This chapter is very long, but the muse refused to break it.  There will be one  more posting after this one.  Please read it. :) Enjoy...

M.

Rules and Broken Trust

Chapter 32

"Faith hold up," Bosco spotting something out of the corner of his eye motioned to the alley they'd just passed, "back there, in the alley, I swear I saw," becoming more agitated as she pulled over, "damn!" Pushing his door open calling back to her, "Go around and block the other end," lifting his radio off his shoulder calling in, "55-David".

"55-David go ahead," Central Dispatch replied, "what is your situation?"

Faith aggravated as usual by his jumping out of the car without filling her in, listened as he told Central that he'd seen a woman being attacked in the alley, the man spotting them as they passed running off in the opposite direction, Bosco, asking for an ambulance as he was pursing the man on foot while she went to block.

"Damn it Bosco," still not completely at ease with him taking such chances even after two months, Faith floored the RMP around the corner, spotting the man exiting the alleyway see her and take off down the street, Bosco hauling ass around the corner after him, while she ran up alongside, "BOSCO, GET IN!"

"No, go, go!" he yelled back as he continued pursuit, "CUT HIM OFF YOKAS!"

"Stubborn, hardheaded," she muttered as she floored the RMP again, coming alongside the fleeing perp, she gunned the engine, and over the outside mic shouted, "POLICE! HALT YOUR ASS BEFORE I RUN IT DOWN!"

Instead of doing as told, he turned and ran into a building, Faith slamming on the breaks threw the car into park and opening her door jumped out to see Bosco entering the building at a full run, "DAMN IT!" Biting back her following curses as well as the desire to yell at him to stop and wait for backup, she instead called in for backup herself as she followed them both into the building, the door swinging shut behind her Faith found herself in a dim entryway. Hearing running footsteps to her left, Faith followed, telling Bosco over her radio to wait for her.

A whisper came back, "He went into an apartment, number 6, hurry up before he goes out the damn window Yokas!"

"I'm coming, Bosco I swear if you go in without waiting for me or backup...if he doesn't hurt you, I will!" Standing in the hallway, next to the apartment door Bosco was waiting when she arrived, a stupid grin on his face.

"Damn, you pmsing or what Faith? Hey you're getting kind of slow, you know? I'd have had him in the car, might want to get your reflexes tested..." Seeing her flash of anger, he smirked but stopped his teasing, rocking his head towards the apartment, "I think nobody's home, haven't heard any screaming, should we?" Indicating the doorknob with his gun, "Or do you want to wait for Papa Sul to show?" Raising his brows he gave her a face filled with mirthful teasing, "Come on, you know you want this bastard."

Slightly confused at his seemingly good humor, Faith shook her head, "No, you don't know if he has a gun, or what," looking around, "you stay here, and STAY, I'll go make sure he doesn't go out the window," heading to the window in the hall leading out to the small landing, she glanced back, "I mean it Bosco, stay!"

"Yes, Mommy, I heard you the first time," winking at her as she opened the window and climbed through, he turned his attention back to the door, "Hey MORON, you better come out and give yourself up! You're pissing my partner off and she's Pmsing, you could be in serious danger if she goes off on you!"

"Real funny, you little shit!" Bosco heard Faiths voice whisper over his private channel, "Keep it up Bosco, we'll see who's in danger...ok, I'm outside the window, I can see him..." a pause as Bosco waited for her to decide if he was armed or not, then, "he's moving into the kitchen it looks like, no, no he's coming back, wait," another pause, Bosco's shoulder beginning to twitch from the tension of not being able to actually see what was going on, only to visualize it by Faith's words.

"Faith," he quietly asked over the radio, "how far from the front door is he? Which side is the kitchen on?" Then shouted again through the door to keep the perp focused on it instead of the window where he might spot Faith, "You don't have much time Moron, our backups coming, and probably ESU, those bad boys you DON'T want to mess with, hell they'll make my partner look like she's having a 'happy day', come out, and with your hands on your head!"

"He's about 20 feet from the front door, and you've got his attention Bosco," Faith took another quick look inside before withdrawing, "back off, he's got a gun, he's waving it at the door, back OFF!"

Bosco began to step backwards when Faith outside stepped sideways to peek into the window again, just as sirens came roaring down the street their backup arriving. The perp inside going nuts at hearing them, fired twice at the door. Faith instantly raised her weapon and shot him watching him drop as her bullet hit him in the middle of his back, to his knees, then fall to his face, arms outstretched with the gun skittering across the hard floor.

"BOSCO, ARE YOU OK!" she screamed into her radio, running for the open window to the hallway she nearly threw herself through the opening, dropping her radio it dangled from her jacket, Faith barely had her feet on the hallway floor before she was running to him, "Oh God!"

Sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, looking up at her with a grimace on his face, Bosco winced as Faith dropped beside him yelling into her mic for an ambulance, that her partner was down. His right upper arm bleeding heavily as he held his fingers to the wound, he winced as she tried to see it, "Damn Faith take it easy, its just a scratch!"

"SCRATCH?" Beside herself with fear, Faith yelled at him, "YOU'RE BLEEDING BOSCO! HE SHOT YOU!" Pressing her hand over his, she yelled again a 10-13 and "WHERE'S THAT DAMN BUS!"

Sully and Ty running up to them stopped short, Sully looking at the door first with its splintered holes, Bosco, then the opposite wall, finally with a grin on his face, he commented, "Faith, Faith, FAITH! How many shots?"

"Huh? What?" She looked up, "Two from the shooter, through the door, and one from me in the shooter. Sully don't just stand there, help me!" Davis!"

"He wasn't shot!" Pointing to the wall, Sully smirked, "Faith look, two holes, must have been shrapnel from the door."

Ty squatted beside Bosco and Faith as Sully rolling his eyes commenting, "Drama Queen," went into the apartment to see about the perp and recover the gun.

"Hey," Ty watched Faith look at the wall, and as she mentally put two and two together and came up Bosco he spoke, "Well, at least he's getting better at getting out of the way," winking at Bosco who was still trying to get away from Faith's 'tender' ministrations on his arm, "heck one of these days he might even make it to, "hey Mom, look, no bruises!" Grasping Bosco under the arm, "Come on before you give your partner a heart attack, lets go wait for the bus outside," as Faith gave Bosco a dirty look he added, "Sully probably could use some help Faith, you know how much he loves dealing with ESU."

Faith finally noticed the legs milling around them as the building filled with other officers and Detectives, "Yea, ok," getting up, her legs shaky, she glared at Bosco, "next time I tell you to 'move' you 'move'!"

"Just like that?" smirking at her as Ty catching the song reference laughed, he yanked back as she made a move towards him, grumbling, "I'm the one injured here, remember? No hitting the injured guy!" Turning to Ty as she rolled her eyes much like Sully had done then she was captured by a Sergeant asking who had shot the perp, Bosco heading quickly down the hallway to the ambulance waiting outside, "Geesh, she has no sense of humor when she's pmsing."

"I HEARD THAT BOSCO!" Faith shouted as they turned the corner.

"If I was you man," Ty laughed, "I'd let that go, she'll hurt you."

"Naaa," Bosco smirked, "she loves me."

"Yea," Ty shook his head, "and she'll still hurt your ass."

"She has to catch me Davis," Bosco retorted as Carlos approached, "she still has to catch me."

XXXXX

"So," Mary Procter stared at him, "you just can't stay out of trouble can you Bosco?" Watching as the nurse finished washing his arm, he winced as she probed the long deep cut for bits of wood and paint, "I swear, how many stitches have you taken since you became a cop?" Picking out a rather large bit of paint with tweezers she smirked as she heard him gasp, teasing him, "Big Baby."

"HEY," Bosco looked to Faith for help, "I get shot and you all pick on ME? What the hells up with...Owwww, damn it Mary!" Her tweezers finding yet another scrap of wood, she yanked it out.

"Oh Bosco," Faith now calm again, smirked at Mary, "its just a couple of cuts, from a DOOR, you didn't get SHOT, remember? You'll live." Glancing at her watch, "I need to go call home, you want some coffee when I come back?"

"Yea, sure," Bosco muttered as he kept a close eye on Mary, suspicious at her motives as she came at him again with the tweezers, "and some chips too, I didn't get to eat dinner and I'm starving."

"Sorry," Mary said brightly, "nothing for him until this is closed up!" A large smile gracing her face, "Doc Fields should be in here to do it in about 20 minutes," looking down again at his arm as she moved in again, "should take me about that long to make sure this is clean and washed up, ready to go, and another hour to make sure all the stitches are done just right and get you ready to go."

"TWENTY MINUTES?" Bosco shouted in shock, then, "AN HOUR!!!" He jumped as she dug into the cut to extract a rather large splinter, "OWWW You did that on purpose!" Looking at the fresh blood flowing as she tossed the scrap of door into the pan sitting on the tray table."

Faith shaking her head in wonder at how he could deny he was hurt, then whine more than Charlie while Mary cleaned it out, decided maybe it didn't hurt as much as he made out, snickered, "Oh hush, you've got three days off to act like you're dying, save it for when you get home," winking at Mary, leaving the room, hearing Mary reply to him with a teasing stinging remark, she decided that if he acted any other way, neither he nor Mary would have as much fun. Shaking her head again, Faith gave a chuckle and went off to call Fred and get something to drink, hearing another protesting yell from Bosco, Mary laugh in return, Faith feeling greatly relieved, rounded the corner to the Cafeteria hall.

XXXX

"So," Ty smirked the next morning as he and Bosco, who'd come in a cab, headed into the diner for breakfast before heading out for the Cabin, "how's the arm?"

"Fine," holding his arm across his chest he displayed the bandage, "Three gashes full of splinters and paint, and twenty damn stitches, can you believe that crap? I swear I think Mary enjoyed every last one!"

"Proctor did them?" Ty winced, rubbing his own arm in empathy, "Damn Bos, what happened to the Doctor doing them?"

"Some damn traffic accident," Bosco taking a seat in the diner scoffed, "so Proctor got to 'practice' on ME!" Picking up the menu he grinned, "But I got some good drugs," again lifting his arm to look at the bandage, "I hardly feel it."

Ty flagging the waitress grinned, "Man, I'm glad it wasn't me, and I guess if you're on drugs its a good thing I'm driving then huh." Placing their orders he waited until she'd left before continuing.

"You sure you want to do this right?" Watching Bosco toss the lemon in his glass aside, before drinking the water, Ty asked again, "Bosco?"

"Yea," setting the glass down he shook the ice around, "sooner I get it over with, sooner its all over, know what I mean?" Smirking as he glanced around the diner checking for familiar faces, "Past time if you ask me."

"Good," Ty wondering just how nervous he really was accepted the coffee the waitress set before him, adding cream and sugar to his cup, he hesitated before he asked, "You don't expect to find anyone there do you?"

Startled as he was having some of the same wondering thoughts, Bosco stopped in his stirring of his cup, a speculative look on his face, "No, at least I don't think so, no, I mean why would anybody else be there. Far as I know from what Swersky told me, Vin was headed back to Chicago. So, no." But to Ty he didn't sound exactly convinced of it.

"Cool," Ty left it at that as they moved to other subjects and their breakfast meals came.

XXXXX

The drive to the cabin taking longer than the usual four hours due to traffic, this being the tourist season, was, except for the music pretty quiet. At one point Ty looked over at Bosco to see him asleep against the door, the meds having knocked him out for awhile.

Finally they were on the road leading up the mountain, "Hey, wake up sleeping beauty, we're almost there," the road looking very different in June than it did in Winter, trees green and lush, the ground almost dusty, sun shining down it was a great day, and had they been heading up for any other reason, both men would have been excited, if only about the fishing the lake could offer. But instead, Bosco found his stomach in knots, a small headache setting in, not sure if it was an after effect of the meds or having slept against the window, his hair damp from sweat, he rolled the window down and watched as Ty put his down also.

"How far?" he asked Ty glancing over at him as the cool breeze blew in, stretching as he yawned.

"How far have we gone or how far left?" Ty looking puzzled until it hit him that neither time, the ride up, or the ride down had he been aware of what was happening to him, that to him, he'd never been on this road before; answering quietly before Bosco could comment, "about fifteen minutes before we get there I would guess, not sure, it was real slow going before, with the snow and all."

"Ok," Bosco sighed, glancing out the window watching the scenery pass, "its really nice up here isn't it."

Ty avoiding a downed treetop agreed, then they continued on in silence, after a couple of minutes had passed he noticed that Bosco's left knee was beginning to bounce and not because of the roughening road, "Bosco, we don't have to do this," glancing over at him, "I can turn around and go back, just say the word man."

"No, its ok," smirking over at him, "its ok, really Ty, I'm just restless from sitting so long." The one stop they'd made for Ty to take a break and use the Rest stop, Bosco had stayed in the car, "Guess I should have hit the head when I had a chance."

"Told you," Ty glad to see him relaxing again teased, "after all that coffee and a mountain dew, man for you to not complain before now, your bladder must be the size of a camel's."

"Yea, well, this camel needs to go bad now," Bosco tried not to laugh, "so we better get there quick or I'll be bonding with nature."

"Bos," Ty looked over at him, "I have a feeling you'll be doing that anyway, somehow I doubt they fixed the pipes that froze."

Eyes wide Bosco gaped at him, "Oh man, I forgot!"

XXXXX

Vinny sighed as he walked around the lakes edge, staring up in wonder at the rock formation that Denver had fallen from almost three years ago, he felt a shiver run through him as he remembered seeing him fall, the water cold as he searched over and over not finding him, thinking him dead, finding it hard to reconcile still that he wasn't, that it had all been a cruel life destroying lie added to a pile of them. His thoughts all over the place, moving from that day, to seeing Maurice on his knees ill from the withdrawal from the drugs, on the rocky shoreline before he passed out. Another shiver went through him, this one affecting him even more as he remembered thinking Maurice was going to die on him, feeling again the gratefulness that he'd not and instead surprising him to recover as if nothing had happened, before ending up sitting on the hill together just talking. Trying to piece together in his mind the start and the finish of his last few years, Vinny soon found himself standing on the top of the rocks, looking over the lake at the waterfall that fed the mountain stream below it.

He'd not been in the cabin yet, coming out here first, not sure he could face those demons just now, instead making the attempt to face the ones Denver had brought into his life first.

Leaning back against a tree, Vinny watched a small swarm of insects as they buzzed over the lake, the sun glinting off it's still surface giving them an ethereal glow. He'd always thought this place the most peaceful on earth until the day Denver 'died' here, then he'd hated it, only saw it as a grave, someplace his life had ended too until he'd brought Maurice here, until he'd almost ended two more lives in his grief and insanity.

Now, after knowing what had really happened, Vinny half expected to feel a sense of relief, some recovery of his love of this place, but instead only felt a deeper sorrow, knowing what he'd done here he knew he'd never be back after this weekend. With all the beauty it held, all he saw now was Maurice's face, bruised and beaten, bloody and so frightened it made Vinny ill now to remember what he'd done to cause that, to know he indeed had been the sole cause of it. He made no excuses for himself about it, didn't blame it on Denver though he knew he could if he really gave it much thought, but until a few years ago, until he'd given in to the mental damage he'd suffered, he'd never been one for blaming others for his mistakes in life. The one thing he did thank his father for.

Pushing up off of the tree, he tossed the small pink quartz rock he'd been worrying in his fingers off of the small cliff, watched it hit the water and make a splash, the circles it created spreading ever wider until they disappeared into the shoreline. It was time.

Time to face the real demons that haunted him, time to go to the cabin, time to face the ghosts living there.

XXXXX

The trucks tires crunching the small gravel of the driveway under them loud as Ty drove up to the front of the shed, Bosco quiet as he stared at the front of the cabin, glancing around as the vehicle came to a stop, a small cloud of dust settling quickly as Ty shifting into park glanced over at him, "So," his voice light as he waited for Bosco to make the first move, "we're here."

Not turning to look at him, Bosco muttered, "Yea, guess so," then before Ty could add to his comments Bosco opened the door and climbed out, reaching into the back to grab his bag which he slung over his shoulder before crossing the front yard to the cabins porch.

Ty heaved his own bag over his shoulder and picked up the cooler packed with food and drink by one end, "HEY," shaking his head as Bosco stood on the porch looking around, "think you could give me a hand here?"

"Oh, sure, sorry," Bosco smirked as he headed back to the truck, "I forgot, that's probably too heavy for you to carry by yourself, you being so weak and all." Snatching one end he lifted the cooler chuckling as Ty told him to stop being a smartass and walk, together they went to the porch again, this time on the porch, after setting the cooler down, Bosco pulled a set of keys from his pocket to open the door.

Pausing briefly before unlocking the door, he swallowed as a vision flashed in front of him; Vinny in the deep snow, both of them freezing while he struggled to get him back to the cabin before they died; then it was gone and the door was swinging open. Standing a moment, Ty off to the side watching him, Bosco took a deep breath, faking a smirk of confidence he wished he actually felt right now and walked in.

Ty following close behind him trying to give him room, yet let him know he was right there also, stepped to the side as Bosco froze after walking a few feet into the room.

"Son of a bitch," his quiet curse bringing Ty's attention to what he was looking at.

XXXXX

Exiting the trees, Vinny stopped short as he saw a truck parked in front of the shed, an instant feeling of fear and panic coming over him as he stepped back a small way into the shadows he tried to remember if he knew anyone with such a vehicle, but couldn't place it. Caught without protection, his vehicle blocked in by the presence of the other in front of the sheds doors, he realized how helpless he was as he stood waiting for whomever had invaded the cabin to show themselves.

He knew the only person to have a key to this place now was Maurice, but he wasn't suppose to be here until a few weeks from now, long after Vinny had gone to Chicago.

Then Ty stepped out onto the porch to get the cooler, and Vinny knew he wouldn't be alone, and now his fear had jumped tenfold, Maurice was in that cabin, alive in person, no ghost to excise, but instead living flesh to avoid at all costs. Feeling his back break out in a cold sweat, his face flush, Vinny had a moments panic so great he contemplated either running to the lake to jump from that rock cliff or hiking down the mountain and just leave his jeep and belongings behind.

Standing in the shadows of the trees, frozen, he wished for a moment he had the courage to jump.

His heart jumped into his throat instead as Ty lifted the cooler and turning, spotted him standing there watching.

XXXXX

"Damn man," Bosco stared in shock at the damages done to the cabin's window and living room, "wow, I mean, I guess I knew they'd messed things up, but damn." The large screen TV's surface was blackened, the window still covered with only blankets open in one corner where something had worked its way in, CD's and DVD's scattered across the floor, many of the cases crushed from Agents moving around the room with no regard. Turning he took a look into the kitchen, seeing the old dishes and foodstuffs left out from them being here, the agents not having thought cleaning up was a necessity, to the pantry door hanging by one hinge where they'd torn it open to get inside. Some of the damages were due to small animals rummaging while the cabin was unprotected, but most was manmade carelessness. Why be careful when the owner wasn't expected to ever return?

"Yea, well," Ty shrugged, "had to get in here somehow, not like we knew the door was open."

"No, no I know," Bosco quickly reassured him, "its just this is my first time seeing it like this. Damn shame too, this was a really nice place." Ty's startled look bringing a puzzled expression to his own face before he smirked, commenting softly, "Well, it was, just because some bad shit went on here didn't make that couch any less comfortable, or that TV any less fine."

"True that," Ty staring at the TV sighed, "damn shame a piece of fine equipment like that was destroyed."

Bosco chuckled as he glanced back at it before heading to the kitchen, "I'll go see if they took any of the supplies, looks like the electricity is still on, I hear the fridge running, guess they didn't break everything."

"Cool," Ty nodded, "I'll get the cooler in, don't want you to strain yourself." His sarcasm lost on Bosco as usual when it came to physical exertion.

"Thanks man," Bosco smiled at him as he pulled open the fridge, a look of disgust and horror climbing his face, "oh My son of...damn that is NASTY!" Quickly slamming the door as Ty gave a short laugh before heading out the door, Bosco went into the pantry, "Well, they left the water so we have water."

"Great," Ty muttered as he picked up the cooler, "but no toilet to flush I bet." Turning he started to head back inside when something in the trees caught his eye, a man in a yellow windbreaker stood watching him; the distance at first keeping him from recognition, but as he stared, Ty felt his gut clench, "holy..." Dropping the cooler back onto the porch, anger in his face and voice, Ty glanced once back at the cabin hearing Bosco call out that he was going to check out the bathrooms and see if they worked, then headed off of the porch at a fast clip.

"You bastard," Ty's low curse not carrying to either party as he saw Vinny stand up straight upon seeing him approaching, "what the hell are you doing here?"

XXXXX

Bosco entered the hallway leading to the bedroom at first not really thinking he was going to have a problem, upon seeing the inside of the cabin he'd expected to have some flashes or fear hit him, but none had, surprised but not upset at that he was feeling a bit more secure until he opened the bedroom door and stepped inside.

The window caught his eye first, the curtains ripped down, window covered with blankets and boards looking completely different from the last time he'd seen it confused him as he tried to picture the room the way it had been. The bed unmade, blankets and sheets, pillows tossed around as if someone had just left it this morning instead of months ago, the dressers drawers open, clothing tossed on the floor, draped out of the drawers, hanging over the chair sitting next to it. Obviously a vigorous search had gone on here, leaving him to wonder if it had happened before or after his being taken out from the cabin.

Walking softly to the end of the bed, Bosco noticed the scratch marks on the black wrought iron beds railings, swallowing as it hit him that if he was seeing them, so had everyone else, remembering the cuffs would still have been there at the time they 'rescued' him, his face flushed deeply as he realized that all his protestations to the contrary, they'd known, they'd known from the beginning.

His hands started to shake, as visions began to come at him, closing his eyes against them, clenching his fists he found himself griping the foot railing of the bed, feeling the cold metal under his palms helping to center him as the room closed in and more pictures flew past his closed eyes.

Vinny over him, threatening to kill him if he hit back again, the feeling of complete and utter terror sinking in as he felt his breath cut off, Vinny's hands squeezing his throat, feeling the blackness taking over thinking he was going to die. Then without pause it changed to Vinny laughing at one of Bosco's jokes, his eyes light with happiness as they played around fighting over who would get the most pillows, back again just as suddenly to Vinny sticking a needle in his arm while he cowered in the corner again thinking this was the end, only to find himself being stripped down for a shower again shifting as he barely had time to see one vision and deal with it, to him climbing into the bed, climbing over Vinny to turn down the lamp, climbing on him...

Releasing the rail, Bosco turned quickly heading for the bathroom, blinking the visions away for the moment, none of them new, or more intense than what he'd been dealing with, he refused to give in to them. Standing in the doorway of the bathroom, holding onto the frame a moment, he flipped on the light, starred at the broken ceramics scattered over the floor, the mirror in several large pieces still hanging from the wall, the sink dusted with glass sparkling in the light.

Carefully avoiding the shards, he turned on the taps, to find the cold water worked, the hot didn't, "Great, that gas better still work." The toilet next he held his fingers crossed as he flushed the old water out, a smirk of victory on his face as the toilet bowl not only refilled but the tank did also, "Yes, might not have hot water, but we got a toilet!" Reaching back he slapped the door closed and unzipped, "Note to self, make sure you go before going anywhere with Davis! Who decides to drive three hours without stopping for a piss?"

XXXXX

"You son of a bitch!" Ty snarled at Vinny as he got close enough to make sure he heard him but not close enough for Vinny to reach him, "What the fuck are you doing here? You're suppose to be in Chicago!"

"Next week," Vinny seeing the danger in Ty's eyes quickly spoke, "Davis, I swear it's next week, I stopped here this weekend on my way over, I had no idea..."

"You expect me to buy that shit?" Ty was beside himself, here they were coming here for Bosco to get some 'closure' according to his Doc, and instead they get Vinny, "Your ass was suppose to be in Chicago, who told you he was coming? What? Huh? You hoping you could get to him one last time?"

"No, I," Vinny was cut off again as Ty ranted.

"No you're damn straight no," Ty stepped closer, "I don't know how you got here, I don't give a rats ass how, but you're leaving, and you're leaving NOW! And don't think I won't beat your ass down if you don't Vetresco!"

"Of course," Vinny shrank back, "I'll go, now. Please Davis you have to believe me, I had no idea, none, I was just trying to...don't worry, I'm going now, just don't let him see me, please?"

"What?" Ty stepped back doubt in his voice, "You come up here on the same weekend he's coming, and you expect me to believe you don't want him to know you're here? What the hell kind of game are you playing?"

"None, I swear," Vinny pleaded now, "look, they said he wasn't coming for a few weeks, I knew, thought, I'd be here by myself." The panic in his face, and the fear in his voice as he seemed about ready to run or drop where he stood gave Ty pause.

"You really didn't know," Ty shook his head angry, "what a fucking screw up."

"Yea," Vinny looking at the ground muttered, "my jeeps in the shed, I can't get it out unless you move your truck, please," glancing back up, "just let me leave, I didn't go into the cabin yet, I was at the lake," a flash of pain crossed his eyes, "I just want to leave, please."

"Oh yea," Ty assured him, "you're leaving, but first I'm going to make sure Bosco isn't going to see you." Glancing behind him, "Stay here, I'll move my truck over out of the way, and then keep him occupied. When you see me in the door again, Leave."

"Thanks," Vinny stepped forward once, quickly speaking before his courage escaped him, "Davis, about what happened in the locker room, those things I said, I didn't mean them, I, I was just really messed up in my head, you know? I'm really sorry for what I did to you, I don't expect you to accept this, but I had to let you know, that wasn't really me, I'm not like that. Anyhow, I just wanted to say that," staring at each other, Ty could see the sincere gaze in his eyes as Vinny added once more, "I'm so sorry."

Eyes on the grass a moment, Ty sighed as he returned his gaze, "I know, I know you are, Bosco thinks you're really a good guy who got a shitty deal, and I know what happened to you, but I can't just forget what you did to my friend, what he went through, I can't."

Turning he left Vinny standing in the trees shadows again to return to the cabin, after pulling the truck over, he walked up the steps to the porch, lifting the cooler Ty without glancing back took it into the cabin.

XXXXX

"Hey," Bosco grinned at him, "guess what? Running water!" The satisfied look on his face making Ty's nervous smirk genuine, "AND the toilet works, ahhh relief! So," popping open the cooler, "got anything good in here to eat? I'm starving!"

"Yea," Ty turning from the butcher block in the middle of the kitchen laughed, "but first we clean out the fridge," opening the door, "holy, damn Bosco that is nasty!"

Blinking at him as he tore open a pack of cheese, Bosco retorted, "Damn you mean no one came and cleaned it out since I looked fifteen minutes ago?" Rolling his eyes as he unwrapped the cheese to fold it before he stuffed half into his mouth, Bosco chewing remarked as Ty opened a cabinet under the sink, pulling out a garbage bag, "No, don't use those, Vinny doesn't like those for food garbage, he says the animals get into it to easy, here," walking to the pantry, "I'll get one."

Ty stood staring at him, the plastic bag in his hand as Bosco not realizing what he'd said shoved the rest of the cheese into his mouth as he handed Ty the new bag, took the old one and replaced it in the box under the sink. Without a word, Ty went to the fridge and began tossing containers into the new bag.

"NO," Bosco quickly grabbed a container, "you know what those things cost? Not to mention they never degrade in the garbage pile, here let me," taking the lid off, "oh god, that's bad," he tossed the contents into the bag, setting the container on the floor next to him, "I think that was a roast at one time, thought we'd eaten all of that, hum, guess not."

Ty seeing he was occupied, quickly went to the door, standing in it he saw Vinny move out of the trees, making quickly for the shed, Ty, leaning against the door frame pretended to be 'airing' out the cabin as Bosco cleaned the smelly contents from the fridge, was actually watching Vinny open up the large doors to the shed and waiting for him to leave, hoping Bosco would be to occupied to notice when the jeep left, at least until it was too late and Vinny was gone.

"Whew," Bosco groaned, "remind me to clean out my fridge at home, this is rank!"

"Yea sure," Ty turned just in time to see him heading out the side door, the container in his hand, "hey, where..." Bosco was out the door, "damn!" Heading out the front door, he heard, a shout.

XXXXX

"OH SHIT!! What the..." Bosco stood face to face with Vinny as he pushed the last door open fully, his short yell stopped as the container and bag hit the ground.

"Maurice," Vinny's soft shocked exclamation landing on the tail of his own startled reaction, both freezing a moment as Ty raced around the side of the porch, "I, I was, um..."

"Bosco," Ty began trying to explain, "he didn't know you were here, that you were coming, he was just leaving..."

"I didn't go in the cabin," Vinny rapid-fire tried to explain, "I was at the lake, if I'd have known, I'd have waited until next Monday before coming up here Maurice, I really didn't know..." trailing off, Vinny glanced over at Ty.

Bosco couldn't stop the quick smile that crossed his face and eyes, though he wiped it away instantly, both Vinny and Ty saw it, neither sure what it meant or who was more shocked to see it. Then Bosco was blank faced as he softly commented, "Honest mistake, no problem," shocking them both more when he added, "I'm going toss this," looking back as he walked off to the back of the shed, "no need for everyone to act like the sky's falling, you don't have to run Vin. If you want to go in the cabin, hell it belongs to you, go in."

"No," Vinny replied, "I'm just going to go, I don't really think it would be a good idea, Maurice, I'm sorry, I really thought no one was going to be here."

Bosco stopped and turned back, very serious, "Vin, it's ok, really," while he kept his face impassive, his words sounding as if he couldn't care less, Ty noticed his eyes were giving away what he was really feeling, and it wasn't what Ty expected to see, Bosco was happy to see Vinny, "besides, I wanted a chance to talk to you before you left for good anyway."

"I'm going inside," Ty muttered, "need to hit the head." Quickly entering the cabin's side door he was gone.

Vinny stood watching as Bosco seeing Ty leave, gave Vinny a quick smile, his face for a moment matching his eyes, then he turned and was gone behind the shed leaving Vinny glancing at the door, trying to decide whether he should leave, or stay.

XXXXX

Dropping the garbage bag into the large container, Bosco felt a million different emotions racing through him, heart racing he couldn't decide if he was happy to see Vinny, scared to death he was actually this close after all this time or a mix of both. Palms sweating he knew he didn't want him to leave without first talking to him, still wanting that which Vinny had denied him at the prison he hoped Vinny would stay if only for a short while, though he knew from the look on Ty's face that Ty wasn't happy about it. Hoping a huge scene wouldn't happen, he took a deep breath before returning to the cabin.

To find Vinny still standing in indecision next to the shed door. His heart jumping in his chest, Bosco fought off the stupid grin that threatened to overtake him, instead managing to both look impassive and sound as if he wasn't surprised to see him still there.

"So," standing several feet from him, "you staying or going?"

Vinny gave a nervous half smirk, "Not sure yet, to be honest I know its best I leave, but..."

Cocking his head at him, Bosco asked half teasing, "But your feet froze to the ground and now you're stuck halfway?"

"Something like that," Vinny looked sheepishly at the grass beneath his boots, murmuring, "I really didn't know you'd be here Maurice." Shyly glancing up at him waiting to be yelled at, Vinny felt his heart still racing like he'd been running a marathon.

"I know," Bosco calmly stared back, "like I said, honest mistake," pointing to the side door of the cabin, "so, you coming in or what? It is your place remember?" His eyes still betraying him, he turned and walked up the steps, calling back, "Vin, lift one foot then the other, you can do it."

Watching him disappear into the cabin, Vinny felt some odd sense of relief, the first he'd felt since arriving, some of the anxious sorrow lifting from him as he began to finally realize that Maurice indeed was serious about forgiving him, and to his own surprise found he could lift one foot and then the other as he slowly followed him into the cabin, leaving the door open as he entered the kitchen to find him putting food from the cooler away into the fridge.

Ty sitting at the table, kept a close eye on Vinny, not at all happy with this he nevertheless knew it was Bosco calling the shots here so he kept his opinions to himself after having made only a single comment of, "Bos, I'm not sure this is a good idea," and Bosco having softly commented back it would be fine to not worry. Taking a deep drink of the soda in his hands, he felt very ill at ease and odd as Bosco went about putting things away as if this were all perfectly normal, and they were all friends, even hearing him offer Vinny something to drink.

"Thanks," Vinny accepting the water Bosco handed him, opened it and drank from it before finally just standing awkwardly next to the counter, having not moved from his original spot after entering the cabin.

"So," Bosco turned to glance at both, asking, "anybody hungry?"

XXXXX

Standing out on the front porch later, Ty sighed, wondering if leaving Bosco and Vinny alone in the cabin had been such a good idea. He couldn't hear them, but figured if he heard anything wrong he'd be in before anything bad could happen, wishing he knew what to do he could only wait, finally taking a seat on the slate steps watching the squirrels play just outside the treeline.

Lunch had been strange enough to deal with, Bosco obviously knowing where everything was, telling Vinny to 'get this or do that' and watching Vinny slowly fall into a natural helping mode, Ty sitting in disbelief and eventually seeing them while not actually 'talking' working in the kitchen as if they'd done it long enough to be so used to each other that they almost knew before asked what the other wanted. As awkward as he felt, he was suddenly hit with how intimate and well they knew one another from the time alone here, a slow understanding falling on him hard at why Bosco had such a hard time at first adjusting to living alone again, why he'd had such a deep need to help Vinny. They didn't seem like two people who'd been mortal enemies, but instead like old friends.

Sitting eating, Bosco again gave Ty pause as he tried to make conversation, asking Ty, "You ever thought of buying a place like this?" That had led to discussion about living on a cops salary and being able to afford the finer things in life, or rather not being able to. Bosco had tried to draw Vinny into the conversation, but Vinny had commented that he really couldn't relate as his father had left him enough money to pretty much what he wanted, at least for a few years more if he didn't waste it.

Now sitting on the porch steps, Ty wondered what the hell Bosco had to talk in private to Vinny for.

XXXXX

"So," Bosco asked, standing back to the counter a nervous smile on his face his hands playing with the edge as Vinny leaning against the butcherblock island just as nervous swallowed hard, "how have you been, really?"

"Better," Vinny couldn't help but glance at the closed front door, wondering if Ty was listening or not, "a lot better in fact, you?"

"Pretty good," Bosco now that he had Vinny where he wanted him, his full attention and almost no one around to stop him found himself somewhat hesitant, "back on the Job, finally off the desk."

"Good," Vinny not meeting his eyes, "real good."

"Yea," Bosco stared at him, watching him refuse to meet his look, "so, you're really going back to Chicago huh?"

"Have a few loose ends to tie up," Vinny briefly looked up at him, "after that I'll probably end up in some small town outside the City, but yea, I'm going home."

"Home," Bosco nodded, but was looking around the kitchen and off into the livingroom area, "taking any of this stuff with you? Got some nice things here."

A quick look up, Vinny glanced around also, "I hadn't really thought about it, but no, there's nothing here I want," looking back at Bosco, he felt caught like a deer in a wolf's gaze as he found him staring at him, a strange look on his face.

"Not even the music or movies," Bosco asked softly, seeing the haunted look come over Vinny's face, suddenly both aware of 'where' the other man's mind was just then, Vinny cleared his throat as Bosco refused to look away Vinny being the one to do so first, "some were good you know."

"I know," Vinny's soft answer knowing, "but not enough to make a difference in the long run."

"You might be surprised," Bosco stepped away from the counter, "at what makes a difference Vin."

Walking into the livingroom, Bosco headed to the DVD and CD's scattered over the floor, picking up a couple of the cases to look at, "take this one for instance, starts off weird, but by the end everything turns out ok," tossing it aside, he held up another, a music CD, "this one was pretty good, some but not all the songs on it were sad, mostly the whole thing left you feeling like it was all about wanting to be happy, you know?"

Vinny found himself standing only a couple of feet away from him, "Maurice, I," stopping as Bosco looked up at him expectantly another DVD in his hand, Vinny seeing him offer it took it to look at, seeing the title he couldn't help but smirk before tossing it onto the coffeetable, "yea, it was pretty good, some of it, but mostly about taking something that didn't belong to him, something he could never return, or fix once it was broken," tears in his eyes, "no matter how sorry he was, or how much he regretted ever taking it in the first place. Some things can't be made right, no matter how much you want them to be so Maurice."

"I know," Bosco let the remaining cases fall to the floor, "but you can't let it destroy you either, everyone has something they'd like to forget they did to someone else Vin, something they'd like to take back and can't," he stepped forward, "and, sometimes, something they thought they wanted to take back, but found out they didn't really regret it as much as they thought they would."

"I have a lot of the first," Vinny shoved his hands in his pockets, "and very few of the second anymore in my life."

"Don't we all," Bosco moved closer, "but there are some things I don't regret, decisions I made here that I knew I didn't have to make, I've decided I have enough things to regret in my life already Vin, I won't add that to the list, I knew what I was doing, even with the drugs and booze, I won't hide behind excuses anymore."

Now Vinny was staring at him, confusion on his face as Bosco was suddenly kissing him hard, his hand around the back of Vinny's head holding him tight before releasing Vinny to step back again leaving Vinny even more confused and shocked, "Maurice..."

Bosco stood in front of him, looking up, a smile on his face as Vinny's stunned expression didn't change, "I missed you, a lot Vin. I did love you, you know and some part of me still does and probably always will, I won't lie about that, not to you. You said you were sorry a long time ago, and I told you I accepted that then, you don't need to keep saying it, not to me. This," waving his hand around the cabin, "this is over, its all over, done, finished. And we're both ok, or we'll be ok, and we're both moving on. I know it wasn't and won't be easy, you still have some 'loose ends' to deal with, this was one of mine, but we'll both survive what happened, and in the words of my shrink, 'be better men for it'. But it wasn't all a horror show, and what was good, I'm taking with me and leaving behind the bad stuff, I want you to do the same thing, please."

Nodding, tears streaking his face, Vinny replied softly, "You saved me Maurice, with all the pain and hurt I caused you, you still saved my life. Thank you for that, I did and do love you, more than you'll ever know."

"I do know," Bosco moved in close again, Vinny kept his hands safely in his pockets as Bosco reached up and wiped the streaks away with his hand, "I know, Vin."

Instead of moving back, Bosco slid his arms through Vinny's and wrapped them around him tightly, his head on Vinny's chest a moment. Vinny careful not to move, let him be until Bosco looked up at him and smiled again, then pulling his hands free he hugged him back, both men standing quietly a short time before Vinny kissed his forehead, hugged him tighter then, released him, "Good-bye Maurice."

Bosco didn't answer him as Vinny turned and walking quickly left by the side door, which still stood open, after a few moments he heard the jeep start up, the crunch of gravel as it moved down the driveway giving way to only the faint engine sound as the tires found the dirt road fading to nothing finally as he stood wiping his own face.

XXXX

"Everything okay?" Ty asking as he approached Bosco who was standing on the gravel bank of the lake, Bosco having left the cabin only a few minutes after Vinny disappeared down the mountain road, Ty had waited as long as he could stand it before following him, worried he stood watching the sun begin to lower in the sky to the west of the lake.

"Yep," Bosco tossed a rock into the water, watching the ripples spread, "everything's fine, we talked about a few things, I said good-bye, he said good-bye and he left." Rubbing his fingers lightly over another rock feeling the texture under his touch, "You ever wonder if you should have made a different decision about something big, Ty?"

"All the time," Ty smirked, "but mostly I don't have a lot of regrets, just wonder sometimes how things might have gone if I'd zigged instead of zagged." A handful of quartz himself now, he tossed a few at the new circle of ripples Bosco had just made, "You regretting something?"

"Maybe," Bosco sighed, "maybe not," glancing over at Ty a contemplative curious look on his face, "would you mind if we went back tonight instead of Sunday, I'll drive."

A small smile on his face, Ty shrugged, "Whatever you want Maurice, this trip is all about you remember, if you want to leave now, we'll leave now."

"Cool," Bosco turned and began to walk back to the cabin, "I'm ready when you are Ty."

"I'm ready," Ty followed, "but you hit the head before we leave this time."

"Not a problem with me driving," Bosco grinned, "and Ty, nobody drives for more than four hours without stopping to piss man, its just not natural."

"Wasn't four hours," Ty protested, "it was only 3 and a half, and I stopped, you just refused to get out of the car! And what about your arm? Doesn't it hurt?"

"Still not natural," Bosco argued, "and some, but not enough to keep me from driving, besides if it starts to mess with me, you can drive."

"No," Ty countered, 'what's not natural is anybody drinking 6 cups of coffee and a 20oz mountain dew and NOT having to go for four and a half hours! That's what's not natural Boscorelli, not for a guy anyway! And I know what you're going to do, drive for an hour, then start whining about your arm and have to take a pill, leaving me to do the rest of the work."

"Whatever," Bosco flipped him off laughing, "I did get shot you know."

"No," Ty caught up, "you got a few splinters from a door, Not Shot!"

"Bullets caused it," Bosco smirked, "it counts as shot."

"You wish," Ty argued, "you so wish, then you'd get more sympathy. But you're not getting any from me!"

"Bite me!" Bosco laughed as they exited the trees, making for the cabin.

"You wish I would," Ty continued the playful banter as they got ready to leave.

XXXXX

10 months later:

Bosco grabbed his mail out of his cubbyhole in the locker room, heading to his locker he dropped it onto the bench as he began to strip out of his uniform, glancing down at it he saw an official looking legal envelope staring back up at him, "What the hell..." Picking it up he saw the address was out of Illinois but didn't recognize the city, wondering if it had anything to do with Vinny's deal with Denver's trial he glanced around the room to check for others before sitting and tearing the end open.

Dropping the thick sheaf of creamy white papers into his hand he carefully unfolded it noticing the list of lawyers names at the top before scanning it for content.

Faith walked in just in time to see his face go white and the papers he was holding fall from his numb fingers onto the floor, scattering as they did so before Bosco lowered his head into his hands, sobbing.

"Bos," she quickly went to him, stooping to scoop up the papers he'd been looking at, scanning quickly she gasp, "oh no." Staring down at him in sympathy even as she felt some small sense of relief herself, "Bosco I'm sorry." Hand on his shoulder Faith felt tears spring to her eyes even though they were just for his pain and not because of what she'd read.

Standing quickly, Bosco took the papers from her, "No, you're not," his voice ragged he turned and left the locker room, leaving her behind, "and neither will anyone else be."

As the door closed behind him, Faith muttered, "No Bos, you're probably right."

XXXXX

Standing alone on the Quartz rock cliff, Bosco overlooked the lake, watching the waterfall splash over the edge of the mountain, tossing a rock off watching it land in the lake the ripples spreading out over the still surface as the sun glinted harshly in the midsummer's heat off of the ripples as they disappeared into the banks on either side, "Why, damn you Vinny, why?"

The thick sheaf of papers clutched in his hand, read over many times between the time he received them and now, "How could you just give up like that," anger growing, anger he'd held back until now, "Why Vin, huh? It was OVER, I'm ok, Denver's in prison where his ass belongs, it was finally OVER! WHY, DAMN YOU VINCENT, WHY?!"

"DID YOU THINK I WANTED THIS?" Raging against the entire lake and forest beyond, "LIKE THIS? I NEVER WANTED THIS, NEVER! I ONLY WANTED YOU, TO BE OK, TO BE ALIVE AND OK!!!"

Finding himself sitting at the base of a tree, unaware that Vinny had done the same only a month and a half before, Bosco wiped his face of tears, looking again at the papers in his hands, papers that gave him ownership of this piece of mountain, the cabin and its contents and enough money to pay the taxes on it in a trust fund set up just for that purpose enough for his lifetime if he kept it.

The letter enclosed with the papers sealed in an envelope with instructions for him not to read it until he was here in this place, now lifted as he hesitantly opened it and pulled the single sheet of paper from it.

New tears as Bosco saw Vinny's handwriting unfold before him, blurry until he wiped his face on his sleeve before reading.

Maurice, my Love,

I want you to have this place, not to remind you of the awful things that happened here, but maybe so someone, somewhere will remember me and not think of me as a monster.

I tried Maurice, tried to put it all behind me like you wanted me too, but fate would only allow me a short time before someone else recognized me from the papers and the television and I was an outcast again. I moved six times in 8 months, before I finally realized I would never be able to put what happened to me, or what I did to you behind me.

Amazingly the only person who could forgive me for what I did, was you, the one I did it too. I want you to know how grateful I am for that, it does give me some peace. I pray daily that you have peace and don't suffer because of what I did.

Know that I will always and have always loved you, both for saving me, and for returning that love and for just being you.

Please don't reject this 'inheritance'; if you don't want to use it, maybe you can just hang on to it for something you can give to your children? Maybe by then enough time will have passed that no one will remember the bad things that went on here. It doesn't seem right that such a beautiful place should stay haunted, does it?

I sat up here writing this and all I saw was you smiling at me before I left that last time. The ghosts here for me are gone because of that memory.

I wish they were in the rest of my life.

By the time you read this, well, you know. Please don't hate me Maurice, I just can't take anymore pain. Its just too hard.

Forgive me this, too, please? You're the only one in my life with a heart large enough to do so.

Always love you,

Vin

Sobbing as he finished the letter, clenching it in his fist, Bosco looked up again, mentally seeing Vinny's face smiling at him, knowing the ghosts here for him were gone too, had been for a long time now.

Standing he looked down at the handful of quartz rocks he held, rearing back he threw them as far as he could, hearing them splashing but not waiting to watch the ripples scatter, he walked back down to the shoreline.

Faith standing below watching him, Ty next to her waiting as she asked, "Ready?"

"Yea," Bosco nodded looking down at the papers again, "its over, finally. Lets go home."

All three walking back to the truck, Bosco loading the last of the bags of things he'd taken from the cabin, his cabin now, into the back before climbing into the back seat.

Ty pulled away from the cabin glancing once in the rearview mirror to see Bosco looking at him instead of back at the cabin, as they merged onto the mountain road, a soft smile greeting him, Ty saw the changed look in his eyes, and knew that finally it truly was over, or as over as it could ever be.

"So," Faith asked turning to look back at Bosco, "are you going to keep this place or what?"

"Yea," Bosco nodded, gently squeezing the letter he held, "yea, I think so, something to pass down to my kids, you know? Besides, there aren't anymore ghosts here, they're all gone now. Maybe never were any to begin with. Not anymore than anywhere else in my life anyway."

"Hey," Ty grinned, "you should get Mikey to come up here, do some of that bro to bro bonding he was yaking about."

"Maybe," Bosco sighed, "he has been clean for over 6 months now, this could be a good place to start trying to make some plans in his life, we'll see, he did pretty good on that Jewelers bust last month."

"That he did," Faith laughed, "just the look on Cruz's face alone was worth the effort."

"Yea," Bosco grinned, "it was. You know what, Mikey deserves a reward for that, hey Ty you want to come up with us? I might be able to get a whole weekend next month."

"Sure," Ty smirked over at Faith, "just the guys up here, fishing, drinking, watching that big screen TV."

"Bite me," Faith laughed.

"Yea," Bosco mused as he looked down at the letter in his hand, "a new start and some good fishing," a silent good-bye to Vinny he was smiling as he finally glanced back but the cabin was gone from sight now, Bosco seeing instead Vinny's laughing face as he tricked him into cleaning out the fridge and washing the nasty containers, 'me too, Vin.'

THE END