Title: The Long Road Back
Author: NYPD55Chick
Rating: T to be safe.
Pairing: Faith/Bosco
Spoilers: The whole series, especially Goodbye to Camelot, Monsters, and More Monsters.
Summary: Two years after GTC, Faith and Bosco are reunited at Swersky's retirement party. Will they finally settle things between them or will they say goodbye forever?
She really didn't want to do this. Faith Mitchell looked at herself in the full-length mirror that sat against the wall of her spacious bedroom. The silky midnight-blue dress clung to her curves in all the right places, highlighting the shapely figure that being divorced had recently revealed. The dress was simply elegant. Emily had helped her pick it out weeks ago. The bodice was fitted, and delicately embroidered with blue beads, creating a floral pattern that crossed from one shoulder to her opposite hip. Her left shoulder was bare, the single strap being on the right side. The back was low-cut, revealing just enough that she was unable to wear a bra. The skirt of the dress was her favourite part. From her hips, it flared out gently and reached all the way to the floor. The back of the skirt even had a train that had taken her three days of practicing to be able to walk without stepping on it. She lifted the front of the gown revealing the strappy high-heels that she just knew she was going to regret wearing, but Emily had insisted that they completed the outfit.
"I can't do this," she said to herself out loud.
"Yes you can Mom." Emily said walking into Faith's room. "You owe it to Lieutenant Swersky to go to his retirement party. Besides you look sensational and I know that you have been dying to see the gang from the old 55 again." Emily stepped up behind Faith and fixed a stray curl that had dislodged itself from the twist that she had put her blonde hair into. "You know you will regret it if you don't go."
Faith looked at her daughter in the mirror's reflection as she absentmindedly played with the delicate crystal lily that sat at her throat, suspended by a slender silver chain. The necklace had been a gift from Emily and Charlie last Mother's Day, and since then, she had never taken it off. In her heart, Faith knew that Emily was right, but it didn't help to lessen the anxiety she felt at seeing her old friends again.
"When did you become so sensible?" Faith asked, a look of pride and awe on her face as she looked at her daughter.
Emily just smiled back, "I grew up. It happens."
Faith smiled back, but her mind couldn't help but see the little girl that her daughter had been instead of the beautiful, mature young woman who had taken her place. Faith was filled with all the moments of worry that she had for her daughter, her overdose, the attack by Dante, everything. She shuddered at the thought that if Bosco hadn't shown up that day at her apartment Emily could be dead. That night, her world had come crashing down around her.
Since that fateful day nearly two years ago when the 55th precinct had been attacked, it seemed as though her life had fallen apart. She had been transferred to Major Cases and while not doing as well as some, she still managed to solve more cases than not. She had started and ended a relationship with Lieutenant Miller as well as two other boyfriends. She had lost contact with most of the gang from the 55, including her best friend and former partner. The last time Faith had seen or spoken to Bosco was six months ago when he bumped into her at a crime scene. Things had been strained before, but when she ran into him at that crime scene, it was like running into a stranger. It had broken Faith's heart to realize that she had lost her best friend: even more so to know that he thought she had lost faith in him, that she didn't trust him.
The truth had always been that she did trust him. Bosco was the one person that Faith had entrusted her life to. Her whole life; body, mind and spirit. It was for that reason that she couldn't shoot for him. If she had shot for him, and something happened while he was out on the streets where she couldn't protect him, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. She had almost lost him once, and she couldn't go through that kind of emotional anguish again.
"Mom, are you okay?" Emily's worried voice, and gentle hand on her arm brought Faith back to reality.
"Yeah sweetheart," she said softly. "Just remembering."
"Well you'd better get going, your cab is waiting out front, and if you don't go now you'll be late."
Faith smiled as Emily helped her into her wrap. It wasn't much against the harsh January wind, but it was better than nothing and she wouldn't be outside that long anyway. "Thanks sweetie, I'm really not sure when I'll be home."
"Don't worry Mom, I'll be fine. I'm going to Dad's for the night, remember?"
"Yeah, I just wanted you to know in case you changed your mind or if he was being a handful. Please be careful driving over to Jersey okay?"
"Yes, mother, now GO!" Emily laughed practically pushing Faith out the door, thrusting both her keys and her clutch-purse out after her.
Emily stood at the window and waved as her mother, looking every bit like Cinderella, rushed into the cab and headed off to a night she would undoubtedly never forget.