Infinity

TITLE: Infinity (14/?)

AUTHOR: Master F&M

FANDOM: Law and Order: SVU

RATING: Everything from PG to R—just like life.

SUMMARY: A Fin fic— to give him a life that the show refuses to give him

DISCLAIMER: L&O: SVU and all its characters belong to Dick Wolf, NBC, and whomever

                          else puts the show out for our enjoyment. I just get to play with them.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sam is a character of my own creation. She does not exist on the show.

FEEDBACK: Please give some. For entertainment purposes only.

THANKS TO ALL FOR THE CORRECTION ON MUNCH'S BROTHER'S NAME! THE ROLE OF BERNIE MUNCH WILL NO LONGER BE ED BED BY FRANK.

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CHAPTER 14

            Fin awoke early the next morning. Still not wanting to wake Sam, he managed to wriggle
off the sofa, then headed for the kitchen. He wanted to have coffee ready for her when she did
get up. He had a feeling she was going to need it.

            He absently spooned the grinds into the filter as he thought back to the night before. He
needed to get in touch with John. He hadn’t given it too much thought last night, but now he
wondered why Sam hadn’t gone to her uncle instead of coming to him. Not that Fin minded. He
was glad she trusted him gh tgh to do so. Despite their bravado, he knew both Munches had a
very vulnerable underside that they rarely let show. John hid his behind humor. Sam did the same
with self-confidence.

            Fin sighed as he got the pot going. What a mess. Who would tell their kid after all these
years that she might not be his? What would it matter now? Fin knew how much Sam prided
herself on being a Munch for everything that came with it: the brains, the quirkiness, and most
importantly, the tie to John. He tried to imagine what it might feel like to suddenly not be who
you always thought you were, but couldn’t. He felt terribly sorry for her. And terrifically angry
with her father. What the hell was he thinking, doing this to her? Sick or not, the man was lucky
he didn’t live where Fin could get to him quickly. He had a few choice words he would have
liked to express.

         
#160#160; Fin picked up the phone and punched in John’s number. He knew he’d be taking a chance
on interrupting him and Tori if she had actually spent the night, but Fin’s main concern right now
was for Sam. When John answered, not at all sounding like he’d just been awakened, Fin
informed him, without going into detail, that Sam was back in town, was at his place, and needed
him to come over as soon as possible. Naturally, John dema to to know what was going on, but
Fin refused him. It was Sam’s story to tell.

            Seeing movement on the sofa, he picked up a bottle of aspirin and shook out two tablets.
After a second’s thought, he shook out another, then took all three and a glass of orange juice
over to the sofa. He looked down on Sam, noticing that she’d draped an arm over her eyes in an
attempt to block out the sunlight that was coming through the windows.

            “You awake?”

            “If I say no, does that mean this stabbing pain in my head is just an awful nightmare?”

           
/spa/span>Fin smiled a little. How could she not be a Munch? “That’ll happen when you drink too
much.”

 

            He kneeled down in front of her and placed the aspirin in one of her hands. “Take these.”

He offered her the juice and she took several sips to wash down the pills. After placing the glass
on the coffee table, Fin lifted her feet from the sofa to make room for himself, sat down, then
replaced her legs on top of his own.

            “Now just lay still for a little while until the aspirin kicks in.”

            Sam peered at him from under her arm. “You seem like an old pro at this.R/p> /p>

 

            Fin frowned. “I’ve known a couple of people who tried to drown their problems in
alcohol. A few of them even tried stronger stuff. They got pretty messed up. I’d hate for that to
happen to you.” He squeezed her leg, signifying that the lecture was over.

            Sam sat up slowly, trying not to intensify the pounding in her head. She looked at Fin and
felt a rush of gratitude for him.

            “Seems like you’re always having to take care of me.”

            “Twice is hardly always, and besides, I don’t mind.”

            She studied him some more, wanting his statement to mean what she thought it did.
“That’s really nice of you to say, but all the same, I’m really sorry I dumped all that stuff on you
last night. I don’t usually do that kind of thing. Fall apart like that.” She looked away,
embarrassed by what she’d done and said.

            She took her legs down and sat up a little straighter. “The funny part is I think I only
drank to prove how much I was like him.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I promise if I ever
drink like that again, I won’t show up at your door afterwards. It’s just . . . I went to see Uncle
Munch, but Tori was there and I didn’t feel right interrupting them. Or may was was just too
afraid to. I don’t know.”

            She laughed at herself. “God, I’m doing it again. I’m sorry. I’ll just leave.” She started
to get up, but Fin gently pulled her back down.

            “You don’t have to apologize to me. didndidn’t do anything wrong. I would have been
upset if you hadn’t shown up here.” He turned her face to him to be certain she understood what
he was saying. “If you get upset like that again and need to talk, my door is one of the only
places you should show up. I’ve got a couple of good shoulders here if you need them. Okay?”

            Sam nodded without speaking. Her eyes briefly dropped to his mouth and she was
flooded with the memory of their kiss. Shocked by what she’d done, she hid her face in her hands
and was grateful that Fin had been too far asleep to remember it.

            Not understanding, Fin thought she was upset again and began rubbing her back. She
knew she shouldn’t let him, particularly with the memory of that kiss fresh in her mind, but she
couldn’t bring herself to stop him. There was something very soothing about his touch.

            “Hey. You okay?” Fin’s voice was full of concern. Sam felt guilty for having worried
him. She took her hands away and smiled weakly at him.

            “I am now. Thanks.” She stood up and Fin followed. “But I really should get going.”
She started to move but stopped when she remembered she’d taken a cab over. “I don’t have my
car.”

            “I should hope not. And you can’t leave anyway. John’s on his way over.”

            “Does he know I’m here?”

            “I called him.”

            Sam took a deep breath, as if steeling herself. “Okay, but I’d rather not see him smelling
like an old brewery. Would you min I b I borrowed your shower?”

            Fin sniffed in her direction. “Yeah, you do kinda stink.” He laughed at the shocked look
on her face then added, “Bathroom’s on the right,” pointing into the hall. “Coffee should be
ready when you get out.”

            On the way Sam stopped in front of him. She hesitated for a second then embraced him.
Fin hugged her back. She looked up at him but remained in his arms.

   0;�        “Thank you, Detective. For everything.” She brushed her hands over him. “They are
pretty nice shoulders.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek then quickly left.

            Fin watched her go, exhaling the breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He knew he
was in trouble. There was no way now he could tell himself his feelings for her were platonic.
Not after the way he had kissed her last night and wanted more. He was thankful that she’d been
too drunk at the time to remember it. He couldn’t have explained away taking advantage of her
like that. True, she had kissed him first, but she had been drunk. He didn’t have an excuse. He
would have to make certain it didn’t happen again. He didn’t necessarily like the idea of
distancing himself from her, but he didn’t know how else to handle it.

            Fin’s doorbell rang and, glad for the distraction, he went to answer it.

            “Okay, I’m here. Now what the hell’s going on? Where’s Sam?” Munch strode in
looking less than his well-put-together self. He stared at Fin, demanding an explanation. “Well?”

            “Calm down before you som something. She’s in the shower, but you’re not going to
help her all hyped up like this.” Fin lead Munch into the kitchen and handed him a cup of coffee.

            “What exactly does she need help with, Fin? What’s going on here?”

            “I ain’t the one who should be telling you this.”

            “Telling me what?”

            Fin sighed then plunged ahead. “Your brother . . . Bernie, right?. . . he told Sam that she
probably wasn’t his kid.”

            Munch sat still, uncertain he’d heard correctly. “He what?”

            “Sam wanted to get tested in case he needed a kidney. He told her not to bother because
she probably wasn’t his. Then he told her to leave. She was pretty messed up about it. Got
herself nice and drunk.”

            Munch sat back in disbelief. “He told her that? And no offense, but why didn’t she come
to me with this?”

            Fin shrugged. “That’s what she said. And she did go to you, but she saw you with Tori,
so she came here. She was really hurting.”

            “That son of a bitch.” He spoke mainly to himself. “If he’d heard about it before, why the
hell would he tell now now after all these years?”

            “Wait a minute.” Now Fin was in disbelief. “You knew?”

            John answered carefully, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. “I heard some
rumors after Sam was born. Something about Bernie not having been around at the right time.
Family gossip. Mostly from my mother who seemed to derive great pleasure from other people’s
misery.”

            “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Sam stood in the kitchen doorway. With wet hair and
wearing his robe, Fin thought she couldn’t have looked more vulnerable. She walked into the
kitchen toward Munch.

            “Uncle John?”

            “They were rumors, Sam. Mean gossip. I wouldn’t have put that on you.”

            Fin got up to leave. “I’ll let you guys talk.”

            “Don’t go.” Sam placed a hand on top of his. “You already know everything. Stay?”
Her eyes pleaded with him. He wasn’t sure why she wanted him there, but he wouldn’t have left
her now for anything. He sat down again and turned his hand over so that he was holding hers.
He gave it a squeeze to reassure her as she sat down next to him.

            “So then it’s true? He’s not my father?” She swallowed hard. “We’re not really related?”
Her lip trembled as she asked, but she blinked back the tears. Watching her, Fin willed John to
say what she needed to hear.

            “As far as I’m concerned, you’re both those things, and what else really matters?” He
looked her in the eyes, making certain his point was clear: Whatever his brother thought, his
opinion was the one that counted.

            “I could get a blood test, though, right? To bre ore one way or the other?”

            John leaned across the table and took her hand. “To prove what, Sam? That you’re still
the little girl I took care of? Honey, you’ll always be that to me. I wouldn’t care if we found out
you were actually from Mars. You’d still be my Princess. I’ll always be here for you.”

            Sam seemed to brighten a little, but Munch could tell she still needed her confidence
restored.

            “Besides, you couldn’t be more Munch to me than if I’d fathered you myself.”

            She perked up at the thought. “You wouldn’t happen to have, would you?”

            “Nooo. And shame on you for thinking such things of your mother.”

            “Hey, in my eyes she would have gotten brownie points for it.” She looked at John and
gave him a full smile. “Thanks, Uncle Munch.”

            “Anytime, kiddo. We have to look out for each other, you know. Munch blood is thicker
than water . . . ”

            “. . . because of all the chemicals added,” she finished for him. They both laughed at the
old joke.

            Munch let go of her hand. “Now hurry and get dressed, and I’ll take you out for an ice
cream. Just for old times sake.”

            Sam beamed at him, suddenly seven years old again. “Can I have sprinkles?”

            “Anything you want, Princess.”

 

            “Really? Then can Fin come, too?”

            John looked over at his partner whom he’d nearly forgotten was there.

            Fin gave him a huge, dimpled grin. “I want double scoops. And different flavors of ice
cream.” He stood up and headed for the bathroom. “But first I have to shower.”

            Munch watched Sam as her eyes followed Fin from the room.

&#           “And hot fudge, too!” He yelled from the hall.

            She laughed as Munch got up and brought her a cup of coffee.

            “You really like him, don’t you?”

            She looked at her uncle and never even thought to lie.

            “Yeah, I do.”