This is the last chapter y'all. I really appreciate all the people who have taken their time to read my story. As usual I own all the characters I make up, but not the ones Dick Wolf created cause he's the genius behind the show! Now, on with the show!
It is now the first Friday of August and everything seems to be back to normal at the Manhattan SVU with the exception that they are one man short. Amy is taking her week off while the squad handles the cases from the prior week that the other squads have been handling. Some of these cases will be dunkers and whodunits by the time they have finished them. Cragen has been holding them past 7:00 just to get the workload down to a manageable weight.
Benson and Stabler walked in and sat down at their desks. They looked tired and worn out. Both had been running all day between the courthouse, squad room, getting something to eat, and back to the courthouse.
"Casey is going to kill us," said Benson, "We've been giving her cases all week."
"A little advice to everyone of you; don't go and tell her you have a case while she's at the batting cages," said Fin.
"What happened?" asked Benson.
"She got so pist off that when she swung at the next ball it ricocheted off the batting cage wall at least four times."
"You mean five. I counted," said Munch, loosing his tie, "Turn on the radio."
"John, come on man. You know that the weather guy is going to say the same thing," said Stabler.
Munch grumbled to himself as he got up and turned on the radio.
"Good evening, New York! If you're still stuck in traffic or just getting home then I have some good news for you. We all know how this heat wave has been making life miserable for the past month or two. So how would you guys like a cold front to move through and cool things down?"
Everyone in the squad room stopped working. Even Cragen got up from his seat and went to the door to hear the radio.
"That's right New York City. The city will be experiencing a cool down tonight and receiving some light rain showers. Are you ready for the low for tonight? Sixty-five degrees, New York, Sixty-five degrees. So if you don't have any plans tonight then make some! This weather will only last for a couple of days before it gets as miserable as it was today. Now back to…"
"Hallelujah!" cried Munch and he sat down finishing the last of his paperwork.
The squad resume backed to work. Nothing but the scribbling of pencils and pens could be heard, with the occasional sound from the pencil sharpener as it grinded away on a pencil. Then a slapping sound would be heard, signaling a file was done and that there was plenty more to go.
"That is the last DD5 I'll write in a long time," said Stabler finishing his stack and leaning back in his chair.
Already it seven o' clock and the cool air could now be felt. Munch finished his stack of files, then Fin, and finally Benson. All of them sat in their seats silent until Munch got up and went to his locker.
"Where are you going?" asked Fin.
"Home," said Munch and he put on his hat.
"What about a drink before we all leave?" said Benson as she too got up from her chair and prepared to leave.
"Well, I guess I'll meet you there then," he said and began to leave.
John Munch's Apartment
Munch walked into his apartment. It smelled remotely of fresh laundry.
"I thought Cragen told you to take it easy," he said looking at Amy who was on the floor folding clothes.
"Uncle John, it's been almost week. I'm perfectly fine. What's this call that I got from Liv saying that the squad is going for drinks?"
"We're celebrating. We're done with case files and the temperature for tonight is going to be sixty-five."
She smiled. "By the way, I cleaned up your shoes and got rid of that stain on your shirt from your recent garbage expedition with Fin. Tell him to be careful next time when he starts throwing bags all over the place. I had to literally hand scrubbed that area with my knuckles."
"Oh yes I can imagine how that will turn out. He'll tell me to go to hell and that there are more important things in life than worrying about a fing stain on a fing shirt."
Amy cracked up laughing. "Yes, Fin would something along those lines. Can I please come with you? I've been bored all week. I've finished my book, I did my laundry…"
"As long as I drive."
"Fine, but if you wreck my car, you'll be buying the new one I want."
"You would like me to wreck your car then just to get that car?"
"Yeah, it would be nice, but knowing you, you won't do it," she said with a small smile.
"Hey Amy, if you don't mind me asking, why won't you drink in front of me or anyone else for that matter?" asked Munch as he grabbed her keys.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Just curious."
"Can't stomach it. I'll get the worse stomachache known to man kind."
And she went out the door, leaving him with the most puzzled look on his face before he laughed to himself and shut the door.
Chauncey's Bar
"Hey guys! Look who it is," said Benson pointing to the door.
Amy walked in the bar along with Munch.
"Hey," said Benson, "How are you?"
"Feeling loads better," said Amy
"That's good then," said Stabler, "There's plenty of work waiting for you back in the office."
"Thanks. I look forward coming back to work," she replied sarcastically.
"Well, it's good to know that you're alive and well. I gotta being going," Stabler said and he left some money to pay for his drink.
"What's the hurry?" asked Fin.
"Today's the day I get the kids."
Stabler then took his keys from his pocket and left.
"He's been looking forward to that all week," said Benson, "And I'm not going to be at the mercy of you guys. I'm leaving before I have one too many."
So Benson left right after Stabler leaving Munch, Fin, and Amy alone at the bar.
"So you feeling okay?" asked Fin.
"Yes Fin. Otherwise, John would have told me to go home," said Amy
"Yeah and you're lucky I let you stay," said Munch.
"Come on John. Lighten up a bit. Obviously she's fine. When she left the hospital that night, she was walking like a drunk."
"Fin!"
"Well it's the truth Amy."
"Hmph. And here I thought you were nice to me."
They all laughed for a long time until someone shouted Munch's name.
"Excuse me, John?"
Amy eyes narrowed in confusion. She looked from her uncle to the lady that was approaching them and then she realized who the lady was. One look from her uncle was all she needed to understand.
"Hey Fin, wanna play some pool?" she said and grabbed him by his arm.
"Hey! What the…"
Amy and Fin went off to the pool tables while Munch turn the face the woman as she made her way to him.
"Uh…hi," he said.
"Hello there John. It's been a long time since our little run in," she said.
"Yeah, I guess," he said and began to scratch the back of his head.
"I see your hand patched up nicely. Who were those two people that ran off?" and the lady looked past Munch.
"My partners. They like to play pool."
"Ah."
"Would you like anything to drink?"
"No, but thanks. I was just leaving when I saw your face. I guess I'll be seeing you around."
She turned to leave, but Munch stopped her.
"Uh Miss, wait! Umm…uh…what's your name?"
"Emily Smith," said the woman.
"My partners are gonna be awhile. So if you want to stay and talk…"
"Are you asking me on a little date, sir?"
He tried to talk, but the words wouldn't come out. She laughed.
"Is this your way of saying that this isn't really a date?" she asked.
"Uhh…yes…I mean no. No, it's just that…"
"You don't like watching your partners playing pool?" she said with an amused smile.
Munch was at a loss for words. "Nice job John," he thought.
"Of course I would accompany you until they finished their game," she said smiling.
Munch grinned feebly unaware that Amy and Fin were watching them.
"So let me guess, that's how he cut his hand. Someone ran into him and he fell onto the pavement and bashed his hand. Why wouldn't he tell us it was woman who ran into him in the first place?" asked Fin.
"Would you tell Munch and me that a woman ran into you and made you loose your balance and fell down on the sidewalk?" asked Amy.
Fin shrugged. They both looked at each other for a while then headed to an empty pool table to play a game.
While Fin and Amy went to play pool, Munch conversed with Emily Smith who found out many things about her. She was a reporter for the New Yorker and she loved to read in her spare time. She was fifty-seven and had only been divorced once. The more Munch began to know about the woman who ran him over on the sidewalk, the more he began to like her. It even came as a surprised to him when he asked for her number and a bigger one when she gave him her card and Munch gave her his.
Executive writer: Baby Fwuffles
Uh oh! What does this mean! Munch is going to date a reporter? I'm writing the rough draft of the next sequel so until next time adeiu my loyal fans!