Title: After the Fall
Author: Marie Vaughn
Type: Post-episode
Spoilers: Falling
Classification: Angst B/F Friendship
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this wonderful thing called "Third Watch". Props to NBC, Molly Price, and Jason Wiles.
A/N: So, I became totally and completely obsessed with TW this summer. Falling has to be my all time favorite episode. I had to get this off my mind if I was going to get any work done this weekend, so, here you go! (Oh, and I didn't want to deal with Fred, so in my world, he was sleeping, or on an extra long walk, or something. Bottom line, he didn't come in. ;) ) Reviews of all colors and flavors are appreciated!
As soon as she opened her door relief washed over him, relief at finally seeing a friendly face. She seemed glad to see him, concern washing over her features ever so briefly. Faith would understand. Hell, every cop in the city would understand what he was feeling, but Faith would understand him. As she quickly welcomed him into her home, he knew he was right to come here. The words started to flow then, everything came rushing out. He saw the surprise in her face when she realized what he was talking about, but she didn't stop him, didn't ask what was going on; just let him talk. Tears were streaming down his face before he could think to stop them. Everything he had bottled up over the last few months was suddenly rushing to the surface, and he was too tired to care. Besides, this was Faith. She wouldn't use this to hurt him, wouldn't question or analyze him, she would just be Faith. Soon though, the memories became overwhelming. He buried his face in his hand, muffling the anguished sobs, leaning almost imperceptibly towards her, clutching at the hem of her jacket. He could hear Faith speaking to him, but he couldn't concentrate on the words. But then he felt her. He felt her hand on the nape of his neck, gently holding him to her shoulder. He felt her slowly rubbing his back, easing away the tension and the fear that had become second nature to him. He let it all out then, all of the sadness, the helplessness, the grief, the fear; it all came rushing out in the safety of his partner's arms. He felt her cheek against his hair, whispering slowly in his ear words meant only for him. "I've got you Bos. It's okay, you're gonna be okay. I'm right here." After several minutes his sobs had quieted, but he still sat there with her, unwilling to leave the comfort she had provided for him. He concentrated on his breathing, taking long slow breaths, feeling her hand slowly moving against his back, rubbing gently between his shoulder blades. She kissed his shoulder gently, resting her head there and closing her eyes, feeling his body begin to relax, listening to his occasional sniffle as his erratic breathing began to even out. She combed her fingers through his hair, shifting her weight as he moved to wrap his arms around her waist. Resting his forehead on her shoulder, he closed his eyes as she gently stroked the back of his neck. Suddenly, though, he felt a tug at his jacket.
"Uncle B, are you sad?" Charlie's voice, so small and innocent, at his side. Faith was immediately on alert; ready to shield him from anyone who would upset the delicate balance he had built with his emotions. Pulling herself from his arms, she squeezed his knee with one hand as she reached out to Charlie, meaning to urge him off to his room. Bosco gently brushed her hand with his own, surreptitiously wiping his eyes as he looked to address Charlie.
"Yeah, Charlie, I'm sad. Grown-ups get sad too ya know." His voice was raw, and Faith squeezed his knee gently in support.
"When I get sad I tell Mommy. Do you have a Mommy?"
Bosco smiled faintly, and reached out to Charlie, lifting him easily to his knee. "Yeah Charlie-boy, I've got a Mommy. But your Mommy here, she's my very best friend. And sometimes there are things that I can only talk about with her." He locked eyes with Faith, whose own eyes were shining with tears at his sweet words to her son. She quickly blinked them back, and lifted Charlie up off of Bosco's knee.
"C'mon baby, back to bed." She marched him off to his room.
"But Mommy, I want to talk to Uncle Bosco!"
"Uncle Bosco's tired honey, you can talk to him tomorrow."
When she returned from tucking Charlie in, Bosco had moved to the couch, his head leaning back, and his eyes closed, a sharp frown marring his features. Faith settled beside him, letting out a deep breath. "Sweet kid." He said softly.
"He adores you, you know." Faith responded.
He smiled faintly, wondering when he became "cool Uncle B".
Faith took one of his hands in both of hers, holding it in her lap. She stared downwards, thoughtfully stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. Bosco looked at her curiously. "Bosco, you know I love you right? You know you're my best friend, and I love you."
His eyes locked with her gaze. "I know Faith." And he did know. He wouldn't be here if he didn't know that was an absolute truth.
She looked away from him, staring down at their hands again. "Well then, for what it's worth, I'm glad you ran." She looked up at him again, and he was surprised at the emotion he saw reflecting back at him. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you that day." He reached out to her then, shaking his head at the tears he saw falling slowly down her cheeks. Gripping her shoulder he pulled her towards him, and they wrapped their arms around each other tightly. He stroked her hair gently as he felt her tears against his neck. "You need to get better Bos." She whispered, crying softly, "I need you to get better."
"I'll get better Faith." He answered softly, hugging her tighter, "I promise you I will."
A/N: So, I became totally and completely obsessed with TW this summer. Falling has to be my all time favorite episode. I had to get this off my mind if I was going to get any work done this weekend, so, here you go! (Oh, and I didn't want to deal with Fred, so in my world, he was sleeping, or on an extra long walk, or something. Bottom line, he didn't come in. ;) ) Reviews of all colors and flavors are appreciated!
As soon as she opened her door relief washed over him, relief at finally seeing a friendly face. She seemed glad to see him, concern washing over her features ever so briefly. Faith would understand. Hell, every cop in the city would understand what he was feeling, but Faith would understand him. As she quickly welcomed him into her home, he knew he was right to come here. The words started to flow then, everything came rushing out. He saw the surprise in her face when she realized what he was talking about, but she didn't stop him, didn't ask what was going on; just let him talk. Tears were streaming down his face before he could think to stop them. Everything he had bottled up over the last few months was suddenly rushing to the surface, and he was too tired to care. Besides, this was Faith. She wouldn't use this to hurt him, wouldn't question or analyze him, she would just be Faith. Soon though, the memories became overwhelming. He buried his face in his hand, muffling the anguished sobs, leaning almost imperceptibly towards her, clutching at the hem of her jacket. He could hear Faith speaking to him, but he couldn't concentrate on the words. But then he felt her. He felt her hand on the nape of his neck, gently holding him to her shoulder. He felt her slowly rubbing his back, easing away the tension and the fear that had become second nature to him. He let it all out then, all of the sadness, the helplessness, the grief, the fear; it all came rushing out in the safety of his partner's arms. He felt her cheek against his hair, whispering slowly in his ear words meant only for him. "I've got you Bos. It's okay, you're gonna be okay. I'm right here." After several minutes his sobs had quieted, but he still sat there with her, unwilling to leave the comfort she had provided for him. He concentrated on his breathing, taking long slow breaths, feeling her hand slowly moving against his back, rubbing gently between his shoulder blades. She kissed his shoulder gently, resting her head there and closing her eyes, feeling his body begin to relax, listening to his occasional sniffle as his erratic breathing began to even out. She combed her fingers through his hair, shifting her weight as he moved to wrap his arms around her waist. Resting his forehead on her shoulder, he closed his eyes as she gently stroked the back of his neck. Suddenly, though, he felt a tug at his jacket.
"Uncle B, are you sad?" Charlie's voice, so small and innocent, at his side. Faith was immediately on alert; ready to shield him from anyone who would upset the delicate balance he had built with his emotions. Pulling herself from his arms, she squeezed his knee with one hand as she reached out to Charlie, meaning to urge him off to his room. Bosco gently brushed her hand with his own, surreptitiously wiping his eyes as he looked to address Charlie.
"Yeah, Charlie, I'm sad. Grown-ups get sad too ya know." His voice was raw, and Faith squeezed his knee gently in support.
"When I get sad I tell Mommy. Do you have a Mommy?"
Bosco smiled faintly, and reached out to Charlie, lifting him easily to his knee. "Yeah Charlie-boy, I've got a Mommy. But your Mommy here, she's my very best friend. And sometimes there are things that I can only talk about with her." He locked eyes with Faith, whose own eyes were shining with tears at his sweet words to her son. She quickly blinked them back, and lifted Charlie up off of Bosco's knee.
"C'mon baby, back to bed." She marched him off to his room.
"But Mommy, I want to talk to Uncle Bosco!"
"Uncle Bosco's tired honey, you can talk to him tomorrow."
When she returned from tucking Charlie in, Bosco had moved to the couch, his head leaning back, and his eyes closed, a sharp frown marring his features. Faith settled beside him, letting out a deep breath. "Sweet kid." He said softly.
"He adores you, you know." Faith responded.
He smiled faintly, wondering when he became "cool Uncle B".
Faith took one of his hands in both of hers, holding it in her lap. She stared downwards, thoughtfully stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. Bosco looked at her curiously. "Bosco, you know I love you right? You know you're my best friend, and I love you."
His eyes locked with her gaze. "I know Faith." And he did know. He wouldn't be here if he didn't know that was an absolute truth.
She looked away from him, staring down at their hands again. "Well then, for what it's worth, I'm glad you ran." She looked up at him again, and he was surprised at the emotion he saw reflecting back at him. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you that day." He reached out to her then, shaking his head at the tears he saw falling slowly down her cheeks. Gripping her shoulder he pulled her towards him, and they wrapped their arms around each other tightly. He stroked her hair gently as he felt her tears against his neck. "You need to get better Bos." She whispered, crying softly, "I need you to get better."
"I'll get better Faith." He answered softly, hugging her tighter, "I promise you I will."