Chapter 2

Just Another Day at The Office

After a few more seconds of them sitting there Grace pulled out her cell phone and quickly went into her messages. She clicked 'compose new message' and typed a quick message to Wayne.

"Hey Rigsby, look at my new cat. Isn't she adorable?" As Grace handed him the phone she thought about her fabricated pet. Of all the things she could've picked, why the hell did she choose a cat? She hated cats. She was pretty sure that she was allergic. Well, at least she told everyone she was so she never had to go near the things. Wayne was reading the message with a false smile pasted over his face.

'We need to make sure she doesn't get hurt. I'm going to go check it out unless you've got any bright ideas?' Wayne clicked the buttons fast, chuckling as he held it back.

"So cute, what's her name?" Grace put the phone in her pocket, not before catching what he had replied.

'Go ahead; I've got your back.' Pushing her chair away from the table she said the first name that popped into her head.

"Anna." The scrape of the chair on the floor had made the cashier look over. The closer Grace got to the desk the more the girl smiled. When Grace got there she asked the thing that would take the longest amount of time to explain, that way she would have enough time to get a good luck.

"Hey, I was just wondering what cakes or biscuits or something you had here today. You know us cops, sweet teeth and all." They both smirked a little and the cashier reeled off a list of snacks. Grace wasn't listening, she was looking. There was nothing visibly different about the counter and she couldn't see past the girl's middle, the till was in the way. When the girl was done Grace paid full attention to her again.

"Thanks so much but I think I'll skip, need to lose a few pounds." Turning Grace gave Wayne a defeated look. They sat nursing their coffee's for a minute or two before Wayne had an idea. He knew it was crazy but it was worth a shot. Reaching under the table with his left hand he put a hand on Grace's leg and she frowned but just watched him. With his other hand he knocked his coffee off of the table, making it look like he was reaching for Grace's hand. The polystyrene cup fell from the table and landed with a soft tap, the lid coming away from the cup and coffee spilling everywhere.

"Oh crap, sorry! I'll buy you another!" Wayne said as the girl came from behind the counter. Grace and Wayne both bent over, using the little napkins they had to mop up the mess. When they were running out Grace turned to the girl.

"I'm going to get some more." As Grace approached the desk she unhooked the clasp on her gun holster, just in case. She went to reach for the napkins on the edge of the counter. Instead she gripped the edge and swung herself over the top. Landing rather gracefully she saw a guy in a black hooded jacket holding a gun. He jumped at her and she grabbed his wrist, trying the get the gun out of his grasp. After a rather forceful smash of his wrist against the wall he dropped the gun.

"Grace!" Wayne yelled but she ignored him. The guy turned into her so he was facing her, struggling to get her down. She shoved him away from her with all her force. There was an earsplitting sound of a gun shot as he toppled over the counter. Wayne dove on the guy and arrested him, calling for back up at the same time.

"You good Grace?" He yelled as over his shoulder. She didn't answer, confused about where the gunshot came from. Looking on the ground she saw the guys gun. Reaching for her holster she grabbed at the empty leather...no gun. Then she felt the burn in her stomach and looked down to see her white t-shirt stained red as blood oozed from the bullet wound. Gripping her stomach with her left hand she used her right to steady herself on the counter. Moving around the edge she leant against it, taking deep breaths.

"Grace, you okay?" Wayne turned to her and caught her just before she slid to the ground.

"Grace!" His voice was panicked and the girl from the cashier called 911 frantically.

"Grace can you hear me?" Wayne's voice was distorted and she managed a feeble nod. She didn't hear anything else they were saying. There was a piercing burn in her abdomen though as Wayne put pressure on her wound. She saw him ordering the cashier to take over as he took the culprit out to the cop car. The last thing she saw was the tears of the cashier as she tried desperately to stop the bleeding. Then she blacked out.

The thing that had woken Grace up this time was a repeated beeping that wouldn't quit. It was driving her crazy and she forced herself awake to shut the thing off that was annoying her so much. She couldn't understand why someone wouldn't do it for her. When she woke up, however, she realized that she was in the hospital and the beeping culprit was a heart monitor. Her heart monitor. And then she realized that the whole team where dotted around her private room. Jane was sitting on a chair, buried in a book that looked one hundred years old. Although she wouldn't put it past him to read a century old novel. Cho was standing outside, on the phone. Grace could see him pacing impatiently through the blinds of the window. Lisbon was sitting on her other side, watching Jane with a strange look on her face. It was either anger or endearment. When Lisbon huffed heavily and looked at the TV Grace decided it was anger. Or Annoyance; either was plausible. Wayne was standing by the window, looking out into the sky. He was miles away. Most probably with his pregnant girlfriend, he wasn't particularly jumping for joy with the issue. Grace lay there, enjoying the peace before someone noticed she was awake and she became the center of attention. Withing seconds of her thinking the thought though she heard a yelling down the hall.

"You are a crazy son of a bitch if you think I won't hurt you!" For a second Grace hoped that her suspicions about who the voice was were not true and she was imagining things. But then she saw Cho hang up his phone and try to stop the young woman from entering the room.

"Ma'am if you would just calm down, my name is special agent Cho and-" She cut him off.

"I don't give a damn if you're 007 I need to see Grace!" Pushing past him she pulled the door open and Lisbon stood in her way.

"Miss you're going to have to wait outside unless you are a relative!" Wayne spoke from the window.

"Grace doesn't have any sisters." Grace saw, in the doorway, Anna. She was looking at Grace with desperation in her eyes, mascara all down her cheeks and her eyes rimmed red with tears. Tears that didn't go with her cheery disposition and her beautiful face. Everyone was looking at Grace now, noticing she was awake.

"Let her in." Grace told Lisbon who gave Anna a once over before stepping aside.

"Oh my God are you okay?" Anna wrapped her arms around Grace who winced.

"Shit sorry! What the hell happened? I thought the guy was dead not packing heat." Grace couldn't help but chuckle and then immediately regretted it. Clutching her stomach she hissed in pain.

"Sorry, I'll be less funny. How are you feeling?" Anna pulled a face and took Lisbon's vacated chair.

"I feel okay, considering. It was just unlucky, I guess. We go into a coffee shop and the waitress gives me a note asking for help. She knew we were cops. I didn't know what else to do, the poor girl was petrified. She was just a kid." Grace had looked over everyone else as she had began explaining.

"Ah-hem." Anna cleared her throat.

"What about this girl? The one you left in bed this morning! I can't have a dead girlfriend!" Grace (realizing that all hopes of hiding her relationship were now long gone) held her hand out for Anna.

"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. I promise I'll be more careful." Anna looked satisfied and kissed Grace's forehead.

"Well you're forgiven. Just, stop getting shot. At least you made channel six news." Grace smiled as Anna fit her fingers in between hers. Grace couldn't help but notice how it was like a jigsaw puzzle, the way they fitted perfectly into each other, their hands.

"Well, everybody." Grace announced, even though they were all listening intently already.

"This is Anna, my...girlfriend." No one spoke. Wayne looked confused, which you suppose he would be considering Grace had once been with him. When Grace saw her face she made a mental note to have a one-on-one conversation about Anna with him. He deserved that much. Cho was the same as always, just...Cho. Lisbon looked surprised but she soon seemed annoyed again when she saw Jane wearing a smug smile.

"And what are you smiling at?" She demanded. Putting his book down he got up and walked next to her.

"Can't I just be happy that Grace here is still with us?" Lisbon shook her head.

"Nope. Not buying it." Jane laughed.

"Okay then Lisbon, you got me. I knew all along Grace was in fact hiding a female lover from us. The question was who. In fact you crossed my mind once or twice." Lisbon glared at him.

"You didn't know!" Turning for the door she left it open as she walked down the corridor.

"I did." Jane retorted as he followed her down the hall.

"I'm going to go and...yeah..." Wayne dismissed himself and practically hit the exit at a sprint. Cho just smiled at Grace.

"I'm glad you're okay, Grace. Good job today. Pleasure to meet you, Anna." Cho left, shutting the door behind him.

"Wow, interesting folks." Anna commented as she sat on the edge of the bed and lent into Grace for a kiss.

"You think so?" Grace asked as she kissed Anna. Anna pulled away and shook her head at Grace, tears swelling in her eyes again.

"I mean it, don't do this to me again. I was so worried about you. I thought I'd never..." Grace nodded.

"I know, I won't. Come here." She kissed Anna again. Pulling her closer Grace ignored the pain in her stomach. Suddenly the steady beeping began to rise slowly until it was going rather fast. They pulled away from each other breathlessly.

"Jeez, I must be a good kisser." Anna joked as Grace pulled her to lie against her good side, avoiding pain. And with that Anna from 2B relished in her girlfriends luck, and her girlfriend relished in her life.