Concrete Angel Part 3

Disclaimer: Just for fun, not a profit. Don't sue.

Authors Note: Sorry if you all thought I dropped off the face of the Earth. It felt like it though. I've been home for the past few weeks and unable to use a computer. Next week I'll be back at my own place with my computer so there shouldn't be huge delays in me posting. Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed this the chapter. It means so much!

Feedback: Please? I don't like to beg but will if I have to. Please (I'm making the pouty look that always used to get me what I wanted). Hehe, ok seriously though, I'd love feedback :)

Takes place the same day Part 2 ended.

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Concrete Angel Part 3

The ride was silent. Bosco stopped at a corner florist and bought some lilies. They got in the car and headed out again. He stopped out in front of an old cemetery. Faith grabbed his hand as they walked through the gates. He stopped in front of a stone near a large tree.

"Bosco?"

"This is Tina." He motioned to the stone. "I brought you some more lilies. Looks like I need to clean this up a bit." He bent down and started to clean off the stone and the surrounding area. "Don't worry, I'll stop by and make another mark." He sat down in front of the stone.

"Bosco?"

"Sorry." He looked up at Faith. "You wanted to come. This is what I do. I talk to her. I know she can hear me." He ran his hand over the name. "This is my friend Faith. For once you got someone other than myself here to see you. Your dad died a few months back. I'm sure he's rotting in hell. You like the new stone? I couldn't bring myself to come here the day they brought it. I hope you like it. The last one some punk kids trashed along with some others. I wanted to bust their heads in.

"Last year when I went to make your mark Mr. Donnelly came out. Still fat as ever. I hadn't seen him in a long time. I still want to make him feel what we felt. He should have helped. Well, along with half the apartment building. I tried. I really did try." Bosco stood up and wiped some tears away. "I gotta go. I told you were my best friend and I meant it. Just like I know you'll always watch out for me."

Bosco waited for Faith to get up before walking back to his car. He felt her reach for his hand once more. It was comforting. He tried to move to his car, but he couldn't move. Tina was alone again. Every time he left, she was alone. All alone. He was the only left to remember her.

~ A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot"

"What's this mark you have to make?" Faith asked.

"Let's go," Bosco said as he walked away. He got in the car and they arrived at the same apartment building they were at the day before. He got out and walked to the steps. "This place is so special because Tina and I grew up here. She was born and she died here."

"Who was she?"

"My best friend." Bosco opened the main door and held it open for Faith. He walked down a long hallway and down some steps. "On her birthday and mine we would make a mark on the wall down in laundry room. I make hers now." He stopped when he reached the wall. Two names were carved in the wall. Maurice and Tina.

"Hey!" a voice called.

"Yeah?" Bosco turned to the voice. He had his Swiss army knife to the wood.

"So it's you who has been doing that. I've been wondering all these years." An old fat man leaned against the door. "You knew those kids or something?"

"Something." Bosco finished the mark.

"Shame what happened to the girl. Her friend was never the same after that. Poor boy. Used to sit across from her place and watch the door."

"You look the same Mr. Donnelly. Surprised you still live here." Bosco ran his hand over the marks.

"Grew up here. Like it enough," he said.

"How do you live with yourself?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"How do you live with yourself knowing you could have prevented what happened to Tina. What would happen to me and Mikey and my Ma? You knew. You just didn't care." Bosco got closer to the fat man.

"Bosco, calm down."

"Not now Faith."

"Little Maurice Boscorelli? I'll be damned," he said softly. "Guess you ain't so little now, are you?"

"No." Bosco closed his eyes, trying to calm his nerves. "You still ignoring the things that go on under your nose?"

"It wasn't my place to do anything. Your pop and hers had their ways of raising kids. Who was I to step in?"

"We couldn't do anything! Tina couldn't do anything. You could have stopped it. That night, you heard. You saw her." Bosco's temper was shining through.

"I know. I should have done something, I regret that. I thought he was done when you knocked on the door. I'm sorry. It's in the past now. It can't be changed." Mr. Donnelly stepped as far away from Bosco as he could.

"I've wished so many times that you would do something. Then somewhere along the line, I wished you would hurt as much as we did. Now, looking at you I just don't care. You have to live with it," he said as he turned to leave. "Let's go."

Bosco walked away with Faith following. He reached the driver's side door when he suddenly stopped. He stared at the front steps and for a moment he could have sworn he heard Tina. It was all in his mind. He wanted to see the face he hadn't seen since he was a boy. Tears streamed down his face.

"I'll drive," Faith said.

He didn't say a word. Walking to the other side he refused to take his eyes off the steps. He finally made himself get in the car. It was hitting him harder than most years. You would think that after all the time that had gone by he wouldn't feel it as much. The pain in his heart was just as bad as when he found out his best friend had died. No, she didn't die. She was killed, by her own father and no one seemed to care.

"Bosco, we're at your place." Faith opened her door then walked to Bosco's. She had to practically drag him out.

"This isn't happening."

"What?"

"Me, being like this. It can't be happening." He opened his apartment door. "I can't be that kid. I can't go back to what I was when she died."

"You're scaring me." Faith pulled him towards her making him look at her.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am. It's just I don't know why I'm feeling like this again. I got over the pain. It used to be that I just missed her. What I'm feeling now, it's like I'm eight all over again."

"Tell me about it then."

"You'll think I was a nut job." He noticed she nodded her head no. "Fine. Tina's dad beat her just as much as my dad beat my Ma and me. The night before her birthday I heard him yelling at her and her crying. I just got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that she wouldn't be ok after this one. I pounded on their door, determined to stop him. I made a scene until I got to see Tina. I wanted to kill her dad when I saw her." He held back a sob.

"It's ok, Bosco. Cry if you have to."

"It's just that she looked so broken. Her blonde hair . . . she loved her hair. . . she used to pride herself on how shiny and long it was. Anyway, her hair was all matted and smeared with red. I thought how she'd try to joke about it the next morning. Then I saw her bruised eye. I couldn't see the blue eyes that used to sparkle when she laughed. They were dead. Tina gave me a hug and told me to go home. I didn't want to let her go. My dad finally came out and dragged me home. That night I could hear Tina's cries mixed in with my own as my dad punished me for getting into their business."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Faith whispered. Her own eyes were welling up with tears as she saw the pain in his eyes.

"The next day, I found out her dad had beat her to death. I ran to her apartment, ripping the police tape off the door. I called her name. I couldn't believe she had left me. I didn't want to believe she was dead. Death meant she'd never come back. I locked myself in her room. My parents thought I went to school that day. I spent the whole day curled up in her bed. No one found me until the police came back and found me in her room." Bosco couldn't hold the tears anymore and gave in. "I . . . I didn't talk to anyone. Not for weeks. Dad even tried beating me into talking. I was so mad. Mad at the world. Mad at myself. I knew it was my fault. I made her dad even more mad."

"Bosco, you were eight. You were just trying to help your friend. It wasn't your fault. Is that what you believed?"

"Yes. It's true. It was just as much my fault as anyone else's. I should have told someone about her dad. About my own. Even after the fact, I kept my mouth shut. The police tried talking to me. I wouldn't talk. They wanted to do something after the fact. No one wanted to do it before. It took her dying for them to get off their asses. For me to see just how serious it was. You don't know Faith. It kills me inside. I let my dad beat on my family because I was scared that if I tried anything he would kill me like Tina's dad did."

"Stop blaming yourself. You were a kid. Your dad should have been protecting you, not hurting you. It wasn't your job to be the head of the family, the protector. You were supposed to be a kid. You and Tina were supposed to have fun riding bikes, playing tag, whatever. It's not your fault what happened to you and Tina. Believe that. Please." Faith pulled him to a hug. "Please believe that."

"I want to, it's just . . .," he trailed off.

"Then just believe it. God, why didn't you talk to anyone about this before?"

"How could I? I didn't let anyone close enough to me before you. You are the only one I could ever tell." He pulled back. Bosco rubbed at his eyes. "I feel like a chick or something bawling like that. I'm gonna go wash my face."

"Bosco," Faith started.

"I'll be a second."

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Faith watched him leave the room. Not once had he ever showed this much emotion to her. Her heart broke as he relayed that part of his childhood. She would do anything to have changed his childhood. How could she understand what he went through. She never got beat and she never lost a best friend at such a young age.

"We gotta get ready for work," she called to him.

"We actually going to go in together today? Or do I have let you out around the corner?" he joked. He was now standing in the living room.

"Funny. Look, soon. We can be open about us, soon. It's just you know that once Swersky finds out we can't be partnered anymore. I don't want a new partner just yet. I like my current partner."

"Yeah? What do you like about him?" Bosco pulled her to him.

"Oh, his lack of tact. The way he runs his mouth, the way he can be a complete jerk one moment but then the sweetest guy in the next."

"That doesn't sound like your partner."

"I'm sorry. That wasn't you?" she chuckled a bit. "I'll try again. I like the way he tries to hide the fact that he's watching me when I sleep."

"I do not."

"I'm not done. I like, no I love the way he protects me. Mostly I love that he loves me."

"Yeah, I got this partner too. She's about the best anyone could ask for." He looked into her eyes. "I love everything about you Faith. I even love that you push me so hard to open up. It just shows you care."

"Like I said, I don't want a new partner just yet." She smiled. Then his lips brushed across hers. "I'm here for you."

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Faith and Bosco were driving around their sector that same day. Bosco was feeling down because of what the day meant. Faith was doing her best to cheer him up. He didn't know why it hit him so hard this year more than others. Something had to trigger his reaction. It wasn't like it didn't hurt to remember the day his best friend died all those other years, it was just as time went by the pain lessened.

"Meg reminds me of Tina," he said out of nowhere.

"How so?"

"Dunno. Same hair and eyes."

"That all?"

"I hope so," he whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking. Forget I brought it up." Bosco turned his attention back to the road. He was quiet for a few minutes. "Do you think . . . ah, never mind."

"No, what were you going to ask?" Faith questioned.

"Do you think maybe Meg's dad abuses her? I mean it's probably just me being paranoid or whatever."

"You serious? He wouldn't be dumb enough to beat his daughter with a cop living next door. Do you have some kind of proof that made you think this?"

"My gut is telling me this guy is no different than my pop and Tina's. Like I said though, it's probably nothing." He took a deep breath. "Like you said, he can't be that dumb and there hasn't been anything to really make me suspect."

Bosco turned down the street and began to drive them away from their sector. Faith didn't question him. They drove in silence. He just had to make sure. He would just ask a few simple questions then get confirmation that he was wrong. That was all then they could get back to work and maybe the feeling in the pit of his stomach would go away.

"Boz, why are we at your place?" Faith finally questioned.

"I need to do something. Call us out of service or whatever." He jumped out of the car, leaving Faith behind. Bosco found himself at Meg's door. He knocked and a young girl answered.

"I didn't call the police. Got the wrong place."

"No, I live across the hall. I need to talk to Meg. You must be her sitter. It was irresponsible of you to leave before I got home to watch Meg. Something could have happened." Bosco felt stupid talking about responsibility, but he was still mad about what the girl had done.

"She's a smart kid, locks the doors, knows how to call for help if she needs it," Carly said. "Meg, your friend the cop is here," she yelled.

"Thanks," Bosco sighed.

"Yeah, no problem." She turned and walked away.

"Mr. Bosco." Meg appeared in the doorway. "Wow, I've never seen you in your uniform. It's pretty cool."

"You think?" He smiled. "I need to talk to you."

"I'm not in trouble or anything, am I?"

"No, nothing like that. Can we go in and talk?"

"Carly has someone over she's studying with or something. I've been in my room. I'm trying to stay out of their way." Meg walked out into the hallway and shut the door behind her. "What's wrong?"

"You know that you can tell me anything, right? Anything at all." Bosco sat down next to her door.

"Like what?" Meg sat down next to him.

"Anything." He looked down at his hands.

"Do you ever shoot people with your gun?" she asked.

"I try not to use it. If I have to, I will. Haven't had to yet." He patted the gun.

"Are there people you'd like to shoot?"

"Meg?" he questioned, unsure of what to say.

"Sorry. I just mean I know it's wrong to hurt someone. But if you could?"

"No, I don't think I'd actually shoot someone. Thinking about it maybe. You do know that no one has the right to hurt someone else? It's wrong."

"What do you know about it?"

"More than I should," Bosco said. He cringed inward. He was afraid this conversation would go this way. He wanted his fears to just be paranoia, not confirmed.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. My dad used to hit on my ma and me. It was wrong of him. We didn't deserve it. He might have loved us, but he was hurting us more." He wanted to throw up at the mention that his father might have loved him and his mom. A man who loves his family doesn't beat up on them, he thought.

"I'm sorry. Look, I gotta go." She jumped up then wrapped her arms around him. "I wish you were my daddy," she whispered before running into the house.

Bosco sat there on the floor until he heard Faith's footsteps. She pulled him up gently. He was fighting the tears that were threatening to spill. How could he not have seen? A little girl was being abused right across the hall and he did nothing. Well, he swore that would change.

"I called in. Might as well take our lunch here." Faith walked to Bosco's door. "What happened?"

"I think, no I know that Meg's dad has been beating her. I just need proof." He fumbled with his keys and opened the door.

"That's why we came here? So you could ask her?" She sat down at the table.

"Yep. She didn't come out and say it, but I know." He opened his fridge and pulled out some lunch meat. "It's more than the hair and eyes that remind me so much of Tina. It's the look in her eyes. The fear. I know that look more than I want to."

"What do you want to do about it?"

"Call Social Services? I don't know. I really don't know." He made two sandwiches. "She said she wished I was her dad. Can you imagine that?"

"It's sweet . . . and sad. Why don't we eat then go back to the station house and see if maybe Lieu has some suggestions."

"Yeah, I guess."

That night after their shift Bosco sat in his apartment alone nursing a beer. He and Faith talked to Lt. Swersky and he told him that the right thing to do would be to call Social Services. Which he did. Waste of time, he thought. The lady on the phone said they'd look into it. Bosco was afraid by the time they got to it it would be too late. He couldn't sit back and let Meg be handed the same fate Tina got .

"Yeah?" he barked into the phone that had caused an annoying ringing and brought him out of his thoughts.

"I love you too."

"Faith, sorry," he softened.

"Charlie and Em are asleep. Wanna come over? Thought you might not want to be alone."

"Thanks, but I think I'm going to stay here. Just keep an eye on things."

"Yeah, ok. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Love ya too. Bye."

And that's how it was every night for the next week. Bosco refused to leave his apartment at night. He felt it was his duty to be there if Meg needed him. If he was there, maybe her dad wouldn't do anything. As much as he wanted to hurt the man, he knew it wouldn't solve things. Everyday he'd get up in time to greet Meg before she'd leave for school then he'd go back to bed, relieved that she showed no signs of abuse. That didn't mean it wasn't going on.

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A/N: Yeah, I know the ending lacks the whole cliffhanger, edge of your seat kinda feel. Just wanted to set things up for the next part.