Benson and Stabler reached the unit before the runaway. Benson and Cragen were arguing about the best thing to do with Hope.

"Are you kidding me? Put her in the system tonight?" Olivia shouted back.

"Well, what else are you going to do? We can't very well keep her here alone, that wouldn't work."

"Do you even know how much foster care screws with a kid, do you care about her?"

"Don't go there. We all care about her. But anything is going to be better the house she was staying at."

"Yeah…you care enough. You did your job, and your getting social services to clean up the mess!"

"Olivia! You are completely out of line…" Cragen's voice rose to the level of Benson's.

"Sometimes I don't think that you put a face to the victims…"

"It's our job. You have to separate yourself."

"But it's not only a job, don't you get it…you –"

"ENOUGH!" Stabler spoke for the first time, silencing the two of them. "Look I'm going to lay this out straight. Hope is one scared little girl. She's had it really rough; right now she's looking for love and structure. A foster home might be safer, but it's going to scare her into running. She needs a loving figure in her life, that won't deal with her self-destructive behavior…"

Benson and Cragen looked disbelievingly at Stabler.

"What? Once you're a parent you read a loads of books about this…Anyway, I've been thinking about it. I'll take her in. I mean we'll have to clear it with Novak, but I'm sure she could get me temporary custody…as long as I'm not officially involved with her brother and father's case."

"Are you sure you want to do this Elliot?" Olivia questioned.

"Yeah. I think it's just what the doctor ordered, for the both of us. Can you arrange that Captain?"

Cragen nodded proud of Elliot's decision, and picked up the phone.

Olivia could tell that Stabler didn't want to wait inside, and insisted on taking a walk down and out for her own health. Stabler immediately agreed. They picked up a coffee and sat on a bench together, near a playground. Elliot started talking.

"I'm worried that I'm not going to be a good father figure to her"

"Where's this coming from Elliot?"

"Well, I mean I'm away from home so much with the job. That's why everything broke down, after all. But I want to be there for her."

"I'm sure everyone will be very accommodating, they all care about her."

"I don't want to slack off either, though."

"So maybe certain days the two of you go home for dinner, and others she spends at the unit, still with certain supervision, and working off those pesky community service hours that public high schools require?"

"That's not a bad idea, Olivia. Actually, I think that was brilliant."

"There are problems I can solve without confrontation…"

"I never doubted that, simply doubted whether you wanted to."

The two chuckled, and spoke exchanged some more friendly banter. Once again Elliot brought up more serious matters.

"I'm pretty pissed off…"

"About the game?"

"No." He sighed heavily. "What Hope's been into lately. Drugs, dealing, living on the street, fights…I don't understand why she would make decisions like that."

"I bet she knows that your upset."

"Yeah, but I need her to know that I'm upset with the decisions she has made, not her. But I think she needs me to be upset too."

"Yeah. I bet she does."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Benson restarted the conversation.

"Elliot?"

"Yes?"

"You're going to be a great dad. Just some advice."

"Anything…"

"When she wants to call you dad, and she will…don't make it uncomfortable for her. Don't make a big thing. Let her feel loved enough to replace you in her mind with that bastard."

"Of course."