Work Text:
Food truck near the Mid-Wilshere Police Station
From Lucy to Tim: Hey, tonight’s plan is on or what? Are we going to your place and binge-watching Star Wars? 🤓
Lucy is texting Tim while simultaneously conversing with Nolan, Celina, and Aaron at a nearby table. Tim is sitting at a table by himself for lunch. The couple has been secretly dating for almost three weeks. They've been sneaking around and spending every evening together since their second 'first' date. Nearly every night, they have been having dinner together. They rarely go out, except to tiny food joints where they are sure no one they know will ever go.
These last three weeks have been nothing but pure bliss. Lucy has made it clear on their first disaster of a date that she wants to take things slow before taking the ultimate plunge into this relationship. But even though they haven't slept together yet, that hasn't kept them from making out like two hormonal teenagers! Once Kojo dozes off and they have the couch to themselves, they use the movies as white noise while their hands and lips get busy exploring each other’s bodies. A very vivid image of Lucy moaning in his mouth while they kissed last night fills Tim’s mind. But he checks his thoughts quickly and replies:
From Tim to Lucy: Yup, but only if we're watching the original trilogy, not some hipster new shit. After lunch, I’ll slip you the key before we head out for the second half of our shift. My home security code is 53120. For dinner, I'll bring some takeout. Are you okay with Turkish?
From Lucy to Tim: Of course, Grandpa. 😏 We will watch the original George Lucas trilogy, and yes, for Turkish food too.
Tim's phone pings again before he can respond.
From Lucy to Tim: Hold on a second! Didn't you take Kojo in on May 31, 2020? 🤔 Aww… It's adorable. You are such a good doggo dad! 😍
From the corner of his eye, Tim notices a beautiful smile building on Lucy's face. Lucy's expression warms his own face into a tiny side smile. But, as usual, he attempts to feign annoyance and responds:
From Tim to Lucy: Oh, come on, don’t go all gooey on me!
Lucy gives Tim a short false glare and wiggles her tiny nose, broadening his smile.
From Lucy to Tim: Huh! You are a big softy, Tim. Just accept it! 😒
From Tim to Lucy: Absolutely not! Take it back. And stop bringing him chew toys and treats. Also, don't let him on the couch. You're ruining all my training and turning him into a menace again.
Lucy tightens her lip into a line to control a laugh. Tim is blatantly looking at Lucy at this point. He sees her roll her eyes at her phone screen and type:
From Lucy to Tim: Don’t you dare speak ill of my baby boy! 😠 And the first rule of dating is 'girlfriend is always right', so just humbly say 'thank you' and accept it. 🙄
From Tim to Lucy: Thank you for enlightening me. I hope to pass this lesson on to our grandchildren someday!
From Lucy to Tim: That’s progress. I’m proud of you. 😘
From Tim to Lucy: I’m thrilled!
However, as Nolan stands and declares that lunch is over, he bursts Tim and Lucy's happy bubble. Tim notices Aaron making his way toward him. He also notices that he and Lucy are the only ones with half-eaten food on their plates. And he thinks. It's bad enough that they're not getting enough sleep; now they're also going hungry! What is wrong with him? Hell, he is no teenager; this isn’t the first time he is dating someone, yet all this feels so new, so different, and yet so calming and assuring. Something that he never felt in any of his previous relationships, not even in his marriage with Isabel. The thought brings a smile to his face.
"Are you feeling fine, sir? Do you need some more time to finish your lunch? Aaron inquires with an almost knowing grin. Aaron's actions occasionally give Tim the impression that he is aware of Lucy and him dating. "Aahh… No, I am done. Not that hungry. You go and check the gas in our shop; I will be there in five," Tim replies with a straight face He notices Lucy waiting by her table with half-eaten food on her plate. As Aaron nods and leaves, she sprints over to be with him. He hands her his half-finished plate, which contains his apartment key. He communicates this with eye movement. Before he can turn around and leave, she gives him a mischievous smile.
After their shift
Tim bemoans himself as he's buried beneath a pile of papers, resenting the criminals of Los Angeles for choosing that day to commit their crimes, as Lucy waits for him in the parking lot. This realization prompts him to pick up his phone and text Lucy.
From Tim to Lucy: Hey, I'm buried in paperwork. Could you go to my place and feed Kojo? Will it be too much to ask you to take him for a walk so he can sleep early, and we can have the couch to ourselves?
From Lucy to Tim: Ah huh. 😈 Do you want Kojo Boy to go to bed early so that you can get frisky with his mama, Bradford? 😉
Tim chuckles as he imagines Lucy's mischievous smile and the twinkle in her eyes. And he types:
From Tim to Lucy: Of course, his dad requires his mama as well!
From Lucy to Tim: Aww... You finally accepted that you're Kojo's dad! 😍
Before Tim can respond, though, Lucy sends another text:
From Lucy to Tim: And you can rest assured that I will take care of our furry baby. 😊 But I'm leaving right now to avoid the hellish LA rush-hour traffic. You hurry through your paperwork so that you can join soon. 😘 And could you also please bring some mint chocolate chip ice cream with the dinner? 😋
Tim knows Lucy is right; he can be with her as soon as he completes his paperwork. Thus, after making a mental note to include dairy-free mint chocolate chip ice cream along with their dinner, he shoots out a final text and busies himself with all the paperwork.
From Tim to Lucy: Sure. Meet you soon.
One hour later
Tim is finally done with all his paperwork for the day. When his phone pings, he can't be excited enough to change and drive at top speed to be with Lucy. He smiles to himself, believing the text to be from Lucy asking him where he is. But, to his chagrin, it was none other than Chris Sanford.
From Sanford to Bradford: Could you please meet me at Little Bar, Bradford? We should talk.
Tim wonders what Chris wants from him. Tim hasn't seen Chris since their last tense interaction over Celina's case when Chris irritated him by trying to educate him on police procedure since Tim was the acting Watch Commander in Grey's absence. Moreover, he isn't sure whether Lucy will be comfortable with him meeting Chris. But deep inside, he feels sorry for Chris because it was he who had set Chris and Lucy, and she also broke up with Chris to be with him. There was a hint of pride in the final thought. Although he understands he shouldn't take pleasure in another man's misfortune, he is only human.
Tim decides to meet Chris but leave quickly. So, before responding to Chris, he sends a message to Lucy informing her that he will be a little late but no more than 45 minutes. He then texts Chris back, saying:
From Bradford to Sanford: Sure, I'll be there in ten. But I'll have to bail soon as I need to feed my dog.
From Sanford to Bradford: Okay. I won't take up too much of your time, and I'm already at Little Bar.
Little Bar
As Tim enters the bar, Chris waves his hand, signaling him to join him at a table. Chris already has whiskey in his hand and looks quite hammered. He greets Chris and takes a seat opposite him. And says, "Hey Sanford, so tell me what you wanted to talk about?" In response, Chris says, "I will, but first have a drink with me—a beer maybe?" He is about to argue, but the waiter has already come at Chris' signal. Tim makes an excuse and requests only water, while Chris orders three large whiskeys for himself. Chris takes a moment to collect his thoughts once the waiter has left and says, "Hey Bradford, I need your help, man." Tim stares at Chris in bewilderment, unsure of where the conversation is headed. However, not deterred, he motions for Chris to proceed. "Bradford, I want her back. I want Lucy back. When I left her apartment after our breakup. I was expecting her to realize what she was missing and come after me. I mean, she did say, 'Let's talk.'" Tim purses his lips so he doesn't smirk. He has this strong desire to inform Chris that she did run out of the apartment, not to stop Chris but to confirm her date with him. Nonetheless, he suppresses this urge.
As Chris is about to speak, the waiter serves them their order of whiskey and water. Chris says after downing a drink, "But she didn't. I stopped by your station today and saw her from a distance. She seemed really happy! I've never seen her this happy throughout our entire year together." Tim finds Chris's comments strangely reassuring. He is delighted to know that Lucy is actually happy in their relationship, as even Stanford, an absolute idiot, can see. Chris takes a long breath to relieve the whiskey burn and starts his rant: "Tim, I love her. She is everything to me. She is the very definition of perfection. How can someone move on from Lucy? She is the absolute best. Lucy is special, man." Tim thinks he could totally agree with Chris on this; Lucy is definitely special. Chris' bleating somehow makes him miss Lucy. He itches to hit the road and break every traffic rule, driving as fast as he possibly can so that he can cuddle with Lucy on his couch and enjoy their mint chocolate chip ice cream while the Star Wars movie plays in the background. But he isn't exactly a lucky man. Just as he's about to reject Chris' request and walk away, he hears a familiar voice calling his name.
"What's up, Bradford? Just so you know, this isn't a sports bar or a cop bar. What brings you here?" asks Emmett Lang, the firefighter who had the guts to break up with Lucy via text. Along with Emmett is a man Tim recognizes as Dave, the paramedic who asked Lucy out the day Emmett dumped her. He groans under his breath and thinks it's only a matter of time before Lucy's cheating ex shows up at this bar as well.
As Tim greets Emmett with a nod, Emmett continues, "Bradford, I have not seen you in a very long time. Are you still patrolling? How is Lucy doing?" with a condescending tone.
Tim's phone rings as if on cue, and he knows it's Lucy checking in to see how far he is. He feels guilty for keeping her waiting. Before he can respond or pick up the phone, Emmett states in a sarcastic tone, "Pick up Bradford; it must be someone important. We'll wait."
Tim wants to wipe that smug look off Emmett's face by punching him. But he resists and checks his phone, and when he sees Lucy's number on the caller ID, he hesitates but eventually receives the call, and before she can say anything, Tim responds, "Yes, that home invasion case report you may put on my desk; I will review it tomorrow. The paperwork on this better be flawless." Although he feels terrible about his actions, he is confident that Lucy has already deduced that he is in the company of others, and he intends to explain to her the bizarre incident he had with her two exes today. Nevertheless, before he can make an excuse and leave, though, Chris slurs, "How do you know Lucy? addressing Emmett. Then Chris foolishly replies to his own inquiry, “Oh, so you must know her because you've worked on a case together, right? Are you a cop as well? But I don't recall ever seeing you in Mid-Wilshire."
"Nah, I mean, we met initially at work when I answered Bradford's and her RA requests during her rookie year. But then... aaahhh... we dated for a bit before I dumped her," Emmett gloats. Tim wants to smack Emmett in the face for bragging about his shit behavior with Lucy. But before he can respond, a very drunken Chris shouts, "What? What an idiot you are! How could you possibly end your relationship with Lucy? Are we talking about the same Lucy Chen?"
"Hey, chill, man, don’t get all worked up. I had my reasons. Also, who are you, exactly? You are her cousin or something?" Tim almost bursts out laughing at this, but he restrains himself. Emmett then raises an eyebrow and asks bitingly, "Bonding with your future brother-in-law, Bradford?"
Chris exclaims, "Huh, I am her boyfriend." Tim almost recoils in shock at Chris's blatant lie and clears his throat, causing Chris to retract his statement and say, "I mean, I was her boyfriend for a year, and though we are currently on a break, we will be back together in no time." Tim wants to roll his eyes and say, " In your dreams, fool, because she doesn’t want you, and moreover, I'm never letting Lucy go, so you can never have her." However, he checks himself.
Emmett laughs till he can't breathe, then turns to Tim and exclaims, "Seriously? She dated this one after me! What on earth is wrong with her? His tone is, to put it mildly, disdainful.
Chris begins yapping, "What the fuck do you mean?" while Tim remains silent. "Do you know who I'm? I make more money being an ADA than any fireman could ever hope to make. I bet her parents would love me when she introduced me."
While Chris rambles on, Emmett looks at Tim and asks, "Bradford, are you dating someone?" Tim is taken aback and wonders what possible bearing his romantic status may have on the topic at hand. Especially considering nobody knows he's the one Lucy is seeing. Before Tim can respond, Chris does, "No. But his lifeguard girlfriend dumped him when he recovered from his spinal surgery, so Lucy stayed with him in the hospital." Chris isn't the one who is being questioned, and Tim isn't pleased with how Chris simply takes over the conversation and informs Emmett about Tim's personal life.
Emmett laughs and replies, "Bradford. You're a complete moron, man." Tim is perplexed, gesticulating 'what?' with his hand. He's not sure how he became the stupid one in the midst of Chris's idiocy. Emmett huffs a breath and responds. "Tim, have you ever wondered why I ended my relationship with Lucy? I mean, I absolutely agree with what this one said about Lucy (pointing to Chris). Lucy is, without a doubt, the best. Any man would be fortunate to have her in his life. But the problem is that no one except for a certain someone has complete possession of her heart." This puzzles Tim even more; he has no idea where Emmett is heading, but he continues to listen since, once again, he doesn't have many options, and, anyway, both of these idiots (Chris and Emmett) have been nothing but complimenting Lucy.
"Lucy is a great woman. She is full of love, laughter, sunshine, and all things good. But she has eyes only for you. So, any number of men she dates will never be good enough for her,” Emmett says with a faint, almost sad smile on his face. Tim almost panics inwardly, so he reaches for the water he had ordered earlier to keep it from showing on his face. And as he begins to drink, Chris, who had been sitting peacefully for a while, jumps up, laughs snootily, and says, "What? You labeled me a fool, but no one is more of an idiot than you. Lucy considers Tim to be her elder brother." After hearing this, Tim almost spits out the water and begins coughing. This causes Emmett and Dave to burst out laughing. Tim is unsure how to respond to these men.
As soon as Emmett stops laughing, he turns to Chris and says, "Dude, how long have you been seeing Lucy? Chris responds, "Almost one year." With a knowing nod, Emmett asks, "So, have you met her parents yet? Have you and she discussed your plans for the future? Has she ever said, 'I love you,' to you? Chris appears to have come out of his drunken stupor long enough to lean back in his chair and consider Emmett's statements, concluding that Emmett is, in fact, correct. Emmett continues, "Buddy, it's time for you to move on. She isn’t yours; she never was and believe me when I say she never will be. Whatever you do, it’s not going to change. She will always want him (pointing towards Tim). So, it’s better you get over her, man."
Now speaking to Tim, Emmett says, "Bradford, Lucy loves you. It should have been obvious the day you chastised her, but she took offense when I tried to mediate. I was never the one for her; hell, I was just a buffer. She treated our relationship as a cushion to fall back on just so that she didn't hurt more than she was hurting seeing you with someone else. I never mattered to her. But I couldn't continue to play second fiddle to you in my relationship with my girlfriend, so I ripped the bandage. I know the way I ended things with her wasn't ideal, but I couldn't face her knowing I'd never have a shot." After taking a big breath, Emmett adds, "You might not know Dave here (pointing to Dave); he was the one who asked Lucy out the day we broke up. She initially accepted, only to cancel later. If she was hurt or if I had mattered even slightly to her, she would have dated Dave solely to make me jealous. But she was indifferent. I didn’t matter, and neither did this one here (pointing to Chris). The only one who matters is you; you always have, and I guess you always will. Tim recalls Lucy's passive acceptance without much resistance when he said Emmett treated their relationship as if it didn’t matter because she treated it as if it didn’t matter. Tim will almost certainly lie if pressed, but he confesses to himself that it's wonderful to believe he's the only man Lucy has ever cared about. Therefore, despite feeling delighted, he doesn't act cocky in front of his current audience.
Emmett extends his hands for a handshake, which Tim obliges. "You are lucky Bradford; Lucy Chen loves you. Don't blow it; go get your girl; she's been waiting quite a while for you." Emmett says with a wink before leaving with Dave.
Tim finally glances at Chris after Emmett has left, who has been sitting motionless for a while with a sad expression on his face. He now genuinely feels awful for Chris, but he's not sure what to say in this scenario. So, he just asks, "Chris, would you like me to book a rideshare for you?" You've already had too much to drink. You'll have a severe hangover the next day. It's best if you just stop." Chris nods 'yes' to this. Tim pulls out his phone and books a cab for Chris. Chris leaves some bills on the table, and they both leave the bar.
They leave the pub and stand silently waiting for the cab, at which point Chris breaks the stillness with a whimper: " Bradford, the Lang guy, isn’t wrong. I can love her all I want, but she will never love me like she loves you. After our catastrophic double date, I should have known this." Tim wants to say "no," but he can't bring himself to. He just stands there listening to Chris, his face expressionless. "One of the reasons I called you here today is to confirm my suspicion that Lucy broke up with me for you or not, and after what Lucy's ex said today, I don't need your confirmation. I'm pretty sure you're dating Lucy because the smile on her face tells me she's genuinely pleased, and only you can make her smile like this. She has never been this carefree or happy while dating me. Despite knowing that she was only with me out of pity, I'm glad that she ended things with me because otherwise I never would have left her. Lucy is the best. Bradford, I agree with Lang; you’re really lucky that Lucy Chen loves you. It's time for me to move on, I suppose."
Chris' cab pulls up just then. Tim helps Chris get in the cab. Before the cab leaves, Chris says, "Bye, Tim. Take good care of her." Tim nods and mumbles, "Thank you, Chris," as Chris' cab disappears into the Los Angeles traffic.
As he begins the walk to his car, he muses, even though he knows Lucy has had feelings for him. He has had feelings for her for longer than he is willing to admit. But he could never have realized that they were fooling no one except themselves. He is also reasonably certain that they will be exposed in front of their friends very soon. However, he then checks his watch to see what time it is. He has screwed up, as he is over an hour and a half late. So, he quickly pulls out his phone and texts Lucy, saying:
From Tim to Lucy: Hey, I am sorry for being rude over the call. I will explain it all to you. Also, I haven’t gotten our Turkish takeout and ice cream. I'm sorry I will be a tad bit late.
From Lucy to Tim: Not to worry. But here's something new for me: Timothy Bradford is apologizing for being rude! 😮 However, jokes aside, we can talk about all this after you are here. We can try Turkish food tomorrow. I have ordered pizza and mint chocolate chip ice cream. I'm sure traffic will be a nightmare now. You don’t have to make any extra stops. I am starviiinnngggggg… 😭 Also, I want you to know that Kojo is already asleep, so you better hurry! 😉 And you don’t have to reply just be here soooon. 🥺
Tim chuckles at Lucy's lengthy message and feels moved by her consideration. He wonders how none of his exes, not even Isabel, have been as understanding and patient as Lucy is. He can't thank his stars enough for bringing Lucy into his life. Even though she could have any man in the world, Lucy chose him. Tim knows Lucy is 'it' for him. He won't leave her unless she wants him to, and even then, he'll do whatever it takes to win her back. However, he can agree with Lucy's exes on the fact that he is lucky because Lucy Chen wants him.