A/N: sorry for the delay. I have struggled writing this chapter. I ended up scrapping and rewriting the whole thing more than once. As always I own nothing that is familiar.
While tailing the suspected dirty cops Gregorio had planted a GPS tracker and an audio receiver in their squad car. Anytime they went someplace that was not for an NOPD case two of the agents went to check the location out.
After about two weeks they came to a stop outside a side entrance to city hall. Sebastian who was monitoring their movements called for the team to join him.
They heard a door open and close before a familiar voice said.
"That girl you put in jail to go after agent Percy is missing. She was medically signed out and transferred custody. Care to guess who has her?" It was Hamilton and he was pissed. "NCIS, that's who. The very people she was sent in to attack, you need to find her and take care of the problem. You two are on thin ice, don't mess this up."
They both said, "yes sir!" The door opened and closed again.
"Shit how are we supposed to find her? They probably have her stashed somewhere." One asked the other as they pulled away.
"We could go to them, pretend to want to help them take down Hamilton. We get them to trust us and find out where she's at." The other suggested. Chris clenched his hands into fists, and started pacing as he listened to the assholes that had hired someone to hurt Percy.
"Yeah but would they tell us in time before Brooklyn gives us away? She probably already did I mean why else would they take her when they took Percy? Shit you think they are already on to us?" The team watched Chris pace. Gibbs, Vance, and pride shared a look.
"Nah, it's been weeks and we are still out here. We are fine. If they had anything on us they would have already tried to pick us up. Let's head over there and give it a try."
Pride took Chris aside and asked him. "Chris, are you going to be able to play this out with them?" Pride asked, skeptical. "We can't have them figuring out we are onto them before we get everything out of them we can."
"You are going to play along with them?" Chris asked surprised.
"We are going to get everything we can out of them. If that means that we play along then yes we are playing along." Pride answered. "They won't be given any information that we have. Are you going to be able to work with them and not let them know we are on to them?"
"Honestly I don't know, and because I don't maybe you should find something for me to do that won't have me interacting with them. I don't want to blow it."
"You are going to be working out of Sebastian's old lab at the morgue. You'll be patched in on coms so you can hear us but only our team can hear you. We'll make it seem like you are with Sonja and Brooklyn. We may eventually move you to a stash house and bust them that way. We'll talk it over once they show what they are willing to do. But for now get you gear and get to the lab before they show up."
Walking back over to the group pride clapped Chris on the back. "Ok, here is the play." He went through Chris pretending to be with the girls.
"You should probably stash the dc group then too." Vance said after hearing him out.
"Nah, with two agents down wouldn't they expect me to call in help?"
Vance nodded but said, "They would if they were smart. So far I have not seen evidence of that trait in either of these two. Keep bishop, treat her like a probie. Gibbs and I will work with agent LaSalle at the morgue. With your lab tech in the field will we need to call in Abby as well?"
"That's probably a good idea. Chris new plan, fly to dc pick up Abby and fly back. You are her protection. She does not go into the field without protection at all times." Pride said turning to Chris from Vance.
Chris nodded and took off. He made it to his truck and pulled away before he noticed the cops turning down the street. They parked right where he had been. They weren't going to have enough time to get Gibbs and Vance out, he thought. But then he noticed them walking down the street talking like old friends making their way away from the office. Chris hoped they had all their gear.
Chris dropped his truck at his house, pulling around the side so it couldn't be seen without going all the way up to the house. He used his mom's car, which he had there to fix the wipers for her. He had gotten her a rental. He drove to an airport making sure that he was not followed, also as a precaution he did not go to the closest airport. He chartered a plane to get him to dc. In dc he would charter a different plane to bring them back.
Chris could barely sit still as the plane headed towards dc. He was hoping to get to see Sonja before they left for New Orleans again.
He landed in Virginia and called McGee on his secured cell for an update on Sonja. As luck would have it Abby was visiting and Chris asked that she remain there to meet him. He would escort her then to retrieve any items she might need before flying back with her to New Orleans.
The pilot be in from the area had a car there and drove Chris into dc. Chris had him drop him at a museum and he even went inside and walked the exhibits looking for a tail. When he was sure he wasn't being followed he left on foot and walked to the hospital where Sonja was.
McGee had given him the room number and Chris walked right to it and inside with a nod from Quinn. Reeves stopped him inside the door though with a gun pointed at him.
"Reeves!" Sonja snapped, "Put that gun down now, or it will be shoved up your ass! That is my partner that you are pointing it at."
Chris grinned and as soon as the gun was off him he looked over at her. She didn't look in pain, she looked all sleep rumpled and sexy and he had to tare his eyes from her and scan the room. She already made him forget that just a moment ago a gun had been pointed at him.
Abby sat with Loretta between the beds and no one else was in the room except for reeves who had pulled the gun. And was now smirking at him for forgetting his surroundings.
"Trade with Quinn for a few." Chris said at the look on his face he added, "I know her, I don't know you, sorry. And thank you for being so dedicated to protecting these lovely ladies."
When Quinn came in she gave Chris a questioning look. "What he pointed a gun at me and I don't know him. Sorry if that makes me less than trusting. I know he was doing his job protecting them but still I'd rather have someone I know in here."
Chris walked over to Abby. As he walked to her next to Sonja's bed he absentmindedly trailed a hand over Sonja's leg. All of the women in the room noticed it and while it caused many raised eyebrows Chris didn't notice them. He gave a hand to Abby expecting a hand shake but was enveloped in a hug.
His surprised at being hugged cut off his greeting, "Good to..." Loretta just laughed at his shocked expression, which made the others look at her. She just shook her head at them.
When she held a beat to long Sonja tapped on Abby's back. "Hey, mine." She protested.
"Oh?" Chris asked a huge grin splitting his face. He pulled away from Abby and leaned over and gave her a hug and kissed her thoroughly.
When he pulled back Sonja said, "Yep, mine." Her own smile plastered across her face. "You good country mouse?"
"Yeah city mouse, but you have to stop getting hurt. How are you feeling by the way?" He asked holding her hand in his, stroking his fingers over the back of it.
"Ribs are still tender but mostly everything else is ok. How about your stitches?"
Chris turned to Loretta for verification that she wasn't fibbing about her health, at her nod he let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He shrugged, "already out, it was just a graze."
She grinned happily at that news, glad he was ok. "How long until you and Abby have to leave?" She asked lacing her fingers in his where he still held her hand.
His smile faded and he checked the time. "Soon, unfortunately. I'll have to stick with Abby until this is done. Pride wants me out of the office so the dirty cops think I'm your protection. Mostly though it was so I didn't ruin our reverse undercover op on them. I didn't think I could pretend to work with the assholes who hired someone to kill you."
She swallowed, "be safe country mouse. I can see you think that you'll be safer in the morgue than in the field. You know better than that, shit happens everywhere."
"I know city mouse, I know. You try and be safe too ok? I'm looking forward to getting you home and talking you into datin' me." He grinned at the others around them. "I'm expecting to have to chase her, despite these kisses, seein' as she hasn't even let me talk about us datin' before." His grin only got wider as she opened her mouth to protest. He leaned over and kissed her again though. And added in a whisper to her, "though I can tell you, I really like that you called me yours, it means you are mine too." He kissed her again before pulling back. He squeezed her hand, before letting go and turning to Abby. "You ready?"
"Yeah, I had McGee get the stuff I would need for me." She said lifting the bag next to her.
Chris nodded and led her from the room after they said goodbye to everyone and Chris gave Sonja one more kiss. They walked out of the hospital catching up, knowing they couldn't talk about the people they had just left behind or the case until they were alone. They took a cab to a park within walking distance of a different airport than the one Chris had arrived at. They got there just in time to catch the pilot Chris had planned to fly home with. Though the people on board new nothing about them needing a ride. Abby stared open mouthed at him when she saw who was going to be on the plane.
"How did you know he was flying to New Orleans today?" She asked him as she walked over and hugged her brother.
"He had a flight plan on record. We are trying to be under the radar. I figured what better way than to fly with your brother? Even if someone saw us getting on the plane with him they would assume that you were invited to go along as a vacation." He muttered to her as they boarded behind her brother.
Chris was quiet during the flight home. Abby spent the time catching up with her brother. They landed at the same airport that Chris had left from so his mother's car was waiting there for them. They drove to the morgue, Chris filling Abby in on the case.
Chris parked in an ally and they snuck in the back with palmers help. Since Sebastian was a NCIS employee the lab he used at the morgue was all theirs. They wouldn't need to share with the standard forensics team. Chris was glad to see that all of the blinds for the lab had been pulled already so it wouldn't be suspicious if he had needed to do it. They found Gibbs and Vance already there.
Abby squealed and ran to first Gibbs and then Vance giving them both hugs. They hugged her back, used to her antics. When the greetings were done Gibbs filled them in on the happenings since Chris's departure. The dirty cops had come in saying that they had been approached to find Brooklyn. And that since NCIS had her in custody that they needed to be extra vigilant, was there anything they could do to help with protecting her?
Currently pride was pretending to backstop their story and look into the leads on the person that supposedly approached them. He had the cops helping him with that. Despite their wanting to help with protection pride just kept saying he had it under control.
Also since they had left dc Gregorio and Gibbs had called in favors and gotten an FBI team to help watch Sonja and Brooklyn. Once Sonja was able to leave the hospital they would be moved to and FBI save house as well.
Since the cops came in to work with pride's team their squad car had been sitting in front of NCIS. They were told it had been moved to make it look less suspicious, less like they had run for help. It was now in a garage where Abby could look it over for clues. After getting caught up that was their next stop. Vance and Gibbs stayed at the morgue trying to keep tabs subtlety on the mayor.
It took three weeks before pride was satisfied that they had gotten everything out of them that they could without actually interrogating them. He accidentally on purpose let slip where the safe house was supposedly located. Chris Vance and Gibbs were all there in place to take them down once they arrived.
They easily took down the cops and hustled them into the house where Gibbs and Vance interrogated them. Since they would have to hold the officers after the interrogation Chris went to their homes to gather the items they would need for an extended stay at the safe house.
One of the officers lived in the same building as Percy so Chris decided to swing by and check on her apartment while he was there. Hearing noise from inside he pulled his gun and used his key to quietly let himself into her apartment.
He gently placed the bag he had gotten for the first officer on the floor right inside the door as he looked around. No one was in the living room. He crept further into the apartment; no one was in the kitchen. He bypassed the hall closet knowing the noise was coming from a bedroom by now. Once he was in the doorway he rehulstered his gun seeing the women in the room looked just like Percy.
He cleared his throat and said, "Can I help you ladies?"
They all screamed and turned to face him. The oldest, he assumed her mom said, "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my daughter's apartment?"
"He's in this picture here." One of her sisters said pointing to the nightstand. That made Chris smile she had his picture on her night stand.
"I'm Chris and I was checking on Sonja's apartment and y'all where making so much noise I had to come in and check she wasn't being robbed." He answered showing them his badge.
"Where is she that she has a cop checking on her apartment?" One sister asked while the mom asked, "Is she ok?"
"She's in protective custody at the moment so I can't tell you where she is at, just that she is safe now. And she will be ok; she got a little banged up before she was pulled out."
"What do you mean before she was pulled out? My daughter is a bartender, she manages a club. Was she informing on someone?"
Chris knew his eyes had to have gotten huge at the lie Percy had told her family but he went with it, "yes ma'am she was informing on someone and they got to her before we could pull her out. She's tough though and she will be fine."
"So how come your picture is on her night stand?" Said the other sister who hadn't asked a question yet.
"I didn't know about that until just now." He grinned broadly, "I guess I'll have to ask her about it the next time I see her."
"How long have you two known each other?" Her mom asked.
"Oh about 2 years now I think. Let me get your information and I will see if I can arrange for a phone call with Sonja for you. Based on how long she has been out of contact I'd guess this visit was because you were all worried about her."
"We normally talk to her once a week and it has been nearly two months since we heard from her. We have been going through her apartment for anything we could take to the police but we hadn't found any clue as to where she'd gone. It was like she got up one day and walked out. Even her car, keys, and phone are all still here."
Chris just nodded and put the offered phone numbers in his phone. Grinning to himself he entered her mother as future mother in law.
"I have to get back to work now. I will let you know as soon as I can if I can get you a phone call to Sonja. I'm not making any promises, my boss is pretty pissed at me right now, but usually he understands the concerns of family members. I can say that I saw her a few weeks ago and she was feeling better..." he stopped himself having almost admitted that she was in the hospital by saying she should be out of the hospital by now.
They nodded and walked out with him, no longer needing to be at her apartment as they had a hotel room. One of the sisters looked at his truck strangely but kept quiet. He wondered what the look was about but let it go. He still had to get to the second officers home and collect the things he would need for a stay at the safe house. Then he needed to talk with pride about Sonja's family.
Chris dropped off the officers' stuff and checked on Abby at the lab before going into headquarters for the first time in almost a month. He was greeted with smiles and hugs or manly back pats by everyone there.
"Pride can we talk a moment?" He asked when everyone had gone back to what they were doing. When pride nodded Chris walked out to the courtyard and explained what happened earlier with Sonja's family.
"Call Sonja ask her which one of them she most wants to talk to and bring that one to the office and let her make the call from here on the scrambled line." Pride said nodding. "She didn't tell them she's an agent? That's not going to go over well when they find out. And they are probably going to find out."
A smile on his face Chris walked into Patton's office and grabbed the phone and called McGee.
"Hey McGee, pride needs me to ask Percy a question." He said when the other agent answered the phone. Once Percy was on the line Chris explained about meeting her mom and sisters. And asked about his picture on her bedside table which her sister had pointed out and he couldn't leave that detail out.
Sonja stammered, " were in my apartment going through my things? What did they think they would find a map with x marks the spot? They are not investigators if I was really missing they should have called the cops to do that. Like they did they would be suspects..."
"But they haven't been educated on that type of thing because you apparently manage a bar. And in their minds would have no reason to be in protective custody unless you informed on someone. You need to come clean on that Sonja. They need to know they can call us and find out about you if they haven't heard from you in a while."
"I know. Oh, and if you had looked at the picture you would have noticed it's a team picture, not just you. More like a family photo. Have Camila come in to talk to me she's the most level headed."
"You are out of the hospital by now right? How are you feeling? Everything going ok on your end, no more issues like Torres?"
"Yeah, we are in the safe house now, have been for a couple weeks. I'm feeling better starting to do some physical therapy under Loretta's watchful eye. And no we haven't had any more issues of the Torres variety or otherwise."
"Ok, then let me get your sister over here and I'll be calling you back. Stay safe city mouse."
"You too, country mouse..." she hesitated as if she was going to say more but she decided against it and just added. "Talk to you soon."
Chris called her sister went and picked her up from the hotel where Sonja's mother badgered him about not getting to go.
"I'm sorry ma'am, my boss said one and to get Sonja to pick who. She picked Camila. I did warn you my boss wasn't happy with me and we might not be able to make the call at all." Chris tried to reason with her.
"Why would she pick Camila and not her mother?" She pouted and clung to Chris's arm.
"It was her decision, and since I can only take one of you I have to abide by her choice. When she is home she can explain to you her reasons as she likes." Chris said as he managed to detach her from his arm and get Camila into his truck before getting in himself.
On the drive to the office Camila asked. "I have seen this truck before. In a couple photos that Sonja posted on Facebook. Selfies. Why would she take selfies in your truck?"
"Sonja has to explain that to you. I'm not getting between sisters. Though it probably won't be while you are on the phone today. They set up a special video chat for you and you won't have much time as we do not want the chat traced to her location. Basically you are going to be talking to her while our in-house hacker attempts to hack her location when he gets close the chat will be cut no matter how long that is. And the same thing will be happening on her end by another hacker working with us. Whoever gets close first will cut the chat off instantly."
"This is that serious?"
"That and more, we are taking a risk letting it happen but both hackers will also be monitoring web traffic in case someone else tries to get a peak."
"She will still be safe right? I mean if it's that serious I don't want her to take the risk..."
"She wanted you to be able to see her, so you could see she was alright. That's not something you get with just a phone call."
"So how did you two meet? It seems like you know her pretty well."
"Ran into her while I was working. We have been friends ever since."
"Just friends? I thought about it after you left, you had to have had a key to get into her apartment, and her keys where there, we had already found them and her apartment key wasn't missing."
"Not that I haven't tried, your sister is stubborn, so just friends so far." Chris answered but didn't look at her not knowing what Sonja would want shared about them since there hasn't been a them yet.
She was watching him and gave him a look, "that sounds like you don't quite believe that, but I'll let it go for now. So who were all the other people in the picture on her bedside table?"
"I didn't see the picture but when I teased her about it she said it was a group shot with my team, you'll get to meet some of them in a few minutes. More than likely it's from before a few people joined us and before one of our friends left the team. We are close like a family and Sonja didn't take it well when Meri left the team, left the state, with no goodbye."
"How come she is so close to your team?"
Chris let out a sigh and shook his head. "Sonja's gotta tell you that. I'm not gettin' in the middle of that." Chris parked then and led her inside headquarters.
Pride met them in the bullpen having been alerted that they were on the way. "Miss Percy, it's nice to meet you. I'm special agent pride. I'm sorry about the circumstances. If you would follow me we have everything setup in our tech specialist's office." Pride said as he shook her hand and led the way out of the room.
Chris followed wanting to see Percy too. He noticed her look at the kitchen strangely just like she had his truck. She was very observant he noted. It made him wonder what she did for a living. She gave the same appraising look around the courtyard.
He wasn't surprised when the link was established Camila asked, "You work with these people don't you? You don't manage a club."
Sonja laughed, "of course you would be the one to catch that, yeah I have never managed a bar. I have been a federal agent for years. I have been with NCIS for almost two years, these are my team mates." Sonja said gesturing behind her sister at King and Chris.
"So you weren't informing on someone. What happened? They said you were hurt but that you were healing well, and feeling better."
"It's an ongoing case so I can't tell you much but I basically had the crap beaten out of me before those guys with you were able to get me out. No worries I'm doing much better than my attacker she is still bed ridden. I was fine before another altercation ended up breaking one of my cracked ribs and punctured my lung. I spent about a week or so in the hospital but I'm doing better now. I have a doctor watching over my physical therapy trying to get back into shape so I can get back to work."
"Don't overdo it Sonja." Chris admonished. "We want you back whole and healthy."
"Yes, dear." She muttered.
"He's not just being over protective Sonja. I agree with him on this. Doc if you can hear me don't let her over do it." Pride added.
"Do you think I would really let her hurt herself despite how much she is begging to be able to do more?" Came the far away voice of doc wade.
Camila looked at Chris but shrugged and asked. "So what's up with you and Chris here?"
Percy ducked her head and chuckled. "I swear LaSalle it's like we are already together with as many people think that we are. Currently cam the answer to that is a few kisses and no dates yet, but that's on me. I asked him to back off before. When I get home that's probably going to change..."
"Probably?" Chris muttered, "I told them I was still going to have to convince you to date me. Kisses are all well and fine apparently when you're hurt but..."
Patton cut him off, "I'm getting close say anything that's needed right now we are going to shut down in thirty."
"I'm fine cam. Honestly. Don't worry about telling mom and gabby I'll explain it when I get back for now just tell them I'm fine. And that I love you guys. I'll call when I can but I can't say when that will be yet. Call Chris if you guys need something, he and the team can get word to me. Keep safe country mouse."
"You too city mouse." Chris answered just before the connection went black. Camila gave him a look that he was starting to learn meant she had questions but she would wait to ask them in private.
King let Camila out of the room first and held Chris back. "They need protection. If they were seen with you at Percy's apartment, or at their hotel. She looks enough like Sonja to be mistaken for her sister. If her other sister and mother do too then until they leave they need protected."
"Where would you like them to be protected at? Abby's at my place and the cops are at the stash house..."
"You have more room at your place right?" Pride asked, cutting Chris off.
"As long as her sisters can share a bed. I'll sleep on the couch and let their mom have my room."
Pride raised his eyebrows, "is that wise? I mean if you start dating Percy you really want her mother in your room?"
Chris laughed. "I haven't had anyone in my room since Savannah. I didn't take anyone to my place, that's home. It's special, where you bring only the people you mean to be in your life. Abby not withstanding since she's under my protection."
Chris joined Camila in the courtyard. "Let's head back to the hotel, I've got some news I'm not sure you and your family are going to like very well."
In his truck she asked, "Mouse?"
"She started it and it stuck." Chris said with a shrug.
"You love her don't you?" She asked watching him.
"Now you are the second person to ask me about my feelings for her, before I have a chance to talk to her about them. I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Until we have a chance to talk about what's going on between us I'm not comfortable talking about it. Hell if she would just say yes to a date I'd be over the moon."
"Yeah, you are totally gone on her." She said with a grin making Chris scowl. "So what's the news we aren't going to like?"
"While you are in town because you look so much like your sister and have been with me a few times Pride wants you guys to stay with me for protection until you leave. I already have a lab tech from dc staying in one guest room. That means you and your sister will have to share the other, and your mom can have my room, I'll sleep on the couch. It basically means the three of you will be on house arrest until you leave as I won't have to much time to escort you around. We are on an active case. I already have to be with Abby every time she is either not at the house or at the lab."
"Abby?" She asked suspiciously.
"The lab tech from dc." Chris explained. "No worries, Sonja knows about the whole situation."
"She knows that Abby is staying with you?"
"She knows that I am Abby's protection detail. And since she has her own right now if she doesn't then she didn't listen to what I was telling her. I know for a fact there are at least two men on her detail, one I know and one I don't and the one I don't know has a British accent. And I already know she likes an accent." He said with a grin, "but I'm good. I know her she doesn't do anything easy. Hell that's what got her into the hospital. One of the original agents protecting her was harassing her. She kicked his butt even though she was already injured. He's no longer on her detail."
"You do know that moms going to snoop right? I mean putting her in your room."
"That's fine, it's been a long time since there would have been anything to find. And if she finds something I missed tell her to donate it to charity. Sonja already helped me do that with everything we found that belonged to savannah."
"Savannah?" She asked curiously.
"My previous serious girlfriend, she... ah, she passed away."
"I'm sorry Chris."
"Don't be. We were high school sweethearts and had reconnected but I don't think it would have lasted. Though I didn't know that at the time."
They sat in silent the rest of the way to the hotel. Chris thinking morbidly that if not for Savannah passing would he have ever realized what he felt for Sonja? He loved Savannah and would never stop loving her but; Sonja really made him feel complete.
Camila worried that she had offended her sister's almost boyfriend, that she had brought up a bad topic and made him sad or angry. Not that he looked it but he wasn't talking anymore and he seemed to do that a lot.
Chris got them settled in at his place with less fuss than he had expected. They hadn't wanted to go anywhere but once at his house they stopped complaining. There was already an FBI team watching his house as protection for Abby so Chris explained the additions. Her mother was shocked to get Chris's room and said she hated to kick him out of his own bed.
"Ma'am, I likely won't be home much; when I am I'll catch a few hours sleep on the couch. I don't have more beds and my mother would kill me if I ever let a guest sleep on the couch." Chris explained. "Now here are the numbers of my team members." He said gesturing to a note on the counter. "Please add them to your phones in case you need anything. I'm not sure what is in the fridge so make a grocery list and text me I will get whatever you need for you as soon as I can. There are a few vegan snacks here if any of you eat like Sonja, but mostly I eat lots of animal protein so that's the majority of what I have."
"You have food here for Sonja?" Her mother asked one eyebrow arched.
"We are friends, we hang out. She has a couple bags of jerky for me at her place as a snack too."
"Yeah I found those. I wondered what my vegan daughter was doing with jerky. You two must be close friends."
Chris smiled, "yes, ma'am. Now I have to get back to work. Let us know if you need something." He fled then not wanting to answer anymore of her mother's probing questions.
Her sisters left in the next couple of days. Once they were gone her mother moved into his now free guest room. Her mother seemed to be staying until she got to see her daughter. She wasn't intrusive, she made sure he had food when he got home and night and breakfast ready in the morning before he left. She cleaned and made up grocery lists, keeping his house running better than he ever did even when he wasn't on a case.
After a week and a half Percy was badgering pride to let her come home and back to work. He finally gave in saying ok but she had to stay at LaSalle's as the house was already guarded for Abby and her mother.
"My mother is still there?" She asked hearing that.
"She took make yourself at home very seriously it seems based on what Chris has told me." Pride answered.
Percy made an exasperated noise before asking, "When can I come back?"
"Have McGee get you into a plane and let us know when and where to pick you up. Be alert, stay safe. We'll see you soon."
Chris stood waiting for her when she got off the plane. He grabbed her and hugged her tight. "I missed you. Working with Gibbs is not the most fun. He whaps the back of your head" when he thinks you aren't being smart, or broken one of his many gubbisums." He kissed her hard then before hustling her to the truck.
"I missed you too. Trust me having to just hang around knowing you and the team are here and working a dangerous case isn't very fun either." She told him as she slipped her hand into his and he started driving home.
They sat on his couch when they got to his house. It was late and she was returning to work the next day, but they both were too keyed up to sleep. Chris sat with his feet up on the ottoman on one end of the couch. Sonja sat curled into his side his arm around her with her feet up on the rest of the couch. She played with their hands while they talked.
They fell asleep talking like that and in the morning her mom found them all tangled together. Her wrapped in Chris's arms, their fingers laced together, her head resting against his arm and his against hers.
"Just friends my ass." She muttered as she took a picture of them and sent in to her other daughters.
The flash woke them but they didn't realize that both stretching looking at the other and smiling. "Sorry Chris, I guess we fell asleep talking. That kept you from your bed..."
Shaking his head Chris interrupted her. "No, I still would have slept out here. It kept you from my bed." He told her giving her hand a squeeze.
Not wanting them to see her gawking her mom almost leapt into the kitchen to start breakfast. Chris untangled himself and pulled them both up to stand. He kissed her. "I'm going to go shower quick, I'll be back. Your moms probably already in the kitchen making breakfast. She has completely spoiled me while she has been here by the way."
"She is already up? But we..." Sonja started panic written in the lines of her face.
"We are adults, and we were fully clothed and obviously just sleeping." He told her, "relax city mouse, she has been very worried about you. She'll be happy to see you finally and that you are whole and healthy." He wrapped her into a hug until he could feel her resolve kick in. Then kissed the top of her head and went to shower.
Sonja stood there and watched him walk away. Abby came down the hall then and grinned at her thinking she was watching Chris's ass which wasn't untrue. Abby grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen with her.
"What time did you get in last night?" Abby asked as she took a seat at the island.
"It was about three." Sonja answered before her mother rushed her and smothered her with a hug.
"I have so many questions for you." Her mother said her tone scolding. "You sit and answer me while I make breakfast."
"You do know you weren't obligated to cook while you were here right?" Sonja asked as she sat knowing she wasn't going to get away without answering some questions for her mother.
"I know, but I have been living here for free for over a week instead of the hotel. He was kind enough to buy groceries for all of us and not take any money for them. The least I could do was cook for the man. You two looked pretty cozy on the couch this morning." She said raising an eyebrow at her daughter.
Sonja rolled her eyes of course she would jump right in with that. "It was late when we got back, we fell asleep talking."
Chris came in then hair still wet from the shower and bare foot, dressed in jeans and an unbuttoned Henley. Grinning he kissed her as he walked by to get a glass and pour himself some orange juice. "Anyone else want any oj?" He asked like he hadn't just kissed her.
"Really?" She asked him.
"Yep, really city mouse." He answered a grin still plastered over his face. "I tried being patient with you, that doesn't seem to work. So what's different between that and getting kissed while you were in the hospital, which you didn't seem to have an issue with. Did she Abby?"
"You are right, she was upset when I hugged you for too long. What was it she said...? Oh right I believe it was mine."
Sonja turned to her in shock, "don't help him!"
"Because you know I'm right and I don't need help, or because you are gonna pull back on me just like last time I got too close?" Chris asked a little exasperation showing in his voice. His expression showing the hurt that would cause him.
Sonja turned and saw his face, saw he would back off again if she asked him to. But it would hurt him and probably hurt something between them. She walked over to him and pulled him down for another kiss. Then punched his arm. "No you ass, I just didn't want you to do this in front of my mother. Hell we haven't even had a date."
"We can fix that." He whispered in her ear before nibbling down her neck.
She whacked his arm. "You are an ass Christopher."
He just grinned and took a seat at the island near Abby. She followed smiling. Once seated she bumped her shoulder against his. She looked up and saw her mom smiling at them. Sonja whacked Chris again.
"Hey! What was that for?" He asked looking down at her. Sonja just waved a hand at her mom. "What your mom is happy that you like me?" He asked grinning.
"She has plans running through her head now. I bet that her next question as soon as you leave is about a wedding or kids." When Chris just shrugged at that she stared at him open mouthed. "What does that shrug mean Christopher?" She finally spit out.
"You make me happy, I don't care who knows that. They can suggest any darn thing they like about us. Because what really matters is what you and I think about us. No one else gets a say in our relationship, not even your mother. And people might try to get there way but I know you, you won't let that happen."
Sonja just shook her head, "you are smooth country mouse I will give you that. So are we close on the case?"
"WE?!" Yell her mother. "This informing you did put you in the hospital and you want to know what happens but there is most assuredly no we on this case."
Sonja ducked her head muttering to herself that she forgot. She looked at Chris for help. But he shook his head and mouthed tell her.
"Mom, I ah, I may have fibbed a little bit when I told you what I did for a living..." Sonja trailed off. Abby gave her surprised eyes, and Chris supportively squeezed her hand. "I'm a federal agent. Chris is my partner, one of my team mates. That's how we met, not at a bar I manage. I'm not informing on anyone, this is just my job. I have been with NCIS for about 2 years now. Before that I had been with ATF."
Her mom's face lost color the instant she said this was just her job. Chris ran around the island to catch her if needed but she swatted a hand at him. "I'm fine!" She snapped at him. He hovered near here anyway. "Why did you lie to me?" She asked in a shaking voice. Anger radiating off her in waves.
"At first I didn't want you to worry about me, and then it was safer for you not to know. And now at NCIS I was just afraid that since I hadn't told you at the beginning that you would be hurt or mad about it."
"Well I'm both. Hurt that you didn't think I could handle it and mad that you would go into such a dangerous field. What if you had died? You were in the hospital and none of your family knew. We found out in accident because we ran into Chris at your apartment looking for you."
"I know mom and I'm sorry you should have had my team's numbers in case you got worried and wanted to check on me instead of having to come looking yourself."
"And you mister did not correct us..." she started rounding on Chris.
"I'm sorry ma'am, as much as I care about your daughter it was her explanation to make not mine. In my defense I never said one way or the other if she worked with me or not. I said we met at her work and we saw each other a lot." Chris interrupted her. "If I had told you Sonja would have been mad at me for breaking the news without her. And without her here your anger would have been directed at me during the telling."
Abby, Chris, and Sonja's phones all started going off at the same time. Gibbs calling Abby, Pride calling Chris, and Gregorio calling Sonja.
"I'm sorry mom but we have to go. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. While we are gone you can come up with a list of questions, and when I get a chance I will go over all of them with you. I'm sure Chris wouldn't mind adding his two cents in to if you had anything you wanted to ask him too." Sonja said quickly before answering her phone.