Part 2: Falling Down
If fear''s what makes us decide,
Our future journey,
I'm not along for the ride
Avril Lavigne "Falling Down"
Glancing down at the component in her hands she frowned. "You're trying to tempt me," she accused without rancour. Michael grinned impudently at her. "How am I doing?" She was surprised by just how much she was tempted. Two months ago, at the agreed end of her twelve-month sabbatical, Devon had called. Her old job was available if she wanted to return. Despite the fact that she still missed them all and had found herself designing upgrades for Kitt in her scant spare time she told Devon 'no'. And she had meant it. That time was over. What was that saying? 'You can't go home again.' But now Michael stood in front of her, literally waving a technical conundrum under her nose and her resolve was wavering. "No contracts, no promises, no obligations?" His answering smile melted the last of her resistance and she allowed herself to be dragged back in one last time. Of course she should have realized that 'one last time' would not be the end of it. A day later Michael was back, this time with Devon and the semi. As she stepped through the side door she tensed, ready for the wave of fear to wash over her again. Michael's hand settled on her shoulder - obviously he was expecting the same reaction. Instead there was nothing. Well, not nothing exactly. More of a slight frisson, the memory of the fear rather than panic itself. Even the sight of Kitt sitting in his customary spot, scanner sweeping calmly back and forth, didn't trigger more than a split second of unease. Relieved, she turned to Devon and hugged him. "I see you've redecorated." "A necessity, I afraid." The look that passed between him and Michael intrigued her. "It's good to see you again, my dear."
Frowning at the report he was trying unsuccessfully to read, Devon glanced at his watch. Michael had been gone for several hours now. Without Kitt's protection he was extremely vulnerable. His gaze wandered over to where Kitt sat, outer shell looking pristine once more. Bonnie was sitting in the driver's seat, installing new components and making some delicate adjustments. They were talking, and had been doing so from the moment Bonnie had brought Kitt's CPU back online. Devon couldn't hear what they were talking about, but as he saw Bonnie smile at something Kitt had just said, he found himself smiling as well. As fond as the three of them had become of April, Bonnie was family. This was where she belonged. Perhaps when this case was over he would try again to convince her to return.
"Devon?" He turned, surprised to find Bonnie standing nervously in the semi's door. He thought time had healed those wounds. Maybe Halston's betrayal had re- opened them. Standing he went to greet her. "You've just missed Michael and Kitt, I'm afraid. They're off sailing, or at least Michael is." She shook her head. "Actually, it's you I came to see." "What can I do for you my dear?" "I was wondering . Does that job offer still stand?" Smiling broadly, he hugged her. "Welcome home, Bonnie." "Thank you." "You know, I do believe we may catch up to Michael if we leave now. I'm sure he'd like to hear the good news in person." He proffered his arm. "What do you say? A spot of sailing before lunch?" "That sounds wonderful."
By the late afternoon she found herself seated beside Michael on Kitt's hood, watching the sun set across San Francisco bay. Devon had departed some hours earlier - he had arrangements to make, he had said, so that she would be back with them as soon as possible. Michael had spent much of the day catching her up on events at the Foundation, and Kitt had filled her in on the indignities Michael had inflicted upon him in her absence. Eventually they lapsed into a companionable silence. Michael had turned, and was studying her, something obviously on his mind. "What?" she queried softly. "Did it help? Being away?" "Yeah, it did." She turned back to watch the dying tendrils of sunlight disappear behind the horizon, trying to find the words to explain. "The worst part was being so completely out of control of my own reactions. Feeling like at any moment someone would make some innocuous comment and I was going to just, I don't know, freak out and run screaming into the hills." Michael grinned at the unlikely mental image. "Given what you'd been through, nobody expected you to just carry on like nothing had happened." "I did. Or at least, I wanted to believe I could. Leaving was the only way I could get some control over my life back again." Absently she stroked Kitt's smooth surface. "Did you ever notice how the minute you think you have a handle on where your life is going something comes along and brings it all crashing down around your ears?" "Yeah, I think you could say I'm familiar with that scenario." He smiled knowingly at her. "Still, that's not always a bad thing." She smiled back at him. "No, maybe it's not." And maybe, just maybe, you could go home again.
If fear''s what makes us decide,
Our future journey,
I'm not along for the ride
Avril Lavigne "Falling Down"
Glancing down at the component in her hands she frowned. "You're trying to tempt me," she accused without rancour. Michael grinned impudently at her. "How am I doing?" She was surprised by just how much she was tempted. Two months ago, at the agreed end of her twelve-month sabbatical, Devon had called. Her old job was available if she wanted to return. Despite the fact that she still missed them all and had found herself designing upgrades for Kitt in her scant spare time she told Devon 'no'. And she had meant it. That time was over. What was that saying? 'You can't go home again.' But now Michael stood in front of her, literally waving a technical conundrum under her nose and her resolve was wavering. "No contracts, no promises, no obligations?" His answering smile melted the last of her resistance and she allowed herself to be dragged back in one last time. Of course she should have realized that 'one last time' would not be the end of it. A day later Michael was back, this time with Devon and the semi. As she stepped through the side door she tensed, ready for the wave of fear to wash over her again. Michael's hand settled on her shoulder - obviously he was expecting the same reaction. Instead there was nothing. Well, not nothing exactly. More of a slight frisson, the memory of the fear rather than panic itself. Even the sight of Kitt sitting in his customary spot, scanner sweeping calmly back and forth, didn't trigger more than a split second of unease. Relieved, she turned to Devon and hugged him. "I see you've redecorated." "A necessity, I afraid." The look that passed between him and Michael intrigued her. "It's good to see you again, my dear."
Frowning at the report he was trying unsuccessfully to read, Devon glanced at his watch. Michael had been gone for several hours now. Without Kitt's protection he was extremely vulnerable. His gaze wandered over to where Kitt sat, outer shell looking pristine once more. Bonnie was sitting in the driver's seat, installing new components and making some delicate adjustments. They were talking, and had been doing so from the moment Bonnie had brought Kitt's CPU back online. Devon couldn't hear what they were talking about, but as he saw Bonnie smile at something Kitt had just said, he found himself smiling as well. As fond as the three of them had become of April, Bonnie was family. This was where she belonged. Perhaps when this case was over he would try again to convince her to return.
"Devon?" He turned, surprised to find Bonnie standing nervously in the semi's door. He thought time had healed those wounds. Maybe Halston's betrayal had re- opened them. Standing he went to greet her. "You've just missed Michael and Kitt, I'm afraid. They're off sailing, or at least Michael is." She shook her head. "Actually, it's you I came to see." "What can I do for you my dear?" "I was wondering . Does that job offer still stand?" Smiling broadly, he hugged her. "Welcome home, Bonnie." "Thank you." "You know, I do believe we may catch up to Michael if we leave now. I'm sure he'd like to hear the good news in person." He proffered his arm. "What do you say? A spot of sailing before lunch?" "That sounds wonderful."
By the late afternoon she found herself seated beside Michael on Kitt's hood, watching the sun set across San Francisco bay. Devon had departed some hours earlier - he had arrangements to make, he had said, so that she would be back with them as soon as possible. Michael had spent much of the day catching her up on events at the Foundation, and Kitt had filled her in on the indignities Michael had inflicted upon him in her absence. Eventually they lapsed into a companionable silence. Michael had turned, and was studying her, something obviously on his mind. "What?" she queried softly. "Did it help? Being away?" "Yeah, it did." She turned back to watch the dying tendrils of sunlight disappear behind the horizon, trying to find the words to explain. "The worst part was being so completely out of control of my own reactions. Feeling like at any moment someone would make some innocuous comment and I was going to just, I don't know, freak out and run screaming into the hills." Michael grinned at the unlikely mental image. "Given what you'd been through, nobody expected you to just carry on like nothing had happened." "I did. Or at least, I wanted to believe I could. Leaving was the only way I could get some control over my life back again." Absently she stroked Kitt's smooth surface. "Did you ever notice how the minute you think you have a handle on where your life is going something comes along and brings it all crashing down around your ears?" "Yeah, I think you could say I'm familiar with that scenario." He smiled knowingly at her. "Still, that's not always a bad thing." She smiled back at him. "No, maybe it's not." And maybe, just maybe, you could go home again.