Work Text:
SSN 5 Ep 19 – A Hole in the World
Tim lets another Metro team member drive him back to the station.
He’s in no state to drive; he’s in a haze and is having trouble seeing clearly. This isn’t the first time he’s been the officer in an Officer Involved Shooting but that doesn’t make it any easier. He knows he did the right thing, he knows he was doing his job, protecting himself and others, but it still takes a little piece of him each time.
When he arrives at the station he’s immediately pulled into one of the interview rooms by Internal Affairs. Following protocol he hasn’t spoken to anyone, not even Lucy who looked like she was ready to throw herself at him and not let him go, and he hands over his body camera to another officer so it can be reviewed.
He sits with IA and goes over all of the events that have led them to this moment. He tells them about the ball camera, about Juarez doing her part to talk down Chambers, and then he tells them about finding the other man in the dimly lit room with a nine millimetre hand gun, which he then raised, pointed at him, ready to shoot. Tim tells them that he pulled the trigger of his own firearm; shot Chambers in the chest, knowing it would probably be fatal.
When the interview is finally over, he walks to Grey’s office so seek advice from his superior.
Lucy watches, pained as Tim goes to talk to Grey and decides she should probably go get changed back into her regular clothes so she can at least be out of her uniform while she waits for Tim.
Tim and Lucy walk into her dark apartment and Tim drops his bag on the floor with a thud.
Lucy flicks on the kitchen light and looks at him with sympathetic eyes.
"How did it go with IA?" she asks.
"As well as it could, they said I should hear back in a few days and be cleared for duty," he tells her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks walking over to him.
“No, but I’m as okay as I can be, for now,” he tells her.
“Is there anything I can do? Get you a drink? A cup of tea?” she asks.
“No, I’m good, I just want to take my mind off it by helping you study,” he tells her.
“Okay, just be careful what you wish for,” she says with a glint in her eye as she collects her notebook, pens and flash cards from the kitchen counter and joins him on the couch. “
So detective?” he questions.
He always knew Lucy was ambitious and would want to be more than just a patrol cop, but he never put much thought into what that would look like. Now that they are dating he realizes her career choices affect him too.
“Ya, I mean I figured it was a good step to doing more undercover work or just broadening my skill set,” she tells him.
“That’s good,” he says trying to convince himself he believes what he’s saying.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? I know it can’t be easy for you,” Lucy says putting down one of her Highlighters.
“Ya, of course I’m okay with it,” Tim says a little over-confident, “I mean I guess with my past with Isabel I might have some reservations, but you’re not her and with my help there’s no way you won’t make the top twelve,” he adds as he grabs one of the text books off her lap and starts reading out questions for her to answer.
They study for a while until Lucy has firmly proved that she is indeed on track to acing the exam.
“You did really well today,” Lucy says looking at Tim as they sit curled up together on the couch, “with Celina, coaching her, trusting her,” she says.
“Thanks, I just wish things could have ended differently,” Tim says solemnly.
“I know,” Lucy says as she adjusts herself to really look at him, “but without someone like you there, with your experience and leadership, it could have ended even worse,” she says, “but that little girl is alive today, and you played a part in that,” she reminds him.
“You and Thorsen did too; you found the house he was squatting in, that was good work,” he tells her making sure she doesn’t discount her own work.
“Thank you,” Lucy says softly, “now, I think I’ve had enough highlighters for one day, so how about we take this to bed?” she suggests.
Tim quirks his brow but doesn’t question it.
“I mean you did say we were going to have to get used to not seeing each other as much, so I figure we should make the most of it,” Lucy says as she gets up off the couch and leaves her study materials on the coffee table before heading to the bedroom.
“Right,” Tim says as he jumps off the couch to follow her, “we absolutely should make the most of it,” he agrees, “plus you did say something about exercising before bed,” he adds as he closes the bedroom door behind him.