A.A.C.S.L.H. Part 5 – Taken

"Benson – take the note over to forensics get some prints off of it. Stabler, Fin – I want you two to take Natasha's and Ayana's picture around the neighborhood. See if anyone had seen them lately. Munch…Munch…."

John Munch stood silently at his desk looking at a newly framed picture of himself and Ayana. Cragen's calls fell onto deaf ears. Ever Ayana had been kidnapped by her sister, Natasha; Cragen had put the detectives on the case 24-7. The last 2 hours they all had breathed this case, Munch especially. He felt a hand cover his shoulder…

"John. Why don't you take the rest of the day?" Cragen asked him in a sympathetic tone.

Munch shook his head; Cragen took his hand off his shoulder understanding what he was going though. The others had already left to their assignments determined to help their friend and partner in the search for his daughter.

"What do you need me to do cap?" Munch asked him in a quiet voice.

"I need you to let me take you off this case John."

Munch turned to Cragen in surprise.

"Cap…I can't, not this time."

"You have to. You're too close to this case, if we want get Natasha we can't do anything to compromise the mission."

"You really think I'd do anything to compromise this?"

"No John, not on purpose."

"I don't care about arresting Natasha; I just want Ayana back safely."

"That's what we all want. You're off the case John."

"I don't think—"

"I don't care. You off it, now you can hang around and be updated but you will stay at your desk…and that's an order. Got me?"

Munch sat, throwing his glasses on his desk.

"Loud and clear."

Natasha's apartment complex in The Bronx: Fin and Stabler knock on the apartment door next to Natasha's. An older Latino female opens the door slowly.

"Yes?" she asks.

"You've seen these two lately?" Fin asked holding up a picture of Ayana and Natasha.

"No." She said and started to close the door.

"Ma'am..." Stabler said putting his hand on the door. "This little girl is missing and possibly kidnapped by the older girl. We need any information you might have." He said in a serious tone.

"Children go missing everyday, why care so much about this one?"

"It's our job" Fin told her angrily.

The woman sighed and opened the door, letting the detectives in.

The Forensics lab: Benson stands with a lab technician.

"Christ, you guys are putting a real rush on the fingerprint analysis." The tech said, spraying a liquid on the sheet.

"A detective's daughter has been kidnapped."

"Oh, any suspects?"

"We think the older sister. Late twenty's."

"This fluid will bring out all fingerprints and then we can do a test on it."

He takes the paper under a black light.

"Oh…" he murmurs.

"What?" Benson asked, looking closer.

"There's more then 1 set of fingerprints on this sheet…"

At the station: Munch sits at his desk watching the doorway waiting for the rest of the crew to walk in, hoping they have the information the will lead to the finding of Ayana. An hour pasts, then 2 hours before all 3 finally come walking in together

"Where the hell we're you?" Munch asked standing up.

"We got a problem." Benson told him.

"What do you mean a problem?"

"There's a 3rd person involved." Stabler told Munch.

"So, who cares! We need to find Ayana"

"John…" Fin said in a soft tone. "We have reason to believe Natasha didn't do this."

Munch flopped down in his chair, his head in his hands. Fin came over to him.

"John man, chill, we'll find her. We're gonna do everything we can."

"Pull out the big guns." Stabler continued.

"Work at day and night." Benson finished.

Munch sighed not comforted. He knew his friends we're plenty capable of solving a crime, but this time he wasn't in on it. Novak suddenly walked in.

"John? I just heard. You have the attorney's full support on this. Any search warrants you need…"

Munch simply stood up and hugged her, she returned it lovingly. She spoke in his ear as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"We'll find her John and we'll be a family again."

"Promise?" Munch hoarsely muttered.

"Promise."