Title: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
author: Cindy Ryan
timeline: post 2x13
notes: Not connected to my other stories

There were some things Lucy Chen was still adjusting to. Hands on her when she wasn't expecting them was one. So when her roommate woke her in the darkness of early morning Lucy came up fighting. Jackson West shirtless and hair wet from a shower stepped back.

"Just me, sorry, but you need to get up."Jackson said urgently.

"What's going on?"Lucy asked as she kicked the sheets back. "What time is it?"

"Nearly four."Jackson replied as he moved back. "Got a call from Angela."

Lucy saw him hesitate and cold fear settled in. She tried to brace herself.

"What? Just tell me."Lucy pleaded.

"Angela said Tim was rushed to the hospital; he's in surgery."Jackson explained grimly. "Home invasion."

"Oh God."Lucy whispered as she bolted to her closet grabbing the first clothes she saw. "I'll be ready in ten."

Jackson gripped Lucy gently by the shoulders stopping her frantic movements.

"He'll be okay."Jackson said softly.

Lucy nodded and he stepped back and left her room. She watched him leave for a long moment. Lucy wondered when Tim Bradford had become her rock. Now he was fighting for his life and she could lose him. That thought scared her more than she wanted to admit. Pushing the dark thoughts aside as best she could Lucy finished getting ready and met Jackson in the living room. Five minutes later they were out the door and in her car. Jackson offered to drive and Lucy let him. They merged into the light traffic.

"Who called it in?"Lucy wondered breaking the silence.

"Neighbor across the street works graveyard shift. He noticed Tim's front door open when he came home."Jackson replied with a said with a shake of his head.

Lucy looked out the window trying to reign in her spinning thoughts and emotions. Tim needed her to be strong; she just wasn't sure she could be.

When they arrived at the hospital Angela and Wes were already there. Sgt Grey walked in a few minutes later in street clothes. Lucy had only seen her C.O out of uniform a few times. He greeted everyone and they moved to a waiting room.

"I talked to one of the paramedics."Angela began breaking the tense silence."They were filling out paperwork when I got here. He said Tim was unconscious and barely breathing when they arrived. He'd lost a lot of blood from two stab wounds."

"Damn."Grey swore softly.

Lucy felt the room closing in. Her imagination running wild. She kept seeing Tim lying in a pool of blood clinging to life. She had to get out of there. With a choked sob Lucy walked quickly out of the waiting room.

"Lucy!"Jackson called after her.

Lucy didn't stop. Tears blurring her vision now. She nearly collided with John as he walked into the ER. He reached for her but Lucy ducked out of the way and stepped out into the warm California night.

Tim just had to be okay. As much as Lucy hadn't liked him in the beginning she knew now that Tim had a big heart under the hard shell. She couldn't picture her life without his friendship and didn't want to. Finding a bench Lucy sank down onto it. She sent off a silent prayer as she wrapped her arms around herself.

An hour later a paper to go cup of coffee appeared in Lucy's field of vision. She followed the hand up to see Nyla Harper. Lucy gratefully accepted the cup of coffee.

"Is there news?"Lucy asked anxiously.

"No."Harper responded gesturing to the bench and Lucy nodded as Harper sat down. "A nurse did come to tell us it was going to be several hours before he was out of surgery."

"I wish we could do more than sit here."Lucy commented grimly. "We should be working the scene."

"We're too close; you know that."Harper admonished. "You have any ideas who might be behind this?"

Lucy blinked and turned to face the older woman. She'd been so wrapped up in the incident itself and Tim's surgery that Lucy hadn't thought about motive.

"You think this wasn't a random robbery?"Lucy inquired anger creeping into her voice.

"Could've been."Harper responded with a shrug. "I'm just looking at the facts and what I know about Bradford. He wouldn't have made it easy to get the drop on him especially in his own home. So it was either a genuine home invasion and they took him by surprise."

"Or it was a hit; revenge."Lucy finished quietly. "Bet Marquel wasn't happy we foiled his money laundring operation."

"No gang leader likes to look like a fool."Harper agreed solemnly.

"But I can't see him being a big enough idiot to go after Tim like this."Lucy said with a shake of her head.

"Gang mentality is an odd duck."Harper replied grimly. "With that kind of fear and loyalty you never truly know how things are going to play out."

Lucy nodded. She couldn't help but wonder how many had attacked Tim? How many had it taken to overpower?

"Come on, let's go back inside."Harper suggested as she stood. "I'm sure Grey has already considered Marquel's gang but we'll run it past him."

John Nolan watched as Harper and Lucy talked with Grey on the far side of the waiting room. He glanced at Jackson who stood next to him and saw his friend's gaze was fixed on the same spot. Jackson's face was a mask of worry and concern.

"I've never been a fan of Bradford's."Jackson confided in a hushed tone. "But Lucy has seen something in him. I was with him during the search and Tim's reaction wasn't just responsibility. She's gotten under his skin. It shook him that he might never see her again. That upped him a notch in my book. Plus he's been good to her since we found her. Lucy's come so far since the kidnapping. If Tim dies..."

"It'll set her back."John finished grimly. "Yes, I was thinking that too. We'll just have to surround her with as much love and support as we can."

Jackson let out a long sigh.

"I just hate seeing her suffer after all she went through."Jackson commented. "Makes me want to pummel Tim's attacker just for that."

"Same."John agreed softly.

If there was one thing they could count on in this mess it was that Tim Bradford was as tough and stubborn as they came. If anyone could survive two stab wounds and a beat down it was Tim. Jackson was right Lucy had recovered remarkedly but she was still fragile. Tim's death would send Lucy spinning. John wasn't sure if he and Jackson would be enough to pull her back from that. For now they just had to concentrate on the positive. Tim was still with them; still fighting. That was more than enough to be hopeful.