None of these amazing characters belong to me. Believe me, if they did Alex never would have left. *pouty face*
It'd been a long while- too long- since the team had done something together off the job. They spend the large majority of their waking hours rubbing elbows at the precinct, but witty banter over evidence just wasn't the same as witty banter over cold drinks.
So here they sat at a large round booth in a cozy little bar just outside of Manhattan. What was originally going to be an outing of just the four detectives had expanded to an all-out gathering, and the captain, Dr. Huang, and even Dr. Warner had joined Benson, Stabler, Munch, and Fin.
Elliot was regaling the group with yet another story of an inopportune perv hitting on his partner when he was cut off by the muffled, auto-tuned screech of a cellphone.
"He's climbin' in your windows/ He's snatchin' yo people up
Try'n a rape 'em so y'all need ta hide yo kids..."
The group looked at one another in stunned silence for a moment before Munch reached into his pocket, pulled out a cell phone, and silenced the offending object.
"It was probably just the results of the background check on that former babysitter with the questionable alibi. It can wait."
The rest of the group remained silent for a moment as Munch's gaze flitted uncomfortably between his colleagues.
"Really, John? That 'bed intruder song' is funny to you?"
Olivia sounded almost indignant.
"I just thought it was fitting. You know, with what we do. I doubt Antoine Dawson minds, he's making loads off this. I mean, 'cmon. You can buy t-shirts."
"It's still disrespectful and exploitative of what could very well be the worst night of that woman's life."
"Besides," Elliot interjected, "How old are you? I hear that song often enough from Eli, and I don't need to hear it every time your phone goes off. It gets annoying."
"Hey, if I acted my age I'd be chasing ten-year-olds off the lawn I don't have," John rebutted, eliciting a low murmur of laughter from the table.
"It's understandable, really, that something like this would crop up occasionally. I mean, rape is a grave subject. People are going to try to counter the serious tone with humor." Dr. Huang, satisfied that his personal analysis had been adequately conveyed, took a sip of his beer.
Dr. Warner decided to weigh in.
"That may be true, but it doesn't make it right. It's still perpetuating racial stereotypes."
"Yeah, the doc's got it right. Poke fun at the angry dude from the 'hood, why dontcha? But I guess if a brother's okay with being known as the "ghetto witness" it's his deal." Fin nodded forcefully towards Melinda as if to prove his point.
"What about you, cap? Think I'm being unprofessional, representing the department poorly?" Munch shifted in his seat to directly confront his superior.
Cragen carefully, deliberately took a gulp of his Perrier before answering.
"Personally, I think that song is funny as hell."