Ok, sigh, this story evolved to another story, and the name changed...lol again. There are only a few of these and then it changes again to 'Reality' and that it stays. Good Grief, its become the neverending story, as Reality seems to just keep going and going and going...hangs head sigh...but its a lot of fun, even if it just seems to keep getting weirder and weirder! ;) Right SSS and ThirdWatch70? LMBO And as I said in the other site, when you've had enough, just say so or stop reading, lol

thanks for the continued reviews ARod, SSS, ThirdWatch70and Rae they are greatly appreciated.

Enjoy,

M.

Vacation/ The Return to Home Series 1

Chapter 54

It had been almost eight weeks since Moe and CJ were actually home finally, as CJ's folks had come to see him a few days after he was back, and he had returned with them to Louisiana for a couple of weeks 'visit', and now he was back at work. Getting back his life was not as hard as retrieving his feeling of being 'safe'. He still looked over his shoulder as he walked down the street, sometimes even when he was on a 'job' or even when they ate in a restaurant, but it was getting better, the nightmares were almost gone, and he no longer woke up expecting to see Sidney standing over him telling him to get up.

Getting back their apartment had proved impossible to do, but now with his 'secret' life out of the closet; so to speak; he was able to get a nicer place without hiding how. Of course, replacing all his things that had been gotten rid of when he was 'dead' had been a blast, he'd really gotten into that part of the whole mess of reclaiming what was his. Although getting back his license and paycheck had proved to be the most difficult things, as proving you are dead is a hell of a lot easier than proving you're not, but it had gotten done, finally.

CJ had also gotten his Mom to make a few strategic phone calls and now he was off of a desk, and back on the streets. This had been the one time in his life when he was actually grateful for her 'power', as Laurel had told the commissioner that if he got special treatment she would make 'his' life hell with all the 'special treatment' she would give Him, so, consequently, he'd not only Not gotten special treatment but had been back to work for six weeks now and keeping busy on the job had also helped his return to a semi normal lifestyle. Or as normal as life ever is in New York City.

But he wished he could say the same for Moe. Moes nightmares were worse, not better, and he jumped at every loud sound. He was driving CJ nuts with his turning on All the apartment lights at night, and CJ had even woken one night to find him with him in his room with him; with the lights All on; just sitting in a chair looking out the window. When CJ asked him what he was doing, he quietly responded, "Watching."

CJ asked, "Watching what Moe?" But he'd just looked at him strange, almost as if he should know, and without another word had gotten up and gone back to his own room, with CJ quickly getting up and following him, because that was just too weird of behavior even for Moe. Once in the room, CJ asked him again, "Watching what Moe," but he got no answer as Moe acting as if he didn't hear him climbed in bed, rolled over went back to sleep, again with all the lights on. CJ having learned already not to turn them off as that just made the nightmares worse and made a sleepless Moe who was horrible to deal with at work the next day left them on as he closed the door and walked off. CJ went to bed wishing he knew what to do, as he lay awake a long time wondering what he could possibly do for him, or if there was anything he could do to help him.

Moe was hardly around the house anymore, preferring to be out unless he was eating or sleeping, and when he was in the apartment he moped around like he had nothing to look forward too, and other than watching TV; something he'd not really done before and coming in drunk, something that he'd NEVER done before, he did pretty much nothing at all. The getting drunk thing really worried CJ as he'd only seen him have a beer or three when they were out and even at their parties before the vacation he didn't get drunk. With the 'getting drunk, came fighting; something else he'd started doing; and he was almost arrested one night after a particularly ugly incident but his usual 'luck' held out and the cops who showed up just brought him home, as everyone in the 55 and surrounding precients knew what had happened by now, and they kind of watched out for him.

But finding him one night sleeping it off, on the floor just inside of the front door with it still wide open, CJ had a cow and told him that if it happened again he was 'out of here', as he'd be damned if he ended up being killed in his sleep because Moe couldn't get it together!

So far, it hadn't happened again and although CJ had finally broken down and talked to Moe's Doctor; Doc Jedson, he couldn't get Moe to get up and go and see him. At first when he'd made the decision to speak to the Doctor CJ felt funny about it, but, Dr. Jedson hadn't shared anything with him about Moe, he'd just listened to CJ about what he'd been through, and given him help dealing with some of his tougher issues, then when CJ mentioned the problems he was seeing with Moe; again, Doctor Jedson said he would speak to him. But as far as he knew, it still hadn't happened, or if it had Moe hadn't brought it up.

At work he seemed fine, maybe a little more cautious, but, nothing out of the ordinary, unless of course he'd had a rough night, then he was a bear, but mostly it was away from work that he was a total mess.

CJ did know for a fact that Moe had never gone back to talk to Jamie about what had happened, and she had not contacted him. Trying to talk to them each about it had proved frustrating as hell, even Faith had given up on them, saying that if they ever came to their senses fine, but for now to leave it alone. CJ knew that Moe was torn up about it and that the situation with Jamie was a major part of his problem, but he wouldn't admit it. He finally told CJ rather rudely, "She made her decision and it's final, and she's right leave it the hell alone before you end up with a black-eye again."

So their days consisted of work, Moe watching TV or getting over a hangover and then going to work, and CJ trying to get back to a normal life outside of work.

XXXX

"Hey, Moe, you want to finish up that ticket..." CJ was stopped by a woman in a large SUV making a left hand turn onto a cross street, "Holy Crap...What the hell," then blowing the light right in front of her, almost causing a wreck with the oncoming traffic.

"Hey, did you see that," Moe called out as he handed the man his speeding ticket and joined CJ in the RMP to go after Mrs. Gordon; as they later,,,much later found out her name to be.

"Yeah, hell she almost hit me, but I ain't believing what I'm seeing now," CJ exclaimed as he pulled away from the curb to follow her; she was driving over all the lanes and then back again before making it obvious what she was trying to accomplish by trying to pull into a parking spot much too small for her SUV, only seconds later realizing it was too small she shot out into traffic again, a car blowing its horn at her ignored as she picked yet another small parking spot to attempt. CJ pulled up behind her with his lights flashing adding a blast of siren to alert her to their presence but she put the SUV in reverse and plowed backwards into them as if she'd neither seen the blue and white, nor heard it.

Moe was cursing up a storm as the airbags went off in their faces slamming them backwards into their seats and then they were both coughing from the dust used to make the bags inflate properly, "Son of a..." he yelled with a cough as his hands flailed in the air to clear it of dust, "I can't believe this shit!"

CJ stunned by the impact cursed the 'explosion' himself then looking over at Moe started laughing as Moe looked like he was covered in flour, "Oh man..."

"What the hell are you laughing at Caster, you lost your mind? This shit ain't funny!" Moe yelled as he started to get out of the car, furious now.

"You look like the Pillsbury dough boy!" CJ howled then coughed as he wiped the silvered dust from his own face.

"Yeah, well look in the mirror, so do you, idiot," Moe yelled back at him as he headed toward the SUV, addressing the woman now, "Lady are you stupid or just a really bad driver," Moe exclaimed as he reached her door, "Step out of the vehicle, NOW!"

The woman took one look at his 'silver dusted countenance' and then leaning out of her window to look out at the crushed front end of the RMP threw the SUV into gear and hauled ass out of there as fast as she could causing Moe to jump back or be knocked down. "OH HELL NO!!" Moe yelled, more furious now as recovering his balance he ran back to the RMP, calling in the escaping SUV and its idiot driver over his radio as he did, then shouted, "Move over, I'm driving," as he opened CJ's door pushing on his shoulder to get him going to the passenger side.

"Move over? Moe this car isn't going anywhere, look at the front end, its mangled," CJ exclaimed as he got out of the car instead of moving over.

"It will go just freaking fine! AND, when it stops, she will be one sorry damn woman when I get my hands on her," Moe growled as he got in the drivers side and after cranking the engine three times finally got it started before he pulled away to follow her, leaving CJ standing there in the street.

"MOE, damn it! Bring that car back here it's gonna be BOTH our asses if you burn that engi..." he yelled at him as he watched the RMP heading down the street after the SUV, he could see that water was pouring from the busted radiator as well as other fluids leaking out onto the road, "oh hell, never mind," CJ sat down on the curb and watched as the car dropped bits and pieces of its front end on the road and disappeared around the corner the SUV had previously made its escape, shaking his head he moaned, "Lieu is gonna be so pissed now!"

Soon enough as he sat and contemplated his firing he heard over his radio a request for "a freaking tow truck to come and get this piece of crap, garbage RMP!" Unable to control himself CJ started laughing, his head now on his knees as he heard the dispatcher ask 'Boscorelli is that you? I thought you were in a wreak...YOU'RE STILL DRIVING IT...Did you blow the engine on that RMP BOSCO!?", it was not the usual 'response' from a dispatcher, but with Moe it was appropriate.

"Just send the damn tow truck, will you?!" he heard Moe growl, then, "I'm going in Danny's to get something to drink and eat, call me when it gets here."

"Oh man," CJ moaned as he heard the sirens finally arriving for their 'backup', wishing he'd just stayed home today after all.

XXXX

Later that evening after their shift ended Moe was confronted by a very irate Swersky...once he finally caught up to him that is:

"Boscorelli! You left your RMP in the middle of the street, your partner, who'd just been in an accident sitting on the curb, and went to get a hot dog?" Lieu was livid, "What the hell is your problem! When the tow truck got there the damn thing had been stripped! It's coming out of your paycheck! Do you hear me!?"

Moe nodded with a shrug, "Sure Lieu, no problem, it was a piece of junk anyway," as if this were fine with him, then asked, "You finished? Or do you have something else, cause I've got some laundry I need to go do."

Lt. Swersky's mouth fell open, a reaction common with Bosco around lately, then he grew very red in the face as he screamed at him, "YOU ARE SUSPENDED! THREE DAYS WITHOUT PAY!" Pointing to the door he continued, "NOW YOU CAN GO! HOW'S THAT WORK FOR YOU!"

"Works fine, see ya in three days Boss," Moe cracked then he got up and strolled out leaving Lieu with his mouth open, again!

Turning to CJ, Lieu started, "Wha..", then clamping his mouth closed he stopped, took a deep breath, and in a calmer tone asked, "Caster, what is with him? Did we let him come back too soon or what?"

CJ not wanting to add fuel to the fire responded with a noncommittal answer, "Lieu I'm not sure, maybe, I can try to talk to him if you want?"

"You do that, cause if he comes back here in three days with that attitude, he's gonna find himself a crossing guard at an elementary school, permanent like!" Lieu sat back down at his desk, "You impress that on him, okay, make sure there's no misunderstanding, a crossing guard!"

Nodding, CJ saluted and then retreated to the locker room, where sitting on the bench changing to go home he was watching Moe, who was whistling and acting like nothing had happened, wondering if he should say something about what had happened, or let it go, he decided to let it go for now, "Moe, you need a ride?" he asked, hoping to broach the 'crossing guard' subject with him on the way home, "Cause I'm not going straight home, I can drop you off...," they had stopped riding together recently because Moe was always late now and CJ had given up on trying to speed him along.

"No, I'm fine, I'll just catch a cab." Moe interrupted him with a smile, then he got up and left, leaving CJ staring after him.

Later on, after having finished his dinner, CJ sat down to watch a movie he'd picked up at the rental place; it was two thirty in the morning and Moe still was not home, not late considering they worked until eleven PM, but, still, after today, CJ was a little concerned. Only minutes after starting the movie he realized what a piece of crap it was, 'last time I listen to the clerk at that place', as he got up and tried to think of something else to do. Working this shift took a lot out of his 'love' life, and after a day like today he wasn't up to 'seeking' the company of a woman, so unable to think of anything, he decided to call it a night and went to bed.

XXXX

It was about three thirty when he was awoken by the sound of someone moving around in the apartment. At first thinking it was Moe coming in, he rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but then when the sound moved to his door and stopped, he rolled back over and watched the open bottom area of the door for movement. He lay waiting; not wanting to talk if it was Moe, CJ was hoping he'd keep going, when the door burst open and two men rushed him. CJ alert by now, rolled out of the opposite side of his bed and was grabbing for his gun in the drawer of the end table when one of the men having jumped over the bed, slammed into him hard. Both fell from the bed onto the floor, CJ coming to his feet quickly was again grabbed only this time the man was throwing him against the window frame as he again body slammed him the window's glass shattered and they both fell out onto the fire escape. His head hitting the railing CJ lay stunned for a moment, then as he was trying to clear his head he attempted to push the guy off him and get to his feet, but was stopped by a gun pressed tightly to his head as he heard a voice he'd hoped never to hear again, "Hey bro, long time no see! Did you miss me CJ, cause I sure as hell missed you!"

TBC...