Pride's Price

(Scene)

NCIS Agents Christopher LaSalle and Sonja Percy are at LaSalle's apartment sitting on the floor in front of his sound system. Their backs are pressed against the front of the couch and there is a glass of wine beside each of them. There are candles burning all around the living room and they are looking through LaSalle's music collection discussing music.

Percy: LaSalle you have an awful lot of Elvis in here.

LaSalle: Percy the man was and still is King.

Percy: {rolling her eyes} I'm sure even you heard that he's left the building right? Don't get me wrong I like him, but this much is definitely overkill.

LaSalle: Says you, for me it's just an appreciation of fine art and I'm a collector.

Percy: What else do you have?

LaSalle: Let's see, I have Tim McGraw and of course Faith. I have some Parmalee, Blake Shelton, that kid, Scotty McCreery, he's pretty good. Rascal Flatts, I love those guys. And Carrie Underwood, she's good and she's cute.

Percy: {flipping through CDs, stops in mid-flip} LaSalle, did I just see Luther Vandross, and Beyonce?

LaSalle: Yes ma'am. First, who don't love Queen B and second, me and Lutha go way back. Shoot, his slow jams helped me have some good times during my wilder days. I remember this one time…

Percy: (interrupting)… Dude! If you want THIS time to go well, you will not finish that sentence.

LaSalle: {grinning} I'm just saying. {sobering} Sonja, I wanna play somethin for ya. I think it describes us to a tee. {rummaging through his stacks, finds CD, puts in and hits play}

Percy: {Not knowing what she's about to hear sits slightly smiling, slightly shaking her head, hears the first strains of the song bleed from the surround sound speakers. Her smile turns into a look of astonishment as LaSalle turns around she breathes}…No… You… Didn't!

LaSalle: {The sultry sounds of Luther Vandross and Beyonce singing, "The Closer I Get To You," wafts up from the speakers} This is a song I've never played for anyone before, it reminds me of us Sonja. {Holding out his hands to pull her up from the floor he asks}… Dance with me?

{Percy lets herself be pulled off the floor and enfolded into his arms where they sway together, her head on his chest. LaSalle starts speaking, reciting the words to the song. Instead of the word "lying" he changes the first word to "standing"…}

LaSalle: 'Standing here next to you, Time just seems to fly, Needing you more and more, Let's give love a try.' {He's surprised when Sonja leaning slightly away from his chest, looks into his eyes and unleashes her beautiful voice to sing to him…}

Percy: 'Sweeter and sweeter love grows, And Heaven's there for those, Who fool the tricks of time, With hearts of love we'll find true love, In a special way.'

LaSalle: {speaking softly}… 'The closer I get to you, Baby, the more you make me see.'{Sonja echoes him singing}…(The more you make me see.)

LaSalle: 'By giving me all you've got, Your love has captured me.' {Sonja echoes him}… (Your love captured me.)

Percy: 'Over and over again, I try to tell myself, that we could never be more than friends, When all the while inside, I knew this was real.' {Chris speaking}… (Got to be real) 'The way you make me feel.'

Both: {him speaking her singing} 'My baby, my baby, my baby, my love.' {Sonja turns 'love' into an escalating run}…(Looovvveee…Oooh!)

Both: 'Come a little closer so that we can see into the eyes of love.'

Percy: 'I wanna see into those eyes of love.'

Both: 'Just a little closer let me speak to you I wanna softly tell you something.'

LaSalle: 'Here I am, Here's my love, I just want you to come closer.'

Both: 'Come a little closer, I wanna whisper in your ear cause I wanna tell you something.'

Percy: 'I wanna whisper in your ear so soft, so come closer love.'

Both: 'Move on in real close, so we can celebrate the way we feel about each other's loving.'

LaSalle: 'I wanna tell you words of love.' {Song ends}

Percy: Oh Chris, you just did, that's my favorite song ever!

LaSalle: So Sonja, do we have a song?

Percy: We do!

Chris leaned down and kissed her softly. He grabbed the remote and put the song on continuous replay. Christopher took Sonja's hand and led her to his bedroom where they made love differently than they ever had before. They were slow and methodical, they took time to explore each other thoroughly. They in truth this time Made…Love.

Meanwhile…

Pride stopped by Chris' apartment to check up on the young agent that he thought of as the son he never had. The young man was in such a good place these days. It appeared as if he had finally gotten out of the spiral of his feelings about the whole Savannah situation. Pride knew it couldn't be easy, hence the emotional wellness check this late afternoon. Pride knocked at the back door but didn't get an answer. He was heading around to the front when he passed by the living room window and stopped dead in his tracks. He was at just the right angle to see through the barely open blinds and what he saw had him not believing his eyes.

Chris had Sonja in his arms in an intimate embrace. It looked like they were slow dancing. When he listened harder he thought he heard the faint strains of a song with an unmistakable voice…Luther Vandross. Pride inhaled sharply and looked up again, they were looking into each other's eyes and… was Sonja singing to him?

Shaken to his core, Pride left Chris' apartment without bothering to announce his presence. He drove around the city he loved so much just thinking. Then he went to the only place he could…Loretta Wade's.

Dr. Loretta Wade, one of Pride's oldest friends, opened the door, took one look at his face and said, "OK, this is going to be a brown liquor night huh? Come on in and have a seat, I'll get you a glass." Once they were seated and had drinks in hand, Loretta patted Prides' knee and said, "Ok Dwayne, what's bothering you? Pride took a sip of his drink, sighed and said, "Loretta, I think Chris and Sonja are having an affair." To which Loretta replied, "Of course they are dear." Pride stared at her, "You knew?" She just smiled and said again, "of course dear." Pride exclaimed, "How!" Loretta looked at him with kind and smiling eyes, "Dwayne, those children have been a collision course for each other since you put them together as partners. I have a feeling it may have been even before then." Pride shook his head still unbelieving, "How long?" Loretta pursed her lips and thought a moment, "Umm, I'd say probably a good six months or so for sure." Pride pondered out loud, "How could I have missed this?" Loretta just laughed lightly, "Easy, because you're not a woman Dwayne." "What's that supposed to mean?" Pride sounded abashed. "Oh don't get your knickers in a twist. I just mean you don't have that woman's intuition about all things emotional, especially couples or "shipping", as the kids call it these days. Take for instance Merri, she might not have known for sure but she felt something there. Remember, she's the one that dubbed LaSalle, Percy's 'Work Husband.'"

Pride thought about it for a minute, looked at Loretta and asked, "Now what am I supposed to do about this?" Loretta simply smiled her sage, all-knowing smile and replied, "Dwayne, correct me if I'm wrong, but is there any law against partners fraternizing?" Pride bowed his head and held his forehead between his thumb and index finger, looking for all the world like he had the biggest migraine ever. "No, there's no law, but it's not encouraged," he finally replied looking up at her. Loretta nodded once, "Then far be it from me to assume to tell you how to run your office and your agents, but here's a question… is it working? Are Chris and Sonja working well, or is their work suffering?" Pride paused before answering, "Truthfully Loretta, I rarely, if ever, have seen better partnering, including myself." Loretta patted his knee again, "Well dear, that seems to be your answer doesn't it?"

The next day at Headquarters…

Pride called LaSalle and Percy to join him in the courtyard. They both came out looking askance of him. Pride took a deep breath and launched in… "Christopher, Sonja," he said looking at each in turn, "I've been made aware of a possible situation concerning the two of you." The two agents unconsciously moved closer together as if closing ranks. Pride nodded a couple of times and looked into their faces where he met their wary eyes. "Tell me the truth, are you two together, as in intimately?" The both inhaled hugely and Sonja answered first with a simple, "Yes." LaSalle jumped in, "Yeah King it's true, but nothing has changed. This hasn't affected our work at all." Pride answered, "See Christopher, that's where you're wrong. This has most definitely affected your work. "BUT!" LaSalle started to interrupt, but Pride held up his palm, "Let me finish… I have never, since I've known you, seen you so… focused, so mellowed out, so happy and well adjusted." "Huh?" LaSalle said not quite believing what he was hearing. "I've seen a significant leveling out in Sonja's case too. Son, what I'm trying to say is that you two are good for each other, very good in fact. Your teamwork is solid and you work like a finely tuned machine. LaSalle breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks King, that's great right?" Percy had been quietly searching Pride's face while he and Chris were talking, now she said, "I sense a BUT coming on." Pride looked at her and nodded, "You're right Sonja. This past year, through everything, you guys have been tight. Your detective work has reached new highs, but you guys are still in what I call the "Honeymoon" phase of your relationship. Everything is still rosy and bright. But what happens when the rose-colored glasses come off huh? Sonja, what happens when Christopher pisses you off or steps on your toes?" Sonja interjects quickly, "You mean like he does every other week?" Pride grinned despite himself, "Ok fair enough." Chris, what happens when Sonja has to defuse another bomb, or has to go undercover as a Perp's date? How are you going to handle that?"

LaSalle looked pensive for a moment, "Look King, I hear ya, but here are the facts… I Love Her! Chris drew himself up to his full height, took a deep breath, glanced at Sonja, looked right into King's eyes and repeated more softly… I love her and I trust her with my life. That means I will do whatever is necessary to ensure her safety and success, even if that means standing by watching her take dangerous assignments. She is a highly trained agent, just like me and she is fantastic at what she does. I admire the hell outta her and wouldn't want to change a hair on her head. I accept her as she is. Sonja looked first at LaSalle with her heart melting through her eyes, then at King. I feel the same way about him. Yes, even with all of his Southern, Bama, Caveman ways. I accept and love him for who he is. LaSalle continued, "King, we're in it for the long haul. And I'll state here and now, in front of you, that if there ever comes a time when we can't work together or become a danger to each other or the team, that's the day I'll leave NCIS." Sonja breathed, "Chris!" He glanced at her but kept talking to Pride. "King, we can do this, don't split us up!" LaSalle and Percy joined hands and looked at Pride. They had made their case, there was nothing left to do but await Pride's decision. Pride looked back and forth between his two agents. He shook his head, exhaled and grinned, "Son, I wouldn't dream of splitting you two up. Like I said, "You have the best partnership I've seen in a long time. I just wanted to make sure you all are being realistic and thinking this through. Both agents breathed a huge sigh of relief. LaSalle shook King's hand, "thank you and we have thought it through." Pride pulled Sonja into a hug that he widened to include LaSalle. Sonja looked at Pride, "We're gonna take it as it comes."

Pride set the two agents back from him and said, "Now, I have something to tell you and keep in mind it's non-negotiable…I'm adding FBI Special Agent Tammy Gregorio to our team. Both of the younger agents started to protest but Pride held up his hand and said, "Non-negotiable! If I'm letting you do your thing, I need this to work. I need her to want to work with us on a permanent basis. She's well versed in all manner of engagement. She's an Ace Sniper who's already proven her ability. Yes she's a little stiff, but she's teachable and that's the most important characteristic of all. I need you guys on board. I need you to make her feel welcome. Sonja, I need you to ease up on her a little, give her a chance. Sonja replied, "I'll have you know, we've been getting along a lot better lately, she's starting to grow on me. Percy and LaSalle looked at each other and said, "Ok."

Later at Pride's Bar…

The entire team was gathered including Special Agent Gregorio. Pride bought a round of drinks for everyone, and they were just relaxing, talking about cases, their days and myriad other trivial things that happened during the day. Pride excused himself for a moment and walked to the bar, where he spoke quickly and quietly to Buckley, the Bartender. When he returned to the table, Dr. Wade narrowed her eyes at him but he just smiled and winked at her. A few minutes later they heard a voice over the PA system…"This goes out to Chris and Sonja."

The strains of Luther and Beyonce's, "The Closer I Get To You," curled melodically from the speakers. LaSalle and Percy sat frozen, afraid to look anywhere except at each other, until Pride leaned across the table and said, "They're playing your song, don't let it go to waste." He pulled the both of them out of their seats and pushed them toward the dance floor. They went reluctantly at first and then with a sense of relief. They came together on the dance floor like they had been born there, they were in their own little world, lost in each other.

Pride sat down next to Loretta, "Well, it's out now, no more secrets." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "You did good Dwayne." Pride looked at her, "You know, Luther is one of my absolute favorite performers ever, and this is one of his best. It would be a shame to let it go to waste. What do you say we show these kids how it's done?" Loretta smiled, took Pride's pro-offered hand and said, "Of course dear." They joined Sonja and Chris on the dance floor.

Sebastian, having been embolden by his recent daring brush with prison breaking crazies, asked Tammy to dance, to which she replied with a dead-pan expression, "No." She watched LaSalle and Percy on the dance floor then muttered to herself, "I knew something was up with that whole City Mouse, Country Mouse thing." She looked over at Sebastian and Patton, "Neither one of you seem tremendously surprised, what gives?" Patton suddenly got very interested in his beer. Sebastian said, "I'm not surprised because I did an extrapolation on the ratio of single men to women, and with the odds at only two single age appropriate women… Sonja and Merri… well let's just say I was relieved when I found out it wasn't Merri because…" Tammy held up her hand, "Sebastian, if I agree to dance with you will you stop talking?" Sebastian replied with an eager and loud, "Yes!" Tammy stood up from the table, "Alright let's go, but keep your hands above the waist." The joined the others on the dance floor.

When Chris and Sonja came out of their disbelieving trance they looked around them to find the entire team, including Patton with a very willing Miss Monica on his lap, turning circles around the dance floor. They smiled at each other and Sonja whispered, "Chris, is this real?" Just as softly Chris answered, "Sonja I ain't sure, but if I'm dreaming please don't wake me up." The song was coming to an end when LaSalle yelled across the bar… "Play it again Buckley!" He did, and they danced the night away.

The End

{This is the end of the story, but never of our super duo. Be on the lookout for the next saga in our world of Persalle. It will be entitled Tragedy and Triumph. Also if you've never heard the Luther Vandross and Beyonce version of "The Closer I Get To You," I strongly suggest you Google it or look it up on Youtube. It is beautiful, and if you listen to it, it will give you a better sense of how things went with Chris and Sonja, when it became their song. Until next time, I'll be eagerly awaiting your comments on Pride's Price. Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews on A Moment in Time with LaSalle and Percy and Magnets and Mirrors.

Sincerely, Brice72}