The bullpen buzzed with the low hum of chatter and the occasional clink of coffee mugs. The team at LAPD had just finished a long shift and were taking a rare break between calls. The tension of the job was still there, but today was one of those days where it felt like the calm before the storm — and they weren’t about to waste it.

John Nolan leaned against his desk, talking animatedly with Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford, all of them in a friendly debate about which crime show was more accurate to real life.

“I’m telling you, Tim,” Nolan said, grinning, “there’s no way someone solves a murder case in 48 minutes. It’s not that fast!”

Lucy chuckled. “Well, technically, Tim’s the expert. He’s been solving real-life mysteries for years.” She nudged him with her elbow.

Tim shot her a wry smile. “I’m still trying to figure out why Nolan believes people don’t get handcuffed in the first five minutes of a chase.”

From the back of the room, Angela Lopez was laughing as she and Jackson West were playing an impromptu game of cards. "Look, Jackson, it's all about the strategy," Angela said, her eyes narrowing playfully. "You think I don't see those tells?"

Jackson groaned. “I’m just trying to make it through without being scammed again.”

Across the bullpen, Sgt. Grey leaned against the wall, observing his team with a mixture of amusement and pride. It had been a tough few months, but watching his officers work, joke, and lean on one another in between calls always reminded him of how far they’d come. They weren’t just coworkers; they were family.

Bradford, always the serious one, leaned forward from his desk, a mock-scowl on his face. “If you don’t stop with the card games, I swear I’m going to make you all run laps.”

“That’s a threat coming from you, Bradford,” Lucy teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Not a threat,” Tim replied with a smirk. “A promise.”

The bullpen erupted into laughter, the camaraderie palpable. In moments like this, between calls and cases, they knew they could count on each other — not just for backup, but for friendship. They had a bond that couldn’t be broken, forged in the hardest moments of their jobs and strengthened in the quiet, everyday moments of shared life.