Rainy Season
Season 8
*******
Parts of this chapter are a little dark. It deals with some physical and verbal abuse. It doesn’t go into a whole lot of detail, but it’s still kinda dark.
I hope you enjoy this as I’ve had a blast writing it! This is the final chapter of the second story in my Bosco/Faith shipper series.
OH, and I was typing/proofreading this on my dad’s laptop while he was driving so I may have missed a few things :) Hard to keep your head still and your fingers on the right keys when you keep hitting potholes the size of Texas!
******
“Every lifetime has a little bit of rain. This is just your rainy season.”
*****
Bosco went to work the next day feeling much better. He still had a slight headache, but at least he didn’t feel like someone was taking a hammer and chisel to his head anymore. He sat at a desk bored out of his mind as he attempted to make a dent in the ever-growing stack of paperwork next to him.
Sergeant Franklin walked by Bosco’s desk and threw another file on top of the pile. Bosco looked at her with disgust. “Come on Sarge! Don’t you guys have better things to do than give me more paperwork?!”
She looked at him and pondered the question for a moment. She grinned. “No, not really.”
“There’s gotta be someone else you can start giving this stuff to. You know, spread the wealth.” Bosco looked at her. His eyes pleading with her to stop giving him more work.
“It’s all you Boscorelli. Four glorious weeks of desk duty.” She started to walk away, and then turned back to him. “And Bosco, don’t get sloppy. Someday people are going to have to try and read your handwriting.” She walked out of the office.
“There’s nothing wrong with my handwriting,” he called after her. Then he looked down at the report he was working on and tried to decipher what he had already written. “This is exactly why Faith does most of our paperwork.”
He put his pen down, and rested his elbows on the desk. He had his chin in his hands as he sat there thinking. “Faith. How the hell am I ever going to get her back if I can’t even talk to her? I’m such a coward. She came to my apartment to check on me. Sat on my couch for almost six hours just so she could make sure I was OK. I’m such a screw up. I couldn’t even say anything to her. I couldn’t tell her how I feel. Why can’t I tell her? When we were in Florida I didn’t have any problem telling her or showing her how I felt. Coward!” He picked up his pen and got back to work.
*****
Faith hit the lights and siren. The forest green SUV slowly pulled over. She approached the driver’s window. “Good afternoon ma’am. I’ll need to see your license and registration.”
“Why?! What’d I do?”
“You just ran a red light.”
“What red light?! I didn’t see no light!”
Faith pointed behind her. “That light right there. Three blocks down. It was red.”
“I couldn’t see it. There must be a big tree branch covering it.”
“Ma’am there are no trees on this street.”
“Oh,” the woman said somewhat embarrassed. She was trying to get out of getting a ticket and was failing miserably.
“Sit tight. I need to go call this in.” Faith headed back to the RMP, a big grin on her face as she began to chuckle. “How dumb can you be?” Faith wondered. “If Bosco was here he’d have had some choice word for her.”
Faith climbed into the car and accessed the computer to run the woman’s registration. She leaned back in the seat as she waited for the computer to retrieve the data. She let her mind drift. “Bosco. I wonder how he’s doing? I wish I could have talked to him last night. Told him what I was thinking. What I was feeling. I don’t have a quick fix to our problems, but I need to find one. I really need him in my life.” The computer beeped informing Faith that it had completed its search. She went back to writing the ticket.
*****
“There’s Bosco,” said Charlie excitedly as he pointed in his direction.
“So?” replied Emily.
“I’m gonna go talk to him,” Charlie started toward him.
“Charlie dad said we were supposed to stand by mom’s car until she was done working. We aren’t supposed to go anywhere,” she said in her best big sister voice.
“He’s like twenty feet away,” snapped Charlie as he ran to catch up to Bosco.
----------
Bosco heard fast footsteps behind him, and turned around. “Hey Bosco!”
“Hi squirt. What are you doing here?”
“Dad dropped us off. Told us to wait by mom’s car.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder to indicate where the car was.
Bosco looked to see Emily leaning against the car. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was glaring at him. “If looks could kill,” he thought. “What?! Your dad just left you two here alone?”
Charlie shrugged. “Yeah. He said it was OK cause nothing would happen to us outside a police station.”
Bosco just shook his head. “If he ever just drops you two off again go inside to wait for your mom OK? You can never be too careful.”
-----------
Faith found Emily by the car. “Em? Where’s Charlie? Where’s your father?”
“Dad dropped us off. Charlie’s with Bosco,” she rolled her eyes when she said ‘Bosco’.
“Tack another two days on to your punishment.”
“What?! Why?! I didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t give me that Emily. I’m standing right here. I saw you roll your eyes. And speaking of your punishment. Did you follow the rules? And you might as well tell me the truth because I’ll find out from Charlie anyway.”
“Yes I followed it. You can ask Charlie.”
“OK. Now come on, it’s time for you to apologize to Bosco.”
---------------
Bosco saw Faith and Emily approaching and smiled weakly. “Emily has something to say to you.” He looked at Emily and she looked down at the ground. “Emily Yokas you look him in the eye.”
Emily raised her head and looked at Bosco. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled quietly.
“I don’t think he heard you.”
Emily sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said louder.
“What are you sorry for?” asked Faith.
“I’m sorry for breaking your foot.”
“And,” Faith prodded.
“And being so mean.”
Bosco just nodded. It was obvious it was a forced apology, and he really wasn’t sure how to respond so instead he just kind of ignored it. He looked at Faith. “Can we uh---? Can I talk to you for a sec?”
She nodded. “Em. Charlie. How about you guys go wait in the car?” She handed Emily the car keys.
Bosco stared down at the ground for a moment before returning his gaze to her face. “I uh, I just wanted to thank you for coming over and checking on me yesterday. Cause you know after everything I said…well you didn’t, you didn’t have to.” He started to play with the rubber padding on the top of his crutches. “I’m not saying this right,” he thought.
“Well I was worried about you,” she said softly.
He nodded. “I know. Thanks.”
They stood there just staring at their feet as they tried to figure out what to say next. A car horn broke their thoughts. Faith turned around and realized it was her impatient daughter’s way of telling her to hurry up. “I uh I gotta go,” she said quickly and turned away.
Bosco watched her walk away. “Stop her!” his mind screamed at him. “Stop her and tell her you love her and you miss her and you’re miserable without her! Just tell her!” He opened his mouth, but he couldn’t make any noise.
-----------
“Turn around!” her conscience yelled at her. “March right back over there and tell him this is ridiculous! Tell him you love him and you miss him and you’re miserable without him.” She slowed down a little thinking that she might actually turn around.
-----------
He opened his mouth once again, and this time he heard his voice as he called her name. “Faith!” But she didn’t hear him as one of the officer’s starting his shift was testing his siren before beginning his tour.
When the siren was shut off he had time to call out to her again before she reached the car, but he didn’t. Instead he just watched her climb in and drive away.
“Damn coward!” He said to himself as he walked to his car.
********
For the next two days Bosco and Faith did their best to avoid each other while at the station. Since Bosco wore his civilian clothes while he worked desk duty he avoided the locker room entirely. When Faith was working on paperwork she would go to a different office. The only time there were in the same room was during roll call, and even then they made sure to sit on opposite sides of the room. But even though they stayed out of each other’s way they both stole looks at the other when possible. It was an odd complicated situation and neither of them knew how to handle it.
Bosco was returning to his desk after making a trip to the vending machines. “Bosco shouldn’t you be using your crutches?”
He turned to see Lieutenant Swersky standing behind him. Bosco waved his hand toward the vending machine area. “It’s like fifteen feet.”
“Yeah. Fifteen feet there, fifteen feet back and I’m sure it’s not the only time you’ve neglected to use your crutches. What? You like desk duty now? Cause the more you do that the longer you’re on a desk,” reprimanded Swersky. Bosco nodded. “So, how’s the foot?”
Bosco banged his cast against the side of the desk. “Can’t feel a thing.”
Swersky just shook his head and smiled as he stepped into the office and shut the door behind him. Bosco got a confused look on his face as soon as he saw Swersky’s expression change to a serious one. “What’s up Lieu?”
“Sit down Bosco.”
“I swear I didn’t do anything Lieu.”
“Yeah that’s the problem.”
“What?!”
“I talked to Lieutenant Anderson and Sergeant Franklin and they say you’ve been on desk duty a total of four days and you haven’t yelled at anyone or gotten on anyone’s nerves. It’s pretty obvious something is wrong.”
Bosco shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just turning over a new leaf.”
“Well I also caught wind that you’ve been drinking pretty heavily.”
“Who told you that?! Davis? Faith?” Bosco was irritated. This wasn’t anyone’s business but his.
“Neither. Come on Bosco. Haggerty’s is a cop bar. Lots of people saw you and then you called in sick.”
“It’s my business Lieu!”
“Bosco if something’s wrong let me help you. If not me than talk to Faith.” Bosco looked down at the floor, and Swersky knew something was up. “What’s going on?”
“It’s just…” Bosco looked at Swersky. “I can’t talk to you about this.”
“Why not?”
“Cause…it’s you. I mean you’re one of the bosses and this…this is personal.”
“Bosco I’m human too. You can talk to me.”
Bosco sat on the edge of the desk. He thought about what Lieu had said, and he really did want to talk to someone about it. Bosco sighed. “I hurt her,” he said softly. Lieu just looked at him. “I broke up with Faith.”
Lieu nodded. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.”
Swersky’s eyes narrowed. “Bosco.”
“Really Lieu it’s complicated and I don’t want to get into it now. Not here.”
“Just talk to her Bosco.” Swersky opened the door. “And another thing. Do yourself a favor and lay off the booze.”
*******
Faith headed back to the station a little earlier than normal. There were a few things she needed to take care of. She quickly changed into her civvies and then went out to the front desk. “Sergeant Franklin have you seen Bosco?”
“Last I saw him he was in the command office with Lieutenant Anderson.”
Faith headed up the stairs to the command office. She looked in the window and saw that Bosco was still talking to the Lieutenant. Faith decided to have a seat on the bench in the hallway and wait for him.
A few minutes later she heard the slight suctioning sound of Bosco’s crutches on the floor. She stood up to greet him. “Hey.”
He looked up at her. “Hey.”
“Can I talk to you?”
“Sure,” he said as they stood in the hallway.
Faith looked around the crowded hall. “Somewhere private?”
“Uh yeah OK. Lead the way.”
The conference room across the hall was empty. She turned on the light and held the door open for Bosco. When they were both inside Faith looked down at the floor. “I need to ask you a favor,” she started nervously.
Bosco swallowed hard and nodded as he leaned heavily on his crutches. “OK.”
“My aunt died.”
“I’m sorry Faith,” he said sincerely.
“Her funeral is tomorrow and I need to be there. I have to leave tomorrow morning and I won’t be back til the next morning.” She looked at him. “I need someone to stay with the kids.”
His head shot up. “What?! What about Fred? Can’t they spend the night at a friend’s or something?”
“Fred’s out of town for some business conference, and I just…well…I don’t like leaving the kids with people that I don’t know all that well. There isn’t really anybody that I trust with my kids.” She looked him in the eye. “Except you.”
“Me?” he asked in surprise.
“Yeah, and I know that we aren’t together anymore and it’s a lot to ask of you, but…well you’re all I’ve got right now.”
He nodded. “What about Emily?”
“She’s grounded for what she did to you, and I’ll make sure she knows that if she disobeys or disrespects you in any way it will only add to her punishment.”
Faith looked at him with hope in her eyes. She needed his help and he knew he couldn’t turn his back on her. He owed her. “Yeah OK Faith. I’ll stay with the kids.”
“Thank you Bosco,” she gave a sigh of relief. “Our neighbors, you know the retired couple, they’re going to watch the kids during the day and then if you could go over there after work that would be great. I’ll leave you a list of detailed instructions.” Faith was talking a mile a minute; she had so many things on her mind.
“Don’t sweat it Faith. Everything will be fine. You just go be with your family. I’ll take care of the kids.”
Faith took a deep breath. “I hate funerals,” she said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Bosco leaned his crutches against the conference table and walked over to Faith. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know, and I’m sorry,” he said softly as he puller her into a hug.
*******
Bosco took a deep breath and opened the door to Faith’s apartment. He found Charlie and their neighbors, Mr. And Mrs. Hanson, sitting in the living room watching a movie. “Whatcha watchin’?” he asked as he hobbled over to the edge of the couch.
“Harry Potter. It’s almost over,” answered Mrs. Hanson, as Charlie was too engrossed in the movie to be disturbed. “Emily’s in her room reading.”
Bosco nodded. “Thanks for staying with the kids today.”
“No problem it was our pleasure.”
Mr. Hanson stood up next to Bosco, and extended his hand. “How have you been Maurice? We haven’t seen you around these parts since the night Faith moved in.”
Bosco looked at the TV as he spoke. “Well I’ve uh been pretty busy.” He scratched his cheek.
“Well, we have a few errands to run so we better get going,” said Mrs. Hanson. “Faith left a note for you on the kitchen counter. Jim and I should be home most of the night if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s good to see you again Maurice,” she put her hand on his arm. “You take care of yourself.” She started to walk away, but stopped. “I know I barely know you and you may think this is none of my business,” she whispered. “But I’ve seen Faith quite a bit in the week that she’s lived here and I’ve seen a change in her. When you two introduced yourselves to us I could just feel the electricity between the two of you. And well, I just hope that you can figure out how to put the bounce back in her step.”
Bosco looked at the woman. Why was it that everyone could tell that something was wrong? He couldn’t help but wonder if he was wearing some kind of scarlet letter or something around his neck. “Come on Irene. Leave the guy alone.” He ushered his wife toward the door. “Women. Can’t live with ‘em. Can’t live without ‘em,” he said with a smile as he closed the apartment door behind him. Bosco just grinned and shook his head.
Charlie was still in a trance in front of the TV, so Bosco went into the kitchen to read the note Faith left for him.
“Bosco- I can’t thank you enough for doing this. Here’s a list of things you may need to know.
1) Emily is grounded! NO TV! NO Phone! NO stereo! NO FUN! Is she gives you any problems let me know otherwise I’m sure Charlie will tell me.
2) Can you handle making grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner? If not there’s always cereal.
3) They can have a pudding cup for dessert.
4) Make sure the kids brush their teeth before bed.
5) In bed at 10 lights out at 10:30.
6) Doctors’ names and numbers and a list of the kids’ allergies are on the wall next to the phone.
7) You can sleep in my room.
If you have any questions you can call my cell and leave a message. I’ll be checking it frequently. I should be home before you have to leave for work tomorrow, but if not the Hanson’s said they would watch the kids until I got home. I think that’s it. Thanks, Faith.”
He chuckled softly as he read the note. “Grilled cheese? Give me a little credit Faith.” Bosco went back into the living room and sat next to Charlie. He put his feet up on the table. “How was the movie?”
“Awesome,” Charlie smiled at Bosco. “I’ve seen it like a hundred times.”
“That good huh?”
“Yeah.”
*****
Bosco knocked on Emily’s bedroom door. “Emily dinner’s ready.” He was expecting her to put up a fight and say she wasn’t hungry, but to his surprise she came out of her room. “Hi,” he said as she opened the door.
She nodded slightly. “How long you been here?” she asked as she walked past him and toward the kitchen.
“Couple hours.” They sat down at the table where Charlie was already eating. Emily just looked at her sandwich. “Uh oh. Here we go,” he thought. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.
“Uh nothing.”
“You sure?”
Charlie looked over at Emily. Then looked at Bosco. “Emily doesn’t like when the bread is burnt.”
“Oh,” Bosco looked at the sandwich on her plate and the one on his. They were both pretty dark. “I can make you another one.”
“No. That’s OK,” she said softly. She didn’t want Bosco to think she was being difficult because she knew that if her mom found out she would get a longer sentence.
“It’s no big deal. I can make one more.” Bosco was trying to make sure everything went smoothly with Emily. If he was ever going to get back with Faith he needed to have Emily on his good side, and if making her a new sandwich could help then that is what he’d do.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Just come stand by the stove with me so you can tell me when it’s done right.”
*****
“OK. OK. That’s good,” Emily said.
Bosco scooped the sandwich up onto the spatula. “’K bring me your plate.”
“Thanks Bosco.”
He smiled at her. “You’re welcome.” Bosco put half of Emily’s “burnt” sandwich on Charlie’s plate. “Here you go Charlie.” Then he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of ketchup. He poured some of the ketchup on his own plate. Both kids stared at him. “What?”
“Ketchup?” asked Charlie.
“Yes ketchup.”
“That’s gross,” said Emily as she scrunched up her face.
“Have you ever tried it?” She shook her head. “Then how do you know it’s gross?” He dipped his sandwich into the ketchup and took a bite as both kids watched. Bosco smiled as they both put a little ketchup on their plates and gave it a try.
*****
The phone rang at eleven that night. “Hello?”
“Hey. It’s me. How are things going?”
“Really well. Both kids are in bed.”
“Emily give you any trouble?”
“No, but she didn’t really have a chance since she spend the whole night in her room. I think I saw her for a grand total of twenty minutes. How are you?”
“I’m good. The funeral service was very sad, but it was beautiful.” There was a pause in their conversation. They were done talking about the necessary topics and the main reason for the phone call. Now what? Feeling the tension in the silence Faith spoke up. “I should be back before you need to leave for work.”
“OK.” There was another lull in the conversation. “Uh, well goodnight Faith.”
“Goodnight Bosco.”
******
Charlie sat up and turned on the lamp next to his bed. He sat quietly as he listened again for the noise that had already woken him twice.
---------
“No,” Bosco groaned as he rolled over. “Leave me alone!” His father was standing above him; laughing at him with an evil sinister laugh. “I won’t do it! No!” Bosco thrashed around in the bed.
“Yes you will Maurice. You’re *my* son, it’s in your genes. It’s who you are.”
“No! I’m not like you!”
“You’re *exactly* like me!”
His father laughed at him as he backhanded him across the face. “STOP!”
-------
Emily woke up again. She sat in the darkness of her room. “Bosco must be watching a movie or something,” she thought as she started to lie back down. She heard another shout, but this time it was louder. Emily climbed out of bed to see what was going on.
-------
Bosco was drenched in sweat. His legs were tangled in the bed sheets, and he was trapped. Trapped in his own personal hell. Trapped in his memories. Trapped inside his own mind with the demons of his past. Trapped with his current fears, and there was no escaping.
He watched as everything played out before him in super slow motion. Emily and Charlie were there and Bosco was yelling at them…no, screaming at them. Then he watched in horror as he slapped each of them just as his father had done to him and Mikey so many times. He saw both kids begin to cry and then heard himself yelling at them for being so weak. The whole time his father was standing there smiling. “See Maurice. You are my son. This proves it,” he laughed.
“NO! I’m not like you!”
--------
Emily and Charlie stood outside the open door of their mother’s bedroom where Bosco was staying. They watched as Bosco tossed and turned in the bed and occasionally mumbled or called out into the empty darkness.
“What do we do?” asked a frightened Charlie.
“We have to wake him up,” said a concerned Emily.
-------
Faith their with tears rolling down her face, but he continued to yell. Continued to belittle here. His father stood by cheering him on. “That’s right Maurice. Show the bitch whose boss!”
------
“Bosco wake up!” Charlie and Emily were standing next to the bed trying to wake him from this terrible nightmare. Emily crawled up onto the bed and shook his shoulders, but she couldn’t wake him.
------
Bosco’s fist connected with Faith’s jaw as his father laughed with delight. “NOOOOOOO!” Bosco jolted straight up in bed. His eyes wide with fear. His heart was pounding in his chest. He tried to catch his breath, but it was so hard to breathe. “I can’t be like him! I won’t!” he whispered to himself.
Emily shook him again. “Bosco?” she said softly. He was awake, but he didn’t seem to “be there”.
He looked at her and swallowed hard as he remembered his nightmare. “Emily I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Tears streamed down his face along with the cold sweat.
“For what?” she asked confused.
“For everything,” he said softly as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.
She looked at his eyes and she didn’t know why, but her heart softened. She felt bad for him. Never before had she seen Bosco be anything but gruff and sarcastic. Emily looked down. “It’s not your fault. I’m the one who’s sorry.” She gave Bosco a hug just like the ones she always used to give him when she saw him. “I didn’t mean it.”
“I know kiddo,” he whispered.
Charlie sat down on the bed. “Are you OK?”
Bosco looked down at his legs, which were still tangled in the sheets. “Just a bad dream. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“It’s OK,” they both said as they headed back to their rooms.
Bosco straightened the sheets and lay back down. He put his hands over his face. “I can’t be like him.” He closed his eyes, but the image of his fist hitting Faith’s jaw kept replaying. He knew he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep, so he got up and changed the sheets on Faith’s bed and went into the living room.
*****
Faith got hoe around 5:30 in the morning. “Want some coffee?” he asked from the kitchen.
“No. I think I’m going to hit the hay. I’m beat. I had to leave pretty early and I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“That makes two of us,” he thought. Bosco turned to face her and as soon as he saw her the image from his dream came through his mind. He closed his eyes and shook his head to try and clear the image. He dumped the rest of his coffee down the sink. “Well I better get going so I can shower and get to work. Oh, I changed the sheets on your bed and put the dirty ones in the hamper.”
“OK thanks.” She put her hand on his arm as he started to leave. She looked into his eyes. “Bosco thanks again.”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” he said with a weak smile as he once again thought about his nightmare.
******
She went into her bedroom. All she wanted to do was sleep. It was a good thing the Lieutenant insisted she take two days off instead of just the one she had asked for. Faith went to pull back the covers when she saw an envelope with her name on it sitting on her pillow. She opened it and unfolded the sheet of paper.
“Faith-
I know I should say this to you, but whenever I see you I can’t seem to get the words out so I figured I’d write this letter so you’d at least know I’m trying. I just can’t seem to find the courage to look you in the eye, but some day soon I will. I promise.
I’m sorry for yelling at you. I’m sorry for breaking up with you. I’m sorry for not trying harder. Faith I’m sorry for everything. We were only together for a short time and I’ve already had to apologize for two huge things. Once in Florida and now this. I hope that we can work through this. I’m miserable without you Faith. I kept thinking that if I drank enough I could get rid of the guilt and the pain, but when the bottle was empty the pain was still there. I need you.
I think Emily and I have worked through our problem, but now I have a problem of my own that I need to take care of before we can try again. That is, if you want to try again. This problem is too big for me to handle alone. It’s taken a long time, but I’ve finally realized that. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to fix it, but I hope you’ll wait for me.
I love you.
Maurice”
Faith wiped a tear from her eye and went into the living room. She picked up the phone. She’d wanted to call him for days, but never knew what to say until now. She dialed his cell number. “Hello?”
“I’ll wait for you Bos.”
----------
(Imagine that this was a movie…and this is the song that is playing during the closing credits! It’s an upbeat kinda song from Bruce Springsteen’s new album “The Rising” the song is called “Waitin’ On A Sunny Day” the title is perfect too :) )
It’s rainin but there ain’t a cloud in the sky
Must have been a tear from your eye
Everything’ll be okay
Funny, thought I felt a sweet summer breeze
Must of been you sighin’ so deep
Don’t worry we’re gonna find a way
I’m waitin’, waitin’ on a sunny day
Gonna chase the clouds away
Waitin’ on a sunny day
Without you, I’m workin’ with the rain falling down
I’m half a party in a one dog town
I need you to chase these blues away
Without you, I’m a drummer, girl that can’t keep a beat
An ice cream truck on a deserted street
I hope that you’re coming to stay
I’m waitin, waitin’ on a sunny day
Gonna chase the clouds away
Waitn’ on a sunny day
Hard times, baby well they come to us all
Sure as the tickin’ of the clock on the wall
Sure as the turnin’ of the night into day
Your smile girl, brings the mornin’ light to my eyes
Lifts away the blues when I rise
I hope that you’re coming to stay
I’m waitin’, waitin’ on a sunny day
Gonna chase the clouds away
Waitin’ on a sunny day
*******
TBC…in story #3…“Chasing the Clouds Away”