This chapter is for melonian4life and Writersrefinery.
Forgot the disclaimer - I don't own these characters, if I did, things would be a whole lot different - but don't get me started on that...
With thanks to Joanie. :-)
A BAR SOMEWHERE NEARISH TO MUNCH'S PLACE.
Fin sat facing Munch, a beer in his hand as he gave a quick glance around the room before meeting Munch's amused eyes.
"This is so messed up, but I gotta talk to you, anyone else would have me committed," Fin said.
"It's Sergeant Benson I take it?" Munch asked with a wry smile.
"Yeah...Olivia..this is gonna sound like i'm tripping, but she's not right..she's…"
"Not Olivia Benson," Munch replied, as he took a sip of his own beer, watching Fin in amusement.
"Not Olivia Benson?" Fin said baffled, "What the fuck, Munch?"
"I've been trying to pinpoint when the real Olivia was last seen, it's hard because the woman in Cragen's office..Sergeant Benson...is a very close match, but she is not Olivia, she's not the woman we knew for so many years."
"Munch...what?" Fin said, shaking his head and starting to regret asking Munch to meet with him.
"It's obvious Fin - ask her anything! She has barely any recollection of her past - well she has memories of the recent past, but her long term memory just isn't there. She has the basics, facts that have been programmed in, but the experiences, the memories, the details - they just aren't there. I mean, have you heard her talk about Stabler?" Seriously Fin, she's not Olivia."
"Ok, you're right about one thing - I mean what she does say about him is pretty wacked. We sat in the same squad room as those two for years Munch, years, we saw them fight we saw them argue, but we saw them support each other, back each other up - they'd both take a bullet for the other in a second. These days; no one talks about Stabler, and now Cragen and you have gone, the new guys, they don't know him so they don't even mention him. It's freaky, it's like he's been wiped out of existence. It ain't right - but don't even go there with that alien abduction shit, answer this Munch - if that's not Olivia then who the hell is it and where is she?"
"That's a whole lot of words you just said there my friend, take a moment to take this in. It's not going to be easy to accept, but you know the way she talks about Elliot - it's sounds like someone who just doesn't know him - like she's reading a script, but the experiences, the knowledge, her whole past - none of it is there behind her words, none of it at all."
"Ok, yeah I see what you mean, but why? Who is she if she ain't Liv...not that i'm buying this..."
"Sergeant Benson is a genetically identical, well almost identical, copy of the real Olivia Benson, whom, I'm taking a guess, can be found wherever Elliot Stabler is. Think about it - the shooting in the squad room, they were both alone with IAB, none of us really had a chance to talk to each other. IAB were in charge of the inquiry - they ran the ballistics, they tested us all for gunshot residue to confirm which guns were fired. The next time we saw Olivia, she was..well she's never quite been the same, and Elliot...we never saw him again. It's time to start listening to me Fin, I know things which will make you question everyone and everything around you."
"This is so fucked up," Fin said.
"It is hard to take in, you have to accept things that you normally would reject…"
"No man, it's so fucked up that I'm actually listening to you!"
Munch gave a small, slightly smug laugh and paused, ensuring Fin was ready for him to continue an even stranger explanation.
"Someone is behind this, but it's kind of complicated, i've been researching things like this for years now, it's not even a surprise to me really, but you are gonna have a hard time believing this. Just hear me out ok?"
"Whatever, not like I have a choice, Liv's not Liv, this is all crazy shit, just give it to me straight."
"Ok Fin, you remember Oz?"
"Oz? That show about a prison that Amanda watches? I was on a stakeout with her the other day and all she talked about was Oz, and that actor she lusts over. Girl didn't stop for breath - I mean yeah I've watched, good show, but Rollins just can't get over the…"
"No Fin! The Wizard of Oz!" Munch exclaimed.
"Ah, yeah, that probably makes more sense...actually no, what the hell do munchkins and witches have to do with it?"
"The wizard Fin, remember? People put their faith in him, their trust, he brainwashed people into believing that he was something special, when really, behind the curtain, he was just a lonely, powerless little man."
"Yeah, ok, so...wizards are real? You want me to believe that someone has some kind of magic power and made Liv and El disappear?" Fin asked incredulously.
"No! He certainly thinks he does, but that's to our advantage. He has fooled the masses into believing that he is something very special, but his only real power is mind control, and that is what fuels his ego. This is the worst criminal SVU have ever dealt with, because he has infiltrated our squad in such a big way, but his greatness is artificial- take down the ego and we take down the perp."
"Munch - we can't interrogate an ego.."
"We dont - we confront him and all those he has brainwashed, with reality. If the real Olivia confronts the clone, the truth will be out there. It won't be easy, but the first step is to find Olivia and Elliot, we owe it to them to give them their lives back."
"And they are?" Fin asked.
"Well, that's where my ex wife comes in," Munch said, as Fin just stared at him in confusion.
"You gotta narrow it down a bit Munch,"
"Gwen. When she first contacted me about this, I brushed her off, but she was right, so very right. It's unsettling really, because what else is she right about…?" Munch said.
"Okay yeah I remember her, the craz..I mean the ex wife from the bookshop - back when Stuckey went on a murder spree."
"That's the one, she kept telling me that mass mind control was going on, but she's been saying that for years, so I didn't listen. I am sorry to say she was right."
It took surprisingly little time to plan a rescue operation, and discuss just how to deal with not only their perp, but the effects of the mind control he had crudely, but effectively exercised for over four years. The ease of execution of their plan was mostly down to Gwen, who while waiting for Munch to finally believe her, had managed to get a whole group of people meeting regularly, who had together pooled their diverse resources and drawn up a workable plan.
Gwen however, point blank refused to go anywhere near the squad room, having no wish to be anywhere near any of the clones, and informed Munch in no uncertain terms that she would help, but keep well away from the action.
That worked well for Munch because as awesome as Gwen was, she was quite complicated to involve in too much depth.
The one thing they were not certain of was how far the clone replacements had infiltrated the NYPD. Fin was very aware of this as he sat down in the squad room that day, listening to Olivia..Clone Olivia, briefing them on a case. He barely took in anything she said as he watched her, fascinated. She looked like Olivia, it was unnerving just how much she seemed like Liv at a glance, it wasn't until he thought back over everything she had said recently - and he wondered how the hell he could have been fooled into thinking that Olivia would carry such negativity toward her best friend.
He was deep in thought, wondering how far the mind control extended when he was suddenly aware that Olivia was standing in front of him, frowning as she watched him.
"Fin? Did you hear anything I said?" she asked.
"Sorry Li...Olivia, I'll get up to speed on all that…"
Olivia shook her head, confused as she walked back into her office.
Fin watched her walk away, wondering if she even knew that she was a clone, she certainly didn't seem as if she had any ulterior motive, she just seemed to be living Olivia Benson's life.
Casting a glance around the squad room, he watched as Carisi talked to Amanda. Munch was certain that Carisi wasn't a clone, but Amanda, they just weren't sure about her at all.
Olivia sat in her office, puzzled at Fin's reaction, but as she caught sight of a framed photo of Noah on her desk, she suddenly forgot all about it, and smiled. She was certain that there was something she was supposed to be looking into, but as soon as she thought of Noah it fell away from her mind.
Shrugging, she opened a file and decided to finish up some paperwork before she headed home.
Fin breathed a sigh of relief as Olivia finally left for the evening, it unnerved him to think that a clone was running the unit, and that there could be others; anyone could be a clone, and he wasn't sure who to trust anymore. With a glance at Carisi, he contemplated taking him to one side and talking to him - he was sure he would listen given how interested he was in Munch's theories, but decided against it. They couldn't risk the plan going wrong.
Deciding that it was best not to involve Amanda, just in case she were a clone, he wasted no time in producing the full DVD box set of Oz, much to Amanda's joy.
Secure in the knowledge that Amanda would now be far too busy watching Oz to notice anything else going on, he slipped out of the squad room and headed to the location Munch had given him.
It was now down to Munch and Fin to rescue Elliot Stabler and the real Olivia Benson. Fin had a feeling things were gonna get even more messed up as the night went on.
Next up - let's get Liv and El back, they've been gone for far too long. Munch tells them about the psychological profile Huang has drawn up on the perp - who has a totally unhealthy obsession with Elliot. Chapter 3 is written and in its way soon.