A/N: Ok, I've got admit, I never thought this little diddy that has been running in the back of mind and hastily written would take off like it has. So, thank you! I am very touched by your feedback on this one.

A/N II: I will apologize for including a little piece from the Sideways version, but the two stories do connect and I thought it was essential to where we are heading next in this little love fest adventure.

Day 5

Brody was lying on her stomach in the middle of the bed looking at her her tablet. "Patton just sent the information on Ella and you were right." she called out over the sound of the shower.

Ella Duquesne-Rowe, was as Chris had predicted, Eddie's head of security. Blonde, curvy and deadly, she grew up in the business alongside, Eddie. The only difference between them was she knew how to effectively dispose of people. An anomaly in her field, Ella was ex-special forces.

"She's married?" Chris asked appearing in nothing but a towel with toothbrush in hand.

"She's a war widow. Says here her husband, Evan Rowe, was killed in Iraq when IED hit his Humvee. She's also a trained killer."

"Explains why she's the head of security." Chris disappeared back into the bathroom for a moment.

Brody sat up onto her knees. From where she sat, she could see Chris through the bathroom mirror as he spread shaving cream over his face. "You need to be careful around her."

"I will be," he sighed as Brody slipped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his washboard waist.

"That's dangerous, considering I have a razor in my hand."

"It's only dangerous if you cut yourself." Brody quipped kissing the back of his neck, "If you like I can do that for you."

Chris raised an eyebrow as he leaned into his sink, pulling away from her slightly. "You with a razor on my face? Now, that is a terrifyin' thought."

Her brow furrows and she looks caught between disappointment and playful banter. "I used to shave my ex-fiancée, James, all the time. He thought is it was kind of sexy."

"T.M.I." LaSalle quipped swiping the razor over the left side of his face just as Brody poked him in the sides with her index fingers."

"Hey! Ow!"

"Look, you cut yourself." She teased as he pressed two fingers to his cheek drawing away a small amount of blood. "See, you should let me do it."

"You've been hanging out with Percy too much," he said as she reached for a tissue and gently dabbed at the small weeping wound.

"I like her. She's a good addition to the team." Brody reached for the razor he had just set on the sink. "Now, put your head back."

"Ut…uh"

"It's a good exercise in trust," Brody relented.

"On one condition," he stared into her big chocolate eyes, tangling their fingers. "Kiss me, right now."

Brody made a face. The lower half of his face except for his lips was covered in shaving cream. Reluctantly, agreeing she leaned in intent on a quick peck, but Chris was ready for her. Just as their lips were about to connect, he cupped the back of her head, pressing her into him hard.

Brody squealed as the shaving cream came into contact with her skin as LaSalle proceeded to slather it all over her. He'd picked up the can when she wasn't looking and now was in a position to spray her with it.

"Stop!" she giggled breaking free as Chris' cell phone came to life.

Chris quickly reached for a towel and wiped the residue from his face before retrieving his phone. "It's Eddie. He wants another meeting, tonight."


They spent most of their afternoon in the car, watching Ella, photographing her every move.

The trick to surveillance was not to be caught. Brody knew that she would be well aware of the possibility that someone was watching. If Ella should spot one of them, their cover would be blown instantly, so she made sure that she stayed a safe length behind and regularly changed lanes.

"She's turning right," LaSalle said.

"So, what does this pretend child of ours look like?" Brody asked, veering the car to the right.

LaSalle pulled the camera away from his face, narrowing his eyes. He didn't have the slightest idea of whom a pretend child would favor. "I don't know."

"C'mon, you must have an image in your mind otherwise you wouldn't have made her up."

"She looks like me." he said quickly going back to his camera.

"That's impossible. She can't look just like you." Brody protested. "What color are her eyes?"

"Blue."

"But brown eyes dominate and your brother has brown eyes."

"Ok, she has your eyes then, but she's gotta have my smile." he grinned at her largely.

"I'll give you that one." she smiled back as Ella's car began to enter the gate leading to the base. Brody slowed down a bit letting a couple of cars in between them for good measure. "Hair?"

"Red," LaSalle answered, not thinking.

Brody slammed on the breaks, throwing them both forward, giving LaSalle a murderous glance as they got into the line for the mandatory ID check.

"Brown?" he recoiled.

Their conversation forgotten, Brody directed his attention to Ella. She had just flipped a U-turn and was now leaving the base leaving them stuck in the line of cars waiting for entry.

Had they been made?

Damn.


Brody was sitting at a barstool at the Officer's club holding her phone in her hands when Chris walked up to her and ordered a longneck, Shiner Bock.

"Eddie wants us to do a trial run with him tonight." He said mindful of Ella's watchful eye. The potential lethally blonde as Brody had dubbed her was sitting at a table in the center of the room, waiting on Chris to return with a house Merlot so that they could discuss the details of the trial run.

"When?" Brody asked absently, continuing to stare at her phone.

Puzzled as to why she wasn't making eye contact, Chris touched her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Merri raised her eyes to him. "My Mom, she just had a stroke. Pride uh…he said…uh…it's my call."

"I got this, go," In LaSalle's mind, the only call Brody needed to make was to the airline to see about getting the first flight home.

Gazing at the mirror behind the bar Brody shook her head. "There is no way, I'm leaving you with that!" she hissed referring to Ella.

Brody was right to perceive her as threat.

Chris gave her a crooked smile. "You know that I'm trained federal agent, right?"

"But you aren't superman." Even the very best of agents needed back-up.

Chris did his little funky smile where he stuck out the tip of his tongue and bit down on it. "Look, you and Pride have got to stop trying to hold my hand all of the time. Percy was undercover alone for months trying to bring down Baitfish and nobody was coddling her."

Brody could see that she had struck a chord, but she was determined to hold her ground. Yes, she and Pride had been treating him with kid gloves since Savannah died, but this was different. He was one man going up against a well built organization of trained killers. "She ended up with a bullet in her gut, if it hadn't been for us, she'd probably still be out there in that gravel quarry."

"I can do this," he argued.

"No one is saying that you can't, but we need to play this smart and my leaving right now…"

Chris shook his head. "No, no way. This is your Mom, she needs you."

"Chris-"

He grabbed her shoulders, hoping to get her to see reason. "How ya gonna feel if this is it and you don't get to say goodbye?" There was already a large void in heart over losing her sister Emily tragically and suddenly, Brody didn't need another one.

Chris was right. She would hate herself if she knew she had the opportunity to say good-bye to her mother and didn't take it because of a case.

"Ok," she sighed in defeat. Reaching up, she touched the side of his face. "But I'm coming back just as soon as I can."

Chris kissed her tenderly. "I'll be waiting."

She returned the kiss and he felt her every emotion. He wished they weren't in the middle of a bar as she deepened it. For a moment, they are the only two people in the room. Never mind Ella, or the rest of the flunkies that Eddie has hired to watch them. Their only concern was for each other.

"You'd better be." She whispers against him before walking out. She would Pride as soon as she got to the car and ask him to send Percy. Whether LaSalle wanted it or not, he needed backup.

And just like that the fantasy was over. She was going back to reality and he was about to enter hell.


Ella Rowe waited as the woman with the pixie hair cut drove away before placing her hand on LaSalle's shoulder. "Problems with the little mother or is she just your whore? I forget which."

Chris glared at her for a moment, wishing he didn't have a cover to keep. "Her mother's real sick. So, she's going to take off for awhile."

"No worries," Ella smiled suggestively as her hand trailed down to his forearm, "We can manage without her. Now about that trial run. Are you in?"

"Yes, ma'am."