A/N: I own nothing that is familiar. I mostly just wanted to get all my started stories out there. let me know if you want any continued. I wasn't sure if anyone was still reading to care for more.
All Sonja could think about was the pause before he described them as coworkers to his suited up lawyer. Did he want them to be more? Or was she just reading into it because she knew she wanted more. She sat with the team brooding not being her normal life of the party self.
Sonja walked out about an hour later not wanting to hang out anymore. Chris was just walking up and he was sans lawyer.
"What'd ya do with the lawyer?" She asked her tone flat.
"Finished the paperwork she needed and left her to her own devices." He answered falling into step with her instead of going inside.
"What, not going inside now that you are here?" She asked frowning at him.
"Not when the person I want to see is not there." He answered.
She stopped and looked at him raising an eyebrow.
"Can we talk? I..." he trailed off not sure how to say what he wanted.
"We are talking." She answered with a duh tone that put his teeth on edge.
"No, this is more like arguing then how we used to talk." He said and with a heavy sigh turned back toward his truck. "Never mind I guess."
She grabbed his arm and gave him a questioning look as she fell into step with him this time.
"I don't have the energy to keep fighting." He told her trying to dislodge her hand from his arm.
She let go but kept up with him. "What did you want to talk about?" She asked curious.
"The maybe retired but maybe not mice." He answered honestly and watched her face close down. He shook his head. He must have been crazy to think that her reaction to the pause and meeting Rebecca was because she wanted something here. Without seeing if she was still with him he started for his truck again.
Sonja had to run and catch up with him when he just walked away. She was so nervous and not wanting to show it because what if he didn't feel the same way but something in her expression had made him just walk away, like she had done something that hurt him.
He looked at her in surprise when she got in beside him before he could start the truck. "I thought you didn't want to talk?" He said cautiously.
"It makes me nervous, but I agree we need to talk." She admitted.
Chris started his truck but didn't put it in gear right away. He decided he would put what he wanted out there and if she didn't agree or at least want to talk it out she could walk home like she planned.
"I don't know that we made the right decision after Hamilton." He said watching her face.
"We?" She asked thinking he had decided that they should put their feelings aside. That she had been about to kiss him, he hadn't known.
He frowned, "You agreed with me."
"Because I had been thinking about the opposite and when you said that after being the one pushing for more I couldn't say anything." She answered.
"I..." He started his mouth working open and closed but no words came out he rested his head on the seat back and gritted out quietly. "I really wish you had said something. I said that because I couldn't take you pulling back again. If it was my choice I guess that made it like you weren't rejecting me." Turning to look at her he continued. "I screwed up, can you forgive me? Can we talk about forgetting about me being a dumb ass, and trying this thing between us?" He asked hope shining in his eyes.
"Forgive you, Yeah. With my track record on that front I could see being defensive. Forget you were a dumb ass? I'll think about it. Talk about this thing between us? Yeah I think it is well over due." She said taking one of his hands and squeezing it.
A lopsided grin on his face chris asked, "Sonja Percy would you go on a date with me?"
"I will, but I have a condition." When he looked at her curiously she continued, "we make sure to accidentally on purpose run into Rebecca and you try that introduction again."
He raised a brow, "jealous of someone I never dated?" He asked confused.
"Staking a claim in front of someone that wants you to herself." Sonja said with a shrug making him grin.
"Well I happen to know she hadn't eaten dinner yet as she tried to get me to take her out. How about we try going to eat at the restaurant in her hotel and see if we can't make that happen? What would you like to be introduced as, my girlfriend?" He asked.
"You don't actually say anything to her. If she's there just be I don't know possessive I guess. A hand on my back guiding me around. Hold my hand, a kiss maybe." She said blushing.
Chris smiled and moved closer to her. "Can we try that kiss first, you know practice makes perfect and I don't want to let you down, again."
She smiled shyly and nodded leaning in meeting him halfway. She forgot all about Rebecca. He nibbled her bottom lip and she opened her mouth with a little moan. Chris took advantage and swirled his tongue against hers exploring her mouth.
She pulled back needing air and he leaned his forehead against hers. "God, am I an idiot." He whispered.
"I won't hold it against you." She answered with a half smile.
He kissed her again. Before pulling back a huge smile on his face. "Alright let's see about your condition."
He parked and they walked inside his arm draped over her shoulder. They were talking and his attention focused solely on her. They forgot all about Rebecca waiting to be seated and sitting close lost in each other.
They both startled when someone stopped next to their table and cleared their throat. Sonja looked up and frowned. Chris noticed her reaction and turned to see who had interrupted their conversation.
"Well hey Rebecca." He said with a smile. Sonja kicked him under the table and he turned that smile on her.
"I thought you said you didn't want to go out to eat?" She said her tone icy.
Still smiling chris said, "what I said was that I wanted to see why Sonja left in a mood, and I didn't want to go to eat with you."
Sonja smacked his arm lightly. "Be nice chris. It's your own fault for calling me a co-worker. If you'd said something else Rebecca might not have gotten the impression that you didn't have someone in your life."
"Hey!" He said surprised. "I thought we already talked about that. We were at work. Work doesn't know so I played it safe if anyone was around."
Sonja frowned at him, "everyone had left, and you know it."
Rebecca started backing away then a small smile on her face for having started an argument between them.
"Did you need something?" Chris asked noticing that she was trying to leave and seemed satisfied by the show they were giving her.
"No, no, not tonight. I just wanted to check up on my old friend and newest customer." She said her voice silky. "Wouldn't want all that money taken advantage of."
"Are you calling me a gold digger?" Sonja asked getting up and moving toward Rebecca making the other woman step back looking scared.
"Well you obviously didn't have a public relationship before since your work doesn't know. But you are out together now that you know he's worth billions."
Sonja staggered looking at chris, her charming country bumpkin Chris. "Billions?" She asked him. "Hell chris, I didn't know that." She looked almost panicked.
"Relax city mouse, I'm still the same old country mouse you were with before." He drawled but watched her closely, he'd be pissed if she pulled back again just because he had money now. He also didn't like how people at the tables around them were starting to take notice and phones were coming out.
"Rebecca I think it's time for you to leave. A lawyer should know when their client does and does not want their personal information yelled about the room. And with me that would be never. You are lucky I know nothing about the business or I would be shopping for another lawyer. In fact I might still and have you teach them about the company to take over for you."
Rebecca's face drained of all color and she nearly ran back to her own table signaling frantically for her check. However all of the staff were converging on Sonja and Chris.
"Do you have a private dinning area for us to be moved to? This has become too crowded." Chris asked the first staff member to reach him.
"Of course sir. madam, Right this way. We will have fresh meal brought out right away. Surely this meal has gone cold." The manager offered leading them away.
A valet brought Chris's truck to a private entrance on the side of the hotel when chris said he wished to leave unnoticed. He drove her home not letting go of her hand. When he stopped outside her place he pulled her close for another kiss. She smiled against his lips enjoying being able to kiss him.
"I had a great night, well besides Rebecca." Chris whispered his lips barely off of hers before kissing her again. Sonja merely made a noise of agreement as she kissed him back. Chris pulled back again looking down at her his eyes letting her know he wanted more but he said, "I think it would be best if you went upstairs now."
Sonja watched him a moment then said, "yeah that's probably a good idea. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him one last kiss before getting out.
When Sonja got inside Tammy nearly screamed, "where have you been? You left the bar hours ago? And why didn't you answer your phone? Shit I was freaking out, about to call pride and mount a search!"
"I ran into Chris outside pride's bar. We had that talk that pride has been asking us to have for a while. Sorry I didn't know my phone was going off." She pulled it out and found it dead. She frowned but shrugged and said, "it was dead sorry."
"Talk?" Tammy asked her eyebrows sky high. "For hours?"
Laughing Sonja said, "we had a late dinner while we talked. Relax Tammy nothing like what is going through your brain happened."
Still grinning Tammy said, "dinner? So maybe you two decided something might happen in the future?" She asked her curiosity killing her.
Sonja shrugged. "We didn't discuss anything happening at all at dinner."
Tammy frowned at her, "Then what did you have to talk about?"
Again Sonja shrugged, "work, his lawyer, but mainly because she showed up and had a canary."
"Why did she have a canary?" Tammy asked suspicious.
"Because apparently we can't be coworkers and go to dinner to talk. Which makes me a gold digger she had to defend him from. But she nearly yelled to the whole place what he's worth. Chris is so pissed told her he was going to hire an new lawyer for her to train because she forgot a main stay of her job. Client confidentiality." Sonja said laughing remembering her face when he said that.
"So nothing happened between you two, just a talk, interrupted by crazy lawyer?" Tammy asked confused by their relationship.
"Just a talk, now I'm headed to bed it's late." Sonja said walking away.
Her phone vibrated as soon as it powered on making her jump as her thoughts had wondered. She opened it smiling seeing that it was from Chris.
'Hey city mouse, I'm home.' She quickly got another one 'I hear you had a date tonight. New guy? Is he sexy? ;)'
Sonja laughed as she started getting ready for bed and answered him. 'Hey country mouse glad you got home ok. And yeah I'm kinda biased but I'd have to say he's sexy. I saw him with his shirt off once, the muscles he has are amazing.'
'Was he smart or funny at dinner? Did you have a good time? You two click?'
'What about your new girl, huh? She sexy, smart, and funny?' Sonja texted laughing. 'Yes, I had a great time, despite his lawyer trying her best to mess it up.'
'She's not so new for me. She is the whole package, smart, witty, sexy, and not going to let me get away with any bullshit. Yeah lawyers can get sticks up their asses pretty easy. I'm glad you had a good time. Anything happen ;)?'
'How was your date, fun? And get your mind out of the gutter Christopher it was a first date. Thought Tammy asked me the same thing. I told her it was just a talk.'
'I had a great time, I enjoy talking with her, and sitting close so a hand could maybe stray to her leg and let her know my mind wandered to what she has on under her clothes. Yeah I figured Tammy would ask. Why not just tell her? And there wasn't even a kiss?'
'Your mind is always in the gutter isn't it? Trust me I'm not forgetting that kiss anytime soon. I could tell her but she works with me, if I tell her could she keep her mouth shut until I'm ready to share with the rest of the team?'
'You liked the kiss huh? That's always a good sign you'll like the rest of the package when you decide you are ready for it. You are allowed to date, why would work care?'
'Yep, your mind is always in the gutter. But yeah I liked the kiss, almost invited him up but I figured Tammy would be home, that wouldn't have been fun. I'm just kinda personal, meeting the team is like meeting the parents. I want to have time just for us before we tell the team. Besides they are investigators shouldn't they be able to tell something changed?'
'Oh, you would have Invited him up If Tammy hadn't been home? what had you planned to do with him once he was upstairs? I get the meeting the parents thing, I bet he'd understand and do that when ever you were ready.'
'One track mind.' She answered giggling to herself.
'Hey can you fault me? The kiss I had was seriously hot and you were talking about inviting your guy up to your apartment. That's like leading my thoughts in that direction. You gonna go out with him again?'
'If he asks, yeah.'
'How soon is too soon to ask out the lady you just had a first date with? I don't want to have her think I'm desperate or anything.'
'Oh I don't know that whole waiting thing will just make her nervous you didn't have as good a time as you said. I'd say the next time you see her maybe?'
'Are you nervous your guy won't ask you out again?'
'I don't think so, but I see him so much that if he waited too long I might start to worry. What if he didn't like the kiss as much as I had. I mean we did kiss more than once. but that might be him giving me a second shot.'
'Give yourself more credit I bet you were amazing. Any guy would want a second date.'
Sonja couldn't believe they were talking like girlfriends about their date. Like they hadn't gone out together. But she was sort of glad because it calmed down her anxiety that she had just had a date with Chris. Her partner Chris, her country mouse, the chris she was afraid she was already in love with.
'Sonja? You still there city mouse?' Chris texted again after a long silence.
'Sorry. sleepy. my mind wandered.'
'Then I will let you get to sleep. Good night city mouse. Sleep well Sonja, mamour.'
'Mamour?' She texted back curious.
'I'll explain it some other time, sleep now, you are tired.'
Shrugging Sonja texted back, 'good night country mouse. Sweet dreams chris. ;)' she fell asleep her phone still in her hand and a happy smile on her face.
Chris lay in his bed wondering at his luck. Not only had he had a great date with Sonja. He could tell their goofy texting about it afterward had so far kept her from worrying too much about the future. Now to plan how to ask her out a work, without letting everyone know he was the one doing the asking.
Chris ended up passing her a note as they made their coffee the next morning. They were alone in the kitchen so she opened it up and smiled, nodding at his request for dinner again that night. She stuffed the note in her pocket and reached out and grabbed his hand in a quick squeeze as she went back into the bullpen.
They went to dinner that night and continued their note passing at work, becoming skilled like pick pockets so that the other might find a random note in their pocket during the day. Sometimes they just said thinking about you. Asking each other out, flirting with things they couldn't say out loud at work. Telling her she looked beautiful that morning or he looked hot in his undercover outfit. Occasionally the note was placed in the back pocket and accompanied by a quick caress.
About a month later Sonja found a note asking her to dinner at his place. She quickly wrote out a response, could she bring a bag? And at the next opportunity slipped it into his back pocket purposefully caressing before she moved away.
They caught a case which usually meant their plans would be placed on hold but chris gave her a note saying why not still bring that bag? She shook her head and when they were next in the truck she explained.
"Tammy knows I'm seeing someone, she knows me well enough to know id never spend the night during a case. Especially not for the first time. Besides I don't want to have to be called out of bed our first time in the middle of the night because we got a lead."
Chris understood her logic and nodded saying, "ok then, when this case is over then."
The case took several days and their teasing of each other through the notes escalated each day. Sonja started it by wondering what she should pack describing several different sexy undergarments she could wear for him. He responded that she'd probably not wear many clothes while at his house so bring whatever she wanted. That led to Sonja saying that maybe she'd just bring her shower supplies and have him help her apply lotion descriptively. Each one pushing them just a little farther.
At the end of the case Sonja flew through her paperwork and left saying bye to everyone and walking home so she could pack and be ready when Chris came to pick her up. Tammy watched her go curiously but just shrugged and finished her own paperwork.
Pride and chris were the last ones there and Pride asked, "is Sonja ok? She was getting jumpy and she flew out of here tonight."
"She has been seeing someone, he asked her overnight for the first time and she had to keep putting him off because of the case." Chris answered.
"How do you know that and not Tammy, they live together?" Pride asked frowning.
"When Tammy asks personal questions she jumps down your throat. I have been partners with Sonja for years, that just gets her back up. I asked how things were going and if they had any plans after the case." Chris answered with a shrug.
Chris got a text then and smiled, Sonja letting him know that Tammy was home and it was safe to come get her. "Speaking of dates, that was mine checking on when I'm coming to get her. I'll catch you later king."
Chris parked on the opposite side of the building from their apartment so Tammy couldn't look out and see who was picking up Sonja. She climbed in bag in hand and leaned over giving him a long kiss.
Instead of cooking tonight he ordered takeout from her favorite restaurant. He'd cook for her tomorrow. Tonight they'd be too impatient for that. Well he know he would be at least.
They lay in bed together later tangled together and breathing hard. Chris's head resting on her breast. "Why did we wait so long to do this?" She asked.
He pulled her down for a kiss and said, "because I wanted you to know you were special to me. All you ever saw me do with anyone else was one and done. I wanted you to know you are more than that for me. But you are right maybe a month was a bit too long." She smiled and pushed him to his back kissing him hard, liking that answer.
He held her cradled on his chest later, dawn just peaking through his curtains when she asked, "you call me mamour sometimes, what does that mean?"
Chris blushed but answered, "It's an endearment, it's short for mon amour."
She lifted her head and looked down at him shock on her face, "You have been calling me your love since our first date?"
"I told you a long time ago that I cared about you. I knew before our talk what those feelings where." He answered honestly.
She kissed him smiling and said, "ok roméo that was smooth."
Another couple of months passed and Tammy cornered Sonja while she was making her coffee. "So am I going to get to meet this guy before you completely move out? Not that I'm really complaining I mean you are still paying your half of the rent and you are hardly ever there. I just thought we were closer friends than this."
"We are. I just..." She trailed off trying to explain why she wasn't bring her boyfriend around. "He's different you know, we are taking big steps slowly. I mean we didn't sleep together for over a month. Meeting the team is like taking him home to meet the parents, that's a big step."
"You are thinking about taking him home?" Tammy asked shocked, Sonja didn't do long term and once told her she would never take anyone home she could not see herself with forever.
"Yeah, I have to tell him about my dad still. But yeah thinking about it at least." Sonja answered blushing.
Chris walked in and asked, "Hey lady's whatcha talking about?"
"Sonja's boyfriend." Tammy answered before Sonja could say anything. "Apparently they are getting kinda serious."
Trying to look shocked and not awkward chris asked, "oh, what do you use as a gage for how serious a what three month relationship is?"
"I asked if I was ever going to get to meet him before she completely moved out. And she said they are taking big steps slow, and meeting the team is like meeting the parents. That made me ask if she was thinking about taking him to meet her parents."
Curious chris turned to Sonja and asked innocently, "so what did you say?"
"That I was thinking about it." She was still blushing and chris had to fight not to kiss her and pull her close so he could let her know that she was all that mattered to him and whenever she was ready they would go.
Instead he said, "if you guys are that serious he's probably thinking along the same lines."
Tammy turned to him, "what about you chris. You and the girl you are seeing getting serious too?"
"I'm seeing someone?" He asked raising a brow.
"Oh come on, you are at least getting some on a regular basis again, but I haven't seen the parade of women it was said you had before."
"What makes you say that?" Chris asked genuinely curious.
"Because you are..." she looked for a word, "i don't know more relaxed, and you have way more stress with your dads company and everything."
Chris shrugged, "I started getting a massage regularly that helps with the stress."
"How about the lawyer thing? Didn't Sonja say that you threatened to sack her and make her train her replacement?" Tammy asked wondering about that stress.
Chris frowned. "She is training a replacement, they are to the point where he is around alone about 80 percent of the time. So still phasing her out. What does that have to do with what we are talking about?"
"See your stress level is high, I doubt even a daily massage could keep you this relaxed with out getting some regularly too. So who is the girl and why haven't we met her?"
"Just because I learned about discretion now that I own the company doesn't mean I'm seeing a single someone. I can't be seen as playboy. I'd get the media face time because of the company but that would hurt my job here at ncis."
"Ah, so you are back to the badge bunny parade then?"
"I wouldn't say badge bunnies." Chris started, and to his relief pride came in then saying they had a case.
In the truck Chris asked, "do you really want to?"
"I, Ah. Yeah. But I need to tell you about my dad before you go meet him."
He smiled, "whenever you are ready mamour."
"Not at work, but yeah soon, roméo." She answered smiling back at him.
A few weeks later Chris and Sonja stood outside the gates of the prison where her father was held. "You sure about this roméo?" Sonja asked.
He kissed her then took her hand and walked toward the gate. They went through security leaving behind everything down to their shoe laces. Then they were led to a room with bolted down table and four chairs. Her father was sitting there looking menacing but when Sonja walked in his face brightened.
"Baby girl! I didn't know it was you. They told me some feds were here to see me." He said standing and giving her a hug making the guard snap, "no touching!"
Her father turned around and snapped back. "My daughter is a federal agent. What exacting is she doing to do during a hug? Pat me down?"
"You're in here for murder. Who's to say you didn't want to kill her too?" The guard replied calmly.
"I murdered the asshole that tried to rape her."
"And you have been in jail for years for that, could make you bitter."
Chris watched all of this wondering how often the two of them went through this banter. Which made him wonder how often Sonja came for visits.
"Daddy, I want you to meet chris." Sonja said gesturing him closer. Her fathers eyes zeroed in on him and hardened, his smile falling away.
"Sir." Chris said extending his hand. Glancing at the guard he added, "also a federal agent, though I'm not going for the hug because I'm dating his daughter and I don't think he'll like that."
Her father took his hand and squeezed. "Does dating equal sleeping together?"
Chris nodded and said, "it does." Not squeezing back and not wincing just holding the hand shake solidly. But Sonja squawked unhappy that he had asked and that Chris had answered so bluntly. "It's ok mamour. He is your father. I knew he would be over protective about you before you even told me he was here and why." He turned back to her father and said, "I'm Christopher LaSalle. I have been partners with Sonja at ncis for a few years now. We started dating a few months ago."
"This is country mouse?" Her dad asked letting go finally and sitting at the table.
Chris grinned at her, "you've talked to your dad about me?"
"Oh relax roméo. He asks about work, so he has heard about all of our coworkers."
"Why did you try and keep her off that tug boat?" He dad asked watching him closely.
"I never want to image the world without Sonja. The thought of losing her was tearing my heart out." Chris answered honestly.
"So you'd lay down your live for her?"
"I want to immediately say yes, but I know my dying in her place would be just as hard on Sonja as her dying would be on me. so I'd try to keep us both alive. If it came down to it though I would pick her over myself every time."
"She has the bomb training for that situation but you tried to take her place."
"That was before we were dating and honestly probably the day I figured out that I love her. We have talked since then about allowing each other to do our job. Which in her case includes bombs."
"And have you allowed that of each other?" Chris looked at Sonja and they weighed their answer.
"I think we have." She answered finally.
"Does he make you happy?"
"Yes daddy, I'd never bring anyone to meet you that didn't."
"He said that he loves you. Do you feel the same baby girl?"
Sonja beamed as she said, "yeah daddy, I love chris." Chris beamed back at her, unable to help it because it was the first time she said the words. He wrapped and arm over her shoulders a squeezed her to him.
Her dad looked between them and asked chris, "why do you look so I don't know relieved by that?"
"She hasn't said the words before. She asked a little while ago what mamour meant, it's short for mon amour, my love. And she just went that's smooth roméo."
"In my defense I was absorbing the fact that you have called me that since our first date." Sonja said softly.
Chris kissed her temple and whispered, "It's just nice to hear you say out loud what you have been saying with little things for a while. Like bringing me to meet your dad, you would never have done that if you didn't, wouldn't have even brought it up."
Sonja turned and kissed him, just a peck but all the men moved. Her father stood, the guard moved closer, and Chris pulled back. "I know visitors are allowed to touch but that son was a dumb move." The guard snarked at them.
His voice turning menacing her father asked. "What did you say that made that happen?"
"That yeah it was nice to hear the words but that she had been telling me in other ways her feelings. Like she never would have brought me here if she didn't love me."
"You say you love my daughter. Where do you see this going?" her dad asked easing back down to his seat.
"Well, I know what I'd like, but Sonja doesn't like to move too fast. I wouldn't want to ask anything of her she wasn't ready for." Chris hedged.
Sonja looked at him thoughtfully. "How will you know if I'm ready for whatever you'd like to ask?"
With a grin chris said, "well hopefully I'll do better than when you were ready to start going out. That could have turned out badly."
"What is it you'd like to have happen?" Her father asked his expression Stoney.
Chris turned from him to study Sonja for a while. Finally while still watching her he said, "I'd like to ask her to marry me."
Her mouth fell open and she forgot to breathe. Chris pulled her into his arms seeing the panic. He whispered into her hair. "You don't have to answer that mamour. When ever you want to talk about it we can." He closed his eyes trying not to be hurt by her reaction. He rested his head on top of hers and just held her close.
Her father watched them, knowing now the question he thought that this was a brave man. As he had been right Sonja didn't move fast in relationship, well she actually rarely had relationships because of that. "Baby girl?" He said trying to get her attention. She still seemed like she was in shock but she turned to face him. "I like him, brave and very much in love with you."
She turned back to Chris. He felt her lips move against his chest and heard the barest whisper from her, "Yes."
Chris pulled her back from him so he could see her face. "You mean it? I don't have the ring with me mamour."
"You have a ring?" She asked shocked.
Chris blushed. "I... ah, yeah." At her look telling him to continue he added. "I have had it for a while." At her confused and maybe hurt look he added, "it's a family heirloom, I just have had it since the first time you came home with me." With a grin he added, "I sent Rebecca home to Alabama to get it for me. If you want one you pick out though that's fine, it's not like I don't have the money to get you whatever you want."
The Rebecca part made Sonja laugh. She said, "if sure I will love it if you want me to have it."
her father asked, "Rebecca?"
"Chris's bitch ass, on her way out, lawyer. She called me a gold digger on our first date."
"On her way out?"
"She is training her replacement to help me run my father's company." Chris answer, "I didn't like the way she treated Sonja and she yelled to the whole restaurant what I'm worth and I don't like that kind of spot light. And I didn't want that kind of spot light on Sonja, it was our first date and the media can be awful."
Sonja looked surprised, "are you having problems with the media?"
"Not now, it's pretty hush hush who took over when he died mostly because I'm not around. When I was a kid it was pretty bad. I'm honestly amazed no one got a hold of a copy of his will to figure out he named me even though I told him I don't want his stupid company."
"So you can provide for my baby girl?" Her father asked.
"As long as the oil business doesn't go belly up. And even then probably for a long time after that." Chris answered. "Well and then I've already started turning the company to cleaner resources as well. The company is poised to leap a hurdle in that area as well."
They left with another hug and a handshake making the guard grumble. When they retrieved their phones they both had several messages from the team. Apparently they had a case. Not good seeing as they were not in New Orleans.
Chris texted pride saying he had gone to Alabama trying to figure out a solution for the cade issue, and had forgotten his phone in his truck.
Sonja texted the truth as pride knew all about her father. That she had been visiting and hadn't had her phone.
Pride texted them both back ok but let him know ASAP when they were back in town.
Pride at the office wondered about their texts coming in at almost the same time. But he knew that chris had been distracted by Cade being in a home, and that Sonja regularly visited her father.
They drove back with Sonja snuggled under his arm in the middle seat of the truck. Chris dropped her at her car, which had still been at her apartment.
"What if Tammy asks how you got there?" Chris asked before she could get out.
"I took my boyfriend to meet him." Sonja answered, "he drove us." She shrugged and leaned up for a kiss before getting out. She ran up to her apartment and got her go bag before running back down to her car. Chris had already left so that they wouldn't arrive at the same time at work.
Chris got to the office and went inside and asked to get caught up.
"We are waiting on Percy still, she should be here any minute." Pride answered, not looking up engrossed in something on his computer.
"Percy?" Chris asked trying for confused and looked around like he thought he was the only one that hadn't been here.
"Yeah, She was out visiting her dad, she should be back soon."
About 10 minutes later Sonja came in with beignets, "I ordered on the road as a sorry for not getting your call," she said setting them in prides desk. "So What did I miss?"
The distraction was enough that no one mentioned how closely together the two had arrived. And they were pulled into the investigation.
Over the next few weeks they used weekends without cases to go visit first her mother, then Chris's mother and stepmother. While they were in Alabama chris stopped at the office with her in tow to do a little work. They walked out hand in hand and at the truck he gave her a kiss before helping her up into the truck. They went to their dinner reservations, neither paying any attention to their surrounding as they were not on duty.
That night when they were alone at the hotel chris pulled something out of his bag and turned back to her getting down on one knee. "Sonja, mamour, you are my heart, my world. Will you marry me?" He asked her showing her the ring.
She stood there slightly shocked tears silently streaming down her face as she nodded and gave him her hand. Chris slid the ring on and she lifted her hand so she could admire the ring.
The next day they went and saw Cade who noticed the ring right off and expressed his happiness for them finally figuring themselves out. After visiting Cade they stopped in to say goodbye to his mother. She saw the ring and started crying, hugging them both.
"Momma, you knew I was gonna ask when I sent Rebecca to get the ring."
"Yeah but she could have said no."
They stayed through dinner having spent lunch with Cade. But then they hit the road home.
In the truck Sonja said, "I need a necklace to wear this on at work." Looking at her ring.
"Not ready to tell the team?" Chris asked curious.
"No, not that. I can't wear crime scene gloves with it on. It would tear them. If I wear it on a necklace at work I won't have that problem."
Chris understood that and the next time he passed and exit that had a mall he got off the highway and pulled in.
Sonja frowned at him and asked, "what are we stopping for?"
"You said you needed a necklace." Chris said as he got out of the truck.
"Yeah roméo But this mall is closing." She said when he opened her door for him.
"Don't worry about it." Chris told her.
He put her hand in the crook of his elbow and led her to the door a security guard was just about to lock. Chris knocked to get his attention. When they guy opened the door chris gave him 100 dollar bill and asked if her could lead them to the closest jewelry store. The gate over the door was already shut but there were still employees in the store. Chris called their attention to him and again offered cash to anyone willing to help them find a necklace he could buy before they closed completely. The entire staff came over and started showing them around.
Chris had Sonja show them the ring and based on the white gold it was made from point them towards similar necklaces. Sonja tried to say she wanted a silver plated cheap one flustered at the way chris was throwing around cash, but no one even entertained that as an option. Chris selected a simple chain that matched the color of the ring exactly when he showed it to her she simply nodded, wanting to be done holding these people up. Chris checked out and handed everyone that had helped some cash for their help and willingness to stay late.
They returned to work the next day, no one even noticing her new necklace. For about a week everything was back to normal then one morning they came into work and found the rest of the team there waiting for them a range of expressions on their faces. Tammy looked pissed, Patton happy, Sebastian confused, Pride unreadable.
"What's up guys?" Chris asked his own face showing confusion.
Sebastian handed him a gossip rag, it was closed so he could see the cover and a page was marked. The front page showed a picture of him and Sonja leaving the prison where he father was holding hands smiling at each other with the header. "Oil tycoon getting a ball and chain?"
Chris showed it to her then opened to the marked page. There were shots of them from their entire relationship. Even one of her showing the ring to the jewelry store staff. His mouth fell open that they had been stalked and hadn't even noticed it.
He turned to Sonja his mouth working for a minute before he said, "I'm sorry, I honestly didn't know they had figured out I was named in dads will or I would have known to look for someone following me around."
She shrugged. "We had planned to tell them the next time we were at the bar anyway. It's hard to send out wedding invitations to people that don't even know you are dating much less engaged. All of our parents know already so it's not that big of a deal."
"Wedding...?" The rest of the team chorused, with a range of emotions.
