Chapter Text
They didn’t go back to Los Angeles immediately. Apparently reinstating their old lives took longer than demolishing them had, though neither Tim nor Lucy complained. For the first few days, Tim was in the hospital anyway, recovering from the beating Hugo had given him. He had two broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone. Once the swelling went down, they sent him home to recuperate the rest of the way.
I’m going to miss this place, he thought as he looked around the little rustic cabin. Excited as he was to go back to his life in LA, he had memories here now – a home. He watched Lucy mosey around their living room, humming quietly under her breath, and wondered how he was supposed to get used to her not being there.
Neither of them mentioned it. The elephant remained silent and ignored between them as they savored the time they had left, the quiet bliss of the life they’d built. They watched TV gingerly snuggled together, ate their meals with intimate chatter, and took little adventures around the place they’d come to know over the last year. They soaked up every second of freedom they had to hold hands, kiss, and simply lay in each other’s arms.
They continued to feign ignorance as their last day in the house ticked on, but the second they ventured into the bedroom, the tension rose. They hadn’t had sex because of Tim’s ribs, but as their gazes met, they both knew that abstinence wasn’t going to last. Tim lifted his hand to cup the side of Lucy’s face. He caressed her skin and searched her dark, dilating eyes.
She tipped her chin up, and he dipped to press his lips to hers. He inhaled her scent through his nose, savored her taste as the kiss deepened and their tongues brushed together. Lucy’s moan filled his mouth, and he moved his hand to the back of her neck to draw her in closer. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, body arching into his carefully. The simple brush of skin and teasing graze of cloth had his cock swelling, anticipation drugging him with lust.
They stripped their clothes and moved toward the bed. As they settled and Tim reached for her, Lucy set a hand against his bare chest. “Let me take care of you,” she murmured. He huffed, a smile flickering over his lips. It took her pushing against his chest, but he caved and settled on his back, head resting against their pillows. She crawled over him for a moment so she could connect their lips in a tender kiss.
When she pulled back, her nails traced down his torso. His breath stuttered, lashes fluttering as he watched her lower to kiss beneath his collarbone. She licked a line across his chest, and bit into his well-muscled pec. He groaned a little, and had to force his body still as Lucy grazed the edge of his opposite nipple with her nails. She continued her trek down his body, his cock hard and twitching long before she reached it.
When she wrapped her hand around the base of his cock and pressed her tongue under the head without warning, he gasped her name. Desire licked up him in hot waves as her mouth enveloped him wholly, tongue slicking his velvety skin as she bobbed over his impressive length. Another groan ripped from deep in his throat. His hand massaged into her hair as she dragged her lips against him, tongue swirling over his head every time she pulled up. His toes tingled with pleasure, and all his wit rendered to a crass, “Fuck, Lucy.”
His fingers tightened in her hair, and he pulled her off before she made him come way before he wanted. Lips red and puffy, Lucy gave him the most gorgeous smile he’d ever seen. She kept her hand wrapped around the base of his cock as she pushed onto her knees and straddled his waist. It was only as she lined herself up with him that he noticed how wet she was, a few fingers from her other hand glistening in the dim light.
“Jesus,” he growled, realizing she’d been pleasuring herself the whole time. She laughed, before both of them lost their breath as her warm, wet center sank onto his spit-slicked cock. When their hips sunk together, Lucy rolled her hips to nestle him in deeper. The blissful friction had him groaning, and she felt herself throb around him. Her heart thrummed along with her body, all that she felt for Tim pouring into the gentle way she rode him.
Her fingers skimmed his ribs, feeling his breath quicken for pleasure instead of pain. Eyes twinkling, her smile spread at how dark the desire was in his gaze, the way his lips parted from the euphoria steadily growing inside both their bones. A moan tore from her when she sunk down on him at a slightly different angle, and she pitched forward to cause the trilling sensation again.
His hands smoothed from her hips to her plump rear, and he squeezed his fingers into her flesh to help punctuate each bounce of her hips. Heat coiled inside of her, pleasure throbbing through her center and making her breath stutter. She planted her hands on the bed beside his head, and as she bowed toward him, he tilted his chin up to meet her lips in a searing kiss. Between their frenzy for each other and the deluge of emotions surrounding their final night in another life, both came abruptly. Bliss overwhelmed their beings, and left them a panting, sweaty tangle of limbs in its wake.
They savored the euphoric aftermath for awhile. Lucy eased beside Tim, their arms and legs tangled together. Eventually, the tranquil silence had to be broken. “What’s gonna happen with us when we go back?” Lucy asked. She couldn’t meet his eyes as her fingers toyed dangerously close to the silver wedding band circling his finger. He flexed his hand, steely blue eyes looking at his ring before his fingers wrapped around hers.
“I don’t know. I suppose we take it day by day… get our footing back on the force, and then figure out where we can stand.”
“But we will?” Lucy sat up finally and looked into his stormy eyes. “Figure out how to be together, I mean,” she asked, voice wavering with nerves. Her heart pounded, hope and heartbreak warring inside her. Tim offered her a half-smirk, convincing save for the fact that it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Of course,” he promised.
He wanted to believe that, but he couldn’t uncoil his uncertainty. He’d already been married to another cop. He knew how badly these things could turn. Lucy was nothing like Isabel, but the job still did everything it could to break a person some days.
And he and Isabel had at least started on even ground. Studied at the Academy together, started as rookies together, moved up at the same time. But in the end, they got away with their relationship because they worked at different precincts. With Lucy it was more complicated. Even if one of them moved precincts, he’d always be her senior – likely always be her superior. It didn’t sit well with him…
But nothing about this situation did.
~*~
Back in LA, Tim went home, and Lucy went to… a hotel. Her apartment was no longer under her name, so the police department set her up with accommodations until she could find a place to live. Despite being exhausted after the flight, and the debriefing, and getting all checked into her temporary room, Lucy was restless. She paced for awhile, mind running through a thousand things she wanted to do.
And then a knock resounded on her door. She froze, heart skipping a beat as she stared at the wood. She wasn’t expecting any visitors, and her latest encounter with a serious criminal had put her senses back on edge. No one should’ve known where she was, save for the department, which was the only reason she approached the door. When she looked through the peephole, she gasped.
“Jackson,” she said once she opened the door. Emotions welled, quicker when he rushed forward and crushed her in a hug. She squeezed him back just as tightly, her eyes closing over a surge of tears. “How did you find me?”
“My dad told me,” her old roommate and best friend said. When he pulled back, his eyes were just as watery. He couldn’t unwind his hands from around her arms, and she didn’t for a second think of shrugging him off. She just searched his kind face, more than a little surprised he was standing there.
“He broke protocol for this?” Lucy asked. Jackson huffed, a sad half-smile quirking his lips.
“You didn’t see how much of a wreck I was last year,” he muttered. Lucy’s heart ached as Jackson lowered his eyes, the pain still evident on his face. Swallowing, she pulled him into another fierce hug, the comfort of his presence exactly what she hadn’t known she needed. “God, I’ve missed you,” he murmured into her hair.
“Me too,” she whispered back.
It took them a few minutes to disentangle, but once they did Lucy stepped back so he could enter the hotel room. She called for a bottle of champagne from room service, and settled onto the bed with Jackson. The TV was on in the background, but neither paid attention – too engrossed in each other’s company to care.
“Sorry about the apartment,” Jackson said, pursing his lips. “I just couldn’t stay there with everything…”
“It’s alright.” She set her hand atop his to promise she meant it. He smiled and squeezed her hand.
“So what happened?” he asked after a moment. Dropping her hand from his, Lucy looked away.
“I don’t know if I should talk about it.”
“Oh now you have to talk about it.” Huffing, Lucy rolled her eyes.
“Well then, that is going to take a lot of champagne.” They waited for the bottle to arrive, and drank 2 glasses full before Lucy was able to share all that had happened during their time in Wisconsin. She didn’t hold back either. Couldn’t for the life of her. Straight and narrow as Jackson could be, she knew he’d never betray her trust, and she needed to talk to someone about it.
Still, when she finished she couldn’t quite meet his eye. She stared at her champagne glass instead, watching her nails trace the shape. Jackson couldn’t speak for a second either, and when he did, all he could say at first was, “Wow.” Arms holding his crossed legs up a bit, he considered the situation for another moment before asking, “So what’s gonna happen now?”
“I don’t know. He says we should take it day by day for now, figure out our footing at work before figuring out the rest,” Lucy said, trying to keep her face neutral. She felt Jackson’s gaze boring through her façade.
“Do you agree?”
“It’s probably the smartest option.”
“But you miss him.”
“I miss being a cop, too.”
“Yeah…” Jackson murmured with a nod. “Are they gonna let you start where you left off last year?”
“As long as I pass the physical and written exams tomorrow, yeah.” Jackson nodded, relieved for her, but Lucy couldn’t feel the same elevation. She looked at him, mourning the fact that she was so behind – that she’d lost so much time, and might lose what she’d gained in that interim - despite being happy to be back, and happy for Jackson’s advance in the police force. Mustering a small smile at the latter, she curled closer to him and said, “So? Tell me what I’ve missed with you.”
~*~
Catching up with Jackson had been the perfect way to relax before her first brush with the police force again. Despite knowing she hadn’t gotten ‘rusty’ during her time off, she was still nervous through her exams. It made everything feel more real, and the last year burned through her better than an adrenaline rush as she surged through the course and fired off technical answers.
She passed with flying colors, ensuring her place with Wilshire Station could resume in the next few days. She wasn’t as excited as she thought she’d be, and a lump formed in her throat as she looked around. It was only when she didn’t find who she was looking for that she realized she’d been looking for Tim.
She’d hardly talked to him since returning to LA, and her heart ached with the loss. Before she could think it through, she drove to his house and knocked on the door the night before they were to be fully reinstated. The air felt damp with the threat of rain, and she looked around the dark street until Tim’s stoop light turned on. She squinted, and turned around in time to see him open the door.
The first thing she’d noticed was he cut his beard, though he’d kept the longer length to his ashy brown hair. Her heart pounded as she met his curious blue eyes, her lips parting stupidly as she realized how late it was, and how ill-conceived this idea had been.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she stammered. He blinked, but then drew the door further open and stepped back.
“Come on in.” She smiled awkwardly as she stepped through the threshold, but her expression immediately brightened when someone else rushed her with clacking nails.
“Cujo!” Lucy cooed, dropping to her knees to greet her old dog. His tail wagged incessantly as he curled against her, licking at her chin while her nails massaged into his head and back. She laughed, before she looked up at Tim. “You got him back?”
“Yeah. Sergeant Grey had him, I guess holding onto him in the hopes we’d come back sooner than later.” He smiled a little when Lucy turned her attention back to Cujo.
“Hey buddy,” she whispered, pressing her lips to the top of his head.
“You want some dinner? I have some leftovers,” Tim asked as he headed toward the kitchen.
“No. I’m okay.” She gave Cujo a final pet before she lifted to her feet. Eyes roving over Tim, she tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, at a loss of what to say. He seemed to be in a similar position for once, standing behind his kitchen island. His hands planted to the polished marble. To break the awkward tension building, Lucy said, “So, uh… how have you been?”
“Fine.” The conversation fell flat, and Lucy’s heart almost stopped.
“This is awkward, isn’t it?” she huffed, shoulders held up only because of the position of her hands. Tim let out a breath and searched the counter space before him.
“Yyyyyeah… I wish I could say I didn’t see this coming, but-“
“Yeah,” Lucy murmured, eyes falling to the floor briefly. A moment later, her eyes flickered up to his face and her lips pursed almost coyly. “Two truths and a lie?” The hope that had bled into her question soared when he laughed, a bright, clearly unexpected sound. Her smile bloomed, and just like that some of the uncertainty melted away.
They sat on his couch in the living room, an acceptable amount of space between them as they played the game. Tim lied about liking the meatloaf she’d made one night, and Lucy lied about liking Tim’s beard. The latter sent them both into a fit of giggles, the space between them disappearing as they cowed with laughter.
“I didn’t hate it!” she defended, still laughing over her own bent knees. Tim set his hand against his chest as he leaned against the couch cushions, unable to contain himself. Giggling again, Lucy held her arms out and said, “I don’t know, it’s just… this look suits you better.” She nudged her bare foot against the ticklish spot against his ribs. He lurched and snorted, smothering the offended area with his hand. Lucy leaned over herself a little more, brows lifting incredulously.
“Did you just snort?” she asked, smile spreading mischievously. Tim glared at her, but it was short-lived when her nails dug for his ticklish spot again. “Huh?” she goaded, laughing until Tim shot up and grabbed underneath her calf. With a yelp, Lucy found her back flopping onto the couch as Tim tugged her leg up. She shrieked with a laugh when his other hand moved for her, and she ducked her other knee in to protect herself.
They both realized the position at the same moment. One of her legs nearly over his shoulder while the other was partially pinned under his weight, her lying back against the couch as he leaned over her. It was just too easy between them now, and neither seemed able to move once their faces fell at the realization. Lucy took a few shallow breaths through her opened lips, her eyes searching the deep blue of his gaze. Wrong as this should’ve been, it didn’t feel wrong at all. Sitting there pining for his touch had, and now she just felt…. better.
“You know… we’re not technically back on duty until tomorrow,” she murmured, watching his expression carefully. He swallowed. Once, he’d had the strength to resist her. Not now, and selfishly he wanted this too. Part of him broke, treachery invading his veins as he pried Lucy’s other leg outside of his hip, but it hardly mattered. He ached for her, and as he crushed her into the cushions as deeply as his lips ensnared hers, that broken part of him filled with something so exhilarating and pure, he forgot all about it.
They both groaned, their hips gyrating together in a lewd manner that balanced out by the tender way Lucy cupped his shaven jawline. He stroked her hair, caressed her cheekbone, and smoothed his hand up her side in a reverent way that had her heart pounding. Tongues tangled, desire burning through them until a sharp whine snapped them out of the frenzy. They both looked beside the couch to see Cujo watching them, the droopy look about his face eliciting a laugh from each.
Sighing, Tim rolled his eyes at the dog and pitched onto his arms. He came back to himself a bit then, and looked down at Lucy with a more reserved look on his face. “We probably shouldn’t act like a couple of horny teenagers the night before we return-“
“Yeah-“
“-But… come to bed?” He held his hand out, and Tim watched the dismay that almost overtook Lucy dissipate with an awing exuberance. He couldn’t help but smile softly as she sat up and took his hand. When they entered his bedroom, Lucy looked around, amazed to see the intimate side of his life up close. Ash brown quilt, a couple photos on the dresser, a few clothes strewn about the floor. He wasn’t as neat as his demeanor led one to believe, but she knew that already. This space was just his, and she admired it as so.
He handed her a Rams NFL tee he didn’t mind her sleeping in (in fact, he had a hard time tearing his eyes away from her once she’d changed into it). When they settled under the covers, he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her. She sighed, folding against his chest and closing her eyes, the scent of him lulling any lingering tension from her shoulders. His chin tipped to the top of her head, his thumb brushing lazy circles along her spine. The ease and comfort he felt finally having her back in his bed was ironically shadowed by his dilemma with their situation. It left him less ability to sleep than he would’ve liked.
Which is why he left early, before Lucy was even awake. She wasn’t really surprised to wake up to an empty bed, but she was disappointed nonetheless… even if she had no right to be. She went back to her hotel room and got ready for the day, a resigned melancholy overtaking her until she walked into the station. She was stopped short of entering their morning briefing room by John and Jackson, and their warm smiles immediately lit one up on her.
Before any pleasantries could be said, Nolan held a finger up and said, “For the record, I knew you weren’t dead.” Lucy huffed, her smile growing when Jackson jerked his head back and glared at John pointedly.
“Uh, no you didn’t. You bawled when Sergeant Grey told us,” he accused. Nolan’s head jerked toward the younger cop in the playful way he did when he was trying to sell a joke as truth.
“I was caught off guard. It was very troubling news. But after that, I thought ‘no way. Not Lucy. She’s too smart for that.” He looked at Lucy with a broad smile that melted her heart. She bounced on her feet, unable to contain her affection.
“Aw, you guys. I missed this,” she murmured, reaching forward to hug them each.
“It’s nice to have you back,” Harper drawled as she walked into the room, her sly smile warmer than usual. Her finger waggled at Lucy. “Hasn’t been the same without you and Lopez around.”
“Oh yeah! You said she made detective,” Lucy remembered, looking to Jackson with a smile. “Do you think I’ll get to see her?”
“She said she’d stop by to say hello,” Jackson promised with a nod.
“Alright, take your seats,” Grey said as he entered the room. When Lucy turned to look, her heart almost leapt out her throat seeing Tim trail the Sergeant. He looked reserved, his jaw clenching briefly as he remained standing behind Grey. “Now, most of you know today is a very special day. Two of our own have returned from a year in witness protection from the Montgomery crime family, who were recently put behind bars. As a result, Officer Bradford and Officer Chen have returned to duty effective today.”
There were a round of applause, to which Grey nodded and participated in. Lucy was shocked to realize she’d missed his almost secretive smiles. With a final nod, Grey called order back to the room and continued. “The news doesn’t stop there. We’ve all had some difficulties over the last year with the absence of a permanent captain. Well… the department is also making it official. I will be Wilshire’s new Captain effective-“ he couldn’t finish when the room erupted in applause and cheer. Grey huffed and bowed his head briefly, soaking up the support for something he was clearly proud of.
“Thank you, thank you!” he finally said, loud enough to quiet the room again. “Now,” he stated, punctuating the word as he looked around the room. His eyes landed on Lucy briefly, and her heart rate started to pick up, senses tingling. “This leaves a Sergeant’s position open at this department. Officer Bradford passed the Sergeant’s exam shortly before he had to go into witness protection.”
Oh no, Lucy thought, her heart sinking as she realized where this was going. And then she took a deep breath and berated herself, knowing she should be happy for Tim. Grey glanced back at Tim briefly, something silent passing between the two of them, before he said, “However, Bradford has elected not to take the Sergeant’s position at this department. An old colleague of mine who’s the Sergeant at Pacific Station has wanted to transfer for some time, so he will be starting here effective tomorrow… and Bradford will be taking over his Sergeant’s post at Pacific. Harper, you’ll be taking over training Officer Chen through her probationary year’s last 30-days.”
Lucy’s head went into a fog then. She looked at Tim with wide eyes, the expression on his face as he finally met her gaze unreadable. She burned, and after the morning briefing, she marched right up to him. He stilled, jaw clenching briefly as he straightened up.
“You’re not going to finish my training?” she demanded, anger crackling at the edge of her voice.
“I’m not,” Tim said.
“You’re switching departments?”
“I am.”
“You weren’t going to tell me any of this?” She looked like she was about to hit him, their friends and colleagues watching be damned. Before she could move, Tim grabbed her hand, and all the rage she felt popped out of her. She startled a little, eyes wide and lips gaping. And Tim, the devil, smirked.
“I didn’t tell you because I wanted to get in one last shot at frazzling you before I wasn’t your TO anymore,” he said, smirk going a little lopsided. She huffed, but then he sobered, his smile turning a little warmer as he squeezed her hand. “And I did this so I could ask you out on a date, Lucy Chen. Officially and professionally sound.” Lucy felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest. She almost felt ready to lift off her toes and float away.
Before she could say anything, however, Angela leapt through the doorway and landed beside them. Her startling presence had their hands dropping from each other as she excitedly proclaimed, “Boom! What did I tell you? Best detective in the world.” Her husky song ended as she looked back at Jackson, his expression having fallen flat. “You owe me thirty bucks,” she said, pointing at her old rookie. He pouted, but fished the money out and handed it to her. When she caught the others looking at her as she leafed through her new cash, she shrugged and said, “I bet him you wouldn’t make it out of the briefing room before asking Chen on an official date.”
“I didn’t want to make the stupid bet,” Jackson muttered, still pouting. “She practically forced me.” Amused, Nolan clapped his hand against his partner’s shoulder in mock comfort. Tim looked less than amused as he shook his head.
“I didn’t miss you,” he said. Angela’s smile only widened. She leaned in and nudged his shoulder with her own playfully.
“Yeah, I know you did. Beers after work?”
“Only if you’re buying.”
“Hey, from what I just heard, you got a fancy new promotion too, Hot Shot.” She tipped her head and held her arms out in challenge before she walked off, leading the pack of them out of the briefing room. Lucy felt tears prick her eyes, the happiness she felt to be among these people again – her family – too much to contain. When she looked at Tim, at the gentle smile on his face and the light in his eyes, she knew he felt the same. He touched her shoulder, guiding her in place beside him.
Exactly where she was meant to be.