Then Came You

Chapter 10 - Refuge

Christopher LaSalle had made so many trips to the Washington Dulles Airport that even the janitors knew him. He would often bring one of the children as an extra special reward of a great report card or event at school or in their extra circular activity. Tonight, however, he needed his wife.

It had been a tough week in the office. His partner Charlie had chosen to retire. He said it was just time but Chris knew better.

Charlie had never come to grips with his son's death. It was indeed so tragic and so unexpected. The boy had sacrificed himself to save a little three year boy who had gotten away from his mother at the "Winn Dixie"

Ian saw the child first as he ran through the double doors out into the busy traffic lanes outside the grocery store. The driver never had a chance to get stopped as Ian pushed the boy but was struck by the slowing car. Christopher rushed to the scene after receiving a frantic phone call from Charlie. He looked over the film with the police investigator. It was clear that the driver had no time to avoid hitting either boy. Charlie took a month's leave and returned to the job with a fifteen pound weight loss. Chris was worried. He would no longer come to CJ's games and passed up dinner with other squad mates. He started missing boy's night out.

Through it all, he never faltered on the job but the laughing and joking and snide remarks about the Alabama drawl and that Sonja's weapon proficiency exceeded Chris' ended.

Chris had a hand in selecting his new partner. He hoped he was as wrong about the new agent as he was about his wife when she started at NCIS New Orleans so many years ago.

There she is he thought as he rose from his usual seat in the waiting area right outside the International Arrivals Building. The vantage point allowed him to see his wife as soon as she cleared customs.

"Hi honey, welcome home." This scene was played over and over again for the entire ten years of their marriage. His life was full of "no news is good news". He never wanted to pick up the phone at 3 a.m. to hear the voice of Sonja's supervisor on the other end.

Sonja Percy knew something was wrong as she grew six feet away. His shoulders were odd she thought. Even though he was smiling, she knew it was fake. Her suspicions were confirmed when he wrapped his arms around her but held on tight.

"What is it Country Mouse? Is something wrong with Cade?"

Silence. They stood there in silence.

"Come on honey" he finally said "let's go get your weapon" as he took her carryon from her.

"It's Charlie" he finally said on the tram. "Most retirees are deliriously happy or brought to tears. Charlie showed little emotion at his retirement ceremony. He's still not eating right. I found out from his wife that he won' talk to her either."

LaSalle had been down this road way too many times. King changed into a mad man to get back at Mayor Hamilton. Tammy reacted just like him and went wild after her kidnapping then Sonja's departure from the team. Sabastian and Sonja retreated into their own little worlds when their trauma's hit.

He had asked family friends if the kids could stay over for the weekend. It worked out that the new nanny was going on a prayer retreat that weekend with a group of ladies from her church. It would just be Christopher and the love of his life. While others had challenges in their marriage, Christopher realized that her being away so much reduced the opportunities for arguments or other frictions.

Every reunion was a time of excitement and for his part, relief that she did come back home. They had been to seven funerals since he relocated to D.C. Sonja had been involved in several shootouts. He wasn't supposed to know about her missions but Isler somehow found out and would quote him a baseball saying "there is no joy in joyville today". She was unable; of course, to cover up the time she got shot in the shoulder.

The bullet hit her left arm so it didn't interfere with her ability to fire her weapon in her standard excellent position.

Chris picked up dinner on the way home. He had sat the table before he departed for the airport. It was the romantic retreat that LaSalle needed not just for their marriage but for his mental health. They didn't even bother to get dressed for three days.

Sonja was happy but not surprised that her husband had done all of her laundry while she tried to acclimate herself back onto Eastern Standard Time asleep. She realized that she needed him at this time as well. The road got lonely and in spite of her working with some good agents, she never felt as safe as when Chris had her back in life and death situations.

She took a moment to walk through the house during a sleepless moment. As she looked at the photos, the furniture and the toys she wondered how she had met this marvelous man. She walked briefly into their closet to retrieve something from her carryon and saw a box on a shelf that she did not recognized. She reached for her trusty step stool and brought the box to floor. She opened it and inside found what appeared to be every letter that she had ever written her husband. She had found herself very lonely on many of her missions. She would sit down and write Chris a letter which he would not see until she returned. She had not given the custom much attention but now as she held them in her hands she realized that they meant something to him. It touched her heart to know that he had kept all of them.

Later than night wrapped in his arms she told him "Christopher, I found your box of letters".

"Oh" he responded.

"I had no idea that you would keep them."

"Look Sonja" he started with emotion in his voice, "Those letters are my lifeline to you. They have served as a conduit to my heart from you. It is a great comfort to know that in the middle of all that tension and danger that the children and I are on your mind."

Sonja wasn't quite sure who cried more that night but she also realized how much that they needed this time together. How she wondered as the tears trickled down her face that she could also be happy. Then it came to her that this man not only trusted her with his life but that he trusted her with his heart as well. In the entire world and with all the women that she had seen him with with her own eyes, he chased her across the country and made a lifetime commitment to her alone.