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bluenet13 · 10 months

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I Swear That I Am Up to No Good

Tim and Lucy celebrate four milestones one prank at a time.

Read on AO3

Tim is still smiling when he walks back to the station covered in baby powder. He takes the corner quickly trying to get to the men's locker without running into any of his coworkers. But as the universe will have it, he's not that lucky and from all the possibilities, of course, he runs into Angela.

"Bradford, what the hell happened?" Angela yelps, glaring at the baby powder that got on her clothes when they almost collided.

Tim runs a hand through his hand in pre-exasperation and huffs a simple, "Lucy."

Angela's grin gets impossibly wider, and Tim wishes he had chosen to clean up at home instead.

"She got you with your own trick?" Angela asks knowingly, unable to keep her amusement from her tone.

Tim nods, and levels her with a stern glare, but he should have known that never works with his best friend.

"I knew there was a reason I liked her," Angela says proudly, fixing Tim with a smug look. "So, are you already planning your revenge, or will you give her a pass as a graduation gift?"

"If this wasn't the second time she's gotten me in a row, I might consider it," Tim declares, a sly grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "But I can't afford to get complacent. I need to keep her on her toes."

Angela chuckles, knowing all too well the playful rivalry between Tim and Lucy, and more than suspecting what it might be hiding. "What are you gonna do? Pull at her ponytails or hide her juice box?"

"Ha-ha." Tim mocks, trying to get past Angela but she moves a step and blocks his way again.

"What was her other prank anyway? I didn't hear anything about it," Angela questions, used to finding one or the other moping at the station each time they're on the receiving end of one of their pranks.

Tim's face falls as he remembers Lucy's fake love confessing and the way his heart had jolted at her words for reasons unknown, and he instantly realizes his mistake as Angela's interest is piqued. "Nothing. It was a dumb prank," he tries, glaring at her but he looks too spooked for it to be effective.

"You're hiding things from me, Timothy, and I don't like it," Angela says, waiting him out for a beat before continuing, "But you get a pass today. I gotta go get ready to meet Jackson and Lucy at the bar."

"You're meeting West and Chen up for drinks?" Tim asks, trying to sound nonchalant but failing spectacularly.

Angela nods and looks at him questionably. "What, they didn't invite you? I'm sure they won't mind if we show up together."

Tim shakes his head and squares his shoulder. "I don't want to go get drinks with the rookies. They're insufferable enough as it is but I bet they will be even more extra tonight."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, Tim," Angela says placatingly, patting him on the shoulder as she steps away.

Tim takes a moment to think his idea through before he rushes behind Angela. "Hey, wait up. Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything," Angela says immediately, even as he eyes him warily.

"Chen and West usually do karaoke while at the bar, right?" He inquires with faux innocence.

"Ye-es," Angela agrees doubtfully, not wanting to get involved in whatever evil idea Tim is concocting.

Tim smiles gleefully, getting closer to Angela as if half-expecting Lucy to be hiding behind a desk, listening to their conversation. "Can you get close to the stage and record her?"

Angela is intrigued but also reluctant to get involved, but it's Tim so, of course, she agrees. "Okay. But if anyone asks, it wasn't me."

"Deal," Tim says with a wicked grin. "Thanks, Ange."

"Right." Angela clicks her tongue and waves goodbye, leaving Tim alone in the hallway.

As expected, Angela comes through and that night Tim's phone pings with a text message. He opens it and immediately bursts out laughing when the audio file starts playing. And it's unfortunate for everybody how Kojo is the only one privy to just how fond his face looks as he listens.

Tim forgets all about the baby powder prank and his revenge until three weeks later when Kojo's sitter calls in the middle of roll call. Lucy's tipsy voice fills the room as Tim rushes to shut it off.

He fumbles with his pocket and then his phone, almost dropping it a few times, but mercifully succeeds in quieting it before Lucy starts the second verse.

"Sorry, sorry. That was K-Kojo's sitter. She knows not to call unless it's an emergency," Tim splutters. He bites his lip uncharacteristically, looking down to hide his blush.

"Was that Lucy?" Nolan wonders, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room after the initial bout of widespread laughter and clapping.

Tim runs his hand down his face and wishes the Earth would break and swallow him whole.

"I'm sure I'm not only talking for Nolan when I say we're all eagerly waiting for an answer," Commander Grey prompts, looking expectantly at Tim.

"Y-yes," Tim eventually says, looking up for the first time and wishing he hadn't. Lucy is bright red and looking more than a little bit murderously directly at him. And the rest of the room is looking between them with a mixture of amusement, second-hand embarrassment, and evil delight. "Can we go back to work?" He tries before anyone asks more questions. "Please."

"I'm sure you'd like that, Sergeant Bradford," Commander Grey agrees, taking obvious pity on him, finishing his speech quickly and sending everyone on their way.

"Thank you," Tim mouths to his boss, making a quick exit as soon as they're all dismissed.

He's almost in the clear when Lucy's voice calls from behind, "Not so fast, Bradford."

Tim sighs and reluctantly turns around, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Yes?"

"What the hell was that?" Lucy shrieks, swatting at his shoulder.

"It was supposed to be a response to your stupid baby powder prank! I only set it as your ringtone, Angela's and anything related to Kojo since neither was supposed to call while on shift," Tim shout-whispers, appalled at his own stupidity. "I didn't mean for it to cause such chaos. My phone is usually on silent but Kojo was sick last night and I wanted to be reachable since the sitter was taking him to the vet today."

Lucy's anger softens into a mix of understanding and concern. "Wait, what happened to Kojo? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he should be. She sent a text, I think." Tim grabs his phone and reads, showing it to Lucy with a relieved smile upon seeing the good news that their dog is okay and it was something he ate on their walk.

"Phew, alright. You're off the hook because you were worried about Kojo," Lucy says, bumping his shoulder again for good measure. "But next time let's make sure the pranks are a little less public."

Tim chuckles and nods. "I'll make sure to change it to just your ringtone now."

Lucy shakes her head and glares at him. "I don't think that should be the lesson from this experience," she hisses.

Tim raises an eyebrow, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. "Oh, come on, Chen. Where's the fun in that? Besides, more than half of our pranks happen while on shift."

Lucy sighs, unable to hide her smile, full well knowing she can't disagree with that. They wouldn't be them if they didn't prank each other even if it sometimes carried some risk. "Alright, but no more office-wide chaos."

Tim seems to think about it until he eventually nods. "Ground rules are no fun, but okay. I will do my best not to disrupt the whole precinct again."

Lucy shakes her head in exasperation but reaches forward to take Tim's offered hand, sealing their agreement.

They walk away, side by side, their laughter echoing through the halls of the station. Despite the occasional mishap, Tim and Lucy know their antics are an integral part of their relationship, and neither is willing to give that up.

-x-x-x-

Tim steps into his new office at Metro for the first time, still giddy from the morning with Lucy and his heart bursting with pride as he takes in his nameplate on the door. But as he approaches his desk, he notices something peculiar and his smile turns into a frown.

All the personal pictures he carefully placed on his desk and around the office the night before have been replaced and he blinks in confusion before bursting into laughter. Instead of a picture of him with his Military buddies, there's a snapshot of Smitty and his bowling team. A tipsy Angela and Lucy grin at him from another picture, his girlfriend and best friend making funny faces at the camera. A stark contrast to the picture of his nephews it had replaced. As his eyes move to the other pictures, Tim notices Nolan where his picture in uniform had been, a candid photo of Gerald the Goat instead of Kojo, and picture of the Fire Department Banquet instead of Mid-Wilshire's own celebration.

Finishing his exploration of the whimsical images, Tim finally sits down, looking in his drawers for the original pictures but coming up empty. His amusement quickly turns to annoyance as his eyes land on the pile of documents he should be reading to get acquainted with Metro procedure and up to speed with their cases, but then he hears a familiar giggle coming from outside the door, and his irritation melts away instantly.

"I should have known you were responsible for this," Tim says, glaring at his girlfriend when he opens the door, even as his voice is filled with affection. He can never stay mad at her for long. One look at those eyes and he's always a goner.

Lucy's eyes sparkle with mischief as she steps inside Tim's office. She grins at him and nods, looking so proud of herself. "Guilty as charged. I wanted to celebrate your promotion in a fun way."

"The baby booties weren't enough?" Tim groans and reaches forward, pulling Lucy to him.

Lucy can't contain her laughter and only Tim's kiss manages to silence her, but not for long. "I knew you might wake up before me and ruin the surprise. So I had a back up."

"Right, a backup." Tim sighs but ends up smiling softly when he takes in the little makeover of his new space. "Should I be worried about a second back up? Is a baby powder bomb gonna explode on me as soon as I get into the shop?"

Lucy's disappointment is evident at the missed opportunity as she shakes her head. "Not today, baby."

"Then I guess I should be thankful." Tim shrugs, knowing that when it comes to their pranks, it can always be worse.

Lucy steps closer and wraps her arms around him, raising on her tiptoes to whisper closely, "I wanted to show you how proud I am of you. You deserve every bit of this success and I wanted to make your first day a memorable one."

Tim hugs her tightly back, feeling grateful for her presence in his life and incredibly lucky to have someone who cares so much about him to go the extra mile to make him smile. "Thank you, Luce. You sure know how to make every moment special."

"I try," Lucy says shily, burying her face in his shirt and breathing him in deeply. "And don't worry, all your real pictures are safe and we can replace them back before we go home tonight."

"There's space for all of them," Tim offers, his tone a mix of amusement and mild exasperation. "Well, maybe not for Smitty's bowling league. He can have that one back."

Lucy's laughter fills the air, but Tim swiftly captures her lips with another kiss.

And as they stand there, surrounded by the wonderful people and memories that make their lives special, Tim can't help but laugh back. This silly prank is Lucy's way to show him she's proud, but more than that it's a testament to their bond, and a reminder that in the midst of their chaotic lives, they will always have lighthearted moments like this to show each other how much they are loved.

-x-x-x-

Tim and Lucy lace up their shoes, ready to embark on their run. Tim smiles mischievously as he gets up, and reaches behind him, handing Lucy a small gift box.

"Happy Anniversary, babe," he says softly, his blue eyes sparkling under the morning sun. "I know we said we would exchange gifts at dinner tonight, but I thought this might come in handy right now."

Curiosity piqued, Lucy opens the box to reveal a new smartwatch. She looks up at Tim, her face beaming with delight and jumps into his arms. "Oh, Tim, it's perfect. Thank you!"

"Yeah?" Tim asks shily, when they step away. "I already opened it and got it set up and synced with mine. I hope you don't mind."

Lucy frowns, surprised she didn't notice Tim wearing a new watch, but she blames it on the extracurricular activities they indulged in that morning. "It's okay," she says, leaning forward to gaze at his watch. It's gray with a dark blue strap that matches perfectly with her light blue one.

With the new smartwatches strapped on, they set up on their run, with Kojo bouncing excitedly alongside them. For the first few minutes the run goes on as expected, with Tim setting a quick, steady pace around the pond in their local park. They pass the Little Free Library on the right, and the bench with the guy lifting weights on the left, and it isn't until she almost runs into a tree that Lucy notices something is off.

As they make their way through the familiar park, Tim starts changing their usual route, taking unexpected turns here and there. Lucy almost crashes into a kid on a bicycle at some point and gets tangled in Kojo's leash at least twice.

Lucy laughs when it's Tim who almost trips after taking a sharp turn, but then she almost falls into a fountain as she struggles to keep up with the chaotic rhythm of their run. "What's going on, Tim?" She asks eventually, pulling on his hand so he slows down. They're both winded but Tim is somehow still smiling and for the life of her Lucy can't figure out why. "Did you plan a secret obstacle course for our anniversary? Is this some kind of Tim Test? Did I do something wrong?"

Tim chuckles, feigning innocence and shrugs. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I thought we could switch it up and take the scenic route instead."

Scenic? Lucy mouths, wondering if with scenic Tim means that he wants to explore the bottom of the pond, or get intimately acquainted with the trunk of the trees in the park. Still, she nods, and lets him continue to guide them in their haphazard run.

To her relief, the run ends a few minutes later and they make it back to his truck in one piece. They're all breathing hard, even Kojo needing to stop to catch his breath, and Lucy's thankful they had decided to skip breakfast that morning.

As they return home, Tim gestures towards his laptop on the living room table before heading into the kitchen. "Hey, while I get started on breakfast, why don't you check how our run went? The new app should show us a map and some cool stats."

Intrigued, Lucy logs in to Tim's profile and her brows furrow as the tracking app automatically opens. She loads the map, and her eyes widen in disbelief as she takes in what is being displayed. "T-Tim?" She stammers, trying to raise her voice so it reaches him in the kitchen despite her breath being stuck in her throat.

Tim appears beside her, making her jump, and she turns to face him, then back to the map. The screen showcases a winding line that spells out the words 'marry me?' in bold letters, mirroring the messy yet now memorable path they took during their run.

Lucy turns to Tim again, her heart racing, as realization dawns upon her. Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears, and her voice trembles as she asks, "Tim… is this…?"

Tim chuckles, a warmth in his eyes that matches the love in his voice. Instead of responding, he gracefully drops to one knee, and Lucy's hand instinctively flies to cover her mouth, feeling as if she's been transported into the middle of one of her favorite rom-coms.

"Lucy Chen," Tim begins, his voice filled with genuine emotion, causing tears to stream down Lucy's cheeks. "From the moment I met you, you've changed my life for the better in so many fucking ways. I was a little bit broken when we met, but with your smiles, quick wit, and incredible heart, you managed to put me back together so that I could feel I was deserving of your love… of your loyalty… of you. You make every day brighter, and I can only hope I bring into your life even a fraction of what you bring into mine. I'm the happiest when I'm with you and I can't imagine my life without you, baby. Will you marry me?"

Tears well up in Tim's eyes now as he looks up to Lucy and prepares to wait expectantly. But Lucy's response is immediate. She nods enthusiastically and launches herself into his arms. "Yes, fucking yes! A thousand times, yes!"

The ring box Tim had been holding slips from his hands as he embraces Lucy, their kisses overflowing with promises of love, joy, and the joint future they have both always deserved, but never believed they could have.

When they finally break for air, Tim retrieves the ring and gently slides it onto the fourth finger of Lucy's left hand. The delicate band, adorned with small diamonds and moonstones set in rose gold, perfectly symbolizes their love—simple, yet full of brilliance, and inconspicuous enough that it can be worn to work every day.

"Do you like it?" Tim whispers, and it's only then that Lucy realizes she's been completely enthralled, staring at the ring for who knows how long.

She nods and leans forward, pressing her lips against his. "It's perfect, just like you," she breathes, savoring each word against his mouth.

Eventually, they break apart to continue celebrating, but the taste of each other lingers. Their love intermingled, as they revel in the joy and certainty of a forever filled with pranks, love and laughter that's bound to be nothing short of extraordinary.

-x-x-x-

Tim and Lucy settle down for a cozy game night, ready to dive into a round of Monopoly. The game isn't their usual choice but Lucy had insisted and Tim was more than happy to indulge her.

Lucy has an impish look about her as she pulls out a custom-made Monopoly she had ordered from Etsy. "Look what I found, babe!" She exclaims, excitement evident in her voice. "I thought it would be a fun change to try a personalized game tonight."

Tim raises an eyebrow. "Personalized? How so?"

"Well, I found this Etsy seller that's all about creating personalized versions of famous board games. So she created a custom board and Chance and Community Chest cards that are all about us and our lives." Lucy beams as she explains, revealing the intricately designed cards and familiar locations on the board.

"O-kay," Tim agrees slowly, equally intrigued and apprehensive.

The game starts predictably enough, with the only indication that it is a different version, the fact that Tim is able to buy the 'North Hollywood Police Station' and Lucy buys Angela and Wesley's street. Tim then gets a Community Chest card that gives him $100 because he won the betting pool at the precinct and Lucy has to pay $50 to a charity for rescue dogs.

It isn't until they have been playing for a while that Tim notices the strangely specific nature of some of the cards he keeps receiving. This one tells him to pay $50 for a last-minute nanny replacement, and he frowns but pays anyway. On its own, the card is innocent enough, but then he gets a card that says "your baby ran out of diapers and in your rush to get to the store the cops stop you, go to jail." He goes to jail but now his spidey senses are tingling.

He asks Lucy about it but she shrugs and says that it's probably because she mentioned having friends with kids when placing the order for the custom Monopoly so the creator chose to include some things related to that.

Tim accepts her answer reluctantly. But then Lucy gets a Chance card that sends her to the preschool that they suspiciously pass every morning on the way to work and he glances up, unable to ignore his suspicions anymore. "Lucy, what's going on? These cards seem oddly tailored to our lives. And it's not because Angela and Harper have kids."

Lucy's been grinning ever since the game began, her smile widening ever since Tim got the first strange card. But now, her eyes are twinkling with excitement and something else that Tim can't name as she explains, "Those cards are a clue to something else. Do you want to know now or do you want to keep playing?"

Tim's heart skips a beat as he looks at Lucy, anticipation and nervousness intertwining in his chest. His girlfriend looks positively radiant and now that he really sees her he notices a new glow to her already bright persona. "What is it?" Tim asks, his voice shaking slightly. He has an inclination about what this is about but he needs her to spell it to him out loud.

Lucy's grin turns devious as she reaches into her pocket and hands Tim a card that reads, "Congratulations! You're going to be a parent. Advance to 'Parenthood Avenue' and start building your family!"

Tim's eyes widen, and a wave of emotion rushes through him. He blinks back tears as the dream that always felt just this side of attainable is suddenly staring back at him. He opens his mouth to speak, but is unable to find the words.

Releasing the card from his shaking fingers, Lucy sets his hand over her still flat belly and settles her head over his chest. "Tim, we're going to have a baby. We're going to be parents." Her voice trembles with excitement as she murmurs the words against his shirt, and her own tears start falling when she feels his tears on her skin.

He kisses her cheek and forehead, then gently pushes her back and leans down to kiss her belly. "God, Lucy. This is the best prank… the best surprise, the best news ever! I can't believe we're going to be parents."

"Are you happy?" Lucy asks, bashfully. She stares directly into Tim's beautiful eyes and wishes their baby girl or boy gets blue eyes like his.

Blue gazes into brown as Tim's thoughts mirror the sentiment, desiring not just one but two sets of his beloved brown eyes to meet every day. "Happy doesn't even begin to describe it, Luce. This is everything I've ever wanted," he says softly, taking her hand in his and kissing the two rings on the fourth finger of her left hand.

A beaming smile spreads across Lucy's face as she leans in, her forehead resting against Tim's. "I've never been happier, Tim. And it's all thanks to you."

Tim brushes a strand of hair behind Lucy's ear, and stares pensively up ahead. "You know, I can already see our little one running around, causing mayhem, just like his parents, and playing pranks on us and his or her uncles and aunts every chance they get."

Lucy chuckles and nods, because they will for sure inherit their mischievous spirit. "Good thing we have years of experience to keep up with them."

"Can't wait," Tim muses, ready for 9 months and a lifetime more of that spark that makes their lives special.

#chenford week 2023 #chenfordweek23 #chenford week day 5 #chenford #chenford fanfic #the rookie #the rookie fanfic #love languages #pranking as a love language #but also hands hugs and kisses #tim bradford #lucy chen

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makeitastrength · 10 months

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You guys, I’m not gonna survive Chenford week. The fics are amazing and the artwork is stunning and I’ve just been endlessly flailing since yesterday morning. This fandom is the best ❤️

#chenford #chenford week 2023 #chenfordweek23 #lucy chen #tim bradford #the rookie #the rookie fandom

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wheelsupin-azarathmetrionzinthos · 10 months

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You know how I said I wasn't going to do Chenford Week. FOMO got me so I lied actually.

Here's my Day 1: Canon Quotes/Favourite S5 Moment. ---

Do you love him? Because he loves you.

Lucy knew Tim wasn't only talking about Chris, so why couldn't she just admit it, admit that she was completely in love with Tim Bradford.

#the rookie #chenford #tim bradford #lucy chen #Chenford Week 2023 #I have a whole planning document now #Enjoy nerds #i'm not doing Chenford week she said like a liar

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liaromancewriter · 10 months

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Chenford ❤️ + Lucy sees Tim on a date and is jealous

Green

Premise: Lucy doesn’t see Tim as anything but her pain in the ass T.O. So why is she bothered by his date?

Fandom: The Rookie Ship: Tim Bradford x Lucy Chen (pre-canon); feat. Jackson West Rating/Category: General. Fluff Words: 940

A/N: Submission to @chenfordsource Chenford Week 2023, Day 6: Chenford+theme: jealousy. Pre-canon, set in S3.

“Ohmigod, he’s so annoying! Did I tell you about the latest Tim Test?”

Jackson West loved Lucy Chen like a sister. But, like any sibling, he also thought she could be a pain at times. He still hadn’t forgotten the Kojo incident.

Lucy had been venting about Tim Bradford for the last half hour. Whenever he thought she might be done, something else set her off.

“And don’t even get me started on how he scoffs whenever I’m on ClipTok. On my break, by the way!”

It was the last week of their training program, and the pressure was getting to them. Jackson had suggested a night out on the town to unwind. That’s how they ended up at a rooftop bar known for its killer cocktails.

He would’ve enjoyed the cocktails more without the constant reminder of work. But roomies and fellow rookies had to stick together. If this was how Lucy wanted to spend their evening, he would have to suck it up and listen.

Read on AO3

Tags: @thesassywitchofthenortheast @cariantha

#chenford #tim x lucy #jackson west #the rookie #chenford week 2023 #lucy chen #tim bradford #the rookie fanfic #chenford fanfic #chenfordweek23

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silverskull · 10 months

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Evergreen

Chenford Week 2023

Day 2: TV Tropes Day

I spun the wheel, and this bitch is what I got, okay?

CW: Major Character Death

Full fic below the cut and also here, on AO3.

A caveat: I do not want or wish this to happen. I do not think this is reflective of our canon Tim (or at least, I hope not). However, I do want you to cry.

For backing music, I recommend ‘Kevin & Casey’ by West Dylan Thordsen from the ‘Glass’ soundtrack. Put it on…now.

Green was the colour of peace.

Peace. Wealth. Health.

Life.

He loved her in green.

(He loved her in any colour, but especially in green.)

She’d worn a green belt around her wedding dress, and he hadn’t even noticed until Angela sidled up to him, champagne softened, and pointed it out. They’d shopped together for it, searched high and low to find exactly what she was looking for, checked every store from Rodeo Drive to the Santee Alley. It was Lyla who’d found the perfect piece of material, recycling thrifted garments into trendy fashion and disassembling an eighties bridesmaid dress into threads and ribbons.

She’d worn it in her hair the next day, weaving it through a braid that crowned her head - more exquisite than diamonds; queen of his heart.

He’d brought her fresh flowers, as often as he remembered, and she’d moved the vases from surface to surface, pointedly remarking how bright the colours were in the clean but sterile surrounds of his house.

Of course he’d let her paint.

Anywhere she wanted, any colours she wished. Bright yellow and deep blue and forest green. Masking tape evolving into golden streaks of sunshine, splitting the colours into a rioting kaleidoscope on carefully chosen feature walls.

It quickly became ‘their house’.

Their home.

An extension for Tamara. A crate for their yoga mats. Little Buddhas and succulents and candles - candles everywhere. Tealights and pillars and votives; organic or scented or tapered or wood-wicked. He was forever chasing flickering flames, dutifully blowing out the sparks in hurried puffs before following her laughter into their bedroom.

Then, one day, there were no more flames.

A week - less - awash with unwanted candles and bouquets of flowers, and then…

Gone.

Forever.

He’d placed himself beside one tall candle (a year’s worth of wax in the normal run of things - more like a couple of months if she’d had access to it) and behind a small avalanche of wreaths, and he hadn’t moved for hours.

The mourners poured through the room like an endless river of despair.

It was Nolan, of all people, that had kept him upright. Fending off the few sympathisers who tried to breach his floral barricade with an unassuming nod and a handshake, and guiding them past the casket and down the line of friends and family. Rounding the barrier and steadying his shoulder with a quiet hand when his breath started to shake or his body started to tilt. Passing him cups of water throughout the day without ever making eye-contact.

He didn’t remember the service.

Grey spoke for him. Genny too.

He never said a word.

What was there left to say?

The end of the world had come - the end of his world - and despite everything in his life up until that point, he still hadn’t been prepared.

The burial was burned into his mind, flashbulb moments in a misty cemetery.

A black-clad crowd, huddled together like a murder of crows.

The minister sheltered beneath a dark umbrella.

One giant, gaping hole in the clay at his feet. Far too big. Far too long.

Her casket - bamboo woven and speckled with mushroom spores. Her choice. She would sink into the soil and it would embrace her, tenderly entwining her molecules with seeds and roots until she dissolved beyond her mortal limits and became one with the earth.

Beyond his reach.

Evergreen.

The others had taken turns staying over with him. With Tamara. She’d wept and wept in his arms, and he’d had nothing to say to console her. Bailey had taken the lead on finding something to send them to sleep, dosing them methodically and packing them off to bed. Instructions listed and left for whoever was to guard them the next night, and the next.

James played smooth hip-hop low on the living room speaker all night long.

Wesley read, a pile of thick books gathering in the corner beside Kojo’s bed.

Nyla had a games console, the whirrs and ticks of the sound effects punctuating the dark.

Genny brought the boys, all three camping out on the floor in front of the TV screen, her hands looped tenderly into the hair of one and the elbow of the other.

Angela sat in silence, staring into space. Occasionally lifting her phone and scrolling through her photos. Sniffing quietly into a tissue as the reels went on.

Nolan had eventually offered to take Kojo; given him the run of his spacious backyard.

Tamara had gathered her things and folded herself into the embrace of her friends, whittering and fluttering around her like a flock of protective doves as they packed her up and drove her back to college.

And he was alone.

He’d tried to go back to the station, managed three whole days of re-immersive Patrol before it was all too much.

She was everywhere, there.

Her coffee mug clinking in the breakroom. Her fingers clattering over keys in the bullpen. Her pen scratching on paper at the intake desk. Her keys rattling in the locks of the cells.

Her voice, her laughter, her breath, her scent all over his office and the briefing room and in every single god damn shop they offered him.

Pine had agreed to a transfer. ‘Compassionate grounds’. Offered him Hollywood, and when he’d baulked, swapped him out with a willing officer from Central Division.

It was busy there. Probably even more so than Mid-Wilshire. Train lines and homeless camps and tourist traps. Celebrities and low-lifes constantly shoulder to shoulder. He clocked up enough overtime to worry the Captain, and grimly pleaded his case when she’d suggested therapy instead. She’d given in and let him have his way.

Angela visited, routing her cases out of her grid to check in on him from time to time. He could see the calculating look in her eyes, her thoughts flashing back to his years after Isabel.

This was different, though.

He knew it, and she could see it too, and he knew it frightened her more than his past rage.

He was cold now. Removed. Closed-off and stiff and monosyllabic, at best.

Something in him sparked a new fear in his suspects, their defiance withering away at his silent stoicism. Arrests were quick and clean, for the most part, and he never engaged in verbal sparring or articulate arguments anymore.

His team respected him, but kept their distance. Greeted him in the mornings, saluted him at night. Offered perfunctory invitations to social gatherings that he would never attend.

His locker and office were grey. Bare surfaces and the rudiments of his supplies. No notes, no stickers, no photos.

No boots - only his own.

Objects were one thing - easy to cut out and discard and ignore. People were more difficult. Angela and Genny were persistent, sending Nolan and Nyla to Good Cop/Bad Cop him when he refused their approaches. Tamara sent voice notes or video calls at college-kid hours, which, predictably, lined up with his own. Wesley and James tried to badger him into guy’s nights out. Grey cornered him at work and sat him down for a stern talking-to.

But, eventually, his detachment wore them out, and they stopped calling. Stopped messaging. Stopped dropping by.

Bailey stopped sending clips and pictures of Kojo.

Tamara stopped spending weekends at the house.

Genny and, finally, Angela gave up and stopped appearing on his beat or in his office or at his door.

And he was alone.

Completely alone.

Lost, without her.

Their house grew dim, dust gathering in the corners and on the statues. The plants died out, withered bouquets first, then his fern, and at last, her tiny little succulents. The air grew stale, the rooms unlived in and unloved. No candles lit to drive away the small ghosts that clung to the furniture and the dark recesses of the hallway.

It was a tomb, a mausoleum to her memory, haunted each day by his living shadow.

But there was nothing alive here now.

Only on her grave, where he knelt in the soft earth and dug his fingers into the clay below him, was there any life.

Jasmine and lavender.

Warmed in the sunlight and sparkling with moonstone-bright droplets from the sprinklers.

This was the only place he could breath, could feel his heart trip into tangible rhythm.

And he breathed deep.

Jasmine and lavender.

Lush and vital and thriving over her final resting place. Petals smiling up at him with gleaming white teeth.

They know.

Tim is the one who died that day, his soul ripped out and buried there in the ground with her.

But Lucy…

Lucy is evergreen.

#chenford week 2023 #chenford #my fic #chenfordweek23

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l56895 · 10 months

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Palms

Written for day one of Chenford Week: inspired by canon. I am already behind, because life is chaos. But I plan on catching up as soon as I am on holiday!

Rating: T

He can still sense the laundry room when he finally dumps his bag on the kitchen counter: the scent of detergent and metal on his clothes; the stickiness of chemicals gritting his palms and the taste of Lucy still on his lips. Somewhere in the house, Kojo is asleep- full and work out by the dog sitter he pays to check in twice a day- and so Tim braces his hands on the edge of the countertops and focuses on the rough grain of the marble. The texture grounds him, gives his brain something to focus on beyond the knowledge that Lucy is still in the midst of an op. That he hasn’t been able to bring her home.

His house has the familiar, but not welcome, silence that reminds him of being married to Isabel. He has gotten used to the sound of Lucy’s pencil scratching against notepaper as she studies for a detective exam that she might not be able to take; the slurp of her tea as she drinks her fourth cup of a herbal blend of the evening. She taps her feet against the breakfast bar when she’s deep in concentration, completely subconsciously, and he will never point it out to her in case she stops. But her very presence in his life has become a quiet orchestra- unconducted, understated, but still gently becoming the soundtrack of a contented life. Briefly, he considers packing up Kojo and taking him with him to Lucy’s apartment, feigning concern for Tamara just to have the presence of someone busy around him, but she text him earlier to say that she would be staying with a friend and he could stop worrying about her too.

Instead, he tries to settle on the couch, he’s pretty sure there’s a game recorded, but without a beer the whole thing feels incomplete. And he can’t have a beer, not if there’s the slightest chance that she will need him tonight. Lucy is good, better than Isabel was at this point in her career, but he can’t get the look she gave him out of his mind. That wide-eyed pleading as she pulled him back from the door. Not desperate, Lucy is never desperate, but unsure.

Tomorrow he will think to worry about the ramifications of pushing their clothes aside as much as necessary and clinging to one another on top of the laundry machine. He didn’t have a condom on him- why would he?- and he’s hoping that she thought to take her birth control with her when she packed for the op. It’s definitely the kind of consideration that the two of them should be better at, but the problem had seemed far off when he was rolling his hips against hers, his palm pressed against her mouth and his teeth nipping against the crook of her neck.

A steady click breaks his thoughts- the rhythmic patter of Kojo’s claws on the kitchen floor as he searches for him.

“Here, boy,” Tim whispers quietly when he rounds the corner, full of sleepy excitement. Tim is convinced that Kojo is disappointed every time he comes home without Lucy- he is quick to agree with the sentiment- but he rallies quickly and bounds over to join him in the couch. Something he has not been allowed to do while Lucy is present until recently- Tim unwilling to let on that he isn’t as stern a dog owner as he likes to make out. Nowadays, they huddle up together when the three of them are at his house and now the two of them act as if Lucy is in her regular spot- the cushion still plumped and waiting for her.

Also on AO3:

#fanfiction #chenford fanfic #chenford #chenford week 2023 #angst

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torreshalstead · 10 months

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The Inheritance Clause

Summary - Tim Bradford had a plan to get out from underneath his father and do some good in his city, but for that he needed his inheritance. His inheritance which he has just found out will not be released unless he is married. His father has a perfect solution - the daughter of one of his factory workers, Lucy Chen.

Notes - for Chenford Week 2023 day 6: Alternative Universe! I hope you enjoy! AO3 Link

‘Father you cannot be serious,’ Tim moaned loudly down the phone. He had been expecting his father’s call today, it was his 29th birthday after all but he had never expected to have such a bomb dropped on him on a day of supposed celebration.

‘I am Timothy, and you’ll do well to remember that it was not I who put this condition in place, you can thank you dear late Grandfather for that,’ his father scoffed, clearly not particularly bothered that his words had just altered the trajectory of his son’s life for good. ‘But I have a plan.’

‘There’s a loophole?’ Time said excitedly, suddenly sitting up straight from where he had been lying across his couch.

‘No, but there is a fellow who works for me who has a daughter…’ his father continued but Tim had switched off. He didn’t want to hear all about some prissy young girl who would happily marry him so she could get a share of the Bradford fortune. He should have known it wouldn’t be as easy as waiting until he was 30 when his inheritance would be finally released and he could step back from Bradford Enterprises and step away from being under his father’s control.

Until this wrench was thrown in the works.

Apparently his grandfather, in his infinite wisdom, had put a clause into the trust fund contract which stated that the money would only be released when Tim turned 30, if he was married. He had no intent on getting married, he didn’t believe in the institution. Everyone in his circle only got married for financial gain, links with other wealthy families and to ensure that the fortunes were properly curated and never fell into the wrong hands. No one got married for love.

So he made up his mind that even if he ever fell in love - which he doubted he would - he wouldn’t be married. His father would try and orchestrate some great match and the girl in question would be some airhead flounce who only cared that the bottom of her shoes were red and her credit card full.

And yet here he was, if he ever wanted to get away from this place he needed his inheritance, he had big plans for that money, positive plans, plans that had nothing to do with Bradford Enterprises and his grandfather had only gone and locked it up so tightly that unless he went against everything he ever believed in, he’d never see a cent of it.

The only reason his father would even be helping him is he expected Tim to invest the funds back into the business and become an official member of the board. Tim had no intention of doing anything of the sort but had never clarified that with his father. Let him think what he wants.

‘Timothy, are you listening to me?’ his father barked.

‘Yes father,’ Tim murmured. He needed to come up with a plan and fast or else he was going to be frog marched down the aisle and goodness knows what would be waiting for him at the other end.

‘So we shall have them over for dinner tomorrow and you can meet her, if all goes well we shall formalise the engagement and you can be wed before the end of next month,’ his father said and before waiting for his son to say anything in response, ended the call.

Formalise the engagement. Wed before the end of the month. Who said these sorts of things. His father, that’s who. The same father who called on his birthday and as Tim fell back into the cushions of the couch realised, one who didn’t wish his son happy birthday once.

‘Sorry Mr Bradford, I thought you were in the office today,’ the quiet voice of his maid Tamara broke through his silence.

‘No carry on Tamara, don’t let me be in your way,’ he said quickly, getting up and grabbing his jacket before heading towards the door. ‘Take a half day today, my treat,’ he added with a small smile. The young girl worked hard and it was the least he could do.

‘Thank you Mr Bradford,’ Tamara said kindly, ‘and happy birthday.’ She smiled as the doors slid shut behind him.

His only birthday wishes were from someone on his father’s payroll, the irony wasn’t lost on him.

——————————————————————————

Tim spent the rest of his day, his 29th birthday, walking around the city. He loved this city, wanted to do some good in it and be a positive presence in the place that he loved. Sure, his father provided employment for a large percentage of the occupants, but he paid them pennies and had monopolised a number of industries so if they wanted to work in that field, they had no choice but to get a Bradford Enterprises pay cheque. Even if that pay cheque barely covered their rent.

When Tim was younger he loved seeing his family name painted across the city; billboards, factories, store fronts - everywhere you looked it was Bradford this and Bradford that. Being the son of a billionaire worked to his advantage as he got accepted easily into his dream school, he was sure his father signed a big cheque but he never questioned it. It added to his ability to bed any girl he wanted, when you can buy them anything they want, you can have your pick. But when he graduated and his father started to train him up in the way of the family business, all the money suddenly felt tainted.

He saw the man he had looked up to all his life treating people like nothing, cutting their wages, upping their rent, slashing their benefits, it was nothing to him. He snapped his fingers and whole streets could lose their income, another snap and the local childcare closed down and all working mothers were forced to find alternative arrangements. The reason Bradford Enterprises had gotten so powerful was undercutting its competitors and not caring who they hurt in the process. Tim was suddenly disgusted that he had flaunted his wealth so much, the money was dirty, hadn’t been earnt through good honest work and the industry wasn’t the glistening beacon of hope that he had thought it was.

For years Tim had thought people were proud to work for Bradford Enterprises, proud that their pay cheques were stamped with his fathers name but he realised that no one had a choice. If you lived in this city then you worked for Bradford, or you didn’t work. Even his maid was technically employed through his father, sure he supplemented Tamara’s income himself and tried to treat her as well as he could, but if his father decided one day to fire her, Tim would be helpless to stop it.

So he had made a plan, when he finally got control of his inheritance, he would take his father down. He was going to provide better paying jobs, better conditions, he was actually going to support the city he loved and the people in it rather than bleeding it dry. His own pay cheque wouldn’t matter, he had enough set aside that he would be fine, he could fully invest his inheritance and everyone would reap the benefits, not just the boss and his golden plated life. He had spent the last 7 years learning the ins and outs of his father’s business, how he had gained his success and just how precarious that success was. He knew he could do it, but without the funds, he would be unable to make the change he needed to.

But now, that was all under threat because he needed to acquiesce to some dead man’s wishes and get married to be able to access what was rightfully his.

By the time he got back to his apartment, fully financed by his father obviously, he had come to the only conclusion he could - he needed his inheritance and to get that, he needed a wife.

—————————————————————————

He dressed for his mother that evening, she would have wanted him to look his best for his future wife. Tim’s mother had passed away just before his tenth birthday, her heart failed according to his father. She was the most loving woman, treated him like a prince and showered him with love. For the first few years after her death, the family home was cold and unwelcoming, his father never allowed visitors of any kind and even the staff were ordered to keep to the shadows and never be seen. He never remarried but something seemed to flip in his father when Tim turned 13, it was as if the shutters were opened and the light was allowed in again. Tim was allowed to talk about his mother again without his father’s glare on him, he was allowed friends over and the staff were allowed to dust and clean in the day - to be honest they were more like his friends than his friends.

He wasn’t sure what his mother would think of this situation, marrying for the sake of a fortune, but he hoped she would be proud of the reasons behind why Tim had agreed to this. He buttoned up his dark green shirt, pulling on a grey suit jacket, a quick glance in the mirror and he decided it was acceptable. If this girl had agreed to marry him anyway, she probably knew what he looked like anyway. His father wasn’t shy about using his good looking son to advertise the business, often wheeling him out to present at conferences and meetings or plaster his face on advertisements.

The dinner was to be held in the large dining room of his father’s penthouse apartment, the floor above Tim’s own apartment. He took a second to steal himself before getting the elevator to the floor above.

‘Timothy, how nice of you to join us,’ his father said loudly once the elevator doors had opened wide into the vast apartment. His father already had a glance of whiskey in his hand - never one to be without a drink in a social situation and he was standing with a man and a woman, both who looked to be unused to the grandeur of the room they were currently in.

Tom Bradford liked everyone to know just how wealthy he was from the moment they walked into the penthouse. It was far larger than a single man needed, full of artwork that he didn’t appreciate, furniture he would never sit on, just knew how many zeros were on the price tag. He used it to suss out the competition, those who were awkward within the space he always knew he could get a cheaper deal with. Those who made comments about the artist or designer, were those he would do business with on an equal level rather than slashing his offering price.

These two clearly fell into the first category, they were dressed nicely but their clothes were from a high street store, both looked like they were too terrified to sit down for fear of making a mess on the furniture that cost more than their house. If Tim had to guess he would say they were the same age of his father, approaching their 60s and he hoped more than anything that it was not the woman he was expected to marry, not to say he was ageist but he had hoped his future bride would be at least somewhere near his own age.

‘Let me introduce you to Patrick and Vanessa Chen,’ his father said with a small smirk playing on his lip as he gestured to the couple.

‘Pleasure,’ Tim said politely, reaching out to shake the hand of the man, Patrick Chen and offering a small nod to his wife.

‘Patrick is one of the foreman in the factory on South Street,’ Tom said. Tim couldn’t even remember what that factory produced, it could have been the one that was making bespoke couches or the one that tinned the beans - they were all factories to him filled with underpaid workers creating merchandise that would be overcharged back to them. ‘Their daughter will be joining us shortly.’

Tim breathed a sigh of relief, there was a daughter. His relief was short lived however as he glanced back to his father and the smirk was still playing on his lips, there was something afoot here and Tim needed to figure out what it was. His father never looked happy unless there was something in it for himself, or he was the one controlling the strings.

‘Lucy was just popping home to change after her shift,’ Patrick spoke up, his wife timidly nodding from next to her. ‘She wanted to look her best.’ There was something about the tone of the man’s voice that was making the hair on Tim’s arms stand on end.

‘I’m sure she did,’ Tom scoffed. ‘Dinner will be served shortly so if you’d like to follow, Stevens will show you to your seats.’ One of the suited man servants stepped forward and led the way into the dining room, but as Tim fell into step behind their guests, his father tugged him roughly to the side.

‘Didn’t want to arrive on time?’ he said under his breath, his anger evident as he spoke through his teeth.

‘I was on time, and the girl isn’t here yet so there is no problem,’ Tim said calmly, not letting his father rile him.

‘On your best behaviour, this deal is as good as done unless she turns up with 3 heads,’ Tom said before leaving Tim alone in the hallway. Just as he straightened his suit jacket where his father had pulled it out of place, the elevator doors dinged as they opened and Tim turned to look. His mouth fell open.

The girl, no woman, who walked out into the middle of the room had to be one of the most gorgeous he had ever seen. She was short, Tim would place her at no more than just over 5 feet, her long dark brown hair tucked behind her ears, and her eyes. Her eyes, even from this distance Tim could see they were the sort of eyes that a man could easily get lost in. She was wearing a pale yellow dress, the flowing material hitting just above her knees.

‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ she said softly, her voice smooth as silk.

‘No, you’re right on time,’ Tim managed to say after a brief moment of tongue tied silence. He strolled over to her and offered her his hand. ‘Tim Bradford,’ he said with a smile, a genuine smile that he didn’t think he would wear this evening.

‘Lucy Chen,’ she said, placing her hand in his and keeping eye contact as he lowered his mouth and his lips connected briefly with her hand.

‘Pleasure to meet you Miss Chen,’ Tim said, standing straight and offering her his arm. She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and led her towards the dining room. Maybe this whole marriage thing wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.

——————————————————————————

The dinner was long and not particularly interesting, neither Tim or Lucy said much, the conversation being dominated by his father with the odd comment from Lucy’s. For all that Tim had noticed about Lucy when she had first walked into the penthouse, he hadn’t noticed how uncomfortable she looked. She barely ate a thing, pushing the delicately prepared food around the plate rather than eating it. A red flag raised for Tim when he noticed her reach for one of the bread rolls on the table and a quick move from Lucy’s mother which Tim suspected might have been a pinch to her side, put an end to that endeavour and her hand withdrew. He wasn’t sure it was his place but he plucked one from the basket and put it on Lucy’s plate without comment, if she wanted a bread roll, she could have one. She smiled timidly at him before breaking off a piece and popping it into her mouth.

When the final bowls were cleared from their dessert, his father stood up.

‘Timothy, why don’t you take Miss Chen for a walk in the grounds, her father and I have business to discuss,’ he said firmly. It was a suggestion but not one that Tim had the opportunity to say no to. The term business piqued his interest however, Patrick was a worker in a factory, what business could they have to discuss. Unless it was the business of the marriage.

Tim made a mental note to discuss with his father when their guests had left, just how he and Lucy’s father had come to such an arrangement and what the exact terms of the arrangement were.

‘Miss Chen, would you like to join me?’ He asked her with a smile.

‘She would,’ her father answered quickly, not allowing the girl to speak. Another red flag to Tim, he was starting to have doubts that Lucy had even agreed to this marriage at all. He knew he was on some level coerced into it himself but he still had the opportunity to back out. Sure he would give up his inheritance, his chance at making a change, but it was still his decision.

‘Miss Chen,’ Tim repeated, ignoring her father.

‘I’d like that,’ she said quietly, looking up at him, a silent thank you in her eyes.

He offered her his hand and she accepted, giving them both the grace to leave the dining room and the watchful eyes of their fathers. Lucy’s mother hadn’t said a word all evening, simply nodding in agreement when her husband spoke.

‘Sorry that was a bit awkward,’ Tim said with a chuckle when the elevator doors closed and it was just the two of them.

‘It’s okay,’ Lucy muttered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

‘Can I ask you something?’ Tim said, unsure how to broach the subject but it was playing on his mind having witnessed dinner.

Lucy nodded but stayed quiet, her lips pulled into a tight line.

‘Why did you agree to the dinner? To marry me?’

The elevator doors dinged open and the pair stepped out onto the ground floor, the question hung in the air. The lobby wasn’t empty, members of the building staff and other occupants of its many floors were present so neither spoke until Tim nodded at a doorman and the side door into the gardens was opened.

Tim decided not to push the matter, he had obviously made her feel uncomfortable which had been the opposite of his desired outcome. So he changed tack.

‘The gardens here are only for mine and my father’s use, and he is always too busy,’ Tim chuckled. ‘So I guess they are just mine.’ They began to meander their way down the path, the sky was dark but the paths and plants were illuminated by hundreds of small lights dotted about the gardens and strung between the trees.

‘I always knew my father would choose my husband,’ Lucy said after a few more minutes of walking in silence. ‘It’s never been a subject for discussion.’ She spoke so flatly, so devoid of emotion that it troubled Tim.

‘You never wanted to pick your own?’ Tim asked.

‘It was never an option,’ Lucy said with a small shrug. They were still walking, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground but his were locked on to her. There was something interesting about her, something that was drawing him to her and he couldn’t put his finger on it. ‘I either stay at home, or I get married to a man he chooses.’

‘And I’m that man?’ Tim asked.

‘I guess so,’ she shrugged again. ‘He came home from work last week excited about something, more excited than I’ve ever seen and over dinner he said he had found me a husband.’

‘Were you excited?’ Tim asked. He had hoped his future bride would be the one excited for the arrangement, after all he had his own complicated feelings on the matter.

‘To not live under my fathers roof anymore, yes,’ Lucy said absent mindedly and then as if realising what she had said stopped dead. ‘I didn’t mean…’ she said quickly, her voice full of worry as her hand shot up over her mouth.

‘Hey hey, it’s okay,’ Tim said, gesturing to a bench a little way down the path. ‘I’m not asking to catch you out, and I don’t plan to tell either of our fathers what we said down here.’

He took a seat and patted the bench next to him, it took a second but Lucy sat down next to him. He noticed her hands were still trembling slightly as she twisted them in her lap.

‘Lucy, if we are to wed, we must be honest with each other,’ Tim started slowly and she looked up at him, her brown eyes glistening under the strings of lights criss-crossing their way over the path. ‘Do you want to marry me?’

Lucy’s eyes went wide for a moment, the forwardness clearly shocking her. She took a second to consider the question.

‘Can I ask you a question first?’ She said, her voice not quite as timid as it had been before.

‘Ask me anything you like,’ Tim said honestly.

‘Do you want to marry me?’

The words took Tim by surprise, it was a fair question after all and one that he thought he had a clear answer to before he had met her. This marriage was to be about one thing and one thing only, but when she had walked out of that elevator, it started to become about something else as well.

‘Perhaps I should put all my cards on the table,’ Tim said with a small chuckle and when Lucy looked worried he shook his head. ‘Nothing like that but it’s slightly more than just my father picking a bride for me and if you are to be my wife, then you deserve to know it all.’

So Tim spoke, he spoke more honestly than he had ever spoken to anyone. He told Lucy how he had thought his father was a great man and a great business man until he had learned the dirty truth. He explained how he had a plan with his inheritance to help improve people’s lives that his father had all but cast aside, however that plan had hit a roadblock when he learnt of the caveat his grandfather had placed on the money. He told her how originally he had been reluctant, he never wanted to get married and this seemed like one of his fathers schemes, but it was a means to an end.

He paused but decided he had come this far, ‘I originally only wanted a wife so I could get my inheritance, the who didn’t matter to me. I assumed it would be someone who was in it for the money my father would promise them, someone who didn’t care about the people he had hurt to get the money.’ He watched Lucy swallow but she never took her eyes off of him. ‘But then you showed up, and there’s something about you Lucy. I know I probably shouldn’t say it, but you intrigue me. You’re beautiful, but there’s something else and I know my father probably promised you a lot to get you to agree to this but I can promise you that you will be happy with me.’

He wondered if he had said too much, scared her away when she didn’t say anything but in the short time they had been talking he had realised that she thought carefully before she spoke, always worked through what was being said before formulating her reply.

‘Your father never promised me anything,’ she said with a weak smile. ‘I don’t know what he agreed with my father and I know I should care but I don’t.’ She let out a sad laugh and Tim felt his heart clench. ‘I knew getting married would be a way out for me, a chance to live a new life. There’s so much I want to see and do, so much I want to be. But I’ve never been able to.’

‘What do you want to be?’ Tim asked with a smile.

‘You’re the first person to ever ask me that,’ she chuckled and Tim heard her real laugh for the first time. He would make it his mission to hear that beautiful sound everyday if he could. ‘But I want to be a teacher. I want to make a difference, a bit like you I guess.’

‘But your father wouldn’t let you be a teacher? It’s an honourable profession.’

‘He refused to pay for the training so I went to work in the same factory as him, handing over all my wages as a contribution for the household as he called it,’ she scoffed.

‘If you want to be a teacher Lucy, you can be one,’ Tim said with a smile. It felt so unfair that she had had her dream crushed by the man who was supposed to love and take care of her.

‘Really?’

‘I don’t know what sort of husband I will be, it’s never something I thought I’d be, but I will be a good man for you Lucy and the whole reason I am doing this is to pursue my dreams, it seems only fair that you should get to chase yours as well.’

‘You are a good man,’ Lucy said with a warm smile.

‘But Lucy, if you don’t want to marry me. I won’t force you. Whatever deal our fathers have made, I can get it cancelled, this is your decision,’ Tim said firmly, he sensed that Lucy had never been able to make her own decisions in life and he would hate himself if he made this one for her too.

‘I do want to,’ she said quickly. ‘Marry you that is.’

‘Then it is settled, we shall get married. I have one condition though,’ Tim said, thinking quickly.

‘Okay…’ Lucy said wearily.

‘This is a partnership, I want you to be happy in this marriage Lucy, if you want something you can have it, if you need something, it’s yours. That includes as many bread rolls as you can eat,’ he added with a grin and she giggled. ‘If you say this is your chance to be free, then that is what you shall be. And if someday you decide you do not wish to be my wife anymore, then you won’t be. This is your decision, it’s your life Lucy.’

He wasn’t expecting what happened next but Lucy leant across and pressed her lips to his cheek. ‘Thank you,’ she murmured as she pulled back, the tears swimming in her eyes.

‘Do you want to stay out here a little longer or go back upstairs?’ He asked softly.

‘I’d like to stay, if that’s okay,’

‘Then stay we shall,’ Tim smiled and the pair settled into a comfortable silence, somehow happy that the decisions that once had been made for them had been altered and they were now the ones in control. They were the ones who were deciding the future. And they would face it together.

#chenford #chenfordweek23 #Lucy Chen #tim bradford #Lucy x tim #the rookie #chenford fic #the rookie fanfiction #chenford fanfiction #the rookie fanfic #chenford fanfic #chenford week 2023 #the rookie fic

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livelovecaliforniadreams · 10 months

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Chenford Week: Day 4: Happy Hawley-Day : Inspired by a song that came out in the past year (I Can See You)

#chenford week 2023 #chenford #chenfordedit #tim x lucy #tim bradford #lucy chen #melissa o’neil #eric winter #the rookie #gif #gifs #gifset #i can see you

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firstdegreefangirl · 10 months

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Now I'm gonna give her forever (x) Chenford Week 2023: Day Four - Inspired by a song that came out in the last year (this also works for relationship milestones and firsts!)

#chenfordweek23 #chenford week 2023 #lucy chen #tim bradford #the rookie #katie gifs #russell dickerson #god gave me a girl

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karihighman · 10 months

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Day 5️⃣: love languages day 🤝🫂👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼

can you believe we got all 3 of these in ONE EPISODE?! god bless 5x12 for Chenford I stg

#the rookie #lucy chen #tim bradford #chenford #chenford week 2023 #chenford week 23 #their hands #chenford hug #chenford kiss #love languages #the rookie 5x12

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theawkwardanglophile · 10 months

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A BIG THANK YOU!

Friends, we've come to the end of Chenford Week 2023, and I am absolutely blown away by the content! There's so much I am literally still reading Day 1 fics!

You all showed up in such a big way, and I sincerely thank you. The talent in this fandom is incredible. I love that I've been there to see this fandom grow so much these past few years. We have come so far, just like our beloved Tim and Lucy!

And a huge thank you to my lovely friends @chenfordsource @sgtbradfords for all your incredible ideas and getting the ball rolling on this! 🥰 Y'all are the best!

#chenfordweek23 #chenford #the rookie #tim x lucy #chenford week 2023 #chenford week

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bluenet13 · 10 months

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The Cold Really Bothered Tim Anyway

Tim and Lucy embark on their first vacation together, retreating to a serene cabin nestled in a snowy landscape. But things take an unexpected turn when a patch of ice interrupts their idyllic getaway.

Read on AO3

Tim Bradford never liked the snow. It was cold, wet, slippery, and always seemed to get in the way. But when Genny had asked him to rent a cabin in Big Bear Lake so his nephews could really enjoy their first winter in Los Angeles with Uncle Tim and see that California had snow too (her words, not his), he couldn't say no. He had reluctantly agreed and claimed that it was the Uncle Tim that got him. But the reality was that Genny was tough, tougher than most, and she always wanted to push forward on her own. But Tim knew the divorce had been difficult on her and the kids, and he had promised himself he would be there for her, making up for years of absence and missed birthdays and holidays.

It had also helped that, as soon as he frowned in immediate response to her request, Genny had smiled wickedly before saying that Lucy could come too. In fact, she had already sent his girlfriend a few listings for cabins big enough to accommodate five plus a dog, and in their price range.

This conversation had happened a month ago, and Lucy had been excited ever since. Her excitement had translated to packing three weeks in advance, purchasing snow boots, a beanie and a fluffy jacket for Kojo, and sending him about a hundred websites for things to do and romantic spots around the little town. So, it's safe to say that Lucy was excited about the trip, and Tim couldn't help but feel a bit envious of her enthusiasm. She always seemed to find joy in the simple things, and he admired her for it. Which is not to say Tim wasn't looking forward to the trip too, because he found joy in being with her, and that alone would make their first trip together perfect in his eyes.

However, after a few days of playing with his nephews and trying to find things to do in the snow, Tim was exhausted. The snow-covered landscape and the quiet surroundings of the cabin were a welcome change from the chaos of the city, but Tim could only take so many "Uncle Tim, come play with us", "Uncle Tim, see what Kojo did", "Uncle Tim, can you make me a hot chocolate" and "Uncle Tim, don't forget the marshmallows", until he needed a break from his break.

So, he left Genny with the boys and Kojo safe and cozy in the cabin and convinced Lucy to go on a hike to where they could see the lake.

As they walked slowly through the snowy trails around the cabin, Tim found himself relaxing more and more with each new step. The air was crisp, but the sun was high up on the sky and shining brightly above them. The deciduous trees looked prettier than in LA, white and fluffy, as they strained under the weight of the snow, and Lucy's hand on his warmed him from the inside out. It was perfect, and Tim smiled to himself as a sense of calm washed over him.

"I'm glad you convinced me to come," Lucy said softly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them as soon as they left the cabin. "Don't get me wrong, I love Genny and the boys, but this is nice too."

Tim nodded and grinned, knowing that was Lucy's polite way of saying the chaos of the Bradfords was getting to her too. "I'm glad you wanted to come. I know it wasn't easy to decline Genny's offer of 'Love Actually' and Spiked Apple Cider."

Lucy hummed and closed her eyes, and Tim bit his lip, wanting to make her hum with a different kind of pleasure. He pulled on their tangled hands and huffed when Lucy fell into him. The puff of air was swallowed by her mouth as their lips collided, and he wrapped his arms around her. The kiss was messy, all tongue, and teeth, and gasps, and even a bite that would cause a lip to swell, but it was more than they had been allowed to share since leaving the city and being in the constant presence of two teenage boys.

One of Tim's hands tangled in Lucy's curls as the other ever so slowly inched lower and lower until it sneaked past the waistband of her pants only to stop short of its destination, blocked by too fucking many layers of clothing.

Tim groaned and Lucy giggled, but Tim was always determined to get the last laugh. He reversed their positions, pressing Lucy against a tree that sat innocently nearby, shoving his thigh in between her legs. His lips were instantly on her again, and this kiss was messier than the first, if that was even possible. Without breaking their contact, Tim began unzipping Lucy's jacket. He smiled against her lips when he pushed it off her and into the ground, only to groan again when he found another jacket - one with buttons this time.

"You're wearing too many layers," Tim hissed, his breath hot on her skin, then gently sucked into the side of her neck, right over her tattoo. More than a little frustrated, his hands continued to roam in search of any reachable area of exposed skin.

Lucy moaned and closed her eyes, thrusting her pelvis against his body in desperate need of contact. "It's too fucking cold," she explained, fumbling with the buttons of her second jacket as she tried to remove the offending piece of clothing that was getting in the way of their desires. "Fuck." She huffed a frustrated breath when her cold fingers slipped on the buttons. She glared at Tim as he stood by, unhelpfully watching with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. And she very much wanted to wipe it off his face.

Tim chewed at his bottom lip, blue eyes darkened but bright like the ocean under the moonlight, and it was as distractingly sexy as it was telling, and Lucy could only hold on for so long. She gave up on the jacket and instead set her sights on the one button that was part of Tim's attire.

It took only seconds for her hand to find itself inside his boxers, skimming over his length. Tim instantly tried to pull away with a shriek as her cold fingers made contact. But Lucy rose up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against the side of Tim's jaw, his 3-day stubble scratching her skin, as she laughed her way into the kiss she pressed over his lips.

One kiss led to a second, and a second led to three more. And suddenly, the cold didn't matter to Tim anymore as their brains ceded control to the heat that had been burning inside them since they took a first step, alone, into the crisp mountain air.

Time passed slowly after that, seconds and minutes ticking by in a desperate tangle of lips, tongues, limbs and droplets of snow that kept falling over them every time they pressed each other against the tree's trunk. It was equally sweet and sexy, purposeful and messy, slow and frantic, and yet it still didn't feel like nearly enough. They parted for air a few times, but it never lasted long, both diving right back in like a man in the desert who's gone too long without a sip.

After kissing each other senseless for the fifth time, they took a breath, heads spinning, and breaths coming in small gasps. Even then, they didn't go far. Tim rested his forehead on Lucy's as they shared oxygen and heat. It was more than they had had in days, each contact of their bodies, every caress and tug, setting their skins aflame even in negative-degree weather. It was too much, yet somehow still not enough, and Tim found himself pressing a trail of kisses over Lucy's face, down onto her neck, and chest, and somehow sucking at her nipple through who knew how many layers of undershirts, shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets.

Lucy moaned into Tim's mouth, her head thrown back in pleasure harder than was probably necessary, causing the decrepit tree to rattle and sending a handful of snow tumbling down on top of them.

"Shit!" Tim shouted and scrambled away from the tree, jumping up and down in an attempt to get rid of the frigid snow that had found its way inside his unbuttoned jeans.

Lucy pulled away, feeling dazed. Her reddened cheeks having nothing to do with the cold; she was flushed, sweaty, and more than a little bit breathless. Still, she kneeled down to roll a snowball, taking advantage of her boyfriend's focus on his damp pants (which also had nothing to do with the snow).

Lucy waited until she had formed the perfect snowball, and without warning, launched it straight at Tim's head. Tim stumbled back in surprise, then broke out into a wide grin. "Oh, it's on now," he said, scooping up a handful of snow and quickly packing it into a ball. He took aim and threw it at Lucy, who deftly dodged it and threw another snowball back at him. Soon, they were in the middle of a full-blown snowball fight, dodging and throwing with abandon. They laughed and shouted as they played, enjoying the moment and each other's company.

As Tim and Lucy continued their snowball fight, they darted and weaved around each other, laughing and having fun. But then, as Tim went to dodge a snowball, he stepped on a patch of ice hidden beneath the snow. His foot slipped out from under him, and he stumbled backward, arms flailing, trying to regain his balance. But it was no use, and he landed hard on his shoulder, crying out in pain.

Lucy rushed over to him, her face etched with concern, and helped him sit down. "Are you okay?" she asked, supporting him as he winced in pain.

Tim shook his head, clutching at his shoulder. "I think I dislocated it," he said through gritted teeth.

"Fuck," Lucy breathed out, nervously looking at Tim's arm. "Do you think you can walk? If we can get back to the cabin, I can set it there, and we can decide if you need to go to a hospital."

"Sounds good," Tim said, reaching out his hand to Lucy. She took it and carefully began pulling him up.

The plan went well for about three seconds until it all went downhill very fast. Tim set a foot on the ground and slowly rose up, but when he put his other foot down, his leg exploded in pain. It was so unexpected that his vision blurred, and he became instantly nauseous. He had no doubt that he would have fallen down completely if not for Lucy's hands on him.

"Babe? What's wrong?" Lucy asked, lowering Tim back down.

"I-I think we have a b-bigger problem," Tim stuttered, pointing to his leg.

Lucy gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the ground below Tim's leg. It was no longer pristine white but covered in red droplets from the blood tickling slowly from the open wound on Tim's leg. "What the hell happened?" Lucy shrieked, biting her lip nervously and running her fingers through her hair.

"I-I don't know," Tim said, his eyes closed as he took slow breaths in and out, trying to settle his stomach. "I didn't feel anything until I tried putting weight on my leg. The cold ground probably numbed it."

Lucy kneeled down beside him, and her face fell when she took in the piece of dry wood that was sticking up from the ground right next to Tim's leg. The tip was damp and red, and Lucy knew it had caused the laceration.

"Okay. Okay. This is still okay. We can fix this," Lucy said, trying to sound confident.

Tim shook his head and opened his eyes, gazing directly into Lucy's, knowing she wouldn't like what he had to say. "Babe, we can't fix this. You need to go back to the cabin and get help."

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Lucy immediately protested, inching ever closer to Tim.

"Luce, we're in the middle of the woods. Miles away from help, and there's no phone signal in this area." Tim paused, letting her absorb his words before he continued. "I'll be okay here, but I can't make it back like this. I need your help," he urged.

Lucy's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. She refused to leave him alone in the cold, snowy wilderness. "I can set your shoulder here so I can help you walk back without putting weight on your leg," she offered, desperate for Tim to go with her plan. "Please."

Tim considered her words, knowing he had a better alternative. His leg hurt like hell already and it would only get worse. But honestly, he didn't want to stay here alone, and he knew if he were in Lucy's position, he wouldn't leave her alone either. "Okay," he finally agreed. "But we will do it my way."

"Thank you," Lucy said, letting out a relieved breath.

"You might not like what I'm about to suggest," Tim interjected, voice steady and sure, even if he himself didn't like what he was about to say.

"I will do anything, Tim." Lucy didn't wait for a response and instantly got to work. She stripped her top layers until she was left with just her undershirt. She set aside her shirt and scarf, before quickly dressing again to avoid dealing with frostbite too. When she was finished, she turned to Tim expectantly.

"Grab my backpack," Tim directed, pointing to the sling bag he dropped to the ground when they got distracted. "There's a first aid kit there. You're going to stitch my leg."

"Am I what?" Lucy squealed. "You're joking, right?"

"Am I one to joke, Luce?" Tim questioned, the word boot almost slipping past his lips uninvited.

"No." Lucy deflated as she stood up to get the kit. Her fingers shook while she unzipped it, and she silently wondered how the hell Tim expected her to do this. "Are you sure we can just wrap it and go back to the cabin, there we can get you in the truck and to a hospital?"

Tim shook his head, undeterred. "I didn't survive Iraq and Afghanistan, and having you as my rookie," he paused and despite himself, grinned when Lucy rolled her eyes and bumped his uninjured shoulder, "only to die from blood loss in the middle of a fucking snowstorm in California. So, it's either this, or you're leaving me here and getting help from the Rangers."

"No, Tim, we're in this together. I'm not leaving you behind, I'll do it," Lucy said resignedly, leaning in a bit closer to examine the wound.

"Then by all means, start sewing. I hope your cross-stitch is good," Tim teased, wanting to put her at ease as much as he also wanted to calm himself down.

"Weren't you saying just a second ago that you weren't one to joke?" Lucy asked, grabbing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and gauze from their supplies.

Tim grinned and shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "What else is there to do now?" he replied through gritted teeth, hissing and shutting his eyes tightly as Lucy started disinfecting his wound.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Lucy said, using her hand to vent the wound, hoping to alleviate the sting, even though things were about to get even worse for him.

Tim watched silently as Lucy worked, wishing he could go back to half an hour ago when he was trying to undress her for a completely different reason.

"Lie down, please," Lucy directed, drawing his attention back to the shitty situation at hand.

Tim nodded and complied. He groaned and bit his lip so hard he tasted blood as Lucy helped him lower himself fully onto the cold, slick ground. He was wet in seconds, and if he hated the snow before, he absolutely despised it now.

"I will take care of your shoulder first. It will be quicker." Lucy waited for his nod before carefully setting his dislocated shoulder back into place without warning. Tim groaned in pain as she worked, but he never complained. By the end of it, he was flushed, sweaty, and his hands were shaking slightly.

Giving him a moment to catch his breath, Lucy rummaged through the first aid kit, searching for something to support Tim's shoulder. She found a bandage and fashioned a makeshift sling, carefully wrapping it around his arm and securing it in place to keep his shoulder stable. Tim winced at the movement, but together they worked quickly and efficiently.

With the sling in place, Lucy turned to Tim's leg with a sigh. "Halfway done," she said, taking a deep breath, trying to steady her shaking hands. She had seen and done many gruesome things as a police officer, but she had never stitched a real wound before. But she would do it for Tim.

Lucy opened the first aid kit and found the needle and thread. She glanced at Tim, who was gritting his teeth, trying to hide the pain, as she slowly threaded the needle. "This is going to hurt, I'm sorry."

Tim hummed his assent and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable pain. Instead, he felt a cold so strong that his whole body shivered, and he opened his eyes with a gasp. "What are you doing?"

Lucy looked at him shyly and shrugged before explaining, "I don't have anesthesia, obviously. But I still wanted to dull the pain a little."

"Thank you," Tim whispered, gazing at the small, delicate mounds of snow Lucy had placed on either side of his leg.

Lucy waited a few more minutes, then brushed away the snow and turned to face Tim, leaning down to press a kiss on his forehead. She took one last look into Tim's steady eyes, and it was all the reassurance Lucy needed to know that he trusted her to do this.

As Lucy began to stitch up the wound, Tim clenched his teeth and squeezed her leg (since her hands were busy at the moment) enduring the excruciating pain without complaint. Despite his desire to pass out to escape the agony, he fought to stay conscious, not wanting to leave Lucy alone. Still, he wished they had some strong alcohol to ease the pain, but that was a luxury they had left back at the cabin.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lucy finished stitching up Tim's leg, covering it with an excessive amount of antibiotic cream. She tore her shirt to make a makeshift bandage and carefully wrapped the wound, having used all the gauze to clean the wound and the real bandage in a makeshift sling. She then secured it with her scarf, ensuring that it was snug enough to stay in place but not too tight to restrict blood flow or cause discomfort.

"Good job, babe," Tim said, his voice weak but sincere as he sat up with Lucy's help and scooted back to lean against a nearby tree.

Lucy smiled for the first time since Tim's fall, relief flooding through her. "That was the hardest thing I've done in my life and we're never doing this again," she groused.

Tim chuckled but it quickly turned into a wince as the movement caused a sharp pain in his injured arm and leg. "Now for the real hardest part. Time to walk back to the cabin," he said, his tone light despite their situation.

Lucy nodded in agreement but held her hand up, reaching for the kit and passing Tim a bottle of Ibuprofen and some water. He took them gladly and downed them in one gulp.

After packaging all their supplies, Lucy helped Tim to his feet, shouldering his backpack and supporting him as they began the treacherous journey back. The snow had only gotten deeper and the wind was stronger, but they trudged on, their determination and trust in each other keeping them going.

Finally, after what felt like hours, they saw the welcoming lights and smoke of the cabin up ahead. They slowed then and Tim used their joint hands to pull Lucy flushed against him. He captured her lips in his and tangled a hand on her hair, wanting to take advantage of the last few minutes of peace before going back to the chaos of the cabin. Which would surely only be amplified when Genny looked at him.

When their desires were sated again, even if everything was slower and more subdued this time, they stumbled through the door, grateful for the warmth and safety of the cabin, and for the couch in which Tim promptly collapsed.

Lucy immediately set to work on getting him comfortable and warm, preparing some hot chocolate for them both, and going to their room to get them some clean clothes. As she tended to him, Tim watched her with a newfound respect and admiration. He knew if their situations were reserved, he would have been a wreck. He would have still helped her, but much more frantically and a lot less gracefully.

They were in the middle of awkwardly stumbling through the process of changing Tim into dry clothes when the door to Genny's room opened and all hell broke loose for the second time that day.

"Tim, what the hell happened?" Ginny shrieked, ignoring Tyler when he said she owed them $2 for cursing in front of him and his brother, and rushing to Tim's side.

Tim raised a hand in a placating gesture that didn't deter his sister at all and rolled his eyes when she began poking at his bandages. "I'm fine. I took a little slip in the snow, but Lucy took care of it."

Genny glanced at Tim and did a double take "Little?" She asked incredulously, turning to Lucy instead, and raising an eyebrow questionably.

"He should be okay for now, Gen, I promise," Lucy explained, setting a hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. "We were hiking, and Tim tripped, but I cleaned the cut and fixed his shoulder. He'll be fine. But we will stop by the ER tomorrow when we're back in LA so they can check him out." She purposely left out the part about the dislocated limb, bleeding laceration and impromptu stitches, not wanting Genny to freak out, while also ignoring Tim's betrayed look at the mention of the hospital.

"Okay, okay. That's good," Genny whispered, taking a few deep breaths to calm her raising heart. She stared at her brother, but her eyes were dazed and more so looking past him. "I don't like to see you hurt; you know that." She wiped a lonesome tear from her cheek and leaned down to ruffle Tim's hair before pressing a kiss on the top of his head, much like their mother did when they were kids.

Tim nodded and hugged his sister as best as he could with only one working arm, wishing he could erase the memories of their pasts and all the injuries he got in it from both their minds. "I know, but I'm really okay. Lucy is a great doctor."

"You should have called me instead, Uncle Tim!" Tyler interrupted, pushing in between the siblings and perching up on the back of the couch. "I could have taken care of you like Severide does in Chicago," he said happily, oblivious to the moment he had broken, much to Tim and Genny's relief.

"Sev- who?" Tim turned to Genny who only laughed in response.

"Severide, from 'Chicago Fire'. Tyler is in a first-responder's kick and now he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up," Genny eventually clarified, unable to stop giggling at her brother's disbelieving look.

"So, you're saying his uncle is a real-life hero, war veteran and Metro Sergeant, but Tyler wants to be a firefighter like a fictional character?" Tim asked, only partially joking, and more than a little bit affronted.

Genny shrugged and patted Tim's leg. "What can I say? To Tyler you're just Uncle Tim."

Tim wanted to complain but he couldn't help but smile at that, glad the boys still loved him after years of absence.

Genny stayed with them for a little while longer, fussing over her brother and making small talk, until Tyler's third yawn had her corralling the boys and taking them back to bed. "You sure you're okay?" Genny asked, pausing in the threshold of the room and gazing at Tim pensively, "And you'll call me if anything happens, and you need help?"

"I promise, Gen. Now go to bed, we've a long drive tomorrow and holiday traffic to deal with," Tim reassured her, knowing it wasn't easy for either of them to see the other hurt. That was an everlasting wound Tom had left on them and they just needed to live with it. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Good night, Tim. Good night, Lucy. Thank you for taking care of him," Genny whispered, staring at her brother for a few extra seconds before she turned around and closed the door behind her.

"Finally," Tim breathed out as soon as they were alone again. "I'm exhausted, can we go to bed?"

"Me too, baby. But we gotta finish getting you dressed first," Lucy said apologetically.

After choosing to cut Tim's shirt instead of trying to maneuver his shoulder around it and thanking their lucky stars because he was wearing a zipped jacket, they made quick work of changing him into a buttoned shirt and some sweatpants. Lucy then ran to the bathroom to get changed herself, coming back with an ice pack, her favorite extra fluffy blanket, and a thermometer so she could secretly keep an eye on Tim and make sure he wasn't developing a fever.

When it all was said and done, they collapsed together on the couch, grateful for the warmth of the crackling fireplace. They were exhausted and still a little bit on edge, their lingering fear finally receding now that they were safe.

Lucy settled herself against the backrest of the couch and motioned for Tim to lie down. He did so slowly and set his head over her legs, wiggling a little to give Kojo space as soon as he jumped on the couch as well. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

Tim's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled up at her, glad that he could always count on Lucy, no matter what. "I am, thanks to you. I wouldn't have wanted to do that with anybody else."

Lucy smiled back at him, pushing his messy hair from his forehead and leaning down to press a kiss there. "Likewise, but let's never do that again, okay?"

"Deal," Tim murmured, his eyes fluttering shut.

Tim sighed in contentment, Lucy's warmth and presence lulling him to sleep. And as the storm raged on outside, he felt a sense of peace that never in his life he had experienced while so physically banged up.

#chenford week 2023 #chenfordweek23 #Chenford #chenford fanfic #the rookie #the rookie fanfic #tim bradford #lucy chen #chenfordweek23 day 4 #relationship firsts

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