Hello to my fans and first time readers: I love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Wish I owned this show..... But I don't...........

Chapter 3

Rigsby pov.

I sat next to her while she slept; watching the labored breaths.

Two hour ago doctors had done surgery on her thigh where Grace had been stabbed. The wound had been deep enough that it went through veins and almost sliced an artery.

I looked down at her neck and saw small slices on her collarbone. 'Grace; Poor Grace.' I thought.

"Agent Rigsby?" A voice asked.

I turned and saw the doctor who had been taking care of Van Pelt standing in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"I have Miss. Van Pelt's information filled out. We'd like to keep her for about two more days just to make sure that the veins don't rupture." The doctor murmured lightly.

I nodded and took the clipboard.

Name, birthday, allergies… diagnoses; that was what I was looking for. Severed veins, minor cuts all over body.

I stopped and my eyes widened.

Indications of rape.

My worst fear was true. Not only had that bastard Marklin taken Grace and tortured her, he violated her. That damn sonuva bitch. I now wished I didn't kill him so I could torture him with a knife as he did to Grace.

"Knock, knock." I turned and saw Lisbon, Jane and Cho standing in the doorway.

"Hey." I clenched and unclenched my jaw in anger.

"Did something else happen?" Lisbon asked worriedly.

"He raped her." I growled in rage. Lisbon's eyes widened and Jane looked at Grace pityingly. Cho shifted, seeming uncomfortable with the conversation.

"That damn bastard!" I shouted under my breath. Sure, everyone on my team knew about me loving Van Pelt, but I usually didn't go around presenting it to people. "He paid for what he did. Now he'll rot in hell for all eternity." Jane said in a sure voice.

"Sure as heck he will." I mumbled sitting back into the bedside chair.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Hours passed and Grace had barely stirred from her much needed sleep. Lisbon was talking to a doctor and Cho and Jane were getting coffee. I sighed and leaned forward to stroke Grace's cheek.

Strands of her red hair had fallen onto her face and I swept it to the side and heard her whimper under my touch.

A few tears trickled down her cheeks and her eyes opened swiftly.

"R-Rigsby?" She mumbled in a feather light voice. I smiled sadly and nodded.

"Hey Grace." I watched her face fall and her body shake with violent sobs.

"T-thank y-you." I had never seen Grace weak until now. She was a strong willed, independent woman.

"It's okay Grace, you're safe now." I said as calmly as I could.

"Sweetie! We came as soon as your boss called us."

I turned and saw a woman with short, brown hair running into the room with a terrified look on her face. A man trailed behind her with an equally scared expression. He had messy hair which looked as if it would have been Grace's honey red if it wasn't graying.

"M-mom? Dad?" Grace questioned shakily.

The woman stopped next to her daughter and took her hand lightly. A look of love and care crossed the older woman's face.

"I heard all that he did to you. It's terrible. I wish I could have taken your place. You never deserved any of that." Grace's mother choked as tears brimmed over her eyes.

Tears stained Grace's cheeks and sobs shook her again.

I stood and was about to leave the room. This was a family moment. "Rigsby st-stay please." I heard Grace say quietly.

I thought I heard wrong, but when I saw Grace watching me through teary eyes I turned and walked to the side of her bed.

The older man who was Grace's father eyed me questionably.

"H-he saved my life." Grace mumbled seeing her fathers glances.

Both of her parents' gazes snapped up to look at me.

"We owe you more than you could ever know."

Those were the first words that Grace's father said to me.

Grace's mother bobbed her head swiftly in agreement, tears still falling down her face.

Her father laid a hand on Grace's forehead and leaned down to kiss it lightly.

They obviously cared for Grace more than anything.

I knew that she grew up in a Christian family with a father who coached football. The man looked gentle and loving, not exactly football coach material. It was easy to tell where Grace got her fiery personality; her mother.

"You guys didn't have to come in to see me." Grace said quietly as she sniffed lightly.

"We had to see you Grace." Her father spoke. "We'll always be here for you."

Grace nodded with tears still gleaming in her eyes.

A knock was heard and we all turned and saw a nurse standing at the door with a needle in her hands.

"We just need a little blood to see if there is any more of the drugs in your system." The nurse said quietly as she crossed the room.

Grace nodded and eyed the needle precariously.

The nurse carefully stuck the needle into Grace's arm. We watched as she winced and her breath quickened. She started to tremble in fear and her eyes glazed over as if she wasn't seeing what we saw.

Tears streamed down her face and she cried out.

"Take it out!" I shouted to the nurse. She jumped lightly and spoke.

"I can't yet."

I growled and watched Grace whimper in fear at the pain she was in. Or, was it memories.

Grace had said someone had drugged her. That probably was delivered by needle. And, that was most likely why she was reacting this way to the needle.

The nurse slipped the needle out of Grace's arm and gave me a forgiving glance. I didn't even notice her though; my eyes were on Grace.

Her eyes were closed and tears still trickled. "It's okay Grace." I whispered. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up to me terrified.

Grace's parents watched frightened as their child's eyes darted around the room; paranoid.

"Hey, Grace. Look at me. You're safe now, okay?"

Her eyes looked back to me and I saw the ever-present tears come back.

"I'm sorry." She whispered brokenly.

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for." I said firmly.

Grace breathed in deeply and looked to her parents who weren't used to calming down people after trauma.

Grace's mother's hand moved to her daughters and she squeezed lightly.

"You are safe now sweetie. Nothing can hurt you now."

Grace nodded and her eyelids drooped lower.

"Sleep. You need it." Her father said sternly.

Grace obeyed and closed her eyes. It seemed she fell asleep instantly.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"So, have you always liked my Grace?"

Silence.

I blinked and my brows furrowed.

"Uhmm….. She is a great colleague and friend." I said.

After Grace had fallen asleep her mother had pulled up a chair and kept holding her hand until they were both dozed off. Her father had stayed standing and I was looking out the window to see nothing but the blank grayness of the overcast day.

"Right. You like her more than that. You saved her life." His voice was calm yet demanding.

"I would do that for any of my friends." I stated.

I really didn't feel like talking about my undying love for this man's daughter right now.

"Right son. Do you also comfort your friends like that and stay by their bedside for hours without sleep? Do you watch them with a gaze so soft and careful? I don't think so."

This man seriously was bugging me. All I wanted was to be here for Grace but he was making it hard.

I turned and look him straight in the eyes.

"I love her. Ever since the first day she walked in the unit, I loved her."

It was all the truth.

I did fall in love with her the second I saw her.

I know it sounds cheesy and fake but it was the truth.

Grace was kind and caring. Whenever she worked on cases it was like she gave 100% to the people. She would comfort families that had lost loved ones and she always responded to them with sympathy. They like her.

I admired the way she worked and everything about her.

That admiration turned to love as I watched her work and speak and move.

"Good, take care of her. I know you can."

My eyes widened. What, he wanted me to be with his daughter?

"What?" I blurted.

"You saved her. That itself is proof enough that you can take care of my baby girl." He said with love in his eyes as he watched his daughter sleep.

"She doesn't like me that way. I'm sure of that."

The man snorted and turned to me.

"I think I know my daughter. Ever since the incident when she was sixteen, she has been unsure of men. She just needs time. I can see that she loves you too." He voice was sure.

Silence filled the room. And I asked.

"What happened when she was sixteen?" I asked quietly.

The man sighed and put his hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"She was so excited. We told her she could date this John that she talked about endlessly. We told her to careful and remember the Bible. Grace was a good girl and her mother and I knew she would be responsible.,"

The man paused and looked up to me.

", She had been dating him for about a month when one night she came home with a bleeding arm and tears streaming down her face. Naturally we asked what was wrong and Grace told us that John had gone to a party and was drunk when he came to pick her up.,"

I watched the man's teeth clench and unclench.

", John had taken her to his house and forced her to undress. He almost raped her but she managed to get away. She had stumbled home."

Grace's father's gaze was intent on me. "You have no idea how infuriated I was. I had John put in prison for domestic violence and underage drinking. I slowly watched my baby become depressed. That was when I decided to move from Wyoming to Arizona. I wanted my girl to have a fresh start. Her brother had been happy about the move, John disgusted him too."

The man turned and paced the room. "Grace slowly got better and made a few friends at her new school. Lots of guys asked her out but she always said 'no'. I knew that she would be scarred for a long time."

My fists were tight with rage.

So this wasn't the first time Grace had been in that situation.

That just pissed me off.

This woman I loved had been hurt so many times.

I paced also but stopped when I heard murmurs.

I turned and saw Grace turning on her side.

"No, no please!" I heard.

Tears were running down her cheeks as she thrashed.

I jumped to her side. "Grace, Grace wake up."

The thrashing stopped and Grace opened her watery eyes to look up at me.

"It's okay." I said as I placed my hand on the side of her face. My thumb wiped away her tears and she leaned into my touch.

Whimpers were heard and I fell to my knees beside her.

The tears slowed and I continued to stroke her cheek with my thumb. "It's okay." I repeated quietly.

Grace nodded into my hand and gave me a broken smile.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Anytime." I murmured.

With that I grabbed her free hand and put it to my lips.

I had no idea why I did that but, I did.

Grace blushed lightly which was surprising; I had never seen her blush.

This woman made me weak yet strong.

Press the button.

Reviews are my high so, make me high fans!!!!

-Pasts-Hormony2