Tim Bradford, Lucy Chen: S4 Moments

Moment 1

Lucy POV

She didn't expect him to actually hug her. Then again, there was a lot she hadn't expected from him. Hell, no one expected any of this. No one expected that in less than 24 hours Angela wouldn't be married, Jackson wouldn't be breathing anymore. You shouldn't have to be alone right now. He was right. Besides, she had said she couldn't go back to the apartment. If Tim hadn't offered to let her stay, she most likely, even against her strongest inhibitions, would have ended up at a bar. Although, she would have ended up calling him anyway once the closing time came around and she didn't have anyone else to take her home. For the brief seconds he held her close, something inside her felt, not quite whole, but less raw. He was still there for her. She wasn't alone in this. It was hard to remember that Jackson had left more than just her behind. He had a family. By blood and by the badge. But he was her friend. She felt that it must be a little selfish to think that way, but he had been even more than that. He had been her brother. The one whose family had become her family. He gave her the support and love her own blood never could.

It was too short. The hug. She was a long hugger. She held on as long as she could. But in this situation, she also needed to hold it together. If Tim had held on any longer, she would have absolutely fallen apart. At the moment, she just relished the fact that he was warm. Took comfort in the quick rise and fall of his chest. He was real. He was alive. He put space between them. There was something in his eyes. Was it regret? Of what? They were a breath away from each other. "Goodnight," he whispered. She settled into the couch, knowing she wasn't going to sleep. Mere moments passed and she was getting up. She needed to go to him. She wasn't quite sure what she'd say. She knew this was a dangerous idea. She was unstable but... his door opened, she tumbled back onto the couch, hastily making it look like she had been adjusting the blanket. Thank God, she thought as he passed along Wesley's info.

She needed to focus on the task at hand. She couldn't confuse the high emotions of the moment for anything more than her grief. Which she still had to ignore. She had no idea why she had been getting up. Everything was a mess. What is this? She could feel it the moment he gently pulled away. There was something there. Later, later she could figure it out. Better to put it to rest now.

Tim POV

He pulled out of the hug quickly. Not that he didn't want to stay like that forever. But he was slightly frightened. For her, for him. He had invited her over, well, more like nicely ordered her to stay with him. From experiences gone wrong, he knew she could not be alone. In combat, he didn't get the luxury of time. They jumped from one battle to the next. When there was a brief reprieve, working out was the only way he could keep himself away from the bars and away from the sleep that he knew would be restless, plagued with nightmares, flashes of the images that he recalled in the day but were more lucid at night when he lacked the power to dim them as he slept. The look in her eyes, he knew, would haunt him. They were dry of tears, but he knew they were lurking in the background. In the poor lighting of the living room, her eyes were solid dark orbs, not the bright caramel color he was used to, radiating optimism even in the darkest of times. Full of so much hurt and confusion. They were a breath away from each other. But he wouldn't do it.

Tim was a man with eyes. She had made quite the impression on him both as his rookie and as Lucy Chen. He didn't want to have to let her go, whatever that meant. It was hard to pull away, hard to whisper "Goodnight," hard to walk away without looking back, hard to close the door and flop into bed. But he would not change anything. Now was not okay, just wasn't right for anything other than friendly comfort. Whatever that meant to either of them. He wasn't going to sleep. She definitely wasn't. They were just... waiting. For what? Then the call came through. He shot out of bed and made his way to the living room. He was paying more attention to the call than to Lucy, who looked like she had not been sitting on the couch mere seconds ago, but whatever that implicated, it could wait. Barely five minutes later, they were on their way to Wesley's house for their last straw of hope.