A/N: Wanted to get this out two days ago but got sidelined with a migraine. We're starting to dig a little more into what's up with Elliot. Enjoy!
The rest of the squad had been clacking away at their computers for a few hours before Olivia finally emerged.
"Ah, the princess has arrived," Munch said, being the first to notice her presence in the large part of the squad room. Olivia grimaced at the nickname.
"Munch, not everybody loves your nicknames," Amanda said from her perch in the chair next to Fin's desk.
"If Stabler is the master of the castle, this beautiful, smart detective is definitely our princess," Munch said, trying to further make his point. "In all the time you've been here, when was the last time you heard him entertain the idea of a partner, much less ask someone to go out in the field with him?"
"There would have to be fieldwork to do in order for that to happen," Fin muttered.
Munch waved Fin off with his hand and stood from his seat to cross to Olivia.
"John Munch, at your service," he said, shaking her hand. "Longest tenured member of the 3-7. I've seen it all. Corruption, downfall."
"Yeah, and you've got a conspiracy theory to go along with every story," Fin said from his desk.
"The class clown is Fin Tutola," Munch said. "Sorry, we really didn't get a chance to meet with you yesterday. But if there's anything we can do to make your sentence here more comfortable…"
"I was actually wondering if you had a vending machine around here?" Olivia asked. "At my old precinct we usually grabbed lunch while we were out or we'd order something in to the precinct. I guess I'm going to have to get used to packing something for myself in the morning."
"You hear that guys," Amanda said. "I think we all deserve a little treat. We should get Chinese delivered. Make it a little welcome party for Olivia."
"I don't know," Munch said. "Remember the last time we tried to have a party in the squad what Stabler did?"
"Yeah, you clown," Fin said. "You bought him a cake when his divorce got finalized and he shoved it in your face. What made you think he'd want to celebrate paying alimony and only getting to see his kids every other weekend and select holidays?"
"Well, I wish someone would have gotten me a cake for one of my divorces," Munch said.
"I'll keep that in mind for your next one," Amanda said with an eye roll.
"Stabler had a wife?" Olivia asked. "He has kids?"
"Yeah, four kids and an ex," Amanda said. "They got married straight out of high school. Oldest, she's about ready to start college I think. He's got a girl in high school and then twins, a boy and a girl, in middle school."
"He doesn't strike me as the fatherly type," Olivia said.
"I've never seen him with the kids," Amanda said. "They were divorced by the time I got here and the ex, she doesn't let him see them much because of his temper."
"Was he abusive?" Olivia asked, still thinking like an SVU detective.
"Nah," Fin said. "More because he'd come home banged up or bruised up from the gym or getting into it with low-level perps. Wife actually didn't like that he tried to hide his anger from her instead of just getting counseling and doing something about it."
"Yeah, and from what I can tell," Amanda said. "Not having his family anymore, that was the last straw. Made him the hard, mean man you've seen since you got here. Seemed like his kids were the only good thing in his life."
Olivia was about to open her mouth to ask more questions but her stomach growled loudly before she could.
"Yeah, we're getting food," Fin said, picking up his desk phone. "I don't care what Lieutenant Baldy thinks about it. Write down your orders, pass them to me."
An hour and too much Chinese food later, Olivia was feeling less horrible about her move to the 3-7. Jet found a way to pipe a classic rock playlist through the squad room and Fin had ordered an extra bucket of egg rolls for everyone to split. Olivia actually liked these people. Sure, they were quirky, but they all seemed to genuinely care about one another.
But the weirdest thing was, they all seemed to have some kind of unquestionable loyalty to Stabler. Each one of them had a story about how he'd done something for them in his five years there. He helped Munch track down an ex wife who was in need of some psychiatric help. He pulled some strings to get Carisi a shadowing opportunity in the DA's office. He'd gotten Fin out of a jam with his nephew and given Amanda time off to care for her mother when she fell and broke her arm. And Jet, it seemed like he was kind of the father she never had. Like Cragen had been for Olivia.
Each story was a little more interesting than the last, especially because they completely contradicted the man she'd seen so far. The one who didn't seem to have a heart.
When they'd finally finished their food, Olivia looked around the building and wondered what kind of other secrets it held, just like Lieutenant Stabler himself.
"Do you think I can take a walk around the building?" Olivia asked. "It's so different than my old precinct. I'm a little bit of a sucker for interesting architecture.
"You want a tour?" Fin asked.
"Ixnay on the ourtay," Munch mumbled. "We don't want her going in you know where."
"That's why I offered to give her a tour, dumbass," Fin whispered.
But Olivia heard them both. She'd already seen Stabler's reaction to the West Wing, and she wanted to find out what secrets it held for herself.
