Thanks for the reviews everyone! Here you go, the third chapter! Of course I own Amy and all the characters I make up, but the originals! So enjoy!

Corner of W 107th street and Broadway

Morningside Heights

Friday, November 18th, 2005

Amy sat in her car patiently waiting. The night before Emily had come over to her apartment and tried to help her solve the riddle. But when it got too late, they both called it a night. Emily decided she would take the riddle with her and stay up one more hour and try to solve it.

Amy had gone to work the next morning, feeling that her chest was somewhat lighter than the day before. As soon as she arrived however, she had to turn around. Emily had called her just right before she reached the station house garage and told her to meet her at the corner of 107th Street and Broadway. Not wanting to bring suspicion to herself and Fin, she turned around and called Fin to tell him she would be running late.

So now she sat tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. Emily was not running late, yet Amy was still impatient. Finally, she saw her coming to her car and let out a sigh. She rolled down her window.

"You stayed up all night figuring this thing out?" asked Amy.

"Yes, I did. Once I got passed the main message of the riddle, I just couldn't sleep until I got it done," said Emily, "I have a note to go along with this to explain it. I wish I could stay and talk, but I got to go to work. Promise me that when you find him, tell him I said hi, okay?"

"I will, don't worry. Thank you so much and remember…"

"I won't tell a soul."

And Emily left quickly back to her car and Amy turned her car around to go back to the precinct, but she stopped. She looked at the little notes Emily had made.

As she began to read through them, they started to make sense. But when she got to the third line of the riddle, her heart stopped. Emily had not only explained to her what the line meant, but had listed places to look for uncle. Her breath got caught in her throat and now she began to debate whether she should go into work or spend the day finding her uncle. Finally, she called Cragen.

"Hey Captain, it's me. I don't feel well today…oh you don't mind? Thanks so much. I promise I'll come in tomorrow."

She now began to dial Fin's number to tell him what she knew.

James Walkens Residence

84th Street

Jackson Heights

Queens

Fin rapped on the door of James Walkens.

"Who is it?" said a voice from inside.

"Manhattan SVU. I got some questions," said Fin.

"Screw you man. I didn't do nothing," said Walkens through the door.

"I ain't leaving until I get my questions answered so you better open this door!"

"What are you gonna do if I don't?"

"How about I bring your parolee officer down here and tell him why you wouldn't cooperate with me?"

"Okay, okay, I'm opening it, I'm opening it."

Fin heard some locks being undone and finally Walkens opened the door a bit.

"Badge. Where's your badge?" asked Walkens.

Fin showed him his badge.

"Okay, make this quick," and Walkens opened the door all the way.

Fin walked inside and Walkens quickly shut the door.

"What do you want?"

"Where were you on November 2nd between the hours of noon and three o' clock p.m.?" asked Fin.

"I was here with my friend playing some poker," said Walkens.

"Mind giving me your friend's name so I can verify that?"

"Yeah, I do mind."

"Listen to me punk!" roared Fin as he grabbed Walkens and slammed him against the wall, "I wouldn't be playing games with me unless if you want your head in the wall! Now are you going to give it to me straight or do I have to bring you down to the station!"

"Alright! I was here alone running my business. That's all I did that day, I swear!"

"Sure, your first story was more believable! I should have gone and interrogated Sanders."

Walkens stopped struggling.

"What did you say?"

"So you know Sanders?" asked Fin.

"Know him! I trained him! Then once he got what he wanted to know from me, he started his own printing his own money. He's a rat."

Fin let Walkens go and sat down on a chair.

"What else do you know about him?"

"Well I heard rumors that he knew the government was onto him. After a screw up in Jersey, he began to be more careful. But when he knew the government was getting on his trail, he tried to lead them off by killing one of his people. He thought they would investigate it, but instead he now had the local authorities on his tail."

"Do you know who killed Javier Ramos?"

"No, I don't, but I bet my money that he hired the same guy to get the government off his tail."

Fin looked at him.

"What do you mean government?"

"That shooting and that detective that was killed two weeks ago. He did work for the government, did he?"

"No, he was my partner."

Walkens looked at him.

"So Sanders is now in a bit of a mess, is he? He still has the government on his trail and now he has the whole NYPD after his hide as well, hm? Too bad I couldn't see the end of him…"

"If given the chance, would you like to be a witness for the prosecution?"

"As long as the bastard goes to jail for what he did to me, then yes I…"

Fin's cell phone began to ring and he picked it up.

"Fin. What? Now? But…okay, fine. Where? Got it," and he hung up.

"Um…I have some urgent business to take care of. Here's my card and perhaps I can take a formal statement from you at the station."

He slapped the card in Walkens' hand and left the room without saying goodbye. Walkens looked at him as he slammed the door.

Strawberry Diner

1049 Lexington Ave

Upper East Side

Fin walked into the diner and saw Amy. Amy waved him over and he sat down on the opposite side from her.

"What is this news saying that you might have found John?" he asked

"You know that riddle I couldn't figure out? Well I called his girlfriend since she's a reporter," Amy said.

"Okay, I don't think I'm gonna like this, but go ahead," said Fin.

"Well she translated the whole thing last night. Look here, you know this first line…"

"'To save one life, you must sacrifice another.' Yeah, yeah, what about it?"

"It means we have to announce to New York and say that we found his killer and we are going to try him under the death penalty…"

"Because killing a cop in the state of New York results in an automatic death penalty trial, yeah I know," said Fin getting annoyed.

"Pay attention Fin! Then the second line 'It always has been that way,' well look at all those romantic stories from the past where someone would do anything to get the person they loved back, even killing someone!"

Fin still had a lost look and Amy began to shake her head.

"Fine, we'll come back to that. The next line 'His location is in a remedial center in town,' well there's tons of hospitals and clinics in New York City. So Emily thought that the guy meant hospitals or clinics with a center inside the hospital, like a garden of some sort and she narrowed it down to five places where John could be!"

"Which are?" asked Fin.

"Bellevue, Mt. Sinai, Lenox Hill, Harlem, and New York Downtown, all of which are in Manhattan."

"So he's in Manhattan?"

"He would have to be. They can't transport him for too long. He's in a coma. He needs to be hooked up to life support…"

Amy didn't finish her last sentence and she looked down at the table.

"So, what about the last bit?" asked Fin after a long silence.

"The last bit is basically saying that unless he shows signs of improvement, then the government whisk him away to someplace in the middle of nowhere, which could be any day."

Amy and Fin looked away from each other and another moment of silence past between them.

"I found Walkens and asked him a few things," said Fin finally.

"What did he say?" asked Amy.

"That I think Sanders mistaken Munch for the government and that he also trained him."

"To make counterfeit bills?"

"Yeah, then he ran off as soon as he knew how to do it."

"Great, and you got this from a con. I can't wait to put him on the stand," said Amy and she looked out the window.

"What is it?" asked Fin.

"Fin, you've done enough. Go back to the squad room."

Fin looked at her.

"Wait, if you're telling me just forget everything that I did…"

"Fin, you're a good person and to see you get in trouble because I pulled you into this mess, would only hurt me. I've taken the day off and I'm going to look for my uncle. Go back to the squad room."

"There's no way I'm going to let you take all the blame and go down for this…"

"Fin," and Amy reached across the table and grabbed his hand, "Just do it, for me."

Fin looked at their hands then at Amy. She smiled sweetly to him and then let go of his hand. She got up and left the table, leaving Fin in his thoughts.

Bellevue Hospital

Amy walked into the intensive care unit of Bellevue Hospital . This was her last hospital she had to check, but already she was loosing faith. The other four hospitals did not have her uncle.

She slipped past the nurse's station and entered the hall. She peaked through the windows of the rooms and looked around. No John Munch. She began to pick up her pace in her walking speed. She finally reached the last room and saw him.

Munch was like he was when Amy saw him last time, but only worse. He was indeed pale and skinny like Mario had said. Checking to make sure she wasn't being watched, she entered the room and carefully closed the door.

For being a hospital room, it was nice. It had a balcony over looking the garden center. Amy made her way to a nearby chair and sat down. The air tube was not hooked up to him, so that seemed like a good sign. She gently stroked his forehead, but he made no movement. He was still in his a coma. The waterworks in her eyes began to come out and she kissed him on his forehead.

"You stupid old man, can't you wake up? I'm here now," whispered Amy and she laid her head next to his shoulder, her tears now coming down her face, "Everyone misses you so much. The squad hasn't been the same lately. Please comeback, will you? You're the last person I have left that I can call family. Don't leave, not now. Emily says hi. If you leave, then who is going to tell her goodbye? Certainly not me…"

She laid her head on his chest and held his hand. It was ice cold. She cried even harder.

"I should have brought you some music or something…"

Munch stirred from his nap and woke up. A jolt surge through him when he saw a familiar face.

"AHHH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU…"

Amy clasped her hand over his mouth.

"Shhhh! You stupid old man, do you want me to get caught?"

She let go of his mouth.

"How did you find me? You're not supposed to be here!" hissed Munch.

"I solved a puzzle with the help of your girl friend."

"Emily is not my…oh fine, whatever. You can't be here! Get out of here now while you still have a chance!"

"Not until you've answered some questions. How long have you've been awake?"

"Since yesterday night. Believe me, when I heard what they done to me and you and the others I was ready to throw everything at them! Those stupid…"

"And how are you?"

"How am I! HOW AM I! What does it look like? I'm stuck in a paper-thin gown, being forced-feed to eat something called food in this wretched place, I have wires going in and out of me, bandages all over me, and I don't even know what's going on in the world!"

Amy chuckled and Munch smiled.

"But it's good to see a familiar face. How are you? How's everyone else?"

"Well I've been better and so has the rest of the squad. I miss you, hell we all miss you. Casey's been on a losing streak in court because of you."

"Maybe I should start getting shot more often if I'm doing this to all of you guys."

"Uncle John!"

"I was only joking, Amy."

"It was a bad joke."

"Sorry."

Munch leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Amy laughed softly.

"How did you find me?" he asked.

"I got some help for this mysterious person who works for the government and Fin too. Fin has been helping me out. I didn't bring him though because he's very good person. We need him in that squad room, so I didn't want him to lose his badge."

"That would be Russ Tuskgrave who helped you. I came around briefly and he happened to be on duty. I told him to pleaselet them know I'm okay. Then I slipped back into a coma before I officially wokeup again last night.He happened to come in today to say he was being reassigned, but he said heletyou guysknow I was okay."

"Well, you seem to be back normal."

"I am now. I've found you. I know that you're okay. That's all I wanted to know. And Mario's okay too…"

"I know. His mom recovered. I said goodbye to him early today before they gave me my medication. Damn pills make me drowsy."

"You'll need to gain some weight. You're really skinny."

"I know. Mario told me the same thing."

"Too bad I didn't smuggle…"

She stopped talking. She heard voices coming closer to the room.

"Oh no! Listen, do you know if they're going to move you again?"

"In a couple of days, but the hospital is trying to persuade them to make me stay the whole week. Now listen, there's a tree below this balcony. Climbed down that and get the hell out of here. I'll be fine."

Amy got up from her seat and kissed him on the forehead and hugged him. He returned them and quickly ushered her out.

"Go!" he hissed.

Amy opened the balcony doors and quickly shut them. She then climbed over the balcony and looked down.

"Oh f! I forgot, I was afraid of heights!" she whimpered.

She maneuvered her way around the balcony towards the tree. She extended one of her arms and grabbed a branch. She then took her foot and wrapped it around the branch and repeated the process until she was on the tree. She let out a sigh and began to climbed down it.

She jumped the last few feet, gave one last look to her uncle's room, and ran to the entrance. She got behind the trash can and looked inside. A few feds were standing between her and the exit.

"Come on, move. Get out of the way," she hissed.

The feds started to move, but to her dismay they headed her way.

"No, no, no, no! The other way! Turn! Oh great, this is the end of my life as I know it."

But they turned at the last minute and walked down the hallway. Amy waited a few minutes and then walked quickly to the entrance and outside the front of the hospital.

She broke into a full run and ran to her car. She unlocked it and clambered inside of it. She turned it on and then sped out of the area.

Olivia Benson's Apt.

Olivia Benson's Apt.

It was ten o' clock when Benson woke up to an annoying buzzing sound.

"Arrrgh! Now who wants to talk at this time of night?" she growled to herself as she went to check who it was.

She pressed the button on her buzzer and said, "Who's this?"

"Olivia, it's me, Amy! Please let me in!"

Benson was now fully awake. The sound of Amy's voice was pleading, a sound she had never heard before.

"Hold on, I'm buzzing you in."

Benson quickly put on a bath robe and a few minutes later, there was a rapid knock at her door. She opened it.

Amy had definitely looked better other times. She had smudged dirt marks all over her and for a moment, Benson thought she had been raped.

"Come in, come in," said Benson as she shut and locked the door.

Amy wasted no time. "Olivia, Munch is alive."

"What?" asked Olivia.

"He's alive! I saw him! He's okay."

And Amy began to go into detail of what had happened since the day the government called them in, what happened yesterday, and especially today. Benson sat in her chair, stunned at what Amy was telling her. Then Amy finished her story and sat on the couch. Benson spoke.

"So you've been doing this behind mine, my partner's, and Cragen's back! What were you thinking!" cried Benson.

"I don't know, Liv. I don't know," said Amy shaking her head.

Benson didn't know what to do. She was shocked at what Amy did, but not angry. Then she got up and sat next to Amy.

"Cragen was right. We're not so different. We're both stubborn, we both have secrets…"

"You? Have secrets?" asked Amy incredulously.

Benson nodded. "I was raped and it was your uncle who helped me find my father. We were filling out our genetic tree and I had to leave half my blank because I didn't know my father. He ran his mouth by accident and when he found out, he felt so bad I guess that he got a hold of some tapes."

"Did you ever found him?" asked Amy.

Benson nodded. "But I didn't go confront him. He looked so old, I didn't want to burden him."

"My God…" said Amy in awe.

"Why did you come here?" asked Benson.

"I didn't know where else to go. I didn't want to bother Fin…"

"Do you know if the feds saw you?"

"I don't know."

"Then I think it's safe for you to stay here for tonight. Go get yourself cleaned up. We'll go talk to Cragen and the others tomorrow in the morning."

"Olivia, I'm so sorry…"

"Don't worry about it now. Go get cleaned up. I'll let you borrow some clothes and make up the couch for you."

"Thank you so much, Liv"

"No, thank you Amy for not ignoring what you felt in your heart. I'll think I'll sleep better tonight than I have been in the past two weeks."

Amy smiled and Olivia smiled back. Tomorrow, they would face everyone, together.

So what do you think? R&R please!