TITLE: A Friend in Need
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue RATING: PG-13 tops currently
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith , kim/bobby ?
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.
AUTHORS NOTES: all right this one's about kim telling joey that she's dating bobby, i know i've been focusing on her a lot, and i promise there's some mega drama coming faith's way which includes bosco so stay tuned for THAT, reviews always graciously accepted, thank you to everyone who has dropped a line about this fic it really makes me feel like i'm writing this for the masses and not just cause i feel like it!

ookay since it's not letting me use my usual time break denatation from here on in XX is for meanwhile and xxxx is for a time break sorry of the confusion

Kim was in the bathroom putting on some makeup. Bobby was going to be there any minutes. They were going out for supper. They were bringing Joey along to tell him what was going on between them.

It was her day off, and she was happy for the break. She spent the entire day playing with Joey. He didn't know why he was getting the extra attention, but he was glad for it. After seeing that girl have a baby at fifteen, she wanted to spend every spare moment she had with him.

"Where are we going Mommy?" asked Joey, entering the bathroom.

"I told you, we're going out," she told him.

"Out where?"

"To a restaurant."

"With Daddy?"

"No, honey, not with Daddy."

"With who then?"

"With Bobby."

"Okay."

There was a buzz at the door.

"Can you let Bobby in honey?" she asked.

"Okay!" he replied.

He scampered off to find the phone to let Bobby up, then opened the door when he heard him knock two quick taps in a row.

"Bobby!" he exclaimed, happy to see him.

"I missed you too Joey!" Bobby said, excitedly. "So did your mother tell you what's going on?"

"She said that we're all going for supper cause you need to tell me something."

"All right, good. Where is she?"

"Putting on her face."

Kim came out of the bathroom. "Where did you hear that?"

"Daddy."

Kim sighed, why did he teach him things like that? Jimmy always complained about not seeing Joey enough. But whenever he did he'd either get sick from eating the wrong things, or he'd learn a new phrase she didn't like.

"So how about I tell you what we need to tell you, before we go out?" Kim asked.

"Okay!" said Joey, excited to hear the news.

"Bobby's gonna be around her a little bit more from now on."

"Why?"

"Because Bobby's my boyfriend now."

"Oh," he looked upset.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked him.

"So Mommy's your girlfriend now?"

"Yeah."

"Mommy you can't be Bobby's girlfriend." He told his mother, with a very serious expression on his face.

"Why not?" she asked him.

"Because whenever Daddy has a girlfriend, I see her once, and then I don't see her again. I don't want you or Bobby to go away!"

"We're not going anywhere, that's why we told you the truth."

"No, but all of Daddy's girlfriends go away."

"How many have you met?"

He looked at the floor. "It's supposed to be a secret."

"All right, I'll talk to you your daddy tomorrow."

"Hey Joey, do you know what a pinky promise is?" Bobby asked him, crouching down, to be eye to eye with him.

"No," he replied.

"It's a special kind of promise, that you seal with a pinky shake, so it's even worse if you break it. It's worse then hope to die and stick a needle in your eye."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so I'm gonna pinky promise you, that I'm not gonna go away from you or your mommy for a very long time."

His eyes light up. "All right!"

"Good now hold out your pinky, and I'll hold out mine, and we just kind of move so that a pinkies are curled together." He did as Bobby had told him. "I pinky promise you, Joey, that me and your mom aren't going anywhere for a long time."

He smiled. "Okay."

"Joey, do you have your jacket?" Kim asked him.

"No," he replied.

"Got get it, please."

He went into his room. Leaving Kim and Bobby alone. She smiled at him, and kissed him lightly.

"Thank you for that," she told him.

"It's the only thing I could think of to calm him down."

"It seems to have worked. I really need to talk to Jimmy about who he's introducing him to."

"Good idea." He leaned in and kissed her again.

"Ewww! Cooties!" Joey said, coming out of his room.

"You ready to go?" Kim asked him.

"Yup!"

They all left the small apartment, to go for supper.

XX

Across town Fred had just come home from his first AA meeting. The kids were at their grandparent's as Fred decided to celebrate actually going through with his first AA meeting when his wife got home from work.

He even found some candles to put on the table to make it more romantic. He had bought heat and serve lasagna hoping that it would all be ready when Faith came in. The door opened only a few minutes after he had put it in the oven.

She smiled at him, when she realized what he had planned. She looked quizzically at the wine glasses on the table, until she noticed a bottle of apple juice on the table between two candles.

"I wanted to celebrate going to my first meeting," he told his wife.

She smiled at him. "That'll be nice."

"I'll pick up the kids when we're done, all right?"

"I really like the sound of that."

It was not long before the lasagna was warmed. He went into the kitchen, cut two pieces, put them onto two plates, then joined his wife at the table. Handing her one plate. She smiled at him.

They ate in relative silence, he then cleared and washed the plates. She had gone into the living room. She knew she would have to talk to him at some point. He joined her on the couch. He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"How was the meeting?" she asked him.

"It was good, not really what I thought it would be," he told her.

"What were you expecting?"

He shrugged. "Not that, I guess. I mean, it was good, talked to lots of people about drinking, and how they cope with their urges to start drinking again."

"That sounds good."

He nodded. "It really was, I'm glad I decided to go. I'm sure that with the therapist and these meetings we'll be just fine."

"I hope so."

"How are we doing?"

"We're still not good Fred."

She had wanted to lie, but she knew that would make things worse. She was far from a point where she could trust him again. They had been taking turns sleeping on the couch, and she knew it was getting to him.

"What do I have to do?" he asked.

"You've gone to one meeting, and we've been to one therapy session. This isn't going to get fixed that quickly."

"I just want things to be back to normal around here."

"I want that too, really, I do, Fred. I just don't feel like we're close to being there."

"Is anything I can do going to be enough?"

"I want it to be, but it's not going to be fixed in a few days. Go to a few more meetings, go a little longer without drinking. Go to more therapy sessions, that's how this is going to get fixed. There isn't a quick fix here Fred, and I'm sorry if you thought that there as going to be."

He looked upset. "So what do we do in the meantime?"

"What we're doing."

"What about the kids?"

"What about them?"

"They just have to see us sleeping on the couch?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather them see that, then hear us fighting again. I'm just not there yet, Fred. I'm happy your first meeting went well, but I don't know that you'll go to the next one, I need to be sure you're actually doing it for real this time, before I let you back in again."

"I just want to know when you're going to start acting like my wife again."

"When I'm ready Fred. We had a great meal, and I thought we were making progress and then you start getting on my back again!"

"Is it a crime to want to be with my wife now?"

"I don't want to fight! I'm just not ready for everything to go back to how they were! Once I know that you're not falling back in the same routine again, then I'll trust you again. Until then, you have accept that I need you at arm's length."

He sighed. "Why are you so afraid of me all of a sudden?"

"I'm not afraid of you! I'm afraid to fall back into the rut we were in before. I can't have that Fred! I can't live with that any more, and our kids shouldn't have to. Give it some time, if you can do that, then it might get better."

"Do you still love me?"

"What?"

"Just answer the question, Faith, do you still love me?"

"If I didn't love you do think I'd still be here?"

"Right now I just don't know."

"Love is about more then our sex life, love is sticking by someone even though they've made mistakes. I'm trying to do that Fred, but no matter how much I love you, I can't stick by you if you start drinking again. I can't do that!"

"So it's all about my drinking, and nothing about you?"

"I know that I'm not here as much as I should be, all right? But I need to work to keep food on the table and roof over our heads."

"Why can't you just get a normal job?"

"Because despite how much I complain about what the city pays, I'd make less at any other job I'm qualified for. Besides, I actually like my job most days, do you want to deny me that?"

He shook his head. "I'm just frustrated."

She nodded. "Look, a few more weeks on this path, and I'll believe that it's for real this time, all right?"

"I'm gonna do it, Faith."

"I want you to, I don't want to see you fail. We've worked so hard to get here."

He smiled at her. "I'll go get the kids before we start fighting again."

"Good idea."

He left the house, and she began to calm down. She knew that he was on right track, but she had to make sure he stuck with it. Once she knew that he was sticking to it, then she'd know that it was all worth it.

She just couldn't let her guard down until she knew for sure that the changes in him were going to be permanent. She knew they had to be making progress since they weren't still fighting.

He had accepted her explanation for why she wanted to wait a little longer to let him back in completely. He knew he was lucky that she had let him back in the house, and he was grateful, but he missed things the old way, when things were good between them.

They both missed not having the pendulum of divorce over their heads, but only time could stop it's swing. They both just hoped that the drinking would not start again, and they could be a real family again.

XX

Kim, Bobby, and Joey were coming back from the restaurant. In the backseat Joey had fallen asleep. Kim looked back to check on him.

"I think we tired him out," she said.

Bobby quickly glanced behind him, then looked back the road.

"So we did," he replied. "When we get to your place I'll just carry him to his room if you'd like."

"That's a good idea."

He pulled up to the apartment building. Kim got out, and opened the back door. Bobby carefully picked up the sleeping child, he hardly flinched. Kim went ahead opening doors for them.

When they got to Joey's bedroom Kim pulled back the sheets, and Bobby placed him on the bed. She carefully removed his shoes, and socks, then his jacket. She pulled his blanket over him, kissed him on the forehead, then they both left the room.

They went into the living room, and got comfortable on the couch. She snuggled up to him. He took her hand, as she laid her head on his chest.

"Do you want another one?" he asked, her, running his other hand through her hair.

"I could deal with one more. Joey wants a little or brother really bad, he asks Santa for one every Christmas."

Bobby laughed. "I've always wanted a couple of kids."

"That doesn't surprise me, you're great with Joey. You'll make a great father one day."

He smiled at her. "You think?"

"You're better with Joey then Jimmy is most of the time, that has to tell you something."

"Jimmy's Joey's father, I can't be better then him."

"You are. You just know what to do with a kid. Jimmy treats him like a little adult, when what he wants is to be a kid."

Bobby nodded. "You have to let kids be kids."

She nodded, then leaned in to kiss him. He kissed her lightly, but pulled away before it got too heated.

"We're taking this slowly, Kim, remember?" he asked her.

"I know, but-" she tried to argue.

"Let's keep going really slowly. I should be getting home."

"Stay?"

"Not tonight, sorry."

She nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too, and that's why I have to leave."

She nodded, grudgingly, and he left the apartment. She knew he was right, she was still too uncertain about everything to take it any further. She knew she loved him, but she always knew that sleeping with him could still ruin everything again.

She had to make sure she didn't do that again now that her son was expecting them to be together for a while.

She got into her pajamas, checked on her son, who was still sleeping, then crawled into bed. For a while she laid awake thinking about how she'd ask Jimmy about who he had been introduction their son to. She was finally able to fall asleep by letting her thoughts drift to Bobby.

xxxx

Faith and Kim had decided to meet for quick coffee before work. They both needed to vent from the night before. Faith arrived a little later then she had hoped, so their coffee time would be cut short.

"Good morning," said Faith, sitting down across from her friend.

Kim smiled. "Good morning."

"How was your day off?"

"Wonderful, I spent most of the day playing with Joey. Then Bobby came over and we told him that we were dating."

"How did he take?"

"Better then I thought he would. Other then he thinks that a girlfriend is someone he meets once, and then never sees again."

Faith was puzzled. "Why would he think that?"

"It would seem that my ex husband has been introducing him to some of his girlfriends. Joey only sees them once, and then he never sees them again."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so when I told him Bobby was my boyfriend now, he told me I couldn't be Bobby's girlfriend, or one of us would go away."

"Poor thing. What did you do?"

Kim shook her head. "Bobby pinky promised him he wouldn't go away for a long time."

Faith smiled. "Did it work?"

"Yeah it did, but now I need to talk to Jimmy."

"I'm sure that'll be fun."

Kim laughed. "I just want to know how many people he's introduced our son to."

"That's understandable."

"Your husband had his fire AA meeting last night, didn't he?" asked Kim, needing to change the subject.

"Yeah, he did."

"And?"

"He said it went well. He even made me supper."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he wants everything to go back to how it was."

"Oh."

Faith nodded. "Yeah, I told him that I really wasn't ready for that just yet, and he seemed really hurt by it."

"What, did he expect to go to one AA meeting and a therapy session and everything be magically fixed?"

"Apparently. Don't get me wrong, I want our marriage to work, but it's not going to be fixed overnight."

"I understand. If he really want it to work he'll be able to accept your terms."

"You're right, I know you are. It's just so hard."

"No one ever said it'd be easy."

"You've got a point there. Just give it time, if it still doesn't feel right, then you know what you have to do."

Faith smiled. "Yeah."

"Besides with an ex husband you get all the headaches minus the sex."

Faith laughed. "I'll remember that!"

"I should go deal with my headache."

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks, I need it."

Kim went over to the firehouse. She got ready for work before she went to find her ex husband. She found him lounging with a bunch of the guys before his shift started. They were all laughing.

"Jimmy we need to talk," she said.

"Aww, Kimmy can't it wait?" he asked.

"No, I'm here now."

"I'm right in the middle of something."

"I'll just start talking in front of everyone until you start listening."

"What's this about?"

"Joey."

"Oh, what now?" He asked, standing up, walking away from the others.

"Who have you introduced him to?"

"Well it's not like I keep him a secret, Kim. Everyone here knows he's my kid."

"I mean of the female persuasion, Jimmy, how many of your one night girlfriends have you introduced him to?"

"Don't you remember, we had a conversation about this? We agreed that we wouldn't introduce him to anyone without consulting each other."

"Yeah, I do remember that conversation, Joey told me something last night that made me think that I may have imagined the whole thing."

"Who'd you introduce him to?"

"That's not the problem here! Besides I think everyone around her knows who I'm seeing."

"So it's okay for you to introduce him to someone without telling you, but I can't?"

"If it was one someone I wouldn't really give a rats ass!"

"What makes you think that I've introduced him to more then one girlfriend?"

"Our son thinks that the definition of girlfriend is that you see her once, and then she goes away. After I told him who I was dating I had to assure him that I was not going to go away."

The group of firefighters were snickering in the background, trying not laugh. Kim glared at them, and they snuck around them, and left the room.

"Are you honestly trying to tell me that last night was the first time you've introduced Joey to one of your male visitors?"

"Yes, Jimmy, I try to keep my personal life, what little I have, separate from him. Since you had so much less time with him I assumed you had been too."

"Well you know what happens when you assume."

She shook her head. "I'm not asking you to tell me to let me know everyone you introduce him to, cause honestly I don't want to keep track of all your girlfriends. I know you're not one for commitment but just introduce him to girls you're somewhat serious about."

He was about to say something, but the fire bell went, and they had to get ready to go out.

XX

"How did Fred's meeting go?" Bosco asked his partner, as they got into the car to start their day.

"From what I understand it went well," Faith replied.

"That's good, so are things between you and him, you know, good?"

"We're not there yet, Bos."

He nodded. "So you don't want to know how good things are with me and Nicole?"

She shook heard. "Not really."

"Your loss."

"I'm sure."

"Five-five Charlie, come in," the radio crackled.

Faith was never so glad for an interruption. They raced off to the scene of a fire for crowd control.

tbc...

end notes: all right so that's this one, i have some drama on deck for this one, and some more faith stuff cause there's been a lot about kim so it'll all be evened out soon i promise! pls r&r i love to know what ppl are thinking about what i'm writing...