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Tim walked up to the house door and smiled as he heard the music through the walls; he couldn't help the smile that grew at the noise coming from within. He opens the door, but no one notices him, not even Kojo; Tim puts his stuff down and his keys on the hook, walks towards the kitchen and leans on the wall. Watching the women in the kitchen smiling, singing, and dancing to True Love by P!nk while making pasta for dinner. He has walked in on this scene a few times since the girls moved in about five months ago. When the song is over, he claps, and the girls startle. Tamara turns down the music, and the sound from the speaker gets softer. Lucy walks over to him.
"Hi, you are home earlier than expected!" She smiles and hugs him.
"Yeah, a rare occurrence. How was your day?"
"Long, but all good now, you?"
"Same. Food smells good."
"It's the Garlic bread I made." Tamara cuts in.
The couple separates, and Tim gets a beer from the fridge. The kitchen grows silent with the music playing; Tim sets the table while the girls finish dinner. They talk about their days and the latest book Lucy is reading.
After dinner, they clean the dishes and pull out some ice cream. Tim pulls out his phone while Lucy scoops the ice cream into bowels.
Tim Bradford: 8:14 pm
Hey, do you have plans tomorrow morning?
Tamara the Puppy Colins: 8:14 pm
How morning is morning? And I do. Sleep. Why?
Tim Bradford: 8:15 pm
8:30 I have an errand to run, and I need your help. You interested? We'll get Nevins after.
Tamara the Puppy Colins: 8:15 pm
But tomorrow is Pancake Saturday.
Tim Bradford: 8:15 pm
Pancake Saturday?
Tamara the Puppy Colins: 8:16 pm
Yes. It's the second Saturday of the month. And every second Saturday, you make pancakes. Thank you for your Tim tendencies. Lucy and I call it Pancake Saturday.
Tim Bradford: 8:16 pm
I will make pancakes Sunday morning. Are you in or out?
Tamara the Puppy Colins: 8:16 pm
What errand do you need me for anyway?
At the question, Tim looks across the kitchen and at Tamara. He lifts his hand and points to his ring finger. Tamara's eyes pop in shock before looking back at her phone, thumbs moving rapidly across the screen.
Tamara the Puppy Colins: 8:17 pm
Yes. I'll help. But you owe me coffee.
Tim Bradford: 8:17 pm
I already said we'll pick up Nevins. Be ready at 8:00.
After ice cream, Tim turns on a game, music still quietly playing from the speaker. After taking a sip of her wine, Lucy smiles. "Oooo, I love this song." She looks back at Tim, "You know what? Will you turn it up?"
"Yeah." Tamara nods and goes to the speaker.
Lucy walks over to the couch. A commercial is playing. She stands in front of the screen, blocking his view, and holds out her hand.
"Dance with me?"
He puts his beer on a coaster and takes her hand, "sure."
He gets up, following her lead to the space between the dinner table and living room as the first lyrics play.
I met you in the dark , you lit me up
You made me feel as though I was enough
We danced the night away, we drank too much
I held your hair back when
You were throwing up
Tim knows the song. He's heard Lucy sing it in the car and shower before. They smile at each other as they slowly dance. Each of them listens to the lyrics. Tim thinks about the place he was in when they first met. He was in a dark place after Isabel. She plowed into his life like a ball full of sunshine. Even when he was an ass.
Then you smiled over your shoulder
For a minute, I was stone-cold sober
I pulled you closer to my chest
And you asked me to stay over
I said, "I already told ya
I think that you should get some rest."
Tim remembers the first time he saw her. Grey had called her the hotshot because she had made an arrest before clocking in. She looked over her shoulder at him and gave a nervous, tight-lipped smile. That moment changed his life forever, even though he didn't know it at the time.
Then, there was the night she stayed at his house when they lost Jackson. He told her to sleep. He had gone back to his bedroom, his mind and pulse racing before the call from Grey came. That night, holding her, was so different from the last time he had held her in his arms, which was when he had found her after Caleb.
That day, the day that, according to Caleb, was supposed to be her death, he swears his heart was beating outside of his chest. That day changed both of them forever.
Nothing had prepared him. Her kissing him in the bathroom of Highjacks Jet, holding her in his arms when he had finally gotten over the shock of her lips on his, was life-changing in the best way. He knew, at that moment, nothing would ever be the same. He had feelings for her, ones he knew he would no longer be able to deny or hide from himself.
I knew I loved you then
But you'd never know
'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go
I know I needed you
But I never showed
But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
He had known in Vegas that his feelings were real despite both of them being in relationships. He had been scared to bring it up; he did, but they got interrupted. After the fact, he had to be the adult and make sure that Lucy did what was best for Lucy. So he told her to go to UC school despite how hard it was and said that space would be good. But if Tim was being honest, he was scared of what was happening with them. They were changing, and that had terrified him. He tried to be as normal as possible when she got back. It took time, but they figured it out, and now they are happy and together.
I'll wake you up with some breakfast in bed
I'll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head
And I'll take the kids to school, wave them goodbye
And I'll thank my lucky stars for that night.
The mornings are Tim's favorite time. Well, naked time is technically his favorite time. But the mornings in bed, the sun rising, knowing it's a new day, is one of the best parts of the day. On the weekends, one of them will get up and bring coffee back to bed and sit together, talking about nothing and everything. While they don't have kids yet, one day they will, and for now, they have Tamara, who, while not a child, is their family and Kojo.
I'm so in love with you, and I hope you know
Darlin', your love is more than worth its weight in gold
We've come so far, my dear , look how we've grown
And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
I wanna live with you even when we're ghosts
'Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most
I'm gonna love you till my lungs give out
I promise till death we part, like in our vows
So, I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows
That it's just you and me till we're grey and old
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
Just say you won't let go
Oh, just say you won't let go
The two continue to dance in their own world. Lucy listens to the lyrics, amazed at just how far they had come from TO and Rookie to friends. She loves him so much her heart hurts. While she wants to be a ghost with Tim one day, although she does not want that to happen anytime soon. In their jobs, you never know what tomorrow holds. So she takes a deep breath, tells her boyfriend she loves him, stands on her tiptoes, and kisses him. Neither Tim nor Lucy notices Tamara standing at the counter with her phone directed at them.
Later, before bed, Lucy checks Instagram and sees a black and white video of her and Tim dancing on Tamara's story with the caption: My roommates are a real-life Disney movie<3. @LucyChen @T_bradford
The next morning, Tim kissed Lucy, "I'll be back; I have an errand to run." She mumbled a sleepy okay and a grumbled I love you which he returned before he went to get Tamara.
Tim and Tamara walk into the jewelry store. Behind the counter, a woman with long red hair dressed in a black skirt and blazer walks back and forth. They walk up, and Tamara notices the saleswoman shamelessly flirting with Tim, even though someone who could be his daughter is standing right beside him. Stacy is the girl's name. After Tim asks to see some engagement rings, Stacy goes to get them. Tamara rolls her eyes before looking back at the case.
Tim looks down at the young adult, "Hey, are you okay with this?"
"Would it change anything if I said I wasn't?" Tim shrugs at the question, making a face she is all too familiar with.
"Honestly, I would wait a little longer to ask. It's a big change. So, if you weren't okay with it, I would wait a few more months, but no, I wouldn't change my mind. Not because what you feel doesn't matter, but because I love her."
Tamara nods in understanding. Teasing, she bumps his side. "Look at you for asking me for permission."
It's Tim's turn to roll his eyes, but he turns serious: "Look, all this means is that I'm not going anywhere."
"Please, you weren't going anywhere before you two got together." Tamara lightly scoffs before adding, "You two came into my life a package deal."
Tim looks into her eyes, so she knows he wants her to hear what he is saying: " You and your opinion are important to us."
With a sigh, Tamara nods and looks up at him. "I know. And for the record, I am okay with this."
They look at rings and find one that is perfect. The ring has a gold band with a circle diamond in the middle with five diamonds descending in size on both sides. It comes with a matching wedding band that has diamonds on the top of the band and is curved, so when she wears them together, it will fit with her engagement ring. It will only take a few weeks to get sized and engraved.
Lucy wakes up, walks downstairs to let out Kojo, and misses the smell of pancakes. It's the second Saturday of the month, which means it should be Pancake Saturday. She remembers Tim's gentle kiss this morning before running an errand, but she thought he'd be back by now.
Kojo barks at the sliding door, letting her know he wants to come back inside. She walks over and lets him in just as the front door opens. Tim is holding coffee cups in a carrier, and Tamara is right behind him with a box full of pastries.
Lucy looks surprised, "Nevins? What's the occasion?" she takes the cup from Tim's outstretched hand.
He shrugs, "Who says there needs to be an occasion."
"No one, but it's Pancake Saturday. And you showed up with coffee and pastries. No pancakes in sight."
Tim rolls his eyes, "Am I that predictable?"
"No, we just really love Pancake Saturday."
"You want pancakes? I can take the Nevins and make pancakes." Tim makes a grab for the coffee cup.
"No, no, no, I didn't say that." They are now in each other's space, looking at each other in such a lovey way that Tamara rolls her eyes.
"I'll make pancakes tomorrow," Tim promises, the space between them getting smaller by the second.
"On that note, I'm going to take a Bear Claw and my coffee and go to my room," Tamara says as they are about to kiss.
A few weeks later, Tim picked up the ring, but there was one more stop he had to make. He rounds the corner and parks the truck. With the ring in the pocket of his jeans, he picks up the White Lilies from the front seat and gets out of the car.
He walks a short distance to the destination; when he gets there, he sighs, "Hey, Jackson." Placing the flowers on the ground in front of the headstone, Tim sits on the ground. "Sorry it's been so long. The girls, Lucy and Tamara, they, want to come but it's…Hard. They're not with me today because I have to fill you in on some things… I know Lopez told you that Lucy and I are together. We are good, really good. I don't want her to be just my girlfriend anymore."
Tim takes the ring out of his pocket, opens it with a smile, and places it next to the flowers.
"I want her to be my wife. You know how her parents are. She talks to them, but they still don't support her. We've had one dinner with them since we were together. It did not go well. I took Tamara with me to pick out the ring. She is okay with this. I'm not going to ask her parents because we all know they won't approve. "
He sighs again, "Listen, Jackson, I know you loved Lucy. In fact, you are the one person who loves Lucy almost as much as I do. Look, I told Tamara that no matter what, I am going to marry Lucy, but if there's a way you could let me know that I have your blessing and that you heard our conversation, that would be great. Thanks."
Tim looks around at the views of the cemetery. There are too many people in here that he cares about: Jackson, Captain, and a couple of army buddies. Tim sits for a while, sometimes telling Jackson moments he had missed, telling him about his godson Jackson, and sometimes just sitting silently, feeling the breeze. After a while, Tim picks up the ring box, puts it in his pocket, and stands. He places his hand on the headstone and says, "We miss you, man."
When he gets home, he quickly locks the ring in the truck's glove compartment. He'll move it later when Lucy is in bed. Lucy is making dinner. She is in the fridge picking out vegetables, then she goes to the sink and washes them. He grabs a beer, kisses her temple, and sits at the counter. When she turns around, she smiles at him and starts to chop. " Hi, how was your day?"
"Good, how was your day?" Tim takes a swig of his beer
"Good, I needed yoga today. Especially after work yesterday. I needed the mental reset."
"Yeah, I know that goes. Hey, I like your necklace."
Lucy touches the medallion, a sad smile appearing on her face. "Did I ever tell you about the night I became a P2?" Tim thinks for a second before shaking his head.
She takes a deep breath before explaining, "Jackson went out for a celebration dinner with his family. I cooked for my parents; I thought they were coming over to celebrate with me. Well, my dad had book club, so he wasn't there, and I was going to make the best out of the situation with my mom, but she told me she wasn't there to celebrate either. She said that I gave it a year, and I proved that I could do it but that I needed to go and find a real meaningful career. One that my parents could be proud of me for and one that they weren't ashamed of telling people I had, said that they would always love me, but I shouldn't be a paid bully for the city. She, uh, told me I needed to get serious about my future. When I told her I loved my job because I got to help people, she told me I should be a doctor. Then she said they couldn't be supportive of me anymore. I yelled at her that I needed space and asked her to leave."
She takes another breath, "The next morning, Jackson came into work wearing a medallion that his parents had given him. It's a family tradition, St. Michael-The patron saint of cops. He asked me how my night went, and I made a comment but told him I was okay. After shift, Jackson told me he had called my mom, asked her what she said, and told her that she wouldn't be able to come back to the apartment if she didn't apologize for what she had said to me. And he gave me this medallion from him and his family and told me that there were people who were proud of who I am and what I do. Then he took me to get Sushi. Today, I was switching out the clothes in my go bag, and my medallion was in there. When I wear it makes me feel closer to Jackson."
There was the sign from Jackson, that he had heard Tim. He silently thanked Jackson. Tim stood from his spot and walked around the counter, he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, who had been struggling to get through her story, brought her back to his chest, swaying their bodies together and placing another kiss to her temple, then whispered, "I'm proud of who you are, and I'm proud of what you do. I love you."
They had a long day—a long few days. A copycat murderer, an admirer of Rosalind, called out Mid-Wilshire by name. All loved ones were called in and stayed at the station: Tamara, Bailey, James, Lila, Leah, Ginny, Tyler, William, Luna, wesley, Jackson, and baby Rose.
They caught the guy, but the case brought back memories for everyone. It was a hard day. Tim and Metro helped out. Tim got away with some bruises and a cut above his eyebrow. Lucy walked away with some deep bruises.
Lucy walked to Tim's office, and she was already changed out.
She leaned on the door frame, watching Tim in Metro's long sleeve, his hair tussled from the day they had spent working on paperwork. The last few days had worn on him, as shown by the hard lines of his face. Still, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Metro Tim is one of her favorite Tims.
He looks up and smiles.
"Hey, come here." He pushes his chair back, turning his body towards her.
She walks over and stands between his kaki-clad legs; he pats his legs, inviting her into his lap. It doesn't take anything more than that invitation for Lucy to curl up into his lap. He pulls her closer. She tucks her head into his neck, inhaling his scent—sweat, dirt, pine from his cologne, and Tim. She places kisses into his skin, her hand coming up to cup his cheek, her thumb rubbing back and forth.
He places a kiss on the top of her head and takes a deep breath. " Long day," he says.
Lucy lets out a single chuckle, "Yeah."
"You wanna talk about it?"
“No…yes…” Lucy wavers before deciding, "At home."
"At home," Tim confirms.
They sit quietly together, both in their own thoughts, both of the last few days and other Rosalind events. Sitting in all their emotions separately but together.
At some point, Tim interlaced his fingers with hers, which were resting on her jean-covered thigh. He slipped her moonstone ring onto each finger, sliding it on each finger, then up and onto the next finger. He did this a few times; Lucy wasn't even sure he knew he was doing it.
Until the third time when it's on her ring finger, he looks down as he pulls it off.
It's at that moment it all clicked. "You trust me?"
She looks at him in the eye when she says, "Of course."
"Okay, get up." he taps her thigh quickly. "What?" she questions, "Yeah, come on. Up."
She stands up, and he takes her hand and runs out of his office. She follows him through the halls, questions him in between, and laughs at this unlike Tim event. He leads her up the first flight of stairs. And stops at the platform where they talked about their future kids pulling hide and go seek stunts. Everyone they care about is on the lower level and getting ready to leave, not that Tim and Lucy are paying them any attention. He stops and turns so she's facing him. Her eyes are shining, and her smile is bright.
Then he drops to one knee.
Presenting the moonstone ring.
Her eyes go wide, "Tim, what are you doing?"
He takes a breath, "Lucy Chen."
"Here? Now?" she demands, her world starting to spin.
"Yes." he says simply, and while her world is spinning he is at the center of it kneeling in perfect clairity.
"Lucy Chen. I remember the first time we locked eyes. My entire world shifted on its axis when you looked over your shoulder at me at roll call. When I met you, I was lost, hurt, and a person I didn't recognize. And you slowly started piecing me back together. You told me once that when you were in the barrel, you knew I would find you. No matter what it took, I told you I found you because of this ring. This ring saved you. But you saved me long before that with your empathy, love, and compassion. I want to spend the good nights getting Sushi with you and the rough days getting veggie burgers with extra pickles, going home, and watching Top Chef. Look, I know this isn't how you imagined it. Hell, It's not the way I imagined it. We're at the station, I'm in my uniform, the ring isn't an engagement ring, I have one, at home, I swear. I had a whole plan: fancy dinner, you in a dress, me in a suit. But this is where it all started for us, and we're surrounded by the people we love. If there is one thing I have learned from this job, it's that you never know what tomorrow brings. You are my partner, my best friend, the love of my life. And if there's one thing I want to be till my last dying breath, it is your husband. Will you Marry Me, Lucy?"
Lucy takes a shuttering breath, tears silently streaming down her face, "Timothy Bradford, look at all the stuff you and I have survived together? We've been through so much together. I mean, car crashes and bullet wounds and psychos." she lets out a chuckle, "And despite how confused I've been or lost I might have gotten, there was always you ... Finding me and saving me. I want to spend the rest of our lives together, side by side, protecting and finding each other."
"Is that a yes?" Tim asks, eyebrows raised and smiling.
"Yes, babe, yes."
Tim slides the ring onto her finger as everyone cheers. Then he stands and kisses her, Tamara filming the whole thing.
That weekend, they go to the fancy restaurant all dressed up, him in a suit and her in a dress. He proposes with the engagement ring he and Tamara picked before going to the back room, where all their loved ones are waiting to celebrate their engagement.