Chenford Oneshots

You Scared me Half to Death

Tim ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched as he watched Lucy pace across his living room. Their voices had already escalated—Lucy's frustration meeting Tim's stubbornness in a clash they rarely had but couldn't seem to avoid tonight. "Why does everything have to be so black and white with you, Tim?" Lucy demanded, folding her arms. "I know what I'm doing, and I know the risks. You don't have to constantly try to protect me!"

"It's not about you knowing the risks, Lucy!" Tim fired back. "It's that you keep running into situations without backup, acting like you're invincible. One of these days—" Lucy shook her head, cutting him off. "You're unbelievable. You're my boyfriend, not my training officer. I don't need you telling me how to do my job." Tim looked away, jaw tightening as he tried to rein in his temper. "Fine. Then do what you want," he muttered, more out of frustration than anything. Lucy's shoulders slumped slightly, hurt flashing in her eyes, but she straightened and grabbed her things. "Fine," she echoed, her voice quiet now. "I'll see you at work."

With that, she left, leaving Tim standing in his living room with the sound of the door closing echoing in the silence. He let out a long breath, wondering if he'd taken it too far. But pride held him back from calling her. Instead, he went to bed, hoping things would cool down by morning.

The next day, they were barely speaking, each wrapped up in their own thoughts as they went about their work. Tim threw himself into Metro duties, but his mind kept drifting back to Lucy, wondering if he'd been too hard on her. He almost called her a few times, wanting to mend things, but each time he stopped himself, telling himself they could talk later. He didn't want to come across as overbearing.

Then his phone buzzed, and he saw Grey's number. He answered, only to hear Grey's low, urgent voice on the other end. "Tim. There's been an incident with Lucy."

Tim's blood ran cold. "What happened?"

"She was responding to a call. It turned into an ambush, and she was shot," Grey explained, his voice calm but serious. "They've taken her to Saint Brendan's." The words hit Tim like a freight train. He didn't remember how he got to his truck; all he knew was that he needed to be at that hospital. His hands were shaking so hard that Grey insisted on driving, taking the keys and leading him to the car. "What could you have done differently, Tim?" Grey asked, his voice firm yet comforting as they sped toward the hospital. "You know Lucy—she's tough, and she's good at what she does. It's her job, and you can't be everywhere at once." Tim clenched his fists, his jaw tight as he fought against the guilt gnawing at him. "If I hadn't pushed her last night, if I hadn't let her go out there thinking I didn't believe in her..." 

Grey shook his head. "This isn't on you, Tim. Lucy wouldn't want you to blame yourself. She's going to pull through this, and she'll be stronger than ever. You know that." Tim nodded, barely able to speak. He felt the weight of their fight settling heavily in his chest, the memory of her last words to him haunting him: Fine. I'll see you at work. He'd give anything to take those words back.

When they arrived at the hospital, they were told Lucy was out of surgery and stable. Relief washed over him, but it did little to erase the ache in his chest as he sat by her bed, watching her pale, peaceful face as she rested. Hours passed, and Tim stayed by her side, his hand wrapped around hers, waiting. The hospital air was thick with the heaviness of the situation, his thoughts whirling. What if it had been too late? What if he hadn't been there? What if he'd been too harsh last night? He couldn't shake the haunting image of her getting hurt because they hadn't worked through their fight, because he hadn't been there for her the way he should've been.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, her eyelids fluttered. Tim's heart nearly stopped, every part of him alert as her eyes slowly opened, unfocused at first, but then finding him. A weak smile formed on her lips, and she whispered his name. "Tim?" He leaned forward, his voice breaking with relief. "Hey... hey, Lucy. You scared me half to death, Chen." She chuckled softly, though it was more of a strained exhale, her body still tense from the trauma. "Guess I'm harder to get rid of than you thought," she muttered, her fingers brushing his hand. Tim held her hand tighter, his thumb gently stroking the back of her fingers. "You scared me," he repeated, trying to keep his voice steady. "You should've seen me, sitting here waiting, thinking about everything. I don't know what I'd do without you." 

Lucy's eyes softened, and she managed a weak laugh. "I'm not going anywhere, Tim." But he didn't feel convinced. He'd been terrified all through her surgery, unable to escape the thought that he might lose her. The guilt from the fight—his harsh words—lingered, refusing to leave. "I'm so sorry, Lucy," he whispered, his voice full of regret. "I shouldn't have said those things last night. I was just... scared. I was scared something might happen to you, and I didn't know how to handle it." Lucy's expression softened further. She blinked a few times, her pain still evident, but her eyes were full of understanding. "I know. I shouldn't have gotten so defensive. I was just... I was just trying to do my job, and I didn't want you to feel like you were trying to hold me back."

He shook his head, his chest tightening. "You're right, I don't always get it right. But I love you, Lucy. And I just want you to be safe. To be with me." Her hand shifted slightly in his, and her fingers grazed the back of his. "I love you, too. I love that you care so much, but... we're partners, Tim. We both need to trust each other. You can't protect me from everything. I need to be the one to take care of myself." 

Tim nodded, his eyes starting to fill with emotion. "I'll never stop wanting to protect you, but I get it. I'll trust you more, Lucy. I promise." She managed a faint smile, her eyes fluttering from the exhaustion. "We'll get through this. Together. You and me." Tim smiled back, relief finally settling into his bones. He kissed her forehead gently, pressing his lips to her skin, his voice low and tender. "I love you," he whispered, the words feeling like the truth at that moment more than ever. Lucy closed her eyes, her breath steadying as she finally relaxed. "I love you too, Tim. I'm not going anywhere."

For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the quiet beeping of the machines monitoring her vitals. Tim sat beside her, holding her hand, feeling the weight of everything—the fear, the fight, the guilt—all finally ebbing away. They had a long road ahead, but Tim knew, without a doubt, that they'd get through it. Together. Always.

A/n: I don't know if I like this but I have to release something lol