I had a hard time believing that after everything Munch had seen in his years of Homicide and SVU that the the Mehcad Carter case would be the one to make him retire, so this is my response to that.
"Cap, can I have a word?" Munch's lean body appeared like a shadow in Cragen's office doorway, his knuckles rapping softly against the door jamb.
"Yeah, come on in," Cragen said, waving him in and taking a sip of his tea as he sat down at his desk. His eyebrows raised when Munch closed the door behind him. "Everything okay?"
It had been a rough few months for everyone on the squad, no one more than Olivia, but he was aware of the strain everyone was going through, the guilt of Liv's days with Lewis and the helplessness they'd all felt as they'd rushed to save her. But now, Olivia was back and things in office seemed to slowly be going back to the status quo of earlier days. But sitting in his office and meeting Munch's eyes he felt a lurch in his stomach as he realized things were about to change once more.
"I'm putting in my papers for retirement," Munch said without preamble, refusing the seat and instead standing against the cabinets, hands in pockets.
Outside the office window everyone was at their desks, Fin and Rollins' heads bent over paperwork while Liv and Amaro played phone tag with some leads.
Cragen tilted his head in contemplation for a moment, wanting more than anything to beg him for a few more months, a few more weeks, anything. Instead he said, "You've earned it, I couldn't have asked for a better Detective."
"Sure you could have," Munch replied quickly.
Cragen felt a smile tug at his mouth, "Have you told the others yet?"
Munch's shoulders slumped a bit and Cragen could see the years of fatigue and horrors in that brief moment. "Not yet."
"Why now?"
But Munch was silent. The pause between them seemed to stretch and fill, the hands of the clock ticking through it all.
Finally Cragen nodded before asking, "Is it Liv?"
Munch, always the most stoic and glib of his team could only give a single nod and Cragen acted like he did not see the tears in his eyes.
"It's not just that, it's everything," Munch shrugged, "First Elliot, Fin's stepson, Rollin's sister," he took a deep breath, "And Liv," he shook his head, "I just can't keep doing it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
Munch peered at him for a moment, his eyes squinting behind his glasses, "And you Captain? Your retirement is coming up too."
He could only nod at the truth of the statement.
Munch stood, his hands coming out of his pockets and suddenly he wore again his usual sarcastic demeanor.
"Just wanted to let you know, before the head honchos."
Cragen held out his hand, standing from his seat, "Thank you, for everything."
They shook hands and Munch turned to exit the office, turning back to say over his shoulder, "Just don't tell Liv the whys." He shrugged once more, "Just make something up, say it was some other case, tell her I'm too old. Just . . . don't tell her the truth, Captain."
"I won't," he answered as the door opened and closed once more.