He enters the squad room. All eyes fall on him. He waits for the questions. He doesn't have to wait long. Fin breaks the silence.
"Where is your partner?" Fin questions.
"She said that she needed to clear her head," she answers.
Munch shakes his head in disbelief, "You left her alone?"
"She is an adult. We shouldn't smother her."
Fin vacates his seat at his desk, "I'm going to go find her."
"Fin she just wants to be left alone," Nick argues.
"She doesn't need to be alone. That is the worst possible thing for her right now!" Fin's nostrils flare as he exits the squad room. He gets on the elevator, and rides to the ground floor. He gets off the elevator, and dials Olivia's number. He expects her to ignore him. It rings twice, and then he gets an answer.
"Benson," she answers out of habit.
"Where are you?" he asks.
"Where am I supposed to be?"
"I thought that you would come back with Nick. He's here, and you're not."
"At the precinct?"
"Yes," Fin confirms.
"I am at the diner across the street."
"Why?"
"I came to get a slice of pie."
"Okay, stay where you're at."
"Fin what is going on?"
"Just stay put."
"Okay," she hangs up the phone, and looks at the piece of pie in front of her. It's been months, and months since she's had a slice of pie. She hears the bell above the door ding. She doesn't look up. Fin slide into the booth, across the table from her. She looks at him.
"Did I miss something?" she wonders.
"I was just worried about you."
"I am right here."
"Olivia where did you go?"
"It doesn't matter."
"What's going on with you?"
"You mean other than my entire life being turned upside down? Nothing."
"Liv talk to me."
"I don't want to talk. I just want to eat my pie and be left alone."
He looks at the slice of pie on her plate. He furrows his brow, "Apple? You always get coconut cream."
"I just felt like getting apple."
"Are you going to tell me what happened? Where did you go?"
"Fin don't," she begs.
"Why not?"
"You shouldn't ask questions that you don't want to know the answers to."
"I am worried about you. Please just talk to me."
"Fin I don't want to talk. I just want my life to go back to normal."
"Back to normal? Olivia you disappeared of the face of the planet for six months. You went through hell. It is going to take time for things to get back to normal."
"I just want my life back."
"I understand that, but you have to do the work."
"I just want this nightmare to be over with."
"I know."
"And it seems like it is never going to end."
"We're going to catch them."
"You guys haven't made any progress. Excuse me if I don't have a lot of faith right now."
"In us?"
"I don't have a lot of faith in anyone."
"Have you talked to anyone?"
"I'm talking to you."
"That isn't what I meant."
"Who do you want me to talk to?"
"Please just talk to someone," he begs.
"I can't."
"Olivia you can't pretend that this never happened."
"I know that," she slides out of the booth. She heads for the door. He places money on the table for her pie, and then follows after her. By the time he gets outside she's speeding off in her police cruiser.
He enters the morgue. He makes a beeline for the autopsy room. He pushes through the double doors. He finds Melinda standing at a sink washing her hands. There is no body on her table. She looks over at him.
"What are you doing down here?"
"Olivia took off about an hour ago. She won't answer her phone, and I don't know where she is."
"Did you try tracking her phone?" Melinda questions.
"Yeah, she turned it off," he reveals.
"Isn't there a tracking device in her squad car?" Melinda wonders.
"It's not active."
"Are you worried that someone took her, or that she just doesn't want you to find her?"
"I am afraid of what she's going to do."
"I think you should let her be."
"Let her be? That's your advice, Melinda? What if she does something stupid?"
"Sometimes we need to be alone to deal with things," she suggests.
"She shouldn't be alone."
"If you guys are on top of her all the time she isn't going to open up to any of you. She needs some space. You need to respect that."
"I don't know if I can."
"Why did you come down here? If you are worried about her?"
"What is it that you were worried that she didn't know?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Can't, or won't?"
"It would be a HIPPA violation if I told you anything."
"I need to know."
"I can't tell you."
"Should I be worried about her?"
Melinda nods, "You have every right to be worried about her."
"Do you think that she is going to do something stupid?"
She shrugs, "I am not the one that can answer that."
"You could help me figure out what she's thinking if you just tell me what's going on with her."
"If you really want to know I suggest that you ask her."
"I have."
"Then you should just wait."
"Wait, for what?"
"Until she's ready."