The Rush
Chapter Three-More Then A Feeling
Bosco sat across from Seajae and watched her contenplate the pack of unopened cigarettes in front of her. Doyle got a table across the resturant and soon he was joined by Faith and Ty. Bosco didn't know what to say. Seajae had never been this upset about anything. He needed her to talk to him. To tell her what she was feeling. Because he wasn't going to loose her this time. Not to depression or the bottle like he did before.
"You got a whole city on your side Seajae. There's no way this woman can win."
"I know. It just makes the whole thing worse." Bosco took her cold hands in his.
"But you have everything going for you. Your record...your family...your friends."
"There must of been one lawyer who thought she had a case agaist me." She looked at him.
"Well not a very smart one." Bosco sqeezed her hand. "I love you." He said. Sometimes he needed to say it because he needed to hear it in return. Exspecially when she was pulling away like she was now.
"I love you too, I'm ok Maurice. I'm stronger then I was then." She knew he was feeling like she was on the edge again but she was far from it. "I'll be fine baby." He looked at her with worried eyes.
"We have a lot to look forward to. New babies. Angle starting school. Things I want to do as a family. Things I want to do with you. We never did go to Texas and see the ranch your grandad owned and the place where you were born."
"Bosco, I'm not going to run away agin. I did that once and it isn't something I want to ever do again. I lost a lot of things that time I was away. I know when things get tought we need to talk them out." She lated her head on her arms and covered her head. "If I go to bed now will this whole thing just disappear?"
"I wish I could say yes." He kissed her hands. "But it won't take long to make it go away." Bosco looked at his friends quietly talking over coffee. "You think we should tell them that your not going to bolt. I think they're prepared to shoot you to stop you." He looked into Seajae's eyes. "We're going to get though this like we get though everthing Seaj."
"I know." She put the cigarette's back in her pocket and they got up and headed to where their friends were to map out a stradagy.
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"So......." Seajae looked at the report in front of her. "How to make your day better...." She stood up and grabbed her coat. "Let's go to an odtopsy of a thirty year old bride on her wedding day." Bosco slid in her office.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah just peachy. You want to come downtown to an odtopsy with me since you got got lucky and pulled the easy shift today."
"Hey three to eight is hard. I can't help that Doyle has court tomorrow."
"So you up to a trip to the mourge?"
"Time alone with my wife in a dark secluded place...mmmm I could never say no to that." He extened his arm. "Your chariot awaits my lady." She put his arm in his and they headed out the door.
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"She was raped. No fluids present." The ME looked at Seajae. "You ok Bosco....." She smiled. "your looking a little pale."
"I'm fine." He took a step back.
"Her boyfriends on his way. Seems she was a currior for a jewlery company so her prints were on file. Bosco...you need to sit down?" Seajae looked at her husband.
"Bosco?" Before she knew it Bosco was falling to the ground as she went to catch him before he hit his head on the concrete floor.
"He's been here a hundred times. What's wrong?" The ME looked at Seajae.
"Beats me." Seajae checked his paulse. "Marice Boscorelli nows not the time to have a weak stomach. Simone do you have some smelling salts?" The older woman went to a drawer and got out a tube and handed it to Seajae. "Come on baby." Seajae put the tube in front of Bosco's nose. Slowly Bosco came to. "Hey, you ok?"
"What happened?"
"You past out. I caught you before you hit your head." He sat up. Seajae looked into his eyes. "Do we need to stop and see Miller?"
"No....I just...there was a smell and.....it just hit me." Seajae ran her hand down his head and back. She was shaking. "Hey baby....I'm fine."
"I can't loose you." She wispered.
"Never." He kissed her. Simone cleared her throat.
"Ms. Bennet's boyfriend is here." Seajae stood up and gave Bosco a hand up.
"Anything else we should know about?"
"She was pregnant. Twelve weeks maybe fourteen." Seajae looked at the woman lying on the table. She would never know what it was like to be a wife and a mother. She looked at a still pale Bosco. Maybe the job was getting to her. Maybe she needed to be the wife and mother more then the cop.
"Are you ok?" Bosco took her chin and tilted so they were eye to eye.
"Yeah." She took her notebook and headed out to the lobby. Bosco watched her and then followed. The man sitting in the waiting room was much older then Tanya Bennet. Seajae looked at Bosco then back at the man. "Mr. Romolotti?"
"Yes." He stood up.
"I'm Detective Boscorelli with Special Victem's. This is Sgt. Boscorelli.....he was the first on the scene. Your Ms Bennets boyfriend?"
"Fiance really.....we....we were to get married this summer." His brown eyes were red and watery.
"I see. Did she.....did you know what she was doing today?"
"She had a nine thirty delivery at the dimond exchange. We were going to meet for lunch but she had a fitting for her wedding dress." He looked at Seajae with sad eyes. "She called at eleven and said she wouldn't be able to make it."
"When exactly was your wedding date?"
"June tenth...why?"
"Just something I need to look into. Had you seen her wedding dress?"
"Pictures...yes."
"Mr. Romolatti Tanya was found in a wedding dress. The coroner will show it to you." Seajae lead the man into the room. Simone had made the woman look as peaceful as she could.
"Is this Tanya?"
"Yes." He sobbed. "God why......" Seajae shook her head as the man turned away.
"Mr. Romolatti...is this the dress she had picked out?" The man looked up.
"Yes.....thats the one in the magazine."
"Was Tanya married before?"
"Yes as a young girl....from the old country......from fourteen to.....twenty eight...her husband died of....infuenza five years ago."
"Tanya's last name is Bennet.....that doesn't sound old country to me?"
"She.....she changed it when her husband died. He was not a nice man......very.....mean to her. His name was Almonti....Francesco Almonti."
"Thank you Mr. Romolotti....here's my card. If you think of something please call." Seajae and Bosco left the man to grieve in peace. In the elevator Seajae took a deep breath.
"You didn't tell him about the baby."
"Aparently she didn't know either. She got a dress fitting in April for a wedding in June. If she knew she was pregnant or planned on keeping it she would of never gone for a fitting today."
"So what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking there's more to this then we're seeing."
"Isn't there always?"
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"Seajae Boscorelli....." Swertsky bellowed as she hit the top step. She almost made it to her office.
"He sounds mad." Bosco looked at her.
"I haven't done anything for hours....I swear."
"You better get in there." Seajae walked down the hall to the Capitains office. "Good luck." Bosco slipped into the anti crime office.
"Chicken." Seajae wispered under her breath. She walked into the office. "Hey...you called." Seajae looked to her left and there was a man in jeans and a dress shirt and tie.
"Sit down." She did as she was told. "Seajae Boscorelli, this is Tom Hannigan. Your new partner."
"Partner, sir? I wasn't aware that I needed one or the buget allowed me one."
"Well you worked so well with Stabler when he was here so the department dug up some extra funds to find you a playmate. Now,,,,,brief him on the Bennet homoside and clean up that pig pen you call an office so they can move another desk in there."
"Sir......" He held up his hand.
"This is to help you Boscorelli not hinder you. I made sure Hannigan would put up with your stubburn pig headed attitude before I offered him the job." The younger man smiled behind his hand. "He's almost as much as a bad ass as you make people think you are. And by the way you have a hearing at nine o'clock tomorrow downtown. Seems Judge Sallison pulled your file in the Claudia Jackson law suit. He wants to here why one of his best detectives is having such as he put it 'assininely bogus' law suit brought against her. But thats something you didn't here from me." Swertsky stood up. "Thats all. Now play nice with your new friend Sargent or I'll have you on foot patrole by the first of May." Seajae and Tom Hannigan stood up.
"Thank you sir." She took off down the hall and into her office before Dan Swertsky could find something else to give her or rag on her about. She knew it was him and done with every ounce of respect and coutisy but to do it in front of a stranger.
"You've know Dan a long time?" Seajae turned to find Tom Hannigan on her heals.
"Yeah."
"He was my TO out of the acadamy...last one he trained before going behind the desk."
"You don't look that old?"
"Thanks I think. I read your jacket Seajae and I asked for this assignment. I think we can do things..." Seajae looked up at him. "I mean make a difference." He was handsome she would give him that. Now if only she had a single friend.
"You married Hannigan?"
"No. My wife was killed on 9/11. I never found anyone I wanted to spend my life with after."
"I knew I knew the name. Maddie Hannigan. She was with the K-9."
"Yeah. She and her dog were one of the first on the scene before the towers fell."
"I'm sorry Hannigan. I'm not always so heartless."
"Yes she is." Bosco came into the office. "Hey Tommy boy its about time you come back home." He and Tom shook hands. "Long time no see buddy."
"I missed the neighbor hood. And Faith and your bickering."
"Don't do a whole lotta that anymore. I do enough with this one." He pointed to Seajae.
"Rumor has it she has a qick wit. But being married to you I wonder about her taste." They all lauged. Seajae thought she just might like Tom Hannigan.
"Okay boys I have work to do. You going home Bos?"
"Yeah." He looked at his watch. "You coming home before daybreak?"
"I have a hearing at nine. I'll be home by midnight." Bosco leaned over the desk and kissed his wife.
"I'll wait up." He smiled and turned to Tom. "We need to get together soon."
"I got my old man's Jet's season tickets. We need to take in a game this fall."
"Your on. Becarful my better half is a die hard Green Bay Packer fan."
"I knew she was too good to be true." Bosco left Tom and Seajae alone. She handed him a file.
"Tanya Bennet aka Tanya Almonti." Seajae looked up and then sat back. "Went to pick up her wedding dress and wound up in a trunk of a stolen caddy."
"And....."
"She's got a much older husband to be and she was at least twelve weeks pregnant if not more." Seajae got up and looked out the the window. Bosco was getting into his truck across the street.
"You should go home." Seajae turned.
"You don't know me well enough to tell me that."
"I know the last time I saw Maurice Boscorelli with a smile on his face like that was on my wedding day." Tom picked up a picture off her desk. "Yours?'
"Yeah. Angel, Mack and Hope." She looked at Tom. "What was Bosco like back then?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"I get stories but Faith and everyone....they embelish a lot and well Bosco....."
"He was a loose cannon. He let things get to him and he was driven. Faith and Maddie kept him in line a lot of the time."
"He was friends with Maddie?"
"She was like a sister to him. I thought he would cumble before I did the day we found out." Tom looked at the kids. "He stopped caring about anything but the job that day. Even Faith couln't get though to him. He went to work for anticrime and things just snowballed. I asked for leave about a month after. Then I headed to Montana to help Maddie's family deal. We lost touch and when I came home....I just stayed away from the things we knew as a couple."
"I never knew that hard ass Bosco people tell me about." Seajae smiled. "But he I heard he comes out when needed." She looked at Tom. "Whatever happened in Bosco's passed made him what he is today. I love that man more then anything."
"From what I've seen and heard the feeling is mutual."
"I guess it is. Now I think we need to get back to the case at hand."
"You going home to your husband?"
"No Tanya Bennet."
"She'll still be here tomorrow."
"So will my husband." Tom smiled. He was begging to see why his long time friend fell in love with the spitfire.
"I'll make a deal with you. You go home now and tomorrow we'll work our whole shift on nothing but Tanya Bennet."
"Why do you care if I go home or not?"
"Like I said I've never seen Bosco happy like this. I just though....."
"Yeah well there lies your problem." Seajae sat down. "I have some stuff to clear up and then I'm out of her anyway. I think we might make a pretty good team. " Tom smiled.
"Me too." He looked at the file. "Seajae?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for taking care of Bosco. I really felt bad when I left. I knew Faith would be there....but....."
"We all became close here. It's more family." Seajae looked at the file. "I think your right. I'm going to head home. We're having a aniversery party at Angela's on Saturday. Your more then welcome to come. I'm sure everyone would love to see you."
"Your on. And we'll have a list of things to check on tomorrow starting with the shop where Tanya got her gown." Seajae put on her jacket.
"Your on. See you at three tomorrow."
"Good luck with your hearing tomorrow." Seajae looked back at Tom.
"Thanks. I hope luck is all I'll need." She turned and left her new partner to go over the files she had given him.
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Bosco was sprawled out on the bed he made on the patio. The kids had begged him to see the full moon tonight so as usaul he gave into to the three pleeds. Now nearing the late hour of nine o'clock the children layed sprawled around him. Each of them in heavy pajama's and a sleeping bag pulled around them. He looked at the sleeping forms of his children and smiled. They were perfect. And they were here, with him. Stroking Angel's black curls out of her face he wondered about Tom and Maddie's child. He would of been nine now. They were all in shock when they found the ultra sound in her locker on September twelfth. She had it framed in an 'It's a Boy' frame. Bosco was heartbroken for himself and his good friend. If Seajae hadn't come into his life a few months later he wasn't sure what he would of done. Hearing the front door close he looked though the patio door to see his wife taking off her guns and putting them in the safe in the kitchen.
"Bosco?" She called softly not wanting to wake up the children.
"Out here Seaj." She came out on the patio holding two beers.
"Full moon night daddy?"
"Yep." She handed him a beer and cuddled up beside him.
"MMM Now I'm glad I let Hannigan talk me into coming home." She kissed his warm stubbled cheek.
"So you like Tommy?"
"He seems very nice....."
"He's the cop I wanted to be back then. He did everything by the book and had the best wife in the world."
"Well one out of two ain't bad." She smiled and he laughed.
"You are the best wife in the world Seajae." He looked at her. "You saved my life eight years ago."
"Just like you saved mine." He kissed her. She felt so good and so right in his arms. He shifed and felt a small hand hit his side.
"You want to help me put the triple threat to bed and come back out here and watch the moon with me?"
"You got yourself a deal Boscorelli." They never did make it back out to look at the moon. But before they fell alseep they both saw stars........
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Matthew Davenport sat looking at the man and woman seated at the table beside him. The man didn't look nervous and the woman just stared down at the file the man had given her. She smiled now and then and wispered something to him. Two more men filed in and set folders infront of the older man and seated themselves at the table. Taking a deep breath Matt leaned over to the woman next to him. She looked way older then her thirty years.
"Mrs. Rawlings, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because your daughter tried to kill this detectective and her partner."
"Says who.....Mr. Watkins says she was wrong. I want compensation for my baby and her son."
"Yeah well Mr. Watkins isn't here. He gave me this at the last minute." Judge Sallison entered the court and the balif told them all to rise. A no nonsence judge Harrold Sallison motioned them to sit and looked at his docket file.
"Last chance Mr. Davenport." He looked over his half glasses.
"Request for change of venue your honor." He pulled the only card he had out of his pile.
"Denied. I will not make these people drive to the ends of the earth to settle this. Now Mr. Donovan....what do you have for me?" The man at the head of the other table took a pile of files and gave them to Davenport and a stack to the judge. "And these are?"
"Detective Sargent Seajae Mc Bride Boscorelli's service records with the US Marshall's, Department of Homeland Security and the NYPD along with afidavied from no less then fifty agentcies that have delt with her in the last ten years.
"In a nutshell Mr.Donovan."
"In eighteen years of service Detective Sargent Boscorelli has discharged her weapon in the line of duty forty-seven times. Wounding five and killing one....the coplainants daughter."
"ANd the five shootings......."
"All were looked over by IAD and cleared."
"Mr. Davenport do you have anything for me?" Matt Davenport looked at the woman beside him and then at Seajae Boscorelli. Hell how could he represent this woman when he knew the woman at the next table did exactly what she was paid to do. Protect innocent people. Claudia Jackson was not innocent. And neither was her mother. A lifetime of drug abouse saw to that. He looked at Hanna Rawlings.
"I have nothing your honor but a grieving mother. A woman who until she lost her daughter didn't realize what she had. Now she'll have to live with the guilt of letting her and her grandson down. She's hurt and alone. And all she wants is her daughter back so she can change things. But she can't have her back so she wants someone to pay for her loss. She feels that Detective Boscorelli should be that person."
"And what do you think?"
"I'm not paid to think sir." He looked at the judge.
"That's the first honest thing I've heard from a member of your firm in a long time Mr. Davenport. Mrs. Rawlings as much as I feel for your loss you must know what your daugter did was wrong. Detective Boscorelli did was every police officer is trained to do. Protect." Judge Sallisan looked at the woman. Then at Seajae. "I've knowen Detective Boscorelli since she came to New York and if I thought you had a case Mrs. Rawlings I would relieve myself from the bench for it but honostly.....you will lose. She did nothing wrong in defending herself and her partner. You daughter was troubled and took things too far. This woman was doing her job." Hanna Rawlings sobbed. The judge pounded his gavel and dismissed the case. Everyone stood. As soon as it began it was over.
But why didn't Seajae feel any better then she did and hour ago when she walked into the courtroom she had spent hours in. She turned to see Elliot and Bosco in the back row. Something wasn't sitting right. She looked at Hanna Rawlings sobbing in Matt Davenports arms. This was too easy. She knew the judge and the men around her were on her side. But in the back of her mind she knew it was just the start of something she didn't want to be a part of. The court room cleared. All that was left was Seajae, Bosco, Elliot and Mike Donovan when Bobby Goran stepped into the room. He looked at Seajae and she knew.
"Owen Johnson is missing from the hospital." Seajae looked at Bosco. "The Nieto's went to pick him up and he was gone."
"Now it begins......" Seajae hit the door in a dead run with the men pausing a second and then following her. They all knew that look Seajae had gotten. It was that of a mother lion finding out that someone was messing with one of her cubs. It wasn't going to be pretty but life with her wasn't always wine and roses. Bosco knew that coming in and he was in for the duration no matter how rough the ride.
Chapter Three-More Then A Feeling
Bosco sat across from Seajae and watched her contenplate the pack of unopened cigarettes in front of her. Doyle got a table across the resturant and soon he was joined by Faith and Ty. Bosco didn't know what to say. Seajae had never been this upset about anything. He needed her to talk to him. To tell her what she was feeling. Because he wasn't going to loose her this time. Not to depression or the bottle like he did before.
"You got a whole city on your side Seajae. There's no way this woman can win."
"I know. It just makes the whole thing worse." Bosco took her cold hands in his.
"But you have everything going for you. Your record...your family...your friends."
"There must of been one lawyer who thought she had a case agaist me." She looked at him.
"Well not a very smart one." Bosco sqeezed her hand. "I love you." He said. Sometimes he needed to say it because he needed to hear it in return. Exspecially when she was pulling away like she was now.
"I love you too, I'm ok Maurice. I'm stronger then I was then." She knew he was feeling like she was on the edge again but she was far from it. "I'll be fine baby." He looked at her with worried eyes.
"We have a lot to look forward to. New babies. Angle starting school. Things I want to do as a family. Things I want to do with you. We never did go to Texas and see the ranch your grandad owned and the place where you were born."
"Bosco, I'm not going to run away agin. I did that once and it isn't something I want to ever do again. I lost a lot of things that time I was away. I know when things get tought we need to talk them out." She lated her head on her arms and covered her head. "If I go to bed now will this whole thing just disappear?"
"I wish I could say yes." He kissed her hands. "But it won't take long to make it go away." Bosco looked at his friends quietly talking over coffee. "You think we should tell them that your not going to bolt. I think they're prepared to shoot you to stop you." He looked into Seajae's eyes. "We're going to get though this like we get though everthing Seaj."
"I know." She put the cigarette's back in her pocket and they got up and headed to where their friends were to map out a stradagy.
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"So......." Seajae looked at the report in front of her. "How to make your day better...." She stood up and grabbed her coat. "Let's go to an odtopsy of a thirty year old bride on her wedding day." Bosco slid in her office.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah just peachy. You want to come downtown to an odtopsy with me since you got got lucky and pulled the easy shift today."
"Hey three to eight is hard. I can't help that Doyle has court tomorrow."
"So you up to a trip to the mourge?"
"Time alone with my wife in a dark secluded place...mmmm I could never say no to that." He extened his arm. "Your chariot awaits my lady." She put his arm in his and they headed out the door.
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"She was raped. No fluids present." The ME looked at Seajae. "You ok Bosco....." She smiled. "your looking a little pale."
"I'm fine." He took a step back.
"Her boyfriends on his way. Seems she was a currior for a jewlery company so her prints were on file. Bosco...you need to sit down?" Seajae looked at her husband.
"Bosco?" Before she knew it Bosco was falling to the ground as she went to catch him before he hit his head on the concrete floor.
"He's been here a hundred times. What's wrong?" The ME looked at Seajae.
"Beats me." Seajae checked his paulse. "Marice Boscorelli nows not the time to have a weak stomach. Simone do you have some smelling salts?" The older woman went to a drawer and got out a tube and handed it to Seajae. "Come on baby." Seajae put the tube in front of Bosco's nose. Slowly Bosco came to. "Hey, you ok?"
"What happened?"
"You past out. I caught you before you hit your head." He sat up. Seajae looked into his eyes. "Do we need to stop and see Miller?"
"No....I just...there was a smell and.....it just hit me." Seajae ran her hand down his head and back. She was shaking. "Hey baby....I'm fine."
"I can't loose you." She wispered.
"Never." He kissed her. Simone cleared her throat.
"Ms. Bennet's boyfriend is here." Seajae stood up and gave Bosco a hand up.
"Anything else we should know about?"
"She was pregnant. Twelve weeks maybe fourteen." Seajae looked at the woman lying on the table. She would never know what it was like to be a wife and a mother. She looked at a still pale Bosco. Maybe the job was getting to her. Maybe she needed to be the wife and mother more then the cop.
"Are you ok?" Bosco took her chin and tilted so they were eye to eye.
"Yeah." She took her notebook and headed out to the lobby. Bosco watched her and then followed. The man sitting in the waiting room was much older then Tanya Bennet. Seajae looked at Bosco then back at the man. "Mr. Romolotti?"
"Yes." He stood up.
"I'm Detective Boscorelli with Special Victem's. This is Sgt. Boscorelli.....he was the first on the scene. Your Ms Bennets boyfriend?"
"Fiance really.....we....we were to get married this summer." His brown eyes were red and watery.
"I see. Did she.....did you know what she was doing today?"
"She had a nine thirty delivery at the dimond exchange. We were going to meet for lunch but she had a fitting for her wedding dress." He looked at Seajae with sad eyes. "She called at eleven and said she wouldn't be able to make it."
"When exactly was your wedding date?"
"June tenth...why?"
"Just something I need to look into. Had you seen her wedding dress?"
"Pictures...yes."
"Mr. Romolatti Tanya was found in a wedding dress. The coroner will show it to you." Seajae lead the man into the room. Simone had made the woman look as peaceful as she could.
"Is this Tanya?"
"Yes." He sobbed. "God why......" Seajae shook her head as the man turned away.
"Mr. Romolatti...is this the dress she had picked out?" The man looked up.
"Yes.....thats the one in the magazine."
"Was Tanya married before?"
"Yes as a young girl....from the old country......from fourteen to.....twenty eight...her husband died of....infuenza five years ago."
"Tanya's last name is Bennet.....that doesn't sound old country to me?"
"She.....she changed it when her husband died. He was not a nice man......very.....mean to her. His name was Almonti....Francesco Almonti."
"Thank you Mr. Romolotti....here's my card. If you think of something please call." Seajae and Bosco left the man to grieve in peace. In the elevator Seajae took a deep breath.
"You didn't tell him about the baby."
"Aparently she didn't know either. She got a dress fitting in April for a wedding in June. If she knew she was pregnant or planned on keeping it she would of never gone for a fitting today."
"So what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking there's more to this then we're seeing."
"Isn't there always?"
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"Seajae Boscorelli....." Swertsky bellowed as she hit the top step. She almost made it to her office.
"He sounds mad." Bosco looked at her.
"I haven't done anything for hours....I swear."
"You better get in there." Seajae walked down the hall to the Capitains office. "Good luck." Bosco slipped into the anti crime office.
"Chicken." Seajae wispered under her breath. She walked into the office. "Hey...you called." Seajae looked to her left and there was a man in jeans and a dress shirt and tie.
"Sit down." She did as she was told. "Seajae Boscorelli, this is Tom Hannigan. Your new partner."
"Partner, sir? I wasn't aware that I needed one or the buget allowed me one."
"Well you worked so well with Stabler when he was here so the department dug up some extra funds to find you a playmate. Now,,,,,brief him on the Bennet homoside and clean up that pig pen you call an office so they can move another desk in there."
"Sir......" He held up his hand.
"This is to help you Boscorelli not hinder you. I made sure Hannigan would put up with your stubburn pig headed attitude before I offered him the job." The younger man smiled behind his hand. "He's almost as much as a bad ass as you make people think you are. And by the way you have a hearing at nine o'clock tomorrow downtown. Seems Judge Sallison pulled your file in the Claudia Jackson law suit. He wants to here why one of his best detectives is having such as he put it 'assininely bogus' law suit brought against her. But thats something you didn't here from me." Swertsky stood up. "Thats all. Now play nice with your new friend Sargent or I'll have you on foot patrole by the first of May." Seajae and Tom Hannigan stood up.
"Thank you sir." She took off down the hall and into her office before Dan Swertsky could find something else to give her or rag on her about. She knew it was him and done with every ounce of respect and coutisy but to do it in front of a stranger.
"You've know Dan a long time?" Seajae turned to find Tom Hannigan on her heals.
"Yeah."
"He was my TO out of the acadamy...last one he trained before going behind the desk."
"You don't look that old?"
"Thanks I think. I read your jacket Seajae and I asked for this assignment. I think we can do things..." Seajae looked up at him. "I mean make a difference." He was handsome she would give him that. Now if only she had a single friend.
"You married Hannigan?"
"No. My wife was killed on 9/11. I never found anyone I wanted to spend my life with after."
"I knew I knew the name. Maddie Hannigan. She was with the K-9."
"Yeah. She and her dog were one of the first on the scene before the towers fell."
"I'm sorry Hannigan. I'm not always so heartless."
"Yes she is." Bosco came into the office. "Hey Tommy boy its about time you come back home." He and Tom shook hands. "Long time no see buddy."
"I missed the neighbor hood. And Faith and your bickering."
"Don't do a whole lotta that anymore. I do enough with this one." He pointed to Seajae.
"Rumor has it she has a qick wit. But being married to you I wonder about her taste." They all lauged. Seajae thought she just might like Tom Hannigan.
"Okay boys I have work to do. You going home Bos?"
"Yeah." He looked at his watch. "You coming home before daybreak?"
"I have a hearing at nine. I'll be home by midnight." Bosco leaned over the desk and kissed his wife.
"I'll wait up." He smiled and turned to Tom. "We need to get together soon."
"I got my old man's Jet's season tickets. We need to take in a game this fall."
"Your on. Becarful my better half is a die hard Green Bay Packer fan."
"I knew she was too good to be true." Bosco left Tom and Seajae alone. She handed him a file.
"Tanya Bennet aka Tanya Almonti." Seajae looked up and then sat back. "Went to pick up her wedding dress and wound up in a trunk of a stolen caddy."
"And....."
"She's got a much older husband to be and she was at least twelve weeks pregnant if not more." Seajae got up and looked out the the window. Bosco was getting into his truck across the street.
"You should go home." Seajae turned.
"You don't know me well enough to tell me that."
"I know the last time I saw Maurice Boscorelli with a smile on his face like that was on my wedding day." Tom picked up a picture off her desk. "Yours?'
"Yeah. Angel, Mack and Hope." She looked at Tom. "What was Bosco like back then?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"I get stories but Faith and everyone....they embelish a lot and well Bosco....."
"He was a loose cannon. He let things get to him and he was driven. Faith and Maddie kept him in line a lot of the time."
"He was friends with Maddie?"
"She was like a sister to him. I thought he would cumble before I did the day we found out." Tom looked at the kids. "He stopped caring about anything but the job that day. Even Faith couln't get though to him. He went to work for anticrime and things just snowballed. I asked for leave about a month after. Then I headed to Montana to help Maddie's family deal. We lost touch and when I came home....I just stayed away from the things we knew as a couple."
"I never knew that hard ass Bosco people tell me about." Seajae smiled. "But he I heard he comes out when needed." She looked at Tom. "Whatever happened in Bosco's passed made him what he is today. I love that man more then anything."
"From what I've seen and heard the feeling is mutual."
"I guess it is. Now I think we need to get back to the case at hand."
"You going home to your husband?"
"No Tanya Bennet."
"She'll still be here tomorrow."
"So will my husband." Tom smiled. He was begging to see why his long time friend fell in love with the spitfire.
"I'll make a deal with you. You go home now and tomorrow we'll work our whole shift on nothing but Tanya Bennet."
"Why do you care if I go home or not?"
"Like I said I've never seen Bosco happy like this. I just though....."
"Yeah well there lies your problem." Seajae sat down. "I have some stuff to clear up and then I'm out of her anyway. I think we might make a pretty good team. " Tom smiled.
"Me too." He looked at the file. "Seajae?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for taking care of Bosco. I really felt bad when I left. I knew Faith would be there....but....."
"We all became close here. It's more family." Seajae looked at the file. "I think your right. I'm going to head home. We're having a aniversery party at Angela's on Saturday. Your more then welcome to come. I'm sure everyone would love to see you."
"Your on. And we'll have a list of things to check on tomorrow starting with the shop where Tanya got her gown." Seajae put on her jacket.
"Your on. See you at three tomorrow."
"Good luck with your hearing tomorrow." Seajae looked back at Tom.
"Thanks. I hope luck is all I'll need." She turned and left her new partner to go over the files she had given him.
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Bosco was sprawled out on the bed he made on the patio. The kids had begged him to see the full moon tonight so as usaul he gave into to the three pleeds. Now nearing the late hour of nine o'clock the children layed sprawled around him. Each of them in heavy pajama's and a sleeping bag pulled around them. He looked at the sleeping forms of his children and smiled. They were perfect. And they were here, with him. Stroking Angel's black curls out of her face he wondered about Tom and Maddie's child. He would of been nine now. They were all in shock when they found the ultra sound in her locker on September twelfth. She had it framed in an 'It's a Boy' frame. Bosco was heartbroken for himself and his good friend. If Seajae hadn't come into his life a few months later he wasn't sure what he would of done. Hearing the front door close he looked though the patio door to see his wife taking off her guns and putting them in the safe in the kitchen.
"Bosco?" She called softly not wanting to wake up the children.
"Out here Seaj." She came out on the patio holding two beers.
"Full moon night daddy?"
"Yep." She handed him a beer and cuddled up beside him.
"MMM Now I'm glad I let Hannigan talk me into coming home." She kissed his warm stubbled cheek.
"So you like Tommy?"
"He seems very nice....."
"He's the cop I wanted to be back then. He did everything by the book and had the best wife in the world."
"Well one out of two ain't bad." She smiled and he laughed.
"You are the best wife in the world Seajae." He looked at her. "You saved my life eight years ago."
"Just like you saved mine." He kissed her. She felt so good and so right in his arms. He shifed and felt a small hand hit his side.
"You want to help me put the triple threat to bed and come back out here and watch the moon with me?"
"You got yourself a deal Boscorelli." They never did make it back out to look at the moon. But before they fell alseep they both saw stars........
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Matthew Davenport sat looking at the man and woman seated at the table beside him. The man didn't look nervous and the woman just stared down at the file the man had given her. She smiled now and then and wispered something to him. Two more men filed in and set folders infront of the older man and seated themselves at the table. Taking a deep breath Matt leaned over to the woman next to him. She looked way older then her thirty years.
"Mrs. Rawlings, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because your daughter tried to kill this detectective and her partner."
"Says who.....Mr. Watkins says she was wrong. I want compensation for my baby and her son."
"Yeah well Mr. Watkins isn't here. He gave me this at the last minute." Judge Sallison entered the court and the balif told them all to rise. A no nonsence judge Harrold Sallison motioned them to sit and looked at his docket file.
"Last chance Mr. Davenport." He looked over his half glasses.
"Request for change of venue your honor." He pulled the only card he had out of his pile.
"Denied. I will not make these people drive to the ends of the earth to settle this. Now Mr. Donovan....what do you have for me?" The man at the head of the other table took a pile of files and gave them to Davenport and a stack to the judge. "And these are?"
"Detective Sargent Seajae Mc Bride Boscorelli's service records with the US Marshall's, Department of Homeland Security and the NYPD along with afidavied from no less then fifty agentcies that have delt with her in the last ten years.
"In a nutshell Mr.Donovan."
"In eighteen years of service Detective Sargent Boscorelli has discharged her weapon in the line of duty forty-seven times. Wounding five and killing one....the coplainants daughter."
"ANd the five shootings......."
"All were looked over by IAD and cleared."
"Mr. Davenport do you have anything for me?" Matt Davenport looked at the woman beside him and then at Seajae Boscorelli. Hell how could he represent this woman when he knew the woman at the next table did exactly what she was paid to do. Protect innocent people. Claudia Jackson was not innocent. And neither was her mother. A lifetime of drug abouse saw to that. He looked at Hanna Rawlings.
"I have nothing your honor but a grieving mother. A woman who until she lost her daughter didn't realize what she had. Now she'll have to live with the guilt of letting her and her grandson down. She's hurt and alone. And all she wants is her daughter back so she can change things. But she can't have her back so she wants someone to pay for her loss. She feels that Detective Boscorelli should be that person."
"And what do you think?"
"I'm not paid to think sir." He looked at the judge.
"That's the first honest thing I've heard from a member of your firm in a long time Mr. Davenport. Mrs. Rawlings as much as I feel for your loss you must know what your daugter did was wrong. Detective Boscorelli did was every police officer is trained to do. Protect." Judge Sallisan looked at the woman. Then at Seajae. "I've knowen Detective Boscorelli since she came to New York and if I thought you had a case Mrs. Rawlings I would relieve myself from the bench for it but honostly.....you will lose. She did nothing wrong in defending herself and her partner. You daughter was troubled and took things too far. This woman was doing her job." Hanna Rawlings sobbed. The judge pounded his gavel and dismissed the case. Everyone stood. As soon as it began it was over.
But why didn't Seajae feel any better then she did and hour ago when she walked into the courtroom she had spent hours in. She turned to see Elliot and Bosco in the back row. Something wasn't sitting right. She looked at Hanna Rawlings sobbing in Matt Davenports arms. This was too easy. She knew the judge and the men around her were on her side. But in the back of her mind she knew it was just the start of something she didn't want to be a part of. The court room cleared. All that was left was Seajae, Bosco, Elliot and Mike Donovan when Bobby Goran stepped into the room. He looked at Seajae and she knew.
"Owen Johnson is missing from the hospital." Seajae looked at Bosco. "The Nieto's went to pick him up and he was gone."
"Now it begins......" Seajae hit the door in a dead run with the men pausing a second and then following her. They all knew that look Seajae had gotten. It was that of a mother lion finding out that someone was messing with one of her cubs. It wasn't going to be pretty but life with her wasn't always wine and roses. Bosco knew that coming in and he was in for the duration no matter how rough the ride.