---
[Timeline: 3 weeks after Alice woke up from her coma]
Location: Mid-Wilshire Station – Early Morning
Alice adjusted the strap of her bag as she stepped through the front doors of the precinct, a breath catching in her throat as the familiar scent of brewed coffee, printer ink, and patrol uniforms hit her like déjà vu. The station felt both familiar and foreign. She didn’t remember every face, but she remembered how being here made her feel.
Alive. Needed. Real.
“Detective Hartwell, reporting for coffee duty!” a cheerful voice called out.
Alice turned, eyes catching Celina Juarez waving a Starbucks cup triumphantly in the air, her other hand carrying what looked like a protein smoothie for herself.
“You better like vanilla sweet cream cold brew,” Celina teased, handing it over with a wink. “Because I intuited that’s your vibe.”
Alice smiled. “It’s perfect.”
Lucy Chen appeared from behind Celina. “Celina’s been gunning for the ‘Best Partner Ever’ award lately.”
Celina held up her smoothie like a trophy. “Please. I’m an intuitive oracle of caffeine.”
Lucy turned to Alice and lowered her voice a little. “How’re you holding up?”
Alice gave a small shrug. “Still some blanks. Still some nightmares. But I’m… better.”
Celina leaned in. “We got you.”
---
Meanwhile — Locker Room
Angela Lopez stood beside Nyla Harper, both women watching Tim tie his boots with robotic focus.
“Bradford,” Nyla said with a smirk. “You’ve got that glazed donut look again.”
Tim blinked up at them. “What?”
Angela laughed. “You’re thinking about Alice again, aren’t you?”
Tim grumbled. “Maybe.”
“She likes you,” Angela said simply, hands on her hips. “Again.”
Nyla raised an eyebrow. “So… don’t screw it up this time.”
He met their eyes. Something raw and hopeful flickered in his.
“I don’t plan to.”
---
Later — Operation Briefing Room
The team gathered for the day’s case. Sergeant Grey walked them through the reports — multiple pharmacy burglaries, likely connected, all happening late at night and with a suspect seen wearing a fox mask.
“We’re going to need coordination between detectives and patrol,” Grey said, glancing toward Alice and Tim.
Alice looked up and met Tim’s eyes across the room. For a second, it was just the two of them.
Then Tim gave her a small nod.
She returned it.
Celina elbowed Alice gently. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Alice whispered. “Just… something clicked.”
---
Case Development — That Night
The team split up. Alice, Celina, and Lucy reviewed surveillance footage while John and Bailey canvassed the nearby clinics and pharmacies. Angela and Nyla worked intel. Aaron Thorsen cross-checked vehicle sightings.
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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...
