The moment we've been waiting for! He finally tells Percy!


A good month and a half had passed before Chris finally decided to make that fateful phone call to Percy. Pride had been of great support throughout this entire ordeal. It was rather unusual for the field office to run into a case deemed insoluble. But the Holt murder proved to test not only their abilities. But expectations. He made sure no one was in earshot of the courtyard when he brought her name up in contacts and pressed the phone icon. There were a couple echoing rings before she answered.

"Well hey, Country Mouse. It's been awhile"

Her tone was unexpectedly chipper. Especially considering her demeanor leading up to the resignation. Seemed very standoffish. He gives a low chuckle.

"It has, City Mouse. How you likin' the D.C. life?"

Before she even gets a chance to respond, another voice is heard in the background. They needed her assistance with something, which meant she had to wrap things up. It was now or never. He took a deep breath.

"Before ya go. I need to talk to you about somethin' kinda important. Any chance you can catch a plane out here soon?"

More background noise. Followed by what sounded like a giggle.

"Well, can't ya just tell me now, Chris?" Her timbre was now replaced with slight irritation. She wanted to speed things along so she could get to what she was tasked with to help.

"Not exactly.. So do ya think you can make it out here?"

He hears her sigh and call to the man that approached her earlier that she'd be right there.

"I'll try to get a flight out this weekend".. She explained "no guarantees, but I'll try. We can meet at Pride's bar"

"Thanks Percy"


Pride was behind the counter of his bar. Polishing the glasses. There were a few regulars dispersed throughout the small building. He fills a glass with soda water for Chris and made sure Gregorio and Sebastian were away tidying up loose ends on an unrelated case to give Chris and Percy the time they needed.

"Thanks King"

He drawled. Grabbing the drink and taking in a stream of soda through the black cocktail straw. Pride smiles and nods, continuing with the polishing. Suddenly Chris hears the door open accompanied by a familiar voice and turns his head in its direction.

"Well I'll be damned, City Mouse, ya made it!"

He exclaims with a grin from his stool. She smiles and asks Pride if he could get her an oatmeal cream stout. Then making her way over, motions to Chris and asks what beer he wants. He proceeds to shake his head and points to the still unfinished club soda sitting on the counter. This struck her as a bit odd, because as long as she had known him. Christopher LaSalle rarely refused a beer.

Pride gives him a reassuring smile as he was fixing her drink and tilts his head over towards Percy. Giving that sort of proverbial push he needed. He finally gets up and meets her halfway to give her a hug. Wearing his usual long sleeve, close fitting gray shirt. He was hyper aware his belly was a bit more pronounced at this point. Being about 14 weeks in now. Not quite a "baby bump" yet, but certainly a departure from when he was only 7 weeks.

They go in for the embrace and that's when Percy noticed something peculiar concerning her former boyfriend's midsection. Perhaps she was just imagining things. But seemed like his stomach stuck a bit further out than she last remembered. She pats it and jokes.

"Gettin' a bit of a beer belly there, LaSalle. Probably good ya passed on that booze, huh?"

They shared in a fit of awkward laughter until Pride interrupted briefly by telling Sonja her beer was ready. Thank God. Unfortunately, Chris figured she suspected too much already. What was the point delaying it any further? He runs a hand over his face and groans. Reaching for her arm to face him once more.

"Yeah, about that belly, Percy. Its all baby. Ain't beer.. you're gonna be a mom"