Chapter Text
Lucy knocked on the Sergeants door, her palms were sweaty and her heart was racing. She had been dreading this moment for the last eight years.
‘You can do this she told herself.’
“Come in” the Sergeant yells.
Lucy turns the door handle and nervously walks inside, then closes the door behind her and approaches his desk.
“Good morning detective, I think you’re in the wrong building. You need to be across the quad—not here” Tim grounds out.
“No! I’m where I’m supposed to be. I need to talk to you” Lucy rushes her words out. In case she chickens out.
“Ok” Tim leans back in his chair and motions for Lucy to take a seat. “Talk” he orders.
“I don’t know if you remember! Eight years ago, we....” Lucy starts but Tim abruptly cuts her off.
“Hooked up! Yeah...I remember, I’d taken a break from my then fiancée and met you at a LAPD conference. I remember you Lucy” he says, staring her down with his steely gaze.
Lucy sighs in relief. “Good, it makes what I’m about to tell you A LOT easier. The thing is...” she starts again, only to be cut off once more.
“Listen Lucy, I had a great time that night, it was wonderful—really. But I’m involved” he tells her.
Lucy scoffs. “Well someone thinks very highly of himself. That’s not why I’m here. I’m certainly not looking to cause problems in your relationship.”
Tim crosses his arms and glares at her. “Then why are you here?”
“I didn’t know your last name or what division you worked out of. It was just supposed to be a meaningless hookup, just two people letting off steam. But four weeks later I found out that I was pregnant” Lucy reveals.
Tim’s mouth goes dry and his head feels like it’s spinning. “Pregnant?” He questions.
The brunette nods gently. “Yeah pregnant but that’s not all.”
Tim gasps. “What do you mean? That’s not all” he asks her to clarify.
“Twins! I was pregnant with twins” explains Lucy.
His eyes widen in shock. “Twins?! Did you-have you—“ Tim struggles to get his words out.
“I kept them, they just turned 7 a couple of months ago” says Lucy happily.
Tim’s eyes close as he processes this new information.
“I know this is a lot but when I saw you—when I came for my orientation last week. I had to tell you, I never intended to keep this or them from you.” Murmurs Lucy honestly.
“You didn’t?” He asks skeptically.
“No, it was always my plan to tell you but I only knew your first name. Do you know how many Tim’s work for the LAPD? 578–that’s how many.”
Tim smiles lightly. “What are they?—I mean, what do you have boys? Girls?”
Lucy smiles softly. “One of each. My daughter Madison is the oldest by 22 minutes followed by her little brother Matthew.”
“Do they know about me?” He questions.
Lucy nods slowly. “What I could tell them, what I knew. I don’t know what you want to do, I’ll respect any decision you make. I just thought that you deserved to know” replies Lucy.
Tim clears his throat. “Thank you for telling me, lu-Lucy” he says gratefully.
She smiles, then turns around and leaves.
Tim stares after her. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect something like this. ‘What was he going to do?’
———
Eight years ago—Beverly hills, LAPD conference
Lucy walked over to the bar, she needed a stiff drink. An hour earlier she had discovered her longtime boyfriend in bed with her best friend.
“Vodka rocks, please” Lucy orders the barkeep.
She was momentarily interrupted from her thoughts, by man speaking to her.
“Starting off on the hard stuff, huh! Rough night?” He inquires.
“I’ve had better nights” she says dryly, as the barkeep hands her the drink. She takes a big gulp and then sits at the bar.
She turns to look at the guy, who was knocking back whiskey like it was water. “What about you? Rough night?” Lucy questions.
“You could say that, my fiancée just gave me the ring back. She says she wants to find herself before settling down. Whatever that means” he mumbles.
“Wow! Has she seen you—you’re a very attractive man and that’s not the vodka talking. She should’ve married you first” Lucy tells him.
Tim smiles for the first time in god knows how long. “Thanks, for trying to cheer me up.”
“You’re welcome” she says sympathetically.
“So what has you hitting the vodka at 6.30pm, he says checking his phone.
You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to.”
She smiles softly. “That’s ok. I went to surprise my boyfriend but I got the surprise....I found him fucking my best friend” Lucy blurts out, taking another swig of her drink.
“Well he’s an idiot because I’ve seen you and someone who throws that away is an absolute FUCKING DICKHEAD” he tells her matter of factly.
“Thank you....you know I’ve just realized that we’ve both just spilled our guts to each other but we still don’t know each other’s names” mumbles Lucy, noticing his eyes travel over her body.
They look at each and laugh at the oddness.
“Let’s start over, I’m Lucy” she introduces herself.
“I’m Tim. Nice to meet you Lucy” he says holding out his hand.
Lucy takes it, “likewise” she flirts.
Many hours later
Lucy checks her phone. “Oh, I didn’t realize how late it was” she murmurs.
“Me either he replies. Where are you staying?”
“I have a room here at the hotel” she says casually.
“What a coincidence, so do I. Let me walk you to your room” he offers politely.
“Thanks” she replies, as they walk to the elevator.
They were both staying on the same floor. The seventh floor.
Tim walked Lucy to her door, like the gentleman he was. “Thanks for a nice evening Lucy” he tells her.
“I should thank you for the great company” Lucy says honestly.
“Pfft. I was in the presence of a beautiful woman” he says sincere, with a sexy smirk.
Lucy grins. “You’re not to bad yourself Tim.” Then she leans up to place a soft kiss on his cheek and Tim turns his head ever so slightly, so Lucy accidentally hits the corner of his mouth.
They both pull back in shock.
“I’m sorry” Lucy rushes out, feeling guilty.
Tim shakes his head. “I’m not.” He swoops down taking her lips in a hungry kiss. His hands travel the length of Lucy’s body and he grabs the back of her thighs and Lucy jumps up wrapping her legs around Tim’s waist.
He pushes her up against the wall, next to the room she was staying in. Lucy pulls back gasping for air, she moans as Tim laves his attention on her neck.
Tim pulls away slightly, looking deeply at Lucy—watching her chest rise and fall, trying to get her breathing back to normal.
“You want to come inside?” she asks suggestively.
“I don’t think I could convince myself to leave” he admits to her.
Lucy swipes her key card and the door opens slightly. Tim swoops down, capturing her lips again. He strides into the room, not putting her down or removing his lips from hers.
——
Present time
Tim’s mind was reeling, he was a father.
A father of twins. A son and a daughter.
After the demise of his marriage to Isabel he had mostly given up on the idea of a family. Now he was dating Ashley, he initially thought that this was his second chance but he was very mistaken. At the end of a shift when an entire wedding was held at gunpoint, he and Ashley had discussed marriage and kids.
She told him that she wasn’t wired that way. That she wasn’t getting married or having kids. EVER.
That was strike two.
He always wanted kids even though he often doubted that he would be a good father due to his own upbringing.
Ashley and him were still together but the expiration date was slowly approaching.
After shift he was walking to his truck when he saw Detective Lucy Chen walking to her car. He jogs over to catch before she leaves.
“Hey Lucy, wait up” he calls out.
Lucy turns and sees him jogging over. “Hi Tim, everything ok?”
“Yeah I’ve been thinking about everything you said—like non stop! Can I meet them?” He asks tentatively.
Lucy nods. “Sure, how about tonight? Unless that’s too soon for you.”
Tim looks at her in surprise. He didn’t expect her to be so forthcoming. “No, tonight is perfect.”
“Good. Why don’t you follow me! I’ll text you my address, just in case you lose me at a set of traffic lights or something” she tells him.
Tim nods and walks to his truck in a daze.
‘He was meeting his kids tonight!’
‘And boy he was nervous.’