Title: Cooled to Warm
Author: knightshade
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Glen A. Larson owns them. I am not him.
Summary: They hadn't had much of a chance to talk since she came back.
Author's Notes: This takes place after Sand Castles. I always meant for that story to be a detour off the highway of canon. Something that could have happened off screen but entirely within the realm of what was actually shown. It was pointed out to me that I never quite got it all the way back to canon. I pointed them toward the on-ramp, but they never quite merged back onto the highway. So this is that on-ramp.
Thank you to Nutty for the beta. But you're going to have to work on that evol pen. ;-)
Cooled To Warm
It was late morning and Michael knew he'd missed the window for breakfast, but the Foundation's staff had been well trained. There was always coffee sitting next to the French doors that led to the veranda. As he poured himself a cup, he glanced out the open doors and realized he wasn't the only one to miss breakfast.
Taking a sip of the coffee and discovering that it was just this side of hot, Michael ventured out into the sunlight. Bonnie was sitting on the steps that led from the veranda to the grounds. She was leaning back with one elbow resting on the step above her, holding her own coffee cup.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked taking a couple steps down.
"Not at all," she said warmly. Michael knew that if she felt differently, he'd know it. It was one of her traits that he'd found irritating in the early days – when he was often someone she didn't care to see. But now that he was more likely to be welcomed than rebuffed, he found it refreshing in a way. It was nice to know almost instantly where he stood - if now was a good time or if he was intruding.
She shifted over to make room for him and he promptly sprawled out, not being shy about taking more than his share of space. He set down his mug and cupped his hands behind his head to cushion it against the edge of the stairs while soaking up the sun.
"Make yourself at home," she said laughing.
"I will." Michael's thigh was brushing her knee and he was pleased that she didn't pull away. He closed his eyes for a minute, basking on the warm steps. The sun was almost better than coffee at perking him up. "So what are you doing this fine Saturday morning?"
"I don't know. I'm still trying to decide."
He turned his head and opened his eyes, squinting to look at her. "What are the options?"
"The first is to start looking for an apartment."
He tried not to let his face fall, but it caught him completely off guard. She'd been staying at the estate since she moved back from San Francisco, and Michael was happy to have her there. He'd been busy with cases so they hadn't had much of a chance to talk, but it was still nice knowing she was close by.
"Not going to stay here, huh?" he asked hoping his voice didn't betray his disappointment.
She sighed and looked down. "I think part of the reason I went back to school was that I didn't like how much the Foundation was consuming my life. I think it would be better if I had my own place this time around."
He knew that feeling all too well – being consumed. Most days it didn't bother him too much. And practically speaking, he spent too much time on the road to keep a place anyway. But he envied her for having the option. "Devon okay with that?"
"It's not what he'd prefer, and I do understand his point that Kitt's chief technician should be close by. We compromised and I said I'd stay within five miles." She looked up with an earnestness that tugged at him. "I'm always just a phone call away, you know."
He nodded, but it still stung. "Apartment hunting doesn't sound like much fun. What's your other option?"
She laughed. "Running some tests on Kitt."
He rolled his eyes and his whole head followed. "It's way too nice out to spend your Saturday working."
"Nice days are a dime a dozen here."
"Yeah, but we're not on a case. There's nothing pressing. Why would you want to give up your Saturday?"
She glanced down, shrugging one shoulder. "It's been a while since I've done this kind of work and I have a lot of catching up to do. It wouldn't hurt to get some new components in the works."
"You just added a bunch of new systems in San Francisco," he pointed out.
"I know." She wasn't looking at him. "But it looked like April did a lot of upgrades while I was gone and I thought I should maybe try to keep pace."
Michael wasn't sure whether to laugh, or reach over and strangle her. "Bonnie …" He stopped and just shook his head. "Do you have any idea how annoying that was?"
"Annoying? Why?"
"Don't get me wrong, April was very nice and she did a good job with Kitt, but believe me, no one wants you to run as many tests as she did."
Bonnie glanced at him like she wasn't sure if she believed him or not.
"Kitt and I were starting to feel like guinea pigs." Michael sat up so he wouldn't have to squint when he talked to her.
The spoon clinked against her cup as she slowly stirred her coffee. "I guess."
Why did he feel like he'd suddenly stepped into the cybernetic technician version of 'does this dress make me look fat?' But it was a beautiful day, he had time off, and he was willing to indulge her.
"I'd rather have new systems that we actually need. Stuffing Kitt with gadgets for the sake of having new toys isn't what this is about."
She nodded slowly.
"And it isn't a competition. You don't have anything to prove. Like I said, April did a good job, but she's not you." He leaned in closer and nudged her shoulder. "And we're happy to have you back."
"Thank you." She sighed and set her cup down. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm being pretty ridiculous. It's just that a lot happened while I was gone. I feel a little behind the times."
Michael stared down at the steps, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable. His mind turned to some of the things that had happened that she probably didn't know about. They hadn't really talked since she got back - not about where they stood with each other. Everything had been up in the air when she left and he had no idea what she was thinking in terms of them. A lot had happened since, including at least one thing she should know.
Michael sighed. "It definitely wasn't an easy year, that's for sure." He paused, his voice getting quiet. "I ran into Stevie again."
She nodded slowly. "Devon mentioned that," she said just as softly.
Michael looked up sharply, slightly horrified. "He doesn't know does he?"
"I certainly didn't tell him." She closed her eyes briefly. "I think he just told me to let me know that it's been a tough year for you."
"Oh." He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He guessed he probably appreciated it.
"So how is Stevie?"
"Okay I guess. She was a big-time singer for a while there. That was always her dream." He knew his voice was getting wistful, but damned it, she asked.
"What happened?"
"Her -" He faltered, but there wasn't any point in beating around the bush. "Her boyfriend was killed. She asked for my help."
"I'm sorry, Michael," Bonnie said softly, gazing down. "I'm sure that wasn't easy."
Michael let out a bitter little snort. It was all just a little too fresh in his mind. "She didn't tell me outright until I found his jacket in her closet." Bonnie winced slightly. "It's not that I didn't know she'd fall in love with someone else. I just didn't expect to come face to face with it."
Bonnie nodded sympathetically and then asked, "So what happened?"
"She left after the case. I know it was probably the right decision. Maybe a relationship never would have worked out, but …"
"But you wanted it anyway," Bonnie said, looking up with so much naked sincerity that he felt like crawling into a hole. He had no right to expect her to comfort him when it came to Stevie. She'd gotten caught up in an unfortunate situation, which seemed to be the way of things for the women in his life. It wasn't fair to expect her to listen to him and yet, here she was. And she understood better than anyone else in his life right now.
"You don't have to look at me like that," she said with a fair amount of jocularity. "It's fine. I just. I think I have some idea how you feel - at least a little bit." She looked away. "And what happened between us wasn't your fault."
There were so many things Michael wanted to ask her, but he didn't know how. Why was it that he'd never really been able to talk openly and honestly with her? Bonnie was one of the few people who flustered him. "Did you leave because of me?" It was a place to start anyway.
She smiled sadly. "No. And I didn't come back with any expectations either." She put a hand on his arm. "I'm not looking for things you can't give."
He pulled her into a hug, relieved to have her understanding. God, he was glad to have her back period. The number of people in his life was so small that the holes they left when he lost them were way too big. "Thank you," he said against the softness of her hair.
After a moment, he let her go. He reclaimed his coffee cup from the step, but it had cooled to lukewarm so he set it back down. Michael decided it was time to kick off the day anyway. "How about Kitt and I help you apartment hunt?"
"I thought that didn't sound like much fun," she teased.
"We could make a day of it. Open the T-tops, take a look at some ocean-view places that are way out of your price range, grab lunch somewhere."
"Sounds good to me."
He collected both of their cups in one hand. "Are we good here?" he asked carefully, wanting to be sure.
She nodded slowly. "I think so."
"Good."
He stood up, brushed off his jeans, and offered her his free hand. Smiling, Bonnie took it and let him pull her up. Michael slung his free arm over her shoulder, leading the way back up the steps. "So we need to make a list of 'must haves.' One bedroom, one bath, one hot tub."
She laughed and shook her head. "We're looking for an apartment for me not you."
"Okay, strike the hot tub, but a mirrored bedroom is a must."
She gave him that look. The one from out of the corner of her eyes. "Have I told you recently that you're incorrigible?" she asked as he opened the door for her.
Michael tipped his head back and grinned before following her in. "Nope. But I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing it a lot in my near future."
And even though he would never admit it, he was looking forward to that.
Very much.
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-knightshade
February 12, 2006