I Can Do This 8/?
Faith sat on a bench in the park alternately sipping her coffee and looking at her watch. She had gotten a cup for each of them. They'd never been able to talk calmly without coffee to distract them. He was eight minutes late and counting. Two more minutes and she was outta here.
Looking up she spotted Bosco crossing the grass toward her. Or rather he was being dragged by a leash attached to a large dog. He didn't look calm at all and coffee wasn't going to help.
With a final curse, Bosco let go of the leash. Finally free, Jake made a mad dash for Faith. Jumping up on the bench, he laid his head in Faith's lap.
"Well, hello, precious," Faith cooed scratching Jake's ears.
"Hey, Faith."
"I wasn't talkin' to you. You're late. Where'd ya get the dog?"
"He's Swersky's idea of my perfect partner. Get down, Jake," Bosco tried to shoo the dog off the bench so he could sit down.
Jake answered by licking Faith's face then looking up at Bosco with that "happy dog" face he was beginning to hate. Faith laughed, picked up a stick that had fallen next to the bench and gave it a fling.
Finding stick chasing more fun than annoying Bosco, Jake took off. Bosco sat down and accepted the now cold coffee from Faith.
"Why didn't ya tell me ya didn't wanna come back?" Bosco took the stick from Jake and threw it again.
"I haven't decided yet. I mean it's been great seein' the kids all the time and Fred, he doesn't want me to be a cop anymore."
"Fred never wanted ya to be a cop. I can't believe you been workin' all these months to get back in shape and now ya don't wanna come back to work? What the hell else ya gonna do if you're not a cop?"
"I can do other things. Bein' a cop wasn't my first choice. I could finish college for one thing," Faith answered defensively taking the stick from Jake and putting all her frustration into her throw.
"I'm not sayin' you couldn't do anything else. I'm just sayin' I thought you were comin' back. I thought we were gonna be partners again," Bosco replied scratching Jake's head, the stick forgotten. Bosco concentrated on the dog so that he wouldn't have to look at Faith. The dog wouldn't see the hurt or at least wouldn't be able to tell anybody he saw it.
"It's complicated, Bos. I'm just starting to get along with Emily again. I don't know what you said to her the other night. For the first time in I don't remember how long, things at home are pretty good. It's almost like I can't have both my job and my family."
"Yeah, well, your family's more important than your job. If you don't wanna come back, I can't make ya. So, I gotta go look at apartments. I'll see ya around," Bosco grabbed the leash, but this time Jake was the one getting dragged.
"Bos, wait. It's nothin' you did. I would come back, but Fred.." Faith had caught up to Bosco and stood blocking his path. When their eyes met and she saw the pain there, she reached out to touch his arm. "It's not for sure yet, Bosco. You're lookin' for an apartment?"
Grateful for the subject change, Bosco stood staring at his shoes, playing with the leash in his hand. "Yeah, my building doesn't allow pets. Swersky gave me a list."
Faith looked over the list Bosco handed to her. "Hey this one is on my block. Give me a ride home and I'll look at it with ya?"
"Ok, but you might have to sit in the back. Jake likes to ride shotgun," Bosco joked as they started walking toward the car.
**************
As it turned out, the building next door to Faith's was owned by Lieutenant Swersky's brother, Joe. Not only was the apartment bigger than Bosco's, Joe gave him the "family" discount making it less than his current rent. Bosco signed the lease and arranged to move in the next Saturday.
"Why don't you come up and have dinner? I know Charlie will wanna meet Jake," Faith suggested as they walked toward her building.
"I don't wanna start a fight, Faith. Judging by the conversation I had with Fred earlier, I'd say he's still pissed at me."
"He'll get over it," Faith answered as she started up the steps only to meet Emily and Charlie coming down them.
"A Dog!" Charlie exclaimed ignoring both Faith and Bosco as he pushed past Emily.
"Hi, mom. Where'd the dog come from," Emily asked joining Charlie next to Jake much to the dog's delight. He took turns licking Charlie then Emily while beating his tail against Bosco's leg in a flurry of doggy happiness.
"This is Bosco's new partner, Jake. Where are you two headed?"
Before Emily had a chance to answer, Fred pulled up in his truck, horn blaring. He rolled down the window to yell for the kids to get in glaring at Faith. He ignored Bosco completely.
"Look, dad, Bosco's new partner's a dog! Can we stay home and play with him instead of the movie," Charlie pleaded through the open window.
"No, get in the truck. Come on Em, right now," Fred grumbled from his position behind the wheel.
"Why didn't ya tell me we were goin' out before I left? I can't go lookin' like this," Faith complained.
"Who said you were invited?" Fred sneered leaning across to open the door for Emily and Charlie. "Get in kids."
Emily and Charlie stood between their mother and father unsure which direction they should take. Emily put her arm around Charlie who looked close to tears. Seeing the pain and anxiety on her children's faces, she hugged each of them. With a kiss she shepherded them toward the truck.
"Why don't you go have fun with your dad? You're gonna have plenty of time to play with Jake Saturday. I've got some stuff I need to do anyway. It's ok. Have fun and I'll see ya when ya get home," Faith said hurriedly. Once they were settled inside she closed the door with a smile for the kids and a glare for Fred.
Without another word or glance at Bosco, Faith bounded up the steps and into the building.
Jake looked up to Bosco then bolted through the closing door behind her.
"Damn dog," Bosco grumbled before following him inside.
Faith sat on a bench in the park alternately sipping her coffee and looking at her watch. She had gotten a cup for each of them. They'd never been able to talk calmly without coffee to distract them. He was eight minutes late and counting. Two more minutes and she was outta here.
Looking up she spotted Bosco crossing the grass toward her. Or rather he was being dragged by a leash attached to a large dog. He didn't look calm at all and coffee wasn't going to help.
With a final curse, Bosco let go of the leash. Finally free, Jake made a mad dash for Faith. Jumping up on the bench, he laid his head in Faith's lap.
"Well, hello, precious," Faith cooed scratching Jake's ears.
"Hey, Faith."
"I wasn't talkin' to you. You're late. Where'd ya get the dog?"
"He's Swersky's idea of my perfect partner. Get down, Jake," Bosco tried to shoo the dog off the bench so he could sit down.
Jake answered by licking Faith's face then looking up at Bosco with that "happy dog" face he was beginning to hate. Faith laughed, picked up a stick that had fallen next to the bench and gave it a fling.
Finding stick chasing more fun than annoying Bosco, Jake took off. Bosco sat down and accepted the now cold coffee from Faith.
"Why didn't ya tell me ya didn't wanna come back?" Bosco took the stick from Jake and threw it again.
"I haven't decided yet. I mean it's been great seein' the kids all the time and Fred, he doesn't want me to be a cop anymore."
"Fred never wanted ya to be a cop. I can't believe you been workin' all these months to get back in shape and now ya don't wanna come back to work? What the hell else ya gonna do if you're not a cop?"
"I can do other things. Bein' a cop wasn't my first choice. I could finish college for one thing," Faith answered defensively taking the stick from Jake and putting all her frustration into her throw.
"I'm not sayin' you couldn't do anything else. I'm just sayin' I thought you were comin' back. I thought we were gonna be partners again," Bosco replied scratching Jake's head, the stick forgotten. Bosco concentrated on the dog so that he wouldn't have to look at Faith. The dog wouldn't see the hurt or at least wouldn't be able to tell anybody he saw it.
"It's complicated, Bos. I'm just starting to get along with Emily again. I don't know what you said to her the other night. For the first time in I don't remember how long, things at home are pretty good. It's almost like I can't have both my job and my family."
"Yeah, well, your family's more important than your job. If you don't wanna come back, I can't make ya. So, I gotta go look at apartments. I'll see ya around," Bosco grabbed the leash, but this time Jake was the one getting dragged.
"Bos, wait. It's nothin' you did. I would come back, but Fred.." Faith had caught up to Bosco and stood blocking his path. When their eyes met and she saw the pain there, she reached out to touch his arm. "It's not for sure yet, Bosco. You're lookin' for an apartment?"
Grateful for the subject change, Bosco stood staring at his shoes, playing with the leash in his hand. "Yeah, my building doesn't allow pets. Swersky gave me a list."
Faith looked over the list Bosco handed to her. "Hey this one is on my block. Give me a ride home and I'll look at it with ya?"
"Ok, but you might have to sit in the back. Jake likes to ride shotgun," Bosco joked as they started walking toward the car.
**************
As it turned out, the building next door to Faith's was owned by Lieutenant Swersky's brother, Joe. Not only was the apartment bigger than Bosco's, Joe gave him the "family" discount making it less than his current rent. Bosco signed the lease and arranged to move in the next Saturday.
"Why don't you come up and have dinner? I know Charlie will wanna meet Jake," Faith suggested as they walked toward her building.
"I don't wanna start a fight, Faith. Judging by the conversation I had with Fred earlier, I'd say he's still pissed at me."
"He'll get over it," Faith answered as she started up the steps only to meet Emily and Charlie coming down them.
"A Dog!" Charlie exclaimed ignoring both Faith and Bosco as he pushed past Emily.
"Hi, mom. Where'd the dog come from," Emily asked joining Charlie next to Jake much to the dog's delight. He took turns licking Charlie then Emily while beating his tail against Bosco's leg in a flurry of doggy happiness.
"This is Bosco's new partner, Jake. Where are you two headed?"
Before Emily had a chance to answer, Fred pulled up in his truck, horn blaring. He rolled down the window to yell for the kids to get in glaring at Faith. He ignored Bosco completely.
"Look, dad, Bosco's new partner's a dog! Can we stay home and play with him instead of the movie," Charlie pleaded through the open window.
"No, get in the truck. Come on Em, right now," Fred grumbled from his position behind the wheel.
"Why didn't ya tell me we were goin' out before I left? I can't go lookin' like this," Faith complained.
"Who said you were invited?" Fred sneered leaning across to open the door for Emily and Charlie. "Get in kids."
Emily and Charlie stood between their mother and father unsure which direction they should take. Emily put her arm around Charlie who looked close to tears. Seeing the pain and anxiety on her children's faces, she hugged each of them. With a kiss she shepherded them toward the truck.
"Why don't you go have fun with your dad? You're gonna have plenty of time to play with Jake Saturday. I've got some stuff I need to do anyway. It's ok. Have fun and I'll see ya when ya get home," Faith said hurriedly. Once they were settled inside she closed the door with a smile for the kids and a glare for Fred.
Without another word or glance at Bosco, Faith bounded up the steps and into the building.
Jake looked up to Bosco then bolted through the closing door behind her.
"Damn dog," Bosco grumbled before following him inside.