secrets

The Rookie: A Secret Marriage (Chapter Two)

The next morning, Lucy sat at the breakfast table, sipping her coffee and stealing glances at her phone, which had already buzzed twice with updates from the FBI. Ellie, sitting across from her, was carefully stacking her pancakes into a tower, while Jake busied himself with smearing peanut butter all over his face.

Tim, as usual, was the calm in the middle of their household storm. He stood at the counter, packing Ellie's lunch for preschool and listening to the local news as he kept one eye on the kids. The relaxed, casual Tim was so different from the sharp, all-business LAPD sergeant she'd seen at the precinct yesterday. It still amazed her how he could shift so seamlessly between the two worlds.

"Ellie, eat your pancakes, don't build with them," Tim said, his voice calm but firm, shooting her a playful smile. "You'll need your superhero strength for school today."

Ellie grinned, shoving a piece of pancake in her mouth. "Okay, Daddy."

Lucy glanced at the time. She needed to be out the door in 20 minutes to meet Jackson at the office. It was hard to shake the strange sense of anticipation she felt about today's case. Working so closely with Tim's team was new territory, and it would be tough to keep their secret while maintaining the balance between her FBI duties and their personal lives.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Jackson: "LAPD wants us in early. Looks like we're moving faster on this case than expected. See you soon."

Lucy set her cup down, her thoughts already shifting to work. She stood up, tossing the last of Jake's snacks into his bag before leaning down to kiss his sticky cheek. "I've got to go," she said, grabbing her bag. "Tim, you've got the drop-offs again?"

Tim nodded, placing Ellie's lunchbox in her backpack. "Yeah, I'll handle it. You just focus on the case."

Lucy smiled at him, grateful as always for how effortlessly he took care of things at home. She bent down to hug Ellie. "Be good at school, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy!" Ellie said cheerfully.

With one last glance at Tim, Lucy left the house, the familiar sense of duality settling over her as she headed to work. She wasn't just Lucy Bradford, the wife and mom; she was Special Agent Lucy Chen, and today, she had a job to do.

---

Lucy and Jackson arrived at the Mid-Wilshire precinct just as the morning briefings were winding down. The usual hustle and bustle of the station was in full swing, officers moving between desks, phones ringing, and case files scattered across every available surface.

Jackson, ever the laid-back partner, walked in with his usual easy grin, waving at a few familiar faces. Lucy followed close behind, her professional mask firmly in place. She felt a small pang of unease knowing how closely she'd be working with Tim's team today. The tension of yesterday hadn't left her, and she knew it was only going to get more complicated.

In the briefing room, Sergeant Grey stood at the front, finishing up his briefing to the officers. Officer Lopez and Officer West sat in the back, flipping through the latest case updates. Officer Harper, sharp and focused as always, sat with her arms crossed, listening intently.

When Grey spotted Lucy and Jackson enter, he gave them a nod. "Agents, thanks for joining us."

"Happy to be here," Jackson said, taking a seat beside Lopez and West. He exchanged a friendly nod with West, who had worked with the FBI on a previous case. "What's the update?"

Grey gestured to the whiteboard where photos of high-end robbery scenes were pinned. "We've had another hit, last night. Same MO. In and out, no witnesses, and they hit a private gallery in Beverly Hills. These guys are good, and fast. They've left almost no trace."