The Moment That Sticks

"The monsters in my nightmares no longer have horns, wings, or tails. Now they have two arms, two legs and a human face."

It has been a long day for Lucy, every little thing that happened around her made her jump, she's thankful that she rode alone because she did not feel like being questioned.

Lucy knew that today was going to be hard because it was the date that was permanently edged into her skin. 12919. Just the thought made her tear up, she knew her triggers and today was one of those days that everything triggered her in some way or another.

She decided that she couldn't work her whole shift, it was something she learned during her rookie year that working while you aren't 100% focused could get you killed and she really didn't want to actually die on the same date that was edged into her skin. She went to the women's locker room to change out and she realized she just wasn't right, she kept zoning out, having flashbacks of everything that had happened to her all those years ago when she was abducted by Caleb.

After she was done getting changed she messaged Tim because she didn't need him to worry but she just wanted him to know why she left for personal reasons during shift today. "Hi, Love. Everything is okay, I'm okay. I just needed to go home early. I can't focus on anything and everything is making me jump. I hope you have a good rest of your day." She felt better once she told him because she knew that he would end up coming over and making everything so much better. He is her rock. Her strength. Her everything that makes her feel so safe and so relaxed, and peaceful.

Once she got home she dropped her keys in the bowl and took her shoes off, she went to her room and closed her door, Tamara wasn't home because she had classes until later in the afternoon so it didn't really matter if her bedroom door was closed or not it just made her feel safer, but as soon as she closed her door and hear it lock she started to panic, her hands started to shake, her breathing became more erratic the way she was breathing reminded her to much of the way she sounded when she was in the barrel, she picked up her phone and called Tim, she needed to hear his voice.

She pressed his name, her breathing was increasing, he picked up on the second ring, "hey, Luce. Are you okay?" She didn't respond but he could hear her struggling to catch her breath, "Lucy, breath, please. In for five out for five," he made his breathing easier for her to hear while over the phone. She still felt like she couldn't breath, "I-I c-can't b-breath," he took a deep breath, "I know, I know. It's okay." He picked up his radio and told Sergeant Grey that he needed to take the rest of the day, "Luce, do you need me to come over?"She laid her head against the door, "Luce. What happened?" She took a deep breath, "please come," she started crying, "okay, Luce, I'm coming."

It only took him a couple minutes before she heard a knock on her door, and then she heard him walking through the apartment. She stood up and opened her bedroom door, they locked eyes and she ran and jumped into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed him in, "I'm here, it's okay," he whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. She took a big deep breath as she felt his arms tighten around her, "what's wrong?" He whispers in her ear, it took her a moment to respond but when she did he could tell the amount of emotion and stress and just everything that she has been holding in come crumbing down, "the date," he turned to look at the calendar, he tightened his grip on her as he felt her start to shake, he felt tears run down his neck. "Oh love. I'm so sorry," he moved his hand to her ribs right where the tattoo is, she flinched when he laid his fingers lightly over the skin, "I didn't even realize until Angela said something to me this morning." He hummed as he started to sway them back and forth, "I love you Luce," he whispered in her ear, she hummed as she tightened her grip around his neck, she took a big deep breath, she let her body relax into his. She knew she was safe. Tim was safe. Tim was her safety.