Third Watch Fic: Fallen (Prologue-1/16)
Title: Fallen
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian
Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not ours.
Rating: R
Summary: What if life as Bosco and Faith knew it were completely different?
Categories: Angst/Alternate Universe/dark.
Author's Note: Titled after the wonderful song "Fallen" by Sarah McLachlan.
Fallen (Prologue)
It hadn't taken her long to fall asleep after the long shift she'd worked that night. Her body was completely exhausted. She hadn't even gotten home til nearly 3 in the morning and her babysitter Tammy hadn't been very happy that she'd had to stay the extra hour and a half. Faith had
apologized and given her an extra twenty. She had to keep the girl happy because Tammy was
the only reliable babysitter she knew. And her son couldn't stay alone at his age while she
worked.
She hadn't been asleep very long when she was awakened by a soft scuffling sound in her bedroom. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly but she didn't open her eyes. "Charlie? You have a
bad dream?" she murmured. When she didn't hear him respond or feel her mattress shift like it
did when he'd had a nightmare and he crawled under the covers with her, she started to sit up,
only to feel a hand clamp tightly over her mouth. Her heart leapt into her throat as she opened her eyes and saw the two men standing by her bed. She recognized both of them and icy cold tendrils of fear wrapped around her spine.
"Make one sound, and your son dies. You hear me?"
She nodded, terrified because she knew he meant it.
"You shorted the boss on his payment this week and now you have to pay the consequences," the other man told her, a faint smile on his face.
The first man pulled a large whip out from behind his back. "Remember, not one sound..."
"Turn over," the second man commanded.
A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye and fearing for her son's life, she did as instructed. She felt one of them yank at her nightgown, heard the material ripping as he tore it away from her body.
There was a cold look in his eyes as he raised the whip, and a second later it sliced through the air.
She buried her face into the pillow, flinching as the leather strip bit into her flesh. She had to bite down hard on her tongue to keep from crying out.
With a satisfied smirk he continued to whip her, watching as large red welts formed on her back, and a few of them sliced open.
Her body trembled violently against the beating it was receiving, her hands clutching the pillow beneath her face tightly.
"Hit the bitch harder. Make sure she learns her lesson," the second man said coldly.
He nodded his head, and the whip sliced through the air with more force.
The pain was so intense she thought she was going to die.
After a few more lashes he stopped the beating. "Next time it'll be a lot worse."
Faith let out an inaudible, shuddering breath against the pillow as she heard them leave her bedroom. She could feel blood trickling down her back, the stinging pain still intense. She needed to get up and check on her son, make sure that he was safe. Before she could even lift her head from the pillow, darkness flooded her vision and she passed out from the excruciating pain.
* * *
Fallen--Chapter One-Three Weeks Before
Bosco slammed his locker shut. It was his birthday, and one of the longest shifts he'd ever worked. Earlier in the day the thought of going out after the shift sounded like a fun idea, but now he was just ready to go home. "I think I'm gonna take a raincheck on that drink."
"No. No way. We talked about this, man. You only turn 29 once," Davis said with a grin.
"What makes you think I'm 29?"
He gave him a look. "We've been partners for three years. I think I know how old you are."
He sighed. "Yeah I guess."
"Come on, Bosco. It's not like you're turnin' 30 yet." He grinned and slipped his light weight jacket on.
He walked over and leaned against the end of the row of lockers. "Okay, so I'll go, but keep in mind...next year I'm takin' the day off and gettin' hammered by myself."
"Now what fun is that?" Davis questioned, shaking his head. "Of course maybe when I get as old as you I'll feel the same way."
"You better watch yourself Davis, or you won't -live- til your next birthday."
He chuckled and started to head for the door when it opened and Maritza Cruz strolled inside.
Bosco glanced at Davis, and then grinned at Cruz. "Hey."
Davis rolled his eyes. "I'll wait outside," he said pointedly, walking out of the room.
"Hey yourself, birthday boy." She smiled as she walked over to her locker.
"I'll be right there," Bosco told him as he went over to Cruz's locker. He glanced around the room, making sure they were alone.
She slipped her arms around his waist, kissing him deeply. "You havin' a good day?"
"Mmmm." He wrapped his arms around her. "I am now."
"Where's Davis draggin' you?"
"Some bar. He won't say where." His eyes slipped shut as he leaned in to kiss her.
Cruz frowned slightly, but kissed him back. "I think you should ditch him and come back to my place."
"It'll only be for an hour or so." He held her a little tighter. "Promise."
"Better be...not sure you can stand the torment." She slid her hand down to the front of his pants and kissed him again.
A low moan escaped him. "The sooner we get to the bar, the sooner I can be at your place."
"We could just have a little quickie right here," she whispered, licking his earlobe. "And then take our time when you get over to my apartment."
He pushed her back against the lockers. "Right here?"
"Ain't no one else around."
"And Davis isn't goin' anywhere without me."
"Exactly." She reached out and unzipped his pants.
Bosco grinned as he pressed his body against hers. "Should we maybe..." He kissed her neck. "Hide somewhere?"
"Why? You scared to get caught?"
He shook his head, and kissed her again. "No."
"Then do me right here," she said, looking at him with lust-filled eyes.
His face lit up as he quickly unfastened her jeans, and pushed them down to her knees. "Best gift ever," he whispered against her skin.
"Tell me something I didn't know," she said with a smirk.
* * *
Davis leaned against the wall outside the locker room, tapping his foot impatiently as he glanced at his watch. He didn't even want to know what was taking so long. His suspicions were confirmed when his partner exited the locker room a few moments later, a large grin on his face.
Bosco smoothed down his shirt. "So...ready?"
He shuddered slightly. "Let's get the hell outta here."
"Sure." He nodded his head. "Where we goin'?"
"To the kinda place a guy like you should celebrate his birthday." Davis grinned and headed for the exit.
"A guy like me? What's that supposed to mean," Bosco asked as he followed him.
"You'll see" was all his partner would say as he walked outside.
"This better be worth it," Bosco mumbled.
"Trust me, Boz. You're gonna love what I have planned."
"I trust ya."
Davis grinned and led the way to his car.
* * *
Davis pulled his car to a stop outside the bar on the other side of town from where they usually got drinks. He turned to look at his partner with a grin.
The flashing neon light from the 'Girls Girls Girls' sign reflected off Bosco's face. "Are you serious?" He pointed toward the bar. "-This- is where we're goin'," he asked in happy disbelief.
"Happy birthday." He grinned. "You ever been here?"
Bosco shook his head as he gazed at the big bright lights. "No. You?"
"Hell yeah. A few times. And let me tell you, some of the women here...oh, my God. Talk about -hot.-"
"Davis." Bosco turned to face him. "You are the -man-!"
He grinned. "Tell me somethin' I didn't know." He reached for the door handle and climbed out of his car.
With a wide smile on his face Bosco got out of the car, and followed Davis toward the entrance. Yup, this is gonna be one birthday I'll -never- forget, he thought.
* * *
Faith drew in a breath as she jotted down the order of the four guys sitting around table seven. "All right, so three cheeseburgers, an order of onion rings, two baskets of chicken fingers and a baked potato. Anything else?"
"Maybe a refill on the beers?"
"Sure thing." She smiled and headed away from their table, making her way over to the bar. "Four more Budlights and here's the food order," she told Martie, the bartender.
Martie nodded his head, and smiled at Faith. "Food'll be up in a little while," he told her as he handed the order back to the kitchen staff. He then walked over, and grabbed the four bottles of Budlight, twisting off the caps and placing them on Faith's tray.
"Thanks." She carefully balanced the tray and made her way back over to the table. "Here you go, boys." She set a beer in front of each of them.
One of the guys pulled out a five dollar bill, and as Faith set the beer in front of him he took hold of her hand. "This is for you," he told her softly, a smile on his face.
She looked at him for a second, hesitating. "Thanks." She smiled back as she took the money from him.
* * *
Bosco's mouth dropped open as they stepped into the large bar. "Man." His eyes widened as he watched a woman wearing hardly anything walk past him. He gazed at her, watching as she walked over toward the bar. "You were right, Davis."
He grinned. "See that seat over there?" He pointed to a table right in front of the stage where two girls were stripping.
"Yeah, but uh..." He swallowed hard. "I ain't really payin' much attention to it."
Davis chuckled. "Which is why I made sure to get you a front seat for the show," he said. "Now go sit down and I'll be right there."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. It's your birthday."
He blinked a few times, and managed to pull his gaze away from the women for a moment. "Thanks Davis." He smiled at his partner.
He clapped a hand on Bosco's shoulder. "Go. Sit. Enjoy."
"Definitely." Bosco nodded his head, and made his way over to the seat. Front row. Center stage.
Davis grinned, then turned and headed for the bar, leaning against it, waiting.
Bosco sat down, and leaned back in the chair as he gazed at the two women above him who were wearing less clothing by the second. He'd never been to a strip club before, and this was -way- beyond his wildest dreams.
* * *
"What can I get ya," Martie asked as he walked over.
"Hey, my friend's birthday is today. That guy over there." Davis pointed over his shoulder. "I was hopin' I could arrange a little somethin' extra for him."
He grinned. "You got somethin' specific in mind?"
"I was thinkin' a lapdance."
Martie leaned across the bar. "Is that it?"
A look of confusion appeared on his face. "Well...I'm sure he wouldn't mind a show all for himself. He's a cop, works real hard."
"Oh, a cop, huh?" He nodded his head. "Well, we've actually got two kinds of lapdances. One out here on the main floor for everyone to see, and one in a special room for a more...private dance, without all the onlookers."
"Well, it might be his birthday, but I am payin' for it." Davis grinned. "Out here's fine. How does this work? I just pick someone out, or--?"
"Well if you have someone specific in mind we can arrange it, otherwise your waitress will 'serve' him."
"Who's the waitress workin' our table?"
He looked around, and pointed across the bar. "That's her over there."
Davis followed his gaze across the room and his eyes widened slightly. The woman had shoulder-length strawberry blond hair, and a very nice body. Curves in all the right places. Her skirt was short, her shirt low-cut and knotted just above her belly button. "Oh, hell yeah. He'll love her."
"I'll let her know he's waiting," he told him with a grin.
"He's not the only one." Davis grinned back at him before heading away from the bar and toward the table where his partner was sitting.
Bosco leaned forward, and slid a dollar under the waistband of the thong the current dancer was wearing. "You're gorgeous," he told her, a grin on his face.
The pretty red head smiled back at him. "You bet I am."
He winked at her before settling back in his chair.
Davis dropped into the seat beside him, grinning like that cat who'd swallowed the canary.
Bosco didn't even look over at his friend, his attention was focused solely on the red head, dressed in next to nothing, dancing on the stage. "This is -amazing-."
"Oh, you just wait my friend."
He rested his head on the back of his chair as he gazed up at the stage.
Faith finished her break early as she noticed the bartender waving her over. She liked Martie. He wasn't a bad guy. Especially not compared to the manager of the joint, who luckily wasn't there tonight. She walked over to the bar. "What's up?"
"Got a birthday boy for ya," he told her softly.
She closed her eyes. "And here I was havin' a good night."
"No worries, Faith. He's a cop, so it's just a lapdance." He gave her a small smile, knowing how much she hated certain aspects of the job. "Probably a good tip in it for ya, too."
"Yeah. I do need the money." Her voice was soft and she rubbed the back of her neck. "What table?"
"He's in the prime seat." He nodded toward the stage.
"Wonderful." She drew in a breath and opened her eyes, straightening her shoulders. Right up front where everyone in the whole bar would get to watch her.
Martie reached out and touched her arm. "Just focus on him. It'll be okay," he told her softly.
She forced a smile. "All part of the job right?" She didn't wait for him to answer before heading slowly over to the table. She couldn't see the man sitting in the main seat, but there was a tall, young looking black man seated just to the right of the seat.
Bosco looked over at Davis, not noticing the woman approaching from the other direction. "Why'd you keep this place a secret?"
He shrugged. "You always seemed more interested in the ACU sergeant."
"Well, she's great for a little one on one time, but this...." He motioned toward the stage.
"Oh, no, you haven't even -seen- one on one time yet, Boz." Davis turned his head and grinned as he saw the pretty waitress approaching.
He gave him a confused look. "Whaddya mean?"
"Let's just say that you're gonna owe me -huge- by the end of the night."
Bosco grinned, and turned his attention back to the stage, his zoned out expression returning as he watched the girls.
"You know that red head you keep watchin' on stage?"
He nodded.
"She's nothin' compared to the one headed over to our table right now."
"What?" He quickly turned to look.
"Check her out." Davis nodded toward the waitress, whose strawberry blond hair was currently covering half her face as she walked over to them. "God, she's hot."
Bosco looked in the direction Davis nodded, and his eyes widened. "Oh wow."
"Damn, those legs go all the way up," he murmured, staring.
His gaze moved from her high heels up to her waist, and then traveled higher to her chest. "That is one fine woman."
"And guess who she's about to perform for."
"Excuse me?"
Davis grinned. "Lapdance, my friend."
He turned to look at Davis. "You got me a lapdance?"
"Of course."
He lifted his hand for a high five, grinning from ear to ear.
"Like I said, you only turn 29 once." Davis gave him a high five as the waitress arrived at their table.
"Thanks, man."
"No problem."
Faith barely looked at the man before stopping and standing in front of him for a moment, beginning to sway her hips to the music.
"Try not to get jealous," he told Davis, noticing the woman out of the corner of his eye.
"Too late." He turned his head to stare at the woman, his eyes locked on her chest as she slowly untied the shirt that was knotted above her belly button and slid onto Bosco's lap, her hands resting on his shoulders. Her face was still hidden by her hair and he found himself wanting to see what she looked like.
Bosco instinctively rested his hands on her hips as he turned to gaze up at her. "Hey," he whispered softly.
She hated it when they tried to talk to her, like she was doing this for her own pleasure rather than the money. She didn't say anything as she ground her hips against his.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and slid his hands around to her backside, which her skirt was barely covering.
I hate my life, she thought, trying to shove away the feelings of disgust rolling through her.
Davis's eyes were still locked on her chest. "How much more for a strip?" he was unable to resist asking.
Bosco shot him a look. "Back off Davis. This is my dance."
"So you can have a dance -and- a strip. I'm not seein' anything wrong with that."
He grinned, and turned his attention back to the woman straddling his lap. Bosco shifted a little underneath her and bit his lip as he watched her body moving over his.
"Does she talk?" Davis wondered aloud.
Bosco held her a little tighter, almost forgetting where they were. Just enjoying what she was doing.
Faith could tell he was enjoying it and she tried to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach as she continued to grind her hips against his, feeling his hardness through his jeans.
"Gawd." He couldn't stop the moan from escaping his lips. This was the first time he'd ever gotten a lap dance, and he couldn't help but wish that they weren't in public...and that Davis wasn't watching.
She glanced at her watch, relieved to see the five minutes were over. "Happy birthday. Time's up."
"I think he could go for another five minutes," Davis said with a grin, pulling another twenty out of his pocket.
He nodded his head. "Definitely," he whispered as he gazed at her.
Faith closed her eyes, reaching out and taking the money from the other man, slipping the bill into her bra.
Bosco squirmed a little in the chair, and swallowed hard. His current predicament was more than a little uncomfortable, but was worth it.
"How much for a strip -while- you do that lapdance?" Davis questioned.
"Fifty," she said flatly.
"Hey, is there uh..." Bosco shifted again. "Any chance we could do this somewhere else?"
She grew still. "Yeah. There's a room in back. You wanna go there?"
He nodded quickly. "I don't like crowds."
Faith slid off his lap. "The fifty's up front."
Davis looked at Bosco for a moment, then pulled some more money out of wallet, handing it to her. "Do -not- say I never gave you anything good for your birthday."
Bosco looked at Davis, a boyish smile on his face. "I'll be back." He stood up to follow the woman, grabbing his jacket to hold in front of himself.
She led him into the back of the bar, pulling a set of keys from her apron and slowly unlocking the first available room, flipping the light on and motioning him inside. There was a comfortable chair in the middle of the floor.
He dropped his jacket on the floor, and made his way over to the chair. Before sitting down he reached down to reposition himself, hoping to ease some of the pressure.
Faith closed the door, hesitating a moment before locking it. Swallowing hard, she turned around slowly and walked over toward him. Slowly leaning over him as she began to unbutton her shirt the rest of the way, revealing a tight black halter top underneath.
He licked his lips as he watched her. "What's your name," he asked softly.
"What difference does that make?" She let the outer shirt fall to the floor.
"I was just wonderin'." He shrugged as he reached out to hold her hips. "I'm Maurice."
She slid onto his lap again. "Good for you."
He felt his lower body twitch as she settled down on his lap. "Oh man," he whispered.
She slid closer to him, resting her hands on his shoulders for a moment as she moved on him, her short skirt pushed up to her thighs.
Bosco watched as her hips moved back and forth, up and down; and he rested his hands on her outer thighs. It wasn't that he'd never been this close to a woman, but it was a different experience than he was used to. He wasn't sure why, it just was.
"You gonna tip me?" she asked, leaning her lips close to his ear.
He nodded his head, and swallowed hard. "Yeah," he whispered. "Of course."
"You wanna help me finish undressin' then?" She trailed a hand down his arm, pulling away a little. She had a lot of bills due this week and she needed every dime she could get.
His eyes widened slightly. "S-sure," he stuttered.
Faith slowly pulled back a little more, reaching down and picking up his right hand, guiding it to the zipper of her skirt.
"I uh...I thought you were just a waitress," he whispered.
"Stripping's not illegal, officer."
"No...no I just..." He shook his head, not really sure why he was so nervous about having a woman strip for him. It wasn't like it was the first time. Though it was the first time he was -paying- a woman to strip for him.
She waited for him to pull the zipper down.
Bosco took a deep breath, and squirmed underneath her before pulling down the zipper.
She slowly slid off his lap, allowing the material to fall to the floor, leaving her in her halter top and a pair of black lacy underpants. She straddled his lap once more, reaching down to grab the bottom of her halter top, some of the hair falling away from her face.
His fingers played gently across her stomach as he looked her body over. There was a smile on his face, and he reached up to run his fingers through her hair. "You should wear your hair back," he told her softly.
"A beauty cop?" she asked with a faint smirk as she lifted the halter off over her head and let it drop to the floor so she was only dressed in a lacy black bra that matched her underwear.
"You're gorgeous," he whispered. "It'd be nice to see your face. I bet you've got beautiful eyes."
"I bet you say that to all your waitresses." She finally lifted her gaze to his face, her eyes widening slightly as she found herself looking into familiar blue eyes.
"No, I---" He recognized her as soon as their eyes met, and his mouth dropped open. "Faith?!"
She stared at him, her heart pounding. She had never thought she'd see him again in her life. She had no idea what to say.
He swallowed hard, feeling extremely awkward seeing as she was sitting on his lap dressed in her underwear, and he was very aroused. "Oh gawd."
She closed her eyes for a moment. Four years of working in the same place and never running into anyone she'd known from her former life had been a blessing that had ended just then. She was afraid to move, afraid he was gonna start asking her questions.
Bosco took a deep breath, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "I uh..." He shook his head, not sure what he was actually going to say.
"Sorry. If it helps you can just pretend I'm someone else."
"You uh..." He squirmed a little underneath her. Finding out that his birthday lapdance was being performed by a woman he knew did nothing to calm his body. A nervous grin appeared on his lips.
She was silent for a moment, both horrified and relieved. Horrified that someone she had once considered a friend--or at the very least a close acquaintance--seeing her at her job was embarrassing as hell. Relieved because there was little chance that things would get out of hand with him. He wouldn't hurt her--something that was always a risk in her line of work. Despite her embarrassment, she had been paid to do a job. And she fully intended to do it. She reached down, picked up his hand and slid it around to her back silently.
"What are you doin'?"
"My job," she replied.
"You don't have to finish," he told her softly.
"It's what I do. You wanna unhook me?"
He gazed up at her, a near petrified look on his face. It was one thing to be aroused when he was this close to a lover, but when it was someone like Faith it was a completely different situation. She had been the only person from the academy that he'd actually call a friend, and this type of behavior wasn't exactly...right.
She gazed back at him wordlessly, waiting for some kind of response, unable to read his expression.
"As much as I'm enjoying this, and believe me I -am- enjoying this...we probably shouldn't."
"Look...this doesn't have to be awkward. Your friend paid me to do a job. It's not a big deal."
"But it is awkward...isn't it?" His eyebrows furrowed. Maybe this didn't bother her.
She shrugged. "Why would it be?"
"I don't know. Maybe cause we're friends...or at least we were." He looked down her body, and then back up. "And I'm not exactly uh...calm at the moment."
"We haven't seen each other in four years."
"So there's a time limit on friendship?"
If you're me, she thought. "If you don't want me to finish that's up to you. I got a job to do, so..." She shrugged.
Bosco let out a breath, and bit his lip. He slowly ran his hand up and down her back contemplating what he should do. She had managed to really turn him on, and it felt good. Plus it wasn't like they ever saw each other, and Davis had paid for it.
Faith remained motionless, waiting for him to make some kind of decision. His touch was much lighter than the other guys she 'served' as part of her job.
"Do you like your job," he asked softly. "Do you like doin' this?"
She was silent for a moment. "The money's good."
"Not exactly what I asked."
"A job is a job."
"You're really good at this part," he told her with a smirk.
She didn't smile. "Lots of practice."
He nodded slightly. "Sorry," he whispered.
"Don't be."
"You still married," he asked softly.
Her jaw tensed slightly. "No."
Bosco sighed softly, and rested his hands on her hips, his thumbs moving back and forth over her skin. "Well...maybe we should call it quits for tonight."
"Whatever you say." She slid off his lap and leaned over, picking up her clothes.
He groaned softly as she moved off of him, and reached down to adjust himself. "Can I get your number," he asked softly, hoping he didn't sound like a complete jerk.
She smirked slightly. "What? Now you wanna date me?"
"Well no, I mean...well can't I just call you some time?"
"Why?" There was more than a hint of suspicion to her voice.
He picked his jacket up off the floor, and set it in his lap. "I just thought maybe we could hang out. Catch up." He shrugged. "It's been four years."
"Yeah, well. I don't really have much time to socialize between work and Charlie, so..." She slipped her skirt back on, zipping it up.
"Maybe I could come over sometime? See Charlie?"
She paused, glanced at him as she pulled the halter top over her head again. "Why don't you give me your number and maybe I'll call you?"
"Maybe you'll call?"
"Yeah. If I get time."
"Promise?"
Her eyes were distant. "I don't make promises."
He gazed at her for a moment, questions in his eyes. "What happened to you, Faith?"
"Life," she replied, turning and heading for the door.
Bosco quickly stood up, and grabbed her arm. "Hey wait."
Faith pulled away from him instantly. "What?"
He held his hands up, showing he meant no harm. "I'd really like to see you some time. I've...missed you."
"Leave your number with Martie at the bar. I gotta get back to work." She turned and walked away again, opening the door.
"Hold on." He reached for his wallet. "I got that tip for ya."
"Save it. I didn't do anything." She paused for a moment. "Happy birthday." Without another word she was gone.
"Thanks," he whispered even though she was already gone. He sat back down in the chair, and leaned his head back. This had not been the gift he'd expected.
* * *
Faith made her way back out into the bar once more, her hands trembling slightly as she walked to the bar to retrieve her order pad. Avoiding Martie's eyes as he glanced at her. She grabbed her pen and started to head away.
"Hey Faith," he called after her. "You okay?"
"Peachy," she answered.
* * *
Bosco sat alone in the room for a little while, letting his body calm down though his mind was racing. He took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly as he ran a hand through his hair. He pushed himself out of the chair and headed for the door.
Davis had seen the hot waitress return a few moments later and was about to go check on his partner when he saw him coming out of the back. He stood up, a big grin on his face.
He put his jacket on, and was heading for the bar when he spotted his partner. He sighed. Dealing with Davis right now wasn't real high on his list of fun things to do.
His eyebrows furrowed a little, then he walked over to the bar, still grinning. "How was she?"
"Huh?" He turned to look at Davis for a brief moment before looking down at the bar, and searching his pockets for a pen.
"Huh?" Davis repeated, shaking his head. "How. Was. She?"
"Oh." He nodded his head slowly. "Good. Yeah...good."
"Oh, come on, man. Details."
Bosco turned to look at Davis. "It was no big deal."
He raised his eyebrows. "Hello, I did see her, you know. Definitely a big deal."
"Look, just let me take care of something, and then...then I'll tell you." He waved his hand to get the bartenders attention.
Martie glanced up, then moved over to him, a slightly suspicious look in his eyes. Faith had seemed shaken when she'd left the backroom and the guy had emerged moments later. "Yeah?"
"Are you Martie?"
"That's me."
He let out a breath. "Well...I was uh...just with Faith, and she wanted me to leave my number. Plus I never got a chance to tip her."
Davis stared at his partner in disbelief.
"Faith wanted -you- to leave her your number?"
He nodded his head, and ran a hand through his hair. "Long story. You got somethin' I can write with?"
Martie eyed him for a moment, then slid a pen across the bar to him.
Bosco grabbed one of the cardboard coasters off the bar, and jotted down his first and last name plus his phone number. He then reached for his wallet, and pulled out a few twenties. He handed the coaster and the money to Martie. "Make sure she gets this."
"Sure thing."
Davis's mouth dropped open as he stared at the wad of money Bosco had just handed the bartender. There had to be at least a hundred bucks there. "Jesus, Boz. Was she really that good?"
"We're not talkin' about it here." He turned away, and headed for the exit.
He stared after his partner for a moment, then quickly followed him out of the bar.
Once he got outside he breathed in the crisp night air, and walked toward Davis's car. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go home and go straight to sleep or if he wanted to go run a marathon.
"What the -hell- was that? You just gave her like a hundred bucks." He shook his head. "She do more for you than a lapdance?"
Bosco turned to look at his partner, his expression a mixture of emotions. "No. She didn't do anything more."
He stood silently in the middle of the sidewalk.
"I knew her, Davis."
"What do you mean you knew her?"
He looked down at the sidewalk for a moment before looking back up at Davis. "She was my best friend in the academy."
Davis's eyes widened. "She..." He pointed at the bar's entrance. "-She- was at the academy?" There was disbelief to his tone.
"Yeah, -she- was at the academy. Her name is Faith, and she was one of the smartest recruits." He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "And now...now she's givin' guys like me hard-ons for money."
He was still stunned. "Damn. I don't even know what to say to that."
"-You- don't know what to say?! I was the one sittin' in the chair while she started takin' off her clothes!"
"That musta been right up there on your top ten list of most awkward moments."
"Yeah...you could say that." His voice was a little softer, and he ran both hands through his hair.
"Wow, so like...she's gonna call you?" Davis was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that their sexy waitress had once been an NYPD recruit.
"I don't know," he sighed. "I was thinkin' maybe she and I could get together, catch up on things, but she wouldn't give me her number. Told me to leave mine with Martie and -maybe- she'd call me."
"Sounds kinda bitchy to me."
He shrugged, and shook his head slightly. "Somethin's not right, Ty." He motioned toward the door. "The Faith I knew would never step foot in a place like this."
"Maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought."
"Did you notice that she didn't even look at me while she was dancin'. I mean, never at my face. When we were in that room, before I knew it was her I knew she didn't wanna be there. She didn't wanna do what she was doin'."
"Come on, Boz. Don't you think you're readin' too much into this?"
"No." He shook his head firmly. "No, I don't."
"So why would she be there doin' -that- if she didn't want to? It's not like there's a job shortage in the city."
"How much money did you pay for that lapdance?"
"Twenty bucks."
"Twenty bucks for five minutes, and as soon as that was over you shelled out what? Like fifty more so she'd strip for me? What other job do you know of that brings in that kinda dough?"
"Hookin'," he replied without hesitation.
He nodded his head. "And right through that door is a lesser version of it. We -paid- her to take off her clothes, and, and...."
"Yeah, well...it's not illegal, Bosco. A lot of women dance for a living."
"That's not dancin'." He raked his hand through his hair. "That's not Faith."
"That's not the Faith you -knew-. That was what? The first time you saw her in four or five years? People change."
"I could see it in her eyes, Davis." Bosco shoved his hands in his pockets. "I know that I haven't seen her in a while, but she and I...we had this, I don't know, bond or something."
Davis studied him for a moment, took in his worried frown. "You really liked this woman."
"I don't have a lot of friends." He pointed toward the bar. "And she was one of 'em."
"Were you two...you know...involved?"
He smiled softly. "No. She was married, and had two kids."
Davis shook his head slightly. "So what happened? Why didn't you keep in touch with her?"
"She just kinda disappeared one day. I went to class, saved her a seat and she never showed up." He lightly kicked at the tire of Ty's car. "I never had her phone number or anything cause of her husband. I think she always thought he'd be jealous...plus he really liked to drink."
"Was he uh...abusive?" His voice was quiet.
"Not that I know of, and I'm pretty good at seein' the signs."
"Yeah. I just thought maybe, you know...maybe she disappeared cause she was runnin' from him."
He sighed heavily. "If she doesn't call me in a couple days I'm comin' back here."
Davis hesitated. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean if she doesn't call..."
"I don't know, I just...I think I just need to go home."
"Right. I'll give you a ride." He moved around to the driver's side of his car and climbed in.
Bosco got into the car, and put his seatbelt on. He slouched in the seat as he stared out the passenger side window. Some birthday this turned out to be, he thought.
* * *
Faith was always relieved when her shifts were over and she was back in regular clothes--jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She shrugged into her coat, moving behind the bar to get her keys. "Night, Martie. See ya tomorrow."
"Oh hey, some guy left this for you." He opened the cash register, and retrieved the coaster and money that the man had given him earlier.
She stared down at the items in her friend's hand, then looked up at him, more than a little shocked by the money. "Are you sure he left all that for me?"
Martie nodded his head. "Yeah, said he never got a chance to tip you."
She shook her head slightly. Even without counting the money she could see he'd left her at least a hundred bucks in the form of twenty dollar bills. What the hell was he thinking? she wondered, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.
"Did everything go okay with him," he asked softly. "You looked a little...shaken, and he seemed a little out of it or somethin'. He left as soon as he gave me this."
She leaned against the bar for a moment, silent. Then she looked up at him. "He's someone I used to know." Her voice was quiet.
"Really?" He reached into the cooler behind him, and got her a bottle of 7UP, the only thing other than water he'd ever seen her drink. Martie set the bottle down on the bar.
"So, seein' him again, was that good or bad?"
"He's a cop. What do you think?" Her question wasn't harsh, just flat. She picked up the bottle of 7UP, unscrewed the lid and took a sip.
"No, I mean were you guys friends?"
"Used to be."
"Somethin' happen," he asked in a whisper.
Faith looked up at him, her eyes unreadable. "A lot's changed. That's all. I have a different life now."
"So you're not gonna call him?"
She was silent for a moment. "No." She picked up the coaster from the bar and tossed it into the trash before taking the money. "You're on tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah." He nodded his head, a sad smile on his face.
"Have a good night, Martie." She tucked the money into the pocket of her jeans and headed for the exit without another word.
"Night Faith," he called after her. He watched as she left the bar, and then looked down into the trash at the coaster she'd just thrown away.
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian
Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not ours.
Rating: R
Summary: What if life as Bosco and Faith knew it were completely different?
Categories: Angst/Alternate Universe/dark.
Author's Note: Titled after the wonderful song "Fallen" by Sarah McLachlan.
Fallen (Prologue)
It hadn't taken her long to fall asleep after the long shift she'd worked that night. Her body was completely exhausted. She hadn't even gotten home til nearly 3 in the morning and her babysitter Tammy hadn't been very happy that she'd had to stay the extra hour and a half. Faith had
apologized and given her an extra twenty. She had to keep the girl happy because Tammy was
the only reliable babysitter she knew. And her son couldn't stay alone at his age while she
worked.
She hadn't been asleep very long when she was awakened by a soft scuffling sound in her bedroom. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly but she didn't open her eyes. "Charlie? You have a
bad dream?" she murmured. When she didn't hear him respond or feel her mattress shift like it
did when he'd had a nightmare and he crawled under the covers with her, she started to sit up,
only to feel a hand clamp tightly over her mouth. Her heart leapt into her throat as she opened her eyes and saw the two men standing by her bed. She recognized both of them and icy cold tendrils of fear wrapped around her spine.
"Make one sound, and your son dies. You hear me?"
She nodded, terrified because she knew he meant it.
"You shorted the boss on his payment this week and now you have to pay the consequences," the other man told her, a faint smile on his face.
The first man pulled a large whip out from behind his back. "Remember, not one sound..."
"Turn over," the second man commanded.
A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye and fearing for her son's life, she did as instructed. She felt one of them yank at her nightgown, heard the material ripping as he tore it away from her body.
There was a cold look in his eyes as he raised the whip, and a second later it sliced through the air.
She buried her face into the pillow, flinching as the leather strip bit into her flesh. She had to bite down hard on her tongue to keep from crying out.
With a satisfied smirk he continued to whip her, watching as large red welts formed on her back, and a few of them sliced open.
Her body trembled violently against the beating it was receiving, her hands clutching the pillow beneath her face tightly.
"Hit the bitch harder. Make sure she learns her lesson," the second man said coldly.
He nodded his head, and the whip sliced through the air with more force.
The pain was so intense she thought she was going to die.
After a few more lashes he stopped the beating. "Next time it'll be a lot worse."
Faith let out an inaudible, shuddering breath against the pillow as she heard them leave her bedroom. She could feel blood trickling down her back, the stinging pain still intense. She needed to get up and check on her son, make sure that he was safe. Before she could even lift her head from the pillow, darkness flooded her vision and she passed out from the excruciating pain.
* * *
Fallen--Chapter One-Three Weeks Before
Bosco slammed his locker shut. It was his birthday, and one of the longest shifts he'd ever worked. Earlier in the day the thought of going out after the shift sounded like a fun idea, but now he was just ready to go home. "I think I'm gonna take a raincheck on that drink."
"No. No way. We talked about this, man. You only turn 29 once," Davis said with a grin.
"What makes you think I'm 29?"
He gave him a look. "We've been partners for three years. I think I know how old you are."
He sighed. "Yeah I guess."
"Come on, Bosco. It's not like you're turnin' 30 yet." He grinned and slipped his light weight jacket on.
He walked over and leaned against the end of the row of lockers. "Okay, so I'll go, but keep in mind...next year I'm takin' the day off and gettin' hammered by myself."
"Now what fun is that?" Davis questioned, shaking his head. "Of course maybe when I get as old as you I'll feel the same way."
"You better watch yourself Davis, or you won't -live- til your next birthday."
He chuckled and started to head for the door when it opened and Maritza Cruz strolled inside.
Bosco glanced at Davis, and then grinned at Cruz. "Hey."
Davis rolled his eyes. "I'll wait outside," he said pointedly, walking out of the room.
"Hey yourself, birthday boy." She smiled as she walked over to her locker.
"I'll be right there," Bosco told him as he went over to Cruz's locker. He glanced around the room, making sure they were alone.
She slipped her arms around his waist, kissing him deeply. "You havin' a good day?"
"Mmmm." He wrapped his arms around her. "I am now."
"Where's Davis draggin' you?"
"Some bar. He won't say where." His eyes slipped shut as he leaned in to kiss her.
Cruz frowned slightly, but kissed him back. "I think you should ditch him and come back to my place."
"It'll only be for an hour or so." He held her a little tighter. "Promise."
"Better be...not sure you can stand the torment." She slid her hand down to the front of his pants and kissed him again.
A low moan escaped him. "The sooner we get to the bar, the sooner I can be at your place."
"We could just have a little quickie right here," she whispered, licking his earlobe. "And then take our time when you get over to my apartment."
He pushed her back against the lockers. "Right here?"
"Ain't no one else around."
"And Davis isn't goin' anywhere without me."
"Exactly." She reached out and unzipped his pants.
Bosco grinned as he pressed his body against hers. "Should we maybe..." He kissed her neck. "Hide somewhere?"
"Why? You scared to get caught?"
He shook his head, and kissed her again. "No."
"Then do me right here," she said, looking at him with lust-filled eyes.
His face lit up as he quickly unfastened her jeans, and pushed them down to her knees. "Best gift ever," he whispered against her skin.
"Tell me something I didn't know," she said with a smirk.
* * *
Davis leaned against the wall outside the locker room, tapping his foot impatiently as he glanced at his watch. He didn't even want to know what was taking so long. His suspicions were confirmed when his partner exited the locker room a few moments later, a large grin on his face.
Bosco smoothed down his shirt. "So...ready?"
He shuddered slightly. "Let's get the hell outta here."
"Sure." He nodded his head. "Where we goin'?"
"To the kinda place a guy like you should celebrate his birthday." Davis grinned and headed for the exit.
"A guy like me? What's that supposed to mean," Bosco asked as he followed him.
"You'll see" was all his partner would say as he walked outside.
"This better be worth it," Bosco mumbled.
"Trust me, Boz. You're gonna love what I have planned."
"I trust ya."
Davis grinned and led the way to his car.
* * *
Davis pulled his car to a stop outside the bar on the other side of town from where they usually got drinks. He turned to look at his partner with a grin.
The flashing neon light from the 'Girls Girls Girls' sign reflected off Bosco's face. "Are you serious?" He pointed toward the bar. "-This- is where we're goin'," he asked in happy disbelief.
"Happy birthday." He grinned. "You ever been here?"
Bosco shook his head as he gazed at the big bright lights. "No. You?"
"Hell yeah. A few times. And let me tell you, some of the women here...oh, my God. Talk about -hot.-"
"Davis." Bosco turned to face him. "You are the -man-!"
He grinned. "Tell me somethin' I didn't know." He reached for the door handle and climbed out of his car.
With a wide smile on his face Bosco got out of the car, and followed Davis toward the entrance. Yup, this is gonna be one birthday I'll -never- forget, he thought.
* * *
Faith drew in a breath as she jotted down the order of the four guys sitting around table seven. "All right, so three cheeseburgers, an order of onion rings, two baskets of chicken fingers and a baked potato. Anything else?"
"Maybe a refill on the beers?"
"Sure thing." She smiled and headed away from their table, making her way over to the bar. "Four more Budlights and here's the food order," she told Martie, the bartender.
Martie nodded his head, and smiled at Faith. "Food'll be up in a little while," he told her as he handed the order back to the kitchen staff. He then walked over, and grabbed the four bottles of Budlight, twisting off the caps and placing them on Faith's tray.
"Thanks." She carefully balanced the tray and made her way back over to the table. "Here you go, boys." She set a beer in front of each of them.
One of the guys pulled out a five dollar bill, and as Faith set the beer in front of him he took hold of her hand. "This is for you," he told her softly, a smile on his face.
She looked at him for a second, hesitating. "Thanks." She smiled back as she took the money from him.
* * *
Bosco's mouth dropped open as they stepped into the large bar. "Man." His eyes widened as he watched a woman wearing hardly anything walk past him. He gazed at her, watching as she walked over toward the bar. "You were right, Davis."
He grinned. "See that seat over there?" He pointed to a table right in front of the stage where two girls were stripping.
"Yeah, but uh..." He swallowed hard. "I ain't really payin' much attention to it."
Davis chuckled. "Which is why I made sure to get you a front seat for the show," he said. "Now go sit down and I'll be right there."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. It's your birthday."
He blinked a few times, and managed to pull his gaze away from the women for a moment. "Thanks Davis." He smiled at his partner.
He clapped a hand on Bosco's shoulder. "Go. Sit. Enjoy."
"Definitely." Bosco nodded his head, and made his way over to the seat. Front row. Center stage.
Davis grinned, then turned and headed for the bar, leaning against it, waiting.
Bosco sat down, and leaned back in the chair as he gazed at the two women above him who were wearing less clothing by the second. He'd never been to a strip club before, and this was -way- beyond his wildest dreams.
* * *
"What can I get ya," Martie asked as he walked over.
"Hey, my friend's birthday is today. That guy over there." Davis pointed over his shoulder. "I was hopin' I could arrange a little somethin' extra for him."
He grinned. "You got somethin' specific in mind?"
"I was thinkin' a lapdance."
Martie leaned across the bar. "Is that it?"
A look of confusion appeared on his face. "Well...I'm sure he wouldn't mind a show all for himself. He's a cop, works real hard."
"Oh, a cop, huh?" He nodded his head. "Well, we've actually got two kinds of lapdances. One out here on the main floor for everyone to see, and one in a special room for a more...private dance, without all the onlookers."
"Well, it might be his birthday, but I am payin' for it." Davis grinned. "Out here's fine. How does this work? I just pick someone out, or--?"
"Well if you have someone specific in mind we can arrange it, otherwise your waitress will 'serve' him."
"Who's the waitress workin' our table?"
He looked around, and pointed across the bar. "That's her over there."
Davis followed his gaze across the room and his eyes widened slightly. The woman had shoulder-length strawberry blond hair, and a very nice body. Curves in all the right places. Her skirt was short, her shirt low-cut and knotted just above her belly button. "Oh, hell yeah. He'll love her."
"I'll let her know he's waiting," he told him with a grin.
"He's not the only one." Davis grinned back at him before heading away from the bar and toward the table where his partner was sitting.
Bosco leaned forward, and slid a dollar under the waistband of the thong the current dancer was wearing. "You're gorgeous," he told her, a grin on his face.
The pretty red head smiled back at him. "You bet I am."
He winked at her before settling back in his chair.
Davis dropped into the seat beside him, grinning like that cat who'd swallowed the canary.
Bosco didn't even look over at his friend, his attention was focused solely on the red head, dressed in next to nothing, dancing on the stage. "This is -amazing-."
"Oh, you just wait my friend."
He rested his head on the back of his chair as he gazed up at the stage.
Faith finished her break early as she noticed the bartender waving her over. She liked Martie. He wasn't a bad guy. Especially not compared to the manager of the joint, who luckily wasn't there tonight. She walked over to the bar. "What's up?"
"Got a birthday boy for ya," he told her softly.
She closed her eyes. "And here I was havin' a good night."
"No worries, Faith. He's a cop, so it's just a lapdance." He gave her a small smile, knowing how much she hated certain aspects of the job. "Probably a good tip in it for ya, too."
"Yeah. I do need the money." Her voice was soft and she rubbed the back of her neck. "What table?"
"He's in the prime seat." He nodded toward the stage.
"Wonderful." She drew in a breath and opened her eyes, straightening her shoulders. Right up front where everyone in the whole bar would get to watch her.
Martie reached out and touched her arm. "Just focus on him. It'll be okay," he told her softly.
She forced a smile. "All part of the job right?" She didn't wait for him to answer before heading slowly over to the table. She couldn't see the man sitting in the main seat, but there was a tall, young looking black man seated just to the right of the seat.
Bosco looked over at Davis, not noticing the woman approaching from the other direction. "Why'd you keep this place a secret?"
He shrugged. "You always seemed more interested in the ACU sergeant."
"Well, she's great for a little one on one time, but this...." He motioned toward the stage.
"Oh, no, you haven't even -seen- one on one time yet, Boz." Davis turned his head and grinned as he saw the pretty waitress approaching.
He gave him a confused look. "Whaddya mean?"
"Let's just say that you're gonna owe me -huge- by the end of the night."
Bosco grinned, and turned his attention back to the stage, his zoned out expression returning as he watched the girls.
"You know that red head you keep watchin' on stage?"
He nodded.
"She's nothin' compared to the one headed over to our table right now."
"What?" He quickly turned to look.
"Check her out." Davis nodded toward the waitress, whose strawberry blond hair was currently covering half her face as she walked over to them. "God, she's hot."
Bosco looked in the direction Davis nodded, and his eyes widened. "Oh wow."
"Damn, those legs go all the way up," he murmured, staring.
His gaze moved from her high heels up to her waist, and then traveled higher to her chest. "That is one fine woman."
"And guess who she's about to perform for."
"Excuse me?"
Davis grinned. "Lapdance, my friend."
He turned to look at Davis. "You got me a lapdance?"
"Of course."
He lifted his hand for a high five, grinning from ear to ear.
"Like I said, you only turn 29 once." Davis gave him a high five as the waitress arrived at their table.
"Thanks, man."
"No problem."
Faith barely looked at the man before stopping and standing in front of him for a moment, beginning to sway her hips to the music.
"Try not to get jealous," he told Davis, noticing the woman out of the corner of his eye.
"Too late." He turned his head to stare at the woman, his eyes locked on her chest as she slowly untied the shirt that was knotted above her belly button and slid onto Bosco's lap, her hands resting on his shoulders. Her face was still hidden by her hair and he found himself wanting to see what she looked like.
Bosco instinctively rested his hands on her hips as he turned to gaze up at her. "Hey," he whispered softly.
She hated it when they tried to talk to her, like she was doing this for her own pleasure rather than the money. She didn't say anything as she ground her hips against his.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and slid his hands around to her backside, which her skirt was barely covering.
I hate my life, she thought, trying to shove away the feelings of disgust rolling through her.
Davis's eyes were still locked on her chest. "How much more for a strip?" he was unable to resist asking.
Bosco shot him a look. "Back off Davis. This is my dance."
"So you can have a dance -and- a strip. I'm not seein' anything wrong with that."
He grinned, and turned his attention back to the woman straddling his lap. Bosco shifted a little underneath her and bit his lip as he watched her body moving over his.
"Does she talk?" Davis wondered aloud.
Bosco held her a little tighter, almost forgetting where they were. Just enjoying what she was doing.
Faith could tell he was enjoying it and she tried to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach as she continued to grind her hips against his, feeling his hardness through his jeans.
"Gawd." He couldn't stop the moan from escaping his lips. This was the first time he'd ever gotten a lap dance, and he couldn't help but wish that they weren't in public...and that Davis wasn't watching.
She glanced at her watch, relieved to see the five minutes were over. "Happy birthday. Time's up."
"I think he could go for another five minutes," Davis said with a grin, pulling another twenty out of his pocket.
He nodded his head. "Definitely," he whispered as he gazed at her.
Faith closed her eyes, reaching out and taking the money from the other man, slipping the bill into her bra.
Bosco squirmed a little in the chair, and swallowed hard. His current predicament was more than a little uncomfortable, but was worth it.
"How much for a strip -while- you do that lapdance?" Davis questioned.
"Fifty," she said flatly.
"Hey, is there uh..." Bosco shifted again. "Any chance we could do this somewhere else?"
She grew still. "Yeah. There's a room in back. You wanna go there?"
He nodded quickly. "I don't like crowds."
Faith slid off his lap. "The fifty's up front."
Davis looked at Bosco for a moment, then pulled some more money out of wallet, handing it to her. "Do -not- say I never gave you anything good for your birthday."
Bosco looked at Davis, a boyish smile on his face. "I'll be back." He stood up to follow the woman, grabbing his jacket to hold in front of himself.
She led him into the back of the bar, pulling a set of keys from her apron and slowly unlocking the first available room, flipping the light on and motioning him inside. There was a comfortable chair in the middle of the floor.
He dropped his jacket on the floor, and made his way over to the chair. Before sitting down he reached down to reposition himself, hoping to ease some of the pressure.
Faith closed the door, hesitating a moment before locking it. Swallowing hard, she turned around slowly and walked over toward him. Slowly leaning over him as she began to unbutton her shirt the rest of the way, revealing a tight black halter top underneath.
He licked his lips as he watched her. "What's your name," he asked softly.
"What difference does that make?" She let the outer shirt fall to the floor.
"I was just wonderin'." He shrugged as he reached out to hold her hips. "I'm Maurice."
She slid onto his lap again. "Good for you."
He felt his lower body twitch as she settled down on his lap. "Oh man," he whispered.
She slid closer to him, resting her hands on his shoulders for a moment as she moved on him, her short skirt pushed up to her thighs.
Bosco watched as her hips moved back and forth, up and down; and he rested his hands on her outer thighs. It wasn't that he'd never been this close to a woman, but it was a different experience than he was used to. He wasn't sure why, it just was.
"You gonna tip me?" she asked, leaning her lips close to his ear.
He nodded his head, and swallowed hard. "Yeah," he whispered. "Of course."
"You wanna help me finish undressin' then?" She trailed a hand down his arm, pulling away a little. She had a lot of bills due this week and she needed every dime she could get.
His eyes widened slightly. "S-sure," he stuttered.
Faith slowly pulled back a little more, reaching down and picking up his right hand, guiding it to the zipper of her skirt.
"I uh...I thought you were just a waitress," he whispered.
"Stripping's not illegal, officer."
"No...no I just..." He shook his head, not really sure why he was so nervous about having a woman strip for him. It wasn't like it was the first time. Though it was the first time he was -paying- a woman to strip for him.
She waited for him to pull the zipper down.
Bosco took a deep breath, and squirmed underneath her before pulling down the zipper.
She slowly slid off his lap, allowing the material to fall to the floor, leaving her in her halter top and a pair of black lacy underpants. She straddled his lap once more, reaching down to grab the bottom of her halter top, some of the hair falling away from her face.
His fingers played gently across her stomach as he looked her body over. There was a smile on his face, and he reached up to run his fingers through her hair. "You should wear your hair back," he told her softly.
"A beauty cop?" she asked with a faint smirk as she lifted the halter off over her head and let it drop to the floor so she was only dressed in a lacy black bra that matched her underwear.
"You're gorgeous," he whispered. "It'd be nice to see your face. I bet you've got beautiful eyes."
"I bet you say that to all your waitresses." She finally lifted her gaze to his face, her eyes widening slightly as she found herself looking into familiar blue eyes.
"No, I---" He recognized her as soon as their eyes met, and his mouth dropped open. "Faith?!"
She stared at him, her heart pounding. She had never thought she'd see him again in her life. She had no idea what to say.
He swallowed hard, feeling extremely awkward seeing as she was sitting on his lap dressed in her underwear, and he was very aroused. "Oh gawd."
She closed her eyes for a moment. Four years of working in the same place and never running into anyone she'd known from her former life had been a blessing that had ended just then. She was afraid to move, afraid he was gonna start asking her questions.
Bosco took a deep breath, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. "I uh..." He shook his head, not sure what he was actually going to say.
"Sorry. If it helps you can just pretend I'm someone else."
"You uh..." He squirmed a little underneath her. Finding out that his birthday lapdance was being performed by a woman he knew did nothing to calm his body. A nervous grin appeared on his lips.
She was silent for a moment, both horrified and relieved. Horrified that someone she had once considered a friend--or at the very least a close acquaintance--seeing her at her job was embarrassing as hell. Relieved because there was little chance that things would get out of hand with him. He wouldn't hurt her--something that was always a risk in her line of work. Despite her embarrassment, she had been paid to do a job. And she fully intended to do it. She reached down, picked up his hand and slid it around to her back silently.
"What are you doin'?"
"My job," she replied.
"You don't have to finish," he told her softly.
"It's what I do. You wanna unhook me?"
He gazed up at her, a near petrified look on his face. It was one thing to be aroused when he was this close to a lover, but when it was someone like Faith it was a completely different situation. She had been the only person from the academy that he'd actually call a friend, and this type of behavior wasn't exactly...right.
She gazed back at him wordlessly, waiting for some kind of response, unable to read his expression.
"As much as I'm enjoying this, and believe me I -am- enjoying this...we probably shouldn't."
"Look...this doesn't have to be awkward. Your friend paid me to do a job. It's not a big deal."
"But it is awkward...isn't it?" His eyebrows furrowed. Maybe this didn't bother her.
She shrugged. "Why would it be?"
"I don't know. Maybe cause we're friends...or at least we were." He looked down her body, and then back up. "And I'm not exactly uh...calm at the moment."
"We haven't seen each other in four years."
"So there's a time limit on friendship?"
If you're me, she thought. "If you don't want me to finish that's up to you. I got a job to do, so..." She shrugged.
Bosco let out a breath, and bit his lip. He slowly ran his hand up and down her back contemplating what he should do. She had managed to really turn him on, and it felt good. Plus it wasn't like they ever saw each other, and Davis had paid for it.
Faith remained motionless, waiting for him to make some kind of decision. His touch was much lighter than the other guys she 'served' as part of her job.
"Do you like your job," he asked softly. "Do you like doin' this?"
She was silent for a moment. "The money's good."
"Not exactly what I asked."
"A job is a job."
"You're really good at this part," he told her with a smirk.
She didn't smile. "Lots of practice."
He nodded slightly. "Sorry," he whispered.
"Don't be."
"You still married," he asked softly.
Her jaw tensed slightly. "No."
Bosco sighed softly, and rested his hands on her hips, his thumbs moving back and forth over her skin. "Well...maybe we should call it quits for tonight."
"Whatever you say." She slid off his lap and leaned over, picking up her clothes.
He groaned softly as she moved off of him, and reached down to adjust himself. "Can I get your number," he asked softly, hoping he didn't sound like a complete jerk.
She smirked slightly. "What? Now you wanna date me?"
"Well no, I mean...well can't I just call you some time?"
"Why?" There was more than a hint of suspicion to her voice.
He picked his jacket up off the floor, and set it in his lap. "I just thought maybe we could hang out. Catch up." He shrugged. "It's been four years."
"Yeah, well. I don't really have much time to socialize between work and Charlie, so..." She slipped her skirt back on, zipping it up.
"Maybe I could come over sometime? See Charlie?"
She paused, glanced at him as she pulled the halter top over her head again. "Why don't you give me your number and maybe I'll call you?"
"Maybe you'll call?"
"Yeah. If I get time."
"Promise?"
Her eyes were distant. "I don't make promises."
He gazed at her for a moment, questions in his eyes. "What happened to you, Faith?"
"Life," she replied, turning and heading for the door.
Bosco quickly stood up, and grabbed her arm. "Hey wait."
Faith pulled away from him instantly. "What?"
He held his hands up, showing he meant no harm. "I'd really like to see you some time. I've...missed you."
"Leave your number with Martie at the bar. I gotta get back to work." She turned and walked away again, opening the door.
"Hold on." He reached for his wallet. "I got that tip for ya."
"Save it. I didn't do anything." She paused for a moment. "Happy birthday." Without another word she was gone.
"Thanks," he whispered even though she was already gone. He sat back down in the chair, and leaned his head back. This had not been the gift he'd expected.
* * *
Faith made her way back out into the bar once more, her hands trembling slightly as she walked to the bar to retrieve her order pad. Avoiding Martie's eyes as he glanced at her. She grabbed her pen and started to head away.
"Hey Faith," he called after her. "You okay?"
"Peachy," she answered.
* * *
Bosco sat alone in the room for a little while, letting his body calm down though his mind was racing. He took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly as he ran a hand through his hair. He pushed himself out of the chair and headed for the door.
Davis had seen the hot waitress return a few moments later and was about to go check on his partner when he saw him coming out of the back. He stood up, a big grin on his face.
He put his jacket on, and was heading for the bar when he spotted his partner. He sighed. Dealing with Davis right now wasn't real high on his list of fun things to do.
His eyebrows furrowed a little, then he walked over to the bar, still grinning. "How was she?"
"Huh?" He turned to look at Davis for a brief moment before looking down at the bar, and searching his pockets for a pen.
"Huh?" Davis repeated, shaking his head. "How. Was. She?"
"Oh." He nodded his head slowly. "Good. Yeah...good."
"Oh, come on, man. Details."
Bosco turned to look at Davis. "It was no big deal."
He raised his eyebrows. "Hello, I did see her, you know. Definitely a big deal."
"Look, just let me take care of something, and then...then I'll tell you." He waved his hand to get the bartenders attention.
Martie glanced up, then moved over to him, a slightly suspicious look in his eyes. Faith had seemed shaken when she'd left the backroom and the guy had emerged moments later. "Yeah?"
"Are you Martie?"
"That's me."
He let out a breath. "Well...I was uh...just with Faith, and she wanted me to leave my number. Plus I never got a chance to tip her."
Davis stared at his partner in disbelief.
"Faith wanted -you- to leave her your number?"
He nodded his head, and ran a hand through his hair. "Long story. You got somethin' I can write with?"
Martie eyed him for a moment, then slid a pen across the bar to him.
Bosco grabbed one of the cardboard coasters off the bar, and jotted down his first and last name plus his phone number. He then reached for his wallet, and pulled out a few twenties. He handed the coaster and the money to Martie. "Make sure she gets this."
"Sure thing."
Davis's mouth dropped open as he stared at the wad of money Bosco had just handed the bartender. There had to be at least a hundred bucks there. "Jesus, Boz. Was she really that good?"
"We're not talkin' about it here." He turned away, and headed for the exit.
He stared after his partner for a moment, then quickly followed him out of the bar.
Once he got outside he breathed in the crisp night air, and walked toward Davis's car. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go home and go straight to sleep or if he wanted to go run a marathon.
"What the -hell- was that? You just gave her like a hundred bucks." He shook his head. "She do more for you than a lapdance?"
Bosco turned to look at his partner, his expression a mixture of emotions. "No. She didn't do anything more."
He stood silently in the middle of the sidewalk.
"I knew her, Davis."
"What do you mean you knew her?"
He looked down at the sidewalk for a moment before looking back up at Davis. "She was my best friend in the academy."
Davis's eyes widened. "She..." He pointed at the bar's entrance. "-She- was at the academy?" There was disbelief to his tone.
"Yeah, -she- was at the academy. Her name is Faith, and she was one of the smartest recruits." He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "And now...now she's givin' guys like me hard-ons for money."
He was still stunned. "Damn. I don't even know what to say to that."
"-You- don't know what to say?! I was the one sittin' in the chair while she started takin' off her clothes!"
"That musta been right up there on your top ten list of most awkward moments."
"Yeah...you could say that." His voice was a little softer, and he ran both hands through his hair.
"Wow, so like...she's gonna call you?" Davis was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that their sexy waitress had once been an NYPD recruit.
"I don't know," he sighed. "I was thinkin' maybe she and I could get together, catch up on things, but she wouldn't give me her number. Told me to leave mine with Martie and -maybe- she'd call me."
"Sounds kinda bitchy to me."
He shrugged, and shook his head slightly. "Somethin's not right, Ty." He motioned toward the door. "The Faith I knew would never step foot in a place like this."
"Maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought."
"Did you notice that she didn't even look at me while she was dancin'. I mean, never at my face. When we were in that room, before I knew it was her I knew she didn't wanna be there. She didn't wanna do what she was doin'."
"Come on, Boz. Don't you think you're readin' too much into this?"
"No." He shook his head firmly. "No, I don't."
"So why would she be there doin' -that- if she didn't want to? It's not like there's a job shortage in the city."
"How much money did you pay for that lapdance?"
"Twenty bucks."
"Twenty bucks for five minutes, and as soon as that was over you shelled out what? Like fifty more so she'd strip for me? What other job do you know of that brings in that kinda dough?"
"Hookin'," he replied without hesitation.
He nodded his head. "And right through that door is a lesser version of it. We -paid- her to take off her clothes, and, and...."
"Yeah, well...it's not illegal, Bosco. A lot of women dance for a living."
"That's not dancin'." He raked his hand through his hair. "That's not Faith."
"That's not the Faith you -knew-. That was what? The first time you saw her in four or five years? People change."
"I could see it in her eyes, Davis." Bosco shoved his hands in his pockets. "I know that I haven't seen her in a while, but she and I...we had this, I don't know, bond or something."
Davis studied him for a moment, took in his worried frown. "You really liked this woman."
"I don't have a lot of friends." He pointed toward the bar. "And she was one of 'em."
"Were you two...you know...involved?"
He smiled softly. "No. She was married, and had two kids."
Davis shook his head slightly. "So what happened? Why didn't you keep in touch with her?"
"She just kinda disappeared one day. I went to class, saved her a seat and she never showed up." He lightly kicked at the tire of Ty's car. "I never had her phone number or anything cause of her husband. I think she always thought he'd be jealous...plus he really liked to drink."
"Was he uh...abusive?" His voice was quiet.
"Not that I know of, and I'm pretty good at seein' the signs."
"Yeah. I just thought maybe, you know...maybe she disappeared cause she was runnin' from him."
He sighed heavily. "If she doesn't call me in a couple days I'm comin' back here."
Davis hesitated. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean if she doesn't call..."
"I don't know, I just...I think I just need to go home."
"Right. I'll give you a ride." He moved around to the driver's side of his car and climbed in.
Bosco got into the car, and put his seatbelt on. He slouched in the seat as he stared out the passenger side window. Some birthday this turned out to be, he thought.
* * *
Faith was always relieved when her shifts were over and she was back in regular clothes--jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She shrugged into her coat, moving behind the bar to get her keys. "Night, Martie. See ya tomorrow."
"Oh hey, some guy left this for you." He opened the cash register, and retrieved the coaster and money that the man had given him earlier.
She stared down at the items in her friend's hand, then looked up at him, more than a little shocked by the money. "Are you sure he left all that for me?"
Martie nodded his head. "Yeah, said he never got a chance to tip you."
She shook her head slightly. Even without counting the money she could see he'd left her at least a hundred bucks in the form of twenty dollar bills. What the hell was he thinking? she wondered, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.
"Did everything go okay with him," he asked softly. "You looked a little...shaken, and he seemed a little out of it or somethin'. He left as soon as he gave me this."
She leaned against the bar for a moment, silent. Then she looked up at him. "He's someone I used to know." Her voice was quiet.
"Really?" He reached into the cooler behind him, and got her a bottle of 7UP, the only thing other than water he'd ever seen her drink. Martie set the bottle down on the bar.
"So, seein' him again, was that good or bad?"
"He's a cop. What do you think?" Her question wasn't harsh, just flat. She picked up the bottle of 7UP, unscrewed the lid and took a sip.
"No, I mean were you guys friends?"
"Used to be."
"Somethin' happen," he asked in a whisper.
Faith looked up at him, her eyes unreadable. "A lot's changed. That's all. I have a different life now."
"So you're not gonna call him?"
She was silent for a moment. "No." She picked up the coaster from the bar and tossed it into the trash before taking the money. "You're on tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah." He nodded his head, a sad smile on his face.
"Have a good night, Martie." She tucked the money into the pocket of her jeans and headed for the exit without another word.
"Night Faith," he called after her. He watched as she left the bar, and then looked down into the trash at the coaster she'd just thrown away.