Hello again! Here's chapter 2, and more BonniexMichael. Normally, I don't write this fast, but this fic is really fun and I'm having a slow week at school. Thanks for the positive feedback and enjoy this next installment!
Michael was awoken by the soft tapping of the hotel key in the lock as Bonnie entered tentatively. It was a few minutes before midnight.
"Sorry, Michael," she whispered when she realized he was awake. "Devon is insisting on practicing his acceptance speech a dozen times before going to bed."
"And you need your beauty sleep," Michael joked, his voice raspy with fatigue. Through the soupy darkness of the pitch black room he could make out her faint smile. She put her luggage in the closet and went into the bathroom to change. Michael looked down at his own ensemble, remembering that he hadn't changed since his arrival in Chicago, a situation he quickly remedied.
She eased herself into the crisp, starchy sheets of the remaining bed. She sighed and fell silent. Michael stayed awake for a few more minutes, staring at the rough popcorn ceiling.
He was again awoken by Bonnie's sweet, quiet voice.
"Michael," she said hushed, under her breath. "You gotta get up. We have the conference today, remember?"
He sat up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. The clock indicated that it was half past seven. "I thought KITT was gonna send me a wake-up call on the ComLink."
"I'm having trouble connecting with him this morning," Bonnie remarked. She folded her arms in front of her in the style of a concerned mother, which Michael found amusing, considering Bonnie's assumed role as KITT's mom.
"Maybe he's got butterflies in his fuel tank," Michael chortled. "He is the main attraction at this thing, after all."
"Speaking of fuel," Bonnie continued, turning to fetch a paper bag she had left on the dresser. "Here's a muffin. Eat up, we got a long day ahead of us." She paused in front of the mirror and adjusted her hair before walking halfway out of the room. "You have about an hour to meet Devon and me in the lobby. I'm gonna go check us in, then we'll all go to the garage and get KITT."
Michael flashed her a thumbs up and leapt out of bed. Within an hour, he had showered, brushed his teeth, and gotten dressed in a nice suit KITT had helped him choose. Michael had to give it to his partner; he did have a nice sense of style.
The lobby was even more busy than the previous night. People were wheeling computers, carrying bulging briefcases, and practicing presentations all over. It seemed like forever before Michael was able to find his coworkers. It was Bonnie's gorgeous tawny hair that gave them away.
"Good morning, Michael," Devon greeted, sipping a cup of coffee. "Are you ready for your big day?"
"It's not really my big day," Michael said, dipping his head with modesty and rubbing his neck. "It's KITT's. I mean, he does all the driving." He chuckled. "Speaking of, have either of you heard from him?" Bonnie and Devon shook their heads.
"He's probably running diagnostics," Bonnie contributed. "You know him, always overprepared."
The three walked in silence to the garage. On the way, Michael overheard other convention-goers talking about their various inventions and accomplishments. Taking into consideration all that these people had done, and that the judges had still chosen KITT for their grand prize winner, Michael felt incredibly proud of his partner and friend. Their relationship was certainly a non-sequitur, but that didn't mean that he loved KITT any less than the rest of his friends.
When KITT came into view, all three of the FLAG employees had to do a double take, thinking he must have been replaced by some lemon of a car. His windshield, which he always kept impeccably wiped, was foggy and covered in streaks. His tires were massively underinflated, his chassis was sunken, and his stunning shiny coat had lost its sheer.
Bonnie shuffled tentatively towards the car, shivering from the cold. She leaned on KITT's hood, inspecting him, before yelping and jumping back. "KITT, your hood! It's burning up!"
She exchanged a perplexed look with Michael and Devon.
And then KITT spoke. His scanner lolled back and forth sluggishly and erratically. "Ugh... Bonnie? Is that you?" His voice was harsh, much raspier than normal, and sounded like it was coming out of a blown-out speaker.
"KITT, what's the matter?" Devon stepped in. Michael could sense the panic rising in his boss.
"Devon, I feel simply dreadful. And I am incapable of feeling. What is wrong with me?"
"Well, KITT, what doesn't feel right?" Bonnie walked around the car, taking note of KITT's terrible appearance.
"For starters, my engine feels frozen and stiff, my fuel tank keeps sloshing around, my entire cabin is all foggy, and my olfactory sensor has completely malfunctioned. I feel like I couldn't turbo boost even if you ran 10,000 amps through my battery!" There was a pause, and KITT suddenly exploded with a violent sneeze, causing him to spray Bonnie with windshield washer fluid.
"Bless you, buddy," Michael said, still wholly confused by this whole situation.
"KITT, if I didn't know better, I'd say you have the flu," Bonnie concluded.
"Impossible, Bonnie," KITT responded with a telltale nasally voice. "Electronics cannot develop human illnesses. And my state-of-the-art antivirus software keeps my CPU, in your human terms, healthy."
"Do you feel healthy?" Came her retort. KITT's reply was a simple 'no' and a cough.
"This is an absolute disaster!" Devon cried, pacing around the garage and wringing his hands. "We have less than 2 hours before we have to roll this pitiful machine onto the stage and accept a major award for FLAG's contributions to mankind, and our contribution can't even see straight!" He gestured towards KITT, who was leaking engine fluid from his front bumper.
"I resent that," KITT hissed as he attempted to demonstrate his ability, but was only able to lurch forward and scrape his bumper on the ground with a lackluster shower of sparks.
"Oh, no you don't," Bonnie said sternly.
"Is there anything you can do?" Michael asked. He hated seeing his friend feeling so under the weather.
"I can replace his coolant to try to reduce his 'fever'," Bonnie sighed. "But it looks like the problem is in both his hardware and software. I think this weather and the drive were just too much for him."
"This is by far the strangest foe we have ever encountered, Michael," KITT whispered. Michael chuckled and patted his friend's hood. Bonnie was right; it was warm. That's not good, he thought.
"A little chicken soup and you'll be all better, partner," Michael assured the car.
"To the contrary, Michael, pouring soup into my machinery will make me feel worse."
Michael smiled. "At least your sense of humor isn't sick."
Bonnie mumbled to herself as she paced furiously around the garage, scratching her chin. She paused, apparently in the middle of some grand revelation, and exclaimed, "I got it! I know just what we can do."
KITT 'sneezed' again. "At this point, I'm willing to try anything. What did you have in mind?" Devon and Michael turned their heads to the mechanic, who had a rather strange look on her face.
"Well…"