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Tim sighed as he sat on Angela’s couch. He had been here all day trying to track Ray’s movements and work out how to take him down without blowing up his life.
“You should go home and rest,” Angela said, walking in with a hot drink in her hand. “Or better yet, to Lucy’s.”
He kept his eyes firmly on the table in front of him. “She made it clear not to go back unless I told her what was going on.”
“You shouldn’t let this Ray guy ruin what you have with her.”
Tim let his eyes close as he leaned back against the couch. He knew Angela was right, but that didn’t make any of this easier. “I don’t want to jeopardise her career or her life. She didn’t sign up for this.”
The couch dipped as Angela sat down. “Doesn’t she deserve to choose that for herself?”
Her eyes were soft. Tim wished he hadn’t looked at her. “I know what she’d choose. That’s why I have to make the decision to keep her out of this.”
Silence filled the gap between them, and when Tim looked at Angela, he knew she didn’t approve, but also respected what he was doing. It was difficult putting someone else first when they would choose differently. The tension was released when his phone went off.
Angela leaned forward and looked at it. “You should at least answer so she knows you’re okay.”
Tim’s lips pressed together as he answered the call from Lucy, bringing his phone to his ear. “Hey.”
“Hello, Timothy,” Ray’s smug voice came through the phone. Tim immediately hit it on speaker and record. “Lovely family you’ve got here.”
“Ray,” Tim growled, ensuring Lopez knew exactly what the situation was. Angela pulled out her phone and began texting. “How do you have Lucy’s phone?”
“We’re just hanging out here. She’s fiery. Much better than Isabel.”
Tim fisted the phone, his knuckles white. He didn’t care about justice right now; he should have gone with his buddy’s plan to kill Ray when they had the element of surprise. “Get the fuck away from her.”
“You mean them. Cute daughter - Tamara, was it?”
Shit. Lucy is definitely going to kill him. “Ray. I’m warning you.”
“You messed with my life. I am simply returning the favour. Say…” Ray suddenly stopped speaking. A crashed. Grunt. Gunshot. Silence.
“Shit!” Tim threw his phone across the room, hearing its subtle thud against the chair. And kicked the table, sending that flying across the room; unlike the phone, the table did break.
“Tim!” Angela shouted. “If you have had enough of destroying my home. Let’s go! Units are already on their way.”
He wanted to punch everything and everyone, but Angela’s words made him move quickly, grabbing his phone. If Ray even laid a finger on Lucy or Tamara, he’d kill him. He started his engine before even shutting his door, and began driving instantly. Angela had barely made it into the passenger's side.
“Tim. I should drive.”
“It’s my fault,” Tim retorted, swinging left as he turned way above the speed limit. “It’s my fault she’s in danger right now. I should have been there with her. I shouldn’t have let Ray even have the chance.”
“You couldn’t have known.”
He clenched the steering wheel and pressed his foot down harder to go faster. “I’m always putting her in danger. And now Tamara, too? I’m not safe to be around.”
This time, Angela didn’t reply, and Tim was thankful for that. He didn’t need words of kindness or support; he needed Lucy and Tamara to be safe.
In record time, he pulled up outside her apartment to see two patrol cars parked with their lights on. An ambulance turned up as he jumped out of the car. “Ange… if she’s hurt…” His blind rage was turning into blind panic.
She looked at him. “Come on,” she urged, grabbing his arm and pulling him before running in herself. Tim only hesitated a second, worried about what he might find, but followed her.
Tim had been up to her apartment hundreds of times; every route was mapped in his brain, every step like muscle memory. The door was open when he arrived, and he slowed to a walk. Angela was already by Tamara’s side; she looked okay. Lucy was standing just beside her, her eyes alert and blood all over her hands.
“Lucy,” he spoke, his arms wrapping around her like muscle memory. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head and leaned her head on his chest, but her arms didn’t hold onto him like she usually did. He looked around and saw Ray on the floor, an officer putting pressure on his chest with blood coating his chest, the floor, and the officer’s hands. It didn’t take an expert to know that Lucy had shot him. The paramedics ran in, taking over the care.
“He has to live,” Lucy whispered after a minute, her voice rattled.
Tim held her a bit tighter. “It would have been a clean shoot, Lucy. It’ll be okay. You did what you had to do.”
“I didn’t pull the trigger.”
His gaze moved over to Tamara. That sweet girl who had already suffered so much.
Tim dropped a kiss on Lucy’s head. Now wasn’t the time to talk. He watched as Ray was wheeled out, conflicted. He wanted Ray dead, but if Ray died, then Tamara could be charged with manslaughter, or worse.
“Are you her guardians?” an officer asked them.
Lucy cleared her throat and stepped forward, though she made no verbal confirmation, because in reality, she wasn’t. “What’s going to happen?”
“We will be taking her into custody. How old is she?”
Tamara stepped forward. “I’m 18.”
The officer nodded. “Tamara Colins, you will have to come with us.”
Angela spoke. “Wesley is on his way to meet you there. Do not speak to anyone else. Understood? Not even me. Just Wesley. If the officers try to ask anything, just say that you’re waiting for Wesley Evers, your lawyer.”
Tamara nodded. “Am I under arrest?”
“Not yet.”
Lucy moved and pulled her into a big, careful hug. Her arms were around the younger girl, but her hands didn’t make contact. “I will follow soon. Okay?”
“I’m so…”
“Shush. Don’t say anything,” Angela interrupted.
Tamara just nodded and left with the officers.
Angela held out her hand. “Keys. I’m following her now. You two can come in Lucy’s car.”
Tim hesitated, handed over his keys, and watched as Angela kept an eye out. He wished he could tell Lucy everything right now, but there were still two officers on the scene, and forensics would likely be here soon. “Lucy…” he started.
She shook her head.
“Pack a bag,” he spoke, and she looked up at him. “And one for Tamara too, just in case.”
Lucy let out a shuddering breath. “You know. This will be my third time cleaning up blood in here. First, when I moved in, Jackson helped me. It’s how I could afford this place, taking an apartment where someone had been murdered. And then I had to replace my couch after Chris almost bled to death on it because of me, because of Rosalind. And now… an army buddy of yours called Ray.”
Tim gulped. “Come on. You should get cleaned up.” With a hand on her lower back, she thankfully let him lead her into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered straight away.
“You need to tell me what’s going on,” Lucy said, her chest rising and falling quickly.
“Get cleaned up, pack a bag… You shouldn’t stay here during the investigation and…”
“Tim,” she said firmly.
“And I’ll tell you. Later. But not here.” He looked towards the door, the only barrier between them and the officers.”
“Fine. Grab me some clean clothes to change into. And ask the officers if they need my current clothes for evidence.”
Tim nodded and left. Returning with clothes and an evidence bag. “Just outer clothes,” he said, but was already picking them up and putting them in as Lucy scrubbed her hands and arms in the shower. That’s when he saw the marks on her; most alarmingly, there was a large bruise across the ribs. “Did he do that to you?”
Lucy met his eyes. “It’s already been documented.”
That didn’t answer his question directly, but it gave him the answer he needed. His jaw clenched, and his arms twitched in anger. There was nothing he could do about Ray right now, but he could do something for Lucy, so he tried to push his anger down. “Have you been checked out?”
“I’m fine.”
“Lucy.” Tim stepped forward, his forearms getting wet as he reached for her.
She turned around to face him. Her arms were red from the scrubbing. “We’re going straight to the precinct.”
“You need to get checked out.” He reached forward and turned off the shower, causing a protesting sound from her throat, but she didn’t turn it back on. “But we’ll check on Tamara first.”
Lucy looked pissed and grabbed the towel. “I’m fine.”
Tim pressed his lips together. “Clearly,” he turned away from her, considering leaving her to get changed, but knew she was being stubborn because she was angry at him - and she had every right. He turned back, deciding logic was the best method. “It’ll be a stronger argument for self-defence if…”
“Fine.”
And that was that. Lucy packed herself a bag, one for Tamara, gave her official statement to a detective, and even allowed Tim to drive. They went to the precinct first; Wesley had found Tamara a great lawyer, as he couldn’t act as one now, as he worked in the DA's office. He also couldn’t comment on what she might be charged with until they know Ray’s condition, so she’ll be in holding for the rest of the night.
Once the knowledge that Tamara was taken care of, as best as they could at this moment in time, anyway, is when Lucy lost it on him. They had barely left the parking lot with him driving when she exploded.
“You need to tell me what’s going on, Tim.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Look, I don’t need to know everything, but you need to let me in.” Lucy paused, her face tight, an expression he rarely saw on her. “Now!”
Tim sighed, considering pulling over for this conversation, but didn’t want to delay her getting checked out any longer than it’s already been. “Ray’s an old army buddy of mine. I thought he was dead, but he’s not. I need to stop him before he hurts…”
“A bit late for that,” Lucy snapped. “Tamara is in hold-up because YOU decided not to bring me in, bring anyone in! If you had, I might have been able to prepare and prevent that from happening.”
“Lucy…”
“No! It’s my turn to talk, Tim. You put my life and Tamara’s life in jeopardy by not giving us a heads-up that you were after someone dangerous. Someone who actually knew you! This isn’t the same as on-duty stuff.” Lucy shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. “That’s not okay.”
Tim kept his eyes on the road ahead. He’d never seen Lucy lose her temper like this, but he had endangered her and Tamara in a way. It wasn’t intentional, but he had been careless enough that something had gone wrong. “Lucy, I’m sorry.”
“I know. But what’s frustrating is I never thought you’d leave me in the dark like that. And I don’t know if I can trust you won’t do it again if something else comes up.”
That truth bomb hit deep inside Tim, and he wasn’t sure how to respond. He pulled up to the hospital and parked, turning to face her. “I don’t want to hurt you, Lucy.”
When her eyes landed on his, they softened ever so slightly. “Then don’t.”
He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Let’s get you checked out.”
She nodded before they both got out of the car. He immediately went to her side, his hand on her lower back, as though this small gesture would start the process of her forgiving him.
Less than an hour later, Lucy was sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, with Tim by her side. “Tamara’s going to be okay,” Tim assured, his hand on her shoulder as his other one ran comfortingly up and down her thigh.
“If I hadn’t made that play against Ray, then the gun would have never been in her reach,” Lucy spoke, regretfully.
“If you hadn’t made that play, then you or Tamara could be the one with the bullet in your chest,” Tim countered, shuffling a bit closer so she could rest her head on his chest. One hand slid up to the back of her head.
“I don’t know if I can go back to my apartment… not right now.”
Tim leant down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “You don’t have to. That’s why I had you pack an overnight bag. You can stay with me for as long as you need.” He paused. “And so can Tamara *when* she gets out.”
“And you promise you won’t leave?”
He hated that she had to ask that question, but his screw up had caused more than the physical bruise across her side and ribs. “I promise. I’ll stay with you as long as you’ll have me.”
“Miss Chen,” a doctor said as he walked into the room. “There is no internal bleeding, but you have broken a rib. I am going to have to sign you off from active duty.”
Fuck.
Tim’s knuckles immediately whitened, and his short nails dug into his palm as his hands fisted. The only thing that stopped him from marching out of the room and demanding to know where Ray was was Lucy’s hand on his arm.
“Don’t. I’m okay,” she whispered.
He looked at her; the anger in her had dissipated, but it had risen in him. “You’re not okay, Lucy.”
She tugged him to step closer, and he obliged, his free hand relaxing as it came up to stroke her cheek. “I’m okay enough.”
The two of them left the hospital after another two hours, after a few more tests, Lucy getting her ribs wrapped and some pain killers. Tim didn’t think about the implications of offering Lucy his home until the following morning; it was nice, domestic, and a new step that he hadn’t realised how ready he was until it happened.
They still had the Ray mess to deal with, now that he’d made it through surgery. But that did mean that Lucy was able to pick up Tamara instead of visiting her. And that put something right in the world.