Fin knew he was crossing a line. This wasn't something he did. This wasn't the kind of relationship he and Olivia had. But Elliot was gone and she needed a friend. Even if she didn't want a friend, Fin knew she needed one. He wasn't gonna take no for an answer.

He showed up at her apartment on a Sunday night when they both were off duty. He hit her buzzer and said, "Hey, it's Fin," and she buzzed him right up.

"What's up?" she asked, opening the door for him.

"I'm glad your elevator is working," he said, entering her apartment. He pulled the bottle of whiskey out of the bag he'd brought it in. "Not that it's that heavy, but I always feel weird drinking when I'm out of breath."

Olivia smiled. "What's this for?"

"There's that new Ken Burns documentary about Prohibition on PBS tonight. I know you kinda like that stuff. Thought we could watch it and kill a bottle," he said.

She looked at him curiously. "How do you know I like Ken Burns documentaries?"

He shrugged. "You went to fancy liberal arts college and you like going to museums. Of course you like Ken Burns documentaries."

"But you don't," she pointed out.

"But I like drinking whiskey with a friend," he countered.

And then Olivia smiled, which was something that never failed to make the whole world feel just a little brighter and nicer. Fin liked that about her. She was serious and tough and dedicated but she was also soft and kind and funny, and the complexity of her always rang true and earnest.

They sat down on her sofa with a glass each and poured the bottle back and forth while they listened to Peter Coyote tell them about bootleggers and the rise of organized crime. And midway through, movement caught Fin's eye.

"Oh what the hell is that!?" he exclaimed, seeing a small orange streak dart under the coffee table.

"Marmalade," she answered simply. She put her glass down and bent over to pull a little kitten out from under the table. "Munch got him for me a couple weeks ago."

Fin had to grin at that. That old kook was as soft as they came. Really all the guys on the SVU squad were, in their own ways. Munch would have seen Olivia so downhearted after Elliot left and known she needed something to come home to and someone to comfort her when her partner was gone. And knowing that she wasn't about to confide in a person, he got her a pet. And a cat was perfect. Dogs needed attention and walking and taking outside to do their business and couldn't be left alone for too long. Cats didn't have that problem. Perfect pet for a busy detective.

Olivia kissed the cat's little head and snuggled with it. "Apparently the shelter called him Marmalade and Munch said I could change it, but it seems fine. And he emailed me the next day and said his full name should be Orange Marmalade Benson, so we'd have the same initials."

Orange Marmalade Benson and Olivia Margaret Benson. OMB. Leave it to Munch.

"You ever have any pets?" Olivia asked Fin.

"Found a stray dog once when I was a kid. My mom let me keep it for a couple weeks but then it destroyed a tablecloth and she took it to the pound. Never got another."

"My mom never let us have anything. I didn't know what to do with a cat. Munch got me all the stuff I need for him along with a booklet for new cat owners. So I guess I have a cat now," she said with a small chuckle.

Fin smiled. "That's good."

"Can you believe Munch of all people got me a kitten?" she laughed.

"Yeah, I can," Fin answered.

Her expression turned soft. "Yeah. Me too."