Never let go CHENFORD FF English version

Chapter 13 Back on Duty

They spent a few more days together at home, talking, sharing stories from the past, and getting to know each other better. But it couldn't stay like this forever. Lucy received a call informing her that they had finished processing the evidence from the drug lab and had managed to put some of the criminals behind bars. However, their boss had apparently gone into hiding and was untraceable. They would have to wait until he surfaced again and then take action. This also meant that the undercover operation was completely over, and they would both be back on patrol.

They had avoided this conversation until now. Tim was still Lucy's superior, and it could become problematic if it was discovered that there was more than just a good working relationship between them.

Both got ready that morning at Tim's house. Lucy had brought over some more clothes, and her uniform was in her locker at the station anyway, so they could just as well drive together.

Tim was rather silent on the drive, even though he had been in a good mood the last few days and they had laughed a lot. He was probably thinking about how they couldn't act conspicuously when they entered the station.

"Okay, Lucy," he finally spoke, "You know, the last few days have confirmed my feelings for you, and I think and hope you feel the same way. But when we go in, we have to hold back. I am sure about you, but I'm your superior and Grey wouldn't be thrilled if he saw us flirting at work. So until we find a solution, we have to be careful," he explained.

"I agree. It wouldn't be worth it if we ended up losing our jobs. We need to be cautious, and you should tell Angela not to say anything; she's already figured it out anyway," Lucy noted, and Tim nodded.

"I'll talk to her as soon as we get there. But tonight, if neither of us ends up in the hospital again, I'd like to take you on a proper date, you know? A fancy restaurant and a bit of romance for you," he smiled and glanced at her.

"That would make me very happy," she replied, "Then you'd better reserve a table," she added, already thinking about what she would wear. She wanted to look good for him and feel sexy, but not show too much.

"I will, don't worry, I already have an idea," he countered, as he pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. He glanced in the rearview mirror and to the sides before leaning over to Lucy and pulling her close for an intimate kiss. "It's going to be hard for me to treat you like usual; I could kiss and look at you every second, you're beautiful," he said softly to her after ending the kiss.

"I never took you for such a romantic, but I like it. The bad boy cop and the sensitive guy at home, sexy," she replied and opened the door to get out.

They walked in together, making sure to keep a certain distance between them to avoid drawing attention.

"Hey Lucy!" Nolan called out as he saw her and walked over, smiling.

"I'll just be with Angela, see you at the car, Lucy," Tim said briefly in his usual manner.

"How are you? I'm glad to see you back here. A lot happened during your mission," Nolan continued.

"Yeah, it was very stressful, and we both took quite a hit, but it's better now. I'm looking forward to a calm shift today, minor offenses and paperwork," Lucy laughed, looking around.

"Yeah, I have to go soon too. I just wanted to say hi. How about we grab a drink tonight?" Nolan asked, making Lucy a bit nervous.

"Uh... yeah, that's nice of you, but I can't tonight. I need to tidy up at home and get organized," she lied, immediately realizing how lame the excuse sounded.

"Okay, if you change your mind, give me a call. Otherwise, enjoy the tidying," Nolan joked and turned to leave.

How stupid was she, tidying up... She shook her head and started loading the car. When she finished, she leaned against the trunk and waited, knowing Tim would come soon.

"Of course, Angela has already figured everything out," Tim grumbled as he approached Lucy. "But she won't say anything. She said we were right to first figure out what we want and be sure ourselves. Not that I'm not sure, but you know what I mean," he continued.

"Nolan wanted to have a drink with me tonight. I declined, but Tim, I was so dumb, I couldn't think of anything else, so I said I needed to tidy up," Lucy told him about her conversation with Nolan, and Tim raised an eyebrow at her.

"Has he ever been to your apartment?" he asked.

"Uh, yes, why?" she replied, confused.

"Well, then he knows it desperately needs it," Tim laughed and started the car for their patrol.

Lucy just shook her head and looked out the window, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

"Hey, Tim, up there, the woman, she doesn't look okay," Lucy reported, pointing to an older lady standing confused at the side of the road.

Tim turned on the blue light and pulled over. They both got out, and Lucy cautiously approached the lady.

"Hello, can we help you? You look a bit lost," Lucy asked kindly, stepping up to the woman, while Tim stayed behind her, letting her handle it. The woman looked at Lucy and then smiled.

"No, I'm fine," the woman smiled kindly, then looked from Lucy to Tim, raising an eyebrow curiously. "And who are you? You handsome young man," she addressed Tim, making Lucy stifle a laugh.

"Officer Tim Bradford," he introduced himself politely, though Lucy noticed he blushed a bit. "What are you doing here alone on the street?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing special, I'm just waiting for a nice and handsome man like you. I'm always alone, you see. That's why I go out, to see people and talk. That's normal, right?" she explained.

"Of course, yes, you can do that. We just wanted to make sure you were okay," Lucy said and was about to turn around when the woman tapped her again.

"Well, girl, if I were you, I'd skip the shift now and take a ride with that hunky officer. I think he can teach you more than just arresting criminals," she said to Lucy, winking at Tim, who looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Come on, Lucy, we need to go. There are probably real emergencies out there," Tim wanted to leave the situation as quickly as possible, while the woman gave Lucy a knowing look before they got back in the car.

"She's right," Lucy stated, "You really are a hunk," she laughed and looked at Tim, who rolled his eyes and started the car.

The rest of the shift until their break went smoothly. During the break, Tim and Lucy consciously sat with Nolan and Harper to avoid drawing attention there as well.