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Halloween is Lucy's second favorite holiday, Christmas being her first, and she intends to celebrate it in her favorite camping spot. Tim has been a little strange around her since the morning she found him in her kitchen cooking up a storm, she had fallen asleep as he was talking . He had tidied the area boxing up all the food before he left, and now he is acting ...., not cold per se but also not his usual self.
She's back on days too, she smiles at him during roll call and he gives a non committal half smiles in return. " Bradford, Chen, you can ride together today I'm taking Penn so I can evaluate him, be safe out there people" Grey says before stepping out.
She starts to leave and Tim calls her name, " Lucy"
She turns, "Umm, yeah".
"Are we ok? I mean ..., you know since I was at your apartment, I um, I didn't know if I overstepped you know"?
"Is that why you're acting weird"? She asks frowning.
"I didn't know I was, weirder than usual? It doesn't matter, look I know you were tired from work, I understand that, even if I was pouring my heart out, how much of that did you hear? Cos you haven't texted or kept in touch , I thought maybe you were pissed at me for trying to ..., rush us back together, I understand if you don't want that".
She furrows her brows clearly confused, " I have no idea what you are talking about Tim, I remember you in my kitchen, a hazy memory of you talking, then I woke alone with a weeks worth of food, thanks by the way, and I haven't text cos nights, hectic right, and I thought you were pissed that I passed out".
"Me pissed? At you? No, So are we good"? He asks again.
"Of course we are good, look if you want to pour your heart out again in private with my full attention come camping with me for Halloween, I go most years , usually alone , just me and nature, but I would love you to come along".
"Really, yeah , yeah thanks Lucy, you can fill me in while you drive". He hands her the keys after getting the war bags.
“You are letting me drive? Are you ok”? She asks astounded.
“Mmm, toothache, been in pain a couple of days, took some painkillers but I can't get in at my dentist until after Halloween”.
“Well, I'm sure I can take your mind off it, we can share a sleeping bag, keep each other warm”. She teases with an raised brow.
He agrees and they buckle in and start their day. Halloween is the day after tomorrow, they are both at work during the day and Lucy is driving him because she knows where the campsite is, its not on any maps, Lucy calls it the enchanted forest, it's beautiful and peaceful, somewhere she can be fully one with nature.
“Look I have all the equipment, I go there a lot, it’s a good place to think… you know, and I've had a lot to think about this year”.
“I know, sorry”. He replies looking guilty.
“Hey, don't go there ok, I said I've forgiven you and I have, just bring clothes, and our dog, It’s two nights under the stars in the most amazing setting, we can drop by yours and pick Kojo up straight after work”.
Halloween day is the usual mix of crazy, the toothache no better, but once the paperwork is complete and they are on the road they are both in good spirits. Tim has topped up on his pain meds, Lucy sings in the car as she drives, Tim loves hearing her sing. He is fully relaxed for the first time in a long time.
Lucy drives for two hours, Kojo asleep in the back of the car. She pulls onto a mud track that turns into a tree lined wonder land, Tim has no knowledge of this place and he grew up in LA. “Beautiful right”? She smiles at the awe in his eyes.
“Wow, how’d you find this place”? He gasps, his eyes full of the wonder that kids get on Christmas morning.
“It kind of found me after Caleb, I was driving, in my head, and then I saw the mud track, never saw it before, most people don't see it, but I turned off, was going for a hike anyhow, but what I found here….., it keeps me coming back, revitalizes me every time, like a tonic”.
The tree tunnel goes on for almost a mile, trees in full fall colors, , Tim looks up, it should be dusk, had been dusk before they turned off,,the sun here though is full in the sky. She leans towards him as though she wants to whisper, he leans in too “Magic”. She says as full of wonder as he is.
“No such thing as magic Lucy, I agree things can look magical, and this does, but actual magic is just cheep illusions invented by very clever people”.
“Timmm, you have to believe or it won't work, or worse it will do something awful to you”.
“The forest”? He turns his mouth down and furrows his brow, “You sound like Celina, maybe you should pick your roommates more carefully”.
“It’s almost 8.pm, you can see the sunshine right”?
“He nods and shrugs, I'm not saying this is explainable, though it probably is, I'm saying it's not magic no matter how beautiful it is”.
Lucy rolls her eyes, she’s used to his everything-is-black-and-white nature, she pulls into a small clearing and parks, Tim lets Kojo out and he wanders around sniffing out the area while they set up the tent. Tim builds a fire. They are close to the most amazing lake Tim has ever seen, the water so clear he can see fish, a waterfall, the sound so soothing, he can't wait to dive in, trees alive with wildlife, bird calls he can never recall hearing.
Lucy is right about being close to nature, “ This is nice, thank you for inviting me”.
“You are welcome, it’s nice to have company for once, wanna come collect some wood, bring Kojo, I'm sure there is a whole area he hasn't sniffed yet”.
“What about big wildlife? Bears and stuff”? He asks.
“I'm sure there are some but I never saw them, this is a mellow place”.
It is until later, Tim wants to catch dinner, but it's almost like the fish are watching him, and blatantly ignoring him, he’s hungry, the pain meds are wearing off and frustration is starting to set in.
“You got some more advil”? Lucy asks as she fills a pan with lake water and sets it over the fire, she chops some chives and picks and washes some mushrooms and something she discovered there that tastes a lot like garlic. Tim wrinkles his nose at the sight of the mushrooms.
He casts his line again, “Yeah I put them in my bag, I’ll take some in a while”. He watches Lucy eat the mushrooms with a grimace. “Yuck”. He mutters.
“They taste like fried dough Tim, you should try them”. She says shoveling more into her mouth, nothing here is as it seems, I promise you”.
“Stop trying to make me believe in magic and help me catch a fish please”.
“Did you have lunch”? She asks.
“On Halloween? No I didn't have time for lunch”. He huffs.
“So you are taking pain meds on an empty stomach”?
“Stop nagging, just fucking help”. He growls.
“Nag? Is that what I do Tim,? wow, well good thing you don't have to put up with it full time now isn't it? You know what, good luck trying to catch the fish, and just so you know they taste like cough linctus, I'm going to bed, fuck you Tim”.
“Lucy! I didn't mean…, fuck”. She zips up the tent leaving him talking to himself, Kojo is with her, total traitor. Tim goes through his bag cursing, when he took meds earlier he forgot to repack them. “Fucking perfect”. He shouts at the sky, it causes the birds to take flight from the trees. He kicks the nearest tree and stomps off into the forest clutching his aching tooth.
This is not how tonight was supposed to go, Lucy has come here for peace and tranquility, and as usual he has disappointed her. He sits under a large tree, “why am I this way huh? Why was I even born? I am the worst kind of human, can I even be called human huh? I am pathetic, Lucy would prefer me if I was something fuzzy, a bear maybe, fuck I don't know, I guess I blew any chance of winning her back”.
He sits a while in his misery before heading back to camp and sitting by the fire, the pain from his tooth unbearable, also it is suddenly too dark to see and fucking cold. He grumbles as he looks at the tent, his dog in his sleeping bag. He lies beside the fire shaking, in pain and hungry, until he falls into a fitful sleep.
Lucy wakes early, she notices Tim hasn't entered the tent, Kojo is whining to be let out, she stretches and yawns, she can see him lying beside the now dead fire, an outline of his sleeping form through the thin material of the tent, he looks bigger, looks like he is wrapped in a big blanket.
“Stubborn idiot”. She mumbles. “Kojo buddy, go wake Dad up, ready? come on boy”. She opens the tent and Kojo starts barking, his hackles rise as he stiffens, every muscle taut. “Kojo hush, what’s gotten into you”? He is barking at the sleeping figure, when she looks closer she sees it is not Tim but a large brown bear. “Holy fuck”.
She grabs Kojo’s collar, tries to drag him back to the tent, “Kojo shhhh, we don't want to wake him, come on boy”. He pulls forward bearing his teeth, a low growl making his whole body shake. Lucy can't drag him he's solid and as stubborn as his master.
The bear rouses, stretches with a growl and makes his way into the lake. He swipes at the water catching fish left and right and tossing them on the bank, then he swims, he seems to be in pain, He clutches the side of his head and stares at Kojo.
Tim wakes by the now dead fire, it's a warm day, he can here Kojo barking and it is pulling at a nerve in his brain, he needs to get out of the heat of the sun so he wades out into the water, he watches as the fish swim around him, his swipes his hands through the water and when he looks he has two fish, but he doesn't have hands, he has paws.
Lucy is trying to pull Kojo away, she looks scared, Kojo is relentless, his barking getting desperate as he tugs Lucy closer to the lake. “Kojo buddy it’s me, it’s Tim”. He says waving his arms, all he hears is a deep and guttural growl.
He looks down at his reflection as he gets a stabbing pain in his tooth, “Owww, owww, fucking owwww”. He grabs at his face but the claws are sharp.
Lucy opens her mouth in shock, Tim is nowhere to be seen, he wouldn't wander far he’s too cop oriented to do anything stupid, and he wouldn't leave her too far even if she had frustrated him. “Kojo, hush, Tim baby, is that you”?
He turns, his paw still clutching his face. He nods, tries smiling but only succeeds in showing a mouthful of teeth. He tries to speak but it's just grunting and growling.
“Ok, ok, Kojo for the love of god shut up”. She shouts. “Tim, fuck, how did this happen baby? Did you make a wish? Stupid question Lucy, why would anyone wish to be a bear”? She sees him backing away, Kojo bristling with energy and trying to get into the water to chase the intruder off. “Kojo sit, it’s Dad, I think it's Dad, Tim I'm gonna light the fire baby, come get warm, dry off ok, I'm not afraid of you”.
“Kojo is, it's better if I go into the forest”. She doesn't hear that, only a series of bear noises. He continues to back away holding his face.
She needs to forage, make a painkilling poltuce. She lights the fire after clipping Kojo’s leash on and tying him to a tree, she would put him in the car but it's too hot. She looks around and he's gone. “TIM ,TIM BRADFORD ,PLEASE COME BACK, PLEASE” she shouts. She can't see him. “Maybe he’ll change back, come back soon”. She says to Kojo. She releases him and takes him hunting for plants to make something for toothache.
They are gone for over an hour, closer to two, Lucy stops to pee, dropping her pants and crouching, she wipes on a leaf and carries on walking back to camp.
Tim’s nostrils flare, he can smell Lucy, not full on arousal but close, it’s a faint smell he recognises, it is definitely Lucy pussy, he would know that sweet aroma anywhere, then the smell of urine hits him and he realizes she has peed in the forest which means she is vulnerable to animal attack, he has this overwhelming need to protect her. So on all fours he runs through the forest.
Lucy is a little way from camp when she hears the commotion, and when she stands between two trees near the campsite she can see the bear, she can see Tim, he is ripping the tent to shreds, the campsite destroyed, his bag and clothes in tatters, his foot caught in the strings of the tent. He is thrashing and gnashing, his arms flailing as he destroys everything in sight.
Her mouth drops open as she surveys the carnage before her. “Tim, Tim, it’s Lucy baby, calm down, I'm here, just breathe baby, Lucy’s here. She edges towards him Kojo starts barking again making Tim whirl around, his foot tangles more and he crashes to the ground. He growls loudly obviously in pain.
“Kojo I will shoot your ass if you don't shut up”. She says, “no, no, sorry boy, I wouldn't, just smell him, come on, just sniff him, you will know I'm right. Tim baby please don't lash out ok”. She begs. She drags Kojo over holding his collar as she lets him sniff the bear. He looks confused and whines.
Lucy touches the furry arm, “Please don't bite me, please be Tim”. She looks at Kojo who is nudging the big bear with his nose, whining has replaced barking, he licks the fur, as if willing him to turn around. He lifts his head and growls in pain, he looks into Lucy’s eyes and then lays his head back down.
“Are you cold? you are so wet, you must be starving, remind me not to bring you camping ever again, a fucking bear Tim really”? It's the bear's turn to whine. She cuts the strings on the destroyed tent, then strokes his fur until he is calm, then she encourages him to get up and sit by what is left of the fire as she cooks the fish and makes the poltuce.
She lets Kojo try the fish but he turns his nose up and goes foraging for himself. The bear eats three fish but she can tell he doesn't like them. “Cough linctus right? Should have had the mushrooms, you know I wouldn't have suggested you eating them if they tasted like fungi”.
Tim growls and shrugs his shoulders. “Now let me put some of this on your tooth and lets see if we can't make you human again, after all you want to pour your heart out right, and well I don't speak bear, you are adorable though”.
If a bear could roll his eyes then that's what Lucy witnesses, she laughs as she sits huddled beside him, he lets her apply the awful tasting poltuce, it is almost instant. His paw touches his face and then he cups Lucy’s whole head in his mammoth paw, very gently. He makes random bear noises. “You are welcome sweet man, now let's see if I can't talk the forest into turning you back, I mean I don't think your uniform is gonna fit, though I like you like this, apart from I need a new tent”.
He looks over his shoulder then licks her face with his large rough tongue. “Trouble with a capital T”. She giggles. She finds her candles, Tim has broken most of them in his rampage. She lights them placing them around Tim and whispers to the forest begging for her man back, promising to have him believe in magic, he can't very well deny it now can he.?
“Tim, I'm going to get more wood and some food, please stay here with Kojo, won't be long”. She kisses his furry head and runs her fingers through his fur.
When she gets back, Tim is sitting naked by the fire, “Hey, thank god, are you ok”? She asks.
“I was a bear Lucy, how the fuck did you know it was me”? He asks looking out at the lake.
“Same temperament, plus toothache, plus a missing human, I should be a detective”. She shrugs. “You ripped all your clothes Tim”.
“I can see that, did I kill the sleeping bags too”?
“A little yeah, I mean you can cover yourself with one, but the zipper is gone”.
“I would like to cover myself, sorry I ruined Halloween, you are not a nag Lucy, I.…., I wanted to say I love you, and I'm doing the work to make me….., more human I guess, I want to be a good man for you not a bear with a sore head, I was going to ask you to move in with me, give us a real go, I never want to hurt you again”.
“Was that what you were saying as I fell asleep”? she asks getting him what is left of the sleeping bags.
“Yes only more rehearsed”. He admits
“Ok, Kojo come, come on boy”. He walks slowly over and rests his head on Tim’s lap. “Ok, well I don't think I'm ready for that.…just yet, but soon, I intend to still do this, alone, I'm never bringing you or Kojo again, lesson learned, but I do love you and still want us to be forever, just date me again first huh”?
“Sounds great, so how are we getting me home without getting arrested for public indecency”?
“Flirting of course, I have never gotten a ticket” she winks.
“Oh, yeah I remember, ok let’s go home”.