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bluenet13 · 4 months

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All My Love Is Gift-Wrapped - Read on AO3

For @silverskull

@chenfordsecretsanta

Angela and Wesley open their home for the ultimate holiday bash, welcoming the team to an unforgettable gift exchange. For Tim and Lucy, it's a moment that is as familiar as it is new—filled with joy and the unmistakable feeling of being surrounded by a chosen family.

Tim and Lucy arrived at Westfield Century City early on a Wednesday morning. They had planned to avoid the Holiday crowds by going midweek on their day off, but parking alone took them half an hour and another 15 minutes were spent just getting from their spot to the mall's entrance. Lucy smiled apologetically up at Tim as they stepped inside, greeted by screaming children, overwhelmed parents, and every other procrastinator in LA who had left their shopping for five days before Christmas. She rose on her toes to press a chaste kiss on his cheek.

His lips parted to say something, but the familiar argument fell on deaf ears as Lucy waved at him and took off running up the stairs to the second floor of the shopping center. Seeing her practically gliding, the crowd seemingly parting to let her through, an enamored smile broke on Tim's lips. It quickly turned into a frown when two boys collided with his back and didn't even bother to apologize as they ran off again.

They really should have ordered off Amazon; there was a reason they paid for Prime after all. But Lucy had looked appalled at his suggestion and told him in no uncertain terms that, quote unquote, you had to put in the time and effort to find the perfect gift, not just browse an app for 5 minutes.

Tim would do anything to make Lucy smile, so he had begrudgingly accepted, and here they were. They were supposed to each get a half-hour on each floor to look for gifts before they met back by the car to go get Kojo for a run then to lunch at the outdoor cafe with the Avocado toast Lucy liked and the ice cream place next door that always gave Kojo two pup cups.

Tim looked at his watch and made a bet with himself that he could get it all done in 15 minutes without even needing to check the second floor.

Twenty minutes later, Tim was a lot more frustrated and still had no gift. He had tried Lululemon first, figuring he could knock off one of the gifts quickly, but the line had lapped around the store twice, and he had gone running back out. Then he tried H&M, but that was even worse. He even tried Macy's, hoping the many checkouts would give him a good chance to be quick about it, but most of them were closed.

After the failed fourth store (Vineyard Vines this time, which made him shudder just by crossing the threshold), Tim plopped down on a bench and reached inside his pocket for his phone. He scrolled through Amazon in Private Mode on his browser and found five possible gifts in less than a minute. He added two items to his cart then looked for apology gifts for Lucy, finding at least three good options in seconds of searching.

Tim added all three to his cart and sighed when the total was less than the cost of most single items he had seen today. He was about to create a new account so Lucy would have less of a chance of figuring out what he had done when he considered asking Genny to order them for him. But his sister, his only sister, always sided with Lucy ever since they had met in that Little League game where she figured out they were dating, so he quickly discarded that option. He went through the whole process of creating a new account only to hit a brick wall when the delivery time without Prime was too close for comfort.

Defeated, Tim closed the browser (after saving Lucy's gifts to his bookmarks for later) and rose unsteadily to his feet. He breathed a sigh, steeling himself for another round with the mall, silently wondering what it said about him that he'd much rather face a perp with a gun than anxious Angelenos at a mall five days before Christmas.

As he was about to enter another store, his phone pinged with a message from Lucy, and he smiled automatically.

'Heading down now. Got both gifts for the party and a few others I was missing, but I still want to see what I find on this floor. Love you.'

Tim responded with a thumbs-up emoji and a smiley face, a stark contrast to the scowl currently adorning his face. Of course, Lucy had gotten who knew how many gifts already while he was still looking for his first.

Tim's second attempt at not failing spectacularly at gift shopping went better than the first. He ended up with a City Police Lego Set (the one with 172 pieces because the adult Legos were decidedly not cheap, and he figured if nobody else wanted it, Lopez or Harper could try to win it for their kids) for the White Elephant Exchange and a Shacket from Bloomingdale's for Nolan.

Because, of course, the team had decided to do both a regular Secret Santa and a White Elephant Exchange, if only to torture him further by not only having to attend a Holiday gathering at Angela's but also having to brave the mall in search of two gifts.

And really, he loved his best friend dearly, but this was all Angela's fault. She had been the one to invite them over then quickly point out how she wanted to do the White Elephant, because it would be completely out of character if she missed an opportunity to mess with them. Not surprisingly, Lucy had pouted and said she preferred the more personal and heartfelt Secret Santa, with Wesley and Nolan agreeing with her, and surprisingly, Harper agreeing too. With James also voting for that option (after a glare across the bar table and a well-placed kick to his shin from Harper), it was obvious Tim and Angela were hopelessly outnumbered. But his dear best friend had played the Hostess Card and roped them all into doing both games.

Thus, he ended up shopping for two gifts the week before Christmas while he had already gotten all his gifts for Lucy, Genny, his nephews, and a few friends, weeks before, online, like normal people were supposed to do in the 21st Century.

With the torture over with, Tim went to meet Lucy at the car, instantly lighting up when he saw her already there waiting for him.

"I missed you," he whispered, sliding up to his girlfriend and wrapping his arms around her small frame.

Lucy sighed contently and burrowed deeper into the embrace. "I was only gone for an hour," she said against his chest.

"And that was a second too long," Tim replied seriously, playing with the tips of Lucy's hair.

"You're cute." Lucy giggled and kissed the tip of Tim's nose before wiggling out of his arms, reminding him they had to pick up Kojo for their hike and they were already running late.

T.O. Tim would have been appalled at being called cute by his rookie, but this Tim was happier than he had ever been before, happier than he ever thought possible, so he just smiled loopily at her retreating form before setting his gifts on the trunk and following her inside.

-x-x-x-

Four days later, on Christmas Eve –because Angela and Wesley had promised their mothers they would spend Christmas morning and afternoon with them, respectively– Tim and Lucy exited his house, looking like they were leaving for a week instead of going to a friend's house for a Holiday gathering.

"Why the hell do we have to bring this when we already have four gifts and enough food to feed a small army?" Tim asked as he tried to close the front door while juggling said poinsettia plant, a bottle of wine, a bottle of eggnog and a six-pack of his favorite IPA.

Lucy sighed again and tried to bump his shoulder playfully, hissing when the gesture almost pushed all three dishes she was holding to the floor. "One," she started, awkwardly lifting a finger in the hand that had a death grip on the maple-glazed ham. "The gifts are for the Secret Santa and White Elephant. Two," she paused when she almost dropped said gifts and tried to hide the near mishap from her boyfriend, "it's polite to bring a gift to whoever is hosting the party. And third, the food is for the potluck," she finished, somehow managing to rearrange everything in her arms in such a way that she could maintain her grip while rising on her tiptoes to kiss Tim's cheek.

Tim rolled his eyes, but the way they were shining totally betrayed the gesture, and he obediently followed Lucy to the car. After shoving everything inside carefully, he got in the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway.

Making the walk up to the Lopez-Evers front door was another exercise in patience for Tim as he somehow found himself with most items shoved into his arms while Lucy poked her earrings into place, rearranged her hair around them, and checked her makeup before taking the carefully plated dishes back from him and clumsily ringing the bell with her elbow.

"Tim, Lucy," Angela shrieked as she opened the door, the pompom on her Santa Hat bouncing on her head making the red monstrosity tip dangerously forward.

"Hi, Ange," Tim mumbled, wincing internally because his best friend had clearly already had a few drinks, and he was way too sober to deal with a tipsy Angela. "Wes," he acknowledged with a nod, handing over the drinks, bags, and tin of Christmas cookies.

"Wow." Wesley whistled in appreciation, taking in the spread Lucy was holding. "You guys shouldn't have bothered. One dish would have been fine."

"It was no bother at all," Lucy said instantly, throwing Tim a warning look that dared him to disagree.

Tim gulped and promptly swallowed his I-told-you-so. He'd rather wake up in his girlfriend's arms on Christmas morning instead of on the couch with Kojo after pissing her off.

"This is for you. Thanks for having us." Lucy handed the poinsettia to Angela and followed her inside. She set the dishes on the kitchen counter and accepted a drink from her friend then walked further into the house, sharing hellos and hugs with everyone.

Tim watched Lucy disappear among their friends, and stayed behind, quietly leaning against the kitchen table as he took the bottle of his favorite beer that Angela offered.

Thanks to the open layout of the house, he could see from his position that everyone was already there. Harper and James were lounging on the couch, Lila and Leah playing a little farther away with Jack and his baby sister. Nolan was talking animatedly with Aaron, while Celina and Bailey laughed at something they were watching on one of their phones, and Grey helped Wesley lit the fire pit in the yard.

The image in front of him was the complete opposite to what he remembered of Christmas growing up –demands and accusations because the turkey was burn, beer bottles crashing against the wall when the opposing team scored a touchdown in the game playing on the TV, fists and shouts flying every which way– and it was enough to steal Tim's breath away.

"Who would have thought we would get to have this," Angela whispered as if reading his mind. She had moved and was now standing at his side, shoulders brushing, and Tim looked at her out of the corner of his eye. The contented smile on her face was surely reflected on his own, and he nodded because ain't that the truth.

Unlike him, Angela might have grown up in a big, loving family, but they had been the same kind of lonely, overachieving, adrenaline junkies when they had met the day she started at Mid-Wilshire. It had taken her less time to get this, but Tim was happy he had finally followed in her footsteps.

"I still can't believe you're dating a lawyer, but I'm glad Wes makes you happy." Tim looked at the aforementioned man, and Wesley was already looking at them, his eyes soft and sparkly as he stared at his wife from across the room.

Angela rolled her eyes and punched his arm affectionately, mumbling under her breath, "And I can't believe you're dating your rookie."

"Touché." Tim took a swig of his beer and turned to look for said girlfriend, but he couldn't find her.

Angela looked at him knowingly and giggled, she outright giggled, the quiet sound too cheerful, too wistful, and un-Angela-like. "She's playing with the kids in the backyard. Jack couldn't stop mentioning Tía Lucy all day and how she was going to show them all a new game." She left momentarily to top off her glass and Tim wondered briefly if he should cut her off for now. "And for whatever is worth, I'm also glad she makes you happy. You deserve it, you both do," she said when she returned, suddenly appearing completely sober if not for the extra note of emotion in her voice.

Tim sighed; he'd been doing that a lot lately, his mind momentarily caught up on everything they had gone through these last few years and nodded. "We all do."

Angela squeezed his shoulder in quiet support and left to check on and entertain the rest of the guests. Tim took another gulp from his bottle and continued to stare quietly at his friends, feeling a sense of peace that had been foreign to him until meeting this group of people.

That peace increased tenfold a moment later when he felt a small body slide up to the spot next to him, and a familiar arm wrapped around his shoulder. "I've been looking for you," Lucy said softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I haven't moved from this spot since we arrived," Tim answered matter-of-factly, placing a kiss on Lucy's temple.

Lucy clicked her tongue and when Tim turned to stare at her, her face had a strange tilt to it, her look a mix between frustrated and amused. As if he'd just said the most ridiculous, yet adorable thing in the universe, and she couldn't decide who was the greater idiot. Him for saying it, or her for loving him anyway.

"That's not what you're supposed to do at a holiday party," she said eventually. And case in point, Lucy took the bottle from him, placed it on the table, and grabbed both his hands, pulling him with her towards the living room.

The next hour was spent laughing with friends, listening to music and dancing in Angela's living room, playing games with kids and adults alike, and just enjoying life and being alive. The highlight of the evening had surely been the Secret Santa exchange, with Nolan changing into the new Shacket he had gotten from Tim right away while everyone else gushed and aww'd at the heartfelt gifts.

Tim had gotten five tickets to a Dodgers game from Aaron and his eyes had widened comically as he opened the envelope. "This is too much", he had whispered in Aaron's ear when he hugged him thanks, and Aaron had just shrugged, patted him on the back, and whispered back "No worries, Sarge; just a little something for you and Lucy to have fun with your sister and the boys''. The gift was anything but little, but Tim had just grinned and thanked him again.

Lucy had gotten a boxed book set from Wesley, and Tim could already see her huddled under a blanket on the couch, reading until the early hours of the morning during her days off. The rest of the gifts had ranged from a hardcover of 'The Mixology of Astrology Cocktail Recipe Book' from Angela to Celina, to a digital picture frame from Lucy to Grey, and all in all, it had been a great time.

After everyone had opened their gifts, Wesley had called them to the kitchen as dinner was served. Dinner had gone as well as the rest of the party, and everyone had eaten so much that afterward, they all collapsed on every couch and flat surface around the house with what felt like a post-dinner food coma. Only Lucy and Grey stayed behind, helping Angela and Wesley clean up the kitchen and plate leftovers for everyone to take home, a little extra for Grey and Lucy since Luna and Tamara hadn't been able to come.

Now, they were all gathered back in the living room ready to start the White Elephant gift exchange. All the gifts were pushed together on top of the coffee table, and they all lounged comfortably around the room. Tim sat on the floor, his back against the armchair where Nolan and Bailey were squished together, his bent knees on either side of Lucy as she snuggled against his chest.

As the host, it had been decided that Angela would go first, and now she looked inquisitively at the gifts, a finger on her chin and a pensive look on her face. She finally settled on one and opened it quickly, hoping the size and shape of the box meant it was a puzzle, some sort of game or something else equally harmless. Instead, she revealed a set of fuzzy handcuffs in varied shapes, and she blushed furiously, trying to hide them from sight as everyone crackled.

"Who the hell thought this was a good idea?" She hissed, but the spark on her eye revealed that she was only mad because it hadn't been her idea.

"I don't know why you're complaining; I sort of like th-" Wesley was cut short by Angela's murderous look, and he shut his mouth before he was thrown out of his own house.

Next was Lucy, as determined by the drawing, and she instantly moved away from Angela and her handcuffs, going for a small box wrapped in red paper with a green bow. Seeing the legal decision-making paperweight, with options such as lie, beg and insanity plea all eyes turned to Wesley, and the man in question did a small curtsy to everyone's delight.

Harper also ignored the previously opened gifts and chose a bag with a Snowman in a police hat instead. She hummed approvingly at the expensive bourbon, but the happiness was short-lived because the next person was Bailey, and she decided to steal the gift instead of picking a wrapped one. Harper sighed dejectedly and mouthed to Nolan that 'he would pay for that'. She picked a similarly sized bag and got a wine bottle puzzle. She smiled and laughed when James mumbled that 'she sure knew how to pick her alcohol'. With this one, it would take a little longer to get to the prize but at least it was still booze.

When it was Wesley's turn, he stared pensively at the pack of gifts for a long time. His eyes shifted from the unwrapped presents to the ones still on the table, until he seemed to come to a decision. Choosing to forfeit self-preservation, he stretched from his spot next to Angela and took the handcuffs from her.

Everyone burst out laughing even as Angela's blush reappeared, and she smacked Wes softly across the head. "Ouch," he mumbled, rubbing at the spot before wrapping his arms around his wife when she tried to move away from him.

Wes only let her go momentarily so she could get up to get a new gift. This time her grin was blinding when she ripped the paper open to reveal a journal with 'HR Approved Ways to Tell Coworkers They're Stupid' written on the cover. In a faux-threatening tone, she declared, "If anyone steals this one, you're not invited to the party next year."

Conveniently, Tim's turn was next, and he momentarily considered stealing the journal just to mess with her, but ultimately settled on stealing the bourbon from Bailey. Bailey's next gift was a moon lamp, and she turned to smile sweetly at Celina because who else could have put that there?

When it was Grey's turn and he didn't steal the bottle from Tim, he figured he must have been the one to get it, which made sense given that it was the expensive kind. Instead, he chose a new gift and frowned when he revealed a pink unicorn neon sign.

At a loss, everyone turned to each other trying to figure out who got that one and, more importantly, why. Eventually, James broke and threw his hands up in the air, "I went shopping with Lila, and she insisted I get that one. I told her nobody would want it, and she just smiled and said that way I could make sure to bring it back for her instead."

"Smart girl," Tim said approvingly.

"I know," James replied, without missing a beat, "she takes after her mom."

Harper positively melted in the spot and climbed over James to press a kiss to his lips as the room was divided between a chorus of "awwww's" and murmured "gross" coming from some others.

The moment was broken when Aaron got up to take his turn. He turned to Tim briefly, clearly wanting the bourbon, but in the end, he shook his head and picked a small box that sat alone on the corner of the table. The gift was a St. Michael Medallion, and as the chain dangled in his hand for everyone to see, the room suddenly got really quiet, and it felt like the temperature dropped a few degrees.

During Tim's deployment, he had encountered people from all corners of the world, and a French soldier, who had lost his brother in combat, had shared a phrase with him. It roughly translated to "An angel just passed," signifying a moment of eerie silence that causes a lull in conversation. Tim had never heard the phrase in the States, but it had been common overseas. Now, he couldn't help but think about it, images of Jackson, Captain Andersen, and so many other lost friends flipping through his mind.

Just as quickly, that solemn moment too was broken by Celina's turn. Without hesitation, she snatched the neon sign from Grey, murmuring something about how a girl is never too old to enjoy a cool neon sign in her room. Glad to be rid of the unicorn, Grey got up and selected one of the last unopened gifts—a police station Lego set that elicited laughter from everyone. It was both silly and perfect, and they all knew nobody would have the heart to steal it from him, especially as they caught the Sergeant smiling fondly at the box.

Next up was James, who decided on the spot that he would get his daughter a new unicorn sign because Celina clearly loved this one, and he wasn't about to take it from her. It turned out to be a great choice, and a delighted 'sweet' left his parted lips when he opened a desktop cornhole set that would look great in the Community Center.

The last participant was Nolan, and never one to cause discord among the group, he swiftly grabbed the last unopened gift, revealing a set of handmade succulent cactus candles. He initially frowned at the box, but that expression quickly transformed into a contented smile.

In the final round, most people opted to keep their gifts, only Nolan switched with Lucy. He said it was because the candles would fit perfectly in her apartment (pointedly ignoring everyone's confused stares at the statement), but secretly thinking the legal paperweight was pretty cool.

After the gift exchange, the group settled into a comfortable rhythm of laughter, shared stories, and additional gushing about their gifts, making the room feel alive in a way that it hadn't before.

As the night wore on, Tim found himself drawn to the twinkling lights of Angela's Christmas tree. The ornaments sparkled with memories, some that he had experienced himself since Angela always invited him over, and some from stories he remembered hearing of holidays past, before they had met. Staring at a small wooden star, with a picture of Angela and Wes with the kids in the center of it, Tim couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for his own childhood, a stark contrast to this night and the newfound warmth surrounding him.

Lucy, feeling the cold of his absence and sensing the change in his mood, joined him by the tree. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed once.

In their secret language of gestures, touches, and shared looks across crowded rooms, they had unconsciously created over the years they had known each other, it meant I'm here if you needed me, and even if you don't, I'm still here. It was a small gesture, but it carried a warmth and certainty that reached his heart.

They had been doing it for years, again and again, since before they were dating, since before they were even aware of the feelings quietly developing between them. They had done it in the suffocating stillness of waiting and briefing rooms, in the nerve-wracking moments before major ops and raids, after countless tragedies when all they knew was the crushing silence of defeat and loss, and every time they faced a problem, big or small. They had never acknowledged it, but it had always been a comfort, even back then, when they wouldn't dare admit it to each other or themselves.

"Hey," Lucy whispered eventually, her breath creating a small cloud in the chilly air. "You doing okay?"

Tim nodded, his gaze moving from the tree and lingering on her face, her eyes reflecting the soft glow of Christmas lights. "Yeah, just thinking about how different things are now."

Lucy rubbed the back of his hand, and this time the gesture meant I know what you mean. Still, she asked, "Different, but good, right?"

He smiled, grateful for this unspoken connection between them. "Yeah, definitely good."

They stayed like that for a while, quiet but for the whispered words coming from their friends in the other room. It was a moment that was as familiar as it was new, filled with joy and the unmistakable feeling of being surrounded by a chosen family.

"Merry Christmas, Tim," Lucy said after a while, when the clock struck midnight, and everyone prepared to leave.

"Merry Christmas, Lucy," Tim replied, pulling her back into a tender kiss.

Moments later, they walked to the car, each one holding a small bag with the gifts they had received. This time around, their hands were empty, but their hearts were full.

#the rookie #chenfordsecretsanta23 #chenfordsecretsanta2023 #tim bradford #lucy chen #chenford fic #the rookie fanfic #happy holidays

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