A shadow playing across the halfway-closed blinds at the doorway caught Faith's eye, and her head turned immediately in that direction, her guard up at once, her senses alert... even for a woman who had recently been shot and hadn't slept in hours.

She glanced down at Bosco, blinked once, and heard the handle move. Her eyes floated to the door, seeing the slow movement of the metal handle. It clicked open, but by that time, Faith was already standing, heart racing.

The figure that appeared in the cracked doorway made her start slightly, and she felt the terror wash through her anew, even as she moved to press the aid button.

The door closed quietly, and Wayne was soon removing a gun, shaking his head. Faith lowered her good hand, and swallowed, her throat suddenly unbearably dry. Her breathing had quickened suddenly, and she could feel her heart thumping in her chest, as thought it was about to burst.

"What are you doin' here?" she demanded, voice wavering. She tried to steady it, but she was ashamed to admit to herself that she had never been so frightened before... at least not that she could remember.

Wayne laughed quietly, beneath his breath almost, and the crazed eyes turned to her, and then fell on Bosco. "I remember you two. You're not dead."

Faith shook her head, seeing him reach back and turn the lock, sealing them in.

"No, we're alive, and we're gonna stay that way, right, Wayne... all of us." She took in a deep breath to try and calm herself, and continued, "I'll tell you what's gonna happen, Wayne. You're going to put down the gun, after removing the clip, and kick it away. Then you're gonna unlock the door, and turn yourself in to the closest security guard we can find... I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else."

Wayne's smile fell at once, and the dead eyes bore into Faith, chilling her unexplainably. "I've already hurt you... him too. What difference does it make?"

Faith glanced down at her partner, who was blissfully ignorant to the danger that threatened him. "Killing us won't help you."

Wayne nodded. "Yes it will. If you're dead... then it's over..."

Faith had no idea what he was talking about, and she doubted he did either, which was the thing that worried her. That on top of the fact that he was the one holding a gun made something deep within her turn end over end, making her feel a little dizzy and nauseous.

"Wayne," she tried again, watching the chilling gaze land on Bosco, "if you do this, your life is over. Nothing else will matter. Killing us is only going to make matters worse." She edged around the bed, trying to keep the cold eyes on her, distracting him from the helpless male officer that lay resting, unaware. "You claim you don't want to go to jail, but from what I've seen... no matter what you do now, it isn't going to matter. You're in too deep here, Wayne, and the only way to help yourself is to put down the gun."

He laughed louder then, and half-lowered his weapon. At first Faith thought it was due to her words, but then she realised where the barrel of the gun was aiming.

Her nerves returned immediately, and she came to stand in front of the gun's end, her words little more than a growl. "Don't you dare hurt him anymore than you already have."

Wayne brought the gun up to her neck, and leaned in, whispering, "I dare." He stared deep into her for a few seconds, before cocking his head like a confused predator, saying, "Unless you want to go first?"

Faith wouldn't let herself be intimidated anymore. Wayne had gone too far, and she planned to do whatever she could to stop him... no matter what. She stared right back into him, seeing nothing but hatred and confusion in the eyes. "No one's going to die, Wayne, remember? Not me, not my partner... not even you."

And then suddenly, he had a hold of her, around the neck, and he had forced her back, her back hitting the rail that was raised on Bosco's bed, and she winced, fear racing through her body again, causing her to shudder momentarily.

"You expect me to believe a single word you say? You're just like everyone else. No one ever wanted the best for me... they just wanted me out of the way... locked up, forever. They never wanted to let me out."

"That's because you're insane!" she found herself saying as loudly as she could manage, shocking herself with her bravery. She knew instantly that her words could end her life, and that of her partner. She wanted to take it back, but she desperately yearned to tear into Wayne for what he had done.

The cold, dead eyes hardened, and he shook his head slowly, no longer amused. His grip tightened, and he slung her aside with enough force to jar her on landing, stunning her. She winced, and gasped at the pain in her arm.

Through the haze of dizziness that caught a sudden hold of her, she saw the form of Wayne Thomson closing in on her.

* * *

A gunshot filled the air in the corridor, and Sully almost skidded to a halt with the suddenness of it, and then reminded himself of the urgency of the matter, running as fast as his legs would carry him, and cursing himself for his love of fast food.

Dana Murphy and three security guards were at the door to Boscorelli's room, and seemed unable to gain entry. The nurse looked shocked at the loud explosion of noise that had just erupted from behind that locked door. The security guards had flinched, and were battling with trying to open the barrier between them, the two officers in danger, and the shooter.

"Have you been able to hear anything?" Sully barked on arrival, Davis right behind him, who went immediately to assist in opening the door.

"Not really," Dana managed in her shock, and shook her head. "I've been able to pick out a few words, but... after the shot, it's been too quiet in there. We can't get in. I think he might have barricaded the door or something."

"Let's hope that was a warning shot," Sully mumbled, just in the range of audible.

Dana nodded wordlessly, even as the four men began banging on the door with their weight to try and break it down.

* * *

Bosco watched Wayne Thomson turn to him, seemingly not even fazed by the bullet that had just grazed his right shoulder, ripping through the fabric of his grungy sweater and drawing blood.

His hand shook, his finger still positioned on the trigger, ready to fire again if need be. With his free hand, he reached up slowly and pulled off the oxygen mask, breathing deeply, his lungs still not fully recovered from the large amount of thick smoke he had inhaled thanks to the man who stood before him.

This was the same man who had shot and wounded his partner... the same psychopathic killer who stood looming over her now as she lay stunned on the floor, seemingly halfway between consciousness and passing out entirely.

"It's okay, Faith," Bosco managed, the words slow and calm.

The constant banging of the door was barely even audible to him, as he continued to keep all of his available attention on Wayne, and just what he was doing.

The eyes were staring directly at him, accusingly, daring him to fire again.

Bosco didn't know what to do. This one man had hurt so many people... he had hurt Bosco himself, even wounded his partner and best friend. But he didn't want to kill him unless... unless he had no choice.

As the two stared at each other, like two predators facing each other off from a kill, one imposing on the other's territory, Bosco felt the relief sweep through him in realising that Faith had clearly had enough sense to keep a weapon nearby. Bosco didn't know where she had gotten it. It wasn't hers, and it sure as hell wasn't his. Wayne had taken his. He didn't care to dwell on where it had come from right now, just that it was there.

"Wayne, move away from her," Bosco ordered, his voice stern and enforcing.

The young man didn't falter, barely even blinked. He didn't even seem bothered about the blood running down his sleeve. Bosco doubted he even had enough sanity left to feel pain anymore.

"Now!"

The desperation of his call surprised him, and drew a lot of his energy out of him. But still, the thought of the possibility of Wayne hurting Faith further... maybe even killing her, was enough to keep Bosco conscious for the time being.

Wayne and Bosco locked gazes for what seemed like an eternity of hatred and loathing, but what was -in reality- only a few moments, before the tall man looming over Faith removed something from his belt, something that Bosco had missed before.

He caught a flash of it in the light, the rays of sunshine that shone through the blinds reflecting off the silver casing of a gun... Bosco's own weapon.

His finger squeezed the trigger.

* * *

The sound of the three sharp explosions made Faith start badly, and she found she curled herself up protectively, despite the pain in her arm from being tossed to the floor. When the noise stopped, she looked up, seeing blood on the floor, but no body.

"Bosco!" she practically screamed, seeing Wayne now almost on top of him, his hands locked firmly on her partner, one around his throat chokingly, the other keeping the gun from firing on him again. Wayne was shouting inaudibly now, his cries frightening, causing Faith to shiver for an instant, before her gaze fell on something dropped, discarded, forgotten.

Her hand reached out for it, and her fingers curled around the object, and she struggled to heft the weight, which seemed a thousand times greater than it should, until she instinctively felt it was high enough.

Faith felt the first bullet tear out of the mouth of the gun, and she thought for one horrifying moment that she had aimed too low... that she would hit her partner.

The projectile ripped into Wayne's flesh, and he didn't even scream in agony, just released Bosco, who almost fell from his bed, gasping for air, in obvious pain, holding the area where the attacker had had a deathly unyielding hold of him, his eyes closed tight.

Wayne whirled on her, his eyes crazed, bloodshot, even as he started to descend on her like an insane animal, out of its mind.

She forced herself to her feet, her gaze unwavering as she fired bullet after bullet, barely noticing her partner flinch away and back onto the bed, despite his weak condition. The gun continued to fire, until it clicked on empty, and she was holding just the shell of a potentially fatal weapon.

Wayne stood before her, his body riddled with bullets, sucking in rasping breaths, covered in blood that ebbed and flowed freely. His hand grabbed for her feebly, and landed on her good shoulder, reaching for her neck in a last desperate attempt to choke.

Faith felt a tear fall, and then another, and another, her eyes closing tightly against the emotions that swelled and tormented her suddenly at the insane last moments of this man who clutched weakly with shaking hands at her throat and face, blood tipping his fingers and marring her skin.

Choking back a sob, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Bosco was watching her, still gasping for breath, hunched over in his bed.

Reaching up her good hand, dropping the useless weapon to the floor, she removed the clutching fingers from her skin, and released them, witnessing them fall immediately to Wayne's side. Her hand reached out as he grabbed again, his eyes glazing over, and gave a final push on the man, sending him falling finally to the floor.

Wayne collapsed at once, unable to fight the force she had applied, and his body hit the floor with a dull thud. His breathing had slowed, and his hat had been dislodged ever so slightly to reveal short blonde greasy hair. The gaze was fixed on Faith, as the woman stood unwavering over his dying body, her eyes witnessing the last moments of Wayne Thomson... the man who had ruined so many lives in one day... the man who had nearly destroyed Yokas and Bosco.

She had vowed to stop him, and she knew, even through her regret, that she had.

* * *

Bosco felt Faith fall into his arms as she managed to stumbled over to his bedside, still in shock as to what she had done, her sobs small and quiet, her tears constant and free flowing.

He clutched her tight, knowing she had saved his life, and he had saved hers. They had protected one another, and it had tried them both. Neither one had expected to kill him... even though Bosco had managed to convince himself that he wanted to.

Bosco's chest heaved as he tried to get his breathing back to normal, and he embraced his partner more securely, feeling her weight on the bed now, the woman no longer able to keep herself upright. He pulled her close to him, feeling her shivering form, and he whispered to her comfortingly. He closed his eyes against the sight of the dead body on the floor, lifeless eyes still staring to where Faith had been standing, and continued to rock his partner back and forth.

It was at that point that the window broke loudly, and glass fell into the room, large broken slivers clinging in the frame, even as an arm reached around carefully and unlocked the door, hand pushing through the blinds.

Sully was the first one in the door, gun in his hands, Davis right behind him, weapon raised as well. They both relaxed when they saw who had been the casualty, and that the two officers were a little shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

Bosco locked eyes with Sully, and rubbed his hand up and down Faith's back as she cried softly into his shoulder.

"It's okay, Faith, it's over... it's over," he whispered to her soothingly, telling her constantly that she had done the right thing, and that she had had no other choice. She didn't speak, just sobbed quietly.

"You two okay?" Sully inquired, letting Dana Murphy and Dr. Morales into the room, the women stopping instantly at the body lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Bosco didn't speak, too exhausted to do so, and simply nodded, taking in a deep breath.

"It's okay, Faith... I'm here... it's over."