Merry Christmas and here's the fourth chapter! I own Amy and all the characters I make up with the exception of the original because Dick Wolf owns them! Enjoy!

SVU Squad Room

Saturday, November 19th, 2005

Everyone sat in Cragen's office, even Novak. Amy was sitting in front of Cragen's desk with her head down as she explained everything. Cragen had a look in his eyes that everyone had at least seen once since they worked at the squad room, pure rage.

"I know what I did what was wrong and I'm sorry…" Amy said, but Cragen interrupted her.

"SORRY! SORRY! YOU DISOBEYED NOT ONLY THE GOVERNMENT'S ORDERS, BUT A DIRECT ORDER FROM ME! I TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT I DO NOT TAKE DISOBEDIENCE EASILY FROM MY DETECTIVES! AS OF RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE PENDING TRANSFER BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL UNIT!"

"Sir, I…"

"SHUT UP! YOU JUST PUT THE WHOLE TRIAL FOR MARK SANDERS IN JEAPORDY! YOU DON'T KNOW, AND I QUOTE, THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT SAW YOU, AND JUST TO TOP IT ALL OFF, YOU'VE PUT MY WHOLE SQUAD IN TROUBLE! WE'LL LUCKY TO GET OFF THIS IF THE GOVERNMENT SAW YOU! I THOUGHT YOU HAD MORE COMMON SENSE!"

"Sir, I do, but I wasn't going to let…"

"ENOUGH!"

Benson stepped forward from the wall.

"Captain, if I may, I liked to say something on her behalf," said Benson.

Cragen looked at Benson, then nodded.

"Captain, you know we would've all done it. We would eventually come to terms with our feelings and started looking for him. You know this and I'm glad to say that Amy found him in time before he's moved to some random place in Nebraska. We still have time, we have the power to bring him back from the dead. All we need is a name from Sanders. Look at us, we're all suffering from this! We're not getting a good night sleep, or we're denting our softball bats or lockers, or not eating right. Put yourself in her shoes, you would've done the same thing, especially if you were related to him. That's all I have to say."

She stepped back to the wall and Stabler gave her a nod. Cragen sat in his chair and sighed.

"If I suspend you, then it will only raise questions. But I am still considering your transfer back to Homicide. You will continue working here until further notice," Cragen said.

"Thank you Captain," said Amy.

He nodded then looked at everyone in the room.

"So we know he's alive. And if Amy is going to go down for all this, then let's not let her sacrifice be in vain. Casey and Fin, go down to Sanders and tell him he has one last chance to give up the name. And if he doesn't, then threaten him with something."

"Like what?" asked Novak.

"Anything as long it's within reason," replied Cragen, "Olivia, Elliot look at Munch's case that Amy has on her. See if you can help her find anything that John didn't mention to his partners. You guys have your orders, now go."

And everyone left his office.

Rikers Island

"Detective Fin and ADA Novak, what a nice surprise," said Balthus upon entering the room, "Come to offer a deal."

"Well, yes and no," said Novak, "We've come here to see if your client has changed his mind."

"I haven't," said Sanders.

"Oh well, then I guess I have to go to my boss and tell him to process that death penalty request," said Novak.

"What? You're joking! You guys need that name to catch the killer!" cried Balthus.

"You think that the ADA was going to offer him a life sentence just because he has a name that could lead us to the killer? You're losing your touch Balthus."

Sanders now looked at Balthus, who was giving Novak a look of utter revulsion.

"So, you kill me. What good will that do?" said Sanders.

"Unless the government takes over," said Novak, "And they can do a lot more damage than we can ever do."

Sanders flinched somewhat, but he remained calm.

"We found a buddy of yours who is willing to testify against you. Counterfeiting millions of dollars is a serious offense. Yeah, your friend may get some time, but you'll be screwed," said Fin

"So what will you do in order to keep him in state custody?" asked Balthus.

"If he gives us the name, then we'll try to keep him and I'll recommend that he not be tried under the death penalty," said Novak.

"So I'm not gonna die?" asked Sanders.

"I said recommend," said Novak, "It will be up to a judge to decide."

Sanders looked around for a moment, then sighed.

"Okay…"

"Mark, shut up!" cried Balthus.

"What good will it do me? There's no way they're handing to me the feds. I know my chances. You're looking for Walkens."

Fin looked at him.

"What's his full name?" he asked quietly.

"I'm giving just his surname…"

"WHAT'S HIS FULL NAME!"

"James Walkens! Jeez man, you need some anger management!"

Fin got up from his chair without waiting for Novak. She followed Fin from the room and just managed to stop him before leaving the facility.

"Fin, mind telling me what's wrong?" asked Novak, worried.

"That's was our witness I just threatened him. We'll be lucky if he hasn't skipped town yet," he said as he quickly dialed his cell phone number, "This is Odafin Tutuola. I need a squad at James Walkens Residence, 84th Street, Jackson Heights, Queens. When? Now would be a good time."

James Walkens Residence

84th Street

Jackson Heights

Queens

Fin, along with everyone else from the squad room, surrounded the house. Amy had stayed behind with Novak to help her out with the case.

Cragen motioned Benson and Stabler to go up to the front door and knock.

Benson and Stabler went up to the front door and knocked.

"Yo, Walkens, open up!" shouted Stabler as banged on the door with his fist.

A door unlatched slowly and Walkens peeked outside, but when he saw Benson and Stabler wearing vests saying Police on them, he tried to shut the door quickly, but Benson and Stabler kicked it down. Walkens went flying across the room and into the wall. The pair grabbed him and pinned him against the wall while Fin led a squad upstairs and into Walkens' room.

Fin saw a sniper rifle laying on the bed next to a trash bag and let out a sigh of relief. Walkens had not got rid of the weapon just yet. He knew they would run tests, but he knew it was the gun that shot Munch.

"CLEAR!" he shouted to the rest of his squad below.

Cragen felt relief and in an instant the tired look went away from his eyes.

"Get him outta here," he said to a squad, "and secure this area."

Some police took Walkens away from Benson and Stabler's grasp. They looked at him and nodded.

"Look what we found as a bonus," said Fin as he came down the stairs with the rifle.

"A murder weapon," said Stabler, smiling.

"Let's see what the feds do now when they try to take Sanders and Walkens away from us," said Benson.

Office of ADA Casey Novak

Amy and Novak were working on some paperwork when Hammond came running into Novak's office. They took no notice of him. He was there to negotiate with them on handing Sanders and Walkens over.

"ADA Novak, we need to talk, alone."

"Take a number and get in the back of the line," said Novak, "I'm busy helping Amy Munch with her case. Her case is more important than you."

"If that case deals with two suspects you have in custody by the names of Sanders and Walkens, then you might want to make an exception," said Hammond.

"What kind of exception?" asked Amy, narrowing her eyes at him.

"We would like for you guys to hand over Sanders and Walkens over to federal custody."

"Go to hell, Hammond. We did the work, we get the credit. What are you going to do with them, stick 'em in a prison so they can rot the rest of their lives away in some small room that some other perp deserves?" she snarled at him.

"What she said," said Novak, "Now if you don't mind we need to be…"

"Your uncle's alive, Amy," said Hammond.

Novak and Amy stopped working.

"He's dead you lying son of a…"

"I'm serious. Why did we have a closed casket ceremony? I can arrange some visitation rights and maybe even a possibility to bring him back if you hand over Sanders and Walkens."

Novak and Amy looked at each other.

"On one condition," said Novak, "We see him now. Then maybe I can arrange it."

"Done," said Hammond.

Bellevue Hospital

The SVU squad and Novak walked into the hospital led by Hammond. They did not go down the direction to where the intensive unit care was, but down the recovery room hallway. Amy mustered all she could from not smiling.

Hammond stopped at a room and knocked on the door. "John, may I come in?" he asked.

"Get the away from me!" came Munch's voice, "You've made my life a wreck! Leave me in peace!"

Hammond shook his head and opened the door.

"Not this time, John. Some people want to see you," he said.

Munch was reading a newspaper and made no effort to stop what he was doing.

"If it's people from the government, then they can kiss my ass," he snarled.

"Now is that anyway to treat your partner?" asked Fin.

Munch slapped the newspaper down and looked at everyone in the room.

"What now, Hammond? Are they my goodbye present?" he said looking away from them, "I'm not going to ever seen them again. Why must you prolong my suffering?"

"No, we made some arrangements that you can come back and work with us," said Novak.

He looked at them. "You're lying," he said quietly, "The government would never do that."

"Not unless if we have something they want badly," said Cragen.

"You're kidding. I'm dead. I'm supposed to be in a coffin, with a tombstone that says 'Here lies John Munch, the biggest and kindest pain in the ass that the world has ever known!' Even these idiots paid for my funeral!" Munch exclaimed and pointed to Hammond, "He even said you cleaned out my desk and replaced me already!"

"See Elliot? This is what we need back at the office; humor, wit, and conspiracy theories," said Benson smilingly.

"I still don't believe it. The day I died, I was supposed to be erased from this planet and now I'm walking on it again," he said.

"And since when we would replace you? We were fine with four detectives, and we did clean out your desk, but…" said Stabler.

"Whatever is left of it," muttered Munch.

"We saved your crap, John! Even the hula doll!"

"I don't know," Munch said and he looked away from the squad.

Amy sighed and Cragen knew that they needed a minute alone.

"Think about it, John," said Cragen as he ushered everyone out of the room and closed the door.

Amy sat down in a nearby chair and took Munch's hand.

"It's not the same without you," she said, "I can't finish my book I'm reading."

"Start another one," he muttered.

"You know damn well I like to finish what I start," she said.

"You don't get it! I died and…"

"Now you can live by one simple push of a button on a government computer saying that you are entitled to social security!" exclaimed Amy.

Munch looked at her.

"I missed you and there's no way in hell I'm gonna let you pass this up! What about Emily…"

"We had nothing in common. She…"

"Misses you as much as I do."

Munch shook his head.

"It's not because I don't want to come back and see you…"

"IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A COWARD!" shouted Amy and she ran out of the room, passed the squad and Hammond, and into the nearby stair well. She pounded her fist into the wall and sobbed.

Fin went to go after her, but Benson grabbed him.

"No, Fin. Let her be," she said.

Hammond shuffled his feet for a while and spoke.

"I can't force him to come back, but if you hand over Sanders and Walkens, he can come back anytime he wants. It's up to you if you want the deal."

"Isn't there a…" Fin began, but Cragen shook his head.

"This is for John to decide, but let me try to convince him. Olivia, go and check on Amy. The rest of you, stay here."

And Cragen entered the room. Munch was staring at the wall with a far away look in his eyes.

"John," Cragen said to get his attention.

"Oh, hello Captain," Munch muttered.

"John, I know what Amy did and I'm considering putting her back in Homicide," said Cragen.

"I knew something like this would happen," said Munch.

"I let her off the hook with her wild driving, but this is just too much. She disobeyed a direct order from me. I thought if you came back, you could keep her in check for me. She listens to you. She only listens to the squad when she wants to. I could suspend her, but then it would raise questions."

Munch remained silent.

"Think about it, okay?" said Cragen and left the room, leaving Munch alone his thoughts again.

The big question: WILL MUNCH COME BACK! I hold the power to make him disappear forever, but do you really think I'm that cruel? R&R please!