Disclaimer: NCIS: New Orleans, all characters, places, and related terms are the sole property of Gary Glasberg and CBS.

Team Persalle

I.

Cute, Brody decided not for the first time. The entertaining banter between her teammates, cute. Sonja groaning over Christopher's knock-knock jokes, cute. LaSalle acting as Percy's designated driver after the team spent a night out, cute. The "city mouse" and "country mouse" nicknames, cute.

And right now, Brody noted Christopher check his phone yet again for a response from Sonja only to put it away once more, his frown darkening, adorable.

"I'm not a creeper. I'm a co-worker," he said.

She grinned. "You are a work husband!"

II.

Pressing the tips of his fingers together, Patton stared at his computer intently. The screen was filled with photos of Christopher and Sonja. The pictures covered a period of months, most of them from Pride's bar. All had been taken surreptitiously by Patton with his phone.

"Come on, give me something," he murmured, peering closer.

Photos of the two relaxing, laughing, talking… There. In a second Patton had selected and enlarged the image to fill the monitor.

Percy and LaSalle were seated at the bar, nothing new there. But the stare down between them seemed different somehow: heads extremely close together, she faintly smiling, his expression akin to wondrous content. And was that their pinkies touching on the countertop?

"What have you got for me?"

In a flash the screen was clear of the photos. Leaning back in his wheelchair, trying to act nonchalant, Patton felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar when Pride raised an eyebrow at him.

"Evidence?" the older man asked.

"Different case."

"Right."

III.

"So if LaSalle is Eric, what does that make Percy?"

"Sebastian?"

"Well he has to be, considering Percy referred to Savannah as his 'mermaid,' red hair and all. LaSalle: our Prince Eric!"

"Ah!" Expression lighting with comprehension, Loretta nodded. "Disney. Personally, Christopher always reminded me a little of Flynn Rider. The charm, the humor..."

"Oh, man!" His eyes widened. "That is brilliant!" Then his face fell. "But Percy's no Rapunzel."

"No, I wouldn't say so."

The lengthening silence between the two was broken when Sebastian suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Esmeralda! Percy is totally Esmeralda!" he declared triumphantly.

"Hmm. Both have dark hair, are feisty—"

"And she totally kicked the captain's butt in the movie! Percy's threatened to do the same to LaSalle. Flynn-LaSalle and Esmeralda-Percy…the epic crossover pairing!"

Loretta chuckled.

IV.

Pride couldn't exactly say why he'd done it; have LaSalle work with Percy in the beginning when she was with ATF. There was a job to be done; that was how it turned out. And after she became part of NCIS, ended up partnered with LaSalle? Not on purpose either. However…

"—which means we need to have someone on the inside," tone directive, Pride's expression was stern. "Percy, you and LaSalle will be going undercover, newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Grant."

He did not react when Sonja broke out in a coughing fit. From the corner of his eye he caught a rare blush flood Christopher's face as the man shot an unreadable look towards the brunette. Brody was openly smirking and Patton shaking with silent laughter as their boss walked over to his desk. One corner of Pride's mouth twitched.

Yes, ulterior motives might be involved today.

V.

"Chrisja…Lacy…Lasonja…Perla…Persalle…Sontopher…"

"I vote for Persalle."

Gasping, Percy whipped her head to the side to discover LaSalle hovering by her shoulder, eyes bright and mischievous.

"Don't do that!" she ordered after staring for too long. "And there is no voting!" she added, balling up the list in her fist, flustered.

"But it fits us."

"There is no us!"

He winked. "Unofficially."

"What happened to the LaSalle who spread around his attentions, seemingly had a new lady on his arm every week?" she demanded, fighting to keep her cool.

"It is hard to spread my attentions when you've stolen them all…for months now," he admitted, all traces of humor fading.

Flushing, she looked up at him, hesitated at encountering his now-familiar look of seriousness with underlying hints of gentleness. "Christopher…," her tone wavered.

"Yes, Sonja?" his voice dropped an octave.

"You are terrible."

His expression grew fond. "And you wouldn't have me any other way. I'll take you as you are, you know."

"You are so sure of yourself," she whispered.

He leaned closer. "I'm sure of us, city mouse."

Her eyes fluttered shut as his face filled her vision. A light kiss on the tip of her nose drew a noise of protest from her. She peered up at him with a scowl. "Get on with it, country mouse."

He smiled faintly, his gaze loving. Gently he drew her into his arms. "Yes, ma'am," he responded before their lips met.

THE END