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6.08 | Punch Card

#eeeeeeeeeeek #this is going to be interestinggggggg #(also it should be illegal for men to look that good in what's essentially a t-shirt???) #chenford #the rookie #6x08

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Do you truly think they will get back together?

I really do, anon! With some other couples my answer wouldn’t be so confident, but Tim and Lucy have proven before that they have what it takes to make it through this.

Let’s start with Tim. Yes, he’s in a really bad place right now. But he’s shown us (and Lucy) over and over again that he’s able and willing to change. Every single time she’s called him out on his behavior, he has eventually accepted responsibility for it, learned from it, and changed it. Already, in the aftermath of this breakup, he’s accepted that he needs help. I fully anticipate that he will reach the point of being able to understand and accept what he’s done and take responsibility for it as well and work to make sure it doesn't happen again.

He’s also earned Lucy’s trust before. At the beginning she didn’t trust him at all - justifiably, given how volatile he was. But as he healed, he became someone she could trust on the job. And eventually outside of the job. She’s seen him change. She knows he’s capable of it. And I think once they’re communicating better and she understands what triggered him to walk away from her, she'll also be able to see that he's putting in the work to ensure he doesn't stay in this place where he might make the same decision again. With that understanding and seeing the changes, she'll be able to begin rebuilding trust.

And let’s not forget (something @timandlucy pointed out to me earlier) that Tim forgave Isabel. She disappeared, stole from him, lied, and cheated, yet Tim was willing to forgive her. He knows what it's like to be in that position. And again, I think once he’s in a better place, he’s going to understand that Lucy now has to do what he once did and that it’s not going to be easy.

Along those lines, let's talk about Lucy. From day one, it's been made clear that empathy is a core piece of who she is. She understands that people make bad decisions when they're in a bad place, but that this doesn't define who they are as a person. She’s understands why people do the things they do. She believes people can change, and she believes in second chances.

And even though right now she doesn't fully understand how deep Tim's issues run, she still knows him. She knows he struggles with his feelings and she knows he carries trauma that he hasn't dealt with. She knows he sometimes makes irrational decisions guided by his heightened emotions. She knows he struggles to ask for help.

But she also knows his heart. She knows he cares deeply. She knows he's willing to do anything for the people he loves (even if it's not actually the right thing to do). Tim is so scared of her finding out what he did and who he is - but the thing he can't see is that she already knows who he is. He says he can't give her what she needs, but again, she knows that's not true. Maybe right now he can't, but he is capable of it and she knows that, too. He just needs help getting to that place.

Is winning her trust back going to be easy? Absolutely not. And I don't want it to be. Lucy has every right to be hurt and angry and protective of her heart. She has every right to set boundaries and demand an adult conversation with him. You can be empathetic without being a pushover.

It's not going to be an easy journey and it's not going to be a quick one. It's gonna take a lot of communication and vulnerability and emotional maturity. But I really truly believe that once they can overcome these issues, they're going to be so much stronger.

(Sorry, that may have been a much longer answer than you were looking for. Long story short, yes. I do.)

#ALL OF THIS!!!!!!! #chenford

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Long analysis and parallel of Tim x Lucy vs. Owen x Cristina (Grey's Anatomy) regarding trauma below the cut.

I rewatched 6x07 yesterday afternoon while resting, and that awkward ending scene with Tim and Lucy.

I previously compared Tim and Lucy to Owen and Cristina from Grey's Anatomy, when Owen has PTSD from the war and continues to push Cristina aware for fear of tainting her with his trauma and because he doesn't feel deserving of his love. Cristina tells him she knows what she can handle and she'll decide when enough is enough.

Which is what Lucy should have had the option to do and why I loved her speech to Grey so much.

"Shouldn't I be the one to decide what I deserve and if I even want better?" Yes, Lucy, you should.

The ending scene of 6x07 reminded me of Owen and Cristina yet again. In Greys, they break up early on and try and give each other space.

One of their first meetings after the break up, Owen is coming off the elevator, and they try to have a conversation, but can't. All Owen can say is "Take care now."

Cristina ends up confronting him after work, calling him out for being happy that day and trying to make small talk.

"Take care now?! What even is that??"

Owen hands her a piece of paper, which she reads aloud.

"Hey there now"

"Take care now"

"Nice work, Yang"

He explains that these are all three word sentences he and his therapist came up with so that he would have something he could say to her that wasn't the three words he wanted to say "I love you."

"The three words that you know I feel but cannot say, because it would be cruel to say them to you, because I'm no good for you. I don't want to torture you. I don't want to look at you longingly when I know I can't be with you. So yeah, I'm smiling. And I'm saying things like take care now."

I'm seeing so many takes lately that Tim was cold and aloof, and how dare he make small talk like nothing is happening.

THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT.

He's making the small talk and he's keeping his distance because he's in love with Lucy and yet doesn't feel good enough for her. He thinks she deserves better. And so he's trying to get her to move on. Which is stupid, yes. I agree. Lucy should get to decide what she wants and deserves, as she said.

But Tim cannot see past that. He is quite literally his own worst enemy right now.

I'm hopeful that through therapy, he can begin to see that this relationship is about the both of them and that he can learn to love himself and understand that he is worthy of love and that Lucy loves him fiercely, inspite of his flaws.

#yes to all of this #chenford

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#mmhmmm #chenford #linstead #tim bradford #lucy chen #erin lindsay #jay halstead

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One thing I'm noticing in some of the fandom reactions to this breakup and the aftermath is that the characters have been put on a pedestal and are being judged against some pretty unrealistic standards. They get raked over the coals for every single mistake. I've seen it with both characters but recently I've seen it the most with Tim.

Don't get me wrong, in no way am I condoning his current behavior. He's made multiple mistakes and he's broken Lucy's trust and her heart. He absolutely needs to be held accountable for all of these things and he owes her an apology and that adult conversation and a whole lot more if they're gonna be able to be together again.

But what he's doing right now, his imperfect actions as he navigates this period of his life... it's very human. This is a man who is at rock bottom, and when you're drowning in the weight of your own trauma like he is, you often don't have the strength to see beyond that and understand how your actions are impacting the people around you. He's not being cruel (which, by the way, implies intentionality to one's actions) by breaking up with her or denying her that conversation. He's drowning.

He truly can't see that she's *not* better off without him. He can't see how much he's hurt her, and that he continues to hurt her with his actions. I don't even think he could answer her questions right now about why he did what he did, because he doesn't fully understand it himself. He can't see anything beyond his own lack of self-worth. Right now, expecting him to be able to fully comprehend what he's done and why is completely unrealistic.

Now, does this excuse his behavior? Absolutely not. But it does explain it.

And the thing that's bothering me the most is the posts saying Tim doesn't deserve Lucy's forgiveness. This is a man who has completely fallen apart but is finally taking the first steps toward healing. Shouldn't he be given a chance at redemption before being written off as unforgivable? And shouldn't Lucy be the one to decide whether to forgive him?

Again, I'm not defending his actions. He has a lot of work to do on himself and he has a lot of work to do to gain back Lucy's trust. It's not going to be easy. But to say he doesn't deserve forgiveness without even giving him a chance? That's pretty harsh. He doesn't deserve to spend the rest of his life being defined by his worst moments. No one does.

#ALL OF THIS #THANK YOU #they're not perfect #they're human #if you want a characters that make no mistakes (and are therefore boring and shallow as hell) I direct you to John Nolan and Bailey Nune #< dying over this tag #Tim and Lucy are complex #and imperfect #and should be given a chance to grow and learn #rather than being cancelled for their mistakes #I sure hope if I ever screwed up like this but took accountability for it the people in my life would be more supportive and understanding #chenford #the rookie #lucy chen #tim bradford #literally stealing all your tags

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#hahaahhahahahaa

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I have to say, that last scene between Lucy and Tim brought me some kind of peace and comfort… and I really didn't expect that. At. All. I just love how Lucy stood up for herself and set her boundaries when Tim was started to pretend this was just another day at the office. But more than that, it's how this conversation (or lack thereof) actually seemed to have brought her some sort of closure. Not the one she hoped, clearly. But she finally realised that what Tim was going through was so much deeper than she thought. And she finally accepted that it was something that he had to do on his own - for now. For someone who has always tried to help people, him even more so, admitting that he needs help from someone else besides her is a huge moment. This is Lucy 'has no quit' Chen we are talking about.

And that was the exact wake-up call Tim needed. Because he finally realised that if he doesn't do the work, he is about to lose her for good. Not just as a girlfriend. But lose her completely. His little smile, the tears in his eyes when he sees her… The fact that he was trying to pretend that they could go back to 'normal'… The man was spiraling but didn't even understand how bad that was until THAT moment. To see her 'give up' on him was really what shook him to the core. And finally accept that yes, he needs help. We know that Lucy's opinion is the one that has always mattered the most to him, that she has often been able to get through to him like no one else… and she did again. She doesn't know it yet...

#i completely agree #i'm proud of both of them #and feel really hopeful about where this is going #from both a character perspective and story perspective #chenford #the rookie #tim bradford #lucy chen #6x07

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his face right here!! 😭😭😭 he’s been spiraling the whole episode, lashing out at people, trying to deny everything. all it took was lucy not avoiding him for him to have a little smile on his face and some relief.

i just want them to be happy. i know they need I go through this though, they need it because they need to be better at communicating.

but it is really painful to see them lol this 💔

#ouch #it hurts my heart #he loves her so much #but he's so blinded by his own shortcomings #that he truly believes that she'll not only be better off without him #but that she'll just somehow be okay and normal after this #the idiot #chenford #the rookie #6x07

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Why would a man struggling with the decisions he’s made his whole adult life go to the effort of asking for help, and then make the decision to sleep with his therapist? Just… why?

#not a snowball's chance in hell #(not to mention it would be suicide for the show) #chenford #the rookie #tim bradford

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I feel surprisingly at peace after 6x07. Did it hurt to see the previously on or hear "breaking up with Lucy" and "the breakup" and Smitty's equal parts hilarious and painful survey? Yes, for sure.

But... this episode gave me more hope than ever that they are really diving into this story, and things are already starting to head in the direction I'd hoped for.

I like that there's awkwardness and tension - frankly it would be bizarre if there wasn't.

I like that Lucy isn't just sitting around sad and heartbroken, girl deserves to be angry over the way this went down.

I like that Tim came to the realization that he needs therapy on his his own, and wasn't just forced into it by the department.

I really need to know what Therapist Lady is up to (I'm leaning more toward she's being blackmailed by the Big Bad than anything else?), but she read Timbo like a book.

The podcar episodes are hit and miss for me, but the one thing I enjoy about them is that they usually lead to the whole team working on one case. And that team dynamic is a huge draw for me here. It really felt a lot like an early season episode, which was really great.

#chenford #the rookie #6x07 #tim bradford #lucy chen

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“I love you so much,” Tim breathes into her hair. “I love you too,” she whispers, and in the aftermath of her words she feels the tension leave his body along with his shaky exhale. Lucy tightens her arms around him, holding him up and keeping him close, drawing out their goodbye just a little longer. They’re slow to separate, taking a half-step back as they lazily begin to untangle their limbs. Tim slides his hands up to cradle her jaw, and Lucy lifts her eyes to his, finds them shimmering with tears as he gazes down at her. “Thank you,” he murmurs, tipping forward to press his lips to her forehead. It’s so excruciatingly similar to that night and yet it feels so different this time, the gesture filled with hope rather than heartache. “For what?” Lucy wraps her hands around his biceps, fingers digging into his skin as she holds him close. Tim leans back just enough to meet her eyes once more, and in his watery gaze she sees hope and gratitude and adoration and boundless love. “Giving me a second chance.”

-From the ashes by @makeitastrength (submitted by @queseraone)

#just reading this again right now makes me scream #it's so so so so perfect and full circle and gorgeous #and i just know canon will probably disappoint and never measure up to this perfect fic #chenford fanfic quotes #chenford

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6.07 | Crushed

#ugggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh #crushed like my heart #chenford #the rookie #6x07

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#😂😂😂

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April 30th.

So tomorrow it's...

gonna

gonna

gonna

gonna

#🫢🫢🫢🫢

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Still, after that moment, she’d still planned to get it removed. It took her a while sitting with his words before her plans changed. It wasn’t until she realized she’d forgotten to continue the countdown, until one day she ran out the door without bothering with the concealer and then one day she realized she never went back applying it again, until she noticed that when she stared at it in the mirror the tattoo was suddenly sparking strength and gratitude for her survival instead of grief and no longer a surprise to see. She remembers when they had looked at the other victims, before she was taken. They had seen the tattoos etched on their skin. Those tattoos had still been fresh and dark, never fading the way hers had begun to. She feels a sense of tribute to those other victims, a sense of power over her own life, to be a woman who actually gets to live with the tattoo. A survivor.

-just as long as i'm the name on your tattooed heart by @stina-bo-bina (submitted by @queseraone)

#LOVED this story!!! #“to be a woman who actually gets to live with the tattoo” #*shivers* #so powerful #chenford #chenford fanfic quotes

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Hello everyone! 👋

Just popping in with a(nother) request to please spam our inbox with quotes from any and all fics! Every submission is welcome and will be added to the queue (we shuffle it every time we add new quotes to mix things up!)

We've been posting 3 quotes per day, but we may have to reduce if we don't see more submissions come in (with this schedule, we'll be completely out of quotes in 11 days...)

Thank you, and happy reading!! 💕

#chenford #the rookie #chenford fanfic quotes #chenford fanfiction #please don't my nagging be for nothing #ao3 is fullllll of great fic #so please send in alllllll the quotes!!

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"I know you care about me–love me,” she corrects herself, smiling at the word. “And I don't doubt that you want to be with me or anything–"  "Lucy." "Right… I just… I've never been in love before. Not really, you know? I had relationships before, but you were the one that changed everything for me.” She smiles softly, fidgeting with her hands. “I know what you had with Isabel was special, and I had a front-row seat to how much you loved her, and how much losing her nearly destroyed you. But I guess I always thought she was the one that got away for you. The love of your life nothing else would compare to." Lucy feels bare. It's the ultimate hidden part of her that she's sharing with him, and it feels like a rock has been lifted from her chest. Whatever happens next, the truth is out. Her doubts and insecurities are all on the table.

-you can see it with the lights out by @timandlucy (submitted by @chenfordspiral)

#looooove this one #it's so vulnerable and intimate and soft #chenford fanfic quotes #chenford