How Could An Angel Break My Heart

Chapter 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Faith looked down at her watch. Fred was right the kids should have been back by now. It was nothing for Charlie to loose track of time when he was out with friends but with Rosie he had always been responsible. Being sure to call home if he was going to be late. But tonight he wasn't even answering is cell phone and the concert in the park should have ended over an hour ago.

Faith was beginning to get worried. She was suppose to meet Charlie and Rosie at Fred's for pizza night and it wasn't like Rosie to not keep reminding her brother about it. She put her coat on and headed out the door. The best thing for her to do was take the same way they should have taken to get to Fred's and hopefully she would run into them on the way.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The little girl he had just talked to on the back of a teenager caught Bosco's attention.

"I guess she found him." He said aloud.

Sam just looked up at him as if he had understood.

Bosco sat back down at the table. He wasn't in any hurry to go back to the hotel. He hated this town. It certainly wasn't New York in fact he was surprised it had even been on the map. That with the combination of visiting the in-laws just made his week perfect. How he had gotten talked into this trip was beyond him. He had been winning the argument but no Davis had to open his big mouth and remind Sarah that he had vacation time left so now here he was sitting in some stupid park in the middle of a blink and you miss it town.

He glanced down at his watch. Bosco's sanity time was over he had to get back in time to meet Sarah's parents for supper. Bosco picked up Sam's leash and started heading for the park entrance.

~*~*~*~*~

Faith was only a couple of blocks from the park and still no Charlie and Rosie. What if something had happened to them? She had moved them across the country away from New York for a number of reasons and one of them was that it was a lot safer then the big city.

Damn she shouldn't have started thinking about that. Who was she kidding safer wasn't why she moved. She moved because she couldn't tell Bosco about Rosie as many times as she tried to get the nerve back up something had always stopped her and now she was here.

Her life had fallen into place good enough she supposed. When she relocated Fred had also moved so Charlie and Emily wouldn't have to be so far apart from either parent. Faith had been grateful for his efforts. After everything she had put him through he still was good enough to think of something like that. It was more then just the kids not having to be so far apart but to help her with Emily. Emily didn't take the news of her and Bosco being together well to begin with but when they had broken up and she found out Faith was pregnant well that was a whole new can of worms. If it wasn't for Fred, Faith was sure that her and Emily's relationship would be non-existent.

Charlie had taken the whole thing rather well. He loved his little sister and had always helped to take care of her. But over the years his hatred for Bosco had grown day by day. Faith had tried to explain to him that it wasn't only Bosco's fault that they were both to blame but Charlie refused to listen. Even when she explained how she never told Bosco about Rosie so he could hardly be blamed for not being there. His only reply was "He doesn't deserve her anyway."

Faith sighed as she continued heading for the park. She didn't need to think about that now. Now all she had to do was find Charlie and Rosie.

~*~*~*~*~

"Charlie what did you do with my picture?"

The sudden sound of Rosie's voice had startled him. She had been quite for so long that he had figured she had fallen asleep.

"What picture?"

"The one of mommy and daddy, I showed to you back when I was tying my shoe."

Oh great he had forgotten it on the ground right where he had sat it down.

"Rosie I'm sorry I put it down to help you and"

"You gotta go back Charlie!"

"Rosie we can't we're already late. Mom and Fred are going to be worried"

"Charlie it's the only picture I have of daddy. Please Charlie."

He couldn't just keep walking away. So he turned and started back in the direction they had come.

~*~*~*~*~

Bosco just couldn't win. One minute it was chilly the next it was too hot. He tried to unzip his jacket before he continued any further. Soon after he started to mumble curses under his breath. First thing he was doing when he got back home was buying a new coat the zipper kept sticking on this one. Bosco stopped and looked down to fight with the broken zipper when he noticed a photograph at the edge of his shoe. He sighed. Couldn't anybody throw things in the trash any more? A trash can only a few feet away and they had just thrown this old bent up picture on the ground.

"What the hell?"

He didn't understand this? He bent down to pick up the picture. What was this picture doing here of all places? He hadn't seen this picture in ages he had thought he lost it when he moved out of his and Faith's apartment. But he was holding it in his hand so obviously it had to be real. The same picture they had taken at Ty and Alex's Christmas party the last year he and Faith were together.

He turned the picture over and there in red crayon were the words PROPERTY OF ANGELA ROSE MITCHELL.

~*~*~*~*~

"What if it's gone Charlie? What if I can't find it? What if somebody took it?"

He could here her voice crack, she was going to start crying.

"Don't worry Rosie. Remember I helped you write on the back that it was your picture?"

He could feel Rosie nod her head as she sniffled.

"So it's going to be ok Rosie, we'll find it."

A few more minutes had past and they had reached the picnic table spot.

"Let me down Charlie so I can look. We were over there by the garbage can because I remember thinking it was smelly."

Charlie crouched down so his sister could get down. She began running through the crowd of people.

"Rosie, wait up!" He shouted as he took off behind her. Stupid free concerts in the park they always brought tons of people in the last thing he needed was for her to get lost now.

~*~*~*~*~

"Hey Mister you found my picture."

Bosco looked up from the picture he had been holding and saw the little girl from before running towards him. Her long brown hair blowing in the wind and her blue eyes shinny from tears.

"Angela Rose?"

"I want it back please." She said reaching out her hand.

Bosco just stood there looking at the little girl. It couldn't be?

"Rosie, wait I..."

Bosco looked past the girl to see a young man come running up to her.

"Charlie?" Bosco asked stunned.

Charlie had heard his name and looked in the direction it had come from. The relief that had spread across his face as he reached Rosie disappeared quickly as his eyes met up with Bosco's.

"My picture please." Rosie's sniffled.

"Give her back the picture Bosco. Now."

Rosie looked between her brother and the man that was holding her picture and held out her had for it again.

Bosco handed the picture back to Rosie who immediately put it safely back in her purse. As he watched her he figured everything out. Why she was so familiar. Her hair probably came from him. Her eyes were defiantly her mothers. Her pouty stubborn streak came from him and that confidence and friendliness was all Faith.

He looked back at Charlie as Charlie rested his hand on Rosie's shoulder and pulled her back towards him. As if to protect her.

"Charlie?"

"Look we have to go." Charlie picked up Rosie's hand and turned to walk away.

"Charlie" Bosco said louder then he should have. He grabbed Charlie's arm and turned him around.

Rosie hid behind her brother beginning to get scared.

"Let me go." Charlie growled out as he pulled himself away.

"Where is she?"

"Back off!" Charlie warned as he pushed Bosco back with both of his hands.

Bosco took a step towards Charlie. Charlie only stood his ground.

"I need to see her Charlie." Bosco tried to reason with him.

"No you don't. You never need to see her again. Do you hear me?"

He had to see Faith. He had to figure out what was going on. How she could have left and never have told him about the beautiful little girl that was standing behind her brother. He still couldn't get over that she was his and Faiths. She was perfect.

"Rosie" Bosco said in a calming voice aware that the yelling Charlie was doing was scaring her.

"No you don't. You stay the hell away from her." Charlie warned as he put a hand on Bosco's chest.

Bosco looked back towards Charlie and pushed the teenagers hand away while in a low warning voice he said, "She's my daughter Charlie I have every right ..."

Before Bosco could finish his sentence he heard a small gasp escape from Rosie's lips as she took a step back from behind Charlie. Then he felt a blow to the right side of his face as Charlie punched him. As he started to fall to the ground he saw Rosie begin to run.

"MOMMY!"