Want You to Stay || Chenford / The Rookie

Part 32

Tim stands up and helps lift Lani's limp body onto the gurney. Lucy stays on the ground, her weapon concealed by the angle of her legs. Neither Tim nor the paramedic attempt to move quietly, and, as expected, it draws Patterson's attention. He whirls to face them, gun drawn and trained directly on Tim. Tim holds up his hands, "W-we're — uh — we're ready to take her out." Lucy's impressed at how convincing the fear in his voice sounds.

Patterson frowns before glancing back toward the briefcase of money and then turning back to his conversation with the negotiator, infuriatingly attempting to negotiate more for the great magnanimity of following through on his side of the deal.

The negotiator must say something to both appease his demands and concern him about his own precarious leverage because his brows knit together as he glances toward the very pale, very still, very unconscious girl lying on the stretcher. Then waves a hand to indicate that Tim and the paramedic can wheel Lani out.

Lucy holds her breath as the paramedic gets the gurney outside — she can see the waiting ambulance in the parking lot about 20 yards from the door, and she prays she's done enough to save the woman's life. She shifts her gaze to Patterson, a little stunned that he's been more concerned with demanding an upgrade to his beach island getaway than monitoring the activity around the exit. The idea that the negotiator could keep him distracted had honestly been a little wishful on her part, and she is already prepared for the high likelihood she'll need to take action. But like Joe before him, Patterson is hardly a seasoned hostage taker.

And even Lucy is amazed at how much happens so swiftly and quietly in just a matter of seconds. Tim has barely paused in the doorway to prevent the automatic door from shutting before a member of the SWAT has already taken his place. And Lucy hasn't even bothered to exhale the breath she is holding in the time it takes the tactical team to silently usher the first and then the second hostage out of the store. There's only one more — a woman, but she's further into the store, within Patterson's sightline if anything draws his attention.

But Lucy is ready and waiting to take Patterson down, as are the members of the tactical team that have stealthily infiltrated the store.

Lucy sees Tim drop low as he navigates toward the final hostage's position, sees him trying to guide her back with him, and then hears the muffled sob as the woman shakes her head, crying, "No. No. I don't want to die."

Lucy's heart drops into her stomach as the phone clatters to the floor and Patterson is almost instantaneously shooting down the aisle toward Tim and the final hostage.

Tim dives over the woman to cover her even as Lucy is also firing her weapon. She doesn't miss, and Patterson crumples to the floor from the impact of the bullet hitting his abdomen.

There's still no motion from the aisle, no motion from Tim and the hostage, but there's motion from everywhere else. SWAT streaming in around her, swiftly taking both the wounded Patterson and semi-conscious Joe into custody, blocking her view down the aisle as they attend to the final hostage.

Please god no. Lucy is frozen in place waiting for some indication that Tim is okay. He has to be. But where is he?

She jars herself into motion, not even making it to the end of the aisle, her gun hand visibly shaking when she is gently steered away by another officer, "Ma'am, are you okay? We need to get you checked out."

Lucy shakes her head, still not able to see past what feels like an ocean of tactical gear.

"Is — is he — are they okay?"

"Ma'am, are you okay?" Someone gently takes her weapon, a tech diligently wipes the blood from her hands for evidence, and someone else places a blanket over her shoulders, before guiding her toward the exit. "Let's get you checked out. And they'll need to take your statement."

Lucy stops short, resisting the movement and turning her gaze for a final time back toward the aisle. Relief floods her when she finally spots the back of a familiar tawny-haired head.

He's frantically scanning the store, turning to find her less than a second after she's spotted him and then they are moving toward each other, Lucy unapologetically breaking away from the grip on her arm, blanket slipping from her shoulders onto the floor. "I just need a minute," she tosses back over her shoulder.

It takes everything in her not to leap into his arms when they meet by the entrance to the backroom, but her hands are already scrabbling up his forearms when he's within reach, his arm sliding around her waist as he maneuvers them both just inside the doorway of the quiet room.

She can feel the tears streaming down her face as she moves to lift a hand to his cheek, but he is already tugging her into him, arms crushing her against his chest. Lucy breathes him in, allowing herself only a moment to just relish in this feeling of being so completely taken care of before pressing her hands against his chest, pushing herself back from him as he grudgingly loosens his hold on her. She needs to be able to see that he's all right. She scans him from head to toe, before meeting his gaze again. "You're okay?" she asks softly, attempting to swallow back her emotion when she finally speaks.

"I'm okay," he reassures gently, skimming a hand soothingly up her arm.

"You scared the shit out of me," Lucy accuses, fresh tears spilling out of her eyes as she again lifts her hand to his face.

Tim stares at her in disbelief, "I scared the shit out of you?! I leave you alone for an hour and you end up —"

"Tim?" Lucy brushes her thumb over his cheek.

"What?"

"Shut up."

And it's not entirely clear who leans in first, but she is launching up on her toes even as he is bending down to meet her until finally, finally his lips are brushing against hers. And then just as quickly they are pulling back, eyes finding one another's in a moment of questioning uncertainty. Because as much as this has been an excruciatingly long time coming, it is still a huge step, a huge decision for them both.

And neither needs words, finding the exact validation they are searching for in a single look. Lucy throws her arms around his neck at the same time as Tim grips her waist, pulling her flush against his body, completely in sync as their lips crash together with no hesitation this time, the intensity of the past hour pouring into the kiss. Tim reaches his left hand up to thread through her hair as they embrace, clinging to each other like they both never want to let go. Their long-awaited moment of coming together feels more desperate and messy and overwhelming than either one of them would have predicted. But somehow, it also feels exactly right.