"Munch, what the hell was going through your mind last night?" Elliot asked.

"Not what you're thinking, most likely," he answered.

"You've been a detective for how many years? Do you know how far out the window the case's credibility is going to be thrown now?"

"I've noticed your victim is being unusually quiet," Lennie said.

"What do you want me to say, Mr. Briscoe?" Marie asked.

"That what happened last night is not what I think it is."

"It's not."

"Sorry I'm late," Olivia said as she came in, she saw the somber looks on everyone's faces and asked, "What'd I miss?"

"Munch didn't escort Marie to a hotel last night after the break-in," Elliot said, "He took her home with him."

The look on Olivia's face was nothing short of comical.

"Until we get a report back from CSU we don't know if there are two assailants walking around out there," Munch said, "For all we know somebody could've been following her from the hospital."

"That still doesn't justify what you did," Elliot said.

"What I did was wrong, yes, I admit it," Munch said, "Wrong towards the case, I know, but nobody is stupid enough to hassle somebody in the house of a cop who keeps a loaded gun around. Everybody knows that, and nobody was going to find out. But now thanks to that thing," he pointed to Lennie.

"You're just still mad at me because I slept with Gwen."

"This could've been kept from the defense when nobody else knew, you didn't have to go announcing it to everybody," Munch told him.

"Guys!" Olivia got between them, "What's done is done, all we can do is take our licks on this one and move on the best we can. Munch, what were you thinking, though? She said she was going to a hotel room for the night."

"One of our main priorities right now is to keep the victim safe," Munch told her, "This includes a right of privacy that's not breached. It's very questionable how safe she would've been in a hotel room, they put hidden cameras all over the places to record couples having sex and then redistributing the videos for a fee. You have people looking in at them through the peephole, people who dress up like the staff to gain entrance. Do you know how many hotels in this country have the police called out because they've found dead bodies under the beds and in the mattresses?"

"That still doesn't do us any favors," Elliot said, "Once the press gets the word that you took a victim home with you and she spent the night…"

"Nothing happened," Marie told them, "I know nobody's going to believe that but it didn't."

"It still damages the case, police officers are not supposed to have any personal attachment to the case and especially not towards the victim and they're going to make this out to be a very personal matter," Lennie said, "A young, single, vulnerable girl who is pregnant, goes to find this specific detective, she almost dies in the presence of said detective, and this same detective has a very heavy interest in the case and the victim. They're going to eat it up with a spoon."

Everybody in the room started arguing with one another and just as Cragen entered and was about to break it up, they heard a verbal explosion from the other side of the room.

"Shut up!" it was Marie, who looked like she was about to kill somebody. Everybody quieted down and turned towards her, she continued, "Shut up! Shut up! All of you just SHUT UP!" She started to shake and a sickened look appeared on her face and she barely got out, "Oh my God" before she tore through the corridor.

Munch started to chase her but Olivia got ahead of him and said as she sprinted out of the room, "I'll go check on her."

"Well it looks like everybody got in what was going to be said," Cragen said, "I guess there's not really much point in me throwing in my own two cents."

"I screwed up, I'll admit it," Munch replied, "But I didn't see there were too many options available if we wanted to keep her safe until we got the report back on the crime scene. People aren't safe in hotels and it's not likely that 1PP is going to send a squad car out to guard her wherever she would stay."

"You didn't do anybody any favors showing how involved you are in this," Cragen said, "But what could've been done is behind us now."

"CSU called," Fin said as he stepped into the room, "They found Ryan's prints all over the place, nobody else's except his and Marie's."

"Marie said she got into an argument with Ryan and she took off to go to the police station," Munch said, "Maybe he went to her house."

"Ballsy of him," Elliot said.

"Stupid too, because if his prints are on the furniture that's thrown all over the place, how is he or his lawyer going to explain that one?"

"Probably that he went in to talk to her, because they had known each other, and naturally he touched all the stuff with his prints on it, but they'll swear he didn't vandalize the place," Elliot thought.

"When Marie gets back from her bout with morning sickness, we'll find out," Cragen said.

"We may have more problems than that," Lennie said.

"Why? What else has happened?"

"The media is going to be all over those two conspiracy nuts spending the night together," Lennie explained, "Even if nothing did happen, they'll twist it into some sort of romantic mess, and if they don't do that, they're going to say that there's some infatuation from one to the other…Marie has no known parents, they'll probably say she was leaning towards him as a father figure…or they might say Munch has been married several times, gone through different types of women, maybe now he's looking for more the Lolita type, or the knocked up and single type."

"Since when do you know anything about psychology?" Munch asked.

"I've been badgered by enough shrinks in court to put it together. Once this story breaks they're going to go for every angle possible to discredit the both of you."


"Marie, how are you feeling today?"

"Lousy, I started throwing up," she answered, "I had hoped I wouldn't get morning sickness. You know," she looked up at him, "We really have to stop meeting like this, people are going to talk."

Huang sat down beside her at the table.

"I suppose you heard about what happened last night," she said.

"No, I didn't get in until late today," he replied, "What did happen last night?"

"It's a long story…I went home…somebody broke into the house, they trashed everything…Munch came back, and he called the cops. I was told I couldn't go back home while they were checking for…prints or hairs or something…so I was going to get a room for the night. Munch said he knew a place where I'd be safe until further notice…so I got in the car with him…he took me to his house."

"How come?" Huang asked.

"We didn't know if it was Ryan who broke in, or if he has a partner working with him who had been following me. John said until we knew if we had another suspect walking around, I'd be safe staying with him because few people are dumb enough to bust in on an armed cop."

"Why didn't he just take you to a hotel room for the night? Surely you would've been safe there."

"I had my doubts about it…apparently so did he because we both know about the horror stories of some hotels. You think you're alone, nice and private, then its found out that the staff has put hidden spy cameras in the room to record everything you do. And…we've both read about all the times a couple has spent the night in a room, and the next day they found out there was a dead body stuffed under the bed. Usually in those cases, it's a prostitute or a drug dealer…somebody like that…and clearly the killer isn't a professional or he wouldn't leave the body around."

"And you were worried if you went there for the night, the same thing might happen to you?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Whose idea was it not to go to the hotel?"

"It was a mutual agreement," Marie said.

"But one of you had to think of it first, was it Munch?"

"He'll get in trouble if I say yes, won't he? He said he knew a good place for me to stay the night where nobody would find me, and I didn't ask where, I just got in the car with him. I was going to leave early in the morning before anybody could find out…but Mr. Briscoe came in to get John up and he found us."

"Found you, how?"

"John let me sleep on the couch, he spent the night going to the windows and the front door at every sound with his gun…he finally fell asleep in the chair next to the sofa. I told them nothing happened, but I don't know that they believe it…and I know they're just thinking that the press is never going to believe it…but I wonder if the detectives don't believe it either."

"How long have you known Munch now?"

"Since I hit his car," Marie answered.

"You never met him before?" Huang asked.

"No, Lisa Deering told me he might be able to help me…because he took complaints very seriously and he wanted to help women who were in trouble."

"She'd seen him before, hadn't she?"

"Her husband was using her as a punching bag…John kept trying and trying and trying to get her to report it but she didn't want to…but she finally did…he told her he didn't want to see her dead and she didn't want to die either. He tried to convince her to do the right thing when she was too afraid to, so I figured he could help somebody willing to file a report."

"And…in the time you've known him, what do you think of Detective Munch?"

"I…I think he's a great detective, he obviously believes a victim when they say they've been raped…not like those pigs back home, they took my report and lost it somewhere and never looked into it. At least John was willing to help. But I know I've caused him a lot of trouble already."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I know he hasn't had to go through everything he has with my case, with any previous victim he worked with. Of course there is a difference I suppose…none of them ever went crashing through his windshield in the middle of the night. And I guess not too many of them asked for him specifically."

Huang watched her as she answered his questions. She started to slightly rock back and forth in her chair with a nervous look on her face.

"He is going to get in trouble for what happened, isn't he?" she asked, "I knew if anybody found out…he told me about a cop in New York City, Rey Curtis, he was Lennie Briscoe's partner…he once escorted a witness to a hotel room for the night, and he stayed with her because she was worried…and he got his ass into a sling because of it. But that was because she told the court they'd slept together when they hadn't. He didn't get in trouble for staying with her, only because of what she said."

"It wasn't his home, though, it was a neutral place."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, "I don't think a hotel room in the middle of nowhere is too neutral…seems more people go to hotels to have sex than those who go home…now, if Munch had taken me to some house where nobody lived, then it wouldn't be a big deal…it's only because he took me to his home that this is going to damn the case. His home, any home, a hotel, a motel, what's the difference? It's a place out of immediate danger from whoever broke into my home, that should be what they're focusing on."

"What do you think of him?" Huang asked.

"As a cop?"

"In general."

"He's a good cop, he strikes me as being a good person too…that's why he's a good cop, because you can feel comfortable around him…not like the other cops, the big ones who look down on you, and give you that look that you're wasting their time…and they treat what you've gone through as just a date gone bad…I'd like to see them handle nearly being run down, dragged kicking and screaming, their clothes torn off and themselves violated, and knowing they can't do anything about it except file a damn complaint. Of which gets lost with all the other rape complaints which sit and gather dust until the statute of limitations run out. Munch, he's a cynic, he's not condescending, you can talk to him, he'll listen, he understands…and he still wants to help."

"What about the other detectives in SVU?"

"Oh I try to get along with all of them…I like all of them…Olivia, Elliot…Detective Tutuola…I trust them all…they believed me when nobody else did. But you were asking about Munch…oh it'll be horrible if he gets in trouble over this."

"Because you know nothing happened?"

"I know that I could never get the services he's given me, from anybody else…he's…" she stopped to think, "Munch, that's not a Jewish name is it? But he is…anyway, I think he's doing all that he is, out of guilt."

"Why?"

"When I was in the hospital, he talked to the other detectives and was talking about how he should've known better…how he should've done something to avoid hitting me…he blamed himself…of course that was before he knew what had happened…but I still think he feels guilty somehow…naturally he'll never admit to it even if that is the case."


"Mentally and emotionally speaking, she's a very healthy person," Huang told the detectives, "A bit abnormal perhaps."

"Abnormal, how?" Elliot asked.

"She just turned 18 recently…at this stage a lot of young people still have the emotional behavior of younger kids…but something's clearly happened to her that intellectually she matured faster somewhere down the line," Huang said, "She shows maturity and understanding about things we don't even see in a lot of adults."

"Which means?" Olivia asked.

"She knows the facts and she won't face anything less," Huang said, "Psychologically there's no sign that she would feel anything towards somebody like Munch that isn't a platonic role."

"Somebody like Munch, what does that mean exactly?" Elliot asked, "A cop, an older guy, what?"

"Young women generally experience some emotional attraction to older men who are in authoritative positions…mostly it comes back to them looking for a father figure they didn't have and they confuse seeking paternal approval with seeking intimacy from the man they attach themselves to."

"And what does that mean for this given situation?"

"She doesn't feel anything towards Munch in regards of anything emanating from love or romance and she knows that he doesn't feel anything towards her either, and she wouldn't have it any other way," Huang explained.

"Well one thing we do know is that she hasn't been involved with any man since her rape," Elliot said, "But we don't really know what she did before the attack. Is it possible that what Ryan did to her traumatized her to the point it's killed any ability in her to feel affection towards any man now?"

"Not hardly," he replied, "A lot of rape victims relive what happened to them so much to the point they can't even entertain the notion of starting another relationship without flashing on their attack. This is part of the abnormality in her emotional health I was referencing to. She already knows that if she fears her attacker, or relives the memories of the rape, or lets it interfere with her life, then he holds power over her, so she doesn't give him that satisfaction. Based on what I saw, I'd say she could very well have a healthy relationship with any man she wanted, she just doesn't want any."

"Well I'm sure carrying a passenger in her stomach for 9 months would have something to do with that," Munch said, "That's usually a red flag for a lot of guys."

"No," Huang insisted, "She's figured out already if she enters into a commitment now it'll greatly compromise her opportunities so at the moment she's just focusing on what's best for herself."

"Boy if only my daughters could figure that out," Elliot thought aloud.

"On a side note," Huang said, "I think she'll hold up very well at trial. Usually the defense lawyer makes the victim relive the rape, bringing back all the fear and the pain, making them very emotional and hardly reliable when presented before a jury."

"And you don't think she'll do that?" Elliot asked.

"No I don't," Huang replied, "She recalled every minute of the ordeal for me without missing a beat…her voice never cracked, her eyes never welled up, she knows the facts and that's all she's going to use."

"It doesn't matter," Casey said, "The defense is going to have something prepared for this…I just hope we're ready for it…so far we have a very bad case, no witnesses to the rape, no emails on either's computer to verify that he was harassing her and she told him to back off, no investigation by the police in Kansas…and another damning piece to the case is that she never went to the hospital after the attack."

"About the only thing in our favor," Olivia said, "Is that the defense's theory about Marie looking for a cash settlement has gone out the window."

"They'll have another story, they always do," Casey replied.

"Yeah, I just hope ours is better," Munch said.