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1.
Tim looks up when he hears a knock on his door and then smiles when he sees Lucy standing there. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She grins and moves closer to his desk. “I just wanted to say hi before I went out for the day.”
Tim chuckles and his hand slightly grazes the drawer that the ring is currently safely resting. “Well, hi to you too.”
Lucy looks around and then walks closer. “I also have some more piping hot tea.” Tim remembers back to just two days ago when she came in with the tea about Celina and Rodge. He made a fool of himself and almost spilled his secret.
“Oh really? What is it today?” He smirks and focuses his full attention to Lucy.
She moves closer to his desk and rests on the edge. “Okay so Rodge will not be proposing to Celina.” Tim feels relief flood through him. “But someone is planning to propose. Someone from the station.” Lucy claps her hands together excitedly.
Tim manages to keep his composure, somehow. “Oh really, who?” He squeaks out.
“I don’t know but I keep hearing rumblings about it. Oh, this is so exciting. I need to find out.” Tim doesn’t know how to stop her and he can’t believe that this got so far out of control. He can only blame himself, and Angela of course.
“Or not.” Tim mutters. Lucy gives him a weird look. “I’m just saying that talking about it even more could just spoil it for whoever is being proposed to.”
Lucy chuckles. “Well, I think it’s Stevens in motors and his girlfriend doesn’t work here.”
“But you don’t know for certain.” Tim has a soft expression on her face. “Why don’t I try to find out and then I can tell you?”
“Sure Tim.” She shrugs and they are saved by Grey knocking on Tim’s door. If I don’t do this tonight, she’s going to find out because no one can keep their mouth shut.
The day goes by smoothly and thankfully, his proposal isn’t surprised by anyone to Lucy. He just lets out a breath and is grateful that he can do this how he wants to.
“How about we go for a walk on the beach?” Tim asks Lucy when they’re leaving the station.
“That sounds amazing but don’t you hate the beach?” She has a teasing look on her face.
“Not when I’m with you.” Lucy feels Tim’s hand on her thigh and she can’t stop smiling.
“You are the biggest softy.” Tim doesn’t argue because she’s right and he is a big softy for her.
The beach is empty and the sunset is stunning. Tim doesn’t feel nervous like he has the last few days. It all just feels right. He finds his chance to finally get down on one knee and he hears a gasp from Lucy’s mouth.
Tim lets out a small breath. “When we met, I had to come to believe that the world was a really dark place. And for the last eight years you’ve shown me just how much light there is. You have healed me in places that I didn’t even know were broken. I promise you…I promise to spend the rest of our lives doing everything I can to be worthy of that love.” This moment is so unexpected but absolutely perfect. “So Lucy Chen, will you marry me?”
“Yes.” She says easily. “Yes, yes.” She drops to her knees and pulls him in for a kiss. When he slides the ring on her finger, there are tears pooling in their eyes. “You still manage to surprise me.”
“Thank goodness.” The relief is evident and Lucy has a realization.
“Oh god, you’re the one who was going to propose.” She giggles and Tim wraps his arms around her. “I’m glad I had no idea. It made this moment even better.”
“It’s perfect.” He whispers. “But next time I do anything, I’m not telling Angela.” They both chuckle and hold each other while watching the sunset.
2.
Lucy is about to head out for the day when she sees two people looking lost. “Excuse me. Do you need any help?”
They have to be in their early twenties, maybe. The woman smiles at Lucy. “Oh, hi, we are looking for our dad.”
“Was he arrested or does he work here?” It’s a typical question to ask because of their surroundings. Their faces seem familiar but she cannot pinpoint from where.
“He works here.” The boy smiles at her. “He’s a cop.”
Lucy nods her head. “Okay, what’s his name? I don’t mind tracking him down for you.”
Suddenly, a voice appears beside her and her jaw drops. “I’ve got it from here, Chen.” The three of them walk off and Lucy is still in shock.
When she finally comes to, she knows exactly who she needs to tell. Of course Tim is in a meeting and then she is pulled into twenty other directions. She doesn’t forget what she saw this morning though.
By the time that they change out, Lucy is ready to go home and cuddle her fiancé. “How was your day?” Tim smiles at her softly, especially seeing her engagement ring sitting on her finger.
“It was busy. I’m glad it’s over. What about you?” Lucy loops her arm around Tim’s.
“Tiring. Sometimes these meetings feel like they drag on and some feel pointless.” Tim just wants to do nothing for the next few days.
“Well, I’ll help you feel better tonight.” Lucy grins and then she suddenly stops. “Oh! You will never guess what piping hot tea I have for you today!”
She is a bit too excited but Tim loves it. “Hmm, Nolan managed to get through a shift without destroying a shop.” She slaps his chest.
“No, I mean yes, but not the tea that I have.” Tim’s invested now. “I saw two people looking lost today and they said they were looking for their dad who works there. Imagine my surprise when I see who their dad actually is.”
“And who is it?” Now he really does want to know.
Lucy turns to look at him. “Smitty! He has two kids! How did we never know this? They’re older and they seem relatively normal too.”
Tim’s eyes go wide because how did they not know this? “Wait, Smitty? How?” He knows how but it just comes out. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“Me either babe, but it’s true.” Tim doesn’t need to listen to station gossip because Lucy always makes sure he stays informed. “I was shocked for a minute.”
“Don’t worry Bradford’s.” Smitty’s voice has them jumping. “They won’t cause chaos for you.” He smiles and walks off.
“Some days just get weirder and weirder.” Tim mutters. “Let’s go home and forget about all of this.”
3.
Tim sees Lucy sitting on the couch, giggling while texting someone. He sits next to her and pulls her closer to him. “You are quite happy.”
“I’m always happy with you.” The words flow out of her mouth easily.
“You’re adorable.” He pulls her in for a kiss and she pulls back when her phone goes off again. “Answer them later.”
“It’s Genny.” Lucy says breathlessly and Tim whines when she pulls away. “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you.” She repositions herself and Tim rests his head on her shoulder.
“What does Genny want? Is she giving you teenage gossip?” Lucy giggles. The stories they hear from her about these kids never cease to amaze them.
“No, not today.” She is chewing her lip and Tim knows there’s something. “She, uh, she actually started dating someone. She wants to go out on a double date.”
Tim’s eyebrows raise and Lucy manages to ground him before he goes into protective big brother mode. “I don’t know about that, Luce.”
“She’s a grown woman who’s allowed to date Timothy.” Lucy glares at him and he knows that she’s right. “And she’s happy, which is the most important part."
“Give me all the tea on this boyfriend.” Tim says reluctantly and Lucy laughs when he says it. “What? We all know you’re dying to tell me.”
Lucy puts her phone down and turns towards Tim. “Well, he works at her school.” Tim’s glad he isn’t in a weird profession or worse, someone he works with. “And he makes your sister happy.”
“I want her to be happy. She deserves that.” Lucy nods in agreement.
“And I’ve made sure to do a background check. He’s got no crazy criminal record and he seems to be doing pretty okay in life. He isn’t the grumpiest man alive either.”
The scowl on Tim’s face just puts a smile on Lucy’s. “My scowl is cute.”
“Oh, it’s the cutest.” She rests her hand on his chest. “And we will be going on a double date with them this weekend.” Tim’s eyes go wide.
“Oh..okay.” His brain seemingly breaks. “Anything else you’d like to add for me today.”
Lucy straddles his lap. “How about we just forget everything and enjoy each other?”
Tim’s only focus is now on Lucy and not this impending double date that he is now going on. She is a great distraction. After they enjoy their afternoon, Lucy makes sure to spill all the tea to Tim about Genny’s new boyfriend.
4.
Lucy is walking Kojo down the street. Tim’s at work and she misses him greatly. They’ve been married for a month now and life couldn’t be any better. “Oh, hello dear.” Mrs. Grant’s voice brings Lucy out of her thoughts.
“Hi Mrs. Grant, how are you doing?” Kojo sits next to Lucy and she is proud of how well her baby is doing.
“I’m good dear. Listen, I have something to tell you.” Lucy’s eyes light up.
“Is everything okay?” She asks that first but secretly hopes for something good. “Are you okay?”
Mrs. Grant waves her off. “Oh, I’m fine.” She looks around and then moves closer to Lucy. “I found out more information about the yellow house.” This piques Lucy’s interest and she listens very carefully. An hour later, she’s finally headed home and she can’t wait to tell Tim about this.
Lucy is so lost in thought when she gets home, that she doesn’t even realize Tim is there. Her face goes red when she walks right into him. “Hi.”
“Oh hi.” She grins and puts Kojo’s leash away before wrapping Tim in a hug. “How was your day?”
“It was busy but it’s done. Now I get to spend the rest of the day with my beautiful, amazing, incredible wife.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere Bradford.” Tim leans down and pulls her in for a kiss.
“How was your walk with our favorite boy?” Tim finally asks.
Lucy’s eyes light up. “It was good!” He knows that something happened. “And I have all the tea from Mrs. Grant about that yellow house.”
Tim is intrigued because they’ve been wondering for months what’s been going on. There are people in and out constantly and it’s very worrisome. “Oh? Is there a serial killer living next door?”
“Nope.” She giggles. “And no drug dealers either.”
Tim’s eyebrows raise. “Then what is it? You’re leaving me in suspense here, Luce.”
“Okay, it’s nothing bad.” She smirks. “I guess the man who lives there, Teddy, is living like four lives.” Now Tim is confused. “He has like four relationships he’s trying to keep up with and uses the same house. He’s lucky that they haven’t caught on yet. It’s actually hilarious and I am sure when he gets caught, he’ll be thrown out on his ass.”
Tim bursts out laughing and he can’t seem to stop. “How stupid can you be?” Lucy shrugs. “Idiot.”
“He certainly is, but it’s fun to watch. Mrs. Grant knows all of their names and she’s ready to burst the bubble. She loves to stir things up so we will see.” Tim shakes his head. “And I turned down her dinner invitation just for you.”
“You’re my hero.” He kisses her again. “Thank you for being my favorite source of all the tea and gossip going around.”
“Always babe, always.”
5.
Tim screwed up, again. It’s Lucy’s birthday and he’s determined to make this the most special one yet. The issue is, Angela caught him looking at gifts and potentially planning a party. So now another secret of his is becoming station news. “Angela, what are you doing?” Tim hisses.
“I’m helping you plan your wife’s birthday.” He is frustrated. “What?”
“You and your mouth again!” He says exasperated. “She’s going to find out. Smitty knows, Ange! He can’t keep a secret.” Tim’s stressed and loves Angela but he really wanted to do something special.
Lucy is finishing up for the day when she hears whispering behind her. “What?”
“Nothing Sergeant.” The three rookies scatter off and she’s left very confused. She heard something about a birthday party and some type of celebration but that’s it.
“The gossip really is worse than high school.” She mutters to herself. Celina and Penn are instantly by her side. “Can I help you?”
“Well, what are you doing tomorrow?” She frowns because it’s her day off.
“Staying home and relaxing with Tim.” Lucy doesn’t say anymore. “I’m going to change.”
Celina follows her and gets changed too. There are rumblings in the locker room about some party and Lucy truly wants to not focus on it this time. Something said piques her interest though. “-supposed to be the best party of the year. I wish I had someone who loved me that much to throw me a party.”
Lucy finishes and goes to find Tim. He’s packing his things in his office and his scowl is quickly replaced by a smile when he sees her. “Are you ready to go?”
“I am.” Her voice is tired. “But first.” Tim stops what he’s doing. “Apparently someone is throwing a party.” Tim has trouble maintaining his composure. “And it’s a surprise for someone in their life.”
“That’s sweet.” Tim grabs his bag and then walks closer to Lucy. “But why is this station gossip?”
Lucy shrugs. “I guess it’s pretty romantic and sweet. Hey, the girls love the gestures I guess.” She doesn’t really know why. “Plus, I tell you all the gossip, don’t I?”
“That you do.” He never followed it before Lucy and most of it makes him laugh because of how ridiculous it is. It’s his source of amusement some days. “Now let’s go grab dinner and head home.”
They walk to the food trucks and Lucy jumps when she hears a crowd yell surprise. “Happy birthday to my favorite person.”
“You are the worst.” Lucy mutters. “How do I not realize it’s me they keep talking about?” Tim shrugs. “Thank you for planning this party. Birthdays are so much better with you in my life.”
“I hope that I can keep surprising you.” He whispers and they go to enjoy the party that Tim planned.
+1
Lucy’s hands are shaking. She is sitting in the locker room bathroom, waiting to see what the three pregnancy tests in front of her say. She didn’t tell anyone that she felt off, not even Tim. They’ve been married for just a few months. They both want kids, but she doesn’t know how she is feeling right now. The timer goes off and all three show positive.
Lucy’s hand flies to her mouth and she can’t stop the tears from flowing. A knock on the door brings her out of her thoughts and she shoves the tests in her pockets. Angela and Nyla are outside the door and Lucy smiles at them both. “What’s up?”
“We need your help on a case.” Lucy can’t even think about the tests for the moment but it’s still lingering in the back of her mind. What she doesn’t realize is that one of the tests fell onto the bathroom floor when she was rushing.
“Thanks for your help, Lucy. You always have an eye for these things.” Angela and Nyla feel relieved because Lucy may have cracked their case.
“We’re a team and I enjoy being able to help.” She smiles softly and then goes to shove her stuff into her locker before heading out for the day with Celina.
Tim is in the breakroom, needing more coffee for his day. “So there was a positive pregnancy test just laying on the floor?” Tim doesn’t usually listen to station gossip, but this time he can’t help himself. “Like just laying there out in the open?”
“Yes! Maybe someone dropped it, I’m not sure, but someone here is definitely pregnant. I don’t know who but I have my bets on who it could be.”
Tim actually has something to tell Lucy and he is giddy with excitement. He wonders who could be pregnant and why the test was left. Maybe they dropped it. By the end of the day, the rumors are swirling like crazy and people are placing bets on who the pregnant person is.
Tim looks at his phone to see that Lucy is already at home. Apparently she left a while ago when he was stuck in a meeting with the captain. He frowns because she never willingly leaves early and he doesn’t know how she got home.
The house is quiet but he sees the back door is cracked. “Hey.” Lucy looks up at him and she is absolutely glowing. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, my overtime wasn’t approved today.” He doesn’t remember that but it sounds plausible enough. He doesn’t fully believe her.
Tim sits next to her and they enjoy the view. “So I actually have some gossip and piping hot tea for you.” He finally admits.
Lucy sees the excitement on Tim’s face, which she loves. “Is that so?” He nods. “Well, then I definitely need to hear this.”
“So I’m getting a drink in the breakroom this morning.” Tim starts. “And two female officers are talking. Apparently there was a pregnancy test laying on the bathroom floor.” Lucy doesn’t know how she manages to keep herself composed or school her expression.
“Oh, wow.” Her voice doesn’t even sound steady.
“So, someone is pregnant at work. I don’t know who but the test didn’t lie.” Lucy suddenly feels nauseous but manages to keep it down.
“No, I guess not. Well, maybe she didn’t want to tell anyone and it fell accidentally. She’s probably going crazy knowing it’s lost.” Tim doesn’t seem to think much of what she said and he’s relieved by that.
“Maybe. It’s a private moment for sure but this is kind of exhilarating to know!” He is far too excited about this. “I’m hoping this time I can find out what’s going on. This is exciting.” Lucy starts to cry and he doesn’t know what happened. “Lucy, what’s wrong?”
She stands up and starts pacing. “The test on the floor was mine.” She throws her hands up. “It’s me who’s pregnant.”
Tim’s brain takes a moment to catch up and when it does, he goes to her. “Wait, really? We’re having a baby?” She closes her eyes and nods. “Lucy.”
“I am so scared and I wanted to surprise you but I can’t even do this right. I know we haven’t been married that long.” Lucy’s thoughts are non-stop.
Tim stops her from rambling. “Lucy, you definitely surprised me and I’m so happy, I promise.” She looks into his eyes and he’s so emotional in the best way. “We’re having a baby.”
“We are.” Lucy murmurs and Tim’s hand moves to her belly. “We’re having a baby.”
“I love you so much.” He whispers. “And I’ll squash the station gossip.
“Please do because our little boot is staying secret for a while.” Lucy teases him. “You’re my protector.”
“And I always will be.” He can’t stop smiling and this is probably his favorite piece of gossip ever.