"Just because you haven't had a date in two years, Rollins, doesn't mean we've all joined the nunnery."
"Oh screw you Carisi. And that's working out sooo well for you? What you moved on from miss 34B raw foods to what? Some hipster instagram model who does soul cycle and only drinks kale smoothies? Real score there."
"Hey, at least I'm putting myself out there. You sit at home with your dumb reality tv shows and pretend that Jesse doesn't need a male presence in her life. Well ya know what, Rollins, that's bull. That's how half these stories start! No father figure so they turn to men who turn them out and end up in our cells or down in the morgue."
An unprecedented silence hung in the bullpen, the two detectives breathing hard as everyone in the office shrunk back from their knock-down-drag-out. Amanda was the first to move, grabbing her coat and slamming her drawer shut as she stormed from the precinct. Carisi kicked his chair as he ran a shaky hand through his hair, ignoring the long low whistle Fin was letting out from his desk. He hadn't just crossed the line, he'd catapulted head first over it.
...
It had been a week, a very long week of taciturn car trips and frigid glances. She wasn't as surprised as she wanted to be to find him at her door. The bruises under his eyes were more pronounced than ever and when he apologised the earnestness was underscored by the roughness of his voice, the catch in his tone when he spoke Jesse's name, the hand unconsciously rubbing his temple. After a beat she pushed the door open for him and walked back into the apartment. He followed. Jesse was on him in a moment, waddling over to her favourite uncle and babbling happily. As he picked up the little girl and settled her on his hip Amanda reclaimed her glass of wine. She was tired, so tired, and whatever pretence or fight she usually put up was gone.
"You know what Sonny, I never really thought of it as Jesse lacking a paternal figure. Not just because, I mean this is 2017. But, well, I thought she had you. I mean," and at this she started checking off on her finger, "you take her to the playground every Saturday morning, you make her spaghetti every Tuesday night, you're at every dance recital, you know her swim school teachers by name, hell half the parents we come across assume she's your kid. And I'm not saying that I… that that's what this is, I'm just saying, that well, she didn't need another Dad, because she had you as this epic male figure."
Once again they were left standing in silence, staring at each other. But this time he was the first to move. Placing Jesse back down he moved to Amanda's side in two quick strides. "You do have me. 'Manda, hey, look at me, I'm not going anywhere. And you bet your ass I'm gonna be here as the best-faux-father figure Jesse's ever seen. Starting with not giving her Mom crap for her love life choices. And maybe not picking up girls at Wholefoods." At Amanda's chuckle Sonny wrapped his arms around the blonde. "I love you girls and I'll be whatever you need me to be." He didn't comment on the subtle brush of a sleeve under her eyes as she relaxed against him, "You can start by being less of an ass, Carisi."