Our Merry Christmas

Chapter 9 - The Son

Life in the LaSalle household had progressed to where it was time for Olivia to start pre-school part time. Chris was just shocked how much she learned from having a different source of learning in her life. Several of her classmates were Latino and dad soon realized that Spanish words were cropping up in her vocabulary. LaSalle found a young clerk in the office whose mother was a teacher. He gave the young man marksmanship lessons in exchange for his mother working with Olivia with Spanish.

LaSalle was hoping that Sonja would be back for Olivia's school program and for her own birthday. No one was happier than Chris to have his wife back home. While it was true that he never knew when she would be home, this was a joyful reunion.

They had always insured that they went out together the first week that she was back in country. Even though it was her birthday celebration she insisted on going to one of his favorite restaurants. LaSalle pulled a small box from his jacket pocket and sat it in front of his wife. She was thrilled to find a pair of white gold earrings in the shape of a heart. She kissed her husband then turned to find her bag.

"I have a gift for you too Country Mouse" she said.

"I don't think that is how it is done wife" LaSalle responded.

"Humor me" she said with a smile!

LaSalle opened the envelope to find a card. Inside the card was a sonagram.

"Really Sonja?"

"Yes husband. I am hoping that this is your son" she said as she patted her stomach "because this is the last baby I am going to have".

This time she immediately told her supervisor knowing that she would-be put-on desk duty. She loved leaving the office every day at a reasonable time. Over the next few months, she was given a wide variety of varying projects which made her wonder why she was not privy to this part of the operation sooner.

Sonja had worked with the Legal Attaché' program personnel on many of her assignments. She hated the one assigned to Germany. He stood out even more because of the teams assigned in France and the ones in northern Africa. No one could ever say that she was stupid even though men still discounted her ability as a law enforcement officer, but he clearly did not like her. Sonja made sure to create a close working relationship with two of the other agents. One was an African American man and the other was a female agent who was of Chinese heritage.

The 'brother' invited Percy and her husband to meet his spouse for drinks. One of the other couples at the engagement was an old spy named Malcom Nance. Sonja explained to her LaSalle afterwards that Nance had made a series of nasty comments about politicians and a TV personality during their time at NCIS. She told Chris that she had seen his name on a report one day and asked who he was. Her boss gave her a short version of his background and added that while he was thought of as an irritant, he had seen files where he had been the only one who had assessed a situation correctly especially when it concerned the Russians.

A month before her due date, Percy learned that the Division was going to be realigning. Two new professional level positions and two support positions would be added in October at the beginning of the new Federal fiscal year. She was asked if she was interested and jumped at the opportunity to have a CONUS based job in the field of operation that she loved.

Her baby was born one day before his due date. Christopher Elliott LaSalle was just a little smaller than his sister and gave his mother no difficulty with the delivery. They were all surprised to see that he had has father's blue eyes as well as the broad forehead of many of the males in the LaSalle blood line. They were able to come home one day later.