See Me Through Part 4
Disclaimer: As usual I don't own a thing.
Note: Oh, geez. It's been a while hasn't it since my last post. Sorry. Real life got in the way. I'm still working on the other two stories as well so hopefully I'll have those updated. For now, enjoy this new chapter.
Thank you to everyone who replied to the last chapter and those of you get on my case to update sooner. Thanks, CCA, as usual. Your help means so much to me.
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"Nice to see you actually felt the need to come into work Boscorelli," Christopher called as he entered the locker room. "And you might actually be on time for once. Amazing."
"Back off Sergeant," Lieutenant Swersky said from behind.
"Yes, sir." He threw Bosco a look and then left.
"Glad to see you back. How's the kid?"
"Great. Thanks again for the time." Bosco turned his attention to getting dressed. "Hey Faith," Bosco said as his partner entered.
"You're lucky. I woke up this morning with the perfect way to make you suffer if I had to ride with Gusler today."
"Do I wanna know?"
"I'd say no." She smiled sweetly. "Who's with Noah?"
"My Ma, but I gotta find someone fast. She can only do it a few nights a week."
"Looking for a sitter?" Sully came up. It was only the three of them and Davis left.
"Yeah. No one wants to or can watch him for the times I need." He paused. "And he won't let just anyone be near him."
"Seemed to like Sully," Davis said.
"Yeah, he did. He said you reminded him of Santa." Bosco grinned.
"Funny."
"I'm kidding Sully. It was actually the Pillsbury Doughboy."
"Keep it up and I might not help you out." Sully smiled once the grin on Bosco's face disappeared. "My wife Tatiana just sits at home while I'm at work. She loves kids, I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping you out."
"Thanks." Bosco thought about it. He didn't know Tatiana but Sully was a good guy. Besides, it was better than some college kid.
"I'll call her when I get a chance and let you know."
"We better go to roll call. I don't feel like dealing with Christopher today." Faith didn't wait for a reply. She headed out the door.
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Faith and Bosco's shift had gone by without much incident. Bosco was relieved to find out that Tatiana was willing to watch Noah for him. That was one more problem solved. Sully and Davis were going out for drinks and so was Faith. Somehow they had convinced Bosco to go. The four cops entered the bar only to find some paramedics and firefighters from across the street there, along with some other cops from their house.
"Hey, Davis," Carlos Nieto, a paramedic, called out to his roommate.
"Hey man." Davis took a seat next to his girlfriend, Alex Taylor.
"So, Bosco. Been meaning to ask you. What was up with that hottie and the brat? And who was that Fed?"
"Excuse me?" Bosco asked the man who addressed him. He barely knew this officer. They worked different shifts but apparently Carl Smith was there the day Ashley came to him with his son. "I don't think that's any of your business."
"Do I sense some hostility?"
"Maybe, but if you don't shut up your gonna have my foot up your ass."
"Boz, let it go," Faith said.
"You know, Boscorelli. I think you are all talk, and absolutely no action," Smith said.
"What is your problem?" Davis jumped up. He was never usually one to defend Bosco, but there he was in Carl's face.
"I asked the guy a simple question and he throws that attitude of his in my face."
"Hey, Smith! I'll throw more than my attitude in your face." Bosco couldn't figure out why he was trying to get the Officer to fight him. But he was and Sully had to hold him back.
"I don't get what the deal is about the hottie and the kid. Just asked 'cause why would someone like her be with a guy like you. Looked pretty heated. Rumor is she's your girlfriend and you tossed her ass in jail just like you did to your brother."
"You son of a . . . ," Bosco began as he tried to get to Smith. "You know nothing about me. Nothing! What happened with them is no ones business but mine and if you wanna make it your business we can just go outside right now."
"Bosco, stop trying to be a macho jerk," Jimmy Doherty finally spoke up.
"Don't even start with me, Doherty." Bosco started in on the firemen when his cell phone went off. "Yeah. Hang on," he said into the phone. "Hey, Smith. Why don't you go find someone else to bother? Huh, 'cause I'm busy now." He walked away from the man but not far enough from Doherty and his paramedic friends. "Yeah, Ma. No, I'm not drinking myself into an early grave. Put him on. Hey, shouldn't you be in bed? No, you cannot stay up and watch your videos. Noah, I said no. I'll be home soon. Faith has her own family. I know you like her, but she can't be with us all the time. I promise I'll be home real soon, without Faith."
"Bos, let me," Faith said coming up behind him. She took the phone from him. "Hey, Noah. Yeah it's Faith. Your Daddy said you couldn't stay up. Listen to your Grandma." She grew quite. "Ok, but I'm only staying for a few minutes. Then you have to listen to your Daddy. Got it? Here's your Dad." Faith handed Bosco the phone.
"Noah, I want you in your bed by the time I'm home. We are not staying up all night again. I have work and you have . . . I don't know. Just go to sleep. I'll see you soon." He hung up then turned around to see a lot faces on him. "What? Could you all not look at me like that?"
"Like what?" Doherty questioned. "You do know how many rumors are flying around about you and the kid and all that stuff, right?"
"I'm gonna say this one last time and I want everyone to listen. It's none of your business. My life, anything outside of me being a cop does not pertain to you people."
"You afraid we'll all see just how phony and pathetic you are?" Smith spoke up again and for the first time Bosco realized he was drunk. "It's guys like you that get peopled killed with their foolishness and stupidity. It's guys like you . . . ." He never finished but instead threw a punch at Bosco.
Bosco at first was taken aback by the hit. He had warned Smith that he would fight him, but he never thought he would be on the receiving end of the first blow. Bosco got in a few hits before Sully, Davis, Carlos, and Jimmy broke it up. A few of Smith's friends had dragged him out of the bar. Faith led her partner to a nearby booth while Kim grabbed a first aid kit a some towels.
"That's a nasty looking cut there." Kim sat down next to Bosco and began to wipe away some blood.
"Not my fault. He started it."
"Grow up, Bosco. You were on the defensive from the get go." Jimmy stood to the side.
"Back off," Faith warned.
"I don't care what you people think of me. I never have. That kid, that boy you're all hearing rumors about is my son. That's all you need to know. Believe what you want." He pushed Kim's hand away. "Faith, I'm leaving. If you wanted to give in to Noah and go see him then lets go." Bosco and Faith left the bar. Sully, Davis, Carlos, Alex, Kim and Jimmy stayed at the booth Bosco had left them at.
"He has a son?" Alex managed.
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Sully and his wife Tatiana were outside of Bosco's apartment. They had knocked a few times but got no reply. It was still awhile before Sully and Bosco had to work but Tatiana had convinced both men that it would be easier for Noah if she watched him at his own house. Bosco and Sully would leave for work from there. Both men were wary of this, considering they were never ones to go out of their way to get to know each other.
"John? We have the right place, no?" Tatiana questioned.
"Yeah, this is his place." Sully reached for the handle and found the door to be unlocked. "Bosco?"
"Sully!" Noah's voice rang out.
"Hi." Bosco appeared with Noah on his shoulders. He slowly bent down to let Noah get down. "Didn't hear you."
"Who's she?" Noah pointed to Tatiana.
"That's my wife, Tatiana," Sully explained.
"Oh."
"Remember, she's going to watch you when your Grandma can't. You'll have fun." Bosco nodded to Tatiana. "Thanks for doing this. Let me show you around." Bosco walked into the kitchen. "This is the kitchen, there's the living room. That door there is Noah's room and that's the bathroom," he said without moving a step. "That's it."
"And you sleep where?" Tatiana looked around the small apartment.
"The couch until I find a bigger place." Bosco reached for his coffee pot and grabbed a mug. "Want a cup?"
"Sure." Sully sat down at the table. "He seems to like her." Sully smiled as Noah dragged Tatiana into the living room.
"Not a hard kid to please." Bosco sat the mug in front of Sully. "This is new."
"What?"
"You and me. You can't stand me, yet you do this for me."
"It's not that I can't stand you. I don't agree with your methods."
"Not many do." Bosco took a sip of his coffee. "I always get the job done though."
"Yeah, you do. But sometimes at what costs?" Sully looked down at his cup. "I'm not saying you aren't good at it. You are good. I know it, Davis knows it, Faith knows it and you know it. That's the scary part. You think you are indestructible, that nothing can bring you down."
"I don't think that, Sully. I've been shot at so many times. Each time I lucked out. If I go into a situation thinking I'm on top, then I am. But, I know that each time could be my last. That's the problem. Everyone thinks that I don't know that, but I do." Bosco looked to Noah. "Now, I have someone counting on me to come home each night in one piece."
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"So, Bosco. It's been three weeks since Noah came to live with you. Have you found a place yet?" Faith asked as Bosco drove their squad.
"No. It's harder than I thought. There's no place decent I can afford." He smiled before speaking. "Need two handsome roommates?" He laughed at the look on her face.
"Funny, Bosco. I'm still looking for a place myself. The kids want to stay with Fred and that means he gets the apartment. There's no way I'm taking that from them too." She sighed. "Charlie wanted to ask if Noah could come over this weekend."
"Fred going to be there? Noah said last time he was there Fred wasn't all that friendly."
"Yeah, but so will I. Fred and I decided that it would best for the kids if I was there until I found a place for myself. We get along well enough so that we don't fight and make the kids miserable."
Bosco thought back to the day Noah and Charlie met for the first time. Faith
thought it might be good for them to meet. Bosco brought Noah by Faith's only to find Fred at the other end of the door. He could tell Fred was trying to be civil to Bosco, but he was kind to Noah. The next few times Noah had said Fred wasn't so nice. It was probably because all Noah wanted was for Bosco and Faith to live together.
It was strange to Bosco that his son and Faith's got along so well. Charlie was a good 4 years older. It didn't seem to matter to them though. Faith had even told him that Charlie said Noah was like a little brother. Whatever the reason Bosco wasn't complaining.
"55-Central to 55-David," the voice from the radio said breaking Bosco out of his thoughts. He heard Faith respond and flip on their lights.
When they reached their destination they found Alex and Kim waiting outside for them. The call had been of a sick child and that the medics requested police help. That's all they knew. Bosco and Faith approached the paramedics.
"What's going on?" Bosco asked.
"There is a sick little girl who's father refuses to take her to a hospital. When we got here he locked us out. We thought you two could help us out," Kim explained.
"Let's go." Faith motioned for everyone to follow her. They reached the
apartment and Faith knocked. "Police. Sir open up. Let us help your daughter."
"Go away!"
"Sir, please. Let us help her." Alex pounded on the door.
"We aren't leaving!" Bosco yelled. To his surprise the door opened and he came face to face with a distraught looking man.
"Who the hell called you?" the man asked.
"A neighbor. They were worried about your little girl," Kim spoke up.
"Fine, you can look at her, but then you leave."
Bosco pushed Kim and Alex behind him as he entered first. Something felt off to him. He couldn't place it. He followed the man into his daughters room to find a little form on the bed. Alex and Kim rushed in while Bosco and Faith stood with their hands over their weapons.
"Oh god," Alex gasped.
"She's dead. For a day at least." Kim stood up and threw her stethoscope on the floor. There was medical equipment surrounding the little girl. "Why didn't you call someone sooner."
"She's not dead. Just sleeping. The cancer is taking its toll on her. Now, go."
"We can't. Your daughter is dead sir." Kim walked closer to the man.
"Don't say that. My baby is not dead." He grabbed Kim's arm roughly.
"Let her go," Bosco warned.
"She can make my baby wake up."
"I can't."
"Yes you can. You just don't want to."
Bosco watched as the man pulled Kim closer to him and wrapped his arm around her neck. He pulled out a knife and put it to Kim's neck. All that could be heard was Bosco and Faith's commands and the man's defiance to them. He inched closer to the two officers while dragging Kim along.
"Put your weapons down, or I'll kill her. I swear I will."
"You don't want to do that." Faith refused to lower her gun.
"Yes I will. It won't be the first time either. Got it." He turned to Alex. "Lock the door. Do it now!" He put his attention back to the officers. "Guns, down."
"Don't," Kim managed to say.
"Shut up." He inched closer to a dresser all the while making sure Kim
completely shielded him. He opened the drawer and put his hand in it.
"Keep your hands where I can see them." Bosco watched in horror as the man raised a gun at Faith and fired. He ran to knock her down. The only thought running through his mind was keeping Faith safe.
