15. I will always have a cross to wear/but the bolt reminds me I was there/so give me strength/to face this test tonight/if only I could turn back time/if only I had said what I still hide/if only I could turn back time/I would stay for the night

Bosco wasn't entirely sure why he had left Faith's in such a hurry. Everything seemed to be going wrong. She was meant to see what a jag-off Gerard actually was, not like him. He was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake setting them up.

He felt a hand slap his back and it startled him. He spun around to face Sully, who stood by the desk grinning.

"You were off in your own Bosco world there," he commented. Bosco managed a nod, the slap Sully had given him stung his back, and although you'd never catch Bosco freely admitting it the older officer was strong. "Who's the unlucky lady?"

"You mean Heaven blessed," Bosco corrected him, smirking. Sully waved the younger man off, his experience still telling him that this poor girl, whoever she was, was in for a rough ride.

"Whatever, who is she?" he asked, leaning on the desk.

"No one you know," Bosco replied. Sully frowned at him.

"She must be special," he said, eyeing his colleague suspiciously.

"Hey Boscorelli!" Swersky's voice cut in. He sounded pissed and Bosco turned to him, albeit a little reluctantly.

"Yes Boss?"

"Where the hell where you last night?" the Lieutenant snapped. Bosco was confused. He wasn't scheduled to work. What the hell had he done wrong?

"I was out," Bosco replied, crossing his arms on the desk, "Why? You missed me Lieu?"

"You were meant to be riding with the new kid last night," Swersky informed him, scowling. Bosco's brow furrowed, confused by his boss's answer. "I asked you a few days ago and you said you would. I couldn't get a hold of you all night. Your cell was switched off and you weren't at home."

"I'm sorry Boss," Bosco said, stepping back, "I totally forgot."

Both men stood looking at him waiting for an explanation as to why he wasn't contactable. His mouth motored on ahead of his mind again. "I was at Faith's all night," he spat out defensively. Sully grinned glancing towards Lieu, who had recoiled, standing back, his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed, as he evaluated the situation.

Realising how his last sentence sounded, Bosco's jaw contracted and he shook his head. "Not like that."

He looked at Sully who was still smiling like a mental patient. The older man just wanted to know how Bosco was going to wriggle out of this one.

"Listen, Boscorelli," the Lieutenant started, his eyes still glaring at the younger officer, "You're personal life is none of my business, but it is if it's affecting your work."

"No. You're not listening," Bosco interrupted, waving his hands in the air, "I was lookin' after Em."

"The seventeen year old?" Sully asked, raising his eyebrow. Bosco glowered at Sully. He had never wanted to hit someone so much in his life.

"Yeah. Faith was going out with Gerard…"

"Whoa! Faith is seeing Gerard?" Sully gasped. Oh shit, maybe he shouldn't have divulged that information…

"Ah…" Bosco glanced back at his boss who was just as interested as Sully was in the conversation. "Well anyway, she wanted me to keep an eye on Emily, after all that's happened the past few month's back."

"So let me get this straight," Sully stopped him, "You stayed over at Yokas's to look after her seventeen year old so she could go out with Keith Gerard? You stayed all night?"

"Well…yeah…but only 'cause she got back pretty late…" Bosco said, looking nervously between the two men. He felt like he was being interrogated. Sully grinned turning back to the mountain of paper work that waited his attention on the desk.

"Go Yokas," he chuckled, gathering up the files.

"No! Not like that! She had a bit too much to drink…"

"Boscorelli!" Swersky cut in, saving the young officer from digging himself an even deeper grace. "Shut up."

"Yes Sir," Bosco sighed, grateful for his boss's intervention.

"Hey you," a female voice said behind him. He felt a hand snake across his back and he turned smiling timidly at the face. Erin smiled back, nodding at the Lieutenant and Sully. "Hello Lieutenant Swersky," she said. He stuck up his hand to acknowledge the attractive female.

"Miss Meyers," he replied. She turned back to Sully.

"I don't believe we've met," she said, sticking out her hand. He gave it a firm shake.

"John Sullivan," he told her, "Everyone calls me Sully."

"Erin Meyers," she replied, "Everyone calls me…well Erin."

Both laughed, Sully obviously charmed by her beauty and smile. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a sleek ponytail and she wore a grey dress suit, with a skirt that fell just below the knee. She looked just as beautiful as the night of their date. Bosco kept his eyes firmly fixed on her; acutely aware of the hand she had placed on the small of his back.

"Hey Erin," a male voice said from behind them. She turned to face her cousin and gave a big bright smile. How these two could have been related was beyond Bosco.

"Keith," she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She turned to face the group again. "You know everybody right?"

He nodded, grinning at Bosco. He shifted uncomfortably under the man's intense gaze. "Yeah…I know everybody."

Bosco glanced at Sully who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "So…" he began, "How do we all know each other?"

Erin chuckled, playing with the ends of her hair.

"Well," Gerard said, "Bosco's seeing my cousin Erin. And I'm seeing…"

"Yokas," Swersky cut in his eyes fixed on the door. She stood in the foyer, the look on her face one of horror and sheer dread as hr eyes fixed on the group. Bosco looked down at Erin. Her hand dropped like a lead weight and her face pretty much did the same thing.

Gerard however smiled as she approached. She moved apprehensively, almost like she did when they had lost a perp in a building. She was cautious of the situation, edging her way up to Sully.

"Hi," she choked out, glancing between them all.

"You're not working today," Swersky said, frowning. She looked at her boss, startled by his observation.

"No…I was called in," she told him, "Jelly wanted me."

"He obviously needs to get in queue," Sully mumbled under his breath. Bosco caught it and glared angrily at the man. He shifted his eyes back to Faith. She stood, wringing her hands together, while alternately jerking on the balls of her feet.

"Hello Erin," she said forcing a smile at the younger woman. Erin tried to smile but she wasn't quite sure if it had formed or not.

Sully's smile had now gotten so wide he could've caught flies in his open mouth. "Well isn't this just…fun," he said. Faith looked at him nervously and then back at Bosco.

Gerard was completely unaware of the awkward atmosphere, turning to face the blonde woman. "How are you today?" he asked, smiling down at her. She looked up into his face and was caught by his infectious grin, giving him one of her own knee weakening smiles.

For some reason Bosco's heart leaped in his chest and he felt the need to take Erin's hand, just to remind himself that this was the woman he wanted to go home with tonight. She looked disconcerted by his tight grasp of her hand, but instead of pulling away, entwined her fingers with his.

The gestures hadn't gone unnoticed by the Lieutenant and Sully, and Swersky merely coughed to remind the couples of where they where.

"There you are!" Jelly's voice exclaimed.

"You have got to be kidding me," Bosco muttered rolling his eyes to the sky. The overweight man trudged towards the group, sweat smeared across his brow. "I called you about an hour ago, what took you so long?"

"I'm not meant to be workin' today remember?" Faith snapped, glaring at him, "I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart."

Finally he noticed the size of the group, taking in all the faces as they stared back at him.

"What is this? The Brady bunch reunion?" he asked, his gaze fixing on Sully. The other officer only smiled and shrugged.

"You've been missin' all the fun," Sully replied, smirking. The lieutenant had finally had enough of the antics and waved them off.

"Don't you lot have work to do?" he asked, asserting himself with a tone of authority.

"I'll catch you later for dinner?" Erin asked Bosco in a whisper as she took both of his hands in hers. He stared at Faith who talked quietly with Gerard, laughing at something he whispered in her ear.

"Yeah…of course…" he gulped, looking down at her. She leant up kissing his lips softly and waving as she made her way past the other couple and out the doors.

He watched while Faith said goodbye to Gerard, and, like a proper lady, let him kiss her cheek. Both men watched memorized as she followed Jelly to the office, listening intently to what he was telling her.

Bosco tried his best to ignore the churning feeling in his stomach as he caught Gerard's stunned gaze. He dug his hands into his back pockets and stared at the man, who for some reason still not known to him, he considered a threat.

He wanted to accept him but it was hard. This was his Faith.

His Faith.

He never wanted her to hurt or to cry and for some reason he thought that might just happen if she were to fall for a guy like Gerard. But he knew in his heart she was a big girl and she could take care of herself. He just wished he could let her.

He tried to think of Erin, her smile, her face, that gorgeous body. She was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen. And he kept that in mind as Gerard turned and told him how grateful he was for Bosco's help, and how he'd never met anyone like Faith before.

Gerard's words spun around in Bosco's head as he told him how he'd never felt like this before about any woman and how he promised he'd take care of her. And with that he disappeared into the locker rooms leaving Bosco completely stunned. He looked back up at the office and caught Faith's eye.

He gazed up at her and she smiled feebly, waving at him through the glass. He did the same and mouthed an inaudible 'hi' up at her. She turned her head smiling, breaking the moment.

What the hell was wrong with him?