Split second:

Summary: in a split second anything can change. Elliot, Olivia, and Alex are forced into WPP after a day in court gone terribly wrong. How will the squad deal with losing 3 of its members? How will Alex, Elliot and Olivia deal with leaving their lives and identities behind in a shallow grave in New York?

Disclaimer: in no way, shape, or form are these characters mine . . . damn.

AN: READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN APOLOGY!!!

Yes, I know chances are most of you are extremely shocked to find an update from me; don't fiddle with your screen or rub your eyes, you aren't seeing things, this is an actual update.

Now this is the time where I gravel for forgiveness; I never meant for this too take so long but I got caught up in writing other stories . . . then I stopped writing altogether. I've just been so busy! High school for lack of a better word simply sucks, not only do they give you a truck loaded of homework during the school year but they precede to pile it on over the summer! That and I've had quite a hectic schedule the last few months; they are all factors contributing to my absence but they are not an excuse. I felt I owed it to my readers (maybe more to my reviewer who always with out fail seem to put a smile on my face and help encourage me to get up of my lazy ass and continue my story) to write another chapter.

Well I've taken up enough words of this particular update so without further a due I present to all who have stuck with me for this long, chapter 16.

Chapter 16: The Reigning Munch

It was now about 9:30 that same morning, 9:28 to be exact, and the captain wasn't anywhere near done talking with the three people he had been mourning for two years (not to mention he didn't think he could handle the job at the moment, he was an emotional wreak), so Don did the only thing he could think to do.

"Okay, listen up people!" Don called as he made his way into the now relatively quiet bullpen for a brief announcement. "I'm in the middle of something very important. I do not want to be disturbed for anything, with the exception of a dire emergency, understood?" He surveyed the mass of people for a moment before doing what he hoped he wouldn't regret. "Munch, you're in charge for the day." With that, Cragen turned and made his way back to his office, shutting the door behind him.

"What the hell was that about?" Fin asked his partner.

"No clue, but I'm in charge," John Munch said with a smile as he waggled his eyebrows and vacated his chair in search of a cup of coffee.

"Worst mistake Cap' ever made," Fin mumbled to John's retreating back.

"I heard that!" Munch called back.

"It was meant to be heard, you old man!" Fin rolled his eyes and couldn't help but think 'this is going to be on long ass day.'

"Hey, there's no coffee!" Fin heard Munch shout. "Someone better get me a cup of coffee!"

"Yes, right away Captain Munch," was the reply of what appeared to be one very frightened rookie.

Fin got up, walked over to where Munch stood, and smacked him up side the head.

"Hey!" Munch protested.

"Don't let it go to your head, captain," Fin said before heading back to his desk.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Don walked back into his office and once again took up residence behind his desk. "I know you guys have a lot going on at the moment, but when do you think you'll tell everyone that you're not really six feet under? It's not my place, but John and Fin won't take so lightly to being kept in the dark for too long."

"Yeah," Elliot answered. "We know." He was already thinking about how the two men would react. "Just not sure how to go about it." Elliot paused before adding, "I've got to talk to Kathy and the kids first."

It had finally dawned on Don that Elliot's family wouldn't know what had happened. He had been so wrapped up in the fact that they were alive, sitting in front of him and not laying in the ground that he had forgotten Elliot had an ex-wife and four kids who were just as distraught as he was, if not more, over the events that had happened two years prior.

"Do they know that you survived?" Don questioned.

Elliot hesitated, "They know that I am alive, but they think Liv and Alex are really dead, and they don't know that Ally even exists."

Elliot was dreading contacting his kids again. It wasn't that he didn't want to see them (it had been two years, two years that he wasn't apart of their lives, all he wanted to do was hug the four of them and never let go.) he wanted to see them more than anything in the world. It was the conversation he had to have with them that Elliot was dreading.

Somehow he didn't see 'Well, you know I wasn't killed two years ago, but get this! Olivia and Alex weren't either! We were all staying together in D.C. Oh, and kids, you didn't know this, but Olivia and I where dating before we where 'killed' and we stayed together and while in witness protection had a baby. That's right - you have a five-month-old baby sister named Alexandra Don, but we call her Ally' going over too well. What? Was he going to add 'But your old man's back for good, so come give me a hug.' and pretend like nothing changed, like the lives his children knew didn't just explode in their faces?

How the hell was he going to tell his kids?

"We thought it would be best to tell them first before anyone else," Olivia stated.

"Yeah," Elliot agreed, "once again our only problem in how."

The four discussed the matters at hand over the next few hours, slipping into stories from the past every now and again, until Don noticed the time: it was 1:13.

"How about I go grab some lunch? Everyone must be starving."

"Thanks Don, we'd appreciate it," Alex said with a smile as she wrote down her sandwich and drink order. As Olivia wrote her order, Ally began to fuss.

Elliot went to grab her, but Don stopped him. "Let me." Elliot nodded and Don reached down to pick up the squirming baby that shared his name. "Hey there, little girl," he said softly. "How are you, Alexandra Don? I'm your Grandpa Don." Ally cooed at him and Don chuckled.

Olivia smiled to herself as she passed the paper to Elliot so he could write his order. 'He called himself her Grandpa Don,' Olivia thought. She was glad for she could think of a better grandfather for her daughter.

Elliot handed the paper back to Don having finished writing his order under Alex and Olivia's. "Do you mind if I take her with me?" Don asked; clearly not ready to give her up.

Olivia smiled once again. "Of course not, she could use some fresh air."

"Good," Don said, standing up and grabbing his wallet and the order paper. "Does she need anything?"

"No, I've got stuff for her here," Olivia told him.

"Okay, we'll see you in a few minutes." Don and Ally slipped out the side door and hurried down the hall.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Almost thirty minutes later, Don hurried through the precinct with Alexandra Don in one arm, holding a bag of sandwiches with the same hand and a container holding four drinks in his other.

He knocked on the door and whispered "It's me" before the door opened, he entered, and the door closed quickly behind him.

Unbeknownst to the real captain, the reigning Munch (captain for the day) was surveying his kingdom and happened to notice Don Cragen's every move, "What the hell is going on around here?" he asked himself.

"Cragen put you in charge, that's what's going on around here," Fin grumbled.

"I'm serious; I want to know what's happening in my squad room."

Fin smirked. "It's only your squad room for another few hours, you better work fast," he advised Munch.

"I intend to," John retorted before leaving his desk in search of some answers.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this latest installment and found it up to par with the rest of my work, seeing how I wrote it at 3 in the morning. Well you know the drill; reviews make the world go round, so make my world go round and leave a review! Come on, share the love :D

I hope to be back soon with a new chapter, I have no intentions of giving up this story I'm with it through the long hall, it just might take a little more time then I had expected.

Hoping to write more soon,

Your (extremely sorry) fellow author,

LovelyLivia