"Should we be flattered that Sergeant Grey selected us to represent the department at this block party?"

The four rookies stood at whatever it was that you called this party, it was to make kids wanna become cops what ever and what not.

"I think you're forgetting four key words, on our day off." Lucy complains and Zara hums in agreement.

All of them unboxed random things and placed them on the table. "Ill take it as a vote of confidence."

Jackson let a few badges slide onto the table, which he had gotten from god knows where.

"This is some great swag. Did you get this from Grey?" Nolan asked as he leaned over to take a closer look.

"I think Officer Above and Beyond bought those himself."

Zara snorted in amusement as Jackson defended himself. "Hey. I got a guy at Kinko's okay?"

"Mm-hmm." Lucy nodded.

"Alright, you guys make yourself useful and, uh, fill these up with water. I saw a howe in that side yard."

West handed Nolan and Chen a vase each as he commanded them around.

The two left clearly not happy.

"How the hell did you get Bradford to not kick me out?" Jack hissed now that the ex-couple was gone.

"What are you complaining?" she responds, raising her eyebrows at him. "Im not, i just wanna know how."

"Well, i- i just told him that he shouldn't ruin your career just because of something you could try to fix, that's all." she lied but it was halfway the truth though.

"Nice pins." Sergeant Grey compliments as Zara stops herself from laughing.

"Thank you, sir."

"This might be your only hope to lure those kids from LAFD." Wade announces, straight after that Lucy and John approach the now three cops.

"All due respect, sir, they have a fire engine. To a 6-year-old, that's crack." John states as everyone turns around to look at the LAFDs set up.

"Im not gonna be shown up by some department that publishes shirtless calendars." The sergeant seethes and Zara had to push down her laughter.

"West, Chen and Brown let's get in the game."

All of them followed Wade who began to walk to the fire department.

Lucy began talking to a hot firefighter named Antonio.

She could literally feel Nolan's gaze on the two.

The following minute John ran over, a boy in his arms. He was fully covered in water, as if he had just dipped into a pool.

"Help! He's not breathing! I need a CPR mask." He rambled as the hot fire fighter sped up to him taking the boy while his colleagues got a mask and a gurney.

"Clear out! Grab that gurney!"

He was placed onto the wheeling bed and a cpr mask was put onto his face. Antonio pumped air into the boys lungs with the bag.

The young boy gagged as he managed to catch a breath of air. The mask was ripped off as he spat our water, he cougher heavily as he tried to breathe.

People began applauding because the boy was alive. Lucy rushed over patting the back of the little boys firefighter saviour.

"Good job, antonio."

"Thank you."

Applause continues as John breathes heavily. "Good job." Grey tells him before leaving.

<<<<>>>>

"Alright, settle down. Settle down. Listen. Everybody knows what today is, and i just want to say that team Bradford is gonna dominate once again." Tim speaks as he stands in Wades usual place.

"Yeah, not this year, blondie." Lopez yells across the room making Zara chuckled.

Other cops began talking too. "You're going down, man." "Yeah!"

Tim walks back to his seat as John starts asking questions. "Dominate what?"

"The round up. Happens every year when the rookies are a month into the job. The T.O.s sponsor a competition for the most felony arrests in one shift."

"Sounds like fun." he dryly replies even though he was the one to ask. Lucy and Jackson turned to him slightly offended.

"What?"

"We were both there when pub trivia almost got violent."

Jackson hummed agreeing with his friend. "I like a little healthy competition."

"Mm."

"Are you kidding? You're cutthroat and relentless. Which i respect."

Sergeant Grey enters the roll call room, getting ready to start his daily speech. "Alright, settle down. Don't think i didn't see you up in my spot, Bradford."

Tim looks at him innocently as Grey rolls his eyes passing him on his way up to the stage.

"So, i an aware that today is the day, where our T.O. units compete for most arrests. Under no circumstances does the department endorse this. Meaning i don't want to hear about your points or strategy. Am i clear, Officer Bradford?"

Tim's smile dropped, when he had heard what grey had to say.

"Yes, sir."

Angela smirked at him as he crossed his arms, clenching his jaw and leaning back in the seat.

"This Job isn't about winning. It's about good policing and teamwork."

<<<<>>>>

Rollcall ended.

"We win at any cause." tim announces and zara furrows her brows.

"But Sergeant Grey just said-"

he interrupted her.

"He said he doesn't want to hear about it, which is different than saying don't do it. Now, the scoring is like football."

After they got their bags for the shop, they followed the other T.O.s and their rookies.

"Hold up, Boot."

She stopped in her tracks as she stepped closer to him. "What?"

He opened one of the bags and took a well packaged gift out of it.

"What is that?" She asks and he responds swiftly. "Insurance." Tim then passed the automatic doors again as they walked over to the place where the brunette hadn't really been before.

Police radio chattered in the room and the male cop entered first.

He faked a smile.

"Nell."

A pretty red headed female turned towards the literal monster T.O. "Hey." she smiled and Zara narrowed her eyes clearly not understanding what was going on here.

"Look at you. You're positively glowing. What's your secret?" he asked the woman with faked kindness as he still held the gift in his hands.

"Um.. I hiked Malibu Creek yesterday. You should try it. Good for the soul." she explains and he nods.

"I bet. Listen, i saw this at the bookstore yesterday, thought of you."

Her eyes widened as she internally screamed.

Poor her.

Nells jaw dropped.

"That is so sweet."

Tim handed her the gift and she laughed before ripping it open. "Oh, my gosh. Kilimanjaro- i have been dying to go someday."

He chuckled.

"You will. Hey. So, listen as calls come in that sound like felony arrests, can you send them to us? And not over the radio?"

Zara looked at the perfect wall, she didn't even know it had small bumps on it.

"Um, that would qualify as favouritism. So.."

"But i am you favorite. Come on. For me?"

Nell chuckled and Zara grimaced at his choice of words.

Well he was Zaras favorite one night stand but you would never ever hear her saying that out loud.

<<<<>>>>

"Isn't that cheating?" She asks him as they walk out of the room.

"I'm celebrating the unsung heroes of the LAPD." he responds.

"In exchange for hot calls. Isn't our job to respond to any crime, no matter the anticipated outcome?"

He opened the door, letting her in first.

"Of course. But if you're gonna be some Pollyanna on my shoulder all day, i'll be happy to loan you out to clean the drunk tank. Heard there was some heavy pukers there last night."

He nodded into the direction of the cell making her gag as she saw the vomit all over the floor.

"Clearly, i misspoke when i said cheating. I-" she nervously explained turning back around to face him right before the door buzzes.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." he groans as Lopez and West bring in two criminals.

"Oh, hey! look what we found just two blocks away. A burglary and a conspiracy lookout." Jackson smiles and Zaras nostrils flare.

"Are you here booking someone?" Lopez asks and Tim is pissed as hell. "No."

"Oh. Then i guess we're first on the boards. 14 points-"

"Hey!"

The two fist pumped.

"Aah!"

The two laughed and Tim sighed.

<<<<>>>>

Zaras phone chimed.

"Nolan and Talia are on the board." she says out loudly and he angrily slams his hands against the steering wheel.

"Damn it. Call Nell. Put her on speaker." he commands and she listens calling the red head.

"Hello?" her voice asked through the phone as Zara held it closer to tim so he could and speak at the same time.

"Hey, its Officer Bradford. You haven't forgotten about me, have you?"

She furrowed her eyesbrows as she side eyed her training officer. She sighed before speaking.

"No. of course not. Um, we've actually just- we've been a little slow. Oh, um, we just got a 911 call DUI hit-and-run, teenage pedestrian injured. Black 528i. Last seen eastbound on Melrose."

"Perfect. Attach us to that, please.-"

Right before she could press the red button on her phone, Tim continued to speak.

"And, nell."

"Mm-hmm?" she hummed.

"you're the best." he finished and Brown rolled her eyes.

<<<<>>>>

"Nell seems nice." Zara breaks the silence. "Yeah." he kind of forces out.

"Whats your point?" Tim continues.

The brunette shrugs. "She likes you." Zara had tried to cover up the jealousy, it somehow had worked but she didn't even know why the hell she felt that towards him out of all people.

Sure, tim was fine as hell.

But his personality was a large turn down for her.

And he was her boss which didn't make anything better.

"She's doing me a favor. That's all. Im married, officer brown, and this isn't something you and i talk about. Keep your eyes peeled for out DUI."

Yeah and he was also married.

But his wife left him so that also meant something.

But she got addicted and thats why she did it, right?

"Yes, sir."

They heard horns honking and Tim pointed at a car. "There."

"7-Adam-19, DUI suspect sighted heading east on Melrose." Zara announced into the radio as Tim turned on the sirens.

The suspects car turned right making the female cop pick up the radio again. "7-Adam-19, turning north onto Serrano."

The next thing they head was tires screeching and a crash.

The car had been driven into a fence, Bradford parked their shop getting out of the car.

Brown followed closely after, taking out her gun. "Let's go, Boot. He might try and run." he told her and she nodded.

"LAPD. Hands."

"Don't move. Show us your hands."

She lowered her gun and winced when she saw a pole piercing the man. "Whoa."

"This is a first." he mutters and puts his gun into the holster and she does the same.

"Don't worry. im not going a-anywhere." he stuttered and the rookie took her radio.

"7-adam-19, DUI suspect crashed at Melrose and Serrano. We need ambulance and LAFD, code 3."

<<<<>>>>

Tim took a bolt cutter from the trunk before rushing back to Zara and the injured suspect.

"Okay, sir, just hang in there. The ambulance is here now." her comforting voice spoke as she sat in the back seat of the crashed car trying to calm the driver down.

"Should i pull it out?" he asks weakly and was about to reach for it but the brunette stopped him.

"No, no, no. Don't move, don't move."

Her T.O. got ready to cut the pole.

"Stay still. Im gonna cut this pipe. Three.. Two.."

He didn't even count to one and then he cut it.

The pipe clanked as he steps away, pulling the rest away from the car. Zara helped him to get it out from the inside.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you. Do you understand each of these rights?"

"Yes, sir."

Brown looks a bit weirded out by how Bradford didn't care that the man was deadly injured.

She kept her mouth shut.

"Now, you're required to provide a chemical sample if suspected of driving while impaled- sorry impaired. You can choose between blood, breath, or urine. A refusal will result in the immediate suspension of your license for a minimum of a year."

The paramedics attended to the impaled man right before he slumped down in his seat. "Yes." he muttered.

"We need to get him to surgery!" The female nurse yells.

"No, not before i get my blood draw. 21-gauge vial." he explains and Zara interrupts him.

"Cant this wait? He's obviously-"

Tim doesn't take her speaking up well.

He stands up grabbing the bolt cutter right before stepping over to her causing her to take a step back.

"Wait, what? huh? He's what? He's dying? This guy got drunk and hit a kid with his car, maybe killed him. If we wait, his blood alcohol will turn to normal, and we'll use a crucial piece of evidence."

"Are you sure that this has got nothing to do with the 7-point felony arrest?" she asks daringly.

"Boot, criminals get hurt all the time during a crime. They don't get special treatment if they get a boo-boo. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

The female paramedic walks over and hands Tim a vial filled with blood, he packs it into a plastic bag.

"Now call in out 7 points." he says angrily walking past her to the shop.

She forgot how much of a menace he was.

<<<<>>>>

It was lunch time, like always everyone sat in their own groups.

"I just don't think septuagenarians should even count. I don't know why we're arguing about it."

"Cause you're a bad loser. A felony drug bust is a felony drug bust." Jackson states and Zara doesn't even know what the hell this conversation was about.

She was tired of the shift and that she hadn't slept well.

If she could ever really sleep well.

She was zoning out the past 5 minutes of lunch as she desperately tried to think about the situation earlier on with Tim.

"He does this with monopoly. Changes the rules mid-game." Lucy explains and the other female realises that they never ever played monopoly together.

"When did we play monopoly?" West asks and Zara immediately covers.

"You were sick that day, me, lucy and john then ordered some pizza and played monopoly, nothing big. You didn't miss anything important."

She saw the way that before she had lied that John and Lucy where looking for a excuse but she believed she had just mastered it.

"Wait, when was th-"

"Time to go, Boot." Angela interrupts, as if really the angels had sent her to rescue them from their best friend.

"Okay, alright." he utters grabs his food and disappears with his T.O. the next second.

Zara knew how weird this conversation would get and she tried to find another excuse.

"You know, ill just hit the bathroom, uh this spicy shit might as well make me vomit."

She loved spicy food and Lucy knew.

<<<<>>>>

It was silent, Zara was looking out of the shop window and she could feel the blonde's piercing blue eyes on her.

"Do i need to be worried that your mood is gonna affect our chances in this competition."

"Im fine." she shortly responds as she tries not to seem to depressed. "Because i've won this five years and counting."

She didn't want to talk, to anybody right now. Definitely not him out of all people.

He knew how to annoy the living shit out of her and she didn't need his stupid attitude in her life right now.

"I get it. i won't let you down."

She sighed as she desperately hoped he would shut up, but he didn't want to apparently.

"You're clear what happened earlier with our DUI, right? That wasn't about the score. It was about making sure that guy sees the inside of a cell."

She wanted to slam her head against something.

"Yeah. It's just- its hard when he's the one that's bleeding out in front of you."

"Understood. But it's our job to always maintain perspective."

She sighed as she tried to push down the lump in her throat, no.

The cellphone rang, she looked at the caller to see Nell.

"Hey, so we just got a call about an armoured car robbery. Suspects were seen wearing ski masks on Wilshire and Robertson." she whispered into the phone.

"Hot damn. We're back on it." he smirked before he pushed the button for the sirens.

They wailed loudly and it sure as hell didn't help Zaras growing headache.

<<<<>>>>

They turned right to be met with a few trucks. One tried to drive out but the shop parked in front, tires screeching.

One of the robbers leaned out and shot at the shop. "Get down, Boot!" tim yells at her and she does as told, ducking down while getting out of their shop.

She took her gun and began firing along with Tim.

The gunfire stopped as the two robbers got into the back of the truck they had wanted to steal.

Zara furrows her eye brows as she watched them disappear.

"What the hell happened?" she asked still keeping her gun up.

"There's a safety feature in armoured cars that allows drivers to escape to the back under fire. They're now locked in a bulletproof fortress, and we're gonna be here all day trying to get them out."

She saw how pissed he was as he reached for the radio.

"7-Adam-19, shots fired. Suspects barricaded, requesting SWAT."

"I'll call the armoured car company. They should have a master key." she offers and he shakes his head.

"It'll take them hours to get here. Hours where Lopez and Talia are running up the score on us."

She chuckles.

"You seem more interested in that than in us getting lit up by the guys in the truck. What happened to maintaining perspective?" she mocked him and he narrowed his eyes.

"You know, save the psychoanalysis for Christmas dinner with the folks, okay? My perspective is spot-on. I want to win and put these guys behind bars."

Christmas.

literally the worst day of her entire existence.

"Yeah, i do, too. But they're not going down without a fight. We need backup." she didn't even want to engage into the holiday, it ripped open memories she had stashed at the back off her head.

Her horrid family body shamed her on christmas evening. She had then just recovered from an ED and was being healthy.

According to them her past self had been better and prettier, now she was fat and disgusting and that she should stop eating again.

15 year old her listened.

Zara shook of the past, it wasn't important.

Right now all that mattered was getting the two guys into jail. "And i called for it. Which they expect us to do. They think- They think we'll stay here all day and wait for them. Which means their guard will be down."

He lowered his gun and went back to the trunk opening it carefully. He took something, Zara didn't know what it was called but it sure as hell wasn't a key to get in there.

"Its bulletproof. You're not gonna get in with that."

He walked with his weapon up to the truck. "I don't need to get in. I need them to come out."

"They're armed and barricaded, we should wait for SWAT." she exclaims following right after him.

"The weapons won't matter if they can't see anything. Cover the back."

She did as told and rushed over to the back, not knowing what Tim was up to.

He jammed the weapon into a black thing which the brunette couldn't spot. He reached for the pepper spray on his belt as Zara continued to glance at what he was doing.

"Just add pepper spray and.." he sprayed it and then the men began coughing and crying from the spray.

The two suspects began banging on the inside of the car wanting to get out. Tim and Zara rushed over to the back waiting for them to come outside.

The doors opened as the criminals inhaled fresh air. "Drop your weapon! Down on the ground and on your stomachs!"

The men did as told as Tim yelled at them.

"Hands behind your head." Zara demands. "Felony carjacking, armed robbery, attempted murder. That's 14 more points, boot."

Fuck you and your boot.

<<<<>>>>

Brownfords shop rolled up right next to Bishop and Nolan.

"Heard you attached to a false alarm. Figured something big might be up." Tim explains and Talia raises her eyebrows.

"How'd you hear that? Did you bribe dispatch again?"

Nolan's brows furrowed as he looked at Tim who innocently looked away.

"Again?" she hisses and he shrugs.

"I just thought you might need some backup. Unless you're too focuses on getting all the points for yourself."

Zara cursed her T.O. out

In her head of course.

"We're not playing." Talia states and Tim grins.

"Well, then, you won't mind us tagging along."

Talia doesn't respond to him just rolls her eyes annoyed.

<<<<>>>>

The four cops sneaked into the back yard, their guns raised in the air. "I got a body." John whispers as he sees a corpse in the not water filled fountain.

He walked over to check for the pulse, just to find her throat slit. "They slit her throat." he mutters.

"7-Adam-15, requesting SWAT for a hostage situation, one dead, code 3." Talia says into the radio as the other three cops check their surroundings.

A woman screamed inside of the house, alerting each of them. They heard muffled screams and Nolan motioned something with his hand.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" the man that Bishop and Nolan had arrest earlier yells as the woman cries while both of them get punched repeatedly.

"Guys, we can't wait. If they've already killed one, they can kill the banker and his wife at any moment. We need to go in now." Tim explains whispering.

"So, what, we go in stealth?" Zara asks.

"Yeah. Upstairs or downstairs?" Talia nods.

"We'll take upstairs."

Bishop then disappears with Nolan, Bradford puts away his gun, preparing himself to climb up.

He got up with ease, Zara struggled, she cursed under her breath as she tried to climb up.

"Help." she shrieked and Tim rolled his eyes before stretching out a hand.

He helped her to get up to the railings.

Bradford took his gun and then waited for his boot to climb over the damn railing.

She almost did it perfectly, almost.

She fell onto the ground with a thud. Her T.O. rolled his eyes again as he helped her up.

She quietly groaned and took her gun back out of the holster.

The two then hid in a room, waiting for one of the suspects to come in.

As the cops heard him Tim nodded at the brunette and she nodded back.

Bradford pushed his arms up, letting the man shoot into the ceiling of the room.

Tim then pinned him to the ground to cuff him, the man cursed in russian.

They then lead the criminal to the other two after they heard both of them each yell a clear.

"Clear."

<<<<>>>>

The shift had ended, Zara sat on one of the benches in the dressing rooms. Lucy, Angela, Talia where also here and some other cops the brunette didn't know.

"Okay, how do we split up the points?" Lopez asks as she replies her concealer and then blends it with her brush.

"I told you." Talia says and Angela sighs.

"I know, i know. You're not playing. But we need to figure out how to split them up right."

"Its not tricky, just give him more."

Zara narrows her eyebrows, she had been listening in but not saying anything yet.

"Wait, uh, are you guys trying to rig it so Tim wins?"

Both of them turned towards her, seeing that she had turned around to face them as well.

Lopez shuts her locker glancing at Talia.

"N- Why would we do that?"

"I don't know. This-This competition is clearly an emotional thing for him. I just.."

It was silent for a few seconds before Angela began explaining while putting her jacket on.

"Its personal. From when he was a rookie."

Zara nods uttering an oh, while putting in her earrings.

"Is it Isabel?" She asks and the two woman snap their heads to her, both of them stopped moving completely as they stared at the rookie.

"I met her once. I know that they were rookies together before they got married."

It was an awkward moment for each of the three.

Lopez didn't wanna say anything so Bishop took over. "Yeah. Yeah, and they loved the round up. They had an epic competition."

Zara chuckled.

"Do you really think holding on to this is what he needs? Maybe it's better for him to lose."

"This contest is the one day a year he feels connected to her. Do you really want to take that away?"

Brown bit the inside of her cheek not knowing what to answer.

<<<<>>>>

"After some complicated math, the winner is.."

All of them sat outside of the station by the food trucks, ready to celebrate the winners.

People began drumming on the table, wanting to know who won.

"Bradford and Brown!" Lopez pointed at each of the two making Zara grin.

The police officers cheered and applauded for the winners.

"Which means their drinks are also free."

Zara stood up and her and Lopez hugged, as if she hadn't known that she'd win.

People congratulate to Tim, fist bumping him and what not.

Lopez then also hugged him while he smiled. "I'll give you a hug."

"Thank you."

Then Tim approached Zara who was sipping her lemonade, he outstretched his hand.

She chuckled before giving him a high five.

"Redhead is still waiting for you." she teased and he huffed sitting down at the table she was currently alone at.

"What do i tell her?" he asks kind of nervously, Zara wanted to laugh at him, but she remembered boss and all of that.

"Well, um- You can say you are married for starters, and if she still wants the drink after that then tell her it's completely platonic as friends." She answers.

He leans back in his seat, nodding at her words.

"What if she doesn't take it well?"

"Then you'll know for the future to never ever do that again, because what you did is totally shit." she responds and he rolls his eyes.

"Was it serious when you earlier said that she might like me?"

The brunette nodded her head.

"Otherwise she wouldn't have helped you win whatever and what not."

He sits there with a clenched jaw ans crossed arms.

"Stop sulking. You've wanted to win and that's what we did, so enjoy yourself."

He narrowed his eyes at he met her gaze. "You're also sitting here and not enjoying yourself with your friends." he states and she rolls her eyes.

"Im thinking." she huffs.

"About what?" he inquires and she leans forward. "Personal stuff. Now go talk to the ginger, she's been eyeing you up." she teases him at the end of her sentence and he stands up, not liking her tease.

"Thanks for your advice. I owe you!" He calls as he walks over to Nell.

Zara watches from a far and she begins to laugh. The look on Tim's face was worth millions when Nell stood up, rejecting him after he had rejected her.

"Damn."

<<<<>>>>

new chapter!!

thank you so so much for over 1k reads 🥹, this mean so much to me🤍

i hope y'all enjoyed it<3

-nicole

4705 words