Waiting.

Knock.

Waiting.

Knock.

"Face it, Connor. I was right," Hank said. "You ****ed up."

Connor didn't screw up. He predicted there would be difficulties if he had picked this choice. However, there were more variables to it, the most important being Kara.

Kara had stayed behind in the station when she could have left with the androids. Kara had trusted in him even after seeing the footage, and having to break relations with her brother. Kara also risked malfunction with manipulating her statuses.

Family was important, and it would be better to deal with the difficulties head on so she could stay reunited with her brother, without him losing Detroit Blue.

However, Connor wasn't going to say that to Hank. He had helped immensely too, and their was a sense of selfish pride Hank liked to have over androids when he won. In the beginning, Connor would have gone round in circles with him. Sometimes, he still did. Although impractical, it was fun.

But, he would give it to Hank so he could move on with the situation. "You were right, Hank. No one is answering the door so that I can see Detroit Blue."

"Yep, told you. Luther is going to be mad at you for awhile. Unless Kara's in that room, nothing's reliable." Hank paused while Connor knocked again. "Unless she happens to come back to the room, I doubt that's doing any good Connor."

"It's reminding him of the fact that I am here, and I do not plan on going away." Connor knocked again.

"You put yourself in a hard spot. Back in this hotel, a separate room from Kara and the rest of your family." Hank groaned and paced slightly. "I can't be here all day, Connor."

"Yeah. I know." Connor looked at the door. He knew that Kara would come home and she would answer that knock. He didn't have anything there to keep Hank happy to stay. "Could I bribe you with one of your unhealthy sandwiches that will slowly-"

Then the door opened and Alice popped her head in anxiously. "Connor."

Progress? "Alice."

"Detroit Blue isn't even here," Alice told him. "Kara got pushed into a meeting with Markus and the head androids. I would have opened the door sooner but Luther said I couldn't either. Neither could he. No one but Kara. So, I'm not supposed to see you, but I really wanted to. I'm worried."

"What does she mean?" Hank asked. "What did you sign, Connor?"

"A legit contract." Connor smiled, being nice and calm for her. Nice and calm. Alice should be able to opt out as well as Luther. What are they trying to do now? "Do you know which room specifically the meeting is in?"

Meeting: Downstairs

Kara held Detroit Blue. "This was settled." She looked toward Markus. "You promised this was settled."

Markus didn't answer out loud, and he only communicated to her. I had to make a choice, Kara, and Connor has been a great dad. I wanted this fixed, for good, but trust me. Don't put a permanent mark on this. "I know. Sorry it's taking so long to get everyone together. I don't know why Josh hasn't shown up yet."

"Meanwhile, it's getting late." Kara didn't know whether she should trust Markus, but at this rate, Connor wouldn't be able to see Detroit Blue tonight. He liked to see him everyday. It was supposed to be a 'without Connor' meeting too.

"Hey, Sorry I'm late." Josh finally came in. He took a seat.

"Great, we are all here." Markus straightened his papers. "We just want to make sure everything's okay so far with your time back. Have you had any technical problems? Manipulation side effects from what you did to yourself?"

This is not what Kara wanted to talk about. "I have been good. There have been no side effects. Can we get on with it?"

"Some information that wasn't known before is know now," Markus said. "We think there might be a need to update an edition."

Markus was an android, he'd never mess up that.

"Information that wasn't known?" What did they mean? If you are on Connor's side, you have a hard way of showing it, Markus.

This was supposed to be good. I don't think it will end that way now. "We'll have a different meeting with Connor about it later, but everyone needs to stay on the same page. Now, there is a clause about extended family. You wanted to make sure Alice could still be considered his daughter, so the definition was placed in there for it."

"Yes, and she has the option as does Luther to opt out of being under the rest of the rules of the contract." Connor made sure that clause was in there, so they couldn't use it against him later. Connor knew contracts, it was built into him. Nothing outrageous could have gone against him.

"Alice can opt-out and she should be able to see him just fine. I don't see what does not allow this?"

"She has to sign with every member of the family available," Josh said. His eyes went black as he displayed a transcript of a conversation. A private conversation.

The truth, a secret truth that changed everything. How in the-?!- "No, that's wrong, why did you do that?" How wrong.

Then, she watched Connor come into the room. The display of transcription immediately seen to him. I'm sorry, Connor.

Transcription:

Connor: He had none. He had a family but something happened to his boy years ago. It is the reason he became . . . It was easier to talk about it as a machine."

Kara: Of course it had been.

Connor: Is that even possible? They can be friends. Is that possible? Is it possible?

Kara: When I was first on the run with Alice, she didn't tell me she was an android. I was programmed to take care of human children. Not android children. She didn't want to be left behind. I never did that, and even before I knew, I was close to her. I think if I still hadn't known?

Connor: When I see him tomorrow, I think the status changed. I didn't. Why didn't? Thank you.

Alice: So then what is Hank? He's family?

Connor: Yes. Hank is my father. Thank you. He'd never accept it but thank you.

Kara: Accept or not. He already is. He already does. He doesn't have to think or accept it. Neither do you. You both just . . . are. That's family, Connor.

End Transcription

"Clever." Connor looked straight toward Markus. "The top head of the Detroit Police Station has access to those records, not you-"

"-considering the situation, they donated-"

"-It was none of your business! The station only reveals and looks for immediate wrongdoing when suspective, and they don't get involved or share things with others that do not pertain!" Connor smashed both hands down flat on the huge panel they were discussing at. "You should have created a contract strictly with the details and information you had, instead of entering into private details that you had no need to look into!"

"It was considered by the whole group," Markus addressed him. "To make certain you were confirmed to be safe with them. You were great the entire time, and no one can deny that." He looked toward North. "No one." He looked back toward Connor. "It turned many skeptics in here around, and if it were viewed by more androids, things might go differently?"

"You had no right to do that," Kara countered Markus. "There was no need for that. You knew what we did already for status manipulation."

"We wanted to check on your safety," North said. "We wanted to make sure you were not malfunctioning then or now."

"It was private. There is a degree one should go with each other." Kara looked down at Detroit Blue. Cruel and unfair. "I was not happy to see what Kamski did, to make our future more human. We aren't human. But this? I am happy now." She stared at Markus. "Humans understand the concept of privacy."

"Be it as it may, there are two options," Markus said to them. He looked toward Connor who was staring him down like he was a dangerous deviant from before their days of freedom. Like he did with her a long time ago.

Kara couldn't blame him. She was probably doing the same thing. All of her processes were on DANGER.

"Stick with your contract, or make a new one," North said, "but Luther doesn't seem keen to sign a new one. Plus?" North looked toward Connor. "You are a genuinely good android. No one on this side thinks these contracts are even needed."

"However, the rest of the hotel does," Josh said. "If you shared how the reactions went between you, without time loss, just like we saw?"

"Not one android would hold anything against you again, not even hidden prejudice," Markus said.

Connor planned on one day working it out with Luther. He did not see any reason when it all began, but once he saw the way things were processing, he had already been working on tactics to use to smoothly transition into a reasoning status.

Connor, I thought I knew everything. It was supposed to be a showcase to pull you out of this contract status to your family. I was unaware that happened. Markus was trying to reason with him privately. I didn't even know a human being family was possible. I'm sorry. The information is out though and the decisions of how to proceed are up to you.

So Markus knew it. Trying to be just and noble, but too short-sighted to think such a variable existed. That an android could be family to a human.

"We can renounce all of this," Kara said to him. "Is it a possibility, Connor?"

If Connor could move back over-

"Status is still lover," Josh said as Connor was working things out. "I am picking up lover still. You two either manipulated yourself and did cause malfunctions, or you do care for each other."

What? Connor looked toward Kara. Lover? Was his status damaged? He examined each person at the table. No, they were all moving down in status, that seemed about normal for ruining his life. Why was Kara still registering lover?

He would address that later once he finish processing all of the new information. Connor could connect with a call to the apartment head, probably pay extra again for alarming the owner (who may or may not have promised the apartment to another occupant, which would make the situation more stressful.) He could also simply apply for another new apartment and deal with living with Hank for awhile. With them. If he allowed it.

Kara deserved her brother though. He was a big part of her life and her family was important. But it was also clear who wouldn't stay hush about the loophole.

Connor hurt Luther, and now, Luther was hurting him back. Without looking like the culprit.

"Waiting for the addressal," Simon said, bringing up Josh's notification. "Are you a couple or did you touch something inside that you should not have that has destroyed your status imprinting?"

"You resetted so many times, it's not surprising," Josh said. "You two will need an absolute restart."

Did they? The status for liking the people at the table was moving down lower. Still seemed fine. But Kara? "Everything is working fine. Is your status going down for everyone in this room but me right now?"

"Yes," Kara admitted. "You're status is frozen."

"No, it's not." Connor went toward her with an intriguing look. "Hmph. Hm. Mm?"

"Does anybody understand the noises he is making?" North asked. "Connor," Markus asked. "What are you doing?"

Connor addressed Markus but didn't take his eyes off Kara. "Running through several thousands of websites, files, and folders."

"Of what content?"

"Advice, solutions, tips and problem solving. Data not found. Running adjusted backup queries." Connor paused. "General recommendations found only." Connor looked away toward Markus. "May I call family?"

Markus nodded and Connor left the room.

Connor gently beat the wall with the side of his fist. "Hank." He had to make a decision now. A decision he would normally be able to make, but there was a variable he hadn't counted on, that was now clouding the decision.

Kara's happiness. The reason he even moved back with that terrible contract was her happiness. Her brother. She deserved her brother, it was only right. It seemed like it was fair.

If they were playing on fair statistics, then Luther and the others technically cheated, and he would be justified to convince her to leave the hotel with him. Being separated from Luther, her Brother, wouldn't leave her happy.

And he wanted her happy, not because of beneficial status of Detroit Blue.

He wanted her happy. "Hank?"

"Hey, Connor, what's up? I'm still waiting in your blasted room but I gotta go home soon."

"Kara is my lover." Short. Prompt.

"Duh. I've been telling you that. So are we booking it?"

"No." Connor did not want to do this. "I want her to be happy beyond my happiness. Beyond a beneficial mutual association of taking care of Detroit Blue."

"So, what?" Hank asked. "You're going to stay and deal with the bullshit for longer? 'Cause I gotta go."

Hank didn't know how right he'd been. "Luther tricked me, Hank, and I can't tell you how. But. I can't use your presence to see Detroit Blue."

"What the ****? Are you kidding? They are bending you over the saddle and spanking your butt, Connor. You should grab Kara and Co and get out."

"Luther is her brother."

"So?"

"I want her to be happy." He didn't get it.

"Connor? What are you hiding already? Just come clean. Connor?"

Connor stopped transmission and went back to the meeting.

"Is leaving an option still?" Kara asked him as soon as he came. "This isn't fair on you, and I can't let it go this way."

Connor moved closer toward her. He looked toward his son. Registered, Son. He patted his head. Out of all of the outcomes of you being created, I had not seen this coming. I predicted several opportunists of failure. Most failures being if she stayed, or when she had disappeared, and humans not understanding. Fear. Afterwards, I predicted fear of the process ending her life, a malfunction of the pregnancy that would end this. So many outcomes. He turned his attention toward her. I never predicted this in any of the equations. "I am in a losing position, Kara, but you are in a winning one. You have your brother, your child, and me right next door. It all works out once you check the method. But, you are willing to try a different strategy with an undesirable outcome of losing your brother, just so that I can be closer without loss." He smiled at her and then leaned his head against hers. He clasped her free hand.

Within her eyes, he could see deeply. She was running calculations in her own self, her numbers and data showing so deep within those eyes. Reaching a similar conclusion.

He stepped back and took her hand, helping her up with Detroit Blue. Watching out for his son, he hugged her and then took the recommended broad action he was given.

He kissed her. Her response was surprised, but it didn't take long for her to start kissing him back. He let go of the kiss. "I've been ignoring the actions and motives my emotions have been wanting me to take because I thought it was false."

"But? When?" Kara hugged him back, further evidence that he did not need, but was welcoming.

"What's going on?" Markus asked. "You two?"

How and when? How did she miss it? When had their status not been manipulated and became . . . real? I am his lover. There was no fixing it, there was nothing to fix. Was it through messing with manipulation? During the manipulation? It had to be during. But.

"It's okay. Your secret is safe," Chloe assured her. "I understand though. I hope you pull through. I will help however I can. Especially since I will be here now. Don't worry about friendship with me at this point. Your own preservation instincts for your child are up high. One day, we will reach that point."

Data Memory Evidence Analysis: Slow Status Change Due to Pregnancy.

"Kara," Hank called to her. "Take the little girl and move away." Hank had his gun trained on the side of Chloe now.

Alice. If Kara moved Alice, Hank would take the shot.

"You aren't going to convince Kara to go against her family," Luther warned Connor. "Just leave us alone. We only want to go home."

"Do you have a clear shot, Hank?" Connor asked.

"To incapacitate her, yeah."

"Good. Take the shot."

Data Memory Evidence Analysis: Subject convinced to go against her family.

"That's not RK programming at all," Connor said to her. "I just yanked you from your place of comfort and you are comforting me instead. I'm not used to that." He was looking around her.

Data Memory Evidence Analysis: Setting migration placed second hand to comfort second subject.

"She is going to tell the world that she is staying with someone who attempted to destroy her and the little android, Markus! That took out her sister. That probed her before death. We can't just-"

"It's her decision," Markus said to North. "Androids have free will. She is doing what she wants. I can't stop her."

"You reach out to us however you want, when you change.

Data Memory Evidence Analysis: Combination evidence for group 3.

Kara ended up combining several instances of potential evidence, but couldn't pinpoint when it happened. Just that? It happened. Somewhere along the way.

Still in Connor's grip, he gently started to scoot her from the room.

"This meeting isn't over," Markus said. "Where are you going?"

"To explore possibilities is wording I would use to be polite for it," Connor said. "I need to discuss things privately with Kara."