"How'd it go with the shrink?" Fin asked.

"Olivet? Went all right. Her 'exercises' didn't work though; he still isn't talking."

"Did you expect him to?"

I shrugged. "Not really, but I wanted him to. He's the only thing we have. The only road we have left to take, and it's closed for repairs." I shook my head, then took a sip of my tea. We were sitting in the living room, Ben having fallen back to sleep in my bed. Fin had left for work early and stopped by. "I can't help but wonder if he never talks."

"He'll talk, if only to tell you to shut up." The small joke was meant for both of us to lighten up a bit.

"Very funny." But it was appreciated, even if it had been a stab at my fondness of relating various conspiracy theories to any given member of the squad, or even those who weren't. "Someone's gotta educate you guys."

"As long as it's not you, I don't mind. In fact, anyone but you and I would be happy."

"S'pose that means you want me to retire and you to get stuck with Kearney permanently. I see. Guess I'll have to talk to Cragen then."

"Okay, you caught me. I'd rather you than Kearney. God is that kid annoying." He shook his head.

"Bet you he's related to Cassidy." My mind went back to the greenie I'd been partnered with when I first came to SVU. He was a nice guy, sure, but sex crimes just wasn't his deal.

"Cassidy's all right." Fin had worked with him for a few months in Narcotics. "Funny guy. Fast learner."

"Yeah. Right."

"He was good at B&Bs, took down quite a few guys that led to bigger fish. He's a good cop."

"Narcotics, not Special Victims."

He was quiet for a moment. "These cases... it's an acquired taste. A bitter one, like coffee. Takes time to get used to it. Cassidy doesn't have the build for it. So what? He makes a good Narc."

"Like you?" It could have been construed that I was saying he wasn't a good partner, or good with the victims or just the types of cases in general, but he knew better.

"Yeah. Like me," he said quietly. The room was quiet for a few minutes and I debated putting on the news, but what was the point? It wasn't helpful, other than telling us the rising death toll in Iraq, or about another suicide bomber, or which celebrities were doing what. I'd read the paper later, when Ben was still sleeping and Fin had left. I took another sip of my tea.

"Talked to my buddy. 'Bout his apartment." I nodded, remembering the conversation from a couple weeks ago. "Said he sounds interested, on both counts. You buying, and him checking it out over here. He said he's got off Thursday, if you wanna drop by and look around."

"Sounds good. You got an address?" He nodded and fished a piece of paper out of his suit pocket.

"Wrote it down for ya."

I took the paper and looked down at it. "Not far from here, huh?"

"Nah, walked it in about fifteen minutes." I looked up at him. "Saturday, went to talk to him about it, then dropped by here but you weren't home. Before I went on shift."

"I went shopping with Liv. Ben needed some clothes." I smiled when I remembered picturing Fin shopping.

"What?" He had caught the smile.

"Oh, nothing." My smile got bigger.

"Give it up, old man."

"Jibes at my age will be deflected. I will not give it up." I loved it when he got frustrated.

"Whatever," he tried to brush it off. Glancing down at his watch he added, "Gotta go."

I nodded, then held up the paper as I said, "I'll drop by Thursday. Did he mention a time?"

"Said around eleven's good."

"I'll be there. Thanks."

He nodded and left. I sat back down on the couch and looked down at the tea in my mug, which was settling from my movements. I let myself fall into the moving liquid as I started thinking.