#chenford fluff

[only-alifetime]

my tenth (and final) fic for Chenford Week 2025 is now live!

✨ still you, still me, still here

After finding out the results of her sergeant's exam, Lucy reflects on the past, the present, and the future. A 717 alternate ending.

🔗 archiveofourown.org/works/67838146

[Chenford Week — Day 10: Favourite S7 parallel]

[americaswritings]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Tim's eyes caught hers and for a moment she felt breathless under the weight of his steel blue eyes. "Boyfriend?" "I said partner", she clarified, knowing fully well what it would sound like to everyone else other than cops. "If I recall correctly, I'm your superior", Tim pointed out. "No sign of amnesia then."

Prompts: "You told me to move on" & Tim asks Lucy to lay with him in the hospital bed and she says no because she doesn't want to hurt him. Tim says "you could never hurt me" and "please, I need you"

[falcqns]

give me back my girlhood (it was mine first)

✰ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Tim Bradford x Lucy Chen

✰ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Tim thinks Lucy has fully healed from Caleb. He is quickly proven wrong when they start dating.

✰ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Tim Bradford would burn the entire world just to see Lucy Chen smile, trauma, ptsd, takes place around season 5, canon divergence, hints to autistic!Lucy (meltdowns, going nonverbal, stimming, etc), Lucy had seizures after Caleb, Tamara is Chenfords kid, can you tell I have a soft spot for Tamara, Title is from Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve by Taylor Swift, tagging @natashasera

don’t forget to read and reblog, and i do not give permission for my works to be posted anywhere other than tumblr. thank you.

Tim thought that the transition from just friends to in a relationship would be easy for him and Lucy, but he was quickly proven wrong. He also thought that Lucy had healed from what Caleb and Rosalind had done to her, but once again, he was proven wrong. She may have healed enough to continue day to day life in her normal manner, but when it came to their relationship, almost everything triggered her, and it broke Tim’s heart. 

The first time Tim had noticed that Lucy was being triggered was when they went on their first date. Lucy had ordered a drink, an old fashioned to be exact. She had taken a sip of it when it arrived at their table, and Tim saw how a line appeared between her two eyebrows. 

“Everything okay, Luce?” He asked quietly, prepared to flag down the waitress and have her remake the drink if it wasn’t up to Lucy’s standards. Lucy nodded slightly, but pushed the cup away. As she did so, Tim saw her hand shaking. 

“I-It tastes funny.” She whispered so quietly that Tim barely heard her. Tim moved closer to her in the booth. 

“It tastes funny?” He asked, and she nodded, tears beginning to form. 

“It doesn’t taste normal.” She said, her breathing picking up speed. Tim grasped her chin, guiding her eyes to his, and his stomach dropped when he saw the fear in them, realizing what was going on. Her drink tasted different to her, and it brought back memories to when she was drugged. Tim’s heart broke as she whimpered, tears beginning to spill over and roll down her cheeks, her breath speeding up.

“Luce, baby,” He whispered. “You’re safe. I know that what you’re feeling feels really real right now, but it’s not. You’re here with me, Tim, and you’re safe.” He said, still holding her face. “Can you nod if you can hear my voice, Goosey?” He said, and Lucy immediately nodded. “Good girl,” he praised, and smiled slightly when he saw her breathing slow slightly. 

“Can you tell me something that you can see?” He asked, and her eyes darted around briefly, before settling on Tim. 

“Y-You,” She stuttered, and Tim smiled. 

“You can see me?” He inquired, and she nodded. “Good girl.” 

He continued to quiz her on her surroundings until she was back in the present, and had calmed down. She was still upset, but Tim knew it was more out of embarrassment than anything. She had wrapped both her arms around his left one, and was resting her head on his shoulder, looking down at her lap. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Lucy didn’t respond with words, instead she grunted slightly, and snuggled into his shoulder even more. “Baby,” he whispered, and eased his arm out of her grip, and wrapped it around her shoulders. “How are you feeling?” 

Lucy, once again, didn’t respond, and buried her face in his chest. “Okay, okay,” He soothed, helping her get comfortable. “Do you want to eat, or do you want to go home?” He asked and Lucy shakily pointed to her plate, and Tim pulled it over, handing her her fork. Lucy then sat up, and slowly began eating her food. Tim went back to his own food once he was sure she was okay, but he kept his hand on her lower back. 

—

Tim had also noticed that Lucy seemed to fear arguments and disagreements with him. It was something he had taken note of when she first came back to work after Caleb. She was quiet, only talking when he spoke to her, and then if they got in as much as the slightest disagreement, she would shut it down and just agree with him, no matter how he knew she felt about the topic. He thought that she was just taking time to readjust to their relationship being strictly Rookie-TO at work, but he realized as soon as they started dating that she had developed a fear of men, and a fear of upsetting them. 

Tim had asked her what she wanted for dinner, and she had said she didn’t care, and that he could pick. Normally, Tim would be okay with that, but since asking her out, he had been making all the decisions in the relationship, in things that didn’t involve work. He had insisted that she choose, and she refused, and they went back and forth until Lucy completely shut down and stopped talking, which made Tim angry. 

And he knows it shouldn’t have made him angry, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her to be able to eat what she wanted around him, and he didn’t want her to feel like he was controlling her or the relationship in anyway. He knew that she needed to feel in control, and he wanted her to be able to feel that. 

“Lucy, just tell me what you want to eat, and I will go and get it!” He said, exasperated, and Lucy shook her head aggressively, and turned away from him. “No,” he said, reaching out for her. “C’mon, talk to me, I just wanna help-“ he stopped talking when he saw her flinch away from him. He then watched through the reflection of the tv the fear that had appeared on her face. 

She then whimpered, and then shot up, running to her bedroom, sobs falling from her lips as she went. Tim immediately followed her, instantly feeling shitty about the way he had talked to her. He felt even shittier when he walked into her bedroom and saw her hiding behind the chair in the corner of her room by the window, the soft grey blanket that he bought her her first night in the hospital after Caleb giving away her position, the material peaking out from behind the legs. 

“Goosey,” Tim whispered, crouching down close to the chair, but also keeping his distance so that she didn’t feel trapped. “I’m sorry,” he started. “I shouldn’t have spoken like that. I didn’t mean to scare you. If you don’t feel like you can choose what to eat right now, that’s okay. I can choose for us.”

He paused, and waited to hear if Lucy would respond at all. After a moment, he heard her voice say something, but he couldn’t make out what she said. 

“Can you repeat that, Luce? I didn’t hear you.” He said, and Lucy’s voice could be heard again, this time louder. 

“Sorry,” she whispered. “Sorry I made you mad.” She continued, and Tim sighed, moving slightly closer. 

“Goosey, you didn’t make me mad at all. I just want you to be able to feel in control of your body and your choices, thats why I wanted to know what you wanted to eat. I shouldn’t have pressured you like I did, and I should have listened to your body language.”

“‘m sorry, please don’ hurt me,” she sobbed. “Didn’t mean it, I’ll be good,” 

Tim wiped away the tear that ran down his face after he realized that Lucy was having a flashback. 

“I want you to listen to me, Lucy.” He said calmly. “You’re here with me, in your bedroom, in your apartment in Los Angeles. Caleb is dead, and you’re safe. He can’t hurt you anymore, I promise.” He soothed, and after a few more moments of silence, he heard a sniffle, followed by a small “okay,” and then some shuffling. 

Lucy crawled out from behind the arm chair and looked up at Tim, slightly hiding her face behind her blanket. Tim gently held out his arms, letting her know she can come to him for comfort if thats what she needed. She slowly inched her way over to him, and fell into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her as tight to her body as he knew she liked, and stood up slowly, lifting her in the process. 

He let her cry out her emotions as he slowly rocked her back and forth, hoping the motion would help her to regulate her emotions. She eventually calmed down, and she snuggled into his shoulder, sniffling slightly. He rubbed her back as he walked out into the living room, whispering in her ear as he did. 

“Do you want me to choose what we eat? Would that make it easier on you?” He asked, and he nodded, taking a mental note of what to do next time she struggles like that. She needed to feel in control, but sometimes she needed him to make decisions for her, and he was okay with that. 

—

The thing that triggered Lucy that hurt him the most was the sound of a tattoo gun. Before Caleb, Lucy loved tattoos, and loved getting tattoos. She had often talked to not only him, but to their fellow officers, about tattoo’s that she wanted and was planning on getting. Tim had known that she had been tattoo’d by Caleb, he saw it when he was in the ambulance with her, and they had moved her shirt in order to do an ECG after she had her third consecutive seizure. His heart had clenched seeing the black ink on her rib cage, and in that moment he had hoped that she was asleep when the tattoo had been done. 

But of course, God must hate him, so she had been awake. Something he had no clue about until Tamara had asked them both to accompany her to her first ever tattoo appointment, where she was also getting a date, the date that the three of them had stood in front of the judge finalizing Lucy and Tim adopting Tamara. 

Lucy said yes immediately, without even thinking. Tim knew why, of course. Tamara had been let down by everyone in her life, and Lucy was determined to never let her down. Tim didn’t think anything of it, and was even thinking of getting his own tattoo, with both Lucy and Tamara’s birthdays. 

Everything was fine until Tamara was lying on the table, her arm out for the tattoo artist, prepped and ready for the ink. The tattoo gun began to buzz, and Lucy tensed up beside him. 

“Are you okay?” Tim said under his breath to Lucy, resting his hand on her knee, his other hand holding Tamara’s free one. 

“Mhm,” She said, eyes locked on the tattoo gun where it was permanently marking up her daughters skin. “Jus’ need to go to the bathroom,” She said, a little louder, and made brief eye contact with Tamara, clearly trying to tell the girl that everything was fine. Tamara nodded, her brows furrowing for a moment, but then relaxing after Lucy left the room. 

Tim waited a few minutes, before following her. “I’m just gonna go check on Mom, okay?” He said to Tamara. “I won’t be gone long.” She nodded, and Tim left the room. 

He looked towards the lobby, and could see Lucy outside, so he immediately joined her, where he found her near tears, looking up into the sky to preserve her makeup. 

“Luce-“ He started to say, but Lucy cut him off. 

“I’m fine.” She said, her voice short. 

Tim shook his head. “No, you’re not.” He said, and grabbed her hand. “You’re not, and that’s okay.” 

Lucy shook her head, and ripped her hand out of Tim’s grip. “No, its not, Tim!” She said, running her hands through her curls. “Because this is just another thing Caleb has taken from me.” She ranted. “I can’t even sit with my daughter while she gets her first tattoo, I-I can’t get any of the tattoo’s that I wanted to get, I can’t even listen to the buzzing noise of the gun because that’s what I woke up to after he took me-“ 

“Oh, Goosey,” Tim said sadly, immediately wrapping her up in his arms. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were awake when he did that to you. Had I known that, we could have explained to Tamara why you couldn’t go, or we could have brought your headphones-“ 

“I don’t need them!” Lucy yelled, pulling out of Tim’s arms, and crouching down, covering her ears wit her hands, her eyes squeezing shut. Tim sighed, and sat next to her, being mindful to not touch her until she asked or initiated contact. 

“Yes, you do, Goosey, and thats okay.” He said. “I’m not going to judge you for it, Tamara certainly isn’t going to judge you for it, and any person with more than half a braincell wouldn’t judge you for it. I suggested it because when you do wear them out of the house, you are able to cope better, and that’s all I wanted. And as for him taking the ability to get tattoo’s from you, he didn’t. If you really want to get another tattoo, I’m sure we can find a trauma informed tattoo artist that is willing to work with you on this.” He explained, as he wrapped an arm around her after she removed her hands from her ears, and rested her head on his shoulder. “But it’s entirely up to you, okay?” 

Lucy nodded, and sniffed. Tim kissed her on the head, and helped her stand up. She took a deep breath, and looked towards the tattoo shop door. “We should go back in,” she said, and Tim looked at her. 

“Are you sure you want to?” He asked. “You don’t have to, I can go back in and you can wait in the truck if it’s going to be too hard for you.” 

Lucy shook her head. “No, I-I think I was just a little unprepared, and that’s why it triggered me. I’m prepared to hear the noise, so I’ll be okay.” She said. “Tamara wanted both of us with her and I’m not going to let her down.” She finished, as she led him back inside, and into the room, where the artist was bandaging up Tamara’s tattoo. 

“Can I see it, bubba,” Lucy asked, walking up to Tamara’s side immediately. Tamara holds her arm out, while looking up worriedly at Lucy. 

“Are you okay, Mom?” She asked, and Lucy nodded, running a hand through Tamara’s hair. 

“Yeah, baby, I’m okay.” She said, assuring the teen. “I don’t want you to worry, okay?”

Tamara blinked, her lower lip wobbling slightly. “I’m always going to worry about you,” she whispered. “You’re my mom, and I know I don’t know everything that you went through but I know enough to know that you got triggered. I didn’t even think about that before asking, I’m sorry,” she said, a tear falling from her eye. 

“T,” Tim whispered, moving to her head and pressing a kiss to her head as he sat next to her on the table. “It’s okay. I don’t think any of us really thought about it.” He assured her, and Lucy nodded, sitting on the table as well. 

“Yeah. It did trigger me, but I removed myself from the situation, worked through what I was feeling, and then prepared myself to come back. It’s okay, I promise.” She said, cupping Tamara’s cheek, and rubbing her thumb back and forth. 

“Okay,” Tamara said, and as soon as Lucy seemed to be sure that Tamara was okay, she turned back and looked at the tattoo. “I love it, baby,” She said. 

“Me, too.” Tim said, smiling down at his daughter.

“Now,” Lucy said, smiling up at Tim. “Your dad just needs to get one, and we’ll be all inked up.” 

Tim shook his head but laughed along with his girls. 

—

Lucy wasn’t fully healed from Caleb, but Tim was going to do everything in his power to make sure that one day, she would be. Caleb had taken a lot from her, but Tim was going to make sure that she was able to reclaim what he had taken, no matter the cost. 

[only-alifetime]

my sixth fic for Chenford Week 2025 is now live!

🎄 our ordinary heaven

The squad celebrates Christmas at the Chen-Bradford house, and their hosts have an announcement to make.

🔗 archiveofourown.org/works/67606121

[Day 6: Found Family, Celebrations/Holidays]

[only-alifetime]

💤 you come around and the armour falls

Five times Tim or Lucy fall asleep in the other’s presence, and one time an unsuspecting someone finds them asleep together. 5+1 format, set at various points in Chenford’s relationship from season 5 onwards.

🔗 archiveofourown.org/works/65954512

[americaswritings]

My Tim & Lucy stories

The collection

* my personal faves

Safe place

Lucy realizes that she was wrong; Her safe place is not a place anymore, it's a person.

Trapped

It's Lucy's last day as Tim's rookie. But instead of spending it on the streets of LA fighting crime, they are trapped in an elevator together. This brings some unwanted memories back for Lucy.

Where the heart belongs

"You and I both know that there have been three people in our relationship from the beginning and I can't keep pretending to not notice that your heart belongs to someone else." (Rachel breaks up with Tim & Lucy is the one to read the message to him.)

Losing control

“I think Caleb- he-he put something into my drink”, she stuttered, and she heard Tim take a sharp inhale at the other end of the phone." (What if Lucy realized Caleb put something in her drink and called Tim for help?)

Dream a little dream of me

A familiar song is played at Angela & Wesley's wedding. Tim won’t let it break Lucy.

Found that person in you

Lucy tells Tim what happened with Chris. He finds out she hasn't just watched the video of herself in the barrel, but the body cam footage of her rescue too.

No place I would rather be *

"It's about Lucy. She uhm- she had a bad day. She's not coming out of her room anymore. I don't know what to do." He inhaled sharply, his eyes closing for a second as he swallowed. "I am on my way." (Lucy deals with the aftermath of watching the video, Tamara is worried & calls Tim.)

Can’t help falling in love (multiple chapters) *

Her gaze locked with his, brown met blue, and it was like a wave of calmness washed over her. He was studying her, his eyes fixed on hers, an intensity in them she had rarely seen from him.  Why wasn't he looking away? And when had she stopped thinking about the lyrics? (Lucy agreed to sing at Angela & Wesley's wedding and shares an intimate moment with Tim.)

Can Beauty come out of Ashes? *

“You should get cleaned up”, he told her softly, letting his hand fall back to his side as he realized the dirt he had tried to rub away wouldn’t come off. He wondered if she would ever not look beautiful to him. (Tim and Lucy share a moment after the explosion nearly took Lucy's life.)

The Reality of Losing you (multiple chapters)

“Can we talk about something else? About your engagement perhaps. Congratulations by the way.” Her words sounded more forced than delighted and Lucy bit her lip, willing herself to get her emotions under control. (Tim doesn’t directly clear up his proposal is a prank and Lucy has to face the reality that she might lose Tim.)

No regrets

Prompts: "I'm sorry I kissed you" & "I'm not with Ashley anymore"

Head in the Game

"Hey." His arm came up to her shoulder, a firm touch to bring her back to reality yet gentle enough to show her she was not in immediate danger. She startled at the gesture, her head snapping towards him, and he could see unshed tears in them. Shit. If Lucy cried right now, it was over. (Tim & Lucy find out that Rosalind escaped while being undercover together.)

Never Alone With You By My Side *

"Come on, you can't say you didn't enjoy it!" She was teasing, of course, but there was a strain on his face. "Could have been worse." "Wow!" Lucy grimaced mockingly. "Way to make a girl feel special, Bradford!" "You know how special you are." (Now that it's all over the apartment feels too empty. So Lucy calls Tim.)

When will this nightmare ever end?

"Lucy-", he began, but she shook her head. "Don't tell me it's all going to be okay, because it's not! Chris almost died, because Rosalind wants to get back at me. I can't- I-" She closed her eyes, exhaling. "When will this nightmare ever end?" (Lucy waits for Chris to wake up and Tim is by her side.)

I thought you never saw me that way

Prompt: “I thought you never saw me that way."

Some things matter more

“I only wanted space, because I thought that’s what we both needed. Time away from each other to think.” Lucy tilted her head, biting her lip. “And did it help?”, she asked, her voice wavering slightly. Tim closed his mouth again, his jaw twitching. “No.” (Prompt: “Some things matter more.")

Always find you

5x03: Lucy gets trapped. With her radio signal blocked, Tim is left with nothing but his imagination about what could have happened to her.

Where our story begins

“Vegas- it wasn’t just pretend. Not for me anyway and I...I think it wasn’t for you either.” (Prompt: "I can't be your aide anymore.”)

One Good Reason

"Then why are you pushing me away?", Lucy asked. "Don't you want-", she bit her lip. Their eyes met and she saw the question in his eyes, the need for her to finish that sentence. "Me." (Prompt: "Are you afraid to be with me?")

Healing

"It might take a while but eventually it will feel real", Tim told her, referring to her words as she had stared at Rosalind’s lifeless body. Lucy looked at him, a mixture of emotions flickering over her face. "It just- seems too easy." (Tim makes sure Lucy is okay after they found Rosalind’s body)

If Tomorrow never comes

When the nurse had left and Lucy met his gaze again, his brows were lifted. "Boyfriend?" "I said partner."  "If I recall correctly, I'm your superior", Tim pointed out. "No sign of amnesia then." (Tim asks Lucy to lay with him in the hospital bed)

Sick Days

Lucy gets sick, but goes into work anyway, because she's already taken a lot of sick days due to what happened with Caleb. Of course Tim notices.

[americaswritings]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Lucy gets sick, but goes into work anyway, because she's already taken a lot of sick days due to what happened with Caleb. Of course Tim notices.

[falcqns]

Hii,

Chenford prompt + 3x01 Tim takes Lucy home

you took a part of me (could you leave it?)

✰ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Tim Bradford x Lucy Chen

✰ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: After coming face to face with Rosalind, Tim decides Lucy shouldn't be alone, so he takes her home.

✰ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: references to Day of Death (kidnapping, near death experience), PTSD, trauma, happy ending I promise Natasha, fluff at the end, love confessions. tagging @natashasera as usual!!

don’t forget to read and reblog, and i do not give permission for my works to be posted anywhere other than tumblr. thank you.

Tim knew that Lucy being face to face with Rosalind was a bad idea. He knew that Rosalind was going to try something, which is why he was so frustrated whenLucy insisted, stating “if I can’t handle talking to Rosalind when she’s locked in a cage, then I shouldn’t be a cop.” Because, the thing is, he knew she could handle it, to his face at least. But he also knew that meant she shouldn’t have to handle it.

She shouldn’t have to be face to face with the person behind the worst thing she had ever gone through. The person who is the reason she can’t get tattoo’s, takes the stairs whenever she can, never goes out drinking after shift, and has basically given up on finding love. While Caleb did the dirty work, Rosalind was behind it all, and she sat there knowing that Lucy slowly dying in the barrel, and enjoying it. As far as he was concerned, Rosalind didn’t even deserve to be walking the same earth as his Lucy did, much less breathing the same air as her.

But Lucy, eve this stubborn and determined boot, with her knowledge of psychology and how the brain works, was determined to move past this, and work through the trauma. And Tim knew that there was nothing that he could do to deter her once she had her mind set to something. So, he didn’t answer her, but lead her out to the shop, and towards the prison where Rosalind was living out her life.

As soon as they came face to face with Rosalind, Tim immediately regretted letting Lucy anywhere near the psychopath. And it wasn’t anything Lucy did, nor Rosalind. In fact, they didn’t do anything but stare at each other. No, it was Tim. He had a sudden urge to plant a bullet between Rosalind’s eyes, an urge he had never experienced before, with anyone. He wanted to hurt Rosalind just as she’d hurt Lucy, and then take Lucy as far away from this prison as he could. But, as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn’t. They had a job to do.

“You know,” Rosalind said, breaking the silence. “I am so impressed with you.” Tim swallowed, squeezing his duty belt to stop himself from strangling her. “The way you handled what was so obviously a very traumatic experience…” she said, eyeing Lucy like she was a piece of meat and nothing more. “It’s inspiring.” “Thanks,” Lucy replied instantly, face blank. Tim knew better. He knew under that strong stoic front, that she was scared. Despite his resistance to sharing her psychology knowledge with him, he knew about micro expressions and whether she knew it or not, her micro expressions were betraying her. She was scared.

“That means a lot, coming from you.” Lucy snarked, and Tim had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. It was not the time to laugh, not when they were standing in front of a serial killer. Behind bars or not, she was still dangerous, and Tim was not going to let Lucy get hurt on his watch ever again.

“Wow,” Rosalind said, staring into Lucy’s should. “So defiant.”

Tim immediately cut her off. “Let’s stick to Nolan.” He said, trying to draw Rosalind’s attention away from Lucy.

“Just like you were when the lid came down on that barrel.” She said with an evil smirk. “It must have driven Caleb crazy, denying him the fear he so desperately wanted to see in you.”

Tim stood motionless with horror. She knew. Somehow, she knew exactly what happened in that barrel.

Things that Jackson and John, Lucy’s closest friends didn’t even know. Things he only knew because he forced himself to watch the video while Lucy was sleeping one night. Lucy had lived it, the least he could do was sit there and watch what she went through so he knew the horrors she had experienced because he had told her to go out that night.

“How-“ Lucy began, voice shaky.

“Do I know that?” Rosalind finished. Tim breathed in through his nose deeply, trying to calm his anger. This was supposed to be a quick conversation. They’d ask questions about Detective Armstrong, and they’d leave. They leave and they don’t add more trauma to Lucy’s already overflowing pile.

“You think the camera in the barrel was for Caleb?” Rosalind asked, her hands gripping the bars.

“Don’t!” Tim snapped, finally tearing his eyes away from Rosalind. “Don’t listen to her Chen, she’s just playing mind games.”

She was not going to hurt Lucy. Tim was not going to let her hurt the only light in his dark world. He couldn’t let that happen; not again. That month without Lucy beside him in the shop on shift was hell. He needed her more than he needed oxygen. She was his sunshine, and no one was ever going to take her away, ever again.

But, it seemed Rosalind had other plans. “Oh I am totally playing mind games, but I am not lying.” She said, eyes falling back to Lucy.

And then, before Tim could stop her, Rosalind began to sing the song that haunted Tim’s nightmares since he’d watched the tape.

“Stars shining bright above you, Night breezes seem to whisper I love you,”

Tim side glanced at Lucy, but she managed to keep her cool.

“Birds singing in the sycamore tree…” Lucy looked down, and Tim knew he had to get her out of there.

“Knock it off!” Tim said loudly, and he finally made eye contact with Rosalind.

“Ahhh, the fierce protector.” She drawled.

“We’re done here.” He snapped, looking only at Rosalind. he no longer cared about anything Rosalind had to say about Armstrong, or Nolan. They’d prove Nolan’s innocence some other way, but Lucy’s mental health was not worth spending another second in that room. “Lets go.” ——

They do end up proving Nolan’s innocence, and they’re sent home. Tim had never thought he’d be more grateful for the end of shift. He wanted to get Lucy home, and help her anyway he can. On their way to change out for the night, Tim somehow manages to convince her to let him drive her home. “You shouldn’t be alone right now.” He’d said. Rosalind just mocked your biggest trauma, so as much as you think that you can handle it on your own, I’m going to help you through it.”

She’d reluctantly agreed, and followed him to his truck, her feet dragging, pace sluggish. Tim knew she was tired, but didn’t realize just how exhausted she was until they were in the elevator, going down to their level of the parking garage and he got a good look at his rookie.

She was barely standing, gripping onto the sides of the elevator with both hands, her eyes closed, and a crease in her brows. The old elevator jolted slightly, and Tim watched as her eyes shot open in terror, filling with tears as as they glazed over. She whimpered, her eyes searching for Tim, and immediately reached out for him, arms outstretched, lip jutting out slightly as tears began rolling down her cheeks.

Tim wasted no time in wrapping her up in his arms. He held her as tight as he possibly could without hurting her, and didn’t let go until the elevator made it to the correct floor, and the doors opened.

“You’re okay,” he whispered. his arms didn’t let go of her, but he readjusted his grip on her, to make it easier for the both of them to walk to his truck. “You’re safe, I’ve got you.” He repeated the same words the entire walk to his vehicle.

Once they made it to his trick, Lucy was reluctant to let go of Tim. He opened the door for her, and helped her in, but her hands gripped onto his arms tight when he tried to pull away from her. “Shhh,” he soothed, as she cried out. “I’m not going anywhere, okay, Goosey?” He said quietly, using her nickname, which made her calm slightly, her grip loosening on Tim’s forearms. “I’m just going to close the door so that I can go to my side of the truck and get in. I’m not going to leave you.” She nodded, sniffling as tears continued to run down her face, but she eventually released Tim, letting him close her door. He walked around the front of the truck deliberately, so Lucy could keep her eyes on him. He climbed into his side of the truck, and after the engine roared to life, they were off, heading towards Tim’s house.

Just after they pulled out of the Mid Wilshire Station parking garage, Lucy reached out for Tim’s hand, her own hand shaking as she did so. Tim immediately gave it to her. He squeezed her hand three times as he continued to drive, and he smiled as he saw her smile out of the corner of his eye.

He had been holding her hand and squeezing it three times since he pulled her out of that barrel. He had no idea where he got the idea to do that, but when Lucy was coming out of a seizure while in the back of the ambulance, she began to cry and reach out for Tim, but Tim couldn’t lift her up and hold her in his lap like he desperately wanted to, all he could do was hold onto her hand, and squeeze it three times to let her know that he was there, that she was safe, and that he wasn’t going to leave her. Ever since then, it had been something that the two of them did when the other was upset or angry. It calmed them down, grounded them, and reminded them that the other person was there, that they were safe, and that the other wasn’t going to leave them or let them get hurt ever again.

Tim felt his arm be lifted, and then felt the warm, wet feeling of his hand being pressed against Lucy’s cheek. He looked over at her, and smiled, seeing that she had fully calmed down, and was just watching the world outside the windshield.

Her stomach rumbled, and she whimpered slightly, making Tim smile.

“We’re almost there.” He said. “I’ll make you dinner tonight, is there anything specific that you’d like?” He asked, and Lucy thought briefly, chewing on her lip as she did.

“Do you have veggie burgers?” She asked quietly, and Tim nodded with a smile.

“Of course I do, Luce. Is that all you want?”

Lucy shrugged. “Maybe a salad?” She suggested, and Tim nodded.

“Veggie burgers and a salad.” He said, looking at Lucy with a smile. “That I can do.”

——

Once they arrived to Tim’s home, the immediately fell into the same routine they’d had since he first brought Lucy home from the hospital. They both left their shoes at the front door, and Lucy made a pit stop in the bathroom, before heading to the living room and turning on the tv. Tim has been insistent since she came home from the hospital that when she was in his house, she was the guest, and therefore she should not be lifting a finger. That meant while Tim was making food or getting them drinks, she was sitting down, and relaxing. Like she should always be, according to Tim.

She did eventually move, joining Tim outside as he cooked the burgers on the barbecue. She didn’t say anything, just stood beside him and watched him flip the burgers every so often. Tim didn’t pay her much mind, at least until he heard a sniffle from beside him, and he looked over to see Lucy quietly crying, a frustrated look on her face. Tim placed the tongs down, and turned to look at Lucy.

“Whats wrong?” He asked quietly.

Lucy shook her head. “Nothing.” She said, her voice short.

“Well it’s clearly not nothing if it’s making you cry all over our burgers.” He half joked, but realized that joking might not have been the best idea once Lucy growled lowly and turned away to stomp into the house again.

He stopped her, grabbing onto her arm. “Hey,” he said. “I was joking Goosey.” Lucy stopped, and took a deep breath before she wrenched her arm out of his grip and stormed into the house, letting the glass door slam shut behind her. Tim turned down the heat on the barbecue, and followed her into the house.

“What’s going on?” He said calmly, stopping Lucy from storming away into the bathroom like he knew she was going to. “What set you off? If I know I can help you calm down, but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what is going on.” He said, reciting the little speech Lucy’s therapist had told him to say when she got overstimulated or triggered.

Lucy choked out a sob, and then turned around to face Tim.

“Why are you being so nice to me!” Lucy exploded. “I couldn’t even be in the same room as Rosalind for more than five minutes without being triggered! Why are you, my hard ass TO, being so fucking nice to me instead of berating me and writing up a blue page like you’re supposed to! I’m not some fragile little princess, I don’t need protecting!” Lucy ranted, before sitting on the ground and pulling her knees up to her chest, burying her face in her knees, letting her sobs out.

Tim sighed, dragging a hand over his face. He was frustrated. Not at Lucy, he could never be frustrated at her, especially not for something like this. He was frustrated because she couldn’t see why he was doing all of this for her. It wasn’t out of pity, it wasn’t because he didn’t think she could handle what happened today, it was because she was the strongest person he knew. Which meant, she didn’t have to be strong all the time. She deserves to take a break from being the strong, badass woman that she is and let someone help her bear the pain that she had experienced. She deserves to feel happiness, to be at peace. To have a meal made by someone who loves her, and knows her as well as he did. Someone who had seen her at her worst, seizing in the back of an ambulance, and who had seen her at her best and bravest, not letting Rosalind know how she was making her feel.

She deserved the whole world, and Tim was going to stop at nothing to make sure that she got just that.

Tim sighed, and walked over to her, before sitting down next to her. He let her cry out her emotions , and as soon as she took a deep, shuttering breath in and started wiping her eyes, he began to speak.

“I’m not being nice to you and caring for you because I pity you, or I think you need protection. Because you don’t. You’ve shown me time and time again, since your very first shift that you don’t need anyone, much less me, protecting you. There is absolutely no shame in not being able to be in the same room as Rosalind, or being triggered by her. She watched as you were shoved in a barrel and left for dead after being kidnapped. That isn’t something someone just gets over in a week, and that isn’t something you should be worried I am going to pass off as no big deal. Because the truth is, you, Lucy Chen, are the strongest woman I know. I wouldn’t have survived something like that, but you did because of how strong, and how determined you are. But you don’t have to always be strong, especially around me. If you need to cry, if you need to scream, punch things break things, I’m here. If you just want me to sit with you so you can sleep knowing that you’re safe and protected, I will be there as soon as I can and will hold you all night if that’s what it takes for you to get the sleep you deserve. You deserve to be happy and to be at peace. You deserve to not have to deal with this by yourself, and that’s all I’m trying to do, okay?” He said quietly, and Lucy nodded, looking at him, a few stray tears falling from her eyes.

Lucy wiped her eyes, and Tim smiled, and he couldn’t let her sit there all sad, curled up in a ball anymore. He reached out for her, and pulled her onto his lap. He rested his back against the back of the couch, and let her settle with her chest to his chest, her head on his shoulder as he ran his fingers through her soft hair.

“Can I tell you something?” He asked. “Something that I was waiting for the end of your FTO program to say?” Lucy nodded, not moving a muscle.

Tim nodded, swallowed the lump forming in his throat, and did his best to ignore the anxiety swirling in his stomach. “Since your first day, you have been the sunshine in my dark world. You have been my source of happiness, the reason I smile, and the reason I get out of bed and continue to come to work everyday. It used to be to find Isabel, but now it’s you. That glimpse of a Lucy-less life that I got when you were missing were the worst days of my life. I did some things that I am not proud of, simply because I needed you back. I couldn’t live without you; and I think that was the moment that I realized I had fallen in love with you.” He said.

Lucy froze, before slowly sitting up and looking Tim in the eye. “Y-You’re in love with me?” She whispered.

Tim nodded, his eyes watering. “Yeah, I am. I have been for a while, I just didn’t realize what it was until you were missing and I told Angela that I had pushed you to go out that night with Caleb. That I was feeling insanely guilty, and that I should have just let you go home. She pointed out to me that I had never been this protective over any other rookie, and that’s the moment that I knew, but I didn’t let myself admit it until your seizure. The moment you reached over to me when it ended, I knew that I had fallen with the best rookie I’ve ever trained. And I understand if you don’t feel the same, but I just couldn’t have you sitting here thinking that I’m doing all this for you because I pity you or because its a part of being a TO. I’m doing this because I love you, and I need you to be okay.” He finished.

Lucy smiled, sniffling. “I love you too.” She whispered, and a smile broke out on Tim’s face, a warm feeling spreading in his chest.

“Really? You do?” He asked, and once Lucy nodded, he leant in, pressing his lips to her softly. His hands traveled down to her back, and he pulled her as close as possible to his body. They both enjoyed the soft, and love-filled kiss, until their need for oxygen became dire. They broke apart, and rested their foreheads together, smiling, both of them knowing that they were safe, with the one they loved.

“We should get back to the burgers,” Lucy whispered a moment later, and Tim nodded.

“Yeah, we should. I’m hungry, and you’re going to need that fuel for later.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to her jaw.