The Photograph
An attempt at the Fire & Ice AU
By Gumnut
22 Jul – 6 Aug 2004

It was old and worn, the paper creased and dog-eared under her fingers.

Old, because the people smiling up from the paper had been friends, family, for a very long time.

Worn, because she spent far too much time sitting in rooms such as this one, staring at it.

She flicked a glance at the woman sitting opposite her. Alex showed little outwardly, even less than she herself probably did. They were both veterans of hospital waiting rooms, and neither was likely to put on any great display.

But this time was different.

Bonnie flinched as Alex caught her staring. The other woman didn’t say anything, a small helpless smile her only physical response. But Bonnie could see so much more reflected in those eyes. A lump caught in her throat, and she had to look away.

Inevitably her gaze returned to the photograph in her hands. Happiness stared back up at her. It was an emotion so in contrast to the one she was now feeling at the moment that is only enlarged the lump, and she found herself fighting back a sob.

Some veteran she was.

But the faces still smiled up at her.

Anyone peering over her shoulder might have been mystified as to the reason for her emotional reaction to what was simply a picture of two couples and their cars.

But an outsider would have no idea of what they were looking at.

This photo was precious, one of only two in existence, the sole other copy in the possession of the woman sharing the room with her.

But its rarity was only part of its value. It was what had been captured by it that meant so much. One of those scarce moments when all the members of their odd little family were hale, healthy, and happy.

It had been a moment of laughter.

Her eyes drew the pigments off the paper. Michael’s eyes stared back at her, one of those wonderfully cheeky grins on his face, one arm resting on Kitt’s roof, the other wrapped around the waist of a giggling version of herself.

She smiled. Her emulsified self was laughing at the antics of the other couple in the photograph. Alex had both her arms around the waist of Nick who looked as if he was attempting to make an escape from the camera. The flash had caught Alex laughing and the most un-Nick-like ridiculous look on the face of her lover. The normally cool ice blue eyes were wrapped in mischief. She knew for a fact that Karr had said something, in a very unusual display of humour, which had stunned his driver in his tracks.

What the camera had missed was Michael, Bonnie, and Alex cracking up in laughter a moment later.

Despite everything, she found herself smiling again.

Another reason why this picture was so precious. It stored up those emotions and memories for times like these.

Abruptly that lump reappeared in her throat.

Damn.

Think positive. Positive.

She had taken the camera to the warehouse on a whim. It had been new, and, as with all things new, a novelty.

The moment she walked in the door she was greeted by a sight that she, to this day, wished she had been brave enough to photograph unannounced.

Both Kitt and Karr were parked in the middle of the warehouse floor, fender to fender, directly under one of the skylights. The late morning sun cast a shaft of light that lit up the black cars in shades of white gold.

But that wasn’t what stopped her in her tracks.

Sitting on Kitt’s hood, legs crossed, Michael was reading out loud from a book, his voice drifting across the empty spaces.

Michael was reading Kitt….and Karr….fairytales.

She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, after all, the relationship between Michael and Kitt defied definition. But Karr’s presence?

She found herself simply standing and staring in some sort of befuddled amazement. A small part of her mind knew that both AIs had to know she was there, but neither said anything to the man whose voice echoed softly throughout the room. So she stayed quiet, listening herself as Michael told the story of Hansel and Gretel.

Every now and again Kitt would interrupt, asking a simple question, or needing clarification of some point. Michael would answer verbally, but she got the distinct impression she was only hearing part of the conversation.

Karr, of course, said nothing, sitting quietly next to his brother, and Bonnie idly wondered if he was talking to Kitt across the link they shared.

And oddly she felt honoured to witness what equated to a private moment of intimacy between the three people in the room. Honoured that they trusted her.

“Morning, Doctor Barstow.” The whisper caressed her ear, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Turning abruptly she came face to face with Nick MacKenzie who shot her a wiry smile and a raised eyebrow at her reaction.

“Nick!” She hissed between gritted teeth, hesitant to disturb the storytelling. She didn’t know whether to laugh at him or slap him one.

He was dressed in a jogging outfit, a light sheen of sweat on his face, evidence of his recent activity. His attention was obviously caught by the tableau before them. She looked a little more closely as his expression flickered.

She had gotten used to being on the outside of a lot of conversations since Michael and Kitt’s link activated, and she had learned to recognise the internal exchanges between the two partners. Nicholas’ expression was always far more subtle, but the signs were there, if you knew what to look for.

And Karr was obviously expressing his opinion at the moment.

Suddenly a smile appeared on the normally stoic agent’s face and he answered his partner verbally. “It’s a fairytale, Karr, it’s supposed to be ridiculous.”

At the sound of Nick’s voice, Michael looked up, his mouth, caught mid-sentence, smiling as he found her.

“I think there is interest in the ridiculous.” Kitt spoke before Michael could say anything. “The written word allows the writer’s impression of the world to be communicated.” Michael cocked an eyebrow at his partner just before Kitt spoke up again. “Karr, that is just rude.”

Bonnie glanced at Nick, to find the man smirking, eyes sparkling with mischief. Michael was glaring suspiciously at the Stealth, obviously wondering what the AI had said and unsure as to whether the comment had involved him.

She smiled and walked out on to the sunlit floor. Michael muttered something in the direction of Karr before turning to slide off Kitt’s hood.

“Michael, I would like to know what happens…”

The driver turned towards the AI as one arm reached out to draw her to him. “You could download it from the Net, Kitt. I’m pretty sure it would be available out there somewhere.” He gave her a welcome hug, and a kiss planted itself on her forehead.

“I know.” Something in Kitt’s voice said the opposite of what the words intended, and a glance up at her partner confirmed it as his eyes softened, another smile curving the corners of his mouth. Even she could see that Kitt preferred Michael to read it to him. It wasn’t about the story at all.

“So what’s this?” Michael indicated the equipment she held in her hand.

“Oh, my new digital camera. I thought that since it was a day off for both of us, and the sun is shining, we could make a outing of it.”

“What, taking pictures?”

“Of course.” She reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “Haven’t I told you how nice a photograph you make?”

He smiled. “Compared to what?”

“Well, I’ve only had the camera a couple of hours. There was that picture of a bug I found in my kitchen this morning. Oh, and that odd shot I took of my thumb when I hit the wrong button.” She grinned, as his arms wrapped around her and squeezed, threatening to tickle.

“Bonnie, I would love to go on a photography excursion.” She saw Michael arch an eyebrow yet again in the direction of the Trans Am. “It would be nice to use my photographic equipment for something other than snapping shots of criminals.”

“I didn’t know you had an interest in photography, Kitt.”

“I haven’t previously, but the thought is intriguing. When did you want to go?”

“Hey, don’t I get any say in this?”

“Michael, you are quite welcome to come with us.” The smile in the AI’s voice was infectious and she found herself grinning again.

“Well, thankyou very much.”

----------------

Bonnie was shaken out of her thoughts by the sudden entrance of a family - two young children, their parents, and an elderly woman. The children were clearly upset and the parents not far behind them. The older woman simply looked shocked, her face pale. She had to be directed to sit, the father hovering over her while the mother corralled the children into a corner of the room.

Alex barely reacted to the intrusion, but Bonnie could tell it was unwelcome. The room was no longer private. Not that it ever really was, but it had had the illusion. The geologist shifted in her seat, her eyes inevitably darting in the direction Nick had been taken. Bonnie’s eyes followed.

God damnit, she hated this. She clenched her fists, photographic paper creasing once again in her hands, her fingernails catching in the remains of old folds.

She immediately let go, and the picture fell to the floor, it’s occupants exuding happiness into the linoleum. Snatching at it, her sudden movement caught the attention of everyone in the room, with the exception of the old woman, whose haggard gaze stared off into nowhere.

She could guess where the woman’s thoughts were. Hers were in a similar place.

Bonnie smiled slightly in apology towards the family before turning once again back to the precious photo.

Michael still grinned at her. Nick still struggled to escape the camera.

One of the children cried out.

And Bonnie knew exactly how he felt.

-------------------

It was Kitt who suggested it.

Michael and Bonnie packed a quick lunch and threw a rug and picnic set into the Trans Am’s trunk. It wasn’t often they were able to get away like this, and she intended to make the most of it.

Nick had obviously planned to work the rest of the day, his fingers tapping the keys on his laptop almost from the moment he made it out of his post-exercise shower, but, as if on cue, Alex arrived at the warehouse. Bonnie had her suspicions. She had heard of it happening before, and even though Karr was no more silent than usual, she was fairly sure the AI had a hand in it.

The geologist had managed to coax Nick away from his computer, and with the aid of two cups of coffee, had cornered him on one of the old lounges on the ground floor. Karr had driven up close, presumably to join in on the conversation the couple were having, and two pairs of feet had ended up on the hood of the Stealth. Surprisingly, Karr didn’t seem to mind duty as a footrest.

Again she had to fight the urge to take a photograph. The sight of the three was so… relaxed… special… something rare and precious.

The lens cap stayed on.

But Kitt must have picked up on her mood, because that was when he suggested it.

“What?” Nick stared at the Trans Am, his relaxed pose suddenly not so relaxed.

“A family photo.”

“Why?”

“We have no visual record-“

“There is a reason for that.”

A silence followed that statement. A reminder of exactly what the two men did for a living. Michael shuffled his feet next to her, but didn’t say anything. She almost gave up at that point, not wanting to push, but the idea caught in her mind, and she found herself yearning to have such a record, a picture of her family. It wasn’t too much to ask was it?

“One photo, Nick.” Bonnie caught his eyes, trying to convey to him the reasons behind her words. “Kitt can process the image, print it, and delete it. No one but us ever needs to see it.”

She didn’t know how to categorise the look in his eyes. A mixture of apprehension, his natural wariness, and some undefined emotion. For a moment she thought he would outright refuse her, but it was Alex that made the decision.

“C’mon, Nicky, it is only a photograph.”

The moment broke and he glared at the woman beside him.

“Nicky?” Michael’s voice was incredulous, and that glare suddenly turned in his direction. The grin on Michael’s face deflected it nicely.

Nick frowned. “The last person to call me that is now severely handicapped, Michael. Be warned.”

“Nicholas, you are in error. Apart from Alex, the last person to call you ‘Nicky’ was myself, and I can assure you that I am in no way disabled.” Ice blue eyes latched onto the Stealth and something passed between the two partners. Karr’s response was immediate. “Oh, Nicky, I’m so scared.”

Michael couldn’t hack it anymore and cracked up laughing. Bonnie was hard put to keep a straight face herself, and Nick’s glare lost a great deal of it’s power when combined with a frown that refused to stay in place.

--------------------

A doctor strode into the room, and Bonnie’s heart dropped a beat. The grave look on his face emanated a cold distress – a blank look presented to the world while the man inside grieved at what he was about to do. His eyes said everything, and Bonnie nearly broke as his gaze passed over her and latched on to the elderly woman in the corner.

She knew what he was going to say before he said it.

Quiet words. Distressed denials. High pitched whimpers.

Sobs.

Alex had moved to the seat next to her, both women finding a little strength in proximity to one another. A solidarity in duality. Kitt and Karr were no doubt in a similar position.

To the sound of crying, she shifted the photograph to reveal the one other object in her hands.

Michael’s comlink.

She could contact Kitt, could question him, but something inside her was terrified of his answers.

The digits on the readout blurred, and she closed her eyes.

And offered up a silent prayer.

Please.

------------------

In the end Alex resorted to dragging him.

Of course, if he truly resisted, there was no-one in the room who could have stopped him, but there was obviously some stubborn part of the man that prevented him from capitulating without some displayed reluctance.

Besides, he seemed to be enjoying being lugged about by his lover.

The sun had shifted slightly, softening the glow through the skylights, providing the perfect lighting for her requirements. Michael volunteered a tripod he scrounged from somewhere – by the disgruntled look on Nick’s face she surmised it was his – and mounting the camera, Bonnie played director.

Kitt was the first to position himself, his engine idling softly, he backed into the light at an angle. A few moments later, with what she was sure was some encouragement from Kitt, Karr crept silently into a mirror position. She was quite surprised that the usually cool and aloof AI had made no protest regarding this little exercise. She had expected him to protest as loudly as Nick, perhaps more, but he hadn’t said a word in objection, and she had no idea as to whether Kitt had said something to him, or he had his own agenda in the matter.

Even Michael had been a little quiet. As he stepped into the frame of the picture, the light hit his pensive look sculpting his features in pale amber. Her finger edged towards the shutter button, but again hesitated, and the moment was gone. Kitt muttered something that brought an answering smile to his driver’s face, his head turning towards the car. A hand brushed the black roof of the T-top, as Michael mumbled something in return.

Finally Alex led the reluctant Nick into the picture.

“I have a right to be concerned. A photo such as this illustrates our relationship. Should it fall into the wrong hands-“

“Nick, no-one is going to see this but the six of us. I promise you that.” Alex was beginning to sound a little strained. Bonnie could relate. Their lives were rather strange, and what was normal for others was often rare for them, but, for goodness sake, it was only a photograph.

“Nicholas, please, this is important.”

The dark haired agent stared at Kitt. “What? Why?”

Alex reached up and gently turned him to face her. “Because I need something when you are gone.”

The silence that followed that soft statement was total.

Nick’s face blanked and he froze. Bonnie found herself looking away; almost ashamed to be staring at what should be a private moment.

She turned and found herself pinned by a pair of blue-grey eyes.

For a moment she had the impression that Michael was gazing at her over a wide canyon, unable to get to her, his job, his responsibilities, the danger that haunted his life digging that canyon ever deeper. But that thought was pure hyperbole, and the moment broke as he smiled at her.

“Is this going to take all day?” Karr’s voice was so dry, it sucked all the moisture from the room.

She turned towards the AI just as Nick patted his partner on the hood. “Down, boy, down.” His eyes caught Alex’s briefly one more time, before he turned to face the camera.

Karr grumbled, obviously outraged, but his engine stayed silent, the Stealth still posing for the picture.

It hit her all of a sudden, the realisation that it hadn’t been Kitt who had suggested the photo at all. Sure the younger AI had verbalised it, but Bonnie was suddenly certain that it had been Karr’s idea, perhaps in reflection of his interactions with Alex. She darted a glance at the custom made black panther on wheels. Perhaps the AI was more perceptive than she gave him credit for.

Filing the thought away and turning back to the task at hand, Bonnie checked the position of the camera. Only one person missing. “Okay, Kitt she’s all yours.”

“Thank you, Bonnie.”

Kitt interfaced with the camera as she walked into frame herself and wrapped an arm around Michael. Alex had Nick in front of her and was peering out at the camera from behind him.

“What word would you like to say?”

Kitt’s simple question had her puzzled for a moment, but Michael spoke up. “The traditional ‘cheese’ will do fine, Kitt.”

There was a pause, and Bonnie had the impression that someone was talking to someone, but considering how many interlinked people there were in the room, she wouldn’t even hazard a guess.

“I believe I have found a far more effective word.” There was a grin in Kitt’s voice that had her smiling already. Wait for it. “Isn’t that right, Nicky.”

A choked sound came from her left, and she saw Alex make a grab for Nick. Bonnie burst out laughing and the scene was bathed in the sharp bright light of the camera flash.

“Perfectly executed, Kitt, my compliments on your timing.” Karr’s deep voice cut through the laughter, stunning Nick, and cracking the rest of them up even more.

“Yes, I do think it worked rather well, if I dare say so myself.”

The look on Nick’s face as he stared back and forth between the two black cars was memorable.

--------------------

Kitt had printed off two copies of the photo immediately, three of the four human members of the team crowding around to see the result.

Nicholas had stubbornly refused to be baited regarding the picture, and stood leaning against the Stealth, arms folded, various words thrown in the direction of the AI, of which ‘traitor’ was one of the milder.

Eventually Bonnie and Michael had embarked on their planned day out and left the disgruntled ex-agent in the hands of Alex.

Now that same woman drew her out of the memories with a simple touch.

Another doctor had walked into the room, and his eyes were pinned on the two of them. Bonnie froze.

She tried to read those eyes, though fearful of what she would find, but couldn’t gain a hint as to what news he was bringing. So she glanced down, catching Michael’s laughing face off the paper, before putting the photograph aside and standing, Alex beside her.

This was the moment they had been waiting for. This was where she found out the fate of her family. She steeled herself.

And the doctor opened his mouth.

--------------------
FIN.