Title: Minty

Spoilers: For 3x01.

Disclaimer: Still worried. Still own nothing.

A/N: This is for Gemini. Not much happened in this (very good) episode, apart from the revelation that Bobby has a brother out there somewhere, lurking, waiting to appear as a guest character... -come on, come on- Was busy watching Eames like a hawk for the whole thing, and did pick up on Bobby's (concerned?) glances whenever she leant against anything. Which she did a few times, because she's all pregnant and stuff. And totally pulling it off, by the way.

So this is fluff. For makeup addict 004, who wanted to get Eames' POV on the whole pregnancy thing. This is the lighter side. I might get into the whole I'll miss Bobby/insecurity/am I coming back? angle later. Depends on where the show goes. THE EXCITEMENT!

"T-The limb buds should start appearing soon. The heart, uh, it actually bulges out from the body for a short time, and the inner ear is f-forming this week too...before, uh..."

It should be illegal for Bobby to own a library card.

"...the genitals form. Then you can tell if-if it's a boy or a girl. Although...your sister might not want...and it is difficult to know for definite..."

God, she could really go for some mint ice-cream.

"...s-still some people prefer to..."

And she hated mint ice-cream.

"Eames?"

She blinked, and her partner re-focused.

He had moved from his desk. Perched on hers, he resembled nothing so much as an oversized bird, with his tilted head and sharp gaze boring into her. His eyes searched hers as he made Goren finger-paintings in the air. Seems he had been trying to get her attention for a some time now. He looked...concerned.

"Are you ok?"

She groaned inwardly. She wished he'd stop asking her that.

"I'm fine, Bobby."

Silence fell.

The truth of it was, this whole pregnancy thing was beginning to take its toll. She was tired all the time, her lower legs and ankles had swelled to what seemed like twice their normal size, and even hearing the word "banana" was enough to make her want to gag. Couple that with her sister calling for updates every few hours and her partner casting worried glances at her every time she so much as leant on something – yes, Alex Eames was about ready to call it a day.

And now she had snapped at him.

Bobby Goren.

Who had only been trying to make her feel better.

(In his own socially challenged, absurdly sweet kind of way.)

She just didn't see how knowing these things could help. I mean, sure it was a great miracle of life and all that, but him telling her in vivid detail every little thing that was happening inside her? No, thanks. She didn't need to hear about fetal development at different stages. She didn't need to be told about its feet and its organs and its toenails ("d-did you know a foetus can grow nails as early as nine weeks?" over a dead body, no less). That was all the stuff her sister enjoyed. Deserved to enjoy. And she would, once the little one arrived. But until then, she didn't need Mr. Gray's Anatomy making her think about this kid any more than she should.

He's only trying to help. He's worried about you.

Limb buds, though? Really?

Still, she feels bad.

She decides to make it up to him.

"You can do one thing for me," she says. A look of surprise tells her she's on the right track. They do not normally ask things of each other.

"Sure."

He's straightened up now, hands in his pockets as he looks at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Get some mint ice cream with me?"

He pauses. Alex can see his brain connecting the dots.

Cravings.

His frown clears as his draws this conclusion, and the bustling office snaps back into place.

There was the smile.

"I-I can do that."

A/N: Ha! Poor Alex. She's just so stoic. I thought I'd give her a chance to vent.

-Squints- Is that a Deakins and Carver POV on the way? And maybe an actual (mini) case? Keep reviewing and I'll think about it. And thanks to all you beautiful people.