You, Me, Us

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

It was spring in Los Angeles.

The weather was nice and sunny, but not too hot. The days were still short but getting longer. The Pacific Ocean was still way more popular than it had a right to be, but for once Tim was considering going to the beach for the weekend. Maybe he'd call and see if Tamara was free, let the kids and Jojo all enjoy a beach day. Lucy would love it. And even after fifteen years of being married- eighteen of knowing her- there was still a rush he got whenever he could make Lucy smile.

Turning into their driveway, Tim looked at his house. There was color everywhere- cacti and desert flowers lining a stone path to the front door. Lucy had a green thumb and it showed. He didn't know the names of half the damn things, but he smiled every time he came home and saw them. Because they were proof that this place was more than just a fancy box to live in. This place was home- with its mess and loudness and all the colors of love and family.

God, Bradford, when'd you turn into such a sap?

If he were honest, the answer would be somewhere during Lucy's rookie year. But he tended to lie about that to keep her ego in check. Pulling into the garage and turning off his truck, Tim got out and headed to the back door. His mind already back to planning for the weekend. Greyson, Bryn, and Sage were already at school, but he'd check that they didn't have anything to do for school Monday. He unlocked the door, already knowing Lucy would want to take the girls swimsuit shopping. It was fine, he'd been wanting to get some extra time with Greyson, anyway.

Tim stepped inside and stopped cold.

His body drew up sharply, mind and heart racing. The soft strains of Ella Fitzgerald coming over the sound system was not uncommon. But the song- the words- were what had Tim's heart in his throat.

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me

He stepped into the house, quickly. He needed to find Lucy. He needed to turn that damn song off. But his first priority was Lucy. Because even though he knew- he knew- Rosalind was still rotting in prison, Tim still had nightmares of the months following the trial for what she did to Lucy. He remembered the notes that came from psychos who thought Rosalind was their hero. He remembered staying nights with her and Tamara for weeks- checking for creeps and making sure that if anyone tried they'd have to go through him before they got to either of his girls.

He could still clearly see the bags that had been under Lucy's eyes, if he closed his eyes. For weeks after the court transcripts got leaked, she hadn't slept well. Public interest in the song Lucy had died to skyrocketed- playing in every damn grocery store and gas station. And he could still feel her ragged breaths and harsh sobs as he'd held her in the women's locker room- Angela and Harper standing guard- while she had a full panic attack because Brianna from nights had hummed the song as she left for the day.

And now it was in their fucking house- her safe place.

He'd carefully checked each room he'd passed as he went through the house. It was times like this that he hated having the garage at the back of the house. It took too long to get to the living room where the sound system was. But after what felt like an eternity, and with Ella's voice still bleeding through the speakers, Tim rounded the corner into the open concept living space Lucy loved so much. He scanned the area quickly- anxious and worried. He didn't know what state he might find her in. And the dark part of his mind was whispering that he might not find her at all- that she was gone and this song was a cruel taunt. But he shoved that thought aside. Hard. And just as he was about to storm over to the sound system, he froze.

Because there, walking to the kitchen sink, was Lucy.

Tim forced himself to think, to focus on what he was seeing. He forced himself to take in his wife and see past his own panic for signs of hers. But... she seemed fine. She was chopping vegetables and there were eggs on the counter beside her. And as his heart rate went down and his breathing evened a bit, he realized that she was dancing a little bit. And- he moved a bit closer, but yeah... She was singing. And smiling.

Tim felt tears sting the corners of his eyes as he watched this amazing woman he'd married. He felt his lips curving into the smile that only Lucy Chen could pull out of him. And he felt this huge rush of relief and love and fucking pride. God, he was so proud of her. Because for years he had watched that song, and everything it represented, dim the light in her eyes like a dark cloud. For years he would watch as sadness crept into her smiles when she heard that song somewhere. And he'd hated it- he'd hated that a song he knew she loved, something that had once made her so happy, had been tainted. But now, she was standing in their kitchen singing along with no hint of sadness.

Walking up behind her, Tim reached out and wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist. He pressed soft kisses to the column of her throat and dotted them along the line of her shoulder. Letting go of the last of his panic and breathing in Lucy. Then he swayed, falling into her rhythm, easily. He could feel the vibrations of her chest as she hummed and it just made him hold her tighter. But of course that wouldn't be enough for his Lucy. She turned in his arms, letting her hands trail up his arms before draping hers around his neck. The soft, happy smile on her face as they danced was one of the most beautiful things Tim had ever seen.

So they danced- swaying lightly and exchanging soft, easy kisses because they could. Because she was here and alive and happy. Because she was stronger than everyone who had tried to break her. Lucy pressed her face to his chest, humming all the while, and Tim dropped a kiss to her dark tresses. The song faded into another one, just as soft and slow and sweet, and Tim knew he would remember this moment for as long as he lived. Because they were both smiling as the song ended- both soaking up the moment, and this victory, and their love. And Tim would never sing it- healing wasn't linear and he never wanted to do anything that might hurt Lucy. But hearing her sing it, seeing her smile while they swayed to that song?

He'd never seen anything more beautiful than that.