Legal: I only play with Olivia and the others when Dick Wolf and NBC aren't holding them hostage… I own nothing. I also don't own Nickelback.. or their amazing talent…..

Author's Notes: I am thankful to all of you who are still reading this fic. I hope that you are enjoying it. I am updating as often as my little muse, who looks a bit like our heroine here, lets me. Our heroine is still a little OOC, but she's working her way back! Thank yous! – To my three betas… D, S, and Karen! They correct me when I am out of line, fix me when I am offbase and generally keep me from writing too out of whack to follow, which sometimes can be a hard task I know. Hugs!

Chapter 5 Part Three – Photograph – John Munch POV

I sat staring at the Christmas Party photo from a few years back, a tradition amongst the crew started by Alex. It was almost like a cast photo. It had been taken prior to the events of recent years, which could be told simply by looking at our faces. These days we wore a more haggard look. Years of dealing with harder and harder situations on a daily basis could cause a person to age.

My hair was certainly greyer. Alex and Casey's innocence had worn off. Elliot and Finn both looked much angrier with the world these days. Cragen carried a few extra pounds than the years prior.

And Olivia…poor Olivia. She definitely had a different expression now, it was much more hardened. But even so up until this evening, I had thought that I knew at least a piece of her. Now I just felt like a useless person standing on the sidelines.

I thought back on a conversation I'd had with Finn after she left for the day. It had begun with me expressing my frustrations about always being in the dark and unable to help those closest to me.

He had said, "Well, eventually we come around."

I argued that wasn't good enough. At which point, he reminded me that I was no more an open book than the rest of them.

My final words had been "Well, maybe its time for things to change. I want to be there to help the only family I've got."

He said back, "You know how to help our baby girl; you just have to get her to let you." With that he patted my shoulder and left for the evening.

I had followed behind shortly afterward, exhausted by the day's events. Upon arriving at home, I had settled in with some light background music from the radio and a beer. I had planned to find some dinner, but instead I had managed to spend my evening admiring the photos of my "family" strew around my living room.

I had known that I had always cared about Olivia, after all she was part of the squad and a friend. But for some reason, today really bothered me. I couldn't pinpoint if it was because of all the things I had not known or if it was just because the events of today were so out of character for her. Either way it was getting to me.

I was startled from my thoughts by knocking at my door. I struggled to get my eyes to focus on the digital time on my VCR. I swore it said "4:38" but that could not be right. However when I checked my watch, it confirmed the same. I say the photo back down and walked to the door.

I peered through the peephole and saw Casey staring back at me. "That's strange," I thought to myself as I unlocked the door. "Casey, what are you doing here?"

"Hey Munch," she said smiling to me. I noticed that she was struggling to support someone or something around the corner of the doorframe, and that she also appeared to be at least slightly intoxicated.

"Case, are you drunk?"

She just laughed and said, "Maybe. But I am here with a delivery." With that she let go of whomever she was supporting and I saw Liv stumble forward.

"Whoa sweetie," Casey yelped as she was reaching out to grab Liv before she tumbled down the stairs. She struggled to hold up the dead weight on her, so I stepped forward and helped Casey move Liv into my living room.

"Hey Munch, whatcha doin' here?" Liv slurred to me as we set her down on the couch.

I chuckled, nervously looking over at Casey and said, "I live here."

"Why am I here?" She asked.

"Good question." I said again looking to Casey for answers.

Casey just smiled mischievously and said, "This is where she wanted to be. See ya." With that, she booked out the door before I even had a chance to blink.

For a moment, I just stood there alternating looks between the door and Liv. Finally, I realized that I needed to do something, since it was quite obvious that she was beyond her usual limit of alcohol. I grabbed a glass of water and some Aleve from the kitchen and brought them back into the living room. Upon arriving, I saw that Liv had made herself quite comfortable on my couch, curling up under the blanket and using my spare pillow, always on hand when I couldn't sleep after a rough case.

I walked quietly over and said, "Liv, take these. You are going to want to."

She looked up at me with the innocence of a child. "Why?" was the only thing that she said to me.

It was at that moment, I had a feeling I was in for a long night. I set the Aleve and water down on the table, and then made myself comfortable in the easy chair beside the couch. I pondered arguing with her about taking it, but knew that it wouldn't get me anywhere. So we just sat in the quiet for a spell. Then suddenly she sat up off the couch, like something hit her. She turned to me with an alarmed look on her face and simply said, "Bathroom." I knew exactly what was about to happen and ushered her quickly off to the bathroom. I waited patiently in the living room for what seemed like an eternity, with the water and Aleve in my hand.

About 20 minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, her hair a mess and her face red, but with a sheepish grin on her face. "So, am I going to hear about the fact that I puked in your bathroom for the rest of the week?" She asked.

I burst out laughing, knowing very well that at some point it probably would have crossed my mind, but I just shook my head no. She had had enough to deal with thus far this week; I decided that I would not add to it. She took the Aleve and water, which I had been holding out for her before I dropped during my fit of laughter.

"Ok, I am holding you to that." She said with a slight chuckle. "Wow, I drank A LOT tonight! It's been awhile since I hurled after the fact. Sorry about that."

I chuckled with her. "Well, you did have a bit of a rough day. Maybe you were entitled?"

She nodded taking a swig of the water. "You could say that. But it ended up being a pretty great day, despite everything from last night. Sorry you got involved in that mess."

I just shrugged my shoulders. "What are friends for? I just wished that I could have done more. Keep me in the loop from now on?"

She smiled coyly at me and said, "Depends on if you can handle being in the loop."

I tossed a pillow at her and said, "I can handle any loop given to me, missy. Just try me."

"Really huh?" She said getting up and walking over to my chair. "I bet I can think of a few loops that might be a little rough for you to handle." She said flirtatiously.

I knew that the innuendos being passed around were not common place for Olivia, but I was enjoying her playful manner. It was not often, if ever, that I got to see her in this light. I had to admit, it was definitely piquing my interest. I looked up into her eyes and said, "Nothing's too rough for me, I have been around all the blocks you have only dreamed of honey."

She laughed aloud and walked in her bare feet into my kitchen, like she owned the place. I heard her rustling around in the fridge, and knew she wouldn't find much. "Damn, you have less food than me. I didn't think that was possible." She came back out empty handed other than some more water.

"Want me to order something?" I asked grabbing the phonebook and looking out to see how close to daylight we were. The pizza place on the corner also delivered breakfast as soon as the sun was up.

Olivia looked like she was pondering it for a minute before she shook her head no. Apparently, the idea of eating was better than the thought of actually eating so far. "Pass" was all she said in return.

I decided that now was a good a time as any to see if I could find out why she had been dropped off at my doorstep. "So, Liv, why are you here?"

She laughed and said, "I missed my boys. Cragen would've killed me if I went to the station this early, Finn's doing his thing, and well El, you know how that goes. So you were the best one of the bunch. Why? Aren't you enjoying our little visit?" She winked at me as she got up and turned up the stereo. The song blaring out of my radio was Party Like a Rockstar. She grabbed my hand and said, "Come on, dance with me." And for the next few minutes, I attempted to maintain a cool composure as Olivia performed some of the sexiest moves I had ever seen. At some point, I must have stood still because she started laughing and said, "Don't drool, John, its unattractive."

I laughed and grabbed her arm back as Photograph came on the radio. "You think that was dancing?! This is dancing." With that, I took her for a spin around my living room, complete with a few spins and turns of my own. Years of dancing at weddings had finally paid off with a serene moment of dancing with a beautiful friend.

As the song came to a close, we parted ways awkwardly and made our way back to our prospective seats. I looked at my watch as I saw the sun was definitely making an appearance in the morning sky. It was nearing 7 a.m. We had to be in for 9. I looked at Olivia who was comfortably curled up on the couch with a goofy smile on her face, but her wide brown eyes staring back at me. "We have to be at work in two hours." I waited for a response but got nothing but staring in return. "Liv, did you hear me? What are you staring at?"

She smiled wider and said, "At you." She suddenly sat up straighter and her face turned serious. "I think I am seeing you in a different light, John. I like this fun side; you should bring it out more." She got up and patted my shoulder and walked towards the bathroom. "You have a towel and an NYPD hoodie lying around?"

I smiled a little to myself as I watched her walk away. I was definitely seeing her in a new light as well, one that I was definitely interested in seeing how it shined in the end. "Going on no sleep, I gather. Yea I'll grab them for you." I got up, grabbed a towel from the closet, and hunted down my rarely worn NYPD hoodie. The shower was already going by the time I had everything, so I knocked on the door.

"Come on in." She said from in the shower.

I nervously opened the door so that I could place the items in the bathroom for her. "Here you go." I quickly walked back out, careful not to glimpse anything that I should not have. I was not sure I could handle such a view at this point, plus it felt more like voyeurism than anything else.

A few moments later, she emerged from the bathroom with a towel on her head, in my hoodie and her jeans. She looked just as beautiful as she did when she arrived. She was beautiful no matter what she was wearing, that was something that I had always known.

"Made coffee while you were in the shower. I am going to get cleaned up and then we can head out."

She laughed and said, "I'll grab coffee on the way. I have had your coffee but thanks for the effort. Hurry up so we can get out of here. I am going to have to change my shoes before Finn gets in or I will never hear the end of it."

I chuckled to myself and hit the shower. Within 15 minutes, we were headed out the door and to work. You would have never known that she had partied until dawn, except for the fact that she still had her fancy boots on, rather than the normal plain boots she wore to work every day. I could tell she was ready to get cracking on the new case. I, on the other hand, was a little nervous at what she would meet upon her arrival at the station. As we got closer, I could sense her tense up a little as well.