Bradford handled it like he always did — fast, direct, all business.
But Alice...
She knelt beside one of the girls holding a phone and smiled warmly.
"Didn't realize we were going viral this morning," she said. "But the neighbors aren't your biggest fans."
The girl blinked, surprised at the soft approach. "Sorry... we're just doing a birthday stream."
Alice nodded. "Want to make a cool birthday memory? Help us turn this down before my partner uses his scary voice."
The girl giggled and complied.
Back in the car, Darren turned to Alice. "You're not what I expected in a cop."
"Let me guess," she said. "Less shouty, more Alice-in-Wonderland?"
"Exactly."
Tim glanced at her in the rearview. "Just wait. The tea parties don't last forever."
---
10:22 AM – Armed Robbery in Progress
The call came fast.
Two suspects robbing a corner store in Boyle Heights. Weapons visible. Hostages unconfirmed.
Tim's posture shifted instantly — all tension and readiness. Alice straightened in her seat, eyes narrowing.
"You stay in the car," Tim ordered Darren. "No exceptions."
Darren nodded, face pale.
They approached silently. Tim went left, Alice right.
One suspect bolted out the back door. Alice gave chase.
"LAPD! Stop!"
The suspect glanced back — then stumbled on the curb. Alice tackled him, hard, rolling over gravel.
He swung a fist — she ducked, struck his knee, and got him cuffed in seconds.
Back at the car, Tim had the other suspect down, face in the pavement.
Darren stared, speechless.
Tim turned to Alice. "You good?"
She nodded, brushing dirt from her hands. "He didn't even get a punch in this time."
Tim stared at her a little longer than necessary.
Then muttered, "Nice work, Rabbit."
---
--
12:05 PM – Lunch Break in the Cruiser
They sat in the car beneath the shade of a rusted billboard that once advertised soda, now faded to a whisper of color. Traffic hummed in the background, and Darren — the ride-along — was scrolling through his phone in the back seat, mercifully quiet.
Tim Bradford sat behind the wheel, munching on a protein bar. Alice, in the passenger seat, cradled a pale blue thermos of tea like it was an old friend.
"You always bring that thing?" Darren asked.
"She'd sooner leave her gun behind," Tim muttered.
Alice smiled. "Tea is my weapon of choice."
"Seriously though," Darren said, leaning forward a little. "You two are... kind of opposites, huh?"
Tim gave him a look through the rearview mirror. "We're not a buddy cop movie."
Alice turned slightly, eyes glinting. "Maybe not, but if we were, I'd be the charmingly chaotic one with a mysterious backstory."
Tim snorted. "You got the chaos part right."
YOU ARE READING
Rabbit Hearts & Bulletproof Vests || Tim Bradford??
FanfictionAlice Hartwell never wanted to be a hero - just someone who could run toward the chaos and still feel the world's poetry through it. But when she joins the LAPD as a rookie and is paired with the infamously hard-edged Tim Bradford, she finds herself...
Hearts Behind The Badge
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