Chapter Text
“Any plans Sarge”? Smitty asks as he changes out.
“Las Torres”. Tim says “I need a drink, it’s been a hell of a week”
“And it’s only Wednesday”. Smitty chuckles.
Tim leaves Smitty in the locker room, he looks over at where Lucy is completing her paperwork. She would have looked around before, would have felt him watching, if she does now she doesn't show it.
She has refused to work with him since he returned after his shoulder healed, he has endured the physio, usually she would text or call, she used to prep meals when he was recovering.
Not that he expected her too, he misses the little things that made them…. Well them. She grimaced earlier, he thought it was an attempt at a tight smile but maybe it wasn't. The coffee he brought her was left untouched, he saw Smitty eating the Danish.
In fairness he hasn't offered up that conversation she‘d wanted months ago so he's not surprised she's avoiding him. His new therapist says he's depressed, like he needed to be told that, he refused the meds though, he’s not becoming addicted to psych meds.
No! All he needs is a drink, a lot of drink, his sister has his dog so he can't hurt anyone if he emulates his father just this once. Las Torres and lots of whiskey, maybe a little tequila and buckets of beer will make him feel better right?
By 10.30 he can hardly stand or sit apparently, he is cut off when he almost falls off his stool. He heads to the restroom, “Fucking feet don't work”. He slurs as he stumbles down the corridor to the men’s room.
He spent far too long trying to zip his fly so has left it open. He falls over his feet leaving the room and giggling uses the wall to lean on for balance.
He looks up into the beautiful brown eyes of the love of his life, he squints. She’s wearing a silver dress he’s pretty sure he never saw before.
That hurts, is she moving on? Is she out on the pull? Not his business really. “Lushie”? He slurs.
Her arms are folded, her hair is straight, she looks pissed, nothing new there then. “Officer Bradford”. She nods curtly. She looks at his fly. Drunk men are so stupid honestly.
“A little help”? He smiles. “Why are you here? Did you follow me? Change your mind about talking to me”? He slides down the wall and she catches him. She zips his fly wordlessly and looks up.
“You are very drunk”. She flutters her lashes, Let's get you home Sargent”. He nods pathetically.
“Ok”. His eyes are on her cleavage, “you touched me Lu, felt good, miss you”. She assists him through the bar to the door and out to the parking lot. “Never meant to hurt you”. He mumbles. Fresh air definitely makes you drunker, he blindly gets in the car after raking his eyes up her bare thighs, not noticing the car.
He doesn't question where they are, just follows in his tunnel vision blur of intoxication. When he wakes his head is pounding and he can't move.
“Bradfords late” Angela tells Lucy as she's making her way to the bullpen.
Lucy stops, turns and glares at her “And? I'm not his keeper”. She snarks.
“I didn't say you were but I've known him for 15 years, and no matter what he’s dealing with he's never late”. She looks at the bullpen “Just saying”
“What he's dealing with? Huh, sorry, I'm just….” She shakes her head “I just feel like everyone is up in our business, blaming me for this, I'm done with the drama, I'm done with him and his weird declarations and I just want to get over him in peace”. She says honestly.
She grips Lucy’s shoulder “He loves you, he's an idiot, give him time”. She sadly smiles.
“Does he though? Wouldn't know, he chooses to lock me out, you're his bestie, you see him more than I do, I wanted one conversation, not muffins, not coffee, just words Ang, it was too much to ask, and he made it clear he doesn't want me so….”. She pulls out of the grip and heads to her seat next to Nolan.
She’s still a temporary TO until the exam so she has a rookie, Her and Tim both have rookies as Nolan still has Celina for a month. “Officer Chen, have you by any chance heard from Sargent Bradford”? Grey asks from the podium.
She narrows her eyes at him. “Why would I Sir”? She asks taking a sharp breath. She needs to chill, shouting at her boss is not ideal.
“He’s late, he hasn't called in, it’s not like him”. He looks concerned.
“I don't keep tabs anymore Sir”. She says simply.
“Said he was gonna get steamboats last night”. Smitty offers, you know single guy, maybe he’s otherwise engaged, you know what I mean”? He waggles his eyebrows suggestively”. Lucy turns him to ash with her stare, her lips curl back in fury.
“Smitty”! Grey says sternly “Did he per chance say where he was going”? Smitty shrugs, he does at least look berated as he watches the floor tile.
“Er, Charlie’s bar, no hold up, Las Torres, yeah that’s it”. He doesn't look like a whole thought could crawl though his brain.
Wade gives Lucy an apologetic look, “Ok, there is a small chance that he has been otherwise waylaid”.
“Or just laid”. Smitty mumbles.
“Chen take your rookie to Las Torres, Celina you are with me on admin, Nolan check out Charlie’s take Penn, ok go, be safe out there”. He suddenly realizes Las Torres has triggers for Lucy and asks if she wants to go to Charlie’s instead but she says she's fine.
“Did anyone think to call him”? Nyla asks
Grey frowns “Me harper, 5 times”.
“Me too” Ang waves her phone which is on speaker and ringing endlessly. Ridley sets up shop while Lucy puts on her body cam and does some breathing exercises. “Sorry to do this Lucy, but I'm worried”. Grey is beside her, “He doesn't just go AWOL”.
“Huh, doesn't he? Maybe not from his precious job, sorry, I just….” She emits a low growl, “I mean it’s fine Sir if we find anything you will be the first to know”. She turns and stomps muttering to the shop. Ridley gulps he looks terrified, she is rarely angry, and right now she looks furious.
He gets in the passenger seat and buckles in, he glances over as she gets behind the wheel, “WHAT”? She snaps.
He mumbles an apology while he switches on the mainframe. “Er, are you um….”?
She huffs out a long breath and grips the wheel, “Sorry, I'm worried and sleep-deprived, and Las Torres is not my idea of fun”. She tells him.
Grey must have informed the owner of their imminent arrival, it’s too early even for cleaners but the door is unlocked.
Tim is awake enough to know he is naked, exposed and cold, his shoulder is burning and his head is pounding, and he is tied starfish to a metal-framed bed, it stinks, or maybe it’s him that stinks, he desperately needs to pee, he experiments with breaking the zip ties but screams out as they cut into his skin. “What the fuck? How much did I drink? Where the fuck am I”? He grumbles. “HELLO”. He shouts.
His voice is gravelly from sleep and dryness, he is desert dry, his tongue feels swollen and sandy. He remembers nothing after a line of tequila shots, oh beer and whiskey too, he tries the ties again. “Aghhhh”. He cries out “I'M A COP, I’M GONNA BE MISSED”. He warns “CAN I AT LEAST GET SOME WATER”?
Nothing, no one answers, the pain in his shoulder makes his head swoon, he’s not twenty and does anything heal all the way in your forties? he passes out.
As she enters the owner looks up, “Oh hi beautiful you're back”. He leers at her “Did you forget something”?
Lucy stares at him in confusion, “you remember me”?
“That dress you almost wore last night is kinda hard to forget”. He drawls “Uniform hides those puppies well doesn't it honey”?
Ridley’s eyes almost pop out of his head.
“How’s the lucky guy you left with? Did he have performance issues he was kinda FUBAR”.
“FUBAR”? Ridley asks
“Fucked up beyond all recognition” the owner chuckles.
“Talk once more and I will arrest you, firstly it’s been 2 years, more than that since I stepped foot in this dive, secondly a cop is missing, I want your camera footage from last night, Now”!
Once she has it she calls Grey, “Heading in with footage Sir, Can I see it too”?
“Umm, why Officer Chen”?
“Because the owner says he left the bar with me Sir, I can promise you he did not”. She cracks her neck clearly frustrated.
“Yeah dump Ridley on front desk, head straight to my office”.
Tim is so thirsty, he is wet so he must have peed,
His groin, head and shoulders are throbbing, and his wrists and ankles hurt like a mother fucker. The small grimey window shows that the sun has moved, maybe late afternoon, his neck stings too.
He looks down at his hard cock, a black metal cockring sits around the base and his balls feel constricted too. “What the fuck? Where am I”? He grouses. CAN WE FORGET THE KINKY THING? THIS SHIT HURTS. WHATEVER I AGREED TO DRUNK, I'M TAKING IT BACK, UNTIE ME PLEASE”. He bellows, it causes him to cough. His breathing quickens as panic sets in.
“LET ME GO, THIS IS NOT GONNA END WELL FOR YOU, WHOEVER THE FUCK YOU ARE. His coughing gets worse causing him to pull on the ties, they cut in deeply making him scream out.
“Hush now”. He hears from behind the closed door, “You’ll wake the neighbors”. She giggles.
THIS ISN’T FUNNY LET ME GO”. He shouts angry and frustrated.
She uses her butt to push the door open backing in, she’s Lucy’s build, height, the hair color is the same. His mind is whirring, she turns to look at him smiling sweetly. “Lucy? What the fuck”. He must look so confused cos she covers her mouth holding the tray in one hand. She laughs hard.
“You may be a little dehydrated honey”. She says uncapping the water. The tray is beside him on the bed. She pours a little into his mouth. “Do I look that much like her”? She pouts. “Youre wrong you know, it’s you that it isn't going to end well for”. She gives him another sip and caps the bottle.
She strokes his hardened length making him jolt, he wants to get away from her, the ties dig in again. “FUCK YOU”. He sneers.
“WE’ll get to that sugar, but not yet”, she starts to move things on the tray, “Mmm, bigger than my Jakey, did you know he had my name tattooed on his cock”? She bites her lip and shows him a tattoo gun.
He starts thrashing around on the bed “NOOOOOOO”! He cries “PLEASE NO”.