Mid Wilshire changed a lot over the years. The station had seen officers die, retire, recruit or move to another station.
Fei could see the change clear as day. She grew up in these halls. And now, she's working for this station that had her heart beating faster. She loved her k9 unite and everything that comes with it. As a mother herself it was a bit hard, but she and Jackson managed well. And she could see her brother Matthew everyday, since he was working with S.W.A.T. Matthew himself got married to handsome men just this year, right before everything changed for their family.
Fei stood on the railing, watching from the floor above on the bull pen. She sighed, it was a hard time for everyone. The police officers wore their black ribbon over their badges. A sign of grief, loss of a friend. Fei catched herself, a tear slipping out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't stopped crying since the day her father passed away.
It was a few weeks ago, he fell asleep with his wife in his arms and didn't wake again. She wasn't their when it happened. Her mother told her over the phone, sobbing like Fei never had heard her.
They all were heart broken. Theo came back from his work trip to Paris, where he should cook for a big restaurant. But he couldn't bare not being here with everyone else. Finnegan closed his motor shop for a month, not ready to face reality again. Leighton came back from her Europe trip. And Matthew and Fei had to go through a therapeutic process to get back out on the field.
Fei looked to her right, the picture wall of the fallen ones. Her father, young and in his bliss smiling at her. The station choose a picture from his years as metro sergeant, he looked good.
"Officer Bradford, a case. Your unit is needed." A police officer called out to her.
Fei wiped away her tears and changed into cop mood. "Give me details in the shop. I'll get my canine." She said, before running to the kennels.
The case was rolled up in under a hour. Fei and her dog, Venus, found the drugs fairly easily and Fei treated her dog with a bit of playtime. Out of her eye she saw a female officer walk up to her, she was a bit older but looked like military.
"Officer Bradford?" She called out.
"Yes?" Fei turned to her calling Venus back.
The officer smiled and outstretched her hand, Fei shook it.
"my name is Katie Barnes. I just wanted to tell you how much your father had helped me, after I came back from the military."
Fei nodded and gulped down her tears.
"He showed me that I not longer had to life in fear and..." Barnes chuckled a bit, "he resisted that I will become a police officer one day, when I'm ready."
Fei smiled a bit, "he was right, I see."
"He was." Barnes returned the smile, "how is your mother doing?"
Fei sighed, "in and out of the hospital. She's heartbroken over dad. The doctors they- they don't think she will do much longer."
"I'm so sorry to hear this, she is an incredible woman."
Fei nodded, "she is." Fei scratched Venus behind her ears and looked up again, "they had a good and happy life. My siblings and I... we always knew that if one goes, the other will follow in no time. We're prepared."
Later that evening, she picked up her family and drove over to her childhood home. It became a weekly tradition, decades ago. They all met up to chat and eat and have fun.
Fei parked her car and saw the cars of her siblings already parked out front. Jackson kissed her hand and picked up little Wes, their son. They walked hand in hand into the house. They were met with laugher and children playing. Finnegans daughter Lucile read a book with her Nana whilst Matthews girls, Anna and June, played tea time with their father.
"Hey everyone" Fei smiled and hugged everyone. Lastly her mother.
"Hey mom. How are you doing?" She asked, sitting down next to her.
Lucy smiled at her daughter, "Ouh my firstborn, you always cared so much about everyone."
Fei smiled at her, gently squeezing her hand. They watched Leighton play fight with Wes, and Jackson and Adam (Matthews Husband) talk about some new political insights, whilst Finnegan and Matthew teased Theo about his new haircut.
"Children" Lucy said, "come gather here, I want to tell you something."
The siblings exchanged a look, before they all sat down, the kids on their laps and partners at their side.
"What is it mom?" Finnegan asked. Over the years he developed a special love with tattoos, which was the reason for his inked body. He started when he got 18, Tim first gave him a hard time, before one day deciding that he wanted one too. That's when they started getting tattoos together. All tough Tim only did six dates. Their birthdates and his wedding day with Lucy. Later the birthdays of his grandchildren added up.
Lucy smiled at them, "I saw my love yesterday. He visited me in my dreams."
"Grandpa?" Anna asked and Lucy nodded.
She looked around at her family and smiled even bigger. "It was incredible. And- and he gave me a pep talk." She chuckled and wiped a tear away. "He told me not to get down without a proper fight."
Fei smiled a bit, knowing that would be exactly what her father would do.
"He wants me to live a little longer and make the most out of it."
"We want that too mom." Theo said, his voice about to break. Leighton gently put an arm around her brother.
"I know my sweet boy. Which is why I decided to fight the sadness." Lucy picked up Wes and sat him down on her lap. "I want to remember our time together and all the good feelings and not be sad about his death... we had such a good time, and I know that I will see him again one day. I will always miss him and a part of my heart dies the day he did, but that's life and that is okay."
"You will mom, but for now, you're still healthy and and we want to spend more time with you so please let us help you." Matthew practically begged.
"I will son, I promise. This will not be my end."
"Thank you." Leighton said, squeezing her mothers hand.
Lucy slightly grinned at her, a glint in her eyes. "For what? Doing my job?"
The family shared some laugher and some tears over that phrase. Over the years the siblings had heard Lucy and Tim say it all the time. They somehow adapted it and it was now a phrase of comfort, love and gratitude.
Lucy met her newest grad baby, Timothy. She cried with Jackson on Angela's funeral. She visited her still living friends. Leighton took her to see Mexico. Theo proudly showed her his first own restaurant. She visited Finnegan in the hospital after a motorcycle accident and scolded him. She helped Fei studying for the Sergeant exam by giving her the audiobooks she had recorded for Tim.
After five years, her heart stopped beating and it was finally back together with it's missing piece.
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Just out of interest, are any of my readers from Germany as well?
