1x19: Checklist

***

The rookies are walking toward the briefing room for roll call with Hunter beside them. "Because you're a rookie, bottom of the food chain. Nothing you think or say matters inside the department. Especially with the Chief of Police, who personally decides Talia's punishment." Hunter said.

"Sounds a little harsh." Nolan comments.

"Harsh as it is, you've got to stay focused on yourself right now. You've got a six-month exam in the next week, and you've got to ace it in order to move on to the next stage of your training." Hunter reminds them.

"Where we'll still be riding with our T.O.s for, what, another seven months?" Nolan asked.

"Yeah. But you'll get more freedom." Hunter said.

"And no more daily evaluations." Lucy said.

"Otherwise, it's back to the starting line, and you're the rookie who got held back. Or worse." Jackson said.

Hunter joins Tim, Angela and Talia at the TO table, with Grant's not in his normal spot in front of them seeing as he's on sick leave because he broke his leg and would rather be at home than stuck on desk duty, Hunter notices Jackson puts sunglasses on and sits down but Hunter doesn't comment on it.

Grey walked into the room. "All right, listen up. Got some bad news for our rookies. Thanks to Detective Jenkins being placed on the Brady List, the department is tightening the rules regarding the Field Training program. Bottom line: every recruit now has to complete the "training and experience" checklist as a primary officer before they'll be allowed to take the six-month exam." He explained moving to the front of the room.

"You got to be kidding. I don't let my rookies be primary until the second month." Tim said.

"If our recruits experience an event, it shouldn't matter if they were primary. It's not fair to them or us." Angela said, as annoyed as Tim at the new rules.

"I agree. But this is "cover your ass" time for the department. When the city gets sued, the first thing they look at is the officer training and experience. They've decided that experience can't just be "I was standing there, too"." Grey said.

"We can't start this with the next round of recruits?" Talia asked.

"The LAPD is a bureaucracy, Officer Bishop. The last thing they care about is a bunch of rookies." Grey reminds them.

"So, how do we know how many cases we owe?" Lucy asked.

"Putting your listening ears on, Officer Chen, 'cause I'm about to tell you. To complete your checklist," Grey looked at the paperwork. "You still needed to be primary on an auto theft, carjacking, ethical dilemma, meth possession, a false I.D., assault on a peace officer, and damage to city property." He said.

"That's like, seven things." Lucy asked, shocked.

"What about us?" Angela asked.

"Officer West needs a high-risk crowd control, meth possession, and a carjacking." Grey said, looking at another piece of paper.

"Piece of cake, boss," Grey gives him a look. "I mean "Sir"." Jackson corrects.

"I'm afraid to ask." Nolan said, raising his hand.

"So, Officer Nolan, the number of items you need on your checklist are zero. You might want to thank your training officer for making you primary starting day one," Nolan glances back at Talia and she winked at him, he smiled at her and turned back to the front. Grey places the clipboard down on the podium. "And, since we are ripping off the Band-Aid, here's the rest of the bad news. HR needs proof of completion by end of shift tomorrow. Otherwise, the recruits are extended in the program." He said.

"Meaning we fall behind." Lucy states, shocked at that.

"Sir, there's no way we can control what "experiences" they'll get in the next two days." Tim said.

"Understood. Look, I know this is a tall order. But I believe in you. I've notified dispatch of the calls that are needed. They will funnel them to your shops if when when they come in. That's it. All right? Good luck," everyone stands up. "Be safe out there. Officer Nolan, since you're free and clear, go see Detective Wolfe. He has a job for you and Bishop." He said speaking to Nolan and Talia.

"Yes, sir." Nolan replied.

***

"Hey, you know who's a great score for a drugs pinch?" Hunter asked Tim as the two of them walked through the bullpen.

"Crack-Head-Fred." Tim said.

Hunter chuckled. "Don't call him that in front of Lucy. It's an inside joke with have with him." She states.

"So, what are you doing today?" Tim asked.

"Desk Duty, but I'll join you guys for lunch." Hunter said. Tim nodded and walked to the Sally port where Lucy was setting up the shop.

***

Lucy and Tim are having a conversation with a man. "He's clean." Lucy said, sounding disappointed.

"I'm really sorry." Fred said, sounding apologetic.

"You're always carrying, Fred. What happened?" Tim asked.

"Oh, uh - Got my 30-day chip." Fred shows Tim a 30-day Narcotics Anonymous chip.

"Wow," Tim chuckled. "Congratulations." He said.

"I feel bad I let you down." Fred said.

"It's all good. It's all good. Say hi to Wilma for me and Hunter." Tim said.

"All right." Fred agreed.

"You're free to go." Tim said, Fred walks away.

"You said he was a sure checkmark for drug possession." Lucy states.

"What can I say? He got clean. It's inspiring, actually." Tim said.

"Well, forgive me if I don't appreciate the human-interest story. I mean, Jackson at least has a chance with only three calls, but seven?" Lucy asked.

"Okay, people win the lottery every day, and with higher odds against them. There are 18 million people in the Greater Los Angeles area. We just need seven of them to break very specific laws." Tim said.

"7-Adam-19, store owner reporting customer trying to pass counterfeit bills near your location. Hispanic male, brown hair, blue suit." Dispatch said over Tim's radio.

Tim grabbed his radio out of his duty belt. "7-Adam-19, responding." He replied.

"I-I don't need a counterfeiting case." Lucy said making her way to the passenger side.

"Look at the bright side. You do need assaulting an officer. Maybe he'll take a swing at you." Tim said, getting into the drivers side.

***

The T.O.s are sitting at a table a short distance away, eating and watching the rookies, with Hunter sitting beside Tim. "Hey did Chen get her drug charge?" Hunter asked.

"No, Fred got his 30-Day Chip." Tim said.

"Impressive, well done Fred." Hunter mused.

"The pressure's getting to them." Angela said, looking over at the rookies.

"It's getting to me. Never had a rookie make it this far and not qualify for the exam." Tim said, eating his food.

"Nolan's over there giving 'em a pep talk." Talia comments, looking over at them.

"How can you tell?" Hunter asked, glancing over at the rookies.

"'Cause he's been trying to give me one all day." Talia said.

"He's right. You're gonna be fine." Tim said.

"Well, either way, I'm off the fast track. No more making chief by 40." Talia said, sounding dejected.

"Thank God. Being brass sounds awful. I mean, it's all politics and stats." Tim said.

"Might as well work corporate." Hunter added.

"All units, we have a 215 in progress. Carjacking, Beverly Drive at Oakwood." Dispatch said over the radios.

Tim grabbed his radio. "7-Adam-19, show us responding."

Angela picked her radio up and spoke into it. "7-Adam-07, show us responding for training purposes." She said.

"The hell you are. Chen needs it more." Tim said.

"Like hell. We're primary." Angela said.

Angela and Tim turn towards Hunter, who's eating her food and looking at her phone. "Hunter!" The two exclaimed, sounding like children arguing and wanting their mother involved, Talia laughed slightly.

Hunter looked up and noticed their faces. "Woah, I'm not getting involved. Whoever gets there first gets the carjacking," neither one of them moved. "Go." Hunter said urgently.

Tim and Angela scramble to get to their cars, calling for their rookies. "Boot! Get to the shop!" Angela yelled. "Let's go, Chen!" Tim yelled at the same time for Lucy. Lucy and Jackson put their food down and scramble to their respective shops.

"Oh my god." Hunter huffed.

Talia just laughed. "It's like you're the mother chicken."

"Oh god." Hunter groaned and chuckled before she and Talia continued to eat their food whilst talking.

***

Both patrol cars come screeching to a halt near a crowd of onlookers. "Police! Get out of the way!" Lucy yelled, running through the crowd.

Jackson followed. "Police! Comin' through!"

"Coming through!" Angela yelled.

Jackson and Lucy reach the fallen man first; he's face down on the sidewalk. Jackson turns him over and we see the man's bruised and bleeding face. "Ben? Oh, my God." Lucy said.

***

It's raining and night time as Tim and Lucy and Hunter in her own shop cruise slowly through a residential neighborhood. Lucy is checking every license plate against the computer records for stolen vehicles. "Every license plate I run is coming up clear. There's no way I make this deadline." She said.

"Not with that attitude." Tim comments.

"We're almost at the end of shift. I haven't checked a single box all day." Lucy said.

"Look, a buddy of mine at 77th said there's been more stolen cars in this one neighborhood in the last month than all of Mid-Wilshire last year." Tim said.

"I hope so." They stop behind a sedan and Lucy checks the plate. This time, the computer finds a record. "Those plates don't match that car." Lucy said.

"And that's how you find a rollin' stolen. Light 'em up, Boot." Tim said.

Lucy sounds the siren briefly, then gets out to speak to the driver. It's a woman and she looks upset. "License and registration."

"I know why you pulled me over. Wrong plates. I'm so sorry." Lisa said, handing her license and registration over to Lucy.

"The plates stolen, or the car?" Lucy asked.

"Neither. They're mine, I mean my husband's." Lisa explained.

"Why are your husband's plates on your car?" Lucy asked.

"My husband and I could only afford to register one of our cars. It's been a rough year. When the one we registered broke down, I didn't know what else to do. I have to get to my night job." Lisa said.

"It's illegal to use license plates from a different vehicle." Lucy reminds her.

"I'm so sorry. And stupid. I should have known better." Lisa said.

"All right. Uh, give me a minute." Lucy goes back to talk to Tim and Hunter. "I can't do this. She's just trying to get by." She said.

"Case like this, it's your call. You can cite her for the false plates and check a box or cut her loose and risk not being able to take the final exam." Tim said.

"I don't want to be that cop. This whole thing is pissing me off. I-It's just I don't want to do it this way running around trying to tick off boxes. It's not me." Lucy said.

"Okay. Then give her a warning." Hunter said, shrugging.

Lucy goes back to Lisa. "All right, listen, I'm not gonna write you up, but you can't ever do this again, okay?" She asked.

"Thank you." Lisa said greatly relieved.

"Drive safe." Lucy said, Lisa drives off and Lucy goes back to where Tim and Hunter are standing.

"So, wanna know the good news? This counts as an ethical dilemma. Which means you have checked a box." Tim said.

"Only six more to go." Lucy sighed and then walked back to the shop and Hunter made her way back to her own shop.

***

Grey is wrapping up roll call the next day. "Chen, you still need six. West, you've got one. And, Nolan, front desk duty. All right, that's it. Be safe out there."

"Make a hole, make a hole. Coming through." Tim barrels through the departing crowd, in a hurry to get going on Lucy's checklist.

Hunter follows them with a shake of her head, deciding to just follow behind them to make sure Lucy gets all six checkmarks.

***

"I should just throw in the towel. There's no way we're gonna check six boxes in one day." Lucy said as she, Hunter and Tim are standing at the kit room, the three of them getting their gear.

"I'm not training a quitter, Boot. We fight until the bell rings. There's no other way." Tim said.

"7-Adam-19, you still need a destruction of city property?

"Roger that." Tim replied, grabbing his radio.

"911 just got a call. Two blocks over from Wilshire and Pine. Single car accident while driving on the sidewalk." Nell said.

"What'd I tell you? We're still in this," Tim grabbed his radio out. "7-Adam-19, show us responding." He said.

***

Tim, Hunter and Lucy arrive at the scene where someone has run an SUV into a fire hydrant. A woman is weaving around on the sidewalk near the damaged car. She appears more impaired than injured.

"Control, 7-Adam-07, can you run plate 5-Paul-Charlie-Ida-410?" Lucy spoke into her radio before speaking the woman. "Ma'am, were you driving this vehicle?" She asked.

"Yeah. No." Heather lied.

"It's destruction of city property." Tim comments.

"That's one more box checked." Lucy said.

"5-Paul-Charlie-Ida-410 just reported 10-8-51. RP says girlfriend took his car without permission 20 minutes ago." Dispatch said.

"That bastard!" Heather exclaimed.

"And grand theft auto brings your total to three. It's your lucky day, Boot." Tim comments.

Heather grabs a scooter from a bystander and tries to get away on it, but runs into a pole and falls off. "And that's technically a carjacking. Thing has a motor. It counts." Hunter said.

"Ma'am, do not attempt to run away again. What's your name?" Lucy asked.

"Alexander Hamilton." Heather lied.

"False I.D. to an officer brings us to five. I'm gonna need to see your driver's license, please." Heather shoves the scooter at them, hitting Hunter's legs, and turns to run off again. "Assault on a police officer. That's six."

Heather trips over a sidewalk sign. "Ooh! Not bad, Officer Chen. Go get her." Tim said.

***

Lucy is waiting to return her gear. Jackson is signing off on his. "You okay?" Lucy asked.

"I really screwed up. I don't know what I was thinking. I just I don't know who I'm supposed to be right now. And when I pushed to be something I'm not, I almost got someone killed." Jackson said.

Tim sees Lucy standing there. "The hell you doing, Boot? You're still one shy on your checklist." He said.

"It's too late. Shift's over." Lucy said.

"Shift's over when we punch out, and we're not punching out till we get you a meth possession. Come on. Grey approved the OT. Let's go." Tim walks off, Lucy followed shortly after.

***

"Hey, where's Dadford?" Lexi asked, when Hunter walked into the main part of the house.

"Working overtime." Hunter asked.

"Willingly?" Lexi asked, slightly surprised.

Hunter chuckled. "He needs Lucy to qualify for her six month exam before he comes home."

"Ah, makes sense. Wanna watch reruns of Top Chef?" Lexi asked.

"Sure, we've got nothing better to do." Hunter shrugged and sat down on the couch with Lexi, turning on the TV.

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This is like plain clothes day episode, Hunter doesn't make many appearances in it.