Chenford: One Shot to the Heart

The Nolan Thing

A/N: The title says it all. But I've avoided addressing it for so long. I can't do it forever. 

She fucked up. Horribly. It just slipped out. She could not believe that she had fucked up like that. She hadn't said anything to anyone about it since after they had broken up. That was easily seven years ago. She had to fucking go and dig up a grave that reeked. Tim looked like he had short-circuited. She was sort of scared that she had broken him.

"Tim? Babe? Uh... I cannot believe I just dropped that grenade on your head. It was really an accident. And it was such a long time ago. So if you will wake up from your shock-induced coma, I can explain..." 

He shook himself out of it. "Explain," he repeated vaguely, "Explain. Explanation. Yeah. An explanation is actually in order here..."

Gently, she pried the steak knife from his hand and placed it in the sink. She led him over to the couch. She sighed and plunged into a brief narrative. "It was our rookie year, obviously. It began in the academy. It was fun. But I think we both knew that that was all it was and all that it would ever be. You know, his marriage had just ended and my ex had just cheated on me. Bishop was onto us after we had barely been two days into the job and she came after me. It honestly pissed me off. But after a while, I got what she was saying. And I didn't know how hard my rookie year was going to be. There were, obviously, extenuating circumstances. But, I mean, I had a vague idea. In the end, Nolan ended up breaking up with me. I was furious, even though it was pretty petty of mean to react so. He was doing it for my own good. I would have been breaking up with him for the same reasons. There was... one night after our break-up where we had what I guess you could call a relapse. It was an absolute disaster. I won't tell you specifics because it kind of crosses some serious, uh, legal tape. But Tim, seriously, snap out of it. It is literally such ancient history, you don't need to go catatonic. It's scaring me."

He shook himself. "Sorry. It's just. Can you think from my perspective for a second? I'm just having a conversation with my 7-months pregnant wife of a year and all of a sudden I'm finding out that you had a relationship with literally the oldest cop in L.A." She slapped him on the chest. "He is not the oldest cop in L.A." He shot her a glare as sharp as daggers. "Geez. Relax. I'm not saying you look old, even though you are closer in age to him than me." The glare got fiercer. "Tim. Ease up. You easily look ten years younger than him still."

"Wow," was all that he could say. 

"Soooo...."

"Soooo...?"

"Are we good," she asked. 

"Uh, yeah, of course, Lucy."

"Whew."

"But Nolan?" His eyes were as wide as saucers. 

"Tim! Let it go," she giggled. "And you can't make me laugh, remember? Every time I do it upsets the mini human inside me and sends me to the restroom."

"Fine, sorry."

He didn't comment on it the rest of the night. She thought that he had managed to move past it. That was until they were lying in bed that night and she heard him furtively whisper, "Nolan? Really?"

"Tim, you drop it right now or, I swear, I will smother you with my pillow."