Third Watch Fic: Two Pieces (1-2/4)

[xtremeroswellia]

Title: Two Pieces
Authors:NYPDBosco and Xtremeroswellian
Date Written: March 2004
Category: Angst, Friendship
Main Characters: Bosco and Faith

Our combination of the episodes The Relay and Falling. Deals with Faith's cancer and Bosco's PTSD.



Bosco grinned, and lifted his beer to his lips. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye he paused and turned to look. "Hey, hey, hey, hey. Where you going?"

Faith paused in her tracks and turned to look at him. "I wanna get home."

"You all right," he questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yeah." Her voice was slightly distant and she didn't quite meet his eyes, instead choosing a spot just to the right of his head to look at.

He turned around completely so he was facing her. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She was proud at how calm she sounded.

For a moment he studied her then raised his bottle, and took a drink. There was something bothering her that much he knew. "You lyin' to me?"

"Paranoid tonight, Boz?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her tone now, but she was more annoyed that he seemed to know she had a secret.

"Me?" He shook his head, grinning. "I got no reason to be paranoid."

She rolled her eyes, a little relieved. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bosco." She offered him a small smile before adjusting her backpack purse on her back and heading for the exit, moving through the crowd of people. Her shoulders slumped just a little as she walked.

"Hey Faith," he hollered above the noise as he took a few steps toward the door.

Faith didn't hear him as she pushed the door open and stepped outside, drawing in a deep breath of the cool night air. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and headed down the sidewalk.

Bosco stared at the exit for a moment before shrugging, and taking another drink of his beer.

She had only gotten about a half block before she realized she didn't have her cell phone. "Oh. Dammit," she muttered, disgusted. She ran a hand through her hair, then rubbed the back of her neck as she turned around and started to walk back toward the bar.

Now that Faith had left Bosco slid into the seat across from DK that she'd vacated. He nodded at the firefighter.

She pulled open the door to Haggerty's, sighing softly as she made her way through the crowd once more. She paused when she spotted Bosco now sitting in the seat across from DK. She glanced around and spotted her phone by the napkin holder at the other end of the table. If she was lucky, it was crowded enough she could just grab the phone without him even realizing she'd come back. She bit her lower lip for a moment, then moved forward and reached over the bench to grasp her phone.

He leaned forward resting his arms on the table. "Dammit," he mumbled when he felt moisture on his arm. Realizing he'd put his arm down in a wet spot he reached for a napkin. "Hey, you're back."

"Forgot my phone," she replied, picking it up and checking it for calls. None. She drew in a breath and slipped it into her jacket pocket. "Later." She turned to go.

"Hey wait! I'm almost done." He picked up his beer bottle, and waved it a little.

"So?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'll take ya home."

"No, it's okay. I could use the walk."

"Well let me walk you then." He finished the rest of his beer in one drink, set the bottle on the table and stood up.

She looked at him strangely for a moment, then shifted uncomfortably, waiting.

He said goodbye to a few people before walking around to where Faith was standing. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." She led the way outside. "You know, you really don't have to walk me home. Why don't you stay, have some fun?"

Bosco shrugged. "Not really in the mood for -fun-, ya know? It's been a long day."

"Well, maybe you should just head home, then."

"I will...after I walk you home."

"I can take care of myself." At least from bad guys.

"Hey, I never said you couldn't take care of yourself."

"So why the sudden insistence on walking me home?"

He looked at her as they walked down the sidewalk. "You've been actin' weird today."

She swallowed hard, then made a face. "No, I haven't."

"Yeah, Faith. Ya have."

"It's your imagination."

"Oh come on, Faith. All day today you've been just...different. With the whole organ donation thing and stuff."

She fell silent, tucking her hands into her coat pockets, her eyes staring ahead of her as she walked, but not really seeing.

"So what's goin' on," he asked softly.

She stopped walking abruptly, her body turned toward him though her gaze was focused across the street.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"I'm sick." Her voice was very soft.

He gave her a confused look. "Sick?"

"Fred and I aren't goin' to Jersey to the shore next week."

"Faith...what are you talkin' about?"

She watched the cars driving by. "I'm havin' surgery."

"Surgery?!" He shook his head. "What kind of surgery? Why?"

"A lumpectomy."

He stared at her for a moment. "A w-what?"

Faith was silent for a moment, then slowly shifted her gaze to his face. "I have cancer."

Bosco's face paled slightly, and he shook his head. "That's not funny."

"I know it's not," she said quietly.

He looked down at the ground, continuing to shake his head not wanting to believe what he'd heard. "No."

She remained motionless, her face blank but tired in the pale streetlight above.

"No," he repeated as he lifted his gaze to her face, and ran his hand through his hair.

She gazed at him wordlessly, her hands still tucked in her coat pockets.

He took a couple deep breaths. "Are you uh...are you dyin'?"

"I don't know," she admitted softly. "But I'm havin' surgery. The doctor thinks it'll be enough."

Bosco tried to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat, and as he raked both hands through his hair he turned away from her for a second. With his hands still on his head he turned back to her. "How long have you known?"

"A few weeks. Not long."

"A few weeks, and you're just now tellin' me?"

She sighed softly and looked down at the sidewalk. "A lot's been goin' on in those weeks," she said quietly.

"Yeah." He nodded his head quickly. "Right, yeah I just..."

Faith shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I guess after the eleventh...it just didn't seem as important."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course it's important."

"I just meant...in comparison."

"God, Faith," he whispered sadly.

"Don't. Don't do that." She looked away.

He gave her a confused look. "Do what?"

"I didn't even wanna tell you, Bosco. I don't wanna be treated differently."

"You weren't gonna tell me?"

She closed her eyes. "I don't know," she admitted.

Bosco rubbed his face vigorously with both hands, and let out a breath. "When did you say the surgery is?"

"I didn't."

"When is it," he asked softly.

"Next Thursday."

He nodded his head. "I'm gonna take the day off."

"You don't have to do that."

"I wanna be there."

Faith was silent for a moment. "We haven't even told the kids yet."

"They need to know," he told her quietly.

"I know. But..." She hesitated, looked away.

"But what," he asked in a whisper.

"Fred...doesn't wanna tell 'em."

"What?!" His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "Faith, you could...you...You've got cancer. They're gonna figure out something's wrong."

"I know that, Bosco." There was a hint of tension in her voice. "But Fred's not exactly dealin' very well."

"Fred's not dealin' well? What about you?"

She shrugged. "I'm bein' realistic."

"Meaning?"

She shifted her gaze to his face. "Meaning I already know there's a chance this surgery won't work."

"You can't go into surgery thinkin' like that."

"I'm not goin' in there deceivin' myself either. Fred can do that, but I can't. I won't."

He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. "So...what's your plan?"

"My plan?"

"If this surgery doesn't work." He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. "What are you gonna do?"

Faith was silent for a few seconds. "I don't know. I'll talk to the doctor, see what he recommends."

He nodded his head. "So how long til you're back on your feet after the surgery?"

"Depends on how it goes, I guess. At least a week."

"I can take more time off if..."

She shook her head. "It's not necessary," she said softly.

"I know it's not necessary, but if you need anything let me know."

"Sure." She managed a small smile.

"Come on," he whispered, tilting his head in the direction they'd been walking. "You wanted to get home."

Faith nodded and started walking again, falling in step beside him.

They were silent as they walked toward her apartment. Occasionally he stole a glance at her.

His not-so-casual glances didn't go unnoticed, but she ignored them. When they reached her building, she turned to look at him. "You wanna come up? Have a cup of coffee or somethin'?"

He looked at her, surprised by the offer. "Yeah?"

"Sure. Fred and the kids are probably asleep and I'm not all that tired."

"Coffee sounds good."

She nodded and headed up the walk to her building, unlocking the front door and opening it. She stepped inside and held it open for him as he followed her and she led him toward the elevators.

Bosco pressed the up button for the elevator, and leaned against the wall. "So is Fred not bein' supportive, or..."

"More like Fred's in complete denial," she informed him, not looking at him as she watched the numbers light up.

"Well...it can't be easy," he said softly as he looked down at the floor.

"Oh, and it is for me? I mean, I'm the one who might die." She shook her head.

His eyes widened slightly. "I didn't mean..."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge."

"It's okay. You've got every right."

She stepped onto the elevator once the doors slid open. She punched the button for the third floor.

He followed her into the elevator. "So uh...how are you feeling," he asked softly as he stood in the corner of the small elevator.

"Normal. I don't feel any different except..."

Bosco looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm a little more tired than usual." She shrugged. "But I think that's cause of the long hours at work."

He nodded his head. "Yeah, it could be."

The elevator doors slid open again and she stepped off, heading down the hallway toward her family's apartment. She pulled her keys out of her coat pocket.

"You're sure it's okay if I come in?"

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" Her eyebrows were furrowed.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, Fred probably thinks you should be gettin' more sleep or somethin'."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Right." She unlocked the door and stepped inside quietly into the darkness.

Bosco followed her in. "So you got any food?"

"Don't I always?" She couldn't stop a small smile from tugging at her lips. Sometimes her partner's easy going predictability was exactly what she needed to feel better.

"Yeah," he grinned. "I just figured I'd ask before raiding the kitchen."

"Me refrigerator is su refrigerator."

"I always knew there was a reason we got along so well." He quickly made his way into the kitchen.

She shook her head as she shrugged out of her jacket and draped it over the back of the sofa and slipped her shoes off.

Bosco pulled open the refrigerator door, and bent down to look at the contents. "Bingo."

A grin spread across her face as she heard him talking in the other room. She walked into the kitchen. "So you expectin' that leftover pizza to talk back to ya, or were you chattin' up the meatloaf?"

He straightened up just enough to see her over the door of the refrigerator. "I was talkin' to the meatloaf," he informed her. "The pizza's got mushrooms on it." He shuddered.

"Sorry. Didn't know you were plannin' on foraging the fridge for food this week," she said, amused as she leaned against the counter.

He chuckled softly as he reached into the refrigerator, and pulled out the plate of meatloaf and a loaf of bread. "You want a sandwich," he asked as he kicked the fridge shut.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." She hoisted herself up onto the countertop, something she only did when Fred wasn't around cause he hated it. Said it was a bad habit for the kids to be seeing.

Bosco nodded his head, and pulled open the utensil drawer to get a knife. He didn't even have to ask where things were in her kitchen because he'd raided her refrigerator enough to know.

She watched him silently for a moment. "There are cookies in the jar after your sandwich."

He quickly turned to look at her. "Homemade?"

"Of course. Chocolate chip."

"Perfect." He grinned, and quickly slapped a piece of meatloaf between two slices of bread then moved over to the fridge to get the ketchup. "Did you want a drink? Should I make coffee?"

"Nah. I'll do it. You eat." She slid off the counter and walked over to the coffee pot.

"Cool." Bosco squeezed some ketchup onto his sandwich then moved his plate out of the way and hopped up on the counter.

Faith poured coffee grounds into a filter, then added water and turned the heater on underneath the pot before hoisting herself back up on the counter across from Bosco.

"You make this," he asked, his mouth full as he pointed to the meatloaf.

"No, Fred made it."

"No wonder it's so dry."

A small chuckle escaped her lips.

Bosco smiled, happy with her reaction.

"I made the cookies," she informed him.

"Thank God. Cause I was gettin' a little nervous that the cookies I was lookin' forward to were gonna be crap."

She grinned. "Well I hope they're not crap. Charlie ate like ten of 'em last night."

"If Charlie liked 'em then I know I will." He took another bite of his sandwich.

She leaned her head against the cabinet behind her.

He was quiet while he finished the rest of his sandwich, and then reached for the cookie jar. "Hey Faith?"

"Hmm?"

"Think fast." He pulled a cookie out of the jar, and tossed it at her.

She just barely caught the cookie in time, shooting him a look. "Fred just cleaned a couple days ago, ya know." A grin tugged at her lips anyway.

"So maybe he should clean more often," he joked. "Besides, you looked like you could use a cookie."

Faith shook her head, amused and bit into the cookie. "You want milk or coffee?"

"Milk," he mumbled around the cookie he was shoving in his mouth.

She smiled as she slid off the counter once more and walked to the fridge, pulling out a gallon of milk. She grabbed a couple of glasses, poured some of the liquid into each and stuck it back in the fridge. She walked over and handed him one of the glasses.

"These cookies are great," he told her before taking a long drink of milk.

"Glad you like 'em." She moved back over to her own counter space.

He nodded his head. "You can bake me cookies any time you want."

"Don't hold your breath, Boz."

"You know you wanna bake some for me." Bosco took a couple more cookies out of the jar. "You want another one?"

"No thanks." She took a sip of her milk and gazed at him silently as he ate.

Bosco was so absorbed with eating his cookies that it took him a while to realize she was watching him. He looked up, his eyes questioning and somewhat embarrassed because she was watching him eat. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Faith offered him a small smile before taking another drink of her milk.

He inhaled deeply. "I'm glad you told me," he whispered.

She was quiet for a moment. "There's somethin' I need you to do for me," she said softly.

"Sure." He nodded his head. "What is it?"

She hesitated a moment. "Well, go ahead and finish eatin'. We'll talk about it when you're done."

He frowned slightly. "We can talk now."

"There's a little more to it than that."

"Um...yeah. Okay. Well, I'm almost done." He held up the last cookie he had in his hand.

Faith nodded and finished her milk before setting the glass in the sink beside her. Her gaze shifted to the doorframe where Fred had suddenly appeared. "Oh. Hey. Did we wake you?"

He rubbed his eyes. "I thought I heard voices out here."

"Sorry. We were tryin' to be quiet."

Fred turned to Bosco. "It's kinda late don't you think?"

Bosco shrugged. "We're both pretty much wide awake."

Faith looked at Fred, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before nonchalantly sliding off the counter top. "The kids do okay today?"

He nodded his head as he turned toward Faith. "Yeah. They're good."

"Good. That's good. How was your day?" She kissed his cheek.

"Not bad." He gently rubbed her arm. "How are you doin'?"

"I'm good. You look tired. You should go back to bed." She smiled faintly.

"Yeah. I think I will. I gotta be up early." He leaned forward, and kissed her forehead. "Night, baby. Don't stay up too late."

She nodded and watched him walk out of the kitchen. She closed her eyes and let out a breath as she leaned against the doorframe.

"You all right," Bosco asked softly.

"Yeah. I'm good." She nodded and turned to look at him, forcing a smile on her face. "You want more milk?"

He handed her his glass. "You tryin' to stall?"

"What?"

"I'm done eatin'," he informed her.

"Oh. Right." She carried his glass to the sink.

"So...what was it you needed me to do?"

Faith paused as she rinsed the glass, then left it in the sink. "I uh...I talked to a lawyer a few days ago."

His eyebrows furrowed. "A lawyer? For what?"

"I had him...draw up a will," she said softly.

His eyes widened slightly. He wanted to tell her that she wasn't going to die, and there was no need to talk about a will. But she'd said that Fred was basically in denial so she probably needed someone to talk to about this. "Okay." He nodded.

"I just need someone to sign as my witness." She turned to look at him.

He pointed his index finger at his chest. "And you want me to do that?"

She gazed at him. "Yeah."

"Does Fred know you..."

"No. I didn't tell him."

Bosco thought about it for a moment. "I'll sign it...but that doesn't mean I think you're gonna die."

"I know. But I don't really wanna take any chances. I don't want Fred and the kids to have to worry about this kinda stuff."

He nodded his head. "I'll do it."

"Thanks, Boz." Her voice was soft.

"You need anything else," he asked just as softly.

"No. Just your signature." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and walked over to the china cabinet, kneeling down on the floor. She pulled a manila envelope out from under a stack of construction paper and opened it slowly.

He slowly let out a breath then slid off the counter.

Faith rose to her feet again, grabbed a pen from the china cabinet drawer and sat down at the table. She pulled the papers out of the envelope and glanced through them before scrawling her name across the bottom and sliding them over to Bosco.

He stared down at the papers in front of him, and picked up the pen. Feeling his hand shaking slightly he put the pen back down not wanting Faith to see his hand trembling. After a few seconds he picked up the pen again, and quickly signed his name.

She drew in a breath as she took the papers back from him and slid them into the envelope once more. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Yeah. Sure," he whispered. He cleared his throat, and forced a chuckle. "I probably shoulda asked what I was getting before I signed it," he tried to joke.

A smile tugged at her lips and she looked up at him. "You are in there," she told him.

"Oh, well...that doesn't matter to me. I was just...you know..."

"I know." She reached out and touched his arm lightly before standing up. She walked into the living room and carefully placed the envelope in her duffel bag.

He bit his lip, and stared down at the table. "Faith?" His voice was barely audible.

She heard his quiet voice and zipped her bag up before returning to the kitchen. "Yeah?"

Bosco swallowed hard before looking up at her. "You aren't gonna die, right?"

Her eyes softened and she gazed at him. "Well, I don't plan on it. There's a lot of things left I still wanna do."

He nodded his head, and looked away. "Cause with the 11th and all...I just...I don't wanna go to another funeral. Not yours."

Faith reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm fightin' this, Bosco."

He looked at her. "You better."

She offered him a small, reassuring smile. "You're not gettin' rid of me that easily."

"Good. I prefer a challenge," he teased, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

She swatted his arm lightly. "Well you could always try throwin' me outta the RMP when we're in a high speed chase."

He raised his eyebrows, and nodded his head as if pondering the thought.

"Cute. Very cute." She shook her head in amusement.

"That's me."

Faith rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on. You know it's true."

"Truth is subjective."

"Whatever Yokas."

She grinned. "You wanna watch a movie?"

"You're not tired?"

"Not really. Are you?"

He shook his head. "Nope. The night...er uh, morning's still young."

"So what'll it be? Comedy, horror, cheesy sci-fi or action?"

"You can pick this time," he informed her. "I'll pick next time."

"Next time?" She was a little surprised by his words.

He looked at her. "Well, yeah. I mean if you're anything like me the last couple weeks you're havin' trouble sleeping. Then with the other stuff that's goin' on." He shrugged.

Faith was quiet for a moment. "Yeah." She paused. "How are you doin', Boz?" she asked softly.

"I'm all right."

"Are you sure? Cause if you're not, it's okay."

Bosco closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm uh...still kinda numb," he told her in a hushed voice.

She sat down beside him. "Well, that's pretty normal," she said softly. "It hasn't been that long."

"Yeah," he whispered. "I wish it'd all just leave me alone for a night so I could get some sleep, ya know?"

"I know," she whispered back, touching his arm.

"So what movie are we watching?"

"Hmm...how about...Liar, Liar?"

"Perfect." He grinned.

Faith rose to her feet. "I'll pop in the tape."

"Okay I'll make myself at home." He took his shoes off, and put his feet on the coffee table.

She smiled slightly and put the tape in. A few moments later they sat side by side watching the movie. She glanced over at him and noticed his eyelids beginning to droop.

Bosco's body relaxed as his eyes closed for a moment before he quickly jerked awake, and looked around.

She suppressed a chuckle and picked a pillow up off the end of the sofa. She rested it in her lap, then patted her hand on it. "Lay down."

He looked at her through tired eyes. "You sure?"

She rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't have offered if I wasn't."

He smiled softly, and shifted so he was lying down. "I didn't think I was tired."

"Several weeks of little sleep will do that to a person." She rested a hand on his arm and rubbed it gently as she watched the TV screen.

"You gonna be comfortable like this," he asked as he closed his eyes.

"Yep." She leaned back against the sofa.

He yawned. "If I fall asleep, and you wanna go to bed just wake me up."

"I will. Get some rest, Boz."

Bosco nodded his head against the pillow. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She gave his arm a light squeeze. "Goodnight."

"Night, Faith," he whispered.

She gazed down at him, watched as he slowly drifted off to sleep as she held him. After everything they'd been through in eight years together, it was the least she could do.

* * *

Part Two

Fred quickly shut off the alarm, and rolled over to check on Faith. His eyebrows furrowed when he realized that the sheets on her side of the bed didn’t look like they had been disturbed at all. He quickly got out of bed and made his way to the living room expecting to see her sprawled out on the sofa or sitting at the table like he'd found her a few times lately. His eyes narrowed when he saw Faith slouched on the sofa, asleep with Bosco's head resting on the pillow in her lap. "Faith," he hissed her name trying to wake her up.

She turned her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowing. "Fred?" she murmured.

"Yeah it's me. You should be in bed."

"What time is it?" She squinted as she looked at him.

"It's quarter to six." He looked down at Bosco who still appeared to be sleeping. "Wake him up and send him home."

"No, he's fine," she answered, closing her eyes again.

"I'm serious, Faith. Send him home, and go get in bed."

She opened her eyes again. "I'm comfortable right here. I don't wanna wake him. He hasn't been sleepin' well."

"Oh and you have?!"

"Shh," she shushed him, a frown on her face.

He waved a hand dismissively. "Fine. Do whatever the hell you want."

She sighed softly. "Fred..."

"Faith, you should be concerned about yourself," he whispered harshly. "Not Maurice Boscorelli."

"I can be concerned about more than one person," she said quietly.

Bosco shifted slightly on the sofa, a soft sigh escaping him.

She glanced down at her sleeping partner, resting her hand on his arm again before looking up at her husband. "I'll wake him up when it's time for the kids to get up for school. Then I'll sleep until it's time to leave for work," she whispered.

"Just make sure you get some rest. With the procedure coming up soon..."

She nodded. "I know."

"Okay." He looked at Bosco once more, and shook his head. "I'm gonna go shower."

"Okay." She drew in a breath as she watched him go, knowing he was irritated at the fact that Bosco had spent the night.

A few moments later Bosco's body jerked, and his eyes shot open.

"Easy," Faith said softly, rubbing his arm, startled by his sudden movement.

He turned his head slowly, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion when he saw her. "Faith?"

"Yeah. You okay?"

Bosco swallowed hard, and nodded his head.

"Bad dream?" she asked quietly.

"No," he answered immediately. "I just..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the look on her face. "Uh...yeah."

She rubbed his back gently. "About the eleventh?"

He diverted his gaze. "What time is it? You sleep at all?"

"It's almost six. Yeah, I've been asleep, too."

"Man, sorry. I didn't mean to stay this long."

"It's okay."

"You shoulda woken me up so you coulda gone into bed." He sat up slowly, and stretched his arms over his head.

"Yeah, well, I would've except I was asleep," she replied.

He looked over at her, and smiled softly. "So neither of us saw the movie?"

"What movie?" she asked wryly.

"Guess that means next time I think I'm gonna have trouble sleeping I should put in Liar, Liar, huh?"

She chuckled. "Somethin' like that."

He let out a breath. "Well, I should probably go."

"You can go back to sleep if you want. Fred's up and gettin' ready for work, but he'll be gone in a half-hour or so."

"I should probably go. He probably wasn't too happy that I..."

Faith was quiet for a moment. "He'll get over it."

"It's okay, Faith. I'll leave," he told her softly as he reached for his shoes.

She sighed softly, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, okay."

He looked down as he laced his shoes. "Maybe tonight if you want we could...watch another movie," he suggested.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Bosco nodded his head, and glanced over at her as he finished tying his shoes. "So...see you at work?"

"Yeah. You want me to call you a cab or somethin'?"

"Nah. I'll just walk back to my car. It's not that far."

Faith nodded and rose to her feet. "Well...what about breakfast? We got bagels and.:.."

"Thanks, but I don't..." He paused. "You know, a bagel for the road wouldn't be so bad."

She smiled. "You want some coffee?"

He pushed himself off the sofa. "Sure, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." She headed into the kitchen, to heat up the coffee she’d made the night before. She pulled a bag of bagels out of the fridge and turned to Bosco. "You want anything on this? We got peanut butter or cream cheese or jam."

"Cream cheese is good." He went into the kitchen and hoisted himself up onto the counter.

Faith pulled the container of cream cheese out of the fridge as well and set it on the counter, closing the door. She removed a butter knife from the drawer and reached for a plate.

"You know, I can do that."

She turned to look at him. "It's okay. I got it."

He nodded his head, and was silent for a moment. "Hey Faith?"

"Yeah?" She focused her vision on spreading some cream cheese on the bagel as she waited.

Bosco took a breath, and shook his head. "Nevermind."

She frowned and turned to look at him. "What?"

"Are you scared," he asked softly.

She was more than a little caught off guard by his question. For a moment she was silent, motionless, her eyes locked on his. If it had been anyone else in the world, she would have lied. Even to Fred. "Yeah, I guess I am."

He was quiet for a moment as he gazed at her. "Me too," he whispered.

Faith leaned back against the counter, holding his gaze, unsure of what to say. In the almost nine years she'd known Bosco, he'd never once admitted to being afraid of anything. She wasn't naive enough to buy his tough guy act; she knew him too well. But she hadn't expected to hear him say that he was scared because of her.

"This surgery should be a snap though, right? They do it all the time."

"Yeah, sure." She nodded, her eyes soft.

"Good." He nodded his head as well. "And your doctor...he's good?"

The undercurrent of worry in his tone wasn't lost on her. "Yeah, he's really good."

"Okay." He looked at her for a moment longer than shifted his gaze to the coffee pot.

She turned around and picked up the pot of coffee, pouring some in a mug. She set the pot back on the burner and carried it over to him, along with the bagel.

He grinned. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiled back at him, then walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee, as well. She cradled it in her hands and took a sip.

He took a bite of his bagel, and chased it down with coffee. "So how long before the kids'll be up?"

"About an hour and a half." She hoisted herself up onto the counter, the same spot she'd sat the previous night.

"You want a ride to work?"

Faith glanced over at him. "That's kinda out of your way."

"Yeah, but it you want a ride..."

She offered him a small smile. "I think I can walk. It's not that far."

"Okay." He took another drink of his coffee.

"Bosco?"

"Hmm?" He looked up as he took a bite of his breakfast.

"I just wanted to say thanks again...for signin' that last night."

He nodded his head. "Yeah. No problem," he told her softly.

She started to say something else when she caught sight of Fred standing in the kitchen entrance. "Hey."

Fred walked over to the coffee maker, and poured himself a cup of coffee. "He's still here," he mumbled.

She shot him a glare, hoping Bosco hadn't heard him. From the lack of reaction on her partner's face, she guessed that he hadn't. "You want a bagel?"

"I think I'll just get something on the way to work," he informed her.

She could tell by his voice he was still irritated. "Yeah, sure. You do that."

Bosco looked up, feeling the tension in the room. "You know, I think I'm just gonna take off." He set his coffee mug down, and picked up his bagel before sliding off the counter. "I'll see you at work, Faith."

She gazed at him. "Yeah, I'll see ya there, Boz."

He nodded his head, and raised the bagel up a little. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Sure." She smiled warmly at him. "Catch ya later."

He didn't say anything to Fred just gave him a slight nod before heading out of the kitchen, and leaving the apartment a moment later.

Faith shifted her gaze to Fred's face. "Happy now?"

"What'd I do?"

"Gee, I don't know." She rolled her eyes and picked up her coffee mug, taking a drink.

"He wanted to leave, Faith. Otherwise he woulda stayed," he told her as he went over to get a bagel.

"No, he wouldn't have. Bosco knows when he's not wanted and you made it pretty obvious you didn't want him here."

"Well it's nice to know he's not stupid after all," he mumbled.

She set her mug down and glared at him, her eyes cold.

"Look. It's important for you to concentrate on yourself, and our family. Let Bosco deal with his own life. He can sleep in his own apartment. Make his own breakfast."

"And you're one to talk about dealing with anything," she said sarcastically, sliding down off the counter.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it." She started to run some dishwater.

"Hey, I'm just tryin' to look out for you."

"How's that? By runnin' my partner off?"

"Oh come on, Faith. He didn't need to be here. It's not like he has a clue what's goin' on." He shook his head. "Besides, even if he knew it's not like he's gonna be helpful."

"For your information, he does know what's going on." Her voice was tense.

His eyes widened. "You actually told him?"

"Yes. I told him last night."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What'd he do? Laugh? Joke about it?"

She shook her head, starting to get pissed off. "You think he would joke about it? Think it was funny?" Her eyes were narrowed as she looked at him.

"He never takes anything seriously."

"Yeah, well he's changed."

"We'll see if you still think that come time for the procedure." He glanced at his watch, and turned to leave. "I'm gonna be late."

"Whatever." She turned back to the dishes, tension in her body.

"Don't let Charlie forget his book for his book report," he called over his shoulder as he put on his jacket.

She didn't respond as she stared down at the soapy water.

"Faith, did you hear me?"

"Yes. I heard you," she responded, her voice harsh.

"I'll see you tonight." He pulled open the door, and stepped into the hall.

"Whatever," she mumbled again, listening to the sound of the door closing. For a moment she felt guilty that she'd let him leave while they were on bad terms. Then she shrugged it off. She'd deal with Fred later.
* * *
Bosco attached his radio to his uniform, and blew out a breath. "Ready to get started?"

"Yep." She led the way out the door and headed to their squad car.

"Here." He held the RMP keys out to her.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Drive."

She stared at him. "You always wanna drive."

"Yeah, well..." He shrugged. "Maybe you should start."

Faith narrowed her eyes. "And why is that?"

"Just incase...you know, incase somebody's gotta hop out, and chase--"

She folded her arms across her chest, her jaw tense. "And suddenly I can't do that?"

"Well I just thought..." He looked around, and leaned in closer to her. "With you bein' sick and all," he whispered.

She glared at him. "I told you. I feel fine."

"Right." He nodded his head. "Just incase though."

"Just in case what, Bosco? I fall down dead on the job?"

"I...I don't know. I mean..."

"I told you I didn't want to be treated differently."

"I'm not treatin' you different," he objected.

"Oh. That's right. I guess I forgot that you've wanted me to drive during -every- shift since we've been partners," she said sarcastically.

"I've let you drive before."

"Bosco, I could count on two hands the number of times I've driven in the past year."

He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. She had him there.

"If you don't trust that I have your back anymore, maybe you should find a new partner." She handed the keys back to him and headed back toward the House.

"Hey! I never said that," he called after her.

"Not in so many words." She didn't stop or turn around. She yanked open the door to the precinct and stepped inside.

"Faith, come on!" He shook his head, disgusted with himself and jogged after her.

She ignored him as she walked up the stairs.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered to himself. "Faith! Would ya stop?!"

She whirled around, her eyes cold as she looked at him. "What?"

"I'm sorry, all right?"

She folded her arms across her chest but didn't respond.

Once he was standing in front of her he let out a breath. "Look." His voice was soft. "I didn't say you should drive cause I didn't think you'd have my back." Bosco paused for a moment trying to pick his words carefully. "I guess I just thought that if you were drivin' it'd be less stress on your body. Ya know?"

A little of the coldness left her eyes, but she was still tense. "Bosco, my body is just fine right now. I'm okay to work."

"Right. Okay." He nodded his head. "I um...I don't know a whole lot about..." His voice trailed off as he tried to think of a word besides 'cancer'.

Faith remained silent for a moment. "Look...I appreciate that you care. But I don't need you to take care of me. I can do that myself." Her voice was quiet.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Okay." She nodded slightly.

"I won't do that again," he promised.

"Good idea." She smirked, then walked past him as she started to descend the stairs.

A short chuckle escaped him, and he shook his head as he followed her.
* * *
Faith leaned against the side of the car as she stared out at the water. She and Bosco had parked under their bridge for their meal period and she'd already finished eating her salad. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Bosco sat on the hood of the RMP polishing off his cheeseburger, and fries. He glanced over at Faith as he took a sip of his soda. "You all right?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." She nodded but didn't look at him.

"Did you want some of these fries?"

"No thanks."

He nodded his head, and shoved a few more french fries in his mouth.

She was silent for a few moments, simply staring out over the water before she turned to look at him.

Bosco felt her looking at him, and shifted his gaze to her face.

"So we doin' that movie thing again tonight?" There was a hint of uncertainty to her voice.

"Yeah, unless...you don't want to."

"No, I just thought maybe you might wanna do somethin' else."

"I had a good time last night," he informed her. "Well, that is, until I fell asleep."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, well...you needed the rest."

He looked away. "Best I've slept in weeks," he told her, the words coming out quickly.

She was surprised by his honesty but knew he wouldn't want to make a big deal of it. "It's a nice day today."

"Yeah." He let out a breath, relieved she hadn't questioned him.

She was motionless for a moment, then walked over to where he sat and sat down on the hood beside him, gazing out over the water again.

He pressed his lips together, and bobbed his head a little. "So...?"

"So...what?"

Bosco shrugged. "I don't know. You just look like you've got somethin' on your mind."

Faith's eyes remained focused on the blue-green water and she shrugged a little.

"You know, if there's somethin' you wanna talk about..."

She was silent for a long time. "You know how I said I was gonna fight this?"

"Yeah, of course."

"The truth is...I don't really know how." She didn't look at him. "I mean, it's not like this is some perp I'm chasin' down on the street. I can't arrest it, I can't kill it. How do you fight somethin' that's on the inside?" Her voice was distant.

He looked out over the water as he thought about what she'd said. "Well..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I think half the battle is not lettin' it take over your life," he told her softly. "Not that that makes any sense."

She nodded slightly. "I know. And I haven't. I mean, I'm still workin' and takin' care of the kids when I'm home and all that kind of stuff."

"But you still gotta be on top of it, ya know?" He glanced over at her. "Did the doctor give you any information or anything to read?"

"Yeah, some pamphlets," she said, still staring out across the horizon.

"Did ya read 'em," he asked softly.

"About a dozen times."

He chuckled softly. "I think that's plenty."

"Yeah, Fred thought once was enough."

"Well it's important to know the info, but you can't go makin' yourself crazy."

"I know." She rested her chin in her hands as she propped her feet up on the bumper of their RMP.

"You wanna know what I think?"

Faith nodded slowly. "What do you think?"

"You're educated, and you're strong. You'll beat this."

Despite her sullen mood, a smile tugged at her lips. "That your professional opinion, Dr. Boscorelli?"

"Yeah. I'll send you the bill later."

She elbowed him in the ribs without looking at him. "Very funny."

He chuckled, and elbowed her back.

She shook her head and glanced over at him in amusement. "You're so immature," she said lightly.

"Me?!" He looked over at her. "You started it."

"Prove it," she said with a smirk.

He shook his head. "We gotta start drivin' one of those RMPs with the video camera. That way I can prove it next time."

Faith smiled. "Yeah, just don't get caught doing anything...illegal on that video camera."

"Hey." He held up both hands. "You don't make that mistake twice."

She chuckled. "Good to know."

"So...I was thinkin' maybe we should do movie night at my place."

"Yeah?"

He nodded his head. "You'll uh...have to call Fred...tell him you'll be late."

"Well, that won't be a problem. I'll just tell him I'm workin' over." She looked away.

"You sure you wanna do that?"

"Do what?"

"Lie to him."

Faith was silent for a moment. "Well, what do you suggest I tell him?"

"Tell him you're stayin' at my place for the night," he told her while keeping a straight face. "You know he'll be okay with it."

She snorted. "Oh, yeah. That'll go over -real- well."

He chuckled. "You don't think so?"

"Only if I want him to move out."

"Hmmm. Yeah." He shook his head. "Can't have that."

She rested her chin on her hand again. "I'll think of somethin'."

"Well...if it's easier for me to come over to your place, and deal with it that way. Then that's fine."

"No. It's all right."

"It's up to you."

She glanced over at him, nodding slowly.

He smiled softly then glanced at his watch and sighed. "It's about that time."

"And the fun begins again."

Bosco slid off the hood of the car, and took his empty cup and dinner wrappers over to the garbage can. He keyed his radio. "55-David to Central we're 98," he informed them. He then looked over at Faith, a smirk on his face. "You wanna drive?"

She smirked back. "Sure."

He paused in his steps, his eyebrows furrowing. "You do?"

"Only because I know you really want to," she said lightly.

He shook his head. "Yeah, well I wasn't gonna let you drive anyway," he told her as he opened the driver's side door.

Faith grinned and slid into the passenger seat. "You should let me drive. I'm a better driver." She waited for his reaction.

"What?!" He quickly turned to look at her. "I was number one in our class--"

She laughed at the expression on his face.

He rolled his eyes and started the car.

"You should've seen the look on your face."

Bosco shook his head. "Yuk it up Yokas."

She chuckled again. "Oh, I plan to."

He glared at her before pulling out onto the road.

"You know you love me." She smiled.

He grinned. "Love is subjective."

She shook her head in amusement and looked out the passenger window.

As he drove he glanced over at Faith. She seemed to be in better spirits than she had been earlier, and that made him feel a little bit better as well.
* * *
Faith had spent the morning cleaning the apartment, mostly because she wanted to keep her mind off her surgery that was scheduled for the following day, but also because she didn't want to come home to a dirty apartment and be worried about it while she was trying to recover. Fred had only been able to get one day off work for the surgery itself. According to the doctor she'd spend one night in a hospital, but then he'd recommended she spend a couple of days in a hotel in Jersey so they could start radiation therapy as soon as possible after the surgery.

She was working on fixing food for Fred and the kids for the next few days so they wouldn't have to cook themselves, when she heard the knock on her door. Her eyebrows furrowed and she glanced at the clock on the stove. It was 12:58. Wiping her hands on the kitchen towel, she turned and headed to the door, unlocking and opening it.

Bosco looked up when the door opened, and held up a bag. "You still like Rocky Road ice cream, right?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Uh...yeah."

He pointed past her. "You gonna invite me in or...?"

Faith stepped aside to let him in. "What are you doin' here? Shouldn't you be gettin' ready for work?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you I got today off?"

"No...Yesterday you were complainin' you were gonna get stuck with that new kid. What's his name? Goslin? Gusler? Yeah, Gusler."

He shrugged. "Well I got a few days off."

She looked at him strangely, then closed and locked the door. She rolled her eyes. "You really don't wanna work with this kid, huh?"

He gazed at her. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it."

"Well, you'd probably scare him anyway," she teased.

"Now that you've stabbed me with the knife why don't you go 'head and twist it," he joked back.

Faith grinned. "You say somethin' about ice cream?"

"I don't know? You say somethin' about me being scary?"

"Only to newbies. You don't scare me." She smirked.

"Well in that case. I'll go get some spoons."

"Ok." She followed him into the kitchen, grimacing slightly at the mess.

"Whoa! Tornado?"

She rolled her eyes. "Hurricane Faith."

"Oh, even worse, huh?" He winked, and opened the utensil drawer.

"I've been cookin' all mornin'. Well...after I got done cleanin' anyway."

He looked around the kitchen. "How many meals you makin'?"

"Five."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Five?"

"Yeah. Tonight, tomorrow and three days after that." She stirred a pot of vegetable soup that was simmering on the stove.

"Why so many?"

"You interrogatin' me, Boz?" She glanced over and smiled.

"Somethin' like that." He handed her a spoon.

"Well, I won't be here to cook for the next few days. That's why."

"What?" He gave her a confused look. "You said it was just an overnight thing."

"Well, the actual surgery, yeah." She shifted her gaze back to the vegetable soup.

"So there's somethin' you didn't tell me?"

"It's not really a big deal."

"Faith, come on."

She sighed and looked at him again. "My doctor wants me to stay in Jersey for a couple days so I can get started on radiation therapy right away."

"Oh." He nodded his head slowly. "Who's stayin' with the kids?"

"Fred is."

"But then...who's stayin' with you?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Uh...no one. I'm a big girl."

"Faith...you're havin' surgery. Someone needs to stay with you."

"It's not like it's brain surgery, Boz."

"I know that, Faith. But it's still surgery, and you're gonna be goin' through a lot. Besides you don't know how this is gonna affect you."

"Well...I can't really help it. We can't afford a babysitter for three days plus pay hospital bills...and Fred could only get one day off work."

"You coulda asked me," he told her softly.

"Asked you what?" she asked, confused.

"To stay with you, or if Fred coulda gotten time off work I coulda stayed with the kids."

"Yeah, but he didn't, so..." She shrugged slightly, not catching the first part of his reply.

"I can stay with you."

She glanced over at him quickly, stopping in mid-stir. "What?"

He met her gaze. "I'll stay with you in Jersey."

Faith stared at him for a moment. "You're serious."

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "I'm serious."

"Wow, that's a really nice offer, but..."

He shook his head. "Don't say 'but'. Just say okay."

She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it again, staring down at the pot of vegetable soup. More than a little caught off guard by his words. "Uh...yeah. Okay."

"Good. Now let's sit down cause the ice cream's gonna melt."

She felt a little dazed as she watched him head over and sit down at the kitchen table.

Bosco pulled the carton of ice cream out of the grocery bag, and then took off the lid and set it aside. He dug his spoon into the ice cream. "You got the hotel room reserved all ready," he asked before sticking the spoon in his mouth.

"Uh..yeah. I did it a few days ago."

He nodded his head, and stuck his spoon back in the soft ice cream. "You better come eat some of this before it's gone," he informed her.

A small smile tugged at her lips and she walked over to the table and sat down across from him. She picked up the other spoon he'd gotten out and dug it into the ice cream carton.

"I took a week off," he told her between spoonfuls of Rocky Road.

She looked up at him, realizing for the first time that he hadn't taken time off because he didn't want to ride with the rookie. "You didn't have to do that," she said softly.

"Everything we've been through in the last month...I wanted to."

Faith glanced down at the table for a moment, then back at him. "Thank you. It means a lot," she said sincerely.

"You're welcome," he told her quietly.

She reached out hesitantly and touched his arm. "I'm gonna be okay, Boz."

He nodded his head. "Yeah. I know. I just wanna be there."

She met his eyes, offered him a faint smile. "This is good ice cream."

Bosco grinned. "Thought you'd like it."

She patted his arm lightly before eating another bite of the Rocky Road dessert.

"Did ya bake any cookies for us to take with?"

"No, but I can."

"Yeah?"

"Sure. What kind you want?"

"Definitely chocolate chip."

"I shoulda guessed."

"Yeah, well ya never know cause I might surprise you some day with something different."

"Right."

"Come on now. I could change."

Faith raised her eyebrows and looked at him dubiously. "Every time you've -ever- asked me to bake cookies you've asked for chocolate chip."

"No." He shook his head. "I asked you to make those butter cookies at Christmas last year."

"Yeah, in -addition- to the chocolate chip cookies you requested."

He chuckled as he scooped up some more ice cream. "Okay. Okay. You got me."

She grinned and took another bite of the ice cream. "So now that you're here, you could do the laundry for me."

Bosco smirked. "Hey, I'm tryin' to be helpful, but not -that- helpful," he teased.

"Well, I had to try."

"No you didn't."

She smiled. "Well, I am makin' you cookies, you know."

He leaned toward her. "If you promise not to say a word to -anyone-...I might be willin' to help out."

"Bosco, I was just kiddin'."

Leaning back in his chair he shrugged. "Fine. Then I'll just sit around all day watchin' you work."

She rolled her eyes. "Or you could go home."

"Now why would I wanna do that?"

"Well, I wouldn't want you to get tired of me before the big week," she said lightly.

"Nah. I figure they'll be giving you some pain pills so if I get tired of ya I'll just force one down your throat."

She smirked. "Hey, Bosco?"

He raised his eyebrows as he stuck a spoonful in his mouth. "Hmm?"

She flipped a spoonful of ice cream in his direction, laughing when it hit his cheek.

His eyes widened, and he wasn't sure whether to laugh or yell. "You didn't?"

She grinned. "Oh, I did."

He set his spoon down, and reached for one of the napkins that was on the table. Without saying a word he wiped the blob off his cheek then slowly turned to her as he picked up his spoon. "You do realize this means war?"

Faith chuckled. "War, huh?"

He reached for the carton of ice cream. "Oh, it's on."

"Keep in mind I haven't made your cookies."

"Yeah, and you shoulda thought about the fact that you all ready cleaned."

"Good point."

"Too late now." He flung a spoonful of ice cream at her.

She laughed as some of the cold dessert hit her on the chin. "All right. Now we're even." She reached for a napkin.

"Oh so now you wanna call a truce?"

"I threw a spoonful at you, you threw a spoonful at me. I'd say that makes us even."

"Yeah, but when people comment on the fact that things are even they usually wanna stop." Bosco dipped his spoon back into the carton.

"Yeah, that's the general idea."

"Can I trust you?"

"You're the one holdin' the ice cream container, not me."

"Right, but if I put it down..."

She rolled her eyes.

Bosco eyed her up, and then tentatively put the container back on the table.

Without any warning she snatched the carton away and dug her spoon into it, a wicked grin on her face.

He pushed his chair away from the table, and stood up. "Faith."

"Yeah, Boz?" she asked innocently.

"Put the ice cream down," he told her as he took a step backward.

"And if I don't?"

"Let's not go there, okay?"

Faith rose to her feet, still grinning. She pulled a spoonful of ice cream out of the bucket and set it down behind her as she moved around the table toward him.

He held up his hands as he tried to back away. "I'm serious, Faith."

She chuckled. "What are you, scared?"

"No." He shook his head. "I just don't feel like havin' sticky ice cream all over me."

"Pity." She ate the ice cream off her spoon.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

She patted his shoulder as she walked past him and over to the sink, dropping her spoon into the dishwater.

Bosco shook his head, and went to pick up his spoon. He ate a couple more spoonfuls of ice cream before putting the lid back on, and putting the carton in the freezer.

"Can you grab a carton of eggs outta the fridge?" she asked as she pulled down her mixer from a cabinet.

"I think I can handle that." He grabbed the eggs, and moved to where she was standing.

"Thanks. You mind keepin' an eye on that soup while I bake cookies?"

"What am I supposed to do? Just watch it?"

"And occasionally stir it. Don't let it boil over."

"You know, they have this brand named Campbell's. It's soup in a can and all you gotta do is heat it up." He glanced at her, a grin on his face. "You should try it some time."

Faith looked at him and smirked. "My soup is better than what you can get in a can."

"Oh." He chuckled. "I see."

"You'll see. That's tonight's dinner."

"Is that a dinner invite?"

"If you're interested."

"Sure. Why not."

"Good. Then you can also set the table." She smiled.

He rolled his eyes. "I gotta watch the soup."

"That's okay. You can set it later."

"I might have to go visit my mother or somethin'," he said lightly.

She chuckled. "Well I guess I don't need to make cookies after all then, huh?"

"Don't threaten me with that."

"Too late."

"I'll set the table."

Faith smiled and glanced at him sideways, feeling somewhat normal for the first time in quite awhile.
* * *
Bosco walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a cookie out of the jar. "I should probably get going. Let you try and get some rest."

She glanced toward the living room where the kids were watching television with Fred. "Yeah. Thanks for comin' over."

He nodded his head. "Thanks for lettin' me stay for dinner."

"You're welcome." She leaned against the counter, gazing at him.

"So...I'll uh, meet you guys at the hospital in the morning," he told her softly.

She let out a breath and glanced down at the floor, nodding. "Yeah. Okay."

"How you holdin' up," he asked in a whisper.

"I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

"I bet." He gave her a reassuring smile. "But you're gonna be fine."

"Yeah. I know." She nodded.

He took a couple steps so he was standing in front of her. "Try and get some sleep tonight."

Faith lifted her gaze to his face. "I'll try," she said quietly.

"If you can't sleep you can call me."

"Thanks."

Bosco nodded his head, and looked at her, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. He moved forward, and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her.

She closed her eyes and slid her arms around him in return.

He patted her back gently as he hugged her.

She let out a breath, taking comfort in the embrace. She could count on one hand the number of times they'd hugged in the eight years they'd been partners, best friends.

After another moment he pulled away, and smiled softly. "I'll see you in the morning."

Faith nodded. "Have a good night, Boz."

"You too." He gave her arm a gentle squeeze, and then turned to head out of the kitchen.

She followed him out of the kitchen and walked him to the door, smiling as her kids told him goodbye, hugging their 'Uncle B' and hurrying back to the couch so they didn't miss the show they were watching.

He grinned as he watched the kids scurry away then turned his attention back to Faith. "Anything special you want me to bring with for our hotel stay?"

She shook her head. "No." She paused. "Thanks again for...offerin' to stay with me." Her voice was soft.

He looked down at the floor, and let out a breath before looking at her again. "You're my best friend, Faith," he told her very quietly. "I wasn't about to let you go through this alone."

She met his gaze and held it, nodding slightly in understanding because she knew if the situation had been reversed, she would do the same thing for him. It was how they worked--as partners, but also as best friends. They shared a deep bond that few would or could ever understand. "I'll see you in the morning."