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[deeg9]

OBSESSED

#sandwiches (from nolan’s fridge) as a love language

[deeg9]

Chenford + fight about their relationship

Hey anon -

Thanks for the request! You probably wanted something canon-adjacent for this but I recently wrote a Chenford fight scene in "Some things are more important" (STAMI) that I'm proud of. If you haven't read STAMI -- All you really need to know going into this scene is that (in the previous chapters) Lucy transferred to Hollywood and attended UC school after Chenford got together. While Lucy was away at school, Tim went undercover to help on an op related to Jake / Sava and got stabbed -- and then he downplayed it A LOT to Lucy. Hope you like it!

Tim rounded the corner to the squad room and found Lucy standing with Grey, her arms crossed across her chest. Despite the tension radiating off her body, he broke out into a smile. He wasn’t expecting her back for another day. 

“What are you doing here?” Tim asked, leaning down to kiss her cheek. She let him, but he felt how tight her jaw was when his lips met her skin. 

“To ask you the same thing,” Lucy said with fire in her eyes. “I just asked Grey if you’re riding a desk and he said no. You are not ready to be back in the field. You need to let that heal.”

She pointed to his stomach. 

This was not how he expected their reunion to go. 

“Are you barking out orders now?” Tim joked lightheartedly. “Last time I checked, I was the sergeant. Not you.” 

Grey let out a low whistle and focused on a spot on the ground. 

Lucy narrowed her gaze. 

“Fine,” Lucy stuck her hands on her hips. “Let’s hit the gym first and you can prove to me you’re fit for duty.”

“You’re going to put me through a workout?” Tim asked, raising his eyebrows. 

“I’m going to spar you,” Lucy told him. 

“I am not sparring you, Lucy,” Tim replied incredulously and crossed his arms. 

“Are you saying you’re not up for the challenge?” Lucy smirked, tilting her head to the side. 

“Of course I am,” Tim rebuffed. “I wouldn’t be back unless I was.”

“Ok. How about we make a deal: if you can take me down without popping a stitch, you can work today,” Lucy shrugged confidently. “If there is even a drop of blood, you go home and continue recovering. And you don’t come back until your stitches are out.”

Tim looked over at Grey who was finally meeting his gaze.

“You know I agree with Chen,” Grey laughed. “I told you as soon as I saw you that you shouldn’t be back yet.” 

“So you called her?” Tim accused.

“I did no such thing,” Grey asserted, his face full of amusement. 

Tamara. Tim rolled his eyes. He should have known after those big sad eyes she’d given him yesterday morning.

“Fine,” Tim conceded with a sigh. “But after roll call.”

“Works for me,” Lucy agreed with a smug grin. 

He was definitely not going down without a fight.

* * *

“I thought you had your last set of classes today.” Tim bent down to tie his laces, doing his best to hide a grimace. This was going to be brutal. 

Lucy had stood at the back of roll call with Angela and Nyla, glaring at him the entire time. Every single person in the room noticed. She hadn’t been to a dayshift roll call at Midwilshire in six months. Between the jabs Smitty was making under his breath and the hardly concealed laughs of Nolan, Webb, and Thorsen, he’d barely made it to the end without blowing a gasket. 

“It was just closing ceremony stuff so I booked an earlier flight to surprise you,” Lucy told him. “Imagine my surprise when I got home and Tamara told me you were going to work today.” 

“Like I told Tamara, I was planning to take it easy,” Tim insisted. “Thorsen was going to do all the heavy lifting.” 

“You know as well as I do that once you’re on the streets, you have no say in how easy the day will be.” Lucy stared him down, not ready to give him an inch. Behind the stubbornness, he could see the concern in her eyes. 

“I’m fine,” Tim assured her. 

“Stop stalling,” Lucy flicked her hand. “Get up.” 

Tim stood and rolled his shoulders out to loosen up. He circled the mat, waiting for Lucy to charge. 

She didn’t. 

“What are you waiting for?” Lucy taunted. The corner of her mouth ticked up. “Take me down, Sarge.” 

Tim went in low and Lucy spun, taking out his legs in one swift motion and ending up behind him. The next thing he knew, he was face down on the mat, and Lucy’s knee was pressed into his back. 

“Too slow,” she said, a smile in her voice. She rose to her feet.

“What was that?” Tim asked, popping back up. Renewed energy surged through his body. 

“What?” Lucy asked innocently. “You thought I spent four weeks at UC school sitting on my hands?”

“You’re teaching me that move,” Tim demanded with a proud grin and circled her again.

“Nah, I can’t give away any trade secrets.” She shot back, staying on the balls of her feet. 

He switched things up and used a combo he hadn’t tried since his days in the military. She wasn’t expecting it and lost her footing. 

This time, he was on top. He propped himself up just enough to avoid squishing her but relished the feeling of her warm body underneath his. Her eyes flickered to his lips and his mouth twitched into a satisfied grin that only grew when Lucy’s fingers edged under his shirt. 

He took in a staggered breath and began to lower his mouth. 

“I win,” Lucy whispered before dumping him off to the side. 

“What?” Tim blinked and looked down at the fresh blood stain on his shirt. He lifted the performance fabric and sure enough, he’d popped a stitch. 

Lucy sprung to her feet and held out a hand to help him up. He shook it off and she rolled her eyes at him. He tried to ignore the tug of another stitch pulling loose as he helped himself to his feet. 

“Go get cleaned up,” she ordered. “We’re going to get your stitches fixed and then I’m taking you home.”

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Lucy.” He shot back, the pain from the oozing wound doing nothing for his temper. 

“Ooookay.” Lucy’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “It’s time to reset some expectations. We need ground rules.”

“For what?” Tim asked.

“For how we do this,” Lucy motioned between her and Tim. “How we do our jobs and still be good partners to one another.”

“Oh, so now I’m not a good partner?” Tim asked with a wince, finally giving in to the stinging pain in his side. 

Lucy grabbed a clean towel and softly dabbed it over the wound, which was now eagerly seeping into his shirt. 

“I never said that,” Lucy tossed back, looking up at him with a sharp gaze as she pressed the towel firmly into his gut. “You know, I felt so guilty for going back under as Sava after I told you I was done with UC. And yet, I had the courtesy to call you beforehand and tell you how to get status reports. ”

“I never asked you to give up undercover work,” Tim reminded her. Irritation poured from his throat before he could stop it. “I told you to go to UC school, didn’t I?” 

“You might have said the words, Tim, but your body language told me you didn’t want me to.” She crossed and uncrossed her arms in frustration when he stepped back so he could pace the length of the mat.

“I can’t win, then, can I?” He countered. “Either I’m supporting you wrong or I’m wrong in not supporting you.” 

“This isn’t about winning anything,” Lucy shouted in frustration. “We already won. We have each other. This is about communication and how we’re going to be doing a whole lot more of it.” 

“We are communicating,” Tim said sarcastically. He motioned between them and Lucy narrowed her eyes, clearly not amused by his joke.

“Okay, then tell me honestly,” Lucy said and swallowed. “Would you have dated me if I hadn’t said I was done with UC work?” 

“Yes,” Tim said without hesitation. “How can you even ask me that?” 

“Because I didn’t know the answer,” Lucy shot back. “Part of me has been waiting for the other shoe to drop ever since Jake showed back up in our lives.” 

“What?” Tim shook his head. “I’ve been in love with you for–. Honestly, I don’t know exactly when it turned into love, but it was well before you and I started dating. And once we crossed that line...”

Tim paused, remembering when the switch flipped in his brain and he realized that he could have a future, no, share his future with Lucy. 

When his eyes focused, he saw her watching him closely.

“There was no going back after that. Not for me” he confessed. “I am all in. Tell me you can see that.” 

“I want to believe that,” Lucy pushed. “But you were disappointed–”

“No.” Tim shook his head. “I’m not disappointed in you, Lucy, I’m just terrified of losing you.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Lucy said, her wide eyes pleading with him. 

“We can’t promise each other that,” Tim said. “Our jobs are dangerous, that’s a fact. Things happen outside of our control every single day.”

“True,” Lucy conceded. “But there are still plenty of things within our control. You taught me that.”

He was at a loss for words. 

She had him there. How many times had he told her that when she was a rookie?

“You didn’t tell me you were going undercover,” Lucy said calmly, “and you got hurt and you weren’t honest about how bad it was. Then you went back to work before it healed and if you’d hit those streets today, you would have been putting yourself at unnecessary risk, maybe even Aaron too.” 

He took a deep breath. Fuck. 

He hated to admit how right she was. 

“I love you and I don’t want to lose you,” Lucy said, her voice growing thick. “And your actions worried me sick and made me feel like you don’t trust me to put you first.”

“No, Luce,” Tim shook his head. “I trusted you to do exactly that and I wanted you to finish school. You have so many doors open for you now and that was more important than my third career knife wound. I knew I’d be fine.” 

“Tim, I need you to hear me when I say this.” Lucy walked over and grabbed his hands. “ You are more important.”

Tim was tongue-tied as he stared down at their joined hands before meeting her gaze. The earnesty he found there was almost enough to break him into a million pieces. 

“You’ll always be my first priority,” Lucy rephrased. “I love this job but what we have will always matter more.” 

He’d never been someone’s priority before. Not with his family growing up. Not with Isabel or the women that had come after her. 

He felt the last ounce of fight leave his body.

“I didn’t want you to worry,” Tim explained, squeezing her hands gently. “You had enough on your plate.” 

“I understand that but I need to be able to make that decision,” Lucy urged. “You can’t make it for me just like I can’t make it for you.”

He nodded.

“So, rule number one: we don’t lie about injuries.” Lucy dropped his hands so she could use her fingers to count off each rule. 

“Ok,” Tim sighed. 

“Rule number two: we always tell each other before we go undercover.” Lucy looked up at him, waiting for his acknowledgment. 

“Yeah,” Tim agreed. 

“Rule number three: our relationship comes first,” Lucy stated. “Whenever that is in doubt, we discuss it.” 

“Deal,” Tim approved.

Lucy let out a satisfied breath and Tim felt his muscles start to relax one by one. They stared at each other as the seconds ticked by one by one on the old wall clock behind him. 

What now? 

“So… should we shake on it?” Tim asked.

A smile lifted at the edge of Lucy’s lips as he took a step toward her. 

“Or…” His voice dropped and Lucy raised a brow as he skimmed his hand over the side of her hip, rubbing his thumb over the buttery fabric of her leggings. He loved her thighs in leggings.

“Or what?” She asked, sliding her hands up his chest. 

 “I haven’t seen you in weeks,” Tim murmured, swiping a loose strand of hair out of her face, “and I really want to kiss you.”

She waited.

He stared down at her, taking her in. He loved this woman. He loved her strength, her fire, her ability to break his brain with a simple phrase or the touch of her hand. He cupped the back of her head and tilted it back, brushing his thumb over the vein in her neck. 

She rolled her eyes in frustration.

“Oh my god. Kiss me alread–” 

He didn’t let her finish. Instead, he sucked the end of the sentence right out of her mouth along with the breath she’d been about to take. 

She moaned into his kiss and for a second, he forgot he had an open wound. She had the unique ability to take away his pain with the touch of her lips. 

God, he’d missed her. 

He wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her up until he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. Her arms looped around his neck and he felt her fingers grab hold of his hair.

He wanted nothing more than to tear off her clothes and make love to her on the mat, but the flickering light from the camera on the ceiling had Grey’s words ringing in his ear. There is no expectation of privacy in the police station. 

And he liked his job. Right? 

“Let’s go home,” he grumbled against her throat. 

The sound that escaped Lucy seriously made him question whether he needed a job at all. 

She cupped the sides of his face. 

“Shower. Hospital. Home.” She managed to say between staggered breaths. 

He nodded and rested his forehead against hers before lifting back up and kissing her softly. 

“Okay,” he agreed. 

She held out her hand and he laced his fingers through hers, following her out of the gym and toward the locker room.

END

[deeg9]

Hey D!

Chenford request if you've got time.

Chenford + Chris finds out Lucy and Tim are together ❤️

Hey Anon -

Thanks for this request. I'm a sucker for 'Mr. Steal Your Girl'. Check out my take on this on AO3 --here-- or read it below!

Tim leaned over the center console of his truck and pecked Lucy on the cheek. 

“I better go, I don’t want to be late,” Tim said. 

They’d been talking in the truck for the last five minutes about a reservation he made. After shift, they were heading to a new seafood restaurant in the marina that Lucy was excited about. 

She picked up his travel mug and frowned.

“You should grab some coffee before you head out,” Lucy said, hopping out of the truck. “You need caffeine if you’re training all morning.”

The metro squad was convened in front of the station getting ready to board a bus to the training center. 

“No time,” Tim said as he shut the door. They met at the end of the truck bed as a car pulled into the spot next to them. 

“I’ve got time,” she grabbed his hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I’ll fill it up and be right back.”

“You don’t have to,” Tim protested but he knew it was futile.

“I want to,” she winked. 

“Thanks, babe.”

As he joined his team, he watched her walk into the building, and the shuffle of loafers on the asphalt caught his attention. 

He turned to find Chris Sanford hot on his heels. 

Before he could get a word out, Chris was spewing venom.

“You’re a walking Meme, you know that?” Chris accused. “You’re Mr. Steal Your Girl.”

A hushed tone fell over the Metro squad as they all stopped talking to listen. 

“Seriously?” Tim rolled his eyes. What the hell was a meme? “I did not ‘steal’ anyone. Lucy isn’t a piece of property. She did not belong to you.”

One of the officers on Metro whistled. 

“A little privacy, please?” Tim tossed over his shoulder at his team. They held up their hands good-naturedly and moved closer to the bus. Grey, however, had just arrived and stayed within hearing distance.  

“Don’t make me sound like the bad guy here,” Chris bit out. “You knew Lucy and I were about to take an important step in our relationship and you pulled some Bradford magic. What did you do? Tell her you’d always loved her?”

“No,” Tim shook his head and then shrugged casually. “I asked her to dinner.”

“While she was my girlfriend?” Chris asked. 

“She wasn’t your girlfriend when we went to dinner,” Tim clarified, keeping his tone even. 

“You. Asked. Out. My. Girlfriend,” Chris rephrased. “That's a dick move.”

“I asked her out for you too, if you recall,” Tim reminded him with a smug shrug. “You should be thanking me.”

“Tim…” Grey warned.

“You son of a bitch,” Chris muttered as he rushed Tim. 

Tim bit back a laugh as he caught Chris’ fist mid air. 

Grey stepped over, rubbing his thumb and finger over his eyes. 

“Good lord. I have not had enough coffee for this. Do I need to remind you that assaulting a police officer is a crime, ADA Sanford?” Grey chastised, crossing his arms.

Chris’ face went white at the implication.

“I think we can all agree that didn’t count. Right, Sanford?” Tim pat Chris on the shoulder. “Seriously …I didn’t even feel it.”

Chris rolled his eyes. 

“You’re an asshole,” Chris said, very matter of fact, the previous venom gone from his tone. 

Tim sighed.

“Look. It wasn’t on purpose,” Tim explained calmly. “We never intended to fall in love, but she makes me insanely happy and I won’t apologize for that.”

“I loved her too,” Chris told him.

Tim nodded respectfully.

“And if she had loved you, I would have walked away,” Tim assured him. 

Chris appraised him silently. 

“I can’t believe I actually believe you when you say that,” Chris said, letting out a breath.

“It’s the truth.” 

The door behind them swung open and a beaming Lucy emerged from the building. Her smile faltered when she saw Chris and Tim.

“I’m going to go,” Chris said.

"I'll walk in with you," Grey nodded.

Chris tipped his chin coolly at Lucy as he passed by her. She wished them both a good morning.

“What was that about?” Lucy asked, throwing a concerned look over her shoulder at Chris’ back.

“Just guy stuff,” Tim said with a shake of his head. 

He placed his hands on her shoulders and Lucy looked around the parking lot suspiciously. He was usually careful about PDA, especially since they spent so many weeks secretly dating. He brought one hand to her neck and grazed his thumb along her jaw.

“What’s gotten into you?” Lucy whispered with a smile on her face.

“I am just so in love with you,” Tim admitted.

He chuckled blissfully and then bit his bottom lip to keep his smile from completely overtaking his face. 

Lucy’s smile grew wider and he suddenly had a hard time remembering why he’d been waiting so long to say this out loud.

“And I love you,” Lucy said and tilted her head to the side. 

Wow. He was completely unprepared for how his body responded to those three little words. It wasn’t even the words themselves, necessarily. Even unsaid, he’d known she loved him. She showed him in her actions every day. It was how confident she said it that struck a chord.

“Should we call in sick today?” Tim suggested in a low tone, brushing her hair out of her face. 

She slapped him playfully on the chest and pushed the travel mug into his hands... but if she thought he missed the flash of heat in her eyes or the blush on the buds of her cheeks, she was wrong. 

“Your boss is standing right there,” she scolded him. 

“I know,” he sighed and leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. 

“But just so you know ... In my head, I’m kissing you passionately right now,” she whispered for only him to hear.

He wanted to groan but held it back.  

“Hmmm... Well, in my head, I’m between your legs right now,” he growled against her ear.

“Oh my god,” Lucy laughed and stepped back. She started toward the entrance but then paused and looked over her shoulder.

“Cancel the dinner reservation.” She bit her lip. “We’re staying in tonight.”

A flash of heat filled his belly. 

“Can’t wait!” He called after her and she laughed. He watched as she disappeared inside the building. 

“Bradford!” His lieutenant shouted. “If you’re done, we’d like to get going.”

He ignored the oohs, aahs, and kissing noises his team made as he jogged over to the bus with a huge smile on his face. 

It was perfectly ok with him if they teased him. 

None of them knew what it was like to be loved by Lucy Chen.

THE END

P.S. Kudos/Comments on AO3 are always appreciated!

[deeg9]

Hey will you do an updated BTS/episode thing? For the rookie chenford!

Sorry if I make no sense.

Well, okay...

November 14th - Eric on IG with vid of Tim getting paintballed and Jenna's IG story 5x14 on script header - pic flipped so as to have some hope of reading (gives us an idea of ep number that was being filmed)

November 15th - Mel video of Tru swinging on rope swing in background 🤣

November 18th - "Tamara" back on set

November 21st - Mel IG story in kimono 👀 is there still hope for at least one morning after scene?

November 22nd - Tell your dog I said Hi! The t-shirt makes a return!

Pre-Thanksgiving recorded montage. And Melissa's that she uploaded later herself. How much can be taken from the hospital locations, Eric being filmed against a black background, and "Lucy" in a floral top? Eric in a coat (and he does wear a coat over his black police shirt a lot - so it's hard to know when the Sergeant II stripe first drops onto that uniform)

December 1st - Mel IG story in black tee and police vests. Chen & Thorsen 👍 ('Sen & Chen?! 😝)

December 7th - Melissa on IG with a bts clip, could Lucy and Lopez be working together on something?

December 10th (ish) - Eric does a cameo and he's not wearing a coat over his police shirt. There is one more stripe on his shoulder insignia. Meaning he is now Sergeant II.

December 11th - bts video (Eric once again in a coat) but it looks like he's wearing the same shirt from the previous paintball bts video (posted by Eric on IG) - spoiled completely by Eric in his Cameo on January 20th. Tim's going to Metro.

I miiiiight have a few more things to include in a part 2.

[deeg9]

I loved what you did with the pregnancy scare fic. Please can you make a chenford one based on the promo pics! Pretty please 🙏🏽 ☺️ 💕

This request came in right before 5x13, and I just posted a scene rewrite to tackle the 5x13 Chenford Reveal. You can read it here!

[deeg9]

Chenford + 5.13 fix it fic.

They all find out!

Hey anon -

Thanks for this request. I was also hoping for a more robust ensemble moment from 5x13. You can read my take on it below or on AO3 here.

5x13: The Reveal

“Hey,” Lucy said, whisking through Nolan's front door. 

“Lucy. Sure, why not? Come on in,” Nolan replied with a flip of his hand. 

“Oh, you look surprised.” Lucy set her duffle bag down in front of an empty chair in the living room. “Wait, weren't you on the group text?”

“No, no. I turn off my phone when –” Nolan paused when Bailey shot him a look. “Nevermind. Can I get you a drink?” 

“Tequila. Double,” Lucy said with a sigh.

Everyone stared at her. 

“I need it,” Lucy said with an uncomfortable laugh. “We have a big problem.”

“What’s going on?” Wesley asked. 

“Tim is miserable in his new role and he won’t admit it,” Lucy explained. “We need to figure out what chess moves to make in order to get him into a better job.” 

“Wait. Tim isn’t a sergeant anymore?” James asked. “When did that happen?”

“No, he’s still a sergeant,” Nyla interjected and then smirked. “He took a new job for reasons neither he nor Lucy will say out loud.”

“Yeah.” Angela nudged Lucy with her elbow and handed her the drink Nolan had poured. “Why, exactly, is Timothy Bradford the Court Liaison Sergeant again?” 

“Grey said it was because of the officer no-show rates getting too high. He needed Tim to get that under control,” Nolan interjected, completely oblivious. He dried his hand with a towel and tossed it on the counter.  “Wes, let me show you where the charging cable is.”

“Thanks,” Wesley said and followed Nolan down the hall, but not before throwing a sly look at his wife. 

“I’m going to lay Leah down,” James said, motioning at his baby girl who was struggling to keep her eyes open. 

“Thank you,” Nyla smiled. James kissed her on the cheek and took Leah out of her arms. 

“You can use the first room on the right,” Bailey told him, pointing in that direction. 

“Is Nolan right, Lucy?” Angela egged on. 

“Mm-hmm,” Lucy hummed. She took a big gulp from her drink before the burn reminded her it was tequila on ice. She couched into her elbow. 

“Come on, ladies,” Bailey said with a laugh. She walked over and swung her arm around Lucy’s shoulders and guided her toward the living room. “They’ll tell us when they’re ready.” 

“Right,” Angela agreed before playfully narrowing her gaze on Lucy. “Even if it hurts our feelings more every day they don’t.” 

“Angela–” Lucy started. 

“No, no.” Angela held up her hands. “Just know that I’m not telling you my secret until you tell me yours.” 

Lucy ignored the comment and unzipped the bag at her feet. She unpacked sticky notes and markers onto the coffee table and then wrote the names of different departments on separate notes: Motors, SWAT, Robbery, Metro, Vice, IA, Air Support, and Homicide. Nyla took a stack of stickies and began to write the names of sergeants and other high-level officers on each sheet. 

“Is it really even a secret at this point?” Lucy finally asked, looking between the women.  

“What do you mean, ‘at this point’?” Nyla asked with a laugh and Angela joined in. “You two literally went from being attached at the hip, to not being able to be in the same room together, to being attached at the hip.”

“That doesn’t mean…” Lucy shook her head. 

She wrote ‘Retired’ on one more sticky note and then arranged them all on Nolan’s living room window. Nyla and Angela joined her and sorted the cops under each of their respective departments. 

“You didn’t even see Tim lie to my face about not having feelings for her,” Angela said to Nyla. “His voice cracked and went up an entire octave. And that was before The Great Resistance.” 

Nyla and Bailey snickered. 

“The Great Resistance?” Lucy grumbled, her cheeks flaming red. 

“Yeah,” Nyla nodded, picking up a grape from a bowl of fruit Bailey had set on the table. “You know? The time between the UC op and when Grey made you two ride together again.” 

“Oh my god,” Lucy pressed her palm to her forehead. “So everybody knows?”

“Well, not everybody,” Bailey interjected, motioning her wine glass toward the hall. “I’m pretty sure Nolan hasn’t figured it out. He’s had his hands full with Celina.” 

“Well, that’s ironic,” Lucy mumbled. “Okay, let’s focus. We really need to figure out a solution for Hicks and then everything else should fall into place.” 

“What about motors?” Angela asked. 

“He has triplets,” Lucy and Nyla said simultaneously. 

“Oof,” Bailey cringed. “Definitely not the safest job for someone who isn’t going to get a good night’s sleep for the foreseeable future.” 

“What did I miss?” Nolan asked as he jogged up. 

James and Wesley were right behind him and Nyla explained the musical chairs they were trying to accomplish. Wesley took a sleeping Jackson from Angela’s arms and went to lay him down in Nolan’s guest room. 

“I got it,” Nolan said. He picked up a sticky. “Hicks leaves Metro, goes to IA. Remington moves to Motors. That means Watson gets into SWAT. Halsey comes over to Metro. There's still a spot for Tim.”

“Remington's wife won't let her on a motorcycle, so that's a non-starter,” Nyla said, shaking her head.

“Okay, um, Fuji retires?” Lucy moved Fujii to ‘Retired’.  “Halsey goes to Metro and Madison goes to Robbery. Hmm?”

“Primm will go to Vice?” Angela suggested. 

“No, they hate each other,” Nolan shot down. 

“Okay.” Lucy tapped her chin.  “Um, Jones goes to SWAT.”

They stared at the window and a slow smile grew on their faces.

“And Bob's your uncle,” Angela said. 

A knock sounded on the front door and Nolan went to answer it. 

“Yes,” Lucy clapped and then her smile fell.  “Oh, no.”

“What?” Nyla asked. 

“Well, the only way this works is if Fuji retires,” Lucy pointed out, “and the only person who can convince her to do that is…”

“Smitty,” Nyla supplied.

“Yeah.” Lucy grimaced. 

“Hey, Tim,” Nolan said loud enough for his voice to carry. “This is unexpected. What's your -- What's the -- What are you -- What's up?”

“Shhhit!” Lucy whispered. They all frantically pulled the sticky notes off of the glass.

“Uh, I heard you had power,” Tim said. “I was hoping you had the game on.”

Bailey plopped on the sectional and stuffed a handful of stickies behind her back while James shoved some down between the side arm and cushion. Lucy stuck a stack under her thigh as she sat. 

“Yes,” Nolan stalled. “I mean, yes, we have power. The game is -- We can...”

“Is that Lucy's car?” Tim pointed over his shoulder.

”Uh, yes. Come on in,” Nolan said and waved him in. “Hey, guys, look who it is.”

Nolan headed for the kitchen while Tim approached the group. 

“It's a party,” Tim said suspiciously. “What's going on?”

“Nothing,” Angela shrugged. “Just enjoying the A/C.”

Lucy nodded in agreement a little too eagerly. 

“You okay?” Tim asked her. 

“Yeah,” Lucy said with a smile. “Couldn't be better.”

“So you’ve all just been sitting here in silence?” Tim asked, raising his eyebrows. 

“Well, we just got here.” Lucy provided. 

Nolan cleared his throat and handed Tim a beer. 

“The game?” Nolan asked. He picked the remote up from the coffee table and navigated to the local sports channel. 

“Oh, sure,” Tim said. “If that’s cool with everyone?” 

“Of course,” Bailey said and scooted down the sofa closer to Angela to make room for Nolan and Tim. She carefully slid the stickies behind her back to Angela. 

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as everyone pretended to be focused on the screen. James tapped his fingers along the armrest and Nolan’s leg bounced nervously to the same beat. 

Wesley returned and sat on the floor in front of his wife. He glanced around the room, an odd expression on his face.

“Did I miss something?” Wesley asked. 

“Nope,” James said, but it was clear he was holding back a smile. 

“Then why isn’t anyone talking?” Wesley looked between Tim and Lucy sitting on opposite sides of the room. 

“We’re enjoying the game,” Lucy said, clearing her throat. 

Tim huffed and rolled his eyes. 

“What?” Lucy asked, pursing her lips with a dare in her eyes.   

“I’ve known Nolan for years and he’s never sat in silence this long,” Tim said. “ Something is definitely -– Oh.” 

Tim’s brows shot up and he looked around the room. His eyes widened and Lucy subtly shook her head, silently trying to communicate. 

“You told them?” He asked and she let out an exasperated breath. 

Angela, Nyla, and Bailey burst out laughing from a mixture of relief at the awkward silence ending and amusement that Tim had picked up on the wrong secret. 

“No, Tim,” Lucy rolled her eyes but she was smiling. “You told them.”

“Okay, now I’m missing something,” Nolan said to Bailey. 

“Oh, honey,” Bailey slapped Nolan on the knee and shook her head.

Angela wiped tears out of her eyes and Nyla leaned back against James. The air seemed to clear with the news finally out in the open so Tim put his hands on his knees to push up from the sectional and walked over to Lucy.  

He held out his hand and Lucy took it, rising to her feet. She swiped the sticky note stuck to her thigh off and it fell to the ground. 

“Are you going to tell me what’s up with the sticky notes everyone thought I didn’t see being passed around?” Tim asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lucy said, standing on her tippy toes to peck him on the lips. “Trust me.” 

“I do.” Tim smiled down at her. 

“Oh,” Nolan let out a surprised noise and then chuckled. “Wow. Am I the only one who didn’t know about this?” 

“Yes,” everyone on the sectional said simultaneously, leading to another round of laughter. 

Tim used the momentary distraction to steal a kiss from Lucy, perfectly happy that he no longer had to hide his affection for her. 

“Ew!” Angela threw a pillow at them, hitting him in the back. “Get a room!” 

“But please, not here,” Nolan teased. 

Lucy turned in Tim’s arms until she was leaning back against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close as they listened to their friends all join in to heckle them.

Suddenly, their relationship felt real. Lucy thought that would scare her when they finally reached this moment, but instead, the warmth of their friends' happiness and acceptance put her perfectly at ease. These people were her family and she’d never felt more grateful that she'd taken a risk on a whim a few years ago to join the LAPD. She smiled up at Tim and knew without a doubt, he felt the same way. 

[Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments on AO3 -- linked here --are always appreciated.]

[deeg9]

#they’ve never been objective when it comes to each other requested by anonymous

[deeg9]

Chenford + Tim finds out about Nucy

Hey Anon - I've written 2-3 fics with scenes where Tim finds out but I'll share the most recent version below that I wrote with Quesera and WannaBeBold (I'm like 50% sure we already posted this on Tumblr but I honestly don't remember).

The One Where Tim Finds Out About Nolan

EXT. LA BREA - FOOD TRUCKS - DAY 

Officers Celina and Thorsen are sitting at a table out of earshot while Nolan and Lucy wait for their lunch orders from the food truck. Last night at happy hour, Tim and Lucy announced to everyone they’d been dating for a while. 

NOLAN 

“So, have you told Tim that we used to date?”

LUCY

(shakes her head)

“No, not yet. Why?”

NOLAN

“Just estimating how much time I left have to finish writing my will.” 

LUCY

(laughs)

“Good point… I’ll tell him tonight.” 

NOLAN

(squirms)

“How about tomorrow?” 

LUCY

“Why?” 

NOLAN

“I can’t get a flight to Japan tonight but I can probably find one tomorrow. I’ve been meaning to visit Henry and Abigail anyway.”

LUCY

“Oh, shut up. It’ll be fine. He won’t even care.”

END SCENE 

INT. BAR - WILSHIRE BLVD - NIGHT 

A few months later, the Midwilshire gang is gathered at their favorite bar to celebrate Tim and Lucy who just got engaged. 

NYLA

(holds up a finger)

“Okay, okay, but wedding rule number 1: No exes.” 

TIM

“Normally, I’d agree. But Lucy and Rachel are good friends–”

NYLA

(interrupts)

"No exes! Do you want to sit there knowing one of your guests has done the dirty with your future wife?"

TIM

(opens his mouth to respond) 

LUCY 

“Oh, come on. All of that is in the past. And what about Nolan? He has to be there.” 

Tim reels back.

TIM

(his response comes out in a choke)

“Nolan?” 

GREY

“Oh, dear lord, someone please burn my ears off.”

LUCY

(taps her chin with her finger)

“That’s right… I just thought about telling you but I never actually got around to it.” 

NOLAN

(whispers)

“You said you were going to tell him months ago.”

LUCY

(shrugs)

“I forgot.”

THORSEN

(shudders)

“Uck. And I thought the bar was too low with Chris. No offense, man.” 

NOLAN

“I mean… I’m a little offended. I’m better than Chris.” 

The crew looks around at everywhere but at Nolan.

NOLAN (cont.)

(rolls his eyes)

“Wow.”

NYLA

“Really, Lucy? No one told you that was a bad idea?” 

LUCY

“Well, Talia brought it up once or twice. How dating a cop was bad for my career…”

Tim laces his fingers through Lucy’s reassuringly. 

NYLA

(waves her hand) 

“No, no, not that. Screw that.”

NYLA (cont.)

(teasingly)

“I’m talking about dating Nolan being a bad idea.” 

BAILEY

“Hey! Now I’m offended.”

NOLAN

(to Nyla in mock offense)

“What the heck? I thought I was your favorite.”

NYLA

"Now who told you that?" 

Nolan points at Angela. 

ANGELA

(shakes her head nonchalantly)

“Hmm... That doesn’t sound like me…” 

NOLAN

(exasperated) 

“You started this, Aaron. The next round is on you.” 

THORSEN

(nods unapologetically)

“Fair.”

LUCY 

(chuckles)

“I’ll come help.”

Thorsen and Lucy head to the bar.

Emmett walks up and pats Tim on the back.

EMMETT

“Hey man, I heard you’re getting married. Congrats.”

TIM

(stares at him for a moment before responding)

“How did you know I was getting married?” 

EMMETT 

(points at Bailey)

“I just joined the 122. Bailey’s house.”

Tim closes his eyes and sighs.

BAILEY

(slowly pushes Emmett back toward the other end of the bar where firefighters are gathered)

“This is not the best time.” 

Thorsen and Lucy return and start topping off glasses from the freshly filled pitchers.

WESLEY

(to Tim)

“If it makes you feel any better, we didn’t know either.”

Angela suddenly finds a spot on the wall very interesting. Wesley notices immediately. 

WESLEY (Cont)

“Right, Ang?” 

Everyone’s waiting for her to respond.

ANGELA

“Oh, please. Of course I knew! I just didn’t stick my nose in their business like Talia did.” 

WESLEY

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” 

ANGELA

“Because you turn into a gossipy little schoolgirl when you drink.”

WESLEY 

(hangs his head)

“I do not…” 

JAMES

(clears his throat and pats Wesley on the back) 

“You really do, bud.” 

TIM

"What about me?" 

ANGELA

"What about you?"

TIM 

"Seriously? You're my best friend."

ANGELA

"You two had vibes. There was no way I was telling you." 

TIM

"When she was my rookie? No, we did not."

People are nodding along with Angela and muttering under their breath. 

TIM

(leans in)

“What was that?”

Lucy elbows him in the side playfully.

CELINA 

(steps forward)

“Uh, sorry to interrupt, but I’m sensing someone coming through with a J name. He wants me to tell you there were definite vibes.” 

Her statement is met with stunned silence. 

CELINA (cont.)

(frowning)

“He also says Smitty owes him 20 bucks. Do you know who this is?” 

CELINA (cont.)

(before anyone answers, Celina’s face softens)

“But what he really wants me to tell you is… it’s about damn time.” 

Tim and Lucy smile sweetly at each other and he leans down to kiss her. Everyone in the room starts clapping, egging them on. Tim dips Lucy back and deepens the kiss as the Midwilshire crew cheers, the sound of glasses clinking in the air. 

END SCENE

Kudos and comments on AO3 are always appreciated! Thanks for reading.

[deeg9]

Chenford + last first time

@westwingwolf already crushed this concept so I'm going to share their fic instead! Run, don't walk. It's so good!

Rating: E

"Last First": https://archiveofourown.org/works/44470108

[deeg9]

But we’re so good at arguing. I know. But I’m hoping that we’re good at certain other things as well. You want to find out right now?

[deeg9]

[deeg9]

Can we just give Lucy some massive love and respect for how she has grown as a person? What an absolute BAMF she’s become. She took on that whole domestic situation by herself. Didn’t have Tim come with when a bump popped up. Just handled herself like the strong, confident bad ass she is. Not once flinching in that abusive rage machine’s presence. Owning whatever convo she held with him. Then taking his ass down single handed. Harper would be so proud. How far she’s come since that moment in the sewer back in s2 with Nyla. Just so proud watching what she’s blossomed into and I know Tim is too. Hell it’s part of reason he’s in love with her. He always knew there was that confident, take charge persona lying beneath the surface of all that self doubt. Anyways just had to do a shout out to her. It’s been such a pleasure watching her come into her own. This ep was proof of that.

[deeg9]

CHENFORD IN EVERY EPISODE: 5.11 “The Naked and the Dead” “I saw today why you work so well together.”

[deeg9]

4x02 | 5x11

well, well, well, how the turntables…

[deeg9]

Ch. 3 There's something that tells me (that life has changed)

Epilogue: 2024

NYLA  

Nyla texted Angela and Lucy from her car before heading into the station. 

From: Nyla | To: Angela & Lucy Locker room. Now. SOS.

She figured she would be the first one in so when she walked into the Midwilshire women’s locker room, she was surprised to find the two of them already waiting for her. 

Whatever conversation Lucy and Angela had been having before she walked in immediately fell away and their worried faces turned in her direction. 

This was going to be fun.

“What’s going on?” Lucy asked, standing from the bench. The still-new wedding band on her finger glinted under her engagement ring. The Bradfords had returned to work over a month ago following their mountain-resort honeymoon but they both still had that fresh, newlywed glow about them. 

Without saying another word, Nyla pulled the box of pregnancy tests out of her bag and dropped it on the bench between them.

Lucy and Angela did a double take.

“I am late,” Nyla announced stoically. “According to the precedent previously established by Angela, that means you two have to take a test with me.”

Nyla worked to keep her fierce expression as she watched the multitude of reactions spill across her friends' faces. There was a hint of a blush on Lucy’s cheeks. Angela appeared to be holding in a laugh. 

“You’ve got me there,” Angela said. She picked up the box and rolled her eyes affectionately, heading toward the stalls and ripping the top off. 

“We need to reevaluate our traditions,” Lucy teased, but Nyla sensed a hint of nervousness in her tone. “I hear some friends do brunch. We could try brunch.” 

“I like brunch,” Nyla nodded and grabbed the open box from Angela. “But first, get in there and pee on this stick.”

She slapped a test in Lucy’s hand and playfully shoved her toward the stall on the left. 

Angela held her hand out for a test and walked into the middle one. 

“This really takes me back,” Angela called out so they could hear her through the doors, the amusement clear in her voice. 

“Shhh, I need to focus on the task at hand.” Nyla tried to say it sternly, but she had a very hard time reining in her excitement. 

Because this time, she knew for sure she’d be the positive test. 

She’d gotten her first positive weeks ago but didn’t want to jinx it, so she and James waited to tell their friends and family until the time felt right. Yesterday afternoon, they’d heard the baby’s strong heartbeat at the doctor's office (for the second time) and Nyla knew as soon as she got in the car that this was how she wanted to tell Angela and Lucy. She had the ultrasound photos of her healthy, growing baby in her back pocket.

She couldn’t wait to see their reaction. 

Nyla set her test facedown on the counter and her friends followed her lead while she checked the clock on the wall to keep track of the two-minute countdown. 

When the locker room door swung open, the trio scrambled to pick up their respective tests. They’d learned from last year’s mistakes and instead formed a line and quickly hid the sticks behind their backs just in time for Celina to round the corner. 

She stopped in her tracks, blinking in confusion before letting a sly smile cover her face. The shyness she’d had as a rookie was long gone.

“Oh good,” Celina said sarcastically. “We’re doing this again.”

Celina disappeared into the stall and a laugh escaped Lucy in the form of a snort. The three of them silently shook as laughter took over their bodies. Pretty soon, they were doubled over with tears in their eyes. 

They managed to compose themselves by the time Celina flushed the toilet.  

“No sink jacket this time,” Celina commented as she exited the stall. She raised one brow. “Interesting.”

Nyla smiled, realizing there was no reason she needed to hide her scheme from Celina. 

“I’m taking a pregnancy test,” Nyla explained, showing Celina the stick she’d been hiding behind her back. “Just waiting for the result.”

“Oh.” Celina’s eyes widened. “Please tell me that’s what you were doing the last time I found the three of you like this because the explanations I fabricated in my head were pretty intense.”

“Oh my god, I completely forgot how weird we acted that day.” Lucy winced but kept her hands securely behind her back. “You must have thought we were insane.”

“Bizarre, yes. Insane? Not so much,” Celina jested and tilted her head to the side. “I’m just glad you weren't sacrificing a small animal or concealing illegal contraband under Nyla’s jacket.”

They burst out laughing again. 

“And you didn’t rat us out?” Angela nodded with blatant approval. “Thanks for having our backs.”

“Nah, I knew it had to be something important for the three of you to lose your cool,” Celina said and then motioned toward the exit. “I gotta hit the breakroom before roll call. Good luck, I guess? Is that the right thing to say in this situation?”

“That’s perfect,” Nyla approved with a smile. “Be safe out there, Celina.”

“Thanks, Sarge,” Celina said, using Nyla’s new title. After passing her exam, she’d replaced Caradine as Sergeant for the Midwilshire Detective’s unit following his promotion to Lieutenant. 

“Detective Lopez, Detective Bradford.” Celina casually saluted them. “Have a good one.” 

“You too,” Lucy and Angela replied. 

LUCY

Lucy smiled after Celina as she left the three of them alone again in the locker room. 

She had to admit: Nyla had impeccable timing. 

Lucy’s pregnancy was only a few weeks along and she’d panicked for a second when Nyla dropped the box of tests on the bench a few minutes earlier, thinking her secret had already been uncovered. Lucy debated dunking the test in the toilet instead of actually peeing on it… but then she realized the special direction this morning was heading in. 

She had suspected for weeks that Nyla might be pregnant. First, she’d casually swiped out coffee for tea. Then, there had been several days where Lucy saw her rush to the locker room right after breakfast and she definitely wouldn’t forget the happy hour last night. Lucy heard Nyla order a Ginger Ale and lime on the rocks and no one seemed to notice she was sipping on a soda instead of a cocktail. 

But Lucy had. 

Because she’d ended up ordering the exact same thing. The bartender looked a little confused to get the unconventional order back to back, but he still accommodated her.

Plus, she trusted these two with her life. They’d treat her special announcement with the utmost sensitivity.

“How do you want to do this?” Lucy asked. “Should we go one by one?” 

A giddy type of anxiety built in her chest as the news sat on the tip of her tongue.

“Works for me,” Angela said with a laugh. Clearly, Angela was expecting hers to be negative. 

“I’ll go first!” Nyla said and showed them the test before even looking at it herself. 

Lucy felt tears well up in her eyes at the sheer joy on Nyla’s face. 

“Oh my god, congratulations!” Lucy threw her arms around Nyla for a quick hug before stepping aside to let Angela do the same. 

As Angela stepped back, she cocked one eyebrow up. 

“Obviously, I am so thrilled for you but I have to admit,” Angela teased, “you don’t seem all that surprised.” 

“Okay, you caught me,” Nyla laughed. She reached into her back pocket and waved the photos in the air. “Baby Murray has been baking for approximately 12 weeks.”

“Oh!” Angela whooped, tossing her own test on the counter to free her hands. “Let me see that little bean!” 

They oohed and aahed at the tiny baby in the photos that was just starting to look more like a baby and less like a bean. 

“ I can’t believe our babies are going to grow up together ,” Lucy gushed quietly as she ran her finger over the image. 

Nyla and Angela froze in place, and Lucy realized that she’d actually said the words out loud instead of just thinking them. 

She slowly met their gaze. Angela’s jaw was practically on the floor as she quietly made a quarter turn to face her.

“Did you just say what I think you said?” Nyla asked, completely stunned. 

“Well,” Lucy blushed as she pulled the positive test out of her back pocket and held it up. “I should be about seven weeks along. We have an appointment next week with Dr. Stone to find out for sure.” 

“What!?” Nyla and Angela shouted in unison. 

“I’m gonna be a mom,” Lucy said, her vision blurring from the swell of emotion that came from saying the words out loud. 

Two sets of arms embraced her and then Lucy really started crying, just like she had the week before when she stepped out of the bathroom and smiled through the tears to tell Tim that he was finally going to be a father. 

He’d dropped to his knees in front of her and hugged her tight while pressing the sweetest kiss to her belly. It had only been weeks since they’d exchanged wedding vows but he was eagerly renewing those promises to her and their unborn child, as well as making a few new ones in the process. 

It was the happiest moment of her life.

And at Angela’s request, she shared that memory in between staggered breaths and giddy bouts of laughter. 

ANGELA

“I can’t believe you two dropped these bombs on me on a Friday morning like it’s just another normal day,” Angela said, wiping the happy tears from her eyes. She couldn’t help herself, she’d always been an empathetic crier when it came to her friends and family. 

Lucy grabbed the box of tissues near the sink and they each grabbed a fresh Kleenex to dab their eyes. 

“Let me toss this and then we can try to find something appetizing enough for you two preggos to eat.”

Lucy and Nyla both grumbled at the mention of food which only made Angela smile wider. 

Angela picked up her test but just as she was about to throw it into the bin, a faint pink line caught her eye. 

She blinked, certain that her eyes must be playing a cruel joke on her. 

“Wait,” Angela stared down at the test in her hand. “It’s not … negative.”

“You’re kidding?” Lucy gasped. 

“Seriously?” Nyla asked, suddenly somber. 

Angela understood why. She’d been very vocal up until recently about her desire to be a one-kid household. 

She dropped it on the counter and both Lucy and Nyla leaned forward to look at the pink line that formed a plus sign in the results window. Lucy covered her mouth with her hand.

Angela pulled out her phone and looked at the calendar. Her heart pounded in her chest and suddenly she found it harder to take in air. Was this really happening? 

“Holy shit. I’m a week late and didn’t even notice,” she swallowed audibly. 

“Are you okay?” Lucy asked slowly, glancing between Nyla and Angela uncomfortably. 

“Shit,” Nyla cursed. “I definitely didn’t think this through all the way.”

Angela looked up at the mirror to find her friends examining her closely with weary eyes. She broke out into a huge smile.

“I’m pregnant!” She shouted and bounced on her heels. “Wes and I literally just started trying. I’ve been preparing myself for disappointment. I thought for sure at my age it would take a while this time around.” 

Lucy shrieked and wrapped her arms around Angela’s waist and bounced up and down with her. 

“So you’re happy?” Lucy asked.

“So very happy,” Angela confirmed, her voice catching on the last word. 

“Damnit, I shouldn’t have worn mascara,” Nyla laughed through another round of happy tears. “Come here.”

It wasn’t that long ago that the thought of having a second child overwhelmed her, but then Lucy made detective and Angela had grown closer and closer to these two incredible women. After that, she truly started to understand the value behind the phrase: ‘it takes a village’. The shift had practically happened overnight, and now the future didn’t seem so daunting. 

Angela leaned into the group hug as the three of them swayed from side to side in a delirious daze, discussing all the different ways that Angela could surprise Wesley. She squeezed them tight, so excited that they’d all get to go through this next chapter together.

THE END

Read all three chapters on AO3

[deeg9]

Well, have a great day. With your boss. Who you kissed.

[deeg9]

CH.2: There's something that tells me (that life has changed)

Thank you everyone for the feedback on Chapter One! Chapter Two is up - I may add an epilogue set in the future in the next few days. Comments and engagement on AO3 is always appreciated - Enjoy!

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: F/M Fandom: The Rookie (TV 2018) Relationship: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen, Nyla Harper/James Murray, Wesley Evers/Angela LopezCharacter:Tim Bradford, Lucy Chen (The Rookie), Nyla Harper, James Murray (The Rookie), Wesley Evers, Angela Lopez, Wade Grey, Celina JuarezAdditional Tags:Chenford Canon, anon request, Post 5x10 by 3 Months, Pregnancy Scare, see notes for TW, Drama & Comedy & Heartfelt Goodness, Secret Relationship, Medical Inaccuracies Language: English Published: 2023-01-07 Updated: 2023-01-08 Chapters: 2 Words: 6025

[If you missed Ch 1, it's posted on Tumblr and AO3]

LUCY

“I’ll go pick up another pack of tests,” Lucy offered as they stared down at the one test in question, but nobody tore their gaze away from the faint pink line on the test. 

“No, I’ll call my doctor,” Angela said, breaking the spell. “I know she’ll fit us in for a blood test. If we get this over by the lunch hour, then we might even have results by tonight.” 

Lucy continued to stare at the test while she absentmindedly followed Angela’s phone call. 

When she woke up that morning, it had been just another day. She and Tim took Kojo for an early run in which halfway through, Kojo plunged belly first into a muddy puddle and rolled around.  While Tim hosed him off in the backyard, Lucy made breakfast: Salmon for Kojo and an omelet for the two of them. 

She loved the pace they’d been taking their relationship. They had found their rhythm. Nothing felt forced and they organically began to spend more and more time together. 

Part of that meant spending time with Tim’s sister and her kids. Both Tim and Lucy had gotten involved in the boy’s baseball team earlier in the year and it had been more fun than she could have imagined. These days, Genny and Lucy didn’t need an excuse to hang out.

Tim pretended to be annoyed by the two of them colluding, especially when Genny told embarrassing stories from Tim’s past in painstakingly clear detail, but she knew he secretly loved the friendship they were developing. 

And on the flip side … Tim now (unwillingly) knew everything about Sabrina Carpenter after spending many nights and mornings at their apartment listening to Tamara prattle on about her favorite female artist. Tim would tease Tamara and ask if there was a friend she could call to discuss the latest Sabrina celebrity news with instead, to which she’d reply that she preferred the challenge of converting Tim to her way of thinking much more. Tamara even set a New Year’s Resolution of dragging Lucy and Tim to a Sabrina Carpenter concert, not having the slightest clue that they’d already purchased a set of VIP passes to an upcoming show for Tamara’s birthday. 

It all felt natural. It felt right. 

Would this fracture that feeling? 

“Thank you so much, Dr. Stone,” Angela gushed into the phone. “Yes, we will head over right now. See you soon.”

“Do you want to ride with us?” Nyla asked. 

“Yeah,” Lucy swallowed. “Let me just tell Tim I’m taking an early lunch and then I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” 

“Okay,” Angela nodded. “Be quick.”

Lucy should have anticipated that Tim would be waiting in the hall outside of the locker room. It wasn’t lost on him that Nyla and Angela rushed out from behind her and she was sure he noticed their flustered expressions. 

He waited until the other two women were out of earshot before bringing it up. 

“So?” Tim asked, drawing out the end of the word into a question. 

“The result was … inconclusive,” Lucy said. “I’m going to take an early lunch and pop over to the doctor’s office for a blood test. Can you manage for an hour without me?” 

“Of course,” Tim said. He looked around the room. “How is it inconclusive? Isn’t it just like an aim and pee thing with a yes or no answer?”

“Yes, usually,” Lucy whispered, “but something went wrong.”

“What went wrong?” Tim asked, confusion sewn into his expression. 

“I can’t go into the details right now,” Lucy said, blushing. It wasn’t like she could tell him what happened without revealing that Angela and Nyla were in the same boat and she wanted to respect their privacy. “Just trust me on this. If I don’t get the results by tonight, we can try taking another test at home after shift.”

“Okay,” Tim conceded. “Let me just get Grey to cover for me and I can come with you.”

“No, he’ll be too suspicious,” Lucy pointed out and Tim’s face dropped. “But I think after today we should make a plan to tell Grey and to tell our friends. It’s time.” 

“Alright, if you’re sure?” Tim prodded, his eyes full of concern. He could always tell when she was putting on a front.

“Yeah,” Lucy said with a soft smile. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

She stopped herself from reaching out to him. She really wanted to hug him, but she couldn’t. Not here, not when they were at work and near so many prying eyes. Not when she knew she’d break as soon as his arms slipped around her. 

She knew the honeymoon phase of their relationship wouldn’t last forever but to have it potentially shift so abruptly because of this new, incredibly big thing was too much for her to absorb. 

She loved Tim and his reaction in the shop earlier had made her love him even more. She wanted to start a family with him eventually but she’d give almost anything to be able to do it their way and on their timeline.

Angela spotted her as she walked through the parking lot and waved her over to the unmarked vehicle. Lucy took a steadying breath and tried to push away the sinking feeling in her gut. 

Angela 

As they were wrapping up at the doctor’s office, Angela got a call about a homicide scene that they were needed on. After they arrived, Lucy immediately jumped into the action to help Officer Jan set the perimeter and begin canvassing for witnesses while Nyla began to interview the person who’d called in the DB to 9-1-1. 

Tim gave Angela the official readout of the scene and she diligently took notes, but she couldn’t help checking her watch every few minutes. The doctor promised to put a rush on the bloodwork and said she’d call each of them with the results as soon as possible. 

Angela wanted to know those results so badly. She needed to know.

“Are you okay?” Tim asked after repeating the answer to a question she already asked. “You seem off.”

She sighed despondently.

“You can’t say anything to Wes until I know for sure,” she warned and he nodded apprehensively. “I might be pregnant again.”

Tim blinked. 

”For fuck’s sake, is there something in the water? ” He muttered it quietly under his breath and if she didn’t have freakishly good hearing, she would have missed it entirely. 

“What?” Angela whispered irritably. “Oh my god, did Lucy tell you?”

“What? No,” Tim stammered. “Unless … What did she tell you?”

“Timothy,” Angela warned, “what did Lucy say?”

“She told me she’s late,” Tim whispered defensively. “That’s it. I had no idea you were going through the same thing.”

“Oh.” Angela shook her head, surprised that Lucy would share something so sensitive with Tim. “Forget about that. We’ll circle back to me in a second.

She knew they were close, but Lucy had to know on some level that Tim had feelings for her. 

“I’m just so sorry, Tim,” Angela said with a sigh and gave his arm a light squeeze. “I didn’t even know Lucy was seeing someone.” 

Tim’s jaw hung open temporarily as she watched him find his words again. Poor guy. He must be reeling.

“I’m fine,” Tim said slowly. “Really, I am. You don’t need to worry about me. Are you ok with this? You were just telling me you were pretty sure Jackson was going to be an only child.”

“No, I’m not ok,” Angela admitted. “And I feel like a terrible person saying that out loud.”

Tim slung his arm over her shoulder. 

“How can I help?” 

“Just moral support,” Angela said. “And let me vent and complain if this test is positive about how hard my life is, even when it might seem unreasonable.”

“Of course,” Tim said. He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and then let her go. “What are friends for?” 

“And Tim?” Angela turned so she was facing him. “I am sorry about Lucy. I really thought you two were heading in the same direction.”

She watched Tim’s expression change. She expected him to look sad, maybe a little lost, but instead she found a mixture of guilt and … something else on his face.

What was going on?

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “I really should talk to Lucy before I tell you anything.” 

“Tell me what?” Angela’s pulse kicked up a beat. 

Tim glanced at Lucy in the distance and she saw it in his eyes. This wasn’t a man yearning, this man was adoring someone he already had. 

Oh my god, how had she missed the signs? 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Tim rushed to say as Angela’s eyes widened. “Lucy and I really just wanted to keep something for ourselves for a while and then I blinked and three months had gone by. Honestly, there were a number of times I was sure you’d already figured it out–”

“Oh my god,” Angela grabbed his arm and pulled him down to her level. He almost tripped over his own foot. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“If Lucy’s pregnant,” Tim whispered with a smile on his face, “that’s my kid.” 

Angela felt the shout of glee build in her chest before she could contain it. 

“Shhhh,” Tim looked around nervously. She could see several officers looking over at them from the corner of her eye. “You have to keep it a secret. We’re still figuring out the work side of things.” 

“I am going to hug the shit out of both of you later,” Angela said with the biggest smile on her face. Then she punched Tim in the arm. Hard. 

“Ow,” Tim said, rubbing the spot. 

“I have been feeling sorry for you ALL day. You could have told me,” Angela scolded. 

“I know,” Tim assured her. “And I trust you. We just wanted to make sure this thing was real first.”

“Is it?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

“Yeah,” Tim said with a deliriously happy smile. “As real as it gets.” 

Angela was gearing up to tell Tim how happy she was for him when Nyla walked up and narrowed her eyes at the two of them. 

“There is literally a dead body twenty feet from you,” she scolded. “Could you stop smiling so much? The other cops are starting to think you’re both sociopaths.” 

“Tim was just cheering me up,” Angela explained. “What do we have?” 

Angela worked to switch her brain back into work mode, but only managed to quell her excitement down to a half smile on her face as she walked the crime scene with Nyla. 

Her best friend was finally happy and she knew it was the forever-kind-of-happy. She had a second-hand happy high that she just couldn’t shake. 

NYLA

Nyla reached for her phone after the ding indicated she had a text message. They were getting close to wrapping up their day and had a few more solid leads to run down but it was nothing that couldn’t wait until morning. 

From: Lucy | To: Angela & Nyla  

Just got the call. Mine was negative! Phew! Good luck <;3 

Angela sighed audibly from across the desk. She saw her shoot off a reply and then did the same. Nyla’s pulse kicked up as she realized her chances were now fifty-fifty. 

When Angela’s phone rang next, their eyes met and Angela nodded before stepping away to answer. Around the same time, Tim and Lucy went into Grey’s office. It wasn’t something she would typically notice, but their body language was … strange. 

Grey hung his head in his hands for a moment before looking up at both of them with a huge smile on his face. He rounded his desk and hugged them both. Lucy hugged him back enthusiastically but Bradford looked stiff and awkward. 

Nyla smirked. 

It looked like ‘Chenford’ (as Smitty called them) was finally coming clean. 

“Nolan,” Grey opened his office door and called out. “Could you join us?” 

Nyla leaned back in her chair to enjoy the show. Moments later, Nolan’s jaw dropped in complete disbelief and Nyla chuckled in her seat. She wasn’t surprised that Nolan hadn’t suspected a thing. She’d noticed Lucy and Nolan slowly drift apart after Jackson’s death. Whether that was due to their respective lives getting busier, or a subconscious decision to distance themselves from painful memories, she wasn’t sure. 

Regardless, Nolan seemed genuinely happy for them. 

“Nyla,” Angela said from behind her. She spun around in her chair.

“What’s the word?” Nyla asked, trying to hide the hope in her voice. 

“My test was negative,” Angela said slowly. “Which means–”

Nyla’s heart pounded in her ears as her phone rang. She answered it right away. 

“I’m calling for Nyla Harper.” Nyla recognized Dr. Stone’s voice from earlier. 

“Hi, Dr. Stone,” Nyla said. “Thank you for rushing the test results. Lay it on me.”

“They were negative for pregnancy,” Dr. Stone cut to the chase. “But I did see something interesting in your bloodwork that makes me think you could have gotten the false positive on the take home test.”

“I didn’t know that was possible,” Nyla responded, letting the news wash over her. So she wouldn’t be a mom again. At least, not yet.

“It’s very rare, but sometimes a UTI can trigger a false positive. You do have minimal hCG levels present for detection but if you were pregnant, those levels would continue to climb throughout your first trimester and then level off,” Dr. Stone explained. “For at home test to be positive, the levels would have had to be much higher earlier today since those tests are far less sensitive than blood tests.”

“Okay,” Nyla said. “What does that mean for me?”

“I see an elevated white blood cell count in your CBC panel, which indicates an infection is probably present,” Dr. Stone said. “If you can come back in tomorrow or later this week, I can run a urinalysis to confirm it. Then we can send you home with antibiotics to treat it.” 

“Other than that, I’m fine?” Nyla asked. 

“Yes, as far as I can tell, you’re very healthy,” Dr. Stone confirmed. 

Nyla stayed on the phone long enough to schedule an appointment and then hung up. She jerked in her seat when she realized Angela was standing right behind her. 

“Jesus, wear a bell,” Nyla chided. 

“So you’re–”

“Not pregnant,” Nyla finished the sentence. “Doc says I might have triggered a false positive. I probably have a UTI and I’m going back tomorrow to confirm.”

“So none of us are pregnant?” Angela asked.

“Not a one,” Nyla confirmed.

“Then maybe we should all go grab celebratory drinks?” Angela suggested. 

“Rain check,” Nyla smiled politely, wishing she could match Angela’s level of relief. “I am wiped.” 

“Okay,” Angela said and gathered her things. “Have a good night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See ya.” 

Nyla sighed and let the disappointment sit with her for a minute. It’s not the right time , she told herself, and she could be okay with that. 

There was a silver lining to all of this. Now she knew how she really felt about adding to her family. She made her way home to James to see if he felt the same way. 

LUCY 

Lucy walked across the parking lot with Tim by her side, grinning from ear to ear about finally having their relationship out and in the open. 

“How are you feeling?” Tim nudged her softly with his elbow.  

“About telling Grey?” Lucy asked.

“That too,” Tim nodded, “but more so about the negative pregnancy test.”

“Honestly?” Lucy bit her lip nervously. “I’m relieved. You?” 

“Me too,” Tim said with a sigh. 

“Really?” Lucy prodded. “I know you’re ready to start a family but–” 

“Eventually,” Tim corrected her. “But right now? I’m so happy with exactly where we are.”

“Me too.” Lucy smiled up at him and grabbed his hand. 

“Wow,” Tim brought her hand to his lips and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles. “I can’t believe we can actually do this now.”

“It’s almost like we’re a normal couple,” Lucy agreed with a laugh and swung his arm playfully as they walked. 

Once they at his truck, Tim twisted her in his arms. 

“What are you doing?” Her voice was husky as his face neared her own. 

“What normal couples do.” He slid his hand behind her neck and brushed his fingers into her hair before closing the distance between their lips. His kiss felt like a vow, holding the promise of all the amazing milestones yet to come. 

“I could get used to this,” Lucy mumbled against his lips.

“You better because I’m planning to keep doing it.” 

“Fine by me,” Lucy said with a smirk. “Because I’m planning on keeping you forever.”

“Forever, huh?” Tim smiled teasingly and leaned back a hair. “I’m going to need to check my schedule first.”

“Oh, do I need to call your gofer so he can pencil me into your calendar?” Lucy said with a snort. 

“That would be great,” Tim tossed back but she could see the corner of his lip creeping up. 

“Don’t make me hurt you,” she warned lightheartedly, swatting his chest. 

He captured her wrist swiftly and pulled her in close until her arm was wrapped around his neck. She rested her other palm on his chest, inhaling sharply in anticipation. 

“You know what I think?” He teased, the grumble of his voice vibrating against her wrist. 

“Hmm?” Lucy hummed, her gaze dropping from his eyes to his lips. 

“Forever is a really good place to start.” 

When his lips crashed down on hers this time, she felt giddy butterflies take flight in her belly. Their future played like a movie on the back of her eyelids but she blinked them away. The future could wait. She was focused on the here and now with the most important person in her life.