Now before you say it, I know challenge responses are supposed to go in the
"Challenge" forum, but this story is more than just a response to the
challenge so deal with it.
Thank you Neko for reading this and lending your vast knowledge to make this a better story. You're a great friend.
Rating: PG-13, just to be on the safe side
Disclaimer: I still own absolutely nothing. Only Moses can get water from a rock, so don't sue me.
Summary: This is an alternative reality story about what would happen if Faith had fallen in love with Bosco instead of Fred.Challenge Response
Fred Who?
"Oh, wow, Faith! Look what just walked through the door." Holly whispered to her friend as they sat waiting for the beginning of Home Room.
Faith looked toward the door to see Fred Yokas in his football jersey. "Fred? What's 'wow' about him? He looks the same as he did last year."
"Not him, the hottie behind him." Holly gestured to an intense looking boy standing just behind Fred.
"Holly, what about Matt?" Faith asked, rolling her eyes before she focused on the new comer. In the romance novels Faith had read, they'd spoken of "gazes locking across a crowded room." She'd always dismissed the thought as a load of sentimental crap, that is, until this moment. She couldn't look away.
"Come on, Boscorelli, I'll introduce you to my girl." Fred said breaking the spell. Fred grabbed him by the front of his matching jersey and walked over to sit in front of Faith and Holly. "Faith, this is . . . ."
"Maurice Boscorelli," the boy said as he extended his hand to Faith.
Faith took his hand and nearly forgot her name. "Faith Mitchell."
When they didn't release each others hands, Fred sat back with a scowl. Holly looked from one to the other then decided to act. "Holly Johnson. Nice to meet you Maurice."
He shook his head as if to clear it and dropped Faith's hand looking for the first time at Holly. "Bosco, call me Bosco." To hide his embarrassment, he turned to face the front of the classroom.
Fred finally found his voice. "Like I was telling you, Faith here's my girl. Holly's dating Matt."
"The tight end?" Bosco asked.
"Yeah he's a tight end all right." Holly snickered much to Faith's embarrassment.
Faith however was still on the verge of exploding because of Fred's comment. "Fred, how many times do I have to tell you? I am NOT your 'girl,'" she said through clenched teeth.
Fred chuckled and tapped Bosco's shoulder. "She loves me. She just doesn't know it yet."
"Doesn't sound like it to me," Bosco replied sneaking a peak behind him at the furious Faith.
"You watch, Boscorelli. Faith and me'll be married within a year of graduation." Fred said, trying to wrap his arm around Faith.
"Fred, you keep that hand to yourself or you're gonna loose it!" Faith threatened.
Bosco had sat forward in his chair, ready to snap Fred in two, but relaxed when he realized she didn't need his protection. This was a girl who could take care of herself he thought with a smirk, still he watched until Fred had retreated and turned toward the front of the room.
When Home Room ended, Holly placed a hand on Bosco's arm and batted her eyelashes. "You need any help finding your next class?"
"Um, I've got algebra, room 215," Bosco stammered stepping back from a steadily advancing Holly.
"Me, too, I'll walk you," Faith said as she gathered her books. "See you at lunch, Holly."
"Bye," Holly pouted. "Come on Fred, we've got history next, remember?"
"Hey, Faith, I'll give you a ride home," Fred called after her.
Faith ignored him. "Let's go, Bosco."
"Later, Yokas, Holly," he said before quickly following after Faith. When he caught up to her, they walked in silence all the way to their next class, shoulders touching.
*********
At lunch, Holly was sitting with Matt and Fred. Fred motioned to the vacant seat next to him, but Faith ignored him. Sitting alone close to the back wall, Faith saw Bosco and immediately walked to his table. "Mind if I sit here?"
Bosco smiled and moved his books out of the way. "No, I don't mind at all."
"What are you doing over here by yourself? Why aren't you sitting with the rest of the team?"
"When I transferred, my coach from my last school got me on the team as a starter. The guy whose place I took had to go to second string. Yokas hated the guy so he didn't mind, but some of the other guys are still a little mad. He was showin' me around until.." Bosco trailed off. Fred was showing him around until Faith chose Bosco over Fred to walk her to class after home room.
"Until me, right? I'm sorry, Bos." Faith looked into his eyes again and felt the same connection she felt earlier.
"It's all right. I'm kinda used to it," Bosco grinned. Nobody ever called him Bos, but it just sounded right when Faith said it.
"So what position do you play?" Faith looked away and opened her milk carton.
"Our boy Boscorelli here is a receiver," Fred said as he sat next to Faith, draping an arm around her chair. "Good thing he can run fast. He's too small to take a hit."
"Yeah and if you were faster, the quarter back wouldn't get sacked as much," Bosco glared back.
Fred ignored Bosco and turned his attention to Faith. "We were savin' you a seat over there. Why don't you come over and sit with your friends?"
"Go away, Fred," Faith tried to remove Fred's hand from her shoulder. When he gripped harder, Bosco reached over and grabbed Fred's thumb, twisting backward until Fred fell from his chair.
"You need to learn to keep your hands to yourself, Yokas," Bosco said with a sneer.
"Mr. Boscorelli, Mr. Yokas is there a problem here?" The principal asked looking from one boy to the other.
"He's breaking my thumb, sir," Fred said while struggling to free him self.
"Let him go, Mr. Boscorelli then follow me to my office."
"Yes, sir," Bosco looked at Faith who grinned back. He released Fred who immediately jumped to his feet. "See you after school, Faith."
"I'll be by the bleachers." Faith replied as she watched Bosco follow the principal.
*********
From that day forward, Bosco and Faith were inseparable. The days flew by and soon, their senior year of high school was drawing to a close. "You're goin' to college, Faith and that's the end of it."
"You can't make me go to college. Don't you want to be with me?" Faith snuggled closer to Bosco. They were sitting in the back seat of his Mustang at the drive in.
Bosco rolled his eyes. They had been having this same conversation for a month. "You know I want you with me, but I can't bring you with me to boot camp. I can't bring family until after. Anyway, you're too smart not to go to college. It's what's best."
"I know, but I'll miss you. Why did you turn down that football scholarship? We could have gone together." Faith felt her heart flip over when Bosco said he wanted to bring her with him as his "family." They had never talked about marriage, but it was always at the back of her mind.
"I wanna be a cop, Faith. I'm not good at school. The Rangers are my best shot," Bosco tried the tactic that had ended this argument so many times before, he started kissing her.
Unfortunately, that tactic eventually turned into a different argument all together. "Come on, Bos. Please, you're gonna be gone in a month."
"Not in the car, Faith. I love you and you deserve better. It's gonna be special. Did you get Holly to cover for you?"
"Yeah, her parents are gonna be gone that weekend, so I won't have to worry about my mom callin' her mom. Do you want me to meet you somewhere or will you pick me up at Holly's?" Faith sat up and tucked her shirt back in.
Bosco pulled her back against him. "I'll be there at 7 tomorrow."
"I'll be waiting," Faith kissed him again before climbing back into the front seat.
*********
"What do you think of this one?" Holly asked Faith for the 5th time. Holly was trying on wedding dresses.
Faith wiped her eyes and looked at the latest offering. "I liked the last one better. What am I gonna do, Holly?"
"You'll do what Matt and me are doing. Call him and tell him, Faith. He'll run back here and marry you! I can't believe our babies will be the same age," Holly gushed. "We can enroll them in the same kindergarten and they'll be best friends just like us."
"I don't want him to marry me because he has to. I can't believe this happened," Faith blew her nose loudly. "We were careful. How am I gonna finish school?"
Holly gave an exasperated sigh. "This is the 90's, Faith, you can do anything you want. But you wait and see. As soon as Bosco finds out you're pregnant, he'll be home."
"Then I'm not gonna tell him," Faith replied.
*********
"Hello, Mr. Mitchell. Is Faith at home?" Bosco had been calling Faith for two months, but she was always either out or couldn't come to the phone.
"No, Maurice. She's not," Faith's father was getting tired of lying to the boy, but after all the pain he'd caused his daughter himself, he felt like he owed it to her.
"Would you tell her I'll be home in two weeks? Tell her I need her to meet me at the bus station," Bosco fought to keep the desperation out of his voice. Every time he called, he got the same answer. If she didn't come to the bus station, he would move on. Every time he thought about the decision he had made, he felt a knife twist in his heart. Why won't she talk to me? Before he had a chance to ask, Mr. Mitchell had hung up the phone.
*********
"Faith, he said he'll be home in two weeks and he wants you to meet him at the bus station," he saw the pain in his daughters face and wonders if lying to Maurice was the best thing after all. "You really should tell him. He could help you. You could probably even go back to school if you two got married."
"I'm not making him marry me, pop, and I'm not telling him," Faith looked into her son's eyes, Bosco's eyes, and began to cry.
*********
"I can't believe you're doin' this Faith," Holly said for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Why do you wanna be a cop?"
"I don't wanna be a cop, but it's good money. If I make it, Charlie and me will never have to worry about money again," Faith picked up her son and kissed his cheek. "Now, Charlie, you be good for Aunt Holly. No pulling Sarah's hair. I love you, baby. I'll be back on Saturday."
Holly took the four year old Charlie from his mother. "Don't worry Faith, he'll be fine with us. I've got the numbers on the fridge so if I need you I'll call. Just take care of yourself," Holly looked at the little boy in her arms. "I can't believe how much he looks like him."
"Yeah, well, I gotta go or I'll miss my bus," Faith kissed her son again and headed out the door. Look who's in charge of the obvious today, Holly, she thought as she hurried down the stairs.
*********
As soon as Faith got off the bus, she felt like she'd been swept up in a tide of people. All the faces blurred together during registration. She was sharing a room with the only two other women at the academy. They were told to stow there gear, change and be out on the parade grounds in 30 minutes time.
The three women were the last to arrive and fell in at the back of the assembled recruits. The drill sergeant began calling out names. When he got to the third name on the list, Faith felt like her knees were about to buckle. "Boscorelli?"
A familiar voice called out "here" and she saw him standing two rows ahead of her. She stood rooted to the spot even though every part of her wanted to run. The drill sergeant called her name three times before one of her roommates elbowed her in the ribs. "Here" she managed to choke out watching for any sign of recognition. She saw him stiffen, but he didn't turn around.
When we were dismissed to go to the mess hall, he turned and their eyes met. Faith took a step back when she saw the cold, hard look in his eyes. They stood staring at each other while everyone else filed away. Faith opened her mouth to speak, not even knowing what she'd say, but he just walked away in the opposite direction from the others. Faith was torn between following him and running away, back home to her son, their son.
Faith went back to her room with the intention of packing. She pulled out Charlie's picture and realized she couldn't quit. She had to do this for him. If she wanted to give him a good life, she had to have a good job and this is the best one she could think of. She sank down on her bed with her back to the door still staring at the picture.
"Why didn't you tell me, Faith?" She dropped the picture as she spun around to find Bosco standing directly behind her. He picked up the picture and stared at it, his hands shaking.
"Tell you what? Give me back my picture," Faith tried to hide behind her anger at him for leaving her to join the Rangers.
"Why didn't you tell me we had a kid?"
"WE don't have a kid, I do. Now give me my picture," she tried to take it from him.
"What, you're trying to tell me he's not mine? He looks exactly like baby pictures ma has of me. How could you not tell me? You know I would have come right home," Bosco's voice cracked as he sank down against the wall to sit on the floor never taking his eyes off the picture.
"Yeah, I know you would have and you would have been miserable. We would've ended up hating each other the way Matt and Holly do."
"Oh, yeah, this is so much better," he replied sarcastically. "My life has just been perfect since you ripped out my heart. You can't imagine how happy I am to find out I missed out on the first four years of my kid's life. Are you even gonna tell me his name?"
"Charlie, Charles Maurice," Faith whispered.
Bosco pushed away from the wall and stood. Without another word, he walked out of the room and down the hall to his own, taking the picture with him.
*********
"You're doin' it wrong," Bosco took the gun out of Faith's hand. "You gotta hold it like this. And don't pull so hard on the trigger, you just need to squeeze it."
Faith felt an electric shock run up her arm when Bosco positioned her hand around the gun. She stood speechless as she tried to catch his eye, but he refused to meet her gaze. "Now stand like this," he guided her to the correct stance and put his hand over hers. "Just squeeze it," Faith hit the target for the first time.
"Thank you," she managed to say before he wandered back to his own position.
She saw him later, in the Academy library with his books spread out before him. He threw down his pen and rubbed his eyes. Remembering the gesture from their senior year in high school, she sat next to him and handed him her note cards. "Ask me a question?" She said referring to the cards. He always learned better if he read the questions first and heard her answers.
"Can I see him?"
"Yeah, Saturday, I'm goin' home for the weekend."
"Be by the bleachers at 7," he said before beginning to read the questions off the cards.
*********
When Faith saw the familiar Mustang pull up, she felt like she'd been transported back in time. She nearly smiled before reality came crashing into her fantasy. All those years ago, he would have gotten out and opened the door for her. Now he just sat frowning behind the steering wheel.
They rode in silence all the way to the city. "Where are we going?" Faith gave him her address. She and Holly lived in the same building.
Holly stood in stunned disbelief when she opened the door to find Bosco standing behind Faith. "Hi, Holly, where's Charlie?"
Holly finally managed to turn around and call into the living room. "Charlie, baby, look who's home."
Charlie's face lit up and he ran to his mother. "Mommy! You went away too long."
Bosco didn't say a word until the three of them are in Faith's apartment. Charlie had been watching him and finally decided to speak up. "You're the daddy aren't you? You look like the picture. I told Sarah I had a daddy." He put his hands on his hips and looked up at Bosco.
"Yeah, I'm the daddy" was all he managed to say. He crouched down to look into his son's eyes still afraid to do more than look.
Charlie moved forward and grabbed Bosco around the neck. "Good, come on I'll show you my room." Bosco stood holding his son to him as Charlie pointed down the hall. "It's this way."
Faith sank into a chair at the kitchen table staring down the hall at the doorway to Charlie's room. A half hour later, Charlie emerged holding Bosco's hand, trailing him in his wake. "What's for lunch, mommy?"
"Um, I'll have to run down to the store. Let's put your shoes back on and we'll go get some bread for sandwiches."
"I'll just stay here with the daddy." Charlie stated before pulling Bosco to the couch. Charlie turned on the TV and started to explain all the videos and shows that were his favorites. Faith's gaze traveled to Bosco who was looking at his son as if Charlie where explaining the secrets of life.
"Ok, I'll be right back." Neither of them looked up at her. When she returned, neither of them had moved.
Charlie quickly ate his lunch then announced it is time for a nap and curled up under Bosco's arm like it was something they did every day.
*********
After a tense weekend with Bosco never leaving Faith's apartment unless accompanied by his son, they drove back to the Academy. "Why do you want to be a cop?"
Faith was startled by the sound of his voice. They hadn't actually spoken to each other the whole weekend. Now that his voice had broken the silence, she wasn't sure if she hadn't imagined his words. "What?"
"When I left, you were gonna go to school and be a writer. What are you doin' at the police academy?" Bosco asked never taking his eyes off the road.
"What do you think I'm doing there?" The anger at him and her self for all the past years resurfaced in that one question. "I had a baby. I couldn't go to school. I had to get a job."
Bosco wanted to yell back that she wouldn't have had to get a job if she had just told him. He wanted to yell at her for not showing up at the bus station the day he came home on leave. He wanted to tell her how he volunteered for every dangerous mission in the Gulf. His commander started refusing him saying he had a death wish. He didn't have a death wish; he just wanted to matter to somebody now that the one person who mattered to him wouldn't even talk to him. His knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel, while his foot got heavier on the gas pedal. "You didn't answer my question," he managed to push past his gritted teeth.
"You want to know why I'm at the police academy, I'll tell you. I had a job at the Post, passing out mail to the people whose jobs I wanted to be doing," Faith turned and stared at his profile, willing him to look at her. "I couldn't stand it any more so I applied to the academy. When I make it, I'll be able to take care of Charlie without any one else's help." Faith had lived with her parents as long as she could take it, and then moved into the apartment in Holly's apartment building. Her salary from the paper was so low she was eligible for housing assistance, but she didn't like having to depend on the whims of the government. It made her uneasy to think she could loose her home if a budget cut or a change in eligibility took away the assistance. She wanted to do it on her own.
Bosco knew that if he looked at her, he would start crying like a baby. He would break down and tell her how much she hurt him. He would beg her to tell him why she didn't think he could have taken care of her and Charlie. He would have to face his own doubts about his ability to be a father after the role model he'd had growing up. He was afraid of the answers she would give so he kept his questions and his tears to himself. Noticing the speedometer approaching ninety, he decided he had to stop before he got a ticket or worse had an accident. He pulled to a stop, climbed out of the car and started walking.
Faith sat in the car watching his retreating back. She thought about following him, but dismissed the idea. Over the last four years, Faith had doubted her decision not to tell Bosco about the baby. She had walked past Rose's bar a few times thinking she would tell her and she would tell Bosco for her, but always lost her nerve.
Her father frequented Rose's bar and would tell her about the things Bosco had done during the war. Rose had met Faith's parents at their high school graduation. Faith always wondered if Rose told everybody about Bosco's exploits or just him knowing he would pass it on to her. Faith had even written him a letter after hearing about him being injured, but never could bring herself to mail it.
As she watched him standing beside the road with his shoulders slumped forward and his head hanging, Faith couldn't stop doubting her decision not to tell him. She didn't tell him because she didn't want to make him miserable. Obviously that was what she had done anyway. She didn't want him to hate her for ruining his dreams of being a cop. She had let her own dreams be ruined for him. Why couldn't he see that she didn't tell him because she loved him and wanted him to be happy?
*********
Bosco stood staring at the yellow line running beside the road unable to turn back toward the car. He knew she was sitting there watching him. He knew if he turned around she would see his pain. If she saw his pain, she might pity him and that's one thing he never wanted from her. A few times he had seen Mr. Mitchell in his ma's bar and it had seemed like the man had something to say, but Bosco never stuck around when he saw him. He saw the pity in his eyes. Now he knew why. Now he knew why Faith hated him so much. He had ruined her life with his bright idea of spending the night together. They had been careful, or so he thought. It never entered his mind that Faith could have been pregnant.
He ran the memory of the day he left for camp through his mind again. The same memory that had tortured his sleep and had kept him alive when he was afraid during battle. He remembered kissing her, running his hands through her golden hair. He remembered the sad smile she gave him with tears running down her cheeks. He wondered if she had known then.
He still had the letters she had sent to him. There were only four and he had memorized each and every one. He had nearly burned them once, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead he had gone out with his buddies, got drunk, and woke up with some woman whose name he couldn't even remember. That was the first of many such nights. Over the years he had tried to find someone else who could make him feel the way Faith did. As good as the sex was, not one of those women made him want to stay.
When he finally got back, he thought about trying to find her. It wouldn't have been hard, but he couldn't face her. He thought she may have been married with kids by then and he couldn't have stood the pain of seeing her with someone else.
His only question now was what he should do now. He was so angry with her for keeping this secret from him, but even after all these years, he still loved her. He loved his son and he wanted to be with him more than anything. Bosco was plagued by doubt though. If she rejected him again, he didn't think he could stand it. He turned and walked back to the car, keeping his eyes fixed on the pavement.
He got in and started the car. They rode in silence the rest of the way back to the academy. "Bos?" Faith placed her hand on his arm after he shut off the engine. He stared at it for a moment before he got out of the car. He unlocked the trunk and removed both of their bags. He dropped her bag by her still unopened door before he strode into the barracks building without a backward glance.
Faith waited until the door swung closed behind him before dissolving in tears.
*********
After two days it became obvious to Faith that Bosco was not willing to talk to her. He would sit beside her in class. He would run beside her until she would try to talk to him, then he would speed up. During target practice he would help her if she needed it, but he didn't touch her again as he had before. He would be waiting each night at the same table in the academy library and they would study together. If Faith tried to talk to him about anything but police procedure, he would ignore her or simply walk away. Every Saturday morning, Faith would wait by the bleachers and they would drive back to her apartment and spend the weekend with Charlie.
The only time Faith saw him smile was when Charlie would call him "the daddy" or tell him jokes only a four year old would find funny. She wondered if it bothered him that Charlie never called him just "daddy." He always put "the" in front of it. It bothered Faith because she realized what she had robbed her son of when she chose not to tell Bosco about him.
When Bosco took Charlie to the park with Rose, Faith went upstairs to talk to Holly. "Honey, you look terrible," Holly informed her as she gave her friend a hug.
"Gee, thanks, Holly and here I thought I was ready for my close up," Faith replied sarcastically before sinking into a kitchen chair.
"You just look like you haven't slept in weeks. Is it so hard at the academy or is it spending every weekend with Bosco that's wearing you out," Holly asked with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.
"He's been sleeping on the couch," Faith sighed dejectedly. "He hates me. He won't even talk to me. We graduate in two weeks, then what? I mean does he intend to move in with us or is he gonna get a place of his own and expect me to let Charlie stay there with him sometimes? What if he tries to take Charlie away from me?"
"Oh, don't let your imagination run away with you! I bet if you gave him a little encouragement, he'd still marry you even after all these years. That and if you did something about the circles around your eyes. Honestly, Faith, you want him to talk to you, you've got to make it worth his while," Holly and her one track mind answered.
"I just hate the uncertainty of not knowing," Faith put her head down on her arms.
"Well, you've got two weeks to get him to talk. I've seen him looking at you. He still loves you," Holly said, rubbing Faith's back. "And I know you never stopped lovin' him. Now you just need to tell him and get on with your lives."
Faith looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes threatening to spill. "After everything I've done, I don't know if I can."
*********
Another week went by before Faith got the courage to ask Bosco what was going to happen after graduation. She waited until they were in the car headed back for their last week of testing. Bosco pulled up to a McDonald's and got out. He went around and opened Faith's door and held out his hand to help her out.
Faith was so shocked she took it and walked automatically into the restaurant holding hands like the last four years had been a dream. He got drinks and then they sat in a booth away from the other patrons. He played with his straw and stared at the table, not speaking for so long that Faith couldn't take the tension any more. "What, Bos?"
"You're the only one who calls me that," he said meeting her eyes for the first time since the first day at the academy. He reached across the table and took one of her hands in both of his redirecting his gaze to study it.
Faith felt her heart thudding in her chest. The sensation of his hands massaging hers was more than she could process. She finally managed to mumble I'm sorry, but it came out as more of a question than a statement.
"I always liked it when you called me that," he whispered. "I thought about you every day when I was away. I wondered what I'd done to make you stop loving me."
Faith heard the pain she had been feeling reflected in his voice. She felt like she had a heavy necklace of guilt pulling her down. She always thought he would eventually forget about her and move on. "I never stopped loving you."
"Then why didn't you give me a chance?" Bosco felt his anger and his hope mingle. He dropped her hand for fear of squeezing it so hard it would hurt her. He felt his hands clenching and unclenching so he put them in his pockets. He vowed he would never hurt any woman after hearing and seeing what his father had done to his mother. It took all his self control not to grab her and shake her. He wanted to scream at her for the pain he'd felt all these years. If she still loved him, how could she have kept his son a secret from him?
"I didn't want you to think I trapped you. I didn't want you to resent me for keeping you from your dream of being a cop. Then when you came back and didn't even try to talk to me, I figured I'd made the right choice," Faith's voice broke and tears fell down her cheeks.
"I didn't try to talk to you? I called for months. I wrote you letters," Bosco said. No longer able to stay in his seat, he stalked back to the car. He felt all the old wounds opening again. He stood leaning against the trunk, resisting the urge to run as far and as fast as he could. He knew the pain would follow him though so he stayed and fought to keep tears from his own eyes. The guilt over his decision to move on if she didn't show up at the bus station that day adding to the leaden lump in his chest that at one time was his heart.
His concentration to control his tears was so great, he didn't hear her approach. Before he had a chance to resist, she moved in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her head against his chest, silently pleading for his forgiveness.
Feeling her against him was his undoing. He could no longer hold back the tears as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He buried is face in her hair before pulling away to kiss her. All the pain and guilt melted away with that one kiss leaving them free to soar together into their future.
Thank you Neko for reading this and lending your vast knowledge to make this a better story. You're a great friend.
Rating: PG-13, just to be on the safe side
Disclaimer: I still own absolutely nothing. Only Moses can get water from a rock, so don't sue me.
Summary: This is an alternative reality story about what would happen if Faith had fallen in love with Bosco instead of Fred.Challenge Response
Fred Who?
"Oh, wow, Faith! Look what just walked through the door." Holly whispered to her friend as they sat waiting for the beginning of Home Room.
Faith looked toward the door to see Fred Yokas in his football jersey. "Fred? What's 'wow' about him? He looks the same as he did last year."
"Not him, the hottie behind him." Holly gestured to an intense looking boy standing just behind Fred.
"Holly, what about Matt?" Faith asked, rolling her eyes before she focused on the new comer. In the romance novels Faith had read, they'd spoken of "gazes locking across a crowded room." She'd always dismissed the thought as a load of sentimental crap, that is, until this moment. She couldn't look away.
"Come on, Boscorelli, I'll introduce you to my girl." Fred said breaking the spell. Fred grabbed him by the front of his matching jersey and walked over to sit in front of Faith and Holly. "Faith, this is . . . ."
"Maurice Boscorelli," the boy said as he extended his hand to Faith.
Faith took his hand and nearly forgot her name. "Faith Mitchell."
When they didn't release each others hands, Fred sat back with a scowl. Holly looked from one to the other then decided to act. "Holly Johnson. Nice to meet you Maurice."
He shook his head as if to clear it and dropped Faith's hand looking for the first time at Holly. "Bosco, call me Bosco." To hide his embarrassment, he turned to face the front of the classroom.
Fred finally found his voice. "Like I was telling you, Faith here's my girl. Holly's dating Matt."
"The tight end?" Bosco asked.
"Yeah he's a tight end all right." Holly snickered much to Faith's embarrassment.
Faith however was still on the verge of exploding because of Fred's comment. "Fred, how many times do I have to tell you? I am NOT your 'girl,'" she said through clenched teeth.
Fred chuckled and tapped Bosco's shoulder. "She loves me. She just doesn't know it yet."
"Doesn't sound like it to me," Bosco replied sneaking a peak behind him at the furious Faith.
"You watch, Boscorelli. Faith and me'll be married within a year of graduation." Fred said, trying to wrap his arm around Faith.
"Fred, you keep that hand to yourself or you're gonna loose it!" Faith threatened.
Bosco had sat forward in his chair, ready to snap Fred in two, but relaxed when he realized she didn't need his protection. This was a girl who could take care of herself he thought with a smirk, still he watched until Fred had retreated and turned toward the front of the room.
When Home Room ended, Holly placed a hand on Bosco's arm and batted her eyelashes. "You need any help finding your next class?"
"Um, I've got algebra, room 215," Bosco stammered stepping back from a steadily advancing Holly.
"Me, too, I'll walk you," Faith said as she gathered her books. "See you at lunch, Holly."
"Bye," Holly pouted. "Come on Fred, we've got history next, remember?"
"Hey, Faith, I'll give you a ride home," Fred called after her.
Faith ignored him. "Let's go, Bosco."
"Later, Yokas, Holly," he said before quickly following after Faith. When he caught up to her, they walked in silence all the way to their next class, shoulders touching.
*********
At lunch, Holly was sitting with Matt and Fred. Fred motioned to the vacant seat next to him, but Faith ignored him. Sitting alone close to the back wall, Faith saw Bosco and immediately walked to his table. "Mind if I sit here?"
Bosco smiled and moved his books out of the way. "No, I don't mind at all."
"What are you doing over here by yourself? Why aren't you sitting with the rest of the team?"
"When I transferred, my coach from my last school got me on the team as a starter. The guy whose place I took had to go to second string. Yokas hated the guy so he didn't mind, but some of the other guys are still a little mad. He was showin' me around until.." Bosco trailed off. Fred was showing him around until Faith chose Bosco over Fred to walk her to class after home room.
"Until me, right? I'm sorry, Bos." Faith looked into his eyes again and felt the same connection she felt earlier.
"It's all right. I'm kinda used to it," Bosco grinned. Nobody ever called him Bos, but it just sounded right when Faith said it.
"So what position do you play?" Faith looked away and opened her milk carton.
"Our boy Boscorelli here is a receiver," Fred said as he sat next to Faith, draping an arm around her chair. "Good thing he can run fast. He's too small to take a hit."
"Yeah and if you were faster, the quarter back wouldn't get sacked as much," Bosco glared back.
Fred ignored Bosco and turned his attention to Faith. "We were savin' you a seat over there. Why don't you come over and sit with your friends?"
"Go away, Fred," Faith tried to remove Fred's hand from her shoulder. When he gripped harder, Bosco reached over and grabbed Fred's thumb, twisting backward until Fred fell from his chair.
"You need to learn to keep your hands to yourself, Yokas," Bosco said with a sneer.
"Mr. Boscorelli, Mr. Yokas is there a problem here?" The principal asked looking from one boy to the other.
"He's breaking my thumb, sir," Fred said while struggling to free him self.
"Let him go, Mr. Boscorelli then follow me to my office."
"Yes, sir," Bosco looked at Faith who grinned back. He released Fred who immediately jumped to his feet. "See you after school, Faith."
"I'll be by the bleachers." Faith replied as she watched Bosco follow the principal.
*********
From that day forward, Bosco and Faith were inseparable. The days flew by and soon, their senior year of high school was drawing to a close. "You're goin' to college, Faith and that's the end of it."
"You can't make me go to college. Don't you want to be with me?" Faith snuggled closer to Bosco. They were sitting in the back seat of his Mustang at the drive in.
Bosco rolled his eyes. They had been having this same conversation for a month. "You know I want you with me, but I can't bring you with me to boot camp. I can't bring family until after. Anyway, you're too smart not to go to college. It's what's best."
"I know, but I'll miss you. Why did you turn down that football scholarship? We could have gone together." Faith felt her heart flip over when Bosco said he wanted to bring her with him as his "family." They had never talked about marriage, but it was always at the back of her mind.
"I wanna be a cop, Faith. I'm not good at school. The Rangers are my best shot," Bosco tried the tactic that had ended this argument so many times before, he started kissing her.
Unfortunately, that tactic eventually turned into a different argument all together. "Come on, Bos. Please, you're gonna be gone in a month."
"Not in the car, Faith. I love you and you deserve better. It's gonna be special. Did you get Holly to cover for you?"
"Yeah, her parents are gonna be gone that weekend, so I won't have to worry about my mom callin' her mom. Do you want me to meet you somewhere or will you pick me up at Holly's?" Faith sat up and tucked her shirt back in.
Bosco pulled her back against him. "I'll be there at 7 tomorrow."
"I'll be waiting," Faith kissed him again before climbing back into the front seat.
*********
"What do you think of this one?" Holly asked Faith for the 5th time. Holly was trying on wedding dresses.
Faith wiped her eyes and looked at the latest offering. "I liked the last one better. What am I gonna do, Holly?"
"You'll do what Matt and me are doing. Call him and tell him, Faith. He'll run back here and marry you! I can't believe our babies will be the same age," Holly gushed. "We can enroll them in the same kindergarten and they'll be best friends just like us."
"I don't want him to marry me because he has to. I can't believe this happened," Faith blew her nose loudly. "We were careful. How am I gonna finish school?"
Holly gave an exasperated sigh. "This is the 90's, Faith, you can do anything you want. But you wait and see. As soon as Bosco finds out you're pregnant, he'll be home."
"Then I'm not gonna tell him," Faith replied.
*********
"Hello, Mr. Mitchell. Is Faith at home?" Bosco had been calling Faith for two months, but she was always either out or couldn't come to the phone.
"No, Maurice. She's not," Faith's father was getting tired of lying to the boy, but after all the pain he'd caused his daughter himself, he felt like he owed it to her.
"Would you tell her I'll be home in two weeks? Tell her I need her to meet me at the bus station," Bosco fought to keep the desperation out of his voice. Every time he called, he got the same answer. If she didn't come to the bus station, he would move on. Every time he thought about the decision he had made, he felt a knife twist in his heart. Why won't she talk to me? Before he had a chance to ask, Mr. Mitchell had hung up the phone.
*********
"Faith, he said he'll be home in two weeks and he wants you to meet him at the bus station," he saw the pain in his daughters face and wonders if lying to Maurice was the best thing after all. "You really should tell him. He could help you. You could probably even go back to school if you two got married."
"I'm not making him marry me, pop, and I'm not telling him," Faith looked into her son's eyes, Bosco's eyes, and began to cry.
*********
"I can't believe you're doin' this Faith," Holly said for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Why do you wanna be a cop?"
"I don't wanna be a cop, but it's good money. If I make it, Charlie and me will never have to worry about money again," Faith picked up her son and kissed his cheek. "Now, Charlie, you be good for Aunt Holly. No pulling Sarah's hair. I love you, baby. I'll be back on Saturday."
Holly took the four year old Charlie from his mother. "Don't worry Faith, he'll be fine with us. I've got the numbers on the fridge so if I need you I'll call. Just take care of yourself," Holly looked at the little boy in her arms. "I can't believe how much he looks like him."
"Yeah, well, I gotta go or I'll miss my bus," Faith kissed her son again and headed out the door. Look who's in charge of the obvious today, Holly, she thought as she hurried down the stairs.
*********
As soon as Faith got off the bus, she felt like she'd been swept up in a tide of people. All the faces blurred together during registration. She was sharing a room with the only two other women at the academy. They were told to stow there gear, change and be out on the parade grounds in 30 minutes time.
The three women were the last to arrive and fell in at the back of the assembled recruits. The drill sergeant began calling out names. When he got to the third name on the list, Faith felt like her knees were about to buckle. "Boscorelli?"
A familiar voice called out "here" and she saw him standing two rows ahead of her. She stood rooted to the spot even though every part of her wanted to run. The drill sergeant called her name three times before one of her roommates elbowed her in the ribs. "Here" she managed to choke out watching for any sign of recognition. She saw him stiffen, but he didn't turn around.
When we were dismissed to go to the mess hall, he turned and their eyes met. Faith took a step back when she saw the cold, hard look in his eyes. They stood staring at each other while everyone else filed away. Faith opened her mouth to speak, not even knowing what she'd say, but he just walked away in the opposite direction from the others. Faith was torn between following him and running away, back home to her son, their son.
Faith went back to her room with the intention of packing. She pulled out Charlie's picture and realized she couldn't quit. She had to do this for him. If she wanted to give him a good life, she had to have a good job and this is the best one she could think of. She sank down on her bed with her back to the door still staring at the picture.
"Why didn't you tell me, Faith?" She dropped the picture as she spun around to find Bosco standing directly behind her. He picked up the picture and stared at it, his hands shaking.
"Tell you what? Give me back my picture," Faith tried to hide behind her anger at him for leaving her to join the Rangers.
"Why didn't you tell me we had a kid?"
"WE don't have a kid, I do. Now give me my picture," she tried to take it from him.
"What, you're trying to tell me he's not mine? He looks exactly like baby pictures ma has of me. How could you not tell me? You know I would have come right home," Bosco's voice cracked as he sank down against the wall to sit on the floor never taking his eyes off the picture.
"Yeah, I know you would have and you would have been miserable. We would've ended up hating each other the way Matt and Holly do."
"Oh, yeah, this is so much better," he replied sarcastically. "My life has just been perfect since you ripped out my heart. You can't imagine how happy I am to find out I missed out on the first four years of my kid's life. Are you even gonna tell me his name?"
"Charlie, Charles Maurice," Faith whispered.
Bosco pushed away from the wall and stood. Without another word, he walked out of the room and down the hall to his own, taking the picture with him.
*********
"You're doin' it wrong," Bosco took the gun out of Faith's hand. "You gotta hold it like this. And don't pull so hard on the trigger, you just need to squeeze it."
Faith felt an electric shock run up her arm when Bosco positioned her hand around the gun. She stood speechless as she tried to catch his eye, but he refused to meet her gaze. "Now stand like this," he guided her to the correct stance and put his hand over hers. "Just squeeze it," Faith hit the target for the first time.
"Thank you," she managed to say before he wandered back to his own position.
She saw him later, in the Academy library with his books spread out before him. He threw down his pen and rubbed his eyes. Remembering the gesture from their senior year in high school, she sat next to him and handed him her note cards. "Ask me a question?" She said referring to the cards. He always learned better if he read the questions first and heard her answers.
"Can I see him?"
"Yeah, Saturday, I'm goin' home for the weekend."
"Be by the bleachers at 7," he said before beginning to read the questions off the cards.
*********
When Faith saw the familiar Mustang pull up, she felt like she'd been transported back in time. She nearly smiled before reality came crashing into her fantasy. All those years ago, he would have gotten out and opened the door for her. Now he just sat frowning behind the steering wheel.
They rode in silence all the way to the city. "Where are we going?" Faith gave him her address. She and Holly lived in the same building.
Holly stood in stunned disbelief when she opened the door to find Bosco standing behind Faith. "Hi, Holly, where's Charlie?"
Holly finally managed to turn around and call into the living room. "Charlie, baby, look who's home."
Charlie's face lit up and he ran to his mother. "Mommy! You went away too long."
Bosco didn't say a word until the three of them are in Faith's apartment. Charlie had been watching him and finally decided to speak up. "You're the daddy aren't you? You look like the picture. I told Sarah I had a daddy." He put his hands on his hips and looked up at Bosco.
"Yeah, I'm the daddy" was all he managed to say. He crouched down to look into his son's eyes still afraid to do more than look.
Charlie moved forward and grabbed Bosco around the neck. "Good, come on I'll show you my room." Bosco stood holding his son to him as Charlie pointed down the hall. "It's this way."
Faith sank into a chair at the kitchen table staring down the hall at the doorway to Charlie's room. A half hour later, Charlie emerged holding Bosco's hand, trailing him in his wake. "What's for lunch, mommy?"
"Um, I'll have to run down to the store. Let's put your shoes back on and we'll go get some bread for sandwiches."
"I'll just stay here with the daddy." Charlie stated before pulling Bosco to the couch. Charlie turned on the TV and started to explain all the videos and shows that were his favorites. Faith's gaze traveled to Bosco who was looking at his son as if Charlie where explaining the secrets of life.
"Ok, I'll be right back." Neither of them looked up at her. When she returned, neither of them had moved.
Charlie quickly ate his lunch then announced it is time for a nap and curled up under Bosco's arm like it was something they did every day.
*********
After a tense weekend with Bosco never leaving Faith's apartment unless accompanied by his son, they drove back to the Academy. "Why do you want to be a cop?"
Faith was startled by the sound of his voice. They hadn't actually spoken to each other the whole weekend. Now that his voice had broken the silence, she wasn't sure if she hadn't imagined his words. "What?"
"When I left, you were gonna go to school and be a writer. What are you doin' at the police academy?" Bosco asked never taking his eyes off the road.
"What do you think I'm doing there?" The anger at him and her self for all the past years resurfaced in that one question. "I had a baby. I couldn't go to school. I had to get a job."
Bosco wanted to yell back that she wouldn't have had to get a job if she had just told him. He wanted to yell at her for not showing up at the bus station the day he came home on leave. He wanted to tell her how he volunteered for every dangerous mission in the Gulf. His commander started refusing him saying he had a death wish. He didn't have a death wish; he just wanted to matter to somebody now that the one person who mattered to him wouldn't even talk to him. His knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel, while his foot got heavier on the gas pedal. "You didn't answer my question," he managed to push past his gritted teeth.
"You want to know why I'm at the police academy, I'll tell you. I had a job at the Post, passing out mail to the people whose jobs I wanted to be doing," Faith turned and stared at his profile, willing him to look at her. "I couldn't stand it any more so I applied to the academy. When I make it, I'll be able to take care of Charlie without any one else's help." Faith had lived with her parents as long as she could take it, and then moved into the apartment in Holly's apartment building. Her salary from the paper was so low she was eligible for housing assistance, but she didn't like having to depend on the whims of the government. It made her uneasy to think she could loose her home if a budget cut or a change in eligibility took away the assistance. She wanted to do it on her own.
Bosco knew that if he looked at her, he would start crying like a baby. He would break down and tell her how much she hurt him. He would beg her to tell him why she didn't think he could have taken care of her and Charlie. He would have to face his own doubts about his ability to be a father after the role model he'd had growing up. He was afraid of the answers she would give so he kept his questions and his tears to himself. Noticing the speedometer approaching ninety, he decided he had to stop before he got a ticket or worse had an accident. He pulled to a stop, climbed out of the car and started walking.
Faith sat in the car watching his retreating back. She thought about following him, but dismissed the idea. Over the last four years, Faith had doubted her decision not to tell Bosco about the baby. She had walked past Rose's bar a few times thinking she would tell her and she would tell Bosco for her, but always lost her nerve.
Her father frequented Rose's bar and would tell her about the things Bosco had done during the war. Rose had met Faith's parents at their high school graduation. Faith always wondered if Rose told everybody about Bosco's exploits or just him knowing he would pass it on to her. Faith had even written him a letter after hearing about him being injured, but never could bring herself to mail it.
As she watched him standing beside the road with his shoulders slumped forward and his head hanging, Faith couldn't stop doubting her decision not to tell him. She didn't tell him because she didn't want to make him miserable. Obviously that was what she had done anyway. She didn't want him to hate her for ruining his dreams of being a cop. She had let her own dreams be ruined for him. Why couldn't he see that she didn't tell him because she loved him and wanted him to be happy?
*********
Bosco stood staring at the yellow line running beside the road unable to turn back toward the car. He knew she was sitting there watching him. He knew if he turned around she would see his pain. If she saw his pain, she might pity him and that's one thing he never wanted from her. A few times he had seen Mr. Mitchell in his ma's bar and it had seemed like the man had something to say, but Bosco never stuck around when he saw him. He saw the pity in his eyes. Now he knew why. Now he knew why Faith hated him so much. He had ruined her life with his bright idea of spending the night together. They had been careful, or so he thought. It never entered his mind that Faith could have been pregnant.
He ran the memory of the day he left for camp through his mind again. The same memory that had tortured his sleep and had kept him alive when he was afraid during battle. He remembered kissing her, running his hands through her golden hair. He remembered the sad smile she gave him with tears running down her cheeks. He wondered if she had known then.
He still had the letters she had sent to him. There were only four and he had memorized each and every one. He had nearly burned them once, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead he had gone out with his buddies, got drunk, and woke up with some woman whose name he couldn't even remember. That was the first of many such nights. Over the years he had tried to find someone else who could make him feel the way Faith did. As good as the sex was, not one of those women made him want to stay.
When he finally got back, he thought about trying to find her. It wouldn't have been hard, but he couldn't face her. He thought she may have been married with kids by then and he couldn't have stood the pain of seeing her with someone else.
His only question now was what he should do now. He was so angry with her for keeping this secret from him, but even after all these years, he still loved her. He loved his son and he wanted to be with him more than anything. Bosco was plagued by doubt though. If she rejected him again, he didn't think he could stand it. He turned and walked back to the car, keeping his eyes fixed on the pavement.
He got in and started the car. They rode in silence the rest of the way back to the academy. "Bos?" Faith placed her hand on his arm after he shut off the engine. He stared at it for a moment before he got out of the car. He unlocked the trunk and removed both of their bags. He dropped her bag by her still unopened door before he strode into the barracks building without a backward glance.
Faith waited until the door swung closed behind him before dissolving in tears.
*********
After two days it became obvious to Faith that Bosco was not willing to talk to her. He would sit beside her in class. He would run beside her until she would try to talk to him, then he would speed up. During target practice he would help her if she needed it, but he didn't touch her again as he had before. He would be waiting each night at the same table in the academy library and they would study together. If Faith tried to talk to him about anything but police procedure, he would ignore her or simply walk away. Every Saturday morning, Faith would wait by the bleachers and they would drive back to her apartment and spend the weekend with Charlie.
The only time Faith saw him smile was when Charlie would call him "the daddy" or tell him jokes only a four year old would find funny. She wondered if it bothered him that Charlie never called him just "daddy." He always put "the" in front of it. It bothered Faith because she realized what she had robbed her son of when she chose not to tell Bosco about him.
When Bosco took Charlie to the park with Rose, Faith went upstairs to talk to Holly. "Honey, you look terrible," Holly informed her as she gave her friend a hug.
"Gee, thanks, Holly and here I thought I was ready for my close up," Faith replied sarcastically before sinking into a kitchen chair.
"You just look like you haven't slept in weeks. Is it so hard at the academy or is it spending every weekend with Bosco that's wearing you out," Holly asked with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.
"He's been sleeping on the couch," Faith sighed dejectedly. "He hates me. He won't even talk to me. We graduate in two weeks, then what? I mean does he intend to move in with us or is he gonna get a place of his own and expect me to let Charlie stay there with him sometimes? What if he tries to take Charlie away from me?"
"Oh, don't let your imagination run away with you! I bet if you gave him a little encouragement, he'd still marry you even after all these years. That and if you did something about the circles around your eyes. Honestly, Faith, you want him to talk to you, you've got to make it worth his while," Holly and her one track mind answered.
"I just hate the uncertainty of not knowing," Faith put her head down on her arms.
"Well, you've got two weeks to get him to talk. I've seen him looking at you. He still loves you," Holly said, rubbing Faith's back. "And I know you never stopped lovin' him. Now you just need to tell him and get on with your lives."
Faith looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes threatening to spill. "After everything I've done, I don't know if I can."
*********
Another week went by before Faith got the courage to ask Bosco what was going to happen after graduation. She waited until they were in the car headed back for their last week of testing. Bosco pulled up to a McDonald's and got out. He went around and opened Faith's door and held out his hand to help her out.
Faith was so shocked she took it and walked automatically into the restaurant holding hands like the last four years had been a dream. He got drinks and then they sat in a booth away from the other patrons. He played with his straw and stared at the table, not speaking for so long that Faith couldn't take the tension any more. "What, Bos?"
"You're the only one who calls me that," he said meeting her eyes for the first time since the first day at the academy. He reached across the table and took one of her hands in both of his redirecting his gaze to study it.
Faith felt her heart thudding in her chest. The sensation of his hands massaging hers was more than she could process. She finally managed to mumble I'm sorry, but it came out as more of a question than a statement.
"I always liked it when you called me that," he whispered. "I thought about you every day when I was away. I wondered what I'd done to make you stop loving me."
Faith heard the pain she had been feeling reflected in his voice. She felt like she had a heavy necklace of guilt pulling her down. She always thought he would eventually forget about her and move on. "I never stopped loving you."
"Then why didn't you give me a chance?" Bosco felt his anger and his hope mingle. He dropped her hand for fear of squeezing it so hard it would hurt her. He felt his hands clenching and unclenching so he put them in his pockets. He vowed he would never hurt any woman after hearing and seeing what his father had done to his mother. It took all his self control not to grab her and shake her. He wanted to scream at her for the pain he'd felt all these years. If she still loved him, how could she have kept his son a secret from him?
"I didn't want you to think I trapped you. I didn't want you to resent me for keeping you from your dream of being a cop. Then when you came back and didn't even try to talk to me, I figured I'd made the right choice," Faith's voice broke and tears fell down her cheeks.
"I didn't try to talk to you? I called for months. I wrote you letters," Bosco said. No longer able to stay in his seat, he stalked back to the car. He felt all the old wounds opening again. He stood leaning against the trunk, resisting the urge to run as far and as fast as he could. He knew the pain would follow him though so he stayed and fought to keep tears from his own eyes. The guilt over his decision to move on if she didn't show up at the bus station that day adding to the leaden lump in his chest that at one time was his heart.
His concentration to control his tears was so great, he didn't hear her approach. Before he had a chance to resist, she moved in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her head against his chest, silently pleading for his forgiveness.
Feeling her against him was his undoing. He could no longer hold back the tears as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He buried is face in her hair before pulling away to kiss her. All the pain and guilt melted away with that one kiss leaving them free to soar together into their future.