#chenford imagine

[new-fandom-scene]

Lucy “Freak in the Sheets” Chen

[rookie-chenford]

Dream a little dream of me

Description: Based on Season 4 Episode 17. Some things are the same and some things are my own added flare. So I hope you enjoy!

Words: 2617

Warnings: mentions of anxiety, lots of tears, mentions of what happened to Lucy. If there is any other warning I should put in here, please let me know!

A/N: This is a long one, so strap in for the ride!

Lucy emerged from her bedroom and stopped in the doorway. "What is that smell?" she asked cautiously.

Tamara smiled. "Breakfast. I saw this recipe on Cliptalk and wanted to try it." She placed the food on a plate and handed it over to Lucy.

"Ooooh, okay. It looks interesting." She takes a bite, contemplating all the flavors bursting in her mouth. "Okay, it's not bad; it has some uniqueness to it. For once, I can say this Cliptalk recipe isn't all that bad. What's all the fuss for?"

"I just want today to go well for you. I can't imagine having to tell the same story repeatedly and feeling like I'll never stop telling it."

"Well, I've told the story to my therapist a hundred times. I don't think one more time will hurt."

"I know, but it just seems so unnecessary for you to go through the worst moments in your life just so the D.A. can slap some more charges onto her time."

"All I have to do is tell the D.A. everything so they can prove Rosalind was an accessory in Caleb's crime."

"But is it even worth it when she's already serving four life sentences?" Tamara asked, concern and confusion laced in her voice.

"It's essential that she is held accountable for what happened. Most of her victims aren't alive to tell their stories, and I'm fortunate enough to do so." Lucy said with a bit of sadness in her voice.

Tamara nodded. "Fine, but I'm coming with you. Is Tim going to be there?"

Lucy let out a small chuckle. "You don't have to, and why would Tim be there?"

Tamara made her way around the counter, gathering up her stuff so they could leave. "I'm coming with you. That way, if you get upset, I'll be on standby with cute puppy videos and your favorite snacks. And I just figured he'd also be there to support you, like me." She smiled.

Lucy shook her head, a sad smile appearing on her face. "No, he won't be there. He's working today." She took a deep breath and grabbed her stuff. "Come on, let's go."

Walking into the main lobby of the ADA's office, Lucy took a deep breath and looked around, trying to come up with a small lie to have a moment to herself. "Umm, I am going to look for a restroom. I'll be right back."

"Do you need me to come with you?" Tamara asked with concern.

Lucy chuckled. "I think I can handle it. Will you let someone know that I'm here?"

"Sure thing."

Lucy quickly walked off and opened the first door that she saw. The lights were off when she entered, but she looked around to ensure she was alone. When she saw no one around, she leaned against the wall, her breathing becoming ragged. All the memories of Caleb and what happened to her quickly flashed through her mind. Her lip quivered, trying to keep her tears at bay. She squeezed her eyes shut and slid down the wall, trying to get the memories to disappear, a single tear making its way down her face. Once she felt she was okay enough, she wiped her face, got up, and exhaled a shaky breath. She cleared her throat and made her way out into the lobby.

As she entered, Tamara gave Lucy a soft smile that quickly dropped when she saw Lucy's red eyes. Tamara quickly dropped the conversation with the guy she was talking to and made her way over towards Lucy.

"Hey, you okay?" Tamara asked, concern lacing her voice.

Lucy looked around, trying to find Sara, the ADA she was supposed to be talking to. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She waved her hand, dismissing Tamara.

Tamara could see the whirlwind of emotions in Lucy's eyes, but she didn't want to push her, knowing she'd already be going through a lot. Tamara nodded and squeezed Lucy's hand, letting her know she was here with her and was not alone during this difficult time. Just as Tamara was fixing to speak, she saw Chris quickly approaching them.

"Hi," Chris said, a little worriness written on his face.

"Hey, do you know where Sarah is? I'm here for trial prep."

Chris cleared his throat, his face a little paler than usual. "Umm, she is out sick today, and they asked me to step in. But it seems awkward, given our relationship. We can reschedule if you'd like?"

"Uhh, no, it's okay. We're professionals. We'll just be discussing the details of the case." Lucy said, stumbling over her words a little.

"Okay then, follow me."

Lucy turned to look at Tamara, a little bit of worry on her face. Tamara squeezed her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. Lucy nodded and followed Chris to a conference room.

They sat across from each other, an awkward silence filling the room as Chris pulled out the files from his briefcase.

He cleared his throat. "Alright, let's get started. Did you ever hear Caleb talking to Rosalind on the phone?"

"Mm, no." Lucy's eyes cast down at the photos sitting in front of her.

"Did he talk about her as if they were communicating?"

Lucy took a deep breath before answering, her eyes now meeting Chris's "No."

"So, how do you know he was working with her?"

Lucy chuckled disbeliefly. "B-because she told me herself when I visited her in prison. She repeated the song I sang in the barrel. How would she know that if she and Caleb weren't communicating?"

Chris's voice faded into the background as she looked back at the photos, resurfacing memories of that day—memories of her tattoo, getting into the barrel, and trying to fight her way out.

"Lucy, I just want you to be ready."

She finally snapped out of it. "I'm familiar with the concept of trial prep." A hint of anger in her voice.

"I know," Chris said softly. "Uhh, how about we take a break?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, a little softer this time.

They left the conference room and made their way to the break room, where Tamara and her new friend were hanging out.

"I was wondering where you went," Lucy said as she entered the room, a smile forming.

"Two watered-down coffees coming up," Chris said in the background.

"How's it going?" Tamara asked.

"Uhh, great."

"This is Austin. He's saving the planet."

"It's Good to know someone is trying to. You can go; you don't have to stay here."

"Mmm, I don't know. I'm finding this whole law thing fascinating." Tamara said, trying to convince Lucy.

Lucy can see right through her, a knowing smirk appearing. "Uh-huh. And what exactly is so interesting?" She chuckled.

Before Tamara can answer, Lucy's face drops, tears forming in her eyes. Tamara's face turns into confusion, wondering what suddenly made Lucy's mood drop. She raises an eyebrow at Lucy, waiting for her to say something. Lucy turns around as Chris continues singing the song she sang in the barrel. Lucy hears Tamara ask if she's okay but doesn't answer. Her breathing picks up, a million questions going through her head.

Chris's face immediately drops at the realization, and he quickly turns to face Lucy. "I—I am so sorry. It was stuck in my head, and I wasn't thinking. It was thoughtless and stupid, and I'm sorry."

Tamara and Austin quickly exit the break room, and she quickly whips out her phone to call Tim. She wasn't sure what to say to him but knew Lucy needed his support for the rest of this trial prep.

"The- the uhh song was stuck in your head because you've, you've seen the video." Lucy's voice was shaky, trying to keep her tears from falling.

"Well, yeah. It's evidence."

"Ri-right. No, of course, you did. You're in the D.A.'s office, and it's evidence, so… you've…" Lucy's voice cracked, tears threatening to spill at any moment.

"Look, I should have told you I'd seen it. I'm sorry." Chris said as he walked towards Lucy.

Lucy stepped back as he approached her, making him stop in his tracks. "No, you said that part already." Lucy swallowed thickly. "Umm, I, I just need a minute."

"Lucy, please-'

Before he could say anything else, Lucy raised her hands. " Please, can you…" She stopped, unable to say anything else as her throat became tighter from holding back her tears.

Chris nodded and whispered a yeah as he walked out and closed the door. Lucy paced the floor, groaning and breathing heavily. She couldn't believe Chris would be so careless about singing a song that once brought her joy and now brings back her worst nightmares. She sat on the couch, her head in her hands, lightly pulling on her hair to relieve some tension.

After being in the break room for a while, Lucy lifted her head as a knock formed on the door. Tamara softly opened the door, her face falling when she saw the tears staining Lucy's cheeks. "Sorry to interrupt, but Chris just wanted to know if you were ready to continue."

Lucy wiped her face with her sleeves. "Yeah, I'll be out in a moment."

"Okay," Tamara whispered as she shut the door.

Lucy took a deep breath and stood up from the couch, fixing her clothes as she went to the door. She turned the knob and took one more deep breath before opening it and making her way back to the conference room. When she entered, Chris was already in there waiting for her. As he heard her walk in, he quickly put his pen down and stood up.

"Again, I am so-"

"Sorry. Yeah, I know." Lucy said, not wanting to hear another apology from him.

She reached the other side of the table and pulled out her chair. "Umm," She cleared her throat. "I- I need you to do something for me."

"Yeah, anything."

"I need to see the video."

The barrel video?"

"Yeah. You've seen it; half the lawyers in this building have seen it, and I haven't."

Chris took a deep breath. "Lucy, it's… It's incredibly hard to watch."

"I need to see it." She said with a more demanding tone.

Chris nodded his head and turned toward his briefcase. Pulling out his laptop, he opened it up and clicked the mouse several times before placing it in front of Lucy.

"Should I stay or…"

"Mnh-mnh, no. Umm, thank you."

Chris made his way towards the door and opened it, looking back at Lucy before leaving.

Lucy's hand hovered over the mouse momentarily before a knock interrupted her. She quickly moved her hand away from the laptop and looked up to see Tim opening the door. She pulled her eyebrows together, wondering why he was there.

She quickly stood up from her chair. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at work."

"Tamara called and said you were upset, and she wasn't sure why. She was worried about you." He said, a look of concern on his face.

"I'm fine. She shouldn't have called you." A defensive tone laced in her voice.

Tim cocked his head. "Clearly you're not fine. I can see the redness in your eyes. You've been crying. Tell me what's going on." He pleaded as he made his way to Lucy, standing before her.

She looked down at her hands as she fiddled with her fingers. "I-I… Chris started singing the song I sang in the barrel as we took a break. He said it slipped his mind. I-I just hadn't put two and two together that he and probably every lawyer here has seen the video."

"Excuse me?" Tim questioned with disgust in his voice.

"He apologized already. Don't go all Tim on him."

"I should give that prick a piece of my mind. How do you let something like that slip your mind?"

Lucy could feel the anger radiating from Tim's body. She sat down in the chair facing the laptop as he paced the room momentarily, trying to keep from walking out the door and causing a scene.

After a moment of calming himself down, he looked over at Lucy. "What are you doing?"

"I need to watch the video."

"Video of what?"

"Of me in the barrel." She whispered.

Tim made his way over to the chair next to her. He spun her chair to face him. "Are you sure you want to do that?" He asked, grabbing her hands.

Lucy looked into his eyes, so he knew she was serious. "Yeah, I am."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Will you?"

A small smile formed on Tim's face. "Of course I will."

Lucy took a deep breath and turned back to face the laptop, her hand hovering over the mouse. She looked at Tim, who nodded, letting her know he was ready. With one more deep breath, Lucy played the video.

It started playing, and the sound of her fist slamming against the barrel startled her. Tim quickly placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it to let her know she was safe. Lucy couldn't sit still. Her hand lightly scratched her forehead, kept moving her hair out of her face, and finally, her finger rested on her top lip, rubbing it back and forth. As she closes her eyes, the video continues to play in the background. She bounces her leg, her anxiety becoming heavier as the video plays. A single tear slips down her cheek. Tim looks over at her, bringing his hand up to wipe her tear away. This makes her break down into a full-on sob. He quickly wraps her into his embrace, rocking her back and forth and whispering that she's safe and he's here. He's doing anything and everything to get her to calm down. His heart breaks for her, hating that she put herself through this, but he also knows she had her reasons and won't ever question why.

Long after the video ends, Lucy finally calms down enough to pull back from Tim's embrace. She stares at her feet while he looks directly at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Thank you." She finally croaks.

Tim placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head to look at him. Her red and puffy eyes finally met his. "I am always going to be here for you. No matter what."

"I know," Lucy replied with a small smile. "Umm, I don't want to testify anymore. I don't want to keep reliving that day over and over again. I want to leave it where it belongs, in the past."

Tim nodded, shut the laptop, and grabbed Lucy's hand. "Then you don't have to testify. No one is going to think less of you. Now, come on, let's get out of here."

They made their way to the door, Tim opening it to let Lucy out first. Tamara turned around at the sound of the door opening, happy to see Tim bringing out a happier-looking Lucy.

"Everything okay?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah, it will be," she said with a smile. She turned to look at Chris. "I've decided I don't want to testify."

"Understandable." He nodded.

"I've been trying to prove how strong I am, but… I survived that. I don't have anything to prove." Tamara walked over to Lucy's side and hugged her.

"You don't have to explain yourself. We have enough evidence to convict her without you. I promise."

With that, Lucy, Tamara, and Tim walked toward the elevator and left. Leaving everything behind and never looking back at this day again.

[afictionaladventure16]

The Longest Night (Tim Bradford X Foster!Teen!Reader)

The Rookie Masterlist

Word Count: 3,832

Warnings: Mentions of death and blood

Summary: It's towards the end of Tim's shift when he gets a call on the radio about a nearby car accident, but when he arrives, he doesn't expect his world to turn upside down.

The day began like any other, Tim got up before sunrise and prepped a quick breakfast before getting himself ready. By then y/n was up and dressed and eating her breakfast. Over the past two years, they had a routine that they strictly followed. At first, the life of fostering a young teen was challenging for Tim, especially with his schedule but he was determined to help the young teen. He saw so much of himself within her. 

Getting y/n to open up to him was another challenge. It took a while, but eventually, she learned how to trust Tim and now she felt like Tim was the father she never had. There were times when she had to stop herself from calling him ‘dad,’ even though she knew he wouldn’t mind. She felt like it wasn’t appropriate since she knew that one day she would only be a distant memory. 

Towards the end of his shift, Tim was over it. He was ready to go home and start his weekend. More importantly, he was excited to go to y/n’s soccer game tonight. He knew he was going to be the loudest one in the crowd, cheering you on as you gave it your all in the field. 

He loved watching you play, loved seeing the passion you had for the game and if he could, he would do anything so you could play whenever you pleased, but the world didn’t work that way. 

The plan was for you to drive to the field with some friends after school, you would grab something to eat with them on the way there. Fortunately for you, you were able to get out of class early to grab a bite and head over to the field. Later on in the evening, Tim, Lucy, and Angela will meet you at the game. 

“All units,” the voice came over the radio, “we have a major collision at the intersection of Sepulveda and Fifth. Possible fatalities. Paramedics en route.” 

Tim’s heart quickened, something about this call felt different from the others. A chill ran down his spine, he knew that intersection too well. It was one of the intersections he passed on the way to drop y/n off at school.

“Dispatch, show 7-Adam-100 responding,” Tim announced on the radio as he drove off from where he was parked. The scene of the accident wasn’t too far, it was only ten minutes away, but with the way Tim was driving, he made it there in five. 

When he arrived, paramedics were already at the scene, a couple of paramedics were assisting some firemen help get a passenger out of one of the cars. Just with one look at the scene, Tim already knew that the impact of some of these cars was deadly. 

“Tim,” Lucy hurried towards him, she had arrived at the same time as the paramedics. 

Tim was too distracted by the scene of the wreckage in front of him to even notice the look on Lucy’s face, “Jesus, what was the cause of this?” he asked. 

Lucy’s expression was tense, her eyes had widened with something more than just professional concern, “T-Tim,” she whispered, a hand gently touching his arm. 

Tim quickly diverted his attention towards Lucy, taking in the expression she was giving him, “What’s going on?” His voice is tight with worry. 

Lucy hesitated, she had no idea how to tell the man she loved, the man who was standing right in front of him the news that could cause his whole world to come crashing down. Her gaze flickered over his shoulder to where the paramedics were working frantically on someone who was lying on the pavement. “I need you to promise me you’ll stay calm,” she began. 

There was that feeling again, the one Tim felt when he heard the call over the radio, “What is it?” 

Lucy took in a shaky breath, “It’s y/n,” she said softly. Her mouth quivered, she rose her hand up to her mouth quickly before putting her hand back down and continued, “The way the car hit– She–” She let out a small sob. 

“Where is she?” Tim felt a cold knot of dread forming in his stomach, “Where is my daughter, Lucy!?” 

“The paramedics are doing everything they can,” She managed to choke out. 

Tim felt as if the ground beneath him had been pulled out from under him, he followed Lucy’s gaze behind him, his whole world narrowed to the sight of the paramedics working on his daughter. His heart sunk at their grim faces as they focused at the task at hand. He pushed past Lucy, any call for him went in through one ear and out the other as he rushed to Y/n’s side. 

“No, no, no,” Tim shouted, his voice breaking as he took in her pale and bloodied face. “Come on, baby, you got to wake up,” he cried as he knelt beside her, gently holding her head in his hands. 

“Clear!” A paramedic warned as he held the defibrillator paddles in his hands, Tim quickly let go of y/n, his eyes darting to the small portable screen beside them. The paramedic let out a small groan as he continued to administer CPR, “Another round of EPI!” The paramedic ordered. 

Tim’s heart shattered with every single millisecond that passed. Reaching out with a trembling hand, he brushed a strand of hair from y/n’s forehead, “Please,” he begged, “Don’t take her from me.”

Lucy knelt beside Tim, offering anything she could to support him. 

“Clear!” The paramedic announced again. 

“Come on, baby girl,” Tim whispered as he lifted his hands up, allowing the paramedic to use the paddles on y/n. 

Tim waited, watching the straight lines on the defibrillator, “Come on!” He shouted, tears streaming down his cheek. 

“We got a pulse!” The paramedic called out as a small pulse showed itself on the small screen in front of him. Tim let out a breath of relief, overwhelmed with a wave of emotions, Y/N was alive, but barely. 

“You can meet us at the hospital,” the paramedic informed Tim as they loaded Y/n onto a stretcher. 

Tim watched as they wheeled her into the ambulance, His attention was directed to another stretcher that was covered with a sheet. His heart sank as he noticed a familiar charm bracelet that was barely showing through the sheet. He quickly stopped the paramedics from moving the stretcher. 

Tim glanced over at Lucy, she gave him a nod, confirming his fear without words. 

“Fuck!” He exclaimed as he took in a shaky breath. 

“I was on my way to inform her parents.” 

Tim shook his head, “No, let me.” 

“But y/n.” 

“Y/N would want me to tell her best friend's parents that their daughter… she would want me to do this.” 

Lucy nodded, “I can go with you if you would like,” she suggested. 

He gave her a small nod. Lucy followed Tim in her patrol car, to the small house that was only a few blocks down.

Tim dreaded giving the news of the death of a loved one, but this was different. A knot of anxiety turned in Tim’s stomach as he knocked on the door with shaky hands. Mrs. Garcia, Jenna’s mother, answered the door with a beaming smile, but it was short-lived once she saw the look on Tim’s face. Her smile quickly faded into concern.

“Tim? What’s wrong?” She asked, her voice laced with concern. 

“Can we come in?” Tim asked gently. Mrs. Garcia’s eyes darted between him and Lucy before she gave him a small nod and stepped aside. Her eyes widened with worry. 

“Heeey, Tim!” Mr. Garcia sung as he watched Tim walk into the living room, “Ready for that game tonight? Don’t tell me one of the girls called you to come grab something,” he rambled on, “Leave it to our girls to always forget something.” His voice slowly faltered as he noticed the look on his wife’s face. 

“Tim has– Um, he’s here because of work,” Mrs. Garcia stuttered as she sat beside her husband on the couch. The look on Mr. Garcia’s face now mirrored his wife’s as they looked at Tim. 

Tim took in a deep breath, his mind searching for the right words today, but he knew there were none. For a moment, he wanted them to take in these last moments, the last moments of them being oblivious to what was going on. The last moments of them believing that their daughter was still alive and with them in this world. 

Tears began to well up in his eyes, “There was an accident,” he began. “Y/N and Jenna were involved.” 

Mr. Garcia let out a small chuckle out of disbelief, “But they’re okay, right?” 

Tim felt his stomach turn as he continued, “Y/N is on the way to the hospital, they were able to resuscitate her.” 

Mrs. Garcia gasped, as Mr. Garcia took his wife’s hand, “and my Jenna?” His voice shaking as he asked. 

Tim could feel the tears in his eyes threatening to make themselves known, “I’m so sorry,” he said with a shaky voice, “Jenna didn’t make it.” 

Mrs. Garcia shook her head, “No, no, no! Not my baby!” She yelled as she collapsed into her husband’s arm, her body wracked with sobs. Mr. Garcia held her tightly as tears fell from his eyes. Tim felt helpless as he stood there, wishing there was something he could do to ease their pain, but he knew there wasn’t. 

“I’m so sorry,” Tim repeated, “Jenna was more than just Y/n’s friend. They were like sisters. You guys were–are like family to us.” 

Mr. Garcia looked up towards Tim, his eyes red and overwhelmed with grief, “Can we see her? Can we see our baby girl?” 

Tim nodded, “I’ll take you to her. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” 

The Garcia’s followed Tim’s patrol car to the hospital. Tim felt like he could understand the pain they were going through, seeing as he had just seen his own daughter almost be taken from him, but he knew his pain couldn’t compare to the pain they were about to face. 

He guided them through the quiet halls, it was a part of the hospital Tim rarely went through. A part of the hospital not a lot of people wished to see. The room in which Jenna’s body was in was filled with an overwhelming aura of sadness. It’s like the walls knew the pain of those who held her close. Tim stood at the door as he watched them walk up to the bed where their daughter lay motionless. 

In the midst of it all, Tim felt guilt. Guilt that his daughter lived and theirs didn’t and mixed in with all the guilt, he felt angry. 

He wasn’t sure if he was more angry towards the drunk driver or god himself for taking Jenna away from her parents. 

Lucy walked up to Tim, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Hey,” she whispered, gesturing for him to follow her. 

He let out a deep breath, following Lucy down the hall. 

“They’re wheeling Y/N into surgery now, they’re saying it was touch and go there for a while, which is why it took them a while to get her stable enough to go into surgery,” Lucy explained. Her eyes gazed towards the door at the end of the hall, “How are they holding up?” 

Tim shook his head as tears quickly welled up in his eyes, Lucy didn’t hesitate to pull Tim into an embrace, “I almost lost her and I was a mess, I can’t imagine the pain they are going through,” he said shakily as he returned Lucy’s embrace. 

“I know,” Lucy whispered. 

“I almost lost her,” Tim repeated. Taking in the words he had just said. 

“But you didn’t,” Lucy said as she let go of the embrace and held Tim’s head in her hands. “She’s alive and she needs you right now, she needs you more than ever.” 

Tim nodded, “I don’t know what I would do if I lost her.” 

“You didn’t lose her, Tim.” 

“I can’t lose her,” he repeated. 

“You won’t.” 

“But I still can,” tears welled up in his eyes, “they can take her away as easily as they brought her into my life and I can’t bear to lose her. She’s my kid.” 

Lucy couldn’t help but smile, “So, what are you saying?” 

“I’m saying that I want to adopt her. I need to.” 

Lucy beamed, “About time.” 

Tim and Lucy stayed in the hall, while the Garcia’s said goodbye to their daughter. A small amount of words were exchanged as Tim watched the Garcias walk out of the hospital, he promised them that Y/N would come over from time to time, but they still wanted her presence around even if their daughter wasn’t there. He knew it was because their home would be missing that light their daughter gave off, the light that y/n gave off when she came into any room. 

~~ 

Tim let out a deep sigh as he moved in his seat for the hundredth time, “would you quit it?” Lucy asked. 

“My belt is beginning to become uncomfortable,” Tim commented. 

“I know,” Lucy said as she looked up from her phone, “that’s why I called Angela to bring us some spare clothes from our lockers,” she said just as Angela walked out of the elevator. 

“How’s our girl doing?” Angela asked as soon as she walked over to Lucy and Tim. 

“The doctors came about an hour ago to update us, it was touch and go then,” Tim said. 

“Fuck,” Angela sighed as she took a seat beside them, handing off the bag of clothes to Lucy. 

Lucy quickly stood up, “I’m gonna go change,” she said as she grabbed her clothes from the bag before handing it off to Tim. 

Tim watched as Lucy walked away to the bathroom, “How are you holding up?” 

“I just wish I could get to the part where this is all over with and Y/n is back home and she’s safe and healthy.” 

“Don’t we all,” Angela whispered. 

The sound of the corridor doors opening caught Tim’s attention, his eyes diverting to the doctor who rushed through the doors and was walking towards him. Tim instantly recognized him as he stood up, “How is she?” 

“She’s stable,” Tim let out a breath of relief, “she did sustain significant injuries and the road to recovery will be a long one, but what’s important is that she is stable for now. We want to keep her in the ICU until she’s off the ventilator.” 

“But she’s okay,” Angela reassured. 

“She’s stable,” the doctor repeated. “I would count that as a win.” 

Tim nodded, “Can I see her?” 

“Of course, I’ll take you up there myself.” 

Tim glanced at Angela, “Go! I’ll let Lucy know.” 

Tim nodded, grabbing his bag of spare clothes before following the doctor to the elevator. 

“I do want to warn you, that what Y/N endured is traumatic. She had multiple fractures, extensive bruising, and some severe lacerations,” Tim was aware, but when he saw her, all he noticed was his little girl. He saw the blood, but only kept his eyes on her face, taking it in as much as he could. 

“She will be swollen and it may look scary along with all the bandages and lacerations,” the doctor continued. 

Tim swallowed hard, “I just want to see her,” he whispered as he tried hard to maintain his composure. 

“And you will, I just want you to keep in mind that it may look bad, but trust me, it will heal and she will recover,” the doctor turns to face Tim, “your daughter is lucky to be alive considering the damage.” 

The doctor stepped out of the elevator once it had stopped, and Tim followed him to one of the rooms in the ICU. “Let us know if you need anything,” the doctor said before leaving to give Tim some space. 

Tim paused outside the door for a second, taking in a deep breath he walked into the room. The sight in front of him was worse than he had imagined, taking in a shaky breath, Tim hurried to the y/n’s side. He took in all the bandages and wires that were connected to her body, the tube that was coming out of her mouth that was to help her breath. 

He gently took her hand in his, “I’m here,” he whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on her hand, “dad’s here,” he whispered again. 

Days went by and Tim remained by y/n’s side. His anxiety was getting the best of him every day that passed, especially since there was no change. Things weren’t getting worse, but they weren’t getting better either. Every day the doctors and nurses came in to check on y/n Tim was hopeful that there would be some change or something new for them to say, but it all remained the same. 

But today felt different. While Tim was holding y/n’s hand, he felt a small movement. He could have swore that she tightened her grip, he took that hope and ran with it. Getting any nurse that was available to show them what he saw. The doctor was quick to run some tests.

One of those tests in particular came back with new results, “It’s a risk,” the doctor commented. 

“But there’s a possibility?” Tim asked. The doctor nodded, “Then let’s do it.” 

Tim sat by as the doctors removed the ventilator, it was a risk. There was a percentage that Y/N could breathe on her own without it and that’s why she’s beginning to show movement, but then there could be a possibility in which she can’t yet breathe with out it. It was all risky, but Tim was willing to take the risk if it meant him knowing where she is on the road of recovery. 

They waited for a few minutes, watching the machines carefully as the ventilator was now completely out.

“Is this good?” Tim asked. 

“So far,” One of the doctors commented. “It looks like she is breathing on her on, we’ll continue to keep an eye on her.” 

Slowly the few nurses and doctors that were in the room began to file out, leaving Tim alone with Y/n. He watched throughout the day as y/n breathed on her own. He took it all as a good sign. 

Soon Tim felt his eyes growing heavy as he let the darkness consume him allowing sleep to enter his body. It was hours later when Tim heard was awakened by a soft groan. 

At first, Tim didn’t quiet understand where it was coming from, his sleep overtaking him again and ignoring the groans. When he kept hearing them, his body quickly reacted, sitting up in his seat, his heart pounding as he looked over at y/n. Her eyes squinting from the brightness of the room, she groaned again. 

“Hey, hey,” Tim rushed to her side.

“It hurts,” she groaned. 

“I know, I know,” Tim softly said as he pressed the button near the bed, alerting the nurses. 

It wasn’t long until a few of the nurses came rushing into the room, examining Y/N and giving her more pain medication. One of the doctors was alerted, he quickly came and ordered some tests before leaving. 

“How are you feeling?” Tim asked as soon as they were alone. 

“Like shit,” Y/N responded.

Tim chuckled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, “you were out for a week,” he commented. 

“I barely remember anything,” She confessed. 

Tim sighed, “It was bad,” he began. 

“I just remember… I remember hearing screams.” 

Tim nodded, “Joey and Lisa made it out with a couple of broken bones. The people in the other car only had a couple of scratches.” He let out a deep sigh, “the driver that caused everything died upon impact.” 

“And Jenna?” 

Tim didn’t know how to muster up the words to tell y/n. He wish he could say that within the past week he figured the words but he didn’t. 

Y/N didn’t like the silence she was receiving, “Tim, what about Jenna?” she asked again.

“They did everything they could,” Tim began to say, tears welling up in her eyes. 

Y/N shook her head, “No.” 

“Y/N, honey, I know-” 

“It should’ve been me,” She cried out. 

“Don’t say that,” Tim raised his voice. 

“Her parents,” She cried, “It should’ve been me.” 

Tim let in a deep breath, “I almost lost you too, Y/n,” letting out a shaky breath, “I had to watch the paramedics bring you back to life. There was no saving Jenna when they arrived, but they were able to save you.” 

Tears welled up in y/n’s eyes as she watched Tim break down in front of her, “I know that’s not what you want to hear and I am sorry about Jenna, she meant everything to our little family, but seeing you lifeless on the floor… It broke me. I don’t think I could ever recover from that.” 

Y/n never imagined to hear those words come from Tim, she knew he cared for her, but she didn’t imagine that he truly cared enough that if she were gone he would miss her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. 

Tim mustered up a smile, “No, I’m sorry, this was a experience I wished you never had to experience, but I am here for you. We’re going to get through this together, okay?” 

She gave him a small nod, Tim sniffles, “I wanted to wait until the paperwork came in, but I think you need to hear this now.” 

Y/n gave Tim a confused expression. 

Tim sighed before he continued, “I want to adopt you.” 

“What? Are you serious?” She asked with a surprised expression. 

“As serious as I ever could be, you have been my daughter since the day I took you in, there is no changing that, So what do you think? Want to officially become a Bradford?” 

Tears began to well up in y/n’s eyes, “You want to adopt me?” She asked. 

Tim chuckled, “Of course, I do.”

“Then I guess I should start calling you dad now, huh?” 

Tim smiled, placing a small kiss on y/n’s forehead, “that’s up to you, hon.” Tim knew that the road from here on out wasn’t going to be easy. It was long and bumpy, but he knew that he could take the challenge one day at a time, especially since the risk of loosing you wasn’t as high as it was before. That’s all that mattered to Tim. 

[jesuis-assez]

↠ Tim & Lucy ↳ 4x05 👻A.C.H

[ohtendril]

Have I gotta give it up?

[theflyindutchwoman]

Speculation Area : Is it just me or does Lucy's uniform seem slightly different to you? It looks like she's wearing a short sleeves basic Tshirt instead of her standard uniform on top of the long sleeves (like in 5.22). I wouldn't have made much of it if it weren't for the different hairstyle as well 👀

[leslieseveride]

once tim meets lucy’s parents it's all gonna click for him why she got so defensive about his belief in her taking the detectives exam.

[redpinkwine]

WOOOOFFFF WOF WOF WOSNWKSNWKDM BQRK BARK GULG GLUGLIVLG GULP BRBEELELRLLLALAWKSKANJWJAJQ SCHWOOPPPPPPP PLOPPAOWOSKAO WOOF

[darlinghowl]

i can see why everyone loves chenford bc i’m only 7 episodes into season 1 and she’s already borne witness to one of his greatest traumas (seeing his wife, who is an addict, for the first time in a year), flirted with him a little (stole his wallet by ‘thinking like a criminal’ after he admitted his real wallet was kept behind his belt), and then was the sole voice of reason pulling him back from doing something he’d regret (not getting rid of the kilo of heroin his wife was keeping in her apartment for her drug dealer boyfriend so his wife would face 20 years of jail time and possibly being killed by fellow prisoners bc she’s an ex-cop (i wish i was kidding what is even going on THIS early in this show))

[trashblog07]

Tim bradford would be such a girl dad

[timandlucy]

The way my brain just casually went like "imagine if Tim and Lucy were engaged when the breakup happened"

[new-fandom-scene]

Freak in the sheets??? Hello?????

[rookie-chenford]

Keeping A Secret

Description: Based slightly on Season 2 Episode 6, but a little farther into the future, about 6 months after they've graduated to P2, and also a little twist. Also took a scene from Season 5 Episode 11, because I love it so much lol.

Words: 3202

Warnings: false missle threat, mentions of anxiety, not sure of anything else, but please let me know if there are any!

Lucy jolted awake as her daughter, Ellie, jumped on her bed and shouted, "Mommy, wake up! It's time for school!" Lucy turned over, grabbed her phone, and looked at it. 4:00 a.m. flashed across the screen, and she groaned. "Ellie bug, we still have an two hours before we have to get up." 

Lucy jolted awake as her daughter, Ellie, jumped on her bed and shouted, "Mommy, wake up! It's time for school!" Lucy turned over, grabbed her phone, and looked at it. 4:00 a.m. flashed across the screen, and she groaned. "Ellie bug, we still have an two hours before we have to get up." 

Ellie quit jumping and kneeled by Lucy's side. "But, Mommy, I'm ready to go to school now." She whined. Lucy chuckled and grabbed Ellie so she could lay beside her. "I know, bug. But school doesn't open for a couple of more hours. Let's try to get a little more sleep, and then we can get ready, okay?" Ellie nodded and shut her eyes. Lucy looked over and smiled at Ellie, moving the little bit of hair off her face. When Ellie's breathing evened out, Lucy closed her eyes and drifted asleep. 

The alarm on her phone blared, waking both Lucy and Ellie up. Lucy groaned internally, and Ellie quickly popped up. Lucy grabbed her phone and turned the alarm off. "Is it time for school now, mommy?" Lucy chuckled as she sat her phone down. "Yeah, baby, it is. Go get ready." Ellie hopped out of Lucy's bed, squealing. Lucy shook her head and chuckled as she got out of bed and got ready for the day. 

"Alright, Ellie. Are you ready to go?" Lucy hollered as she poured coffee into her travel mug. Ellie came running out, wearing a plain white long-sleeve shirt, the cutest olive green overalls, and white Converse. "Ready, Mommy!" she squealed as she struck a pose. "Wow, you look absolutely beautiful." Lucy gushed as she grabbed her things and Ellie's backpack. "Aunt Tamara helped me pick out my outfit, and we match!" She exclaimed. Tamara walked out of her room, wearing an almost identical outfit, and struck the same pose beside Ellie. Lucy laughed and shook her head in amusement, loving the relationship between Ellie and Tamara. "Well, you both look beautiful. Say goodbye to Aunt Tamara." Tamara bent down to be the same height as Ellie and squeezed her, making Ellie squeal. "Alright, kiddo, have a good day at school." Tamara released her from the hug, and Ellie waved and blew her a kiss. Before Lucy closed the door, she stuck her head back in. "Are you still good with picking her up after school?" Tamara nodded. "Yeah, I'm good." Lucy quickly thanked her, headed to drop Ellie off at school, and then went to work. 

Lucy and Nolan walked in, seeing Tim at the new coffee machine, trying to figure out how it worked. He pulled levers, twisted knobs, and pushed buttons, but nothing was working. He turned around when he heard Lucy rustling around in the snack basket. "Hey, what was wrong with the old coffee machine?" Lucy smirked as she saw Tim struggling with the new machine. "Oof, led levels for one," Nolan said. 

"Mice infestation, for two," Lucy added. She grabbed a breakfast bar and headed over towards Tim. "Here, let me show you." Lucy turned the portafilter and pushed the lever up, coffee dispensing into Tim's cup. "See, it's easy." She shrugged with a smile. "That was easy." Tim agreed. 

"I learned it from ClipTok." Tim nodded his head as he grabbed the now coffee-filled mug. "So, what'd you guys get up to last night?" Nolan asked. A look of panic took over Tim's face as he quickly answered. "Uhh, nothing. Just watched the Rams game." Lucy, with a smile on her face, responded with a breeze. "I went to the new Chagall exhibit." 

Nolan's eyes lit up. "Oh, Bailey has been dying to go there." 

"You should totally take her. You get such a great sense for the evolution of his style." Nolan nodded as he walked towards the breakroom door. "Thanks for the recommendation. We'll check it out." 

Tim walked closer to Lucy, and she turned to him. "Really, you had all morning to come up with a cover story, and 'nothing, just watched the Rams game' was all you could come up with?" She chuckled. Tim got defensive. "Whoa, okay, he bought it, didn't he? What if he would have had follow up questions about the exhibit?" He challenged. 

Lucy replied smugly, "Let him. I read the catalog cover to cover." She smiled. Tim shook his head and laughed, not surprised that she had. "So," She dragged out. "What are you doing this weekend?" 

Tim shrugged. "I was hoping the girl I went on a date with last night would want to check out a food truck event." Lucy hummed. "I bet she would like that." Tim laughed. "Then I guess I'll see her at 8:30 on Saturday?" She nodded with a smile. "I think 8:30 would be perfect." 

They exited the breakroom and headed into the roll call room. Lucy sat as Tim walked up to the front of the room and stood by Grey. "Alright, everyone take a seat. We've got some things to go over." Everyone sat down and put their attention forward. "First thing on the agenda, we have to pick up on night shifts slack, so pick up an assignment at the front desk on your way out. Second, Nolan and Smitty, you have been assigned to hospital detail. You'll be swapping out with the guards watching room 326. Last thing, Officer West Angela needs your help with a case. Alright, that's it. Everyone be safe." 

As everyone dispersed, Grey called for Tim and Lucy to hang back as everyone exited the room. Lucy walked to the front and stood between Tim and Grey. "What's up, Sarge?" Lucy asked. "I need you to ride with Tim today. Think y'all can manage that?" Tim and Lucy looked at each other, confirming they could work together. "Yes, sir. We'll be fine." Tim answered. Grey nodded and walked off. 

Tim drove around as Lucy sat in the passenger seat, watching the streets of LA. "So, what's this food truck event about?"

"It's called Midnight Cravings. They'll have a ton of food trucks open from 9-12. Seemed like something we'd like and we get to try out some new food." 

"Oooh, that sounds cool. There's this one food truck I've been dying to try, hopefully they're there." Lucy's eyes lit up with excitement. 

Tim was just about to speak when the radio crackled. "7-Adam-100 pawn shop on Crenshaw Boulevard, owner states they've been robbed. No injuries reported." 

Tim picked up the radio. "7-Adam-100 show us responding." 

They arrived at the pawn shop a few minutes later. Lucy looked around to see if there was any trouble outside. Tim opened the door and let Lucy in, following right behind her. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked. The pawn shop owner held up a 100-dollar bill and then placed it on the counter, sliding it towards them. Lucy put a glove on one of her hands and picked it up. "This idiot took a counterfeit bill without checking it first." Lucy chuckled. "You realize Abraham Lincoln is on the 5-dollar bill, right?"

"You have a." Before Tim could finish his sentence, everyone's cell phones started blaring an alarm sound. Lucy placed the bill back on the counter and grabbed her phone. Tim and the two pawn shop employees were doing the same. They both looked at each other, shock and confusion written on their faces. "What does this mean?" one of the employees asked. Tim grabbed Lucy's arm and yanked her towards the door. "It means find a bomb shelter quickly." 

Tim and Lucy hop into the shop quickly and take off. Lucy dials Tamara, but after several rings, the call goes to voicemail. She then tries the school, but no one is answering there either. Panic starts to set in as she tries Tamara and the school again and doesn't get an answer. Tim sees the worry etched on her face. He squeezes his hand on her thigh, trying to get her attention. She looks up, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't get a hold of Tamara." 

She doesn't mention Ellie. Lucy has kept her daughter a secret from everyone since she started at the police academy. The only ones who know are Grey and Anderson because of her file. When she first started at Mid-Wilshire, she made them promise not to tell anyone about Ellie. She wasn't ashamed of her daughter. But Lucy knew from the beginning that if she ever made it through the academy, she'd want to keep her daughter even safer and not have her used as leverage or any of the sorts when it came to her job.

Lucy's thumbs flew across her phone, typing a text message to Tamara and Ellie's teacher, hoping someone would answer her soon. "Where's Tamara?" Tim asked. Lucy looked at the time on her phone. "She would be in class right now." Tim nodded. "Okay, let's head up to the school." Lucy's phone rang before Tim could finish his sentence, and relief flooded her when Tamara's name popped up. She quickly answered and put it on speaker. "Hey, where are you?" Lucy's voice filled with worry, and she was trying to remain calm for Tamara's sake, knowing she was probably even more scared than Lucy. "I'm at school. What's this about a missile threat?" Lucy could hear the fear in her voice, and she wanted nothing more than to get Tamara and Ellie to safety as quickly as possible. "I need you to get to Mid-Wilshire and wait for me there." 

"What about Ellie?" Lucy closed her eyes and then looked over at Tim. He quirked a brow, and she knew he was wondering who this Ellie person was. She took a deep breath and answered Tamara. "Don't worry about her. Tim and I will go get her." Tamara gasped. "Lucy, I-" Lucy shook her head, even though Tamara couldn't see her. "Don't worry about it. I just need you to get to Mid-Wilshire as fast as you can. And text me when you get there." Lucy hung up the phone and stared straight out the front window. "I need you to head to Treehouse Elementary." Tim was still confused but nodded anyway as he turned the shop around. "You gonna tell me who Ellie is?" 

Lucy looked down at her hands and wrung them together. Well, she thought to herself, here goes nothing. Time to rip the bandaid off. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat before speaking. "Ellie's my daughter." Tim's breath caught in his throat. So many questions were swirling in his head, but no words would come out. After a moment of silence, Lucy looked up at him, trying to read his face, but couldn't get a good read on it. She looked back down at her lap, guilt eating up at her. "No one knows except for Gray. Well, Anderson knew too, but you know." She trailed off. "Look, I just- I wasn't going to keep it from you forever, obviously; I just wanted to know this was going somewhere before I told you." Tim finally spoke, making Lucy look up at him. "How did- how have you kept that a secret for so long? You talk about every other aspect of your personal life but never mentioned your daughter once. I'm just- Why did you keep her a secret?" 

"I promised myself that if I ever made it through the police academy and to an actual division, I'd protect Ellie at whatever cost. I didn't want any criminals to find out who she was in case something bad ever happened to me. I don't have photos of her on my phone. I've never posted her on social media. I'm doing everything I can as a mom and cop to protect her." Tim nodded, still reeling from the news. "Not even Jackson and Nolan know?" Lucy shook her head no. "Damn. You really were keeping her hidden." Tim chuckled lightly. Lucy was surprised at the humor he was trying to infuse. "You're not mad?" 

"I mean no, slightly disappointed you didn't want me or anyone to know. But I understand." Lucy nodded. "I'm sorry. I promise I wasn't going to keep her a secret forever." Tim placed his hand on her thigh, throwing a smile her way. "You don't have to apologize." She nods and grabs his hand, squeezing it for comfort. 

They arrive at Ellie's school. Lucy quickly jumps out, and Tim follows her to the front doors. She presses the button on the front door multiple times, hoping someone will soon open the doors. Lucy hears the buzzer for the door and throws the door open. They run to the front office, spotting the secretary at her desk. "I need to pick up Eleanor Chen from Mrs. Wallen's class." The secretary picks up her phone and speaks into it. "Mrs. Wallen, Miss Chen is here to pick up her daughter Eleanor. Okay, thank you." She hangs up the phone and looks at Lucy. "She'll be here in just a moment." 

Lucy passes the office and waits what feels like hours before hearing a shrill. "Mommy!" Lucy turns around, and Ellie jumps into her arms, a bright smile adorning her face. "Hey bug, you ready to go?" Lucy asks as calmly as she can, trying not to spook her daughter. Ellie nods and wraps her arms around Lucy's neck. They quickly make their way back to the shop, and Lucy puts Ellie in the backseat and buckles her in. "Mommy, where's my car seat?" 

"Mommy forgot to grab it. Just stay in the seat and don't unbuckle, okay." Lucy shuts the back door and gets into the passenger side. Tim puts the shop in reverse and heads toward the station. Lucy takes her phone out of her pocket and looks at the time remaining before the missile is supposed to strike. Fifteen minutes flash across the screen. "15 more minutes." She whispers so only Tim can hear. He pushes his foot into the gas pedal. Lucy's anxiety is getting the best of her, and she's trying her hardest to calm herself down for Ellie. 

"Mommy, where are we going?" Lucy turns to look back at Ellie, smiling at her. "We are going to mommy's work." Ellie's eyes go big, and a bigger smile adorns her face. "Yay!" She shouts. "I finally get to go to mommy's work." She dances as best as she can while buckled up. Tim and Lucy laugh as she continues dancing. "Mommy, who's this?" Lucy looked over at Tim and then back at Ellie. "This is Sergeant Tim Bradford." Tim smiled, stuck his hand up, and waved. "Hi, Ellie." She waved back shyly. "Is he your partner?" Lucy smiled. "Yeah, sometimes." 

A couple of minutes later, they arrive at Mid-Wilshire. Lucy grabs Ellie and holds onto her as they jog into the division. She looks left and right as she enters the building, trying to spot Tamara. Ellie is the first one to see her. "Aunt Tamara!" Tamara and everyone else in the building turn around. Ellie wiggles out of Lucy's grip and runs towards her. Tamara bends down as Ellie gets closer and wraps her in a big hug. "I missed you, sweet girl!" Tamara beamed. "Why are you at mommy's work?" Tamara looks up at Lucy, wondering what she should tell her. "Tamara wanted to come see where I work," Lucy answered. 

Grey walked out of his office into the middle of the room. "Alright, everyone, we've got about 5 minutes left. Let's quickly and safely head to the shelter." Lucy picked up Ellie, and everyone went down to the bomb shelter and gathered inside. Lucy, Tim, Ellie, and Tamara all gathered in a corner. Tim stood behind Lucy, placing one of his hands on her back in a comforting manner. Lucy hoisted Ellie up higher to hold her with one arm while placing her other hand in Tim's. Tamara wrapped her arms around Lucy's arm and put her head on her shoulder. Lucy laid hers on top of Tamara's. "Mommy," Ellie whispered. "what are we doing down here?" Lucy lifted her head and looked at Tim, not knowing what to say. "Uhm, we're-" But before she could continue, Tim stepped in. "We're playing a big of hide and seek." Ellie's eyes lit up. "Really?" Tim nodded. "Yea. Do you like hide and seek?" "It's my favorite game." They continued talking about their favorite things, and Tim did an amazing job keeping her distracted. Lucy smiled at their interaction, loving that they were getting along so well. 

"30 seconds." Someone in the crowd said. Lucy and Tim squeezed each other's hands. Lucy counted down the seconds in her head. Someone banged on the door when she reached the last 10 seconds. "Sarge, open up. It was a false alarm." Grey opened the door and saw Angela and Jackson on the other side. "It was a false alarm. DHS and the FBI confirmed it was a false alarm." Lucy let out a breath, which she didn't realize she was holding, and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, everyone, let's get back to work," Grey said. Everyone filed out of the room and made their way back upstairs. 

"Alright, bug, Aunt Tamara is going to take you back home and I'll see you in a little while, okay?" Ellie wrapped her arms around Lucy's neck and hugged her. She returned her hug, hugging her a little tighter as a tear streamed down her face. "Mommy, I can't breathe." Lucy let out a wet chuckle. "Sorry, bug." Ellie wiped Lucy's tears. "Don't cry mommy, I'll see you in just a little bit silly." Lucy kissed her on the cheek. "I know, bug. Alright, go with Aunt Tamara. I love you." Ellie blew her a kiss as they walked away. "Bye Sergeant Tim Bradford!" Ellie yelled as she waved. Tim and Lucy chuckled. "Bye, Ellie!" He yelled back. They waited until Tamara and Ellie left the building to head back out on patrol. 

After shift, Lucy headed out to the parking garage and waited by Tim's truck for him. A few minutes later, he headed toward the parking garage and spotted Lucy near his truck. He smiles and picks up his pace. "Hey, you didn't have to wait for me." Lucy looked up and smiled. "I wanted to. I figured we could talk." Tim looked around the parking garage as he approached Lucy and bent down to kiss her quickly. "Lucy, we don't have anything to talk about. I promise I'm not mad about you keeping Ellie a secret." 

"Are you sure?" Tim smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you did it to protect her, and that's all any parent wants to do." Lucy nodded. "Okay. Uhm, would you like to come over and properly meet her?" Tim's smile grew. "I would love that." Lucy laughed. "Alright, I'll see you at my place in 20 minutes?" Tim thought about it for a moment. "Make it 30. I'll pick up dinner on the way." Lucy nodded and headed towards her car, happy with how everything turned out. 

[princessamericachavez]

Also, if this is what Tim Bradford looks like when he is in love and happy, it absolutely must have broken Angela and Talia’s hearts seeing him in s1-s2 being closed off and defensive and all hard edges. No wonder they were so insistent on being there for him and letting him win the competition and being patient with his attitude. They knew it was an act.

[jesuis-assez]

↠ Tim & Lucy ↳ 5x04 - The Choice

[escapismqueen]

A call in the night- A Chenford fic

Tim gets a call in the middle of the night from Lucy. What could It possibly be about ? (Probably will have had to watch season 2 to to understand what’s going on.)

TW: talks of trauma and kidnapping. Allusions to a panic attack.

Inc: Angst, hurt/comfort and lots and lots of fluff

Hope you all enjoy this. Think this is the best one I’ve written so far, so let me know what you all think 🥰also, interact if you can, I’d love to know how I’m doing. love to you all xx

Tim groans and rubs the sleep from his eyes, adjusting slowly to the light, the continuous ring of his phone cutting through the silence of the room.

He shuffles in his bed to his side and reaches for his phone to see that Lucy is calling him. Brows furrowed, he wonders if she’s okay. He knows that she was working slightly later tonight, that’s why he was at his place instead of hers.

He remembers well because she told him this morning with an adorable pout on her face, insisting that she ‘wished she could cuddle on the couch with him instead’ and he’s not ashamed to admit to himself that it sent a ripple of warmth through his body. He also remembers because it’s Lucy. And there’s nothing that Lucy says that he will ever forget.

With no more than a blink, Tim grasps for the phone with rapid pace, his hands fumbling in the dark.

“Luce? You okay ?” Silence “Lucy ?” It’s now that Tim starts to hear her stuttered breathing and sniffles through the phone. There’s a pang in his heart that arises and he’s sadly familiar with the cause. Lucy Chen is hurting. He’s felt it twice before, and he’s hated every single time. The first being when he pulled Lucy from the barrel and she sobbed and shook in his arms so much that Tim thought he’d bawl from the sight. The second time was when everyone saw the video of Jackson getting shot. And although it hurt Tim to see it too, there was a feeling he couldn’t quite explain when he saw Lucy’s face. The way she gasped in horror. The way her hands reached for support because her legs were about to buckle from grief. His heart ached; and here it was again.

“Lucy, what’s happened ? Are you okay ?” He can feel his thoughts muddling and his heart running away from him, it’s beating so rapidly.

“I- I”

“Breathe with me Luce, in and out okay” his voice has softened, tone warm and comforting; the way he talks when they have their pillow talk- Lucy always tells him it relaxes her, and he can tell that’s what she needs right now.

Tim hears Lucy slowly exhale and inhale with him, her breathing becoming less stuttered by the minute. “Whenever you’re ready” he’s trying to be calm, to let her come out with it when in her own time, but all he can think about is ‘what if she’s in danger ?’ ‘What if she’s hurt ?’ His head is swimming with nothing but negativity, he can’t bare to hear Lucy cry. All he wants to do is transfer the pain to himself.

With a slightly more continuous breathing pace, still sniffling, lucy manages to speak “I erm- I had a dream; a nightmare” Tim let’s his eyes droop in relief, hand clutching at his chest, as if he had opened himself for pain and now needed to sooth himself slightly. He’s glad she’s not in imminent danger; but it doesn’t mean he’s happy. Thats clear from the way he rushes through his drawers, not even looking at what he’s picking up before he throws it over his slightly, now clammy body.

Tim thinks through what his reply should be, she’s clearly been badly affected by whatever it was, he doesn’t want to make her feel worse by immediately getting her to tell him what it was. The palms of his hands grasp at the ends of his dresser, hoping they’ll somehow offer him some words of advice.

“Okay. Do you want to talk about it sweetheart ?” His heart is clenched tight, no release until he knows that she’s okay again. “I think I need to. I just, I don’t know how to begin. It’s- I” Tim instantly notices that she’s struggling greatly with the topic of the nightmare. “Okay, okay. It’s okay. You’re okay. I’m on my way over, do you want to talk about it then ?” “Yeah, but you don’t need to Tim, it’s 3am ! We can speak about it tomorrow !” Lucy is so flattered and heartened by the way that Tim is so willing to drop everything to be there for her, that she feels herself welling up again.

“Lucy, I’m coming over, no discussion” Lucy can’t help but chuckle slightly, because Tim’s current stubbornness is reminding her of T.O Tim, and it makes her slightly giddy to think of how far they’ve come. “I’ll be there soon, okay ? Do you want me to stay on the phone?” Lucy shakes her head, before registering that Tim can’t see her. “No, I’ll be okay. See you soon” “see you soon sweetheart”

Lucy’s head shoots up, hearing Tim’s key jiggle in the door. She doesn’t have to watch it open to know it’s him. She already feels more at ease than she did before. It has to be him. She’s sure it’s some kind of message from the universe every time he’s in her presence that Tim is her person. Though she’s never needed a message, she’s known for a while; Tim Bradford is the man she’s going to marry.

Tim opens Lucy’s apartment door to find her crunched up on the couch, sleeves of her cardigan falling gracefully over the ends of her fingers. If he didn’t know she was upset, he’d think this scene was incredibly adorable. “Hi” his voice is sweet and smooth, whilst keeping it’s usual depth that Lucy loves so much.

Lucy’s glassy eyes meet his and for a split second, Tim wishes he could no longer see. His beautiful, sunshine like girlfriend, is shaking slightly, apples of her cheeks stained with tears; evidence that she’s been crying. Evidence that Tim needs to move with all speed and kneel in front of her. The inside of his palms lay softly on Lucy’s thighs, careful not to startle her, giving it a few seconds before he holds them with a more secure grip.

Lucy’s gaze flickers to Tim’s with an almost desperate plea. She needs safety and comfort right now, and the relief she feels at Tim’s presence and grip on her thighs, releases the pent up air from her lungs. “Thank you for coming” Tim gives her a smile, reaching to Lucy’s face and gently moving a piece of hair behind her ear. “You have nothing to thank me for. You need help, I’ll be here. You’re sad, I’ll be here. You want someone to tease, I’ll be here” Lucy giggles tenderly, slight crinkles forming at the sides of her eyes; he can always make her smile. She playfully pushes at his side, making him grin to know that he’s cheered her up slightly.

Lucy takes a deep breath and reaches for Tim’s hand on her thigh, rubbing her thumb back and forth gently on it, giving herself some encouragement. “I had a nightmare about Caleb” Tim’s whole body froze, face paling at even the thought. That feeling was back again. This was no standard nightmare, this was a reminder of her trauma. Tim’s expression changes from worried to devastated. He’s pained by the fact that she has to go through this again. His free hand now encompasses over Lucy’s, and he lifts it towards his lips, laying a lingering kiss on the inside of Lucy’s free hand. He feels the warmth of her skin, combined with a slight taste of salt; clearly she’s been wiping her tears a lot. “It’s okay, you’re safe. What happened in the nightmare ?”

Lucy exhales again, eyes focusing in on the reflection of light in her boyfriends eyes. “I was there again. He took me. I- I was. I was back in the barrel” her voice wavers, tears spilling delicately falling to her lips. “I kept hearing the song, over and over again, it just- it kept, it kept going and going. And I just felt this, this overwhelming sense of doom. Like that was gonna be it for me. You couldn’t get to me this time.” A sob racks from Lucy’s chest, her hand clasping tightly at Tim’s.

Tim stands up, and sits himself next to her, pulling her into his side and running his fingers comfortingly through the strands of her silky hair. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you had to go through that again” they both sit in silence for what feels like an hour, bodies just connected to each other, no single part left on it’s own. Tim’s shirt is now wet with Lucy’s tears, similar to Lucy’s hair now being frizzed and messed slightly from Tim’s touches. Tim cradles Lucy’s head in his large hands, thumbs connecting with her cheeks, wiping the tears. He slowly lifts her head and rests his forehead against hers. “Come with me” he whispers.

Tim attentively holds Lucy’s hand and leads her to her room, suggesting for her to lie down whilst he puts some low lighting on. Lucy sits looking at him adoringly, knowing that Tim Bradford would do anything for her. And that feels so special and overwhelming. Her feelings have been put second her whole life by her parents, but here is her boyfriend; doing everything in his power to acknowledge her feelings and try and lessen the weight of pain that they’re causing her. She’s so sure she’s never felt as safe as this.

Tim lights the last light, and crawls onto the bed, nearing closer up to Lucy’s face, stopping as he gets to the hem of her shirt. He slowly grasps at the ends and looks up to Lucy, eyes awaiting to see if she’s comfortable. She smiles lightly at him, trusting him completely. Tim affectionately peels Lucy’s shirt up to just below her chest; fingers grazing appreciatively along the path of her skin. His fingers inch further up until he sees it. There it is. The tattoo. Tim peers up at Lucy, noticing that she’s not uncomfortable, his green light to keep going. He leans down slowly, lips touching ever so lightly at the letters and numbers etched onto the side of her rib cage. He kisses down softly and moves effortlessly to every single part of the tattoo.

Lucy’s eyes well up, the corners of her mouth upturning slightly at Tim’s actions. He’s doing it again. Showing her that she’s a survivor. She feels his lips trace patterns over the numbers, noticing the gentle but determined nature they hold.

“You’re here” he murmurs, the vibration of his words sending butterflies through Lucy’s stomach. “You’re here and you survived. You’re a survivor Lucy.” Tim lifts his head further up, breath feathering at Lucy’s enamoured complexion. His eyes freeze when they meet hers, focusing completely on her. “He can’t hurt you anymore. And I will make sure, with everything I have in me, that it never ever happens again” Lucy’s smile grows, caressing his face lovingly. Lucy is silent for a while, taking in everything that’s just happened, revelling in the love and care that she’s just been shown. “Thank you” she utters. Placing her pouted, lightly chapped lips upon his, she feels him relax into her touch, this clearly didn’t bother just her.

Their lips dance intoxicatingly for a while, weary to let go and stop the rush of fireworks that are soaring through their veins.

Lips parted, Tim smiles and lays onto the other side of the bed, grasping needily at Lucy’s waist. He pulls her into him and lays a sweet kiss onto the top of her head. Lucy rests her head into the crook of Tim’s neck, peppering him lovingly with little kisses. And that’s where they stay for the rest of the night. Tim whispering loving words into Lucy’s ear, both feeling grateful that she’s safe and that they can have this moment together right now.