Title: A Spoken Truth 1/2 (post scene to Kingpin Rising)
Characters: Bosco & Cruz
Summary: Bosco learns the truth about what Faith did for him.
Disclaimer: They are not mine
AN1: After seeing 'Kingpin Rising' I found myself disappointed that there wasn't more Bosco/Cruz interactionl. I'm no shipper, but I just really wanted to see more w/Bosco and Cruz other than their 'welcome back bosco' 'hey sarge' whatever lil exchange so here goes nothin'.

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People thinking they were vampires. Bosco shook his head at the thought as he started to strip off the layers of his uniform. He could not get pass the sick feeling in his gut at the thought of Dante's cold, vengeful look toward Faith. She had not seen it, neither had Sully, but Bosco had caught the look on their way out of that hell hole. He did not like it. If he had his way, he would have slammed that jagoff's face into the nearest wall for ever looking at Faith like that, but instead, he withheld his anger and followed his friends outside.

He stood in front of his locker now. The end of his first shift back. It went better than he expected. At least he got to spend some time with Faith.

She always amazed him, but more so today. He could not take his eyes off of her. Now that she was a Detective, her very essence spoke of authority and prestige. Yet, she was still the same ol Faith—confident, graceful, elegant.

"You're right, your partner is good."

Sully's words remained fresh in his mind. Faith was and always would be his 'partner'. There was no question of his loyalty to her and vice versa. Even now that she was a Detective, she did not talk down to Bosco.

Even if their status in the department was different, she still treated him like he had for so many years with her...an equal. And for that, he was grateful. Grateful that Faith did not treat him like he was made of glass even though he could tell she fought every instinct she had to comfort him, care for him, hell, mother him. She cared in a way no one else ever had, aside from Rose. And he would be lying if he was to admit that he did not return those feelings. Probably more strongly.

The locker room door swung open and Bosco instinctively looked toward Faith's old locker, waiting for her to appear there before he remembered that she was a Detective now. He sighed heavily to himself and proceeded to slip into his off-duty clothes, some jeans, a black T and his leather jacket.

His eyes remained focused off to the side, still curious as to who had come into the room. That is when Cruz came into view, her back to him as she worked to open her locker.

"Hey," he greeted casually, causing Cruz to jump slightly as she turned to face him. The obvious tension in her features lessened slightly when she saw him.

"Hey," she replied, her voice raw of emotion, but her eyes warm and welcoming. There was something different about her now, she was not the same woman he had known and hated a year ago. Now, there was kindness in her eyes, and a beautiful smile on her lips that mesmerized him as he stared back at her.

"So, how was your first day back?" Cruz asked as she turned back to her locker and started grabbing her belongings.

"Good...I'm riding with Sullivan. It's—I don't know..." he paused, his eyes now downcast as Cruz turned back to look at him, "—it's different."

She noticed the sadness in his voice and immediately her heart ached for him, "she's still your partner, Bosco," she started, waiting for him to meet her eyes before she continued, "doesn't matter if you ain't riding together anymore."

He nodded, quite not hearing her, but agreeing anyway. He watched her back again as she zipped up her jacket. It had been so long since they were able to have a civil conversation with one another. He was amazed at the progress and how so many things had changed while he was in a coma.

Still, her tone of voice, even if she did not mean to, made him feel like she was talking down to him. She always had that presence of authority, her voice was always commanding and strong. He still remembers a time in his life when she could make him weak in the knees, make him do practically anything for her if she just asked. Those days were far over and now they were just two people existing together as Officers of the NYPD.

"What are you so happy about?" He questioned, noticing that the silly smile on her face still had not gone away. Cruz shrugged, not turning to face him as she spoke.

"This son of a bitch thought he could out smart me. He's goin away for a looong time," Cruz's voice was full of pride and her revelation caused a small chuckle to escape his lips. She whipped around, raising an inquiring eyebrow at him.

"What?"

Bosco shrugged, "nothing really. Just glad some things haven't changed."

She snickered, "don't you forget it."

There was a comfortable silence as Bosco slipped into his leather jacket and closed his locker. But instead of walking out of the room, his legs took him to stand beside her, leaning against the locker next to hers. He startled her when she looked up, unsure of the closeness that had not existed between them in so long.

"I just wanted—," he swallowed, "I just wanted to say—thanks—for what you did...with Mann...Monroe was a fool to—."

"Look, I don't like her, Bosco, but I don't regret what I did—I don't care if I had to go to prison to keep from ratting on one of my own. That's just the way I am—you know that."

Confusion creased Bosco's scarred yet still handsome features, "wait—who are you talkin about?"

"Yokas—she outsmarted that rat bastard Finney. She got full immunity and I got released," Cruz explained, oblivious to the complete and utter shock on Bosco's face.

"It was Faith?" He gasped, his mouth agape, his eyes wide, "it was her?—she—."

"You didn't know?" Cruz uttered in disbelief.

Bosco shook his head, "I thought—you..."

Cruz stood her ground, realizing she had said too much, but knowing that he should know the truth, "I wish I could take credit. What Yokas did—it was a public service. Ain't no body cryin over the son of a bitch."

Trying desperately to process what he was hearing, he spit out random words, not comprehending what he was saying, "but—why? Why'd she—."

"You don't need me to answer that question for you," Cruz said softly.

Bosco's eyes filled with tears. A thousand emotions ran through him. Faith. Caring, level-headed, logical Faith...killing Donald Man. The reality of the situation hit him painfully, cutting straight through to his heart.

"I saved your life that night and you won't do this for me. You're gonna sit there, and you're gonna look at me, and you're gonna tell me that you won't shoot a damn target..."

The guilt tore through him just as harshly as those four bullets had nearly a year ago. Pulling that card on her was not fair at all. He regretted saying those words that night, but now, knowing what she had done. It broke his heart to think of how much pain she must have been in to kill another human being. She killed a man. She killed a man for him.

"You alright, Bosco?" Cruz's voice brought him back to reality because for a moment there he was near drowning in his mind.

"I'm good," he managed to say, meeting her eyes one final time before turning and walking away, "I gotta go." he called over his shoulder.

Cruz simply nodded. Knowing full well that her spoken truth would send Bosco running to confront Faith. She watched quietly as the locker room door swung shut, leaving her alone in the room.

She sighed heavily as she grabbed her bag and shut her locker.

Without a second thought, she slowly made her way home.