Time Waits For No One

Chapter Seven: Lights Are Shining On Our Faces

Chapter Seven: Lights are Shining on Our Faces

Lisbon tightens her grip on the briefcase in her hand and presses the button to floor level three. At this time she could already tell that today was going to be interesting and yet bizarre. She does not exactly know why her brain is telling her this, and she half-contemplated calling in sick today, but duty calls. To top it all off…it is also a Monday, and by God did she hate Mondays. They were annoying, and so were most drivers in Sacramento on this day.

She steps off the elevator and walks down the corridor towards her office. Taking a few moments, she pauses and glances into the bullpen. Everything seems normal: Cho starting up his computer and reaching for a nearby novel, Rigsby rifling through his take out bag from a fast food restaurant, and Grace brushing past her and heading into the bullpen with a coffee in hand.

"Morning boss," Grace smiles and maneuvers to sit down at her desk. The redheaded agent sets her coffee down softly on the desk and looks up at Lisbon, "How's the baby today?"

Lisbon steps back and looks down at her swollen belly. She is tired, her back hurts – scratch that, killing her -, and the baby thinks it's funny to sleep be stationary now. Looking back up at the happy agent, she smiles, "He's fine, Grace."

The redheaded agent nods happily and Lisbon turns towards her office. She does not get far before she hears Rigsby's quiet voice behind her, "Did you get Stark to look over the evidence?"

Lisbon raises her eyebrow and takes a step closer to her office. Stark was Jane's attorney when he was on trial, why would she be looking at evidence now? Jane had pleaded and been found guilty.

"Yeah, I'm meeting her at the café for lunch to talk to her about it. She noticed the time discrepancy too," Lisbon's eyes open in alarm at the sound of Cho's voice in realization. They were looking for possible evidence to get Jane out of jail, and they were using that time discrepancy. She had called the local cops and Hightower two hours after she had found Jane because they were preoccupied. Looking down, Lisbon blushes and heads towards her office.

This was going to be interesting.

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Grace leans back in her chair and swivels around to look at the boys. She clicks her pen a couple of times and chews on the inside of her cheek. The boys were up to something, and they weren't telling her. That would mean this plan was either something they were planning for her, or something illegal. But then again they mentioned the name 'Stark,' which gives her some hope that it isn't illegal.

"Yes, Van Pelt?" her eyes snap to Cho, as he looks straight at her.

Her eyes look to the right, "Huh?" then back to Cho, "Oh, I didn't say anything."

Cho leans forward onto his desk, "You look like you want to say something," Rigsby turns to look at her as he munches on his breakfast sandwich, "What do you have to say?" Cho asks again.

Swallowing, she looks at them both, "What are you doing?"

"Sitting here. Waiting for you to tell me what's on your mind."

Grace shakes her head, "No, I'm wondering what you're doing with lawyer," she takes in a breath, "Jane's lawyer of all of them."

Cho leans back into his chair, almost mirroring Grace. Rigsby glances over at his friend and sets his sandwich back down on top of the wrapper. The larger agent takes one last swallow and looks at Cho, suddenly feeling the tension grow thicker in the bullpen. Grace narrows her eyes and looks over at Rigsby, her eyes immediately softening.

"Wayne, what's going on?" she asks him softly.

Rigsby opens his mouth, ready to reply, but Cho cuts him off, "We're trying to get Jane out of jail. There's a time discrepancy of two hours. Red John was dead for two hours before Lisbon called it in."