Disclaimer: I absolutely do not own NCIS:New Orleans.

A/N: This was inspired by 1x17 ('More Now') and takes place around the scene where Pride comes downstairs while LaSalle and Brody are doing dishes. There are two chapters. This first chapter is set before the scene where he comes downstairs. The final chapter will be set after that scene. I hope that makes sense. Anyway, here we go...

Pride was sitting at the piano when Merri peeked her head into the room. Just letting his fingers slowly play a nameless tune. He looked thousands of miles away and his face was clouded with a myriad of interweaving emotions and thoughts. She could read most of them pretty easily. She herself had been in his place not too long ago. Personal dilemmas, the past catching up with you, mistakes...

It all left its marks on a person and could leave a bitter taste in your mouth for weeks.

She knocked lightly on the doorframe to get his attention, but as expected he barely even blinked as his fingers continued to glide across the piano keys. She walked on into the room and stopped a few feet behind him. "Hey."

He glanced only briefly over his shoulder, but didn't offer the usual warm smile he would have any other day. "Hey. What are you doing here? I don't see a sandwich."

"Nope." She took a few steps forward until she was standing next to the bench he was sitting on. "LaSalle and I cooked dinner."

It wasn't a new concept in the least. The fully stocked kitchen got used all the time. There'd been many nights when the three of them would cook after staying late in the office. King would always make fun of her and LaSalle's bickering during one of the 'cooking sessions' and usually he'd wind up kicking them both out and doing it himself. Tonight however it'd been just her and LaSalle in the kitchen and while it'd been relaxing there had definitely been something missing as well.

"Yep," Pride said, not at all surprised. "I smelled burned cheese from up here."

"It wasn't that burned," she defended with an amused roll of her eyes. She might not have been on the same culinary level as King, but usually she could at least melt some cheese. Tonight she'd been a bit more distracted than usual though. She could have done a lot more than just burn a little cheese.

Pride chuckled softly and even though it wasn't his usual care-free laugh she still took a little bit of satisfaction out of it. "Is there a kitchen left or should I start finding a way to explain scorch marks?"

"Why don't you come down and see for yourself. You can eat a little while you're down there too," she added with a not-so-subtle hinting.

"I'm not hungry."

"Too bad," she stated. "I have orders to escort you downstairs for dinner."

He glanced up at her with an 'oh really' expression and the corner of his lips twitched upwards just a fraction. "On whose orders?"

"I'll make something up later. Come on before the food gets cold."

"You're awfully bossy tonight," he commented with a smirk. He stood from the piano bench though and leisurely began walking around it. "Been talking to Loretta again?"

"Would you rather I just throw you over my shoulder and carry you down, Agent Pride?" she asked, shooting him a challenging smirk in return.

"That could certainly be entertaining."

She was glad he was beginning to come out of his self-built shell, but she didn't fail to notice how his eyes darkened and his smile faltered as they passed his 'wall of crazy' as LaSalle had called it. She looped her arm around his in an attempt to get his attention and tugged him along a little bit.

"Well if you don't hurry up I'll have to do it. And I'm sure LaSalle would be waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a camera so for both our sakes let's get going."

Pride shook his head amusedly, but the storm cloud in his eyes didn't lesson any.

Pride POV:

"That wasn't bad," Dwayne stated as he sat back in his chair at the table. "Even if the cheese was a little crunchy."

"That was all on Brody, King," Christopher said, pointing to the junior agent at the table with his fork. Merri rolled her eyes and tossed her napkin at him in return.

Not for the first time King was reminded of a couple of kids bickering at the dinner table. "I remember a time or two when you tried to burn the kitchen down, Christopher..." he alluded with a pointed look.

LaSalle cleared his throat and stabbed at a vegetable on his plate. "Well that was a long time ago."

"Uh huh," he commented amusedly.

Brody glanced between them with a widening smile and slightly mischievous look in her eyes. "I'm going to need to hear this story. You know that, right?"

"It's really not that interesting," LaSalle quickly stated.

"Oh now I really need to hear it."

"No you don't."

"I do actually."

King sipped his iced tea as he watched the two for a moment before interceding. "I'll tell you about it later," he told Merri. "When Chris isn't around to try and 'amend' the details."

"Thanks, King," Brody said with a crooked smile.

"Yeah," Christopher added sarcastically. "Thanks a lot, King."

"My pleasure." He wiped his mouth on his napkin and scooted his chair out. "I think I'll head back upstairs. You two made this mess, you can clean it up. I expect my kitchen to be in pristine condition the next time I see it," he added while standing from the table.

"Relax, King, we'll take care of it," LaSalle replied. "If there's anything broken though, it's all Brody's fault."

From behind him he heard the telltale 'thump' as Brody punched Christopher's arm and the 'ouch!' that followed. A ghost of a smile crossed his face at the interaction, but as he walked up the stairs it began to fade. By the time he reached his room it had disappeared entirely.