Homicide
Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU. Sorry folks.
Summery: Fin only knew Lake for two years. It wasn't as if he had the time to get to know his ex partner. Well at least that was his excuse, what happens when part of John Munch's past comes up causing Fin and the rest of the squad to wonder about what they actually knew about the man?
Authors Notes: Although I have never actually seen the episode this plot bunny wont leave me alone. It plays homage to an episode off Homicide Life On The Streets, which stared our little Munchkin. It also may just have a brief homage to Oz and a little more insight into Elliot's past.
Chapter One
"You got any secrets I don't know about, old man?" Sergeant John Munch's eyes shot up at Detective Odafin Tutuola (otherwise known as Fin) who was hiding his curiosity by looking in some files. John inwardly relaxed.
"Why you asking, Tutuola? You want a detailed description about my sex life or something?" John quipped.
"What all thirty three seconds of it?" Detective Elliot Stabler retorted from his desk while his partner Detective Olivia Benson snorted.
"I had four ex wives you know." John pointed out and pretended to be huffy. Subject avoided successfully.
"Could we please stop discussing Sergeant Munch's sex life or lack there of and get back to work?" John gave Captain Don Cragan a hangdog look.
"Cap, I'm hurt. Hurt right here. . ." Cragan just raised an eyebrow at him.
"I'm sure after the many years you've had on the force Sergeant that you will be able to get over it." The three detectives laughed while he merely pouted at the Captain, "John, my office." The captain turned around from the other members of the squad looking curiously at the retreating Captain.
John got up wordlessly and followed, intentionally ignoring the taunts from his fellow detectives feeling like a naughty child on the way to the principal's office. But he hadn't done anything wrong had he?
Thankfully he didn't have long to wait.
As soon as he closed the door the captain smirked at him. John merely raised an eyebrow absentmindedly wondering if the government had replaced their Captain with a Cragan look-a-like.
Something was up.
"Take a seat, John." John sat still feeling a little tense and he also knew Don was enjoying every minute of his discomfort.
"What's this about Cap?" John questioned getting straight to the point, Cragan just studied him for a few moments. Finally Don smiled at him.
"Relax John, you're not in trouble." Almost instantly he relaxed. It was almost as though he needed permission to relax which was scary, for him. However he was not fully assured.
"I'm not?" He echoed.
"You're not." It was his turn to study Don who was definitely amused at his reactions. It wasn't his fault that his boss was acting like a FBI agent undercover.
"So what's this about, Cap?" John repeated.
"You've been officially a Sergeant for nearly a year now." Suddenly he had an awful feeling on what Don was going to suggest next.
"So?" He was happy where he was. Although part of him wanted to go back in the field and help Fin, Olivia and Elliot with cases again and be on equal terms again he knew he never could be.
"Unofficially it's coming up three years." Had it been that long since Lake had joined and left the team?
"We know whose idea that was." John pointed out shifting slightly. He didn't want to admit to the team that it had been thought out behind their backs. That the SVU was a volunteer squad and that the captain had managed to get the IBA to play directly into their hands.
"John you know the only way I could get that lot out of the mess they where in was for me to take the fall. That was why you agreed to take that sergeant exam in the first place."
"It was a bar bet, Cap." John said looking steadily at his captain.
"Say it as often as you like John. You know the truth. Anyway I don't want to go down this track. I want you to take the Captain exam." John sucked in a breath.
"No." John said firmly staring hard at his captain.
"John-"
"No." He repeated not letting his captain finish, "you know if I pass I'll get transferred to another department."
"Not necessarily." Don said calmly which caused John's anger to peak as he got up out of his chair, his hands on the table in front of them.
"You know DAMN well I will Don." He snapped.
"I'm thinking about retiring next year, John." At that John fell silent and sunk back into the chair, knocking the wind out of him.
"The exam it's self is taken every three months. The results sometimes take up to another six months to process." John murmured.
"I want someone who knows the squad to run it John. Not some new rookie hot shot captain who thinks he knows everything." John nodded. There was a hesitant knock at the door and then Elliot's head popped into the room.
"Cap, there are two members of the rat squad here demanding to see you and Munch. Do I send them in?" John raised an eyebrow at the captain who looked almost as confused as he probably did. At Don's questioning glance he slowly nodded knowing that he probably didn't really have any say in the matter.
"Send them in." Something about this seemed odd but he couldn't put his finger on what. He could hear Fin's voice in the back of mind that he was being a paranoid old coot.
Two men in identical black suits came in. FBI wannabe's John summarized in his mind. They nodded politely at him and Don then sat down with ease. John waited for his captain to take the lead of the conversation, knowing that the rat squad never would and that there would be hell to pay if he did.
"What can we do for you, gentlemen?" Don finally said after what seemed an eternity for John. His nerves where getting the better of him. The rat squad had a way of doing that even when you had done nothing wrong.
The men still didn't say anything however the one sitting directly opposite Don slid a bit of paper over to him. John watched as his boss read the bit of paper. He watched the expression change from confusion to disbelief to anger.
"This is insane." Don nearly growled slamming his hands on his desk causing John to jump in surprise.
"Cap, what's going on?" He finally asked his curiosity getting the better of him. Don shot him a look that made him want to take back his words. Something told him he wasn't going to like where this is going.
"Just do what they say. Don't answer any questions. Not until your lawyer gets there. You'll know who it is when they arrive." John's eyebrow shot up and he looked in disbelief at his captain. He wasn't saying what he thought he was saying was he? Finally one of the IBA stood up.
"Sergeant John Munch, please hand over your badge and gun." John nearly protested but Don's words came back to him. Do as they say. He took out his gun and handed over his badge.
"Your spare one as well." The other IBA agent said sternly and John wordlessly stood up, put his foot on the chair and raised his trouser leg, taking his spare gun.
"Place your hands behind your back." He did as required. He knew what was coming however his mouth worked (as it quite often did) without him thinking.
"Could you at least tell me what I'm being arrested for?" The agent ignored him and he felt the handcuffs click shut, before the agent spoke again.
"Sergeant John Munch, you are under arrest for the murder of Gordon Pratt. You have the right to remain silent. . . ." John tuned out the rest of the speech having said it many times before. The first line echoed through his mind.
He was under arrest for the murder of Gordon Pratt.
Another thought soon came to him: had any of the others been arrested or was it just him?
He numbly walked through the squad room noticing the squad members looking at him in disbelief. His partner looked like he was in complete and utter shock. He just walked silently out, knowing not to say anything. Despite the fact he, himself was in too much shock to actually say anything.
He also knew that would be the last time he would be in the squad room for a while.