robe.

"Right," she agreed and scrambled towards her clothes to pick something out. She wondered how he could be perfectly fine and not at all effected by their situation; what Lucy did not know was that his heart was galloping in his chest and his palms were sweaty.

Breakfast with Amy, Dave, and Tamara started easily enough; Amy was explaining to Tim and Lucy the last minute set up for the open house to welcome all of the family coming into town for the wedding and to expect the cousins to start arriving shortly.

"…And then tomorrow is the big day. It's gonna be a beautiful ceremony right on the beach," Amy described.

"Sounds perfect," Lucy grinned.

"You know, Dave and I were talking last night, and we really wouldn't mind sharing our big day." Based on everyone's expressions, Amy elaborated, "If you two wanted, we could do a joint wedding. Get you two crazy kids hitched."

Tim started choking on his water and Lucy patted his back until she heard his breathing even out.

Tamara was so amused she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms to give the fake couple her full attention; she was genuinely curious how they were going to gently decline the offer of a joint wedding. Or better yet, they SHOULD just get married- maybe then her favorite idiots might realize they're in love, she thought.

"Are you okay, babe?" Lucy asked.

Tim thought he might choke again from hearing the term of endearment and the way it rolled off her tongue so easily. After a beat, he tried speaking and replied, "I'm alright, boo." Lucy crinkled her nose at him for a fraction of a second before recovering.

Tamara had to bend down out of view and feed Kojo a strip of bacon off of her plate to hide her silent giggles from the rest of the table.

"Thank you so much for the offer, Aunt Amy, but Tim and I are happy to be engaged for a bit," Lucy said.

"We really don't mind. Life's too short to wait," Dave chimed in.

Lucy took Tim's hand and smiled, "We're sure. We're happy to celebrate you guys this weekend."

"Okay, but just don't wait too long. I'm not gonna live forever," Amy said lightheartedly.

Lucy swallowed hard at the comment, so Tim squeezed her hand a little tighter and stroked his thumb across her knuckles soothingly.

Tamara noticed the easy movement between Tim and Lucy and the continued usage of "babe" and "boo", so she had so much to say by the end of breakfast that she followed the fake couple to their cottage. Once inside, she sank down onto the white loveseat and crossed her arms, "So, is there something you two wanna tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Tim asked and looked over at Lucy's equally puzzled expression.

"Look, I'm not gonna judge or anything, but…are you guys finally dating?" Tamara asked eagerly.

"NO! We're not…we told you we had to fake our engagement to make Aunt Amy happy," Lucy was quick to answer.

"Right, but the hand holding, and the food sharing, and the looks…it all screams COUPLE to me."

Tim tried to reflect on Tamara's list. He and Lucy had always shared food since they started working together, and he was unsure how we would characterize how he looks at Lucy, but he wondered if they seemed like a couple in how they usually act or if there was another valid explanation for their regular day to day behavior, since he did not think he was that good at acting like her fiancée. Maybe it was just how work partners operate? "We work together a lot," was the weak excuse he offered.

"Right," Tamara rebutted sarcastically. "So, this is just a day on the job?"

"It's basically an undercover op," Lucy tried to explain.

"Oh okay, but this one isn't make out, stop crime. This is more like make out, make out some more…I mean…I don't really know what else you're supposed to do?"

"Make out, stop crime?" Tim wondered.

"Don't worry about it. Tamara just thinks she's so funny," Lucy bit her lip and flashed her roommate a look, begging her to stop. "Tim and I are gonna get ready for all my family to arrive, and you are not going to make any sarcastic comments about Tim and I being engaged, okay? You've had your fun, but it's gonna be hard enough to convince my mom and my judgmental cousins that we're a real couple."

"I wouldn't be so sure, but I promise I'll be on my best behavior, and I'll knock before coming into the cottage. I wouldn't want to interrupt any more kissing for work."

Lucy rolled her eyes while Tim blushed.

Tamara gave Kojo one last scratch behind his ear and then waved at the couple, that in her mind wasn't faking anything.

"She brings up a good point," Tim noted.

Lucy's heart stopped. Was he suggesting they try kissing for practice again? The last time it happened, she had not even realized the full extent of her feelings for him. Kissing him again would be almost too unbearable, but if he wanted to, she could not find it within herself to say no. "Really?" Lucy was intrigued.

"We've convinced your aunt we're a couple, but how about your mom and the rest of your family? They didn't know you were dating anyone, and now you're about to show up engaged, so how are we gonna pull this off?"

She was a little disappointed he did not suggest another practice kiss, but it was probably for the best. "For starters, you're never calling me 'boo' again."

"No pet names. Got it."

"Pet names are fine, but that one sounds too much like 'boot'."

"What's wrong with that? I called you 'boot' for a year."

"And now I'm triggered when I go shoe shopping. Just call me anything but that. Now, my family thinks I don't think my decisions through, because I quit grad school to be a cop, so if we act like we're so madly in love that we're desperate to be together, they'll buy our sudden engagement."

"Okay, so…what does that mean?"

"You don't know how to act madly in love? You have to look at me like I'm the only person in the room, and touch me just because you want to touch me. You have to pretend that I'm the most important person in your life."

"I can do that." Aside from touching her, everything else seemed easy enough. Maybe even normal behavior for him if he was being honest with himself.

"Good. Now, change into a polo. My mom will lose her mind if I introduce you as my fiancée while you're wearing a t shirt."

"Noted," Tim frowned in understanding and shed his tee quickly before rummaging through his bag. "Problem. I don't think I have something like that."

"Seriously?" She groaned.

"I didn't pack outfits to impress my fake future in laws, Lucy!"

"Fine, let's go to town really quickly and get you something to wear."

He rolled his eyes but started walking towards the front door anyways.

"Uhh, Tim? You should probably put your shirt back on first," Lucy reminded him and tossed over the discarded tee. As much as she would have preferred to admire his abs, that probably would distract her from their objective of shopping.

Wearing a light blue polo, Tim was dragged along by their joined hands to meet all of Lucy's family members as her fiancée. Everyone had the same reaction: shock.

Vanessa and Patrick were the least impressed and most horrified. "What do you mean you're marrying a cop?" Vanessa hissed.

"Mom, please, it's Aunt Amy's weekend. Can we talk about this later?" Lucy asked.

"There's nothing to talk about. I forbid you from marrying him."

Tim took a step forward, and though he had been mostly silent while Lucy wove their fake love story to everyone else, he had to speak up when Lucy's mother was mistreating her. "With all due respect, Mrs. Chen. Your daughter doesn't need your permission to do anything. She's a strong, capable, and independent woman, so she can do whatever she wants."

"You're not good enough for my daughter," Vanessa snapped at Tim.

"I know," he agreed earnestly.

Lucy did not like the way he seemed so serious in his answer, and she squeezed his hand while silently promising herself to talk to him about the exchange with her mom later.

With a house full of family constantly making comments about her engagement and the scrutinizing gazes, Tim could tell Lucy needed a break. "Come with me," he murmured into her hair and lead her away from the main house, down the beach, and into the cottage. "Let's take a break."

She sighed and sat on the couch. Tim joined her on the other side, keeping distance between them. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Putting you through this. My family has been pretty rude, especially my mom."

"Your mom was being rude to you. You've told me how she talks to you, but I've never heard it for myself. She has no right to speak to you like that."

"I normally just hang up the phone and cry, but I really appreciate that you defended me to her."

"You don't have to face her alone. Ever."

Lucy scooted closer to Tim and tapped his forearm. "Thank you."

He shrugged nonchalantly. He was happy to do it.

"We should get back to the party," she suggested.

"Yeah," he sighed and stood up, then, he outstretched his hand for her to take.

She liked the way her hand fit in his; that was her only thought as they walked back to the main house.

Dave noticed the couple rejoining everyone from the sliding doors that lead to the beach. "Where did you two run off to?"

Tim wrapped his arm around Lucy and placed his hand on her waist before answering coyly, "I just wanted to get her alone for a few minutes."

Dave let out a small laugh, "Being in love really is the best. There's nothing like it."

"I'm a lucky guy," Tim said with a soft smile.

The rest of the day went easier with Tim's hands always somewhere on Lucy's body; it was a constant anchor keeping her as steady as possible considering the way her family has a knack for causing her to usually spin out of control. A comfortable warmth spread from her hand, the small of her back, her waist, and the space between her shoulder blades where Tim kept touching her so gently and yet so reassuringly.

After the millionth time someone asked about their plans for their upcoming wedding, Tim pulled Lucy into his side and looked down at her. "It's getting late. What do you say we turn in for the night, baby?"

She nodded, unable to speak. The way he said "baby" so fondly made her breathing catch.

"The party isn't over," an annoying cousin pointed out.

Tim pretended not to hear her and kept Lucy snugly tucked into him as they walked back to the cottage. The second they were behind closed doors, he felt her step away from him, and his hands already missed touching her so much so that he had to stick his hands into his pocket to avoid reaching out for her if his restraint started to waver.

"Thank you. You were…perfect. Seriously, I don't know how I would've have gotten through today without you."

"It wasn't that big of a deal."

"I've never heard you make up so many great things about me."

"I didn't make anything up. Your family mischaracterizes you, and I wanted them to know the real Lucy." He started walking over to the kitchenette.

"You might've embellished a little when you said I'm your favorite person to work with."

He reached for a glass and started filling it with water. "No."

She leaned over to look at him while he was focusing on the water flowing into his cup. "No?" Lucy repeated.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Kinda. We haven't ridden together in months. I've hardly seen you on shift lately."

"Thorsen's my aide now."

"Yeah, well you're the one that sent me away and picked a new aide."

"I told you I'm looking out for you."

"What does that even mean?"

"You deserve to flourish in your career. I don't want to keep holding you back."

"Why does everyone insist they know what's best for me? My family thinks being a psychologist is a better career path for me, my cousin thinks I need to have some big fancy wedding, you think I'll have a better career without you, and my mom doesn't think you're good enough for me…"

"That last one is true."

"Tim," she shook her head.

"I'm serious. You deserve a good man like Chris."

He didn't know. Lucy realized she had yet to tell him what happened. "We broke up before the trip."

"Why'd you break up with Chris?" He hoped that maybe it was because she might have feelings for him, but that was quite unlikely…and yet, he couldn't help but hope anyways.

"He…he broke up with me."

Tim laughed dryly assuming she was joking, but based on the serious set of her face, he asked to clarify, "He broke up with YOU?"

"It was pretty mutual, but he brought it up, because we're just not on the same page."

He hated to ask the question, but he felt he could not support her in her breakup properly without knowing the answer, so he quietly inquired, "Do you love him?"

"I mean, we weren't even been dating that long…it's not…" Despite the fact that the relationship was over, it felt disrespectful to simply say "no", but that was the truth.

"He loves you." Tim pointed out, because it was clear on Chris' face every time he watched Chris and Lucy together, so it seemed a little strange that a man in love would break up with his girlfriend. There had to be more to the story.

"I know. I know, and I feel like I should have loved him back. He's so great in so many different ways. It's just…He's just not…" Her eyes remained locked on Tim's, and though it was unspoken, she was trying to make "he's just not YOU" pretty clear. Maybe she could not let herself be completely honest with him about her feelings, but she could try to allude to that truth.

He stared at her for a moment, and he wondered if he was interpreting her words properly. Was Lucy trying to say Chris isn't right for her because TIM is? Tim took the smallest step closer to her and spoke, his voice low and cautious, "He's just not what?"

She blinked rapidly as she tried to collect her thoughts. Lucy wanted it to be perfect. She would only get one chance to tell her best friend that she sees him as something more, and they both deserved a genuine, thoughtful conversation. The words were on the tip of her tongue, so she opened her mouth and…

"Lucy! I need to talk to you!" Vanessa barged into the cottage demanding.

Tim was so stunned by the interruption that he just stood motionless.

"Alone. Give me a few minutes alone with my daughter," Vanessa added pointedly in his direction.

Lucy was still a little surprised by her mother's sudden entrance, so she stammered a few times before she could reply, "Uh…he can stay. Anything you want to say to me, you can say to him."

He didn't want to leave. He wanted to hear what Lucy was going to say, so Tim kept his feet firmly planted.

"Fine. I guess this concerns him, too. I don't know what you two are up to, but I know you're lying. I know this engagement isn't real," Vanessa stated coldly.

Notes:

This is supposed to be like a rom com…did you really think it was gonna be that easy?

xo Victoria

Chapter 5: Let's Persuade Her

Notes:

Angst level: 2
They piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

"I don't know what you two are up to, but I know you're lying. I know this engagement isn't real," Vanessa said matter-of-factly.

"What are you talking about? Of course it's real," Lucy was quick to rebut.

"Really? Because, last I checked you were dating an Assistant District Attorney named Chris Sanford."

"How do you know about that?" Lucy purposefully avoided telling her parents about her dating life to avoid their judgement.

"I have my ways."

Tim saw Lucy's panic, and he wanted to help her, so he wrapped his arm around her waist and said, "Chris was her past. I'm her present and her future."

She looked up into his eyes and felt herself swoon at his statement.

Vanessa scoffed, "Please, you tortured my daughter. She can barely stand you, and now you expect me to believe she loves you enough to MARRY you? Just tell me what's really going on!"

"I don't know what Chris told you, but I'm with Tim."

"When would I have spoken to Chris? You haven't had the decency to introduce me to him, so I haven't met him," Vanessa was confused.

"Then how…"

"The Mid Wilshire Files blog talks about your relationship with Chris and every time you two have been spotted at the station together."

"The WHAT?" Lucy asked.

Vanessa took out her phone and within a few clicks, she showed the bookmarked linked to a blog called "The Mid Wilshire Files" with thousands of posts of gossip from who has been caught stealing food in the break room to who is dating who at the station.

Lucy scrolled through with Tim reading over her shoulder until they found at the footer of the page:

The one and only source for everything at Mid Wilshire station is Smitty

"Smitty," Tim and Lucy groaned in unison.

"It's not true. This blog is written by one of the nosiest cops at the station, but he isn't always right," Tim explained.

"But, Lucy just said she's dating Chris. It must be accurate," Vanessa pointed.

"No, mom, I dated Chris for a little while, but then I started dating Tim."

"Oh, really? Since when?" Vanessa questioned.

"A few months," Lucy answered.

"Months? All it took was a few months of dating for you two to get engaged? Lucy overthinks every relationship and always struggles to commit, so how could you two have agreed to get married so fast?" She saw her daughter open her mouth to speak, but Vanessa wanted to hear from Tim. "Not you. I want him to answer."

"Ma'am, I knew your daughter was special since the first day we met. Officially, we haven't been together long, but I have appreciated and cared for your daughter for years. I know her better than anyone, and she gets me in a way no one else does. This hasn't been the most conventional relationship, but we know we're right for each other." The issue with his answer is that it was all true, even stating that they were right for each other, and as much as he wanted to think about it further, he had to keep his face measured in front of Vanessa.

Lucy leaned into him a little closer, since she could not trust her legs to keep her upright at his words. It sounded so honest that she could not even detect if he was lying, and vaguely, she wondered if he was in fact telling the truth.

"And you expect me to believe that?" She asked skeptically.

"We don't have to prove anything to you," Tim shot back.

"How come Smitty's blog doesn't mention your relationship?"

"Because, we've been keeping our relationship a secret from our coworkers. We don't need everyone commenting on us being together," Lucy tried to explain.

"So, you're not telling anyone about your engagement? It's clear you're ashamed that you're with Tim. Come on, Lucy, you have to see that," Vanessa sounded desperate.

Lucy felt Tim tense, and she circled her arms around him. "Of course I'm not! Tim is the most important person in my life!" She rested her head on his shoulder to offer him assurance that she was not lying.

"That blog…"

"Is run by one of the most inept officers in our station. I don't care what that stupid blog says. Lucy and I are engaged, and you don't have to like it, but it's the truth," Tim said gruffly, cutting her off.

"I'm disappointed in you, Lucy," Vanessa sighed.

He heard the faintest hitch in Lucy's breath and ran one of his hands up and down her arm. "Well, I'm proud of her. She's one of the greatest people in the world who does remarkable things every single day. I'm disappointed in you for not appreciating how incredible Lucy is, but she doesn't need you any more. She has me now."

Lucy thought she was about to faint and held onto him even tighter; she was further comforted by his firm hold on her waist, and then he brushed his lips along a spot on the top of her head- it wasn't really a kiss, more like gently nuzzling her, and it felt so soothing she had to stifle a moan.

Vanessa groaned in annoyance, took one more look at the fake couple, and then left the cottage.

Lucy turned in Tim's arms and exhaled into his chest.

He was unsure what to say, so he just held her as long as she needed.

She rocked back to meet his eyes and was grateful that he kept his hands on her back. "Thanks," she murmured.

"I'm sorry about your mom," he said quietly.

"Yeah," she whispered and cleared her throat. It took an extra moment and a little effort to finally move away from him. "Let's get ready for bed." She was too tired to resume their conversation that her mom had so rudely interrupted.

Tim nodded and followed her into the bathroom. He could clearly see her exhaustion and knew that whatever they were about to say to each other before their unwelcome guest burst into their cottage had to wait until later.

It should be weird to take turns washing their faces and brushing their teeth side by side at the sink in the small bathroom, but it felt just as natural as walking into an unknown building with their guns drawn- they moved as if they had gotten ready together a million times before. Lucy padded over to the armoire and gathered her pajamas, but then she stopped at the couch to find Tim rummaging for his own clothes to wear to bed. "Hey, umm, since my mom is suspicious, we really need to be convincing tomorrow. You were good today. Just gotta keep doing what we've been doing."

"Sure." Another day of keeping Lucy in his embrace sounded pretty great.

"Kojo," She giggled when her favorite dog jumped up to grab her thigh.

"Come on, buddy, leave Lucy alone so she can get ready," he said to his dog.

Begrudgingly, Kojo obeyed.

"I'm gonna head to the main house to help Aunt Amy get ready. The ceremony starts in an hour, so please be ready then."

"You got it. Do you need anything else?"

"I'm sure Dave would appreciate some help setting up the tables and chairs."

"Okay, I can be a good future nephew-in-law and help."

She smirked at him and reached for her dress. When Lucy disappeared into the bathroom to change, Tim poured himself some coffee. He almost choked on his drink when he saw her walk out in the light blue chiffon floor length dress that featured a very generous neckline. She looked stunning.

Lucy noticed the way his eyes darkened as they raked over her, and she could feel her pulse quicken from his gaze. "Mind zipping me up?" She asked breathily and spun around to show him her exposed back.

His lungs were not cooperating, and he found he could not breath. Tim reached for the zipper of her dress while stepping closer to her.

She could sense him behind her and noticed he was not breathing, and frankly, Lucy held her own breath, too. She shut her eyes to feel the way he slowly pulled the zipper up with one hand while the other was pressed into the back of the dress to keep the garment in place, his fingers barely brushing over the edge of the garment and touching her bare skin. Lucy felt so much warmer than the minimal heat radiating off of his fingertips, and that feeling traveled all over her body. It seemed to be taking forever for him to zip up her dress, and yet, the second he let go of her and stepped away, she wanted his hands on her again. When she looked up at him, there was so much Lucy wanted to say, but it was not the right time, so instead, she reached for her purse and her phone. As she stepped over to the front door of the cottage, his voice rang clear in her ears despite the the low voice he used.

"You look beautiful." So many times, he had thought she looked beautiful, but he never allowed himself to say it before, but in the moment, Tim let himself compliment her, because it was the only truth he could easily say. He wanted to tell her he has feelings for her. He wanted to tell her he wished their relationship was real. He wanted her to know that he was happier spending the day pretending to be her fiancée than he had felt in weeks, maybe months. But, even if all of those sentiments were true, Tim did not think it was an appropriate time to say any of them. After all, he had tried to confront her the night before about her feelings for him when he thought there was a glimmer of hope that she could see him as more than a friend, but Vanessa ruined any chance of Lucy answering his question. He did not want to push, so instead, he complimented her and admired the way she blushed a little.

"Thank you. You look pretty handsome, too."

He scoffed and dropped his head to inspect the sweatpants and t shirt he had worn to sleep and had yet to change out of. "I'm in my pajamas."

"I know," she replied with a slight smile and left the cottage.

It was a beautiful wedding ceremony, well, as far as Tim could gather from what he witnessed in his periphery, but he kept his eyes glued to Lucy who was standing next to Aunt Amy as the Maid of Honor. Lucy barely paid attention to the officiant, because she held Tim's gaze and was consumed by his blue eyes. As handsome as he looked in his pajamas in the morning, he looked even more good looking in a navy blue suit.

All of the attendees clapped to celebrate the newlyweds and then followed Amy and Dave inside the house for cocktails.

When Lucy reached for a glass of champagne, Tamara warned, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?" Lucy wondered.

"Oh, according to most of your cousins, you're pregnant, and pregnant women shouldn't drink."

"Excuse me?"

"That's the rumor that's going around to explain the quick engagement to Tim. I'll be honest, your cousin Mason made a good point that you haven't brought Tim to any family gatherings before, and if you were serious about him, you would've introduced him to everyone before getting engaged."

Lucy scoffed and purposefully picked up a glass of champagne before taking a sip. "I barely go to family gatherings. I wouldn't want to make Tim suffer through one of those."

"Good thing he never actually has to go with you, since you know…" Tamara leaned in to whisper, "your relationship is fake."

"Shhh," Lucy hissed.

"I bet he wouldn't mind going, though. If you did want to actually bring him around as your boyfriend."

"Tamara…"

"You can deny it all you want, but I know you like him, and deep down, you know he likes you, too. Oh, look, he's coming over right now. Maybe you can actually talk to him about that," Tamara suggested and drank some champagne while Tim walked up behind Lucy.

"Hey, baby," Tim smiled and settled a hand on the small of her back.

"Hi," she replied and felt her mouth turn up into a genuine smile. She did not think she could ever get used to the rush of hearing him call her "baby" and feeling his touch.

Tim outstretched a hand to grab his own glass of champagne while keeping his hold on his fake fiancée.

She surprised him with a kiss to the side of his neck as he took his first swallow of wine, and it was quite amusing to see the shock color his face. "Relax," Lucy whispered in his ear.

He nodded and cleared his throat.

Lucy drank more champagne and noticed a few judgmental glances from her cousins, which made her groan.

"What's wrong?" Tim asked.

"My family thinks we got engaged out of the blue, because I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant?" He questioned in a clearly shocked tone.

"Yeah, so I'll be holding a drink in my hand all night so that everyone stops assuming we're pregnant."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Don't leave my side, and hold me back from punching my family for thinking the only reason we're engaged is that we're pregnant."

He moved his hand to her opposite hip and brought her closer to his side. "You got it." She kept saying "WE're pregnant", and it made the blood rush in his ears.

During dinner, seated at tables in the sand, Lucy liked the way Tim covered her hand with his. It felt a little like deja vu from the last time they had dinner on the beach for a double date, but this time, she was with the RIGHT date having a great night. She leaned her head on his shoulder as Amy and Dave shared their first dance; she knew she was being a little indulgent with all of the physical contact, but she could not stop herself. Once the dance floor opened to everyone, Tim stood and took Lucy's hand.

"I thought you didn't like dancing," she said as one of his hands found her waist.

"I don't mind dancing as long as I have the right partner," Tim replied.

She felt her cheeks pink up and let him spin her around, leaving her out of breath and giddy. That's when she saw her mom directing a scrutinizing gaze at her.

Tim felt her whole body tense, and he asked, "What? More dirty looks from your cousins?"

"No, it's my mom. She keeps looking over at us."

"You think she still doesn't believe us?"

"Guess not."

"Then, let's persuade her."

She did not have time to ask what he meant before he started leaning down, and soon enough, she felt his lips collide with hers. It would be an understatement to say that Lucy had MISSED kissing Tim. It had only happened twice, but it was intoxicating enough that she wanted it to happen again and again and AGAIN.

He felt her hands cup his cheeks, and swallowed up her little moan of pleasure; whether she liked him or not, Lucy at least enjoyed kissing him. She pulled away, and he chased her lips for one more kiss.

"Tim," she gasped against his mouth while trying to catch her breath.

"Mhm," he hummed, still in a daze.

"My mom's not looking at us anymore."

"I'm sure someone's still watching."

"You think?" Lucy flicked her eyes over to see a cousin staring, so she looked back up at Tim and rose up to kiss him again. Pretending was so much fun if it meant tasting him.

Eventually, they barely even swayed as they held to each other on the edge of the dance floor with desperate hands and frantic mouths that could not be separated. It started as a way to maintain their cover as a couple, but it quickly devolved into sheer lust keeping them together. They were able to act out their desires under the guise of faking their relationship, which meant they could lower their inhibitions for a little while.

Tamara was pretty sure they did not need to be making out for so long to maintain their cover, but she snapped a photo, incredibly amused at the sight.

Amy watched Tim and Lucy finally break apart for much needed air with their eyes shining into each other. They made such a beautiful couple. Amy walked over to them and handed Lucy her bouquet. "Instead of tossing it, I want you to have this, since you'll be getting married next."

"Thanks, Aunt Amy."

"It means so much to me that both of you came today, and I'm even happier to know that you two are together."

Lucy put her head on Tim's chest while still smiling at her aunt and holding the bouquet as she said, "We love you so much."

"You know, you don't have to leave in the morning. You're welcome to stay in town for a bit longer. Dave and I wouldn't mind."

"I wish we could," Lucy sighed, because she did wish she could stay in this quaint beachside town where she's happily in love with Tim, wears a beautiful engagement ring, stays in an adorable cottage, and can enjoy her aunt's company.

"I understand," Amy offered a smile twinged with sorrow; she hoped it would not be the last time she saw her niece, but if it were, at least it was a perfect final memory.

When Amy walked away, Lucy stayed fully pressed against Tim, which he definitely did not mind. He loved having her in his arms.

"Tim," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"We made her happy. That was the goal, and we did it."

"We've always made a great team."

"I've been saving your life since day one. I think this team works because of me."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Tim did not verbally object.

"Wanna head back to the cottage?" She asked.

"Okay," he agreed and let her lead him by their interlaced fingers to their cottage.

With the lights still off and only moonlight illuminating the space, Tim saw Kojo was snoring on the loveseat while Lucy fumbled with removing her heels; she felt a buzz, and she could not attribute it to the alcohol she consumed; she knew that kissing Tim was the real reason she was so lightheaded.

She gathered her pajamas, and said, "I should change."

"Go ahead." Tim removed his suit jacket, then quickly shed the rest of his clothes, leaving him shirtless in his boxer briefs.

"I can't get…oh!" Lucy was surprised when she walked out of the bathroom to find him barely clothed.

He was a little flustered, but tried to ignore that feeling to ask, "What?"

"M-My zipper. I can't get it. Can you help me out?" Lucy had seen him shirtless before, but it felt different now.

Tim nodded and stepped around her. Then, he gently swept her hair away from her back for access to the zipper. He dragged it down quickly enough to make her lips part- he was good at getting her undressed quickly, and she wanted to tuck that knowledge away for later just in case she needed to know that.

He watched her turn back to face him, and then she found his eyes; even in the darkness of the cottage, her eyes were so bright. They stared at each other for a moment, and then she tilted her head up. For a fraction of a second, Tim thought she might kiss him again. If she did, it would not be for work or to fake their engagement- it would be because she likes him.

Lucy realized how close her mouth was to his, and she wanted to bridge the gap, but that would have been a bad idea, so instead, she took a half step away from Tim, paused with longing in her eyes, and returned to the bathroom to finish changing.

He was so dizzy from being close to her all day and from all the touches and kisses. So overwhelmed, Tim felt tingly in every single one of his nerve endings as he tried to hang up his suit. He was so overstimulated that he had to sit, so he sank down onto the edge of Lucy's bed to rest for a minute.

When she got out of the bathroom with her makeup washed away, her hair brushed out, and her dress traded out for comfortable cotton sleep shorts and a tank top, Lucy walked over to her bed to find Tim fast asleep. He looked so peaceful and comfortable. She did not want to wake him up, but she also was uninterested in trading places and sleeping on the couch. Besides, the bed was big enough to share with plenty of space between them.

Lucy climbed into the bed on the other side, and she wondered what it would be like to go to sleep next to him every night. It seemed like an impossible fantasy, but it was one she could indulge just for the night, so Lucy wanted to capture the memory perfectly as she watched Tim until she drifted off to sleep.

Notes:

Did any of you predict how Vanessa knew they were lying?

Okay, I'm coming clean here. They will piiiiiiiiiiiine for like most of the rest of this fic but otherwise, not too much higher on the angst scale. Yay!

xo Victoria

Chapter 6: A Sign

Notes:

Angst level: 2

Chapter Text

Lucy turned her head as she woke and realized she was being held. She looked to see Tim beneath her and his arms encircling her. It was not the first time she had seen him sleeping; he had dozed off in the shop a few times, and though Lucy jokingly referred to him as "Sleeping Beauty", he did look objectively beautiful with his morning scruff, his face peaceful, and his hair messy. Her eyes traveled lower, and she realized that he was shirtless and only in his boxer briefs, which should have made her uncomfortable, but she liked the bare skin of her legs pressed against his. He was so warm and holding onto her so snugly that she nestled her head back onto his chest and allowed herself to revel in snuggling with him. Her eyes caught on something sparkly in the corner of her vision, and Lucy realized that she was wearing the engagement ring.

She wouldn't dare call it HER engagement ring, but Tim had picked out something absolutely perfect for her, and when he slipped it on her finger, Lucy never wanted to take it off. They would be leaving shortly, she knew, which meant that she would have to remove the shiny ring and would no longer share a cozy little cottage with him. If she only had a few more hours left to enjoy the fantasy, Lucy wanted to stay exactly where she was with her ear pressed to Tim's chest and feel every rise and fall from every breath and hear each beat of his heart mixed with the distant sound of waves while the warmth of his skin bled into hers. It was perfect.

So perfect she was pulled back to sleep.

When Tim woke up, his eyes immediately snapped down to where Lucy was draped on top of him. He lifted the covers to see how their legs had ended up tangled together, and then he followed her arms and hands until he found one palm pressed against his pec. With the gentlest touch, he traced that hand and the diamond ring on it, and he wished this could be his life- Lucy and him waking up in bed together every morning, his ring on her finger tying them together forever.

He thought about how everyone rumored that they were pregnant, and Tim could vividly imagine the sound of a baby crying just beyond the thin curtain separating the bed from the rest of the space. It was a nice dream, but Lucy only asked him to be her fake fiancée for the weekend, and their time to pretend to be in love was almost coming to an end. Since he did not get his fill of kisses and touches the night before (he never thought he could get enough of her), Tim promised himself that he would hold Lucy's hand throughout breakfast and kiss her in front of Aunt Amy before the charade would end. He needed one last kiss.

"Tim," she said, her voice groggy.

"Hey," he replied, and before he could stop himself, Tim's fingers slowly combed through her messy, wavy, locks.

"What time is it?"

"Early. I might try falling back asleep," he lied. Tim had not checked his watch, since that would mean tearing a hand away from Lucy's body, but based on where the sun was hanging in the sky outside, he could tell it was around 8AM. The rest of the wedding guests would probably be starting to go into the main house for breakfast, and a few were likely loading their cars to leave and start the long drive, but Tim did not care about anyone or anything else. He just wanted to keep Lucy in the bed with him for a little longer if he could.

"Okay," she sighed and her eyes slipped closed again. She did not have any impetus to move away from him and the way he was running his fingers through her hair that made her barely swallow back from moaning. Lucy's eyes fluttered open, and she saw him staring down at her and not trying to fall back asleep. "I thought you were gonna go back to sleep."

"Right," he replied guiltily and shut his eyes.

Lucy chuckled, and she secretly hoped he wanted to stay in bed with her as much as she wanted to remain with him, but she was unsure. Finally, she sprang up and announced, "I have to pee."

Tim snickered while watching her dart over to the bathroom, and then he finally shuffled out of bed. He started stripping the sheets to make it easier for Dave and Amy to wash the bedding when Lucy emerged.

"I was gonna lay down again," she said.

"Sorry, I was just trying to help."

"It's okay. We should probably start packing anyways."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Actually," Lucy had an idea and lunged forward to take the neatly folded bedding out his hands. "I think I should wash all this."

"It might take a few hours. Are you sure you don't wanna get on the road soon? I don't mind staying…for the laundry."

"Maybe, we can both take care of it together," she suggested, and she hoped he would say yes and agree to stay in their bubble of pretend for a few hours more.

"Sure. Yeah, I can help you make the bed when everything's washed," he offered knowing making a bed did not require the collaborative effort of two people.

"Perfect. I might even sweep up and maybe clean the bathroom."

"I could clean up the kitchen," he proposed, even though they both knew they had only used the coffee maker in the kitchenette.

"Great."

"Great. So, let's start the laundry, get ready, and grab some breakfast. Then, we can come back and clean up."

"Sounds like a plan," Lucy gave him a soft smile and walked over to the little closet where the washing machine was hidden inside of.

After getting ready (again, in perfect harmony despite sharing a small bathroom), Lucy and Tim walked up the beach. He reached for her hand, and she slotted her fingers between his perfectly as if they had done it a million times. When they walked inside the main house, all eyes turned to them.

"You woke up late, Lucy. You shouldn't be so lazy in the morning," Vanessa commented.

"It's my fault, Mrs. Chen," Tim fibbed to take the blame.

"Sounds like you two have already had a busy morning," Tamara joked.

Lucy blushed while Amy chuckled. "Leave the lovebirds alone. There's still plenty of food. Come on," Amy grinned and bent her neck in the direction of the kitchen where all of the breakfast was laid out.

Tamara followed the couple to get another blueberry pancake.

"Was that necessary?" Lucy hissed under her breath to her roommate.

"I thought you wanted me to play along?" The younger woman replied, feigning innocence, but there was the ghost of a devilish grin on her face.

Tim looped his arm around Lucy's waist and asked, "Want some pancakes, baby?"

She nodded and leaned into him a little. In a few short hours, even if they tried to delay leaving by cleaning the cottage, Lucy knew she wouldn't get to revel in Tim's hands on her or the soft way he calls her "baby", and she wanted to soak up every last minute of it.

He smiled and set two pancakes on her plate, then, he reached for the syrup and started drowning the pancakes in the golden brown liquid the way she likes.

Lucy pursed her lips together to try to stop smiling, but she absolutely adores how well he knows her- even how she prefers her pancakes. He has teased her before claiming she eats "syrup with a side of pancakes", yet Tim poured the syrup for her and only grumbled quietly, "I can't believe you drown your pancakes like this."

"I like 'em sweet," she replied and watched his face pinch in disgust. She surged up and kissed his cheek (because she still could for a few hours), "I keep telling you, you should try it some time."

His first thought was that he would be willing to try extra syrupy pancakes if he were tasting it from her lips. Tim was confident he would enjoy it then. Still, he merely shook his head and guided them over to the small table outside on the porch, which happened to be as far away from Vanessa as possible.

About halfway through breakfast, Lucy followed Tim's eye line to find that all of her family was looking at them through the window. "Tim," she hummed and waited until he turned to her. "If they're gonna keep watching, we should give 'em something to see." His blank stare made her smile as she leaned in for a slow, gentle kiss.

Tim proved his hypothesis was correct; he does like syrup with a side of pancakes when tasting it from Lucy's lips. She pulled away slightly, and with his eyes still shut, he whispered, "They're still looking," because he hoped they were, and then he angled his head for another kiss.

Lucy knew that even though it was short-lived, she would miss finding excuses to steal kisses, claiming it was to keep up their cover, even if they both knew no REAL couple in love needed to have so many public displays of affection to prove the authenticity of their relationship.

Since the cottage was spotless when they arrived, it took no time at all to clean up after themselves.

Tamara walked over and knocked.

"Come in," Tim called as he and Lucy finished smoothing out the duvet on the made bed.

Tamara stepped inside with a hand over her eyes. "Are you decent?"

"That's not funny," Lucy replied deadpan.

"I wouldn't want to walk in on you two again. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't gotten home when I did the first time you kissed? If last night was any indication, there might have been some truth to those pregnancy rumors."

Tim felt his cheeks heat up as he distantly remembered how much he had tousled Lucy's hair when he buried his hands there at one point during their very long, very involved make out session on the dance floor the night before. He could not deny that he had gotten carried away, and they were in PUBLIC. How far would he have gone if they were ALONE?

Lucy's own cheeks reddened, and she scratched her scalp to distract herself from recalling how Tim's tongue had slid into her mouth so perfectly during the wedding reception. She remembered thinking that she had not been properly kissed before he claimed her mouth so expertly. If they were not around prying eyes, Lucy probably would not have stopped at just kissing him…if he's that good at kissing, she was certain he must be quite good at other things as well. Just the thought of finding out what else he's good at sent a shiver down her spine.

He cleared his throat and looked everywhere but directly at Lucy when he said, "I'm gonna say goodbye to Amy and Dave. We should probably hit the road soon."

Lucy offered him a forced smile and watched him leave the cottage so unceremoniously without even looking back that she wondered if he thought their time together in the little space was special the way she viewed it. Or, maybe he considered their fake engagement that forced them to share the cottage as a chore he was willing to do as a friend.

"Are you okay?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah, we gotta get going." Without a second thought, Lucy glanced down at her bejeweled hand, and she loathed the idea of removing the ring. Perhaps Tamara would not notice if she kept it on during the drive home?

While saying goodbye, Amy squeezed Lucy and asked again, "Are you sure you can't stay for a couple more days?"

"I really want to," Lucy replied wistfully. She was so at peace in the small beachside town, and she loved the thought of spending more time with her favorite aunt, but the real world was waiting.

Amy looked a little sad, but she said her I love yous and goodbyes before stepping back inside the main house.

Tim helped Lucy and Tamara load their bags, and he noticed that Lucy was still wearing the engagement ring. He liked that she still kept it on her finger for a few more minutes when Amy was out of sight. Even if it was fake, it was nice to see her wearing a ring he had given her. Once the women were ready to go, he waited for them to drive away first.

Except Lucy's car would not start.

The vehicle made a strange sputtering sound, and Tim immediately jumped down from his truck with Kojo in tow to inspect her car.

"You've GOT to be kidding me," Lucy groaned.

"There's definitely a problem with the engine," Tim reported based on his initial glance.

"Great," she sighed.

"Why don't I give you a lift home?"

"What about my car?"

"We can leave it at the body shop in town, and I can drive you back when it's fixed."

It was a sweet offer to drive so far out of town for her, but Lucy was not necessarily surprised, since that is the kind of man Tim is, but there was something gnawing at her about the whole situation. She leaned in ever so slightly and said, "I think it's a sign."

"A sign?"

"Yeah, I think I should stay with Aunt Amy for a few more days. With the craziness of the wedding weekend, we didn't get a lot of time to hang out, and this might be my last chance…ever."

"I know how much she's missed you, and she HAS offered you to extend your visit ever since you got here. I'm sure she'd love if you stayed."

Lucy nodded, appreciating that he understood.

"I'll take Tamara to your apartment, and we'll see you back in the city in a few days."

"Thank you."

"Let's call a mechanic to get your car fixed first. I want to make sure you're taken care of before we head out."

Lucy smiled at him and then pulled out her phone to Google the information for the town body shop.

"Everything alright?" Amy asked from the front porch. She saw the couple talking instead of driving away and wanted to check in.

"Lucy's having some engine trouble," Tim explained.

Amy walked over to them and replied, "Oh, I'm sorry, Lucy. How can I help?"

"I'm waiting for the town mechanic to pick up, so that my car can get towed away and fixed, and then, it looks like I'll be staying here for a few more days."

Amy's face lit up immediately. "Perfect! Tim, Dave can come out and help you bring your bags back over to the cottage. Let me go get him…"

"Actually, Amy I was gonna head back," Tim replied.

"Without your fiancée? You're going to leave her alone in another town for days while her car is broken down?"

"She'll be safe with you."

"Won't you miss her? The way you two can barely keep your hands off each other makes me think you can't go an hour without being around Lucy let alone a few days or however long it'll take to get the car fixed."

"He would love to stay with us, but he's a Sergeant. He's got a lot of work to do," Lucy tried to intervene.

Tim looked down at the ring on Lucy's finger, then into her eyes as he considered his options. "You know what, baby, I'll call Grey and see if I can stay." Staying in Carmel meant he would get to keep pretending to be Lucy's fiancée with all of the perks that came with it. A few more days of living with her sounded so much better than work; it really was an easy decision.

"Really?" Amy asked happily.

"Really?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Of course. Amy's right. I can't go days without you, and besides, it'll be nice for me to spend some time with Amy, too. Let me call Grey." The great part about faking was that Tim could say true statements that he would never actually say in real life; when their shifts do not align, and he goes days without seeing Lucy, Tim knows he gets irritable and mopey all because his favorite source of sunshine is not around. She never had to know that fact.

Lucy was astonished that Tim agreed to stay and was asking to take off MORE vacation days when he NEVER takes time away from work. He dropped a kiss to her forehead that made butterflies swarm her stomach, and then she watched as he stepped away to dial.

"Hi, Tim," Grey answered the phone.

"Hey, Grey," Tim greeted. "So…Lucy and I were wondering if we could stay out of town for a few more days to be with her aunt."

"Is she okay?"

"No, she's…very sick, but she's in good spirits, and being around Lucy helps, so…"

"You both have banked so many personal days, and you're taking time for your family. Stay with her aunt as long as you'd like. I'll figure out shift schedules," Grey assured.

"Really?"

"Yes, family is important. Don't worry about it," Grey urged.

"Thanks," he was appreciative that they had such an understanding boss, and it did not go unnoticed that Grey referred to Amy as a family member to both of them, because sitting with her during those countless dialysis appointments, Tim truly had gained a maternal figure where he had been lacking one for years. "Grey said we can stay as long as we want," he reported to Amy and Lucy.

"That's great!" Amy clapped.

"Did you get a hold of the mechanic?"

"He should be here in 15 minutes," Lucy replied.

"Good."

"Guys? What's going on with the car?" Tamara climbed out of the vehicle and finally asked.

"A mechanic is coming to tow it away, and we decided to stay a few more days while the car gets fixed, but I'm sure there's a bus that can take you back home," Tim started searching for bus routes as he spoke.

"Wait, BOTH of you are staying in town for a little longer?" Tamara inquired to clarify.

"Yeah," Tim answered.

"Oh, well in that case, I'd love to stay…if I can." A few more days of watching their far too convincing fake relationship? No ClipTalk account or TV show could ever be so entertaining.

"The more the merrier," Amy beamed. "Let's get you all settled back in, and I'll tell Dave the great news."

Lucy was thrilled for the chance to stay in their little fantasy, and she tried not to look down and admire her engagement ring, but it caught her eye again.

Tim noticed her staring at the piece of jewelry, and he wondered if she likes it because it's beautiful or because he gave it to her. He was too nervous of her answer to ask.

Amy and Tamara walked inside the main house while talking about cookies, leaving the fake couple to unpack the car.

She bumped his hip as they reached into the car for their bags. "You didn't have to stay. I know how important your job is to you."

"Yeah, but you know that some things matter more like making Amy happy. You saw the way she smiled when she heard that both of us were staying."

"That's because she's happy about our fake engagement. Staying means we have to keep pretending we're together. She still has to believe we're in love."

"You said to be convincing, all I have to do is pretend that you're the most important person in my life, well, that's not something I have to fake," he said simply and lifted Tamara's belongings.

She followed him inside the main house and up the stairs into the guest room that Tamara had been staying in before. "What does that mean?" Lucy asked as Tim set the bags down. He wondered why she and Lucy had packed so much for a weekend trip, but he knew there were female mysteries like overpacking he would never understand.

"It means," his eyes snapped up to meet hers, "you ARE the most important person in my life."

"Other than Genny and Angela," she supplied, assuming the other women were favored by him, and rightfully so, he had known his best friend and his sister longer.

"No," he could not stop his mouth before the words fell out, "you're my best friend and my favorite person." The amazement was clear on her face, so Tim felt compelled to add, "I know you have lots of people you care about and whatever, so it's probably not the same for you…"

She reached out and touched his bicep to stop his line of thinking. "It is…the same for me," Lucy assured him softly.

He stared into her eyes and saw the truth behind her words, and somehow, he shifted his gaze to her lips before looking back up, and it all happened so fast. Before he even knew what was happening, Tim's lips were slamming into hers and his hands were on either side of her neck.

She dropped her hands to his waist to pull him closer and heard his little moan when their bodies were pressed together.

Lucy wondered what had happened all of a sudden. Why was he kissing her now even though no one else was around? Did being his favorite person mean Tim has feelings for her that run deeper than friendship? She could not stop pondering what it meant as he gently bit her lip, and she let him take control of the kiss- whatever he wanted to do with his tongue and his feelings for her, Lucy was willing to follow his lead.

Chapter 7: Hope

Notes:

Angst level: 3

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Tim's hands spanned along the thin strip of bare skin between the waistband of Lucy's jeans and the hem of her crop top with his thumbs ghosting beneath her shirt, and he felt her fingers deliciously digging into his back as they kissed. It was more desperate and wanting and hungrier than any of the other kisses they shared over the weekend, and he could not stop himself from getting lost in the way their tongues tangled together. It was the closest to meditation he would ever experience, because her lips had a special way of clearing his mind and centering it on one purpose- LUCY.

Before he wanted to, Tim had to break away from her to breathe. When her eyes flew open to meet his, there were a million things he wanted to say, but all he could remember was how she attributed the heat behind their undercover kiss as "basic biology".

He was just STARING at her, and Lucy knew she was pretty speechless too, but her eyes begged him to speak and explain what compelled him to kiss her when they were alone in the guest room. Before they kissed, Tim had said she is the most important person in his life- his best friend and his favorite person. So, she thought this moment must be a turning point.

They were standing right on the razor thin edge of their friendship and about to cross over into the mysterious and boundless territory of "something more", if only Tim would SAY something.

When he remained frozen, Lucy decided she would tell him the truth. She would use her words and let him know how she feels about him. Because frankly, their weekend as fake fiancées had not made her fall in love with him; she ALREADY loved him. Pretending around her family, just like their time undercover, was simply an excuse to act on her feelings without being honest. But, she would be now. She had to be truthful if they had any hope of transitioning their relationship from something platonic to something deeper. So, Lucy opened her mouth to speak.

"I thought someone was coming," Tim whispered, and his eyes darted towards the doorway.

The wind was completely knocked out of her, and not just because of the head spinning kiss they just shared that emptied her lungs, but apparently, he had only kissed her to maintain their cover? "Right," she replied awkwardly and smoothed down the front of her shirt.

"Let's uh…get our bags and bring them back to the cottage," he suggested and started leaving the bedroom as waves of emotions crashed over him. Tim spent the entire walk out of the main house, over to the car, and down the beach towards the cottage kicking himself for failing to tell her the truth about how he feels as the real motivation for crashing into her.

Lucy silently followed him, only carrying her purse, which was the one item he allowed her to hold while he, as a gentleman, slung all of the other bags over his shoulders. She kept looking up at him silently questioning why he would kiss her just because he THOUGHT he heard someone approaching. Then again, she had kissed him in an airplane bathroom to lend authenticity to their mile high hookup, so maybe that was what he was doing. But she had to admit, part of her reached for him in that bathroom, because she wanted an excuse to kiss him, and she wondered if a part of him was similarly motivated when he kissed her just moments ago.

They settled back into the cottage easily; already knowing how all of their belongings would fit together in the space. Afterwards, Tim eyed her and considered his options- he could say he kissed her because he loves her or he could keep his mouth shut and let her continue thinking it was all an act.

He inhaled sharply, but then stopped himself from speaking; Lucy had JUST broken up with Chris, his breakup with Ashley was still fresh, plus, he did not think he could be so lucky that she actually loves him. Lucy is quite skilled at undercover work, and she viewed their engagement charade as something akin to undercover personas that were in love, but the REAL Lucy could never love him. She's smart, warm, generous, funny, gorgeous, and loving- how could a woman like that love a man as broken as him? Even suggesting he has feelings for her could upset the delicate balance of their friendship that had already been tested when they went undercover as a couple before.

Tim snapped his mouth shut, and he saw that she had noticed the way he tried to speak but then didn't; Lucy slumped her shoulders just a little when he decided to stay quiet. He wondered why she seemed disappointed while the energy between them was still charged. Nevertheless, he wanted to say something, so he landed on, "We'll have to leave Carmel eventually, and when we do, it can't be like after our last undercover operation."

Lucy had not expected him to say that, nor did she know what he meant, so she raised an eyebrow in question to silently urge him to elaborate.

"I know we sorta…drifted after the last time we went UC, but I can't go from living with you here to going back to you avoiding me when we're in L.A.," he explained.

"Me avoiding YOU? You're the one that pushed me to go out of town to UC school and got a new aide by the time I came back. You barely even look at me anymore! The last real conversation we had before this trip was at the food trucks, and that was only because Aunt Amy was there."

"That's not true! I've been trying to talk to you, but…" Tim paused, suddenly at a loss for words.

"But what?" She wanted him to provide some sort of explanation as to why she lost her friend.

"I didn't know what to say after…everything."

She gathered his meaning immediately; "after everything" meant after Lucy had invited him into her apartment where they would have slept together if Chris was not found bleeding on her couch. "You said nothing happened, and you're right. Nothing did, so we should just forget about it."

"I'd like that. I want us to be friends again."

The word "friends" hurt her more than she wanted to admit, so she nodded and tried not to let her face show how much it pained her.

"Okay, so we're agreed. What happens undercover stays undercover, and when we go back to L.A., we'll go back to normal."

"Does that mean you want me to be your aide again?"

That was a loaded question. Tim would love to have Lucy as his aide if for no other reason than to have the opportunity to spend 12 hours a day right next to her- breathing in her scent, listening to the sound of her voice, having the best conversations, and overall, passing the time between calls quite enjoyably simply because of her radiant presence. Yet, 12 hours a day so close from the one he loves who can't love him in return sounded like a form of torture too cruel for him to inflict on himself. Still, he asked, "Do you wanna be?"

It might have been too harsh to scream "NO!", but her mind shouted the response internally. Lucy did not want to be his aide- that would mean nothing else could happen between them. Now that she has experienced a little glimpse into a life with him as her fiancée, she was unable to simply be his aide. "I like going on patrol alone," she lied.

"Okay." Tim was so relieved that he was sure she noticed.

He stood there wearing the smallest smile but seemed to be out of words (this is what happens when you love a man of few words…it's maddening). "Okay," she parroted and searched his eyes for a second more to find something beneath the softness that looked like pain, but she was not sure. "We should find Amy and Tamara."

Tim nodded and followed her out of the cottage. He knew he was being a coward, but at least he could have the comforts of their fake relationship for as long as they were here, so he interlaced their fingers during the walk over and felt instantly happier at the contact.

She held back from crying just barely, because how could he be so comfortable playing the role of her fake fiancée but not feel anything more for her?

Tamara saw them walk into the kitchen, and she was grateful that she was alone with the couple for a moment. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Tim and Lucy lied at the same time.

"Did you two get in a fight?"

"No," they replied in unison once more.

"You're both crappy liars," Tamara pointed out.

"Where's Amy?" Tim asked.

"She's tired and went upstairs to rest. Dave had to go to the bookstore, and I'm just finishing up making the cookie dough."

"Some of it better actually make it into the oven," Lucy warned. She is well aware of her roommate's preference to eating raw cookie dough instead of actually baking the cookies.

Kojo leapt up to grab onto Lucy, momentarily distracting her, and she bent down to pet the dog.

Tim watched her crop top ride up to reveal more and more of her bare back, and he could not tear his eyes away from her honey skin.

"I think he needs a walk," Lucy assessed.

"I'll take him," he volunteered.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like the chance to hang out with Kojo for a bit."

"Sure," he agreed easily. It was so refreshing to be around a woman who loves his dog when his ex-girlfriend avoided Kojo.

"Can I come with?" Tamara asked.

Lucy knew there was a reason her friend was jumping at the chance to join her, so she nodded apprehensively. Their walk started off wordlessly with the crashing waves as the only sound as they moved along the beach.

"So, are you gonna say it, or do I have to?" Tamara inquired. Lucy's questioning expression made her roll her eyes and pressed, "Are you going to admit we're staying in town, because you want to keep playing fiancée with Tim?"

"NO!" She replied far too emphatically to be convincing. Her eyes betrayed her by dropping to look at her engagement ring on the hand holding onto Kojo's leash.

"You wouldn't have to PRETEND to be his fiancée if you two idiots would just admit that you like each other," Tamara groaned.

"We're…it's not…he doesn't see me like that."

"Oh really? So he stares at everyone like they're the entire universe? NO! That man only looks at you like that, because he ADORES you! And if you don't believe me, think about the fact that he went along with your ridiculous idea to pretend to be engaged for an entire weekend where he might as well have been fed to the wolves, since he had to hang out with your entire family! Tim spent the whole time telling all of your cousins, your aunts, your uncles, and even your mother, who is admittedly TERRIFYING, that you're amazing and that you two love each other. You think Tim did that because you're FRIENDS?"

"That's what he said after we kissed."

Tamara scoffed, "I'm surprised you two found the time to chat in between your tonsil hockey games at the wedding last night."

Lucy elbowed her friend and blushed, "Was it that bad?"

"Like horny teenagers. I would say I admire your commitment to the role you were playing, but come on, you were kissing him like that, because you WANTED to, and he kissed you right back because HE wanted to, too."

"Well, he kissed me today when no one was around, but then he said we're friends…"

Tamara stopped walking and put her hand out to stop Lucy from moving. "EXCUSE ME? WHAT?"

She felt her cheeks pink up and bit her lip, but that was a bad idea, because she could still taste him, which only made her blush darken. "We…it just sorta happened…"

"Kissing someone doesn't just happen! Did his lips fall onto yours?"

"No, but…"

"But NOTHING! He wanted to kiss you, and did you kiss him back?" Lucy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, which was all the response Tamara needed. She grabbed her stomach as she guffawed at the situation.

"This isn't funny!" Lucy whined.

"You're right. It's hysterical," she replied between bouts of laughter that would not subside. "I swear to God before we leave Carmel, you better have an honest conversation with him, or I won't let either of you drive out of this town."

"He already made it clear he sees me as his best friend and nothing else," she knew there was disappointment lacing her voice, but she could not hold back how she was feeling.

"So, you already told him you have feelings for him, and he shut it down?"

"Not exactly…"

"And what's stopping you?"

"We just got back on speaking terms. I can't ruin what we have. It's too important, so it's just not worth the risk."

"Okay, then soak up this little fake relationship now, since that's all you'll ever have," Tamara faked nonchalance, but when she saw the war in her friend's eyes, she added, "Unless you're willing to take the risk."

She looked out at the ocean, and thought about how Tim's eyes were the same color the night before when he looked down at her with kiss swollen lips and a shy smile on his face. He looked happy. Truly happy. She had not really thought about it then, drunk on kissing him and feeling his hands traveling around her body, but now, Lucy reflected on it more clearly. Maybe, she did make him happy as more than a friend. That realization was scarier than when she previously assumed he did not share her feelings for him. "No, I'm not," she replied softly and stayed quiet for the rest of the walk. How could she threaten her friendship with Tim when every romantic relationship she had known before always ended so sadly? Tennyson was wrong, it would not be better to have loved and lost Tim; she could not picture a world where she let herself truly fall for him, then something would inevitably destroy their relationship, and Lucy would be left with a cavern in her heart where Tim belonged. No, it would be easier to keep their friendship and not venture down a road that would only lead to heartbreak.

The rest of the day had gone by pretty lazily. Lucy and Tim took turns reaching for each other randomly as they walked through the market with Dave. When they sat outside while Tamara insisted on cooking for everyone, Tim rested his palm on Lucy's thigh, and she had to stop herself from squirming at the heat of his touch that shot throughout her entire body. He did not move his hand, just kept it there while they sat with Dave and sipped on iced tea.

Tim started telling a story about a funny call he had responded to with Lucy, and his hand glided up her thigh only a little bit, but he panicked that maybe the movement would make her uncomfortable. He was about to tear his hand away casually when he felt her hand cover his and slot her fingers between his. She was holding his hand in place, and he flicked his eyes over to see something odd on her face- there was no sign of discomfort, nervousness, or forced happiness, she looked…flushed?

How could an innocent hand gesture set Lucy's whole body on fire? She had to gulp down more iced tea to cool herself off, but it was no use; all she could do was hold onto Tim and let the contact burn all the way through her as he sat next to her telling his story, seemingly unfazed at how he was making her feel. By the time they were called inside for dinner, Lucy's fingers were tingly, and her thigh was completely numb. He had reached for her under the table in a gesture that Dave could not see, so why did Tim touch her? She wondered if he wanted her as more than a friend, not for the first time that day or that weekend, and now she felt an unsettling sensation bloom inside of her: HOPE.

Notes:

MUAHAHAHAHAHA
To all of my friends who were cheering that they kissed, I am so sorry to disappoint! I think they need to do a LITTLE more pining before we get complete VERBAL honesty, but that won't stop their bodies from being truthful with each other!

We'll meet 2 new characters in the next chapter. It was supposed to be THIS chapter, but Tim and Lucy's internal thoughts took so many more words than expected.

xo Victoria

P.S. I really AM sorry, but I'm also evil. I can be both!

Chapter 8: Dinner Guests

Notes:

Angst level: 2

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Tamara made quite the feast, and there were more than 5 settings at the dinner table, which Lucy found odd.

"Oh, I invited some friends over for dinner," Amy said from the kitchen and checked her watch. "They should be here any minute." As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and she smiled. "I'll get it."

Dave, Tamara, Tim, and Lucy walked over to the foyer to greet the guests at the door who happened to be a young couple.

"Sam! Andy! It's good to see you guys!" Dave greeted happily and walked over to hug the woman and shake the hand of the man.

Both halves of the couple were stunning- dark hair, dark eyes, and warm smiles. The man seemed to be around the same age as Tim and the woman looked to be about as old as Lucy. The man let his partner move further inside the house like a proper gentleman and helped her shrug off her jean jacket before silently handing it to Dave to hang up. After Lucy admired how attractive the couple was, she noticed how they seem to move together almost as if they can anticipate each other's movements.

"Andy, Sam, this is my niece, Lucy, her fiancée, Tim, and their friend, Tamara. These are the Swareks. They're our neighbors," Amy introduced.

After everyone shook hands and exchanged "nice to meet yous", they all sat down to eat dinner.

The woman, Andy, sat across from Lucy and said, "I've heard so much about you from your aunt. She didn't mention you were engaged. Congratulations!"

"It was news to me, too, when she came into town a few days ago," Amy commented.

"Tim and I haven't really told anyone. It all happened so fast," Lucy replied.

"Can I see your ring?" Andy asked. Lucy stretched her arm across the table to give the other woman a good view of her engagement ring. She knew she was not supposed to call it HERS, since it was supposed to be a prop for their fake engagement, but she had grown quite attached to it. "It's beautiful. Your fiancée has great taste."

"Amy helped me pick it out," Tim chimed in.

"Well, we all know the ring doesn't matter as much as the person who gives it to you. As long as he makes you happy, that's all that matters," Dave advised wisely.

"He does," Lucy replied softly and smiled fondly at Tim. Because, he does make her happy. If Dave was right, perhaps she could attribute part of her love for the ring as a direct result of how much she loves the person who gave it to her. It would be really hard to remove the engagement ring once they left the small town and re-entered their real lives.

Andy loved seeing the sparks between Tim and Lucy, and she had to ask, "How did you two meet?"

"My first day as a cop, actually. He was assigned to be my Training Officer," Lucy answered.

"Training Officer, so you were partners?" Sam asked.

"Pretty much," Lucy replied.

"No, I was her teacher. She THOUGHT we were equals, but she had a lot to learn," Tim corrected.

"I saved your life on my first day!"

"That was LUCKY!" Tim insisted with a smirk.

"So, it sounds like it was love at first sight?" Andy asked.

"No," Lucy scoffed and placed her hand over Tim's. "I didn't really like him at first. He was grumpy and rude, but then I got to know the real him. Behind the gruff exterior, Tim is the greatest man I've ever known."

He heard in her tone that she was being genuine and felt his heart swell. No one sees him the way she does. Would it be too unnecessary and too hard to explain to Lucy afterwards if he grabbed her by the back of her head and kissed her? Because, Tim really REALLY wanted to.

"When I first met Sam, I didn't really like him either," Andy disclosed. "He's quite rough around the edges until you get to know him."

"I'm tough but fair," Sam narrowed his eyes at his wife.

"See what I'm talking about?" Andy chuckled. "He's just lucky I could see past his tough guy facade."

"It's not a facade," Sam shot back, acting defensive with a small smile playing at his lips. He looked at the couple across the table and said, "All I can say is that I'm grateful Andy was patient enough to stick around and put up with me at my worst."

Those words rang true for Tim as well. "Me, too. I don't know where I'd be without Lucy," he said honestly.

The problem with faking their romantic relationship is that it did not necessarily mean faking most of their ACTUAL relationship; she could hear in the softness of his voice that Tim was telling the truth, and to be fair, Lucy stuck with the facts of their history to sell their romantic relationship all weekend. His honesty was enough to make her stomach swoop, but then Lucy felt her nerves start humming when his thumb caressed her hand while his words repeated in her ears.

"Good thing you two never have to find out, since you'll be together forever," Tamara said and lifted her wine glass as a toast to the fake couple.

Lucy wanted to flash her roommate a death glare, but she felt a deep longing at the idea of being "together forever" with Tim. Since she could not have that with him, surely he would find someone else to share his life with. But, that would mean that he would pull away from her, because Tim withdrew from Lucy ever so slightly once his relationship with Ashley grew more serious. He would reserve bringing up topics unless Lucy really pried or would tell her about what he had already discussed with Ashley when Lucy used to be the first woman he would seek advice from and then talk about it with Ashley afterwards. It was small and barely noticeable, but Lucy noticed. And the thought of him emotionally pulling away from her again to make space for a new woman after days as her fake fiancée filled with him physically pulling her to his side made her nauseated.

"That's right! Oh, I've already told Andy all about how long it took you two to get together when I've known for so long how well suited you are for each other," Amy stage whispered to Lucy and Tim.

"Leave the kids alone, Amy! They're engaged now," Dave smiled.

"You're right," she agreed with her husband. Then, she turned to her niece. "Since you'll be in Carmel for a few more days, I'd love to show you around. We'll see Dave's bookstore, and right down the street is where Sam and Andy work. They own the town dance studio. They opened it after they retired from competing professionally, and it's quite marvelous that they work together and are married. Just like you and Tim once you tie the knot." Amy then looked to the Swareks and asked, "How's the studio going?"

"Good! We just started teaching the most adorable little ballet class of 6-8 year olds," Andy answered while beaming.

"No, YOU'RE teaching ballet. You know I can barely do a plié," Sam joked and smiled at his wife.

They snickered at each other while Andy moved to squeeze her husband's hand for just a moment before reaching for her wine glass. In the few minutes Lucy had been observing the couple, she already felt jealous of how cute they were together. As if Tim sensed it, he put his arm around her and rested it on the back of her chair to lean into her.

"Want some bread, baby?" He asked.

Lucy did not even have to say a word before Tim placed a roll on her plate with the beginning of a smile on his face. She could not have what the Swareks have, but there was something special about what she has with Tim- the telepathy that made everything easier. It was a nice reminder.

"Do you still do private lessons?" Amy questioned.

"Sure," Sam answered.

"Perfect! Tim and Lucy will be in town for a little bit, so can they come by for a few classes alone with you guys?" Amy requested.

"Of course!" Andy said happily.

"What?" Tim asked, he had been so focused on Lucy he was barely paying attention to the dinner conversation.

"Aunt Amy just signed you and your FIANCÉE up for dance classes," Tamara filled him in while punctuating the word "fiancée" just because she liked to tease them.

"I-I don't really dance," he blushed.

"You don't have to be good. It's about having fun with the woman you love. I'm all left feet, but I signed Amy and I up for dance classes with Sam and Andy when we started dating. We laughed more than we learned a good box step, but those have been some of the best memories we've made together," Dave grinned widely and looked over at his new wife.

"It was tons of fun! Please, just try it for a few lessons?" Amy pleaded.

Lucy looked up at Tim, and they both silently agreed to please Amy. "You've got some moves. We'll have fun," Lucy said sweetly, remembering how they danced together at Nyla's wedding. He nodded that he was on board.

"Fantastic! Sam and Andy, can you start tomorrow night?" Amy started making their schedule.

"Absolutely. Come by at 5, and we can do an hour of ballroom lessons," Andy agreed.

"This'll be great practice for your first dance at your wedding," Tamara smirked. Maybe if she pushed enough, there actually WOULD be a wedding. If the car was being serviced over a few days, there was a chance Aunt Amy could guilt Tim and Lucy into getting married just for her, since they seemed unable to refuse any of Amy's requests.

"That's true! You know, Andy and I choreographed a whole first dance for our wedding, but we got on the dance floor and ended up just holding each other and barely even swayed. We got a little too caught up in the moment, you know?" Sam shared.

Lucy thought she might start swooning.

"Speaking of weddings, sorry we couldn't make it yesterday. Our daughter had a fever, but she's all better now," Andy apologized.

"We understand," Amy smiled then turned to Lucy and Tim, "I can just picture the beautiful babies you'll have some day."

Tim thought his heart might beat out of his chest, because he had thought about having a baby with Lucy just that morning, and that was too far fetched of a dream to entertain out loud; yet, deep down, it sounded perfect.

"Some day," Lucy said in a small voice while avoiding Tim's gaze for fear of what emotion he might find if he looked in her eyes- the wistfulness of a future with children that they would never share.

"I'm a great baby sitter, so I can't wait to watch Tim and Lucy's kids," Tamara said. It was so much fun to torture her friends, but she promised herself she would stop if the fake couple actually TALKED to each other.

"That's good to know. Maybe we can hire you while you're in town? I like to take my wife out for dinner whenever I can," Sam asked.

Never had Lucy been so jealous of a couple before, but then Tim put his hand back on her thigh, and all of her thoughts were interrupted as she focused on the sparks from his touch. He seemed to like placing his hand there, and it was incredibly distracting in the best way.

After the dinner guests left, Tim and Lucy helped clean up while Dave volunteered to take Kojo for his nightly walk and Amy had to turn in for the night, all of her energy had been zapped by their lovely evening.

"I cooked, so I'm not cleaning up," Tamara said and started snacking on another cookie.

"You've been so helpful today," Tim replied with a little bite to his words; he heard every single one of Tamara's little comments at dinner about babies, their wedding, how Lucy is a great dog mom to Kojo, but his favorite was when she asked Tim what was taking so long for him and Lucy to move in together. She made the dinner conversation quite interesting.

"You're welcome," Tamara wore a devilish grin.

"Ignore her. I'm sure she'll be on better behavior from now on," Lucy said warningly.

"I was asked to play along. I'm just listening," the younger woman replied simply.

Tim looked around and though he knew they were alone in the kitchen, he still spoke in a hushed tone, "Please ease up? You freaked Lucy out today."

"I didn't freak out!" Lucy insisted.

"I saw you panic at the idea of living with me. Don't worry, we're not really engaged. You don't actually have to live with me," he sounded deflated even in his own ears, but he tried to ignore it as he put the last dish in the dishwasher.

She would not characterize her reaction to Tamara's probing about moving in together as a freak out; Lucy surprised herself when at her friend's words about sharing a home with Tim, her mind instantly showed her an image of Tim's bedroom with a new colorful bedspread and new vibrant lamps on the bedside tables. What shocked her was how her brain so quickly envisioned sharing a space with him, and it was a nice vision. What Tim thought was her panicking about living with him was really how panicked she was that it seemed so EASY. "That's not…I didn't…" how could she describe her response?

He could tell she was having difficulty finding the right words, so he decided to drop the topic, since it hurt his feelings far too much, and said, "Everything's all cleaned up. You can head to the cottage, but I think I'm gonna stay in the main house and watch ESPN's recap of the game."

"Want me to join you?"

"You don't have to. We're engaged, not tied at the hip," Tim replied sharply and shuffled over to the living room.

"He's in a mood. I wonder if it's because you two are being dumb? How about you grow up and talk to him?" Tamara asked sarcastically.

"Yeah," Lucy groaned and walked over to stand at the entrance of the living room with her hands on her hips as she watched Tim purposefully ignore her while navigating to the right channel. "We should talk."

"I missed the game, Lucy, can you let me just watch the postgame coverage in peace?"

She sunk down on the couch beside him and turned to face Tim while he kept his eyes squarely on the TV. Lucy reached out and put her hand on his thigh; she thought it would feel less charged than when he touched her, but she was wrong. She ignored the warmth spreading from her fingertips and traveling up her arm and down to her stomach in favor of talking to him. "Tim," she hummed to get his attention, but when he remained stubbornly stoic, Lucy continued, "I didn't freak out about what Tamara said. I just…when we were undercover, I was pretending to be Sava and you were acting like Jake, but this…we're pretending to be ourselves? It's different and messy, and sometimes, I…I get confused between what's real and what's fake. Some of the stuff you say sounds so honest."

"Because it is," he grumbled before he added frustratedly, "You're the one who came up with this ridiculous situation in the first place! I'm just trying to follow your lead here!" His eyes snapped over to hers to see something indecipherable that gave him pause. Tim instantly felt bad, thinking he had hurt her feelings and added softly, "I'm sorry...just tell me what'll make this easier. I don't want to keep making you uncomfortable."

"You aren't! I just think we should check in with each other every night. Make sure we're okay."

He nodded and swallowed hard, then he asked with a tight voice, "Did I cross a line or something today?"

She wanted to point out he had kissed her and explained it was because he thought he heard someone in the distance, but it was not an unwelcome crossing of any boundaries beyond friendship. If she could justify it, Lucy considered bridging the small gap between them and kissing him again now. "No, you did good."

"Good," Tim replied and exhaled as he calmed down a little, but she was still touching his leg, and there was only so much he could stop thinking about how nice it was to feel her hand on him.

"Who did the Rams play today?" She asked and repositioned herself to face the TV to let him know she was planning to sit with him.

"The Bengals," he answered. His eyes kept flitting between her and the TV, so he barely followed the recap of the game, but for once, Tim found something he preferred to watch instead of a football game.

They made their way back to the cottage and got ready for bed in companionable silence. Tim left the bathroom and walked towards the couch while Lucy stepped away from him in the direction of the bed, but she stopped. "You know, we can take turns sleeping in the bed. We'll be staying here for a few more days, and that couch can't be good for your back."

"I'll be fine. You should have the bed."

"You don't need to be such a gentleman. I don't mind sharing…not like both of us in the bed at the same time, you know. Just sharing as in you get every other night or something," Lucy felt flustered at the memory of how they had woken up tangled together in the bed, and she knew her heart could not take another morning like that.

"I'm really okay. Take the bed," he promised her and settled into the couch. Tim could feel her eyes were still on him, so he said, "Night, Lucy," to end the discussion. There was no universe where he was going to get in that bed again after how he found them wrapped up in each other in the morning, besides, he is far too chivalrous to allow her to stay on the couch. The one night she stayed at his house where she had insisted on sleeping on his couch, he got in his bed and regretted that Lucy was on the other side of the door sprawled out on his couch, and that thought kept him up and made him start to wonder if it would be weird to offer to share his bed platonically. That was over a year ago. If they shared a bed now, it clearly could not be done platonically if this morning was any indication.

Part of him considered sneaking into the main house and sleeping in there where there would be plenty of distance between them during the late hours when he felt his most vulnerable. It would be so much easier to live in the spacious cottage with Lucy if not for all of his thoughts and feelings crowding the building.

Lucy looked through the thin curtain where she could see the outline of the back of the couch but could not see Tim, but she kept staring in his direction wondering what to do. With every passing minute, she felt her love for him growing, and it had absolutely overwhelmed her, threatening to swallow her whole. How could she survive all of the pretending and proximity for the next few days?

Notes:

If you've seen Rookie Blue, yes the Sam and Andy Swarek in this fic are THE slow burn ship of Rookie Blue. Since this isn't a true crossover, it's not tagged as such, but the birthday girl who this story is dedicated to happens to LOVE McSwarek (Sam & Andy's ship name) just as much as I do, so SURPRISE! They're in the story! Hahahaha

Hello to all my Chenford x McSwarek shippers! Their inclusion throughout the rest of the story is for y'all, too!

xo Victoria

P.S. If you're looking for another show like The Rookie to watch during this never-ending hiatus, check out Rookie Blue! It's a police procedural with Rookies & TOs, found family, slow burn, and lots of DRAMA!

Chapter 9: The One

Notes:

Angst level: 0

Chapter Text

Lucy was brushing her teeth while the mirror fogged up from the steam of the hot shower. With only a flimsy shower curtain between a very naked, showering Tim and her, she practically chewed the head off of her toothbrush to stop thinking about soap all over his body and the fact that she was two steps away from being with him inside the shower.

Thankfully, there was a knock at the front door to pull her away from her thoughts. She spit to clear her mouth and answered to find Dave holding a bag.

"Good morning, Lucy," Dave greeted.

"Morning."

"I saw Tim while he was on his run this morning with Kojo. He said it would be okay if I came by. I just wanted to drop off some groceries so you two can make breakfast over here and have some privacy."

"We wouldn't mind eating with you guys," Lucy liked having breakfast in the main house with her aunt, Tamara, and Dave, and IF as they shared a meal, Tim happened to touch her or call her "baby" to keep up appearances, well then it was a great way to start the day.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous! You lovebirds are out of town. Away from the city. You deserve to have some time to relax and enjoy each other's company alone, so here are some groceries to make breakfast," he handed her the bag of food.

"Thanks," she accepted the groceries and tried not to think about how awkward it might be to eat with Tim alone in the privacy of the cottage.

"There should be plenty to eat in there for the next few mornings, so you two can share the beginning of your day together alone in peace."

It sounded beautiful if they were a real couple- starting their day eating breakfast together before the day's chaos pulled then in different directions.

"Are you alright, Lucy?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, just still waking up I guess," she lied.

They both heard the bathroom door open and turned to find a wet, shirtless Tim with a towel wrapped around his waist. Lucy had seen his abs and broad chest before, but now, she just wanted to reach out and touch every centimeter of skin on display. She really was finding it increasingly difficult to control her thoughts around Tim.

"Hey, Tim. I brought over the groceries I told you about," Dave filled him in.

"Oh, thanks. Now I can make my signature pancakes for my girl."

My girl. Lucy's heart stopped at the way the phrase so easily rolled off of his tongue. She really REALLY liked the sound of that.

"Perfect! Are you still okay to cover the bookstore for a few hours?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, you said I should be at the store at 10AM to set up and open at 10:30AM, right?"

"You got it. Lucy, you're welcome to help, too, if you'd like. Tamara befriended the Fleming's son down the beach at our wedding and is spending the day with him, and I was hoping to stay home with Amy and make sure she rests. She's been nonstop since a week before the wedding, and she needs to take it easy," Dave explained.

"Sure. I wouldn't mind helping. Whatever you need," Lucy replied happily.

"You two are the best! I'll let you get back to your alone time," Dave looked between Tim and Lucy's still wet hair and assumed they were in the shower at the same time before he walked in.

Tim blushed when he realized what the situation looked like, but there was no use in trying to correct the other man. Instead, he waved goodbye to Dave, rummaged for a change of clothes, and went back into the bathroom to dress.

Lucy watched Tim enter the bathroom and eventually pulled herself together enough to unpack the bag of groceries Dave provided while thinking about Tim without a shirt on. She may have put the flour in the refrigerator in her distracted state.

Fully dressed and dry, Tim walked over to the kitchenette and found a mixing bowl. "I'll take care of the pancakes. Mind making the coffee?" He asked simply.

She nodded and started the process while he assembled the ingredients for pancake batter. When he found the bag of flour in the refrigerator, he did not say anything to Lucy; Tim merely poured what he needed into the mixing bowl and then put it in the cupboard where it belonged.

Lucy watched him make the pancakes, clearly from memory, and could not keep the intrigue off her face.

"You know I can cook," he commented, since he could so easily read her mind.

"I know. I just didn't know you have SIGNATURE pancakes."

"They're my mom's recipe. I used to make them with her on the weekends."

Tim rarely spoke about his mother, so she knew it was special for him to share that. "I'm honored that you're making them for me," she said quietly.

He lifted the corner of his mouth in a tiny smile and warmed up the pan. She observed as he poured and cooked the pancakes with the same precision he did just about everything while staying perfectly quiet. There were so many questions she wanted to ask about his mom and now her pancakes, but she did not want to push him to talk about something that would make him uncomfortable.

"I can see the wheels spinning, so just ask," Tim said once he had had enough of her burrowing gaze.

"I don't want you to talk about your mom if you don't want to."

He topped both plates with strawberries and set them at the small kitchen table. Lucy placed a mug of coffee along with the silverware before taking a seat. She knew, from the rare occurrences where his mom was mentioned, that it always took him a minute to gather his thoughts.

"You're one of the only people I don't mind talking about her with," he said honestly and sipped on his coffee. "My mom let us have pancakes on the weekends, and I remember always looking forward to them every Saturday morning. Because I watched her make them so many times, I figured out the recipe. One morning, I woke up earlier than her and surprised her with a batch that I made all by myself, and I swear I've never seen her smile like that."

Lucy thought she might melt at the sweetness of the story. "That's…that's so adorable."

He shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but they both knew it was a treasured memory. "My mom told me that cooking for someone else shows that you care."

"So naturally, you cook for all your girlfriends," she supplied.

Tim took a bite of his pancakes before changing the subject without addressing her comment.

After breakfast, they worked together to wash the dishes, and he looked over at Lucy feeling conflicted. There was something else he wanted to say to her, but he was not sure if he SHOULD say it.

"I'm gonna blow dry my hair and change," she announced.

By the time she reappeared fully dressed and ready to go to the bookstore, he decided to keep it to himself. Yet, when Tim reached for the door handle to open it and allow her to exit the cottage first, he blurted out, "I've never made those pancakes for anyone else." He really thought he was not going to tell her, but apparently, his mouth had a different idea.

"What?"

"My mom's pancakes…you're the first person I've ever made them for. Well, since I made them for my mom." He saw the curious look in her eyes and added, "Never made them for any girlfriends, and Isabel hates pancakes, so I never made them for her either. You're the first."

She reached out to circle her fingers around his wrist before looking him in the eyes to reply, "Well, I don't know what I did to deserve it, but it means a lot to me that you cooked me breakfast let alone your mom's special recipe. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he murmured. Tim saw the sweet smile on her lips and barely refrained from kissing her. Instead, he cleared his throat and opened the door for her.

Dave owned the small town bookstore that Tim and Lucy volunteered to help with for the day. As they expected, not a single customer entered the store, which left the fake couple to do what they did during quiet stretches of time in the shop- talk. While most would characterize Tim as a quiet man, Lucy had a unique knack to get him to speak.

Without much coaxing anymore, she could inspire him to lecture about a topic endlessly while she listened with rapt attention, and when it was her turn to do most of the chatting, she knew he was being attentive, too. It was nice to talk to someone who always truly listened.

Tim's complaint about how kale is found in everything was interrupted when the bell tied to the front door rung, signaling someone had entered the shop.

"Lucy, I so appreciate that you and Tim were willing to help Dave cover the store, but I was hoping to borrow you for a little while," Amy said without greeting her niece or her niece's fiancée. She had a plan to enact and no time for niceties.

"Sure," Lucy agreed and looked over at Tim to wordlessly ask if he would be okay without her. When he slowly blinked his eyes to answer her question that he would be fine, she squeezed his bicep, leaned up to press a light kiss to his lips, and followed Amy out of the bookstore. The kiss may have been unnecessary, but she had wanted to do that since this morning when she was standing in the bathroom while he was showering two steps away and then again after Tim told her that he made his special pancakes just for her.

Amy linked arms with her niece and said, "Tim is such a wonderful man,"

"He is," Lucy agreed.

"I'm so happy you're both staying in town for a few more days."

"I don't know how much longer we'll stay. Depends on when my car gets fixed."

"Yes, I called the mechanic this morning, and he said he's waiting on a part he doesn't have in stock. Looks to me like you'll be here for a bit," Amy grinned and opened the door to a little boutique. "I'm sure you and your fiancée haven't brought enough clothes, so why don't you pick a few things out."

"I don't think that's necessary."

"Oh come on, you used to love when I would take you to the mall and help you find a dress for a dance or something. This is like that. Let's get a few outfits for old time's sake."

Those were some of her favorite young memories of her and her aunt- going to the mall where Aunt Amy would let her buy whatever she wanted without judgmental stares from her mother to ruin the afternoon. So, she tried on clothes that her aunt selected.

"Okay, you have to let me buy you this dress! It'll look perfect on you!" Amy mused.

"I have nowhere to wear it to."

"The next time Tim takes you somewhere fancy for dinner, you can wear it."

"He doesn't really like going to fancy restaurants."

"Maybe on his own, but with you, that's a different story. Now, I'm gonna buy it for you no matter what you say, so let's just check out."

"Aunt Amy, you don't have to do this."

"I want to. For old time's sake. In case we don't get a chance to go shopping again."

Well, how could Lucy say no to that?

Holding shopping bags, they walked into the store right next door which happened to sell men's clothing. "Alright, pick out some stuff for Tim."

"For Tim?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, just for the next couple of days."

She knew fighting her aunt would be futile, so she scanned through the store to find outfits Tim wouldn't totally hate.

"What are his measurements?" Amy called to her niece.

"What?"

"His measurements. I want to get him a new suit to go with your new dress."

"Aunt Amy…"

"What are his measurements?" She asked, leaving no room for argument in her tone.

Strangely enough, Lucy knew off the top of her head. She could not remember when she learned his suit measurements or even his clothing size, but Lucy knew it without thinking. It was way too easy to convince her aunt they were a couple in the small ways.

Just when she thought her time to shop with her aunt had come to an end, they reached the end of the street and walked into another small store. A bridal store.

"You don't have to buy anything today, but I'd love for you to try on a few dresses. If I won't be around for your wedding, it'd be nice to at least see you in a wedding dress," Amy requested gently; this was the real reason for their afternoon's excursion, and she hoped some other shopping would make Lucy more open to this.

It was JUST trying on wedding dresses. Beautiful, elegant wedding dresses. Lucy could do that. "We're just browsing. I can't promise I'll even like any of them."

"Of course! Just browsing," Amy agreed.

At first, she let her aunt select the big, flowy dresses to appease her; Lucy was very firmly reminding herself that she was not actually shopping for a wedding dress for a real wedding, but then her hands found a simpler lacy dress, and asked the store owner to add it to the dressing room. Then another. And another.

Finally, after browsing through the store's entire selection, Amy sat down on a cozy couch while Lucy started trying on gowns. The first few were comically large, and Amy and Lucy laughed at all the tulle and layers. Then, they moved onto the dresses Amy really liked- the gowns with ornate beading and long trains. They were a little too gaudy for Lucy's taste, but she tried them on anyways.

"That's beautiful," Amy smiled when she saw her niece step out in a white, lacy wedding dress that was only moderately billowy.

She was right. Lucy admired herself in the mirror and thought she did look pretty beautiful. When she set her hand on her chest and saw the engagement ring and the dress together, she felt light headed. It felt a little too real. Lucy even imagined Tim was standing behind her.

"Tim, what are you doing here?" Amy asked.

Apparently, he really WAS in the store and not a figment of Lucy's imagination.

For a moment, he did not say anything; he was pretty sure he couldn't say anything as he stared at how gorgeous Lucy looked in a wedding dress, rendered completely and utterly speechless. But then, he found her eyes and saw the shock on her face, which was enough to snap him out of his stupor. "Dave told me to come over here. Said you texted him," Tim eventually answered.

"I told him NOT to let you come over here. If he's not wearing his readers, he can't see the screen properly," Amy remarked.

The problem was that Tim did recall seeing Dave wearing his reading glasses while looking at his phone.

"No matter," Amy said dismissively. "Doesn't your future bride look lovely?"

"Beautiful," Tim replied softly and watched Lucy blush.

"Yes, Lucy is going to make such a beautiful bride! I think this is a great option for you, sweetheart."

Tim scoffed before Lucy even had a chance to react. "That dress is way too poofy. She'll probably want to wear something simpler. Less beads," he sassed and crossed his arms.

He was right, and she knew it. Of course he knew exactly what kind of dress she would prefer.

"Lucy did pick a few of those out. You should probably leave in case she wants to buy any of them. You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in the wedding dress before the big day," Amy reminded him.

Would it be bad luck to see your fake fiancée in a wedding dress for a fake wedding that was never going to happen? Tim wondered.

"Yeah, babe. It's bad luck. I'll be back at the bookstore soon," Lucy forced a smile. She was starting to wish she really was shopping for her wedding dress for her wedding to Tim, and having him in the room only made it harder to forget reality.

"Okay," he said quietly but did not make any attempt to leave.

Lucy saw that Tim's cheeks were lightly stained red, and she wondered if he really did find her beautiful in the dress, but she tucked that thought away to return to the changing room and try on the first dress she really liked in the store. Satin, open back, thin straps with beading, and just a little lace overlay on the cleavage. Simple. Elegant. Beautiful. Lucy slipped it on, peaked through the curtain to confirm Tim had left, and stepped out to see herself in the mirror.

Amy gasped as her eyes welled up, and Lucy felt her chest heave. It was perfect.

"That's the one," Amy commented in wonderment.

Breathlessly she agreed, "Yeah, it is."

She came up behind Lucy and set her hands on her niece's shoulders. "You're gonna make a beautiful bride, and you're going to have a beautiful life with Tim."

Lucy knew she was barely holding back from crying when she nodded.

"We should buy it now."

"No, I should still look in L.A.," Lucy offered as a feeble excuse to avoid buying a wedding dress when she had no reason to wear it.

"There were thousands of single men in L.A., but you knew Tim was the one. When you know, you know, Lucy. Now, go ahead and change, and we can head to the bookstore."

Lucy re-entered the bookstore to find Dave sitting in one of the comfortable chairs reading. "Where's Tim?" She asked.

"He volunteered to help move some stuff around in the stock room. He's been very helpful," Dave answered.

Amy walked over drop a kiss on Dave's cheek before they exchanged a smile, and Lucy loved to see how happy and in love her aunt was.

Tim walked out of the stock room, followed Lucy's sight line to see Amy and Dave simply being happy together, and then he stared at Lucy. She must have felt his gaze burning into her, because she turned to meet his stare. "Did you have fun shopping?"

"Yeah, we even bought you some clothes."

"Oh, did you find Lucy a wedding dress?" Dave asked.

"I think she found a keeper. It's gonna be hard to beat. Don't you think, Lucy?" Amy asked.

Lucy kept her eyes fixed on Tim and thought about Amy's question. He really is a keeper and quite hard to beat. Sure, her aunt was referring to the wedding dress, but when she said, "Yup. A real keeper," she was talking about Tim more than she was talking about the white gown.

Dave and Amy watched the indecipherable glance between Tim and Lucy, but they could both tell that there was something they were communicating with their eyes.

"Why don't we get some tea?" Amy suggested and pulled Dave by the hand to leave the bookstore.

"You really did look very beautiful in that wedding dress."

"Thanks…it wasn't my idea. Aunt Amy wanted to go shopping, and then all of a sudden, I was wrapped in tulle and lace."

"I bet you made her so happy."

"Yeah, she was thrilled."

"I know when you first came up with this idea, I thought it was ridiculous, but it's working. It's nice to see her smile so much. She wasn't always happy when I sat with her at her dialysis appointments."

"Well, it probably wasn't that fun to be in a hospital hooked up to a machine, but I'm sure having you there made it better."

"I hope so, but it's nothing compared to both of us being here with her now."

"And engaged," Lucy added.

"And engaged." Tim knew it was his chance to confront Lucy. After seeing her in that wedding dress, his vision of them sharing a life together had never been clearer, and he wanted to breach the subject of his feelings for her again. "When we went under as Jake and Sava, we talked and walked differently and maybe did things we wouldn't normally do, but with you here…walking down the beach, eating breakfast with you, even working together…" Tim swallowed hard to steel himself before he continued, "every time you've held my hand, every kiss…" he saw her lips part, but he was determined to finish his thought before she could speak, "I said it didn't feel like pretend the last time we were undercover, and now, I know for sure that neither of us are pretending."

"Tim, we're on vacation in some small town where we're pretending to be engaged. What you're feeling…"

"Don't you dare say it's basic biology again," he threatened, his voice low and severe.

"I won't. I just think this really isn't a good time…we're supposed to be pretending, Tim. Adding real feelings could be…confusing."

"Lucy…"

"Hey! Just wanted to come by and say we can start your dance lesson a little early if you'd like," Andy Swarek strolled into the bookstore saying. "Is everything okay?" She asked when she saw the looks on the couple's faces.

Lucy reached out to interlace her fingers with Tim's. "All good. Let's head to the dance studio. Amy and Dave should be back from getting tea any second to start closing up."

Tim let her lead them out of the bookstore and hoped that they could finish their conversation after their dance lesson.

Chapter 10: A Novel Concept

Notes:

Angst level: 0

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Andy and Sam lead Tim and Lucy through some stretches before starting their first dance lesson, but Tim was having trouble paying attention, because he just kept staring at Lucy. He had gotten so close to telling her his true feelings before Andy interrupted them to start their dance lesson, and as much as he loved the prospect of holding her in his arms while they danced, Tim wanted them to have a discussion before any more physical contact would just make him fall deeper in love with her.

When Sam showed Tim where to touch Lucy, she felt the warmth of his hands course throughout her entire body. It was a feeling she had grown accustomed to over the last few days and was grateful for the excuse to savor the contact for a few more days due to their extended stay.

"Keep eye contact with your partner. Silently talk to each other as you move," Andy instructed. "It'll take some practice, but you'll get there."

That was not a problem; Tim and Lucy found it really simple to speak with their eyes and adjust when one made a misstep or moved offbeat. It was their verbal communication that was failing. Even though they were supposed to be focusing on learning the steps, following the music, and coordinating with each other, Tim could see there was something in her eyes- pain mixed with longing that made him wonder for the first time in years what was going on in Lucy's head.

She was not necessarily surprised they danced so well together even with barely any training, but Lucy was still wistfully watching Sam and Andy. Their warm smiles, the genuine joy on their faces from dancing together, and the fact that they looked like they were having fun. They seemed like such an unattainably perfect, and Lucy wanted that kind of relationship with someone. Actually, not someone. Tim.

"Lucy," Tim murmured to get her attention. She looked up at him with something odd shining in her eyes. "Look at me," he requested in a low voice. Her palm remained resting on his shoulder while the other was firmly in his grasp with what felt like too much distance between their bodies.

When she looked over at the couple, Andy urged, "Stand a little closer together."

Tim moved towards Lucy while she moved towards him at the same time. Now, they might have been standing too close together, because with every exhale she felt her chest brush against him, and she was not sure if that was proper form for ballroom dancing, but Sam and Andy did not tell them to step away from each other, nor did she want to move. Lucy wanted to stay close to Tim for a few more minutes before they had their dreaded conversation where he would probably pull away physically and emotionally afterwards.

As they drove back to the cottage after dance practice, neither of them spoke until Tim pulled the car onto the side of the road, parked, turned to look at her, and huffed, "We should talk."

"Yeah, Tim, I know," Lucy bit her lip. "So what you said earlier…"

"I meant it."

"I-I know," she looked down at her hands but then returned her gaze to him, "and, you're right, I'm not really pretending either." Lucy saw his eyes start to soften. She put a hand on his knee before speaking quietly, "That's why I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"I have feelings for you, Tim. Real feelings, and if I'm being honest, I want us to be more than friends, but…neither of us have the best track record when it comes to relationships. If…if we do this and it doesn't work, I'll have ruined the most important relationship in my life…" her eyes widened, surprised she had divulged that last part out loud.

Tim could tell she was about to apologize for unexpectedly admitting how much she values their relationship, so he put his hand over hers on his knee and said, "I feel the same way."

"So, it's not…"

"Lucy," he squeezed her hand, "we can be scared about taking the risk, but we owe it to ourselves to see what we could be. Maybe we mess everything up, but maybe we have something better."

She tried not to shake despite her anxiety. "We can't know what'll happen."

He traced the outline of her engagement ring and replied, "I think our time here has proven we know what our future holds. How happy we can be together. How easy it all is."

"That's the thing, Tim. We're pretending."

"What exactly are you pretending? You just said you aren't, and it seems to me that you're genuinely happy."

"I am, just…" Lucy pulled her hand away. What was she pretending? Every time she touched him, kissed him, and spoke to him, she did so with her whole heart- the only "fake" part about their situation was referring to him as her fiancée, but the feelings were far too real. Yet, how could she risk her heart without knowing he was not acting? "I think the best way to give us a real chance is if we wait until we're back in L.A. While we're here, it's confusing to add real feelings to this fake engagement."

He hated that she moved her hand away, but moreover, her suggestion was pretty sad, even if it made sense. "You're right. We should take this slow and wait so there's no confusion, because I like you, Lucy. A lot. I care about you, and I don't want you to think that I don't mean every word I say to you, because I do."

She was speechless. If Lucy were being honest with herself, she would not want to wait any longer, but she was TERRIFIED.

He sighed, "Okay?"

"Okay," she felt relieved.

"Alright, well then, when we get back to L.A., do you wanna get dinner with me?"

"Yeah," she paused, "I would."

"Good," he pulled his lips down into a frown of satisfaction and started the car to resume their drive to the cottage.

While at dinner with Dave, Amy, and Tamara, Tim put an arm around the back of Lucy's chair with a smile on his face that he could not wipe away. He had a date with Lucy. He was excited about the prospect, and his mind was running with the countless options for where to take her for their first date.

"So, since the bookstore is closed on Tuesdays, what are you kids planning on doing?" Dave asked the couple and Tamara.

Lucy glanced at Tim before answering, "We don't have any plans."

"You guys should enjoy the beach for a while. Have a picnic. I'll see if I can join you depending on how I'm feeling," Amy suggested.

As Lucy was about to say that Tim hates that beach, he said, "That sounds perfect," with a sweet smile. She reached under the table to squeeze his thigh and tell him a silent "thank you".

"Are you inviting that boy you spent all day with?" Dave inquired.

"I don't know. Maybe," Tamara shrugged.

"You have to give love a chance. Love is too special to let slip away," Amy advised.

"You're right, Aunt Amy. Tim and Lucy didn't really like each other at one point, but then they got out of their own ways and gave love a chance, and now they're happy together," Tamara smiled over at the fake couple across the table. She liked torturing them. Of course, she was quite surprised by what transpired next. It was not the usual discomfort from Tim that he swiftly masked and Lucy's quick response to maintain their covers.

"Lucy gave ME a chance. More than a few chances if I'm being honest," Tim corrected.

"So worth it," Lucy assured him and ran a hand up his arm before reaching his shoulder. "I wouldn't have wanted this to slip away."

"Me neither," he smiled down at her, wrapped up in her gaze.

Were her eyes deceiving her or had something shifted between Tim and Lucy, Tamara wondered. After dinner, she volunteered to help clean up to have some time alone with the fake couple to find out if they had FINALLY talked. She watched them exchange little smiles while working together to clean the kitchen, and she could not wait any longer, "So, are you two like a REAL thing now?"

Neither knew how to answer that question- how could they characterize that they planned to go on a first date? "None of your business," Lucy decided to say.

She picked up on the look they exchanged with poorly concealed matching smiles on their faces and sighed, "Oh, thank GOD! I was trying to figure out how to parent trap you two when I don't have a twin. Wasn't shaping up to be my best plan, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Angela might be a little pissed you'll show up back at the station hitched, but I'll explain everything to her. And besides, she half expected you two to come back from your undercover job in Vegas married, so she'll be fine."

There was a LOT to discuss about what Tamara just said, but he decided to address the most pressing part. "Hang on, we're not getting married. We agreed to go on a date," Tim explained.

Tamara groaned, "A date? You two already act like you're married, and I'm not just talking about during this trip, and your big step forward is a first date?" Maybe she would have to enact her one woman parent trap idea after all.

"Okay, it's a big deal for us," Lucy replied defensively.

"Yeah, she just decided we're worth the risk," Tim volunteered.

Lucy heard an edge to his tone. "Don't act like you've felt that way for a while, and you've been waiting for me to come around to the idea of being with you."

"I have. Why do you think I asked you to dance at Angela's wedding?"

"That was like a year ago!" Lucy shot back.

"Yeah, also, no offense, dude, but asking a girl to dance is not exactly a feelings declaration," Tamara snorted. "Actually, maybe for you two idiots it sorta is."

Tim ignored the younger woman's snarky comment and spun on Lucy. "Everything that went down at Angela's wedding sorta put a damper on you and me, and I didn't really know how to move forward."

"I'll give you a hint- if you wanted to move forward with ME, you shouldn't have asked out ASHLEY," Lucy insisted through gritted teeth.

"You wanted to be my aide. That was practically friend zoning me. What did you want me to do?"

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking clearly. Nolan told me Grey wanted you to ride with me, and when you picked everyone else for the gig over me, I was so focused on winning that I wasn't thinking about the cost of winning," Lucy replied.

"How was I supposed to know that?"

"Wow. You two should have tried this novel concept. It's called TALKING to each other about your feelings. I bet Tim knows when your next period is but had no idea how you felt about him until like today," Tamara turned to Lucy.

It took a second, but then he locked eyes with Lucy. "Two and a half weeks," Tim replied. "That's when your next period is. I know that, but I didn't know you…I mean, I suspected and hoped, and there were moments when I was sure, but you hadn't said anything definitive until today."

He was correct about her period, but more than that, Tamara was right; they knew everything about each other except how the other was feeling. Lucy's lips were a thin line as she awkwardly scratched her head in her embarrassment, "I should've told you. There were so many times I almost did tell you I have feelings for you, but I…"

"You run into gunfire without a second thought, but risking your heart sounds terrifying enough to make you freeze? Yeah, me, too," Tim agreed and smiled bashfully.

"Pretty much," Lucy agreed.

"Now that you two are being honest with each other, maybe you should spend tomorrow alone. Have your long awaited first date," Tamara suggested.

"We're waiting until we're back in L.A. We don't want to get this fake relationship confused with our real feelings. We'll only be away for another day or two depending on how long it takes for my car to get fixed anyways," Lucy justified.

"Oh, more delays I see. At this rate, I'll have a kid by the time you sleep together," Tamara quipped sarcastically.

"Don't you dare even think about having a kid right now. You're in college. You should finish getting your degree first," Tim started feeling very protective of her future.

Lucy saw the firm set of his jaw and put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down, "I think that's her point." She turned to her roommate, "But, there's nothing wrong with the fact that we want to take things slow. We wanna get this right. There's too much at stake to screw this up."

"Fine," Tamara surrendered. "Part of me really wants to find what you two have, but I don't think I wanna be driven absolutely insane. Now that my work here is done, I'm going to bed. Good night." Feeling supremely exhausted by her friends' ridiculousness, she shuffled her feet through the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom.

They exchanged a look but did not speak until they reached the cottage.

"We're good, right?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, we're good," Lucy assured him. She lead the way into the bathroom to get ready for bed where they coordinated their movements just like during their dance lesson earlier in the day.

He stopped her before she could walk over to the bed. "I'm looking forward to our date."

"Me, too," she felt butterflies flutter in her stomach in anticipation.

Tim bent down to kiss her cheek. "Good night, Luce."

"Good night," she whispered as her heart beat so violently, she thought it might bounce right out of her chest.

Tim was making his mom's pancakes again the next morning when Lucy sidled up next to him.

"Pancakes again?" She asked happily, already salivating.

"Is that okay?"

"More than okay," she grinned. "Need someone to taste test the batter?"

"Sure," he held out the spatula for her to lick the end. Tim watched her stick her tongue out to soak up a little bit of the batter and then moaned. The sound was enough to distract him momentarily before he swallowed hard and said, "The secret is extra vanilla, a hint of cinnamon, and extra baking powder."

"Are you sharing your mom's recipe with me?" She was surprised.

"I trust you, besides, I like sharing this with you."

"I like you sharing this with me. You can make me pancakes any time."

Immediately, he saw a vision of waking up on Saturday mornings to make her pancakes with the sound of kids in the other room. It was too easy to picture a future with her.

"Tim?" Lucy noticed that he had zoned out, and he was about to burn a pancake.

He blinked a few times to refocus and slightly charred the pancake before turning it over.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Mhm," Tim hummed, not trusting that his voice would come out evenly.

They ate breakfast together, then brought Kojo to lay in the sand with them. Lucy tried to bite back a smile from the way Tim kept struggling to lay down comfortably on a towel.

"Tim, you don't have to sit out here. I know how much you hate the beach."

"No, Amy wants us to sit out here, so that's what we'll do."

"She'll understand. Besides, Aunt Amy will probably be resting for most of the day and not even see us."

"Well, I also know how much you love the beach, and I'm happy to be here with you."

Lucy used all of her self restraint to hold back from kissing him the way he spoke to her so softly and genuinely. No one was around, and she was quite certain he was just being honest.

He looked up from where he was laying to see her sitting upright and staring down at him with love shining in her eyes. It did not happen often enough, but Tim could get lost in that gaze of hers. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, watching her smile widen.

"I like seeing you happy," Tim remarked.

"I was just thinking the same thing about you," she replied, noting a rare iridescent brightness in his blue eyes reserved for when he is at his happiest.

She was not confident in her ability to hold back from kissing him, so Lucy stood up and waved Kojo to join her in the water.

Tim watched Lucy and Kojo at the edge of the water, and it had to be one of his favorite views (not just because of the beautiful dark green bikini that made it hard to take his eyes off of her).

"Hey, Tim," Tamara greeted as she walked over to the beach with a small cooler.

"Hey, wanna jump in?" Tim asked.

"No, Dave said I could come with him to an antique shop a town over, so I'm not staying."

"I know that you define anything older than Justin Bieber as antique, but going with Dave, you'll probably find things over 100 years old. You know that, right?"

"Sure," Tamara shrugged.

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Since when do you like going antique shopping?"

"Since today. It's a new hobby."

"Really?" Tim shot back sarcastically, "and it has nothing to do with making sure Lucy and I are alone for a while?"

She feigned cluelessness, "I'm not sure why I would do something like that. You two already agreed to start dating when you get back to L.A."

"That's what she wants, and I'm following her lead."

"And what do YOU want?"

Tim stood up and replied, "To be with her." Then, he strode up to the ocean and though he hates open water, he barely thought about it as he stepped right in to join her.

"You're in the ocean," Lucy pointed out beaming.

"Well, I didn't want to be that far away from you."

She visibly swooned.

"Actually," he started and put his hands on her hips, "you're still too far away," Tim said and pulled her to his chest. He paused, staring down at her and searching her eyes for any objections, but when she fluttered her eyelashes and angled her head upwards, it was all the invitation he needed to lean down and capture her lips.

The hot sun did nothing to heat up her skin the way Tim's palms did as they slid up her bare back before landing at the back of her head. He could have touched her anywhere he wanted without pesky clothing getting in the way thanks to her bikini, but Tim kept his hands in respectful spots, which only made her want him to touch her MORE.

He heard her moan when his tongue touched hers, and he wanted to swallow up all of Lucy's sounds until the end of time.

"What was that for?" She asked breathlessly once she finally pulled away to take in a much needed gulp of air.

Tim traced her cheek and smirked, "You said we have to wait until we're in L.A. to go on our first date, but you didn't say I have to wait that long to kiss you again."

"You're right. I didn't," she grinned and pulled his face down to hers before gripping his biceps.

Amy hated to interrupt what seemed to be a very involved moment between Tim and Lucy, but she had to, so she called for them from where she was standing on the beach, "Tim! You have a visitor."

It took a second for them to process that someone was speaking to them before Tim barely detached his lips from Lucy's to glance at Amy on the shore. He saw that someone was on the beach with Amy, but he thought his eyes were deceiving him.

Lucy felt Tim's body tense, and she followed his line of sight to see what caused him to go rigid. She had to blink a few times due to the brightness of the sun, but also because she could not believe who was standing next to her aunt.

Ashley McGrady.

Notes:

BEFORE ANYONE ATTACKS ME- you know how I like my twists. This is the LAST big one, and it won't be that bad for more than a chapter. I promise I'm almost done torturing.

xo Victoria

Chapter 11: I Changed My Mind

Notes:

Angst level: 4

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Tim kept his fingers loosely tangled in Lucy's hair as the rest of his body tensed at the sight in front of him. From where he stood in the ocean, the water up to his knees, he turned to the shore to see Amy on the beach standing next to Ashley.

His ex girlfriend Ashley.

Kojo's low growls pierced the silence as everyone stared at the visitor. He was snarling at Ashley in a way Tim had not seen since the first time the dog met the blonde woman.

"Kojo, stop!" He commanded.

Lucy wished she could growl at the unwelcome guest, too.

"Ash-Ashley? What are you doing here?" Tim sputtered out.

"I came to talk to you, but it looks like you're busy," Ashley scoffed.

Reflexively, Lucy tightened her grip on where she was holding Tim's hips to keep him with her.

He looked down at the woman next to him whose mouth was slightly agape and eyes trained on the unwelcome visitor. His hands slowly moved out of Lucy's hair and across her cheeks to hold her face. He trained his gaze on her while talking to Ashley with the slightest smug smirk playing at his lips, "Yeah, I'm busy."

"That's no way to speak to a guest," Amy admonished.

He sucked in a breath, finally turned his attention away from Lucy to face Ashley and said dejectedly, "Okay, we can talk." Tim felt his fake fiancée drop her hands away from him, and he glanced back to see the hurt in her eyes, so he tried offer her a smile, but the way she wrapped her arms around herself told him Lucy was upset. "Just a few minutes, baby," he murmured and took a painful step away from her. Then, he felt a hand land on his chest. Tim looked down to see Lucy's palm radiating heat through his skin and found her eyes once more.

Lucy hoped that one conversation with another woman would not spoil her chance at something with Tim. They had agreed to go on a date when they went back to L.A., and just moments ago, he was kissing her in the water. Still, just to be sure, Lucy's other hand reached up to cup Tim's chin and lowered his face. She claimed his mouth for a few seconds, leaving him breathless, then whispered right against his lips, "Don't keep me waiting too long."

He nodded dumbly and walked out of the water. Kojo barked at his owner's back, confused.

"Stay with me buddy," Lucy said to the dog and guided her favorite pet out of the ocean to dry off.

"Who is that woman?" Amy asked.

"Tim's ex," Lucy answered tightly and watched Kojo shake his wet fur.

"Why do you look worried? You don't really think he wants to get back with her now that he has YOU?"

She bit her lip and sunk down heavily into one of the beach chairs.

Amy took a seat beside her niece and took her hand. "Honey, aside from the fact that you two are engaged, Tim only has eyes for you."

Ashley's surprise visit had caused Lucy to momentarily forget the fake engagement charade and realized that despite her panic at seeing the other woman, she had to maintain her lie about her relationship with Tim, so she tried to recover by saying, "Yeah," but her voice was not convincing. Kojo came up and licked her face, making Lucy smile, and she pet the dog lovingly, appreciative for his affection. Hopefully, Tim feels the same way his dog does, but she could not be sure.

Maybe all they would have is a pretend relationship while in Carmel and Tim would choose Ashley when they returned to L.A. After all, he seemed pretty upset about their breakup. Lucy stared down the beach where they were talking and bitterly thought that they made a cute couple. Was she about to lose the man she loves before ever truly having him?

"Why don't we go inside and cool off with some iced tea?" Amy suggested and watched her niece stand as a silent response. The walk into the main house was quiet due to Lucy's sole focus of staring at Tim and Ashley where they were further down the beach. Even as Amy poured them something to drink, she saw her niece's furrowed brow and preoccupied mind working, so she did not say a word to let Lucy process the appearance of Ashley and admired the way Kojo did not leave Lucy's side, always keeping his cheek pressed against her leg to comfort her.

Tim stuffed his hands in the pockets of his swim trunks while shuffling next to Ashley along the beach, but she seemed to have trouble speaking. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you. I wasn't exactly expecting to see you with someone else." The image of Tim and Lucy kissing filled her mind, emptying all other contents (as if there really was much going on in that brain of hers usually).

"I'm allowed to move on. You're the one who dumped me."

"And that was a mistake," Ashley replied and stepped around to stand in front of him and stop him from walking. "I shouldn't have done that, Tim. I had a dream about you last night. About us and a future with kids. Maybe I could be open to kids and accept the risks you take as a cop. I…" she looked out at the water and then returned her gaze to him. "I love you."

Those were words they never exchanged during the course of their relationship. Tim never thought another woman would ever say those words to him again, but now that he heard the phrase, his stomach clenched, because the WRONG woman spoke those words. He wanted to hear Lucy say them.

Lucy.

He wished to go back to her side. After all, she asked that she was not kept waiting for too long with a kiss that made his nerves sing. Tim's tongue darted out to taste the last remnants of Lucy on his lips, and he shook his head. "Lucy," was all he said.

"I saw you with her when I got here. Look, whatever happened while you've been away this weekend…" Ashley ran a hand up his arm and landed on his shoulder, "we have history. We're magic together, right? You want me back, don't you?"

"Back? Ashley…" Tim winced; he could not believe she wanted to salvage a failing relationship.

She put a finger up to his lips to quiet him. "I regret the way we ended things, and the second I woke up from that dream, I raced over to the station to talk to you, and when I couldn't find you, Smitty said you were away for a wedding. He told me where you were, and I drove all the way out of town to tell you that I love you and I want you back. You want that, too, don't you?"

Tim took her hand away from his mouth. "How the hell did Smitty know where Lucy and I are?"

"Seriously? He has sources all around the station for his gossip blog, but that's not really the point. Just…tell me you want us to get back together."

"No," he blurted out quickly, and saw her blink a few times in her surprise at the tone, speed, and word with which he replied.

"What do you mean 'no'? We broke up only like a month ago. You haven't seriously gotten over me enough to say you don't want to get back together?"

"I have," he scoffed at her ridiculous assumption. "I'm with Lucy now."

"She's your partner. Isn't that against the rules?"

"Former partner. I ride with Thorsen now," he corrected. Tim knew he had told Ashley about his new aide after she had noticed his moping for several days. He missed riding with Lucy, but he also missed not seeing her at all since she was at undercover school at the time. Ashley must have forgotten about that conversation. It also did not escape his notice that after rejecting that they were partners for so long, he now had the clarity to realize that he and Lucy were in fact truly partners at work, and maybe soon, partners in life if their future first date goes well.

"Tim, I drove hours out of the city to tell you I love you. Are you really saying you don't want to get back together?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Is it…" she looked down at her Uggs and then searched his eyes, "is it serious?"

"We're engaged," Tim said without thinking. He had grown accustomed to saying it over the last few days and seeing a ring on Lucy's finger. It was starting to take effort to remind himself they had not even been on their first date.

Ashley's mouth fell open. "You…you and Lucy…ENGAGED?"

"Yup. I'm going to marry Lucy," he smiled. Because, even though Tim briefly remembered that he was not, in fact, truly engaged to Lucy, he was confident that they would get there SOMEDAY. She only agreed to go on a first date with him, but he saw it as a promise of an entire future they would share.

"I can't believe you moved on THAT fast that you're already engaged to someone else…" Ashley paused and crossed her arms as she was bombarded with memories of Tim spending hours talking about Lucy, the way she had watched them when they were together, and it struck her like lightning. "I am such an idiot. I can't believe I didn't see it. This is…I…I'm just embarrassed I came over here. You were in love with her the entire time we dated, weren't you?"

Tim was unsure what to say, so he stood there and glanced over to the main house where he was sure Lucy was watching from.

"Actually, don't answer that," Ashley waved her hand. "I need to go."

He thought he should apologize, but he was not exactly sure what to say sorry for. Sorry she came all this way to find out he had already moved on swiftly after their breakup?

Sorry for dating her at all when his heart belonged to someone else?

Tim watched her walk towards her car, and once she started the engine of her Jeep, he jogged up the steps to the main house to find Lucy clutching a glass of iced tea with her face forcibly arranged into stoicism. He felt bad that Ashley walked away with hurt feelings, but he also felt guilty that his ex showed up and ruined what was supposed to be another perfect day with Lucy.

Truthfully, Lucy was not prepared to hear what he had to say. First, she wanted to read him to know what decision he had made, since she figured out rather quickly why Ashley had come to Carmel. Even without a gold shield, that was a mystery she could solve. There was something darkening his eyes. He looked troubled. The sight made her stomach drop, but it was all the confirmation she needed. He picked her. Of course he did. She's tall, blonde, and gorgeous. Ashley is carefree. Simple. Being with her is easier than navigating a workplace relationship with a woman he used to train. There would be rumors spread about them, she suspected. Plus, Tim knows Lucy. He knows how complicated her life is and how she can act a little chaotically, after all, he had pretended to be her fiancée for the past few days due to one of her chaotic plans. Ashley would be an easier path, and Tim chose the easy path. Lucy could not blame him for that, but it still hurt nonetheless. "I have to take a shower," she stated, set down the iced tea that she had not even tried swallowing down while watching Tim talk to Ashley, and then moved around him.

He jerked his head in her direction as she swiftly walked away from him towards the exit. "Can I talk to you?" Tim asked.

"Later," she replied simply and reached the door.

"What about lunch?" Amy inquired.

"I'm not hungry," Lucy responded somberly and left the main house. She told herself she wouldn't cry. She pleaded with her tear ducts to hold back from releasing the wetness building behind her eyes, but if she had to cry, she would do so in the privacy of the shower. Kojo let out a short, low growl at Tim before skittering along the floor to catch up with Lucy.

Great, his dog was upset with him, too.

Amy turned on Tim and questioned, "Why did your ex girlfriend show up?"

"She…it's not important," Tim landed on as a response. He was not as good at coming up with cover stories as Lucy and the truth would not be helpful.

"Seems pretty important to Lucy."

"No one is more important to me than Lucy."

"Don't tell me that. Tell her."

"I will."

"Don't let me stop you. Go down to the cottage and tell her now."

"I'll let her shower first," he said while trying to think of what exactly to say to Lucy to make sure she understood what happened.

"You can apologize to her IN the shower. I'm not a prude like my sister. I can say things like that."

Tim almost swallowed his tongue at the instant flash of an image of stepping inside the shower behind Lucy…

"Tim?" Amy asked, noting his glazed over eyes and reddened cheeks.

With the vision of Lucy in the shower, Tim knew he needed to stay away from the cottage for a few minutes before he lost control. "I'm gonna eat one of those sandwiches you made first." He saw that the cooler was still in the sand where Tamara had left it, but then he thought about what he told Ashley. How confidently he proclaimed that he was going to marry Lucy. "What's the nicest restaurant in town?"

"This charming seafood restaurant."

"Can you help me make a reservation there for tonight?" Tim realized his phone was in the cottage where a naked Lucy was currently showering, so he would need to rely on Amy's assistance to set his plan in motion.

"Sure," Amy grinned. "A date night is exactly what you two need. Let me call and get you a table."

"Thanks."

Tim stalled as long as possible. He drained the glass of iced tea Lucy had left behind, listened as Amy scheduled a reservation for two for his dinner with Lucy, and then he walked down to the beach to eat one of the packed sandwiches. He carried the cooler with the other sandwich into the cottage to give it to Lucy as an initial peace offering; with a full stomach, surely she would listen to the speech he had been rehearsing in his head over and over again.

But, when he found her wrapped in a robe, her wet hair hanging down in messy waves, her hip leaning against the kitchenette counter, her hands holding a bag of chips, every word he planned to say disappeared. It really is no fair how beautiful she looks in just a robe. "I thought you said you weren't hungry," Tim pointed out while setting down the cooler on the counter.

"I changed my mind. Did you?" Lucy asked sharply. It was not exactly how she planned to breach the subject of his ex showing up on the beach, but she was not exactly thinking straight. He was silent for too long, so she added, "She drove all the way up here and showed up at a stranger's house to talk to you. It was pretty easy to figure out she came to get you back."

Lucy was not meeting his eyes, he noticed, and he stepped closer to her. Still, she kept snacking and averting his gaze. He blew out a breath and invaded her personal space. Tim used his thumb to swipe some chip crumbs away from the corner of her mouth and then ran the finger gently along her cheek bone. "Is this your way of asking what happened with Ashley?"

"Are you…when you go back to L.A., will you…" Lucy realized she could not even finish the question as her voice faltered.

"No," he answered quietly. He saw that her eyes were red rimmed, and Tim hated that she must have been crying in the shower. "I want you. I told her I'm with you now." He wondered why wouldn't she look at him directly?

Lucy swallowed, and her eyes snapped up to his. "We haven't even started our real relationship."

"Being here with you…" his eye caught on the sparkling engagement ring on her finger and cradled that hand gently, "this has been the most real relationship I've ever been in." His pointer finger circled the two yellow baguette diamonds on either side of the colorless round one, "Way more real than the months I spent with Ashley."

"But…but, I know how upset you were when you two broke up." Lucy pulled her hand away from his. She was not strong enough to step away or pull at the hand holding her face, but her heart was still broken at the prospect of him getting back together with Ashley. He seemed to really like her.

"That was different," he shook his head a little. Tim was not going to let her shut him out. He brought his other hand up to find one of her wet strands of hair. He focused on spinning the silky lock around one of his fingers for a moment before he admitted something he had barely allowed himself to accept. It was not what he planned to say, but it was the truth she deserved to hear, "I wasn't upset that Ashley and I broke up. I was mad at myself for trying to forget my feelings for you in the first place. I was so sure you wanted to be just friends that I asked Ashley out, and then I was the idiot that set you up with Chris. Ashley was…a distraction when we were together, but without her, I couldn't help thinking that you and Chris seemed good together. He's the perfect guy for you, and he loved you. I thought…I thought we missed our chance, and it was all my fault."

Between the vulnerability in his eyes, the softness of his voice, the way he was crowded around her, and the gentleness of his fingers that seemed to still set her blood on fire, she was a little dazed. "You didn't miss your chance," Lucy breathed out. "I'm right here." She tilted her head up to bring her lips close to his while her eyes fluttered closed.

He shut his eyes at the feeling of her warm breath against his mouth and brought his forehead down to touch hers. Tim realized between his swim shorts and her robe, they were barely dressed and only a few short steps away from a bed and an even closer distance to a couch. "I wanna do this right. This is too important to mess up."

"I agree," she murmured and combed a hand through his hair, gently scraping her nails along his scalp. Lucy did not have to look, she could feel the way his breathing hitched from the touch. It was nice to know she effected him how he effected her.

"Dinner. I wanna take you to dinner," he whispered while spanning his fingers along the side of her neck. Even without seeing her, he could sense how close she was and how much they both wanted to do more than just stand in the cottage together. But he mustered his self restraint to keep his hands away from the little tie that kept her robe closed. He would never forgive himself if he slept with her before taking her on a proper date. He is a gentleman, after all.

"Mhm," she hummed and brushed her nose against his while her heart raced so loudly she could hear each erratic beat in her ears.

"Lucy," Tim's voice was hoarse and desperate when he felt her fingers slide down his chest.

She forced her eyes open to see how unlike himself he seemed- gone was the man always in control of his schooled expressions and his emotions tucked away. Tim looked overcome, even stupefied from how his mouth was hanging open. Lucy lightly scratched his scalp once more to see his head drop back, and she realized despite how much he clearly wanted her, he was holding back, controlling his urge to kiss her or even put his hands anywhere aside from her neck up. "We don't have to…I actually don't think we should have sex yet, but it doesn't mean you can't kiss me."

"It's better if I don't…if we don't do anything until we go on an actual date. We've already done so much of this out of order." Tim thought he could just kiss her in the ocean earlier that day, but he was struggling to keep his fingers from moving across the only skin covered by her bikini. He always prided himself on his self control, but it seemed to be a real challenge when it came to Lucy.

She nuzzled his neck. Though she agreed that it was getting more difficult to keep her hands and mouth to herself around him, they owed it to themselves and each other to give their relationship the best chance at starting out strongly without the physical aspects guiding the progression of their new chapter together. Already struggling to keep from kissing him, Lucy groaned and said, "I need to call that mechanic to find out when my car will be fixed, so we can get out of this town."

"I don't know, this place is growing on me," he felt her shift, her chest brushing against his, and Tim sighed. She had a very unique skill for unraveling him so easily that she only sharpened over the last few days.

"Me, too."

"I'm hoping you'll come with me tonight to explore more of Carmel."

"What do you have in mind?"

He finally opened his eyes to see the bright smile on her face. The glowing kind he absolutely adored. She was no longer upset with him, and he was relieved, still, he was keeping his apology plans in place. "I'm sorry about what happened on the beach, and I wanted to make it up to you with dinner. Tonight."

"So, this dinner, is it a date?" She asked slyly.

"You said we should wait until we're back in L.A. to go on a date, so no. Just us sharing a meal like we've done a million times before. Amy says this place is nice, though. So, instead of our uniforms, we should probably wear the clothes you bought in town." Tim had seen her new dress in the armoire and could only imagine how gorgeous Lucy would look wearing it, and tonight would be the perfect opportunity for her to put it on.

"What if I was okay with making it a date?"

He was surprised by her question but quick to assure her, "I won't pressure you. I'll follow your lead. You wanna take this slow, and I wanna do this right."

Lucy stepped away from him, and he immediately missed the heat radiating off of her body. She saw his face drop from the new distance, so as she backpedaled towards the bathroom, she said, "I have to start getting ready. We have a date tonight."

"We do?"

She nodded as her grin widened impossibly. "Yeah, we do," she said happily.

Notes:

Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?

This lack of faith in me is absolutely SO well deserved that I'm not even mad, just amused hahahaha

xo Victoria

P.S. There's still a happy ending waiting for us, but the chapter count is going up a little bit…I'm feeling extra devious and decided to add a little ~option~ I was originally going to skip, but where's the fun in that?

Chapter 12: A Hell Of A Good Start

Notes:

Angst level: 00000
Welcome to Fluff Village

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

To make it a somewhat normal date, Tim volunteered to get ready in the main house and pick her up from the cottage at 6:15PM to make their 6:30PM reservation at the fanciest restaurant in the small town.

But when the clock struck 6:15PM and he dialed Lucy, he was still shirtless. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"Almost," Lucy lied while struggling to style her hair. She was over criticizing how her waves were not sitting right, and everything had to be perfect for her first date with Tim.

"No, no you're night."

"No, I'm not," she admitted. "Sorry, umm are you?"

"No…" He looked at himself the mirror, holding up the new suit Lucy had picked out and hoped it would be worthy of their first date.

"Does this restaurant have a dress code?"

"You only have ONE outfit you could wear, Lucy. Nice try. That was clearly a test, and you should know better than to test the master."

Lucy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I just need to make a decision about what to do with my hair."

"Don't touch it. I love your natural hair."

She smiled as butterflies swarmed her stomach. "So, it's decided. I'm leaving my hair down naturally."

"Great," he grinned.

Just from hearing the fondness and smile clear in his voice, Lucy swooned.

"I'll pick you up in a minute."

"Okay, bye." She hung up and stared at herself in the bathroom mirror to see that she was almost unrecognizable from the way she was absolutely glowing. Lucy combed her fingers through her hair and gazed at her reflection, but then her eyes widened when she realized that when Tim Bradford said "a minute", he truly meant 60 seconds, and Lucy had not put on her dress yet.

She scrambled out of the bathroom, causing Kojo to lift his head and look in her direction from where he was perched on the loveseat. Then, she fumbled with the heels she brought for her aunt's wedding, and the second she reached for the hanger where her new dress was hanging, there was a knock at the door. He is TOO punctual.

"Just a minute," Lucy called and was surprised that he did not groan impatiently how he usually did when he had to wait for her at work.

But, this was not work, she reminded herself.

This was a date. A real date. Everything was different now, and the butterflies that had taken residence in her stomach fluttered even more intensely at the thought.

Lucy cursed at herself when she struggled with the zipper of her dress, but she refused to ask him for help, since he would probably be even more irritated with her…unless…she walked over to the front door, opened it partially to find Tim standing in the doorway with daisies in hand.

His eyes dragged down her frame, spreading goosebumps everywhere on both of their bodies. "You look beautiful," Tim said breathlessly at the breathtaking green floral dress with cutouts down the middle to draw his eyes to her cleavage.

"Thank you. You look very handsome," she blushed.

As if he just remembered what he was holding, he presented the bouquet to her and said, "These are for you."

"My favorite."

"I know." Tim watched her admire the daisies, which only made his smile widen.

"I'll go put them in some water." She turned around and realized her dress was unzipped, so Lucy glanced back and bit her lip. "I-I forgot. Can you help me with the zipper?"

He swallowed hard and nodded.

The look in his eyes was not one of annoyance at the fact that she was not ready but instead barely concealed desire.

Just as she planned, Tim stood close behind her, breathing down her neck, and swept her hair away from her back. Then, he pulled the zipper up, remembering the last time he helped her with a dress, but that time, he tugged it down for her to undress after Amy and Dave's wedding and this time, Tim was assisting her with putting ON her clothes, which should not be even sexier and yet somehow it was. Once she was zipped into her dress, he put his hand on her back, spanning the space between her shoulder blades as the rest of his body remained motionless, not even his lungs expanded to breathe.

Lucy looked back to find his eyes searching her face. She angled her head to bring her mouth closer to his. One quick little kiss would not be the end of the world, right?

"Don't even think about it," he whispered his warning as if reading her mind.

"I'm not thinking about anything. What are you thinking about?" Her voice a playful challenge.

"Date first, and if it goes well, I'll kiss you goodnight."

"You're such a gentleman."

"You make it hard to be one."

"Is that a compliment?"

"I'm not sure, but I do know you drive me crazy."

She smirked. "That's definitely a compliment." Bursting with happiness, Lucy stood up tall and kissed his cheek. "I should put these in water."

Tim watched her sashay over to the kitchenette where she filled a vase with water but he did not move, just taking in the sight of her; with the dress zipped up, the material wrapped tighter around her gorgeous curves. His hands itched to trace every single inch of her skin, but it was a first date, and he is a gentleman no matter what thoughts Lucy inspires in him.

"I'm ready now," she grinned and started walking towards the door then stopped, twisted around, walked over to Kojo and dropped a kiss on his head. "Bye, buddy," she cooed. The sweet look in Tim's eyes made her squirm under his gaze. How was she supposed to sit across from him for an entire meal if he kept staring at her like THAT?

The short car ride was mostly quiet but charged- neither knew what to expect of their date, but they were both thrilled at the idea and too preoccupied with their own thoughts to really carry a conversation. Tim opened her car door for her and the restaurant door to guide her inside. They were seated at a cozy booth in a small, dimly lit restaurant with only a few patrons.

After ordering wine and being brought breadsticks, Tim realized he still had not said anything to her, but he could not will his mouth to form words.

Lucy was struggling, too; she ordered her meal, nibbled at a breadstick, and said something awkwardly about the bread that did not exactly strike up a sparkling conversation.

After trading far too many glances, Tim asked, "Why is this so weird? We've eaten together literally hundreds of times?"

"Because, you know, our other meals only ever held the promise of being shot at afterwards, you know? And now…" Lucy swallowed hard, searched the room for an answer she would not find anywhere else, and raked a hand through her hair to stall further before admitting, "I'm really scared about this."

She expected a neutral expression or maybe a nod, but she was pleasantly surprised to hear Tim say, "Me, too."

In the face of his vulnerability, Lucy wanted to assure him even if she was still worried about where they were- right at the razor thin edge of redefining their relationship yet again. First, they were Training Officer and Rookie, then they were partners, then friends, then friends AND partners, until they kissed, stirring up feelings for each other and throwing their whole dynamic off balance. Before coming to Carmel, they were barely friends who had hardly spoken in weeks. Both of them were too uncomfortable coming to terms with how they felt for each other plus the added complication of having other partners (something they tended to forget when they locked eyes with the other from across the room and feelings rushed to the surface at the sight). Now, they were letting their guards down, allowing their hearts to guide them into this new phase of their relationship. Something truly frightening and dangerous. "We've been through some pretty scary situations together and come out alive right? So, we have nothing to be scared of." Lucy had not truly even convinced herself by saying so, but she tried.

Tim could tell she was attempting to assure both of them, but he wanted to make something clear, so he took her hand to comfort her, leaned in, and replied, "I'm not looking for settling with coming out of this alive. I'm looking for forever, and so this IS a big risk, but Ashley reminded me I can't keep pretending anyone will be right for me the way you are. I only hope I can be good enough for you."

She flipped her hand to interlace their fingers. "You're too hard on yourself. You don't have to change a thing to be exactly who I want and who I need. And if I'm being honest, my feelings for you are too strong to keep thinking we can just be friends."

"I know, which is why I asked you out tonight." He ran his thumb along her knuckles while keeping a light hold on her hand in case she wanted to pull away, but she didn't.

"Technically, I sorta asked YOU out tonight. This was going to be just dinner until I said it was a date."

"Well, I wanted it to be a date, but I didn't want to push, and I asked you out first, technically."

"We gotta get these facts straight before we tell our grandkids about our first date."

Tim felt his lips slowly form a smile. "We've got grandkids now? Nice."

Her face lit up at a vision of being old and grey with Tim by her side and little grandkids coming to visit. Lucy took in a long, deep breath when reality set in. There was a possibility that a future with him might not happen. "If…if it doesn't work out between us, and we never get married or have kids and grandkids, I can't…" she shook her head, her voice strained as she finished her thought, "I won't survive that."

"Neither will I." He let go of her hand to cup her cheek while his other palm settled on her thigh, "Now that I've seen what our life together can be, I can't go back to being without you." She bit her lip, so to lighten the mood, Tim joked, "We're sorta engaged already, which means we're halfway to getting married. A hell of a good start."

Lucy chuckled and leaned into his hand holding her face. "A hell of a good start," she agreed and watched his smile return. Her eyes dropped to his lips then back up to the endless blue of his eyes and shifted closer to him. "Remember how you said I make it hard for you to be a gentleman?"

"Mhm," he hummed and watched her gaze flick back and forth between his eyes and lips. It was pretty easy to understand what she wanted. Tim huffed but acquiesced, bringing his mouth to hers for what started as something gentle and sweet. Started. But, it soon evolved into something heavier, more passionate.

They were not exactly sure how long their kiss lasted, since they only broke apart when their waiter cleared his throat to announce his presence and present them with their entrées. "You really do drive me crazy," Tim muttered once their waiter left them alone with their meals.

Lucy giggled and started picking at his plate to take half of his asparagus for herself.

The rocky start to their date was forgotten by the time they finished dessert. Conversation had flown easily for the rest of the night, and they kept touching each other throughout the rest of their meal, holding hands, a soothing touch along their thighs, and yes, another kiss at the table, which signaled that it was certainly a date. As much as Lucy would have liked Tim to draw circles on her thigh during their usual lunches out on patrol, she is well aware that would have been detrimental to her ability to focus on work. But since tonight was not about work, she welcomed Tim's hands anywhere he wanted to put them.

He lead the way to the door of the cottage and stopped before walking inside.

"What?" She asked.

"Our date is officially over."

"I had a good time."

"Me, too."

Tim opened the door to allow her to enter first, and she eyed him curiously. "I told you I had a good time."

"I know."

"Do I have to do everything myself?" Lucy asked unamused, reached up to grab his face, pulled him down to her, and covered his mouth with her own. "You said you'd give me a kiss goodnight if the date went well."

"I didn't want to assume."

She rolled her eyes at him and tugged him into the cottage.

Tim looked at the couch and then the flimsy curtain that separated it from the bed. "Maybe I should sleep in the main house."

"If Aunt Amy catches you sleeping in one of the guest rooms…"

"I'll tell her I wanted to give you space after the Ashley thing."

"Even though I completely forgot about Malibu Barbie coming over here until you just reminded me."

"I'm sorry," he winced.

"It's not your fault she showed up, and I can't exactly blame her. If I had you then let you go, I would try to get you back, too."

"The difference is, I'd never let you break up with me in the first place."

Lucy loved his devotion to their VERY brand new relationship. She watched him stare at the couch and said, "It's really not that big of a deal to me for us to still live in the cottage together for however long our stay lasts."

"Are you sure? Most couples don't go back to the same house after their first date."

She held up her bejeweled hand and responded, "Most couples aren't engaged on their first date."

He snickered. "Fair point. Now, the only problem will be lifting Kojo off of that couch, so I can sleep there. I'll move him once I'm ready for bed."

They both glanced at how the dog was sprawled out on the couch taking up most of the seat despite his size.

"Good luck with that," Lucy chuckled and crossed over to stand behind the curtain. As she kicked off her shoes, she saw Tim come over.

Before she could ask, he explained, "Just wanted to get hangers and grab my pajamas." Clearly looking uneasy about being in the bedroom area with her when they were supposed to be changing.

She nodded, letting him quickly gather hangers and something to sleep in before walking back over to the other side of the curtain. It was so thin, she could see the outline of his body as he started unbuttoning his shirt. Facing him, Lucy dragged down the zipper of her garment and shimmied out of it, allowing the dress to drop to the floor. At the same time, she could tell he was removing his pants, his body turned to hers, but his head was hanging low, seemingly too focused on changing to notice Lucy's current state of undress right in front of him. Due to the intricacy of front of her outfit, she had not worn a bra, so she stood next to the bed in only her panties and held her breath knowing that Tim was only in his boxer briefs just a few steps away. A shiver rushed down her spine as she looked over at him, staying undressed a little longer to let the heat of the moment stun her into stillness. She saw him move his head, so Lucy immediately turned her face away. Telling herself she couldn't actually see much thanks to the curtain, she gazed back up at him for half a second, and she thought that for the briefest moment, Tim was looking over at her.

He did. It was the quickest glance, but he heard the movement of the zipper, and against his will, his eyes snapped up to see the silhouette of her body as she pulled her dress down. Tim averted his gaze the second he regained control of himself, but then his eyes found the outline of her again moments later where she was standing still. From how the moonlight illuminated her body, he could tell she was mostly naked, so he shut his eyes tightly to avoid accidentally seeing anything else as Lucy finished changing.

They agreed it would be a bad idea to have sex so early on in their changing relationship, but with Tim half dressed a few paces away, Lucy was rethinking her position. She had to remind herself that she was picking a future with him and grandkids and not just a few nights of fun. So, she walked around the curtain dressed in her pajamas, eyes fixed on the bathroom door, and decided to start her nighttime routine instead of jumping his bones.

Tim joined her in the bathroom a few seconds later, and not for the first time, he thought about how this was the most intimate part of their days together in the cottage- silently coordinating to share a bathroom as they readied themselves for sleep or for the day. They were crammed together yet still made space for the other in the small room as they washed their faces and brushed their teeth. It may seem simple, but Tim thought it was pretty special, and he was already looking forward to a lifetime of brushing his teeth next to Lucy with her half-lidded eyes and messy hair in the mornings.

When they exited the bathroom together and Tim stepped away from her to go to the couch, Lucy saw Kojo and how comfortably he was sleeping, so she said, "Why don't you leave Kojo alone? We can share the bed."

Tim was not really sure they would be starting their relationship slowly if they slept next to each other after their first date, but the offer was too tempting to refuse. "Just to sleep. We agreed nothing would happen yet."

"Right."

He paused, checking her eyes for any sign of second guessing the proposal, but Lucy seemed sure, so they got into bed together. Apparently laying next to each other on a queen sized bed can still offer plenty of distance between them, according to Tim. He recalled how he had the same thought on the beach that morning; then, he strode over to her in the ocean and pulled her close to him, but now he would not dare to do the same. Instead, Tim swallowed hard and tried to quiet his buzzing mind.

Laying on her side, she saw how he was on his back, eyes up to the ceiling, one hand resting on his stomach and the other arm reaching up to tuck under his head for a position that would make him look relaxed save for the tension in his jaw. "What are you thinking about?" She asked. Before Tim said a word, his eyes darted in her direction but did not lock; instead, they trailed down her body, following the slopes of her curves contoured by the duvet. The want in his eyes made her heart pick up speed.

"Nothing," he lied.

"If this is too weird…"

"It's not." He repeated quieter, "It's not."

She scooted just a little closer to him. "Is this okay?" Though her mind tried to tell her it was a bad idea, the invisible string that drew her to him tugged her body towards his almost unwillingly.

"Yeah," he murmured, holding her gaze.

She moved again, closing the gap between them slightly. "Is this okay?"

"Mhm." His tongue froze, so he was unable to speak, but Tim loved the bolts of lightning that electrified him thanks to her proximity. He finally understood what storm chasers were searching for- this thundering electricity vibrating all the way through their bodies that Lucy inspired in him so easily.

They stared at each other for some stretch of time, barely blinking. "I like being close to you," the words fell from her lips without thinking.

He watched her cheeks redden, and then she covered her face with one of her hands in her embarrassment. The sight was adorable enough to break some of the tension, and he joked, "I noticed when I woke up the other morning, and you were wrapped around me like a barnacle."

Lucy's mouth dropped open with a gasp. "Really? How do you even know what that is?"

Tim narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't only watch sports, you know. I like watching nature documentaries sometimes, which is how I know way too much about the ocean, and that's why I don't like stepping foot in there. I know too much."

The disgusted look on his face made her chuckle. "Are they any good? The nature documentaries?" She wondered.

His lips curled down into a frown "Not bad. We should watch one together some time."

Was this his way of asking her out on another date? "Really?"

"Sure, if you're ever interested in watching something educational instead of all that garbage reality TV you're always binging."

Maybe he wasn't asking her out again. Perhaps she thought the date went better than he did. "It's not garbage. It's called a guilty pleasure," she defended her show preferences while trying to avoid overthinking and over analyzing their date from Tim's perspective- if he did not enjoy himself, then there would never be a second date let alone grandkids.

He rolled his eyes. "You have terrible taste."

"So do you. You don't even like the ocean, and you dated a lifeguard."

Tim chuckled in a way that made his whole body shake. The kind he rarely experienced unless he was with Lucy. "Shut up! You dated a lawyer. We hate lawyers," he pointed out between laughs.

"Other than Wesley," she corrected, a smile breaking out on her face from the clear joy on his.

"Most days I hate him, too, but Angela loves him, so I tolerate him." She yawned adorably, so he said, "We should get some sleep. Good night, Lucy."

She brushed her fingers across his hand where it was on his stomach, just because she wanted to touch him one last time, and replied, "Night, Tim."

He watched her eyes flutter closed and stayed awake to see the change in how her chest rose and fell once sleep overtook her. Tim stayed awake as long as he could to memorize this moment, knowing it would probably be a while before he shared a bed with her again.

Notes:

Did I flip who said what for some of the canon dialogue in this chapter? Yup. Did I also keep parts of their lines from their first & second dates? Yup yup. Why? Because girls just wanna have fun!

I hope everyone is enjoying their stay in Fluff Village, but I hear Angst City is beautiful this time of year. Maybe we should check it out?

xo Victoria

P.S. That's your warning that we're about to experience that little ~option~ I decided to add back in for maximum fun. Sorry, Rachel, I know this is your bday fic, but the chaos is too delicious to skip. There's still a happy ending I promise, now it will be that much sweeter.

Chapter 13: Advice

Notes:

Angst level: 0
Fluff Village visit extended

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Lucy woke up and thought she might still be dreaming when she found herself curved into Tim's side. One of her arms was across his stomach, her head on his shoulder, her legs mixed with his, and one of his arms holding her in place. She inhaled his scent and let his body warm her up for a few seconds, but then she had to pee, so carefully as not to disturb him, Lucy tried to move away from him.

The biggest problem with her plan was that Tim was already awake and only pretending to be asleep to keep her in his arms. So when Lucy started trying to shuffle away from him, he said in a low, raspy rumble, "Trying to hide the fact that you're a barnacle?"

His morning voice is SO sexy. "Stop! I am not a barnacle!" She whined and scooted her hips away. Adorably, Tim tightened his hold around her back to keep her close.

"I never said I hated barnacles," he noted and brushed his lips on her hair line.

She smiled. "I have to pee, but I'll be right back," Lucy promised. She dropped a kiss on his shoulder, seeing his lips form a smile and his eyes stay half lidded. "Stay right there!" She called once she stood up.

With one eye open, Tim watched her scurry into the bathroom and dropped his head back onto his pillow. It was really happening. After all this time. He really had Lucy- a thought that made him happier than he had ever been.

He looked so cute sleep rumpled and laying in bed, and she practically jumped back into the bed to return to his side. "Good morning, my beautiful barnacle," he murmured when she returned to his arms.

"That nickname better not stick."

"How about Goat Whisperer? Should I bring that one back?"

She swatted his chest and buried her face in his side. "That's enough."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he grinned and tried not to laugh as she lifted her head up to look at him again with a less than amused expression.

"You should be," Lucy teased with a pout.

He pecked her lips and hummed happily.

His fingertips danced on her back, sending sparks everywhere. "Tim?" She asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"If you're looking for something to call me…you can call me 'baby'…if you want."

Lucy's blushed cheeks were adorable. "Okay, baby," Tim replied fondly and raked her hair away from her face.

Her stomach swooped. She couldn't resist the urge, so she angled her head to kiss him softly.

Tim could not kiss her for very long as his smile overtook his face. "I don't want to leave this bed," he sighed happily.

"Me neither, so let's just stay here forever," Lucy squeezed his midsection.

"I can't. I told Dave I'd help at the bookstore everyday that we're in town."

"You'd rather spend your day in a bookstore than with me?"

One of his hands found hers where it was on his stomach and loosely interlaced their fingers. "I never said that. And besides, you can come to the bookstore with me."

"I guess." She kissed him again.

Kojo leapt onto the bed, making them both laugh.

"Come here, buddy," Lucy said happily and moved away from Tim slightly so that the dog could climb into her lap.

"Are you kidding?" He asked in disbelief, watching her unclasp their hands to pet the dog instead.

"What? Are you jealous?"

"No," Tim scoffed.

"You totally are," she accused him.

He shook his head, but his smile betrayed him.

"Kojo, give me a second. Your daddy is being ridiculous," Lucy said to the dog and then pulled Tim's face to hers to plant her lips on his. Looking into Tim's eyes, mouths a whisper apart, she said, "You're my favorite Bradford."

"You're such a liar," he pulled away to say half jokingly.

"No, come here. Let me prove it to you." She reached for him while he tilted his head towards her, and their mouths met in the middle.

At some point, Kojo got down from the bed, bored that his two favorite sources of entertainment were too preoccupied with each other to give him any attention. The dog's absence allowed Tim to roll on top of Lucy and deepen their kiss. He kept his hands on her hips to ensure nothing else happened, but making out with her was enough to set their bodies on fire. A little later, he heard her stomach rumble loudly, and he pulled away. "Okay, I should feed you."

"I'm really not that hungry," she lied and brought his face back to hers.

"Lucy, I know you. You need coffee and breakfast or you'll get moody."

"I do NOT get moody," she scoffed.

"You totally do, and no offense, it's really not my favorite version of Lucy, so I'm gonna make you something to eat."

"Hold up," she held him in place on top of her to ask, "What's your favorite version of me?"

He cupped her cheek and searched her eyes. "I can't decide."

"That has to be the cheesiest answer EVER!" Lucy let out a little chuckle and glided her thumb along his cheek. "But, this is my favorite version of you. Big Softy Tim Bradford."

"I'm NOT a softy."

"You totally are. You don't have to accept it," then she stage whispered, "but I know the truth."

Tim shook his head unsure of what to say. "I'm gonna go make you breakfast."

She let him go with a sigh. "Okay. Can I make a request?"

"I'm not a chef on one of those cooking shows you love," he said as he climbed off of her to sit up but was not ready to leave the bed just yet.

"Pancakes. I want pancakes, pretty please."

"Sure, baby," Tim dropped a kiss to her forehead and stood from the bed. Secretly, he was far too pleased to make his mom's pancakes for her again. It felt special sharing yet another piece of himself with Lucy. As he was cracking eggs, he realized he has shown her every side of him, told her every big secret, shared every treasured memory, and even the worst parts of him and his history. She had accepted, even embraced, every aspect of him as he disclosed it- from his dad, to his time in the military, to pancakes. No one knew or cared about Tim more than Lucy, and he felt willing to surrender his heart to her for all eternity. It was not just about wanting to spend the rest of his life with her, it was more about the strength, comfort, and joy Lucy's love has provided since meeting her that he could not live without. Some days, her warmth and care was the only thing holding him together.

She stayed under the covers for a few minutes, watching through the curtain as he started making the batter. Soon enough, she joined him in the kitchenette, wrapping her arms around his waist to keep him close.

As if Lucy could read his mind and give him the hug he needed upon his realization, he was far too pleased to lean into her encircled arms. "You're making it too easy for me to call you a barnacle, you know," Tim chided to get his mind off of his deeper thoughts.

"Out of all of the versions of Tim, not a single one is funny."

"I think I'm pretty funny."

"Hate to be the one to break this to you, but you really aren't."

"Ouch," he feigned offense.

"It's okay, I like soft guys better. Funny is so overrated." She pinched his cheek as he turned over a pancake.

"Whatever," Tim rolled his eyes and smirked.

Once he finished making breakfast, he placed the plates of food next to each other at the small table and moved his chair to be next to hers so their legs would touch. He wanted to be as close to her as possible.

She noticed the way he rearranged the seats but did not say a word, only grinned. When Tim poured an excessive amount of syrup on her plate just the way she likes it, Lucy felt her cheeks start to hurt from how big her smile was, but she welcomed the pain.

After watching her take a few bites, he cupped her chin to redirect her face towards his to taste his favorite pancakes mixed with her. It might be his favorite taste in the entire world, and he could not think of a better way to spend the rest of his life than to wake up every Saturday morning to make her pancakes and then sucking on her sweet, syrupy bottom lip to taste the breakfast he cooked.

Her coffee and pancakes were forgotten in favor of exploring Tim's mouth, and if her stomach grumbled later, she did not care. A knock at the door was the only reason she broke away from him with a groan.

Tim answered the door to find Tamara.

She was not blind- she saw their dazed eyes and kiss swollen lips. Plus, they were still in their pajamas when at this time, Tim and Lucy are usually dressed and ready for the day. "Morning, guys," she regarded the fake couple…or real couple now!

"What's going on?" Lucy asked as casually as she could manage.

"Amy was looking for Tim. I volunteered to come relay the message," Tamara explained.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

"I think so," Tamara shrugged.

He glanced at Lucy who nodded then he left the cottage, still in the t shirt and sweatpants he wore to bed.

Once the front door shut, leaving the women alone, Tamara crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and asked slyly, "So, you and Tim?"

It was impossible to wipe the smile off her face, so she took a sip of coffee and did not say a word.

"Well, I'm glad the cottage is far enough I didn't have to hear anything."

"We didn't sleep together last night. I mean, we slept together in the same bed, but nothing happened."

"Why not?" Tamara asked.

"We're taking it slow. We want to do this right."

"So, you're not sure how you feel?"

"No, I know exactly how I feel. I mean, this is the most amazing relationship I've been in since ever. I don't care how new it seems, I feel like I've seen this side of him for a while now. The soft man who's not afraid to share everything with me. That's what I need to have in a long-term partner."

"Okay, and you're waiting why, again?" She wondered. Lucy's logic seemed flawed in her eyes.

Lucy sat back in her chair and asked herself the same question. She thought their relationship had changed since coming to Carmel. The vulnerability. The honesty. The emotional intimacy. Yet, aside from divulging their feelings for each other, they had been vulnerable, honest, and close for a while. Their moments alone together in the cottage and their perfect first date the night before proved that their romantic relationship was viable. What started as a fake engagement demonstrated that they had a future together. They could have forever.

Tim approached Amy where she was seated in the main house's living room. He was not sure why she called for him, but he enjoyed their conversations over the years, so he did not mind going over to her even if it meant leaving Lucy's side for a few minutes.

"Sit down, Tim," Amy requested kindly and pointed to the chair beside her.

He obeyed and looked on, waiting for her to speak.

"You've known me since before I met Dave. Do you remember what I told you after we'd only been on a few dates?"

Tim smirked, "You said you were going to spend the rest of your life with him no matter how much time you have left."

"And, you told me I had lost my mind. Insisted I couldn't marry Dave unless you met him and did a background check on him at least."

"I want you to be happy."

"I want the same for you. Life is short for all of us. Shorter than we think. Don't waste a single second of it."

"What makes you think I'm wasting my time?"

"For one, you and Lucy aren't married yet."

"Amy…"

"My dear, you have to know you'll never find someone who will make you happier or who will love you more. I'm not just saying that because she's like a daughter to me. This is coming from the person who loves you like a son. That woman who showed up here yesterday wasn't good enough for you…"

"I know. Lucy is all I want."

"Well, the town judge is available any time to officiate."

"You're always so pushy."

"I used to ask you all the time if you had asked her out yet."

"I did…eventually."

"Not soon enough for my liking," Amy smiled.

"We're together now. Better late than never." The day before, Lucy told him that they hadn't missed their chance, and he was grateful that she was right. Tim could now happily proclaim that they ARE together, and it was not part of their fake engagement charade.

"You got that right," she smiled then drew her face into a serious expression. "I need you to do me a favor. I need you to take care of her. People with big hearts like Lucy tend to find that their own hearts get neglected the most. I know you won't let that happen."

"I won't. I promise to take care of her."

She patted his cheek. "You're such a good boy. Now, based on the fact that you're still in your pajamas, I'm assuming you want to spend the day in with Lucy, so I'll tell Dave…"

"No, you two just got married and have hardly spent any time alone together. Lucy and I would be happy to cover the store and give you the day to yourselves."

"Well, I can't say this in front of Dave, but that store of his isn't necessarily a popular spot on Main Street. You're welcome to lock the front door and make good use of those couches in the reading area. I'm not getting any younger or any healthier, so I'm allowed to ask for grandkids sooner rather than later."

Tim's mind flashed with the two visions he had previously imagined where he laid in bed with Lucy and a baby's cry was heard a few paces away and standing with her in the kitchen with the sound of kid's laughter in the distance. As perfect as the idea of kids with Lucy was, "I can't promise you grandkids any time soon, but I wish you could have the chance to meet them."

Amy blew out a breath. "The thing that becomes clear when you're close to the end is that you can get greedy wanting more and more experiences before your time is up, but I'm grateful for the life I've had, and what I've been fortunate enough to experience in my time on this planet. The good and the bad. No regrets." She stood up and opened her arms, noting the way his eyes were watering. "Give me a hug."

He nodded and encircled his arms around her, holding her in place and trying to memorialize the moment forever. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you, too, Tim." She stepped back, wiping the few tears that had streamed down her cheeks and said, "Okay, enough of the sad stuff. Go get ready to go to the bookstore, and remember what I said about those couches and grandkids. Just because I might not be around to see them, doesn't mean you shouldn't try to make it happen for me."

His cheeks flushed and knew he could not even try to speak, so he wordlessly left the main house and came upon Tamara on his walk over to the cottage.

She furrowed her brows and raised her fists as though she was about to throw a punch. "I may be small, but I used to live on the streets. I'm tougher than I look, so if you hurt Lucy, I'll whoop your ass."

Tim looked at her fondly and replied, "I have no doubt."

Her expression switched from her best attempt at menacing to a grin. "Alright, well, all I have to say now is you're welcome."

"For what?"

"You'll see," Tamara responded smugly and raced down the beach to reach the main house before exploding in a fit of giggles.

Unsure what she was trying to say, Tim walked the rest of the way until he reached the cottage. From the front window, he could see Lucy swaying her hips to some song in her head as she was washing dishes. He walked inside to go over to her and stand behind her, looping his arms around her waist.

She felt him kiss the top of her head and move along with her as she lunged for the rest of the dishes, not letting her go. "Who's the barnacle now?" Lucy joked.

He buried his smile in her hair and mumbled, "You like it."

She leaned her back into his front. "I already told you I like Big Softy Tim Bradford."

"Do I look like a softy to you?"

Lucy found his eyes and the love beaming from them. "Yeah, babe, you do."

In the empty bookstore, Tim and Lucy spent the afternoon curled up on one of the sofas in the reading room of the shop. She read one of her favorite books to him as he drew circles on her thigh, and she lazily dragged her fingers through his hair.

Amy and Dave came over to check on them. Well, Dave wanted to make sure his store was alright, since he is quite emotionally attached to the place. Amy had other reasons for her visit.

"Hi, you two. We just wanted to stop by and see how you're doing," Dave said while his eyes flitted around the shop to ensure everything was in order. He hardly ever entrusted anyone to watch his store.

"Everything's fine," Tim promised.

"I'm just gonna take a quick peek in the stock room," Dave replied and left the group to go into the back.

"Lulu, mind if I borrow you for a sec?" Amy asked and bent her neck in the direction of the store's entrance.

Lucy stood up and left the bookstore.

Now that they were alone, Amy narrowed her eyes at Tim. "Reading? You're a young, beautiful couple in love, and you're READING instead of taking my advice?" She asked disapprovingly.

"It's a good book," he reasoned.

"Honey, no book is as good as an orgasm," she shot back and walked away, leaving him slack jawed.

Amy found her niece outside and linked arms with her before they started mindlessly walking down the quiet street. "I know your car won't be in the shop forever, which means you'll be leaving soon."

"I can see if I can stay in town a little longer."

"Don't put your life on hold for me. I'll be okay. I've got Dave just like you've got Tim to look after you."

Lucy was thankful that her aunt had someone to love her and be there for her how she has Tim to rely on.

Amy stopped walking. "Promise me you'll do everything you can to live a full and happy life. That's what you deserve. And sometimes, we can't wait for the universe or fate to give us what we ask for. We've gotta take it for ourselves. So, take that happiness for yourself, sweetheart."

There were so many emotions swimming in her aunt's eyes causing Lucy to get choked up. "Why are you acting like it's goodbye?"

She offered a sad smile. "I'm done leaving things unsaid and waiting for signs or circumstances to tell the truth. This isn't about saying goodbye to you. I could never really say goodbye to my favorite girl. I can only remind you that I love you as often as I can for as long as I'm still here."

Lucy blinked back tears. "I love you, too." She reached over to hug her aunt, squeezing her tightly for a few moments before letting Aunt Amy go.

"Okay, last piece of advice for the day: those old couches in there are sturdier than they look, but you and Tim should try breaking them anyways. I mean, don't tell Dave, but I've never liked his choice of furniture in the reading room, so you can break the couches and every chair in that bookstore, and I'd be grateful for you."

Lucy gasped, "Aunt Amy!"

"Come on, we're both adults here. We can talk about sex."

She let out a nervous laugh.

"Alright, we don't have to talk about it," Amy waved a hand to dismiss the topic. "Go back to your reading with Tim, and maybe I'll put it somewhere in my will that Dave should redecorate. Perhaps you can help him with that? I'd like you to come back here even if I'm gone. This town is small and quiet, but there's magic here somehow."

"I'll come back."

"Good. Bring Tim, and bring your kids someday."

"That sounds nice."

"Then, seize your happiness. Make it happen."

Though simple advice, it resonated with Lucy. When she returned to the bookstore, she bade farewell to Amy and Dave before looking at Tim.

Based on her earlier conversation with Tamara and her aunt's words, she felt emboldened to take Tim's hands in hers and say, "Tonight is the night."

Notes:

As if this story wasn't long enough, I decided to add in some extra fluff fluff for a bonus chapter. Most of this wasn't planned in the outline aside from Amy's conversations with Tim and Lucy. BUT, it seems a few of you wanted to stay in Fluff Village just a little longer, and ONLY this one time, I decided to oblige.

You see, I may be evil, but I can have some compassion. After all, we're only delaying our inevitable trip to Angst City.

xo Victoria

P.S. Amy's words about no regrets is my personal outlook on life when facing the end.

littlesnafu made this far too accurate meme of the next step of our journey!

Chapter 14: Ridiculous

Notes:

Angst level: 3

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

"Tonight is the night," Lucy said, holding Tim's hands in the middle of the reading room of Dave's bookstore.

Tim gathered her meaning quickly. "Oh. Really?"

"Yes, really."

"W-What changed?"

She sighed and squeezed his hands. "Nothing…and everything."

"That's helpful," he joked with a scoff.

A smile broke out on her face, and she pushed up to stand on her tip toes. "I mean…I just realized that we're in a really beautiful place."

He nodded in understanding. That was a very eloquent yet simple way of describing their budding relationship. To bide their time until "tonight" and to avoid getting too caught up in the excitement of their plans for the evening, he knew they both needed a distraction. "You wanna keep reading the book?"

"Sure." She agreed and moved to return to the couch that they had been seated on before Aunt Amy and Dave had arrived and interrupted their reading. Lucy felt him settle in next to her and then brush his lips against her shoulder. "Tim?"

"Mhm."

"You make me happy."

He angled his head to look up from where he had rested on her shoulder. "You make me happy, too," he replied softly.

Lucy kissed his forehead and resumed reading their book with Tim curved into her side.

Tim was so comfortable cuddled with Lucy, lulled by her voice as she read to him, and soothed by her fingers in his hair; it was all so perfect that he almost fell asleep. The sound of a phone ringing brought him out of his state between waking and sleeping, but he refused to move from where he was tucked into her side.

"Hello, this is Chen," Lucy answered the call. She listened as the town mechanic provided her with an update on her car's repair. After a long exhale, she looked down at Tim who was nuzzling her neck adorably and said, "My car's ready. Looks like we can go home." His arm around her midsection tightened.

"Can we…can we leave in the morning? Stay for one more night?" He wondered.

"I'd like that." She smiled.

He kissed her at first lightly, but it quickly evolved into something heavier. "Baby," Tim whispered against her lips, his voice somewhere between a question and a plea.

The seriousness in his tone caused her to open her eyes. "Yeah?" Lucy asked quietly.

He wrapped his fingers around a corner of the book and took it away from her grasp; she let it go willingly and simply watched him set it down on the coffee table in front of them. Maybe they didn't have to wait until tonight. He cupped her cheek as the rest of his body hummed. Tim just needed to find the words.

Lucy turned to face him properly as she read his mind easily. "Right now?"

"We don't have to," he started to pull away.

"I want to." She dragged her pointer finger up and down his bicep while leaning in but resisted the urge to kiss him even though the energy between them crackled. Lucy wanted to take a moment to look into his eyes and see how they dazzled with desire for her.

He paused. Was this really happening? Tim dove into her for a kiss and put his hands on her back to help her lay down onto the seat.

With their lips connected, she blindly searched for the hem of his shirt as he climbed on top of her but decided to abandon the task of removing it in favor of kissing him some more. Their movements were so slow and gentle. Lucy wanted them to take their time and Tim seemed to feel the same way. His hand dipped beneath her shirt and smoothed over her bare stomach, and she started getting dizzy from how his tongue so expertly explored her mouth while he tenderly touched her skin.

"Oh-kay," Sam said awkwardly before spinning around to give the couple some privacy once he came upon the them making out on the couch.

Tim wrenched his mouth away from Lucy in his surprise at the intruder, then he scrambled off of her to stand up. "Sam," he breathed.

"I-I didn't know…your dance lesson…sorry," Sam apologized, still keeping his back to the couple.

Lucy stood and cleared her throat before nervously scratching her neck. "Right. Dance lesson. We're ready to go."

Tim looked down at his girlfriend and flashed her a "really?" glance. She merely shrugged in reply, so he pursed his lips but gave in. "Yeah, let's go." His hand found one of hers to hold. If they had to leave the couch and the bookstore, Tim still wanted to hold onto her somehow.

As they walked down the street towards the dance studio, Lucy asked Sam, "Has anyone ever told you that you and your wife have bad timing?"

Sam knitted his eyebrows together in consideration before replying, "Yeah, actually, we've been accused of that before." He welcomed them inside the empty studio and shared, "Andy's dropping Olive off with Tamara, and then she'll be here for your lesson. We can stretch until she gets here."

"Olive. That's a beautiful name," Lucy complimented.

"We named our daughter after one of our best friends in the world named Oliver. Of course, now her Uncle Oliver takes credit for every amazing thing she does, which we should've expected from him. But, we don't care. Olive is the best thing to ever happen to us," Sam grinned as his mind filled with visions of his little girl. "Do you two want kids?"

"Some day," Lucy answered without a second thought. If they were planning on having grandkids, surely they would need to have kids first.

Tim smiled. Some day. That was a nice answer. He liked the sound of that.

Lucy saw the way her boyfriend was positively beaming at her and wondered if it was too late to change her mind and skip the dance lesson to go back to the couch in the bookstore.

"Well, parenting is like dancing; you gotta be agile, sometimes improvise when you make a misstep, and trust your partner to work together, so we're getting some practice in right now," Sam noted.

Lucy thought that was a beautiful metaphor. Tim was barely paying attention to the other man as he kept his eyes on her.

"Alright, let's stretch," Sam said and clapped his hands once in the hopes of getting Tim to focus on anything other than Lucy who he seemed to be solely concentrated on.

Andy entered the studio after the couple had finished stretching. "Hey, guys. Who's ready to waltz?"

"Oh, before we start…Tim and I are leaving tomorrow, so this'll be our last dance lesson," Lucy said, and she was a little disappointed to leave town and stop seeing Sam and Andy. They are a great couple.

"That's a bummer. But, next time you're back in town, we should hang out, and maybe if you stay long enough, we can fit in another lesson," Andy offered.

"We'd love that," Lucy smiled. "You guys are awesome."

"You guys are, too. Since this is our last lesson together, let's make it count," Andy said and reached for her husband to get into position.

Tim drew Lucy into his arms happily.

"I think this is a little close," Lucy whispered, looking down at how their chests were pressed together while Sam and Andy's form allowed for a little distance between them.

"I don't mind if you don't," Tim murmured.

"No, I don't." she smiled.

What started as tiny sparks turned into a raging fire that consumed every ounce of Lucy's blood thanks to how Tim held her and kept unwavering eye contact with her. She could not feel her feet or do much of anything other than cling to him and let him guide them through the dance steps.

He was not doing much better; the heat consuming Tim became too much, and he was nearing combustion.

As if their bodies overheated the building's circuitry, the dance studio suddenly went dark and the music that had been playing stopped.

"That's weird. Something happened to the power," Andy said curiously.

"I can go check the circuit breaker," Sam volunteered.

"I'll go with you," Andy replied to her husband. "Just wait right here, guys," she regarded the couple." To her surprise, Tim and Lucy were still holding each other and dancing around as if they had not noticed that the studio went dark. Andy exchanged a knowing look with Sam and left the studio with him to find the circuit breaker.

Tim barely noticed the silence as if his ears finally caught up to the fact that the music stopped playing, so he started to sway without a melody to keep time. Lucy did not seem to see anything else but him as she gazed up at Tim with big, shining eyes that he could get lost in.

His hand slid up to cup the back of her head, and she could not resist any longer. Lucy moved in time with Tim and their mouths met in the middle. When she finally pulled away to breathe, she blinked and realized the studio was dark. Before Lucy could scan the room to find out what happened or even locate the Swareks, Tim bent low to brush his nose against hers.

"What happened?" She breathed and watch him close his eyes.

"I don't really care," he rasped and massaged the back of her neck.

"Neither do I." Lucy found his lips again and moaned when Tim's tongue plunged into her mouth. She could kiss that man forever.

The lights turned back on before Sam and Andy returned to the studio to find the couple quite preoccupied. "They do that," Sam whispered to his wife.

"We should leave them," Andy responded quietly.

"Really?"

"You remember what we were like when we were engaged. We couldn't keep our hands off each other. It's adorable."

"This is OUR studio. Can't we tell them to get a room?" Sam asked quietly.

"Just pretend to be a romantic for 5 seconds and back away quietly to give them some privacy."

He gave his wife a sideways glance, but Andy showed no sign of changing her mind, so he tried to tip toe out of the back exit of the dance studio. Accidentally, he hit his leg on something on the ground and swore loudly.

Andy flashed him a dirty look for making a noise. "Aren't you gonna ask if I'm okay before you get mad at me?" Sam wondered.

"I know you're fine," Andy rolled her eyes and pulled her husband by their interlaced fingers to leave the studio.

Sam's loud voice was enough to break Tim and Lucy out of their daze.

Tim looked around to see the lights were now turned back on and the music resumed, but there was no sign of Sam or Andy. "I think they left us."

Lucy blinked a few times to see the room beyond Tim and scraped his scalp where her fingers had ended up. "What do you say we get outta here?"

"Yeah, Amy's probably working on dinner."

They drove back to Amy and Dave's house with Lucy's hand in his. Once they parked the truck, Tim started moving in the direction of the main house, but Lucy tugged them by their joined hands towards the cottage.

Tim looked at her curiously.

"I say we skip dinner," she leaned in to say seductively.

"I'm hungry. Besides, you're gonna need that fuel for later." He winked and lead them into the main house.

She felt a blush color her cheeks and her knees buckle as she followed him inside.

As enjoyable as dinner was with Amy, Dave, and Tamara, Tim was torturing Lucy the entire time. He started by keeping a hand on her thigh. Then, at one point, he pushed away the curtain of her long hair to ghost his fingertips on the back of her neck, and finally, painfully slowly, Tim trailed his fingers down her back. When they said goodnight to everyone with the promise that they would come back in the morning to say goodbye, Tim reached around her to put a hand on her hip. No one could ever make her body hum with the simplest touch the way Tim had managed to. It made her think of every partner she had ever dated before and how they paled in comparison to him.

Standing on the porch of the main house, Lucy cupped his cheeks. "I've been thinking about something you said to me the other day." Tim tilted his head, clearly unsure what she was referring to. "You said that Chris is the perfect guy for me, and you have to know he could never be the perfect guy for me, Tim. Do you know why?" She searched his eyes to see his cluelessness. "Because he's just not you." Adding at a whisper, "He's not you, Tim."

He thought his cheeks might go completely numb from all the smiling he had been doing around her, but he did not mind. Tim had no idea what to say or if he could even speak, so instead, he bent down to capture her lips to show her how touched he was by the sentiment.

Lucy would have loved to stay on the porch with his mouth on hers all night, but she had PLANS. "Tim," she started and held his hand, "let's go."

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled and walked with her down the beach towards the cottage. After all, he had plans to kiss every spot his hands had traveled on her body throughout the day.

Since Tim did not want to waste any time, he spun Lucy around to kiss her again while he unlocked and opened the front door. They did not bother with turning on the light or even looking for Kojo as they stumbled through the cottage holding each other with her walking backwards and him attempting to steer them properly while being utterly distracted by their lips sliding together. He caught her as she lost her balance when her foot caught on a leg of one of the chairs of the kitchen table, and they chuckled as they kept moving. Lucy reached out for the couch to avoid hitting it and Tim tightened his grip around her waist, "I won't let you fall," he promised and resumed kissing her.

She broke her lips away to reply, "I trust you."

He helped her sit down on the mattress while he climbed on, too with his legs bracketing hers.

As if they were still dancing, Lucy fell back into the mattress with Tim's arms steadying her while his body stayed against hers to follow her closely so that he ended up laying right on top of her.

Tim's phone rang, but he hardly registered the sound as he remained engrossed in Lucy.

She felt him move his hands to her hair and took the opening to push him so that she could get on top of him. When his phone rang again, Lucy said, "Ignore it."

He nodded and watched as she lifted her shirt off. As he scanned her body, he replied, "Never answering my phone again."

Unable to help herself, she giggled before crashing her lips against his again.

Tim flipped their positions in a fluid motion to have Lucy beneath him again as he made quick work of removing his t shirt. The way she looked down at his newly exposed chest and abs in wonder made him grin. Despite the heat of the moment, he stopped any attempt to undress either of them further in favor of cradling her face gently and tracing the corner of her smile.

It was the briefest moment where the heat between them lowered to make space for a fond look to be exchanged between them.

Lucy was trying to refill her empty lungs and suddenly, a breathless "I love you" fell from her lips. At first, she did not even realize she said it out loud, but the second Lucy knew that the words were actually spoken was at the same time Tim's eyes widened, his body went rigid and motionless, and he seemed to stop breathing above her. Part of her wanted to take it back and tell him to forget she said it. But, another part of her knew it was true, and she did not want to lie to him about her feelings anymore. Lucy had spent so much time denying both to him and herself how she felt about Tim, and she did not want that pattern to resume after being so emotionally vulnerable with him during the last few days. She stayed firm- not repeating the words or trying to retract them. Lucy waited with parted lips for him to say something.

Anything.

There was silent tension thrumming between them for a different reason as Tim remained frozen merely staring down at her in shock.

She understood that he might be taken aback by her confession, since "I love you" is a pretty strong declaration, but Lucy thought that he would have some sort of verbal reaction. Years prior, when she told him she had feelings for him, he was stunned for a few seconds but recovered enough to speak soon after. Now, his brain seemed to be completely malfunctioning.

Tim's phone rang, and the noise cut through the quiet left by everything he could not find a way to say. Somehow, he thought it was a good idea to answer the call. "Bradford."

Lucy could not believe that he was not only speaking on the phone but now looking up at the headboard and away from her. If he was not straddling her, she would have gotten away from him as quickly as possible, but she did not have the strength to move or do much of anything other than watch him sitting above her while trying not to cry.

"What the hell are you talking about, Ang? We're not engaged!" He spat out.

Since she could not hear the other end of the conversation, Lucy could only listen to Tim's half of the discussion.

"Smitty's blog is NOT a reliable source! Lucy and I are NOT engaged! That would be ridiculous!"

Ridiculous.

Lucy thought if someone had punched her in the gut, it would hurt less. Too wounded to stay pinned beneath him, she started wiggling out from under him, and Tim let her move.

"You know what, Lopez, I'm a little busy right now. I'll be back in L.A. tomorrow," he said to end the call and saw Lucy stand up from the bed.

She bent down to snatch her shirt and put it back on before flashing her best "I can't believe you right now" facial expression.

"What?" Tim asked to try to find out what had happened that she was now giving him that look.

"W-Why would you say it like that? Would it really be so terrible to actually be engaged to me?" They had joked that they were actually engaged for the last few days, and Tim had previously seemed to like the idea, but his truest thoughts were made known from his tone of voice when speaking to Angela- the shock he vocalized, the definitive intonation, and the audible displeasure that Angela would suggest they were engaged clarified Tim's perspective on the whole situation. The fantasy of their fake engagement was well and truly shattered.

She should have known since he had yet to ask Lucy out on another date.

He stood up from the bed and tried to say something beyond how rattled he felt, but before Tim could even formulate some semblance of a response, her phone rang.

Grateful for a reprieve from a very painful conversation and to get back at him for taking a call when they were in the middle of something, Lucy answered without even checking the screen. "Hello, this is Chen…Dave?…Slow down…"

Tim could see the worry color Lucy's face and waited to hear why Dave had called when they only left the main house a bit ago.

Worried and wide-eyed, she reported, "Amy collapsed, and she's being rushed to the hospital. I gotta go."

"I'm coming with you," he replied and reached for his own shirt that he started putting back on while running out of the cottage right behind Lucy.

Notes:

Welcome to Angst City! Let's have some fun while you visit!

xo Victoria

P.S. I made this floor plan of the cottage and added it to Ch 2 as well:

Chapter 15: The Hospital

Notes:

Angst level: 9
Remember when I said the "Vic drop" wouldn't be so bad? Well, evil Victoria wrote this chapter this morning. Apologies in advance.

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

From the corner of her eye, Lucy saw that where he was seated next to her in his truck, Tim opened his mouth to try to speak. "Don't talk to me," she snapped.

The rest of the drive to the hospital was silent.

They barreled into the waiting room to find Dave.

"What happened?" Tim asked the other man.

"She fainted. One minute she was fine, and the next she wasn't. Doctors are running some tests," Dave answered with worry pulling his face into lines that showed his age.

"Where's Tamara?" Lucy questioned.

"Right after dinner, I asked Tamara to go get your car from the mechanic, since you told us your car was ready and hadn't had the time to pick it up. I called her after I hung up with you guys, and she should be here soon."

One second later, Tamara entered the waiting room. "Any news?"

"Nothing yet. Take a seat," Dave tried to sound as gentle as possible and motioned for her to join him in the row of plastic chairs.

Lucy could not even dream of sitting down. She was reeling from everything that had happened over the last few days, and her mind kept racing as she tried to collect her thoughts on the confusing place she found herself with Tim.

Days ago, he had tried to press her about Chris and why she doesn't love him. At that point, she was not ready to tell Tim that what was holding her back from loving Chris was that "he's just not you". She started to tell him. She said "he's just not" but left the "you" unspoken but easy to understand. Finally, an hour ago, Lucy had the strength to share with him the whole sentence and answer Tim's previous question. She told him "he's just not you".

He kissed her in response, which she thought was more than acceptable, and then they went into the cottage making out and stumbling all the way to the bed. Lucy told him she was ready for them to have sex, and she had every intention of sleeping with him.

Until the mood shifted when she confessed, "I love you". Tim was surprised, speechless, unresponsive. Actually, instead of saying ANYTHING to her, he answered an incoming call to tell Angela very emphatically that he and Lucy were not engaged.

The words and his tone of voice hurt Lucy more than words could describe, and she was grateful to receive Dave's call as a reprieve from her very painful one-sided conversation with Tim. But, Dave's call brought her to the hospital pacing the waiting room floor worrying about her sick aunt AND Tim.

It was all too much to think about at once, and Lucy thought she might explode.

Looking over at Tim did not help. He stood frozen just as he had when she told him she loves him. There was a sad look on his face, and Lucy wondered what he was sad about- Amy's condition, how he reacted to Lucy saying "I love you", his word choice when speaking with Angela, trying to start a relationship with Lucy in the first place? There were too many possibilities that she could not be sure what bothered Tim, and for the first time since their first shift together when he came into the shop with watering eyes and she saw that sad look on his face for the first time, Lucy did not try to comfort him. She could not tell him "It's going to be okay" like she had while he was being quarantined in a house and Lucy was stuck on the other side of the door. She could not even hug him like she had after he left his dad's hospice room. Lucy was at a complete loss of what to do.

A nurse came over and announced that Amy was ready for visitors. Everyone went to Amy's room immediately and found her smiling. "Hey, everyone! Before you start freaking out, I'm perfectly fine," she promised them.

"I was so worried about you, honey," Dave sighed and reached for his wife's hand.

"Oh, you're such a worrier! I'll be okay, well, I'm still terminal, but I'm not going anywhere yet."

At her aunt's assurance, Lucy blew out the breath she had been holding in since she reached the hospital.

"We're glad you're okay," Tim said.

"Doc says I have to stay over night, but I'll be back home in the morning," Amy promised. "Can you guys wait to get on the road until I'm discharged? I don't want the last time you see me to be in a hospital bed."

"I'm gonna stay for another day to help you get settled, but Tim will wait to leave until you're discharged," Lucy replied.

"Wait, what?" He looked over at Lucy cluelessly and saw the harsh set of her face.

"Is something wrong?" Amy asked, easily reading the tension between the couple.

"Of course not. I just need to talk to Tim outside for a second," Lucy said as kindly as she could and left the hospital room knowing Tim would follow behind her. She spun around the second she had walked far enough down the hall and almost ran into the wall of muscles that is his body. He caught at her wrists to balance her, and as much as Lucy really liked the way his long fingers wrapped completely around her wrists and the warmth of his skin on hers, the pain he caused was still fresh enough that she yanked her hands away and huffed. "Say goodbye to Amy and go back to the cottage. I'm gonna spend a few more minutes with my aunt and then crash in the guest room with Tamara."

"Lucy…"

"No, I really don't want you to talk. I think you've said enough."

"I'm trying to…"

"Tim," she seethed through gritted teeth. "I'm barely holding it together. I just don't know how this all went so wrong…" Lucy's train of thought was interrupted by a warm mouth colliding with hers. She broke away as quickly as she could, "What the hell was that?" Out of everything she expected to happen, Lucy had not at all anticipated that Tim would KISS her after everything he said.

"Will you just listen to me, baby?"

It was hearing the way he said "baby" that brought her to the edge. She could not believe he could say that term of endearment so sweetly and also sound so disgusted at the prospect of actually being engaged to her. Lucy shouldered past him to walk further down the corridor and create some distance between them. She could see the stormy blue of his eyes and all of the warring thoughts behind them, but Lucy was sure what she needed to say next. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to muster up the most serious face she could manage without a single crack of vulnerability that he would so obviously see. "We're done…whatever we had, whatever happened here…it's done. It's over. We're gonna go back to L.A., and we're gonna pretend none of it ever happened. We'll go back to barely speaking and, and that's that."

"I don't want to go back to that," he replied quietly. Tim took a step towards Lucy and watched her rock back to maintain the distance between them; she was further than an arm's length away, so he could not reach out for her and pull her to his chest like he wanted to.

"I don't care."

All the air in his lungs instantly vanished. She had never said she did not care about him. Sometimes, Lucy was the ONLY person who cared about Tim. Now everything was so wrong; when an hour ago, everything was going perfectly. "Please…" his voice broke.

"Just go, Tim."

Because she asked with a tight throat and eyes that were clearly starting to well up with tears, he wanted to obey, so he started shuffling down the opposite end of the hall until he paused, "What are we gonna tell Amy?"

"That you have to go back to work. We'll let her keep thinking we're engaged."

"What about everyone else?"

"I don't care about my family."

"I meant…the station."

The station. Smitty's blog had announced Tim and Lucy's rumored engagement, which is why Angela called to ask Tim to confirm the news. By now, almost all of their coworkers would think their fake engagement was real. She dragged a hand through her hair to think, but the tears were building even more quickly, and Lucy refused to cry in front of him, so she just had to say something to get him to leave. "Tell everyone the truth. Just maybe don't sound as grossed out as you were when you told Angela."

"That's not…"

"Can you leave now?" Her throat was almost completely closed, and she knew she did not have long before the floodgates would open.

His mouth was a thin line as he nodded.

Once Tim was out of sight, her legs started to give out, and Lucy sunk to the ground and drew her bended knees up before dropping her forehead on them. A sob ripped through her throat as her whole body shook with the intensity of her tears. She was unsure how long she spent folded up on the ground crying until she heard a voice say her name.

"Lucy?"

She looked up to see Aunt Amy wearing a hospital gown and holding onto an IV pole where she stood in the middle of the corridor.

"Aunt Amy," Lucy shot up and said with a raw voice. She tried to wipe at her face, but she knew it was no use. Her aunt had seen her cry.

"Come here," she beckoned for her niece to go over to her, which she did. Then, Amy linked arms with Lucy and lead them back into her hospital room. "Here," she found the small tissue box in the corner of the room and offered it to the other woman. "So, did you and Tim get into a fight?"

"Of course not," Lucy lied.

Amy pursed her lips and sat down at the edge of the hospital bed before patting the spot next to her to signal for her niece to sit with her. "I sent Tamara and Dave to get me some chocolate, because if I have to stay in this depressing place for the night, I think I deserve something sweet, so it's just the two of us here now. It's time for you to come clean."

"It's nothing. Really."

"So, it has nothing to do with Tim pretending to be your fiancée for the last week?"

"H-how…"

"Oh, honey, seriously? I'm not dumb. I used to spend hours with Tim, and I used to ask him all the time if you two were together, and he always said 'no' and told me he was seeing someone else and apparently, so were you. So, last I heard he was dating some woman who frankly sounded a little boring, and you were with some man that made Tim's face turn green just from mentioning him. Then suddenly, you two showed up in Carmel ENGAGED? With clues like that, you don't have to be a detective to figure it out."

"But…"

"Why do you think I went to lunch with Tim to beg him to come to the wedding? I told you I think there's magic here in Carmel. I thought if I could just get you two to come here, I could nudge you two together."

"You KNEW we weren't even together and wanted to set us up during your wedding weekend?"

"I did everything I could think of. How do you think the bed and breakfast lost your reservations? I know the owner and asked her to cancel your rooms, so that you would be forced to stay with me. Now, I know I was being a little devious by assigning both of you to the cottage, but since you seemed so set on lying to me and telling me you were engaged, I thought I would have a little fun with the sleeping arrangements. Truthfully, the movies always show how the sexual tension can build when people have to share a bed, so I thought the worst that could happen is you two finally sleep together."

"AUNT AMY!" Lucy gasped.

"Don't act so surprised. I was teasing you at lunch when we ate with Tim at the food trucks and acted like I thought you two were a couple. You were practically squirming out of your seat at the thought of you two being together. I knew from then that you must really really like him, and I know Tim is in love with you."

"No, he's not."

"I spent so much time sitting with him during all my dialysis treatments. He's pretty quiet, but Tim always managed to bring you up. At first, I thought it was because you're someone we have in common, but that didn't explain how he would light up when he said your name. I figured out pretty quickly that he really cares about you, and the more insistent he was that you two weren't together, and he wasn't going to ask you out, the more sure I was that you two must really like each other and are too chicken to do anything about it, so I decided to intervene."

"I can't believe you canceled our B reservations," Lucy shook her head, still in shock at how calculating her aunt is.

"Guess I should probably come clean about your car, too. I sorta Googled how to sabotage your engine to force you to stay for a little longer, and then I asked the mechanic to wait a few days to tell you that your car was ready. He had it all fixed up within a day, but he waited two more days to call you."

"YOU DIDN'T?"

"It was Dave who suggested the dance lessons, though. He's convinced I never would've fallen in love with him if we didn't spend all that time holding each other and trying to dance together. So, we planned out the dinner with Sam and Andy and pretended to casually ask about signing you up for dance lessons, but Dave and I knew what we were doing."

"You're evil!" Lucy's jaw dropped.

"If doing everything in my power to help two people who are meant to be finally realize that they belong together is evil, then hell yes, I'm evil, and I don't regret it one bit."

Her aunt's confession rendered Lucy utterly speechless. She was at a loss for words until her eye caught on the sight of her engagement ring. An engagement ring for a fake engagement, and the charade was clearly over. Heartbroken, Lucy started taking off the engagement ring until Amy put a hand on her knee.

"Keep the ring. I bought it for you."

"For a fake engagement."

"For a real one," Amy corrected. "It's only a matter of time before it's real, which is why I sorta bought that wedding dress we liked. I figured it's best to be prepared for your eventual wedding whether I'm here to see it or not. You can pick it up at the bridal shop whenever you want. It just needs a little shortening."

Lucy kept her gaze fixed on the ring and with a deep breath, she pulled it off and held it up for her aunt to take. "Return the dress and the ring. It's never gonna happen."

"Why do you say that?"

"Tim doesn't want me like that." The way he said it would be "ridiculous" to be engaged to her still echoed in her ears.

"I watched him devour your face and hold on to you every chance he could get, and you're telling me he doesn't want you? I may have let you two carry on with the charade to selfishly get some entertainment out of how far you two would go, but there's being dedicated to pretending and then there's what you two were doing."

"We're both trained to go undercover and pretend…"

"I'm gonna stop you right there, because I don't know who you're trying to convince with your lie, but it sure won't work on me. You love each other, and before you deny how you feel, how else do you explain that I found you crying on the floor just now?"

Lucy sucked her lips into her mouth to keep from speaking, but the words were too heavy to keep inside. "I love him," she blurted out, the truth too easy to say now that she had already admitted them to Tim after holding back from him for so long.

"At least you're finally being honest with yourself."

"I told him…I told Tim that I…and he…he just froze like a deer in headlights."

"Of course he did," Amy smirked.

"Because he doesn't love me."

"Because he DOES. Love is scary. You know how afraid I would've been to be with Dave if I were healthy? Terrified. He cares about me so much and understands me so well that I feel so loved by the way he holds my hand. That's intense. That's a LOT. I would have run for the hills like I usually do if I thought I had my whole life ahead of me. But, I know I'm sick. I know that life is short, so I went for it. I took the risk and let myself be with Dave. That wasn't enough, though. Humans mess up and act foolish sometimes. It's not enough to just let yourself fall in love; you have to choose to love that person every single day. Even on days when you're moody and everything they do pisses you off. Even when they say the wrong thing or react the wrong way. If he's a good man who won't hurt you, you should try to move past what he's done. Choose to love him more than your argument. So, be fearless and choose to love Tim right now even though you're upset with him. Talk to him and give him some grace."

"I can't, Aunt Amy. It's too hard."

Amy sighed and ran her fingers through her niece's hair. "Almost every part of life is hard or feels like it's impossible. There's a reason none of us make it out of this existence alive. But, it feels just a little easier and the burdens we carry feel a little lighter when we have people that love us and that we love in return. It's your decision how you move forward with Tim, but if I get a say, I vote for you two to figure it out. Share your life with him. Make your lives feel just a little less difficult, because you have each other."

Lucy looked down at the engagement ring in the palm of her hands. "I'm sorry, Aunt Amy, but I don't want to lie to you anymore. I won't let him hurt me more than he already has, and I really hate to disappoint you, but Tim and I are through."

Amy closed her niece's hand around the ring. "You could never disappointment me. Whatever you decide to do, and you don't have to make a decision right now, I'll still love you, because I choose to love you even when you make the mistake of not being with the most perfect person for you." She added for levity, "Not to mention he's chiseled like a statue."

Lucy cracked a smile for half a second before her face dropped again, and she worried at her lip like she always does when she has a lot on her mind.

Knowing she could not press her niece any more, Amy sighed and looped an arm around Lucy's back. "What do you say we watch whatever old, crappy reruns are on TV until Dave and Tamara come back with chocolate?"

Lucy nodded and wiped at a tear that ran down her face.

Notes:

I AM SO SO SO VERY SORRY FOR THE OUCHIESSSSS. I'm the real villain of this story. I know. Can we look past our tears for a second? Just because . AM I RIGHT? I would like to formally congratulate Littlesnafu for being the ONLY one to suspect Amy. Kudos to you predicting this little twist!

Now that we got that out of the way, go ahead and give me some well deserved grief.

xo Victoria

P.S. Happy ending is still incoming. That hasn't changed. I, the villain, will be felled by their love soon enough.

Chapter 16: Tears

Notes:

Angst level: 4.5

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Tim spent the entire drive from the hospital to Dave and Amy's house replaying his discussion with Lucy. Well, it could not really be categorized as a true "discussion", since he barely got a chance to speak, and she mostly spoke AT him.

He tried his best to interrupt her.

He even tried to shut her up with a kiss.

Still, Lucy remained firm. She said, "We're done."

Desperately, he managed to tell her, "I don't want to go back to that."

But, it was no use. She would not listen, so he drove home alone with her scent lightly hanging in the cab of his truck and his eyes starting to well up.

He walked to the cottage. Alone.

Then, Tim entered the space they were meant to share to find Kojo was happy to see him, but also seemingly eager for the other person he anticipated would show up. Lucy.

She said she would not stay in the cottage for the night. Lucy insisted on sleeping in the main house to get away from him, and he was torn. Should he try to speak with her again? Should he wait until the morning when she might be calm enough to actually have a REAL discussion with him?

He sank into the couch, refusing to lay in the bed without Lucy and tried to think beyond his own pain. Yet, rational thinking was just out of reach as Lucy's voice echoed in his ear telling him, "I don't care."

That's when it happened. A single, rebellious tear streamed down his face despite his best efforts to remain strong. Kojo jumped into his lap and licked at the droplet in an effort to comfort his owner, which Tim greatly appreciated. Still, he knew that what he wanted was Lucy. Nothing else could mend his currently broken heart other than her. They had been happy for days. Tim did not think he had actually ever been happier in his life than his time in Carmel with Lucy, and he could not imagine returning to L.A. and looking at her from across the station without being able to kiss her, touch her, or even speak to her. His stomach churned at the thought.

Unprepared for her to take another swing at his already shattered heart, Tim decided he would talk to Lucy in the morning. He padded into the bathroom and started to get ready for bed while thinking about how the bathroom he once thought was too small for two people to share now seemed big and empty without Lucy standing next to him. Even his nighttime routine was not the same without her.

It was painfully obvious to Tamara that something was wrong with Lucy, and not just because her mascara was smudged. She was quiet for the entire drive back to the house.

"Thanks for picking up my car tonight," Lucy finally said as they started to walk towards the main house.

"No problem. You and Tim seemed preoccupied," Tamara smirked but watched as her friend's eyes started to water. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Can we, can we not talk about it? I just need to go to sleep, so this day can be over," Lucy replied somberly, and before she could stop herself, her eyes snapped over to the cottage down the beach, and Lucy saw that the lights were all off, so Tim must have gone to sleep.

If only she knew that he was wide awake, laying on the couch, and staring up at the ceiling thinking about her.

She got ready for bed without having to watch Tim's aggressive flossing, and though Lucy had teased him about it, now she would give anything to watch him in the mirror's reflection as he stood next to her at the bathroom sink.

When she walked into the guest room she was going to share with Tamara for the night, Lucy moved to go to the other twin bed that her friend was not sleeping in when her left thumb brushed against her left ring finger. She was surprised to find it bare after wearing an engagement ring there for the last few days. When did Lucy grow so accustomed to wearing a piece of jewelry that she knew would only be on her finger temporarily? She panicked that the ring was not on her finger, and then Lucy remembered that she tucked it into a pocket of her jeans after removing it to return it to Aunt Amy, but Aunt Amy refused to accept it and insisted she keep it.

Lucy scrambled for the pair of jeans and pulled the ring out of the pocket where it had been stored. With a sigh of relief, she inspected the engagement ring and had to force herself to keep from putting the piece of jewelry back on her finger. Instead, she whispered, "Tamara?"

She looked up from the book she was reading in bed to make eye contact with Lucy. "Yeah?"

Cradling the ring and treating it as the precious thing it had become to her, Lucy tip toed over to Tamara and sat on the edge of her bed. "Can you hold onto this for me?"

"Your ring?"

"It's not really mine. Tim and I were never really engaged I guess."

Tamara could see that Lucy's lip was quivering and her eyes were growing wetter by the second. She reached out to hold her friend's hand. "Maybe it was a fake engagement, but you have a real relationship."

"Not anymore," Lucy's voice was barely audible due to the emotion coating her throat, making it hard to speak.

"You two broke up? You were only really together for like 2 days including today! What the hell happened?"

"What I was afraid of. I hate that I was right, but…I just lost the most important relationship in my life." She could not hold back anymore and the dam broke; her tears fell freely as she hugged her arms around herself.

Tamara set the engagement ring on her nightstand before pulling Lucy down to lay on the bed beside her. She wrapped herself around her friend and held her tightly. "It's gonna be okay, Lucy," she tried to say comfortingly.

"For once, I really don't think so." Even when the oxygen was almost gone and her vision was blurred as she was curled inside a barrel buried in the ground years ago, Lucy still had the smallest semblance of hope that she would be okay. She had faith that Tim would be able to get to her in time. Lucy tried to keep singing, at least in her head, and she held onto the chance that she would be okay once Tim found her. But now as she was curled up on Tamara's bed with plenty of oxygen, Lucy felt like she was suffocating, since all the hope for her and Tim to be something more had evaporated, and now she was fated to spend the rest of her life without him.

As she tasted the saltiness of her own tears, Lucy bitterly regretted ever allowing her feelings to get in the way of what was supposed to be a fake engagement. She cried herself to sleep, mourning the loss of Tim.

Barely awake after not sleeping well, Lucy looked over to see Tamara beside her instead of Tim, and she missed him. She saw her engagement ring on the nightstand, and while she was half asleep, Lucy slipped it on her finger as if on instinct without even really noticing.

Soon after, she went down to the kitchen and started making breakfast. Lucy really wanted to make Tim's special pancakes, but she had not been following him closely enough to note the recipe, since she had been so preoccupied by TIM to pay attention. After taking out a bag of premade mix, she frowned at the thought of eating those instead of Tim's, but she would have to get used to living without his pancakes along with a million other small things Lucy loves about him that she would never have again.

She swallowed back from crying as she started making waffles with the premade mix, because she wanted to delay eating pancakes again.

When Tamara joined her in the kitchen, she helped cut fruit while staring at Lucy, but she did not say a single word about their conversation the night before or anything else really.

They heard the front door open, and rushed to welcome Amy back home.

"Oh, girls! I'm FINE! Stop fussing," Amy smiled as she accepted a warm group hug from Lucy and Tamara.

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, Lulu. I've still got some fight in me," Amy promised.

"What's that smell?" Dave questioned as breakfast wafted in his nose.

"Breakfast. We made waffles," Tamara answered.

Dave and Amy walked into the kitchen to see the mess and the meal the two women had made.

Tamara saw the way Dave scrunched his nose. "What's the matter, Dave?"

"Nothing, girls, it's great! Thanks for taking care of breakfast," Dave smiled.

Amy clicked her tongue. "You're ridiculous. Waffles and pancakes use the same mix. They're practically the same thing. One is just flat and the other looks like a grid." She knew her husband much preferred pancakes, which is why Amy always made them for him, but his preference did not necessarily make sense.

"I-I know, and I know I'll love the waffles. Just, if I had to pick, I always want pancakes," Dave shrugged.

Lucy felt her stomach knot tightly while her eyes stung. "Me, too," she whispered. She knew it was coming. She was aware there was no stopping this wave of emotion from crashing over her, so Lucy said, "Excuse me," and raced out through the back door of the house to stand on the porch alone and let the tears fall in private. Would everything make her miss Tim? Dave mentioned pancakes, and suddenly, Lucy wanted to cry.

Tim went for an extra long run with Kojo after he woke up to an empty bed. He would have given anything to find Lucy's warm body clinging to him when he opened his eyes in the morning, but he messed everything up, and now he had to wake up and get ready for the day alone.

He knew he would have to say goodbye to Amy and thank her and Dave for their hospitality over the last week, but Tim was dreading having to see Lucy again. What would he even say to her? He ran and ran trying to think of the right words, but nothing sounded good enough. Then again, everything he ever rehearsed to tell Lucy always flew out the window the second he looked at her, so Tim accepted that he would just have to open his mouth and hope the right message would come out upon seeing her.

After postponing long enough, Tim packed and gathered all of his strength to face Lucy. If he can manage to run into unexpected situations and face gunfire on the job, surely he could face Lucy.

Of course, he had not expected to find her standing on the porch, her shoulders hunched forward, one hand over her mouth, and the other pressed into her chest. Tim took a few more steps closer and realized Lucy was crying and covered her mouth to quiet her sobs. He made quick work of ascending the stairs to reach her on the porch and put a hand on her shoulder. Before he said anything, her red rimmed eyes snapped up to meet his and in an instant, her gaze turned cold.

Lucy stepped back, recoiling from his touch. "Leave me alone," she whispered.

"Did something happen?" He asked, ignoring the shock of pain at her words and the way she moved away from him.

"You're not seriously asking me that."

"I…right." He was the reason she was crying. Tim kicked himself at the realization.

She watched him stuff his hands in his pockets and knew he was just as an uneasy as she was. "Amy's back from the hospital. You should go in and say goodbye before you hit the road."

"Okay," Tim replied quietly and walked around her to open the door for her to enter before him.

Lucy shook her head. "You go ahead. I'll stay out here and say goodbye to Kojo." She bent down to hug her favorite dog as she heard the door behind her shut. Now that Lucy was alone with Kojo, she pet him gently and softly said, "I guess this is goodbye, buddy. I don't know if I'll ever see you again." She ignored how her eyes started to fill with tears at the thought and continued, "I love you so much. You're such a good boy. You know that? You're the best boy." Lucy kissed his head and scratched his ear the way he likes. "Can you do me a favor? Can you look out for Tim for me? I…I can't do it anymore, but I need you to. He needs someone to love him, so you better give him extra cuddles, and just for me, don't be on your best behavior. He secretly loves that you're a troublemaker," her face cracked into the slightest bit of a smile finally. The smallest bit of hope that life after Tim would be okay. Lucy hugged Kojo snugly, wanting to hold onto him as long as possible before losing him forever, too.

Tim entered the house to find Amy, Dave, and Tamara sitting together for breakfast. "How are you feeling?" He asked Amy.

"Probably better than you," she answered and stood from the table. "I heard you two are having problems."

"We'll be okay," he lied. They had spent the last week pretending to be a fake couple for Amy's benefit, and he did not want to break the illusion in the last few minutes of his stay.

"You two have spent so much time together, yet you don't know how to talk to each other! Every couple needs to remember the 5 phrases."

Tim had no idea what Amy was talking about.

"The 5 phrases will save your relationship," Dave chimed in.

"It's true. You need to remember to say: 'Please', 'I feel like', 'I need', 'Thank you', and especially, 'I'm sorry, because'. You start using those with Lucy, and you'll work your stuff out," Amy promised. "Now, give me a hug, and then go talk to her." She pulled him into her arms and squeezed tightly. If this was going to be the last time she was ever going to see him, Amy wanted to keep her hold on him for just a few moments longer. She craned her neck to look up at Tim and said, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

She pinched his cheek and said, "Good. Say that to Lucy, too."

"Tim's a man of few words. Three words is a lot," Tamara said rudely. He made her best friend cry, and she was not going to forgive him for inflicting pain on Lucy.

"Well, if he's more of an action kind of guy, there are plenty of things you can DO to tell her how you feel, but use your words first. She needs to hear you say it, son," Dave urged.

Tim did not know why everyone was giving him love advice; he was also unsure what Lucy had told Amy and Dave about what happened between them. Instead of entertaining the topic further, he said, "Thanks for letting us stay with you guys. We had a great time." Tim looked to Amy and added, "This isn't goodbye."

"I hope not," she offered him a smile and gave him one last hug. "Now, go get your girl."

He waved at everyone one last time and shuffled out to the back porch to find Lucy and Kojo huddled together. "Lucy," Tim breathed her name and walked around to force her to look at him.

She sprung up from the ground, and her eyes found his, but Lucy did not know what to say. They had said everything they needed to say. "Safe drive back."

"You, too," he replied. That was a lame thing to say, he knew. Tim inhaled sharply and said, "I'm sorry." He remembered Amy's advice and corrected himself, "I'm sorry, because I never wanted to hurt you."

Lucy nodded, speechless from his apology. It was kind. She clasped her hands together and felt the cool metal of her engagement ring. It was hard enough to remove it last night in the hospital room with Amy, and she swore at herself for putting it back on in the morning. With one last look at the gorgeous ring, she removed it from her finger and offered it to him. "Sell it, or throw it in the ocean, or whatever, but I just need you to get this away from me."

He wrapped his hand around hers where she was holding onto the ring, and Tim was grateful that she did not immediately try to get away from him. "Put it back on…for Amy."

Lucy smiled ruefully and scoffed. "She knows. She's always known it wasn't real."

"ALWAYS? What are you talking about?"

"I really don't want to get into it right now, Tim. I'm too tired to tell you. All that matters is that this f-…engagement is over." She could not bear to refer to it as a "fake" engagement. Maybe Lucy had deluded herself, but two days ago, when Tim had traced the ring on her finger and told her that their time in Carmel had been the most real relationship he had ever been in, she believed him and felt the same way.

"Please, keep the ring," he begged.

"I can't," her eyes dropped to the ground, the emotion in his eyes was too intense to keep gazing at him.

"Lucy…"

"Please, Tim. Please," her voice a weak, strangled sound.

"I'll take the ring if you let me talk."

She stepped back, tearing her hand away from his and shook her head. "You've already said enough."

"For someone who likes to have a conversation about everything, it's pretty funny that you refuse to listen to me."

"I'll keep the ring I guess," Lucy replied coolly and took another step back. As much as it hurt to look at him, the idea of walking away from him hurt more, so she was stuck on the porch only a few steps away from Tim and the door without the willpower to move in either direction.

"You're so stubborn sometimes. You know that? You think you know me so well you won't even let me say a word. You'd rather walk away then let me tell you that I love you!"

She felt her heart drop all the way to the floor. He really said he loves her after breaking up and breaking her heart? "You're telling me this now?"

"I wanted to tell you when you said it first…I probably thought it a hundred times before last night, but I-I'm an idiot."

"That only makes things worse! I really can't even look at you right now!" Her anger fueled her enough to reach the door, but Lucy felt him grab at her wrist.

"Why?" Is all Tim could ask, unsure why she was still upset. He told her he loves her. She ended their relationship because he had not managed to tell her how he feels, but now he said it, so what other problem did they have?

"Because you clearly don't love me enough," Lucy answered emotionlessly. Tim loves her but could not stand the thought of being engaged to her? Her heart was completely destroyed.

"What the hell does that mean?"

She pressed the ring into his palm and bit out, "Nothing," before wrenching her hand from Tim's grasp and stormed away.

Utterly confused, he stood frozen for a few minutes before Kojo bumped his head into Tim's thigh. He tried to rack his brain for what to do next and decided that it was best to leave town and return to L.A.; it was time to leave behind the fantasy and go back to the real world. He carefully stored Lucy's engagement ring in the pocket of his jeans before starting to walk back to the cottage and collect his packed belongings.

Kojo whimpered as Tim loaded up his truck, and he tried to pet his dog to soothe him, but who would soothe Tim's pain? "We're going home, bud," he said to his dog and swallowed hard. Was his house a home anymore? Truthfully, over the last week, the cottage felt more like a home than his house in L.A. had ever felt. Tim did his best to keep his eyes from watering too much while his heart beat oddly, a broken rhythm, as he drove away from the cottage, from Aunt Amy, from Carmel-by-the-Sea, and most importantly, from Lucy.

Notes:

I'm sorry, because I didn't mean for this to turn out so sad.

Oops.

xo Victoria

P.S. Not to brag, but this is like the DEFINITION of Angst level 4: crying no comfort. I'm sorta like sadistically proud of myself for that. I added the half point, though, because Lucy said goodbye forever to Kojo, and that really really hurt.

P.P.S. Stay with me?

Chapter 17: Prove It

Notes:

Angst level: 2
Our trip to Angst City is coming to an end ️

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Amy watched Lucy barrel back into the house and run straight for the bathroom, and she followed as quickly as she could. She sank down on the bathroom floor beside Lucy and put an arm around her niece. "Honey, you know I love you, right?"

"I do," Lucy answered through her tears.

"Well, I'm gonna say something to you with love. I need you to get out of my house and go back to L.A. right now. You need to make up with Tim."

"Aunt Amy…"

"Whatever dumb excuse you're about to give me, save it. Get in the car, listen to some music, clear your mind, and then, talk to that boy. If you don't, I know Tamara has no problem locking you two in a room until you resolve this," Amy cut her off with pursed lips.

"I was gonna stay with you for another day."

"Sorry, but Dave and I are un-inviting you to stay with us."

"We should stay to clean up the cottage."

"I'll take care of it," Amy promised. "No more excuses. No more bull. Talk to Tim, and then afterwards, break a piece of furniture or three with your makeup sex. I'll buy you a new bed or whatever."

"Aunt Amy!" Lucy gasped.

"You're both young and athletic. It's not out of the realm of possibility."

"I'm not really sure that's how things will go."

Her niece could not clearly see what was right in front of her, so Amy needed to explain, "One time, Tim showed up to my dialysis treatment with the biggest, dopiest grin on his face that he couldn't wipe off. I asked him what got him in such a good mood. I thought maybe he broke up with that boring girlfriend of his, but no, I pushed him enough, and he finally told me about how he had a great night with you."

"When was this?"

"You two were at some wedding for a fellow officer, and you danced together for most of the night apparently. Tim wouldn't give me a lot of details, but that look on his face told me all I need to know."

"Which is what?"

"That you're acting like a fool right now, so," Amy stood from the ground and offered her hands to help her niece stand up, too. "Get up, and get out of here."

Lucy obeyed and rose to her feet.

"Go back to the cottage and pack. I'll tell Tamara to get her stuff together, too. I want you two on the road as soon as possible."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay and take care of you?" Lucy asked.

"In any other circumstance, I would love for you to stay forever, but I need you to get your happiness, and then maybe you can come back and visit with Tim."

Lucy followed her aunt's instructions and packed up her belongings in the cottage. It took a minute to actually leave the building she had grown emotionally attached to, but she knew that her aunt was in one of those very stubborn moods where Amy would show up and drag her out of the cottage herself if she thought Lucy was taking too long. She put her bags in her car before going back to the main house to say goodbye to Amy and Dave with plenty of hugs and a few more comments about getting back together with Tim.

Tamara waited until they were on the highway to ask, "So, what are you gonna do about Tim?"

"I wish I knew. I have until we get back to L.A. to figure it out," Lucy answered honestly.

But, the drive did not bring any clarity. Part of her never wanted to see Tim again while the other part of her wanted to run right over to his house and hold him in her arms forever. Torn, exhausted from thetrip, and still reeling from her broken heart, Lucy decided to wait to talk to Tim in the morning.

Both Tim and Lucy were so heartbroken that they forgot about the tiny fact that all of their colleagues thought they were engaged.

When Lucy entered the station, she was greeted by well-meaning officers who kept congratulating her about her news. Aaron gushed for five whole minutes about how perfect Tim and Lucy are for each other and asked if they needed help planning the wedding. Through the swarm of kind cops, a warm hand settled on Lucy's shoulder, and she looked up to see Tim. As hard as it was to be around him, she was grateful that he was there with her, because she was so uncomfortable listening to everyone tell her how happy they were for her engagement- an engagement that was not even real. At least he could back her up in this situation the way he had so many times before.

"Hey, guy, thanks so much, but we really should change for shift," Tim said kindly to the group to free Lucy from what seemed to be torture for her, since he could see the hurt in her eyes behind the smile plastered on her face.

When they walked away far enough, she murmured, "Thanks."

"No problem," he responded tightly and escorted her to the women's locker room.

Sergeant Grey was waiting outside of the locker rooms for them with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. "My office. Now," he seethed then stalked towards his office with his officers in tow. He sank into his office chair while Tim and Lucy sat in chairs across from him at his desk. Grey sighed and knitted his fingers together, trying to calm himself down before he spoke. "I can't say I'm surprised to hear about you two…but, I'm disappointed nonetheless."

Lucy swallowed hard and Tim wanted to reach out and touch her, but he kept his hands to himself.

"You are two of my best officers in the entire station, and both of you know the rules. You're supposed to report a romantic relationship to Human Resources. There are rules about this for a reason so that there's not even a hint of impropriety here. Dating in secret? Getting engaged when no one even knew you two were together? It's against the rules, and more than that…we're close. You could've come to me and told me that you're in love. I could've helped. I would've wanted to help. You know that," Grey said unhappily.

Tim saw that Lucy was shifting uncomfortably in her chair, and he piped up. "It's all my fault, sir. Don't blame Chen for any of this."

"Tim," Lucy shook her head.

"We weren't even together until we left town last week. We weren't dating while on the job, and the rules for reporting a relationship are that it should be considered 'serious' when we go to H.R.," Tim pointed out and was grateful he knew every single rule.

"And now that you're engaged, I'm assuming it's serious," Grey connected the dots. "If that's the truth, then you won't face any backlash for this surprise engagement."

"It's the truth," Lucy promised. Nothing had really happened before they went to Carmel; before then, they kissed for work and maybe had a few charged moments, but nothing that could be considered a romantic relationship in any sense that anyone could prove whether or not her heart felt differently about their daily interactions and the time they almost slept together after returning from their undercover assignment.

"Okay, then…I feel a little bit better about the fact I already solved your problem," Grey said with a smile starting to stretch across his lips. "The second I found about your engagement, I knew you couldn't be in the same chain of command any more, so I called in a few favors, and I got Tim transferred to Metro Liaison Sergeant."

"Metro?" Tim asked excitedly. It was a cool division.

"You'll fit right in, and then you two can work at the same station so neither of you have to transfer."

"Transfer," Lucy whispered under her breath. If she transferred, she would never have to see Tim again and that sounded pretty ideal considering their situation.

Grey blew out a breath. "Now, I am really happy for you two. You both deserve to be happy, and I'm glad you found that happiness in each other. I've suspected a certain connection for a while." He picked up the forms on his desk and handed them to Tim. "Fill out these relationship forms and bring them to me by tomorrow morning, and report to Lieutenant Pine upstairs to start your training. I gotta get on a call with the brass, but we'll talk later."

Lucy turned her gaze to Tim who offered her a half smile before tilting his head towards the office door.

"Oh, and if I catch you two in the supply closet, I'll give you night shift for a week. Lopez knows I'm serious about that," Grey warned.

Tim walked over to open the office door for Lucy to exit first.

She glanced back at Grey who was dialing on his phone, then made eye contact with Tim to quietly say, "This is getting out of control."

He shrugged.

"When everyone was congratulating me this morning, someone told me who Smitty's source was. Ashley. Did you really tell her we're engaged?" Lucy wondered.

"I did."

"Why? Because you lied to her, she came back to town and told her dad, and her dad told Smitty. We have to tell everyone we're not engaged. We have to set the record straight. I'll make an announcement at the end of shift."

"If that's what you want to do, fine."

"There's not exactly an alternative."

"Lucy…"

"Guess congratulations are in order," Chris approached them saying harshly.

Tim took a half step forward as if he needed to physically protect Lucy from her ex-boyfriend.

"How long were you cheating on me with him?" Chris asked, his eyes locked on Lucy's to ignore Tim.

"I didn't. I didn't cheat on you," Lucy insisted. There was that one time she almost did, but they found a nearly unconscious Chris on her living room couch, which definitely ruined the mood and foiled any plans of crossing the line into cheating territory.

"Liar," he bit out.

"Watch how you speak to her," Tim growled.

"That's what she is. I'm not dumb. When I broke up with her, I accused her of having feelings for you and something going on here. Of course, Lucy kept saying no, but less than two weeks later, you're engaged? Yeah, the evidence is pretty clear," Chris reasoned.

"We didn't even go on a date until a few days ago. I wasn't lying," Lucy tried to keep her voice as even as possible.

"How else do you explain that you two got engaged so fast?" Chris pressed.

"Because we love each other," Tim answered. "We've known each other for a while. It's not like we'd need to date long to know it's serious and that I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

Lucy searched Tim's face, but he did not seem to be lying. That was different than what he told Angela on the phone the other night. What should she believe?

"Bradford! We start drills in 5 minutes. Hustle up," Lieutenant Pine barked from the top of stairs looking down at her newest team member, his fiancée, and some other man.

Tim flicked his eyes over to Lucy for a second before jogging up the stairs.

"I, I have to go," Lucy said to Chris awkwardly and went back to the locker room to actually change.

At the end of shift, Lucy slowly re-dressed in her civilian clothes to bide some time and gather up the courage to announce to the station that she and Tim were not actually engaged. She had been crying quite a bit since they broke up, and she did not want to start tearing up while speaking to all her coworkers. Unhurriedly, Lucy ascended the stairs until she was on the landing where she could look down at the bullpen. She opened her mouth to call everyone's attention, but Lucy froze when her eyes found Tim leaning against a desk. He looked upset. Why was he upset, she wondered. Not once throughout the day had Lucy managed to tell anyone their engagement was not real, but neither had Tim. After so emphatically denying the rumor to Angela, he failed to do so in response to all of the congratulatory words from their colleagues as far as she knew, and now he looked sad at the prospect of her telling everyone they were not actually engaged. Was he being honest when he spoke with Angela or Chris? Lucy could not be sure, but she was certain that she was starting to get dizzy, so she walked down the stairs and went over to Grey's office.

"Sir, can I…can I get a transfer form?" She asked.

"I already explained that Tim joining Metro means it's not necessary," Grey replied.

"Right, but…can I have one anyways?"

He eyed her curiously but pulled one out of his drawer and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Lucy responded while accepting the piece of paper and turned to walk briskly through the station all the way to her car. Her aunt asked her to speak with Tim, so she was willing to have one more conversation with him, but if it did not go well, she had a backup plan.

In truth, she sweated so much from all the lying that Lucy needed to shower when she got home before even thinking about going over to Tim's house to talk to him. She was getting some conflicting messages from him, and even if hope was dwindling, Lucy naively thought that maybe she should not let go of him so easily.

She set the blank transfer form on her kitchen counter before entering her bathroom to shower and try to stop thinking about her situation with Tim for a few minutes, but she was unsuccessful.

Tim watched Lucy leave the station so abruptly that he did not have a chance to talk to her- not that their conversations had been going well lately. Before he could leave the station as well, he was silently beckoned by Grey to join him in his office. "Sir?" Tim asked.

"Why did your fiancée ask me for a transfer form? Do you not like Metro? I can help you find something else…"

"She what?"

"You didn't know? I thought it was for you. Why else would she need a transfer form?"

"I think that's a question I need to ask her," Tim answered somberly.

Grey looked at the other officer curiously; he was not exactly sure why Tim and Lucy had been acting so strangely all day, and neither of them looked particularly happy despite their new engagement.

"Good night," Tim curtly nodded at his boss and left the glass office. He needed to find Lucy.

Tamara heard a knock at their front door and found Tim in the hallway. "Lucy, your fiancée's here," she announced. Then, she narrowed her eyes and leaned in, "Remember how I threatened to kick your ass? If she cries one more tear over you, I promise they'll never find your body."

Slightly freaked out by Tamara's threat, Tim walked into the apartment as Lucy came out of her bedroom. His eyes scanned her and saw that she was dressed in a robe with freshly blow dried hair. She looked beautiful.

Instead of greeting him, Lucy said, "I was about to go over to your house, well," her eyes dropped to her barely clothed body and added, "after I changed."

"Maybe showing up in the robe wouldn't have been such a bad thing," Tamara thought aloud. Both Tim and Lucy turned their attention to her, and she put a hand on her hip. "Just saying what Amy would say if she were here. Now, I'm gonna go grab my bag and stay at my friend's house, and you two are gonna stay here and talk. I won't be back until the morning, so you can be as loud as you want." She disappeared into her bedroom to quickly pack.

Tim had a lot he wanted to say to Tamara, but more importantly, he came to be with Lucy. "Why were you going to my place?" He followed her eyes as they dropped to the piece of paper on her counter. "Were you coming over to tell me in person that you're planning on transferring stations?"

"It's an option," she answered vaguely.

He bridged the gap between them to stand right in front of her and took her hands in his. "I need you to listen to me. Really listen to me. Everything you've said and done over the last few days…I think you're scared right now, and that's okay. I'm scared, too. I'm scared of losing you, but I already told you I'd never let you break up with me. I feel like you're trying to run away from us, and it doesn't make any sense. You told me you were happy."

"I was…that's what really terrified me," Lucy admitted.

"Andy texted. She volunteered Olive to be your flower girl," Tamara summarized the text that had appeared on her phone a moment ago. She noticed the looks on her friend's faces and said, "Okay, we'll talk about that some other time. Bye," and left the apartment quickly.

Lucy took a deep breath and squeezed Tim's hands. Looking in his eyes, it was not as scary to share the truth as she suspected, "Before you, the most serious relationship I had been in was with someone that I thought I loved. He told me that some day we were gonna get married, and he was saving up to buy me a ring. I believed him. We were living together and building a life together, and it felt real. I really thought I knew what love was and that's what we had, but then…I came home one day to OUR house and caught him in OUR bed with someone who I thought was my best friend. Then, you and me were acting like we were engaged and living together, and I felt like I finally learned what love really is and it was even easier to see my whole future with you. It freaked me out, and I tried not to panic, but then you told Angela that it would be ridiculous for us to be engaged, and I just lost it. All that stuff I thought I had processed with my ex, it just came back."

"I didn't think I'd get married again before you opened me up to the possibility that I could find someone else. We all have baggage."

"Mine shouldn't have gotten in the way of us. I got scared. Everything between us has happened so fast, and it's been so perfect. But then, we got interrupted both times we tried to have sex, and I wondered if it was a sign that we shouldn't cross that line, but I thought my car troubles were a sign I should stay in Carmel, and that wasn't a sign. That was Amy messing with my car."

"She messed with your car?"

"And our bed & breakfast reservations. She was behind all of it to get us together. I told you already that she knew we were lying the whole time."

Tim was not necessarily surprised, but still, he responded, "I had no idea."

Lucy smirked. "Neither did I, but that's not important. I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry that I've been acting so…unlike myself. I'm usually pretty calm and rational unless I've had too much coffee, but I've never loved someone as much as I love you, and everything with my ex…Amy said we should talk, and she was right, so I was gonna go over to your house to clear the air."

"And, if it didn't work out, you were planning to transfer stations and move away just like you moved out of your apartment and away from your cheating ex," Tim followed her train of thought.

She nodded. "I've been trying to protect myself, but…I don't want to close myself off from you. I want you."

"Why else do you think I came over here? That's what I want, too."

"Then why did you tell Angela we're not engaged and that it would be ridiculous that we were?"

So much had happened, it took a moment for Tim to recall how he panicked when Lucy told him she loves him and in an idiotic response, he answered Angela's call where she started pressing him for details about his engagement to Lucy, and he tried his best to react to his friend's scrutinizing detective voice with a million thoughts flying through his mind. "Oh."

"You told her it would be ridiculous, but you told Chris you want to spend the rest of your life with me. What am I supposed to believe?"

"I-I wasn't really thinking when I was talking to Angela. I mean, you had just told me you love me while you were shirtless. Can you blame a guy for being a little distracted?" He watched her cheeks pink up and traced circles on the backs of her hands. "I was trying to get her off my case. She's already accused me of having feelings for you, and everything between us was so new, plus…at Amy's wedding when your mom accused us of faking our engagement since Smitty's blog hadn't reported on it yet, you may have been lying when you said you were keeping our relationship a secret from our coworkers to avoid getting comments from everyone, but that made sense to me. Cops are such gossips. Look what happened today. I only told Ashley, and within a day, our entire station thought we were engaged. You must've felt all the eyes on us during shift, 'cause I did. I didn't think we were ready for that level of judgement, so I lied to Angela to get her to back off. That's it."

She was kicking herself as she responded, "That makes sense. I'm sure there's also a good reason why you didn't ask me on a second date?"

"I thought we'd wait until we got back to the city. I figured you would want to spend as much time with Amy as you could before we had to leave."

"Wow, I was being really dumb."

"No, you were scared. You were thinking about what happened with your ex, and you didn't want to get hurt again. I get it, but," he reached up to hold her face. "You have to know I never want to hurt you. I love you."

"I love you, too." Lucy leaned in to kiss him lightly, and it felt perfect like all was right in the world, and she was exactly where she belonged.

"Does this mean you'll throw out that transfer form?"

"I couldn't even manage to fill it out."

"Good. Speaking of forms, I wanna submit the ones Grey gave us."

"Everyone already knows, so I guess the official paperwork wouldn't hurt," she agreed.

"The problem is, we're not actually engaged," Tim pointed out. Her eyebrows shot up, and he let go of her face. "I'm a traditional guy. There's no universe where I wouldn't ask you." He pulled out the engagement ring from his pocket that he had been holding on to since Lucy gave it back. Tim restlessly slept with it next to him on his nightstand and tucked it into a pocket of his uniform to keep the ring with him every second. Even though she had suggested he threw it in the ocean, the only place he wanted to put it was back on her hand as soon as possible, so he dropped down on one knee and softly asked her, "Lucy, will you marry me?"

She was so overcome that she did not have a chance to speak before Tim slipped the ring on her finger. "I didn't say yes," she pointed out cheekily.

He repeated the words she said to him when she assumed he would agree to her fake engagement charade in Carmel, "I know you well enough to know that it's a yes."

Lucy rolled her eyes. She should have known that conversation would come back to haunt them, so she said the words he told her when he finally surrendered to playing along and pretend to be her fiancée, "Fine, it's a yes."

Tim felt a grin stretch his cheeks as he stood up. "I'm not gonna tell our grandkids you said 'fine'. It'll sound like you didn't want to be engaged to me."

"We'll tell them what I told Amy when we didn't have a ring to go with our cover story. Maybe our engagement was a little unconventional, but that's par for the course for our relationship. We just love each other so much…"

He finished the statement she said to Amy that day that felt so long ago, "All that matters is that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. Nothing else is as important."

Tim really is a good listener based on the fact that he could quote her words back to her. She reached up to pull his face down before crashing her lips against his.

One arm wrapped around her waist to bring her close while his other hand was buried in her hair as he kissed her back enthusiastically.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Lucy, and she pulled away from him abruptly. "Wait, we should call Amy. She'll be so happy."

"You know she's gonna have a million questions and tease us a ton, right?"

"For once, I think we might deserve it."

He chuckled and pulled his phone out of his pocket to text Amy.

Tim:We're engaged. For real this time. Will call in the morning.

"We'll call her in the morning," he told his new fiancée.

"Don't you think that's a little rude? She's sorta the one that brought us together," Lucy noted.

His phone buzzed before he could even put it back in his pocket and laughed when he read her message. Lucy looked over to see Amy's text, and she blushed.

Amy:Hell YES! Break some furniture tonight and we can talk tomorrow when you come up for air

"I think she's okay with it," Tim smiled.

Lucy popped one of the buttons of his shirt and responded, "If we've learned nothing else over the last week, we know now that we should always listen to Aunt Amy."

He played with the tie of her robe. After seeing her wear it a few times in the cottage and wanting to unwrap her from it like a present, Tim realized that now, he could do just that. In an instant, he dove in for another kiss while backing her in the direction of her bedroom. Trying to explore her mouth while walking proved to be a little too difficult, so he pushed her against the doorframe of her room, careful to protect the back of her head, and kissed her for a few moments.

Lucy was growing impatient, so she started backpedaling into her room knowing he had no choice but to follow with the way their lips were connected. She blindly felt around for the doorknob to shut the door while he yanked at the tie of her robe. In one quick motion, her robe was suddenly on the ground, making her gasp.

"Get on the bed, baby," Tim said sweetly while he started unbuttoning his shirt and wondered why there seemed to be so many buttons on his shirt keeping him from her.

"I don't take orders from you anymore," she shot back playfully.

He considered tearing his shirt off the rest of the way, but Lucy reached out to help him finish with his buttons. "This is how it's gonna be for the rest of our lives, isn't it? You refusing to listen to me?"

"Yes, sir," she flirted and looked down at his bare chest.

"God, I love you," Tim smiled and watched her sit on the edge of the bed.

"Prove it. After all, you're a show me kind of guy," Lucy tugged him close by the hem of his pants that were unfortunately still on his body.

"Challenge accepted," he replied smugly and pushed her to fall back on the bed while he climbed on top of her.

Notes:

My friend Rachel left me THIRTEEN crying reaction videos to the last chapter, so I worked quickly to get this one out.

Really sorry I didn't pull any punches on that last one.

I wanted to address something that a few people have made comments about. Did no one notice why this story was not marked as an MCD? I am so serious about my tagging and eventual character death was not tagged- only "mentions of dying IN THE FUTURE". When anyone asked about the happy ending, I have always promised "everyone makes it out alive". I'm very careful with my words and did try to make it clear that Amy would live for the entirety of the story, but to confirm so that this isn't a surprise, our girl Amy is a fighter, and for the last 2 chapters of this story, she'll still be with us (but not the epilogue). My angst is bad enough without surprising y'all with something that isn't tagged.

Pack your things, people. We're heading back to Fluff Village as quickly as Tim got that robe off of Lucy!

xo Victoria

Chapter 18: Feeling Complete

Notes:

Angst level: What angst level? We're in Fluff Village, my friends!

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

The first thing Tim saw when he woke up was Lucy's head on his chest. Just to be sure, he lifted up the blanket, and she was completely wrapped around him with their limbs tangled together like the previous instance where they woke up together when they were staying in the cottage. Only this time, Tim was in Lucy's bed in her apartment and neither of them were wearing any clothes (quite the upgrade in his opinion). When she started to stir, he peppered her head and face with kisses.

Lucy smiled sleepily as she started to open her eyes.

"Morning, baby," he rumbled.

"Morning," she grinned and pecked his chest.

Tim dragged a digit down her arm until he interlaced fingers and saw her engagement ring back on her hand. "We got engaged last night."

"We did," Lucy beamed.

"Are we insane? We only went on one real date before we got engaged."

"It was a great date, though, and besides, you can still take me on dates as my fiancée." Now that Tim really was her fiancée, the title felt more sacred somehow.

"As long as afterwards," his hand on her back started traveling lower, "we end up in bed together."

"I'm glad I didn't see those two interruptions as signs we shouldn't have sex. Wouldn't have wanted to miss out on what we did last night."

He wore a smirk and replied smugly, "Oh, I wasn't talking about sex. When I said I wanted us to end up in bed together, I meant I wanted to lay down and have my favorite barnacle wrapped around me."

She chuckled but refused to detach from how she was holding on to him. "I swear I've never been like this before."

"I love it. I would like a lifetime of waking up with the most gorgeous barnacle."

Lucy showed him her engagement ring and said, "That's exactly what you're gonna get."

"Good," he murmured and leaned down to kiss her. First it was slow, but then Tim shuffled until he was laying on top of her, and soon his movements grew fiercer.

"Amy," Lucy managed to gasp to ensure they did not go too far yet. "We said we'd call Aunt Amy this morning and tell her the good news."

He dropped his forehead to hers and took a deep breath. "Yeah, you're right. Let's call Amy, and then I want you."

She nodded and felt her heart skip a beat.

"Phone. Let me find one of our phones," Tim volunteered and started peeling himself off of his new fiancée, eliciting a groan from her. "Just a second, baby," he promised and climbed off of the bed to search their discarded clothes for his phone. "Out of battery," Tim reported when he found his.

"Mine is in the bathroom."

"Also out of battery," he sighed and plugged them both in to start charging.

She reached for him and smiled, "Guess we have a few minutes until our phones turn on, but I'm already turned on."

He laughed. "Really? Me too," Tim said before diving in for a kiss.

Some time later, Lucy started dialing Amy and put the phone on speakerphone while curled into Tim's side.

"I was expecting a call much later in the day unless you two haven't gone to sleep yet," Amy answered the phone.

"Hi, Amy," Tim greeted and chuckled into Lucy's hair.

"You sound happy," Amy grinned.

"My fiancée hasn't stopped smiling all morning," Lucy mused.

"Fiancée? It's real this time? You're not pretending any more?" Amy wanted to confirm.

"It's very real this time," Tim promised and lazily drew circles on Lucy's side.

"About damn time!" Amy said emphatically.

"Aunt Amy, we only went on one date," Lucy retorted.

"You know why normal couples go on dates? To get to know each other. I know couples who've been married for 20 years that don't understand each other the way you two do," Amy explained.

"That's a fair point," Tim nodded and pressed a kiss to Lucy's temple to make her smile brighter.

"I'm always right. I was right when I told you to go for it and ask my niece out a million times, but you were so stubborn you asked that Barbie out instead. You would have a baby by now if you listened to me!" Amy was certain of that.

"You got what you wanted. Our plan worked, and that's all that matters," Dave's voice came out faint from the other end of the phone.

"Hi, Dave," Lucy said.

"I can't believe both of you didn't know we were actually engaged and just let us pretend for the entire week," Tim shook his head.

"Are you kidding? That was nonstop quality entertainment. I'm still convinced if I could've kept you in town for a few more days, I could've swindled you two into actually getting married. Talk about trapping you so you actually get together," Amy smiled mischievously.

"I told you I'd never let them actually go through with getting married for your entertainment. Marriage is sacred. They needed to be in love first," Dave insisted.

"Before they came to town, they were already in love. Couldn't you tell?" Amy asked her husband.

"That's true." Dave saw her perspective.

"Okay, well, it doesn't matter now, because we're really together and some day, we're really getting married," Lucy could not stop smiling.

Tim did not resist the urge to kiss the corner of her lip.

"Such great news! We're so happy for you two!" Dave said happily.

"So, how did he ask? Or, did you ask? No offense, but Tim can move a little slow, so it's okay if you had to take matters into your own hands," Amy chuckled.

Lucy looked up at Tim who had moved to lay on top of her, his whole body completely pressed to hers. "It was really simple. I was just sitting at home. I had just taken a shower, and I was still in my robe when he showed up, and we talked, and before I knew it, he was putting my ring on my finger." She paused and let out a laugh. "Oh my God that's how it happened the first time, too."

Confused, Tim asked, "What first time?"

"When you and Amy went out to buy me the ring, you showed up to the cottage after I had just gotten out of the shower, and that's when you gave me the ring the first time. Guess that's how it was meant to be. Simple, unconventional, and so us," Lucy beamed.

Tim had completely forgotten about that, but she was right; their fake engagement had gone the same way.

Amy laughed, "That was a pretty brilliant stroke of genius to buy you the ring. I thought it would add some fun and authenticity to your little ruse."

"Hey, now, it was my idea to call the jeweler to open the store early," Dave chimed in.

"You're right. That was great. Thank you, dear," Amy grinned.

"Between Amy and Lucy, it sounds like our kids are going to be little evil geniuses," Tim smiled.

"I'd like your kids to inherit my boldness, since we all know neither of you are. Seriously, it shouldn't have taken so much scheming to convince two people who are already in love to actually take a chance at love," Amy shook her head.

"We get it, Amy. We were both idiots," Tim tried to sound unamused, but staring at Lucy under him made him far too happy that he could not keep the smile off of his face or out of his voice.

"Understatement of the century," Amy agreed.

"How about we make the trip to the city soon and see the kids now that they're actually engaged? Maybe we can tell if there's a difference in how they act around each other," Dave suggested.

"I would LOVE to see if they can look any more in love than they already did in Carmel. Maybe they're like cartoon characters with heart shaped pupils now," Amy chided.

"Nah, Tim already stared at Lucy like that," Dave tried to stifle his laughter, but it was no use.

Lucy and Tim heard Amy and Dave laugh for another minute. "Okay, are you guys done teasing us?" Lucy asked.

"Never. You're never living this down. I told Tamara she has to tell your kids that their infamous Great Aunt Amy is the reason they exist," Amy responded. She heard Tim groan and added, "Speaking of kids, you two get back to trying to give me grandkids. We can talk later."

"Bye, we love you," Lucy smiled.

"Bye, Amy. Bye, Dave," Tim added and hung up the phone before removing it from his fiancée's fingers. "We did agree we're supposed to listen to her from now on."

"You're absolutely right," Lucy nodded.

He started kissing a line down her neck. "Just gonna follow orders right now," he mumbled against her skin.

"Mhm," she hummed as her eyes slipped closed and let Tim's mouth travel wherever he wanted.

Much later to the point that they were running late, Tim and Lucy left her apartment to start driving to the station. He settled a hand on her thigh as he started taking the usual route to work.

"Can you make us pancakes for dinner?" She wondered.

"Pancakes for dinner? Who eats breakfast for dinner?" He scoffed.

"Well, I wanted you to make me pancakes this morning, but we didn't have time to eat, so I'd like them for dinner, please."

"Are you complaining about the reason why we skipped breakfast this morning?"

"Not at all. Especially since we were helping the environment by conserving water when we showered together."

"I wasn't thinking about the environment," he glanced at her hungrily where she was seated beside him in his truck.

Lucy blushed. "Stop looking at me like that! We have to focus at work today."

"We will. You won't distract me."

"Good."

"I have to set up my new office, and…oh, the forms!" Tim remembered.

"The forms to declare our relationship to H.R.?"

"Yeah, I left them in the sun visor. Grey wanted us to turn them in this morning."

"Okay, I'll fill the forms out now." Lucy reached for the paperwork to find that the documents were completed. "You did it already? We weren't even talking yesterday."

"I was feeling optimistic."

"Seriously?"

"We love each other. I was sure we could work it out."

Lucy swooned and picked up his hand on her thigh to interlace their fingers and kiss his knuckles. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"So, what should we tell everyone about when we're getting married?" Lucy asked.

"Everyone already asked us that yesterday, and we didn't say anything."

"Yeah, because it wasn't a real engagement before, but now it is."

Tim shrugged. "We can stay engaged for a little while, since we haven't really been together for that long."

"Yeah, we don't have to rush."

He squeezed their joined hands and ran his ring finger across her engagement ring. "For the record, I would marry you any day at any time that you wanted. I don't need to wait."

"As long as Amy's there, I agree."

"Of course. We do sorta owe her for getting us together."

"I'd like to think we would've figured it out on our own at some point, though," Lucy smiled.

"Maybe, but we don't have to wonder about that now."

"You know what we do have to worry about? Moving in together. I'm obviously moving into your house."

"Sooner the better. We can stop by your place tonight to get some of your stuff."

"No, I think we'll be too busy tonight, but maybe tomorrow after shift."

Tim smiled, "Deal."

"We should repaint. Your house is too plain, and my plants will definitely brighten up the place."

"Sure, baby," he agreed and spent the rest of the drive listening to her list ideas for how to turn his house into their home, and Tim loved every single suggestion simply because of the way she smiled as she spoke.

When they parked at the station, Lucy appreciated how her fiancée is such a gentleman who outstretched a hand to help her climb down from the cab of the truck. To her surprise, after he shut the car door, he pushed her against it and slammed his mouth against hers.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the future Mr. and Mrs. Bradford," Angela commented sanctimoniously when she came upon the couple who were very enthusiastically making out.

Shocked, Lucy broke the kiss and panted, "Angela."

The detective crossed her arms and said, "I let you two off the hook yesterday to give everyone a chance to get their jabs in, but seriously, why did you try lying to me when I asked if you two were engaged?"

"I screwed up, okay? I was trying to protect our new relationship from everyone's judgment, but Smitty sorta let the cat out of the bag," Tim winced.

"Yeah, we already started planning you a surprise engagement party for tomorrow night unless of course you show up married, then it'll be a wedding reception," Angela smirked.

"We get it. You think we're moving fast," Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, GOD no. Nyla, Aaron, Tamara, Grey, and I had bets on whether you would come back from your UC Vegas gig hitched. There are plenty of chapels on the strip," Angela remarked.

"You do realize I had a boyfriend at the time, and Tim had a girlfriend?" Lucy sassed.

"I'm surprised you remembered Ashley and Chris exist. I saw you guys in the casino, and if you two had already practiced kissing before you got there, I can only imagine what other PRACTICE you would be doing in that hotel room if you stayed there all night," Angela quirked her eyebrow suggestively.

"EVERYONE knew we had feelings for each other?" Lucy whispered.

Tim shrugged. "Guess it wasn't just Amy."

"I've gotten used to how you are around each other. That's why I thought there was something weird about you two yesterday. So awkward. So much tension. Strange, really," Angela noted. Then, she caught her eye on Lucy's bejeweled left hand. "Woah, I didn't see THAT yesterday."

Lucy smiled and showed off her ring, beaming.

Angela inspected the beautiful diamonds and asked, "Who helped you pick this ring out, Bradford? You don't have good enough taste to find something like this on your own."

"I could have! I have great taste if my choice in fiancée is any indication," he smiled and looped his arm around Lucy's waist.

She blushed and nuzzled his neck. "Stop," Lucy murmured.

"I can't," Tim smiled and kissed her head.

"You guys are gross, and you're about to get in trouble if you stay out here making out any longer," Angela said.

"We should go," Lucy looked to her fiancée to say and took his hand to lead them into the station. "Also, you were wrong. You clearly got distracted back there when we were supposed to be walking into work. How are we supposed to manage the rest of shift?"

"I didn't get distracted. I checked my watch, and I knew we had a little time. Instead of listening to everyone chit chat in the break room, I made the calculated decision to stay with you for a few more minutes and kiss you."

Lucy noticed the way he was glowing and mused, "Being in love looks good on you, Mr. Bradford."

"Being in love looks good on you, future Mrs. Bradford."

She felt her knees go weak at the realization that being married to him would mean she would become Mrs. Bradford. It was more exciting than Lucy could put into words.

"Go ahead and change. I'll take the forms to Grey," Tim smiled and pecked her cheek before releasing her hand. He watched her walk into the locker room, and then he went to Grey's office to find that the Watch Commander was standing in the doorway staring at the couple.

Grey had never seen Tim BEAM that way before, and there was an actual spring in his step.

"Sir, here's our paperwork," Tim grinned.

"Thanks for this, and…Tim, you better be good to her," Grey said seriously.

"For the rest of my life," Tim nodded.

"Good. Now, I better not find out you're having a baby from Smitty's blog. You should come to me first from now on."

"Yes, sir."

Grey watched Tim go, and he knew that he was no longer upset with his two officers who kept their relationship a secret from him. How could he be mad at a couple who are so happy?

When Lucy finished changing, she looked at herself in the mirror and wondered if she looked different, because she FELT different as if being with Tim changed her on a molecular level. She looked the same in her reflection, yet Lucy felt as though a part of her had been unlocked and now she could reach her truest level of happiness. After staring at herself for too long, she rushed into roll call and took a seat next to Aaron.

"You're happy today," Aaron commented. Though Lucy is always sunshine-y, she looked even brighter than the sun somehow.

"Tim and I are engaged," Lucy smiled.

"I know. The whole station can't stop talking about it. No one's really surprised, but it's nice to know we weren't just delusional thinking there was something between you guys."

"No one's surprised? We literally weren't dating as far as anyone knew."

"Lucy, seriously? When I met you guys, I asked Nyla if you two were married."

"Really?"

Her question remained unanswered as Grey called for everyone's attention to begin the morning briefing. Roll call ended with riding assignments, and Lucy was happy that she was partnered with Aaron for their shift.

As they walked towards their shop with their stocked war bags, Aaron noted, "Everyone's wondering when you two are getting hitched."

"We haven't set a date yet or anything, but we're not in a rush."

"Okay, I know I don't get a vote, but I'd like your wedding to happen sooner rather than later."

"My Aunt Amy would probably agree with you."

"I know a guy who can plan you the most romantic Hollywood wedding in under a week. You say the word, and I'll give him a call."

"Slow your roll, Aaron. Tim and I probably want something simple, and a week is pretty fast."

"Says the woman who left town single and came back engaged. How in love do you have to be to go straight to engaged?"

"We DID go on a date first."

"A single date?" He scoffed, since Lucy had just proven his point. "I guess the saying is true- when you know, you know."

"Yeah. Exactly," Lucy grinned and stepped around to climb into the drivers side of the shop.

Since they had returned to the station to book a suspect, Lucy suggested she and Aaron should go see Tim's new office.

"Hi," she greeted warmly when she came upon her fiancée in the hallway carrying a cardboard box of his belongings.

"Hey," Tim tried to say as casually as possible and override his instinct to drop the box he was holding in favor of pulling Lucy into his arms.

"Is this your new office?" She asked and pointed at the small room down the corridor.

"Yup. About to get settled in." He walked with her to enter his office that was long and narrow. "This is it."

"I love it," Lucy beamed.

"You would love it if it were a converted broom closet. As long as there was a plant and some mug with a cheesy saying on it."

"That's not true," she frowned. "There needs to be a picture, too. Something to really personalize the place."

"I don't have a good picture of us yet, baby, but if you want me to get a frame and put your face in it, I will," Tim guaranteed.

"Oh, I've got loads of pictures of you guys on my phone. We can go get one developed on our lunch break," Aaron butted in.

"How do you have pictures of us?" Tim asked, horrified.

"Tamara sent me a BUNCH yesterday when I texted her for an inside scoop on your engagement. Smitty's blog post didn't have ANY details, and you two weren't saying much, so I asked her for more information. She said she took plenty of candids of you guys when you were out of town," Aaron explained and showed Tim and Lucy his text thread with Tamara and the stream of photos of the couple that were shared.

"We didn't pose for any of these," Lucy commented as she scrolled through the candid shots.

"I noticed, but you guys look so adorable. You looked really happy on the beach," Aaron smiled.

Tim leaned over to observe the photos and found one of him kissing Lucy where they stood in the shallow ocean water. He liked how gorgeous his fiancée looked in her bikini, the way the sun made her hair look shinier, and how happy they were as they kissed. "I want to put this one on my desk."

"Yeah, I like that one, too," Lucy beamed up at Tim. They stared at each other, and the rest of the world fell away.

"I'll just go…get some coffee," Aaron said awkwardly, since the couple clearly had not heard what he said for the last few minutes.

Lucy heard the office door shut, and she flashed her eyes over to confirm it was closed and they were alone before standing up tall on her tip toes to cover Tim's mouth with her own.

He gripped her hips and backed her against his desk, then, he helped her sit on the edge and stood between her legs to get closer to Lucy.

She pulled at the hem of his Metro t shirt to kiss his collar bone. He moaned, so Lucy smiled and started working on sucking a mark on the spot as she started untucking his shirt from his pants.

At some point, there was a knock at the door that surprised them. "Yo, Bradford. We've got training in 10," a Metro teammate called and stalked away from the closed office.

Tim groaned and opened his eyes to find that Lucy's duty belt was on the desk next to her, and her shirt was mostly unbuttoned. "We can't do this every shift, you know. We have to figure out how to work together without me constantly wanting to touch you."

"I thought you said you wouldn't get distracted by me. This morning, you acted like it wouldn't be a problem."

"I might've been wrong."

"Tim Bradford? Admitting he was wrong? Sounds almost as impossible as him falling in love with his former rookie."

"Almost impossible but not quite," he smirked and helped her button the last button of her shirt. "Guess we have a lot to discuss over pancakes tonight. Starting with how to set boundaries at work, so we don't hook up every shift, and then a list of all the stuff we need to get to redecorate the house how you want it."

"Sounds perfect," she finished fastening her duty belt and gave him one last soft kiss. "Technically, we haven't agreed to our work boundaries yet."

He pulled her face back to his and smiled against her lips, "If that's the case, I guess one more kiss wouldn't hurt." Tim reveled in tasting her one last time before watching her leave his office. He thought he had never felt luckier in this life.

Lucy was happy to be back in Tim's truck as they drove together to his house. She practically flew inside to find Kojo and started to cry the second her favorite dog was in her embrace. "I was so scared I'd never see you again," she whispered into the pet's fur.

Tim thought he must have misheard his fiancée, but he did find it odd that her eyes had welled up. "You just saw him the other day."

"I know," she sniffed and scratched behind Kojo's ears. "I…I really missed him."

"Clearly." He watched his fiancée and his dog remain huddled up together on the floor as her tears started to subside but her hold on Kojo had not lessened. "Why don't I start on the pancakes while you guys keep cuddling, and…I can't believe I have to say this, but the second dinner is over, you're all mine, and Kojo is staying out here."

"Okay," Lucy agreed and continued to snuggle with her favorite dog.

As Tim finished flipping the last pancake, he felt her arms wind around his waist as she rested her head against his back. "If I were a jealous man, I'd say I don't like having to compete for your attention with our dog."

"OUR dog?" Lucy wondered.

"OUR house, OUR dog," Tim reasoned.

"I love our dog," she said happily and looked down to find where Kojo was seated next to them.

"You better love me more."

"I think so," Lucy replied noncommittally.

"That wasn't very convincing."

"Pancakes might sway me."

He took the last pancake out of the pan and turned off the stovetop. Tim laughed and tried reaching for plates to serve them their dinner with Lucy holding onto him tightly; it was a struggle to move with his favorite barnacle keeping him close, but Tim did not complain.

They sat together at his kitchen counter with Kojo licking their ankles and Tim stealing syrupy sweet kisses that tasted like pancakes and Lucy, and for the first time in their lives, both Tim and Lucy felt complete.

Notes:

THE VILLAIN (ME) HAS BEEN WELL AND THOROUGHLY SLAIN.

Both Villain and Victoria start with a V. Coincidence? Obviously not.

Thank you, Rachel, for being the reason I wrote this story now, and for being the reason the villain (me) is no longer wreaking havoc (in this fic). In case anyone was wondering, there was going to be quite a bit more pain if this was not a gift to my dear Rachel, so to my angst enjoyers, sorry, and to my fluff enjoyers, thank Rachel.

xo Victoria

Chapter 19: The Evaluation

Notes:

Angst level: Fluff Villagers rejoice! No angst anymore!

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Tim came home from his morning run with Kojo to the smell of…pancakes? He walked over to the kitchen to find Lucy humming and standing over the stovetop.

"Hey, babe, how was your run?" She called over her shoulder.

"Fine…what are you doing?"

"Making us breakfast."

"That's not just breakfast. Those are pancakes."

"Bradford signature pancakes," she corrected. "Figured I needed to learn to perfect the recipe before officially becoming a Bradford."

He filled up Kojo's water bowl while eyeing Lucy curiously. "I've only made them for you a few times. You really think you figured out the recipe?"

"I've been paying attention."

Tim set the bowl down before Kojo darted over to start lapping up the water. "Using those keen observations skills I trained you to use?"

"Don't turn pancakes into a Tim test. You told me your mom said that cooking for someone else shows you care."

"So, this is a romantic gesture?" He asked and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Exactly."

"Crap. Now, if they taste horrible, I have to pretend to like them."

Her mouth fell open as she elbowed him playfully. "RUDE!"

"I'm kidding," he chuckled. "Mostly."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Totally kidding," Tim corrected himself and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Better. Now, sit down and eat your pancakes." She handed him a plate of breakfast.

"So bossy," he grunted while walking around to the stools tucked under the other side of the kitchen island.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking about our evaluation today. We have to get to the station early. I want us to make a great impression on H.R."

"Would you relax, baby? This is just a formality. They're gonna ask us some questions about our relationship, and we just have to tell them the truth."

"That we faked our engagement at first and then…"

He cut her off as he sat down at a stool, "Okay let's tell them we started our relationship while we were out of town. We'll need a psych eval if we tell anyone we pretended to be engaged."

"Right. When should we say that we got engaged? If we say it happened when we got back, Smitty's blog post would be wrong."

"I asked at your apartment. We can say I was planning on proposing sooner, but your aunt went to the hospital, and we had to get back to work."

"That's a lie," she scoffed.

"No, baby, it's not. I wanted to come back from Carmel actually engaged. I thought we were gonna stay a few more days and I'd have time to figure out how to tell you. I'm not really the best at talking about my feelings."

She clasped one of his hands. "You're getting better every day. So, tell me your feelings on my pancakes."

Tim took a bite and was surprised that the recipe was replicated perfectly.

Lucy saw the look in his eye and drenched her own plate in syrup, excited to try the pancakes for herself. She sat down next to him at the kitchen counter, took a bite, and smiled victoriously. "I think I nailed it."

He held her chin to turn her face towards his and kissed her. "Perfect," Tim sighed, because the taste of her lips mixed with pancakes and syrup was his new definition of perfect.

"Don't you dare start anything. I'm serious about going into the station early today," she warned.

"Mhm," he hummed and leaned in for another kiss that she happily returned.

Lucy jumped down from Tim's truck and took her fiancées hand. "Okay, so we have our story straight."

"This isn't a UC op. There's no cover stories. Just be honest," Tim urged.

"You're right. Now, don't try kissing me or even looking at me today. I know H.R. will be observing us."

"Don't try looking at you? I can't promise that."

"Best behavior. I'm serious."

He groaned but agreed. With one last loving look, he felt her untangle their fingers before Lucy disappeared into the women's locker room.

"Sergeant Bradford," a woman said behind his back. He turned to find the station's Human Resources Manager, Stephanie Jones.

"Good morning, ma'am," Tim replied.

"My office. Now."

He swallowed hard and followed her up to the second floor and into her office. The interview started simple enough with Stephanie explaining that the purpose of the interview was to make sure their relationship was consensual and above board. But, then she asked her first question, and it was a tough one: "When did you start having feelings for Officer Chen?"

"Uh…I…," he blew out a breath. A million little moments from their past flooded his mind. Small interactions that felt charged. Eye contact that was definitely not platonic. Her fingers lightly brushing against his skin, causing him to pause. His heart hammering in his chest when he was worried about her. A practice kiss that set his body alight. "I'm not really sure when it started, but once I realized I did, I couldn't…I couldn't stop."

A few more questions were reasonable enough to answer, but then Stephanie asked: "Who initiated the first romantic advance?"

He asked her to save him a dance, he technically initiated their first practice kiss, and Tim was the one to kiss her first during Amy and Dave's wedding reception. "Me, but it was most certainly consensual. She kissed me back. Like REALLY kissed me back." Tim purposefully neglected to add that Lucy is a DAMN GOOD kisser, since that detail seemed irrelevant.

Stephanie scribbled something in her notes and followed up by asking, "How long were you two together before you reported your relationship?"

"A week."

"No, in total how long were you two together before filing the proper forms? Not just when you got engaged," Stephanie clarified.

"Yeah, a week."

"You two fell in love and got engaged in ONE week?"

"I've been in love with her for a while, but I didn't tell her. Hell, I didn't even tell myself."

"Do you feel like you've pressured her into a relationship with you?"

"Clearly, you don't know Lucy. She's too headstrong and determined to be pressured into doing anything," he crossed his arms feeling protective of her character.

"You outrank her."

Tim smirked. "I've technically outranked her since we met, but she speaks up and acts based on what she thinks is best regardless of a superior's opinion. I'm not saying she's a maverick who breaks the rules. Lucy is very respectful of authority, but she'll make her opinion known. That's why she and I always worked well together. She's never been afraid to speak her mind, so, she really doesn't outrank me. We're more like equals…professionally. She's the boss at home."

"Did anything romantic happen between you two when you rode together?"

He frowned and chose to word his answer carefully, "We were dating other people when she was my aide."

"Okay, last question, do you think you can work together when necessary regardless of your relationship status?"

"That's a dumb question. We always work well together. Nothing at work has to change just because we're getting married. And for the record, Lucy is the best partner I've ever had. Push comes to shove, I want her at my six. Now, are we done here?"

Stephanie dismissed the gruff officer and was surprised to experience an interview that went completely oppositely when she spoke with Lucy.

"I've always felt a strong attachment to Tim. I don't know if I could pinpoint a moment when those feelings changed from professional to friendly to romantic, but he's been important to me since we met," Lucy explained when asked how long she has had feelings for Tim.

"First romantic advance? Oh, I've initiated everything. He was too nervous to kiss me after our first date, because he wasn't sure if I had a good time."

Stephanie checked her notes and replied, "Tim said he was the initiator."

Lucy chuckled. "He said that? Okay, the first time he kissed me, it doesn't even count, because it was seriously the most pathetic kiss ever. I had to take charge and show him a real kiss. Ignore his answer for that one. Tim was wrong."

"Can you confirm how long your relationship was before reporting it?"

"A week," Lucy smiled. "We move fast. Making up for lost time, I guess. We've been engaged for a little over a month now, and I'm completely moved in. We haven't gotten to all of the home improvements I want to make, since we keep getting…distracted, but this relationship is the best one I've ever been in," she gushed.

"Do you feel like Tim pressured you into a relationship with him?"

"Of course not. I appreciate that you have to take into account his professional superiority and ask that question, but he would never use his position like that. When I was his aide, I was supposed to do all the paperwork, but he did it with me every shift, and I saw him filling all the reports on behalf of one of his rookies when he could've easily forced her to do it, since he was in a position of power as her Training Officer. He's one of the kindest, most respectful, most sensitive, softest guys I've ever met."

Though unprofessional, Stephanie laughed. Lucy described Metro Liaison Sergeant Tim Bradford as SOFT? His record includes the largest number of washed out rookies in the station's history, and Stephanie had personally witnessed his intense glowering that made her nervous even though the expression was not directed at her. How could that man be considered soft?

"I see the real him. He's tough at work, but when I get him alone, he's gentle and sweet, and also…Tim's secretly a huge cuddler off the clock," Lucy shared when she saw how the H.R. representative did not believe her assessment of her fiancée.

"I'll take your word for it. Did anything romantic happen between you two when you were working together?"

"We were seeing other people for the most part," Lucy answered, avoiding admitting to kissing him twice for undercover "practice" and inviting him into her apartment after returning from Las Vegas.

Stephanie noticed how they answered the question the same way but did not press. "Final question, do you think you can work together when necessary regardless of your relationship status?"

"If I have to choose between having him at home or at work, there's no competition. I love the life we share off the clock, but we'll always be good partners on the job, too. That's how our relationship started. Our trust, the way we understand each other without saying a word, how we protect each other- it all stems from the fact that we worked together first. There's no one I trust more to have my back other than Tim, and he would say the same thing about me."

Stephanie nodded. "He actually did say that."

"Really?" Lucy blushed. "I'm not surprised, but it's nice to hear."

"Alright, Officer Chen, I'll type up my findings and report my decision to Sergeant Grey, but between you and me, I see no issues with you and your fiancée continuing to work together as necessary."

"We passed?"

"You passed."

She clapped her hands together. "Tim is gonna FREAK! Thank you." Lucy scurried out of Stephanie's office to find her fiancée outside of his office where she immediately threw her arms around his neck.

"I thought we said we have to be on our best behavior today," Tim whispered in her ear.

"We passed the H.R. eval, so I'm making an exception," she replied.

"We did?" He asked happily and felt her nod where her head was resting against his shoulder. Tim lifted her by the waist and spun her around, making her laugh. "I knew we would," he said once he set her back down.

"I hoped we would, but now that we have, I think we should celebrate. Take me to the finest food truck for dinner, please."

"That can be arranged. I'll see you later."

Stephanie felt her heart swell at the sight of the couple's happiness. There was no denying Tim and Lucy share a true loving connection.

Once they got home from dinner, Lucy sat down at the edge of their bed to rest her tired feet. Tim sank down beside her before pulling her into his lap.

She felt him wrap his arms around her as she did the same. "Stephanie didn't believe me when I told her how much you like to cuddle. If only she could see you now."

"You SAID that? Why?"

"It just came up."

He felt her little giggle vibrate through his body, and he smiled where his mouth was pressed against her neck. "I don't know how that came up based on the questions, but I'm glad she didn't believe you. I would deny liking cuddles if anyone asked. Besides, it's your fault for being the perfect person to hold."

Lucy shut her eyes and let herself relax in his embrace until her phone buzzed, and she groaned.

Tim felt inside her pocket for her phone and pulled it out. To both of their surprise, the name on the screen was Dave's.

"Hi, Dave. You're on speaker with me and Tim," Lucy announced when she answered.

"Hey, guys, I…there really isn't a good way to say this, but Amy is getting worse. She's resting now, but maybe you should call her in the morning and tell her you love her," Dave swallowed back his emotions to break the news.

Lucy clung to Tim even tighter, digging her fingers into him to ground herself.

"We're gonna drive up tomorrow. We wanna see her in person," Tim said.

"Oh, well then you can stay for dinner. We're inviting our neighbors over for a barbecue tomorrow. You know how Amy loves a good party. Thought she might want to have some fun on one of her last days," Dave explained.

"Can some of our friends come, too?" Lucy wondered.

"You know Amy's first rule of parties- the more the merrier. If anyone else wants to make the trip down here, they're more than welcome, and I swear that this time, no one will mess with bed and breakfast reservations, and you two are welcome to stay in the cottage again if you want to sleep over," Dave assured them.

"Great. We'll see you tomorrow," she promised and hung up the phone.

"You know, you and Amy get that same look in your eye when you scheme. What are you thinking?"

Lucy scrunched her nose. "I sort of have an insane idea."

"More insane than us pretending to be engaged?" Tim jokingly asked.

"Probably. What if…what if when we get to Carmel tomorrow, we get married?"

Without even giving it a second thought, Tim smiled. "That's a great idea! We did say we want Amy at our wedding, and we can just do it right behind their house on the beach. Let's invite our friends. I'll call my sister, and just tell everyone to come. Your aunt loves parties, so let's give her one."

"Yeah, let's do it," Lucy smiled and kissed him.

"We've gotta invite everyone and pack our bags, but let's wait a minute. I don't wanna let you go yet." Tim brushed his lips across her cheek and relished in having her in his arms for another moment.

She rested her forehead against his and locked eyes with him. "We're getting married tomorrow."

"We're getting married tomorrow," he replied, matching the awe in her voice.

Notes:

I lied. NOW there are 2 more chapters left, but it all ends this week unfortunately ️

For those of you wondering- H.R. evaluations when reporting romantic relationships IS a real thing in the LAPD based on my research, and I thought it would be a fun way to have Chenford be interviewed and talk about their relationship to a third party akin to the Doppelgängers documentary episode that happened in canon but doesn't exist in this timeline.

xo Victoria

P.S. Remember that Amy will still be alive at the end of the story but not for the epilogue.

Chapter 20: Real Love

Notes:

Angst level: 000000

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Dave let Amy sleep while he went out onto the beach to set up tables and chairs for the surprise wedding Lucy said she and Tim wanted to have. He asked some neighbors to pitch in to string lights and gather table cloths. One of their neighbors owned the town flower shop and donated some bouquets.

By the time Lucy and Tim arrived in Carmel, they were surprised to see how much work Dave had coordinated on their behalf.

"It's beautiful," Lucy complimented to Dave.

"Anything for you two," Dave replied and hugged Lucy. "Now, why don't you head into town and get your dress that Amy already bought for you?"

"Oh, dress shopping? I'll go with you!" Andy volunteered. "Come on, Lucy. I'll drive."

"I'll help with setup and keep Amy company," Tim said and kissed his fiancée's temple.

"We won't be long," Lucy replied. Thankfully, when she first tried on dresses, her measurements were taken, so her gown was hemmed well enough for a last minute wedding, and she was grateful her devious aunt purchased the one Lucy mentally deemed was her perfect dress.

"I'm not exactly good at hair and makeup, but I'll try to help," Andy said on the drive back to Dave and Amy's house.

"Thanks. Honestly, I don't care about anything other than that I'm marrying Tim today."

"That's how I felt on my wedding day. So much went wrong. Seriously, it was a wild day, but the second I saw Sam at the other end of the aisle, nothing else mattered. When you know you're marrying the right person, the actual wedding doesn't feel important," Andy grinned, reflecting on her wedding day.

"Can I ask you a question about you and Sam?"

"Sure."

"We were interviewed by H.R. about working together and being together, and you work with your husband, so do you have any advice?"

"From one set of married coworkers to another, I gotta tell you, it's pretty great. I don't get sick of Sam or annoyed that I see him all the time…well, usually. Most days, I love that I don't have to say goodbye to him. I love that I get to be by his side all day, then we go home, spend time with our beautiful daughter, and then we can just…be. We don't have to tell each other about our days, because we spent it together, so I can sit with him and let him hold me in his arms, and we get to enjoy the silence. It's like meditation. It's centering. It's everything."

"After shift, we do that, too. He likes to snuggle up with me and turn on mindless TV. It's amazing."

"That's what you have to look forward to for the rest of your life…until you add a kid to the mix, and it gets harder to find alone time, but you'll make it work. I promise you will."

"Any other marital advice?"

"Let your husband win an argument every once in a while. Sam's usually wrong like I'm sure Tim is, but it's a good ego boost for them."

Lucy chuckled. "Good to know."

"Can we stop by my house? I've gotta let Boo out."

"Who's Boo? Is that your dog?"

"Yeah Boo Radley is getting a little old, but he's a good dog."

"He can come to the wedding."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! I'm sure Kojo would love to make a friend."

"That'd be great," Andy smiled and turned onto her street.

Sam Swarek is a man of few words, and so is Tim Bradford, which is why they set out tables and chairs together mostly in silence until Sam said, "A surprise wedding will definitely lift Amy's spirits."

"I went in the house to bring her some water, and she seems to be pretty happy even though we haven't told her yet that we're getting married today," Tim responded.

"That's Amy for you. Always smiling. It's infectious."

"Lucy's just like her in that way. She's one of the bubbliest people I've ever met."

Sam chuckled. "Guess what they say is true. Opposites attract. My wife is always smiling and happy, and well, that's not the kind of guy I am, and no offense, I can tell you aren't exactly Mr. Sunshine."

"No, I'm not," Tim shook his head.

"Daddy! Look!" Olive called.

"Did you bury the dog in the sand?" Sam asked his daughter who was grinning next to a mostly sand-covered Kojo. "I'm sorry she did that," he apologized under his breath.

"It's funny, actually. I'm gonna take a picture and send it to Lucy," Tim smiled and snapped a photo.

"Olive, I told you that you can't bury Boo in the sand anymore," Sam reminded his daughter.

"Yeah, but this isn't Boo. This is Kojo. You never said I couldn't bury Kojo in the sand," Olive pointed out.

"You're definitely your mother's daughter," Sam chortled. "We've gotta wash him up before the wedding."

"I'll clean Kojo off," Tim volunteered. "It's fine."

"Can I help?" Olive asked.

"Sure," Tim smiled and worked alongside the little girl to dig his dog out of the sand. Together, they went into the cottage and placed Kojo in the tub to start cleaning him up.

When Lucy entered the cottage some time later to put her wedding dress in the armoire, she was surprised to hear the sounds of laughter coming from the bathroom. She found a very soaked Kojo that Tim and Olive were scrubbing with big grins on their faces. Just for a moment, Lucy leaned against the door frame and watched a glimpse of what could be their future with Tim laughing with their future kid and playing with Kojo. It made her heart swell. "What's going on in here?" She finally asked.

"Kojo's almost clean!" Olive explained.

"How exactly did he get dirty?" Lucy wondered.

"He got buried in the sand," Tim explained.

"I see. Do you guys need some help?"

"We're almost done here. Why don't you go hang out with Amy," he suggested.

"Alright," she waved goodbye and left the cottage listening to the sound of Olive's giggles mixed with Tim's low rumbly chuckle float through the air, and Lucy was grateful that there was a chance her life could be filled with hearing Tim laugh with her and someday their future kids, too.

The second they made eye contact in the living room of the main house, Amy brightened, "Lulu, I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too, Aunt Amy."

"Dave thinks he's surprising me with a party tonight, but he's not very sneaky."

"Clearly, no one can pull one over on you. I've tried," Lucy smirked.

"You and Tim tried your very best. Excellent commitment to your roles," Amy winked.

"Apparently, we weren't fooling anyone, since you knew the truth, and Tim and I…we weren't pretending anything."

"Don't I know it. I spent so much time with him at the hospital, and I kept thinking that I wish he was happier. He's a good man with a good heart, and Tim was so…unhappy. No wonder he was grumpy all the time…but, the way he smiles around you shows me that he's finally happy, because of you."

"He makes me happy, too."

"You haven't gushed over a guy this much since you went through your Backstreet Boys phase and you were obsessed with that one…Kevin, right?"

"Kevin? Really?" Tim asked when he walked in the room.

"You know who Kevin is?" Lucy asked in disbelief.

"My sister liked the Backstreet Boys. I know all about them, and I would think you're a Nick Carter girl," Tim accused his fiancée.

"All of my friends loved Nick Carter, but I was always a Kevin fan. What can I say? I guess I've always had a thing for broody, misunderstood men," Lucy smirked.

"Don't worry, Tim, she gushes over you way more than she ever crushed on Kevin," Amy promised.

"Is that right?" Tim asked slyly.

"Oh, yes. I'll never forget the first time she told me all about her mean Training Officer. I couldn't understand why she was saying he's SO terrible, but I could hear her smiling on the other end of the phone," Amy remembered.

"I didn't SMILE," Lucy tried to insist.

"Sweetie, I could tell you had a little bit of a crush from then. When I met him and saw his handsome face, I understood why."

"I did NOT have a crush on Tim when he was my Training Officer."

"Maybe you didn't realize it, but I could tell," Amy smirked. She saw Tim's smug face and added, "But, Tim really surprised me when I noticed how much he adored you even back then."

He scoffed in response.

"Aww he adored me?" Lucy asked a little teasingly.

"No, I didn't," Tim frowned.

"It's okay, Tim, you don't have to tell us, but I know the truth," Amy nodded.

"That's not what I told the H.R. person…actually…I did say that I wasn't sure when my feelings for you started," Tim recounted.

"I said I've always had a strong attachment to you," Lucy disclosed her response to the same question.

"I hate to gloat, but see, I was right again," Amy bragged.

"No one can doubt that you're always right," Lucy agreed. She took a deep breath and reached to take Tim's hand. "You were right about Tim and I, and we're so glad you brought us together. We can never thank you enough for what you've done for us, but we can make sure you leave this world without any regrets."

"I already told Tim I don't have any regrets," Amy responded.

"But, you told me your biggest regret was that you didn't get a chance to see me get married, and…" Lucy started.

"I was just trying to guilt you into wising up about your feelings for Tim," Amy assured.

"Whether you meant it or not, Lucy and I both agreed we wanted you at our wedding, so we invited some friends to Carmel, and we're getting married tonight," Tim said.

"You are? You don't have to on my account."

"Seriously? You gave me a hard time about not being with Tim, then you moved on to giving me grief about not being married to Tim yet, and now that we're saying we're throwing an impromptu wedding, you're saying you don't want us to get married?" Lucy questioned.

"I'm just saying you deserve a dream wedding with the perfect flowers and cake and all the excitement of planning a special day," Amy replied.

"Our wedding is gonna be special, because you'll be there, and we'll end up married. That's what matters," Lucy insisted.

Amy was rendered speechless and her eyes started to well up. She stood up from where she was seated on the couch and enveloped both Tim and Lucy in a hug. "You have no idea how much this means to me," she whispered, her voice tear-filled and ecstatic. Once she let them go, Amy asked, "How can I help?"

"Dave was already planning on throwing a party tonight, and we just sorta tacked our wedding on to it. Everyone's been pitching in to set up the beach," Lucy explained.

"I'll check and make sure everything's in order," Amy said and shouldered past the couple to go outside.

"You should be resting," Tim reminded her.

"Nonsense! I've rested enough for the day. Now, let's run through the checklist. Did you pick up your dress?"

"Yup," Lucy nodded.

"Do you have a suit?" Amy asked Tim.

"I brought the one you bought me," he replied.

"Great. Rings…" Amy began thinking aloud.

"CRAP! I knew we were forgetting something. I'll go into town and buy some from the jewelry store," Tim was about to start running.

"Hang on a second. I already bought you your wedding rings. They're in a box in the front closet," Amy told them and moved towards the rings' hiding place. "The day Tim and I went to the jewelry store to buy your engagement ring, I went back a little while later and ordered you wedding bands. They were ready the day we found you a wedding dress. My plan was a little morbid, but I thought you'd appreciate it." She pulled out the box from the bottom of the closet and showed it to them. "I've been planning for when my time will be up, and Lucy, I just didn't want to leave you with the same old boring things everyone wills their family like a check or whatever. I wanted to give you something special. I just wasn't sure what. Then, you two started acting like you were engaged, and I realized that what I wanted to leave you with was your real love. I wasn't planning on telling you that I knew about your little charade, because I didn't want to spoil the fun, so I wrote you both letters that you were supposed to get after I was gone with these wedding bands. Basically, the letters just demand that you wise up and get married."

"Let me get this straight- your plan was to order me to marry a man I wasn't even really dating from beyond the grave?" Lucy asked with a scoff. "That's insane!"

"You would know all about insane plans, since you were the one who told us to pretend to be engaged in the first place," Tim pointed out.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "An engagement isn't a MARRIAGE, Tim."

"Judge me all you want, but I was desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Here," Amy presented the rings to the engaged couple. "Apparently, cops like tungsten bands, so that's what I bought you guys, and I got them inscribed with the words 'Real Love', because your engagement might have been fake, well originally, but your love has always been real. I'm so happy you realized that while I was still alive to see it, but I was not above giving you wedding rings after I died and demanding you two figure it out."

Tim smirked. "My tolerance for insanity has clearly skyrocketed over the last few weeks, because I think it's sweet. Thank you, Amy."

"Are you kidding me? Last week, I suggested we move the bowls to a different cabinet, and you looked at me like I grew a second head, but Aunt Amy wanted to will us wedding rings, and you're not even batting an eyelash?" Lucy inquired.

"For the record, I agreed to moving the bowls where you wanted them, and I appreciate that Amy is looking out for us. You heard everyone at the station after they found out we got engaged. No one was surprised, but aside from some grief from Angela, no one has actually pushed us to realize our feelings the way Amy indirectly did. I'll always be grateful for that, because her planning and insane ideas coupled with yours are the reason we're getting married today," Tim replied.

"He may be a man of few words, but he does tend to say the right ones," Amy mused.

"Except for the first time I told him I love him, and he panicked," Lucy joked.

"You were half naked, and I didn't expect it!" he tried to defend himself.

"I'm just messing with you. You've more than made up for it."

"Good," Tim smiled.

As much as Amy wanted to soak in every second of seeing them actually be in love, which by the way looked exactly the same as when they were pretending to be in love, she had to focus on the task at hand. "Last thing we need is an officiant."

"Can you marry us?" Lucy wondered.

"It would be my honor. I've just gotta get certified online," Amy said.

"Wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I know how to get you certified. I officiated my friend, Gail's, wedding," Andy butted in.

"Perfect. I'll take care of that with Andy, and you guys should probably start getting ready," Amy instructed.

"People from the station are starting to arrive," Tamara announced when she walked into the house. "Did you seriously invite everyone by sending the address and the message 'We're getting married tomorrow' in the group chat?"

"We made the decision super last minute. There wasn't much we could do to get the word out," Lucy shrugged.

"Whatever. Aaron is already crying, and Smitty asked me for a comment to add to his blog post about your wedding," Tamara responded.

"I didn't invite Smitty. How did he even know?" Tim asked.

"Doesn't matter. He's here now," Lucy replied, somewhat annoyed by the wedding crasher.

"Smitty's gonna be at your wedding but not your mom?" Amy inquired.

"Since she loves to check up on me through that blog so much, it's a good thing Smitty is here to report on the ceremony, I guess. My mom will know by morning, and I don't even care. Besides, you've always been a better mom to me than Vanessa ever was."

"I hate to speak ill of my sister, but I agree," Amy kissed her niece on the cheek. "Okay, we gotta get this show on the road, people!"

Tim moved to leave, but Lucy caught at his wrist and murmured, "I'll see you at the end of the aisle."

"I'll see you then," he grinned and leaned in for a kiss that was supposed to be quick, but Tim and Lucy struggled with that; they kissed like they wanted to make up for lost time, and they both thought there was a LOT of lost time to make up for.

"Tamara, did you take a picture already or should I?" Aaron asked when he came upon the bride and groom kissing in the foyer of the house.

"Don't worry, I'm about to text you a ton of pics I just took," Tamara responded.

"You guys are so cute, and now I'm crying again," Aaron sniffled.

Tim groaned, annoyed by the interruption and rubbed his thumb across Lucy's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she gave his lips one last peck before turning to face her very nosy friend. "Tamara, can you help me get ready? Andy will join us after she gets Amy licensed to officiate."

Tamara nodded and followed Lucy down the beach to the cottage to change. It was the first time she saw the dress, and she gasped. "Your dress! It's gorgeous!"

"I don't know what's more unbelievable- me wearing such a perfect dress or me wearing such a perfect dress to marry Tim?" Lucy swooned.

"Listen, I know that I've been fighting for you two to get together, but now that you are, you're kinda gross."

"We're not gross. We're happy."

"Yeah, and I've never seen you so happy," Tamara said seriously.

Lucy wrapped her into a hug.

"Or Tim, but I've also never seen him smile unless he's around you," Tamara added.

They both laughed at that.

"Uh ladies? We've got a wedding to get ready for," Andy reminded the two women when she found them hugging instead of changing.

"It's my wedding day. Get in here," Lucy responded and motioned for Andy to join them in a group hug where they held each other for a few moments before erupting into giggles.

With everyone seated in the arranged chairs on the beach, and the sun starting to set into the ocean, Tim stood near the water with his toes in the sand, and he looked out to the cottage. First, Kojo bolted out and zoomed down the aisle between the small rows of chairs.

"Sit," Sam and Tim ordered the dog at the same time, and Kojo obeyed; he dropped down on all four legs next to Boo Radley.

Next, Olive emerged and strutted down the aisle happily as though everyone was there to watch her.

Finally, Lucy stepped out of the cottage in a beautiful yet simple snowy white gown with her hair hanging down in loose waves. All the oxygen escaped Tim's lungs as he watched her walk down the beach right up to him. He outstretched his hand for her to take and felt his heart leap. "You look beautiful, baby," Tim leaned down to whisper in her ear and watched her blush in response.

Amy beamed and took a deep breath before speaking out to everyone in attendance, "We're gathered here today, because of me," she smiled. "I hate to brag, but it's true." Everyone chuckled. "I'm lucky to know and love both Tim and Lucy, and I think I speak for all of us here when I say no one is surprised that we've found ourselves here today witnessing their union and celebrating their first day as a married couple. On the wedding bands that they're about to exchange, the words 'Real Love' are inscribed. That's what they share. A love so pure and real that we can all feel it just by looking at them. That's why I tried so hard for them to get out of their own ways and get together…but, I'm not here to give them any more grief for how long I waited for this moment. I'm here to get them married. So," Amy smiled even brighter and held out the two wedding bands in her hand, "do you, Lucy Chen, take Tim Bradford to be your husband? To have and to hold in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

Lucy smiled up at Tim and without even blinking, she replied fondly, "I do." Then, she slid one of the bands on his finger.

Amy turned to the groom and asked, "Now, Tim Bradford, do you take…"

"I do," Tim cut Amy off while stacking Lucy's wedding band on top of her engagement ring.

Lucy was amused that he was too impatient to even let Amy finish asking the question, so she rose up on her tip toes at the same time Tim bent low, and they met in the middle for a kiss.

"Alright, then," Amy chuckled. "I now pronounce you married! Keep kissing, I guess."

The couple, who had previously agreed to always listen to Amy, gripped each other tightly and deepened their kiss.

"Can you believe Tim lied to your face and said he doesn't have feelings for Lucy like less than 6 months ago?" Wes whispered to his wife as the newlyweds continued to kiss.

"He's not my best friend because he's smart," Angela sassed. She heard loud sobbing and looked to find Aaron seated at the end of the aisle crying tears of joy.

Grey turned around from where he was seated in the row in front of the younger officer and patted Aaron's shoulder to soothe him.

"S-so b-beautiful," Aaron said between his tears.

"Okay, son, pull yourself together," Grey could not believe one of his fearless coworkers had been reduced to tears over a wedding.

When Tim and Lucy finally came up for air, Amy hugged them. "Thank you for this," she said quietly enough just for them to hear.

"Thank you for everything," Lucy responded happily.

"I think this is about to be my best blog post on The Mid Wilshire Files yet," Smitty noted excitedly.

Tim and Lucy walked down the aisle together to continued cheering and sat down at one of the folding tables set out for everyone to have dinner. Beautiful pink and orange hues colored the evening sky, but nothing was more beautiful than the sparkling blue of Tim's eyes. "We did it. We really did it."

"It better be a real wedding. No more pretending," Tim replied.

"Deal."

Music started to play, and Sam and Andy went over to couple who seemed so wrapped up in each other. "Hey, I think it's time for your first dance. Why don't you show off everything you learned in your dance lessons," Andy suggested.

"Look at 'em. They're not gonna dance out there. Just go have fun," Sam said after observing how the newlyweds seemed to be in their own little world.

Tim took Lucy by the hand and lead her to the patch of sand that served as a makeshift dance floor. She pressed herself against him fully before they started to sway. Neither noticed when the song changed once, twice, or even a third time as they continued to hold each other close.

Finally, Grey walked over, and he hated to disturb them, but he had to say, "I know you don't want to think about this right now, but as your boss, I have to tell you that now that you're married, you have to file another form with H.R."

"Don't tell me we need to get interviewed again," Tim groaned.

"No, just a form to formally update your relationship status," Grey responded.

"I've already got it filled out. It's in my locker. We just have to put today's date on the form," Lucy said.

Tim raised his eyebrows at his new wife.

"I was feeling optimistic that we would find an excuse to get married soon," she shrugged.

"Sir, I'm gonna kiss my wife now," Tim said to his Watch Commander then grabbed Lucy's face to bring it to his.

Grey walked away muttering under his breath, "I wished I'd get a warning before catching them kissing at the station."

Dave watched the newlyweds and noted to Amy, "We were right. There's no difference between how they're acting at their wedding versus ours."

"As much as I love being right, that's not what's important here. My Lucy and my Tim are happy and in love, and now I know that they'll never be alone again in the world, because they have each other." Her throat tightened and she whispered, "I can go now."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way, honey. I know how much you would've wanted more time to see them happy, and maybe someday even become a grandma," Dave replied sadly.

"No regrets, remember? Besides, I know it's a little soon, but I have a sixth sense about these things. I don't even think Lucy knows yet, but I'm already a grandma," Amy grinned.

"I would ask how you could possibly know that, but I've learned not to question you."

Amy took Dave's hand and smiled as she stared at Tim and Lucy who clung to each other at the edge of the dance floor with smiles that lit up their entire faces. "I can't believe my plan actually worked, and I really did it. I really got those two idiots together."

Notes:

Fun fact: Bradford signature pancakes was part of this story before THE episode where Tim makes pancakes, and I feel like I planned this hahaha

Sad to say, all we have left is the epilogue, and unfortunately, Aunt Amy will no longer be with us for the last chapter.

xo Victoria

Chapter 21: Epilogue: Mine Forever. For Real.

Notes:

Angst Level -000000000

(See the end of the chapter formore notes.)

Chapter Text

Lucy woke up and turned over to find the other side of the bed was empty, so she padded out of the room and down the stairs to find Tim in the kitchen.

He heard her before he saw her, "Morning, baby. I wanted to let you sleep in while I got a head start on breakfast."

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist before dropping a kiss to his back. "Morning."

"Food's almost ready."

"I'll go wake up Amy and Rachel."

"The fact that Rachel sleeps through the night and needs to be woken up now is a miracle. I don't think I've been this well rested in years," Tim smiled and leaned back in his wife's embrace for a second.

"Don't get used to it, mister. Nights are the only times I can get you alone."

He turned around and smirked, "We're on vacation all week. I promise we'll make more time to be alone."

"Hmm maybe later we should sneak away to the cottage for a little while?"

"As much as I love the main house, I do love the cottage more," Tim smiled and kissed her gently.

"Hold that thought for later when I whisk you away. I'll be right back," Lucy promised and released her hold on her husband to go back upstairs.

She stopped into the biggest guest room that has two twin beds. Years ago, Dave added a crib to the corner where Rachel was sleeping. Lucy woke up her little girl and scooped her into her arms. "Morning, sweetheart," she cooed and kissed her daughter's head. "Let's wake up Amy." The still sleepy two year old dropped her head to her mother's shoulder and sucked on her thumb while Lucy stepped over to the occupied twin bed. "Amy, wake up, honey," she said softly.

Big brown eyes fluttered open. "Mommy," Amy said groggily.

"Morning, sweetie. It's time to wake up."

"Is it Saturday?" She asked.

"No, it's Monday."

"I wanna go back to sleep until Saturday."

Lucy chuckled. "Then you'll miss the whole week we're in Carmel. Come on, Amy."

The four year old girl sighed, "Fine!" She scooted out of bed and dragged her feet into the bathroom with her mom and sister to get ready for the day before going downstairs.

Tim saw his wife and daughters come into the kitchen, and the first thing he noticed was the long look on Amy's face. "What's the matter, honey?" He asked and bent down to make eye contact with her.

"It's not Saturday," Lucy answered for Amy.

"You're right, but it's the first day we're in Carmel for the summer which means…" he stood up and turned to grab the plate on the counter behind him to show it to his daughter, "Pancakes."

"PANCAKES!" Amy cried happily.

"Wash your hands, and then we can have pancakes," Lucy snickered.

"Looks like the Bradford speciality is being passed down to the next generation," Tim noted and helped put Rachel in her high chair. He watched his wife pour a generous amount of syrup on Amy's plate and muttered, "It's being ruined in the process, though."

"I'd say it's improved. Us Bradford women like our syrup," Lucy said.

"Syrup!" Amy piped up happily.

"Don't worry, I've put syrup on yours," Lucy assured her daughter.

"More please!" Amy requested.

"You don't need too much syrup. You're sweet enough already," Tim smiled, making his eldest daughter grin back.

The Bradford family enjoyed their breakfast together and then cleaned up.

"Alright, girls, Uncle Sam, Aunt Andy, and Olive should be down at the beach any minute. Let's go," Tim regarded his family.

"Wait, daddy," Amy said and tugged her dad's hand.

He picked her up and was given a kiss on the cheek.

"Pancake kiss," Amy explained and wiggled until she was set back on the ground about to run down to the beach.

"Hang on, Amy, I want to give daddy a pancake kiss, too," Lucy grinned and pushed up on her tip toes to kiss her husband.

Amy noticed from a young age that her mom always gave her dad a longer kiss after pancakes on Saturdays. She started calling it a "pancake kiss" even when her pronunciation of the words was still not exact, and Amy liked giving which ever parent made pancakes on Saturdays a syrupy thank you kiss on the cheek. It was a nice weekly tradition.

Maybe the Bradford pancakes HAD improved after all, Tim thought as he took Rachel into his arms.

Amy darted through the sand over to her Aunt Andy who enveloped her in a big hug.

"You've grown so much since Christmas!" Andy commented.

"I lost a tooth. I'm a big girl now!" Amy bragged.

"You sure are," Andy replied.

Tim strapped on the baby carrier and secured Rachel to lay against his chest before walking down the beach with Kojo in tow.

"Guys, I'll be back in a few," Lucy called over to everyone and waved before leaving. She drove the few blocks to the retirement home where she picked up Dave and brought him back to the house. They walked out onto the beach together to find Andy, Sam, and Olive building a sandcastle while Tim and Amy played with Kojo in the shallow water. Rachel was sleeping soundly where she was snug against her dad with a sunhat covering most of her face.

"I love when you come to visit. The beach feels alive again with you and my grandkids around. Otherwise, it's quiet," Dave said as he observed all the happiness around him.

"Quiet? We haven't had quiet in our house in ages," Lucy replied.

"You're lucky."

"We really are," she responded gratefully while looking out at her happy family, then she glanced up at the sky for a moment.

Amy caught sight of more people on the beach and ran out of the water shouting, "GRANDPA DAVE! YOU'RE HERE!"

"Of course I'm here, Amy. There's no place I'd rather be," he replied, and even though he got wet, Dave still hugged his granddaughter who was drenched from her time in the ocean. "It's been a few months since I've made the trip to see you. I've missed you."

"Missed you, too, grandpa."

"Good thing we have all week to hang out."

"Yay!" Amy cheered.

"Want to sit down? I'll get you a beach chair," Lucy offered to Dave.

"Don't fuss, Lucy. Go spend time with your beautiful family."

"You're part of my beautiful family, so you gotta join us."

Dave kicked off his shoes while Lucy shrugged off her cover up, and they walked into the water.

Once the kids were tired out from their morning at the beach, Tim insisted that Lucy rest while he showered off their daughters and put them in bed to nap. So, Lucy sat with Dave in the living room.

At first, he was quiet, just watching Lucy pet Kojo who was curled up in her lap, but then he cleared his throat and said, "I wanted to talk to you and Tim about something important."

"Is everything okay?" Lucy asked urgently. She was worried based on the expression Dave was wearing that something was very wrong.

"No, I'm fine, dear. I…I've lived in the retirement home for about a year now, because this old house is just too big for one man to live in alone, and I think it's time I let the house go."

"You're selling the house and the cottage?" She should not have been surprised, but the thought of no longer being able to come to such a special place stopped her heart.

"Oh, I'm not planning on selling the place. I want to give it to you and Tim. I know how many great memories you've had here. Hell, you got married right out on that beach like 5 years ago, and you've brought your family here every Christmas and every summer since. Your family now makes this house a home, and I want you to always be able to come back here."

"We can't just take the house, Dave."

"I don't want your money."

"Dave…"

"Amy wanted you to have this house. Remember the week you got married, and you stayed here for the next week until…until we lost her? One of those days, Amy watched you two walking down the beach with Kojo and said that she wanted you to come back as often as possible with your kids and your friends, and you have. Rachel was born at the clinic in town, because you came up to visit me when you were too pregnant to be anywhere but in bed. This place is part of your story, and I agree with Amy- it should be yours. My lawyer already drew up the papers. I just need you to sign."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll keep bringing your perfect little girls to Carmel."

"Of course I will," Lucy smiled and reached over to hold one of Dave's hands, "my daughters love their grandpa."

He grinned. "You know, my daughters moved to New York and refuse to ever come back. When I first started dating Amy, I told her that aside from the Swareks and a few neighbors, I don't really feel like I have much of a family. I know we didn't get to be together for too long, but Amy left me in a better state than she found me, because you and Tim are like a daughter and a son to me, and you've given me two beautiful grand babies. You and Amy have made this lonely old man so happy."

"Three grand babies," Lucy murmured.

"What?"

She placed her palm on her stomach and said, "Your third grand baby is on the way. We just went for our first ultrasound before we came to town. Tim and I were gonna tell you at dinner tonight, but I just couldn't wait."

"You-you're pregnant?"

Lucy nodded and felt her eyes start to water.

Dave reached out and pulled her into a hug before he cried a few happy tears, too.

Tim came downstairs to find Dave and Lucy smiling together, and he sighed, "You told him without me?"

"I got excited!"

"Did you tell him we already picked out the name?" He wondered.

Lucy shook her head.

"If it's a girl, we're naming her Davina, and it's a boy, we're naming him Dave. We want them to be named after their grandpa," Tim explained.

Dave cried again and hugged Lucy once more. "I'll never be able to thank Amy enough, you know? She's gone, but she's still the reason I'm so happy."

"We feel the same way. Why else do you think we named our first daughter after her?" Tim responded.

Lucy and Dave snickered, because it was true. They all knew Amy changed their lives for the better.

Stubbornly, Tim insisted, "I don't want you to move a muscle. Just sit with me while I grill dinner, okay, baby?"

"I'm pregnant not made of glass," Lucy shot back.

"We've been through this during our last two pregnancies. You're growing our little girl. That's more than enough work. I can take care of everything else."

"Girl? We won't know if it's another girl for a few weeks."

"I'm pretty sure it's a girl. I like my odds."

Lucy shook her head. "Whether it's a boy or a girl, I'm not spending this entire pregnancy resting."

"Would you just let me take care of you?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I can always trick you into taking it easy. Take a page out of Amy's playbook."

"Oh, sorry, babe, but Amy was the MASTER. I don't think you can come close."

"That's true. She really was the master. I mean, she swindled you into marrying me," Tim smiled and flipped the burgers over.

"And look at us now. About to have another kid together," Lucy chided.

The sun was starting to set like the night he married her, and in the colorful sky of oncoming dusk, Lucy looked just as vibrant and maybe even more beautiful than when they got married. "Look at us now," he whispered happily.

They sat in companionable silence as Tim finished grilling, and then they herded their family around the table for dinner. Sam, Andy, and Olive arrived to join them for dinner as they did every night the Bradfords were in town. And though the occasion was nothing special, Tim still found himself taking a moment to be thankful for the people sitting around the table and the amazing life he now has.

Sam and Tim insisted on cleaning up, since both husbands did not want either of their pregnant wives to lift a finger, and yes, both couples found it hysterical that they were both pregnant at the same time and planned on telling each other on the same night. Meanwhile, Dave volunteered to tuck Amy and Rachel into bed to soak up a few more minutes with his granddaughters for the day before settling into one of the other guest rooms that Lucy insisted he stay in for the week.

By the time the kitchen was clean, the house was quiet, since Dave and the girls were asleep, so Tim took Lucy's hand and jerked his head in the direction of the back door. They walked on the sand with their fingers interlaced until she paused to look up at the sky. "I swear I can only see that star when we're here in Carmel," Lucy commented, eyes fixed on the brightest star in the sky.

"You say that every time, but I just don't see it," Tim shrugged.

"Well, I do, and I think it's Amy watching over us."

"If she is, I'm sure she's thrilled."

"She totally is. The only thing she'd be upset about is that we haven't broken a piece of furniture yet," she joked.

"The night is young," Tim whispered suggestively in his wife's ear and tugged her by their joined hands into the cottage. He started taking off his shirt before he had even shut the door behind them, and they made quick work of shedding their clothes. Eagerly, Tim kissed Lucy while backing her in the direction of the bed. She spun around and pushed him to sit on the mattress before climbing into his lap. Breaking away from her lips for a moment, he suggested, "Let's stay in the cottage tonight and pretend we're the only two people in the world like how it felt the first time we stayed here."

Lucy tapped his shoulder to get him to lay back so that she could climb on top of him with her face hovering just above his. "No more pretending. Our real life is way better than anything we can fake anyways. You're all mine forever. For real."

He grabbed her hips and changed their positions so that she was pressed into the bed and his body was stretched over hers. Tim threaded their fingers together, his eyes flashing to the wedding band on his wife's hand. "Real love," he recited the inscription on their rings and happily added, "Really mine," before diving in for a kiss.

THE END

Notes:

THANK YOU FOR STAYING WITH ME ON THIS VICOASTER, Y'ALL. Your comments and love have meant the WORLD! And for the last time, happy happy birthday, Rachel. I love you!

Peace. Love. Pancake Kisses.

xo Victoria