- Elliot Stabler: [to Michele Daricek] You know, when my first daughter was born, I was working the midnight to 8:00 a.m. shift, my wife worked days. So when I got home, all I wanted to do was sleep, all my baby wanted to do was cry. I nearly lost my mind. I could barely function. It's so hard. Michele, I know what you're going through. The first baby is always the toughest.
- Odafin Tutuola: [to Munch] Three marriages, no children. You ever consider adopting?
- John Munch: The kindest thing I could ever do for a kid is not adopt.
- Robert Cook: I read about Jennifer in the paper, but I swear in a million years, I never thought that child was mine. We only slept together a few times.
- John Munch: Sixth grade sex ed. Once is enough.
- Donald Cragen: Do we have any idea who the other kids belong to?
- Elliot Stabler: We don't even know if they were kidnapped or sold.
- Donald Cragen: ACS is coming to take custody of them. We'll get their photos out to the media. You know somebody's gonna come forward.
- Elliot Stabler: Yeah, every couple who'd love to adopt them.
- Alexandra Cabot: [to Cragen] What the hell was that?
- Donald Cragen: Well, you weren't getting him to talk, so I had to give it a shot.
- Alexandra Cabot: What? With the macho cop routine? I could have used the kidnapping charge as leverage if you'd just given me the chance.
- Donald Cragen: I gave you your chance.
- Alexandra Cabot: You lost your cool. You are too emotionally invested in this case.
- Donald Cragen: Damn right.
- Donald Cragen: Tyler, I'm sorry, but what I did today is my job. I didn't want to take you, but I had to because the law says so. But the law also says that I have to protect you from anything bad and that's a part of my job I like.
- Erin Blake: [about Tyler] For God's sake, he's our son! You can't just take him away after all these years.
- Donald Cragen: I know how hard this must be for you.
- Erin Blake: We are the only parents he has ever known. We were a happy family until you came along. How could you do this to us?
- Donald Cragen: [to Cabot] We can't play Solomon and split the child.
- Alexandra Cabot: I can't get him into a foster home until tomorrow morning. I hate to do it, but I think Tyler's gonna have to spend the night at the Laight Street Shelter.
- Donald Cragen: Why put him in that hellhole when his grandparents have right of natural guardianship?
- Alexandra Cabot: I don't like it any more than you do, but the law doesn't give grandparents automatic custody...
- Donald Cragen: Just forget the law and just for one minute, think about what's in the best interests of this child!
- Alexandra Cabot: Don't you think I am? Right now, everybody wants a piece of Tyler. Maybe the best place for him is somewhere neutral.
- Donald Cragen: [when Tyler's maternal grandparents arrive] Why don't you tell that to his grandparents?
- Margaret Talmadge: [to Cragen] Our daughter was taken away and now you're telling us that we can't have our grandson?
- Donald Cragen: I can't release Tyler to you unless a judge says I can, but you can apply for temporary custody.
- Margaret Talmadge: We have to go to court?
- Herbert Talmadge: What about permanent custody?
- Donald Cragen: Tyler's biological father is probably going to claim his parental rights and as long as he's deemed fit, his rights supersede yours.
- Margaret Talmadge: His mother was our only child. You gave us our hope back. Now how can you just take it away from us like this?
- Alexandra Cabot: [to Cragen] Got a minute?
- Donald Cragen: Only if you promise not to tell me you told me so.
- Alexandra Cabot: You were just doing your job. Following the lead of a 12-year-old crime.
- Donald Cragen: And now Tyler Blake's the victim and I don't know how to fix it.
- Alexandra Cabot: Then let me help.
- Donald Cragen: You have any suggestions, I'm all ears.
- Alexandra Cabot: Tyler's going to need a law guardian for the adoption hearing. There's a three-week backlog on court-appointed attorneys, so I'll volunteer.
- Donald Cragen: Well, that's a hell of a gesture, Alex, but the law favors the biological parent.
- Alexandra Cabot: The law also says that Tyler is old enough and mature enough to know who he wants to live with. If I'm his attorney, I have to fight for what he wants, and he wants to live with the Blakes.
- Donald Cragen: [to Mark Sanford] After I tie you to the Talmadge kidnapping and murder, I'm gonna nail your ass to the wall.