A/N: Chapter 3 time. This one is a bit less happy than the last two chapters. In fact, considerably less so, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter!
Pairing: Rigsby / Grace +Tiny hint of Lisbon / Jane
Disclaimer: I don't own the mentalist. I wouldn't be living in England if I did.
Rigsby, Cho and Grace were all sat in the Kitchen at work, having found safety there during a particularly heated argument between Jane and Lisbon. By argument, they all silently knew it was more Lisbon shouting at Jane while he smiled at her, eventually weakening her resolve on the matter, essentially letting him off until she figured it out and got angry at him again, but even more so.
Grace was carefully arranging her healthy snacks on a plate in front of her, and felt a shoot of resentment towards her male colleagues when both Cho and Rigsby laughed it off after being offered some. She eyed Rigsby's 'snack', which seemed more like a full meal to her, wondering how on earth he kept healthy enough to do his job.
"I wonder if those two will get together, they must be aware of the tension between them." Rigsby had intended that to sound innocent, since it was with him, but sensed something different as Grace stood up more straight where she was against the counter, and Cho looked anywhere but Grace and Rigsby, looking that uncomfortable Rigsby only half heard him mumble something about the men's room before he took off.
"What was that all about?" He asked Grace, who just stared at him in disbelief.
"He probably feels a bit awkward." Grace said back to him, still not believing he really hadn't cottoned on yet. All doubts quickly left as she heard him ask why he'd be uncomfortable hearing Jane and Lisbon argue, since they do it all the time. He really had no idea.
"He feels awkward around... us... when you say things like that, Rigsby."
Grace felt her embarrassment at acknowledging the situation leave her and turn into anger as she saw him slowly look from confused, to even more confused.
"Oh, Rigsby, you know what I'm talking about!" Grace snapped at him, Rigsby had a few seconds before realisation hit him. Everyone knew about him, something of which he had purposely pushed from his mind.
"Grace I- I didn't re-"
"You kissed me Rigsby! In front of everyone, and then you forget about it?! I thought you had at least remembered something!" Grace shrieked at him, her red hair flew up around her and she slammed her food onto the counter. Rigsby still finding himself with no time to react, and wondering what he would say if he actually did, having actually never seen the young agent so angry before.
"Of course he feels awkward around Lisbon and Jane, but they aren't quite as obvious as us! You may think you get away with the way you look at me, and what you tell me when you're clearly out of your senses, but you don't! I remember them, and the other's can guess what's going on as well!"
"Grace, why are you saying all of this?"
Grace took one look at his hurt expression and stormed back towards the bullpen. Rigsby on the other hand, was much slower and didn't catch up to her until she was about to sit at her desk. Grabbing her arm he forced her to look at him.
"Grace, answer me, please." Rigsby pleaded her.
She took one sigh and motioned him to bring up a chair to her desk as well; knowing that they would have privacy for at least five minutes, the argument between Jane and Lisbon was still in full swing and Cho would disappear again if he found them sitting together.
"I'm tired of it Rigsby. I'm tired of you only really noticing me when you're not yourself. The first was when you were high on morphine; the second was when had almost been killed by my 'boyfriend' in the men's room and were clearly just happy to see someone who was trying to help you, then the third time when you were hypnotised. And it's killing any chance we have because I know that you're not brave enough to tell me how you feel when you feel like you do now.
"Once someone tells you they love you it obviously changes your views, gets you think-"
"I told you that?" Rigsby cut in quickly. Shock clearly written across his face.
"Yes."
"When?!" Rigsby shouted, a little louder than he'd meant it to be.
"You were drugged up at the time, you said you had something to say and you told me that. Since then I've been thinking about you in a new light I was afraid to explore, but you never did anything after that, that is, until you were almost killed in the men's room, where we both acted towards each other, and then when you were hypnotised, and I know you remember that."
Grace regarded the man sitting before her for a minute, who seemed to be conflicted between too many emotions to speak, let alone look at her. He lifted his head slowly but his eyes never met hers as she grasped one of his hands tightly.
"I'll give you some space now, so you can think things over."
Poor Rigsby. He feels better in the next one.
Reviews are win 8D