---
[07:48 AM | Alice & Tim’s Apartment – Email Meltdown]
Tim found Alice standing in front of her laptop in their home office, her expression horrified.
“Everything is gone,” she whispered. “The files. The backup. Even my desktop cat icon.”
Tim blinked. “What do you mean gone?”
She turned to him slowly, wide-eyed. “My files were organized by emotional tone, Tim. Emotional tone! And now they’re just—just dust!”
He cautiously walked over. “Okay, okay. We’ll restore them.”
“THE CAT FILE IS GONE, TIMOTHY.”
Kojo wisely retreated under the couch.
---
[08:20 AM | LAPD HQ – System Failure]
Alice wasn’t the only one. Squad computers, evidence databases, even the parking system went down.
John Nolan stood at his desk holding a physical folder like it was a relic. “I haven’t touched paper since 2023.”
Celina muttered, “We’re being hacked. Definitely. Maybe by a criminal. Maybe by karma.”
Angela confirmed it moments later. “It’s a cyber attack — and we’re the target.”
---
[10:14 AM | Wesley & Angela’s House – Emergency Chill Session]
Tim had taken Alice to Angela and Wesley’s for lunch and a tactical regroup.
Except Alice was currently in their kitchen, rage-peeling an orange. “I’m just saying, if whoever did this doesn’t want to be tracked down and hexed, they better hope I never get my hands on their IP address.”
Tim sat at the table across from Wesley, visibly sweating.
Angela handed him a mug. “Tea. For your survival.”
Tim groaned. “Is this… normal?”
“Oh, it gets worse,” Wesley offered helpfully. “One time Angela threw an entire avocado at me because I looked at her funny.”
Angela smirked. “You did look smug.”
Tim winced. “She sobbed over an oatmeal commercial this morning, then wanted to punch the toaster.”
Angela laughed. “Textbook.”
---
[10:29 AM | Mood Swing Survival Tips – Bradford Style]
Angela leaned in. “Here’s the key: don’t solve the mood swing. Survive the mood swing. Validate. Nod. Offer snacks.”
“Backrubs help,” Wesley added. “So does letting her win arguments you didn’t know you were in.”
“Buy her three types of chocolate,” Angela said.
“And label them based on emotional tiers,” Wesley finished.
Tim blinked. “Do you guys have a chart?”
Angela pulled out her phone. “We do now.”
---
[11:15 AM | Drive Home – The Quiet After the Storm]
In the car, Alice stared out the window. “I yelled at Kojo.”
“He forgave you.”
“I yelled at a toaster.”
“It… probably deserved it.”
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...
