An/ So if you would like to kick me for waiting so long to update do so now *grunts in pain* Now that its over, I am really sorry for taking so long. Life has been interesting these last few weeks, very interesting. Note that this is interesting as in wierd and not as in exciting, well it could be pending on your definition of interesting...And never mind rambling ends now.

Thanks to you who have read and reviewed. You are amazing, I would sing your praises more, but that would make this AN even longer, which I don't know if that's possible.

HUGE shoutout goes to tgrfan23 for being the beta extraordinair and reminding me that updating could be a good idea. Thanks!

Honestly, I don't own Mentalist, and I am fairly sure that none of you thought I did, but I thought I'd put that out there.

Chapter 4

"Van Pelt." Jane mused, plopping down next to the redheaded agent as she continued to avoid his eyes.

"Jane." She said politely, eyes never leaving the computer screen. She knew that this day was going wreak havoc on her vision, but she didn't care. At this moment, her dignity felt slightly more important than her eyesight.

"Grace," he pressed, a smile dancing on his lips.

"What can I do for you?" she asked, turning to face him for the first time. She kept her voice even, hoping that she could somehow get him to go away.

"You're avoiding Rigsby," he stated, not a question but a fact, his eyes surveying her reaction. He was officially in psychic mode, which Grace found very irritating, especially now.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she lied unconvincingly, knowing that she had already been caught. "Damn, he is good," she mused to herself, wanting nothing more than a nice hole to crawl and die in.

"I don't believe that for one second." Jane declared. "Your cheeks are flushed--"

"Really Jane, what do you want?" she hissed in annoyance.

"Why won't you give Rigsby a chance after all he did for you--" he asked, noticing how her eyes suddenly became the size of saucers.

"He told you about that?!" she shrieked, earning a look of confusion from Cho, who went back to what he had been doing. She looked over at Rigsby, who just dropped his head, unsure if Jane was actually doing what he thought he was doing.

"Not entirely." Jane informed her. "But he is relatively easy to read and so it wasn't all that hard to deduce the events."

"That's personal." Van Pelt stated firmly. "If you have anything pertaining to the case, great. Unless--"

"You never answered my question." Jane pointed out, not fearing the empty threats that he knew she forming but not yet willing to vocalize.

"Do you ever stop talking?" she huffed rhetorically. "Rigsby isn't interested in me like that."

Jane instantly responded to her statement with a skeptical glare as his eyes told her that he did not find that amusing. "Please Van Pelt, would you at least give me a lie that someone could believe."

"It wasn't a lie." she retorted, his eyes still boring into her.

"After all the hypnotism and all of the drug induced conversations you've had with Rigsby, do you really want to try that one with someone trained in lie detection?"

"There are CBI rules against it. I care too much about my job--" Grace began, trying to rework her plan quickly.

"CBI rules that you seem to be the only person following." Jane countered. "And it isn't about that."

"Yes, it is." Grace lied again, vowing to never again be in this position.

"Van Pelt, you have a classic phobia of losing control, and with your drunken activities, you had to face your fear head on. Now, you are dealing with the thought that being around Rigsby is like inebriation for you, causing you to lose some of that precious control and so if you ever entered into a relationship it would--"

"Seriously, that's not it." Grace said, rolling her eyes for effect. "I am not afraid...I just don't feel for him like that." She cringed at this latest dishonest thought; even she didn't believe that one, and she knew without a doubt that Jane didn't buy it either.

"Grace," Jane said sternly. "If we are going to go with any of your pathetic attempts at lying, let's just stay with the CBI rules excuse, that was at least believable."

"I happen to be a very good liar," she defended.

"Please," he retorted. "You are far too moral to be a good liar; also, lying takes a small amount of personal risk which you continually fail to--"
"If you bring up that I have control issues again I don't know what I'll do to you, but--" she sputtered.

"Your threats are like your lies ... empty," he mused. "You distracted me for a moment. If we are going based off the assumption that you are afraid to break the rules, which by the way does stem from control issues, it would be easier if someone gave you a model to follow."

"Sure," she shrugged, not fully understanding where he was going with this line of inquiry.

"Do you really think Lisbon would transfer you for breaking the 'No dating' rule?" he asked skeptically.

"She might not have a choice--" Grace concluded.

"Because Lisbon is always about following the rules, right?" He gave her a wicked grin, causing her to want to slap him. She stared him down in annoyance, because he continually proved that Lisbon could overlook the rules. For some reason, on every case, he did something entirely illegal that Lisbon smoothed over. But Grace, she was not the type who got exceptions made for her; she was the type who always got caught.

Jane continued, realizing that Grace was stuck there. "So, if the job isn't actually an obstacle, the only factor left is your control issues."

"I do not have control issues." she spat bitingly.

"See, your control issues are so big, that you can't stand the idea that I think that you have them. You have to control that too." He said triumphantly, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Seriously Jane, if you have anything work related to talk about, spill it." She said deftly. "If not, than I have work to do."

"You know that Rigsby would never hurt you."

"I never said he would," she replied. "Work?"

"Throw the man a bone," he suggested, causing her to roll her eyes.

"You've psychoanalyzed me enough for one day," she declared.

"How is it that someone with so much faith in the paranormal has no faith whatsoever in a coworker who has done nothing but prove to you that he will try to protect you?" he asked, shaking his head at her.

"I really do have work," she repeated, knowing that if he hadn't listened to this excuse the last five times she'd tried it, he wasn't going to listen to it now.

"If you had shown up at any other man's door, do you think that he would have told you no?" Jane pressed.

"Rigsby is a good guy, I will give you that," she said softly.

"Would you just try to make it right with him?"
"There is nothing that--" she began to lie before begrudgingly relenting. "Fine."

"I mean it," he pressed, instantly knowing that she wasn't really planning on it.

"I just ... feel so stupid," she confided, blushing furiously.

"Don't worry, Rigsby won't notice." he promised, getting up from his chair. "I mean it."

An/So now ya'll have the option of giving me the silent treatment for not posting and not reviewing, or encourage further Rigsby/VanPelt Developement and Review...The choice is yours. Just remember, good karma comes to those who review.