One of the first 'chick' movies that Percy and LaSalle watched together was Barbara Streisand's 'Funny Girl'. Chris had thought that she went on way too long about Omar Sharif. She laughed to herself thinking how much he had pursued her just like the character Nicky Arnstein did with Fanny Brice. Her favorite scene was when Nick bought her a fabulous home. She sang the song as she walked through the house room after room after room.
She enjoyed how she was 'wined and dined' as she looked for the items for her wedding. LaSalle joined her at the food tasting. Selecting the tuxes was probably the easiest. Sonja insisted that he wear tails like Nicky Arnstein in the movie. That attire of course was also common in the south.
Sonja could not decide where to have the wedding. After several weeks of her fretting, LaSalle quietly suggested the chapel at Annapolis. Sonja was startled when she went online to look at a wedding file that Chris had sent to her. She had no idea exactly how beautiful the facility was.
Percy arranged to meet LaSalle at his office on Monday. Their first stop was at the Naval Academy Business Services Division office to confirm that LaSalle was eligible to be married at the facility. To think that he had wanted to gripe about being detailed to instruct a class for new PLEBS on local law enforcement. Being an instructor allowed him to use the Chapel. They were given three open dates for July and August and were encouraged to confirm one quickly. Stunned that the July Fourth weekend was actually open, they quickly identified that as their first choice.
After touring the chapel and the Officers Club, Sonja surprised him with a picnic lunch. They laughed and talked while they ate and solidified the details of the actual wedding service. It was another one of those times that she felt safe in her space and with this man she so fiercely loved.
Sonja's sisters flew in the week before the wedding. The next day Mother LaSalle arrived.
Friday afternoon was the rehearsal at the installation. A late lunch was served at the home of the bride and groom. Pride had flown in two days early to buy the food after insisting that he prepare the meal for his former employees.
They were of course, thrilled that their former teammates from the NCIS New Orleans office were able to attend. Pride and Isler stood with Chris while Sonja's eldest sister and Lynn stood beside her. Young Charlotte and her brother were adorable as the junior flower girl and ring bearer.
The formal morning attire and Sonja's long veil and 'Royal' styled dress with its sweeping train provided the opportunity for extraordinary photographs. The photographer offered to by the rights to the photos for his business not realizing what Sonja did for a living. The wedding planner had advised the couple beforehand to sign a non-disclosure agreement and purchase the rights to all the photographs.
They did not venture too far for their honeymoon. They found a lovely property in Oxford, Maryland called the Sandaway and stayed in the honeymoon suite.
The honeymoon never seemed to end. While the couple missed each other terribly during Sonja's assignments, her returns were warmly celebrated. They spent time on the water in the warmer months even managing to take a few days adventure to the Niagara Falls.
Sonja took leave for their second anniversary as they went backpacking in the Grand Tetons. She missed her bubble baths but enjoyed both her husband and the beautiful scenery.
On the job front Sonja passed up a promotion with the excuse that she thought that she needed to enhance her Arabic a little more. She still was not completely secure with some of her newer team members. Quite frankly, it did not help being with the one person that she trusted the most in the world to have her remember what she was missing in having Chris watching her back.
In the meantime, Chris also got a job offer to go to the D.C. NCIS team while one of the team members took an undercover assignment expected to last for a year. It only took LaSalle five minutes to decide that the move was not for him. His earlier encounter with Nick Torres stressed out both King and him. He knew what a prima donna could cost a team and he had seen enough of that at the NOPD.
Another year came and went. Their third summer in the house was spent planting more fruit trees as well as asparagus, strawberries, and raspberry bushes. Sonja said she would always be disappointed that they could not grow peaches.
YOU ARE READING
Our Merry Christmas
FanfictionWe learned early on just how much Chris LaSalle loved Christmas so it would only be fitting that the day would play pivotal in his love life as well.
