behind the badge

oneshot

Lucy Chen had always been good at keeping secrets. It was part of the job, and something she'd learned to live with over the years. But the secret she carried now was more personal than anything she'd ever hidden on the job. As a dedicated officer with the LAPD, her colleagues only knew her as a skilled, confident cop who worked hard and never backed down from danger. What they didn't know—what almost no one knew—was that Lucy wasn't just Officer Chen.

She was also a wife and mother of three.

Her husband, Ethan Reynolds, was no ordinary man either. He was the captain of the FBI's Los Angeles division. Together, they had built a life that balanced the chaos of law enforcement with the normalcy of family. They kept their personal lives private, not out of shame or secrecy, but because the nature of their jobs demanded it. Ethan's position meant their family lived under a constant threat, and Lucy wanted to protect her children from the dangers that came with their parents' professions. Only one person in the LAPD knew about her life outside the precinct—Captain Anderson, who had sworn to keep it confidential.

For years, Lucy had juggled her double life effortlessly. On the job, she was Officer Chen—tough, unflinching, and entirely focused on her duties. Off duty, she was a mother to Sophie, Jake, and little Emma, and a wife to Ethan, the man she had met years ago while on a joint task force between the LAPD and the FBI. Their romance had been a whirlwind, a perfect storm of respect, admiration, and love. They had kept their marriage quiet, knowing the complications it could bring to their professional lives.

Lucy's bond with the FBI extended beyond her husband. She had close friendships with many agents, people she had worked with on joint cases. She often visited the FBI headquarters for lunch or coffee with old friends, maintaining relationships with Ethan's team. To the outside world, though, she was just a friend of the FBI—no one knew how deep those connections truly ran.

Until one day, when everything changed.

---

The day started like any other. Lucy kissed her kid's goodbye before dropping them off at school and heading to the precinct. Her shift was a routine patrol, and she had lunch plans with Ethan later that afternoon. It was a rare luxury for them to grab a quick bite together, and she was looking forward to it.

But then, the call came in.

There had been an attack on the FBI headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. An unknown group had stormed the building, taking hostages and targeting high-level agents. The entire building was on lockdown.

Lucy's blood ran cold. Ethan was in that building. And so were many of her closest friends.

For a split second, she froze. But training kicked in, and she immediately requested to be part of the response team. Captain Anderson saw the fear in her eyes, and though he knew the truth about her connection to the FBI, she stayed silent. There wasn't time for explanations now. The only thing that mattered was getting to the scene and stopping the attackers.

---

When Lucy arrived, the situation was worse than she had imagined. The building was surrounded by SWAT, and the air was thick with tension. Reports were coming in that several FBI agents had already been killed. The attackers had control of the building's upper floors, and communication was sparse. The team outside had no idea if the hostages were alive, or if the attackers had demands.

Lucy's heart pounded in her chest as she scanned the building, trying to hold back the fear that was threatening to overtake her. She couldn't lose Ethan. She couldn't let her kids lose their father. But she couldn't let her fear paralyse her either.

She turned to Captain Anderson, who was directing the response. "I need to go in," she said firmly.

Anderson looked at her for a long moment, weighing her options. "Lucy, you know I can't authorize that."

"I know the building, Zoe. I know their protocols. I can help. You know I can."

She could see the conflict in her eyes. He knew she had more at stake than anyone else but sending her in could blow everything wide open. Still, Zoe also knew that Lucy had worked with the FBI long enough to be familiar with their procedures. She had a better shot at getting to the hostages than anyone else on the ground.

"Fine," she said reluctantly. "But you follow protocol. You keep your head. And Lucy... be careful."

---

Lucy moved with the SWAT team, her heart racing as they entered the building. She had been inside the FBI headquarters countless times before, but now, the familiar corridors felt foreign and dangerous. Her mind raced through the floor plan, mapping out potential routes to where Ethan might be.

As they climbed the stairwell, gunfire erupted from above. The SWAT team engaged immediately, but Lucy pushed forward, her focus on the hostages. She knew where the safe rooms were, knew how the FBI trained for scenarios like this. Her instincts told her that Ethan and his team would be in the secure conference room on the seventh floor.

When they reached the seventh floor, the sight that greeted them was devastating. Several FBI agents lay dead in the hallway, their bodies slumped against the walls. Lucy's breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself to move forward. There was no time for grief. Not yet.

They reached the conference room door, and the SWAT team prepared to breach. Lucy stood at the ready, her heart hammering in her chest.

The door burst open, and chaos erupted. The attackers were inside, holding the remaining hostages at gunpoint. Among them was Ethan, bruised and bloodied but alive.

For the first time in her career, Lucy hesitated. Her eyes met Ethan's across the room, and she saw the same fear reflected in his face. In that moment, she wasn't Officer Chen. She wasn't the cop with nerves of steel. She was just Lucy, a wife terrified of losing the man she loved.

But then, she pushed the fear aside. The mission wasn't over. With the SWAT team behind her, Lucy moved into action. In a swift, coordinated strike, they took down the attackers, securing the hostages and neutralizing the threat. The room was filled with the sounds of gunfire, but within minutes, it was over.

Ethan was safe.

---

As the dust settled, Lucy rushed to Ethan's side. He was injured, but alive. Relief washed over her, but it was short-lived. She knew that what had just happened would change everything. Her secret life was no longer a secret.

The SWAT team and other officers were staring at her and Ethan, their eyes full of questions. Nolan and Jackson were among them, shock written across their faces. Lucy had never told them about her marriage or her family. She had kept that part of her life separate, protecting it like a fortress.

But now, the truth was out.

Captain Anderson approached her, a look of understanding on her face. "You did good, Lucy," he said quietly.

She nodded, but the weight of what had just happened was heavy on her shoulders. Her colleagues, her friends, had no idea who she really was. And now, they knew. She was more than just Officer Chen—she was a mother, a wife to the FBI captain, and someone who had been living a double life to protect the people she loved.

---

In the days that followed, the truth spread through the precinct. There were questions, of course. But there was also respect. Lucy had proven, once again, that she was more than capable of handling the toughest situations. Her colleagues didn't see her any differently—they saw her as the brave, dedicated officer she had always been. Only now, they knew the full story.

And as for Lucy, she realized that maybe keeping secrets wasn't always necessary. The people she worked with, the people she trusted with her life every day—they understood. And in the end, that was all that mattered.

She was Officer Lucy Chen. She was also a mother, a wife, and now, someone who no longer had to hide her true self from the people she called family.