Chapter Text
"You got the tape?"
Lopez turned to Harper, wiggling said cassette in hand. "You got the popcorn?"
"Fresh out of the pot and absolutely drowning in butter." Nyla smiles, handing the snack to Angela before popping the tape into the player. "Thank God Nolan still has this dinosaur and that guy from IA owes you."
"Wouldn't want to miss this gem of a week." Angela smirks. "Now let's-"
"You know this is unsanctioned use of police resources, right?" The pair of detectives jolt at the thunder in their senior's voice, shrugging as they slowly turn around.
"Well, if you'd like to maintain your side of plausible deniability, you could leave right now." Angela gives Grey a knowing look, before turning back to the TV and pressing 'play'.
"Fine, I'm in." Perching against the armrest, he reaches for the bowl, only to have his hand slapped away. "Right, only the pregnant women get popcorn."
"Damn straight. Now, shush."
CHEN
So... how's single life going?
"First day back together and Lucy's already digging..." Angela chuckles.
Nyla sighs. "Girl can be sneaky while undercover but she's the furthest thing from subtle when she's being herself."
BRADFORD
It's good. No one to complain when I watch football all Sunday.
CHEN
You didn't leave the house once?
BRADFORD
I walked Kojo.
"Nice cop-out, Bradford." Angela sniggers.
CHEN
Tim, what?
BRADFORD
I spend all week outside.
CHEN
No, I know, but we live in a vibrant city. There's always something amazing going on.
BRADFORD
Okay, so, don't get me wrong, I love L.A., but it is not a vibrant city, okay? It's a loosely stitched together patchwork of strip malls.
CHEN
You're hopeless.
"-ly in love..." The detectives' song last for all but a second before the phone on the screen rings and a face they would rather forget pops up.
"Kill joy." The Latina grumbles.
SANFORD
Hey! You busy?
CHEN
Uh, no. Wh-Where are you?
SANFORD
An open house. It was on my way to work. Uh, what do you think? It needs some work, but, uh, it's three bedrooms.
CHEN
Yeah, I -- I can't really see anything. Can we talk later?
SANFORD
Okay. Love you.
CHEN
Yeah.
"How long were they together again?" Nyla asks as she watches the painful way her protege avoids saying the cursed three words.
"From Tim's moping, at least a year." Angela shrugs.
"Then that guy had it coming just for how oblivious he was."
Angela just nods, turning back to the screen.
BRADFORD
Are you -- Are you and Chris, uh, moving in together?
CHEN
No. Uh, it's --
BRADFORD
I mean, he seems to think you are.
CHEN
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. He kind of sprang it on me this morning.
BRADFORD
You guys are happy, right?
"No!"
CHEN
Yeah.
BRADFORD
Those are the obvious next steps.
CHEN
Yeah, no, we're super happy. It's -- It's good.
"Yeah, right."
DISPATCH
7-Adam-100, I have an in-progress vandalism on West 3rd south of Olympic.
CHEN
Yeah. Show us responding.
"Fast-forwarding..." Angela murmurs as she presses a button on the remote. "Best parts are their shop talks when they think no one's listening-"
"Because we're not supposed to be listening in." Grey cuts in.
"You're still welcome to leave." Nyla points him in the direction of the door, but he slumps back in his seat, mimicking a "zipping" motion to his lips.
"Finally!" Angela announces as she finds a good scene. "Dumb IA putting in our own cases just to make it look "more like a case"."
CHEN
That poor woman. The last moments of her life must have been agony, just wondering if the bomb was gonna go off, praying it wouldn't.
BRADFORD
I'm guessing that was the point. No way someone goes through that much trouble of building something like that unless they want to terrorize their victim.
CHEN
Yeah. Hey.
SANFORD
I saw the news. Are you okay?
CHEN
Yeah, I'm fine, but it's crazy out here.
SANFORD
Okay. Look, if you don't have time, I get it. But a Realtor friend of mine just slipped me a listing. It hasn't been posted online yet. So, uh, if you like it, I think we should move on it.
CHEN
Wow. Um, okay.
They see the apprehension in her gaze before they hear it, and they know without a doubt that moving in with Chris is the last thing Lucy wants to do. But as usual, Lucy's just going along with whatever Chris says because they know, underneath that strong, confident and brave young officer they know, is a girl who just wants to be loved. And if agreeing to Chris's advances is what it takes, it's what she'll do.
Thankfully, Tim is as perceptive as always and catches the same look they do, saving Lucy from making a hasty decision that they know she'll regret.
BRADFORD
Chen, chat with your boyfriend on your own time.
SANFORD
He's in a mood. I'll let you go. Just text me and let me know what you think?
CHEN
Yeah, I-I'll do that. Thanks.
The soft "thanks" Lucy mutters is more telling than anything they've watched in the past hour, and they can't help the smiles that grace their faces as Tim practically melts at the single word.
BRADFORD
Look, if you don't want to move in, just tell Chris that.
CHEN
That's... The question is, why don't I want to move in? I don't get what the problem is. I mean, Chris is great. We're great together. We never fight.
BRADFORD
Maybe that's the problem.
CHEN
Oh, you think we should be like that couple from this morning?
BRADFORD
No, I'm not saying that, but -- No. But do you guys not fight because you don't disagree on things, or because you don't think it's worth the bother? Lucy.
CHEN
Yeah?
BRADFORD
You deserve someone who's worth the effort.
"Aww... Timothy, do you mean you?" Angela coos at the screen while the other officers simply shake their heads.
CHEN
What was that?
BRADFORD
Control, 7-Adam-100. There is a second bomb. Repeat. There's a second bomb.
"So they just happened to pass by the second bomb?" A new voice suddenly cuts in, shocking them into turning around.
"I thought you were with Wesley and the kids?" Nyla asks as she reaches for Leah, pulling the baby close before gently rocking her.
"Leah wanted her mama." Wesley adds in for James. "And we didn't want to miss the Chenford show."
"What happened to not wanting to have any part of this?" Angela looks at him sternly as she places her own son beside her on the couch, forcing Wesley to sit on the floor. "You wouldn't even let us watch this on your wide-screen TV with surround sound."
"James changed my mind." He shrugged. "Now shush or we'll miss the most interesting parts-"
"Ooo..." A chorus immediately breaks out and Wesley knows he's done for.
"You're a brave man Wesley Evers. A brave dead man." James warns him.
"Yeah. I know."
CHEN
What's your name?! Hey! What's your name? Get me as close as you can, okay?
BRADFORD
Right.
CHEN
Hey. Reach out. Reach out. Reach out.
"Dang, that girl has cajones." Grey muses as he shakes his head with admiration. "Though nothing beats that jump she made during her rookie year."
Seeing the confused and amused faces before him, he shrugs them off with a "later".
MITCHELL
Okay.
CHEN
Can you get closer?
BRADFORD
Yeah.
CHEN
Here, here, here.
MITCHELL
Got it!
CHEN
Hi. I'm Lucy.
MITCHELL
Hi. H-He told me to keep driving. I don't want to die!
CHEN
Sir, we're here to help you. What's your name?
MITCHELL
Creighton. Creighton Mitchell.
CHEN
Okay. Creighton, we're gonna try and get you to drive somewhere safe. You think you can do that?
MITCHELL
I can't breathe. I feel like I'm dying. I think I'm dying.
CHEN
Creighton, you're probably having a panic attack right now. I just need you to try and stay calm. Maybe turn on the radio for some music?
WOMAN [ on radio ]
A woman is dead today after an unknown assailant apparently strapped an explosive device to her neck.
"That was definitely a bad call." James mutters.
MITCHELL
Oh, my God! This happened to somebody else?! And she's dead?!
BRADFORD
Creighton, listen to me. That is not gonna be you, okay?
MITCHELL
You can bet your ass this isn't gonna be me!
CHEN
Creighton!
BRADFORD
Creighton, stop! You could detonate the device!
MITCHELL
I'm not just gonna wait for this thing to blow my head off!
BRADFORD
Everyone, back up!
CHEN
Get inside the house! There's a bomb!
BRADFORD
Back up!
CHEN
Clear it out! Clear off the sidewalk! Let's go!
"Move Chen! You're too close!" Nyla hollers at the screen, just before Tim pulls her behind the shop.
"Haha! And Tim Bradford here to save the day." Angela smiles at the scene before them. "We really need to start a counter for each time they save each other. I've lost count."
"Probably close to 10 each. They're pretty equal on that front." Smitty swipes a tear from his eye. "But the way he pulled her away and covered her body with his, protecting her... That was beautiful."
"Smitty!" Nyla jumps, alarmed. "How did you get in?"
"A magician never reveals his secrets, Detective Harper."
MITCHELL
Ow! I'm alive!
BRADFORD
More home listings?
6 pairs of eyes collectively roll when they hear the amusement in one Tim Bradford's voice.
CHEN
Yeah. Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. This one's in Monrovia. Who wants to live in Monrovia?
BRADFORD
It looks like Chris does. Do you love him?
The Murray-Harper household is pindrop silent for all of a second, eager to listen to what Lucy has to say.
CHEN
I mean, we haven't even been dating that long. It's not...
BRADFORD
He loves you.
CHEN
I know. I know, and I feel like I should love him back. He's so great in so many different ways. It's just... He's just not...
"You!" The group echoes out as the screen fades to black.
"He's not you!" Angela cheers, pressing button after button, trying to bring the screen back to life. "C'mon! WHO CUT THE POWER!"
"It's probably the heatwave babe." Wesley gently rubs her shoulder. "And you were near the end of the tape anyway."
"But..." She frowns, watching as Nyla takes out the tape and slips it back into it's sleeve.
"We can watch Tim ask her out tomorrow. It's late and this little one has to go to bed." Nyla sighs, lightly bouncing Leah as she moves towards the bedrooms. "Goodnight and close the door on your way out."
"Goodnight." Angela pouts as Wesley drags her along behind Grey and Smitty. "But we will be continuing this tomorrow."