Chapter 31

Manhattan SVU, Manhattan, New York

Thursday, January 16th 2016

8.06 pm

Olivia and Elliot stood behind the two way with Mathew Rockwell and Ed Tucker. George Huang was in the interview room with Melissa as it was the only condition Olivia had given to allow a statement to be made by Melissa.

"So Melly." George started, the two were sat around the table and Melissa was making a beaded bracelet with the kit Olivia had brought from the house, she knew Melissa would rather be doing something like that than drawing pictures.

"So Uncle George." Melissa replied and Olivia shook her head, her teenager was one of a kind yet a typical teenage girl.

"I want to talk to you about Uncle Munch is that ok?" George asked as he made his own beaded necklace with the kit.

"Uh why?" Melissa asked her attention still fixed on the beads.

"Because Lieutenant Tucker asked me to talk to you about Uncle Munch." George replied having been warned by Olivia not to tell her daughter that her uncle was being accused of anything.

"Ok." Melissa nodded. "What about Uncle Munch?"

"Well tell me what you did the last time you stayed at his apartment." George said.

"He taught me how to play poker." Melissa replied. "And he taught me about Area fifty one." She added simply and Olivia who was watching nervously with her arms crossed felt Elliot slip an arm around her calming her a little.

"Ok and what happened when it was bed time?" George asked as if it was a simple everyday question, but Melissa wasn't a child anymore and she wasn't stupid.

"Why do you want to know?" She asked and Olivia closed her eyes, her daughter didn't look the way a victim did when questioned but that said nothing.

"It's just what Lieutenant Tucker wants to know." George replied and Melissa frowned at him, she knew her mother worked sex crimes and that Munch did too.

"Uncle George?" Melissa started. "Are you asking me if Uncle Munch ever touched me or hurt me?" Melissa asked firmly.

George looked at her from his beads, his eyes met hers and he knew that he couldn't lie to her.

"Has he?" George decided to go with.

"No, never." Melissa replied angrily. "And I'd like to know who this Tucker thinks he is to even have you ask me that Uncle Munch loves me and he would never hurt me that's just sick." Melissa argued.

"So tell me what you did at bed time when you slept there last." George said just to give Tucker everything he needed.

"After playing poker for a bit I had a shower and put my pyjamas on then he made us hot chocolate and we watched a documentary on area fifty one and then he borrowed me a book on area fifty one and I went into the guest room, I fell asleep reading." Melissa replied. "I fell asleep with the book on me and the book was still on the bed when I woke up the next morning so even if he checked on me he didn't come anywhere near me and I don't like that any of you think he did… Does Mom think he hurt me?" Melissa's question was one of surprise.

"No honey." George replied. "No she doesn't."

"Good because Uncle Munch would never hurt anyone." Melissa said firmly.

"I know." George replied nodding. "I'm just going to go talk to Lieutenant Tucker ok, your Mom will come and get you when it's time to go."

Olivia turned to face Ed Tucker with fire in her eyes.

"Are you happy now?" She hissed.

"Not till George says whether or not he believes her." Tucker replied.

"Well I am taking my daughter home, it's a school night and I want her bathed and in bed." Olivia walked off leaving George to talk to the Lieutenant and Elliot.

"Well?" Ed asked.

"He's never even looked at her inappropriately, she was genuinely sickened by the insinuation that he may have." George replied.

"So John Munch never touched his niece?" Ed asked to be sure.

"Never." George replied firmly.

ILB

After taking Melissa home Olivia spent some time with the rest of her kids.

"Ali and Eli are asleep as is George." Nanny Sue smiled as Olivia made them both a coffee.

"Bless them." Olivia smiled. "I'm going to barely see them until I've cleared this mess up for John."

"Hey they aren't old enough to realise it yet." Nanny Sue reassured.

"I know but Nikki, Lili and Lexi are." Olivia sighed. "Melissa understands now so she isn't as bothered by it or at least she doesn't make it obvious anymore."

"Olivia, you're a hard working Mom of seven, it's ok sometimes to be spread a bit thin." Nanny Sue explained. "The kids aren't going to hate you or resent you, you sent the kids to the best school in Manhattan and they want for nothing."

"Except love." Olivia replied.

"That's nonsense the kids know they're loved and that I know for sure."

Manhattan SVU, Manhattan, New York

Friday, January 17th 2016

7.44 am

Olivia arrived at the precinct hoping to have a lead to prove Munch's innocence before he was arraigned.

"Got anything?" Olivia asked Nick and Fin who had been working all night.

"Miranda sent over the tapes about five this morning but we haven't watched them yet." Fin replied.

"Why the hell not?" Olivia snapped, she was desperate to prove that Munch didn't rape anyone.

"Because we were chasing down leads with the other two cases." Nick explained calmly, he may have been tired but he wasn't about to lose his cool with her.

"Well please tell me you've got something." Olivia replied almost begging for an answer.

"Yeah, the first Mary Ella was raped coming from the movies with friends just after splitting up with them she was dragged into an alley and raped, Munch has a solid alibi for that one." Fin informed his superior, he was just as desperate to prove his partners innocence.

"What's the alibi?" Olivia asked.

"It happened on the day Elysah and Alyah were born, you went in on the thirteenth of April at six in the morning and had the girls via C-Section at five in the evening and we were at the hospital till gone midnight, while that rape was happening he was holding your youngest daughters." Fin replied and Olivia nodded in understanding.

"Second one?" Olivia asked knowing there was two rapes.

"Well he was on duty but we're trying to find out where he was at the time, what case was open and so on to see if it boosts our memory or more my memory." Fin explained.

"Ok so Fin you keep doing what you're doing with Nick, I'll watch the tapes." Olivia said picking up the five tapes from the desk and going towards her office. "As soon as you find anything come let me know."

"Are you going to court?" Fin asked his superior.

"Yes." Olivia replied. "I'm his Captain, I have too."

Superior Court, New York, New York

Friday, January 17th 2016

9.11 am

Olivia, Elliot, Fin and Nick sat in the gallery of arraignment court on the defence side to show their support. Munch was brought in to the room in handcuffs and it turned Olivia's stomach, he was not guilty and it was not fair that he was even being considered a rapist.

On the people's side sat Melissa with her parents, they gave the Detectives and their superior a dirty look when they walked in but Olivia kept her head held high for all of them.

"Docket ending zero three nine zero People of the State of New York V John Munch, one count rape in the first degree, one count using a child in a sex act in the first degree."

"Plea?" Judge Carlisle asked, he was a judge that didn't prosecute SVU's cases to avoid any bias.

"Not guilty your honour." John called shakily.

"I'll hear the people on bail." The judge replied looking over at the IAB prosecutor.

"The people request remand your honour, John Munch has no family and no community ties and should be considered a flight risk." The prosecutor called.

"Detective Munch is a well-respected SVU Detective there's his community ties, behind us here is his family Captain Olivia Cragen and her husband Sargeant Stabler who John Munch is God Father to two of their children Alyah Hope Cragen-Stabler and Liliana Casey and pseudo uncle to their other children Melissa, Nicole, Elysah, Alexandra and George so he does have a family including the forty thousand brothers and sisters in blue." Miranda called back knowing that there was no way John could wait in Rikers till the trial.

"I need a figure." The judge called.

"Five hundred thousand."

"That's ridiculous he's a cop!" Miranda argued.

"One hundred thousand cash or bond." The judge decided.

"Then we asked for a restraining order for the victim not only for John Munch but also for Olivia Cragen, Elliot Stabler, Nicolas Amaro and Odafin Tutuola who are already determined to prove the Detective's innocence even if he's guilty." The IAB Lawyer called.

"So granted the defendant and the listed people are ordered to stay fifty feet from the victim." The judge agreed slamming down the gavel.

"I'll get you out John just hold on." She said wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Don't bother Olivia most people have already determined I'm guilty." John replied his shoulders sagging showing just how defeated he was.

"Don't give up." Fin said hugging his partner. "We're close ok? We'll prove who did it and then you'll be free."

"Freedom's so overrated Tutuola." Munch said just as he was cuffed and lead away again.

Olivia looked over at the victim and for the first time in her life she felt a surge of hatred towards the girl and she knew it was because the girl was ruining an innocent man.

"Elliot I'm going to post John's bond." Olivia sighed softly. "Go and watch the rest of those tapes then take them down to Morales see how like John our suspect is then go through the evidence logs, there are tapes from the previous two victims, if we can prove the same guy did all three and there was no possible way that John Munch did the first two then he's in the clear."

Elliot nodded and Nick followed Olivia out knowing she needed someone with her and he knew that Fin had enough of seeing him around because he didn't know Munch the way the others did, but it didn't stop him caring.