Third Watch Fic: Upside Down (1-2/10)
Title: Upside Down
Written in March of 2004
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian
Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Rating: Most chapters will be of the general audience version.
Genre: AU
Main Characters: Faith, Maurice and Mikey
Summary: When Third Watch characters get mixed up with two fanfic authors who like to write Alternate Universe stories, the characters roles get mixed up and things tend to get turned...Upside Down.
He sat in the passenger's seat of 55-David. His right arm was resting on the armrest of the door, and he was drumming his fingers quietly. The streets were still wet from the afternoon shower that had hit the city, but the sun was starting to break through the clouds. "Looks like it's clearin' up."
"About time. I'm sick of rain," Faith murmured, staring out the window.
"Well...April showers bring May flowers," he reminded her as he leaned forward, ducking his head slightly so he could look out the windshield and up at the sky.
She rolled her eyes. "And since when do you care about flowers at any time?"
He looked over at her. "I don't. I just thought you did. I was tryin' to cheer you up."
A small smile tugged at her lips and she looked back at him. "Noted."
Mike grinned, and nodded his head. "Hey, so my mom's birthday is today. You think we could swing by her place some time tonight?"
"Yeah, of course. How is Rose?"
"She's doin' good. Real good actually."
"Good. I'm glad to hear it." She glanced at her watch, then started the car.
"Hey." He reached over, and swatted her leg. "You haven't told me how your date went last night."
She made a face. "Don't ask."
"That bad?"
"He wanted to go disco dancing."
He couldn't hold back his laughter. "Oh man."
"And how are things with Nicole?" she asked pointedly.
"Uh...well, they've...tamed down some."
She snorted. "So she's past the chains and whip stage?" She pulled the RMP onto the road.
He looked over at her. "That's not really any of your business, is it?"
"Well, you are the one who told me in the first place, Michael."
His cheeks turned red, and he looked out the window remaining silent for a moment. "It's really weird, ya know? Cause I -really- like her, so it's hard to say anything about..."
"You should talk to her. Just be honest."
He rubbed the palms of his hands on his uniform pants. "You really think that'll work?"
"Well...yeah. I mean tell her you're not comfortable with...certain accessories." She shook her head, unable to believe she had these kinds of conversations on a semi-regular basis.
Mike took a deep breath, and leaned his head back against the seat. "Maybe I'll talk to her tonight. I'm supposed to go over there."
"Well...good luck. She seems real nice. I'm sure she'll understand."
He rolled his head to the side and looked out the window. "You know, sometimes I think we should just date each other," he chuckled. "Cause at least we know how to communicate."
She smirked. "Or maybe you should start -working- with Nicole."
"Right. Cause I could -so- see her as a cop." He looked at Faith, a wide smile on his face. "Though she all ready knows how to work the handcuffs."
"Oy...too much information, Mike." She grimaced.
"Right. Sorry," he chuckled.
Faith shook her head and they drove the rest of the way to his mother's in comfortable silence. As soon as she pulled up on the street, the first thing she noticed was a very nice blue classic mustang. "Now that is a sweet car."
He groaned. "Maybe we should come back later."
"Why? What's wrong?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"That's Maurice's car."
"Maurice? Your brother Maurice?"
"Yes. My brother Maurice."
"No way. Now we're definitely goin' in."
He gave her a look. "What? Why?"
"Because. We've been partners for four years and I've never even met the guy."
"Trust me. You don't want to meet him. Let's just go."
"No," she said stubbornly, shutting the engine off and climbing out of the car.
He quickly got out of the car. "Come on, Faith. I'm serious."
"And so am I." She didn't wait for him before she headed toward the front door.
"Look...my brother...he's nothin' like me. We're total opposites," he told her as he hurried after her.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Faith teased as she reached out and knocked on the door.
"That's cause it is," he said softly.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly but she didn't have time to ask him what he meant because the door opened.
"Faith! Michael!" Rose grinned and motioned them inside.
He put a smile on his face, and leaned forward to kiss his mother's cheek. "Hey, ma. Happy Birthday."
She quickly hugged him, kissing his cheek in return. "Come on in. Your brother brought me a cake."
His eyebrows furrowed. "He did?"
"Yeah, of course. Maurice always remembers my birthday."
Faith glanced at her partner, a faint smile on her lips.
"Why's he really here," he asked her softly.
Rose frowned. "Like I said...he brought me a cake."
"I hope it's store bought," he mumbled.
Faith elbowed him in the ribs as they followed Rose down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Maurice sat at the kitchen table cutting the cake. "Ma, you want a big piece or a small one," he asked, not looking up.
"Big one. And look who's here."
He looked up. "Hey little bro! What's up Mikey?"
"Not a whole lot," he muttered.
His eyes widened when he looked at Faith. "Well hello."
Faith smiled at him. "Hi."
"And you are?"
Before she had a chance to respond, Rose grinned. "This is Faith Mitchell. She's your brother's work partner." She leaned a little closer to her eldest son. "Single," she added in a whisper.
He nodded his head, a soft smile on his face as he extended his hand to Faith. "It's nice to meet you, Faith. I'm Maurice."
She gazed at him as she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too." She couldn't help but notice how blue his eyes were.
Maurice looked back at his brother. "Why have I never met her before? You been hidin' her from me, Mikey?"
Mike crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, Mo. That's exactly what I've been doin'."
Rose gave her younger son a disapproving look but kept quiet.
"You want a piece of cake," Maurice asked Faith. "It's chocolate with chocolate icing. Ma's favorite."
"Mine, too, actually. I'd love a piece. Thanks."
"It's just regular store bought cake, right Maurice? No special flavoring?"
His eyes narrowed as he looked at his younger brother. "What kinda guy do you think I am? Of course it's regular store bought cake." He shook his head, and dished up a piece of cake for Faith.
Faith turned her head to look at her partner, a questioning look on her face.
"Ma, can we talk in the living room?"
"We're gettin' ready to have cake, Michael. Can't it wait?"
"No." He turned, and walked out of the kitchen.
"Gawd that kid's wound tight," Maurice mumbled.
"You're tellin' me," Faith murmured as she watched Rose leave the room.
"Sit down, Faith. Tell me about yourself."
Mike stood in the middle of the living room his hands resting on his gun belt.
"What's wrong, Michael?" Rose's voice was weary.
"How long's he been here?"
"A couple hours. Why?"
"He asked you for money yet?"
"What? No."
"He's doin' dope again," he said matter-of-factly.
"Michael...you don't know that."
"I can see it." He used his index and middle fingers and pointed at his own eyes. "It's in his eyes."
Rose folded her arms across her chest. "You always gotta be so negative? Why you always gotta give him such a hard time, Mike? He's a good boy."
"I'm just tryin' to look out for him. He keeps doin' this shit he's gonna wind up in big trouble. None of us need that."
"Well bein' on his case all the time ain't gonna help him. Maybe you should worry about takin' care of yourself instead of everyone else." She turned and headed back to the kitchen.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She turned around. "Maybe you oughtta figure out why it is you think you're better than the rest of us. Why you gotta hide behind a badge to feel good." Without waiting for his response, she disappeared into the kitchen.
He stared after her, not sure how to respond.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maurice poured a glass of milk for himself and one for Faith before heading back over to the kitchen table. "So you and Mikey have been partners for four years? I can't believe we never met before."
She nodded. "I think he's ashamed of me," she joked.
He chuckled softly. "No way."
Faith smiled, resting her arms on the tabletop. He had a nice laugh.
"So..." He cut off a small bite of his cake then looked at her. "You seein' anybody?"
"Not at the moment. Are you?"
He shook his head. "No, and I know this may be way out of line seein' as we just met and all, but I firmly believe that when opportunity knocks you've gotta answer." He pointed toward the apartment door. "And you did knock, didn't you?"
She chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I did."
Maurice smiled. "Maybe we could get together sometime?"
"I'd like that." Her eyes sparkled.
He leaned back so that his chair was on the back two legs and reached for the magnetic notepad his mother kept on the dishwasher. "You got a pen?"
She pulled one out of her shirt pocket and slid it across the table to him.
His fingers brushed hers lightly as he took the pen. He wrote his name and number on the paper and ripped the sheet off the notepad. "Just don't tell Mikey."
Faith frowned. "What's the deal with you two anyway?"
He shrugged. "It's just that whole little brother doesn't think his big brother amounted to anything type of relationship."
She gazed at him for a moment, noting that he didn't meet her eyes when he spoke. "Yeah, well...my older brother wasn't happy about me becomin' a cop, but...he got over it."
He nodded his head. "Guess I always thought brothers were just pains growing up...never realized it lasted into adulthood," he told her with a smirk.
"Welcome to the real world," she replied, a small smile on her lips.
"You 'bout ready, Faith," Mike asked as he came back into the kitchen.
"We just got here."
He looked at his brother then back to his partner. "You wanna stay?"
"Well, it is your mother's birthday."
Mike nodded his head, and looked at his mother, a soft apologetic smile on his face. "Yeah, it is."
"Good. Then let's sit down and have cake together," Rose said, sitting down at the table and reaching for the slice of cake that Maurice had cut for her.
Letting out a breath he sat down. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for the knife to cut himself a piece of cake figuring he was just being paranoid about his brother lacing it with some kind of drug. He just hoped he wouldn't regret this family moment later.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mike folded up his uniform pants, and put them neatly in his bag followed by his shirt. He let out a breath, and looked over at Faith. "I'm gonna head over to Nicole's you want me to drop you at your place on my way?"
She tilted her head to the side as she brushed her hair. "No...I think I'll walk. It's nice out."
He was quiet for a moment as he zipped up his bag, and then stood up. "Thanks for goin' over to my ma's with me."
"You're welcome. She seemed really happy today."
"Yeah she did. Though that didn't stop me from tryin' to ruin it, huh?"
Faith paused, then turned to face him. "You didn't ruin anything." Her voice was quiet.
"You don't think so?"
"No." She gazed at him. "Michael...your mom loves you and your brother. She didn't want us to leave when we did."
He smiled softly, and closed his locker. "She's a great lady, huh?"
"Yeah. Yeah, she is." Faith returned his smile. "Have a good night." She headed for the locker room door.
"You too, Faith. I'll see you tomorrow."
She waved at him over her shoulder as she disappeared.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Faith sat alone in her living room, her legs curled underneath her as she stared at the portable phone in her hands and at the piece of paper that Michael's brother had written his number down on earlier that day. A faint smile touched her lips as she drew in a breath and dialed it quickly before she had the chance to change her mind.
He grabbed the bag of chips out of the cupboard then picked up the phone off the counter as he made his way to the fridge to get a beer. "Hello?"
She hesitated a second. "Maurice?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah. Who's this?"
"This is Faith Mitchell." She bit her lip.
"Oh, hey!" He smiled as he put down the chips, and cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear as he twisted the cap off his bottle of beer.
Relaxing at his cheerful tone, she rested her head against the back of the sofa. "How's it goin'?"
"Good. How was the rest of your shift?" He took his chips and beer into the living room, and sat down on his futon.
"Oh, it was slow, actually." She paused a moment. "I was just callin' to see if maybe you wanted to go for coffee or lunch sometime."
"Absolutely. When?"
She was a little taken back by the complete lack of hesitation on his part. "Um...I don't know, when's good for you?"
"Oh...pretty much whenever works for you. I just work part time at the auto body shop, and it's pretty flexible."
"Oh, ok. How's tomorrow? I don't work til 3."
"Yeah, that'll work. Where should we go?"
"Well...there's a diner at the corner of Camelot and McArthur. It's pretty good."
"Okay." He reached for the pen that was on the end table, and wrote the street names on a scrap of paper. "Camelot and McArthur. What time? Noon?"
"Yeah. Noon sounds good."
"You wanna meet me there, or should I pick you up or somethin'?"
"It's not far from where I live, so I'll just walk."
"Oh yeah? Where do you live," he asked curiously.
For a second, out of pure instinct, she hesitated. Then berated herself for being paranoid. This was her partner's brother, not some psycho. "On King and 21st."
"There's some nice places over there."
"Yeah, I like it."
He was quiet for a moment, and took a drink of his beer. "I'm glad I got to meet you today, Faith."
She smiled softly at his words. "Me too. I'm lookin' forward to tomorrow."
"So am I," he whispered. "See ya then."
"Night, Maurice," she said softly.
"Goodnight." He hung up the phone, and set it down next to him. Tomorrow he was going on a lunch date with a beautiful woman. He needed to celebrate tonight.
* * *
Part Two
He pulled his mustang into a parking space outside the diner, and glanced in the rearview mirror to look himself over. After running his hand over his hair he got out of the car and locked it. He looked at his watch to see that he was a couple minutes early, and wondered if Faith was there yet.
Faith tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she walked toward the entrance of the diner, feeling nervous.
With his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets he headed for the door. He smiled when he saw her approaching the diner from the opposite direction. "Talk about timing."
She smiled. "Hey there. Am I late?"
"Well see, if you were late then I'd be late, too. So how 'bout we say we're both right on time?"
"Sounds like a plan to me. Shall we go in?"
"Definitely." He reached out, and opened the door for her. "After you."
Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. "Thanks." She stepped inside the diner and glanced around.
Maurice followed her inside, and as he stood next to her he placed his hand on the small of her back. "How 'bout over there," he nodded toward a booth in the corner next to the window.
"Looks like a good spot." Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at his light touch.
He guided her over to the booth, and slid into the seat across from her, a smile on his face.
She smiled back at him, gazing into his eyes. She wondered why her partner had never bothered to introduce her to his older brother before.
"I'm really glad you called last night."
"So am I." Her voice was soft.
He took two menus from behind the napkin dispenser, and set one down in front of Faith. "I gotta tell ya...I never really thought you'd call. I figured you were just bein' nice cause of Mikey and all."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, your brother's a good friend and everything, but...even he knows I don't do anything I don't wanna do."
Maurice nodded his head. "Well I definitely like women who think for themselves."
Faith smiled. "Then I think we'll probably get along all right."
He met Faith's gaze, and smiled back at her. "Yeah. I think we will."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She was never so glad for a shift to end as she was that night. She undressed quickly and changed into her regular clothes--a red t-shirt and a blue jean skirt. She walked across the locker room to look in the mirror, carrying her brush with her.
He closed his locker, and turned around on the bench to look at her. Mike tilted his head to the side slightly as he studied her body language, and what she was wearing. "What's up with you?"
Faith glanced at him in the mirror. "I have a date." A smile tugged at her lips.
"A date? With the disco dancer?"
She snorted. "Hardly."
He chuckled softly. "Then who?"
"Oh, uh...just this guy I met." She shifted her eyes away from his and brushed her hair.
Mike raised his eyebrows. "Where'd you meet him?"
"A bar," she answered. She felt guilty for lying to him because she'd never done it before.
He nodded his head, and stood up. "Well...I hope this guy is better than the last couple."
"I'm pretty sure he is."
"Whoa...check it out. Somebody's on the prowl." Ty Davis grinned as he looked in her direction while heading to his locker.
"Hot date tonight?" Sully questioned as he pulled open his locker.
"Yeah, actually. My girlfriend's comin' over to..."
"I wasn't talkin' to you Mike."
Faith grinned, then turned to look at Sully. "Yep."
He smiled softly. "Good for you."
"How's Tatiana?" she asked as she brushed her hair.
His smile widened. "She's doin' good."
She smiled back. "Good. Glad to hear that." She turned back to the mirror, the butterflies already beginning to stir in her stomach.
Mike picked up his bag, and walked over to Faith. "Call me tomorrow? Let me know how your date goes?"
"Will do. And I'll see you in three days." She smiled at him. "Don't have too much fun without me."
"I'll see what I can do." He touched her shoulder then headed out of the locker room.
Faith gazed after him for a moment, then let out a breath as she walked over and shut her locker door, lifting her bag off the floor. "See you guys later."
* * *
Maurice signed the credit card slip, and handed it to the woman behind the register. He turned to Faith. "Okay, so we've gone out for lunch, and now dinner. What do we do now?"
"Well...we could go for a walk."
He nodded. "It is a nice night."
She smiled as he held the door open for her and they stepped outside into the cool night air.
"So...Mikey know you were goin' out with me tonight?"
"Uh...no. He knew I was goin' out on a date, but...I didn't give him any details."
"If you wanna tell him that's okay. It's just...you know how he gets sometimes."
Faith was quiet for a moment as they walked. "He's a good guy, you know."
He looked over at her. "Never said he wasn't...well, not really."
"Mikey's just...it's like he thinks he's gotta carry the weight of the world on his shoulders."
"He's been like that ever since we were kids. Always thought he had to take care of everybody and fix everything."
"Well, and now he's a cop. It's kinda his job."
"Yeah, but he doesn't have to do it by himself."
"Try tellin' him that."
He chuckled softly. "Oh I have."
She smiled faintly. "Yeah, me too. He doesn't listen."
Maurice was quiet for a moment as they walked down the sidewalk. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye then took her hand.
Faith was a little surprised by the gesture, but then slid her fingers through his, glancing at him.
He looked at her, a soft smile on his face. "You havin' a good time?"
"Yeah. I am," she said softly. "Are you?"
"I definitely am."
She rested her head against his shoulder as they walked slowly down the sidewalk.
"You gotta be up early," he asked quietly.
"No. I'm actually off the next couple days."
"So...maybe we could go back to one of our places and watch a movie or somethin'?"
She hesitated a moment. "Yeah. I think that'd be okay."
He squeezed her hand gently. "If you don't want to I'll understand."
Faith lifted her gaze to look at him, relaxing as she met his eyes. "No. I want to."
Maurice placed a soft kiss on the side of her head.
Wordlessly, she reached up and touched his cheek, her gaze dropping to his lips.
He turned so he was facing her. "Did I tell you how nice you look tonight," he asked softly.
She nodded slightly. "Twice," she said just as softly.
Hesitating for a moment he rested his hands on her hips.
Holding his gaze, she slowly traced her fingers over his cheek, then his chin.
"Can I kiss you," he asked in a whisper.
"I was hoping you would," she whispered back.
He leaned forward, and lightly pressed his lips against hers.
Faith's eyes drifted shut as their lips met. Tiny sparks of electricity flickered throughout her body and she shifted closer to him, resting her hands against his chest.
He slid his arms around her waist as he kissed her softly. After a moment he pulled away before leaning back in and brushing his lips over hers again.
When their second kiss ended, she was breathless as she gazed at him, her heart beating more quickly than usual.
Maurice lifted one hand, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So...you wanna go watch that movie?"
She nodded wordlessly, her skin feeling warm where he touched her.
He placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips then took her hand again. "We're within walking distance of my place."
Faith smiled as she linked her fingers through his. Normally she wouldn't consent to going home to a strange man's apartment, and never on a first date. But this man was her partner's brother. And for the first time in a very long time, she felt a spark of something she couldn't quite identify. She only knew that Maurice was the cause of it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they got to his apartment he kissed her once more before dropping her hand, and fishing his keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the door, but before pushing it open he turned to Faith. "My place isn't anything spectacular," he told her softly.
"Don't worry about it," she said just as softly, her eyes warm.
He took a deep breath, and pushed the door open then motioned her inside.
"Thanks." She stepped inside, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited for him to turn on a light since she didn't know where the switch was.
Maurice followed her, and reached to the right to flip on the light switch. "I cleaned today, so..."
Faith glanced around the now light-flooded room. It was a small apartment, but surprisingly well-kept. "It looks good."
"I don't usually have much company, so I don't have a lot of furniture and stuff. But it works for me." He closed the door, and locked it.
She turned to look at him, a small smile on her face. "That's what's important."
"You want a drink or somethin'?"
"Depends. What have you got?"
"Well...I've got Mountain Dew and uh...beer." He gave her a sheepish look. "I need to plan a trip to the grocery store."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Mountain Dew's good."
"Okay, just make yourself comfortable, and I'll be right back."
"Thanks." Faith watched as he turned and headed into the kitchen before she walked into the living room and sat down on the small loveseat.
He came back a few moments later with a can of soda for each of them. After handing one to Faith he picked up the remote control for the television and sat down next to her.
She thanked him softly before popping the can open and taking a sip. She set it down on the table by the loveseat.
"I get a couple movie channels with my cable package." He handed her the remote then put his arm around her. "Why don't you try and find somethin' for us to watch?"
"Sure." She leaned her head against his shoulder as she started flipping through the channels.
He gently rubbed her arm, and leaned his head against hers. "It's been a while since I've actually been on a date I enjoyed," he told her softly.
"Well, that makes two of us. And thanks for not suggestin' we go disco dancin'."
"Disco dancing," he chuckled.
"Yeah, that's what my last date wanted to do." She shook her head.
"Well I usually save that for like the fifth date," he joked.
"Thanks for the warning," she replied lightly.
"No problem. Maybe we could replace the disco dancing with that atomic bowling or whatever it's called. You know, when they just have black lights on and everything looks real cool like it's glowing. They lower a disco ball for that."
Faith smiled. "As long as you don't strike any John Travolta poses I think I could deal with atomic bowling."
"It'll be strictly Maurice Boscorelli poses. I promise."
"Sounds promising."
"I like to think it is," he whispered before leaning in to kiss her.
There was no hesitation as she returned the soft pressure, her hands cupping his face.
As they kissed he reached across her to set his drink on the table. He shifted a little closer, and rested one hand on her leg.
A shiver made its way down her spine and she slowly deepened the kiss.
His lips parted, and he lifted one hand to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair.
A soft moan escaped her lips and she shifted closer to him, sliding her hands down to rest against his chest.
As the kiss continued it grew a little more heated. He gently nibbled on her bottom lip before pulling away to catch his breath.
Faith's heart was pounding heavily against her chest, her eyes filled with desire.
He leaned his forehead against hers, and gently touched her cheek.
She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.
Maurice swallowed hard. "So...whaddya wanna do," he asked in a whisper.
She was ashamed to admit what she wanted to do because she wasn't the type to sleep with someone on a first date. She slowly kissed his collarbone.
He bit his lip, and slowly rubbed his hand over her leg. He thought he knew what she wanted because he'd seen it in her eyes, and he really hoped he hadn't read it wrong. "I need you to tell me," he told her quietly. "So I know it's okay."
"I want you to make love to me." Her voice was very soft.
"Okay." He kissed her lips softly then stood up and held his hand out to her.
Feeling a twinge of nervousness, she reached out and slid her fingers through his as she rose to her feet slowly.
"You can trust me," he told her softly as he led her down the short hallway to his bedroom.
"I don't usually do this," she admitted.
He turned to look at her, his eyes soft. "We don't have to if..."
Faith gazed at him. "I know."
They entered his bedroom, and slowly made their way over to his bed. "For the record...I don't think any less of you for wanting to on the first date," he told her softly. "I don't think it's a bad thing."
A small smile tugged at her lips and she leaned forward to kiss him.
He smiled against her lips, and put his hands on her hips, pulling her close.
She slid her hands to his chest and started to undo the buttons on his shirt as they kissed.
His hands slowly roamed to her backside as the kiss deepened. A soft moan escaped him.
Faith closed her eyes, shifting closer to him as she moved her hands down his bare chest, pushing the shirt off his shoulders.
He took hold of her t-shirt, and began to lift it up, reluctantly breaking their kiss to get her shirt off.
She licked her lips as she gazed at him in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. She reached out and began to work on the button on his jeans.
Maurice stepped back slightly, and ran his hand over her bare stomach. He smiled softly then reached up to touch her upper arms. "You must work out a lot," he whispered.
"Well, I'm a cop. Gotta stay in shape." She lifted her gaze to his face.
"Well..." He placed a quick kiss on her lips then reached around to unfasten her bra. "You are one beautiful cop."
She closed her eyes at his words, kissing his neck as his hands slid over her back.
After he'd unhooked the garment he let it fall to the floor. He placed his hands on her hips, and very gently moved her a step back. "Let me look at you," he whispered softly.
Swallowing hard, she stood still, her heart beating heavily.
He gently ran his right hand down the valley between her breasts then back up her body, veering off to cup her left breast. Leaning forward he kissed her chest. "You're beautiful, Faith."
Her breathing grew a little quicker and she slid her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer and kissing his earlobe.
"Mmm." He continued to touch her chest with one hand while his other hand sought out the zipper on her skirt.
Faith slid her hands down his bare back, feeling the smooth muscles in his shoulder blades.
Closing his eyes he began to nibble on her neck as he found the zipper, and slowly eased it down.
She tilted her head back, a soft moan escaping her lips as his tongue and teeth moved lightly over her skin.
Maurice smiled against her skin then kissed his way up her neck and across her jaw to her lips. He started pushing the rest of her clothing toward the floor.
Kissing him back hungrily, she quickly unzipped his jeans and pushed them off his hips, pulling him closer to her.
When she was undressed he lifted his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks as their tongues battled. After a moment he pulled away breathlessly. He swallowed hard, then turned to his bed, pulled down the covers, and motioned for her to climb under the blankets. He kissed her once more. "Be right back."
"Don't be long," she murmured, slowly easing herself down onto the bed as she gazed at him.
"I won't." He hurried into the bathroom, and began pulling open drawers. Not finding what he was looking for he bit his lip then looked around. His eyes settled on the medicine cabinet, and he quickly pulled it open finding the box of condoms he'd been looking for. Grabbing one he hurried back into his bedroom.
Faith was propped up on her elbows as she waited for him.
"Just needed to get..." He held up the package.
A smile tugged at her lips and she nodded.
He grinned, and crawled into bed beside her still wearing his boxers. Maneuvering under the blankets he managed to get his boxers off, and then went about tearing open the condom wrapper.
She reached out and took the condom from him, pressing her lips to his as she rolled it over him.
His mouth opened, a gasp escaping him as she touched him.
She smiled against his lips, slowly moving her fingers over him.
He shifted a little closer to her, and ran his hand up the outside of her thigh to her backside. His tongue darted out to trace her lips.
Faith parted her lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss.
With one hand he gently squeezed her backside, his other hand moved to touch her chest.
Moaning softly, she shifted closer to him, resting her hand on his hip.
He nibbled on her bottom lip then very gently rolled on top of her.
She gazed up at him, her heart pounding quickly in her chest. She'd never wanted any man the way she wanted this man and she had no idea where the desire or feelings were coming from.
"You still want this," he asked breathlessly.
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
He smiled softly, and placed a quick kiss on her lips before lifting his head to gaze at her. He wasn't sure what it was about her that made this seem so special, and he hoped that being together on their first date wouldn't ruin his chances of getting to know her better. Biting his lip he reached between them to position himself, and very slowly eased inside of her.
Faith held his gaze, slowly winding her legs around his waist.
Maurice took a deep breath, and let it out slowly as he remained still for a moment letting their bodies adjust to each other. He rested one hand on her hip, and braced his opposite forearm against the mattress.
She shifted against him slightly, swallowing hard. "Please," she murmured.
He began to slowly work his body against hers as he held eye contact with her.
Faith slid her hands over his shoulders and up to his neck.
Pressing both of his hands into the bed, he lifted his upper body off of hers as he rocked his hips against hers a little harder.
A faint gasp escaped her lips at the sudden change in pace and she tightened her legs around him, meeting his thrusts.
As they moved together the bed squeaked underneath them, and the momentum from their movements caused the headboard to bang against the wall. None of that mattered to him as he leaned down to kiss her.
Faith kissed him back urgently, her body temperature rising more with each moment. "Oh, God," she whispered, her eyes drifting shut.
A moan escaped him, and he lowered his mouth to her ear. He took her earlobe between his teeth and pulled on it gently.
Winding her arms tightly around him, she whimpered at the sensations flickering through her.
He pressed his cheek against hers, and worked his body a little harder. His breathing was erratic and the tension inside him was building.
"Yes," she murmured, breathing heavily and licking her lips. She clenched her inner muscles around him.
"Oh gawd...Faith." The pressure was getting to the point where it was almost too much to bear. He closed his eyes tight, his body tense as he thrust deeper within her.
The headboard banged against the wall a little louder and she raked her nails down his back as she cried out his name, pleasure washing over her in waves.
Lifting his body up, and looking down at her he thrust quickly once more as deep as he could. His mouth opened as a cry escaped him, and he remained still.
She laid her head back against the pillow, panting for breath, her eyes closed tightly.
"Oh my..." He leaned down, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
Faith returned the soft kiss, touching his cheek with one hand.
Maurice kissed her once more before slowly moving away from her, and disposing of the condom in the trashcan by his bed. He then scooted back over to her, draping his arm around her waist.
She closed her eyes, curling up against him.
"Stay the night," he whispered in her ear.
A small smile touched her lips. "Okay," she whispered back, kissing his chin lightly.
He smiled, and tightened his arm around her.
Within a few moments she was drifting off to sleep peacefully. The last thought floating through her mind that she'd found the one...
* * *
He'd fallen asleep shortly after she had, but a few hours later he woke with a headache, and was feeling restless. His body trembled slightly, and his hands shook. He gazed at her as he tried to figure out a way to get out of bed without disturbing her, but her head was resting on his chest and her arm was around him so there was no chance.
Faith murmured inaudibly, shifting closer to him and placing a light kiss against his collarbone without opening her eyes.
He closed his eyes, and swallowed hard, hoping she couldn't feel the tremors that were going through his body.
"Maurice." His name was a soft whisper on her lips.
"Hey," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"What time is it?" she murmured.
He looked over at the alarm clock. "It's almost five."
She nodded slightly and laid her head back down against the pillow.
"Faith...I'm uh, gonna go out on the fire escape for a bit, okay?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?"
"Well...I've...well I've been trying to quit smoking, and it's not going so well. So..."
"Oh...sorry." She reluctantly moved away from him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered as he leaned over, and kissed her lips. "I know it's a disgusting habit, but I'm tryin'."
Faith kissed him back softly, touching his cheek. "It's okay."
"I've cut back quite a bit all ready, so hopefully soon..."
"You don't have to explain yourself to me," she said softly, gazing at him. "All that matters is you're tryin'."
"Thank you." He kissed her once more then scooted to the edge of the bed to grab his boxers and jeans.
She watched him as he dressed. "You want some company?"
He hesitated a moment before turning to look at her. "You don't mind if I smoke around you?"
"Well, it is your apartment," she pointed out.
"Yeah, but I didn't wanna smoke around you," he told her softly. "I was hoping this wouldn't happen while you were here."
"How long you been tryin' to quit?"
"Not too long. About a week."
"It'll get better," she said softly.
He nodded his head. "If you wanna get dressed and come outside with me I'd like that. I don't wanna smoke in the apartment cause I don't want the smell to linger inside."
"Okay. I'll meet you out there." She offered him a soft smile.
"Just be careful on your way out." He walked over to the bed, and kissed her softly before making his way out of the room.
Her eyes followed him as he left. She sat up slowly, drawing in a breath as she reached for her clothes.
Maurice ran his hands through his hair then rubbed his face vigorously. He pulled open a drawer in the kitchen, and grabbed a cigarette out of the pack along with a lighter before making his way into the living room. He opened the window, and stepped out onto the fire escape.
Faith dressed, not even realizing that she'd grabbed his shirt instead of her own, buttoning the buttons quickly and heading out of the bedroom.
He lit the cigarette, and put the lighter in his pocket. Leaning against the railing he took a long drag of his cigarette and hoped it would help take the edge off.
She gazed at him from inside the apartment for a moment, leaning against the window frame.
Looking up toward the sky he blew out a puff of white smoke. The cigarette wasn't exactly what he'd wanted, but he had to be careful around Faith. He really liked her and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her.
She slowly ducked under the window and stepped out onto the fire escape, sliding her arms around his waist from behind and resting her head against his shoulder blade.
He smiled, and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Hey babe."
She kissed his shoulder, a small smile on her face.
"Do you uh...do you smoke at all," he asked quietly.
"Not since I was fifteen."
"Was it just like a one time thing?"
"An occasional wanting to fit in thing is more like it."
He nodded his head. "I thought it was cool when I started. Now seven years later..."
Faith kissed the back of his neck. "It's hard to quit cold turkey."
Maurice took another puff off the cigarette. "It's the second time I've tried to quit. The first time I was workin' in the bar with ma. That's not the easiest environment to work in when you're tryin' not to smoke."
"Definitely not." Her voice was quiet and she closed her eyes.
He rested his free hand on her arm. "Will you help me," he asked softly.
"If you want me to, of course."
He ran his thumb lightly over her skin. "I read somewhere that it's easier when you have support."
She nodded against him, the warm morning breeze tousling her hair.
He flicked some ashes over the railing. "You look good in my shirt."
Faith blinked and glanced down, a sheepish smile on her face. "I wasn't even thinkin' about it."
"It's okay." He felt his craving starting to subside, and he breathed a sigh of relief. After taking one more long drag from the cigarette he snuffed it out on the railing, and flicked the butt into the alley below. He blew out the breath, and turned around in her arms.
She gazed at him, her eyes soft.
He wrapped his arms around her, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "So...you okay with what happened last night?"
"Yeah. I'm okay with it." She kissed his collarbone. "Are you?" she asked softly.
"Mmmhmm. Being with you was very nice, and...I'd like to keep seeing you."
A small smile touched her lips. "I'd like that, too."
He leaned in to kiss her, but pulled away just before their lips met. "Sorry," he murmured.
"It's okay." She kissed his lips lightly.
After returning the soft pressure he hugged her a little tighter.
"You got anyplace you gotta be today?"
He shook his head. "Can't say that I do."
Faith nodded slightly and kissed his cheek.
"What about you?"
"Not until later."
"So does that mean you'll stay for a while?"
"If you want me to."
"Of course," he whispered.
She smiled faintly. "Then I'd love to."
He ran his fingers through her hair. "You look beautiful this morning."
"You always been this smooth-talkin'?" Her voice was light.
"It took years of practice," he informed her with a smile. "But it's a lot easier when I'm speaking the truth."
Her eyes sparkled. "So Mikey learned from you, huh?"
He raised his eyebrows. "My little bro's a smooth talker?"
She chuckled. "Are you kidding me? The guy could talk anybody into just about anything."
"For real?" He shook his head. "And all those years I just thought I was wastin' my time tryin' to teach him."
"Well it wasn't wasted. He was payin' attention even if he won't admit it."
He was quiet for a moment, and looked down. "Does Michael ever talk about me," he asked softly.
Faith hesitated a second. "Sometimes, but...he doesn't really talk about his family at all, so..."
"But when he does talk about his family...what kinda stuff does he say?"
"Maurice..." She closed her eyes. "He really hasn't said much to me."
"Okay, it's just...We didn't have the greatest homelife," he told her softly. "And I guess I just don't want you thinking that we're all bad, ya know?"
She nodded slightly and opened her eyes again to look at him. "I know that."
He gently rubbed her back. "Thank you, Faith. For comin' home with me. Spendin' the night."
"Well...thanks for invitin' me." Her voice was soft.
"I haven't figured out what exactly it is yet, but it's like I'm drawn to you," he whispered.
Gazing at him with soft eyes, she kissed his cheek. "Why don't we go back to bed?"
"Sure." He nodded his head, and kissed her shoulder.
Faith rested her head against his for a moment, then took his hand, leading him back inside the apartment.
* * *
He walked her to the door, his hand resting on her lower back. "Wish you didn't have to go."
"I had a nice time," she said softly, turning to face him as she leaned against the front door, gazing at him.
"So did I," he whispered. "Call me?"
"Of course," she whispered back.
Resting his hands on her hips he moved forward, and captured her lips between his.
Her eyes drifted shut as she kissed him back, a sweet but passionate kiss, one hand lifting to touch his cheek.
A few moments later he pulled away, and rested his forehead against hers. "You should probably go if you wanna get to the bank before it closes."
Faith nodded slightly. "I'll talk to you later," she said softly.
"Sounds good." He placed a quick kiss on her lips, and then took a step back so she could move away from the door.
"Bye, Maurice." She gazed at him a moment longer, her eyes full of warmth. Then she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, a faint smile on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been with a man who'd treated her as well as Maurice Boscorelli. She had a good feeling about him.
"See ya, Faith." He watched her walk down the hall, a soft smile on his face. Faith was absolutely incredible. She was smart, funny, and pretty among other things. As soon as he heard the door to the stairwell close he shut and locked his apartment door and went into the kitchen.
Pulling a chair over in front of the refrigerator he stood on it, and pulled open the cupboard above the fridge. After retrieving a small wooden box from the shelf he stepped down and went over to the counter. He opened the box and placed the small rectangular mirror on the counter, he opened one of the small vials that was also in the box and dumped some of the white powder onto the mirror. After using a razor blade to move it into equal lines he set the blade down, and bent over. Using his index finger to block off one nostril he inhaled deeply, snorting up the first line.
Today had been good, and it was only going to get better.
* * *
Faith walked into the locker room, a smile on her face as she headed to her locker, humming quietly to herself.
Mike was standing at his locker hanging up the shirt he'd just taken off. Noticing the smile on his partner's face he raised his eyebrows. "Did someone enjoy her days off?"
Her smile widened a little. "You could say that."
"You're glowing, Faith."
"I am not." Her cheeks flushed with color as she spun the combination on her lock.
"Yes you are." He nodded his head. "And if I'm not mistaken it's been months since the last time you had that look. In fact...I don't think I've ever seen you smile -that- big. It musta been good," he teased.
She shook her head, a little embarrassed, but still grinning.
"I knew somethin' was up when you didn't call me like you promised."
She turned to look at him. "Oh. Damn. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinkin'..."
He chuckled. "No, you were too busy with your new beau."
Faith smirked. "Busy is one way to put it."
His eyes widened. "So...more than once?"
She chuckled. "Oh, yeah."
"Man. You been gettin' tips from Nicole or somethin'," he asked with a laugh.
She raised her eyebrows. "You think I'd need tips from somebody else?"
He held his hands up. "I'm not goin' there."
"You got that right." She smirked again and turned toward her locker, starting to change into her uniform.
Mike sat down on the bench, and began to pull his shoes on. "So when do I get to meet the father of your future children?"
Faith's eyes widened slightly and for a moment she froze. "We'll see."
"What, you ashamed of me or somethin'?"
"No, of course not."
"You just wanna keep this guy a secret for a while." He nodded his head. "I get that."
She bit her lower lip, feeling guilt wash over her. "I don't know if you'd like him."
"You don't think so?"
"Well, you've never liked any of my other boyfriends."
"Yeah, but that's cause they've all been totally asses who didn't treat you the way you deserved."
"Fred was a nice guy."
He gave her a look. "Fred was a nice guy until he found out you were a cop then he couldn't handle his 'woman' having a higher place in society."
Faith pulled her hair up into a clip and sighed softly. "Well...that's not the case with this guy. He's knows I'm a cop and he's okay with it."
"That's big of him." He paused. "You must really see somethin' in him though, huh? Seein' as you've all ready slept with him." His words were soft, and meant as merely an observation.
If it had been anyone else in the world, she would have taken offense to his remark. But she knew he hadn't meant to be judgmental about it. "Yeah...he's a good guy, Michael." Her voice was soft, as well.
"I'm happy for you. You deserve a good guy."
She met his gaze and smiled faintly, still feeling guilty that she hadn't told him it was his brother she was talking about. "Thanks. That means a lot."
"And maybe some day I'll learn to like him and we can double." He stood up, and grabbed his gun belt. "Oh, and thanks for the advice about Nicole. Turns out bein' honest actually worked."
"Yeah? That's great, Mike."
"We had a really romantic weekend. I think our relationship is better now."
"I like Nicole. I think you're good for each other."
He smiled at her. "Who knows...maybe you and me are actually gonna settle down soon."
She leaned against her locker, thinking about his words as she watched him head for the door. "Maybe," she murmured, a faint smile on her face.
Written in March of 2004
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian
Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Rating: Most chapters will be of the general audience version.
Genre: AU
Main Characters: Faith, Maurice and Mikey
Summary: When Third Watch characters get mixed up with two fanfic authors who like to write Alternate Universe stories, the characters roles get mixed up and things tend to get turned...Upside Down.
He sat in the passenger's seat of 55-David. His right arm was resting on the armrest of the door, and he was drumming his fingers quietly. The streets were still wet from the afternoon shower that had hit the city, but the sun was starting to break through the clouds. "Looks like it's clearin' up."
"About time. I'm sick of rain," Faith murmured, staring out the window.
"Well...April showers bring May flowers," he reminded her as he leaned forward, ducking his head slightly so he could look out the windshield and up at the sky.
She rolled her eyes. "And since when do you care about flowers at any time?"
He looked over at her. "I don't. I just thought you did. I was tryin' to cheer you up."
A small smile tugged at her lips and she looked back at him. "Noted."
Mike grinned, and nodded his head. "Hey, so my mom's birthday is today. You think we could swing by her place some time tonight?"
"Yeah, of course. How is Rose?"
"She's doin' good. Real good actually."
"Good. I'm glad to hear it." She glanced at her watch, then started the car.
"Hey." He reached over, and swatted her leg. "You haven't told me how your date went last night."
She made a face. "Don't ask."
"That bad?"
"He wanted to go disco dancing."
He couldn't hold back his laughter. "Oh man."
"And how are things with Nicole?" she asked pointedly.
"Uh...well, they've...tamed down some."
She snorted. "So she's past the chains and whip stage?" She pulled the RMP onto the road.
He looked over at her. "That's not really any of your business, is it?"
"Well, you are the one who told me in the first place, Michael."
His cheeks turned red, and he looked out the window remaining silent for a moment. "It's really weird, ya know? Cause I -really- like her, so it's hard to say anything about..."
"You should talk to her. Just be honest."
He rubbed the palms of his hands on his uniform pants. "You really think that'll work?"
"Well...yeah. I mean tell her you're not comfortable with...certain accessories." She shook her head, unable to believe she had these kinds of conversations on a semi-regular basis.
Mike took a deep breath, and leaned his head back against the seat. "Maybe I'll talk to her tonight. I'm supposed to go over there."
"Well...good luck. She seems real nice. I'm sure she'll understand."
He rolled his head to the side and looked out the window. "You know, sometimes I think we should just date each other," he chuckled. "Cause at least we know how to communicate."
She smirked. "Or maybe you should start -working- with Nicole."
"Right. Cause I could -so- see her as a cop." He looked at Faith, a wide smile on his face. "Though she all ready knows how to work the handcuffs."
"Oy...too much information, Mike." She grimaced.
"Right. Sorry," he chuckled.
Faith shook her head and they drove the rest of the way to his mother's in comfortable silence. As soon as she pulled up on the street, the first thing she noticed was a very nice blue classic mustang. "Now that is a sweet car."
He groaned. "Maybe we should come back later."
"Why? What's wrong?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"That's Maurice's car."
"Maurice? Your brother Maurice?"
"Yes. My brother Maurice."
"No way. Now we're definitely goin' in."
He gave her a look. "What? Why?"
"Because. We've been partners for four years and I've never even met the guy."
"Trust me. You don't want to meet him. Let's just go."
"No," she said stubbornly, shutting the engine off and climbing out of the car.
He quickly got out of the car. "Come on, Faith. I'm serious."
"And so am I." She didn't wait for him before she headed toward the front door.
"Look...my brother...he's nothin' like me. We're total opposites," he told her as he hurried after her.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Faith teased as she reached out and knocked on the door.
"That's cause it is," he said softly.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly but she didn't have time to ask him what he meant because the door opened.
"Faith! Michael!" Rose grinned and motioned them inside.
He put a smile on his face, and leaned forward to kiss his mother's cheek. "Hey, ma. Happy Birthday."
She quickly hugged him, kissing his cheek in return. "Come on in. Your brother brought me a cake."
His eyebrows furrowed. "He did?"
"Yeah, of course. Maurice always remembers my birthday."
Faith glanced at her partner, a faint smile on her lips.
"Why's he really here," he asked her softly.
Rose frowned. "Like I said...he brought me a cake."
"I hope it's store bought," he mumbled.
Faith elbowed him in the ribs as they followed Rose down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Maurice sat at the kitchen table cutting the cake. "Ma, you want a big piece or a small one," he asked, not looking up.
"Big one. And look who's here."
He looked up. "Hey little bro! What's up Mikey?"
"Not a whole lot," he muttered.
His eyes widened when he looked at Faith. "Well hello."
Faith smiled at him. "Hi."
"And you are?"
Before she had a chance to respond, Rose grinned. "This is Faith Mitchell. She's your brother's work partner." She leaned a little closer to her eldest son. "Single," she added in a whisper.
He nodded his head, a soft smile on his face as he extended his hand to Faith. "It's nice to meet you, Faith. I'm Maurice."
She gazed at him as she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too." She couldn't help but notice how blue his eyes were.
Maurice looked back at his brother. "Why have I never met her before? You been hidin' her from me, Mikey?"
Mike crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, Mo. That's exactly what I've been doin'."
Rose gave her younger son a disapproving look but kept quiet.
"You want a piece of cake," Maurice asked Faith. "It's chocolate with chocolate icing. Ma's favorite."
"Mine, too, actually. I'd love a piece. Thanks."
"It's just regular store bought cake, right Maurice? No special flavoring?"
His eyes narrowed as he looked at his younger brother. "What kinda guy do you think I am? Of course it's regular store bought cake." He shook his head, and dished up a piece of cake for Faith.
Faith turned her head to look at her partner, a questioning look on her face.
"Ma, can we talk in the living room?"
"We're gettin' ready to have cake, Michael. Can't it wait?"
"No." He turned, and walked out of the kitchen.
"Gawd that kid's wound tight," Maurice mumbled.
"You're tellin' me," Faith murmured as she watched Rose leave the room.
"Sit down, Faith. Tell me about yourself."
Mike stood in the middle of the living room his hands resting on his gun belt.
"What's wrong, Michael?" Rose's voice was weary.
"How long's he been here?"
"A couple hours. Why?"
"He asked you for money yet?"
"What? No."
"He's doin' dope again," he said matter-of-factly.
"Michael...you don't know that."
"I can see it." He used his index and middle fingers and pointed at his own eyes. "It's in his eyes."
Rose folded her arms across her chest. "You always gotta be so negative? Why you always gotta give him such a hard time, Mike? He's a good boy."
"I'm just tryin' to look out for him. He keeps doin' this shit he's gonna wind up in big trouble. None of us need that."
"Well bein' on his case all the time ain't gonna help him. Maybe you should worry about takin' care of yourself instead of everyone else." She turned and headed back to the kitchen.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She turned around. "Maybe you oughtta figure out why it is you think you're better than the rest of us. Why you gotta hide behind a badge to feel good." Without waiting for his response, she disappeared into the kitchen.
He stared after her, not sure how to respond.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maurice poured a glass of milk for himself and one for Faith before heading back over to the kitchen table. "So you and Mikey have been partners for four years? I can't believe we never met before."
She nodded. "I think he's ashamed of me," she joked.
He chuckled softly. "No way."
Faith smiled, resting her arms on the tabletop. He had a nice laugh.
"So..." He cut off a small bite of his cake then looked at her. "You seein' anybody?"
"Not at the moment. Are you?"
He shook his head. "No, and I know this may be way out of line seein' as we just met and all, but I firmly believe that when opportunity knocks you've gotta answer." He pointed toward the apartment door. "And you did knock, didn't you?"
She chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I did."
Maurice smiled. "Maybe we could get together sometime?"
"I'd like that." Her eyes sparkled.
He leaned back so that his chair was on the back two legs and reached for the magnetic notepad his mother kept on the dishwasher. "You got a pen?"
She pulled one out of her shirt pocket and slid it across the table to him.
His fingers brushed hers lightly as he took the pen. He wrote his name and number on the paper and ripped the sheet off the notepad. "Just don't tell Mikey."
Faith frowned. "What's the deal with you two anyway?"
He shrugged. "It's just that whole little brother doesn't think his big brother amounted to anything type of relationship."
She gazed at him for a moment, noting that he didn't meet her eyes when he spoke. "Yeah, well...my older brother wasn't happy about me becomin' a cop, but...he got over it."
He nodded his head. "Guess I always thought brothers were just pains growing up...never realized it lasted into adulthood," he told her with a smirk.
"Welcome to the real world," she replied, a small smile on her lips.
"You 'bout ready, Faith," Mike asked as he came back into the kitchen.
"We just got here."
He looked at his brother then back to his partner. "You wanna stay?"
"Well, it is your mother's birthday."
Mike nodded his head, and looked at his mother, a soft apologetic smile on his face. "Yeah, it is."
"Good. Then let's sit down and have cake together," Rose said, sitting down at the table and reaching for the slice of cake that Maurice had cut for her.
Letting out a breath he sat down. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for the knife to cut himself a piece of cake figuring he was just being paranoid about his brother lacing it with some kind of drug. He just hoped he wouldn't regret this family moment later.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mike folded up his uniform pants, and put them neatly in his bag followed by his shirt. He let out a breath, and looked over at Faith. "I'm gonna head over to Nicole's you want me to drop you at your place on my way?"
She tilted her head to the side as she brushed her hair. "No...I think I'll walk. It's nice out."
He was quiet for a moment as he zipped up his bag, and then stood up. "Thanks for goin' over to my ma's with me."
"You're welcome. She seemed really happy today."
"Yeah she did. Though that didn't stop me from tryin' to ruin it, huh?"
Faith paused, then turned to face him. "You didn't ruin anything." Her voice was quiet.
"You don't think so?"
"No." She gazed at him. "Michael...your mom loves you and your brother. She didn't want us to leave when we did."
He smiled softly, and closed his locker. "She's a great lady, huh?"
"Yeah. Yeah, she is." Faith returned his smile. "Have a good night." She headed for the locker room door.
"You too, Faith. I'll see you tomorrow."
She waved at him over her shoulder as she disappeared.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Faith sat alone in her living room, her legs curled underneath her as she stared at the portable phone in her hands and at the piece of paper that Michael's brother had written his number down on earlier that day. A faint smile touched her lips as she drew in a breath and dialed it quickly before she had the chance to change her mind.
He grabbed the bag of chips out of the cupboard then picked up the phone off the counter as he made his way to the fridge to get a beer. "Hello?"
She hesitated a second. "Maurice?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah. Who's this?"
"This is Faith Mitchell." She bit her lip.
"Oh, hey!" He smiled as he put down the chips, and cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear as he twisted the cap off his bottle of beer.
Relaxing at his cheerful tone, she rested her head against the back of the sofa. "How's it goin'?"
"Good. How was the rest of your shift?" He took his chips and beer into the living room, and sat down on his futon.
"Oh, it was slow, actually." She paused a moment. "I was just callin' to see if maybe you wanted to go for coffee or lunch sometime."
"Absolutely. When?"
She was a little taken back by the complete lack of hesitation on his part. "Um...I don't know, when's good for you?"
"Oh...pretty much whenever works for you. I just work part time at the auto body shop, and it's pretty flexible."
"Oh, ok. How's tomorrow? I don't work til 3."
"Yeah, that'll work. Where should we go?"
"Well...there's a diner at the corner of Camelot and McArthur. It's pretty good."
"Okay." He reached for the pen that was on the end table, and wrote the street names on a scrap of paper. "Camelot and McArthur. What time? Noon?"
"Yeah. Noon sounds good."
"You wanna meet me there, or should I pick you up or somethin'?"
"It's not far from where I live, so I'll just walk."
"Oh yeah? Where do you live," he asked curiously.
For a second, out of pure instinct, she hesitated. Then berated herself for being paranoid. This was her partner's brother, not some psycho. "On King and 21st."
"There's some nice places over there."
"Yeah, I like it."
He was quiet for a moment, and took a drink of his beer. "I'm glad I got to meet you today, Faith."
She smiled softly at his words. "Me too. I'm lookin' forward to tomorrow."
"So am I," he whispered. "See ya then."
"Night, Maurice," she said softly.
"Goodnight." He hung up the phone, and set it down next to him. Tomorrow he was going on a lunch date with a beautiful woman. He needed to celebrate tonight.
* * *
Part Two
He pulled his mustang into a parking space outside the diner, and glanced in the rearview mirror to look himself over. After running his hand over his hair he got out of the car and locked it. He looked at his watch to see that he was a couple minutes early, and wondered if Faith was there yet.
Faith tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she walked toward the entrance of the diner, feeling nervous.
With his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets he headed for the door. He smiled when he saw her approaching the diner from the opposite direction. "Talk about timing."
She smiled. "Hey there. Am I late?"
"Well see, if you were late then I'd be late, too. So how 'bout we say we're both right on time?"
"Sounds like a plan to me. Shall we go in?"
"Definitely." He reached out, and opened the door for her. "After you."
Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. "Thanks." She stepped inside the diner and glanced around.
Maurice followed her inside, and as he stood next to her he placed his hand on the small of her back. "How 'bout over there," he nodded toward a booth in the corner next to the window.
"Looks like a good spot." Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at his light touch.
He guided her over to the booth, and slid into the seat across from her, a smile on his face.
She smiled back at him, gazing into his eyes. She wondered why her partner had never bothered to introduce her to his older brother before.
"I'm really glad you called last night."
"So am I." Her voice was soft.
He took two menus from behind the napkin dispenser, and set one down in front of Faith. "I gotta tell ya...I never really thought you'd call. I figured you were just bein' nice cause of Mikey and all."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, your brother's a good friend and everything, but...even he knows I don't do anything I don't wanna do."
Maurice nodded his head. "Well I definitely like women who think for themselves."
Faith smiled. "Then I think we'll probably get along all right."
He met Faith's gaze, and smiled back at her. "Yeah. I think we will."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She was never so glad for a shift to end as she was that night. She undressed quickly and changed into her regular clothes--a red t-shirt and a blue jean skirt. She walked across the locker room to look in the mirror, carrying her brush with her.
He closed his locker, and turned around on the bench to look at her. Mike tilted his head to the side slightly as he studied her body language, and what she was wearing. "What's up with you?"
Faith glanced at him in the mirror. "I have a date." A smile tugged at her lips.
"A date? With the disco dancer?"
She snorted. "Hardly."
He chuckled softly. "Then who?"
"Oh, uh...just this guy I met." She shifted her eyes away from his and brushed her hair.
Mike raised his eyebrows. "Where'd you meet him?"
"A bar," she answered. She felt guilty for lying to him because she'd never done it before.
He nodded his head, and stood up. "Well...I hope this guy is better than the last couple."
"I'm pretty sure he is."
"Whoa...check it out. Somebody's on the prowl." Ty Davis grinned as he looked in her direction while heading to his locker.
"Hot date tonight?" Sully questioned as he pulled open his locker.
"Yeah, actually. My girlfriend's comin' over to..."
"I wasn't talkin' to you Mike."
Faith grinned, then turned to look at Sully. "Yep."
He smiled softly. "Good for you."
"How's Tatiana?" she asked as she brushed her hair.
His smile widened. "She's doin' good."
She smiled back. "Good. Glad to hear that." She turned back to the mirror, the butterflies already beginning to stir in her stomach.
Mike picked up his bag, and walked over to Faith. "Call me tomorrow? Let me know how your date goes?"
"Will do. And I'll see you in three days." She smiled at him. "Don't have too much fun without me."
"I'll see what I can do." He touched her shoulder then headed out of the locker room.
Faith gazed after him for a moment, then let out a breath as she walked over and shut her locker door, lifting her bag off the floor. "See you guys later."
* * *
Maurice signed the credit card slip, and handed it to the woman behind the register. He turned to Faith. "Okay, so we've gone out for lunch, and now dinner. What do we do now?"
"Well...we could go for a walk."
He nodded. "It is a nice night."
She smiled as he held the door open for her and they stepped outside into the cool night air.
"So...Mikey know you were goin' out with me tonight?"
"Uh...no. He knew I was goin' out on a date, but...I didn't give him any details."
"If you wanna tell him that's okay. It's just...you know how he gets sometimes."
Faith was quiet for a moment as they walked. "He's a good guy, you know."
He looked over at her. "Never said he wasn't...well, not really."
"Mikey's just...it's like he thinks he's gotta carry the weight of the world on his shoulders."
"He's been like that ever since we were kids. Always thought he had to take care of everybody and fix everything."
"Well, and now he's a cop. It's kinda his job."
"Yeah, but he doesn't have to do it by himself."
"Try tellin' him that."
He chuckled softly. "Oh I have."
She smiled faintly. "Yeah, me too. He doesn't listen."
Maurice was quiet for a moment as they walked down the sidewalk. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye then took her hand.
Faith was a little surprised by the gesture, but then slid her fingers through his, glancing at him.
He looked at her, a soft smile on his face. "You havin' a good time?"
"Yeah. I am," she said softly. "Are you?"
"I definitely am."
She rested her head against his shoulder as they walked slowly down the sidewalk.
"You gotta be up early," he asked quietly.
"No. I'm actually off the next couple days."
"So...maybe we could go back to one of our places and watch a movie or somethin'?"
She hesitated a moment. "Yeah. I think that'd be okay."
He squeezed her hand gently. "If you don't want to I'll understand."
Faith lifted her gaze to look at him, relaxing as she met his eyes. "No. I want to."
Maurice placed a soft kiss on the side of her head.
Wordlessly, she reached up and touched his cheek, her gaze dropping to his lips.
He turned so he was facing her. "Did I tell you how nice you look tonight," he asked softly.
She nodded slightly. "Twice," she said just as softly.
Hesitating for a moment he rested his hands on her hips.
Holding his gaze, she slowly traced her fingers over his cheek, then his chin.
"Can I kiss you," he asked in a whisper.
"I was hoping you would," she whispered back.
He leaned forward, and lightly pressed his lips against hers.
Faith's eyes drifted shut as their lips met. Tiny sparks of electricity flickered throughout her body and she shifted closer to him, resting her hands against his chest.
He slid his arms around her waist as he kissed her softly. After a moment he pulled away before leaning back in and brushing his lips over hers again.
When their second kiss ended, she was breathless as she gazed at him, her heart beating more quickly than usual.
Maurice lifted one hand, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So...you wanna go watch that movie?"
She nodded wordlessly, her skin feeling warm where he touched her.
He placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips then took her hand again. "We're within walking distance of my place."
Faith smiled as she linked her fingers through his. Normally she wouldn't consent to going home to a strange man's apartment, and never on a first date. But this man was her partner's brother. And for the first time in a very long time, she felt a spark of something she couldn't quite identify. She only knew that Maurice was the cause of it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When they got to his apartment he kissed her once more before dropping her hand, and fishing his keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the door, but before pushing it open he turned to Faith. "My place isn't anything spectacular," he told her softly.
"Don't worry about it," she said just as softly, her eyes warm.
He took a deep breath, and pushed the door open then motioned her inside.
"Thanks." She stepped inside, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited for him to turn on a light since she didn't know where the switch was.
Maurice followed her, and reached to the right to flip on the light switch. "I cleaned today, so..."
Faith glanced around the now light-flooded room. It was a small apartment, but surprisingly well-kept. "It looks good."
"I don't usually have much company, so I don't have a lot of furniture and stuff. But it works for me." He closed the door, and locked it.
She turned to look at him, a small smile on her face. "That's what's important."
"You want a drink or somethin'?"
"Depends. What have you got?"
"Well...I've got Mountain Dew and uh...beer." He gave her a sheepish look. "I need to plan a trip to the grocery store."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Mountain Dew's good."
"Okay, just make yourself comfortable, and I'll be right back."
"Thanks." Faith watched as he turned and headed into the kitchen before she walked into the living room and sat down on the small loveseat.
He came back a few moments later with a can of soda for each of them. After handing one to Faith he picked up the remote control for the television and sat down next to her.
She thanked him softly before popping the can open and taking a sip. She set it down on the table by the loveseat.
"I get a couple movie channels with my cable package." He handed her the remote then put his arm around her. "Why don't you try and find somethin' for us to watch?"
"Sure." She leaned her head against his shoulder as she started flipping through the channels.
He gently rubbed her arm, and leaned his head against hers. "It's been a while since I've actually been on a date I enjoyed," he told her softly.
"Well, that makes two of us. And thanks for not suggestin' we go disco dancin'."
"Disco dancing," he chuckled.
"Yeah, that's what my last date wanted to do." She shook her head.
"Well I usually save that for like the fifth date," he joked.
"Thanks for the warning," she replied lightly.
"No problem. Maybe we could replace the disco dancing with that atomic bowling or whatever it's called. You know, when they just have black lights on and everything looks real cool like it's glowing. They lower a disco ball for that."
Faith smiled. "As long as you don't strike any John Travolta poses I think I could deal with atomic bowling."
"It'll be strictly Maurice Boscorelli poses. I promise."
"Sounds promising."
"I like to think it is," he whispered before leaning in to kiss her.
There was no hesitation as she returned the soft pressure, her hands cupping his face.
As they kissed he reached across her to set his drink on the table. He shifted a little closer, and rested one hand on her leg.
A shiver made its way down her spine and she slowly deepened the kiss.
His lips parted, and he lifted one hand to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair.
A soft moan escaped her lips and she shifted closer to him, sliding her hands down to rest against his chest.
As the kiss continued it grew a little more heated. He gently nibbled on her bottom lip before pulling away to catch his breath.
Faith's heart was pounding heavily against her chest, her eyes filled with desire.
He leaned his forehead against hers, and gently touched her cheek.
She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.
Maurice swallowed hard. "So...whaddya wanna do," he asked in a whisper.
She was ashamed to admit what she wanted to do because she wasn't the type to sleep with someone on a first date. She slowly kissed his collarbone.
He bit his lip, and slowly rubbed his hand over her leg. He thought he knew what she wanted because he'd seen it in her eyes, and he really hoped he hadn't read it wrong. "I need you to tell me," he told her quietly. "So I know it's okay."
"I want you to make love to me." Her voice was very soft.
"Okay." He kissed her lips softly then stood up and held his hand out to her.
Feeling a twinge of nervousness, she reached out and slid her fingers through his as she rose to her feet slowly.
"You can trust me," he told her softly as he led her down the short hallway to his bedroom.
"I don't usually do this," she admitted.
He turned to look at her, his eyes soft. "We don't have to if..."
Faith gazed at him. "I know."
They entered his bedroom, and slowly made their way over to his bed. "For the record...I don't think any less of you for wanting to on the first date," he told her softly. "I don't think it's a bad thing."
A small smile tugged at her lips and she leaned forward to kiss him.
He smiled against her lips, and put his hands on her hips, pulling her close.
She slid her hands to his chest and started to undo the buttons on his shirt as they kissed.
His hands slowly roamed to her backside as the kiss deepened. A soft moan escaped him.
Faith closed her eyes, shifting closer to him as she moved her hands down his bare chest, pushing the shirt off his shoulders.
He took hold of her t-shirt, and began to lift it up, reluctantly breaking their kiss to get her shirt off.
She licked her lips as she gazed at him in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. She reached out and began to work on the button on his jeans.
Maurice stepped back slightly, and ran his hand over her bare stomach. He smiled softly then reached up to touch her upper arms. "You must work out a lot," he whispered.
"Well, I'm a cop. Gotta stay in shape." She lifted her gaze to his face.
"Well..." He placed a quick kiss on her lips then reached around to unfasten her bra. "You are one beautiful cop."
She closed her eyes at his words, kissing his neck as his hands slid over her back.
After he'd unhooked the garment he let it fall to the floor. He placed his hands on her hips, and very gently moved her a step back. "Let me look at you," he whispered softly.
Swallowing hard, she stood still, her heart beating heavily.
He gently ran his right hand down the valley between her breasts then back up her body, veering off to cup her left breast. Leaning forward he kissed her chest. "You're beautiful, Faith."
Her breathing grew a little quicker and she slid her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer and kissing his earlobe.
"Mmm." He continued to touch her chest with one hand while his other hand sought out the zipper on her skirt.
Faith slid her hands down his bare back, feeling the smooth muscles in his shoulder blades.
Closing his eyes he began to nibble on her neck as he found the zipper, and slowly eased it down.
She tilted her head back, a soft moan escaping her lips as his tongue and teeth moved lightly over her skin.
Maurice smiled against her skin then kissed his way up her neck and across her jaw to her lips. He started pushing the rest of her clothing toward the floor.
Kissing him back hungrily, she quickly unzipped his jeans and pushed them off his hips, pulling him closer to her.
When she was undressed he lifted his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks as their tongues battled. After a moment he pulled away breathlessly. He swallowed hard, then turned to his bed, pulled down the covers, and motioned for her to climb under the blankets. He kissed her once more. "Be right back."
"Don't be long," she murmured, slowly easing herself down onto the bed as she gazed at him.
"I won't." He hurried into the bathroom, and began pulling open drawers. Not finding what he was looking for he bit his lip then looked around. His eyes settled on the medicine cabinet, and he quickly pulled it open finding the box of condoms he'd been looking for. Grabbing one he hurried back into his bedroom.
Faith was propped up on her elbows as she waited for him.
"Just needed to get..." He held up the package.
A smile tugged at her lips and she nodded.
He grinned, and crawled into bed beside her still wearing his boxers. Maneuvering under the blankets he managed to get his boxers off, and then went about tearing open the condom wrapper.
She reached out and took the condom from him, pressing her lips to his as she rolled it over him.
His mouth opened, a gasp escaping him as she touched him.
She smiled against his lips, slowly moving her fingers over him.
He shifted a little closer to her, and ran his hand up the outside of her thigh to her backside. His tongue darted out to trace her lips.
Faith parted her lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss.
With one hand he gently squeezed her backside, his other hand moved to touch her chest.
Moaning softly, she shifted closer to him, resting her hand on his hip.
He nibbled on her bottom lip then very gently rolled on top of her.
She gazed up at him, her heart pounding quickly in her chest. She'd never wanted any man the way she wanted this man and she had no idea where the desire or feelings were coming from.
"You still want this," he asked breathlessly.
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
He smiled softly, and placed a quick kiss on her lips before lifting his head to gaze at her. He wasn't sure what it was about her that made this seem so special, and he hoped that being together on their first date wouldn't ruin his chances of getting to know her better. Biting his lip he reached between them to position himself, and very slowly eased inside of her.
Faith held his gaze, slowly winding her legs around his waist.
Maurice took a deep breath, and let it out slowly as he remained still for a moment letting their bodies adjust to each other. He rested one hand on her hip, and braced his opposite forearm against the mattress.
She shifted against him slightly, swallowing hard. "Please," she murmured.
He began to slowly work his body against hers as he held eye contact with her.
Faith slid her hands over his shoulders and up to his neck.
Pressing both of his hands into the bed, he lifted his upper body off of hers as he rocked his hips against hers a little harder.
A faint gasp escaped her lips at the sudden change in pace and she tightened her legs around him, meeting his thrusts.
As they moved together the bed squeaked underneath them, and the momentum from their movements caused the headboard to bang against the wall. None of that mattered to him as he leaned down to kiss her.
Faith kissed him back urgently, her body temperature rising more with each moment. "Oh, God," she whispered, her eyes drifting shut.
A moan escaped him, and he lowered his mouth to her ear. He took her earlobe between his teeth and pulled on it gently.
Winding her arms tightly around him, she whimpered at the sensations flickering through her.
He pressed his cheek against hers, and worked his body a little harder. His breathing was erratic and the tension inside him was building.
"Yes," she murmured, breathing heavily and licking her lips. She clenched her inner muscles around him.
"Oh gawd...Faith." The pressure was getting to the point where it was almost too much to bear. He closed his eyes tight, his body tense as he thrust deeper within her.
The headboard banged against the wall a little louder and she raked her nails down his back as she cried out his name, pleasure washing over her in waves.
Lifting his body up, and looking down at her he thrust quickly once more as deep as he could. His mouth opened as a cry escaped him, and he remained still.
She laid her head back against the pillow, panting for breath, her eyes closed tightly.
"Oh my..." He leaned down, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
Faith returned the soft kiss, touching his cheek with one hand.
Maurice kissed her once more before slowly moving away from her, and disposing of the condom in the trashcan by his bed. He then scooted back over to her, draping his arm around her waist.
She closed her eyes, curling up against him.
"Stay the night," he whispered in her ear.
A small smile touched her lips. "Okay," she whispered back, kissing his chin lightly.
He smiled, and tightened his arm around her.
Within a few moments she was drifting off to sleep peacefully. The last thought floating through her mind that she'd found the one...
* * *
He'd fallen asleep shortly after she had, but a few hours later he woke with a headache, and was feeling restless. His body trembled slightly, and his hands shook. He gazed at her as he tried to figure out a way to get out of bed without disturbing her, but her head was resting on his chest and her arm was around him so there was no chance.
Faith murmured inaudibly, shifting closer to him and placing a light kiss against his collarbone without opening her eyes.
He closed his eyes, and swallowed hard, hoping she couldn't feel the tremors that were going through his body.
"Maurice." His name was a soft whisper on her lips.
"Hey," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"What time is it?" she murmured.
He looked over at the alarm clock. "It's almost five."
She nodded slightly and laid her head back down against the pillow.
"Faith...I'm uh, gonna go out on the fire escape for a bit, okay?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?"
"Well...I've...well I've been trying to quit smoking, and it's not going so well. So..."
"Oh...sorry." She reluctantly moved away from him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered as he leaned over, and kissed her lips. "I know it's a disgusting habit, but I'm tryin'."
Faith kissed him back softly, touching his cheek. "It's okay."
"I've cut back quite a bit all ready, so hopefully soon..."
"You don't have to explain yourself to me," she said softly, gazing at him. "All that matters is you're tryin'."
"Thank you." He kissed her once more then scooted to the edge of the bed to grab his boxers and jeans.
She watched him as he dressed. "You want some company?"
He hesitated a moment before turning to look at her. "You don't mind if I smoke around you?"
"Well, it is your apartment," she pointed out.
"Yeah, but I didn't wanna smoke around you," he told her softly. "I was hoping this wouldn't happen while you were here."
"How long you been tryin' to quit?"
"Not too long. About a week."
"It'll get better," she said softly.
He nodded his head. "If you wanna get dressed and come outside with me I'd like that. I don't wanna smoke in the apartment cause I don't want the smell to linger inside."
"Okay. I'll meet you out there." She offered him a soft smile.
"Just be careful on your way out." He walked over to the bed, and kissed her softly before making his way out of the room.
Her eyes followed him as he left. She sat up slowly, drawing in a breath as she reached for her clothes.
Maurice ran his hands through his hair then rubbed his face vigorously. He pulled open a drawer in the kitchen, and grabbed a cigarette out of the pack along with a lighter before making his way into the living room. He opened the window, and stepped out onto the fire escape.
Faith dressed, not even realizing that she'd grabbed his shirt instead of her own, buttoning the buttons quickly and heading out of the bedroom.
He lit the cigarette, and put the lighter in his pocket. Leaning against the railing he took a long drag of his cigarette and hoped it would help take the edge off.
She gazed at him from inside the apartment for a moment, leaning against the window frame.
Looking up toward the sky he blew out a puff of white smoke. The cigarette wasn't exactly what he'd wanted, but he had to be careful around Faith. He really liked her and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her.
She slowly ducked under the window and stepped out onto the fire escape, sliding her arms around his waist from behind and resting her head against his shoulder blade.
He smiled, and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Hey babe."
She kissed his shoulder, a small smile on her face.
"Do you uh...do you smoke at all," he asked quietly.
"Not since I was fifteen."
"Was it just like a one time thing?"
"An occasional wanting to fit in thing is more like it."
He nodded his head. "I thought it was cool when I started. Now seven years later..."
Faith kissed the back of his neck. "It's hard to quit cold turkey."
Maurice took another puff off the cigarette. "It's the second time I've tried to quit. The first time I was workin' in the bar with ma. That's not the easiest environment to work in when you're tryin' not to smoke."
"Definitely not." Her voice was quiet and she closed her eyes.
He rested his free hand on her arm. "Will you help me," he asked softly.
"If you want me to, of course."
He ran his thumb lightly over her skin. "I read somewhere that it's easier when you have support."
She nodded against him, the warm morning breeze tousling her hair.
He flicked some ashes over the railing. "You look good in my shirt."
Faith blinked and glanced down, a sheepish smile on her face. "I wasn't even thinkin' about it."
"It's okay." He felt his craving starting to subside, and he breathed a sigh of relief. After taking one more long drag from the cigarette he snuffed it out on the railing, and flicked the butt into the alley below. He blew out the breath, and turned around in her arms.
She gazed at him, her eyes soft.
He wrapped his arms around her, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "So...you okay with what happened last night?"
"Yeah. I'm okay with it." She kissed his collarbone. "Are you?" she asked softly.
"Mmmhmm. Being with you was very nice, and...I'd like to keep seeing you."
A small smile touched her lips. "I'd like that, too."
He leaned in to kiss her, but pulled away just before their lips met. "Sorry," he murmured.
"It's okay." She kissed his lips lightly.
After returning the soft pressure he hugged her a little tighter.
"You got anyplace you gotta be today?"
He shook his head. "Can't say that I do."
Faith nodded slightly and kissed his cheek.
"What about you?"
"Not until later."
"So does that mean you'll stay for a while?"
"If you want me to."
"Of course," he whispered.
She smiled faintly. "Then I'd love to."
He ran his fingers through her hair. "You look beautiful this morning."
"You always been this smooth-talkin'?" Her voice was light.
"It took years of practice," he informed her with a smile. "But it's a lot easier when I'm speaking the truth."
Her eyes sparkled. "So Mikey learned from you, huh?"
He raised his eyebrows. "My little bro's a smooth talker?"
She chuckled. "Are you kidding me? The guy could talk anybody into just about anything."
"For real?" He shook his head. "And all those years I just thought I was wastin' my time tryin' to teach him."
"Well it wasn't wasted. He was payin' attention even if he won't admit it."
He was quiet for a moment, and looked down. "Does Michael ever talk about me," he asked softly.
Faith hesitated a second. "Sometimes, but...he doesn't really talk about his family at all, so..."
"But when he does talk about his family...what kinda stuff does he say?"
"Maurice..." She closed her eyes. "He really hasn't said much to me."
"Okay, it's just...We didn't have the greatest homelife," he told her softly. "And I guess I just don't want you thinking that we're all bad, ya know?"
She nodded slightly and opened her eyes again to look at him. "I know that."
He gently rubbed her back. "Thank you, Faith. For comin' home with me. Spendin' the night."
"Well...thanks for invitin' me." Her voice was soft.
"I haven't figured out what exactly it is yet, but it's like I'm drawn to you," he whispered.
Gazing at him with soft eyes, she kissed his cheek. "Why don't we go back to bed?"
"Sure." He nodded his head, and kissed her shoulder.
Faith rested her head against his for a moment, then took his hand, leading him back inside the apartment.
* * *
He walked her to the door, his hand resting on her lower back. "Wish you didn't have to go."
"I had a nice time," she said softly, turning to face him as she leaned against the front door, gazing at him.
"So did I," he whispered. "Call me?"
"Of course," she whispered back.
Resting his hands on her hips he moved forward, and captured her lips between his.
Her eyes drifted shut as she kissed him back, a sweet but passionate kiss, one hand lifting to touch his cheek.
A few moments later he pulled away, and rested his forehead against hers. "You should probably go if you wanna get to the bank before it closes."
Faith nodded slightly. "I'll talk to you later," she said softly.
"Sounds good." He placed a quick kiss on her lips, and then took a step back so she could move away from the door.
"Bye, Maurice." She gazed at him a moment longer, her eyes full of warmth. Then she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, a faint smile on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been with a man who'd treated her as well as Maurice Boscorelli. She had a good feeling about him.
"See ya, Faith." He watched her walk down the hall, a soft smile on his face. Faith was absolutely incredible. She was smart, funny, and pretty among other things. As soon as he heard the door to the stairwell close he shut and locked his apartment door and went into the kitchen.
Pulling a chair over in front of the refrigerator he stood on it, and pulled open the cupboard above the fridge. After retrieving a small wooden box from the shelf he stepped down and went over to the counter. He opened the box and placed the small rectangular mirror on the counter, he opened one of the small vials that was also in the box and dumped some of the white powder onto the mirror. After using a razor blade to move it into equal lines he set the blade down, and bent over. Using his index finger to block off one nostril he inhaled deeply, snorting up the first line.
Today had been good, and it was only going to get better.
* * *
Faith walked into the locker room, a smile on her face as she headed to her locker, humming quietly to herself.
Mike was standing at his locker hanging up the shirt he'd just taken off. Noticing the smile on his partner's face he raised his eyebrows. "Did someone enjoy her days off?"
Her smile widened a little. "You could say that."
"You're glowing, Faith."
"I am not." Her cheeks flushed with color as she spun the combination on her lock.
"Yes you are." He nodded his head. "And if I'm not mistaken it's been months since the last time you had that look. In fact...I don't think I've ever seen you smile -that- big. It musta been good," he teased.
She shook her head, a little embarrassed, but still grinning.
"I knew somethin' was up when you didn't call me like you promised."
She turned to look at him. "Oh. Damn. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinkin'..."
He chuckled. "No, you were too busy with your new beau."
Faith smirked. "Busy is one way to put it."
His eyes widened. "So...more than once?"
She chuckled. "Oh, yeah."
"Man. You been gettin' tips from Nicole or somethin'," he asked with a laugh.
She raised her eyebrows. "You think I'd need tips from somebody else?"
He held his hands up. "I'm not goin' there."
"You got that right." She smirked again and turned toward her locker, starting to change into her uniform.
Mike sat down on the bench, and began to pull his shoes on. "So when do I get to meet the father of your future children?"
Faith's eyes widened slightly and for a moment she froze. "We'll see."
"What, you ashamed of me or somethin'?"
"No, of course not."
"You just wanna keep this guy a secret for a while." He nodded his head. "I get that."
She bit her lower lip, feeling guilt wash over her. "I don't know if you'd like him."
"You don't think so?"
"Well, you've never liked any of my other boyfriends."
"Yeah, but that's cause they've all been totally asses who didn't treat you the way you deserved."
"Fred was a nice guy."
He gave her a look. "Fred was a nice guy until he found out you were a cop then he couldn't handle his 'woman' having a higher place in society."
Faith pulled her hair up into a clip and sighed softly. "Well...that's not the case with this guy. He's knows I'm a cop and he's okay with it."
"That's big of him." He paused. "You must really see somethin' in him though, huh? Seein' as you've all ready slept with him." His words were soft, and meant as merely an observation.
If it had been anyone else in the world, she would have taken offense to his remark. But she knew he hadn't meant to be judgmental about it. "Yeah...he's a good guy, Michael." Her voice was soft, as well.
"I'm happy for you. You deserve a good guy."
She met his gaze and smiled faintly, still feeling guilty that she hadn't told him it was his brother she was talking about. "Thanks. That means a lot."
"And maybe some day I'll learn to like him and we can double." He stood up, and grabbed his gun belt. "Oh, and thanks for the advice about Nicole. Turns out bein' honest actually worked."
"Yeah? That's great, Mike."
"We had a really romantic weekend. I think our relationship is better now."
"I like Nicole. I think you're good for each other."
He smiled at her. "Who knows...maybe you and me are actually gonna settle down soon."
She leaned against her locker, thinking about his words as she watched him head for the door. "Maybe," she murmured, a faint smile on her face.