A/N: Okay, now she has a dress, but not without a struggle. And Merri's problems are far, far from over. Read and find out…

Disclaimer: No new characters in this chapter, so none of it is mine…

She entered the house with the box underneath her arm, greeting James as he emerged from the kitchen, where he'd been making himself some dinner. He kissed her sweetly and Merri, still trying to wash away the guilt of once again painting him in a negative light, kissed him back with all the eagerness she could muster.

"How was your day, darling?"

James was already walking back to the kitchen, forcing Merri to follow him or talk to his back, something she quite resented as it made her feel not at all important; as if he merely asked her these questions out of courtesy, yet couldn't save her a moment's time to actually hear the answer. She put the box on the kitchen table and poured herself a drink, not offering him anything. If he could be rude; so could she.

"It was great. I found a really nice dress."

"Good. I'm happy. I know you were dreading the dress shopping. Where did you find it?"

"Just a small boutique."

She was hesitant to tell him she had crossed two state lines to find a dress. It sounded ridiculous. Plus, if she did, it meant she would have to explain where she had gotten the idea from as well as how she had gotten there, as he knew she did not have many female friends who could have taken her to a specific little place in Alabama they happened to know about.

She had forgotten that the name of the boutique was printed on the box, the address in smaller print underneath. She could tell the moment he had read it as his eyebrows knotted together in a confused frown.

"Mobile, Alabama? You actually went to Alabama for a wedding dress?"

Immediately defensive, Merri countered.

"Is that such a big deal? It's not like I flew to Paris or something. I just couldn't find anything I liked in the bridal stores downtown."

"So you just did what, call a taxi? Hopped on a bus and decided Mobile was the right place to be? And there you just happened to come across a store named 'Vivacious'? Or did one of your many, many friends know about this magical place?"

Why did it bother him so much? She had known he wouldn't understand, but hadn't counted on such a display of hostility. What was going on here?

"What does it matter where I went? I got the perfect dress. Would you please drop it?"

"Not unless you tell me what gave you the idea to go there. And how you got there."

Getting angry now, Merri huffed.

"I don't have to tell you anything, James. I'm not your child or your slave and I don't answer to you. Not if your question is about you not trusting me and trying to control me instead of you actually showing some interest in my comings and goings."

His look could only be described as menacing when he turned to face her.

"Oh but I am interested in my fiancé's whereabouts, especially when it's perfectly clear she's not being honest with me."

"How am I not being honest with you?"

"If you are, why can't you just tell me you've been traipsing around Mobile with your pal Chris? Or did you think I wouldn't recognize his truck pulling up front?"

Chris. Of course. There was the rub. But still…

"I didn't tell you because it's not a big deal. He's a friend. A good friend. Am I not allowed to have friends anymore?"

"Sure you are. But you spend an awful lot of time with him. And now you go bridal shopping with him too? Don't you have any female friends to do this with? Or at least a gay guy if you insist on having a man around?"

"Wow, James, I never thought you were this sexist. What the hell does it matter that Chris helped me find my dress? I only asked him to come pick me up from the mall because you took my car to go see your editor."

"And you couldn't have just gotten a taxi home?"

"I could, but that's not the point, is it? The point is, I have found a home, a real family here in New Orleans with my colleagues. We look out for each other. So yeah, I called Chris and he suggested we go to Mobile. He's known the owner of the boutique all his life. It was a suggestion that paid off. I fail to see what the big whoop is all about!"

"Of course you would, Merri. In your world, it's absolutely normal to allow a work partner to integrate into your private life like that. To even allow him to go shopping with you for the most important day of your life!"

"That's because it IS normal, James. And if Chris had been short for Christine instead of Christopher, you wouldn't have batted a damn eyelid!"

"Because then you wouldn't have worshipped the ground he walks upon. Saint Christopher, can never do wrong. Patriot Saint of all desperate women! I just don't get why he has to be around you every damn moment of every damn day!"

"Well, excuse me for not having a nine to five cushy office job, or better yes, sitting home barefoot and pregnant, waiting for my hubby to come home so I can serve him first dinner and then myself on a silver platter! Bad guys usually don't work on the clock, you know. I happen to love my job, and I happen to trust Chris with my life, something you should be grateful for!"

She was yelling at full force now, angry tears springing in her eyes and her emotions so conflicted she didn't know how to begin to unravel them.

"Yeah, grateful. Of course. That's how it feels. My bride could just as well be married to her damn job. Or her partner if she trusts him so much."

Merri let out a cynical laugh.

"Married to the job, huh? Now isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? Weren't you the one who walked away from our first engagement because of some assignment he couldn't afford to pass on?"

"Still lording that over me?"

"Just when it's fitting."

"I don't think it is. I made that mistake years ago and you are making one now."

He left her standing there in the kitchen as he stalked away.

"I'm going out. Don't wait up."

The door smashed closed behind her, leaving her too shocked to move.

888

Time sped by in a flurry. Three hard, time and energy consuming cases kept the small NCIS team occupied from early morning till very late in the evening. Her work and arranging wedding related things prevented Merri and Chris from having any kind of communication that wasn't case-related. Perhaps the frantic pace was for the best, since at the very least it didn't give them any time to dwell on uncertain feelings and shifting friendships.

James had come back the morning after their fight, with flowers and chocolates and a series of apologies that sounded hollow and insincere. Perhaps it would have been better to just call it quits, but with the big event just around the corner, both their stubborn streaks prevailed over what their hearts had known all along. And so they kissed and made up and pretended it was just one more hurdle they had successfully smoothed over.

Before either one of them was well aware, there was only a week to go before the wedding would take place. Merri had given out invitations to Linda, Laurel, Loretta, Sonja (and Abigail Borin when she showed up for a case; or just to see King; as Chris teased his friend) for a hens party later that week at Loretta's place and Chris, Pride, Patton and Sebastian had received a stag party invitation from James, who had done so more out of courtesy to his bride than anything else, knowing he'd better make friends with the people she worked with, including her hated partner. Pride had offered his bar as a location, since James didn't know the city that well yet.

Both parties were held that evening. Chris wasn't planning to go. He knew Pride would make an appearance out of courtesy (and well, it was his bar; so it would only be logical) and that Patton would probably be there too just because he liked a good party, but Chris was not a masochist. He'd had his share of self-mutilation when he had wanted to scratch his eyeballs out after his and Merri's visit to Viv. He wouldn't torture himself even more by forcing himself to interact with the groom, who wasn't very fond of him either.

There was the wedding to get through as well, which would take all of his energy and self-control. Only his love for his partner and his respect for her decision would prevent him from standing up in the middle of the small ceremony and object. He would hold his peace, bite his tongue to a bleeding pulp if this…sad mistake was what she thought would make her happy.

Oh yes, he knew he loved her. He wasn't that stupid. It might have taken him a while (and a drunken conversation with Loretta and King) to admit it out loud, but he had always known.

God, he still felt chills when he thought about that evening, a few nights ago, when he found the invitation on his desk. He'd lingered at the office long enough for King to recognize his need for a man-to-man conversation and had gladly accepted the offer of staying for dinner. He'd opened his first beer as his boss, mentor and surrogate father figure assembled his pots and pans. When the gentle pathologist had wandered in, an extra place was set without question. Two hours, a full plate of jambalaya, four beers and half a bottle of wine later, Chris was tipsy and morose enough to open up, both King and Loretta listening to his drunken rant.

"She's making a huge mistake."

"It's her life, Christopher. We're her friends. We should be happy for her. Support her."

"How can I support her when I think she's being all kinds of stupid?! He doesn't love her, she doesn't love him, she deserves better, someone who truly loves her."

Someone who truly loves her…that was the big ass whooping moment, kicking him with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, leaving him quite winded and suddenly nauseous (although that could have been the alcohol too).

"Someone like me, damn it! I love her. Good God, help me, I'm in love with Merri freaking Brody-soon-to-be-Lathom!"

He'd started crying then, big crocodile tears, unfiltered by his alcohol impaired brain. What was he supposed to do now? Why hadn't he realized the danger of the flirtatious games he was playing with her? When did he allow himself to get in too deep?

He'd almost handed in his resignation then and there, but his boss and friend was sober enough to ignore the offered badge and gun and escort the drunken agent to a bed in his guest room upstairs. When LaSalle had woken up the next morning, groggy and disoriented, there was a glass of water, a glass of orange juice and two aspirin on his bedside table, together with a note to inform him that Pride and Brody were chasing down some leads and wouldn't be in till lunch time. He was ordered to take his time, take a shower, get some breakfast and go see what Patton was up to with their latest suspect's laptop.

None of them mentioned his confession again, but when he had asked Pride to convey his excuses to the groom, the older man had merely nodded, putting his hand on his junior agent's uninjured shoulder.

"I'll tell him not to expect you, but Christopher, what are you going to do about the wedding itself?"

"Dunno. I…do you think Merri would be very upset if I didn't show up?"

"Maybe. She is your partner and friend, Christopher and this is a very important day to her. But I'd understand if some emergency would come up…"

Chris gave a wan smile, acknowledging his friend's offer of a way out, one he might want to consider if only running wouldn't have felt like cowardice.

That evening, when all intended attendees had left, Chris found himself lumbering aimlessly through the empty office, looking at Merri's desk, which would remain empty for the next three weeks as she and James were leaving for their Honeymoon immediately after the wedding reception. He felt depressed and lonely, but knew better than to start drinking again, knowing it wouldn't end well when there was nobody around to save him from doing anything stupid.

A white card sticking out from between a stack of paperwork on his partner's desk caught his attention and he carefully plucked it out. It was an invitation to her hen's party.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Chris grabbed his gun, badge, phone and car keys and got on his way.

888

She was actually having a good time. Her guests had guessed correctly that Merri was not your average bride-to-be and wasn't into any game playing or being dressed up like a fool (she saved that for Mardi Gras and Halloween), nor any male strippers for that matter. So they just sat in Loretta's cozy living room and ate and drank and told stories. Just a relaxed time between women who might not have been friends from the start, but who did like each other's company for a few hours.

At one moment, Loretta's doorbell rang. Since they were still expecting some more food they had ordered in, she excused herself and stood from their table. When she came back, her face looked a little worried as she approached the bride to be.

"Merri, you might want to handle this outside."

Curious and a little concerned, Merri followed her friend and coworker outside the house, only to see her partner standing there; looking like a little boy lost, with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets and his eyes looking anywhere but directly at her. Immediately, she thought about Cade, hoping the other LaSalle brother hadn't slipped and messed up again. Of course, if he had, she would be there for Chris, help him in any way she could, even if this was a busy week with her wedding just around the corner.

"Chris, are you okay? Is there something wrong? Cade? Pride? Wait, weren't you supposed to be at James's stag party? Are they alright? Did anything happen?"

Chris shook his head mid-ramble.

"No, no, they're all fine. I just…I didn't want to go. I eh…God this is hard."

He wiped his face in a nervous gesture, before trying again.

"Merri, can you listen for just a few minutes? I know you're having a party over there and I won't keep you long, but…just a few minutes? Please?"

Merri nodded, leading him a little away from the house to a more secluded corner of Loretta's front terrace, where two deckchairs stood and where they could speak more quietly; out of sight and earshot of the other women inside. With a heavy sigh, Chris sat down and gestured for Merri to do the same. Sensing his need for comfort, she put her hand on his and squeezed it gently.

"Talk to me Chris."

"I eh…would you eh…would you be very disappointed if I won't make it to your wedding?"

Taken aback by the unexpected question, Merri gasped. Why wouldn't he want to come? Unless…

"Why wouldn't you come? Is there something wrong? Is it Cade? Is he in any kind of trouble? Because if he is, we should…"

Her voice trailed off, unsure how to proceed. They should what? Postpone the wedding? Run off mid-vow? Where was she going with this? Better yet, where was he?

"No, no, nothing like that. He's fine. But I'm just…"

He stopped again, shaking his head and taking a big gulp of air. When he opened his mouth again, he seemed to have changed his mind.

"You know what? Never mind. I shouldn't have come, it's unfair to bother you with my issues. It's…it's none of your concern and I shouldn't spoil your evening any further. I eh…I'm sorry I can't make it to the wedding. I hope you have a great day."

He stood up from his chair, hesitated for one moment, not daring to look at her, before turning away and stalking off. A few yards away, he suddenly stood stock still, let out a sound that was stuck between whimper and groan, turned around again, came right at her and pulled her in his arms with a desperate force. He was shaking from head to toe, but his hand was gentle when he cupped her face and placed his lips on her own.

And she responded. Heaven help her, but she opened her lips to him, clung to him, granted him access to her mouth, which he greedily accepted. It felt so good, so right, so warm.

So wrong. Oh God, what was she doing?! She ended the kiss abruptly and wriggled free from his grasp, panting hard. Chris did nothing to stop her, struggling to catch his own breath, hands falling limp and useless by his sides and eyes cast downwards, not daring to look her in the eyes and see the destruction his selfish act of despair had caused.

His voice was nothing but a whisper, holding no apology, but a world of regret.

"Be happy, sweet Merri."

Merri stood, frozen in shock as realization and understanding hit her. By the time she could get her befuddled mind out of its haze in order to tell her body to walk, speak, do anything really, he was already in his truck, taillights disappearing fast in the distance.

Christopher LaSalle. Her partner and friend. Who loved her.

Whom she loved.

Oh. Shit.

Oooh, cliffhanger! Don't worry, I'll update soon. In the meantime, I thank you again for reading and I'd really love to hear from you. Thanks a lot!