Author's note: I was completely floored by the response to the previous chapter. You guys are really amazing and I appreciate every single review and fave. Thank you!

I was forced to split this chapter into two parts because it got long and I felt it would interrupt the flow I've got going.

The following chapter should be up latest this coming Friday.

IIII

For several long minutes Sonja sat in her car, content to stare aimlessly before her. Her mind was a mess of confusion and even though she'd been forced to forgo breakfast she still felt queasy. Even the music playing in the background couldn't distract her from her thoughts.

She was quite possibly royally screwed. Possibly because she'd learnt that no news was good news... well until you got the actual news and it was a right cluster fuck.

Fuck.

#"You okay?"#

LaSalle's voice crackled over the mike inside her hidden ear piece snapping her out of her thoughts like a splash of cold water.

"Sorry, what?" she asked, shaking herself from her stupor.

Her own mike was hidden inside her jacket. High tech if Patton was to be trusted, which he usually was when it came to surveillance tech.

"You swore," he explained. "So I'm asking if everything is okay, 'cause if you need to pull out then that's what we will do."

Of course pulling out wasn't as easy as he made it, but Sonja didn't doubt that if she gave the word that's exactly what LaSalle would do. Pride's instructions be damned.

"No, I was just thinking aloud," she said, shaking her head as if he could see her.

She was on the clock, she needed to get her head on straight. It was this kind of distracted rookie shit that got people killed.

"Okay... but I'm right here... oh and Brody too."

She cracked a half hearted smile. "I know." She said.

It had taken a bit of digging but Sonja had managed to track down an old contact she'd made during an undercover operation. The only reason Samuel was still out and about and not in jail was because under his impressive skill set he had career blackmailer to his name. Too many people with money and power owed him favours.

No one said the system wasn't fucked up.

Samuel had an in with Curry's squad and hopefully his backing would get her closer to the man himself.

She'd set up a meet with him and he was already twenty minutes late. From personal experience she knew not to fret over his lack of punctuality but she knew LaSalle was probably on edge, already running various scenarios in his head.

From the corner of her eye she caught movement. Checking herself over in her mirror, Sonja ran her cover in her head one more time. Just in case Samuel was curious as to where she'd disappeared off to in the past five years.

#"Two males approaching."# LaSalle announced in her mike.

"Already saw them," Sonja said under her breath. She swung the door open before climbing out of her car.

She noticed Samuel immediately, grinning at her. From the looks of him one would never suspect how dangerous he really was. He was tall, lanky and his dreads now had blonde tips that swayed as he bobbed his head to music only he could hear.

"Jada I thought your ass was locked up with the rest of your crew," he said by way of greeting.

Sonja smirked. "They were stupid, I wasn't," she retorted before turning to the guy next to him.

At first she didn't recognise him, the stubble lining his jaw was new, but than a jolt of recognition shot right through her and had she been less experienced she might have blown her cover. His included.

"I always knew you were smart girl," Samuel said still bobbing his head. "This to my right is Eric Grayson," he introduced gesturing to the man who was staring back at her with only mild interest. "He a real mean motherfuvcker but he alright."

"Jada," Sonja said as she shook Eric's hand.

He gave her a wink that Samuel didn't catch. "Just Jada or..."

"Just Jada," she said firmly.

Samuel chuckled. "Now don't be fooled by her size... Jada is real badass. Tried to recruit her to my crew but girl wouldn't have it," he said.

"Your crew is a one man show, Samuel," Sonja said with an eye roll.

Sometimes it was almost scary how easy it was to fall into one of her covers, but Sonja appreciated the fear. It reminded her that she was just doing her job. This wasn't really who she was.

"It would be two with you," he said and it wasn't overtly sexual. "So you interested in Curry huh?"

It was a test. Just because they knew each other a while back and had gotten on well didn't mean Samuel trusted her. He was smart like that.

Sonja shrugged. "I'm interested in making money," she replied flippantly. "And word on the street is that Curry's making it and loads."

"He a real slick one," Samuel agreed. "However he is paranoid as fuck, aint nobody even allowed to see him."

Would explain why they didn't even have an image of him. Sonja thought. "You've never seen him?" she asked Samuel.

He chuckled. "Girl, I aint nobody. Of course I've see him," he replied.

So not completely out of touch. This was good.

Samuel eyed her with scrutiny. "He don't usually deal with dealers personally but he might be willing to make an exception with you," he mused.

"I've been trying to get an actual meet for him with months," Eric said, speaking up for the first time since introductions were made. "What's so special about her?"

Sonja shot him a smug grin.

"She hot and you're not," Samuel deadpanned. "'Sides, I've seen Curry's type. He real into petite spitfires and Jada right up his alley."

Sonja wasn't exactly pleased about being labelled a 'petite spitfire' and being up some guy's alley definitely not part of her aspirations in life, but this was a huge break in their case.

"Well what would you have it, I'm in the market for a real baller myself," she said saucily.

#"You are?"#

She ignored LaSalle.

"Yup but between old friends he's a bit hands on if you catch my drift," Samuel said with a pointed look.

So aside from being a murder slash drug lord, Curry also happened to be a physically abusive boyfriend? She couldn't wait to put him behind bars.

"I hear you," Sonja said. "I'm tougher than I look."

Samuel just bobbed his head. "I'll set up a meet, sometime this week," he said. "Don't bail, it's your only shot."

"I wont," she promised.

Again with the long appraising stare. "You know Jada you are looking mighty fine got yourself a real glow these days," he commented shrewdly.

"Oh Samuel I've always been fine you've just never noticed," she teased with a smirk.

#"Maybe we should tone down the flirting?"#

"Shut up," she said under her breath.

"Sorry what was that?" Samuel asked.

Sonja just shook her head. "Nothing."

"Cool, now I have to bounce but my boy here needs to chat with you... see if you still straight and all," Samuel said with a shrug. "No offense but I gotta cover my ass."

"None taken," Sonja said just as casually.

Samuel nodded, glanced between her and Eric before sauntering off, bobbing his head.

They both watched him retreat until he was a safe distance off.

Eyes narrowed she turned to 'Eric'. "I had no idea ATF was on this," she quipped.

He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "It's a drug sting, sort of our thing," he said with a shrug.

"I see you still have an annoying habit of mixing rhymes into every day conversation."

He laughed. "You still queen on puns?"

She snorted.

"It's been a while, Percy."

"I could say the same for you, Tucker," Sonja said leaning against her car.

There was a silence and Sonja could almost picture LaSalle leaning in as if he could somehow catch their words better.

"I should be pissed that you've made more progress in an hour than I've managed in four months," Tucker said.

She smirked. "Maybe it's because I'm just that good?" she suggested.

He snorted. "No one is that good, Percy," he retorted.

She rolled her eyes, before glancing down at her wrist watch. She needed to wrap this up before it got awkward. "So Listen I need to go convene with my boss so I should be getting back," she said. It was a lame excuse but plausible.

Tucker nodded his head. "Sure, I'll tell Samuel you still a bad ass dealer," he said with a smile.

"Uhm thanks." Sonja said before she moved and opened her car door.

"Listen Sonja I'm real sorry about how we left things," he started.

She'd been so close to making her hasty exit too. Sonja thought as she climbed behind the wheel.

Tucker's head was bent, awaiting her reaction.

"Look it's in the past, we're both real good at this so let's make it a clean bust," she suggested.

"Fine by me," he agreed, stepping back so she could pull her door shut. "Just one question though."

Sonja peered at him from her open window. "Yeah?"

"You ever thing about LA '09?"

She rolled her eyes. "See you around 'Eric Grayson'." She said instead before driving off.

/

After Sonja's meet with Samuel and Grayson, they'd all reconvened back at the office. There was definitely a buzz of excitement at finally getting some real progress on their case. They all wanted Curry caught and brought to justice and for the first time in months, he didn't seem so elusive.

Begrudgingly LaSalle had to admit that once again Pride had made the right call. Getting Sonja involved and really sped up their investigation. Moments like these just served to remind him that the man was really good at his job.

Still he had a difficult time walking around all smiles.

Don't get him wrong, LaSalle was just as excited as everyone at their lead but unlike everyone, he'd been the one who had to listen to his girlfriend flirt and hint at being interested in their target. It was all in the course of the investigation and he knew that. He just wasn't exactly thrilled about it.

If that wasn't irritating enough this Grayson guy slash Tucker had popped out seemingly from nowhere and all but insinuated he and Sonja had some shared intimate past. What the hell was LA '09 anyways? And why did he have the need to bring it up?

He was itching to get Sonja alone so he could casually ask her about it, but she was doing a spectacular job of avoiding him. Sure it looked like she was just invested in the case but she was practically glued to Brody's side the entire time they strategized and bounced of ideas on the next course of action.

"Hey, you good man?" Plame asked him on the side.

As the one who'd been monitoring communications between him and Sonja, he didn't doubt he'd been privy to her conversation with Samuel and Grayson/Tucker.

LaSalle shrugged. "Yeah, I'm good," he said, but even to his own ears he didn't sound too convincing.

Thankfully Triple P didn't push it.

Eventually Pride shoed them all away, sighting the fact that they could all use some rest as the reason. LaSalle caught Sonja's eye, silently asking if they'd meet at his place or hers.

"I think I could use a cup of Chai tea," she informed Brody.

So her place then.

Perhaps it was a bit silly that they still sometimes spoke in codes considering the fact that everyone knew they were together, but it fell under one of the many things that only they were privy too so he didn't mind it.

LaSalle got to Sonja's first, using the key she had given him for emergencies. At least that's the fob excuse she'd used when she given it to him and he'd been too touched to call her out on it. He set the kettle to boil and took out a cup for her and placed a teabag inside.

He got himself a beer.

Moments later Sonja arrived. She'd hung her leather jacket on the coat hanger and looked more like Sonja Percy his girlfriend instead of Jada the hard as nails drug dealer.

"I could really use a beer," she commented but headed for her waiting cup of tea instead.

LaSalle watched as she took a sip and made a face.

"Seriously not even a drop of ginger?" she asked.

"You hate ginger," he pointed out.

She glowered at him, placing the cup down.

LaSalle waited a beat. Debated his options before deciding he needed to just go for the kill.

"So... what's LA '09?" He asked as casually as he could muster.