Finally, here it is, the final chapter in the series. 'bows to the readers' You guys have been wonderful to me. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this story series and for all the praise and support you've given me. Remember, there are no 'endings' only the writers release of a story.
I promised a 'happier' ending but I couldn't just make it 'happy ever after' because that doesn't exist. But, I do think you'll appreciate the ending here. I threw in something that I'd said I was going to do a year or so ago, which I really think would have been a better ending to the actual show series than what was done, at least for 'Bosco'.
M.
There are no Accidents
by Malinda
Chapter 9
Opening the car door to allow Rick to 'escape' Jamie had to laugh as he ran up the steps to the apartment building, his high pitch shouting ringing through the small neighborhood they lived in, "I DID IT, I DID IT, Daddy's coming home and I did it!"
Walking around the front of the car himself, CJ grinned down at her as he joined her to go up the steps after Rick, who was now impatiently waiting for her to open the door for him, speaking softly he asked, "Are you going to believe him now or what?"
"Oh," she looked up into CJ's green eyes, "I always believed, I guess I just figured Moe had run out of 'lives', he might think he's cat like with nine, but..." reaching the front door she inserted the key and opened the door which her anxious son threw wide as he raced up the interior stairs to the apartment. Just like his father he didn't like to wait for elevators and before they were on the first landing he was on the third.
"Does he ever get tired," CJ shook his head woefully as he paced Jamie's steps up, "cause he's wearing me OUT!"
"No," she sighed herself, "he's just like Moe, full of energy from the time he wakes up until he hits the bed."
"Not that you're complaining about that," CJ teased as she realized what she'd said and blushed deeply, "I see that grin."
"Shut up or you won't be getting any dinner with us smartass." Jamie's matter of fact comment had him laughing, then protesting that if he was baby-sitting while she went to the hospital with Rose to bring Moe home then he deserved at least a meal.
"Behave, then," Jamie teased back, but she was just as excited about Moe finally coming home as her son and the rest of the family were.
Two months had passed since Moe had woken up and every day had been a struggle, but he was finally coming home. He wasn't back to himself, but he was according to his Doc at least eighty percent back to normal. Jamie hoped that bringing him home would speed up the progress he'd made, but she knew something wasn't right, what it was she couldn't put her finger on, she just knew it wasn't. But, she wasn't going to allow anything to spoil his homecoming today. She'd picked Rick up from daycare with CJ as escort hoping that he'd be able to convince Rick not to come to the hospital with her and Rose. Not sure that anyone would be able to withstand Rick's bouncing off the walls while they packed Moe up and waited for all the papers to be finalized for his release, CJ had agreed to stay at the apartment with him.
Entering their apartment, she quickly inspected the banner Rick had insisted he and CJ make the night before welcoming his Daddy home, then made sure all the cookies they'd made with Rose's and Sully's help were up high enough on the fridge top to ensure that they'd survive until Moe did get home.
"Aw, come on, just one or two won't hurt," CJ walked up behind her as she was re-closing the plastic wrap on the plate, "please mom?"
"No," Jamie gently elbowed him backwards away from the fridge then turned, "I'm telling you, if I so much as smell chocolate chip on your breath when I get back..."
He pulled a small package from his pocket to show her, making her laugh outloud, "You wouldn't, I have gum!"
"CJ!" Jamie playfully pushed him out of the kitchen, "No snacking, I know how you and Rick are when it comes to cookies, there wouldn't be one left and neither of you would sleep a wink tonight. Git!"
"Git?" CJ pouted but let her move him, "Have you been talking to Laurel again? You're sounding way too southern lately."
"As a matter of fact," she folded her arms over her chest, "I was just talking to her this very morning. She was asking me about that cute nurse you have been chatting up at the hospital when you go visit Moe, what's her name again? Denise? Donna? Dana?"
"Oh I know you didn't!" CJ backed away in mock horror, his eyes wide with shock, "Are you trying to get me in trouble with my Mom? She's already pestering me about when I'm going to 'settle down' like Moe did. Thanks a lot, Jamie!" But his eyes were sparkling and Jamie knew he was way down the road to love with the woman, whom Jamie well knew wasn't a nurse or named D anything, "She's a Physical Therapist, and, her name is Gale!"
"Oh yea," Jamie picked up her purse again as she headed to the door, "that's what I told Laurel, she wants to know when you're bringing her to Louisiana." Now she was laughing inside although acting very serious as she saw real shock slide over his face to stay, "I told her your vacation was coming up soon, that I was sure that you'd be glad to bring her to meet the family then."
CJ was left speechless as Jamie closed the apartment door behind her, laughing outloud as she did so.
"Oh my god," his soft comment as he rubbed his hand over his forehead reflecting his awe, "she is the most evil woman I've ever met!"
"Who's evil," Rick came around the corner of the living room from his bedroom asking, "cause I still have my mustard seed, we could put it on her!"
"Oh, nothing," CJ slid his hand gently over the child's curls, "how about we get some cookies and milk before we finish this party stuff?"
"Oh yea!" Rick bounced up and down, "But don't tell my Mom, she won't let me have any later!"
"Deal," CJ winked down at him, "come on buddy, but just one, ok?"
"Aww, Ceege," Rick pouted even as he raced ahead to the fridge, CJ couldn't help but hear how much he sounded like his father at that moment, "one's no fun!"
"Yea," CJ sighed, "that's what I keep trying to tell my Mother 'and' yours," but he wasn't talking about cookies anymore, "only, they don't believe me."
XXXX
Sitting in the large chair next to the window in the apartment, Moe held his sleeping son in his arms just glad to be able to be home and have this simple joy again. Rick's slightly sweaty curls lay across his forehead, dark as ink as the sun caressed them both in its warmth. Reluctant to let him go, still he let Jamie take him from him to put him to bed for a nap. Silent as they didn't want to wake him, their eyes spoke for them, the love they shared hadn't been lessened in the least from the ordeal they had been through. Instead it had grown stronger and hotter and it was everything Moe could summon not to follow her to the bedrooms just then. He was so tired he was barely able to keep his own eyes open, but one incredible hot look from her and he felt like he could conquer the world again, right now.
Instead he leaned back in the chair as he watched her walk out of the room, their sleeping child held safely in her arms and just admired the view with a small smile on his lips. He could barely believe he was home finally. His eyes closing briefly to rest, he was startled when soft lips brushed across his and her gentle loving voice spoke in his ear, "Now you, Mister Boscorelli, time for bed."
"Awww mom," he teased softly as he opened his eyes to stare into hers, blue on green fire, reaching out he took her hand and pulled her despite her half protest into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist, "just a little while longer, please?" Placing his lips along her neck, Moe felt her shiver against him, "Um, you taste like cookies."
"Because you ate so many," Jamie pulled back slightly to put her forehead on his as she wrapped her own arms around his neck, "everything probably tastes like cookies right now." Kissing him on his lips, she felt like she would explode with happiness, but when he deepened the kiss, she pulled back, "Oh no, this has to wait, you need to rest. You heard what Doc Thomas said, you aren't to rush anything," just as he hand slipped lower to her rear, she quickly reached back and grabbed his hand in hers, "Anything, Moe!"
Wriggling his brows at her, he promised, "Oh, I don't plan on 'rushing' anything, Mrs. Boscorelli, I'm going to take it nice and 'slow'."
Now she quickly got up from his lap, "Moe, don't even think it, I'm not taking you back to the hospital tonight, now, stop!" Her smirk let him know she wasn't too worried, but he saw the set in her eyes and knew it was useless to argue.
"Fine," he scowled as he stood up from the chair to follow her to the bedroom, "but I'm 'not' sleeping alone, so, there!"
"Want me to call CJ for you?" Jamie taunted him, "I'm sure he'd be happy to oblige." She yelped quietly as his hand swatted her rear end.
"Been there done that," Moe teased back, "he's too bony," pulling her back to him as they reached the bedroom doorway, "I want something soft that doesn't have cold feet to snuggle tonight." Nuzzling her neck he murmured against her skin as she giggled, "And I think I have it right here in my arms, lady."
"Moe," Jamie tried again but she was still laughing, "you need to rest up!"
"Oh, I will," Moe gently pushed her ahead of him, his energy suddenly returning to him, promising her as he kicked the bedroom door closed softly, "later, and then I have a surprise or two for you when you're rested up."
XXXX
The struggle to recover from the near drowning hadn't been easy for anyone involved, but for Moe it had been a life changing experience. Most accidents that almost cost you the very life you think you can't release, bring about a better life than you thought you'd have if you did let go of the things you cling to the most. If you accept that life can be worth living, if you can honestly look around and examine what you do have and its worth.
What Jamie had felt different in him was his knowledge that this one had nearly cost him everything he held dear, and to his continued surprise every day since, that wasn't anything that had to do with the NYPD. Sitting in the lawn chair in front of the new house they'd just settled into, the 'surprise number one' that he'd promised her on his first day home, he smiled as Rick ran up to him with the large orange ball that CJ had insisted he needed, now that he had a 'real' backyard to play in. "Daddy, look how far I can throw it!" Moe was nearly taken out of the chair in his efforts to catch it before it sailed past, "Wow, you're getting good at this," he laughed before tossing it back to his son, "where's your Mom at, Rick? I'm hungry, and I want some Pizza!"
Rick yelled back as he ran off to find CJ, "She's in the house, she said she was going to 'beat that damn closet into shape if it killed her!'." As he heard his father laugh behind him, he stopped a moment with a guilty look on his face, "Opps, sorry." Then as Moe winked at him, Rick scowled a moment before a light came on in his bright eyes, "Pizza? Really Daddy? We can get pizza?"
"Sure, why not, but tell Uncle CJ he's buying." Moe winked again as Rick yelped in excitement and ran around the side of the house to the garage where CJ was 'hiding' from Jamie for a few minutes, yelling to him that they were getting pizza and he needed CJ's wallet. Left to himself for a few more moments, Moe stared up at the second story of the small white house with the dark green shutters and mused, "How did I end up back where I started, and why in the hell am I so happy about it?" But he knew it was a nonsense question because as a head of dark curly hair passed the window and peeked out at him with a quick wave of her hand before disappearing again, he was grinning as he waved back. She was the reason he was happy, and would be happy no matter where he lived, although he knew he'd do his damnedest to make sure it wasn't a cardboard box no matter what he had to do for a living. Hearing Rick's child's laugh ring around the corner of the house before he saw CJ striding towards him with his son draped over his shoulder like a sack of flour, Moe for the first real time in his life felt real contentment mingled with the happiness he'd found in his family and friends.
"I am so not paying for the pizza this time," CJ groused as he dropped Rick onto his tennis shoes with a bounce, "break out the plastic Moe, I know you have your wallet on you, I saw you paying the cab driver who dropped Rose off!" He grinned down at Rick as the small boy stared up at him in anticipation, ruffling his hair and winking at him, "Pizza, we're getting Pizza Ricky!"
"YEA! Pizza!" Rick was bouncing up and down like a pogo stick between the men then bounced right into his Dad's lap nearly toppling them both over onto the green lawn's soft surface.
"Whoa, ok, ok Tigger," Moe laughed as he righted himself and tried to glare at CJ, "go run and get the phone for me, and that phone book that was on the porch this morning and I'll call," he shrugged as CJ dropped into the chair next to him, and his son ran off to do as told with a whooping yell, "lets hope this place has good pizza."
"Pizza's Pizza," CJ leaned back with his head against the chair, "besides, I'm too hungry to care." Glancing carefully back at the house he asked Moe with a pretend grump, "just how much damn furniture did she think this place needed anyway?"
"More than fit, that's for sure," Moe stretched out his legs before him, "man, I'm worn out and Ma is still finding boxes she needs us to 'carry upstairs just this one last time'!"
"Well, look out," CJ began to sidle out of the chair as he saw Rose coming, "I'm pretty sure she's found another one, um, I'm going find that phone book, I think I hear Ricky calling for help with it..."
"Coward!" Moe winced as Rose with Sully following at a discrete distance, a suspicious grin on his face, dropped a medium sized box in his lap, "Ma! How damn many boxes are left in that truck?" Glancing inside this one as he heard a noise, he rolled his eyes, "Oh for crying out loud! NO WAY! UNH UH!"
Grinning down at her son, Rose embarrassed him by ruffling his hair for him but refrained from kissing the top of his head as he began to protest. She reached into the box carefully, to remove the contents, "Yes, way, Maurice Louis, every little boy needs," the contents began to wiggle in her hands as she held it up to her chest, "a puppy in his backyard. Besides," she glanced behind her as Sully approached, "John picked it out, its a Shbu Inu and it won't get very big, and the people he got it from assured us that they Love children!" The red, black and tan pup in her hands with its prick ears looked down at Moe with its foxy little face and lolled its tongue out at him then yipped as if agreeing with her.
"They sure do," Sully reaching them scratched the puppy behind its ears, receiving an appreciative lick on his fingers as the pup whipped its small head around to greet him, "never met a human they didn't like from what I was reading about them."
"Great," Moe slouched down in the chair giving the pup and his Mother as well as Sully a very defeated looking sullen look, "just what I need, a dog that will let the robbers in AND help them take our stuff to the getaway car!"
"Exactly!" Rose teased as she looked around for her grandson, "now where is Rick? I can't wait to surprise him!"
"Inside," Moe sighed as he knew he was defeated, after all one of the reasons for getting a house with a yard was for Rick to have a 'normal' childhood, puppy included. Moe had just hoped the 'puppy' part would wait a while longer, "trying to find the phone in all that mess probably, we're getting Pizza for dinner."
Instantly the Pup's ears pricked forward and its tail began to wag, Moe eyed it up carefully as well as suspiciously, "Don't even think about it, I'm not cleaning up Puppy puke, its Puppy chow for you, Mister!"
"Make that "Miss"," Sully beamed down at him, "its a girl!"
Moe stared at him with a blank expression, then one eyebrow raised slowly, "Girl, like we don't have enough of them around here now?"
Before Sully laughing at his comment could respond, or Rose could smack him, a squeal was heard from the porch, then small pounding footsteps raced across it and down the short steps before silenced by the lush grass of the lawn. Rick was yelling, "A PUPPY, MOMMY A PUPPY! NANA ROSE AND POP GOT ME A PUPPY!"
As he reached them, he began bouncing up and down around Rose and the small pup, "Is it for me? Is it, Is it Nana Rose? Is it for me?" Before she could answer him the pup was yelping and struggling to escape her arms, Rose laughing quickly placed her on the ground to watch the puppy and Rick meet for the first time. To everyone's amusement and relief, the puppy began jumping on Rick's legs to be petted and when he dropped to his knees to greet her was licked all over his awed and excited face. Hysterical giggles escaped him as he ruffled the fur around her neck, giggles that turned to squeals of delight as she wiggled around his small frame in her own version of delighted behavior then jumped into his lap to face the rest of her new family with an expression of what Sully later swore to Jamie and anyone who would listen, "Ok, this one's mine!"
"What's going on out here," Jamie's amused voice sounded out before she opened the screen door and saw what was going on in her new front yard, then she paused as she watched her son stand up with a foxy faced puppy in his arms, the expression on his face a mix of hesitation and delight, "Oh my...Rick, where in the world did you find that puppy?" But she was looking directly at Sully as she spoke, the twinkle in her eyes showing she wasn't at all upset with the situation, despite her next words, "I think I'm going to have to put someone in a time out, Pop!"
"Yea," Moe spoke up quickly, "and Ma too!" He stood up from his chair as Rick brought the puppy to the porch for Jamie to make a fuss over, a small scowl on his face as he watched his wife fall for the bribe, then hearing the 'ohh's and awww she's so cute!' come from her, sighed, "Oh great, am I the only one who thinks this might not be a great idea?"
A chorus of 'YES'S' sounded out even as Rick began asking what the puppy's name was. Jamie petting the puppy's head smiled at her son, "Well, unless Pop or Nana gave her a name already, you get to pick one for her."
"Oh we didn't do that," Rose joining them assured Rick, "so you just have to think up a good name and make sure she learns it so she'll come when you call her."
"Don't I have ANY say in this?" Moe stood by the small group asking with no small concern.
"Nope," Sully grinned over at him, "but don't worry, she's already house trained, she's been at our house for a week now and no accidents, and she's smart too, already knows how to sit and play ball."
"Great," Moe folded his arms, not about to be lured into the obvious case of Puppy Love the others had fallen into, "just great. Does she know how to Pooper Scoop her own crap too?"
"Sure," Rose beamed up at him from the step she was sitting on, "she just brings you the shovel."
"Aren't you in time out?" Moe asked her with a scowl.
"Oh Moe," Jamie laughed at him, "you know you love it. Look at her," she held the puppy's wiggling form up for him to see her face, "how can you resist this face?" Knowing her husbands soft side, she pulled the pup close to her own face and made eyes at him while the Puppy seeming to know what she was doing, first licked her cheek then stared at Moe with her own 'making eyes' and yipped happily at him.
"OK, That's NOT Fair!" He yelped his ownself, then had to laugh when Jamie put the puppy on the ground and encouraged her to go to him.
"Go on, you better kiss up to grumpy there if you want to live here," she pushed the pup gently, and laughed again as the puppy ran straight to Moe and sat down in front of him as if waiting for his decision, "Oh she's got your number Mister."
Rick wasted no time in joining the puppy, standing beside her giving his Daddy his own version of the 'eyes' as he pleaded, "Please Daddy, Please can I keep her, I promise, I'll feed her and give her water and walk her and play with her and I won't let her run in the street like Markie did so she don't get run over like his cat did, I promise, please Daddy..."
"OK OK," Moe held up his hands in defeated submission, "fine, but the first shoe of mine she eats..."
"She won't Daddy," Rick shook his head surely, "I promise, she'll be good!"
Moe looked up and over his son's head to his wife's smiling smug face, "You so owe me."
The mysterious smile his wife gave him promised he'd more than be paid for his agreeing, her wink and soft words, "Later, big boy," had him grinning and the others laughing as the puppy began barking and Rick shouted in glee before running off into the backyard with his new friend, "upstairs."
"Um, hum, you know," as she reached him, "I think I'm going to like this dog after all," Moe reached out to wrap his arms around Jamie's waist then kissed her quickly.
"First," Rose interrupted his fun, "you and John and CJ need to bring in that big box that's still in the truck..."
"MORE?" Moe yelped as Jamie pushed him playfully away, "MA! How big is that truck!"
"Oh stop whining and get busy," Rose folded her arms, "or no pizza for you!"
XXXX
Walking into the small office with CJ on his heels, Moe pocketed the keys and flipped on the lights. CJ moving ahead of him placed a box onto a desk that had more dust on it than his apartment did, "So, this is it." Turning to Moe he grinned, "are we sure about this?"
"Yep," Moe nodded with his own grin firmly planted on his face, "more sure than I've ever been except when I asked Jamie to marry me, you?"
"Oh, I'm sure, I'm just not sure how long its going to take before we eat again," CJ chuckled as he looked around the room, "at least we don't have to paint anything, lucked out with the wood paneling. But, I'm not sure how long that bathroom toilet is going to hold out, did you hear that thing flush?"
"You break it, you bought it," Moe joked as he swiped a hand across the dust on the filing cabinet against the wall, "you wouldn't try to use all the paper on a roll at once it wouldn't get stopped up."
"Oh bite me," CJ pulled a small sign out of the box, "where do you want this, in the window or on the door?"
"I don't know," Moe studied both areas, "what do you think?"
"Window," CJ nodded as he headed to the large picture window, "definitely window. That way when cute chicks pass they'll be sure to see it."
"Really," Moe rolled his eyes mentally, "and how can you know that?"
"Cause," CJ confidently explained as he used the suction cups to adhere the sign to the glass, "chicks window shop, guys look at doors, we want cute chicks."
"Oh yea," Moe rolled his eyes for real this time, "real scientific, I'm sure. You'd better hope whoever reads the sign and comes inside can 'pay' for our services, instead of worrying about where your next date is coming from."
"Oh I know where that's coming from," CJ grinned, as he stepped back to admire his handiwork, "but if I'm going to be rushing in to 'save' some body in a shower, it better be a cute one." Going to the box again he began taking out office supplies and placing them on the desk, despite the layer of dust, making Moe shake his head ruefully.
"That orderly at the hospital thought you were pretty cute," Moe found something inside the box to study as he tried not to laugh, "Jamie said he was hot, maybe she can get 'his' phone number for you if you need cute bodies in showers to save."
He ducked as CJ tossed a pencil at him, "Funny!"
"So," Moe returned to the subject, "I've already gotten some contacts through Swersky. He called last night with a list of names." Pulling a notebook from the box, he couldn't help but grin at the excited anticipation on CJ's face.
"Really," CJ moved over to his side quickly, "damn, that was good of him." He scowled briefly, "whatever happened to cops not wanting anyone to do their job for them?"
"I asked him that," Moe shrugged, then looked up at him smiling, "he said if anyone knew how to protect people, it was us, only he's worried about who's going to protect 'us' from the people we're protecting the 'client' from."
"What did you tell him?" CJ asked with a smirk.
"I told him we'd sic Jamie and Laurel on them," Moe walked over to the wall which had a nail sticking out of its smooth white panelled surface, he placed a framed license on the nail then stood back with a grin, "and if that doesn't work, we'd call him."
"Works for me," CJ grinned as he read the license outloud, "Boscorelli and Caster 'Protection Service' Specialists"." Just as he'd finished reading it, the door opened up and two men walked into the room, turning CJ smiled, "Hi there, welcome, how can we help you?"
"You guys Boscorelli and Caster," one of the men asked as the other looked around the room skeptically, "cause I got a problem I need help with..."
"You came to the right place," CJ instantly came alive as he walked to the men to shake hands, "I'm CJ Caster and this," he indicated Moe who had followed him over, "is Moe Boscorelli, we're who you need."
Moe rolled his eyes but shook hands as the man began explaining his problem to them.
Six months later, they were still working and eating. Despite any reservations that it would be difficult, word of mouth traveled fast in New York and two hero cops protecting private citizens made for a lot of work. His social work degree gave him a better sense of what the client needed than other 'Protection Specialist' would have, or so it seemed. CJ laughed everytime he had to say 'Protection Specialist' instead of 'bodyguard' but Moe told him it had a higher purpose sound to it which clients appreciated. CJ had to admit he was right when they found themselves with more work than they could handle now.
Moe had already recruited two more Officers who were looking for something a little safer than working the 'mean streets' of the City, and CJ was talking to yet another. Moe had found the work satisfying, if sometimes just as boring as any stakeout he'd ever been on. When he found himself wishing for more excitement, he only had to look at the picture he kept on his desk of Jamie and Rick on their backyard swingset, and he found that wish disappearing as fast as it had come. It was no accident that she'd come into his life and he'd be damn if she ever left it again. So, with the extra help, he worked the hours he wanted to, and knew he was going home every day to his wife and son, alive and safe.
He'd made Jamie a promise, and he'd kept it. Protecting people was in his blood, he had finally realized he could do it without being a Police Officer, and do it successfully.
Looking down next to his desk chair in his home office, he had to smile as a furry body rolled to its side pressing her warm fur against his bare feet, stretching as she looked up expectantly for him to reach down and pet her. "Yea, yea," Moe did as she 'commanded' a teasing grouse in his tone, "you women are all alike, never get enough of me."
Hands on his shoulders startled him as he hadn't heard Jamie come up behind him, her tone of voice telling him she'd heard him, "Oh yea, and what 'women' are those?"
Moe whirled his seat around while keeping the chair itself from moving to not run over the puppies body, "You, 'women', and," pointing down, "that 'woman', that's who!"
"I think its the other way around," Jamie pulled into his lap, smugly responded as his hands began to wander over her back and sides, "not that I'm complaining."
"No," Moe kissed her as the pup whined, "I'm pretty sure you won't, bedtime?"
"Bedtime," Jamie sighed, "as soon as you put Chase out first." She pulled off of his lap with a laugh, "Hurry darling."
Staring down into the dark eyes of the pup that he'd named Chase because he'd had to 'chase' her down so many times that her name was changed from 'Twinkle', Moe warned the dog, "You, had better NOT take long!" Getting up he headed to the back door, Chase leading the way, to let her outside to do her business. Standing waiting on the porch, Moe saw a light from upstairs shine across the backyard, a smile broke over his face as he saw the shadow of his wife slide across the window shaped light patch.
Everything was finally right in his world.
Then he heard Chase barking and a cat's screech, then the sound of Chase's bark moving away and growing fainter, it hit him that after he and Rick had cleaned up the yard from his mowing it that afternoon, he'd forgotten to close the gate, "Oh great, CHASE GET YOUR BUTT BACK IN THIS YARD!" Moe took off after her, swearing he was going to never let her out again if Jamie was asleep before he caught her and returned to the house. Running down the sidewalk he called out, "COME BACK HERE, STOP, CHASE, STOP DAMN IT!"
THE END
