"You want a meeting with Madd Dogg?" Detective Donovan scoffed in disbelief. "And, I'd like Carmen Electra to give me a blowie. You don't just get a meeting with Dogg. I've been UC with his crew for a year and I haven't even met him yet."

Olivia sighed quietly. "Look, anything you can do to help. Its serious."

Detective Donovan thought for a minute. "I've got plenty of evidence from the last year. Best I can suggest would be giving you what I got on my crew's boss, Bobby D. Maybe you can flip him with it."

"Bobby D." Fin said, writing it down. "What can you tell me about him?"

"Bobby D, aka Robert Dade," Detective Donovan began, "he's been on Dogg's crew since he was a kid on the corner. He's worked his way up to boss-level. He's an insulator."

"What have you got on him?" Fin asked.

"Plenty of drug offenses, battery and assault, deadly weapons, etc." Detective Donovan listed. "Enough to send him up-river for a very long time. I'm sure that jail wouldn't gel with his lifestyle. He's got the swish crib, the cars, the women, the blind. He's not the brightest guy on Earth."

"Let's haul him in." Olivia decided. She turned to the detective. "We'll defer to you. How do you want to do this?"

"I can't risk getting made, not yet, I'm working on as many people as I can get." Donovan said. "When you make the bust take me in, too. Make it look real."

"When is the best time to do this?" Fin asked.

Donovan clicked his tongue as he thought. "Day after tomorrow. I'm meeting with Bobby and a couple of the other enforcers. Turf thing. I'll shoot you the address when I know it."

They said goodbye to the detective and let him go. Fin and Olivia came out of the interrogation room to the observation room where Elliot had been observing.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

Olivia and Fin exchanged a look.

"You know more about Narcotics than I do." Olivia said.

"Honestly, and I ain't trying to be a buzzkill, but," Fin said, "I honestly have no idea. I know the facts: dead girl beat to a pulp, and a kid in debt to two really bad dudes. It could go either way." He made an apologetic face.

Elliot followed Olivia to her office and shut the door. "What do you think?"

Olivia shook her head slowly. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. Unless Dickie knows more than he's saying I can't think of any reason for any of this."

"I'll talk to him." Elliot said. "I'll talk to my son. I'll get to the bottom of this."

Olivia held up a hand. "Maybe that isn't the best idea."

Elliot fixed her with a look. "You wanna expand on that?"

"I'm just saying, you and Dickie aren't exactly on solid ground right now. You really wanna risk losing him again?"

Elliot stepped close, a little too for comfort, and glared at her. "You don't know anything about it."

Olivia glared back, unwavering. "Step back, Lieutenant."

Elliot gave a discreet start and looked away. He went to his desk. He'd never seen her handle him quite like she had. "Look, I'm sorry, alright. I'm just stressed."

"We're all stressed." Olivia said. She went to her desk. "Just, don't try and do anything with Dickie yet."

"Fine." Elliot said simply.

Olivia exhaled slowly and took out her ringing cellphone. "Lucy? Hi." She furrowed her brow. "Oh, oh my goodness, are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Elliot looked at her with concern.

"No, its totally fine. I'm on my way. Your health is more important. I'll figure it out." Olivia said. "I'll be there in a few." She hung up and grabbed her keys. "Fin."

Fin came in. "'Sup?"

"I have to run home," Olivia said, "Lucy just called, she said she's been throwing up for a couple hours and she wants to go to the doctor. I'm going to go get Noah and bring him here. I'll figure out a sitter later on. Hold down the fort for me?"

"You got it." Fin smiled.

Olivia returned shortly with her son in tow. "Let's go and sit in my office, okay." She led him in. "Sit on the couch. You got your book?"

"Yep." Noah said with a smile. He looked at Elliot. "Who is that, mom?"

"We're working a case together." Olivia said. She helped him out of his coat. "What do you wanna do first?"

"I'll color." Noah decided.

"Sounds great." Olivia said brightly. "You won't have to hang out here too long. I'll find a sitter to take you home."

Noah smiled. "Okay."

Olivia sat down behind her desk and took out her phone. "What did you do at school today?" She started scrolling through her contacts.

"We had this really nasty tomato soup at lunch and Julia Fletcher told everyone is was blood." Noah said as he drew. "It made Arthur Rawlings puke everywhere, all over the place!"

Olivia chuckled and typed a text into her phone. "That sounds so gross. What did you learn today?"

Noah started singing a song he'd learned in music class.

Olivia laughed with him. "Wow, great song. How about science class?"

"We learned about a butterfly life cycle." Noah said. "It starts as a larvae, then its in a cocoon, then it rips out of the cocoon and its a butterfly. Then it lays eggs and dies."

"Cool." Olivia remarked in amusement. "Okay, I've got someone coming to pick you up."

"Who?" Noah asked.

Olivia smiled. "Its a surprise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Did someone call for the world's best babysitter?" John Munch strode in and greeted the old squad with a wide grin.

"Hey, its been too long." Amanda smiled.

"Man, who let your ugly, old ass in here?" Fin greeted jokingly. He went to shake his old partner's hand. "You so strapped for cash that you babysitting now?"

Munch laughed. "Only for the best." He went to Olivia's office. "Well, hello, Captain." He glanced at Elliot and did a take. "Whoa.."

"John Munch." Elliot greeted warmly. "How the hell are you?"

"Uncle Munch!" Noah greeted eagerly. "Is Uncle Munch taking me home?"

"He sure is." Olivia smiled. She went to Munch and gave him a hug. "Thank you so much, John. I owe you."

"Eh, anytime." Munch said with a smile. He turned to Noah. "You ready to go, little man?"

Noah grabbed his backpack and coat and hopped off the couch. "Bye, mom."

Olivia scoffed laughingly. "I see where I rank against you, John." She helped Noah in his coat. "Be good for Uncle Munch, okay." She turned to Munch. "Make sure he eats a veggie with dinner this time."

Munch chuckled. "Noah, what do we say to the Establishment?"

"Why." Noah said knowingly.

"Good boy." Munch laughed. He turned to Elliot. "Thought you died, man."

"I basically did." Elliot chuckled. "Good to see you."

"I heard about Dickie and the case," Munch said, "I'm really sorry. Its rough. We all know he didn't do this."

"Thanks, Munch." Elliot said gratefully.

"Come on, Noah." Munch said. He led the boy out.

Elliot returned to his chair. "Wow, he hasn't aged at all."

"No." Olivia agreed.

"Does he babysit often?" Elliot inquired casually.

"Uh, every so often." Olivia said, distracted as she read an email from 1PP. "Damn."

"What?" Elliot asked.

"Nothing, just budget." Olivia said. "I put in a request and they deny it, I put in a request and they deny it. I'm trying to run a department at standards and they don't lend any good-will. Of course they're quick to bite my head off when standards are forced to slip." She filed off a succinct but firm email and sent it.

"Yeah, I know a thing about that." Elliot said. "Department spent a ton of money on tech and specs for my department but they only budget me for four detectives and a handful of uniforms."

"Some things never change." Olivia said quietly, staring at her screen.

"The department did." Elliot said. "I can't believe how politicized it's become. Do you know how many asses I have to kiss on a daily basis?"

"No idea." Olivia said quietly, sarcastically. "Its only too easy being a female commanding officer in this city."

Elliot looked at her silently.

"What?" Olivia questioned.

"I'm trying here, Liv." Elliot said painfully. "I'm trying. Could you try a little, too?"

Olivia sighed and pushed her chair back from her desk. She turned to him. "Look, like I said before, I am not interested in being friends. We are working a case. I want to solve it quickly, for Dickie's sake. If you're going to have a problem remaining objective then let me know now so I can talk to the chief about sending you back to your own precinct."

Elliot stared back at her. "Wow, you are still really hurt, aren't you."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "The only one with a hang-up here is you. You keep bringing it up. I could care less."

"You didn't always feel that way." Elliot said.

Olivia shrugged. "I used to think I looked good with dark lipstick, too. People change, Elliot. I certainly have. I'm not the same person I was. I've seen and done too much to be that Olivia anymore. I would suggest a little introspection on your own behalf." She turned back to her computer.

Elliot shook his head slowly and went back to his own computer. "Message received."

TBC

A/N: I know its been annoying for everyone, me changing the way things were going. I'm a lot happier with the direction the story is taking now, and its finally back on the original track I'd planned. I wanted to thank everyone for sticking with it. Everyone should prepare themselves for future chapters, they will be emotional and possibly upsetting. I quickly became aware that Homecoming would not be a one part story so I'm happy to report that I have finished the drafts for the rest of this story, including the final chapter. I have also begun writing Homecoming Part 2, which is incredibly exciting. So, once again, thank you everyone for sticking with me and Happy Reading!