Familial State

Familial State in Repair

"I am the Knight Industries Two Thousand, Kitt to my friends. To you...to you, my son, you may call me Father."

KITT reeled. Everything around him seemed to fade as the meaning of those words sunk in. This voice...had just identified himself as...his father. His father...KITT tried to come up with an intelligent response, but he couldn't. So many emotions, alien emotions that he shouldn't even be capable of producing, spun around him. He wanted to yell...he wanted to be angry at this voice for holding back, for waiting so long; no, too long, to contact him.

But, at the risk of making a fool of himself and not really sure he wanted to exhibit such emotion, he merely said, in barely a whisper, "Hello, Father. It is good to finally hear your voice."

"I'm sorry. I...I should have called before this. Hope you're not too angry with me."

"Of course. I understand. You are speaking to me now. That is more than satisfactory."

Kitt chuckled despite himself but didn't speak and a rather awkward silence fell over the two of them. KITT struggled to come up with something else to say.

"How is Mr. Knight?"

"Oh, he's...he's fine. Same old Michael. How's Mike?"

"He is fine."

"Mm. That's good. Keep a close eye on him, ok? If he's anything like his dad, which I'm sure he is, you're going to have your hands full."

"O-oh. Really? I will keep that in mind."

Another awkward silence. KITT fumed silently to himself. It was infuriating that all they could muster was this meaningless small talk with all the years and adventures separating them surely offering SOME sort of conversation topics. Of course, small talk was better than nothing...but he wanted more! He wanted more...but what could he say? The only 'contact" he had had with his father, before this, were the FLAG files he had been given. And he did not know what kind of information Kitt had regarding him. That nagging worry that they indeed had nothing really in common...flooded him again.

But, suddenly, his mood darkened, a wave of concern washing over him. It only took him a nanosecond to realize it was emanating from the connection he had with his father. KITT inched closer to it, curious.

"KITT?"

"Yes, Father?"

"I...I realize that this hasn't been the most...stimulating conversation you've ever had, and I know...you expected more than this. Well, I do...have a reason for calling, other than the fact I wanted to,"

Yes?"

"It's about Dr. Graiman..."

KITT turned away from the link. Of course, the one thing they truly had in common...of course he would bring it up. He would have been angry if his father hadn't. But that didn't mean he liked talking about his dead creator.

"I'm sorry... when I heard about the crash...I had hoped it was some horrible mistake, that he had made it out alive. For your sake, I had hoped for that. I never really got the chance I know him as well as I would have wanted. He left, or more accurately, was taken away right before Michael and I were introduced, presumably to keep him away from the people who buckled Wilton Knight's fortunes.

"That ruined any real chance for true bonding between us. I didn't want that for you. I wanted you to know the man who was, for all intents and purposes, your father. Because, above all others, even Mike, he was the one man, the one human, who could and would have understood you. I'm glad you had that chance. I just wish it hadn't ended so prematurely..."

"As do I..." KITT murmured. He looked at the link.

"He never spoke of the early times, when it was just you and Michael. I never knew it was because he was not there. But surely he did contact you later on?. You could not have known about me if he had not."