Ok, so a quick note on what a sleeze-ball I am to not live up to my promises:

~So, I woke up early Saturday morning, good intentions in mind. It snowed, so the world was kind of on a slow-mo routine. I went to my bowling league, came home, rented some movies for later and fell asleep around 3 pm.

~My neighbor wakes me up 2 hours later. Called me, said he had an extra ticket to a concert. I couldn't resist. I don't get many chances to do concerts, and I love Three Doors Down. So I went.

~Then, I came home to find my little brother in a messy 8th grade love-triangle fight in an instant message. Poor kid, some girl is flipping out about some dance and a big misunderstanding. He was getting so fed up, and he couldn't understand what she was saying...so long story short, I got on, posed as him and fixed his problem. (Girl needs a ton of counseling but...)
~This week has been hellacious. My whole family is sick except me and interim grade reports are coming out, not to mention the fact that almost all of my friends are bugging the crap out of me about Prom...

~So, anyways, here I am, days later, and Abyss 16 is FINALLY finished.

Hate me. I deserve it.

I am SOOOOO sorry, you guys are so understanding and so nice and I'm such a dork. But thank you for the support and at this point, my interest in this story (after a brief plateau) is snowballing again...only a few chapters left, and these will be intense ones!

Thanks/Sorry!
~Amanda
Abyss
By: Syko4Bosco aka A. Lalad
Rating: PG-13
Category: Bosco Angst, B/Y UST
Summary: Bosco is kidnapped and witnesses a horrific act
that he can not come to terms with. As his guilt
and silence overwhelm him, he spirals downward
into a deep depression. Can Faith get to him
before it's too late?
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership, nor do I gain any type
of compensation or reward for this story. I
write for my own personal enjoyment, and share
my writing with others who may also enjoy it.
Third Watch (c) and all registered characters belong
to NBC.
Abyss
By: Syko4Bosco aka A. Lalad
(16/?)
==*==
55 Station House
11:37 pm

Still seething at herself and at Bosco, Faith sat in the car for awhile before heading inside after him. Trying to cool down, she stopped and dropped off the paperwork and returned the radios before heading to the locker room.

Bosco was nowhere in sight.

[i]Must've already changed and left[/i] Faith thought as she opened her locker and unbuckled her gun belt.

Moments later she jumped as the locker room door slammed open and her partner stormed in.

Not noticing her presence, Bosco walked up to his locker, paused a minute, raising his hands to his head as if he was in pain, and then proceeded to kick the crap out of the metal door.

He sat down on the bench, and rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands.

She stepped up to him then, and quietly said his name.

His head whipped up and his angry tired eyes connected with hers. He swallowed and averted his gaze quickly.

He stood and opened his slightly dented locker like a wall between them.

"Are you gonna talk to me?" She tried to hide the desperate tone in her voice but it came through loud and clear.

He bent down and dug up an old plastic shopping bag out of the bottom of the locker and proceeded to throw his personal belongings into it haphazardly.

"There's nothing to say." He stood and looked at her, but the other emotions were gone from his eyes, and now only utter sorrow was there.

He looked around the locker room and then slammed his locker door, the loud clang echoing off the cinderblock walls.

His fingers came up to trace the name plate on his locker, and halfway through the 'R' he grabbed it and tore it off.

She swallowed and bit back tears of rage.

"Sarge fired you."

He nodded slowly, angrily.

"Looks like Gusler has a new partner." he muttered.

"Over the psychiatrist thing." It wasn't a question.

Another nod.

"Well that's just great. That's just freakin' GREAT Bosco. You couldn't just-"

He started to walk out, dropping his name plate in the trash.

"Bosco!" she started to run after him and then realized she was practically shirtless. She pulled on her tank top and bounded out into the almost empty hall after him.

"Bosco! Bosco!" he took long strides trying to out walk her but she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

"You aren't serious?"

"I don't need a shrink, Faith. I'm not going back."

"This is ridiculous! You're going to sacrifice your entire career over a couple of therapy sessions? You're going to throw away everything you've worked for for so long over this?"

He turned and started to walk out again, and again she grabbed him.

"Bosco, please, stop and think...just take a minute to cool down. PLEASE."

He tore himself away from her and pushed through the double doors at the end of the hall.

She watched his back incredulously and flinched as the doors slammed shut.

She caught up to him again at his car.

"Faith, why do you FOLLOW me?"

She looked at him in shock.

"I do so many stupid things...I've gotten you hurt so many times...I get us in trouble...I put you in jeopardy all the time and you FOLLOW me. Why?"

"Because I know you'll regret this. Because you need someone to be your common sense...Hell, Bosco...Because I CARE about you! Because we've been partners for almost NINE YEARS. Doesn't that count for something? Did you think of how I would feel?"

"That's all I thought about." he muttered, and she saw tears gleaming in his eyes.

"Bosco, please don't do this. Please don't. There's still time. Lieu will give you another chance, I know it. Just talk to him, he'll--"

"I don't want to talk to him Faith."

"Why? Talk to me Bosco! At least talk to me!"

"You think I don't want to? You think I don't wish I could?"

"Why can't you? You know I'll listen. I'll always be there for you. Always. Nothing will stop that. Just talk to me."

"FAITH I CAN'T!" he yelled, voice cracking as he swiped at his teary eyes.

"WHY!?"

"Because I love you too much."

He opened the car door quickly and jumped in, starting it up and speeding off without looking at her again.

Faith stood there in shock, feeling the cold dark wind blow her face around but feeling nothing at the same time.

A tear ran down her face then, and she sniffed and put her hand to her eyes.

This couldn't be happening. Her best friend did not just walk out of her life.

Except he did.

Shivering in her thin tank top, Faith turned to walk back into the building to change.

==*==
28th & Lawrence
12:12 am

Faith hurried down the block, hugging herself and resisting the urge to cry that had been haunting her for the last half hour.

Bosco left.

He just left. And there was more to it under the surface. She needed to get to him...needed to get inside his head and help him find his way out. But he wasn't talking.

Faith turned the corner into a temporary shadow and didn't notice the darkly clothed man that suddenly turned and tackled her, pinning her to the ground and tying her hands behind her back.
END OF 16