Archive of Our Own ^beta

Leaving the ADA's office, she nodded along to Chris's plans for their date. If she was being honest with herself she just wanted to go home and curl up on the couch and be alone. You want to be with Tim. She shut that thought down as soon as it appeared. She should want to be with Chris tonight, not Tim. Chris was her boyfriend yet she couldn't stand the thought of being around him tonight. She really didn't know what to make of that. 

"Lucy." 

"Hm?" She turned her head, realizing he had been talking to her and she hadn't heard a word he had said. "Sorry. Must've spaced out there for a second. What were you saying?" 

"There's this new bar I've been wanting to try out and I thought we could go there tonight." 

"Oh uh yeah, sure." She took a deep breath to steel herself. She hadn't been to a bar with anyone except with her friends and co-workers since that night and, maybe tonight wasn't the best night to be testing it out but she knew she wanted to be able to enjoy sitting at a bar again. 

When they walked through the doors Lucy could hear the loud music and had to force her mind to stay in the present. Chris placed his hand on her back to lead her through the crowd and she immediately flinched, pulling away from him before forcing a smile and stepping back into his side. He looked over at her with more curiosity than concern. 

"Sorry. Your hand's just cold." He furrowed his brow but didn't pry, instead leading them to the open bar stools in the back. Her eyes kept moving around the room, taking in every exit and potential threat, then cursed herself. This was Chris. Not Caleb. She was okay. 

Once at their stools Chris placed his drink order then looked to Lucy expectantly. 

"I'll have um," She looked up at the liquor behind the bar but she knew there was no way she would be able to enjoy a margarita tonight. "I'll just take a water for now please. Bottled. And uh, don't open it." The bartender just nodded and Chris looked over at her. 

"Are you sure you don't want a drink? I know it's been a long day." 

"I'm sure." He took her at her word, not questioning anything and she was both annoyed and thankful for it. 

The evening passed by uneventfully and before she knew it Chris was asking for their tab. 

"I'm just going to use the restroom before we leave." 

"I'll be right here." She nodded, starting to get off of the stool. She underestimated its height however and stumbled, Chris reaching out to grab her and keep her from falling. 

"Woah there Lucy. You okay?" His hands were around her waist, his voice in her ear, but she suddenly couldn't hear him. Instead it was Caleb who was holding her. His voice whispering in her ear and she froze. 

Her heart sped up and her breathing became shallow and the only thing she could do was whisper one name. 

"Tim." 

He had just sat down to dinner with Ashley when his phone rang. He was getting ready to reach into his pocket when Ashley's hand on his arm stopped him. 

"Just ignore it. If they really need you they can text you." Rolling his eyes he shook her arm off and slid his phone out. 

"When you're a cop it doesn't just work like that Ash." Not wanting the call to go to voice-mail, he didn't look at the caller ID before answering. "Bradford." 

"It's Chris." His eyebrows furrowed as he pulled the phone away, glancing at the screen to see the name Chris Sanford. 

"Listen if this is about a case-" 

"It's not about a case. It's Lucy." Hearing her name, Tim was immediately on alert. 

"What's wrong?" Ashley looked at him across the table, clearly annoyed but he didn't care. He was more concerned with why Chris was calling him about Lucy right now. 

"I don't know. I think she's having a panic attack or something. She's gasping in breaths and just keeps whispering your name. I think her heart rate is elevated too." Hearing the words 'Lucy' and 'panic attack' had him standing up, mouthing to Ashley that they needed to go. 

"Where are you?" Ignoring her protests and questions he got in his truck, listening to Chris say where they were. "I'm just a few minutes away. Just try to keep her calm and get her away from people. It'll just make her more embarrassed if other people see it."

From the passenger seat Ashley stared at Tim as he hung up the phone with Lucy's boyfriend. The concern for his aide was clear on his face and she felt a twinge of jealousy and hurt. He had told her they were just co-workers but the last time she checked co-workers didn't act like this. 

"What's going on Tim?" 

"I can't believe he took her to a bar. How irresponsible can he be? She never goes to a bar unless she's out with us. How could he not know that?" It was clear he was just ranting to himself so she placed a hand on his arm to calm him down. 

"Tim, talk to me." He seemed to realize she was there and let out a breath. 

"Lucy's having a panic attack because this idiot thought it would be a good idea to take her to a bar." 

"Why would that affect her? I thought you guys went to bars all the time after work." Ashley looked at him, the clench of his jaw piquing her interest.

"It's different when we go out okay. And it's not my story to tell so just drop it." She promptly shut her mouth, not daring to bring up the subject again. 

When they arrived at the bar Tim barely had the truck in park when he jumped out, running to the entrance as she followed behind. He pushed his way through the crowd until he got to the manager's office, the man being nice enough to let Lucy borrow that space when he realized what was going on. 

As soon as he opened the door his heart broke at the sight of Lucy. She was still trying to take in air and had tears streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth on the couch. 

"Lucy." Her name came out in a breath and he ran forward, practically pushing Chris out of the way and taking up the spot next to her, grabbing her hand for added comfort.  

Knowing he wasn't needed now, Chris backed up, coming to stand next to Ashley by the door, both watching the scene in front of them with interest. 

The way Tim knew exactly what to do to bring her out of the panic attack, asking about what she could see and hear and smell. They could tell this wasn't the first time he had done this and they both wondered just how many times this had happened. 

Finally Lucy's tears slowed and she was able to catch her breath and they knew the panic attack was over. Chris started to step forward to console her but stopped in his tracks when she clutched Tim's shirt in her hands and buried her face in his chest. 

Not caring about the other people in the room he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her practically into his lap. His hand came up to hold her head to his chest while the other ran up and down her back in soothing motions, whispering words of comfort in her ear. 

Ashley felt a rush of jealousy as she realized Tim had never held her like that and probably never would. Meanwhile, Chris watched annoyed as Lucy relished in the comfort of Tim while she pushed him away earlier when she was upset. With one look at the other they knew that their relationships with Tim and Lucy weren't going to last, not with the way they clung to each other in this moment, seeming to forget their significant others were even in the same room. It was clear they weren't needed here so they left together in Chris's car, leaving behind relationships they should have known were doomed from the start. 

Back in the office, Lucy had calmed down enough to pull back from Tim's embrace but didn't move from his lap. 

"Hey, there you are." Tim smiled softly at her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Tim? What're you doing here?" 

"Chris called me. Said you were having a panic attack and kept saying my name." She hid her head in her hands, thoroughly embarrassed at this turn of events. 

"I can't believe that happened. I had been doing so good. I haven't had one of them since…" she trailed off, knowing he remembered the last time she had a panic attack. It was right after they had gotten Angela back from La Fiera and after Jackson's funeral. She had stayed at his place again and woke up in the middle of the night deep in a panic attack. Tim had taken her into his arms just like today and brought her out of it, consoling her afterwards. 

"Hey, hey. It's okay. These things can be unpredictable. Was it the trial prep today?" She nodded, hiccuping as more tears started to fall.

"Yeah." 

"I told you to call me if you needed me Luce." 

"I know. I know but I- I knew you were at the hospital and I didn't want to bother you." 

"Hey, you're never a bother." That brought a smile out of her.

"Can I get that in writing?" He rolled his eyes playfully and gave her a soft smile. The smile she realized he only gave to her. "Chris did my trial prep." She could tell by his eyes the moment he realized what that meant. 

"Oh Lucy I'm sorry. I know you didn't want him to know the details of that." 

"It's okay, I should've known he would find out anyway I just… he watched the video. And he didn't tell me about it. I only found out because…" she took a deep breath, steeling herself for Tim's reaction, "because he started singing that song. " 

"He what? He should know how that would affect you!" 

"You're right. He should. He apologized for it and I thought I was okay then we came here and it just reminded me of when I went out with Caleb, especially when I fell getting off of the stool and even though I know he was trying to help it just… his arms were around me and in my mind I was back in that night and…" she shrugged, knowing he knew the rest. "I guess I ruined that date." 

"Please Lucy this wasn't your fault. You didn't ruin anything." She looked him over, taking in his button up and dress pants, her eyes widening at the realization. 

"I interrupted your date didn't I?" She slid off of his lap then, putting some distance between them. "I'm so sorry Tim you really didn't have to leave your date to come here." 

"I told you not to apologize, okay. You always come first." She felt a blush go up her neck and willed it to stay away from her cheeks. "Besides, Ashley came with me." He seemed to just remember that fact and looked up to see that neither she nor Chris were in the room. At that moment he felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out, frowning at the message. 

Hey Tim, Chris took me home. Tell Lucy we hope she's okay. Also I think we need to talk.

"What's wrong?" 

"Nothing. Apparently Chris took Ashley home though. She said they hope you're okay." She let out a long breath, looking up to the ceiling. 

"Great. Thus day just keeps getting better." Tim gave her a questioning look. "I rode with Chris here. I knew I should've just gone home after today." She dropped her head in her hands, new tears threatening to escape.

"Hey, why don't we go back to my place and you can play with Kojo and watch whatever movie or trashy TV show you want?" 

"That… sounds really nice actually." 

"C'mon, let's get out of here." He helped her up, grabbing her bag and placing a hand on her back as they walked out, stopping to say a quick thanks to the manager before leaving. 

"Can we stop at my place? I could really go for some ice cream." 

"Who's to say I don't have any at my house?" Lucy looked at him skeptically, trying to tell if he was being serious.

"Really? You have ice cream?" 

"I got it after you brought some over last time and ate the entire thing in one sitting. Thought there might be more times you might need it." 

She looked over at him, amazed that this was the same man who once gave her Tim tests relentlessly. 

"You're amazing you know." Never taking praise he just shrugged like it was no big deal. 

"Just doing what I can to help. That's what friends are for right." As he glanced over at her she smiled. 

"That's what best friends are for." She didn't miss the smile on his face as he turned back around to face the road. 

As the credits of 13 Going on 30 rolled, the light of the TV cast a soft glow over the rest of the room. Two containers of ice cream, one dairy free, sat mostly empty on the coffee table as Tim and Lucy laid curled up together on the couch sound asleep, Kojo snoring lightly from his bed on the floor. 

After today Lucy expected her sleep to be filled with nightmares but instead it was filled with sweet dreams that looked almost exactly like this. Unbeknownst to her, Tim had the same dreams that night. 

Dreams that would come true a week later when Ashley and Chris had broken up with them and they had found themselves on Tim's couch again, neither upset about their breakups. 

It was that night that they confessed their feelings for one another. And when they fell asleep that night curled up together in his bed, Lucy knew that this was better than she could have dreamed. Because when she opened her eyes Tim was still laying next to her, his skin warm against hers.

She couldn't be happier.