I wonder how long I have had this half-written...? Anyway, apologies for the really long wait and I hope you like the chapter! :) Thank you for putting up with my almost non-existent updates.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except my OC
Rating: T

…Anna…

… Annabelle…ri...

...Anna… Anna…!

"Anna! Steer right! Right!"

"…Huh? AH!" The girl gasped as she pulled the wheel and the car jerked to the right with the blare of a horn echoing deafeningly. The black vehicle let out a shaky sigh-like sound. The driver of the passing red pickup hadn't looked too joyous either.

"Sorry, KITT," the teen muttered biting her lip, trying to get her face muscles to wake up and keep her eyes open.

"That's alright, Anna, really. After all, it is an understandable human need."

"Need?" The girl questioned, furrowing slightly and risking a glance at the dashboard. "Don't you mean 'error'?"

"I meant what I said: need, to fall asleep," the car explained, "a basic bodily function which times itself from the individual's circadian clock or 'biological clock' as it is sometimes referred to, and has multiple life maintaining properties."

Annabelle blinked slowly. "You do know you lost me at 'a basic bodily function'."

"Another good proof of you needing to sleep."

"My momentary inability to follow what you were saying?"

"Exactly. Well… No, Michael does that more than would be good for him, but you caught my drift, so to say."

"KITT," Anna said sternly, burying a long yawn with a small cough. "Since you are aware of my currently lessened ability to understand the Academic English, please, choose: we ending up in the ditch or you…um… de-decorating your speech."

"…My vote is on the latter, thank you."

"So I thought, you're welcome."

They drove in silence. Both of them were more than ready for some shuteye, but it was evident that they had to get far away from the inn and the pursuing man as quickly as possible. The throbbing pain in Annabelle's side and chin had subsided into an inviting numbness, lulling the teen into dozing, resulting in the unneeded near-death experience.

Though the two vehicles hadn't really been that close… hopefully. How long KITT had been shouting at her to wake up, Anna didn't know, and the TransAm had enough tact to not bestow that information on her.

"KITT, tell me more about the Foundation," Annabelle stated out of the blue, hands resting casually on the jet-like steering wheel, having decided to finally poke the sleeping bear and see what happens.

"Am I too quick to assume that you have changed your mind of letting us help you?" The car questioned carefully.

'Badly, apparently,' she cursed to herself. "KITT, I was just asking out of normal human curiosity and need of maintaining a small conversation to stay awake."

"Oh."

"Though, if you feel like I'm sticking my nose in business I shouldn't…"

"Which isn't your habit."

"Yes, which isn't really my habit, you don't need to tell me. Actually, forget I even asked. I have to concentrate on driving anyway," the girl said taking a breath and waving her fingers dismissively.

"Anna, please tell me my slightly over-hopeful conclusion didn't…"

"Slightly over-hopeful?" Annabelle scoffed. "And conclusion? KITT, be reasonable."

"I always am."

The teen rolled her eyes. "If that is so," she started, "then you should understand how futile our little runaway is. The easiest for all would be just to pull over to the nearest law enforcement vehicle or building and say 'here we are, deepest apologies for ever leaving'. Perhaps then father would…" Her voice trailed off.

"Your father would…what, Anna? Abuse you less?"

"This conversation is over."

"Anna," KITT tried to reason.

"Don't 'Anna' me, I… I have… Just... Leave me be, please."

"I cannot go anywhere, but I can shut down my voice systems, if that is what you wish."

There was a low, soft hum and nothing else. The purring of the engine was still audible, as were the tiny grating sounds where the tires hit the road and the grains of sand and asphalt. Even Annabelle's quiet breathing was audible, yet the cabin space felt deafening in silence, and… emptier.

The girl decided to ignore the feeling and the change in atmosphere, heck, it was just a car, not a person she should be polite and understanding with. Besides, she was tired beyond belief.

The air was stuffy. Apparently the cleaner lady had passed his office –again. Keith Griffin huffed and scratched the back of his head. He didn't actually mind not having a clean office since a clean office meant that unknown people had been in there and the last thing Griffin wanted was to give access to unauthorized people into the sensitive material stored in his work room. Of course the personnel's background were checked and checked again. Still he didn't fancy others in his quarters.

The man walked to the window and cracked the blinders open a bit. Strong sunlight forced its way in and illuminated his tiny office. Rows after rows of bookcases and folder cabins circled the walls and in the middle was his desk, empty of papers –except one.

Griffin arched an eyebrow. He hadn't left the file there last night. Sitting on his chair he pulled it closer and flipped it open. The name sounded familiar. His phone rang.

"Agent Griffin."

"It's Evens, how are you?"

Keith shot straight in his chair and almost knocked over his pencil holder. "Li-Lionell…? Oh, fine fine. How about you? We haven't really talked after your wife passed away."

"I take it you have a file in front of you. All you need to know is in there," came the replay.

The man glanced at the file again. Now he recognized the name. "Your daughter has gone missing?"

"Runaway. If memory serves correctly you own me one, mind of taking the charge on this case?"

"Well, it's not actually my department…" Griffin said scratching his chin. Of course he wanted to help his old army buddy, but some boundaries weren't meant to be crossed.

There was no answer.

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose and suppressed a sigh: "Okay, I'll see what I can do."

"Just find my girl, and bring her home."

"I'll do that, Lionell. Don't you worry."

"Worry? About Annabelle? I have no reason to, I trained and raised her myself. I just want her back." And the line went dead.

Her eyes hurt. The forenoon sun burned brightly and her tiredness did nothing to help her predicament. Apparently it had rained only an hour or so before, the wet asphalt glistering in the sunlight. Annabelle squinted her eyes again as the road came to a clearing after a moment in a dense forest. Her whole body felt like drooping again, just cutting off all the nerve impulses her brain was sending and simply shut down. The girl's lips were already bruised and bled and bruised again from all the chewing she had done on them, the taste of a fresh drop still lingering on her tongue. A dried-up trickle below her mouth colored her otherwise pale face -excluding the darkening shade of purple on her chin.

The two had passed a sign saying something some time ago and frankly put, Annabelle didn't even have an idea if they were driving in the right direction or if they were actually moving at all.

She blinked slowly, eyelids uncooperative to work any faster. "Uhh…"

A few cars passed them on the road, leaving behind emptiness.

With a shaky breath, Anna decided to rather break the ice than to end up asleep on the wheel and in a car wreck by the trees only moments later.

"KITT."

No response.

"Look, KITT, I'm… Apologies, okay? You just… hit a sensitive spot earlier."

She could hear the car hum faintly. She smiled inwardly.

"I understand, Anna, and I must apologize as well. I could have come to the subject a bit more… cordially."

"No objection there, but enough of my family. Could you tell me about… uh… yours, just to pass the time?"

"Certainly," KITT said, clearly happy to be allowed to speak again. "I was commissioned by the late Wilton Knight whose corporation, the Knight Industries, designed and manufac…tur…ed… De-decorated, was it?"

"Yes, please. And just the immediate family. I mean, the… the ones closest to you, work-related that is. Uh… Stop blabbering Anna… Your… Your team! Please, tell me about your team." 'I should just shut up and let him -it- speak...'

"Very well. On the off side, you should get some sleep."

Anna tried rolling her eyes at the dashboard, but failed miserably and decided only to glare at it I-know!-ingly.

KITT cleared his voice modulator: "My team, as you put it, consists of; Mr. Devon Miles: the Director of F.L.A.G, that is the Foundation for Law and Government, and my so-called 'boss'. Would you like pictures?"

The girl nodded twice and glanced at the screen as Mr. Miles's picture popped up.

"Ms. Bonnie Barstow: Knight Industries Systems Engineer."

"Your mechanic?" Annabelle questioned looking at the young, long-haired lady.

"Yes, the best cyber-technician there is. And finally, Mr. Michael Knight: my driver and partner."

Annabelle scratched her neck, having spared a glance for the display from the road. "Well, that was indeed short and simple."

"That was the point, wasn't it?"

"Yeah… They look to be fine people. So, you know everything about them? Their records have been stored into your memory?"

"Hardly!" the sleek car chuckled. "But I do know them, they are my friends."

The teen nodded in acknowledgement. It was strange hearing a car having friends, even more if the human friends thought the same way of the vehicle. Or maybe it only sounded crazy to her sleep-deprived mind. Either way, Annabelle didn't feel at ease with the idea.

"Do you believe that they are looking for you, KITT?"

The TransAm whirred quietly: "Undoubtedly. I'm invaluable to them, and, as I stated before, they are my friends. Worrying and looking after one another is an integral part of friendship."

'A car, pondering over close bonds between two or more humans. Furthermore thinking of being a part of such relations. I don't think I can take much more,' the grayish-blue eyed girl sighed mentally. She was amazed she hadn't completely flipped her lid at the black vehicle -yet. Not that it would be in her personality, but the TransAm's irritable perks sure didn't make things easier. Or perhaps her mind was only burning the last bridges between how she was raised up, her placid temperament and the situation at hand due to zero energy.

"This Foundation," Anna began again, steering her thoughts back to the now after having driven quietly onward for a while, "is it reachable? Does it have a regular business number or a phone number of any kind?"

"It does. I have stored it in my data banks, alongside with the direct numbers to Devon's office, Bonnie's desk and even to Michael's rarely used apartment. Why so?"

"Well," she reasoned, biting the inside of her cheek lightly, "if your… friends are looking for you, perhaps we could call them and let them know where you are."

"Good idea, Anna! I am ashamed to be called the car of the future for not having thought of that myself -and you aren't exactly running on all cylinders, if you pardon my metaphor," KITT answered, a new found joy in his voice.

A sound resembling a giggle rang in the teen's throat. "Well, we cannot use the cell phone we took from that man, it's not secured, and there's a chance the true owner could find out where we called, or even track the phone and find us."

"With the correct equipment."

"True, but he found out about you, and clearly found you in the metal, so most definitely he has the means of tracking the cell phone if he comes up with the idea to do so."

The sun shone annoyingly straight to Annabelle's eyes. With a scoff she raised a hand to shield from the light only to wince as her side reminded her how hurt she really was.

"Perhaps we could find one of those phone booths?" KITT suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Anna mumbled and yawned loudly. 'And perhaps after that some sleep…'

"Okay… Now to find one of those glass boxes," Annabelle mumbled slowing down and looking around the tiny main street.

They had decided to try their luck in one of the smaller towns by the I-90 in middle state New York. The car had voiced his puzzlement of how Anna had actually managed to drive that far in her condition and had argued that pushing too far would inevitably cause mistakes and even capture -either by the police or their pursuing car dealer. This was the second town they had rolled into on their quest for a public phone.

"There's a phone booth, Anna, just across the street," KITT noted, voice triumphant.

"I see it," she answered back and steered the car around and along side of it. Anna rolled down the passenger side window and made a weary glance at the bunch of high schoolers hanging by the chairs near the phone booth. Three of them had cigarettes clutched between their fingers. Two closest to the smooth black vehicle eyed her back.

"I don't like them," she stated.

"Me neither," KITT said, "shouldn't they be at school?"

The girl let out a snort. "I don't think they really care about education; you on the other hand…"

"Anna, what are you implying?"

"They're just the kind of people who have a reputation of taking cars like you. Though, maybe we shouldn't go by appearances. We certainly aren't what we seem."

The TransAm pondered for a second before answering: "Please be quick. The sooner we contact the Foundation the sooner we can get out of this town and away from their prying eyes. I think they're already wondering how I would look like with red flames and purple paint."

The sandbrown-haired girl flashed a petite smile and climbed out. "I agree with you, I'm not in any shape to take them on. What's the number?"

"Mr. Miles's desk: 424-934-8116"

"Straight to the top, will do," Annabelle said patting the car's roof reassuringly and glanced at the group of teens from the corner of her eye.

Making her way to the booth, she pushed aside the door, noting that the glass of the other side of the box was shattered into a gazillion pieces. So much for privacy. Ignoring all the eyes glued on her, Anna picked up the phone and put in a few coins, hoping it would be enough. One by one she punched the numbers while thinking what to say to this Mr. Devon Miles before halting, her finger hovering over the dial board funnily.

"There's no six."

KITT hummed quietly: "Yes, there is."

"Not in the number," Anna hissed as silently and unnoticeably as possible, "On the dial board, there's no number six."

Small fits of laughter erupted from the group outside. The lone girl had caught all of the group's attention. A few of them even whistled and growled. The nearest two boys exchanged glances before dropping their cigarettes and starting slowly towards the booth.

"Well, try Bonnie's? It doesn't have a six in it," KITT whispered, sensors following the gang's movements.

"Okay, shoot."

"424-934-8118"

Annabelle started again, working faster this time. The pair of males from the group were now leaning against the broken side of the booth. She ignored them completely and listened as the phone ringed.

"C'mon," Anna bit her lip frustrated. "Please, pick u- HEY!"

She lifted the phone a bit and the chord hang cut loose. The two teens laughed hysterically as the taller one flipped his pocket knife shut.

"Sorry, bad connection," he chuckled and sneered slightly at Anna. The rest of the group had noticed their friends' doing and joined in on the mocking laughter.

It took Anna almost all of her remaining strength to not punch the light out of the boy. Instead, knuckles white, she placed the phone back onto its holder, clicked her tongue and said: "Well, I'll just have to try again later. There is probably some dumb flock of pigeons sitting on the line."

"Yeah," the taller boy echoed, "..Wait, WHAT?!"

And she was in the car, speeding away tires screeching slightly.

"Rascals, vandals…! Oh, the youth of today!" KITT vented out, the two having made it out of the group's line of sight. "Someone should teach them some manners!"

"I must agree," Anna sighed, rubbing her left template," but, just digging a bit deeper, what does that make me? A vandal as well?"

"You're an exception to the rule."

"I see," she commented, steering them out of town and away from possible deputies and their kind. Luckily the streets were quite empty, despite being almost high noon.

"Do you want to find a motel? It has been quite the 24 hours and more," the car suddenly inquired, voice softer again.

"After what happened earlier today? No, thank you. Let's just hit the side of a dirt road far off the beaten track, camp there and call it an early day."

"Very well. I can scan the area and find the most suitable location."

"Thank you. Think you can keep a sensor out for law enforcement personnel when I'm asleep?"

"Of course, whatever you say, Anna."

'Yeah, right.' She thought yawning loudly. 'Hopefully whatever spot he deems worthy is close, I can really feel my concentration slipping…'

"Anna?"

"Mhm?"

"Did you get through?"

"I don't know, it rang, but I doubt Ms. Barstow or anyone else noticed. Sorry."

"It's alright." The car sounded down. "Let's just take a break. You have deserved it."

"So have you, KITT, so have you," Annabelle mumbled and patted the wheel gently. 'Me, on the other hand... Have I?'

That's for chapter 6! I have already began on number seven, but life is busy. Yet, I'll try my best. ^^
Comments, reviews, requests and ideas are highly welcomed!