Third Watch Fic: Fallen (7-8/16)

[xtremeroswellia]

Title: Fallen

Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian

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

Disclaimer: Not ours.

Rating: R

Summary: What if life as Bosco and Faith knew it were completely different?

Categories: Angst/Alternate Universe/dark.

Author's Note: Titled after the wonderful song "Fallen" by Sarah McLachlan.



Fallen—Chapter Seven

Bosco pushed himself off the floor, and twisted at the waist, trying to loosen up his muscles from having sat on the floor for so long. "I gotta get to work," he told Faith, sighing softly.

She nodded, rising to her feet as well, glancing down at her son briefly. "I'll walk you to the door," she said quietly.

"Okay." He leaned over, and gently ran a hand over the sleeping boy's hair. Even though this was the first time he'd seen Charlie in five years, and the boy had slept almost the entire time he was there, Bosco couldn't help but get a little attached to him.

Faith gazed at him silently, suddenly recalling the numerous times that Bosco had held Charlie when he was a baby while she cooked them something to eat during one of their study sessions. How he would play games with Emily when he was supposed to be memorizing codes. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes briefly.

"See ya soon, Sport," he whispered before heading for the door.

She followed him, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she exhaled slowly. She leaned against the wall by the front door, her eyes soft.

"If you want...I can stop by on my dinner break," he offered.

"Yeah. I'd like that," she said softly.

He smiled, and reached out, resting his hand on her arm. "Call my cell phone if you need me to bring anything over."

She hesitated a second, then moved forward and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. For everything."

Bosco wrapped his arms around her. "You're welcome." He kissed the side of her head.

She closed her eyes for a moment, placing a soft kiss against his shoulder. "Be careful."

"I will." He rubbed her back before pulling away. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Faith nodded slightly, opening the door for him silently.

Before exiting the apartment he placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

She watched him go, leaning her head on the doorframe as she stared after him.

He let out a breath before pulling open the door to the stairwell. Bosco turned to look at her, smiling softly before disappearing down the stairs.

* * *

Davis glanced at Bosco out of the corner of his eye. "Okay. What gives?"

Bosco turned to look at his partner. "Whaddya mean?"

"I mean you been grinnin' like the Cheshire cat all day. What gives?"

"Well...I saw Faith last night."

"Yeah?"

He nodded his head. "Martie, the bartender, gave me her address cause she wasn't at work. Her son was really sick. Had to go to the ER."

"He all right?"

"Yeah. He's got an ear infection and strep, but he was doin' much better when I left this afternoon."

"Whoa. You spent the night?"

"I spent the night sittin' on the floor next to Charlie's bed while Faith sat with him," he informed his partner softly.

Davis looked over at him, a mixture of surprise and relief on his face. He let out a breath. "Good. That's good." He shook his head.

"What? You were thinkin' I...slept with her?"

"I was hopin' you had more sense than that."

"She's a good person, Ty. She's not like all the others."

"She's still a hooker, Bosco."

"If I can help her...she won't be for much longer."

"I think you're settin' yourself up to be let down."

Bosco shook his head. "We're goin' to her place on our meal period."

“Uh...excuse me?"

"I told her I'd stop by to check on her and Charlie. You don't have to stay if it creeps you out. You can just drop me off."

"Look, it doesn't creep me out. She seems like an okay person. It just creeps me out that you're so determined to be part of her life."

"You can't tell me that -you've- never wanted to step in, and...save somebody."

"If it was just about that, then fine. I'd have no problem with it. My problem is that this isn't just helpin' somebody to you. This is like...a serious crush or somethin'."

He let out a sigh, and looked at Davis. "I can't turn off the way I feel. I tried for a week, and I couldn't do it."

"Fine, feel the way you feel. Help her. Then get the hell out."

"Since when have you been so close-minded?"

"Have you even considered the fact she might have HIV or syphillis or somethin'? I mean, how many guys do you think have screwed her without protection?"

"Look Davis, when we're ready to have sex I'll make sure she gets checked out. But until then what's the point of worryin' about it?!"

"Damn, Boz. You already got a wedding day picked out, too?"

"Fuck you, Ty."

He shook his head. "You think I'm bein' close minded but you're bein' naive. I know you care about her. Believe me, I get that. I'm just sayin'...be careful. Because the pieces just don't add up here. I don't wanna see you get hurt or worse."

"I'm bein' careful."

"All right. So let's just leave it at that."

* * *

"Well, this is the place." Bosco looked out the window at the apartment building. "You wanna just swing by and pick me up when our break's over?"

"Sure." Davis nodded. "I'll see you in a little while."

"Just call me when you're outside." He glanced over at Davis before opening the door, and climbing out of the RMP.

"Have fun."

Bosco's eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to figure out if his partner was being sincere or not. Deciding he didn't want another argument with him today he shut the door, and hurried into the building.

Davis shook his head as he watched his friend disappear inside the rundown looking apartment building. Then he drove off in search of a decent food establishment, hoping he could locate one nearby.

He wasn't near as nervous this time as he knocked on Faith's apartment door. As he waited for her to answer he rested his hands on his gunbelt, and stared down at the floor.

When she opened the door, her eyes were red-rimmed and she looked exhausted. She managed to force a faint smile. "Hey. Come on in."

"Did something happen," he asked quickly, his voice full of concern.

"What? No, no...Charlie's doin' okay. He's sleeping."

He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped inside. "Been thinkin' about Emily?" His voice was a mere whisper.

She was silent for a moment. "Yeah," she admitted, closing the door behind him. She motioned to the photo albums that were strung out on the floor. "Been a long day."

"Sorry." He kissed her cheek. "I'm sure it's not easy."

"I wanna show you something." Her voice was soft and she reached out, touching his arm lightly before moving over to the sofa.

Bosco tilted his head a little, and followed her.

She drew in a breath as she picked up two photos that were on the small coffee table. She handed them to him. "Do you remember these?"

He stared at the pictures, a soft expression on his face. "Yeah. We were supposed to go to the library to study, but Emily spotted a playground on the way there." He swallowed hard as he looked at the picture of him standing behind Emily with a grin on his face while she sat on a swing posing for the picture. In the second picture he was laying on his back on the grass, and baby Charlie was laying on his chest. The two of them were staring at each other in the picture.

"She adored you," she whispered, her voice slightly strained.

Bosco turned to look at her. "She was a sweet little girl."

Tears prickled at her eyes. "Yeah. She was."

He looked at the pictures once more before placing them on the table. He reached for Faith's hand.

She closed her eyes as he slid his fingers through hers.

He brought her hand up to his lips, and kissed it softly, then held her hand against his cheek.

"I never in a million years woulda thought I'd see you again."

"I kept hopin' that someday I'd be on a call, and you'd be in uniform workin' out of another precinct." He kissed her hand again. "Why'd you leave?"

"I should check on Charlie." Her voice was soft as she avoided his question, standing up slowly.

"Yeah, okay." He stood up as well. "Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"I really don't mean to pry...it's just kinda hard not to ask questions."

"I know. But I can't give you answers," she whispered.

"Maybe someday?"

Her eyes were sad. "Yeah. Maybe."

He reached for her hand. "Let's go check on Charlie."

She took his hand and led him back toward her son's bedroom, thankful that he didn't push the issue any farther.

"He been awake at all," he asked softly as they neared the room.

"Yeah. He drank some chicken broth earlier and ate some ice chips. His fever's stayed down all day."

"Good." He squeezed her hand. "You get any sleep?"

"No. I'm afraid I won't wake up if he needs me."

"Do you want me to come over tonight? I could sit with him while you get some sleep," he offered.

Faith looked up at him in surprise. "You would do that?"

"Yeah." He nodded his head.

Her eyes were soft as she gazed at him silently for a long moment. "Are you sure it wouldn't be any trouble?"

"No trouble at all," he assured her.

"I just need to get a couple hours of sleep and I'll be all right."

"I can be here by midnight, and I can stay until mid-morning. You can get more than a couple hours."

She bit her lip. "I would really appreciate it," she said softly.

"I'll be here."

* * *

Charlie turned over in his bed, his eyes closed. "Mom?" he mumbled.

Bosco's eyes widened. "Uh...she's sleepin' Charlie," he told the boy softly.

He opened his eyes and sat up a little, gazing at the man's face in the semi-dark room. "Uncle B?" There was surprise in his voice.

"What?"

"You're really here."

"Uh...did you call me 'Uncle B'?"

The young boy nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off him. "That's what Emily always calls you."

His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "She knew who I was?"

"Yeah. She used to tell me about how you'd take her to the park or play hide and seek with her."

Bosco got off the floor, and sat down on Charlie's bed. "How'd you know it was me?"

"Pictures," he explained.

"You were just a baby last time I saw you."

Charlie nodded slightly. "I don't really remember that."

"No," Bosco chuckled softly. "You probably wouldn't." He reached out, and touched the back of his hand to Charlie's forehead. "How you feelin'?"

"Better. Where's Mom?"

"She's sleeping in her room. You need anything?"

He shook his head. "She's not sick again, is she?" There was worry in his voice.

"Sick? When was she sick?"

He looked thoughtful. "A few days ago...umm...Friday. Yeah, Friday. Cause we had macaroni and cheese at school."

That had been the night that he'd been taking her to the diner, and he didn't remember Faith being sick. Bosco's eyebrows furrowed. "I didn't know she was sick," he said softly.

"I got up to go to the bathroom and I heard funny noises. I went to her room to see what was wrong and she was cryin'. I only cry when I'm sick."

Bosco nodded his head slightly. "Well, she's not sick this time," he whispered. "She's just tired cause we were up with you cause we wanted to make sure you were feelin' okay."

"Oh. Okay. That's good. I don't want Mom to be sick." He smiled and laid his head back down on the pillow.

He ran his hand over Charlie's hair. "I don't want that either. And we both want you to get better."

He nodded. "Me too." He was silent for a moment. "Uncle B?"

"Yeah Charlie?"

"Will you stay with us?" he asked sleepily.

"Stay with you?"

"Forever," he murmured, his eyes drifting shut.

"I'll see what I can do," he whispered, leaning down and kissing Charlie's head.

The young boy fell back to sleep with a soft smile on his face.

* * *


Faith looked around the bar tiredly. Charlie was doing much better and she had to go back to work. And since she missed two days she had to try and make up for all the money she lost during that time in order to make the payment that was due in less than 24 hours.

"Hey, miss! Over here."

She glanced over and saw a young man seated at a table by himself. She offered him a smile as she walked to his table. "What can I get for you?"

He was nervous, and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Well...I uh..."

She sat down across from him silently, waiting.

"A friend of mine...well he told me that if I came here I could, uh, well...he said that there were these rooms in back, and..."

She nodded. "Yeah, there are," she said softly.

"How do I get to go back there, and...you know?"

"Well...do you have money?"

He swallowed hard, and nodded his head.

"I can take you back there, or one of the women can. It's up to you."

"You seem nice," he told her softly.

Faith stood up and held her hand out to him.

He smiled, and slipped his hand into hers as he stood up.

She drew in a breath as she led him into the back, unlocking one of the doors. A familiar sick feeling in her stomach. At least he seemed like a halfway decent guy. She stepped into the room, waited til he did the same, then she closed and locked the door, leaning against it.

"I've never done this before," he told her softly as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the room.

"Had sex? Or paid for it?" Her voice was just as soft.

"Had sex," he whispered.

She was silent for a moment. "Are you sure this is how you want your first time to be?"

"I-I think so." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "You aren't gonna like...judge me or anything right? Like...if I'm bad at it."

"No, of course not." She gazed at him. "But if you're not sure this is what you want, you could always come back some other time. Your first time should be special," she said quietly.

"It's gonna be hard for my first time to be special if I don't know what I'm doing," he told her with a shy smile. "I mean...I don't have a girlfriend, but when I do have one...I wanna be ready, ya know?"

She nodded slightly, a sad smile on her face. "Yeah. What's your name?"

"My name's Mark."

"I'm Faith," she told him.

He pressed his lips together, and nodded his head. "It's nice to meet you," he said softly.

"Do you have protection, Mark?"

"Oh...yeah." He pulled a few packages out of his pocket, and set them on the table in the room. "I uh...I didn't know what kind."

She drew in a breath. "Well, it doesn't matter to me, so you pick."

"Um, sure...okay." He took a deep breath, and looked at the description on each of the condom wrappers. "I guess this one." He shrugged, and held it out to her.

She took it from him. "You know how much this costs, right?" she asked softly.

"Well my friend said it was like $200, but I brought more just incase."

Faith nodded, realizing there was really nothing left to talk about. She moved over to the bed, setting the package down on the blankets. "Do you wanna be on top or bottom?"

"Uh..." He ran his hand through his hair. "Top I guess," he whispered nervously.

"Okay. It's okay to be nervous," she told him quietly.

He smiled softly. "Thanks for bein' so nice."

She nodded slightly. She reached out and slowly undid the top button of his shirt.

"You probably hear this all the time, but...you really are beautiful," he told her quietly as he gazed at her.

"Thanks," she said softly, not meeting his eyes as she finished unbuttoning his shirt.

After Faith has slipped the shirt off his shoulders Mark reached out tentatively, and rested his hands on her hips.

"You wanna help me undress?" she asked quietly.

"Su-sure." He slid his hands around to the front of her body, and very slowly untied the shirt she was wearing before gently pushing it off her shoulders.

Within moments they were both undressed. "You're sure this is what you want?" she asked again, giving him one more chance to back out.

"Yes," he whispered as he gazed at her.

Faith slid the condom on over him with expert hands and slowly eased herself down onto the bed, lying down on her back.

He swallowed hard, and carefully laid down beside her. "Will you tell me if I'm doin' somethin' wrong?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Thanks." He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder before rolling over, and sliding his body over hers.

She closed her eyes as he began to move against her and she found herself imagining that it was Bosco making love to her. The thought startled her and she chided herself for it. She and Bosco couldn't be together. He said he loved her, but if he knew what she really did for a living, it would change everything.

He was a cop. She was a whore. No way in hell would that ever work out.

* * *

Bosco went inside, and headed straight for the bar. He knew Faith was coming back to work tonight, and he wanted to see her. As much as he hated the thought of what she did while she was at work he still couldn't get himself to stay away. He knew that there had to be a really good reason why she was working as a prostitute. "Seen Faith around," he asked as he approached the bar.

Martie glanced up at him. "Yeah, she's...in back." His voice was quiet.

“Oh." He cringed, and his expression turned somber. "Well...can I uh...get a beer?"

"Sure thing, Maurice." He walked over, grabbed a bottle of beer and twisted the lid off, handing it to him.

Bosco reached into his pocket, and pulled out five bucks. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. How was work?"

"Same crimes, different day," he responded with a small smirk.

He grinned. "Faith said Charlie's doin' a lot better."

"That's great." Bosco smiled as he thought about how Charlie had called him Uncle B. "Thanks for trustin' me enough to give me her address."

Martie nodded. "You seem like a decent guy."

"Can I ask you somethin'?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Bosco took a swig of his beer, and then leaned on the bar. "How come you're workin' here?"

"The money's good," Martie informed him.

"Yeah, but...you're involved in somethin'...illegal," he whispered.

"I have three kids I'm payin' child support for. Their mother's hooked on crack. Half the time she forgets to feed them. I'm petitioning for custody and if I get it, we're moving outta the city, away from all this."

He nodded his head, and took another drink of his beer. "Workin' here's a pretty big risk."

"Yeah. That's true. But you do what you gotta do, right?"

“Once I figure out how to help Faith...how to get her outta here. Maybe we can do somethin' for you, too."

Martie grinned, shaking his head. "What are you? Some kind of superhero?" he joked.

"I like to think so." Bosco grinned, and took a long drink of his beer.

A moment later, Faith emerged from the back, followed closely by an older man who was grinning broadly.

Martie sighed softly as he noticed the familiar embarrassed look on his friend's face.

Bosco looked up at Martie, and then followed his line of sight. He looked down at the beer he was holding. "She doesn't know that I know."

"She doesn't?" There was surprise in his voice.

He shook his head. "No. There wasn't really a good time to tell her that I'd figured it out."

"You should tell her," he said quietly.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. If nothing else it'll make her realize that you've known for awhile and you're still here."

He nodded his head before taking another long drink of his beer. Bosco set the bottle down on the counter. "How 'bout another one of these?"

"Sure." Martie moved and got him another beer just as Faith walked up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, Martie." Bosco peered over at Faith. "Hey."

She glanced over. "Hi," she said, a little surprised to see him.

He smiled softly. "How ya doin'?"

She shrugged. "Same ole'. You?'

"Not too bad. Just got off work, and I thought I'd come see you."

She smiled faintly, leaning against the bar as she gazed at him.

Bosco reached out, and ran his finger over her hand that was resting on the counter. He glanced at Martie, then back at Faith. "We should talk," he whispered.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"No." He shook his head, and smiled softly. "Nothin's wrong."

She smiled again, relieved. "Okay, um...I've got a break comin' up so...I'll just take it early."

Martie nodded his approval.

"Sounds good." Bosco turned to look at Martie, and let out a breath. He then picked up his beer. "Where to?"

"Um...well, it's kinda cold outside, so...we could just go in back," she said with a slight shrug.

"Works for me." He reached for Faith's hand with his free hand.

She slid her fingers through his, genuinely glad to see him. She led him into the back, unlocking one of the rooms and stepping inside.

"I've been thinkin' about you all day," he told her softly before placing a kiss on her cheek.

"You have?" She gazed at him as she leaned against the door.

He nodded his head, and smiled. "Yeah."

"I've been thinkin' about you, too," she admitted softly.

"Really?" His eyes lit up. "You been thinkin' about good stuff right?"

She smiled faintly. "I didn't know there was bad stuff," she said lightly, teasing.

He chuckled softly. "That's right, there's not."

"So what'd you wanna talk about? Charlie? Cause he's doin' good."

"Martie told me Charlie was doin' better, but...that's not what I wanted to talk about," he told her softly. He took a sip of his beer, and then set the bottle down on the table.

She watched him, sensed that whatever it was was important. Serious. "Well...what is it?"

"Come sit down," he told her softly as he started moving toward the bed.

Faith had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, remaining silent as she waited for him to tell her whatever he was about to say.

Bosco took one of her hands between his. "You remember how I told you that I'd fallen in love with you?"

“Yeah. Kinda hard to forget when someone says that to ya," she said softly.

There was a warm smile on his face for a moment as he nodded his head. His expression grew serious once more, and he gently massaged her hand. "Faith," he whispered. "I know what you do here."

"Excuse me?"

He closed his eyes, and let out a breath before looking at her. "I know that you...that you uh..." He swallowed hard. "I know that guys pay to have sex with you," he finished in a soft whisper.

The color drained from her face and she quickly pulled her hand away. "I don't know what you're talking about." There was a hint of fear in her voice.

"It's okay, Faith. I figured it out, and Martie knows that I know. And I'm not gonna tell anybody."

"Why? You want a freebie?" There was a hint of bitterness to her tone.

The comment stung almost as much as when she'd slapped him a little over a week ago, and he shook his head. "No. Because I'm in love with you, and I know that there's a good reason behind why you're doin' this." Bosco shook his head again, and looked down at the floor. "I'm not that kinda guy, Faith." The hurt was evident in his voice.

His soft tone made her close her eyes tightly as she wrapped her arms around herself, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry," she said very softly.

"I just wanted you to know, that I know." He took a deep breath. "And even though it's kinda hard to swallow...I'm gonna deal with it, and I'm gonna help you get outta here."

She shook her head. "You can't," she said quietly.

"Why not," he asked in a whisper. "I don't understand. Make me understand."

"No other job is gonna pay me as much as what I make here."

"Is it worth it? Havin' all these guys use you like that?" His voice was gentle as he questioned her.

"I don't have a choice." Her voice was flat, dull.

"Why not, Faith? What's going on that forces you to need this much money?"

"I told you before. I don't have the answers that you want." She turned and headed for the door.

"Faith please don't walk away."

"Bosco, I can't tell you what you wanna know." She was faced away from him, but she had halted in her steps.

"Do you love me? At all...even a little?"

She closed her eyes tightly. "Yes. And that's why this is so hard," she whispered.

"I've never fallen this hard, this fast," he told her as he stood up, and walked over to her. "But there's gotta be a way to make this work."

She turned to face him, her eyes sad. "If there is, I'm not seein' it. We're from two different worlds, Bosco. You're a police officer. I'm a whore." Her words were soft.

"Don't call yourself that."

"I get paid to have sex with men. That's what a whore is. That's what I am."

He ran his hand over his face, and was silent for a moment. "I wanna keep seeing you," he whispered.

"Why?" she whispered back. "If your work finds out, you could lose your job for not turnin' me in. Why would you risk that?"

"I told you...I'm in love with you."

She closed her eyes, bowing her head.

"I know that none of this makes any sense. I -know- that." He walked over to her, and put his hands on her hips. "But I can't stop thinking about you."

Faith opened her eyes and gazed at him. "How do you know it's love?" she asked softly. "How do you know it's not just a crush?"

"Because there are two things that could have sent me running. One being the fact that you have a child, and the other being your work." He leaned in a little closer to her. "But I'm still here."

Her eyes were soft and her gaze dropped to his lips.

"I don't know how it's gonna work out, but I'm willin' to try," he whispered.

Unable to resist, she leaned forward, closing the small space between them as she lightly brushed her lips over his.

His eyes slipped shut, and he slid his arms around her waist as he returned the soft kiss.

After a moment, she leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes. "This isn't fair. You have no idea what you're gettin' into." Her voice was barely audible.

"And since you can't tell me I've made the decision to go ahead and take the risk." He pressed his lips against hers.

Faith kissed him back again, reaching up and touching his face gently.

He nibbled gently on her lips as he slowly rubbed her back.

She shifted closer to him, their bodies pressed together as she deepened the kiss, resting her other hand on the back of his neck.

A soft moan escaped him as he held her tight, their tongues slowly exploring each other.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt her body beginning to respond to the gentle caresses and kisses. Usually she was so shut down emotionally while she worked that she didn't feel anything physically either. But it was much different with Bosco. She felt close to him in a way she didn't even fully understand.

He pulled away a few moments later, trying to catch his breath. His arms were still wrapped around her, holding her close to him.

Faith's eyes fluttered open and she gazed at him silently, her heart pounding quickly against her chest.

Bosco smiled softly, and lifted a hand to touch her cheek. "I'd like to do that more often," he whispered softly.

“Me too," she said just as softly.

"Good." He kissed her forehead.

She slid her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes once more.

He swallowed hard. "Faith?"

"Yeah?" she whispered.

"Is it different with me," he asked in a very quiet whisper.

Faith pulled away to look at him, her eyes sad. "Very," she whispered back.

He nodded slightly, and placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips. "Can I ask you a couple personal questions about your job?"

She nodded silently, trying to prepare herself for whatever he was about to ask her.

"Do you use protection," he asked in a hushed voice.

“Yeah," she said softly. "It's my number one rule."

"What kind?"

"I'm on the pill and if they don't have a condom, I leave."

"Okay." He breathed a sigh of relief. "I just...I just wanted to make sure you..." He swallowed hard. "Well I didn't know if you could afford bein' on the pill," he whispered. "So..."

Faith nodded slightly, then kissed his cheek.

He pulled her close, giving her a hug.

She rested her head on his shoulder again, closing her eyes.

"I want you to know that you can come to me for anything," he told her softly.

She swallowed hard, her arms tightening around him fractionally. She nodded against his cheek, unable to answer him.

Bosco sighed softly. "I should probaby go, huh?"

She released a breath. "Yeah. I should get back out there."

He pulled back, and kissed her lips once more. "When you get home tell Charlie that Uncle B said hi."

"I will," she promised. "Goodnight, Bosco."

"'Night Faith." He kissed her once more before unlocking the door, and letting himself out.

She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. She sat down on the edge of the bed, remaining motionless for a long time. She had a feeling her life had just become a whole lot more complicated than it already was.

* * *

Faith was exhausted, but she made it to the warehouse five minutes early this time. She dreaded going inside and handing over the money since she was nearly 300 dollars short. The combination of the cost of Charlie's prescription and missing two days of work to take care of him while he was sick hadn't allowed her to make the full payment. She prayed to God that they didn't notice. She stepped inside nervously, clutching the strap of her purse.

"Wow. Look who’s early."

She didn't answer, she simply pulled the money from her purse, avoiding his eyes.

"Oh, and I wanted to thank you again for last time," he told her with a smirk as he reached for the money.

She flinched slightly as their fingers brushed and she quickly turned to leave, just wanting to get the hell out of there.

"What's the big hurry?" the other man asked, grinning as he blocked her path.

"Yeah. What's the hurry? We had big plans for you tonight."

"Please. My son's been sick all week," she whispered.

"Sick, huh?"

"Very."

"Well...we'd hate for anything to happen to him."

There was hatred in her eyes as she looked at him silently.

"I guess we could let you go home early...this time."

She didn't reply, she simply turned and headed for the door.

The other man grabbed her arm. "Where are your manners?" he demanded. "Say thank you."

"Always remember how much worse we can make this for you."

"Thank you," she said, her voice tense.

"See you next time," he told her with a smile.

The man let her go and she quickly headed for the door, feeling sick to her stomach.

"I can't wait til next week," he said to his friend with a grin.

"Oh I know. Seeing as -we- didn't get our payment this week." He laughed. "We're gonna have to rest up."

"We shouldn't have let her leave so fast."

"It's alright. It's not like we'll never see her again."

"I know, but...I was really in the mood to fuck."

He chuckled. "I totally know what you mean. She's a fine piece of ass."

"Why don't we pay her a little visit at work this week?" He grinned.

"I think that's the best idea you've had in a long time." He clapped the other man on the shoulder.

He nodded and picked up the stack of money, beginning to count it.

"Time to go see the boss."

"Hold on." His eyes narrowed. "The bitch is 300 short!"

"What?!"

"That fucking slut. No wonder she wanted to get outta here so fast. She shorted us!"

"Son of a bitch!"

His eyes were dark as he looked at his companion. "Guess we'll get to see her again soon after all."

He nodded his head. "She was just askin' for trouble. And now...she's got it."

"We'll teach the bitch a lesson she'll never forget," he said darkly.

* * *

It hadn't taken her long to fall asleep after the long shift she'd worked that night. Her body was completely exhausted. She hadn't even gotten home til nearly 3 in the morning and her babysitter Tammy hadn't been very happy that she'd had to stay the extra hour and a half. Faith had apologized and given her an extra twenty. She had to keep the girl happy because Tammy was the only reliable babysitter she knew. And her son couldn't stay alone at his age while she worked.

She hadn't been asleep very long when she was awakened by a soft scuffling sound in her bedroom. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly but she didn't open her eyes. "Charlie? You have a bad dream?" she murmured. When she didn't hear him respond or feel her mattress shift like it did when he'd had a nightmare and he crawled under the covers with her, she started to sit up, only to feel a hand clamp tightly over her mouth. Her heart leapt into her throat as she opened her eyes and saw the two men standing by her bed. She recognized both of them and icy cold tendrils of fear wrapped around her spine.

"Make one sound, and your son dies. You hear me?"

She nodded, terrified because she knew he meant it.

"You shorted the boss on his payment this week and now you have to pay the consequences," the other man told her, a faint smile on his face.

The first man pulled a large whip out from behind his back. "Remember, not one sound..."

"Turn over," the second man commanded.

A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye and fearing for her son's life, she did as instructed. She felt one of them yank at her nightgown, heard the material ripping as he tore it away from her body.

There was a cold look in his eyes as he raised the whip, and a second later it sliced through the air.

She buried her face into the pillow, flinching as the leather strip bit into her flesh. She had to bite down hard on her tongue to keep from crying out.

With a satisfied smirk he continued to whip her, watching as large red welts formed on her back, and a few of them sliced open.

Her body trembled violently against the beating it was receiving, her hands clutching the pillow beneath her face tightly.

"Hit the bitch harder. Make sure she learns her lesson," the second man said coldly.

He nodded his head, and the whip sliced through the air with more force.

The pain was so intense she thought she was going to die.

After a few more lashes he stopped the beating. "Next time it'll be a lot worse."

Faith let out an inaudible, shuddering breath against the pillow as she heard them leave her bedroom. She could feel blood trickling down her back, the stinging pain still intense. She needed to get up and check on her son, make sure that he was safe. Before she could even lift her head from the pillow, darkness flooded her vision and she passed out from the excruciating pain.


* * *

Faith leaned heavily against the wall outside Bosco's apartment door as she held Charlie tightly in her arms while he slept. He'd fallen asleep in the cab on the way over and she didn't have the heart to wake him when they'd arrived at the building. Her body was trembling with the effort it took to remain standing, supporting not only her weight, but her son's, as well. She wasn't sure she'd ever been in so much pain in her entire life. She knocked on the door, closing her eyes and praying to God he was at home.

Bosco had fallen into a light sleep on the couch with the television on. He jumped when he heard the knocking on his door, and quickly turned toward it. Blinking a few times he slowly pushed himself off the couch and made his way to the door. He unlocked the door, and yawned as he pulled it open.

She opened her eyes when she heard him open the door. She stood there motionless, combination of fear and pain in her eyes and on her face.

As soon as he saw that it was her, and he took in the expression on her face he was wide awake. "Faith?"

"Can we come in?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "Here, let me take him."

She carefully slid her son's body into Bosco's arms, leaning against the doorframe for support.

"Come sit down. I'll take him to my room."

She nodded, but didn't answer as she slowly moved away from the door, closing and locking it behind her, her hands shaking.

"I'll be right back," he told her softly before carrying Charlie down the hall to his bedroom. He carefully laid Charlie down on the bed, and covered him with a blanket. "What's goin' on, Faith," he asked quietly as he came back into the living room.

Her face was buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she tried not to cry.

"Faith, talk to me," he whispered as he moved over toward the sofa, and crouched down in front of her.

She shook her head, unable to find her voice. She didn't even know what she was going to tell him when she could actually bring herself to speak again.

"Did something happen at work," he asked softly.

She shook her head again, drawing in a shaky breath.

"Charlie's okay, right?"

"He's fine," she managed to whisper.

"What about you? Are you sick or somethin'?"

A couple of tears spilled down her cheek as she looked at him.

He reached up to brush the tears away. "Tell me so I can help you," he whispered.

She swallowed hard, slowly gripping the bottom of her shirt and starting to pull it off over her head. She winced, a small gasp of pain escaping her lips as the material brushed over her back.

His eyebrows furrowed when she started to take her shirt off, and hearing the sound that escaped her only caused more worry to creep up on him. "Faith?"

Another tear sliding down her cheek she slowly turned her body on the sofa so that her back was toward him, her shoulders shaking.

"Oh my God." His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard when he saw her back. Her skin was red, and marked with large, painful looking welts. There were also numerous gashes that were bleeding. "Oh my God. Faith, what happened?"

A soft sob escaped her lips. "I'm in so much trouble," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"Shhhh." He kissed her cheek. "Let me take care of your back...then we'll talk."

She swallowed hard, trying to separate herself from the pain as she laid down on his sofa on her stomach, resting her head on the soft cushions.

He gently stroked her hair for a moment. "I'm gonna go get the first aid kit. I'll be right back."

Faith nodded wordlessly, closing her eyes as her body trembled from the pain.

Bosco pushed himself off the floor, and hustled down the hall to his bathroom. He pulled the first aid kit out from under the sink before searching through the medicine cabinet for anything else that might come in handy. He returned to the living room, and knelt down next to the sofa, spreading the supplies out on the floor. "I'm gonna have to clean these," he whispered.

"I know," she whispered back. She took a deep breath, trying to relax.

Biting his lip in concentration he pulled out a sterile cloth, and poured some peroxide on it. "This is gonna sting," he warned her. "I'll be as quick as I can."

She bit down hard on her lip, holding her breath as she felt the stinging pain on her back.

He quickly moved the cloth over her back, dabbing at the cuts to make sure that he cleaned them the best that he could. When he was done he set the cloth down, and began to open some of the large bandages that were in the kit. He gently placed them over the cuts, and then taped them down. "You're doin' great," he told her softly as he worked.

She didn't answer, her breathing shallow as she kept her eyes closed, a few tears leaking out from under her eyelashes.

He placed a kiss on her shoulder. "I'm gonna get some ice. That should help with the pain."

Faith nodded, swallowing hard though her mouth was completely dry.

Bosco went into the kitchen, and pulled the ice container out of the freezer. He found some ziploc bags in the cupboard, and began to make a few small ice packs for Faith. Pausing for a moment he ran his hand through his hair as he wondered what kind of trouble she could possibly be in to cause something like this to happen. He quickly pushed the questions from his mind. Right now he needed to take care of her physically, and they could work on the actual problem a little later.

Her head ached, though not quite as much as the pain in her back, and she was feeling light headed again.

"This is gonna be cold," he informed her before carefully placing the ice packs on her back.

She barely felt it as she started to drift toward unconsciousness once more.

"Faith?"

She didn't answer.

"Faith?!" He reached up, and touched her cheek, hoping to get some kind of response.

She didn't move or respond verbally.

"Oh God," he whispered. Bosco immediately placed two fingers on her neck to check for a pulse, relieved to find one. He then watched as the ice packs moved up and down on her back, indicating that she was still breathing. He closed his eyes, thankful that she had passed out, and that it didn't appear to be anything worse. As he watched her he gently ran his fingers through her hair.

***

Part Eight

She drifted in and out of consciousness for hours, pain flickering through her injured body each time she started to awaken. When she did finally wake up, she opened her eyes and found herself in unfamiliar surroundings, bolting upright on the sofa she was lying on in fear.

Bosco quickly got out of his chair, startled by her sudden movement. "Faith, it's okay."

She drew in a deep breath as she lifted her eyes to his face, her heart pounding hard against her chest.

He knelt down in front of her, gazing at her with concerned eyes. "How you feelin'," he asked softly as he reached out, and put his hand on her arm. "You scared the hell outta me."

She closed her eyes as her heart started to slowly calm down. "Hurts," she murmured, swallowing hard.

"You want me to get you some Tylenol? I know it's not much, but..."

"Yes, please," she said without hesitation.

"Okay." He stood up, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna peek in on Charlie real quick, too."

She nodded, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly.

He headed down the hall, and grabbed the bottle of Extra Stength Tylenol out of the medicine cabinet. On his way back he quietly stepped inside his bedroom to see if Charlie was still sleeping. Satisfied that the young boy was comfortable he bypassed the living room to get a bottle of water out of his refrigerator before returning to Faith's side. "Here," he whispered, handing her the bottle of water that he'd uncapped, and then shaking out a couple pills for her.

"Thank you," she said softly, her voice barely audible. She slipped the pills in her mouth and drank them down quickly with the water, not looking at him.

Bosco lifted his hand, and gently touched her cheek. "Maybe you should lay back down?"

She nodded slightly, carefully easing herself back down onto her stomach, releasing a painful breath.

His eyes were sad as he watched her, wishing there was something he could do to take the pain away. "Faith...maybe I should take you to the hospital," he whispered.

"No. No hospitals." The hospital staff would ask too many questions that she couldn't give them answers for, not to mention that the police would probably be called in on a suspected domestic case. "It's not worth the risk," she murmured, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to breathe shallowly and move as little as possible.

"I don't know what else to do for you," he told her softly as he sat on the floor, gently stroking her hair.

"You've done more than enough," she whispered.

"No I haven't," he whispered back. He leaned in close to her, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

A tear slid down her cheek as she kissed him back lightly.

"I wanna help you, Faith," he murmured against her lips. "Please let me help you."

“It's too dangerous, Bosco." She closed her eyes tightly.

"Whatever this is...you can't fight it alone."

"I have to," she whispered.

"No. You don't."

“You're too involved already. I don't wanna put anyone else at risk."

"Faith, what if you can't handle this alone? What if something happens to you?" He paused. "What's Charlie gonna do?"

"You don't understand." Her voice was barely audible. "If I tell anyone...it's Charlie that's at risk. They'll kill him."

"What? Who?"

"I can't," she whispered, her chest tightening as she felt a sob forming.

"I could...I could get him somewhere safe," he offered.

"It doesn't matter. They'll find him."

"I'm a cop, Faith. I can make sure he's safe."

She sat up slowly, her back aching with the movement. "There are people in the police department who know what's going on." Her voice was tense.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a look of disbelief on his face. "What?"

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." She looked down at the floor.

"I never said I didn't believe you," he tried to assure her. "I just...how could they know this was happening, and not do anything?"

"Because they're in on it," she said flatly.

"Who? Tell me who."

"I don't know their names. Just faces."

"Oh God." Bosco stood up, and began to pace.

Faith swallowed hard, her shoulders trembling as she remained silent.

He raked a hand through his hair. "I'm not gonna stand by and let this happen."

"You can't do anything to stop it." Her voice was nearly inaudible.

"Yes I can!" He raised his voice, with a hint of panic.

She didn't answer, her eyes locked on the carpet.

"Me and my partner, we're damn good at what we do. We could figure something out."

"I'm not sayin' you're not good at your job." Her voice was strained. "But this is...it's too complicated and it's dangerous and...even if there weren't cops that we're workin' on the other side...I'm not even sure if the whole department could do anything."

Bosco stopped pacing, and dropped down into his recliner. He rubbed his forehead. "Faith...I need to try. -We- need to try."

“And I'm tellin' you. It'll get you killed. It'll get me killed. And Charlie. And I won't let that happen."

"So what am I supposed to do, Faith? I'm supposed to just stand by and watch this happen to you? I'm supposed to keep visiting my girlfriend in between sessions with customers?"

She jerked her head up to look at him. "I shouldn't have come here."

"No." He shook his head closing his eyes. "I...I want you to come here. I just...how can I not wanna help you?"

Faith was silent for a long time. "If I tell you, you gotta swear to me on your mother's life that you won't say a word to anyone, ever."

"What about my partner?"

"Not even your partner."

He started to object, but nodded his head. "I swear," he whispered.

She gazed at him. "My son's life is at stake. I'm trustin' you to keep your word," she whispered back.

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt Charlie."

She stood up slowly, wincing as the movement stretched the wounds on her back. "You know that Fred had a drinking problem."

Bosco nodded. "Yeah."

"He had another problem, too. With gambling. I didn't even know until it was too late." She swallowed hard, looking out his living room window. "He gambled away our life savings and the college funds that I'd started for the kids. And when that was gone, he borrowed money from a rich man. A lot of money."

"How much," he asked softly.

"About three million," she whispered.

His eyes widened. "Three million?"

She nodded silently, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "What he didn't know was that the man he was borrowing money from was...is...a very dangerous man."

Bosco stood up, and took a couple steps toward her. "Who'd he borrow it from?"

Faith turned around slowly to face him, her eyes full of fear. "Theodore Chevchenko."

There was a shocked expression on his face. "Fred got involved with Chevchenko?"

"You know him?"

"Every cop in the city knows who he is. I mean...no one's ever gotten any charges to stick on him." He ran his hands through his hair.

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Fred left me and the kids when he realized how far in debt we were. How it wasn't even gonna be feasible to pay Chevchenko back. He skipped town and I haven't seen or heard from him since."

"And Chevchenko's making -you- pay for Fred's debt?"

"I didn't even know what was goin' on until these men showed up at my door in the middle of the night a week later." Her voice was strained.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Faith swallowed hard, turned away from him. "They said that Chevchenko had sent them to tell me that I owed him everything that Fred had borrowed...plus interest. That it would be at least 3500 a week in cash and if I missed a payment, there would be consequences." She wiped away a tear that fell from her eye. "I knew I would never be able to make that kinda payments plus pay for an apartment and food and clothes for the kids on a cop's salary. So I quit the academy. There was an ad in the paper for an exotic dancer. I'd never done anything like that before in my life, but I was desperate. I went down to apply for the position and when I got there, the manager told me that there was more than dancing involved. But that I'd make a lot of money fast. He made me um...he made me strip for him before he'd hire me. Wanted to 'check out the merchandise'. He hired me on the spot.”

Bosco closed his eyes. Feeling sick he placed a hand on his stomach. He now understood why Faith kept her job, why she needed the money so desperately, and was willing to sell herself.

She wiped away another tear. "I was makin' the payments on time every week. Every fucking week. But it wasn't enough. One day Emily didn't come home from school on the bus with Charlie. I called the school and they said she'd left with a man, a police officer who said he was friends with her mother." Her voice was strained. "I called every police station in this city tryin' to find her. And the next day I got a call. They'd found a body in the harbor. They wanted me to come and see if...see if it was my daughter."

His eyes welled up with tears, and he swallowed hard. "They killed her," he whispered.

A sob escaped her throat. "His men came by to tell me that...part of the debt had been erased because of it. Like I should have been grateful."

He crossed the few steps that separated them, and very carefully slid his arms around her waist.

She pressed her face against his neck as she cried, her body trembling.

Bosco held her tight with one arm, and lifted his other hand to run his fingers through her hair. "I'm so sorry," he whispered sadly.

"They told me if I ever said anything that they'd kill Charlie, too," she whispered brokenly.

"So that's why you couldn't tell me, and why you didn't want me gettin' involved." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"If they know you know, they'll kill you too."

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered.

"How? How is it gonna be okay?"

"I'll figure something out," he told her softly.

She laid her head on his shoulder, letting her eyes close. "I was short on cash this week cause I stayed home with Charlie. When I made the payment this morning...I only took them 3200 because it was all I had."

“So that's...that's why your back is like this?"

"Yeah. I was sleepin' and um..." She swallowed hard. "I woke up cause I heard a noise. I thought Charlie'd had a nightmare. But they had broken in."

He let out a breath. "You coulda asked me for the money," he told her softly.

"I didn't have time. I thought I could make the rest of the money at work last night, and...by the time I left I had to be there by 2:30."

“Well...thank God it wasn't any worse than this."

"I'm just glad they didn't hurt Charlie," she whispered.

"And your back's gonna heal."

"I know."

Bosco dropped his hand so both arms were wrapped around her waist once again.

Faith rested her cheek against his, closing her eyes tightly.

"I'm gonna figure something out," he told her softly as he held her close.

She let out a breath. "What time is it?"

He lifted his hand to check his watch. "11:15," he told her softly.

"I gotta go home," she murmured, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What? How come?"

"I gotta get ready for work. I'm supposed to cover one of the other girls' shifts this afternoon."

"How are you gonna be able to do that," he asked with concern.

"The same way I always do. I'll just deal with it." Her voice was barely audible.

He nodded his head, and pulled away to look at her. "I'll come check on you tonight."

Faith met his eyes for a brief moment, then kissed his lips softly.

Bosco eagerly returned the gentle kiss. He was unsure if he'd be able to express how much he cared for her in words, and he hoped his actions would speak for him.

She touched his cheek when the kiss ended. "Thank you. For takin' care of me." Her voice was soft.

"It was no problem. I'm glad you came to me."

"I'm just gonna...go get Charlie," she whispered.

"Okay." He gazed at her for a moment, and licked his lips. Not ready to let her go he leaned in to kiss her.

Faith closed her eyes and kissed him back again.

He pressed for entrance, and slowly deepened the kiss.

Her lips parted, allowing him access to her mouth as she pulled him a little closer.

Bosco moaned softly as the kiss got a little more heated. Everything she'd told him tonight made him want to keep her safe even more than before. He wished she could stay here with him. Wished she didn't have to go back to work.

Her heart pounded against her chest and she wasn't sure which of them moved, but a couple moments later they were on his sofa, still kissing.

He slid his hands up to cup her face. Their tongues dancing together.

Faith rested her hands on his shoulders for support as she shifted a little closer to him again.

"Mmm." He pulled away briefly, just to take a breath.

She drew in a lungful of air, as well before their lips met again, a hint of urgency in the embrace.

His hands moved down to her hips, holding her gently for a moment before one hand began to move up and down her side.

She shivered at his light touch, then slowly slid onto his lap, deepening their kiss once more.

He leaned back against the sofa cushions. His heart was thumping in his chest, his blood pumping from the kiss and how close she was.

The feelings were intense, nearly overwhelming. But his lips and tongue were gentle as he kissed her, his caresses light and loving instead of the harsh, demanding ones she was used to from work.

Breathless, he pulled away from her lips, and kissed a trail over to her ear. He blew softly on her earlobe before taking it between his lips.

A soft moan escaped her throat and she slid her hands over his chest as her eyes drifted shut.

He began to nibble gently on the lobe, carefully pulling on it with his teeth as his hands continued to move up and down her sides. After a moment he lowered his lips to her neck.

The sensation of his lips on her neck sent a chill through her and she swallowed hard, tilting her head back a little to allow him better access.

Bosco wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her a little closer. He caressed her skin with his lips, occasionally tasting her with his tongue.

Faith's head was still tilted back, small, soft gasps escaping her. Without thinking about it, she rocked her hips against his instinctively.

He stopped what he was doing. His lips lingered on her neck, as a low moan escaped him.

"Boz..." She leaned forward, kissing his neck, her temperature quickly rising.

The sensations of her kisses, and her body straddling his were more than enough to arouse him. He swallowed hard.

Faith slowly unbuttoned the top button of his shirt as she continued to kiss his neck and collarbone.

Bosco began to run his hands up and down her outer thighs. He was breathing heavily as she kissed him.

She pulled away abruptly, trying to catch her breath.

His eyes widened slightly at her sudden movement. "Sorry."

"No...it's just...Charlie..." she said breathlessly, looking at him.

"Oh...uh..." He bit his lip, not sure what to do.

"We can't...not here," she whispered.

"Where?"

Faith was silent for a moment. "Tonight," she asked softly, uncertainty in her voice.

He nodded his head slowly. "At...the bar?"

She bit her lip. "If you're uncomfortable with that...I'd understand."

"No." He shook his head. "That's fine." Bosco placed a soft kiss on her lips. "It doesn't matter where we are."

"Are you sure?"

"I think so," he whispered.

She kissed him lightly. "I really gotta go," she said softly.

Bosco returned the soft kiss. "I'll see you tonight."