When I open my eyes I'm surprised by the daylight. My eyes fall on Bosco fighting with a map outside my window. He's sitting on a picnic table, turning it over and over in his hands. Searching for North, I can't help but smile. He curses and I giggle, looking out the driver's side window. Taking a deep breath, I slip out of the the car.

My eyes scan the familiar main street, my eyes blinking. It seems surreal now. Like a place I know from a movie, not a place I lived up until 16 days ago. I see Virgil Groth watching Boz from across the street. He waves clumsily when he happens to glance my way before moving on, satisfied that the unfamiliar face belongs to someone.

"Emily!" Comes a bellow from across the street. It takes me a moment before I remember that's probably directed at me. I turn towards a woman in jeans and a faded flowered blouse.

"Joanna." I call back. My peripheral vision picks up Boz's stunned glance.

"You're back." She hugs me clumsily.

"I am." I breath, nodding half hearted.

"How was Connecticut?"She wipes her hands on her jeans before moving the free flying wisps of hair back into place.

"It was okay. Big turn out." I squint, trying to remember.

"You stayed over?"

"No." I press my lips together. "I went home for a while. Visited with my family."

"How nice." She doesn't hide her surprise. I've never spoken of any family, any friends.

"It was." I look back over at Boz. He watches me curiously.

"You bring someone back?"Her eyebrows raise when she looks him over. I can't help but smirk, my head bobs down to the floor.

"A friend." I bite my lip again. You'd have thought just once on the drive out here I'd have thought about what I was going to say to these people. My friends, Emily's friends anyway.

"You okay?" Joanna puts her hand on my arm and I suddenly feel ever inch of the fraud that I am.

"I'm here to pack up Joanna." I tell her, tilting my head to the side. "It's time for me to go home."

She studies me in a way that makes me think she might know more about who I actually am that I thought.

She nods, patting my arm.

"You can only run in one direction for so long before you circle back around to where you came from." She glances back at Bosco.

"I should introduce you." I say hesitantly. She shakes her head.

"Something like that you wanna keep to yourself." She raises her eyebrows in approval of my partner before giving me a small smile. "You come see me before you leave."

I watch her heading back across the street before heading towards the picnic table and taking Bosco's map from him.

"Come on." I tell him with a sad smile. "I'll drive."


His eyes watch me intently as I pull off the main road and onto the gravel drive that will lead us into the woods.

"We're almost there. " I whisper.

"You okay?" He whispers back. My lips curve into a smile. The worry has been radiating off of him since the truck stop. If I thought I could pry my hands off the wheel I'd touch him. I take the right turn and pull the car off to the side. His eyes turn curious and I smile again.

"I have to unlock the gate."

"I'll do it." He says softly his hand dropping to his seat belt, I cover it with mine.

"I have to do it." I pull my hand away and slip out of the car. I fiddle with the lock until I gives, pushing the gate out of the way. Boz gets out anyway. Crossing in front of the car and pulling it through. I close the gate out of habit, but leave the lock dangling as I climb back in. We approach the house in silence. Bosco moves the jeep into park and we stare.

It looks different, like something I've seen in a movie, not the place I lived for five years. I know every inch of it, but it suddenly looks foreign.

Beside me, my partner chuckles and I turn to him.

"All that time I looked." He tells me sadly, no hint of anger. "I'd have never looked here."

I lay my cheek against his shoulder, pushing down the guilt.

"You don't have to look anymore." I tell him softly. He turns his head and presses his lips against the soft skin of my temple.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I'm going to get." I huff, hauling myself out of the car and making my way up the walk. Bosco watches me shove the door mat over and pick up the key from there.

"Safe." He mutters sarcastically.

"Out here I was paranoid because I locked my doors." Joanna never let me hear the end of it when she realized I did that. She'd gone on and on about how never in her years had someone had a reason for door lockin. I'd wondered what she would have thought about the 9mil I kept in my purse.

The house is musty when I swing the door open and I swallow hard before going in. Boz stops in the doorway, looking around the modest room.

"This is it?"

"Yep." I tell him, joining his eyes as they bounce from wall to wall.

"You've got money like Trump but you're living in a one room cabin in the woods?" His lips flick into a grin as I stick my tongue out at him.

"I didn't need much." I tell him in irritation pointing as I talked. "Bed. Desk. Kitchen."

"Tell me there's a bathroom."

I point at the door behind me before narrowing my eyes at him.

"I'm sorry. You're right. You didn't make fun of my house.." His lips twitch again. "Besides what do I know? I've never seen a cabin in the woods before. This is probably the delux model."

"Why did I bring you again?" I laugh, watching him move across the floor to me.

"Cause you can't stand to be away from me, remember?" His voice is thick as he wraps his arms around me. I blink at him before dropping my face to his for a kiss. He deepens it right away. I wonder if he feels the same need I did in the jeep last night. Like sex is the physical reminder of the here and now. It's what keeps us grounded right now and I dont' know if that's good or bad. But as Bosco's lips work down my neck I know I'm going to let it stand for now.

"Remind me." I order, tugging at the zipper of his fleece jacket. He lets me take it off before weaving his hands into my hair and pulling me closer. I dont realize we're moving until my legs hit the back of the bed and the next thing I know he's on top of me, unbuttoning my blouse.

Healthy or not, it's a nice reminder I decide as I undo his pants and work them over his hips.


The knock on the door wakes me, I nudge at my partner until he mutters something unintelligible at me.

"Someone's knocking." I whine.

"'surehouz." He tells me burying his head deeper in the pillow.

"What?"

"It's your house." He tells me louder. I open my eyes, slowly looking around the room. It is in fact my house. I glance at the clock over my desk and moan.

"Get dressed." I tell him, yanking back the blankets and scurrying into my top. The knockings a little louder this time."Just a minute!" I pull my jeans back on and start working the buttons on my shirt."Boz, put your pants on." I toss them towards his head.

"Fine." He's zipping them when I look back, tossing the door open and greeting Alan's worried face with a smile.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"I don't think you've ever knocked before." I tell him quietly.

"Didn't seem right." He looks over my shoulder to where Bosco's struggling into his shirt.

"Probably a good call." I add opening the door wider and pointing to the small table. He drops his brief case on it before looking at my partner.

"You guys haven't really been introduced." I say softly. Bosco has the good sense to look apologetic as he joins me at my side. "Alan this is my partner, Maurice Boscorelli."

Bosco swallows extending his hand to Alan.

"Officer Boscorelli." Alan says nervously.

"Bosco." My partner corrects, looking down at his shoes. "Please."

I catch his hand as he drops Alan's and wrap my fingers in his.

"Bosco." Alan repeats, his eyes falling on our hands. I give him a small smile when he looks back at me. "Now there is the problem of what I should be calling you."

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Bosco tightens his grip reassuringly.

"Faith." I blurt out ungraciously before collecting myself. "You should call me Faith."

"Faith." He nods, followed by more staring. "Well. I um.." He lifts his briefcase. "I brought the papers you requested. It signs everything over to.. Bosco.. until you legally exist."

"I meet with the judge in two weeks." I tell him, biting my lip. Boz rubs his thumb over the back of my hand.

"We'll have to go to the library, to have that woman there notarize it."

"Angela."

"Yes, right." He dips his head, dropping onto a chair and opening the forms. "You'll want to look it over-."

"I trust you." I tell him in a rush, shaking my head. I watch the look of betrayal cross his face as he turns back to the papers.

"Right.. Mr. Boscorelli might feel differently. It's a large sum of money we're talking about here."

I turn my head, looking into Bosco's eyes. He blinks at me, reading my stare before pressing his lips together and giving me a little nod.

"Nah." He holds my gaze until I'm ready to pin him to the wall and tear his clothes off. "I'm okay with it."

I smile at him. It's moments like these that I'm glad we never 'got involved' when we were still in an RMP together. There's no way I could have fought this feeling, everyone would have known. Hell, half the department thought we were anyway. Alan clears his throat and it reminds me he's still sitting there, which is probably for the best.. considering.

"Well.. so Library."

"Alan.." I bite my lip again. "I don't really know what to say to you."

He sighs.

"I just don't understand how you could-." He stood up about half way though and I feel Boz tense beside me. Alan notices too, immediately backing away and sitting back down.

Bosco pulls his hand from mine, walking back towards the bed and sitting down.

"Alan."

"Your body guard is actually quite intimidating."

"Sorry." Boz mumrmers from the bed.

"It's his job." I explain. "For ten years it was his job to protect me."

"We protected each other." Bosco calls from the bed. I glanced at him quickly before turning back to Alan.

"I know you're mad, and you have every right to be mad."

"We don't have to discuss this." He holds up his hand. "I just need to know what you want to do about the last book."

My eyes close instantly.

"What?" Bosco asked in confusion.

"It was a five book deal. She owes my publishing company another book."

"Another book?" He's looking at me when I open my eyes.

"It's all but written." I tell him.

"No it's not." Alan shakes his head. "It's started, maybe half way, but it's not near finished."

"You have to write another book?"

I nod.

"By the end of the year." Alan adds.

"Alan!" I shout. "I know you're angry but you can't seriously expect me to-."

"I do expect you to. My boss expects you to." He gives me a genuine look. "I'm not doing this to get back at you Emil-." He stops and I drop my head back to stare a the ceiling."I'm sorry.."

"It's okay." I growl in frustration.

"You too need to talk." Bosco decides, standing up and moving across the room. "Can I have your keys?"

"Where are you going?"

"Town?" He squeaks, lifting his hands into the air. I can't help but grin at him.

"You remember how to get back?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"I have a map." I make a scary face and he rolls his eyes at me. "The jeep has GPS right?"

"Yes." I grin.

"Nothing out here is on GPS." Alan even sounds amused.

"I'll risk it." He tells me in irritation.

"We'll have to go to the library." I tell him softly. "So I might not be here when you get back."

"How big is town."

"Not big."

"So maybe I'll see you there?"

"Probably." I smile.

"Kay." He nods.

"Don't piss off the locals." I warn as he leans in and catches my lips.

"No promises." He calls back as the door starts to shut behind him.

I turn back to Alan. He blinks at me.

"You really are a whole other person aren't you?"

I press my lips together and nod. I guess so.