People Like Us
Requested Here!
Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!SWAT!sniper!reader
Summary: Mid-Wilshire officers need assistance, so your SWAT team joins them to diffuse a hostage situation. As a result, Lucy learns that Tim has a girlfriend.
Warnings: hostage situation, this is early seasons but I added Nyla bc I love her, fluff, crossover, some grumpy!Tim
Word Count: 2.8k+ words
Masterlist Directory | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info
“Can you see me now?”
“Street,” you sigh into your radio. “Why are you whispering? You’re 46 yards away, it’s not like I’m going to locate you by sonar.”
“So, you’re saying you couldn’t shoot me from here?”
“Considering your big head is square in my sights, no, that’s not what I’m saying.”
“My head is not big!”
“Are you two done?” Hondo asks tiredly.
“Depends,” you answer with a smile. “Why are you asking?”
“20 Squad,” Hicks calls over the radio. “Mid-Wilshire division just requested tactical support. There’s a hostage situation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, corner of Wilshire and Fairfax.”
“Let’s roll!” Hondo commands.
You stand from your position and ignore Street’s static murmur of “That’s where you were” as you return your long-range precision sniper to its case.
“I need my AR-10,” you request as you approach the SWAT parking lot.
“Loaded in Black Betty,” Luca yells from the driver’s seat.
“You’re the best, Luca!”
“I know.”
“Officer Lopez?” Hondo inquires as you exit Black Betty at the corner of Ogden Street and Wilshire Boulevard.
“Thanks for coming,” she answers. “We’ve got an active shooter and at least fifteen known hostages. Our shooter, Wayne Ritter, entered the building, toured the exhibits, then disarmed a security guard and started making demands.”
“How long ago?” Deacon asks.
“About an hour. We’ve had a hostage negotiator on the phone with him several times but he’s not making any progress.”
“Has he fired any shots?”
“At least three. We’re not sure if anyone is injured.”
“You’ve got officers on the east side of the building by the urban light display,” you point out. “You think he’s going to use that exit?”
“Just trying to cover our bases,” another woman answers. “I’m Officer Harper, I work with UCs, just assisting the detectives on this one. Ritter’s a prime suspect in a carjacking turned homicide a few miles from here.”
“There are three sets of doors on the north side of the building. Open into a fenced area that backs up to Fairfax,” Tan says, looking at a virtual map.
“Can he get to the underground parking from there?” Luca asks.
“If he hops the fence, yeah.”
“We’ve got officers blocking off the parking area,” Angela explains. “And three groups waiting on Fairfax, including my rookie. If he leaves, we’ve got him.”
“We’re just more worried about what he’ll do to get out,” Nyla adds.
You look around the immediate area as Deacon gets more information about the employees, security guard, and the operating cameras inside the museum. When Hondo notices your furrowed brows, he steps toward you.
“What are you thinkin’?”
“Three doors at the back into a fenced area is a terrible choice. A few doors and an emergency exit to the east trap you with a bunch of cops. The building’s probably locked down, so he can’t get to parking from inside,” you list off. “If he hasn’t tried to leave, it means he’s looked. There’s only a few windows in the building.”
“You want to find him.”
You nod and point toward the intersection of Wilshire and Fairfax. “There’s windows on this side, facing south. If I can locate him, I can take him down.”
“We can’t get you close enough,” Harper interjects. “We’ve got deadly force authorization, but we can’t risk putting you anywhere near his eyeline."
You smile at her concerns, and Street steps back.
“Can he see 433 feet above street level?” you challenge.
“145 yards?” Luca asks incredulously.
“The AR-10 shoots up to 600.”
“It’s not about the gun,” Deacon adds.
You turn toward Hondo, hoping he has more faith in you than the rest of your team.
“She can do it,” Street argues.
Lopez watches you and Hondo, and Nyla raises her phone to her ear.
“5900 Wilshire Boulevard,” she says. “31-stories?... Yes, sir…” She ends the call and tells Hondo, “SBE officials are allowing us to use the building as we need.”
Hondo sighs and shakes his head. “You’re lucky I trust you.” He smiles as he adds, “That we all trust you. Get up there and find this guy.”
You nod and then pull your AR-10 onto your back and run down Wilshire Boulevard to enter the skyscraper.
“Hopefully he actually has a big head,” Street calls after you.
A shot rings from the museum, and Angela raises her radio to ask, “Bradford? Where’d that shot come from?”
Tim and Lucy duck behind a concrete art installment east of the museum as a shot echoes off the smooth surfaces surrounding them.
“Bradford? Where’s that shot come from?” Angela asks.
“Northeast corner,” he answers. “Chen and I are south of the gate.”
“SWAT team’s here and we’ve got a sniper getting in position. Any sign of our hostages?”
Tim moves to the end of the abstract wave he’s using as cover but can’t see anything through the dark windows of the door closest to him.
“Nope. Nolan’s in the garage. Interior access can’t be far from where that shot came from.”
“Nolan?” Harper calls. “What’s your status?”
“All clear down here. The doors haven’t opened. We’re holding a few civilians on the far east wall. The shot was above us,” Nolan explains. “Probably not far from the south entrances.”
“Can somebody get a thermal reading?” Nyla asks loudly.
“Walls are too thick from this direction,” an officer answers. “Airship One is two minutes out, going to try to get a shot from the roof.”
“Send us in,” Hondo suggests. “We’ve got thermal scanners, if we can get to a window or door, we can find this guy.”
“Harper, Lopez!” someone calls from the mobile control center. “Grey’s on the phone with Ritter!”
Hondo follows Angela and Nyla into the trailer, where Sergeant Grey has a call on speaker.
“I understand, Wayne. We’re working on getting that for you. But I need to know that everyone inside is okay. We heard a shot, and you aren’t trusting me enough to tell me what happened.”
“‘Cause nothing happened!” Wayne snaps.
“Okay,” Grey concedes, turning to look at Angela. “Then can you tell me how many people are with you? We’ll need to help them, too.”
“They don’t matter!”
Someone screams in the background, a sound laced with fear. Wade shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose.
“Twenty minutes,” Wayne demands. “Or there will be one less person for you to help.”
“Mr. Ritter!”
The line beeps, and Wade slams the button to silence the ended call. “He is progressing and if we don’t get some eyes in there quickly, we’re going to be cleaning up a slaughter instead of recovering hostages.”
Hondo raises his hand to his ear, and the Mid-Wilshire officers watch as he smiles.
“I might be able to help with that,” he says.
When you finally reach the thirty-first floor, your adrenaline is pumping, but your breathing is slow and even. You had to stop three well-dressed businessmen from getting on the elevator with you. One even had the nerve to flirt with you until he saw the gun at your back. So, when you finally step out onto the roof, you sigh in relief. At the northwest corner, you lower to one knee and raise your handheld scope, which shows distance, wind direction, wind speed, and crosswinds.
“Perfect,” you murmur.
After you raise your gun to your shoulder, you lean toward your dominant side and use the ultra-clear scope to look into the southern windows. You move your steadying hand to your radio, propping the gun against the concrete pillar before you, and switch your radio on.
“Hondo, I’m in position,” you alert. “Got eyes in the back windows.”
“10-4,” he replies. “I’m with Mid-Wilshire’s watch commander. If you get a shot, take it.”
“Can I get a physical description of our guy?” you request. “I’d rather not pull an accidental Jack Traven and shoot a hostage.”
“Right here,” Grey offers as he pulls up Wayne Ritter’s record on a laptop. “Security cameras are showing him in dark blue jeans, a white or yellow button-down shirt, and a new mustache.”
Hondo raises his phone and takes a picture of the screen, then speaks to you as he types. “I’m sending you a picture. 5’10”, dark hair, wearing dark blue jeans, a light button-down, and he’s got a mustache now.”
“New look for a new crime?” you joke.
“New attempt, at least,” Hondo agrees. “Deacon and Street are moving to the east side to assist, and Luca and Tan are taking Black Betty to 6th and Fairfax in case he tries to run.”
“Hondo, is anyone covering the west side of the building? If he finds a way to bail that direction, he can get to Orange and disappear.”
“You have someone on the west side?” Hondo asks the people in the trailer with him.
“All units,” Wade radios. “Who’s covering the west side?”
“Bradford and Chen,” Lucy answers. “There’s only one egress route, but it’s locked.”
“Don’t try to open doors, Chen!”
“I didn’t! I can see the lock.”
Wade shakes his hand and gestures to the radio in a there’s your answer motion. Hondo smiles knowingly and relays the information to you.
“Is there exterior roof access?” you ask.
“Not that we know of.”
“Hondo, I’ve got movement,” you alert, shifting your weight as you prepare to shoot.
“Movement at the northside doors, too,” Street calls.
“Eyes on several subjects on north side,” a Mid-Wilshire officer notifies.
“He’s planning a roach light,” you and Tim Bradford radio simultaneously.
“Roach-light?” Nyla asks.
“When you turn on a light, roaches run in different directions and you can’t pick out any particular one,” Hondo explains. “I thought our girl was the only one that used that nasty analogy, but I guess she’s infecting your people with it, too.”
“That’s not the only thing she’s teaching him,” Angela points out. “He’s learning some manners, too.”
“Who?” Nyla asks.
“Focus,” Wade encourages.
Hondo switches his radio from his earpiece to the small speaker attached to his vest as officers continue alerting Grey, Lopez, and Bishop of movement in the museum. He shakes his head and prepares to call out for you just before you radio.
“Eyes on Ritter. I’ve got a shot.”
Wade nods, and Hondo commands, “Take it.”
You exhale as you squeeze the trigger. After your shoulder jerks back slightly, you reposition yourself to watch the impact. The bullet hisses through the air for only a second, and then the glass of the center window shatters before Wayne Ritter hits the ground.
“Suspect down,” you radio. “Code 4 here.”
“All units, Ritter is down,” Wade alerts. “Repeat, Ritter is down. Move in for hostage recovery.”
“Street, Deacon, move in on southern windows,” Hondo says as he exits the police trailer.
While you watch through your scope, he meets your team and, with Street, covers Deacon while he climbs through the broken window and kneels to secure Mr. Ritter.
“Nice shot,” Deacon applauds, looking up toward the roof you’re waiting on.
“Thanks, Deac,” you answer. “Hey, Street, that’s how you get someone down while making sure they can still pay for their crimes on this side of the grave.”
“Say that to my face,” he retorts.
“I am. You just can’t see me.”
“Hondo,” Street begins.
“I’m not getting in the middle of this. Get this guy to transport so we can help with recovery. Deac, on me.”
As Street pulls the injured shooter toward a waiting police cruiser, you lift your rifle and return to the roof access door. The trip down is faster than it was going up, and you walk toward a group of officers gathering the hostages outside of the museum.
“Who’s that?” Lucy asks as you walk to Nolan’s side.
“How can I help?” you offer before she gets an answer. “My team is clearing the upper levels.”
Nyla calls your name, jogging toward you. “Ritter didn’t have the gun on him, and he’s saying that he had his own plus the one he lifted from the guard.”
“I’ll find them,” you reply. “I’ll let my team know so they can keep an eye out too.”
“I’ll help,” Tim offers.
You nod and step away with him as Nolan joins you. Lucy watches you go, completely enamored by you and your skills.
“Who is that?” she repeats.
“The SWAT sniper?” Angela clarifies. “That’s Bradford’s girlfriend.”
Lucy’s jaw drops as her eyes widen. “She is Bradford’s what?”
“Your TO didn’t share that? Shocking.”
“Is there really a sniper here?” Jackson asks excitedly. “The one time I agree to go somewhere without my TO, I miss a sniper.”
“Not just a sniper,” Lucy explains. “Bradford’s sniper girlfriend.”
“Well, duh, she’s the best sniper in LA county.”
Lucy throws her arms up and asks, “Did everyone know except me?”
“Bishop knows too,” Jackson adds to mess with Lucy.
“As much as I’m not enjoying all this TO-rookie talk, I’ve more cases to work,” Nyla interrupts. “It was kind of nice to meet you all.”
“See you around!” Angela calls.
“You sound sure of that.”
“Call it a hunch, partner.”
Nyla waves off Angela’s teasing tone and turns toward an unmarked car. As Lucy continues asking questions about how someone like you ended up with someone like Tim, you search the museum for the weapons Ritter left behind in his attempt to flee.
“I’m surprised you didn’t just storm in and save the day,” you tell Tim as you circle an art display.
“Last time I did that, you threatened to shoot me,” he points out.
“Because you need to stop putting your life in danger when there are better options.”
“You mean like calling you?”
You smile at Tim over the top of the ceramic statue and shake your head. He raises his brows and prepares to speak before Nolan clears his throat.
“I found a gun,” he states when you look over. “I’m sure it can wait, though.”
“Where, boot?” Tim snaps.
You look at him to communicate a silent warning to be nice.
“Behind the plaster self-portrait over here. Looks like a standard issue private security piece,” Nolan answers.
You follow Tim to the wall and nod as you look at the weapon. While you tell Hondo, Tim tells Grey. In less than five minutes, you locate the other gun and regroup with your team outside the museum. Several officers thank you for your assistance or applaud your clean shot, and you ignore Street’s dramatic and sarcastic fawning over you.
“Oh, you shot that unarmed man so well! Will you please sign my face?” he asks, clasping his hands together as he raises his voice.
“Uh, excuse me?” someone asks, looking between you and Street. “Is it true that you’re dating Officer Bradford?”
“You must be Lucy,” you realize, offering your name and hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I swear none of it is true.”
You lean toward her and whisper, “Tim’s not as hard on you when you’re not around, just so you know.”
“Why are you dating him?” she blurts out. “You’re so different, so nice, and he’s so… Tim.”
“People like us tend to find each other on accident,” you explain. “I got lucky with Tim.”
“What Officer Chen is trying to ask is why you’re dating a cop that is nowhere near as talented or cool as you,” Hondo offers, smiling at something over your shoulder.
“Is she asking that?” Tim muses behind you. “That’s interesting.”
“Honestly, it’s a fair question,” Lucy admits, shrugging.
“Why do you seem so surprised?” you wonder aloud.
“I’m shocked! I thought he was single, for one, but you’re amazing! You can do anything!”
“Or date anyone,” Street adds. “Hondo has been trying to make her see that for years.”
Hondo shakes his head, looking at Tim as he promises, “I have not.”
“Now that we’ve established she’s too good and talented for me, Chen, maybe we should get back to work,” Tim announces.
“Why bother?” you tease. “I already did all the heavy lifting.”
Hondo’s phone chimes, and he sighs before he says, “We gotta roll.”
“I’ll see you tonight?” you ask Tim.
He nods and doesn’t complain when you step toward him and kiss his cheek.
“Don’t be too hard on Chen,” you whisper.
“She’ll be busy spearheading your fan club,” he grumbles. “Or starting a petition for you to dump me.”
“People like us work, Tim. That’s why we’re so great together.” You step back and smile as you call, “Nice to meet you, Lucy.”
“You, too!”
After you get into Black Betty and close the door, Lucy and Tim stand side-by-side and watch until the lights disappear between buildings.
Lucy sighs. “I want to be her when I grow up.”
“I wasn’t aware you’d planned that far ahead.”
“Maybe I will start that petition now.”
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Hiii love your work!! Don’t know if you saw the clip of Ben in the Team Europe room and running away, but I would like to ask something based similar from that. Could I ask for fem reader and Ben being sappy/lovey dovey in the lounge room alone and getting caught by the cameras and Team USA teasing him for it? Thank you! Would love to have a long one for this one if you can :-)
Caught in the Moment - Ben Shelton
The atmosphere in the Team Europe lounge is a delightful mix of post-match celebration and playful camaraderie. The bright colors of the banners and the faint echo of cheers from the nearby court create a cozy backdrop. Inside, it’s just you and Ben, a sanctuary away from the bustling energy of the tournament.
Ben is sprawled on the couch, his hair still slightly damp from the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist. The sight is enough to make you blush, but it’s his playful smirk that really captures your attention. As he lifts a bottle of water to his lips, you can’t help but admire the way he carries himself, confident yet endearingly goofy.
“Hey, you! You look like you’ve just come from winning Wimbledon,” you tease, leaning against the armrest, your eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Just another day at the office,” he responds with a mock-serious expression, though his smile betrays him. “But I think I’d rather be here with you than on the court right now.”
The playful banter flows easily between you, as natural as breathing. You reach over to poke his side, causing him to flinch dramatically, and soon you’re both laughing uncontrollably. The joy of the moment is infectious, wrapping around you like a warm hug.
As the laughter begins to fade, the room fills with a comfortable silence. You steal a glance at him, noticing the way his big brown eyes shine with affection. Leaning in closer, you whisper, “You know, I’m really proud of you. You’ve been killing it out there.”
His expression softens as he meets your gaze. “Thanks, that means a lot. I wouldn’t want to share this with anyone else.”
With that, you close the distance between you, your foreheads resting together. The warmth radiates from his skin, and you can feel your heart racing. He brushes a strand of hair behind your ear, fingers lingering against your cheek. The tension in the air thickens as you both lean in for a soft kiss, the world outside fading away.
But just as the kiss deepens, a loud burst of laughter from outside interrupts the moment. You both pull back, startled, and exchange amused glances. “What was that?” you whisper, trying to stifle your giggles.
Curiosity piqued, you both sneak a peek at the door. Unbeknownst to you, Team world has decided to make a surprise entrance, and as the door swings open, you catch a glimpse of Taylor and Frances, grinning like mischievous schoolboys.
“Look at the lovebirds!” Tiafoe calls out, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. The two of them burst into the room, cameras in hand, capturing the scene in all its cheesy glory.
Ben’s face flushes a deep crimson, and he tries to retreat, but you hold him close, not ready to give up the moment just yet. “Come on, Ben! Don’t hide! We’re just getting started!” Fritz teases, making exaggerated heart gestures as he leans in closer, pretending to swoon.
You can’t help but laugh at Ben’s embarrassment, his attempts to maintain composure turning into a delightful mix of flustered and amused. “Seriously, man, caught in 4K!” Fritz continues, while Tiafoe shakes his head in mock disbelief.
“Hey, you’re the one who was just getting all mushy with your girl! It’s not our fault,” Tiafoe adds, nudging Ben’s shoulder playfully. The room is filled with laughter as the two of them continue to poke fun at him, and you revel in the lighthearted teasing.
Despite the playful jabs, you can see Ben relax, a grin breaking through his initial embarrassment. “You guys are the worst,” he chuckles, rolling his eyes. “But at least I know who my real friends are.”
“Real friends? You mean us, who are here to witness this beautiful moment?” Fritz quips, taking a step back to snap a picture of you and Ben, both caught in a candid moment of laughter.
You wrap your arms around Ben’s waist, pulling him close again, unbothered by the teasing. “Honestly, I don’t mind at all,” you whisper, glancing up at him with a playful smirk. “I kind of like being caught in moments like these.”
Ben leans down, resting his forehead against yours once more. “Same here. But maybe next time, we should find a more private spot?” he murmurs, a hint of mischief in his voice.
The teasing from the boys continues, but you’re too wrapped up in the moment to care. “Let them have their fun,” you say, smiling up at Ben, who now seems more at ease.
“Just wait until I get my revenge on them later,” he smirks, eyes glinting with determination.
As the laughter fades, you both settle back into your cozy moment, sharing soft kisses and gentle touches, completely unbothered by the chaos outside. It’s in these moments, sappy, playful, and filled with love, that you both truly feel at home, no matter the distractions surrounding you.
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