SURPRISE? // CHENFORD.

FIRST DATE.

A few months had passed the undercover mission. Safe to say.. things between Tim and Lucy were definitely.. something. Awkward was the right word to use. Patrol was quiet, awkward and full of an abnormal silence. Tim had a tight grip on the wheel while Lucy played with her hands in her lap. So many words were being spoken without anyone opening their mouths.

Tim finally spoke up, "This is awkward." He stated.

"I know. But I don't know what to say, I mean, the mission was good, but did it mean anything to you? I mean, I don't mean that-" Lucy rambled and Tim cut her off.

"Relax. Lucy. We both know it meant something, and denying it is futile. But we need to push that to the side for now. We have a job to do and we need to be fully focused." He explained.

"Yeah.. Yeah. Of course. You're right." She said with a couple of reassuring nods.

Another pause settled over the car. But something she said was stuck running through his mind.

"You said it meant something?" Tim asked and glanced at her, taking his eyes off the road momentarily.

"Well- yeah. It did, it had to, right? Basic biology." She said, meeting his eyes.

"Right." He said, remember she used that phrase before, damn biology.

Another uncomfortable silence passed over the car, neither officer knowing how to approach or recover the situation. Thankfully, the radio did it for them. It crackled to life with a small brawl, but still, it was better than nothing.

After processing, Tim and Lucy made their way to their respective desks, getting on with the paperwork that came along with the fight. Tim couldn't help but steal glances at her. The furrow in her eyebrows, the small wrinkle in her forehead when she saw something she didn't agree with. The fast writing and the pen scratching against the paper. In that moment, that's all he heard, along with his heart beating to the beat of hers.

He sighed and shook his head, turning to the papers laid out in front of him. He began to scribble for himself.

Lucy glanced over at him shaking his head, she knew he was facing some inner turmoil. Was it about her? No. Paperwork is complicated. But he's a vet, a 12 year vet. No way he finds paperwork hard.

Her brain was telling her to shake it off, but her heart was screaming at her to go and see if he was okay. She needed to clear the air. The awkwardness was eating at her like a parasite.

Before she could even move a muscle, Tim sat down on the chair next to her desk. He rested an elbow on the desk as he leaned to look at her.

"I don't know why it's been so awkward but it has. I don't know if something's happened, if- if there's a spark. I don't know. But I need to figure it out. And I need you to help me figure it out." Tim said suddenly, all of his emotions poured into 5 sentences.

"I- well, yeah. I mean you took the words right out of my mouth. But how?" Lucy asked, putting her pen down, her focus fully on Tim now.

"How about.." He thought for a moment, glancing around the station. "I take you out sometime. You know?" He looked over her features, those same features he'd become so accustomed to seeing.

She smiled a little and looked at him, "Yes. I'd love to." She said.

"Okay." He said with a nod and a small smile. "After shift?" He asked.

"Ooh. I can't." She said. "Tamara needs me to help her with some college paper."

"What's it about?"

"How unfair being a female worker is in a male dominated field." She said. "Girl after my own heart."