Buried With You

Chapter Two

Lucy's entire body was still numb. She was currently curled up on the couch in her softest blanket, watching a baking show.

Tamara had driven home and to be honest, Lucy didn't remember any of it. She wasn't even phased when she heard about the cyber terror attack at Shaw Memorial.

Since getting back from the DA's office Lucy had simply been going through the motions. She could tell it was concerning Tamara, unfortunately she just didn't have the mental stability to fake anything right now.

"Lucy?" Tamara sounded so soft, almost as though she would break her I'd she spoke any louder. "Tim's here..."

Lucy quickly looked up, locking eyes with Tim. "Hey..."

"Hey, Tamara told-"

Lucy's gaze quickly shifted over to her roommate.

"I'm sorry, it's just... you've been so out of it and I didn't know what to do. Please don't be mad..." Tamara's voice was clouded with concern.

Lucy's face softened. "I could never be mad at you." Lucy grabbed Tamara's hand, "Thank you for looking out for me."

The concern on Tamara's face lifted a little as she gave Lucy's hand a squeeze. "Always. I'll let you guys talk." Tamara gave one last squeeze then grabbed her bag and went to the library.

"She didn't tell me what happened, if that helps." Tim made his way through the kitchen over to her on the couch. "She said something happened and she didn't know how to help. Although I'm not sure why that made me her go to." Tim let out a small chuckle as he sat down next to Lucy.

"Honestly I don't know what to think... I am glad she asked you to come though." Lucy tried giving him a smile.

"Oh, no. She didn't ask me to come. She really just wanted to know what food to make you. Which brings me to this." Tim held up a takeout bag. "One veggie burger, extra pickles for you." He pulled out her food and handed it to her. "One double cheeseburger, no onions for me." He placed his food on his lap. "And one large basket of fries, for us to share." Tim placed the final contents of the bag on the table in front of them.

"You didn't have to do this." Lucy smiled fully now.

"I know." Tim replied softly.

That had become their phrase, "I know". Something so simple but held so much.

"Now, how about you tell me what happened so I know who I need to arrest?" Tim's voice held humor but his eyes held anything but. He was not joking.

Lucy started picking at her burger. "Tim, it's really nothing, I-"

"No, don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't dismiss your feelings. Lucy, something happened and I know it's serious. You're the toughest person I know. So, I know you wouldn't be this far in your head if it was nothing."

Lucy let out a sigh. "Fine, okay. Chris..." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Chris has the video... of me in the barrel... being buried alive..." she could hear the cracks in her voice.

Tim grabbed her hand.

"H-he was... that song. The song I sang to calm myself down. He was singing it in front of me today." There were tears running down her face now. "I didn't know he'd seen it, he hadn't said anything. It brought back everything that happened, Tim." She opened her eyes to look at him now. His face was soft and full of sadness. He wasn't pitying her though. "Then once he realized what he was doing he acted like it was his right to see what happened, and that I was overreacting by being upset. The worst part is that watching me die... didn't even seem to phase him."

Tim's grip on her hand tightened then and his eyes went dark. "Lucy, what do you mean it didn't phase him?"

"I'm sure it's just because he had to watch it a few times, you know people become numb to that sort of thing. I'm probably being too hard on him." Lucy's voice was quiet again, she knew the way Chris reacted was concerning, she just didn't want to admit it.

"Lucy," Tim's voice was stern now. "You know just as well as I do that lack of empathy for something like that is a concern. Don't try and brush it off, you're a better cop than that. Besides, even if he is numb to situations like that, seeing it happen to someone you love... always has an affect on someone."

Lucy could feel fresh tears down her cheek. "I-I know... okay? I know. The situation is bad and logically I know I need to get away from him."

"Then-" Tim hesitates. he takes a deep breath. "Lucy, if you know that you shouldn't be with Chris, why are you?"

Lucy's eyebrows scrunch together, a look of concern or questioning that Tim is all too familiar with. "Honestly, because I thought he was safe. After-" Lucy's voice wobbled with emotion. She took a shaky breath and continued. "After everything that happened w-with Caleb, there were very few people I still felt safe with." Her eyes briefly met Tim's then quickly looked away. "I thought he was going to be one of them since he was always at the station and you know, he was friends with Wesley. I'm starting to think I was wrong."

"Luce..." Tim trailed off. There was nothing he could say to make this better for her.

"It really sucks because that list just keeps getting shorter you know? First Jackson, now Chris."

Without hesitation Tim pulled Lucy tightly into his side. "Lucy, I hope you know that no matter what, I will do whatever I can to protect you."

There were more streaks down Lucy's face now. "I know..."

"No... you don't." Tim's voice was quiet, he almost sounded scared. "Luce, when you were taken, when you were... buried," Tim's voice cracked. "That's the most scared I have ever been. Nothing, not getting shot at, not my fathers abuse, Isabel's addiction, war... none of that even compared to how scared I was to lose you."

Lucy had moved so that she was looking directly at Tim, her wide brown eyes locked with his blue ones.

"Lucy, I couldn't breathe until I found you and had you in my arms, alive and breathing. I don't mean to be insensitive but it was like I was buried with you." Tim finished, his eyes searching hers, hoping for understanding.

"Tim..." Lucy grabbed his hand. "You were, with me, that is. The entire time I was with Caleb, when I was taped to the chair, when I was running, when I was in the..." she trailed off. "You were with me the entire time. Honestly knowing you'd find me, was the only way I got through all of that."

Tim stood up abruptly, dragging Lucy with him and gripped her shoulders. "No, Lucy. You got through that because you are the strongest person I have ever met. You fought your way out of that chair away from him and you left your ring telling us where you were. Lucy you saved yourself." Tim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Honestly, if either of us saved the other... you saved me, Lucy."

They were about three inches away from each other. Lucy was still looking into his crystal blue eyes, all she wanted in that moment was to make those three inches go away.

"Tim..."

"Yes?"

"I-"

A loud pounding on the door caused the two to jump back, Lucy instinctively reach for her hip.