#rockly

Rocker? Total high school golden boy. Athletic, popular, definitely on the football team. Val? Cheerleader, obviously. They got together junior year and were the couple, prom king and queen both years, everyone's favorite. The dream package of high school sweethearts.

And, of course, they stayed together. Rocker went into law enforcement, eventually joining SWAT. Val... wasn't sure. She went to college, but never with a specific goal in mind. She thought she might try modeling or acting in LA, but it didn't work out. She never had to work, her family was well off, and Rocker made good money. By the time we meet her in Season 1, she's probably working part-time at a beauty salon or something, volunteering with kids, probably helping out with her siblings' kids' soccer teams or something.

Her first real marital problems start after the incident with the threatening letter Val wrote. It's a rocky patch. Rocker is a good man, and marriage means something to him, so he tries to forgive her, and he even feels guilty for dragging her into the chaos of SWAT life.

But they're okay. They really are.

Until the next fight, when he gets promoted to team leader. He expects her to be proud, to celebrate with him, but instead she's worried. More responsibility, more danger. They argue. She doesn't speak to him for a week. Finally, they make up.

They're okay. Really.

Then Val decides it's time to check off another box: kids. The life of a stay-at-home mom. It feels like the next step.

But it's just... not happening.

They try for months. The doctors say everything looks good. So they try harder. A year passes. Their life becomes a calendar of fertility cycles and "perfect timing" and planned intimacy, like clockwork. The home they have built begins to feel heavy instead of warm. Val becomes more irritable. And Rocker begins to notice things he can't fix. On the surface, nothing has changed, but when she talks to him, he knows something is different.

He tries to bridge the distance: flowers, her favorite dessert, spontaneous dates. He's doing everything right. But the sparkle in her eyes when they're together fades. And it hurts. Watching someone you love slip away is a special kind of grief.

Finally, Val says she's tired of trying. They stop. And the change is brutal, from a planned sex life to none at all.

He still stood by her, but honestly, they were alone.

But Rocker, he took a vow. And that means something. He stays.

Until one day he comes home to divorce papers on the kitchen table. She tells him she's met someone new.

He breaks. He tries to keep control, but his voice shakes, tears threaten, and he begs her to try again. She says no.

He's not an asshole. He wants her to be happy. He signs.

Sleeps on the couch until he can move into a new place. They sell the house.

He falls apart. Moody. Short-tempered. Snaps at people. He picks a dirty fight with Deacon during a sparring session just to feel like he won something, anything.

It doesn't help. He feels worse afterwards.

Tan corners him. Asks him what the hell that was. Rocker's usually a pain in the ass in a fun way, but this was just... mean. Out of line.

And Rocker finally breaks. Cries for the first time since he signed the papers, tells Tan everything.

Tan, bless his heart, he listens, he understands. They talk. Late nights at Rocker's new apartment. Dinner with Tan and Olivia. The whole Bonnie situation gives Tan the language to connect.

Rocker starts to feel better.

He finally signs up for a spin class. Just something new. He grabs a bike near the front, and - oh. There are a lot of women. He's one of the only guys.

After class, he notices the looks. He is not ready for that. But then he catches a grin that is amused, not flirtatious, from a familiar face.

Hicks' daughter, Molly.

He's seen her at work functions. He knows she once dated Street. So he does the polite thing and says hello.

They talk. And... they click. It's simple. It's nice. They get coffee after. He can't remember the last time he had so much fun.

They still meet in class. They still get coffee. Sometimes dinner. They become real friends.

And then Rocker realizes he's looking forward to seeing her. His stomach does weird flips. Is this... a crush?

He doesn't know. He hasn't had one since high school; he's been with Val since he was 16!

So what now? He's older than her. She's his boss's daughter. Is that weird? Inappropriate? He remembers exactly how Hicks acted when Street dated her.

But Molly is so bright. So smart. So funny. So beautiful. When she laughs, the whole room lights up. And when he's with her, he lights up.

He doesn't know what to do.

But then Molly solves it for him - by kissing him good night after dinner one night.

And okay. Okay. Is that how it's supposed to feel? The flutter? The electricity? The joy?

He's missed it. Maybe he has been missing it for years, a decade.

She tells him she likes him. Wants to see where this can go - if he's in.

By the end of class, Molly's nicely worn out and her water bottle is nearly empty. She's finishing up what's left when she senses someone behind her.

Turning around, she nearly spits out her mouthful of water but manages to swallow. "Rocker?"

"Hey, I thought I saw you but I wasn't sure, so I came over," he says.

His outfit of light blue tank top over tight bicycle shorts is definitely a good look on him, even if he is sweaty and flushed.

Molly grins at him. "I didn't think I'd find you in spin class," she says.

"Hey, need to keep up my cardio," he tells her with a serious expression before breaking into a wide grin. "Nah, I just moved nearby, and I wanted something to fill up an hour of the week on my days off."

"You live nearby now?"

Rocker shrugs, but before he can say anything else, the Blonde Brigade swarms over from the locker, all miraculously fresh and their makeup immaculate.

"Molly! You two know each other? Come on, make the introductions," says the tallest one.

Feeling surprised that they know her name at all when she doesn't know theirs, Molly catches Rocker's eye and kind of grimaces a smile. "Uh, this is Rocker, he works with my dad."

"Rocker? That's such a cool name, and it suits you," says the one with diamonds glittering in her ears. "Clarissa Charlotte Buchanan. My friends call me C.C."

"I'm Phyllis McNair," says the tallest one, extending a perfectly manicured hand. "It's spelled FEILYS, I know, it's silly, but what can you do when your parents are free spirits?"

"And I'm Estela Villanueva, but you can call me Star if you like," the third one says.

Rocker's eyebrows climb his broad forehead and he smiles politely. "Uh, nice to meet all of you ladies."

Molly bites the inside of her cheek so she won't laugh. Even if it'll be funny to leave him to the wolves, she should rescue him from the Blonde Brigade.

"It's really nice to catch up, ladies, but he and I are gonna be late for our lunch date," she tells them, and grins at his grateful smile. "Come on, Rocker, grab your stuff, I need a shower stat."

On hearing that, the three blonde women exchange disappointed glances. As one, they swan off, calling out to Rocker that it was nice to meet him.

With his towel and bottle in hand, Rocker joins Molly as they head towards the locker rooms. "Thanks. I think they were planning on eating me for lunch."

"Well..." Molly makes a show of looking him over from top to bottom. "I mean, you are a meal and a half. Wear these shorts again next week and I bet you they're gonna fight to take the bike right behind you."

Rocker snorts, but Molly sees how pink his ears are. "Should I hire you for protection?"

"Depends on where we go for lunch after," she teases. "Meet you here in fifteen minutes?"

"Sure," he answers with an easy smile.