AN- Another episode tag, this one is for 1 x 07.
As Meredith Brody entered the office she found it was empty, but she could hear voices. Checking the kitchen and looking up to the conference room she found no one there. Standing still she listened and finally located the voices. Coming to stand outside she saw LaSalle standing talking to what looked like a car. She soon saw he was in fact talking to their boss whose head she just makes out sticking out from the back of the car as he set about what looked like repairing it.
"What's with the car?" She asked as she stopped beside LaSalle.
"It's Linda's" LaSalle replied.
Brilliant just what she needed to be reminded of at his time in the morning.
"What's wrong?" As she tried to stay upbeat and not look like she really did not want to hear another story about Linda but she made the effort.
"Well with him not living at the house" LaSalle started to tell Brody.
Pride's head and shoulders appeared as he finally came to stand up.
"She means the car Christopher," Pride told the younger man as he looked between his agents.
Was surprised him was the look he could have swore flashed across Brody's face at hearing about his marriage and Linda. He wasn't sure if it had been the light or if he had actual saw the look of what could only be described as jealousy and annoyance. Why would she be jealous and annoyed over a conversation about his wife of whatever she was now?. He would have to think that one over.
"We have a body," she told the 2 men as she quickly turned and headed back inside.
Both men followed her to get their stuff before following her to the car. The car ride was unusual quiet for them as no one spoke which was not them. Pride could tell there was something bothering Brody and when he found the time he would ask her but no it was work time and that as always came first.
Arriving at the scene they did their jobs and everything was normal. LaSalle and Pride traced the vehicle involved back to the dead drivers house and were surprised to find blood out on the front steps. After checking the house over the found another body in the bathroom. Loretta and Brody showed up shortly after processing the first scene and went about helping secure this one.
"So the body in the bath is the victims wife?" Pride asked Brody as she came level with him.
"That would be a no" as she reached over and picked up a photography.
"This is the commander's wife" as she showed Pride the picture.
Was today's theme running along the lines of wives and who was and wasn't married to who?. As they both looked at the photo then each other as if sensing they were both thinking the same thing. Brody put the photo down and they proceeded up to the bathroom to get a report of Loretta.
"So who's is she then?" Pride asked saw he entered the bathroom.
"She's the commander's assistant, found her ID in her purse downstairs" as she looked at the body hen Pride.
Loretta was standing at the bath with the body while LaSalle was taking photographs. Pride and Brody were standing side by side just outside the doorway.
"Does anyone else think it's weird for an assistant to be taking a bath at her bosses house at 09:00" Brody asked since no one else had said what they were probably all thinking.
Pride couldn't help but wonder about that question. If was a very interesting question and it would haunt him for the rest of the day, especially since she had actually asked it out loud. Going back to the office they started to follow up leads and they brought in the dead man's wife. After questioning her, Pride found out they were having problems and were going through a divorce. A few times Pride could have swore this case had been sent to him as a cross between a reality check and an eye opener. Storing that thought along with the others his brain was having today he went back to work.
After his interview with the wife Pride sent LaSalle and Brody and he went and checked the dead man's place of work and found he was involved in highly classified projects, projects worth killing for. For the rest of that day, they sat going over what they had and what they didn't have. Just before home time Pride found he needed to speak to the dead man's wife again so he set off to her home.
On arriving, he found the car they were looking for parked outside the house that was involved in the car chase that caused the death of the commander. He rang LaSalle and told him just as he heard screaming from the house. Storming the house, he found the wife being assaulted so after a few shout's were traded the shooter escaped, but luckily the wife was safe. After transferring her to a safe house for the night, the 3 agents split for the night and an early start the next day.
That night there was 2 agents who couldn't sleep, no matter how much they tried they couldn't. The events of the day and the things that were said kept coming back to them. They both knew that once this case was over they needed to put things in some sort of order and work out what was going on in their heads. Things needed to change for both of them, but neither knew if they could make the changes needed.
Next day Brody turned up at work in her usual happy mode. She had been thinking that night since she couldn't sleep and decided it was time to start making changes. Entering the office she found both LaSalle and Pride working. They ran over what they had and Brody went and stood at Prides desk to show him something leaning in the front of his desk. Pride looked at the file then looked up and the things going around his head that had kept him awake the past night came rushing back at the site that greeted him.
Due to the angle Brody was Standing at the dark green v necked sleeveless top she was wearing hung forward as she leaned on his desk. His train of thought now went out the window as the view in front of him was very distracting. He managed to mumble his way through the conversation with Brody and she returned to her desk. The problem was he had to get up and walk around which yet again lead him to Brody who was stood at her desk and yet again leaning instead of sitting. That top was going to be the death of him at this rate. His mind was already going in circles and at the rate it was going it would send him into a tailspin.
He wasn't even sure if Brody knew that if she stood like that what her top was doing. He needed to get away and fast to put some room between her top and himself.
Pride said he was going to the safe house to speak to the wife to see how she was. It gave him a perfect excuse to get away from the thoughts going round his head and he run the top. Leaving LaSalle and Brody he set off trying to put aside the images now going round his head.
LaSalle and Brody stood talking and the subject came back to the car outside. Brody knew she could have the conversation with LaSalle and he wouldn't suspect anything.
"Why won't he just call a mechanic and get it fixed?" Brody said as she looked at LaSalle.
"I offered him the name of a mechanic and he said no. Seems like he doesn't want it fix or something." He replied as he looked at Brody.
They both just shrugged and went back to work, both thinking about the car and the man who owned it but for very different reasons.
Pride arrived at the safe house and was sat talking to the dead commanders wife when they got talking about food. As usual Pride was back in his element when food and cooking were mentioned. He went and cooked some food for them both and brought it out as they sat on the porch talking as they ate. Pride spent most of his time listening as it was what he did best. Free eating they stayed talking and the subject came back the how marriages and how they can go pear shaped.
"I sat and filled in an application for an online dating service but when I came to complete the profile I couldn't do it. Somehow that step more than the divorce even felt like..." Ad Pride interrupted her sentence.
"A line you just can't uncross." Pride finished for her.
"You get it." She replied.
The problem was this case was making him get a lot of things he wasn't sure if he was ready to get. There were few cases that made him step back and think about things not just professional but personally. Yet this one had done just that big time. Pride's attention was suddenly caught by a light reflection on the woman next to him. Instincts kick in and he dived forward throwing them both to the floor just in time as bullets flew through the air. Even the safe house wasn't safe anymore. Packing up he drove them both back to the office. On the way back small pieces of the case start d to fall into after a phone call to LaSalle they cracked it.
Hidden in the clasp of the necklace that was found in the dead commanders car was an SD card showing classified information on a domed missile testing project. The commander had been killed to keep the fact it was a failure a secret. Arriving back at the office they set about working out who knew it was a failure. When they realized it was the commanders boss LaSalle and Brody went and arrested her. The case was finally solved so Pride decided it was time face unresolved issues.
When LaSalle arrived at the office next morning he yet again found Pride out working on the car.
"Still at it?" LaSalle asked stating the obvious.
"Yip cars can be stubborn" Pride answered back.
"That ain't the only thing" LaSalle responded.
"I've been thinking why you ain't fixed the car yet," LaSalle said looking at Pride.
"What did you come up with?" Pride asked.
"Well, if the car doesn't work Linda's going to keep calling, keeps her in your life. Once it's fixed, less reason to call" LaSalle told his boss.
Pride turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to live.
"It's not going to Linda, I am selling it. She packed her things, closed up the house and went to her sisters. We both decided it was for the best." Pride told his friend and colleague.
"So is this permanent?" LaSalle quired.
Pride avoided the question because at the moment in time he wasn't sure. Maybe a drive would help him think.
"Want to go for a drive?" Pride. asked LaSalle.
"You going to let me drive?" LaSalle tried to see if it would working his boss would actually let him.
"Not a chance," Pride told him laughing.
Pride reached in his pocket and used the fob to open the gates as LaSalle came rough and jumped into the car. Driving through the city and along the highway with the wind blowing through his hair Pride had to admit this was just what he needed. Even with Christopher sitting in the passenger seat he had time to think. He knew this would be one of the last times he drove the car. He had a buyer for it and it would have a new home tomorrow. Another piece of his past was going and it didn't bother him as much as he expected it to.
Slowly he was cutting ties with his past and it was for the best. His heart had already started to move on and he needed to see where it would lead him. After driving around for an hour with Christopher rambling on in his ear, he decided enough was enough, time to go back and see what would happen.
As he parked the car back up he saw Brody's head appear round the door and look out. Stepping out she stood up against the door and watched as they both got out the car.
"You boys have fun?" She asked seeing how happy they both looked.
"That was cool, thanks, King/" LaSalle responded as he walked past Brody back into the office.
"So you fixed it then?" Was the best Brody could come up with, not sure how to start the conversation.
"Sure did, all ready to go to its new home tomorrow," Pride said grinning as he looked at Brody and was pleased to see the look of surprise that crossed her face.
"I thought it was Linda's car?" Brody asked as she looked between Pride and the car.
"Was, not now. Linda's closed the house and went to her sisters. Time to move on." He was again pleased to see the look on Brody's face at those words.
Stepping away from the edge of the door she moved around so she couldn't be seen by LaSalle in the office but still had her back to the big green doors.
"You need any help with that moving on?" She asked him as he stepped away from the car and came to stand in front of her.
"Maybe, you got any suggestions?" As he came a little closer.
"One or two. You want me to show you one now?" Not waiting for an answer as she closed the small gap between their mouths and brushed her lips gently across his.
The kiss didn't stay gently as Pride brought his body flush against hers sending her backward against the doors with a loud thud. One hand snaking up her back while the other went to her head to hold her close. When she felt herself hit the doors she lost all sense of right and wrong when one hand wound up his back under his shirt and the other ended up on his neck.
LaSalle heard the thud against the door and went to check everything was okay. As he put his head round the door and he saw what had caused the thud he quickly left his boss and partner to the very intense game of tonsil tennis they were playing. He couldn't help but smile as he sat back down, they did look good together and she was probably the best person to help him move on after Linda.
When the need for air overwhelmed them and they broke apart they stayed close, savoring the closeness. When she finally caught her breath Brody buried her face into Prides neck as she placed small kisses to the skin along the edge of his t-shirt.
"What made you decided to move on?" As she kissed and nipped his ear.
"A few things. A conversation with the dead commanders wife about crossing lines and that damn top you had on yesterday were the main ones." As as he let his head fall to one side giving her more access to his neck
"My top? What on earth has my top got to do with anything? What top was I even wearing anyway?" As she pulled back a little so she could see his face.
"That dark green one that has the very deep v in the front. For some reason yesterday it decided it would look better when you leant forward on your desk or more so my desk to drop forward and the view I had was spectacular." Capturing her lips again with his and kissing her.
"Remind me to wear that top more often then." When they broke for air again.
"Let's get back inside before Christopher comes out looking for us." Placing a few light kisses to her lips before letting go. She reluctantly let go of him and waited till he stepped back before she spoke.
"I think he may have been out before anyway at the noise you made when you crushed me against the doors" She smiled at him seeing his eyebrow raise at what Christopher would have seen if he had of come out.
Walking back inside side by side but not touching they saw the way LaSalle looked at them and that mischievous grin of his that spread across his face. They had indeed been seen and he was going to make them squirm.
"You to have fun out there?" He asked them both as he stood from his desk and walked up the stop in front of them.
"Yes, Christopher we did and we intend to have more fun time permitting." As Pride looked at Brody and smiled before he walked back to his desk and sat down.
Brody didn't bite, she was not going to give LaSalle the satisfaction of winning. Smiling at him as she walked back to her desk she could feel his eye on her back but she could also feel Pride's. Now that was weird, how come she had felt him watching her before but never really took that much notice. Sure enough when she sat down she looked up and she was right, both sets of eyes were watching her.
"I am sure you both have better things to be doing like paperwork of playing solitaire." As she directed the last part at LaSalle.
LaSalle just laughed at the fact she knew him well, but Pride kept watching her till she looked back at him. He smiled at her when she looked up and she smiled back at him, making sure he gave her that smile that went all the way up to his eyes. He was moving on and the woman he was currently looking at was more than happy to help him find a new path to take.