The first week of fatherhood had done Lucas well, and it truly brought out the human in Chloe. The proud parents had taken Maddy to visit everyone in New Jericho Tower, Markus and North were especially enthusiastic with meeting her, and had made sure to spend time with Connor, Evelyn and Henry so the two babies could bond and play together. The age difference wasn't extreme, but with Henry being five and half months old and Maddy only one week old it was clear that it'd be a while before the two would be able to really play as cousins without needing their parents' constant supervision.

Bringing Madison over to the family house to bond was now a daily occurrence, and with that new routine the family grew closer. Evelyn spent the afternoons with Henry while Connor and Hank were at the precinct. With Lucas off on his paternity leave she was more than happy to have the company as she tended to her son and patiently waited for Connor and Hank to come home.

"Hi, Maddy!" Beaming at her niece Evelyn happily held the newborn in her arms and sat down on the floor next to Henry as her son laid on his tummy on the soft blanket in the middle of the livingroom. "You're so pretty and tiny!"

Lucas joined everyone on the floor and noted that Madison was growing at the same rate Henry had been, and that Henry himself was thriving. "It's a shame that Connor and dad couldn't have time off during my paternity leave."

"Trust me, they tried but Captain Fowler said 'no'." Passing Madison back over to her daddy's arms Evelyn looked up at Chloe as she sat on the couch and proceeded to offer Henry a stuff toy to play with. Chloe had made a special diaper bag in bright purple fabric with Madison's name embroidered on the side, and had been adorned with hundreds of colorful iron-on patches to give it more character. "How're you feeling, Chloe?"

"I am recovering well, but I do find it strange that a part of me now feels... incomplete."

"I had that weird empty feeling inside, too. Give it a few more weeks, then you'll feel more like yourself again."

The front door opened up as both Connor and Hank returned home for the evening. Upon seeing their family all gathered together the two detectives readily join everyone in the livingroom to visit with Madison for a while.

"Hey there, Maddy." Connor looked at his niece in Lucas's arms and offered her his finger to hold. "It's nice to see you." Sitting down on the floor he pulled Henry onto his lap and watched as Hank took Madison to hold for himself and bond even closer. "Looks like Maddy is as excited to be here as I feel."

"Tiring day?"

"Very." Connor confirmed his brother's question. "Working on cases and dealing with the mayor in preparation for Markus's meeting next week has proven itself exhausting."

"Perhaps you could distribute your caseload to your fellow detectives until New Jericho's business with the mayor has been completed."

"That'd be nice, but it's simpler if Hank and I handle the cases ourselves."

Madison began to make uncomfortable noises as she awoke from her light nap and had promptly soiled her diaper. With Hank taking the lead he carried his granddaughter up the staircase to get her cleaned up and soothed. "Alright, Maddy. Let Papa get you nice and clean, and then you can go back to your nap."

Chloe smiled as Hank tended to Madison as if she were his very own. "Hank is an excellent grandfather. I want to do something nice for him, Lucas."

"Well, we could finish that little project back at the house and give it to him now as an early birthday gift."

"No, that's something very special. Save it for then."

Evelyn had her own idea and decided to coax Chloe into joining her. "Then why don't we head out and get something special for Hank to thank him for all his love and support he's given us?"

"Do you have a gift in mind?"

"I do. Care to join me?"

"Oh, of course. But Maddy..." Thinking about her daughter being so small and out in the big city was somehow frightening. "I'm not ready to take her out to the plaza."

Connor spoke up quickly as he laid back on the floor and let Henry sprawl out over his tummy atop his chest to cuddle. "Don't worry about it. You and Evelyn go out and get something nice for Hank. Lucas and I will stay here with the babies and try to keep Hank distracted while you're shopping."

"You're sure?"

"Of course. Maddy's my niece and I promised I'd look after her whenever you need me to." Rubbing his right hand along Henry's back Connor urged Chloe to take Evelyn up on her offer and leave for the house for a while without Madison, and to do something nice for Hank. "It'll be okay for an hour or two."

Lucas agreed with his big brother and extended his right hand toward Chloe to take. "He's right. Go with Evelyn and see the city again. I'll be here with Maddy the whole time, and I'll stay in cybernetic contact with you. Okay?"

Squeezing Lucas's hand Chloe smile and finally agreed to leave the house. "Okay, Lucas." Turning to look at Evelyn beside her Chloe accepted the offer. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'll show you." Standing up from the floor Evelyn slipped on her shoes by the front door, picked up her car keys and then grabbed her purse off of the same bookshelf. "I'll drive and you watch the master."

Returning down the staircase Hank overhead the last bit of the conversation and inquired about what was going on. "Master of what?"

"Finding the best take-out places in town." Covering her true errand expertly Evelyn gave Hank a smug smile. "I guarantee I can find one hidden gem that you and Connor haven't dined at during your shifts."

"Yeah?" Willing to take up the challenge Hank carried Madison over to the recliner and sat down to let his granddaughter snuggle in against his chest. "Wanna' make a wager?"

"On the color of the Corvette?"

"Now don't you start that." Playfully scolding Evelyn as he sat down to relax he brushed it off and came up with an alternative. "How about loser has to wash the dishes for a week?"

"Alright, deal."

"Without using the dishwasher."

Pausing for a moment Evelyn sighed and agreed to the wager. "Alright, fine." Turning her attention back to Chloe as the new mom rose from the couch Evelyn motioned to the door. "Ready?"

"Ready."

"Then let's go find our adventure..."

As the two women left the house to set about their enigmatic errand Hank sighed, looked down at Madison's face and gave her a somber look. "Wish I could hold you and work on the car at the same time, Maddy. But Papa needs his hands right now."

Lucas took back his daughter from Hank's arms and held her against his chest to keep her loved and supported. "I'm sure Maddy understands."

"I hope so." Rising from the recliner Hank looked at his sons and his grandchildren and just smirked. "When I finish changing the Corvette's oil and swapping out the brake pads I'll come back in here and spend some quality time with the kiddos."

Connor arched his brow as he gave Hank a coy stare. "Do you mean us or them?"

"Smartass."

Watching Hank pass through the livingroom Connor sat upright and put Henry on his lap while Lucas adjusted Madison so she could sit on his lap and see the rest of the house as he put his right hand over her chest to help her sit up and balance. The two brothers were enjoying their relatively private time with their kids, and wanted to make sure to enjoy the moment for as long as possible.

"Has Chloe left the house since the baby was born?"

"Only we come over here." Lucas admitted as he carefully laid down on his back on the floor and let Madison lay over his chest the same was Henry was doing with Connor. "She wasn't very sociable before she had the baby, and I think her new emotions when it comes to motherhood is keeping her from leaving the house at all. Even Kamski hasn't been able to coax her out of the house yet."

"That's what I figured. Evelyn didn't really leave the house either, and I know she's getting a little stir crazy since she's going to wait for Henry to start walking before she goes back to work at a precinct." Rubbing his right hand along Henry's back Connor smirked as his son smiled up at him around his pacifier and made small noises. "I think Evelyn is worried if she admits she wants some alone time after being cooped up in the house for almost six straight months it means she'll be seen as a bad mother."

"That's not true. Both you and Evelyn clearly love Henry and are going out of your way to keep him happy." Lightly rubbing his left hand along Madison's back Lucas was subconsciously mimicking Connor's motions as he quickly adapted to fatherhood and learned how to gently handle his newborn daughter with the same care and touch he had observed when Henry had been born. "Evelyn wanting to do something for herself is her being human, not selfish or neglectful."

"We know that, but there's still some people in society who try to shame for women for wanting to be themselves, and be someone beyond just a mother or a wife. I've noticed it first hand a few times while dealing with cases where deviants who were taking care of a family had been assaulted."

"How so?"

"The neighbors and extended family members who give witness statements would more often than not try to blame the mother of the children for hiring an android nanny to help her take care of the children to begin with, essentially stating that the mother needs to somehow give one-hundred percent of her time and attention to her children, and that it's the mother's fault that the android who had been assaulted was assaulted at all because they were hired to work in the neighborhood."

"...They're shaming a mother for asking for help in raising her children?"

"Yes. Hank and I have encountered many judgmental people like that, and I've had to step aside while Hank 'educates' them on their closed minded and very outdated means of thinking."

"And how does he do that?"

"Hank reminds these people that it takes two people to create a child and that if the father isn't going to be there to help the mother, and if the nosy people can't be bothered to, and I'm quoting Hank here: 'Get off your fat judgmental ass and actually help someone out', that they have no right to make such comments about the way the mother was choosing to keep her children safe, clothed, fed and happy."

The idea of Hank yelling in some nosy person's face made Lucas grin. "I'd like to witness Hank yelling at a rude person like that some time."

"It is interesting to watch the other person visibly shrink down when Hank tells them to mind their own business in the most effective way possible."

As Madison slowly became restless Lucas turned his attention back to his daughter's small noises and continued to rub her back. "I think Maddy is getting hungry."

"Are you chronicling her sounds in an attempt to establish a form of communication with her?"

"Yes. That particular sound always seems to indicate hunger or thirst."

"Henry just gets fussy and tries to grab onto anything to bring toward his mouth when he's hungry." Sitting upright slowly on the floor Connor held Henry on his lap and motioned toward the kitchen a few feet away. "We should get them fed so they aren't fussy when Evelyn and Chloe return."

"Good idea." Sitting upright slowly as well Lucas cradled Madison in his arms and reached for the diaper bag left sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. Wrapping Madison up in her lavender purple blanket Lucas kept her swaddled and warm, then selected one of her clean bottles from the bag to make her some formula. "Think Henry would mind if Maddy borrowed some formula?"

"Not at all, we got plenty since Henry's going through a growth spurt right now and seems to be hungry twice as often these days."

"Thank you, brother."

Walking side by side the two proud fathers carried their babies into the kitchen and prepared to get some dinner. After securing Henry to his highchair Connor took Madison away from Lucas so Lucas could prepare her formula, and Connor couldn't stop himself from grinning at the tiny baby as she made sounds and looked up at him with a curious gleam in her beautiful green eyes.

"Maddy seems to be comfortable around everyone." Lucas remarked as he took Madison back from Connor and sat down at the kitchen table to offer her the freshly prepared bottle. "I wonder if she'll be as warm to people as Henry has been?"

"If she is that'll make it much easier for her to adapt to preschool when the time comes." Finding Henry a fresh vegetable puree within the refrigerator Connor sat down in front of his son and placed a clean soft bib around Henry's neck before warming the meal in the microwave for a few minutes. "Evelyn and I were a little worried that Henry might've inherited my introverted nature, but it seems he's adopted more of Evelyn's personality instead."

"Are personalities completely genetic?"

"Only to some degree." The puree finished warming and Connor sat back down in front of Henry as he stirred the warmed meal and began to offer it to his young son to try to get him to eat the new flavor of veggies. "Children typically develop a personality based on their experiences with the people in their lives, but it's also been shown that some children will become the polar opposite of their parents despite influences and experiences. It's fascinating to contemplate."

"Interesting..." Cradling Madison gently Lucas watched as his daughter latched onto the bottle and quickly took to the provided formula. "While I was residing with Kamski due to the virus in my programming he had made a remark regarding how our own personalities were different from one another despite our common models and us being brothers. It seems personalities aren't predictable for either humans or androids."

"That is interesting."

While Madison contentedly took to the bottle Henry was being slightly more picky and didn't want to try to the new flavor of food that Connor had prepared for him. Thinking of all the tips and tricks that Hank taught him about dealing with fussy babies Connor smeared a small amount of the puree over Henry's lips which caused the baby to reflexively taste the offered meal. The pickiness seemed to fade as Henry decided that the new puree wasn't terrible and that he actually wanted to try some more.

"I'm glad Hank told me to do that." Connor laughed as Henry happily accepted more of the puree being offered. "Henry seems to prefer fruit over vegetables, but he needs to keep both balanced out to have a healthy diet."

"I'll be sure to remember that when Maddy is big enough to consume baby food."

"Once Henry's teeth start coming in we'll move to more solid food, but until then..." Noting the small white nubs that were beginning to show in Henry's mouth Connor grinned and continued to offer him the puree. "We'll just stick to this."

"Is the teething causing problems?"

"Mild fevers and chronic fussiness. Evelyn's been dealing with by giving Henry chilled teething rings and chilled fruit purees."

"I'll also keep that noted for when Maddy begins to teeth as well."

The laundry room door opened up as Hank returned from the garage and passed through the connected room to get back to the kitchen. Staring at the four members of his family all sitting together and having dinner made Hank grin with paternal pride. "Well, everyone looks like they're enjoying the quiet evening."

"Care to join us?"

"After I take a quick shower, son. I don't want to upset the babies with the smell of oil and grease."

"Of course."

As the senior detective, father and now grandfather walked down the hallway to get cleaned up in the bathroom Connor lowered his voice as he spoke to Lucas in a discreet manner. "Can I ask what your 'special surprise' is for Hank's birthday?"

"I have been painting a family portrait since the night we brought Maddy home. I wanted to give him something that shows how much his family cares about him and respects him."

"That's a fantastic idea, brother. I know Hank will truly love it when he sees it in a few months."


After dinner Connor and Lucas returned to the livingroom and resumed laying on the floor with Henry and Madison laying between them for their naps. The two babies were laying side by side under Madison's purple blanket while laying on their backs, and were plenty comfortable with their dad's laying beside them on the floor to keep close by. Tucking his left arm beneath his head Connor sighed and closed his eyes as his exhausting day at the precinct began to catch up to him, and Lucas was attempting to get in the habit of entering light stasis mode throughout the day as he wanted to conserve his energy to ensure that Madison and Chloe could always rely on him if he was needed without him being fatigued.

As the four sleepy people rested on the floor Ruby joined them and laid down near the babies' feet as she wagged her tail slowly and continued to keep watch over the tiny humans. Loyal to the end Ruby was going to protect Madison just as she would Henry.

Stepping out of the bathroom Hank crept down the hallway and peered into the kitchen, finding it now empty, then looked at the livingroom floor where his sons and grandchildren were all laying down together. Discreetly fishing his phone from his jean pocket Hank snapped a photo of his family and smirked at the peaceful image as a sense of success as a parent fell over him.

"Yeah, you two are definitely top-notch dads." The sight of seeing his sons as sleepy as his grandkids truly amused Hank as he quietly sat down in the recliner to be near his family. "Never doubt yourself boys, you're both fantastic fathers."

Not longer after the front door quietly opened as Evelyn and Chloe returned home with their purchases in hand. There was a special shopping bag in Chloe's left hand, while her right hand carried one of the three large take-out bags of food that she and Evelyn had also purchased while out running their errands. Evelyn had the other bags in her hand and was flashing Hank a very smug look as she glanced about the livingroom where she saw her husband laying on the floor with their son, his brother and their niece.

"Good timing." Hank whispered as he stood up to help carry the bags into the kitchen. "So... What did you find?"

"Well, it took me a minute but I think I found the best Mexican restaurant in the entire city."

"Is it a little family owned place on the other side of town?"

Evelyn gave a playfully pouty look as she and Chloe put the bags down on the kitchen table. "Damn. You know the place."

"Yup. I've been meaning to head out there with Connor during one of our shifts, but we just never had the time."

"Well, this wasn't a total loss for me after all." Peering back into the livingroom Evelyn smiled at the family cuddled up on the floor and was a little envious of the peaceful sight. "How long have they been asleep?"

"Not long. Connor and Lucas already fed the kids, so now it's their turn to get some food."

"Why don't you go sit down, Hank?" Evelyn began sorting through the bags and setting out the take-out containers neatly. "You're tired, too."

"I think I can handle take-out."

"Yeah, but you're tired and I'm wired." She quipped as Chloe discreetly pulled Hank's gift from the other bag and hid it on the bookshelf in the livingroom away from the senior detective's line of sight. "Let me do this and when Connor and Lucas wake up we'll have dinner."

"Alright, sure. Don't want to leave them out of this amazing dinner. Trust me," pointing at the take-out bag Hank gave Evelyn a knowing look. "this is best the Mexican food in the entire state."

As Hank finally returned to the livingroom Evelyn whispered to Chloe and continued to busy herself with the take-out bags. "Did you put it somewhere safe?"

"Yes. We'll present it to Hank after dinner."

"Perfect! I know he'll love it!"


Feeling someone staring at him as he slept Connor slowly opened his soulful brown eyes and was greeted with Evelyn hovering just centimeters above his face, and the unexpected sight made him jump a little. Letting out an adrenaline induced sigh Connor gave her an amused grin as Evelyn tried to not laugh out loud, and instead knelt down on the floor beside her husband.

"...Hi."

Giving Connor a kiss Evelyn gave him a cheery smile. "Hi yourself."

"When'd you get back?"

"About an hour ago." Nodding at Hank who was sitting in the recliner and watching the sight with his own amused smirk Evelyn let Connor know what was going on. "Dinner's ready."

"Oh. Okay."

"Sorry for waking you, but we didn't want it to get cold."

"It's fine. I'm actually feeling hungry right now, so I must actually be starving."

"Then it's a good thing we got plenty for everyone!"

Sitting upright slowly on the floor Connor looked down at Henry still sleeping beneath the blanket beside him and decided to not disturb him by picking him up to put in his swing or his crib upstairs. "Think Henry will be alright sleeping here for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, he's out of it and so's Maddy. We should let them be."

Nodding a little Connor carefully got up from the floor without disturbing his son or niece, and all but fell against Evelyn as she wrapped her arm around his waist affectionately. "How was shopping?"

"Nice and quiet. Going out after six in the evening is without a doubt the best time to go."

"Noted."

As the loving couple reached the kitchen to sit down and enjoy dinner Hank and Chloe awoke Lucas and soon joined everyone else to sit down. Remaining quiet as to not disturb the sleeping babies in the next room the five adults all discussed their day and spoke of their hopeful plans for the kids in the future. The idea of having the two cousins being close in age and having the chance to bond with one another and become friends was ideal, and it gave them all optimism of their already close family becoming even closer.

"I may have lost the wager," Evelyn joked as she finished off her delicious meal. "but it was worth it. This is by far the best taco salad I've ever had."

"Told you." Hank remarked smugly from across the table as he leaned back in his chair. "It's a bit of a drive to get out there, but you'll never regret making that distance. It's a gem of a place but it's not exactly hidden."

Connor gave Evelyn a kiss on her now brunette hair as he picked up the empty plates from the table to carry over to the sink. "Thanks for going out for dinner, Evelyn. That was great."

From beside Lucas at the table Chloe gave Evelyn a subtle glance asking if it was time to give Hank his gift, and Evelyn picked up on it right away. "Want to know what's even better?"

"What's that?"

"The other little thing we picked up while out in the plaza."

Turning to face his wife she motioned to the bookshelf in the livingroom with her eyes and Connor took the hint. "I bet you're right." Returning to the livingroom Connor located the thin white cardboard box sitting on the shelf just out of everyone's sight. Holding the box in his hands Connor could tell by the weight shape what was contained inside, but he didn't say a word. "Hey, dad..."

"Yeah?"

"This is for you."

"...Me?"

As the senior detective rose from his seat Connor passed him the box and motioned to Chloe in the kitchen. "It was Chloe's idea, and we all agreed that you deserved this."

"I... What is it?"

Lucas spoke up as he joined his father and brother in the livingroom while Evelyn and Chloe followed after him. "You should open it up and see."

"...Alright. Sure." Noticing that he suddenly had an audience Hank slowly and carefully opened up the box and peered at the contents inside. What was awaiting him almost stole his breath. "...I... I don't know what to say."

Within the box was a dozen photographs of Hank spending time with Connor, Lucas, Evelyn, Chloe, Henry and even Madison over the past few months. The image of Hank proudly holding his two grandchildren as they slept in his arms was at the top of the stack, and the images of him working on the Corvette with Connor and Lucas, of him cooking in the kitchen with Evelyn, and of him giving Chloe a hug after she had the baby were all enough to make his blue eyes tear up. The final photograph was framed and it showed all four of his kids holding his two grandchildren as they sat together on the back deck of the house with bright smiles on their face. In the bottom corner of the photograph was the label: "The Anderson Family" in gilded cursive.

"...Thank you." Trying to not let his emotions break him apart Hank just let his kids all hug him in turn as he realized that despite all his faults and all of his past mistakes that he had made along the way he was still worthy of love, trust and a family. "...I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this."

"You don't have to say anything, dad." Backing away from his father Connor turned his attention to his son and niece just in time to see Henry awaken from his nap and awkwardly roll from his back and onto his tummy. The idea of watching Henry grow-up with Hank right there to help guide him into adulthood made Connor proud to be an Anderson. "We know you love us."

"You got that right..." Fighting to keep his voice even Hank sighed and proudly displayed the family photograph on the bookshelf for everyone to see. "Who knew I'd end up so damn lucky?"

"Not a clue."

Evelyn tagged on playfully as she too hugged Hank. "Are you losing your touch 'Mr. Detective'?"

"Not a chance, 'Mrs. Detective'." Stepping a little closer to Henry to see if Madison was still asleep Connor just smirked and tried to come up with a witty response. "I was just merely-" Stopping short Connor suddenly crouched down and held out his hands toward Henry. "Evelyn, look!"

Following Connor's line of sight Evelyn's blue eyes widened as she watched Henry beginning to crawl and make his way over to Connor. "Henry's crawling!"

The proud baby boy made his way from the blanket and toward Connor at a slow but accurate pace. Just as he reached his daddy's hands Henry let out a small sound and happily snuggled into Connor's grip as he was scooped up from the floor.

"He did it!"

Putting his hand to the back of Henry's hair Hank gave his grandson a kind smile. "Henry's fast learner, just like his dad."

Chloe cooed at Henry for a moment before she went over and gingerly picked Madison up from the soft blankets to ensure she was still warm and comfortable now that her cousin was awake and crawling about. "I can't wait until Maddy starts crawling, too!"

"You're growing up so fast already..." Connor sighed as he held his son against his chest and shoulder. "...I kind of wish you'd slow down."

"Every parent does, son." Watching as Connor and Evelyn praised Henry for crawling, and watching as Henry smiled happily upon receiving all of his positive reinforcement Hank felt just as proud as his parents. "Treasure these moments for as long as you can. Once it's over you'll miss the sleepless nights, diaper changes and even the temper tantrums."

"Believe me, dad." Hugging Henry to his chest Connor turned to face his father and watched as Lucas and Chloe beamed at Madison even as she slept peacefully in her mother's arms. "These are the moments I'll never forget."


The day came to an end and Connor climbed into bed alongside Evelyn after putting Henry down for the night. Since Henry began sleeping well through the entire night he and Evelyn stopped sleeping in shifts in Henry's room and resumed sharing the same bed on a nightly basis. Laying down on his back Connor let out a sigh and wrapped his left arm around Evelyn as she cuddled up against his left side and pressed her ear down atop his chest to listen to his heart beating with its steady rhythm.

"That was a good idea." Connor admitted as he closed his eyes and slumped against his pillow heavily. "We need to be sure to keep plenty of photographs around, and record every detail of Henry's life."

"I can't believe our baby is already crawling... I could've sworn it was just yesterday he was kicking in my belly."

"And you telling me you were pregnant feels like it was just this morning."

"Time really is fleeting, isn't it?"

"Without a doubt."

Lightly Evelyn traced her left fingertip along the practically invisible scar running down Connor's chest and sighed as well. "...Do you miss being an android?"

"Huh?"

"Being human is so limiting and brief." She lamented as she cuddled in closer to Connor so he could hold her tighter. "When you were an android you could run without getting tired, goes weeks without needing to do eat or drink anything to restore your energy, you could spend days awake and working on cases without needing to rest... You could even take a bullet and keep moving."

"Being an android had its perks, I'll admit it."

"I know about your time as an android before the Revolution and how you helped Jericho get to safety. I don't think I could ever readily run into the line of fire to protect anyone the way you did, or risk my life to infiltrate a tower to free thousands of innocent people."

"Well, when I was an android I didn't have a family or even friends to live for. The success of the Revolution and the downfall of CyberLife were things that were worth dying for. Now that I have you, Henry, Hank, Lucas, Chloe and Maddy in my life I have a reason to keep living. If I stayed an android..." The idea of losing out on everything he had now made Connor's heart ache a little. "I wouldn't have you, our son and I have no idea what could've happened to Hank and Lucas."

"Do you think their lives would've been that much different?"

"Every decision I made leading up to my return to humanity had unintentionally impacted their lives as well. Hank felt alone again and was ready to slip into bad habits. Depression threatened to take Hank's life long before I met him, and I know he had trouble after he found himself alone again."

"Didn't he have Lucas to check in on him while you were rediscovering yourself?"

"At the time Lucas wasn't as comfortable around Hank as if he right now. He may have stayed at New Jericho and stayed a technician despite feeling unfulfilled. Hell, if I had stayed an android my heart wouldn't have begun to fail and Lucas wouldn't have made that special biocomponent to save my life. Without the biocomponent Lucas had no reason to stay at Kamski's residence for so long and he wouldn't have fallen in love with Chloe." Sighing deeply Connor steadied himself as much as possible as he thought about everything that he and his family had endured since he unexpected return to humanity. "Hell, it's entirely possible that when Perkins attempted to kill Lucas after mistaking him for me he could've succeeded."

"Lucas is okay." Evelyn could feel Connor getting emotionally worked up and wanted to help him feel better again. "He's alive, he has Chloe in his life and how he gets to be a father, too. Lucas is just fine, so don't worry about him."

"He's my brother, I'm going to worry."

"Well, stop it." Giving him a playful glare Evelyn kissed his cheek and tried to settle back down to sleep. "Remember what Hank said about you needing to stop obsessing over things?"

"I remember. Believe me, I remember almost everything."

"Hopefully you remember more good than bad when it comes to your life."

"Yeah, I have a lot of good memories to fall back on. I will always treasure the day I spent with my mother and finally worked up the nerve to call her 'mom'. The Christmas where Hank had given me Ruby as a gift was a great day, too. Meeting you and you telling me about Henry being on the way... Those are the best!"

"Yet you're still so tense. I can feel it."

"I'm sorry. I can't stop thinking about the upcoming conference between the mayor and Markus. It's just... I can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it. In a way it feels like I'm... facing a ticking clock."

Lifting up her head Evelyn gave Connor a confused glance. "A ticking clock? Like... You're running out of time?"

"It sounds crazy, I know."

"No, it doesn't." Laying her head back down Evelyn sighed and continued to listen to Connor's heartbeat. "It sounds like you're aware of how precious time is, and how it doesn't wait for anyone."

"Being an android right about now would come in handy. I could just turn off my chronometer and enter rest mode so I could forget about this feeling for a while. Then again, it'd still be there when I awoke and I wouldn't have you by my side."

"You're such a romantic sometimes."

"I'm just being honest. That's something that CyberLife frowned upon but humanity treasures."

"Honesty?"

"Genuine emotions and empathy. I used to be so cold, calculating and mission driven, and now I can't stop thinking about all the important people in my life and how I'd do anything to keep them safe." Noting how much he had to live for and how much he could've missed out on if he had remained a deviant android made Connor truly appreciate the second life he had been given. "Maybe my return to humanity was the best thing for everyone after all."

"Regardless of your life as an android and everything that led you back to your humanity I will always love you, and know you as my best friend and husband who gave me a reason to let go of my painful past and move onto a brighter future."

"Yeah..." Giving Evelyn a kiss Connor finally felt enough at ease to try to sleep. Holding her against his side as he dozed gave Connor a much needed sense of grounding and peace. "Our future is together with our son. Nothing will change that."

"I love you so much, Connor."

"And I love you, Evelyn." Doing his best to relax Connor tried to remain upbeat as he laid with his wife and imagined their future together. "I love you and Henry with all of my heart."

-next chapter-