05, you were the glue that kept us together

season 1, episode 4

The shrill sound of her phone ringing jolted Valeria awake. She groaned, still half-asleep, as she reached blindly for it on her nightstand. Beside her, Tim was still out cold, his breathing deep and even.

Without bothering to check the screen, she brought the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"I can't stop thinking about the whole dating John thing," Lucy's voice came through the line, rapid and anxious.

Valeria groaned again, cracking one eye open to glance at the clock. The glowing red numbers read 12:00 AM.

"It's literally midnight, Lucy," she muttered, flopping onto her back and rubbing a hand over her face.

"Yeah, I know that, but really, I need your help, okay?" Lucy rushed on. "I can't sleep or anything!"

Beside her, Tim stirred, shifting slightly against the pillow. Valeria turned her head and found him blinking groggily at her. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes again, clearly unimpressed by the midnight wake-up call.

She sighed, bringing the phone back to her ear. "Lucy, do we have to discuss this right now?"

"Yes, we need to discuss this now," Lucy insisted. "I feel like this is not right."

"That's because it's not," Valeria deadpanned. "Lucy, John is way older than you, and his son is just a few years younger than you."

Lucy let out a dramatic groan. "I knew you were gonna say that."

"So," Valeria continued, ignoring her complaint, "you should break up with him and find someone your age. Like Finn."

There was a long pause. Then—

"Wait—Finn? My T.O.?" Lucy asked, her voice incredulous.

Valeria rolled her eyes. "No, Finn the EMT. Yes, Finn your T.O.!" she said sarcastically.

Lucy practically shrieked into the phone. "NO! That would make things weird between us if we dated and broke up! Plus, he's my T.O.!"

Valeria pulled the phone away from her ear, wincing at the volume. Tim cracked an eye open again.

"So what?" Valeria said, completely unfazed. "That didn't stop me from hitting on my T.O."

Silence.

Then—

"What?" Lucy asked, confused.

Valeria blinked. "What?" she repeated, feigning innocence.

Tim groaned beside her, rubbing his face. "Can you not have a relationship crisis at midnight?"

"Okay, back up, Val. What did you just say?" Lucy demanded, her voice suddenly sharp with curiosity.

Valeria froze for half a second, realizing she'd just let something slip. She glanced at Tim, who was now very much awake, staring at her with an expression that screamed really?

She cleared her throat, trying to play it cool. "Uh... nothing?"

Lucy scoffed. "No, no, no. You definitely just said you hit on your T.O. What the hell does that mean?"

Tim sighed beside her. "Nice save," he muttered sarcastically.

Valeria waved him off and sat up in bed, running a hand through her hair. "Look, Lucy, are we talking about your love life or mine?" she deflected.

"Oh, we're talking about yours now," Lucy shot back, more awake then ever and on the hunt. "Are you telling me you have a thing for Bradford?"

Valeria nearly choked. "What? No!" she lied quickly. "Ew."

Tim arched a brow, clearly unimpressed with her performance.

"Ew?" he whispered, offended.

She slapped his arm lightly, shushing him.

Lucy was relentless. "Okay, then explain what you meant. Because if you do have a thing for him, that would be huge news."

Valeria scoffed, swinging her legs out of bed and standing up, pacing the room as she scrambled for an escape. "Lucy, you're reaching. I was just making a joke. I don't have a thing for Bradford."

Tim propped himself up on one elbow, watching her with amusement. "Wow. I feel so appreciated right now."

She glared at him. "Shut up."

Lucy gasped. "Wait. Are you with someone right now?"

Valeria stopped pacing, her mouth opening and closing for a second. "What? No! I—I'm alone in my apartment, like a totally normal, single person!"

Tim snorted.

"Uh-huh," Lucy said suspiciously. "I'm calling BS."

Valeria groaned, rubbing her temple. "Lucy, I swear, if you keep pressing this, I will personally set you up with Finn just to make things awkward for you."

Lucy gasped again. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Valeria challenged.

A long pause. Then, finally—

"Valeria. You are lying to me right now, and I know it. You hesitated, you backtracked, and now you're deflecting."

Valeria swallowed, her mind racing for an escape. "Goodnight, Lucy."

"VALERIA, DON'T YOU HANG UP ON ME—"

Click.

Valeria threw her phone onto the nightstand and covered her face with her hands.

"Ew?" he repeated, just to mess with her.

She sighed, flopping back onto the bed. "Shut up and go to sleep, Bradford."

Tim chuckled, pulling her closer. "Yes, ma'am."

The morning air buzzed with the usual station chatter as officers shuffled into the briefing room. Valeria took her seat, exchanging a quick glance with the other rookies. The moment Grey stepped forward, the room fell silent.

"Everyone, have a seat," he announced, his voice commanding the room. "Today is a special day for our rookies." He paused, letting the words settle before continuing.

"Because today... we switch things up." A small smirk tugged at his lips, his tone carrying a mix of amusement and authority. "That's right—everybody gets a new training officer. Cruz, you'll be riding with Officer Lopez. West, you'll be riding with Officer Bradford. Chen, you'll be riding with Officer Bishop. And Nolan, you'll be with Blake."

Valeria smiled upon hearing she was paired with her best friend.

"But learning how to navigate a new T.O. is not your only challenge," Grey added, shifting his stance as he surveyed the rookies. "By the end of next shift, I expect every rookie to uncover something personal about their training officer—something they don't want you to know."

What is there to uncover when I already know every little thing about Angela?

"This will be a test of your investigative instincts and your fortitude," Grey continued. "Best insight wins a day off. Worst one... handles Saturday night cavity searches."

The reactions were immediate. John's head snapped up, Jackson and Lucy made identical faces, and Valeria sighed, looking completely done with everything. The room erupted in murmurs.

"That's it. Good luck," Grey finished with a grin before dismissing them.

The four rookies filed out of the briefing room, heading toward the equipment room to get set up for the day.

"So, what's Lopez like to ride with?" Valeria asked Jackson, feigning curiosity even though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna give you a head start," Jackson scoffed, signing the equipment sheet.

Tim's reassignment was clearly weighing on him, though, because after a beat, he asked, "Tim's gonna eat me alive, isn't he?"

"Oh, for sure, but since you're a rock star, I wouldn't put too much thought into it," Valeria teased as she took her gear.

"A legacy who excelled at the academy," Lucy chimed in. "If Bradford could create a cop in a test tube—"

"It would be you," Valeria finished for her.

"Unless he's gonna set out to dominate you and prove that you aren't all that," John pointed out.

"Pretty much what John just said was what I was going to say," Valeria added with a chuckle.

"Oh, hey, what about Talia?" Lucy asked, turning to John. "Any tips on how to get on her good side?"

John clicked his pen, standing straighter. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jackson's right. No head starts."

Lucy let out a dramatic sigh but walked away to prep for her temporary new T.O.

Meanwhile, across the station, the training officers had their own conversation while looking at the rookies.

"Is the kid really a rock star?" Tim asked Angela as stood.

"Jackson? Yeah. He's better prepared than any rookie I've ever had," Angela admitted, though her expression suggested she might not be telling the whole truth.

"Screw prep. How is he out on the street?" Tim pressed.

"So far, so good," Angela answered.

"What about Cruz?" she asked, though she already knew Tim's answer.

"She's well-prepared, no need to teach her more stuff just yet," he said, his tone unreadable.

A few feet away, Finn turned to Talia. "Hey, Talia, how about Nolan?"

"He's a talker," she replied dryly.

Finn groaned. "Great, just what I needed—someone who also speaks my mind off."

Angela smirked. "Welcome to training, Blake."

Finn just shook his head as they all prepared to head out for the day.

Valeria shut the trunk of the shop with a firm push before turning to make her way to the passenger seat. Just as she reached for the door handle, she noticed Angela standing there, keys in hand. Without a word, Angela tossed them in Valeria's direction.

"You're driving," Angela said, already opening the passenger door and settling into her seat.

Valeria caught the keys with ease, letting out a soft breath before heading to the driver's side. She slid into the seat, adjusting herself before glancing at Angela.

"Hey, uh, Ange, can I ask you something?" Valeria started hesitantly.

Angela barely turned her head before responding. "Why are you asking about my personal life when you already know everything?" she asked, confusion laced in her voice.

"Oh, no, yeah, it's just..." Valeria hesitated, gripping the steering wheel before turning to face Angela fully. "Are you mad?"

Angela frowned. "What?" she asked, even more confused now.

Valeria exhaled through her nose, choosing her words carefully. "Lena has been ignoring me since I came back, but you and I... we see each other every day, and we can't even hold a conversation for more than a minute. I know I left without saying goodbye to either of you when I left for Seattle, but I'm back now."

Angela let out a slow breath, shaking her head slightly. "I'm not mad," she admitted after a beat. "Lena and I, we sort of... stopped talking. We grew distant over time."

Valeria's grip on the wheel tightened slightly, her jaw clenching at the revelation.

"You were the glue that kept us together," Angela added, her tone softer this time.

A heavy silence settled between them before Valeria broke it, inserting the key into the ignition and starting the shop. "So, where do you want me to go?" she asked, shifting into reverse as she backed out of the garage.

"Court. I have to testify in a trial," Angela responded. "Should take a few hours."

Valeria gave a small nod, merging onto the street. Despite the casualness of their exchange, the weight of Angela's words lingered between them, unspoken but felt.

The two Latina cops strode into the courthouse, their steps falling in sync. The grand halls carried an air of authority, a place where justice was served—but not always swiftly.

"This place brings good and bad memories," Valeria admitted, glancing around at the familiar surroundings.

"It never does for me," Angela responded dryly, her gaze set straight ahead.

Valeria let out a short chuckle. "I remember the last time I was in a courthouse. It was when I was living the detective life—not being undercover here."

Angela sighed. "Caught this breaking-and-entering case ten months ago. Since then, it's been two preliminary hearings, two motions to suppress. It's endless."

Valeria scoffed. "Just for a B&E? Geez, that should have ended months ago."

Angela simply nodded, clearly over the whole ordeal.

As they made their way further inside, a passing officer called out, his voice laced with amusement. "Hey, Lopez. Looking good," he chuckled.

Angela didn't miss a beat, flashing a polite smile over her shoulder. "Thanks. How's your wife?"

Valeria smirked as she watched the man walk away. "Still see people hitting on you," she mused.

Angela shrugged. "What, did you want me all to yourself, Cruz?" she teased, her lips curling into a smirk.

"Yes," Valeria deadpanned, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Angela chuckled, shaking her head as they continued toward the courtroom.

Valeria sat in a chair, waiting for Angela to finish testifying. She tapped her fingers against her thigh, her gaze drifting toward two guards escorting a prisoner down the hall. Offering them a polite smile, she soon turned her attention back to the wall, idly counting every little crack in the paint.

It was a mindless activity, something to pass the time—until the sudden sound of grunts and heavy thuds shattered the silence. She lost count instantly, her body tensing as she stood up, instincts kicking in.

Then, before she could process what was happening, the prisoner came barreling around the corner—straight into her. The impact knocked her off balance, sending her sprawling onto the cold courthouse floor. She barely had time to register the pain in her back before she saw him continue his escape, not sparing a single glance behind him.

Shit.

Valeria sprang to her feet, immediately taking off in pursuit. "Prisoner on the loose!" she shouted, hoping anyone nearby would hear her.

Snatching her radio from her belt, she pressed the button and spoke urgently. "7-Adam-07, prisoner is on the loose in the courthouse! Requesting RA units for two guards—status unknown! Pursuing prisoner on foot!"

As she sprinted through the hall, the blaring courthouse alarm went off, amplifying the chaos. Up ahead, she spotted another officer and called out, "Hey! Two guards are down around that corner!"

The officer gave a sharp nod before rushing in that direction while Valeria continued her chase. The prisoner darted toward the exit stairway, taking the steps two at a time. She followed without hesitation, her boots slamming against the concrete steps as she tried to close the distance.

"Hey! Police! Stop!" she yelled, but it was useless. He wasn't stopping.

By the time she burst through the exit doors, she caught sight of him diving into a white van. The tires screeched against the pavement as the vehicle peeled away, disappearing into traffic. Valeria ran to the curb, breathless, her eyes straining to make out the license plate, but it was already too far.

Gritting her teeth, she grabbed her radio again. "Attention all units, prisoner has fled in a white van, plates unknown—couldn't get a good view. Be advised, escapee had help."

She let out a frustrated breath, watching as the van disappeared into the distance.

Damn it.

Angela was mid-conversation with another officer when she caught sight of Valeria approaching. She turned to face her, a knowing smirk forming.

"I could really use that detective brain of yours," Angela said.

Valeria arched a brow. "Who do we have?"

"Nestor Garcia," Angela informed her. "He's a mid-level drug dealer looking at ten to twenty if he's convicted. Residence is in Boyle Heights. I volunteered us to check it out. You ready?"

Valeria nodded, and the two began walking toward the