Inside Dante, Bre was staring at the dash.

"It isn't polite to stare, you know." The AI chided grumpily. He was still rather upset that he wasn't able to have Kyle back as his driver for at least two more months, and even more upset that they had decided against his will to select a new temporary driver for him. Bre fidgeted uncomfortably.

"So you're Dante?" She asked.

"Yes, and I'd rather that you put your seatbelt on." He retorted. "It's not safe otherwise."

"Sorry." She murmured, putting on her seatbelt. "I'm pleased to meet you." She tried to make conversation, but failed.

"I can't say the same."

"So... Why am I being taken to... wherever it is I'm being taken?" Bre asked, her curiosity over this peculiar situation bubbling up.

"You ask too many questions. Curiosity killed the cat, you know." He snapped. He could tolerate Kyle's questioning, but this was a different matter.

"And the answer brought it back." She snapped back, and was grimly satisfied when there wasn't a response.

"Hey Dante, I hope she isn't giving you too much trouble." Jenny said, her picture appearing on the screen.

"She has quite a attitude. You should have picked someone with more manners." He drawled.

"Wait a minute! You're the one with the attitude problem, mister!" Bre smacked the seat, glaring at the screen. "I'm the one who has just been kidnapped, against my will!"

"So? And now, Jenny, she has become abusive. Kyle would never let me fall to such harm."

"For Pete's sake, all I did was smack the seat! I didn't cause any harm!" During all of this, Jenny was watching with amusement.

"Maybe not this time..."

"Alright, knock it off. Bre, you need to calm down. And-" Jenny was cut off.

"You should reinforce that." Dante muttered, watching as Bre was feverishly trying to unlock the door.

"And Dante, you need to stop antagonizing her." Jenny finished.

"I have been on the team for years and yet you tell me to stop doing something that I'm not even doing? I must admit, Jenny, you have turned quite quickly. Maybe I should tell everyone about your... feelings... for Ky-"

"Shut up!" Jenny said, looking rather flustered.

"Oh, don't worry, it's no secret. Everybody knows." He purred.

"You evil, evil, EVIL car!" She seethed. "You were letting everyone listen in, weren't you?"

"Now, don't go around making accusations, I did nothing of the sort. But it is clearly obvious. The way you look at him, the way you talk both to him and about him, and most particularly the way you seek his attention."

During this time Bre had stopped trying to escape and started listening, quite intrigued.

"Not to mention the way your hormone levels rise when you are around him and-"

"That's enough, Dante." A warning tone was in Jenny's voice, and then she turned the tables. "And besides, how can you say such things when they are true about yourself? You have feelings for him too." But then her voice took on a bitter tone. "Talking about him won't bring him back, you know. He can't drive you."

And if nothing else captured her attention, this surely did for Bre.

"I beg your pardon! I do not! And not only that, but I don't have hormones. And I am merely his partner, his car." Dante allowed some hurt to come into his voice, and he fell silent. They should not be bickering about Kyle, he should be here, bickering with them, or at the very least telling them to stop. And besides, it was his fault that he wasn't able to get to Kyle in time. He could have stopped the hail of bullets that so angrily assaulted his partner. Sure, he might get a few dings, but that would have been so much better than allowing Kyle to be hurt. He ended the chat and went over the video clip of the shooting, falling into a deeper depression, going into a part of himself that nobody could break through.

Meanwhile, Bre felt sympathy for this car, this AI, who had obviously lost his partner. Because, she mused, why else would he act this way unless something drastic has happened? She suspected it wasn't normal behavior. Absentmindedly her hand drifted to the door handle, where she stroked it gently, in hopes to reassure him.

Suddenly the feeling of such tenderness struck Dante, and he wondered if it was pity she felt, or if she truly cared. Somehow, she managed to get inside his safe space, without even needing any technology to hack into his systems or anything. He got so wrapped up in this new train of thought that he failed to notice the two tears that trailed down Bre's face, or the way she leaned back into the seat as if she was trying to hide herself from the world. Maybe, just maybe, someone else felt the same way. Maybe someone else knew the pain.

Songs for these first two chapters!

Ch. 1 - Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

Ch. 2 - The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel

Please tell me what you guys think of this latest chapter!