Sitting in the middle of the couch with his laptop sitting atop a pillow on his lap Hank busied himself with searching for a larger house to shelter himself, Connor and now Hannah in the next few months. Hannah was reaching four months old, thriving and was so much stronger than she had been when Connor rescued the helpless newborn from the burning house all those four months prior. Sipping at his coffee as he checked out available houses in a not too outlandish price range Hank was only vaguely aware of the front door opening up, and of Hannah sniffling in Connor's arm.
"Hey, kid." Closing his laptop Hank turned to look at Connor over the back of the couch. "How was the- Whoa!" Seeing Connor holding Hannah protectively against his chest as he alone sported a painfully blackened right eye and a weeping cut changed the subject at hand immediately. "What the hell happened to you today?"
"...Protesters." Connor replied somberly as his red L.E.D. pulsed slowly in his right temple. "They didn't like the idea of an android caring for a baby."
"All you did was take her to the park! Why in the hell did the attack you?" Getting up from the couch Hank approached his son and granddaughter, and lightly pressed his left palm to Connor's bleeding right cheek to inspect the wound. "What happened?"
"A man saw me holding Hannah and accused me of corrupting her by taking her away from her biological parents. He said androids shouldn't have any say in the way human children are raised and that I needed to hand Hannah over to him because I shouldn't be her 'nanny'."
"That asshole told you to hand over Hannah?"
"Yes. When I refused her struck me and tried to pull her from my arms but I fought back and rushed away from the park after I cybernetically contacted 911. Fortunately other parents in the park saw him strike me while I was holding Hannah and then attempt to abduct her. They held the man at bay so I could get some space between us."
"And the cops?"
"Two officers I've never met before; Officer Owens and Officer Taylor, recognized me and knew of my case with Hannah. As soon as the man started lying about me abducting his daughter and trying to claim Hannah as his own they arrested him without question, and I sent a copy of Hannah's adoption certificate over as proof to their precinct."
"Good. At least you got away."
"Hank," adjusting Hannah in his arms as he lightly rubbed her back and then passed her over to Hank to take and gave his adoptive father a somber glance as his right fingertips traced over his bleeding cut. "I can't do this anymore."
"Can't do what anymore?" Holding Hannah up against his right shoulder Hank looked at the small baby's face and used his left thumb to gently wipe away her lingering frightened tears.
"I can't continue to try act as though me being Hannah's father will be seen as normal by the rest of society. That man didn't see me as her father, he saw me as a human's tool to take care of her and tried to kidnap her because he doesn't approve of choices that are none of his business. I... I need to make some changes. That man saw only my light and not the innocent child I was carrying. He was willing to attack me just to hurt me, and didn't give a damn if Hannah had been injured in the process. I'm tried of trying to raise her in a society that can't accept me as her father. It's unfair to her."
"Yeah, I get that."
"...You do?"
"Yup. I know that you're still dealing with clueless bigots and judgmental eyes. It's tough being a single parent, and it's even worse when you're living in a less than open minded neighborhood." Motioning to the laptop on the couch with a nod of his head Hank carried Hannah over to where he had been sitting and flipped the screen back open. "That's why I think one of these two houses will be perfect to move into."
Noting the two houses of interest on the screen Connor sighed and gave Hank a curious glance. "You've been busy."
"I gotta' do something while Hannah isn't here to play with Papa." Trying to lighten the mood a little Hank readjusted Hannah in his arms so she could sit up with her back pressed against Hank's chest so she could see the entire room. "Go get your face cleaned up and we'll look at the two houses together. One has an in-ground pool, and the other has a massive backyard. You can pick which ever you prefer Hannah to grow up in."
"Thank you, Hank." Keeping his right hand to his bleeding cheek Connor hissed a little at the lingering pain as his red L.E.D. flickered even quicker. As his right fingertips trailed up to the light Connor paused for a moment and his soulful brown eyes glazed over a little as he walked down the hallway to use the bathroom to clean himself up. "...I will only be a moment."
Returning his full attention to Hannah on his lap Hank pulled her stuffed doggy from the corner of the couch and offered it to her to play with. As the small baby made happy sounds and pulled at the soft toy with both of her hands Hank couldn't help but smile at Hannah's absolute innocence and joy.
"Glad you're happy, Hannah-Banana. At least someone can still laugh these days."
From within the confines of the bathroom Connor stared at his face in the mirror over the sink, and traced fingertips over his raw cut once more. Dark blue blood oozed painfully from the wound, and his right eye remained swollen after being struck. With his eye partially closed due to the swelling Connor had to use only his left eye to visually assess his condition without needing to use a self-diagnostic. The red glow of his L.E.D. created a crimson aura against the mirror and his own face.
"...I can't risk Hannah being harmed because I'm an android."
Holding his fingertips over the L.E.D. Connor glanced at the light for a moment in the mirror's reflection before he pulled open the medicine cabinet and peered inside the space. Picking up the small grooming kit that Hank hadn't touched in years Connor unzipped the small black pouch and retrieved a small pair of trimming scissors from within the case.
Holding the scissors in his right hand Connor eyed the sharp metallic object in his hand for only a moment before open the scissors up to separate one blade from the other.
"...She deserves to grow up without her father being harassed in public, and being seen as a normal child with a normal parent."
Holding his breath Connor used the sharp end of the blade into the center of the L.E.D. and gasped as he hadn't anticipated a sharp pain radiating from the small light.
"Fu..."
Closing his eyes as tears rolled down his face Connor twisted the scissors once to loosen the light. The searing pain was enough to make Connor drop the scissors onto the floor with a loud clatter, and the bleeding deviant used his right index fingertip and thumb to pull the L.E.D. from beneath his damaged artificial skin.
As the Thirium covered light fell into Connor's right palm Connor himself fell to his knees and took in a pained breath through his clenched teeth.
Two firm knocks on the closed door followed by Hank's voice sounded off through the small bathroom. "Connor? Are you okay?"
"...F-Fine."
Opening the door a little Hank peered inside the bathroom and saw Connor kneeling on the floor while covered in blood next to the bloody scissors resting on the floor beside him. "I heard something fall." Getting a good look at Connor's face Hank's blue eyes widened and he reacted quickly. "Shit!" Snatching a washcloth from the nearby towel rack Hank pressed the clean white cloth against Connor's bleeding right temple to stem the bleeding. "Son, what did you do?"
"...I wanted to look more normal." Showing Hank the now dead L.E.D. in his blue blood covered right palm Connor opened his eyes and let out a pained breath as he told Hank the truth. "I removed my L.E.D. so I can go out into public with Hannah and not risk another confrontation with another bigot."
"So you fuckin' mutilated yourself with a pair of scissors?!"
"I just removed my L.E.D. just as the other deviants have done. It was my choice."
"You chose to hurt yourself?"
"It's not the simple."
"Yeah, I know." Removing the washcloth Hank eyed Connor's now bare right temple and sighed. "It's never that simple."
"It's better this way. If I don't look like an android then I won't have to worry about being targeted whenever I take Hannah out in public. I shouldn't have to get in a fist fight every time I go to the park or out into a store just to protect my own daughter."
"Well, you shouldn't have to change the way you look just to appease bigots wandering the city."
Falling silent Connor just stared at his now dead L.E.D. and wrapped his fingers around the small circle in his palm in shame.
"I'm going to put a band-aid over your temple. It looks like your artificial skin is trying to regenerate over your frame already, but I have to put a bandage over just for my own sake."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I get your reasons why you did it, I just wish you thought more about how it'll affect you and not just Hannah."
"Aren't parents supposed to be willing to sacrifice their own comforts for their children?"
"Yeah, but not to the point of physical self mutilation." Standing up from the floor with the bloodied scissors in his hand Hank left the item on the edge of the sink and opened up the medicine cabinet to get one band-aid from the small box, and returned to kneeling down on the floor beside his son. "There." Pressing the protective layer over Connor's right temple Hank patted the deviant's right shoulder. "Clean yourself up and meet me in the livingroom. I want you to look over the houses, and then you can give Hannah a bath to make sure she isn't covered in pollen from the park."
"Okay, Hank. I'll do that."
"And as for your light," pointing to Connor's right fist where his L.E.D. was being held under his grip. "you should hang onto that. In a couple of months, or maybe a couple of years, you might want to put it back where it belongs."
"Put it back?"
"Like I said, you shouldn't have to change who you are just because of some ignorant assholes out on the street."
"...Yes, you're right." Standing up from the floor Connor opened up his Thirium stained palm and stared at the dull L.E.D. one more time. He's had it ever since the day he was created, why remove it because total strangers who had no say in his life didn't approve? "I'll keep this somewhere safe until I'm ready to have my light a part of me again."
-next chapter-
