#Chris Bradford is not a good friend | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bronx-bomber87 · 4 months

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Happy Wednesday fandom :) I love this episode. The aftermath of 5x01. I remember being so very excited every week cause I knew this was their season. I was so giddy for every era we were getting. This ep started the hurts so good/pining era. Nothing better than having your ship on the cusp and getting excited every ep to see what comes next. Return of Genny in this one yay missed her. Imma need more in s6. Looking at you writers.

5x02 Labor Day

We start the ep with a guilt ridden Lucy bringing Chris home to her apt. We all know at this point that’s the reason they’re still together. She nearly cheated on the man for loophole sex with her best friend. Not only that but almost partook while he was dying in the process. Still glad it didn’t go down that way but guilt is the main factor here IMO. Lucy is getting him settled in when there a knock at the door. Love how this detective comes up and doesn’t even care she’s interrupted them.

Legend already haha Says her name is Detective Misha Porter. She teaches at the UC school In Sacramento. Lucy looks star struck saying she knows who she is. Mischa said she’s been doing recruiting and her name keeps coming up. Of course it does Lucy is amazing. Saying she’s worked several impressive OPs. That makes for an ideal candidate. That she is here to recruit her.

Lucy looks guilt ridden once again as she looks at stupid Chris. Just holding her back in so many ways it’s painful. She asks when classes start? Porter tells her next Monday. Saying it’s short notice but they had someone fall out. She’s sure her sergeant would approve it. Lucy lights up for first time at the mention of Tim. Knowing he would. He would do ANYTHING for her career. Something we will see of more at the end of this ep.

Lucy continues to hesitate. Porter sees this and says her classes will open up a ton of doors for her. Lucy tells her she knows. That Detective Harper has told her all about it. She hands her the folder. Saying every unit will want to poach her from patrol after this. Lucy tells her she will think about it…Oh my girl he is not worth giving up UC for. That guilt truly dominating all her decisions.

She returns to Chris and even he tells her to go for it. We see the stress and continued weight of what happened control her. Saying no it can wait. It’s almost like she needs someone else to push her in that direction...Also that someone else is the real reason she doesn’t want to leave. *cough Tim cough*

We see Tim pull up to meet Genny. What is it about him driving that big truck that is so sexy? Mmm. Also in civies. Yum take me now sir. Haha Love that smile of his when he looks at the house. Thank you to your wife for having you do this. It sounds like Genny is having an argument on the phone. Tim asks if she’s ok? She sweeps it under the rug like a classic Bradford.

She just needed his signature on some stuff before the open house. Tim looks so excited this is done and they can finally move on. Genny looks extra sad about it. Seems like it's more than just the house. Tim picks up on this and tells her not to get sad over this house LOL She should be excited they’re gonna get half a mill each for this place. He then is sweet and tells her to call him if she needs anything. Such a good brother ❤️

We return to Lucy at home with Chris. He’s going over her packet saying she has to go. I will give him this and ONLY this. He isn’t trying to keep her from UC school. Now he is trying to do the thing only Tim can. Which is talk her down and have her see some reason. Not gonna happen with you clown. You are not the one for that job. Lucy saying this is where she wants to be. It’s not though…

Lucy is still so angry as she talks about Rosalind. As she should be that’s some serious PTSD for her. Once again not the guy to help her through this anxiety. The guilt is eating away at her and nothing Chris can say will help. Because he is part of that guilt. She almost cheated on him while Rosalind got to him. That’s what’s really eating at her.

Another reason I’m glad it didn’t happened. Would’ve tainted their time together. That would’ve been a painful hill to get over. So no thank you. I’ll be forever grateful it unfolded the way that it did. She is putting off UC for one reason she can’t tell Chris about. Would only add to never ending weight on her soul currently. I wanna hug her.

Oh how I love this scene with Angela. First off I adore him giving her half his burrito ha besties. Second she truly is a cheerleader for Chenford. Also for Tim’s happiness. She just wants to see her grump of a friend be happy. Angela knows that answer is Lucy. It’s been her forever. So she does a little poking around in this scene. Fishing to see what answers she can get. Starting off asking Tim the question that’s been on her mind since Vegas. Even more so since Chris got attacked.

‘How’s Lucy?’ We all know this question isn’t as innocent as it appears. Because well Lopez. He’s out of his damn mind if thinks she gonna let any of this go. I adore this friendship so very much. We notice how Tim likes to surround himself with strong women. His bestie is one of them. His wife another. Only ones he allows to talk to him this way. Heh. I love it. The teasing she does early on in this season is amazing. We were all rooting for her doing this.

Calling him out trying to get him to face his feelings. Do something about them. Angela is as perceptive as they come. And they are as blatantly obvious as two humans could be. Even Nolan knows LOL Tim starts off with a standard answer. She’s shaken but taking time off with Chris. Angela doesn’t care about the Chris part. Asking why he was even there in the first place to find him? Her instigation makes me laugh so hard. Trying to get a real answer out of him. Tim deflecting as he attempts to hold it together for the moment. Just saying he was dropping her off after Vegas. Lies lies and more lies.

Angela’s face is everything. Her 'Mmm-hmm' Calling Tim on his BS answer with her facial expression alone. This is so funny. Tim catching onto what she is throwing down. Asking what she’s implying? When he’s knows EXACTLY what she’s implying. Because babe you almost did what she is suggesting here. You’re just upset cause you're getting caught in that suggestion. I love her throwing back ‘What do you think?’

She is trying so hard to get him to cop to what almost happened between them. Tim goes back to his platonic answer of ‘Just dropping her off. ’ Although his voice gets a little higher in pitch when he does,. Angela’s second ‘Mmm-hmm.’ Is everything. She isn’t buying what you’re selling Timothy. Not for one second. Angela Lopez is a QUEEN. I love her sfm. Man is lying to himself and she just wants him to realize that.

Poor Lucy is desperate for another opinion. So she seeks out her UC mentor. She is so cute when she says Harper is glowing haha I love her sfm. Lucy is asking everyone except the one person she knows would have her answer. So she is hitting up a very pregnant Harper LMAO Who is in no state of mind to be helping her out.

James basically ushers her out of the house. My girl. She needs advice so much and isn’t getting what she needs from those around her. Trying to find someone to validate her skipping for Chris. Thing is she isn’t going to find that. No one is going to validate this guilt of her's like she is seeking. Once again just wanna hug her.

We see Genny waiting in the parking garage for Tim. She called him earlier in the day about offers. Saying they had a developer who wanted over asking. But also a sweet family who wanted it for asking. Tim telling her to go with developer. Cause he doesn't care bout the house. So he makes a crack when she shows up about selling it to a sweet family for 100 bucks ha Such a brother things to do to her. Genny says no.... She has another reason for meeting up other than the house. It’s here we learn about why Genny has been stressed all day. Her and her husband are getting a divorce. Tim tells her how sorry he is. He has most definitely Been there.

Tim asks about the house and who they’re gonna sell it to? Asking if they’re gonna pick the happy family? Genny says no the highest bidder. That divorce isn’t cheap. HA That’ll it’ll soften the blow for her financially being a single mom now. Tim asks if her husband is moving out? She says no she wants to move. Here actually. Asking Tim if that’s ok? He lights up. If there’s anything he needs right now it's family. Especially with all the messy stuff with Lucy atm. It’s so sweet how excited he is. Also their hug is also very adorable. I just adore them so very much.

They nailed casting for his sister. They have an excellent sibling rapport. Good chemistry in that way. Also they do look like they could be related it’s unreal. I love the smile on Tim’s face as he hugs her. My heart. Family is so important to have around. Especially when you’re close to them. This is what Lucy wanted for him out of 4x08. Them to not be torn about their dad but be there for each other like this. Getting me all emotional cause what I have with my baby sister. You know he’s excited he will get to see his nephews more and such too. I love it.

We finally reach their first scene of the ep. It’s a doozy everyone. But such a good one. This is the stage I like to call it 'Hurts so good.' I will always take good productive angst. Well written angst. It’s the BS teenager angst I cannot stand. These people are in their thirties. They don’t got time for that crap. The secret child or breaking up for no reason other than just to make the miserable. Nothing makes me angrier than useless angst just for the sake of having it.

This right here is the good stuff. They did a damn fine job with their angst. It leads us right into that good pining era as well. There is a knock at Lucy’s door. It’s Tim looking mighty fine if you ask me. Says he’s checking in. Asks Chris how he’s feeling? He replies Lucy is taking care of him. The sweet almost sad look to his smile gets me.

Knowing first hand how caring she is. She cared for him long before he was ready for it. When he didn’t appreciate like he would now. This moment is their breakup before they even got together scene. Because that’s basically what it is. We all know Tim included why she’s really holding back from UC school. Her front is Chris. When really it’s Tim and everything they haven’t untangled from Vegas. They haven’t talked about it whatsoever. Tim is there to clear the air.

Lucy is a little bristly with him at the door. He doesn’t let it deter him. Asking her if he can talk to her? She says yes and follows him out into the hallway. Ahh this hallway where so much happened last time. The context and situation so much different this time around. Tim being straight with her right off the bat. Saying he hears she’s on the fence about UC school. She has been hunting down opinions all day long. The one she needs the most comes to her. I love this sfm. Kudos to the writers for setting up this scene so well. Lucy is shocked Chris called him.

Tim says yes it was unexpected..but he wanted him to talk to her. Interesting how Chris could know Tim would be the voice of reason for her. But can’t figure she’s in love with the man and vice versa. Lucy telling him it’s not the right time. Tim won’t stand for this answer. That she owes it to herself to go. Lucy has been the voice of reason for him many times. There to absolve him of his guilt when he blamed himself about Mitch and Caleb. She couldn’t stand him bearing a burden that wasn’t his.

The beautiful part of this heartbreaking scene is he is now doing the same for her. He came not only about UC school but for her guilt. The guilt she is wearing like armor at the moment. About Chris, about what almost happened between them while he was dying. Tim telling he’s going to be fine. That what happened to him ISN'T her fault. Telling Lucy what she used to tell him. Stop weighing your soul down with guilt that isn’t yours to carry.

Lucy brings up what they were about to do. ‘We were about to..’ The way she says that line there is some longing in there. How yes, she’s still with Chris and the guilt that exists with that. But her desire for what almost happened is still there. She doesn’t want to ignore what almost happened between them.

Tim following up with ‘But we didn’t. We didn’t.’ Gah some longing in his voice too. He too is sad they didn’t. The softness in his voice as he delivers that line. Gah it’s so good. Part of him still wishing they had. They had this awakening of their feelings mixed with UC. Then Chris almost dying throwing a nasty wrench in it all.

There is so much subtext behind the lines they’re saying to each other. Lucy then notes the thing she’s been clinging onto. Being his go-fer. Asking if he’s getting rid of her as it? The hurt in her voice *heart clutch* It's written all over her face. Last thing she wants is for Tim to push her away. It’s why she was avoiding UC school in first place. She doesn’t want to lose working with him if she can’t be with him. It’s the closest thing she has to that and now he’s proposing taking that away.

This feels like a breakup because well it is. Their work dynamic/relationship is a huge part of who they are. It’s how we got to this place we’re in. It’s a sacred thing to both of them. Tim is trying to ease her hurt with his reply. Telling her 'No…he’s just trying to look out for her.' The emotions in his voice as he says this. I wanna cry. They both have pre-tears in their eyes. Tim knows this is the right thing to do. Nothing and I mean nothing is more important to that man than protecting her career. Protecting her. Look how far he has come.

Was almost rabidly against her doing UC. Now he’s encouraging it because he knows it’s what best for her. Even if that means leaving him behind. Tim refuses to jeopardize her career in anyway. It’s why he fought her being his aide at first the way he did. Didn’t want anyone to question her or why she got to where she is. Didn’t want any hand in people thinking less of her when it wasn’t true. That even if it hurts them both he is going to look out for her first and foremost.

Lucy can't believe what she's hearing. It's all over her expression in that first gif above. The hits keep coming with this scene. Tim telling her it’s time to move on. When he’s really saying is about them. They had their shot and now it’s time to move on. That they have to accept it's not going to happen for them. Gah kills me as I’m writing this. Took the man years to realizes he was in love with her. Now that he does he can’t have her. So he’s willing to do the honorable thing. Step aside and put his feelings on back burner.

Set aside what he wants for what she needs. Because he knows Lucy. How selfless she is for those she loves. He refuses to let her give up her aspirations for him. Lucy is crushed with his retort of moving on. They’re both so vulnerable in this scene. It’s what makes it hurt so damn good. Props to Eric and Melissa once again. Conveying so much with their words, eyes, and expressions. We are truly lucky to have them as our ship.

Lucy does some double talk of her own. Saying some time away would be good. Really meaning she can’t be around him especially after him breaking this off. That if she can’t be with him better to be away from him. That this far too painful for her. For them both really. Tim trying to build up her saying what a great opportunity this will be. We know how hard this conversation is for him to have. But it shows the depth of growth in him to have it.

This is so very hard on him to give up. Lucy can’t even say more. Her heart is breaking in this moment. Her person is sending her away from him. All she can muster up is ‘Mmhmm..’ because if she speaks any further she’s going to cry. Tim most definitely won’t be able to handle that. Tim with tears in his eyes telling her she should go for it. Even if it’s killing him inside to be apart from her. To walk away from their potential romantically.

Tim feels the best thing he can do for her is distance himself. He is going to fall on his sword to make sure her future is secure. Now that is love. My goodness. The way she is searching his face in the first gif. Oof. She looks so hurt and angry at him for this. She also is trying to keep her shit together. It breaks my heart. This entire scene does. Then our boy walks away and she looks devastated. He has a smile on his face till he turns away from her. Then we see the heartbreak evident on his beautiful face. Ugh.

How she can go back in Chris after that I don't know.. After this scene I knew this season was going to be a hell of a ride. This was the perfect productive angst for them. Hurt like a SOB to watch. A true gut punch to your feels. But damn so well written and acted. I loved it sfm. Oh my lord I love this season.

~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

Nyla’s entire birth SL is hilarious. It’s an insane ride that I love. ‘It’s a girl’ LMAO LEGEND

Thank you thank you to all you amazing readers. Wouldn’t have gotten this far without you all. Your likes, reblogs and comments fuel My soul to write. Shall see you all in 5x03 :)

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centralperkchenford · 9 months

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Chenford + other people’s POV witnessing how in love they are with each other

I hope you like this anon (I swear this is my last one for the night!)

Chenford + other people’s POV witnessing how in love they are with each other

Or 5 different people observing how in love Tim and Lucy are + Tim and Lucy realizing it.

You are in love, true love

Angela

Angela knew from the start that Lucy was different. She didn’t buy into Tim’s hard ass TO act. She challenged him from the beginning and pulled him right out of the dark trenches he was drowning in. Even when he was an absolute asshole to Lucy, she still managed to see the best in him somehow.

Angela thought for sure after Vegas and the whole UC op, they would get their heads out of their asses and admit they have feelings for each other but of course they didn’t and both of them denied it. And no matter how hard Angela pushed Tim, he remained stubborn. And of course there was Chris and Ashley.

But now..

Angela watches as they walk into the bar all wrapped up in each other. They were doing couples night tonight, something that Angela had established the minute she found out Tim and Lucy were together.

They make their way over to the table that Angela is sitting at and Lucy slides in grinning at her. Tim turns back to go to the bar to get them drinks while Angela turns to Lucy.

“You guys are pretty cozy.” She says and Lucy turns to look at Tim at the bar. Angela doesn’t miss her eyes going up and down his back.

She shrugs her shoulders before turning back to Angela a soft smile on her face. “Yeah I guess we are.” She says lightly. Angela smiles at her, she has seen Lucy happy, sad, terrified and angry. But she has never seen this look on her. She’s in love.

Angela doesn’t say anything more until Tim comes back sliding Lucy a beer and a tequila shot. She grins at him happily and gives him a small kiss before turning back to her drinks. Tim smiles at her too, a smile Angela has seen him wear around Lucy. It’s a smile that reaches all the way to his eyes. It’s a good smile and Angela really hopes it stays there. She watches as Tim loops his arm around Lucy’s shoulder and pulls her close. It’s a subtle move but it’s there.

And now Angela’s sees it written all over Tim’s face. It’s been there for a long time but he’s not trying to hide it now.

He’s in love too.

Angela smiles to herself as her husband comes over and gives her a quick kiss. She cuddled up to him and watches as Tim places a soft kiss on the top of Lucy’s head. He catches Angela’s eyes and smiles at her.

She wants to tease him at how soft he is being but she doesn’t. She has time to do that later, for now she watches as her best friend watches his girlfriend with nothing but love in his eyes.

***

Grey

Grey knew from the start that pairing up Bradford and Chen would be a good thing. He knew Bradford was rough around the edges and had a few dark moments. He knew he was a tough TO, and he expected nothing but the best from his Rookies.

But he also knew that Lucy Chen was different from the start. She was sunshine personified. She tried to see the good in everyone and the included Tim.

They had been through the ringer to get where they were today. Tim went through his stuff with Isabel, and Lucy was kidnapped and almost died at the hands of Caleb. They dated other people, and wrestled with their feelings for each other. They sacrificed for each other. Hell Tim took a desk job for Lucy. And Lucy managed to get him a place in metro something Grey was still trying to figure out.

But in the end…

In the end they were exactly where Grey knew they were suppose to be. He watches them from his office. They weren’t touching each other they did a pretty good job of keeping it professional at work.

(Or they tried to Grey had walked by Tim’s office a few times and heard.. stuff).

But they were looking at each other with looks Grey knew they only reserved for each other. He watches as they say something to each other. Lucy smiles at Tim nodding her head. Tim places his hand on the small of her back for a few seconds and then they walk off in separate directions. He knows it’s not much of a change from before but it’s enough for him to know one thing.

They love each other.

He thinks they have loved each other for a while now, maybe even before they got together. But it’s written all over their faces now, it’s in their actions and their subtle touches. They are in love with each other.

And Grey knew they both deserved it, after everything they had been through they had found love and solace in each other.

***

Tamara

Tamara knew Lucy and Tim were close. It was the kind of close that if you didn’t know them you would think they were a couple. Tamara knew better though she knew they were just friends that slipped into something more along the way. They were drawn to each other, even when they were with other people they somehow made their way towards each other.

She knew that when she caught them kissing it was more than just for work. And no matter how many times they (both) tried to deny it Tamara just knew.

And she knows it now..

She watches as Tim and Lucy stand in line to order their dinner. Tamara sits back in her seat and observes them. Lucy has her arm looped in Tim’s arm and is pointing at something on the menu. Tim makes a face and Lucy slaps him playfully on the chest. They do this around the apartment too, and as much as Tamara acts like she hates it. She finds it pretty cute, she finds this softer side of Tim is nice. It’s refreshing really. But she supposes that this is the side that Lucy sees all the time.

She watches as they get up to the counter and Lucy orders. Tim stands behind her his hand on the small of her back. When she’s done ordering, he comes to front to pay. She tries to protest but he shakes his head at her firmly.

Tamara grins as Lucy rolls her eyes at him and then reaches up to kiss him on the cheek.

It’s love.

Tamara knows this for a fact, she had been around with Chris and Lucy. Chris was fine but he was kind of whiny and he made Lucy pay every other time. And Lucy never looked at him the way she looks at Tim. She looked at Chris, like she was attracted to him but that’s it. She looks at Tim like she could burst at the seams because she’s so in love.

Tim looks at her the same way, with love and trust in his eyes. It’s nice to see them both this happy and in love.

(Sometimes she just wishes they wouldn’t do it on the couch).

But she gets it a love like this only comes around once in a blue moon. And she knows Tim and Lucy are forever. And she couldn’t be happier for them.

Nolan

Nolan has seen Lucy at her best and at her worst. Hell he’s seen Tim at his worst and he knows that Lucy went through Tim’s worst with him. He knows Lucy is a great person and one of his closest friends. Even if they don’t hang out as much anymore he still values their friendship.

He knows Lucy has been through a lot especially after Caleb and he saw how her relationship with Tim just evolved after that. They were somewhat more reluctant friends at first (more on Tim’s part than Lucy’s) but as time went on he saw their relationship become more of a friendship and then it was just them.

And now…

He has to admit that he was the last to find out about their new relationship. Even Bailey figured it out before him, but he honestly cannot say he is surprised at their change of status. He knew that they would eventually end up with each other no matter how long it took. He watches them from across the bullpen. Tim is in his metro uniform while Lucy has already changed out for the day. Her hair cascades down her back, and he’s leading her out the door his fingers brushing through her hair gently. He watches as they stop just before the door. Lucy doesn’t bother to look around she just presses herself against Tim and kisses him.

Lucy was never one for PDA and neither was Tim so Nolan is surprised at her actions and he’s equally surprised when Tim responds just as eagerly. Nolan watches as Lucy takes a step back and turns towards the door waving at Tim as she does.

Wow he thinks they are in love.

It’s something that even Nolan realizes. He may be oblivious some of the time (most of the time) but he can see it all over their faces.

He sees Tim head back towards the bullpen and Nolan busies himself with some paperwork on the desk.

Tim walks right passed paying him no mind, he has a pep in his step that Nolan had never seen before.

He is happy, Nolan thinks as he watches Tim’s retreating back round the corner to his office. And 100% in love with Lucy Chen

***

Isabel

Isabel sits in her car and watches as Tim and Lucy get out of Tim’s truck and make their way to the restaurant. They are walking side by side and their hands are brushing each others. She watches as Tim finally grabs Lucy’s hand and she giggles a little bit. He smiles at her looking her so softly and so intently that Isabel has to look away for a minute.

She watches as Tim holds the door open for her, his face still soft. And the thing is Tim used to look at her with love and tenderness. But he had never looked at her the way he is looking at Lucy, like she is the only girl in the world and like she holds his heart. She never thought Tim could love someone that much.

But Lucy is different after all.

She knows they are in love she had seen it the minute she walked into Lucy’s apartment that day. She had heard it in his voice while they were talking in the truck. She knew what Tim looks like when he’s in love, and he was absolutely in love with Lucy. Isabel gets out of her car and heads up to the restaurant. She spots Tim and Lucy right away and they wave her over.

“Hey.” Says Tim smiling at her. “It’s good to see you again.” Isabel smiles at him and then at Lucy.

They are sitting at a booth so Tim is sitting next to Lucy who is leaning on him just a little bit. She straightens up when Isabel slides in, and she sees Tim’s hand slide so it’s on Lucy’s knee.

“It’s nice to see you too.” Isabel says. “Thanks for an inviting me.” Tim nods at her and Lucy smiles.

They have nice conversations as they order and wait for their food. Once they have finished their dinner, Lucy excuses herself to go to the restroom. Tim watches her go a fond smile on his face before he turns back to Isabel.

“What?” He asks seeing the smile on her face and she can’t help but laugh.

“It’s nice seeing you happy.” She says and then adds: “I’m glad you found someone like Lucy.” He nods and Isabel realizes this could have been them. If she hadn’t fallen from grace. And ended up using drugs.

But Isabel doesn’t dwell on what could have been because she knows somehow it all worked out in the end. She got better and so did Tim and that’s all she could have ever wanted for him.

“You love her.” She says and Tim doesn’t looks surprised at her words. He runs his finger down Lucy’s water glass and turns to look at Isabel his eyes sparkling and light.

“I do. She’s..everything and more to me.” He says softly.

Isabel nods as Lucy comes back from the restroom, she slides back in next to Tim and she still leans on him as she does.

Isabel studies Lucy for a minute and comes to same conclusion she had with Tim.

She loves him.

Isabel is happy for them, and she’s happy Tim is getting his forever with Lucy. She knows he deserves that.

Tim and Lucy

Tim loves Lucy, he’s known that for awhile now. He loves when she wakes up before him (which is rare these days) and kisses him gently on the side of the head. He loves when he can hear her humming in the shower. He loves when he gets up and the coffee is already made. The list goes on and on. He loves discovering new things to love about her and he really hopes he never stops.

But the thing is….

Tim has never said those three little words to her. Not yet anyway, he wants it to be perfect because she deserves that. He thinks she loves him too and it’s almost like they are both waiting for the other to say it.

He stretches out in his chair, and then stands up so he can stretch his back. Just as he’s sitting back down the door opens and Lucy comes bouncing in. She’s carrying a bag which he assumes is his lunch.

“Hi baby.” She says excitedly putting the bag in front of him and then leaning over the desk to kiss him.

“Hi.” He says softly pulling her in for another kiss. “I could have met you for lunch.” She shrugs as she sits down.

“I wanted it to be just you and me.” She says leaning back in her seat. Tim smiles T her as he pulls the food out from the bag. It’s his favorite tacos.

He loves her so damn much.

He stares at her as she looks at her phone, she looks up for a second and frowns. “Do you not like your tacos?” She asks putting her phone away.

He stares at her some more and then his eyes flick to the tacos he hasn’t touched yet. “No! I love you- I mean them.” He says in a rush and her eyes widen and her mouth falls open.

“W-hat did y-you just say?” She stutters. Tim gulps because he can’t take it back now, not that he ever would.

“I love you.” He says. “A lot. I mean like a whole lot. I sound stupid right now but…” Lucy chokes out a sound between a laugh and a sob. She leans forward and kisses him hard, and then pulls back and bumps her nose to his. “I love you too.” She says. He leans into her as much as he can with a desk between them and nips at her lips, she loves him! She loves him!

***

Lucy knows she loves Tim and she also knows he loves her because he has told her a million and one times since the first day he said it. But she’s not sure she has loved him anymore than she has in the moment. And the thing is, he is in a hospital bed with a broken arm and broken ribs and her heart feels like it’s about to burst through her chest.

She loves him so much.

“You had me worried.” She says quietly a tear slipping down her cheek. He reaches up pushing some hair out of her face.

“I know baby. I’m sorry.” He says just as quietly. “I’m okay.”

She huffs out a breath. A broken arm and broken ribs weren’t her idea of okay. He must sense her thoughts because he raises up his broken arm. “Well as okay as I can be.” He says. She lets out a laugh sob. And just looks at him as if she’s studying him.

“I love you.” She says through her tears. “Fuck I love you.” She doesn’t know why she’s crying when he is the one in the hospital bed.

“I love you too baby. Now come here.” He says and he moves over only wincing a little. She crawls into bed with him and adjusts herself so she’s not hurting him. He puts his chin on top of her head and let’s out a sigh.

I love you.

#chenford #the rookie #chenford fanfic #tim bradford #tim x lucy #lucy chen #chenford fic #anon answered

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starseneyes · 1 year

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Chenford - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Ep 16

"Exposed" AKA "That Bradford"

Valentine's Day is pushed a week in the universe of The Rookie, but since I'm still not sure what year we're in on the show, that's just fine by me!

SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers are like sugar for me. See, some people love sugar and hate spoilers. I'm the opposite (unless it's macarons or carrot cake). So, if you're spoiler-averse, run. I'll also be spoiling everything that came before. You've been forewarned!

Ready to see how Tim and Lucy's first Valentine's as a couple pans out? Me, too! Let's dive in.

Chenford In Lucy's Bed

No music to lead us into tonight's episode. Only the sounds of the streets. Honking. Cars. Barking dogs. Crickets that have apparently gotten into Lucy's apartment only.

But, anyway, we're not listening to a jamming soundtrack. We're listening to life. It's the sounds a sleeping person might hear in the night.

That's what makes the first sound we hear so jarring. We are with Tim and Lucy in that moment, the harsh buzzing sound of a vibrating, moving phone atop a nightstand.

They've immersed us in this world with them.

And, before I get too swept away... Tim and Lucy in Lucy's bed! To be honest, my very first thought was, "How does he fit in that bed?!".

Of course it's doable, but I've never shared a bed with someone taller than me. Matthew and I are almost the same height! And he complains because I like my feet at the bottom and he likes his head at the top. Learning to share a blanket has been a feat in our marriage!

But Tim and Lucy seem to be sharing the bed well enough—except Lucy is on his side.

Look, it's her bed, so she gets first rights to choosing a side. But I still think it's hilarious they both usually sleep on that side of the bed.

The buzzing sound wakes them. And I gotta ask Lucy what kind of battery she's got in that phone, because it can't be the standard model.

Girlfriend has that phone in her hand all the time during the day, and here she doesn't even have a charge cord in it overnight. That's witchcraft!

"Who is it?" "I don't know" "Hello?" "Loca, you gotta stop texting..."

Lucy jumps up fast. It only takes a second for the wheels to start moving, and she leaps to her dresser, tugging out clothes.

And… I kinda hope a drawer or two belongs to her man. Just sayin’.

"What's happening?" "PUC I trained with distress call. He needs a covert rescue." *Tim sits up* "What are you doing?" "Backing you up."

There's no hesitation in this man, and I can I hear her "thank you" in her look. These two are a team. And while he knows she can handle herself, they both know it's better to have backup.

Lucy's Driving Tim's Ride

Alright, I gotta laugh a little, because my first thought I wrote on this scene (no joke) is, "All about putting Tim in small places today." Seriously. We've taken possibly the tallest member of the cast and put him into all the tiny places and it's cracking me up.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way. Can. We. Talk. About. Lucy!?!

She rolls up into this situation completely in characters, already deep in her backstory and ready to help her friend out of a jam. It's great to get to see her use her UC chops, again.

"Damn You came in hot. Damn." "All clear."

Lucy makes it clear she's not alone. That's a good thing.

Also, I saw a lot of people over on the Twitterverse commenting on him calling her "hot", but this might be a language barrier since this is a turn of phrase. It usually has to do with coming in "guns blazing" or in an otherwise crazy manner.

He's not calling her hot. Well... not yet.

"I'm impressed you managed to scrounge up a backup this fast." "Yeah, I mean, it helps he was sleeping in my bed." "Oh. Oh, you're that Bradford."

Excuse me!? That Bradford?! As in... she talked about Tim!?

"Curious to hear what that means." "No."

I want to know, too! Was Lucy talking about Tim at UC when she was still dating Chris? What was being said that finding out he was in her bed made it all make sense?

Like, hearing "Bradford" didn't click it. It was that he was in her bed.

Did she not talk about Chris at all because she was at UC School and didn't feel the need to fill everyone in on the boyfriend she was bored with? I mean, I get it. I didn't mention my boyfriend when I first met Matt.

No, I wasn't devising a cheating plot or anything. I simply didn't mention the guy because I knew that I was breaking up with him next time I saw him.

Of course, I didn't anticipate Matthew asking me out before that, but "Rejection Day" became the day he proposed three years later, so it all worked out alright for him, I suppose.

And it all worked out for Lucy and "that Bradford", too.

There better be some fics out here that fill in the blanks, because this is another one of those episodes where I have a lot of question marks remaining long after the credits roll.

"Damn it's good to see you hot pants. " "Hot pants." "It's an inside joke."

Inside jokes I get, but it seems like she might explain that one to Tim sometime. Like, I had a nickname at uni from my buddy Sam. We never had interest in one another, but he liked to call me Hot Stuff.

That is... until his Dance Appreciation class had to sit in on my Modern Dance class and he saw me in dance tights. Henceforth, I was Ghetto Booty.

Look, I'm Hispanic and in my thighs and bum... it shows.

No, Matthew never called me either name. So, I get having nicknames and weird in-jokes with someone you'd never be interested in dating. But I do hope she clued Tim in later.

Wesley Hires a Bristow

Is this Sydney's second secret sister? Fellow Alias fans know what I mean. But, as soon as I heard the name I started chuckling aloud, hoping it was a reference.

"You're kidding. Thanks." "Kidding about what" "Uh nothing."

What the hell just went down? Because on this show "nothing" never means nothing. Tim is clearly upset about something.

"You left so early." *arm touch* "I had this whole Valentine's breakfast planned."

D'aww. I mean, that's super cute. I'm kinda sad that Tim missed out on it, but I'm also eager for Tim to cook for Lucy. It's one of those things that I love about them—they both cook.

When Matthew and I met he claimed he could cook one things—eggs. Spoiler Alert: he could not cook eggs.

"Uh, you were up late. I let you sleep."

Marry him. Immediately. That is seriously husband material, right there.

Like, one of the sweetest things Matthew can do for me is let me sleep in. Even before we had kids, he'd let me sleep in and I treasured it.

Lucy, marry that man as soon as you can. He's a keeper!

He's also super on edge. He's looking all around like he doesn't know how to feel comfortable in his own skin.

"We didn't keep you up, did we? " "No, it's fine." *she stops him with a touch* "Hey. Are you okay?" "Yeah. Fine."

You are not fine. You are so fucking far from fine that "fine" is in another zip code. And Lucy knows it.

This girl speaks Tim like no other. So when her man's upset, she knows it. Remember, she "rode long enough with" Tim to know when he's upset. And Tim is upset.

But right now, he wants to focus on work.

"Finally. I'll get right to it."

Grey was not happy Chenford was late getting in. Yikes! Just how late did he let her sleep in!?

"Bradford. Chen. Hold back."

I can hear the kids in elementary school now. "Oooohhh, Lucy and Tim are in truuuubullll!"

In reality, it's just Tim. And poor Tim is already on-edge, and you can hear it coming out in his conversation with Grey.

"I want metro to be ready to move on these guys at a moment's notice." ... "That's why you'll be riding with Chen and Foster today, so there'll be no delays."

From the promos, I was curious how we ended up with these two riding together, again. And, I'm not mad at it, at all!

Shop Talk has been a big deal with these two over the years. So, I'm sure it'll be juicy.

"Everybody adores me, right?" *shoulder touch* "Yup."

Or... not. Tim's barely staying a thing even when he has the chance to compliment his lady.

He's not happy. Lucy is trying to be cordial to her friend and also get through to her boyfriend, but right now attempting both isn't helping her with Tim.

Lucy pulls away from Tim and turns to talking work, which she hopes might work better on Tim. Whatever's bothering him, it's deep. She's going to have to ease him into it.

"We broke up. Well, she broke up with me."

Very similar dialogue to the "Tim tells Lucy about the Ashley breakup" scene. It jumped out at me immediately. I'm not sure if that was an unintentional happenstance, or a reference to the fact that Noah simply wasn't with the right person.

Your guess is as good as mine.

"I'm starting to think the undercover life isn't conducive to a happy relationship."

Tim's. Face. Because he knows all about this. Tim was married to a UC and it didn't go well. And while I think it's a little harsh to blame UC on a relationship ending, we're building quite the use case reference here.

Nyla and her ex. Tim and his ex. Noah and his ex.

If the show's trying to make a point with this, I'm suddenly nervous about Tim and Lucy's path when I haven't been before.

Lucy deserves the chance to go deep cover if she wants it. And Tim would understandably have reservations.

I won't pretend I haven't fantasized about Season 5 ending with Lucy going deep cover and us coming back to Season 6 with a time-jump. But since we haven't yet heard word about Season 6 at all, I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs and hoping Chenford simply survive until the end of the season.

Look, I've got a lot of ship trauma. I want to fully trust, but like my friend Tim, here, I'm not always the best at trust.

"Well, I mean, that probably depends on the couple." "Is that why you're still on Patrol?"

Oooh. Noah just accused Lucy of putting her career on pause for Tim. Yikes.

And, to Lucy's point, I haven't seen her offered a lot of UC this season. It's not like she's been turning offer after offer down, fending off assignments with a stick.

Lucy loves UC and she definitely wants to do it. It's true that she might not be going after those assignments because she's caught in the throes of new love and wants to get this on a solid footing first.

And I think that's important. Because, I feel a big Lucy UC assignment coming. Yes, my feelings could be as unreliable as the Psychic Network, but it does make sense narratively.

"...you were by far the most talented cop at UC school. Be a shame if you didn't take the plunge."

Tim glances over at Lucy, and she has her "pensive" face on. She's considering Noah's words, and I think it's fair that she does.

Look, Tim's advanced his career (unknowingly with Lucy's help) and it's about time Lucy had the opportunity to advance hers.

I'm not a fan who's ready for Tim and Lucy to settle down in a three bedroom home with a meyer lemon tree in the backyard tending babies all day.

And I say this lovingly as a very active mother of three. Lucy deserves the chance to go after what she wants out of her career. I'm blessed to have the kind of husband who supports me working and going after my passions.

I very famously turned down a steady gig to go freelance almost six years ago. I told him I thought it was a better choice. His response? "I disagree, but I support your decision."

Husband of the year, right there. I want Lucy to feel fulfilled career-wise. But I have a feeling this is going to be a future source of angst for Tim and Lucy—and rightfully so.

Tim's reservations are completely understandable. I mean, we've already mentioned the three relationships in their friend circle negatively impacted by UC.

Now, was UC the contributing factor to these relationships ending? Probably not. But it is a commonality that can cloud the fact that each of these relationships likely had other issues.

But I can completely understand how Tim might miss those subtleties. And that's going to be a source of conflict for these two, I think. We'll see if I'm right... only a handful of episodes left in the season!

"Why are you so cranky? First Valentine's Day. You should be basking in the glow of new love." "That's right. What are you guys doing tonight?" "We are not talking about Valentine's Day plans on an open channel."

Tim appreciates that, at least. Look, I love these scenes where the Found Family all get to interact, even if it's only over the radio. But, he has a point, and Lucy comes in to back him up.

They've got each other's backs... even when one of them is obviously pissed and closed off.

But Lucy watches Tim as Grey talks. She's trying to figure him out, because he's barely looking at her. He's barely talking.

And while we all know that Tim isn't the most talkative of guys in the Shop, he usually talks to Lucy. Right now, he's erected an invisible wall between them, and while Lucy can't see it, she can feel the heat of the electricity running through it.

*arm touch* "Out with it." "What?" "What is wrong with you today?" "Nothing." "Bull. "

First off, on this show nothing is ever nothing. Second, have you ever wished that they could just say bullshit on network television? Like, I know there's S&P to deal with, but wouldn't it feel good!?

I remember how excited we all were when Mulder could say "dicking around" in the first X-Files movie when we saw it in theaters. Yes, I'm that old.

But Melissa O'Neil puts as much as she can behind that "bull" so we totally know Lucy Chen is thinking the rest. Like usual, Lucy's calling Tim on his shit.

"Is it Noah? Are you jealous?"

Not like usual, she's actually wrong about what's bothering Tim.

"This is about you going behind my back to get me into Metro." "I did not... " *look from Tim*

Oooh, he's pissed. And, look, I know I talked a lot about wanting Tim to find out he was loved, but finding out that his girlfriend went behind his back to manipulate the situation when he thought he'd earned his place? Ooof. Yeah, that stings.

Think about the moment he got to tell Lucy he got into Metro. He was over-the-moon. He talked about the "rockstar review" he received from Grey and Lucy confirmed it by telling him that he was amazing.

He actually wanted to go out and celebrate himself. Do you know how big that is for someone who grew up with trauma and abuse?

I still struggle with buying myself a dress that isn't off the thrift store rack because I don't know if it's worth it to spend money on myself after I was called selfish as a child. Tim had a father who beat into his head (literally) that he was worthless, without value, and broken.

But for one fleeting second, Tim felt like everything was right in the world. And now that memory is tainted.

Because he didn't earn his place. Right? His girlfriend manipulated it, word has somehow gotten out, and now he has to worry about his manipulation because nobody's going to believe he's good enough.

Tim is so in his own head about this that he can't see it through Lucy's lens. He only has his own, and he's frustrated and fumbling.

"I had to do something. You were miserable riding that desk. " "Okay. Fine. But how do you think that makes me look?" "What?" "How does that make me look? My girlfriend has to solve my problems for me?"

Tim relying on others has never been his strong suit. We know he doesn't ask for help. He doesn't think he deserves it, too often, but he also thinks it makes him look weak.

Again, this is side effects of the trauma he received as a child backed up by a society that emphasizes strong, tough men who don't cry because somehow emotion is a sign of weakness.

Also, can we talk about Tim calling her his girlfriend!? All I need now is for Lucy to introduce Tim as her boyfriend. Yes, I know she told Noah that Tim was in her bed, but I like hearing the labels from her because she's the one who always shied away from them.

Tim is different. But right now Tim is pissed.

"Please tell me this is not some fragile male ego thing." "That is not what's happening here."

He stated it at the top of the conversation—she went behind his back. She lied to him. She feigned ignorance when he told her about it. She manipulated the situation and he was left to find out about it from someone else.

I always wanted Tim to find out... but not like this. Yikes.

I also think Tim might feel like his place was handed to him instead of earned. He is mad that others are going to look at him like we do university students whose parents bribed the admissions' office... with skepticism that they should be there at all.

We, gentle readers, know that's not how it went down. But Tim is hurting and often when we are hurting we shut others out and stew. Tim's practically the king of that.

"Come on! We were just trying to help." "We? Who else was involved?" "Did I say we? Me. Me was trying to help. I was trying to help."

Girl, your ass was just saved by your Backseat Buddy. Although, listening to Lucy talk like Elmo for a second had me rolling.

Tim passes a glare Lucy's way, but she completely misses it. And something about the look that Eric Winter puts into his eyes is completely different from all the glaring Tim has done at Lucy in this Shop before.

And, yes, I'm aware that sounds mental. But it definitely feels more... personal. More raw. More hurt than angry.

Tim's Office

Before we go any further, I have to compare this to 5x09 when she stepped into Grey's office to tell Tim that she'd released the Fourth String Quarterback from her life.

She knocked at the door before coming in. But, here, she slips in as easily as she would her own home. There's comfort, here. Even though they're fighting, she doesn't feel unwelcome. She doesn't feel out of place.

And that confidence in their relationship is sexy as hell. Lucy isn't spiraling because they had a fight. She knows they will get through this. That they are worth it.

Tim's the one who said it back in 5x08 and now they are living it. Tim and Lucy are worth the risk.

"I get why you're angry. Even though you were miserable as court liaison and I spear-headed an almost impossible five person trade to save you, I shouldn't have done it all behind your back."

That was the first thing he said when he told her what was wrong. He was left out of the loop. He was lied to. By the one person he trusts most.

Remember how much I hated all the lying in that episode? Lying catches up to you, even if it's well-intentioned. I guess I don't feel so weird about being so bothered by it seeing that Tim is similarly bothered.

And Tim appreciates Lucy understanding why he is bothered.

"Is that an apology?" "Yes." "Good." "Noo."

I'm having whiplash between so many episodes... Post DOD chat and 5x09 first scene for the "Good". 5x08 for Lucy answering "yes" then "no" to Tim.

Seriously, I think my neurons temporarily short-circuited on that one, because I missed most of the rest of this the first time around, even with subtitles on (because I transcribe live while I watch).

"Because you never would have let me work my magic if I had told you. And then I would have ended up transferring to another station to save you from yourself. And... this worked out so much better. And if you can't see that I'm sorry not sorry."

I'm dying laughing at this. Simply because Lucy started as many sentences with "And" in a short span as I always do. Seriously. Take a look at these Metas. I'm not unaware.

But this is also so her. And when she's being this damn cute, it's hard for Tim to be mad.

That, and she's right. This did work out well, and whatever temporary feelings he has about it, they'll disappear with time. Because he did earn his place. He is amazing. And Lucy acted with love, even if she might not have done it in the best way.

Lucy is more important than the job to him. We already know that.

"Okay..." *giggle* "I accept your non-apology."

Oh, she knew she had him as soon as he cracked that smile. That's why she giggled. I love giggly-in-love-Lucy. It's one of my favorite things.

Like, Melissa O'Neil has imbued Lucy with the cutest giggle known to man, and I smile every time I hear it. It's like Pavlov's Bell, except instead of salivating, I'm beaming.

"Good." "Good."

Are we in a performance of The Court Jester, here? Much as I love that movie, I wasn't expecting to be thrown into it with Chenford. Not ever.

Wow, I need to watch that movie, again, soon. Trust me. Danny Kaye is a treasure.

"So, are we going to dinner or what?" "We are. But your outfit is missing a little something." "What?"

Our girl is fiiiine, Tim. What the hell are you talking about?

Lucy's eyes fall on the box, and she's completely surprised. Remember, this is the girl who had to convince Tim to buy his girlfriend Rachel a birthday present.

Valentine's isn't even a cake holiday, and Tim's here with a jewelry box for his woman?

Endgame. Energy. Tim and Lucy are meant to be, forever and ever.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

Lucy looks at that man like she's ready to marry him right there in his office. The nicest thing he's gifted her before was a sweet final review. And when it comes to picking presents, he's been pretty awful.

Remember, Lucy has had a front-row view to his last three relationships. She didn't expect anything from Tim.

But it's not all those other women. It's Lucy. And since she's had a front-row seat in the past, she knows that this is different for Tim. Tim is doing something for her he wouldn't have done for the others.

And she knows that. She knows how much he loves her, even if they haven't yet said the words. And as she gazes up at him, savoring him before even glimpsing at the gift, she knows she loves him, too.

Because, no matter what he gave her, the gift is in the giving. Tim Bradford went out of his way to ensure she had a present to open. And she will remember how this moment feels the rest of her life.

And I'm now hyper-aware of all my "and" starting sentences.

Back to Tim and Lucy:

"Oh, wow. It's beautiful."

Whatever it is. Look, I don't mean to be cynical or critical, but I seriously have no idea what that necklace is, but I'm so happy Lucy loves it!

"Did you pick this out yourself?" "I did. is that shocking?" "No. You clearly have good taste."

Just wait until the ring, baby! Because we all know that can't be far behind!

And I'm not trying to marry them off, or anything. I'm just saying, we just got confirmation from the woman herself that Tim has good taste. So, when he takes a little trip to the ring counter, we know it's gonna be good.

And just as she once did with her best friend, who is now sadly gone, Lucy sweeps her hair out of the way so he can put the necklace around her neck.

Tim murmurs a "thank you" as Lucy starts to shift gears in her mind. He's standing amazingly close, his hands grazing her neck. He even ensures the charm is centered on her throat before pulling away.

That detail is so personal, and I'm curious if that was actor-choice, director-choice, or script-choice because it makes the moment for me.

"Do you want to skip dinner?"

No. She. Didn't. It's her "Do you wanna come in?" voice. Same cadence, too! Girl wants him just as bad now as she did then.

Tim looks to her, like he's briefly considering it.

"No. I'm hungry, and you're gonna need that fuel for later."

Chenford, meet makeup sex.

Tim touches her back as he shimmies out of his mini office (it really is the day for putting Timmy in Tiny places), leaving her breathless.

Her hand is already on her necklace, holding onto the charm—a physical touchstone to remind her of his love for her. Because he bought this gift for her.

The price tag doesn't matter. The intention does. He somehow did this surreptitiously as an act of love.

Lucy has never felt this loved. We know about the guy who made her sob in her car, the one who cheated on her while she was living with him, Nolan and his easy dumping of her, Emmett and his easy dumping of her, and then Curried Chris who loved an idea of her... not her.

Tim Bradford loves Lucy Chen. She smiles to herself as she follows after him because this mixed feeling of being turned on by an act of love is new. It's the layers that all her relationships before lacked.

Tim and Lucy walked into this relationship already very layered people with a layered relationship. So, it makes sense that their shared romance is also layered.

And they just survived their first fight as a couple. And they are stronger for it.

And... there are too many sentences starting with "and".

Thank you so much for reading and spending this time with me.

I've seen some folks on the Twitterverse complaining about a lack of kiss. Considering tonight might be the first time I remember seeing James and Nyla kiss, I'm not freaking out that we didn't get a kiss. We got a lot.

This episode was packed with Chenford moments. Sleeping together. Waking up together. Having each other's back. Lucy touching Tim every five seconds. First fight as a couple (because their first fight was the first day they met). A freakin' Valentine's Day gift, and it's a necklace. And Tim put it on her. And they're going to dinner, which means they've had reservations a while because they're a pill to get for big romance days.

#Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Melissa O'Neil #Eric Winter #The Rookie #Meta #Lucy x Tim #Tim x Lucy

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soft--dragon · 11 months

Text

Returning Familiarities

Set in the 2012 TMNT universe during season 3, much more wholesome than what we were given during Leo's recovery period from the big fight with Shredder

Word Count: 4,006

Warnings: Mentions of post battle injury/trauma

There isn't much tickle content in this one, but it's very wholesome overall :)

The farmhouse was a welcome breath of fresh air from the busy wildness of New York City. The turtles and humans were much more used to screaming cars and crime at every single turn, but here, it was bird song and frog bellows.

Leo found himself relaxing into the location much more once he was supported by a crutch and able to explore it a little. His mood however, wasn't always the best. He often found himself moping or zoning out, unable to do much of anything with his damaged leg and weak body. The lack of training was annoying to say the least, but there was some good that came out of being out of commission.

He'd been able to spend more quality time with his family. Often, Mikey would encourage movie nights and they'd cram around the small TV to watch old cartoons or lame action movies and make fun of them. Leo was content to simply listen to his family, grateful for the fact that they were alive after everything. Heck, he was lucky to still be breathing. He sipped on his water, basking in the comfortable warmth of his friends in the farmhouse.

Casey and Mikey were exchanging little comments throughout the show, earning laughs from everyone else at the jokes - though Leo only really smiled. That was until Mikey said something incredibly out of pocket.

"Do you think Chris Bradford ever realised how bad his name sounded? Like come on, the name reeks of a pompous American kid living in his mom's basement."

There was a sudden splutter, turning everyone's attention to Leo who was putting down a glass and had a hand pressed over his mouth. Before they could ask if he was okay, Leo swallowed his mouthful of water and started laughing.

It was almost comedic how everyone in the room froze, staring at their leader who was in fits of breathy giggles, eyes pressed shut and smiling so wide it looked close to painful. Leo leant back in his seat, his lingering giggles playing with his words as he spoke, "God Mikey, that was awful." He wiped at his eyes, giving his younger brother a warm grin, only to blink at the wide eyed stare the orange clad turtle was giving him.

"What?" He looked at everyone else and seemed to shrink in on himself under their mutual staring contest with him. "What? What's wrong?"

April was the first to get over herself. She smiled gently and shook her head, "Nothing's wrong, Leo," she reassured. "It's just been a while since we heard that."

"Heard what? A joke?"

"No," Donnie's shocked expression had melted into a fond look. "Your laugh."

"...Oh."

Leo wasn't quite sure what to do with that. Sure he'd been out for three months but he'd been awake for weeks now. He'd laughed at some point.

…Right?

The air was growing uncomfortable, and Mikey, ever the one to break the silence, launched into a new tangent about how the chickens were plotting to kill him. That caught Casey off guard and he instantly grabbed onto the new topic.

The attention shifted off of Leo, but he zoned out of Mikey's passionate proclamation of a chicken coop coup. Had he seriously been so damaged in the fight he hadn't laughed in literal months? The others had looked so spellbound at the noise, but Leo had caught the hopeful, soft look in the eyes of his friends too. So that was probably a good sign, right? He hoped so. He didn't want his messed up throat to have changed his laugh, he didn't realise how badly his friends had been waiting to hear it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Throughout the weeks at the farmhouse, Leo let himself drop his 'mandatory' leader profile, letting himself exist without forcing himself to act fine. Not like his family was buying it anyway.

He spent time with Mikey in the kitchen, offering suggestions for recipes and soft words of encouragement when Mikey needed it. Mikey dropped a couple of silly jokes here and there, and it really didn't take long for Leo's sense of humour to show itself as he muffled small chuckles into his hand. Mikey's face lit up with glee at the sounds, making Leo's chest ease a bit. It looked better than the melancholy that had mutually settled around the house. After a while, he let his hand drop from covering his mouth, his soft giggles filling the air. Even if his throat had been messed with, he saw the tension escape Mikey entirely every time his voice was peppered with mirthful titters. He counted it as a win, on both of their parts.

As Mikey stirred the batter in a bowl, Leo read over the recipe his little brother was using, eyes half lidded and body relaxed in the cosy atmosphere of the kitchen. "You really have improved with your cooking, Mike," he mumbled sleepily, "proud of you."

Mikey smiled brighter than the sun, and Leo was sure if they had been mutated with tails that Mikey's would've been wagging a mile a minute.

"Thanks dude, that means a lot!" He beamed. "Come a long way from worm and algae cakes."

Leo chuckled softly. "Those days weren't the worst honestly."

"Yeah, at least in those days I didn't have to try and figure out what human measurements were. They're kinda weird."

Leo's brow furrowed at that. "You do know what the measurements mean, right?"

"Uhhh…"

Leo's eyes went down to the paper he was reading and bit his lip to stop a smile from forming. He needed to be serious right now. "Mikey?"

"Yeah, bro?"

"How much salt did you put in this?"

"Um, one and a half tablespoons? Just like the recipe said."

Leo stared at him, lips pressed together in disbelief. "Mikey. It said one, or just half a teaspoon."

Mikey paused in his quick whisking to look at Leo. "For real?"

Leo gave a single bemused nod. "I’m not kidding."

Mikey blinked then shrugged. "Welp," he hummed. "Can't be any saltier than Donnie after losing a sparring match."

Leo actually snorted at that, slapping a hand over his mouth but Mikey already heard it, bouncing on his toes in glee. "Awww dude!"

"Shush, that didn't happen, Mikey-"

"That was so cute! You haven’t snorted since we were kids!"

"Mikey be quiet-!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hanging out with Donnie and Casey in the barn was much calmer than Leo expected. Well, calm for them at least. Where he expected them to butt heads and exchange insults every few minutes, they tossed each other tools and made light hearted jokes. Leo sat to the side on a hay bale, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere they'd clearly had been working in for a while now. It was surprising how much people could mature over three months while you're out cold. But Donnie and Casey pulled him into their little discussions, asking for opinions or ideas even though Leo knew next to nothing about their projects. It was nice, surprisingly, just existing with them. However, with their combined humour and general attitudes, Leo was pretty sure he was going to die.

"G-Guys stop plehease I cahan't breathe-" he wheezed, a hand pressed over his stomach which was starting to ache with how much he'd been laughing.

Casey, in a similar state, was slumped against his car project, dirty hand pressed to his forehead as he barked with laughter. "I'm not messing with you, Leo! Donnie literally tried to eat a freaking table he was so tired! And that wasn't even the worst of it!"

"Oh, be quiet, Jones," Donnie grinned, throwing a rag at the boy who caught it dutifully. "You're gonna ruin my reputation as the only sane one on the team."

"Donnie, when we were kids you made a bomb to get Raph back for calling you a nerd!" Leo gasped through his snickers, wiping at his eyes that had gathered moisture.

Casey swung around to Donnie. "You did WHAT?!"

Leo didn't notice Donnie and Casey keeping a tally chart of times they made him laugh - kind of a competition to see who could get him to laugh more. Donnie won in the end, but Casey blamed that on the fact that they grew up together. Little cheater knew Leo's sense of humour from birth. The winner didn't matter though. Seeing Leo throw his head back in a fit of bright cackles at Casey's screams of disbelief was worth so much more than bragging rights.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April had been trying to train more with her tessen and telepathic abilities, and as much as Leo wanted to spar with her, there really wasn't much he could do in terms of physical stuff. Instead, he did stretches with her, - it helped his aches anyway so it was a win win - coached her through katas' and improved things where he could. His small corrections did seem to help her, the smile she sent his way when she did something perfectly never failed to make Leo smile back with an enthusiastic thumbs up. He tried to ignore the pang in his chest from having to sit on the side lines, wanting more than anything to be up on his feet and training too.

Her telepathic training however, was much more fun for the pair of them. Leo, while expected to be the mature one, was cut some slack while recovering. And because of that, no one really expected him to take that slackened expectation and run with it. He and April were a rather surprisingly chaotic duo.

As training, they'd play harmless pranks on the others. Using April's telekinesis to move objects to scare people, and making Mikey's water balloons blow up in his hands before he could throw them. Mikey swore the house was haunted by a ‘KillJoy Ghost’ who’s afterlife mission was to thwart Doctor Prankenstein. They just let him believe it, it made for some rather entertaining segments of Mikey trying to recreate Ghost Busters to catch the KillJoy Ghost. They would come clean after Mikey eventually broke something in the future - which surprisingly hadn’t happened yet. They also used April’s powers to float Donnie's tools when he was up at ungodly hours, doing this to trick him into thinking he was hallucinating from lack of sleep - therefore forcing him take a nap. Things like that were counted as training so April could have better control of her psychic abilities. However, there were times when Leo kind of wished she didn't have them.

They'd been collecting eggs from the chicken coop while the birds themselves tried to eat Mikey's ankles a fair distance away. Leo had finished his side of the coop and put down the egg basket, flicking his eyes to his youngest brother to make sure the chickens weren't really trying to kill him. The chicken coop coup may actually have been legit. Something soft and fluffy brushed against the back of his neck and Leo yelped, girly and high pitched. He slapped a hand over the sensitive skin, spinning to look at April who was still tending to the chicken eggs. He looked back again, for a sign of a leaf of something that could've brushed against him. The same sensation flicked over the back of his knees, a squeak pulling from the turtle and looking down to see what on earth it was. A floating chicken feather.

"April." He looked at her with a half-hearted glare.

The girl giggled, peeking up with a smile. "Sorry, I couldn't resist it." Her eyes then took on a playful look. "Didn't know you were ticklish, Leo."

Leo raised a hand in warning. "Don't you dare." It sounded weak even to him.

April apparently did dare because the feather suddenly rushed up to dance along the underside of his chin and neck once more. High pitched giggles leapt out of Leo instantly, shoulders shooting up to protect the sensitive skin the best he could. April cooed under her breath as the turtle squirmed in place, trying to stop his laughter but ultimately failing miserably.

Leo tried to swat the pesky feather away, but April had improved with her abilities and sent it zooming to another location before Leo’s hand was even close to it. “Aprihihil! Quhihiit ihihit!” He giggled, hunching in on himself and swinging at the feather whenever it fell into his sightlines.

“I’m not doing anything,” April replied innocently, swirling the feather around Leo’s open armpit and grinning when he practically squealed. The big bad leader of the Ninja Turtles was defeated by a feather. It was pretty cute.

It was when she brushed along his knees and ankles that his body finally collapsed under the sensations. Leo curled into a ball on the grass, giggling and squeaking like the child he was as the feather circled him like a vulture, occasionally swooping in to tickle the turtle. April was internally fawning over Leo’s endearing reactions, not having expected the guy to be this ticklish. It was lucky most of the boys were inside lest Leo die of embarrassment from succumbing to this playful barrage, at least Mikey was too far away to hear them.

She didn't tickle him for too long, backing down after a minute or two to let him breathe. Leo stayed huddled on the ground as he rubbed at the attacked spots and tried to stop his lingering titters, though they seemed permanently intertwined with his voice box now. When sufficiently calmed down, he sat up and pointed at April with a faux annoyed glare.

"Once I'm at full strength again,” he promised playfully, “I am so going to get you back."

April laughed and leaned against the coop. "We'll see, Leo," she grinned, catching the feather that had returned to her. "I may be more powerful by then, could probably take on all five of you boys."

Leo puffed out an amused breath. "Probably," he admitted. Then his smile got evil as a thought crossed his mind. "Think we could get away with doing that to Raph as training next time?"

April's answering grin was a recipe for disaster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raph had put himself in charge of Leo's recovery back to full strength. At first, Leo was incredibly disheartened as he could barely walk a few metres without needing a breather, often snarling venom at his own body for betraying him. Raph however, wasn't at all condescending or brash, instead at Leo’s side with a steady hand and confidence that the fatigue wouldn't be forever. True to his word, with Raph's frequent encouragement and training, Leo was on his feet far faster than he expected, forgoing the crutch when he could, even if Donnie disapproved. Raph would die before he admitted it, but seeing Leo in such excitement when he could walk farther made his chest warm with pride. His brother was stubborn as a bull, the recovery was expected, maybe not in such a short time frame, but expected all the same.

Something Raph had insisted on was getting them to go on small hikes or walks through the woods, taking alternate routes each time for different terrain, but never straying far enough that they’d get lost. You only make that mistake once. Their necks still twinged every time they thought about April’s killer pinch and lecture on getting home safely. She certainly filled the role of ‘Overprotective Sibling’, Leo was honestly impressed he could almost be outdone. Almost.

The pair were doing another trek through the forest together, conversing to fill the bird song speckled woodlands with a little more noise. There was no sign of Bigfoot and that hunter that got enamoured with the cryptid, and Leo was grateful that they’d disappeared. That whole situation was weird to begin with, but the jokes that came from the experience were almost worth the nightmare fuel.

“Okay, but imagine if she and Donnie actually did like each other,” Raph swung a stick he’d found in front of him. “Imagine the kids that would’ve come from that relationship.”

“No thanks,” Leo shuddered. “Just be glad it wasn’t some kind of mutant naked mole rat or something. I don’t think I could’ve handled that.”

“Can’t be any more different from Casey,” Raph chuckled, earning an amused snort from his brother and an eye roll. “No, no I’m serious Leo, think about it.”

“I don’t want to think about it-”

“Too bad, I’m making you think about it.” Raph was suddenly in Leo’s space, grinning widely and punching at his shoulders gently. “A massive naked mole rat, right? Just give it shaggy black hair and a hockey stick, boom, Casey Jones.”

“Stop. Stop. That’s just weird-” Leo almost wheezed at the thought, pushing away Raph and trying to walk away, but Raph kept jumping in front of him and didn’t stop poking the bear.

“They have similar behaviour too! They get so violent when something outside of their colony tries to get close - I saw a documentary with Donnie about it - and Casey is just like that! Think of how many times he’s attacked random strangers just because they tried to hurt any of us.”

Leo was struggling to keep himself together. He forced himself not to laugh at Raph’s sudden hyperfixation on comparing Casey to a naked mole rat of all things as he answered. “Are you honestly suggesting that Casey is secretly a mole man?”

“With how much he digs himself into holes then yeah, I’d say that our resident, anger ridden, hockey loving friend is a naked mole rat.”

Leo couldn’t stop the laugh that burst free from him, determinedly trying to put as much space between himself and his red coded brother just so he could escape this conspiracy conversation.

“Hey! I wasn’t done! I wanna give you more examples!”

“I don’t want to hear them.”

“You laughed!”

Well, that was true, but Leo didn’t want to egg Raph on about this lest he actually try to see if Casey was a mole man. “It was the wind.”

“The wind-? Are you saying that I’m not funny?! No. No, no, no. Leo, come back here-”

Leo was already walking as fast as he could manage deeper into the woods, careful to mind roots and rocks so he didn’t trip. He heard Raph chuckling from behind him and his footsteps getting closer.

“Those naked mole rats use scents to identify each other, and we already know Casey knows what we smell like from a mile off because of the sewers. Plus he definitely knows what April smells like cause of his crush on her-”

“I’m not listening to this.”

“They also use high pitched screams to tell others that there’s danger. Have you heard his screaming before? You gotta admit that it’s accurate.”

“Not listening!”

“And hey, I just remembered that most male naked mole rats work for most of their lives and don’t breed, which is accurate for Casey, right?”

That one made Leo choke on air and almost stumble. “Oh my god, Raph! That is so wrong!” Leo couldn’t stop the giggles that fell from him as he shook his head, trying to push the thought out of his mind.

“But I’m right about this!”

“I don’t want to think about Casey’s body count!”

“In murder or getting lai-?”

Leo swung around and grappled to put Raph in a chokehold. “Stop talking about it!” Leo pleaded through barely kept back laughter, his smile matching Raph’s grin as they tussled in the middle of the forest.

“Never! I’ll make you see the truth!”

“You’re such an idiot!”

Raph managed to hook his arm around Leo’s good leg and force him to the ground, rolling onto his shell to put his brother in the same chokehold that Leo had just attempted.

A surprised squawk was wrangled out of Leo. “Hey!”’

“I’m just trying to open your eyes man.”

Leo’s chest was warm as laughter spilled free from his mouth, his heart lighter than ever as he playfully wrestled with his brother. He roughly dug his elbow into Raph’s plastron, getting a grunt from the teenager and making him lose his grip. Leo used it to force Raph off of him and pin him face down on the grass.

“Stop talking about cursed Casey concepts!” He ordered, pressing Raph’s arm to his carapace and holding it there.

Raph tried to kick at Leo from his face down position, but he couldn’t reach. Sometimes he was grateful for being a short turtle, this was not one of those times. It took fifteen seconds of his arm being bent awkwardly that he finally smacked the ground twice to yield. Leo let go immediately and lay down by Raph on the leaves, their shoulders almost touching. Raph grumbled light-heartedly and kept his face in the grass so he didn’t have to face any gloating. Leo chuckled softly and patted his brother’s shell, partially a condolence for the loss and a comforting gesture. The birds continued to sing unbothered above the pair, making the forest feel beautifully serene. Raph breathed in deeply. As much as he enjoyed crime fighting, it was actually kinda nice being away from the constant noise and battles. Maybe when they defeated Shredder they could come back here for holidays? That sounded nice.

“...I actually got you.”

The awed words stirred Raph from his musings to look at Leo in surprise. Leo was grinning up at the canopy, a spark in his eyes that hadn’t been seen for a long time. He found himself smiling as he rolled onto his back too and punched his brother’s arm affectionately. “Told you you’d be able to take me down again soon enough.”

Leo chuckled. “Yeah.” He then scoffed and pressed the skin between his eyes with his thumb and index fingers, a disbelieving smile on his face as he muttered. “And I can’t believe it was over Casey Jones being a mutant naked mole rat.”

Raph’s laughter rang through the forest, Leo’s following a moment after as they lay side by side in the grass, marvelling at the ridiculousness of their prior conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April had written in a diary for months since their arrival at the Farm House, and she could confidently say that she now had a favourite section of the journal. It was when Leo had recovered so far that he had forgone the crutches for a solid week and could do something he hadn’t been able to since he woke up.

"Guys! Look at this!"

Leo was laughing as he ran, jumping small distances and being able to continue running. The boys and their humans cheered him on, whooping and clapping as he spun in the air and regained his footing.

"Yes Leo!" Mikey ecstatically pumped his fists into the air, looking close to joining Leo in his sprint with how much he was bouncing up and down on the spot.

Leo spun on his heel and boosted straight for his family, arms outstretched and mouth open in a wide grin. In a smooth motion, he swept Mikey into his arms and spun him around in a tight hug, laughing into his shoulder in pure glee.

"I was running, guys! I was running!" He gasped, eyes squinting with the force of his smile.

"We saw!" April grinned proudly, moving to wrap her arms around the pair of laughing brothers.

The others swarmed around them, joining the hug and grinning at Leo's lingering giggles, the excitement in his chest making his heart feel like it was pounding a mile a minute, or that may have been the exercise aftermath. Either way, Leo didn't care. Wrapped up in the arms of his family, he tipped his head back and whooped loudly in victorious glee, his leg not even twinging in the slightest. His family shared a soft look at the oldest turtle brother, his laughter contagious and relieving to hear unbridled, so carefree.

Finally, after months of a slow recovery, it seemed to be turning around for them all.

#my fanfic #tmnt 12 #tmnt #fanfic #this is mainly just fluff #i desperately need leo to get more hugs #he went through a lot #fluff #tmnt tickle #2012 leo #2012 donnie #2012 mikey #2012 raph #2012 april o'neil #2012 casey jones

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silverskull · 1 year

Note

Chenford + UC school + Noah

&Chenford + noah is just a friend

&Chenford + Tim gets jealous of Noah

&Chenford + Chris finds out Lucy is with Tim 💕

This fic is for the most wonderful anon/anons on Tumblr who persistently pepper my ask box with fic suggestions. Whether you are one person or many, you make me so happy. To think that there's someone out there who is actively enticing me to write is the strangest sort of good feeling, and I love you, nonnie.

I actually wasn't very enthusiastic about the whole Noah and Chris and Tim thing, but when I started to combine the suggestions with one another, it came out as something I wasn't expecting. I hope you don't feel cheated, and more importantly, I hope you enjoy. 💖 (5000 word fic in full below, but a kudos or comment on AO3 is always much appreciated, as are rebloggios!)

“Wuh-oh.”

Lucy spun quickly on her heel, the handcuffs on her duty belt clanking in protest as she turned and smashed directly into the solid wall of Sergeant Grey’s chest.

Grey sighed, pushing her back gently and dusting himself off with a wearily raised eyebrow.

“Forget something, Officer Chen?”

“Uh, no, Sir,” Lucy stammered, looking for the quickest route around the Watch Commander, “I, uh, just need to, uh… check if-”

The station’s automatic doors breezed open behind her, wafting the smell of exhaust into the air of the lobby around them.

“Lucy?”

Too late.

***

“Tim is just…” Lucy twirled her shot glass on the slick surface of the bar table, absently glad she’d worn short sleeves, because she’d already left her elbow in the puddle of spilled liquor at least three times since they’d sat down. The flame of a small centrepiece candle wavered and blurred before her as her thoughts drifted and her eyes unfocused.

“Just… ‘a friend’?” Noah finished for her, grinning and bumping her with his elbow as he downed his own shot. He winced at the burn, then waggled his eyebrows at her.

Lucy rolled her eyes and threw back her tequila. “I don’t even think you could call us that any more.” She’d succumbed to gloominess, only agreeing to go out with the UC gang because being alone in her hotel room would mean no-one was keeping track of her drinking. They’d had a long day of lectures and written tests, and when she finally got to check her phone, there wasn’t even a meme from Aaron. It was as if she’d been completely forgotten by everyone she cared about.

“Psshh.” Noah blew a messy raspberry, slapping the puddle of liquor and sending a small tsunami of droplets across both of their laps. “It took you nearly two weeks to tell me you had a different boyfriend. I thought for sure you and Bradford were married.”

“Wh- Noah!” Lucy slapped his shoulder, half amused, half embarrassed. He leaned away from her, smirking, but only long enough to pull them two new bottles of beer from the shared ice bucket. “Chris Sanford. Tim Bradford. It’s not that hard.”

“Don’t they have any other varieties of surname down in Mid-Wilshire? How am I supposed to tell them apart?”

“You’d know them if you saw them,” she murmured, uncapping her beer and taking a deep swig.

“Oh really?” Noah asked, intrigued. His eyes glimmered with quick humour and he sat up straighter. “I can picture it now: Chris Sandyford, ace attorney. Tall, blonde, preppy. Probably played lacrosse in high-school.”

Despite herself, Lucy burst into a fit of laughter. Noah continued, painting the air with his fingers.

“Timothée Bradburn. Dark, skinny, moody. Hair a little too long for a cop, but suits his ‘aesthetic’. Loves to read, but only paperbacks. Trademarks the word ‘asshole’.”

Lucy had bent double, gasping for breath, balancing herself with one now-soaked arm on the wet table.

“I don’t care if he was your TO,” Noah continued, “I’m rooting for Bradburn. Team Tim, all the way.” He raised his bottle in salute to Tim, commencing a ripple of cheers from the rest of their group.

“Oh my god.” It took her a solid minute of wheezing and coughing to recover, and Noah smiled innocently at her the whole time, calmly sipping from his beer and clapping her enthusiastically on the back.

“You are never invited to Mid-Wilshire. Just so you know.” She poked him in the shoulder when she could breathe again, to emphasise her point.

“Oh yeah?” He smirked, bending low to the table and hiding his face behind his beer bottle and a small stack of coasters. “Well, I’ll just have to be discreet. You’ll never see me coming.”

She swiped a splash of the spill at him and he dodged, toppling his bottle into the coasters. He lurched forward to save it at the same moment as Lucy, and between them the candle went spinning around the table, tipping onto Lucy’s lap and splashing wax all over her jeans.

“Ow! Ow ow ow! Hot!”

She leapt off her stool, desperately trying to knock the melted wax away, but it had soaked through the material and was already stinging painfully against her skin.

At a loss, Noah looked helplessly at their friends, all shouting and pointing at once, unintelligible and useless. Reflexively, he grabbed his beer bottle and sloshed it at Lucy.

Foam.

Bubbles and foam.

Bubbles and foam and a merciful - if slightly sour - coolness spread across her legs.

There was silence for a moment.

Lucy ran her hands across her soaked jeans, shaking off the residue and shoving her hair out of her eyes.

Someone snorted. Another coughed. Then a giggle. Soon the entire table was convulsing in laughter, passing napkins and coasters across to Lucy, helping her dab off her jeans and her stool and her arms. Noah grimaced apologetically, cleaning the table in front of her and handing the quenched candle to an exasperated waitress.

“If it helps, this has given me a great idea…” he said, arranging their stools back beside the table and gesturing for two more beers from the bucket.

“I don’t think I want to know any more of your ideas tonight,” Lucy said, sitting gingerly on the slightly sticky seat and eyeing him suspiciously.

“No no, you’ll like this one, I swear!” He uncapped their drinks, clinking the bottles together carefully. “I’ve finally thought of your UC nickname… ‘Hotpants’.”

Lucy choked, spraying beer back onto the table and saturating the sleeve of Noah’s sweater.

The gang erupted in laughter again, pelting Noah with napkins and coasters.

Lucy was glad she’d gone out with them.

Who needed memes from Aaron anyway?

***

“Detective Foster. Good to see you again.” Grey reached beyond Lucy to shake hands with Noah. “Lopez has a desk ready for your report.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Noah grinned cheekily at Lucy as Grey took a step back. “How you doin’, Hotpants?” He pulled her into a quick hug, pecking her on the cheek before she had time to react.

Lucy swallowed a slightly hysterical giggle, shoving him back with a tight grip on his arms.

“Good, all good. I didn’t expect to see you here today,” she answered, frowning. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, of course!” He slipped his arm around her back, leaning in close to whisper conspiratorially, “Lopez wanted someone actually good at UC to draft the Army of Freedom report for the DA.”

She jabbed him lightly with her elbow, knowing full well that her amusement was showing on her face. Grey shook his head at her, rolling his eyes and folding his arms.

She’d almost forgotten her urgent need to get out of there.

The doors swished open again.

“Lucy?”

Shit.

***

“Tim is just…” Lucy rolled her sushi over once more in the bowl of soy sauce. It was far too saturated to eat now, but she’d lost her train of thought, and with it, apparently, her appetite.

“Just… jealous?” Chris finished with a snort, tossing back another California roll.

“What? No!” Lucy tamped down on the wave of protective indignation that surged within her, sighing and dropping her chopsticks onto her plate. Wine it was, then. She settled back into the couch. “No. He’s just… just…”

“A walking billboard for ‘defund the police’?”

“Chris!” She dropped her wine glass onto the table so fast, it nearly sloshed over the edges.

“No, no, babe. You know I don’t mean you when I say that.” Chris patted her on the arm, still fully focused on the platter of sushi in front of him. “But the movement has a point. And moody hardasses like Bradford are exactly the kind of cop people are scared of running into. I’ll never understand why you’re so patient with him.”

Lucy scoffed, the burn of wine and soy sauce tasting bitter in her throat.

“Our job isn’t to be everybody’s friend.”

“Hold on, hold on…” Chris chewed and swallowed another roll, raising his hand for her to wait. “You want me to give teenage thieves a second or third chance; but Bradford can just roll up on someone, slap on some cuffs, throw them in the system, and that’s all part and parcel of the job? Lucy! Come on!”

“You don’t see the same city we do.” She reached for her wine again, closing her eyes. This type of conversation was never worth the energy. “We see people on their worst days. For some of them, they’ve embraced it and decided to make it everybody else’s worst day too. For others, it’s just a hole they’ve fallen into. Throw them a ladder and they’ll find their own way out.” She sipped her wine thoughtfully. “We’re responsible for making that judgement. Every day takes a toll on you. Tim is just…”

Her mouth wouldn’t form the words.

Upset? Lonely? Broken-hearted?

How would someone feel after being broken up with by 2022’s answer to Pamela Anderson?

“Tired,” she finished, lamely, taking a larger gulp of wine than she’d intended.

“Sure, but can you imagine having him over for dinner?” Chris had moved onto the sashimi, delicately considering both the tuna and the salmon. “You, me, and Tired Tim?” He decided on the salmon, dropping even more wasabi into his soy sauce. “I mean, our first date was awkward enough, what with him and Ashley. What would we do with him here?”

“Well I thought we were going out for Mediterranean,” Lucy began, her tongue nearly wrinkling in horror at the amount of wasabi now coating Chris’ salmon, “But, hey - what do you mean ‘awkward’?”

She waited while Chris chewed thoughtfully, her mind’s eye providing her with a technicolour highlight reel of enoki pancakes, cyborg bodies and Tim’s cynical smile; salty sea air and tiny grains of sand peppering through the recollection of his fingertips brushing her arm, his cologne wafting across the breeze, his eyes deep and dark beside her in the subtle light of the beach torches.

“Well, they were obviously entirely mismatched,” Chris said, throwing her a look of forbearance. “Ashley is sweet and kind and outgoing - I mean, she’s not that different from you.”

It was Lucy’s turn to snort, feeling her forehead crease sceptically.

“No, no - let me finish!” Chris laughed, finally looking away from his food and reaching for her hand. “She’s all those nice bits of you, sure. But she’s not tough. And she’s obviously got no tolerance for asshole behaviour. He spent that whole night talking to you. Turned to you. Looking at you.”

Suddenly, the images in her head were taking on a different tone.

The warm orange glow of the flickering flames on their skin.

The soft velvet brush of Tim’s dinner jacket against her arm.

His knees bumping hers below the table time and again, and again.

She shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the sudden rush of heat along her neck, the goosebumps tingling over her arms.

“He must be exhausted trying to keep up his ‘nice guy’ image for her. Maybe one of these days she’ll realise he’s just not-”

“Tim-” Lucy closed her eyes, changing her mind and reaching out a stalling hand towards her boyfriend. “Chris, let’s just drop the Tim stuff for now. Please?”

Chris smiled agreeably, chuckling and topping up her wine glass.

Cheap wine, good sushi and the companionship of a charming man.

What more could she want?

***

“Mr Sanford. Detective Harper is all set up for you in the conference room.” Grey turned slightly, gesturing to the corridor behind him.

Noah laughed, the sound at odds with the seriousness of Chris Sanford’s face.

“They make Sergeants work as greeters in Mid-Wilshire too? Sheesh, this place is tough!”

The only thing saving Noah from a severe Sergeant-Grey-Disapproving-Frown was his cheeky grin, and Lucy averted her eyes as he murmured a goodbye in her ear, squeezing her arm and wisely removing himself from the situation, promising to meet up with her later for lunch.

Grey, usually so composed and unruffled, seemed to Lucy to have a glint of mischief in his eyes as he looked between her, the departing detective and the arriving attorney.

“You’re up to date on the entire Elijah escapade, I take it?” Grey asked Chris, his arms still folded and his posture relaxed and at ease. There was no way he wasn’t enjoying her obvious agitation at the sudden influx of attentive men.

“Of course,” Chris replied, loosely shaking his briefcase. “Can’t wait to put him away for a couple of centuries, at the very least.”

Grey smirked, nodding approvingly. “You and me both.”

He didn’t leave, but Grey moved away, looking out through the glass doors as if waiting for someone. Lucy half wished he’d stayed beside her.

An awkward silence descended in his absence.

“So…” Chris was addressing her, scuffing one foot anxiously on the floor, his eyes darting between hers and anywhere else in the lobby. “It’s been a while.”

She coughed out a laugh. Given their jobs, it was unlikely they’d never run into one another again. If he’d just stayed for five more minutes at her apartment that night, this would have been dealt with already.

Well. She might as well get it over with.

“Yeah.” She knew she was picking at her own nails, and she made a conscious effort to stop, grabbing her duty belt tightly instead. “Um, how are you?”

Chris paused, staring at her incredulously.

She bit her lip, feeling the mild sting of guilt roll up along her shoulders.

“I’m… I’m shit, Lucy.” He glared at her, his mouth falling open on his last words. “I feel like shit. I thought we were tight. I thought things were good, thought we were ready for the next step. And then you dump me? Ask me for my ‘playbook’? What the hell sort of bitchy, high school, mean girl move was that?”

Lucy was feeling at least three different shades of guilty - the mildest one being that of dumping a guy she wasn’t fully invested in. Another was certainly more of the high school variety - her? Lucy Chen? A bitch?! Never! Everybody adored her!

The third was one she’d grown accustomed to: the guilt of being in a relationship with one person, whilst clearly head-over-heels for another. This was a feeling so familiar to Lucy, she’d only noticed its absence once she and Tim had finally made their status openly official. Every time she grabbed his arm in the station now felt natural and right; every time she held his hand in front of their friends felt like she’d landed safely where she belonged; every time she cuddled in to him, kissed the edge of his jaw while they watched old movies on the couch with Tamara and Kojo, she felt like she was home. Home and safe and loved. Exactly where she was supposed to be.

Not that it was any surprise, but Chris obviously didn’t share the same internal ideation as Lucy.

“And now - what? You’re hooking up with the first out-of-town, greasy-ass detective that shows an interest in you? I thought you had higher standards than that.”

Suddenly, Lucy found she didn’t care how ‘high-school’ Chris found her moves to be.

“Excuse me?!” The disbelief in her voice raised the end of the question to a higher pitch than she’d have liked.

“Oh come on.” Chris waved his hand towards the corridor where Noah had disappeared just moments ago. “As if I couldn’t see that guy fawning all over you. What? Just because he wears a hoodie with a leather jacket, it makes him catnip?”

Lucy was caught somewhere between confusion and hilarity.

“Are you seriously gatekeeping who I talk to right now?”

“Well maybe if I had paid better attention when we were together this wouldn’t be happening!”

“Ugh, Chris…”

“No. Lucy, seriously.” Chris stepped closer to her. “What is this? What’s happening right now?”

“Chris-” She took a step back, raising her hands to keep the distance between them. “It’s not whatever you think it is.”

“Then what?” The pleading look on his face was genuine; puppy-dog eyes, beseeching eyebrows and all. “What? You needed danger? A serial killer tried to murder me! You need a do-gooder hero? I’m all ears! Tell me who to save, when to let them off the hook - I’ll listen. You want to put the bad guys away for life? That’s literally my job!”

“Chris, come on. Stop being ridiculous.” He was unnerving her now, too close and too needy, and nothing like the genuinely nice man she used to date. Her mouth took control of the situation before she had a chance to process the thought. “I never felt the way about you that you wanted me to. I wasn’t in love with you.”

The silence fell heavily between them, Chris’ face drooping in disappointment. Lucy was suddenly very aware that her boss was still standing well within earshot, Grey shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other as the doors slid smoothly open in front of him for a third time.

“Lucy?”

There was no fucking way this day was happening to her.

***

“Tim is just…what?”

Sleep was still clinging to the edge of his words, a yawn overtaking the end of the question as he rolled away from her and stretched his arms over his head.

“Tim is just about to wake up, obviously,” she answered, shuffling onto her side and sliding her hand across his chest as he uncurled from the foetal position.

There were many revelations that came with having Tim Bradford in one’s bed, but one of the most surprising to her was how small he made himself in sleep; feet tucked up under her legs, head snuggled into her shoulder, one or both hands wrapped tightly around her chest or arms. He didn’t seem to notice, and she had no intention of bringing it up, but it still made her heart flutter fiercely when she woke before him and found him knit tightly and securely into her side.

“Who are you talking to?” he asked, still yawning widely, his hand finding hers and lacing their fingers together on his stomach.

“Only the best boy in the whole world.”

From his bed on the floor beside her, Kojo snuffed out a low ‘woof’, clearly recognising the words that applied to him, and him only.

Tim snorted, nuzzling his nose into her forehead.

It was one of their rare weekends off together, and with no alarms or deadlines, they’d (eventually) fallen into deep sleep, waking only once the sun rose high and bright above the buildings opposite, flooding their bedroom with warm, golden light.

As much as she loved their vibrant city, Lucy couldn’t think of any more perfect way to start the day.

“Are you happy?”

At first she thought he’d fallen asleep again, murmuring nonsense into her temple. She pulled back to look up at him properly only to see his eyes, still languid, but very much awake and focused on her.

She blinked and shook her head, almost laughing.

“Why are you asking me that?”

It had the sound of a Tim Test, but not the feeling, and she wanted to decipher him a bit more before she inadvertently agreed to a weekend of jogging, or something equally as unappetising.

With his answer, he took her by surprise again.

“Because I’m happy.”

She and Tim had been thrust together in Mid-Wilshire, and she’d never been fully sure of Grey’s reasoning. Pairing Tim with Jackson would, on paper, have made far more sense, and probably would have been exactly what Percy West would have wanted. Grey wasn’t a rule breaker; never went out of his way to upset anyone’s applecart; so he must have had his reasons.

Whatever they were, it had either worked out - or backfired - spectacularly, and they remained the only Rookie/TO pairing that had ever completed their entire probation together since she’d arrived at Mid-Wilshire. Grey (probably) hadn’t expected their partnership to develop in quite the way that it had, but beyond a raised eyebrow or a knowing smirk, he never commented.

As far as she was concerned, she’d never seen Tim as a ‘project’. He’d started as a necessary pain-in-the-ass, developing, slowly, into someone she could rely on, could learn from; someone she could repay with the same opportunities he provided for her. Eventually, he became part of the furniture of her day; safe and comfortable and inviting, in his own way. Jackson and Nolan had never quite understood her, but she hadn’t needed to explain herself to them. Tim was just Tim.

She never admitted to anyone that she’d been half-terrified going out into the world without him on her first proper day as P2. She’d bumped his number up on her speed-dial list, ensuring the phone’s voice-command would recognise her words and call him if she had to yell. It had all worked out fine, and, in retrospect, she was glad she’d had that extra time with Jackson. But it hadn’t stopped her secretly missing Tim’s gruff commands, the snarky roll of his eyes, or the days he’d quietly buy her lunch and walk away and leave her if she insulted him with payment.

In all that time he’d been rude, or tolerant; biting, or thoughtful; angry and miserable, or accepting and good-humoured. It had taken him time to show her all the facets of his personality, and she was still one of the rare few who ever got to see that much.

But to see him happy?

To see him happy, and to know he was happy?

To have him admit that he was happy?

Voluntarily?

This man was still full of surprises.

She surged up into him, kissing him hard and firm and fierce. She’d let go of his hand and her fingers combed through his hair, trying to pull his head as close to her as she could, stroking through the short hairs and along the warm skin of his neck.

He didn’t seem to mind her sudden attack, looping his arms tightly around her waist and drawing her in to him, one leg wrapping around the back of her knees, his fingers slipping cool and certain under her t-shirt and along her ribs.

She’d have been happy to keep going, but his stomach rumbled and he eventually pulled back, eyes closed and lips smiling, his nose and forehead pressed softly against her own.

“I’m very happy.” The words were nearly more a feeling, flowing from her mouth into his across the short space between them. “Very.”

He opened his eyes then, his pupils blurring before her, until he moved back and, still smiling, dropped a kiss onto her nose.

“Good.”

Kojo grumbled again, assuming he was still being spoken to, and Tim snorted, rolling away from her and throwing back the covers. Lucy groaned.

“Where are you going?” She couldn’t help that it sounded petulant, and she buried herself further under the blankets to add weight to her protest.

Tim’s voice was muffled as he pulled yesterday’s white t-shirt over his head.

“I’m hungry.”

“Ugh.” Lucy kicked her legs indignantly under the covers. “Kojo? Do you want to come up into this warm, cosy, comfortable bed with me instead?”

She heard the dog hop upright, his nails ticking along the floor as he scrambled out of his bed and around the room to the foot of hers.

“Kojo. Sit.” Tim’s voice was no-nonsense, and Kojo immediately complied, his tail thumping happily against the bedpost as he obligingly switched allegiances. “Only good boys who stay off the furniture get bacon and eggs.”

“You are literally - No. Fun.” Lucy complained, shuffling herself up against the headboard.

Tim threw her look as he opened the door, eyebrows raised, sly and suggestive. “I’m going to feed the dog. And the teenager.”

“The teenager is already fed!” Tamara’s voice sailed through the open door, tinged with long-suffering tolerance. Kojo abandoned Lucy’s bed, happily scampering out through the door to Tamara, closely followed by Tim.

Lucy pounded her fists into the comforter, watching the three of them gather outside around the kitchen island.

“Is everybody just gonna leave me this morning?”

“YES!” Tim and Tamara yelled together, Kojo adding a sharp bark to the cacophony.

Lucy grinned, throwing back the covers and clambering out of the bed.

There was nothing else she needed.

There was nowhere and no-one she’d rather be with.

She was exactly where she was supposed to be.

***

“Sergeant Bradford, I’ve been waiting over thirty minutes for you.” Grey admonished, pointedly checking his watch.

Tim threw his hands up, gesturing behind him to the departing armoured SWAT van.

“Do you know how hard it is to manoeuvre a tank through rush-hour traffic?” He checked his own watch, making a face when he saw the time. “The last guy would never have made it to you this fast.”

“There was no ‘last guy’,” Grey replied, his eyes darting almost imperceptibly to Lucy. “Lieutenant Pine seems to have invented this post just for you.”

Tim cocked his head, refusing to take the bait, his eyes narrowing as he realised that Lucy had company. “You okay?”

“Bradford!”

Lucy didn’t have time to reply, interrupted by Noah’s enthusiastic greeting as he saluted Tim, followed closely by Lopez, her eyes sharp and curious. Tim nodded politely at Noah, taking a step closer to Lucy.

“Foster. What brings you down from Victorville?”

“That would be me,” Angela said, crossing her arms and looking at Lucy. “Noah can’t remember the licence plate of your truck.”

“I don’t have a truck,” Lucy answered, shaking her head, utterly disconcerted by the change of conversation.

“That’s what I told him.”

Noah rolled his eyes at Angela, holding out his palms to Lucy.

“The truck you came in to the club the other night.”

The pieces clicked into place, but Tim spoke before she could say anything.

“That was my truck.”

“Ah,” Noah grinned mischievously at her. “I should have realised that.”

“Wait, wait…” Chris’ voice startled Lucy, having almost forgotten that he was still standing beside her. He was blinking furiously, shaking his head in confusion. “What is going on here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Nyla arrived on the scene, her words laced with irritation. “I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes in the conference room for you, attorney.” She fixed Chris with a glare that would have withered mould, coming to a stop beside Angela and unconsciously mirroring the same disgruntled stance.

“That’s my cue to leave,” Noah made a wry face at Lucy, tapping her elbow once. “Hey, Bradford! You joining us for lunch?”

Tim raised his eyebrows, which Noah seemed to take for answer, tossing another grin over his shoulder as Angela shunted him back down the corridor before her.

“I thought we were taking Tamara for lunch at that college welcome afternoon thing?” Tim sidled up to Lucy, slipping his hand into the crook of her elbow. She frowned at him, shaking her head.

“That’s next week, you know that!”

“Oh,” he said, shrugging lightly. “Must have got my days confused.”

“Bradford! My office. Ten minutes!” Grey shot them an exasperated look, throwing his hands in the air and stalking off through the lobby.

“You, with me. Now!” Nyla was just as frustrated, shoving Chris on the shoulder and giving Tim a knowing glare. Chris stumbled once, his eyes flicking between Lucy, Tim, and Tim’s hand, now moving from Lucy’s elbow to the small of her back, turning her gently away from the others and towards himself. She heard Nyla repeat her order, and the shuffle of shoes on vinyl as she herded her charge off to the conference room.

“You ass.” Lucy pulled her hands out of Tim’s grip, slapping him gently in the chest. “You did that on purpose.”

His smile turned into a grin, and he bent down to her, dropping a quick kiss on the side of her lips.

“Did what?” His face radiated innocence, but the bright twinkle in his eye gave him away.

She glared at him, but there was no heat in it.

“Okay fine,” he admitted. “It’s been a long morning, I couldn’t help it.”

She squared her shoulders primly. “Thank you for your honesty.”

He chuckled once, stepping closer to her and wrapping his fingers into her hands. His face became serious.

“Since I’m being honest, I might as well tell you… I also lied to you.”

She felt her heart drop, the blood draining rapidly from her face.

“You…” She paused to swallow, tightening her grip on his fingers. “Okay. About what?”

Tim smiled sheepishly, tilting his head to one side.

“I am jealous. A little. Of Foster.”

Her heart thumped once, painfully, and she felt relief flood through her with a rush, coming out in a breathless laugh.

“Tim…”

“He got to spend all that time with you in Sacramento, and I didn’t. All that time without seeing you, without talking to you? Do you realise that’s the longest I’ve ever gone without hearing your voice since the day I first met you?” The question was gruff, but she knew him well enough to read the emotion behind it.

“I thought you’d have enjoyed the peace and quiet,” she quipped, giving him an out.

Tim shook his head, his eyes focused on her. He wasn’t taking it.

“It’s my own fault that I missed out.” There was an unfamiliar, wistful smile on his face, and she tugged on his hands, pulling him down to her level.

“There’s nothing to be jealous of. You and I - we were inevitable. We’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

And without thinking, workplace be damned, she kissed him.

“Bradford!”

Grey’s voice ricocheted around the glass walls of the lobby, and Tim pulled back from her with a grin.

“See you at lunchtime?”

She nodded happily, her forehead still pressed against his.

“BRADFORD!”

“Wuh-oh.”

#chenford #chenford fic #my fic #ask box fic #maybe sort of a cheaty ask box fic #coz i combined the asks

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theawkwardanglophile · 1 year

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Similarities between Tim/Lucy (The Rookie) and Luke/Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

I've been meaning to do this for a while, especially after I recently did a Gilmore Girls rewatch and found that two of my fave couples of all time have quite a few things in common.

Let's start with the guys and girls, then the similarities between the couples.

Tim & Luke

Gruff exterior with a heart of gold

Kind of a loner

Parents have passed away

Will do anything to make his girl happy

Easily jealous

But also doesn't think any other guy good enough for Lucy or Lorelai (pre-relationship)

A show-you kind of guy

Both have a younger sister

Both date a Rachel

Both date someone annoying (Nicole & Ashley) (sorry, I HAD to. They both drive me nuts.)

Very protective of those he loves

Both secretly like "nerdy" stuff (Luke-Star Trek, Tim-Dr. Who)

Lucy & Lorelai

Sunshine chatterbox

Only child

Difficult relationship with parents

Harsh parental expectations, but she forges her own path anyway

Can get their guy to do anything

Explains pop culture references to the guys

Both date a Chris

Loves messing with her guy (Lucy-pranks, Lorelai-getting Luke ranting)

Loves making things special for her people (Lucy-gift baskets, sending food, Lorelai-special events, movie nights, etc.)

Hasn't really been fully in love before

Both couples

Perfect example of Grumpy x Sunshine

Flirty banter

Everyone else thinks there's something going on

They become best friends

First dance in S4, shortly before first kiss episode

First kiss in 4x22

"Look at Bradford's moves"/"Luke can waltz"

Lucy & Lorelai both call Tim & Luke Sleeping Beauty

Both couples have a goat (Luke/Lorelai-Gilbert on the chuppah, Tim/Lucy-Gerald)

Lorelai tells Luke a cruise a good place to propose/ Lucy says Hawaii is where you propose

Pre-relationship, Lucy stayed over at Tim's/Lorelai stayed over at Luke's

If anyone has something else to add to the list, please let me know! I'd love to hear it!

#chenford #luke x lorelai #the rookie #tim x lucy #gilmore girls #java junkie #lucy chen #tim bradford #lorelai gilmore #luke danes #i love them all

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nitrateglow · 7 months

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Halloween 2023 marathon: 24-25

Time for a Christmas horror double feature!!

Home for the Holidays (dir. John Llewyn Moxey, 1972)

One rainy Christmastime, sisters Jo, Alex, Chris, and Freddie (Jill Haworth, Eleanor Parker, Sally Field, and Jessica Walter) reluctantly meet with their elderly father Benjamin (Walter Brennan) for the first time in nine years. Estranged after their father's adultery led their mother to suicide, their father now suspects he's being poisoned by his former mistress/current wife Elizabeth (Julie Harris) and wants his children to kill her before she can kill him-- or any of them-- in order to get her hands on the estate. But is the killer who Benjamin thinks?

I hadn't heard of this one until it was recommended to me by a friend. It's a TV movie of the week from the early 1970s with quite the star-studded cast: you have Eleanor Parker, Sally Field, Jessica Walter, and Jill Haworth playing the most unconvincing sisters imaginable (not a one of them is made to seem even remotely alike), Walter Brennan playing their father in what would be among his last screen roles, and Julie Harris as our possible villain. It's essentially another variation on The Bat or The Spiral Staircase: a group of characters suspect each other of murder in a creepy old house, only now it's the 70s, so everyone's a fashion trainwreck. I wouldn't call this a classic or even much of a slasher, but it is entertaining in its sheer 70s campiness and the central mystery kept me guessing.

An additional fun fact: the screenplay was written by Joseph Stefano, who adapted Psycho for Alfred Hitchcock.

Black Christmas (dir. Bob Clark, 1974)

During Christmas break, a sorority house is plagued by an obscene caller who identifies himself only as "Billy." Little do they know Billy is hiding in the attic, but the women are preoccupied with drinking and partying. In the case of Jess Bradford (Olivia Hussey), her holidays are spent dealing with a selfish boyfriend (Keir Dullea) and an unwanted pregnancy. When one of the sorority sisters goes missing, they undertake a search, not realizing her corpse is holed up in the attic with Billy. Will they be able to sniff out Billy before too many victims pile up?

One of the greatest slashers of all time, Black Christmas gets better every time I see it. My favorite horror movies tend to blend humor with chills and Black Christmas is masterly at this. The characters are irreverent and sassy, though hardly perfect people (as much as I love Margot Kidder as the hard-drinking, trash-talking Barb, there is no way I'd get on with Barb IRL), making them feel more real and therefore making the peril they're in more consequential.

Atmosphere is also a big strength of the movie. The wintry gloom of the setting is palpable. The way the holiday lights are so dominated by the nighttime darkness sets the tone so perfectly.

Jess and Billy are two of my favorite horror movie characters ever. Jess is everything I want in a protagonist: vulnerable but smart and courageous. I love how she never backs down when it comes to sticking to her guns and I like how good a friend she is to the other women in the sorority. How she ever ended up with her idiot boyfriend Peter is beyond me-- what a shitwit.

Jess is one of those characters where I'm left wondering what becomes of her after the events of the movie. She's passionate and driven, unwilling to compromise on what she plans to do with her life. Just ugh--- MARRY ME JESS.

As for Billy, he is just creepy as hell. I subscribe to the idea that the best horror villains are mysterious. We don't know Billy's backstory save for his reanactment of what happened to "little Agnes." He's an aggressive misogynist, making disgusting sexual comments in cartoonish voices over the phone. However, he can't take what he dishes out: when Barb tells him off, he stops with the silly voices and coldly says, "I'm going to kill you." It's such a chilling moment; it never fails to unnerve me.

The ending scene is incredibly creepy too. For all its humor, this is one bleak movie, with an ending that strongly emphasizes the eternal presence of evil in the world, a fairy tale kind of evil that lurks in the shadows.

God, I love this movie.

Details that stuck out to me this time:

Pretty much anytime the film cuts to Billy's attic antics, we get that eerie piano crash sound. When cutting to Peter smashing up the piano after the failed recital, we hear that same sound first, creating a subtle link between Billy and Peter. That never really hit me until this viewing.

2. Actually, let me talk about the music. It's such a vital part of the atmosphere, and I love how it eschews overheated melodramatics for an unsettling piano score.

3. I always wondered why Jess fell for Peter in the first place. We only ever see him looking surly, and he's super selfish. However, I noticed Jess's description of Peter to other characters-- "he's an artist," "he's normally so gentle," "he's high-strung"-- paint a picture of a more ambitious, passionate guy who probably made a striking first impression. Even though it's clear Jess does not love Peter anymore (she says "I know" when he says "I love you" on the phone in an early scene), I imagine part of her is still clinging to the man she once fell for before he started changing, even though rationally she knows the relationship is over for her. @mygreatadventurehasbegun What do you think?

#halloween 2023 marathon #thoughts #home for the holidays 1972 #black christmas

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timandlucy · 2 months

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Top Lucy and top Tim moments of any kind, aaaand GO!!

Okay but how many???? You gotta give me a number or I'll list every moment on the show 🤭

Top Tim moments:

Acknowledging his own problematic past behaviour - we all hate the gardeners scene, but bringing this back later on, leading to him owning up to it, and promising to do better, is such a great example of how much Tim has grown as a character, and I think that was such an important moment.

Tim visiting his father and sort of trying to make peace with the situation. His dad is a scumbag and he deserves nothing, but watching Tim get some sort of closure, knowing that he came out of it on the other side despite of his trauma is kind of priceless. And I love how in doing so, it enables him to fix his relationship with his sister, and be there for her more as well. "I am who I am in spite of you!" And allowing himself to be vulnerable with Lucy here was also so great to watch. I love this man so much, please let him be happy.

This following one I really love because it shows us the type of man Tim is. "Some things matter more." He can carry this very cynical facade, but deep down he cares so deeply for the people he loves. And I think this was such great timing too, because in 2x11 we saw Tim literally break all sorts of laws to find Lucy. Tim Bradford, the most by the book guy ever literally threatened a guy to find Lucy. Because rules matter. But some things matter more.

Holding off his promotion for Lucy. This is pretty self explanatory, but I just wanna say how amazing it was to see their mentorship really flourish here. He could've passed Lucy on to a different T.O. but he knew they went through something together, and he wanted to see it all the way through.

Tim being the best and the most overworked man of honor. Just that whole... thing. Going to bat for his friend, helping her try on dresses... I love him.

I actually loved the scene he has with Isabel at the rehab facility. With how long he pined for her, you'd think he'd be over the moon to get her back, but he makes the better choice for himself in that moment, and I'm so proud of him for that.

Speaking of proud.... you know what I'm gonna say. THE FIGHT SCENE. I was so proud of Tim for knowing when to step back from a stressful situation and regroup before talking it out. With how hurt he was, some angry words would come out and that's never good. I know most people love the idea of him going to her that same night or vice versa, but I love the idea of them taking a one night breather and coming back to this conversation when they're in the head space to have it.

Top Lucy moments:

Watching the barrel video and deciding not to testify. As much as I hate that Tim wasn't there with her, and that Chris is an insensitive jerk, the truth is this episode is so badass for Lucy. Reliving her trauma, getting through that alone, and then deciding that she doesn't need to prove anything to anyone, because she already did that, by surviving and moving on. That was sort of the closure I've been hoping for her, and am really happy she managed to get it.

I'm such a sucker for a badass Lucy moment, so I really love the UC op she did in 3x14, especially the moment where they come in and are like "I thought you said she needed rescuing" because she truly did so well.

Lucy recording the book for Tim. I love scenes that show us who the character is, and and we know from the beginning she's sweet and kind and that empathy is her superpower, but this is such a great example that Lucy will go to extreme lengths to help out the people in her life (hello she cleaned Smitty's RV). Like it not only took a lot of time to record, and she had to call Isabel to ask her about it, but it also shows how much faith she has in Tim's eventual promotion.

Not really a moment, but Lucy letting Tamara in is pretty at the top for me. Because this woman just refuses to get cynical, despite being put through so much up until that point. You can see how badly she wants to help people and make the world better - and she does. She completely changes the world for Tamara, giving her a home and a family.

Lucy acting as watch commander for a day. Honestly that was just so priceless, and you get to see how much respect her fellow officers have for her. Grey giving her praise at the end because she did such a good job was amazing, and I was rooting for her the entire episode.

I love the moment where she calls Tim out for acting doublefaced after she lied on the report to protect him. I just love love that as hard as he is on her she never ever backs down.

I realize that most of these are involving Tim but she has no friends apparently so.... I love the moment where she shows up for Tim way back in s1. He was such a jerk to her, and yet it took her all of five minutes to realize how much he's hurting. She read him like an open book. So when she showed up there and prevented him from making a mistake that was such a beautiful beginning of what would later evolve in an amazing friendship.

THIS IS SO LONG SARAH, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T GIVE ME A NUMBER.

#I'm so sorry #asked and answered #the sarah tag #tim bradford #lucy chen #omg I just realized you can now edit tags even after confirming them #what that's so cool #FUCKING FINALLY #I hope you're aware I first type five moments for time #and then lucy's ended up being 7 #so I went back because it needs to be equal

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starlightshadowsworld · 1 month

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Son of Saki Part 4

Part 3 (and pink to full fic on A03 because I can't find the other parts.)

April took a deep breath, she knew she needed to be calm. Casey was counting on her, he'd be able to keep the Krang at bay for a while.

What she needed to do was focus on getting help. April looked at Irma, and softened seeing her terror. Of course, Irma must be terrified.

April knew all to well the feeling of feeling completly out of your depth. She'd thought about what introducing Irma to the turtles would be like. But, much like with Casey, it didn't go as planned.

Such was the life of April O'Neil.

"Irma, I know this is a lot and I swear that'll explain it all later. But right now I need you to trust me." Said April, she knew she was asking for a lot.

"I trust you" Said Irma though she was eyeing the manhole cover anxiously. April smiled, hoping it looked reassuring. Before climbing down into the sewers, beckoning Irma to join her.

Irma did so, gagging as she went down which made April laugh. "Ugh, how are you fine with this. I think I'm gonna vomit." Said Irma with a grimace.

"You get used to it" Said April, and wasn't that the truth. "And... I know they might look scary, but they won't hurt you. They're my friends."

She knows the guys won't be happy. But that they'd understand, they wouldn't hurt Irma. Not if April told them the truth like she intended too.

"Alright" Said Irma, and April really wanted to know if she was taking in any of this at all. Because if so, she was taking this better than she and Casey did.

'Casey....' She thought, reminded that he was still out there fighting those Krang bots. April quickened her pace, luckily Irma caught on and caught up.

The lair was pretty quiet, which to April was never a good sign. But maybe this meant she could sneak Irma in without being caught.

"April! Who is that?!"

Nevermind.

"Leo, hey! What's up?" Says April, in her best most chilled out voice. Her attempt to distract him fails miserably though.

"Who is this?! What are they doing here?!" Demands Leo, his gaze locks on Irma and it's icy cold.

Irma looks away, very much afraid. April stands infront of her, not because she thinks Leo will attack though.

The fact his katana's remain sheathed at the sight of an intruder speak volumes for the trust he's got in April. She'd feel honoured if things weren't so tense.

"I'm sorry" Said April, her earlier anxiety rushing back.

"We were out with Casey and we got attacked by Krang. We split up and I came to get help, but I couldn't leave her there." She explained before looking from Leo to Irma.

"Her name is Irma Langinstein, she's one of my best friends." Leo eyes Irma with a frown before his posture relaxes slightly.

"Alright, but I'm watching her." He gives a polite nod "I'm Leonardo." Irma nods, not at all sure what to say. Luckily, that's when Mikey darts over with a grin.

"What up, April's friend. Nice to meet ya any friend of April's is a friend of mine. I'm Mikey."

As friendly as Mikey was, there was a sense of nervousness in his voice. It may have been a distant memory know, but everyone knew of the Chris Bradford incident.

To his suprise and relief, Irma giggles at his antics. "It's nice to meet you too, I'm Irma... Is that pizza?" She asks, seeing the slice in his hand.

Mikey grins "yup, with algae, mushrooms and ice cream." Everyone around him gags but Irma looks at it curiously.

"You want one?" Asks Mikey seeing her look and she nods. Mikey excitedly hands it over before anyone can intervene.

Irma takes a bite and grins "this is amazing! Did you really come up with this yourself?" Mikey practically glowed at the praise.

"Sure did! You wanna see the rest of my recipes?" Irma nods, and let's Mikey drag her away excitedly rambling about pizza toppings. "Huh... Well I hope you said goodbye to your friend April." Said Donnie, amused.

"We sure she's not just humouring him? Because no one, no mutant or human on earth can eat Mikey's werid pizza with a smile." Said Raph, very confused.

April chuckled "if anyone would it's Irma. When we met she was eating strawberries with hot sauce. She's, a werid one." Raph snorts before turning to Leo "I'll go head out than, I'll be back soon enough."

Leo frowns "Raph you're not going anywhere, didn't you hear Sensei? The invasion is close by we can't afford to go out and be seen in the daylight. Especially with the Krang out there."

"I know that, but you heard April. Casey's still out there. I'm not leaving him to the Krang just to keep hiding in secrecy. I'll be back before you know it." Said Raph, firmly.

Leo scoffs "oh please, the second you go out they'll all be alerted by you're fighting."

Raph glares at his older brother, feeling his anger stirring. "... Are you saying I can't be stealthy?!" Leo folds his arms, defiant and stubborn. "That's exactly what I'm saying. You'll go and they'll all come running."

"If I may" interrupts Donnie "Raph and I could go head out in the Turtle Mech." Raph grins, glad someone's on his side. "See, you heard Donnie. We can go in the Turtle thingy and be back in no time."

"We are not taking that hunk of experimental junk out there! Casey can hold his own for a while and get back here." Said Leo, putting on his 'listen to me in in charge voice.'

A voice that has never worked on his brothers.

"Hunk of junk?!" Yells Donnie, immediately diving into a whole monologue defending his precious mech. All the while Raph argues that for as great as Casey is, he can't fight the Krang on equal footing.

"He's insane, but he's not... Even we struggle against the Krang so he definitely will." Said Raph, he doesn't want to talk badly about Casey's skills.

Because the boy was talented and skilled, but a ninja he was not. And the longer they left this, the more worried and angry Raph became.

April watched their exchange, knowing there was no way she could get a word in.

She understood where Leo was coming from. But she was firmly on Raph side, Casey wouldn't last much longer if he was alone.

Casey may act like a tough lone wolf but he wasn't. He needed a team, both on and off the ice. Casey needed people, she'd met him when he had no one. And April refused to leave him alone again.

She tried to ignore the way her head felt like it was going to split in two. But the wave of dizziness that hit her made her almost fall over.

What was happening? April had never felt so unwell in her life, and all in a matter of seconds.

"Raphael is right." Said Splinter walking in from the Dojo. He didn't notice April's plight, as his attention was focused squarely on his sons.

"But Sensei." Leo's words were cut off as Splinter held up his hand. "I agree that caution must be exercised, especially with the Krang making their moves."

He gives his sons a stern look "however, that is not a good excuse to leave a Casey Jones behind. He is a part of this team, we don't leave anyone behind. No matter how terrifying the odds may seem."

Leo looks down and Raph grins. It was rare for Leo to be on the receiving end of one of Splinters lectures. "Than it's settled, I'll go head out." Said Raph, he turned around to do so.

And paused.

"... Er guys?"

They all followed his gaze and were stunned by the sight. April was holding her head and she was glowing. Her body began to rise and glowing portals started appearing around the room.

Portals that Krang started pouring out of. "What's going on?!" Asked Leo, ducking for cover as blasts started raining down on them.

"April was the key! They must've done something to have her powers to activate without her noticing. They're using her to start the invasion." Explained Donnie, taking out the Krang bit beside him.

He ran to April's side, talking to her and begging her to come back. April blinked, falling to the ground and Donnie helped her up. Her powers deactivated but the portals remained opened.

"Oh God... No... No. I didn't... I didn't mean.." Said April, horrified as she took in the situation.

"It's not you're fault" Said Donnie. "Yeah this all these idiots doing." Agreed Raph. April leaped over to grab her tessen and began fighting back to back with Donnie.

But a Krang bot managed to knock her over. "April!" Yelled Donnie, going to help her but he had to deal with another bot close by.

"Get away from her!"

A blast echoed throughout the room as the bot on April was blasted to the other end of the room. April looked up, bewildered as she got to her feet and saw... "Irma?!"

Irma stood there but she was different. What had once been her left arm now resembled that of a purple canon, blasting pink beams that looked just like the Krang's.

"Well well it isn't the traitor known as Krang Subprime. Does the Krang known as Krang Subprime have anything to say?” Cackles one of the Krang, advancing towards her.

Irma glares, she runs towards them. "My. Name. Is. Irma!" Irma kicks the Krang upside the head. Flipping them off with one hand and shooting them with the other.

"You might've upgraded me but I am not one of you sick freaks!" She yells. Her anger dissipates seeing the confused looks from everyone. "I... I get that this is a lot but I swear I'm on your side."

Irma looks at April, terrified and pleading. "Just, please trust me." April, still reeling nods her head and gets up to fight. "Well... I was right, no human nor mutant could stomach Mikey's werid pizza." Said Raph, nodding slowly.

Irma snorts "cyborg, actually. My parents were scientists who made first contact with Krang who entered this planet. They exchanged their tech for information." She explained, all the while beating down the Krang around her.

"I got into some freak accident. They panicked, and begged these guys to save me... Hence the robot parts." The Krang glare at her "we improved you and you betrayed us."

Irma glares, punching them hard. "You killed my parents and than tried to raise me to be a killing machine. Fat chance of that, luckily I managed to escape. And I've been in New York ever since."

April frowned, sympathy in her eyes because she can tell how hard that was Irma. She herself can't imagine surviving in a strange place all alone.

"So you knew about us the whole time?" Asked Donnie, dodging as Mikey charged past him to attack some Krang.

Irma laughed "no actually. I found out after the Rat King incident. See, me and Casey were trapped in the same cage and try as he might I knew immediately it was him."

Even with the tense situation of facing what was basically a home invasion, everyone laughed.

"Of course he did" smiled April. "Heh yeah, and well I saw you guys show up. And put it together with the strange happenings going on and yeah." Explained Irma.

"But, if you knew why not say anything? Why not help us?" Asked Leo, slightly distrusful. Irma looked down, ashamed.

"I... I was afraid if I did I'd be caught by the Krang again. And I was afraid if April knew what I was, she wouldn't want to be friends anymore."

April looked at her, seriously. "Irma, I can move things with my mind. And I'm best friends with 4 teenage mutant ninja turtles and Casey Jones. You are by far the most normal person here."

Irma laughed "that's true" she said making April smile. "I don't care what you are, human, mutant, or cyborg. You are one of my best friends Irma, nothing changes that."

Irma felt a weight lift off her shoulders, how could she ever thought April would reject her. "And hey, you're here now fighting with us." Grinned Mikey "that's what matters." Raph blinks "Huh... He's right."

"Say it again, I need to record it." Said Mikey, cheekily. Splinter coughs, getting all of their attention. "I am proud of you for sticking together and overcoming personal hurdles. However, this conversation can continue later. Less talking, more fighting."

They all looked appropriately chastised and focus on fighting. Splinter looks at Irma "the Krang will not harm you again. On that I swear it. So long as you remain a loyal friend to my children, I will ensure your protection Miss Langinstein."

Irma blinks in suprise, a tear in her eye. "Thank you... Erm... I didn't catch your name." She said, embarrassed. "Hamato Yoshi, but call me Splinter." Irma nods "as long as you call me Irma, Sensei Splinter."

He nods in kind and the two face off against the Krang together. Irma smiles to herself, she had always wanted a family.

#Son of Saki #Casey raised by Shredder #tmnt irma #irma langinstein #april 2012 #leo 2012 #raph 2012 #mikey 2012 #donnie 2012 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2012 #Fanfic

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that-fandom-writer · 1 year

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fanfiction prompts

OK so this is a collection of different prompt posts i’ve made before all in one place lol some are part of the chenford march madness some are not.

“Tim you once said you’re a show me, guy, show me how much you love me”

*Tim gets smacked in the back of the head* “Timothy did you lie to me when you said you didn’t have feelings for Lucy because that is the only reason you’d take a desk job”

any sort of Wopez smut

a pov of Angela and Wesley each while she is taken

Angela wakes up from a nightmare from her kidnapping

the Wopez wedding that was shot that we didn’t get to see

Angela made fun of Wesley for crying when Jack was born

Tim and Lucy’s first “I love you”

a Wopez and Chenford double date

Aaron getting a love interest

a conversation between Nyla and Tim about how even tho they havent always liked each other they respect each other and have shared love for their shared friends

a double date with Nyla/James and Wopez

everyone in the station finding out about Chenford - Angela gets mad that Smitty won the bet

Tim and Lucy discuss what theyve been through and how it just makes sense that they fell in love

Chris seeing Tim at the court house and putting the pieces together

Genny finds out and tells TIm she figured as much all along

Another base ball practice

a family outting day with Wopez and Nyla/James

Lucy finds out shes pregnant

an outsider flirting with Tim and or Lucy in front of the other

a woman flirting with Wesley infront of a pregnant hormonal Angela

Elijah finally getting arrested for good

Ashley running in to Tim and Lucy while they are out and actually being happy for them

Visits to Jackson’s grave

1- I love you

2- Lucky (for march 17th)

3- T.O. / Rookie time

4- Proposal

5- Hike with Kojo

6- Pregnancy announcement

7- Wedding

8- Smut

9- Double date with Wopez

10- Metro dude flirting with Lucy

11- New female rookie flirting with Tim

12- Lucy tells Tim about Noah (the meaning of hot pants and that Bradford)

13- One of them goes missing and the other is worried

14- Lucy tells Tim “you said you are a show me guy, show me how much you love me”

15- Another baseball practice

16- Anniversary Celebration

17- Family Vacation outside of LA

18- Chaperoning kids’ field trip to aquariam/ museum/ historical site (with all the correct details)

19- New pet after Kojo dies

20- Kid has a temper tantrum

21- Tim catches his daughter making out with a boy in her room- how is she punished (she tries to manipulate him in response to get her way)

22- Lucy asks X to walk her down the aisle

23- Tim meets his first grandbaby

24- Vampire/werewolves or witches au

25- Tim taking his son for his first haircut

26- Tim’s motorcycle (Tim in leather pants must be included)

27- Magician Tim and Lucy

28- Tim and Lucy visit your favorite place

29- Getting hotdogs at Pinks

30- Date night at the LA Forever Cemetery for a classic movie

31- Accidently eloping in Vegas/ Reno/ Atlantic city

32- White elephant Christmas party

33- Tim needs Glasses

34- Genny gets married

35- Prom stories

36- Tim in basic training

37- Couples Halloween

38- 4th of July picnic

39- Tim tells their grandkids about the first and second date

40- Morning after their first time

41- Talking about the fake proposal to Ashley

42- Discussing why they dated Ashley and Chris

43- “I’ve never been in love”

44- I’m not your type Tim

45- Birthdays

46- kids pranking Tim and Lucy

1- Wopez date

2- Wopez wedding

3- James and Nyla date

4- Double date with James/Nyla and Wopez

5- Elijah getting caught and arrested

6- Aaron getting a love interest lol

7- Aaron and Celina playing D&D

8- Abigail and Henry’s wedding

9- Nolan and Bailey wedding

10- Jack Lopez-Evers birthday party

11- Wopez smut

12- Jealous Wopez

13- Jealous James/Nyla

14- James and Wesley watch the kids so Nyla and Angela can have a night out

15- Patrice at the station again lol (that was so fun)

16- Smitty’s reality show

17- True Crime episode on Rosalind

18- Everyone at the station have different visits to Jacksons grave

19- The POV of Wesley while Angela was kidnapped

20- Nolan’s bachelor party

21- Grey’s retirement party

22- Angela discusses her trauma from her kidnapping

23- Celina’s mom finds out she actually does patrol

24- Nolan’s brother comes back

25- Main character death

26- The birth of the new Wopez baby

27- Henry and Abigail have a baby

28- New rookie is actually a badge bunny

29- One of the kids is in danger (please let the kid be ok)

30- Nyla talks to James about UC

31- James at the community center (just more about what goes on there)

#chenford #wopez #nyla and james #the rookie #fanfiction

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bronx-bomber87 · 4 months

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Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate it :) We’ve reached S5. Which is unreal. It shouldn’t be since I’ve been writing these for 7 plus months now and yet ha. I remember BUZZING for this ep. Then being in shock It actually happened. This entire season felt like a gift from the writers.

The long awaited reward for the slow burn. Although I enjoyed every moment of that slow burn. Was very happy to get to this place I will say. You thought Tim’s brain was broken last ep? It’s about to be obliterated haha Once again some long gifs I’ll make to get it all in. Might be the theme for this season LOL I fit everything in that I could this ep was wall to wall moments. Let’s get going.

5x01 Double Down

We start out on a glorious high. Lucy is dreaming about kissing Tim. Making out really. Not only that but she is grinning like crazy as she does. Sure she’s had dreams like this before about him. No doubt in my mind she’s had naughty dreams about this man. (and vice versa let’s be honest) But now she had something real to dream about. A tangible moment. Didn't take long for that to take root in her subconscious ha.

Also in this dream we get another lovely angle to that kiss. It's like we got two first kisses everyone. It's glorious. They sure started this season off with spoiling us right away. He looks like he’s about to eat her face in this dream version. This is why she’s smiling so much heh I love having both angles. Real and dream version.

I like how the dream version is little spicier. Like this is her dream version of that kiss. How he’s cupping her face in this one. She wanted him to devour her like that. She would’ve been happy to be his meal for the night. Also showing Lucy has it SOO bad for him. Forgetting she has a blah BF at the moment. Chris who? Unfortunately as it gets good a knock startles her awake.

It’s Tamara waking her up. Lucy is legit jarred from her dream. We watch her struggle to come back down to earth. Her messy hair and reaction are too funny. This one of my all time fav Tamara/Lucy moments. She has to give Lucy a hard time about the kiss. Wouldn’t be her if she didn’t. It’s too cute. Lucy goes into mom mode about school. Telling her about Rosalind’s trial shutting the city down. Her normal route will be closed.

Tamara mirroring her going into protective daughter mode. Asking her if she wants her to skip class? I love her always wanting to put Lucy first. She tells her no. She will be ok and no where near Rosalind anyways. She is bound to the station with Tim anyways. Waiting for their OP to jump off. Tamara asking if it’s for the UC thing from the other night? Lucy confirms this.

Tamara’s giving her crap about the kiss. Lucy being defensive saying didn’t mean anything. Oh yes nothing. You weren’t just dreaming about it or anything…Mmhm…Then she says her legendary line. ‘Make out. Stop crime. That totally tracks.' LOL I love her so much. Lucy tells her to go to school. Tamara replies in kind telling her to have fun at work. With her boss. Who she kissed…

We then switch to Tim talking to Angela about said kiss. Now let me say how giddy it makes me he came to Angela about it. Yes she’s his best friend but he didn’t used to be this open with her. She had to pull teeth in 2x11 even when he asked for her help. This is a far more open Tim Bradford than we’ve seen before. He starts this convo then goes into full denial. Babe, you started this and she has great Chenford radar. You weren’t going to fool her. Not in the slightest. I love how she doesn’t let up the entire convo. Smirking this entire time through out it as well.

Asking how much did they practice? LOL Tim telling her it was just a kiss. No big deal. Angela’s reply is epic. ‘Then why are we talking about it?’ Boom. Mic drop. She is iconic in this scene. Sounds like he’s trying to convince himself more than anything else. Tim deflecting saying 'What if it wasn’t just a kiss for her?' Really asking 'Do you think she has feelings for me too?' Angela follows up asking if Lucy might have feelings for him? He looks so deflated when he says ‘No..’ Thinking no way Lucy could have feelings for him. Ugh break my heart Tim. When Angela gives me more logic it makes him said.

Telling him she probably saw the kiss as just as a weird work thing then. The defeated way he says ‘Right....’ Angela picks up on it immediately. Hence her next question to him. The way he says ‘No!' to her feelings question. He’s SO defensive. Not telling at all…Do you even believe yourself Timothy? His voice gets all high pitched. Just like Lucy does when she gets nervous about her feelings. He does his spiel about them both being in relationships. Being her boss. etc. Angela crushes it with some more solid logic. ‘All true. Not what I asked.’ God I love her. Also let’s note how deliciously tight Tim’s shirt is in this scene. Didn’t think I would let that slide by did you? Mmm.

We rejoin them in the interrogation room. Tim complaining how greasy his double is. How he hates it LOL Lucy comes in looking like a stunner. Notice Tim agreeing with Aaron’s assessment of how good she looks. She then mentions regretting the choice of thong idea LMAO I love her. Also you are going to be the death of him Lucy Chen haha What are you doing to this man? They received a call earlier and now waiting for a follow up to where to meet.

The phone goes off and Lucy gives the most ‘ in love’ look at him. She couldn’t adore that man standing in front of her more if she tried. Tim answers and Hajek tells them to meet his guys at an air strip. I love the silent communication between them. Always adore that about them. Lucy tries to get them more time saying they can’t just up and leave. How she looks requires lots of suitcases and precision.

Swing and miss sadly. Tells them to meet them there or end up in a coffin. Angela is scrambling because leaving the state is a whole other thing. Aaron saves them by letting them use his private jet for him and Angela to follow in. Lucy says they can follow the flight plan the pilot has to submit. Angela is relaxing a bit and decides to let them proceed. Aaron cracks me up asking about caviar selection such a goob. Says he'll just get an assortment. Ha I love him.

So begins them “pretending” to be a couple. When really it’s just them having no restrictions or boundaries on them. Getting to look, touch, flirt, and be free with one another. Under the guise of UC. It’s glorious really. I felt my brain stopped working multiple times in this episode the first time. Just like Tim. Lucy starts off STRONG explaining why they're late. Pulling Tim to her saying 'Their quickie wasn’t so quick.' Hot damn. (I can see this being a reason for them now a days too hehe)

They’re like magnets instantly drawn to each other. Gah I love it so much. I remember it being so hard to focus. Because they had their arms all wrapped around each other from the word go. The way they are all over each other in this hanger scene. It’s their normal banter but heightened. I’ll never be over her hand resting on his hip. His arms wrapped around her. The easy rhythm they quickly fall into. Almost like being a couple is the most natural thing in the world for them. I mean look at them. They are not struggling to sell this one bit.

The way they’re attached at the hip. Swaying together like they’re in their own world. Which what else is new with them? This is par for the course when they're together. They’re always in their own world when they banter. Only right now they’re allowed to touch and hold each other as much as they want to. And trust me they want to. It felt like I was dreaming as I watched this portion. Truly in a daze. I had to rewind and pay attention to the SL. More than once...

The smiles and the swaying gah they get me. They basically mirror the smiles and swaying from 5x12. Because they’re just as in love right now as they are 11 eps down the road. I love Lucy’s face when they get interrupted LOL It was the biggest scowl. Like excuse me you weren’t invited to this party.

I truly think they nailed this because it was their shot. They thought this was their only chance to be with each other without any restrictions. So they went for it as we can see. We all lapped it up like it was the last bit of water in the desert haha I’m giddy as he tells her to get on the damn plane. It's so cute. Lucy cannot keep her hands off him from the minute they start this. Tim is more than happy to oblige. Gah this is cloud 9 goodness.

The goodies continue on the plane as they head towards Vegas. I don’t know about you but first time I watched this portion I couldn’t focus. I was obsessed with her sitting on his lap basically. Leaning into him. Not only that but the start to Tim’s obsession we all love with her thighs. How he has his hand rests there naturally. Like his hand has found it's new home happily. Lastly their hands. I remember focusing so much on just their hands I missed dialogue. Had to rewind it to hear what was going on LOL

If you weren’t just as distracted by their hands and PDA you’re a lying liar who lies haha Or you don’t ship them. In that case why you reading this review right now? Ha I think they were both nervous about this being out of state. The hands weren’t necessary in the least. I think they were unconsciously grounding each other.

Finding comfort in each other’s touch. Also I think them being this way was incredibly natural for them. Just like everything else has been their entire relationship. Why the slow burn was so necessary. So when we got here it was basically a flawless crossover to this. Touching each other as much as possible and I love it.

Lucy cracks me up trying to get info on their job. Saying right now it's the world’s most boring bachelor party LOL Tim saying this is a job not a party. They finally tell them what their job is since they’re airborne. They ask them if they know who Roman Krupka is? They say nope. Apparently he imports Heroin to the Monarch cartel. Lucy mentions so the competition?

He continues on saying ‘Something like that.' That Roman is paranoid of computers. Doesn’t keep a written record anywhere. That the details of his operation exist in one place. One man called ‘The Brain .’ His name is Leonard Madris. Tim makes the comment isn’t is dangerous for one man to carry all that? They say yes and he’s usually kept under heavy guard. Never leaves the compound.

The reason they’re headed to Vegas is because of him. They’re received a solid tip he will be there this weekend. They find out their plan in this. They’re to take out the guards while he grabs Madris. Then they’re gonna torture the man for every detail. Then they’ll take over the business by doing so. Lucy is so cocky in her reply. I love it. Saying sounds like they should be getting paid more heh. Lyon tells them tough. So charming...

We rejoin them finding out Rosalind has escaped through Lyon. This is one of my fav moments of the episode. The way he immediately grabs her hand. Trying to ground her in this moment. Keeping her close to him so he can show her he’s there. Reassure her that she isn’t alone in hearing this. It’s just instinctual him doing this. Knowing this would be a massive trigger that would throw her off kilter. Trying to keep Lucy there with him. To stop her from losing focus and spiraling out.

Also the way Tim looks up at her. Checking in trying to get her to silently communicate with him. He needs to know she’s ok. Protective Tim is one of my favs. That immediate need to shield and protect her. Rosalind is a huge trauma trigger for her. He wants so badly to help her with this news. Look at how her hand is clutching his shoulder at first. He starts rubbing his thumb on her hand. Trying to get her to unclench. (Wasn't able to fit that one in but he does it.)

Tim being her calm in the raging storm she has going on right now. Her constant in this moment. Which is exactly what she needs. This man is so soft for her I’ll never be over it everyone. Tim isn’t able to get a read on her. She won’t look down at him. So he asks how long till they land? Lyon says 15 minutes. Tim tells them perfect. His cover being the mile high club. It’s his way of getting them a private moment. He needs to check in on her and he can’t do that with them around.

They head back and Lucy goes into full spiral mode. This is why he wanted to do this. She starts to be taken over by her fear and PTSD. Tim sees it taking over her. He tells her to stop in the softest way possible. Lucy takes a deep breath and little stomp but does. Telling her if she is not 100 percent in this it’s going to get her killed. Which ultimately will kill him in the process.

Lucy defends herself and says she’s got this. The news got to her at first but this is their one shot at Madris. That she is fine. I love him being protective and wanting to pull the plug just for her. The beautiful thing is he listens to her on this. Doesn’t bulldoze her and make a decision like he used to. He is trusting her in this moment. Letting her decide for herself ultimately. Which is such growth for him once again I can’t stand it.

He’s so ready to kill this OP if she’s not ok. I love that sfm. Letting her know that there is no shame if she does. He is there if she is ready to pull the ripcord. Tim is about to leave when she stops him. Tim looks so very confused once again. Lucy telling him it needs to look like they hooked up in here. Tim isn’t on the same page as her right now and it shows haha

Here comes that infamous airplane kiss. Has some similar aspects to their first kiss. Except way spicier this time around. Once again Lucy just pounces on Tim. He has to absorb the weight of her throwing her body at him. We watch him once again stumble into their kiss. Taken aback by her forcefulness. Her passion nearly knocking him off his feet. Tim isn't complaining once her lips collide with his though.

It doesn’t take long for him to adjust to it and go with this mini make out session of their's. He is adjusting much faster this time around. It’s all hands at first. His body absorbing the shock of her body slamming into his. Tim wrapping his arms around her anchoring her body to his. Lucy’s hands firmly planted on his face as she leads this kiss at first. Tim’s hands moving up her back fully enveloping her in his arms. Getting so very lost in her once again. Instantly melting into her.

I love how the kiss continues to get deeper. Sexier as well. Hot damn look at them above. Tim is the one chasing her lips as they continue this much spicier kiss. The way he’s leaning into her as they sway together. Two people in perfect tandem with each other. Not missing a beat. They were both so very thirsty in this moment. It’s all over this kiss. Tim running his hands up and down her back as he is savoring her. Lucy hands moving down his face not looking to part from him any time soon either. Tim isn't the only one getting easily lost in this.

Lucy’s hands sliding down his chest once again. This kiss getting deepened much faster this second time around. Their desire for one another is very evident. Tim can't keep his hands off her. Like I said for their kiss in 4x22. If they kept going his hands would end up on her face. He can’t keep them still and as she runs her hands down his chest. He pulls her closer to him not wanting to lose any contact with her. Eliminate any unnecessary space between them.

Her lips are quickly becoming a drug he is getting addicted to. He sure loves her upper lip. Captures it between his as he looks to further this impromptu kiss. *fans self* Look at him in that gif above. Wants her as close to him as possible. I just adore how softly he cups her face wanting to keep this kiss going. Totally forgetting about the mission and the men outside the door. All that matters right now is Lucy and her lips on his.

How Lucy has the self control to pull herself from him I don’t know. Gah it’s the grunt Tim does when she breaks off. *phew lord* That noise is doing things to me. Mmm. He was basically chasing her lips again when she broke off. Chasing that high of kissing her some more. He was very not ready for that to end. Also how glossy his lips look post kiss. She had her damn way with that man haha

He looks so dazed snd confused when she wipes his lips. Her hand shaking as she does this. I know we all joke about how “unnecessary” this kiss was. I think part of it was Lucy seeking comfort from Tim in this moment. The kiss quelling her Rosalind fueled anxiety. She needed to be connected with him for a moment before she could put it behind her or attempt to.

Tim was more than happy to oblige. Poor man has short circuited once again though. Eric once again the master of expressions comes through again. He doesn’t know how to restart. She’s like ok let’s do this and moves leaving Tim stand there in her wake. He is trying to figure out WTF just happened in the last 30 seconds.

We then get this pretty shot of them in the SUV. There is so much being said in the short time span of this shot too. We can see Lucy is still struggling with her PTSD. From the minute she heard the news Lucy has been scaling the walls emotionally. Almost like she’s back in that barrel. All her emotions threatening to drown her. Her lowering the window to get some air on her face. Cool her emotions down.

Looking at the bright lights trying to ground herself. To help her stay in character. Desperate not burn their UC covers. Tim looking over at her so much worry carried in eyes. She can feel his eyes on her and looks back at him. Their silent communication doing all the talking for them. She’s still in a panic but at least she has Tim with her. To keep her grounded and from spiraling out completely.

Tim giving the most space he’s given since this started. Not wanting to physically comfort her right now. Not because either of them want that space. It’s because he isn’t wanting to draw attention to her emotional distress. That would draw questions they can’t have right now. So they share a look and he doesn’t take his eyes off her. I love it so much.

Someone in the casino recognizes Jake. A girl. Which isn’t great. But does give us some protective Lucy which I always love. Finally getting to do that hair take down of her's. The one she threatened Stanton with back in 3x05. I love her taking charge of this moment. Getting this woman to back off. Don’t mess with Lucy Chen ya’ll lol They spot Angela and Aaron across the way after she lets this woman go. Figures this is the time to break off.

Lucy says she wants to gamble. See if they can get lucky three times in one day. Heh I love how he walks with her to them. Wish I could've fit the gif in. His hands on her shoulders from behind as they walk. Totally necessary to walk like this with her LOL I have a feeling this was possibly Eric being a goober steering her towards the table haha But either way I'm a happy girl with it. This was quite the married thing to do though regardless of why. I loved it. Also low key protecting her as they walk toward Angela and Aaron.

They update Angela on everything. Lucy’s first question is about Rosalind. Angela says she got a psycho lawyer to help break her out. We watch Lucy comprehend this. Saying 'Another Caleb....I knew it.' Then says Tamara needs protection. (No mention of Chris BTW) Her other fav human is with her. So no one else to protect from Rosalind. As they talk about this Lucy trying to keep her panic at bay but not doing the best job about it.

Angela picks up on it right away. Asking if Lucy is up for this? That she can pull out if she needs to. I adore Tim answering for her. Backing her and saying she’s solid. The look she gives Tim. My damn heart. He wasn’t gonna pull her till she told him to do so. Until then he supported and trusted her decision. The growth is astronomical in him. You see that written all over Lucy's face. It’s so damn good. You can tell she wanted to touch him as a thank you but stopped herself.

The minute they’re inside the room Lucy turns on the TV. Tim saves her from herself and turns it off. Saying they don’t know anything they don’t. Protective Tim is present through out this episode. Here for it. She is starting to spiral again and sits on the bed. She looks so tired and stressed out. Tim gives her a sweet compliment to cheer her up. He knows how down in the dumps she is about this. Wants to build her up in anyway he can. Saying how she's really good at UC. Just in awe of her once again.

The sweet smile he gives her when he says it too. Be more smitten Timothy I dare you. Lucy asks if he’s ok with her showering first? He says yeah. Then we see her break his brain once again. The door doesn’t close all the way and he gets a sneak peak of her naked back. He stumbles back to the bed trying not to look back at her. Replying 'Yeah... ok.. um fries.' LOL Lucy you have broken this man and I’m dying.

Eric once again crushes it with his facial expressions. Trying not to be turned on and needing a cold shower more than ever. What cracks me up is his sigh as he watches TV. Trying to drown out his dirty thoughts of her in the shower. She comes out saying the water pressure is epic. Wanting to steal the robes and asking if that's stealing? Tim says no it’ll just be charged to the room. She says ‘WE’ should take two then. There’s that married ‘We’ again.

You can tell Tim is antsy af to talk about their kisses. First off let me say how proud of I am of this man. This is the same man who couldn’t have a serious conversation with his current GF to save his life. He is the one to broach this topic with her. Once again making that first move. NEEDING to know if she’s feeling what he is very much feeling. Lucy is the one to bring this courage out in him. To want to talk about this.

He went far outside his comfort zone to get this convo started. Telling her it doesn’t feel like pretend to him. The look on his face as he says this. The hope in his eyes desperately trying to see if she is feeling their connection. Lucy panics and stutters in her reply. To me it’s not because she doesn’t feel the same. He has stunned her into silence. What she is worried about here is losing what they have.

To admit what’s going on between them means she now has something to risk. Something to lose if she does. Her person. The most important person in her life. Tim is far too important to her lose over them trying and possible failing. She is very aware it doesn’t feel like pretend. But isn’t willing to risk that. Ironically in a city like Vegas where one takes such risks. So she crushes Tim with her reply. Saying it’s an intimate act. It’s basic biology. You know a BS answer.

She is deflecting so she doesn’t have to risk losing him. Or confront this at all really. What she doesn’t know is the damage she just inflicted. Tim was already panicky from his convo with Angela about her not having feelings. He suddenly feels very alone in his desire for more. For feeling something. She’s basically rejected him in this moment. He is so sad with her reply.

He gives her one last chance with his ‘So you're saying it’s not a big deal? Doesn’t mean anything?’ She stumbles some more saying ‘Right?’ Wanting him to answer this question for her. She can’t possibly accept he wants her too. So she deflects once again. Tim put himself out there and she shut him down. Their convo is interrupted his cell phone. The looks she shoots his way break my heart. Knowing she’s hurt his feelings. When really she broke his heart a little.

It’s Angela with an update. He tells her he’s alone in the hotel with Lucy. Her ‘Uh oh’ always cracks me up. I love their friendship so very much. Her teasing is primo this season and it makes my heart happy. She is so shipping them and just wants her bestie to be happy. I love it. Telling him not to do anything she wouldn’t. He slams the phone shut and tosses it on bed. LOL

Lucy goes to dry her hair and there is a knock at the door. It’s the girl from earlier saying she knows he’s in there. Tim opens the door and gets hit in the face. They know he’s not Jake. Saying she told them he had a gut last time she saw him. That it was only 3 weeks ago. I mean that sucks for Sava. Means Jake was cheating on her long before 5x18.

He sends Wisco after Lucy and says he says not to kill her yet. Lucy is a BAMF and takes out most of the crew. This part is hilarious about her robe. I’m dying. 'Showed him the whole world just now.' Oh Lucy never change. Tim shakes his head so much I’m cackling. This is the woman you’ve chosen to love Timothy. So exasperated with he right now. I love how she stares down at him lovingly. But you know it’s just basic biology right Lucy?

I love love love him walking her up. That’s last bit of protectiveness being displayed. He doesn't want her to be alone. Tim saying he can’t wait to get out of these clothes. Lucy making a joke she isn’t going to miss that hairstyle. Then Tim is so cute and flirty says he kinda likes hers though. OMG he’s so damn cute. He is such a goner for her oh my word. Lucy’s smile not believing what she’s hearing. Gah this end portion was the death of me. Tim says I guess this is it as they approach her door. Saying they go back to being them tomorrow.

He almost seems sad about that fact. Lucy turning to him and sharing 'Right..everything that happened undercover they’ll leave behind'. No you won’t lol Then Tim does his dorky UC line and regrets it instantly. Scolds himself for that line. Basically saying why are you like this? LOL Cracks me up the way he shakes his head. Like why can't you be more smooth? Oh that's right because you're stupid in love with her and a nervous wreck about it. Funny pre-cursor to his 'Naked time.' line heh.

It’s then Lucy deciding to make a move here. All this talk about going back to being them stoking something inside her. Saying in a sense they’re still UC since they haven’t been debriefed. Tim not catching what she’s throwing down. Just replies 'I guess you’re right.' Lucy is eyeing him like she is ready to have him right then and there. Her ‘Mmhm.’. Trying to give him a hint as she flicks her eyes to the door. It’s then Tim starts to catch her drift. The look on his face when it hits him. Like he can't believe she feels the same way he does.

That there is something there. There is a whole lot of want and excitement in that man's eyes. Lucy has created a loophole of sorts. One where they’re still Jake and Sava. And what do Jake and Sava like to do? Have sex. Lots of hot sex. The amount of bedroom eyes Lucy is throwing at him is insane. The sultry inviting way she says ‘Do you want to come in?’ Tim falling back on his professional boundaries like he has for years. Tells her he shouldn’t…Not that he doesn’t want to. He SHOULDN’T. The song in this scene is solid too BTW. Whoever picks music for this show needs a raise.

Lucy nods and goes to open her front door. Tim looks longingly at her as she does. Lucy gives it one last go. Cranking it up on those sultry bedroom eyes of hers. Basically inviting Tim in to have his way with her. Gah Melissa killing it with the inviting stare. We watch Tim struggle outside her doorway. He has been fighting this instinct for YEARS. I’m sure whenever he had an impure thought he pushed it down. Shoved away any attraction to her. Pushed her away as well. Maintained the professional boundaries he set up years ago. (For the most part.)

Thing is he’s been slow receding those boundaries for years as well. Especially last season when that last bit of his wall collapsed. Slowly letting her into every aspect of his life. To the point that we are now here. Where Lucy is blatantly inviting him in for something very unprofessional. We see Tim have an internal battle with himself. Then basically says ‘F*ck it and comes in. His attraction and his draw to her winning out. He would be lying if he said he didn’t want this. Or hadn’t wanted it in the past before either.

Lucy asks him if he wants a drink? Can she make him one? Tim declining not wanting to waste any time in this precious loophole of theirs. Also didn’t need alcohol to have the courage to do this. He already pushed past that to even enter this apt. Not wanting to dull any senses or touch with alcohol. Wanting to be fully present with her. Lucy looks like was ready to jump his bones right then and there. The sexual tension is palpable. Their UST is off the charts with this entire scene but reaches critical levels once they’re inside.

Lucy understanding why he didn’t want that drink. Love her sweet but nervous smile as she goes to put her stuff down. It's then we see Chris there which ends up ruining everything LOL Just bleeding out on her couch. I love how Tim throws his head back when she see’s Chris is there. I’ll never forget that amount of hilarious memes Eric posted. People putting the funniest shit about him being there. I wish I could find them. They were SO funny. I’ll be honest as frustrated as I was in the moment I was glad they didn’t hook up. The UST was fantastic. Don’t get me wrong good god.

But it’s much better they got together the way they do this season. Way less mess and not worth the angst it would’ve caused for them to cheat on their SO’s. It’s the fact that they almost did that was so damn telling IMO. Phew well hot damn this was a beast to write. But I loved it. This premiere is fantastic from beginning to end. The amount of moments are unreal. Hell of a way to start out a season of non stop gifts. I haven’t watched S5 the number of times I’ve watched 1-4 so this will be fun. Excited to finish out this rewatch with you all as we count down to the S6 premiere. It’s 58 days btw...

~~~~

Side notes-Non Chenford

This isn’t something I enjoyed so much as it rubbed me the wrong way. Nolan getting a Golden Ticket. Lucy has accomplished more, done successful UC ops before and after she graduated FTO and is currently going on another UC but sure Nolan who was disgraced and held back gets one. Sure sure…it does for being Juarez in who I love so there is positives.

Tim telling Nolan he needs backup career when picking his assignment. LMFAO I LOVE THIS MAN.

Thank you thank you to this incredible fandom that has embraced these reviews. You all are amazing and I love every single like, comment and reblog I get. ❤️ shall see you all in 5x02 :)

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centralperkchenford · 6 months

Note

Chenford Pre-canon + around S4/5 girls night and probe Lucy about her feelings for Tim

Lucy drunkenly tells Tim how beautiful he is

This takes S4 pre-Vegas and all that

Let’s go girls!

Lucy sighs as Angela sets a drink in front of her, and she pulls it towards her. Angela sits next to her on one side and Nyla sits next to her on the other. Lucy isn’t even sure why they are doing this but Angela really didn’t give her a choice. She would rather be at home on the sofa with a bowl of ice cream moping about who knows what.

“I heard you broke up with Sanford.” Says Nyla taking a sip of her water. She was pregnant and even though it seemed like she wanted to go home, she seemed just as eager as Angela to do this. Lucy sucks in a breath but nods. She had broken up with Chris the week prior and god knows she wasn’t moping about that.

It was more the reason why she broke up with Chris. And it happened to be a very grump, but handsome man who drove her up the wall but somehow she fell for. Tim.

“Yeah.” Answers Lucy stirring her drink up. “Last week.”

“Thank goodness.” Says Angela and Lucy throws her a look but her friend just shrugs. “Look you were way too good for him Lucy. I knew it. Nyla knew it. Tim knew it.” Lucy takes another breath at his name and starts sucking down her drink.

“Woah there slow down.” Says Angela. Lucy looks up briefly and shakes her head.

“I know he wasn’t right for me. I couldn’t drag it on any longer.” She says.

“And Tim is single.” Nyla points out. Lucy closes her eyes and finishes her drink quickly. And then gets up to get another ignoring Angela and Nyla’s whispers behind her. She could do this. As long as they weren’t talking about Tim. And she didn’t feel like her heart was pounding a mile a minute every time they mentioned his name…

She sighs and grabs her drink and heads back to the table, putting her glass on the table with a bang.

“Lucy, why won’t you admit you have feelings for Tim?” Angela asks. “I mean that man can barely contain his feelings for you.”

Lucy looks at her in disbelief. “Tim does not have feelings for me.” She protests. Nyla shorts and Angela rolls her eyes.

“Oh come on Lucy. Everyone sees the way he looks at you. He looks at you like you hung the moon and stars for him.”

“He doesn’t—”

“Girl, yes he does.” Says Nyla. “I don’t think I have ever seen Bradford smile and then he’s next to you and he’s smiling and it’s brighter than the sun.”

“He—”

“I know you like him too.” Says Angela.

Lucy groans and downs her drink again because she really didn’t want to get into this. Right now or ever.

She goes back to the bar and orders a flight of shots. At least that would keep her busy. She carries it carefully back to the table, her head already feeling kind of fuzzy. She sets the flight down and then smacks Angela’s hand away.

“So do you like him?” Nyla asks and that really a loaded question. Because yes. But it’s complicated and Tim is important to her and she’s not about to mess that up.

Lucy downs the first three shots, barely tasting them. “Tim is.. Tim.” Says Lucy. “He’s complicated.”

“He goes to work, watches sports and sleeps. He’s not that complicated Lucy.” Angela deadpans but Lucy is tipsy now.

“He’s amazing, handsome, he’s oblivious in so many ways but he’s my oblivious idiot.” Lucy says and Angela snorts. Lucy takes another drink and then another.

“He made me so mad at first. Like I was actually angry and he still is a pain in the ass but he’s so soft.”

“He’s soft for you Lucy.” Nyla says adjusting in her seat. “And only you.” Even drunk, Lucy can agree with that.

She doesn’t notice Angela slipping off her stool, she doesn’t notice the noise around her. Her mind is on one thing. Tim.

“I have feelings for him.” She whispers. Nyla perks up. “And it stinks because he will never feel the same way.”

“Lucy I don’t think—” Nyla begins but Angela comes over and sits back down.

“Chen admitted her feelings for Tim.” Nyla tells her.

“And I missed it?” Angela says shaking her head.

“But she says Tim doesn’t feel the same way. She’s convinced that he doesn’t.” Nyla says and Lucy blinks if she were sober she would be annoyed they were talking about her like she wasn’t in the room.

Angela scoffs at Nyla’s words. She’s a little tipsy herself but she seems to know what to say. “As if. Lucy that man fell for you awhile ago and he still has feelings for you.”

Lucy scoffs but before she can say anything there’s a familiar voice behind them. “Lucy?” Tim’s voice says and she turns in her seat. Tim is standing there with his hands shoved in his pockets looking between them all. “What’s going on?” Lucy slips off her stool and stumbles. Tim reaches out and steadies her. His hand on her shoulder, and he doesn’t let go of her as he glances around at Angela and Nyla.

Lucy latches onto him and squeezes him tight and buries her nose into his chest. She hears him take an a sharp breath and then she mutters into his chest without a second thought. “You are so pretty.”

Tim huffs put a breath and tries to pull her away but she hangs on. “It’s not fair. You are so beautiful and why would you ever want to be with someone like me?”

Lucy sees Tim frown and he tightens his grip on her. “Lucy..” She doesn’t even realize what’s going on. She snuggles into Tim’s chest because if this is all she can have even if she doesn’t remember it, she will take it.

“I’m gonna take her home.” Tim tells Angela and Nyla. “I will see you later.”

Angela just shakes her head at them. “You two both need to get your heads out of your asses.” Tim grumbles something and then pulls Lucy away with him. Lucy stumbles after him and he gets her to his truck. He doesn’t open the door at first, instead he pushes her against it.

“How could you think I don’t want you?” He mumbles. She blinks at him his words barely registering and he must realize that because he opens the passenger door and helps her in. The drive is silent, Tim keeps looking over at her like he wants to say something but he doesn’t. Lucy bites her lip as her head becomes less fuzzy.

He gets her up to her apartment and into her bed. He presses a bottle of water in her hand and then leaves the room so she can change.

She changes slowly, wishing he was back in here. She sits on her bed and soon her eyes are growing heavy and she falls back onto her pillow. She doesn’t hear Tim settle down on the couch. She doesn’t hear him get up and close the door.

She closes her eyes and dreams what it would be like to be with Tim.

***

Lucy wakes up to a pounding headache and she groans trying to remember what happened last night. She smells something from the kitchen and frowns wondering if Tamara is at home instead of school. She pushes up her door and see blankets on the couch and then sees Tim in the kitchen making something. He looks up and smiles when he sees her, she makes her way over to him.

“What are you doing?” She asks.

“Making you breakfast.” He says like it’s something he does everyday. Which it’s not.

“No.” She says shaking her head. “What are you doing here at my apartment?”

Tim sighs and puts down the spatula. “I wanted to make sure you were okay after last night.” He says.

“Y-you stayed?” She asks. He frowns at her tone and licks his lips nervously.

“Was that okay? I should have—”

“No it’s fine I just don’t remember last night.” She admits. He sighs again and comes around the counter to stand in front of her.

“You said I was beautiful.” He says and there’s a small smile on his face. “And you didn’t know how I could be with someone like you which is just—”

“Oh god.” She moans putting her face on the counter. “Tim, I’m sorry. I think Angela and Nyla were pestering me and—”

“So you what you didn’t mean it?” Tim asks her his face dropping a little bit.

“I—” She starts and then closes her eyes and it all comes rushing back to her.

I have feelings for Tim. But he can’t feel the same way.

“Lucy.” Tim says. “Do you remember what I said?”

She shakes her head and he steps between her legs and puts his hands on her shoulders. “How can you think I don’t want you Lucy?”

“Wait—” Says Lucy but Tim is talking again.

“You are beautiful too Lucy. And it hurts me to think you think I wouldn’t want you when you are all I can think about.” He says. “It hurts because it’s true. I want you.”

Lucy’s eyes fill with tears as she looks up at him. “You do? Even when I was drunk and rambling?”

Tim laughs. “Believe it or not I found that endearing.”

“That’s kind of weird.” She says but she’s laughing and so is he.

“Yeah well.” He bends down and ghosts his lips over hers before he kisses her. She smiles into the kiss.”I’m kind of crazy about you.”

Lucy laughs and she feels a little overwhelmed as she pulls Tim to kiss her again never wanting to let him go.

They only let up when the smoke alarm starts beeping. Tim curses and goes to fix it. He grins at Lucy sheepishly when she looks over the counter to see burnt pancakes.

“Want to go get some breakfast instead?” He asks and she laughs. She thinks she will follow him anywhere.

***

Lucy drags Tim to the next girls night, Nyla and Angela have different questions. But Lucy takes them in stride all while curled up in Tim’s side and this was so much better than being drunk and alone.

This was so much better than anything she has ever had. She supposes girls nights aren’t so bad after all.

#chenford #the rookie #tim bradford #tim x lucy #lucy chen #chenford fanfic #chenford fic #anon answered

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