Third Watch Fic: New Beginnings (1/1)

[xtremeroswellia]

Title: New Beginnings
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian

Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Not ours.

Rating: R/NC-17 depending on the version you read

Summary: It's New Year's Eve, and Bosco takes a recovering Faith out for the evening.



New Beginnings

Bosco yawned as he sat in front of his locker. He was wearing his blue jeans, but still had his uniform shirt on. "Thank God we don't have to work tomorrow night."

"Yeah, that would pose a problem for my happenin' party New Year's Eve," Davis said with a grin as he pulled his shirt off and reached for his sweatshirt.

"Happenin', huh?" Bosco raised an eyebrow as he unbuttoned his shirt.

"It's gonna be the best party ever," he informed his friend.

"Nothin' like tootin' your own horn," Bosco said lightly as he hung up his shirt, and reached for his long sleeved t-shirt.

He grinned. "Speakin' of which...you're comin', right?"

"Oh, uh...I don't know." He grabbed his winter hat, and pulled it on his head before putting his jacket on.

"What?" Davis stared at him. "What do you mean you don't know?"

Bosco shrugged. "I mean exactly what I said. I. Don't. Know."

"You have to come, man."

"Davis are you beggin' me?"

Davis gave him a look. "Ty Davis begs no one. I'm simply sayin', if you don't come, you're gonna miss out. It's gonna be huge."

"I'll see what I can do." Bosco closed his locker.

"Hey, do you know if Yokas is gonna show?"

He looked over at Davis. "She hasn't said anything. I didn't even realize you'd invited her."

He looked insulted. "'Course I invited her. I like Yokas."

"I know you do. I didn't mean it like that." He paused. "It's just...well, things are different now," he said softly.

Davis gazed at him for a moment. "How's she doin', anyway?"

"Physically, she's gettin' there." He bit his lip. "Emotionally...that's another story."

"I can't believe her husband left her. What a jerk." He shook his head in disgust.

"Yeah." Bosco sighed. "I guess once she started talking about coming back to work he kinda flipped."

"So she is comin' back?" There was a hint of worry in Davis' eyes.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "There somethin' wrong with that?"

"No, it's just..." He drew in a breath. "I mean with Cruz here...how's she gonna handle that? I mean, she didn't even get in trouble."

"We haven't really talked about that." Bosco kicked at a crack in the floor as he looked down. "She's still got a long way to go physically. That's kinda where our focus is right now."

Davis nodded slightly. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."

"So...you and Carlos want her to come tomorrow?"

"Yeah, love to have her there if she's up to it."

"Maybe she'll agree to be my date."

"What? Maurice Boscorelli doesn't have a date?" He raised his eyebrows.

Bosco shot Davis a look. "I've had plenty of offers. I can't help it if none of them wanted to go to your party."

He grinned. "I've had my date lined up for weeks. And -everyone- wants to go to my party. They're just not lucky enough to get invitations."

He rolled his eyes. "You sure do think highly of yourself," he chuckled as he headed for the door.

"Hey, I can't help it that I'm one of the coolest guys in the city," Davis called after him with a grin.

Bosco shook his head, a grin on his face. "Hey Wilson," he called to one of the officers heading into the locker room. "You might wanna put on some hip boots. It's gettin' kinda deep in there."

* * *

Faith tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she walked slowly over to the door. She knew who it was before she even opened it because she'd known he was coming over. She smiled faintly. "Hey, Bosco. Come on in."

He took off his hat, and stepped inside as he gave her a quick once over. "How ya doin'?"

"Good." Her voice still lacked the enthusiasm she used to have. "You?"

Bosco nodded his head. "I'm okay." He walked over, and perched himself on the arm of the sofa. "It's kinda cold outside...maybe we should just walk up and down the hallway today," he said softly.

"Sure. That's fine with me. You want somethin' to drink?"

"You wanna get the walk over with first?"

"Yeah, okay. Guess I don't need my jacket."

"Well, we could go outside if you want." He paused. "It's just...I know how the cold can affect you," he finished quietly.

She was silent for a moment. "The hallway's fine." Her voice was soft and she shrugged out of the jacket she'd put on.

He let out a breath, and nodded slightly as he took off his jacket. "You have an okay night?"

"Yeah. Fine. How was your shift?"

Bosco frowned slightly. He still hadn't learned to ask open ended questions in order to get her to answer him. "Oh, it was exhausting. I'm glad I've got tonight off."

She nodded, not looking at him as she hung up her coat. "Well, let's get this over with."

"Right." He threw his jacket on the sofa, and stood up.

She pulled the front door open again and stepped out into the hallway.

"We walkin' for time or distance today?"

"Distance, I guess. It's quicker."

Nodding his head he pulled a small object out of his pocket, and handed it to her. "I uh...got this for you."

Faith glanced down at the object as she took it from him. "A pedometer?"

He scratched his head, a look of uncertainty on his face. "Yeah, it uh...seemed like an okay idea at the time."

"That's nice, Boz. Thanks," she said softly. She glanced at him for a second, offered him a small, faint smile.

"It'll be easier for us to track your progress." He reached for the pedometer. "Just clip it right here." Bosco moved a little closer to her, and clipped the pedometer on the waistband of her jeans.

Faith gazed at him silently as he fastened it to her jeans.

Bosco pressed the reset button, setting the numbers to zero. "There."

"Thanks," she murmured.

He smiled softly. "So, ready?"

"Yeah." She drew in a breath and turned away from him, walking slowly down the hallway.

He watched her for a moment before quickly catching up to her, and matching his stride with hers.

They walked in silence for a few moments. "So how come the shift was so exhausting?" she asked, unable to hold the question in any longer.

He shrugged. "Lots of calls. Lots of chases. And we were a couple guys short, so..." His voice trailed off.

"So a long night."

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "The morons were out in full force last night."

"Yeah, well, that's not surprising. It was a full moon."

"Guess that explains it."

They fell silent again until she was too tired and sore to walk much longer. "I'm ready to go back," she murmured.

"Okay," he whispered. He placed his hand lightly on the small of her back as they turned around to head back toward her apartment.

Faith drew in a breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes for a moment to try and cope with the burning of her leg muscles.

"Can you make it back," he asked very softly.

"Yeah, I just need a minute." She stopped and leaned against the wall for support.

He nodded his head. "Take your time."

She didn't look at him as she stood there. "How's your mom?"

"Oh you know my ma." He smiled softly. "She's back to buggin' me about finding a woman to make an honest man outta me."

She bit back the remark that came to mind. "I think I'm ready to go again."

"Sure." He removed his hand from her back, not wanting her to feel like he was helping her walk. She was doing this all on her own, which was how it should be.

It only took her a few more moments to reach her apartment, but she was relieved when she was inside again. "You want somethin' to drink before you go?"

"Yeah, sure." He nodded his head, and turned to go into the kitchen.

Faith bit her lip as she sat down on the sofa, leaning against the cushions as she closed her eyes.

"You want anything?"

"No thanks."

Bosco pulled open the refrigerator, and bent at the waist to get a better look as to what was inside. He grabbed a can of Pepsi. On his way back to the living room he grabbed a notepad and pen that were on the counter. "How far'd we walk?"

She opened her eyes and unfastened the podometer from her jeans. "Quarter of a mile."

He set his Pepsi down on the coffee table, and began to scribble on the notepad. December 31st, .25 miles. "We should put this somewhere we won't forget."

She shrugged. "Hang it on the fridge, I guess."

"Okay." He walked back into the kitchen, ripped the page off the notepad, and found a magnet to hang it up with. Once back in the living room he plopped down on the sofa, and grabbed his Pepsi.

"So I'll see you later?"

He looked over at her. "You kickin' me out?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "No."

"So why see me later if you can see me now," he asked, a smirk on his face.

She rolled her eyes. "I just figured you'd want some time to get ready."

"Get ready for what?"

Faith looked at him. "Bosco, it's New Year's Eve."

"No shit Sherlock."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you have a date to be pickin' up?" There was a slight hint of annoyance in her tone.

He opened his mouth to tell her that it wasn't really any of her business, but changed his mind. "Actually...I don't."

She looked at him doubtfully. "Right."

Bosco sighed. "I'm serious."

"Well, I'm sure it's not too late. Why don't you go out, give it a shot? No reason for you spend the evenin' alone."

He looked down at his unopened can of Pepsi. "Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"You got plans tonight?"

"Yeah, right."

"Wanna be my date?"

Faith's mouth dropped open for a moment. "What?"

He turned to look at her. "I don't have a date. You haven't done anything social in a while. Plus, I know Davis would like it if you came to his party."

"Oh, no way. Forget it." She shook her head instantly.

"You don't wanna go?"

"About as much as I'd like to have a root canal."

"Come on, Faith. Ty promises it'll be a great party."

"Not interested, Bosco."

"Okay...so we'll go somewhere else."

"Look, I know what you're tryin' to do. And it's not necessary, okay? You go find yourself a real date and have fun tonight, Bosco." She slowly stood up from the sofa and moved toward the kitchen.

Bosco pushed himself into a standing position. "What? You think we can't have fun together?"

"I'm not really in a party mood."

"So like I said, we'll go somewhere else."

She sighed. "Just...stop, okay?"

He gave her a confused look, and shook his head slightly. "Stop what?"

"I don't need your pity, Bosco. I'm okay bein' by myself tonight, all right? It's not a big deal. Besides, I need to get used to it anyway."

"You think this is pity?"

"Or guilt. Doesn't really matter. Go out and have fun."

"Look," he said firmly. "You're my friend, Faith. I don't come over here out of pity or guilt. I come over here because I -want- to. And I'm askin' you, as my friend to go out with me tonight to celebrate the new year."

Faith turned to look at him, her expression unreadable. "Is she gonna be there?" Her voice was slightly tense.

He didn't have to ask who she was talking about. "No," he whispered as he shook his head. "Davis only invited friends."

She was silent for a moment, then she closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. "Wouldn't you rather go with someone else?"

"If I wanted to go with someone else I woulda asked someone else."

She opened her eyes, gazing at him for a moment. "Fine. I'll go."

Bosco smiled. "Good."

"Yeah, well. We'll see if you're still sayin' that at Midnight," she said with raised eyebrows.

"So, what time should I pick ya up?"

She shrugged. "I don't care. Whenever you're ready to go, I guess. Just...give me a call and let me know."

"You aren't gonna back out on me, are ya?"

"Have I ever?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. "No," he whispered.

There was a flicker of sadness that passed over her eyes. "See you later then."

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "And rest up, cause you're dancin' with me tonight."

A smile tugged involuntarily at her lips. "Whatever you say, Boz."

He winked at her before picking up his jacket. "Well, guess I should go get ready for my big date."

She shook her head. "Yeah, you do that." There was amusement in her eyes now.

Bosco pulled open the apartment door. "See ya in a couple hours."

"Later, Boz," she said softly, watching him go.

He closed the door behind him, and smiled as he walked toward the elevator. Now that he'd gotten Faith to agree to go to the party he had to do everything in his power to make sure she had a good time.

* * *

Faith smoothed her dress down as she looked at herself in the mirror. It had been a long time since she'd been that dressed up, although the dress she was wearing was anything but fancy. It was a simple, silk black dress that went down to her ankles. Her hair was framing her face. She hadn't bothered with jewelry and certainly not with heels. Despite the cold outside, she was wearing flat sandals--ones she already knew she could walk in. She sat down on the edge of her bed until she heard the knock on the door a few moments later.

Drawing in a deep breath, she walked slowly down the hallway, unlocked and opened it.

"Wow. You look great."

She managed a small smile. "Thanks. You look nice, too," she said softly, glancing at him. He was wearing a pair of khaki's and a button down blue dress shirt.

He grinned. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a tie. "Think you can help me with this? It's been so long since I wore one."

"Sure. Come on in." She motioned him inside, taking the tie from him.

Bosco walked inside, and took his jacket off. "I swear I stood in front of the mirror for an hour, and all I ended up doin' was chokin' myself with the damn thing."

A chuckle escaped her lips. "I wondered why you were late," she said lightly.

He chuckled as well, as he reached up to fasten the top button on his shirt, and then pulled up the collar.

She leaned against the door as she slid the tie around his neck.

"You aren't gonna make that into a noose are you?"

A smile tugged at her lips. "The thought had crossed my mind," she said lightly, glancing up at him.

"Oh that hurts, Faith," he chuckled.

She smiled and carefully began to tie the knot in his tie.

He closed his eyes, a soft smile on his face.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya," she said, noticing he'd closed his eyes.

"I know. I'm just..."

She gazed at him for a moment, her hands lingering on his tie, resting lightly against his chest. "Tired?" she asked softly.

Bosco shrugged. "I was gonna say..." He let his voice trail off.

"What?" Her eyebrows furrowed she waited.

He gave her a small smile. "Nevermind."

Faith frowned. "Okay," she murmured, lowering her gaze as she started to work on his tie again.

He bit his lip for a moment as he watched her. "I was just gonna say that it felt nice havin' you help me," he told her softly.

She lifted her eyes to meet his again, more than a little thrown by his words. She offered him a small smile, unsure of what to say in response.

"See why I said nevermind?"

"No, it was...that was nice," she said quietly.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. When she finished with his tie he ran his hand down it, smoothing it out. "Now how do I look?"

"You look..." She gazed at him, her eyes soft. "Very handsome."

He looked Faith up and down, taking in the sight of her dress. "You know, I was just gonna wear jeans, but I'm glad I didn't."

She glanced down at her dress. "Is it too dressy?" she asked, a little worried she'd gone overboard. "Should I change?"

Bosco shook his head. "No. I think it's perfect."

Her hand had still been resting against his chest and she hadn't realized it until then. She quickly pulled it away, a little embarrassed. "So um...how many people did Davis invite to this party, anyway?"

He shrugged. "Not a clue. He just kept talkin' about how it was gonna be 'happenin'. He wouldn't shut up about it yesterday."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling nervous at the thought of how many people might show up. "You wanna have a drink before we go?"

"Sure, that'd be great."

She nodded, slowly moved away from him and headed for the kitchen. "What do you want?"

"Whatever's easiest. I'm not picky."

"At least not about alcohol," she teased.

"I'm all for booze," he joked.

She smiled faintly and opened the fridge. "Okay...wine coolers, beer and...there's some vodka in the cabinet."

"You know, a wine cooler actually sounds pretty good. No point in gettin' trashed -before- I get to the party."

"Are you sayin' I might be takin' a cab home tonight?"

He shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Actually I've made the choice to stay relatively sober tonight."

She smiled slightly and pulled two wine coolers from the door of the refrigerator, handing one to him and twisting the cap off her own.

"Thanks." Expecting the cap to be harder to get off he twisted it with a little too much force, resulting in him spilling a portion of the wine cooler on his shirt. "Son of a bitch!"

She glanced up to see what had happened. "It's okay. We've got plenty of time before the party. We'll just wash it."

He set the bottle on the counter, and ran his hand over the wet spot on his shirt. "Probably just be easier to swing by my place so I can change."

"Your place is on the other side of town," she pointed out.

"I know where I live, Faith," he said lightly.

She rolled her eyes. "I just meant that Davis lives closer to me than you and it'd take just as long to drive to your place and change as it would to just wash it. Plus you'll save gas."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

Faith nodded and set her wine cooler down on the counter, moving over to where he stood. "Guess I'll have to redo your tie later." She smiled faintly as she worked on undoing the knot.

"You don't mind?"

"Nope. Can't have you goin' to the party of the year with a crooked tie," she teased, glancing up and meeting his gaze.

He swallowed hard, thinking about how close they were standing. "No," he whispered. "Can't have that."

She smiled at him again, then slid the tie off his neck before reaching up to unfasten the top button of his shirt without even thinking about what she was doing.

Bosco looked down, watching her fingers as they moved to the second button on his shirt. He was a little surprised by her actions, but did nothing to stop her. It was nice to have her so close, and to be thinking of something other than what she'd been through recently.

It wasn't until she was undoing the fourth button on his shirt that she realized what she was doing. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she swallowed hard, her fingers stilling.

"Something wrong," he asked softly.

Other than the fact I'm undressing you in my kitchen? she thought immediately, closing her eyes briefly. "No. Just...a little tired." Obviously he wasn't at all uncomfortable or bothered with the situation, which surprised her more than a little. Biting down on her lower lip she finished unbuttoning his shirt, not looking up at him.

"Do you need to sit down," he asked in a whisper.

"No, I'm good." Her voice was soft and she made the mistake of looking into his eyes, the breath catching in her throat as she realized how close they were standing.

Bosco reached out, and rested his hands on her hips, offering her legs a little more support in case she wasn't telling him the truth. "You sure you're okay?"

She nodded wordlessly, unable to look away, her heart beating quickly against her chest.

He gazed at her, looking deep into her eyes, and for the first time, for a brief moment, he thought he saw something there. A spark that he hadn't seen in a long time. "I should uh...probably go throw this in the wash," he said softly.

"Yeah. Right. Of course," she said just as softly.

His hands lingered on her hips for another moment before he managed to pull away.

She swallowed hard as he slowly moved away from her. She blinked a few times wondering what had just happened.

"Is there detergent and stuff downstairs?" He took off his shirt, and picked up his wine cooler to take a drink.

Faith tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes lingering momentarily on his muscular chest. "Um, no. It's...in the bathroom," she murmured, feeling confused by the emotions she was suddenly experiencing. She quickly turned away and headed down the hall. "I'll get it."

"Okay." He watched her walk away, and let out a breath. He'd never felt like that before when he'd been around Faith. Sure, he'd always been comfortable with her being close to him, but this time he had been slightly nervous...in a good way.

She returned a moment later, carrying a bottle of Tide. Carrying the small amount of extra weight hurt and she tried to suppress the look of pain that flitted across her face by biting down on her lower lip.

He watched as she grimaced, and he immediately frowned. "Dammit, Faith," he said softly as he hurried over to take the bottle from her. "I didn't even think."

"It's not a big deal," she tried to protest.

"You're not supposed to be carryin' stuff that heavy," he reminded her. "And it is a big deal."

"It's only a couple pounds, Bosco."

"Yeah, and the doctor hasn't cleared you for that yet."

She sighed softly and looked away.

He put his hand on her arm. "I'm just lookin' out for you," he told her softly.

His light touch made her turn her gaze back to him, her eyes soft. "I know."

"You're makin' good progress," he whispered.

"I guess."

"No 'I guess' about it, Faith." He gently squeezed her arm. "Your arms are strong, and your legs are gonna get there. And I know it doesn't seem right, but carryin' this little bit of weight when you walk puts a strain on your legs."

"I guess it's not gonna seem like progress to me until I never have to sit in that damn chair again and I can burn it," she said softly.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, but just think...at least we know now that one of these days you won't have to use the wheelchair."

"Yeah. Hopefully one day very soon," she said with another soft sigh.

"Hey, come on," he whispered. "It's just gonna take some time."

"You know me. I'm not the most patient person in the world." She forced a smile.

"I always knew we had a lot in common." Bosco smiled softly. "Well...I better go wash this." He held his shirt up. "Otherwise we'll never make it to the party."

"Right. I'll...wait here."

"Yeah, you do that." He winked, and headed for the door.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she watched him leave, her eyes lingering on his torso. She closed her eyes when he shut the door behind him and then she moved over to sit on the sofa. She raked a hand through her hair, her cheeks still feeling warm from their close encounter a few moments ago. She couldn't believe she'd undressed him.

But what was even more unbelievable was that he hadn't stopped her.

* * *

Bosco turned off the headlights, and looked toward the building they were parked in front of. "Well, this is it."

Faith stared out the passenger window silently, her heart beating heavily in her chest as a knot of anxiety formed in her stomach.

He looked over at her. "Ready?"

She closed her eyes. "You know what, why don't you just go up without me? I'll call a cab on my cell."

"What?" He shook his head. "Faith, I want you to come with me," he told her softly.

"I don't think I'm ready for this."

"You mean to see everybody," he asked in a whisper.

She nodded wordlessly.

He turned in the seat so he was facing her. "They're our friends Faith, and they've all been asking about you."

She leaned her head against the window, exhaling slowly. "Bosco, I just..."

"It'll be okay," he told her softly, reaching over and touching her leg gently. "And if it's not...we can leave."

She swallowed hard. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." I can do this, she thought.

Bosco smiled softly, and got out of the car. He walked around to open the car door for her.

She drew in a breath as he opened the door. She unfastened her seat belt and slowly slid her legs out of the car, rising to her feet.

"Do you uh...want the chair...just in case?"

Faith lowered her gaze to the ground for a moment. Her legs were still sore from the walking they'd done earlier and despite the fact that the entrance to Davis's building was only a couple yards from the car, it seemed like miles away. But the thought of being around her co-workers and acquaintances in the wheelchair made her grimace. "No."

He nodded his head. "I can always come get it later if you need it," he told her softly.

"I won't need it." She closed the car door behind her, staring up at the apartment building.

He turned his body, and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

She shifted her gaze to him, still feeling nervous as she slid her arm through his, allowing him to escort her to the entrance of the building.

Bosco pulled the door open for her. "This could actually be fun."

She had serious doubts, but she didn't tell him that. She stepped inside, waiting for him to follow her.

When he was inside, and standing next to her again he hooked his arm through hers. "I hope you're ready to get your groove on," he told her lightly.

Despite her anxiety, a chuckle escaped her lips. "What is this, 'How Faith Got Her Groove Back?'"

He chuckled. "Yeah, somethin' like that."

"Didn't the woman in that movie get her groove back by gettin' it on with a younger guy?"

Bosco shrugged. "Not sure about the actual movie, but in our version..."

Her eyes widened slightly and she glanced up at him.

He pointed at her. "Oh that look! It's priceless."

Her cheeks flushed with color and she smacked his arm. "Very funny."

"Well I thought so." He tugged on her arm gently. "Let's go."

She shook her head slightly, feeling foolish for even thinking he'd actually been propositioning her. That wine cooler she'd had earlier must have really gotten to her.

They were silent as they walked slowly to Carlos and Ty's apartment. He glanced over at her as they stood outside the door. "Still up for this?"

She smiled weakly, but it was forced. "Sure. Why not?"

He patted her arm, then lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

She closed her eyes, holding her breath as they stood on the doorstep waiting. She could hear the sounds of music from inside, the loud talking and laughter from the guests who'd already arrived.

It was a few moments later when the door opened, and Carlos stood before them with a wide grin on his face. He turned back into the apartment. "Hey look who's here!"

Davis stepped over to the door, grinning, as well. "Hey, you guys made it. Come on in. we're just gettin' started."

"Of course we made it."

Faith only managed a small smile as she allowed Bosco to lead her into the semi-crowded apartment.

He leaned closer to her. "Should we go sit down?"

"Is there any place to sit?" she asked a little doubtfully.

"I'm sure there's somewhere. Come on."

She held onto his arm tightly as they moved across the room, occasionally nodding at familiar faces from the firehouse across the street from the precinct.

"You want me to get you somethin' to drink?"

"No, I'm good," she murmured.

"Okay." He gently patted her hand as he led her over to a vacant chair.

She sat down, scooting over to make room for him to sit beside her.

He looked down at the space she'd created for him, and pointed. "I don't think I'm gonna fit there."

"Well, I could always sit on your lap," she said lightly.

"Yeah, that would work." He nodded his head.

"Uh...I was kidding."

"Should I be insulted," he asked with a grin.

She smiled. "No, just relieved."

He shook his head. "Stand up."

"What?" There was confusion in her eyes.

"Stand up," he repeated.

She stared at him for a moment before rising slowly to her feet, her knees feeling a little weak from all the physical exertion of the day.

Bosco slid in behind her, and sat down in the chair. He then patted his thigh.

"Oh, come on, Bosco. I wasn't bein' serious."

"It's not gonna hurt," he said softly. "Just sit down."

Her legs were too tired to argue with him and though she felt nervous for an entirely new reason, she reluctantly eased herself down onto his lap, her cheeks flushing with color. "You realize people are gonna start talkin' about us, right?"

"Well...in case you hadn't noticed, people have been talkin' about me for years."

She looked at him. "Yeah, but I mean they're gonna...assume..." She let her voice trail off, knowing he'd catch her meaning and probably immediately boot her off his lap or vacate the chair so she could sit by herself.

He gazed up at her, and slid his arm around her to support her as she sat on his lap. "Does that bother you," he asked softly.

Faith gazed back at him for a moment. "I figured it would bother you."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Why would it bother me?"

She gave him a look without answering him.

"You're a beautiful woman, Faith."

"Okay, apparently those wine coolers were stronger than I thought," she said under her breath. "Yeah, well, I'm sure Davis invited plenty of young, single women to the party. Don't want anyone to get the wrong impression here and reduce your chances of a real New Year's date, do ya?"

"What kind of date would I be if I brought you here, and then ditched you for someone else?"

"Normal," she said with a slight chuckle, looking away.

He gently rubbed her back. "Well, you're my date tonight, so get used to it."

His voice was unusually soft and she slowly shifted her gaze back to his face. Not used to the physical closeness with him, or the gestures of physical affection he'd been treating her to since earlier that day. She forced herself to take a breath, reminding herself that Bosco was her friend and he cared about her as a friend--nothing more. He sure as hell wasn't hitting on her.

Bosco held her gaze. "You just let me know when you're ready to dance with me."

No. He wasn't hitting on her.

Was he?

* * *

Carlos glanced across the room, and then took a couple sidesteps over to where his roommate was changing the CD in the stereo. "What the hell's goin' on?"

Davis only heard him because he'd just stopped the music for a moment. His eyebrows furrowed. "Well, Carlos, last time I checked we were havin' a party."

"Not that," he grumbled.

"What?"

"Bosco and Faith."

"What about 'em?"

"Come on, man. How could you not know what I'm talkin' about? I mean...look at them."

Davis turned around and looked in the direction his roommate was nodding in. Sure enough, Bosco was sitting in one of their comfy recliners and Faith was...sitting on his lap. His eyes widened a little. "Damn. How the hell did I miss that?"

"Beats the hell outta me." Carlos shook his head. "Since when have they been..."

"I have no idea. Bosco didn't say anything. He said he didn't have a date, and then he said..."

"Said what?"

"Damn. He said he wondered if she'd be his date for the night. I had no idea he meant -date- date."

"Man," Carlos sighed. "That's just...messed up."

"I wonder how long they've been together."

"That's just weird how they picked tonight to show up together. I woulda thought they'd kinda ease everybody into it, ya know?"

"No kidding. Talk about a New Year's surprise."

Nieto exhaled loudly. "Well, I gotta go mingle, and definitely get another beer."

Davis shook his head. "Yeah. Catch ya later." He turned his attention back to the stereo, pausing for a moment as he looked through the CDs. A small grin forming on his lips, he popped in one filled with slow, romantic music. It wasn't Valentine's Day, but that didn't mean he couldn't play Cupid for awhile.

* * *

Bosco shifted a little underneath her. "You still doin' okay?"

"Yeah. You want me to move?" she asked softly, knowing he couldn't be comfortable.

"My ass is just gettin' a little sore," he told her with a grin. "But this is fine."

"Are you sure? Cause I can find somewhere else to sit, Bosco." She motioned to the sofa that had been vacated only moments before.

He shook his head. "Really, this is fine."

She gazed at him for a moment, a little perturbed that he didn't want her to move even though there were plenty of other seats available now.

Bosco smiled up at her, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist.

His carefree smile brought a soft smile to her own lips and she laid a hand on his shoulder as she leaned against the back of the chair, her head resting against his.

A soft sigh escaped him as he looked toward the people milling about the living room. This was definitely different for the two of them, and he didn't know how she felt about it, but he was very comfortable with the situation.

Faith let her eyes close as she sat there curled up on his lap, in his arms. Feeling more relaxed than she had been all day.

"Who you figure put on the slow songs? Davis or Nieto?"

"Gotta be Davis," she murmured, not opening her eyes.

"Yeah. He probably figures the slow stuff'll increase his chance of scorin'."

"Generally how it works," she mumbled.

He chuckled softly. "That from experience?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she retorted, her voice light.

"Maybe."

She quickly lifted her head to look at him, startled.

His eyes widened slightly at her quick movement. "I say somethin' wrong?"

She stared at him for a moment. "No...no. Nothing." There was a hint of uncertainty to her voice.

"You feelin' okay," he asked softly.

Faith bit her lip. "Yeah. I'm good."

"Okay, well you just let me know if you need anything."

She nodded silently, her eyes locked on his.

Smiling up at her he lifted his hand, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

When his hand lingered on her cheek for a moment, she closed her eyes and leaned into his light touch without really thinking about it. It was simply an instinctual reaction.

"You feel good enough to dance," he asked in a near whisper.

"Yes," she whispered back, opening her eyes and gazing at him once more.

He smiled as he nodded his head. "Excellent."

She turned her head slightly and kissed the palm of his hand before sliding off his lap and rising to her feet.

Bosco was a little surprised that she'd kissed his hand, almost as surprised as when she'd helped him take his shirt off at her apartment. He didn't say anything though, instead he just stood up, took her hand and led her to an open area where they could dance together.

It had been a very long time since anyone had asked to dance with her and she hesitantly slid her arms around his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her close. "You just let me know if you get too tired."

"I will," she said softly, gazing at him.

He smiled warmly as he began to dance slowly in time to the music.

Faith shifted a little closer to him, resting her chin on his shoulder, her cheek brushing against his. She closed her eyes.

As they danced he lifted a hand, and brushed her hair off her shoulder. He moved his hand back down, holding her a little tighter than before as he placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.

She felt the light kiss and goosebumps rose up on her skin. Earlier she'd thought she'd been imagining things, but now she wasn't so positive that he wasn't hitting on her. Only this...felt a lot more significant than simple flirting. They'd done that for years in a purely platonic friendship way. No, this was definitely different. She just wasn't sure -what- it was.

Bosco turned his head, and kissed her cheek. "Doin' okay?"

"Yeah," she said very softly, kissing his cheek in return.

"People are gonna talk," he whispered.

"What people?" she murmured.

"My thoughts exactly." Their dancing slowed to the point where they were almost stationary, and he pulled his head back to gaze at her. Bosco licked his lips.

She gazed back at him silently, searching his eyes.

He swallowed hard, and his eyes slipped shut as he leaned in to kiss her.

Faith's heart skipped a beat as he moved closer to her. Her own eyes started to drift shut when she felt someone crash into her from behind, causing her to stumble a bit.

"Sorry. Sorry about that," the guy said with a sheepish grin, clearly drunk.

"Watch where you're goin'," Bosco told him, clearly annoyed.

Her face was flushed with warmth as she leaned against him.

"You okay, Faith," he asked softly, worried that she'd been hurt.

"I'm okay," she whispered, still a little shocked that he'd been about to kiss her.

Bosco let out a breath, and ran a hand through his hair. He was uncertain as to whether or not she'd wanted him to kiss her, and now that they'd been interrupted he didn't know if he should try again.

"All right, everyone grab your party favors. 2004 is going to be here in exactly 30 seconds," Davis announced, turning the music down and glancing at his watch.

For a few seconds Bosco didn't move, he just looked at Faith.

She looked back at him. "Almost a new year," she said very softly.

He nodded his head. "New beginnings," he whispered.

"10, 9, 8..."

She reached up and touched his cheek gently.

He took a deep breath as he gazed at her. His arms snaked around her a little tighter, and he held her against him.

"5, 4, 3..."

Her gaze dropped to his lips, then she closed her eyes as she leaned toward him, her heart pounding.

Bosco blinked rapidly, feeling slightly nervous. He closed his eyes as he leaned in a little closer to her.

"2, 1..."

The shouts of 'Happy New Year' were completely lost on her as their lips brushed together.

He smiled against her mouth, and lifted a hand to her cheek.

She felt a spark of electricity crackle through her as the kiss deepened slowly.

His fingers slid through her hair as they continued to kiss. He went from being nervous to being completely relaxed.

Something about kissing Bosco, being that close to him felt so inherently right to her and she suddenly realized he felt the same way. Could sense it in the way he kissed her, the way he held her.

A moment later he pulled away to breath, and there was a smile on his face. "Your knees gettin' weak yet," he asked lightly

A smile touched her lips. "Very," she said softly.

He placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips. "Well...we could always leave if you're tired."

Faith was quiet for a moment. "What if we leave and...I'm not tired?" she asked shyly.

"That would be okay, too," he told her softly.

She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Let's go back to my place," she whispered.

Bosco nodded his head. "I'll go get our jackets."

She nodded, as well, reluctantly moving away from him.

"Don't go anywhere." He kissed her cheek, and hurried over to the chair they'd been sitting in to get their things.

She gazed at him, watching as he picked up their coats and headed back toward her. A little surprised when he helped her into hers.

He smiled at her as he put on his jacket, and then offered her his arm like he had on their way to the party.

"Thanks," she said softly, slipping her arm through his as they said their goodbyes and left the apartment, heading for his mustang.

"Am I walkin' too fast," he asked her, a hint of worry in his voice. His heart had been racing ever since they'd kissed, and he had a feeling that he was letting it override his common sense.

"No, I'm okay," she said, glancing at him and lightly squeezing his arm.

Bosco walked her to the passenger side of the car, and turned her around to face him. Without hesitating he pressed his lips against hers.

This time there was a hint of urgency in the kiss and she returned the pressure with equal emotions, her hands sliding up to his neck, then tangling in his hair.

He moaned softly as they kissed each other deeply. After he pulled away he kissed her cheek, then opened the car door for her.

She gazed at him for a moment, her heart beating quickly as she finally turned to climb into the passenger seat of his car.

Once she was settled inside the mustang he hurried around to the driver's side. It didn't take long before he'd put the car in gear, and they were on their way back to her place. He took a deep breath, and glanced over at her. They hadn't said anything to each other in a while, and he was starting to wonder if this was really what she wanted.

Faith felt his eyes on her and she turned to meet his gaze, reaching out and sliding her hand over his.

"You doin' okay over there," he asked softly as he turned back to look at the road.

"Yeah," she said just as softly. "You?"

He nodded his head. "Just worried about you."

"Why?" There was confusion in her voice.

"Is this...am I really what you want," he asked in a whisper.

Faith looked out the windshield for a moment, then back at him. "Yes, Bosco. I want you," she whispered back.

A smile spread across his face as he turned to look at her again, and gave her hand a squeeze.

Surely he couldn't really be surprised by her admission. Bosco had had more than his share of sexual partners. She'd gotten to hear all about them over the ten years they'd worked together. She knew he'd probably regret it later, or would want to pretend like it never happened. It would hurt, but she wanted--no--needed to be with him.

What seemed to him like an eternity later he came to a stop near her apartment building. He shut the car off, and got out so he could help Faith. Bosco pulled her door open, and offered her a helping hand, a somewhat nervous smile on his face.

She slid her hand into his, lacing her fingers through his and standing up slowly, her eyes soft as she gazed at him.

"You're sure you want me to come up?"

"Only if you want to," she said softly.

He nodded his head. "I want to," he whispered.

"Then follow me," she whispered back, holding onto his hand as she led him to the apartment building.

Bosco smiled softly as he let her guide him inside.

Within moments they were standing outside her apartment as she unlocked and opened the door, flipping on the light as she stepped inside.

He quietly let out a breath as he looked around. Her apartment was exactly as they'd left it just hours before, yet in a way it was completely different.

She closed and locked the door behind them, leaning against it for a moment.

"Okay, so...now that we're here...are you sure..."

Faith gazed at him, wondering if she was sure. She was very attracted to him, but she knew that sex would change everything between them forever. Was it worth the risk? she wondered. She knew Bosco had the ability to sleep with someone and then everything go back to "normal" the next day, but she wasn't sure that she could handle that. "Do you want me?" Her voice was barely audible.

Bosco met her gaze, and nodded his head. "I wanna be with you, Faith," he told her softly, his voice serious.

"And I wanna be with you." She held her hand out to him.

He reached out, and took her hand. "If you change your mind all you gotta do is tell me," he whispered.

She kissed him softly before leading him down the hallway to her bedroom.

He swallowed hard as he followed her over to the bed, and watched as she pulled back the covers. They'd been friends, best friends, for years and she knew him almost as well as he knew himself. Which was why this totally floored him. She wanted to be with him even though he'd had numerous one night stands. And the strange thing, was that even though this could possibly ruin how things were between them he was willing to take that chance because at this moment he wanted to be with her more than anything else.

Faith gazed at him silently for a long moment in the semi-darkness of the room. It had been months since anyone had touched her in any kind of intimate way. Since before the shooting. Then Fred had left as she'd started getting better. Now she stood in her bedroom with her best friend and partner standing only a couple feet away from her, prepared to engage in an act she'd only ever performed with her husband. And she was nervous.

"This uh...this isn't gonna hurt you, is it?"

"I don't think so," she said softly.

He nodded his head, and bit his lip. "You can always..." He swallowed hard. "You know...stop me."

If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was just as nervous as she was. "I know."

"Good." He let out a shaky breath, and took a tentative step toward her. He'd been with a lot of women, but this was definitely different.

She reached out and slowly started undoing his tie that she had fixed for him hours ago that seemed like a lifetime from where they were now.

He smiled softly as he watched her, and let his hands rest on her hips. His heart pounding in his chest.

She kissed him lightly, allowing the tie to fall to the floor as she unbuttoned the button on his collar.

Bosco closed his eyes, and took a couple deep breaths to try and calm his nervous. His thumbs moved back and forth over the smooth material of her dress.

After all the buttons on his shirt were undone, she slowly trailed her hands down his bare chest, her right hand stopping over his heart, feeling its quick beat beneath her palm.

He exhaled slowly, and reached a hand up to cover hers as he opened his eyes to look at her.

Faith gazed back at him. "I need you," she whispered.

"I need you, too," he whispered back. "Always have."

His soft words nearly deconstructed her completely, tears prickling at her eyes as she brushed her lips against his.

Bosco returned the soft kiss, his hands moving to the zipper on her dress. "Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me something."

She pulled away just slightly to look at him silently.

"When this is over...promise me we'll still be friends, even if you regret it."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "And what if I'm not the one who regrets it?"

He shook his head, and wiped the tear away. "I'm not gonna regret it," he told her softly.

She kissed his cheek. "I won't either."

Bosco smiled softly, and began to work down the zipper. He lowered his lips to her neck.

She closed her eyes, a shiver running through her at the light sensation. She slid her hands over his chest, kissing his collarbone very softly.

He nibbled on her skin as he reached up to pull the dress straps off her shoulders.

A moment later the dress pooled at her feet, along with his shirt. She kissed his chest lightly, her heart pounding heavily.

His eyes were closed, and he tilted his head back as he tangled his fingers in her hair. Her kisses were so light, but they shook him to the core. It had been a while since he'd been with a woman this gentle.

Faith kissed his collarbone again, then the base of his neck, her hands sliding down to rest on his hips.

He moved his hands around to her back to unclasp her bra. As he worked on taking the garment off he gently blew on her earlobe.

She closed her eyes as the material covering her breasts fell to the floor in an ever-growing pile of clothes. She slowly reached for his belt.

Bosco ran his hands up and down her spine, then out to her shoulder blades as he pulled back enough to look at her body. She was absolutely beautiful, but he frowned when he saw the scars on her torso. The scar from the bullet, and the scar from the surgery to repair her lung. He slowly slid a hand around to the front of her body, and lightly traced the scars with his finger.

Faith shuddered, swallowing hard as his fingers traced the paths of her wounds. Another tear slid down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he lowered his head so he could kiss the imperfections.

She couldn't speak as she felt his lips lightly brush over the scars. She kissed the top of his head, her hands moving around to his back as she held onto him, her body trembling.

He continued to kiss her scars, and the area around them before standing up straight once more. Bosco put his hands on her hips, and slowly guided her toward the bed. "You're beautiful, Faith," he told her softly as he gazed at her.

She'd always had trouble with the word beautiful. Probably because it was such a rarity for anyone to say it to her. But when he said it, it touched her deeply. His voice was so soft, sincere. She kissed him gently.

Bosco returned the kiss, and slowly ran his tongue over her bottom lip. When their progress was stopped by the bed he helped her ease down onto it carefully, never breaking the kiss.

She felt the mattress shift beneath her as he continued to kiss her and she reached out, pulling him closer, needing to feel his body against hers.

He slid his body over hers, their bare chests touching. He could feel the heat that was trapped between them.

She rubbed her hands up and down his back lightly as she kissed his lips. "Please," she said softly.

Nodding slightly he moved down her body. He kissed a trail of wet kisses down her neck to her chest, pausing to pay attention to her breasts before moving down to her stomach. Bosco hooked his fingers over the waistband of her underwear, and slid the garment off her legs. He kissed her thighs, her knees, her shins before moving back up her body.

She swallowed hard as a wave of heat flooded her. She reached out and undid the button on his khakis, sitting up enough to kiss his neck at the same time.

He pressed his hands into the mattress, holding his position over her. "Oh man," he breathed.

A faint smile touched her lips and she let her tongue dart out to taste his skin as she unzipped his pants.

Bosco closed his eyes, and let his head hang down as she worked on his pants. His temperature was rising, and he was certain his heart was going to explode at any moment.

Faith tugged at the khakis after managing to get them unzipped, trying to pull them down and off his hips with little success from the position she was in.

He kissed her shoulder, and carefully moved so he was standing next to the bed. Bosco quickly pushed his pants to the floor, and stepped out of them as he gazed at her.

She gazed back at him silently in the semi-darkness of the room for a long moment. Then she held her arms out to him.

With a warm smile on his face he quickly moved into her arms, his body covering hers. He still couldn't believe that he was here with Faith, and they were about to cross a line that he never thought they'd even approach.

"Make love to me, Boz," she whispered nearly inaudibly.

He pressed his lips to hers, and gently nibbled on her lower lip as he rubbed against her.

Faith closed her eyes at the sensation, a soft sigh escaping her mouth.

Bosco smiled softly, and reached between them to position himself. Very slowly he slid inside her.

She swallowed hard, breathing heavily as he entered her. It didn't hurt, but it had been so long since she'd last made love that she'd almost forgotten what it felt like. She slid her arms around him, kissing his shoulder softly.

"You okay," he asked in a husky whisper as he gazed down at her, remaining still.

She slowly opened her eyes to look up at him. "Yes," she whispered back.

He braced himself on the bed with his hands, and began to slowly make love to her. His movements gentle.

She slid a hand up to caress his face before lifting her lips to meet his in a soft kiss.

As he returned the kiss he slowly lowered his upper body down so their skin was touching. He slid his body over hers as he moved inside of her.

She had never felt the way she felt right then before. She'd loved Fred, but their intimacy was based on the fact that they had children together, not based on their depth of knowledge of one another. It had been an act of duty most of the time and she'd always wondered what it was like to make love to someone who actually knew her, cared about her--Faith Yokas--the person. Not the wife or the mother or the cop. And now as she made love to Bosco, she realized that she was just beginning to understand the depth of emotion she had for him. The depth of respect she had for their mental and emotional intimacy. The bond that they shared with only each other.

"Faith," he whispered, a warm expression on his face as her name crossed his lips. He'd had an active sex life, but he'd never done this before. In the past things had always been hurried, frantic. But right now with Faith, it was slow...graceful.

"I love you," she whispered almost inaudibly, kissing his cheek softly.

Breathing heavily he lowered his lips to her ear, gently kissing her earlobe. "Love you," he whispered.

She closed her eyes, a tear leaking out from underneath her eyelid at his words. She hadn't expected him to say them back. He just wasn't the type. But if he said them, he meant them and what little doubt that had remained in her mind vanished completely.

Bosco closed his eyes, and moaned softly as he worked his hips against hers. He lifted his head so he could gaze down at her. He'd said the words to her, but now he wanted her to be able to see how much he loved her. Ever since the academy he'd loved her in one way or another, and after recent events, after Fred took off and he began to help her with her recovery that love had grown into something more. Something he hadn't even recognized until tonight.

Faith gazed back at him, warmth and love in her eyes. She could feel the pressure starting to build within her and she slowly eased her legs around his waist.

He moved one hand to the outside of her thigh as he continued to rock against her. "You doin'...okay," he asked breathlessly.

"Yes," she said just as breathlessly, beads of perspiration forming on her forehead.

Bosco nodded his head, and leaned down to capture her lips as he moved a little faster. He wanted their first time together to last, but he also wanted to make sure that her needs were fulfilled.

She returned the pressure of his kiss with a gentle urgency that matched the rhythm of his body. Sliding her hands down his back, caressing and touching his skin.

He moaned into her mouth before pulling away briefly. His lower body tensed slightly, and he bit down on his lip.

Faith sensed that he was close and she was teetering on the edge herself. Swallowing hard, she lifted her hips to meet his as he thrust into her. The increased pressure sent a wave of pleasure through her body and she cried out, gripping tightly onto him for support, her heart racing.

His mouth opened in a silent gasp as her muscles clenched around him. Bosco was about to erupt from the sensations, but even in the heat of the moment he remembered that they hadn't used protection and quickly pulled out of her.

His sudden withdrawal startled her. "Bosco, what--?"

"Shhh. It's okay," he whispered. "I didn't use protection."

Faith kissed his cheek, then guided his left hand to her right hip, running their joined fingers over a smooth patch. "It's okay."

"What's this," he asked softly.

"Birth control patch," she whispered.

"Oh." He leaned down, and kissed her lips softly. "I didn't know."

"I should have said something." She returned the kiss.

"It's okay." He gently rubbed himself against her, but didn't enter her body.

She moaned softly at the motion, swallowing hard and she wondered if he was trying to torture himself or her with the action.

"Do you need to rest," he asked her in a hushed voice.

"No...please," she murmured, trying to pull him closer.

He pressed his lips to hers, and smiled as he slid into her once more.

She breathed heavily as he entered her again, his movements quicker this time. She kissed his neck, darting her tongue out to taste his skin.

Bosco bit his lip as he thrust into her. It didn't take long for the pressure to build up inside him once again. "Gawd Faith," he moaned as he buried himself inside of her.

She kissed his forehead, intentionally clenching her inner muscles tightly around him as he moved, wanting to show him the same pleasure he'd shown her.

His body tensed just as it had before, and he closed his eyes tight as he rocked his hips against hers.

Faith was more than a little shocked to feel another wave of pleasure threatening to burst in her own body. She lifted her hips up to meet him once more as she clenched her muscles again, heat washing over her as she felt a second release hit.

"Faith!" He cried out her name as he climaxed not caring if he woke up her neighbors. He shuddered within her, and then his entire body relaxed.

She closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath as she held him tightly, kissing his cheek and forehead with gentle kisses, exhausted.

A soft moan escaped him as he relaxed, his body completely spent. He lifted a hand to touch her cheek, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I love you," she murmured, kissing him back.

"I love you, too," he whispered as he gazed at her.

She gazed back at him, her heart still pounding heavily against her chest.

He swallowed hard, and panted for air as he tried to come down from the experience. Their bodies were covered in sweat as they lay there, clinging to each other.

She smoothed her hands over his shoulder blades, pressing a soft kiss to his sweat-drenched forehead.

"How do you feel," he asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good," she said just as softly, her body tired but relaxed. "That was...incredible."

Bosco nodded his head, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He let his lips linger for a moment as he enjoyed the warmth from her body.

Faith let her eyes close as he kissed her gently, their bodies still pressed together. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so loved. So content.

She had a feeling that 2004 was going to be a good year after all.