Choices

Seventh Month

It wasn't something that Devon did very often but today it seemed like he was doing it a lot. He hung up the phone and swore loudly, knowing that no one would hear him in his empty office.

April had turned him down, again. He had been trying for the past three weeks to get her to sign back on with the Foundation, but she had rejected his offers each time. She was plenty happy with her new job and nothing he seemed to offer her would entice her back.

Which ultimately left him in a very sticky situation. Kitt needed work, and there was no one to perform it. Yes, the Foundation had basic mechanics, but only a trained cybernetic technician would be able to understand all the intricacies involved in Kitt's inner workings.

He had been looking for weeks now, ever since Bonnie had left FLAG, for someone qualified enough, but had run into dead ends at every turn. Either the people who interviewed for the job were not knowledgeable enough, or they were not trustworthy enough to be allowed a glimpse of what made the modified Trans-Am run. April had been his last hope and now that was gone.

He didn't relish sending Michael on missions in a less than fully functional vehicle, but lately he had little choice. If they didn't find a solution to their problem soon, Michael would be unable to venture out into the field. The mechanics were doing what they could, even working together at times, but it still wasn't enough when components were breaking down faster than they could keep up with them.

Devon swore again, and glanced at another list of candidates that was going to be interviewed later today. He could already tell from the list of qualifications next to each name that none of them would be getting the job either. Four out of the five names listed were recent college graduates, with little or no real computer experience save for what they had picked up in the classroom. He couldn't trust Michael's well-being to a bunch of kids that wanted to play programmer in their spare time. The fifth name was one he had seen before, but the man who belonged to that name was known for occasional mix-ups in software programming.

He was running out of choices, and Michael was running out of time. Kitt was functioning at about 65 of normal capacity and with each mission, the number grew smaller.

Devon's hands were tied. Backed into a corner, he was left with just one choice, and that was to contact Bonnie. Even knowing how she felt about working for FLAG, he had to give it a shot. He hated to disturb her privacy, even hated the idea even less of dragging her back here when she was so settled right now.

Sighing again, he picked up the phone and called the hangar where the Knight Jet was stored. He spoke briefly to the pilot and within an hour he would be taking off and flying out to see Bonnie personally. He hoped that if he presented his case in person it would be received with a bit more of a welcome than if he called.

He checked once more on Michael's location on his current mission, then straightened his tie and began the task of preparing for his flight.

Bonnie was exhausted. The last of her guests from the impromptu baby shower had just left. Her sister and mother had stayed long enough to clean up the wrappings and put most of the leftover cake and accoutrements away, but Bonnie still had to put the gifts away.

She had been surprised to even find out that so many people had cared enough to do this for her, and it certainly took care of most of her needs for the upcoming event. With only about 11 more weeks remaining in her pregnancy, it was getting harder and harder to keep her mind on anything else.

She was in the process of folding some baby blankets when she heard a knock on her door. "Coming!" she called out and hoisted herself off the sofa and walked towards the entranceway. "Who is it?" she asked while resting one hand on the doorknob.

"Bonnie? It's Devon." She heard a very familiar voice say.

She opened the door to find him standing there, smiling. "Devon! Oh it's so good to see you!" She stepped forward and greeted him with a hug. Well as much of a hug as she could muster given her current state of pregnancy. "Please, come in."

He followed her inside the apartment and noticed the balloons and decorations still hanging from the ceiling. "Oh, I do hope I'm not interrupting any festivities."

She shook her head. "Oh, no, that was from earlier. Everyone is gone now. Please, sit down. Can I get you something to drink? Tea, perhaps?"

He took a seat on her sofa, and glanced at the myriad of gifts piled on the tables and floor in front of him. "No, thank you. I'm fine. It looks like you got the whole baby store here. If I had known, I would have brought a gift."

Bonnie lifted a pile of sleepers from the table and moved them into a laundry basket she had brought out from the bedroom. "Oh that's quite alright. I do appreciate the thought." A package of cloth diapers followed the sleepers into the basket. "So what brings you into town, Devon, and don't give me that line that you were just passing by. I know you better than that."

Devon sighed, knowing that was he was about to ask wasn't going to be easy. Now that he was here, and saw how well Bonnie was doing, he almost hesitated to bring the subject up. "Well, you are right in that aspect. I did come here for a specific reason, and before I even tell you, I want you to know that you are free to refuse my request with no hard feelings."

Bonnie added the blankets to the basket. "You don't even have to ask. You came here to ask me to come back to FLAG." She halted her folding and just dropped the rest of the clothing into the basket in a heap. "Is that right?"

Devon nodded, "Yes, I'm afraid so. I have been unable to locate anyone to take over your job since you left. April Curtis has refused my repeated requests and there have been no other qualified candidates for the job." He took one of her hands in his own while asking gently. "I would never, ever ask this of you if it wasn't important, Bonnie."

She sighed and stood up, taking the basket with her to the bedroom. She returned a moment later with her hands empty. "Devon, I can't go back. It's not that I don't want to help, because believe me, I do."

He nodded. "Of course. It's Michael, isn't it?"

She sank back into her chair, one hand resting on her extruding belly. "Yes, Devon. It's Michael. I don't think I could face him. Not now, not ever."

Devon steepled his hands in front of him and wished he could erase the pain he saw in Bonnie's eyes. "Bonnie, I know you are quite determined when you want to be. However I do think in this case you may be overreacting. Michael does love you. He was just confused about the whole situation."

"Devon! I thought you were on my side of this." Her face registered shock at his pronouncement. "If Michael loves me so much, why hasn't he found me yet? I'm not that hard to track down. Why hasn't he shown up to tell me himself?" Her eyes flashed angrily at her former boss.

"Because, my dear Bonnie, I have been stopping him." She started to say something but he stopped her. "I have had him out on mission after mission, keeping him hard pressed for free time to look for you. As a result, Kitt is suffering, and with no one to repair his systems, he is breaking down. At last check he was down to 55 of normal operating capacity." He sighed and rested his hands on his lap. "I can't keep sending them out in that condition, and I don't know how much longer I will be able to protect your privacy."

Bonnie digested this bit of information. Devon had been protecting her? She had asked for privacy but she really hadn't expected him to be able to keep to his word. Michael was very resourceful, and she had fully expected to have heard from him by now.

"Please, Bonnie, we need you. Kitt needs you, even if only until we can locate a suitable replacement." Devon cleared his throat and added, "If it's Michael you are worried about, I can make sure that only you have access to Bay 3. You will have complete privacy in that regard. Only people that you specify will be allowed in." He knew that making this statement would put him in a very sticky situation, for Michael would fight that condition. However the benefit to Kitt greatly outweighed any problems that would arise with Michael.

"I don't know, Devon." She said and stroked her belly absently. "I really need time to think before I decide."

"Oh, of course. Take the time you need. Michael will be gone on his current mission for at least another week." Devon smiled warmly at her. "Bonnie, I know you are due soon, and I do not wish to distress you in any way. If you do feel that you have to decline my offer, please feel free to say no. I won't hold it against you, my dear. Your health is of the utmost importance."

Bonnie couldn't help but smile back at him. "Thank you, Devon. I really do appreciate your concern. I promise I will think over your offer."

"Wonderful." Devon stated and stood. "You know how to reach me once you have made your decision."

Bonnie stood as well and walked Devon towards the front door. "Yes, Devon." She gave him another hug. "You have been so wonderful to me. I don't know what I would have done without your help."

Devon blushed slightly, a tad embarrassed over the way she was stressing his role in her life. He reached over and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek. "I only treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Take care, Bonnie. I hope to hear from you soon."

Bonnie nodded and watched him leave. She went back into her apartment alone and closed the door behind her. She had less than a week to decide. Sighing, she went to clean up the rest of the apartment. She would consider her options available and make her choice later. Right now, she wanted nothing more that a hot bath to ease the aches in her back and slightly swollen ankles and a very long nap.

Five days later she was no closer to making a decision than on the first day. As she walked through the public park she weighed her pros and cons for the situation very carefully. They always came out even.

She wanted to go back, yet the thought of having to deal with Michael, even inadvertently, was driving her crazy. She didn't know if she could look at him and see his cold blue eyes staring at her bloated midsection with disgust. She didn't think she could stand to hear the angry words he was bound to spew at her.

Part of her ached just to see him again, and part of her wanted nothing more to do with him. She was torn. She was settled here, well mostly settled, and she knew that if she left, she would probably end up having the baby in California. The thought of having Dr. Hunter deliver her child was definitely one of the pros in this mixed up equation. She definitely liked him more than the current doctor she had here.

She passed a playground filled with children, and anxious parents watching. The laughter rang in her ears, of children at play. She watched a father push his young daughter in a swing, a smile of pride on his face. Could Michael ever be like that?

She had to give Devon an answer soon, as Michael was due back at any time. Bonnie had used some of her connections she still had at the Foundation to tap into the databanks and get Kitt's current statistics. As of this morning, his resources had diminished to 43 of normal.

She felt a flash of anger towards Michael. Just what the hell was he doing out there that was so brutal to the car? How could he abuse Kitt that way? She felt herself slipping back into her 'ice princess' mode that she had used when she first met Michael all those years ago.

Dammit, dammit, dammit! She had come so far since that time. She didn't want to resort to those tactics again. What was she going to do?

She was going to have to do what she thought was best. She was a grown woman and beyond petty arguments. There was more at stake here than just hurt feelings. Kitt was hurting. Kitt needed her.

She would do it. She would do it for him. He deserved no less, for even though no one would say so, she believed he was as sentient as anyone alive today. He didn't deserve to suffer in any way.

She turned away from the park, her decision made. She would go home and call Devon and start packing. If she was lucky, he could get her a plane out of here today. By tonight she would be back in her old room at the FLAG mansion.