Title: Deep Down

Chapter: Twenty Three

Author: Kelly

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: See First Chapter

Three Days Later

Bosco sat at the desk with the most annoying typewriter on the face of the Earth. The keys clicked loudly as he typed his report, the one on Price and Benson had taken him a lot longer with Faith being absent. It turned out that Price had recruited Benson into his little game because he had access to the building site, which provided him with somewhere to keep Faith, while he made his demands. Well, Benson had certainly paid the price for that as had Price and his untimely death bothered the hell out of Bosco. As did the person who did it.

Bosco concentrated on the report in front of him. He had spent as much of his off duty hours perfecting it. Anything to get one over Cruz. A small smile crossed his face at the mere thought of it, only to be replaced by a frown. "That's it. I am gonna kick your ass!"

"You're gonna kick my ass?"

He looked to the doorway and saw Faith standing there, more colour in her face and a bright smile plastered on her face. "Not your ass," he finally said after a moment. "This damn typewriter's."

"I'm sure it has one Bosco," Faith answered walking in further and folding her arms. Bosco glared at the inanimate object a moment longer than back to Faith and smiled. "Thought you weren't due back at work for another four days?"

"I'm not," Faith answered closing the door and sitting down opposite him. "Just came in to give my report."

Bosco couldn't mistake the sound of her voice lowering at the end of the sentence, when he found her in that capsule as it was called in the note they found she hadn't been the same. Fortunately she had Fred and the kids at home to look after her and even he had tried. He knew she didn't want to talk about her experience and he wouldn't pressure her, he wouldn't do that to her. If she wanted to talk to him, he was there for her. And it would be in her own time. "You're looking a lot better," he said instead.

"I feel it," Faith said finally looking at him, crossing her hands over her stomach and sat back. "Just wish there was something more to do. I never realised how much daytime TV sucked."

"You mean five hours of Jerry Springer and soap operas aren't fun?" Bosco answered sarcastically. That mustered a chuckle from Faith, it was a good sound to hear.

"Don't make me shoot you," Faith replied as she stopped chuckling yet there was still a twinkle in her eye. He always knew how to make her feel better.

Bosco sobered up enough to be serious, even though for him it was a hard task to accomplish. He watched Faith carefully and without intention he knew she would take it the wrong way. She had said to him that she was sick of everyone handling her as if she were going to break down any second. "Before you ask," Faith said emphatically. "I'm fine."

"I wasn't gonna ask that," Bosco answered.

"Pull the other one," Faith said cutting him off and sitting up in a defensive posture. Bosco knew better than to argue with Faith Yokas, so he let the comment slide and decided to own up and come clean. "Okay I was," he answered quietly. "We're all just concerned, those guys put you through hell Faith." If Benson hadn't have already been dead and if Cruz hadn't have shot Price, he was sure that he would have done it himself for what they put Faith through. Yet, he wasn't about to admit that part to Faith. She had enough to deal with and he didn't want to add to her problems. The silence was intense.

"How's the report coming?"

"Almost done actually," Bosco said with a smug grin. "I'm gonna hand it into Swersky once I'm done." Faith said forward with interest. "Want me to check it?"

"No," Bosco said a little too quickly, he didn't want her to take it the wrong way. What he wanted to say was that he wouldn't let her see the report as it concerned her and the case. Instead he said, "You're not supposed to be working, Officer Yokas."

"Well I know where I'm not wanted," Faith said getting out of her chair and heading over to the door. "I'd better get back before Fred starts worrying where I am. You know how he gets."

Bosco stood up from behind the desk. "Faith…"

She stopped then turned to face him. "Yeah?"

Bosco mustered a small smile for his partner. "Come back to work soon, 55 David isn't the same without you."

A smile crept its way onto her face as she looked at him and nodded her head slowly. "You betcha," she answered before disappearing through the door.

Bosco, report in hand, walked the short distance to Swersky's office and rapped his knuckles on the door gently then waited. "Come in."

"Hey," he said swinging the door open with his free hand, he took a step forward and dropped it on his cluttered desk as he spoke. "Here's the report."

"Come in and close the door." Bosco quickly obeyed and turned to face Swersky, normally when he requested something like this of him he ended up getting thoroughly chewed out by the older man. From the look on the lieutenant's face, this wasn't one of those instances.

"Sir?"

Swersky picked up the report and started to flick through it, he'd read it in more thorough detail soon and appearing happy with what he had seen, put it back down on the surface. "You did good work Bosco, never told you that."

"Thank you sir but I'm not sure I deserve it."

"Come on Boscorelli, I've never known you to be modest."

"Perhaps not sir, I didn't do this to earn credit." Bosco looked him directly in the eye as he leaned on the desk. "I just wanted to get my partner back safe and sound."

"And you did…"

"Yes sir. I did." Bosco stood up straight and put his hands behind his back. He looked round; he'd never been good with taking praise, probably because it hardly ever happened in all his time with NYPD. "Is there anything else sir? I'm a little busy at the moment." Swersky shook his head and smiled, opening the report once more.

Bosco stepped out the office, closing the door to quietly and nodded to Sully and Davis who were going out on yet another call. He would've considered them lucky but he wouldn't be entirely comfortable going back out in 55 David until Faith was back by his side. He needed to be with someone he trusted entirely. He spotted Cruz; her arm still bandaged yet she seemed to be moving it well. Too bad, Price hadn't hit her anywhere else. That sure would have done everyone a favour and made the world a much better place to live in.

Cruz saw him and walked over to him, opened her mouth to say something but she was too pissed off that he took the credit for her case. Instead, she slipped past him and up the stairs. As Bosco watched her move away, the first genuine smile he felt in days found a home on his lips.

THE END

A/N: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews. Especially TWbasketcasewho inspired me to add more and more to it. And Cruz hate, for I hate her too which is why I made sure she got a dose of her own medicine in the end! I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

Kelly