Part 1 is slightly edited.

Thanks for the reviews. I know Pride is the Master Chef in the team, but who says LaSalle doesn't know how to cook? I think Brody is the weakest chef/cook in the team, especially since she needed to consult a "foodie blog" in the episode.

I must admit I don't know much about Louisiana/Creole cuisine or that Alabama cuisine. Most of what I write here is what I find online. Neither do I have strong knowledge of Aikido and its various techniques. This isn't (quite obviously) going to be an action-filled story.

LaSalle's Residence

French Quarter, New Orleans

1430 local

"No, no, no, that's too much water for the Grits," Chris LaSalle interrupted. "Grits needs to be nice and slightly gooey, not like watery rice."

"Ok, this much?" Brody held up the bowl.

"No, now that's just a bit under," the Alabama boy said. He topped up the \right amount and placed it on the stove to boil. "Now, for the LaSalle family secret recipe for biscuits." They moved over to the table where they was a host of ingredients from flour to buttermilk.

"Now, you have to be really chemically precise over here," LaSalle commented. "Could you sift the dry ingredients for me while I warm up the milk?" Brody tightened her apron and was about to mix all the ingredients together when she stopped. "This is quite alot of sugar, LaSalle," she held up the bowl. "And you also added a cup of golden syrup."

"That's why it's called my family's secret; it's sweeter than most biscuits," LaSalle grinned, bringing over the wet ingredients. Soon everything was mixed and LaSalle sounded even more excited as he announced, "now it's time to get kneading."

"You sound like a puppy who just found a new bone or a kid with his latest toy," Brody laughed, poking her partner in his ribs. Over the next few minutes, both Federal Agents kneaded and shaped the biscuits. "Hey, a little thinner," LaSalle commented, looking at Brody's raw biscuits. "This thin?" She asked. "No, no, a bit more," he said leaning closer.

"Damnit, LaSalle, it's so troublesome," Brody said, laying down the cutter. "Just give me a pot, a pan and some foodstuff and I can whip up something easy and nice."

"Ah but down here food is nice but takes good ol' time to make," LaSalle flashed his signature grin. "Ok, that's it for now, we lest the biscuits rest for a while before we shove them in the oven. Your turn to show your stuff."

"Show my...?"

Oh shit. "I mean your Aikido moves."

"Oh," it was Brody's turn to laugh. "Ok, extend your arm." LaSalle did so and even before he could raise his eye brows he was thrown in a quick move down on the floor. "Hey!"

"You did say you wanted to see my stuff. Now that's a quick lesson of a mixture of second and third teaching techniques," Brody grinned, as LaSalle got up, rubbing his wrist and arm.

"Ok, what's next?"

"Well, I could show you the four-direction...OW!" LaSalle pushed Brody with his other hand against the table top. "LaSalle! What was that for?"

"That's returning the favour and showing you how we do it down in 'Bama," he laughed. "Now's we're eve..." Just as he was about to say 'even', a sprinkle of flour flew in his direction. "Brody!"

"So you wanna play rough, huh?"

"Yeah!" With that, LaSalle threw some sugar in her direction. Both Federal agents launched into a 'battle' throwing the various ingredients at each other. After ten minutes, both of them were cover with multiple spots of flour, salt, drenched with water, buttermilk and even egg yolk in their hair and shoes. "Ok, ok, that's enough," LaSalle said, breathing rapidly and trying to brush off the biscuit batter that stained his torso and even crotch.

"Now that's something they don't teach you in Aikido class," Brody commented, shaking the flour from her short hair. "We were so childish."

"Yeah, battle over? Oh darn, looks like we really can't eat anything," LaSalle pointed at the table top, which now evidently had destroyed biscuits. Even the gumbo they prepared earlier was splattered all over the floor, along with other ingredients—he had planned to make hot apple fruit and cornbread.

"Well, you can eat the sugar off your jeans," she laughed. Both of them finally got up and simultaneously headed to the kitchen sink to wash up. "Hey, LaSalle, stop that," Brody protested as his hand came into contact hers. "My hands are dirty."

That line again. Where have I heard that before? As both of them got up and headed for the sink, LaSalle remembered. Ah yes, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, that scene where Princess Leia finished repairing something on the Falcon and Han Solo was touching her hands...

"My hands are dirty too; what are you afraid of?" Oh darn, I used the same line, he thought. Now what is she going to say?

"I'm not..." Brody's reply was interrupted by a cell phone ring.

"Yeah, King," LaSalle said, gingerly holding his phone with of his fingers. "Yeah, ok, I'll be there in twenty. Uh, Brody is," he turned to her and she mouthed some words. "Brody's meeting someone but she'll be there too."

"Carjack of a Navy-issued vehicle," he informed his partner. "I guess we better really wash up and gear up."

"Chris," Brody started. "sorry about that sudden move earlier on."

She called me by my first name, he thought. "Sorry to be so picky over the food."

"Let's do this again some other time, partner?"

"Yes, let's."

The End.