The One Where Tim Gets A Clue

"We still on for later?"

Lucy looked up from her phone and smiled as Tim stopped beside her. "Yup! It's been way too long since we played and I'm in the mood to kick your ass." Tim shot her an unimpressed look and scoffed, but Lucy didn't give him a chance to say whatever cocky thing she knew he was coming up with in his head. She was the best shot in Mid-Wilshire. She could- and would- take him in paintball. "Just let me change out and I'll be ready."

"Alright but hurry up. I don't want to have to-"

"Tim!"

They both turned at the sound of his name being called. Stepping into the station, bright smile on her face, was Ashley. Lucy glanced over at her sergeant briefly, taking note of the smile that crossed his face. It was...happy. Which made sense since Ashley was his girlfriend and he obviously would be happy to see her. But still... "I- I'll be back in a minute," Lucy murmured, not waiting for a response before darting off to the locker room.

Once she was behind closed doors, Lucy took her time. She liked Ashley- kind of. She was nice and sweet and beautiful. She pushed Tim out of his comfort zone. Though, Lucy wasn't sure that was a good thing- at least not the way Ashley did it. But that wasn't her business. Her business was being Tim's friend. And if Tim was happy then that was all that mattered.

So why are you hiding to avoid seeing them together?

Lucy ignored that. As well as the sinking feeling that had settled in her stomach the moment she turned and saw Ashley coming toward them. Instead, she stripped out of her uniform and quickly, but not too quickly, pulled on her street clothes. It wasn't that she was avoiding Ashley, it was just that she didn't want to intrude on anything between the couple. She was being respectful and a good friend.

I call bullshit.

She ignored that, too. Lucy glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. She was stalling and it was going to be obvious to Tim soon. Then there would be questions- not any that would come close to the real reason for why she was stalling, but questions all the same. And right now, she just didn't feel like dealing with that. So she shoved her feet into sneakers, grabbed her bag, and headed back out into the station.

She was barely paying attention as she walked back toward the lobby. Her mind already on how to ask about Ashley without having to ask about Ashley. But the sight of Angela staring slack-jawed at something had Lucy pulling up short and focusing in. And... For a moment, the world tilted sideways. For a moment everything turned dark and grey. For a moment, more than a moment, she wished she'd just stayed in the fucking locker room. Because there, down on one knee, was Tim Bradford.

And he was putting a ring on Ashley McGrady's finger.

Lucy didn't stick around. She didn't stay to hear the applause she knew was coming or the congratulations. She didn't stay to watch the hug and kiss and smiles between Tim and his...fiancée. Oh my god, she's his fiancée. He proposed. To her. And somehow for the rest of the walk to her car and the drive home and the first three shots of her good tequila, those were the only thoughts in Lucy's mind. Then she took the fourth shot and a new thought snuck in.

Why couldn't it have been me?

~*~*~

Tim listened to Ashley as he waited for Lucy to come back from the locker room. He'd finished his paperwork before her, so he'd had time to change out. But he was getting a little impatient. It didn't take her this long to change out. Unless she's on her period. And why he knew that he didn't think about, because there were entirely too many things that he knew about Lucy that he shouldn't know. But it was fine. He tuned back in to what Ashley was saying, something about going out of town on an impromptu road trip with friends and wanting to say goodbye to him, first.