Saving Lucy

Lila Turns 2

1 week later.
Our whole circle of friends happened to get the day off. Me and Tim have done pretty well at separating work and home life. My court hearing with Emmett went as expected , he tried saying me being a cop made me unfit mother. The court pretty much laughed at him. He gets her every other weekend, and we will split holidays. Every mother Christmas morning she will have with me as well as Easter. Luckily this year I get her first for Christmas. For her Birthday I invited Emmett to her party at Tim's which he scoffed about but will be coming. And here we are party day.
"Tim, can you help me hang these streamers please?"
"Sure boot. Here." He climbed on the ladder beside me holding my hip and grabbed the roll. He then climbed down and strung it across the balcony. I smiled thinking how Emmett used to make me do it all alone. I think me and Tim will progress and make a nice family. But for now this is nice.
Once everything was set up Lila woke up from her nap in her pack n play I brought with us for today. "Pawty?" She asked I nodded at her.

I picked her up took her to get changed and then we headed to Tim's backyard where Lopez, Wesley, Jackson, and Bishop waited.
"Hey guys thanks for coming!"
"Thank you!" Lila squealed at them causing me to giggle.
"Mommy it so pwetty." She beamed with a huge smile.
"Only best for you." I touched her nose.
"Daddy!!" She jumped from my arms and ran to him giving him a hug.
I looked at him and he looked away from me.
"How's my princess?"
"I miss you." She said.
"I miss you too baby. You get to come stay with Daddy after your party. How's that sound?"
"Good." She put a thumb up at him.
I went to the kitchen to pull out the snacks and in walked Emmett. We were alone I felt my body go stiff.
"So you shacking up with pretty boy now?" He asked .
"No, he just let me use his yard for the party to save me from paying for a venue." I told him.
"Next time ask me. She's my kid too Lucy." He told me sons got a little too close for my liking. "and I don't appreciate you prancing around with her like she's Tim's. I know everything Lucy. And I will make you pay, one way or another." I was now backed into a corner and felt trapped.
"What's going in here?" Nolan came in and then Tim.
"Lucy you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah. He's just helping me with the food." I handed Emmett a platter of food. "Right Emmett?"
"Yeah." He said and stalked off.
"Here guys help me out." I handed the other men plates as well. And when they all were gone I let the tears come out. But only for a second . It is Lilas birthday and I need to strong.
After everyone ate I asked Lila if she was ready to do presents.
"Yes mommy!"
"Here take pictures for us please Angela?" I smiled.
"Of course! Here mama." She took the camera. "Smile you 2." She snapped a picture of us before the presents and then we started.
She got clothes from Emmetts mom and dad.
Emmett got her a Marshall fire truck. I got her dance lessons and some cute dance clothes. The neighbor said if I'm working she had no problem walking her down the road a little bit for practices. Lopez and Wesley got her a cop and lawyer Barbie. JacksonWest got her a cop uniform and a light saber. Which she played with for 5 minutes before deciding to go back to her presents. She then opened a art set from Nolan. Bishop got her an outfit that made her look like baby Yoda. She loved it. And lastly Tim got her a indoor play set with a tower and slide. She was beyond excited and gave him the biggest hug.
"Thank you so much everyone. To have you all here is a blessing and Lila loves everything you guys got her." She blew them all a kiss from my arms. "I'm going to go get the cake in just a few after I clean this all up." I smiled.
"Here let me help." Tim said grabbing the bag and helping me collect all the paper. We stacked all the toys and clothes in the few bags the gifts were in and it all fit. I looked around and Lila was sitting with Emmett playing with her art set.
"What happened earlier?" He asked me.
"Nothing. It was nothing. I'm gonna go grab the cake and plates okay?" I said.
"Sure I'll finish up here." He said.

I walked in the kitchen and not even a few minute later Emmett was in there again.
"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy."
"Emmett can't you just leave me alone for Lila's sake?" I snapped.
"No. I want you back as my good little house wife. Not out there playing a bimbo cop. And I always get what I want." He sneered at me.
"Well good luck trying because I'm gone Emmett. You lost me."
"LIKE HELL I DID." He roared shoving me into a wall where I hit my head off something hard.
"Get off her." Tim came in shoving Emmett off me and into a wall. "You lay one more hand on her and you'll be fucking sorry." Tim said. "You can either leave Lucy alone the rest of the party or you can leave now and return for Lila at the end of the block when it's over. It's your choice." Tim said.
"I will get you back Lucy." Emmett walked away to the backyard.
"Are you okay?" He tilted my head up to inspect my eyes.
"Yeah I'm just shook up." I nodded. "Let's go the guests are waiting." I smiled.
I grabbed the cake and off we went.
Lila sat on my lap with Tim by my side and Emmett on the other as everyone sang Happy Birthday and then Lila blew her candles out.
"What did you wish for baby girl?"
"For daddy to stop hurting mommy. I saw him in the kitchen." With that Emmett stomped off and everyone looked saddened.
"Let's eat cake." I smiled.
"Hold on let me get a picture."  Lopez said. "Tim lean in there." She snapped the picture. "Perfect. Now we eat!" She smiled. 

After cake I helped Lila get changed into shorts and a tank top and packed her clothes to come home in.
"You have fun with daddy and be a good girl okay?" I asked her.
"I want to stay with you mommy."
"I know baby but daddy misses you and wants to see you. I'll see you Monday after work."
"Okay mommy. Me wuv you." She hugged me really tight.
"If you need anything call me." I said to Emmett.
"We'll be fine. Bye." He said and yanked Lila in his arms and left.
I slid down the side of Tim's house and cried. I'm scared. Emmett clearly isn't thinking right now and he has my daughter. What if he gets drunk and forgets to change her or gets mean.
"Lucy!" Angela came around "are you okay? TIM ITS LUCY!" She yelled.
"I'm fine. I'm fine."
"Did he hurt you? I'll kill him." Tim said crouching down beside me. I shook my head.
"I'm scared for Lila. I don't trust him." I said.
"He won't do something stupid enough to hurt her." Angela sat down beside me. Soon everyone was out by me on the ground. Nolan brought beer.
"Here." He passed one to everyone.
"Is this from my fridge boot?" Tim asked looking at the label.
"I owe you." Nolan raised an eyebrow.
"Damn right." He said.
I cried and drank.
"I need something stronger." I nodded.
"Wesley got get 2 bottles of tequila, 2 bottles of jack." She looked at him.
"You got it."
"Come on Lucy. Let's go sit not on the ground beside my house." Tim said and helped me up.
"Go ahead guys we'll catch up." I nodded holding Tim back.
I pulled him into a hug and held on to him like a life raft.
"She'll be okay honey." He said running his hand soothingly on my back.
"Thank you."
"How is it that fucker gets within feet of you and you come out bruised and crying, but you can take down a 200 lb suspect in one move?"
"I don't know..." I said shaking my head.
"This angers me." He pointed to my neck from when I was pushed against the wall.
"I know... but I'm used to it."
"And you shouldn't be. I shouldn't have left your side today." His nostrils flared a little bit but I wasn't scared at all. I trusted Tim 100%.
"Let's go before they miss us."

Once Wesley can back I took 3 shots of tequila with Lime and salt. And I felt so much better. Lopez matched me.
"Woah." Wesley said his eyes getting huge as Lopez raised and eyebrow and smirked at him.

We all sat around and drank and everyone laughed and told stories about there rookie days or the academy but after an hour or so my mind kept going to what is Lila doing? Is Emmett watching her? I had to know...

I got up and went to the bathroom. I looked myself in the mirror and kept telling myself I needed to just relax and enjoy myself. Mirror talking/pep talks is another thing I learned in college.
But it just didn't work... I went to my car got in and started it. I went over wether I was safe or not to drive. I was fine. So, I started to drive to Emmett's but I stopped myself. And just went home and laid in Lila's bed and cried. I don't know how I'll survive this arrangement.

Tim's POV
"Lucy's taking a while , will you go check on her Lopez? I feel clueless. I'm used to strong confident badass Lucy. Not this fragile confused Lucy..." I shook my head. I still feel like I can't live without her I just don't know how to help her. Emmett makes her weak...  sorry to say and I hate him for it. I'm used to her being a cocky badass. I don't mind holding her and being there for her. I always will, she makes me caring and soft for her and I love her for that. Wait, what! I almost spit my beer out.
"Um, Tim. Lucy's not in the bathroom and her cars gone." Lopez told me.
"What?? She's had way too much to drink. She wouldn't do that." I said.
"Well she did. But Tim she really didn't drink like us. She had those 3 shots but her bottles still full. And the one beer she asked for is half gone that's it."
"Yeah I haven't drank much either I'll drive. We'll go check her apartment and we can decide from there." Wesley said.
"No there's no we decide. It's me decide what to do." I said.
"Tim she probably just needs some space. She's been through a lot." Lopez told me. Damn, she was right.
"Why do I keep falling for girls that turn into this.. worrying and stressing."
"She is not Isabel. And you knew what she was going through before you decided to tell her she meant something to you. You can't just go give up or compare her to someone she's nothing like."
"She's right. Lucy's something special. She wasn't like this when she first started the academy." John told me.
I took a big mouthful of beer and swallowed.
"What do you mean?"
"Well Lucy never cried not even when she was tazed in the academy. No she just stood up strong and walked it off." West said. My eyes got big. Even I cried.
"She was confident. Much like she is when she's on a call. She held her head high. Then one day she came in and I could tell something was different." John took a drink of his beer and exhaled. "She looked in pain. But then we did a drill or practiced a stop and she seemed confident again. I blame Emmett."
"Well what do you want to do?" Lopez asked.
"Just make sure she's home then message me."  I said to West since they live together.
"Alright we're heading home. Hey, she's good for you. Makes you a better man. This will get better." She kissed my cheek then left with Wesley.
"Night I'm heading out to." Nolan said.