Without further ado...
They rode mostly in silence, driving in the direction they would need to in order to get to a bar or home.
"Hold on, pull over." Goren undid his seat belt.
"Here?"
"Yeah, wherever you can." He already had his door half open when she stopped the SUV.
"You okay?"
"Fine. I'm just gonna run in there real quick." He grinned at her, and she smiled, peering over the steering wheel to see where he'd gestured to. A liquor store. Jeez, he wasn't kidding.
She waited a few minutes until he pushed open the glass door, and walked through with a case under his arm. He opened the back door and plopped it gently on the floor, then sat down again.
"Alright, I'll bite."
"Screw the bar scene. We have to be up too early anyway. Might as well order in and drown our sorrows in beer."
"Beer is good for you."
"It has vitamins." He mumbled, rubbing his face, wearily.
"Your place or mine?"
"Up to you."
"I'd say your place, but you'll insist on taking the couch anyway."
He shrugged.
"What the hell, I can still try and fight you on it." She started heading towards his apartment.
"Unarmed?"
"Of course."
"Good luck then."
"Jerk."
"Yeah, yeah," He said quietly. In fact, their entire conversation was subdued. He looked out the window, watching the gloaming settle over the city.
"Alex?"
"Hmm."
"What I said today.."
"What about it?"
"It was kind of a cop out."
"Well, the first part was," She nodded slightly.
"The second part, too. I don't have a good answer for you."
She snorted. "If someone had a good answer to the question, I don't think it would be as hotly debated."
"How do you feel about it?"
"The same as you, I think."
"Really?"
"It's cute you guys think I'm going to turn into some ball-shredding feminazi, but I like babies. I've never had one, but I'd like to someday. Someday, when I have someone in my life who'd be a good dad. That, and a few other conditions."
He watched her for a moment. Her face was shadows and cream in the half-light, and her eyelashes cast a faint blue darkness onto her cheeks. He cleared his throat softly.
"I don't think it's fair," She licked her lips, "for men not to have some rights regarding unborn children.. on the other hand," She sighed, looking over at him as they came to a stop. "It's a woman's body. It's not like pregnancy is a cold.. you get it and it goes away after a few days. It's nine months, and the rest of your life. Not to mention the baby's life." Her small shoulders squared and she looked at her lap. "I wish there were a good and fair and absolute answer for every instance and every possible scenario. There isn't. And because of that, the choice needs to be there. I'm not saying it's the good or right choice in every situation. I'm not saying that adoption or even sucking it up and taking responsibility for your own choices are bad things.. just that people need options. Like you said."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"What do you want to eat? I'm starving." She looked over at him, and he smiled.
"I was thinking pizza, but I'm open to suggestions."
More? Please R&R!