Chapter Text
Lucy's head was still spinning when she got home.
Jackson had explained briefly that he was a cop and they'd been in town as part of a witness protection detail. He'd asked if she was OK. She'd met Tim's eyes from where he sat in the SUV he'd been hurried into and she'd shaken her head - she wasn't OK. She'd been confused and she was losing him and it hurt. She'd looked down to gather herself and looked back up, but the SUV had pulled away and Tim was gone. Before she'd been able to ask Jackson anything, he'd been hustled off by uniformed officers.
John had come up and gently guided her away from the main chaos. He'd stood with her while an officer had taken her statement about the men confronting her in the garage and the car chase that followed. She hadn't shared details about Tim, or her connection with him.
She'd glanced once at John, knowing he'd register the omission. His gaze had remained friendly and neutral, he'd never corrected her or suggested that she needed to supplement the information she'd provided. When she was done, he'd said he'd check on her tomorrow and had asked one of the officers from Bakersfield to give her a ride back home.
She walked inside, kicked off her shoes and went straight to her bedroom. She changed into her oldest, most comfortable t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and crawled into bed. She looked at the pillow next to her and dragged it over. She buried her face into it and breathed in deeply. The pillow smelled like Tim. Or maybe her head was just supplying a memory but she decided it felt real enough that she could wallow in her feelings.
He was gone. And since it was a witness protection situation, she guessed he was testifying and then he'd have to disappear. He'd be leaving his friends and life in LA after all, just... not for her.
She'd made a somewhat garbled wish on the lake the day after she'd met him. Wishing he could stay. Wishing she could make him smile and set his worried mind at ease. He'd wanted to talk but she stopped him, pushed him away when it was clear he needed to leave.
Maybe if she hadn't had cut him off, if she'd listened, he'd have had time to explain. Maybe he'd have asked her to come with him. She could have disappeared with him.
She couldn't help but feel she'd missed her chance.
Eventually she fell into a restless sleep, clutching the pillow to her.
~~~
The next morning, as promised, John came by to check in. Lucy invited him in for a cup of coffee.
"You holding up OK?" he asked gently, as he sat down at her kitchen table.
"I'm a little shaken up," she said, brining over a steaming mug and sitting across from him. "A little sore from being whipped around in the car."
"That must have been scary," said John, nodding.
They sipped their coffee in silence for a few minutes before John spoke again.
"Do you want me to see what I can find out about Tim?" he asked. "The Bakersfield crew were my main points of contact, but I could ask them to reach out to LAPD. See if they'll share any information?"
Lucy's hands tightened on her mug.
"I think we should leave it be," she said quietly. "Jackson mentioned witness protection. Asking questions might get him found again, maybe hurt. I don't want to risk that."
"You care for him," John observed.
"I did," she said. "I do. Which seems crazy because I only knew him for less than two days."
"Well there's the length of time, and then there's knowing someone," said John, sipping his coffee. "Sometimes we meet someone and we know everything we really need to know almost right away. Everything else is just details."
"It doesn't matter," said Lucy shakily, trying not to cry. "He's gone."
John gave her a sad smile.
"I need to head over to the diner," he said. "I have something that might interest you, though. One of the LAPD officers brought a newspaper along. I was reading it this morning and noticed something in the classifieds."
He slid a folded section of the paper across the table. On it was a circled classified ad. Pulling it towards her, Lucy read that it was calling for mechanics interested in working for the LAPD motor pool.
Experience with high end vehicles a major plus to help support reclamation and use of seized vehicles for special operations.
"Fancy cars with no fancy drivers," breathed Lucy.
"Come by the bar later and I'll buy you a drink," said John.
"Thanks, John," Lucy replied. "I'll see you later."
***
Tim should have felt satisfied with a job well done. He just felt numb.
The Salonga trial had gone off off without a hitch. Murray's testimony had helped put the nail in the coffin. Then he had disappeared, as arranged.
The inquiry into Jackson shooting Half Life had cleared him of any wrongdoing. Tim and Jackson had gone back on patrol to complete the last week of the rookie's 30 day push.
Jackson had tried to bring up Lucy a few times but Tim had shut it down so firmly that the young man had stopped. It just hurt too much. Tim couldn't help thinking he'd missed the chance of a lifetime. But she'd shaken her head and looked away.
Tim stared at the day's paperwork. If he focused, he could be changed out and heading home in 30 minutes. Normally he'd be looking forward to it. Home used to be a haven - quiet, calm and controlled. Now it just felt empty.
"Hey, Tim," said Jackson, walking up, his own paperwork in hand.
"How's it being a P2?" asked Tim. "Everything you dreamed of?"
Jackson scoffed.
"I spent three hours guarding a chocolate bar on the sidewalk for Caradine trying to make sure it didn't melt since it was evidence," groused the younger man. "They caught the guy and didn't need said evidence, but no one bothered to tell me for two hours."
"Welcome to the fun and excitement of advancement," said Tim, chuckling ruefully. He went back to his paperwork.
Jackson continued to stand next to the desk, shuffling slightly on his feet.
"What?" asked Tim with a sigh.
"I know you have a few days off," said Jackson. "But there's going to be a thing at Las Torres tomorrow night. To celebrate. Karaoke and everything."
Tim kept his gaze on the paperwork in front of him.
"I'm not sure I'll be great company, Jackson," he said.
"Please, Tim," said Jackson. "I'd really like it if you could be there. I promise I won't make you try to sing or anything like that."
In his head, Tim heard the shot that Jackson took to save Lucy.
"Send me the details," he said. "I'll try to make it."
"Great," said Jackson. "Thanks for considering it. Have a good night."
Tim grunted and Jackson headed off to talk to some other officers and detectives, clearly trying to make the "thing" as much of a party as possible.
Tim finished his paperwork, changed out and headed home. He reheated something from his fridge for dinner and watched some TV. He got ready for bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling. After a few hours, he sat up. He got out of bed, got dressed again and went out to his truck.
He started driving north. Hours later, he made the turn inland. As dawn broke, he saw the sign for Lost Pines. He entered town and drove straight to the shop.
The "Chen's Auto Body and Repair" sign was gone.
Tim stood staring, the ache in his chest getting stronger the longer he did. He heard footsteps behind him.
"She left two days ago," said Nolan, coming up to stand next to Tim. "She said her dream job came through, so she packed up the Charger and headed out. We've got a new mechanic starting soon."
Tim looked down at the ground.
"Is she happy?" he asked.
"I think she's happy about the job," said Nolan.
"Where... where did she go?" asked Tim.
"Truth?"said Nolan. "She didn't say. She made a few calls to a few places. Not sure which one she went for. She said she'd let me know when things settled."
Tim nodded, keeping his eyes on the ground as his heart broke again.
"Where'd you drive in from?" asked Nolan.
"LA," said Tim.
"That's a decent drive," said Nolan, clapping his hand on Tim' shoulder. "Come over to the diner and have some breakfast. No one's in the cottage. If you're planning to head right back you should get a few hours sleep. You're also welcome to stay a few days if you'd like."
Tim felt Nolan gently pulling him towards the diner and he went along.
"I have a feeling that it's going to be OK, Tim," said Nolan as they walked.
Tim really didn't see how.
~~~
Somehow, Tim managed to get a decent few hours sleep once his belly was full. It still stung - she was gone and he'd probably never see her again. It just wasn't meant to be -- but she was happy, he thought. It was what he'd wanted for her, asked for when he'd visited the lake. He'd head back to LA and resume his role as TO. Maybe he'd finally sit the sergeant's exam and see about moving up.
About an hour after he got back, Jackson texted him to remind him about coming to Las Torres.
"What the hell," he muttered to himself. "As long as I don't have to sing."
When he walked in, Jackson was on stage belting out a song that Tim didn't recognize but his eyebrows went up regardless. Jackson had a great voice, he had to admit. He spotted Angela and Wesley, and made his way over.
He stayed at the table, being more sociable than he'd managed to be since they'd made it back for the trial. He registered the growing crowd. A lot of groups had come in tonight. He saw a large Mid-Wilshire contingent, as well as folks from dispatch and even an unusually large crowd from the motor pool based on the faces he recognized. He talked with Angela and Jackson about random things, paying little attention to the MC who announced the next singer.
"We've got a lovely lady who's new to town," said the MC. "She's going to sing 'I Never Loved a Man' by Aretha. She says it's one of her favorites."
"Thanks," said a soft voice, amplified by the microphone.
Tim froze for a moment. He knew that voice.
"Oh, no way," said Jackson.
Tim's head whipped around and he looked at the small stage where the woman stood, eyes closed as she began to sing.
Lucy. Somehow, it was Lucy.
You're a no good heartbreaker
You're a liar and you're a cheat
And I don't know why
I let you do these things to me
My friends keep telling me
That you ain't no good
But oh, they don't know
That I'd leave you if I could
I guess I'm uptight
And I'm stuck like glue
'Cause I ain't never
I ain't never, I ain't never, no, no
Loved a man, the way that I, I love you
The crowd whistled and rumbled in approval as she continued to sing the second verse and repeated the chorus. Tim felt his heart pounding as he watched and listened. She closed out the song with the final lines.
I ain't never loved a man
I ain't never loved a man, baby
Ain't never had a man hurt me so bad, no
Well, this is what I'm gonna do about it
I tell you, I'm gonna hold on to it
Yeah, I'm gonna hold on to it, yeah
She finished, opened her eyes and gave the crowd a small smile. The bar promptly exploded with noise, as people jumped to their feet and howled and hollered their approval. Her shy smile grew and she tucked a curl behind her ear as she left the stage and headed over to the bar, accepting compliments as she went.
"Tim, it's Lucy," said Jackson, grabbing his shoulder. "It's Lucy!"
"I see her," he said, in shock.
"Dude!" cried Jackson. "Get your ass over there right now!"
"Yeah," said Tim, still dazed. Then everything came into focus. "Yeah," he said firmly.
He stood up and pushed his way through the crowd, heading straight for the bar. She was about to place an order when he came up behind her.
"Lucy," he said.
She turned, eyes widening in shock.
"Tim," she breathed. Then she looked around in worry.
"That was incredible," he said as she grabbed his arm and started to pull him towards a side exit.
She hurried him outside and tugged him into an alleyway. He vaguely registered that her Charger was parked there. They ended up next to the car once she'd stopped pulling him. He cupped her face.
"You're here," he said in wonder.
"Yes," she replied, gazing up at him.
"I've missed you," he said brokenly.
"I've missed you, too," she said, her voice trembling and tears filling her eyes.
Tim slid one hand to the back of her head while the other grasped her hip as he pressed her against the car. He kissed her forehead, breathing in her scent.
"I came back for you," he murmured against her skin. "But you were gone."
"Why did you do that?" she cried out softly, wrapping her arms around his torso and nuzzling into his chest. "Why are you here? Tim, you're in witness protection. This can't be safe!"
"I... what?" asked Tim, confused. Leaning back slightly, he put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up so she looked at him. Once she looked up, he rested his hand on her shoulder.
"Jackson told me," she said. "He explained he was on a witness protection detail. I assumed you and Mark needed to testify and that afterwards you'd... you'd get new identifies, new lives. Jackson got pulled away before I could ask anything. John offered to try to find out what happened but I was worried asking questions would make it unsafe for you."
"Lucy, no," said Tim. "I mean yes, Mark was a witness but I'm a cop with the LAPD. I was Jackson's training officer."
"You're a cop," she repeated slowly.
"Badge and everything," he said, giving her a soft smile. "And you're here in LA. Are... are you staying?"
"I just started working for the LAPD motor pool as a mechanic," she said. "They wanted someone with my skill set. They need me to work on high end cars that get used for operations."
"That's perfect for you," he said, grinning. "Fancy cars --"
"No fancy people," she finished. "The team took me out for drinks tonight so I could meet some people, since I'm new to town."
"Jackson's here," said Tim, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "And my friend Angela and her fiancé, Wesley. Let's go back inside and I can introduce you."
"Tim, I'd love to but can... can we take a minute?" Lucy asked softly. "Please?"
"Yeah, of course," he replied. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to push. I'm just... I'm really happy you're here."
She let out a noise that was half laugh, half sob.
"I thought I'd never see you again," she managed. "I felt like...." She trailed off.
"I felt like I'd missed a chance," he said quietly. "Lucy, I couldn't stop thinking about you. About us. I should have come back sooner but I was afraid you didn't want me. You... you looked at me and shook your head."
"Oh, Tim," Lucy sighed. "Jackson asked if I was OK and I wasn't. I was losing you. I started thinking that if I'd listened when you'd wanted to talk that maybe you'd have asked me to come with you."
Tim brushed the tips of his fingers over her cheek.
"If I had," he started, hope building in his heart. "If I had, would you have said yes?"
"Yes," she replied, nodding as a few tears escaped before she smiled up at him. "Which is insane because I thought you were getting relocated to Indiana or somewhere else I'd never been."
"I'd have held out for somewhere near a lake at least," he said, chuckling.
"Good to know," she said, smiling. "So what do we do now?"
Tim took in a deep breath.
"I'd like to kiss you," he said.
Lucy reached up and gently grasped his face, pulling him down. They kissed passionately as they leaned against her car.
"I'd like you to come back inside and meet my friends and I can meet your motor pool crew," said Tim as they broke apart for breath. "Then... where are you staying?"
Lucy wrinkled her nose slightly.
"I'm in a week to week place while I look for an apartment," she said. "It's fine for now but I really miss my house."
"So stay with me," he said quickly. "While you look for a place. Or just... just stay."
He heard her breath catch.
"Let's go back inside," she said.
They went back in and made various introductions. Lucy sang a duet with Jackson and did another song on her own. Tim knew he was staring at her fondly the whole time. From the confused looks he was getting from people who knew him from Mid-Wilshire, he suspected his heart was on his sleeve. He didn't care, at least not tonight.
Angela nudged his arm at one point. He turned, braced for a snarky comment but she just gave him a soft smile.
"Shut up," he mumbled, hiding his own smile behind his beer glass.
She chuckled in response.
A few minutes later, Lucy signaled that she was ready to go. They said their goodbyes and walked back to her car. She held his hands as they stood there for a few minutes.
"Please stay with me," Tim said softly.
"Yes," she replied.
She drove him to his truck, then followed him back to his place. He kept glancing in the rear view mirror, reassuring himself that she was still there.
As he pulled into his driveway and she parked in front of his house, he found he was nervous. He held it together while he ushered her inside and gave her a quick tour, then his nerves got the better of him. They'd kissed by her car, yes, but he shouldn't assume.
"You can have the bed," he said in a rush, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll take the couch. I've got the day off tomorrow so I can help you with neighborhoods if you want. Some are safer and more affordable than others."
"I'm not kicking you out of your own bed," she said.
"I'm not having a guest sleep on the couch," he replied.
"Who said I planned to sleep on the couch?" she asked, the corner of her mouth quirking into an amused half smile. "You asked me to stay."
She took his hand and drew him after her as she walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind them.
***
Six months later, Lucy waited patiently with two sets of keys, watching in amusement as Tim and Nyla snarked at each other. The two were heading off on a mission to catch a housewife who was trying to hire a hitman to kill her husband and cash out on the insurance.
"Seriously?" asked Nyla. "That's what you wore? You just look like you."
"This is what hitman look like," said Tim defensively, waving at his jeans and hoodie.
"You need to play to expectations," said Nyla, rolling her eyes. "This real bad housewife of LA gets her ideas about what hitman look like from Lifetime movies. Put on the damn jacket."
Tim looked over at Lucy, who smiled and shrugged her shoulders. He rolled his eyes, shed the hoodie, tossing it over to Lucy, and put on the jacket. He pointedly popped the collar, making Lucy laugh and Nyla nod in satisfaction.
"If you're all set, here are your keys," said Lucy. "Nyla the van is set to go equipment wise."
"Let's wire your man up now," Nyla said, taking the keys to the van. She opened the sliding door and hopped inside while Lucy walked over to Tim.
"Gold BMW," she said, sliding the keys into the front pocket of his jeans. She grinned at his sharp intake of breath.
"OK, you remember what I told you about wire fittings?" Nyla asked Lucy as she returned from the van.
"Placement's important for both clear sound and hiding the equipment," she replied.
"Uh huh," said Nyla, handing Lucy the wire pack and tape. "Take a shot."
Lucy flicked her eyes down at Tim's t-shirt. With a mild grumble, he lifted it up. She picked a spot on his chest and started to set the mic.
"It needs to be lower," he said.
Lucy raised her eyebrow. She moved the mic a tiny bit lower, then smoothed down the tape.
"All set," she murmured, scraping her nails gently down his abdomen before stepping back. He flattened his lips and glared at her.
Nyla did a quick mic check then headed out to set up near the lot where the "hitman" was meeting his employer.
"What's the range on the mic?" Lucy asked out of curiosity.
Tim started to speak then cocked his head, listening to something.
"Nyla said, 'Tell her it's long enough that she needs to behave herself until you two get home,'" he huffed.
"That's a shame," said Lucy. "The jacket is doing it for me."
Tim's hard eye roll told her Nyla was laughing in his ear.
"Be safe," said Lucy. "I'll see you when you bring the car back. No revving the engine, I just got the purr right."
His eyes softened at her admonishment and he traced her cheek with his finger.
"See you later," he said. He got behind the wheel of the luxury car and headed out.
A few hours later, Tim and Nyla were both back. Nyla was grinning ear to ear while Tim looked flustered.
"Did everything go OK?" asked Lucy.
"We got her," Nyla replied. "But for a minute it looked like things would go off the rails when the target almost decided to bail on the plan in favor of offering Tim money for... other services."
Tim's ears got very pink.
"That jacket really did the trick, huh," said Lucy, laughing.
"I'm going to go do the paperwork," said Nyla. "Have a good evening, you two."
"I need an hour to check the car and the van back in and do a bit of paperwork," said Lucy. "Do you want to wait for me or head out?"
"Wait," Tim replied.
Lucy worked as efficiently as she could to do the vehicle checks and complete the required forms. She sensed Tim watching her. He didn't seem angry but there was an intensity to him that she hadn't felt from him since the day they'd fled her garage, Mark at the wheel as they'd raced through town. As promised she finished in just under an hour. She washed her hands and made her way back to where he sat. The garage had mostly cleared out by that point, colleagues having wished her a good night on their way out. The night shift would be along in about an hour.
"I'm going to change out of my coveralls and then I'll be ready to go," she said. "Tim, are you OK?"
He reached out to gather her hands in his, kissing the back of one and then the other before he looked up at her.
"Go change," he said. "I'll be here."
When she returned, he looked up. He huffed out a laugh when he saw that she'd claimed his hoodie from earlier, the too long arms bunched up around her elbows. She grinned at him as his mood lightened. They made their way to his truck and by agreement drove to his house.
Once inside, Lucy took off her shoes and went into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and frowned. They'd both been so busy this week, neither of then had had a chance to do a real grocery run.
"I think we need to go out for dinner or order in," she announced, pulling her head out.
She turned around and jumped. Tim had come silently into the kitchen and was right behind her. Before she could say anything, his hands bracketed her face and his lips met hers. The kiss started gentle but quickly became demanding, and he pulled her body flush with his. When they separated for breath, he kissed her cheeks and her forehead.
"I'm in love with you," he murmured into her skin. "I think I fell in love with you the day I met you."
Lucy let out a startled "oh" at the rush of joy that went through her, hearing him say the words that had been echoing in her head for so long but she hadn't been quite brave enough to say. She went up on her toes, kissing him quickly.
"I'm in love with you, too," she said softly.
They pulled each other into a crushing hug, holding each other close until Lucy batted gently at Tim's chest.
"I'm really hungry," she said, half apologetically. "Can you show your love for me with food?"
"Veggie burger, fries?" he asked. "Extra pickles?"
"Perfect," she sighed.
"Does this mean you'll stay with me?" asked Tim.
"I already said I'm staying," replied Lucy.
"I mean, stay with me always," he said gently.
"Like move in?"
"Like marry me."
Lucy flashed back to the moment on the lake when she'd wished.
"Yes, Tim Bradford, I'll marry you," she replied with a soft smile.
***
Miles north and inland, John and Bailey sat on the rocky outcrop over looking the lake. A strong gust rippled across the water before it stilled again. Bailey sighed happily as she leaned against John. He ducked his head down to kiss the top of her head.
"Well, that's that sorted out," he said happily. "Now we just need to get Mark taken care of."
They made their way back along the lake trail, exiting by "Murray's Auto Body and Repair." They waved to Mark, who smiled and waved back from where he was tuning up a car. Bailey dropped John off at the diner. They noticed a car parked awkwardly outside.
"Another one found us," said Bailey, smiling. "It's like clockwork."
"That it is," said John. "I'll see you later, love."
Once inside, he got ready to head into the kitchen but stopped when Tamara waved him over. In a booth sat a stunning blonde in a wedding dress who was obviously in distress.
"John, this is Ashley," said Tamara. "She's been driving for a while and her car died right as she got to the diner."
"Hi, Ashley," said John, nodding as Tamara moved to another table. "Sounds like you need some help. That's a lovely dress if you don't mind my saying so."
Ashley let out a very unladylike snort.
"Thanks," she said. "I got railroaded into it like I got railroaded into agreeing to get married."
"And you didn't want that."
"No," she said. "I didn't. So I left."
"Well, first thing we need to do is get some food into you," said John. "Did Tamara make a recommendation?"
"The pasta," said Ashley. "It sounds... perfect right now. Comfort food."
"Let me get that going for you," said John. "And afterwards, I'll introduce you to our mechanic, Mark. He'll be able to help with your car."
"Thank you," said Ashley softly, her shoulders relaxing. "I'm going to need a place to stay. Is there a hotel?"
"We've got you covered," said John. "We've got a bed and breakfast that'll suit your needs." He looked over at the door as it opened. "Ah, here's Mark. Mark, can you come over? I'd like you to meet Ashley."
John explained the situation and had Mark slide into the booth, sitting across from Ashley, offering him his usual. He smiled to himself as he made his way to the kitchen to start on their meals, looking forward to what the next few days would bring.