"Stay outta my personal life, Munch."
"What?" John looked up.
"I said, stay outta my personal life."
Looking first left, then right, John let his eyes settle in the middle, on Stabler. "Pardon me?"
"You heard me."
"I've no idea what you're talking about."
"You wise ass old man, you know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Ah, I see. You're angry that I've been talking with Olivia."
"No shit, grandpa."
Holding up a finger, an odd smile on his face, John said, "I'll have the record show that I cannot be a grandfather, for the simple fact that I do not have a child to begin with. So that whole remark is completely unbased. Second, I'll have the record show that it is possible for a woman to be going out with a man, and have another as merely a friend."
"Oh, I'm not really mad about that. You see, it happens that she has told you something about me, and you saw fit to tell her that I needed to see a shrink. I don't like it when people stick their noses where they don't belong."
Knowing he was playing a risky game, John replied, "I have a problem with that too. Except I didn't stick my nose anywhere. She volunteered the information, and I simply voiced my thoughts on the matter. That you should visit the good doctor is merely an opinion, for I have no control over whether you actually do so or not." Catching Stabler's smoldering gaze, John tried, "Look, you weren't such a nice guy when you and Kathy were separated, and you weren't such a nice guy when you were getting divorced. She hated seeing you like that, hell we all did. But she didn't just hate it because you were suffering, she hated it because you wouldn't let anyone through. Not even her. Not even your goddamned partner. You hurt her, but you know what? Despite it all, she's still with you. More with you than ever. I have my reservations about the whole ordeal, but for now I'll keep them to myself. Maybe I'll never tell anyone, but it doesn't mean that I don't care. In fact, I care a lot about her, just like you, just like Cap, just like all of us. I care enough that if you hurt her, I don't think I'll ever be able to bear your presence again. Just don't hurt her. Love her with everything you have, because if she leaves, there won't be any getting her back."