Title: Wherever You Will Go series, fic #6: Sadness (2/2)
Authors: Demelza and X_tremeroswellian
Email(s): demelza81@yahoo.co.nz and X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to us. They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and a bunch of other people that we've never met before. Please don't sue.
Summary: Faith's home life becomes more troubled as she and Bosco grow closer together.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through and including "The Unforgiven."
Author's Note: This is the sixth story in a series of Third Watch fics we're writing titled "Wherever You Will Go." The first one is "Confessions," the second is "Here With Me," the third is "Pain," the fourth is "Tears," and the fifth is "Fear." You may want to read those first before continuing.
Sadness (Part Two)
Faith quietly unlocked the door to her family's apartment and stepped inside. She removed the keys from the lock and shut the door softly. She turned to see Fred sitting on the couch, in between Emily and Charlie, watching television. She stared at them for a long moment wordlessly, and swallowed hard. She shut her eyes, then opened them again. "Hi, guys."
Emily was quick to look at her mother and smile widely. While Fred slowly turned to her, half smile on his face. "How did it go?"
She nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "It was fine."
"Oh. So, you guys are all done with the questioning? You won't be called back in?"
"Not until the trial, hopefully."
"Hopefully." He nodded.
"Yeah." She let out a breath and sat down on the arm of the couch. "So what are you guys watching?"
Fred nodded toward the tv. "Camp Nowhere."
"It's a really great movie. I like Mud."
Faith smiled at her daughter and smoothed back the hair from her face. She looked at the screen for a second, then looked over at Fred again. "Everything go okay while I was gone?"
Fred nodded, his eyes shifting from the tv to his wife. He looked up at her, and smiled. "Yeah, fine. We've just been watching a couple movies."
She nodded. "Good..." She stood up and took a deep breath.
"You okay, hon?"
"Yeah, just...tired..."
"Mom, can we still go to McDonalds tonight?" Charlie asked, pleadingly.
Emily looked away from the tv to her brother, then up at her mom. "Can we, please?"
She smiled tiredly. "Yeah, of course."
Fred shook his head. "No, you can't," he said, looking up at Faith just as she spoke. "What, no, Faith, we can't afford it."
She looked at him, startled. "Fred, it's McDonalds...not Chanterelle's."
Fred frowned. "It's still too expensive. We can be saving the money for something else. Like a family meal out to one of those fancy restaurants."
"Mom, you promised," he whined.
"Yeah, Mom." Emily matched Charlie's whine.
"I know I did, Sweetie. You guys go get ready, okay?"
Fred glared at Faith as Emily jumped off the sofa and ran through to her and Charlie's room.
She turned around and headed for the kitchen.
"Faith!" he said loudly, climbing to his feet and followed her. "Don't walk away from me when we're having a discussion."
She sighed and continued into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of aspirin from the cabinet above the sink and twisting off the top. "I promised them, all right?"
"I don't care," he said, lowering his voice, but keeping his angered tone. "We agreed to cut back on un-necessary spending. The kids can wait a few weeks, and we'll all go out to a nice meal."
She shook a couple of the aspirin out of the bottle and swallowed them down with a drink of water. "It's not that expensive. We can still go out in a few weeks," she said, shrugging.
Fred sighed angrily. "That's not the point."
She was starting to get annoyed herself, but she tried not to let the agitation show in her voice. "Then what is the point?"
"The point is, how are we supposed to save when you go off and waste money all the time?"
She stared at him. "Waste money? Fred, the only damned places I ever go are work and here."
"What about that damned gum your always chewing? And the food you buy on patrol?"
"Yeah, excuse me for eating," she muttered under her breath, turning away.
He angrily sighed, pulling her back around to face him. "Faith, I'm just saying it all adds up in the long run."
"So after tonight, we won't go out to McDonalds or anywhere else for awhile."
Fred sighed again. "If we want to save, it's the way it has to be. Money doesn't grow on trees. If you'd passed that exam, and were getting that extra money, we could be spending a little money every once and a while."
Her eyes narrowed. "So that's what this is about." She shook her head, feeling angry as she moved past him. "I should have known."
"Faith!" he said louder, finally turning to face her as she moved away. "We have to cut costs, that's all I'm saying."
Faith turned to face him. "Fine, you want to cut costs? Then don't go. I never said you had to," she said coolly, then turned away again and walked down the hallway toward their bedroom.
Fred angrily glared after her. He waited a moment, as though the wheels in his head were turning in thought and came to a sudden halt as he went after her. He walked down the hallway and angrily opened the door. A frown etched across his face, he stared at his wife.
Faith ignored his stare as she reached into her closet and pulled out a different shirt to wear, one that was a little less formal.
"You're not going. We can't afford it!"
She turned very slowly and glared at him. "You don't get to tell me what to do. You're my husband, not my owner."
"I bring in my share of the pay check, and I'm telling you, Faith, you are not taking those kids to McDonalds. We cannot afford it."
"I made a promise to my kids, and I'm going to keep it. Don't worry, Fred. I won't touch your money." She quickly changed shirts.
Charlie came into the room right then. "Can we go now?"
Fred shook his head at his wife, determined for her to listen to him. "You're not taking them," he told her, his tone a warning.
She raised an eyebrow at him, then looked at her son. "Yeah, we can go now." She walked toward the door without responding to her husband's warning.
Emily came running out of the room with her thick jacket on. She looked once at her dad, seeing the angered frown on his face, and followed her mom and brother.
"So what'd you guys do at school today?" she asked as they headed toward the run front door.
Fred stood in the doorway of his and Faith's bedroom, glaring after Faith.
"Okay, what do you guys want to eat?" Faith asked as Emily and Charlie picked out a booth to sit at.
"Chicken McNugget Happy Meal!"
She nodded. "Em? "
Emily looked at her brother and smiled widely. "I'll have a cheeseburger Happy Meal," she said, turning back to her mom.
"Okay, two Happy Meals coming right up. I'll be right back."
"Okay," Emily agreed.
Charlie glanced over at his sister after his mom walked away. "Dad was really mad, wasn't he?"
Emily nodded, looking at their mother as she walked over and got in line to get their meals. She turned back to Charlie. "Yeah, he just wouldn't leave Mom alone."
He bit his lip and fiddled with the salt shaker on the table. "Why'd he get so mad?"
She shrugged, sitting back against the chair. "I don't know. Money, I think."
He sighed and laid his head down on the tabletop. "I wish we were rich."
"I don't."
He jerked his head up. "Why not?" he asked, confused.
"Because..." she said, sounding unsure. "If we were rich...Dad would just find something else to moan about."
"Why are you being so down on Dad now? I thought you liked him better than Mom."
They didn't see Faith standing a couple feet away. She swallowed hard, trying to push aside her son's words as she moved over to the table. "I forgot to ask what you guys wanted to drink."
Emily looked at Charlie with a concerned stare, then looked up at her mom. "Rasberry, if that's okay?"
She nodded. "That's fine. Charlie?"
Charlie glanced up at her. "Cherry coke."
Faith forced a smile, though she felt like her insides had been torn in half. "Okay." She turned and walked away from the table.
Emily waited until her mother was walking away before turning back to Charlie. She swung her foot and kicked him lightly. "Good one, Charlie, Mom might have heard."
He rolled his eyes. "She didn't."
"But she could have. Didn't think of that though, did you?" she bit back, slamming her back into the chair angrily.
"What's your problem? Jeez. I just said the truth."
"So what. You don't *know* the truth," she stated, sitting back against the seat and glaring at him.
Charlie glared back at her. "Whatever."
Faith approached the table a moment later and glanced back and forth between the two of them. "Everything okay here?"
Emily glared harder at Charlie. "Fine."
Faith took a deep breath and handed Charlie his Happy Meal box, then handed Emily hers. She sat down on the seat next to her son and folded her hands on the table.
Emily gratefully and silently took her Happy Meal box and opened it. She thanked her mom, and proceeded to remove its contents.
Faith swallowed hard as she looked at her daughter. "I'll uh...be right back, okay? I need to use the restroom."
Emily nodded. "Okay."
She stood up and headed back toward the bathroom.
Faith locked herself in the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror for a long moment. Charlie's words echoed in her mind. //Why are you being so down on Dad now? I thought you liked him better than Mom.// She leaned back against the door and slid down to the ground. Pulling her knees to her chest, she laid her head on her arms and began to cry.
Bosco had been driving around ever since he dropped Faith off at her place. He just didn't feel like going home. Or anywhere else for that matter. After awhile, he somehow found himself at McDonalds. He immediately spotted the Yokas's truck in the parking lot. Without thinking about it, he pulled his car into the parking lot and parked right next to their vehicle. He shut off his car, but remained sitting in the driver's seat, his hand gripping the steering wheel tightly. He swallowed hard, trying to decide whether or not to go in.
Charlie frowned and looked across the table at his sister. "Is she not gonna eat?"
"She's just using the bathroom Charlie," she replied, not really answering him.
"Yeah, but she didn't bring anything back when she brought our food," he pointed out.
Emily finally met his eyes, and then looked at the table. He was right. "I'm gonna go see if she's okay," she said, quickly getting up from the booth and finding her way to the ladies bathroom. There, she knocked on the door. "Mom?" she asked.
Faith took a deep breath, startled to hear her daughter's voice right outside the door. "I'll be out in just a minute, Em," she said, glad that her voice was calmer than her emotions.
"Are you okay?" she asked again, sounding worried.
"Yeah, sweetie, I'm fine," she answered, closing her eyes tightly.
"Are you sure? Because you looked upset before."
She rose to her feet and turned the water faucet on. She splashed a few handfuls of cold water on her face and then wiped off the excess water with a paper towel. She looked at herself in the mirror again, glad there was no visible evidence of her crying bout. She took a deep breath and opened the door, smiling warmly at Emily. "I'm okay. Just had a little too much caffeine today, that's all." She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
Emily nodded, smiling up at her mom. "Hey, Mom..."
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
Faith looked at her in surprise. "For what?"
"For everything."
She paused, then stopped walking toward the table. "You don't have anything to apologize for, Em. You didn't do anything wrong," she said softly, shaking her head.
She shook her own head. "Yeah, I did, I haven't been very nice to you lately."
Faith bit her lip, but smiled at her daughter. She gently tucked a strand of dark hair behind Emily's ear. "It's okay. I'm not upset with you," she assured her.
Emily smiled up at her mom and looked over at the table where Charlie was eating his chicken nuggets. "So, why didn't you get anything to eat?"
"I'm just not very hungry. I guess I'm still full from lunch," she said, shrugging slightly. Then she paused again. Had she even eaten lunch? She couldn't remember..
"Well, you can have some of my fries if you want. I don't always eat them."
She smiled slightly."Yeah, we'll see. Let's get back to the table before your food gets cold, okay?"
Emily nodded. "Okay," she said, smiling widely, and walking back to the table.
Faith swallowed hard, trying to push away the sadness that was still churning inside her. Then she forced a smile onto her face and sat back down next to Charlie. "Is it any good?" she asked him, elbowing him in the arm.
Charlie looked up at her and grinned, his mouth too full to talk. "Mmm-hmm."
She chuckled.
Emily opened the wrapper on her burger, and picked up the fries with her other hand, extending one to her mom. "Want one?" she asked, taking a mouthful of her burger.
Faith accepted a fry from her and ate it quickly.
"So, at school today..." she said, munching on a full mouth of food. "This boy in my class, Brodie, he got suspended..."
"What for?"
She swallowed the food and took a sip of her rasberry. "He was caught looking up all the girls' dresses."
Faith stared at her. "He what?"
"We were all standing in line for lunch, and he went behind us pulling up our dresses and looking under them. He's suspended for three weeks. Didn't Dad tell you? I gave him the note from the principal."
"No, he didn't tell me," she answered, trying her best to keep her anger out of her tone.
Emily looked at her curiously. "He should have, both parents are supposed to see the note. Principal Gatby wants to talk to you both tomorrow afternoon."
Son of a bitch, she cursed inwardly. She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll talk to your dad when we go home," she said, giving her daughter a small smile.
"Okay," Emily said, drinking more of her drink.
Charlie glanced over at her. "When we're done eating, can we go play in the playplace?" he asked, hint of pleading to his voice.
Faith turned her head to look at him. "Yeah, of course."
Emily shook her head at Charlie. "You are such a child," she playfully remarked.
He stuck his tongue out at her.
Faith grinned and shook her head.
Emily poked her tongue back, before settling back in the seat more comfortably. "Mom...can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Sweetie. What's on your mind?"
She swallowed, looking at her mom. "Are you and Dad going to get a divorce?"
With a resolved sigh, Bosco gave into his need to see Faith, even if it meant seeing Fred, too. He walked inside the door and over toward the booth where they were sitting. They hadn't noticed his presence yet. He idely wondered where Fred was when he heard Emily's question. He froze, waiting for Faith's response.
The smile faded from Faith's face as she realized both of her children were looking at her, waiting for a reponse. She looked down at the table top for a long moment before looking at Emily again. "No, honey. Your dad and I aren't getting a divorce."
Emily nodded, noting a change in her mother's voice. She hadn't meant to ask, but with all the problems lately, she did wonder. So did Charlie, if any of their late night talks during their parents' usual fighting matches were anything to go by. She took another sip of her drink, and had only let go of the straw when she looked over to where Charlie was when a familiar sight caught her eyes. "Uncle Bosco!?"
Faith felt her her heart skip a beat as she looked over her shoulder and saw him standing there. Their eyes locked. She swallowed hard, the sadness inside her deepening a little more.
Bosco swallowed, forcing a smile. He'd overheard, and after what he and Faith had been through, he still couldn't really believe her reply. He had hoped, ever so hoped, but to hear her say those words. He casually walked over.
"Bosco! Want some fries?"
"Sure." He smiled, sitting beside Emily as she moved over to make room for him.
Faith looked at him briefly, offering a short smile. "Hey," she said softly.
He smiled over at her. "Hey," he said back, taking one of the fries that Charlie had offered.
Charlie grinned at him. "Look at my Spiderman toy!" he said, holding up the packaged toy that came with his meal.
Bosco grinned back. "Cool toy! What did you get, Em?" he asked, turning to Emily.
Emily used her finger to push the toy out from under a napkin. "Same as Charlie," she said, sighing slightly.
Faith looked at her. "Do you want me to see if I can trade it in for one of the barbie toys?"
Emily looked at Charlie, then turned back to her mom. She nodded. "Can you?" she asked in a nice manner.
She nodded. "Sure." She took the toy from her daughter and stood up quickly. Almost immediately the room began to spin and she grabbed the back of the booth for support so she didn't fall.
Bosco quickly stood up, putting his hand on Faith's back. "You okay, partner?" he asked, moving around her to check if she was okay.
She closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I just...stood up too fast."
He took one more look at her before removing his hand. "Are you sure? I can go exchange the toy, I've got to get myself something to eat anyway."
She opened her eyes and looked at him, still feeling off-balance. "Actually, I think I'll take you up on that offer."
He nodded and helped her sit back down. He took Emily's toy and had just turned on his heel when he turned back again. "Get you a drink or something?"
Faith shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks."
"You sure? What about you kids, need a refill? Anything else to eat?"
"I'm sure, Boz. Thanks."
Charlie grinned. "Can I get another cherry pepsi?"
Bosco smiled at Faith, and nodded to Charlie. "Yep. What about you, Emily?"
Emily sipped the last of her rasberry and handed him the carton. "Can I have the same as Charlie?"
Bosco nodded again. "Sure. Be right back then."
He went over and waited in line, running the orders through his mind so not to forget exactly what Emily and Charlie had asked for. The line moved forward and as he waited, he turned to look over at Faith. He was worried, not knowing exactly why she had gotten dizzy like that, even if she did say it was only because she had stood too fast. Why don't I believe you? he asked inwardly, just watching her.
Over at the table, Emily had just about finished her fries. She was really worried about her mom. "Mom, are you feeling okay?" she asked.
Faith looked at her, surprised. "Yeah, honey, I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You don't look that well."
She swallowed hard. "I'm okay. Just didn't sleep very well last night. Nothing to worry about," she said, trying to sound assuring.
Emily nodded, but even she didn't believe her mother's words.
Charlie sat back against his seat and looked at his mom. His sister was right; she didn't look very well. He frowned but remained silent.
Bosco was only in line for another few minutes before he was up to the counter and ordering the Cherry Coke's for both Emily and Charlie. He ordered a couple Big Mac's for himself, along with a hashbrown, large fries and a large Coke. He also ordered a second packet of large fries for Emily and Charlie. He exchanged Emily's Spiderman toy for a Barbie one. After paying for the goods, he scooped up the tray they had all been placed on and walked back to the booth and sat down. "Here ya go..." he said, handing the drinks out to both children, and handing them the second packet of fries. "Thought you guys might like some more."
"Thanks, Bosco! You're the coolest!" Charlie exclaimed.
Emily quickly reached out for a few fries and shoved them in her mouth. "Thanks, Bosco!"
Faith looked at him gratefully. "Thanks."
Bosco smiled, unwrapping his first burger. "Sure thing. You sure you don't want anything? I can go back up there."
She shook her head. "No, I'm good. Thanks."
He smiled again. "Okay."
Charlie quickly wolfed down his drink and some of the fries Bosco had brought over for them. Then he squirmed in his seat and looked at him mom. "Can I go play in the playplace now?"
Faith gave him a small smile and nodded. "Sure."
"Thanks, Mom!"
"You be careful," Bosco said to Charlie, not even waiting until he'd swallowed what was in his mouth.
Faith stood up to let him out, her hand gripping onto the back of the booth tightly. "Don't forget to take your shoes off!" she called after him as he took off running.
Emily sat next to Bosco, just shaking her head. He looked at her, however, as if wondering why she hadn't gone with Charlie. "It's for kids," she said, as if knowing what he was thinking.
Faith raised an eyebrow and looked at her.
"I'm twelve, Mom, not a kid."
She smiled. "Which is why you were playing in it just a few weeks ago when we were here last."
Emily's jaw dropped open, but she couldn't find the words to fight that statement. So instead she just sipped more of her drink.
Faith supressed the urge to start laughing. "Em, if you want to go play, it's all right."
Bosco looked between mother and daughter, trying hard himself not to laugh.
Emily looked at her mother, then at Bosco. "Can I get past, please?" she asked quietly, as if a little embarassed to admit she wanted to go play.
Faith bit her lip to keep herself from laughing as her daughter quickly scooted out of the booth as Bosco stood up to let her out. She watched as Emily turned and hurried off in the same direction Charlie had gone moments before. She let out a deep breath as she turned back to face her partner.
Bosco sat back down at the booth and looked over at Faith, not saying a word, just worry running through his mind. He really didn't know what to say, but just look at her.
She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and looked down at the table for a moment. "So I guess you changed your mind about coming."
He nodded, clearing his throat a little. "Yeah. I hope you don't mind...?"
She quickly shook her head. "No, not at all. I..uh...I'm glad you're here." She forced a smile and looked up at him.
He smiled back. "So, how come you're here alone with the kids? I thought Fred was coming."
"Yeah, well. Apparently we can't afford to be here," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
Bosco scoffed, scrunching the napkin in front of him up into the ball of his hand in anger. "McDonalds, as in, the cheapest burgers on the planet McDonalds?" he asked, his tone sarcastic.
She sat back against the booth. "The very one."
He shook his head again. "I knew he was tight, but that tight is ridiculous, Faith."
"Yeah, that's what I said." She grimaced as the pounding in her head started again.
"So what happened?" he asked, sitting back.
She shrugged. "I just told him if he didn't want to come, he didn't have to."
"Well, I'm glad he didn't come." He paused at that statement, before continuing. "I mean, so that you get to spend time with Em and Charlie by yourself."
Charlie's words flashed into her mind again. //Why are you being so down on Dad now? I thought you liked him better than Mom.//
Faith looked down at the table, swallowing hard. "Yeah," she said softly.
"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning forward over the table a little.
She nodded, but remained quiet.
Bosco reached his hand out and touched hers. "Faith...please, tell me what's wrong...?" he asked, hating seeing her like this.
She shifted in her seat, holding her breath and trying not to cry. She shook her head. "It's nothing."
He searched her eyes, and he knew that there was something wrong. "Come on, Faith, tell me."
She met his eyes, unable to stop a tear from dropping down onto her cheek. "Damn it," she muttered, quickly wiping it away with the back of her hand.
"Hey, it's okay..." he said, gently squeezing her hand. "You're allowed to cry. I just wish I knew what was wrong."
"It's Emily," she said finally, wiping away another tear as it fell.
"Emily?" he asked, sounding a little shocked. "What did she say?"
She shook her head. "It's nothing she said...I just...overheard the kids talking..." She looked away, out the window, trying as hard as she could not to breakdown right in the middle of McDonalds. "She hates me," she whispered.
Bosco was taken aback. "She what? No, Faith, she doesn't hate you."
"Maybe hate's too strong a word." She swallowed hard, resting her forehead on one hand. "But she doesn't like me. At all. I mean, I don't blame her. How could she? You know, I'm never around...I'm never there for them when they need me. I haven't been a very good mother."
"Faith, that's a lie," he told her, squeezing her hand again. "You've been the best mother you can be, she knows that. Those kids adore you, Charlie and Emily *both*. Faith, listen to me, she understands, she loves you, and she understands," he repeated.
Faith shook her head, her eyes full of tears. "I don't think so, Bosco."
"Kids are kids, Faith. They go through stages of not liking their parents. It's the cycle. Father and son, mother and daughter... she loves you. Don't you ever doubt that. Not even for a minute."
She swallowed hard. "Yeah, well...I know she adores Fred."
"Well, one day she'll see him for his true colors."
Faith stared down at the table. "He's a good father, Bosco."
"I don't care. The minute those kids see how he treats you, in their eyes he'll no longer be the saint they think he is."
She looked up at him, realizing he was speaking from personal experience. "Sorry, Boz..." she said quietly, cursing herself inwardly for bringing up the subject at all.
He swallowed, shaking his head. "Don't. Just, I don't want you thinking Emily hates you. If you want to know how she feels, just ask her. But I know she doesn't hate you."
She bit her lip, trying to smile, but not quite succeeding. "I hope you're right."
"Trust me, Faith," he said, sqeezing her hand again.
Her lower lip trembled and she looked down again, trying not to cry.
Bosco squeezed her hand again. "It's okay..." he said, trying to reassure her.
She couldn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks. " I don't know what the hell is wrong with me today," she said, shaking her head as she wiped at the tears with her hand.
"Well, you've been through a lot lately, it's perfectly understandable."
"Yeah, well, I've been through a lot before when--" She cut herself off. "I've been through a lot before and it's never affected me like this."
"When what?"
She met his eyes, startled that'd he caught her slip. "Just a lot before. With Fred when he was drinking and...just a lot of stuff."
He didn't believe her. "Oh. Well, this isn't like that, this is more...different situations."
She looked down at the table, taking a deep breath. "Yeah."
"You can talk about it, you know. With me. I'm always here to listen."
"I just...haven't been sleeping well lately. I don't know. It's just stress." She leaned back in the booth again.
Bosco sat backwards himself. "Well, I wish you'd let me help you."
She looked at him, feeling sad. "You do," she said softly.
"How, when you won't tell me what's wrong?" he asked, sadly.
She felt her eyes fill with tears again. "I just--I can't, Bosco. I'm sorry. I want to, I just can't."
He mentally kicked himself for making her cry. "Don't be sorry...I shouldn't push you. I know that, I'm sorry."
Faith bit her lip. "It's okay. I know it's just because you're worried," she said tiredly.
"But still..." He leaned back against the booth. "I don't know that I can eat anything else." He sighed, pushing the tray away from him.
"Yeah, well, you had enough food there to feed an army, Boz," she said, smiling slightly.
He grinned. "And yet, I still couldn't finish it," he said sighing with a laugh.
Faith took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Did you get your invitation to the policeman's ball?"
Bosco nodded quickly. "Yeah, mail yesterday. You?"
She nodded. "Yeah, this morning."
"You going?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know. Are you?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure."
"Yeah..." She looked out the window. "Looks like it's going to rain again."
Bosco looked out the window, too, but only for a moment before looking back at her. "Yeah. Torrential downpours, the reporter said on the news."
"Great," she muttered. "With all this rain, I'm starting to think we're gonna drown."
Bosco couldn't hold back a snicker. "Just mother nature taking its course."
She didn't smile. "Yeah, well, I'm sick of all the storms," she said, her voice quiet, distant.
"It'll pass," he said. "So, what do you have planned for tomorrow....?" he asked.
"Apparently Fred and I are supposed to be going to Emily's school to talk to her principal, which he failed to mention to me."
"What? Why do you have to go to the school, or for that matter... why the hell didn't he tell you?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. He probably just forgot." Her jaw clenched. "Some boy at her school was going around looking up all the girl's dresses today."
Bosco cringed at the thought. "What a pervert. Hope they suspend him."
"Three day suspension." She shook her head. "He should be expelled," she said angrily.
"Tell them that tomorrow. The kid should be. When I was seven, this boy at my school did the same thing, he was never allowed back in the school."
"Oh, believe me, I'm gonna tell them. If he's allowed back, who knows what he'll do next," she said tensely.
All Bosco could do was nod.
She closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them again. "Bosco, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For being lousy dinner company."
He laughed slightly. "You weren't," he promised.
She almost smiled. "I promise to be in a better mood for our next shift together."
He just smiled, and slowly turned the drink of coke around that he hadn't even touched yet.
She hesitated. "I should round up the kids and head home before it pours."
Bosco nodded. "I'll go get them."
She shook her head. "Nah, it's okay." She swallowed hard, looked away. "Thanks for being here, Bosco."
"Sure thing. I enjoyed the company."
"No, I meant...For being here for me," she said softly.
He nodded, smiling. "Anytime, you know I'll always be here for you."
"I know." She rose to her feet and instantly felt another dizzy spell wash over her as her head pounded. She grabbed her head in one hand as she sat back down, hard on the booth.
"Faith!" he almost shouted. "Are you okay?"
She grimaced at the pain. "Yeah...my head is just....I've had this headache all day."
"What, why didn't you tell me? I've got some aspirin if you want some?" he asked, taking the small container of pills out of his inner jacket pocket. "Here, take it with some of my coke."
"I took advil a couple hours ago," she said, shaking her head.
"Well, one more won't hurt."
She nodded and took the bottle from him. She quickly removed the lid and shook two pills out, then swallowed them down with his drink.
"If it doesn't work, you might need to try some extra strength excederin later tonight."
Faith looked at him and opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated.
He looked at her, somewhat squinting. "No, what?"
"I...uh...I'm not sure I should be driving right now."
He nodded. "That's okay. I'll drive you home, then I'll come back in a cab to get my car."
She swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, I know it's a lot of trouble...it's just...the kids are with me...if it was just me, I wouldn't ask."
"Faith, it's fine. And, if it was just you, I wouldn't let you drive home anyway."
She met his eyes and nodded, feeling that sadness stir within her again. "Thanks, Boz."
"Anytime." He smiled slightly.
Faith closed her eyes briefly as she unlocked the door to the apartment with her keys. She twisted the handle and let Emily and Charlie in before she stepped inside herself. She closed the door behind them quietly and turned the lock. Her head was still pounding and all she felt like doing was going to bed and sleeping.
"Mom, can I watch Pokemon?" Charlie asked.
"Have you got your homework done?" she asked, hanging her coat up on the coat rack.
Charlie looked at her, a guilty expression on his face. "No," he said, glumly.
"Finish your homework and then we'll see, all right?"
He sighed, turned around and headed down the hallway, passing Fred on the way. "Hi, Dad."
Fred didn't say anything to his son, just looked right at his wife. "Why don't you kids both go to your room so I can talk to your mom?"
Emily had already started following Charlie when her dad spoke. She looked at her mom for a moment, then to her dad.
Faith sighed inwardly.
Fred waited until both children had gone into their room before stepping toward Faith. "You were gone a long time," he said, not looking at her as he walked through into the living area.
She didn't respond. She sat down on the couch, resting her head against the cushions.
"Faith..." he said, standing in front of the tv cabinet. He slowly turned to her.
"What?" she asked tiredly.
"What took you so long?
"The kids wanted to play," she said, shrugging, not wanting to mention that she had let them play longer than intended so she could talk to Bosco.
Fred just looked back at her. "And how much are we set back?"
She rolled her eyes. "About six bucks."
"Really? Then what about the bags the kid brought home...that would have cost more than that."
"Yeah, the cost of two Happy Meals. Happy now?" She stood up slowly. "The toys in the bags come with the meal, Fred."
Fred stared back at her.
She looked back at him. "What?"
"I put together a budget," he stated flatly, picking up a white sheet of paper off the coffee table and handing it to her. "I want you to follow it, Faith."
She didn't even look at the paper. "Oh, you've got to me joking me," she said in exasperation, shaking her head.
He shook his head, serious. "I've set aside an amount that you can use as you like each week. But it's the only way to cut costs, Faith."
Fury that she hadn't realized she possessed whirled through her and she glared at him. "You know what? I don't spend that much money in the first place. And if once in awhile I want to take my kids out to get some damned food from McDonalds, you're not gonna stop me from doing that!" She stormed off down the hall toward their bedroom.
Fred grabbed the piece of paper angrily and followed her down the hall, an angered expression covering his face. He went into the room, slamming the door behind him and stood there. "We're married, we're supposed to be equal!"
She looked at him dubiously.
Emily had been sitting on the floor doing the rest of the homework that she too had forgotten to do. It was a sheet of silly math sums that she really didn't have the energy to finish. She let out a sigh as she heard her parents bedroom door slam and her dad start in on her mom. She flicked the pencil across the sheet of paper and looked over at Charlie, who was sitting at the desk, looking frustrated as he tried to do his spelling.
She hated it when her parents fought, more so when her mom started having a go at their dad. But tonight, it was different. Her dad was really angry over money, and it was all her fault. If she hadn't begged her mom to take her and Charlie to McDonalds, then it wouldn't be happening.
"I wish they'd just shut up," he muttered, not looking up.
Emily silently nodded, looking over at the wall that was the only object between them and their parents. "Yeah, me too," she said quietly.
"Equal? You think we're equal?"
"No, I'm saying that's what we're meant to be!"
Charlie sighed, threw down his pencil and put his hands over his ears.
Emily sighed again, picking up her math sheet, scrunching it in her hand and tossing it over by her bed. "Why can't they stop it til we're at school?" she shouted angrily, tears forming in her eyes.
Fred ran his hands over his bald head in angered frustration. He threw his hands in the air and threw the piece of paper aside in anger.
Faith shook her head, staring at him in disbelief. "You want us to be equal, Fred? Then stop acting like you own me."
"I don't, Faith!" he bit back, his teeth clenched. "You expect us to move forward in our future, then you better stop spending money we don't have!"
Faith suddenly remembered a conversation she'd had with Bosco once when he told her how he'd had to listen to his parents screaming at each other all the time. She took a deep breath and lowered her voice so she wasn't yelling anymore."Look, I made a promise to the kids tonight and I kept it. It was six dollars. I earn more than that in one hour, okay? So once in awhile, taking them out to eat isn't a big deal. Just let it go."
Fred stared back at her, anger set in his eyes. "Yeah, a promise. That'd be the first one you've kept in the last few years, wouldn't it?" he asked, snarling. He stepped over to her, pointing his finger at his own chest. "I made a budget, and you are *going* to stick to it."
She stared at him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly what I said."
"What promises have I made that I haven't kept?" she asked, thrown by his statement.
"Why don't you ask your kids? Ask them how many times you've made promises to go to after school soccer matches, but never turned up. Or missing Emily's meet."
Guilt flooded her and she turned away to stare out the window at the rain. She swallowed hard, unable to respond to his words.
"You can't deny it, can you, Faith?" he asked, his voice cruel and sharp.
"No, I can't," she said softly.
Fred lowered his voice as he walked over to her. "I don't want you making promises to them ever again."
She turned to look at him, her eyes full of tears. She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head and moved past him, to the door.
He stayed staring out the window. "I'm warning you, Faith."
She paused at the doorway, brushing away a tear from her cheek. "Don't threaten me," she said softly, her voice full of warning. Without another word, she turned and left the room.
Fred didn't even look after her, he just stood there with his hands forming fists at his side.
Faith stared down at the loaf of bread through her tears. She closed her eyes tightly and drew in a deep breath to try and calm her emotions. Then she opened them again and removed some of the bread and started to make lunches for the kids for school the next day. Her gaze drifted to the telephone on the wall and she bit her lip. She wished that she could call Bosco and talk to him, but she knew that was out of the question.
She heard heavy footsteps coming down the hallway and she squeezed her eyes shut again. Just leave me alone, she thought, her head pounding.
Fred came in through the living area and paused momentarily as he scanned the room for Faith. He let out a breath and headed over to the kitchen, stopping only feet away from her.
She opened her eyes again, and focused on spreading the peanut butter on the slice of bread.
Charlie came into the room just then, with Emily right behind him. "Mom, can I have the rest of the fries Bosco bought us?"
Faith nodded. "Sure, Charlie. They're in the fridge."
Emily walked over to the fridge with Charlie, while Fred stood there, the anger in his face growing more and more.
"What did you just say...?" He directed his question to Charlie, looking at his wife for a few moments before looking at his son.
Charlie turned to look at him. "I just asked if I could have the rest of the fries..." he said, confused.
"No, you said Bosco's fries." He immediately looked at Faith. "He was there?" he asked, the anger in his tone apparant.
She sighed. "Yeah, apparently Bosco eats dinner on occasion, too."
"So, is this why you wanted to go so much? Because *Bosco* was going to meet you there!?"
She set the knife she was using down on the counter and turned to look at her kids. "Guys, why don't you take the fries back to your room, okay?" she asked, her voice warm toward them.
Charlie looked at her, frowning. "Okay."
Emily nodded, taking the second bag of fries from Charlie. "Okay," she replied, grabbing her brother's shirt and pulled him along with her as they headed back to their room.
Faith took a deep breath and looked at her husband, waiting until she heard the door of her kids's room shut. "I wanted to go because I made a promise to my kids. I didn't know that Bosco was going to be there."
Fred sighed. "How can you not have known he was going to be there! And a promise to your kids? How can I believe that when *he* was there!?"
"Fred, Bosco didn't even show up until the kids were nearly done eating! How was I supposed to know he was going to be there?"
"You tell me, Faith! Because, I just don't know what to believe anymore! It's bad enough you see him every day, but now he's taking part in my kids lives?" He angrily shook his head.
She stared at him. "What the hell is your problem with him anyway? He's my partner, Fred. And he'd never do anything to hurt the kids."
Fred didn't reply straight away. "My problem with him is that I'm sick of you working with him! I'm sick of Bosco this, Bosco that! I'm sick of the fact you won't damn well tell me what the fucking two of you were doing at that damned bank last night!"
The breath caught in her throat. "We were being held hostage," she snapped.
He shook his head. "No! Not then, I meant before...why the two of you were at the bank at the *same* time."
Faith glared at him. "Well, I went because I needed to get some money so I could go grocery shopping. If you want to know why Bosco was there, why don't you ask him? Because I don't know."
He scowled. "Don't you worry, I will," he promised through gritted teeth.
She turned back to making the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Whatever," she muttered.
Fred leaned closer. "You know what your broken promises and lies have done to your kids?" he asked, his tone bitter.
She didn't respond. She tried to focus on smoothing out the peanut butter so it was even on the bread.
"Your daughter, have you seen the way she looks at you? All the pain in her eyes from your broken promises, they've turned her against you."
Tears stung her eyes as Charlie's comment rang in her ears again. She gripped the knife tightly and tried to stop herself from crying. The telephone rang and she jumped at the sudden sound, then reached out to snatch it out of its cradle. "Hello?" she said, her voice shaky.
"Faith?"
Her heart leapt into her throat at the sound of Bosco's voice. "Yeah."
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
She swallowed hard, knowing Fred was staring at her. She was silent for a moment. "Yeah."
There was another long pause. "I just thought I'd call, see if you were feeling any better."
Faith swallowed again, her heart beating twice its normal speed. "Not so much," she admitted.
"Who is it?" Fred demanded.
"Oh. Are you sure everything's okay?" Bosco asked, concern in his voice.
She closed her eyes for a moment, her heart aching as tears pooled under her eyelids. "Everything's fine," she said very softly. She turned to look at Fred. "It's Bosco."
Fred scowled, growling low in his throat.
Bosco paused again on the other end of the telephone. He could tell just by hearing her voice that something was wrong. "Do you need me to come over, Faith?"
She hesitated momentarily. "No."
"Are you sure? You don't sound good."
She wanted to say yes more than anything right at that moment. She wanted to ask him to come over and pick her up, get her out of there, away from Fred...but she couldn't. Her heart breaking, she softly replied, with tears in her voice, "I'm sure."
"If you're sure," Bosco said, sighing.
She fought to keep the tears from falling. "Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks. I'll see you at work in a few days."
"Right. Okay. Yeah, I'll uh, I'll see you at work then," he said, waiting for a while, before hanging up the phone.
She didn't want to hang up the telephone, knowing that as soon as she did, Fred was going to start in on her again.
"What the hell did he want?" he demanded, filling a glass of juice while glaring at his wife.
"He just wanted to make sure I was okay." She picked up the knife to start working again on the PBJ for Emily's lunch.
Fred drank down his glass of juice and heavily slammed down the glass on the bench. "What, he just saw you a short while ago."
She jumped slightly when he slammed down his glass. "Yeah, well, I've had a bad headache all day and he wanted to make sure I was all right," she answered tensely, trying to keep the tears out of her voice.
"Well, you're fine," he snapped, mumbling something inaudiable under his breath.
Her hand clutched the knife a little tighter as she tried to focus on what she was doing through her tears. "Yeah, well he didn't know that."
"You should have told him then," he snapped again, walking out of the kitchen momentarily before turning back and walking back in. "And how the hell did he know you've had one all day?"
"Polite people ask how you're feeling on occasion," she said, her voice inaudible.
"What did you just say?" he demanded.
"I said I told him when I saw him at McDonalds."
He didn't say anything, just looked at her.
She finished making Emily's sandwich and placed it in a plastic bag, then did the same with the one she'd already made for Charlie. Faith placed the sandwiches in the fridge. "I'm going to see how the kids are doing with their homework," she said quietly, not looking at him as she headed past him toward the hallway.
He stood still, his eyes following her. "Fine. But don't you dare make them any promises," he warned, his eyes holding a deep glare.
She stopped in her tracks for a moment, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. Then taking a deep breath, she ignored his remark and walked towards her children's bedroom.
Emily had straightened out her math sheet after a while and was just finishing the last equasion on the page when she lifted her eyes and looked over at her brother. "You hear that?" she asked, noting inside how suddenly quiet it had become. She was about to say something else when she heard footsteps coming down their hallway, it sounded very much like how their mom walked. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Emily looked directly at Charlie, as if waiting for him to say or do something.
Charlie just shrugged. "Come in," he called, looking down at his spelling words.
Faith opened the door and stepped inside, looking first at Charlie then at Emily. "Hey, guys. How's it going?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Spelling sucks," he grumbled.
Emily looked at her mom, seeing how sad her eyes were. She mildly shrugged. "So does math," she added, after Charlie.
She smiled slightly. "Yeah, I remember..." She walked over to where Charlie was sitting and glanced over his shoulder at his spelling workbook. "Looks like you're almost done." She rested her hand on his shoulder.
Charlie nodded and glanced up at her. "Almost," he said, sounding relieved as he smiled at her.
She smiled back, then walked over to Emily."Do you need any help?" she offered, sitting down next to her.
Emily shrugged again. "No. I'm nearly done."
Faith nodded. "Want me to check it for you?"
"No," she said, her voice sounding distant as she leaned her head in her left hand and continued working on the last equation.
She bit her lip. "Okay." She reached out to brush a strand of hair out of her daughter's eyes.
Emily pulled away, brushing back the strand of hair herself. She didn't say anything.
Faith pulled her hand away instantly, then stood up and turned away before her daughter could see the tears in her eyes. "If you guys need any help, I'll be out in the living room," she said, her voice very quiet.
Charlie looked at her, a slight frown on his face. "Okay. Thanks, Mom."
Emily nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Mom," she echoed quietly, scribbling some kind of pathetic drawing next to her equation.
She tried to smile, but didn't quite make it. "Sure, Sweetie."
Without another word, Faith turned and left the room. She closed the door behind her, then leaned against the wall for a moment, struggling to maintain her composure.
Charlie put his pencil down and turned to look at his sister. "What's your problem?" he asked.
Emily rubbed her head, ignoring him for a few moments. "Nothing," she soon replied, not looking back at him.
He rolled his eyes. "R-ight." He turned back to his homework.
She tried to finish the last equation, but she just couldn't. She let out a long sigh and looked up at Charlie. "I don't have a problem," she stated matter-of-factly.
Charlie shook his head, then turned to look at her again. "Yeah, you do. You were mean," he accused.
Her eyes narrowed. "I was not mean!"
"Yes, you were. You made her cry." He shook his head again, frustrated. "One minute you're on Dad's side all the time, then earlier you were on her side, and now you're on Dad's. You're driving me nuts!"
Emily slumped a little in her chair. He was right, she had been mean to her mom. She hadn't meant to be that way, in fact she was trying so hard to be nicer to her mom earlier, but now... "I just hate them fighting. I wish they'd stop," she said, almost crying. "I'm not on anyone's side, I just, I don't know..." She sighed, unable to finish.
"I don't like it when they fight either," Charlie admitted, his tone less angry. "But it's not always her fault, Em." He turned back to his spelling words.
Emily swallowed, looking right at him. Tears rolled down her face. He was right again, it wasn't always their mom's fault. In fact, tonight was proof of that. She sniffed, turning back to her math sheet momentarily before her eyes soon landed on their bedroom door. Her heart hurt, knowing she had hurt her mom.
After several long moments, Faith finally managed to pull herself away from the wall, her head still aching, only the pain was lessened now by the intense pain she felt in her heart. When she moved, she saw Fred standing a few feet away, his arms folded across his chest, a smirk on his face. She didn't say anything to him as she stood looking at him.
His lips curled snidely. "You know, just because you took them to McDonalds doesn't mean you can buy their affection. I don't understand why you even try." He paused, the smirk on his face growing. "You know they hate you."
Faith recoiled as though he'd physically slapped her across the face. "Why are you being like this?" she whispered, shaking her head.
"I'm just trying to make you face up to the truth," he remarked, keeping his voice even and cruel.
Without responding, she moved past him and headed toward the living room.
Fred grabbed Faith's arm just as she walked past him. His teeth were clenched as he yanked her closer to him, gripping her arm tightly. "I know what the hell you're up to," he said in a dark tone, glaring at her.
Pain shot up her already wounded wrist. She tried to jerk her arm away from him, but couldn't. "You're hurting me. Let go," she said, too distracted by her own pain to try and comprehend what he'd said.
He only gripped her arm tighter. "I just want you to know that I'm watching you, Faith. Always," he added, angrily pushing her away from him as he let go of her arm. He stood there momentarily before heading to the bedroom.
She stared after him, her wrist aching and her heart pounding. "Fred."
He didn't even stop in hearing her voice call his name, he walked into the room, his hands balled into fists and he slammed the door shut behind him.
She followed him down the hall and flung the door open and glared at him furiously. "Fred," she said again.
Fred sat on the edge of the bed, deep scowl set in his brow as he removed his boots and begun to get ready for bed. He still ignored her.
"If you ever do that again...if you ever grab me like that again...you're gonna be really sorry," she warned.
He looked up at her, inwardly laughing. "Oh, what's gonna happen? Bosco's gonna come beat me up?" He laughed, shaking his head at her.
She stared him down. "No. I'll have him arrest you for assault and battery," she replied coolly. Without another word, she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her as she walked down the hallway.
Faith sat on the living room sofa staring at the blank television screen for what seemed like an eternity. Fred and the kids had gone to bed hours ago, but no way was she about to go to bed and sleep next to Fred that night. She swallowed hard and reached for the portable telephone. Without thinking twice, she dialed a phone number she'd known for ages.
"Hi. This is the refrigerator, the answering machine isn't in right now, but if you leave a message I'll pass it on to the answering machine when it gets back."
She almost hung up the phone without leaving a message, but at the last second she heard the beep, she swallowed hard. "Bosco, it's me...I...uh...I guess I just wanted to let you know that I was sorry for being abrupt with you on the phone earlier. I'm okay...just...yeah, sorry. Talk to you later. Bye."
She hung up the phone and set it on the table. Then her gaze flickered to the clock. It was almost one a.m. She cringed, hoping she hadn't just woken him up.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting on the sofa in the same position, lost in her thoughts...thoughts of Fred and their marriage, of the kids, of Charlie's comment at dinner that the kids didn't know she'd overheard, of Bosco and the past few days--when there was a quiet knock on the door.
Startled, she blinked and sat up, then stood and headed for the door, wondering who would be knocking at that time of the morning. She unlocked the door and opened it to see Bosco standing in front of her.
Bosco took a breath in, and slowly let it out. "Hi," he said quietly, a smile forming on his lips.
She stared at him. "Hi," she said back, stunned that he was there.
"I heard your message...I got worried. Your tone...you sounded...hurt."
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes momentarily. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have called..." She shook her head, feeling guilty.
He shook his own head, stepping closer to her. "No, it's okay." He lowered his voice. "I'm glad you called."
"I didn't mean to wake you, Bosco...or worry you."
He smiled warmly. "You didn't wake me, I was just sitting in the dark, thinking about...well, stuff."
She looked down, feeling the tears she'd been holding down all evening struggle to rise to the surface. "Yeah, me too," she said quietly.
He looked at Faith, seeing how sad she was. All Bosco wanted to do was hug her tight and tell her it was all okay. "Can I come in?" he asked.
She nodded, biting down on her lip as she tried not to cry. She stepped aside and let him in, then closed the door behind him. "Everyone's asleep."
Bosco nodded, walking through to the living area. He was standing in front of the sofa when he turned around, facing Faith. "Want to talk about it?"
She met his eyes for a brief second. And that was all it took. Her face crumpled and she started to cry.
He walked over to her and put his arms around her. Holding her tightly to him. "I'm so sorry, Faith," he whispered.
She sobbed into his chest, her arms winding around his waist and holding on tightly, afraid that if she let go, she'd collapse on the floor.
Bosco held Faith tight in his arms. Feeling her trembling made his chest feel heavy, not knowing why she was crying, not knowing what to do to ease her pain. He helped her sit down, not once letting her go as he sat back on the couch and brought her head to rest against his chest. He gently rubbed her shoulder, every part inside him aching more. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay," he told her in a low, promising tone.
She shook her head. "No, it's not," she whispered, her voice full of tears.
"Tell me," he whispered, continuing to rub her shoulder as he held her close to him.
She swallowed hard, tried to get herself together. "We fought...it was bad..."
Bosco cringed as the words reached his ears. Anger surged through him, but he pressed it aside and cleared his throat a little. "Fred?" he asked, pausing momentarily before continuing. "What happened?"
She nodded briefly, wiping tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand. "We just fought about the kids...and money..." She shook her head and took a deep breath and rested her head on one hand as she leaned her elbows on her knees.
His eyes narrowed. "The McDonald's thing?"
"Yeah...he actually told me he made us a budget tonight and said I had to stick to it."
"He did what?" he asked, almost choking.
She sighed, her anger returning a bit. "It's not like I spend that much money anyway. I made a promise to the kids to take them to McDonalds...why can't he just understand that?"
Probably because he needs to get his head out of his ass, he thought instantly. "Have you told him how you feel about it?"
"I tried, but it's hard to try and explain when he's--" She looked over at Bosco, saw the pain in his eyes and stopped abruptly, feeling immensely guilty. She sighed and shook her head. "He'll get over it."
Bosco nodded. "He better. Because, a budget? Faith, you're the one who helped me get *my* finances in order back in the Acadamy days."
She managed a small smile. "Thanks..." She looked away, took in another deep breath. "I'm kinda thirsty. You want something to drink?"
He nodded. "Sure. Want me to get it?"
She shook her head. "Nah, I can get it. You want a soda or water or--?"
"Soda. If that's all right?"
"Yeah, that's fine." She stood up and headed into the kitchen, where she flipped on the light and opened the refridgerator door, wincing as pain shot up her wrist from the movement.
Bosco sat up straight in the sofa, looking in the direction of the kitchen. "Faith, you okay?"
She turned, startled. She hadn't realized that he could see her from where he was positioned on the sofa. "Yeah, I'm all right." She swallowed hard, then reached into the fridge with her other hand and removed two sodas. Then she closed the door and headed back to the living room.
He moved on the sofa as she walked back in. He took the drink from her as she sat down. "I thought your wrist was feeling better?" he asked.
Her heart thudded in her chest. She had to choose her words carefully. "Yeah, it was...I think I just twisted it again earlier." She shook her head.
He nodded, but it didn't stop him from dropping his eyes to look at her wrist as she twisted off the cap of her soda. He swallowed hard, seeing fresh bruises and red marks on her wrist. He brought his eyes to meet hers again, his chest feeling heavier again as he thought about how it could have happened. "H-how do you explain the bruising?" he asked, the words catching as they came out.
She froze, her eyes locked on his. Oh, shit, she thought. "Bosco..."
Bosco felt his neck burn as his blood pressure rose. "Did he do it? Is that why..." He couldn't even finish, he just stared at her.
Faith shook her head, fear surging through her. "He didn't know my wrist was hurt, Boz. It's not his fault," she said quickly, her heart racing.
"Bullshit!" he said through clenched teeth. "Not his fault?" He shook his head, unable to believe the words that came out of her mouth. "Abuse is abuse, Faith."
"Bosco, it's not abuse!" Her voice rose slightly as she trembled. "He didn't mean to hurt me, okay? He didn't know."
His eyes narrowed and he looked away, letting out a breath. "Why are you lying for him?" he asked, his tone low, hurting.
Tears prickled at her eyelids again. "I'm not...he really didn't know. I didn't tell him," she said honestly, trying not to cry again.
Bosco swallowed, he wanted to believe her. If Faith said Fred didn't hurt her, who was he to say she was lying? He turned his head to face her again. "He might not have known, but the fact he did that to your wrist...it's abuse, Faith."
She swallowed hard again, shaking her head in denial. "It's not gonna happen again," she said certainly, wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand.
He nodded once, keeping his eyes on her."It better not. Because, I swear to God, Faith, if he hurts you again, in any way..." He shook his head, closing his eyes, before opening them again.
Another tear trickled down her cheek. She should never have called him at all. What the hell was she doing? She was losing it. She swallowed hard, feeling suddenly sick to her stomach. "It won't happen again," she repeated, her voice shaky.
Bosco felt his stomach knot, hearing the shakiness in her voice, the look in her eyes that told him he was pushing her again. He reached out his hand to touch hers. "I know it won't," he said, honestly believing her. "I just, I don't wanna see anything happen to you."
The touch of his hand was too much. She started to cry again, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she laid her head down on her knees.
He didn't know what he was thinking, what he'd done. But he moved closer, putting his arm around her. "I'm sorry, Faith," he said, wanting like hell to erase the last five minutes from both their lives, to have not hurt her.
She shook her head. "It's not you."
"Yes. Yes it is. If I hadn't come over, said what I did..."
"I'd still be a mess." She turned her head to look at him, feeling even worse as she saw the guilt written on his face. "It's not you, Bosco, it's not...please don't think it's your fault... "
He shook his head. "It is, Faith, it is my fault. You once said to me that what happens between you and Fred is your business, not mine. I should have listened."
She shook her head sadly. "It's not you or Fred."
"Then what, Faith? Please, just, I want to understand."
"It's me," she whispered. "There's something seriously wrong with me, Bosco."
He let out a breath, not sure how to react to that. "W-what? How?"
She shook her head. "I don't know...but look at me. I'm a wreck." She looked down at her hands through her tears and saw they were shaking.
Bosco looked at her, at her hands. Just seeing her shaking sent him more over the edge to feeling so helpless. All he could do was place his hand over hers, and squeeze it gently. "I wish I knew...what to do," he said, swallowing.
Faith looked at him, her voice barely audible as it spoke. "Tell me it's going to be okay," she pleaded, another tear dripping down her cheek.
"It's all going to be okay," he whispered, taking her in his arms again and holding her tight.
She pressed her face into his shoulder and began to cry softly. "What's wrong with me, Bosco?" she whispered, fear in her voice.
He moved his hand up and down her back gently, closing his eyes as he leaned his head against hers. "I don't know, but we'll find out, I promise," he whispered.
She simply nodded and held onto him a little tighter.
Fred stepped silently along the small hallway to the living area, he'd heard the door open and close a short while ago, and then he'd heard the voices. Faith and *his*. He'd stayed in the room, reasoning with himself that he had treated her like a jerk. But then the angered thoughts that she shouldn't have been confiding in Bosco scratched the surface and he made his way along the hallway. He had just stepped in the doorway when he saw them. Their arms around each other as Faith sobbed.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at them. He shook his head, vowing that this was the last straw as he stood there unnoticed.
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