Concrete Angel Part 4

Author's Note: I meant to post this on Monday, but I was busy moving back into my place. Then I was going to do it yesterday but I had class and then my roommate and I dyed my hair. I know I promised some people that I'd have a new chapter up by Monday, so I'm sorry. Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter. I hope ya'll are still reading.

Feedback: Do I really have to ask? Pretty please??? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is going to be hell," Bosco groaned as he sipped at his coffee.

"Tell me about it. It's bad enough pulling a double, but the graveyard shift? I can't wait until this is over and we can sleep." Faith threw her empty cup into a garbage can as they made their way back to the car.

"Let's see, its 2 am and there is no action. I thought we'd at least have a few drunks to harass," he said flatly.

"You could have made some snide remarks to that homeless man back there. That always puts ya in a good mood."

"Funny, Faith. Besides, he was sleeping," he joked. "Speaking of sleep. Wanna crash at my place?"

"You still afraid of not being there? Social Services didn't think anything was wrong. That's what they said when you called yesterday."

"And they thought her name was Lisa. That woman was incompetent. Didn't even remember the name of the child who she is supposed to protect. I don't get it. Don't they see?"

"Maybe nothing is going on."

"Not you too, Faith. I already told you."

"Are you sure you aren't just trying to save Tina all over again, but with a different girl?"

"Damnit Faith. I'm not crazy! I've been through it myself. I know the lies you make so no one will find out. I know. You don't know." He threw open the driver's side door.

"Ok, I'm sorry. I don't understand. All I do know is that if you believe in it this strongly then I am behind you all the way."

"Thanks Faith."

Bosco smiled at his partner. She always stood by him. Even when he was acting stupid she was there. He couldn't wait for the shift to end and for him to be in his bed with Faith by his side. All he had to do was hold on for a few more tiresome hours. Just a little longer and they could be in his bed fast asleep, or not. He smiled once more at that thought.

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Meg crept through the hall to her front door. She was being careful not to wake her father who was sound asleep on the couch. Her body ached with all kinds of pain. She didn't mean to make her dad mad. All she did was drop a dish and it broke. How was she to know it used to be her grandmother's good china. She peeked out the hole. The package of cookies she had made for Mr. Bosco were still on his doorstep.

She let a few tears roll down her face. She had left that there before her dad got home from work. It was just meant as a thank you for him letting her watch cartoons the day before. Now, it served as her way of knowing when he got home. Obviously her dad just didn't care anymore. That or he knew what car was Mr. Bosco's and knew he wasn't home.

Meg prayed he would come home soon. Maybe she could make up a lie about another fight or a fall down the stairs. She just needed the pain to go away. Last time her dad had beat her this bad she was in the hospital for a few days. Of course he said it was a schoolyard fight. People were so clueless. All Meg knew was that the pain was unbearable and that she needed to go to the hospital. Who knew when her dad would wake up.

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"I'm beat," Faith moaned as she dropped onto the bed.

"I hear ya." Bosco kicked his shoes off.

"It was sweet of Meg to leave you those cookies."

"Yeah, it was." Bosco yawned and snuggled up to Faith. It didn't take long for the two to nod off to sleep.

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"He's home," she squealed a little too loud.

"Keep it down, I'm sleeping."

"Sorry." Meg slowly walked to her room. On her way there she wobbled a little due to the pain and knocked into a bookshelf. A few books fell and a fish statue fell.

"MEGAN JANINE HARGROVE!" his voice boomed.

"It was accident. I swear." She backed away as he got off the couch. He only used her full name when he was really mad.

"You were the accident little girl!" He lifted his hand and it came down with a powerful force.

"No! I'm sorry daddy!"

"Shut up! Keep your voice down. We don't want the neighbors to hear." He grabbed her by the hair.

"Mr. Bosco will. He said it's wrong for you to hurt me! Stop hurting me daddy!" She cried as he slapped her then threw her in the wall.

"He did? What does he know?"

"His daddy was just like you," she spat. "I wish he was my dad, not you."

"What did you say? You little brat!"

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Bosco was slowly waking up. There was a noise in the distance but he wasn't sure what it was. He was so tired from the double he and Faith had just pulled that he allowed himself to go back to sleep.

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"You don't mean that. I give you all I have, and you still sass me? I am your one and only father!"

"All you do is hurt me. Mr. Bosco never hurts me." She cowered in the corner.

"That so? If he's your hero, where is he now? Oh that's right. You know better than to let people know." He dragged Meg out of her corner.

"Help me!" she cried.

"Don't you yell out! No one will help you."

"HELP!" she screamed louder.

"Shut up!"

"HELP! HELP! HELP!" she screamed in between blows.

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"Meg?" Bosco threw off his covers only to find Faith doing the same. He heard blood curdling screams and that sent a chill down his spine. Grabbing his gun he headed out the door.

"What the hell is going on in there?" Faith was at his side with her gun.

"HELP!"

"I'll kill you, shut up!"

One last scream was heard before Bosco pounded on the door. When no one answered it he pushed his weight into it. Some of the other neighbors began to gather. He took one look at the them then continued to pound his body into the door. The dead bolt was preventing him from opening it.

"You, call 9-11." He pointed to an old lady. "You, get me the landlord. NOW!" Bosco slammed into the door. "Open this door you bastard!"

"Mind your own business!" Meg's dad called from the other side.

"This is my business! Open the door before I break it down!"

"Sir! Open the door," Faith said more calmly than Bosco.

"What's going on here?" an old man appeared.

"I need the keys to this apartment." Bosco flashed his badge.

"Ok." The man fumbled with a big set of keys until he came across the right ones. "There you go."

"Stand back," Faith said.

Bosco threw open the door and entered with his gun drawn. He found Meg's dad over her body kicking at it. He charged at him and knocked him down. He continued to fight with the man until he was on top with the gun pressed to his forehead. He glanced over at Meg.

"I swear I could kill you."

"Bosco, don't." Faith pulled him off of Meg's dad. She grabbed a pair of handcuffs and slapped them on the man. "She's needs help, quick."

"Meg?"
"Mr. Bosco? I called for help this time." She coughed violently. "You came. I knew you'd come."

"Damn brat. I'm your father! Not him!"

Within seconds Bosco was on the man kicking him and punching him. Once again Faith had to pull him off. Bosco knelt down to Meg and held her hand. He knew it would be quicker if he drove her to the hospital than if they waited for an ambulance.

"We're taking her, Faith. It's quicker." He scooped her up and ran out the door. He waited until Faith got in then placed Meg on her lap. He was driving like a mad man. He rounded a corner and realized he had driven them to Mercy. He never really noticed that was the closet hospital to his house. He stopped his car and ran out to get Meg from Faith.

"I need help!" he called out as he entered the hospital.

"What's wrong?"

"My neighbor. Her father beat her." Bosco held her like she would break at any moment. "I couldn't wait for an ambulance."

"We'll take it from here," a doctor said. "What's her name?"

"Meg. Her name is Meg."

"If you could stay here, I'll send a nurse over to get more information from you," the doctor called as he walked away.

"Bosco? Yokas?" Nurse Proctor walked up to the pair. "What are you doing here?"

"That little girl is my neighbor. Her bastard of a father beat her." Bosco started to walk to the room Meg was in. "She gonna be ok?"

"Why don't you two wait in the lounge, I'll come get you when the doctor can tell you more."

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled. "It's 10 am. Didn't even realize it. It looked like there was some dried blood on her. Wonder how long he used her as a punching bag." Bosco opened the door to the lounge.

"She'll pull through." Faith sat down next to Bosco. "She has to."

They sat in silence. Faith held his hand and watched the clock. Bosco just stared at his shoes. He couldn't help but blame himself for this. If he hadn't agreed to take on a double shift then he would have been home for Meg. He let her down. Now she was paying for it.

"Excuse me? Are you the ones who brought in Megan Hargrove?" A young woman walked in. "I'm Lauren Sellers, Child Services. Can you tell me what happened?"

"You people sure respond fast when someone lands in the hospital. Where were you before?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't understand. I just got assigned to this case, so I'm not acquainted with it. All I know is that a child has been abused and your neighbors say it's been going on a long while. They said that tonight you and a woman entered the apartment. The police brought her father here for minor injuries. Now, what I want to know is why you didn't come to us sooner.

"I did. Numerous time. The stupid woman didn't know how to do her job. I had no proof, not until tonight. So don't talk to me like I sat back and did nothing. Had that Mitchell lady . . .," he trailed off once he saw the look on Miss Sellers face.

"Cady Mitchell was relieved of her duties for negligence. Should have been tossed in jail if you ask me. I apologize. Can you just give me your account of what happened?"

"Faith and I heard her crying and his yelling. I got the landlord to open the door. We stopped him and brought her here." Bosco dropped his head. It was a few minutes before he looked up and spoke again. "If that woman had just done her job . . . ."

"Officer Boscorelli, I can give you my word that I will do what is best for Meg. I'm not like Cady Mitchell. I will see to it that she is protected," Miss Sellers said.

He believed her. Something in her eyes told him she would make sure Meg was protected. That's all he needed to trust her. It was like a gut feeling telling him that she was different than the Mitchell lady who ignored the obvious. Lauren Sellers was what Meg had needed all along. She was what a social worker was supposed to be. And he gathered all that from a few minutes of conversation and looking at her face? Man, he was starting to change.

"What's going to happen to Meg?" Bosco questioned.

"Once she's out of the hospital we'll place her in a foster home pending any court decisions."

"What would the chance of me being able to take her?" Bosco looked at Miss Sellers.

"You mean foster care or adoption?" She took the file folder in her hand and shifted it under her arm.

"Bosco . . .," Faith started.

"Meg . . . she ah . . . she's changed me. I can't explain it really. I'm not usually the sappy type. But, ever since the day I met that little girl all I wanted to do was keep her safe. She has this way about her. It's like we connected. She always said I was the big brother she never had. Once she even said she wished I were her dad. I've always thought that if I have a daughter I'd want her to be like Meg. I think I finally realized I don't want a daughter like Meg. I want Meg to be my daughter," he said. When he was finished he looked at Faith then down to the ground.

"I'm not going to lie to you. It would be tough. Why don't we take this one day at a time. It's clearly obvious you care about this child. I'm going to inform the doctors you and your wife . . . ," she started.

"I'm his partner. Officer Faith Yokas," Faith corrected.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll let the doctors know that you and your partner are to be notified and permitted to see Meg."

"Thank you," Bosco and Faith said at the same time.

"I'm going to go and catch up on this file. There's a police officer who needs to speak to you." Miss Sellers smiled then left.

Bosco watched the woman leave. He never told Faith he ever considered wanting to be Meg's father because up until now she had one. But now he swore to himself that Meg wouldn't have to endure more abuse. It was his job and his duty to keep her safe. And he would. More than that there was the need inside himself to give her the life she deserved.

"Officer Boscorelli?" an older police officer entered the room. "Miss Sellers said she was through and I could question you now."

"You arrest the bastard? I would have love to do it myself but we didn't have time."

"Yeah, my partner is with him now. You give him those bruises and cuts?"

"He struggled. We fought. I wasn't about to let him get near her again."

"Hey, I don't care what you did to him. We checked the apartment out. Bloody towels in the bathroom. Beer bottles scattered. The man admitted to it. Even said she needed to learn her place in life." The officer turned to Faith. "You a cop too? Witnesses said a man and a woman both had guns."

"Yeah, Faith Yokas. We're both from the 55."

"That little girl was lucky you two were there." He shifted his feet then looked at Faith and Bosco. "I have an apartment building full of witnesses, a perp who wouldn't shut up and you two. He's going away. I'll be sure of it."