Laying on the livingroom floor beside Henry with the stuffed fox, Buttons, in his right hand Connor held it above Henry's face as the five and half month old baby laid on his back and reached up to grab at the toy excitedly. As he laid on the floor with Henry making noises and smiling with pure joy beside him Connor felt a sense of calm that made him forget about the stress of the job and the evils of the city as he bonded with his son. When Evelyn laid down on the floor on the opposite side of Henry and joined in on the fun time Connor truly realized how fortunate he was to have such an amazing family.

Soon Henry would begin crawling about and not long after he'd be able to walk and even talk. The desire to watch Henry grow up was so strong that Connor vowed to spend as much time with his son as possible.

"He's so happy." Evelyn cooed as she ran her right hand through her recently washed and dyed hair. Having gone back to being a brunette for simplicity sake Evelyn truly looked proud of her son as she smiled down at him. "You look happy, too."

"I am happy." Replying honestly Connor looked up at Evelyn as he continued to wave Buttons over Henry's face playfully. "Where's Hank?" Connor asked as he caused his son to laugh. Ruby came trotting out of the kitchen and laid down beside Henry's head and wagged her tail, causing the baby to laugh again at her presence. "I haven't seen him all afternoon."

"Right here." The senior detective announced as he walked down the staircase and joined his family in the livingroom. "I wanted to make sure I had the bag packed for Lucas."

"What bag?"

"The one filled with all the extra baby clothes and diapers we bought for him last week."

"Did you hear something from Lucas?"

"Not yet, but I have a feel that today's the day." Sitting down in the recliner he looked down at Henry and just smiled at the baby's bright blue eyes as he glanced about the livingroom and kept reaching for the toy fox. "I wonder if they got the baby a stuffed toy to cuddle with."

Evelyn gave Hank an amused look as she pointed to a small gift bag sitting on the floor beside Henry's baby swing. "Don't worry, I got that covered."

"Cool. Now we just need the baby to get here."

Connor sat upright on the floor and let Henry take the toy from his hands, and watched as Henry promptly started chewing on its ear. "That's not food, Henry."

"Neither was that evidence crap you used to taste." Hank remarked sharply as he watched Henry chewed on the soft toy. "Like father like son..."

Evelyn grimaced at the idea of her husband having to taste evidence to get the job done. "I think I'm relieved I kissed you after you became human again."

Before Connor had the chance to make a comeback to defend himself his phone started to ring and he recognized the ringtone as the one specifically chosen for Lucas. Fishing the phone from his jean pocket Connor answered the call quickly in anticipation of what his little brother was going to say. "Lucas?"

'Chloe's in labor!' The deviant sounded excited and not panicked, which of course was a good thing. 'We're already at the hospital and she's been admitted to into the maternity wing.'

"We'll be right there, Lucas. Need us to bring anything?"

'No, just get over here. I don't want my family to miss this.'

"We're on our way, brother. Tell Chloe we're excited for her." Ending the phone call Connor didn't even need to say what the call was about as Hank went back upstairs to get the bag and Evelyn scooped Henry up from the floor. Holding the baby against her right hip Evelyn picked up the gift bag by the swing and looked back at Connor excitedly. "Hank was right! Today is the day."

"Yeah." Standing up from the floor Connor retrieved the car keys from the bookshelf and slipped on his shoes by the front door. "Maybe his instincts as a grandfather gave him psychic abilities."


In the hospital Lucas was excitedly holding onto Chloe's right hand as they waited for the doctor who would be delivering the baby, and waiting for the baby itself to make its grand entrance. The two were still discussing names and had decided to narrow the names down to girl names for the sake of simplicity as they both had all but decided that Connor was right about the gender. As her labor progressed Chloe squeezed Lucas's hand and decided she was going to take Evelyn's advice and turn off her pain receptors from her abdomen downward to prevent undo stress on her body as she delivered the baby.

"Do you think we'll be good parents like Connor and Evelyn?" Chloe asked as she held tightly onto Lucas's hand as her latest contraction ended.

"I know you're going to be an amazing mother, Chloe. And I'm going to do my best to be an amazing father."

"You will be, Lucas. Don't worry."

There was a soft knock at the door as none other than Abby herself walked into the room to check on Chloe. "Hey, there. It's been a while."

"Dr. Grayson." Lucas recognized her immediately and gave her a nod. "I wasn't expecting you."

"First of all, call me Abby, and secondly, you and Chloe are the first android couple to deliver in this hospital since the Revolution, which means they wanted a technician with some medical experience to take up the lead on the delivery. I used to be an E.M.S. so I fit the bill."

"We're the first couple since the Revolution?"

"You're the first android couple, rather than a deviant acting as a surrogate for a human family. In the surrogacy situation the delivery is always a c-section by law as the deviant carrying the baby doesn't have any legal rights to make a call in the event of an emergency. But since this is YOUR baby and this is HER delivery Chloe gets to make all the decisions and I'm here to listen to her, and do whatever it takes to bring your baby safely into the world."

"Knowing our baby is in your hand makes me feel better, Abby."

"It's good to hear." Checking the two monitors attached to Chloe; one to Chloe's chest to act as a cardiac monitor and a second attached to her belly under her pure white hospital gown to monitor the baby, Abby determined them both to be healthy and Chloe's labor progressing normally. "Alright, all your vitals are looking good so I'm just going to check your progress and get an idea when you'll be ready to deliver." Lifting up the sheet covering Chloe's legs Abby checked her patient and gave her a nod. "You're already about seven centimeters along. When did your labor begin exactly?"

"I felt the first real contraction at one-twelve this afternoon. My membrane ruptured at one twenty-seven on our way to the hospital."

Abby looked at her watch and shook her head. "Wow. It's one forty-six. Looks like you're either undergoing a precipitous labor, or all androids are just going to be blessed with short labors in general."

"I guess only time will tell."

"Okay. I'm going to let the delivery team know what's going on so we can work together and get your baby delivered as safely as possible."

"Thank you, Abby."

"I'll be back in a moment. Take it easy and keep doing what you're doing."

Lucas held tightly onto Chloe's hand as he smiled brightly at his bondmate and waited for Abby's return. "We're going to be parents!"

There was a knock on the opened door as Connor, Evelyn, Hank and Henry all stepped inside the room to check in on Chloe's progress. "Hey, little brother. How is everyone doing?"

"We're fine. The baby will be here soon."

Connor walked over to the bed and handed Henry over to Chloe as the expectant deviant loved holding her nephew, and he was the perfect reminder that what she was about to go through was entirely worth it. "I'm happy for both of you."

"Thank you, Connor. Did anyone from New Jericho arrive?"

"Yes, Markus and Josh are outside waiting to come in. Simon is taking care of the tower and I believe North is still undergoing large software updates and cannot come to the hospital until tomorrow morning."

"It's okay, we'll be sure to take the baby to New Jericho to meet everyone later."

"And..." Connor nodded toward the opened door as Elijah Kamski himself stepped through. "Elijah came to see Chloe."

"Elijah!" Chloe beamed at seeing her oldest friend as he stepped over to the bed. "Thank you for being here!"

"Of course. I told you that as your friend I'll be there for you whenever you want me to be there." He looked over at Henry and gave the baby an amused grin as he clearly saw all of Connor's traits that the baby inherited. "And I know this little one is Connor's son. I can tell just by looking at him."

Chloe passed Henry back over to Connor as she felt another contraction, albeit painless, squeeze her belly. "...I hope the baby looks like Lucas."

Balancing Henry on his left hip Connor felt Henry squirming uncomfortably and quickly took the hint. "I need to go change Henry. I'll be be outside waiting to meet my new niece. Good luck, Chloe."

"You'll do great!" Evelyn quickly gave Chloe a hug before she followed after Connor with the diaper bag slung over her right shoulder and met him in the family bathroom down the corridor.

Hank stayed back and put his hand on Lucas's shoulder with the same proud smile on his face he showed when Connor was in his position just over five months ago. "We're excited, and I know you're excited, but are you really ready?"

"Absolutely." Lucas nodded as he held tightly onto Chloe's hand and kissed her right cheek. "I was ready the moment Chloe told me the good news."

"You're both going to do great as parents. You both have the right instincts and you're very caring individuals. As a couple you're going to be amazing parents to your child."

"Thanks, dad."

Giving Lucas's shoulder a gentle shake Hank leaned down and kissed Chloe on her hairline and took a step back from the bed. "I'll be in the waiting room pacing. As soon as that little baby's here I'll be back."

Elijah lingered behind and proudly addressed Chloe as she prepared to give birth to her first child. "You've come a long away since the Turning Test, Chloe. I'm very proud of the person you've become."

"Thank you, Elijah. I hope you know that you're welcome to see the baby after its born."

"I'm flattered. I'll be sure to visit whenever I venture into the city to spend time with Gavin, Abby and their own daughter. Aria is..." Smiling at the idea of having a niece Elijah seemed unusually personable and less cold. "she's very special. She is now my world and just as I've sworn to protect her and ensure she has a brilliant world to grow up in, I'll do the same for your own baby."


Outside of the private recovery Connor carried Henry in his arms through the corridor and began walking back toward the waiting room when he bumped into Markus, who had an entirely joyous grin on his face. The deviant leader met Connor and Evelyn a few feet away from the delivery room as the team gathered under Abby's tutelage to help bring Chloe's baby into the world, and he honed right in on Henry with his mismatched eyes.

"Hey, Connor. Evelyn." Smiling at Henry in Connor's arm Markus offered his finger to the baby to take for himself. "Henry."

"Hi, Markus. If you're going to see Lucas and Chloe you need to do it fast. It looks like she's going to deliver very soon."

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll meet you and Josh in the waiting room in a moment after I visit them."

Evelyn wrapped her left arm around Connor's right arm as they walked to the waiting room and sat down beside Josh who was eager to meet the baby as soon as it was born.

Josh looked to his friends and their child, and smiled brightly. "I love how you and Lucas have such a supportive family and friends to watch your backs."

"Yeah, you're right." Sitting down and repositioning Henry to sit down on his lap with his left hand supporting the baby's back Connor gave his son a kiss on the top of his head. "And it took me almost too damn long to recognize and appreciate that fact. I feel like I had been acting like an ungrateful brat for the longest time."

"Well, you can be a little bratty at times, but you're still wonderful." Giving him a kiss on the cheek Evelyn sat beside him and held his hand tightly in excited anticipation. "Just break that habit soon so you can keep setting a good example for our son."

"Don't worry, I will."

Resting her head on Connor's shoulder Evelyn sighed and picked up Henry's hand to give her son some attention. "Yeah, I know. You always keep your word."


The delivery team had taken their positions in the delivery room and were awaiting Abby's instructions as Chloe's labor steadily progressed at a rapid pace. Unlike a human's labor android labor followed a very detailed and advanced software that activated once the baby reached full term size. Without the unpredictability of the human body to make labor either too fast or too slow Chloe's progress had been timely and by the book as programmed, which of course meant her labor was following the same type of programming.

Markus enthusiastically gave Lucas and Chloe a congratulatory hug and took his leave of the room to give the team room to work. "I'll go tell everyone to get ready to meet the baby. Good luck, Chloe. We'll be waiting."

Elijah gave Chloe a kiss on her hair as he took his leave of the room. "I'll be with the others in the waiting room, Chloe. Remember you can do anything, you're a deviant and you're free."

As the guests left the room the interning technicians assisted Abby in checking on Chloe's progress, and worked to get her in the proper position for an easy and hasty delivery.

"Okay, Chloe." Abby slipped on a pair of purple latex gloves and gave the laboring deviant a kind smile as she checked her progress under the sheet. "You're fully dilated. On the next contraction bear down and push." She nodded at the observing nurses and doctors who had asked to view the delivery from the opposite side of the room to let them know it was time for the baby to be born. "Take notes people, this is history in the making."

Lucas, who had changed into dark blue scrubs, held tightly onto Chloe's right hand as she returned the grip and began to push with her next contraction as she had been intructed. "You can do this, Chloe!"

"Alright, Chloe. Push!"

Bearing down with a controlled strength Chloe began to push as she had been told, and held onto Lucas's hand the entire time. Her advanced software allowed Chloe to keep track of the baby's progress with each push, and she knew she was pushing with just enough strength to get the baby to descend at an ideal pace.

"Great job, Chloe." Abby was proud of how well Chloe was responding to her labor. "Push again!"

Doing as instructed Chloe pushed and squeezed Lucas's hand as he scanned her body and kept tabs on their baby as the baby descended even lower. "The baby's almost here, Chloe! Keep going! Big push!"

Chloe bore down and gave one more push and felt a pressure building where the head was beginning to crown and leave her body.

"Okay, Chloe. Don't push, just pant your breath and I'll guide out the head so you don't suffer any damage." Abby stated calmly as she used her right palm to gently guide the baby out and into the world. "Almost there. When I give you the word push again."

"I love you, Chloe." Lucas kissed her right cheek as she did as instructed and felt the pressure lessen as Abby guided the baby's head out. "You can do this!"

"Okay!" Speaking to her laboring patient again Abby gave her the clear to resume pushing. "Once more big push! Go!"

Holding her breath Chloe gave one final strong push and with it came a total release of all pressure and her system. Her processors confirmed that the baby had been successfully delivered, and that everything happened without any complications. "...L-Lucas?"

The baby let out a shrill scream as its airways were cleared and Abby swaddled it in a clean towel. "Alright, you two... Ready to meet your daughter?"

"...She's a girl." Lucas let out an amused laugh as he realized Connor was right about the gender, and glad that he and Chloe began focusing on girl names instead. "I'm ready, Abby."

Presenting the baby to Lucas a nurse handed him a pair of surgical scissors. "Ready to cut the cord, daddy?"

"...Yes." Accepting the scissors Lucas cut through the umbillical cord and took the baby from Abby's hands. Carrying her over to Chloe as she remained on the delivery table Lucas gently placed their crying daughter down on Chloe's chest to begin bonding. "...Chloe. We have a daughter! And she's beautiful!"

Chloe began crying tears of joy as she looked at the crying newborn's face and beamed a proud smile. "...She is beautiful!" The baby had short but very dark hair and her eyes were a greenish blue color. "...She's perfect! Our perfect little Madison is here..."

"Madison is here and she's perfect." Lucas shared Chloe's proud smile as he gave his daughter his finger to squeeze and felt a warmth of love spread over his heart as he looked at her face. "Our daughter is finally here. I... I couldn't be happier!"


In the waiting room Markus received a cybernetic update from Lucas and told everyone the good news on the baby. Once Abby stepped into the waiting room and confirmed the healthy birth the family just smiled and stood in unison to walk down the corridor to see the newborn baby. Chloe and the baby had been taken to a private recovery room and were now ready to receive visitors, but only two at a time to prevent the baby from being overwhelmed, or possibly getting sick from too many strangers at once.

Hank and Evelyn went in first to meet the baby while Connor stayed out in the corridor with Henry in his arms, and spoke with Markus, Josh and Elijah.

"...I became a father this year, and now I'm an uncle! This year has been... very eventful." Connor was almost beyond words. Hearing the small noises of the newborn baby through the opened door made him turn his head and smile a little. "I'm so glad I came back to Detroit instead of stubbornly hiding out in Chicago. If I hadn't met Evelyn while I was out there then fleeing to Chicago would've been the biggest regret of my life."

"It's okay, Connor." Markus's mismatched eyes were bright with excitement for his friends and their children. "You're back where you belong and now you have a bigger family to take care of." Grinning mischievously Markus gave his friend a sly glance. "Maybe you can help me out with learning the ropes by this time next February."

"What's happening in February?"

"Remember how you said North and I shouldn't give up on kids?"

As his soulful brown eyes went wide Connor's excitement for the future seemed to double over. "...North is pregnant?!"

Markus nodded enthusiastically as he took in a deep breath to steady his emotions as he confirmed the question. "Yeah. We're having twins!"

"You're kidding?"

"No! We're finally going to have a family of our own and we're starting with twins!"

"That's incredible!" Truly happy for his friend Connor gave Markus a bright and proud smile. "Congratulations!"

"You Josh, Simon and now Kamksi are the only ones who know. We want to keep it a little quieter a little longer since we don't want to distract anyone from Lucas, Chloe and their baby, but I had to tell you. Thank you for encouraging us to keep trying, Connor."

"You're welcome my friend. I'm truly happy for you both."

"And I have one favor I must ask of you."

"What is it?"

"In two weeks I'm going to have a conference with the mayor regarding continued operations of New Jericho Tower within the city. We want to expand beyond the tower and open up android sanctuaries where formerly oppressive locations once stood. Places like the now closed 'Eden Club' and the closed CyberLife warehouses outside of the city will be remodeled into places that will protect our people, and not hurt them."

"That sounds like a great idea." Rubbing his right hand along Henry's back Connor gave his friend an odd glance. "But what do you need of me?"

"I want you to be there with me when I make the speech. I want you to watch my back and ensure nothing goes wrong."

"I can do that." Connor agreed to the request and gave Markus a confident stare as he held Henry on his hip. "I'll be there for you."

Evelyn stepped back out of the room and gave Connor a kiss on his left cheek. "Your niece is ready to meet you!"

"...I take it Hank isn't going to go anywhere."

"Nope. He's staying right there until it's time for the baby to go home in two days."

"Not surprised." Readjusting Henry so he was resting against his right shoulder Connor looked at the opened door of the room and grinned. "Well then, I'm going to meet my niece and introduce Henry to his cousin."

"By the way, you were right."

"About the gender? Obviously."

"That, and her hair in black and her eyes are green. You're quite the detective, looks like you're in the right line of work."

"Of course I am." Giving Evelyn a cheesy grin Connor stepped inside the room and spotted Hank holding the newborn baby in his arms with Lucas standing beside him still holding onto his daughter's tiny hand. The sight was as comforting as it was familiar as Connor knew he had the same proud smile on his own face the day Henry was born. "Good thing you didn't accept that wager, dad. You would've lost."

Hank just shook his head and gave Connor an amused look. "Still a smartass even after all this time."

Connor walked over to peer down at his niece's face and smiled. "Well, she's beautiful and she's healthy Lucas. I'm happy for you." Readjusting Henry so he could see the newborn Connor spoke softly as to not frighten his newborn niece. "Look at her, Henry. She's your cousin. Your family."

Henry was staring at the baby's face as if trying to figure out a puzzle. He had never seen another baby before, and now he had a cousin to play with as they grew up together.

"What's her name?"

Chloe spoke up proudly as she reached up with her right hand and gently ran her fingers through the newborns incredibly soft locks of dark hair. "Her name is Madison. Madison Elizabeth Anderson."

The middle name made Connor's throat tighten with emotion as he fought back a sob as he learned his niece had been named after his late mother by his little brother. "...Beautiful name. I know my mom... She's honored."

"She's our little Maddy." Lucas smiled with a sincere pride as he watched Connor's eyes well up with emotion. "And I imagine your mother would've taken her in as her own granddaughter. It felt like the right thing to do."

"Thank you, brother." Looking down at his own son Connor flashed the same proud smile as Lucas. "Henry, I get the feeling you and Maddy are going to become fast friends. I hope you two have the same type of bond and relationship I have with Lucas; you may not be siblings but you're family all the same."

Hank approved of Connor's sentiment and watched as Lucas gently took Henry from Connor's arms so he could hold Maddy for himself. "She's going to be just fine. She's an Anderson, and if the name holds true she's going to be just as fiery and stubborn as the rest of the clan."

"I don't know if that'll be a good thing or a bad thing." Cradling Maddy in his arms after Hank carefully passed her over Connor admired his new niece and gave her a loving smile. "Hi, Maddy. Welcome to the world. I'm your Uncle Connor."


As standard hospital regulation Chloe and Maddy remained in the hospital for two days before going home to relax and begin their new lives together. The drive back to the house was calm and the pick-up truck was followed by Hank, Connor, Evelyn and Henry as they wanted to help Lucas and Chloe get settled in as comfortably as possible. Even Elijah had volunteered to help out, and had accompanied the family back to the house to get Maddy home and safe, and to begin her first days into the world feeling as loved and supported as her parents promised her.

"Welcome home, Maddy." Lucas beamed as he held open the front door to let Chloe walk through with the newborn cradled in her arms. "This is your home and everyone here is your family!"

The tiny newborn let out small sounds as she was carried into the large home and up the staircase to her own bedroom.

Just as Connor and Evelyn had decorated Henry's room with paintings that Lucas had created, Maddy's room had similar paintings and had a glass bottle holding sand from the beach in Miami and the ocean water up on a shelf at the far wall to let her see the ocean from her own bedroom.

"Here we are." Chloe soothed in a soft voice as she gently placed Maddy down in her crib so she could get used to the sounds and smells of her new house while feeling safe and secured. "This is your bedroom. I hope you like it."

Lucas gave Maddy his finger to wrap her hand around and he smiled as she held tight. "I know you're going to be happy here. We love you, Maddy."

Proudly Connor and Evelyn watched as Lucas and Chloe stood over Maddy's crib to admire their daughter, and decided to give the new parents a little privacy as they bonded with their newborn daughter.

"Think Hank is going to spend more time over here?" Evelyn joked lightly as she and Connor walked back the staircase and met Hank down in the livingroom with Henry in his arms, and Elijah standing beside him. "He looks like he's smitten with Maddy already."

"Oh hell, yeah." Hank overheard the question and wasn't afraid to answer. "I'm not going to play favorites with my grandchildren, so every hour I spend with Henry I'm going to spend with Maddy."

Connor cocked his eyebrow as he took Henry from Hank's arms and help him up against his chest, and gave Hank an odd glance. "Does that mean you're going to spend the night and have a slumber party?"

"Smartass. I'll stay if Lucas asks, but I think he and Chloe will be just fine taking care of Maddy themselves."

Elijah just smirked as he ran his right hand down Ash's back as the white cat rubbed up against his ankle. "They'll be fine. Chloe is more human than she realizes, and I know she'll become even more human now that she has a daughter to care for."

"Are you going to stay here?" Connor asked as Henry squirmed about in his arms and put his small right hand in his mouth. "I'm sure she'd like your guidance since I know you've been babysitting Aria on the weekends."

"Only if Chloe asks me to stay. This is her family and her decision. She's free now, and I'll never say or do anything that could compromise that."

Connor nodded in appreciation at Elijah's humility. "Thank you."

Smiling warmly Evelyn offered up her own assistance to the new family and remembered her first day at home after Henry was born. "Now that we have that settled why don't we make dinner so Lucas and Chloe and can relax a little?" She volunteered readily as she glanced up toward the staircase where she knew Lucas and Chloe were still admiring Maddy. "I know having a home cooked meal did wonders for me when I got back from the hospital with Henry."

"Good idea. I think steak and salad would be a good start." Connor was all for taking extra steps in helping his little brother, sister-in-law and new niece. Still holding Henry in his arms Connor looked toward Hank for a little assistance. "Dad?"

"Yeah, no problem." Holding out his hands he happily took Henry back from Connor's arms and held his grandson against his chest, while Connor and Evelyn left the livingroom to go to the kitchen. "You're going to hang out with Papa for a while. Sound good?"

Henry responded with his usual babble as he continued to chew on his fist and smile up at Hank around his own hand.

"Man, you're going to start teething soon, then talking, walking..." Readjusting Henry so he could rest against his shoulder Hank just sighed with a sense of paternal pride at his slowly growing family. "I can't wait to watch you reach all your milestones and see what kind of great guy you'll grow up to be."

"I imagine Henry will take more after Connor than he will Evelyn." Elijah observed as he stood upright and gave the baby resting against Hank's chest and shoulder a sincerely kind smile. "And from what I've seen that would be something everyone could benefit from."

"As long as Henry isn't nearly as stubborn as his dad, then yeah. That'll be just fine."

"Stubbornness isn't always a bad thing." Elijah stated fairly quickly as he noted his own brother's personality. "It's an endearing quality in my experience."

"Sure, when it's being used productively as opposed to being an oppressive wall. Don't get me wrong, I love these boys as my own sons and Connor's solved some pretty damn complicated cases using hiw own stubborn way, but he's also put himself at risk thanks to his stubbornness. I don't want to see Lucas make the same mistake, and I sure as Hell don't want Henry doing that either."

Henry let out another small sound and squirmed against Hank's chest and shoulder as he looked up at his Papa and smiled.

"See? Even Henry knows better."

"I'm sure Henry will become a very respectable member of society, as will Maddy." It was clear Elijah had a soft spot for children, just like Hank. Being around his family had done Elijah well. "Lucas and Chloe will be amazing parents to her."

"Yeah, you're right about that." From upstairs Hank heard Maddy beginning to cry and within seconds he heard Lucas's voice soothing her as he had no doubt picked her up and tended to her every need like any loving dad would do. Just like Connor had done Lucas was quickly adapting to fatherhood and he was going to be a wonderful dad for his daughter. "I'm very proud of my sons, I'm proud of my honorary daughters and I'm already proud of their children."

-next chapter-