Chapter Text
April 6th, 11:00am
“Do you have kids detective Chen?” The woman in front of Lucy asks. Lucy looks up from the paperwork and tilts her head at the woman. She had been brought in after a carjacking. Tim had brought her in but she seemed wary of him so Lucy took over.
“Excuse me?” Lucy asks. The woman shifts in her seat but never takes her eyes off of Lucy.
“Do you have kids?” She asks again. Lucy puts down the pen she’s holding and steps back crossing her arms across her chest.
“I do.” She says. “Four of them actually.” The woman smiles at her, and Lucy smiles back a little. She can the woman is lonely, and having to deal with a carjacking all on her own must be difficult.
“That must be crazy.” She says. Lucy nods her head and glances at the window where she knows Tim is watching and listening. She glances back down at the paper where the woman’s name is carefully written in Tim’s handwriting.
Gloria.
“It’s a little hectic but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Lucy says and she thinks of her four kids. All of them in school right now, and then thinks of everything they have to do after school. Levi has baseball practice, June has dance. Ava and Daisy both have karate.
Hectic didn’t even begin to describe it.
“Do you have any boys?” Gloria asks. Lucy looks at her again, and then back at the paper.
“One.” Lucy replies. “He’s spoiled rotten by his sisters.” Gloria hums softly, and taps the table with her fingers.
“I have a son.” Gloria says. “He’s seven.” Lucy glances up at her again, but before she can say anything there’s a tap on the window.
“I will be right back.” She tells the woman. She walks away and opens the door. Tim is waiting for her outside.
“What’s going on?” He asks. “Why is she asking about the kids?” Lucy shakes her head and glances back inside the room.
“She seems lonely Tim. She just got carjacked. I will ask her what happened and then it will be over.” She says. Her husband glances back at the woman and then at her.
“Okay.” He says. “You are picking the twins up today?” Lucy nods and squeezes his arm, she feels him relax a little and she wonders what has him so on edge.
“Are you okay?” She asks. “What’s going on?” Tim has his eyes back on Gloria, and he’s frowning slightly.
“Nothing.” He says. “You’re right. She’s lonely. But we do need her statement.” Lucy nods and watches his jaw clench as she gives his arm another squeeze.
“Don’t worry.” She says. “I will get it and then I will see you later?”
“Yeah.” He says and there’s a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I will see you later.”
Lucy turns around to go back into the room and shuts the door behind her before turning to Gloria. “All right.” She says sitting down across from her. “I’m just going to need you to tell me what happened.”
Gloria leans back, a distant look in her eyes. “I was getting into my car.” She says. “A-and then I felt something on my back and when I turned around—” She pauses and Lucy leans forward on her elbows.
“Did you see what he looked like?” She asks. Gloria shakes her head, the distant look in her eyes.
“No. He had a mask on. He told me to be quiet and wait until he was gone to call for help.” Gloria says.
“Okay.” Lucy says sympathetically. “You did good. We are going to do everything we can to catch this guy.” Gloria nods and leans back in her seat. Lucy stands up, and watches her closely.
“Thank you.” Gloria says. “I appreciate it.” Lucy pauses and looks at her curiously.
“You said you have seven year old son? Do you need to call someone to pick him—”
“No!” Gloria says quickly. “No! I got it handled.” Lucy nods and starts walking towards the door again.
“We will call you with any updates okay? If you need any help don’t hesitate to ask.” Lucy says. Gloria nods and she gets up following Lucy to the door.
“Thank you detective Chen. You have been very kind.” Gloria says. Lucy watches as she walks past her and into the bullpen. She feels bad for Gloria, a single mom and now having to deal with a carjacking on top of it all.
She sighs softly and looks at her watch. She only had a few more hours until she had to go pick up the twins and drop them off at their respective activities. Sometimes she felt like the wheel never stopped turning no matter how much she wanted it to.
But then again—she loves her life and she wouldn’t change it for the world. She has a husband, four amazing kids and a job that she loves.
The wheels kept on turning but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
***
April 6th, 3:20pm
“Mom!” Lucy turns to see Levi running towards her. June is behind him but moving a little bit slower than her brother.
“Hi buddy!” Lucy says when he reaches her. Levi gives her a hug and she ruffles his blonde hair before bending down to check for any injuries. It wasn’t unusual when her son came home looking like he rolled in the mud and had been in a fight. She knows he’s only seven and a boy but still—it was like she constantly buying him new clothes or patching them up.
He didn’t look too bad today, besides the dirt on his cheeks and hands. He grins at her, and gives her another hug as June approaches them.
“Hi Junebug.” Lucy says. She takes Levi’s bag from him and then June’s before bending down to her daughter’s level. Unlike her brother, June usually came home as clean as a whistle.
Usually.
“Hi mama.” June says. Lucy smiles at her, and presses a kiss to her cheek before she’s standing up again.
“How was your day today?” She asks as they walk to the car. Levi starts talking right away while June just holds Lucy’s hand.
“I didn’t get as dirty today mom!” Levi says proudly. Lucy laughs a little and opens the car door so the twins could climb in.
“That’s good buddy.” Lucy says although she knows that will probably change after baseball practice. There was no doubt Levi was going to have to hop in the shower when he got home.
“Mama when can I change for dance?” June asks. Lucy climbs in the driver’s seat and looks back in the rearview mirror at June.
“When we get home June.” She says. “You both have time for a snack and to get ready okay?” The twins nod and Lucy starts the car, and back out of the parking space. She is so focused on getting on the road and heading home she doesn’t notice the woman watching her. She doesn’t see another car pull out behind her.
She just listens to Levi and June talking in the backseat—and wonders if life could get better than this.
***
April 6th, 4:00pm
Lucy drops June off at dance first, giving her a kiss and a hug before she’s ushering Levi back into the car.
“You grabbed everything right bud?” Lucy asks looking back at her son. “Water, your glove and your bat.” She had packed it all up while the twins were eating their snacks but she just wanted to make sure her son grabbed it. One time when they were late for practice, Levi forgot to grab his glove and Lucy had to run back home and get it. And then another time June had forgotten her dance shoes.
It seemed like there was always something.
“Yep!” Levi says enthusiastically. “I’m responsible.” Lucy laughs and shakes her head as she pulls out onto the street heading towards the baseball field.
“That’s good buddy.” Lucy says. “Remember I will come and pick you up okay? Make sure you wait with an adult.”
“Okay mom.” Levi says. Lucy pulls into the parking lot and stops at the curb. “Bye mom!” Levi jumps out the car and grabs his things. She watches as he runs up to his coach bouncing on his feet a little. The coach looks up and waves at her, and Levi does too. Lucy waves back and then she drives off.
Her phone rings just as she pulls onto the street. “Hello?” She says when she answers.
“Hey.” It’s Tim and he sounds like he’s out of breath. “How were your drop offs?” Lucy raises her eyebrows and comes to a stop at a red light.
“I got the twins to dance and baseball in one piece.” She says. “What about you?” Tim blows out a breath, and Lucy starts driving while she waits for her husband to answer.
“It was fine.” He says. “Did you know pre teens do not want to be seen with their dad?” Lucy snorts and she hears Tim grumble something.
“Really?” Lucy says. “I had no idea. What are they giving you grief for this time?”
“Ava thinks she’s too cool for me.” Tim says. “I was going to walk them inside but she ran off before I could. So I walked Daisy inside and—”
“It wasn’t cool.”
“Apparently not.” Tim grumbles. “I call the twins next time.”
“I’m not sure I will be much better.” Lucy says. “Babe, I hate to say this but Ava is growing up. She’s not a baby anymore. She is independent and she’s going to do what she thinks is cool.”
“But I’m her dad.” Tim protests. “I’m cool.” Lucy is silent for a few minutes while Tim grumbles.
“You are very cool.” Lucy agrees and then adds. “To me.” She hears Tim sigh and she shakes her head a little.
The afternoons where all four kids had activities were a little crazy and it felt like they were running with their heads cut off. And by the time they all got home it was homework, dinner and then bed.
They barely got to see each other on these days and if they did it was in passing at work.
“Thanks Luce.” He grumbles. “Are you going to the grocery store?”
“I am.” She says. “Did you find anything out about the carjacker?” Tim sighs and she hears his blinker turn on which means he was probably heading home.
“No.” He says. “No witnesses. No cameras. Can we trust this woman?” Lucy frowns a little and turns into the store parking lot.
“Yes.” She says. Gloria might be a weird—but she was lonely. She had just been through a traumatic experience. “She had a credible story as far as I could tell.”
“Okay.” Tim says. “It’s a tomorrow problem. Do you think I need to change my hair? Am I really not cool?”
Lucy laughs and turns her car off. “Baby, you are plenty cool. Ava is just going through a phase. Just wait until she has a boy—”
“Do not finish that sentence.” Tim says and she could practically see him shuddering. “No. She’s eleven years old. She—”
“She loves you Tim. She will always be a daddy’s girl. Just give her some time.” Lucy says. She hears Tim sigh and she looks towards the store.
“I will see you at home okay? I have to shop and then pick the twins up.”
“Okay.” Tim says. “I love you.” Lucy smiles as she gathers her bag and opens the door. She steps out of the car and looks around. There are a lot of cars in the parking lot which means it probably would take her longer than she wanted.
“I love you too Tim.”
***
April 6th, 6:10pm
“Mama look!” Levi comes running up to her. His pants are absolutely filthy and his shirt isn’t much better. Levi skids to a stop in front of Lucy and holds up a slightly broken cookie. “I got a cookie!”
“Oh wow.” Lucy says taking his hand. She gathers up his bag and starts walking him to the car. “Did your coach give you that?”
“No!” Levi says jumping a little. Lucy frowns as she unlocks the door and puts his baseball stuff inside.
“One of your friends?” She asks because that’s the only logical answer.
“No!” Levi says smiling. “A lady gave it to me!” Lucy freezes and looks at her son in concern. They had taught their kids to not talk to strangers and definitely not to take things for strangers. Levi was so friendly like Ava was though and so hyper at times she’s not sure if he always thought things through.
“What lady? Was it one of the moms?” Lucy asks. Levi shakes his head and Lucy looks around the park. “Did you get her name?”
“No. She just handed me a cookie and said I was a good baseball player.” Levi says shrugging. He lifts the cookie to his mouth but Lucy stops him.
“Levi, you know not to talk to strangers.” She says. “Dad and I taught you not to accept things from strangers either.”
“She was really nice.” Levi says. “She said I was very handsome. You say that all the time.”
“I know buddy.” Lucy says softly. “But you know not to accept things from strangers. Are you sure it wasn’t a mom?”
“I’ve never seen her before.” Levi says. “Can I eat my cookie?” Lucy sighs but takes the cookie from him.
“Not before dinner bud.” She says. Levi pouts but Lucy just kisses the top of his head. “Maybe after dinner okay?”
Levi sighs but nods and Lucy closes the door behind her. This was weird, why would a stranger be approaching her son? Who would be approaching him?
She climbs in the car, and grabs a tissue putting the cookie on her seat. She would have to talk to Tim later. It was probably nothing and just a one off but still.
She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling she was feeling. They already went through Ava being kidnapped out of her own bed.
She was pretty sure their house was watched for weeks before Ava was actually kidnapped. It made her so uneasy and wary.
Lucy looks back at Levi, who is coloring in one of the coloring books they keep in the car.
He would be okay. This was just a one off—everything would be okay.
***
April 6th, 9:45pm
“Hey.” Lucy says to Tim as she climbs into bed. “I need to talk to you about something.” Tim pauses and looks at her with a concern expression on his face.
“What?”
“We taught the kids not to talk to strangers right? Or accept things from them? We made it pretty clear.” She says trailing off a little when she sees the look on Tim’s face.
“Yes.” Tim says. “We taught them all—why?” Lucy sighs and closes her eyes for a second.
“Someone gave Levi a cookie at his practice today. He said it was a lady he had never seen before. She talked to him and gave him a cookie.” She says. “It’s probably a mom he doesn’t recognize but it’s weird right?”
Tim stares at her, and she can practically see the wheels turning in his head. “It’s weird.” He agrees. “Why would Levi accept it?”
“You know he’s not as cautious as June and Daisy.” Lucy says. “He’s friendly and hyper. But—”
Tim just shakes his head and runs his fingers through his hair. “We will talk to him. Okay? And make sure he knows.”
“Right.” Lucy says softly and lays down on the pillow and turns to face him. “He’s going to be okay. This was just a weird encounter.”
“Yes.” Tim says leaning in to kiss her. “Levi is a smart kid. And we will keep him safe. Okay? Everything will be alright.”
Lucy nods as Tim brings her closer, everything would be okay.
Because the wheel and the world kept turning.