Third Watch, There For You series: Fic Two: Partners (1/1)

[xtremeroswellia]

Title: Partners

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Third Watch and its characters belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells, NBC, and a bunch of others that aren't me and with whom I have no affiliation whatsoever. Please don't sue.

Rating: R for language

Spoilers: Up through and including "Childhood Memories."

Author's Note: This is a sequel to my other fic, "Crossing Boundaries."

Summary: It's Bosco's turn to be there for Faith.

Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know where it's going. Its permanent home is at my site, Only Time.

Category: Story

Subcategories: Bosco/Faith friendship, a bit of angst

Feedback: Pretty please?

Dedication: To each and every single person who took the time to email me or leave me feedback of any kind. I was truly overwhelmed by the amount of feedback I got on "Crossing Boundaries." You guys are awesome! :)



Partners

She woke up slowly, sunlight warming her face. She shifted and rolled her neck, tried to figure out why she felt so stiff and uncomfortable. Then she realized it was because she'd fallen asleep sitting up.

With difficulty, Faith Yokas opened her eyes and blinked rapidly. Where the hell am I? she wondered as she glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

It only took her a second to realize that she must have fallen asleep at her partner's apartment. And the second she realized that, it only took her a millisecond more to realize that said partner was sound asleep, his head resting on her legs.

Faith's eyes widened. "Oh, shit," she mumbled. "Bosco! Bosco, wake up!" She shook him and he grumbled in his sleep.

"Hmm..."

"Bosco, wake up! I gotta go!" she urged, trying to keep her rising panic at bay.

His eyes fluttered open and he sat up slowly. She leapt off the couch and winced as her legs protested the movement. She grabbed her coat off the coat rack.

"Faith? What are you doing here?" Bosco asked in confusion, rubbing his eyes.

"I fell asleep. Shit," she muttered as she glanced at her watch. "I'm gonna be late..."

"It's our day off, isn't it?" He stood up, frowning as he stretched and yawned.

"Yeah, but I've got a...thing," she answered as she headed towards the door. "I'll see you later, Boz."

Bosco watched as she raced out of his apartment. "Sure. Later," he echoed, wondering what the hell had just happened.

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"Morning, Bosco," Sully called out the next day as he arrived to work.

"Morning," he responded.

"Boy, this must be a record for you," Davis commented with a smirk.

Bosco looked at him blankly as he opened his locker.

"At work on time. Before Yokas even gets here."

He frowned. "She's not here yet?"

"Haven't seen her," Sully told him.

"She's probably busy recovering," Davis commented.

"From what? Is she sick?"

"No, recovering from saving your ass the other day."

He didn't respond. He pulled off his jacket and started to put on his uniform.

"She was so sure you hadn't done it."

"I didn't do it," Bosco said sharply, glaring at the younger officer.

"I know. I'm just saying," David told him, holding his hands up. "She didn't doubt you at all, man."

"Yeah. I owe her one." He buttoned up his uniform and wondered where his partner was. She was never late to work.

"See you at roll call," David said to him and Sully as he left the room.

Sully glanced at him. "Keep an eye on Yokas today, all right?"

Bosco raised his eyebrows. "Do you know somethin' I don't?"

"Nah. She's just been looking a little more tired than usual. Maybe coming down with a bug or something." Sully shrugged and left the locker room.

A moment later, Faith rushed in.

"Hey," Bosco greeted her.

"Hey." She didn't even look at him as she made a beeline for her locker. She quickly yanked it open, shucked off her jacket and bag and stuffed them inside.

"Roll call," Christopher shouted as he stuck his head inside the room.

"Roll call," he mimicked, making a face as the sergeant left the room. He turned to Faith and waited.

She glanced at him for a second. "Go on. I'll be out in a minute."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. You're late often enough as it is. You don't need my help."

Bosco smirked, then left the locker room and headed for role call. He slumped down in one of the metal chairs and looked at his watch, wondering what crap assignment he and Faith would get stuck with that day.

Christopher began to call out their names. "Avery."

"Here."

"Boscorelli."

"Here."

Sergeant Christopher looked up from his clipboard in surprise, but didn't comment. "Cole."

"Here."

"Davis."

"Here."

He continued down the list until he was nearly finished. "Yokas."

Bosco looked up. "She's here."

The sergeant looked around. "I don't see her."

"I'm here, Sir," Faith said as she ran into the room and sat down in the first empty seat she saw.

"Working with Boscorelli must be rubbing off on you."

A few of the officers chuckled, and Bosco gave them all dirty looks.

Christopher finished up role call and assigned all of them different sections of the city to cover that day. "Meeting adjourned. Yokas, stay back."

Bosco glanced back at her, then at the sergeant. "Jason--"

"It's Sergeant Christopher, and I don't recall requesting your presence, Boscorelli." Christopher waited as Faith walked up. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to write you up for being late."

Her eyes narrowed but she didn't respond. Bosco glared at him.

"Come in and sign the paperwork after you're done with your shift."

"Yes, Sir."

Without another word, Faith headed for the door with Bosco right behind her. "What a bunch of crap," he muttered.

"I was late," she said tensely.

"Once. One time. Somebody really needs to yank that stick out of his ass." He shook his head as they walked outside and he climbed into the driver's seat of their squad car.

Faith crawled into the passenger side and fastened her seatbelt.

Bosco drove down the street and parked in the parking lot of a well-know drug warehouse the two of them were supposed to keep an eye on that day. "Well. This is going to be fun," he said dryly.

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Bosco leaned back in his seat and kept his eyes focused on the warehouse. They'd been there for nearly three hours already and he was bored out of his mind. He'd tried to make chit-chat with Faith, but she'd been pretty quiet so far.

Suddenly he heard Sully's voice in his mind. "Keep an eye on Yokas today, all right?"

His gaze slid over to his partner. Her elbow was propped up against the window and her head was resting on her hand. Bosco frowned and studied her more closely. Sully was right; she did look more tired than usual. Her eyelids were drooping. And she was paler, too.

"What?"

Her voice snapped him out of his examination and he blinked. "What?"

"You were staring."

"Sorry." Bosco looked away, then glanced at her again. "You feelin' okay?"

After a second, she replied, "Yeah."

His frown deepened. She'd definitely hesitated. It was a brief hesitation, but it was a hesitation nonetheless. "You sure? Maybe you're comin' down with the flu or something."

"I'm all right."

Bosco remained silent for a moment. "You and Fred having problems again?"

"Bosco."

He looked out the window. The warehouse was completely still. He fidgeted in his seat and glanced at her again. He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it.

"Spit it out, Boz." There was a hint of impatience to her tone.

"What?"

"Whatever it is you're just dying to say. Get it over with."

"All right," he agreed. "Thank you."

Confusion crossed her face. "What?"

"Thank you," he repeated.

"For what?"

"For saving my ass the other day. For having that kind of faith in me."

She shifted in her seat. "Sure."

"And also for being there for me. I was pretty messed up in the head and you didn't walk away. That means a lot."

Faith nodded. "You're welcome."

He glanced away, feeling relieved that he'd gotten that over with. He stared out the window, remembering how soundly he'd slept two nights ago. He rarely--if ever--slept all through the night without nightmares or waking up repeatedly. A thought dawned on him. "Shit. I'm sorry."

"For--?"

"Fred must have been pissed you didn't make it home the other night." Bosco looked over at her. "You guys fight?"

"No more than usual," she muttered.

"I'll talk to him," he offered. He hated to think he was the reason his best friend was having problems with her husband.

"He'll get over it. Don't worry about it, Bosco." Her voice sounded weary.

"I don't want you guys to have problems because of me."

"It's not just because of you," she assured him, yawning. She stared out the windshield.

Bosco frowned. "Well, he's not drinking again, is he?"

"No...it's not that," Faith answered vaguely.

"So what then?"

She sighed. "Bosco."

"Why don't you just let me help?" he demanded, starting to feel annoyed.

"You can't."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's personal."

He grimaced, hoping it didn't have something to do with her and Fred's sex life. "I can deal."

There was a moment of silence.

Faith took a deep breath. "There's something I haven't told you."

Bosco turned to look at her, suddenly feeling nervous by the tone of her voice and by the fact that she refused to look at him. "What?"

"A few months ago my doctor found a lump in my breast."

He stared at her, stunned. He opened his mouth to fire off questions, but the only thing he managed to say was, "What?"

"The biopsy wasn't encouraging. So they removed the tumor." She still wouldn't look at him. "They said they got all of it. But I've been getting treatments to make sure it doesn't spread. Just to be on the safe side."

"Treatments?" he repeated.

"Radiation."

Bosco stared at her. He wanted to be angry with her for not telling him. But then he felt angry with himself for not figuring out that something had been going on. He'd known something wasn't right with Faith for awhile now, and he hadn't tried very hard to figure out what it was. "So all these appointments you've been having..."

"The doctors I've been going to are in Atlantic City."

"And that's the thing you had to do yesterday?"

She nodded.

Bosco shook his head, thoughts whirling around in his mind rapidly. "Why didn't you say something?"

For a moment he thought she wasn't going to answer.

Then, in a quiet voice, she replied, "I didn't want you to think I didn't have you covered. That I didn't have your back."

He looked at her. "That would have been the least of my worries."

Faith finally met his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"The doctors seem to think so."

"You don't?"

She stared out the window. "I'm sure they're right." The way she said it contradicted with her words.

Bosco studied her. "It's okay to be scared."

She looked at him again, surprised. "Fred doesn't think so."

"What do you mean?"

"He thinks I'm worried for nothing."

"That may be true, but it doesn't matter. If you're worried, you're worried."

There was another moment of silence.

Bosco hesitated, then reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I'm here for you. I hope you know that."

She met his eyes again. "Thanks, Boz."

He nodded and looked out the window. "Anytime."

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Bosco got out of the squard car before Faith had time to undo her seatbelt. "See you inside." He rushed ahead and into the precinct, straight into Sergeant Christopher's office.

"What do you want, Boscorelli?"

He folded his arms across his chest. "Don't write her up."

"Excuse me?"

"It's my fault Yokas was late this morning. I forgot I was supposed to pick her up," he lied.

Christopher held up the paperwork. "You're too late."

Bosco shook his head. "Write me up instead."

"Why should I?"

"Cause we both know that I'm the one you hate. Take it out on me."

Christopher stared at him for a long time, and Bosco stared right back. "You're already on probation, Boscorelli. Anymore write-ups and you'll be suspended for three days with no pay."

"Yes, Sir. I'm aware of that." Bosco gazed at him coolly.

After another long moment, Christopher picked up the paperwork and tore it in half. "Don't think this means we're friends. I've still got my eye on you."

"Of course. Thank you, Sir." Bosco turned to leave, shocked that the sergeant hadn't agreed to write him up in Faith's place. "Maybe the stick is shifting," he muttered.

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Faith knocked on Christopher's door.

He looked up. "Come on in, Yokas. What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to sign the write-up."

He shook his head. "Forget about it."

"Sir?" she said in confusion.

"It was your only time being late. I checked. Don't let it happen again."

"No, Sir," she agreed, surprised. She quickly left the office before he could change his mind. She hurried into the locker room. "Hey, Boz."

"Yeah?" He looked up from his locker.

"Christopher decided to let me off the hook for this morning."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Faith studied him for a moment.

"Good." He smiled at her.

She smiled back, feeling relieved that she had told her partner the truth earlier.

"You need a ride home?" he offered.

"That'd be great, Boz. Thanks."

Bosco watched as she pulled her coat and bag out of her locker. "That's what partners are for," he said quietly.