**Author's Note: I'd like to thank all who continue to read my stories. It is truly an uplifting feeling to know people are actually enjoying them. I thank you for all your kind words and encouragment. You are why I continue to write. Now, in regards to this particular story, I need not say how many times fans of the Knight Rider fandom have woven tales and possible origins, timelines etc. with this certain character in mind. This character of course, is a fan favorite and always will be. This is my attempt and I hope I do him-and you-justice. Thank you!
~EV
PS-Another important note: throughout all my three stories: Familial State, A Typical Knight Family Outing..., and Possess The Knight, Knight Rider 2000 and Team Knight Rider storylines, timelines, etc. were and will be IGNORED, and will continued to be ignored. This wasn't explicitly brought up, but it was hinted to and I wanted to clear that up before this story began. Thanks!**
Chapter One: Feeling Better?
KITT scanned Mike again, for the one hundredth time, as he made his rounds in a public party house aka night club. Vitals the same: elevated, but not outside normal range of someone having a really good time.
Mike seemed to be a pro at having a good time, these days...
A new girl every night, a new club every night...
KITT twisted his virtual mouth to the left, and tapped a scanner just for the sake of tapping it. He checked his windshield for any grim...he checked his tire pressure, his nanoskin's status...
KITT stopped. What was this? What was he? Why, he was the most advanced artificial intelligence known to man, the power behind a fantastic machine. He was impenetrable, unstoppable, unrivaled.
And yet he was acting as a chauffer, a set of hot wheels, for some party-boy he happened to call partner.
Oh, the humanity.
KITT pulled himself up and flicked his communication link to Mike.
"Michael, this is KITT. I believe we need to talk."
Her smell wrapped around him, carrying him away. Her lips were delicious and her hair a sheen of black, strong yet yielding to his hands.
He had that feeling of his...a feeling way deep down that this might just be his night, but-
"Michael, this is KITT. I believe we need to talk."
-flinch-
She pulled away just enough to peer longingly into his eyes.
"What, baby...?"
Mike tilted his head and grinned, "Nothin'." She slipped nearer to him, her dress inching higher up her leg. Mike felt white hot heat flush through him. This HAD to be his night...
"Michael, we NEED to talk. Respond."
Mike ignored him and surreptitiously moved his hand to his ear to remove the earwig, masking it in one swift movement of putting his arms around her again. He smiled radiantly as she nibbled on his ear. They locked lips again, passionately, only to be jolted apart as the power failed in the nightclub. The music died, the lights stop flashing, and the people stopped dancing.
"What happened?"
Mike pursed his lips angrily, "Power outage, I guess." KITT, you son of a bitch!
"'Scuse me. I'll be right back."
The girl opened her mouth questioningly and reached for his arm, but Mike skirted past. Between the darkness and the amount of people, the real challenge was getting to the door. Once out, Mike marched up to KITT and planted himself in front of his scanner.
"I told you we needed to talk."
"So, you ruin not only my fun, but everyone else's in the club?"
"I tried conventional. You did not respond to that, so I moved to unconventional. And it appears to have worked."
The clubbers slowly and steadily began to pour out of the club. Mike's conquest caught his eye and he moved toward her, only to be shot down by the venomous glare of the rather large and dangerous man that had a hold of her arm. She shrugged apologetically and mouthed, "Sorry!", as he dragged her off.
Mike rounded on KITT, "NOW look at what you've done! Christ, KITT!"
"It is not like she mattered to you, Michael. As I have come to see it, these nightly outings are clearly a way of regaining confidence in your own mortality. Not to find compatibility and long-lasting companionship. And...what is it that they say? 'There are plenty of fish in the sea'?"
Mike opened his mouth, stopped, tapped his fingers rapidly on KITT's hood then moved to the driver's side door and soundlessly yanked it open, slipping in.
"Ok. Fine. WHAT...could possibly be so freaking important that you had to go to all this trouble...and thoroughly PISS ME OFF!"
KITT blinked. "Your behavior these last few weeks."
"What's wrong with it?"
"It is not you."
"And, of course, you know EXACTLY what IS me, right, Mother?"
KITT closed his 'eyes' and swallowed hard.
"Please, Michael. Do not be angry with me. Four months ago, I thought I had lost you. These last two months, I have watched you steadily recover. I watched you become strong again. I had so hoped, that along with that strength, the part of you, that makes you, you...would recover as well.
"The moment you stepped from the hospital only a few weeks ago, I saw my hopes were dashed. You have changed. To you, I am no longer a partner, a friend, but just a nice set of wheels. Something to impress your romantic conquests with. I do not like that, Michael. I nearly lost you once, I will not lose you again.
"I ask you, no, I beg you...please stop. Do not treat me...or the others like they are dirt to tread upon. If you continue, I will still stand by you, as it is my duty, but I am not so sure about Sarah, Bill or Zoe. Or even your father.
" If you can not be appealed to in the personal sense, maybe appealing to the side of you that understands duty, will work. You have been asked to carry on a great mission. It cannot fail. And you cannot fail it. Continue as you have, and I doubt you will do much good."
KITT took a breath and shook himself, his voice settling into its normal coolness: "I am sorry I ruined your night and your chances with that woman, but this had to be said, and thought sooner, rather than later, would be better."
Mike looked at the orb , the only reference point he had as to where to look. The red dot in the middle seemed to contract and expand, almost like breathing. It moved into alignment with his gaze, as if to be staring at him straight in the eye.
"KITT..."
He stopped. What HAD happened? The first moment he laid eyes on KITT again, through that hospital window, the pride, the joy, the relief, the pain, a whole jumbled bunch of emotions had surged through him. But now? Now they were gone. He had changed, but in such a subtle way, he himself had missed it. He found himself cold, and distance…and didn't know WHY. It truly tormented him.
But then...there was how to tell him? How to tell him that the pain of the thought of losing KITT had hurt more than any of the physical pain. How to tell him...he feared death at those moments, because he couldn't stand being without him. How to tell him...he loved him.
It had looked so much easier when Mike thought his death was near. Of course it was easier. Once said, he probably wouldn't have made it to see the results, had things ended differently. What he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.
How to tell him...it still hurt. His partying and philandering, all of it was a shield. As if, something like what they went through only a few months ago, would ever to happen again, this shield would protect him-them.
Mike reached out and touched a fingertip to the red dot. It contracted then expanded rapidly.
"Let's get back, KITT." he said softly.
Michael Knight rolled over, his arm draping her waist and licking his lips before resuming his snoring. But an involuntary snort and cough on his part, woke him up again. One eye cracked open, closed then both opened again. A hand reached out from under the blankets and absently fumbled for the digital alarm clock on the stand next to his bed. He groaned when he saw the time.
Why can I NOT sleep solidly through one damn night!
He swung his legs over the edge and his feet searched for the slippers. He found them and slipped them on. Waiting a few seconds before standing, he winced when he heard and felt the popping and cracking of several joints. That was happening more and more...
Grabbing his robe from off the end of the bed, he stopped to look again at the sleeping form in the bed. A small almost sad smile appeared on his face. He loved her, loved the thought of having her near again, of having the possibility to look on her face, at her smile again. He supposed she still loved him. Maybe never stopped. That's what she claimed and he was inclined to believe her. But if that was the case...why did it feel as though a wall was beginning to sprout up between them?
Their conversations had inexplicably become one-sided. Bonnie wanted to say something, and had since they'd come back together, but whenever he'd probe the subject she'd clam up-tight. What ever it was, it was eating at her. She was jumpy, raw, and quick to snap. He even went so far as to ask when this "Change of Life" thing she was going through was going to end, because he sure as hell couldn't much more bitchiness. That earned him a cold shoulder for a week.
Now, she was warming up to him again, but it was guarded. If leaving him in the dark was what she wanted, and what she thought was best, then he was all for it, because it meant not having his head chewed off for no reason.
He wandered into the spacious kitchen of his desert home-a sprawling compound custom to him and his needs. He went to the fridge and poked around, seeing if there was anything to his liking. Of course, the fruit and vegetables were ignored even if that little voice in the back of his head that was Bonnie's nagging, begged otherwise...
Mmm, that roast beef looked good, so did that pizza...
Michael reached in and grabbed the pizza. He thought about heating it up but opted to leave it cold. His hand hovered near a bottle of beer but Bonnie's nagging really came back to haunt him and he moved it to a bottle of water.
From the kitchen he wondered into the living room, where munching complacently on the pizza, he sat down on the couch and checked out what the TV had to offer that night. Not much. It quickly died and Michael looked around, looking for something else in terms of amusement.
He admitted reading was never his thing, but lately he had found sitting down with a real good book, wasn't all that bad. Pretty fun, actually. He laughed at the author's attempt to create a harrowing tale of world destruction/domination and whatnot, where the heroes were more flawed and more complicated than the plot itself.
If they only knew...
Restless, Michael popped the cap off his water bottle and sipped (still didn't and would never, beat the taste of a good, cold beer...). The next room he'd wander into was a no-brainer. Out of the living room and down, down, down the stairs.
The cool darkness of the garage area was complete. In the daytime, the garage was an open, airy getaway for him. But at night, when all the corners blurred together in the dark, it was actually quite unnerving. His hand searched for the light switch but he stopped. He never liked it when a light was suddenly put on when he was trying to sleep...
"What's the matter, Michael?"
He jumped involuntarily, then settled quickly. The voice came from the center of the area, where the darkness was especially thick. He descended the stars carefully and slowly.
"I didn't want to wake you. I'm sorry."
"I was never asleep. And please put on a light before you trip."
The lights just above and around the stairs came on, but not enough to blind anyone. Michael blinked anyways. From the center of the darkness, a single ruby red strip of light pulsated back and forth calmly.
"I wasn't going to trip, Kitt..."
"I see you're drinking water. Good for you."
"Thanks."
"Still not sleeping well? That's not good, Michael. If this continues, I think you should see a doctor."
Michael leaned against his work bench. He tried to appear relaxed and loose. "No doctors. I'm fine."
"Are you saying that to convince me...or yourself?"
Michael didn't reply, just gulped down his water, keeping his eyes on the scanner.
"Sorry. But you know I worry about you. I can't help it."
"And I worry about you."
It just slipped out. Michael swallowed thickly after saying it. These things usually went unsaid between them. They knew the worries and concerns existed and occasionally they would be hinted to, but the deepness, the complexity of them were never discussed.
"Aw, that's sweet, Michael. Really is...". Kitt was using sarcasm as a shield. Michael was pretty sure he'd picked that up from him.
"Please take this seriously."
" I am taking this seriously."
"You're not 'sleeping', either."
Kitt took a defensive stance. "Of course I am. I'm recharging well every night."
"You're also a terrible liar."
Kitt stopped, the sarcasm falling away. What was the use? Michael could read him like an open book and vice versa...
"Ok, ok, I'll level." Kitt's voice was weary and defeated. He lifted his 'eyes' to Michael's.
"Let's face it, my friend: we...are old. We're two old goats, too stubborn to know when it's time to hang it up. Not that I'm saying that's necessarily a bad thing ." He added quickly. "But, we got to face it some time. We got kids to worry about, and their futures. We keep going around like this..."
Michael moved away from the table, and with far more caution than usual, knelt down gingerly in front of Kitt's scanner.
"I know, Kitt. I know we're old. I know we should be taking a break. I know we should think of our kids and their futures...but somehow I can't take it. It's one pill I refuse to swallow just yet."
"Well, I'm just sayin'...it's something worth thinking about at least..."
Michael sat back, wincing to himself as the joints in his knees cracked. "You really want to stop now?"
Kitt was now uncomfortable. "Stop? No, no...slow down. That's all I'm asking for."
"Slow down, huh?" Michael repeated somewhat thoughtfully as he slowly straightened.
"Michael, c'mon! You're no young man anymore. This last time around, ho brother!", He shook his 'head' sadly, "It's not something I wish to see or go through again. You think you hurt the most in those moments? What about the people around you? You don't think it doesn't hurt to watch you limp around, hangdog and beaten?"
Michael rounded on him, "I know! I know how much it hurts! You think I like knowing I nearly put you in the junk yard? You think I like seeing you busted up, broken down and burned? You think I like seeing that? You think Bonnie likes seeing you like that? Think she likes having your blood on her hands as she tries to salvage something for almost nothing?"
"NO! Don't make this about me, Michael. Why do you think I'm bring this up for, right here and right now? For our kids, Michael! For our kids! Don't you want to be around for Mike? Or do you want to leave him, angry and bitter that a job that is no longer yours, took you away? I want to be around for KITT. I want to be around for him and all his triumphs, and victories, and to help him through the failures and problems. I can't do that if I'm dead and buried in some rotten junkyard!"
"All right, fine! We'll QUIT! I can do that. I can quit. I like fishing. It'll be fun, as I'm sure you'll remember!"
"There you go, there you go! Always got to be the martyr! I'm not asking for anyone to quit. Damn it, I just want to slow down! Take a few breaths, enjoy the view before we have to go speeding off the save the world again! Is that too much to ask, Michael?"
Michael was all ready to rear up again but a knot of tension in the middle of his shoulder blades stymied another outburst. He conceded defeat. "No, no I guess not. If it saves us from seeing each at death's door again, then...goodnight, Kitt. Glad we talked."
Kitt flashed his scanner. "So am I, Michael. Get some sleep, old friend."
"We shouldn't be here. We should be in bed."
"Why? This is gonna be great. Think I should get some popcorn?"
-smack-
"Ow! Hey! Look, all I'm saying is that maybe Mike had this coming. Maybe he deserves this."
"No body deserve this. God help the poor guy..."
"BILLY! GET DOWN HERE!"
Billy Morgan, computer tech extraordinaire and self-proclaimed geek, gulped. He looked pleadingly into his female counterpart, Zoe's, eyes. "You go. You're just as good as me!"
"But I don't have all those Ph.d's, BA'S, BS's...besides, she asked for you."
Billy rose from his chair, pulling his robe around him tightly. "Gee, what a friend you are..."
"BILLY!"
He gulped again, "Nice knowin' ya."
Zoe mock-saluted and watched him leave the overlook and down the stairs. She peered over the railing. Below, a storm and a major one at that, was brewing. Fire and ice, gale-force winds, sideways-driving rain. Lightening bolts at a caliber Zeus would have loved to wield...
Yep, all that and more was a woman's jealous fury...
"Yes, Sarah?" Zoe heard Billy meekly ask.
"Sit." Zoe winced at the bite of the words. Billy complied quickly.
"Open communication channels."
Billy looked up at her, fear noticeably written on his face. "Um, but...Sarah, we already tried-"
"So try again!"
He averted his eyes and mumbled an apology. His hands were nimble as the danced across the keyboard. This was a simple action, one that Sarah could have completed herself, but he suspected that rage had gotten in the way.
"KITT's comm-channels are open."
Billy slipped out of the chair and backed away, hands working nervously behind his back. Sarah moved forward, her jaw working slowly.
"SSC to Knight 3000, do you copy?"
A dead silence was her response. Billy saw white-hot anger flash over her face again and backed up farther.
"SSC to Knight 3000, do you copy?" Each of her words were barbed.
Again, dead silence.
Billy closed his eyes in relief. The longer Mike stayed away, the angrier Sarah got, but if he stayed away long enough... then again, maybe he should have his ass handed to him.
"Billy.", she snapped, "Track them."
"He might have KITT's GPS off."
"Then reactivate it if you have to."
He stepped up. "Sarah, maybe if you just stepped back and tried to see this in reasonable and calm manner..."
"CALM! You want me to be CALM? Billy, you would make a terrible woman. Now, track them!"
Zoe quietly face-palmed at Billy's ill-advised attempt at diplomacy and just willed him to do what she said. He graciously-and luckily- complied. Sarah suddenly shot a look up to Zoe, who smiled sympathetically. A bit of softness appeared around her eyes, but the hardness quickly eclipsed it again.
Billy could feel her eyes boring into the back of his neck, and his hairs stood on end; sweat began to form on his brow. He did not like this kind of pressure...
"He's deactivated KITT's GPS."
"And what did I say to do if it was...?"
"Re-activating now."
Zoe leaned forward in anticipation but stopped as a certain sound reached her ears and she stood up. She wasn't sure, but to her...it sounded like an engine. A really high-powered engine...
She crept down the stairs, peering toward the large steel doors at the back of the room. Beyond that, stood a tunnel to the outside hanger and beyond that hanger, the outside world.
"Zoe...?"
She looked at Sarah. "Do you hear that?"
Sarah moved toward her, listening intently. The anger and intensity had not lessoned in her face and body, but curiosity was now creeping in as well.
"Is that...?"
"Sarah, I got them! They're...right outside?"
She spun around, "Open the doors!"
Billy swung around in his seat and hit the open command.
"How did they get this close without me knowing?"
"Easy, Sarah. KITT overrode the sensors and the hanger doors. Whatever the master wants..." Zoe said softly.
"...he gets. I know. Well, that's about to change!"
Billy jumped from his seat and moved quickly to Zoe's side. They moved back to the stairs, a reasonably safe distance away. Sarah took a defiant stance before KITT's gimble, in the center of the room. A gleaming, black Mustang easy strode through the opening and on to the gimble. A single red light danced back and forth on his hood.
The driver side door opened and thoroughly exhausted, but exhilarated Mike Knight stepped out. The door shut on its own and the gimble turned slowly as KITT put himself in sleep mode. He clearly didn't want anything else to do with his driver and who could blame him?
Mike shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight nervously, feet shuffling.
"Hi, Sarah. Sorry for being so late."
She gave him a steely-eyed glare. Mike attempted a smile but even that was wiped off his face when a fast-moving Sarah moved up and slapped hard across the face, the sound echoing like the snap of a whip. Mike blinked, clearly shocked and hurt. A red hand-print quickly appeared on his cheek.
"How dare you." Sarah hissed through her teeth. "How dare you!"
Mike swallowed hard.
"You think you're God's gift to us all, don't you? You think you can walk around with a multi-million dollar tool as your toy, and do whatever the hell you want and whoever the hell you want. You think you're untouchable. You think you deserve the world on a silver platter. Well guess what, Mike? Now more! I'm sick of this partying, I'm sick of the philandering. I'm sick of YOU! Tomorrow, we go back to work. No more vacation, now more recuperation. Time for real-life!"
Mike must have thought she was finished because she had turned away, but suddenly she rounded on him again and tossed a pair of black panties in his face.
"Oh and...one of your whores left that here. Might want to try and track her down. That shouldn't be hard for you. And, for the record, next time you want a pad to crash at, remember this is a secret headquarters to a secret organization. Find another place to screw."
With a flash of hair and eyes, Sarah stalked off, leaving Billy and Zoe with mouths wide-open and Mike thoroughly crushed. His face was an impasse. No feelings appeared, no recognition of what just happened, nothing. His jaw was clenched but his eyes moved steadily around, taking in his surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.
He saw Billy and Zoe watching him. He didn't acknowledged them as he pivoted and walked stiltedly up the stairs. Both followed his progress and jumped when they heard him begin slamming things around in his pod.
"Do not pity him."
They turned to the gimble. KITT's scanner movements were slow and even, like breathing.
"He deserved this."