#chenford fic

[wandawxdow]

The Rookie fic recs

Tim Bradford / Lucy Chen

something new to fall into by fromiftowhen

fake dating au, sharing a bed, feelings realisation

i met you in the dark (you lit me up) by fromiftowhen

misunderstandings, emotional hurt/comfort

come a little closer by poppypickle

chenford making a bet, steamy

something wicked this way comes by ellitheria

stalking, post caleb, protective tim, feelings realisation

to build a home by ellitheria

emotional hurt/comfort, slow burn, tim’s childhood trauma

the parallels of me and you by ellitheria

post 4x17, chris is a bad guy, kidnapping

falling apart, falling together by ellitheria

hurt/comfort, hurt lucy, chris is a bad guy

oh baby, how was i supposed to know? by ellitheria

5+1, unplanned pregnancy, soft tim

time, curious time by wisedgirl

tamara’s pov, dadford, found family

café au lait by ellitheria

coffee shop au, enemies to friends to lovers

breathe again by RogueTwelve

5x22, hurt + comfort, protective tim, hurt lucy

After by Ellitheria

post-jackson, mental health, hurt/comfort

open heart, open container by wisedgirl

post-jackson, developing relationship, emotional hurt/comfort

tell me that you’re still mine… by niamsagram

6x01, chenford fighting, anxiety

After the Storm by RogueTwelve

hurt!lucy, supportive!tim, hurt/comfort

[centralperkchenford]

Something like Lucy and Tim are called in to the station when they’ve been on a hike and don’t have time to change. Lucy is wearing black leggings and a sports bra and Tim doesn’t want everyone to ogle at her so gets her to put on his plaid shirt that is super oversized on her.

thank you.

I hope you like this! 💗

Something like Lucy and Tim are called in to the station when they’ve been on a hike and don’t have time to change. Lucy is wearing black leggings and a sports bra and Tim doesn’t want everyone to ogle at her so gets her to put on his plaid shirt that is super oversized on her.

All I know is you're sure looking Good in my shirt

“Yes ma’am.” Tim says glancing over at Lucy who is stretching a little, her foot on the bench in front of her. “We will be there as soon as we can.”

He tracks her movements, and watches as she stretches and he memorizes the curves of her body, the way it moves forward. He knows her body like the back of his hand now but he’s always wanting to learn new things about her.

She’s only in a sports bra, she chose to forgo a shirt because it was hot out today and black leggings. But really it didn’t matter what she wore—she always looked good.

He blinks and brings his attention back to the phone call. The one that interrupted his and Lucy’s hike.

“Fifteen minutes.” He tells Pine and then hangs up the phone. Lucy looks over at him and stands up straight.

“Bad news?” She asks her face twisting up in disappointment. Tim knows how she feels because this was their first day off together and he wanted to do something special with just Lucy. She suggested a hike and he was totally game and had been looking forward to it and now…

Tim lets out a sigh and nods, “We have to go into work. Big case. Metro is with patrol today.”

Lucy sighs too and walks over to him wrapping herself around him. “Well I guess we have something to look forward to next time we have a day off together.” She says shrugging her shoulders. He knows she’s disappointed like he is but he knows they will get another chance to do this. Hopefully soon.

They get to the truck just as Tim’s phone rings again. He blows out a breath and looks at Lucy before answering the phone.

“Bradford.” He says. It’s Grey this time and he looks over at Lucy again who has her head against the headrest with her eyes closed.

“Yes sir. We are just heading to the station.” He says. “We should be there soon.”

“No time to change or go to the station. Meet us on the scene. ” Grey says and tells him where they are. Tim winces a little, glancing over at Lucy again. Neither of them are exactly dressed to go to work. He has on shorts and a tshirt but Lucy only has her sports bra and leggings.

And while he doesn’t mind it actually he was looking forward to undressing her slowly when they got home from the hike. He knows others might not feel the same, and they might look. Which he does not want.

“Yes sir. See you soon.” Tim says and hangs up the phone.

“We don’t have time to change.” He says. “We are meeting at the scene.” Lucy glances down and then back at him with raised eyebrows.

“I can’t go to a scene like this.” She says gesturing at herself. Tim sighs and looks in the backseat.

“There might be a shirt you can wear.” He says. She turns to look at him, a smile lighting up her face.

“Your shirt?” She asks and he can’t help but smile a little. She loves to wear his shirts, his sweats anything she can get her hands on she wears.

And he has had a few things missing from his closet in the past few months only for it to turn up in Lucy’s closet.

He’s usually particular about his stuff and who uses it and most of all getting it back.

But with Lucy?

He wants to see her in his clothes as often as he can, they are way too big on her and she usually swims in them but she doesn’t care and he doesn’t mind that she has them on.

She’s beautiful in any light, in any clothes but when she is in his she just has this certain glow to her.

He has told her before that she can wear his clothes as much as she think as long as he gets to take them off.

“Yes. My shirt.” He says smiling at her and reaching over to grab her hand. “You better give it back.”

“No promises.” She says. He rolls his eyes but squeezes her hand once. He loves her and she knows it, she loves him too and sometimes it was a little overwhelming to be loved by such an amazing person.

“You know.” He says as he comes to a stop at a red light. “You could steal my clothes any day of the week if you just moved in with me.”

He turns his eyes back to the road but feels her eyes on him. He finally looks at her as they pull up to the scene. He puts the truck in park but doesn’t move to get out.

“You want me to move in with you?” She asks her voice quiet. He turns to face her knowing they don’t have a lot of time.

“Yes. I want you around all the time. I want to know I will come home to you in my—our bed. I want all your essential oils and candles and plants around my house. I want your stuff taking up room in my closet.”

Lucy blinks back the tears that are forming in her eyes and leans forward to kiss him. He wipes a stray tear that is about to fall and pushes back her hair.

“Okay.” She says. “Yes. I will move in with you Tim.” Tim grins and kisses her again before turning off the truck and opening the door.

“Good. Otherwise I wouldn’t having any clothes left.” He says. She rolls her eyes but gets out too. Tim is already rummaging through the backseat looking for the shirt he knows he has.

He finds it in a duffle bag he has with spare clothes just in case. He tosses a plaid long sleeve shirt to Lucy who immediately puts it on. She is swimming in it as usual but she looks perfect.

He slips on some jeans just so he looks a little more professional. Or as professional as he can after just being pulled from a hike with his girlfriend.

Lucy comes to stand next to him and smiles. “Let’s do this and then we can start the whole moving process.”

He gives her a small kiss on top of her head. “Sounds like a plan Luce.”

And he really can’t wait for the next chapter of their story to begin.

[americaswritings]

Tim's eyes caught hers and for a moment she felt breathless under the weight of his steel blue eyes. "Boyfriend?" "I said partner", she clarified, knowing fully well what it would sound like to everyone else other than cops. "If I recall correctly, I'm your superior", Tim pointed out. "No sign of amnesia then."

Prompts: "You told me to move on" & Tim asks Lucy to lay with him in the hospital bed and she says no because she doesn't want to hurt him. Tim says "you could never hurt me" and "please, I need you"

[tim-lucy]

the truth can set you free (it was always meant to be)

“Do you love her?” she asks, head tilted and expression soft.

“Isabel, we don’t have to—”

“No, it’s okay,” she interrupts. “I want to know.”

Relenting, Tim gives her a sad smile. He gets it. Truly. “I do.”

Isabel nods. She doesn’t seem surprised. In fact, he suspects he’s simply confirmed what she already knew. But she doesn’t stop there. 

“Do you love her like you loved me?”

He sucks in a breath and meets her eyes. Tim knows he owes her the truth. The peace of mind that, had things been different, they still were never meant to last. So, he says the words he needs to say and the words she needs to hear. A sentence that rings truer than anything he’s said in the past forty years.

“I’ve never loved anyone like I love Lucy.”

This does seem to surprise her, and while he feels guilty for saying it, he knows it will offer her closure—offer them both closure. No more nights spent wondering if they should’ve fought harder, if they would never love the same again. 

Because, frankly, Tim didn’t even understand what love was until Lucy Chen entered his life. And though he’s hit with another pang of guilt at the thought, he knows nothing could’ve stopped her from weaseling her way into his heart.

He doesn’t miss the flash of pain in Isabel’s eyes, overtaken by a look of genuine relief. It’s bittersweet. 

The truth can set you free, as they say, and the truth is indisputable.

Lucy. It was always meant to be Lucy.

[torreshalstead]

empty chairs

Summary - ‘They aren’t coming,’ she mumbled. Tim’s breath hitched in his throat. He didn’t need any more information to know who Lucy was talking about. Her parents.

‘Add them to the list of people I love who won’t be there,’ she muttered more to herself than to Tim. He tugged her even tighter into his chest at her words. He knew they weren’t just talking about her parents now. She was also getting married without her best friend. Without Jackson.

Notes - it’s been so long since I wrote for Chenford and I missed them so please enjoy ❤️ AO3 Link

She didn’t bound up to him at the door like she usually did, excitement pouring out of her body as she threw her arms around him. She wasn’t in the kitchen putting together ingredients he had never heard of for a dinner that would be a sensation for his taste buds. He couldn’t hear her singing from the shower, her beautiful voice echoing through the apartment. But when Tim closed the door behind him, he heard a small sniff and his fists tightened at his side.

That was the sound of his fiancée crying and once he found out who had made her cry, he would be dealing with them. He wasn’t going to cause them any lasting physical damage, he’d lose his badge for that, but he knew he could put the fear of god in people when he needed to. His large stature and forceful scowl could make even the most seasoned cops shake in their boots. None of them knew he had turned into a giant teddy bear since Lucy Chen had carved her name into his heart.

‘Luce, babe, where are you?’ He said loudly, his eyes roaming over the apartment. He had moved in a couple of months before he had dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him - it had been an easy decision for him and judging by the speed at which she had said yes, for her as well. They planned on moving to a house once they were married, with enough space for Tamara to still call home when she visited from college.

‘Here,’ she said softly, her voice barely audible and if his ears hadn’t spent the last few years being attuned to her he might have missed it. His eyes finally landed on the couch where he could just see the top of her head poking over. Tim dropped his gun and badge on the kitchen counter, he’d put them in the safe in a moment once he’d made sure Lucy was okay, and crossed over to where she was sitting on the floor in four strides, his long legs making short work of the distance.

‘Hey,’ he said, dropping down on the floor next to her and pulling her up onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, dropped a kiss to her head and breathed her in. He hated seeing her like this. Her eyes were red rimmed, her nails bitten down to the quick and she was still in the pyjamas she had been wearing when he had kissed her goodbye this morning.

This was supposed to be the happiest time of their lives. They were getting married on Saturday and Lucy had taken the week off to prepare for the big day. She had been excited about getting everything in order but judging from her current predicament, something had changed all of that.

‘Talk to me Lucy,’ he muttered against her hair. ‘What’s wrong?’

When she stayed quiet, he didn’t push her. She’d open up to him when she was ready. He had learnt that pushing her to talk to him just pushed her further away. She had spent a lot of her life just relying on herself and the adjustment to being able to rely on him had been tough for her. So he stayed on the floor, his arms tight around his crying fiancée, his hand smoothing comfortingly down her back, patiently waiting until she wanted to speak.

‘They aren’t coming,’ she stuttered after a short while. Tim’s breath hitched in his throat. He didn’t need any more information to know who Lucy was talking about.

Her parents.

He had known they weren’t completely onboard with her dating someone who had been her supervisor, had accused her of sleeping her way to the top but Tim thought they had gotten past it. When he had popped the question and Lucy had excitedly called her parents, Tim had thought from the sound of the phone call that they were pleased for her, happy she had someone who loved her and cared for her and was settling down like they had always wanted her to.

That clearly wasn’t the case.

They were the last people to RSVP, the wedding was the day after tomorrow and the numbers had already been confirmed with the venue and the caterers. Both he and Lucy had assumed they had simply forgotten to return the card, because of course they would be there to see their only daughter get married. Lucy had said yesterday she was going to call them today to see if they needed any help with the transport to the wedding but from her reaction, that phone call had not gone as planned.

How could two parents, who claimed to love their daughter as the Chen’s did, not want to be there when she married the man she loved. Was it Tim’s fault? Was he the person causing Lucy this pain? That they couldn’t get over the fact she was marrying someone ten years her senior, previously married and who used to be her direct supervisor at work. He knew how it looked to an outsider, he wasn’t blind to the fact. And it was because of all those reasons it had taken him and Lucy as long as it had to admit their feelings to each other. But this was real. His love for her was the realest thing in his life.

‘I’m sorry Luce,’ he said, not knowing what else to say.

‘Add them to the list of people I love who won’t be there,’ she muttered more to herself than to Tim. He tugged her even tighter into his chest at her words. He knew they weren’t just talking about her parents now. She was also getting married without her best friend. Jackson.

They had decided to leave an empty chair for him in the front row, a mark of respect, a show of love, whatever you want to call it. It was Lucy’s way of having him there even when she couldn’t. But Tim knew if he was still here, Jackson would have fought tooth and nail to be there for her at her wedding. Tim was certain he would have given her plenty of shit for marrying her TO, but he would have been there at her side. His absence was not his choice.

Her parents however. That was their choice. And it was their choice that had hurt his girl.

——————————————————————————

Despite the fact they had removed the signs reserving the seats for mother and father of the bride, the two seats next to Jackson’s remained empty. Glaring vacancies in an otherwise sea of smiling faces.

Tim tugged at his sleeves, fiddling with his cufflinks as he stared at them. He should have tasked Angela with getting someone to sit in them so Lucy’s side of the venue wouldn’t look so empty in the front row. His own contained Genny and his nephews who both looked equal parts excited and bored, weddings weren’t the most interesting places for kids but he knew their mother had promised them presents if they stayed quiet.

Angela stood next to him, dressed in a long black dress that matched his suit, the style of the dress was identical to that of Tamara’s - Lucy’s maid of honour. It was Tamara who would be walking Lucy down the aisle today.

Both Nolan and Grey had offered if she wanted them to but Lucy had made the call that Tamara was her family, and she wanted her to do it. Tim knew it wasn’t conventional, knew others in the crowd from his extended family would probably question him on it later. But Lucy’s eyes had shone when she had made the decision and Tamara had been just as excited, so Tim didn’t care what anyone else thought.

His only priority was Lucy.

‘Calm down,’ Angela whispered into his ear. ‘She won’t stand you up.’ She chuckled and Tim shot her an exasperated look.

He wasn’t worried she was going to stand him up. He knew she loved him, knew what they had was special. But he would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried that the sight of three empty seats at the front would upset her. But as the pianist began to play, not only was it too late to worry, but the sight of Lucy walking towards him pushed the worry to a back corner of his brain, long forgotten about.

She looked like an angel.

She floated down the aisle like she had been made just for him. His own personal vision in white. He was certain he was crying and he was certain he couldn’t care less. This wonderful, beautiful, incredible, smart woman had agreed to be his wife. And in just a few short moments she would be.

Time seemed to stop as she glided towards him, arm in arm with Tamara who looked lovely in her own bottle green dress, but it was on Lucy where Tim’s eyes remained fixed.

How could he be so lucky?

Her white dress clung to her body in all the right places, satin with hints of lace across her shoulders. Her long hair was down but pieces were braided into an intricate crown around her head. She looked ethereal and Tim knew for as long as he lived, he would never forget how she looked in that moment. It would forever be imprinted onto his mind.

The ceremony passed by in a blur, all Tim could focus on was Lucy. He was sure the officiant was saying beautiful words and the crowd would be laughing or crying at the appropriate moment, but his gaze was firmly in front of him, everything else had melted into background static.

After they were pronounced man and wife, he barely waited for the cue to kiss his bride before he pulled Lucy close to him and sealed his lips to hers. He tried to pour every ounce of love he had for her into that kiss. He wasn’t sure he had achieved his goal but as he pulled back and looked down at his wife, he knew he had. She was looking at him like there was no one else in the room, her eyes brimming with tears but her smile wide and bright as sunshine. He kissed her again quickly, needing to taste her lips again before the rest of the evening commenced and they were occupied with celebrations.

They linked hands and turned to walk down the aisle but that was when he felt Lucy stall for just a millisecond. He glanced over and saw where her eyes had settled. The empty chairs in the front row. His heart broke for her.

Even though her parents had said they weren’t coming, that they didn’t approve of their union and hadn’t wanted this for their daughter. Tim had secretly hoped they would come to their senses and realise that not showing up for Lucy today would mean burning their bridges with her forever. And from the tightening of his new wife’s hand in his, she had clearly hoped the same.

Tim squeezed her hand three times, a silent I love you, in an attempt to pull her back into the present and it seemed to work. Her smile which had only faltered briefly was back on her lips and she let him lead her back down the aisle to where they knew Angela had organised a private room for them to get away from the craziness of the wedding if they needed it.

They had planned to use the room for a mid-wedding quickie when they were too desperate to get their hands on each other but still had hosting duties to attend to, but Tim knew Lucy needed some space now so he tugged open the door and led them both inside.

‘I thought they’d show,’ she said, her voice muffled by his shirt where he had crushed her against his chest the second the door was closed. ‘I really thought they would.’

‘I’m sorry Luce,’ Tim said, letting his lips fall against her hair as he held her close.

‘They made their decision,’ she said firmly, pulling herself back slightly so she could look up at him. ‘And I made mine.’

She pushed herself up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Tim felt her hands tighten on his biceps and he let himself get lost in the sensation of her body against his. He managed to keep his hands firmly on her waist, not wanting to risk messing up her pristinely done hair and get crap from Tamara who he knew was behind the work of art. But he did back himself up against the door and bring Lucy with him, allowing it to hold up his weight as he held hers.

Lucy ran her tongue along the seam of his mouth, silently asking for permission which he was more than happy to give. If he could take her mind off of the empty chairs, he’d do whatever she wanted. Even if it meant when they walked into their reception a short while later, his shirt wasn’t buttoned correctly and he hadn’t been able to keep his hands out of her hair so both Tamara and Angela shot them knowing looks across the room.

But Lucy was smiling and she was his wife. And that was the only thing that mattered.

[sgtbradfords]

Honey Take My Hand

Just a little drabble I wrote after the finale and finally finished. This is set in between the drive from hospital and them arriving at Lucy's apartment. Enjoy! :)

The streets of Los Angeles were relatively calm for three o'clock in the morning. Intermittently, did the passing of headlights and streetlights illuminated the cab of the truck as they grew near of Lucy's apartment.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Lucy's voice broke through the sound of the truck tires as they rolled across the cooling Los Angeles asphalt.

Her query was soft, hesitant even, as it was spoken into the universe. The thought had been lingering in the back of her mind since the moment they had been awoken hours ago, only now, there were a dozen or so unanswered questions that went along with it.

"Thorsen's tough." Tim's voice was gruff as he checked his mirrors, signaling and merging left.

"That's not what I asked."

The breath he released was deep, the weight on his chest only easing slightly as he glanced towards the passenger seat.

"I don't know."

There was a part of Tim that believed the junior officer would pull through, but life had long since taught him to never be that optimistic. He'd been witness to too many casualties and had pulled both his military and law enforcement Class A's out of the dry cleaning bag one too many times to believe otherwise.

"We don't know anything at this point."

"What if Nolan was right?" The silence following her question was almost deafening. "What if one of us is next?"

"That's not going to happen."

They both knew his statement was a bold-faced lie. It was obvious that Aaron and Celina had been targeted, but they have yet to find any evidence to suggest that one of them could be next on the assailants list. Though that didn't mean that the possibility had vanished, if anything, the likelihood had only heightened.

Reaching across the center console, Tim pulled Lucy's hand away from where it rested in her lap, providing them with the only semblance of comfort he could at the moment. Her palm was warm in his own as he gave the limb a gentle squeeze.

Though they had been given explicit instructions by Sergeant Grey to garner some shut-eye at home, sleep was the last thing on their minds as they held one another close for the rest of the night.

[chenford-fan]

Summary: They do get the opportunity to share their stories with their grandkids. While perhaps not every detail of their first date, they impart something far more significant. It's a tale of love, perseverance, and the importance of fighting for what truly matters in life.

In the aftermath of 6X06 or the Chenford breakup, emotions run high for all of us. This story is my way of navigating and releasing those feelings. 

Mel's Queen Charlotte TikTok and Eric's 'Chenford forever' Cameo serve as powerful inspirations for this story. 

[fordchen]

You deserve someone worth the effort

Prompt: Tim and Ashley broke up after his spinal surgery yet Chris and Lucy are still dating. 5x08 where Chris is looking for houses and Tim decides it’s time to have a conversation with his colleague… Please feel free to leave some feedback! you can also send me ideas :)

—

Today seemed like another day at the station. Tim arrived early as usual and got into his uniform, preparing himself for yet another busy day in Los Angeles. He met with Sergeant Grey for their daily briefing before heading to the roll call room to brief the other patrol officers. Everything is normal until now.

Well… that’s what he thought until he walked to the shop and met a rather distant Lucy. She seemed far away, lost in her thoughts which made him a bit suspicious. It caused him to now overthink too about the reason for Lucy's spiral. He walked closer to her and cleared his throat to signal his presence, seeing her snap out of her thoughts immediately.

“Ready to roll?” He asked after seeing that she had set the shop for them, watching her give him a small nod.

They both got into the car and began their patrol, doing some small talk before Lucy’s phone rang. Chris was FaceTiming her to show her a house for sale. He could not help but feel confusion as he heard the two talk. They both seemed on two very different pages. On one hand, Chris seemed excited about visiting potential houses to buy, and on the other, Lucy seemed much more reserved about the whole thing. Once they hung up, Tim glanced quickly over at Lucy, unable to shake away his confusion. “Are you and Chris moving together?” He asked after a few seconds of silence, feeling his heart tighten in his chest.  

“No, uh… It’s not…” Lucy mumbled, unable to get her words together. “Yet, he seems to think you are.” Tim said, almost cutting her off. He quickly looked over at her again, noticing how tense Lucy looked. That sight caused his heart to break a little. He hated to see Lucy upset. “Yeah, I mean, he kinda sprang it on me this morning…” Lucy added, playing with her fingers as an attempt to control the anxiety she felt in the moment. Tim nodded and after some silence, he let out a sigh. “You two are happy right? Those are the obvious next steps for you.” He asked but before Lucy could answer, they received a call about a few bombs placed around people’s necks and immediately went to deal with the situation. Tim realized they needed to have a conversation about her and Chris’ relationship but knew that now was not the moment. They had to focus on their jobs.

—

They controlled the situation along with other officers and were now headed back to the station. It felt rather tense in the car as they silently sat together in the shop until Lucy’s phone rang again. Chris called to check on Lucy as well as to let her know about a property he had heard off. Sensing Lucy’s discomfort, he intervened in order for her to get off the phone, receiving a kind smile from her as a thank you. “Lucy, look, if you don’t want to move, just tell Chris that.” Tim broke the silence between them, sensing that Lucy needed some help processing everything happening. “That's... The question is, why don't I want to move in? I don't get what the problem is. I mean, Chris is great. We're great together. We never fight.” Lucy said as she looked out the window, trying to clear her mind and put her thoughts all together. Tim found a place to park and stopped the car, looking over at Lucy. She looked surprised at his action but he knew that they both needed that conversation in the moment. 

“Lucy, maybe that’s the problem. But do you guys not fight because you don’t disagree on things or because you don’t think it’s worth the bother?” Tim asked and Lucy felt speechless, unable to answer his question in the moment — something that actually answered it perfectly. “Lucy, you deserve someone that’s worth the effort.” He added, a soft smile forming on his face. He meant every word. Lucy had been through hell and back ever since she became a police officer and he needed her to realize her worth. Lucy nodded at his words but stayed silent, trying to collect herself. But deep down, she knew that she had made her decision. She was scared. Of course she was. A relationship with Tim meant taking a risk that could change her life forever — for better or for worse depending on the outcome. Yet, he was worth the risk.

—

The next morning, Lucy found Tim in the Watch Commander’s office. He was replacing Sergeant Grey who was on vacation in New York with his wife to visit their daughter. She knocked on the door softly before walking in, still wearing her casual clothes as she was early for her shift. “Lucy?” Tim asked as he looked up at her, gesturing at her to close the door behind herself. He stood up and smiled at her, glad that the station was still empty at this hour.

Lucy walked closer to him and took a deep breath. “You were right yesterday about Chris and I. I was too scared to admit that we weren’t working out and felt guilty about what Rosalind did to him.” She began, looking up into Tim’s blue eyes, giving him a soft smile. “I broke up with him last night. You helped me realize that I needed better than Chris, someone who treats me right and makes me feel like the most important person on Earth.” Tim searched Lucy’s face as she spoke, feeling speechless. He could feel tension between the two, like electricity. He wanted to kiss her but knew that it wasn’t the right time. Before Lucy could add anything else, he smiled a bit wider. “Lucy, would you like to go get dinner tonight with me?” He asked.

“Yes, Tim, I do.” Lucy answered and let out a giggle, feeling like a teenager all over again. She glanced out of the office’s windows to make sure no one was watching before she kissed Tim’s cheek. “I guess I’ll see you tonight in the parking lot.” She said before walking out, leaving a blushing Tim behind. —

Years later, at their wedding, she would conclude her vows by saying: “Tim Bradford, you are worth the effort.”

[dreamerrgirl]

Chenford + 5x19 speculation fic... their relationship is put to the test ❤️

When Tim quietly pushes Lucy's apartment door open at 10:30 that night, the last thing he expects to find is his girlfriend pacing back and forth across the floor, her hair falling out of the messy bun she has piled on the top of her head.

"Hey," she says, giving him a distracted smile, still pacing.

"Hi yourself," he answers, raising an eyebrow at her in question. "Is everything okay? I figured you'd be in bed by now."

She shakes her head. "No, I'm too wired to sleep."

Oh yay, Tim thinks to himself, internally groaning. He had really been looking forward to collapsing into bed and snuggling up with her the second he walked through the door- he was pretty much dead on his feet. Taking a deep breath in an effort to keep his brain functioning for at least a few more minutes, he slowly sinks down onto one of her barstools, giving her his full attention.

"What's wrong? Is the detectives exam stressing you out?"

"No, it's not that," she says, worrying at her bottom lip, standing on the opposite end of the kitchen. "It's more about you said this morning, about us having to get used to not seeing each other as much."

"Yeah, and I said we'll figure it out, right?"

"Well yeah... but how?"

Tim shakes his head, his brain at a loss for the moment. "Well I don't know right this minute."

"I mean, it's not like we have any control over the hours we'll be working," she starts, Tim swearing he can physically see the gears turning in her head.

"Right..."

"And it's not like I'm going to ask you to leave Metro or anything."

"You better not, you're the one who got me there in the first place," he jokes, giving her a look. "And you know I'd never keep you from going after your dreams."

"I know," she says, smiling softly at him. "But then where does that leave us?"

Tim takes a second to study her hesitant expression, his eyes narrowing. "I feel like you have an answer to this that you want me to get to, but I'm just not getting there," he says honestly. "What are you thinking?"

Lucy sighs, her teeth continuing their assault on her bottom lip. "I don't know- I don't know if it sounds crazy or not. I’m not very good at this kind of stuff.”

“At what kind of stuff?”

She shrugs, not meeting his eyes. “I don’t know, all this serious relationship stuff. I’ve never really been in one before.”

“Is that what this is?” Tim teases, smiling at the incredulous look she gives him. He holds his hands up in defense. “Hey, we haven’t really had that talk yet, you know, the feelings talk?”

She makes her way towards him, her smile almost patronizing. “I thought it was implied.”

He lifts his shoulders, feigning nonchalance. “But it is nice to hear every once in a while, you know,” he says, his voice low, a sliver of truth seeping into his words.

She’s standing in front of him now, close enough for Tim to feel the heat radiating off her body. “Lay it on me,” he continues, staring into her eyes.

“Well, I was thinking that between you having to run home after every shift to feed Kojo and bring him out before having to drive all the way over here, that’s already taking up a lot of our time.”

Tim nods along. “I don’t know,” she says again, her eyes dropping to the floor. “If we could somehow find a way to get rid of all the back and forth, that might help.”

Tim leans back a little, his heart giving a little lurch in his chest. "Like moving in together, you mean?" he clarifies, his eyes searching hers.

She smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, something like that."

"Are you sure you're ready for that? I mean when Chris brought it up not even half a year ago-"

She makes a face at him. "That's different."

"How?"

She sighs, cocking her head. "Do you really need me to spell it out for you?"

When he doesn't answer, she steps closer, looping her arms around his neck, her face just far enough away that he's not going cross-eyed looking at her.

"I know we haven't been together very long, but, I've never felt this way before about anyone, ever," she says, her fingers gently running through the hair at the nape of his neck. "You feel like home to me, and I keep finding myself wanting to spend more time with you, not less."

"I feel the same way," he murmurs, leaning forward to gently rest his forehead against hers.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He kisses her then, softly, gently, and can feel her smiling against his lips.

"So I'm not being crazy?" she asks, her voice gaining more confidence.

"No," he says, giving her one more kiss, because for some reason, with her, he can never get enough. "I think it's a great idea."

Pulling back, he attempts to stifle a yawn, but is entirely unsuccessful. "So," he continues, rubbing his hands together. "Now that we have that figured out, can we go to bed please?"

"Really?" she snorts, looking at him like he's crazy. "That's all you have to say? It was that easy? I've been agonizing over this all day!"

Tim shrugs, crossing his arms. "I don't know, it's as they say- when you know, you know."

"And you know?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow.

Pushing himself to standing, Tim stretches his arms up and over his head before he brings one down around her shoulders, pulling her tight against his side as he smiles down at her, unable to resist kissing her for the third time. "Oh, I know," he mumbles against her lips, gently steering her towards the bedroom, wanting nothing more than to crawl under the covers and fall asleep with her tucked safely in his arms, knowing they'll have many more nights together just like this.

[carnidfanboywarrior705]

we are in high spirits so.....

[baileys-3]

New One Shot - "Waxed Floor"

In any case, there were a few moments in his life where he imagined where, when, and how he might run into his ex-girlfriend and how he would react. But of course, the final scenario had to top everything. And of course, he could never have imagined this encounter - or should he call it a collision - in his entire life. Because who would ever envision something like THAT? OR Tim runs into his ex Ashley McGrady - in the truest sense of this words and chaos encounters.

[centralperkchenford]

prompt + Tim overhears other male officers making comments about lucy and goes feral

prompt + Tim overhears other male officers making comments about lucy and goes feral

I hope you like this one!

Fighting against all odds I know we'll be alright this time

Tim slumps into the locker room after a long shift and sits down on the bench and running his hand through his hair. He wants nothing more than to go home and curl up with Lucy who is probably already in bed.

He hates metro hours sometimes and he hates that he has to crawl into bed and then crawl out of it a few hours later. The only good thing about that is, he’s never alone when he goes to bed or wakes up. Lucy is usually always there.

He slowly gets up and starts changing out, when he hears low voices coming around the corner from where he is.

“She is a hot piece of ass.” One voice says and Tim pauses and frowns as he tosses his shirt into the locker and grabs the shirt he wore into work today.

“Agreed.” Says another voice. Tim doesn’t recognize the voices but they are probably new patrol officers.

“Is she dating anyone or is she single?” The first voice asks. The second voice sighs loudly and Tim pauses again. He wonders who the hell they are talking about, because they shouldn’t be talking about any woman that way.

“I think that Bradford guy. He’s a metro sergeant.” The second voice says. Tim freezes and then pulls his shirt all the way on and inches closer to the two men talking.

Oh. He knows exactly who they are talking about.

“That asshole? She could do so much better than him. Plus isn’t he like a lot older?” The first voice says. “I could show her what it’s really like to—”

“Like to what?” Tim rounds the corner and the two men turn on their heels to face him. Their eyes are wide. The first man’s mouth is hanging open, and the other man is looking anywhere but at Tim.

“Oh sir.” Says the second one nervously. “Um…”

“Do you just stand around in the locker room and degrade female officers?” He snaps. “Is that the cool thing to do now?”

“Look man.” Says the first man. Tim squints at his name tag. Tucker. “We were just saying what a good cop she is.”

Tim steps closer to them. Tucker doesn’t move but his friend shuffles to the side nervously. “You called Officer Chen a hot piece of ass.” Tim growls. “You said nothing about her being a good cop. Which she is and she would kick both of your sorry butts.”

Tucker rolls his eyes at Tim. “Everyone knows she slept with you to get to the top.” He says cooly. “Of course you will say she’s a good cop, you get to tap that every night.”

Tim steps forward and lifts Tucker up slamming him up against the lockers. His friend makes a noise of protest but doesn’t do anything.

Tucker squirms under Tim’s hold, “This is assault.” Tucker chokes out and Tim releases him but doesn’t let him get far.

“Stop being a asshole and stop degrading women.” Tim growls. He turns to the other man who is staring at them with wide eyes. “I would pick better friends if I were you.”

He storms off grabbing his bag from the bench. “See he’s an asshole! Chen will dump him soon. He’s not worth it.” Tim hears Tucker say. Tim has half a mind to go back and show Tucker what he deserves a swift punch to the face would do it but he decides he doesn’t want to be suspended or fired. He stomps through the station ignoring the looks of the other officers and hops in his truck, slamming the door angrily behind him.

He knows he shouldn’t have lost his temper but these two were idiots. They had no idea how long it took for him and Lucy to get to where they were now. And it was worth it. Lucy was worth it.

To hear these two idiots say the things they said: he’s an asshole, too old for her, she slept to the top to get to where she is.

It made him angry, it made him feel like his skin was on fire. He hit the steering wheel once causing the horn to go off.

He sighs as he backs out of the parking lot, the men’s words rolling around in his mind. Asshole. Too old. She will dump him soon. She deserves better.

He pulls in front of Lucy’s apartment building and parks but doesn’t get out.

What if she realizes he’s not worth it? What if she does break up with him? What if he is too old for her?

They never actually discussed their age gap but…

He sighs and grabs his bag out of the car and makes his way upstairs, he’s quiet going in. He knows Tamara is probably asleep and so is Lucy. He slips into Lucy’s room and drops his bag down and then slips off his pants and grabs his pajama pants that are hanging over a chair. He pulls his shirt off and tosses it aside and then slides into bed.

He doesn’t go to sleep though, he just lays there thinking about what happened in the locker room. He wants to sleep but those idiots words keep echoing in his head.

“You are thinking too loud.” Lucy mumbles. She rolls over and cuddles up next to him placing her hand on his heart. “What’s wrong?”

Tim is silent and Lucy is patient as she draw patterns on his bare chest. “Do you think I’m too old for you?” He asks. Lucy sits up and looks at him confusion written all over her face.

“No.” She says. “I don’t think you are too old for me.” Tim blinks at her once and then twice.

“Do you think I’m an asshole?” He asks. Lucy furrows her brows at him and then turns completely so she’s looking at him.

“No. You are not an asshole Tim. Where is this all coming from?” She asks.

Tim blows out a breath and looks away from her. “There were some guys talking about you in the locker room. It was degrading more than anything. And that’s not going to fly so I confronted them and this one—he said I was too old, I was an asshole and you would break up with me.” He says and he feels so stupid saying it out loud.

“And you are worried about all this?” Lucy asks. He doesn’t answer and Lucy smiles and moves so she’s practically on top of him. “First of all you are not too old for me. Age is just a number Tim and I have never even thought about that. Second of all, you are not an asshole.. maybe you were but I know that wasn’t really you. You are a big—”

“Do not say I’m a softy.” He grumbles.

“You are a big softy for me.” Lucy finishes grinning at him. Tim’s lips twitch into a smile. He wants to deny it but he can’t. Lucy just does something to him, and he can’t help but turn a little soft when he’s around her.

He scoffs but Lucy continues. “Third of all, I am not going to break up with you. I can’t think of a world where I would willingly break up with you.” She says and she reaches out to run her fingers across his face. “And you deserve everything good Tim.”

“That’s you.” He mumbles. She smiles at him and gives him a small kiss.

“Those officers don’t know us Tim. We are strong, we know what our relationship is. We are worth the risk remember?”

Tim nods and pulls her down to kiss her. “Yeah.” He says quietly. “They also said you slept to the top.”

Lucy rolls her eyes. “Everyone who knows us, knows that’s not true Tim. Like I said Tim they don’t know us. And our relationship really is no one’s business. Except ours.” He smiles because he knows she’s right.

“You are right.” He says. She grins and pokes at his chest.

“I usually am.” She says teasingly.

“This is the first time.” He shoots back.

“Shut up.”

He rolls his eyes and she rolls off of him and slots her leg in between his and wraps her arms around him and then lays her head on his chest.

“So what did you say to these officers?” She asks.

“I told them you could kick their butts.” He replies and she laugh and nuzzles her nose into his neck.

“Were you just saying that or could I actually take them?”

“Oh you definitely could take them.” He says.

She huffs out a laugh. “Goodnight Tim.” She says and he listens as her breathing evens out.

“Goodnight Lucy.” He replies. And he falls asleep too, feeling luckier than ever to have someone like Lucy by his side.

[onlymylovesurvive]

Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: The Rookie (TV 2018) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen Characters: Lucy Chen (The Rookie), Tim Bradford, Celina Juarez, Nyla Harper, Angela Lopez Additional Tags: There Are Tags to Tag But It’ll Be No Fun If I Spoil You Now, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen Have No Personal Space, Magical Angsty Sexy Musings, Two’s Company But Five’s A Crowd, Ariana What Are You Doing Here, If You’re Confused That’s Good And Means My Plan Is Working Chapter Summary: Lucy takes a leap of faith after one final visit 👀

[theawkwardanglophile]

Chenford + "it was never just biology..."

Midnight.

It was midnight, and Tim was no closer to falling asleep than he was when he first got in bed an hour ago. The sheets rustled as his legs moved up and down out of restlessness. While it wasn’t an excessively warm evening, the air felt thick and hung over him as if he was covered in extra blankets. If the obnoxiously loud cricket he kept hearing wasn’t already inside it had to be right beside his window, torturing him with its incessant chirping.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Flinging the sheets off, he groaned as he got up and padded to the kitchen. 

He quietly got a glass of water, trying not to wake up Kojo. 

Apparently, this was his life now.

It had been two and a half weeks since Lucy had left for UC school, some of the longest weeks of his life. Weeks that had been filled with an unbearable silence, the longest they’d ever gone without talking since the day she’d been assigned to him. 

He’d expected this, knowing such a compressed time of learning required total focus from her. He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that, so he’d kept quiet, not knowing if she’d want to hear from him anyway after how he’d left things with her. 

It wasn’t as though it was permanent, he reasoned. She would be back in a couple of weeks. They would talk again, maybe ride together again, maybe be friends again.

But in the meantime, oh how he missed her. 

So he lay awake every night, torturing himself with guilt over what might have happened when she’d invited him in after Vegas, wondering what to do about Ashley, who didn’t deserve a guy who couldn’t figure out what he really wanted, and debating what exactly to say to Lucy the next time he saw her. 

She told him it was basic biology. She had Chris. There was no way she was sitting around thinking about her former TO. 

It was time for him to move on, too.

As he finished his water, he heard a faint buzzing coming from back in his bedroom and his heart plummeted.

A call after midnight was usually never a good thing.

He sprinted back, grabbing his phone from the nightstand.

Lucy.

“Are you okay?” was all he could think to say.

“Tim, hi. I just, um, I wanted–”

“Are you okay?” he repeated, still fearing the worst.

“Yes, yes I’m fine. I’m in my hotel room for the night.”

Finally able to release the breath he’d been holding, he sank onto the bed, feeling like he’d just aged ten years. “In that case, hi.”

“Um, how are you?”

Such a simple question, yet he didn’t know how to answer. Great made him a lying liar who lies. Good was also a lie. I’ve been miserable since you left, well, far more accurate but there was no way he was telling her that right off the bat. So he went with the old standby. “I’m fine.”

“Good. That’s good,” Lucy said, her voice wistful. He could almost sense her the overactive wheels spinning in her mind, yet she said nothing more, which was never a good sign when it came to Lucy Chen.

Sighing, he tried to break the ice. “Lucy, I know you didn’t call at midnight just to ask how I’m doing. So, start talking.”

He winced, wondering if that came out harsher than he intended. “Please,” he added, barely above a whisper.

He heard a shaky breath on the other end. “I’ve been needing to tell you something, for a while, actually. But calling was a mistake. It had been a long night, and I had wanted to hear your voice, but this was a bad idea.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that and tell me what you need to say?”

“No, I can’t do that to you, Tim. I don’t want to complicate your life.”

“You’ve been complicating my life since the day I met you. What makes this any different?” he teased, trying to lessen the heaviness he could hear in her voice.

But all he was met with was silence.

“In a good way,” he added quickly. “Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Not your strong suit.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. She was able to do it with four words. 

“Please, Lucy, talk to me.”

“It was never just biology,” Lucy whispered.

He gripped the phone tighter, sure he heard her wrong. All words in the English language deserted him. 

“It’s what I should have said in Vegas, when you asked. I told you what I thought you wanted to hear, but it wasn’t what I wanted to say. It wasn’t just biology, and it still isn’t. I felt…so much when we kissed. And I know, I know you’re happy with Ashley, and I would never want to come between the two of you. I’m sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. It’s been weighing on me for weeks, and I felt like you needed to know, because when I come back to LA, everything is going to have to change, and I don’t know really know where we go from here.”

Tim scrambled to process her every word, still not quite believing it. He was desperate to respond, but no words were able to leave his throat. 

“Ok…ok,” she whispered, sniffling. “I get it, you know. You told me to move on, and I’m going to respect your wishes. I won’t get in your way when I come back, I promise.”

“No!” Tim exclaimed, his mouth finally catching up with his brain. “I’m sorry, Lucy, I just needed a second to process. It was never just biology for me, either.”

“What? Really?”

“Really. But you made it seem like you weren’t interested, and then everything with Chris…I was going to try to put it behind me.”

“How was that working out for you?”

“Terribly. You’re impossible to forget, Lucy.”

“Wow. I’ve been overanalyzing all of this for so long, and you’re able to whip out a line like that out of nowhere?”

Tim chuckled as he sank further into the pillows. “Because it’s the truth.”

“But Ashley….”

He felt his stomach churn at the mention of her name. “I’ve been needing to break up with her. I haven’t been fair to her, having feelings for someone else while still trying to make the relationship work.”

“I had already decided to break up with Chris once I got home. That was a decision I made for myself, regardless of what might happen with you. I thought I could stay with him after his attack, but there just isn’t anything there. I don’t feel enough to keep anything going. But I do owe it to him to break up with him in person.”

“Sounds like we both have some things we need to take care of.”

“Tim?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we really do this?”

He ached for her to appear in front of her so he could pull her in his arms and give her all the reassurance in the world, to touch and taste her until she had no doubt in her mind. But right now, all he had were his words.

“We can, Lucy. I know there are obstacles with work, but you matter more than any of those. Sure it will be a risk, but I think we’re worth the risk.”

“I think so, too.”

Tim smiled. “Good.”

Lucy yawned loudly into the phone.

“Get some sleep already. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Man, have I missed you.”

“Yeah,” Tim said, nodding as if she could see. “Me too.”

“Goodnight, Tim.”

“Goodnight, Lucy.”

He pulled the sheets back over him, unable to get rid of the grin on his face, not that he wanted to. There still wouldn’t be any sleep coming tonight, but at least now it was for a whole different reason.

[sisterofficerlucychen]

hold on to the memories (they will hold on to you)

Chapter 1: Genny Bradford POV She can’t help but smile as she watches them, fully engulfed in their endless banter, one challenging what the other says, arguing as if they’ve been married for decades and not just dating for months. It’s something that brings her a sense of comfort and peace, she knows how much he’s been through, the obstacles he’s had to overcome and how they’ve hardened him, but Lucy’s managed to break down walls not even Genny was able to get through.  — OR — 1: 5+1 fic of outside pov (nolan, lopez, grey, etc) witnessing chenford holiday moments 2: a private holiday proposal

for @buckymfknbarnes ♡

[sgtbradfords]

Until Now, Until You

The orange glow of a street light passes through the windows of Tim's truck before immersing him into darkness once more. 

The street before him is sparsely busy, allowing him the ability to give a passing glance towards the clock on the dashboard. He glares, sulking as four numbers glow back at him rather mockingly, reminding him that it was already nine minutes after midnight. 

He'd been sitting behind the wheel for close to an hour now - how long did it take for one's ass to meld with the driver's seat again? - making a series of left and right turns with only one true objective in mind.

"You want me to drive?" Lucy asks him quietly over the low hum of the decades old hit that filtered through the speakers and the sound of four rubber tires, rotating against the cooling Los Angeles asphalt. Unsure if he had heard her right, Tim hummed. "Babe, you're tired. Do you want me to drive?"

Tim raises a brow, straightening in his seat. "I'm fine."

Read the rest on AO3!