Author's Note:

Hi everyone. This is my first fic in the Mentalist fandom. I'm taking a slightly different approach in this story—it'll be Grace-centric; and slightly AU. I hope it all makes sense in the end; as I'll be trying to tie it back to canon.

Also, do know that I am a Rigspelt fan; and that this fic will ultimately get there!

Any reviews would be appreciated. Please note that English is not my first language; so I apologize if there are any glaring mistakes—I am trying my best.

Thanks.

Life's Changes

Prologue

Grace sat typing fervently at her desk; the tip-tapping of her keystrokes the only sound resonating in the empty office beyond the low hums of a dozen of PCs.

It was late; and she was still working. She was always working. Grace liked to keep busy; and her job was her number one priority right now. She took tremendous pride in the work she did and was always getting slack from her colleagues for being a workaholic.

She finished typing off her last report of the night and quickly saved the file onto the internal server. She took a quick glance at the clock and saw that it was already half past 9. She silently chided herself for not following her initial plan of staying until just seven before heading home—but her unit just closed one of their biggest cases to date; and she was determined to finish her paperwork.

As she powered down her computer; Grace took a look around the office. Like all bullpens; it was a huge a room filled with various workstations, conference tables and office stuff. They had recently moved into this office and everything had the "brand new" feel to it.

As Grace gathered her things and headed towards the bank of elevators; she reflected upon the last three years of her life. Things didn't always work out the way you wanted it; she knew that, but part of her also felt that everything was meant to be; and that she was where she was right now for a reason.

She wasn't going to question or analyze it to death.

But, sometimes, when she was alone, late at night—she thought if things could have been different. If her life would have been completely different had she not made the decisions she made. She didn't need a second thought to think of which was that life-changing decision was.

Her decision to break the heart of the man that loved her—a man she was also deeply in love with. But she didn't want to tangle up love and work; and made one decision that would change the entire course of her career and life.

Grace sighed as she stepped into the elevator and waited as it descended quickly down the twenty floors to the lobby. She gave the two night guards a smile as she made her way through the exit turnstile and out the front door.

She wasn't two steps outside of her building when she was became lost in a huge crowd of people. There were other professionals rushing home at this late hour; and others heading out to begin a Friday night of fun—swarms of people gobbled her up as she picked up her pace to keep up with the surging city.

This was home now—no longer the calm and mellow of Sacramento; but of one of the world' largest metropolitans. She never saw herself as a "big city" girl; but she had fallen in love with this city and couldn't imagine herself elsewhere.

Yes, her life was totally different now. You could say it was almost foreign—half way across the world; but it was her life now, and she was okay with that.

Please R&R! I hope to have the next chapter up later today. Thanks.