Third Watch, 12 Days of Christmas 2004: Day 5: Grownup Christmas List (1/1)

[xtremeroswellia]

Title: The 12 Days of Christmas, 2004. Story 5: Grownup Christmas List
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian
Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not ours.
Spoilers: Some season six stuff.
Category: Angst/fluff
Pairing: B/F of course
Rating: R
Summary: When it comes to Christmas the best gifts can't be bought.



Grownup Christmas List

Faith unlocked the door and pulled it open, smiling as she saw Bosco standing there. "Hey. Thanks for comin' over."

"I'm glad you called," he told her softly, returning the smile as he stepped inside. He rested a hand on her hip. "Hey," he whispered, leaning in a little closer.

She kissed him softly on the lips.

"Missed you," he murmured against her lips.

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm." He smiled and kissed her again.

"So I was hopin' you'd help me out with somethin'."

Bosco grinned, and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. There's some boxes I need to get outta storage so I can put up some decorations."

"Funny."

She smiled. "I wasn't joking."

His face fell, and he stared at her.

"There's really not that many."

"So that's why..." He paused. "You invited me over so I could carry boxes for you?"

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Well, I wanted to see you, too."

He sighed as he pulled off his winter cap and unzipped his jacket, revealing the nice, new sweater he was wearing with his best stonewashed jeans. "You still got one of my t-shirts here? I wasn't expecting...I kinda dressed up," he mumbled.

She was silent for a moment. "You know what? Nevermind."

"No, it's fine." He kissed her softly. "Let me change."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Bosco nodded. "I'll impress you with my strength instead of my fashion sense."

A smile tugged at her lips once more. "There's some shirts in my dresser."

He touched her cheek. "Okay."

Faith kissed him once more, softly.

"I'll be right back."

"I'll be right here."

"Good." He headed down the hall to her bedroom and tossed his coat and hat on the bed before yanking his sweater and the collared shirt he wore underneath it off. Moving over to her dresser he found the drawer that had t-shirts in it, and grinned when he found one of his tanktop undershirts in the drawer with her things. He'd slept over a few times and had accidentally left some things there. As he pulled on the tanktop he wondered if she'd ever worn it or if she just kept it there for him.

Faith couldn't resist following him down the hallway and leaning against the doorframe, admiring his bare torso.

Feeling her presence he turned to look at her as he pulled the shirt down. "Found one of mine."

"That's good." She smiled.

"It's kinda nice," he said as he smoothed the material down with his hands. "Having some of my stuff here."

"You know...there's room in the closet if you wanna leave more stuff here."

There was a surprised look on his face. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He smiled softly. "I don't have any of your stuff at my place."

"Well, we're over here more often anyway."

"True." He made his way over to her. "So...where are these boxes?"

"They're...in the basement."

"Gonna come show me where they are?"

"Yeah." She took his hand and led him down the hall and out the door.

"So why you waitin' til the last minute to decorate anyway?" He questioned as she flipped the switch to illuminate the basement.

"Well...the kids are comin' over on New Year's." Her voice was soft.

"So that's when you're doin' your Christmas thing?"

"Yeah. I guess...decorations don't really mean much to me without the kids bein' around, you know?"

"I guess so." He paused. "Probably why I don't decorate at my place. Cause there's no one there but me."

"I used to love this holiday."

He squeezed her hand. "You can still love the holiday," he whispered.

"Can you?"

Bosco looked at her. "I don't know if I ever did."

Her eyes were sad.

He let out a breath. "So...these boxes."

"Yeah." They walked in silence through the basement and she flipped on another light. "They're somewhere over here." She motioned with her hand as she moved to the other side of the cold, damp room.

He ran a hand over his face as he looked at the small caged in area that was stacked from floor to ceiling with boxes. "Tell me they're labeled."

"Uh...they might be." She forced a smile.

His eyes widened slightly as he turned to look at her.

"I told Fred to label them but...we weren't exactly on the best of terms last year..."

He nodded his head. "Say no more."

She drew in a breath and moved closer to the stack of boxes.

"If you just tell me what all I need to find. I'll take care of it if there's other things you need to do."

"I can help."

"If you really want to," he told her, managing a smile. This was one large stack of boxes.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The stack of boxes next to Bosco began to wobble and the box on top fell. With nowhere to escape to Bosco closed his eyes as the box came toward him and scraped down his arm. "Son of a bitch!" It was the third time one of the stacks of boxes that Fred had piled up the last time he was in the basement had tried to attack him.

Faith headed down the stairs just in time to hear him curse, followed by a crash. "Boz? You okay?"

"Did your ex stack these boxes like this because he knew I'd be the one in here!"

She flinched at the shouted words. "I really doubt it."

"Dammit, I'm bleeding!"

She descended the rest of the steps quickly, moving over to his side. "Let me see."

He turned so she could see his arm.

Faith grimaced. "We better get that cleaned up."

Bosco sighed in frustration. "I hope there wasn't anything breakable in that box."

"Doesn't matter," she said softly, taking his hand.

"Just let me get this last box."

"No...it's okay. Just leave it."

"I was almost done."

"Yeah. And now you are. You're hurt."

He glanced at his arm. "It's not all that bad."

"You may need stitches."

"Stitches? No way." He shook his head.

"Bosco..."

"Just...I'll let you clean it, but...no needles."

She sighed softly. "Come on."

"You know I don't like needles," he mumbled.

"I know you don't like needles." She led him toward the stairs.

"You sure you don't want me to grab that last box?"

"I'm positive."

"I swear Fred booby trapped it. That was the third box that fell on me," he grumbled.

"Come on. We'll get your arm cleaned up, and you can take a nice hot shower."

"That would feel pretty good. It'd probably be better with company though."

A smile tugged at her lips. "We'll see."

"We'll see? I'm wounded here. I might need stitches."

"But you're afraid of needles."

"So maybe you could alleviate the fear," he whispered.

"How do you suggest I do that?"

"You could make me think of somethin' else."

"What do you wanna think about?" she teased.

He squeezed her hand. "You and me. Alone. Wearing--" His eyes widened when they got to the top of the stairs and one of Faith's neighbors was standing there.

"Our best dress clothes at the Christmas party," she finished smoothly, smiling at her neighbor.

"Right. Yeah." He nodded his head. "Christmas party."

She suppressed a chuckle as they headed into her apartment.

"Oh my, God," he whispered, completely embarrassed. "Isn't that the lady who used to sit for the kids?"

She grinned. "Yeah. Yeah, it was."

"Sorry," he murmured.

Chuckling, she turned to face him. "For what?"

"Almost letting your neighbor hear about what I was thinkin'."

"I'm sure she's heard us before."

His eyes widened. "Faith!"

Faith laughed.

"I'd rather not think about that lady...knowing what we do."

"There's no shame in it, Bosco."

"No. But there are some things that should be kept private, and what you and I do..."

She gazed at him, folding her arms across her chest. "Should be kept in the dark?"

"I never said that."

"No, but you haven't wanted to let anyone else know that we're together either."

He swallowed hard. "I didn't think you...I mean...do you wanna tell people?"

She looked away.

"Faith? Do you want to?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." She shifted her gaze back to his face. "It's not like they can separate us since we don't even work the same departments anymore. What difference does it make?"

"I didn't know, Faith." He shook his head slightly. "I didn't realize you'd wanna tell people that you're...that you're seein' me."

"We're seeing each other," she corrected him.

"Right. That's what I meant."

She was silent for a moment. "I need you to level with me here."

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, okay."

Forcing herself to draw in a breath and look at him with her chin up, she locked her gaze on his face. "Is this just a...fling for you?"

His eyes narrowed. "A fling?"

"You know. A passing thing. A 'now' thing."

"I know what fling means, Faith," he said, annoyance in his voice. "What I meant was how could you ask that? How could you even think that?"

Her gaze didn't falter, but her eyes were still full of uncertainty. "Why wouldn't I think that?"

"Because you know me. The real me. That's why."

"What I know is that you've wanted to keep quiet about us since the beginning."

"Faith, I..." He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought you'd want it that way."

"So this was all about you thinking -I- didn't want anyone to know." There was a hint of doubt, challenge to her voice.

"Okay, you're right. That's not all it was about," he told her softly.

She bit down on her tongue, bracing herself for the truth.

"I just...When everybody finds out that we're together...they're all gonna start to question why you'd wanna be with a guy like me. Everybody knows what kinda guy I am...was."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Bosco, since when do you care what anyone thinks?"

He looked away, shaking his head slightly.

She fell silent, gazing at him.

"Since you're the other person in the relationship," he whispered, not looking at her. "I just don't want people questioning what you're doing."

She shook her head. "Bosco, I don't understand."

Closing his eyes he took a deep breath then turned to look at her. "Everybody at the House gossips. You know that. I don't want people talking about you because they think you're making a mistake by being with me. If we keep this quiet then no one knows and we can just be together."

Faith's eyes softened. "Boz..."

"I don't want you to question us," he whispered.

"I don't," she whispered, moving toward him.

"It's not a fling."

She slipped her arms around his waist and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

He returned the gentle kiss. "I just like this being between us," he murmured. "With no pressure."

Leaning her forehead against his, she closed her eyes. "We don't have to tell anyone."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," she whispered. "I didn't realize that it meant that much to you."

"You mean that much to me," he told her quietly.

Kissing him again, she lifted a hand to his cheek.

Bosco smiled against her lips. "I'm gonna get blood on the floor," he said lightly.

"Oh, your arm," she murmured.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "My arm."

She smiled and pulled away from him slowly, taking him by the hand and guiding him down the hallway to the bathroom.

"My nurse got a little sidetracked," he joked.

"Well, it's your fault."

"My fault? How exactly is it my fault?"

"If you weren't so cute..."

He raised his eyebrows. "Continue."

She smirked. "Don't you wish."

He sighed dramatically.

"You're also sexy," she informed him, her voice lower and taking a slightly seductive tone.

"Do tell," he whispered, smiling softly.

"I think it's your eyes." She kissed the corner of his mouth. "And your arms." She slid her hands up his arms til they were resting on his shoulders.

"Anything else?"

"Hmm." She nibbled on his earlobe lightly. "I could think of some other things."

Closing his eyes he couldn't stop a moan from escaping him. "So maybe..." He swallowed hard. "After you patch me up we could...take that shower you mentioned."

"Mmhmm." She placed a soft kiss against his neck.

Wrapping one arm around her waist he walked her backward toward the bathroom.

Faith smiled against his skin. "All right. Up on the sink."

"If I didn't have blood dripping down my arm..." He paused to kiss her as he hopped up on the bathroom counter. "I'd find that comment to be kinda dirty," he informed her with a grin.

She couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm not surprised." She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "And for the record...I meant it to be."

"God, you're amazing."

Grinning, she pulled away from him, opening the medicine cabinet and pulling out some peroxide and a couple of bandages.

Leaning back against the wall he watched her with a smile on his face.

She quickly cleaned out the wound, impressed that he didn't even flinch.

"Think it'll scar," he asked curiously as he glanced down at his arm.

"It doesn't look too deep." She kissed his cheek before applying the bandages.

"Damn. I was thinking that if it scarred you'd be able to add that to the list of sexy things about me. You do like scars, right?" He asked, grinning.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously and she looked up at him with a grin. "They definitely add something."

He put his hands on her hips. "So you do like them."

"They don't suck," she murmured, kissing him.

"That's good to know," he told her before nibbling on her lower lip.

"Mmhmm." She slid her hands beneath his shirt.

"Is it time for that shower?" He wrapped his legs around her, pulling her closer.

She smiled against his lips. "Definitely."

Sliding his arms around her he began to rub her back as they kissed.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she shifted closer to him, sliding her hands up his back, feeling the strength of his muscles there.

After a moment he pulled away just enough to tug his t-shirt off over his head.

Faith smiled, her gaze sliding down to his bare chest.

He dropped the shirt on the floor, and lifted a hand to her cheek. "I love the way you look at me," he whispered.

"What way is that?" she whispered back.

"Your eyes...they tell me that you see more than just the way I look. Sometimes...sometimes I think you can see into me. Like you know what I'm thinking. What I'm feeling."

She lifted her gaze to his face, a little startled by his words. "Sometimes...sometimes I think I can," she whispered.

A soft smile touched his lips. "And you still like me, huh?"

"How could I not?" she asked softly.

"I'm not about to give you any reasons why you shouldn't."

"Well, no reason would be good enough anyway." She kissed his cheek.

Smiling, he rested his forehead against hers. He cupped her face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs over the soft skin of her cheeks.

"How about that shower?" she whispered.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If you're of legal age pop on over to thirdwatch.net for the NC17 part that goes here
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bosco kissed her cheek then kissed her lips softly before pulling back a little to gaze at her.

Her eyes tired, she smiled at him.

The corner of his mouth turned up into a smile. "Boxes should land on me more often," he said softly.

A soft chuckle escaped her.

Reaching over he grabbed her robe off the hook on the back of the bathroom door. Then resting his hands on her hips he pulled her away from the wall so he could wrap the robe around her.

Her eyes were full of warmth as she gazed at him. "I love you."

His eyes widened at her words. She'd never said them to him before.

She swallowed hard at the expression on his face, unsure of how to take it.

"You...love me?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes," she whispered.

He smiled as he pulled her robe closed and carefully tied it, not taking his eyes off of her.

Drawing in a breath, she watched him. "What are you doin'?"

"Makin' sure you don't get cold," he told her softly.

"What about you?"

"Not worried about me right now," he whispered before kissing her gently.

She returned the gentle kiss, touching his cheek.

"You love me," he said quietly when the kiss ended, and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Is that so hard to believe?" she asked very softly.

"Not really, it's just...to hear you say it..." He let out a breath. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"I wasn't...expecting you to say it back. It wasn't like emotional blackmail or anything," she whispered.

"Are you upset that I didn't say it back?"

"No." She quickly shook her head.

"Because I do," he told her softly as he gently rubbed her arms through the material of her robe. "I love you."

"Bosco, you don't have to--"

He silenced her with a quick kiss. "I know I don't have to say it, but why hide it from you?"

"I just don't want it to be out of some obligation," she whispered.

"It's not, Faith. You know I'm not like that."

"I know. I know you're not, I just..."

"What?" He asked softly.

"Fred was," she whispered.

"He was an idiot."

She lowered her gaze to the floor.

"Hey, look at me," he said quietly as he lifted her chin. "He's stupid, but I'm sure glad he is."

Swallowing hard, she reluctantly met his eyes.

"I'm not happy that he hurt you like he did. The way he left you..." His face tensed and he shook his head. "But if he hadn't left, Faith, we wouldn't have what we have."

"I know," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his.

He kissed her lips softly as he began to untie the sash of her robe that he'd just finished tying moments ago.

She couldn't help but smile against his lips. "You undressing me again?"

"The longer we stand here the colder I get," he informed her softly. "I thought we could share the robe."

She chuckled. "Or we could just get in the hot shower."

"Or we could go crawl under the covers of your bed."

"Hmm...I choose option number two."

He let her robe fall open then slid his hands inside to rest on her hips before winding his arms around her. "Bed?"

"Mmhmm." She kissed his cheek, shifting closer to him so their bodies were pressed together.

"I'm much warmer already," he murmured as he began to slowly back out of the bathroom.

"Me too," she whispered. She slid her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You aren't expecting any company today are you?"

"No...thankfully."

"So it's okay if we just spend the day in bed...naked?" He asked with a grin.

Faith lifted her head up, grinning as well. "Oh, it's more than okay."

He kissed her lips softly as they headed a few feet down the hall and then turned into her bedroom, their arms still wrapped around each other.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, tugging him down with her and crawling under the covers.

Bosco chuckled softly when she pulled him down onto the bed and then snuggled up against her, draping his arm around her waist. "There's nothin' better than spending time with you," he told her softly.

"No? Not even baseball?" she asked lightly.

"Hmm." He bit his lip for a moment. "Yeah, okay, maybe baseball," he teased.

Faith chuckled softly and kissed his collarbone. "Are you sure?"

"I think I might need a little reminder of why baseball isn't all it's cracked up to be," he joked.

"Hmm...I think I can arrange that." She kissed a trail down his chest.

Closing his eyes he swallowed hard. "Yeah, it's uh...slowly coming back to me now."

She smiled against his skin. "Quick recovery time, Boz. I'm impressed."

"As you should be," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair.

She placed a light kiss against his stomach, then sat up to pull the robe off.

Opening his eyes he gazed at her, a warm smile on his face.

Faith leaned down and kissed his lips softly, trailing a hand along his abdomen.

Goosebumps broke out along his body. "It's not hard to recover when you're with your beautiful girlfriend," he whispered against her lips.

"You're sweet," she whispered back.

"I'm honest," he told her as he lifted a hand to her cheek.

She turned her head and kissed the palm of his hand. "Boz?"

"Hmm?"

"What would you say if..."

He gazed at her. "If what?" He questioned, wanting her to continue.

"I asked you...to move in with me," she finished very softly.

His eyes widened. "Are you really askin'?"

Faith nodded, gazing at him intently.

"What about the kids?"

"They don't live here anyway," she pointed out.

"You're really asking me to move in?"

"If you want to...yeah. I'm askin'."

Bosco smiled. "Did someone change today to Christmas and not tell me?"

"Is that a yes?" She smiled.

"Damn right, it's a yes." He kissed her softly. "How could I not wanna move in? I go crazy without you."

"You go crazy with me, too," she joked, kissing him back.

"Cause you make me crazy...in a good way."

"Good to know." She shifted closer to him so their bodies were pressed together.

A soft groan escaped him when she shifted closer.

"So are we really gonna stay here naked all day?" she murmured as she leaned down and kissed his neck.

"You got any better ideas? Please say no."

"I definitely don't." She nibbled lightly on his skin.

He closed his eyes and blew out a breath. "Good," he murmured. "Cause I really think we need to seal the deal with more than just a handshake."

Grinning, she nodded slightly. It was going to be a really good day.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bosco glanced at Sullivan as they stepped out of the roll call room. "Can you get the radios, Sul? I gotta do somethin'."

The older man sighed. "Yeah. Go on. Say hi to Faith," he said wryly as he headed down the hallway.

His eyebrows furrowed. "How'd you know I was..."

"Because it's where you go -every- day."

"I do not."

He gave Bosco a look.

"Okay. Okay." He held up his hands. "Maybe I do, but it's the only time I get to see her," he lied.

Sully smiled. "It's all right. I understand how you feel."

"You do?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "You guys were partners for a long time."

"It's definitely weird without her," he said softly. "Well...I'll be out in a minute."

"Take your time." Sully walked away to get their radios.

When the older officer was around the corner Bosco let out a breath. For a second there he'd thought that his partner knew what was going on between him and Faith, and John Sullivan was the last person Bosco wanted to know about his relationship. It was guaranteed that he'd do nothing but poke fun, and he wasn't in the mood for Sully's crap.

Faith sat at her desk, studying the latest case that Jelly had dropped in her lap before taking off to get some breakfast. He'd invited her to go with him, but she turned him down because she knew Bosco would be stopping in to see her before he went out on patrol with Sully.

For a moment he stood in the doorway, just gazing at her, a soft smile on his face. Then reaching out he knocked on the door.

"Hey." She looked up and smiled. "Come on in."

"Hard at work already?" He asked as he walked over and perched on the corner of her desk.

"Yeah. New case."

He nodded his head and glanced at the file folder.

Faith rose to her feet, glancing toward the door, then moving over to shut it.

"For a second I thought Sully had us figured out," he told her quietly.

Her eyebrows furrowed when she turned to look at him. "What?"

"I asked him to get the radios cause I had something to do and he told me to tell you he said hello."

"And you assumed he knew we're seein' each other?" She gave him an odd look.

"What can I say? I panicked," he told her with a chuckle.

She smiled faintly and moved back over to her desk. "Well, you can relax. I don't think anyone suspects."

He grinned, and nodded his head as he grabbed a pen off her desk and began to twirl it around in his fingers.

She watched him for a moment, then sat back down in her chair. "So what's up?"

"Well...I was uh...I was thinking that maybe I'd do some shopping before going home after the shift," he said softly.

"Yeah? What are you gettin' your mom this year?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, the usual I guess. Whatever strikes me as a good gift and a gift certificate to Macy's just incase what I get isn't good."

Faith nodded slightly. "Well I'm sure she'll like whatever you pick out." She lifted the file folder back up.

"Faith?" He whispered.

"Hmm?"

He swallowed hard, and stared down at the pen he was still holding. "What do you want?"

"Huh?" She frowned and looked up at him.

"I've never um, been real good at this shopping stuff." He started to fidget. "And uh, I've never had an actual relationship with a woman around Christmas time, so...I need to know what you'd like me to buy you."

She stared at him for a moment, more than a little thrown off guard. "Uh...candles are good."

Bosco turned to look at her. "You want candles?"

"Well, yeah. Sure. I like candles." She nodded, managing a small smile.

He stared at her for a moment. Candles? Weren't boyfriends supposed to get meaningful gifts? "So...you're saying that for our first Christmas together, as a couple, you want candles?"

She looked up at him again, feeling uncomfortable. "What's wrong with candles?"

"Nothing. I just...Well, I guess I really am bad at figuring out what to buy people for Christmas cause candles wouldn't have even crossed my mind." The corner of his mouth turned up into a grin. "Maybe I should get you a gift certificate too."

Faith's smile was faint, but sincere. "Don't stress out over it."

He sighed. "I really wanna get you something special."

"Well, we'll be together on Christmas Eve. That's special enough."

"Have I told you how much I'm looking forward to that?"

"Me too," she said softly.

"So after work I'll come see if you're ready for a ride home before I head out shopping, okay?"

"I can just catch a cab," she told him.

"I'll be around after shift anyway, so I'll stop in and see if you're ready or if you're still gonna be working for a while." He rested his hand on top of hers, rubbing his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand.

"Sounds good." She gazed down at their hands for a moment, then lifted her eyes to meet his once more.

"Have a good shift," he whispered.

"You too. Stay safe," she whispered back.

"I will." He gave her hand a squeeze before standing up and heading out of the office.

She gazed after him, sighing softly and rubbing the back of her neck. He'd caught her by surprise with the 'what do you want for Christmas' question. She knew exactly what she wanted him to give her for Christmas--but it was the one thing that she knew he didn't want to do. Biting her lip, she picked up the case file once more. Maybe next year.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Letting out a breath, Faith sat back in her chair and looked at Jelly. "I'm beat."

He nodded his head and took a long drink of his cup of sugar with a hint of coffee. "Holiday season'll do that to you. Lots of cases and lots of other stuff goin' on."

"Actually...other than work..." She shrugged. "Not a lot goin' on."

Jelly gave her a look. "No Christmas plans?"

"Kids are with Fred. So not really."

"That's too bad, Faith."

There was hurt reflected in her eyes as she nodded slightly. "Yeah, well. It was what they wanted."

"They probably don't really know what they want," he told her softly.

She was silent for a moment. "I've never spent Christmas alone before." Her voice was barely audible.

"Well if there's anything I can do to help, you just let me know."

"Thanks, Jelly." She glanced up at him. "What about you? What are you doin'?"

"Oh I don't know. Probably sittin' at home and having a nice quiet dinner by myself. It's all I really want this year...some peace and quiet."

"Really? And you don't mind bein' by yourself?"

"It was kinda hard the first year, but as time goes on it gets a little easier. But now..." He nodded. "Yeah, I kinda like being by myself."

She gazed at him for a moment. "Well, you know if you change your mind, you could come over and hang out with me." She smiled faintly.

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what you want for Christmas."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Well thanks for the offer." He leaned forward and rested his arms on his desk. "So...you goin' to this party?" He tapped a finger on his invitation to the annual 55th Precinct Christmas party.

She made a face. "I don't know."

"Come on. How can you not go?"

"Well, see the thought of being at home curled up in bed asleep is much more appealing."

"Yeah maybe." He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "There's a gift exchange this year. If you don't go you might miss out on something you really wanted."

She looked down at her desk. "Yeah, well...I don't think I'm gonna get what I really want this year."

His eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know?"

"Because what I want can't be bought."

Hearing the sadness in Faith's voice Bosco came to a stop outside the door to her office.

"What is it you want?" Jelly questioned.

Faith was silent for a moment. "It's stupid, really."

"If you want it, it's not stupid."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been seein' someone."

"You have? I didn't know that. Good for you."

"Yeah," she said softly. "Good for me."

Bosco held his breath as he stood in the hall listening intently. He didn't like how this was going.

He shook his head. "I don't understand the problem."

She looked at Jelly, her eyes sad. "The problem is...he's embarrassed by me."

What? No. Bosco shook his head. He wanted to burst into the office and tell her that wasn't true, but he didn't want her to know that he was listening in on her conversation.

Jelly was ready to make a joke of it and tell her she was mistaken, but he saw the look in her eyes and his features softened. "What makes you think that?"

"Well...it's pretty obvious. He's deadset against anyone else knowin' that we're together. He's pretty paranoid about it really." She looked down.

"The guy's obviously a moron."

"No...he's not, he's just...well, compared to his ex-girlfriends. I don't really measure up." She forced a smile and shifted her gaze to her computer.

Still standing in the hall Bosco leaned his back against the wall and put his face in his hands. How could she think that? Well, he told himself, the answer was pretty obvious. He'd apparently never done anything to make her realize that she was the only woman he'd ever actually loved.

"You tell me who this idiot is, Faith, and I'll go put the fear of God in him," Jelly told her seriously.

Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Thanks, Jelly, but...this is one I have to deal with myself."

He smiled at her. "Well, you just let me know if you change your mind." He stood up and headed for the door. "Cause it's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to do that and I wouldn't mind giving it a shot."

Hearing Jelly walking toward the door Bosco quickly pushed away from the wall and headed in the opposite direction before turning around again and making his way back to the office. Trying to make it look like he was just arriving and hadn't heard a thing.

"Hey, Bosco." Jelly nodded at him. "Your ex is kinda upset right now."

"My ex?"

"Partner. Yokas? Blonde detective, good lookin'?"

"By ex, you make it sound like we were married or somethin'."

"You and Yokas married?" He chuckled. "Yeah, right." He headed down the hallway.

His eyes narrowed and he glared after the detective. "Jerk," he mumbled.

Faith had just slipped her coat on and was heading for the door when she found herself facing Bosco. Her eyes widened a little. "Oh. Hey."

"Hi." He swallowed hard. "Jelly said you were uh...upset."

She felt her heart skip a beat. "Oh. Yeah, it's been a long day. Rough case," she told him smoothly.

He nodded his head, doing his best to buy her story even though he knew it was total bull. "If you're ready to go I can drop you off at home."

"Uh, yeah, sure." She offered him a quick smile, then turned and locked the office door behind them.

"Alright, well..." He motioned for her to lead the way.

Drawing in a breath, she led the way down the stairs and out the front door of the precinct. Tucking her hands in her coat pockets, she glanced at him sideways. "How was your shift?"

"I'm partnered with Sully. How do you think it was?" He questioned, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Right. Sorry." She smiled, shaking her head.

"It's not so bad. Though I think that by the time I get used to him he'll be ready to retire."

She chuckled softly. "He's been talkin' about retiring for like, five years, Boz."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I could be the straw that breaks the camel's back."

"You're not -that- bad to ride with," she said lightly.

He grinned. "That's what you say, but Sully...he's a lot older and he doesn't find me to be as fun and exciting as you did."

Grinning as well, she looked at him. "How could he not?"

Bosco shrugged. "Beats the hell outta me."

Faith glanced over her shoulder at the precinct, then followed him the rest of the way to his Mustang, climbing in the passenger seat.

Once he was in and had the car started and in gear he reached for her hand.

She hesitated a second, then slid her fingers through his.

He knew why she hesitated before returning the gesture, but he wasn't going to question it. Instead he was going to figure out a way to fix what was wrong.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bosco stood in front of what had recently become their closet, rather than just hers, wearing a pair of black dress slacks and a white tanktop undershirt. "Should I go festive and wear a red shirt?"

She tilted her head to look at him. "I think green's more your color."

Nodding his head he pushed aside a few shirts until he came to a dark green one. His eyebrows furrowed. "Is this gonna go okay with these pants are is it gonna be too dark?"

"No. It's fine," she assured him, brushing her hair as she stood at the dresser.

"Do you want me to wear a tie?" He questioned as he took the shirt off the hanger.

Faith shrugged. "It's up to you."

He turned to look at her as he buttoned his shirt. "You've got no opinion on it?"

"Not really."

"Right. Okay." He blew out a breath and shaking his head he began to tuck in his shirt.

"For two dollars I'd stay here and watch Christmas movies on Lifetime," she informed him.

"Huh?" His eyes narrowed. "What are you talkin' about?"

"This Christmas party. It's the same crap every year."

"But I thought you always liked going?"

She shrugged again. "Same crap, different year."

He rubbed the back of his neck, and shook his head as he looked a little confused. He could have sworn that Faith always looked forward to these parties and enjoyed going. "Well I guess...we'll just put in an appearance and leave."

"It's okay. I know you enjoy it. I may leave early, but you can stay."

"I'm not gonna have you ridin' the subway home," he told her softly. "We'll leave together."

"There's nothin' wrong with the subway, Boz."

"You're right, there's not. But I'm not lettin' my gorgeous girlfriend who looks so fantastic tonight ride home by herself," he told her as he walked over to where she was.

"I'm not even dressed yet. How do you know I'm gonna look fantastic?"

Bosco smiled softly as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Because you always do," he whispered.

She met his eyes in the mirror, but only for a few seconds. "You should go."

"What?"

"You know. So we don't get there at the same time."

He shook his head, not understanding. "Why can't we get there at the same time?"

"We don't want it to look suspicious."

"Faith...we ride to functions together all the time. We always have."

"Yeah, but...things are different now." She moved away from him, over to the closet where she scanned the clothes hanging up.

"Why are you bein' like this?" He asked softly, though he knew why.

"What do you mean?"

"You're treatin' me like I've done something wrong and you don't wanna be seen with me or something."

"Bosco, you're the one who's been so worried about anyone finding out about us. I'm just trying to make sure that doesn't happen to keep you happy." Her voice was slightly distant.

"Oh yeah, and this is definitely making me happy." He shook his head. "I'm gonna go wait out in the living room, and when you're dressed we'll go together and we'll -arrive- together. Just like we've done every year."

"Whatever."

He stared at her. "If you're gonna be like this all night I'll scrounge around and see if I can find a couple bucks for ya. Then you can stay home and watch your movies."

"Yeah, you go ahead and do that. I'd rather stay here anyway," she snapped.

His eyes narrowed slightly and he went over to the nightstand. Pulling out the drawer he removed a long white box then walked over to her and dropped it on the dresser before heading for the door. "I bought that for you. Thought you might wanna wear it tonight," he mumbled. "If you don't want it feel free to go pawn it off later."

Faith turned and watched him leave the room before shifting her gaze to the box. Hesitating a moment, she walked over to the dresser and picked it up, slowly opening it. Her eyes widened a little when she spotted the beautiful golden chain with a heart pendant dangling from it.

Bosco plopped down on the sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table. Sitting with his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed over his chest he stared at the blank television screen. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night. A chance for them to get out and enjoy themselves. So much for that.

Swallowing hard, she finished getting dressed, deciding on a knee-length red silk dress she didn't even remember buying. The tags were still on it. When she was done, she pulled the necklace from the box and slowly headed toward the living room.

Hearing her coming, he quickly stood up and moved to the coat rack to get their coats. "Ready?"

"In a minute," she said softly. "Will you help me?"

He sighed. "With what?"

Biting her lip, she held up the necklace. "With this."

His eyes widened slightly, surprised that she wanted to wear the necklace. "Oh...yeah."

When he got closer, she rested a hand on his arm. "Thank you," she whispered. "I love it, it's beautiful."

He swallowed hard. "I just wanted you to have something that...well, that showed how I feel about you," he told her softly.

She kissed him softly on the lips.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against her lips. "For bein' mad."

"I'm sorry for acting like a bitch," she whispered.

"Apology accepted," he told her softly before kissing her once more.

"Thanks." Faith leaned her forehead against his for a moment, then turned so he could put the necklace on her.

He carefully fastened the clasp of the chain and let it rest against her neck. While she continued to hold her hair out of the way he rested his hands on her hips and placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. "You look fantastic."

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself."

"Thanks." He slid his arms around her waist. "You sure you don't have an opinion about me wearing a tie?"

"Well, you look equally handsome with or without a tie."

"Smooth talker."

Faith smiled faintly, her anger completely gone and having left behind nothing but a little sadness in is place. "Well, I learned from the best."

He kissed her shoulder. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'm ready." She turned so she was facing him.

When they were standing toe to toe he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he gazed at her. "You know I love you, right?"

"I know," she said softly.

Touching her cheek he placed a gentle kiss on her lips then turned to get her jacket so he could help her into it.

"Thanks." She buttoned the coat and followed him toward the door, grabbing her purse on the way.

"And we don't have to stay long if you don't want," he informed her as he locked the door behind them and then reached for her hand.

She slipped her fingers through his. "How 'bout we just see how it goes?"

"Sounds good to me."

Squeezing his hand lightly, she drew in a breath. Hoping that the night went better than it had started out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Faith glanced around the dining room at the Holiday Inn where the 55th Precinct's Christmas party was being held that year. It was crowded and she recognized most of the people who were milling around talking. She glanced at Bosco briefly. "I don't remember it ever being so packed before."

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "It's like everybody's here. Is there anyone left to patrol and protect the public?"

A wry smile touched her lips. "I'm sure there is."

"So, what should we do first? Find a table? Get something to drink?"

"Probably find a table."

"Okay." He placed his hand on the small of her back. "I think there's one over there that looks available."

She bit her lip at the light touch, nodding as she moved toward the table, trying to be nonchalant.

"Looks like there's an empty table in the corner or we could go sit with Sully and Ty," he commented, spotting their friends not too far away.

"Whichever." She drew in a nervous breath.

"Tell me what you wanna do," he whispered.

"Either's fine with me. Really." She managed a small smile.

"Sully'll give me hell if I don't at least go say hi."

"We can sit with them if you want." She looked at him.

"Only if you really don't mind."

"I really don't," she said softly.

He smiled, and with his hand still resting on the small of her back he led her over to the table.

When they got closer, she forced herself to smile at Sully and Davis. "Hey, guys."

"Look at you," Sully said with a smile. "I'm not gonna get in trouble if I tell you how beautiful you look am I, Detective?"

A real smile stretched across her face. "Not at all. Thanks, Sully."

He motioned toward the empty chairs. "Have a seat."

Nodding, she sat down beside him, glancing across the table at Davis.

"Sully's right. You do look nice." He smiled at her.

Bosco started to sit down but then hesitated. "Faith, you want something to drink?"

"Uh...I can get it," she told him nonchalantly, standing up once more.

"No, it's okay. Sit down. I'll get it."

Hesitating, she reluctantly sat back down, watching him head toward the long buffet table across the room.

Sully glanced at Faith then looked over at Davis. "So...another year's almost over."

"Went by fast," Davis commented.

"Yeah," she agreed softly.

"Which is kinda surprising seeing as we all had so much crap to deal with this year."

"Maybe that's what made it go by fast," she said, not looking at either of them.

Sullivan sighed. "Yeah, maybe." He picked up his beer and took a drink.

They fell silent until Bosco returned a few seconds later, carrying two wine glasses. "Thanks," she told him quietly, glancing up at him.

"You're welcome," he told her softly as he sat down beside her.

"Wine, huh?" Davis raised his eyebrows. "Celebratin' something?"

"What? No, it's just...it's a special occassion bein' the Christmas party and all."

Faith took a small sip of her drink, gazing down at the table.

"Right." Davis nodded and took a long drink of his beer. "So anyone got plans for Christmas?"

"Work," Sully grumbled.

"Sleeping," Faith answered.

Bosco looked at her, a hurt look in his eyes.

"You got any plans?" Davis asked him, not catching the look that the other man had given Faith.

"My mother's makin' dinner. She's just havin' me and...a couple other people over. Not really in the mood for anything too big this year. You?"

Davis nodded. "Goin' to my mom's too."

"All your sisters and their kids gonna be there?"

"Yep. It should be fun. Be better if I had a date though." He grinned and took another drink.

"You're not datin' anybody?" Bosco looked surprised. "Are you kiddin'?"

"I was." His eyes darkened a little.

"Oh...right." He bit his lip. "Sorry."

Davis shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

Faith shifted uncomfortably, knowing that though Bosco knew some of the details about Monroe, he still didn't know the whole truth. And she wasn't about to tell him.

He let out a breath and looked around the large room as he took a drink of his wine.

"You're definitely better off without her, Ty," Sully informed him. "You're more focused without her as a distraction on the job."

"Yeah. I know, Sul." He didn't look at his partner. "Hey, there's Cruz."

"Cruz?" Bosco nearly spit out his wine. "I didn't know she came to these things."

Davis waved at her. "Apparently she does now."

"What are you doin', Davis?" Bosco mumbled, fearing that the sergeant would come over to the table.

"Wavin' at a friend."

"A friend? You and Cruz are friends?"

"Any enemy of Monroe's is a friend of mine."

Bosco's eyebrows furrowed and he glanced at Faith.

She remained expressionless, not looking at him.

"I figure she got about the worst deal because of that bitch."

"Did I miss something?"

"A whole lot of somethings. You didn't know that Cruz got sent to Riker's because of Monroe?" Davis's eyebrows furrowed and he shifted his gaze to Faith, who swallowed hard.

"She what? I just thought...Where the hell have I been?"

"I can't believe you don't know."

"Don't know what?" Bosco asked, starting to get impatient.

"Guys, maybe tonight isn't the best night to get into all this," Sully commented, leaning forward to make sure he was heard.

"I agree," Faith said quickly. "Excuse me. I need to use the ladies room." She stood up abruptly.

Bosco looked up at her, trying to read her expression. Things had gotten better between them before they'd left the apartment, but now he was starting to feel like there was distance between them again.

"I'll be back," she told him softly, heading away from the table.

He nodded his head as he watched her walk away.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have..." Davis shook his head, sighing softly.

"No, it's just..." Bosco blew out a breath. "There's still a lot of stuff that I haven't been filled in on. I mean...she's tried catching me up on things, but there's so much, ya know?"

"Yeah. I just figured...well, that you knew."

"Knew what?"

Davis glanced at Sully, then leaned forward a little. "About what went down the night of the shooting."

"Ty, I don't think this is your place," Sully informed him.

He took a long drink. "You're right."

"Great." Bosco ran a hand through his hair. "I'm never gonna know what you guys are talking about. It's like...like you've all got this secret and I'm not allowed to be part of it."

"Talk to Faith," he said softly. "Or Cruz."

"Bosco." Sully paused for a second, figuring out what to say. "If Faith hasn't told you yet, then I'm sure there's a reason. It might be best just to wait and let her tell you. I know she will eventually. When she thinks you're ready...or when she's ready."

"Sully's right."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding his head. "I'll try not to bug her."

Sully chuckled. "I think you bug her without even trying," he said lightly.

Davis grinned.

"Bug who?" Cruz asked, coming up to the table.

Bosco turned to look at her, but didn't say anything. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yokas," Sully informed her.

"Easy, Bosco." She looked at him. "I'm not the enemy."

"Since when?"

There was a hurt expression on her face. "Since six months ago."

He stared at her for a moment then shifted his gaze to the two other officers at the table. "I know that I wasn't...around for a while, but how can I be this far outta the loop?"

"When a gangster starts taking shots at the NYPD...things tend to change real fast."

"Yeah." He closed his eyes for a couple seconds before turning back to Cruz. "Sorry. I'm just finding out that I don't know about a lot of stuff that's happened," he told her.

"It's okay." She shrugged. "Anyone protest me sitting down?"

"It's starting to sound like I don't have any reason to," Bosco told her with a small smile.

A smile tugged at her lips and she sat down beside Davis.

Bosco took a small sip of his wine and glanced at the empty chair beside him. "I wonder what's taken Faith so long," he mused.

"I'm sure she'll be back soon." Davis stood up. "I need another drink. Anyone else?"

"I'll have another beer," Sully responded.

Bosco looked at his glass of wine. "I'll have another...Actually, I'll just have a Pepsi."

"Sure thing. Cruz?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks, Davis."

"Sure." He headed off just as Faith was approaching the table.

"There you are," Sully said in exaggerated relief. "Bosco was starting to get worried about you."

She managed a small smile, her gaze flickering briefly to Cruz, then to Bosco. "No need to worry."

He shrugged. "Can't help it sometimes."

She hesitantly took her seat once more, picking up her wine glass.

He glanced down and reached for Faith's free hand underneath the table.

Startled, she jumped a little, her eyes widening.

"You okay, Faith?" Sully asked, noticing the look on her face.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

Bosco swallowed hard, taking her reaction as a hint not to touch her he rested his hand on his leg.

Biting her lower lip, she glanced at him quickly, her heart still beating quickly.

He stared down at the tabletop.

"Lively party," Cruz commented with a faint smile.

"Yeah," Bosco mumbled.

"They try and make 'em bigger and better each year," Sully told them. "This year they've even got some guy coming in to DJ so people can dance."

"Well that sounds like fun. Of course I'll have to get trashed first," she joked.

Bosco chuckled. "That'd be a sight."

Cruz grinned. "Well. I'll go get started." She stood up.

He shook his head. "Yeah, you do that."

Faith watched her go, then glanced at Sully.

"Havin' fun yet?" He asked her.

"A blast."

"Maybe we'll have to dance later," Bosco told her, only half kidding.

She quickly turned her head to look at him.

He smiled at her.

She returned the smile, albeit hesitantly.

Sully's eyebrows furrowed as he watched the two former partners. "You guys alright over there?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Faith said quickly, glancing back at him.

"Never better," Bosco whispered.

She watched as Sully stood up.

"Where you goin'?" Bosco asked curiously.

"What? A guy can't get up to mingle?"

"You're gonna mingle?" A smile tugged at her lips.

He grinned. "Maybe."

"Well, have fun."

"I'll do my best. Don't get too bored over here."

"We'll try," she promised.

Rotating his wine glass around between his hands Bosco watched as his partner walked away. He didn't expect to be nervous sitting here alone with Faith, but he was.

She drew in a breath and took a sip of her wine. "The decorations are pretty."

"Yeah. They went all out this year."

She nodded slightly, setting her glass back down again.

"I was serious," he whispered a moment later.

"About what?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she turned her head to look at him.

"Dancing."

"Oh," she whispered.

"If you don't want to that's okay. I just thought...well I thought you might enjoy it." He shrugged.

"I just...don't want anybody gettin' the wrong idea." She glanced around.

"And what exactly is the wrong idea?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah." He nodded his head and looked away. "I know what you mean."

"Maybe we should follow Sully's example and mingle."

"Okay, who should we..." Catching the look she was giving him he pressed his lips together and nodded. "So I'll uh...meet up with you later?"

"Sounds good," she said softly, standing up.

He remained seated. "Don't go running off with anyone," he said flatly.

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry. Really bad joke," he mumbled.

"Yeah. It was." Without another word, she walked away from him, disappearing into the crowd.

"Dammit." He groaned and rested his elbows on the table, his head in his hands. This was the worst Christmas party ever.

Cruz carried her glass of beer back to the table, a little surprised to see Bosco sitting there alone. "You get ditched?"

He looked at her. "Looks like it."

She sat down across from him, leaning back in her chair. "Where's Yokas?"

He waved a hand in the air. "Mingling."

Cruz raised her eyebrows. "Kinda surprised."

"Whadda ya mean?"

"That she let you outta her sight." She took a drink.

"Funny," he mumbled.

"Not really."

"What?"

"Since that night. I'm surprised she lets you go anywhere without her."

"Look, if you're just here to give her a hard time..."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "We're past that."

"So what exactly are you tryin' to say?"

"Just that...she's been worried and on edge since that day."

He looked down at the table, running his finger over the pattern of the tablecloth. "We all coulda died that day."

"You almost did."

Remaining silent he nodded his head.

Cruz took another drink of her beer. "I gotta admit...after that night...I've never looked at her the same way."

"Why? What happened?"

She stared at him. "You don't know?"

"All I know is that I took four bullets and ended up in a coma. Then when I woke up I was told I didn't have to worry about...him...anymore."

"Well...you know he's dead...right?"

"Yeah." Bosco nodded.

"But you don't know...how?"

He shook his head. "Never thought to ask. It didn't seem to matter anymore."

Her gaze drifted past him, her eyes growing distant. "Yokas killed him."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Faith? Faith killed him?"

Leaning toward him, she nodded. "I had the sonofabitch in custody, handcuffed...and the next thing I knew...he was dead."

"No." He shook his head. "She wouldn't..."

"She thought you were dead."

Shaking his head he crossed his arms over his chest, not wanting to think about it.

"IAB thought I did it." She leaned back in her chair once more.

"Riker's," he whispered, not looking at her.

"You know about that?"

"No, not really. Davis just said somethin' about Monroe bein' the one who put you there or something." He looked at Cruz. "Nobody's been telling me anything."

"Damn," she whispered. "I figured you knew all of it by now."

"Faith hasn't said a word."

Cruz was silent for a minute. "She's got guts."

"You mean cause she killed him?"

"That and...a lot of other stuff. I never realized...I guess I always thought she was a pushover."

He shook his head. "She's definitely not a pushover. Not even close."

"I know that now."

"Wish you woulda known it before," he said softly. "Coulda saved us all a lot of grief."

She flinched slightly. "Yeah."

"And Cruz?"

"What?"

"She's not my mommy. She was partner."

She narrowed her eyes. "Look. I made mistakes. I'm no saint, I never claimed to be."

"I'm no saint either," he told her, his voice quiet.

"That I already knew."

The corner of his mouth turned up into a grin. "That obvious, huh?"

She smirked. "Definitely."

"And even though I'm not a saint...she's always been there for me."

Cruz was quiet for a moment. "And vice versa."

"Yeah." He took a deep breath. "Will you excuse me for a minute? There's something I gotta do."

"Yeah, sure."

He stood up and started to walk away, but then turned back to the table. "Maritza."

Her eyes softened a little at his use of her first name. "Yeah?"

"It was nice talkin' to you."

She smiled. "It's nice to have you back."

"Thanks." He nodded then headed away from the table.

Sighing softly, she shook her head and took another drink.

Bosco made his way through the crowd, nodding, smiling and saying hello to his co-workers. But he didn't have time to stop and chat. He couldn't afford to get distracted and back out of what it was he'd decided to do. He'd seen the DJ setting up his equipment at the front of the large room and he knew it was just what he needed. "Excuse me. Do you have a microphone set up?" He asked when he reached the table.

The guy gave him a weird look. "Yeah. Why?"

"I need to make an announcement."

"And you are...?"

"I'm a cop. That good enough for you?"

He smirked. "Do you want me to introduce you, smart ass?"

"Oh uh...yeah okay. Maurice Boscorelli."

Grinning, the DJ pulled the microphone down a little. "All right, folks. Officer Maurice Boscorelli has an announcement he'd like to make."

Faith had been talking to Davis and a couple of other officers she used to ride with on occasion when Bosco was absent for the day when she heard his name over the speakers. She quickly looked up, her eyebrows furrowing.

"What the hell's he doing?" Davis asked with a chuckle.

"I don't know," she murmured.

Bosco took a deep breath and stepped up to the microphone. Nothing like a split second decision putting him in front of a room full of people and making him the center of attention. "There are a couple things I'd like to say, but first off I just wanna let you know that I've only had one glass of wine tonight. So I'm doing this pretty much sober," he said lightly.

There were a few chuckles throughout the room and Faith glanced around, wondering what he was up to.

He swallowed hard. "It's been a long year for me, and part of the reason I'm up here right now is because I wanna thank all of you for your support. Getting back on the job after what I went through was no easy task and I appreciate all of you who stood behind me on my journey back, but...there's one person who was behind me from the beginning. And sometimes...depending on how I was feeling she was beside me holding me up or...standing ahead of me encouraging me to keep moving toward her. Letting me know that what I wanted was attainable."

She felt Davis looking at her and she swallowed hard, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"Now, the main reason I'm up here is because there's something that all of you need to know about Detective Yokas."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "Should I go stop him?"

She didn't answer as she stood there completely still, holding her breath.

"Since the shooting she and I have been spending a lot of time together and we've gotten a lot closer. So what I'm saying is...Well, guys, she's taken."

Faith's mouth dropped open.

"That's uh...that's all I wanted to say." Bosco had scanned the crowd and found where Faith was standing while he was speaking and as soon as he stepped away from the microphone he headed toward her. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he couldn't believe he'd just done that.

She stood frozen, still stunned at his public announcement.

When he got to her he placed his hands on her hips, and gazed at her silently.

"Bosco," she whispered.

"It was time," he whispered back.

She swallowed hard, feeling like everyone was looking at them. "And you don't regret it?"

"No." He shook his head. "Who cares about them? This is about us, right? You and me."

"Right," she whispered.

He kissed her softly, not worried about the fact that they were standing in a room full of people, most of whom were staring.

Faith slid her arms around his neck, kissing him back as her eyes drifted shut.

Bosco smiled against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Faith. I always will."

"I love you too," she whispered.

Still smiling he hugged her tight. "I can't believe I just did that," he chuckled.

"Me either," she admitted with a soft smile. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry, Faith. I shoulda told people right away."

She leaned her forehead against his. "Shh."

"You know," he whispered. "We are at a hotel."

A chuckle escaped her.

"Wanna see if they've got a vacancy?"

"Oh, absolutely."

"And Faith," he murmured.

"Hmm?"

"When we get engaged I'll make sure to tell everyone right away," he told her with a soft smile.

Faith smiled and kissed him again.

"Come on. Let's go get a room." He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "And I'll give you a gift much nicer than any damn candles."

She shivered involuntarily at his promise before reaching down to take his hand.

He brought their joined hands to his lips, kissing the back of her hand softly.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered.

"It is, isn't it?"