"Gun Hill Road"

Author: carmen_085

Disclaimer: I don't own any Third Watch characters. All original characters in this belong to me

Summary: In the years following 9/11 Bosco and Liz struggle with health issues and emotional trauma. But when Fred dies suddenly, Faith's children have no where to go. Can Bosco and Liz keep their own demons at bay and give Emily and Charlie a good life? (Sequel to "Last Exit to Brooklyn")

Chapter Three

The car was quiet as Bosco retraced his path back to Angel of Mercy. Rubbing his hands across the soft leather on the steering wheel he cast a sidelong glance at Emily in the passenger seat. Her eyes were red rimmed staring blankly ahead as her fingers absentmindedly played with the zipper on her jacket. The light turned red as Bosco slowed the Explorer to a stop. The street was dark in front of him, it was nearly ten thirty. He wanted to say something, to find the words to make this more bearable but he didn't have them...couldn't even conjure the syllables together to make losing both your parents seem ok. Maybe there were no words for a situation like this; only actions.

Bosco's eyes flicked to the mirror and Charlie in the backseat. His knees were a pulled up on the seat as he stared out the side window. It hadn't been easy to calm him down enough to get him dressed and out the door, but Emily had known just what to say to get the boy back together. Shaking his head, Bosco turned the words over in his mind. '

Remember that Daddy said we all have a job to do. That after mommy was gone we needed to be a team and work together to keep this family going.' She had paused for a moment collecting herself as Bosco leaned against the door frame. Charlie, teary eyed and clutching a pillow to his chest, nodded hesitantly. 'Well right now our job is to get dressed and go with Bosco….ok?' The boy looked at Bosco clearly unsure. 'But….' Emily shook her head quickly silencing his protest. 'No buts, Charlie. You know Daddy always said if he can't be here that we should listen to Bosco and do what he says.'

Blinking Bosco watched the light go from red to green as he eased onto the gas. 'Daddy always said we should listen to Bosco and do what he says.' Eyes flicking to Emily he wondered if she made that up or Fred had actually said it. Either way, he couldn't deny he was surprised to hear it. Bosco didn't know why proving that he was worthy of Faith and Fred's trust when it came to Emily and Charlie meant so much to him. Maybe it was because he felt partly responsible for some of the misery in their lives. Maybe it was because he truly cared for those kids and had watched them grow up. Or maybe….Bosco swallowed as an uncomfortable thought dawned on him…maybe he needed to prove that he wasn't his father. That, if given the chance, he could be the father he always wanted. He never had a family before, never even had the chance to entertain the notion. But then he and Liz got married and the reality of being a husband collided with a fear he had harbored most of his life. What if he turned into his father? When he finally said those words out loud she looked at him like he crazy. And after substantial eye rolling and head shaking, she reassured him that he was the best man she knew and it was impossible for him to become anything else. Even Betty had clicked her tongue in that gentle disapproving way of hers when he brought it up. So he pushed that fear away but it was never totally gone; the scars of his past too deep to ever fully heal.

The parking lot outside Angel of Mercy was just as busy as when he had left. Sliding the Explorer into a spot near the door he saw that Adam 55-3 was gone but that Sully and Davis were still here. Breathing a sigh of relief he knew they would have his back if this went terribly awry. Turning the key they engine cut and they sat there in silence. Flashing red light danced across Bosco's face as he licked his lips. "We can wait here until you're ready."

Beside him Emily exhaled softly as she shook her head.

"Would you ever be ready?" Her reply surprised him as she turned to meet his gaze.

He was silent for a moment, "I didn't have a dad like you, Em…" Looking away she nodded slowly. "But no….I don't think you can ever be ready for something like this."

Emily stared down at her hands, her strawberry blonde hair falling in her eyes. Reaching over Bosco pushed the hair away and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers felt hesitant and unsure, like she could swat his hand away at any moment. But she didn't. Emily had been sitting in his lap cuddling up to him for years. This was different, though, she wasn't a little girl anymore. Seeing the tears pool in her eyes, he knew she also wasn't yet a woman either. She was stuck in this awful in between with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Bosco looked at her seriously. "I'm here, Em….I mean it. And I'm not going anywhere." She sniffled as she nodded her head meeting his eyes for a brief second.

"Thanks Bosco." Her voice was small and soft but he heard it just the same.

The ER was no less chaotic than when he left as the doors swooshed shut behind them. Beside him Emily held Charlie's hand. The boy tucked himself behind her, his wide eyes taking in all the activity around them. Casting a glance back at Emily he nodded.

"Come on…he's in a room near the back." Emily swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. She wasn't sure what to expect; she'd never really seen a dead person before. At the funeral home a few times but never like this. She felt tears prick the back of her eyes before blinking. She needed to be strong for Charlie; Daddy said that was her job and she was going to do it. Emily kept her eyes focused on the back of Bosco's head as they moved through the ER; she was sure people were staring at them. The kids with no parents. Biting her lip, they rounded the corner to the back hallway. There were other kids that had no parents, she reminded herself quickly before the tears came. Since 9/11, everything had changed. Still, it didn't make this feel any more normal.

Bosco stopped outside the door as the familiar green glow spilled out into the hallway. Before he left earlier he'd asked Procter to keep Fred until he got the kids. The ER was busy and surely she needed the room but nodded anyway out of respect for not only Bosco but also Faith. He didn't remember much the night Faith died. Eyes closing for a moment he exhaled.

"Where the hell are you going Bosco ?" Sully's voice came booming from behind as he stalked through the ER not bothering with a jacket or any pleasantries. His white t-shirt was stained with blood and wet as goosebumps bloomed over his skin. Absent-mindedly he rubbed the deep red gouges on his wrists; he needed to get the hell out of there.

Coming around the desk he waved a dismissive hand in Sully's direction as his eyes involuntarily drifted toward the trauma bay. Feeling his heart begin to race she shook his head. NO….not now. Picking up the pace, he felt a bubble of relief rise up in his chest. Red lights and the outside. He was almost out of there. Passing the employee lounge, his eyes caught something that made him slow down for just a moment. Procter sitting in one of the chairs, her head in her hands crying. Nothing ever rattled her. Inhaling sharply he felt his lungs burn.

The same burning sensation settled in Bosco's chest as he rested his hand on the door knob. "NO ! I DON'T WANT TO !" Tugging out of Emily's hand, Charlie backed himself against the wall, his face screwed up as tears rolled down his cheeks. Sucking a sharp breath in Emily looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Hey….Hey Chuckie…it's alright." Moving toward the boy Bosco bent down and picked him up although he was too big to be held like that. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, the boy automatically buried his face against Bosco's neck as he felt hot tears on his skin. Rubbing his back he met Emily's eyes. "'I'll be right back." Nodding she kept her eyes on floor and her back against the wall careful not to peer through the glass.

Weaving his way back through he ER, Bosco found Sully and Ty sitting in the lounge drinking what had to be their tenth cup of coffee. They both looked up when he nudged the door open, a crying Charlie with his arms wound tightly around Bosco's neck. Gingerly he sat the boy down in a chair between the two men. Kneeling in front of him, Bosco took his little hands into his own as he squeezed gently.

"You remember Sully and Ty right ?" Charlie nodded slowly as he wiped his eyes with the back of his shirt sleeve. Next to him Sully angled his chair a bit as he made a conscious effort to unscrew the scowl from his face. "Will you be ok with them for a little bit while I stay with your sister?" He didn't answer right away as Bosco felt himself hoping and praying that he didn't start crying again. He had no idea what he was doing right now. Slowly he nodded as Sully gave Bosco a reassuring look that they would manage just fine. Exhaling Bosco began to push himself up as Charlie abruptly reached for his arm.

"You'll be back though, right ? You'll be back ?" The pleading look in his eyes made Bosco's heart drop. Kneeling back down Bosco looked the boy in the eye.

"I'll be back." Charlie nodded, not happy but satisfied for the moment. "I'll be back with your sister and then we'll go home, ok?" Bosco hadn't realized what he said until it was already out. Home. They didn't have a home anymore. Sully caught it, though, as his eyes flicked to Bosco before looking down at the floor.

"Will L.J be there ?" Charlie hadn't caught the implication and for that Bosco was grateful. Exhaling, the ghost of a smile played across Bosco's lips as he nodded a memory floating into his mind that he hadn't thought of in so long.

They parked the car a few blocks away as Liz fiddled with the keys while Bosco stuffed coins in the meter. It was early December and already looked to be shaping up for a cold winter. Snow flurries stuck to her hair as she turned looking at her reflection in a store front.

"Come on…" Bosco grabbed her hand and started walking but she didn't move. Just kept staring at herself. Looking into the glass he was confused. "What's wrong ?"

"What if they don't like me?" She turned to him, her eyebrows knit together in that worried, but cute way that he had grown to love. Bosco's face spread into a smile as a chuckle erupted in his throat.

"Oh come on. You're being ridiculous. What''s not to like about you?" She turned to him as they began to walk toward the Pizza Shop.

"Bosco, I'm serious. They've never seen you with anyone but their mother." She was quiet for a moment before adding softly, "I just don't want them to think that I took her place."

A grin came to his face as he shrugged, "Well you did." Stopping she let his hand go.

"Bosco !" This was something he found he loved, to tease and irritate her. Sometimes he pissed her off, most of the time they both ended up laughing. Judging by the look on her face, this would be the former rather than the latter. Walking back to where she stopped he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"They'll love you. I promise." Inhaling the smell of her hair deeply he felt himself melt against her. "What we have I never had with their mother, she was my partner but you're much more."

Nodding against his chest she felt some of the tension seep out of her. "I just know how important they are to you…."

Letting her go they began to walk again. "Don't worry, ok?"

The Pizza shop was small but cozy as Liz let Bosco guide her toward a table in the back. Emily, Charlie, and Fred all looked up at her as she forced herself to not look nervous. Being kidnapped by a Drug Lord was nothing compared to this. These kids meant the world to Bosco. Fred stood up and offered her his hand and a genuine smile as he threw a nod in Bosco's direction. Emily was shy and stayed behind her dad but Charlie perched himself at the end of the booth and stared up at her curiously.

"What's your name?" Bending down so that she was eye level with him she smiled and told him. He was just seven years old at that time and with a terrible lisp that tripped him up every few words. Liz became "List", "Liss",and a variety of other words that made no sense. She could see the frustration all over his little face.

"Charlie….slow down." The young boy looked at his father and then back up at Liz rather dejected that he couldn't even say her name. Smiling at him she shook her head.

"Don't you worry about it, Charlie. You can call me something not even Bosco knows about…" The boy immediately brightened about being let in on some special secret name. "You can call me L.J."

"L.J?" The letters rolled off the boy's tongue easily as he smiled back up at her.

As predicted dinner was a success. Fred even slapped Bosco on the back as he was leaving.

"You found the one, Bosco….I don't know how you did it but you did it." Coming from Fred that was as high of a compliment that he would ever get. Walking back to the car he looked at her and shook his head.

"L.J….huh?"

Shrugging her shoulders she smiled back. "Yeah….L.J."

Shaking the memory away Bosco refocused on Charlie's tear stained face. "Yeah, she's there and so are Atlas and Callie."

A tiny smile came to Charlie's face, "Can Callie sleep in bed with me?" Bosco let out a low chuckle as he absent-mindedly rubbed the boy's hands with his own.

"I'm sure you won't have to ask her twice." The new police dog was already picking up on the old one's spoiled habits much to his dismay.

Charlie looked to be thinking it over before nodding slowly. "Ok." Nodding back at him Bosco pushed himself up as he made eye contact with Sully and Davis.

"We won't be long. Come and get me if you need to."

Sully nodded, "We'll be just fine." Turning his attention back to Charlie he pointed toward the basket on the counter. "I think there's some chocolate over there in that basket that needs eating…what do you say?"

Their voices faded as Bosco closed the door and headed back into the ER where he left Emily. At the desk Mary looked up at him and offered a sad smile before turning back to her paperwork. Bosco stuffed his hands into his pockets as he looked down at the floor. He wondered what these people thought of him; that poor guy who bad shit kept happened to or was he just any other guy. Did bad luck find everyone like it found him? He didn't know. Rounding the corner his eyes landed on Emily sitting on the floor, her back against the wall. She had her knees pulled up to chest and her forehead resting against her thighs. For a second he thought she was crying but her shoulders rose steadily up and down. Taking few steps toward her, she heard him and looked up. For a moment they just stared at one another before she pushed herself up, wiping her hands self consciously on the front of her jeans

"I….I wanted to wait until you got back." Bosco nodded in understanding as he went to open the door before her voice stopped him. "Wait…." Turning he studied her face and saw only fear. Sighing he gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"We don't have to." She nodded as she worked her bottom lip between her teeth. In that moment he saw so much of Faith in her it almost took his breath away.

"No…I know…" She sniffled and looked down at her hands. "What…a…." She didn't know how to say it. That she had never seen a dead body before except at a funeral home or on TV. "What will he look like?" Emily couldn't make eye contact as she looked up at the ceiling, mildly pleased that she was able to get the words out at all.

Bosco swallowed hard. Suddenly he wished that Liz was here right now; she always knew the right thing to say. No matter how hard the situation was she could always make him feel better. Exhaling through his nose he looked down for a moment. There was no point in lying, it would only make the shock of seeing him worse for her.

"Well….he still has some of the medical equipment on him. The tube is still in his mouth." She hesitantly looked at his face although he didn't look back. "He's pale but there isn't any blood or anything like that." Sighing Bosco slumped against the door frame as he finally met her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before he spoke again. "He looks like your dad, Em. Just asleep."

Her lips twitched up, the slightest bit reassured that she could handle what was on the other side of the door. "And you'll be there." Bosco felt a warmth flood into his chest that he couldn't explain. Drawing in a ragged breath he nodded as he replied in a low voice.

"I told you. I'm not going anywhere." The smile faded from her face as she realized there was nothing left to do but walk through that door.

"OK." Slowly Bosco turned the knob until it clicked and the door opened. The dim green glow spilled into the hallway as Emily blinked. Her father was laying on the stretcher, a white sheet pulled up to his neck. His hands were at his sides as his fingers rested in a permanent, lifeless curl. Taking a deep breath she stepped inside as she heard Bosco shut the door behind them. Emily could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she looked at him. Opening her mouth to say something she shut it again, the words dying on her tongue. Emily cocked her head to the side; it didn't make any sense he looked like he was just asleep. Eyes sliding close she exhaled softly.

She had fallen asleep with the reading light on over her bed. Waking with a start, she moved the book from her chest and sat up looking around the room. Charlie was asleep in his bed as he should be. Exhaling she moved to turned the light off as her ears caught the soft sound of the TV in the other room. Emily threw the covers back and swung her bare feet to the floor. The carpet was soft as she padded quietly toward the living room. The glow of the TV flickered against the sage green walls. On the couch her dad was asleep, his face relaxed, legs crossed at the ankle, right arm above his head. The Rangers game was on TV as the screen flicked between the ice and the announcers. For a moment she just stared at him. It had been almost a year since her mother died….almost six months since 9/11….and finally life had started to return to normal. School, homework, movies, friends, chores…..she never thought she would miss the boring old routine until it was gone.

Staring at her father he looked so relaxed….so normal sleeping on the couch. All the tension of the last year had finally washed away. They could breath again. She thought about just letting him sleep there but she knew he would complain about his neck tomorrow. Smiling softly reached out to touch his hand.

Emily's lips turned up slightly as she reached toward the stretcher for Fred's hand. Lost in between reality and her daydream she took his fingers in her own, stupidly anticipating them to be warm and familiar just like it the dream. Reality came crashing down as she registered the cold, waxy sensation against her skin. Pulling her hand back as if she had been stung she inhaled sharply.

"Bosco…" It came out as a breathy, terrified whisper. He was dead….he was really dead. She felt Bosco come to stand next to her; his strong arm around her shoulders. She wanted to fall apart right there, to cry and scream and process the unrelenting disbelief that shook her to the core but she felt numb. This couldn't be real. This was her father on the stretcher; her forty year old father. He hadn't even lived half his life and now he was gone. She felt herself begin shaking from a place deep inside. It began as a fine tremble in the pit of her stomach that built and swirled until her entire body was spasming out of control.

"Emily…." She heard him but as she opened her mouth she couldn't form any words. His arm tightened around her shoulders; she was probably scaring the shit out of him right now. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath as she struggled to get control of herself. When her mother died, she was sad….devastated….heart broken, but she was never this….whatever this was. Everything that she was feeling right now was manifesting itself physically as her body behaved in a way that it never had before. She felt Bosco shift beside as he pulled her against him turning her eyes away from Fred. Pressing her cheek to his chest she inhaled the scent of laundry detergent on his clothes. She heard him say something but it didn't register as the realization of what 'this' was suddenly dawned on her. Fear. Sadness yes…heartbreak yes….but this time there was no safety net, no fall back, no place to run and hide. This time they were alone and life as they knew it was gone.

Bosco stood there holding his partner's daughter for as long as he had to. He would have stood there all night if that's what she wanted. His eyes wavered between the top of Emily's head and Fred's lifeless body, while his mind flickered between this moment and the night Faith died. He tried not to relive that night Emily, just twelve years old, showing up at his door in the middle of the night; and he just seconds away from killing himself in the bath tub. Taking a shaky breath in he remembered her tear stained face and the way her shoulders sank when he told her that, yes it was true, her mommy was gone. She cried in his arms that night just as she had tonight, but she had't been like this. Not this physically distraught…not this inconsolable.

The acute fear that coarsed through her body began to dull as she slowly stilled in his arms. They would get through this somehow, her and Charlie. Taking a deep breath she began to slowly collect herself. It would be tough but she would always take care of her brother; that was her job, and like her Daddy said, everyone has a job to do. Wiping her face she needed to pull herself together. There would be time for this later, right now she needed to put on a brave face for Charlie.

Bosco felt her begin to unwind in his arms as he loosened his grip around her shoulders hesitantly letting her go. Slowly she met his eyes before looking back down. "I'm ready to go." Casting a momentary glance toward Fred he nodded in understanding. It was enough; seeing him like this, touching him; it made it real for her. Maybe a little too real. But either way she knew that her daddy was gone forever. Exhaling, Bosco turned her toward the door as the green glow of the room disappeared behind them. The hallway was empty as Emily kept her eyes averted toward the ground. Bosco spared her a glance before shutting the door quietly behind him.

"I'll take you guys back to my place tonight…." He was careful not to slip and say home like before. "And tomorrow we'll figure something out." Emily nodded silently.

"Will we have to go to school tomorrow? I didn't bring my homework." Bosco paused for a moment looking a her wondering if she really meant to say that or if it was some kind of reflex. An alternative tract of thinking that she had sub consciously deviated into as a means of protecting herself from the reality of this moment. Shaking his head, they began to slowly walk back toward Charlie together.

"No, you guys don't have to go to school tomorrow. I'll call them and let them know what happened. I'm sure they will understand." Emily nodded slowly. When her mother died she was 'that girl' at school. The damaged girl, the fragile girl, the one everyone should be nice to; the girl without a mother. It was a novelty then, to lose a parent, but after 9/11 the novelty was gone. Her mind flipped back a few months.

The classroom was full of chatter as always. Emily rolled the pencil back and forth in her hands as she stared ahead at the blackboard, her teacher listing all the works of the British Poet John Donne on the board. To her left her friend Rebecca rambled on about a date she had been on last night. Emily smiled and nodded when she was supposed to. Life had just started to returned to normal after everything and for the first time in more than a year she felt like she could breath. She was jealous of Rebecca, her Daddy wouldn't let her date, she was only fourteen and they had bigger things to worry about. She couldn't argue that. Yet she ached to feel normal, to feel like everyone else.

The pencil she had been absent mindedly rolling in her fingers fell to the desk as the classroom door swung open. Her principal, the school social worker, and an NYPD officer stood there. She felt her stomach flip. Something had happened to her daddy. The room feel silent as the three walked toward her. Shaking her head she felt her heart begin to race. NO…..if something happened to her daddy Bosco would be here. He promised her. They started down the aisle where she was sitting as she swallowed hard. Something happened to Bosco. Her daddy would always be her daddy but Bosco was something else to her. He hadn't taken the place of her mother, no that would always be an empty hole in her heart. But he had become a sense of safety. When he put his arms around her she felt safe; it was as simple as that. She knew Bosco had been through the wringer in his life, she hadn't really understood that when her mother was alive, but over the last year or so he had told her just enough for her to understand that he had survived damn near everything. From as young as she could remember he had always been there, through everything. He was so familiar to her; like the warmest blanket on the coldest night.

They were coming closer to her as she felt her breath hitch in her throat. No…if something happened to Bosco, LJ promised that she would come and tell her. LJ had been a surprise, Bosco had finally found someone to love him. One time, long ago, Emily remembered asking her mother why she always needed to help Bosco. Even at age eight she could see the tension between her parents concerning her mother's partner. Staring at herself in the mirror Faith sighed before replying.

'He doesn't have anyone to love him, EM. To look out for him and be there.' She was eight, love was something shared between a mommy and daddy so she didn't understand.

'But you love daddy…' Faith turned around giving her a sad smile. Stroking the hair behind her ear she looked at her with a knowing look.

'I do love your daddy, and I love you.' She kissed Emily on the nose making her giggle. 'But I also love Bosco, it just different. I love him as my partner, we've seen and done things together that not even your daddy would understand.' Emily opened her mouth to question before Faith cut her off. 'You'll understand one day'.

Clicking heels on the tile floor drew Emily out of her memory as she lowered her eyes. Grasping her hands tightly together she steeled herself for what was about to come next. Heels kept clicking past her as she let a fraction of a breath escape her paralyzed lungs. Behind her she heard a strangled sob followed by the social worker's soft voice. Raising her eyes she saw the entire class turned around staring. She didn't need to look , she knew what it was like being in that moment. The three adults ushered Timmy O'Brien past her and toward the door. stood at the blackboard, chalk still in hand, with a sympathetic look painted on her face. Timmy's father had been missing since 9/11, Ladder 3, the FDNY company that had sustained highest number of casualties. Only five or so guys made it back. Timmy told everyone his dad was the toughest son of a bitch in the world, a slip of the tongue that he had most certainly picked up from one of the hordes of FDNY brass that hung around his house following 9/11. But as days turned to weeks and weeks into months, Timmy didn't say much anymore as everyone knew this day was coming. Emily bowed her head as she heard him wailing in the hallway.

Being 'that girl with the dead mother' didn't mean as much anymore. A lot of kids didn't have a mom or a dad anymore. Hesitantly she lifted her eyes to look around the room, most of her classmates had turned silently back toward the front. The sobering moment draining the life from their previous conversation.

"Oh MY GOD ! EMILY !" A woman rushed toward her throwing her arms around as Emily reflexively stepped into Bosco jarred from her memories in the most abrupt way. It took her a moment to realize that it was her grandma Shirley; she always wore a perfume that made Emily sneeze. Bosco stopped for a moment unsure of what to do next. This was Fred's mother, God knows, Faith had told him enough about the woman over the years. Hanging onto Emily' shoulders the older woman sobbed into her strawberry blonde hair as the young girl stared straight ahead. "Oh Freddy….my Freddy."

Raising her arm automatically she pat the older woman on the back. "It's alright, Grandma Shirley… Don't cry."

Bosco felt a flicker of anger deep inside. What the hell was this? If anyone should be doing the weeping here it should be Emily. She was still a child and yet here she was comforting her own grandmother when things should be the other way around. Bosco watched the older woman fall apart as he felt a certain level of disgust remembering Faith's biggest complaint, 'That old bitch doesn't care about anyone but herself.'

Without invitation or hesitation he took Emily by the shoulders, prying the older woman off of her. Putting his own arm back around her he tucked her safely against his side as he felt her shudder. Shirley Yokas looked at him somewhat in disbelief as he nodded toward the lounge.

"We need to get Charlie and go home." He didn't care about the word home here. These kids were in his care tonight and that was where he was taking them. "It's been a long night."

Next to him Emily looked down letting the hair fall in her face. Straightening herself up, Shirley Yokas swiped at her face. Narrowing her eyes at Bosco she nodded although there seemed to be little understanding behind it. "Of course….that will be fine for a night or two but we both know Emily and Charlie belong with family….." She held Bosco's stare until he looked away; her words cutting him right down the middle.

Emily felt him sag next to her; the only physical sign of weakness he had shown all night. Lifting her head she saw a familiar look on her grandma's face before quietly speaking.

"Bosco is our family." She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder as her grandma's piercing stare turned on her.

"Oh honey….you're upset. But we both know he's nothing more than a friend." Bosco swallowed looking toward the lounge. He wondered how quickly Sully and Davis would come out of there when he started thumping this old lady right here and now. For her part Emily just stared not saying a word.

"We need to be going…" Without another word Bosco began to walk bringing Emily with him. Behind he heard Shirley clicking her tongue before turning and heading toward the room where Fred was.

Loosening his grip on Emily he was surprised to find that she was still firmly attached to him. Meeting his gaze briefly, she mumbled apologetically. "Sorry about her…"

Bosco stopped looking down at her. "Em, you have nothing to be sorry for. You're still a kid….adults are supposed to take care of kids not the other way around." He could see a flare of indignation in her eyes, she was no regular kid and he knew that. The corner of his lip turned up in a smirk, "You're the most adult kid I know…but that doesn't mean you still don't need help."

Still holding onto him she met his eyes again, the slightest amount of hope behind her green irises. God…she looks so much like Faith. "Promise that you won't leave…".

Bosco opened his mouth before shutting it. He had made her that promise before…but now things were different. Now it meant something entirely different and the stakes had never been higher. Was he ready to promise her that ? Could he ?

'Just be there…stand in my place the best that you can and never let them forget how much I love them.'

"I promise, Em. I won't leave you. I'll always be here." And he would….no matter what he would.

TBC….