A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I always appreciate those who read. This part has some Brody/LaSalle for those who are like me and need some Cherri.

What If Part 2

Phase one complete. Messier thought as he stood far back from the gravesite service watching a somber looking LaSalle. The grieving agent was standing between his brother and Pride, protected by the two people that cared about him the most.

Well good for him. He was lucky Messier thought. LaSalle was a good guy and well respected in the law enforcement community. No one would think twice about his little slip of the trigger. Even Pride seemed to be turning the other cheek which surprised Messier a bit. But then again, Pride was the one who was ultimately to blame for this entire mess. Maybe he felt the kid needed a break, or he truly believed LaSalle was innocent. It didn't really matter, LaSalle was heading for a downward spiral either way, and one that Messier hoped would lead him to his death. Once the agent hit rock bottom, Messier could slip in and make it look like a suicide. Shouldn't be too hard, with LaSalle's family history of mental illness and all.

Poor LaSalle had no idea that he had been set up and neither did Pride.

Spiraling out of control Merri Brody thought as she watched her partner beat the hell of out a hostile witness who had called her bitch.

Bitch

"Come again?" LaSalle grabbed the man by his shirt front. "She is a federal agent. You will address her with respect."

"Okay…f-ing bitch"

"LaSalle stop!" She had seen him engaged in brawls before but nothing compared to this. He looked like he was literally going to kill the man.

"I said stop!" Brody reached for his shirt sleeve only to earn his elbow in her face. Chris hadn't meant to hit her; he was just so into throwing the next punch that he didn't see Brody come up behind him.

He turned around when he heard her gasp, allowing the even more hostile witness to get the drop on him. The two men wrestled for a few moments more until Chris popped back up to his feet with weapon in hand.

"I think it's time we end this." He snarled as Brody jumped in front of him , her big brown eyes bulging.

She held a palm straight out at him while the witness cowered behind her, "Chris, No!"

LaSalle's face twisted in anger towards his partner as he holstered his weapon.

"It wasn't like I was going to shoot him," he grumbled as they made their way back to the Explorer.

Brody purposely waited until she was at the driver's side door before turning on him. "How do I know that, Chris?" For weeks now, his behavior had been erratic. He came to work late, left when he wanted to and on really good days, he smelled like brewery. She was pretty sure he wasn't drinking before work, but that is was the left over from the night before. It was the kind of drunkenness that stayed with you through the next day and leaked out your pores.

Not that Brody blamed him for handling his demons that way, she didn't. But it was starting to affect his work and more importantly their friendship. For the most part, he was still the same Chris LaSalle only a little more somber and serious than he'd been before. No more jokes, no more smiles and no more bantering. It was come to work do you job without too much socializing and get the hell out before the volcano of self-destruction hit.

Even his physical appearance had changed. He would go days without shaving and for some unknown reason he'd taken a liking to a plain white t-shirt with a v-neck that seriously clashed with the rest of his wardrobe.

Brody would never find out that the t-shirt was the one that Savannah had worn the last time she and Chris had been together.

The poor man was dying inside and didn't even know it or maybe he did. Maybe that was he wanted.

God, she hoped not.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" LaSalle bit back, latching onto her arm.

Brody turned around, her eyes blazing. "You know damn well what it means. You were out of control back there. "

"I was just defending you." He argued.

Brody bit down on her bottom lip, contemplating. "I get called a bitch about every other day at this job and I have never seen you go off like that."

LaSalle's right eye narrowed slightly. "Yeah, well, maybe things are just different now."

Brody drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Evidently so. But you are so angry, If you end up killing someone that is going to be on your shoulders not mine."

Chris leaned in closer making sure he was invading her personal space. "I already did that."

"And how does that feel?" Brody challenged. "Did you get the result you wanted?"

She watched as his eyes narrowed and his face turned a deep shade of angry red. He was seething mad. Brody had hit him right where he lived and he was going to explode.

"He drew first," he seethed, trying to marshal the emotion that was forming inside his chest. He wasn't going to let himself believe otherwise. Baitfish's hand did move for the weapon he had taken off of the deputy marshal. It did. He had even pulled the gun out far enough that it fell onto the concrete in front him right after Chris had shot him.

Chris LaSalle was no hero but he wasn't a cold blooded killer either. The slightest of an opportunity had presented itself and he had taken it. It was plain and simple.

"The man still died, Chris. You killed him."

LaSalle rolled his eyes as he started to walk away. "We've both killed people. It's part of the job."

Brody wasn't about to let up. The interrogator in her was in charge now. "But Baitfish killed your girlfriend. He went to your house looking for you and when you weren't there he killed Savannah in cold blood and you wanted to return the favor. You couldn't stand he was getting a deal!"

Chris closed his eyes and clenched his fists. That much was true. But he was determined to stand his ground. Whirling around, he got right back into her face. "You got a problem with me? Put in for a transfer, because from where I stand that's the only thing you're good at!"

She certainly wasn't good at being a partner and as for a friend… He was through with her, finished.

"He's out of control, Pride!"

Dwanye Pride had his nose buried deep into a file. "I'm well aware of that, Brody."

"Then do something!" Brody returned, frustrated. She was not only hurt by LaSalle's lack of professionalism and kindness but she was scared to death he was going to hurt someone or himself.

Pride closed the file in his hands. "What would you like me to do?"

Brody opened her mouth but couldn't come up with a plausible answer that didn't sound like disrespect. "Take him out of the field before he kills someone."

"We both know he's already done that and it's a closed matter," Pride said calmly sounding just like LaSalle. "Trust me it won't happen again."

"How do you know that?" she pleaded.

"Because, I know Chris." He wouldn't go into details, but he was taking steps to make sure his surrogate son wasn't going to go off the rails and end up for a lack of a better term like Brody. He hated being so evasive with her. Chris' situation had to be tearing her up inside, given the fact that she had inadvertently been responsible for killing eight people when her sister died.

"You know Chris," she repeated in a gesture of sarcasm. "That's it, huh?"

"Pretty much," Pride said coolly. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll talk to him about what happened today." Yes, he would talk to LaSalle and reprimand him for his actions and if it came to it he would take him out of the field and make him earn his way back.

But not today. Today he was playing the part of a surrogate father who was trying to deal with a grieving son, who had opened up a whole new wave of hurt when he chose to go after Baitfish. His grief was swallowing him whole, consuming him and Pride understood why. He'd not only lost the woman he loved, but he'd taken a life. Even in the best of situations that part of the job was never easy.

Pride would never ask him directly about the shooting. However, it had gone down was Chris' to live with. In the eyes of the law, LaSalle was innocent; Hamilton had made sure of that. All he had to worry about was getting the heartbroken agent to put it all behind him.

Although Pride's methods were unconventional, he believed that they would work. Night after night, he went to Chris' place, some nights just to talk, others just to listen watching protectively trying to get a feel for the younger man's state of mind. He could pull LaSalle back, he was sure of it. He just needed some more time.

Messier eyed his target, as LaSalle sat in the first pew of the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square, the St. Christopher's medallion in his hand. Today had been another horrible day. When were they ever going to stop? When was he going to stop he thought thinking of Brody. She didn't deserve the way he had treated her. More than anyone she knew the depth of his situation and he had only ended up pushing her away.

"Confessing your sins?" Messier appeared, placing his hand on the agent's shoulder.

Chris looked at the older detective curiously. "Didn't know you were a man of faith, Messier."

Messier slid into the pew next to LaSalle. "Oh, I've been known to frequent a service or two every now and then." A pregnant pause lapsed. "It's a good place for cleansing the soul."

Chris nodded giving the older man a half smile before tapping him on the knee. "Well, I just remembered, I've got to go apologize to somebody."

You do that Messier smirked silently as LaSalle pulled to his feet. It'll be the last apology you ever make.

A/N So, I didn't say that Cherri had a happy scene but Chris is on his way to make amends.