Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist (or I would probably be working on real plots instead of fluff).
Grace was afraid the time was fast approaching when she could no longer hide her growing belly.
"How was the appointment today?" Jane's conversational tone as the crossed through the parking lot made Van Pelt glance around to make sure nobody was nearby.
"Fine."
"Halfway there," he smiled as he opened the car door for her.
"Yep," she slid in and pulled the belt firmly over her hips.
He climbed into the driver's side, "Did you find out what it is yet?"
"Yes."
"But you're not going to tell me."
"I haven't told my parents yet."
"Ah."
Grace pointed to the corner, "Turn there."
"How have your parents taken the news."
"They aren't happy."
"They want you to move home?"
She ignored the question and pointed again, "Pull over here."
"You know you aren't supposed to be out in the field like this."
"I'm telling Lisbon as soon as this case is closed," she climbed from the car, effectively ending the conversation.
Lisbon and the others had followed in another car. The senior agent neared Jane even as she watched Grace, "You two have a nice chat?"
"Yes, quite pleasant."
"What do you know?"
"Let's go arrest Marvin."
She grabbed his arm, "It has gone on long enough. Just tell me."
"If you want to know, we should go arrest Marvin."
"I do not see the correlation."
"You will," he grinned at her and walked up the driveway.
Three hours later the paperwork was well underway. Van Pelt got up from her seat, shot a wary look in Jane's direction, and headed into Lisbon's office.
"Can I speak with you, Boss?"
"Sure," Lisbon hoped this was going to be the revelation. "Have a seat."
Van Pelt ignored the command, preferring to stand with her hands clasped in front of herself instead.
"I need to be removed from field duty."
Lisbon raised an eyebrow, "You have worked hard to be allowed in the field."
"And I appreciate your trust."
"Why the change?"
"I'm. . .I've discovered that I am. . .I thought it would be better. . ."
"Spit it out," Lisbon snapped at the red-faced agent.
"I'm pregnant."
A rush of thoughts tore through Lisbon's brain. Van Pelt taking afternoon's off, Jane's flowers, Van Pelt having long discussions with Jane, Van Pelt's declining appearance, Jane's hovering.
"Jane," Lisbon's hoarse whisper barely made it to Van Pelt's ears.
"He knows," Van Pelt acknowledged.
Theresa stood up, the blood pounding through her head, "He is in so much trouble."
Van Pelt wondered how Lisbon made the connection about the consultant and her pregnancy. Grace did sit down now. It was bad enough to be impregnated by a man who didn't remember it, but to have your boss know that your baby's father was hypnotized at the time of conception. . .it was too humiliating to bear. She sat down heavily.
Lisbon threw open her door and shouted for the man in question.
He cleared his throat and left his position at Cho's desk. He might not have been so eager to join the ladies had he recognized her over-the-top anger. He saw it as he passed through the door, but it was too late by then.
"What were you thinking?" she seethed at him.
"That it was not my business to tell you," he told her calmly.
They were chest to chest and Lisbon's fists were balled at her side.
Grace felt guilty, allowing Jane to take the heat for her, but she knew better than to insert herself between them.
"Not your business? I've been endangering the life of an agent and her unborn child, and you say it is not your business?"
"Right," Jane didn't break eye contact even though she seemed to be shooting darts from hers.
Lisbon looked like she might breath fire, "Since when has that stopped you?"
"She told you. She wasn't hurt. No harm done."
"No harm done?" Lisbon's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Do you know what this could do to her career?"
"There are more important things at stake than her career," he reminded her.
"Do you realize what this could do to your position here?"
He cocked his head.
Grace was beginning to wish she had told Lisbon sooner. The boss couldn't seriously be thinking of punishing Jane for not divulging her information. She was about to intercede when Jane turned to her.
"Would mind giving us a moment, Grace? I think Lisbon and I need to clear something up."
Grace moved from the room like her tail was on fire.
"Lisbon," Jane waited until the door closed behind him, "I can see what you are thinking."
"So, now you're a psychic?"
His laugh held no humor, "Sit down before you explode."
"I am so beyond that," she paced away from him.
Jane turned the rod on her blinds to makes sure nobody could see them.
"Please, sit," he perched on the edge of the coffee table as an act of good faith.
She acquiesced to the point of resting on the arm of the sofa.
"Tell me what has you so upset."
"Don't start that. You know why I am upset."
"It would help if you said it aloud."
She looked away, rolled her eyes, and then looked back, "Van Pelt is pregnant."
"You are upset because Van Pelt is pregnant. Why?"
"Because," she pointed a finger in the direction of the woman out in the bull pen and another at Jane, "because this shouldn't be happening."
He smiled, but it wasn't his typical cocky grin, "This," he pointed to himself and then back in Grace's general direction, "didn't happen."
"What?"
"I knew about the baby, but I am not the father."
Lisbon frowned.
"Theresa," he took her hand, "do you think I am capable of a normal relationship?"
She shook her head.
"Do you think I would use Van Pelt that way?"
Lisbon chewed her lower lip, then shook her head.
He pulled her closer to himself, "If I ever find myself ready for that kind of relationship again, I'm not going to go looking for it in a child."
Lisbon's eyes had gone wide, "You're not?"
"Nope," his voice was a mere whisper. "I'd prefer a woman. Someone who understood my past and could love me with all my faults and quirks."
Lisbon blinked, "Good luck finding that one," her voice didn't sound all that convincing, but Jane quirked a smile anyway.
She dropped to the seat of the couch, "Sorry."
"Forgiven."
"So who is the father?" she leaned against the cushion.
"Irrelevant."
"It better not be Rigsby."
"There's one way to find out," Jane suggested.
"Ask her?" Lisbon scoffed.
Jane stood up and went to the door, "Lisbon, I'm disappointed in you. What would be the fun in that?"
"Grace," he spoke just loudly enough for the young woman to hear, "Lisbon needs to talk to you."
As the redhead was approaching, Jane lifted a finger of warning toward his boss.
"Yes?" Grace seemed nervous.
"Lisbon thinks it only right you tell the rest of the team."
Van Pelt's face paled.
He shrugged at her discomfort, "Could you ask them to come in here?"
Van Pelt swallowed and went to do as she was told.
Lisbon stood and went to stand beside her desk.
When the men had joined them, Jane spoke, "Van Pelt has some happy news to share with us."
That woman shot a look of disgust toward the consultant.
Lisbon watched Rigsby.
Seeing that Jane was challenging her, Van pelt lifted her chin and spoke quickly, "I'm pregnant."
Cho's brows lifted for a brief moment before his face settled back into its normal state.
Rigsby, on the other hand, looked as though he had been hit by a truck. He didn't inhale for some thirty seconds. He finally regained his breath, but the muscle in his jaw would not stop twitching.
"Congratulations," Cho nodded as he passed out of the office and back to his desk.
Rigsby's teeth were grinding so hard, Lisbon feared he would destroy all the enamel.
"Thank you, Van Pelt," Lisbon excused her.
Grace had the discipline not to look at Wayne on the way out, but her glare told Jane they would be speaking later.
"Rigsby," Jane suggested, "Lisbon was just saying you hadn't recorded your time in the gym this week. Perhaps now would be a good opportunity to do so."
He looked confused, then relieved. The large man nodded and then left the floor.
"He has more gym time recorded than the rest of us," Lisbon noted.
"He's better off down there."
"What was that supposed to prove?"
"He was pretty upset about the announcement."
"Maybe she never told him."
"I'm sure she didn't," Jane agreed, "but how do you think he would feel about having a baby – especially with her?"
She shrugged.
"He'd be thrilled," Jane prompted Lisbon. "He might be upset she didn't tell him, but he would have chased her out of here and confronted her. Wayne Rigsby looked like a man who just received a death blow. That news cut him to the core."
"Poor Rigsby," she sat down.
Jane turned to leave.
"Wait a minute," she stopped him.
He turned back.
"Who is the father?"
"Since it is apparently not her co-worker, I don't see how that is any of your business."
"But you know?"
He didn't answer with words, but his silence told the truth of it.
"Will he take care of Van Pelt and the baby?"
"If she lets him."
Lisbon sighed.
"Anything else?"
She thought for a moment, "How far along is she?"
"Twenty weeks."
Lisbon's eyes grew.
Jane left on a chuckle.
