An/ Hey there! This is my first non-Criminal Minds story, so I may need some help. I know Criminal Minds a whole lot better than I know the Mentalist, though I absolutely love it. So if I get something wrong or anything, please let me know! Now that its settled that if I get any of the particulars wrong, you have a duty to tell me, lets move on.

This is Rigsby/Grace because I painstakingly love them but I have it on good authority (Since you know, I am the author) that there will be some Jane/Lisbon, because, why wouldn't there be? Jisbon is an awesome ship.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter One

"I thought I turned you off." Grace Van Pelt muttered to her alarm clock as her head remained buried in the pillow. She swatted at the night stand, though her hand never made contact with the dark oak drawer set. She attempted again, still to no avail. It took a few moments for real thinking to set in, as she had never been, nor would she ever be a morning person. Her first thought, when cognition actually became an option was that her alarm clock sounded awfully different. Hers was normally on an annoying beep, something that always managed to irritate her out of bed, but this--this was different. There was music playing, she didn't even know that her alarm clock could do that.

As she peered up to look at the rogue device, she found the shock of her life. Her alarm clock on the bedside table wasn't facing her. She wasn't sure where she was at but she sure wasn't in her bedroom. The more she looked around, the more confused she became. How in the world did she get here? Last thing she remembered...well, she didn't remember what she last remembered. She faintly recalled leaving work the day before, remembering how she resisted running Cho over with her car for him throwing yet another fit about the pineapple on the pizza, but nothing past that. She put her hand to her head, trying to rub out the throbbing pain that resonated from her temples. She felt nauseous laid back down, suddenly feeling nauseous. Grace looked down at herself, suddenly wondering what in the world she had been up to. Now wearing an over sized UCLA t-shirt that went well past her knees that she didn't recognize, she suddenly worried that she may have been up to some morally questionable activities. She felt around her breasts, feeling that she had no underclothes on. She groaned, praying that her loved ones in the afterlife didn't see her falling off the band wagon last night.

She heard a soft shuffle at the door before it opened, someone instantly hitting the off button of the alarm clock that she now saw was next to the door.

"Sorry, I forgot to turn it off." The familiar voice of Wayne Rigsby said apologetically. "How did you sleep?" He handed her a water bottle and two Motrin as if he anticipated her scratchy, parched throat. She looked him over, noting that he must have just gotten out of the shower. He now donned a pair of jeans and a Green t-shirt that hugged his well toned body. Grace had kept it a well hidden secret, but she loved how big he was. Whenever she was with him, she couldn't help but feel like he could protect her.

She gladly took the two pills along with a healthy swig of water. "What am I doing here?" She asked, her eyes dawning with the realization that she might have..."Oh no."

"What?" He chuckled , taking the water bottle and setting it on his cherry dresser set.

"We didn't--" She trailed, incapable of actually addressing the words. "Did we?"

He shook his head, smiling at her sigh of relief.

"Oh that was...close." She breathed gratefully. "Not that there would have been anything wrong with it if we had indeed..." She said searchingly. "Did it, but---"

"Save it Grace." He said, relieving her of her backtracking mission. "I get it, this wouldn't have been exactly ideal." For you. He added mentally, eyeing her cautiously as she continued to breathe her way through the awkwardness. There was a slight pang he felt within himself as he watched her. This was where she belonged, here with him, but he knew he would never have it. Not with her at least, she had made that abundantly apparent. It wasn't that he couldn't find anyone else, he had a few women he knew would take him up on the offer the moment he gave it, but he simply didn't want any other women. No one held the appeal for him like Gracie did. No one.

"Thanks Rigsby." She said, biting her lip nervously. This was definitely an awkward turn of events. Never in a million years would she have expected to be in Rigsby's bed without her clothes on...well, that was a lie. She had dreamed of an occurrence but it seemed to turn out differently, but this...this was real. And for once in her perfectly formed life, Grace didn't know how to handle what was in front of her. "If we didn't..." She trailed, again alluding to the word she was far too embarrassed to say. "Then what am I doing here?"

"You know," He began gingerly, not really knowing how to break this to her. "I was sort of hoping that you could explain that to me, actually."

"Oh man." She said, running her hand through her hair, eyes wide with panic. "This is not good."

"Well, where did you go last night?" He asked, sitting on the bed, but kept far enough away from her to allow her space. "You were your regular self yesterday and then, you came here and..."

"And what?"

"You were drunk. I'm not talking like, drunk, but like Nascar fan style drunk." He admitted, watching her face flush a brilliant shade of red.

"Well, if my dad taught me anything." She surmised coldly. "What was the date yesterday?"

"June tenth." He said, unsure that would spur her memory.

"Got it." She whispered sheepishly as she smacked her hand to her head. "It was um...a bachelorrette party that I had to go to but I would have much rather not." She informed for his benefit. "And by the sounds of it, I had a great time." Although she had no idea what had happened. She was sure though that it had to have been big.

"I would have to agree." He shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.

"So, why am I not wearing clothes?" She asked callously, figuring that if she gave every single aspect of this its proper allotment of awkwardness, she would die from embarrassment. It was just so much better ripping off the band aid as a whole rather than picking at it.

"That's an interestingstory." He said delicately, not sure of how to proceed. "You arrived at my door and asked to come in, so naturally, I let you in. And then I went to grab you some water and some Tylenol and then, when I came back you were..." He couldn't finish, he just knew he couldn't do it.

"So I just stripped in your living room?" Van Pelt scoffed disgustedly. "This is so inappropriate."

"You were really drunk." Wayne repeated, feeling as though it was the only effective way to explain how he felt.

"And you are sure that nothing happened?" Grace asked firmly, completely sick, and she was sure it had nothing to do with the hang over that had now taken over her body.

"Grace, give me some credit. I would never take advantage of you like that." Rigsby said defensively. "I worked as fast as I could and grabbed you a shirt, despite the fact you were trying to seduce me." He felt a little hurt that she thought that low of him. He loved Grace more than anything else on this earth and would kill anyone who tried that with her, himself included.

"Oh no." Grace moaned softly, burrying her face in her hands. "This cannot be happening."

"Well it looks like it is."

"Alright." She said finally, taking control over the situation. "Where are my clothes?"

"Right here." He said, grabbing them from the top of the dresser and tossing them to her.

"Alright." She said, gathering the scattered articles. "Close your eyes."

But I've already seen everything. Rigsby thought to himself as he complied. He heard nothing as Van Pelt hurried and shrugged the clothes on.

"Alright, I'm decent." She called after a minute. "I .should go, thanks for everything." She said nervously, waving before she darted out of the bedroom. She was sure that this was it. This was the part where her life was officially over, but what she didn't realize was that she was wrong. This was just the begining of it.

An/ So this is the beginning of it. I hope you liked it. THANKS FOR READING! Let me know if you want me to continue it, although, I probably will anyway. But just remember that reviews entice good karma :) and we could all use a little bit of that!