This chapter has been added to and edited since it was first posted. I do not own any Third Watch characters, only originals like Billy and Layne.
When the shift finally ended, they headed back to the locker room. The next shift had already started, so it was empty except for Davis, who appeared to be leaving.
Bosco threw off his jacket and glanced up at Davis. "Wanna grab a drink Davis? I could use it."
"Naw, sorry man. I think I'll just hit the sack. Gotta big day tomorrow."
Billy stuck her head around the corner of the lockers. "Any news on Barksdale?"
Bosco groaned.
Ty sighed, "No new witnesses have been found, parole's been denied and Cruz in back on Lieu's good side…So, no, nothing new….Have a good one guys.
The door sounded Davis' departure. Bosco came around to the other side and leaned against the lockers.
"You're startin to sound like a broken record, Billy."
She pulled on her NYPD hoodie. "If that's what it takes."
Bosco rolled his eyes. "The case is as good as closed. Why do you even care?"
"He didn't do it."
Her confidence was starting to tick him off for some reason. He felt he needed to break it. "How do you even know that?! What makes you think he couldn't? The guy's got a record! He's already got aggravated assault and possession under his belt. The guy's a punk, not to mention his uncle's the biggest drug lord in Baltimore!"
"What, so that means he's a murderer?"
"It's a family business, probably didn't have a chance- guys like that are born into it. It's a damn shame, but its usually in their blood."
"In the blood, is that how it works? So that would make you, what?….a drug dealing wife beater?"
Bosco narrowed his eyes, then shook his head and scoffed. "That was low, Bilecki, even for you."
She really pissed him off if he was using her full surname.
"Look, you don't know this guy. He's innocent! I won't let Cruz pin this on him just so she can get a gold star and a ticket out of uniform. Why won't you back me up here?"
Bosco growled, "Just let it go…"
She turned on him suddenly, shouting.
"I don't believe this!" she shook with anger, eyes shooting straight through him. "Of all people, you should understand…that bitch, that crazy selfish bitch…and you're gonna stand there and act like, what, it's no big deal?"
Bosco stood looking incredulous, "…What are you…?"
"Did you just forget? Has it just…slipped your mind? This is her one way ticket back to Anti Crime! She shot your partner Bosco!...she fucking paralyzed her and you're…"
"DON'T!" Bosco matched her volume, color rising in his face, stepping forward, "You don't know anyth…"
"I know enough…I know enough to know that Cruz will do anything, ANYTHING to get what she wants!...incriminating the innocent, shooting other cops, fucking her rookie partner into submission…"
Her words hung in the air.
Bosco nearly lost it. He slammed the locker shut, punching the door. He closed his eyes, clenched his jaw tight. She had struck a nerve, crossed the line. And she knew it. She should apologize, apologize now before it was too late. She was terrible with apologies, could only stand there and look at the floor.
"…help me, Bosco…she…she can't get away with this again. You know that guy is innocent."
She looked up again. Bosco said nothing, just stared at his locker. Realizing she didn't want to push him any further, she turned to walk out.
"It's today isn't it…one year…"
She froze, not turning around. A swell of emotion was coming…had to push it back…she might not be able to speak without cracking up…
Bosco continued, "It wasn't your fault. You know that, right?"
She finally turned around. "Doesn't matter," Her chest felt tight, "I was his partner. Partners protect eachother…I was supposed to have his back." She suddenly felt numb. "We both fucked up, and Layne payed the price."
____
This was exactly why Billy hated getting emotional. It was typical next day awkwardness. Neither knew quite what to say. The RMP seemed unbearably small and the day seemed to c r a w l by. It was a sunny day, the birds were singing, and not even a fucking purse snatcher seemed to be out to catch.
Just a burglary, even a domestic dispute, something's gotta happen…
"Fuck it." She shot out.
Bosco turned with that typical Boscorelli look on his face, "What?"
"Pull over, I need to get out for awhile."
"Whatever you say, your highness." Bosco smirked.
She ignored the comment. They were near the bay, so Bosco pulled over near an overlook typically used by tourists and picnickers. Although it was sunny, a cold front was moving through, so the site was presently abandoned.
Billy got out quickly and walked down to the water. Bosco lazily followed, keeping his distance. She picked up a stone, turning it in her hands. She threw it, skipping it three times before it was swallowed by the chilly bay waters.
She picked up another stone. "I was outta line…yesterday I mean." Two skips this time.
Bosco threw a stone, it simply plopped through the surface. "You're gonna have to be more specific. You were kinda outta line the whole day."
She bit back the sarcastic retort on the tip of her tongue. She deserved worse than this. Her words stumbled out awkwardly.
"The uh…the comment about you and Cruz…" Why even dance around the subject? "…fucking into submission…it was outta line…" Another stone, only bounced off once.
"Yeah," Bosco threw the stone as hard as he could, skipping it four times, "it was."
He turned to her, "You're always so damn righteous! You don't think I feel like, like hell for what happened to Faith? Like I didn't wish it had been me with the bullet in my back? I hate Cruz for that, I always will. But you…you don't really know anything, do you?! You're fighting this case like you're the only one who cares. But I've seen you. Layne was always the level headed one. You could be just as bad as any of us. Ducking calls, bending rules. And then, when anyone else fucks up, you're right there to criticize, right there to sink the knife in, right there to say 'I told you so'. And the next day, you're there suffering with the rest of us. So please, just spare me apologies."
Christ, he wasn't making this any easier.
She felt angry. Angry about Cruz, Bosco and his smugness (she knew he was right though, which also pissed her off), about Layne, about Lieu lecturing her, about feeling betrayed by Monroe, about never being able to hold a candle to Faith.
What, am I jealous now? Jealous of Faith? About what she and Bosco have?
No, she realized. Not exactly. She missed having her partner. Layne, she missed him. Everything eventually came back to that. Because really, you could only ever have one. Their partnership was the closest relationship she ever had to anyone outside her family. It was beyond anything physical, it was more. Eight years of bliss, eight years of hell. Ups and downs, she wouldn't trade them for the world. Memories flooded, swelling with well suppressed emotions. She felt like exploding. God not now… She felt her cheeks burn and her eyes sting.
Bosco was watching her. Was Billy cracking up? He hadn't meant to be that harsh…
He walked toward her. "Look, just forget it, I…"
"You know it was his fault," she choked out, "I…I knew we needed backup. But Layne…Layne couldn't wait. Man, he just…"the words just seemed to pour out, "he was mad at that sicko, that killer, and he was pissed at me," she let out a soft laugh, "You know I can be a real bitch sometimes," her voice grew a little stronger, "So we went in, and, and it was dark, I mean pitch. But we could hear him, hear him breathing…we should have waited… I found the lights, flipped em…and the guy, he was just, just sittin there with this, this look on his face…the kid was already dead laying there next to him." Her breathing was harder to control, coming faster.
Bosco looked stunned, "Billy…"
She spoke a little louder, trying to compensate with the cold wind. Dead leaves fluttered by, red.
"We didn't see a weapon, I could hear sirens in the distance…it was under control. I had my gun drawn. Layne…Layne just started layin' into the guy. I…I could hear him squealing like…then it stopped and…and he was…he was laughing, the bastard was laughing.!"
She could feel the tears slipping away freely.
"We had already frisked him, but…Layne missed the knife…it was small I guess…..At first, I thought Layne had just decided to lay off him, that he had had enough. But, then…Layne got this look on his face…and the guy was laughing, and then I saw the blood."
She paused, still looking out into the distance.
"It was like…like an automatic reaction. I just walked over, I put the gun to his head, and I squeezed….bastard died with a smile on his face."
She finally turned to face Bosco.
"Layne was just…there was so much blood, Bosco…I didn't even know a person could bleed like that. I just, I looked into his eyes and I…I couldn't…I should've had his back…I should've…should have done…more…"
"Billy, you couldn't have done anything. It wasn't your fault. Things just…" He broke off. It sounded stupid and clichéd, even to him.
Her gaze went up to the sky; a cold, bright, blue. "I just want my partner."
