Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. I'm just borrowing them.

Author's Note: Set after the events of the episode Falling Apart. I realize that the timing of things in this story may not fit well with the series. That along with the fact that I've got Kim and Bosco together is the reason I labeled this story as AU.

"Can you read me one more story, Lou. Please!" Joey Doherty pleaded as the story ended.

"Not tonight," Maurice Louis Boscorelli replied, as he closed the book, and turned to place it at the end of the kid's bed. "You've got school tomorrow and need to get your sleep," he told him, pulling the blanket up further and tucking Joey in for the night.

"Good-night," Joey said, only a trace of disappointment in his voice. The little boy yawned.

"Night, Joey," Bosco replied, with a smile. He retrieved the book and got to his feet. Placing the book back on the bookshelf, he headed toward the door. As he reached for the light switch, he glanced back at the bed to see Joey's eyes starting to close. ~He'll be asleep in a mater of minutes,~ Bosco thought as he turned the light out.

Leaving the room, Bosco made his way to the apartment's kitchen where Kim was finishing the dinner dishes she had left earlier that night.

"Joey's tucked in for the night," Bosco told her crossing over to her. He slipped his arms around her waist and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks. He loves having you read him a story," Kim replied, placing the plate she was rinsing into the dish drainer. She grabbed a dish towel to dry her hands and then turned in Bosco's arms to face him. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. The second kiss was longer and had two participants.

"I really need to finish these dishes," Kim said, finally breaking away, feeling slightly out of breath. It was the way Bosco's kisses always made her feel. "Do you want some coffee?"

"No, thanks. I should probably get going myself," Bosco told her, finally letting her go. "I've got some things to do in the morning before work and should probably get a good night's sleep."

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Kim asked, searching his face for anything that he might not say.

~No,~ Bosco thought to himself. It had been two weeks since he had broke down in Faith's apartment. Two weeks since he had confessed everything he had been feeling since 9/11 and following the incident with Hobart. The incident with the bank robbery suspect had been the straw that had pushed him over the edge. The panic attacks and the out of control antics while working with Sully. It seemed like a long time ago at times and then other times so close.

Though Faith denied it was happening, he was sure he was the talk of the station. He had always been known as reckless but after that stunt with the bank robber suspect, he was sure his co-workers were saying more about him. Loose Cannon. That was what the captain had called him right before he had suspended him for three days. ~Hell, I probably should have been suspended for longer than that.~

It had been Faith who had convinced him to take some time off work following his suspension. Later, Kim had talked to him about seeing her pyshiatrist. For once in his life, he had listened to them both though he had done the second reluctantly and only after both Faith and Kim had promised to come with him on that first visit. The second visit, which had taken place only this morning, he had gone by himself. ~Talking to Dr. Carlton has definitely been more beneficial than that counselor the department had me going to,~ he had to admit to himself.

"I need to do this Kim," he told her, not really given her an answer to her question. "Faith was right that I needed to take a break. Take some time for myself, for us, but I've done that. It's time I get back on the street. Back to doing the job that I love despite everything that has happened."

~The job will be the easy part. Facing my co-workers is going to be the tough part. Are they go to accept me back? Will they be talking about me behind my back?~ He hadn't voiced those fears to Kim. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to breech that topic with her. Guilt over his own thoughts about her coming back after her suicide attempt? He wasn't sure. Nor did he think the reason mattered. The only one he had felt comfortable discussing the topic with was Faith. His co-worker. His partner. His best friend.

"But are you ready?" She asked again, not ready to let him of the hook that easily.

"I'm not sure I'll ever be ready but I've got to go back sometime. The longer I put it off the harder it could get."

"Maybe you should think about another job if your not ready to go back."

Even as she made the suggestion she knew it wouldn't happen. Kim didn't need to see her fiance's shaking head to know his answer.

"I can't imagine doing anything else. Being a cop is who I am. It's part of my identity. I'm not about to let anyone take that away from me. Just like you had to go back to being a paramedic after Bobby . . ."

Bosco let his voice trail off. Kim had talked about Bobby's death to him quite a few times in the the year since they had gotten engaged. Still, he knew it was a difficult memory for her. That though she had moved on, a part of her hadn't gotten over that. ~How the hell can anyone get over losing a friend and a partner? You don't. You remember the good times with them and move on with your life just like they would expect you to do.~

"I understand. Just be careful tomorrow and take it slow."

"Slow isn't my style," Bosco told her with a grin. "I will be careful though."

Kim leaned close to him for another kiss before he left.

"I'll let myself out," he whispered in her ear as Bosco finally broke the kiss.

A part of him didn't want to leave but he knew he had to. Oh, he had stayed overnight a quite a few times in the past year, and she had spent some nights with him. However, that only happened when Jimmy had Joey. Until they were married, Kim didn't want Bosco to stay while Joey was in the apartment despite how well the two of them go along. Bosco respected that. He loved Kim and he loved Joey. He knew that one day, they would be a family. That he wouldn't be leaving at the end of the day. That he would wake up with Kim beside him and help her get Joey ready for school. Until then though, he would go home to his own empty apartment, his thoughts never far from his fiance and her son.

Bosco turned from her, and headed toward the apartment door, grabbing car keys off the counter as he passed by. Stepping out into the hallway, he pulled the door shut behind him, testing to see that it was locked out of habit. He headed for the steps at the end of the hallway and made his way down the four flights of steps.

Stepping out of the apartment building into the cool New York night, Bosco made his way to his his mustang parked nearby. Unlocking the door, he slid in behind the wheel and then glanced toward the apartment building.

Even a year after proposing to her, Bosco still found himself in amazement that a woman like Kim would still be with him. That she would be able to look beyond his rough exterior, and all the mistakes he had made and still love him. ~Sometimes I think I don't deserve her love,~ he told himself as he had many times before. Like all the times before though, it just renewed a determination in him to be a type of person who did deserve her love.

With one last glance at the apartment building, Bosco turned the key and the mustang roared to life. Carefully, he pulled the car away from the curb and headed toward his own apartment obeying the speed limit, Kim's words to be careful echoing in his mind.

At quarter to three the following afternoon, Maurice Boscorelli swung his mustang into a parking lot in front of the 55 precinct. Turning the car off, he opened the door and got out. Retrieving his uniform and bag from the trunk, he headed slowly toward the building, both wanting to and not wanting to enter.

"It's the same old place, nothing has changed. Well, except that it's been a little less exciting without you around."

Bosco jumped slightly at the sound of his partner's voice.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Faith Yokas said, letting a hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"Guess my thoughts were elsewhere."

"Nervous?"

"No," Bosco said quickly, his normal bravado that he showed at work coming through.

Faith snorted beside him. She knew her partner better than that. Knew him better than probably anyone else did, just as he knew her better than anyone else in her life.

"Just take it one step at a time and your not doing this alone," she told him, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Now let's go. Being late on your first day back is probably not the way to start the shift."

With his partner by his side, Bosco walked toward the 55th precinct station house. As he stepped through the door, eyes turned in his direction. ~Is it my imagination or are they staring longer than usual,~ Bosco thought as he made his way toward the hall leading to the locker room. Reaching the locker room he pulled open the door.

There was no missing the silence that fell over the officers already gathered in the locker room as they saw him enter. It didn't last long, as conversations slowly resumed. A few of his fellow officers welcomed him back as he headed for his locker. Bosco was glad for Faith's presence behind him.

Reaching his locker, he quickly entered the combination and opened the door. One hurdle had been crossed and it hadn't been as bad as it could have been.

"It'll only get easier from here."

"That's the right attitude to have," Faith said, reassuringly from beside him, already starting to get her own things out of the locker.

He nodded, slightly embarrassed that he had spoken the sentiment out loud and grateful that only Faith was close enough to hear it.

Bosco was pulling on his uniform jacket, when Faith spoke up again.

"Hey Sul."

"Hi, Faith. Welcome back, Bosco," Officer John Sullivan, already in full uniform, said, addressing the other officer. Bosco nodded acknowledgment of the greeting. "He glanced around making sure no one else was close by before continuing in a lower voice. "I just spoke to Swersky. He told me he's got Bosco riding with me today."

"What about Davis?" Faith asked, surprised. She had been riding with Gusler but had just assumed she'd be back with Bosco now that he was back.

"Ty took a couple of personal days. Look, I'm not exactly sure why they put you with me Bos but if you'd rather ride with Faith today I'll see what I can . . ."

"No. It's fine." Bosco said speaking up and cutting Sullivan off. He had been counting on having Faith with him today but he wasn't going to make a big deal of it. He didn't want Swersky or anyone else to think he couldn't handle whatever assignment they gave him. "Unless of course you don't want to ride with me Sully," he added, not able to keep an the accusing tone out of his voice. ~Was Sully trying to get him to ride with Faith so he wouldn't have to ride with him? Their last shift together hadn't exactly gone well. Did Sully share Swerksy's opinion him of being a loose cannon. A danger to himself and those around him.~

"I just thought . . ."

"Look I screwed up the last time, okay. The incident with the bank robber it was stupid. I've dealt with things though Sully. I'm perfectly capable of doing my job."

"Bos," Faith said softly, placing her hand on his arm.

Bosco shrugged Faith's hand off, slammed the locker door, and brushed past Sully. As he left the locker room, he was aware that he had attracted the attention of the other officers in the room.