A hard knock on the door rattled Detective Benson awake. She opened the door carefully, which revealed her partner on the other side, looking like he had some awful headache.

"Elliot? What are you doing here? It's 8 in the morning…" A tired and cranky Olivia scratched out, rubbing her eyes.

"Well…the suns up and the world is awake and I thought you might need a ride and…"

Detective Stabler stammered slowly, and let himself into Olivia's apartment. He sank slowly onto her couch and she stared at him quietly.

"And what, partner?"

"And Hope is running around out there in the world with whoever it is she hangs out with. Probably a cigarette smoking punk, who will end up in our precinct in a few months…"

"Elliot..." Olivia asked, obviously tired and a little annoyed.

"Yes?"

"Isn't Hope at school, running around with books or something, sitting in some class pretending to pay attention?"

"NO…I called the school and they say she didn't sign in, and she was supposed to be there at 7.45, and I don't know…we got into a fight this morning."

"About what?"

(About an hour later)

"SMOKING? HOPE'S SMOKING, NOW? Of all the idiotic, commercialized, cult-like, American obsessions…" Munch rambled off angrily and paced around the office. The conversation about the confrontation that morning had continued in the precinct, and all the detectives seemed to be upset by it.

"I guess that hits a nerve with Munch, huh?" Elliot whispered over to Olivia.

"He thinks it's just another American scheme to make money while really destroying the population it's supposed to nurture and protect, 'impressionable youth'." Olivia recited back using the appropriate air quotes.

"I guess that's one appropriate conspiracy theory for him to hold." Elliot chuckled to himself.

"BENSON STABLER- my office, NOW!" Cragen's voice echoed through the building.

"Uh…oh…dad's mad." Fin laughed to himself, reusing a favorite line, and secretly thankful that it wasn't his name being called.

"Thanks a lot, detective…" Olivia said sarcastically, swatting Fin with a case fine.

"OW! Quit it Olivia…" Fin feigned pain.

"NOW!" Cragen's voice bellowed. Olivia and Elliot nearly ran into the office.

They emerged fifteen minutes later.

"What's the deal?" Fin asked.

"We screwed up something, with that last investigation. Illegal search and seizure, I think?" Stabler answered calmly.

"Elliot…" Olivia scolded, "It was improper use of force, you know when you slammed the guys head on the car? Remember that, buddy?"

"No, I have no recollection of that incident," he grinned. "Anyway we're off to see the judge, and whatnot. Hey Fin, you free to pick up Hope tonight? Looks like we'll be a while."

"I'd love to Elliot, but I can't. I have…I have another matter to attend to."

The other detectives glanced at each other nervously. No one knew what the other 'matters' ever were, but they didn't really ask either. Olivia joked that Fin was Batman, Munch worried that he really was.

"I'll pick her up." Munch volunteered.

"Thanks…you sure, John?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen the girl in a while. You know, I might want to have a little conversation with her."

Elliot just smiled at the conniving detective.

"Don't be too harsh on her, alright?"

"You got it Elliot, I cross my heart."

(Later that night)

Munch drove the car silently. He kept looking at Hope out of the corner of his eye. "She's crying the poor kid…" he thought to himself. "Maybe that was too much…I don't know, what should I do?"

"Hope?" John asked quietly.

"Yee-ees?" She sniffled with even less sound.

"Are you alright?"

"Am I alrighteee? Are you kidding me? I hate you JOHN MUNCH! I HATE YOU! I cann't believe that you would take me to that awful place, and show me those people, and they were so hurt and I don't know why you would want to scare me like that…"

John's voice grew serious for a moment.

"Hope. That place was a hospital. Those people were dying of smoking those damn sticks you breathe in everyday. I wanted to scare you. I hope I scared you into never touching another one again."

He slowed the car down and stopped in front of Elliot's apartment. He opened the door, and got out to walk Hope to the front of the place.

"Hey John?"

"Yeah?"

Hope surprised him, by throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a big hug.

"What was that for?" John asked with a smile.

"Well I'm sorry for saying I hated you, because I don't, well most of the time. And thanks for caring…I guess."

"Well I'm glad that had an impact. Will you give me your cigarettes now?" He looked down at the girl sternly.

"Let me tell you a secret, John? I threw them out already. Well thanks for the ride. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Hope."