Third Watch Fic: Two Pieces (3-4/4)

[xtremeroswellia]

Faith set her bag down on the nightstand by her hospital bed and unzipped it, turning to glance at Fred, who was standing by the window, staring outside. "What are you thinkin' about?" she asked quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She had never been able to read Fred the way she could read Bosco.

"I was just wonderin' why we had to be here so early if your procedure isn't for another two hours," he mumbled.

She closed her eyes briefly. "Well, paperwork for one. Then there's preparation -before- the surgery..."

"Yeah." He nodded his head, and turned around. "I just hate these places."

"I know." She pulled her toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste out of her bag and set them on the tray by her bed. Then she removed a pair of flannel pajamas.

"How you doin'? You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Faith nodded.

"The procedure's only a couple hours, right?"

"Yep, not very long."

He ran his hand over his head, and let out a breath. "I'll have to leave in time to pick up the kids from school. So I just wanna make sure you'll be out of..."

"I will be. That's a long time from now." She pulled a ponytail holder out of her bag and grabbed her brush, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"Should I bring the kids over tonight, or wait until tomorrow?"

"Why don't we wait and see how things go, okay?"

"Everything's gonna go great." He nodded his head quickly. "Guess I just kinda wanted to have a plan, you know?"

Faith gazed at him. "Yeah. Why don't we wait til tomorrow? I'll probably be kinda out of it right after surgery."

"Okay. But you're gonna be fine," he told her, not sure who he was trying to reassure.

"I know. I just meant out of it from the anesthetic."

"Look, you gonna be okay for a little while? I wanna go get some coffee or something."

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she answered, noticing the anxious, almost agitated tone of his voice.

"All right. I'll be back."

"Okay." Faith watched as he headed out of the room without looking back. She released a breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes for a moment.

Bosco hurried down the hall glancing at the room numbers as he went. Finally finding the room the nurse had told him he stepped into the doorway, and knocked softly on the door.

"Fred, you don't have to kno--" She turned and caught sight of her partner standing there. "Oh. Hey, come on in."

He smiled softly. "Hey. How ya doin'?"

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Tired. I don't usually see this time of day," he joked.

She smiled. "Tell me somethin' I didn't know."

He grinned, walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. "Where's Fred?"

"He went to get coffee."

"And that couldn't wait until you were taken to surgery?"

"Boz, that's two hours from now," she said softly.

"So?"

"He doesn't like hospitals."

He chuckled. "And you do?"

She rolled her eyes. "No."

"I'm just sayin' it woulda been nice if he'd been thinking about you instead of himself."

Faith was quiet for a moment. "He's just scared."

"Yeah, I know," he whispered. "We all are."

She nodded slightly and drew in a breath. "I'm glad you're here."

He looked over at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She met his eyes and offered him a faint smile.

Bosco looked down at the floor. "It wouldn't be right if I were anywhere else," he told her softly. "I needed to be here...for both of us."

She reached out and patted his knee. "Well, the surgery's only supposed to take a couple hours, tops."

He nodded his head. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"I know you will be," she said softly.

"I'll even be nice to Fred," he told her with a smirk.

Faith grinned. "I know it'll be hard."

"Did you tell him I was gonna be here?"

"Yeah, I told him." She nodded.

"Okay." He nodded his head. "Just wanted to prepare myself."

Faith glanced at him. "He doesn't hate you," she said softly.

"Right, Faith," he chuckled. "Did they all ready drug you?"

She elbowed him in the ribs. "Seriously. He doesn't. He's just...very insecure."

"Insecure?" He shook his head in confusion. "What's he got to be insecure about?"

"You and I work together all the time. I see you more than I see Fred. And the kids adore you, always have. They're always talkin' about their 'Uncle B.' He's jealous, Bosco."

"I never thought about that," he told her softly.

"I know. And it's not your fault."

He nodded his head, and let out a breath. "So, how were the kids today?"

"Oh, they're fine. They went to school."

"Did you guys need me to go get them later? Bring 'em over here to see you?"

"Well, Fred and I discussed it...I don't think today's a good day to have them over here."

"Yeah, probably not. You'll wanna rest."

She nodded and let out a breath before reaching over into her bag and pulling a small box out. She glanced over her shoulder to the door before holding it out to him.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What's this?"

"It's a key. To uh...a safety deposit box at Compubank. I want you to hold onto it."

"Faith? What..."

"It's where my will is...there are a few other things too."

"We're not gonna need it."

"I know. But...just in case."

He sighed, and reached for the box. "I'll give it back to you later."

"Thank you."

Bosco nodded his head as he slipped the box into his pocket.

Faith heard footsteps approaching the door and turned to see Fred stepping back into the room with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Hey. Sorry it took so long," he told her softly.

"It's okay. The coffee any good?"

He shrugged. "I make better."

A smile tugged at her lips. "I'm sure you do. It's amazing--the people who work in hospitals save lives every day but they can't figure out how to make coffee."

Bosco chuckled softly, and stood up. "I'm gonna go sit out in the waiting room, okay?"

She looked up at him. "You don't have to go."

He glanced over at Fred, and could see how uneasy the other man was. "It's all right," he told her softly. "I'll give you guys some time alone."

"You come in and see me before I go down?" she asked just as softly.

"Absolutely."

She nodded. "Okay. Then I'll see you in a little while."

He nodded his head, and smiled softly. "If you guys need anything I'll just be down the hall."

"Thanks, Boz," Faith said softly.

Bosco reached out, and touched her arm before heading for the door. He stopped in front of Fred on his way out, and glanced over at Faith before turning back to Fred. "Make sure someone comes to get me before..."

Fred raised an eyebrow, and nodded his head.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and watched him go.
* * *
"Mrs. Yokas, we'll be taking you down to surgery in about ten minutes," Nurse Bradley said as she checked Faith's vital signs.

Fred was standing beside the bed, and shifted his weight nervously.

"Everything looks good." The nurse smiled at her. "I'll be back shortly." She left the room.

Faith drew in a breath and let it out slowly, glancing up at her husband.

He reached for her hand. "You doin' okay?"

"Yep, I'm good. Ready to get this over with."

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "This'll be over in a couple hours, and then the treatments will start soon. You'll be good as new."

She didn't share his false sense of certainty but she smiled and nodded and pretended like she did. Whatever made it easier for him. "You gonna hang out in here or are you gonna be in the waiting room?"

"I don't know." He ran his hand over his face. "I'll probably be pacing the hallway."

"Why don't you hang out in here and watch some TV? Maybe there's a game on or somethin'."

"Yeah. That's a good idea." He let out a breath, and gave her hand a squeeze.

She squeezed his hand back. "It's gonna be okay."

"I know." He nodded his head, and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Faith slid her arms around him and kissed him lightly. "I love you, Fred," she said softly.

"I love you too, baby," he whispered, closing his eyes, and resting his forehead against hers.

"So I'm thinkin'...once I'm better...maybe we could go on vacation somewhere."

"Yeah. Yeah, I like that idea." He ran his hand through her hair.

"Maybe take the kids somewhere fun." She kissed his cheek, closing her eyes.

"We could all use a vacation."

She nodded her head against him, falling silent.

He took a deep breath, and pulled away slightly to look at her.

Faith offered him a soft smile, reaching out and touching his cheek.

He reached up, and covered her hand. "Gawd I hate hospitals," he told her with a slight chuckle.

She nodded. "I know you do. At least the surgery won't take long. And I'm only gonna be in here like, 24 hours."

"Yeah, and I'm sorry I can't stay with you tonight and stuff," he told her softly.

"I know," she said just as softly. "It's okay, baby."

Fred gave her a small smile.

She drew in a breath and lowered her hand from his cheek. "You go get Boz for me?" she asked softly.

He looked at her for a moment, and bit his lip. Not wanting to upset her before her surgery he nodded his head. "Yeah. I'll go get him." He placed a quick kiss on her lips then stood up and left the room.

She smiled faintly, touched that he hadn't even seemed disgusted at her request.
* * *
Bosco stopped outside of Faith's door, and took a deep breath before peeking his head in the room. "Faith?"

She turned to look at him. "Hey."

He grinned as he stepped inside. "Nice gown."

She made a face. "Yeah, I'm thinkin' about stealin' it and takin' it home with me as a souvenir."

"I saw a closet down the hall that had a whole bunch of 'em if you want me to snag some more," he told her as he walked over and sat on the bed.

She shook her head. "I'll pass this time. But thanks."

He winked. "No problem."

Faith smiled faintly. "You been bored out there?"

He shrugged. "It's not so bad. Lots of pretty nurses walkin' by."

"Maybe you can get a date while we're here." She chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe." He grinned, and pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket holding it up for her to see the number. "Her name's Kristi."

She grinned. "Good for you."

"Thanks. Maybe I'll bring her in later to meet you."

"Wow. So it's already serious," she teased.

"Yeah, it's kinda like takin' her to meet the parents."

"Oh, so I'm like your mother?"

"Nah." He shook his head. "You're my best friend."

She smiled. "Good to know."

He took a deep breath, and let it out. "So...soon, huh?"

"Yeah. The nurse said she'd be back in a few minutes to escort me down to surgery."

Bosco pressed his lips together, and nodded his head. "How ya feelin'?"

She shrugged slightly. "Lookin' forward to it bein' over."

"Just think, you're goin' in with cancer, and you're basically gonna come out without it."

"That's the plan."

"It's a good plan," he told her with a smile.

"Mrs. Yokas, are you ready?"

Faith turned to see Nurse Bradley standing in the doorway with a wheelchair. "Yeah. Can you just give me a minute?"

Bosco looked at the nurse, and back to Faith. "You want me to get Fred," he asked softly.

"I'm sure he's right out in the hallway." She gazed at him.

He started to stand up. "I'll get him."

"Boz, wait a sec."

He sat back down on the bed, and looked at her.

She slipped her arms around him.

Without hesitating he returned the embrace. "I'll see you soon."

Faith nodded. "I just want you to know that...you're my best friend, too," she said softly. "And I love ya, Boz." She kissed his cheek.

He smiled softly as he pulled away. "Yeah, well...you haven't lived with me in a hotel room for a week."

She chuckled. "You just better behave."

"I'll do my best," he informed her as he stood up. He took a couple steps away from the bed then turned back to her. "Hey Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too," he whispered.

Faith gazed back at him, her eyes soft. "I know." She offered him a smile.

He grinned. "Give 'em hell, partner."

"Don't I always?"

"Didn't they ever tell you that's why we're partners? I'm the only one that can handle you."

She laughed. "Uh...I think you got that backwards, Bosco."

"You keep tellin' yourself that." He winked at her. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

Faith smirked. "Later."

Bosco gave her a small wave, and headed out of the room.
* * *
Bosco sat in one of the large cushioned chairs in the surgical waiting room. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands out in front of him as he looked down at the floor. It had been an hour and a half since they'd taken Faith to surgery, and the waiting was starting to get to him. The constant flow of female nurses walking by didn't even distract him from his thoughts. He kept thinking about the small box in his pocket that held the key to Faith's safe deposit box.

It wasn't the surgery that worried him. It was the possibility that there was more cancer than they'd originally thought, and the fear of losing her in the long run. And the longer he sat there the more time he had to think about all the loss they'd experienced on the eleventh, and he didn't want to lose anyone else.

He exhaled loudly, pushed himself out of the chair and began to pace.

Fred remained seated in his chair by the window, watching as Bosco paced the floor. He folded his arms across his chest. The two of them had barely spoken the entire time and while he wasn't eager to start up a conversation with his wife's arrogant partner, he realized that on some level the man was actually worried for Faith. "She's gonna be fine, you know."

"Huh?" He turned toward Fred, not having really heard him.

"I said she's gonna be fine."

"Oh, right." He nodded his head. "I know. I just..." His voice trailed off.

"She's tough."

He smiled. "Yeah. She's the toughest chick I've ever met."

A smile tugged at Fred's lips involuntarily.

He stood still, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You should see her out there, Fred. She can turn some of the toughest criminals into the biggest babies."

"That doesn't surprise me. You shoulda seen her in high school." Fred smirked.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah." He shook his head. "Everyone in our school knew not to mess with her. She didn't put up with crap from anybody."

"That's what I like about her, and why she and I are such good partners." He chuckled softly. "Faith doesn't take my crap."

"She doesn't take mine either." Fred smiled.

Bosco nodded his head, and looked at his watch. "She's gonna be outta surgery soon. You want me to run down and get you somethin' to eat," he asked, figuring it couldn't hurt to be nice.

He was a little surprised by the offer. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, she'll be back soon and you'll wanna be here so you can see her right away. And I don't know about you, but I'm gettin' hungry."

Fred nodded. "Yeah, that'd be good."

"I think they got a McDonald's by the cafeteria, which strikes me as odd, but..." He shook his head. "Anything particular you want?"

"Big Mac would be good." He pulled his wallet out and went to hand Bosco a five-dollar bill.

"It's all right. I got it." He started to leave the waiting room. "Hey, if I'm not back when they bring Faith up will ya tell her I'm still around?"

Fred nodded. "Sure thing, Bosco."

"Thanks. Be back in a bit." He hurried off toward the elevator at the end of the hall.

He stared after his wife's work partner. Maybe Maurice Boscorelli wasn't as bad as he'd thought after all.
* * *
Bosco came off the elevator with two McDonald's bags, and headed back to the waiting room. Not seeing Fred he looked at his watch then stepped back into the hallway.

A few moments later, Fred walked toward him. "She's outta surgery. They're takin' her up to recovery right now."

"Did you talk to the doctor?"

He nodded quickly. "The surgery went fine."

"Did they get all the cancer," he asked softly. "Was there..."

"He thinks they got it all. They gotta run some more tests, but...he said it looks good."

"Good." Bosco nodded his head. "That's great."

"She was askin' for you."

"Really?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah. Dr. Case said you couldn't stay long, but you can go see her if you want."

"That'd be great." Bosco handed Fred the bags he was carrying. "Yours is in one of these. I don't remember which one." He looked down the hall. "Where is she?"

"All the way down the hall. The recovery room is to the left. She's in the fourth curtained area back."

"Thanks." Bosco swallowed hard, and headed down the hall. When he got to the large double doors leading to recovery he took a deep breath before pushing the door open. He was relieved and nervous at the same time as he walked to where Fred said she was. He glanced around before slowly reaching out to open the curtain. "Faith?"

Her eyes were closed, her face pale as she turned her head toward the sound of his voice. "Hey," she murmured.

"Hey," he whispered as he moved over to her bedside. He leaned down, his arms resting on the bedrail. "How ya doin'?"

"Still sleepy. You?"

"Much better," he told her softly as he gazed at her. He reached out, and carefully moved some hair out of her face.

"How's...Fred been?"

"Good. He's a trooper," he told her with a grin.

A faint smile touched her lips. "You guys bein' good playmates?"

Bosco chuckled softly. "Yeah. I even bought him lunch."

She opened her eyes slowly. "Thanks," she whispered.

"It was no big deal."

"Is to me."

He smiled softly. "Just goes to show what I'll do for my partner."

"You're...sweet," she murmured, offering him a half-smile as her eyes drifted shut again.

Bosco leaned over, and kissed her forehead. "I better let you get some rest," he whispered.

"kay. See ya later."

He touched her hand, and gazed at her for a moment before leaving. His nervousness was gone now. He'd seen Faith with his own eyes, and somehow he knew things would be okay.
* * *
There was darkness all around her as she opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was slightly blurred and she swallowed, struggling to sit up as she tried to recall where she was. There was pain in her chest and she winced. "Fred?" she whispered in confusion.

Bosco quickly got out of his chair, and moved to her side. "Easy," he whispered as he placed a hand on her arm. "Just relax."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Bosco?"

"Yeah, it's me," he told her softly. "Lay back, and relax."

After a second, she laid her head back against the pillow once more, licking her lips. "Where's Fred?" she murmured.

He carefully sat down on the edge of the bed. "Fred went home to pick up the kids. He stayed as long as he could hopin' you'd wake up again, but..."

She closed her eyes. "Oh. What time is it?"

"It's a little after four," he told her softly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "How you feelin'? Should I get the nurse or somethin'?"

"I'm thirsty," she whispered.

"Right. Okay." Bosco stood up, and went over to the rolling tray where there was a pitcher of water. He poured some water into a glass and stuck a straw in it. "Here," he whispered as he held the glass for her.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip of the water he offered her. She closed her eyes once more, shifting uncomfortably in the bed.

"I should get the nurse," he told her softly.

"Okay," she whispered, resting a hand on her stomach.

"I'll be right back. I'd use the call button, but they're as bad as the drive thru window at McDonald's," he told her with a chuckle.

She managed a faint smile. "Be sure and order me some fries."

He grinned, and headed out the door toward the nurses' station.

Faith let out a breath and reached out to press the button on her bed that raised the top half of her bed up. She raised the bed until she was in a sitting up position, wincing at the sharp pain in her breast which she assumed was from the incision. She swallowed hard and drew in another breath, trying to focus on her breathing to keep her mind off the pain.

Bosco came back into the room a couple minutes later. "I talked to one of the nurses, and she's gonna be here in a minute with some pain medicine, and she said somethin' about checking your bandages."

She nodded against the pillow. "Okay."

He sat back down on her bed, and slowly walked his fingers along the mattress until they reached her hand. Bosco glanced up at her before taking hold of her hand. "Does it hurt," he asked quietly.

"A little," she admitted softly.

He nodded his head. "You hungry or anything? I could probably sneak in some ice cream."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Ice cream, the cure all for what ails you."

"Does that mean you want some?"

"Rocky road," she whispered.

"You want me to wait until the nurse comes in before I go?"

"Yeah." She managed to squeeze his hand lightly.

"Okay." He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand as he gazed at her.

"The hotel is over on Grand. But it's under my name. Just tell 'em you're my husband and they should let you in."

He shook his head. "I'm not goin' there tonight. I'll go get us some ice cream, and I'll be back."

"You need to get some sleep."

"I will." He pointed over to the chair that he'd been sitting in earlier. "The chair reclines."

"Not very comfortable," she murmured.

"It'll be fine. I'm not leavin' you alone tonight after what you went through this morning."

"Overprotective," she teased, her voice barely a whisper.

He gave her hand a squeeze. "You know you love me."

A smile graced her lips. "Yeah, well. You love me too."

Bosco grinned. "Yeah. Somethin' like that."

"You told me so. I remember that." Her voice was light, but soft. Slightly strained.

He nodded his head. "Yeah. I said it, and I meant it."

"I know." She drew in a breath and let it out slowly.

"The nurse'll be here soon," he told her softly as he gently rubbed her forearm.

Faith nodded slightly, biting down on her tongue. "Thanks for stayin'."

"Welcome." He reached for the button on the railing to lower the head of the bed. "Maybe you should lay down again."

"Whatever you say, Dr. Boscorelli," she murmured, gazing up at him as he lowered her bed back down.

"Exactly." Hearing footsteps behind him he turned to see the nurse come into the room with a soft smile on her face. He turned back to Faith. "The nurse is here so I'm gonna go out in the hall until she's done checkin' you over, okay?"

"Ice cream," she reminded him in a whisper.

"You gonna be awake when I get back?"

"Depends on how good the drugs are." She smiled.

"If the ice cream starts to melt I'll just eat it, so no biggie if you're asleep." He started to stand up, and then turned back to her. Bosco placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back."

"Thanks for the...warning," she joked.

"I'm gonna let that slide cause you're drugged up," he joked back. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and then headed out of the room.

Faith smiled faintly as he left.
* * *
Bosco looked up and down the hallway before slowly pushing open the door, and stepping inside the small room. Seeing that there was no one inside he made his way to the front, slipped into the front pew and got down on his knees. He clasped his hands together, and cleared his throat as he looked up at the large cross on the wall.

"I uh...I just wanted to thank you for takin' care of Faith today durin' her surgery." His words were soft, his eyes fixed on the cross. "And to ask you to keep watchin' over her, protectin' her. Not just from the cancer, but from everything. We lost too many good people a few weeks ago. We can't lose her too," he finished in a whisper. He let out a breath, and bowed his head for a moment before looking back up. "Protect her and her family. That's all I'm askin'."
* * *
Faith woke up slowly again, but this time she remembered that she was in the hospital after surgery. She glanced around the darkened room. "Boz?" she whispered, looking toward the recliner he'd been sitting in when she was last awake. He wasn't there and he didn't answer. Her eyebrows furrowed.

After lighting a candle at the front of the small chapel he left, and headed back upstairs to Faith's room. He walked slowly taking in the sights and sounds of the hospital. He stopped at the vending machine to get a Mountain Dew before making his way back to the room. Not wanting to wake her up he entered the room as quietly as possible.

She squinted against the light that flooded her room when the door opened. "Bosco?"

He looked up, startled to hear her voice. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't." She sat up slowly.

"How long you been awake," he asked softly as he moved over to her bed.

"Just a few minutes."

"I wouldn't have left if I'd known you'd be awake soon."

"Where'd you go?" she asked curiously.

"Oh uh...nowhere. Just for a...walk."

Her eyebrows furrowed but she didn't press the issue. She reached out and held onto the rail as she started to slide her legs off the side of the bed.

"Whoa." He set his drink down. "What are you doin'?"

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"You need help? I mean, gettin' there."

She smirked. "No. But thanks."

He smiled. "Yeah. Okay. I'll just wait here."

Faith slowly slid off the bed and made her way to the bathroom.

Bosco watched her with concern in his eyes as she shuffled toward the bathroom. "Just holler if..."

She waved at him over her shoulder before disappearing into the restroom connected to her hospital room.

He picked up his drink, and moved over to sit in the chair then put his feet up on her bed.

Several moments later, she reappeared, running her hand along the wall as she headed back toward the bed.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just drowsy from the drugs," she answered.

"Sure you don't need help?"

"I'm good." She slowly crawled back onto the bed, wincing slightly as she lay back down.

"Do you need me to get the nurse? Maybe you can have some more pain medication," he said softly.

"No, I'm all right. Thanks." She let out a breath as she closed her eyes.

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. You should get some sleep," she murmured.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"Matter of opinion," she said lightly.

"Oh you're just fulla jokes aren't ya?"

"Gotta keep on my toes with you around."

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea." He took a drink of his soda, and leaned back in the chair.

Faith shifted slightly so that she was lying on her side. "I can't wait to get outta here."

"Soon," he told her softly.

"Not soon enough."

"It could be worse," he whispered, gazing at her.

She gazed back at him in the darkness. "I know."

He gave her a small smile before taking another drink. Bosco looked down at the plastic bottle in his hands for a moment before speaking again. "I was in the chapel," he whispered.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "You were?"

"Yeah." He took a deep breath, and nodded his head.

Faith gazed at him silently, unsure of what to say.

"Just needed a little quality time with the man upstairs."

She held her hand out wordlessly.

He took her hand. "It's been a rough few weeks."

"I know," she whispered, squeezing his hand lightly.

Bosco let out a breath. "I'm really glad the surgery went so well."

"Me too."

"I kinda figure that if He was gonna take you...he woulda done it that day," he told her softly, looking at his soda bottle again.

"Oh, Boz." Her voice was almost audible. "Come here."

He set aside his drink, and moved to sit on the bed.

She sat up slowly, then reached out and touched his face. "I'm not goin' anywhere. I promise."

He bit his lip, and nodded his head as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

"I won't leave you," she whispered seriously, gazing at him.

"I'm holdin' you to that, cause I can't handle..."

"I know." She kissed his cheek, then rested her head against his shoulder.

Very carefully he wrapped his arms around her.

Faith rubbed his back gently, hoping to offer him some small amount of comfort.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm supposed to be the one takin' care of you."

"Shh. It's okay, Boz."

He was quiet for a few moments as they held each other then he slowly pulled away.

"We're gonna be okay," she said softly, gazing at him.

Bosco smiled softly, and nodded his head. "I know that now."

She kissed his forehead. "Why don't I scoot over and you can lay down, too?"

"That's all right. I don't wanna risk hurtin' you."

"Well...I think if you lay down behind me and I lay on my side, it'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded slightly. "We both need some sleep."

"I am kinda tired," he admitted quietly.

"I know." She carefully slid over to the other side of the bed and lay down on her side, glancing at him over her shoulder.

He was still uncertain about whether or not this was a good idea, but he was tired and really did want to lie down. Standing up he kicked his shoes off before carefully climbing onto the bed to lay behind her.

"Now just relax and get some rest," she whispered.

His eyes closed as soon as his head was resting on her pillow. "Wake me up if you need anything," he whispered back.

"I will. Goodnight, Boz." She closed her own eyes.

"Night Faith."

* * *

Conclusion

Faith shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she waited for Bosco to unlock the door to the hotel room. After a moment, she smiled wryly and took the key card from him and inserted it into the security slot. When the green light flashed she turned the door handle.

He huffed in frustration. "Why the hell can't they just have regular keys?"

"Most people think these are faster." She smirked and reached out to take her bag from him.

He pushed her hand away. "I got this."

"Well, I wasn't sure. I mean you couldn't even get the door open," she said lightly, stepping into the room.

Bosco rolled his eyes, and followed her into the room then promptly dumped their bags on the luggage rack.

"This is much better than the hospital," she commented, sitting down on the edge of the bed farthest from the door.

"Yeah. Definitely." He nodded his head, and with a grin on his face dove onto the other bed.

She chuckled at his enthusiasm and shook her head. Then she lay back, closing her eyes.

"You need any pain pills or anything," he asked her as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

"No. I think I've still got enough drugs in my system from this mornin'."

"Okay. You want somethin' to eat?"

She shook her head. "I'm good. Thanks."

He turned his head, and looked at her. "So, how ya doin'?"

"All right. You?"

"I'm doin' okay." He shrugged. "I just was wonderin' how you were feeling, and what you're thinking."

Her eyebrows furrowed a little. "Well, like I said, the drugs are still workin' so..."

"How are you, Faith...emotionally?"

She couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips when she looked over at him.

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry."

"Whatever." He looked up at the ceiling again.

"I'm okay." Her voice was soft. "I'm still a little worried, but...I think that's normal."

"Yeah," he whispered. "I'm sure it's normal."

Faith gazed over at him. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"How are you? I mean, honestly?"

"Honestly?" He took a deep breath. "I think I'm all right."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean...what's done is done, and you're all ready gettin' better so..."

She sat up a little and looked over at him. "You can talk to me, you know."

Bosco turned to look at her for a second. "Don't really know what I'd talk about."

"I think you do," she said softly.

He shook his head, and looked away.

"We can't avoid talkin' about it forever." Her voice was still soft.

"You're gonna be fine, Faith."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"The surgery went great, and the radiation will knock out anything they might not have gotten." He didn't look at her as he spoke.

"We both know I'm not talkin' about me right now."

He swallowed hard, and ran a hand over his face remaining silent.

Faith was quiet for a moment, then she slowly stood up and moved over to his bed, sitting down on the edge of it. "It's okay to talk about it."

He closed his eyes, and shook his head. "I don't need to. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. And neither am I. No one is," she said softly.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he whispered.

She closed her eyes, sighing very softly. "Okay. But if you change your mind...you know where to find me." She reached out and gave his arm a light squeeze before standing up again.

He nodded his head slightly. "It's too soon," he told her, his voice barely audible.

"Okay." She eased herself down onto her own bed once more.

Bosco let out a breath, and covered his face with his hands. "So...whaddya wanna do?"

"I don't know. We could see if there's anything on TV."

"Yeah." He sat up, and reached for the remote control. "Anything particular you like to watch at this time of the day?"

"Nope." She closed her eyes as he flipped on the television.

"Hey, they've got those pay-per view movies," he informed her.

"Sure. Whatever you wanna watch, Boz."

He looked over at her. "If you're tired or somethin' I could turn the TV off. Let you get some rest."

"No, it's all right. I need a little noise when I sleep," she murmured, pulling the blankets up around her.

"Okay." He glanced at his watch. "If you wake up and I'm not here its cause I went to get us lunch."

"All right. Night."

"Goodnight, Faith." He watched her for a moment, studying her face to make sure that she was comfortable. Satisfied that she was doing all right he turned his attention back to the television.
* * *
[I]His heart was racing as he ran down the street against the flow of terrified civilians. When he was a block away he stopped, and gazed up at the buildings, taking in the sights and sounds of what was going on around him. He froze for a moment as he watched the people fleeing the building by various means. He was sick to his stomach as he stood there, knowing there was nothing he could do for them.

Hearing someone barking instructions he turned his attention back to street level to find many uniformed police officers and firefighters trying to regain some sort of order. Seeing something out of the corner of his eye he ducked as a piece of debris hurtled toward him. He didn't dare look up to see where it came from...he all ready knew.

Snapping out of his trance he pulled out his badge, and held it in the air as he began to direct people away from the buildings. He didn't need to be briefed to know that they needed to get people a safe distance away. Making his way down the block he began to look for familiar faces, and finally spotted one. "Hey Faith! Faith," he called her name as he started to jog toward her, figuring that since they were partners they should be together at a time like this, watching each others backs.

He wasn't even halfway to her when there was a loud rumble, and the ground began to shake. His eyes widened and he looked up to see the tower coming down. It was only seconds later when a big black cloud came toward him making it impossible to see and breath.

Faith was gone.

"NO!"

Faith jumped, startled by the frightened shout close by. She recognized the voice as she struggled to sit up. "Bosco?!"

He'd broken out in a cold sweat, and was now sitting up in bed looking around the dark room as he gasped for air.

She quickly reached out and flipped on the lamp that was attached to the wall between their two beds. "Boz? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

He flinched when the light came on, and quickly turned toward her. His eyes frightened.

She gazed at him only a moment before climbing out of her bed and moving over to sit on the edge of his, her eyes sad. "It's okay," she whispered, reaching out to him.

His heart was pounding in his chest, and he swallowed hard. "I'm okay."

She touched his face gently, remaining silent.

Bosco took a couple deep breaths. "I just..." He shook his head. "I'm okay."

"Bosco, talk to me," she said softly.

"I can't," he whispered, his voice strained.

"Come here," she whispered back, shifting further onto the bed.

As much as he wanted to deny that there was something wrong he moved forward, and wrapped his arms around her.

Faith kissed his temple lightly, then leaned her head against his as she rubbed his back. To say she was worried about his state of mind would be an understatement. He hadn't said hardly anything about that day four weeks ago since a couple days after the towers had collapsed. She knew he needed to talk about it, the same way they all needed to talk about it. But Bosco had never been one to open up about anything very easily and getting him to discuss what had happened on September 11th was no exception. "I was on the subway with Fred comin' back from Jersey," she said very softly.

"What," he asked in a whisper.

"We were comin' back from seein' Dr. Case. He'd just said that the biopsy he'd done wasn't encouraging and...Fred had left the room because he was so upset. I was embarrassed cause he was actin' like a two year old." She paused for a moment, but continued to gently rub his back. "We were headin' back to the city and he was mad because he was late for work. The appointment hadn't been on time cause Dr. Case had been in surgery with some other patient. Fred was bein' real testy. I told him it was okay, that his work would survive without him for a couple hours. He got mad because he thought I was sayin' his job was worthless. That he was just some package delivery guy. It's not what I meant, but...that's what he thought."

Bosco nodded his head. "That whole insecure thing, huh?" His voice was soft.

"Yeah, somethin' like that." She nodded, her voice growing softer. "And then the power went out. The subway shut down. We didn't know why, or what was goin' on. It was dark. Then the emergency lights kicked on."

"You were safe there," he whispered.

"We didn't know there was anything to be safe from." She closed her eyes. "A little while later we managed to get off the train and we heard what had happened from people in the station. I told Fred to go and get the kids outta school. I wanted to know they were safe and with him. Then I pulled out my badge and I flagged down an RMP."

"That musta pissed off Fred." He managed a chuckle.

"Well, he wasn't very happy, but...it was the only choice there was," she said softly.

Thinking about his nightmare he tightened his grip on her slightly.

"Where were you?" she asked quietly.

He swallowed hard. "I uh...I met this girl at the bar...I woke up at her place in SoHo."

Faith nodded slightly, gently rubbing his back and hoping he would continue.

"I was tryin' to leave without her knowin', but she caught me when she came back with breakfast," he told her softly. "Then uh...we heard the first plane. It was like...it was like it was flyin' right over us. So I, I ran to the window to see what was goin' on."

"Did you actually see the plane?" she asked softly.

Bosco nodded slightly. "And then...I got down there right when the second tower was bein' hit."

She closed her eyes tightly. She hadn't known when Bosco had arrived on the scene that day. She remembered seeing him shortly before the first tower collapsed but there hadn't been time to chat during the chaos. "You got there before me."

He was quiet for a moment, trying to gather himself. "I saw people jumpin', Faith. Falling."

She swallowed hard, holding him as he spoke.

A couple seconds later he pulled away from her, and looked down at the bed. "They were just fallin'. So hard and so fast and then....I saw a couple people holding hands. Faith, I saw women holding their dresses down. And that sound, that, that -thump-. And I’m just standin' there. I’m just standing there doin' -nothin'-." He shook his head. "Sure, I pointed a few people this way and that way, but…I was frozen. It was like I was frozen. I was numb. I couldn’t believe it. And then, and then there was this rumble. It was like nothing I ever heard before. This huge wave of sound. So I ran. I ran away, Faith."

"Bosco, the towers were comin' down," she whispered.

His face was tense as he shook his head. "I just---I ran. I kept running. I remember I just kept running. I kept running. And that, that, that, that cloud came. And I couldn’t see a thing. I couldn't see nothin’. It was just pitch black. But I was still running. I couldn’t breathe. I thought that was it. I must have run right into a building ‘cause that’s when I finally stopped running."

"Bosco, everybody ran," she said softly.

"I didn't go back."

"Yes, you did."

He shook his head again, not listening to her words. "I sat on the street and I just, I couldn’t, I couldn’t go back."

Her eyebrows were furrowed. "Bosco, I saw you there."

"I sat there. I was…I was afraid." His voice was strained, and there were tears in his eyes.

She shook her head. "Bosco, I saw you there. You were helping people."

"No, later, you saw me later. ‘Cause I sat there. And it must have been for like---it just must’ve been for an hour. I was there sitting, for an hour. I don’t know how long. I could have been there for two hours."

"Bosco, you were probably in shock," she whispered, her heart breaking for him.

Tears began to roll down his cheeks. "Faith, I ran. God help me, I ran…"

"Bosco..." Faith held her arms out to him, tears sparkling in her own eyes.

He quickly wrapped his arms around her. "I ran away, Faith."

She pressed a kiss to his head. "Shhh. It's okay. It's okay, Bosco," she whispered, rubbing his back.

"I was so afraid. I thought I was gonna..." He shook his head, and buried his face in her hair.

"I know. I know, Boz. It's okay. It's okay." She rested her head against his.

"And I didn't know where you were," he whispered.

Faith closed her eyes. "I was scared too," she whispered back. "But I'm right here now...and so are you."

He nodded his head. After a few more moments he slowly pulled away, and wiped at his eyes.

She gently took his face in her hands. "I thank God every day that you're still here," she whispered. "Because I don't think I could make it without you, Boz."

He lifted his gaze to her face. "You mean that," he asked very quietly.

"Completely. Bosco...you're my best friend. I love Fred with all my heart, but...you know me better than anyone. I trust you more than anyone else. Always have."

A smile tugged at his lips, and he reached up to wipe at his eyes again. "I'm so glad you're gonna be okay," he whispered.

"We're both gonna be okay," she whispered back.

He leaned forward, and kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

Faith slid her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "And thank you."

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Don't be." She pulled away and gazed at him. "I wasn't sleepin' very well anyway."

"Oh God, Faith. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she said quickly. "I'm okay."

"Do you need me to get you a pain pill?"

She nodded. "If you don't mind."

"I don't mind." He gazed at her. "I'm sorry if I hurt you more."

"You didn't," she promised.

"Okay. Why don't you get back in bed," he suggested softly as he stood up. He then moved over to the sink where he'd put her medication earlier.

She watched him for a moment, then slid under the blankets and scooted over to the opposite side of the bed from where he'd been laying.

He returned a moment later with a pill, and a glass of water. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked back and forth between the two beds. "Uh...here you go."

"Thanks." She swallowed the pill down with a drink of water, then set the glass on the nightstand.

"Welcome." He looked at her. "I think you stole my bed," he told her with a grin.

She smiled back innocently.

Bosco shrugged, and crawled into bed beside her.

Faith laid her head back against the pillow.

He turned onto his side so he was facing her. "I think we're gonna have to keep this whole sleeping together thing under wraps."

She chuckled lightly. "No one would believe it anyway."

"You don't think so?"

"Nope."

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "You're right. Everybody knows you're smarter than that."

She shook her head. "No, Boz." She touched his cheek gently. "I think they just know that...you and me? We're closer than that."

He reached up, and took hold of her hand. "Damn. I should take lessons from you."

She smiled softly, then leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I want you to know that...I'm here for you. Whenever you need me. Always. Got it?"

"I got it. And I'm here for you, too."

"I know." She linked her fingers through his.

Bosco gazed at her silently then squeezed her hand. "Should we try gettin' some sleep?"

"Probably a good idea." Faith gazed back at him.

"Wake me if you need anything," he told her softly.

"Ditto," she whispered.

"Night Faith."

"Night, Boz."
* * *
Faith kissed Fred's cheek and told him goodbye before she climbed out of the truck and walked toward the police station. She gazed up at the sign that read '55th Police Precinct' and a small smile touched her lips. It had only been a couple weeks since she'd last been there, but she'd missed it. She walked into the station and smiled at her co-workers as she headed to the locker room. She pushed the door open and spotted Sully and Davis immediately. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Faith." Sully smiled. "How was your vacation?"

"It was good." She smiled back at him as she headed for her locker. She glanced sideways and saw Bosco a few feet away. "Hey."

He looked up from strapping on his vest. "Hi," he smiled softly. "I was startin' to think you'd decided to take another week."

"And miss out on all this fun? Never." She smiled at him as she unlocked her locker.

"Right. Fun." Sully shook his head. "I think the sun got to you, Faith."

She chuckled.

"Some of us like our jobs, Sul," Davis informed him with a grin. "Or should I call you Surly?"

"Davis," Sully warned as he picked up his jacket, and headed for roll call.

Bosco reached for his turtleneck, and pulled it on over his vest. He watched as Davis followed his partner out of the room before moving over to where Faith was. "So, you doin' all right?"

"Yeah. I'm good." She turned to face him, her eyes warm. "Come here." She slipped her arms around him.

"Welcome back," he told her softly as he returned the embrace.

"Thanks." She smiled softly. "Missed you."

"I missed you, too. Thanks for the postcard. Sounded like you guys were havin' a blast."

"The kids definitely had fun. Disney World was a little overwhelming. I got you somethin'."

"You did," he asked, the surprise evident in his voice.

"Of course." She pulled away from him and knelt down to unzip her duffel bag. "I almost got you Mickey Mouse ears." She grinned as she glanced up at him.

He laughed. "That woulda been a waste of your money."

Faith chuckled. "I know. But the expression on your face woulda been worth it." She winked at him.

Bosco leaned against the side of her locker as he looked at her. "You look good," he told her softly.

"I feel good," she told him just as softly. She pulled a Disney World sack out of her bag and stood up.

"That's great. I'm really glad...well, you know."

She met his gaze. "I know." She held the sack out to him.

He straightened himself up, and took the bag. "What is it?"

"Just open it." Faith leaned against her locker.

He gave her a look, and then opened the bag and reached inside.

She smiled as he pulled out the t-shirt first.

Bosco held the bag between his arm and his side as he held the t-shirt up so he could read it. "My best friend went to Disney World and all I got was this lousy shirt." He laughed as he lowered the shirt. "Thanks Faith."

She grinned. "You're welcome. There's somethin' else in there."

"So the t-shirt lies?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, apparently."

Grinning he flipped the shirt up so it was hanging over his shoulder, and dug into the bag once more. After a little bit of searching he pulled out a silver key chain, shaped like a puzzle piece. He turned it over in his hands, and looked up at her slightly confused. "It says 'best'."

She nodded, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a similar key chain. Hers read 'friends.' She held it up for him to see.

He took hold of her hand, and connected the keychains.

"See...apart they're puzzle pieces. And the words are okay by themselves, but...together? They're whole." Faith gazed at him.

"And so are we," he whispered.

She nodded, her eyes soft.

"I think after all this...we're gonna be an even better team."

"You bet we are."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "You better hurry up. Christopher's been on a rampage lately," he told her before heading to his locker to put his gifts away.

"Guess some things never change." She smiled and shook her head as she started to change clothes.

Bosco looked over at her, smiling softly. "Thank God for that."

Faith turned her head and met his gaze, giving him a warm smile. "Amen."