Try Again

Try again

This is a Chenford fanfiction I had an idea for and just had to write it down. English is not my first language so there could be a few mistakes.

I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it. If anyone has feedbak, I am open for it. <3

Summary: After months of trying, Lucy finally gets pregnant but things get complicated when she was alone on patrol.

She was sitting on the bed, the white stick on the bedside table. She couldn’t look away from the timer that was counting down on the display of her phone.

Tim wasn’t at home, not this time. She couldn’t bear to see this look of disappointment on his face, like all the times again. Of course, she knew that her husband wasn’t disappointed of her. He was disappointed because they have tried to have a baby for so long and still haven’t had a positive pregnancy test.

Her phone rings, signaling that the timer has stopped. Lucy took one last deep breath before taking the stick in her hands and turning it around.

One line.

Negative.

She threw the test into the trash can. Her eyes began to burn from unshed tears. She wouldn’t cry again. It just felt terrible. Like she has lost something even though there wasn’t a thing she could lose.

Lucy went to the kitchen. She had to start making dinner for them. Tamara was in her room, studying for an upcoming test. Tim would be home in around an hour. He had to go to an operation which took longer than expected and now he was stuck with paperwork.

Lucy moved through the kitchen with mechanical precision, her mind a haze of frustration and sorrow. She chopped vegetables, stirred pots, and set the table, all the while pushing down the urge to cry. The scent of garlic and onions filled the air, but it brought her no comfort today. She was tired, emotionally drained from the constant cycle of hope and disappointment.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Tim.

Tim: Stuck in paperwork hell. Be home soon. Love you.

She stared at the message, feeling a familiar pressure in her chest. She didn’t know how to face him tonight. How to tell him that, once again, their hopes had been destroyed. She knew he loved her, and she loved him with all her heart, but the weight of their unfulfilled dream was becoming too much for her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Tamara's voice broke through her thoughts. Lucy turned to see her standing in the doorway, concern etched on her face. Tamara was like Tim and her daughter. But still, it wasn’t their baby. Lucy wanted to be pregnant, she wanted to feel the baby kick for the first time.

Lucy forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Tamara wasn’t convinced, but she didn’t press further. She knew Lucy well enough to see through the façade, but she respected her space. "Need any help with dinner?"

"No, I've got it. Thanks, Tamara," Lucy replied, her voice soft.

Tamara nodded and retreated to her room, leaving Lucy alone with her thoughts once again. She finished preparing the meal and set the dishes on the table, the routine providing a small measure of distraction.

“I am home!”

“In the kitchen.”

She had just placed the last plate on the table when Tim stepped inside.

“Hey, babe, how was your day?” Lucy didn’t want to talk about it. Her day was terrible.

“Was ok. Yours?”

She knew that Tim would hear that she was lying, but still she hoped that he wouldn’t pry. 

“Stressful. But I am glad I am home now. And now again, how was your day? I can see you are lying.”

Tim stepped closer and hugged Lucy when he saw a tear escaping her eye.

“Took a test today. Was negative again.”

Lucy started crying freely into Tim’s chest. She felt like shit. Her chest hurt from holding back the urge to cry, as well as her throat. She had a bad headache and was sad.

“And then Angela came to visit with Jack, and she always said how exhausting it is to be pregnant again when she already has a toddler, and I was sad because I WANT the exhausting pregnancy. She just found out she was pregnant again and we try and try, and nothing happens!”

She didn’t want this anymore. Today was the worst negative test. She really considered not trying for a baby any longer. It was too exhausting.

“Hey, it’s ok to be sad about it. We can still try again and if it won’t work it’s ok. I will always love you, no matter if we will have a mini you run around or not. You are not disappointing me or anyone else. Things like that happen. We are not the only couple with these problems. There are also other options.”

“But I want a mini us running around! I want to see a mini you and me!”

Lucy stepped back from Tim. Right now, she couldn’t be held by him. Not when she was still feeling like a disappointment. If he was still with Ashley or Isabel, he could have kids.

Tim noticed Tamara emerging from her room. It was clear she overheard the whole conversation, regarding the look on her face.

She went straight to Lucy and only hesitated for a moment, before hugging her. She couldn’t bear to see Lucy like that. Lucy melted into the embrace, while Tamara rubbed gentle circles over her back.

“Do you want to eat something?” Tamara looked at Lucy. She hoped that Lucy would say yes, so they all could sit in front of the TV which could hopefully distract her.

They took the plates from the dinner table and went to the living room. Tim turned on the TV and scrolled through Disney+ until they settled on ‘revenge’. Lucy wanted to watch ‘Grey’s anatomy’, her comfort show, but Tamara and Tim both knew that a medical show wouldn’t do anything to distract her from her current problems.

***

Three months later, Lucy was late. They haven’t exactly tried to become pregnant, but also haven’t really done something to prevent becoming pregnant.

She decided to do a pregnancy test when she got home, not wanting to do it on the job and risk having a breakdown in front of everyone.

But while she was on a call, together with Nolan, nothing went like it should.

When Nolan had just handcuffed the guy they chased, three other guys came around the corner and attacked them. They were in an alley, so the chances to be seen by anybody weren’t really high.

Long story short, only 2 minutes later, she laid on the concrete; barely conscious.

When Lucy regained consciousness, she was lying on a stretcher, bright lights flashing above her. She felt a hand gently patting her shoulder, and she turned her head to see Bailey Nune, one of the paramedics, looking down at her with concern.

"Lucy, can you hear me?" Bailey asked, her voice steady but urgent.

"Y-yeah," Lucy managed to say, wincing as pain shot through her leg.

"Stay with me, okay? You're going to be fine," the paramedic reassured her, checking her vitals and ensuring she was stable. "You've been injured, but we're getting you to the hospital now."

Lucy nodded weakly; her mind foggy. She felt the ambulance start driving, the sirens blaring as they sped through the streets. Bailey stayed by her side, her presence comforting in the chaos.

"Tim," Lucy said, her voice barely above a whisper, with her thoughts drifting to her husband.

"Don't worry, we'll get in touch with him," Bailey promised, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Just focus on staying with us."

***

Tim was in the middle of a meeting when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and felt his heart drop when he saw Bailey's name. He quickly excused himself and answered the call.

"Bailey? What's going on?"

"Tim, it's Lucy. She's been injured. We're taking her to the hospital now," Bailey said, her voice calm but urgent.

Tim's world seemed to tilt.

"What happened? Is she okay?"

"She was attacked during a call. She's stable, but you need to get to the hospital," Bailey replied.

"I'm on my way," Tim said, already moving toward the door.

Tim arrived at the hospital in record time, his heart pounding with fear for his wife. He rushed to the emergency room, where he found Bailey waiting for him.

"Bailey, where is she? How is she?" Tim asked, his voice shaky.

“She is in the examination room. From what I have seen, she has many bruises, and she has a stab wound on her leg which definitely requires stitches.”

“A stab wound?!”

He didn’t hear Bailey’s reaction as he immediately ran to the examination room in which Lucy was laid on an examination table.

***

“Are you pregnant? I need to ask before we get you to get an x-ray.”

Lucy shook her head, before she nodded.

“I don’t know. It is possible. I haven’t managed to take a test yet.”

“Ok. Then we will make a short blood test to check, alright?”

Lucy nodded.

The nurse drew a small vial of blood which she sent to get checked.

“I will come back in a few minutes when we have the results.”

In that moment, the door swung open and revealed Tim who was still wearing his uniform.

“Baby, are you ok? Bailey said you were stabbed. Oh my god what happened?” His eyes widened in shock when he took in the sight of his wife in front of him.

She had a nasty bruise in her face and the right leg of her uniform was cut because the doctors had to treat the stab wound, which was now covered under a bandage.

“It looks worse than it is.”

Tim raised his eyebrow.

“Do they have to do more tests?”

“Yes, they want to get an x-ray, but they have to run a blood test before.”

Tim looked confused.

“A blood test? Why?”

“Because… I am late.”

Now, Tim looked even more confused, if that’s even possible.

“Late for what?”

Lucy smiled a bit. This was the first time she felt hope. She wanted to be pregnant.

“My period is late. It is possible I am pregnant. They want to check that before they get me to get an x-ray.”

“Really? It… it is possible we get a baby?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to be disappointed again, you know we often had that before,” Lucy said while shrugging. “But this is the first time in months that I feel a bit of hope again. I have felt nauseous the last two days and dizzy. But we will see when the tests come back.”

Tim smiled at her.

“We could be pregnant.”

“Yes, we could.”

***

It wasn’t long until the nurse came back while looking at the display of the tablet.

“I think it’s time for congratulations. You are pregnant, Lucy.” The nurse’s kind smile turned into confusion, when Lucy started crying.

Tim immediately went to hug her, and she buried her face in his uniform.

“We are pregnant. Really? We are going to have a baby?” Tim just had to ask the nurse again. They have tried so hard to get pregnant and now they are.

“As long as you are Mr. and Mrs. Bradford, you are. Is everything alright? Do I have to get a doctor? Lucy? Are you ok?”

Lucy didn’t manage to say anything. The only thing she could do was nodding her head while she still cried into Tims uniform which was now probably full of make-up.

“We are just very happy. We have tried to get pregnant for a long time and it didn’t work so we are just very surprised.”

“Oh ok. I understand. I am going to give you a few minutes so you can calm down and then we will get Lucy a room because she has to stay here for the night in case of any complications. We also have to check on the baby later to make sure they didn’t get hurt.”

***

In the evening, Lucy was very exhausted. The whole afternoon she was poked and prodded to make sure the baby was alright, and she didn’t have a concussion and so on.

But at least she knew now that she is in the 12th week already and that the baby is healthy. No… that’s not correct, that the babies were alright. The doctor told them they were going to have twins. Two babies. When Tim and Lucy heard the heartbeats for the first time, both of them were crying. It was the best sound in the world and if she could, Lucy would listen to it forever.

Now, Lucy was laid in a comfortable hospital bed while Tim was getting her favorite food, because she refused to eat the gross hospital food. She had already eaten Jello, but it didn’t help, and she still felt like she was starving.

“Hey. I got a veggie burger and fries for you. And here is your coke.”

Lucy grinned and gave Tim a quick kiss before she ate the food in record time.

“Oh my god! Where did you buy that burger! It tastes so good!”

Tim answered with confusion in his voice.

“It is the same burger as always from the same food truck.”

“But then they have another chef because I am sure this taste is different than usually!”

Tim knew better than to argue with his wife, so he just agreed before sitting on the bed next to her. He gently laid a hand on her belly.

“Can you already see a small baby bump? I think I am already showing. My pants felt a bit tighter this week.”

“Not really. When you look from the side maybe a little bit?”

“Will you still love me even when I am fat? You know with twins I am going to look like a cow. Do we have uniforms at the precinct for twin pregnancies? I remember Angela saying even her baby bump didn’t properly fit into the uniform.”

“Baby, you probably won’t even work when you are so far along. And yes, I will always love you even if you looked like a cow because you’d still be my wife.”

Lucy laughed and smiled, before she moved to kiss Tim again.

“I love you. And I will love the mini yous.” Tim chuckled.

“I love you too. And the babies.”

***

Only a week later, Lucy was back in the job. Her leg was still bandaged, but the stitches that held the stab wound together, were removed the day before.

Four weeks later, she had to start wearing a bigger uniform size as she now really started to show. It definitely didn’t do any good for her confidence but she accepted her fate. Tim was attached to her like never before.

Every chance he got, he cuddled her, and pressed his hands to her belly. Even though they said they won’t hang out together all the time while on duty, these intentions were thrown overboard since she has started the job again after they found out she was pregnant.

Barely anyone knew that Lucy was pregnant as she always says she has just eaten too much and gained the weight with tons of chocolate. They didn’t want anyone to know because they had a surprise planned to tell everyone.

***

One particular day, Lucy was alone on patrol. As she turned a corner onto a quieter street, her radio crackled to life.

"Officer Chen, we've got a report of suspicious activity at an old warehouse on Jefferson Street. Can you check it out?"

"Copy that, dispatch. I'm on my way," Lucy responded, turning the wheel and heading towards the location. The old warehouse was known for occasional trouble, but it was usually quiet during the day.

When she arrived, the street was silent. Lucy parked her patrol car a block away and approached on foot, her hand instinctively resting on her holster. As she neared the warehouse, she saw a man near the entrance. He looked up, saw her, and immediately turned to run.

“Hey! LAPD, stop!" Lucy shouted, breaking into a sprint despite the dull ache in her recently healed leg. The man disappeared into the building, and Lucy followed, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Inside, the warehouse was a lot of old machinery. Lucy moved cautiously, her senses on high alert. She heard a noise to her right and turned just in time to see a figure lunging at her. She barely had time to react before something hard struck the side of her head, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Disoriented and struggling to stay conscious, Lucy tried to reach for her radio, but rough hands grabbed her, and a cloth was pressed over her mouth and nose. The world began to blur as the chemicals took effect, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

***

When Lucy awoke, she was in a barely lit room, her hands bound behind her back and her ankles tied together. She struggled to focus, her head throbbing from the blow. She could hear voices nearby, arguing in hushed tones.

"Are you crazy? Kidnapping a cop? Do you know what kind of heat this will bring down on us?"

"Shut up! We didn't have a choice. She saw too much. Besides, it's not like we're gonna keep her. We just need to figure out what she knows and then... get rid of her."

Lucy’s heart pounded in her chest. She had to get out of here, for her sake and for the babies. She tested the strength of the ropes binding her wrists, trying to stay calm and think of a plan.

One of the men approached her, a grim expression on his face. "So, Officer Chen, you're awake. Let's have a little talk, shall we?"

Lucy glared at him, her mind racing. "You're making a big mistake. Let me go now, and maybe you won't get a life sentence."

The man laughed, a harsh sound. "I don't think you understand your situation, officer. You're not leaving here alive unless we get what we want."

***

Tim had been uneasy all day. He tried to push the feeling aside, telling himself it was just his usual worry about Lucy and their unborn child. But as the hours passed without a single message from her, his anxiety grew.

"Chen, this is Bradford. Come in," he called over the radio, but there was no response.

"Dispatch, this is Sergeant Bradford. Has anyone heard from Officer Chen?"

"Negative, Sergeant. Officer Chen hasn't checked in for around an hour. But her last known location was near Jefferson Street."

Tim’s heart sank. He immediately called for backup and headed towards the old warehouse district, a sense of dread tightening in his chest.

***

Back at the warehouse, Lucy was trying to stall for time. She needed to figure out a way to escape or at least create an opportunity for rescue. The man questioning her was getting impatient, his frustration evident.

"Look, I don't know what you think I know, but you're wrong. I'm just a patrol officer. I don't have access to anything that could threaten you," Lucy said, trying to keep her voice steady.

She was lying, of course, she could easily tell Nyla or Angela who were detectives and she knew they would believe her and get these men arrested.

"Nice try, but I don't buy it," the man said, pulling out a phone. "Let's see if we can make you more cooperative."

He dialed a number and held the phone to Lucy's ear. "Say hello to your husband."

Lucy's heart skipped a beat as she heard Tim's voice on the other end. "Lucy? Lucy, are you there?"

"Tim, I'm—" she began, but the man pulled the phone away.

"You have one hour to get here with a hundred grand, or your wife is dead," the man growled into the phone before hanging up.

Tim's blood ran cold. He relayed the information to his team and sped towards the warehouse, his mind racing. He couldn't lose Lucy, not now, not ever.

When he arrived, he coordinated with his team to surround the building. There were SWAT, Metro, Detectives and of course their closest colleagues. They had to be careful; Lucy's life was at stake, and any wrong move could lead to her and the babies’ death.

***

Inside, Lucy knew her time was running out. She had to act. She noticed a sharp piece of metal on the floor near her feet and began inching towards it, hoping to cut through the ropes. Her captors were distracted, arguing amongst themselves about the best course of action.

Finally, she managed to grab the metal shard and started sawing at the ropes binding her wrists. It was slow work, but she could feel the fibers beginning to fray. Just a little more...

“Nice try, Officer, but we won’t let you go just now.” The man took the metal and slipped it so far away, that Lucy couldn’t get to it.

But she had at lest a little bit of luck. The ropes were already quite loose. She rubbed the rope on the rough ground, hoping it would help but she couldn’t get free just yet.

***

Tim was sitting in the Metro’s truck, planning their next steps with his old colleagues from when he was at Metro. He felt a mixture of dread and urgency that he hadn't experienced since his days with Metro. Lucy's life was on the line, and he knew they needed to act quickly and precisely.

"Alright, here's the layout of the warehouse," said Detective Harper, spreading out a blueprint on the table. "We've got two main entrances, here and here." He pointed to the east and west sides of the building. "Our intel suggests there are at least two hostiles, heavily armed, holding Officer Chen in one of the storage rooms towards the center."

Tim leaned in, studying the blueprint. "What's the best way in without alerting them? We can't risk them hurting Lucy or using her as a shield."

"We've got a few options," Harper replied. "The front entrance is too risky—too exposed. The rear entrance is better, but still not ideal. However, there's a maintenance hatch on the roof. If we can get a team up there, they can rappel down into the storage area and take the guys by surprise."

"Roof entry sounds good," Tim said, his mind racing through the possibilities. "But we need a diversion to draw their attention away from Lucy."

Harper nodded. "We can stage a fake assault at the front entrance, make them think we're coming in guns blazing. That should pull most of them away from her."

"Alright, let's divide into two teams," Tim said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "Team A, you take the roof and get into position over the storage room. Team B, you'll create the diversion at the front entrance. I'll be with Team A."

"Understood," Harper said. "We'll coordinate the timing so Team B hits first, then Team A moves in once the hostiles are drawn out. We can't afford any mistakes."

Tim took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. "Let's get Lucy out of there."

“Oh. And Lucy’s pregnant so we have to be careful we can’t risk her or the babies getting hurt.”

Tim didn’t mean to tell everyone like this. He wanted to make it a surprise for everyone! He just wanted them all having a good time together when they told them that Lucy was pregnant with twins.

***

Inside the warehouse, Lucy continued to work at the ropes binding her wrists. Her captors were still arguing, their voices rising in frustration. The ropes had loosened slightly, but they weren't enough to free her completely. Her wrists were raw and bleeding from the friction, but she didn't stop. She couldn't afford to stop.

One of the men, the one who seemed to be in charge, finally turned back to her. "You know, Officer Chen, you're causing us a lot of trouble. We just wanted some quick cash, but now we're stuck with you. And if your husband doesn't show up with the money, things are going to get ugly."

Lucy glared at him, defiance in her eyes. "You won't get away with this. The LAPD is coming for you."

The man laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "We'll see about that. In the meantime, you just sit tight and behave."

He grabbed Lucy by the collar of her uniform and forced her to sit up.

“You know we didn’t plan any of this. If you haven’t tried to chase us, this all could have gone completely different, but you ruined our plan.”

After he said these words, he hit her. Directly in the face so Lucy winced and felt tears burning in her eyes.

“You will feel this and think about why you did that, won’t you?”

He walked away, leaving Lucy alone with her thoughts. Why did he treat her like this it was her job to chase him. And what about thinking what she did? She wasn’t a a child who ate one chocolate too many without their parents knowledge

She could hear the other men talking, their voices tense and angry. She knew Tim would come for her, but she didn't know how much longer she could hold on.

This all reminded her of the last time. The last time she was dead, but Tim got her back around by performing CPR. But what if it didn’t work now? What if they came to late and she was dead, and they couldn’t get her back around? What about the babies? What if they won’t survive the stress? She can’t go through the time of negative pregnancy tests again!

She began humming ‘Dream a little dream of me’.

Exactly like the last time.

Just that she didn’t lose consciousness.

She didn’t die.

Not just yet.

***

Back in the Metro truck, the team was gearing up for the operation. Tim checked his equipment one last time, his mind focused on the task ahead. Harper handed him a comms unit, which he attached to his vest.

"Alright, everyone knows their roles," Harper said, addressing the team. "Team B, you move in first and create the diversion. Team A, you follow immediately and rappel down into the storage area. We take out the hostiles and secure Officer Chen. Any questions?"

There were none. The team was ready.

"Let's move," Harper ordered.

Team B moved out first, heading towards the front entrance of the warehouse. Tim and Team A followed, making their way to the side of the building. They climbed up the fire escape ladder to the roof, their movements silent and coordinated.

On the roof, they found the maintenance hatch. Tim and another officer, Reyes, secured ropes and harnesses. Harper checked the comms one last time. "Team B, are you in position?"

"Affirmative," came the reply over the radio. "Ready to create the diversion on your go."

"Go," Harper said.

Down below, the sound of gunfire and shouts echoed through the warehouse as Team B launched their fake assault. Inside, Lucy's captors scrambled, grabbing their weapons and moving towards the front entrance.

"Team A, move in," Harper ordered.

Tim and Reyes pried open the maintenance hatch and quickly rappelled down into the storage area. They landed silently, their weapons ready. Tim's heart pounded in his chest as he scanned the room, looking for Lucy.

He saw her, tied up in the corner, her face pale. One of the hostiles was still in the room, his back turned as he focused on the noise coming from the front entrance.

Tim signaled to Reyes, and they moved in quickly. Reyes tackled the man to the ground, while Tim rushed to Lucy's side.

"Lucy, baby, it's me," he whispered, cutting through the ropes with a knife. "You're safe now."

Lucy's eyes filled with tears of relief. "Tim... I knew you'd come."

"Always," Tim said, helping her to her feet. "Can you walk?"

Lucy nodded, though her legs were shaky. "I think so."

Tim supported her as they made their way back to the maintenance hatch. Reyes was covering their rear, keeping an eye out for any returning hostiles.

"Team A to Team B, we've secured Officer Chen. Extracting now," Harper reported over the comms.

"Roger that," came the reply. "We'll cover your exit."

They reached the hatch and Tim helped Lucy into a harness. "Hold on tight," he said, and together they were pulled back up to the roof.

Once on the roof, they made their way back down the fire escape to the waiting ambulance. The rest of the team was covering their retreat, ensuring they got out safely.

Inside the truck, Tim held Lucy close, his heart finally beginning to calm. "You're safe now," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

“I was so scared Tim. I… I knew you would come to get me, but I was so scared I felt like the last time with Caleb. I was so worried about the babies. What if they won’t survive this? I was so stressed and then he hit me, and I haven’t eaten for so long and you should eat much when you are pregnant, right? And I didn’t drink anything. Oh my god I am so dizzy- “

Tim stopped her.

“Hey, hey, hey. Nothing has happened, ok? You are alive and we will get you to hospital right away to get you checked out. They are probably going to hook you up on an IV, so you are rehydrated. Everything is going to be alright.”

Lucy couldn’t hold herself together anymore. She started sobbing uncontrollable. And all the time, Tim was there to hold her. He held her and didn’t let go.

Bailey tried to examine Lucy which was hard as she refused to let go of Tim, but Bailey could definitely tell that she probably had a concussion, as well as many bruises and a few cuts on her wrist from when she tried to get herself free with the piece of metal.

They arrived at the hospital, where the first thing the doctors did was an ultrasound. Lucy began to cry even more, when she heard and saw the reliving sound of the baby’s heartbeat on the display.

Now, Tim couldn’t hold back his own tears any longer. He didn’t cry often. He wasn’t a softie on the job. But when it came to his family, he was.

“You… you have to call Tamara. She is probably worried. Tell her everything’s alright.”  

“I will, baby. I will.”

***

“Hey, Tamara. Could you walk Kojo today? Lucy’s in hospital and I will stay here with her because I want to make sure she’s ok. The last hours were terrible for her,” Tim said as soon as Tamara answered the phone.

“Wait. Lucy is in the hospital? Why? Is she ok?” Tamara sounded worried and scared at the same time.

“Um… she was kidnapped. She has a few bumps and bruises, a few cuts and a concussion but she will be alright. The babies are fine so that’s a relief – “

“What babies? Were babies involved in the kidnapping?”

Tim suddenly remembered that they hadn’t told Tamara yet that Lucy was pregnant because they wanted to prepare a cute little surprise for her.

“No… no. Ehm… Lucy is pregnant.” Tim never felt like this; not having an idea what to say and which words to use.

“Oh my god! Lucy is finally pregnant? That’s so great! I am so happy for you guys! But you said babies so where there more kids?”

“Lucy’s pregnant with twins.”

Tim just heard an exited squeal over the phone.

“I am going to be Auntie T! That’s so exiting! Do you already know the gender? Oh, I think I am more exited than you two are!”  

“You definitely are! And no, we don’t know the gender yet. I don’t even know if Lucy wants to know it or if she wants to be surprised.”

They haven’t really talked about everything just yet. The only thing that they knew, is that they want to be better parents than the ones they had. They wanted to have healthy and happy kids.

“Ok. If you find it out anytime soon, let me know. I will walk Kojo when I am home and do you need me to get anything for you? Clothes?”

“Could you get Lucy and me comfortable clothes? I will stay here with her overnight because I doubt that she will be able to sleep a lot after everything that happened.”

Tim looked at his wife, who was currently on her phone; wearing earphones and watching one of her favorite shows.

“Ok. I will bring you all the stuff later!”

***

Like Tamara said, she showed up only two hours later with a big duffel bag over her shoulder. As soon as she saw Lucy she ran over to her and hugged her.

“Oh my god. You are not allowed to ever worry me again! And you are pregnant that’s so great! Do you have any ultrasound photos?”

Lucy chuckled while she leaned to the nightstand to show Tamara the ultrasound pics.

“Here. The two black blotches are the babies.”

Tamara looked at the black and white photos in her hands.

“They look exactly like you two!”

Now it was both Tim and Lucy laughing.

“Can I get a photo? You know, they are like the siblings I never had!”

Tim had a wide smile on his face.

“Of course. These photos are only for you. The babies will be our firsts but you will always be our first and only daughter.”

“Awww that’s so cute! And you don’t know if I am going to be your last daughter. It is possible that these two are also girlies.”

Lucy laughed as she said, “Tim is sure that we will have two boys. I think it is a girl and a boy. We will find out later.”

***

A few hours later a young woman stepped into the room and introduced herself as Dr. Wilson.

“Hi. I just want to make sure that the babies are still comfortable. Do you want to find out the gender?”

Lucy nodded eagerly while she grinned at Tim.

“Ok, so we have a look. Here is Baby A; absolutely healthy and comfy. And here we have Baby B; also, perfectly fine. And congratulations. You will have a boy AND a girl. Good luck with that!”

Lucy looked at Tim grinning even more than before.

“I told you so! You should know that I am always right by now.”

“I know, baby. I really should trust you more. I am so happy. And Tamara will be even more happy than we are now, right?”

Blurt it out

This is a Tim Bradford x reader fanfiction I had an idea for and just had to write it down. English is not my first language so there could be a few mistakes.

I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it. If anyone has feedback, I am open for it. <3

Summary: It takes place in 4x1. That's the summary.

The next fanfic I will post will be a Chenford one and I am currently working on other stuff.

If anyone has requests or ideas what I could write just send it in bc I ran out of ideas.

She stared at the display, unable to look away. She didn’t really want to see what was happening, but she couldn’t just look away, and risk to oversee any detail that could help them. As a cop, she was trained to pay attention.

Next to her stood all the other people. Sergeant Grey, John Nolan, Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford, and of course Nyla Harper. She could see Lucy wiping a tear from her cheek, as well as Nyla. But she… she didn’t feel anything. There was not a single emotion in her.

(Y/N) winced, as she saw a shot being fired on the screen. Fuck. The last glimmer of hope was now gone. Sergeant Grey turned the video back.

“There. He flinched. As if Jackson scratched him or something like that”, he said.

“He knew he wouldn’t have a chance and wanted to give us something to work with. There would be DNA under is fingernails.” Lucy’s voice broke.

“I’ll tell the forensics so they can take a look at it. In the meanwhile, I want you all to go home and take some rest. I’ll let you call when we have some new information.” The Sergeant’s voice wasn’t as authoritarian than usually.

“I want to help. I can’t just sit here and do nothing! It was our colleague who got killed! Our friend! And Angela was kidnapped! We need to find out where La Fiera is!” Lucy felt more than (Y/N). You could hear it because of her breaking voice.

“It was an order, Officer Chen. Go home. Like I said, I’ll have you called in if there is any more information that there is now.”

“With all due respect Sir, but that’s my fiancée and I won’t go home until I know where she is and if the baby is healthy. I won’t go home until my pregnant wife-to-be is home with me again.” (Y/N) had completely forgotten that Wesley was here too. It was just logical; his fiancée was missing and he wouldn’t let them do their job without keeping him updated.

(Y/N) felt tears roll over her cheeks. She had just seen one of her best friends being killed. It didn’t feel real. Like she was only watching a movie and didn’t have any relation to the characters. Why couldn’t she feel more? She wanted to be mad, she wanted to be able to scream, to openly cry, but all she could was feel the silent tears rolling down her face.

She could feel a hand on her shoulder. Tim.

“You should go home. This case isn’t on us. At least not in the moment. Get some rest.”

Tim looked at her with worried eyes. Not really surprising. It was in the middle of the night. Her best friend just died – no, got killed - and she stood in the middle of the police department, crying because she didn’t know what to do. How she could get up in the next days.

“Come on.” She let Tim lead her out the office.

“I… I can’t go home. What if something happens? I… I’ll just stay here. This is the safest place right now.”

Tim looked at her… concerned. He often dealt with this kind of emergency, but Tim had never before dealt with this with his friends. Of course, he has already lost partners in the job but not like this.

“You can come with me. It would also be easier if they call us in to help them with something. Your apartment has a longer way to the department.” (Y/N) stared at him with wide eyes.

“Really? I… I don’t want to impose and you don’t feel too well either I think… your… your best friend just got kidnapped.” She really didn’t want to be an inconvenience. And what would be the looks she would get if anyone found out she stayed at her boss’ house for over the night even though they won’t do anything else that sleeping. In separate rooms.

“You won’t. Are you hungry? We didn’t really eat as the wedding didn’t take place so…?”

“I am hungry but I honestly don’t know if I can keep anything down now.” (Y/N) tried to dry her face from the tears, that finally stopped flowing.

“We can get some take-out and we try to eat and if not, we have the left-overs for tomorrow. Sounds like a plan?” (Y/N) nodded.

“Yes, that’s great. Thank you.” They slowly went to Tim’s car. The blisters the high heels gave her feet were long forgotten. They were her smallest problem right now. Somehow the physical pain even made her feel better.

They only stopped once to get the food. Quickly they decided to take Pizza, something they loved, and could easily be eaten the next day if there were some leftovers.

Tim’s house was… (Y/N) didn’t know what to say. It… fit him. Modern, but not much decoration. She took place at the table, the dress she wore was a bit disturbing.

Shit… She forgot that she doesn’t have any other clothes with her. She only had her dress, and she didn’t really want to sleep in it. It reminded her of all the things that happened today.   

“Ehm… Tim?” He stopped on his way to get 2 plates for the pizza.

“Yes? Is everything ok?” She nodded and then shook her head.

“I don’t have any clothes with me. Do you think we could get some clothes from my place?”

Tim looked at her as if she was crazy. She could somehow understand it. Her house wasn’t exactly next door. They would have to drive at least 30 minutes.  

“You know that it is a long way? Would you be ok if I gave you a shirt of mine and I still have joggers from Angela when she had an argument with Wesley and came here? I know it would be much too big but if you just slept here, I think it would work?” He looked at her with a questioning look and she nodded.

Why not? For now, it seemed like the best solution. Would it be unprofessional? Yes. Would everyone judge her if they saw her? Definitely. But right now, she had bigger problems. Jackson died. Angela got kidnapped. She kind of lost two of her best friends today.

Tim went to, which (Y/N) assumed, was his bedroom. Only a minute later he came back, a bundle of clothes in his arms.

“Here. You can go change in the bathroom. The first door on the left side.” He pointed in the direction he just came from.

“Thank you. Really.” Tim smiled. It was an exhausted but not a forced one.

“No problem at all.”

(Y/N) went to the bathroom. It was definitely more modern than her own. The shower! Wow. She would give everything just to have a hot shower.

“Tim? Could I take a short shower?” Her voice sounded weak. She didn’t have the energy to shout through the whole apartment, she just had to hope that Tim would have heard her.

“Yes. I’ll make the pizza into the oven so it doesn’t get cold, ok?”

“Thanks.”

(Y/N) didn’t remember when the last time was, that she had a proper shower, without having to stress herself because she needed to go to work. Still, she couldn’t enjoy the hot water, that was running over her body.

Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by emotions. The tears began to slow freely. She wasn’t crying as silently as she did before. Now she could only hope that Tim couldn’t hear her. She sank to the floor; the cold tiles on her back welt like ice cubes in contrast to the hot water.

She buried her face in her hands. Her brain finally realized it. Her friend was dead. Angela got kidnapped. They didn’t know what La Fiera was going to do to her. To her unborn baby. Did Angela already know that Jackson got killed?

A gentle knock was on the door.

“Are you ok, (Y/N)?” She tried to wipe away the tears. Stupid; she was in a shower.

“Yes. I’m ok.” She wasn’t and she knew that Tim could hear it. It was embarrassing. Her boss heard her cry. They weren’t even real friends. She tells him much about her life when they were on shift, but he was always a bit… reserved. They were acquaintances but nothing more.

(Y/N) was glad that Tim didn’t pry any further and she continued to sob freely. She heard how the door opened. Tim didn’t just come into the bathroom, did he? Luckily, the steam already covered the glass of the shower so he couldn’t properly see her.

He opened the door to the shower and switched off the shower. He handed her a bathrobe, which she slipped into. It was made out of very soft material. He gently pulled her out of the shower… and hugged her. A real hug. Not a hug like the ones you give when saying hello or goodbye… no… he held her.

(Y/N) didn’t know when it was the last time, she was hugged like that. She cried freely into Tim’s shirt. Right now, she wasn’t embarrassed by it. She didn’t even care about it a little bit. She was just thankful to be held.

After a few minutes, Tim led her to the living room, where he sat her on the couch, giving her a warm blanket he covered her with. Then he just sat down next to her, and continued to hold her. He didn’t say anything; didn’t ask questions. And it was exactly what (Y/N) needed at the moment.

When she finally started to calm down a bit, she wiped away her tears with her hands.

“Thank you, Tim.” Her voice trembled and sounded hoarse. If she still had her Make-up on, her face would have been black from the mascara by now.

“Nothing to thank me. It’s what a friend does.” Tim smiled weakly at her. Friends. He called them friends. She probably wouldn’t say that, but in the moment, she was thankful for it as it made the situation a bit less weird.

“I should probably get changed.” (Y/N) suddenly became aware that she wasn’t wearing anything under the bathrobe.

“Ok. Should I warm up the food? I am really hungry.” Tim looked at er with a questioning look.

“Uhm… yes… that would be great. Again, thank you.” (Y/N) hurried to the bathroom where the clothes Tim led her were still lying on the floor.

Just as she wanted to change into the clothes, Tim called her name.

“Come on we have to go! Grey has new information about Angela!” Instead of changing into the comfortable clothes, she just again slipped into her dress from the evening. Her hair was still wet but it didn’t matter at the moment.

When she stepped into the kitchen, she couldn’t help but notice Tim’s gaze at her. He scratched his neck, something she knew he did when he felt uncomfortable or nervous which has only happened once before.

“Ehm… Your… zipper isn’t properly… closed.”

Fuck! This didn’t just happen. Half of her chest was exposed… How could she not have noticed that before?! She already felt uncomfortable enough in this situation. Why did this have to happen exactly today. (Y/N) felt like she was about to cry.

She tried to close the zipper but it jammed.

“Wait let me do this.” As if the situation couldn’t get more embarrassing now her boss offered to close the zipper of her dress? If it was at least a zipper at the back of the dress but no. Why did she choose that dress today?

While Tim closed the zipper, (Y/N) only stared at the ceiling, unable to look at him.

“Ok. All done. Let’s go.” She ran to the car, as fast as it was possible in high heels. She slumped into the passenger’s seat.

“Here. Drink.” (Y/N) eyed Tim’s hand as he gave her a can of red bull.

“Oh wow. Thanks.” She was lucky he remembered to pack a few energy drinks in the back of the car, as they both were sleep deprived. And she herself was glad she packed her back with make up for the wedding, which was still in it.

She put the light on and put a bit of her make up on, so it wasn’t as obvious as before that she had cried before.

“You really do your make up now? In a driving car? Nobody is going to be interested in how you look. We have bigger problems at the moment.” (Y/N) glared at him.

Tim had been married. Didn’t he know doing make up is important for a woman? She always found it calming to do make up. It was soothing to do the precise work. Not being able to make mistakes especially not in a stressful situation.  

***

Only a few minutes later they arrived at the police department. They hurried to the Sergeant’s office. Nolan, Chen, and Nyla were already there. The only one missing was Wesley.

“Thank you for coming. Wesley’s not here. He is already in Guatemala. Lokks like he had an informer who helped him find La Fiera aka Sandra de la Cruz. We don’t know what’s going to happen. La Fiera is mentally instable especially after what happened to her son. I can’t officially send anyone to Guatemala.” Grey shot them a meaningful look.

“So, we’ll just have to wait what Wesley can do? He doesn’t have anyone there! He is an attorney! He has no chance against Sandra de la Cruz!” Nolan made a point there.

“I said I can’t officially send you there. But if I don’t know what you are going to do, I can’t prevent you from doing whatever you plan to.”

Now it was Tim speaking: “Conference room. Now. Everyone but Grey.”

***

Only an hour later everything was planned. They all were flying to Guatemala. (Y/N) has never been flying with a helicopter before, what makes her really nervous.

Next to her, sat Tim and on the opposite side were Lucy and John sat. Nyla was in the front with the pilot and in the back were two more seats for Angela and Wesley.

(Y/N) drummed her fingers on her thigh, squeezing her eyes shut as the chopper took off. She has changed into her police uniform, as the evening gown wouldn’t have been really practical for a long flight to Guatemala and probably a few shootouts.

She felt a hand on her fingers which where still drumming a rhythm. Tim’s.

“You ok, (Y/L/N)?” He was into full police mode. There wasn’t any space for kind words. They were about to free Angela and maybe even Wesley. If anyone wasn’t concentrated or anxious, they shouldn’t have come with them. It would have been irresponsible.

“I’m fine, Bradford.” Her voice didn’t sound as strong as she hoped, but everyone seemed to buy it for now.

After they finally landed, Harper, Nolan and Bradford were busy preparing the drone, while Lucy and (Y/N) looked around to make sure that they were save for now. They weren’t really near the house, but they didn’t know how careful La Fiera was.

It was already early in the morning. No one has slept in the last 24 hours, but they were so hyped up by adrenaline and energy drinks, that they barely felt how tired they were.

“Have you eaten anything in the last few hours”, asked Lucy at some point.

“A protein bar at the station but I not more. Didn’t have appetite after… after what happened yesterday. And you? Have you even been home?” (Y/N) could see that Lucy was exhausted and that she cried before. Her eyes were red and swollen.

“No. I couldn’t. I told Tamara I needed to do overtime but I don’t think she bought it. I stayed at the department and slept on a chair in the conference room. I just wasn’t able to go home to see Jackson’s stuff lying everywhere in the apartment. Where you at home? You still were in you dress when you came after Grey called you.” Lucy looked at her for a short time but not long as they still had to concentrate on La Fiera’s workers.

(Y/N) shook her head while saying: “I couldn’t go home either. Didn’t want to be alone after what happened. Tim offered me to sleep at his place.”

“Tim? Tim Bradford? Our boss Timothy Bradford?” Lucy looked really surprised but (Y/N) couldn’t blame her. She nodded.

“Yepp. He was really kind. I was very… upset earlier, so I was very thankful.”

Her friend still looked a bit shocked.

“Wow… that’s… strange. But you don’t have… feelings… for him… right?” (Y/N) laughed.

“God, no. I have to admit it had been a bit strange at the beginning but he was really understanding. He even bought pizza which is now probably cold.”

Even though she laughed, she wasn’t sure if the “feelings-theory” was that wrong. Did she have feelings for Tim? She has often questioned that before.

Every time he touched her it felt… special. She felt like her stomach felt full of butterflies. But she can’t have feelings for him, right? He was her boss and Lucy had to break up with Nolan because he had been also a rookie and not even her boss.

Damn it, why does she always have feelings for guys she cannot have. She still knows how it felt seeing Tim on her side when she woke up from surgery after she was involved in a knife attack. He said he didn’t stay in hospital all night, but she knew he was lying as he still wore the same clothes as the day before.

“Ok, the drone is ready”, Lucy and (Y/N) heard over the radio. They ran back to Bradford, Nolan and Harper. The display, that Nyla was holding, showed everything that was to see with the drone’s camera.

“Ok, they put Wesley and Angela in the trucks. It looks like she is in labor. Ok, that’s what we wanted. No. No! They drive them separated! Nolan, (Y/LN). You follow Wesley. Bradford, Chen and I, we follow Lopez to the hospital. Go!”

***

Like they were told, John and (Y/N) followed Wesley. It looked like there was only one person with him, but they couldn’t know for sure.

As (Y/N) and John followed the truck carrying Wesley, the tension in the air was palpable. Every second felt like an eternity as they carefully maintained their distance, making sure not to lose sight of the vehicle but also not to arouse suspicion. The city's neon lights flickered past, casting an eerie glow on the damp streets.

"(Y/N), are you okay?" John asked, his voice steady but concerned.

(Y/N) nodded, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "I'm fine, Nolan. Just... focused."

John glanced at her, noticing the tightness around her eyes. He knew what it felt like to be on edge, especially after a traumatic event. "We're going to get them back. Both Wesley and Angela. We just have to stay sharp."

(Y/N) appreciated his words but couldn't shake the gnawing anxiety in her stomach. She forced herself to stay in the moment, her training kicking in as she scanned the surroundings for any signs of any danger.

The truck turned into an industrial area, and (Y/N) signaled to John. "We need to be ready for anything.”

When they arrived at some kind of farm, the vehicle stopped, the person in the truck stepped out, revealing a silhouette in the bright sunlight. John and (Y/N) exchanged a glance and nodded, both ready to move.

"We need to get closer," (Y/N) whispered as they slipped out of their vehicle and crept towards the warehouse, using the shadows of the trees for cover.

They could see how Wesley got pulled out of the car, a weapon held to the side of his head.

“Faster! I don’t have the time for your games!” Just when Nolan and (Y/N) noticed that the man was about to shoot, they stepped forward.

“Drop the weapon! Now!” Suddenly, a shot rang out, and (Y/N) felt a sharp pain in her side. She gasped, stumbling and clutching her wound as she fell to the ground. John immediately dropped to her side, his eyes wide with fear and determination.

“(Y/N)! Stay with me," John urged, his hands shaking as he applied pressure to her wound. "We need backup! Officer down, officer down!" he called into his radio.

(Y/N)'s vision blurred, but she forced herself to stay conscious. "John... you need to... get Wesley..."

“I know. He is just over there. It’s going to be ok. Just stay with me.

 Back at the hospital, Tim Bradford, Lucy Chen, and Nyla Harper were on high alert, they already found Angela and were on their way to the chopper that should bring them back to LA. Tim's mind was racing, worry etched across his face. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut, and it only intensified when he heard Nolan’s frantic call over the radio.

"Officer down. (Y/N) has been shot. We need immediate medical assistance!"

Tim's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Lucy, who looked equally horrified, which wasn’t surprising as (Y/N) was her best friend. Lucy has already lost Jackson, just yesterday, she couldn’t bear to lose (Y/N) now too.

When they all arrived at the chopper, they found John – who already was in the chopper - desperately trying to keep (Y/N) conscious. The sight of her, pale and bleeding, hit Bradford like a train. He rushed to her side, his hands trembling as he took over from John.

"(Y/N), hang on. You're going to be okay," Tim said, his voice cracking. He couldn't hide the emotion in his eyes. "Stay with me."

She looked up at him, her vision fading but her heart swelling at his presence. "Tim... I..."

"Don't talk," Tim interrupted, his voice choked with emotion. "Save your strength. We are on our way to the hospital.”

Thanks to his time in the army, he knew how to handle shooting wounds. He pressed a shirt – he assumed it was Nolan’s – to the wound, wincing as (Y/N) cried out in pain.

“I am so, so sorry.” Tim had never felt something like that when someone got shot. Not even when he was the one shot. He had never felt this much panic. He never had to hold back tears.

Hours later, Tim sat in the waiting room, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. He couldn't lose her. Not when he finally understood what she meant to him.

"Any news?" Lucy asked, her voice trembling.

Tim shook his head, unable to speak. They sat in silence, each of them lost in their thoughts, until a doctor finally approached.

"She's stable," the doctor said, and Tim felt a rush of relief so intense it nearly knocked him over. "She lost a lot of blood, but she's going to be okay."

Tim let out a shaky breath. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice filled with gratitude.

As they were allowed into her room, Tim sat by (Y/N)'s bedside, holding her hand gently. She looked fragile, but there was a peacefulness to her face that gave him hope.

When her eyes fluttered open, she smiled weakly at him. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey," Tim replied, his voice soft. "You scared me."

(Y/N) chuckled weakly. "Sorry about that."

Tim leaned closer; his eyes locked onto hers. "You were trying to tell me something before..."

“It was nothing. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to let me die there”, she whispered. She doesn’t know why she couldn’t just say the truth but this didn’t seem to be the right moment. She had just been shot. What if he assumed she was just high on morphine – which she probably was, but that’s not the point.

The point is, she has feelings for her Sergeant. For her boss. And she doesn’t know if he felt the same. She has doubts. Why would someone like Tim, who doesn’t let any feelings near him, like her? She was just another colleague of his.

“Mhm… ok. I have to go. I am on shift today, but I will come back later. And here, I’ve got you a burger and fries. Thought you don’t want to have the gross hospital food after you were shot and haven’t eaten for 35 hours.” Tim held a paper back towards her.

“Thank you. And wait… I haven’t eaten for 35 hours? That’s a record!” Tim chuckled at (Y/N)’s attempt to lighten the mood.

“See you later.”

***

A bit later, Lucy stepped into the room, what made (Y/N) happy as she has already watched three movies and started to get bored.

"Hey, you," Lucy greeted, her voice warm. "How are you feeling?"

(Y/N) managed a small smile. "I've been better. But I'm alive, thanks to you all."

Lucy pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed. "We're just glad you're okay. You really gave us all a scare."

(Y/N) hesitated, then decided to share her burden. If anyone could help her, it was Lucy. "Lucy, can I talk to you about something? Something... kind of… personal?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow, definitely intrigued. "Of course. What's up?"

(Y/N) took a deep breath, her heart pounding. "It's about Tim. I... I think…I have feelings for him. I have for a while, but I don't think I can tell him. I mean, why would he ever feel the same way about me?"

Lucy leaned back, crossing her arms with a smile tugging at her lips “I knew it. It was clear to all of us. Lopey, Harper and I, we even have a bet running when you are going to tell each other. But really, why would you think you're not enough for him?"

(Y/N) looked away, feeling a lump in her throat. "I don't know. He's just... Tim. Strong, dependable, a great leader and so, so confident. And I'm just... me."

Lucy leaned forward; her expression serious now. "Listen, (Y/N). Tim is great, but you're amazing too. You're brave, dedicated, and you've got a heart of gold. And you are so damn strong. You have just survived a shooting. If Tim doesn't see that, then he's blind. But honestly, from what I've seen, I think he does see it."

(Y/N) felt a flicker of hope but still wasn't convinced. "But what if I'm wrong? What if it ruins everything?"

“That’s the risk you’d have to take. But I really doubt it. How he looks at you? How worried he was when he heard you got shot? He even stayed in the uncomfortable hospital waiting room all night as he refused to go home in case something happened! He told Harper to get you the burger and fries in your favorite shop and was about to kill her when she wanted to go to a different one!”

(Y/N) looked at her best friend with wide eyes.

“Are you being serious?” Lucy nodded.

“I wouldn’t say that if I wasn’t.” (Y/N) looked away, tears welling up in her eyes.

Lucy sighed, reaching out to gently turn (Y/N)’s face back toward her. "Listen to me. Life is too short to hold back your feelings. If you care about him, he deserves to know. And you deserve to be happy."

(Y/N) sniffled, a small smile breaking through her fear. "But how? When? I can't just blurt it out."

They both chuckled at the thought of her randomly telling Tim she likes him.

“Maybe you tell him when you get discharged from hospital. I am sure he is going to be there because he worries about you and wants to make sure you are ok. He even volunteered to drive you to your apartment and make sure you are comfortable with staying at home without anyone”, Lucy said.

“Ok. That sounds like a plan. Thank you.” Lucy squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

“That’s what friends are for.”

***

Finally, the day of her discharge came, and (Y/N) has thought about this moment a lot. How would she tell Tim? Where? When they are still driving to her apartment or should she invite him into her apartment to talk to him? She has never been the one to tell the other person she’s in love with them.

Tim entered her hospital room, where she sat on her bed, wearing joggers and a wide shirt. She knew she didn’t look her best, but if Tim expected something different, only 5 days after she had been shot, he would be stupid.

“Hey. Are you ready to go home?” Tim stepped into the room, smiling softly at her. Had Lucy been right? Did he really feel the same for her as she did for him? He wasn’t the mean, strong man in this moment. He looked… she didn’t even know how to say it… softer than usually?

“More than ready. 5 days in a hospital without proper Wi-Fi is definitely too long.” Tim chuckled.

“Ok, come on. Can you walk on your own?” (Y/N) nodded even though she wasn’t so sure. Yes, the meds they gave her are good, but not as good as she didn’t feel the pain in her abdomen where the bullet hit her spleen.

She slowly got up from bed, trying not to wince because of the pain she felt.

“Let me help you.” (Y/N) didn’t even react before she felt Tims arm around her, helping her to stay upright.

Somehow, they managed to go to the car, and (Y/N) took a deep breath when she finally sat in the comfortable passenger seat of Tim’s car.

“Are you sure you are alright being home again? Without help? You didn’t even manage to go to the car properly.“

(Y/N) waved him off.

“I am going to be ok. The meds only start to wear off but it is going to be better once I have taken the new painkillers they gave me.”

“Mhm…”

While they drove, it was quite silent. (Y/N) thought about how to tell Tim how she felt about him, because she still wasn’t sure how to break the news.

The car came to a gentle stop in front of her apartment building. Tim turned off the engine and looked over at her. "You sure you're ready for this? I can stay for a bit if you need help getting settled."

(Y/N) nodded, taking a deep breath. "Actually, Tim, I was hoping you would come in for a bit. There's something I need to talk to you about."

Tim's brow furrowed with curiosity, but he nodded and got out of the car, helping her carefully navigate her way to her apartment. Once inside, she guided him to the living room, the familiarity of the space giving her comfort.

"Sit down, please," (Y/N) said, her voice sounded higher than usually. She motioned to the couch, and Tim obliged, his eyes never leaving hers.

"What's on your mind?" Tim asked, his tone gentle but also worried. And maybe a bit panicked?

(Y/N) took a seat beside him, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "Tim, I... I need to tell you something kind of really important. It's been on my mind for a while now, and after everything that has happened, I just can't keep it to myself for longer."

Tim leaned forward, his full attention on her. "You can tell me anything. You know that."

She took a deep breath, her heart racing. "Tim, I... I think I have feelings for you. I know it's probably not appropriate, and I know you're my boss, but I can't help it. I care about you, more than just as a colleague or a friend."

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, (Y/N) feared the worst. Tim's expression was unreadable, and she braced herself for rejection.

But then Tim reached out, taking her hand in his. His touch was warm, reassuring. "I don't know what to say," he began, his voice soft. "Except that I feel the same way. I have felt like this for quite a while now. I care about you a lot, and it scared me to think I might lose you when you got shot and laid there."

(Y/N)'s eyes filled with tears, a mixture of relief and overwhelming emotion. "Really? I was so scared you wouldn't feel the same."

Tim smiled; a rare, genuine smile that even made her heart skip a beat. "It was hard to admit, even to myself. But seeing you hurt, thinking about what could have happened... it made me realize how much you mean to me."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, both of them processing the magnitude of what they had just confessed. Then, Tim chuckled softly. "I guess we're both pretty bad at this, huh?"

(Y/N) laughed, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Yeah, I guess we are. But I'm glad we finally talked about it."

“Me too.” Tim swiped his thumb over the back of (Y/N)’s hand, which he still had in his own.

“Tim? Is… is it ok if I kiss you?” Instead of an answer, Tim leaned into her direction, and kissed her like she never had been kissed before.

In this moment she knew that she loved this man. He has always been there for her. He was the person she talked about everything that happened in her life.

When Tim let go of her again, (Y/N) opened her mouth to say something.

“Was everything… with us… why you have always reacted so jealous and… tight… when I talked about my last boyfriends?”

Tim looked at her, his lips swollen from their kiss.

“Maybe… but I wouldn’t have wanted it differently. I loved listening to everything that happened in your life. And you always smiled so sweet when you talked about everything. I loved listening to you. I still have the records of when you recorded my books I had to learn for the sergeant test. Thank you.”

 “What are you thanking me for?” (Y/N) looked at Tim confused.

“For being you. For making me laugh. For trusting me. Simply for everything. But I believe we aren’t allowed to work together from now on.”

“What if we didn’t tell anyone we are a couple?” Tim raised his brow at the question, before shrugging.

“I think that could work too.”  

Unexpected encounter

This is an Eddie Diaz fanfiction I have written and I am actually quite proud of it.

I planned to do a part 2 to this bc it ends on a cliffhanger but haven't had any idea what to write in the second part so if anyone has an idea feel free to send it in.

I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it. If anyone has feedbak, I am open for it. <3

(Past domestic violence is mentioned (but only in a short part) so if anyone isn't comfortable with that please don't read it <3)

Summary: After (Y/N) leaves her husband and moves in with her twin brother, Buck, he takes her and her daughter to the fire station where he works, and there she meets someone from her past.

Just a knock on the door. It couldn’t be that hard, (Y/N) thought to herself as she stood in front of a wooden door.

Her daughter impatiently tugged on her sleeve. "Mommy. I knock? “

“Of course you can knock, sweety. “, (Y/N) said with a reassuring smile on her face. She knew she wouldn’t be able to knock on that door, so she could as well just let her daughter do it.

The 3-year-old girl gently knocked on the door with her hand in a tiny fist.

Slowly the door opened and on the other side stood a man with curly, blonde hair and a birthmark right above his eye.

“(Y/N)? Riley? Heyyy! What are you doing here? Is everything ok?”

“Uncle Evan!“ Riley hugged Evan’s leg, where her arms barely fit around. The young man scooped Riley up in one swift motion and pressed a sloppy kiss on the girl’s cheek.

“Can we stay here? Just for a few days?” (Y/N) pulled the collar of her thin pullover as much over her neck as possible. When her brother moved to embrace her, he couldn’t help but notice her flinch at the gentle touch.

“Course you can. You don’t have to ask.” He gave her a tender kiss on the birthmark over her eye, which was identical to his own one.

“Thanks.” Evan looked at her with a worried expression.

“It is late. Riley should probably go to sleep”, (Y/N) said, nodding at her daughter’s direction who already started to doze off in her uncle’s arms.

“I’ll bring her to the guest’s room.” Evan always had a small guest room prepared for the case his twin sister and his niece would come over, which he knew they eventually would, as soon as he had seen (Y/N)’s boyfriend.

(Y/N) settled on a chair in the kitchen. It was the first time she was in Evan’s new apartment and she had to admit she liked it. It was cleaner than she thought it would be. Most of the furniture was grey, some of it white. She only had to wait 5 minutes until her brother came back.

“Is she asleep?” (Y/N) whispered even though she wasn’t sure why.

“Yeah, she was pretty exhausted and didn’t even want me to read her a story.”

He heard his sister making an acknowledging sound. “So, now tell me why you are here.”

“Nothing. Really. I just wanted to see how my little brother is doing.” She tried to force a smile on her face but she could tell of Evan’s gaze that he didn’t believe her.

“First of all. I am only 3 minutes younger than you are, and second, I will give you another chance to tell me the truth. You haven’t visited me in 2 years, (Y/N). You didn’t write me a single message. It was always me. So, I just can’t believe you, when you say everything is fine.”

“I am so sor-“

“No. Wait. I didn’t want you to feel guilty. Don’t apologize. Just… please tell me what happened.” (Y/N) could still see the concerned expression all over Evan’s face and she felt her heart and breathing rate increase.

“Ben… He… he… God, I still can’t believe it.”

“What can’t you believe?” Evan lay a comforting hand on her shoulder while he tilted her chin up so she could look at him.”

“He held me… He pressed me to the wall. Riley had to watch it. Ben just held me tightly. He said that was some kind of punishment.” (Y/N) felt a tear rolling over her cheek, all the way down her chin, her neck until it disappeared under her collar.

“Punishment? For what?” (Y/N) could see Evan clenching his left hand into a tight fist.

“Because I didn’t make dinner in time.” She let out a hysterical laughter. “He hit me… more than once.” Evan sucked in a deep breath while staring at the ceiling as if searching for some kind of answer what he should say next.

“Where?” (Y/N) looked confused. What does her brother want to know? Where her boyfriend was? Because she definitely wouldn’t tell him as she was sure it would make Evan immediately drive to Ben’s house to beat the hell out of him until he was barely alive anymore. She definitely wasn’t going to let her brother do it.

Evan seemed to sense her apprehension. “Where did he hit you? Are the injuries bad? Can I have a look?”

(Y/N) shrugged with her shoulders. If it made her brother calm down a bit and stop worrying about her, why not?

“He hit me in my abdomen and chest.” She looked up at the ceiling, just like Evan did a few seconds before, in an attempt to stop the tears which still wet her cheeks.

Slowly, Evan pulled (Y/N) pullover up just to be faced with many, dark blue bruises on his twin’s upper body. He gently palpated it and noticed how she flinched away from his touch.

“Sorry.” He also had a look at her wrists where Ben had to pin her on the wall as he could see some swelling.

“I will take you to hospital tomorrow.” Evan looked at her with a stern look.

“No! I can’t! I don’t want anyone to see it and I just can’t. He could see if I use my health insurance and no! Evan please!” The tears (Y/N) just managed to hold back just flow over her cheeks again.

“Ok, ok. I understand. And would it be ok if I took you to the station and let someone of our medics take a look at you? Just to be sure there is nothing serious going on?”

After some minutes of considering, (Y/N) agreed, even though she was nervous. She would meet her brother’s colleagues for the first time while looking like that. Having bruises on her whole body, scared, exhausted.

“By the way, why didn’t you go to Maddie? Why did you come here? I am sure Maddie would be the better choice in that case.” Evan curiously looked at his sister, who he couldn’t help but notice looked exhausted and kind of weak. Not like he used to know her. Strong, independent. Ben took a part from her she would have to fight for, to get it back.

“Because she is not my twin. She would tell me I have to face him again to come over it, but right now, I just need someone to listen. Someone to care. Someone to worry. Someone to hold me. And Maddie is great, but right now I need you.” Evan stepped another step forward and hugged (Y/N) as tightly as possible. She felt skinny. Skinnier than the last time. With that in mind he noticed, that also her face wasn’t as round as before. Her cute cheeks in which he always pinched, just to make her annoyed, were gone, so he went to the fridge, with his sister still in his arms, to get her something to eat.

“Thank you, Evan.”

“No problem. And I go by Buck now.”

“I won’t ever call you that”, (Y/N) said while laughing. Evan was glad it was a real laugh. Not a faked, or hysterical one. It was an honest laugh; the same one he has heard for so many years.

___

The next day, (Y/N) changed Riley into a cute dress – Evan didn’t even change her into her pajamas last night, she needs to teach him a lot – and they made their way to the station. Evan invited er to have lunch with the crew before letting someone assess her injuries to make sure she was comfortable around them.

Riley had her stuffed bunny pressed tightly to her chest as the big city was a bit overwhelming to the 3-year-old. (Y/N) knew it would be like that, as she has always lived in a small town with Riley and Ben.

“Mommy? Big truck”, the girl mumbled as she pointed to the red firetruck which was just about to drive around the corner. The sirens weren’t on, as well as the blue lights, which made (Y/N) figure out that they had just come back from a call.

“Yes, Riley. That’s a big firetruck.”

Only 2 minutes later, Riley stood, her hand clutching tightly onto her mom’s, in front of the big fire station.

“We go in?”

(Y/N) nodded. “Let’s go.”

The fire station was a big hall, with an engine, a ladder truck and two ambulances standing in the middle. A man who was maybe 50 years old, came to her.

“Hello! You have to be (Y/N), I am Bobby.”

“Uhm… yes.”

“You can just come with me. Buck is already waiting for you. Afraid, the food is not finished yet, but it’ll soon be. Buck said that little one loves Pasta so I made that. Is that ok with you?”

What Bobby said, made (Y/N)’s tears well up again. He even made her girlie’s favorite food.

“Yes, of course. Thank you.”

“It no problem. I actually was glad that I could make pasta instead of something which needs hours to cook.”

(Y/N) smiled and followed the captain up the stairs to a beautiful, big kitchen, she could only dream of. There also stood a couch in front of a flatscreen, where the news channel was playing on mute.

“Hey sis! You are early. Are you okay?”

“Stop worrying, Evan! I am not going to die. I feel great. Exhausted and tired but physically I am absolutely well.” (Y/N) gently nudged Evan, who barely moved at the touch, and just smiled at his twin sister.

Her brother knelt down to be on the same level as Riley.

“Hey cutie”, he cooed, when he noticed how tightly she clutched onto her bunny and tried to hide her face with it. “You want to come to uncle Evan?” The girl hesitantly let go of her mom’s hand to let Evan scoop her up on his arms, where she nestled her head on his shoulder.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to the team”, Evan said while a grin spread over his face.

He led his sister to a woman and a man who were sitting on the couch, (Y/N) noticed before, and while the man was on his phone, the woman read a medical book.

“Guys, this is (Y/N), my sister, and my niece Riley. (Y/N), this are Hen and Chimney.” Both firefighters looked up from what they were focusing at, and smiled kindly.

“Hey (Y/N)! It is so nice to finally meet you! Buck talks a lot about you and your daughter.” Hen stood up to hug her (Y/N) tightly.

Why are they so kind? They just met her. Did Evan say something why she was here and that is why they are like that? But on the other hand, Hen looked honestly kind.

“It is nice to meet y’all too. Riley? You want to say hi to Hen and Chimney?”

“Hi.” (Y/N) proudly looked at her daughter, who was normally very shy and didn’t like talking to strangers. Now, she was happy that Riley at least said something as simple as a ‘Hi”.

Evan led (Y/N) further to a young firefighter whose name was Ravi, and he was as nice as the others.

A few seconds later, a woman in a police uniform came in.

“Ah! (Y/N), this is Sergeant Athena Grant. Bobby’s wife. Athena, this is (Y/N).”

“Hi. It is great to finally meet you! Buck told us so much about you. I think I know more about you than about him! And you look very pretty in that dress!”

(Y/N) looked down at her dress, which was pink and was out of thin material so it was perfect for hot summers like this year’s.

“Thank you! And it is so nice to meet you too! Evan talked about you and your husband as if you were his second parents. I really feel like I have already met you!”

“Did he? Well, that’s nice to hear.” Athena had a smile on her face, which made (Y/N) feel reassured. She had been scared, that nobody would like her, but she was surprised how everyone welcomed her, and were like a big family. “So why do you call Buck ‘Evan’? He never lets anyone call him that. Didn’t he mention he goes by Buck?”

“Oh, he did. But I am used to call him Evan so I will just stick to that. A twin should have the right to call him that.”

“Ah yes. That’s understandable. We can talk a bit more later. Now I am going to see how my husband is doing.”

“So that was Athena. I really like her!”

“Yes, she is great.” (Y/N) had never seen her brother as happy as he was now, and she had to say, that she was glad about that. He seems to fit into that station. They accepted him just the way he was, not like their parents did, when they were young.

“I’ll introduce you to Eddie later. He is still checking the equipment.” While he said that another man came into the station. He didn’t seem to be a firefighter, as he was only wearing a shirt and shorts.

“Evan!” (Y/N) looked at her brother, the confusion written all over her face. She thought that Athena said, he didn’t let anyone call him Evan anymore. So why was that guy not calling him Buck?

“Tommy! Hey! How are you?”

“I am excellent! But are you ok, too? You still want to do it?” Evan nodded and seemed to finally realize the confusion on his twin’s face, but didn’t say anything.

___ Only a few minutes later, the 118 and (Y/N), as well as her daughter, who was contently sitting on Evan’s lap while eating her pasta, sat on the dinner table, when a man ran up the stairs.

“Sorry guys. Equipment was empty so I had to fill it up. What’d I miss?”

(Y/N) knew that voice. She knew the person, that this voice belonged to. Slowly she turned her head, hoping she was wrong. But she immediately gave up hope when she looked into the firefighter’s friendly face. (Y/N) could see his smile disappear when he saw her.

“(Y/N)?” She cleared her throat.

“Eddie. Nice to see you.”

“Umm. Yes. Great.” Why did he show her the cold shoulder? She wasn’t the one who had left. She didn’t come here just to see him. And since when was he even here in LA?  

“You guys know each other?”, Bobby asked when he saw them exchanging confused looks.

“Yes. We met some years ago”, (Y/N) said with a faked smile on her face. She watched as Eddie sat down at the other end of the table, even though there was a better place, opposite to her. Idiot, (Y/N) thought to herself.

Just then Eddie seemed to notice Riley, who was still sitting on Evan’s lap, not knowing what was going on. She could see the panic in Eddie’s eyes when he looked at her so she tried to avoid his gaze.

“Your daughter?”

“Mhm.”

“How old is she?”

“Three and a half.”

(Y/N) could see the other’s confused gazes, as they wondered why Eddie wasn’t asking what the girl’s name was. He immediately asked how old she was.

“What’s your name, sweety?”, Eddie asked the little one.

After looking at her mom, silently asking for permission, she whispered a silent “Riley”.

“Hey Riley. I am Eddie. (Y/N). We need to talk. Now!” (Y/N) slowly stood up from where she was sitting, following Eddie downstairs, after excusing herself, leaving the other 118 members confused.

“Am I right, when I am assuming she is my daughter?”

(Y/N) nodded.

“Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?! I wouldn’t have left if you told me!”

“Right! You wouldn’t have left me for our daughter. How do you imagine that? Us being happy again, just because we have a baby? Eddie. That’s not how it works.”

“But maybe I would have tried more!”

“So, you say your daughter would have been worth fighting for but I wasn’t? That just shows me it was right to not tell you about her. I would like to go back to the team now. I was invited for lunch by my brother, so I don’t want to miss that.”

Eddie grabbed (Y/N)’s wrist to stop her from going away.

“Ouch! Damn Eddie! What the fuck are you doing?!” Her wrists still hurt from Ben holding them to tight during their fight. She could immediately feel her heart beating faster, her breathing becoming shallow and fast. She knew the signs of an incoming panic attack.

Her eyes were beginning to well up as she was back in that moment. She didn’t see Eddie anymore. She could only think of how Ben was pinning her to the wall, not letting her go.

Eddie seemed to notice the signs too. He immediately let go of her arm.

“I am sorry (Y/N).” He worried as he didn’t receive an answer. “Hey! (Y/N)? Can you hear me? Fuck!”

All Eddie could see was the panic in (Y/N)’s eyes. The tears. How shallow and fast her breathing was.

“Hey?! I need help down here!”

Almost immediately Buck, Hen and Bobby ran down the stairs.

“Hen! Grab the medkit.”

“Fuck! Eddie, what have you done?”, was all Buck said before grabbing his sister by her shoulders and gently shaking her.

“I did nothing! We just talked and then she wanted to go and I grabbed her – gently - so she can’t just run away and she let out a pained cry and then she went straight into a panic attack!”

“Shit! Where did you grab her?” Evan looked at Eddie with a furious but concerned face.

“Just her wrist!” Eddie looked confused and a bit panicked, as he had never seen (Y/N) having a panic attack.

“Damn!” Evan still tried to make (Y/N) talk to him but it didn’t seem to work, so he led his sister to a bench nearby. In the meanwhile, Hen came back with the medkit. Eddie immediately pulled out a pulse-oximeter which he put on (Y/N)’s index finger.

Next, he took the bp cuff while Hen looked at the numbers on the pulse-oximeter, which were blinking, while the device was beeping loudly.

“Pulse is at 126, stats are at 93%.”

“Let’s get her some oxygen”, Eddie said, so Hen immediately went to get the oxygen tank. “Hey (Y/N). Listen to me. I didn’t want to get mad. I just was surprised. Can you try to breathe slowly? For me? Please try it.” Eddie took some deep breaths to show (Y/N) how to do it. What had he just done to make her that anxious that she went straight onto a panic attack?

Slowly, (Y/N)’s breathing started to get better.

“Buck? Do you know what was going on? What happened?”

“She had a bad fight with her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. I am not so sure about that. He hit her and grabbed her. Pinned her to the wall. I think you grabbing her wrist brought the memories back and made it feel too real. I brought her here today, so you guys could have a look at her injuries as she didn’t want to go to hospital. I didn’t think she would have a panic attack! I wanted her to have a good day!” Evan still looked worried at (Y/N).

“Buck. It is not your fault. I made her panic. I was mad at her.” His best friend doesn’t just look worried anymore, now he also looked confused.

“What was even going on that you were mad? You never said that you knew my sister!”

“Why should I know that my (Y/N) is your (Y/N)? And I think she should tell you what was going on. That is not about me. I mean it is. But I shouldn’t tell you.” Eddie furrowed his brow.

(Y/N), who was still breathing into the oxygen mask, shot Eddie a thankful gaze. Her panic started to slowly ebb away, but she still felt dizzy and could feel her heart racing. Eddie carefully lifted her hand up to look at the pulse-oximeter once more, the numbers on it were stabilizing which made him let out a deep, relieved breath.

“(Y/N)? May I have a look at the injuries Buck mentioned?”, the man asked with a soft voice. (Y/N) nodded after looking at her brother just to get a reassuring gaze.

Eddie lifted her pullover up a bit, what was followed by a hissing sound he let out, as he saw the purple bruises all over her upper body. He gently pressed on different places, apologizing as (Y/N) let out a silent whimper.

“I don’t see any concerning injuries. They are going to hurt for a few days, but then you will be ok. Buck said that was you ex?” He took a deep breath as he saw (Y/N) nodding.

“Yes, but I really don’t want to talk about that now. Can I maybe finish my food and then go home?”

“Yes, of course”, Evan said, before leading (Y/N) upstairs, closely followed by Eddie, Hen and Bobby.

Riley still sat on the dinner table, now on Tommy’s lap, instead of Buck’s. She was babbling something, only she could understand, a serious look on her face.

Tommy was smiling and nodding, and (Y/N) noticed the way her brother looked at the man. Were they friends? Evan never mentioned Tommy, so they couldn’t be friends since long.

“Mommy! Pasta yummy! Tommy great!” The little girl smiled happily at her mom.

“I gave her a chocolate pudding. I hope that’s ok?”

“Yes. She loves chocolate.” (Y/N)’s voice sounded a little hoarse and her throat felt tight and sore. The young mom looked at Eddie and immediately sees his heartwarming gaze. “Riley? Do you want to go to Eddie for a moment? I am sure he wants to show you the firetruck.”

“Big car?”

“Yes, the big car. Do you want to see it?” The three-year-old grinned and toddled over to Eddie, who she doesn’t know yet, is her dad. He thankfully looked at (Y/N) before he scooped the toddler up and went downstairs with her.

“Ok, sis. You really need to tell me what’s going on between you and Eddie!” Evan looked at his twin, desperate for information.

“We had a thing. A bit over four years ago.”

“Four years? Is Riley…?”

“Yep. She is his daughter if you wanted to know that.”

“Oh. Wow. My sister and my best friend have a kid. You know Eddie has a son, right?”

“I do. I have often seen Chris when Eddie and I were dating. He is such a sweetheart. He actually didn’t want to leave when Eddie left.” (Y/N) felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. She always loved Chris. She thought of him as if he was her own son. In the two years in which she was dating Eddie, she often spent time with Chris. They visited the zoo or the aquarium. She would have done everything for the little boy, who she thought had to had grown since she has seen him the last time. What age is he now? 13?

“Yes, he is someone special. He is a happy person. Has grown up in the last few years. He had his first dates just a few weeks ago.” Evan knew that (Y/N) needed to know that. She had to know that this little guy is now a young man.

“Dates? Plural?” (Y/N) raised an eyebrow, which made Evan laugh.

“Yes. Dates. Eddie asked me to talk to him about that, which I did.”

“Eddie asked you to talk to his son about dating?” She laughed. Evan wasn’t a good person to ask for dating advice. She did once, but the only ‘advice’ she had gotten was, she should just wear shorts and a short top and her crush would immediately notice her. Since that day, (Y/N) has never asked her twin for dating advice again.

“Yes, he did. And Chris had some problems. Said, that everyone would leave anyway. His mom, Carla, Ana, maybe even you. It was hard for him to see that. But I think he understands it now. I mean why they have left.” His sister looked confused.

“Shannon left? And who the fuck are Carla and Ana.” Buck could tell that his sister was a bit jealous.  She wondered who Carla and Ana were. Were they girlfriends of Eddie?

“Shannon didn’t exactly leave. I mean she did, but Chris didn’t know at first. She died shortly after she had told Eddie, that she would leave. And Carla takes care of Chris when Eddie’s at work. She worked for my ex and when Eddie came with Chris, he didn’t exactly know what to do so I introduced him to her. And Ana is Eddie’s ex. They broke up after Eddie had a panic attack and realized he didn’t really love her.” Evan laughed at his twin’s face. She looked absolutely overwhelmed by information.

“Wait. Shannon died? I met her a few times; this is so sad. She was a nice person. She was always friendly. We even were shopping once. And Carla isn’t Eddie’s girlfriend or ex? And Eddie had a panic attack? That is so confusing.” (Y/N) furrowed her brow.

“Yes. She died a few years ago. It was an accident. He even was on the scene. And nope. Carla wasn’t and still isn’t Eddie’s girlfriend.” Evan looked at his sister. “You still love him.” It wasn’t a question. He knew it. He could tell by the way (Y/N) looked at Eddie. How she wanted to know if Eddie was free.

But (Y/N) knew she didn’t want to still be in love with Eddie. He left once. What if he would leave again. Right now, she couldn’t even take her eyes off him, showing Riley the firetruck, because she was scared if he could do anything wrong. She didn’t trust him anymore. Not like she used to.

“I don’t want to talk about me anymore. Let’s talk about you. Who is Tommy? You have never mentioned him before.” (Y/N) looked at Evan as he seemed to be really interested in the ceiling, he was staring at.

“Um. I am honestly not really sure.” He cleared his throat, desperately searching for his next words. “We… I like him. So, we were on a date. I asked him to be my date at Maddie’s wedding, after things didn’t go well at the date and I have talked to Maddie and Eddie and they gave me some good advice. Not like I used to.” Evan chuckled, as well as his sister.

“I am happy for you.” (Y/N) smiled at him.

“You are not surprised?” She laughed at Evan’s confused gaze.

“That you are into boys? Nah. Are you surprised?” Now the confusion was written over both their faces

 “Of course I am.”

“I could have told you were into boys as soon as you had that crush on Liam in Highschool.” (Y/N) laughed.

“I didn’t have a crush on Liam!”

“What was it then? You having a platonically crush on him?”

“I had a crush on his sister!” Evan looked absolutely panicked.

“Definitely not. You barely talked about Cameron. Much more about Liam.”

“Oh my god. I had a crush on Liam.” The realization was all written over his face.

“Now go and spend some time with you boyfriend.” (Y/N) nodded in Tommy’s direction.

“He is not officially my boyfriend yet.”

“Then go change that.” (Y/N) hugged Evan tightly. “I am going to go soon. Riley has to take a nap and then I will go have a look at LA’s bustling city life. But first I need to have a short talk to Tommy. Go say bye to your niece. In the meanwhile.” Evan looked a bit unsure of what to do but then ran down the stairs to Eddie and Riley.

“Hey” So you have to be Tommy.” The man looked at (Y/N) with a curious look on his face.

“Yes?”

“Don’t hurt my brother. He hasn’t had an easy life and it looks like he just realized he is into boys – idiot – so just treat him right. He deserves the world with everything he had been through. It may be that he’ll need some time to adjust to everything but he’ll understand everything soon.”

“Don’t worry. I know he is great.”

“Good. See you soon!” (Y/N) smiled at Tommy, who stood up to gently hug her.

“Bye everyone! It was nice to see y’all but I really need to go now.”

Everyone said goodbye and hugged (Y/N).

Maybe she worried without any reason. Everyone accepted her. Everyone liked her. She could have never imagined that. Not in the last 2 years with Ben. She wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without him. When they were with friends, he didn’t want her to talk to others, not even her closest friends.

Slowly, (Y/N) walked down the stairs where she found Eddie and Riley laughing. Her daughter sat on the driver’s side of the truck and giggled happily as she pretended to drive.

“Riley. We need to go home now, ok?”

“Mommy. It is funny. Don’t want to go.” The three-year-old looked like she was on the verge to cry.

“We can come back another time, but you really need to make your nap and then we want to go to the mall shopping. Mommy needs new clothes, as well as you do.” (Y/N) came to her brother with only one suitcase and most of the contents was Riley’s stuff.

“Shopping?” Riley’s eyes lit up at the thought of going to the mall with her mom. She loves to try on the pretty clothes.

“Yes, sweety.” Eddie helped Riley out of the firetruck.

“It was nice to see you again. Maybe we can go have dinner next week? I really want to see Riley and spend some time with her, but I would understand if you want to talk to me before”, Eddie said, which (Y/N) appreciated as it was true. She first wanted to set some boundaries before letting Eddie spend time with her daughter.

“Invite us over for Paella and I’ll think about it.” (Y/N) grinned, which showed Eddie she was just joking.

“Us? You want to bring Riley with you? Are you ok with that?”

“I am sure Chris wants to meet his little sister.”

“Tuesday, 6 pm. Ok?” (Y/N) nodded.

“See you there. I’ll ask Evan for your address.” She scooped Riley up and stepped in the warm LA air. (Y/N) smiled. She forgot the last time, where she had been happy like today.

The day didn’t go like planned, but it was great either way. She hasn’t seen Eddie in 4 years, and even though she doesn’t know hoe to feel about it just yet, she was happy to have the chance to spend time with him. Riley could finally get to know her dad.

(Y/N) took a deep breath. She could smell the ocean and sunscreen. She absolutely loved it.

“Let’s go home, Riley.”

---

(Y/N) has been standing in front of the closet for 2 hours.

“But are you sure? I feel like I look a bit too slutty.” She looked down at her black shorts and the baby blue top she wore, to black high heels.

“You look beautiful, (Y/N). And you can let Eddie see what he has missed in the last years.” (Y/N) shot her sister an annoyed look.

“Maddie! I feel like you don’t take my problem serious!” Maddie laughed.

“That’s because I don’t. You looked amazing in every single outfit you have tried on today!”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Maddie took one step closer to give her sister a hug. “Eddie has already seen you in joggers, when you two were a couple. He won’t care what you wear. Boys don’t care as much about outfits as we do. Just trust your gut.”

“Thank you, Maddie.”

“It was no problem.”

---

“Hey (Y/N)! Riley! Come in. The paella is nearly finished. I hope you are hungry?”

“We definitely are, aren’t we, Riley?” (Y/N) gently nudged her daughter’s arm.

“Hungry!” Eddie chuckled. He suddenly felt absolutely overwhelmed by emotions. The young girl had the same small birthmark under her eye, that he has. She scrunched her nose the same way he did. She was half him. Yes, he had a son. He loved Chris. But he also loved Riley. She was suddenly there. He didn’t see that coming.

Dinner went absolutely well. They had great conversations, and both Chris and (Y/N) were happy to meet again after so long.

“How is school, Chris?” The boy scrunched his face at the mention of that hated place.

“I have good grades, but I still don’t like going there. I have many friends there. Denny is in my course since this year, so it makes at least a little bit more fun.”

“Who is Denny?”, (Y/N) asked, as she didn’t think that anyone has mentioned this name before.

“Hen’s son”, Eddie explained.

“Ah. Ok. I am so, so happy for you!”

“Chris, buddy? Do you want to go watch tv with Riley? You could watch a cartoon?”, Eddie asked as he noticed Riley’s eyes growing heavier so she was barely awake.

“Why not.” The 13-year-old made his way to the living room with Riley following close behind.

(Y/N) was the first one to speak. “You can spend time with Riley if you want to. At the beginning, not too much. Maybe you go to the park or the zoo and then bring her back home to me. When you spent time with her more often and she likes it, you can have her for a whole day and if that works out, she could stay overnight at some point. But I want to meet up with you too. She is our daughter so we should show her that we are her parents. I don’t want her to think we hate each other. And I want our meet ups to be a date. I want to go on a date with you. I still love you. I have never stopped loving you. When I was with Ben, I often thought about how my love would be if I had reached out to you. If I hadn’t let you go. I want a date. And I want to know why you left me.”

Eddie looked a bit overwhelmed and confused, but he nodded.

“Ok. We can to that. I like you to. I love you. And I left because Shannon did. She left Chris with me and I didn’t know how to manage a girlfriend and a son. I first had to figure out what having a kid was like. I wanted to marry you before Shannon left. I already had bought an engagement ring. I loved you. Love you. But I wasn’t sure what to do. I am really sorry. I didn’t really want to leave you but I felt like I had to.”

“You wanted to marry me?”

“I did.” Eddie nodded, and (Y/N) could see all the regret in his eyes.

“We go on a date. And if you still love me - and I still love you – propose to me.”

Eddie grinned.

“That works for me.”

(Y/N) stood up from where she was sitting, went to Eddie who was leaning on the kitchen counter, stood on her toes to be high enough to kiss him. It was some kind of promise. She loves Eddie. She would do everything to make it work this time. She would die for him.

With a heavy heart, (Y/N) pulled away from Eddie.

“I need to go now. But I still have your number. I’ll call you.”

(Y/N) went to the living room, scooped Riley up from where she sat on the couch and went out of Eddie’s house.

She didn’t know why, but something didn’t feel right. It was already dark outside. Anxiously, (Y/N) looked around. Nothing is wrong. She is just overthinking too much.

“Hey babe. You really thought you could leave me?”

omg I am so sorry I just realized I forgot to post another fanfic haha. I will try to do it later today (in abt 15 hrs haha bc it is 1:45 am and I should really go to sleep). the next fic will be a chenford one and I don’t have any more fics finished and don’t have many ideas so you can send in requests if you want to <3. I watched many tv shows ig so you can also ask if I write for any fandom you would like to read something for (I also write for a few tennis players or at least I currently try to so you can also send in requests for that)

Hi! I have managed to write something short but sadly it is not for any tv show but for two tennis players so I posted it on my side acc bc I don’t think any of you wants to read it but if anyone wants to read hat really really short story I will link it here

Sorry that I haven’t posted anything in a while but life is stressful atm