Chapitre 3

Alex Eames sat hunched over her toilet. She had been up since 5 am, and she was not happy. Morning sickness was in its full glory right now and she couldn't even keep down the saltines and lemonade she was been working on… although it might have had something to do with the fact that it reminded her of a case she had once worked on…

She vomited again.

Once she had stopped convulsing she wiped her hair out of her face, took a drink of water from the sink with her hands, and walked hunched-backed back into her bedroom where she picked up her phone and called her partner.

"Goren," answered a familiar voice.

"This is all your fault," she croaked over the phone.

"Eames, Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm going to be late for work, so you'll have to get yourself there."

"What's wrong?"

Her voice changed instantly. Her tone lightened and she sounded almost silly. "Please pick up some Preggie Pops on your way in."

"Oh, shit, Alex. I'll be right over."

"Don't do that-" But it was too late. She heard a click which told her that he had hung up and was probably already out the door. She walked back towards the bathroom…

Twenty minutes later her knight in shining armor was in her apartment with the requested 'Preggie Pops', which resembled cough drops, but supposedly helped with morning sickness, and some Saltines and Gatorade.

"Bobby, it's not necessary…"

"Nonsense, I'll hear none of it. I'm going to call Deakins…"

"Don't!"

"I'm just going to call you in sick."

"Don't! Let me do it- he'll want to know how you know I'm sick."

"You called and told me," he answered, waving the phone in the air.

"Damnit, Bobby…"

It was too late. "Hi, Captain, this is Goren. I just talked to Eames, she's sick, so she won't be coming in today… Yah, she just called. I told her I'd call for her. I think it's a stomach bug…Yes, sir… No, I'll be in… OK, thank you…Bye."

"What did he say?" Alex asked, as she walked out of the bathroom. She was looking much better.

"He said he'd hear it from you as well-"

"Told you."

"-and wanted to know if I'd be coming in."

"You are, then?"

"Yah, got to. Paperwork, and it's your turn too…"

"I think you'll live," she said sarcastically.

"You get some rest, I'm gonna go in."

"Ok, love you," she said timidly.

Bobby smiled. "You too."

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The next morning Eames walked into Deakins' office (half an hour late). "Captain, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Bobby, would it?"

Her eyes flashed. "No, sir. I, uh, came to request some leave in about 8 months."

"Eight months? Isn't this a little far in advance?" he asked. However, his curiosity was short lived as he had a moment of dawning comprehension. "Alex, you're-"

"Yes, I'm pregnant. I'm going to need maternity leave probably about 4 or 5 weeks ahead of time, like last time." She was smiling way too broadly, it almost didn't seem sincere... but, maybe it was. Even she didn't know. Part of it was putting on a good face, and the other part of it really was being happy about raising a child of her own… Bobby's child…

"Are you surrogate again," he asked, smiling slightly.

"No, this one's all mine," she said smiling, though she knew what was coming.

"Who's the lucky dad?" he asked.

She laughed nervously. "Uh… No idea, actually… uh, sperm bank. I just decided that I wanted my own. Being pregnant was a wonderful experience and I feel like I'm ready to raise a child."

"Wow, single mother," he said smiling. "You've got plenty of time accumulated, so that's shouldn't be a problem… not like we could make you work anyway," he said with a laugh, while consulting her personnel file he had pulled out of his drawer. "Get me a specific date here sometime soon and I'll file all the necessary paper work for you and Bobby."

"Bobby?" she asked, totally shocked. "Why Bobby?"

"Temporary partner. You remember last time, right?" he said.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, right," she hit her head. "Temporary partner, right. Any ideas of who?"

"I don't know yet. I'll see about getting Bishop again, though I think she's permanent over at the 1-5 now… Don't worry, I'll get him set up."

"Oh good, he's going to have loads of fun. I wonder if he knows what he's done to himself," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, just thinking out loud… Uh, Ok, thanks so much!"

"Not a problem. Congratulations Alex."

"Thanks!" she smiled falsely as she backed out of his office.

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She closed the door and turned to walk back to her partner.

"What did he say?" asked Bobby.

"Almost the same as last time… well, I started it the same, it was bound to happen… You know Deakins, that man runs on a circuit."

Bobby smiled. "That's good."

"And he's going to get you another temporary partner."

"Crap, I always forget that part…"

Alex laughed. "Don't worry, Bishop's permanent at the 1-5 now…"

"It's not that… ok, maybe that has something to do with it…"