#tim not romantic at all bradford

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

[thisismyroadtothethrone]

Just rewatched the episode where Chris hums the song I HATE HIM!!

[dylanconrique]

i cannot express enough just how badly i want a parallel scene of tim and lucy confiding in their respective besties (angela and nolan) about each other. i want it to cut back and forth between them oversharing the feelings that have been brewing between them since they kissed in her apartment. i want nolan and lucy’s relationship brought up again, only for her to point out that what she feels for tim is “so much more” than whatever it was they had; i wanna see tim parallel that by confessing to angela that he’s even more foolishly in love than he was in the beginning with isabel. that whatever he felt for her — (and every woman after) pales in comparison as to what he feels for a certain dog loving, empathetic, true crime addict who weirdly loves pickles.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Not So Grumpy

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!wife!pregnant!reader

Summary: Tim is grumpier than usual, and when you decide to visit him at the station, the rookies get an idea of why.

Warnings: pregnant reader. fluff!

Word Count: 1.8k+ words

A/N: Softie Tim? Softie (and clingy) Tim. This takes place sometime during seasons 1-2.

“Don’t start,” Tim says, sitting beside Angela.

“Whoa, okay,” she replies with a laugh. “Glad to see you’re in such a good mood.”

“That sounds like starting.”

Angela puts her hands up, smiling as she turns away from Tim. “Chen, good luck.”

Tim rolls his eyes, wishing his mornings could go differently. It’s been several weeks of his persistent bad mood, and everyone who has to deal with him is curious about what’s causing it.

“Bradford, can I- could I maybe get you something?” Lucy offers softly.

“No.”

✯✯✯✯✯

You wake up curled against Tim’s side, his arm extended over your waist. His alarm is going off, and he’s smacking the nightstand beside him in a poor attempt to turn it off.

“You have to go to work,” you remind him, kissing his cheek as you move farther up in the bed.

“I’m good,” he replies, sighing as he finds his phone and turns the sound off. “Right here.”

He rolls closer to you, his hand sweeping over your stomach as he looks into your eyes. Tim can be persuasive, but you’ve gotten used to this routine over the last few weeks.

“I’d love for you to stay, I really would, but I don’t think your boss would appreciate it,” you say.

Tim groans, pressing his face against your neck as his arm tightens around you.

“You got clingy,” you tease, running your fingers through his hair and gently scratching his scalp.

“And you won’t let me stay,” Tim mumbles.

“It’s not my fault you wanted to be a cop.”

“You would-“ Tim pauses, sitting up so you can hear him. “You would deprive me of staying at your side during a time like this?”

Chuckling at his dramatics, you push your hand against Tim’s shoulder in a pointless attempt to move him away from you.

“Tim, baby, you see me all the time.”

“Not enough. I’m going to come home one day, and there will be a toddler running around, but I won’t remember any of this.”

You close your eyes and lean back against your pillow. “You have to go to work today so you can come to the doctor with me on Friday, right? Just think about that.”

“I can’t. I can only think of you.”

“You start a family and suddenly you’re the most romantic, clingy guy in the world. Where’d the grump go?”

Tim doesn’t reply as he tries to pull you closer. Rolling away from him, you leave him no choice but to get up and go to work. His disappointed sigh makes you frown; you know he’s being dramatic to cover up how he feels.

“Tim,” you call, sitting up as he walks to you. “I’m sorry. I love you, and I really do want you here as much as possible.”

“I know. It’s just harder than I thought it would be.”

You nod, tilting your chin up in a silent request for a kiss. Tim smiles, shaking his head as he bends to meet you. You pull back before he risks getting distracted.

“The grump is back now,” Tim mumbles.

“Hey! Be nice today,” you call after him.

Tim doesn’t reply, and you know he’ll deny ever hearing you say such a thing.

✯✯✯✯✯

Tim slams the door as he exits the shop. Standing with his hands on his hips, he looks at the flat tire before glancing at Lucy.

“I didn’t see it,” she begins, her voice rushed and apologetic.

“Because you weren’t paying attention,” Tim snaps.

“But I-“

“How do you expect to graduate to short sleeves if you can’t even drive, boot?”

“It wasn’t my fault; there was something in the road!”

“Call dispatch,” Tim demands.

“What’s the protocol for this?”

Tim remains silent, leaning against the side of the shop as Lucy racks her brain for the proper procedure. As she radios dispatch and explains the situation, Tim grows grumpier. He’s stranded in a subdivision of Los Angeles with a flat tire that could have been avoided instead of home with you. His conviction about being a cop wanes each moment he’s away from you.

✯✯✯✯✯

Even without seeing the worst of it, you can tell Tim’s attitude has changed lately. His fellow officers and the rookies have been dealing with the grumpiest version of Tim they’ve ever experienced, but you see the clingy, emotional, loving side of whatever is making him act so differently.

After doing a few small chores, which Tim will tell you not to do again, you get ready and decide to pay him a visit at the station. You want to see how he is doing.. mostly, you miss him and want an excuse to see him and hug him.

As you get in your car, you consider calling Tim to ensure he’s at the station and has time for a visitor. He has been protective of you since you met, but it has changed and increased since getting married and throughout the early months of your pregnancy. You shrug, putting your phone away after electing to surprise him instead. 

✯✯✯✯✯

“It would be great if one of you could remember that you’re a police officer!” Tim yells, looking between Nolan, Lucy, and Jackson. “Now you’ve got nothing to say? No excuses? Well maybe you should review those rook books before going out on patrol again.”

He turns quickly, prepared to storm away and find a private place to calm down. When he freezes, the rookies look at one another in confusion. Nolan prepares to speak, and Lucy shakes her head to stop him, unwilling to get yelled at again so soon.

“What are you doing here?” Tim asks.

You step into the bullpen with a smile as Tim rushes to your side.

“Missed you,” you whisper.

“Is that- is she-“ Nolan stutters.

“Pregnant? Yeah. And Tim is… smiling?” Jackson adds.

Lucy gasps, moving in front of Nolan to see better. It’s true: Tim is standing as close as he can, with one hand laid protectively over your stomach while he smiles down at you. His grumpiness, which has made being a rookie nearly unbearable recently, is completely gone, vanished at the sight of you.

“You shouldn’t be up walking around,” Tim frets.

“Then I probably shouldn’t tell you I cleaned the kitchen, huh?” you reply.

Tim shakes his head, his thumb brushing over the swell of your baby bump as he leans forward to kiss your forehead.

“Are you feeling okay?” Tim asks softly.

You smile, moving your chin to gesture to your left. Tim’s brows pinch as he turns, glaring at the rookies until they look away, turning to one another in a fake conversation.

“I’m not going to survive this afternoon,” Tim tells you.

“You’ve been grumpy and mean,” you accuse.

“Look, they’re going to annoy me all afternoon. Stay with me? You can do a ride along. Oh! Or you could go into labor so I can stay home with you for a few days.”

“As great as that sounds, I’m going to pass. I’d like to have a healthy baby when the time is right, not on your schedule, grumpy.”

Tim frowns, his hands on either side of your bump.

“But, I promise to be waiting for you the moment you get home,” you add. “And, maybe, if you just tell them the truth, it won’t be so bad.”

“You’ve never dealt with a boot. Or Angela Lopez.”

“Just because you won’t introduce me.”

“For good reason.”

You smile, raising your chin again before Tim kisses you quickly.

“Be careful going home. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Tim watches you leave, waiting until you’re out of sight to turn back toward the rookies. He jerks back slightly when he sees Lucy standing right beside him.

“She’s so cute! You’re so cute together! Why haven’t you mentioned her, Tim?” Lucy gushes. “And where do you hide that guy that was with her? I’ve never met that Tim.”

“And you won’t,” he promises.

“I think he leaves that side of Tim with her,” Nolan adds.

Tim’s jaw clenches. It’s true, he knows, but he doesn’t want details of his personal life to become an accepted topic for the rookies. He raises his hand, and they silence.

“Just- leave it alone for now, and I will introduce you the next time she visits,” he offers. 

As he says it, he makes a mental note to ask you not to visit without warning so he doesn’t have to follow through. The lie is the only way to have peace while in the vicinity of the rookies.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be a dad,” Jackson muses.

“You’re having a kid?” Angela yells, running down the stairs and grabbing Tim’s arm.

Tim grumbles something unintelligible under his breath before saying, “Yes.”

“Boy or girl?”

“Don’t know yet.”

“If it’s a girl, Angela is a great name.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve got a long list of names that are an absolute no-go,” Tim replies, looking between the rookies and Angela.

“How did you figure this out?” Angela asks Lucy.

“She – who is she?” Lucy begins before realizing that she never heard who you are to Tim.

“My wife,” Tim mutters.

“You’re married?!” Angela and Nolan ask together.

Angela slaps Tim's shoulder, frowning when he looks at her with his eyebrows raised.

“I thought we were friends.”

“What gave you that impression?”

Angela gasps, covering her heart with her hand.

“Uh, Tim?” you ask, standing behind him.

He turns toward you quickly, and Angela’s eyes widen as she looks at you.

“Yeah?” he asks kindly, yet another surprise.

“Can you come with me for a second?” You notice the small crowd behind him, officers who seem more interested in you than anything else. “Hi,” you say, waving at them.

“It is so nice to meet you,” Angela begins, stepping toward you before Tim blocks her way with his arm.

“We’ll do introductions later,” Tim says, putting his arm around you and leading you away.

“I’m holding you to that!” Lucy yells.

Tim leads you into an empty interview room, his eyes searching yours. You take his hand, laying it on your stomach. Something happened when you heard his voice earlier, and you want to share it.

“Say something,” you request. “Anything.”

“I love you,” Tim answers.

His eyes widen as he feels the movement of a kick against his hand. He squats before you, moving his hand under your shirt.

“You know who I am, don’t you?” he asks.

You feel another kick, laughing at how your baby already has Tim wrapped around its finger. 

“You promised to make introductions,” you say, interrupting Tim’s conversation with your stomach.

Tim stands, cupping your face in his hands and kissing you. Breathless, you push against his chest as you break away.

“You were right,” you admit. “It would be nice to have you home more.”

“We did it,” Tim whispers, his eyes dropping to your bump.

“I feel like I’m interrupting something,” you mumble.

Tim chuckles, rubbing your back as he leads you to the door.

“Introductions, and then we’re going home,” Tim explains. “Names and nothing more.”

“I would expect no less, Officer Bradford.”

[toomanyfandomsimfanvergent]

Tim Bradford x Reader

Tags/Warnings: Officer!Reader, Female!Reader, Established Relationship, not any real spoilers

.............................................................................................

"How was it?" You ask as Tim enters your car. His RBF turns to a smile as he sees you.

"She's not the worst," Tim says. Tim would never admit if he liked a rookie. Okay, he has made the occasional comment about a rookie being okay.

"But how was your day?" Tim asked as you began to pull out of the parking lot. You and Tim's shared apartment was an incredibly short distance from the station. Very convenient.

Tim rests his hand on your thigh as you begin to speak, "Shitty. I was tied up watching over a crime scene until the detectives arrived. Half of my shift. Six fucking hours," you complained.

"Oohh, so that's why I barely saw you," Tom responded. "sorry it was shitty," he added and fought a smile that was forming.

He thought you were adorable when frustrated.Hell, Tim thought you were adorable almost all the time. When he didn't find you adorable was when you were in action. During those times he found you very, very hot. Watching you kick ass turned him on way more than it should.

You both sit in silence as you drive. The busy streets of LA truly did suck. Especially after twelve hours shifts. Even more so after having had a very shitty twelve hour shift.

"God I just want to sleep. We both have tomorrow off and I want to stay in bed until four P.M." you said and tim laughed.

"Babe, you can stay in bed all day, but I don't think you will. We could go to the shooting range? It's very romantic," Tim says with a smile.

Neither one of you ever questioned how your relationship worked. It wasn't very much like a "normal" one though. Most couples don't spend dates at a shooting range or hand to hand combat training. Or, the best one, the gym. There still were many dates spent at a restaurant, but LA restaurants have lines longer than the great wall of china.

There were the occasional dates when you could convince Tim to go paintballing or when you two would get tickets to a football or baseball game.

"I think that sounds lovely," you say with a smile as you park the car. Tim hated that you always insisted on driving. Not that you were a bad driver but chivalry wasn't dead.

Home at last.

.............................................................................................

Reblogs and comments are appreciated! Feel free to send in requests!

[silverskull]

"Stop trying to protect me, Tim!"

"I can't. I won't. Please just steer clear of this - for me."

Tim's been the Fierce Protector™️ his whole life. Of Genny (and mom?), of his squad, of his wife, of his rookies; He can't turn it off.

But... it hasn't been working.

He lost two soldiers to Ray. He lost Isabel to addiction. His attempt to protect Lucy actually PUT her - and Tamara - in danger. And this isn't even the first time he's done that!

Compound that with his cover-up to his military superiors and his lies to his LAPD superiors, and who even IS Tim Bradford anymore?? I don't want to be an apologist for his self-centered-ness, but I'm slowly working to see where he's coming from.

His protectiveness is telling him to send Lucy away so she's SAFE. For all the 'incredible' women that surround him, he's failing to see how Lucy is Worth. Fighting. FOR. Fighting AGAINST his own protective instincts.

(gif credit | chenfordsource)

If his love for her is blinding him to that (and we got those hints with the Teska case and the lie-detector test), then they need to address that to build a solid relationship. He's going about it ass-backwards (MEN) but it's all caught up to him now and hit him like a tonne of bricks.

Again: it's unfair that Lucy has to be the clear-headed one here. But she IS. We've seen her mature in her romantic relationships over the years to the point that she IS the sensible one. The one who sees they need to TALK.

We were insulted when Isabel and Tim had a giggle over Lucy's suggestion that Tim meditate after a fatal shooting. But! Of the three of them, who adjusted best to life after trauma? Ms I-Survived-That-Chen! That's who. 🏆

They're going to work this out. They're going to survive. Writers don't build seasons of subtle and complex moments and toss it all away on a whim. Chenford are the most important people in each other's lives.

They're going to get through this. ❤️‍🩹

[chiefdirector]

Wounded | Angela Lopez | The Rookie

Despite it going against at least fifty rules, Angela couldn’t help herself. Sure it wasn’t illegal or anything but it just felt wrong. Grey had gone one hundred and one times about fraternising with people within the department, let alone with people within the precinct but she couldn't help herself. God, she really wished she had listened.

Of course, deep down she knew that it wasn’t her fault but that knowledge didn't stop the guilt from rising up every chance it got, haunting her like a ghost. Although she knew that wasn’t the only thing haunting her, the image of her wife, laid right in front of her so still that Angela almost thought that she was asleep, or she would have if she wasn’t drenched in her own blood.

The bullet wound embedded in Detective (Y/N) (L/N)’s side plagued Angela’s thoughts, both waking and asleep. Every time she closed her eyes she saw it. Every moment of silence all she could hear was her wife’s cries of agony, begging for someone to make it stop. Every peaceful moment Lopez had was burdened by the memory that she was powerless to help (Y/N) in the moment she needed her most.

She had fundamentally failed her. 

The universe had chosen them to come together.

(Y/N) had moved to the Mid-Wilshire precinct from Hollywood when her patrol partner had passed away in the line of duty. She was up for promotion, the detectives in her department had given her the tap pretty early into her career. The move made sense, she would get a fresh start, rebuild the confidence she had lost whilst not being tied down as the officer who shouldn’t have survived.

If only she had known that title would come back and follow her with a vengeance.

Their relationship blossomed quickly after they had met. Initially they had sworn themselves to secrecy, knowing how much grief they could have been subjected to but it didn’t take long for their colleagues to learn about their relationship. Grey, after a lot of convincing (and some begging on (Y/N)’ end)  had signed them both off to work in the same station, as long as Lopez never came directly under (Y/N)’ command. Romantic relationships had a lot more protections than most others, especially in police work. 

Lopez and (L/N) tended to move in sync, knowing what the other needs without even asking. When one moves, so does the other, like magnets. The benefits of having a pair like them was exceptional, until one would fall. So Lopez and (L/N) were split up, rarely working together unless it was the last option available. The liability of having one of them injured whilst the other was near was far too high. It wasn't worth the risk.

Angela thought the rules were a load of shit. 

It was only when Angela saw (Y/N) lying there, bleeding out, did she truly realise why the rules were the way they were, why they were so strict, and why she shouldn't have been on that operation that day.

It was her ignorance that had caused Jule to turn around and move towards her, trying to protect Angela from harm, subsequently fating herself to the suffering intended for Lopez. 

—----

The hospital was cold.

The sterile white walls pressed into Angela as she sat in the waiting room, Bradford and Grey by her side as they waited for any news on (Y/N)’ condition. The hustle and bustle of doctors, nurses, and patients alike barely registered in Lopez’s mind as she sat in the far to firm chair, staring at the floor. She had counted the floor tiles in the room six times before she registered that Tim had stepped out to get the three of them coffee.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, watching the world go by. It simultaneously felt like seconds and decades. She watched as families joined in her waiting and then left again. She listened to their cries of joy and the wails of anguish. All of the chatter and noise eventually fell into a quiet hum in the back of her mind as she counted the tiles on the floor once more.

It was the gentle tap of Sargent Grey that brought her crashing back to reality again. She snapped her head up at him, before searching around the room to see another surgeon standing at the doorway, a char in hand and a solemn look adorning his face.

“Family of (Y/N) (L/N)?” The surgeon called out again. Angela shot up from her seat at an almost inhuman speed. She swallowed down her nervousness as she approached him, now was not the time to be afraid, not when she could lose anything. She could be afraid in private.

“Yes,” she croaked out, wincing at how hoarse her voice sounded. Quickly, she coughed to clear her throat, “that’s me.”

“There were some complications during surgery. Ms. (L/N) had some severe internal bleeding that was not caught until later in the process and by that time it-”

The surgeon's voice droned out of Angela’s mind, becoming another noise in the background as she tried to process the words. She was no doctor but she knew that internal bleeding was never good. And with all the blood she had lost even before she had gotten to the hospital.

Every single possibility rushed through her mind as she fruitlessly tried to stabilise her breathing. This couldn’t be happening, not now. Not to her. The guilt sprung forth in her mind tenfold, Angela knew it should be her in that position, not her (Y/N). Anyone but her (Y/N). 

“Ms. Lopez. Do you understand what I am saying?”

For the second time in five minutes, Angela snapped back into reality, this time she was hyper focussed on the surgeon in front of her.

“What?” she said, her voice still meek.

“Ms. (L/N) is currently in recovery in the ICU.” The surgeon looked down at the officer, seemingly annoyed by her lack of presence when he spoke the first time, “she is ot conscious and due to the numerous complications, we do not have an estimate as to when she will wake up; if she will even wake up.”

“But she’s alive?”

“Yes, you can go up and see her shortly. The nurses are just cleaning her up from the surgery.”

Angela let out a breath she didn't know that she was holding at the doctor's words. She was alive. (Y/N) had made it through the surgery and she was alive. Angela could keep hoping and praying for her recovery because there was a chance that she could recover. There was a chance that she would wake up, that she would heal, that she would go home. There was a chance that she would live.

(Y/N) survived and now she had a chance, and Anegla knew that was enough.

Masterlist

@augustvandyne

[theflyindutchwoman]

Tim Bradford finishes what he starts. I haven't finished training you yet. No. You haven't.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 2.13 - Follow-up Day

Let me preface this by saying this is one of my favourite moment ever. Actually, all the scenes we got between Tim and Lucy in Day of Death, Now & Then and Follow-up Day were absolutely incredible. This one is no exception.

The way these two bring out the best in each other was in full display in this episode. The reason Tim was able to find this genius solution was due to Lucy's insistence that he think outside the box and use his bag of subversive tests and tricks. When he started doubting, she pushed right back at him. They just complement each other so well. They've become each other's biggest cheerleader.

Which brings us to the rest of the scene, with Lucy finding out that Tim turned down a promotion just so he could keep training her. The way he acts so casual, as if it's a normal occurrence, is mind blowing. I'm not even sure he realises the magnitude of his gesture. Back in Manhunt, when he decided to take the sergeant's exam, he was at a turning point in his life : he was getting divorced, Isabel in rehab, and he was trying to challenge himself. Judging from his reaction earlier in the episode, I'm pretty sure that when he signed up for the exam, he assumed he'd have time to finish Lucy's training. Moving to a new station and becoming a sergeant then would have been the perfect opportunity to start afresh. But that's the thing, a lot has changed in-between. This promotion comes at another pivotal point : Lucy is still recovering from everything she went through with Caleb. Tim was already keeping tabs when she was riding with Nyla for a couple of days, I can't imagine him leaving her in the hands of a brand new TO he doesn't know while being in another station. This is just as much for his peace of mind as it is for hers. As Nyla told him, Lucy needs to be able to feel safe again : bringing a new (and unknown) element in this equation might not be what's best for her. And if there's anyone who knows a thing or two about craving for some constants, how comforting they can be, that's Tim. His final decision reflects how Lucy's well-being is his priority for now. But this is also for him : she's slowly but surely becoming his person and I don't think he was ready to leave her behind, even only professionally. Almost losing her is also still fresh in his mind...

There's just so much love in this scene. Whether it is of a romantic nature, that's up for discussion - I'm not sure Tim or Lucy would know the answer. But it is present and palpable nonetheless, right down to their body language. It's a bit bittersweet at first, with Lucy looking elated and sad at the idea of Tim getting promoted and leaving. But the second he tells her he's staying, she's beaming and bouncing on her feet, before reigning it a bit. Just like in Grey's office. I doubt she's ever had anyone in her life who supported her that much and put her first in such a way. She's the definition of sunshine and cuteness here - no wonder Tim's completely powerless. Speaking of him : the way he's directly looking at her lips when he tells her he declined Grey's offer… like sir, this isn't how you're supposed to look at your trainee. And let's not forget how for a second it looks like Lucy was reaching for his hand while walking away. The man turned down a promotion and he's looking perfectly at peace and content with this… If that's not love, I don't know what is.

[onlyhereforangst]

I don’t go here but you’ve mentioned chenford isn’t great. Do I know what Chenford is? No. Do I still know they broke up? Yes.

Pls share the fandom lore and ur thots 🎤

ok so.

chenford, or lucy chen & tim bradford- former rookie & training officer, respectively. the actual characters have been written so fucking phenomenally i barely have words (she says as if she isn’t about to just. go off). they have managed to truly incorporate authentic human flaws and emotions and decision-making into these characters which have, across six seasons, played out for gorgeous individual & paired character arcs. like they are GREAT are they in a great spot? no. but they are FANTASTIC.

now.

if you were to ask the fandom that same question. excuse me while i die laughing 💀 unfortunately the strikes really helped a large majority of the chenford fandom to twist canon into barely recognizable fanon and now that canon is back and progressing as it absolutely narratively should people are losing their gd minds. deactivating accounts, claiming their done with the show, touting that they’ve been manipulated a bold face lie if you have critical thinking skills but i digress. there’s a select few of us having the time of our damn lives, feeling blessed to have such good writing on a procedural????? of all things. unheard of. truly.

so yeah the fandom is Something because who doesn't enjoy a feast of delicious angst? i mean lucy cannot stop inserting herself into every situation, even her boyfriend who has repeatedly asked her to not because he is trying to protect her (this is it's own separate problem) but literally flinging yourself around outright screaming at your significant other is just. not it. i speak from experience 💀 this is not how you get someone to healthily tell you what's bothering them to the point of tears multiple times. its like if lucy isn't the default hero she just cannot handle? its insane and beautiful because its her tragic flaw coming to a glorious, screeching climax. AND meanwhile??? so is tim's!!!! his loyalty to a tragic fault got him in a bind and he doesn't know what to do and can't handle and thinks protecting the one he loves by shutting her out is the way to be most loyal to HER because suddenly he doesn't feel he deserves her so he's going to break his own heart since lucy was too polite to do it.

anyways this storyline has been blessedly built up with undertones and crumbs since literally the end of season 4 and the fandom acts like it was a total blindside. lmao honeys. have you watched the show??? plus its been teased in interviews for over a year i can't 😭

both characters have a LOT of growing and self-discovery to happen individually before they can even begin to consider being in a relationship. not when that relationship had been built on a foundation of subordinate-superior. that *shockingly* doesn't equate to a romantic relationship of equals and guess what?! it had its ramifications!!! miscommunication trope my beloved you slayed.

ok that was surely more than you wanted seek but a million voice notes to the like 2 people that have been calling this storyline with me since the beginning and the vibrating still isn't out of my system!!! cheers to the hate anons i'm sure to get if anyone takes the time to read this 🍻

[mamadoc]

The next chapter of my Chenford Baseball Tim story is posted. Here’s a little preview.

When Lucy left the locker room on Sunday morning, Captain Andersen called her into her office.

“Good morning, Captain. How can I help you?”

“First, I was happy to see you on the tabloid sites this morning,” she said with a smile.

Lucy furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to speak, but Captain Andersen put up her hand to indicate that she wasn’t done speaking yet.

“Not that I think that’s good journalism or that your privacy should be invaded like that,” she clarified. “But I’m a bit of a romantic at heart, and I had a good feeling about you and Bradford from the moment I saw you two together. Even with the fuzzy photos that were taken, it’s obvious that you were happy to be with him last night.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lucy said, her cheeks suddenly a fiery red. She was unsure if it was the right time to discuss personal matters like this, so she just said, “I am happy, ma’am. Thank you,” with a small smile. She thought for a moment and then asked, “You look at the tabloids, Captain?”

Captain Andersen laughed. “Not usually. But the LAPD’s tech force keeps tabs on all the sources of news that they can. Usually they’re looking for criminal activity, but the posts about you and Mr. Bradford were a nice bonus. I got an email this morning with all the links.”

“Oh. That makes more sense,” Lucy said nodding her head.

“Well,” she started and then paused. She shuffled some papers around on her desk and then looked up at Lucy. “That’s not exactly why I called you in. I have an assignment for you today, if you’re up for it. It’s not exactly undercover work, and it’s not exactly an internal affairs investigation, but it’s a little bit of both.”

Lucy was intrigued. She tried to quickly put the other conversation behind her and smiled at the captain. “Nice hook. I’m totally in. What’s going on?” She leaned her arms on her duty belt and focused on the captain.

“Close the door and take a seat,” she said, waving toward the door and walking around to the front of her desk.

[centralperkchenford]

Chenford 6x02 spec fic based on Chenford in the interagation room 🥰🥰 thank you 😊

This is purely speculation and something from my mind. It most definitely won’t happen. It’s just for fun. I have no idea why Chenford is in the interrogation room with a lie detector🙀🤨. Anyway, also the clown stems from the 601 episode description so… again speculation.

Chenford 6x02 spec fic based on Chenford in the interagation room 🥰🥰 thank you 😊

They don't know I've waited all my life Just to find a love that feels this right (they don't know)

“Sergeant Bradford.” Grey says sternly from where he is sitting across from him. “Do you know why you are here?” Tim looks down at himself where he is hooked up to the lie detector machine. Lucy is in the corner watching him nervously. She probably thinks this is her fault because she asked him to help her. She asked him to be tough TO Tim and not boyfriend Tim. And he didn’t think anything of it until that damn clown showed up. And this definitely wasn’t her fault. He would stand on that ground because he didn’t want this messing up her chance of becoming a detective.

“If this is about that damn clown. It was terrorizing us and I had to—” He starts

But Grey shakes his head. “It’s not about the clown Sergeant. At least not right now.”

“Then what—”

“Officer Chen asked to ride with you the other day. Is that correct.” Grey asks.

“Yes sir.” He says. Truth. “But it was only for some training and that’s it.” Truth.

“But you and Officer Chen are in a romantic relationship?” Grey asks. Tim looks over at Lucy who is still looking him, her cheeks a little flushed.

“Yes sir.” Tim says. “For about a year.” Truth.

Grey nods. “And you have never let your relationship with Officer Chen affect your job?” He asks.

“No sir. We act professional while at work.” Tim stays. The lie detector machine makes a weird clicking sound. Tim groans internally, okay maybe they didn’t act professionally all the time. Maybe they made out in his office more than he could count.

“Mmmhmm.” Says Grey looking at the machine than at Tim. “Why did you agree to ride with her?”

Tim sighs. “Because I wanted to help her. She deserves to be a detective and it was the least I could do after everything she’s done for me.” He says.

Grey nods. “Fair enough.” He says and Tim thinks it’s over but then Grey speaks again.

“Now the dead clown.” Grey says and Tim groans internally. Fuck that clown.

“It was going to attack Officer Chen.” Tim says shuddering a little. It was bad enough that 6 weeks ago they were attacked by masked assailants but now a clown??

“Officer Chen can take care of herself right?” Grey asks and Tim looks over at his girlfriend. Of course she could. He never doubted that.

“Of course she can take care of herself.” Tim says. “But this clown was terrorizing us and I didn’t want—”

“It was a clean shot.” Lucy says walking towards the table. “Sergeant Bradford did everything right.”

Grey nods looking at Lucy briefly before looking back at Tim. “And you didn’t let the fact that Officer Chen is your girlfriend get in the way of the decision to shoot the clown?”

“No sir.” Tim says. Truth. “But he was threatening our safety and I had to do what I had to do.”

“Because she’s your girlfriend?” Grey asks raising his eyebrows. Tim shakes his head a little frustrated.

“No—well yes but because she’s also a fellow officer and I didn’t want her to get hurt.” Tim says. Truth.

Grey hums but doesn’t say anything more. Tim taps his foot anxiously on the floor. After a few minutes, Grey speaks again his voice a little lighter than before.

“So you shot the clown because you felt threatened? And you thought it would cause harm to Officer Chen?”

“Yes.” Truth. “And the other people around us. The innocent civilians.”

“And not because you are in a relationship with her?” Grey asks. “This was because of the job. You had to do it.”

“Yes.” Truth. Sort of. The machine goes a little crazy for a second and Grey hums looking down at it. The truth was riding with someone you care about, someone you love was difficult because all Tim wanted to do was protect Lucy. Even if he knew she could take care of herself.

“Tim Bradford do you love Lucy Chen?” Grey asks. Tim freezes and looks at Lucy who is also frozen to the spot on the floor. Her eyes are wide as she looks at him. And yeah he is in love with Lucy. He loves her. They just hadn’t said it yet, he knows Chris had told her he loved her but she could never say it back. So he was waiting for the right time, waiting to make sure she was ready to say it back. This is not how he planned it out, he wanted it to be a little more romantic and he didn’t want to be hooked up to a lie detector machine but—

“Yes.” Tim says his heart pounding as he watches the machine go up. “Yes I love Lucy and if I had to shoot another damn clown to keep her safe I would do it over and over again.”

He turns back to Lucy and he sees her swallow. She comes closer to him so he can smell her perfume and it’s perfect.

“You aren’t just saying that—” She starts but Tim shakes his head holding up his hands. Tim turns back to Grey, and he’s smiling slightly looking between them.

“Are we done?” He asks. Grey nods and stands up while Tim starts taking all the wires off.

“Yes.” He says. “We are done. For now.” He leaves the room and Tim turns to Lucy.

“Lucy.” He mutters. But she shakes her head and bends down to kiss him.

“I love you too.” She says against his lips. He smiles and stands up from the chair shaking free of the wires.

“Thank god.” He says and she giggles a little. And for the first time in awhile he felt a little lighter.

***

“I love you.” Tim says to Lucy as they dance around the room. Lucy looks up at him her hand on his cheek. Her eyes on the cut above his eyebrow. He closes his eyes at her touch wishing this could last forever. She leans in and gives him a kiss. It’s soft and sweet and everything he needs at this moment. He still has his eyes closed and when he opens them Lucy is looking at him with the softest look he’s ever seen. All the love he feels for her is reflected back at him.

“Please don’t ever stop saying that.” She whispers.

He huffs out a laugh. He’s not sure he could stop even if he tried. “I won’t.” He promises. “Because I do love you Lucy, everything about you. Nothing in the world will ever change that.”

Lucy laughs and drops her hand from his face. “Not even a dead clown or a lie detector test?”

“Especially those.” He says. She’s quiet as she studies him some more. He’s used to her looking at him. She did it when she thought he wasn’t looking when she was rookie. And she still does it except now she doesn’t shy away.

“I love you too.” She says just like she said earlier except it’s lighter, easier. There’s no pressure of Grey watching or the damn lie detector machine.

“Never stop saying that to me.” He says twirling her around making her giggle. He bring her back into his arms, his hand on her lower back.

“Deal.”

And Tim knows they will be able to get through all ups and downs. All the good and bad together.

Because that’s what they have always done.

Together.

[starseneyes]

Chenford - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Eps 8 & 9

Hello, Chenford fans! If you love Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford on The Rookie, I owe you a debt of thanks. Throughout the years, I've loved writing Metas for various ships, and several of you told me I HAD to check out this ship.

Y'all. Were. Right! It's been so much fun catching up and then riding with you this season on an amazing adventure. All of y'all who've stuck it out from the beginning are rockstars!

SPOILER ALERT: This is a Meta of Episodes 8 and 9 AKA the 2022 Winter Finale. I will be talking extensively about Chenford and spoiling every bit of it for these two episodes, as well as diving into their past and parallels found there. Do not proceed if you wish to remain unspoiled.

Ready? Let's dive in!

The Collar

"I'm reassigning Aaron for the day. Lucy, that means you're on Gofer Duty."

Lucy and Tim haven't been outright avoiding one another since their near-cheating incident, but they have been avoiding riding together.

Spending all day in a vehicle without an out or an excuse to get away if things get too personal? Yeah, they've been avoiding this.

The way they look at one another, both trying to see if the other is okay with this is so perfectly their MO. They're not going to say what they want until they're certain the other person is on the same page.

Just look at the scene when Tim "asked" Lucy to be his Gofer... they basically went around one another in circles until it came to arms crossed and "Do you want it?" "If you want me to want it", basically.

Tim and Lucy are still tip-toeing here. And Grey can feel the discomfort.

"Is there some reason you two can't ride together?"

Lucy huffs out an exasperated sigh because what can she say!? and looks to Tim, who looks to her. There's no getting out of this without saying something neither of them want to say right now, so they let it go.

But watch them after Grey walks away. Tim can barely look at her.

Because this is not like the times in the past when they've ridden together. They've ridden as TO and Rookie/Boot. They've ridden as Sergeant and Gofer. Yes, technically Lucy is on Gofer Duty, but she's no longer his Gofer. That job's been given to Aaron.

She's riding as Officer Chen, and their dynamic has completely shifted from one that bordered on romantic to two people desperately trying to shove down the feelings that they too-briefly acknowledged months earlier wearing borrowed clothes and courage.

The Shop is a tin can with two people shoved inside of it—two people who are hoping they can avoid shaking the foundations of their firmly rooted relationship because they aren't quite ready to leap.

"So... how's single life going?" "It's good. No one to complain when I watch football all Sunday." "You didn't leave the house once?" "I walked Kojo." "Tim! What?" "I spend all week outside." "I know, but we live in a vibrant city. There's always something amazing going on." "Look, obviously don't get me wrong, I love LA, but it is not a vibrant city, okay? It's a loosely stitched together patchwork of strip-malls." "You're hopeless."

Yes, I wrote all that. I love this whole exchange because it feels like them, and I know that's why Lucy is smiling over at him after he finishes his last line. This feels right. It always has.

Yes, there have been times that they have been at odds. Yes, there were times Tim was a hard*ss trying to whip her into shape. Yes, they've had their fights and confrontations over the years.

But this rhythm has been earned.

They can disagree without offending one another. They don't have to conceal the fact that they disagree, or tiptoe around issues.

Well, they do have one issue they tiptoe around... but we'll get to that later.

A Phone Rings

Tim glances over, and his face is hilarious. It's a good thing Chris can't see how Tim registers who it is, makes a grim frown, and looks away, trying not to eavesdrop because the last thing he wants to do is listen to the woman he loves be ooey-gooey with her boyfriend.

"Where are you?" "An open house! It was on my way to work. What do you think? It need some work, but it's three bedrooms."

Now this has Tim's attention. He looks over, trying to register if he's hearing what he thinks he's hearing.

Lucy. Looks. Horrified.

"I can't really see anything. Can we talk later?" "Yeah! Love you!"

Lucy can't hang up the phone fast enough.

She huffs out a little, frustrated grunt as she makes that image disappear from her phone screen—a future she knows deep down she doesn't want.

Tim—who thought he was going to get through this day without delving into Lucy's personal life—can't help himself. He noticed several things in that exchange, and there's something that's stirring within him even if he doesn't want to admit it—hope.

Lucy didn't say "I love you" back.

Lucy looked entirely uncomfortable at the idea of moving in with Chris.

Lucy rushed to get him off the phone.

These are all tiny indicators to Tim that there's a chance to have that conversation he's been dying to have since the hotel room when Lucy stood before him wearing nothing but a robe as armor against her heart.

The episode before, he was holding his radio—a literally communication device—which tied them together throughout the day. He held it in his hand, trying to communicate with Lucy. But Chris swooped in, and she was whisked away on his arm, seemingly happy.

Tim doesn't want to do anything to hurt Lucy's happiness.

But this exchange gives him the hint that she isn't happy.

"Are you, are you and Chris moving in together?" "No." "I mean, he seems to think you are." "Yeah, I mean, I don't know. He kinda sprang it on me this morning."

Watch how Lucy rubs her chest, clearly uncomfortable.

Up until now, it's been easy to coast in this comfortable relationship. She wasn't sure where Tim stood, especially after he encouraged her to go off to UC school, and Chris is a great guy.

She should be happy, right?

"You guys are happy, right?" "Yeah." "Those are the obvious next steps." "We're super happy. It's good."

Tim's not trying to lead her on a ride. He honestly wants Lucy to be happy, even if it's not with him. But the cracks are showing.

"That poor woman. The last moments of her life must have been agony, just wondering if the bomb was going to go off, praying it wouldn't." "I'm guessing that was the point. No way someone goes through that much trouble of building something like that unless they wanna terrorize their victim." "Yeah."

I love this conversation because we're still in the moment with them—that horrible moment where a woman lost her life.

Tim and Lucy don't just bounce off of it. Yes, they keep going. They have to. But they take the moment to acknowledge the horrors they've witnessed.

I desperately wish more of my news colleagues had done this back in the day, but that's a story for another blog.

Tim and Lucy's quiet moment of reflection and compassion is interrupted by... Chris. Of course, it's Chris.

"I saw the news, are you okay?"

Oh. Oh! I thought Chris was going to do or say something completely insensitive. That's... refreshing.

"Look, if you don't have time, I get it, but a realtor friend of mine just slipped me a listing-"

THERE it is. There's the a**hole, can't-read-the-room, tone-deaf moment I was expecting.

Lucy looks to Tim to find him already watching her. "Save me," her eyes scream.

"Chen! Chat with your boyfriend on your own time."

Heck, yeah!! That's our White Knight riding up on his faithful steed to rescue the Warrior Princess whose current dead-weight Gentleman Caller has got to go!

Thank you, Tim, for coming to the rescue with some TO-voiced ordering.

"Thanks."

He nods to her in acknowledgement. The barrier they've both kept up is falling more and more throughout this episode, especially as she leans on Tim for support.

I like to talk about the Walls of Jericho from It Happened One Night, one of my favorite love stories, ever. It was physical, but also metaphorical. It was, essentially, a flimsy sheet set between a man and woman to try to separate them and avoid temptation.

But shadows made it through, and it was easily shoved aside. That's the veil between Tim and Lucy, right now, and it's falling fast.

You shouldn't need saving from your own boyfriend. But after what happened with Caleb, Tim's always felt a responsibility to protect Lucy, and I feel that's only intensified as their relationship has progressed toward the romantic.

He can feel her hurt. This is actually hurting, now, and he's not going to stand by and do nothing.

"Look, if you don't want to move in, just tell Chris that." "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." "Maybe that's the problem." ... "Do you guys not fight because you don't disagree on things or because you don't think it's worth the bother?"

Watch. Her. Face. Oh, how it falls as she considers those words. She's riding along, coasting in this relationship with Chris. There's no passion, no friction, no growth. It's convenient and comfy, but we all know that Lucy isn't afraid of confrontation.

Heck, when she was still very fresh in her Rookie stage with Tim, she tracked him down at night to keep him from making a choice that would change who he was. He might've told her she was out of her depth, but he listened.

Lucy doesn't shy away when it counts. So why is she shying away, now?

"Lucy." "Yeah?" "You deserve someone who's worth the effort."

She's fiddling away at her phone case, uncomfortable and nervous. But she meets his eyes as he speaks to her. She doesn't just hear his words, she feels them.

Tim pulls away after the words escape his mouth, placing his right hand on the wheel, further away from Lucy. She watches him for a moment before looking away, just missing him looking back at her.

They both know what he meant.

Whether his intention was to put himself out there or not, he did it. He reached out a little to her, and though he can't see it, we can all feel her reaching back.

That cord of connection that bonds them is always there, but new threads are weaving in... new strands that only strengthen the more they're spoken aloud.

Tim and Lucy are falling in love... but they aren't ready to discuss it... yet.

Taking Cover from the Bomb

I know it's little, and we can rationalize Tim would have done this with anyone. He absolutely would have protected them. But I love the way he rises WITH her. When they stand after the snipping of the bomb, it's as a unit.

And it's so indicative of this episode. It's bringing them back to that point of trust we saw in 5x01 between them where they were undercover up in the air, and knew they had to trust one another completely.

They've kept apart to try and dull the thrum of their hearts that beats deeply for the other. They've been afraid, and unsure, and unsteady.

But the more they're together, the more it's obvious to both of them (and to us, come on!) that they work beautifully together, that they can depend on one another, that the get one another in a way that's spiritual and chemical and can't be forced or reproduced.

Lucy's F*cking Phone

Every time they get a second of air to breathe, that bloody phone is going off. Now, Tim's actively looking over, not even pretending he's unaware of what's transpiring.

Lucy's frustration is bubbling over, and Tim can see it. He looks over at her and sees the woman he loves... miserable. She's f*cking miserable with this other guy, and he knows it.

"Do you love him?"

Tim knows the answer to this one. It's plain as day. But he also knows Lucy. She needs to work through things, sometimes, which is part of why she talks so much.

Tim licks his lips before he says it, as if he needs extra lubrication to get the words out.

Lucy tries to deflect. Much as she loves talking, she doesn't want to talk about this with him. She deflected hardcore in the hotel, and here she is, again, trying to deflect.

"He loves you." "I know. And I feel like I should love him back. He's so great in so many different ways. It's just. He's just not-"

And her gaze shifts immediately to Tim.

Y'all breathing? Because, I legit stopped breathing at this moment. I might've flailed so much in excitement that I accidentally batted my husband's arm beside me.

But watch Tim's reaction... he knows exactly what she's saying. And while they've broken a lot of rules about talking about personal stuff in the Shop, that's one place they both know better than to cross while under the watchful eyes of half a dozen cameras.

Because, Tim is already bending toward her, but he hasn't yet broken the rules. He hasn't yet crossed the lines. Oh, we all know they both nearly did… but didn't.

ADDENDUM: After watching the scene a few more dozen times, I now don't think Tim knew what she was saying... or he wouldn't let himself hope that he was hearing correctly. Anyway... Onward...

And as they ride, feet and legs parallel to fit their seats, arms contained, and eyes only stealing glimpses, they are very much packaged within the rules of their world.

He's the Sergeant. She's running Gofer. And there are too many rules for the conversation to shift there.

"We need to talk."

Look, I've never said those words or heard those words in a positive manner, but I was completely blown away. But, before I get carried away, can we talk about how GORGEOUS Lucy looks in this ensemble? It's fabulous and I want to hug the costumer.

And there's Tim, tapping away on his phone, alone. I get the feeling they planned to have this conversation, or else he would have gone home. We've never seen him just hang out outside like this. I mean, earlier in the episode he was already telling Lucy he gets plenty of sun.

But his sun is shifting. She's becoming his sun. And soon he'll be basking in her glow.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, again.

Tim sets down his phone and immediately turns to face Lucy as she sits. This time, they aren't in the confines of the Shop. They're not parallel. They're angled toward one another, though not yet fully facing each other.

We're seeing the shift. They wear civvies. They're outside in the fresh air. And yet, they're still not facing one another completely. Not yet.

And yet they are on the same page in this moment.

"This clearly isn't working out."

Props to the human on Twitter who pointed out the repetition of this word being used by Tim and Lucy when discussing the other's significant others who they think need to go. "Clearly isn't the right guy..." "Clearly Ashley needs to go..."

And, yes, Tim. We all agree with you. It's about Tim.. Time. It's about Time (and Tim).

"Oh, like I'm the only one who stayed too long when things aren't working? You dated a lifeguard. You don't even like going to the beach."

I admit I laughed so hard at this line that I missed the next one on my first viewing. I always thought that about Tim and Ashley, but it was nice to hear Lucy verbalize my frustration.

"This isn't about me. No, it's not. This is not about me. This is about you staying in this safe relationship because you're scared."

Buuuurn. I mean, he's not wrong.

I actually know a lot about this, personally. I dated a guy in high school. Nice guy. Thought I was in love with him. But as time went on, I could see it wasn't going to work out. It just wasn't right. So, there I am in my Freshman year of college facing all these people saying, "You two are going to get married!" and everything in me screaming, "the hell we are!"

But it was safe and easy. And breaking out of that relationship was tough. I broke his heart, soundly. He kept trying to get back together with me. But in the week after I decided to break up with him, I met this amazing man named Matthew.

Spoiler Alert: We nearly met over the course of 1.5 years on two different continents on 12 different occasions. We met at exactly the right time. When I was ready to walk away from a safe relationship that was going nowhere. Been together 19 years, married 15.

So, I get it, Lucy, but it's time to break free.

"Of course I'm scared. If we do this, and it doesn't work, I'll have ruined the most important relationship in my life."

Silence. Pure silence. Because what do you say to that?

Tim's sitting there, watching her, leaning into her, drinking her in. And for the first time in his life, he's not the one who's trying to give the most. He's the one who is valued, cherished, loved, and honored. In Lucy's eyes, they are soulmates, with or without the romantic subplot.

And as that realization sets in... that she sees him the same way he sees her. Oh, he loves her all the more.

Because there is finally a person who knows what an a** he can be, how rigid he can be, how closed off he can be, how horrible his childhood was, how hard he's fought to be his own man despite never having a father who gave a damn. Lucy has seen his scars, and not only does she care about him, she is so terrified to risk what they have because she knows in her heart there is no other human who can fill the Tim shaped hole in her life that would be left if he was gone.

Tim. Is. Loved.

When you grow up feeling unlovable, then enter into relationships where everyone's leaving you... it gets hard to see your own value. You stop believing that you're a catch, something precious, something special.

But Lucy knows Tim inside and out, and in this moment, he finally understands why she's terrified.

It's not just about risking a friendship. It's risking the defining relationship that transcends every label it was supposed to have at every stage. This is big.

The last time his mouth was this wide he was completely turned on by the idea of hooking up with Lucy via her doppelganger backstory. But the expression this time is completely different.

Look at Tim's eyes. Look at the man who has feared himself unlovable learning that the woman he holds to such high esteem holds him equally high or higher.

Lucy realizes the bomb she just dropped (thank you to Director Robert Bella for telling us they'd be there!) and she tries to back-pedal a little. Now, she is not negating what she said. She simply fears it was too strong a statement to drop on Tim right this second.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" "No. Um, you're right."

This takes me right back to the hotel room. Her trying to give him an answer, an escape, an excuse. Just biology, "right?" And it's belated, but here's that "right" she was looking for. The big reason that it's not worth the risk.

"So we should just keep going the way we have been, right? It's not worth the risk."

Right? Right!? RIGHT!?

She wants him to affirm her so badly, not because she doesn't want him... but because she wants to know it's in her head, to know that he won't go there, to know that she's justified in staying scared.

But this time, Tim's not letting her off the hook. He can see it in her eyes. He can hear it in her voice. They're on the same page, and there's no way he's letting her turn it without him beside her.

A thousand micro-expressions cross Tim's face. There's the, "Well, you have a point" that quickly shifts to "but maybe..." and then to "I'm just saying" with that little pout to the raised eyebrows with the "come on... let's try".

"Unless it is."

Three words. Three little words and the entire Chenford fandom spontaneously combusted on the floor. I mean, we were already puddling, let's be clear, but in terms of existing on this plane? Nah, that went out the door with this.

Because Tim Bradford, Mr. Super Cop, Follow the Rules, "Chen" not "Lucy" is sitting next to the woman he loves and telling her he thinks they are worth the risk.

WE are worth the risk.

Lucy stares at him incredulously, a little gasp escaping her lips. It's something Melissa O'Neil does a lot as Lucy that adds so much realism to her reactions. Here, Lucy is so surprised at his response, but she's elated, too. You can see it in the upturn of her lips.

And Look. At. Tim. Look at our boy all heart-eyes and fawning over the new sun in his life—Lucy Chen.

Eric Winter takes us on another tour of micro-expressions. We start with his awe at watching her respond, then gathering himself up, trying to have courage. Then, that falls away as he simply laughs. Because he doesn't need courage. He's already fallen. The only question... is whether or not she's ready to take this leap.

He lets the smile fall, gathering himself for whatever she might say as he learns forward. He's moving closer to her, physically, romantically, emotionally... It's all riding on this.

"Do you want to get dinner sometime?"

On. The. Floor. All those Chenford folks who were already broken apart and left this plane temporarily re-formed long enough to combust, again.

Timothy Bradford, look at you!

And this entire scene has brought us to this. From an establishing shot, to a two-shot, to switching sides so the busy sidewalk is out of our view, and pushing in as Tim and Lucy get closer and closer to this moment.

The camera's been taking us on a journey, from remembering where we are and who might be around to forgetting that anything except Tim and Lucy exist. It's the intimacy of the moment brought to life through the screen.

We've come to this moment tight on Lucy as she looks back at Tim, his eyes swimming with hope. It looks beautiful on him.

"Ye-es!"

She makes it two syllables (another amazing little touch that Melissa O'Neil does) as she explodes in a grin that'd light up the darkest room.

And watch Tim bask in it. Have we ever seen his eyes so bright?

"Yeah?"

I love the way he breathes it out, breathless, because she has stolen his breath away and he is left in disbelief that this beautiful woman is ready to risk it all for him... with him... for them.

"No, uh..." "Okay." "No, no, it's just... Not yet. I owe it to Chris to end things the right way with him."

Watch Tim's body language (and this is all Eric Winter). He pulls away from her. He straightens his back. His foot pops down and his knee drops.

Everything in Tim just deflated. After that split-second of joy, this feels like the plummet into rejection that some tiny part of him feared—the part of him that continually thinks he isn't worth it... because of deep set childhood trauma and abuse.

And we've shifted back to the two-shot, away from the intimacy.

But Lucy brings it back.

Before Tim can fully pull away, we shift back to that tight shot.

"Ask me again."

And watch how he boomerangs right back to her.

He's leaning in. He's engaged. He's surprised, but in the best way. Because "Not yet" can easily lean into "No".

But "Ask me again"? There's no denying what she means. She wants this. She wants him. She wants them.

Just not yet.

"Later. After." "Deal."

And look at his face. He looks so content. I can't remember ever seeing Tim Bradford so worry-free.

I mean, there are hints of him relaxing into life around Lucy... paint-balling... the flirty banter after she woke up after Day of the Dead... dancing in the company of friends.

But there's always been that bit of tension about. Not here. His face is free of all that, and he is resting in the knowledge that soon it won't be an idea, a fantasy, a fear, or a frustration. They are taking this next step together.

And it is terrifying. And it could be disastrous. But they've committed in this moment. And I love that for them.

Take Back

Chris Wants Tim's Opinion

Have you ever been around a male peacock? They are a fascinating bunch, constantly throwing out their gorgeous feathers. But they can be really annoying. I've had them chase me and my family at a local farm. Like, really, Mr. Peacock? I didn't do anything to you!

That's how I view Chris and Tim.

I don't think Chris is just in here because "Tim knows Lucy's taste". I get the impression that Chris is onto Tim and Lucy, but I think he only sees Tim's side because he's completely, blindly in obsessive-love with Lucy and is missing the truths in front of him.

He doesn't see Tim as competition. He feels like he's won. But he wants to be sure that Tim is aware of that fact so he'll back off.

I mean, look at how Chris responded to Lucy inviting Tim on their date after she gave Tim's radio back? Chris' face fell and he was completely frustrated. We know he's tried to talk her out of being a cop and into being a lawyer.

Much like Ashley, he found someone he liked enough and tried to shape her into what he wanted. The difference is, Ashley knew when to walk away, even if her timing sucked (in a hospital? after surgery? Were you raised by a**holes?)

So, here's Chris in Tim's temporary office, making sure to show off the big house he's going to get with Lucy—and you aren't, Tim. Neener, neener, neener!

Yeah, I'm not nice to Chris' internal monologue...

"You know her tastes..."

Of course he does, Chris. Because Tim is her favorite flavor. Step off, bro.

**To be clear, I have nothing against the actor. If anyone attacks him over a character he plays, they're an a**hole. But Chris is fictional and fair-game to me.

"It's nice." "What's nice?"

Let's not pretend Lucy is in here for any reason other than to get her boyfriend away from her husband. That room is nothing but glass, and she likely spied Chris in there and thought, "F*ck".

Chris kisses Lucy's cheek on the way out, and the grin Tim gives him is delicious. "Do it while you can, buddy, because you are on the way out and Tim Bradford is on the way in."

Yes, I realized the multiple entendres, though it wasn't written with that intention. So, it stays. Take it however you will.

In one smooth camera movement, we go from Lucy dropping the plastic smile to Tim looking up from the desk with a half smile.

"How's the breakup going?"

I cackled. I died. I tried so hard not to wake my sleeping husband but definitely failed because he abandoned our bed shortly after to take the couch.

There's no more tip-toeing for Tim and Lucy. Everything is on the table, it's just whether or not they play it through.

"I'm in the planning stages. I'm just reviewing the literature." "Literature? Lucy, a psychology journal's not going to tell you how to break up with Chris. Just invite him to your office and ask for his playbook."

I love this. The banter. The humor.

Look, I'm a huge fan of characters getting together and not losing what made them great. It worked beautifully on The Good Place and Brooklyn 99, and I really want to see it work here, too.

Tim and Lucy's back-and-forths are part of why we love them. Even in this moment, they disagree. But they've worked through so much in their relationship that even though they openly disagree, they know how to do so with respect.

It's earned.

"His playbill?" "His playbook. When you get kicked off the team you have to turn in your playbook. It's a metaphor." "No, it's cruel. I'm going to handle it my way."

And here come Tim's creeping doubts. Because a tiny part of him still worries this is too good to be true.

"If you're having second thoughts-" "No. I'm not." "Good."

Heart eyes. We have HEART EYES at work... in uniform. In the Watch Commander's Office. Freakin' heart eyes.

You ever have a moment where you stop and think, "How did I get here?" That's me and this moment. Everything up until this point made me smile and squeal. But, this? This made me swoon.

Because Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen are looking at one another like the other lassoed the moon. There's no fear. No trepidation. No worry. No tension.

In this brief moment, Tim and Lucy are simply that... Tim and Lucy. Every other boundary is seemingly stripped.

And yet... they are still separated by Chris... and the Desk of Duty set between them.

Think about it. Tim doesn't break the rules much. Yes, some things matter more. It's true! But, it's few and far between.

Here, he is in the role of Watch Commander, even further from Lucy in her position. And yet the man and woman beneath the badges and uniforms are screaming to be together.

But the barriers have not yet been rendered moot.

"You know, you haven't said anything since we pulled out." ... "I need to break up with Chris." "Finally!"

Aaron. Oh, Aaron. Thank you. First, for knowing our girl well enough to know that her silence is a sign something is up. Two, for saying what everyone has been quietly thinking. And we (the audience) know you know Tim's got it bad for Lucy. So, thank you for your service in this moment.

"Aaron was right. I should have practiced more. Okay. Um. I need you to give me your playbook."

She defaults to Tim's advice. Quick. Rip off the band-aid. Go for the metaphor.

Now, my husband pointed out that he would have had no idea what that meant (same with me). But, apparently, Chris knows enough.

"Are you breaking up with me?" "You know what that means?"

I laughed heartily at that. Which is a terrible, terrible thing to do when a guy is getting his heart broken. But, I've been there.

I didn't say exactly those words, but I knew direct and to the point was the best way to handle the comfortable—but wrong for me—guy.

He's great, by the way. Married to a mutual friend of ours with a son. We kept in touch! I oddly did that with all my exes... Yeah, I know I'm weird.

But Lucy definitely definitely doesn't need to keep in touch with Chris.

And our girl knows it, because as soon as the deed is done, she runs right back to Tim.

Lucy knocks on his door, that beautiful moonstone ring that has come to mean so much glinting at the camera lens, catching light from somewhere in the room.

"How's it going?" "Counting the seconds until Grey returns. What are you doing back?" "I talked to Chris."

With that, Lucy crosses the threshold of the room, toward Tim, away from the past.

Tim finally, finally comes out from behind the desk. He stands facing her. No longer parallel like in the Shop. No longer angled like outside.

This time, they're pointed at what they both truly want—each other.

And the barriers are gone. Lucy has shed the dead weight of the puffed chicken, and Tim just stepped away from the weight of that Desk of Duty to face Lucy fully as a man.

He's still in uniform. They're in the Watch Commander's office. The walls are glass. But none of that matters to him because he's made a choice, already, and nothing will stand in his way now that Lucy is ready to take this leap together.

"How did it go?" "Uhhh, awful. But it's done."

Lucy takes a look around them, taking in the scene, looking to see if anyone is coming or anyone is watching. She turns back to Tim, secure that this is their moment.

And it's happening inside the precinct. Why? I think it's because this is where it all started for them. The first chapter of their story began in this setting. Why not have the next chapter start similarly?

Tim watches Lucy as she looks to him. The look on his face reminds me of 5x01 when they'd just crossed the threshold into her apartment and he was standing there, watching her, unsure if she wanted to start or if he should.

This time, there's no ambiguity from her.

"So, do you have something you were gonna ask me?"

She takes a step forward on that, settling into her hip the same way she did at that door back in 5x01, watching Tim and waiting for him to cross the threshold to her.

This time, the threshold is invisible, but they both know it's there. They can feel the buzz of this moment and all the change it will bring.

Much as they have fought it in the past, they know they're on the same page. It's time to start writing a new chapter.

"I can't remember." "Don't make me hurt you."

Again, thank you, writers, for making sure that Tim and Lucy are still... Tim and Lucy. Even in this moment of monumental change, they are still the characters we love and not watered-down versions of them.

Lucy and Tim are flirting in their teasing way, and my heart's fluttering so fast I fear I'll take flight.

Tim locks eyes on her, taking his own step forward. Any closer and there'd be some side-eye from the other officers outside, of course. But that was the threshold right there.

He crossed it. Tim Bradford took a step toward the future he wants with Lucy Chen.

And as his eyes swim with adoration, his mouth quirks into an almost-smile, the peace of reciprocal love enveloping him in warmth.

His eyes sparkle, and while, yes it's probably studio lighting... I like to think it's because those eyes are reflecting the radiance of Lucy's love back to her.

"Do you wanna go out on a date?" "Yeah, I do."

The last time she said, "I do" to him, they were on a dance-floor, giddy with excitement, releasing themselves into a moment of happiness.

But with these two words, they've unlocked something even deeper—the chance at love that transcends boundaries and rules, that binds souls in passion and paradise.

Does it mean the road will be easy? Hell, no. But, it means they'll face it together.

They have fought. They have battled. They have pissed each other off. They have pranked one another. Helped one another. Supported one another. Uplifted one another. Rescued one another.

This is an epic love story, not some flash-in-the-pan, fly-by romance. Tim and Lucy have been on parallel paths for a long time.

But now, their roads have converged in the purest of ways—two humans daring to risk it all... because they're worth it.

And despite being in a transparent box, nobody's looking in, and Tim and Lucy aren't looking out. They only see each other, and the possibilities opened on the blank page of the rest of their lives. Oh, I can't wait to watch it unfold.

Thank you all for reading. What comes next? Only the writers know... but I'm loving this ride, and I want to thank each and every one of you who told me over the summer that I needed to check this ship out. You were right! They're magic.

[chenfordfanficquotes]

Romantic comedies didn’t get it right. How could they? They only had an hour and a half to define love. They didn’t have years for the characters to get to know each other to the point their bodies would click together like puzzle pieces. They didn’t have months of unknowing yearning, all worth it when she discovered the meaning of life was to be this close to Tim Bradford as long as humanly possible. To hold back a whine when he came up for air, because how dare he stop kissing her for anything less than a kitchen fire? 

-Plus One by @murphallo (submitted by @timandlucy)

[chenfordspiral]

A Chenford Thesis on 5x10

Hi, hello. It’s me again! I’ve taken my time with this one because the creative juices just wouldn’t quite flow the way they often did with my little essay for 5x08. I’m surprised I actually managed to get this done before 5x18 ultimately kills us all. That might’ve actually given me the necessary push to finish this because I know I won’t be able to focus after Tuesday. 

Kinda surprised I wrote this at all. Because I was not planning on writing anything but the thing for 5x08. But here we are. You've all given me enough reason to get over my fears and just do this.

So, let’s get started.

Previously on The Tim&Lucy Show – uhm, I mean, The Rookie: Tim asks Lucy out on a date after they’ve finally admitted their feelings for each other. 

That can only mean one thing now: Date night is finally here! 

I love everything about this opening scene. I never would’ve expected to get a rom com like montage of Lucy and Tim stressing over what outfit to wear for their first official date. 

I get giddy every time I see this scene, seriously. 

They’re such different people, but in this moment, they do the same thing. They’ve cleaned out almost their entire closets trying to find the right thing to wear. Tim’s wearing the same pants the whole time, but cannot for the life of him decide on the right button down. 

Meanwhile, Lucy has pulled out all the dresses she’s worn that signify important moments in their journey. The green dress from Angela & Wesley’s first attempted wedding when Tim asked her to save him a dance before it all went to hell but also gave us one of the most significant Chenford moments that had them realize there might be something more between them (I love that hug). 

The dress from the horrendous double date with Blondie and the WIP, where they spent the entire time talking to each other instead of their dates. 

And then the dress she wore to Nyla’s wedding when they finally had that dance he still owed her and told her she’d be the arresting officer on future reports (she’s always been more important than his career). 

But none of those dresses are right for this occasion. It’s time to pick something that’s new. Because this is a new beginning. She just can’t decide which outfit she likes best. 

And then there’s our boy Timothy again. He’s finally frustrated enough to stop trying on different shirts and gets his phone. I don’t know what I expected, but not what happened next. 

Because I never would have imagined that Tim Bradford would stress so much that he would need to call his best friend to calm himself down. And said best friend just happens to be the woman he’s going out with. 

Yeah, I love him. I love them. 

I also love the little pout Lucy makes right before her phone rings. It’s so adorable. She goes to grab her phone, slightly nervous when she realizes it’s Tim who’s calling her, because she’s not even close to being ready to leave. “Hi, I’m almost there” she says, as she stands in the middle of the chaos she’s created trying to find the right thing to wear. 

But Tim catches on immediately. “No, no. No you’re not” because he knows her too well. Lucy grins a little guiltily at being caught, “No, I’m not, sorry. Uhm, are you?”  

“No!” Because of course he isn’t. He wants to look perfect for their date. They both do. They’re both stressing so much. And I love it. “Look, does this restaurant have a dress code?” 

I’m sorry, Tim. You’re asking her about the restaurant? Were you not the one who planned it? Or did you just google ‘most romantic restaurant in town’ and go with it?! Either way, he’s so indecisive that he needs to know if there’s certain expectations from the restaurant. Or maybe he’s just asking Lucy what she’d like to see him wear even though he’s the one who planned everything but is now so flustered that he needs her advice. 

Am I thinking about this too much? Probably. Anyway. 

“Uhh, no. I mean, you could wear cargo shorts, if you wanted.” Ha, as if, Lucy. He would never. But he’s intrigued now. Come on, we all know he knows she’s teasing him here. “Really?” he asks, taking the bait. Or pretending to, anyway. “Yeah, I mean. What does it matter as long as you’re comfortable?” 

“Nice try. That was clearly a test. And you should know better than to test the master” he says while grinning like an idiot. And Lucy just laughs while he says it and fondly rolls her eyes at his, really their, ridiculousness. 

“What are you wearing?” You did not just ask that, Timothy. I know he means it as innocently as possible, but in any other context this would sound very… suggestive, you know. And we already know Lucy’s answer to this before she can say a word: she doesn’t know. Just that she has a lot that she’s already discarded as ‘no’. And she tells him as much. 

To which he responds “Well, we are running low on time. Traffic’s getting ugly.” How long have they been married again? Oh, right. Legally speaking, zero seconds. Emotionally speaking, basically since the day they met. “Yeah, I know. It’s – it’s silly. I just need to make a decision…” Yeah, Lucy, you do. But don’t feel bad. I’m not convinced Tim’s made a final decision yet, either.

“Ah, yes. The green dress. It is decided.” “Great. I’ll… I’ll see you soon.” “Okay. Bye.” I am losing my mind over how soft their voices are here. And look at those smiles. I. Am. Melting. All the nervousness seems to have faded away for a bit. They’re all soft smiles and excitement now. They can’t wait to start this new chapter of their story. 

Lucy takes another look in the mirror after hanging up the phone, still smiling. She likes that dress; she likes the way Tim gave her a once-over and appreciated her in it. And she could hear it in his voice that he remembers how she looked, too. So, this seems fitting. Right? 

“No. God.” 

I’m cackling. Come on Lucy, you’ve already tried on everything you have in your closet. What are you gonna wear?! 

Now, before I even get into this next part, let me just say this: 

I apologize if their first date falls a bit short here. As much as I love this scene, I also kind of hate it because I still get very uncomfortable watching it. I can feel the awkwardness through my screen and it’s making me feel weird. I keep looking away, talking to myself to cover the dialogue or just skip parts of it entirely because I can’t get over the weirdness.

That being said, I will try my best to get through it at least once so I can do this justice, because it’s such an important part of Chenford’s story. But, again, apologies if it feels a bit off at times. 

So, here goes nothing then. 

We finally get to see what they’ve decided to wear. Tim‘s in the same button down as he was when he called Lucy. Now he’s got a nice suit jacket over it, looking pretty handsome. And Lucy, my girl. She chose a dress. Wow. That’s… revealing for a first date. But she looks absolutely gorgeous (yes, I have a girl crush). 

But aside from looking great in their outfits, they look very uncomfortable as they sit side by side in weird silence that’s occasionally filled with the most awkward and unnatural small talk we’ve ever seen between them. Come on, are you actually talking about bread?! 

I can’t help but cackle whenever I see Tim brushing away what I consider to be an imaginary breadcrumb to keep busy. Well, when he’s not checking her out in that gorgeous dress. Can’t blame him though, cause I am definitely looking, too. Respectfully, of course. Just like he is. He almost looks shy when he does it, actually. God, I love him. 

I’m not going to cover all the small talk here because that would be too painful for me, but I will say this. I think most of us were expecting an awkward first date, I even wrote it down somewhere right after the winter finale aired that I wanted it to be awkward. Didn’t think it would make me feel that embarrassed and uncomfortable though. 

Well done, TR. 

But it makes perfect sense. It is going to be awkward and weird when you transition from best friends to lovers. Even more so after spending months barely talking to each other after basically breaking up. They will need a bit of time to find their way in this new relationship. Yes, they know everything about each other. But being together romantically is new; it’s different. It’s a complete 180 compared to the previous few months. 

But once they do find their way, it will all be worth it. Because they’re going be so good together. 

Lucy finally breaks the awkward silence and weird small talk. “Why is this so weird? We’ve literally eaten together hundreds of times.” “Because… our other meals only ever held the promise of being shot at afterwards. You know. And not, like, naked time.”

Timothy?!

I. Am. Cackling. Again. But I can’t help it. Lucy’s reaction is just so priceless, and his expression when he realizes what he just said is sending me. I’m definitely having a good laugh. 

And yeah, his comment here is less than ideal and we can see that he regrets it as soon as the words are out of his mouth. Ok, he kind of regrets it. Look at that head tilt, shrug, and little smirk after Lucy’s ‘are you serious?!’ response. Yeah, he wants it. But it breaks the tension and the awkwardness. They can finally talk to one another. 

They’re finding their way. 

Also, can anyone blame him for going there? He knows how their “undercover” kisses went. She basically jumped him, repeatedly. It’s not too far-fetched to think that this might be happening after they’re done with dinner. But Lucy pretends not to know what he means. For now.  

“Please. I mean, we’ve seen plenty of naked people after we ate.” “Yeah, that’s… that’s not what I m–” “No no no, I know. I know, I know. I – I feel like I might… I need – I might just need you to reset your expectations a little bit.”

Look how his attention is immediately laser-focused on her and what she has to say. He doesn’t wanna miss or misinterpret anything she has to say right now. He knows this is important. 

“You’re not gonna see me naked for… a while.” 

Clearly, she doesn’t know that he already saw her bare back and literally short-circuited in Vegas. Mh. Maybe it’s a good thing they won’t be going there for a while. Gives him more time to mentally prepare himself for it. Anyway. 

I admire the way Lucy isn’t afraid of voicing her wishes here. She knows that she can be open with Tim in a way she hasn’t been able to with anyone else before. She already feels secure enough with him to let him know what she wants without fearing that he’s gonna leave. Because she knows he respects her and won’t judge her for what she wants. Or doesn’t want, just yet. 

“I mean, I don’t wanna rush into that. I wanna take things slow.” 

I love that she wants to approach this relationship differently than what we’ve seen of her with previous relationships before. Because everything with Tim is different. Because Tim is different. He’s, what I like to call, her first and only love. 

We’ve never seen Lucy in love with anyone before. We’ve never seen her heartbroken over someone she dated. With Nolan, she was frustrated that he could end things with her so easily. With Emmett, she was mad that he didn’t break up with her face to face. And with the WIP, she was the one to do the dumping. And she never called any of them her boyfriend for a reason. 

The only time we saw her heartbroken was when she thought Tim didn’t want her in 5x02. Maybe even in 4x21 when she thought he wanted to marry Blondie and she saw him fake-propose (still hate you for that, Timothy. But can I actually hate someone I love?). 

So, we know this is different for Lucy. And she knows it, too. 

Right now, she wants to take this slow. She wants to do this right. Have this date, then a second one, then their first real kiss without the pretense of UC work. “I just don’t think we should jump into bed together just because we know each other so well. I mean, do you –?”  

Because this is “the most important relationship in [her] life” after all. She wants to enjoy just finally getting to be with Tim. She wants to make sure she cherishes every single one of those early moments of what will be the last relationship of her life. When you know it’s gonna last, why rush?

And I love that Tim is so easily on board. He doesn’t question her wishes, doesn’t pressure her into anything she’s not ready for (unlike a certain former WIP). He’s accepting her pace. “Agreed.” Because he understands. She might not want to go there just yet, but he knows it’s in the future. Because he knows he’s the most important person in her life. There’s no question that this is serious for her. She just wants to do this right.

And look at the way he’s looking at her while he listens. I’m melting over here. He’s so damn smitten, my heart can’t take this. Again, I love him. Imagine this said in the way Rachel says it in ep 7x04 of Friends. That’s usually what I mean when I write that. 

“Yeah?”

You can hear the relief in Lucy’s voice and see it in her eyes. Happy that he’s understanding, that he’s okay with the way she wants to do this, and she didn’t miscalculate how he’d respond. Yes, there might’ve been a small part of her that was a bit scared that he wouldn’t understand. But at the end of the day, Tim’s always respected Lucy and what she has to say and wants. That’ll never change. 

Their first little moment of normalcy is interrupted when Tim hears the door to the restaurant open and looks over and then around himself. What are you doing, Tim? Focus on the woman sitting next to you, please. Lucy of course sees how he’s suddenly started squirming in his seat and looks over her shoulder. 

She has a little smirk on her face when she’s turning back around, already suspecting what he might be afraid of. “Are you worried someone from the station’s gonna walk in?” “What?” “You are!” “No, I…“ “Wow.” Yeah, she’s kinda enjoying his unease. 

But he’s a bit, well not exactly annoyed, but definitely not happy, either. “What are the odds?” As Lucy gestures ‘who knows,’ they’re interrupted yet again by a loud crash from the kitchen. They both look over, trying to figure out what’s going on. I really appreciate that Tim’s not annoyed at what’s happening but defends the staff because they’re working in a stressful environment. 

But because they’re cops, Lucy is on alert. Should they do something? Nope, says Tim. Let it blow over on its own. But it doesn’t. It takes a turn for the worse. Because of course it does, it’s Chenford’s first date and they cannot enjoy a moment of peace. 

Now, why does Tim have his gun and badge with him, on a date? Well, he’s a creature of habit, he needs to be prepared for every possible scenario. Still didn’t expect that part though. But I gotta say, thank you. Cause they’re one badass couple (couple!!!), working in tandem to get the situation under control and helping the chef. 

And yes, I clocked Lucy’s little touch to Tim’s arm (and it’s the second one in this entire scene already!) right before they stood up. Once more proving to me that physical touch is definitely one of her love languages. 

After it’s all handled and the guy is in cuffs and the chef’s wound is taken care of, Tim and Lucy look at one another. “What are the chances of someone from the station walking in now?” Aaaand, cue the lights, the cops have arrived. Well, busted. And Tim is more than a little frustrated at how this night has turned out. He just wanted to enjoy finally being able to go out with Lucy. 

He turns back around toward her and, holy. That barely-held-in laugh from Lucy as she looks at him? Dying. She’s enjoying this, because come on, it is kind of hilarious. 

Before, she was joking that the odds were in their favor and there was no chance in hell anyone they knew could walk in. But now it’s actually about to happen. And their names are most likely gonna be on the police report. So people will know they were there together. Having a romantic dinner. Or trying to, anyway. 

This should be interesting. 

Also, I’m seven pages in, and I’ve only covered the first two scenes? No wonder this is taking me forever to write. It can really only get worse from here. 

It’s the next day, and we see them standing together, secluded and removed from the hustle of the rest of the bullpen, deep in conversation. They immediately stop talking when Officer Jan (hi!) walks by. And I need to point out Lucy’s little pose as she tilts her head to the side in greeting. I cannot stop laughing whenever I see it. It’s so adorable and so freaking Lucy. 

Once he’s passed them, Lucy starts talking again. “Okay, we can’t deny the facts. We were both at the restaurant, it’s in the police report.” “And all we know is that the witness reports mention the fact that we were sitting together.” “Yeah.” 

Yup, there it is. Both names in the police report, countless witnesses that can attest to them sitting together… this is bad. Because they both know that what they’re doing is against the rules and they don’t seem to be in a rush to tell people. Or be ready for it. 

See, this is one of the things that surprised me about them getting together this early. And the way they did. Usually, Tim is a stickler for rules. Him dating a subordinate officer in his direct chain of command? And one he once trained, no less? That’s definitely not following the rules. He doesn’t often go against his sense of duty. I assumed this to be a big obstacle and a reason for Tim not to go for it. 

But here’s the big but. 

He’s always been willing to follow his heart instead of his head when it’s about the things and people that matter more. When it’s about the people he loves. Especially because he’s not a big fan of change. 

His world changed and shifted dramatically after he realized that he was in love with Lucy. When he pulled the plug on their professional partnership. When he was single again and had to see the woman he loves with someone else, thinking he had no chance whatsoever. Same for early season 1 Tim after Isabel left. 

There was no stability for him other than the job. 

And I don’t think he’s ready to face the fact that something will have to change eventually. And who can blame him? He’s looked for stability his whole life. 

“This is not strange,” Lucy says after looking around the station again. “Co-workers eat together, it’s a thing.” They do. But not when it’s just two of them and they’re dressed the way you two were. That and the ambiance screamed ‘date’. “At the most romantic restaurant in town?” Most romantic restaurant in town? Wow, look at you, Timothy. Going all out for your woman. Mister “I’m not trying to be romantic” proving once more that he is, in fact, a big fat romantic at heart. 

And Lucy gets it: “Right.” They really can’t deny why they were there together. After another look around the bullpen, Lucy tries a different tactic. “Well, I mean. We could come clean.” You could what? Lucy! 

I did not see this coming. And Lucy being the one to say it? Yeah, she really is in love. We know she’s not opposed to keeping a relationship a secret. She never even considered coming clean about being with Nolan years ago. And they were peers, basically. Not subordinate and superior officer like her and Tim. 

But I’ll repeat myself: Tim is different. Everything is different with him because for the first time, Lucy is actually in love and is therefore okay with telling her boss. Well, her boss’s boss, technically. She seems to be okay with all the potential professional change and backlash.  

“Are you ready for that? Are you ready for Smitty’s commentary on us… dating or the ooh’s every time we walk into the roll call room together?” 

Okay, so much to unpack here. 

First: clearly, Tim was not expecting this from her either. Look at how he looks at her right after she says it. He’s seen how Lucy likes to keep the guys she dates at arm’s length. (But that’s because none of them were you, Timothy.) Second: it’s kind of hilarious that he would assume Smitty of all people to be the one most likely to make fun of them (he won’t, btw). Third: Lucy NOT freaking out about Tim saying they’re dating?

Nope, I’m not squealing with joy over here at all. They’ve had one ‘barely-qualifies-as-a-date’ date and Lucy is perfectly content with labeling their relationship. Then again, she already called him her most important relationship before they were together, so I guess it makes sense that she’d be okay with it. 

But I’m still overjoyed that she’s so content with it all. 

And lastly: I’m sorry Timothy. But once you disclose your relationship, chances are pretty slim to none that you’ll be walking into roll call together again. You’re her superior; dating each other while still working together can’t actually happen, at least not while you’re in the same chain of command. Something’s gonna change. Seems like he’s a bit in denial here, because, again, he’s probably not fully ready for that professional change that has to happen eventually.  

And now Lucy also doesn’t seem too happy about that anymore, either. “Or we could lie.” But interesting that that wasn’t her first thought. And then it’s like a switch flipped after she said lie, because now she’s coming up with a cover story for a UC stint about drug dealers in the restaurant which just so happens to have required Tim’s help.  

One little flaw here, at least for me. You two have barely talked to each other for months, but somehow, he’s the one you asked for help? Interesting. Would that really be believable? But Tim’s on board. Because at least it’s something plausible, kind of. “Not bad.” “Thank you.” Oh, they’re so cute in this moment. 

And the moment gets interrupted by Nolan, thank you very much. All he says is “Morning,” and suddenly Tim and Lucy are rattling down their cover story. Hey, my loves. He just said ‘morning’. No need to explain yourselves when he literally hasn’t asked you anything. And Nolan is as confused as I am: “What?” 

Because really Lucy? Even though Nolan didn’t ask, aren’t you supposed to be good at lying and being convincing when telling a cover story? If he were more perceptive in this moment, he would’ve caught on immediately and you two would’ve been busted. 

Their attention is turned towards Celina and Aaron, who they can hear talking and laughing in the roll call room. They briefly discuss if anything’s going on between them before Sergeant Grey’s knocking on his office window to get their attention. Nolan excuses himself after Grey motions for Tim and Lucy to come join him. 

And yes. They look guilty. And apprehensive. Maybe even a little scared. They share a brief look before making their way over. And Tim, ever the gentleman since Lucy became his rookie, is the one to open the door and let her walk in ahead of him (thank you Eric Winter, for insisting to be the one to open the door. Nice continuity!).

But oh boy, does Lucy look even guiltier now that she’s standing in front of Grey. Tim actually looks kind of okay, but he’s already bracing himself for bad news. Also, I absolutely love that their stances mirror each other here. 

Now, we all saw the sneak peek before the episode aired, but it always surprises me again how Grey just goes in for the kill shot without warning. “I think you know how I feel about co-workers dating.” Yup, so they’re getting busted, right? And they think so, too. Look at how they immediately turn toward and look at each other. 

I won’t recite all of Grey’s speech here, but there are a few things that are pretty important. “How power dynamics can skew things” – that is for sure a not-so-subtle hint that they need to think about their obvious imbalance of power. And that he suspects there’s something happening between them. 

And watch their reactions to that. They’re clearly uncomfortable, Tim especially. Because he doesn’t want anyone to think he’s abusing his power to force Lucy into a relationship with him. We all know that’s not what’s happening, but people can be bitches. And they might also assume that she’s going to receive special treatment from him because she’s sleeping with him. 

The entire time Grey is talking, Tim and Lucy can’t seem to stand still. They keep fidgeting with their hands, looking at each other for reassurance. Waiting for the shoe to drop. 

“Feelings are bound to develop. But we can’t afford a hint of impropriety.” “We couldn’t agree more.” It’s we. They’ve been together a matter of days, but it’s already we instead of I. They’re in this together. No matter what. Tim isn’t letting her go because of some work issues. Have I mentioned that I love them? 

“Look. I don’t wanna be the old guy interfering with people’s lives. Especially their love life. But –“  Oh, here it comes. 

But then it doesn’t. Because for now, Grey is done with what he wanted to say; now, he’s switching gears. It’s no longer about Tim and Lucy, but Aaron and Celina. And it totally was about them before – he wouldn’t have had to talk about the power imbalance if it had been about Aaron and Celina from the start. 

Because, come on. He totally knows there’s something going on that wasn’t there before. He’s had a front row seat to Chenford since the day they met. He’s seen how they’ve evolved from rookie and TO who barely knew each other to best friends. He’s seen the looks and the glances. He’s seen how they’ve always gravitated toward each other, yet how distant they’ve been since Lucy came back from UC school. He saw how uncomfortable they were when he told them to ride together again. And suddenly they’re totally at ease with each other and smiling?

Yeah, he’s not blind. But he’s willing to let them be (for now) and come to him whenever they’re ready. Because they deserve to be happy. 

He’s seen them at their best and at their worst. But he’s never seen them at their happiest until now. So, he semi-subtly lets them know that they need to consider the work issue at some point, and rather sooner than later. For now though, he just wants them to talk to Aaron and Celina about the problems of dating a cop. 

He’s totally picked the right people for this… “Oh, the irony,” as Tim so eloquently puts it after they’ve agreed to talk to them and left Grey’s office. Also, I have to mention how they turned around to look toward Aaron and Celina in complete sync. They’re so in tune with one another… I love it. And he opened the door for her again. I love you, Tim. Yes, I know I know. You’re Lucy’s, but a girl can dream. 

They briefly talk about talking to Celina and Aaron and how awesome that’s going to be. “Can’t wait,” Tim says. Because that’s a disaster waiting to happen. He doesn’t talk about personal stuff in the shop unless it’s with Lucy. And Lucy can’t in good conscience talk to a fellow female officer about not dating a cop when she’s currently dating one herself. 

But Lucy wouldn’t be Lucy if she didn’t find a way anyway. So when she spots Nolan across the bullpen again, she immediately says she’ll get him to do it and walks off. Leaving Tim a bit annoyed, because “That’s cheating!” But Lucy doesn’t care and simply giggles as she walks away. 

Also: height difference! Lucy looks absolutely tiny next to Tim in this shot. Okay, she always does. But with the way she looks up at him, she looks shorter than usual. And I’m loving it. 

Update: I’m now eleven pages in and only halfway through the Chenford parts of the ep. No, I don’t have a problem at all. 

Moving along. Tim and Aaron are out patrolling. Tim looks over at him and gives in. He has to ask. Grey told him to. “You and Celina dating?” And Aaron is as surprised as anybody would be when Sergeant ‘no-personal-life-in-the-shop’ Bradford starts a conversation about personal stuff. 

I love these two together. And this scene does not disappoint, either. Aaron says it wouldn’t be a problem for him and Celina do date, as cops date all the time. But it’d be different if they were in the same chain of command. He points out all the issues I mentioned above: people assuming she’s dating an SO out of duress, him making decisions based on the relationship. In short: “It’d be a nightmare, man. One of us would probably have to transfer to a whole different station.”

And Tim’s super uncomfortable. Because that’s not where he saw the conversation going. He didn’t want to hear about all the issues he and Lucy inevitably have to deal with for the second time that day. He’s literally squirming in his seat, a bit of panic written all over his face before he deflects. “Forget I asked.” Conversation over. 

Because he still doesn’t really wanna think about the inevitable. He and Lucy can’t keep working together. No matter the fact that she’s no longer riding with him. He’s still her direct superior. Something will have to change. Again, that’s not something Tim’s a big fan of. 

Later on, after hell has broken loose, Tim and Lucy stand between a shop and the SWAT van, looking around, taking in the scene of chaos because one of the bank robbers has taken a hostage. This is now the problem they need to solve. But they take a brief moment to talk anyway. 

“Remember this morning? When dating in secret was our biggest problem?” Lucy asks while they’re surrounded by numerous cops. And body cams. Subtle, real subtle. “Feels like a million years ago.” “Yeah. Did you talk to Aaron?” “Ya.” “And?” “He neither confirmed nor denied.” “But?” “But, he pointed out that it wouldn’t be problematic because he’s not her superior and doesn’t fall in her chain of command.” 

“Oh.” Yes, Lucy looks a bit sad here. But I don’t think it’s because she’s scared he’ll break things off. He’s already made his decision when he asked her to dinner. Twice. It’s more about the fact that once again, she’s reminded that they won’t be able to continue working together anymore. And just like Tim, she’s not ready for that inevitable change yet. 

But as soon as Tim’s phone pings, alerting him that he has their hostages phone number, they’re both right back to business. Lucy doesn’t hesitate to back Tim up as they’re taking cover behind a shop door and he’s talking to the hostage and their bad guy. 

Despite all the issues pointed out by Grey and Aaron before, Lucy and Tim still manage work together seamlessly. They don’t let their relationship become an issue here. Lucy doesn’t tell Tim not to go ahead with his plan even though it’s dangerous and she’s scared for him. She knows he has to do his job. 

They’re both focused on the job.

Even when Tim and Aaron are dangling off a rooftop in their shop later that day, Tim is focused on his job. He’s not letting Aaron risk his life for him. But Aaron knows there’s something – someone – waiting for Tim to make it back safely. “You go out first. […] Sir, with all due respect, Lucy will kill me if I let you die, so I’m dead either way.” 

Aaron, I love you. He knows there’s something between them. He’s been the one closest to both of them in recent months, at least while on the job. He’s seen their interactions. And whether or not he’s aware they’re together now – he definitely has his suspicions – he knows one thing for certain: Tim and Lucy are in love. And willing to do anything for the other person. But he makes Aaron leave the shop first, anyway.

I know we all want cute, worried moments between Tim and Lucy and maybe expected one in this episode after that incident. But it makes sense not to show it, at least here. Because it emphasizes that they know the risks of the job. Just like they did with the hostage situation. Does that make it easier? No, of course not. They still worry about each other. But they don’t need those interactions after every near-death moment. 

(Would love to see some in the future, though. 5x18?)

Instead, it’s easy bantering here. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t die. You owe me a re-do on our date.” “It’s what gave me the will to live.” Gave me the will to live. O. M. G. Timothy! In a moment when he was staring death in the face, he only thought about needing to make it out to take her on another date. She makes him want to live, people. She’s his reason to live. 

Okay, I really need to calm down before I keep writing. Wow. 

“In my mind I’m hitting you right now.” “That’s good to know.” Oh, how I love their bickering. They’re still them.

Despite all the professional issues that were not-so-subtly pointed out to them today, they still don’t seem to care much, yet. They’re gonna enjoy themselves before they have to worry about any of that somewhere down the line. So, second first date under what appear to be Christmas lights it is. Yes, I’m going with Christmas lights here because in my world, this date happened in late November/early December-ish. 

Because what is time in The Rookie universe? If they can’t keep a timeline, I’m making my own and running with it.

I swoon every time I watch this scene. 

It’s the way they sit together, each having one foot on the other’s chair. There’s no tension, they’re completely at ease and relaxed. It’s so perfectly them to not have this do-over at some other fancy restaurant but at a food truck instead. Is that a traditional place to have a date? No. But when have they ever done anything the ‘traditional’ way? 

Falling in love with your former rookie or TO is already pretty non-traditional. But it’s not like they could’ve stopped it from happening. 

“Streets of Vietnam. That’s where we ended up. So I guess this is our first date.” “Mh, last night was, for sure.” Wasn’t she the one to say they needed a re-do for their first date in the scene before this one? Now it’s suddenly not the first, but the second? Interesting, Lucy. I see ya. 

“I mean, it’s a better story for the grandkids.” Grandkids?! Lucy, you keep surprising me in the best way possible. They’ve been on one date that can barely count as such, and she’s already happy to talk about something that’s decades into the future. 

Because she sees a future with him. She wants that future. She already feels secure enough to know that that’s where they’re headed. And she’s totally fine with that. Lucy ‘commitment phobe’ Chen is ready to spend the rest of her life with Tim. And that thought just completely ruined me. Again. (One of these days, my family might just have to write ‘death by Chenford’ on my tombstone.)

And Tim is as surprised as I am. “We’ve got grandkids now? Nice.” I love this for him. Because now he knows for certain that that’s something in the future. Yes, again, they’re years, decades away from that. But Lucy just confirmed that that’s what she sees for them. That that’s what she wants with him. They just started dating, and she already can’t wait to tell the story to their grandkids. 

Tim will finally be able to have that future that he’s always dreamed of. He doesn’t have to settle for anything less than what he wants. 

And Lucy’s laugh after he says ‘nice’. Oh, she is the cutest. And look at him. Man, they’re just so happy. No, neither one of them was expecting to have this kind of conversation during their second date. Sometimes you just say things without thinking them through. But then you get an unexpected yet wonderful answer in return, and it doesn’t matter anymore.

Now the only thing that matters is that they’re already on the same page. 

He’s still smiling when he turns in his seat a bit and then sees nothing good. “Do not break into that car.” He’s so exasperated. He just wants to enjoy this little date with Lucy, can’t people leave them alone and commit their crimes somewhere else, far away from them? 

But instead of getting up to arrest the guy, he simply gets out his badge (again, he doesn’t seem to go anywhere without it) and yells: “Hey moron!” before showing off said badge, and effectively scaring the guy away. And I’m cackling at Tim’s disbelieving headshake. Because it’s so Tim. 

Lucy seems to be a little surprised that he would just let him get away without even trying. “You know he’s just gonna break into a car in a different neighborhood.” Because she knows that he’s usually cop first, everything else second. 

But, once again, like at the end of 5x08, Tim and Lucy are the only thing that matters in this moment. “Well, then some other cop can arrest him,” he says when they’re finally turned toward each other again. Tim Bradford letting a would-be car thief go so he can enjoy being with the woman he loves? 

Some things really do matter more. 

Look at him looking at Lucy with such adoration. Have we ever seen Tim look at her like this before? I know we have a few good moments prior to this, but this is a whole other level. He doesn’t have to hide anything anymore. He can finally show her how much he adores her. Because now he knows it’s reciprocated.

And it’s so beautiful. Because Tim fell in love. But he would’ve kept his feelings to himself for as long as he thought he was in it alone. Hell, he probably would’ve taken them to his grave if she hadn’t blurted out how she felt in 5x08. No matter how much he wanted to explore this thing with her, he was keeping his distance, because he couldn’t take another rejection; and she seemed happy. 

But now he gets to openly show his love. Or as openly as you can when you’re keeping a relationship a secret. But: he doesn’t have to hide it from her anymore. His cards are on the table, her cards are on the table. Hiding from each other and their feelings is in the past. 

He leans toward her, cradling the side of her face with one hand to close the distance. But he’s also giving her enough space and time to stop him if she’s not ready. But she is. They’re both ready to do this. Look at the way they both smile into that kiss. Urgh, they’re so cute. So in love. 

And, omg. Tim’s other hand on her thigh? He’s not really someone to show a lot of  affection, much less in public. But here he is, touching her wherever he can because, well, now he can. He’s allowed. No, he didn’t ask but he’s keeping it respectful and without making Lucy feel uncomfortable. 

She knows he’s not one to do this too much, so maybe she’s actually enjoying it quite a lot. She is, after all, a pretty physically affectionate person, which we’ll get so see even more in the episodes after this one. It’s definitely one of her love languages (damn, I already said this once, haven’t I?). So she probably loves that that’s reciprocated.

They finally close the distance and share their first kiss. Their first real kiss. The last first kiss they’ll ever have, because we all know this is for keeps. Nothing and no one will keep them apart, I am sure of it. They’ll face every and all challenges together from here on out. 

And it’s so different from all the kisses they shared under the guise of undercover work. It’s not as heated, not as tension filled, not as obviously passionate. But it’s so sweet, so romantic, so tender. And for once, it’s actually real. And filled with all the love they feel for one another.  

For me, this is the perfect first real kiss for Tim and Lucy. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top. Just the two of them enjoying themselves outside in front of a food truck in a super sweet and yet romantic setting. And no matter how many times I’ve seen this scene already, somehow it gets even sweeter with time. 

We’ve only gotten a tiny glimpse into the Chenford dating-era, but we can see throughout the entire episode that they’re still their bickering, teasing selves. And I love that for them. And here’s a semi-lengthy explanation as to why. 

Every once in a while, my mind just wanders to little Tim never getting the kind of love from his father that he deserved. How is a child supposed to know they’re worthy of love if they have to endure so much pain and abuse? 

He thought he’d found it in Isabel. But she broke his heart, too. She left him in pieces, arguably even more broken than ever before. 

Every relationship has given him reason to think he’s unlovable. That he’s not worthy. I admire this guy for risking his heart again with Lucy. Because it’s been used and abused so many times before. 

There’s always so much wonder in his eyes when he looks at her because a part of him still doesn’t fully believe that this kindhearted, empathetic ball of sunshine actually likes him as much as he likes her. 

And there’s the relief that he’s finally found the right person. The one who will love him unconditionally. The one who already does. The one who gets him like no one else has before. The one who doesn’t give up on him. The one who takes care of him even when he doesn’t want and has never asked her to. 

And Lucy. She hasn’t had an easy childhood either. Yes, it was completely different from Tim’s, but she has her own scars from the emotional trauma inflicted by her parents who’ve always made her feel like she wasn’t good enough. 

She said it herself once. Nothing she’s ever done was enough. Not her grades, her friends, her boyfriends, her professional choices, or any choice at all, it seems. 

And with her romantic partners it’s also been pretty devastating. No, she was never as invested as she could’ve been, because she’s never actually been in love. But there’s still some form of trauma from that, too. 

So letting herself love and be loved is as difficult for her as it is for Tim. And yet, it happened. Because Tim has never made her feel like she’s not enough. Yes, he constantly challenged her and made her doubt herself as a rookie, but that was necessary in order for her to become a good cop. It was to help her be better, not belittle her like her parents did. 

She’s basically been taught to second guess every decision she’s ever made since she was a child. But Tim’s let her learn to believe in herself and her abilities. “You don’t let anyone ever tell you you can’t do something,” he said to her on her last day of training.  

Because he knows she’s capable. It took some time, but he’s learned to trust her abilities and her choices. He’s simply learned to trust her. With everything. And more than he’s ever trusted anyone else before. 

Sure, they’ve had their ups and downs, and he’s been an ass toward her in the beginning when he was lost, but ultimately, she knows she can trust him with everything, too. 

Because, just like she is for him, he’s the one who gets her like no one has before. Who takes care of her no questions asked. Who believes in her. Who doesn’t give up on her. Who loves her in a way she’s never been loved before. 

They both have enough reasons to not let themselves trust anyone with their heart. And yet, here they are, together. Completely at ease and truly happy for the first time in forever, maybe their whole lives.  

Because they’ve earned each other’s trust; tiny brick by tiny brick by tiny brick, they’ve let themselves trust each other and fall in love.

Finally, they’re with the one person who they can be themselves with. Who won’t judge. Who will support them and stay by their side no matter what. Who they can trust wholeheartedly. Who accepts and loves them the way they are. They’re finally with their person. They don’t have to change to be and make each other inexplicably happy. 

If soulmates do exist, Tim and Lucy definitely found theirs in each other. And I admire them for doing this together.

My everlasting gratitude to everyone who took some time out of their day to read, comment, reblog and/or like my Chenford thesis on 5x08. You’ve made it so much easier for me to use my recently found inspiration and keep writing. I hope this lives up to expectations and you enjoy this as much as the one for 5x08. And as always, a special thank you to @escapismqueen for her patience as I complained about my writer’s block (wow, I can actually say that now), asked questions about grammar because English is confusing, and for encouraging me to keep writing in the first place. Hope this is a nice little surprise for you tonight. 

[carnidfanboywarrior705]

MY OBSERVATION ON CHENFORD:

I might be a Fan of Carnid which was a Ship Between Carl Grimes and Enid Rhee of The Walking Dead, But i have my own observations about this Ship which was Chenford or Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford.

The Romance between Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford is very cute in my view because Lucy and Tim are both Cops.

The Ship Name was good because it combines the last names of Lucy and Tim though the Bradford was Reduced to Ford to make it Simple but overall the Ship Name is good.

The Romantic Moments in my opinion were very good too, i mean all of them are good. Even if they are in the Mobile Car or in Lucy's Apartment, its all good.

The Kissing Scenes however are Very Good as well, very romantic. Well my Favorites are Here:

And Lastly:

The Funny Thing about Chenford is the Dopplegangers or should i called them Lucy and Tim's Clones which are Sava and Jake especially on Dim and Juicy.

And my reaction to it is:

But overall, The Chenford Ship is a Wonderful Ship and I Admire and Love it especially its Love Story and Based on my Observation, CHENFORD WILL NOT SINK, IT IS A STRONG SHIP and Chenford will be the Endgame. There will be no Breakups whatsoever. They will be the Main Endgame and They will be together even at the very end.

And Based on this Website (https://shiprecced.com/chenford-fandom-history-tour/), I Joined Chenford during the Renaissance Chenford Era. I need to study more about it and Make Research and Observation about it so i will love Chenford even more.

Since i am a Multishipper especially i am a Carnid Shipper and I shipped Chenford Recently and i have no regrets about it.

[sylvies-chen]

Chenford + you bought a what?

“A ring,” Tim repeats, looking down at his phone seemingly unaware of Lucy’s jaw— which, with shock and a total lack of grace, has hit the floor.

“Wha— I mean- I… what?!”

Truth be told, she doesn’t know what to say. This must not be happening. It must not be real. They’ve only been dating for six months. She knows that it’s serious between them, that their love runs deep, but there’s no way that he would casually announce that in the precinct one day after role call, is there?

He finally looks up, confused, and points at his phone. “For my phone,” he elaborates. “A— a call tone, or whatever it’s called.”

“Oh,” she exhales with relief, though it leaves an aftertaste of disappointment in her mouth that she knows shouldn’t be there after only six months of dating, but is. “Okay. For a second I thought… Nevermind.”

As he’s putting his phone away, her words register with him and his head snaps up with intrigue. “You didn’t think I meant an engagement ring, did you?”

“What? Pfft, no!” Lie. “I just thought… well that you… I don’t know what I thought, but no! No.” Lie again.

“Good.” He nods. “Because it wasn’t an engagement ring.”

Lucy bites her tongue, holding back her irritation. “I know.”

“I mean, we’ve only been dating for six months—”

“I’m aware of that.”

“— and I’ve already had one failed marriage—”

“Tim, you really don’t need to explain this to me.”

“— and I’m not going to just randomly propose to you at work—”

“Look I already said—”

“— It’ll be way more romantic when it happens.”

“Just— Wait, what?”

Her breath catches in her throat. Time stops and for a second she swears she heard him wrong, that he didn’t just way when, that he isn’t already thinking about it, that he hasn’t just admitted to what she thinks he’s just admitted to. And yet, in the typical Tim Bradford way of defying all expectations and being a truly good man, he has.

“I’m just saying,” he adds, smiling as he lifts a hand to gently pinch her chin with his index and his thumb, “that Lucy, when I propose to you— and I mean when— there won’t be any surprises or confusion. You’ll know it.”

He walks away, and Lucy’s left with no choice but to have a smile on her face for the rest of shift. She surrenders to it, driving around on shift with dreams and visions in her head of what’s to come…