The Rest of the Story

Chapter 3 - Welcome Home

The second week that I was there I got tap on my shoulder while in the classroom asking me to go to the 'ROOM' for a secure call. There was Sonja on the screen. "Hey I wanted to give you a heads up that I'm flying in tomorrow. Can you pick me up at the airport?" "Sure" I replied then signed off after she gave me her flight information.

The rest of the day was lost to me. I had not expected to see Sonja face to face. Now what would I do? I had read her letter of confession to me and saw the many photos, some with comments about her feelings for me. Now faced with the reality of seeing her again, I had to admit that I had had those same feelings for some time.

I thought about how I could make her homecoming special. Could I just ignore what I know and see what she says/does or should I jump out there and broach the subject when she gets back in country while we still have time to learn about each other in a romantic way or for me to find new lodging for the rest of the training?

I felt like a silly little school boy as I sat waiting for Percy's plane to arrive at the gate. I'm hoping she's in the front of the line when she comes through customs. She'll have to retrieve her weapon then her bags.

I have known her long enough to realize that she was holding back when I caught her eye. While it was obvious that she was happy to see me, there was a vein of shyness in her eyes. She asked a thousand questions once she gave me that bro hug. We quickly locked stepped and headed to the baggage claim area. By the time the belt started moving, we had managed to come to a pregnant pause in the conversation.

Ever thankful for electronics, I pushed the OnStar button, provided the address and proceeded through the exit and back onto the beltway. I asked Sonja what she wanted to do for dinner. "Let's just stop and get take out. There is a nice restaurant right around the corner from the condo." She replied.

I had discovered the china and other pretty things that women have and sat the table the night before. I had to call momma about the glasses and silver wear. It was intimate setting. I remembered her favorite wine and put it in the holder to chill as she took a quick shower.

Near the end of dinner I excused myself to get up to change the music. "What's wrong with that song?" Sonja asked. "Oh, I just found another one that might be more fitting for the moment". I clicked on the song by Luther Vandross, 'If Only for One Night'. Sonja stopped dead in place. She looked at me with this horror look on her face and then dropped her fork.

"Yes, Sonja" I said. "I found the letter. It was an accident. I was looking for a red pen in your desk drawer and found the envelope with my name on it. You know me -- I was going to open it with my own name on it."

I looked at Sonja and saw the shocked look move to panic and then to embarrassment. I got up and went over to her seat and pulled her out of her chair. Placing my hand under her chin I said "Sonja, it's never wrong to tell someone that you care about them. There is not one thing in your letter that I couldn't have said to you myself. I knew long ago that I had feelings for you."

"We finally talked it out walking through the cemetery. I knew you still weren't happy but then our attention was called elsewhere. I have known since that day you came in late from the interview that I had fit into the equation of your decision to leave New Orleans. I have tried to talk to you many times of the 'why not'. Was the decision wrong to not see where a relationship could go? In general, no. Was it wrong for Christopher LaSalle? Well I have questioned that several times over the past six months."

"I'm not quite sure but every day it's looking like I made a mistake in letting you go away from me. I don't know who mopes more each day – me or Tammy. It took a month for me to get back into Tammy's good graces. She tried to pretend that she wasn't mad at me, but I saw the light in her eye dim when someone else asks where Agent Percy was and Tammy had to say that you had left."

"Tammy was trying her best to get into a dark hole even before she was kidnapped and tortured. King didn't know how quite to handle it but after her incident, he made her go into counseling and it seemed to help her deal with both the abduction and your loss in her life."

"I should have followed suit but I just manned up and withdrew to myself. King tried to talk to me too. He didn't realize how deep the pain was and the real cause. He gave me this training assignment to put some space between me being on the streets and trying to cope with whatever was going on. I allowed him to think that it was more about LaSalle Industries and he bought it, but it was all about you – well, actually me and my stupidity and pride."

"So now we both know how you feel about me so I guess that I need to confess to us both how I feel about you.

"I don't think that I need to say much. You knew it that day we hugged and knew that I was going to kiss you. You ran ever since. I was turned around after they almost blew up the levy. I saw King go into a dark place and it shook my own confidence. Trying to deal with the replacement and watching King move further into the rabbit hole pushed me even more off of my own game."

"As you began to pull away from us, I became concerned. You don't know that I found out that you were lying that night when I asked you out for dinner the night when Sabastian and I took the treasure to NOPD. Tammy told me the next day what she had done that night. I was hurt that you felt that you had to lie

When you finally admitted that you had a chance with the FBI, I knew that was the end of it. There was no need to even try to talk to you about your decision even though it was gnawing at me that part of the problem was me. Even now I want nothing more than to pull you into my arms and tell you how I feel."

"Let's just dance a few minutes and enjoy our reunion. I have homework to do and I know the jet lag must be getting to you.

We did the dishes together and I gave Percy one last goodnight hug and watched as she walked through the door to her room. How I so wish I could follow her. We had exchanged a lot of information tonight. I know her well enough to see she is not dealing with it well. At least she didn't tell me to get out I think as I pick up the pen and paper and made some notes.

Sonja was dressed and gone when I got up. Well, I see somethings about Percy had not changed. She's run away again. I sigh to myself and take a long hot shower. This is going to be a long stretch I think. The day drug by. I was not looking forward to facing Sonja tonight.

I waited until I got into my rental to check my phone messages. There was a text from Percy. "How about dinner and dancing tonight? I found a new bar the first week I was here. They serve vegan food and Iowa steaks. Whew! I let out the breath that I had been holding in all day. "Sounds great" I replied. "I should be at the condo in about 25 minutes."

I remembered seeing a guy selling flowers on the street by the subway entrance. I swung by the few block and picked up a bunch of yellow roses, Percy's favorite.

Sonja was surprised to see the flowers and even more surprised that I remember that they were her favorites. We had a great night out. The music was good and the crowd was small since it was only Thursday night. After Percy's fourth yawn, I suggested that we go back to the condo. Jet lag had caught up with her again.

"Good night Butch" she said over her shoulder as she went through her bedroom door. I looked like a hound dog at the closed door wishing to the utmost that I was on the other side of it. I didn't sleep well. All I could wonder is what Sonja might be wearing in that bed. Oh, well. Sleep finally did come. Finally.