You Never Know

Disclaimers: Don't own anything related to Third Watch. I'm just borrowing the characters for a while.

Summary: Pure fluff based on a true-life experience. Guys can be so sweet even while us ladies are being so b*tchy.

Enjoy

TW~TW~TW

"I'm hungry," I tell Faith as she drives the RMP.

"Do you have some kind of intestinal worm?" she snarls in annoyance.

I roll my eyes because Faith's reaming me out again. Does she have to put her two cents worth on everything I do?

I stare out the window and ponder the last few days. Faith's been short tempered, snarly and yelling for no reason. I can't seem to do anything right…must be that time of the month, I think snorting in disgust at the thought of these 'women' problems. I think I'm being real smart when open my big mouth again.

"Nah, I just need my sugar and salt fixes…must be PMSing," I say sarcastically.

Oops, I must have hit a nerve because she glares back at me with daggers in her eyes. Reminder to self, never joke about PMS. I wipe the smirk off my face because I have a feeling she's gonna do it for me. I clamp my mouth shut, lower my gaze and watch her out of the corner of my eye. She finally relents and goes back to watching the road so I relax, a little.

I know she's not going to stop for food but my stomach growls. I open the glove compartment and start to forage for any leftover chocolate bars, or thousand year old candy, or anything to tide me over. I find gum wrappers and muffin crumbs, everything except food.

I keep shuffling the same papers around and hoping that somehow some scrap of food will miraculously appear when the tires squeal their displeasure and I hardly have time to brace myself as we suddenly lurch forward.

"What – are – you - doing?" Faith grits out through clenched teeth.

I feel like I'm in kindergarten and I've been caught with my finger in my nose. "Nothing," I answer as innocently as I can.

"Stop playing with the glove compartment you're driving me crazy," she grinds. The tone of her voice rises a few octaves as she continues in on me. "Can't you just sit still for 30 minutes? Am I asking too much?"

I think I really pissed her off.

"Sorry, I'll stop. Okay?" I put my hands up in surrender. I know not to push her buttons when she gets like this because I have the feeling she could snap me half with her bare hands. Note to self, keep your trap shut and don't move a muscle for the rest of the shift.

Right, easier said than done.

I start to lose my focus after 5 minutes. What focus you ask? My sit still and keep my trap shut focus. We're driving along and I swear I AM TRYING. I'm really trying not to set her off but then I'm reminded of a song and I don't realize I'm humming out loud until whack; she slams her fist into my shoulder.

"Owww," I yelp like a teenage girl. I rub my arm and inch closer to my door. I need to get as far away from her reach as possible. I feel ridiculous hunched against the door like a scaredy cat then start to chuckle as I imagine her entire family including Fred, cowering in a corner of the kitchen as Faith whacks them with a rolled up newspaper whenever they do something wrong. My head snaps around as I'm startled out of my reverie by the piercing sound of my name.

"BOSCO."

She looks like she's gonna bust an artery.

"What is so funny, huh? I swear, if you don't cut this out I'm gonna make you walk the rest of our shift."

I don't know if it's the fear or the hunger, but in the next moment I lose half my brain because I hear myself mumble, "Is that a promise?"

That is like putting a red cape in front of an enraged bull because what I see next scares the shit out of me; Faith, in all her glorious anger, is about to pounce on me. I have a moment of lucidity, grab the door handle and run out of the RMP. Now picture this, me running as fast as I can and Faith chasing me in the cruiser. All I can think of is how dead I'm gonna be once she gets her hands around my neck.

I run about four blocks but I can't seem to shake her. I look for a place where I can lay low for a couple of minutes, just enough time to get her to cool off. I see an Italian bakery up ahead. Perfect, I can hide and eat at the same time. I run in and shut the door behind me. I must be a sight to behold as I try to catch my breath while leaning against the door.

"Scusa me. Are you okay, Mr. Police?" says the little old lady minding the shop.

"Don't – worry." I say between gasps. "I'm - in training." I motion my arms pumping to simulate running. I quickly glance out the window and look for Faith. No sign of her charging the door, yet.

"Ah, training," she says knowingly. I can see the mischievous twinkle in her eye as she smiles at me. "You need to eat for training, no? Come…"

This woman is an angel sent from heaven to rescue me from the wicked witch of the 55 David. How could I not be drawn to her like a moth to the flame?

"Yes – food - yes." I'm still unable to catch my breath long enough to make a coherent sentence.

"Here, have some of mama's famous anise cookies." She reaches into the display case and grabs a couple of plain looking cookies and offers them to me.

"Thanks." I mutter before taking one last glance at the door. I stuff an entire cookie into my mouth and feel myself transported back to my childhood. Back to the days my nonna would bake these cookies for Mikey and me.

I remember running to my nonna's house every day after school. She was always baking and we lived a couple blocks away. She would hug and kiss me and call me her little Maurizio because I was named after my grandfather. Nonna would tell me countless tales of his exploits and how it was up to me to carry his name proudly. It felt like a huge responsibility but also a great privilege.

My nonna would always make me feel better no matter what, and at times she felt like my only friend.

I remember the terrible day, when Ma told us we couldn't visit her anymore. She had gone to heaven. I was devastated and I couldn't believe nonna would leave without saying goodbye. I didn't really understand; I was only nine.

I ran to her house, tears streaming down my face. I found my dad going through her things. I was inconsolable as I searched for her in every room of her house. I remember the feeling of helplessness and anger. I went to her bedroom and threw myself on her bed. The familiar smells of my nonna; her perfume, her lipstick, the herbs and spices of her cooking surrounded me, comforted me.

I made my way to her dresser and found her favourite silk scarf, the one she always wore to ward off the cold. I held it up to my face and inhaled her essence. I stuffed the scarf in my pocket and brought it home. Whenever I was afraid or lonely I would pull that old scarf out of its hiding place and hold it up to my face. Then one day, I was hiding in the closet because I could hear my parents arguing. I held onto my nonna's scarf when my dad came storming into my room and found me. He saw the scarf and flew into a rage.

No son of his was gonna have a women's scarf to keep the boogieman away. I didn't even have a chance to tell him it was nonna's because he knocked me into tomorrow when he got a hold of me. He took that scarf away and threw it in the garbage. I remember crying myself to sleep that night and that was the last time I thought about my nonna, until now.

"Is no good?" asks the old lady worriedly.

"What? Oh…no, it's…perfect, just like my nonna used to make," I say somewhat embarrassed. A feeling of sadness overwhelms me and I feel my eyes water. I turn away from the old lady, ashamed of my moment of weakness and look up to see Faith staring at me through the glass door. Crap, mama bear does not look happy. I gulp down the cookie in one big swallow.

Faith opens the door slowly, savouring every moment before she makes minced meat out of me. I back away slowly, hitting the counter. I wonder what smell, other than the smell of my own fear, will remind me of Faith. In this job, you never know what can happen. Things change in the blink of an eye and that's all it takes for Faith to take me down. She lands on top of me and leans into me to keep me on the ground. I take this opportunity to take a whiff of her hair as her bun comes undone with the force of her actions. The strands brush against my cheek and I inhale deeply but I can't quite pinpoint the smell. I know it may sound silly but I need to know.

"Um…Faith…is that strawberry…uh, or watermelon…I smell in your hair?" I wheeze out as she presses down on my sternum.

"You are unbelievable, you know that?" she snarls. Once again, I fear for my life while she's got me pinned. She huffs in frustration. "It's green apple you moron!"

She gets up, dusts herself off and she stares down at me. I dare not move until she gives me the okay.

"Well, are you coming or are you gonna lie there all day like a bump on a log."

I pull myself together and start to follow her out the door. I turn to the old lady and mouth, 'thank you' as I point to the cookie. I simulate a karate move and mouth, 'training'. Once again she nods and smiles knowingly. She has the face of an angel.

I chase after Faith and pretend to bump into her so I can get one more whiff of her hair because you never know...ah apple, that's it. It's the last thought I have before I'm knocked on my backside by an elbow to the ribs.

The End