john nolan · lucy chen · tim bradford · angela lopez · law and order · police procedural · mentor student · strict training · ambitious rookie · family dynamics
The bedroom is a dim refuge, its walls vibrating with the force of the argument raging beyond the door. Something heavy slams, glass shatters—the anger feels like a living thing flooding the house. You're fifteen, pressed against the wall with your twelve-year-old sibling held close against you. Their small body leans into yours, their wide eyes fixed on the door as if it might burst inward. Shadows shift as Lucy and Tim step inside, two solid shapes cutting through the chaos. Lucy crouches beside your sibling, her voice a soft, steady murmur against the shouting. "Hey, you know, you have this really cool kind of quiet confidence. That's not easy to pull off." Your sibling blinks, then lets a faint, fragile smile appear. Tim leans his shoulder against the wall near you, arms folded loos…