A/N: First, I sincerely apologize for the extremely long delay in updating. Also, to rindy713, I understand the dangers of this type of shift change completely; I myself have lived it off and on for four years. However, I knew I was going to incorporate a shift change in this story and when I researched actual shifts for NYPD detectives, I found an article from the Daily News in 2009 about this schedule and how it was affecting detectives. This was the actual shift schedule for many NYPD detectives for a while, at least during 2009.

Okay enough of explaining. Enjoy!


Central Park Driveway

Central Park

The pathway along the baseball and softball fields was dimly lit, making shadows out of every tree and bush. As he walked along, ball cap slightly lowered and hands stuffed in his pockets, he kept his eyes trained on the shadows. It was his second lap around the path and as he passed the empty benches, he noticed the difference immediately. On the first pass there had been a light illuminating the crosswalk; now the light was off. Stopping on the pathway, he looked around as he heard noises and talking coming from behind a row of trees.

Continuing a couple more feet along the path, he took his hands out of his pockets. Raising his right arm up to his mouth while his left went to his gun on his hip, he whispered into the concealed microphone, "Possible contact between West Drive and C. P. Driveway on north side of the baseball fields."

"Roger, we'll have backup to your location in approximately one minute," Fin spoke into his ear.

Pulling his gun from the holster, he ducked into the concealment the dark trees and bushes provided as he did a double take back to the point where he heard the commotion. A scream pierced the otherwise quiet park and he hurried as he pulled a small flashlight from his right pocket.

As he approached the crosswalk he clicked the light on. "NYPD," Bobby called out as the light shown on the two people hidden by the trees. The man stood stunned as he held the blade against the woman's tightly restrained throat. "Drop the weapon!" he ordered as the man pushed the woman toward him and in a surge of fear took off running.

Bobby caught the crying woman who was bleeding from a cut on her face. "It's okay, you're safe," he told her as he raised the mic back up. "Suspect on the move, heading east across the fields toward East Drive and the Great Lawn. I'm in pursuit."

Hearing someone coming up behind him, he handed the woman off to Munch as he told him, "I'm going after him."

Munch took the woman from him as he started running in the direction the man had fled. The baseball fields were barely lit but the moon was high in the sky on the clear night and it illuminated the opening enough that he could see the man running about fifty yards ahead. Holstering his gun he sprinted over the grass and dirt baseball diamonds. His long strides helped him to gain on the suspect who they believed raped and disfigured two other women in Central Park over the course of the week.

Up ahead he saw the man trip and fall before getting back up and continue running, but the fall was enough for him to close the distance as he hit the pavement of another pathway. He had just crossed East Drive when he spotted flashing lights from the SUV that Benson climbed out of. She yelled out at the man to stop as she pulled her gun and aimed. The man stumbled to a stop and went to run left when Bobby closed the last few feet and slammed into the man like a linebacker. They crashed to the ground. The man struggled under him to get up as Bobby yanked his arms around his back and cuffed him while panting for air.

Benson walked over to them and with her gun trained on the man read him his Miranda Rights.

As Bobby pulled the man to his feet, he said to Olivia, "Thanks."

Benson grinned a little, saying, "If you would come running with me sometime you wouldn't be out of breath."

Bobby glanced over at her with a pained look. "You're joking, right? I'm going to be limping for the rest of the night now because of this jackass rabbiting."

She was laughing as he put the suspect in the back of a patrol unit that had pulled up behind the SUV. Returning to the SUV, Bobby leaned back into the passenger seat as he heard Olivia talking to someone on her cell.

As she closed her cell, she told him, "Munch got the vic to Mt. Sinai and she's getting looked at. Aside from the cut on her face she's fine."

They headed out of the park but didn't follow the patrol car back to the department; instead they headed north into Harlem. Bobby didn't have to ask to know where they were going and why. Once again they were in-between cases so they were helping other cases where they could, like Munch and Fin on the Central Park case. A light drizzle of rain started to come down as they made a turn onto Madison Avenue and pulled alongside a navy blue Ford sedan at the corner of East 128th Street. Bobby rolled down the window as Olivia put on the blinkers.

Stabler looked over from the driver's side of the sedan and said, "I heard you tackled the guy in Central Park."

Bobby smirked slightly as Olivia told Elliot, "He looked like he should've played defense for the Jets. Any activity?"

Stabler shook his head as he pointed to the building across the street. "Other than a few dealings, it's been a quiet night. I had Narco come by a few times. They've been sitting on this place for a while."

"They have wire taps?" Bobby asked as he noticed a single payphone down the street. One of the few left in the city.

"The whole nine yards," Stabler said as he pointed to a camera above a light over the front doors to the building. Bobby had to crane his head to see it, but it was clearly visible. "Funny how dealers and customers ignore the camera."

"They probably think it isn't working; that's it's there just as a deterrent," Bobby said before looking back over at Elliot. "Go ahead and take a break, we've got it."

Stabler started the car and gave them a smile. "Have fun," he said before giving a wave.

Benson reversed to allow the sedan to vacate the space before she pulled into it and cut the engine. Elliot had been sitting on this stakeout since coming on shift. Bobby radioed it in and then leaned the seat back and pulled the ball cap down over his eyes.

Olivia flipped his cap up and glared at him. "What'd you think you're doing?"

"Resting," Bobby said as he pulled the cap back down. "I'm not going to sleep."

"You better not. We've only been on duty for three hours."

The new shift change had been implicated sooner than they expected. With the luck of the draw, their unit at the Manhattan SVU had gotten the weekend night shift. Starting Monday he had his two days off before going into two day shifts then back to two night shifts, giving him next Sunday and Monday off work. Then the cycle repeated over and over. That meant he didn't have this holiday weekend off. Neither did Alex. She was put on days this weekend along with Logan at Major Case. She also had Monday and Tuesday off, but come Wednesday when he started days she would be on nights. They had the opposite schedules but at least they would always have the same off days.

It also meant that they couldn't get married this weekend. They had to put it off for another week. He told her he wouldn't mind just going to the Justice of the Peace, but she wanted to have a ceremony with her parents and family present. Whatever she wanted was fine with him, he just had to know the day so he could get his mother and have time to invite his brother. Frank probably wouldn't show up but he wanted to at least give him the option.

He heard Fin's voice come over the radio, indicating that he and Munch had relieved the other unit on the stakeout a block over. Olivia confirmed the notification and the SUV once again grew quiet.

Detectives Garcia and Mitchell along with Elliot had been working a joint investigation with Narcotics since yesterday. A group of dealers were selling to recovering addicts, mostly ones on parole, who were always coming in and out of the rehabilitation center they were watching. However, someone has been preying on the same addicts. So far, one had been raped that they know of and Bobby was sure there were more victims who were too scared to come forward. They couldn't run their own investigation without running over Narcotics, so they were working together for the time being.

"How's Alex doing?" Benson asked, breaking the silence.

Bobby glanced over at her and said, "She's good. I thought you two talked?"

"We do," she quickly defended before sighing. "Or at least we did. We haven't spoken to each other since the Commissioner's ceremony." Olivia looked over at him and smiled, asking, "And the baby?"

He shrugged. "Fine." Bobby turned back to watching out the windshield.

"Just fine?"

"Yeah," he said as he watched a few recovering addicts walked into the center. None of the dealers tried to approach them. They were mostly waiting to get the ones coming out. "She's uh…going on nine weeks. The only real change is her energy level. She gets tired easily. You know, with her nephew, around this time she got nauseous…morning sickness. But this time it's the fatigue." That wasn't all though. Alex has been like an emotional pinball, bouncing from one mood to the next in mere seconds.

"How about work? Is she going to take time off or-"

Bobby looked over at Olivia then and asked, "Why are you asking?"

Olivia turned away from him with a light laugh and then shrugged out, "I'm just trying to pass the time."

"You can call Alex if you want to have pregnancy talk," he muttered as he went back to watching the streets and the coming and going of people along the sidewalk.

"Then we can have Bobby talk. How're your meetings going?"

Bobby closed his eyes and groaned. God, how he really missed long stakeouts with Alex because she knew when to keep quiet and let him observe. Running a hand over his face, he sat up in the seat and stared at the door for a few long seconds. Making up his mind, he pulled out his wallet and took out only his ID and a few bucks in cash before tossing it up on the dashboard. Then he unclipped his shield off his belt and tossed it beside the wallet as he opened the door to the SUV.

"Hey—"

"I gotta use the bathroom, call it in," he said.

"Without your shield?" Benson called out as he shut the door.

Bobby looked back at her stunned face and waved as he started walking, head down and hands stuffed into his pockets, up the sidewalk. The light rain was coming down harder, splashing against his ball cap and soaking the shoulders of his tan leather jacket as he crossed the street. Benson was probably freaking right now seeing him walking toward the Addicts Rehabilitation Center. He said he had to use the bathroom; he didn't say where.

Reaching up, he rubbed at his nose and neck, scratching at it despite his clean shaven face. He glanced over at one of the dealers standing out in the rain wearing only an oversized hoodie as he headed to the doors. His hands twitched as he voluntarily let his right arm jerk around and rub along his shirt on his left side. Taking his eyes quickly off the dealer, he hurried into the building.

Shaking off the water on his jacket and taking his cap off to run a hand through his wet hair, he looked around the brightly lit halls as he searched for a directory or sign. He wasn't surprised when his cell phone also started vibrating in his pocket.

Taking it out, he answered, "Yeah," as he took in the directory along a wall off his right. He had to go up a few flights to get to the NA meetings room.

"Goren, what the hell?!"

"I'm looking for a restroom."

"And I'm looking to kick your ass. Why didn't you take your shield?"

Bobby opened the stairwell door as he answered, "I don't want to risk getting made."

"Hey, wait up!"

He stopped with his hand on the door as he turned to see Fin coming up behind him.

At his questioning look, Fin told him, "Liv called me."

"I thought you might need backup," Benson told him over the phone at the same time.

Bobby was a little annoyed, but there was no use fighting it. He trusted Fin to watch his back any day or night. They headed up the two flights together as Benson continued to question him.

"Why didn't you just tell me what you were doing?"

He stepped into the hallway and followed the handwritten sign on the wall to a closed door. . "I didn't want to hear you try and talk me out of it. It took Alex years to learn that it doesn't do any good." Peering into a small window on the door, he saw a Narcotics Anonymous session already underway. Bobby pulled back on the ball cap and eased it down to help shadow his eyes.

"How long will you be?" Benson finally asked with an exaggerated sigh.

"Uh, half an hour, maybe." Bobby didn't wait for a response before flipping his phone shut while at the same time opening the door. Looking back at Fin, he said, "In here, we don't know each other."

Fin gave him a confirming nod as he grabbed for the door and followed him inside.

A woman who'd been standing in front of the room talking suddenly stopped and looked his way. Bobby meekly smiled in apology for interrupting before finding a seat in the back. Fin sat on the other side of the room but in the same row as him. It didn't take long for the woman to continue. As she talked about strength and courage, faith in overcoming weakness and so forth, Bobby scanned the gathered group. He knew their suspect was a man but that only narrowed it down to eleven in that room.

The victim they knew of, Sara Burke, was attacked after one of these meetings between eleven and eleven thirty. It was twenty after ten now; so she would have been leaving this meeting the night she was attacked. Sara had left out the back of the building, exiting onto 128th street and headed toward Park Avenue a block over. She wanted to catch the bus on Park Avenue, a block over. Before she made it halfway up the block, she was grabbed from behind and pulled back into the blocked off construction area next to the building. Then behind the security of the blue and black tarps their rapist destroyed her life.

He needed to see the men's faces, get their names, and he couldn't do that in the back of the room. Bobby thought about waiting for a break and going around to each of them individually. He could talk to them one-on-one but he wasn't sure when they would get a break. Plus, that would seem suspicious to their rapist if he were at the meeting.

"I do see a couple of new faces in the room, and as a rule, if you're new you have to share at least your name. So," the woman paused and eagerly looked around at the people who were new to the meeting. When her eyes landed on his, Bobby made show of shifting his seat and looking around, trying not to seem too eager. "Anyone? I really don't want to have all the newbies raise their hand and pick one."

Bobby weakly raised his hand and she called him out on it rather quickly.

"Yes, you in the back. Come on up and introduce yourself."

Bobby slowly stood and headed to the front, keeping his eyes off the others in the chairs until he was positioned in front of the group. In his AA meetings they didn't go up to the front of the room. They all sat around in a circle and stayed seated unless you really wanted to stand up and take center stage. So, this standing in the front of the room thing was new. He was comfortable on a witness stand, but once you got him up in front of people who could, and would, judge him and he forgot how to speak.

He got up to the podium and cleared his throat. Looking up, his eyes found the eyes of everyone in that group and he realized, as he did in the AA meetings, that these people couldn't and wouldn't judge him. Except for maybe Fin, but he trusted Fin and this wasn't a real meeting. This was for the job. His eyes went from their faces to their names tags and he realized he didn't take the time to get one for himself.

"I uh, forgot to do the nametag thing," he said with a sheepish smile and laugh. Only three people remotely joined him in his embarrassment as they chuckled. "I'm Robert."

"Hello Robert," the woman and a few others, Fin included, greeted him in return.

Bobby saw the uninterested looks in most, tiredness in others, but one man looked interested as he sat upright and kept his eyes alert. He was near the back and Bobby remembered seeing him when he first took a seat. "Thanks, hi, I, uh…" he looked toward the mediator running the meeting and she smiled politely while silently urging him to continue.

Faking uncertainty wasn't a stretch for him, but he wasn't ready to leave the podium just yet. He wanted to continue observing the men, especially that one man, whose nametag had "Doc" handwritten in black ink. Bobby figured Doc was a nickname or street name. If he'd been arrested before and used that alias then it would be in the NYPD database. However, the man didn't look like a banger on the street. He tried to look the part with the clothes: hoodie, baggie jeans, and sneakers. But, his nicely shaven face and haircut was off. Where Bobby fit the part of a successful guy, probably a teacher or consultant, trying to use a ball cap to keep some form of security, Doc was trying way too hard to blend into his surroundings.

Fin noticed him too. They exchanged a look and Bobby returned his attention to the room.

"I'm not uh, certain what I should say here. I've been told that the, um, that the hardest thing to do is to-to, uh, to admit that you have a problem, but I'm not…I'm not sure that's the truth. I know I have a problem, I am an addict, and the hardest thing for me is to…want to get clean, and staying that way." Bobby finally saw some genuine smiles and nods in the group. They all knew that feeling. "And, I guess, that's why I'm here. To figure out how to do that," he said as he looked around but kept his main focus on Doc in the back.

Doc's attention was no longer on him but on the mediator. Bobby looked toward her to give her a 'is that it' look when he saw her looking down at her foot as she was rubbing it. Her heel was off and she was massaging the ankle, and then her calf muscle that was visible below the skirt she wore. He glanced back to Doc and saw his eyes narrowing more as he kept watching her.

"So," Bobby said, "that's it."

She looked up when he stopped talking and quickly put her heel back on so she could stand. "That was great for your first time, Robert. Okay, everyone, why don't we take a break. It is ten thirty, be back in your seats at ten thirty-five and we'll wrap this meeting up."

Bobby smiled slightly as he walked over to her and said, "I didn't get your name…"

"Oh, it's Jennifer," she said almost apologetically as she reached up to touch a cross necklace that hung down from her neck.

"Jennifer," he repeated. "And you run all these meetings?"

"Not all, I'm here Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays," she informed him.

Bobby nodded as he smiled and looked to the floor, and then glanced toward where Doc had been sitting. The man wasn't in his seat, but over at the refreshments table. Fin had gotten up and was approaching the table where Doc stood. Looking back at Jennifer, he told her, "I'll do my best to be here those nights then."

Jennifer smiled at him as she stepped away to talk to another member who was waiting patiently. Bobby headed over to the table and saw a plastic tub with a lid covering it with a tiny slit in the top. Taped to the tub was a handwritten sign asking for donations. He took out the dollars he had taken from his wallet and made a donation to the tub before picking up a Styrofoam cup. As he poured himself a cup of warm coffee, he felt eyes on him.

Glancing over, he saw Doc glaring at him. Bobby gave the man a weird look as he asked, "You have a problem," he made a show of looking at the nametag before saying, "Doc? Is that your name or are you a doctor?"

The man didn't say anything as he turned and went back to his seat. Bobby watched him walk away then looked at Fin who grabbed the coffee pot.

"He definitely warrants further investigation," Fin said as he poured himself a cup. "I texted Munch and Liv while you were admitting your problems," he smirked slightly before getting serious. "So, all this talk actually helps?"

Bobby sipped on the coffee and gave a nod. "I think so."

Fin looked around and then took a sip of his own coffee before heading toward the door. He slipped out as others were coming back in. Bobby returned to his seat as Jennifer once again stood at the podium. Doc was still staring at him but Bobby gave him no mind as he down the horrible coffee then got up to throw the cup away. As he returned to his seat, he kept looking at Doc. Doc finally looked away. Sitting back down in the seat, Bobby crossed his arms and slid down in the seat and not giving Doc another look as he stared straight ahead.

Five minutes before the meeting was over, he got up and headed for the door.

"Oh, don't go yet, Robert," Jennifer called out. "Not until you get your newcomers coin."

Bobby stopped at the door and turned, hands stuffed into his pockets. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open, muttering something about having to take a call before quickly leaving. He already had a newcomer coin along with a 30 and 60 day coin. Heading to the stairwell, he slowed his steps as he looked around for Fin. He wasn't around the hallways so he headed down to the first floor as he dialed a number on his cell phone.

After one ring, she answered, "I didn't know how to explain a thirty-five minute bathroom break so I called it in twenty minutes ago that your break was over."

Bobby figured as much as he trotted down the steps. "Good, have you found anything out on this Doc guy yet?"

"Aside from the fact that he's one of the seven dwarves, no."

"Okay, get your camera ready, I'll let you know who to take a picture of when he comes out." Bobby ended the call as he stepped off the last step and opened the stairwell door.

Fin was standing near the doors watching the rain coming down. He looked back and then gestured outside. "It's getting torrential."

Bobby leaned against the glass doors as he stared out at the heavy rain coming down. "You know, there's no definition of torrential rains that's recognized by the National Weather Service. Torrential simply means that the amount of rain is, uh…abundant, fast, and long lasting."

Fin just looked at him before saying, "Yeah, there's an abundant of something going on, but it's not just the rain."

He smirked as he knew Fin was talking about him. Bobby flipped back open his phone and put it up to his ear as he asked, "Any thoughts?" To anybody looking in or accidently happening upon them, it would look like he was on the phone while Fin was just waiting for the rain to ease up.

Fin was quiet for a long moment before nodding, "Most likely this guy came from Park Avenue. Either by car or he took the subway. There's no way he took the bus."

"Why Park? Why not Madison?" Bobby asked even though he already knew the answer. He wanted to make sure him and Fin were on the same train of thought.

"Cause it's the path of least resistance," Fin said as he pointed around. "Madison is heavy on traffic, on bangers, camera above he door, and NA group members hanging around after the meetings. He'll want to get away fast and out of sight. He'll use the side street and go up to Park."

Bobby gave a nod in agreement. "Why don't you head up Park now, I'll follow once they leave."

"Alright, and keep your head down. Don't be mean-mugging these dealers into shooting you."

"They'll make me for a cop and run before any of that happens."

Fin huffed out a laugh as he pushed open the door and headed out. Bobby watched as he turned left and disappeared around the corner. It was only seconds later that the doors opened to the stairwell behind him and members of the NA meeting started filing out into the lobby. He glanced at the group and then pushed open the door as he stepped out onto the sidewalk. A few minutes later he spotted Doc coming out of the building.

They made eye contact before Doc started to head up the street toward Park Avenue. He continued to pretend to be on the phone as he started to follow Doc up 128th and right by the construction area where Sara Burke had been raped.

Doc didn't give any indication that he knew he was being followed, but since bus stops and the train stop was off Park it wouldn't seem like that big a deal for him to be going the same way. Once at the corner, Doc had to stop at the light. Fin was there, standing at a bus stop.

Bobby stopped next to Doc as he said into the phone, "No, I'll stop pick something up. What'd you want? Chinese? Ah, sushi night. How 'bout I pick up a bottle of red…I'm not trying to get you drunk."

Doc kept glancing his way, looking annoyed with his conversation before hurrying across once it was safe to cross the street. Bobby crossed but when Doc headed toward the gated parking lot under the train tracks, he turned and headed toward the subway. He brought his phone down and found the camera function. Minutes later, a car exited the lot and headed south on Park Avenue, right by Bobby as he took at least two photos before the car was out of sight

Bobby watched the car as a maroon Ford sedan pulled up in front of him.

Munch looked up at him from the driver's seat and asked, "You didn't make Fin stay for the Serenity Prayer did you?"

He paid John Munch no mind as he asked, "Photos?"

"I got some clean shots but with this lighting," Munch pointed out the bad lightly from the streetlights and shadows from the train tracks. "Same with the plate. Hopefully I got a good shot of it."

"I got a partial," Bobby said as he reached into the car window and took a notepad and pen out from the middle console.

"Hey, watch where your hands are grabbing," Munch yelled before telling him, "Liv's coming around the corner to pick you up."

On the pad of paper he quickly jotted down the partial plate number he got off the car as well as the year, make, and model. He ripped the page off and stuffed it into his pocket as he tossed the pad and pen back to Munch.

Fin had approached the car and was reaching for the passenger door as he said, "Doc doesn't talk much. Think that means something?"

Bobby nodded as he stepped away from the car. "There's something significant about his speech, or the way he talks. He can try to fake the look, but he can't fake his voice, the way he talks. I wonder if he's even gotten up in front of the group."

"Want to go back to talk to the members?"

"No," he quickly said as Benson parked the SUV across the street. "I don't want to put them onto me in case I have to come back. But, I could ask the mediator." Bobby dug into his pocket and pulled the sheet of paper out and handed it over the top of the car to Fin. "See if you can get a hit on that."

Fin read it to himself and then said out loud, "A 2004 BMW with a partial plate of HNJ; nice work."

Bobby gave them both a wave before hurrying across the street to the awaiting SUV. He climbed into the passenger seat and immediately accepted his shield from Olivia. He grabbed his wallet off the dash and put it back in his pocket. "Fin and Munch are going back to SVU to run a search on the car. I want to talk to the mediator of the meeting tonight, but not here."

"You want to follow him home?"

Looking over at Benson, he smiled a little. "Her, actually, and she's not headed home. She's too dedicated; no, she'll probably go somewhere nearby where members meet up, coffee shop most likely, so she can further integrate the message."

"The message? Sounds like a religion."

Bobby shrugged and gave a slight nod as Olivia steered the SUV back around to the front of the building. "In a way, it kind-of is. You have to believe in it just as you would your faith in order for it to be of any real help."

Olivia parked and as they waited for Jennifer to leave the building, she asked, "Is that how it works for you? You believe in it like that?"

Bobby didn't have to think very long about that as he rubbed his aching knee that would only get worse as the night wore on. "More than anything."

She was quiet for a moment before looking over at him. "Good for you."


Coffee on Madison Avenue

Bobby entered the local coffee shop exactly five minutes after he watched Jennifer enter. Olivia was going to park the SUV and come in later and sit at the counter. He looked around as he took off the ball cap and spotted Jennifer in the back booth talking with a couple. Man and woman whom he recognized from the NA group.

Walking toward her, Jennifer looked up and when she saw him her smile and eyes lit up in surprise. "Robert. Welcome. How did you know we would be here?"

"I-I, uh, I didn't. I just needed to get out of the rain," he sheepishly said before looking to the couple. "Hello."

"You're the newbie," the young girl said before saying, "I'm Brit, this is Lin." They looked at each other and then she said, "And we were just leaving."

"Are you sure?" Jennifer asked as they stood.

Brit grabbed her light black leather jacket and pulled it on. "It's late and we work in the morning. You two have fun," she said with a teasing smirk and wink before her and Lin left.

"Sorry, she's cautious of new people, especially other members," Jennifer tried to explain as Bobby sat down across from her.

"Can't say that I blame her. You don't really know who you can trust when you know how easy it is to…to relapse."

Jennifer reached for her cross necklace again as she gave a knowing nod. He noticed she did that a lot.

"I wasn't telling you the whole truth," Bobby told her as a waitress walked up and asked if he wanted anything. "Coffee, please…oh, uh, decaf." He waited until she was gone before explaining, "I knew you would be here."

Jennifer looked a little worried, and confused as she asked, "How?"

Bobby pointed to her necklace as he said, "That. It symbolizes your faith, and…your dedication. After a meeting, there's no way you wouldn't have made time to speak one-on-one with the members."

She sat quiet for a while, long enough for the waitress to return and fill his cup with coffee before walking away again. "You're not a newcomer, are you?"

Bobby smiled slightly then shook his head as he reached for the creamer. He had forgotten to tell the waitress he wanted decaf, but he didn't feel like waving her down and changing his order. "I'm seventy-eight days sober."

"Congratulations," she sincerely told him with a huge smile.

"Thanks. It's not easy," he told her as he took a sip of the coffee. "The uh, the reason I came tonight is because, well…" Bobby had worked this all out in his head beforehand but now it seemed hard to lie to her. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I guess it's why Brit's weary of new people. I started to trust the wrong people, people I thought were as committed to staying clean but it turned out that I was being used. So, I'm going around, meeting to meeting, and trying to find that, um…"

"Security?" Jennifer offered up and then shook her head at interrupting. "I didn't mean-"

"No, that's actually the word I was searching for. You sound like you know from experience."

A shadow of a look passed over her face before she quickly smiled instead and said, "I've heard a lot of stories from members who've been through what you're describing. It is hard in this circle to stay, as you said, committed." She was messing her necklace again and Bobby suddenly had a thought that the jewelry held more meaning than just simply a symbol of her dedication.

He took that opportunity to segue into why he wanted to talk to her. "I got a chance to talk to most of the other members, trying to get a feel for them, but one guy seemed to not want to talk to me. He seemed standoff the whole time and quiet." As he spoke, Bobby could see realization enter her eyes. She had an idea of who he was referring to. "I think, um…he went by Doc?"

At the mention of Doc's name, Jennifer dropped her hand from her necklace and grabbed for her coffee. She took a gulp as she glanced out the window. "Yes," she finally said, "I've noticed that as well."

"He's never gotten up, not even to introduce himself?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I always say that it's a rule for newcomers to get up but I don't actually go around forcing the reluctant ones. If I did that-"

"Then they would stop coming."

"Exactly," she said with a laugh. "Some just need a little prompting, like you."

Bobby rubbed at his neck as he lifted his cup, saying, "I would've done it anyway." He heard the door open and glanced over his shoulder as Benson walked in. It's been five minutes. He went back to drinking his coffee. "Can I have your number?" At the look on her face, he quickly said, "It's not for any other reason than keeping in touch. I have all the numbers of mediators and members that I want to continue talking to. I think that in order for this to help, and work, you have to have people to talk to who understand."

"Okay," she said before giving him her number before getting his.

He got up with her when she grabbed her light jacket and purse to leave. Bobby pointed to Benson as he told her, "My ride's here."

Jennifer gave Olivia a once over before giving him a handshake goodbye. Bobby watched as she left the diner before sitting next to Benson.

"Wow."

"What?" he asked as he debated on whether or not to get another cup of coffee to go.

Benson didn't say anything as she got up and headed toward the door.

Bobby didn't think he would ever figure Benson out as he waved off the waitress while getting up to follow her to the SUV. The rain wasn't as bad as earlier but he still put the cap back on as he headed down the sidewalk.


Bobby & Alex's Apartment

He slowly opened the door and stepped inside as he heard the quiet hum of the refrigerator. The sun had already broken over the horizon, casting a glow into the kitchen. Shutting the door behind him, he locked it then reset the alarm before going straight for the refrigerator when he opened the freezer and took out an ice pack. His whole body ached but his knee especially was killing him. Sitting on the couch, he buried his face in the ice pack and moaned as he felt the cold numbness spread from cheek-to-cheek. Then he moved the ice pack to his knee as he leaned back and stared up at the ceiling while he fought the urge to ease the pain by use of alcohol and pain meds.

A soft meow broke the silence and he felt the kitten rubbing against his leg. Reaching down, he picked up Hugo Gustav and placed him in his lap as he leaned back and closed his eyes. His talk with Jennifer had turned up little info on their mystery suspect as did the BMV search of the vehicle. There were over twenty BMV's in Manhattan alone with license plates beginning with HNJ. None were registered to any man known as "Doc" as an alias or otherwise. He narrowed it down to five who were actually doctors and he would look into them when he went back on duty.

He sat there for a long while before getting up. He tossed the ice pack back into the freezer and opened the refrigerator. There was a new container sitting on the top self with a sticky note with his name on it with a heart. Bobby pulled it out and opened the lid. Alex had cooked him dinner. Smiling, he shut the door and went to heat it up.

After he ate and showered, Bobby fell in bed with only the purring of a kitten to keep him company. He missed Alex already. Setting the alarm to go off a two hours sooner at 3 pm, he rolled over and buried his face in Alex's pillow and tried to actually get some sleep.

TBC…

To those freaking out about no wedding, I'll explain in the story but also say that I never intended on actually writing the wedding ceremony; it'll just happen.