Work Text:
It happens after Tim calls her mother. Nolan offered but Tim said he needed to do it. Lucy was not only a sergeant under his watch but his girlfriend and that made it a little more complicated. But still—
He wanted to do it.
So he did and it went exactly how he thought it would. Vanessa Chen scolded him for calling her so late and that he was a stranger.
(He gently explained he was calling for Lucy so she didn’t have to deal with that stress and that made her even angrier).
He wasn’t so nice after that and maybe he regrets that a little but Vanessa Chen was being rude. And she didn’t seem to care her daughter just went through something traumatic. She cared more about Martin (who almost killed Lucy than Lucy).
After he hung up, he took Lucy home and it was a few hours before she came to bed but she finally did and she settled next to him.
“Thank you.” She had said. “For being here and dealing with my mother.”
(He would do it again and again).
“Of course.” He had whispered. “It’s going to be okay.” And it was going to be okay.
Eventually.
***
Vanessa Chen shows up at their house the next morning. Tim wakes up to banging on the door, Lucy is curled up underneath the sheets. Tim rolls out of bed and he’s so dazed he doesn’t hear Lucy behind him.
He opens the door without checking and then feels Lucy bump up against him. A stern looking woman is glaring at him or Lucy he can’t tell. But he does know exactly who it is.
Vanessa Chen.
“Lucy!” She snaps. Lucy comes to stand next to Tim. “How can you just stand there after you killed a person?”
“Mom it was in self—”
“I don’t care.” Vanessa says. “A man lost his life because you decided to do a thankless and dangerous job.”
“Okay but mom—” Lucy says. Tim wraps her arm around her shoulder and pulls her into his side. This is the last thing she needs. He knows she barely slept last night, she was tossing and turning.
He couldn’t sleep either because he was worried about her. Just like her mother should be.
“You need to get out before this gets any worse Lucy. You did a terrible thing.” Vanessa continues not even noticing the look on her daughter’s face. “And you couldn’t even call me yourself! You had some man do it.”
“He’s my boyfriend mom.” Lucy says. “He did it because he loves me.”
“That’s not love.” Vanessa spits out. “That’s being a coward and not being able to face your own actions.”
“I know what I did!” Lucy snaps. “Believe me. I know what I did and I have to live with it. Tim was there for me and he hasn’t swayed once.”
Vanessa blinks at her, and then sends a sharp look over to Tim. “You are the man who called me?” She asks. “That my daughter murdered someone?”
Tim wants to introduce himself but he has had enough. “Lucy did what she had to do!” He says drily. “She stayed alive and thank god she did because the first time we would have met would have been at her funeral.”
Vanessa looks a little shocked, Lucy puts a hand on his leg but he’s fired up. “I know you don’t approve of what your daughter does but you don’t know her. You don’t know that she never would have chosen to do what she did unless she had to.” Tim says angrily. “You think it’s just as simple as her killing someone but it’s not. She did it in self defense.”
“She is a disappointment.” Vanessa says and she’s not speaking to Lucy anymore but Tim. Tim pulls Lucy closer. “She could have been so much more.”
“She is so much more and she is amazing.” Tim says. “If you would just give her a chance maybe you would realize that.”
“Who are you to tell me you know my daughter better than me?” Vanessa snaps. “All she is this job and look where it got her.” Tim blows out a breath, he doesn’t know how he will convince Vanessa Chen how amazing her daughter is if she doesn’t try.
And it really doesn’t seem like she even wants to try.
“Because I got to know your daughter and I fell in love with her.” Tim says. “She is so much more than her job. She is smart, caring, empathetic and kind. She wants to make this a better world for everyone.”
“I don’t think you have a right to tell me about my daughter. You are just someone she lives with. It won’t last. She will move on.” Vanessa says.
“No I won’t.” Lucy says. “I love Tim and I want a life with him. You don’t have to agree with me or like what I do or who I date. It’s not going to change. You can be in my life or not, but I’m not changing for you.”
Vanessa stares at her and then Tim. “Fine.” She says. “But don’t go crying to me when you get arrested for hurting someone. Again.”
“That won’t happen!” Tim says. “You should be grateful I even called you before you heard somewhere else. We wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation and what people think of Lucy right?” He takes a deep breath, he’s not sure he’s ever been this angry except for at his father. He could handle a hit or two but Vanessa packed it on other level.
“Goodbye Lucy.” Vanessa says and she turns around and leaves. Tim shuts the door and turns to look at Lucy.
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” Lucy says and she crosses her arms across her chest. “She’s lovely isn’t she?”
“No.” Lucy says. “She’s horrible. God she wouldn’t bail me out of jail.”
“I would.” Tim says and Lucy smiles and wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down for a kiss.
“Good to know.”
“But you did what you had to do and thank god you did because I—” He stops because has had the thought of Lucy being stabbed so many times.
“Yeah.” Lucy says and she looks down fallen again. “I guess.”
“You did.” Tim insists. “I’m sorry about your mother.”
“I’m used to it.” She says. “I’ve been a disappointment my entire life.”
“You aren’t a disappointment Luce. Okay?” Tim says and presses a kiss to her forehead. “Come on. It’s early, and you need some food in you.”
“Okay.”
Tim wraps his arm around her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.” He says. “I will be there every step of the way.”
“Good,” she says. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Tim says. “Anytime.” Lucy might not have the perfect relationship with her mother and she might never have it.
And things might be shaky right now but he has a feeling that they would get through this together.
No matter what.