I apologize that it took me too long to update Surprises. The last months have been quite busy. I hope I'll be able post post Chapter 7 soon. Enjoy and please leave a review.

Disclaimer: Glen A. Larson and Universal own the Knight Rider characters in this story.

Surprises

Chapter 6

Michael always looked forward to the closing of a case, especially when justice had won and the helpless and powerless had been helped. He treasured the feeling that he had made a difference as it often wasn't easy to find out who had done wrong. On his way home, he was usually counting the minutes until they reached the Semi or the headquarter where Bonnie was already waiting for them, ready to welcome him back and to make sure that Kitt wasn't damaged.

This time, the anticipation felt different. On the one hand, he was relieved to approach the outskirts of the greater Los Angeles area. On the other hand, he felt nervous and occasionally regretted not having told Bonnie the truth. That he had begged Devon to allow him to return for this evening. That they would be able to spend at least some time together. While surprises made Michael happy and smile like a child, Bonnie was a scientist and her reactions to being kept in dark had included lectures and complaints in the past.

He hated that he had to lie to be able to spend at least part of Valentine's Day with her. Michael was aware that Bonnie wasn't looking forward to the fundraiser. They would lose valuable time that they could be together with Bonnie attending the fundraiser while Michael was waiting for her to return to her apartment. If only there was a way she could skip the event. But it was impossible for her not to show up. People would expect this behavior from Michael. Bonnie's absence, however, would cause their team, especially Devon, to worry and to start looking for her. Michael grinned as he pictured Devon storming into Bonnie's apartment with a search troop only to find her there cuddled up in Michael's arms. No, she couldn't risk missing the fundraiser. But - his eyes lit up as another idea came to his mind - maybe no one would notice if he lured her away after a while.

The smile on his face grew wider as he began plotting his idea. His plan could prevent an unpredictable reaction from Bonnie to his surprise, and at the same time it would enable them to have more time together. It sounded perfect to Michael - unless one minor detail would blow up his cover before he even had a chance to reach the Foundation's headquarter. A detail which could make Bonnie furious and terrified at the same time.

To keep Bonnie unaware that he was in Los Angeles, Michael was - as he liked to call it - "flying under the radar". To KITT's vehement objections, he had turned off his signal for the rest of the day. Usually, Bonnie would immediately notice that he had deactivated KITT's homing device and become concerned about their safety. Therefore, Devon had promised him to keep her distracted with the preparations for the fundraiser so that she wouldn't find time to even look at her computer. However, knowing Bonnie, Michael feared that she might still find time to briefly check up on him and his safety. To be on the safe side, he had thought of a plausible excuse. He would blame it on his driving and claim that a bumpy road had caused the device to malfunction, hoping she would believe his lie and not immediately run a diagnosis scan.

A sigh escaped his lips. Why did being able to spend Valentine's Day with the woman he loved have to be so complicated?

Though the secrecy had been important for them to make sure their feelings were real, and their love would last, he was aware that they couldn't keep their relationship a secret much longer. It became too complicated to find excuses, and he was tired of having to sneak around. Once this case was over and he would be home for more than just a few days, he and Bonnie would have to talk to Devon and tell him that they were in love. The last couple of months had been proof to both that their love would not interfere with their work, and that they were both committed to this relationship.

XXX

Bonnie glanced at her reflection in the mirror in the hallway. Her eyes looked tired as she had spent the entire day preparing the last details of the fundraiser. Devon had found numerous tasks for her, and she had often wondered why she had to do all the work while RC seemed to be excused from the preparations. When mentioning this to Devon, his answer had been evasive which made Bonnie wonder if his claims that RC had to work on other fundraiser related preparations or was too clumsy for certain tasks were really the truth.

"You look wonderful, my dear." Devon held out his arm to Bonnie as he led her down the stairs in the entrance hall of the Foundation estate. He noticed the sad and exhausted look on her face. Exhausted from her mostly voluntary workload and from the preparations for the event. But why didn't he see the sparkle in her eyes which he had noticed there in the last few months? Was this day the reason Bonnie appeared to be sad? Secretly, he wondered why a beautiful and smart woman like Bonnie was alone on Valentine's Day and didn't even have a date for the fundraiser. Was she too dedicated and focused on her work to even consider finding time for love? A quick glance through the room made him notice several of their male guests who admiringly watched Bonnie walk down the stairs. Was she even aware how stunning she looked in her red dress? Devon made a mental note to encourage Bonnie to dance or chat with Matt Erikson or Nicholas Arkett. Though he had promised her not to repeat his mistake with Irving, it wouldn't hurt reminding her that there was a life outside of her research and the Foundation.

"Thank you, Devon. You look quite dashing yourself." Bonnie forced a smile. She wished she didn't have to attend the fundraiser, but she wasn't creative enough to come up with a plausible excuse. Her presence was expected by Devon as well as their guests who enjoyed complementing Bonnie on her research and on having once again outdone herself with the festivities. Usually, she was polite and didn't mind engaging in conversations with their donors. Today, however, she wasn't in the right mood for small talk, and she felt Devon seemed to be aware of it.

"My dear, please try to enjoy the evening, even if you'd rather not be here." A waiter walked by with a tray in his arms and Devon grabbed a flute of champagne for them. "It's obvious that you are upset. Is it because Michael doesn't have to attend the fundraiser?" He sipped on his glass and continued, not waiting for her to reply. "Trust me, his case isn't exciting either."

Devon knew that most members of his team hated their fundraisers and the small talk with their guests and donors. He often reminded them that it was necessary for the Foundation to have donors, otherwise they couldn't continue their work. A fact everyone understood.

"I'm sorry, Devon. I'm not in a good mood today. I'm tired and …." Bonnie explained carefully. "Maybe one reason is because Michael was excused, and we weren't. He knows how to turn a rather stiff and boring event into an enjoyable evening." She admitted hoping he would be satisfied with her explanation and wouldn't feel criticized by her calling the fundraiser stiff. It was the truth. She wished Michael was there and she missed him. However, she was also worried about him. He had called her earlier today to wish her a happy Valentine's Day. When she had sneaked away from the ballroom in the late afternoon to see if he had already reached his destination, she had noticed that Kitt's homing device was turned off. Immediately, she had called Michael back who had expected her to find out. He had assured her that they were all right and that it was only a computer glitch. Apparently, they'd driven on bumpy roads. While she had been relieved to hear his voice tell her that there wasn't a problem, she wasn't completely convinced that this was indeed true. "Or maybe it's because we haven't heard from them, and I worry about KITT."

"I talked to him an hour ago and they were fine." Devon had called Michael to inform him that he had managed to keep Bonnie busy – unaware that she had tried to locate them and already contacted him because of this. Disbelief clouded Bonnie's face which showed Devon that she wasn't convinced this was true. If he hadn't promised Michael not to tell anyone he was heading back to Los Angeles, it would have been time to clue her in why Michael's location was a secret.

"My dear, even if he was here, I doubt Michael would have stayed longer than absolutely necessary." He answered instead.

A questioning look met his eyes. What was Devon trying to tell her? "Well, Michael's known to be the first to leave a function."

Devon sighed. "That's correct, my dear. However, I believe he would have broken his record today." He said carefully. "You see, today's Valentine's Day, and when I informed him about the fundraiser, Michael mentioned that he had already made plans to spend the evening with a female friend and was determined not to show up unless he was forced. Well, apparently someone who is more than a friend." He hoped his remark wouldn't upset Bonnie. Telling Bonnie the truth about Michael having a girlfriend seemed to be the logical option for him. He wasn't a good liar, and he figured she would have seen right through his explanations.

"Someone who is more than a friend?" Bonnie stared at Devon in disbelief. What was he implying? Had Michael told Devon the truth about their relationship without informing her?

"Yes, apparently Michael is seeing someone. I have to admit I myself was a bit astonished at first when he mentioned it to me." Devon didn't realize that Bonnie's face froze. "This explains why he's been in such a brilliant mood lately. He didn't mention a name though." The Englishman added, afraid she would question him for more information.

"Oh." Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief, hoping Devon would assume it was out of disappointment. She had to hide that she was relieved that their secret was still safe. "Well, that's good, I'm glad he has found someone. I'm happy for him."

"Well, we know Michael, don't we? This is probably nothing serious." Devon smiled as his friend Senator Maggie Smith walked into the hall.

Bonnie cringed at his words. Nothing serious. Though Devon was unaware that she was this woman and hadn't intended to upset her, his comment hurt her. Would he still believe she was just a fling for Michael if he learned the truth?

Maggie Smith headed towards them, anxious to talk to Devon. Figuring Devon would rather be alone with her, Bonnie looked around and spotted RC waving at her from the buffet. "If you excuse me, RC seems to be looking for me."

"Of course, my dear. I'll see you later. Please save a dance for me." Devon smiled at her as she politely greeted Maggie before Bonnie disappeared in the crowd.