Can you Remember the Church Bells Ringing

Chapter 3

Lucy knew she couldn't hide in the bathroom forever but she could buy some time for her to smooth over all the recollected information. It was a crazy morning, waking up next to her T.O naked then finding wedding rings on their persons and to top it all of their marriage was legal and witnessed by their close friends.

"Is it all right if I take the first shower?" She called out to Tim, hoping he would allow her master plan to commence. Of course she didn't want to face him yet she just couldn't. She didn't trust herself to look him in his eyes knowing that they wore a symbol of their unity on the fingers; that she wouldn't allow those buried feelings to come rushing back to the surface; that the look in his eyes meant that their private relationship was a bust. She was in a spiral before she heard his assuring voice allowing her to calm herself in the comfort of the warm water.

From outside the door Tim had managed to scramble his clothes together and clean up their room in order to normalise their situation. He felt an array of emotions sweep over him:

1) he had gotten married to his rookie
2) he had slept with his rookie
3) their relationship is public and official
4) neither of them wanted or asked to have an annulment
5) his 'wife' was hiding in their bathroom
6) all the information was too much time process without some proper fuel.

"Luce, I'm going to order some food. What do you want to eat?" That sounded good he thought, casual and calm like any other normal U.C mission.

"If you're ordering I'd get a plate of french fries." She hummed in response. It seemed like she was at ease with the morning chaos. Then again he hadn't remembered seeing her face to tell the difference.

Lucy loathed the serenity the bathroom had when compared to her rather boisterous life outside these four walls. It was very tranquil to bathe and relax when she wasn't religiously trying to recall any blurred memories. How hard was it she thought it just happened last night does alcohol seriously work as a memory eraser, then again the selection of alcoholic beverages scattered across the floor possessed the ability to do so. Mentally she felt like she was running a marathon to only seek a sniper of the past when her present solely depended on her to be in the right state of being.

The unruly stop to the cleansing water running down her body jolted her tolerable truth; there was truly no harm in being married to him after all they'd been through (honestly in other words it was a query that they hadn't sealed the deal already.)

Feeling marginally relieved she wrapped the bathrobe around her body and moved to undo the bathroom locks: inclined to see him.

His eyes perked up as he heard the bathroom lock unblocking to reveal his rather messily beautiful wife. He was taken away. He didn't know if it was a psychological emotion since she was his wife but she looked... wow. Or if it was those butterfly feelings circling within him at the simple sight of her.

"Hey" she started

"Hey" he replied - it was an unusual silence since Lucy would typically be gnawing his ear off but if felt right. This wasn't Officer Bradford and Officer Chen on patrol it was Lucy and Tim the Bradfords together.

"The water is absolutely incredible." She informed him trying to 'break the ice'.

"Yeah I'll take your word for it," he complimented. Why was it so hard for them to have a proper conversation with each other. Nothings truly changed - okay maybe some things have changed but it's practically nothing Tim thought while studying Lucy's glistening face, "do you wanna talk about it?"

Lucy stood in silence as she contemplated different answers: it would just be ruthless to act dumb but then again it worked before. It was all very overwhelming so she treated it as if she was on the spotlight with a felon in a much more dangerous U.C operation. "Listen the easiest way to say this is that it's basic biology. I mean we are obviously two very attractive people who proceeded to fulfil an intimate act together but that doesn't have to disrupt our work dynamic."

It puzzled Tim how he knew the phrase 'basic biology' and that she composed herself rather well. Their silence was heavy in the air. "I'm going to blow dry my hair otherwise it'll get all frizzy then you can have the bathroom. Okay?" She proposed. Tim simply hummed in response before allowing him to ponder with his thought for yet another time.

Knocks on the door filled the silence of the room. "Hey Jake," the voice sounded from the door. Knowing that it was time to be professional Tim picked up his gun from the counter as he made his way to the door and looked through the peep-hole. It was the 'janky ass hair piece girl' or something else Lucy had called her "Hey Jake! I know you're in there."

Begrudgingly he opened the door to face the woman, only to be met with a punch to the face - twice! Knocking him down to the floor allowing his gun to slide out of his fingers and across the room floor.

Against the slow sound of the hairdryer Lucy felt unsettled as if she heard noises coming from the room. Yet she continued to dry her hair, more intently listening to the noises surrounding her, soon realising that it didn't feel right.

The girl had flopped on the armchair while second in command questioned him: "Yo this chick says that you lied to me last night Jake." He asked while securing Tim's hands with zip ties before turning his attention to the other guy (who had punched him) instructing him to go "get her". Tim tried to rebel against this as his 'her' was a defenceless Lucy.

It was too late the guy was armed and had entered the bathroom expecting to find a vulnerable Sava attending to her hair's needs. Lucy hid behind the shower door waiting for the man to appear before striking him with the shower door itself and pushing him against the wall to disarm him, still holding her defensive posture.

"Don't kill her yet!" He shouted worrying Tim as they hear all the shuffling in the bathroom. Tim admitted to himself that he was worried for her that the opposition would easily wipe her down due to the disadvantage of her height. The memories and experiences of the Tim Tests she had to endure went down the drain.The man with the blue blazer appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, collapsing to the floor like a puppet as he revealed a very armed Lucy - still in her bathrobe.

She cuffed their attackers and made her way to untie Tim's restraints. "Oh my gosh. Remind me to not take a guy out when I'm wearing a robe," the sound of irony heavily layered within her voice finally undoing his restraints. "I showed him the entire world just know," she commented as Tim rolled over on the floor shaking his head in an interpretation of emotions. It was cute how she was trying to keep the atmosphere jovial: definitely one of the most top 5 interesting mornings he's had. At this time, Lucy had also laid down next to him, keeping their silence content.