"So what kind of arrangement did you guys finally settle on?" Alex asked as she and Kim cleaned and organized the ambulance outside of the fire house a couple of weeks after the hearing.

"We're switching off every two week. Joey's with Jimmy right now until the end of the week and then Sunday he'll come and stay with me for a week."

"What about holidays?" Alex asked her partner as she reorganized the stuff in one of the cabinets on the side of the ambulance.

"We haven't quite figured that out yet," Kim admitted as she picked garbage up off the floor and threw it in a trash bag. "I don't think its fair for us to always have him on the same holiday and at the same time, there are certain holidays, Christmas for example, that I think Joey needs to spend some time with both of us." Kim shrugged. "Right now I'm just happy to be able to spend more time with Joey."

Before either Alex or Kim could say anything else they heard a familiar voice float over form across the street.

"Why don't you do us all a favor and exercise your right to be silent?" Bosco was saying as he and Faith got out of their squad car with a prisoner.

"Why don't you make me?" the prisoner shot back.

"I could find something to stuff in your mouth," Bosco told him.

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try it."

"I wouldn't tempt him if I were you," Faith told the prisoner dryly. She wouldn't put it past her partner to try and carry out his threat if the prisoner kept running his mouth much longer.

Alex and Kim laughed as the two cops and their prisoner disappeared into the precinct.

"Nice to know some things will never change," Alex commented. "So how is the relationship with Bosco going anyways?"

"It's going well actually," Kim said. "I'm not sure Maurice is ready to make any commitments any time soon though."

"And you're okay with that?"

"I think where we're at right now is good," Kim said thoughtfully. "Besides I rushed into marriage one time and look how that ended up."

"True. Waiting probably is a good idea."

"And you might not believe it but Maurice is great with Joey," Kim said as she grabbed her trash bag and climbed out of the bus. Having finished her task Alex was right behind her.

"You're right I don't believe it. Are we talking about the same Bosco here?"

"He's like a whole different person when he's around Joey. More upbeat and not as sarcastic."

"I bet that's a nice change," Alex said as they headed into the fire house and up the steps.

"He, is really a great guy once you get past his rough exterior and get to know him."

"Sounds like you've figured out what Faith has known for years," Alex said. The fire fighters and the paramedics at the 55, along with Sully and Ty, had often wondered how Faith put up with Bosco day in and day out. The only thing they could ever figure out was that Faith knew something about Bosco that the rest of them didn't.

"Yeah, maybe I have," Kim said with a smile.

As they came into the kitchen area they saw Jimmy hanging with Walsh and D.K. and both women wisely dropped their line of conversation. Jimmy was still having problems with Kim going out with Bosco. Kim had a feeling that Jimmy was never going to accept it but that was his problem not hers.

"We done here now?" Bosco asked his partner fifteen minutes after they had brought the prisoner in that Alex and Kim had seen them with. Bosco wanted to get out of the station and back on the streets.

"Yeah," Faith said standing up. "Just let me turn this report in," Faith told him grabbing her coat and standing up.

Bosco followed his partner as she walked over to the desk and turned in the report on the arrest.

"Hey look its lover boy," Sully said falling into step beside him. He and Ty were heading back out after a meeting with Lt. Swersky about an arrest they had made a week ago. The guy they had arrested was filing a complaint and Swersky had wanted Sully and Ty's version of what had happened.

"Shut up," Bosco said without humor.

"Ooohhh, touchy today are we." Sully said. When Bosco didn't say anything else Sully said "Come on Bosco lighten up. This is the longest relationship you've ever been in."

"Yeah, counting the time you were keeping it quiet this has gone on longer than your relationship with Nicole," Faith said.

"Great, so now you're ganging up on me too," Bosco said turning on his partner. "A guy can't have a relationship around here without someone thinking he's going to screw it up somehow."

"No, just you Bosco," Sully said.

"Okay, I'll be in the car," Bosco told his partner. "When you two get done insulting me you can come join me and we'll get back to work."

Sully and Faith watched as Bosco stormed out of the precinct.

"He's really serious about Kim, isn't he?" Sully said as they watched the door shut behind Bosco.

"Yes, he is," Faith said regretting her comment although her partner had taken it the wrong way.

Without another word she headed outside to her RMP. As she approached the car she was surprise to see her partner now sitting in the passenger seat. He had been driving earlier and usually once he got a hold of the keys he wouldn't give them up.

Faith got over her surprise and slowly made her way to the driver's side of the car and got in. Bosco had already put the keys in the ignition. She turned the car on and pulled out into the New York City traffic without saying anything. She waited to see if her partner would say something first. When he didn't she finally broke the silence.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to upset you," Faith told him, not really expecting a response but wanting to get it out there. Her partner surprised her by answering.

"Its just that if you guys think that then what does Kim think?" Bosco said.

"What do you mean?"

Bosco let out a sigh. He might as well tell his partner because she'd get it out of him eventually.

"Its just that... I mean if..." Bosco couldn't figure out exactly how to say what was on his mind. He wasn't use to talking about things of this nature. Faith waited patiently. She knew if she tried to push him he wouldn't say anything. "What do you think Kim's reaction would be if I were to propose to her?" Bosco finally asked.

"Are you serious?" Faith said without thinking. She regretted saying it as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"You see! Kim would probably think I wasn't serious either. No one who knows me thinks I can take a relationship serious and I can't really say I blame them."

"Bosco, I really don't think she would laugh at you or anything. To tell you the truth I think she'd say yes."

"Really or are you just saying that?"

"Have you ever known me to say something about something this serious and not mean it?"

"Okay, point taken," Bosco said starting to feel better.

"Are you really serious about settling down?" Faith couldn't help but ask. She had always thought that once her partner grew up a little bit and met the right person that he would make a great husband and a great father. She had seen him with her kids and now with Joey. He was good with kids. She just didn't think it would've been this soon.

"Yes I am. I really enjoy being with Kim. She makes me feel complete and I love Joey. I just need to make Kim understand that I'm serious."

"Just be honest, Boz," Faith told him. "She may say yes or she may say no but if you really love her you'll take that chance at rejection to find out."

"You're right, as usual," Bosco told her.

"Hey I've been your partner for how long? You give me plenty of practice a being right."

"Cute," Bosco told her, the comment getting the smile out of her partner that Faith had been trying for though.

They drove in silence for a little while and then Bosco broke the silence.

"Hey Faith, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure Boz. What do you want me to do?"

"Can you go shopping with me tomorrow. I'd like your help in picking out a ring. You'd have a better idea of what she would like than I would."

"Of course I will, Boz," Faith said excitedly. "I'll ask Alex for Kim's mother's phone number and find out what size ring she wears. We can go tomorrow before our shift."

"See, right there is one thing I never would have thought of," Bosco told her.

The radio came to life with a call for a domestic. With a sigh Bosco replied to the call and told central they were on there way.

'No matter what we find,' Bosco told himself, 'I'm not going to let it rattle me. I'm not the same kind of person they are. That my Dad was.'

At noon the following day Bosco pulled his mustang up outside of the apartment building that Faith lived in. He got out and made his way upstairs to Faith's apartment. He was already nervous just thinking about looking for a ring. Was he really ready to do this? He was having second thoughts. Part of him just wanted to tell Faith to forget about it.

He knocked on the door to the apartment and Faith immediately opened the door with a smile on her face.

"This is going to be fun," she said, not noticing the doubt in Bosco's face at first but then she did and she grew a little more serious. "Okay, let's go before you chicken out," Faith told him grabbing her jacket and stepping out into the hallway with Bosco. She shut and locked the apartment door behind her and then grabbed Bosco's arm and headed downstairs to his car with him.

Faith dragged Bosco into five different stores looking for the perfect ring that Bosco could afford. In the end they ended up back at the first store to finally buy a ring.

"Why didn't we just get this one when we were here the first time?" Bosco asked as they walked into the store.

"You aren't clothes shopping for yourself, Bosco. You just can't settle on the first thing you see that you like. An engagement ring is important to a girl."

"Okay," Bosco said admitting defeat. "Hey, what did you mean about my clothes? You don't think they look okay?" Bosco asked, as her words really started to sink in.

"Forget it Bosco. Sorry I said anything," Faith told him quickly wanting to stop the way this conversation was going before it went any further.

Bosco bought the ring and then he and Faith hurried to work. They were cutting it close on time and Bosco really didn't want to explain to Christopher why he was late. Christopher would have never believed him anyway or he'd laugh. Bosco didn't feel like dealing with either reaction.