A Stalker's Love

1

Lucy woke up, yawning and stretching. She blushed, thinking of her latest and very vivid dream of her former TO, Tim Bradford. Recently, she had started to see him in a different light, although she was slowly realising that her feelings towards Tim had existed for a long time, she was only just fully acknowledging them. She sighed, wishing he would like her back. But why would he? She was still a bit of a broken mess since Caleb, she had just gotten better at hiding it from everyone. Everyone except Tim, that is. He always seemed to see right through her but he still stood by her anyway, and that meant more to Lucy than he would ever realise.

Just as Lucy was finally rising out of bed, Tamara knocked on her door.

"Hey, come in!" Lucy shouted.

"Morning!" Tamara said, a letter in her hand. "This was outside our front door when I woke up, it's addressed to you."

"Really? That's weird. Thanks for bringing it in." Lucy looked at the time. "Are you heading off to school?" 

"Yeah, I was on my way out when I saw the letter. I wanted to make sure you got it. Shoot, I'm gonna be late. I'll see you later, Lucy!" Tamara said, rushing out of the front door.

"Bye!" Lucy yelled. She tore open the envelope, carefully taking the handwritten letter out from inside it. It read:

'Dear Lucy Chen,

You don't know me, but I know you. Thank you for keeping the streets of LA safe, your courageous and selfless work means everything to me. It is my hope that one day we can meet so I can thank you in person.

Until that time, letters will have to be how I talk to you. Have a wonderful day at work.'

Lucy read the letter over and over, slightly concerned. While the words were sweet, she worried they disguised a more sour message. She put the letter back in its envelope and put it in her work bag to show her friends later and got ready for her day of patrolling LA. 

Upon arriving at the station, she entered via reception as she and every other cop did, but what was unusual was the crowd of her friends and co-workers gathered around the front desk. A beautifully decorated basket stood proudly on the desk, her friends all smirking when they saw her enter. Lucy furrowed her brows. "Who's that for?" She asked, but she already knew the dreaded answer.

"It's for you. Looks like Officer Chen has a secret admirer." Angela teased, but Lucy didn't find it funny.

"Is there a... note on there? I mean, how do you know it's for me?" Lucy asked, hoping they were wrong. 

"Dearest Lucy, I hope you like this basket filled with all of your favourite things. Until we speak again." Tim read, putting on a mocking tone. Although he was teasing her, Tim couldn't help but feel... jealousy towards whoever Lucy was speaking to. 'She must be dating someone', he thought. He practically shoved the basket into Lucy's arms before turning on his heel. "I'm giving you five minutes to put that away and get changed. If you're not in roll call by then, you're on front desk duty the rest of the day."

Lucy rolled her eyes, oblivious as to why Tim was acting like he did when he was first assigned as her TO. "Yes, Sir. He does realise I'm not his rookie anymore, right?" Lucy said to Angela.

"Oh, he definitly knows." Angela said, heavily implying that he's been thinking about Lucy a lot.

"Oh my God, Angela there's nothing going on there. I've got to go, Tim has serious TO voice on, and I'm sure he'd find a way to give me a blue page somehow." She joked, rushing off to the women's locker rooms. She put away the basket in the bottom shelf of her locker and quickly got changed, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her 'admirer' than let on. With twenty seconds spare, she rushed into roll call and sat down next to Nolan.

Sergant Grey and Tim stood at the front of the room, and Tim made a show of checking his watch in front of Lucy, even going as far as tapping it as if she was late. Lucy scoffed, which caught Grey's attention.

"Is something the matter, Officer Chen?" He asked, stepping closer towards her.

"No, Sir. I think Officer Bradford's watch is broken, and it's bothering him." Lucy replied, before shooting Tim a dirty look which he responded by looking all innocent and confused. Anyone else might have bought his act, but Lucy saw the tiny smirk on his lips. Roll call went normally after that, and it wasn't long until Tim and Lucy were in their shop on patrol, an awkward silence floating between them.