Title: Into the Heart, chapter 7

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Third Watch except for the idea for this story; the title is taken from one of the U2 songs

Rating: general audience

Chapter 7

When he thought about it he couldn't think of one reason why they hadn't made love yet. Well, actually that was because there were several reasons. First, when she wanted it he turned her down because he was afraid she'd regret it afterwards; then they agreed to just date for a while to see how things go; when they were pretty sure that being just friends wasn't good enough for them anymore he got hit by a car and ended up in hospital. When he came home his ribs were sore as hell and she was so careful not to even hug him too tightly so she wouldn't cause him pain. He had gone back to work three weeks ago, still working the desk though, but now he felt comfortable enough. He also wasn't so self-conscious anymore because his body was not so severely bruised any longer. He decided it was time.

It was weird in a way, how they never managed to come about doing it. But it also felt right. All his previous relationships started in bed and ended quickly afterwards. With Faith it was different. He wanted it to be special, perfect even. He cared so much about her – hell, he loved her – that he was willing to wait for as long as it took. Well, to a certain limit, that is. He knew she wanted him and now they also admitted their love for each other so there were no more obstacles.

It felt unusual to have someone in his life he really loved - apart from his ma - because he never had anyone before. But he started to realize lately that he had always felt strongly about Faith. Maybe it hadn't been love from the beginning but he had certainly loved her for the past few years. He just never said it out loud, he never admitted it even to himself. And she never said it, because she couldn't, she was married. He always thought that he didn't have to say things for her to see them and to understand them but now he knew there were certain things you had to say. One of them was saying I love you to the person you loved. And saying it to Faith felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was awkward getting the words out the first time but then they sounded right and true. And he loved saying I love you. To Faith.

She loved Fred. She was in love with Fred when they got married. She was happy. And when the kids came, she loved them, too. When Fred started drinking she didn't stop loving him because of that, she just felt the need to get away from him to secure a better future for her kids. She didn't want them to see what she had to see as a child.

When she joined the force, she began to love her job, she loved being a cop. She liked working the streets with Bosco. It was … it was her. That was what she became, something outside her family, away from Fred. But that didn't stop her from loving them. Partly, she did it just because she loved them. When Bosco told her to stick with her husband she thought about it. She wanted all the best for them. So she persisted and it paid out. When Fred gave up drinking everything changed to the better.

When Fred had a heart attack she was devastated, she was so afraid that he was going to leave her; that she would lose him. But Bosco was there to bear the full brunt of her rage and fear. When Emily oded she started to lose her trust in herself as a mother. She was afraid she made too many mistakes when raising her children. She blamed Fred for letting Em go to the park, Bosco had to calm them before they came to blows.

And then Fred left her all of a sudden. She knew they had problems but they'd always worked it out. She had opportunities to cheat on him but she didn't because she believed in her family and she worked hard to make it work. Fred obviously didn't. He met someone else and left and took Charlie with him. And Bosco got shot. The first couple of days after that were still a blur to her. She didn't want to remember them. She rarely did lately because she was once again happy.

It was funny how the problems between Fred and her started because of Bosco. She could never understand how Fred could be jealous of Bosco. Until now. In hindsight she understood that Fred saw it a lot sooner than she did. She always saw Bosco through the lens of her family. In her mind she always thought of her family as the most important thing in her life and she always tried to do everything right for them. She never saw a man in Bosco, because she already had a man, Fred. She saw him as her best friend, a fellow officer. Only when Fred was gone she actually saw Bosco for the first time for who he really was – a beautiful, strong and warm man. A man that had always been close by, somewhere in the background just waiting for her to call him. She had loved him always, as a friend. She fell in love with him when he was in hospital.

Knowing that he reciprocated her feelings filled her with emotions she never felt with Fred. Fred was nice, sometimes charming, convenient, reliable to a certain extent, loving towards the mother of his children. Bosco was intense, passionate, totally committed, the man she trusted with her life, the man who made her feel like a beautiful woman. Loving Bosco was totally different from loving Fred or her kids. It was enlivening; it filled her with live energy. And now she decided that just telling him she loved him was not enough, it was time to also show him how she felt.

He felt as if everyone in the store was staring at him. He couldn't remember when was the last time he came even close to a department with women's underwear. The embarrassment he felt at the moment made him understand exactly why he usually avoided them. He didn't know where to turn or what to do to attract the least attention possible from the other female-only shoppers and the shop assistants. He was afraid he might actually have another of his panic attacks. But finally he caught sight of what he was looking for.

He decided to buy her a nice nightgown instead of the cliché panties and bra. He now stood in front of a huge shelf with dozens of different models and materials. He realized this was going to be even harder than he imagined.

"You too, huh?" he suddenly heard behind his back. He froze cursing his bad luck at meeting an acquaintance at the most uncalled-for moment, though he didn't recognize the voice. He slowly turned around to face his tormentor. Surprised he realized he didn't know the man.

"What did you say?"

"I meant to say that you too are buying underwear for your wife. I always hate it when I have to do this," said the middle-aged man that was sweating heavily despite the AC in the department.

"You do? Then why are you doing it?" asked Bosco slightly annoyed seeing that it was a total stranger who disturbed him.

"You know how it is. She keeps nagging and nagging and I have to do something to make her happy for at least a while. She's happy - I'm happy 'cause she leaves me alone. You know," he said and grinned sheepishly.

"No, I don't know," Bosco said and turned back to the shelves, trying to shake off the unwanted company. His luck was on vacation that day though.

"Do you know where longer models are? 'Cause I need the longest possible. You know, you have to cover up the size so you don't have to see too much," the man explained undeterred.

Bosco made a disgusted face at the unattractive details. He took the chance and waved to the other end of the long shelf.

"I think they're at that end."

"Great, thanks for help. Well, I hope your wife'll be satisfied," he nodded at Bosco, smoothing his slimy hair. When Bosco didn't respond he turned and walked in the pointed direction.

"Jagoff," Bosco murmured under his breath but then smiled when he thought about how he didn't feel bothered by the use of the word wife. Actually, it sounded pretty nice and he became uncommonly tingly inside thinking about it.

"Can I help you, sir?" He almost jumped at the voice.

A lovely young woman was smiling at him and waiting for him to answer.

"Ehm, I was looking for a nightgown for my … girlfriend. I see you've got quite a selection."

"Hard to decide, isn't it? Did you have anything specific in mind?"

"Well, I don't know. How do you choose this kind of things?" He shrugged, a bit lost.

"Let's see. Tell me what your girlfriend is like and we might find something just right for her."

"She's … she's …"

What is Faith like? How do you explain to a stranger what Faith is like? You simply have to know her, you can't describe her in a couple of words.

"She's a beautiful, classy lady, very nice …"

"I see. I take it she's a mature woman?" the assistant flashed him a smile.

"Mature woman? My ma is a mature woman. Faith's just … Well, she has two kids but she looks young," he said nervously.

The girl smiled reassuringly at him. Now she probably thinks I'm seeing a middle-aged hag and I'm trying to make an impression she's a beautiful and fashionable woman, Bosco thought.

"We have some very nice and elegant pieces. Let me show them to you."

After she had laid half of the shelf in front of him she started to show him different pieces. But as soon as he noticed a lace-trimmed nighty in anthracitic color, he decided. That was pure Faith. It was made of silk and it reached down to mid thighs. He took it, thanked the girl and went towards the cash desk when he suddenly heard the annoying voice behind his back.

"Sir, where did you say …"

"Do I look like a shop assistant to you, jagoff?"

The man was shocked at the sharp response he got and confusedly started turning around to find a shop assistant.

Faith entered Bosco's apartment when he opened the door for her. They went out to diner and ice cream after that. When she sat down on the couch she saw on the VCR clock it was past eleven.

Bosco sat down next to her.

"You wanna drink?"

"No, thanks, I'm fine."

"I've got something for you," he said suddenly and got a nicely wrapped box from under the coffee table. She looked at him surprised.

"I hope you'll like it," he said simply when he handed the box to Faith.

She opened it expectantly and took out the nighty.

"Oh, it's beautiful. So very nice of you to buy me a present. I really like it." She was turning it around in her hands and checking out the laces and the silky material. Then she pressed it to her chest and slightly blushed when she said, "I should probably try it on."

Bosco laughed and pointed to the bedroom.

"You have to try it on, I was waiting for this the whole evening."

Faith felt weird undressing herself in Bosco's bedroom but she couldn't deny that she also had a pleasant feeling of anticipation. She took a deep breath for courage before removing all of her underwear and then donning the new nighty. She returned to the living room barefoot, covered only by the shiny silk.

Bosco's eyes widened when he saw her.

"Wow," was all he managed before he got up and walked towards her.

"Turn around." She did.

"You look like you just came from someone's dreams."

"Yours, I hope," she answered with a gentle smile.

He put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Yeah, mine," he murmured to her lips before kissing her. A smile tugged at his lips when he felt under his fingers on the small of her back that she wasn't wearing anything beneath the nighty.