Third Watch Fic: No Mercy (8-10/21)
Title: No Mercy (8/?)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life.
Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape
Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave."
Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.
Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.
Category: Story
Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst?
Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me.
Author's Note II: Sorry it took so long for this part to come out...school-wise, this has been the week from hell.
Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster.
No Mercy (Part 8)
Bosco sipped a cup of coffee as he read the morning newspaper. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Then he set his mug down, stood up, and walked back to his bedroom.
Faith was still asleep.
He turned and walked back to the living room after checking on her. He had insisted that she take his bed because of her injuries. She had tried to insist that the couch would be fine. Finally he had told her, fine, she could have the couch, but he wasn't sleeping in the bed. He'd further illustrated his point by pulling out a blanket and sprawling out on the living room floor. She'd grumbled something about him being stubborn and turned and went to sleep in the bed.
Bosco smiled at the memory. He sat down on the couch again and reached for the newspaper, pausing as a piece of paper caught his eye. He picked it up and read the heading.
"At Home Care Instructions."
There was a brief description of 'Thrombocytopenia,' or low platelet levels. Under that were several tips on how to minimize the risks of bleeding, and other general precautions. After that there were several suggestions on how Faith should adjust her diet to help maintain her platelet levels.
He read over the entire sheet twice, then glanced back towards his bedroom. He sat back on his couch, frowning.
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Faith snuggled deeper under the covers as she heard her mother's voice calling, "Faith! Time to get up! You're gonna be late for school!"
"Five more minutes," she mumbled.
"Faith!" her mother called again.
She groaned and started to pull the blankets over her head when she caught a familiar scent permeating the air. Eggs. Eggs and bacon.
Her stomach growled. With effort, she opened her eyes and squinted at the bedside clock. The glowing red digits read 10:45.
She sat straight up in bed, alarmed. She was late!
She was halfway out of bed by the time she realized that it had just been a dream. She wasn't in her childhood home, and she certainly wasn't late for school. She looked around the unfamiliar room, confused.
Bosco's. She was at Bosco's apartment.
Faith shook her head, marvelling at how vivid that dream had been. Even now she could smell the eggs and bacon her mother had been fixing. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, temporarily forgetting about her broken ribs.
A small cry escaped her lips before she could suppress it, and she sat down hard on the edge of her partner's bed, her hand covering her side. She focused her mind on breathing in an attempt to get past the pain. After a few moments, the throbbing sensation began to subside. She closed her eyes and stood up slowly and carefully.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand to get rid of the tears the pain had caused. Then she made her way down the hallway.
Faith began to wonder if she was delusional as the scent of bacon and eggs grew stronger. When she reached the end of the hallway, the sight before her made her freeze.
Bosco was in the kitchen.
Cooking.
Her mouth dropped open. She shook her head slowly. I must still be dreaming, she thought.
A second later, he turned and saw her standing there. "You're up. Good. How do you like your eggs?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
Bosco was cooking breakfast.
*Bosco* was *cooking.*
What's wrong with this picture? she wondered.
"Faith?"
She blinked a few times. "Uh...scrambled."
"Scrambled eggs it is." Bosco turned his attention back to the food.
Faith walked into the kitchen and watched as he beat the eggs in a bowl, then poured them into a pan on the stove and added a dash of milk. "This is very surreal," she commented, leaning against the counter.
"What is?"
"You...cooking," she replied, motioning to the pan.
"Hey, I happen to be a good cook, thank you," he said defensively.
"I never would have guessed."
"Well, it's not like I do it all that often." Bosco shrugged and threw away the egg shells. "But that paper said you should eat plenty of protein, so I figured eggs counted."
Faith's gaze traveled to the sheet of at-home care instructions that were lying on the counter top. Then her gaze moved back to her partner. A rush of tears filled her eyes. He was being so kind to her--letting her stay at his place, insisting she take his bed, and now fixing her breakfast. She had the sudden impulse to hug him.
No matter what anyone said about him, Maurice Boscorelli had a heart of gold.
Bosco scraped the eggs out of the pan and poured them onto a plate. Then he removed the bacon he'd fried in the microwave and added it to the plate, too. Then he handed the plate to her. "Do you want milk or orange juice?"
"Milk. Thanks." She sat down at the table and frowned. "Aren't you eating?"
"Already did," he informed her as he sat down at the table across from her.
Faith took a bite of the scrambled eggs and looked at him. "These are really good."
He shrugged. "Told ya."
Within minutes, she'd finished off everything on her plate and was startled to realize how hungry she'd been.
The telephone rang and Bosco stood up and walked into the kitchen to answer it. Faith drank the rest of milk and leaned back in her chair.
Bosco stepped back into the room a moment later, his hand cupped over the mouthpiece of the telephone. "Faith?"
She looked up and met his eyes.
"It's Detective Masters. He wants to know if we can meet him someplace. He has some follow-up questions he wants to ask you, and they've got a sketch from the descriptions you and Mrs. Coleman gave that he wants you to take a look at."
Faith swallowed hard, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. "Tell him yes."
"You sure?" The concern in Bosco's eyes was clear.
"Yeah," she said, though she wasn't really.
Bosco nodded, then spoke into the phone. "We'll be there."
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Bosco glanced around the Sunrise Cafe. "I don't think they're here, yet," he told Faith.
She looked around, as well. "I don't think so, either." She zipped her coat up and moved closer to him as she stepped out of the way of two guys headed for the door.
The second guy paused and looked at Faith for a moment, his eyes lingering on the bruises on her forehead. He looked like he was contemplating saying something to her.
Bosco felt her tense up next to him and he glared at the guy, silently warning him to back the hell off.
The guy frowned and left the cafe without a word.
"Maybe we should get a table," Faith suggested, her voice steady despite the fact that he could sense her anxiety.
"Yeah." Bosco rested his hand lightly on her shoulder and guided her to a table. "Booth okay?"
"It's fine." Faith slid into the seat and he slid in next to her.
"Can I get you something to drink?" a pretty blond waitress asked.
Bosco glanced at his partner. "You want some coffee or something?"
"No, I'm good."
"One cup of coffee, black," Bosco told the waitress.
"Coming right up."
The bell on the front door of the cafe tinkled and they both looked toward it. Detective Masters and Detective Flannigan walked in.
"Oh, great. He brought the moron," Bosco muttered as he motioned the two over to the table.
"Officer Boscorelli, Officer Yokas," Detective Masters greeted them. He sat down directly across from Faith, and Flannigan sat across from Bosco. "How are you feeling, Officer Yokas?"
"I'm fine, thanks. And--it's Faith."
Detective Masters nodded. "Okay, Faith."
"Here's your coffee." The waitress returned to their booth and set a mug in front of Bosco. She smiled at him. "Can I get you something else?"
He glanced at her briefly. "No thanks."
"Can I get you boys anything?" she asked the detectives.
Flannigan flashed a smile at her. "Cup of coffee, two sugars."
She jotted down the order.
"Nothing for me, thanks," Masters said.
"Okay." The waitress turned and walked off.
Masters looked at Faith and removed his notebook from his jacket pocket. "Faith, I'd like you to tell us again everything that you can remember. Just in case there's some detail that pops into your mind that you couldn't recall last time."
Bosco felt his body tense. He wasn't sure he could sit there and listen to her go through all the details again.
"Okay," she answered, her voice quiet. She took a deep breath and began to recount the facts.
After a moment, he turned his head to look at her, amazed her ability to control her emotions. He was tense and upset and having difficulty not showing it. How could she be so calm?
When he thought about it, Faith had always been the stronger of the two of them. She was always--or at least, almost always--calm, controlled, level-headed, smart. She always held everything and everyone around her together, including him.
He blinked when he realized that she had finished speaking and Detective Masters was asking her questions. He forced his mind to focus on what was being said.
"We just want you to take a look at this sketch." Masters pulled the sketch out of his briefcase and slid it across the table to Faith.
Bosco looked at it, then at her. Her eyebrows were knitted together as she studied the picture, biting her lower lip. After a moment, she looked at him, disappointment in her eyes. "I don't recognize this guy. It's not him." Faith slid the photo back to Detective Masters.
"Why don't you take another look?" Flannigan suggested disgustedly.
"She said it wasn't him," Bosco said sharply.
Flannigan glared at him. "Do you even care if this bastard is caught?"
"Did you really have to bring this dumbass?" Bosco asked Masters, hitching his thumb towards Flannigan.
"You watch your fuckin' mouth!" Flannigan said angrily, leaning forward.
"Hey, hey, hey. Everyone calm down," Masters interrupted.
"There a reason he's here, anyway? Don't you have a husband?" Flannigan demanded, looking at Faith.
Bosco started to rise up out of his seat, but he felt a hand grip his arm. He looked over at Faith.
"Boz, don't," she commanded, her voice soft.
He considered arguing with her, knowing he could list at least a dozen reasons he should pummel the guy sitting across from him, but the look on her face stopped him. He relaxed as best he could and settled for glaring at Flannigan.
Faith took the sketch again and stared at it for a long time. Then she sighed. "It's not him. I'm sorry."
Masters nodded and slid the sketch back into his briefcase.
"Was there anything else you needed to ask me?"
Bosco could hear a hint of weariness in her voice.
"No. That will do it, Faith. Thanks for meeting with us." Masters offered her a smile.
She nodded. "I need to go to the bathroom before we leave."
Bosco got up and let her out of the booth. He glared once more at Flannigan, then went to pay for his coffee.
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"Why do you do that?" Masters asked his partner after Faith had excused herself to the restroom and Bosco had gone to pay for his coffee.
"Do what?" Flannigan asked.
"Provoke the guy."
He rolled his eyes. "He just gets on my nerves."
"Well, you're not helping the situation by hassling him," Masters pointed out.
"Whatever." He rubbed his chin. "We're not gonna catch this guy."
"Don't say that."
"Come on. We have nothing to go on. The only one who's seen the lowlife's face can't remember what he looks like." Flannigan leaned back against his seat. "What the hell kind of cop leaves her keys in the front door, anyway?"
"Don't blame the victim, Flannigan," Masters said, his usually calm voice turning harsh.
"I'm just saying. She was asking for trouble."
Masters shook his head, disgusted. "You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that?" He stood up and headed for the door.
Flannigan threw some money down on the table and then followed him.
Neither one of them noticed Faith standing a few feet away, frozen in place.
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"I think I'm gonna go to bed."
Bosco glanced at Faith, and then at the clock on the wall, surprised. "Now?" It was only 6:30.
She nodded slightly. "Is that all right?" she asked, hesitation in her voice.
"Yeah, sure. You feelin' okay?"
"I'm fine. Just a little tired."
"All right." He watched as she disappeared down the hallway, then returned a moment later.
"Boz?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind if...I take a shower first?"
"No, go ahead."
She hesitated for another moment.
Bosco leaned forward on the sofa, growing more concerned. "Faith?"
"I'm out of clean clothes."
"Oh." He stood up and walked to his bedroom. He removed a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants from his closet. "You can borrow these. I'll stop by your place tomorrow when I'm on break and bring you back some more of your own."
"Thanks, Bosco." Faith took the clothes from him, then disappeared into the bathroom.
Bosco took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to release some of the tension from the past few days. He was surprised when there was a knock at his front door. Frowning, he walked out and opened it.
Doc stood before him, a small boquet of white flowers in his hands.
"Doc, you shouldn't have," he said dryly.
"I didn't. They're not for you."
"Obviously."
"I...uh...I heard Faith was staying with you for awhile."
Bosco nodded and held the door open for him.
Doc stepped inside. "I would've come sooner, but I've been working a lot of doubles. Tomorrow's the first day off I'll have had in two weeks." He glanced around.
"She's taking a shower. Says she's going to bed afterwards."
Doc frowned. "How's she doing?"
"She's been quiet all day. Hasn't said much." He shrugged.
Doc handed him the flowers. "Where's Fred in all this, anyway?"
"Oh, he and the kids are out of town for awhile. Some kind of family thing," Bosco answered smoothly, filling up a large glass with water and placing the flowers in it.
"Does he even know?"
"Uh, no. No, we don't have a way to get a hold of him right now."
Doc shook his head. "Man. How's Faith taking that?"
He paused, then decided to dodge the question. "You want something to drink?"
"No thanks. I'm not gonna stay. I just wanted to drop those by and see how she was."
"I'll let her know you stopped by."
"Thanks." Doc headed for the door.
"Hey, Doc?"
"Yeah?"
"You say you had tomorrow off?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I don't really want her to stay here alone after everything that's happened..."
Doc nodded in understanding. "What time should I come over?"
"Around one."
"I'll be here."
"Thanks, man."
"Sure."
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*
"You don't want to do this!"
"Oh, yes, I do. And you want me to. You know you do."
*
Faith sat up, gasping for breath, then smothering a cry as pain shot through her ribs. Her heart thudded rapidly against her chest as her eyes darted around the dark room until finally focusing in on the clock next to the bed. 11:21 p.m.
She swallowed hard, trying to calm herself down. Tears sprung to her eyes and she quickly blinked them back. She shoved the blankets off her and swung her legs off the bed. She quietly walked out of the room, down the hallway and into the living room.
Bosco was sitting on the sofa in the dark, watching something on televison. He caught sight of her standing there. "Hey, you okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I just...couldn't sleep," she lied, running one hand through her hair.
"You wanna watch some tv?"
"That'd be good," she agreed, walking over and sitting down next to him. "What are you watching?"
"Crocodile Hunter." Bosco glanced at her briefly, then nodded towards the screen. "He's one crazy man."
She relaxed and even managed a smile. "Now if that's not the pot calling the kettle black..."
"Hey, watch it," he said, pretending to take offense.
Faith laid her head back against the couch. She yawned and blinked a few times, trying to stay awake. But as the moments ticked by, her eyelids drooped and she drifted off to sleep again.
"Look at him. He's picking up a spitting cobra." When he didn't get a response, Bosco looked over at her. She had fallen asleep, her head resting on the back of the sofa. Her strawberry-blond hair was still damp from the shower she'd taken earlier, and her face was pale. She looked so...vulnerable. Bosco felt an intense wave of protectiveness wash over him. He swallowed hard, then clicked the television off with the remote. He grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her up with it.
He thought briefly of going to his room to sleep, but he couldn't convince himself to leave her side. Instead, he propped his feet up on his coffee table and laid his head back. He listened to the steady sound of her breathing until he fell asleep, as well.
* * *
Part Nine
"Heard you stayed with Yokas yesterday," Jimmy Doherty said to Doc as he changed into his street clothes after the shift.
"Yep." Doc nodded in confirmation as he sat down on the edge of one of the beds to ties his shoelaces.
"How's she doing?"
The older man looked at him. "Honestly? She seems okay. I don't know if it's just an act she's putting on or not."
"Yeah, it's hard to tell sometimes," Jimmy said quietly, his gaze traveling across the room to where Kim stood, rummaging through her locker.
Doc followed his eyes, then looked at Jimmy again. "She's okay, Jimmy."
He met Doc's gaze, then nodded slightly.
"Hey, Doc, can I catch a ride to my mom's?" Kim asked.
"Sure," he agreed.
She looked at Jimmy for a second, then back at Doc. "Thanks."
Doc stood up. "No problem," he said as he followed her out the door. "See ya."
"See ya," Jimmy echoed, staring after them.
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Bosco quietly unlocked the front door to his apartment and walked inside.
Davis and Alex were curled up together on the couch in front of a television they were *not* watching.
He averted his eyes and cleared his throat loudly.
The couple broke apart, startled.
"Oh, hey, Bosco. You're back," Davis said quickly, standing up.
Alex ran a hand through her hair, her cheeks flushed. "We were just...uh..."
He held up his hands. "You know what? I don't need to know."
Davis and Alex exchanged an embarrassed look.
"How's Faith?"
"She went to bed a couple hours ago," Alex told him.
"Thanks for staying," Bosco said.
"It's not a problem. See you at work tomorrow?" Davis asked.
He nodded. "See ya." He watched as they let themselves out the front door. Then he yawned, shook his head and walked back to the bedroom quietly so he didn't wake Faith. He stood in the doorway, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness before proceeding into the room. He silently opened his closet door and pulled out some clean clothes for after his shower.
"How was work?"
The unexpected sound of her voice startled him. "I thought you were asleep."
She sat up, peering at him in the darkness. "I didn't want them to feel like they had to entertain me."
Bosco moved over and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. "I've never been so bored in my entire life. Gusler wouldn't shut up the whole damned day. He kept askin' me all these questions about procedures he apparently forgot from the academy. And I didn't think we were ever gonna get all the paperwork done. I swear, if they stick him with me one more day, I'm gonna go nuts."
"Well, I don't think you're gonna have to worry about that after today."
"You know somethin' I don't?" he asked, confused.
"I'm going back to work tomorrow."
"What?" Bosco reached over and flipped on the lamp.
Faith squinted and raised her hand up to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness. "What are you trying to do, Bosco? Blind me?" she complained.
"Sorry." He clicked the light down to the dimmer setting. "Now what do you mean you're coming back to work tomorrow?"
"It's kind of self-explanatory," she answered wryly.
"It's too soon."
"I feel okay."
"The doctor said to wait at least a week," he argued.
"Bosco, it's been six days. Close enough."
"I think it's a bad idea," he said, shaking his head.
"Look, your apartment's nice and everything, and I appreciate you letting me stay here, but I haven't left since I got here and if I have to stay here one more day, I'm gonna jump out the window."
"Faith--"
"It's not your choice, Boz," Faith said quietly, looking away.
Bosco stared at her for a moment. "If the situation was reversed, you'd be upset with me."
"And you'd still do what you wanted to do, regardless," she said sharply. "Just like you *always* do."
He winced. She had him there. "All right. What about a compromise?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think that word was in your vocabulary."
Bosco ignored the comment. "You come back tomorrow, and we lay low for a few days. Only take the easy calls."
Faith snorted. "If you think about it, I'm not the one who has a problem doing that, Boz," she reminded him with a pointed look.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "All right. Then it's a deal?"
She nodded. "Deal."
* * *
Part Ten
"Hey, Bosco," Davis said as Boz stepped into the locker room.
"Hey," he said back, walking over to his locker.
"How's Faith doing?" Sully asked, glancing up from where he was sitting on the bench tying his shoelaces.
"She's okay." He looked over his shoulder to the door.
"Who's staying with her today?" Davis questioned.
"Actually--"
"Hey, guys."
Sully and Davis both turned around to see Faith. They exchanged a look of surprise.
"Hey. What did Lt. Swersky have to say?" Bosco asked as he stuffed his bag into his locker.
"He said welcome back," Faith answered. She glanced briefly at Sully and Davis before moving around them to head to her locker.
"You're here to work?" Sully asked, looking at Bosco with a frown.
"Yep."
There was a moment of brief silence.
"Well, welcome back," Davis said, closing his locker door.
"Yeah, welcome back," Sully echoed.
"Thanks, guys," she said, nodding and avoiding their gazes as she unzipped her jacket.
"See you in role call," Davis said as he and Sully left the locker room.
Bosco quickly changed into his uniform as Faith waited for him. "I think this is the first time I've been on time since--"
"Ever?" she supplied, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, watch it," he responded in mock offense. "You ready?"
"Yeah." Faith shut her locker and followed him towards the door.
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Faith paused outside the role call room for a very brief moment. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and followed Bosco inside.
As soon as she stepped into the room, the noise level dropped instantly. She could feel everyone staring at her as she walked over to her seat.
"Let's get started," Sgt. Christopher said.
Faith forced herself to pay attention as Christopher began to debrief them on the list of suspects they were supposed to keep an eye out for that day.
After her was through, Christopher ended the meeting. "Yokas, stay back."
She frowned and glanced over at Bosco, who was also frowning. She stood up and walked to the front of the room with Bosco right behind her.
Sgt. Christopher glanced at her. "I need to see you in my office."
"What's this about, Jason?" Bosco asked cooly.
"My office," he repeated. He turned and left the room without another word.
"I'm sure he just wants to welcome me back," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"I somehow doubt it," Bosco muttered.
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"Quite frankly, I'm surprised to see you back so soon," Sgt. Christopher said, leaning back in his desk chair and staring at Faith.
"Yeah, well. I was bored, so I thought, what the heck. Maybe I'll go to work and do my job."
Bosco could tell she'd meant for it to be a joke, but her tone was a little too sharp, her body a little too tense.
"Right. Well, I need you to sign some paperwork so we can get you a new weapon since you lost your other one." He pulled open his desk drawer.
"She didn't lose it."
"Excuse me?" Christopher looked at him.
Bosco glared at him and made no effort to hide it. "She didn't lose her weapon. It was stolen."
Christopher rolled his eyes and pushed some paperwork across his desk to Faith.
She remained silent as she quickly read over and signed the documents.
"Just take those down the hall and give them to whoever's working the desk. They'll get you a new gun," Christoper told her.
"Thanks, Sarge." Faith glanced at Bosco, who glared one last time at Christopher before he followed her out into the hallway.
"I really hate that guy," he muttered.
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It had been a relatively easy day so far. They'd taken one call about a peeping tom, who had turned out to be the caller's husband, who had accidently locked himself out of the house. Then they'd arrested a guy for drunk and disorderly conduct.
Bosco had been worried that the day would be full of action, and though he'd already talked to Sully and Davis about taking the more taxing calls, he was relieved that there hadn't really been any taxing calls.
He gripped the steering wheel and glanced over at Faith. "Hey. Sullivan and Davis said something about dinner at O'Malley's. You interested?"
"Yeah. Sure. I'll call it in." She punched the button on her radio and requested that 55-David take their dinner break.
"10-4, 55-David. Request approved."
He glanced over at her again out of the corner of his eye. "So...how you feeling? Okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered without hesitation.
"Fine. Right," he said under his breath. He stared ahead of him out the windshield and focused his attention on driving.
"It's gonna rain," Faith commented, her voice distant.
"Yep." Bosco pulled the car into the parking lot of O'Malley's and parked it next to 55-Charlie. He took off his seatbelt and climbed out of the squad. He stretched and glanced around the lot. "Looks like it's not just us," he commented, nodding towards the two ambulances parked side-by-side across the parking lot.
Faith didn't respond. She stood by the passenger side of their squad, staring at the road and watching the cars fly by.
He watched her for a moment, his concern growing. He walked over to her and touched her shoulder. "Faith?"
She blinked rapidly and her eyes focused on his face. "What?"
"You ready to eat?"
"Yeah." Wordlessly, she turned and left him standing alone.
Bosco shook his head and followed her.
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"She looks good."
Bosco turned to see Jimmy Dohrety standing behind him in line for more food. "What?"
Jimmy nodded towards the table where everyone else was seated and eating dinner. "She looks good. You can barely tell that anything happened."
Bosco followed his gaze and looked at Faith, who was sitting in between Doc and Kim. "Yeah, barely," he echoed.
"How's she doing really?"
"Since when do you care?"
Jimmy was taken aback. "Hey, I like Yokas."
"Oh, yeah? I didn't see you at the hospital or over at my place visiting her," Bosco retorted.
"Look, man, we might not be best friends or even good friends, but I care about her," he answered, defensively.
Bosco drew in a deep breath. "Sorry. You're right. I'm just--on edge, all right? It's been a long week."
Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure it has been. I....uh...heard about what's been going on. You really think this guy's gonna go after her again?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Well, if there's anything I can do..." His voice trailed off.
Bosco looked at him. "I know. Thanks, man."
"Sure."
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"So, how's your first day back going?" Doc asked, glancing over at Faith.
She nodded. "It's been good. Normal."
"Glad to hear it." Doc smiled at her.
"Pass the salt," Carlos said without looking up from his plate.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Ever heard of the word 'please?'"
"Bite me," he retorted.
"As enticing as that offer sounds, Carlos, I'd rather throw myself in front of a moving train," she replied.
"Don't you two ever quit?" Doc asked, shaking his head.
"I'm beginning to think something's going on with the two of 'em," Davis spoke up, glancing across the table at Alex and hiding a grin.
She kicked him under the table.
"I'm trying to eat here, man," Carlos complained, making a face.
"What else is new?" Kim cut in, taking notice of the looks Alex and Davis were giving each other.
Sully glanced down the table at Faith. "You ever notice that only half of us actually act like adults and the rest seem like they belong at the McDonald's play village?"
"Hey," Davis protested.
Doc and Sully both laughed, and Faith managed a smile.
Bosco returned to the table a moment later, and took his seat across from his partner. He took a bite of the cheese soup he'd brought back. "This stuff is great." He glanced at Faith. "You ever tried it?"
She shook her head.
"Here." He pushed the bowl towards her and she picked her spoon off the table and dipped it into the bowl. She took a bite.
"That is good," Faith agreed, nodding.
"You can have it. I'll go get some more."
"No, that's all right, Boz."
"No, really. It's fine," he assured her.
Faith glanced at him, then gave in. "Thanks." She stood up. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom," she said to Doc, who scooted his chair up to let her out. "I'll be right back."
Bosco stood up, as well, and headed towards the counter again.
As soon as they were gone, the remaining group exchanged glances. "Is it just me, or is Bosco acting really weird?" Carlos asked.
"What do you mean?" Doc asked, frowning.
"Oh, come on. He just gave Yokas his soup," he said in exasperation.
"They're partners," Kim reminded him.
"So? You don't see me giving Taylor my food," Carlos remarked, taking a drink of his soda.
"See me thanking God for that," Alex muttered, rolling her eyes.
"She's been through hell and back, Carlos. He's worried about her," Davis spoke up.
"I'm just sayin' it's not like him."
"How would you know?" Sully asked, his voice quiet.
"What?"
"How would you know if it was like him or not? You barely know the guy."
"Yeah, and you don't even like him," Carlos reminded him.
"We've had our problems, but he's a good guy," Sully said with a shrug.
"Think whatever you want, but there's more going on than what you're all saying." Carlos took a bite of his chicken salad.
"What? You mean with Faith and Bosco?" Jimmy asked, leaning forward and frowning.
"Yep."
"Carlos, she's married," Doc pointed out.
"Yeah, and do you see her husband anywhere? Heard either of them mention him at all? Don't you think it's a little odd that she's staying with Bosco and her husband is nowhere around?"
"He's out of town visiting family," Doc said quietly, setting his fork down on the table.
Carlos looked at him. "Yeah, says who?"
"Bosco told me."
The younger man sat back in his chair, a small smile on his face. "Exactly."
Everyone exchanged glances.
Bosco returned to the table, and a moment later, so did Faith.
"So anyone gonna watch the game tonight?" Alex asked uncomfortably.
There was a moment of silence.
"The game was last night," Bosco told her.
"Oh. Right."
"We should go," Doc said to Kim, glancing at his watch. "We're back on in five."
She nodded and stood up. "See you guys later." She followed Doc out the door.
"We should head out, too," Sully reminded Davis.
"Right." He looked across the table at Alex. "Bye," he said to everyone, but winked discreetly at her.
She smiled. "Later."
Jimmy looked from the retreating figure of Davis to Alex, who had a lovesick look on her face and he raised an eyebrow. He didn't know about Faith and Bosco, but there was most definitely something going on between Davis and Taylor. "Well, I'm gonna get back to work myself," he said, standing up.
"See ya," Alex told him. The others all nodded and waved.
Jimmy left.
"So, we'll see you guys later?" Alex asked as she stood up and slid her jacket on.
"Sure."
"I'm not done," Carlos protested.
She glared at him. "It's time to go back to work."
"Well, I'm still hungry."
"Shut up, Carlos. You know we'll be stopping somewhere else in less than an hour. I swear, if he doesn't eat something every hour on the hour, he gets the worst mood swings," she told Faith and Bosco, who both looked amused.
"Why do you have to be such a jerk?" he demanded.
"Someone's gotta keep you in line," Alex retorted. "If you're not out to the bus in one minute, I'm leaving your ass here." She turned and walked off.
Carlos followed her, grumbling the whole way.
"We used to sound like that," Faith commented, nodding towards them.
"Oh, come on. We've never been that bad."
She raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Maybe not *quite* that bad."
"Not even close," Bosco muttered, shaking his head. "We've had our problems, but we've always been friends. I don't think they even *like* each other."
"Me either." She tossed her napkin down onto the table. "You ready to get back out there?"
He nodded and stretched his arms above his head. "Yeah, you?"
"Yeah." Faith stood up and headed for the door.
Bosco followed her. "You wanna drive?"
She turned to look at him, surprised by the offer. "Sure."
He handed her the keys. "Let's go."
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"It wasn't a bad night," Bosco stated as he unlocked the front door to his apartment.
"No, it wasn't. It was good to be back," she said quietly.
"It was good having you back," he told her. He glanced at her as he opened the door. "You feeling okay? You in any pain?"
Faith hesitated a moment. "Just a little. But the painkillers the doctor gave me should take care of it."
"They'll help you sleep, too." Bosco closed the door behind them and locked it.
"I'm gonna take a shower before I go to bed. Unless you wanted it first." She waited and looked at him.
"No, go ahead," he assured her, as he hung up his NYPD jacket.
"Okay." She headed towards the bathroom, got a few steps away, then paused. She turned to look at him again. "Hey, Bosco."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. For everything."
Their eyes met, and he nodded slowly. "Don't mention it."
Faith nodded, then turned and disappeared into the bathroom.
Bosco sat down on his sofa and rested his chin on his hands. He stared at the wall, listening to the sound of running water, lost in thought.
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life.
Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape
Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave."
Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.
Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.
Category: Story
Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst?
Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me.
Author's Note II: Sorry it took so long for this part to come out...school-wise, this has been the week from hell.
Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster.
No Mercy (Part 8)
Bosco sipped a cup of coffee as he read the morning newspaper. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Then he set his mug down, stood up, and walked back to his bedroom.
Faith was still asleep.
He turned and walked back to the living room after checking on her. He had insisted that she take his bed because of her injuries. She had tried to insist that the couch would be fine. Finally he had told her, fine, she could have the couch, but he wasn't sleeping in the bed. He'd further illustrated his point by pulling out a blanket and sprawling out on the living room floor. She'd grumbled something about him being stubborn and turned and went to sleep in the bed.
Bosco smiled at the memory. He sat down on the couch again and reached for the newspaper, pausing as a piece of paper caught his eye. He picked it up and read the heading.
"At Home Care Instructions."
There was a brief description of 'Thrombocytopenia,' or low platelet levels. Under that were several tips on how to minimize the risks of bleeding, and other general precautions. After that there were several suggestions on how Faith should adjust her diet to help maintain her platelet levels.
He read over the entire sheet twice, then glanced back towards his bedroom. He sat back on his couch, frowning.
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Faith snuggled deeper under the covers as she heard her mother's voice calling, "Faith! Time to get up! You're gonna be late for school!"
"Five more minutes," she mumbled.
"Faith!" her mother called again.
She groaned and started to pull the blankets over her head when she caught a familiar scent permeating the air. Eggs. Eggs and bacon.
Her stomach growled. With effort, she opened her eyes and squinted at the bedside clock. The glowing red digits read 10:45.
She sat straight up in bed, alarmed. She was late!
She was halfway out of bed by the time she realized that it had just been a dream. She wasn't in her childhood home, and she certainly wasn't late for school. She looked around the unfamiliar room, confused.
Bosco's. She was at Bosco's apartment.
Faith shook her head, marvelling at how vivid that dream had been. Even now she could smell the eggs and bacon her mother had been fixing. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, temporarily forgetting about her broken ribs.
A small cry escaped her lips before she could suppress it, and she sat down hard on the edge of her partner's bed, her hand covering her side. She focused her mind on breathing in an attempt to get past the pain. After a few moments, the throbbing sensation began to subside. She closed her eyes and stood up slowly and carefully.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand to get rid of the tears the pain had caused. Then she made her way down the hallway.
Faith began to wonder if she was delusional as the scent of bacon and eggs grew stronger. When she reached the end of the hallway, the sight before her made her freeze.
Bosco was in the kitchen.
Cooking.
Her mouth dropped open. She shook her head slowly. I must still be dreaming, she thought.
A second later, he turned and saw her standing there. "You're up. Good. How do you like your eggs?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
Bosco was cooking breakfast.
*Bosco* was *cooking.*
What's wrong with this picture? she wondered.
"Faith?"
She blinked a few times. "Uh...scrambled."
"Scrambled eggs it is." Bosco turned his attention back to the food.
Faith walked into the kitchen and watched as he beat the eggs in a bowl, then poured them into a pan on the stove and added a dash of milk. "This is very surreal," she commented, leaning against the counter.
"What is?"
"You...cooking," she replied, motioning to the pan.
"Hey, I happen to be a good cook, thank you," he said defensively.
"I never would have guessed."
"Well, it's not like I do it all that often." Bosco shrugged and threw away the egg shells. "But that paper said you should eat plenty of protein, so I figured eggs counted."
Faith's gaze traveled to the sheet of at-home care instructions that were lying on the counter top. Then her gaze moved back to her partner. A rush of tears filled her eyes. He was being so kind to her--letting her stay at his place, insisting she take his bed, and now fixing her breakfast. She had the sudden impulse to hug him.
No matter what anyone said about him, Maurice Boscorelli had a heart of gold.
Bosco scraped the eggs out of the pan and poured them onto a plate. Then he removed the bacon he'd fried in the microwave and added it to the plate, too. Then he handed the plate to her. "Do you want milk or orange juice?"
"Milk. Thanks." She sat down at the table and frowned. "Aren't you eating?"
"Already did," he informed her as he sat down at the table across from her.
Faith took a bite of the scrambled eggs and looked at him. "These are really good."
He shrugged. "Told ya."
Within minutes, she'd finished off everything on her plate and was startled to realize how hungry she'd been.
The telephone rang and Bosco stood up and walked into the kitchen to answer it. Faith drank the rest of milk and leaned back in her chair.
Bosco stepped back into the room a moment later, his hand cupped over the mouthpiece of the telephone. "Faith?"
She looked up and met his eyes.
"It's Detective Masters. He wants to know if we can meet him someplace. He has some follow-up questions he wants to ask you, and they've got a sketch from the descriptions you and Mrs. Coleman gave that he wants you to take a look at."
Faith swallowed hard, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. "Tell him yes."
"You sure?" The concern in Bosco's eyes was clear.
"Yeah," she said, though she wasn't really.
Bosco nodded, then spoke into the phone. "We'll be there."
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Bosco glanced around the Sunrise Cafe. "I don't think they're here, yet," he told Faith.
She looked around, as well. "I don't think so, either." She zipped her coat up and moved closer to him as she stepped out of the way of two guys headed for the door.
The second guy paused and looked at Faith for a moment, his eyes lingering on the bruises on her forehead. He looked like he was contemplating saying something to her.
Bosco felt her tense up next to him and he glared at the guy, silently warning him to back the hell off.
The guy frowned and left the cafe without a word.
"Maybe we should get a table," Faith suggested, her voice steady despite the fact that he could sense her anxiety.
"Yeah." Bosco rested his hand lightly on her shoulder and guided her to a table. "Booth okay?"
"It's fine." Faith slid into the seat and he slid in next to her.
"Can I get you something to drink?" a pretty blond waitress asked.
Bosco glanced at his partner. "You want some coffee or something?"
"No, I'm good."
"One cup of coffee, black," Bosco told the waitress.
"Coming right up."
The bell on the front door of the cafe tinkled and they both looked toward it. Detective Masters and Detective Flannigan walked in.
"Oh, great. He brought the moron," Bosco muttered as he motioned the two over to the table.
"Officer Boscorelli, Officer Yokas," Detective Masters greeted them. He sat down directly across from Faith, and Flannigan sat across from Bosco. "How are you feeling, Officer Yokas?"
"I'm fine, thanks. And--it's Faith."
Detective Masters nodded. "Okay, Faith."
"Here's your coffee." The waitress returned to their booth and set a mug in front of Bosco. She smiled at him. "Can I get you something else?"
He glanced at her briefly. "No thanks."
"Can I get you boys anything?" she asked the detectives.
Flannigan flashed a smile at her. "Cup of coffee, two sugars."
She jotted down the order.
"Nothing for me, thanks," Masters said.
"Okay." The waitress turned and walked off.
Masters looked at Faith and removed his notebook from his jacket pocket. "Faith, I'd like you to tell us again everything that you can remember. Just in case there's some detail that pops into your mind that you couldn't recall last time."
Bosco felt his body tense. He wasn't sure he could sit there and listen to her go through all the details again.
"Okay," she answered, her voice quiet. She took a deep breath and began to recount the facts.
After a moment, he turned his head to look at her, amazed her ability to control her emotions. He was tense and upset and having difficulty not showing it. How could she be so calm?
When he thought about it, Faith had always been the stronger of the two of them. She was always--or at least, almost always--calm, controlled, level-headed, smart. She always held everything and everyone around her together, including him.
He blinked when he realized that she had finished speaking and Detective Masters was asking her questions. He forced his mind to focus on what was being said.
"We just want you to take a look at this sketch." Masters pulled the sketch out of his briefcase and slid it across the table to Faith.
Bosco looked at it, then at her. Her eyebrows were knitted together as she studied the picture, biting her lower lip. After a moment, she looked at him, disappointment in her eyes. "I don't recognize this guy. It's not him." Faith slid the photo back to Detective Masters.
"Why don't you take another look?" Flannigan suggested disgustedly.
"She said it wasn't him," Bosco said sharply.
Flannigan glared at him. "Do you even care if this bastard is caught?"
"Did you really have to bring this dumbass?" Bosco asked Masters, hitching his thumb towards Flannigan.
"You watch your fuckin' mouth!" Flannigan said angrily, leaning forward.
"Hey, hey, hey. Everyone calm down," Masters interrupted.
"There a reason he's here, anyway? Don't you have a husband?" Flannigan demanded, looking at Faith.
Bosco started to rise up out of his seat, but he felt a hand grip his arm. He looked over at Faith.
"Boz, don't," she commanded, her voice soft.
He considered arguing with her, knowing he could list at least a dozen reasons he should pummel the guy sitting across from him, but the look on her face stopped him. He relaxed as best he could and settled for glaring at Flannigan.
Faith took the sketch again and stared at it for a long time. Then she sighed. "It's not him. I'm sorry."
Masters nodded and slid the sketch back into his briefcase.
"Was there anything else you needed to ask me?"
Bosco could hear a hint of weariness in her voice.
"No. That will do it, Faith. Thanks for meeting with us." Masters offered her a smile.
She nodded. "I need to go to the bathroom before we leave."
Bosco got up and let her out of the booth. He glared once more at Flannigan, then went to pay for his coffee.
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"Why do you do that?" Masters asked his partner after Faith had excused herself to the restroom and Bosco had gone to pay for his coffee.
"Do what?" Flannigan asked.
"Provoke the guy."
He rolled his eyes. "He just gets on my nerves."
"Well, you're not helping the situation by hassling him," Masters pointed out.
"Whatever." He rubbed his chin. "We're not gonna catch this guy."
"Don't say that."
"Come on. We have nothing to go on. The only one who's seen the lowlife's face can't remember what he looks like." Flannigan leaned back against his seat. "What the hell kind of cop leaves her keys in the front door, anyway?"
"Don't blame the victim, Flannigan," Masters said, his usually calm voice turning harsh.
"I'm just saying. She was asking for trouble."
Masters shook his head, disgusted. "You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that?" He stood up and headed for the door.
Flannigan threw some money down on the table and then followed him.
Neither one of them noticed Faith standing a few feet away, frozen in place.
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"I think I'm gonna go to bed."
Bosco glanced at Faith, and then at the clock on the wall, surprised. "Now?" It was only 6:30.
She nodded slightly. "Is that all right?" she asked, hesitation in her voice.
"Yeah, sure. You feelin' okay?"
"I'm fine. Just a little tired."
"All right." He watched as she disappeared down the hallway, then returned a moment later.
"Boz?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind if...I take a shower first?"
"No, go ahead."
She hesitated for another moment.
Bosco leaned forward on the sofa, growing more concerned. "Faith?"
"I'm out of clean clothes."
"Oh." He stood up and walked to his bedroom. He removed a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants from his closet. "You can borrow these. I'll stop by your place tomorrow when I'm on break and bring you back some more of your own."
"Thanks, Bosco." Faith took the clothes from him, then disappeared into the bathroom.
Bosco took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to release some of the tension from the past few days. He was surprised when there was a knock at his front door. Frowning, he walked out and opened it.
Doc stood before him, a small boquet of white flowers in his hands.
"Doc, you shouldn't have," he said dryly.
"I didn't. They're not for you."
"Obviously."
"I...uh...I heard Faith was staying with you for awhile."
Bosco nodded and held the door open for him.
Doc stepped inside. "I would've come sooner, but I've been working a lot of doubles. Tomorrow's the first day off I'll have had in two weeks." He glanced around.
"She's taking a shower. Says she's going to bed afterwards."
Doc frowned. "How's she doing?"
"She's been quiet all day. Hasn't said much." He shrugged.
Doc handed him the flowers. "Where's Fred in all this, anyway?"
"Oh, he and the kids are out of town for awhile. Some kind of family thing," Bosco answered smoothly, filling up a large glass with water and placing the flowers in it.
"Does he even know?"
"Uh, no. No, we don't have a way to get a hold of him right now."
Doc shook his head. "Man. How's Faith taking that?"
He paused, then decided to dodge the question. "You want something to drink?"
"No thanks. I'm not gonna stay. I just wanted to drop those by and see how she was."
"I'll let her know you stopped by."
"Thanks." Doc headed for the door.
"Hey, Doc?"
"Yeah?"
"You say you had tomorrow off?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I don't really want her to stay here alone after everything that's happened..."
Doc nodded in understanding. "What time should I come over?"
"Around one."
"I'll be here."
"Thanks, man."
"Sure."
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*
"You don't want to do this!"
"Oh, yes, I do. And you want me to. You know you do."
*
Faith sat up, gasping for breath, then smothering a cry as pain shot through her ribs. Her heart thudded rapidly against her chest as her eyes darted around the dark room until finally focusing in on the clock next to the bed. 11:21 p.m.
She swallowed hard, trying to calm herself down. Tears sprung to her eyes and she quickly blinked them back. She shoved the blankets off her and swung her legs off the bed. She quietly walked out of the room, down the hallway and into the living room.
Bosco was sitting on the sofa in the dark, watching something on televison. He caught sight of her standing there. "Hey, you okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I just...couldn't sleep," she lied, running one hand through her hair.
"You wanna watch some tv?"
"That'd be good," she agreed, walking over and sitting down next to him. "What are you watching?"
"Crocodile Hunter." Bosco glanced at her briefly, then nodded towards the screen. "He's one crazy man."
She relaxed and even managed a smile. "Now if that's not the pot calling the kettle black..."
"Hey, watch it," he said, pretending to take offense.
Faith laid her head back against the couch. She yawned and blinked a few times, trying to stay awake. But as the moments ticked by, her eyelids drooped and she drifted off to sleep again.
"Look at him. He's picking up a spitting cobra." When he didn't get a response, Bosco looked over at her. She had fallen asleep, her head resting on the back of the sofa. Her strawberry-blond hair was still damp from the shower she'd taken earlier, and her face was pale. She looked so...vulnerable. Bosco felt an intense wave of protectiveness wash over him. He swallowed hard, then clicked the television off with the remote. He grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her up with it.
He thought briefly of going to his room to sleep, but he couldn't convince himself to leave her side. Instead, he propped his feet up on his coffee table and laid his head back. He listened to the steady sound of her breathing until he fell asleep, as well.
* * *
Part Nine
"Heard you stayed with Yokas yesterday," Jimmy Doherty said to Doc as he changed into his street clothes after the shift.
"Yep." Doc nodded in confirmation as he sat down on the edge of one of the beds to ties his shoelaces.
"How's she doing?"
The older man looked at him. "Honestly? She seems okay. I don't know if it's just an act she's putting on or not."
"Yeah, it's hard to tell sometimes," Jimmy said quietly, his gaze traveling across the room to where Kim stood, rummaging through her locker.
Doc followed his eyes, then looked at Jimmy again. "She's okay, Jimmy."
He met Doc's gaze, then nodded slightly.
"Hey, Doc, can I catch a ride to my mom's?" Kim asked.
"Sure," he agreed.
She looked at Jimmy for a second, then back at Doc. "Thanks."
Doc stood up. "No problem," he said as he followed her out the door. "See ya."
"See ya," Jimmy echoed, staring after them.
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Bosco quietly unlocked the front door to his apartment and walked inside.
Davis and Alex were curled up together on the couch in front of a television they were *not* watching.
He averted his eyes and cleared his throat loudly.
The couple broke apart, startled.
"Oh, hey, Bosco. You're back," Davis said quickly, standing up.
Alex ran a hand through her hair, her cheeks flushed. "We were just...uh..."
He held up his hands. "You know what? I don't need to know."
Davis and Alex exchanged an embarrassed look.
"How's Faith?"
"She went to bed a couple hours ago," Alex told him.
"Thanks for staying," Bosco said.
"It's not a problem. See you at work tomorrow?" Davis asked.
He nodded. "See ya." He watched as they let themselves out the front door. Then he yawned, shook his head and walked back to the bedroom quietly so he didn't wake Faith. He stood in the doorway, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness before proceeding into the room. He silently opened his closet door and pulled out some clean clothes for after his shower.
"How was work?"
The unexpected sound of her voice startled him. "I thought you were asleep."
She sat up, peering at him in the darkness. "I didn't want them to feel like they had to entertain me."
Bosco moved over and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. "I've never been so bored in my entire life. Gusler wouldn't shut up the whole damned day. He kept askin' me all these questions about procedures he apparently forgot from the academy. And I didn't think we were ever gonna get all the paperwork done. I swear, if they stick him with me one more day, I'm gonna go nuts."
"Well, I don't think you're gonna have to worry about that after today."
"You know somethin' I don't?" he asked, confused.
"I'm going back to work tomorrow."
"What?" Bosco reached over and flipped on the lamp.
Faith squinted and raised her hand up to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness. "What are you trying to do, Bosco? Blind me?" she complained.
"Sorry." He clicked the light down to the dimmer setting. "Now what do you mean you're coming back to work tomorrow?"
"It's kind of self-explanatory," she answered wryly.
"It's too soon."
"I feel okay."
"The doctor said to wait at least a week," he argued.
"Bosco, it's been six days. Close enough."
"I think it's a bad idea," he said, shaking his head.
"Look, your apartment's nice and everything, and I appreciate you letting me stay here, but I haven't left since I got here and if I have to stay here one more day, I'm gonna jump out the window."
"Faith--"
"It's not your choice, Boz," Faith said quietly, looking away.
Bosco stared at her for a moment. "If the situation was reversed, you'd be upset with me."
"And you'd still do what you wanted to do, regardless," she said sharply. "Just like you *always* do."
He winced. She had him there. "All right. What about a compromise?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think that word was in your vocabulary."
Bosco ignored the comment. "You come back tomorrow, and we lay low for a few days. Only take the easy calls."
Faith snorted. "If you think about it, I'm not the one who has a problem doing that, Boz," she reminded him with a pointed look.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "All right. Then it's a deal?"
She nodded. "Deal."
* * *
Part Ten
"Hey, Bosco," Davis said as Boz stepped into the locker room.
"Hey," he said back, walking over to his locker.
"How's Faith doing?" Sully asked, glancing up from where he was sitting on the bench tying his shoelaces.
"She's okay." He looked over his shoulder to the door.
"Who's staying with her today?" Davis questioned.
"Actually--"
"Hey, guys."
Sully and Davis both turned around to see Faith. They exchanged a look of surprise.
"Hey. What did Lt. Swersky have to say?" Bosco asked as he stuffed his bag into his locker.
"He said welcome back," Faith answered. She glanced briefly at Sully and Davis before moving around them to head to her locker.
"You're here to work?" Sully asked, looking at Bosco with a frown.
"Yep."
There was a moment of brief silence.
"Well, welcome back," Davis said, closing his locker door.
"Yeah, welcome back," Sully echoed.
"Thanks, guys," she said, nodding and avoiding their gazes as she unzipped her jacket.
"See you in role call," Davis said as he and Sully left the locker room.
Bosco quickly changed into his uniform as Faith waited for him. "I think this is the first time I've been on time since--"
"Ever?" she supplied, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, watch it," he responded in mock offense. "You ready?"
"Yeah." Faith shut her locker and followed him towards the door.
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Faith paused outside the role call room for a very brief moment. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and followed Bosco inside.
As soon as she stepped into the room, the noise level dropped instantly. She could feel everyone staring at her as she walked over to her seat.
"Let's get started," Sgt. Christopher said.
Faith forced herself to pay attention as Christopher began to debrief them on the list of suspects they were supposed to keep an eye out for that day.
After her was through, Christopher ended the meeting. "Yokas, stay back."
She frowned and glanced over at Bosco, who was also frowning. She stood up and walked to the front of the room with Bosco right behind her.
Sgt. Christopher glanced at her. "I need to see you in my office."
"What's this about, Jason?" Bosco asked cooly.
"My office," he repeated. He turned and left the room without another word.
"I'm sure he just wants to welcome me back," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"I somehow doubt it," Bosco muttered.
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"Quite frankly, I'm surprised to see you back so soon," Sgt. Christopher said, leaning back in his desk chair and staring at Faith.
"Yeah, well. I was bored, so I thought, what the heck. Maybe I'll go to work and do my job."
Bosco could tell she'd meant for it to be a joke, but her tone was a little too sharp, her body a little too tense.
"Right. Well, I need you to sign some paperwork so we can get you a new weapon since you lost your other one." He pulled open his desk drawer.
"She didn't lose it."
"Excuse me?" Christopher looked at him.
Bosco glared at him and made no effort to hide it. "She didn't lose her weapon. It was stolen."
Christopher rolled his eyes and pushed some paperwork across his desk to Faith.
She remained silent as she quickly read over and signed the documents.
"Just take those down the hall and give them to whoever's working the desk. They'll get you a new gun," Christoper told her.
"Thanks, Sarge." Faith glanced at Bosco, who glared one last time at Christopher before he followed her out into the hallway.
"I really hate that guy," he muttered.
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It had been a relatively easy day so far. They'd taken one call about a peeping tom, who had turned out to be the caller's husband, who had accidently locked himself out of the house. Then they'd arrested a guy for drunk and disorderly conduct.
Bosco had been worried that the day would be full of action, and though he'd already talked to Sully and Davis about taking the more taxing calls, he was relieved that there hadn't really been any taxing calls.
He gripped the steering wheel and glanced over at Faith. "Hey. Sullivan and Davis said something about dinner at O'Malley's. You interested?"
"Yeah. Sure. I'll call it in." She punched the button on her radio and requested that 55-David take their dinner break.
"10-4, 55-David. Request approved."
He glanced over at her again out of the corner of his eye. "So...how you feeling? Okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered without hesitation.
"Fine. Right," he said under his breath. He stared ahead of him out the windshield and focused his attention on driving.
"It's gonna rain," Faith commented, her voice distant.
"Yep." Bosco pulled the car into the parking lot of O'Malley's and parked it next to 55-Charlie. He took off his seatbelt and climbed out of the squad. He stretched and glanced around the lot. "Looks like it's not just us," he commented, nodding towards the two ambulances parked side-by-side across the parking lot.
Faith didn't respond. She stood by the passenger side of their squad, staring at the road and watching the cars fly by.
He watched her for a moment, his concern growing. He walked over to her and touched her shoulder. "Faith?"
She blinked rapidly and her eyes focused on his face. "What?"
"You ready to eat?"
"Yeah." Wordlessly, she turned and left him standing alone.
Bosco shook his head and followed her.
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"She looks good."
Bosco turned to see Jimmy Dohrety standing behind him in line for more food. "What?"
Jimmy nodded towards the table where everyone else was seated and eating dinner. "She looks good. You can barely tell that anything happened."
Bosco followed his gaze and looked at Faith, who was sitting in between Doc and Kim. "Yeah, barely," he echoed.
"How's she doing really?"
"Since when do you care?"
Jimmy was taken aback. "Hey, I like Yokas."
"Oh, yeah? I didn't see you at the hospital or over at my place visiting her," Bosco retorted.
"Look, man, we might not be best friends or even good friends, but I care about her," he answered, defensively.
Bosco drew in a deep breath. "Sorry. You're right. I'm just--on edge, all right? It's been a long week."
Jimmy nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure it has been. I....uh...heard about what's been going on. You really think this guy's gonna go after her again?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Well, if there's anything I can do..." His voice trailed off.
Bosco looked at him. "I know. Thanks, man."
"Sure."
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"So, how's your first day back going?" Doc asked, glancing over at Faith.
She nodded. "It's been good. Normal."
"Glad to hear it." Doc smiled at her.
"Pass the salt," Carlos said without looking up from his plate.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Ever heard of the word 'please?'"
"Bite me," he retorted.
"As enticing as that offer sounds, Carlos, I'd rather throw myself in front of a moving train," she replied.
"Don't you two ever quit?" Doc asked, shaking his head.
"I'm beginning to think something's going on with the two of 'em," Davis spoke up, glancing across the table at Alex and hiding a grin.
She kicked him under the table.
"I'm trying to eat here, man," Carlos complained, making a face.
"What else is new?" Kim cut in, taking notice of the looks Alex and Davis were giving each other.
Sully glanced down the table at Faith. "You ever notice that only half of us actually act like adults and the rest seem like they belong at the McDonald's play village?"
"Hey," Davis protested.
Doc and Sully both laughed, and Faith managed a smile.
Bosco returned to the table a moment later, and took his seat across from his partner. He took a bite of the cheese soup he'd brought back. "This stuff is great." He glanced at Faith. "You ever tried it?"
She shook her head.
"Here." He pushed the bowl towards her and she picked her spoon off the table and dipped it into the bowl. She took a bite.
"That is good," Faith agreed, nodding.
"You can have it. I'll go get some more."
"No, that's all right, Boz."
"No, really. It's fine," he assured her.
Faith glanced at him, then gave in. "Thanks." She stood up. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom," she said to Doc, who scooted his chair up to let her out. "I'll be right back."
Bosco stood up, as well, and headed towards the counter again.
As soon as they were gone, the remaining group exchanged glances. "Is it just me, or is Bosco acting really weird?" Carlos asked.
"What do you mean?" Doc asked, frowning.
"Oh, come on. He just gave Yokas his soup," he said in exasperation.
"They're partners," Kim reminded him.
"So? You don't see me giving Taylor my food," Carlos remarked, taking a drink of his soda.
"See me thanking God for that," Alex muttered, rolling her eyes.
"She's been through hell and back, Carlos. He's worried about her," Davis spoke up.
"I'm just sayin' it's not like him."
"How would you know?" Sully asked, his voice quiet.
"What?"
"How would you know if it was like him or not? You barely know the guy."
"Yeah, and you don't even like him," Carlos reminded him.
"We've had our problems, but he's a good guy," Sully said with a shrug.
"Think whatever you want, but there's more going on than what you're all saying." Carlos took a bite of his chicken salad.
"What? You mean with Faith and Bosco?" Jimmy asked, leaning forward and frowning.
"Yep."
"Carlos, she's married," Doc pointed out.
"Yeah, and do you see her husband anywhere? Heard either of them mention him at all? Don't you think it's a little odd that she's staying with Bosco and her husband is nowhere around?"
"He's out of town visiting family," Doc said quietly, setting his fork down on the table.
Carlos looked at him. "Yeah, says who?"
"Bosco told me."
The younger man sat back in his chair, a small smile on his face. "Exactly."
Everyone exchanged glances.
Bosco returned to the table, and a moment later, so did Faith.
"So anyone gonna watch the game tonight?" Alex asked uncomfortably.
There was a moment of silence.
"The game was last night," Bosco told her.
"Oh. Right."
"We should go," Doc said to Kim, glancing at his watch. "We're back on in five."
She nodded and stood up. "See you guys later." She followed Doc out the door.
"We should head out, too," Sully reminded Davis.
"Right." He looked across the table at Alex. "Bye," he said to everyone, but winked discreetly at her.
She smiled. "Later."
Jimmy looked from the retreating figure of Davis to Alex, who had a lovesick look on her face and he raised an eyebrow. He didn't know about Faith and Bosco, but there was most definitely something going on between Davis and Taylor. "Well, I'm gonna get back to work myself," he said, standing up.
"See ya," Alex told him. The others all nodded and waved.
Jimmy left.
"So, we'll see you guys later?" Alex asked as she stood up and slid her jacket on.
"Sure."
"I'm not done," Carlos protested.
She glared at him. "It's time to go back to work."
"Well, I'm still hungry."
"Shut up, Carlos. You know we'll be stopping somewhere else in less than an hour. I swear, if he doesn't eat something every hour on the hour, he gets the worst mood swings," she told Faith and Bosco, who both looked amused.
"Why do you have to be such a jerk?" he demanded.
"Someone's gotta keep you in line," Alex retorted. "If you're not out to the bus in one minute, I'm leaving your ass here." She turned and walked off.
Carlos followed her, grumbling the whole way.
"We used to sound like that," Faith commented, nodding towards them.
"Oh, come on. We've never been that bad."
She raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Maybe not *quite* that bad."
"Not even close," Bosco muttered, shaking his head. "We've had our problems, but we've always been friends. I don't think they even *like* each other."
"Me either." She tossed her napkin down onto the table. "You ready to get back out there?"
He nodded and stretched his arms above his head. "Yeah, you?"
"Yeah." Faith stood up and headed for the door.
Bosco followed her. "You wanna drive?"
She turned to look at him, surprised by the offer. "Sure."
He handed her the keys. "Let's go."
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"It wasn't a bad night," Bosco stated as he unlocked the front door to his apartment.
"No, it wasn't. It was good to be back," she said quietly.
"It was good having you back," he told her. He glanced at her as he opened the door. "You feeling okay? You in any pain?"
Faith hesitated a moment. "Just a little. But the painkillers the doctor gave me should take care of it."
"They'll help you sleep, too." Bosco closed the door behind them and locked it.
"I'm gonna take a shower before I go to bed. Unless you wanted it first." She waited and looked at him.
"No, go ahead," he assured her, as he hung up his NYPD jacket.
"Okay." She headed towards the bathroom, got a few steps away, then paused. She turned to look at him again. "Hey, Bosco."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. For everything."
Their eyes met, and he nodded slowly. "Don't mention it."
Faith nodded, then turned and disappeared into the bathroom.
Bosco sat down on his sofa and rested his chin on his hands. He stared at the wall, listening to the sound of running water, lost in thought.