Wow, I'm still in a bit of shock over the news. But getting better. I won't lie, I'll miss Bosco like NUTS, but I'm also excited about how they might play this out, and what Jason will bring to the table in the Movies he'll make himself and as an Actor in other possible projects. :) Kind of strange though to think this fic is set almost two years into the future...a future that will now not happen...:( I like my version of Bosco's future better. :)

Enjoy Chapter 6

M

Reality

Chapter 6

Moving quickly down the hall CJ passed several officers as well as staff members of the 5-5, but as they acknowledged him, he himself ignored their greetings, or only gave them a slight nod as he stormed past heading to the locker room. There was an angry, cold look of determination on his face that couldn't even begin to reflect the turmoil inside of him.

Faith and Sully already in the locker room were for the third day since CJ's putting Bosco in the hospital and Bosco then disappearing having a discussion about where to look next for him.

Storming through the door, CJ stalked over to his locker next to Bosco's, placed a clear garment bag on the bench along with his gym bag which he unzipped and removed several items from. He hurriedly opened his lock and slammed opened his locker door, ignoring Faith and Sully's hellos as he'd done all others while he threw the items into the bottom of the locker. Snatching up the garment bag he hung it on the rack then took his personal possessions off of the top shelf of the locker placing them into the now empty gym bag.

"CJ," Faith commented as she exchanged worried looks with Sully, "I asked how you were. Look, if you have a moment I want to talk to you about Bosco…," she paused at the sharp glare he gave her.

Then just as suddenly as he'd come in he was slamming his locker to turn from them then slinging the bag over his shoulder stalked out of the locker room, leaving Faith and Sully with their mouths hanging open.

"What the hell?" she commented to Sully, who shrugged and went back to his Utility belt.

Davis came over, asking, "What's with him? Is pissed at us now?" CJ had spent the last couple of days, moping and grousing around everyone, but he'd not actually been rude!

"Well," Sully grumbled as he finished adjusting his belt, looking up at Ty, "I'm going to find out what's going on, because he just shoved his gear and his 'dress' uniform into that locker before taking everything personal out of it!"

Faith glanced into his locker and took off after Sully. They saw CJ heading into Lieu's office as they reached the landing making it obvious he was not knocking as he entered he shoved hard on the door and disappeared inside.

Almost running up, not wanting to miss what was happening, they were stopping at the beginning of the window to peek into the office. Faith, Sully, and Ty were stunned to see Lieu spring to his feet holding something now in his hands that CJ had tossed at him. Then they watched as CJ immediately tossed his gun down on the desk after it.

"Oh god!" Ty exclaimed as he heard Swersky raising his voice, "He's gone and done it!"

Faith and Sully looked at him questioning, not really believing what they were seeing, he started to explain, "He said he was thinking about quitting, but I didn't really believe he'd…" he stopped as now Lieu was yelling at CJ.

"CASTER GET YOUR ASS BACK IN HERE!" Swersky was yelling, "YOU CAN'T JUST COME IN HERE AND DO THIS! WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE!! HAS EVERYONE LOST THEIR DAMN MINDS! I SAID GET BACK IN HERE!"

CJ exited the office and headed out of the building, the three stunned Officers watching the goings on had been joined by most of the other officers and staff in the area, all now intently watching silently as the drama unfolded right in front of them.

Dave Swersky following CJ out of his office, stopped to stand at the door as he yelled after him. When an officer named Ryan tried to block CJ's exit, as Swersky yelled again for him to stop and get back here, CJ growled at him, moving forward to the door, "Ryan if you know what's good for you, you'll move your ass!" Ryan stepped again in front of him, as another officer joined him, "Mac, I'm not kidding, get the hell out of my way!" CJ warned him also.

"Man Caster, Boss wants you back there and that's what's going to happen!" Ryan stated, folding his arms in front of him.

"Yeah, CJ, come on dude don't make us make you." Mac joined in.

CJ reached out and shoved Ryan right down on his ass, then forearmed Mac to the side continuing on his way, he was out of the doors and clear when several other officers began to move toward the doors to intercept him outside.

Faith, Sully and Ty began to rush to intercept them to make sure nothing got started when Swersky yelled out, "DON'T! JUST LET HIM GO!"

Then as everyone hesitated over what to do, after all CJ had just actually assaulted two other Officers, he added, "HE'S MADE HIS DECISION. HE'S QUIT!" Then holding up CJ's badge to them, he said, "LET HIM GO!" He turned and walked back inside his office slamming the door behind him, leaving a silent group of officers as they stood and looked at each other stunned at what had just happened, wondering 'what' had just happened.

Instantly Faith headed back to Swersky's office to find out what had gone on. Sully was trying to pacify Mac and Ryan, who wanted blood for what he had done to them, while Ty took off after CJ.

Inside Swersky's office, "Sir, what the hell did he say?" Faith asked, stunned by what she was seeing and hearing now.

Standing behind his desk, Swersky glanced up and gave her a scowl, grumbling, "Said, he'd had enough of this shit, and that if he couldn't tell the bad guys from the good guys, then he didn't want to be a cop anymore! What ever the hell that means," Dave sat down heavily in his chair, holding the badge in his hand, his elbow on his desk, staring up at Faith he asked with a heavy and depressed tone, "How many more casualties of Bosco's are there going to be before something gives..." Then pointing to the chair in front of his desk, he said, "Sit, we need to talk."

"Yes sir," she sat down, "Look, sir, I think he just needs time to cool down, think about this for awhile. I really can't believe that he'd really give up being a cop!"

Shaking his head, Swersky said, "That's not what I want to talk to you about.", then he 'hesitated', and after a moment of silence, he sat straight turning to his desk again and put his hands flat on the blotter giving her a serious stare, "I now have confirmation about the info that you found."

Faith grew still, her eyes closing a moment longer than necessary; as if she would prevent what he was going to say next from being said.

He took a deep breath, then let it out harshly, saying, "Boscorelli IS Louis Ricemans, and he has been taking over small dealers for around two years give or take, but now recently he's moved on to bigger fish." He knew what this was going to do to her, but had no choice at the moment, too much depended on the people who knew Bosco best at the station to really believe he was Ricemans, "Anticrime and the FBI have been working on this for almost a year now, after someone started to notice how many 'dealers' were 'gone missing'. Now, finally, he's decided to come out of the shadows; as it were. Seems when Davis saw him he was evidently meeting with Berman and Dellio for the sole purpose of taking their operations from them." He gave a dramatic pause as Faith sat again stunned and now speechless, then with another heavy sigh added, "Dellio has disappeared, and it seems Berman took his family on an extended vacation to Europe. Also, several of their people had already disappeared in just the few weeks this has been going on, or are now working for Boscorelli, or rather, for Ricemans. Cute huh, that little name thing? Maurice Louis Boscorelli, a.k.a. Louis B. Ricemans, funny that Anticrime and the FBI didn't pick up on that, especially since he worked with both of them a couple of years ago as you are well aware; course can't say we did either. If Davis hadn't seen him with those two, we'd still be looking in the Hudson for him, so to speak. Little son-of-a-bitch is a lot smarter than I gave him credit for, that's for damn sure. Guess that time in the mental ward at Mercy, gave him the ability to go for the big fish!" Then as he stopped, watching Faith grow paler as she heard her worst fears confirmed, then he tossed a folder across the desk to her.

She hesitated then picking it up she opened it looking inside; Dave watched her; hating what had to be done, and that it had to be done this way; and as she looked at the picture of Bosco with Berman and Dellio; it was a full face view this time; and saw in it Bosco accepting a large set of books from them, then in the next photo she pulled he was handing them a briefcase. He was wearing the same clothes he'd been in when CJ had brought him into Mercy a few nights ago.

As Faith looked through the pictures, several of them; her hands were shaking and finally she stopped, an exclamation of surprise and more shock as she saw Bosco holding open a car door, this time showing the camera a side face view, but it wasn't him that stopped her that time. It was the woman with him, because the woman getting out was Jamie Richards! Faith was frozen a moment, then slowly she looked up eyes wide at Swersky, who was nodding slowly as he said, "Yeah, that was my reaction too."

"But," Faith grew cold inside and instantly was almost speechless with rage, "CJ talked to her." She kept stopping, then starting again, Dave didn't interrupt, for this to work, unfortunately, this is how it had to be.

"She said," stopping again, then, "she hadn't seen him, that she wanted nothing to do with him, because of Vance!"

"I know, I heard but," and Swersky pulled another photo from his desk and handed it across to her, "doesn't look to me like she's got a problem now."

Faith gasped as she saw the picture he was handing her, tears came to her eyes and her face grew red with anger, "DAMN IT!!" she shouted, "THAT, HOW THE, OH MY GOD!!!" Feeling like the world had gone insane, she looked again at the picture.

In it were three people; Bosco standing with his arm around Jamie smiling down at her sweetly, while she was looking up at him smiling back, they were walking up a set of steps to a very expensive house and on the landing above waiting for them as he was holding the front door open, was Vance Laurence, and he was grinning as though welcoming them home.

"Those were taken the same day that Jamie talked to Caster at the diner. I showed these to Caster last night," Dave was watching Faith try to come to terms with what she was seeing, "Guess these probably have something to do with his decision."

Faith was reeling now, Sully had just come to the office door and seeing her face and the folder she was barely holding now, he looked at Dave questioningly.

"Come in John," Swersky said solemnly nodding at him.

Sully knew it couldn't be good if Dave was calling him John on the job.

"What did you find out?" he asked, then took the folder that Faith held out to him.

"Good God! HE REALLY HAS GONE OFF THE DEEP END!" Sully exclaimed, as he glanced through the pictures, Dave explaining what he'd already 'told' Faith. Before he was finished, Sully reached the end of the photo stack then seeing a picture still in Faith's hand he reached out and took it from her numb fingers.

"No, way?!" he exclaimed as stunned as Faith had been, "I don't believe it! Not after what happened to her! And to Caster!" Then looking over at Dave, he asked, "Is this why Caster quit!? Did you show him this!?"

Dave nodded, "Yeah, last nigh, right before his shift ended. I called him to confirm them with him after Anticrime sent them to me. Have to say, I didn't expect him to quit, though. More expected him to want to bring him down himself actually."

Faith sat there, watching Lieu, then she said, "Oh Lieu, he's going down aright, but it won't be Caster that does it." Then she jumped to her feet angrily, looking at Dave she demanded, "What's the address of this house? I've got a house call to make," looking over at Sully she asked meanly, "You feel like playing Doctor?"

"Damn straight I do!" Sully replied, heading for the door, "I'll drive, just let me find Davis!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE YOU TWO!" Dave exclaimed, jumping to his feet, "Anticrime is all over this now, if you go in there heads will roll and besides there are enough cops AWOL as it is! I can't afford to lose you two also. I'll make sure you're in on the take down, but until then, hit your patrol Sullivan, and you hit those reports Yokas, and I'm not kidding!"

"But SIR!" Faith began her protest, "He was my partner, and he caused my last partner to just quit! Not to mention, all the other shit that has happened because of what he's…" then she stopped, "Oh my god! Bosco's been dealing drugs, the same people he's been arresting, he's been dealing too!"

Swersky had been waiting for this moment of realization from her, he'd known that the shock would eventually wear off and the Reality of the situation would hit her, actually, it hit sooner than he'd thought it might.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she exclaimed then she was running for the locker room.

Dave Swersky, felt then about as bad as a man can feel, but, there was no way in hell that he was going to blow this, the sooner it was over the sooner he could sleep at night again, and the sooner Bosco was back here, and well, they'd deal with Faith's trying to kill them both then.

Ty came back into the station and seeing Faith running down to the locker room he approached Sully.

"Sully, what gives," he asked, nodding to Faith's departing back, "she OK?"

Sully told him, as he handed him the file and showed him the pictures, he was nodding in recognition, "Yeah, I had a feeling. I mean I did see him…" then like the others he reached the last couple of pictures, "what the hell! NO WAY!!" His head snapping up he was looking at Sully in shock.

"Yeah," Sully sullenly replied, "people keep saying that, me included." Then Sully was walking back to the locker room to finish getting ready for their shift, leaving Davis holding the picture of Bosco, Jamie, and Vance.

XXXX

That same night, very late.

He'd sat at home most of the night before, and today and now tonight still trying to grasp fully what Lieu had told him. Trying to come to and understanding of just how much of a double life Moe had been leading, and trying to decide for sure if he was going to do the same.

To say that he'd been shocked when Lieu had showed up here at the apartment yesterday morning, and explained what the Reality of the situation was, well…To start with yea he admitted to Lieu later he was shocked, so much so that he didn't even have questions until Lieu had asked him if he needed him to start over.

A sense of vast relief had started to come over him as he began to realize that he wasn't crazy, or a seriously BAD judge of character! That had lasted about all of 5 minutes before he'd gotten angry, more angry than he'd been when he'd busted Moe's jaw! Only this time he didn't let it go, he held it in. Hell, he was still angry! Unsure at who, or what though. He guessed, mostly at the situation, he was a cop after all, he understood what deep cover was about, he really couldn't blame Moe for what had happened.

But that was the thing in a nutshell; he did blame him, only now he blamed himself also; he should have just left it alone when he was asked too, he should have trusted Moe after all they had been through, but, how could he. With the evidence right in his face. Now, there was a decision to be made, well, part of it was already made, as he'd quit.

That part had not been faked, well yeah, okay, he admitted it had, but at the same time, he'd made the decision that when this was over, if he survived, he wasn't going back.

That's when he realized that he had decided what to do about the question asked of him, getting up he grabbed his keys and his coat and headed out of the door to do something now about that decision. He wondered what kind of reception he'd get as he locked the apartment door behind him.

XXXX

At the 'House':

Dell Parker answered the door, "Yeah, what do you want?"

"I need to see Ricemans," CJ stood hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat, "Now."

"Who the hell are you?" Dell asked as he slowly reached his hand to his back going for his gun just in case it was needed.

"The man who busted his face for him," CJ replied sarcastically, "that's who the hell I am. Now are you going to let me in? OR do you need a demonstration!"

Dell was instantly grinning now as CJ's words gave away his identity, "CASTER! Hell man come the hell in! I want to shake your hand!" Bringing said hand back around to his front as he'd stepped back into the foyer so as not to look suspicious to anyone who might be watching from outside.

CJ stood there a moment frowning at him before he stepped inside, "YOU want to shake MY hand? For what?" he asked suspiciously.

"Hell guy anyone who shuts that little big mouth up is okay in my book! He about drives me nuts! Bossiest guy I ever met!" Dell laughed as he shut the door and locked it, "Come on, Swersky let us know you were coming but not when, guess there's someone you want to see before you talk to Louis." Then leaving CJ with his mouth hanging, he turned and walked down a hall, glancing back waving him to join, "Come on, what are you waiting for!?"

Shaking his head, CJ followed him, unsure as to whom he would be 'seeing', hoping actually that it might be Vance as he had a few things he'd like to 'discuss' with HIM!

To his surprise, though, when they came out into a kitchen, there was a dark hared woman standing at the cabinet, she was pouring something into a cup with a lid on it.

"Hey, Jamie someone here to see you!" Dell exclaimed as he pushed CJ forward. She turned quickly, then seeing CJ a smile came over her face, fading quickly as a look of guilt replaced it, glancing back at CJ and seeing the strange look on his face, Dell said, "Hey, you know I think I hear Kyle, yeah, I'm sure I do, see ya," and he was gone shutting the door quietly behind him.

Jamie stood looking at CJ, unsure of what to say, or do so, "Hi," was all she did say.

Nodding, and looking around the room, then back at her, CJ said, "Hi yourself."

The silence grew awkward as they stood there, then finally, CJ asked as if things were normal, "Warren really in Europe?"

She nodded once, then said with a very small nervous smile, "Yes, for at least a month."

"Good, guess he needed to feel safe, huh?" CJ remarked, his words low, adding roughly "I mean he's been through enough, right?"

Jamie flushed red at her words thrown back at her as she defended what she'd had to tell him, "I had no choice CJ. Maurice's life would have been in danger if I had told anyone what was really going on, I'm so sorry you were in the middle, but it wasn't my call to make."

"In danger from who? ME?" he exclaimed loudly, then lowering his voice, "I would think you would know better…," then he stopped as she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Hey, I wouldn't have done what I did, if I had known what was really going ON," he yelled at her, they were still standing across the room from one another, Jamie holding the cup and CJ with his hands on the center island now, leaning toward her.

"Honey, I know that and so does Maurice," she said quietly, "But, it wasn't his decision to keep you out of the loop, not completely. Now I'm going to tell you why, because obviously he can't right now." She set the cup down and leaned back against the cabinet. "The FBI and Anticrime are working this together, and it was decided BY THEM, that no one in the department, except for Dave Swersky was to know about this operation. It was started shortly after the Cruz/Noble fiasco. Sort of a way for Maurice to set his career back on track, get out of all the deep shit he'd shoved them all face first into because he didn't trust his Sergeant. They were ready to can him for what his part was in that hotel incident," she paused to let him absorb what she was telling him.

"Yeah, I heard about that, but I thought that the FBI just 'made' it go away, because of how they would come off," CJ stated as she decided how to explain the rest to him.

"Well, from what he's told me and what Dave's told me, the FBI doesn't just 'make' things go away without a price! In this case it was 'good cop gone bad' only they didn't count on him having a breakdown, or on the Louisiana thing, or on Vance! He was ready to move onto bigger fish when his breakdown occurred. Because the Vacation thing happened so soon after he was back at work, it's taken even longer." She paused again, going to the coffee pot and pouring herself a cup, "Want one?"

He gave a slight grin of forgiveness, nodding as he headed around the island to accept a cup asking, "Is it Community?"

She grinned at him, "Of course, you have Maurice as hooked on it as you are...me too," he gave a small laugh and after they were sipping she continued, "He started out, turning small dealers that he arrested, of course they didn't know him as 'Ricemans' but still they gave up information on each other and on larger ones for the privilege of 'disappearing' when the FBI gave them no choice but to go along with him after he did the 'dirty cop' and badgered or threatened them into cooperation. Actually, they ended up, most of them, in the witness protection program, or some of them in a federal pen somewhere else in the country. None of them so far, have been stupid enough to cross him. Just not knowing what he's done to the 'one above you' is incentive for cooperation and by the time they realize its a bluff, that he is not a dirty cop, its too late, they've signed on the dotted line and its over. I of course haven't seen him work, but I would imagine that he must be quite convincing to have gotten this far. His 'loose cannon' image seems to be very effective with these people."

"Yeah, it usually is," CJ commented with a smirk remembering now a few incidents in the field that he now wondered if they might be related to this situation, then waited for her to finish.

"Last year, before he went into the hospital, or actually the year before, they were ready for the 'reveal' for him to suddenly be found out. He was going to leave the department, much like he did, and everyone was going to be 'convinced' that he'd gone over to the other side. But you know what happened there. Eight months later he's finally let out and he could have called off the whole thing if he'd wanted to. But being Maurice," she rolled her eyes, smiling slightly, "he went back after it hot and heavy, it took him bringing in 2 dealers of some stature, undercover of course, no one at the 'house' knew about it, for the FBI to be convinced he was back and that was before he even got his badge 'back' at the 5-5!"

CJ was stunned, he'd been his partner while most of this was going on and had no clue, but then those little things kept popping into his head, things that seemed slightly but not really off in the arrests, "No wonder so many of our collars take or took so long to get to court, and so few!"

"Probably," Jamie agreed, "Then you guys discover those kids, and the city rewards you with extra time off, and well you know what happened as well or actually better than me, if that Vacation hadn't happened, this might be over already," she sighed.

CJ was nodding now, echoing her, "Probably. When he gets something in his teeth…"

She grinned, "Yeah, tell me about it!", then, "Anyway, Angelo Dellio and Marius Berman were the last two in the ladder before the top. He was going to 'be caught' by someone at the 5-5, he just let it happen sooner than planned without meaning too, but when Ty saw him, it was just to perfect to pass up. Vance was actually a catalyst in this even though he wasn't a willing participant. Let's just say that he got some of what he dished out before he decided that maybe Louis was crazier than he is! So now, that the 'cat' is out of the bag, and everyone at the 'house' thinks that Maurice Boscorelli has jumped down the 'rabbit hole' into Wonderland," she unwittingly echoed Sully and Faith's words, "it's time for the 'big fish'. Or rather it would have been if he'd checked with Dave Swersky before going to get that bank book!" she was smiling softly at him now.

"Yea," CJ looked sheepish now as he hid in his coffee cup.

"He really did hate what he had to do to you CJ, it was tearing him up that you were forced to think he'd betrayed you. And believe it or not, he actually feels like he made it worse by going to the apartment. He's feeling pretty guilty right now for having to get you even more involved in this, than you already were," she stopped now, finished for the moment.

Surprised he shot her a look, "Yeah, well, what about you? You're in more danger than any of us!" he said forcefully, "Jamie, you have kids, and grandchildren! Your ex had to take your son out of the country! What the hell was he thinking!? He should have just let you go until this was over!"

Nodding, she replied, "Warren was already taking Warren Jr. with him, and I'd already been seen with him by Murphy's people before last summers thing. Our pictures were in the paper together, remember? I actually feel safer here than at home. At least here I have the FBI watching over me!" She turned picking up the cup she fixed earlier, "Well, he's probably about to come unglued, you know how he is when he's not eaten, and since he's on a liquid diet right now, well…"

CJ flushed red himself now, "Maybe I should wait until morning before I see him, Moe hungry can be dangerous."

"Coward!" she laughed, "Ok, then wait here," she said still smiling, "I won't be long. You hungry? There's some stuff in the fridge, make yourself at home. I don't really think he wants anyone watching him try to get this stuff down anyway, keeps making reference to Sushi! Though for the life of me I can't figure out why, except that I know he hates the stuff! He needs pain medication right before he eats anyway so he'll probably not be in any condition to talk tonight after he's done. I'll tell Dell to fix you a room, and we can hang out after I get back down here. That okay with you?"

Nodding, he smiled, then as she went to go past him, "Jamie?"

She stopped, looking up at him, "Yes."

"Do you think I can do this?" he asked quietly as he rolled the now empty coffee cup between his palms.

"Yes," she said without hesitation, "I never would have suggested it to Dave, CJ if I didn't know you could. You are too precious to me to lose if you couldn't. And if you were wondering, Maurice tried to get them to let you work with him on this last year! So the answer from All of us is Yes, you Can do this!"

Then she was out of the kitchen, leaving him grinning as he walked over to the fridge to peek inside.

TBC...