Feelings Don't Just Fade - a Chenford Fanfic

7: Heat Waves

*Chen*

Lucy couldn't help but wonder if Tim had only actually broken up with Ashley because of Jaclyn and herself, despite what he said. She was unusually quiet on the drive to their favorite food truck spot, but she couldn't ignore Tim trying to sing the children's music she had put on for Jaclyn.

Once they arrived at their second destination, Tim was out of the truck and had Jaclyn in her stroller before Lucy could even blink. She admired and loved the strong attachment he'd already formed with her. Lucy had to admit, she felt a bit weird about being back here. From Mid, only three now four people knew about her daughter. She also hadn't been back since Jackson had died. Of course she wasn't back in the station, but she was close enough.

They had only been there about 45 minutes, just going over the information they currently had on Petrov, with Lucy also doing more digging on her iPad. Meanwhile, Tim hadn't put Jaclyn down since they sat down, she'd been bouncing in his lap the whole time, and the little girl couldn't have seemed more happy.

"Well as I live and breathe! Is that Tim Bradford with a baby?" Her head snapped up along with his to see Lopez, Harper, Nolan, and a new guy walking towards them. She recognized the guy, it was Aaron Thorsen, a suspected murderer. She didn't say anything but she highly questioned how he got into the LAPD.

"Hey guys!" She stood to hug Angela, while Nyla went straight for Tim, taking her god daughter from his arms. The baby pouted for a minute, missing her father's arms, but quickly recovered as she rejoiced in the tickles from Nyla.

"Hold the phone." John started, we all looked at him. "Who is this little girl?" He went towards Nyla and Jaclyn. Lucy couldn't stop smiling, but she was also aware of Tim, and the way he watched Nyla and John's hand off. Protective dad mode, check.

"This, Nolan, is Little Boot, aka Jaclyn Harper. She is Lucy and I's little one." Tim beat me to the introduction. John looked absolutely shocked. "But, but, when?"

This was not a question Lucy wanted to answer... "September 26, 2021." She thanked god that Tim answered for me. No one had to specify the date, we all knew it by heart.

"And she's almost a year old." Lucy added in, more cheerfully.

"Well she is just a darling." John beamed as he bounced her a few times.

"Nolan. I swear if you drop my daughter I'll have you cuffed so fast you won't be able to blink." Everyone laughed at Tim, but Lucy knew he was serious. John also seemed to take him seriously, as he handed Jaclyn to Angela.

"So, what are you two doing here, lookin all cute and domestic like?" Angela asked as she sat down by Tim with our girl in her lap.

"Researching Dim's new boss before we go back in as Jake and Sava tomorrow." She spoke up for them this time. No one could resist laughing.

"Oh yeah, we heard about that. Luce you want to help my new boot and I grab lunch for everyone?" Nyla gestured to Lucy, John followed them.

*Lopez*

"Timothyyyy" she let out at her best friend. He looked up at her, closing the files for now. She watched as he put that and Lucy's iPad back in her bag.

"Yeah?" He set up Jaclyn's soft food.

"How's blondie today?"

"Don't really know. Saw her once today and it was to end things." Angela had never resisted the urge to jump for joy more.

"And why would you do that?" She continued to probe for information. She knew that he knew what she wanted.

He sighed, Tim knew his best friend very well. Since this was the case, he knew she would drag this out if he didn't admit what they both knew. "Because I still love Lucy. I don't think I ever stopped. I saw her yesterday at Metro and I was angry at first and annoyed, but the more I was around her, even just for the job, the more she knocked my walls down again. And it was so easy to let her in again, easier than I thought. Then I met Little Boot, and it was a done deal for me." Angela smiled ear to ear,  it didn't respond as everyone rejoined them.