Cruel Summer || A Chenford / The Rookie FanFic Collection

See You Soon

Lucy has some doubts before leaving on her first solo UC mission. Set before Lucy goes undercover in 3x14.

***

Tim slams the door of his truck, glaring daggers at Lucy as he stalks toward her, "What the hell are you thinking?! What the hell is Nyla thinking?! What the hell is Grey thinking?!" He pushes a hand back through his hair in frustration as he waits for her to respond.

Lucy shakes her head at him, immediately doubting her decision to call and ask him to meet her. She's hours away from going under, and all of her eager confidence from the morning before has disappeared. She knows she could have, and realistically should have, called Nyla for reassurance. But old habits die hard, and for some reason she isn't willing to dwell on at the moment, he is the person she felt compelled to call as soon as she felt the spiral of self-doubt take hold.

His tone and expression shift almost immediately as he takes her in, "Hey. What's wrong?" The unexpected gentleness coming from him directed toward her somehow manages to feel both completely foreign and as comforting as a warm blanket wrapping around her all at once.

She bites her bottom lip and just shakes her head again, feeling suddenly stupid about her urge to confess her insecurities to the one person that is going to be most adamantly opposed to her going on this mission to begin with.

He takes hold of her by the arms, his grip firm and stabilizing, but his voice still gentle, "Talk to me, Lucy."

She swallows, doing her best to keep her emotions at bay before she speaks, but still unable to keep the slight waver out her voice when she finally does. "I'm scared, Tim. The sting operation was one thing, but going under long term? What if you were right? What if I'm not cut out for this? What if I'm not ready and I screw up and I blow my cover? Or I get someone k—"

He releases her, lifting his hand to stop her, "Lucy, stop." He frowns deeply, and his expression twists for a moment as he seems to be debating what he wants to say next. She can see the wheels turning, and she has no doubt that he's running through every possible option for getting her out of this, for protecting her, because that is just exactly who he is.

He sighs deeply before continuing, looking her directly in the eye, "Look, Lucy. You already know this isn't my favorite idea. But... it's not because I have any doubts about your abilities. You can absolutely do this."

He reaches over to gently shake her elbow, "Just shake it off. And use whatever is left to your advantage. It's normal to be nervous and unsure going into something like this. But you are going to be just fine. You are going to get in there, get it done, and they will never have the slightest idea what hit them." His tone becomes slightly teasing, "You are the 'best rookie I've ever trained', are you not?"

She smiles slightly, not fully betraying that his words, his confidence in her, have left her feeling like her heart is absolutely soaring. She knows that it must've cost him something to set aside his own issues with UC work and her decision to take this on, to encourage and reassure her instead of marching her directly back to Grey to beg out of the mission. He knows her well enough to know that backing out isn't an option, and the fact that he's willing to set everything aside in this moment to give her what she needs, to say the words she needs to hear... well, it's everything to her, and it sends a familiar warmth through her core as she realizes just how grateful she is to have him in her life.

He's frowning again, and Lucy looks at him questioningly. "I — just so we're completely clear, what I said to you about not having the killer instinct for UC or whatever — it's not true. I just — I don't want that floating in your head."

The intensity in his gaze is enough to cause her breath to catch in her throat, so she just nods in response.

"Just get in there. Get it done, carefully. And then get your ass back here." He swallows and looks away at something in the distance over her shoulder. She can see the tension in his jaw as he continues, "I need you to come back to me, Lucy."

Her eyes widen slightly at his unexpected choice of words — at their effect on her — and she's suddenly hyper aware of how strongly she feels pulled toward him, the same compulsion that led her to call him in the first place begging her to reach out and touch him.

He's returned his gaze to her, and she shakes herself out of her brief reverie, nodding vigorously in response, "I will, Tim. I promise."

And then, to even her own surprise, she's boldly closing the distance between them, slipping her arms around him and breathing in his scent as she lets her cheek come to a rest against his chest. He stiffens only momentarily in surprise before relaxing into the hug, pulling her in even closer as he wraps his own arms around her in response.

She's not sure how long they stand like that, but neither makes a move to pull back. "Tim?" she mumbles against his chest.

"Hmm?" he responds.

She finally, reluctantly, pulls back from him, just enough so she can see his face. "So if you don't think I'm too sensitive for UC work, what's the real reason you don't want me to go undercover?"

His eyebrows jump upward in response to the directness of her question, and he steps back from her, throwing up his hands as if to fend her off, "Nope. Nuh uh. Not going there. No psychoanalysis on the schedule for today, Lucy."

He rolls his eyes before smiling at her as he begins walking backwards toward his truck, "But I'll tell you what. You hurry up and get back here, and we can talk about it all you want."

Lucy laughs, "You realize I am absolutely going to hold you to that, right?"

"I fully expect you to. See you soon, Lucy."

"See you soon, Tim."