So this one is a bit of an experiment for me. The first few chapters will have more of a Morena focus, then it'll have more of a Brody/Lasalle focus.

It starts in series one, between Love Hurts and Watch Over Me. Here in the UK, we're still on Series 1, so some things might not match up with the series cause I hate spoilers.

Enjoy!

XOXOXOX

Chapter 1

"What do you think?" Brody asked as she and Lasalle left the suspect's house for the car.

"Lying through his teeth," Lasalle replied. "Unfortunately we don't have the evidence to support it."

"Maybe Sebastian'll have given Pride something," Brody said optimistically, climbing into the passenger seat. Before Lasalle could reply, his cell phone cut the conversation short.

"Lasalle," he said, tucking the phone under his chin so he could clip on his seatbelt. "Speaking... Damn. Okay, I'm on my way. I'll be... thirty minutes. Thanks, bye."

He hung up before tossing his cell phone to Brody.

"I gotta make a stop, family emergency. I'll drop you back, tell Pride I won't be long?"

"It won't take long?"

"Nope."

"Then go now. I can wait in the car, you don't even need to tell me what's going on."

"Thanks Brody."

To Brody's surprise, they pulled up outside one of the city's high schools. Lasalle jumped out and ran up the steps into the building. Glancing around, he spotted the sign for the office. He jogged down the corridor.

"Hi, I'm Morena Lasalle's father," he said.

"Through there," the receptionist replied.

Lasalle followed her directions and found Morena sitting with another female member of staff.

"Hey," he said, crouching down in front of his daughter. He noted how one hand was tightly fisted, the other tapped incessantly against her left leg while her right leg bounced up and down. Her breathing was quickened, although he knew not as quick as it would have been before he arrived. "How you doing sweetheart?"

"I'm okay," she replied, giving him a brief smile.

"You sure?"

He took the hand that was tightly clenched in a fist, slowly fighting against the tension to uncurl her hand and slip it into his. Immediately her grip tightened around his fingers. With his other hand, Chris tucked her hair back behind her ear.

"Yeah," Morena said. "I called mom. The baby was asleep and the rest of the kids are at school so she had some time to talk."

"That's good," Chris smiled, making a mental note to call Ashlyn later to let her know Morena was okay. "You feel up to going back to class, or d'you wanna come with me? Now I gotta go back to the office for a few hours, but I'm sure Pride wouldn't mind you hanging out in the kitchen."

"Can I come with you?"

"Course you can," he smiled. He turned to the member of staff. "That okay?"

"Of course," she replied.

While she waited in the car, Brody put in a quick call to Pride to let him know they'd been delayed. He'd told her not to worry, he'd see them when he got back from seeing Loretta and Sebastian. Glancing out the window, she caught sight of Lasalle coming out of the school now accompanied by a teenage girl. Her curiosity was piqued, however, having promised not to ask any questions, she kept them to herself.

"You lasted longer than I thought you would," Chris said, wrapping an arm around Morena's shoulders. "You got till two thirty. Not bad for your first day."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Would I do that? When have I ever lied to you?"

"You mean apart from when you told me you were a secret agent when I was five?"

"Yeah, well, I was younger then. I'd never lie to you now," he replied as he opened the car door for her. "This is Agent Brody," he continued, jumping into the driver's seat. "Brody, this is Morena."

"Hi," Brody smiled before passing Lasalle his cell phone. Morena flashed her a quick smile.

"Right, let's go before Pride reports us missing."

XOXOXOX

"Well look here, can it be Miss Morena?" Pride said. "Come here kiddo."

Morena ran past her father and Agent Brody into Pride's waiting arms.

"Hey King."

"Hey kid. Long time no see. You're looking good." Pride kissed her temple.

"I missed you too," Morena replied, stepping back.

"So am I going to be seeing a lot more of you?"

"You bet, specially if you still make that awesome gumbo I remember."

"Hey," Pride said. "I only make awesome gumbo."

"Good. Taste of my childhood. Mom just don't make it the same."

Pride ruffled her hair. Other than her father, he was the only one who could get away with it.

"Okay, go on through to the kitchen," Lasalle instructed. "You got homework to do and we got a case."

"What?" she objected.

"Homework. Now."

"Fine."

"Come on princess," Pride said. "I think we got some chocolate hiding in there. Might make the work a might more enjoyable."

He guided Morena through to the kitchen, leaving Lasalle and Brody alone. Morena's laugh echoed eliciting a smile from Lasalle. He turned to Brody.

"You got questions."

"I didn't-" she began.

"It's alright, ain't a secret. She's my daughter."

"Wow. I had no idea that you had a daughter."

"She stays with her mom usually," he explained. "She's coming to stay with me for a while though. Two years ago, there was a fire. Her ex-step father didn't take too kindly to the information his ex-wife was marrying again and having another baby. Morena was the only one home at the time. Since then she's been struggling with anxiety attacks. Her mom's just had another baby, and their place ain't too big. Just a bit too noisy for her at the moment. Here it's just her and me. Besides, she needs someone who can focus on her. Ashlyn does her best, but she's got three other kids. Even with Tom – her husband – that's a handful."

"She's a beautiful girl," Brody commented, glancing through to the kitchen.

"Yeah, takes after her mom at that age. Not too much though I hope. Ashlyn wasn't that much older when Morena came along."

"Bit of a surprise?" Brody smiled.

"Big surprise! But a good one."

"You and her mom grew up together?"

He nodded.

"Known each other since we were five years old. Used to kick my ass in the playground."

Brody laughed.

"I feel like I need to meet this girl," she grinned.

"Maybe you will."

Then Pride returned to the squad room, and they turned their attention back to the case.

XOXOXOX

"Hey, how you doing?" Chris asked quietly, letting himself into his daughter's room. The room was largely out of date, with a number of the items in it from when Morena was younger. Her visits had been less frequent during the last two years; unable to take the train on her own without suffering from a panic attack, she'd had to rely on her parents for rides. Ashlyn rarely had time, so it fell to Chris when he had a few days off.

Morena was tucked up in bed reading. Since she'd learned to read, she'd always read in bed before going to sleep every night – to the extent that her parents had to check multiple times that she really had put her book down and gone to sleep. Personally Chris blamed it on all the stories they'd told her from the day she was born.

"I'm alright," she replied putting down her book.

"Good. Now you need anything, you just holler, okay?"

"Okay," she smiled.

"Good. Now come here and give me a hug."

Morena nestled into her dad's embrace, inhaling the smell of his aftershave. The smell coupled with the feeling of his hand running through her hair was everything she associated with safety. Her childhood was peppered with similar occurrences: after her mom had left her first husband; after falling off her bike; after loosing her favourite toy; after being bullied; after her mom announced she was getting married again.

"I love you," Chris whispered.

"Love you too daddy."

"Now, book down and lights out," he said after releasing her. "G'night."

"Night."

He returned to the living room, flicking on the TV. Then he sat down on the couch, reclining back, feeling his eyes droop.

He must've allowed himself to fall asleep on the couch – not an unusual occurrence in itself – because they next thing he knew, he was jolted awake. Momentarily disorientated, Chris didn't know what had woken him until a second shout of, "Dad!" echoed from Morena's room. He scrambled off the couch, before racing through the hall. Bursting into Morena's room, he found her sitting upright, gripping tightly onto the blankets, breathing heavily. She whimpered.

"Morena," Chris said. "Morena sweetie, look at me. It's okay. Just breathe. Just breathe slow. It's gonna be okay."

While taking her hands with one hand, he reached for her iPod, sitting it into the dock before flicking through it until he found the album he used to play to Morena as she fell asleep as a toddler. Music had always been her escape, something which had only increased since her introduction to Pride.

As much as he hated it, Chris knew there was nothing he could do. He really wished there was though.

Eventually Morena's breathing slowed. Pressing her eyes together, her shoulders began to shake and tears slipped down her face.

"I am so tired of this," she whispered. "I don't wanna feel like this anymore."

"I know. I know princess. I know."