Bosco's thoughts are in italics. Have fun and please leave review.

"You are late."- Swersky said. He looked at his watch and added "Twenty minutes."

Cruz didn't reply verbally, her only answer was a dirty look she threw him, something of similar meaning to "Bite me."

"It's not Maritza's fault. I just couldn't let her go, so don't blame her, Sir."- David said earnestly.

"So Mr. Know-all knows how to suck up? Oh come on, make a complete idiot of yourself trying to flatter Lieu, you jagoff!"- Bosco thought, malicious grin appeared on his face.

" No need to worry, David. She is staying in my good book as long as she scores her number of collars."- Swersky replied somewhat folksy and he unknitted his brow. He was coming to like the young man.

"David! Since when they are chumming up with this jerk? Monroe we are going to talk. SERIOUSLY."- Bosco locked his eyes with Monroe's and he could see fear in them.

"So you knew something and didn't share? Yeah, be afraid, you have a reason."

"So you two had lunch together?"- Davis asked incredulously. He still couldn't believe that the girl standing in front of him could be Cruz. He had never seen her so ..., yeah the word was HAPPY.

"Yep, and then we strolled around the park for a while. "- Cruz spoke for the first time. And she was boasting.

"And then I wanted to walk you to the station and you didn't want to agree."- David said playfully and turned his head so that he was facing her. Now they were sharing a shy smile.

"But you managed to persuade her."- Bosco spoke in a honeyed voice but those who had to bear with him recognized the mocking, sarcastic tone. Including Cruz.

"Streets could be dangerous for a single, attractive woman."- David replied.

"Are you kidding me? Or playing dumb? She is ACU Sergeant; do you have any idea what it is? Streets dangerous to her? Not as much as you messing with her head."- Bosco thought, anger bubbling up.

"Yeah, if you hadn't walked her many things might or MIGHT NOT have happened. "- Bosco answered calmly, his obvious hint made the color rush to Cruz's cheeks.

"Oh I see that great minds think alike."- David said waggishly. He didn't notice the cryptic message in Bosco's words and was pretty satisfied that he reached understanding with another Cruz's friend. He didn't see that all Bosco said was meant to offend him in one way or another.

"So he is licking my boots now? Whoop-de-do, I am gonna become a member of this mutual admiration society."

" Oh really? Because Bosco has only one-track mind. ALL he ever talks about is sex."- Cruz bit back sarcastically. To see Bosco furious and bristling around and because of her was bringing her some kind of perverse satisfaction. She was unbeatable when it came to one thing, embarrassing people and getting on his wick. So now all of them were left speechless and uneasy how to deal with this uncalled-for comment of hers. She was trying to stifle an impish grin but her eyes gave her away. Undeniably, she was pleased with herself and didn't even flinch while Bosco was looking daggers at her. But it was Cruz in a nutshell. Even now she was challenging him. After a while Monroe broke this strained silence, trying to shift their attention to something else and clear the atmosphere.

" You got a teddy bear, how nice. Nobody ever gave me a one."- Monroe said and gave Davis a meaningful look.

Indeed Cruz was holding something big, downy, woolly and baby pink. You could tell it was some kind of animal, judging from long, floppy ears it could a dog or maybe elephant. To tell what it really presented was beyond Bosco's power. Beside the fluffiness of the situation was making him sick.

"Actually she won it for me."- he corrected and seeing their baffled faces, except of course Bosco, continued " We were walking and there was this shooting gallery and you know the guy working there were encouraging to take a shot and well they were teasing that I should win a bear and well..."- David babbled.

"Oh, God and they say that the fittest survives? How this walking naivety could last so long in this jungle called NY?"-Bosco reflected and then it hit him.

"Stop pitying him you idiot, it's what he wants, to put your vigilance to sleep with this Oh-I-am-so-innocent. The little sneaky fox is playing on her heart- strings to make her dance to his tune. But it's not gonna happen, oh I will make sure of that."- Bosco was full of determination.

"The guy pissed me off so I taught him a lesson."- Cruz finished for him and passed him the bear or whatever it was. After a moment of hesitation she gave him a peck on the cheek and said goodbye. In her opinion she had already wasted too much time on this and wanted to get back to her work.

"It was nice too meet you all, Lieutenant."- David said, nodded at Swersky and retreated.

Momentarily Monroe, Davis and Swersky were back in their files, reports, complaints and so on. Only Bosco was staring at her. In fact he glued his eyes at her.

"What?"- she demanded casually but received no response. Something about his look was making her uneasy, he was like a cat that has just swallowed a canary.

"Over my dead body."- Bosco thought to himself, chuckled and left her standing there.