Chapter 18

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Michael stood outside next to Kitt. "Looks like you're out in the cold, eh, buddy?"

"I can't believe I'm spending the night out here." he replied. "She only beat me by a foot." Kitt wasn't really mad, just irked.

"Look at it this way, Kitt. If you get lonely, you can always curl up next to my Chevy." Michael teased.

"I think I'll take my chances with that hellion back in my garage." He hated to admit it, but Star was actually starting to grow on him.

Cara suddenly appeared in the doorway of the mansion, tears streaming down her face. Michael ran over to her. "Cara? What is it?"

She pushed past him. "Leave me alone!" She ran off down the road away from the house.

"Cara!" Kitt called. "Michael, where is she going?"

"I don't know. We better follow her." He jumped into the car and went after her.

Michael stopped when they caught up to Cara and got out. He ran up to her and caught her arm. "Let go!"

"No." said Michael. "Not until you tell me what's wrong." Cara kept trying to pull away, but she couldn't. "Hey!" he yelled. "Stop! Whatever it is you can tell me."

"I can't."

"Why not?" She didn't answer. "Tell me!" Michael said.

"Because you'll never trust me again!" They stopped struggling.

Michael's tone softened. "Cara." He took her head in his hands. "Hey. Now you know that's not true. Whatever happened, we'll work through it. That's what family is all about. Now, come on. Tell me."

"I remember my past now, Michael." she said, finally. "I used to have a 'relationship' with Harrison. And I…I killed one of his guards." She looked away. "I killed a person, Michael. I didn't mean to."

Michael was shocked. "Oh, sweetheart. I know. You didn't mean to. It's okay." He tried to comfort her as they stood there for a while. He then helped her into the car. They headed back.

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They stopped just near the mansion. Michael turned to Cara. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

She told them all she had remembered. "I killed him, Michael. And I helped to plan to bring down FLAG, everything you and Kitt stood for. How can you ever trust me again?" She looked away.

"I trust you." said Kitt.

"Yeah. So do I." Michael agreed.

"After what I did?"

"Cara," said Michael. "It 'wasn't' your fault. Sometimes…sometimes things just happen that we have no control over. That doesn't make Dedra right in what she said about you."

"What about me and Alex?" Cara asked.

"He's an ass. He took advantage of you. That wasn't your fault either." She still didn't look at Michael. He remembered something he had with him. "Here. I want to show you this." He pulled it out of his wallet.

"Remarkable." Kitt said when he saw what it was. "I always wondered why you carried that with you."

Cara turned and saw that Michael held a small photograph in his hand. It was of a woman with red hair and blue eyes. She took it from him. "I don't remember having this taken. Michael, where did you get this picture of me?"

"It's not a picture of you, Cara." Kitt told her.

"What?"

"That's your mother." Michael said as Cara stared at the photo. "It's the only thing I was able to save from my life as Michael Long. It was in my wallet the night I was shot. I've never shown it to anyone, not even Kitt or Devon, until now."

Cara just looked at the photo. "She was beautiful."

"You remind me of her. She was such a brave person." He stroked her hair. "And…you're a lot like Michael Long too. Don't let Harrison take all that from you, Cara. Don't let them win."

She finally looked at him. "Michael, I'm so sorry." She leaned into him and cried. All that she had held up for those long months in Harrison's prison, all the frustration she held inside since losing her memory was finally let out.

"There." said Michael. "It's alright now." When she was done, he noticed how drained she looked. He started the car.

"Shall we head back, Michael?" asked Kitt.

"No, Kitt. I think I have something else in mind."

"Michael?"

"Trust me, buddy."

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Michael drove them back to the garage. Inside, Star was enjoying the rewards of her winning the race. She saw Kitt roll in. "Hey! You lost remember? You can't just…" She saw the state that Cara was in. "What happened?" Kitt said nothing as he was backed up and was parked next to her.

Michael looked at Cara again. She looked half dead. It was like her body was there, but her spirit wasn't. He couldn't let her slip into a depression over Harrison. "Kitt, get Bonnie for me."

"Right away."

Bonnie appeared on the video-phone. "Michael? What's wrong with Cara? I just saw her and…"

"I know, Bonnie." Michael replied. "Look, tell Dr. Crawford to get down to Kitt's garage right now with some of his supplies."

"I'm on it."

He sat with her while he waited. How could someone be so cruel to someone else, especially his own daughter? When he got his hands on Harrison again, he was going to make sure that he met a worse fate than Stevie's killer did. But he put all that aside for the time being.

Dr. Crawford came into the garage. "You wanted to see me, Michael?"

"Yeah. I'll be right there." He got out. "Watch her, will ya, Kitt?" He made his way over to the doctor.

Kitt looked at Cara's vitals. Her blood pressure would rise one second and drop dangerously low the next, and she had barely moved in the past several minutes.

The doctor looked shocked at what Michael was telling him. He made his way over and examined her through the passenger window. He then reached into his bag and pulled out some liquid, emptying it into a syringe. Cara never even felt the needle prick her arm. "Here now, dear." he said. "This should help you feel better."

"What is it?" asked Star, afraid for her driver.

"Just a sedative." said Dr. Crawford. "But a strong one. It will help her recover from the trauma some."

"What do we do now?" asked Michael.

"Michael, I've found that rest and tlc are usually the best forms of medicine in a case like this. For now, we just watch over her and show her that we're here for her."

Michael nodded. He knelt down and held her hand. "I think it's better if we stay with you for a while." he said.

"Don't tell me I'm on suicide watch." she said, flatly.

"Just think of it as a get together among friends." he told her.

"I'm so sorry about all this." The drug was starting to take affect.

"It's alright." Kitt said. "You just rest now." Michael pulled a blanket around her.

"But…"

"Rest." she heard him say again before her eyes closed heavily with sleep.

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She slept soundly for the next three days. Michael sang to her and was able to get her to drink some water and Bonnie was able to get her eat some as well. Both Michael and Kitt would tell her their side of certain cases they had, which led to some very interesting ribbing. Star would make a comment once in a while.

Every now and thenCara would dream of her attacker and she'd toss and turn in the seat. She still felt his blood on her hands, still saw the look on his face just before he died, making her cry out. But Kitt kept a constant watch over her, and would reassure her that everything was alright, that her ordeal was over.

During one dream, she saw Devon. "Take care of our family." he had said before. She had to keep her promise to him. She slowly came to and sat up.

"Cara, you're awake!" Kitt said, relieved. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. And a headache. But I'm fine. Where's Michael?"

"Bonnie finally had to drag him upstairs to rest. You've been asleep for three days. He was by your side the whole time." He had never seen Michael so concerned. But at least his daughter was okay. "Do you need anything?"

"No. I'm okay." She shivered. "It's cold."

Kitt turned off the air-conditioning. "I'm sorry, Cara. You were starting to run a fever. A side effect from the drug, no doubt."

"Thank you, Kitt."

"Ahem! What about me?" said Star. "I helped too."

"Oh?" Kitt said. "Is that what you call it?"

"See how he treats me?"

Cara laughed. "Okay. Okay. Thank you both. I'm lucky to have such great cars who worry about me." She put her arms up to stretch. "Oh god!" She stopped and put her arms down.

"What?" asked Kitt.

"I stink." she replied with a slight laugh.

"I didn't want to say anything. But you certainly don't smell like a bed of roses to my olfactory scan."

"Gee, thanks." she teased back. "Seriously though, I better go get cleaned up."

"Let me drive you back. I don't want you to overdo it." Kitt spoke to Star. "Think you can behave yourself while I'm gone?"

"Yes, father. I'll be good."

"I'll believe that when I see it." He rolled out of the garage.

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Cara relaxed somewhat on the drive up. "So, Kitt. Tell me, and be honest. What do you think of Star?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Well," Kitt began, "I'm glad for once to meet a car like myself with a personality. But she's inexperienced and had a lot to learn."

"That's my fault." said Cara. "Jonathan and I programmed her CPU. He gave her the basic, numbers, facts, statistics. I programmed her personality." He continued to drive as she went on. "When I first heard about you, Kitt, I wondered what a male AI was like."

"I hope I lived up to your expectations."

"You certainly have. You're more than Alex said you were. But I wanted Star to be your equal, though. Guess I left a lot of room for her to grow, didn't I?"

"Star has great potential, Cara." Kitt told her. "She's a quick and easy learner. She'll be fine. It certainly isn't any flaw that you gave her."

"Thanks, Kitt." said Cara.

"Although, since I'm being honest," he said, "I much prefer the company of our driver any day."

"Thanks."

Kitt pulled up the house. "You're sure you can make in all right?"

"Yes." she said. "I'll be fine after a shower."

"You won't do anything?" he asked with a slightly stern tone. He was going to make sure she didn't put herself through anymore guilt over what happened. CompuTech had done enough of that already.

"I won't. I promise. I have too much to live for now." Cara placed a kiss on her fingertips and touched his voice box. "See you later, Kitt." She headed into the house.

"Goodbye, Cara." Kitt said, quietly. He was unaware that he was being watched.

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