Thanks to those of you who reviewed and said you wanted more. Thanks go out to my boss who gave me a really mindless mailing to get out today. I had plenty of time at work just to think about this story.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything interesting, sigh.

CHOICES - 13

There it was in black and white. Married. If agents were married, they could not hold it against them in promotions or assignments. It would be considered discriminatory. There was the loophole Cho had found them.

Grace was beginning to feel overwhelmed. 24 hours ago, she was completely miserable, looking for a transfer because she couldn't face seeing the man she had fallen for equally miserable. Then she discovered the transfer she was even considering had been offered all over the CBI and her unit. She decides to give it up to make Wayne happy. Then she finds out against all odds, she is pregnant. Against her better judgment, she spills the sad details of her life to Patrick Jane of all people. He convinces her to go talk to Wayne. Then in turn, she discovers that Wayne has eavesdropped courtesy of Jane on that conversation. She finally takes a leap of the heart and tells him the rest of her story. She is fed, cared for, and made love to several times thoroughly. Wayne tells her the story of his horrible childhood. They are just coming together and Boom! Cho arrives and tells her the only way to keep both the job she loves and the man who completes her is to get married! Grace was really wishing at that moment that she could drink.

Wayne was wondering if kissing Cho would be over the top. His life had been a 24 hour rollercoaster and just when he thinks it might even out, Boom! The only way he gets to keep his career and the other half of his heart is to get married. Where does he sign up? Between the pregnancy and the rules in the handbook, most guys would be running for the exit. Not him. Being married to Grace was the kind of thing he only pulled out of extreme fantasy land. He was sure if she knew his truth, she would go running. Any woman would run from his wreck of a past. Not Grace. She embraced him. She believed he could be right kind of dad. Not only was the woman of his dreams in love with him, she was giving him a baby. Hell, yeah, he'd marry her yesterday. But it had to be what she wanted. Her happiness was all to him.

As soon as Cho had read that passage, he knew what their reaction would be. Wayne was beyond delighted. Most guys would have been horrified by these recent turn of events. Not Wayne. He looked ready to grab a bouquet and some wedding cake. Poor Grace, however, looked as if she needed some oxygen and drink. Maybe not in that order even.

"You could be in Vegas in a couple of hours and have this all resolved by Monday morning, you know."

Yeah, the drink, Grace really wanted a drink right now. He could see the stunned look in her eyes. Cho expected Rigsby to grab her hand and drag her to the nearest airport. He actually surprised them both. He just curled his larger hand over Grace's and started stroking the back of it with his thumb.

"Nope"

Because of his size, people often assumed Wayne Rigsby was not that quick. He knew himself that next to Jane and Cho, who processed so much faster than most people, he seemed a little less bright. The truth was that he had graduated from college cum laude. Arson investigation was by nature slower and more methodical. Only recently, did he take point on more investigations. He had also made a careful study of Grace. He knew that a quickie Vegas wedding to keep her job was the last thing she would want. For her, this had all been too much too fast. He could feel her slight sigh of relief. All that mattered now is what Grace wanted.

"What do you want, Grace?"

"I think I need to think a little."

"You take all the time you need. Do not feel pressured. We will figure this all out"

Shutting the Guide, he put it back on the shelf. "Cho, I'll walk you out. I just realized I left my phone in the car. That's why I didn't answer it"

As they stood by Cho's car in the parking lot, Rigsby shook his hand. "Thanks so much."

"You are not going to have so much time to decide all this you know. Not me, but Jane. If he knows, how long till he tells Lisbon? If she knows, she will have to do something. Why not Vegas?"

"If she agrees to marry me, I want her to have the full drill, white dress, cake, church. I have no real family. She does. She deserves to have a memory like that. We start our 10 in 2 weeks, right? I thought that's when I would be leaving."

Their 10 was a unit vacation time. The CBI realized that when you gave one agent off in a unit, they still called in and stressed about cases. Now they had the whole unit wrap up or hand off the case to another unit. It all evened out and they came back better able to handle what awaited them.

"Yeah, but can you get her to agree and pull that off in so little time. What are you going to do if she doesn't want to get married so fast?"

Wayne looked back at the building smiling slightly. "You know, I would move mountains for her. If she doesn't want to do this, and I will not push her, I leave CBI"

"You are not serious?"

"As a heart attack. I won't take that task force, thanks for the heads up, by the way. But I have a lot of options. Don't get me wrong, I love being an agent, but for her, that life, I'd move on in a heartbeat. Whatever it takes, whatever it takes."

Cho was impressed. Rigby really meant every word of it. Not many guys would step up like that. He wasn't even hesitating.

"Let me know what you need, ok?"

"Thanks, I will"

Wayne took a deep breath as he entered the apartment. He began to feel like the last day had been nothing but life altering conversations. Another one waited for him on the other side of that door. He meant what he told Cho. He was more worried about what Grace would want.

As soon as the door had closed behind Wayne and Cho, Grace slumped over the kitchen table. What the hell was she going to do? This was all happening too fast. Thank God he had vetoed the Vegas thing. There was no way she was going to tell her child that Mom and Dad got married at a drive through chapel over the weekend to keep their jobs. Other than her disaterous engagement for 3 months she had stopped planning her wedding at 14, but she was sure an Elvis impersonator marrying her had never been a part of those long ago dreams. She was a planner. Flying by the seat of her pants had never been her style. That's what she needed, a plan.

She started making lists in her head. Lists always calmed her. There was order and control if you had a plan and a list.

One, she was pregnant and keeping her baby. Two, she loved the father. Wayne was going to be an amazing dad. She could just picture him holding a tiny baby tenderly against his strong chest protectively. How sweet would that be? Focus, Grace! Three, in order for them both to say at the CBI, the only way to do this was to get married. She really liked being an agent. She was good at it and getting better. Four, she was only a couple of months along, but time was not on her side. Five, she knew Wayne would marry her. He loved absolutely and without hesitation. Now that he knew how she felt, Grace was pretty sure he would want to get married. She was a little surprised he didn't jump at Vegas, relieved, but surprised. Six, the door opened.

He had that worry line in his forehead again. He was trying to look relaxed and calm but she could tell he was back to his self doubts and fears. She could spend the next 50 years smoothing out that worry line…oh crap. Well, there it was. Six. That little wrinkle was number six. She realized that spending the next 50 or so years with Wayne Rigsby suddenly seemed like the most natural thing to do. Grace was surprised at how easy this whole thing had become.

"Grace? Listen; before you say anything, I want you to know how I feel. I'd marry you in a second. Not because of the baby, not because of the CBI, but because of you. I would marry you. The first time I saw you, I knew. Don't ask me why or how, I just knew. It wasn't just because you are beautiful, there was just something else. Kind of a peace, sureness and a spark all at the same time. Then I got to know you and it strengthened. But even with all that, you don't have to do anything here. CBI is a job. For a long time, I thought it was the most I could ask for, considering my past. But it is just a job. I told you that first weekend, I can and work anywhere. You have worked too hard to have to sacrifice any of your dreams. We do this however you want, whenever you want. I know how I feel, but you are not to feel pressured. OK? That's it.

In the silence that followed, she really looked at him. These life changing moments were really hurtling at her at some speed. She knew he wanted nothing more than to sweep her up and hang on to her. He had squared his shoulders, bracing for the worst from her. He tried to seem so calm and reasonable as he spoke, but that dear little line betrayed him. For a guy who was terrified to ask her out, he sure got over the fear of speaking his heart. Grace suddenly couldn't remember why she was so scared. That peace and sureness he spoke of settled on her as well. Lord knows there was a spark. The man could set fire to an igloo. She smiled at the thought.

"But not Vegas, OK?"

Teresa liked and hated the quiet of Saturday mornings. They gave her some peace and quiet after a week of Jane Madness. She got all those chores that stared at her during the week accomplished. Getting out of bed fairly early to take care of all this had always been her routine. The real problem was that once they were done, she began to get bored. Sitting around had never been her style. She had spent her life making sure things got done. She would go for a run. That was doing something and she could think at the same time. Lisbon was truly worried about her unit. She was pretty sure Jane's stunt had backfired big time.

Just as she pulled open the door, Jane stood on the other side, startling her. Was she now just conjuring him from her thoughts?

"I'll bet you were thinking about me"

She hated when he did that. "No. I was thinking it was too nice a day to stay inside. What do you want, Jane?"

Patrick Jane prided himself on being able to observe and carry on any conversation at the same time. It was one of the things that had made him a success in his past life. But now seeing Teresa Lisbon in short pink running shorts, he would have been hard pressed to remember his name. The little darker pink tank hugged every curve. Jane wanted nothing more than to stroke all that lovely flesh usually hidden by her work clothes. This was torture. He could not be with Lisbon, not yet. The memory of her dressed like this would stay with him longer than he could imagine. He forced himself to come back to the conversation at hand.

"Knowing how you worry about your brood, I thought I would come over and calm you."

"How are you doing this?"

"I don't think either one will go through with the transfer."

"Ok, Jane, and you know this because?

"Lets just say Agent Van Pelt and I had an illuminating conversation. I think all will be well in your world come Monday."

"See, you don't get it, do you? Even if they talk and work it out, I can not have a romance in my unit. There are rules for a reason. I need every agent at their best, not worrying about a boyfriend or in this case a girlfriend"

"Yes, because we all know Van Pelt is the ultimate professional. She wants nothing more than to be Teresa Lisbon when she grows up. But Rigsby, oh yes, the bigger they are, eh?"

"I really don't want to know. If they bring this into the office, they will force my hand. You do understand that"

"Trust me. You go ahead and run. I'll sit here and enjoy the day. After, we will have lunch. I know a lovely spot nearby."

No, no, no. Those two little words were beginning to haunt her everywhere. She had walked out her front door hoping to find a little peace in running. The road calmed her. Patrick Jane always had the opposite effect. He had made destroying her peace of mind an art form. Whether she was cleaning up after one of his stunts at work, or remembering how soft his curls looked, the man was everywhere. Now, she would see him anytime she walked out her front step.

If Lisbon knew what was being decided in Wayne Rigsby's apartment, even a good run would not so easily restore her peace.

So, I am making up CBI procedure here. It just helps my story along. So do reviews. I would love to get to 100….hint hint hint!