Mr. Lasalle

Chapter 3 - Contemplation

LaSalle was at a loss as Tammy revealed to him the curve that life had thrown at his former teammate Sonja Percy. He refused to cry as Tammy told the tale between her horrible sobs and boo hoos. Talking to her now brought to his mind his last conversation with Sonja Percy as he talked about what might have been. While he realized that there would have been no Jayden, he secretly cursed at himself for not going after her all those years ago when she left New Orleans.

He walked out to the courtyard and texted Sonja on the cell phone number that Tammy had given him. "I'd like to talk to you if you would take my call Sonja. When would be a good time to call"? He sat down for a few minutes in the courtyard to think then remembered that he needed to finish an arrest warrant before noon.

His phone dinged about fifteen minutes later. It was Sonja. "How about calling me at home tonight after 10 p.m. my time. This is family night but Jayden will be in bed by ten.

LaSalle was jumpy for the rest of the day. He was finally able to get the warrant written and e-mailed to the judge then spent the next 90 minutes looking at the ceiling. He was glad that Sebastian and Carter were out in the field. Tammy and King were at the Morgue so it was just him and the NOPD officer in the 'shop'.

King knew something was wrong the minute he saw him. "Chris let's just focus and get this warrant served. We can talk later if you want to."

The sweep went well. The rest of the afternoon was spent combing the property for evidence. LaSalle was actually surprised that he was home before 8 pm. on a Friday night. He ate his red beans, steamed rice, and chicken & sausage jambalaya that he had picked up at King's restaurant with his beer.

He was still trying to figure out what to say to Percy. It had been a long time since he had thought about her and this time it wasn't about his partner. This was goofy Percy the woman. This was the Percy he let go. This was the woman that he knew he had hurt even if it was the right thing to do. This was the Percy who he had pushed into a little space of his heart only to have her fully resurface a month ago with a telephone call from a scared little boy.

He knew this Percy. The one who had ran from him for months. The one who left him without ever fully expressing what she felt in her heart for him. He had done his best to leave the door cracked the last two months that she was there but even with that final hug on her last day with the 'Nola team, she was silent and let him walk out that door with no declarations. Even at the bar she said little to him. He caught her eye a couple of times and noticed that fake smile that she would often put on her face was there, but he knew her.

She was still surrounded by some of her other friends when he left. He hugged her again and she smiled. He walked away somber faced knowing that he had more beer at home where he could seek solace alone. He hated himself that night. He would have labeled himself a coward. He should have spoke up. He should have asked her to stay. Well, maybe he thought, she'll call in a few weeks and tell King that she had made a mistake. Well that had never happened.

The call went as he expected. Sonja was as closed mouth as he remembered. He didn't sleep well that night and got called in late Sunday afternoon. King got a telephone call late Monday morning and then asked him to join him upstairs in the conference room.

"Look Chris. We have been here before a couple of times but I have only seen you this distracted twice before. First when Melody showed up and then when Cade was missing. We have a symposium at NCIS Headquarters in two weeks. I'm going to send you as a conference attendee. Maybe you can fly out a couple of days early and do some site seeing and clear your head."

Chris saw no reason to argue with him. He knew that Sonja's reappearance had put him off his game and he really didn't know what to do. Now it appeared that he would have an opportunity to see her face to face and see if he could help her like her son wanted him to.