Disclaimer:  Knight Rider is the

creation and copywrite of Glen A. Larson

This story is not being written for profit.

It is for entertainment purposes only.

Rusti is copywrite myself and may

only be used in other stories with my

permission.

 

 

Bonnie Barstow stared out the lab garage window, musing at the beautiful weather and fuming at what a sin it was to be inside working and not out enjoying it.  Not that she hated what she was doing.  She was working on a very unique project for the Foundation for Law and Government.  The Knight Industries Two Thousand, known by the garage staff as KITT, or Kitt.  She sighed to herself for the ten millionth time and picked up another tool as a gentle voice brought her back to reality.

“I know Kitt, I know.  I was just thinking,” she replied.

“Really Bonnie, please don’t daydream while you’re working on me,” the car answered, sounding slightly put out.  “I’d hate for you to have to go back and change something later and lose face in front of the garage staff.”

Bonnie smiled.  “Thank you for your concern Kitt.  I’ll remember it.”

“Bonnie?”

“Hm?”

“When will you be finished?”

“Here in a couple of days Kitt.  Not too much longer.  Getting restless?”

“A little,” Kitt admitted.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be out and about in no time.”

“Ah.  And what about my prospective driver?  Will he be well by then?”

“They’re taking the bandages off his face today.  We’ll know by tonight.”

“How on earth did he survive a shot, point-blank, to the face?”

“Metal plate in his head.  Old war-wound from Vietnam we assume.”

“We?”

“Well, FLAG.”

“Oh.”

Bonnie stared out the window again.  A bird flew past.  “You know what Kitt.  It’s a lovely evening and I hate to waste it here in the garage.  As much as I enjoy working on you-“

“By all means go,” Devon Miles, leaned on Kitt’s roof.  “Can’t have you daydreaming and working with delicate equipment as well.”

“Thanks Devon,” Bonnie began putting her tools away.  “See you tomorrow Kitt.”

Kitt replied in kind, then began going back over his own programming again.  Something he’d been doing since they had activated him. 

 

________________________

 

It was later on in the night that he found something he’d looked over so many times before.  An odd line of code that didn’t seen to fit.  Its parameters seemed almost magic, calling on his body to do something impossible.  It didn’t fit the laws of physics or chemistry. 

Tentatively, he poked at it, curious and frightened at the same time.  He tip-toed around it, and inspected it again, though it, of course, looked the same from all angles.  He re-read it, wondering if he’d missed something in the description.  No, it still read the same.  He nosed into it again, coming close to executing it, but chickened out again. 

Wondering if he was misreading things, he made a note to tell Bonnie in the morning and went on through the rest of his programming.

When he came back, the code was still there, gleaming at him, bold as brass.  The blasted thing seemed to be mocking him, taunting him.  Kitt turned circles inside himself in frustration.

“Just execute the blasted thing, car!”  He hissed to himself.

Impossible, impossible, impossible, can’t happen, I’m dreaming… Kitt thought to himself, grabbing the code before he backed away from it again and running it.

In a whirl of soft moonlight glow, Kitt’s perceptions changed.  The process hadn’t been painful at all.  In fact, it had actually been halfway pleasant, though somewhat frightening. 

The garage was…cold?  Cold.  Chilly.  Uncomfortable.  Kitt shivered.  Goosebumps.  Skin.  Cold, crisp air filling his…lungs?

“Oh dear, it did work…oh goodness…it worked!”  He cried, excited. 

His voice echoed in the empty garage.

“Must go and show Bonnie…”

 

_______________________

 

Bonnie looked up from her book at a polite knock on her door.  She frowned and lowered her literature.  “Yes?  Who is it?”

“Can I come in?”

Bonnie frowned harder, curious.  No rapist or murderer would ask to come in. 

“I suppose so.  The door is unlocked,” she thought about how familiar the voice sounded.

The door to her quarters slowly creaked open.  Once it was all the way open, her visitor revealed himself.

He looked to be in his early twenties, young and perhaps a little naïve.  His hair was as black as a starless night and his eyes nearly as dark.  He had a strong face for one that looked so young.  Serious, square-jawed, almost noble.  His shoulders were broad and strong as well.  They looked as though they could almost carry the weight of the world.  His arms looked just as well-equipped for the job.  A T-shirt covered most of his upper arm, but the curve of a well-developed biceps could be made out on his left arm.  Down both forearms, the intricate spider-web of veins traced paths between muscle and skin, extending to the back of his hands.  She couldn’t make much out under his T-shirt, but from what she could see, he was just as well and evenly formed as what wasn’t covered.

“Are you giving me the ‘once-over’?”  There was that painfully familiar voice again.

Bonnie’s normally indifferent demeanor toward most men took a vacation in the second she replied.  “You look good enough to eat…” her face turned beet red as soon as the words left her mouth.

She put her face in her hands and hid an embarrassed smile.

“Always go with your first instinct,” her visitor grinned, amused.  “Nothing you can say will ever convince me that you meant otherwise when you said that.”

“I know, that’s what’s so bad about it.  I hope you’re not upset.”

“I’m not quite sure what you meant in that metaphor, but I got your general meaning and I must say that I’m rather flattered.”

Bonnie peered out from between her fingers at him, realization dawning.  “Kitt?!?”

He nodded.

“How did you-?”

“It’s rather remarkable really.  There’s a line of code that-“

“Why don’t you come over here and tell me about it?”  Bonnie patted the edge of her bed.

Kitt hesitated, then complied.  “There’s a line of code that was mistyped or something of that nature.  Human error no doubt, but it’s really amazing.  It allows me to switch into a second form, denying all laws of matter and chemistry.  That second form happens to be human.  It will take me a little while to using this form I do believe, but not long.”

Bonnie reached for his face, then paused.  “Can I touch?”

Kitt cocked his head and raised an amazingly expressive eyebrow.  “What on earth is stopping you?”

Bonnie nearly choked.  She could’ve sworn he was being suggestive.  But then, it was probably her imagination.  Kitt was supposed to be innocent right now.  He’d only been activated for the space of a month.  Not long enough to get into trouble.  He’d also only been in his car body for a week.  The encyclopedic knowledge he’d been programmed with, however, knew no shame. 

She ran her fingertips down his cheek, tracing a cheekbone with her thumb.  “You look incredibly strong.”

Kitt looked at both his arms.  “I believe it’s the equal strength as my car body.  I must say, it makes an excellent show in this human shape, doesn’t it?”

“Very impressive.”

Kitt quietly allowed Bonnie to run her hands down his chest then back up to his shoulders.  It was when she was inspecting an arm that he rested a hand on her cheek in kind.  Startled by the gesture, she looked up.

“Will you never get enough?”  He finally asked.

“Kitt?”  Bonnie’s scientific mind deserted her.

“Yes Bonnie,” he said, as though he knew her question.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Kiss?”  He cocked his head again and that eyebrow went up.  His expression went inward for a moment, then both eyebrows went up and he refocused on her, mildly startled by her request.  “Asking for a rather intimate touch aren’t you?”

Bonnie sat back.  Now you’ve done it stupid, he’ll never trust you ag-

“Go ahead.”

Bonnie’s head snapped back up.  “What?”

“If you want to, go ahead.”

Bonnie stared at him as though he’d begun speaking a foreign language.

There he goes again, she thought as one corner of his mouth turned up in what looked like a cross between an invitation and an amused, cock-eyed grin.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he was goading me on.  Hell, I’ll be goaded.

Her surprise increased when he met her halfway as she leaned toward him.  A shock coursed through her when her lips touched his.  A shock that swiftly turned to a thrill when his hand cupped her jaw and held her hair back out of her face.

“You’re a fast learner,” she informed him when she pulled back an inch or two.

Trembling, Kitt managed a reply as she went to kiss him again.  “So teach me more.”

Bonnie hesitated.  “How much more?”

Kitt opened and closed his mouth, wondering just what in heaven’s name he was doing, then pulled his shirt off.  Bonnie’s eyes widened for a moment, and then she immediately melted. 

“Whatever you want to teach me,” Kitt answered, all reservations fled.

Bonnie reached for him again.

 

________________________

 

Kitt woke to the sound of the Foundation’s alarms and voices coming and going past Bonnie’s door.  Groggy and slightly disoriented, he checked the time.  His eyes shot wide open as he found Bonnie’s clock and the memories of last night flooded back to him. 

“Dear God,” he spat, scrambling for the jeans Bonnie had readily helped him shed hours earlier.

As graceful as a newly born pup, Kitt found his jeans, then immediately fell off the bed with a thump.  He was hidden from view by anyone that would open Bonnie’s door when Devon flung it open.  Kitt froze as the wood slammed against the wall with a hollow sound.

“Bonnie!”  He shouted.  “Wake up!”

“Hm?”

“Someone has stolen the Knight Two Thousand!”

“Stolen?  Devon that’s ridiculous,” she mumbled, sitting up.

“Well, it’s gone from the garage.  What makes you think it isn’t stolen?”  Devon, now less alarmed, sure that Bonnie knew something, put his hands on his hips.

“Because I’m on the other side of her bed getting dressed,” Kitt said flatly, peering over the mattress to meet Devon’s furious, then suddenly confused, gaze.

As if on cue, the alarms stopped. 

Kitt leaned forward and ran his fingers through his hair, wanting to squirm under Devon’s scrutiny.

“Well, you do sound like it, I will hand you that much.”

Kitt wanted to say something sarcastic, but resisted the urge.  He’d be in enough trouble when the head of the Foundation found out just exactly what had gone on last night. 

“Get dressed, both of you.  I want you in my office in an hour.  No questions, no excuses.  Understand?”

“Yes Devon.”

 

________________________

 

“Look, Bonnie, I apologize in advance for any trouble I got you into.  I should have left well enough alone,” Kitt pulled on his shirt as Bonnie brushed out her hair.

“Don’t apologize Kitt.  Even if we both regret it, now or later, I had a wonderful time last night,” Bonnie tied her hair back in a ponytail. 

She headed for the door and slid her fingers across Kitt’s cheek in passing.  “Let’s go face our judgement, shall we?”

 

________________________

 

Devon stared at Bonnie.  “You can’t be serious.”

“Devon, the Knight Two Thousand wouldn’t let itself be stolen, you know that.  And if it’s missing from the garage, then what is he-“ she indicated Kitt, “-doing here?”

“Devon, I am the Knight Industries Two Thousand.  I found a line of code in my programming last night that would allow me to defy the laws of science and shift my bodily form,” Kitt took a step forward.

The intensity of Devon’s frown forced him to immediately take it back.  “Then what were you doing in Bonnie’s quarters?”

Kitt opened and closed his mouth, suddenly unwilling to tell the truth, but still unwilling to lie.

“He came up to show me and things got a little out of hand.  Don’t ask him that again,” Bonnie said quietly.

Devon raised an eyebrow.  “I see.  And if anything comes of this little misadventure?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

 

_________________________

 

Bonnie looked at her calendar again and sighed.  Late again.  She ran her fingers through her hair and made her way down to the garage to work on Kitt.  She was approaching him when she heard the soft whoosh of his scanner.  He was checking her out. 

“Bonnie?”

“Yes, Kitt?”

“I believe it’s time we crossed that proverbial bridge you spoke of two months ago.”

Bonnie leaned back on Kitt’s hood and sighed.  “I figured as much Kitt.  What do you want, a son or a daughter?”

“A what?”  Michael came up behind them, munching on a Dagwood sandwich.  “Did I miss something?”

“Bonnie’s pregnant Michael,” Kitt replied, making a disgusted noise as crumbs from Michael’s sandwich drifted to the floor.  “Couldn’t you make less of a mess when you’re eating?”

“Sorry,” Michael tossed what was left of his lunch into the wastebasket.  “So, who’s the lucky guy?”

Bonnie and Kitt both remained silent. 

“Oh come on, at least you could tell me who you melted for.  At least I know there’s a real woman under there somewhere,” Michael spread his arms in a defensive gesture.  “Makes me feel a little better.  Who’s the daddy, Bonnie?”

Bonnie’s lips tightened at the mischievous twinkle in Michael’s eyes.  “Isn’t that personal information, Michael?”

Michael shrugged.  “Around Kitt, I can’t keep a secret.  Especially when I put him in surveillance mode.  He knows what’s going on.  And you guys eventually find out.”

“Step back away from me Michael, Bonnie…” Kitt said softly.  “I’ll show you who the father is.”

Michael gave Bonnie a confused look, but complied with the gentle order.  Light similar to moonglow on water surrounded Kitt and hid his form, which changed from that of a car to that of a human man.  Michael’s jaw dropped and his chin hit the floor.

“Kitt?  You?  I can’t believe you can change…” Michael quickly regained his composure and began to grin impishly.  “I can’t believe you would go all the way.  Especially with her, and especially after all the criticism you pour on me after a night on the town.”

“I am hardly a hypocrite Michael.  It has only happened once and with one woman,” Kitt’s eyebrows came together to form a hedge across his forehead and shadow his dark eyes.  “I don’t go through a mission looking for a woman to hit on.”

“And just what, exactly, do you mean, ‘with her’?”  Bonnie put her hands on her hips and frowned at Michael.

Kitt smirked.

“Now you just wipe that grin off your face pal,” Michael shook a finger at Kitt.

Kitt’s smirk disappeared, but he turned his back on both Michael and Bonnie’s confrontation, in order to hide any more such grins.

 

_________________________

 

“I feel like a cow,” Bonnie tried to lean over Kitt’s hood to make a repair.

“Moo,” Kitt replied.  “Maybe you had better find another tech and direct them through the operation.  I don’t want you to hurt yourself…”

Kitt’s statement was unfinished, but Bonnie knew the rest of it.  They’d been over it before. 

Michael moved in behind Bonnie and put his hands on her now non-existent waist.  “Here, just, uh, show me how to do it.”

Kitt made a gargled sound.  “You?”

“Would you rather Devon do it?  You’ve only got three choices here on the semi pal.”

Kitt was silent, scanner moving slowly back and forth.

“Kitt?”  Bonnie asked, handing her tool to Michael.  “I’m letting Michael do it.  I’m talking him through it, so there shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

“Shouldn’t be?”  Kitt sounded distressed.  “Shouldn’t be?!”

Bonnie stopped to catch her breath.  “Shouldn’t be.”

Kitt closed his hood on Michael’s fingers.

“Oww!”  Michael snatched his hand back and shook the pain out of his fingers.

“Bonnie, are you all right?”

At that, Michael stopped as well and looked over at Bonnie.  She seemed to be resisting the urge to double over.  Kitt made a keening noise.  “Ah yes, today is the day I die.  Get her in my cab Michael.  We have an errand to run.”

 

_________________________

 

Devon paced back and forth in front of Kitt and Michael.  “Where are we going to keep her?  How will she get her schooling?  And what of the danger she’ll be in just because she’s your child!!”

Kitt tried to massage the bruises out of his hand as he listened to Devon rave.  “What’s wrong with her staying with us?  I can teach her myself and I’m well aware of the danger she’s in.”

Michael smiled.  Kitt had been immediately taken with his daughter and had swiftly rejected Devon’s option of putting her up for adoption.  There had been an intense face-off between car and man for a minute or two, then Devon had begun his barrage of questions.

“What’d you guys name her?”  Michael interrupted Devon.

Kitt’s frown softened into a gentle smile.  “Rusti Leigh Knight.”

“Knight?”

“That’s correct.  Bonnie felt it’d be best, since I’m something of Wilton Knight’s son, to use the last name I’d have used if I had to make up an alias.”

“How is Bon Bon?”

“As well as can be expected,” Kitt replied.  “She’s exhausted and sore, but actually rather happy.”

“Can we see her?”  Devon suddenly asked.

“See who?  Bonnie?”  Kitt looked up, distracted by the odd way a couple of bones in his hand felt.  “Hmm, I wonder if they can do an X-ray of my abused hand while I’m here.  This doesn’t feel right…”

“No, Rusti.”

Kitt looked up, grinning askance.  “I thought you were against this whole thing?”

Devon shrugged.  “I might as well see her since the three of you will override me at every turn.”

Kitt’s smile widened.  “Of course Devon.  Come with me.”

 

______________________

 

“She is rather adorable isn’t she?”  A smile split Devon’s face as Kitt held out his daughter for Devon to hold.

Kitt sat down next to Bonnie’s bed as Devon cradled the little girl and cooed at her.

“Long of leg and sturdy too.  I’ll bet she grows up to be an excellent athlete,” Devon tickled the little girl’s cheek.  She laughed.

“He’s taking this well,” Bonnie whispered.

“He didn’t have much of a choice,” Kitt replied.  “That was the first time I’ve ever experienced something close to a temper in myself.”

Bonnie touched Kitt’s injured hand.  “Sorry about that.  I didn’t mean to squeeze your hand so hard.”

Kitt shrugged.  “It will heal.”

Bonnie smiled in a tired way.

“Has she slept at all?”  Kitt indicated the little girl Devon was now passing to Michael.

“Some.  I think she can smell you coming Kitt,” Bonnie joked.  “She woke up a couple of minutes before you got in here.”

Kitt wiped Bonnie’s forehead dry.  “Maybe we should leave then and let you both get some rest.”

“Shh, Kitt, look…”

Kitt turned his head.  Rusti, now nestled in Michael’s arms, had gone right back to sleep, snuggled close to his jacket.  Michael met Kitt’s eyes, beaming.  “She likes me!”

Kitt rose and approached his partner and daughter.  “Maybe that’s because you squeezed her until she went to sleep.”

Michael stuck his tongue out at Kitt.

“Very mature, Michael,” Kitt cocked and eyebrow, then patted his partner on the shoulder.  “Uncle Mikie.”

“Don’t you dare teach her to call me that!”

Kitt gave Michael his own devilish grin.

 

_______________________

 

“Daddyyy!!  We did this yesterday!!”  Rusti complained as Kitt sat her down and gave her a shape puzzle to work on. 

“I realize that, Rusti, my memory banks aren’t faulty.  Besides, idle four-year-old hands get into trouble easily.  Or shall I have Devon remind you of the spanking you got yesterday for being reckless with that figurine he let you look at after telling you to be careful?”

Rusti stuck out her lip.

Kitt frowned at her.  “Shall I do it again?  Just to refresh your memory?”

Rusti vigorously shook her head.

“Then get to work.  Once you’ve completed that, I want you to put each shape in the order I’ve put them in on this sheet.  I will be back to check on you in a few minutes,” Kitt laid a sheet down in front of Rusti and got up from the desk.

When Rusti didn’t move, he bent and whispered fiercely in her ear.  “And if I have to tell you again, you won’t like the way I get my message across.”

Rusti sat up straight and quickly began to sort out the shapes in organized piles. 

“And when I get back, we’ll work on your alphabet and get you started on writing your name.”

 

_____________________

 

“Knight…” Rusti stared at the letters she had copied from Kitt’s writing with startling accuracy.  “What’s it mean?”

“What’s that?”

“What does Knight mean?”  Rusti asked, pointing to her last name.

“Do you remember the stories Bonnie used to read to you at bedtime?  The ones about the princesses and the dragons?”

“Yeah, where the knight comes and rescues the princess…is it a man who rescues a lady?”

“Almost.  Knighthood was more of a status attained, a position held by those men who deserved it.”

“Are you a knight Daddy?”

Caught offguard, Kitt gave her a funny look.  “Why would you ask me that?”

“Well, you and Michael are called the Knight Riders.  Why?  Are you knights?”

Kitt thought for a moment.  “I don’t think that was the intentional meaning sweetheart.  Knight was the last name of the man who envisioned and built me.”

“Granddad?”

“Wilton Knight, yes, you could call him grandfather.”

“Oh,” Rusti stared down at her paper.  “How come my life is never as exciting as I want it to be?”

Kitt tousled her hair, chuckling.  “Rusti, sometimes, I would prefer a life as uneventful as yours to some of the stuff I do everyday.”

“Can I come with you sometime?”  Rusti looked up after carefully drawing another “R”.

Kitt shook his head.  “I’m afraid not Rusti, some of the things we do are a little too dangerous to get you involved in.”

“Can I come with you and Michael on vacation sometime?”

“We will see.”

“But Daddy, I miss you so much when you’re gone.  I have to put up with Devon and he gets bad-tempered and sends me to my room.  All I’m doing is asking questions.  Isn’t that what a four-year-old does?”

Kitt laughed again.  “I think Devon would say the same thing about you.  Maybe you can talk him into playing a video game with you or something.”

“Take Devon with you on a mission and leave Michael to baby-sit me.  He’s way cooler than Devon.  He’s fun!”

“I’ll bet,” Kitt grumbled.  “He’s awfully adept at getting you into trouble.”

“But he always gets me out of it!”

“That’s not the point Rusti.  He was supposed to be my partner.  He can’t stay and baby-sit you.”

Rusti pouted.

“Come on hon, get up here and finish writing your name, then I’ll play some video games with you.”

“Can we do it on your screen?  I like sitting in your driver’s seat!”

“If you get your work done.”

 

_______________________

 

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, I’m positive.  She calls him Dad and everything.  She looks just like him.  It’s amazing boss.  You have to see this for yourself.”

“Why don’t you bring her to me?”

“Huh?”

“Bring her to me.  I can examine her much more closely if she is here, in my laboratory.”

“But boss, that car-“

“Just do it, Jinx.”