Chapter Text
Lucy and Jackson didn’t end up seeing each other until they were running out the door to try and make it to work early, neither wanting to cut it too close on their first day as a P2. The plan was to carpool together since Jackson was being picked up from the apartment for his celebration dinner with his family and Lucy invited her parents over for dinner.
She peppered him with questions about his night all through their drive and up until they entered the locker rooms. Who was the guy? No one special. Where did he meet him? At the gym. Was the night successful? He’s feeling very relaxed for his first day, so yes.
They made it through roll call and then into the shop, where he jumped at his opportunity.
“So..” He started as Lucy pulled out of the bay, “Paintball?”
Lucy cut her eyes over at him, slightly confused, before turning them back onto the road, “What about it?” Jackson’s eyes widen in disbelief.
“What about it? You and Tim have been playing paintball together for months and you haven’t said anything about it?”
“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t invite you! He got the membership and so it just made sense for us to join the existing league. I can talk to him about setting up one with our group.”
“I don’t care about the invite! I do care that you’ve been befriending Tim and are now close enough that you take his credit card to pay for things.” He looked at her pointedly.
She looks genuinely confused now, “I don’t get what the big deal is? We are friends. Even if he won’t admit it.”
“Girl, friends don’t interact like that.”
“Like what?”
“You two co-parent a dog.” He said deadpan. It was so obvious. How did she not see what they all did?
“Yeah, because Kojo was mine first. He wasn’t going to just take him in and I never saw him again.” That much was obvious. What was Jackson not getting?
He sighed. She wasn’t catching on. And it was too soon to broach the idea of them being more than friends. They only just became P2s. He’d talk to Angela first and see if she made any headway with Tim.
Angela had called Tim to come rescue her from the crisis of finding her wedding dress after flipping out and throwing all her friends out of the bridal shop. His blunt honesty was exactly what she needed, and he helped put her mind at ease. Together, they found a dress that made her feel confident and that she looked beautiful in.
Amidst her thanking him, there was a commotion outside of the dressing rooms and they exited to find two women embroiled in a battle over a dress. With no plans to interfere after the store manager informed them that the police had been called, Tim started to ‘film for evidence.’
As luck would have it, Jackson and Lucy were the responding officers. As they entered prepared to diffuse the situation, they saw Tim and Angela standing there.
“Lopez? What are you doing here?” Jackson asked his hand on his duty belt.
“I’ll give you three guesses.” Angela deadpanned as she watched Jackson move in to diffuse the situation. Lucy on the other hand looked a little awestruck at Tim.
“Are you helping her find a wedding dress?”
“Right now, I’m watching you not do your job.” Tim said, still holding his phone filming her.
Jackson and Lucy tried to talk the women down, but they didn’t listen and the situation seemed to escalate, spraying champagne on the two officers. They ripped the dress, feathers flying everywhere, and as one woman tried to run, Tim finally stepped in and tripped her so Lucy could cuff her. He continued to film, this incident being the highlight of his day. Feathers rained down over Lucy as she knelt down to pull the woman’s hands behind her back.
“Oooh, looking good Officer Chen.” Tim smirked as he filmed the arrest, “Looking good.”
Lucy rolled her eyes as she finished cuffing her, “Some help you are.” Backup walked in as she handed off the woman to them and Jackson walked the other women to their shop.
“Hey!” Tim said indignantly, putting his phone down, “I helped! My foot was very strategically placed, to enable that takedown.”
“We’ve gotta go take her in for processing,” she turned to Angela, eyes lighting up, “Did you say yes to the dress? You look amazing!”
“I’m pretty sure this one is it.” Angela looked down at the gown, holding her hands out a bit to show it off.
“Stunning,” Lucy said in admiration. She moved to walk out the door to join Jackson at the shop, but turned back to address Tim, “Oh! We still on for tomorrow?”
Tim nodded, raising his eyebrows, “Unless something happened that I don’t know about. Why? You have new plans now?”
“No, no.” Lucy shook her head, “Just making sure you weren’t chickening out since you finally have to showcase the cooking skills you’ve been bragging about.”
“Oh you have so little faith, Chen. Be prepared to be wowed. And you better bring me some of the Lotus Root Soup you’re making tonight too!”
“I won’t forget! See you tomorrow, Tim,” with a sly grin Lucy is out the door. Tim follows her figure until he sees her enter the shop, taking off with Jackson to head back to the station.
Angela pinched Tim on the bicep and he immediately flinched from surprise, “Wha—? Ow!” He rubs his arm, “What was that for?!”
“Looking good Officer Chen?”
“What? It was funny!”
She snorted, “That’s not what it sounded like to me. Are you two dating now? Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“Huh? Wha—No! What are you talking about?” Angela narrowed her eyes at his cluelessness. Was he serious?
“Paintball? Now you are cooking her dinner at your house?” her hands are flailing in exasperation, the sparkles on her dress glittering in the light making her seem like a bit of a fairy godmother as she walked into the dressing room.
“We’re friends Angela. I can admit it now that she’s no longer my rookie.” He called into the fitting room from his seat.
“Yeah and?” She called back, “Do friends plan a romantic dinner for two at their house?”
“What are you talking about?” He asked confusedly, “Who said anything about a romantic dinner? She basically bet me that I couldn’t cook and so I told her to come over and I’d prove her wrong.”
Angela rolled her eyes as she shimmied out of the gown, placing it back on the hanger. He was so freakin’ hopeless. How did he not see what was staring him in the face? She’d let him have this one. It was, after all, only her first day as a P2. Maybe they just needed a bit of time to let things fall into place.
Tim heard his doorbell ring sending Kojo into a frenzy just as he was washing his hands in the kitchen. He had pushed their plans back a night after he was roped into being Angela’s man of honor. Suddenly he had all these new responsibilities, including playing mediator between Patrice, Wesley and Angela. On top of that he got a new rookie, which ended much sooner than he anticipated. Needless to say, this evening of cooking with Lucy was going to be the highlight of his week.
Glancing over at his phone he saw Lucy’s image from his door camera
“It’s open!” He called as he grabbed a towel to dry.
Lucy walked in after a few moments, after dropping her bag and jacket in the entryway. Her jaw was dropped, one hand on her hip with the soup in the other hand, “Did my ears deceive me? Super cop, Tim Bradford just told some rando his door was open?”
“Slow your roll, Chen. I saw you on the camera.” He went to the refrigerator and pulled out what looked like dough wrapped in plastic wrap, using it to point at her, “Wash up and roll up your sleeves, boot. We’ve got work to do.”
“What? We?” Lucy placed the container she had brought down on his island and followed his instructions, despite questioning him, “I’m cooking too? I thought the whole point was to show off your culinary skills.”
Tim let out a laugh and Lucy’s eyes lit up at seeing his relaxed joy, “Oh don’t worry. I’ve prepared enough that you will be impressed no matter what you help with. But it’s more fun if you help, so come on.” He beckons her with his head and she moves to stand next to him.
“What are we doing any way?” Lucy asked, looking at the set up in front of them. A pasta machine was on Tim’s left and a large wooden board was in front of them, along with a small bowl of flour. He unwrapped the dough, now rested and ready, grabbed a knife, cutting it into four equal parts.
“We,” he pulled one of the sections off and handed it to her, “Are making homemade lobster ravioli.” Lucy’s eyes lit up and her curious look transformed into a beaming grin. She loved lobster. It wasn’t something she had often, but she had told him about a trip she took to Maine with her family once and she discovered her love for it, eating lobster at every dinner she had during that week. She couldn’t believe he remembered that story.
Lucy’s daydream is broken by Tim handing her one of the sections, showing her how to lightly dust it with flour before feeding it through the machine.
She turns the hand crank while Tim guides the dough into the machine’s rollers. The first pass yields a thick sheet, which they fold and pass through again, gradually adjusting the machine to thinner settings. With each pass, the dough becomes silkier and more delicate, stretching out into a long, smooth sheet.
He stands close, offering tips on keeping the dough straight and even as it rolls out. Lucy’s movements become more confident, and she smiles as the pasta sheet grows longer and thinner, perfect for ravioli. They work in tandem, with Lucy cranking the machine and Tim catching the finished sheet, laying it carefully on the floured countertop. They worked together seamlessly as usual, Lucy accustomed to Tim guiding her and Tim, used to Lucy’s bubbly sass, that he gave back with affectionate sarcasm. Laughter filled the air, a sound that hadn’t graced the Bradford household in years. Tim’s kitchen felt warm and bright, and it was all because of Lucy, who looked like she belonged there.
They shared a high five once the first sheets were completed, feeling particularly accomplished because they hadn’t made any mistakes. Tim pulled the lobster filling out of the refrigerator, picking up a spoon to scoop a portion, demonstrating how to place it carefully on the dough, leaving just enough space between each mound for the ravioli to be sealed. Ever the teacher, and a staunch perfectionist, he explained the importance of precision, ensuring each portion is even so the ravioli cooked uniformly. Lucy watched closely, then mimicked his actions, carefully dropping the filling onto the dough. Tim stepped back to let her finish up, offering gentle pointers on spacing.
Tim then showed her how to cover the first sheet with the second and press out the air pockets to adhere them together. Pulling out a cookie cutter, he handed it over, letting her cut each piece into rounds and place them onto a cookie sheet that he set in the refrigerator so they could finish rolling out a filling the remaining dough.
Once finished with the second batch, Tim pulled out the first cookie sheet and turned to Lucy, “Come on, we’re going to do the rest of the cooking outside.” He gestures with his head to the wine fridge and then one of the cabinets, “Why don’t you grab a bottle of wine and some glasses now that the heavy lifting is done?”
He waited for Lucy to select a bottle of wine, and then doubled over with laughter as he realized she was too short to reach the wine glasses. She turned around, huffing with annoyance, her hands on her hips.
“Are you going to just stand there laughing or help me?” Still chuckling, Tim put one of the cookie sheets down, and grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet, handing them to Lucy.
“Here you go, short stuff. Can you handle getting them outside?” He asked amusedly, turning to grab the tray, Lucy wrinkling her nose at him in annoyance.
As they headed towards the doors to Tim’s outdoor kitchen, Lucy turned to him curiously, “Why are we out here anyway?”
“Because,” he started, as he pulled opened accordion glass doors off of the dining room, “We are making something with lobster. And if we’re going to watch movies later, I’m not trying to have my house smell like seafood.”
“Ahhh, yeah that’s a good call.” Lucy said as they stepped outside. Kojo barreled over to Lucy from the shady spot where he had been lounging in the yard. She quickly placed the items down on the counter and dropped to the ground to greet him.
“Hey boy!” She rubbed his coat vigorously, “Oh it’s so good to see you! I was wondering where you were! Did your Daddy put you outside because he is a grump who doesn’t believe in sharing his food?”
Tim frowned as he switched on the burner to boil the water, “Hey, I have him on a specific diet. He gets salmon eggs for breakfast once a week. And I pay an insane amount for The Farmer’s Dog subscription that you signed me up for. You better believe he’s eating that food.”
Lucy rolled her eyes amusedly as she continued to rub Kojo, “Don’t listen to your Daddy, he knows that subscription is the best food for you.”
“Are you gonna help or just talk trash about me to the dog who can’t talk back?” Tim said as he chopped a shallot, adding it to another pot.
“Fine, fine,” Lucy acquiesced, walking over to wash her hands, “Just don’t be upset when I let Kojo take over the couch later.”
“He has a bed!”
“And I haven’t seen him in ages! I deserve my cuddles.”
Tim’s eyes softened as he opened the wine, “You know can come cuddle whenever you want Lucy.”
Lucy drew her lip in between her teeth at the implications of his words, but reminded herself he was talking about Kojo. If she was honest with herself, either scenario sounded enticing. She watched him pour a glass for each of them, before pouring some over the shallots in the pot, reducing the heat. “You just got rid of me, Tim…I don’t want to intrude.”
“Lucy…” Tim stepped towards her, “I would think that you’d have known by now that I like having you around.”
She looked up into his eyes in surprise, “You do?”
“You think any of my other rookies have even been to my house? Let alone cooked with me? I’m not friends with any of my former rookies.” He cocked his head. It was unbelievable that she didn’t realize how special she was. Lucy beamed up at him in appreciation but was otherwise silent. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say to that. First, he tells her that his new rookie wasn’t as good as her yet, now this?
Tim turned back to the pot, adding the lobster stock he had prepared earlier, when Lucy had a realization.
“Speaking of rookies, how did day two go with Katie, now that I know I’m the best you’ve ever trained.” She smiled sassily at him and Tim rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
“First of all, I said she might be as good as you one day. Not that you were the best. And second, we won’t ever know because she quit.”
That stopped Lucy in her tracks.
“What?”
Tim nodded, swallowing as he checked the pot and adding salt to the boiling water. “Yeah, I guess I gave her a little too good of a pep talk when I tried to help her realize her transition back into civilian life,” he added the ravioli to the water, picking up a spider strainer as he continued, “So, at end of shift today she found me and let me know it was her last day. And she needed more time to get used to being back stateside.”
“Oh, Tim…is she okay? Are you okay?” She knew enough about him to know that he took any wash out personally, and the fact that this was not an egregious infraction that washed Katie out, but Tim’s own wisdom that gave her the realization that she wasn’t ready to be a cop, it had to sting.
“I mean, if you asked me earlier this afternoon, I would have been mad at myself.” He removed the ravioli, transferring it to the other pot with the finished sauce, “But I had some time to sit with it and…it was the right decision. If she truly wasn’t ready, it would have been a disservice to her mental health and ultimately the people we serve to keep her there.”
She smiled at him, marveling at his growth. The Tim of old might not have gotten that far in his realizations, “You’ve grown, I’m proud of you. The Tim from a year ago might not have been that enlightened.”
“I’m thrilled.” He said sarcastically as he dished out their pasta, sprinkling some chopped fresh parsley to garnish, “Am I to assume that you’re taking credit for that?”
“We both know that I’m a good influence.” She grinned at him, taking one of the bowls from him. Tim didn’t respond. He couldn’t negate it. From day one Lucy had been working her little sunshine magic to make him a better person. And from what he could tell so far…it was working.
They carried their filled bowls from the kitchen station to the dining table which was set with rustic cloth napkins and simple flatware. Lucy had already brought over their glasses of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. The evening air is filled with the aroma of the lobster ravioli they’d just made, mingling with the fresh scent of the greenery around them.
They sat down, the peaceful ambiance heightened by the soft rustling of leaves overhead. Lucy took a moment to admire the surroundings before they began their meal, the modern pergola casting striped shadows across the teak table. They exchanged smiles of satisfaction, clinking their glasses in a quiet toast.
Tim watched as Lucy prepared to take her first bite. She carefully lifts the fork to her mouth, the warm ravioli glistening with a light coating of sauce and herbs. As she takes the bite, the tender pasta gives way to the rich, savory filling of lobster and cheese. Her eyes widened in delight, and then closed in pleasure, a smile spread across her face.
She savored the flavors, the freshness of the ingredients and the perfect balance of textures coming together in a way that’s both comforting and indulgent.
“Tim,” was all she said as she chewed, looking at him in awe.
“Good?” He asked. He was confident in his abilities, but he just needed to be sure.
“This is fucking amazing,” she exclaimed in genuine appreciation and Tim barked out a shocked laugh, unaccustomed to hearing her curse. The satisfaction on her face spoke volumes, the homemade ravioli a clear success.
“Well, I guess it’s now safe for you to say that I can indeed cook.” he said smugly, taking a bite himself, closing his eyes at the rich flavor.
“I will never doubt your skills in the kitchen, Tim Bradford.” Lucy said as she speared another ravioli.
“You should never doubt my skills, period.” He said pointedly and Lucy coughed a bit at the suggestion in his tone, taking a sip of wine to try and ignore the slight twinge she felt in her gut.
An hour later, and a second bottle of wine in, Tim and Lucy were cackling at the table. The pasta had long since finished, and Kojo returned to his lounging spot.
“So, wait…not only are you Angela’s man of honor, but you also blew up a garbage can full of wedding magazine and you played mediator to Wesley’s mom and the two of them?” Lucy was wheezing at the thought.
Tim took a sip of his wine, “Yup! It was crazy. I love Angela, but I’m not sure how I’m going to survive the next few months.”
“I’ll gladly help you, Tim.” He shook his head, already declining her offer.
“No, you have enough on your plate as a new P2, you don’t need the Lopez chaos added to it.”
“Oh come on,” she cocked her head to the side, “I could do this type of thing in my sleep. It’s what my organization skills thrive on. I’m sure even Jackson would help too.”
Tim narrowed his eyes at her, contemplating, “You really want to help?”
“Duh, yes! Of course I want to help! This is such an exciting time for Angela, and I don’t want you to screw it up!”
“Hey! I think I proved by now with my culinary skills that were in question…you should never doubt me.”
“Oh geez, fine! I don’t doubt you,” she rolled her eyes, “But I still want to help!”
“Okay! Okay! You can help!” Lucy grinned as she raised her glass to cheers with him.
“Good.”
“Good.” He shot back and then paused for a moment. “Hey…I meant to ask you how your dinner went last night?”
He’d never seen an air switch from joyful to tense so fast. Lucy went quiet, her face falling immediately after his question.
“Um…it…it didn’t.”
“What do you mean?” He raised his eyebrows in question.
“My dad didn’t bother to show up.” She drew in a breath, “And my mother only showed up to tell me that I’ve made my point so I can finally drop this act to do something meaningful with my life.”
“What?” Tim was shocked. Lucy didn’t talk about her parents often, but he hadn’t realized they didn’t support her, “Lucy…”
“It’s fine,” she interrupted him her eyes glassy, “I’ve realized that they’ll never accept me unless I’m doing what they want.”
“It’s not fine. You worked your ass off this year.” He said indignantly, “You went through hell and still came out thriving. They should be proud that their daughter is one of the best officers we have out there.”
That gave her pause, and despite her glassy eyes, a smile crept onto her face, “The best you say?”
Shit. He finally gave her the words she had been seeking, “One of. Don’t let it go to you head.”
She giggled, “Doesn’t matter. Tim Bradford just told me I’m the best.”
“I said one of.”
“Semantics,” she waved it off, changing the subject to savor her ‘the best, “Are we gonna watch a movie or what?”
“We are,” he said moving to take her empty dish and standing up, “But now…I get to pick the movie.”
“Wha—Tim?! You’re going to pick some horrible action movie with zero substance! I should pick the movie.”
Tim scoffed, “Yeah so you could make me suffer through some god-awful romance where the guy is an idiot? No thank you. I’m picking.” He set off inside leaving Lucy to grab the wine and their glasses before following him.
“Psssh, I’m the guest. I should have picking privileges.”
“You’re not a guest. You helped me cook, and I have your dog. My pick.” He placed the dishes in the sink and then filled the electric kettle with water, placing it back on the dock to boil. He reached up into the cabinet, pulling down a mug.
Lucy rolled her eyes, sighing as she crossed her arms while leaning against the counter, “Fine. You can pick this one. But I get to pick the movie next time then.”
“Deal.” Tim pulled out the tea strainer and a small canister of tea that Lucy noticed was her favorite. Her heart did a little pitter patter as she realized there was yet another little detail about her that Tim noticed. But she wouldn’t be Lucy if she didn’t tease him just a little bit.
“I didn’t realize I had rubbed off on you so much.” she said slyly, watching as he measured out the tea leaves into the strainer just as the kettle beeped.
“What are you talking about?” Tim asked, puzzled as he poured the boiling water into the mug.
She grinned, walking over to the foyer to kick off her shoes and calling over her shoulder, “I didn’t think you were one for tea…I’m glad to see I’ve been a good influence even in your food habits.”
“Ew, please you know this is for you. This stuff tastes like I scooped up some dirt and grass and poured boiling water over it.” Tim scrunched his nose up and Lucy couldn’t help but laugh. She had never seen him make such an expression before. It was so cute.
She moved into the living room, settling onto the couch, pulling the fuzzy cream throw blanket over her lap as Tim set the mug down on the coffee table. He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment to grab a glass of water for himself, along with a small plate of macarons that Angela had sent him home with after agreeing to be her man of honor.
As he returned to the living room, he paused in the doorway. Lucy was huddled underneath the blanket, her steaming mug of tea in her hands as she blew on it and then took a sip. She looked…at home in his space. He felt a pang of affection in his chest as he watched her. It was like she belonged there.
“What are we watching?” Lucy’s voice broke him from his thoughts as she found the remote to switch the TV on. He was prepared to surprise her with his selection for that evening, and quickly sat down, placing the items on the glass and plate on the table to snatch the remote from her.
He ignored her whine and began navigating to the Disney+ app.
“You have Dinsey+?” her voice was amused, “Learn something new everyday.”
“I do have nephews you know!” He huffed, “Plus, they own Marvel. Why wouldn’t I have it?” He continued to click through, finally finding the movie he wanted to watch.
“Remember the Titans? Really Tim? A sports movie? That’s just as bad as action!” Lucy whined.
“Shhhh, boot,” He pressed play and the credits began to roll, “It’s a classic. My pick, remember?”
Lucy glared at him, “Not. Your. Boot. Anymore.” She grumbled back at him, though Tim did nothing but laugh as he settled back, his arm stretched across the back of the couch. His fingertips lightly brushed against her shoulder, and Lucy stifled the urge to shiver, instead reluctantly turning her attention to the screen.
An hour and a half later, Tim and Lucy were nestled on the couch, riveted by the story playing on screen in front of them. They had involuntarily scooted closer to each other under the guise of needing more warmth. Despite Lucy sharing the blanket with Tim, he complained she was hogging it all, so they scooted closer until they were pressed against each other, perfectly cocooned in the warmth of the blanket. Neither one mentioned the fact that he probably had another throw or two somewhere in the house.
As the film reached one of its most emotional scenes, Lucy felt a lump in her throat. She tried to blink back tears, but a few escaped the corners of her eyes. Tim, ever observant, noticed and couldn’t resist teasing her.
"Really, Lucy? Crying? Over a football movie?" he quipped with a playful grin, nudging her lightly with his elbow.
Lucy shot him a mock glare, still wiping her tears. "Shut up. You’re the one who insisted we watch this 'classic' sports movie in the first place."
Tim chuckled, shaking his head. "See? Sports movies can have depth," he said, trying to keep a straight face but failing.
The banter continued for a while, with Lucy playfully swatting at him, and Tim leaning back, laughing, before turning back to the movie, the room growing quiet once again as they settled into a comfortable silence.
Before long, Lucy’s head drooped onto Tim’s shoulder, her breathing steady and slow. Tim glanced over and smiled softly, realizing she had fallen asleep. After a moment, cheer pulled him back into the film as the movie ended in victory. He lowered the volume and navigated over to his sports app to catch up on what highlights he missed for the day.
Sometime later, Tim stirred awake, the room now bathed in the soft glow of the TV’s idle screen. He looked down to see Lucy still asleep on his shoulder and carefully shifted, trying not to wake her. Gently, he slid his shoulder out from under her, guiding her to lay down on the couch, making sure she was comfortable. He knelt in front of her, tucking the blanket around her to ensure she was warm.
He stayed for a moment, watching her sleep, her face peaceful and relaxed. Reaching out as if propelled by another force, he ran his fingertips over her brow, brushing the strands of hair out of her face. With a quiet sigh, he turned off the TV and the light, leaving Lucy slumbering in peace as he retreated into his room.