Title: And Her Smile Never Faltered
Summary: Oneshot. Set during 'Vanishing Act'. Bobby attempts to deduce what's been hiding behind Alex's unwavering smile since his betrayal.
Disclaimer: The usual crap, blah blah blah, no I don't own anything affiliated with LOCI.
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Bobby stared intently at Alex when his betrayal was brought up. Stupid magician. And yet -
Her smile never faltered.
She was, without a doubt, the mistress of hidden feelings. She made hers known only when she specifically wanted to.
But still – he'd love to know what she thought of him now. What was running through her mind at that very moment. What could he use, he wondered.
Her hands were in her pockets. But she liked to stand that way.
Her head was slightly tilted. But she did that whenever she was trying to gouge a suspect's reaction, or hiding something.
Her smile never faltered. Because she was an artist in that area. She'd had to be, after her husband had died, to hide her ever-growing feelings of discontent with the world.
Her eyes were narrowed. She was thinking about something.
Duh.
What the hell good was his intuition if he couldn't even tell what his partner was thinking?
He blinked and focused in on something specific. Her voice.
Not shaky. Not betraying any emotion. But her voice made him hone in on her face. And her face… the expression was a little bothered. Just slightly, in her eyes.
But her smile hadn't faltered.
-
They were driving back to the station when Bobby suddenly asked, "Was he right, Eames?"
Her eyes stayed trained on the road. "About what, Bobby?"
"You know. The… unresolved issues. I could tell that bothered you a little."
"They were left unresolved," she said flatly. "You betrayed my trust. But I've done that to you before, so I'll just have to get over it, won't I?"
Bobby flashed back to himself, sitting in the courtroom, watching Eames get worked up on the stand over the letter she'd sent to her superiors years before, asking for a new partner.
He shook his head, dispelling the memory. "You had better excuses than I did."
"They were a hell of a lot better," she agreed. "But that doesn't change what I did."
"No, it doesn't." He paused. "But it does change things between us, doesn't it."
They were quiet a few moments before Alex picked up the thread.
"Of course it does, Bobby. But the letter was what, two, three years ago? We managed to get past that. Hell, we've probably set the record for being partners for the longest time. We get over things. We can get over this."
"I really want us to, Eames. You know I didn't mean to hurt you."
There came that smile again. "I know, Bobby. I know."
This time the smile was real.