Third Watch Fic: Disclosure (2/2)
Title: Disclosure (2/2)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, they're not really mine. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I'll return them...well, someday. Maybe. :)
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through and including "The Relay."
Summary: Faith tells Bosco the truth.
Distribution: If you want it, take it, just let me know.
Category: Alternate-ending to "The Relay."
Subcategories: Bosco/Faith friendship, angst
Feedback: I love it and thrive on it.
Author's Note: I've had this idea spinning in my head for literally weeks now, and after watching "The Relay" about thirty times more than what my parents consider normal, I decided to write it. :)
Disclosure (Part Two: Faith)
After watching the news report and hearing that Cassandra Reynolds was doing fine with her new heart, Faith stood up and slid the strap of her purse onto her shoulder, hefting her bag in her other hand. She slid through the crowd quietly, not wanting to interrupt anyone's celebration.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey. Where you going?"
She turned to see Bosco standing there, a surprised look on his face as he looked at her. "I wanna get home," she answered tiredly.
He frowned. "You all right?" She could hear the tone of his voice change to one of concern, could see the worry in his eyes. Bosco may have been acting like a jerk most of the day, but when it came down to it, he knew her pretty well and knew when something was bothering her.
She forced a smile, trying to pretend. "Yeah."
"You sure?" There was more than a little hint of doubt in his voice now.
She tried once more anyway. "Yeah, I'm good." God, she didn't even sound convincing to her own ears. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she bit her tongue, trying not to cry.
"Faith."
She lifted her eyes to meet his, her own full of unshed tears.
Bosco immediately set his drink down on the nearest table and gently wrapped his hand around her arm. "Let's get out of here," he suggested, leading her toward the door.
Without protesting, she followed him, resolve setting in. It was time to tell him the truth.
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As they walked next to each other on the sidewalk in silence, Faith tried to think of what she was going to say. They'd been partners for so long...but more than that, they were friends.
She knew she was the only one Bosco could work with. They were opposites, but that's why they made such a good team. They balanced each other. What if she died? Would Bosco be able to work with someone else? Or would his new partner let him get himself killed?
"I need to sit down," she said quietly.
"Okay."
She sat down on the edge of a wooden bench in the middle of the sidewalk. She stared down at the concrete as he sat down next to her. Her mind was whirling with thoughts. Thoughts about her children, about Fred, about Bosco.
Fred was not dealing with this well. He didn't even want to talk about the possibilities of what would happen if her surgery wasn't successful. But she had to. She had to try and get everything in order, just in case.
And telling Bosco...
She shuddered lightly, feeling sick. She was startled to realize that a single tear had escaped and was rolling slowly down her cheek.
Faith could feel his eyes on her and she could only imagine what was going on his mind at that moment.
She felt his hand rest on her back.
"Faith?"
She swallowed hard. This is it. "Bosco, I lied to you. I'm not going to the shore next week." She continued to stare at the ground.
"So where are you going?" She was relieved to hear there was no anger in his tone, just curiosity mixed with a bit of concern.
"I'm scheduled for surgery," she admitted, already knowing what his next question was going to be.
Sure enough, the next words out of Bosco's mouth were: "What? Surgery? Why?" There was no mistaking the confusion in his voice.
Faith couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I have cancer."
There was a moment of silence, followed by Bosco's stunned, "What?"
She fought to keep her voice calm. "They found a tumor in my breast. The doctors did a biopsy. It uh...it wasn't encouraging."
There was a long pause of absolute silence. She shifted slightly, afraid he was going to be angry with her for not telling him sooner. "Say something," she pleaded softly.
"You're gonna be okay, right?"
Hearing the catch in his voice, Faith turned her head to look at him, wishing she could say yes. "My doctor thinks the surgery should take care of it. But...there are no guarantees."
He stared back at her and she could see the fear in his eyes. The same fear she saw in Fred's eyes every time she'd looked at him in the past few weeks. The same fear that she knew with absolute certainty Bosco was seeing reflected back upon him through her own eyes at that very moment.
Without another word, Bosco shifted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. The gesture both caught her off guard and touched her deeply. She took in a deep, shaky breath as he buried his face in her hair.
"I'm gonna be there. At the hospital," he whispered fiercely.
More tears stung her eyes and a wave of relief washed over her. For some reason, knowing that he would be there made her feel a little better. "I'd like that," she whispered back.
His arms tightened around her and she wound her own arms around his waist. She pressed her face against his shoulder and began to cry. She felt his hands rubbing her back, trying his best to comfort her. She knew he wouldn't lie and tell her that everything was going to be okay. It wasn't who he was. And for that, she was grateful. She could be honest with herself for once without feeling guilty about it.
Faith squeezed her eyes shut. Don't let me go, she thought. I don't want to die.
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, they're not really mine. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I'll return them...well, someday. Maybe. :)
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through and including "The Relay."
Summary: Faith tells Bosco the truth.
Distribution: If you want it, take it, just let me know.
Category: Alternate-ending to "The Relay."
Subcategories: Bosco/Faith friendship, angst
Feedback: I love it and thrive on it.
Author's Note: I've had this idea spinning in my head for literally weeks now, and after watching "The Relay" about thirty times more than what my parents consider normal, I decided to write it. :)
Disclosure (Part Two: Faith)
After watching the news report and hearing that Cassandra Reynolds was doing fine with her new heart, Faith stood up and slid the strap of her purse onto her shoulder, hefting her bag in her other hand. She slid through the crowd quietly, not wanting to interrupt anyone's celebration.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey. Where you going?"
She turned to see Bosco standing there, a surprised look on his face as he looked at her. "I wanna get home," she answered tiredly.
He frowned. "You all right?" She could hear the tone of his voice change to one of concern, could see the worry in his eyes. Bosco may have been acting like a jerk most of the day, but when it came down to it, he knew her pretty well and knew when something was bothering her.
She forced a smile, trying to pretend. "Yeah."
"You sure?" There was more than a little hint of doubt in his voice now.
She tried once more anyway. "Yeah, I'm good." God, she didn't even sound convincing to her own ears. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she bit her tongue, trying not to cry.
"Faith."
She lifted her eyes to meet his, her own full of unshed tears.
Bosco immediately set his drink down on the nearest table and gently wrapped his hand around her arm. "Let's get out of here," he suggested, leading her toward the door.
Without protesting, she followed him, resolve setting in. It was time to tell him the truth.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As they walked next to each other on the sidewalk in silence, Faith tried to think of what she was going to say. They'd been partners for so long...but more than that, they were friends.
She knew she was the only one Bosco could work with. They were opposites, but that's why they made such a good team. They balanced each other. What if she died? Would Bosco be able to work with someone else? Or would his new partner let him get himself killed?
"I need to sit down," she said quietly.
"Okay."
She sat down on the edge of a wooden bench in the middle of the sidewalk. She stared down at the concrete as he sat down next to her. Her mind was whirling with thoughts. Thoughts about her children, about Fred, about Bosco.
Fred was not dealing with this well. He didn't even want to talk about the possibilities of what would happen if her surgery wasn't successful. But she had to. She had to try and get everything in order, just in case.
And telling Bosco...
She shuddered lightly, feeling sick. She was startled to realize that a single tear had escaped and was rolling slowly down her cheek.
Faith could feel his eyes on her and she could only imagine what was going on his mind at that moment.
She felt his hand rest on her back.
"Faith?"
She swallowed hard. This is it. "Bosco, I lied to you. I'm not going to the shore next week." She continued to stare at the ground.
"So where are you going?" She was relieved to hear there was no anger in his tone, just curiosity mixed with a bit of concern.
"I'm scheduled for surgery," she admitted, already knowing what his next question was going to be.
Sure enough, the next words out of Bosco's mouth were: "What? Surgery? Why?" There was no mistaking the confusion in his voice.
Faith couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I have cancer."
There was a moment of silence, followed by Bosco's stunned, "What?"
She fought to keep her voice calm. "They found a tumor in my breast. The doctors did a biopsy. It uh...it wasn't encouraging."
There was a long pause of absolute silence. She shifted slightly, afraid he was going to be angry with her for not telling him sooner. "Say something," she pleaded softly.
"You're gonna be okay, right?"
Hearing the catch in his voice, Faith turned her head to look at him, wishing she could say yes. "My doctor thinks the surgery should take care of it. But...there are no guarantees."
He stared back at her and she could see the fear in his eyes. The same fear she saw in Fred's eyes every time she'd looked at him in the past few weeks. The same fear that she knew with absolute certainty Bosco was seeing reflected back upon him through her own eyes at that very moment.
Without another word, Bosco shifted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. The gesture both caught her off guard and touched her deeply. She took in a deep, shaky breath as he buried his face in her hair.
"I'm gonna be there. At the hospital," he whispered fiercely.
More tears stung her eyes and a wave of relief washed over her. For some reason, knowing that he would be there made her feel a little better. "I'd like that," she whispered back.
His arms tightened around her and she wound her own arms around his waist. She pressed her face against his shoulder and began to cry. She felt his hands rubbing her back, trying his best to comfort her. She knew he wouldn't lie and tell her that everything was going to be okay. It wasn't who he was. And for that, she was grateful. She could be honest with herself for once without feeling guilty about it.
Faith squeezed her eyes shut. Don't let me go, she thought. I don't want to die.