Author's Note: If you look closely enough, I snuck in hints of MC shipping. I'm slowly getting addicted to that ship too. Anyone know any really good fanfics for them? lol.

Title: Gaiman versus Scott Card
Author: GusTheMoose
Theme/Set: Consumed/Criminal Intent
Rating: PG
Claim + additional character(s): Alex Eames/Bobby Goren, Mike Logan, Carolyn Barek
Warning: Drinking and philosophy, lol.
Summary: He had never before encountered an analytical drunk, until now.

Mike Logan had dealt with a lot of drunks in his life time. As a uniform, there were any numbers of loud, angry, and stupid drunks in a day on the streets. And he'd dealt with his friends, who were the loud friendly kind of drunks. He enjoyed his friends when they were all just a little more than tipsy. He had never before encounter an analytical drunk, until now.

"Do you know who Neil Gaiman is?" A very drunk Bobby Goren asked him. They were in Mike's apartment drinking because Mike wasn't quite sure he could go out drinking with his partner anymore. So, he had asked Goren if he wanted to get a few drinks after work. And now Mike was regretting the decision because a philosophic Goren was making him think too hard about his own problems.

"No, I don't." Mike answered truthfully, "But I have heard of Miller and would like to meet him again."

Goren, who was still really smart of having consumed half a six pack, handed Mike another beer, "He's a novelist, well, mostly a journalist, but he's a writer. You know what he said once?"

"Nope, but I take it you're going to tell me," Mike said resigned, and took another swig of beer.

One corner of Goren's mouth tipped up, "He said love is horrible. 'It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.' Other people make love seem so gentle. Gaiman told it like it is."

"I'll drink to that."

"Eames," Goren's half smile now became a full grin, "Eames would like Gaiman. 'Love takes hostages.' Eames would love that."

"So, tell her about him," Mike said, though he was thinking Barek might like this Gaiman guy too.

"Naw, if I did that she'd ask me why I mentioned it. Don't have a good excuse yet. Can't just blurt out I'm thinking about how much it kills me to love you. She won't take that well…I don't think."

"Yup," Mike had to agree. Alex Eames didn't look like the kind of person who took declarations of love well. Then again, she didn't look like the kind of person who would put up with Goren for five years. He had a fleeting thought that had to do with Barek and how many years she would stay, so he took another drink.

"But you know, I don't really like Gaiman, I like Orson Scott Card."

"What did he say?" Mike asked, though he wasn't sure if he wanted to know or not. Beer always clouded his judgment, and his lake of judgment was why he was drinking. What a cycle.

"'And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.'"

"I'll definitely drink to that."