Chapter 4

In the short time Munch had been away, all hopes Olivia Benson had secretly kept that she and El might get some time off at the same time were dashed by events that had seen them both called out in the early morning, and Eliot had left his wife sleeping in bed, to go and join Olivia as the sun rose – and this being purely work, he had stayed at the squad room taking in the details of the case that had just come in, while Liv went to the hospital to speak to a woman who was now resting as well as she could, bruised and battered in a hospital bed after being sexually assaulted.

"What can you tell me about last night?" she asked.

The woman's eyes filled with tears and Liv was sure even crying must have hurt her, because she was so bruised from the beating she had received.

"I'd finished work," she said, "and I was on my way home. It was a short walk and I've done it so many times...I never thought..."

"Take your time," Liv said gently.

The woman gathered her thoughts and met her gaze once more.

"He came out behind me. I didn't see his face. He hit me. I blacked out. When I came around I was on the floor, my skirt was up and he was trying to rape me. He said I had to keep still, I tried to see his face but the lights were bright and blinding me."

She gave a sob.

"He said there was a camera."

"He was filming it?"

She nodded.

"He put his hand on my throat and started to squeeze. That was when I reached out, I grabbed something, it felt like the leg of a tripod...I pulled on it and the camera fell and he panicked, he went crazy, like the camera meant everything to him. As he reached for it I went for his eyes, I scratched his face and we struggled. I got away and ran up the stairs and he grabbed me again and I screamed. I got as far as the door, I remember that – I opened it, he hit me again and again and I was dizzy... I remember running. It was dark and all I could do was run."

She gave another sob, put her hand to her bruised face and shook her head.

"I don't know anything else. I couldn't even find the house again if I tried...I was so dizzy...and I wanted to live, so I ran. That's all I remember."

Liv looked at her thoughtfully.

"You can't tell me anything else about him?"

"He had an accent," she replied, "I don't know what kind...Russian, maybe? I'm not sure."

"If you remember anything else," Liv told her as she handed her a card, "Give me a call. I'll be in touch, okay?"

The woman nodded,and then Liv left the room, leaving the victim to rest, and then she headed for the door, feeling weary as she wondered how many more victims this guy would claim before they caught him - so far, they had very little clues to follow at all...

When Munch arrived at work, he sat down at his desk as usual and Fin shot him a knowing look.

"Five minutes late this morning, do we blame the new girlfriend?"

Munch smiled.

"I'm seeing her later. I think I'm in love."

Fin stared at him.

"You are?"

And Munch smiled again.

"Yes, I really am," he replied, "And it's going very well, I'm actually feeling optimistic about this relationship."

"What about the creep who's been -"

"Not now," Munch said quickly as Cragen left his office and walked over.

"Munch, can I have word?" he asked.

Then Alex Cabot walked in, and as she strode over to join them, there was a look about her eyes that said she had her sights set firmly on nailing a case.

"I just heard about the rape called in last night – I've just come off the phone to Olivia, she interviewed the victim and said the guy was filming the whole thing, it all sounds like the hallmarks of Dimitry from the way he grabbed her to the way he held her down. I would love to take a shot at that piece of filth if I had the chance and put him back in jail where he belongs."

"The attacker left DNA behind - the victim scratched his face," Cragen replied, "But we have no evidence it was Dimitry. There's also the fact that he was found shot dead last night – we don't know what he was doing in New York, but it looks like a possible gangland killing, single shot to the back of the head. And it's not our case, it's Homicide's. And I'm willing to bet the DNA won't bring his name up, the attack happened across town."

Then Cragen glanced to Munch.

"So the guy who threatened to kill you when he got out, will never get the chance."

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Munch asked.

Cragen nodded.

"And it looks like we have to hope the DNA brings up a match to someone else."

Alex gave a sigh.

"I want to know as soon as there is a breakthrough," she said, "Because this guy sounds like a copy cat."

"I agree with that," Cragen replied, and then Alex walked out of the squad room. On her way out she passed Liv, she said Hi to her, and as she walked over to join the others, Eliot looked at her and noticed how tired she seemed.

"The victim went through hell but she can't give us much at all," she said, "Only that the guy had an accent. She thinks it might be Russian. Have we heard back yet on the DNA?"

Fin shook his head.

"And the only suspect we thought we had is dead, so we have to hope that DNA turns up something."

"I want a result fast on this one," Cragen told them all, "Because I don't think it will be long before he strikes again. Let's hope we can stop him before he builds himself a library of his rapes."

Then he went back to his office, and Liv took off her coat and sat down and looked across the desk at Eliot.

"It ever ends, does it," she remarked sadly, and he looked into her eyes.

"You look like you could use a change of scene - lunch, on me?"

That brought a smile to her face.

"Sure." she replied.

"Guess who's in love?" said Fin, and Liv and El both sat back a little in their seats, stiffening as a brief look of guilt shaded El's eyes and panic reflected in Liv's. Munch couldn't help but smile at their reaction to such an innocent remark.

"Yes, I'm dating again and she's a famous poet," he told them, " No questions, please, let's get on with some work!" and as he switched on his computer screen, he heard Fin chuckle.

The rest of the day was spent working on the case – and with no witnesses apart from the victim and no matches coming up on the DNA, the case was growing frustratingly and rapidly cold.

Then as Fin said goodnight and left the squad room, and Liv went over to an empty desk and Eliot joined her because Cragen had already gone home, Munch glanced over, saw the couple's hands briefly touch, and then Liv shifted closer to him and their conversation became close and softly spoken. Munch glanced at the time and was about to get up and put on his coat, when someone walked into the squad room.

"So this is where you work!" she said brightly, and over the other side of the room, Liv and El leaned away from each other, and casually glanced around.

Munch smiled brightly and got up and held his arms out to her, and Lisa walked into his embrace and he hugged her and then let go again.

"Yes, this is where I work – and you shouldn't be here!" he said, "But that doesn't matter now - my boss has gone home anyway...Liv, El, this is Lisa."

They smiled and said Hi and she greeted them, and then Munch turned back to her, his gaze softening as he looked into her eyes.

"I was planning to go straight over to your place - looks like we can skip that now and go straight back to mine instead."

"Good idea." she told him, and as he put on his coat and hat, he glanced at her and smiled, and then he said goodnight to Liv and El, put his arm around Lisa's waist, and they left the squad room together.

"They seem like nice people," Lisa remarked as she sat in the car beside him and Munch started up the engine and drove away towards the highway.

"Olivia and Eliot? Yes, they are," he replied, "They have worked together a long time, they're very close."

"I saw the way they looked at each other," she replied,"Are they in love?"

Munch kept his eyes on the road.

"El is married but not happily and Liv is single because El is married - and if El didn't have his wife, Liv would be Mrs Stabler. But don't say a word about it because there are rules in this job – if anyone found out at work, they could lose their jobs for getting too close."

He glanced at Lisa.

"Seriously, you have to keep quiet about that."

She nodded.

"Of course."

And her gaze lingered on his as he saw longing in her eyes.

"I've missed you."

He broke off from her gaze, looking back to the road ahead before their need for each other caused an accident.

"I've missed you too and it's not far to my place - if I can drive with an erection I'm sure you can hold on a little bit longer too," he said, and briefly touched her leg as he smiled, but kept his attention on the road.

"I'll try," she replied, and the warmth in her voice made him ache for her even more.

As soon as they reached home, Munch wasted no time taking her up to his apartment. Once they were inside and the door was closed, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and then pulled away before he lost control and they ended up making love on the carpet in the hallway.

He took off his coat and hat and then his jacket, and let that fall to the floor as he grabbed her by the hand and led her towards his bedroom.

"I've got protection this time," he said, and already he was slightly breathless as he stepped into the room and took off his tie and began to unbutton his shirt. She reached for him, but he didn't reach for her, instead he sat down on the bed as he stripped off his shirt.

"Not yet. Come and sit down, I need to tell you something."

She had already taken off her jacket and shoes, but still wore her jeans and her figure hugging top. She sat beside him and he saw desire in eyes, and it made him ache, but he wanted her to know him properly and now seemed like the best time...

He saw a flicker of confusion in her eyes as he took hold of her hands and looked at her intently.

"I know how you feel about me, and I feel the same for you, I love you, Lisa - but I'm keeping something back from you and I need to stop doing that because I want you to know everything about me."

Seeing such deep love and understanding her eyes was making this so much easier, and as she replied, he knew this would be easier than he had imagined.

"You can tell me anything," she promised, "Nothing will put me off you or change my mind, my heart chose you."

He paused to gather his thoughts, and then he held her hands a little tighter and told her what he had been holding back:

"I have to be careful in my line of work - I investigate sex crimes, I'm supposed to be a regular, non kinky guy. Even the smallest deviation from that would be seen as a reason to kick me off the squad, Lisa."

She looked at him in surprise.

"You sex life is nothing to do with your work!"

"But my work wouldn't see it that way if this got out - I have to be careful about sharing this... it's nothing heavy, but I can't change it and I wouldn't want to. I like to be gently dominated in bed. I like to be seduced, taken over, I like the woman to take the lead... we don't have to do that, but I would enjoy it immensely if we did."

She reached out and gently touched his cheek, and then she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Teach me," she said softly, "Show me what you need."

What happened that evening, after he shared his secret, was something that Munch felt sure he would never, ever forget. And it only confirmed to him just how right it felt to be with Lisa.

After embracing and kissing as they spoke softly about what he wanted, after her hands had slid over his body and she had undressed him and he had pulled down the zip on her dress and it had fallen to the floor, they were naked together in his bed, he was on his back and she was on top of him,holding his wrists down in a gentle grip as he closed his eyes and her kisses teased him and made him sigh with pleasure as she began to make love to him.

"Take me over, Lisa," he whispered, and then he gave a soft moan of pleasure as she held him down and took the length of his hardness deep inside her.

As they moved together she released her grip on him and their hands linked, her gaze locked on his and as he whispered that he loved her she silenced him with a kiss as his body began to tremble.

"Yes, do it," she said breathlessly, "Come for me, show me you love me..."

His breathing grew faster as his face flushed and he gripped her hands tightly.

"I love you Lisa!" he gasped, and then he came hard, and as she took him deeply inside her and pressed against him, she reached her own peak and as she cried out he held her tightly.

She was still coming down from the orgasm as he kissed her back to her senses.

"I meant that," he promised as he swept her dampened hair off her face and looked into her eyes, "I do love you, Lisa. And I want you to be Mrs Munch."

As she lay beside him and looked into his eyes, he smiled as he saw the look on her face, and knew in a heartbeat what her answer would be.

"Yes, I'll marry you, John," she said, and then she wrapped her arms around him and they kissed deeply and tenderly, and as he broke off from that kiss, he blinked to clear eyes misted up with joy.

"I'll make you happy," he promised her, "I'll do what ever it takes -"

"No," she said to him softly, "Just love me. You don't have to work hard for anything, you already have my heart."

"I think I've waited all my life for someone to say that to me," he told her, "To say I don't have to give and keep giving while they do all the taking. I've never felt this loved before."

"Neither have I," she replied as love shone in her eyes and she moved closer in his embrace, "I want to love you forever. For the rest of my days."

And as he held her and they rested together, he closed his eyes and kept her close, and as she fell asleep in his arms, Munch smiled as he lay warm beside her, knowing that for the first time in his life, he had found someone who he really did believe it could work out with. At last, it really did feel as if he had found the elusive true love he had been searching so long to find, and that was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep in the embrace of the woman he loved, who loved him back the way he needed to be loved, and for Munch, that was all he needed, because nothing had ever felt so right before.

And as they slept and darkness crept into the room as night fell, a single light lit up softly as Lisa's cell phone buzzed quietly, as on the other end of the line, Greg tried and failed, over and over, to reach Lisa, and the more he failed, the more his rage began to build...